Va Va Vixens - a Review

    A friend posted she was going to see a local burlesque troupe, the Va Va Vixens, last night.  I know this may come as a surprise, but I've been wanting to see that show. I'm a fan of pin-up girl art, Moulin Rouge, Chicago, and my friend who owns a lingerie business with a heart to help cancer survivors feel beautiful and sexy.  Well, my friend going to the show added me to her list of guests and I went!  I am so glad I did. 

         

     I honestly didn't know what to expect when I walked into Headliners Music Hall, but I knew it would be interesting.  And I wasn't disappointed when the first sight was a young woman in a corset and tutu on stilts!  The night was filled with beautiful ladies in costume, talent that was above & beyond, an engaging crowd, and sights I will never forget.  

     There were many moments that I would come back for:

• The pre-show singers.  Amazing voices. 
• The cheeky themed songs like the ball and chain song.
• The aerial stunts.  The girl in the flying cube.  Unbelievably cool.
• The empowering number that shows there's a little vixen in every girl regardless of what they look like during the day.

     When I talked with some of the actresses after the show it was interesting to find out that many of these ladies had unassuming regular day jobs.  A professor, an attorney, a teacher, and others.  That made the show even better for me.  These ladies come together to entertain others showing off their inner vixen.  Makes me want to be one.  

     Last night was the first of five shows they have scheduled for Valentine's Day.  If you get a chance, go see them!  Check out the schedule here:  Headliners Music Hall.

How To Spot The Sign To Move Ahead

     Have you ever felt like you were in a rut?  Ever said to yourself in a moment of frustration, "Nothing will ever change!" But once you look back over your life you can see all the changes that have taken place.  And the ruts you thought were there, were only bends in the path you were on.

     I could have written many books about my experiences in life thus far.  Each book would have been representative of a different era:  childhood, adolescence, early career, later career, first house, college and so many other experiences like the one I'm living now as an entrepreneur.  Making that leap of faith to enter into this era of my life was a hard decision to make and stick with.  I absolutely LOVE what I do.  As an owner of Arkham Executive I get to help businesses of all sizes and industries be strategic and grow.  As a representative of Premier Designs Jewelry, I get to help women feel beautiful, be strategic in their personal economies and grow into their potential.  This path is not easy at times.  But anything that has ever been worth it in the end was never easy.  Sticking with the decision I made a couple years ago is helped by seeing some signs along the way to encourage me that I'm on the right path.

    Signs come in all forms and carry messages that you need at just the right time.  Messages that give you an  array of "atta boy," "Enjoy," "Celebrate the small victories," or "It's ok to let it go."  When you get these signs believe them.  Live in them.  Let the messages the signs bring strengthen you to move ahead toward the dream you want to see become reality.

   My latest sign came in the form of a dying jade bonsai tree.  The picture above is a representation of what the tree looked like when I received it as a gift from a friend when my bio-dad died in 2007.  This is what it looks like today.

     This poor little tree has been through a lot since 2007.  Just like me.  It's been moved to new areas.  It's not adjusted quickly, or well.  And according to some message boards I've looked at, I may have really been over watering it thinking it needed more when it was fine with minimal.  This tree has been a reflection of me in this transition era.  The message I'm receiving is that it's time to let go of everything that's holding me back from real growth.  This tree is getting cut to the trunk today to get a fresh start.  That's what I'm doing with a lot of my life now.  I've let go of some relationships I thought I needed.  I'm letting go of limiting beliefs that have kept me grounded for too long.  My word for 2013 is Limitless.  It only makes sense to let go of whatever gives me limits.  Thank you little jade bonsai for encouraging me to move ahead in this journey! And I promise to not over-water you again.

     


     

My Word for 2013

     For the past few years I have done a single word for the year.  In 2010 it was PREPARATION, 2011 was SIMPLIFY, 2012 was FOCUS.  It has amazed me how that one word became a central theme each year.

     When I talked to a friend about choosing a word for 2013, he teased me, "Why limit yourself to one word?"  I thought about it.  I found a cool site that puts words into cloud shapes.  So I looked at choosing a LOT of words and focus on the shape - a star!  Goes with the whole Wonder Woman theme.  As much as I like the outcome, I still wanted my one word. 

     It's taken me 22 days into January, but I've been marinating on a word for a couple of weeks and I've decided.  LIMITLESS.  

   I'm excited to see what 2013 will bring:  limitless opportunity, limitless potential, limitless vision.  I encourage you to think LIMITLESS with me!

 

Begin 2013 Strong

1. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life...
2. ...forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
3. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
4. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and perfect will of God.
5. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
6. Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
7. ...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
8. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
9. being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
10. and my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
11. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
12. ...for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move.
13. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
14. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
15. ...But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
16. ...He delivered me because He delighted in me.
17. May He grant you according to your heart's desire, and fulfill all your purpose.
18. Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave your nor forsake you.

(1) Deuteronomy 30:19

(2) Philippians 3:13,14

(3) Joshua 1:9

(4) Romans 12:2

(5) Jeremiah 29:11

(6) Matthew 6:25

(7) John 10:10

(8) John 10:28

(9) Philippians 4:19

(10) Hebrews 11:1

(12) Matthew 17:20

(13) Ephesians 1:10

(14) Psalm 2:12

(15) Psalm 3:3

(16) Psalm 18:19

(17) Psalm 20:4

(18) Deuteronomy 31:6

Perfect Love

     By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.  And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?  My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.  And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.  For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than out heart, and knows all things.  Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.  And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandments: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.  (1 John 3:16-23)

     Today is Christmas.  A time for families to get together and celebrate time together.  Swap presents.  And depending on religious beliefs, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.  For everyone that keeps that focus - congratulations!

     Since this is my personal blog, I have something personal to share.  It's been a rough time for me this year.  I tend to get the "holiday blues" anyway.  This year has been escalated.  I've not been able to give gifts for three years now.  My financial state is now where I want it to be.  I've been VERY successful starting two new businesses within that time.  First lesson to any future start-ups...have some capital to live on while you build the business!  I'll be posting a Year In Review soon.

     This morning while trying to get out of a "bummed" mood, I kept hearing the phrase "perfect love" in my head.  I looked up 1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment."  Yep, I've been in an emotional torment.  Then I read more of 1 John and found the gem I posted upfront.  In these sentences, John talks about confidence.  I have lacked confidence lately.  And whatever we ask we receive from Him - because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in his sight. If I only looked at the Ten Commandments - I have failed miserably over the years. And I have not always done things that are pleasing to God.  Every time I speak at curse word - God sighs.  But read on.

     His commandments:  we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another.  

    This is not my fix-it for my mood.  That will take a process today.  But this will be the Truth I stand on.  I cannot love perfectly.  I cannot give wrapped presents, I do not have the "world's goods" to share right now.  But I certainly believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior.  And I love others by showing it with my time and effort, my compassion (yes, it's in there), my vision and ability to help others accomplish great things, and my amazing resourcefulness.  That will be my focus.  Not the lack of money to buy Christmas presents.

    Showing love is not always about giving gifts in the form of wrapped presents under the tree.  Nor does it happen only once a year.  It's a lifestyle of believing and sharing ourselves to help each other.  I have been shown great love.  I will always show love in the ways I can.

Thanks bunches for reading and I hope you and yours are having a Joyous Christmas!

C

Time for Reflection

It's that time of year when I take advantage of a little downtime to review the past year.  I've been involved with a great many things this past year.  My measurement of success is not based on the amount of money I've earned, but lives I've enriched in some way and businesses that I've affected positively.  I'm looking forward to getting back to blogging regularly and growing my self and business.  I will post results - so stay tuned!

700-Year Plan

Do you have a 700-year plan?  Most people don't even have plans for lunch, let alone what they want to have an impact for 700 years from now.  Grandmaster Jung Hwang, founder/owner of Hwang's Martial Arts and 1984 Olympic Silver Medalist, has a 700-year plan. I got to hear one piece of it last night. Grandmaster will build a school in Bolivia, one of the poorest countries in the world. He is on his way to making that happen.  What he is doing is preparing his legacy to live on in others.

