Can You See Your Own Footprints?

Writing it all down

Have you ever written an original article, essay, book, or poem you wanted to share with others? Then you likely researched how to copyright it and make it your own (or a publisher provided that service for you). That protection forever gave you solid proof and the rights to the written material. Not seeking copyright would put you at risk if anyone else claimed it as their own and not yours. It would become a lengthy court battle.

In 2008, John Marzulli of the New York Daily News reported a fascinating "3-Way Battle" over the rights to the famous poem, Footprints in the Sand. Eventually, it was established that the late Mary Stevenson of Long Island, New York, was the 1939 author although she never knew about needing to copyright anything (she was 14 years old at the time). 

"Stevenson's main proof of authorship is an early copy of the poem, penned on yellow notepaper that has allegedly passed a forensic examination," says Marzulli. The glitch here is that the other two women who claim ownership of the poem have each "copyrighted" their verses with slightly different versions. 

Hitting Rock Bottom

Like Stevenson's poem mentions, you also may feel as if God has left you on your own to figure things out and that can be a lonely place. Your previous marriage or relationship hit rock bottom way too soon. Now you are walking on a sandy white beach with no one to help guide and direct you. One set of footprints. 

How many footprints?

But wait! If you read the last line of the poem (click on the link in the above paragraph), you see the Lord has always been there with you throughout the entire relationship and even now that you are a single-again woman. He has promised you this and He will never ever go back on His Word! 

Maybe it never occurred to you, or it was just too difficult amidst all the chaos in your life at the time, to reach out and ask for the Lord's presence, protection, and provision. If you have never done that, it can literally be a life-changing decision and one you will never regret. 

Don't wait to experience the best of the best life you could ever imagine. Many people hesitate not believing it's possible to have something so much better than they have ever had in the past. Or they try something else in its place--sometimes for years and years--but the empty hole inside of your heart will not disappear like magic. God wants to completely fill it with His L-O-V-E!! 

The Simple Truth

This isn't a bunch of whoo-ha! It's the simplest truth in the world. And that is the problem. Too many people think that accepting the Lord Jesus into their lives is just way too simple. Why? Because all it takes is you asking Him directly in your own words. 

Right where you are, right now, you can start by telling Him about how your life has become a mess and that you want to change it all with His help. You want to fill that God-hole with His love. Isn't that true? Just let Him know you believe anything is possible with Him writing the poem. He knows. He gets you! 

It's as simple as that, dear friend. 

"So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love" 2 Peter 1:5-7 (MSG).

Do You Have a Degree in Faith?

Graduation Cap

Many people this time of year have just celebrated graduation. Whether you were the one who threw the cap in the air or were the proudest parent, grandparent, or friend of a graduate, excitement filled your heart for what the future holds! The diploma or degree you now hold in your hands means you can start your future on a solid foundation as you go forward. 

What were you doing in the summer at age ten? Maybe jumping rope was your favorite thing to do. Or skateboarding on the hills of your neighborhood trying not to break an ankle. Building the next biggest dollhouse with Legos was the envy of all your friends. Or do you remember how to play jacks and ball?

Whatever it was, most of us at age ten were not busy packing our suitcases getting ready for college! Kathleen Holtz entered California State at age ten and then continued to law school at UCLA when she was 15! Passing one of the most difficult bar exams in the country, Kathleen became the youngest California lawyer at age 18. Wow! Talk about a role model.

Favorite Activity
You too may have great hopes of what to do with your life now that you are on your own. A temporary summer job or internship may just be the starting point for re-creating your new life. Most likely, you have skills that are dormant and have never been used. You may even have a degree but have never been employed. These valuable talents and gifts were given to you by God and can now be put to good use. Have you ever:

·         Organized a group of parents to raise school funds?

·         Opened your home to preschool kids while their moms worked?

·         Cooked and catered an event? 

·         Used a computer for data entry?

·         Walked all the neighborhood dogs?

The list goes on and on, but now you can use all that volunteering experience to earn money! What’s your favorite activity—one you would do even if you didn’t get paid? That is most likely your main talent. Search for a job in that field and begin there. Don’t just settle for the first thing that comes along. Find a position you really enjoy and build your life inch by inch. Friendly advice: don’t waste your life in a job you don’t like. Go after what you love!

Do you think you are too old for something new? Don’t tell that to Mozelle Richardson who placed in the Guinness Book of World Records (2004) for earning her Journalism degree at age 90 from the University of Oklahoma. She completed her ninth book at age 94. Today Richardson is 104 and continues to write!

Richardson could easily become friends with Nola Ochs who broke Richardson’s Guinness Record in 2007 by graduating from Fort Hays State University, KS, at age 95! She says, “I don’t dwell on my age. It might limit what I can do. As long as I have my mind and health, it’s just a number.”

