well...it's that time again...hard to believe sometimes...this is when i notice how time flies...
didn't i just do this for winter 08?
for those of you unaware of what i do...part of the time...are my trunk shows...
four times a year...i set up in my home...basically a boutique shop...of about 400 pieces of clothing...and then i have appointments set up with women...one on one...to help them find the perfect outfits...
the great part is that these clothes...designed by a designer out of new york...are exclusive...in that...you will not find them in any boutiques or malls anywhere...women love the uniqueness of the clothing as well as the quality...
as much as the set-up takes out of me...i really enjoy the set-up of the trunk shows...
it starts by fed-ex dropping off anywhere from nine to eleven 50 lb boxes at my doorstep...i then proceed to unpack and setup the store...it is an all day back breaking event...
but the final product...well...it is pretty spectacular...the women that have come to prior shows are amazed that my home...once a living room...is now truly...a boutique shop...and it has to be...to make it "pretty" for the women to look at the clothing...
for a full year now...i joined forces with a good friend of mine...a...which has made the set-up a little easier...because now there are two of us...and...i have someone to talk to...during the set-up...
last year...we used my home...and this year...we are switching it up...and using her home...and we have added a new component to our shows...which is an educational piece...to hopefully get some new clients in...and be true consultants to them....
our first educational event will be a champagne fashion-ar (think seminar) with a color consultant teaching them all about color...and what works for each of them with their skin tone eye & hair color...we already are at standing room only for this event...so that is pretty exciting!
it was definately a good decision on our part to implement this...we also have created some nice goodie bags for the ladies...which i think they will be pleasantly surprised with...
and hello...did someone say bubbly??
if you would like to view the collection... feel free...there is actually a runway fashion show you are able to view...there are still some spots open for appointments...so feel free to let me know if you are interested...we are showing through march 4th...
http://www.worthny.com
and...for all you fashionista's out there...i have a monthly newsletter as well...that i would be happy to add you to the mailer...just let me know!
one of my favorite quotes...
"a girl should be two things: classy and fabulous" coco channel
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
the best kind of friends...
last nite as i sat on my couch...i had one of those moments...where you just reflect on what you have...
for me...one of the most incredible blessings in my life...are my friends...i truly hit the mother load on that...
what made me think of my friends...well...it was a week of full friendship mode...amongst a busy hectic week...
it was different things...that made up the whole...so to speak...
started with a roadtrip with my girlfriend l...we decided to drive up together to spend time with my best friend & sister-in-law..we both got beautified by the hair expert...and then met up with another true gem of a friend...for a wonderful dinner...and then proceeded to talk late into the evening...4 close friends...caring about each other
the next moment came when i called up my girl d...who lives way to far away...but as soon as she heard my voice...we just picked up where we last left off...i had not spoken to her in well over a month...but our friendship is that close...that it doesn't matter...no time is lost between us...
yesterday...i celebrated my girlfriend m's birthday...a day in the city...full of shopping...and then a fabulous dinner...where we talked and caught up...and shared...
came home to get a phone call from my good friend c...just catching up...on my day...and his...
then i check my answering machine...and there were messages...from friends...from different states...just calling to say hello...
it was overwhelming...
what i know...is that friendship like any relationship...takes work...it takes time...it takes sacrifice...
but..it is so well worth it...
as i think back over the years...there were always adjustments that needed to be made...some got married...so the relationship changed in timing get togethers...only harder then...when friends started becoming parents...but the common thread among my friends and me...were that both sides saw the need to make it work...to work within the paramaters of each individual...
i do not know what i would be like without my friends...they have loved me, encouraged me, pushed me, rallied around me, cried with me, laughed with me...and been there for me...
i just hope that i have been able to give a little of that back to them...
for me...one of the most incredible blessings in my life...are my friends...i truly hit the mother load on that...
what made me think of my friends...well...it was a week of full friendship mode...amongst a busy hectic week...
it was different things...that made up the whole...so to speak...
started with a roadtrip with my girlfriend l...we decided to drive up together to spend time with my best friend & sister-in-law..we both got beautified by the hair expert...and then met up with another true gem of a friend...for a wonderful dinner...and then proceeded to talk late into the evening...4 close friends...caring about each other
the next moment came when i called up my girl d...who lives way to far away...but as soon as she heard my voice...we just picked up where we last left off...i had not spoken to her in well over a month...but our friendship is that close...that it doesn't matter...no time is lost between us...
yesterday...i celebrated my girlfriend m's birthday...a day in the city...full of shopping...and then a fabulous dinner...where we talked and caught up...and shared...
came home to get a phone call from my good friend c...just catching up...on my day...and his...
then i check my answering machine...and there were messages...from friends...from different states...just calling to say hello...
it was overwhelming...
what i know...is that friendship like any relationship...takes work...it takes time...it takes sacrifice...
but..it is so well worth it...
as i think back over the years...there were always adjustments that needed to be made...some got married...so the relationship changed in timing get togethers...only harder then...when friends started becoming parents...but the common thread among my friends and me...were that both sides saw the need to make it work...to work within the paramaters of each individual...
i do not know what i would be like without my friends...they have loved me, encouraged me, pushed me, rallied around me, cried with me, laughed with me...and been there for me...
i just hope that i have been able to give a little of that back to them...
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
born to run...
when i was in high school...a few years ago... ;o) ok...it has been longer than that...more like 29 years since i graduated...one of the things that i loved to do was to run...
i was on the track team...but only in long distance...somehow i was able to discipline my stride and last for the long runs...the short distances were a joke...i was just a little slow turtle...
for fun (yes...at that time it was) i would jog five miles a day...part of it was to keep in shape for the track meets...but when i ran...i always felt like there was nothing i couldn't do...and i truly enjoyed it...
as the years went by...and i started working...getting pulled into corporate america...my running started to become less and less of a priority...until one day...i completely stopped...
there have been many times that i have wanted to start it back up again...but i somehow convinced myself that i wasn't a runner...which...really...when i think about it...is...well...a crock...being that i know i used to run...
time and age got in the way...and i found myself reasoning with myself...i was really not born a runner and at this point...lacked the physical endurance and stamina that runners possess...
plus...i had a whole lot of other reasons for why i could not run...
if only i had a good pair of running shoes...
if only i had more time to run...
if only i had an mp3 player so i could listen to music while i ran...
if only, if only, if only...
i am so tired of "if only"
the thing is...my reasons...were just excuses...was i afraid that i would fail?
for me...i just needed to start...so...i started reasoning that i could take up running...
i realized that all these "reasons" were thinly disguised excuses to avoid the work that i knew running was going to be...
i didn't want to extend myself beyond my comfort zone...
i didn't want to strain every muscle in my body...
i didn't want to take time out of my already busy days and devote it to running...
i liked to talk about running "one day" but i didn't actually want to do it...
so, eventually i laid all my excuses and ventured out for that first run...well...actually i cleared off all the stuff that had accumulated on top of my treadmill...
i already had my ipod...full of more songs than a year of running would need...
i invested in a good pair of running shoes...
and i started...
it was grueling and humbling...
and surprisingly, i loved it...
as i was running the other day...well actually more walking then running...i thought about how much my attitude has changed since i started...if there is a day that goes by that i can't do it...i crave it...well...crave may be a bit strong of a word...but i do find myself looking forward to it...
as i thought about all the excuses i once used to avoid running...i was so glad that i eventually stopped hiding behind them and took the plunge...
the weather keeps me inside...but i am finding myself looking forward to spring...when i will be able to take it outside...and enjoy the beautiful places around my home...perfect for running...
