I've Disappointed You

The most challenging part for me is disappointing others. I want so much to be my true self. I NEED to know who I am, and live a life that is honest and true before God. First, I must find my true self, but it seems like the more I am myself, the more kick-back I get! I have struggled as an adult woman to reconcile myself back to the One who made me. I let myself get so off-track trying to satisfy my hunger to please everyone in my life, only to find that was entirely impossible and I woke up laying in a pile of rubbish, smelling like every dirty thing you can imagine. I was all used up by the roads I traveled to feel loved and accepted.

As I started with earnest the pursuit to find myself, the real me, imperfections and all, I was ready to accept a rocky pathway and mistakes along the way. The problem was no one else way ready for that. All the cheerleaders seem to be okay with cheering but not so okay with failures as I would take big lunges forward only to find I had crashed into the glass staircase. Many were the times that I could not hold in my frustration and pulled into a dark parking lot and screamed into the ceiling of my car, loud and long. Eventually those screams gave way to short road trips to the falls, quick phone calls to a mentor, prayers, repeating of promises God made, a verse from a song, or any weapon that I was using at the moment to help me move forward when things were anxious for me.

During all of this back and forth, to and fro, struggling with myself and God, wrestling with the right and wrong of who I was and who I was meant to be, I disappointed a lot of people. They let it be known too. I have lost count how many people let me go, in one form or another. I am not saying that I did not deserve it. I am saying that I was hurt that so many people did not keep standing near me while I was in such a critical place. Now I can say that God knows the future, He sees all the plans, He knows each season and He knows every tomorrow. There is nothing hid from Him. But in my despair I wondered where did my people go.

Here is the best thing that I have learned about times of distress, anxiety, and unknowing times. God understands when we are strung out. I have learned to picture it like a big coffee table and my life is a huge puzzle on the table. Pieces are everywhere. Sections are started, edges began, piles of pieces, some fallen on the floor. It can look quite disheveled and overwhelming to me. But God is sitting right beside me. He is working on it with me. He is encouraging and smiling. "Oh, look! Here is that piece we were searching for! I found it under the table!" He is a helper and a friend indeed. He isn’t looking down on me, waiting for my perfection to show up, He is sitting right beside me, working on my mess with me. He does not expect me to know everything. He is teaching me His ways. He lifts my chin up when I’m crying and He is eternally my Best Friend.

You can never, ever disappoint God so much that He does not care about you.

It was also pointed out to me that others aren’t used to me being my real self, the changes that come when one is tackling a complete redo, especially taking a firm stand for my own good. Of course, it surprised them and caught them off guard when I did that. It really is an art that takes mastering, delivering my new and also ever-changing self to friends and family who have known me a long time. It's not like I can hold a news conference and say, "Hey, please bear with me. I am not quite myself and I may be on quick-change personality for a while. God's not through with me yet. I sure appreciate your love and patience. In fact, I need it more than ever!" (this is still very true!)

I wish I could have given everyone warning. Because what I have come through was bigger than Hurricane Laura. But God is big enough to take care of all of my needs. Even old friends, new friends, my children, and my two grandbabies....and things I don't even know about yet. He is still working on my puzzle with me and I am still changing.

And I’m learning.
Every. Single. Day. 🌺

Imperfect and Clumsy-But Real

I have lately gotten braver at being me and the clumsy sure comes out! And with that comes people quick to point out that I don’t act, look, or believe like they do. These are people in my “friends” list that haven’t spoke to me about anything personal in months, maybe years.

In the past I would have shrunk away, changed my behavior to fit the circumstance, anything to appease the person who was critical of me. I just wanted peace, to belong, to be loved so much that I would give up who I was to get it. Yep, that’s an addiction. Addiction to anything is not good. It means that you will lie, cheat, steal, or kill to get that particular HIGH or feeling. It doesn't have to be drugs or alcohol or food. There are lots of things people "think" they get their fill from besides God and being their real selves through Him.

