Share Unit

The Beautiful United States of America

2010-06-08T12:22:00.004-05:00

Where the H - E Double Hockey Sticks has the work ethic gone? Here in the beautiful FREE United States Of America, it would appear that those of us who are FREE don't know what we have. . . . . . Do you understand? Or do I need to spell it out? Have you noticed that .........

1. The working class or laborers in this country speak little or no English because most of them are either immigrants are illegals

2. The expert technical class in this country speak little or no English because they are all either immigrants or are here on a VISA

So I ask again - where is the work ethic of the home grown amazing United States Citizens??? I in no way begrudge the above mentioned people for coming here and making it in this country. In fact I APPLAUD them. I would just like to know why there aren't more people that were born here taking advantage of all the opportunities that are available in this country?

My simple answer comes from my son who has given me this answer so many times that I am now almost bald.
"It's just too hard and besides why should I work so hard to get there
when there are others that will do it anyway"

I predict (and you can all hold me accountable to this) that if something doesn't change, and we don't instill in our children and our children's children the importance of becoming EVERYTHING that GOD CREATED US TO BE - then this country will become a country where the only jobs Americans have are those that the Immigrants don't want or don't care to pursue.

The Power of Positive Thinking

2010-03-09T21:25:00.002-06:00

I was speaking with someone earlier tonight and the topic of affirmations came up.

Do they work? Are the effective?

Well, personally I can tell you that affirmations have made a positive effect on my life. I know that when I say my affirmations I can feel the "strength" of my being come up and feel the confidence rise. Not vanity but God confidence. My affirmations always start with being a child of God and being created perfectly in His image. Thus I truly believe the Holy Spirit gets to working and creates the God-confidence that I feel in my being.

Recently I was given some statistics on self-talk and they were mind blowing:

As a human we have on average 40-50,000 thoughts per day
87% of which is negative
Equating to 34,800 - 43,500 negative thoughts a day
It takes 8 - 10 positive thoughts to cancel 1 negative thought

Based on the above scenario you would not have enough time in the day to counteract all of your negative thoughts so something must change. Committing to positive affirmations is the only way to get on the right track. Below are my suggestions for making that change:

Write down your affirmations first thing in the morning and last thing at night
Post your affirmations in 3 areas of your home that are highly visible to you
Get your spouse and your children to do this with you (create their own)
Post them in your car
Post them on your facebook/myspace/linkedin/twitter/whatever the next thing is page for all to see
When you hear a negative thought come into your head start counteracting it with your positive affirmations

Still not sure if you are doing it right? Want feedback on your affirmation? Don't hesitate to email me (shareunit@aol.com) or contact your mentor. Either of us would be more than happy to read and give you some suggestion.

I truly hope this helps you or plants the seed for further growth. Take care and God bless you on your journey.

Life is Good

2010-01-27T11:25:00.002-06:00

For so many people the current state of the economy and the general unrest in the world are unsettling. Then when concentrated on too long can lead to a feel of unease in their own spirit and house.

For me - I take a different approach. Its times like this that I like to focus on what is right with the world and what great things are out there. I know this may seem foreign to many and I hope that my words will give you pause.

The first one is about perspective. While saying and dwelling on the 10% unemployment will get you down. Remembering that 90% are employed is something that gives you hope and peace. Also, knowing that out of the last 3 recessions have come some of the greatest inventions. So know that out of the 10% unemployed, someone (or more) will come up with an idea or concept that could potentially pull us out of the recession. Do you ever wonder what that idea could be? Could that idea come from you or me?

Over the last few months my husband has been coming up with a budget for our family. Normally this isn't something that I get all giddy about and frankly I still don't. However, my husband is a planner (bless his soul) and this is something that I know he cares about very much. So being the loving wife I am (wink wink), I go along. So my grocery budget has gone up a bit because we have decided to quit eating out as much. Now, I am not a great cook like my mom or my sister Glenda, but I can hold my own. I have learned to make a few new dishes (partly due to Glenda's blog). What I've decided is that if I'm going to cook more, we might as well eat healthier. So we have been eating more salads, baked sweet potatoes, and baked chicken. It has given me more energy and a clearer mind. I've also noticed that my son can focus better and his grades have improved. The bit of weight I've dropped hasn't hurt either.

My son came home yesterday to tell me he got moved in 2 of his classes, reading and language, to the advance class. Pretty cool huh? Especially when you consider the fact that those 2 particular classes have always been his biggest struggle. I'm so proud of him and it's really cool to see him want to be in the upper classes. I will share more about this at another time.

People everywhere are looking to cut corners and things like manicures, shopping, salon appointments, etc. are some of the things that are first to be cut. Being in the cosmetic business many would think the same could be said for me. That is not the case. The exact opposite is true. Because women are cutting back on those things they are seeking me out because I offer a free service that makes them feel beautiful. Women can still have their girlfriend time and be treated to a spa right in the comforts of their own home. I'm also noticing that there is a surge of mom-daughter appointments. That is a beautiful thing. I suggest to call your Mary Kay beauty consultant to schedule one if you haven't had one in the last 3 months. They are so much fun and gives you a chance to see your daughter in a new light.

So my advise in these tough economic times is to take a moment and consider all those things that are right and well in your life. Share them with your family and have your family share them with you. Its a great way to stay focused on what matters and hold to that. All else will eventually fall into place. Remember, the next time you are asked how you are doing in these difficult time, answer "Life is Good", and explain to them why.

Global Warming and Saving the Planet

2010-01-12T20:40:00.002-06:00

Well - I've finally done it. I've turned into one of those people who want to save the planet. I figure after the coldest summer in about 20 years that I am now on the side of global warming and am doing my part to save the planet.

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Ok - so maybe I know that global warming is a big hoax but I am finally joining the groups of tree huggers and am recycling. Who knew I would get behind this one??? Well first it helps that my son is almost 12 and is the "official" recycler. I simply put all recyclable items on the counter, he separates them and takes them out to the garage on the day they are picked up. Super simple and we have cut down on our weekly garbage by almost half. I tease my husband that when we get our dream place (one on water with at least 5 acres) I will go back to my childhood and create a mulch pile. (hehehe)

I do wonder how those people in government would feel about what I am doing? Am I being a responsible Citizen? If so, then I have this to say to all those who attended the Global Warming Summit in Denmark - QUIT FLYING AND WASTING THE RESOURCES YOU ARE TELLING US TO QUIT USING!

Aren't we encouraged to be responsible keepers of this planet by not "driving" to meetings but instead by having video conferences or conference calls? Then why can't our Congressmen(and women) and our President (who are supposed to be the leaders) do the same thing??? Think of the simple jet fuel that would have been saved. Or the limo's that were driven up from Germany that wouldn't have been needed. . . .

Oh well - I guess I just have to do my part and let the hypocrites (Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi, insert your favorite here)continue to NOT practice what they preach.

Huh

2009-06-25T09:25:00.001-05:00

I guess I should come up with something new to write. Topic suggestions? I'm jumping back and forth between several topics but haven't settled on one.

Still contemplating. . . . .

Surrender

2009-04-22T00:05:00.002-05:00

sur⋅ren⋅der [suh-ren-der]
–verb (used with object)
1. to yield (something) to the possession or power of another; deliver up possession of on demand or under duress
2. to give (oneself) up, as to the police (GOD).
3. to give (oneself) up to some influence, course, emotion, etc.
4. to give up, abandon, or relinquish (comfort, hope, etc.).
5. to yield or resign (an office, privilege, etc.) in favor of another.

Dictionary.com has 9 definitions for surrender. The above 5 were the most relevant to what I am talking about tonight. (Of course the parenthesis with God is mine.)

Tonight at my Mary Kay Meeting, (it was a day later this week due to a director retreat in FL that lasted until last night) Denise shared with us a bit of her time in FL with Jamie Vrinios. The weekend was about surrender and how we all need to surrender something in order to move forward. Not just with Mary Kay but in all aspects of our life. In fact she encouraged us to turn off the cell phones, the radio, and anything else in our car and just reflect on the way home. Well, it takes me a little over an hour to get home from my meetings so I had a lot of time and I wrote down many notes on the way. That reflection on the way home is what inspired me to write tonight in my blog.

What do you need to surrender to God? What aspect of your life do you need to allow HIM to have control over? Listed below are a few of the ones that I came up with and I know there are many more but I wanted to focus on these.

1. Family/children - (Denise brought this one up so I can't take all the credit) Do you use your children or family as an excuse or as your reason? Are you comfortable with leaving your children to pursue your dreams? I don't mean abandoning them but leaving them for a few hours a day or even the occasional overnight. Does that strike fear in your heart? Do you need to be with your kids day and night/night and day? Do you really think that they are only safe when they are with you? Do you not believe that God can take care of them? Also, what kind of children are we raising if we are with them 24 hours a day 7 days a week? That would make our children dependent on us and they need to become INdependent. God will take care of them. Do you need to surrender this? Really reflect on that.

2. Negativity - This can be a big one. Plus, it can lurk where you don't expect it. For example, how many times do you say "I hope" or "I'll try". That is telling yourself that you don't believe in yourself. Especially if it is in regards to fulfilling the dream that God placed in your heart. That is telling God that you don't believe in His plan for your life. Or - when you think about the way you look do you put yourself down? We could all find things that are "wrong" with us, but did you know that we only complain about those things we can change? Stop putting yourself down and start changing the way you feel about yourself. God told us to go love people. You are a person - love yourself. You have to love yourself before you will ever impact the lives of other people. Friends - do you have friends that are negative with you? Maybe you need to love them at a distance. Be up front with them. Tell them that you love them and you will remain a friend but you won't tolerate their negative talk. If they are a true friend they will understand that being negative is very bad for your health. Look at my posting called "The Thought Life" for more reasons why we shouldn't be negative.

3. Sleep - Some people swear they need 8-10 hours of sleep to function. According to several studies that I have found in medical journals people who sleep more than 7 hours a night have a higher rate of diabetes than those who slept between 6-7. Also, those who average less than 4 hours of sleep a night and those who sleep 8 or more hours a night have a higher death rate, according to a Feb. 2002 study by the University of California School of Medicine. 6.5 hours on average is the amount needed to replenish the body. I know some of you are ready to quit reading because you just KNOW you are different. That may be true, but let me ask you this: Let's say something you want more than ANYTHING has become available to you. (ie. a multi-million $$ house, getting to met your mentor alive or dead, have all your bills paid off for free, you fill in the blank here)All you needed to do was get up 1 hour earlier and stay up 1 hour later every day for 6 months. Would you do it? Really, would you do it? Now - how is doing this for yourself so you can either; A. Spend that time reading your bible and really sitting in the word of God or B. Putting focus on your destiny and how you can make it happen, any different? Really, putting that time in for God is key to achieve anything you want out of life. God tells us in the bible that when we obey His word and walk daily with Him, that He will take care of us. This is one that I am particularly convicted about. I'm usually up until 1 or 2 in the morning and getting up in the morning can be, well lets just say, not so pleasant. But doesn't God deserve to have that time with us? We go to Him for all our troubles but when are we listening to what He has to say to us?? So my personal focus is to be in bed by midnight and up by 6:30 so I can have that hour of quiet time with Him before I wake up Christian. Talk about being able to start your day off right. . . .

4. Finances - Do you stress over the bills? Do you have debt? Is there too much month at the end of the money? Did you know that God will provide for your every need? Do you tithe? Have you turned your finances over to God? Let me be clear - this doesn't mean that you stop paying your bills or that you not stay focused on getting out of debt. I am saying - surrender your stress about the bills to God. They will keep coming back every month and every month if you stress about them, its not going to get you anywhere. God will provide our every need. Pray about your finances. Tithe - I really can't say that enough. Get committed to giving God the first fruits of all that you have. The bible suggests 10%. I think that is a great place to start. (Talk to your pastor about what he would suggest also.) Remember, that without God - you wouldn't be born, wouldn't have any of the things you do have, and definitely wouldn't have a job or money to pay your bills. He only asks for our first fruits and of that only 10%. You will be blessed for turning that over to Him. He will provide. Let Him control your finances. Be responsible in your spending and if you can't pay cash then you don't need it. You have to be a good steward with your money. This may include - not going out to eat, not seeing movies, not buying new clothes, not taking a "trip" you feel you "deserve", and many more things. Until you clean up your debt and get your finances under control you really don't deserve any of that. For those of you in MK - go hold some extra skin care classes make that $100-$200 profit from each class and use that to pay down your debt faster. Seriously - get it together.

