It’s been a while since I’ve posted but felt like sharing this through the blog site. This video presentation was my mother’s 65th birthday gift earlier this month. Very touching and well done. Sharing it in the hopes that it blesses someone else. Tootles!
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Broken Crayons Still Color
I heard this phrase years ago and wrote a poem based on it. Today, I came across the devotional, perhaps from where the phrase originated. I love it, it’s still relevant, and therefore I thought I’d share it.
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“Recently, when visiting my nieces in Florida, I got down on the floor to color with them. They love the Disney princesses, and so we were coloring a picture of Cinderella. When we opened their container of crayons, a burst of colors greeted us. These were well-worn crayons that had been used to color dozens of pictures. I chose a broken and worn-out green crayon.
In our throwaway society, it would be easy to think that the work of this crayon was done. That it needed to be replaced with a brand-new crayon instead. However, as I began to color with this broken worn-out crayon, my nieces looked at me and told me my coloring page was beautiful.
Because, you see, broken crayons still color.
Just like that broken worn-out crayon, we can also feel useless to God because of the mistakes we have made or the things that have been done to us. We feel broken and ugly and useless. We think God would rather have someone else do His work. Someone with less brokenness and baggage. Someone who has it all together.
The truth is, we all have brokenness in our lives. Many times we compare our blooper reel to someone else’s highlight reel. The truth is no one has a perfect life. And just like that broken crayon, God is always able to use our brokenness to create something beautiful.
A masterpiece.
Many times what we see as our biggest mistakes and failures can become what God uses the most. However, the enemy in our minds often tells us we are worthless and no longer useful for God’s kingdom. Little do we know that God is using our brokenness to create something more beautiful than we could ever imagine.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you that you never waste anything that has happened in our lives. I thank you that you can turn my brokenness into something beautiful even when I cannot see it. Help me to open my heart to you and allow you to bring healing and freedom. I love you. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.” From Body and Soul Publishing LLC.
#emotions #pain #healing #prayer #inspiration
What’s Next After Success?
When you’ve tasted success, then be in the pursuit of significance. Always remember to reach back or reach down and help another when you’ve reached your pinnacle of success. Being a blessing to others multiplies your blessings, your impact, and your good. Let’s be about multiplication.
#success #goals #multiplication
Bitter or Better? You Choose
One vowel can change your life everyday: Bitter or better? Determine which you will be today, each day. Tootles!
#attitude #chooseyourownweather #perspective
The Purpose of Sacrifice
The point of sacrifice: To give up what could be today for what will be tomorrow. Daily, keep the future you want to see in mind and let it drive your decisions and your actions. Your future self thanks you.
#sacrifice #goals #goal-setting
Perspective
So, I have a project that I need to complete. It involves reviewing and transferring multiple data points for 2,000 lines of data that don’t match up evenly, which means I have to view each line carefully, multiple times. Further, It’s both quantitative and qualitative. I want to pull my hair out (mind you, I have a REALLY close cut, so that’s not possible). Such work is simply not my gifting, it does not bring the joy or excitement it might to others who love to work with data compilation and computation.
Thankfully, during my quiet time this morning, while reading a prayer, I was reminded of the blessings of responsibility. I then decided to view this project as an opportunity for growth, for strengthening, and a break from the norm. Plus, I must believe that the end analytics (an outsourced responsibility) will be beneficial for multiple reasons. So, I’ll take my new perspective and apply it with fervency to this project. O, and I’ve already decided that I’ll also celebrate its completion! I am already looking forward to that day.
Turn negativity into positivity.
#perspective #gratitude #responsibility #jobs
Graduates
On yesterday evening, I paused action on my “productivity” list and decided to attend a graduation program that celebrates youth in foster care. I was completely unsure that I would see anyone there that I knew (and sure enough, I knew NONE of the graduates) and I had no significant emotional ties to any of the staff and guests. I only knew that I wanted to be a part of the celebration that honored these young people. Here are some of the things I observed and appreciated:
- Not only were graduates honored, but so were their caregivers (foster parents, program supervisors, social workers, counselors, etc).
- A spoken word artist’s encouragement to embrace and share your story, no matter what it is.
- A reminder that all things (good and bad) work together to our ultimate good, to our ultimate shaping.
