Possibilities. Passion. Power. Purpose. Create Momentum into your Fresh Start. Featuring encouraging articles, how-to tools, and tips supporting your new journey.
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
TIME
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Beautiful Reflections
When we were in high school or college, there were always some science teachers who had a way of making things especially interesting. God bless those teachers who continue to have that kind of passion! One time it was a lesson on reflective surfaces. What made that demonstration so interesting was creating a favorite type of toy: the kaleidoscope.
However, there are specific times in our lives when we do not feel so wonderful or powerful. Certainly, living through a marital break-up or the loss of a spouse caused all sorts of unpleasant feelings to surface, sometimes all at once. We thought we were never going to feel good about ourselves again.
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. On this earth, only you can know you. With that kind of power, we can achieve more than we ever have before. We can go as far as we can imagine. Begin by enjoying just the next twenty-four hours. And then the next, and then. . .
- One person can never change another person. We can only change our response to that person. It is a difficult habit to break, but realizing how hard it is to simply correct our own imperfections leaves us no room to go when we try imposing our standards on others.
- 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!
Time to go out now and buy a kaleidoscope to celebrate our beautiful and powerful form! [p.s. that's the word that means beautiful form to see in Greek.]
Tip of the Day
This is important to remember: No power in heaven or earth can cut us off from God's 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.
“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).
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Did You Lose Your Key?
Nowhere does it say that just because a person attends college, she becomes wiser than anyone else. Certainly, higher education is an admirable goal and one that should seriously be considered, no matter what age we are! Hopefully, we are now anxious to choose or finish the better aspects of higher education.
If we feel stuck finding our specific niche in life, then it may require some honest soul-searching. Fear, a major cause of procrastination, normally is the culprit that holds us back. But once we discover the key to our dreams, any amount of time spent on educating ourselves and then working in our chosen field is all joy. Try starting with these seven key questions:
- What particular activity can cause you to lose track of time?
- What books, magazines, or online articles do you find yourself reading?
- What do people compliment you on as “your gift?”
- Did your younger self have a dream that was never realized?
- If you have a degree, how could you now use it in a new field?
- If you are retired, how could you use your skills as a volunteer?
- If money wasn’t an issue, what would you do with the rest of your life?
We don’t need to feel alone in this exciting adventure. We are not alone. Even before we were born, in our mother’s womb, God already had a perfect plan designed for each one of us. That’s His special niche! He’s been preparing us to jump in with all the courage and strength we can find.
“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).
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Looking for the Price Tag
What's Going On?
Much, much more valuable to us during our lifetimes is gaining wisdom, or we can think of it as “becoming wise,” not an easy thing to do for any of us! Without it, we can exhibit a lack of common sense and become prone to all sorts of foolish activities destroying our lives in the process. [One of the best descriptions of wisdom is found in the Bible. See the book of Proverbs 2:1-15]
Tip of the Day
God knew from the beginning that we would need wisdom in our lives every single day. His generosity offers this priceless gift to us for the taking. It’s already inside of us, lying dormant. All we need to do is ask God daily to “turn the faucet on,” so wisdom will flow into us through His Holy Spirit (a special “Helper” being given to us). No need to bring your credit card--it costs nothing!
“Wisdom is more precious than rubies. Nothing you could want is equal to it” (Proverbs 8:11 NCV).
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Time to Soak Up the Sunshine!
One task–changing sheets on a bed--should be one of the easier weekly chores. Yet, for some reason, it can become a major struggle especially if we have to get behind a queen-sized bed surrounded by three walls in a tiny bedroom. Such an ordeal has the potential for a touchy anger issue to raise its ugly head.
So what is going on? Sometimes, it is simple frustration or fear about our circumstances that turns a good day into an anxiety-filled boiling pot. Maybe we didn't get enough sleep last night. Or, perhaps, we don’t even have a consistent sleep schedule which then wreaks havoc with anything we are trying to get done. Everything we have to go through alone seems overwhelming. We have no one to lean on, no one to talk to, and no one who can help us overcome all of our sticky problems.
Yet, deep down inside, we know what we need the most. We need love (we are not speaking at this moment about sexual intimacy). We need someone to say "It is okay, let me do that for you." What a refreshing thought. We could at least take a deep breath and a needed break and call a friend for a short chat. She might need it just as much as we do.