5. TV/Computer - How many hours of TV do you watch a week? Spend on the computer? A study was done recently and it showed that Women, on average, spend over 30 hours a week watching TV and a little over 30 hours a week on the computer! That's a full time job! Men were just a little higher on the two. Children spend between 40-50 hours a week between the TV and playing video games. Why are we wasting our time watching other peoples dreams come true? Is that going to help you achieve your dream? Now, I have favorite shows and ones that I don't want to surrender but really, how is the TV or computer helping me with my destiny? Its not. Try this for 2 weeks. Don't turn the TV or computer on unless its after 9pm or before 10am. Then while on those devises, limit yourself to 1 hour a day on each. (Now if you are required by your job or school to be on the computer that doesn't count - but during those times you should ONLY be doing things for your job or school. NOTHING else - no facebook, email etc). Some of you may not spend time on either of these. Congratulations - you can skip this one and move on - those of you who do (even if its one of those Saturday marathon sessions) take my challenge for the next 2 weeks. Whats the worse that could happen? You become more productive? Gee - wouldn't that suck :)

6. Comfort - Are you comfortable with where you are and what you are doing in life? You must be if you aren't making serious changes to progress your life forward. It's time to get uncomfortable. Does that mean talking to people you don't know? Does that mean being accountable to someone who can help you reach your dreams? Does that mean really (and I mean REALLY) pursuing your goals no matter the cost. Do you go from this place to another because that is what you have always done? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Get out of your comfort zone and go bless some others.

7. Excuses - This is a big one. Do you always have an excuse as to why you can't achieve your goal or even get started? "My child can't be without me (or I don't have a sitter, or my child was sick one day and it takes me all week to take care of that one day)" or "I just started (new job, new position, new project for school, etc)" or "My dog just died and it takes me a week to bury it". I'm not saying that these aren't legitimate things that happen, but really, do we take too much time worrying about something that you really have no control over? Something will ALWAYS be going on in our lives - its how you choose to deal with these normal life happenings that will separate you from others. As most of you know I was a single mom for 10 years. During those 10 years I lived in 3 different states and only 3 years of that time was I anywhere close to family. I worked full time (50-60 hours a week), took care of Christian AND still worked my Mary Kay business. I'm not saying this for praise, I'm telling you this because when I moved to IL or WI I knew NO ONE and had NO ONE to call on to take care of Christian, but I knew that I had to get it done. I knew that my job wouldn't wait on me to figure it out. I had to make it happen, so I did. What excuse are you using to not pursue your destiny? Did you know that excuses are just dressed up lies? AND that lies are straight from the devil? Quit feeding the devils ego - he is a liar and a thief and you just may be letting him steal your dream and the dream that God has planned for you.

Those are the 7 that I came up with. I know that there are many more and I know that you may not relate to any of these. However, some of you will read this and know that it is hitting home. I encourage you to take it to God in prayer and really open yourself up for what He wants in your life. God can take it all. Surrender all of it to Him. Don't pick it back up again either - let God work His magic. He is just waiting for you to fully surrender it to Him. He loves you. He loves you SO much that He sent His son Jesus to take YOUR place on the cross. Jesus endured horrific suffering, a beating like nothing before or since, having God turn His face away from Jesus, can you imagine a life without God? Jesus suffered through that so that you may live eternally. God loves you THAT MUCH. Surrender it all to Him. He can take it and He wants to.

Daddy

2009-03-09T09:55:00.003-05:00

Today is a day that I celebrate the day that my father, Glen E. Schurman Sr. went to join his heavenly father in 2000.

My father was a hard worker, smart business owner, and was very dedicated to providing for his family. He is greatly missed by all 5 of his children, 10 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.

Thank you Daddy for instilling in me a determined spirit and the focus to never stop. I look forward to seeing you again when I am called home.

Flight

2009-03-08T18:05:00.002-05:00

This is a subject of trepidation for me. The idea of taking off and going really high in the air with no safety net isn't so appealing. However, I love to see new places and the only way to get to most places quickly is to fly. So I do.

Take-off, turbulence and landings are just 3 of the things I don't much care for. It all starts with the arrival to the airport. A loved one or a friend drops you off at something called a "terminal". Really??? Terminal is the best word you can come up with? This alone doesn't put a pleasant picture in your mind as to where you are headed.

If you make it past this little bit of information you then head to the "security check point". Seriously, this is a joke at most airports. I'm sure we have all seen the 80+ year old grandma's being patted down for fear they have weapons of mass destruction in their girdles. Believe it or not that's not what worries me most. I'm bothered more by the process immediately proceeding the detectors, the "Z" line. This reminds me of herding cattle off to slaughter. We all get in line and follow each other back and forth so we can be "loaded" through a gate to the "terminal".

Who comes up with this stuff? Then finally you get to your gate and wait to "depart". This is craziness. Maybe we should press the airports to reconsider these names for us already wary passengers. So instead of terminal call it "the beginning" - Gate = "area to soar" - Depart = "rise up". It just sounds so much more pleasant.

The Death of The Republican Party

2009-02-27T20:15:00.002-06:00

Sound ominous? Or does that sound like something to rejoice? It all depends on how you look at what it means. If it means no more moderates passing as Republicans or if it means no more people in the party who never fight for the base's beliefs then I will be the first one to say "Goodbye and Good Riddance!".

For years now I have watched as the Republican Party became the whipping boy of America. No longer are they standing up for the core beliefs of their base but instead they hang their heads low and bleat like sheep about how 'unfair' the Democrats are. Grow up, I say! and grow a pair! Seriously, I mean it. The Democrats have wooed the public with their promises of 'equality' and 'making the mean old rich pay' and after 8-12 years we have ended up more in debt as a nation. The Democrats smooth talk and diversion tactics have worked on Americans. I say it is time to turn the tables. Lets start doing the same things to Democrats that they have been saying and doing to Republicans for the last 10 or 12 years. For example, remember when it was "patriotic" to oppose those in power (that was code for Pres. Bush and any Republican Leader)? Well, why aren't Republicans saying the SAME THING when they oppose something that Obama and Nancy IcanonlygetelectedinSanFran do? Use THEIR words back at them. We have given them 12 years of rope, isn't it time we hang them with it?

It's always amazing when I come across a self-proclaimed Democrat and we start talking policies. I ask very simple questions and get the following answers:

1. Do you think we should increase taxes to pay for such things as saving the spotted owl? or to make sure that even those NOT paying taxes get a refund each year? Well, no!

2. Do you think we should increase the size of government? No

3. If you started a business and it prospered to the point where you were making anywhere from $200,000-$500,000 a year, would you be ok with being forced to give $80,000 - $250,000 to people who don't work nor try to find work? No (Although this usually gets me a "Hell No!")

4. Do you think that unprovoked violence should be left unpunished? Again, no

When I let these people in on the little secret that those are all things the Democrats believe and that Republicans answer the same, they almost choke wondering "how could I agree with such a 'heartless' bunch?".

Do I blame the individual for this? Only partly. It is really the lack of conviction and determination of the Republican leaders. They are not 'in the face' of the public demonstrating our points of view. Also, when one person emerges from the party that energizes the base, instead of doing whatever they could to make sure that the message gets out, they leave her hanging in the wind and 'bicker' about what she wore or spent on clothes. (Yes I am referring to Sara Palin)

Now we have elected a new Republican National Committee Chairman, Michael Steel. I pray he will take us back to our conservative roots, but he can't do this alone. It takes each and every one of us to get involved in the decisions and actions that are taken in Washington DC. How many times do you look at the TV, or hear a bill that was passed and say to yourself, 'That doesn't represent me.'? You need to make your voice HEARD by writing, calling, emailing or whatever, to your congressmen and women. Nothing will change if you don't take action and be diligent about it.

Is the Republican Party of the last 10-12 years dead? I hope so. I hope that a new conservative (truly conservative) movement is underway. Our great great grandchildren simply can't afford the huge debt we are about to leave them by spending billions of dollars on pork.

Thought Life

2009-01-17T08:09:00.002-06:00

This is a very interesting topic. Dr. Caroline Leaf has studied the brain for most of her life and her results are really interesting. I first heard of her on the Joyce Meyer program. Here are some excerpts and my perspective of what has been said.

"87% to 95% of the illnesses that plague us today are a direct result of our thought life. What we think about affects us physically and emotionally. It's an epidemic of toxic emotions.

The average person has over 30,000 thoughts a day. Through an uncontrolled thought life, we create the conditions for illness; we make ourselves sick! Research shows that fear, all on its own, triggers more than 1,400 known physical and chemical responses and activates more than 30 different hormones. There are INTELLECTUAL and MEDICAL reasons to FORGIVE! Toxic waste generated by toxic thoughts causes the following illnesses: diabetes, cancer, asthma, skin problems and allergies to name just a few. Consciously control your thought life and start to detox your brain!"

This is very interesting to me. I have often read in the bible that fear comes from the devil or that negativity is not from God. God creates us in divine health and it is through our sin (sometimes negative thoughts) that we become unhealthy. She went on to mention how each thought we have will create a "tree" in our brain. It is a pattern of fluid that is created that actually looks like trees. Then when we have negative thoughts the "trees" in our brain actually have thorns on them. Then those thorns secrete a toxin that flows through our bodies that causes our bodies to become sick.

So when we start to think positively then we will be disease free right? Well, not quite. (This is my opinion and not that of Dr. Leaf.) Old habits die hard right? Well, in our brains every thought we have ever had from the time of birth is still lingering in our brains. So when we start to think positively sometimes those negative thoughts will resurface. However, with continued practice and diligent work we can build enough positive "trees" in our minds to over power the negative ones. The more positive thoughts the better we will feel not only about ourselves but also in general.

Can our lives be entirely disease free? Probably not but I am sure we can combat it better with a positive attitude. I mean have you ever tried to be happy when you had a cold? It always seems to make the cold less potent then when we dwell on how "awful" we feel. My advise is the next time something negative jumps in your head, (you know the could a, would a, should a thoughts) switch it off and say out loud; "I am a child of God and I am His favorite". That will make you feel better instantly.

Now is your time to start thinking positively. Not only for your mental well being but for your bodies well being also. Know that it is a choice and you can CHOOSE your thoughts. If you still struggle with this then I suggest ready the book "Battlefield for the Mind" by Joyce Meyer. Aren't you and your family worth it?

What Kind of Girl are You????

2009-01-14T12:05:00.000-06:00

Your result for The What Kind of Girl are You Test...

PERFECTION!!!!!!!!!

You scored 82 looks, 82 personality, 85 politics, and 71 sex drive!

You are beautiful, have a great personality, know youre politics, and have a high sex drive. You are the girl of any man's dreams. You know what you are doing in bed, you're fairly conservative, and you know how to treat your loved one. Men have been waiting for a girl like you all their lives. You probably know how to make sure that the ones you love are happy. You will make someone a great wife or girlfriend someday, if you haven't already. You're the kind of girl that everyone wants. You're probably fun in a conversation and I'm sure that you are as loveable as you are beautiful. You have a wonderful life ahead of you, make sure you live it to the fullest, and keep being the person that you seem to be.

Don't Forget to Take My Other 2 Tests

The Music (Rock That Is) Test

http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=8460139144648302003

The One Question Test

http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=10194224782000446693

Take The What Kind of Girl are You Test at HelloQuizzy

Ga-lin-da with an uh!

2009-01-14T10:24:00.002-06:00

My husband and I had the honor of celebrating our 1st anniversary on January 5th in seperate states. So we took time out of our day on the 8th to travel downtown Chicago to our favorite sushi restaurant Rise and then go see the musical WICKED.

This was one of the funniest musicals I have ever seen. I strongly urge you to see it before it ends its tour in Chicago this month. While I have read the book and enjoyed all the books I have read by Gregory Maguire, the musical version of Wicked was different than the book. Of course they had to shorten the story and they left out some really interesting parts but what they kept and what the embellished on were priceless.

Miguel and I were cracking up at the antics of Glinda The Good. From her little foot pop to her rhyming "popular - lahr" she was definitely the highlight of the show. She is the quintessential preppy popular girl from school. Everyone likes her and no matter what she does the crowd agrees and follows her. She does open herself up to the friendship of the "ugly" girl Elphaba and because of this she learns how to truly be brave and use her power for good.

Please take a moment to look at the pictures from WICKED. I hope that one day it will be on DVD so I can purchase it and laugh regularly. Also, go to the library and check out the book by Gregory Maguire. He has many but Wicked has been my favorite thus far.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-22T23:12:00.003-06:00

I know that it is still a few days away until Christmas however, I wanted to get a jump start on this most precious time of year. So many people are running around purchasing gifts and not focusing and meditating on the real gift. The gift we received over 2000 years ago when CHRIST was born of the Virgin Mary and then gave HIS life so that we may live forever in HIM. What a precious gift. One we don't deserve but one we receive anyway. So please take a moment this holiday season to reflect and meditate on the true meaning of CHRISTmas.

God bless you and your family this CHRISTmas season. I look forward to the new year and the great things 2009 will offer

2008-12-09T19:35:00.003-06:00

You Are a Bette!

You are a Bette -- "I must be strong"

Bettes are direct, self-reliant, self-confident, and protective.

How to Get Along with Me

* * Stand up for yourself... and me.
* * Be confident, strong, and direct.
* * Don't gossip about me or betray my trust.
* * Be vulnerable and share your feelings. See and acknowledge my tender, vulnerable side.
* * Give me space to be alone.
* * Acknowledge the contributions I make, but don't flatter me.
* * I often speak in an assertive way. Don't automatically assume it's a personal attack.
* * When I scream, curse, and stomp around, try to remember that's just the way I am.