this whole ordeal made me think of other areas in my life...this year has really been a break through for me...analyzing and thinking through why i do things that i do...or don't do things that i want to do...it has allowed me to step out...so to speak...but more than that...i have found myself doing a lot of things that i may not have done if i was still stuck in that "scared" mode...
perhaps you have been hiding behind some excuses of your own lately...maybe your excuses involve exercise...like mine did...or maybe they involve other things like why you can't give up a bad habit, why you aren't able to forgive someone, or why you are continuing in a sin God has been convicting you of...maybe you have been letting excuses keep you from an intimate relationship with God...
even as you read these words...maybe God is impressing on your heart that there is something you need to do...but you have been letting excuses serve as a barrier between knowing it and actually doing it...
i invite you to remove the excuses in your life...too choose one excuse today and begin to tear it down...taking just one brick out of the wall...over the next days and weeks...choose more bricks to remove...until one day...nothing is standing between you and that scary thing you know you need to do...
i am glad i stopped listening to my own excuses and accepted the invitation to venture beyond my comfort zone...
what i know...is that we are all born to run...as long as we grip the Father's hand with all our might and stop letting excuses keep us from taking that first step...
i was on the track team...but only in long distance...somehow i was able to discipline my stride and last for the long runs...the short distances were a joke...i was just a little slow turtle...
for fun (yes...at that time it was) i would jog five miles a day...part of it was to keep in shape for the track meets...but when i ran...i always felt like there was nothing i couldn't do...and i truly enjoyed it...
as the years went by...and i started working...getting pulled into corporate america...my running started to become less and less of a priority...until one day...i completely stopped...
there have been many times that i have wanted to start it back up again...but i somehow convinced myself that i wasn't a runner...which...really...when i think about it...is...well...a crock...being that i know i used to run...
time and age got in the way...and i found myself reasoning with myself...i was really not born a runner and at this point...lacked the physical endurance and stamina that runners possess...
plus...i had a whole lot of other reasons for why i could not run...
if only i had a good pair of running shoes...
if only i had more time to run...
if only i had an mp3 player so i could listen to music while i ran...
if only, if only, if only...
i am so tired of "if only"
the thing is...my reasons...were just excuses...was i afraid that i would fail?
for me...i just needed to start...so...i started reasoning that i could take up running...
i realized that all these "reasons" were thinly disguised excuses to avoid the work that i knew running was going to be...
i didn't want to extend myself beyond my comfort zone...
i didn't want to strain every muscle in my body...
i didn't want to take time out of my already busy days and devote it to running...
i liked to talk about running "one day" but i didn't actually want to do it...
so, eventually i laid all my excuses and ventured out for that first run...well...actually i cleared off all the stuff that had accumulated on top of my treadmill...
i already had my ipod...full of more songs than a year of running would need...
i invested in a good pair of running shoes...
and i started...
it was grueling and humbling...
and surprisingly, i loved it...
as i was running the other day...well actually more walking then running...i thought about how much my attitude has changed since i started...if there is a day that goes by that i can't do it...i crave it...well...crave may be a bit strong of a word...but i do find myself looking forward to it...
as i thought about all the excuses i once used to avoid running...i was so glad that i eventually stopped hiding behind them and took the plunge...
the weather keeps me inside...but i am finding myself looking forward to spring...when i will be able to take it outside...and enjoy the beautiful places around my home...perfect for running...
this whole ordeal made me think of other areas in my life...this year has really been a break through for me...analyzing and thinking through why i do things that i do...or don't do things that i want to do...it has allowed me to step out...so to speak...but more than that...i have found myself doing a lot of things that i may not have done if i was still stuck in that "scared" mode...
perhaps you have been hiding behind some excuses of your own lately...maybe your excuses involve exercise...like mine did...or maybe they involve other things like why you can't give up a bad habit, why you aren't able to forgive someone, or why you are continuing in a sin God has been convicting you of...maybe you have been letting excuses keep you from an intimate relationship with God...
even as you read these words...maybe God is impressing on your heart that there is something you need to do...but you have been letting excuses serve as a barrier between knowing it and actually doing it...
i invite you to remove the excuses in your life...too choose one excuse today and begin to tear it down...taking just one brick out of the wall...over the next days and weeks...choose more bricks to remove...until one day...nothing is standing between you and that scary thing you know you need to do...
i am glad i stopped listening to my own excuses and accepted the invitation to venture beyond my comfort zone...
what i know...is that we are all born to run...as long as we grip the Father's hand with all our might and stop letting excuses keep us from taking that first step...
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
everything's amazing...nobody's happy...
everything we look at in life...it all boils down to perspective...
this is comedian louis ck...pointing out our spoiled generation...pretty funny!
everything's amazing...nobody's happy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jETv3NURwLc&NR=1
this is comedian louis ck...pointing out our spoiled generation...pretty funny!
everything's amazing...nobody's happy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jETv3NURwLc&NR=1
Monday, February 23, 2009
God knows you...
oh Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when i sit and when i rise;
You perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
You are familiar with all my ways.
before a word is on my tongue
You know it completely, o Lord,
You hem me in - behind and before;
You have laid Your hand upon me.
such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
psalm 139:1-6
i believe there are times in our lives where we sometimes may feel like a nothing...
singles may feel it until they get married...
some married people may feel it until they have a baby...
some may feel it until they get that job of their dreams...
i had an interesting conversation with an old friend last week...he has truly been struggling with depression...and seriously wondering if anyone would notice if he dropped off the planet...
at times where i have felt like this in my life...my go to verse was the one listed above in psalm 139...
i can clearly point out times in my life where i had dreams in my heart that i thought were from God...and i started wondering if they were just my dreams...i wondered till i was wondered out...
have you ever felt like that?
in looking back...what i learned...these are the times...i think...where we as humans...need to be very careful...we get to the point where we may get the the wrong perception about God...about ourselves...and about our circumstances...
for me...it took a very simple situation that God showed me to break me out of my self-pity when i felt my life was going no where...in that situation...the lesson was clear...our perceptions determine our responses...
and...most of the time...our perceptions...are...well...shall we say...skewed?
psalm 139 shows me a very real and right picture of God, of myself...and my circumstances...the words gave me hope when i needed something to hold on too...the picture i see is God wanting us to understand that you and i are special and going somewhere...if we open up to Him...
sometimes i get a little overwhelmed when i think of how God knows us...knows me...
He understands us...
God knows us so well that He knows every word we will say...
He knows how we think...
He knows our dreams...
He knows out motives...
He knows our fears...
He knows exactly how we will respond...
He knows why we respond...
He knows us infinitely better that we know ourselves...
He knows the private things we think about in regards to our relationships, our jobs, ourselves...
He knows our deepest frustrations...
He knows our self-doubts...
He knows every corner, every cranny, every secret, and every closet...
He fully understands us...
this is incredible to me...and at the same time...frightening...if God knows that much about me...my response is to run and hide...because there are those things i am not proud of...
but God...in his incredible love for me...and for you...He knows all the deepest things in you...but...the difference is...He doesn't take these things to use them against you...He lays His hand on our lives...and protects...
what an incredible picture of our Father...