And I lived this way, changing my answers, looking for worthiness, my entire life and made many life-altering mistakes. Finally, I was seeking a way out and I willing to do anything to find it. I was blessed to get in a program that taught me a better way and a new way of thinking. I learned that God made me to be who I was so that I could fulfill a calling He had just for me! No more faking to be liked by someone else. It was time to find out who God wanted me to be so I could be my real self and receive the true love, God's love, that He had for me. He already knows we aren't perfect. He made Adam and Eve and knows about the garden and the apple. We are no surprise to Him. He has mercy and compassion for us.

So I truly appreciate words like those above that remind me to be imperfect is to be real; to make mistakes and be clumsy is a part of living. One important differentiation: hurting others intentionally is not okay. I know this is long but this is truly where my heart is. You may see me wobble and I may have to apologize. But my struggle to be myself and to know who that is and what is important to me is fairly new. But I love this freedom and the ability to draw boundaries that I never had before. If I am around folks that I feel are toppling me over back to my old ways, I must draw the line. We must know who are the folks that cheer us on and hang around those folks!

Thanks for reading and I wish you all a Real Gurl Life. Authentically Imperfect.


#realgurllife

Calling All Real Gurls

Calling all Real Gurls!

I AM BACK!

As you can see from the last post, it was October 2016 when I last posted. And so much has happened since then. 

I have been busy, busy, busy but so has God. My life has changed dramatically and so has my mind and my spirit. There was a good amount of stressful times but it all came around to God answering prayers that I truly wasn't sure I would see come to pass. 

This post is to tell all my friends to get ready for opportunities for friendship, either here online or at my home, or possibly other local places close to Gresham, Oregon 97080. My ideal plan is to occasionally have a time to cook dinner together, eat together, and then sit back and share what's happening in our lives. This would be nice to offer twice a month for two different groups. Also, I would like to offer 1 weekday morning each week, a Coffee & Courage Club. Come with your coffee of choice or I will have a pot ready. We will have some uplifting talk or a study and send you on your way! Additionally, perhaps a monthly outing or game night. You get the idea. Time to join in together, build friendships, support, and growth.

Suffice it to say that I have experienced heavy growth during the past nearly four years. It all started with a dvt and pulmonary embolism and I nearly died; two complete knee replacements and one led to a hematoma and I was in the hospital for two weeks; followed by a fundiplication surgery on an extra large hernia that caused my stomach to be pushed up into my chest. There were other odds and ends in the midst of all of this such as finding out I have a blood clotting disease, hereditary. But I am here and ready to get back to it!

Please feel free to call, email, text, facebook, instagram or tweet if you need a friend or have a question. I will be posting here on the home page on the right hand side any upcoming activities as they are scheduled. I will also be posting on Facebook but you can always count on the website to be true.

Love you all, and hope to see you soon,

Lauren

Real Gurl Life🎕

Number One Rule for Building Friendships

Browsing the web this afternoon for advice on friendship, I found no shortage of advice and frilly, playful sayings. Here are a few that I found:

A true friend doesn't leave when the fun stops and things get uncomfortable.
True friendships are hard to come by and the ones that are really your friends will be honest with you.
To have a loyal friend like that is a rare find.
People come and go, but a true friend will be there to weather the storm.
Two are better than one, because they will have a good reward for their labor.
True friendship is like sounds health; the value of it is seldom know until it is lost.
A true friend is not only there to celebrate with you but also to encourage you during rough patches.

But the very best piece of advice is as old as the sun and we all heard it from our grandmothers when we were knee-high to a grasshopper:

 "If you want to have friends, you must show yourself friendly."

 

So I leave you with this brief piece to consider, with more friendship information to come.  We can always use a tune-up and right now before the holidays is a great time to get the attitude adjusted and the behavior practiced. We should probably get our mirrors out too...since we will be learning how-to "show ourselves friendly."

This is gonna be fun!

 





The Desires of Your Heart

Happy Sunday!
I have been in church my whole life and have heard this Psalm many times. I always loved it because 1) I loved any verse about the heart and 2) it promised me that God would give me the "desires" of my heart.

