Don't Quit!!!!!

O.k. so there have not been any posts like I planned this week. "What happenend?" I thought. "I am sure I did everything right." WRONG! Despite all the "little hiccups" I would like to encourage you and myself ---- DON"T QUIT! Winston Churchhill said, "Never give up! Never, Never give up." I believe he knew there would be problems to arise and from experience he spoke the words that he knew best to pass on. If you still need a little help, it's put plain and simple below:

WHEN THINGS GO WRONG AS THEY SOMETIMES WILL,
WHEN THE ROAD YOU'RE TRUDGING SEEMS ALL UP HILL,
WHEN THE FUNDS ARE LOW AND THE DEBTS ARE HIGH
AND YOU WANT TO SMILE BUT YOU HAVE TO SIGH,
WHEN CARES IS PRESSING YOU DOWN A BIT,
REST IF YOU MUST BUT DON'T YOU QUIT.

LIFE IS QUEER WITH ITS TWISTS AND TURNS,
AS EVERYONE OF US SOMETIMES LEARNS, AND MANY A
FAILURE TURNS ABOUT WHEN HE MIGHT HAVE WON
HAD HE STUCK IT OUT; DON'T GIVE UP THOUGH THE PACE SEEMS SLOW -
YOU MAY SUCCEED WITH ANOTHER BLOW.

SUCCESS IS FAILURE TURNED INSIDE OUT -
THE SILVER TINT OF THE CLOUDS OF DOUBT,
AND YOU NEVER CAN TELL HOW CLOSE YOU ARE,
IT MAY BE NEAR WHEN IT SEEMS SO FAR;
SO STICK TO THE FIGHT WHEN YOU'RE
HARDEST HIT - IT'S WHEN THINGS SEEM
WORST THAT YOU MUST NOT QUIT.

December's Impression

Almost a week ago, A dear friend of mine buried her daughter. Two years ago, that same friend buried her mother and niece two weeks apart. Seven years ago, she also buried her husband. Despite all the sadness that the month of December brings, she celebrates a birthday during the month, too. When her birthday came, however, she wasn't happy or ecstatic about it at all. You see, her heart was heavy, and for the first time in her life she realized that she has never grieved for her loved ones, and concluded that she is suffering from depression.
For some people the holidays are really tough. They bring back memories of people gone whom we miss and love so much. There are so many things that we can do to help our friends during this time of year. So if you have friends who need you during the holidays, please think of them. Do something special for them, and most importantly, show them a little extra love and care.

Happy Holidays!



Your Mission Assistant,

Andrea

What Are You Cultivating?

Have you ever seen the scrolling bar on Facebook? You know, the one that shows you what all your friends are doing minute by minute. Now don't get me wrong, I am not bashing the site, I love it, but it makes me wonder if our automation has become a quick fix to the way things use to be. For instance, we use to reach out to our friends and loved ones by calling them on the phone or writing them a letter. Now we say, "Happy Birthday!" at the click of a button and our work is done. We didn't take the time to go to the store to find a birthday card that said exactly how we felt for that person. We can even get our gifts at the click of a button! Have we let society create an automatic way for us to handle everything?

I had the distinct please of being a co-host on a talk show last night, and surprising enough the guest on the show was saying that we don't cultivate our relationships anymore. He went on to say also, that this is the reason why so many marriage are failing and the institute of marriage is no longer valued.

So I ask you, have you cleared away the weeds in your garden? Have you created an environment for growth or have you left an automated watering system in your garden to do all the things you don't want to do? Marriage is a tough job. There is no boss, only a team. The team has to learn to work together in order for the RELATIONSHIP to flourish. Have you spent quality time this year? Do you plan to spend quality time or will you just send a general wish via the internet?

In all your relationships, personal or professional, think of GROWTH. Take the time to work as a team player and see what buds begin to form and bloom.

As John D. Marshall puts it:

Cultivating requires thought, work, and patience. For example, a gardener has to think about what to plant, when to plant it and how to nourish the seed. The ground must be prepared, weeds pulled and tenderness offered to yield growth. Marriage is the same way. There are not easy fixes, but growth can happen with a commitment to follow through.

Happy Cultivating!

So You Didn't Get It All Done

So the year is coming to an end and all you can think about are the things that you didn't get done. I know you were supposed to get it done, but things just got in the way. Oftentimes, we put too much pressure on ourselves. We want to be PERFECT. There, I said it. You should say it too because you know it's true. The important thing that I want you to remember is that it's o.k. Stop overwhelming yourself unnecessarily. Enjoy life, and remember that we get the blessing of a new day to start all over.
I know what you're thinking. It's the end of the year and I am going into the new year with the same mess I had in 2011? Well, that my dear is completely up to you. What are you going to do about it? You don't have to wait until the new year to have a new year's resolution that you won't keep. You don't have to wait for the right situation before you pursue your dreams. Don't declare that your dreams are dead! Understand that they are just sleep, and the next steps are simply up to Y-O-U! In life, we all have to go through stages: infant, toddler, kid, young teen, teenager, young adult, adulthood. The fulfillment of your dreams are only a process, and like it was so elegantly said on our fan page:

Don't feel pressured to compete with anyone else. Run your own race.~T.Henry

Happy Journeys!

Your Mission Assistant,
Andrea