Faithful Sign

The F Word
No! No! No! It’s not what you think. We are talking about what got these brilliant women, young and not-so-young, to a point of never giving up on life. We don’t know their circumstances for sure, but maybe their lives were wonderful and tied up with a pretty pink bow. But then again, maybe they had so many serious challenges that they were determined to make the best of what they had in their hands and change their expected paths.

These amazing people most probably were close friends with the F Word: F-a-i-t-h. The simple fact is no one can get anywhere without it even though it may not be apparent, or it is ignored. Why faith, you ask? Because as humans we have brains and therefore, we can argue or reason, but we cannot exist without believing in something or someone otherwise we would be classified as a machine (think computers—lots of information but no brain). Have fun researching this subject because this author is not a scientist!   

We’ve all been there. When we put our trust (i.e., faith) in things of this world such as more and more money, possessions, promotions, and immoral pleasures (just to name a few), we can’t expect it will last forever. It may seem like it does at first, but eventually, money disappears faster than you can count it, cars break down and turn to rust, homes deteriorate, and most things disappoint. But true faith is just the opposite.  

Your Graduation Gift

Faith isn’t anything you can see. It’s a promise, trust, truth, and knowledge of your God and Creator who gives you everything you need to move forward. Faith is special because it is individually designed just for you and will be different than the woman next to you. This “graduation” gift from God will drive you straight to His best plan and purpose for your life. No fear. No guessing. When will you open your special love gift?

“It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 The Message).

Will You Allow Your Heart to Dance?

Celebrate Your Life!

Happy 4th of July! Six months into the year already and we are anxious to celebrate our country's 243rd birthday, July 4th, 1776--the day when the Declaration of Independence was adopted by Congress and still stands today!  

No, we are not going to have a history lesson here today. We are simply saying that the celebration of America is more than just sparklers and fireworks (although those are lots of fun!). Instead, we want to point out that our lives can be a celebration too-- every day. 

Now that you are out on your own and living as a single-again woman, what would you say is your greatest feeling of all? Would it be the peace you now enjoy? Would it be relief from all the chaos and verbal and physical abuse? How about freedom? All of these and more are a reason to celebrate and fill your heart with unexplainable joy.

Your Own Independence Day

If your life doesn't exactly feel that way (yet), it's okay! You may still be mourning for a life left behind even though that life wasn't what you imagined it should be way back when. Now, think about this: all that freedom we talked about in the above paragraph can be scary and may be the reason that keeps you from moving forward.   

You have many difficult choices right now so it may seem easier to just turn back and grab for something that is no longer there, which only causes confusion and emptiness. But when you look at your own Independence Day and determine to move through the open doorway, you'll see the possibilities for your best life on the other side. And your heart will dance and sing! 

Get Out Your Bicycle

The momentum that escorts you through that door is exciting. It’s like riding a bicycle for the first time in many, many years. You won’t have time to look back but only to view the passing scenery. There are so many things to do, places to go, and plans to make that your days will fly by! Surely you have had ideas running around in your head for years that you are now free to make happen.

“You can not change the wind, but you can adjust your sails!” (Sue Ingebretson a Holistic Health Practitioner at Rebuilding Wellness).

The quote is a favorite of this blogger because it displays an attitude of never giving up. If one thing doesn’t work in your life, try another way. If going in one direction is frustrating, choose a friendlier path. Don’t allow anything to get in your way. You know what you want. Go after it. Today!

Anything Missing?

Congratulations! You are on your way! Planning, experimenting, and seeking wise counsel are all part of this new way to rebuild your life. You may even want to find other women who are traveling in the same direction. In fact, it is advisable to do so. They may be struggling at the beginning or learning to navigate in the middle or have nearly reached the finish line. So, someone will be able to come alongside you to help.

Strong triple cords

The Bible says, “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).

So, if you sense something missing while planning your adventure, it may just be a lack of support from others. Don’t keep your new marital status a secret fearing other women will gossip about you. If your attitude is new, fresh, and hopeful, others can’t help but see an improvement in you.

"A miserable heart means a miserable life; a cheerful heart fills the day with song" (Proverbs 15:15 Msg). 

Summer and 4th of July

Fresh Start Momentum is on Summer break. Hope you are too!

Stay tuned for special 4th of July post!

How To Build an Amazing Journey

Grand Canyon in Arizona

 In America, we have some of the most magnificent sites and they are not just for tourists from around the world who visit. Americans would be wise to see these attractions themselves so they can have first-hand knowledge of their own country. The Grand Canyon in Arizona is one of those amazing places.

There simply is nothing like this Canyon. On average, 4.5 million visitors annually are attracted to this extra large “hole” in the ground that measures 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and over a mile deep.

