me? in print?

so...funny thing happened yesterday...my cousin posts a status update on her facebook page that she is on the front page of the san mateo journal...so i was thrilled for her...got a copy...showed it to my parents...people were joking with her about the paparazzi etc...

then this morning...i am speaking to a woman that helped coordinate the speaking engagement i had a few weeks ago...and she says to me..."did you see the article about the event? you were mentioned"

i had not...so she sent me the link...how exciting is this?

of course...it is nothing like the ny times...but it's something...right? i'm pretty excited...if you can't tell...

here is the link if you'd like to read all about it... =) my 5 minutes of fame...haha

"teaching women to invest in themselves..."

what God hath promised...

by annie johnson flint...

God hath not promised
skies always blue,
flower strewn pathways
all our lives through;
God hath not promised
sun without rain,
joy without sorrow,
peace without pain...

but God hath promised
strength for the day,
rest for the labor,
light for the way,
grace for the trials,
Help from above,
unfailing symphony,
undying love...

so so love these words...

many people seem to believe God has called them to live successful lives...when in fact...He calls each one of us to live faithful lives...lives of obedience...devotion...worship...and service...

with each day there often remains a residue of things left undone...unsaid...unachieved...or unconquered...each day has its own measure of failure...its own degree of trouble...and its own lingering doubts...

as we conduct a full review of our days...the bad as well as the good...let us reflect on the words above...

you may not have been as successful today as you would have liked...but every day you are faithful to the Lord is a success for Him...remember the things He has promised and that regardless of your performance today...as you give your whole heart to Him...He makes up the difference...

and i'm sure thankful for that!

look for the sunshine...

one thing that always makes me smile...and i have to admit...this last week was a little lesson...yes...from my cats...hey...God uses whatever means necessary to get to people...am i right?

so...as i was saying...what always makes me smile...it doesn't matter what room it shows up in...or what time of day...but my cats will always be able to sniff out that one area that has a bit of sunshine streaming in...it may be a whole big block of sun...or just a tiny line...but they find it...and make that their resting spot...

sometimes...we get so busy with the day...that we might miss out on those little rays of sunshine that come our way...

have you spotted yours today?

once in awhile...

trusting Him...

trying to figure everything out before you obey God will ultimately steal your joy...God doesn't have to answer you when you ask, "why God, why?"...trust means that you won't always have answers when you want them...sometimes you just have to get to the other side of a situation to see the whole picture of what God is doing in your life...

God may be trying to separate you from some influence in your life that is keeping you from receiving the better plan He has for you...He may be "pruning" you to encourage new...healthier growth...

during these uncertain times...demonstrate your faith by trusting Him...no matter what...

blessings...

i've been hearing this song a lot on klove..."blessings" by laura story...talk about some powerful words...God knows what we need in our lives at all times...even when those things may not be the answered prayers we were hoping for...

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

(Chorus)
'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if the thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Chorus

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home

Chorus

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

no time to blog...

oh my gosh...where has the week gone? so lazy in blogging this week...actually i had alot of pressing items that needed my attention...first of course...the pop-up boutique was opening up thursday...so it needed to be set-up...

but the most exciting part...i was asked to be the guest speaker at a ladies luncheon...for a series this company is having called "invest in yourself"...so i got to speak to a HUGE room full of women...about...well...my topic was "the abc's of shopping in your closet"...

so i had to spend some time working on my presentation...and the handouts...etc...

what a fun time...although i was nervous when i started...because i haven't done public speaking in a very long time...but that soon passed...and i just enjoyed myself...ending with a wallop of questions from the audience...

i realize how much i miss public speaking...and am already in talks with another company...so i can start getting nervous all over again...

so see? it wasn't laziness that kept me from blogging...just other things that i couldn't procrastinate on...

should be back to normal next week...

until then...enjoy your weekend!

live with intention...

i may have posted this already at one time...but...it is one of my favorites...so i'm posting it...possibly again...one can't be sure... =)

live with intention.

walk to the edge.

listen hard.

practice wellness.

play with abandon.

laugh.

choose with no regret.

continue to learn.

appreciate your friends.

do what you love.

live as if this is all there is.

~ mary anne radmacher

one step...then another...

have you ever had those moments...where there is just so much stress...or so much trauma...where you just feel like there is no strength left in you? i'm not quite sure why i am writing about this today...as i am currently on a pretty "normal" routine...so maybe this is for a reader that is needing these words? or perhaps it it preparing me for something that is coming up...i'm not sure...but these words are on my heart...so i will write them...

one of my favorite verses when i'm going through a tough time is found in isaiah 40:31...

"but those who wait on the Lord...shall renew their strength...they shall mount up with wings like eagles...they shall run and not be weary...they shall walk and not faint..."

at my most stressful moments...i thought about soaring like an eagle and quickly ruled that out as a possibility...then i considered running without getting tired...i didn't think i could do that either...gladly i would settle now for walking and feeling faint...maybe i could do that...just until noon...

until noon...until bedtime...just for today...

i had finally hit on a coping plan...one step at a time...all i had to do was make it just until noon...i could do what i needed to do...just until noon...at noon i could put up another span of time and do what was needed...just until six o'clock...i made it through each day by focusing on small segments of time...

it is amazing how much strength it takes to carry the thought of tomorrow...and how much easier it is to deal with just today...or just half of today...

sometimes i think spiritual and physical strength is like manna...you get just what you need for the day...no more...

the lemonade stand...

i could hear the laughter floating through my home...windows open...the lovely sounds were coming from next door...the weather...perfect...i looked out my window and saw that the little girls next door had set up a lemonade stand...business was not exactly brisk...i watched them for a while...sitting there waiting...and then i went to work...by the time i looked up...hours had gone by and it was time to water the front yard...and after that...run a million errands...i headed outside...

