It has been a really exhilarating and crazy week for me. I learned about the power of the press in regards to a historic building that was set to be demolished. We got a reprieve from demolition, but the hard work begins now. This is getting the word out that we need the support of the entire community in order to make something beautiful happen. I smile when I see my father excited about what potentially could happen here. I know that it will take a lot of work to get anywhere near our ultimate goal of saving the building.
Yet I feel it can be done. We just have to keep talking about our vision, garner enough support from everyone and work together to reach the goals we've set. I tell myself that this is what I have to do in order to find that elusive job...I need to set goals. I need to write down the accomplishments I've done over the past two years, even though I haven't gotten paid for them.
I do thank God for each day. I know that I do have to stop hiding myself away and move forward. Yes, it is scary to expose yourself. I tell myself that I'm not doing it for me....I'm doing it for my family...I'm doing it for my community and I'm doing for the generations that come after me. I am working for the long term. I want young people to feel that they are making a mark in this world, and that their contributions will be remembered. I also want them to know of the contributions their parents, grandparents and others have made.
If saving one historic building will do that, then there is hope.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Pressing forward towards the high goal
Yup....I've stopped obsessing about my situation, and I've stopped focusing on myself. My high goal is to reach out and love others as Jesus does. Only when I stop focusing on myself and my problems can I begin to see everything in a new light. Yes, I do have issues that seem insurmountable now. They are not going to go away on their own, yet by obsessing about them and hoping against hope that a light will break in this current darkness isn't going to help me or the people around me. In fact by obsessing over the facts that are staring me in the face about my current monetary and support issues will deter the very ones who are still willing to help.
I am unique. I do have some unique qualities, but if I'm misusing those qualities then I am doing a disservice to myself and to the people around me. I press forward daily by:
1) Avoiding negative stories and not listening to those people who only want to tear you and others down.
2)Looking for the positive in everyone. You can find one positive thing about everyone if you think about it long enough.
3)Listening and learning. By focusing on what others are saying, you can better help them. This also is good because it takes the focus off of you.
4)Praying and asking God for direction. Sometimes, as it has in my situation, it brings you in an entirely different direction from what you've known in the past.
5) Starting each day by thanking God for what you have. I am amazed when I stop to think about God's provision for my every need. He knows what you need and when you need it.
6) Learning a new skill and using it frequently. Right now I'm slowly but surely learning more about Social Media, am focusing on a Marketing Campaign and working on Public Relations pieces...None of these skills are skills I possessed before.
7) Remaining open to opportunities to help. People tell me all the time that you never know what may happen. I'm praying for steady employment right now, but also hope to start a club for young people in the area.
8) Being creative. In other words changing up what you do each day in some small way. I have to work on this myself as I am a very structured person with certain times to do each task. Yet I'm finding that it's more freeing to let myself go and explore different options. I tell everyone that you really shouldn't depend on the Internet for everything...and this is a good lesson for young people to learn now.
9) Setting up projects with specific and measurable goals. When you have something to look forward to and accomplish, you tend to be more enthusiastic about life. I know that I have set some goals for myself to accomplish within the next six months or so. Some of these goals I'll have to reevaluate soon.
10) Accepting and knowing that you can't do it in your own strength and that you will fail sooner or later. I'm learning this lesson the hard way. I am stubborn, and I can admit that...but not so stubborn that I won't accept help. Some things are still hard for me to accept. I failed a couple of times.
Some days it is hard to press on. You feel very pressured by forces beyond your control. This is when you need God's love and support the most. He is there. Remember his love for you and press on!
I am unique. I do have some unique qualities, but if I'm misusing those qualities then I am doing a disservice to myself and to the people around me. I press forward daily by:
1) Avoiding negative stories and not listening to those people who only want to tear you and others down.
2)Looking for the positive in everyone. You can find one positive thing about everyone if you think about it long enough.
3)Listening and learning. By focusing on what others are saying, you can better help them. This also is good because it takes the focus off of you.
4)Praying and asking God for direction. Sometimes, as it has in my situation, it brings you in an entirely different direction from what you've known in the past.
5) Starting each day by thanking God for what you have. I am amazed when I stop to think about God's provision for my every need. He knows what you need and when you need it.
6) Learning a new skill and using it frequently. Right now I'm slowly but surely learning more about Social Media, am focusing on a Marketing Campaign and working on Public Relations pieces...None of these skills are skills I possessed before.
7) Remaining open to opportunities to help. People tell me all the time that you never know what may happen. I'm praying for steady employment right now, but also hope to start a club for young people in the area.
8) Being creative. In other words changing up what you do each day in some small way. I have to work on this myself as I am a very structured person with certain times to do each task. Yet I'm finding that it's more freeing to let myself go and explore different options. I tell everyone that you really shouldn't depend on the Internet for everything...and this is a good lesson for young people to learn now.