You know when i sit and when i rise;
You perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
You are familiar with all my ways.
before a word is on my tongue
You know it completely, o Lord,
You hem me in - behind and before;
You have laid Your hand upon me.
such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
psalm 139:1-6
i believe there are times in our lives where we sometimes may feel like a nothing...
singles may feel it until they get married...
some married people may feel it until they have a baby...
some may feel it until they get that job of their dreams...
i had an interesting conversation with an old friend last week...he has truly been struggling with depression...and seriously wondering if anyone would notice if he dropped off the planet...
at times where i have felt like this in my life...my go to verse was the one listed above in psalm 139...
i can clearly point out times in my life where i had dreams in my heart that i thought were from God...and i started wondering if they were just my dreams...i wondered till i was wondered out...
have you ever felt like that?
in looking back...what i learned...these are the times...i think...where we as humans...need to be very careful...we get to the point where we may get the the wrong perception about God...about ourselves...and about our circumstances...
for me...it took a very simple situation that God showed me to break me out of my self-pity when i felt my life was going no where...in that situation...the lesson was clear...our perceptions determine our responses...
and...most of the time...our perceptions...are...well...shall we say...skewed?
psalm 139 shows me a very real and right picture of God, of myself...and my circumstances...the words gave me hope when i needed something to hold on too...the picture i see is God wanting us to understand that you and i are special and going somewhere...if we open up to Him...
sometimes i get a little overwhelmed when i think of how God knows us...knows me...
He understands us...
God knows us so well that He knows every word we will say...
He knows how we think...
He knows our dreams...
He knows out motives...
He knows our fears...
He knows exactly how we will respond...
He knows why we respond...
He knows us infinitely better that we know ourselves...
He knows the private things we think about in regards to our relationships, our jobs, ourselves...
He knows our deepest frustrations...
He knows our self-doubts...
He knows every corner, every cranny, every secret, and every closet...
He fully understands us...
this is incredible to me...and at the same time...frightening...if God knows that much about me...my response is to run and hide...because there are those things i am not proud of...
but God...in his incredible love for me...and for you...He knows all the deepest things in you...but...the difference is...He doesn't take these things to use them against you...He lays His hand on our lives...and protects...
what an incredible picture of our Father...
Friday, February 20, 2009
installing love...
a friend of mine sent this to me this week...just a cute little diddy...but the message is so strong...
i think that past hurts can keep us from moving forward if we let them...to move on...we need to let go of past experiences that left us hurt, vulnerable and scared...
i believe in love...i love seeing people in love...i love hearing stories of how two people fell in love...and i believe that love will finds its way back into my heart...
finding out that someone didn't love me the way i loved them...well...it hurt...but...it taught me alot about myself...and what i know about myself...is that i choose to focus on the beauty of being able to be in love...and give myself completely to someone...and not be afraid to take a chance on love...
one of my favorite quotes...
"better to have love and lost...than to have never loved at all"
here is the email i received:
"installing love"
Tech Support: Yes, ... how can I help you?
Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install LOVE. Can you guide me though the process?
Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?
Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?
Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?
Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?
Tech Support: What programs are running?
Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge, and Resentment running right now.
Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self- Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off?
Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?
Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.
Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?
Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.
Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error - Program not run on external components." What should I do?
Tech Support: Don't worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.
Customer: So, what should I do?
Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.
Customer: Okay, done.
Tech Support: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.
Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?
Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So LOVE is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. LOVE is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.
i think that past hurts can keep us from moving forward if we let them...to move on...we need to let go of past experiences that left us hurt, vulnerable and scared...
i believe in love...i love seeing people in love...i love hearing stories of how two people fell in love...and i believe that love will finds its way back into my heart...
finding out that someone didn't love me the way i loved them...well...it hurt...but...it taught me alot about myself...and what i know about myself...is that i choose to focus on the beauty of being able to be in love...and give myself completely to someone...and not be afraid to take a chance on love...
one of my favorite quotes...
"better to have love and lost...than to have never loved at all"
here is the email i received:
"installing love"
Tech Support: Yes, ... how can I help you?
Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install LOVE. Can you guide me though the process?
Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?
Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?
Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?
Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?
Tech Support: What programs are running?
Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge, and Resentment running right now.
Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self- Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off?
Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?
Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.
Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?
Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.
Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error - Program not run on external components." What should I do?
Tech Support: Don't worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.
Customer: So, what should I do?
Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.
Customer: Okay, done.
Tech Support: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.
Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?
Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So LOVE is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. LOVE is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
my prayer...by pastor jon...
being a member of a rather large church...it is easy to sometimes get lost in the masses...the key...is to lock into smaller groups...
one of the smaller groups that i was a part of..was the choir and music department...i decided to take some time off from it...a few months...which now have turned into a few years...how did that happen?
there are those that want me back in...mostly my mom...she is always asking me when i will be back in choir...now she asks me which year i am planning to go back (talk about unnecessary pressure)...there are my close friends that are always calling and asking...and then there is pastor jon...the music pastor...
i have to admit...i do miss choir...the music department...all my friends there...but mostly...pastor jon...the music pastor...
being in this large church...pastor jon has always been the one i would go to...if i needed to talk to a pastor...in all the years that i have known him...he has always checked in with me...whether or not i was in choir...there is such an incredible feeling of belonging...when someone has thought of you...and is checking in...
yesterday...i received an email titled "my prayer" from pastor jon...
here are the contents of that email...be it short and sweet...
“O Lord, please being Elena back into her rightful place of choral ministry. Help her to understand there are souls in the balance (and that I miss her and would like to look her in the eye instead of having to see her through eyes in the back of my head). She is a good girl and needs to come back into the fold. In the meantime, bless all of her efforts. (Although You can bless them a little more if she comes back to choir.)Amen-- JL"
can there be anything sweeter? the reference to the eyes in the back of the head...is a joke between the two of us...where i sit...warming up the pew every sunday...is to pastor jon's back as he leads the church in song...he is always telling me i need to sit somewhere else so he can have a better view of me...and know that i am there...every sunday...
i replied to his email stating that this was quite the powerful prayer...and that i might need to post it on my blog...to which pastor jon replied...
(Follow Up Prayer)"O Lord, I am exceedingly grateful for my sister Elena’s response to my initial prayer and ask that as she comes back to choir (I speak this in faith) you will allow her to sell more trunks than ever before.This is my plea – let it be done.Amen"
these tiny moments...where out of a very busy schedule...time is made for a little connection...well they mean the world to me...pastor jon makes time for people...and it almost makes me want to go back to choir this week...but my schedule does not allow it at this time...and he realizes that...and respects it...but he still lets me know...that when the time is right...i am welcome...
follow-up...since blog was first posted...received response from pastor jon in regards to this post...
My Sister
Holy Cow! You weren’t kidding about putting that on your blog! Wow – I need to be careful what I write!
Thank you for your kind words – they humble me.
To put it in perspective, if I could boil my philosophy down to one sentence, it would be this:
“It needs to matter to someone if you don’t show up.
Elena, when you don’t show up, it matters to me."
no wonder i have so much respect for pastor jon! he is a true pastor...watching over his flock...
one of the smaller groups that i was a part of..was the choir and music department...i decided to take some time off from it...a few months...which now have turned into a few years...how did that happen?
there are those that want me back in...mostly my mom...she is always asking me when i will be back in choir...now she asks me which year i am planning to go back (talk about unnecessary pressure)...there are my close friends that are always calling and asking...and then there is pastor jon...the music pastor...
i have to admit...i do miss choir...the music department...all my friends there...but mostly...pastor jon...the music pastor...
being in this large church...pastor jon has always been the one i would go to...if i needed to talk to a pastor...in all the years that i have known him...he has always checked in with me...whether or not i was in choir...there is such an incredible feeling of belonging...when someone has thought of you...and is checking in...
yesterday...i received an email titled "my prayer" from pastor jon...
here are the contents of that email...be it short and sweet...