The staff at curiosity.com says, “The water from ALL the world’s rivers would only fill the Grand Canyon halfway! You can actually see the Grand Canyon from space. . .The river that carved the Grand Canyon is the Colorado River, which is only 100 meters wide. The Mississippi and Amazon Rivers are far bigger, but neither have made a giant canyon. So how did this one canyon get so grand? The Colorado River is unique in that is transports 500,000 tons of silt and sand every day. And for every mile the river travels, it drops 10 miles down. While this river took care of carving away a deep slit in the canyon, gravity and weather helped make the Grand Canyon wider and wider. But that's not the end of the story: The Grand Canyon is getting deeper and wider every day!!”

One Amazing Journey

As a single-again woman who has gone through the deepest and longest ordeal of your life, the Grand Canyon may not seem that amazing. (But we still suggest a trip there to see. It may help put everything into perspective). You are on an adventurous journey of your own and the sights are all new, to say the least. Scary maybe, but not impossible.

What you do and how you do it, will determine how wonderful and amazing your life really can be. The alternative, of course, is to sit and brood all day, every day and end up nowhere, sad and lonely. It’s definitely up to you because you are on your own now and no one can make decisions for you. No one is forcing you to move on. For those who wish to have a better life though, the options are endless. Ready to go? This is exciting!

You may be just starting--the first stage--or you may be in the middle or approaching the exact spot you are aiming for. It doesn’t matter how fast or how slow you wish to go. What does matter is that you never give up! You have dreams and ideas way in the back of your head that have been there for years. So, it’s time to get them out on the table like puzzle pieces and have some fun.

In fact, if you are a visual person and want to see this in a creative and concrete way, you could create a puzzle out of each piece of your dream. Choose Option 1 or 2 below whichever appeals to you.

OPTION 1: Puzzle

1. Grab some colored poster board or construction paper
2. Cut the whole piece into many different, odd, and crazy shapes
3. On the back side of each one, name one small thing you want to see happen (i.e., take a creative class at your community college; change the furniture around; buy new dishes at a local thrift store; change all bedding for new ones)
4. On the front, number each one so they fit together in order
5. On a separate piece of large poster board (different color), put your “puzzle” together, numbers facing up and secure with “movable” double sided tape

Done! It’s beautiful!

TO USE: Now each morning/week go to your puzzle and pick one number, check the back, and decide this is what you will do today. No guessing or getting stuck about what to do with your new life. This will point you in the right direction. Keep it up!

OPTION 2: Colored Image (something easier)

1. Purchase one of those numerous “adult coloring books”
2. Choose a page with separate elements, like flowers
3. Number and name each one with a “dream” item (see #3 above)
4. Let those items correspond with each day of the week/month

TO USE: each day color just one image you have named. When done, this is your guide for what to do that particular day. Easy, fun, and effective.

Beautiful Joy

Wide, Long, High and Deep

Your life can be as fun and interesting as you want. Whatever your passion, you can make it come true and create a beautiful life full of joy. As you go about each day, you will see just how very much God loves you and is willing to Guide you in all areas. Start each morning asking for His direction and thanking Him for all He provides.

Remember, His love for you is bigger than the Grand Canyon. Wow! In fact, HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO MADE IT! Plan a trip to see His Amazing Grace!

"And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is" (Ephesians 3:18-19 NLT).

How to Dig Yourself Out of the Jungle

Don't get lost in the jungle

There are a couple interesting shows on TV about how we all eventually reach a point in our homes when we cannot ignore the numerous piles of junk any longer. We even have the typical “junk drawer” where every bit and piece of our belongings end up in that one spot.

Stacks of magazines we keep for years thinking that after the first reading we will go back someday and re-read them. We justify that kind of hoarding as “reference material” and it makes us feel better than if we called it trash. Many of us gravitate to weekend garage sales (yep, I’m raising my hand too) and purchase another person’s junk they no longer want. Some of it is very useful but, occasionally we buy items just because they look like something we might be able to use. Then we throw them into a box in the garage, forget about them, and they end up in our own garage sale the following year. Oh, my!

The summer organization bug will soon arrive, and we start thinking of what we can do to clear out all the rubbish. If we never, ever discard anything--fearing we will need it someday--we could become a candidate for one of those hoarding shows. It’s like trying to dig our way out of a jungle that is about to devour us.

Stress-Free Answers

Those are all lifeless objects that we think we need, so we keep them. It appears our hoarding gives us a sense of security, which of course, is false. But the same thing goes on in our brains, emotions, and spirits. We get bogged down worrying about every little thing, most of which we can do nothing about.

