tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19378091876029953632024-02-20T19:25:42.401-05:00Fantastically FortyDon't start your day with the broken pieces of yesterday. Every day is a fresh start. Each day is a new beginning. Every morning we wake up to the first day of our new life.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025828857726477588noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937809187602995363.post-42693946665612383922014-03-02T15:44:00.000-05:002014-03-02T15:44:11.249-05:00Two steps forward, one step back<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #0070c0;">Any change, even a change for the better, is always
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</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">The process of growth and discovery is laden with struggles
and discomfort. Earlier this week I experienced a moment where I went back to
my old thoughts and feelings. In an instant, I was consumed by my past mistakes
and feeling of unworthiness.<span> </span>I was feeling
like a failure and unworthy of any goodness in my life. My past struggles
haunted me and I felt like I had accomplished nothing. I felt suck on a page
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</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">As we grow and change, sometimes there will be moments where
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</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Just like cheating on a diet, that one piece of cake does
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</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">God sees our struggles and he knows what we need to go
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Strength and growth come only through continuous effort
and struggle.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">- Napoleon Hill</span></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025828857726477588noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937809187602995363.post-67232189238568561372014-02-22T20:04:00.001-05:002014-02-22T20:04:37.909-05:00New Beginnings<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After a yearlong break for my blog, I have decided to start
writing again. The past year has seen even more growth than before. For a long
time I felt like such a disappointment to my family. I was confused about who I
really was and I didn’t understand what I really wanted in life. It took me
forty long years to figure out myself. Sometimes I feel like the Israelites and
their journey through the desert. Their journey could have been short, but God
needed them to learn to be faithful and full of God’s love and mercy. It took
forty years for the Israelites to understand what God was doing for them. The
same was true for me.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It took me forty years to understand what God could do for
me. Forty years to learn I can’t do everything on my own. Forty years to learn
that my way wasn’t the best way for me. Forty years to learn how to love and be
loved. Forty years to truly love the person God created in me and stop trying
to deny who I am. Once I let the real me shine, my life turned around and
everything became easier. I finally learned to be comfortable with myself and
that allowed me to be more comfortable with others. </span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Looking back on the last year of my life, I have seen so many
changes and so much growth. I have learned so much about myself, my likes and
dislikes, what really makes me happy and how I can really make others happy. I have seen a side of my life that I thought
only existed in dreams. I became more confident. I have reached new heights in my relationships
and myself. I have stopped blaming others and focused on how I can live my life
completely.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Lord has blessed me in so many ways over the past year,
providing me with a new career that allowed my talents to blossom, talents I
had forgotten even existed in me. And in that journey of discovery, love found
me when I wasn’t even looking. The Lord
brought the most amazing man into my life, a partner that brings out the best
in me. A partner that supports me 100% and loves me for who I really am, not
what he wants me to be. A partner that is there to comfort me and understands
how I feel in times of need. A partner that makes me believe again when all can
feel lost. He is someone who knows how to hold me and make everything feel
okay. I never knew love could be so amazing and so complete. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now that my forty years of wandering in the desert are over,
I can’t wait to see what else the Lord has in store for me.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025828857726477588noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937809187602995363.post-84567248918717907352013-02-28T22:37:00.000-05:002013-02-28T22:37:29.288-05:00A heartfelt reminder and proclaimation<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The growth I have been experiencing is not only noticed by my readers, but also my closest friends. Below is a letter from a dear friend reflecting on my progress. The letter allows me to recognize my transformation. </span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">To my dearest Anna,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">You have the laughter that warms up the room and a look that
lures people to you.<span> </span>The light hearted
attitude and the ability to accept others make you a magnet.<span> </span>You are an attractive human; you work
hard, achieve goals, embrace others, and give of yourself.<span> </span>You have the heart of a servant.<span> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Along your path you have discovered those addictions which
bind you.<span> </span>Through this process, you
found yourself exposing memories and reevaluating past actions.<span> </span>Revealed aspects of who you are and how you
got here.<span> </span>You have been stripping down,
exposing yourself and embracing the process of being broken down. You are
naked.<span> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In your nakedness you are exploring the freedom and
liberation of truth and enlightenment.<span>
</span>You accept the pain and understand that this pain is different than past
suffering.<span> </span>Past suffrage is a pattern,
