Make Good Plans Now

Which one is your parachute?

Every single one of us has some type of creativity, whether we realize it or not. That is why human beings were created in the first place: to seek and find our special, one-of-a-kind purpose using all of our God-given, inherent passions. We may not spend hours detailing a painting as we sit at an easel, but something is burning in our hearts anxiously waiting to escape. We are good at creating something in our lives! It could be the flute we played so many years ago in the high school marching band that would now strike a perfect note in a jazz band or symphony orchestra. Or the pink ballet shoes hanging in the closet for years collecting dust that could teach a young girl how to dance.

Our creativity may not lie in any of these professional arts at all. It isn’t about the accolades, awards, or getting on one of the “Best” lists. Creativity is simply making new things or using new ideas. It might be exactly how we are at calculating sales projections, how we naturally lead the group in PTA meetings, our knack for baking bread, or hosting a grand opening at a rescued animal shelter. Any number of activities can fulfill our gift of creativity.

We instinctively know we are gifted in certain areas when we can hardly wait to wake up in the morning and do it all over again. This is passion! This is where the joy is! The ideas may come easily, but that doesn’t mean everything will always go as smoothly as honey. Anything worthwhile (and each of us determines that for ourselves) is worth trying, especially when it is difficult to continue. Remember the French painter Claude Monet? He painted his famous water lilies at least 250 times to get them right! Our artistic gift--whatever that may be--fills our thoughts until we release it through our five senses: touch, taste, sight, sound, or scent. Sometimes, it is advisable to engage feedback from friends to get a new perspective if we feel stuck figuring something out. Remember to trust yourself and take any critique as opinion, not the absolute rule. Our aim in creating is to use and experiment with all the ideas running around in our heads. We do this by continually reading and researching the subject, paying attention to the experts, and taking advantage of professional education and networking if we so desire.

Some of us have passions that have laid dormant for years like a hibernating bear. We either haven’t taken the time to discover what they are or we put only a half-hearted effort into developing our gifts. Just because we got distracted by other people, places, or non-creative activities for years, doesn’t mean we do not still have that creativity inside ourselves. Oh, it is there. It is the reason why we are still searching for our true selves and why we feel no satisfaction or fulfillment in life. We just have not answered the natural “call” of our souls to wake up!

Today is perfect for opening our eyes and stretching for the morning sun (workout anyone?). Time to dust off the cobwebs and discover the ideas stored in the back of our minds. If we are honest with ourselves, deep down inside we already know what we want and can do with the rest of our lives, even if we have ignored the desire for a while. But maybe it’s a little hazy and we need to be pointed in the right direction. If that seems reasonable, try some of these resources to get the momentum going:

What Color Is Your Parachute? (2022) by Richard N. Bolles, MIT, Harvard. Chosen as "one of the all-time 100 best non-fiction books" by Time Magazine has sold more than ten million copies since its first publication (there is even an edition for those retired).

Excuses Begone!: How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits, by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Wayne State University; St. John’s University

Discovering Joy in Your Creativity by Women of Faith

The Mind Connection: How the Thoughts You Choose Affect Your Mood, Behavior, and Decisions, by Joyce Meyer

Tip of the Day

Of all living things God breathed life into, humans are his masterpieces. YOU are His masterpiece and there is no one else like you! None. You are the original and there are no copies. He takes delight in that fact.

God had a reason for creating you. A purpose just for you to do good, so others will learn from you who He is and praise Him as the one true God. That’s a big assignment, but God already knew you could do it in your own special, unique way. No one else can do it just exactly like you!

The Bible says, “In the beginning God created. . .” He is the one and only Creator of all, has always created from the beginning of time, and is still creating new life every day. He never stops and he never makes a mistake. What an artist He is! To discover your best life, get to know this Master of all.

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT).

The Key to Your Future

Where is your key?

We held tight to our movie seats when Back to the Future, voted the twenty-third greatest film ever made, propelled us into another world. The movie was so popular because we like to fantasize about romantic or historical places we would have enjoyed visiting back in the future! We imagine what it would have been like to live in a certain period, what we would have become while there, and the amazing people we would have met.

When it comes right down to it, we are in a much better place--without the science-fiction time travel--now that we are starting a new journey. Life renewed. Exciting adventures. Freedom. Surely, living single is a scary struggle at first when it is all new to us. It takes tenacity, courage, and panache. It is a spirit of persistence and determination to go forward and not let anything get us down that will matter in the end. We have survived to this point and therefore, we know we can continue to do the same if we stay on track.