“O Lord, please being Elena back into her rightful place of choral ministry. Help her to understand there are souls in the balance (and that I miss her and would like to look her in the eye instead of having to see her through eyes in the back of my head). She is a good girl and needs to come back into the fold. In the meantime, bless all of her efforts. (Although You can bless them a little more if she comes back to choir.)Amen-- JL"
can there be anything sweeter? the reference to the eyes in the back of the head...is a joke between the two of us...where i sit...warming up the pew every sunday...is to pastor jon's back as he leads the church in song...he is always telling me i need to sit somewhere else so he can have a better view of me...and know that i am there...every sunday...
i replied to his email stating that this was quite the powerful prayer...and that i might need to post it on my blog...to which pastor jon replied...
(Follow Up Prayer)"O Lord, I am exceedingly grateful for my sister Elena’s response to my initial prayer and ask that as she comes back to choir (I speak this in faith) you will allow her to sell more trunks than ever before.This is my plea – let it be done.Amen"
these tiny moments...where out of a very busy schedule...time is made for a little connection...well they mean the world to me...pastor jon makes time for people...and it almost makes me want to go back to choir this week...but my schedule does not allow it at this time...and he realizes that...and respects it...but he still lets me know...that when the time is right...i am welcome...
follow-up...since blog was first posted...received response from pastor jon in regards to this post...
My Sister
Holy Cow! You weren’t kidding about putting that on your blog! Wow – I need to be careful what I write!
Thank you for your kind words – they humble me.
To put it in perspective, if I could boil my philosophy down to one sentence, it would be this:
“It needs to matter to someone if you don’t show up.
Elena, when you don’t show up, it matters to me."
no wonder i have so much respect for pastor jon! he is a true pastor...watching over his flock...
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
dying a hero...
we received the news yesterday...tim connor died a senseless death...
tim & i went to the same high school...he was one year ahead of me...a nice guy...we were not close friends in high school..but he was always sweet...that is what i remember of him...
he died a hero...saving his wife...
i hate that death is always a reminder that we do not know how much time we have on this earth...but then...we as humans need reminders...to not take those in our lives for granted...to spend the time wisely...daily...because those that are important to us...may not be here tomorrow...
here is the story...my prayers go out to the family...
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_11708343?source=most_viewed
tim & i went to the same high school...he was one year ahead of me...a nice guy...we were not close friends in high school..but he was always sweet...that is what i remember of him...
he died a hero...saving his wife...
i hate that death is always a reminder that we do not know how much time we have on this earth...but then...we as humans need reminders...to not take those in our lives for granted...to spend the time wisely...daily...because those that are important to us...may not be here tomorrow...
here is the story...my prayers go out to the family...
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_11708343?source=most_viewed
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
speaking engagement...
last nite i was the guest speaker at a networking event...my stomach was in knots pretty much the whole day...not because i've never spoken in front of a group...but because i haven't spoken in front of a group in a very long time...
i shouldn't have been too nervous...i mean i just needed to speak about what i do...on a daily basis...but i guess it was the standing in front of a group part...that i was focusing on..
i of course procrastinated and did not prepare my talk until the afternoon...once that was done...i felt a little better...
the topic i chose..."being a fashionista in recessionista times"
i have to say...i really enjoyed myself...there was a time...in the good ole days...while working in corporate america...when speaking in groups was the norm for me...
i realized last nite...that it is something that i enjoy...although i get nervous...once i get started...i am fine...yesterday was...by far...the easiest...because i spoke of my passion...
the funnest part was the question's at the end of my talk...the women had some serious questions about their recessionista needs...this is usually the time that a speaker is thinking...hmmm...hope i can answer all the questions intelligently...
phew...i had an answer for each question...the nite was a big success...
i truly love what i do...making women feel beautiful...powerful...through their dress...and although we all know...that beauty comes from the inside out...we live in a world where the outward appearance is what people focus on...
the fact is...that a woman can look incredible at any budget...and i feel that a woman...when she feels good...walks different...acts different...portrays a different attitude...and when i can help facilitate that...well...that makes me feel pretty wonderful...
i think i am actually looking forward to more speaking engagements...
i shouldn't have been too nervous...i mean i just needed to speak about what i do...on a daily basis...but i guess it was the standing in front of a group part...that i was focusing on..
i of course procrastinated and did not prepare my talk until the afternoon...once that was done...i felt a little better...
the topic i chose..."being a fashionista in recessionista times"
i have to say...i really enjoyed myself...there was a time...in the good ole days...while working in corporate america...when speaking in groups was the norm for me...
i realized last nite...that it is something that i enjoy...although i get nervous...once i get started...i am fine...yesterday was...by far...the easiest...because i spoke of my passion...
the funnest part was the question's at the end of my talk...the women had some serious questions about their recessionista needs...this is usually the time that a speaker is thinking...hmmm...hope i can answer all the questions intelligently...
phew...i had an answer for each question...the nite was a big success...
i truly love what i do...making women feel beautiful...powerful...through their dress...and although we all know...that beauty comes from the inside out...we live in a world where the outward appearance is what people focus on...
the fact is...that a woman can look incredible at any budget...and i feel that a woman...when she feels good...walks different...acts different...portrays a different attitude...and when i can help facilitate that...well...that makes me feel pretty wonderful...
i think i am actually looking forward to more speaking engagements...
Monday, February 16, 2009
thoughts on prayer..
i recently had a very intense conversation with one of my girlfriends about prayer...we were talking about those real, honest prayers to God...you know the ones...where you are at the end...where you see no hope in sight...where you have no where else to turn to...those times...when all that is left...is God...
these prayers usually come out of a time of specific, desperate, and painful needs...i have been in those moments in my life...where all i saw was crisis, fear, doubt, and confusion...when i reached the end...where nothing seemed possible...these were the moments that i cried out to God in pain and frustration...
these times are usually the times that we are willing to give up anything for answered prayer...we barter with God...most of the time...we really have nothing left to barter with...so we barter our future..."God...if you do this...i will be willing to do anything"...
this prayer fits so comfortably into a neat little foxhole category...but...when i really think about it...i think that kind of prayer is part of human nature...because there's nothing immediate we can offer God in exchange for His help, we try and offer our future...we reason in our head...if God could do all the wonderful things He did back then (recounting all the bible stories heard)...well surely He could do it now...
there were those times...in the lowest of low times...that i really didn't know if God cared...but i was desperate...so i cried out to Him...in the only way i knew how...
i'm sure you've had at least one moment in your life when you cried out to God because of a critical need...you may have wondered if He really existed...and if in fact He really did exist...would He help you? for some of you...the answer may have come in a miraculous manifestation that began your journey with the living God...but for others...the cry for help seemed to go unheard and you wondered if all those stories about Jesus were really true...
one of the books of the Bible that i love to read are the psalms...the psalms are written by and for people who desperately needed God's help at some point in their lives...even more desperately...they needed to encounter God...
so what are some of life's most universal needs? who doesn't suffer injustice at some time or another? who hasn't gone through a major crisis or felt insignificant? i don't know anyone who doesn't get a little depressed now and then...all of us know something about fear...guilt and shame are such a real part of the human experience...we've all blown it and we all know it...
confusion seems to drift in and out of our lives...and it is these exact needs that drive us to God...
sometimes i wish it weren't so...i wish that on my own...when things were great...i would run to Him and long to serve and please Him with all my heart...but the sad fact is...many of us turn to God the most when the demands or pains or uncertainties of life close in around us...
the thing with God though...is that He wants to meet us on a far more regular basis than just when we are in need...God wants to meet us in good times and bad...He wants to be our best friend and faithful companion...He wants to guide us, lead us, direct us, empower us...and fill us with joy beyond our wildest dreams...
more than anything in the entire world..God wants a relationship with us...and that...to me...is pretty awesome...