an addiction, a cancer.<span> </span>Present pain is
of acknowledgement, of understanding, of release, and of renewal.<span> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In your nakedness and liberation, be aware, the enemy is
always near.<span> </span>He will always be
slithering around with sweat seductions, and open up easy roads back to
destruction.<span> </span>Be guarded and alert.<span> </span>Do not be filled with pride or despair.<span> </span>Do not attack your enemy alone.<span> </span>Always seek our great Father, God.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Fill your life with good.<span>
</span>Seek ways to use your servant’s heart to serve the Kingdom.<span> </span>Use your gifts to be the benefit and the
light for others.<span> </span>You are a blessing and
your journey will be a testimony.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Fight with passion to break free from your chains.<span> </span>When you get exhausted, seek out the Lord
first.<span> </span>When you need support, only seek
out those who are in Christ.<span> </span>Remember
Proverbs 27:6; “Wounds from a friend can be trusted.<span> </span>But an enemy kisses you many times
(deceitfully).</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">My Blessings and My Declarations:</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">No longer does shame bind you in shackles, no longer will
fear hold you in bondage, no longer will lies entrap you, and no longer will
Satan seduce you. YOU ARE THE DAUGHTER OF A MIGHTY KING; NO LONGER WILL YOU BE
ENSLAVED!</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I proclaim this with love and admiration.<span> </span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025828857726477588noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937809187602995363.post-88929329510848557102013-02-09T22:41:00.000-05:002013-02-09T22:45:51.160-05:00Facing the woman in the mirror<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<h2 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into
your own heart. Who looks outside,
dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” Carl Jung</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now that my birthday has past and I
am over my fear of being forty, I have reflected on my last year of
thirty-something. The last year of my life has been amazing. The growth I have experienced
is beyond words. A year ago I felt I had
wasted my life. After three failed marriages and numerous job changes, I felt
like I was getting nowhere. I decided I had to make some serious changes in my
life to feel complete. It was hard to take a deep look at myself. I always wanted
to blame other people for my failures, but in reality the only common denominator
was me. So I decided if I wanted things to change, I needed to look at myself
and no one else.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> As I
began to examine myself, I feared that I would not like what I would find. It’s
easy to live in denial and ignore all the serious faults we try to hide. Facing
me was scary; I reached into depths never before explored. I discovered more
about myself in one year than I had my previous lifetime. It was hard to face
the truth about myself and admit the areas in my life where I did not honor
myself or others. The deeper I dug, the more pain I revealed. Reliving the pain
of my past was devastating. Feeling this pain for a second time and facing the
consequences of such choices was harder than the initial hurt. As the pain
subsided and the healing began, I realized how much I cheated myself and allowed
others to harm me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Once I
learned how my past hurts had affected my life and would affect my future, I
couldn’t ignore them anymore. Now that I was given all this knowledge about
myself, I had to decide what to do with it. Armed with so many discoveries, I
had to take immediate actions to change my future. If I kept living my life the
same way I was only creating more destruction. Taking a deep look at me was difficult,
but the freedom I received from it was worth so much more. I have awakened new
talents and desires to lead my life in a more positive, fulfilling direction.
Now I can really begin to live!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025828857726477588noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937809187602995363.post-33723185059777202092013-01-30T23:33:00.000-05:002013-01-30T23:33:10.112-05:00Turning Forty; life is good and only getting better.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Why is the thought of turning forty such a big deal?
Why does the age of forty bring so much dread? Forty seems to mark the end of
youth and the beginning old age, but forty is not such a bad place to be. As
Bob Hope once said, “She said she was approaching 40 and I couldn't help
wondering from what direction”. As I approach my fortieth birthday, I reflect
on the decisions and actions that brought me to this path in life. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When I first thought about turning forty, I was
focused on where I had expected to be at this point in my life. I was focused
on my several failed relationships, my financial loss and struggles, and
mediocre career. I became very depressed looking at all my failures. As I
wallowed in self-pity, I allowed my thoughts to stew on all the things I didn’t
have; no husband, no house, no financial security, and an unfulfilling career.
I felt so old and unaccomplished.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was pulled from my pit of despair by my best
friend’s persistence of the progress I have made in the past few years to
better understand myself and move in a more positive direction. After two years
of self-discovery and growth I am ready to hit the restart button on my life. I
have managed to set myself up for great new adventures and opportunities.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have put
systems in place to improve my finances and become debt free in three years. I
have increased my education allowing for more career opportunities. And
although I am not in a relationship, God has exposed me to the errors of my
past, provided me knowledge, and blessed me with discernment to allow the right
person to come into my life. As I look at my life with new vision, I see that
it’s pretty good and only getting better.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025828857726477588noreply@blogger.com0