Money, or the lack of it causes us much stress as most of us know. Don’t get caught believing money provides happiness. It does not! How many famously rich millionaires do we know that are truly happy? It might appear that way at first, but an excess of money generally brings an excess of responsibility, which equals excess stress. Think of all those lottery stories of winners one year after their big win. Many of them are worse off than if they had never gambled because they cannot keep up with all their new possessions. Believe it or not, many people fall into bankruptcy when the money is all gone!

Of course, money is not the only worry in life. We can get overwhelmed by relationships that have gone wrong, working in a job we hate, trying to survive after divorce, dealing with child custody, health issues, finding supportive friends, car repairs, anxiety, dieting, disappointment, and doubt. And on, and on, and on.

This is exactly why God commands us [Matthew 6:25-28] not to worry! Notice, it’s not a suggestion. He is serious about this subject. Why? Because worries are endless; they consume us. Only God knows our anguish when worry devours us. He never wants us in that state of unhappiness and mental chaos. And better yet, He has the answers to our dilemmas. He is just waiting for us to come to Him with our concerns.

Joy Personified

If we find ourselves completely worry-free (really?), the opposite problem may be our enemy. Pleasure. Too much of the wrong thing can steer us into a state of denial. We find ourselves hanging with an unsuitable crowd. Doing what we never thought we would. Ignoring our standards and principles. Filling every minute of the day and night pursuing bodily enjoyment, earthly treasures, and worshiping ourselves.

Please don’t get the incorrect idea here. God wants us to be happy and content. He is all about us finding our joy. Joy and love in friendships and close relationships. Discovering His plan and purpose for our lives can be the very best kind of pleasure; a fulfillment of everything we hope for. Living in God’s world, where He is ready and able to handle our worries and concerns, will provide us a way to grow stronger and stronger every day. Now, that’s a thing of beauty!

“This is what the story means: The seed is God’s message. The seed that fell among the thorny weeds is like those who hear God’s teaching, but they let the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life keep them from growing and producing good fruit” (Luke 8:11, 14 NCV).

How Can You Take Care of Your Soul?

Pink Baby Booties

What is more precious than a new baby? The answer is six babies at one time--a complete miracle! Two weeks ago, today, a woman gave birth to Poland's first set of sextuplets. Each beautiful little one weighed approximately 2.2 pounds. 

Here in the U.S., a Houston, Texas woman gave birth to six darlings within nine minutes in March of this year! All six were sets of twins--two male pairs and one female pair. The largest baby tipped the scale at 2 pounds, 14 ounces, and the smallest 1 pound, 12 ounces. Experts say the odds of birthing sextuplets are about one in 4.7 billion. Who else but God could create such miracles? 

Center of Everything

The birth of every single baby is a miracle because not only does each person born on this earth have numerous and intricate body parts, but every single person has a soul too. Unfortunately, many people never even give a thought to the fact they not only have a body to care for while on this earth but also a soul. It comprises our "total being" from the time we are born. "Each unique human soul begins at conception." Click here if you are curious: Questions Anyone?      

So why is it so important that the human body should even have a soul? First, in Hebrew where the word soul comes from, it means "life, self, breath"--a necessary component the same as a heart. And in the Bible, Jesus says, "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. . ." (Matthew 10:28 NLT). In other words, our souls cannot be destroyed. They are that important!   

My Soul Sings with Joy

Second, your soul is the center of everything--all your good and not so good decisions. Truly, it's the "integrity" center of your being and it plays a part in helping you understand truthfulness, faithfulness, goodness, and morality to name but a few. This probably sounds familiar because as a single-again woman you have dealt with many of these human characteristics over and over.  

Your unique soul helps you face not only the major life-sustaining determinations that can change the direction of your life, but also warns you about every silly choice, indulgence, and worthless gain before you make it. 

Sometimes (like all humans) you may ignore your internal warnings and go ahead anyway with a poor choice. This is when it's important to stop and realize how you may or may not be taking care of your soul. It's like perhaps "bruising" the soul on purpose. The soul, therefore, is affected by every choice, good or not so good. 

The Joy Factor

Now let's switch gears for a moment. Which would you choose now that you are a single-again woman: joy or misery? No doubt you would choose joy but, hundreds of people willingly give up what would make their lives the very best they could be and unwillingly choose the worst possible option.        

For so many years as a married woman, you may have felt like there was no choice available for you. And this is totally understandable. Sometimes with a serious and worse yet, a dangerous situation in addition to no support from others, decisions seem impossible. 

Now you can understand by the discussion in today's blog that no matter what happened and when your soul is still intact! It belongs to only you and God. You made reasonable decisions to get to where you are right now and nothing will separate you from God's love--ever! 

He holds your soul in His hand and now you can make it on your own with His blessings of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT). It's the JOY FACTOR! Hallelujah! Amen.  

     

"And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?" (Matthew 16:26 NLT).