9) Setting up projects with specific and measurable goals. When you have something to look forward to and accomplish, you tend to be more enthusiastic about life. I know that I have set some goals for myself to accomplish within the next six months or so. Some of these goals I'll have to reevaluate soon.
10) Accepting and knowing that you can't do it in your own strength and that you will fail sooner or later. I'm learning this lesson the hard way. I am stubborn, and I can admit that...but not so stubborn that I won't accept help. Some things are still hard for me to accept. I failed a couple of times.
Some days it is hard to press on. You feel very pressured by forces beyond your control. This is when you need God's love and support the most. He is there. Remember his love for you and press on!
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Not letting Fame go to My Head or Stepping back to re-evaluate
Hi, Yes....that's my smiling face in front of the camera
.http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/content/wpvi/images/cms/156923_300x169.jpg I'm the one holding the umbrella. I can't let that fame get to me though. I've been through a lot these past two years with starting up the society and before that putting together the "Images of America-Collingdale Borough book. There are some days I just have to stand back and marvel at how much I've grown as a person. I know it's not me or my own strength that has brought me here. I know that God does have a purpose for me to fulfill.
Yes, I'm still in dire straits in some ways. I've been here so long that sometimes it feels normal. Other times I almost feel like I'm struggling in a thick quagmire of mud up to my ankles not knowing if my next steps will be fatal. That's almost what fame can do to you if you're not careful. Even the rich and famous can fall in those quagmires....not that I'm that at all. I'm just an ordinary person trying to do extraordinary things in my community.
Yes, sometimes I have to step back and re-evaluate where I'm going. I have to take a deep breath, stop stressing about things I can't do anything about and move forward in the path. I know I can't do this alone. No man is an island. I have to remind myself that God is in control. Only then can I step forward and rejoice in what he's doing in my life.
.http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/content/wpvi/images/cms/156923_300x169.jpg I'm the one holding the umbrella. I can't let that fame get to me though. I've been through a lot these past two years with starting up the society and before that putting together the "Images of America-Collingdale Borough book. There are some days I just have to stand back and marvel at how much I've grown as a person. I know it's not me or my own strength that has brought me here. I know that God does have a purpose for me to fulfill.
Yes, I'm still in dire straits in some ways. I've been here so long that sometimes it feels normal. Other times I almost feel like I'm struggling in a thick quagmire of mud up to my ankles not knowing if my next steps will be fatal. That's almost what fame can do to you if you're not careful. Even the rich and famous can fall in those quagmires....not that I'm that at all. I'm just an ordinary person trying to do extraordinary things in my community.
Yes, sometimes I have to step back and re-evaluate where I'm going. I have to take a deep breath, stop stressing about things I can't do anything about and move forward in the path. I know I can't do this alone. No man is an island. I have to remind myself that God is in control. Only then can I step forward and rejoice in what he's doing in my life.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Are we really independent or dependent?
I've had somewhat of a "wake-up" call again this week about my current situation. I am learning that some have may gone to great lengths trying to silence me. They think wrongly that my views shouldn't be aired in the public eye. I am sorry that I may have offended someone. I never meant to do that. It's just that I'd rather be honest about things so someone else might learn from my mistakes.
It has got me to thinking about how independent we really are when we are afraid to speak up. We shouldn't be if it's the right thing to do or we see something that needs to be changed. People want to assume the worst sometimes. Their perception is distorted by the acts of enemies who want nothing more than to drag you and your name down in the mud with them. It is hard to fight those perceptions, especially when someone wants for some unknown reason to destroy you. Time is on your side. You can't be afraid to speak up.
This being said, I am grateful for all those who are standing with me. Admittedly I am a bit dependent on the love and support I've received. I know that it's not a easy road I'm traveling now. No one ever told me that living the Christian live would be....yet I wouldn't trade it for anything. I know my Lord loves me. I know that he has great plans for me. I can stand tall and pray for strength knowing that all will be revealed in the end.
It has got me to thinking about how independent we really are when we are afraid to speak up. We shouldn't be if it's the right thing to do or we see something that needs to be changed. People want to assume the worst sometimes. Their perception is distorted by the acts of enemies who want nothing more than to drag you and your name down in the mud with them. It is hard to fight those perceptions, especially when someone wants for some unknown reason to destroy you. Time is on your side. You can't be afraid to speak up.