The desires of my heart.

Really? If I just delight in Him then I will get all the things I wish for? That just seemed too good to be true. So I placated myself with the thought that it surely meant that God knew what was best and that He would only let me have what was good for me. That's child-like, simplistic thinking for you.

It wasn't until many years later, I was cleaning house and right as I stood up from wiping a wall down, I saw our ceramic wall hanging with this very verse on it. I was stopped in my tracks. I felt like I was just seeing it for the very first time. I said aloud to myself, "Why, He doesn't mean He will give me the desires of my heart! He means the desires of my heart...like, God will actually put the desires in my heart. He will give me the desires that I should have!

I know, right? It takes some people a while. But hey, it's still a good word to remember. God is not a piggy bank, or a good fairy to call upon at will. When we live as He calls us to live, we are delighting in Him and He will give us the desires of our hearts, or the passions that so fulfill our lives. He is a good, good, Father!

Delight in Him every day. Let God be your Father and fill your heart with the desires and passions that are your calling so that you will live a fulfilling life with Him like you have never known!

About Stress

I saw this meme and it got my mind thinking about how badly stress took over my own life. I would like to add that undue stress challenges our even our most precious relationships, too. Stress is a destroyer and should not be underestimated. Many of us, when asked if we are stressed, blow it off like it is no big deal. We get all macho or act all strong and capable. Hear you me...Stress is an enemy of our desired lifestyles and can attack on many fronts - ALL AT THE SAME TIME. It doesn't wait until your are ready and it doesn't allow for do-overs. Stress marches on and leaves it's marks very obvious on our lives.

If someone happens to mention or notice your stress level to you, you might just stop and take a close look. It is worth the examination as it may cost you more than you ever thought. Don't be so smart that you are dumb. Don't be ashamed either. Seek help, and it doesn't always have to be professional.. Ask for advice from your spouse, colleague, mentor, doctor. Take time off or at least away from the routine so you can take an honest look. Get your spouse or friend on board to help. De-stressing in even small ways can add up to big wins!

One of the major stress reducers? Prayer or Meditation. True story.

Kick-off Meeting Soon

KickOFF meeting is planned and scheduled for Wednesday night, October 26th from 7-8 p.m. We will meet this first time only at Starbucks on Stark Street in the Alberstons Shopping Center near MHCC. They have a long table that I will secure for us. This is going to be a planning meeting and should be lots of fun! No purchase necessary. Just come hang out and voice your thoughts on the ideas we have in mind! Don't be a Charlie Brown and miss the football but come be a part of the game plan! More news will be revealed at them KickOFF!

But Lucy, it's a Kickoff Meeting!

Real Gurl Can't Find Lost Lake

It's a true story. I couldn't find it. It's not a joke. I was lost at least four times. I will tell you all about it soon. Stay tuned!
 

 

Of One Thing You Can Be Sure....

Change. I hate it.

In this life, they say you can be sure of only death and taxes. Well, I beg to differ. After the physically exhausting and emotionally draining weekend I just spent moving and breaking all kinds of ties that bind, there is one thing that I know for sure...you can also count on CHANGE.

I think change is more sure than death and taxes, or at least it is more frequent. I think I might not mind change so much if I knew it was coming on April 15th of every year, like our tax returns. If I could just prepare, be aware, go shopping for chocolate, get ready for the big meltdown. But no...no such luck. Change hits us when we are least ready.

Through sickness and health, change seems wedded to me and determined to stick it out and make it work. I don't want any more change. I would like to settle in a comfy, leather lazy boy and while away the hours reading to grandgurl. Again, that brute named change just won't stay away.

So, through the aching muscles and the copious amounts of tears, the re-homing of my precious Sophie of 8 years, and the butchering of longstanding ties that bind, it appears that I have grabbed change by its lapel and hung on for dear life.

I have no idea where I will land. I have no idea where this is leading. I threw the road map out the window YEARS ago and as one country song says, I am working on tearing off the rearview mirror and giving it the heave-ho too.

