ONE AMAZING GIRL

Once there was a girl.... and she was unique and talented and interesting and amazing and unforgettable....and real. And she knew, deep down, that if she tried something and things didn't go as she had hoped or wanted or dreamed or planned, she could just try something different or try the exact same thing again but approach it in a new or different way.

Then one day, her greatest hopes and dreams actually became true........

And her life was full of all these amazing and unforgettable moments and events and circumstances: incredible wins, of course, but also equally incredible-and worth it- losses. Because no matter what happened, she learned from everything around her and everything she went through. 

Yes, she fell sometimes (like everybody else does), but she got up and moved forward by always being true to herself....

And maybe one day she will even make a path for others to follow...until they can make their own paths, too.

You see, it is not that she was never frightened or sad or even knew when she woke up each day what to do (no one does). It was simply that she believed in herself and always shined on like a star...

And you too can be One Amazing Girl - if you just believe in yourself~

Juju

(Adapted from Blue Mountain Arts)

Dear January, I bid you a farewell. Take with you the negativity, the hurt feelings, the complex, the dark shadows, the bad memories, the ugly thoughts, the constant state of feeling unable to shake it, for if I stick with you, I will surely fail at everything I do this year and I refuse to go there again for I've been there before. So, I bid you a farewell, bon voyage, arrivederci, adieu, adios, bye-bye, cheerio, ciao and so long.

Hello February! Let's be friends, yes? Hello to Me again and all my accomplishments, love, good times, new opportunities, positive outlook and most of all, faith in myself, my ways, my decisions and my GOD!

IT'S A NEW YEAR WITH NEW BEGINNINGS!!!

SHORT AND SIMPLE: HERE ARE 8 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO GET YOUR YEAR STARTED ON THE RIGHT PATH.

1) Make a short-term list of 4 things you would like to accomplish by June. They should be small and attainable. Do not set yourself up to fail.

2) Make a long-term list of 4 things you would like to accomplish by December. They should be believable to you. If you can't see it in your mind, it won't happen. As you work on your short-term goals, these long term goals should be ongoing in the background of your day.

3) Decide that every morning, before your feet hit the floor, that you are going to give God thanks for waking you up, for the good in the day to come and for anything that comes to mind. The goal is to start your day by being grateful. Get your mindset on a positive path and don't let anything interrupt that system.

4) Decide to take a break from certain foods. What are you over-indulging on? Chips, soda or dessert foods? Could it be breads, sugar, coffee or alcohol? You decide but give up what you know is bad for your health.

5) Decide that you will walk for 20 minutes a day 4 times a week. If you can't get outside, put on some music and dance for 20 minutes in your house. If you have a treadmill, then get on it!

6) Decide to forgive yourself for not being perfect. Realize that no matter what others expect of you, you will never live up to their expectations so forgive yourself and move on. Strive to be your best!

7) Decide to forgive others this year. Forgive those who have hurt you. We are all God's children and if He can love us, as messed-up as we are or can be, then we in turn also must forgive and love. I know this is a hard one but if you can clear your heart, you will free yourself of those thoughts that kill a part of you everyday. I'm not saying you have to surround yourself with the people who have hurt you, but simply, let the pain associated with them go........

8) Finally, enjoy life! Laugh more, smile more, give more, hug more, be more and in all you do, seek God first and all his righteousness, and ALLLLL these things shall be added unto you!  

Mathew 6:33

With Love~

JUJU

December 21, 2011 by Wesley Perkins  (click to see a picture)

 

I  have PTSD

I was a Marine and I was a soldier

I served my country with honor, both in peacetime as well as in war

I’ve been called “hero” but I simply followed orders

I did so voluntarily, for tradition and to serve our great nation

The “heroes” are my fallen brothers and sisters who will never return home

Not a day goes by that I don’t see their faces and hear their voices

Not a night goes by without the same

I scream the same question, over and over every day, yet no one can hear

Why did I get to come back? I’m nobody special

I see the pain in the faces of families of the fallen

They are sons, daughters, wives and husbands

They will never again get to see their loved ones, as I get to do every day

What makes me so special?

I want so bad to take their pain away, but there is nothing i can do

I can’t help but constantly remember….that could’ve been me

I used to love to sleep at night

But now i know that’s when the demons come

My wife, she loves me, yet cannot sleep with me at night

I wake startled in the middle of the night…….it’s so dark and quiet and no one to say…”It’s all right”

I have to take a pill every night and hope….will I sleep well tonight?

I already know the answer…it’s going to be a fight.

I try to talk about it, but the words are hard to come by

I push the ones who love me away and think I’m protecting them

All the while screaming for their loving embrace

This thing I have, it strains my marriage

it threatens to take what little I have

I want to scream “Please help me!”