When I woke this morning I was still thinking about the 700-year plan.  What could I do that could leave an impact on this world? I don't have children like many of you reading this.  I have been blessed to be a part of ministries and charity organizations that have amazing purpose.  I have traveled as part of missionary teams.  I have helped one-on-one when someone has just needed a non-judgmental ear and encouraging word.  All these are just natural things I do, but if I could do more with intentionality - what kind of impact could that have?

An idea came to me - divine inspiration.  Part of my business plan for my jewelry business is to use it to fund non-profits, mission trips, and philanthropic ventures.  I'm going to take that bigger and create a foundation that supports great causes all over the world.  How that's going to look officially or what the name will be, I don't know.  But I do know God will move others to join me.

What would your 700-year plan include?

FOCUS During Transition

This image is a good representation of my life on a daily basis. Although, that blank section where the pieces are pulled apart a little?  That is transition. And those transitions can be rough, especially if you are going through more than one at a time.  Which is what I'm doing lately.  Lots of transitions.  And I haven't really had time to enjoy the neutral zone.  Until this weekend.

I should really be writing more for my first book release, "The No Rules Way,"  or entering all the business receipts into a spreadsheet, or cleaning the truck, or any number of good productive things.  This weekend; however, has allowed me the space to just "be."  My body has been able to rest, and so has my mind.  I've spent some time reading outside in the swing under a shade.  I've spent some time sleeping a couple extra hours.  I've enjoyed some time with friends and family.  The things I haven't had the opportunity to do much of lately. At first I felt like I was being lazy, but I let that feeling go quickly.  It's healthy to recharge.  Even slowing down to "smell the roses" can give you a recharge.

I thought again of my word for this year - FOCUS.  What have I been focusing on lately?  Things that don't help me get any closer to my goals, that's for sure.  I get so bogged down in the details of trying to stretch dimes into twenty dollar bills that I lose sight of all the things that are already taken care of.  I get lonely and feel like I'm not pretty enough or too fat to be asked out.  I get caught up in trying to make current situations work that I lose the vision of an end result.  I've been focusing on surviving the transitions instead of enjoying the adventure that is life.  I'm sure you've never done that...

Bold Request For Romania

Ok, blog readers, friends, family, business associates...I am putting out a bold request.  

Each month the Romania Forget-Me-Not Ministries mission team meets to plan for the next trip over to Tinca, Romania.  I've posted about the trip last year when I went. Here is a brief synopsis and update:

• Forget-Me-Not Ministries was founded by Indiana-native, Rachel Ross, to essentially love and educate the Roma (gypsy) culture in Romania.  Her heart was moved at a young age by the orphanage atrocities she saw on TV and started her journey with her own mission trip simply to love on babies that didn't get any human touch.  That ministry has grown into a full-time life in Tinca, Romania where she shelters, trains, feeds, and basically loves a group of kids from the gypsy village.  Her heart's mission is to change this high addiction, abusive, oppressed culture - one child, one generation at a time.
• Teams like ours (we're the favorite since we have a Mexican dinner night - Rach's favorite  :-)  ), come to alleviate some pressure for the full-timers.  We help around the center as well as go into the village to continue to build relationships and provide some basic needs like food, clothing, and soap.  Imagine your local homeless shelter packed to the brim with folks who have nothing...only the gypsy's have no means of charitable support.  The Romanians consider them less than dogs.  Rachel's heart and consistency in the area is starting to soften some hearts that are in her local church in Oreada.
• Just in the two years I have been involved, the kids at the center have grown dramatically!  Alex, for example, was brought to Rachel when he was 2-3 years old. He has down syndrome, and couldn't even roll over by himself at first.  With Rachel and the care of others that have hearts to care, Alex can not only roll over, sit up, stand...he WALKED AND CLIMBED up to slide down the slide!!!!  Without his leg braces!!!  Abel, 10 years old now, has learned a LOT of English and is learning what "trades" are so that he can be marketable when he is of age to get an official job.  
• Not just the kids - but Rachel is bringing in some of the women from the village to learn skills that can afford them to sell handmade items.  This allows them to help take care of family needs when the husband disappears or she needs to leave with the kids in an emergency.  Rachel pays them in tangible goods like food so the husband won't try to resell for alcohol.  