What I Like About Being a Bette

* * being independent and self-reliant
* * being able to take charge and meet challenges head on
* * being courageous, straightforward, and honest
* * getting all the enjoyment I can out of life
* * supporting, empowering, and protecting those close to me
* * upholding just causes

What's Hard About Being a Bette

* * overwhelming people with my bluntness; scaring them away when I don't intend to
* * being restless and impatient with others' incompetence
* * sticking my neck out for people and receiving no appreciation for it
* * never forgetting injuries or injustices
* * putting too much pressure on myself
* * getting high blood pressure when people don't obey the rules or when things don't go right

Bettes as Children Often

* * are independent; have an inner strength and a fighting spirit
* * are sometimes loners
* * seize control so they won't be controlled
* * figure out others' weaknesses
* * attack verbally or physically when provoked
* * take charge in the family because they perceive themselves as the strongest, or grow up in difficult or abusive surroundings

Bettes as Parents

* * are often loyal, caring, involved, and devoted
* * are sometimes overprotective
* * can be demanding, controlling, and rigid

7 Things

2008-12-03T11:28:00.002-06:00

Ok. Glenda awarded me so not I guess I must respond :) So here it goes. . . . . . .

Seven things I did before (here I will put getting married as I don't remember life before having Christian)
1. Ate when and what I wanted
2. Had a queen size bed to myself
3. Never had or made a budget
4. Impulse shopping
5. Spent many nights alone
6. Carried all the burdens of running a house with child alone
7. Went to the movies by myself

Seven things I do now
1. Consult before spending large amounts of money
2. Make decent meals for the family
3. Eat dinner more as a family at the table (well that is when the kitchen isn't torn up like now with me remodeling it)
4. Laugh more
5. More at peace
6. See the funny side of my son, because when you are on your own sometimes things he did would seem annoying. (examp. I remember Christian coming in the room while I was on the phone with Miguel to ask me why we don't wear underwear on our heads. My first reaction was to get annoyed. Miguel fell on the floor laughing.)
7. I have someone who will finish the food I can't eat :)

Seven things I would like to do
1. Travel to the world (too many places to mention)
2. Have a second home in another country (my husband would pick Argentina)
3. Move back to Chicago
4. Build our dream home
5. Have another child (yes I did say that)
6. Have the patience to do scrapbooking. Or at least organize some pictures
7. Go to Napa Valley

Seven things that attract me to my husband
1. He is HOT!
2. His arm muscles. (more specifically his triceps muscle)
3. His humor and whit
4. His intelligence
5. His blindness at finding me more attractive than other women
6. His patience
7. His love and devotion to God

Seven favorite foods
1. Angel food cake
2. Wine
3. A fresh good salad
4. Soup and a sandwich on a chilly day
5. Breaded steak Milanesa
6. SUSHI!!!!! (I haven't had it in forever and have been craving it!)
7. crème brûlée

Seven things I say most often
1. SHUT UP!
2. Yes, Christian
3. Please pick up your room
4. Don't forget. . . . .
5. I miss you
6. Seriously?
7. I don't know

I don't have anyone to tag so here it stands in all its glory :)

The meaning . . . . .

2008-12-02T13:16:00.000-06:00

What Jenny Means

You are fair, honest, and logical. You are a natural leader, and people respect you.

You never give up, and you will succeed... even if it takes you a hundred tries.

You are rational enough to see every part of a problem. You are great at giving other people advice.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.

You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.

At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.

You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.

You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in.

You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising.

You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Pro-Life & Pro-War?

2008-11-05T13:15:00.002-06:00

The above title was on a bumper sticker I saw late last night on my way home. It seemed to imply that being pro-life you couldn't be pro-war because on the face of the argument it would appear that they are opposites of each other. But lets take a closer look at what exactly those points are.

Pro-Life - This is a belief that life begins at conception. This is also a belief that "Thou Shall Not Kill". All life is precious from the unborn baby to the elderly. God has given us ALL life and it is up to HIM to call us home, not us. It's also a belief that should someone have an abortion, then we will still accept them in our fold as God forgives this and all sin. We pray for all the mothers and all the babies both born and unborn. Therefore when we hear the sheer volume of abortions daily (4000) we are truly sad. It is a genocide that we would like to see end. I personally would love to see legislation pass for abortion to be banned in all cases except rape, incest and the mothers life in danger. I would guess this would cut abortions down by over 95%. I would also guess that this would force men and women to be more responsible before jumping into bed with every "Tom, Dick or Harry".

Pro-War - I don't know that anyone, except extremists, would be truly "pro-war". Do I support the war in Iraq/Afghanistan? Yes, simply because these people do not like us and unless we keep them on their toes, they will again attack this country. Do I think this war has gone on too long? Yes, but my reasons are so different than most. I think it has taken too long because President Bush wasn't aggressive ENOUGH when we first went in. I truly believe we could have had a decisive victory if Bush would have focused ALL resources on crushing the Taliban as well as Osama Bin Laden. If this would have been the focus then the face of this war would look entirely different now. Does this mean that I enjoy seeing our men and women in combat, please hear my resounding NO! What I do believe is that every great country has to have a military that will defend and protect us. This is what these men and women are doing now.

So there are the reasons that many Americans are pro-life and pro-war. These are not oxymoron's, these are core beliefs that we hold near and dear to our hearts. You may disagree but this is still the United States of America and we have every right to these beliefs and thoughts per the 2ND amendment. Look it up its a good read. In fact read the WHOLE thing you may learn a few things.

Joe Gibbs

2008-09-04T22:38:00.002-05:00

I knew I liked this man. Here is his speech from the GOP convention

It's a little awkward for me to put on a partisan hat. But, with all the media hype, I feel compelled to tell you where I stand.

Tonight, I'm supporting ... the Washington Redskins, who are taking on the New York Giants!

Actually, I'm not here to cheer on my favorite football team. I'm here to share with you some observations based on my personal experience, which included financial disaster, a serious health problem, and yes, putting together the teams that went to three Super Bowls and won three NASCAR championships.

These lessons can help us in any competition - whether it takes place in a stadium or in the political arena. In troubled times, it's human nature to feel vulnerable and weak -- like nothing is going your way and it never will.

But I've found that the greatest challenges in life have the potential to call out our best virtues - to inspire and strengthen us.

I have seen it play out on the football field.

I have seen it happen on the racetrack.

I've seen it in the eyes of a child suffering from cancer.

And the world saw it when John McCain was released from the grip of evil in Vietnam.

It truly is a paradox that those who suffer can overcome extreme adversity and give the rest of us strength.

Faith is the reason.

Faith in family and friends - our first team, who we can rely on for support and protection.

Faith in God - he has the game plan and always sends in the right plays, if only we tune in our headsets.

And faith in oneself.

Applying these lessons to our everyday lives can help us overcome any obstacle.

They can even propel an average person to greatness.

America is blessed with an abundance of these uncommon heroes.

American icon Will Rogers observed that "We can't all be heroes, because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap when they go by."

I ask you to step onto the curb with me as we honor a true American hero - Senator John McCain!

By supporting the McCain-Palin ticket, I am confident that we are choosing the right game plan for America!

I believe that electing John McCain and Sarah Palin will spark a return to God's Word and a spiritual revival that will bring our nation together. God bless you, and God bless America!

Sara Palin

2008-09-03T23:00:00.001-05:00

I just watched Sara Palin's speech at the Republican Convention. It was the first time that I heard her speak live, and I have to say that she is a wonderful speaker. Her pacing was good as was her overall delivery. She hit this one out of the ball park for me.

It is no secret that I am conservative, however, I have been on the fence about John McCain for a while. I liked another candidate in the primaries, however, now he is the choice for the party and the more I get to know him the more I like him. Watching both him and Obama with Rick Warren at Saddleback Ranch really opened my eyes up to each of the candidates. There were several things that I heard from Barack that sounded great, my only issue is that everything he said felt very measured. With John McCain, I felt his heart come through. You could tell that he has great passion and conviction for what he is doing.

Then John McCain goes and picks a women for his running mate. Someone from Alaska. Sadly the only things I know from Alaska are: "Men in Trees" a silly TV show based in Alaska, and fishing as described to me by my brother Perry who was stationed in Alaska for a while. I was concerned about who this women was and what her views were. . . . . .

Well, I shouldn't have worried. Not long after the announcement we learned her stance on lots of issues. Her 17 year old daughter is pregnant, and instead of taking the "American" way and having an abortion, she is supporting her daughters decision to have the child and marry the child's father. WOW! Isn't that refreshing. That combined with her accomplishments in Alaska I am confident that she can do the job.

For those "feminists" out there that criticize her, saying she doesn't have time for 5 children and be VP - get over it. Men have been doing this for years and look at the state of the US. If men had HALF the dedication to family that this women obviously does then we would have LESS dead beat dads and more healthy well adjusted children. First you say that the conservative movement doesn't like women in power, then we choose one for our VP nominee and you don't like her ideals and values???

Bottom line - after seeing Sara speak tonight and reading all I can about her, I like her. I think she is precisely the roll model needed in this country. Women everyday work a demanding full time job, come home to kids, a husband and a home and take care of everything. She just had a baby in April and she is making NO excuses about running for office. She is running TOWARDS greatness. That is a lesson that ALL women should look at. How many female role models are there like her? I can't think of any.

So - John McCain, Sara Palin - You have my vote. Please always remember to stick by your principles and remember that we the people are the ones that will elect you in November. God's blessings on you and your families.

Life

2008-08-24T22:46:00.002-05:00

My sister Glenda just wrote on her blog about the tug of having more babies. She currently has 5, the youngest of which is almost 6 (or will be in November). She also home schools each of these children and they are all amazing children. Yet she still has that tug to have more babies to hold and love on. It isn't shocking as our mother, who is almost 74, has recently started watching her great grandchild who is almost 2 and would like to have other babies 3 and under to watch.

As I read Glenda's blog and listen to my mother talk about how much joy these babies bring to their life, I wonder if I am missing a hormone. I have a 10 year old and I know that one day my husband and I will have another; I just don't have that craving for babies and all the things that come with them.

Maybe I'm selfish or self-centered. I don't know. I recently looked through a box of pictures (I am not a scrap-booker) and had great memories of when Christian was a baby. However, I also remember the hard times. The times when I knew I wasn't doing it right and hoping that I wouldn't screw up my child too much. (Don't worry he is making really good grades and he is well adjusted and being a boy in every sense of the word) The times when he would wake up in the middle of the night and I had to determine if I needed to get up or if he would go back to sleep. The long days and longer nights. The dirty diapers, the constant running to the doctor for check ups and shots, AND the formula, baby food, spit up, smell of the spit up etc. I don't miss that at all.

What I REALLY don't miss is the pregnancy. The bloating, the uncomfortable sitting, and the stomach that looks like you have a baby alien inside whenever he/she moves. Waddling up and down the halls trying to figure out if you are in labor or if once again its false labor. I don't miss any of that.

Maybe my first pregnancy was an exception. It definitely wasn't the best time in my life emotionally. I know that the next time I'm pregnant I will be better equipped to handle it. I'm just not longing for it to begin so I can prove myself right OR wrong. So Glenda, I hope you have many more babies and are happy with them all. God obviously knew that you would be a wonderful mother. I will continue to be the "weird" one who wants just 2 and won't need any more.

Take a look

2008-07-01T09:12:00.001-05:00

This was recently featured on ABC news

NSD Gloria Mayfield Banks

2008-06-16T19:17:00.000-05:00

Billy Graham's prayer aired by Paul Harvey...........................

THIS GUY SURE HAS A GOOD VIEW OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THIS COUNTRY!
PAUL HARVEY'S ON- AIR PRAYER

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good, but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,' and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One nation under God.'

If possible, please pass this prayer on to your friends. 'If you don't stand for something, you will fall for everything.'

Think about this: If you forward this prayer to everyone on your lists, in less than 30 days it would be heard by the world. (It's worth a try!)

One Nation Under God

Fun Info

2008-05-29T23:03:00.004-05:00

Take a look at the 2 clips that I am inserting in this blog.

The First: CNN

The Second:

A Texas Consultant friends sent this video link of an E! make up artist using our new compact!!!

Mary Kay Compact® Featured on E!

For their Sizzling Summer Preview, E! featured Celebrity Makeup artist Luis Casco showcasing the latest beauty trends for summer using the Mary Kay Compact® and mineral color collection. Click here to view the segment.

Luis used the following Mary Kay® products for the looks shown on the segment:

* Gold Eye Shadow: Honey Spice, Amber Blaze & Crystalline for eyes and Canyon Gold on cheek, Beach Bronze on lips.
* Pink Lips: Hazelnut & Sweet Cream on eyes and Strawberry Cream on cheek, Pink Diamonds for lips.
* Smoky Eye: Spun Silk, Dusty Lilac & Iris on eyes and Cherry Blossom on cheek, Caramel Kiss for lips.

