Reaching your dream takes COURAGE

This is something I found and LOVED ~ Hope you enjoy it as well.

REACHING YOUR DREAM TAKES COURAGE

Courage is admitting that you're afraid and facing that fear directly. It's being strong enough to ask for help and humble enough to accept it.

Courage is standing up for what you believe in without worrying about the opinions of others. It's following your own heart, living your own life, and settling for nothing less than the best for yourself.

Courage is daring to take a first step, a big leap, or a different path. It's attempting to do something that no one has done before and all others thought impossible.

Courage is keeping heart in the face of disappointment and looking at defeat not as an end but as a new beginning. It's believing that things will ultimately get better even as they get worse.

Courage is being responsible for your own actions and admitting your own mistakes without placing blame on others. It's relying not on others for your success, but on your own skills and efforts.

Courage is refusing to quit even when you're intimidated by impossibility. It's choosing a goal, sticking with it, and finding solutions to the problems.

Courage is thinking big, aiming high, and shooting far. It's taking a dream and doing anything, risking everything, and stopping at nothing to it make it a reality.

He's working in me today!

Take time today to hear the message in two sermons.

Go to HARVEST CHURCH then go to the media section. Listen to I WILL ARISE & 1-2-3 YOU'RE OUT! Worth the time, trust me! I'd love to hear your opinions and what you took from the message. Email me @ crown_jewels@sbcglobal.net

Every day we live is a priceless gift of God, loaded with possibilities to learn something new, to gain fresh insight ~ Dale Evans Rogers

CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART, O GOD; AND RENEW A STEADFAST SPIRIT WITHIN ME. ~ Psalm 51:10

Simple update

It's been awhile folks. Mainly because so much has changed in the last month. It's been a whirlwind of events but now looking back I firmly believe EVERYTHING happens for a reason. Where to start?

Cameron is full swing into baseball and also playing summer league basketball. The Cougars (baseball team) played in State Tournament already. They've also played up in the 12 yr old brackets a few times and left with 1st & 2nd place trophies. Very proud to be a part of such an awesome group of boys!!! I absolutley LOVE the way those boys get along and gel. We now are on a little break and headed to a week long tourney that's a World Series. Then the season will come to an end and that means.......VACATION, MORE TIME IN THE POOL, BACK-TO-SCHOOL & FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!!!

Kyle is now doing his own thing. No longer living under our roof. It was time to cut the strings. NOT what I wanted but understanding he has to make his own decisions, make his own mistakes to be able to move forward. It's just my personal opinion he would have had a better, easier route if he'd decided to stay at home. Such is life.....moving forward!!! I wish him the best and want nothing more than for him to succeed. Everything any mother would want for her child.

As far as me, Mike and I had decided that maybe it would be best for me to stay at home with Cameron over the summer. Something I wanted to do but really enjoyed being employed and making good money. Then I had a falling out at the office. It was normal behavior for that time of month when it came to my employer. He has a way of taking out his frustrations on me especially when it comes time for him to pay his bills. It made it where everyone dreads the beginning of the month. Enough was enough! Timing could not have been better and it made it all that much easier to accept where I am now. Happy, home, enjoying my summer with my son and his buddies, keeping up with my house and having the freedom to catch up with other friends by meeting them for lunch or shopping. It's funny how things always have a way of working themselves out. I don't deal with the stress anymore and that has made a world of difference to me. Allowed me to see things for what they were and move forward in a positive way. I'm in the process of starting my jewelry again. I have started an etsy accont and just need to get pictures taken of my pieces and get them added to the site. I need to create a facebook page for my pieces too. I went to a bead show that was in town last weekend and it got my creative juices flowing. Now that we have a bit of a break after the 4th of July I plan to fill some free time with jewelry making. Something I loved but lost track of due to lack of time. I also got great news from a friend that she wants to carry my jewelry in her new tanning/nail salon and boutique. I'm so happy she is taking this leap and opening up something she believes in and has always wanted to do. I wish her the best!!!!! Trust me as soon as she names it and gets it up and going you guys will be well informed. I do know it's on the south side of OKC. Not far from Moore :)

Reason, Season or Lifetime

I've spent a lot of time the last couple of years wondering why certain people have come and even gone out of my life. Why did they not come sooner? Why are they no longer a part of my life? Why have some remained? What was the meaning of the time we shared? I've never doubted that everything happens for a reason. Maybe I was not giving credit where credit was due. If you’ve ever caught yourself dwelling on this too maybe you should keep reading and see if you take something from the message below.


Reason, Season, or Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty;
to provide you with guidance and support;
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON,
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

— Unknown

I think everyone has experienced the "reason" friend. You may have been one by giving the person at the check-out in the grocery store money because they did not have enough. Maybe you gave an unsuspecting waiter/waitress a larger than normal tip because you could tell they were dealing with a hardships. Recently an accident happened in front of me and I stopped to offer assistance, call 911 and to be an eye witness to the lady that was hit by another driver that ran a red light. Not everyone stopped......I was there for a reason! Sounds silly but it happens to all of us on a daily basis. A need was met by either you or by someone else when it was least expected.