I am sure there is yet another lesson in all of this. Right now I don't want to talk about lessons. Frankly, I am sick of lessons. I am tired of feeling judged by all the change in my life, the constant upheaval that no one else seems to experience. I see the eyes that roll and I can read the thought clouds over head as I begin to tell the latest happening in my life. I know it seems impossible for all these things to happen to one person. I feel the same way. Hey, I wish they didn't all happen to me, too. All I want these days is peace. I don't need any endowments, lottery winnings, or even to own land. I just want a small piece of comfort and a slice of stability. Maybe a lick of love. A hug from grandgurl.

Let me just end on that. Grandgurl. This past weekend I was blessed to move into grandgurl's home with her and her mom and dad. On the first day of move-in I needed to carry in five different baskets/boxes. With each trip I took across the threshold of the front door she was in full parade mode, yelling "yay, Gaga comed" and "Hurray, Gaga" and "Hi, Gaga" over and over to the tops of her lungs, and I felt like the biggest super star, Disney hero, or caped-crusader ever. She certainly has a way about her.

Yup. Change is one thing you can be sure of, and you may not see it coming. I was blind-sided for sure but I am happy, happy, happy to say that being Super Gaga is one great ending.

But I Just Want to Understand!

Sometimes we just want to know why. Sometimes it just isn't fair and we want to understand. I have been stuck in this place for far too long. I DO believe there is more to my story than yesterday's mess. I may never know all the whys. My heart may never again feel the love or hear the words I long to hear. But there is still ink in the pen and paper in the drawer. And I have faith that Someone very trustworthy is holding onto the precious memories for me and the answers that I cannot understand today on this earth. Here are some of the words from a song I was listening to just today. I hope it helps you to move on past the mess and into the message of your life. There is still ink in the pen!

 

I believe in the rest of the story.
I believe there's still ink in the pen.
I have wasted my very last day trying to change what happened way back when.

 

Until someday all that's crazy;
All that's unexplained;
Will fall into place.

And someday all that's hazy;
Through a clouded glass;
Will be clear at last.

 

Every puzzle's missing piece rests in the hands of Someone who holds you; for someday.

 

 

Someday by Nichole Nordeman

#RealGurlLife

You Just Never Know

I have believed in miracles all my life. Optimists are just born that way. My favorite saying is, "You Never Know." Because it's true. There is just no knowing for sure how each day will turn out. Hope springs eternal!

Today has been a marathon of miracles. Since the end of June 2015, on my last day of work, praying that "something" would present itself and fretting over what I was to do, I have been awaiting my miracle. The answers and potential have been ebbing and flowing over the past months. But today, LIFE!

First, an email came in this morning from a client whom I have been waiting on for nearly a month. This is like the dream client and you can't rush dream clients. This is a big deal! The email said they were interested in starting a pilot program! I am so excited.

That email came while in route to an early morning appointment with yet another big opportunity. That appointment also went great. There was good, common ground and no glazed-over eyes. (Glazed-over eyes: The kind of eyes that say "I am not interested in one word you are saying. Faces masked with pretend interest but with blank eyes, while you are pouring your heart out.) Those are the worst. But none of that here. The meeting ended with another verbal commitment for future work. Exciting!

Busy day today led to a third appointment where I really had to lay my heart on the line. I had to be completely real, explain clearly, and show my true heart for this ministry. Again, I was afraid to I would be met with glazed-over eyes but instead, I was met with the eyes of the Father. Eyes that saw the good in me. Eyes who believed and felt my hope and passion. Eyes who had seen me a few years back, broken, wounded, and seemingly in an eternal pit. Eyes now willing to hear my story and offer a hand to a nervous and scared Real Gurl.

God knows just how to bring things together. In the weeks leading up to today I was concerned that maybe I was on the wrong track. Glazed-over eyes can sure make you feel that way. When I come face to face with the glazed, bored look, I immediately know they aren't my peeps. Just like the storm troopers in Star Wars...the ones that are told by Ben Kenobi, "These aren't the droids you're looking for."  Not everybody is going to believe. Not everybody is going to get it. "Move along."