GREAT NEWS!

2008-05-29T09:16:00.000-05:00

Check it out!!!

Click here

Shoes

2008-05-25T16:02:00.002-05:00

Ok. So Glenda posted this and I had to try as I LOVE shoes. I agree sorta with what it says about me however, I would never wear loafers

You Are Loafers

You are confident, powerful, and successful.

Hard working and business like, you always dress and act appropriately.

You are consistent and a bit conservative.

You aren't really susceptible to trends, although you always dress well.

While you tend to be formal, you know how to adapt to your surroundings.

So are professional at work... but more laid back when your with your friends.

You should live: In a huge city

You should work: In a competitive field where you can rise to the top

What Kind of Shoe Are You?

Please Lift up in Prayer

2008-05-22T10:05:00.001-05:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The 5-year-old daughter of Grammy-winning Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman was struck and killed Wednesday by a sport utility vehicle driven by her brother, authorities said.

The girl, Maria Sue, was hit in the driveway of the family's home Wednesday afternoon by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by her teenage brother, said Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The brother, whose name and exact age weren't available, apparently did not see the girl, McPherson said. No charges are expected.

"It looks like a tragic accident," she said.

Several family members witnessed the accident, which happened in Williamson County just south of Nashville. The girl died later at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, hospital spokeswoman Laurie Holloway said.

In a statement, Velvet Kelm, a publicist for Chapman, said Maria was the Chapmans' youngest daughter.

Chapman, who is originally from Paducah, Ky., and his wife have promoted international adoption and have three daughters from China, including Maria. They also have three biological children.

The singer's Web site says the couple was persuaded by their oldest daughter to adopt a girl from China. The experience led the family to adopt two more children and create Shaohannah's Hope, a foundation and ministry to financially assist thousands of couples in adoption.

The Chapmans did missionary work at Chinese orphanages in 2006 and 2007, according to the Web site.

"After our first trip to China, my wife and I knew our lives were changing -- our eyes and hearts were opening to how big God really is, and we have wanted to experience more of that," Chapman says on the Web site.

"We've really wondered whether or not we should just go to China and stay there. But I don't think so. I believe God is saying, 'I want you to go, get your heart broken, your eyes opened, and then take this story back to the church in America and around the world."'

The 45-year-old singer also has released a book about being a father titled "Cinderella: The Love of Daddy and his Princess." He has won five Grammy awards and 54 Dove awards from the Gospel Music Association, according to Kelm.

Walking it Out

2008-05-19T21:45:00.000-05:00

I'm at that point. The point where I don't see in the natural how this is going to happen, yet I know that it will. God will bless my work and my persistence. I' m sure of it. I am just seeing this with my human eyes.

I have really worked hard towards my goal this month. Then the worst thing happened. My entire week last week and this week canceled. That means no money coming in. I worked through it last week and met new people who scheduled things then rescheduled at the last minute. I know things like this are going to happen. I know I need to put my nose to the grind and get to work. That is what I am doing this week.

I am being blessed with a clothing company called BMoss. They have a one day sale every few months and they invite me in to promote their sale and promote my business. I have one of these on Wednesday. I can generally get 40-50 names at this event. That means I have 40-50 new potential customers. That will put a few things on my books.

I just have to keep at it I know that. I just have to walk out this 'season' of low sales. I will continue my journey. It will pay off in the end. I just need to focus on making the women feel beautiful. I so enjoy this work. More than I have anything else I have ever done (even gymnastics and that is saying a lot).

S.H.A.R. E. Unit

2008-05-13T09:35:00.003-05:00

I have been asked several times what that stands for. Here is the clarification. It is the name of my unit in Mary Kay once I earn the title of director. It stands for:

S.ensational
H.eaven-sent
A.chievers
R.eaching
E.xcellence

Have a POWERFUL day!

Diligence

2008-05-13T09:30:00.000-05:00

When I think of the word "diligence" I often think about a lions hunt in the wild. The women are the ones that generally do the hunting and gathering and they have to be very diligent in order to provide for their young. Some days they are hunting for several hours before the opportunity comes up for them to make the kill. What remarkable persistence God has given them.

In the same way we as Christians need to be diligent. Whether it be in our worship of Christ or in our Christ-chosen career. We don't know the day, nor the hour of Christs second coming however, we have to be diligent in our belief and faith in Him. Not always an easy task but one that will reap great rewards. Does it really matter what we give up in our Earthly life in order to have the Eternal Life that God promises us? I think not. That is what we need to remind ourselves every day as we walk with Christ.

We also must be diligent in our careers. Work is never easy and I truly don't think its supposed to be. When we are being pushed to the next level the work gets harder because the reward is that much sweeter. In the same respect we must remember that God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th. Likewise we should work 6 days and take the 7th to worship God. Yes God was creating the world, however, we are making this world a better place to live by living in Christs example. Therefore we also should work hard.

I am in a place where my diligence seemingly isn't producing the results. Thats ok. It just means that I have to continue my diligence in order to reap the rewards. Won't it be amazing once that happens? I am looking forward to God's blessings on my business and on my persistent work. He is my business partner and my leader. I know that all I do is for His glory so it will be done in His timing not mine. That may not be the easiest thing to accept but it is the best.

And Then Reality . . . . .

2008-04-29T21:30:00.000-05:00

Reality is what happens when all the uncertainties come to an end. I am in reality right now. For me reality is knowing that I no longer allow others to control my income or my hours. Reality is knowing that I will get paid for the hours that I put in. Reality is knowing that my son is better off with a mom who isn't working 80 hours a week for a company who has no appreciation for her.

That is my reality. Along with reality is also knowing that things will be tough for a little while. Knowing that I do have an income to replace but knowing that I am willing and ready to do the work. Hard work has never scared me. Really I enjoy the work. It is satisfying. Reality is knowing that GOD puts things in your path that you can handle and things that will give HIM the greater glory. You see, GOD doesn't get the glory HE deserves when a successful person gets more successful. GOD gets the glory when one of HIS humble servants do extraordinary things. When HE takes people the world sees as a "loser, failure etc" and makes them abundant and more successful, than most HE gets all the glory and praise.

I know that GOD is about to bless me with something mind blowing. HE knew that with the job I had I would never step out and be the person HE intends for me to be. Amazing things are about to happen for my family. GOD'S hand is all over it. HE is creating an amazing story for me to share. I look forward to sharing it with each of you. I am disciplined in my devotion to CHRIST who strengthens me. I am dedicated to serving HIS purpose in my life. I am a child of GOD and a Queen in HIS kingdom.

Thank YOU LORD for choosing me to work YOUR word through. Even though I am a sinner and undeserving of YOUR goodness and mercy, YOU provide both to me and my family. Thank YOU for allowing me to do YOUR work. To YOU all glory, honor, praise and thanksgiving. AMEN

Faith and the Unkown

2008-04-23T00:00:00.001-05:00

By definition faith is holding on to a belief even when you can't see or touch it in the natural. My 10 year old son put it this way. We have faith that there is air, we can see the trees blow or the leaves move but we can't see the actual air. We believe or have faith in it being there.

Faith in God is much the same. I see His 'effects'. The people He created, the animals, and everything on this Earth. Even the most complex of molecules He created and formed a plan for them. God is.

So, when times are difficult, when you are in a place where the direction you are about to head is uncertain. Do you lack faith because you think about, dwell upon, something that you have no control over? Or are you to "let go and let God". If it is the later how do you stop your Earthly mind from wondering or fretting over the situation? Where do you find the comfort you need? I know that prayer and reading the Bible are always a great start and stop. I just seem to continue dwelling on the unknown.

Does that mean I lack faith in God's ability to direct my path and take care of my life. "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:26 Is this my sinful flesh that causes me not to have complete trust and with that peace?

I do trust God to take care of me no matter what situations arise, however, when times get sticky or things become uncertain, I always start to worry and fret. Where can I get the peace my mind needs?

I will continue to read the Bible. I pray that God opens my eyes to the passage(s) that I need to hear and learn. I know this stage in life will pass, of that I have no doubt. I just want to learn how to be at peace of mind while in the middle of these stages.

Gitmo

2008-04-22T07:26:00.002-05:00

Thank you Glenda for having this article on your site. Its a great one. Everyone needs to read this site. So enjoy! Gitmo

The Valley of In-Between

2008-04-21T16:06:00.002-05:00

After making a slow decent down a rocky mountain there is generally a valley prior to climbing the next mountain. While the valley is pretty with the stream and the animals being around it basking in the sun, it just doesn't compare to the breath taking views that come from climbing to the top of the next mountain.

Life is so much a series of mountains and valleys. I am currently in a valley and prepared to make the hard and exhausting climb up the mountain. I wanna see the majestic view that God has in store for me. This valley that I am in is not a wonderful place to be. The ground is rocky and my foot steps aren't secure. The one thing I do know is that God is helping me during this valley and he will help me on the climb up. I just need to trust in him and know that it is for my good that I am going through these pains.

The valley isn't going to be here much longer only a few more days. Then I will have clarity of mind and be done with the stream and animals that hold me to this place. Knowledge is power and I have the secure knowledge that I am in charge of my own destiny now. No one can ever take that away from me. I'm diligently working towards my majestic view. It will be here very soon. Until then I will take a step everyday up the mountain. Everyday I will stake my claim as one of God's own. He will bless my footsteps and my path.

All praise and glory to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost.

To Send or Not To Send

2008-04-16T07:36:00.002-05:00

When I moved to Wisconsin in August of 06. I decided that I wanted to make the financial sacrifice and send my son to a private Lutheran school. I had gone to a Lutheran school from 1st-6th and again for College. I truly believe this is why I have always been so engaged with learning. When I left the Lutheran school and went to public for 7th-12th grades, I was in advanced classes. It seemed that the smaller class size allowed for us to cover more things and advance more quickly. On a spiritual note, I believe it is because of this education that when I walked away from the church for a few years that I was never happy with who I was or where I was. Upon returning to a devotion to Christ my life, though still riddled with bumps and bruises, is easier to manage because I am firm in my faith.

My son has now been at this Lutheran school for 2 grades. In 3rd he did ok, he is a boy so there were a very few bumps for him. This year 4th grade has been a really rough year for both of us. He has had numerous detentions and even been suspended twice. The teacher and I have conversed several times. The issues that she has at school I never seem to have here at home when he is playing with the neighborhood kids. She says she can't get him to leave others alone, and she can't get him to sit still and listen. In fact one of his report cards was REALLY bad. There were d's and f's. That isn't normal for Christian. He is an A-B student easily. So, I started doing some additional work here at home with Christian, and would monitor his desk and locker weekly to make sure that things were being turned in on time. Now his report card has all A's with only 2 B's and 2 C's. And those C's are coming up already. However, the teacher is still having issues with him sitting still and paying attention. For some reason she doesn't seem equipped with the ability to scold effectively. She is a very nice women and every time we talk about Christian she says, "I want you to know that I love your son very much". Thats great but I would rather her be "nurse ratchet" and keep him in line.

This brings me to the title of my post. It is time to enroll my son for school next year. No he won't have the same teacher but rumor has it that the 5th grade teacher lacks the same "sternness" that the 4th grade teacher does. I don't want my son to go through another year of thinking that he can't do anything right. He doesn't get that at home just at school. My husband says to leave him there and hope for the best. I am just not sure, I really want him to not only have a Christian education but also have a healthy self-esteem.

What would you do?

Tasks

2008-04-02T14:33:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I forget that the simplest of tasks can be the hardest to get done. I run 8 wireless stores in my J.ourney O.f the B.roke. One of the things that is due every month is a month end goals report which tracks individual sales and percentages. This way I can keep track of who need additional training on what. You would think this form needed to be filled out by Mensa. I started with the stores at 9am today to get these turned in. It is 2:30 and only 3 stores have figured out which form to use and how to use it.

Please tell me that this will end soon! I am tired of mediocrity. I have no patience for this anymore. . . .

The Political Climate

2008-02-05T10:45:00.000-06:00

Today as I sit waiting for the local news to come on to tell me the projections for this snow storm that is underway, I hear Hillary Clinton come on to give her speech after winning several primaries on today, Super Tuesday. Now, I am no Rush Limbaugh nor am I an Alan Colmes, however, I do consider myself a regular American. As a regular American, I care about this country and I care what direction it is heading. When I hear Mrs. Clinton talk about how "horrible" things have been for the last 8 years, I simply do not agree.

Yes we are still in Iraq and still raging this war against terror. Yes approval ratings for the Bush Administration is at a low. That doesn't change how I feel. I am better off today then I was during the Clinton 8 years. My life has gotten increasingly better over the last 8 years. Things are measurably better in my opinion.