Well, building friendships takes time and effort, so maybe we just have to face the fact, the sheets can wait until tomorrow. The dusting is for another day when we are calmer. Now is the time to step outside, soak up the sunshine (defeats depression by the way), and invite a friend for a cup of coffee/favorite treat.
We can literally grow into love. Think about that for a minute. Although we may not have an intimate, physical touch at this moment in our private lives, we can still seek appropriate love from others just by being involved and helping someone else to meet a need.
Tip of the Day
Getting involved regularly with a local church, neighborhood school, hospital, or the many community organizations that seek volunteers will fill us with more love than we could ever imagine! It’s very difficult to stay angry or depressed with our life situations when love is given and received in this way. It was God’s simple plan from the very beginning: give love, get love. It does work!
“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14 NLT).
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Cake with Icing Please
One of the most treasured gifts is peace. It is also the most difficult to find. Peace is spoken about in church services, negotiated during wars, displayed in store windows at Christmas, and printed on gift cards and wrapping paper.
Where exactly is peace found?
All women who truly want peace have to work hard at creating it in their lives because it does not just suddenly appear. We need to learn new skills and behaviors that lead to a more harmonious life. Single-again women [widowed, divorced, single moms] may find gaining peace a little bit more challenging now on our own, but it can be done, if we don't give up!
- It's important to take one positive step at a time. Rushing through this period in our lives will only create a shaky foundation. Start with whatever is most important right at this moment. A new job? A better place to live? Finding new friends?
- Take the time to find the positives every day. Making the perfect cup of coffee, planting a yellow rose bush, finding a new book to read (try your local thrift store for a great bargain). Every tiny victory counts! Be determined to go forward, not backward.
- No fantasies! They aren't real and will only swallow us in frustration. If living in a large mansion isn't part of the budget right now, we can find something just as beautiful that we can be proud of calling our home. Simple is good. Hint: it's trendy to go "minimalist" in the decorating arena. And if $350 for a pair of jeans with designer “holes” or fake “mud” sounds expensive, do not even look at brand names selling for $1,200 and up (it is true; we’re not making this up)! Be proud to shop the "sale" racks (or better yet, discount stores) for clothes and end up with money in those fancy pockets.
None of the above tips will work without Patience as a companion. Take a breath and remember these two truths:
Challenges - we don’t develop as a woman if all we have is a perfect and easy life. We only grow and mature through the "ugly stuff" in our lives and how we handle them. Even in nature, things happen for a reason. Take roses, for instance, (nearly all of them) have thorns that are difficult to remove. There is a reason. The thorns protect them from natural enemies like insects and animals! We can find a purpose for the “thorns” we have if only we show a little tenacity and patience.
Attitudes - how we react and treat others with love and patience will amaze them. The world expects us to react with anger and rudeness when things don’t go our way. The waitress is too slow. The insurance company won’t pay our claim. We got our pink slip this week. Someone cuts us off in line. Shock the world! Let’s break the mold and be willing to display the kind and loving women we were meant to be. It's contagious!
Tip of the Day
Know that true and lasting peace only comes from God. His intervention in our lives will make everything right in our world. Without Him, difficulties will continue to pile onto each other and we will get lost again. He's there. He has the answers. Let’s not leave him out of our plans, but instead invite him in.
“If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days. . .Search for peace, and work to maintain it” (1 Peter 3:10-11 NLT).
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Your Best Day
Decades have passed for many of us, so what will we do with our lives now? How can we plan to do it differently--to make it better? We have the chance to use the same twenty-four hours in the day as anyone else. It’s tempting to just allow our lives to waste away as some people do.
We might ask ourselves just a few questions to get the momentum going. Grab a journal and write these ideas down to think (and dream) about later if that's easier right now:
- What specifically do we want to happen in the next month? Next year?
- What "tools" do we need to get there?
- Do we need to team up with someone who can help?
Right Brain Creativity
The above ideas are just examples. Thankfully, everyone is different, special, and unique. We can each find our own best pathway. Maybe we are naturals at math and could become excellent accountants. If the arts are our thing, perhaps a position at a gallery or museum would make us bloom!
Some of these women might encourage us:
- Laura Ingalls Wilder published the Little House series at age sixty-four and continued writing until she was seventy-six years old.
- “Grandma Moses,” at age seventy-six, began painting folk art. She continued until she was 101 years old, producing over 1,000 works!
- Susan Boyle began singing professionally for the first time at age forty-eight, winning Britain’s Got Talent show in 2009. She has continued breaking global record sales.
