Thursday, September 20, 2012

Are You Hopeful or Hopeless?

"Let's Go...make no excuses now, I'm talkin' here and now...  your time is running out, I'm talkin' here and now...
It's not about what you've done, it's about what you're doing.   It's all about where you're going,  no matter where you been."   Calvin Harris

Where are you today?  Are you living the life you want to live or are you holding on to past let-downs or mistakes you've made?  Are you fulfilling your God-given mission and purpose in life?   Do you have your core values,  your dreams and goals, and your purpose statement written down and in plain sight?  Do you even know what they are?  Worse yet, maybe you've lost hope.
  It's easy to allow yourself to feel overwhelmed, anxious, or even depressed if you are living your life as a reactionary.  Friends, family, and society can bombard you with challenges and expectations and if you do not know what you stand for or where you're going it can get really tough.
 Here's the good news:  each of us can reinvent ourselves or start over at any time.  We can take the false ideas concerning ourselves and others,  unlearn them,  and go forward with a fresh perspective and renewed hope.  Is is easy?  Not usually.  Is it worth it?  Most definitely!  You may need tools and  you might need help but you can move closer to accomplishing your goals if you will commit and put in the effort.

 Have you ever considered what you would do if you knew you could not fail?




Here are some of the kids on probation who are stellar examples of what it means to believe it's about where they're going.  Robert and Bobby are at the back on the left.  (Photo quality not so good!)
  

Recently my husband, my oldest son Bobby, and myself attended a luncheon which benefited the Probation Community Action Association of Orange County.   The two of them spoke to the group about love, hope, trust, and family.  The hope in that room was contagious.  Here we were surrounded by kids ages 13-17 who had such great dreams and aspirations for their future even though they'd had a tumultuous past.  These young people were all part of the juvenile system in Orange County, CA. and most all of them came from either really terrible, sometimes dangerous family situations or no family at all.  This is why they ended up in trouble.   All of the kids at the luncheon that day were hand-picked for positive behavior and all are moving forward with their lives by living in the now instead of being hung up on where they came from or where they've failed.  It was a very inspiring day!


A couple of weeks ago my son Bobby spoke about hope and his outline really resonated with me.  Bobby laid the case that hopeful people are more imaginative because they continually use their creative minds to think about what might be coming next.   He went on to say that they are more creative as they not only think about what might happen but they use their creative scenarios and put them into action.  They aren't afraid to try something new that might be out of their comfort zone or against what people have said they could not accomplish.  He said that hope-filled people are patient as they trust God, holding on to the promise that no matter how bleak things might seem,  they only need to hang-on and live one day at a time.  They trust that they have life ahead of them (no matter what their age) in order to fulfill their God-given purpose and their destiny.   Bobby also believes that hopeful people are more moral as they weigh each decision they make based on deep-seeded values and they cling to the belief that something great is yet to come.   And lastly he positions those filled with hope as constant, committed,  or steadfast as they don't easily give up or give in.
I have taken some liberties and expounded in my explanations based on a message that was delivered a couple of weeks ago.  If you want to hear the complete sermon then I suggest that you go to treeoflifeoc.org

Hope should be the cap-stone in your life that will continue to hold things together for you, no matter what you did in the past or what you might be struggling with today.

If you are feeling hopeless or if you need someone to partner with who can give you guidance and provide a system to navigate through some tough times, this is what I do.  I can help you for an hour, a week, a month or a year.  If you need hope contact me. 


The Bible explains faith this way,
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,  the conviction of things not seen." 
 Hebrews 11:1

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start now and make a brand new ending."  Carl Bard

What are your hopes for yourself, your family, your community, your world?
Always remember that it is never too late to start again.  Make sure that you don't get caught in the trap of "gloom and doom" based on old tapes or things people say to you.
HOPE is the answer!

 Hold on,  keep at least an ounce of faith, persevere,  expect great things!   Move forward one step at a time.  "Let's go!"

God is blessing you,  Donna

P.S.  Did you know that there are seven pages on my website?  Simply click on each tab heading above to learn more about my coaching,  nutrition,  product recommendations, or read a great recipe! The first tab heading is labeled "blog" which stands for this page.  

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Remember 911

"The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic and religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human life. We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom"  

                     --Rudolph W. Giuliani. December 31, 2001.  

   

Friday, September 7, 2012

Meet Joe Jetson aka "Jet"!






"I suppose that since most of our hurts come through relationships so will our healing, and I know that grace rarely makes sense for those looking in from the outside.”
W. Paul Young, The Shack


I have a new relationship with a darling little black and white boy!   Just over a month ago I wrote, "When Is It Ever Easy To Say Good-bye?" where I spoke of grief and loss.   Today I'm sharing a photo of someone I have found.  This is my new puppy who I met through "Pet Match Rescue"http://petmatchrescue.org/ in Orange County, CA.   This little guy was saved from what is known as a high-kill shelter in Los Angeles County.  In other words, he would have been euthanized had a nice woman named Linda not found him and sent him to be fostered.  Robert and I met him at a Petco adoption event and fell in love with him, we were "approved" and a few days later he arrived at our home!
There is nothing that brings out happy feelings more than a new pup does... and Jet is great!  Although he is still a little timid, especially with men, at four and a half months he is completely housebroken and he didn't even cry his first night here!!  Not a peep!  He has the sweetest disposition and he's great in the car too!  (I feel like I am composing one of those online descriptions that you can read when you are trying to get a dog but it's all true!)  He is part poodle and part?  He doesn't shed and as you can see he's a bit curly.

"But ask the animals, and they will teach you."   Job 12:7 

God is blessing you.   Donna