"want to buy some lemonade?" one of the entreprenuers called out...

"sorry...not right now," i called back...feeling like the old lady who yells at kids who get balls on her lawn..."are you going to be there tomorrow?" i asked...

"yes!" one of the girls said...jumping up and down...

"ok!" i said...and thought...ok, tomorrow i will definately buy some lemonade...

the next day...turned out to be much warmer then the day before...but there was the table...all set up with a pink construction paper sign taped to it...the girls were sitting up on the porch...where they could see customers without subjecting themselves to the heat...

when it was time to water the yard...i looked in my wallet...and grabbed some quarters...but when i got to the table...the girls were nowhere in sight...a new sign...this one yellow...said closed...below...it read...we'll be right back...

but they never came back...and i felt a little sad...not because i missed out on the lemonade...i personally don't like lemonade...but to be able to support these girls...because there had been such hope in that little girl's voice when she'd asked if i'd like some lemonade...because the little girls they were now would soon morph into teenagers who wouldn't be caught dead selling lemonade...who'd understand the gain would never equal the effort...

but for every adult who bought a cupful...the gain was immeasurable...easily worth ten dollars...to see a kid with a purple headband pour you a drink from a plastic pitcher so heavy for her it wobbles dangerously when she pours...the same kid who entertains herself by doing cartwheels between customers and uses her imagination to turn her ideas into reality...i've learned my lesson...i'm ready to do my part...next lemonade stand i pass...i will not wait till tomorrow...

happy times...

...usually involve one or more of my amazing friends...and these last two days...i had the pleasure of spending them with my friend "d" visiting from lovely nashville...we were trying to figure out how long we've known each other...being that she has now been in nashville for 18 yrs...and i met her when she lived here in california...well...its been quite some time...

she is one of those friends...that...whenever we talk...it was like we picked up from the last conversation...whether it has been a day...or weeks...

love that girl...thankful that the Lord has blessed me with such incredible friends...

the ones that...know when to lift me up...when to call me on something...those that you can laugh with...cry with...sometimes at the same time...yes...it happens...

love you "d"!

the little things...

ever have those moments where life seems to stand still? just for a second...maybe two...it is in these moments...for me...where reflection happens...at a moment in time...where you just stop...and realize...where you are...who you are...who you are trying to be...

it is in these moments...of reflection...as i've gotten older...that the things i once thought i needed...or the things i thought i wanted...are so insignificant in the big scope of things...

what truly matters...in this life...is how we have chosen to live it...how we have chosen to spend our time...and with who or what...how we have lived according to what God would want...

not always easy...do we choose people or things? are we too busy getting for ourselves...or do we pause...to take notice of someone needing our help...or perhaps needing a word of encouragement...or maybe...just a smile...

what i have learned...more then anything in my life...is that it is all the little things...the beautiful moments...the special times...the glance...the one word...that may change your outlook...

sometimes...when reaching for the bigger things...we forget to focus on the little things...the more thankful you are for what is, the more faith you have in what can be...

funny how that works...

thoughts after the weekend...

why is it that one extra day for the weekend...and your whole schedule seems in dis-array...at least that is how i am feeling today...there is something so wonderful about the 3 day weekends...especially when i still worked in corporate america...now-a-days...with my own business...if i wanted to...i guess i could have a 3 day weekend any old time i wanted...but if i'm the only one...then what fun is it really?

what it has come to...though...is that i need a vacation from the long weekend...filled with so many wonderful activities...i find myself rather tired this lovely tuesday...and...of course...i refuse to say it is old age...as i am not there yet... =)

so thankful for the freedom in our country...and the ability to pretty much choose whatever it is i want to do...at whatever time i choose to do it...we live in a beautiful place...help me Lord not to forget...the freedom...that is here for us...for the soldiers who fight daily...for us...

may you continue to celebrate our freedom, in freedom...

a day of picnics...time spent with family...a hotdog or two...and as that is all good...let us remember the true meaning of this day...of this weekend...our freedom...i saw a wonderful status update on facebook this morning...

"The American Flag does not fly because the wind moves past it. The American Flag flies from the last breath of each military member who has died protecting it. American Soldiers don't fight because they hate what's in front of them...they fight because they love what's behind them."

i am thankful for the freedom we have in this beautiful country...i am thankful for all the soldiers who fight to protect our freedom...here are some tidbits of a speech i read recently by lt ellen engleman conners...if you would like to read it in its entirety...click here...

Our ability and agility will form the foundation of future war-fighting. Our determination to win, however, was forged over 200 years ago when insurmountable odds were overcome. The 4th of July is truly our Independence Day – a day of celebration, or remembrance and of re-dedication to our country.

I know that you share with me your pride in being an American. Our country has been criticized for being the richest country in the world. Let me suggest that we are proudly the richest country in the world – rich in our multi-cultural heritage, rich in our traditions, rich in our entrepreneurial spirit, our zest for the unknown and our reach into the future. The American colonies became the United States of America because of our determination, our self-discipline and most of all, our dreams. Our desire for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is not a coined phrase, but a day-to-day philosophy celebrating free-expression, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the right to be and remain free.

It is in this spirit of freedom that the 4th of July should be celebrated. Our soldiers and sailors are working all over the world to support the vision that became a reality over 200 years ago. They are willing to spend the 4th of July away from their families so that we can be with ours. So I hope between the softball and the BBQ and the picnics and the fireworks, each of you will take a few moments to send a prayer of thanks. Thanks to our forefathers for their vision and thanks to our soldier and sailors around the world for their dedication.

Happy 4th of July to each of you. May you continue to celebrate our freedom, in freedom.