But i don’t know how to do that

I have been laughed at for having this, even by those I thought I could trust

When people ask and I tell them I’m a disabled veteran, I see their eyes gaze up and down

I wonder what they are thinking, so then I explain it yet again

Not all wounds are visible; this one is hardest to treat

I see my counselors and talk to other vets, those who will understand

I know i will have this for the rest of my life

And so i cope with it, morning, noon and night

I hope everyone reads this, and maybe someone it will help

Because it takes a lot of courage to stand up and say……

“I have PTSD….can someone please help?”

Wesley Perkins is an Operation Iraq Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Veteran. In his free time, he speaks to students and others about PTSD and its effects on Veterans and their families.

WHAT CHANGES ARE YOU FACING? NO REGRETS, PLEASE!

December is here. Where did the year go? Are you satisfied with what you’ve accomplished in 2011? Did you fail at certain things? Did you procrastinate and are now realizing that the year is nearly over? Don’t you hate when that happens? There are things I wanted to do this year too, but I never got around to them. I feel a little unsettled about that. Looking back I wonder if I could have done more, but I can’t look back now. The time is already gone and time is something I cannot get back. I have learned that regret only keeps you from moving forward. And moving forward is what I’m about. As we approach the Christmas Holiday Season, enjoy it! If you are feeling a little bummed about your life, or perhaps there are changes going on in your life that you are not in control of (like mine), why not get your thoughts off of you? This time of the year is so special. It's a time to show kindness and a time to be grateful for your life, no matter what is going on. Why not find a local food bank where you can help serve a meal, clean out your closet and donate some clothing to a charity, make someone in need a dinner, or start calling friends or family and check in on them; see how they are doing. Trust me, when you get your mind off of you, you have no choice but to move forward. A positive attitude coupled with faith will equal a successful outcome.

Cheers,

JUJU

CONTINUE ON

A woman once fretted over the usefulness of her life.  She feared she was wasting her potential being a devoted wife and mother.  She wondered if the time and energy she invested in her husband and children would make a difference. At times she got discourage because so much of what she did seemed to go unnoticed and unappreciated. “Is there something better that I could be doing with my time?”

It was during one of these moments of questioning that she heard the still small voice of her heavenly Father speak to her heart, “You are a wife and a mother, because that is what I have called you to be.  Much of what you do is hidden from the public eye. But I notice.  Most of what you give is done without any rewards. But I am your reward.  Your husband cannot be the man I have called him to be without your support. Your influence upon him is greater than you think and more powerful than you will ever know.  I bless him through your service and honor him through your love.  Your children are precious to me; even more precious than they are to you.  I have entrusted them to your care; to raise for me.  What you invest in them is an offering to me.  You may never be in the public spotlight, but, your obedience shines as a bright light before me.  Continue on. Remember you are my servant. Do all to please me.”

By Roy Lessin

Keep your Irons in the Fire!

It’s been a couple of months since I have blogged. I can’t believe how busy life can get. I seem to feel as if it will never slow down and I’m just fine with that. I love life! I love waking up every day and being excited for the good that is to come, for the good people and good opportunities that will come my way.  

Well, I’m finally back on an exercise regimen. I have been walking 6 miles a day and I feel great! Two of those miles are up a big hill. By the time I reach the top I can barely breathe. The payoff is walking back down and enjoying the fabulous view of the valley. I can see all the trees, homes, buildings and if I go out really early, I get to see the lights go off as the sun rises. It truly starts my day off on the bright side. It makes me so grateful for my life. I know there is so much going on in the world today but I really believe that people can change their lives if they would only see the good in it. God is so beautiful when you allow HIM to walk you through life. It is when we decide to leave HIS plan when we mess it all up.

I remember when I was in high school and my friends were drinking and staying out all night and how I slowly began to follow. I left the plan that I knew would bring me success. As time went by I began dating the wrong guy. He began using drugs and boy did he change! He became physically abusive and I was so afraid of him! I was too young for that life and I didn’t know how to get out of it. It left its scars on my life but I was determined to get back on track. I failed to see the good that was in my life at the time. I lost sight of my goals and dreams. I should have stayed the course and….well, no need to look back now.

Although I’ll never forget what happened to me, I can now use my experience to reach out to teen girls and speak to them about choosing to stay in HIS plan. I can teach them how to keep their “Irons in the Fire.” 

Many of you have read my book and know that that story is just one in my life. I am so thankful for God’s forgiveness. He restored me, my life, my heart and blessed me with a wonderful husband, two fabulous kids and two dogs. 

For that I sing this song by Teena Marie as I walk my six miles. (I changed some words to fit me.  I wonder how loud I’m singing. Oh well, the neighborhood will know me as that weird lady that sings as she walks….)

People say I've got my hands in too many things
Keeping time with paupers just as well as kings
I toss my head up to the silver sky
And then I say, look at all the blessings in my life

Here I am trying to make a change
Born into this world, going against all odds

I close my eyes and still somehow I feel
You're here with me, and you are such a blessing in my life

Here I am, I'm just a fragment of my God
Heavenly father, hear me
Sometimes life gets so hard
With you as my desire
Spirit's gonna build me higher
I've got to keep my irons in the fire

Irons in the Fire by Teena Marie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtRENjqkdQ4