My New Hobby ... Part Two ...

Iowa Countryside
(Iowa is a rather lovely, beautiful place! The hills and landscape are just amazing!)

Bridge in Cincinnati
(This bridge suspends over the Ohio River and sits right across the Great American Ballpark, where the Cincinnati Reds play.)

The Lighthouse - St. Joseph, Michigan - Silver Beach
(There is no place like the beautiful beach on a sunny day. This was taken on a trip with my mom to Silver Beach. It was beautiful and the Lighthouse was the main attraction!)

Somewhere Only We Know

It’s a common occurrence to become saddened by what goes on in the world around us … there is so much shizit (this is a word I like to use from time-to-time to refrain from saying the other, which I’m sure you can pinpoint) … and well, sometimes, it gets a little overwhelming to take in …

I like to go to a place of solitude and placate in those times … as I imagine it, it’s a place of beautiful things … there is an abundance of sunshine, and the people within my little world, are happy… at least for a moment in time … I guess I like to think it’s just a little taste of Heaven …

Unfortunately, the painstaking reality is, the world waits on the other side of it … I don’t understand the heartlessness of people, but at times, in those moments, I do understand and see the beauty in all of us … compassion usually surfaces in many desolate times, which helps to accept the reality we live in …

But … it’s nice to think that we can escape to a place where we only know … a place where we can be silent, where grace and mercy are in abundance … where there is no pain or loneliness, and for a moment, we see that life truly can be magical …

Just a Little Lonely ...

I’m amazed at people’s loneliness. If you look close enough, you can catch the signs of it …
Sometimes it’s in the subtle words they say … sometimes it’s in the emotionless stares … and sometimes it’s in obvious body language …

Sometimes, as 'Christians', and I use that term loosely, we THINK that we should have it all together, because the world tells us that we should … but deep down, and in 'reality', we are just like the drug addict, looking for their next fix, the lonely soul, who just wishes to be anywhere but in the place they’re at, and the uncertain recluse, just wishing for answers …

Unfortunately, I think loneliness is a prerequisite of life … it’s inevitable, but it’s required … when loneliness DOES happen to creep in, I think WE ALL just want that connection with SOMETHING … As a woman who loves Jesus, I am reminded in those moments that He is right there, by my side … but … I think we can crave for something tangible, so badly, that our emotions overcome us, and we look at ourselves as inadequate? Perhaps this comes from the fact that we TOO, along with the person who doesn’t know about Jesus, can’t say, ‘I’m not lonely anymore because I DO have Jesus’.

The reality is, it sure would be nice to know that SOMEONE is there … faith is a little tough in those moments because what we can’t see, is not what we need … we need that gentle touch from SOMEONE who cares … and, even with that, the amazing part about it all, is that God still loves us, right in the midst of our feeling of loneliness, inadequacy, self-doubt, and perhaps, our feeling of un-reliance on God to get us through …

Honestly, I think everybody needs a little love, to make it all work out … so LOVE someone … you never know … you could just ‘break’ them of their loneliness in that specific moment in time … and in return, when you’re feeling a little down and out, someone just might reach out … a little further, and LOVE you right back …

A New Hobby ...

I've recently taken up a new hobby: photography! Here are a few photos of one of the greatest cities in the U.S. ... Chicago! Be Blessed all ...

A Poem ...

This poem was written by the one and only, Erin Elliott, my little sister ... I thought it was TOO excellent not to share! Perhaps you might find it rather solemn, as did I, but please know, this was a pivotal and changing moment in her life ... one that I feel, has brought this beautiful piece of prose for all to enjoy!

Hope you like it!

Untitled
It’s been a short day.
Hot & unforgiving.
My head aches.
& i can’t tell if I'm
still high or just tired.
The summer night
is taking over.
And the sun
is far from us now.
The sound of beats
are filling my ears.
& those dreams come
back to taunt me.
Segments of my life,
I’ve totally forgotten.

& this chair does not
make matters any better.
worn ragged material,
hating my skin.

Is it 'People Pleasing'?

Ok, so there is this thing about me that I hate…I take things so personal sometimes. I take things to heart, so much that it hurts my insides…do you know what I’m talking about???