to turn to God only when we're hurting, struggling, or confused greatly limits the quality of our relationship with God...
these prayers usually come out of a time of specific, desperate, and painful needs...i have been in those moments in my life...where all i saw was crisis, fear, doubt, and confusion...when i reached the end...where nothing seemed possible...these were the moments that i cried out to God in pain and frustration...
these times are usually the times that we are willing to give up anything for answered prayer...we barter with God...most of the time...we really have nothing left to barter with...so we barter our future..."God...if you do this...i will be willing to do anything"...
this prayer fits so comfortably into a neat little foxhole category...but...when i really think about it...i think that kind of prayer is part of human nature...because there's nothing immediate we can offer God in exchange for His help, we try and offer our future...we reason in our head...if God could do all the wonderful things He did back then (recounting all the bible stories heard)...well surely He could do it now...
there were those times...in the lowest of low times...that i really didn't know if God cared...but i was desperate...so i cried out to Him...in the only way i knew how...
i'm sure you've had at least one moment in your life when you cried out to God because of a critical need...you may have wondered if He really existed...and if in fact He really did exist...would He help you? for some of you...the answer may have come in a miraculous manifestation that began your journey with the living God...but for others...the cry for help seemed to go unheard and you wondered if all those stories about Jesus were really true...
one of the books of the Bible that i love to read are the psalms...the psalms are written by and for people who desperately needed God's help at some point in their lives...even more desperately...they needed to encounter God...
so what are some of life's most universal needs? who doesn't suffer injustice at some time or another? who hasn't gone through a major crisis or felt insignificant? i don't know anyone who doesn't get a little depressed now and then...all of us know something about fear...guilt and shame are such a real part of the human experience...we've all blown it and we all know it...
confusion seems to drift in and out of our lives...and it is these exact needs that drive us to God...
sometimes i wish it weren't so...i wish that on my own...when things were great...i would run to Him and long to serve and please Him with all my heart...but the sad fact is...many of us turn to God the most when the demands or pains or uncertainties of life close in around us...
the thing with God though...is that He wants to meet us on a far more regular basis than just when we are in need...God wants to meet us in good times and bad...He wants to be our best friend and faithful companion...He wants to guide us, lead us, direct us, empower us...and fill us with joy beyond our wildest dreams...
more than anything in the entire world..God wants a relationship with us...and that...to me...is pretty awesome...
to turn to God only when we're hurting, struggling, or confused greatly limits the quality of our relationship with God...
Friday, February 13, 2009
truth be told...
we yearn for relationships where we can be completely honest, open, and vulnerable...where we can share failures as well as successes, shortcomings as well as strengths..where we can reveal doubts and fears...where we can find empathy and confidentiality...
i believe that these intimate, authentic relationships are exactly what God has in mind for us...after all...he created us for relationships, and wants us to experience them at their best...
all of us long for deep, authentic relationships marked by integrity and open communication...but how often do we experience them? occasionally? once in a lifetime? never?
sometimes relationships are marred by hidden hostilities or unspoken hurts...there is only one basic requirement for an authentic relationship...and that is honesty...
i think sometimes...it is human nature to prefer peace-keeping over truth-telling...most people...will do almost anything to avoid conflict...however...when people hide their true feelings in order to preserve harmony...or peace...they undermine the integrity of a relationship...choosing peace on the surface...there are hurt feelings underneath, troubling questions, and hidden hostilities just waiting to erupt...
i heard a talk on authentic relationships that really resinated with me...
counterfeit peace...this is when misunderstandings arise...but they are never resolved...feelings beg to be shared...but they are not...offenses occur, but nobody talks about them...doubts about the other's integrity creep in...but they are never dealt with...
in time...these relationships deteriorate...the secret agendas of hurt and misunderstanding lead to detachment, distrust, and bitterness...feelings of love begin to die...it's truly the story of too many marriages, family relationships...and friendships...
the hardest part...is being honest...but harder yet...is when the person you have tried to be "real" with doesn't respond...or worse...walks away and never talks about the pain...
i do know that some relationships are seasonal...i have always been of the mindset...however...that if you shared so much at one time...how do you walk away and never try and resolve issues that run so deep...
maybe sometimes...deception runs so deep in a relationship that temporary suspension of the relationship may be necessary...as hard as that may seem...for the one wanting to talk...needing to talk...
my life is filled with people...i spend time with people at church...i meet people when i travel...i socialize with people in the community...i hang out with friends and family...
so what does that say about relationships? for me...it means that my relationships need to be one of my primary concerns...
i believe...the shape of our relationships determine, in large degree, the shape of our lives...
can the truth be uncomfortable? can it be threatening? can it be frightening? sure...but how can you have an authentic relationship without it?
it is the choice between hard words to hear or hidden hostilities...it is the choice of revealing pain or having buried resentment...it is the choice of asking tough questions or having unspoken doubts...
it is simply...truth...
i believe that these intimate, authentic relationships are exactly what God has in mind for us...after all...he created us for relationships, and wants us to experience them at their best...
all of us long for deep, authentic relationships marked by integrity and open communication...but how often do we experience them? occasionally? once in a lifetime? never?
sometimes relationships are marred by hidden hostilities or unspoken hurts...there is only one basic requirement for an authentic relationship...and that is honesty...
i think sometimes...it is human nature to prefer peace-keeping over truth-telling...most people...will do almost anything to avoid conflict...however...when people hide their true feelings in order to preserve harmony...or peace...they undermine the integrity of a relationship...choosing peace on the surface...there are hurt feelings underneath, troubling questions, and hidden hostilities just waiting to erupt...
i heard a talk on authentic relationships that really resinated with me...
counterfeit peace...this is when misunderstandings arise...but they are never resolved...feelings beg to be shared...but they are not...offenses occur, but nobody talks about them...doubts about the other's integrity creep in...but they are never dealt with...
in time...these relationships deteriorate...the secret agendas of hurt and misunderstanding lead to detachment, distrust, and bitterness...feelings of love begin to die...it's truly the story of too many marriages, family relationships...and friendships...
the hardest part...is being honest...but harder yet...is when the person you have tried to be "real" with doesn't respond...or worse...walks away and never talks about the pain...
i do know that some relationships are seasonal...i have always been of the mindset...however...that if you shared so much at one time...how do you walk away and never try and resolve issues that run so deep...
maybe sometimes...deception runs so deep in a relationship that temporary suspension of the relationship may be necessary...as hard as that may seem...for the one wanting to talk...needing to talk...
my life is filled with people...i spend time with people at church...i meet people when i travel...i socialize with people in the community...i hang out with friends and family...
so what does that say about relationships? for me...it means that my relationships need to be one of my primary concerns...
i believe...the shape of our relationships determine, in large degree, the shape of our lives...
can the truth be uncomfortable? can it be threatening? can it be frightening? sure...but how can you have an authentic relationship without it?
it is the choice between hard words to hear or hidden hostilities...it is the choice of revealing pain or having buried resentment...it is the choice of asking tough questions or having unspoken doubts...
it is simply...truth...
