2012 Word For The Year

This time of year it's "the thing to do" to set a New Year's resolution.  Well, I quit doing that simply because it was the same ones over and over: lose weight, make more money, be a better person.  When my relationship with God went to a new level a few years ago, I adopted a new idea - Word for the Year.

The year I used "Flexible," I was given the opportunity to do something other than my corporate job.  Year after that was "Preparation." I received training to be an official Executive Coach.  Last year - "Simplify." Wow - lots of lessons learned with that one.  This year, my word is FOCUS.

Focusing on one thing at-a-time will make a huge difference in my life. I will focus on growing my businesses - the planning, the action of it, the relationship-building. I will focus on training new ministry team members.  I will focus on being fully engaged in my relationships - family, friends, and potential suitors (there might be one out there). I will focus on myself - my health, my look, my mind. Most importantly, I will FOCUS on God.  Seeking first His Kingdom, and all the rest will fall into place.

Learning New Ways...

Both of my businesses are very face-to-face relationship necessary. This requires me to drive roughly 100 miles a day. Most days include the trying-to-get-across-the-bridge experience.  Some go quickly, others not so much.  Take one morning not too long ago...

I headed to Louisville at the appointed time, giving myself an hour and 30 to get to my destination across the river.  However, I did not factor in the sprinkling of rain  Everyone moves slower in the rain - unless they're actually IN it then everyone's a sprinter. I take my normal route tempted to try a different way - maybe the stoplights won't hold me up too much.  Nah...stick with the original plan.  Well, I manage to get to the traffic parking lot about four miles from the bridge...about a hundred yards from the last exit to freedom.  Sheesh. 

So I reassess the situation.  My time is dwindling, my frustration is rising.  Maybe I should try the next exit and take the 2nd Street bridge instead.  Now, to do that, there are a few options off that exit.  I chose the unknown...I couldn't actually SEE the backup until I got into it.  Ok. No problem.  However, my bladder is now screaming for my attention.  It had already been my alotted hour & 30 with my morning Dew.  Not a good combination.  But that's the beauty of having a truck that can ride the shoulders.  All I could do at this point was laugh at the hilarity of it all.

After a short respite in the nearest restroom, it was back on the road again.  Willie Nelson wrote a theme of my life before I could drive. 

More choices. Again - I choose the slower route.  Not on purpose, it's just how it worked out.  More laughing.  Good thing I have a YouTube favorites playlist on my smartphone.

When I finally arrive at my meeting - thank God for a business partner! - I had an epiphany.  It was an illustration of many people's path to success.  We start out with that determined plan to reach a goal.  We have the timing, tools, everything in place, when all of a sudden the unplanned element throws us into a crossroads of choices.  We may have to change our plans to get to our desired goal.  We may have to take a detour along the way. We may have to make a pit-stop every now and then.  But with support (my partner to cover me), a good attitude (my perspective & YouTube motivators), and the resources (my trusty truck), my desired goal (the meeting) became reality.  Not necessarily in the way I originally planned it - but it happened. 

So for all of you with a goal: losing weight, taking your business to the next level, having a retirement fund, marrying that perfect someone, whatever that goal may be, be flexible along the way but stick to it. 

An amazing day ... can be found in the details

I had such a great day I just had to share it!


The morning started with a gloriously gorgeous sunrise.  A scene like that cannot be truly captured in a photo - and quite frankly, I just laid in bed with the cats and watched and thought.  Wonderful thoughts. 

Change scenes to one of my long-time traditions...Saturday morning cartoons!  I don't get too many Saturday mornings where I can relax on the couch (with my laptop now) and just watch cartoons.  Totally fun and totally outrageous!

Let's not forget breakfast!  Man.... (my roommate) Bill's son, Tom, turns 10 next weekend and he's here this weekend.  So in honor of Tom's pending birthday - a BIG breakfast/brunch:  biscuits & sausage gravy, bacon, cheesy eggs, and fried potatoes.  We were stuffed! 

Once that settled it was time to head out to work ON my Premier Designs High Fashion Jewelry business - not IN it.  I went to watch my "mama's" show.  It was so much fun meeting new ladies, playing in all her jewelry, and getting new ideas for my own shows.  The best part...she has some of the new holiday line!!!  That Buckle Up bracelet I'm simply in-love with?  She has it!!!  And did it ever look lovely on my wrist.  I've been on an "in-love" high all day. I'm using my free jewelry certificate from Premier to get that sucker!

 

Back home to spend some much needed time in the sun in my retreat area, worked out a bit, and updated my blog designs - among a few other things. Nothing major, but all the little things have added up to a pretty amazing day.   

More changes coming!

This is an official notice....I am Arkham Executive's Wonder Woman!  There's a whole story behind it.  Of which, I'll write more later.  If you are curious and can't wait...comment and I'll message you directly!  Better yet - let's TALK!

Facing Reality in Romania

In previous postings I have made a point to be positive, light-hearted, and optimistic.  Optimistic I will still be, but this posting is filled with some reality.

Some people wonder why we would travel to the other side of the world to minister to people.  For one, it's a calling of God.  That makes it's unquestionable to us who know what that is.  We just follow where God leads.  Another reason is having a passion for certain kinds of people - the lost, abused, abandoned, hopeless - those that need a ray of light.  Yes, we need that at home too.  But here's the thing.  Most everyone on this particular team has ministries back home where they share that light.  God has just called us to bring it to another group of people that is geographically challenging for us.  It's the sacrifice that we make leaving our home ministries to bring that hope here to the Gypsies of Tinca, Romania.