…anyway, the thing about that is, I hate that I feel like that. It’s like I have no control over how people respond to me, or treat me, so most of the time, I take their frustrations or confusion, and point the blame at myself because I don’t want them to be upset…

…I don’t want them to feel pain, sorrow or uncertainty, so it’s like this innate thing inside me that says, ‘feel it for them’.

Now I don’t know if you would consider that a ‘People Pleaser’, which can be such a harsh label that people throw around, but I do wish to work on this attribute that I so wish I did NOT have…

People…beautiful, yet so amazingly uncertain…

A REAL Change

I often think about the idea of change. I think it’s something that we all want, yet we’re so hesitant to reach out for it … we resist it almost because we are afraid of what is on the other side of it …

There are so many opportunities that are right in front of us, if we only knew how to ‘touch them’ … as we walk and wonder … as we reach and wish … what is it that keeps us never reaching out for more? What is it inside of us that resists an open door to something new? What is it for you? Do you resist change? Why?

For me … I think it’s failure … a little fear perhaps … not knowing what to expect, I suppose … yet I’m profoundly amazed by the idea of ‘change’ … in MANY different capacities … I often think that triumph and change can be intertwined together … because after all, change can bring out the BEST in us … and ultimately, it can send us on a path of discovery … ‘change’ can help us overcome something that we never thought was possible to conquer … have you found this to be true for you?

As this life continues to race at an ever so rapid pace … I’ve found that life matters most when we choose to accept the changes that come with it … we can choose to embrace them … or resist them, and simply, stay the same … yet the opportunities that exist, if we choose to see them, can open up a door of endless possibilities …

I read this quote the other day … “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations”. Sure, impossible they might seem at first, but glaring at them … head on … will only make them what they were always meant to become … REAL! And from that ... 'change' is ONLY the beginning ...

Become a Five Star Coach!

There are moments in life that change us ... some of those moments can change us for the better, while others can lead us down a road of destruction. More than ever, kids these days are looking for that 'moment' ... the moment when their lives can change and they can look toward a positive future ...

Five Star is a program unlike any other, where young people can be themselves, and learn about the road to excellence, in EVERY aspect of their lives ... It's a positive environment where kids can have some fun and learn a few important lessons on life as well ... It's a place where kids can build relationships, not only with each other, but with their coach ... It's a place where they learn about important values like integrity, responsibility, excellence, service, and living to reach their dreams, no matter how big or small ...

So, what do you think? Is it something YOU could see yourself being a part of? I can tell you from personal experience that it's some of the most fun, and rewarding times that I've ever had. It not only will change the kids lives, but it just might change yours as well!

If you want to learn more, just visit FiveStarLife.org or send me an email.

Inspire a champion ... and change a life!

What Is It?

I read something the other day that made me think about a few things ... it made me think about life and the latter, but made me address questions that I hadn't addressed for a long time ... I thought I might share it ...

What keeps you awake at night?
What gets you up in the morning?
How do you inspire others?
What’s your greatest hope for the future?
What is your biggest fear?
What are you working on right now?
Who would play you in the film of your life?
When are you happiest?
For which cause would you die?

So, WHAT IS IT for you?

Moments

Moments pass us by … without a glance, without a notice …

They creep, they crawl, they unearth our inhibitions … Perhaps to be noticed, or maybe just to get our attention …

Whatever the reason, they bring life to us … they give us meaning … and somehow, they give us hope for yet another day …

Stop … Look … Cherish … those moments, whatever they are … because whatever they might be, they’re worth noticing …

... Just a Few Thoughts ...

I like to see people overcome obstacles in their lives. I like to see them challenge themselves and ultimately triumph …

I like a fantasy world, where there are mystical creatures; fairytales that come true, dreams that envelope a reality within a character…

I love places like Paris and London; places I’ve never seen before in real life; places that are beautiful because my imagination has painted a picture of them…

I love to do new things and experience new adventures, because after all, that’s what life is worth living for …

BREAK Already!

I love to write … it’s this innate passion in me … I can’t seem to remember, even when I was a kid, when I wasn’t writing. I mean, let’s be serious here … I haven’t made a career out of it, but I still love it …the thing of it is though … I’m at a loss of what to write about these days … I love the moments in time that have become inspiration for me, yet I’ve found as I’ve gotten older that inspiration is scarce … not sure why … maybe it’s a season in my life at present … whatever it is though … I want it to BREAK …