Also, when I hear Mrs. Clinton talk about having "healthcare for every senior and child in the nation and for all people in the U.S.", I know that it sounds great. How wonderful would it be that everyone could get the same health care no matter who they are? Well, how will that get paid for? Where is that money coming from? We have a nation of people who think it is "ok" to live on welfare. Are those people paying the taxes that it will take to get a nation of people covered by health care? No, I will pay for that in my taxes. Not only will I have the $25+ dollars each week taken out of my check for health care but I will also have additional taxes taken out so those who don't work get covered. That’s not ok by me. I live paycheck to paycheck now, additional taxes would be devastating.

Then I hear Mrs. Clinton talk about how the "Bush tax cuts are only for the rich". Ok. With the new tax credit I am looking at getting an additional $900 or so back in May. I know I can put that money to better use than the government. I am all for a flat tax. All people should by 3-5% of their income in tax. That is fair. I don't believe people like Bill Gates should pay more, nor do I think that people making minimum wage should pay less. 5% is 5% no matter what your income. That would be fair. Allowing our elected officials to raise taxes is simply not something that I can go for. I can spend my money better than they can.

I also hear Mrs. Clinton talk about "making the US more eco-friendly". What the heck is that? Are we all going to be riding our bikes to work? Sorry I drive over 3000 miles a month. I simply couldn't do that. Also, are you Mrs. Clinton going to give up your jet, your long processional lines of vehicles, and your gas/electric ran home? Are you "eco-friendly" or are we just supposed to do what you say and not what you do? I agree that there are ways to cut back and save our planet. However, I don't think the government should regulate it. They have their hands in my business enough. I really would like to know that my government trusts ME to be environmentally responsible. Buy those funky bulbs from Sams Club that last forever and use less energy. Upgrade your appliances every 5-10 years so that they are more efficient. Get that film that goes over your windows that conserves energy that allows your heat/air to run less. I'm all for that and I think that is the way to go. Just don't tell me I HAVE to do it.

What really scared me and made me take notice is when Mrs. Clinton mentioned that she wanted stem cell research to take place nationwide. That blanket statement scares me. Stem cell researches with adults or umbilical cords are ok with me. An unborn baby is a resounding NO!

I am really distressed by this year’s selection of candidates. I am not behind any one in particular. None of the candidates stand for my core value and beliefs. I keep hoping that someone will stand up for Middle America and speak "for" me. That hasn't happened. I know that it probably won't happen either. I really think it is time for a change with our entire selection process. Candidates are allowed to "side step" and "skirt" around their core issues. If I were to do that in my job I would be fired. Unfortunately the general public doesn't like straight shooters and consider them brash and harsh. That is sad to me. America needs people to tell it like it is. To shoot them straight. Quit pulling punches. Lets get real America.

I think its time for:
Smaller Federal Government
Flat taxes
A focus on getting people OFF welfare
Protect our boarders and our country from foes domestic and abroad
Save our children - both unborn and born
Raise community involvement and cohesiveness
Making things just a "smidge" better for Middle America (income $20,000-90,000)

I know I have no pull with the government, but I vote. I exercise my right, as all Americans should do. That little vote is powerful and is cause for real change.

So whom am I voting for?? I have no clue. I will continue to watch. I'm interested in seeing the next round of debates. How about you? Who do you like in this election? Why? Persuade me :)

New Beginings

2008-01-26T03:46:00.000-06:00

So far 2008 has started off really well. On January 5th, I married Miguel A. Chavez. He is the polar opposite of me and I love him. He is a great compliment to this family. God has sent me my perfect partner. I am so thankful to have Mig in my life. The wedding was wonderful. Short, elegant and beautiful. Rev. Tom Chryst from Grace Lutheran in Racine was our officiant. He is a great pastor and I consider him a wonderful friend. His message was beautiful and very witty.

Our reception was at our condo. My mom came up the week prior and helped get the house ready and to help with the food. Ok so she actually did all the food by herself. Really she doesn't ever need or want help in the kitchen. I have to say it was a really great evening. We were surrounded by close friends and family.

We left EARLY on the 6th for our honeymoon. We flew to Puerto Vallarta, MX where we spent a week of fun in the sun. It was so awesome to relax and just be together. We did a ton of excursions while there. I have pictures but they are on Mig's camera and once he has transferred them to me I will post them.

It was a great way to start the new year. I am at peace for the first time in a very long time. This peace has had a wonderful effect on the whole family.

Once I get the wedding photos I will be sure to post them.

Christmas Memories

2007-12-18T19:44:00.000-06:00

Glenda tagged me to do a Christmas Memories post. This is really quite funny as I don't remember much from childhood. Reading her memory list, I don't recall any of those things. Oh well, I guess I can write something????

Memory #1 - I don't know how old I was but Mrs. Claus sent me a present for the very first time. It was hand made barbie clothes. Something you couldn't find in the stores anywhere. She had made them just for me. I thought that was the coolest. Of course I know that my mom did this, she is so talented with her hands. It was the best gift ever.

Memory #2 - Really what I remember most about the holiday is being around family. I always loved the laughter that came in the house. Of course once I was older I also sensed the tension in the house. However, when I was young I was oblivious to sibling/parental fights. It was so special to just see everyone happy and spending time together.

Memory #3 - Has to be the first year with Christian. He was 10 months old. Boxes were his gifts of choice. It didn't matter what was going on with his dad at the time, that day was just me and him running around the apartment and playing. That was a lot of fun.

I hope this little memory trip has been fun. I don't know how insightful it is but I don't think that is the point. However, that's enough of the past. Its time to focus on this year and the years to come. So I am going to tag Glenda - What are 3 things you would like to see in the future for Christmas. Here are mine:

1. Our whole family together one more time before Mom gets called home.
2. A holiday where Christian doesn't have to go to his dad's for the entire break.
3. A holiday season where I am not working retail hours or running a retail store

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Holiday Wishes

2007-12-15T06:40:00.000-06:00

Schurman-Eyre

Season’s greetings from the Schurman-Eyre Hotel! I’m sure many of you have never heard of the Schurman-Eyre hotel and for that I may have to fire my entire marketing department. We have been around for almost 10 years now and have really only had one steady guest in Mrs. Dolores Schurman. However, 2007 brought us many changes and a few new guests.

First for those of you who don’t know of our establishment I should let you know that the hotel has once again moved. This is the 5th move since 2003 (Of course that could be the other reason you haven’t heard of us. . . hmmm that’s something to ponder). We made the decision this year to stop wasting money on rent and actually purchase property for our wonderful little hotel. We made the purchase on June 1st. This was a wondrous occasion. We had several people chip in and help us get it ready for guests. Mr. and Mrs. Bierlein as well as Mrs. Schurman came up to help with painting. It is always so wonderful when guests decide to pitch in and make their “home away from home” more enjoyable. Our establishment now has 2 levels. The upper level is the main living quarters with a kitchen and dinning room, large living room, and 2 bedrooms with a full bath. The lower level has an additional bedroom and full bath along with tons of storage. (You know in case some of the guests decide to stay for weeks on end). One of the exciting amenities we can offer guests now is an indoor pool, lots of trees and parks, tennis courts and a basketball court. Having been here now for six months we are finally settled in and it’s feeling more and more like home (ok for those guests that have been here the painting isn’t completely done yet but it will be by the first of the year. .. Do we really have a choice??)

Our biggest and most exciting news is that on February 17th we celebrated our 9th year of being “Schurman-Eyre”. We decided to do this up right. We took some time away from the hotel and went to check out an indoor water park in Wauwatosa, WI. Country Springs Hotel is a really cool place with water slides and this giant bucket that dumps of 400 gallons of water every 15-20 minutes. We talked for a bit about doing something like that for our hotel however logistically it just wouldn’t work. While at the hotel we got the “birthday” package that included a pizza, coke, and a birthday cake. I have to say my partner, Christian Eyre, was incredibly excited about the entire weekend. He is talking of wanting to go back for our 10th birthday as well. We shall see. . . . We also spent the weekend going to a movie, playing lots of board games and just having some great time together without the worries of “hotel” life. We came back very relaxed and ready to take on the world.

My partner, Christian, is now in the 4th grade. While that may seem young to some of you, he is AMAZING with the guests. I swear that if he weren’t here I wouldn’t have near the guests I do get. Anyway the start of the school year was a little rough. The teacher change and just all the things that come along with being a big 4th grader really took its toll. However, we have now come up with a really great system and things are working out well. Christian has really taken to being at his school, Concordia Lutheran. He is always eager to help the school raise money and lots of times we try to hit up some of our guests in order to help out. (hmmmm that may be another reason some of our guests don’t come back). Some of his favorite subjects this year are; Lunch, Snack, Recess, Gym, Religion and Spelling. Well, he is all boy right???

Other exciting news is that with the coming New Year the hotel will be going through a name change. We are taking on another partner, Miguel Chavez, and will be changing our hotel name to Chavez-Eyre on January 5th 2008. Miguel has been an unnamed partner in the hotel for 3 years now and has finally earned the right to have his name on the door. I’m sure if you asked Miguel he would tell you that he is speechless with anticipation J. Christian and I are looking forward to this new venture. It has been the 2 of us for so long that it will be nice to have an extra hand for some help.

Finally, I must mention that this year I have had the wonderful opportunity to travel and participate in some wonderful events for my passion, Mary Kay Cosmetics. I went to Dallas, TX in late summer for the annual Seminar. This year was different in that I took the tour of the manufacturing plant as well as headquarters. That was truly an amazing experience. It just reiterated to me what a great product we have and what a top notch company it is to work with. I recommitted myself to Mary Kay at seminar and while I have not hit the goals that I set for myself, I have not lost focus. I also worked and qualified for two retreats this past fall. One at the Wisconsin Dells and one at the Grizzly Jack resort in Illinois. I have to tell you the Dells trip was by far the most intense. This was mainly for the fact that I rode a water ride that scared the ??? out of me. I am terrified of heights and “roller coaster” like rides and this was one of those. Were it not for the entire stairwell of Mary Kay consultants cheering me on and for a wonderful Director, Kim Reed, telling me I could do it, I would have walked down the stairs. It was really amazing to do it afraid. Not to be outdone the retreat at the Grizzly Jack resort is where I captured the heart of this business. I will forever remember that weekend. When I get discouraged about where I am in the business I think back to that weekend and realize that I can and will be a top director with Mary Kay. I just have to go to work.

Visitor, Visitors and More Visitors.
We were so blessed to have several guests this past year.
As usual Mrs. Schurman was here several times. She always seems to pick the perfect time to come because generally our cook is on vacation when she arrives. Also, a few times this past year she has arrived when I have had to leave town. It’s really a blessing to have such a wonderful guest that helps out around the hotel with cooking, cleaning and chauffeuring my partner to and from school. I’m sure all hotels wish that had a guest that nice.

We did have a brief but wonderful visit from the Mumme’s. All 7 were here for what seemed like only a few minutes but was actually a little over 24 hours. It was a world-wind time but it was a blast to have them. I hope they can come stay for longer the next time they come through.

Over the summer while my partner was at his summer retreat I had the pleasure of having long-time friend Natalie Repenning as a day guest. She stopped by to check out the hotel and spend time with me. She wouldn’t stay the night, something about not trusting the housekeeper??? Oh well, she was here for a few days and stayed with a relative. It was nice seeing her even if she didn’t want to partake of our hotel’s hospitality.

The summer also brought another long-time friend Curt Huey up for a quick weekend. He chose the downstairs quest suite as his room. While here we attended the Jimmy Buffet concert that was in town. It was a wonderful weekend and I was sorry to see him leave.

Our final guest for the year was a truly special occasion. Mr. and Mrs. Bierlein came in for a long weekend. I was able to obtain 2 tickets to the Greenbay Packers/Minnesota Vikings game in November. Andy, being a long-time Packer fan, was on cloud nine the entire weekend. It was also my first professional football game and I have to say, it reminded me of why I loved cheering for football when I was in school. There is so much energy at a game and it is just contagious. It was amazing and I had a great time. November in Wisconsin is pretty cold however; it wasn’t so bad at the game. I was worried about going to the frozen tundra (I’m trying to talk all the partners into moving to a warmer climate but that hasn’t worked so far). I believe it was a highlight for Andy. Lynn stayed at the hotel and was entertained by Christian and Miguel. I can’t speak for her but I would say she had a pretty good time also.

I hope you have enjoyed this walk down memory lane. We have had so many blessings this year and we look forward to the exciting New Year. Please let us know when you are in the area. We would love to have you stay with us. Just give us a call and we will make sure you have a wonderful stay. I will try to keep the cook on staff as well as the housekeeper but there are no promises. Good help is so hard to find these days. Anyway, I hope this letter has given you a chuckle and even a bit of a laugh. I also hope this letter finds you and your family doing well and I hope that God has blessed you as He has so richly blessed us.

Who Knew :)

2007-11-19T07:30:00.001-06:00

Your Inner European is Spanish!

Energetic and lively.
You bring the party with you!

Who's Your Inner European?

Need a break Part 2

2007-09-19T07:03:00.000-05:00

Ok. So I finished getting everything together and writing everything at midnight last night. Today I just have to make copies. . . Here are the numbers:

I worked 14.5 hours on this project

What I actually got paid for the day: $240

What I could have gotten paid for doing skin care classes (6) all day: $1800 in sales with $900 in profit.