Another reality.  This is a spiritually dark place.  All the beautiful pictures we share and the uplifting stories only share the seeds that are being planted and some of the fruit that's come out of it.  As much progress has been made by Rachel and Dave and their team here in the village, there is much to do.  A lifetime of work and love to pour into a people who don't need to be "westernized," they need to be "Jesus-fied." 

Last night, one of the cute little Gypsy girls at the Isaiah Center got to spend the night.  She was playing just fine by herself, then with the other children - who were all a little rambunctious.  When all of a sudden she starts shouting out to one of the boys and he just looks like he was hit!  Our translator gets on to her.  This is all being said in the Gypsy language - Roma.  Albert told us she just cussed him out.  That sweet, fun-loving little girl just cussed and cursed that boy -- and laughed about it.  The scene may be funny; however, that is what she knows at home. 

Rachel & Dave shared with us how dark this place really is.  How much work has gone into each child and family that are associated with the Center in the form of soft touches, loving words, care packages, and other.  The vision for what it can become is there - a place that can house 200+ children, a community center where the families can come to get loved on and learn life skills, a ripple effect that can reach out into the world.

And every time we come love on a child, shake hands with the adults, say "buna-de-mon-yet-za" (good morning) and smile, we are planting a seed.  There are not a lot of smiles outside the walls of the Center.  But each time we we can pray for them, touch them, love on them and say "Isus Te Ubeste": (Jesus loves you), they not only hear the words, they feel the actions.

That's why we do it.  So they can feel a perfect loving Jesus through we who are just as imperfect as they are.  So keep praying - for the full-timers, for the people, for those who are able to share when they can anywhere in the world including your own backyard.

Caio!

On the way...

 Most mornings we walk from the hotel/motel to the Isaiah Center.  Each morning we pass by all kinds of Romanian houses.  This one is my favorite.  It has such a whimsical touch to it.  And there's a little old man that lives there and tends to the yard and flowers.  It's looks like a picture right out of a magazine!

And the people we see...groups of older people sitting on a bench out side their house, the dogs laying on the sidewalk or in the gateways, the cow grazing in the ditch, the morning trek of some from the market with horse and wagon.  One morning the Christy, the girls and I were walking along and this work truck drove by.  The guys in the truck had some serious horn-honking skill...we got cat-called in Romania!  I know I stand out from a crowd, but I've really tried to keep a low profile.

Over the weekend our translators and Dave shared some history of the region with us.  Turns out by bovine brothers & sisters were Hungarian just 60 years ago!  Where we are in Tinca used to be part of Hungary before World War II.  So this mile marker you see with Tinca at the bottom and Salonta at the top...Salonta is the Hungarian name of the town.  Who knew? Now I do...

And the main roads...wow.  See how it's paved in blocks.  Most of it nowadays has been paved over, but the roads were paved in blocks.  Blocks that were laid by slave labor during the war.  I can't even imagine what that would have been like! 

So just a couple tidbits to start the day.

Day in Oredea

Shopping at the Sunflower Shop @ Caminul Felix, a ministry that takes in abandoned children around the world.  Getting a few goodies for people back home.

Me & Peep just hanging out in the Sunflower Shop...

Making new friends in the Sunflower Shop...Christy & the team take a while when shopping.

This is from the Overlook atop Oredea.  That's the city behind me.  I felt like I could fly!

It was a nice team day in Oredea.  Seeing the sites, learning the history a little more.  There are team pics on facebook that will be shared. 

Another day with the Gypsies

 Lulu here.  We've been going to the village almost every day this week to do a VBS for the Gypsy village. And apparently our team is one of their favorites.  We bring a lot of music and drama complete with costumes and props.  Then crafts and food enough for 200. Today we ran out of food at 150 - so tomorrow we will prepare for 200.  And tomorrow's character story is Esther.  Complete with full princess regalia.

Each morning the team prepares the meals which consist of some sausage meat, bread and a cucumber.  The get a little cup of soda too.  I helped as much as I could, but Christy wouldn't take me to the village.  Maybe something to do with the other cows getting jealous.  That, or some Gypsy child would want to keep me.  I wouldn't make it back home!

Stephanie, our nurturer and baker of the team, loves to spoil the full-time missionaries here with lots of sugary treats.  And Dave, who's originally from England, loves getting this spoiled.  Here, he's licking the cake batter bowl.  This part is one of our favorites...spoiling the missionaries. 

Nap-time in Tinca

Nap-time around the Isaiah Center in Tinca, Romania.  Wherever's comfortable for you.  Curl up, cuddle up, and sweet dreams for all.

What a start to the mission trip!

It was a great start to my first international flight!  What a team we have!

We flew from Louisville to Washington, DC then on to Munich.  That Munich flight was educational and entertaining. Christy shared some new Romanian words with me...these won't be spelled RIGHT, but how they sound....multimesst, coupleacherries, cheypach, stauch-shay, gata, and a few others she tried to remember but got backwards.

The international airports can get kinda crazy. Surprises me anyone can find their way around ANY airport really.

And all the bags!!!!!  Thank you to those who gave us a little extra money to get all the bags here.  The poor van that transported from Budapest to Tinca, Romania literally blew a tire.  But our fearless driver took care of everything.

We're now into doing VBS in the Gypsy village.  The sights and sounds have been an adjustment and so has the massive hornet-bees that showed up in the shower with Christy. 

Ok...quick note & off to the garden!