Thursday, February 12, 2009
playing truth or dare...
truth or dare...
now here is a game that has always intrigued me...playing it years and years ago...it amazed me how much people sided towards the dare part...to avoid truths...or maybe just to be able to be put in ackward situations where you are pretty much made a fool of...
me...not so much...i always went for the truth...it was simpler...and easier for me...
i played a semi version of this game this week with a friend...just for some laughs...and i always chose the truth vs the dare...
there were some difficult questions asked...but it was therapuetic...and it really opened up some interesting conversations...some intense...some funny...some endearing...
i learned some great truths about my friend...and i think he did of me as well...
it really got me thinking about my relationship with the Lord...i have always held on to the saying that..."there is nothing you can do that will make the Lord love you more...and there is nothing you could do that will make the Lord love you less"...
what an incredible invitation to really let all your walls down when coming before the Lord...that love that He has for us...well...i will never claim to understand it...and i have to say...there have been times that it was hard to even accept it...
but i know that i know...that no matter what...He loves me...and it gives me such freedom to kneel before Him...and be honest...with my fears, my hopes, my dreams, my highs...and all my lows...my goof-ups...because no matter what...He will still love me...
and seriously...those times i've come before Him...not wanting to share some truths in my heart...who was i kidding? as if He didn't already know...
now here is a game that has always intrigued me...playing it years and years ago...it amazed me how much people sided towards the dare part...to avoid truths...or maybe just to be able to be put in ackward situations where you are pretty much made a fool of...
me...not so much...i always went for the truth...it was simpler...and easier for me...
i played a semi version of this game this week with a friend...just for some laughs...and i always chose the truth vs the dare...
there were some difficult questions asked...but it was therapuetic...and it really opened up some interesting conversations...some intense...some funny...some endearing...
i learned some great truths about my friend...and i think he did of me as well...
it really got me thinking about my relationship with the Lord...i have always held on to the saying that..."there is nothing you can do that will make the Lord love you more...and there is nothing you could do that will make the Lord love you less"...
what an incredible invitation to really let all your walls down when coming before the Lord...that love that He has for us...well...i will never claim to understand it...and i have to say...there have been times that it was hard to even accept it...
but i know that i know...that no matter what...He loves me...and it gives me such freedom to kneel before Him...and be honest...with my fears, my hopes, my dreams, my highs...and all my lows...my goof-ups...because no matter what...He will still love me...
and seriously...those times i've come before Him...not wanting to share some truths in my heart...who was i kidding? as if He didn't already know...
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
time well spent...
what a week! and its only wednesday!
had to take a few moments and write down a few thoughts...
i've been so busy squeezing work in between time spent with a friend from out of town...
what i am realizing is that the busier i am...the more productive i seem to get...how is that possible?
takes me back to when i was knee deep working in corporate america....and traveling three weeks out of each month...somehow with all that crazyness...i was able to keep my place tidied up...my errands run...and have a crazy social life...
when i started working for myself...those days that there was nothing going on...well...lets just say...i got kinda lazy...doing pretty much nothing at times...and wasting away my days that were given to me...
what i know...is that each day given to us is not promised...and what a shame to waste any precious moments of it...the thing is...i really do understand balance...and i am really one that is completely for it...
for me it is the days that nothing is going on...and i plant myself on the couch to watch lifetime movies all day...when i know that i know that there are things i need to be doing...i just may not feel like it...but what happens to me at that point...is that these small chores...turn into big out of control chores...and then i really don't want to tackle them...
i am really watching how my time is spent...not wanting to waste any minute of any day...and keep that balance between work and fun and everyday life stuff at an even level...
this week..so far...i have seen how completely possible it is to do the stuff you need to with the little time you have in a day...maybe it is the knowing that i only have a few limited hours to get something done...that i don't procrastinate...and just do it...
so i'm off for another busy day...lets see what i can accomplish today!
had to take a few moments and write down a few thoughts...
i've been so busy squeezing work in between time spent with a friend from out of town...
what i am realizing is that the busier i am...the more productive i seem to get...how is that possible?
takes me back to when i was knee deep working in corporate america....and traveling three weeks out of each month...somehow with all that crazyness...i was able to keep my place tidied up...my errands run...and have a crazy social life...
when i started working for myself...those days that there was nothing going on...well...lets just say...i got kinda lazy...doing pretty much nothing at times...and wasting away my days that were given to me...
what i know...is that each day given to us is not promised...and what a shame to waste any precious moments of it...the thing is...i really do understand balance...and i am really one that is completely for it...
for me it is the days that nothing is going on...and i plant myself on the couch to watch lifetime movies all day...when i know that i know that there are things i need to be doing...i just may not feel like it...but what happens to me at that point...is that these small chores...turn into big out of control chores...and then i really don't want to tackle them...
i am really watching how my time is spent...not wanting to waste any minute of any day...and keep that balance between work and fun and everyday life stuff at an even level...
this week..so far...i have seen how completely possible it is to do the stuff you need to with the little time you have in a day...maybe it is the knowing that i only have a few limited hours to get something done...that i don't procrastinate...and just do it...
so i'm off for another busy day...lets see what i can accomplish today!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
being still...
be still...
this is something that i have really been focusing on lately...in all the busyness of the day...sometimes this is the hardest thing to do...
i have noticed that even in my down times...i am not still...although my body may be...my mind is often racing...thoughts of what-ifs...thoughts of people...thoughts of dreams...just the brain racing around like there is no tomorrow...
but to simply sit and be still...and listen to the quiet...it is in these moments...that i find refuge...and peace...and contentment...for it is in these moments...of complete quiet...that i feel completely in sync with the Lord...just He & i...
as humans...i think it is only natural to fill in the quiet spaces...moments of silence between two people can serve as an awkward moment...or it could be a place of confort...knowing you can be with someone...and just be...no need for fillers...
my most important relationship is that of God & me...and the easiest thing to do...when i talk to Him...is to talk...to tell Him of all i'm thinking...all i'm feeling...all i'm hoping for...
the hardest part...is listening...just resting in Him...and letting His peace completely saturate me...my thoughts...my mind...
but it is in this place...that answers come...i can't explain how...i can't explain why...i just know...that it is in these moments...revelations are made...of what i need to do...what i need to say...what i need to be...
in sales...the good sales people are those that listen more than talk...my bosses would always tell me that this was why i was successful...
but yet...when it comes to my time with God...i can't seem to shut my mouth...and just listen...
after all these years...it is still something i struggle with...
but as in anything that i struggle with...i strive to work on the things i know i need to work on...
and even if one day from the next...i am "still" for five minutes longer...it is progress that i see...
to sit quiet...in the moment...and wait...so excruciating for me...and yet...so rewarding...
this is something that i have really been focusing on lately...in all the busyness of the day...sometimes this is the hardest thing to do...
i have noticed that even in my down times...i am not still...although my body may be...my mind is often racing...thoughts of what-ifs...thoughts of people...thoughts of dreams...just the brain racing around like there is no tomorrow...
but to simply sit and be still...and listen to the quiet...it is in these moments...that i find refuge...and peace...and contentment...for it is in these moments...of complete quiet...that i feel completely in sync with the Lord...just He & i...
as humans...i think it is only natural to fill in the quiet spaces...moments of silence between two people can serve as an awkward moment...or it could be a place of confort...knowing you can be with someone...and just be...no need for fillers...
my most important relationship is that of God & me...and the easiest thing to do...when i talk to Him...is to talk...to tell Him of all i'm thinking...all i'm feeling...all i'm hoping for...
the hardest part...is listening...just resting in Him...and letting His peace completely saturate me...my thoughts...my mind...
but it is in this place...that answers come...i can't explain how...i can't explain why...i just know...that it is in these moments...revelations are made...of what i need to do...what i need to say...what i need to be...
in sales...the good sales people are those that listen more than talk...my bosses would always tell me that this was why i was successful...
but yet...when it comes to my time with God...i can't seem to shut my mouth...and just listen...
after all these years...it is still something i struggle with...
but as in anything that i struggle with...i strive to work on the things i know i need to work on...
and even if one day from the next...i am "still" for five minutes longer...it is progress that i see...
to sit quiet...in the moment...and wait...so excruciating for me...and yet...so rewarding...