Our world now is the welcome discovery of second chances. Who wouldn’t want the opportunity to make things better and start over? Sure, we perhaps did not choose to become single again, but we can certainly learn to see our lives in a different light. A brighter light that can open up numerous possibilities, if we don’t allow anything to get in our way.

We do not control the universe; things do happen for a reason whether we are aware of them or not. Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as coincidence. Sometimes those reasons occur because of us--we were born, for instance, in a certain place, at a certain time, to certain parents. And sometimes the reasons transpire despite us. We make unwise decisions, often when we are depressed or discouraged. We become impulsive and rush into things, or we treat those around us with ill will. 

Here is the key to your future: the sequence of events that move us along on our chosen path requires our cooperation. We cannot just sit back and not take responsibility for our existence. Now is our chance! Once we get past all the sorrow, struggle, and strain of reinventing our lives (and it does take time), we will reach a point where we can look back and see we are much better off. The inevitable movement happens if we just focus and stay on course. Then from that moment of truth, we can gain momentum with confidence assured we are going in the best direction.

Once we arrive at our “happy place,” good things begin. Here we need a word of caution: do not try and force events to take place before they naturally appear. It would be like pushing ourselves to run a marathon after not exercising for the past ten years. We haven’t trained for it yet; we would pass out on the course! We can, however, practice using our natural gifts and talents to sculpt the life we have always imagined. It will take a bit of sagaciousness (insight/wisdom) no doubt, but we can get to where we want to go. The wise advice “do what you love and it will never feel like work” applies to our current situation like a well-fitting glove.

Developing a happy and successful life will produce one of our most attractive qualities. Don’t we all love cheerful people who enjoy life with a smile? However, trying to stretch and reach for a life we are not prepared for yet, will only pull our mental muscles into a painful knot. Better to take it slow and savor each day to the fullest right where we are at the moment. Practice makes perfect as they say!

Tip of the Day

One person who does control the universe and already knows how much we desire a better life and close relationships is God himself. Our singleness is not a surprise to Him. He understands our human traits, temperaments, and all the days of abuse that got us here. Now, God has placed us in a better world that he prepared in advance for us. When we grow to the point where we understand our healing process--where a time comes for us to move into a union with someone new--God will let us know! Until then, we can simply enjoy His presence, protection, and power in our lives.

“Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. . .” (1 Corinthians 7:17 NLT).

Improve the Landscape of Your Life

Where is your most beautiful landscape?

A famous TV doctor often repeats, "You can't change what you don't acknowledge." We are here to gently say that we understand it is excruciatingly difficult to speak of faithfulness and trust after the collision we went through in our past relationship. Those are values we rather totally ignore now and not deal with ever. 

Unfaithfulness hurts, yes. Devotion and dependability were the keys we counted on to hold things together and those keys broke in the lock of our love. They were supposed to be as solid as iron. Keys we never needed to replace. And then they failed to work and here we are alone. Amazingly, we have found the strength to make it this far, so we can continue.

For our nurturing and growth, let's strive to bypass this obstacle and acknowledge what is right in front of us. No one walks down the aisle expecting anything less than a marital bond that exhibits true and constant support and loyalty. Promises kept. Trust deserving. It is how we imagine our life will blossom. And then it doesn't sprout and grow. Every couple is different and unique; the answers to why the bond didn't work are as numerous as the stars. It requires us to seek professional help to understand the kaleidoscope of two people living as one.

But wait! As long as we are willing, and truly want to improve the landscape of our lives, we can explore where our past has taken us and how to advance our future, which is all that is important at this point.

Danger! Four-Way Intersection Ahead

We have arrived at the intersection of life where many choices await us. The road is wide open, but we may be stalled and not know which direction to go. So many things to think about and decide because we don’t want to repeat the past. Panic wants to take control of the wheel but we are going to breathe deeply first.

LEFT. Turn this way and we slam right into Fear. It holds us back from merging onto the highway of life. We know the feeling. It keeps us in bed all day. It causes us to avoid people. It justifies our addictions. We stagnate, unable to move forward. Our engine just stops.

BEHIND. Turn back and we sink into Depression. The past becomes our present. Our energy completely disappears as our spirits fall. The "blues" become our only companion. We wallow in melancholy, unable to do anything about our unhappiness. Our heart is sick and weighed down. It's an ugly place.