Today however, God showed me what He had been working on all along. I wasn't met with a masked storm trooper face. I was greeted with hope that can only come from God. Hope that is confirmed with the sun on my shoulders and a sweet breeze blowing my hair!

There is so much that has happened in the past couple of days that it truly is Miracle Madness...so many miracles that I can't enumerate them all.

Wherever you are in life, hang on. It may be Friday, but Sunday is coming. God is watching over you and will prepare a way when there seems to be no way. You just never know when your Miracle Madness is coming! You just never know...

#RealGurlLife

Day 78 ~ Not Too Late!

Day 78 of my New Year and it's not too late!

My mind travels back to January 1, 2016. I was sitting in a booth, having lunch with my friend, Rhona. We were openly sharing our lives and the events of 2015. We talked about things we wanted to do better and goals for the coming year. I had read my journal from the year before and the entries were almost identical. I was still struggling with the same issues. I was ashamed to admit that I was in the same, exact, place as the year before. There was no growth, and surely nothing exciting on the horizon. I tried to quickly cover my shame by acknowledging that I wanted this year, 2016, to be different. I talked all tough and strongly asserted that I did not want another year to pass and not have something to show for it.

Rhona, is wise as a dove. She asked all the right questions and listened with intent, until she found growth that she could point out to me. I had made amends to 9 people in December and when she heard about that, she said, "See that right there? That's growth!"

(Can I just tell you that everyone needs a Rhona in their life?)

Making amends with those 9 people was difficult, and not all of the efforts were successful. It took me aback to consider that maybe I had accomplished something after all. As always, Rhona made me see the situation in a different way. I smiled a little bit. Maybe, just maybe, I WAS moving forward.

There's plenty of time to make a change.

Today marks Day 78 of this New Year and it is time to measure for growth. Take inventory. Look for changes, no matter how small. Don't be afraid to acknowledge change. You deserve to pat yourself on the back. Any forward movement or upward tick matters, because it shows you are headed in the right direction. Things may not go the way you planned. That doesn't mean failure. It means opportunity!

Real Gurl Life started off slooooowwww and I am one of those Fast-Food Life-Change people....I want it fast and now! However, the slowness has made it better as it allowed for new people to have input making way for better decisions, fresh ideas, and new options to come to light.

As an example, Real Gurl Life has a small, but working board. Shelly Patrick and Amanda Garcia could not have been better choices to serve as directors. They have proven themselves to be thoughtful, smart, encouraging, team members. More than once I have been sweetly surprised by their offerings of support. When I have felt like, "what's the use" they have guided me back to basics and stopped me from biting off more than I can chew. These ladies share the work and we each take on what matches our skillset. Together, we made a list and I am working on it!

I am also diligently pursuing health and new relationships with others. This is very uplifting too, as I see my quality of health is going forward with purpose. I am also rebuilding old relationships and start brand new ones as well! All of this adds up to a general feeling of well-being.

What does this all mean? Day 78 in a leap year means (according to Google) that there are 291 days left.  Progress, at any rate, is progress, right? With the support of others you can accomplish more than if you try it alone. Who knows what the next 291 days could hold?

This is my best advice.

Don't try to do life alone. We all need people in our lives that laugh like fools with us, love us in spite of ourselves, cry like a baby because we hurt, and show up for the hard stuff. Doing life together is the best way! Live well, my friends. The days add up to a life. Make it a life well-lived, a life well-loved.

#RealGurlLife

Real Gurl Life Clubs!

 

We are a women's group working towards putting Real Gurl Life Clubs (after school) in middle schools. Here are some of the details of how these clubs will work and the curriculum that is being developed.

These clubs are geared for girls 6-8th grades. The basic theme is strategic life-planning. We aim to teach young ladies to learn who they are, where they want to go in life, what's it going to take to get there, and what rules are needed to keep their life on track. We will assist them in developing strategies for facing the many tough situations that young girls face today.

