Where Will Your Dream Lead You?

Nowhere does it say that just because a person attends college, she becomes wise; or more wise than anyone else. Take the rather disgusting fad of goldfish-swallowing that started at Harvard University in 1939 by some male students. It was all done on a bet and, amazingly, is still tickling throats in today’s colleges! Oh, and by the way, don’t blame the lack of direction (or should we say intelligence) solely on the men. During the same year, a woman started the trend at the University of Missouri.

Hopefully, we choose to spend money on our education and not waste it on frivolous games and wagers. On the other hand, we all have a need to find a way to “let off steam” along the way. Of course, simply going to college is not a sure track to success.

A press release by CareerBuilder once stated that “One-Third of College-Educated Workers Do Not Work in Occupations Related to Their College Major. Thirty-six Percent Wish They Majored in Something Different.” If interested in the entire article, CLICK on the following link:

College Success or Not?

Light Bulb Moment

It’s not an understatement to say we certainly have the ability to gain an education whether we attend college or not. Many people are quite successful receiving training on the job or taking advantage of classes and seminars offered by employers, all the while holding down a paying position.      

The key is to just find what drives our true passions. We may already have a dream and know instinctively exactly what we want to do with our new single-again lives. We can then step out and seek employment opportunities in that field. Ignore all the other jobs. Even an internship is worthwhile if it gets us to where we want to go.

If we are stuck to find our exact niche in life, then it may require some honest soul-searching. Once that is discovered, any amount of time spent on educating ourselves and then working in our chosen field is all joy.

Get started with these nine questions:

1. What particular activity can you lose track of time while involved in it?
2. When with a friend, what subject do you repeatedly talk about?
3. What books or magazine articles do you find yourself reading?
4. What do people compliment you on as “your gift?”
5. Did your younger self have a dream that was never realized?
6. Is starting your own business a desire? (hint: co-owning is a great way to begin)
7. If you have a degree, how could you now use it in a new field?
8. If you are retired, how could you use your skills as a volunteer?
9. If money wasn’t an issue, what would you do with the rest of your life?

Prologue to the Event

We don’t need to feel we are alone in this adventure. We are not. Even before we were born, God already had a perfect plan for each one of us. He’s been preparing us to jump in with all the courage and strength we can find. The one thing He is waiting to give us is wisdom to see it through. All we have to do is let Him know we are ready and willing to move ahead now. It’s Graduation Day!

But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous to everyone and will give you wisdom without criticizing you. James 1:5 (NCV)

Are You Struggling to Create a New Life?

 Certain natural events can cause us to stop and wonder. Since childhood we have all been startled by strong electrical storms when the loud, cracking thunder follows bright lighting bolts! We may have counted the five seconds to see how many miles away the thunder would follow. These events cause both adults and children to jump in surprise.

Other phenomena are less common in our own backyards, but still very frightening. In 1883, the eruption of volcano Krakatoa on an island in Indonesia was so loud it could be heard 3,000 miles away in Sri Lanka and Australia! This monster volcano caused a tsunami 120 feet tall and obviously scared many people. Remarkable marvel, indeed.

Be Prepared is Still Good Advice

Thinking about such events puts the disruptions in our lives into perspective. We are humans, therefore, we will not be able to avoid all the mess that comes along with life, no matter what our marital status is at the moment. However, looking at our lives with eyes wide open, and not glazed over with apathy, will give us options and solutions.   

Of course, going through “volcanic” turmoil and struggling to create a whole new life is enough to cause the strongest woman to waver and shake. But we can do it, if we don’t look back and focus on the destruction left behind. Each day we put a foot forward and try brings more and more confidence in our abilities.

If we had to put together a type of “survival kit,” what would that look like? It will be slightly different for each woman based on her particular needs and circumstances, but consider the following basics, plus a few extras.

• First Things First: the essentials of a home, job, and transportation is primary.
• Best of All: find a church home if you don’t already have one. You will find needed help, support, and a chance to grow in your faith.
• Connections: make new friends that enjoy what you do by joining clubs and organizations promoting your interests.
• Create Goals: now is the time to think about completing an education, starting a business, or checking off your bucket list.
• Fun and Freedom: balance your life between work and play. You are no longer tied down to someone else, so leave time to enjoy each day.

Nothing Stays the Same

Building a new life takes time. Think about that volcano. After the eruption, sunsets around the world turned “fiery red” for three years. Ash particles blocked some of the sunlight causing temperatures to drop the following year without returning back to normal until five years later! Change took time.

Life is a process and a choice. We are on that journey whether we like it or not; how we handle it is up to us. We can truly be safe and happy if we depend on God to lead us. Isn’t that what we really want? And we are not alone--He has promised to be right there to keep us from shaking in the midst of storms.