RIGHT. Opposite the left is a turn that leads us into a newfound Trust in ourselves and others. We discover new truths and beliefs in how we can better handle life. Possibilities shine bright. We make an effort to connect with people who are encouraging and uplifting and eliminate any negativity that drags us down. Here we find our strength and resilience. We believe in our ability to thrive.

STRAIGHT AHEAD. We struggled through the storm and arrived in one piece at a place called Faith. We suddenly know something, or rather Someone, is waiting for us with open arms. Darkness turns to light, just as when we open the blinds and curtains to let the sun into a room. Happiness appears and introduces us to its twin, Joy. We learn how to recognize those who are trustworthy, loyal, and true. We become optimistic about our future.

Keeping Our Eyes Open

It is unsafe and impossible to drive with blindfolds on our eyes. We will crash into things! And we will never get where we are going. This journey we are traveling will have its share of bumps and turns. But we will hang on and move right on past all the unpleasant potholes. This time, we know which turn to take when we get to the intersection!

Tip of the Day

On every road, we need a Guide, but not just anyone. Someone who IS the definition of true Faithfulness and Trust. We can find Him on that Straight Ahead road. That place where God never gives up on us. Never. He promises He won't and can be trusted to keep His promise. He is faithful in every way and at all times. He has a rare unconditional love for us. He is the One we have been looking for all along.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1 NLT).

[photo compliments of pixabay]

Hit the Refresh Button

Refreshment anyone?

No matter what kind of relationship interruption we survived--from the passive to the aggressive--we can and eventually do learn to adapt. In all likelihood, facing such a poignant decision to divorce with so many factors to consider, it took more than a "minute" to find some answers and solutions. There were days, months, or even years trying to repair the divide to no avail. It simply wore us out.

So understandably, becoming whole again and bringing restoration back to our lives will take a season or more. It will require hitting the refresh button on Life. Exactly how long the season lingers depends on many things. Our energy level may feel like someone removed a plug from the bottom of our foot and let it drain into nothingness. Our vigor needs replenishing! Now is the time to pamper ourselves and take care of our bodies and emotional baggage. If that means sitting down with a professional and discussing options then that is the wise thing to do. It is a healthy way to revive and confirm we are on the right track.

Arriving at a place of comfort and new beginnings is determined by many different options. Generally, the most common is how long we were a couple, if there were children, and how close we were to each other during the marriage. Again, sitting down and talking with a therapist will help us reach a point of wholeness where our every minute is not consumed by what was or could have been. There is no need to rush the process. That is probably the worst thing we could do at this point. Of course, this doesn't mean we should just stop living, but we can learn to be gentle with ourselves as we move forward.

Time and Faith

Some people believe time is a remarkable healer, repairing our minds and souls from the inside out. Some do not. But many of us single-again women can attest to the truth of this statement. However, it does require a healthy dose of faith. We might say time and faith go hand in hand. If we slow down just a bit and allow it, time--along with patience, persistence, and prayer--will supply all the tools to build a foundation that will stand in a storm. The doubt for some of us is looking at time as a “stand-alone fringe benefit” when all it needs to operate is the key ingredient of faith!

What could make the healing period less stressful and boring is finding and using our talents and gifts. Yes, we all have a few. They are the ones we have forgotten about, but still enjoy; those we were born with but have not used. By the way, it is not selfish to encourage ourselves in this way. Call it an indulgence if you must, but developing our gifts is a necessity.

Just like our physical health, if we don't do something about what is bothering us, we will suffer emotionally too. We are the only ones with personal insight to care for what we need at this point; the only ones who know what we want. We can call on others for support, and should, but we can't expect anyone else to find the key to our happiness.

Seven Truths

Let's look at the following seven truths for discovering who we are deep down inside. In experimenting with some of these ideas, we can unlock the door to our future and find what we have been missing all along:

• When we recognize what we want to do with our future, our confidence grows.
• We discover--maybe for the first time--the possibilities open to us and find faith.
• We begin a pattern of lifetime growth and learning, which creates joy.
• We let go of fear, skepticism, and failure; in the process, we discover love.
• We find connection with others who understand us and let go of loneliness.
• We build a community of support and find strength.
• We reach out to others, share our experiences, and claim abundance.

Hitting the Mark

Because we are each unique human beings, we have different needs to begin our journey. Graciously, God has given us all the gifts we need, and, no matter what age group or status we find ourselves in right now, we can uncover exactly what that gift looks like and how we can use it. When we do that, we have hit the mark!