This being said, I am grateful for all those who are standing with me. Admittedly I am a bit dependent on the love and support I've received. I know that it's not a easy road I'm traveling now. No one ever told me that living the Christian live would be....yet I wouldn't trade it for anything. I know my Lord loves me. I know that he has great plans for me. I can stand tall and pray for strength knowing that all will be revealed in the end.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Taking Flight and Spreading My Wings
It's just that it is so hard to come down off the mountain where you can see forever to go back down to the dregs of society where you've been wallowing for a long time. I have to admit that I've felt more alive these past two years than I've felt in a long time. Maybe that's crazy too...because I've been struggling to find work for that long. I look at the scene here...not taken by me...of the mountains "Petty Jean" in Arkansas...and feel a peace about the situation I'm in. I know that it's not an ideal situation at all. Yet as crazy as it sounds, I feel that the Lord is guiding me to make the connections and do the work he assigned me to do.
My eyes have been opened to the plight of those around me. I see their pain every day. Yet I have hope that someday I will stand with my Lord.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Gaining a New Purpose in Life One Step at A Time
My week away from the computer was hard at first. I did find myself itching to get on-line last Monday but managed to curb the temptation. It is amazing how much you can learn by just opening yourself to the world around you and not burying yourself in the computer. You should try it sometime. I know some things are very difficult to do without getting on the Internet. Fortunately there are still some wonderful things you can do without the benefit or distraction of the computer. We have gotten away from doing things hands-on. That's a shame. The Internet should only be a tool, not a way of life. It shouldn't dictate how you live or what you say. Unfortunately this is true for so many of us nowadays. We get so absorbed in the social media we get 24/7 from the Internet that we barely talk to one another anymore. That too is a shame.
We do need to start fighting back and take back our lives from the overwhelming influences of social media in our lives. We need to put down our iPhones, our iPads, our tablets and other electronic devices that seemingly rule our lives and start living. It is becoming scarily obvious if we don't start doing this now, we'll become what George Orwell predicted in the book "1984"....
I don't know about you. As for me...I really don't like being monitored 24/7 and worrying about what others may think of me on-line. I do tend to try to keep my profile private. To some, I am considered a "Luddite" which as some may or may not know is someone who shuns modern technology. Yes, I admit that there are some things that I don't do on-line. I like paper. I like to be able to hold and see things. It gives me a sense of permanency to feel the paper in my hands, and a sense of control that I don't have on the computer. Of course, as all of you know, this is creating havoc with my ongoing job search with everything being on-line and companies longing for you to expose yourself regularly.
I have gained a new purpose in my life. I am going to start by job hunting the old fashioned way...by writing letters and calling people on the phone. It will be hard at first to get anyone's attention...so it will be a kind of experiment to see what kind of reaction I do get by doing this. I will only use the computer (Internet) to look up names and addresses and to check on the company's website for job openings. I will keep you posted from time to time as things develop...It should be interesting to say the least.
We do need to start fighting back and take back our lives from the overwhelming influences of social media in our lives. We need to put down our iPhones, our iPads, our tablets and other electronic devices that seemingly rule our lives and start living. It is becoming scarily obvious if we don't start doing this now, we'll become what George Orwell predicted in the book "1984"....
I don't know about you. As for me...I really don't like being monitored 24/7 and worrying about what others may think of me on-line. I do tend to try to keep my profile private. To some, I am considered a "Luddite" which as some may or may not know is someone who shuns modern technology. Yes, I admit that there are some things that I don't do on-line. I like paper. I like to be able to hold and see things. It gives me a sense of permanency to feel the paper in my hands, and a sense of control that I don't have on the computer. Of course, as all of you know, this is creating havoc with my ongoing job search with everything being on-line and companies longing for you to expose yourself regularly.
I have gained a new purpose in my life. I am going to start by job hunting the old fashioned way...by writing letters and calling people on the phone. It will be hard at first to get anyone's attention...so it will be a kind of experiment to see what kind of reaction I do get by doing this. I will only use the computer (Internet) to look up names and addresses and to check on the company's website for job openings. I will keep you posted from time to time as things develop...It should be interesting to say the least.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Too many avenues to cross-Time to get away and reflect
I do have options. Some of them will completely ruin my health (retail jobs) and others that will require a lot of hard work for little or no payment. I know for certain that I don't want to go back to the "cage" of the corporate world which no one has any power but to keep your head down and do the work until you are laid off. I am not the same person I was over 2 years ago when I was laid off. I have grown so much in the past 2 years as a person that it would be difficult but not impossible to go back to that setting. I have tried it once for a month. I hated it.
I know that everyone is pressing me to take anything...yet I am torn. Is it worth ruining my health just to have money coming in? What about my commitments to see my venture through to the bitter end? How about the responsibilities I now have to the community? There are too many avenues to cross. I do feel like I'm being pulled in thousand different directions. It is time for me to get away and reflect on what my next steps will be for my life.
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