Crazy isn't it

Need a Break

2007-09-18T17:34:00.000-05:00

I have been working on a items for a meeting I have tomorrow almost all day. I started at 9 when I dropped Christian off for school. I then had a church meeting from 10-11. Came home and continued to work on the meeting until 3:15 when I went to pick Christian up from school. Got home and have worked even more on the meeting. I am only halfway done (if that far) and it occured to me if I would have spent this time having skin care classes I would have sold $900 today (based on the averages). Half that being my profit. Instead I sat here for 6 hours and made $200.00 (salary). I am giving myself a $200 paycut today. . . . . .

AM I INSANE??????????

Everyone Should Know This!

2007-09-05T11:49:00.000-05:00

Military paid too much ? You be the judge !
This is an Airman's response to Cindy Williams' editorial piece in the Washington Times about MILITARY PAY, it should be printed in all newspapers across America.

On Nov. 12, Ms Cindy Williams wrote a piece for the Washington Times, denouncing the pay raise coming service members' way this year -- citing that the stated 13% wage was more than they deserve.

A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below. He ought to get a bonus for this."

"Ms Williams:

I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GIs earn enough" and I am a bit confused. Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell, it disappears every month between DFAS (The Defense Finance and Accounting Service) and my bank account.

Checking my latest earnings statement I see that I make $1,117.80 before taxes. After taxes, I take home $874.20. When I run that through the calculator, I come up with an annual salary of $13,413.60 before taxes, and $10,490.40, after.

I work in the Air Force Network Control Center where I am part of the team responsible for a 5,000 host computer network. I am involved with infrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment. A quick check under jobs for Network Technicians in the Washington, D.C. area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three years experience with my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 a year. No, this job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per annum... I'm sure you can draw the obvious conclusions.

Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you NEVER had the pleasure of serving your country in our armed forces. Before you take it upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DOD leadership for attempting to get the families in the military's lowest pay brackets off of WIC and food stamps, I suggest that you join a group of deploying soldiers headed for AFGHANISTAN; I leave the choice of service branch up to you.

Whatever choice you make, though, opt for the SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you the longest possible time away from your family and friends, thus giving you full "deployment experience." As your group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note the spouses and children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Also take care to note that several families are still unsure of how they'll be able to make ends meet while the primary breadwinner is gone -- obviously they've been squandering the "vast" piles of cash the government has been giving them.

Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving are perennial favorites. And when you're actually over there, sitting in a foxhole, shivering against the cold desert night; and the flight sergeant tells you that there aren't enough people on shift to relieve you for chow, remember this: trade whatever MRE (meal-ready-to-eat) you manage to get for the tuna noodle casserole or cheese tortellini, and add Tabasco to everything. This gives some flavor. Talk to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it won't nearly be long enough or often enough, but take what you can get and be thankful for it.

You may have picked up on the fact that I disagree with most of the points you present in your opined piece.

But, tomorrow from KABUL, I will defend to the death your right to say it.

You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your First Amendment rights and every other right you cherish. On a daily basis, my brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and people like you can thumb your collective nose at us, all on a salary that is nothing short of pitiful and under conditions that would make most people cringe. We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private sector because we can't offer the stability and pay of civilian companies.

And you, Ms. Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than we deserve? Rubbish!

A1C Michael Bragg Hill AFB AFNCC"

Golden

2007-09-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

You are looking at my new power partners! Brandy and Robin. These women lift me up and inspire me when I am down. These are women of excellence and integrity. It is because of them that I am pushing myself to reach the excellence that I and Christian deserve. I am excited to have these women stretch me and push me to achieve my goals. I know that having this accountability will be the extra umph I need.

My goal for August was to go on target for my car and submit for DIQ and be a golden girl. I achieved 1 of those 3 goals, I am a GOLDEN GIRL! I am super excited! Now I have a HUGE goal for September. I am going to WIN MY CAR and be a GOLDEN GIRL again! This is a huge goal. It means I need to introduce the product to 70 women in the month of September. If you are reading this post and can help me out by getting 3-5 women with skin together please get in touch with me so I can make this huge goal happen. I am willing to travel (yes Glenda even to Minn!) long distances to make this happen. I can't tell you the last time I have been this energized about the business.

Brandy and I have made a pact tonight. We are going to run together and meet 5 sharp women everyday. Once we win our cars in the month of September (which happens to be MK's anniversary month) we will then spend a weekend at each others house in October building in each others markets. Isn't that an AWESOME friend to have!

Well, now I need to get off this blog and get some sleep. I need my rest so I can make a powerful start to September. Take care, God bless, and Good night!

Summer

2007-08-18T10:26:00.000-05:00

Where has the time gone?

This summer Christian has been gone since June 6th. I saw him for 2 1/2 days in early August. However, I was just a place to get food and sleep for him. He was running around with people in the neighborhood that he hadn't seen all summer. Then he left to go to Mom's for a couple of weeks. During that time he went to Glenda's where he had an awesome time. I am finally going to get him next Saturday and he starts school promptly on Monday.

While he was gone this summer I had a HUGE list of things I wanted to get done. The biggie was moving into my first home. Which I did. I also got most of it painted. I'm still not done with Christians room though. I always have great intentions of getting it done but work, company and sheer laziness has gotten in the way.

This summer instead of being filled with sun and swimming and all the things that I love summer for (fair food!). It was filled with lots of hours at work. I guess it was my coping mechanism for missing Christian but it still shouldn't have taken all my time. I guess this is another one of those lessons in life. Time goes super fast and we should take the time to enjoy it, not work so much you don't realize that time has slipped away.

Here is to living life in the moment!

Be a Star

2007-08-04T15:06:00.000-05:00

Are you ready for the most EXCITING night of your LIFE??????

This is the way they start every Mary Kay Seminar, and I have to say I get a rush every year. This year however, was different. (When I figure out how to do it I will put pictures up of all the wonderful things that happened here in Dallas.)

I don't know if it was all the water I've been drinking that clears my mind. I don't know if God was directing each person I heard to speak directly too me. (I am positive that the later is the correct one) Whatever it was I have NEVER been so super excited in all my life about the opportunity that was laid in front of me.

God put a dream in my heart and a vision in my eye this year. At seminar 2008 Jenny Schurman will be tops in SO many different ways.The vision that was planted in my heart came on day two during our morning class session. As God was speaking through National Sales Director Kim Walker, I was vigorously writing down my plan for 2007-2008 (which happens to be Mary Kay Cosmetics 45th anniversary year). It is as follows....

September 1st. Submit for DIQ
October 2007 Finish Career Car #1 the Platinum Pontiac Vibe
January 2008 Debut as Sales Director
June 2008 finish the following:
Queens Court of Sharing
Director Queens Court of Sales
$200,000 unit Club
Cadillac Club Qualifier

My vision is so focused and spot on right now. It will continue to be. I have had a funeral with my past. Who cares what the scoreboard for 2006-07 said. I have 11 months of dedication and plan to work now. I don't have time for "reflection and dejection". I have dreamed it, I can conceive it, now it is time for me to achieve it.

As if my vision weren't already in place. While I am typing this message the woman next to me started talking. Come to find out that she is a $500,000 unit club director and does meetings in the WI area. I have been trying since moving to WI to find a powerful meeting to go to! She encouraged me to accomplish the goal that I just wrote above and looked me DEEP in the eyes and said. "I know you will do it"

Thank you Lord my Savior and my Redeemer for continuing to light my path and the vision you have given me.

Personal Style

2007-07-24T12:14:00.000-05:00

Personal Style Quiz
Rules: You have to choose one of the two. You cannot answer "neither" or "both." You can indicate that you like both or neither, but you must state a preference.

Animal fiber or plant? Leather, Leather, Leather (always a classic)

Natural or synthetic? natural

Ornate or simple? Simple (generally - depends somethings are betther ornate)

Color or Neutral? Color

Pastel or Vibrant? Vibrant

Blue/Green or Red/Orange? Red/Orange - duh! Have you ever seen a picture of my Dad's truck or my bedroom??? Red all the way!

White Gold or Yellow Gold? White Gold.

Gems or texture? I'm with Glenda, I don't know what this means. I will go with texture as I am a feeler

Watch or no-watch? I don't own a watch

Comfort or fashion? Always fashion. I am comfortable in it

Trendy or classic? Classics are trendy. More classic for me with a few trendy pieces thrown in. So, classic

Cables or lace? I dunno what you mean. . . Cables???

Heels or flats? Have you met me??? ALWAYS heels. You look more put together and less frumpy that way

Flip-flops or sandals? Sandals with a heel :)

Skirts or pants? Skirts generally look better on me cuz I have nice legs and they hide the problem area (everything else)

Geometric or floral? Geometric. I have nightmares about floral gone wrong

V-neck or turtle-neck? V-neck. They are more flattering to me than turtle-necks. Turtle-necks make my chest look HUGE. Wait it is huge . . .

Skulls or butterflies? Serial Killers or Babies . . What a crazy question. Butterflies of cours

Loose or snug? Loose. Unless of course I loose 45lbs then I will do some things snug

Long hair or short? LOVE short hair on other people. On me it tends to look like a mullet. so Long

Headbands or barrettes? Headbands

Shoulder bag or handbag? Shoulder bag.

There you go Glenda I hope you are happy. I am waiting patiently for a reply on my tag of you :)
Since your the only one I know with a blogspot I can't really tag anyone else. However, those of you I know who DO read my posts. Please respond to me how you normally do or e-mail me shareunit@yahoo.com

Have a splendid day!

Lessons I've Learned

2007-07-19T01:06:00.000-05:00

Can I just say that I have learned some really great lessons in my short life. I have had to learn most of them the hard way. . . .

1. Making better choices in my life.
I had my son when I was 24 and was not married. I was going through a bit of a rebellious period which really only lasted about a year but in that year, I was divorced and got pregnant with my beautiful 9 year old son. BIG change in my life. I know now that the love I didn't feel I got from my father I will NEVER get from a man other than THE Father, my Lord and Savior.

2. Finances.
I declared bankruptcy in July of 1999. I thought that was the end of the world. (My father never forgave me for it) Even after going through all that I made some stupid choices and it took me 5 or 6 years to get is all turned around. Because I got committed to fixing this I now have my first home (Yea Me!) and the only bad debt I have is my Automobile that I am so far upside down on I feel like I am in a black hole. However, I am working diligently to get that paid off so I can be done with the interest rate from. . . well, you know where.

3. Communication.
Our family stinks at this particular topic. I think it may be the German in us or maybe the pride. This lesson is one that I am still learning. I am uncomfortable putting myself out there and being vulnerable. Because of the above things I have become very closed to others. That is not healthy. We should leave our pride at the door. Thank God that I am working on this particular lesson because it allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and shoot an e-mail to the mother of my great nephew. It is because of that e-mail that she is now allowing my sister and my mom to see Aiden. They have not seen him since he was born some 10 months ago. I am not writing this for you to say "praise you Jenny". I am writing this because I think it is imperative for us to step out of that comfort zone and make the connections that last a life time. It warms my heart and soul to know that Mom will know Aiden. God did answer our prayers. I was the vessel He used.

I know there have been many other lessons that I've learned along the way but these 3 have been on my mind the last few days. Now I want to know the top 3 lessons you have learned. Yes, Glenda, that includes you! Maybe there is something that we can learn from each other!

Growth Spurt????

2007-05-31T23:37:00.000-05:00

I feel like I am going through a growth spurt. Not like the childhood getting taller, growing into my body kind of growth spurt. The something is pushing me to stretch myself. I am sure that part of it is because I am buying my first house and it makes you really evaluate your life situation.

One of the things that it makes me think about are my life choices. It seems so simple but everything that has every happened in my life has been because of the choices I have made. Doesn't that sound so silly! How could you not know that everything you do is a choice of yours! I think the big thing is that when I was younger I couldn't see the consequences of my actions. Does that make sense?

I just keep having this internal struggle with really throwing myself out there to reach my potential. I need to just do it and quit thinking. My brain is my own worse enemy. I am getting pruned for something and I believe it is something big.

7 Things I learned in Life

2007-05-23T13:07:00.000-05:00

1. I agree with Glenda on this one. Mom was right about almost all things

2. Changing your hair color, style is a great way to have a fresh start on things

3. No matter how old you are you still need to go outside with no shoes and feel the ground beneath your feet

4. NEVER RELY ON A MAN FOR ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5. No matter how bad things are right now, they can get worse. How you deal with the bad stuff determines how well you sit in the goodness of this life.

6. Eating out of boredom is really stupid. GET UP AND DO SOMETHING!

7. Life is too short. Go out enjoy everything. You only get to live once.

I'm It!

2007-05-23T13:04:00.000-05:00

What did you want to be at 5, 10, 15, and 20?