- That attitude is important…the attitude we choose to adopt and daily live by affects us. To my current memory, Stephen Covey referred to it as “our own internal weather.”
My fellow readers, some of these young people have faced horrors from which a lot of us were spared, but they chose to become focused and finish school. Among them were scholarship recipients to well-known colleges, husbands and wives who’d already started families, teen business owners, singers, artists, and those who are still trying to figure out the next step. The point: they made it to this point, they achieved that goal and by God, they will continue to soar and achieve more. I did not know any of them personally but I’m incredibly proud of each of them and was honored to have been in their presence. In the words of Dr. John C. Maxwell, remember that “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” Choose growth. Hats off to all graduates and the next step in this journey called life.
#fostercare #ittakesavillage #youth #focus #graduates #Johncmaxwell
The Inspiration of A Child
I’ve never heard or seen this quote before, at least not to my memory, but it is literally what happens for me when I interact with a darling…especially with respect to my children that I meet as a Guardian Ad Litem. For a few seconds, there’s no one in my world but them. I put on the back burner the darkness(es) they’ve faced and I see them for who they are and for who they can become. And…it catches me off guard every time. Gotta respect the kiddos!
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“When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments — tenderness for what he is and respect for what he may become.” Louis Pasteur, French chemist and microbiologist
#children #advocacy #child
“Children are the messages we send to a time we will not see.” – John W. Whitehead
Richness of Life
Today, I attended a homegoing celebration, also known as a funeral, for someone beloved. He was my sister’s father, a guy I’ve known since before she was born, and someone who was genuine. I’ve always loved the fact that he was forthright. He loved deeply and could be a little gruff, but he never hesitated to be himself. In doing so, his sincerity touched a lot of people, as evidenced by the remarks at the funeral. I also found that he’d served on the trustee board at his church. He truly was an involved and beloved person. Doesn’t mean he was without his faults; it simply means that he used his time to love on people and to live with purpose.
A part of the program stated that you’d often find him reading the newspaper and listening to gospel music, loudly, which brought about a chuckle from many, to include myself. I realized that he lived the advice to “be where you are.” Further, because of the wonderful people I met or was reacquainted with today, I feel my life has been further enhanced because my path crossed his path 40 years ago and because of my sister, our paths have remained crossed. As I reflect, I hold to the fact that we can choose to define the richness of life on so many factors other than money. The quality of the people with whom we form and maintain relationships can help determine our emotional and mental wealth. Let us strive to have our richness be to our benefit, and not to our detriment. To reach the mountaintop and be alone or to be surrounded only by those who want something from you is an unenviable position. Let’s strive to surround ourselves with quality people. Not perfect people, for they don’t exist, but people who enrich our lives and leave us wanting to be a better version of our former selves.
“A Voice for the Voiceless”
An opportunity for volunteerism: Become a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) or CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), depending on the state in which you live.
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“A Guardian ad Litem Volunteer is..
Being told you’re the only intelligent person involved and the only one who understands.
Being told you’re just as stupid as everyone else involved is, and to mind your own business.
Having a fifteen-year-old ask for a hug.
Having a fourteen-year-old ask if he could live with you if he runs away.
Being endlessly exposed to colds, flu, colds, strep, colds, chicken pox, colds, pink eye, colds.
Meeting some of the extraordinary people who are foster parents.
Being slobbered on by a zillion dogs and cats.
Losing your car in the parking lot for the fifth time in a month.
Spending dozens of hours talking to dozens of people to get ready for trial and then settling out of court on the first day.
Waiting for people to return your phone calls.
Having a hearing start on time—the one time you’re late.
Having a six-year-old call and say, “Why haven’t you come to visit me? Did the judge fire you?”
Discovering places in the county you never knew existed.
Getting phone calls saying, “Thank you.”
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Brief program description: When a petition alleging abuse or neglect of a juvenile is filed in district court, the judge appoints a volunteer Guardian ad Litem advocate and an attorney advocate to provide team representation to the child, who has full party status in trial and appellate proceedings. All Guardian ad Litem advocates are trained, supervised, and supported by program staff in each county of the state. The collaborative models of GAL attorney advocates, volunteers, and staff tries to ensure that all children who are alleged by the Division of Social Services to have been abused or neglected receive GAL legal advocacy services.
My Therapy 