Tip of the Day
Our natural talents and gifts come directly from God, who created us. He created everyone and everything. He created the entire universe! God has a special purpose for each one of us and wants to see us use our gifts. Let’s not sit back while another year speeds by before discovering what possibilities he has in mind for us.
“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).
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
What Have We Learned?
It’s a painful experience to suffer ridicule in our lives (remember Charlie Brown from the comic strip, Peanuts?), no matter how many candles are on the cake this year. Someone intentionally making fun of us, especially cruelly or harshly, catches us off guard. It’s like mistakenly hitting our finger with a hammer. Ouch! The pain is sudden and unexpected.
We can pause now and ask ourselves, “What have we learned?” In many cases, inappropriate words--verbal abuse--were forced on us day after day. Maybe we never responded out of fear of making the situation worse. Or perhaps we did react with anger of our own, and that, of course, solved nothing.
Tip of the Day
The best solution available is found in the Bible--God’s perfect way to use His Word to communicate with us. If we can admit we are serious about changing past patterns, check these four references and the corresponding subjects:
- Ephesians 4:31-32 - bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, slander
- Proverbs 20:19 - gossiping
- 2 Corinthians 12:20 - quarreling, jealousy, arrogance
- Proverbs 16:28 - being a troublemaker, strife
"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry" (James 1:19 NLT).
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Fill a Canyon with Courage
No matter what stage of life we are in, we need excellent role models and mentors. It’s always good to keep an eye on how other women are improving, encouraging, developing, and growing. Stop and think, who would we pick as the one female (non-relative) who has had the most influence in our lives? It might be the life and accomplishments of someone we learned about in our studies, such as:
- Eleanor Roosevelt used her influential voice as First Lady to speak on the injustice of certain social matters. She was also a strong supporter of African-American rights, even in the 1940s. Eleanor was never elected to office but is still often quoted today as a social reformer.
- Marie Curie was a scientist and the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. She was the only person to be awarded Nobel Prizes in two different science fields! Marie was the first female professor at Sorbonne University in Paris, France. If you think she had nothing else to do, she also refined X-ray imaging. Think about her when you have your next mammogram!
Our own personal female influencer may be a living person. One that we admire for her tenacity and determination amid all the trials and tribulations poured on her like a torrential downpour. Anyone who has ever experienced extreme anger, depression, suicidal thoughts, or even just a day that went from bad to worse would never forget the horrifying story of Joni Eareckson Tada. It will push your doubts and fears to a new level.
Maybe our hero is not famous. Maybe she is the teacher who stayed late time after time just to help us learn the piano. Now we play in concert halls. A coach who showed us a better way to ice skate so we could get into the Olympics. A local businesswoman trained us on how to open our own business. Or the optimistic friend who helped move us to a new home with no questions asked. We all have someone we look up to and want to take lessons from when the next pothole blocks the road.
Because of these women and their accomplishments, we might ask ourselves, What have I done with my days? Instead of living in a state of depression and discouragement, we can review and gain momentum from the lives of women we admire. Autobiographies and biographies fill shelves upon shelves in our libraries, waiting for us to learn from fearless women. We can then begin picking our chins off the floor, packing our bags full of bold-spiritedness, tenacity, and grit, and start something new!
Tip of the Day
It isn’t easy to move on by ourselves. We need only look to our heavenly Father to help us find a place of love and encouragement. He is on our side and already knows our hurts, problems, and challenges. God just wants to hear us ask for His help, as He never wants to force His love on us.
"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand" (Isaiah 41:10 NLT).
Monday, May 5, 2025
Yes You Can
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Tangible Dreams
That was then, and this is now. We’ve been given a chance to make all things new. Our lives may still feel like a whirlwind, but feelings can't be trusted. They change from moment to moment, day to day. One day, we “feel” like the blue dress in our closet is perfect for us. The next day, we hate everything about it. We bought a set of new dishes because we were excited about the floral pattern. The next week, the pattern clashed with everything in our kitchen. We “feel” like our neighbor hates us, the next moment, she is our “best” friend.
All of this talk will do nothing unless we try and apply what we have learned. So, let’s get more practical:
- Sit down and start a notebook. Yes, the “old-school” spiral kind--it’s anti-lethargic and a way to get the momentum going. Get all those what-do-I-do-now thoughts out of our heads and onto paper. Every time we think of something that could make life better, write it down, no matter how silly. They will become real ambitions, something we hope to do or achieve. In the process of letting things out that are weighing on our brains, the strain and pressure we’ve been experiencing will stop giving us headaches.