5- I have no clue. I really don't remember a lot from my childhood
10 - Mom says I wanted to be a pastor or a truck driver
15 - I just wanted to survive high school and get to gymnastics practise
20 - high school government teacher until I sat in on a high school class

There you go! Hope this brings some joy to your life

2007-03-20T22:54:00.000-05:00

Daddy

2007-03-10T15:45:00.000-06:00

I remember it like it was yesterday. I had just gotten off work and headed to the hospital to see my sister Margie. She was having trouble with blood clots and my other sister Lynn was there. Margie's husband (at the time), Steve was keeping an eye on Christian for me. Coming in the room I knew something was up. They were super serious. I immediately thought the worse for Margie. Then they told me, Dad was in the hospital. I wasn't to worry, the doctors said he would be alright he just needed some tests. It looked like he had some form of leukemia. He had undergone a bone marrow test. I found out later he didn't even flinch when the needle was stuck in his spine. The doctor said he had never witnessed someone who had that high of a tolerance for pain. I was very still. I had been dealing with my sister in the hospital and now my dad was also. Unfortunately he was in FL and I was in IN. I couldn't be there with him. I tried to get some information from the staff at the hospital, however, it was after 6 noone was there who could talk to me. I tried to reach my mom, but couldn't. There was nothing I could do. I needed Christian so I went to get him from Margie's house.

While I am there, the phone rings. Its for me. Its mom. Its 9:03pm. Mom sounds loopy, drunk something. Dad's dead. He died alone. In a hospital. He hated hospitals. I hadn't seen him since the Monday before Thanksgiving. This was March 9th, 2000. My world stopped. I couldn't stand. I fell down. I needed to get down there. Flights were over $1000. They were almost all full. I had no way to be there. Somehow I manage to call work to let them know I wouldn't be in the next day. My childhood pastor, Rev. Stache, stops by. I knew he was there, but I didn't. There was so much I still needed from my father. So much that was left unsaid. Christian was only 2, he needed his grandfather. I NEEDED MY FATHER.

I still haven't come to grips with him being gone. I break down every year. I never got to tell him goodbye. He never saw me pull my life together and build a better one for Christian. He died being disappointed in me. He told mom I was his biggest disappointment. He died not knowing how much I love him and needed him. How much I just wanted him to love me and approve of me. He died and I was a screw up.

Not long after he died mom made the decision to auction off the farm I grew up on. I know intellectually it was the right decision for her. She couldn't maintain and run the farm. It was simply too much for her. I would have done whatever I could but it would have been a lot for me also. Once the farm went we were done with all the things dad had built. There was no tools, tractor, farm, garage, nothing. I still have his workbench. That is one thing I keep of his. I have memories of him and will always have them. Some of them good, he did what he could with what he was given. Many not so good, even some that were scary. However, he always provided for me. He made sure we had food and shelter. He did what he knew to do. He provided for us. For that I will always be grateful.

I miss him. I always will. I know he is in Heaven and I will see him again. That is my only comfort.

Forgiveness

2007-02-24T22:36:00.000-06:00

O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.

Psalm 130 2-4

I read the above passage over and over. There is comfort in the words. All throughout the Bible there are passages about forgiveness and God's willingness to forgive us should we ask. I have learned how to give forgiveness to others; I have a hard time accepting it for myself.

It's silly really but I truly have a hard time forgiving myself for even the smallest of things. I know that as a child of the one true God, forgiveness is mine for the asking. Intellectually I know that, but I still can't connect that to my heart.

What has triggered this? I did something so minor today, I drank too much pop, and I feel guilty about it. You see, I would really like to loose about 40-50lbs, so that means I need to be disciplined in my diet and I need to exercise. Today, I felt SUPER lazy and it becames super easy to make bad choices. I know its only one day and I can get back on track tomorrow morning. I truly get that but the overwhelming guilt starts to take hold of me. My self-talk becomes more negative than it usually is and I start to feel like garbage. It takes a long while before I realize what I am doing and put a stop to it.

Why is it so hard for me to accept forgiveness? Is it from something in my childhood? Why is my deserve level so low? Where does all this come from? How do I work through this? I would love to figure out the answers to all these questions, I am just not sure they are answerable..............

Excellence

2007-02-22T22:39:00.000-06:00

What a great word. Just speaking the word "excellence" out loud makes you feel powerful. We expect excellence of those around us but ask yourself, are you living in excellence?

Today I have been asking myself that very question. Am I living in excellence? To be completely honest with myself the answer would be no. Thats really hard to say. I have not been living in excellence. YUCK!

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.' Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate" Proverbs 31:25-31NIV

Above is the example set for us as women in the Bible. It is a tall order but one that we should all strive to achieve. So where did I run off the track? I truly believe its because I have my feet in too many fires and it has caused me not to focus my energy in the right areas.

The question I am asking myself now is this:
"Am I doing this activity to the VERY best of my ability?"
If the answer is no, then it is my responsibility to change that and become excellent. Every aspect of my life needs this scrutiny: My walk with God, my interaction with Christian, my diet, my exercise routine, my journey of the broke (job), my Mary Kay business. These are just a few examples of what I need to focus on.

My goals in life are huge. I know I have been placed here on this Earth to make a huge impact. I know this as sure as I know that my eyes are crystal blue when I am happy. I also know that in order to achieve those great things I have to get disciplined and focus on becoming excellent.

You see, this is a daily thing. Its not just something I can decide one day and then always be. There will be days when I don't feel like being excellent, thats when I have to push through and be excellent anyway. To be excellent is to NOT take the easy way. No more laziness or mediocre thinking, period.

I will pray everyday for this to become reality in my life. I will pray for it to become reality in your life to. I am excellent, are you?

Indiscriminate Thoughts

2007-02-21T10:37:00.000-06:00

Laptop-I have been without my computer for a week. It was broken :( I have it now and it makes my job so much easier. There were so many things wrong with it, corporate had a Dell representative come in and fix it. Electronics and myself do not get along well

Phone- My life line. Silly me left one of my cell phones (yes I said one of) in Champaign. I am waiting on someone to mail it back to me. I have been without it since the 10th of February. (Glenda, I got your message about the race and everything. It just so happens, the phone I left in IL is the one you generally call me on. I will call you soon)

Christian's Birthday-Feb 17th was my son's 9th birthday. We had a BLAST! This birthday co-insided with a 4 day vacation he had from school. So Miguel and I took vacation from Thursday through Monday. We went to an indoor water park in Waukesha WI for Thursday and Friday. Christian had so much fun. He would pass out at night and not get up til after 10 which is SO unlike him. We had pizza and birthday cake at the water park. He was super excited to see his name mentioned on the display showing that it was his birthday. Then on Saturday (his actual birthday) I had to go to work for the morning because of a radio promotion we were doing (boo!). Christian opened his presents and got to play his xbox games that Miguel and I got him. Then we went to see the movie "Road to Tarabithia". It was a great movie. The main girl reminded me of a girl my mom use to babysit, Ashley. She looked, talked and acted just like Ashley. We had popcorn and pop and had a great time. Finally, we still need to do the last part of his birthday, I am taking him to a Chuckie Cheese-like place in New Berlin. They have bumper cars. (Yes thats more for me and less for him but he will have fun). Tuesday on his first day back to school, we took in a cake for his class. It had Scooby Doo on it. Super Cool! I think this was a really cool birthday for him.

Daytona 500- Oh Tony! I was heart broken to see him wreck. In fact I couldn't watch the race after that. I did check in periodically but I was really pulling for Tony to win. He had such an awesome couple of speed weeks, but it didn't happen. My eyes now turn to next Sunday and California. Tony generally runs well there so I know he will bounce back up quickly in the points. I told Miguel that my Sunday's are finally complete again now that racing has started. He replied that his Sunday's are over (he doesn't like racing).

Busy Busy Busy-Here it is the end of February (where did the month go?) I set my sights on winning my car in MK this month. I still have a lot of work to go but I am not giving up! I will be working hard the next week or so. I also have 3 stores that I am setting up and getting ready to open. That takes a bit of my day, however, I do have some time(like today) where I am in my existing stores developing people. That is my true passion. I love to see people grow and have that light shine through their eyes when they finally get something.

Words

2007-02-10T00:28:00.000-06:00

We start using them very early in life. We also learn, very early in life, just how powerful they can be. Words can cut through your heart like a knife or can lift you up to the highest mountain.

I was incredibly lucky to be in the presence of some very powerful words tonight. I went to my National Sales Director's Friday Night Live event. It started at 4pm and lasted til past 10, plus we have training tomorrow from 1-5. My vision becomes so clear when around these powerful women. I know that God uses these women to speak not only to me but to all the women in the room. What a true blessing it is to be able to speak about my love of God openly with the people I work with. Where else could that be done while making an executive income?

Tonight what stood out for me was when the directors and Jamie (my National) spoke the words "I AM". They were speaking that when putting a goal out there for yourself you need to say the goal as if it has already happened. Example: I AM a car winner in Mary Kay. You need to say this 20 times a day and visualize this goal in order for it to become reality to yourself. What I also heard while they were speaking this in to me were the words of Mark Schultz's song, "I Am":

I am the maker of the Heavens
I am the bright and morning star
I am the breath of all Creation
Who always was
And is to come

That is just some of the words, but it was like a recording over and over again in my head, telling me that God Is. He is here to bless me and my business. He just wants me to turn it over to Him and have the faith in Him. I just have to do the work and He will give me abundance. He is waiting for me to step out in the faith of His love and knowing that my giftings all come from Him. He wants great things for me. He created me in His image.

There were many scripture versus read this evening, one sticks out to me. It was one where God was talking about Him being a "refiner of silver". When someone was trying to find out exactly what a refiner of silver does, they of course decided to ask. The expert told them that silver needs to be put in extreme temperature in order to be worked and made strong. The expert was then asked how they know when the silver is ready to come out of the fire, his words were, "When I can see myself in the silver, I know it is ready". How true is that for us? God knows when we are ready because we reflect Him to others.We walk, talk, act, speak, and live in His image. First we need to be put in the extreme temperature in order to get there. AND we get refined over and over again because we are constantly a work in progress.

I AM - a child of the MOST HIGH GOD
I AM - blessed by HIM who saved me
I AM - a car winner with Mary Kay
I AM - a sales director with Mary Kay

I see it. I dream it. It will be done.

Oh What a Day

2007-02-04T14:22:00.000-06:00

What a day Friday turned out to be. I think 2-3 days got compacted into one. In order to give you the full picture I need to take you back to Thursday afternoon.

On Thursday I was in my newest store location, New Berlin, helping the manager there with the 4 new hires that she is training. During the day, I was on the computer for most of it or I was at the counter helping them with questions and role playing. As the day wore on I started getting some discomfort in my back. I thought it was still tender from Sunday when I sat on the floor all day. As the afternoon wore on it got worse and worse.

Once home Thursday night, I did my normal hurt back routine of lying on the ground, heat,and trying to find a comfortable way to lay. None of it seemed to work.I went to bed that night and got maybe an hours worth of sleep. It was severely uncomfortable.

Friday was going to be a busy day to begin with. I needed to get to a new location at 8am in order to let the painters in. I also needed to cover a store from 10-3 to give the manager some time off. Since school doesn't start until 9am I decided to take Christian with me for the morning chore. We got up and left about 7am. The painters were actually there early so I let them in and took Christian out to breakfast. I got him to school and got back to the store by 9:30. Luckily there was not a lot of traffic.

My back was progressively getting worse and I knew that I needed to do something about it. So, I got online and looked up the doctors that are in my network. Since moving to WI I have yet to pick or find a doctor that I wanted to go with. I called one on the list and they suggested that I go to the prompt care clinic that is open til 8pm. That way I get the help I needed right away and I could still take time to find my permanent doctor. So I made plans to leave work at 3, go get Christian, and then go to the clinic.

As the day continued, my back got to the point where I could barely walk. Each time I got up it was like shooting pains going through my back and hips. The best way to describe this would be a very sharp knife cutting little chucks out of my spine. I don't remember child birth being this painful. It was bringing tears to my eyes and I have a high tolerance for pain.

Finally it was 3pm and I was on my way. I just had to drop a phone off at another location then I would be on my way to the doctor. While on the road I pull up at a stop sign behind a New Berlin Police officer. No biggie, speed limit is 30 and I was following at a safe distance. While following the officer, I took my eyes off the road to look in my passenger seat. I don't know why, I am sure it had something to do with my phone, but I am not 100% sure. When I look back forward, the police officer had turned on his lights, and stopped half in the turn lane and half in the lane I was in. I slammed on my brakes and looked for somewhere to go so I wouldn't hit him. There was traffic at every turn, that's when I knew it was going to happen. I slammed into the back of the officer. The left front of my car hit his back right bumper. It was a hard hit. All of a sudden everything just stopped. Everything around me seemed to be going in slow motion. I unbuckled my seat belt, and tried to open the door. It wouldn't budge. I couldn't get out of my car. Panic starts to set in. I can't move because my back is still telling me that it hurts and I have no way to get out of my car. The officer comes up to my car to make sure I am OK. We pull off the road to a parking lot to get out of the way of the traffic. Everything seems unnatural. I felt myself answering all the appropriate questions, I called my insurance agent, but I felt very detached. Luckily I didn't have to wait long for an officer to arrive at the scene. Everything was filled out and taken care of in about 20 minutes.

