Newest Additions

I absolutely LOVE the path I am beginning to see that God has laid before me. Although it is definitely NOT an easy path, there is some blessings to enjoy along the way. I LOVE helping women to be able to see the same dreams. That with some encouragement, they too can find a new future waiting, all they needed was someone to see them and encourage them to take that first step. I got the most wonderful message from one of the lovely ladies that has joined my private group class. She is one of the most beautiful souls that God has graced me with.

She has managed to do what I have been wanting to do for some time and needed that reminder that some people need to hear that encouragement today, and not wait for the time of their obituary to hear how they have impacted their life. It reminded me of a book I read from Walter Green, called This is the Moment! It is an extraordinary book I highly recommend that every single person should read. It really encourages us to use the time we have now, to reach out to people in our life and let them know now, and now at their funeral what impact they have had in our life.

Another book I would also highly recommend is The Noticer by Andy Andrews. It is a book on perspective. While two people are going through the same situation, it shows that they can "see" things very differently. One person can see the negative things happening in every situation, while the other person sees the positive in it. The positive can always be harder to find, but it is always there. If you have never picked up either book, I would highly recommend that you do. I think they will change you forever in the best way possible. The strange thing is that they have always been there but sometimes our perspective just needs to be pushed, nudged or motivated to see things a bit differently!

However, this one woman did just both of those things. She reminded me of the simple impact one person can have in your life and let it be known now and not later when those words will fall on ears that can no longer hear them. She provided consistent and specific feedback and her words were like the sweetest balm on my ears. She nourished my soul in just a handful of minutes it took for her to write those heartfelt words and for me, they were like a breath of life! She is going through her own unique health challenges and if you would, lift her up in prayer. She needs all the prayer and encouragement she can get as we all know how much fear can play a role in any of our lives.

I wanted to show you just a handful of the new items I finished this week and if you're interested in any of them, please let me know by emailing me, commenting below or visiting my shop at Etsy.

Do Something!

Just looking at the title of this post, what did you think it would be about? I'm curious what your first impressions would be?

When I looked at it after I wrote it, I thought it sounded a bit harsh. Like someone yelling at an inconsiderate driver, or should I say what appears to be an inconsiderate driver to them?

While I get ready in the morning, it's habit to take my Kindle and put on my Pandora station, Christian Contemporary and listen to whatever songs God brings my way while I get my hair and make up ready. I wasn't feeling in the most joyful mood because I wasn't happy about my attitude last night when I went to bed. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the travel my hubby has been doing and it's been H & G, Hi and Goodbye with him lately. So chores, errands, and everything else has been falling in my lap along with helping him pack and unpack between his trips.

I came across a song I hadn't heard before from Matthew West called Do Something. If you haven't heard it, I have included the video below and would encourage you to listen to it and see how or if it impacts you at all. I convicted me big time.

The words convey the simple truth the no matter what is happening in the world, we watch the news or listen to the radio and simply shake our head. Why isn't someone doing something to stop these things from happening. Homeless people continue to add to the growing population and we get our charitable moments in when we hand them some money hoping it will alleviate their burden to do something to help.

Now don't get me wrong it is something, but on a bigger scale, can't we as communities, churches, cities, states, do something much larger? Find solutions to help them get off the street and get back on their feet again. I look around and see all empty vacant buildings and wonder why we can't lease some of them out with the promise to start working around them to clean up neighborhoods and contribute to making our cities more pleasing to the eye.

I've read that if all the churches in every city took in one homeless person, there would be no more homeless people anywhere.

If all the people who could adopt a child, simply opened their homes, there would be no more adoptable children in the world. No more orphans.

If all the people in the world simply shared what God has blessed them with already, there would be no more hunger in the world anywhere.

So why don't we?

Because we are all waiting for someone else to do something.

We are all waiting for God do something.

But God has!

He created YOU!

YOU CAN DO SOMETHING.

What will you do to make an impact?

We all want to leave behind lasting legacies, imagine what would happen if we all did what we could, step outside of our attitudes and did what we could. If we ALL did what we could.

The possibilities are something!

I would encourage you to make a personal declaration like Andy Andrew's created in his book The Final Summit to "Do Something!"

"Knowing that all those who "arrive have to begin where they are. I choose to begin now. At this moment, I will do something.

For too long, I have allowed fearful thoughts to dominate my life. Now I recognize fear as a misuse of the creative imagination that has been placed inside me. In the past, I have allowed fear to shove all hope aside. No more! Fear no longer has any power to stop me from doing what I know to be right and true. I am no longer afraid. I am courageous. Right now, I will do something.

The person who faces hardships gains no strength. Though I do not look for hardships, I am grateful for its results, for I have grown mighty in soil mixed with troubles. My roots are not deep. My mind and heart have become powerful A beautiful flower cannot be created without fertilizer. A dazzling gem cannot be polished without great friction and am better because of it. Now it is time for me to do something.