- Get some colorful dividers and label different categories that are important for the future. Examples: Dreams, Designs, and Drawings. Keep it simple, one tab for each. Plans, Patterns, and Projects. Keep going. Have fun with it! Everyone will have widely different subjects, and we can add to it at any time. Whatever matters should have a tab.
- A visual person can cut out photos from magazines and paste them into a notebook. It is like a Pinterest page but in real time! Try not to just rely on the internet. Make it personal and private. A tactile person can draw, paint, color, or have fun with mixed-media pages incorporating fabrics and found objects. By the way, if there are still children at home, show them how to start their own “Dream Notebook.” It’s never too early to get excited!
Tip of the Day
The best news is that God is on our side. He did not cause us to be so weary and worried. He has a lot to say about how to achieve a life that makes a difference, and living with discontentment is not one of his blessings.
“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. ‘Anything is possible if a person believes’” (Mark 9:23 NLT).
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT).
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Wiser by the Moment
There are days when life travels so fast we rarely make the time to turn our heads for a moment to see where we came from and where we are going. We may hold down a job or work from home, but hours fly faster than we can catch up. And don’t think retired women spend all their time rocking in a chair either. Their lives are just as busy as when they were employed; it’s just the scenery has changed.
One common culprit is the cell phone. With 7.2 billion smartphones worldwide, we can see why. Bet you could guess China is the #1 with 975 million smartphone users. The U.S. is #3 with only 276 million users. Ha! Got you! [Source: explodingtopics.com]
If we don’t want a repeat of our past, it’s to our advantage to mentally retrace how far we have traveled and what we have accomplished. There are two ways to compare how we are doing: what didn’t work before and what is working now.
Wide-Eyed Wishing: What Didn’t Work
Many of us were perhaps too young when we married the first time. We didn’t take the time to fully know the one we quickly said, “I do!” to, nor did we even know ourselves yet. We sat down and made a plan to walk down the aisle, but not much more. There was no lifelong plan involving shared responsibilities, decisions, and growth that included both of us.
Wiser Women: What’s Working Now
Learning from past stumbles and falls, we have been able to dust ourselves off and choose better goals and habits, creating a more “fully-developed life.” Our hearts spill over with joy just knowing a whole new way to live is possible; enthusiasm goes a long way in getting us to this point.
Tip of the Day
We need a Guidebook to help us through life. Wiser words have never been spoken than in the first nine chapters of the Book of Proverbs in the Bible. We can use those as an indicator to weigh how our lives are going.
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
A Very Good Feeling!
Receiving any job promotion (paid or volunteer) can be exciting. Whether we advance to lead marketing specialist, data analyst, gardener, head waitress, senior saleswoman, book seller, or software engineer doesn't matter. We are finally being recognized for our ability.
Instinctively, we knew our strength and tenacity would continue to support us in learning additional ways of doing things, understanding policies, and activating programs that fit our advanced position. Our world was rapidly changing. We were asked to supervise other employees and were even given the authority to hire or fire people when necessary. A fresh set of skills was certainly required, but it was all part of the life cycle to become part of a work family.
This applies to our personal, single-again lives too. Our sensible choices, over time, bring us a vote of confidence and encouragement. We could have chosen many different directions or paths, but we made the most appropriate decisions at the time and ended up right where we had hoped. It’s never easy to map out a future and stick with the steps, eventually arriving at a certain destination.
So, if we get distracted and sidetracked on our chosen path and never quite arrive, just know that it is never too late to start. It is not the end of the world (yet)! Even if we find ourselves happily single again, watching decades speeding by like a bullet train, we are survivors. We know this is true because of the simple fact that we have made it this far. We still have a brain that works, and we dare not waste it. We all know what they say about muscles that are never used. Ready to begin?
Recommended First Steps for a Fresh Start:
- Start journaling ideas about needs (not wants)
- Use your God-given abilities and talents to get involved
- Get the right education and never stop learning
- Believe in yourself - others will follow
- Keep balance in your life: God, family, and work (in that order)
- Learn to forgive and live in peace with everyone
- Make a difference in someone’s life
Tip of the Day
God lovingly chose us (we didn’t choose Him) before we were even born to become His daughters. Imagine that! He is the King of all Kings, and therefore, we are His princesses! God offers us a better “position”-a new life- to spend eternity with Him when we leave this earth.
