Dad: Mentor, Friend, My Hero

Dad: Mentor, Friend, My Hero.

In celebration of Father's Day, I immediately think about my Husband, Dad, & PawPaw. They have been such a great influence & Blessing in my life. The Love, Support, & Care they have given is amazing. 

My Husband and best friend, Stacy, is a gift. I admire his Faith in Jesus, Love for his family,  strength and his strong work ethic. When something needs to be done, I can count on him to get it done. He's a man of his word and holds truth as a precious stone in hand. The relationship with his son is so beautiful to me. They are quite the pair and bring a lot of humor to the table as well. With that said, watching Christian and His Dad together brings a smile to my face.  The legacy my husband is building and the direction, love, and support he provides for our son and family is priceless.

My Dad is awesome. He's strong, hard working, caring, and loving. He's been a great support to my family and I can't thank him enough for all he's been to us. For the great memories of never ending tag with us kids in the back yard, the endless Oreos...lol, off the wall jokes and laughs, to the care and love shown, thanks Dad! You're a Blessing!

Pawpaw, a man of character and joy! He was always cracking jokes and kept the room filled with laughter. There was never a dull moment. I am thankful to have been graced by knowing him and having the time I did with him. He gave wisdom and great advice that still holds true for me today. His love and direction for his family are so appreciated and never forgotten.

Happy Father's Day!! Thank You to these precious men in my life and those that sacrifice, love, and care for their families everyday!  You are so Loved & Appreciated!!

God Hears & Answers Perfectly

In discussion with my husband the other night about trusting God, we started to highlight where God had answered our prayers from times past, even when we didn't see at the time.  In the midst of questions, in God's way and timing, He unfolded the answers. Times come when we don't have the answers, it seems God isn't listening. During these times, that's where Faith becomes real and Trust a companion. 

One thing I've learned and am learning as a Christian, is that I need to rely on God and not my own understanding of things..who knew? 😊  His way is not our way, His thoughts are not our thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9. Is it easy? No. Is this Faith walk a daily mission? Yes.  There are days when Faith is tested, but God ask us to Trust Him. The good news is that I don't have to have all the answers, I just need to stay close to the one who does. Jesus holds our present and future and it's good to know that His answers are good for us. 

Proverbs 3:5-6New International Version (NIV)

⁵ Trust in the Lord (Jesus) with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

Along those lines, I'm so thankful for how God never fails. From start to finish, He is Faithful to see one through.

Even if we may not see or understand for the moment,  God hears and answers perfectly every time.

Making a Difference

Stuck in traffic the other day,  I noticed some of the other drivers also stuck in traffic... People honking their horns, showing signs of frustration just because one car is allowed to join the 'stopped line of traffic'. This post isn't about that, more about the good I notice everyday. With that said, I began to think,  no one really knows what a person is going through. It's always a good thing to take note and be kind regardless of the emotion presented. On the flip side, when someone is rude, it should be noted the reason behind the manner.  Not every pain, hurt, situation is revealed. We should show kindness and consideration to others.

With that said, I have met so many amazing people in life and are Blessed to have wonderful family, a husband, and son that have defined kindness in a wonderful way to me.  There is always time to report the bad news, but there are wonderful, good, amazing people, doing beautiful things everyday. These people go unmentioned, unrecognized, nothing to signify how they actually made a difference in someone's life. They take initiative and are kind, showing God's love in some way or another.

It may be as simple as a hello, holding the door, letting someone cut in line (at the store or in slow moving traffic), a kind word, or sweet email or text. The person initiating may have no idea and just be reacting, but it matters.  Just by a simple act of kindness, a person's day or life can be changed.   For those who are kind & thoughtful,  your 'everyday' gestures, thoughtfulness given, are important and so are you. It's people like you that make a difference and is greatly appreciated.

Entrepreneurship

Ready, Set, Go!

Starting a business takes a lot of work and time, not to mention stable funding. An entrepreneur does their homework, researches the market, and decides their product/service idea should be launched. What now?

  In class discussion these past few weeks, I've discovered that initiating and obtaining quality factors play a large part in stability of a business.

My take away from class discussion:

• Drive for Success ( Persistence )

Throwing in the towel is not an option. Using wisdom and fundamental business tactics from the start to finish line are crucial. Most entrepreneurs failed at some point, don't quit. Apply wisdom, integrity, and Persistence and move forward.

• Ethics & Mission Statement

What does the business and owner stand for? How will the business function/operate?  How a business is represented and what principles are in place are important.  When structuring a business plan, ensuring integrity is at the top of the list, can be key to stability.

• Education & Research

Before launch, doing research of market and trends are valuable. Knowing how the product/service can contribute within a given market or community can highlight how to structure. This may include properly training employees for service, demographics (location), and cost for startup and maintaining long-term.

• Funding

Every entrepreneur understands this one. In order to launch, operate, sale, and profit, funding has to be positioned. Saving, investing, and loans seem to be the most acquired and used. An entrepreneur can do their homework and look for the best option when funding their business. For long-term, an entrepreneur will want to reserve some funding to cover unexpected cost and in order to efficiently cover business function ( Internal & External).

• Action

Now that the business plan, mission statement, persistence, and funding are in place, the entrepreneur wants to market and share his/her new business.

Simple sharing by conversation may be one step. Utilizing opportunity through online sources can be effective. Other ideas may be meeting up with other business owners or communities to brainstorm or promote. There are effective, low-cost strategies that can market well and bring consumer interest/awareness.

Ready for Takeoff...

Although there is no cookie cutter approach, applying specific factors may help the business move forward. Strong ethics, quality business approach/operation and obtaining proper funding, an entrepreneur can launch successfully and most likely obtain stability within their field.

Mom. Is. Awesome!

In light of Mother's Day, I think about all my Mom was and the impact she had not only in my life, but my sons life. My Mom gave more than money could buy, she gave a legacy of love and truth that continues on. With that said, mother's can be too critical of themselves. You're not just mom, that title contains much more. Mom represents a woman that gives of herself (big or small), sacrifices for her family and those she loves. Her days revolve around: getting the kids to school, dinner on the table, clothes washed, bed time stories, diaper changes, Big Hugs, and Bunches of I Love You's...the list goes on and on. With that said, Moms are Awesome. The impact of those times, moments, and love given everyday matter and mean so much and will last forever! Thanks, Mom!