      

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. Psalm 16:8

Strengths You Never Knew You Had

It seems we women tend to be the helpers and caregivers of the world. As an example, statistics show that about 91 percent of registered nurses are women. That’s pretty amazing! We naturally want to help others and it could be said we have a knack for compassion.

On the other hand, only 30 percent of women are EMTs, but that may be due to the fact it is a very grueling and physical job. Not that we can not, but most women would rather hold a baby in the pediatric wing than carry 70 pounds upstairs!

Whether we work in the medical field or are a stay-at-home mom, some of us have witnessed emergencies that called on all our resources to stay composed. Serious injuries in ourselves or others test our emotions. A child can have an accident at home and need to be rushed to the hospital with a broken bone or cut to his or her head. Mom has to remain calm enough to call the ambulance.

Joyful Mosaic

We are no doubt stronger than we think. Some of us find we are fine in an emergency and then collapse later like a rag doll. Others want to immediately look away for a moment, then pull in a breath and gain momentum. However we handle an emotional situation, we discover strengths we never knew we had. Through this kind of “testing,” we can grow and learn more about who we are and gather courage for the next time.

Going through a divorce can feel like an emergency that just won’t stop. There are too many dilemmas, delays and decisions to handle. There’s no doctor to fix everything for us. We are on our own to deal with the mess of a broken life. It may have been forced upon us, but even if we chose ourselves to end the abuse, we may still feel shattered.

Just like a broken dish, we too can be put back together strong and good as new. True, maybe not in the very same way, but with a different purpose such as a mosaic made from broken stone or glass pieces. Beautiful. Strong. Colorful. A masterpiece that tells a joyful story. We each have our own story to tell. With the pieces of our story, we can move ahead with strength and dignity. Choosing a newly crafted life is not loosing, it’s a work of art!

Creation of One

We are all the Masterpiece of God. Individual. Unique. Without another one just like us. And He is not willing to see our lives without a purpose and a plan no matter what our circumstance. Choose today to place your broken pieces into His able hands and live a life of joy!.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18 (NLT)

What Do You Do When Feeling Defeated?

Cooking classes are sweet!

Most people want to belong to something important where they can make a difference. Many of us join clubs of all kinds. There are groups for moms, book lovers, students, sewing, art, cooks, writers and on and on. Being part of one helps to encourage and educate us.

Sometimes we have ideas that don’t seem to work out in our own efforts. We need the assistance of others to see how they do things we’ve never thought of as a solution. We learn as our hearts are warmed by their friendliness. All of a sudden, the project we want to work becomes easier. And we breathe.

Beach Balls Don’t Talk Back

We were never meant to do things all alone. What would be the point anyway? If we want to share some new idea, who would we share it with? Want to help out in our neighborhood? How would we do it alone? We simply can not become a hermit on a deserted island.

The 2000 movie, Cast Away with Tom Hanks, showed no one can survive without connecting with someone. . .or in this case, with something. Hanks named a beach ball Wilson; he just needed to have a conversation with something other than himself. The movie gets a little crazy after that, but we get the point.

Living alone can be very similar. How many of us have found ourselves talking out loud to, well, nothing in particular. Of course, we don’t expect an answer (hopefully not), but, strangely, it seems to help every now and then even though the sound of our own voice in the silence may startle us.

Feedback is Important

Where we really need to hear an answer is when we are hurting, in trouble, feeling defeated, or we just want to express ourselves and get feedback other than our own. A friend who has been through all the mess in life may have insight for us. She can be our backup support when we are dealing with oh! so many dilemmas. And, in turn, we can be hers.

Without friends to share things with, we leave ourselves open to the worst thinking patterns. We remember how very bad our lives have gone and imagine how they will never get any better. We begin to see ourselves in the darkness without hope. This kind of gloomy thinking can catapult us right into depression in its many forms.

If we are shy or an introvert, it may not be easy to step out and make new friends. Even if we are the social type, moving to a new town or a new job can make us feel reserved and less than confident. It may help to start with this list of ways to join in with others.

• Exercise/walk/jog in the same place every day. Others will eventually make contact with you and it will give your smile a workout too.
• Find a church home where everyone is friendly.
• Join a class, team, or club. It’s a ready-made group who likes the same things.
• Attend lectures, book signings, poetry groups. A different version of the one above.
• Accept invitations for coffee or a movie after connecting with someone.

Keep adding to this list and soon your pet will wonder why her food bowl is empty all the time!

Post this beautiful Scripture verse on your refrigerator:

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NLT)

Where Do You Stand Now?