“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life” (Galatians 6:4-5 MSG).
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Imagination Reawakened
When we were much younger, we dreamed of what we wanted to become when we grew up, even if our ideas were pure fantasy. Our imaginations went wild! We may have even spent time researching how to make that dream come true. Eventually, though, we allowed ourselves to get distracted without the focus and discipline. Sound familiar?
It is likely that some, if not most of us, had concerned parents who encouraged us to get into the right college or trade school that matched our abilities and talents. Did we listen and complete our education?
On the other hand, maybe we didn't get the support we needed at home. Dad just wanted us to follow in his footsteps, so why did we need an education? Mom just wanted to see us find the right husbands who could support us for a lifetime. Our achievements and dreams were not celebrated as possible pathways for our life ambitions. No one was in our corner. So we “graduated” with a MOQ degree- Master of Quitting- and we were quite good at it.
Now, many years later, when we get off course and pursue lifestyles, careers, and marriages that were never meant to be, it changes our entire life map. It's as if we are headed down one path and find the road blocked. We are forced to use the detour. Sometimes, we get lost and never get back on the right road. We start going in circles like one of those irksome roundabout traffic patterns! Then we wonder, “What in the world happened?”
When we look up, we see that our nature was traveling down the wrong road in the first place. No wonder we never got anywhere! We had allowed others to determine our life course because of our lack of confidence. We lost the space needed to grow, create, and find our purpose. We became what others expected and wanted us to become, rather than trusting in our abilities.
Many other revelations started floating to the surface, and once again, our viewpoint changed. This time for the better. This time to explore, examine, and expand into a beautiful new life full of purpose! The key is never to let it go. And don’t ever, ever give up!
Tip of the Day
After struggling, perhaps for years, to gain control once more of our own lives, we finally reach a point where we suddenly realize our nature was just out of sync with God’s plans for us. He never intended for us to go that way!
This time, we are turning in the right direction. We seek. We listen. Our spirit is reconnecting to our soul like magnets attracted to each other. We “put on a new nature,” follow the Lord, and the angels dance! Hallelujah! Renewal begins.
“Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him” (Colossians 3:10 NLT).
"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV).
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Garden of Grace
It just seems easier to close our eyes and resist participating in our future. Avoidance, however, creates another paradox for us. It provides an escape but is not an answer that solves anything of value for us; it is very much like treating the symptoms but not the cause or illness. When we feel uneasy, nervous, and frightened, it is usually because facing the real cause of the problem is much like being held captive or being addicted to whatever “drug” is available.
So, once again, we find ourselves planning another way to move along on our path. No one else can do it for us. But, we will find it much easier if we understand that Someone is looking out for us and protecting us from those emotional “monsters.” God gave us another chance to make things right in our lives (He is known as the “God of second chances” for a good reason). He brought us through the mess and to this exact place of opportunity. Believing in him, rather than our schemes and ideas, is called faith. Just trying to understand where we get faith and how it is developed will help us find valuable and useful solutions to our pressing situations. Consider these "seeds":
True vs. False. Over time, we can learn to recognize things people do or say as being either true or false. They can not be both, as we may have thought in the past. We’ll know when our “discernment meter” is back in good working order.
Solid Evidence. Our experiences have taught us who and what to trust and when. Some people are our helpers and encouragers, and some are hindrances and stumbling blocks.
Subject Matter. We can study how faith in God is all about how He loves us and provides for our needs. It’s His promise. The seed he plants sprouts strength and encouragement to help us through each day.
Spiritual Connection. Faith needs a helper. It will wither and die if we try to be the sole “gardener.” God gives us His Holy Spirit, who is our lifelong “Helper.” We can call on Him when we don’t know what to do or where to go. Think of him as the “landscaper” who is there to water and nourish the soil of our mind, body, and soul.
Grace in Bloom. No one plants a garden without expecting blooms of every kind. Look at each positive, faith-filled step we take in our lives as another beautiful blossom of Grace (God’s kindness and mercy on us) to keep us going!
Tip of the Day
Here’s a visual idea: Wouldn’t it be fun to start a bouquet of colorful “paper” blossoms and keep adding to it as we pass another turning point in our journey? The whole object of faith is the belief and trust in our one and only Savior, Jesus Christ. With Him in our lives, we can do anything! It’s a fact. 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 and unfulfilled. The beauty lesson: He leaves the decision up to us!