Decisions made early will stick!

We will encourage planning decisions regarding their approach to education, health, friendship, ethics, safety and more. We will use journaling, role playing, guest speakers, and weekly challenges to encourage these young ladies to make choices that will lead them to the life they envision; a life that is entirely possible by virtue of their choices, attitude, standards, and work ethic.

 

It is our belief that youth who have pre-determined their own "rules for life" before they are faced with a bad situation are more likely to feel empowered to stand their ground and choose what will benefit their life plan.


It is part of the "dream" that these young ladies will know who they are BEFORE they are in the back seat of a car with a boy and to make sound decisions when faced with the knowledge of their friend's deep secret and are tempted to inform the entire eighth grade.  These are simple problems that can have long-lasting consequences and impact on our girls. We want to equip them with knowledge on how to make choices that will follow their life-plan and what to do if they need help or have problems facing down a particular issue.

Are you a friend of Real Gurl Life? Have you LIKED our page or FOLLOWED our website? Please help us by clicking LIKE on our Facebook page and follow our website. We want to keep you informed of our progress. We are also accepting donations towards getting this program up and running. We appreciate your support in any way....just sharing our website would be great!

 

Currently we are working with two school districts to see how this program can fit into the current activities of their schools. We are open to public or private schools, church groups, girls' clubs, teams, or any place a group of girls gather! This can be an on-going meeting or a one-time engagement. There is no fee. Our group and our sponsors are helping us with this outreach.

Do YOU have a girls group that you would like us to visit? Would you like to start one? Let us know!!!

 

Questions or Interest? Contact Laura Holzbach at laura@realgurllife.org and you will be contacted shortly. We look forward to hearing from you!

Because! It's our March Monthly Meeting!

Hey Real Gurls!

I have been out of pocket the past two weeks with health issues. I cannot tell you how excited I am to see everyone. I sure hope you can make our next meeting. We will be hosting Interest Groups on three topics that are sure to interest you. Interest Topics are: Friendship Rules, Safety & Defense, and Dollars & Sense. Groups will be hosted by Laura, Shelly, and Mandy. 

We will be having a large group discussion regarding the word,

LOCATION:  M&M Restaurant in Gresham has agreed to host our group in their meeting room (where Gresham Rotary meets) without a fee. Orders will be taken for those who opt to eat a meal or have a tea or soda. No purchase is necessary so please do not worry about that!

We hope you will come and bring a friend. This is going to be a FUN meeting!

 

M&M Restaurant

137 N Main Street

Gresham, OR 97030

Change of Heart

My last post was about Joey Feek and I hope you will bear with me just one more time. I just read an update and she only has days to live. She is has been sleeping for days. Joey has said her most precious goodbyes. Her husband, Rory, says that Joey has given their baby girl her last, sweet kiss. Only a few unsaid good-byes remain.

Most of you know that I was hospitalized last week. Four days of poking and prodding and gurneys and no sleep and I thought I was having it rough. The pity-party line of well wishers were coveted and the visits, flowers, and attention were intoxicating.  Released on the fourth day, the doctors figured out the problem and sent me on my way with follow-up instructions and a new RX for life. But there were no threats to my existence. Certainly no countdown established or hushed words of the gut-wrenching variety.

I have been home for two days now and it is quiet. I got too much attention at the hospital and not too much here at home, alone. It sounds so selfish as I read back aloud what I just wrote. I want to just hit the backspace and undo. I bet some of the folks who I know currently facing a harsh reality would love a backspace button.

I am called to change my ways in a hurry. Nothing short of a switch from my Granny's bush in the Carolinas seems fitting. My heart is sad and I feel small and rebuked. What have I been thinking?When exactly am I going to learn how short it all is, how fast it all goes? When, when, when?

Love, people! Love is the thing. Love them all.

