Squashing the Giants in Life

A keeper as far as quotes. . .

 “Ah, great it is to believe the dream as we stand in youth by the starry steam; but a greater thing is to fight life through and say at the end, the dream is true!”

-Edwin Markham quotes (American Poet He is best known for his poem of social protest, 1852-1940). 

One huge lesson I've learned this week, after going through some weird challenges and difficulties, is this—you cannot allow bad days or weeks or years . . .to swallow up your dreams. Bad days will come, but if you always allow those days to steer you away from your dreams and goals, you’ll never accomplish them. We have to keep the faith, and keep looking toward what we believe God wants us to do. We have to continue to believe we have a purpose, and that there is purpose in even the worst of circumstances. If you are stuck in a discouraging season in your life, I want to encourage you that most people (no matter how glamorous they seem) go through the exact same thing. However, the most successful of us, learn to be conquerors in the midst of life’s storms. We shake it all off. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but it has to be said. 

For instance, I was working on some writing projects for myself, and this week after I had some crazy challenges, I almost allowed those things to stop me from finishing what I had started. However, by God's grace I continued. I'm doing those things I'm passionate about such as ministering to others and writing. I'm not going to allow these things to stop me from doing “good” to overcome all the evil in the world. I have been so determined this week to encourage people even though I didn’t feel encouraged myself.

My determination worked. Once I saw I’d made someone’s day, I got an amazing boost. I felt like a giant . . . or rather like I’d just killed a giant. In actuality, I did. I killed a challenge that was trying to steal my dreams and destiny. That's just my little food for thought . . . if you are having or have had a truly crappy week. Tonight, I urge you to keep your dreams alive despite obstacles and craziness. Use your gifts, skills, talents, kind heart, etc. to be a blessing to others. Squash the giants in your life, and look good doing it. :-)

Much love,

Tee 

Lessons on Self Love

I remember when I visited a women’s domestic violence support group. I was single at the time, and I wasn’t in any domestic violence situation. However, I knew the facilitator because she had shared a lot of information with me about abusive relationships. She was really passionate about the subject. She has helped many women understand their value after they had endured many years of abuse. She told me that she knew it was her calling to do so. When we met, I had been in many abusive relationships myself. She helped me to gather information on the subject, and counseled me concerning a recent break-up I had gone through. She had been counseling abused women for decades. 

I visited the women’s group on a really cold, rainy Monday night near the holidays. I remember walking in slowly, not knowing what to expect. The house was warm and cozy. The facilitator brought out chocolates and other refreshments and proceeded to introduce me to the group. 

As we became more comfortable with each other, the ladies started to share. And I shared my story, surprisingly. Afterward, the facilitator brought out free gifts—free beauty products! We all had just visited such a dark place in our lives, but at the mention of beauty products, our spirits were ignited. We were giddy like little girls again, as we tried on lipstick, lotions, and perfume. Although I felt like a five-year-old, playing in her mother’s make-up, I was learning a profound lesson. It doesn’t take much to lift a dreadful mood. I couldn’t help but to laugh as the ladies came alive! All memories of their troubled past vanished right before my eyes, if only for a few glamorous moments. It lifted my spirit to see the great shift from feelings of sadness and regret to excitement and fun.

From that experience, I learned it’s important for us to feel good about ourselves.  Even if the feeling initially comes from a little dab of perfume or a little rouge on the lips, it’s all the same—self love and appreciation are important for those who are broken inside.

The other day, I thought about the ladies, and once again, I was inspired by the event. I decided to give myself a little boost by trying this electric blue eye liner. It wasn’t much, but it was a small step. It was a step toward a foundation I was already building in my life—I can set my perspective. I can change the course of my life no matter what is going on. Just a little food for thought . . . it’s always okay to show yourself some love. Next month is Domestic Violence Awareness month. I am planning to post some self love/self worth quotes in honor of the month.

Much love,

Tee

Getting Back to Our Back-to-School Groove

It’s hard to believe my daughter is back in school already! I completely took for granted those lazy days of summer. Oh well. LOL. To get back into our back-to-school groove, I came up with a list of 10 things we need to do to stay sane as we embrace this awesome, new school year.

A Little Summer Advice for Single Mamas. . .

When your child is away for the summer or part of the summer (even for only a week), do something fun and empowering! Think outside of the box, and be creative. Challenge yourself because you know how we can get stuck into dreadful routines. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve told myself that I will do something special over the summer and never get around to doing it!