Monday, February 9, 2009
it's the little things...
i have always enjoyed "the little things"
those little things that people do for you...that lets you know...they are thinking of you and only you...that they care about you...that you matter...
those little things that let you know...that someone is listening to you...and validating your feelings...
i once dated a boy...i had told him in passing that late at nite when i would get home...my porch was dark...laughing at how sometimes it took me a few seconds to find the door knob...a week later...he gave me a little gift...and in it...was a key chain that had a little light...
the little things...thanks b...
or when i sick...and my doorbell rings...with a care package of chicken soup and medicine...
the little things...thanks p...
or when i was needing some help moving big stuff (i'm a girl after all) and without hesitation...my friend says he will be right over...
the little things...thanks s...
i could go on and on...of times...people have shown me love...by doing little things for me...to somehow make my day a little brighter...
and the truth is...that although these acts are called "the little things"...in fact...they end up being big things...because it all stems from someone in your life...caring enough to help you out with stuff...or just to let you know...hey you matter...and i wanted to let you know...or even better...i was just thinking about you...and wanted you to know...
and because i have been the recipient of so many "little things" moments...and knowing how it feels...i have strived to give back in that way...always...
today's "little thing" was a post on facebook...simple...but warming...
a friend wrote about himself..."he is packing for a trip to ca. to close a deal and see a beautiful woman"
the little things...
what "the little things" have taught me...is not to take anything for granted...and how it takes very little other than a little bit of effort and thought...to let those that you care for...know just that...that they are important to you...and that you are listening to them...
so today...i challenge you...do something little for someone you care for...
it's "the little things" that make this world a better place...
and you just never know...if your "little" act of kindness...may be just what that person needs today...
those little things that people do for you...that lets you know...they are thinking of you and only you...that they care about you...that you matter...
those little things that let you know...that someone is listening to you...and validating your feelings...
i once dated a boy...i had told him in passing that late at nite when i would get home...my porch was dark...laughing at how sometimes it took me a few seconds to find the door knob...a week later...he gave me a little gift...and in it...was a key chain that had a little light...
the little things...thanks b...
or when i sick...and my doorbell rings...with a care package of chicken soup and medicine...
the little things...thanks p...
or when i was needing some help moving big stuff (i'm a girl after all) and without hesitation...my friend says he will be right over...
the little things...thanks s...
i could go on and on...of times...people have shown me love...by doing little things for me...to somehow make my day a little brighter...
and the truth is...that although these acts are called "the little things"...in fact...they end up being big things...because it all stems from someone in your life...caring enough to help you out with stuff...or just to let you know...hey you matter...and i wanted to let you know...or even better...i was just thinking about you...and wanted you to know...
and because i have been the recipient of so many "little things" moments...and knowing how it feels...i have strived to give back in that way...always...
today's "little thing" was a post on facebook...simple...but warming...
a friend wrote about himself..."he is packing for a trip to ca. to close a deal and see a beautiful woman"
the little things...
what "the little things" have taught me...is not to take anything for granted...and how it takes very little other than a little bit of effort and thought...to let those that you care for...know just that...that they are important to you...and that you are listening to them...
so today...i challenge you...do something little for someone you care for...
it's "the little things" that make this world a better place...
and you just never know...if your "little" act of kindness...may be just what that person needs today...
Friday, February 6, 2009
fried chicken...
i love when i can shock my mom...by little requests...just when she thinks she has me all figured out..i surprise her...i like that...
ok - crazy crazy for sure...but here it is february...and i am still (not every day...but periodically) celebrating my birthday from november...how cool is that? i have the best of friends & family...
one of which my mom & dad still owe (their words...not mine) me a birthday bash dinner...so they are wanting to take me to one of my fave restaurants...where my dad & i have our father/daughter lunches...insert an awwwww here ;o) (we even order the same dish...every time)
our schedules have been crazy...and when they are free...i am not...and when i am free...they are not...
well...i called my mom yesterday...and i told her that i have a different birthday wish...not to go to the restaurant...but i want a full blown fried chicken dinner with mashed potatoes...
"really??" she replied totally perplexed...
i have been dreaming about fried chicken for a while...i LOVE fried chicken...not the kfc kind...but true real home made fried chicken...ok...my mouth is watering as i type...
so my mom...knowing that i am health concious...says..."are you sure? because we are baking our chicken"
i said..."no mom...fried fried fried chicken...and mashed potatoes...if i'm gonna eat bad...i want to go all the way!"
so that is what i will be feasting on in the next few weeks...
there are two places that i have loved fried chicken...one...of course...is my mom's...and the second was at perry's...a restaurant in san francisco that i used to go to alot when i worked in the area...
these two places have the best fried chicken! ever!!
so i am excited...i honestly do not remember the last time i had fried chicken...and i cannot wait for my birthday dinner to get here...hopefully she will make enough for me to take home the leftovers!
ok - crazy crazy for sure...but here it is february...and i am still (not every day...but periodically) celebrating my birthday from november...how cool is that? i have the best of friends & family...
one of which my mom & dad still owe (their words...not mine) me a birthday bash dinner...so they are wanting to take me to one of my fave restaurants...where my dad & i have our father/daughter lunches...insert an awwwww here ;o) (we even order the same dish...every time)
our schedules have been crazy...and when they are free...i am not...and when i am free...they are not...
well...i called my mom yesterday...and i told her that i have a different birthday wish...not to go to the restaurant...but i want a full blown fried chicken dinner with mashed potatoes...
"really??" she replied totally perplexed...
i have been dreaming about fried chicken for a while...i LOVE fried chicken...not the kfc kind...but true real home made fried chicken...ok...my mouth is watering as i type...
so my mom...knowing that i am health concious...says..."are you sure? because we are baking our chicken"
i said..."no mom...fried fried fried chicken...and mashed potatoes...if i'm gonna eat bad...i want to go all the way!"
so that is what i will be feasting on in the next few weeks...
there are two places that i have loved fried chicken...one...of course...is my mom's...and the second was at perry's...a restaurant in san francisco that i used to go to alot when i worked in the area...
these two places have the best fried chicken! ever!!
so i am excited...i honestly do not remember the last time i had fried chicken...and i cannot wait for my birthday dinner to get here...hopefully she will make enough for me to take home the leftovers!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
crazy cats...
wanted to share a video my girlfriend sent me...completely makes me laugh...
my two cats have both done some stuff that has made me wonder if i should video tape them...
they are definately my source of entertainment when i am home...
i'm thinking of training my youngest cat sasha with stunt #2...right now he is not cooperating as i would have hoped... :-)
enjoy!
my two cats have both done some stuff that has made me wonder if i should video tape them...
they are definately my source of entertainment when i am home...
i'm thinking of training my youngest cat sasha with stunt #2...right now he is not cooperating as i would have hoped... :-)
enjoy!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
my calmer of the storms...
yesterday was a really rough day for me...there are times in our life...i think...we may think we are handling all the juggling...all the pressures...all the noise...all the people and things tugging at us this way and that...all the stresses of life...
yesterday i reached my limit...
my breakdown moment came from my mom...a woman who loves me SO much...but a simple comment...in her moment of meaning well...that i am positive i read way more into than i needed to...but it was at this moment that i knew...that i once again...was doing too much...on my own...
and i found myself playing this song over and over and over again...
sometimes i forget...just for a moment...that He still has everything under control...and He is the calmer of my storms...
yesterday i reached my limit...
my breakdown moment came from my mom...a woman who loves me SO much...but a simple comment...in her moment of meaning well...that i am positive i read way more into than i needed to...but it was at this moment that i knew...that i once again...was doing too much...on my own...
and i found myself playing this song over and over and over again...
sometimes i forget...just for a moment...that He still has everything under control...and He is the calmer of my storms...