Tip of the Day

The best way to recognize our true potential is by reading the Holy Bible. This is how God speaks to us and he has all the answers about our future. Finding a local church home is a great starting point so don’t wait! They usually hold regular classes to help with the search, discovery, and understanding of our spiritual gifts.

“Jesus said to her, ‘Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed. Be healed of your plague’” (Mark 5:34 The Message).

Pedal a Little Faster

 

We have started in a new direction with our chins held high. The wheels are gaining momentum and we look forward with all the enthusiasm we can find. We did it! After so many years of hesitating and drawing back into our shells wondering if we are making the right decision, we found the courage to claim a better life. The winds of change feel very good. Now is the time to breathe deeper, take a “calm break”, and dream about where we have been and where we want to go. No serious plans right now--they can wait for a moment--just a fun peek into the future.

Wheels of any kind--bicycles, motorcycles, Ferris wheels, roller skates, potters' wheels, and all those planes, trains, and automobiles--have one thing in common and one purpose: momentum. The force that moves us forward. Once the wheels start moving, it's very hard to get them to stop. This is a true picture of ourselves.

Maybe we didn't choose our particular situation and we still feel a little shaky, but our single-again lives are moving whether we want them to or not. The questions are which direction do we want to proceed, how fast will we skim along, and who is steering the wheel? It feels great to finally be in charge of our own lives, but we have to confidently take the wheel and move past the twenty miles per hour that was holding us back at one time. If we do not pedal a little faster, the lack of momentum will cause us to fall over! Nothing is worse than having to get back on again and again and again. It is not impossible, but it is not as fun as speeding through bumps, obstacles, and valleys.

Direction

Where do we want to go in the first place? The wheels are moving, so there is no time to let go! We have dared to dream, ponder, and plan about what we want to do with our lives. It could be leaving one job and taking a better one that will fit our gifts and talents. It could be finding a cozy cottage, luxurious apartment, or farmhouse to live in as long as we are happy. The dream might include moving to a town/city we have always loved. It could even be getting a fantastic makeover from head to foot! Anything is possible if we use our imagination.

Speed

Is it time now to move ahead? Or will the ideal plan take some much-needed assessing to work out the details? We may need to map out how fast we can get to our dream place. All of that is okay. Do we need to obtain a higher degree to land that job? We might be able to take a vacation to a different town and search for a place to live there. Our dream job could be in that new location. The opportunities are nearly endless!

Control

The American poet, Thomas Stearns (better known as T. S.) Eliot once said, “It's never too late to be what you might have been.” This is one of the truest statements ever. If we think about it, our age will continue to creep upward year by year by year whether we attempt something or not. So why waste this time we have been given? We begin by jotting down plans in a daily journal because when we see them on paper, it becomes real. Attainable. Possible. We registered for the next college semester. We ask for that job promotion and get it. We stick our necks out for our dreams once and for all. We don't look back.

As single-again women, we are responsible for not only ourselves but our children too, if we have been so blessed. We are their heroes and examples. They constantly watch and hopefully learn from us, even if our teenagers would never admit to it. No one else is going to initiate these changes for us (nor would we want them to). So, are we ready to take on the world? We can begin with our little corner of the garden and spread like wildflowers!

Tip of the Day

Only when we rely on God and try our very best every day, are we going to arrive at a point of accomplishment that builds our confidence so we can do even more.

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to 

accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20 NLT).

Two Sides of the Same Coin

Retro Doll Collection

The term downsizing first came about in the business world to mean reducing staff through terminations. A way to make the company smaller and, perhaps, more profitable or effective. Many of us have gone through this devastation in our lives--and survived! But here in today's blog, we are talking about a different kind of downsizing that will not only make the junk we’ve collected “smaller,” but will help us move on with our new lives in a positive way thus producing the desired result.

Downsizing is a two-sided coin. Sometimes it is necessary just to create space in our jammed-packed closets and garages (our grandmothers called this spring cleaning), or to get rid of things that hold bittersweet memories and we can’t stand to look at them anymore, or even to finally move across town or the country and not bring it all with us.

We, former shop-till-you-drop women, have rooms filled to the brim with all sorts of unused things we never wanted to part with under any circumstance. Doll or teddy bear collections from age ten. Okay fine, maybe a collection of tiny metal cars we treasured that threw our brothers into a jealous fit. Or more grown-up things in the attic such as jewelry boxes, shoes, and dishes. Maybe we find macrame hangers and hooked rugs from the 1980s which, by the way, are back in style! (If some are too young to remember these DIY projects, ask any older relative and they will demonstrate how to create them, and, surprise, a new trend begins).