I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I can do something right now. Never again will I allow what I cannot do to interfere with what I can do. Circumstances are rulers of the weak. I am not weak. Neither discouragement nor despair will stop me from doing something and doing it now. I am strong minded. I can make myself do something I would rather not do, in order to get a result that I do want. I will do something. And I will do it now.

My life, which was once a question mark, is now a statement. Stormy seas do not scare me, for I am the calm in the storm. My past is behind me and my future is bright because I now know the secret of the present. I will do something and I will do it now.

Right now. I will do something for my family. Right now. I will do something for my friends. Right now. I will do something for those who do not even know my name. For my family, my friends, and the strangers of the world are valuable in my Creator's sight. I will let them know that I recognize that fact by my actions. I now know that my smile, my words, my attitude are actions. They are all under my control. I am prepared to run my race. I am ready to hit the mark. I will now do my part in restoring humanity to the pathway toward successful civilization.

I will do something. And I will do it right now!"

But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? (1 John 3:17)

True servants are merciful. They care. They get involved. They get dirty, if necessary. They offer more than pious words. And what do they get in return? What does Christ promise? "They shall receive mercy."

Those who remain detached, distant, and disinterested in others will receive like treatment. But God promises that those who reach out and demonstrate mercy will, in turn, receive it---from other people as well as from God Himself.

The Truth About Dying

What might this be? What truth?

Suddenly I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear this or not either. I looked at the woman on the bed, and I saw my mother. I don't mean that she looked like her. The woman in front of me was much older than my mom, who had been only forty-two when she died. But the smell of the room and the helpless anger inside it were exactly the same. Many nights I had lain awake on the floor of my mother's bedroom. Hour after hour I would listen to her cough, but it was not her coughing that frightened me. No, I dreaded the silence I knew was coming. I dreaded the moment when the coughing would stop.

"Darrel," Jones began, "you think that your sweet wife is at the end, but that is only a lie you have believed. Because your fear has grown, you believe her fear has become greater...which is another lie. You believe she is experiencing something bad that gets worse until there is nothing at all That, too, is a lie."

"Here is the truth, Darrel. She is not at the end. She is at the beginning. Her fear has not become greater; it has become less and less until now, her fear is gone altogether. And she is not experiencing something bad that gets worse until there is nothing at all...she is experiencing something incredible that gets better, until there is everything."

Jones looked down at the woman and lightly touched her head. "Before this woman was ever born, when she was warm and snug inside her mama's belly, she kicked and twisted, moving this way and that. For months she struggled. She became uncomfortable. She longed for more freedom and began to sense that the worlds she inhabited was not where she ultimately belonged. She did not know what was on the other side of her struggle, but she was getting ready to experience something new and wonderful that in her wildest imaginings could not be described. Darrel...she was getting ready to breathe.

"And when she finally drew that first breath, it was clean and fresh and like nothing she had ever felt. She took another breath and another - and all around her, loved ones and friends cheered in a joyous celebration of her arrival."

Jones looked closely at the woman's face."Look at her now, Darrel," he said. "For many years this dear child was happy and content in this body. But for some time now, she has struggled. She has become uncomfortable. She has begun to long for freedom from the pain of this body and has sensed that the world she inhabits is not where she ultimately belongs. Even now she does not fully appreciate the reality that is waiting on the other side of her struggle, but she is preparing to experience something new and wonderful that in her wildest imaginings could not be described. Right now...right this minute...she is getting ready to breathe.

"And when she draws that first breath, it will be clean and clear and fresh, like nothing she has ever experienced. She will take another breath and another and another; and all around, her loved ones, her family and friends, will cheer in a joyous celebration of her arrival.

"Do not be afraid for yourself, Darrel. You can make the same journey one day - you can join her if you choose to do so. And don't be afraid for her. She is fine. Remember...she is getting ready to breathe."

After a time of quiet Jones slipped out of the room, and I followed, leaving Darrel alone with the woman. He was still on his knees with his upper body on the bed. He held her hand and was peacefully asleep.

It was a serenity he had not felt in a long time. Somehow Darrel's mind drifted easily through the years as he dreamed of the past he remembered and a future he had never allowed himself to imagine." (Excerpt from The Noticer Returns by Andy Andrews.)

When I read this yesterday I was so comforted by the notion of seeing death in a different perspective as Jones so eloquently tells this man watching the woman he has loved his entire life slowly slip away from him. I decided to share this with so many of you that are facing this same situation or have recently watched this happen to a family member or friend. Hope this provides you with a different perspective on transitioning from this life to our eternal one in the life of a believer. You too can have that future you have yet to imagine if you are a follower of Jesus Christ. If not, it's not too late to change. Comment below and let us pray for you or private message me if you'd like. I'd love to help you find your forever home in Heaven! It truly is a life changing decision.

