What is it that causes some individuals to become so consumed with their painful circumstances that they just decide to check out?

I just heard of another executive tragedy in our area, and altho taking our own life may seem unfathomable to the average person, those of us who have walked through seriously grievous situations may have stood at the edge of that precipice before.

Sometimes checking out of marriage or even of life itself may look like the easier option, than dealing with the hopelessness and despair of the moment. There have been times when I thought it looked pretty tempting myself.

I also know what are the few factors in our life (my husband and I) that held us together and kept us from throwing in the towel.

Our most tragic family season was 7 years ago, and it has been a walk of faith for us to press on and find the purpose for these experiences.

Now in 2010, while offering wellness initiatives to the community, my friend, Kimberli, and I are seeing how desperately others are needing to be educated and encouraged to take care of themselves, learn how to manage stress, learn to invest in themselves and their own health. It is so important that we feed our mind, spirit and soul with the right stuff, so that when we (inevitably) will be facing an unsurmountable challenge, maybe even standing on the edge of that precipice, we will choose to hope. and choose to stay.

and press on through another season.

Everything is that…just a season.

So we are passionately sharing our hearts and our skills on the 24th of June for a night of Significance.

We are expecting great things on that Thursday night. It will be a night of closer relationships in the community, encouragement in each guest’s gifts and significance, and valuable teaching on self-care.

I hope you will checkout the information on this incredible evening, and pass along to all that you think may really enjoy it, and even need it, in their life.

Some of the things we will be teaching on:

-Longevity tips we learn from centenarians (you may be surprised at some of these)

-Office Yoga, stretching and breathing exercises we can do right there in our office!

- Stress management tips on staying balanced thru ANY season

- and of course, as our name suggests, encouragement in your own Significant value, gifts, and all you have to offer. It will be a great night for developing new and meaningful connections with others in our community.

Did I mention all the food, desserts and gift raffle??

We are looking forward to a sweet night….

If you love to hear fabulous testimonies then I have some great events for women in Jacksonville this summer! I was invited to one last summer, and was truly blessed! (local speakers like Pam Tebow)

The events are called Summer Salad series and held At Southside United Methodist on Hendricks Ave. -starts Wednesday(eve)  July 2nd and goes 5 or 6 Wednesday nights. 

The second one is at Christ Church (not the former Mandarin Christian Church), but this one is on St. Augustine Road near where it hits San Jose Blvd. It is also called Summer salad series, themed Broken Lives that Bear Fruit, focusing on a fruit of the spirit each week. (Tues eve)

The dates are June 24, July 8, July 15, July 22 and August 5. The
plan is to have a casual but lovely salad supper, with drinks and
desserts, accompanied by a dynamic speaker. Friends and friends of friends are welcome.

contact the women’s ministries for more details!

Hello again! I have been sooo missing the blog world. This has been a difficult adjustment for me to move over to a new blog site. I am still trying to figure out how to get aalll of that previous information and personal pieces of my life moved over with me. It is like leaving a comfortable pair of shoes. I got some prettier ones that are shinier and will impact more people, but I felt really at home in those old ones. They had carried me through a lot. So give me some time to adjust and navigate. I think my biggest challenge is that this all happened during the busiest month of my year!

I just came off the most fabulous weekend of SHINE!!! (Thank you for your support and friendship-Becky!!) -1400 girls and women, all singing accapella (when the instruments would fade for awhile) and it was just beautiful worship. There was so much unity in the teaching and such a sweet spirit. Ayiesha Woods, Lisa Bevere, Debra Cobrae, Pastor Kerri!! I really felt truly blessed to be there and was kicking myself that I had not dragged other girls thatI knew, since I have no daughters. But I decided to take advantage of the excellent price for next year and buy a ticket for someone. I plan on being a volunteer next year.

It was really freeing for me to show my butterfly paintings, with no intentions to sell them. I have not finished the series yet and want to have the broken series for an eventual show, so I just enjoyed them, talked to the ladies about butterflies and brokenness and so many were inspired and wanted to talk about their circumstances and just make a new friend. I loved it!!! Ifelt like the teaching, for me, was life-changing. You know, sometimes you just have an experience and learn some new things, or just get to see your life from an entirely new perpective, and you know you will never be the same. That is the way I felt coming out of there. I was changed. If not from the weekend, then SURELY from the 3 books I bought of Lisa Beveres.

I must admit, I am still trying to work through her book, “Fight like a girl”. Do not know why. …But the OUT OF CONTROL AND LOVING IT book, and the ANGER book, were compelling and I felt like it was her raw and gritty self, coming through the pages, the same one we got to know on stage. She is hilarious and relatable and I felt that we had so much in common with raising boys and marriage.

I also just spoke on a two day trip to Lakeland and Plant City..two womens clubs. The ladies were fabulous and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and sharing our story with them. I was hosted by a wonderful lady in plant city and so appreciated their hospitality. She was a hip grandmom and we stayed up till midnight like two school girls talking about life experiences and such.

I am still amazed at how much our story and Joshua’s life and message can impact others and hopefully plant some seeds of gratefulness, wherever I am invited.

But it was good to be back to my boys and all the ways that I am currently needed and purposed in my life right now. Flag football has started and teacher appreciation week with the PTO, and my art classes that  I love. My husband is needing me to help more with our nutraceutical business and I imagine that the speaking engagements will taper off  some after June.

I was telling a friend earlier today, that although we are in a season of oh-so-busy, there will be a day when we are on the porch in our rockers, twiddling our thumbs, and longing for the days back when we were so needed.

Must go. My husband is coming home late from a church meeting. DId I mention what a SHINE conference can do for your love life???

Thank you God for sweet, Godly counsel, 1400 girlfriends, and the insight for me to get there.