We know how the process goes. Organizational experts call it the Keep, Toss, and Donate boxes. Whether we have recently been divorced, or it’s been years, we understand downsizing. We have given up or lost most of everything we own, which is a bittersweet saga. Sometimes, we willingly gave up our possessions and then turned around many months later and wished we hadn’t given away so many treasured items we now need! Sounds like the beginning of a comic strip.

Of course, things are things that can be replaced. We need to make room for what’s important: our kids, friends, and our sanity. Keep in mind: we are beginning a whole new fresh start momentum. Unwanted reminders in our homes of a foregone life put roadblocks in our way. Put any guilt aside and feel good about traveling on the smooth road ahead without any obstacles. We are trying to create a new and wonderful life; joyful lives filled with abundance, and we’re not just talking about money or possessions here.

This whole downsizing idea can be quite a lot of fun if we give ourselves the chance to think of it that way. We get to gather, trade, or purchase what we want in our lives. If that means re-decorating the bedroom in modern florals that someone else never allowed, then enjoy! Find a brand new hobby of thrift-store treasure hunting in the process. What a fabulous way to save money for bigger and better things like all the costly extras the kids need, or a family vacation. Of course, we are not talking about their wants, only needs. We have to teach our children how to save their own money for wants and learn downsizing methods early in life.

The other side of this shiny new coin is feeling good about donating or giving away some of our gently-used possessions. This gives another woman who is hurting a way to acquire something she desperately needs. It’s a win-win situation.

Tip of the Day

The best part about all this non-worrying about things is that God always knows what we need and when we need it. All we have to do is trust him and be more open to the potential beauty in our new life.

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:31-34 NLT).

Beautiful Reflections

 

Each of us is unique!

Science, unfortunately, was not a favorite subject of some of us in school. However, some science teachers had a way of making things interesting with a lesson on reflective surfaces. God bless those teachers who continue to have passion! What made this demonstration so interesting was creating a favorite childhood toy: the kaleidoscope. 

Using ordinary objects like beads, glass, buttons, mirrors, and angles, the experiment created beautiful pictures inside a tube when held up to the light. And none of the colorful designs in the school project were ever the same twice. Understandably, to this day kaleidoscopes are popular for kids and adults alike. The lack of duplication in the design is precisely how each of us is made: individually awesome with unique characteristics.

However, there are specific times in our lives when we do not feel so wonderful or powerful. Certainly living through a marital break-up caused all sorts of unpleasant feelings to surface, sometimes all at once. We thought we were never going to feel good about ourselves again. Especially if it was a first marriage or a long marriage, we may have believed we just couldn’t make it on our own. We didn’t have enough of anything. Not enough know-how. Not enough money. Not enough looks, education, or a home. Not enough of the one hundred other things we could think up. 

That is how twisted our minds can get when we are under stress, can not think, and don’t even understand ourselves, never mind the other person. But it is of utmost importance to remember, that we were created to be wonderful women and therefore, we still are wonderful, powerful, and enough in every way--no one can take that away from us!

Even if the person we lived with never appreciated our true beauty, talents, or gifts, who says we have to accept that lack of vision? We have a chance to shatter any distorted image of ourselves by recognizing:

• Our value is not dependent on another person, whether that person is a former spouse, authority figure, or parent. On this earth, only you know you. With that kind of power, we can achieve more than we ever have before. Begin by enjoying just the next twenty-four hours. And then the next, and then. . .       
• Love is a two-way street. One person alone can not injure a relationship. This is probably the most painful, but necessary, paradox to face otherwise there is no forgiveness in either direction. If we stop ignoring this key responsibility point, we will save thousands in therapy bills and be much better off.                                       
• Nothing and no one can ever make God turn His back on us. Not even ourselves. The good news is no matter what we have done or how we lived or didn’t live our past lives, He accepts us unconditionally with loving arms. He loves us. Period. We are His precious daughters!                                                
• No power in heaven or earth can cut us off from His love. Once we ask the Lord into our hearts, He is there forever. He is there to guide us. He is there to protect us. He is there to provide for us. He is there. Always.

Time to go out now and buy a kaleidoscope to celebrate our beautiful and powerful form!

Tip of the Day

So now that we are settled into correct thinking and on our own, we can do our souls good by drawing near to God and preparing for heaven (our permanent home) while on earth. Nothing will give us more faith, hope, and confidence in knowing that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him."

“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NLT).