So I go on to West Allis to drop off the phone. I had to crawl out the passenger side as my car wouldn't open on the drivers side. Then I head home.

Have you ever heard the term truth is stranger than fiction? Well, while on the interstate driving home, a woman SLAMS on her breaks right in front of me. There is traffic zooming all around me and again I have no where to go. This time however, I barely touch her. We pull over to the side of the road. There was no damage on her car and of course I can't get out of my car. She takes my business card and says she just wants to go. We agreed that there was no damage and we take off.

Finally I get my son and we head to the Hyundai dealer. I learn that in WI I don't have to get estimates, I can just leave the car with them and my insurance agent deals directly with them. Praise God. They get me a rental car and I am on my way to the Doctor.

We finally get to Prompt Care around 5:30 or 6:00. By this time I can hardly move. I am sure the wreck and the stress caused it to become worse. It took what seemed like forever to fill out the forms, see the nurse, then get called back to see the doctor. Dr. Foley took one look at me and sent me to x-rays. Great more walking. Each step felt like a thousand needles poking in my back. At x-ray they want me to lay on my back and side. This is lovely as I can barely get on the table let alone lay down. This was by far the most painful 10 minutes while at the doctor. Once the films are developed I am ushered back to the waiting room. It is 7:30 by this time and prompt care closes at 8. I am comforted because I know they don't want to be there late on a Friday night, so I was sure I would be attended to quickly. Sure enough, I was in front of the doctor in about 5 minutes. He said that I have disc that is being pressed on. He gave me 4 different Rx, and gave me a list of doctors that I am to follow up with.

I head straight to Walgreens. Of course it takes them 15 minutes to fill the Rx, so Christian and I start playing I-Spy. It is hard for me to play games as I have no concentration or focus due to the pain I was in. So the Rx are filled and we head home. Christian gets a lunchable for dinner (he had no complaints, he loves those things), and I take a handful of drugs and crawl in bed. Finally, I get some sleep, even if it is drug induced.

For the entire weekend I was in and out of consciousness. The bad news is that I still have back pain. The good news? Well, when I take these drugs I really don't care about any back pain........

Funny Customers

2007-02-01T12:19:00.000-06:00

I think my time is wireless has been eventful. Dealing with the public on a daily basis really gives me a sense of humor. It has also made me painfully aware how Bill Engvall's comedy of "here's you sign" is entirely accurate. So today I am going to give you some funny stories of real experience I have had in my 11+ years of wireless service.

A girl about 17 or 18 comes in the store one day with her phone which doesn't work.
"It was working earlier but it just stopped".
I asked if anything had happened that day to make it stop. Did it fall in liquid, did you drop it?
"Nothing happened"
I asked her for the phone so I could do some trouble shooting with it. The first thing I ALWAYS do is take the battery off the phone to check for liquid damage. Water literally ran out of the phone. I asked her where that came from.
"Well, I was in the convertible with the phone on my seat when this down pour started"
Hmmmmmmm Water+Phone(electronics)=BAD

"My phone won't allow me to answer calls" Cust. said
"Really, are they going straight to Voice Mail?" was my reply
"Yes, people call and call and the phone never rings"
"May I see your phone and do some tests on it?"
The customer hands me the phone. I power it on.
"Can I have your cell number so I can call to the phone?"
Customer gives me the number and I call it 5 times in a row. Each time the phone rings.
"How did you do that?" customer asks.
"Did you have the phone powered on when you were expecting the phone calls?"
"Well, no that would drain the battery"
No power + Phone call= BAD

Customer comes in. Can't find his phone. Knows that he had it only 10 minutes ago. He has looked everywhere for it.
"Sir, the phone is in the holster on your hip"

(This one submitted to me from Miguel)
Customer comes in and has tried over and over again to hear when people call him. They can hear him but he can't hear them. Generally this means that there is a microphone issue but the phone was brand new and that is less likely. Miguel looks through the set-up on the phone and it looks fine. Miguel then notices that the bluetooth light is lit up on the phone.
"Sir, do you have your bluetooth ear piece close?"
"It's in my pocket"
He had taken the ear piece off, put it in his pocket but didn't turn it off. People were hearing him through the pocket

I hope this gives you some insight into the laughter that comes in my day. We as retail sales people do have so much fun discussing these customers after they leave. It brings a smile to our day. I would take these customers all day instead of the ones who are upset.

Laughter truly allows you to live longer.

Pain

2007-01-28T22:34:00.000-06:00

Root Canal, Broken Bone, Exposed Nerve in the Tooth, Crink in the Neck, Migrane..... All these bring pain to the immediate forefront of the mind. For me the words Back Pain are the two of the most painful words I know. Thoughts of time spent on the floor with my legs up to release pain and time spent in re-hab trying to strengthen up the muscles in the back. I have been in some degree of pain from my back every day for the last 13 or so years. I have been to many doctors and have taken numerous x-rays all saying the same thing. I have scoliosis, an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine. I have had as many different treatments told me as doctors seen. Of the 8 or so doctors I have been to 3 have told me I should have surgery. They have all agreed that with diet and exercise I should be fine. In the span of 13 years I have been from a size 7 all the way up to a size 14. I am on the downward slide of my all time high (Praise God), AND I have been eating healthier since moving to Wisconsin than I ever have.

So why am I recording this? Today from 2-4 I decided to spend some quality time with Christian. He wanted to play the game Risk. If you know the game it is incredibly time consuming and very, very, veeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyy long. In the apartment I live in we don't have a dinning room table, we just have a counter with a "bar" on one side. This counter tends to be a "thing" catcher and was cluttered so we decided to play on the floor. BIG MISTAKE.... I knew I would be sore but not like this. It is now almost 11pm and I have been in pain since 4pm when we were done playing. Generally when this happens if I lay on the ground with my feet on a chair it relieves any pressure and allows the muscles to relax thus releaving the pain. Didn't work. So I decided to try heat. I had heat on it for 20 mins on 15 off for about 2 hours. Didn't work. Tried to find a comfortable way to sit/lay on the couch. Didn't work. So I am out of options.

That means I have to find a doctor up here and see what they say. I of course will get another answer as to what I should do, however, they will give me either a muscle relaxer or a pain reliever. I hate taking either of these as they make me itchy and make me feel like I have no control. SO not a feeling I like to have. When I am this kind of pain I have to do something. I can't walk more than 2 steps without having to stop. Sitting is awful with shooting pains in my back and in my lower abdomen.

One day I would love to be pain free. I have had a friend suggest acupuncture. She swears by it saying with her traveling schedule its the only way to relieve her back pain. Maybe I will do that one day. Then again they sell EVERYTHING on Ebay right? Wonder how much a new back would be.....

Fear

2007-01-24T19:11:00.000-06:00

fear
–noun
1. a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.
2. a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling: an abnormal fear of heights.
3. concern or anxiety; solicitude: a fear for someone's safety.
4. reverential awe, esp. toward God.
5. that which causes a feeling of being afraid; that of which a person is afraid: Cancer is a common fear.
–verb (used with object)
6. to regard with fear; be afraid of.
7. to have reverential awe of.
8. Archaic. to experience fear in (oneself).
–verb (used without object)
9. to have fear; be afraid.

[Origin: bef. 900; ME fere, OE fær sudden attack or danger; c. OS fār ambush, D gevaar, G Gefahr danger, ON fār disaster]

This is how dictionary.com describes fear. For me, fear comes in many different forms. I become afraid at some point most days. Crazy isn't it. My mentor, National Sales Director Jamie Cruse-Vrinios, often says that "fear is false evidence appearing real". That is a great acronym and one that I say to myself regularly. She also says that fear is from the devil. The devil puts thoughts in your head that plays on your insecurities which in turn causes fear.

Why am I talking about this? Today while I was getting the 5 names and numbers that I need everyday, fear started to grip me. I heard a voice in my head saying; "You got names and numbers the last 2 days, you don't need any more", "These people are going to think you are crazy", "Why would these women want to sit down with you". Each time these came to my head I had to argue with myself to get it removed. I even repeated my affirmation over and over again so that I could move on.

Why am I SO insecure? I really don't know, and quite frankly I am getting sick of trying to figure it out. I look at my job, and I am fairly successful there. The friends I have are the real deal. They have my best interests at heart and that is what is important. I have so much negative self-talk going on in my head that I truly believe it is what keeps the fear close. I am learning that when the negativity enters my head I need to re-word it with a positive spin or say my affirmation. I think this would drive away 90% of my fear.

The other 10% of my fear???? Well, I will deal with heights and large bridges another day............

Comfort Zone

2007-01-23T10:30:00.000-06:00

As I get older the idea of working in wireless until I retire becomes less and less appealing. Working in the wireless industry is truly a comfort zone for me. I have done this for almost 11 years consistantly, and now there really isn't a whole lot of challenge. I have become lazy in my work. There isn't anything about it that drives or excites me. The money is alright but its not going to pay for my son's education as he gets older. I feel like in my job I am at the point of theoretically having my sweats on while eating popcorn and watching a good movie......everyday. Thats not good.

I know my destiny is with Mary Kay. I am drawn to it every day and my random thoughts are about it. Nevertheless, I have a comfort zone about that too. I have a true fear of putting myself out there to meet new people. I am a shy person. Those of you who know me a read this may say, "WHAT?!?!?!", but it is true. I get SO nervous meeting new people. Its because I am concerned with what they think of me. How self-centered is that? I am, however, working on this. In order to be successful in Mary Kay you need to have 3-5 skin care classes a week and meet 5 new women a day. Doing this will create enough momentum to take you where ever you want to go. The good thing is that only takes about 20 hours a week. This means that I would cut 25-30 hours out of my current work week. Doing just those simple things will MORE than replace my income.

So why am I not a top Director? Its all because of my fears. Will I be good? Will people actually want to hear what I have to say like they do all the other top directors? Am I well equipped? I pray about this on a regular basis. God put Mary Kay Cosmetics in my life for a reason and I don't think it was to just get my products at a discount or have great skin. I have too many dreams about Mary Kay Ash and about becoming a National Sales Director.

I am working on it. Since moving to Wisconsin, I realize that my lifestyle is getting old. So, starting yesterday I have stepped out of my comfort zone. I got 3 names and numbers of women. Thats huge for me. Today I am heading out to get 5 more. I will do this daily. It will be a struggle but I know that the more I do it the easier it will be. My son deserves having me around more.

Christian is not getting any younger and I need to figure out a way to pay for his college education. With Mary Kay I will be able to do that in cash with no loans. Isn't that what America is about? As he gets older I know he needs me at home more than ever. Peer pressure just gets worse as the years roll on. Kids as young as 10 are having sex or doing drugs! I need to be there for my son to be the example and the guide during these tough years.

I know my true life path is with Mary Kay Cosmetics. I know I need to do it. The head is already there. I just need to rely on that until my heart and feelings catch up.

Interviews

2007-01-19T10:44:00.000-06:00

I realize that I have a college degree. I also realize that I enjoy reading and expanding my knowledge of most anything. I know that I am not an English professor and I get corrected on a regular basis by my boyfriend who is incredibly well-spoken for having English as a second language. I also know that my sister in MN is an amazing orator and will read this and find all kinds of mistakes. However, am I so out of touch with reality that while conducting interviews I am running across the truly dim-witted????? I have people who come to interviews and can't seem to string 2 sentences together without saying "uh" "um" or "aaaa". Have a clear thought before opening your mouth please. I would also think about the interview before going, maybe do a little prep work. It goes a LONG way. Do people just not pay attention to what they are putting out there for potential employers? I have had people put on their resume that they pay CLOSE ATTENTION TO DETAIL. Then later in the resume I see something like; "i enjoy working with people" or "I get along good with everyone". Obviously they don't pay close ENOUGH attention to detail. That's your first line of offence when applying for a job. Make it count!

This could be because I have done over 40 interviews this month and am getting over it QUICKLY, but how else do you find the 7 people I need to open the 3 new stores coming in February. Of course this isn't the end. I still have 6 more stores opening in the next 6-8 months...................

Thursday January 18th, 2007

2007-01-18T13:38:00.000-06:00

This week has been a difficult week for me. I went to my mom's for the past weekend to help her do some things she needed to get done. Since going there and coming back I have become very home sick. I am sure it is because I am up here in Wisconsin with my son and no family, friends etc. My mom use to always say that if I were to join a church, moving wouldn't be so hard as I would have my church family to lean on. This time I have taken her advise and joined a church. I like my church and the pastors, they are very good to me, however, I am still home sick. I miss being able to go to Mom's whenever I want. To just pop in and say hi, or drop Christian off to spend time with her for an hour or two. I also miss being near my sister. While I have many sisters there is still one that lives close to Mom in Indiana and it would be nice to spend time with her. I am sure this feeling will pass. It usually does. Its just annoying to go through this................