I guess it is getting morbid for some of you but hopefully cathartic for most, because here is the thing....that one thing that really, really, stuck out to me; something of particular note; a phrase said by Rory Feek of his wife, Joey. Here are his words, as they were written:

"In the 40 short years that Joey has lived, my bride has accomplished many great things… she's lived a very full life," he wrote. "But even more than that, she has loved those around her greatly and been loved greatly in return. I can honestly say that Joey's isn't just a life well-lived, it's a life well-loved." (see note)

A life well-lived...a life well-loved.

What a beautiful life.

Note: Quote was taken from ET Online article, dated February 29, 2016 by Meredith B. Kile

#RealGurlLife

If Not Now, When?

What courage. What bravery. What commitment. What a love. Such devotion. How rich a life. So quick. Too soon.

I have had some pain in this life. Many of you have heard all about my heartaches and heartbreaks....and it's fair to say that I have had my share. But when I read the story of Joey & Rory Feek....when I listen to her perfect voice sing those perfect words of "When I'm Gone," well, I feel small indeed. 

 

Listen here to Joey Feek sing "When I'm Gone"

The magnitude of their grief makes mine pale by comparison, for the glaring difference between my grief and theirs is that I was able to spend 23 years married, not just 14. The pain and brokenness that ended my union was born of sheer and utter neglect. Not a dreadful, unyielding disease for which there is no cure. I was blessed to get to see my three children grow up. Their baby just turned two. As I think of the Feeks and the shortness of time they must be feeling, I realize that I am shamefully late. I have wasted too many good years that the Feeks would now give anything to have.

As I gather myself to read their blog or a headline catches my eye, I glance through the news story quickly and with trepidation, dreading the announcement of Joey's last day. Her last day. She's too young. She has a baby. Please wait. Don't go.

Joey has not treated life as a rehearsal.

Real Gurl Life Friendship

 

Two are better than one, as they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

~Ephesians 4:9-11

 

friend·ship /ˈfren(d)SHip/ noun - the emotion or conduct of friends; or the state of being friends.

 

 

Friendship is

Voices in My Head - Talking to Myself

Recently I was reading an article about conversations we have with other people. It gave some  clinical rules of the road for social conversations. It was a bit heavy-handed and included a bunch of research and obviously sought to help others. Now, I don't want to short-change science and I am the first to admit that I have not a scientific bone in my body. I know that how we speak with others is important. Our tone, our word choice, everything comes together to create the sum of communication.

In my line of very unscientific heart-thinking,

RX: A Good Friend and Conversation

This past weekend I was fortunate to spend with a long-time friend. I accompanied her on a business trip so that she wouldn't be driving alone and we had plenty of free time to fill on the long drive and between meetings.

I have known Shelly since the beginning of high school. I have always admired her vim and vigor for life. She is one of those people that loves to be active and busy. She not only runs, bikes, and all the normal stuff but loves pickle ball and even had a skydiving adventure this past summer!  As we reminisced this weekend, we spent plenty of high school days in my orange Datsun B210 and eating Taco Bell. (Who doesn't eat Taco Bell 24/7 when you are in high school? Don't judge!)We currently live in the same city and see each other with some regularity, but now we had an entire, glorious weekend!

We talked our heads off!

Honestly, before I even got into the car

It's Your Life

At our first Real Gurl Life meeting last week we took on the challenge to raise our efforts a little bit, just one degree. We are going to try just a little bit harder, love just a little bit longer, give just a little bit more, forgive just a few more times.

Here's the thing....If you are looking for change in your life, it isn't just gonna come up and smack you in the face. Change requires something be different. There must be movement, either more or less, to create change. You will be waiting a long time for the results YOU want if you cannot choose to make a change.

Here's a great thing about change....Change brings Hope. Most people do not deal very well with change. In fact, most folks avoid it.

Ever try to get help moving the living room furniture around? Ha!

How about letting your hairdresser choose a new haircut? No way!

Just try it! You will find it to be true that Change  will make you feel alive. It brings Hope that something can be different. You either get busy changing or get busy dying, as the saying goes.

So....Whatcha gonna do? It's your life!

Change something.

#RealGurlLife