"Calmer of the Storm"
Downhere
When everything is wrong
The day has passed and nothing's done
And the whole world seems against me
When I'm rolling in my bed,
there's a storm in my head
I'm afraid of sinking in despair.
Teach me, Lord to have faith
In what You're bringing me will
Change my life and bring You glory
There on the storm I am learning to let go
Of the will that I so long to control
There may I be in Your arms eternally
I thank you, Lord,
You are the calmer of the storm.
You rebuke the wind and the waves
Once again I find I'm amazed by the power of Your will
'Cause I'm a child of little faith
I feel the wind and forget Your grace
And You say, "Peace, be still."
Teach me, Lord to have faith
In what You're bringing me will
Change my life and bring You glory
There on the storm I am learning to let go
Of the will that I so long to control
There may I be in Your arms eternally
I thank you, Lord,
You are the calmer of the storm.
Oh when the torment blows
The middle of the sea.
May I never trust, never trust in me.
'Cause there in Your arms I find
No tragedy.
There on the storm I am learning to let go
The white wave's high, it's crashing o'er the deck
And I don't know where I go
Where are You Lord, is my ship going down?
The mast is gone so throw the anchor
Should I jump and try to swim to land?
There on the storm, teach me God to understand
Of Your will that I just cannot control.
There may I see all Your love protecting me
I thank you Lord,
You are the calmer of the storm.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
longings...
longings longings longings...
ugh...
coming face to face with the fact that there are empty places in our lives that haven't been filled...can be...well..how shall we say it...painful? excruciating? numbing?
for whatever reason, this has been the year i have awakened to longing...i am looking at my own personal yearnings...desires...wishes...those places in the deep part of my soul that feel hollow and empty and unsatisfied...
i'm not gonna lie and say it has been great...it has brought pain and sadness in some areas..but...me being the glass-half-full kinda gal...i can say...with total honesty that allowing myself to listen to my longings...rather than running from them...has radically changed me...
we all yearn for more...wanting more than we have...more love, more enjoyment, more passion, more hope, more rest...whatever the "more" is...we all yearn...
we all crave for more...that hope of finding something that will satisfy the gnawing we feel in the stomach of our soul...
what i know for sure...is that we were made for more than this world has to offer us...
i believe that our yearnings, hopes, longings...that if we really look hard at them...what we are saying is that there just isn't enough of whatever it is we are craving...
be it...love, peace, hope, friendship or intimacy...there isn't enough of it on this earth to completely satisfy us...i believe we will always want more...
i believe that God has designed us to want more out of life...and sometimes...we are not satisfied until we get it...our prayers may consist of pleading with God...asking Him for the things we so desparately long for...still...we are left longing...
talk about frustration! a no-win situation...i had always looked at my longings as things that i needed to overcome...that i would either get it...or not...and learn to live with it...
what we don't have shapes us more than what we have...those holes...the areas that are not filled...i have started looking at them in a new way...our longings show that we have a hunger...a hunger for something...this hunger can drive you to frustration...or...it drives us to the only one who can truly satisfy...our Lord...that is...if...we listen...
finding the courage to stare into the deep "holes" of my own soul has fostered a dependency on God that i have not known before...
i have come to the realization that i may not get everything i long for in this world...but in that...i am learning that first...there will never be the absence of pain...there is no life without pain...and for me...i am learning that getting things easily will never make me into the woman God is calling me to be...
what i know now...is that there are areas in my life that i cannot get filled outside of God...i can do some temporary filling...but not the kind my soul craves...the longing to be filled and the longing to be known...all draw me to Him with an intense pull that began the day He made me...
ugh...
coming face to face with the fact that there are empty places in our lives that haven't been filled...can be...well..how shall we say it...painful? excruciating? numbing?
for whatever reason, this has been the year i have awakened to longing...i am looking at my own personal yearnings...desires...wishes...those places in the deep part of my soul that feel hollow and empty and unsatisfied...
i'm not gonna lie and say it has been great...it has brought pain and sadness in some areas..but...me being the glass-half-full kinda gal...i can say...with total honesty that allowing myself to listen to my longings...rather than running from them...has radically changed me...
we all yearn for more...wanting more than we have...more love, more enjoyment, more passion, more hope, more rest...whatever the "more" is...we all yearn...
we all crave for more...that hope of finding something that will satisfy the gnawing we feel in the stomach of our soul...
what i know for sure...is that we were made for more than this world has to offer us...
i believe that our yearnings, hopes, longings...that if we really look hard at them...what we are saying is that there just isn't enough of whatever it is we are craving...
be it...love, peace, hope, friendship or intimacy...there isn't enough of it on this earth to completely satisfy us...i believe we will always want more...
i believe that God has designed us to want more out of life...and sometimes...we are not satisfied until we get it...our prayers may consist of pleading with God...asking Him for the things we so desparately long for...still...we are left longing...
talk about frustration! a no-win situation...i had always looked at my longings as things that i needed to overcome...that i would either get it...or not...and learn to live with it...
what we don't have shapes us more than what we have...those holes...the areas that are not filled...i have started looking at them in a new way...our longings show that we have a hunger...a hunger for something...this hunger can drive you to frustration...or...it drives us to the only one who can truly satisfy...our Lord...that is...if...we listen...
finding the courage to stare into the deep "holes" of my own soul has fostered a dependency on God that i have not known before...
i have come to the realization that i may not get everything i long for in this world...but in that...i am learning that first...there will never be the absence of pain...there is no life without pain...and for me...i am learning that getting things easily will never make me into the woman God is calling me to be...
what i know now...is that there are areas in my life that i cannot get filled outside of God...i can do some temporary filling...but not the kind my soul craves...the longing to be filled and the longing to be known...all draw me to Him with an intense pull that began the day He made me...
Monday, February 2, 2009
i believe...
there are those emails you get once in a while...from a friend...an acquaintance...the sender is not as important as the message...
what still amazes me...is the timing of these...they always seem to hit...right when you need to hear it...a God thing? yeah...i believe so...
reminders...we all need them...in our crazed busy world...to stop and remember...what is important...what not to take for granted...
i got this one this morning...
I Believe
A Birth Certificate shows that we were born
A Death Certificate shows that we die
Pictures show that we lived!
Have a seat . . . Relax . . . And read this slowly.
I Believe...
That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other.
I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.
I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.
I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I Believe...
That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.
I Believe ...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I Believe...
That my best friend and I, can do anything, or nothing and have the best time.
I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down,
will be the ones to help you get back up.
I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I Believe...
That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others. sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but, we are responsible for who we become.
I Believe....
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life Forever.
I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.
I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the most of everything.
what still amazes me...is the timing of these...they always seem to hit...right when you need to hear it...a God thing? yeah...i believe so...
reminders...we all need them...in our crazed busy world...to stop and remember...what is important...what not to take for granted...
i got this one this morning...
I Believe
A Birth Certificate shows that we were born
A Death Certificate shows that we die
Pictures show that we lived!
Have a seat . . . Relax . . . And read this slowly.
I Believe...
That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other.
I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.
I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.
I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I Believe...
That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.
I Believe ...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I Believe...
That my best friend and I, can do anything, or nothing and have the best time.
I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down,
will be the ones to help you get back up.
I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I Believe...
That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others. sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but, we are responsible for who we become.
I Believe....
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life Forever.
I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.
I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the most of everything.
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