For those of you that love this excerpt from The Noticer Returns, trust me when I tell you, you will absolutely LOVE this book. You can pick it up today at your favorite retailer.

You can also find Andy Andrews on Facebook to learn more about Jones!

The Final Summit

David Ponder is 74 and what many would consider a very successful man. He has built up his vast financial empire without borrowing any money to acquire his real estate holdings, which in itself could be considered by many to be the pinnacle of determining success.

However David Ponder isn't happy. What he wishes more than anything most days is to end his life and return to heaven where his wife has already gone before him. He misses her so much and even though its been eight months ago. She wasn't even sick when she passed, just went to bed after spending the night with his daughter Jenny and their grandkids and never woke up. Never even said good-bye.

David's success has been in part due to The Seven Decisions that have been endowed to him as a gift from the angel Gabriel. He has allowed David to journey back in time to meet with people to provide him with wisdom and knowledge to move his life forward in the present. He values these encounters more than anything. He keeps the memories with him in a small worn out navy blue tobacco pouch. This encourage and motivate him when things or life get too hard to manage. Tonight is one of those nights.

Only tonight the archangel, Gabriel, has another plan for David. Is he about to get his wish to see Ellen or will Gabriel have a bigger message to show David?



In the sequel to the book, The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrew, The Final Summit continues our story once more with David Ponder. In this book the fate of all mankind may be in his own hands. How he will use his time and what decisions he will make will change things for everyone forever.

I received this book compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers for my honest review. Since I hadn't read the first book, I was wondering if I would be missing out on anything. Yet being the master as weaving a heart-warming story once more, Andy takes us all on that journey and gives us a peek back into the gifts found in the first book as David revisits them one night.

Once in your life you come across prolific writers who in the creating of a story do more than just write a book, they change your life. Forever. This book does just that. It will change how you view every decision you will ever come across and face. It will challenge you to face your fears or be ruled by them forever, changing nothing. It gives us hope, provides wisdom, encourages courage, and teaches us self-discipline in the process. It restores what God had created in all of us. For that, I personally thank you Andy Andrews. This one, you won't want to miss. Hands down it inspires as never before with 5 amazing and talented stars. If you have never read a book penned by Mr. Andrews, start with this one, and then be prepared to capture his entire library of books. I know for one, I am.

Like The Noticer and The Heart Mender, The Final Summit will be joining them in my personal library and be read over and over again, sharing their life stories with friends and family.

This book is available in hardcover, CD, and eBook formats. For more information about this book, The Final Summit by Andy Andrews, more on the author including his website and where to pick up this copy, click on the link below:

The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

Andy Andrew's Website

The Noticer - My Book Review

Ever wonder why some things just come spiraling down around you, like an avalance and you are standing directly in its path? Why do all these horrible things keep happening to me? Perhaps I should just throw in the towel, give up, walk away, end it all, no one would miss me when I am gone anyway right?

Homeless. Divorce. Suicide. Old age. Empty nest syndrome. Corruption in business. Greed. Poverty. Lost dreams. Teen dating.

So what do all these things have to do with the Noticer? Everything, because each of these just needs a little change in your perspective. It's all in how you see things that can completely change everything and it does for the residents of Orange Beach, Alabama, thanks to a chance encounter with a old man named Jones.

Jones is unique to every person he meets, he challenges them to change their current view on their lives and see it differently. He notices the small details while most of us only see the bigger picture when dealing with our problems. He notices the things we fail to see or simply stop seeing but are there all along. We just stopped looking.

"Wisdom defined one way is the ability to see, into the future, the consequences of your choices in the present. " is the advice he gives for teens dating to be successful to prevent divorce from occurring in marriage. I don't want to give it all away, but it is life changing.

Why do people get married?

Why do they stay married?

How do you know you love someone enough to get married?

Can you answer those questions? How do you know that your marriage will last forever? One simple word....compromise, but it's not what you thought. You'll need to read it yourself to find out just what it means.

This is a MUST read book for everyone I can possibly get to listen to me. I have to keep this in my personal library because of the wisdom it dispenses is easy to understand and apply. It will change your life as never before. You can't read this book and not have it impact your life. Even though it is written for the residents that reside in Orange Beach, you too will encounter Jones in your life after reading it.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone, young, old, teen or adult. If you know of anyone who is dealing with any of the situations I mentioned above, please, please get this book. I would purchase this book just for the advice on teen dating alone. It has completely changed my daughters outlook on dating in the future and given her confidence she never possessed before. Thanks Jones!

The Noticer is written by Andy Andrews and published by Thomas Nelson, who also wrote the Traveler's Gift and is one of the New York Times best selling authors. Please pick up a copy today and trust me, it's a book that you never regret owning.