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible” (Matthew 17:20 NLT).
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
A Triple Mark of Friendship
Most women want to belong to something important where they can make a difference. Some of us join clubs of all kinds. There are groups for moms, book lovers, students, fitness fans, sewing, art, cooks, and writers. You name it, and a band of women is out there looking for others to share their interests meaningfully. Participating in a great group helps to hold us up when we’re having the worst of days. It supports our creative ideas and gives us a place to grow as we, in turn, encourage others. Sharing is what it is all about. We find out, we are not the only “daffy” ones trying to do something positive in our lives. It can be done.
The key here is we were never meant to do things all alone. What would be the point? If we were excited to share some new idea, who would we share it with? What if we had a desire to help out in the neighborhood? How difficult would it be to do it alone? Becoming a hermit on a deserted island is not as simple or attractive as one might think. We are sure it would become quite lonely, and boring, and could do strange things to our minds.
Living alone can be very similar. How many of us have found ourselves talking out loud to, well, nothing or no one in particular? Of course, we don’t expect to hear an audible answer from someone who is not there (hopefully not). Strangely though, it seems to help now and then to answer ourselves, even though the sound of our voice in the silence may startle us!
Without family or friends to share things with, we leave ourselves open to the worst possible thinking patterns. Even self-destructive ones. We dwell on how bad our lives have gone and imagine they will never get any better. We can see no possibilities at all. Seeing ourselves in the darkness without hope can catapult us right into the many forms of depression.
- Exercise/walk/jog in the same location every day. Others will begin to recognize us and, eventually, make contact. It will give our smile a workout too.
- Find a church home where the word of the day is "Welcome!"
- Join a class, team, or club. It’s a ready-made group that meets regularly and likes the same things making it enjoyable to connect.
- Attend lectures, book signings, and poetry groups. A different version of the one above, but easier as it is a one-time event and there is no commitment.
- Accept invitations for coffee or a movie after connecting with someone. Keep it safe by meeting in a public place.
Tip of the Day
“In the beginning God created. . .” He created us to love others and others to love us. We simply can not successfully do life alone! Post this beautiful Scripture verse on the 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).
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Start With Balance
- Every morning, drink eight ounces of room temperature water to get organs moving (with lemon if wanted). Set it out the night before because ice-cold water causes the body to work harder to warm up to internal body temperature.
- Try a new soap and enjoy three extra minutes in the shower to wake up while the coffee/tea is brewing.
- Simple breakfast: protein bar or cheese plus a favorite fruit. Protein-enriched cereal with almond milk is also perfect (minus the sugar). It’s the most important meal of the day to avoid “crashing” mid-morning.
- Check a calendar, digital day planner, or whatever device encourages us to keep a schedule of daily activities. This is imperative, even if retired or unemployed at the moment.
- Sign up for Zumba, hiking, biking, or join a swim class to train the body to move.
- Plan a lunch or movie date with a friend once a month.
- Add restful activities like cooking, baking, an art class, or a book club.
- Balance life by volunteering at a non-profit organization to help someone in need.
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Lessons at the Top
Courage and tenacity are not limited to extreme sports enthusiasts. We've heard of them; the ones who challenge themselves to not only hike, but attempt to climb the highest mountains in the world. As of December 2024, 7,120 people have reached the summit of Mount Everest!
We often have to ask, “Now whom can I trust?” It seems the answer is “No one.” We dare not go through that scene again, right? But, we know in truth, all human beings are filled with flaws. Even us. Sometimes, people we depend on do things to shatter our faith in them in amazing, surprising, and hurtful ways. Even scary ways.
Tip of the Day
This is where we discover we can only do so much on our own. We can begin a new life. Check. We can make new friends. Check. We can join a gym and get into shape. Check. We can get a new job if we want. Check. It's just like any new wilderness adventure. What we need is a Guide to show us the way through the valleys to the mountaintop. A Teacher who can connect with us and give us a desire for the real truth. And a Friend who knows the life that will save us from ourselves.
Yes, God gets us! The only One who can do all this for us is our Lord and Savior, Jesus. We can go to Him and talk about betrayal, hurt, and sorrow. He's been there. He knows how it feels to be abandoned. And it's not just about all the overwhelming events that have occurred; He knows about our most treasured dreams too. Thankfully, we can safely place our total trust in Him like no other. He promises that He will never, ever, ever leave us! He loves us that much, inside and out.