These are just a few things about what I am involved in with Forget-Me-Not ministries.  Now, for those who are not supportive of international ministries and would rather work local - YEAH!!  I know a few fantastic ministries who are looking for support and helping hands...and yes, I've worked with some of the locals too.  But my Romania ministry - that's like family over there for me.  And to see these kids grow up - even the ones I only get to see in the village during our VBS or food deliveries - that's a big deal when they remember you.

So.  My bold request.  This year because of financial transitions and time constraints, I do not have the money to go on the trip.  And I've waited till last minute to ask for help, I know.  However, if you'd like to help out here are the best ways:

1. PRAY...prayer is strong and extremely important.  Pray for good health and guidance and open doors, and full bags of supplies.
2. DONATE...items.  We need all kinds of stuff like mini soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, band aids.  The plan is to include a lesson on hygiene and a life skill each day, and of course enough money to get all the supplies there in baggage fees.  AND...this is crucial...we need BOY costumes.  Poor Samuel last year got suckered into dressing like Dolly Parton in all the princess dresses the girls got as presents from sponsors.  PLEASE, I'm begging on this one...superhero costumes!  Samuel will make a great Batman!  He already knows the theme song (wonder who taught him that...lol).
3. SPONSOR...me for the trip or a child regularly.  Since I have nothing set aside, I am starting from scratch.  The trip total would be $2,400 - two week trip, Euro is currency, food and lodging is included, etc. Please contact me directly:  christy.ww.smallwood@gmail.com.  To sponsor a child regularly, like Alex, just go to Forget-Me-Not Ministries site.  

 That's my bold request.  Thank you for reading all the way to here!

Grace & Peace y'all!

CS

A REAL Relationship

     So many pastors and preachers teach through great sermons every week.  This morning's teaching is no exception from my pastor, Michael.  He's been doing a series on being "Remade" through Christ.  Total TRUTH in that.  And part of the calling for any pastor is to talk about the gospel of Christ - and how to believe, how to accept Him, and how to live out the life we're all called to - and what separates us from God is sin apart from Jesus.  Makes sense, sin is not holy and God does not allow anything unclean in His presence.  Jesus, however, ate with sinners.  He touched them.  He loved them.  He died for them. He remade them.

     I wanted to share how this relationship with Jesus is REAL for me.  We shared at a recent Work-Life Networking lunch about how some look at God like a father figure.  That didn't work for me simply because my earth-bound father relationship was non-existent.  And for me to accept that God was real in my life, I couldn't allow myself to fall in the trap of seeing Him in my realm.  Enter in Jesus.  Big brother Jesus.  The one who adopted me into the family - regardless of ME - my sin and all - I am in the family.  So, even sin no longer separates me from God.  Let me share.

     Jesus adopted me in the family.  NOTHING can separate me from God's love (Romans 8:38-39).  I can come before Him with confidence knowing He will show me grace, not condemnation (Hebrews 4:16, Romans 8:1).  He uses even my own rebellious sin for good (Romans 8:28).  Now, the apostle Paul writes to the Romans about grace and asks the question, "Should we go on sinning?"  Knowing that God forgives, God loves, God works it ALL out for good.  Well, to be a recognizable follower of Jesus - we should choose what is good...to not sin...and pray for help from the Holy Spirit to see that through.  But what happens when we DO sin?  We all fall short.  Everyday.  Do you give up?  Throw blame on circumstances or people?

     For me...that's when I go back to that foundation of Jesus' love, acceptance, and grace for me.  I may not immediately stop the sin that is causing grief and guilt.  But He still loves me, because He just does.  And when I confront that sin, confidently before the throne of grace, I feel like the image in this post - arms wrapped around me in a love so big it's indescribable.  And I am truly alive, living out a REAL relationship with the God of the Universe who created me for a purpose, a Big Brother who has saved me and brought me into a HUGE eternal family, and the Holy Spirit who breathes new life into me daily. I can come to Him for ANYTHING - good or bad, big deals or small frustrations, attitude issues, joyful dances, hurts and hopes, my desires or devastations - He's always there for me.  He listens, He guides, He saves my sanity and my heart. If you don't have a relationship like that, I'd be happy to share!