When we were in school or college, test day was never easy. Nerve-wracking, in fact, especially if it was a pop quiz. We got nervous and couldn’t think at first. Not knowing the outcome was enough to send us into a tail spin. After four years of this kind of stress, we put our cap and gown on with gusto anxious to get going with our life plan.

One true thing about plans is they can change in an instant! Every single one of us has gone through the disappointment of things not working out as we expected. It’s another one of those learning curves we keep running into; another pop quiz we thought was a thing of the past.

Never Give Up!

But, oh, no. Just as we reach our pinnacle--the mountaintop--life has a way of sending us on another journey. We may be expected to change directions, to suddenly leave without any supplies, or to travel alone. Yet, we have fears and doubts about moving forward. It’s easy to close our eyes and resist participating in our future.

Avoidance, however, creates another problem for us. It provides an escape, but not an answer that solves anything of value for us. Very much like treating the symptoms and not the illness. Evasion prompts us to feel uneasy, nervous, and frightened, when we don’t even know what is going on internally with ourselves.  

So, once again, we find ourselves having to plan a way to move along on our individual path. We will find it much easier if we remember to trust in God and in our own ability. God in His mercy gave us another chance to make things right in our lives. He brought us to this exact place of opportunity.

A Measure of Faith

Just trying to understand where we get faith and how it is developed will help us find answers and advance our goals. Consider these:

• True vs. False. Over time, we can learn to recognize things people do or say that are true or not. Our verification meter is back in good working order.
• Solid Evidence. Our experience has taught us who and what to trust, and when.
• Subject Matter. We can make a continual effort to study about faith in ourselves and others. Then we can encourage those around us.
• Spiritual Partner. Faith comes from the seed of hope God plants in us. Then, the Holy Spirit is our lifelong “Helper” who waters and nourishes the soil of our mind.
• Grace in Bloom. No one plants a garden without expecting blooms of every kind. Each positive step in our life is another beautiful bloom of Grace to keep us going!

In the End

The whole object of faith is the belief and acceptance of our One and Only Saviour, Jesus Christ. With Him in our lives, we can do anything. It’s a fact. And He will make sure we have the strength to see our lives turn around for good. Or, we can choose the impossible and remain frustrated. He leaves us the choice.

Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. Romans 5:2 (NLT)

How to Be the Best You Can Be

It’s 5:00 p.m. and we take a moment to sit down and watch the news of the day. We expect to be informed and maybe even warmed by certain human interest stories before the dinner hour. Often, it does not work out that way.  

Our TV news coverage is sometimes very depressing and discouraging. It can create needless melancholy if we watch excessively. Reports and videos tend to upset us, make us angry, or cause us to mourn the loss of things we hold dear such as faithfulness, trust, and honesty. All of the sadness can seep into our relationships, if we let it.

However, not keeping up with what is going on in the world is not the answer either; moderation is the key to remaining optimistic. We can find better ways than sticking our heads under the covers.      

Instead of losing hope, we can be made more aware of what needs improvement in our own lives, and put effort into helping our neighborhoods, communities and our country. We can work to make sure we are doing good and setting an example for others. While participating in this way and with the help of God, we can find the comfort and safety we desire.   

The Time of Our Lives: One Woman’s Story

After freshman year in college, a group of friends traveled to a local tourist attraction in a bordering state to work at summer jobs. And there were plenty. The local merchants looked forward to eager and smiling faces anxious to make some money before returning to their studies.

Other than work, there were numerous fun activities for the students to join with tourists. Elaine and her two best friends found out about a musical play, South Pacific, that would be presented once that summer to the public. And the director was hiring students to act in the play. What fun!

The play, which won Best Musical 20 years earlier, was a romantic drama with plenty of comedy. Sadly, most of the roles were for males with two leading females. Elaine and friends were chosen as extras, much to their delight (after all, they were not professional actresses). Lots and lots of practice took up all the spare time the women had available after work.

The play premiered and was a complete success. It would be the highlight of their summer in Colorado and not soon forgotten.

Assigned Roles

Just as in any acting production, we have a role to play in our life and in the lives of those we care about. We may need to change costumes frequently and wear many different hats, but it’s all part of our whole story. Especially now that we are single-again, God has given us a different kind of “part,” a purpose to carry out. Instead of allowing everyday news and stories to sadden and distract us, we can find fulfillment and joy in paying attention to our own special assignment.           

God is the Writer and Director of our personal play. He keeps his promises and can be counted on to show us how to become the best we can be, when it comes to our role in His divine production. He enjoys helping us--showing compassion and forgiveness when we slip and stumble. Without a Director, there is no success!      

As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. Micah 7:7 (NLT)