The "season" friend could be numerous examples here but I've had people after the fact come to me for advice knowing I've dealt with a similar situation and want help or advice. I took it as an opportunity to share and possibly grow from it. Then I've had people share with me something that at the time blew my mind or I would have had no idea they were going through. It could also turn out we had a lot in common and had a lot to offer each other in terms of friendship or emotional support. It comes in all forms folks. Who knows what will happen when first presented with it but the chance for the season friendship to become a lifelong friendship is worth it to me. If you take anything from those moments maybe you can help yourself to become a better person and maybe you've helped someone else along the way. It's all just little pieces to the giant puzzle I refer to as life.

I'll be the first to admit that I've struggled with the "letting go" and "moving on" part when a friendship/relationship did not go how I thought it should go. Or worse, it wasn't anything near what I thought we had. When it goes sour those have a tendency to feel an awful lot like a blow to your face or a harsh break-up that bruises your heart. Over time and once the pain has settled it often becomes apparent why things ended the way they did (making it a "season" friendship). You have to want to see it for what it was and want to move forward from it!!! Hopefully you learned something valuable about yourself from the experience and that too can help you achieve being the kind of person you'd like to be.

I am thankful for every REASON, SEASON & LIFETIME!
I would not be the person I am today without them all.

Mother's Day Weekend

MAN-O-MAN! Busy weekend but very grateful to have been surrounded by good people and my boys! We played in the Brian Crawford Memorial Tournament in Chickasha, OK. Friday- Sunday. It was fun packed and the boys played so well. They were the cutest things when they handed each of us Moms roses during lunch. It teared me up! They are so stinking sweet! We ended up with 2nd place.

VERY PROUD OF OUR COUGARS!!!

IT'S THE LITTLE MOMENTS THAT MAKE
THE GREATEST IMPACT IN LIFE

Let me just say that my husband and boys added an even more special touch to my Mother's Day Weekend. They got me just what I've been wanting. The most gorgeous 14K gold earrings and a Coach Boyfriend Watch. They've been on this Momma's wish list! I was excited and very happy. The card from Kyle made me cry too. It was just what I needed and makes everything worth it. It gave me that feeling in my heart that only a mother would comprehend. What an amazing sense of complete knowing how very blessed I am to have my husband and boys. I wish I could put into words the release felt with my family being whole again =)

Love you guys more than the very breaths I take!!!

What A Blessing

Let me start with this, if you don't take something deep, undeniably powerful and absolutely moving from this beautiful little blessing then there is something definably wrong with you! It was by mistake that I found her on the internet. I was looking for a specific group of 4 men that sing Amazing Grace and her information popped up. Her name is Rhema Marvanne~ Oh my goodness for the last 45 minutes I've been enjoying this little girl's voice singing gospel songs and popular Christmas songs. I have cried numerous times and could any second just sharing this story with you. It was after I heard her voice on a few songs that I found another song/video that was about "her story". Mom's the tears will start now: She credits her talent to the voice her mother left behind. She lost her mother on November 8, 2008 to ovarian cancer. She said she wants to follow in the mother's footsteps to serve and glorify God. Her voice will give you goosebumps and leave you feeling so warm and gracious! I loved her so much that I bought 2 CD's today. The songs that swept me off my feet were Amazing Grace, Believe and Note To God. Go to YouTube and search her name or check out her website Rhema Marvanne
WHAT A BLESSING SHE HAS BEEN FOR ME TODAY!!!! Go to the store section and download NOTE TO GOD (It's free) and you too can feel what I've felt today :)

Mother's Day is this Sunday and I thought how fitting of a story. I had share it with those who had not heard of her.


“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” - Jeremiah 29:11

Major announcement

Mike and I were watching our normal Sunday TV show Brother & Sisters. Just curled up in my comfy chair with my comfy clothes and blanket. I happened to log in to Facebook to read the President will be breaking in for a major announcement. At this point it was about 9:45 CST. I thought it must be something big for him not to have done it during prime time or a scheduled televised address to the nation. Then Facebook starts blowing up and all the major news channels are doing the same with the word that Osama Bin Laden has been killed and his body is in US custody. WHAT??? WOW!!! I went through a realm of mixed emotions. I'm happy yet frightened. All I can think of is what's next? How will the US be retaliated against next? What does this actually mean for our troops? I thought the President did well with his speech. I thought it was direct and to the point. The fact is this is a victory for the US & our troops! What I don't understand is how people can twist so much and make this a political republican or democratic issue. We just got word that the face of global terrorism, the most infamous terrorist of our time has been killed and people are really thinking about who gets credit? Should or shouldn't Obama have credit??? Are you kidding me???

My personal opinion is this, we should all be thanking GOD and praying he watches over his children in the coming days.

Some of the pictures from last night brought tears to my eyes. The numbers of people that rejoiced in the streets in NYC at ground zero or the people that chanted in front of the White House. I get that and I respect it. I understand they lost family members either during the acts of terrorism or while fighting in war. Not to mention the number of lives touched during the attacks by the efforts of police, firefighters, doctors/nurses/EMT or anyone that helped with the aftermath of the various attacks.

This has profound meaning to everyone!
Respect it and move forward as a stronger country! Be alert! Be vigilant! Above all PRAY!

I have zero interests in starting a public debate. Please do not send me emails or post anything of that nature.