So I’ve made plans to hang out with a friend at the park this weekend, and I’m planning to go to a spa (maybe next week). But you know what? Whatever you do as a single mama during the summer break, be sure to have fun and relax. Most importantly, whatever you plan to do, DO IT! You deserve it honey child. That’s just a little food for thought for all the single mamas out there because when school starts, we’re always thinking, “I should have done more with my free time this summer!” But keeping it real . . . it’s always cool just to enjoy your time at home, doing absolutely nothing but sipping on sweet tea (in a wine glass) and some chick flicks. Whatever floats your boat—make it work.  You deserve it girlie.  Or maybe you can save some money and pay a debt or splurge a little. Go exploring around town. Check out a mystery restaurant or café. It’s all about doing something that gives you that extra boost and empowerment.

You’ll need the summer memories this fall when your child is in school, and you’re running around doing errands. Get your groove back now! And here is a little challenge: whatever you decide to do, be extra, extra fabulous while you’re doing it. For example, get some new out-of-the-box shoes. A funky new hairdo. Some crazy-colored lipstick. BREAK out of that “mama” mode. I know it’s hard for us to take a break from work, school preparation, cooking, cleaning, and planning to get out, and actually enjoy ourselves and our time alone, but we need to make that commitment to ourselves. If we don’t, who is going to do it for us? That’s right, so get moving. Much love.

From one single mother to another,

Tee 

Real Friend? Or Acquaintance?

I get these awesome daily devotionals from Rick Warren’s ministries, and they are so on point as far as the issues I deal with on a daily basis (I’ve attached the link to the devotionals below). A friend sent this to me via e-mail one day. I had to share this particular devotional on my blog because I want to explore this topic more later.

The devotional below sparked my attention because I had been thinking about my relationships lately, and how I am so quick sometimes to label someone a “friend.” 

Well, we all have so-called friends on Facebook (which helps solidify the confusion of who is or isn’t a true friend). One day I was pondering whether a particular person in my life is indeed a friend when I stumbled upon the devotional. I had considered the biblical definitions of friendship before, but I hadn’t truly considered the people who are there when I need them the most. Friend is a covenant word. It’s a promise or a commitment that goes way beyond a simple contract or verbal agreement. A true friend gets close to the heart. A true friendship goes deeper than a like or dislike on Facebook or other social media. Friend is actually a very intimate term in the Bible. Those who are dear enough to have gained the privilege of being someone’s true friend should take the commitment seriously. People never forget friends, whether the friendship was a good one or a bad one. It’s a privilege taken all too lightly in today’s modern world. A true friend deserves more than a simple text or Facebook shout out. They deserve more than a tweet here or there. They deserve a real investment of time and resources because they are priceless—like the rarest of diamonds. You have to dig for them, and the most authentic are extremely hard to find. 

Real Friends Show Up in a Crisis
 
by Rick Warren

“A friend should treat a troubled person kindly,
even if he abandons the fear of the Almighty.” (Job 6:14 GW)

Real friends show up when you’re in a crisis. Real friends walk into your life when everybody else walks out. It is in a crisis that you learn pretty quickly the difference between acquaintances and friends. You have a lot of acquaintances. Who is the friend that is going to show up in the crisis in your life? 

Did you know that the Bible says that even when people turn their back on God, they still deserve to have friends? Job 6:14 says, “A friend should treat a troubled person kindly, even if he abandons the fear of the Almighty” (GW).

The first thing everybody needs in a crisis is other people. You need a support group — some mature Christian brothers and sisters who will love you, who will care for you, who will comfort you, who will encourage you, who will support you, who will meet your needs, who will counsel you.

That’s why I never stop talking about the importance of being in a small group. Build a safety network in your life so when the rogue winds come you have genuine friends who will be there for you.

You say, “But wait a minute! Don’t you need to pray first?” Well yeah, if you can. But the truth is, in a crisis you’re usually in so much stress and shock that you don’t even know what to pray. It’s at that point that you need other people praying for you.

You need other people to say, “It’s OK. We’ll pray for you. We’ll believe for you. We’ll be there for you.” 

Talk It Over

• Who are the people in your life who will call you to show up for them when they are in a crisis?
• What keeps you from being available and present when your friends are in a crisis?

Who are the people in your life who will show up when you are in a crisis? 

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