For The Better Good -Variations & Generalizations

It's been an odd day... An amazing thing happened that reminded me once again of God's love and faithfulness. I was in tears thanking God and praying for several people, including myself. There is much still to to as I am moving to the mountains to live in my van (all set up well as a camper van) with full hook-ep in a beautiful setting with lakes and mountains. Although there are some things that are out of my comfort zone (having a potable toilet instead of a bathroom) but I know that it is a good thing for me. Everything I need will be there. There are many amenities, people who live there year 'round as well as those vacationers who go in & out sporadically. I love the variations of people there... those that live there in a permanent section, those that come in for the week-ends or holidays or particular times of the season(s) or for special events. You have tent campers, RVers, weekenders, full-timers, those that vacation in the condos, those in the scaled down cottages. Everywhere there is very pretty... very scenic setting on a large lake surrounded by mountains. It couldn't be much more idyllic.

My 30 Day Fast - Results

I finished up a 30 day water only fast last month. I started back on mostly juices and soups. My health had been pretty poor for quite a while. While I was the manager at the firm I formerly worked for, I was going on adrenaline at a break neck speed for so long it was ridiculous. I was told more than once that if I didn’t slow down and start taking better care of myself I would most likely have a stroke or heart attack. Fun news, huh? So finally after being gone from there for close to 3 months (it will be 3 months next Monday) I have had to come face to face with getting me healthy again. I found myself crashing like crazy - no energy and just felt rough with no adrenaline or insanity to keep me pushing to the ridiculous. I was totally tired of being sick and without energy. It is terrible to feel you are stuck & have to live like that! (Fast forward for a second: I don’t have to live like that anymore! Woohoo!)

After a lot of prayer & research I ended up going on a 30 day water fast. It was pretty brutal at times but somehow I did it. In between the brutal sickness of my body ridding itself of toxins I would have surges of energy and able to get things done. I found health issues improving significantly. I had so much hope that I could get my “life” back & be the vibrant woman full of energy that I was just a few short years ago. Well I learned so much about myself during the fast. But one thing that I just found this last few days is that I am allergic to the preservatives/chemicals in non-organic foods! As long as I juiced and ate organic I was fine, felt great. But as soon as I ran out of my organic and started using “regular” foods again I started having all my health issues return in a big way!Long story short I have found as long as I eat organic and whole foods (+ washing vegis & fruits well before juicing or eating) I am fine and feel great. But when I ate “regular” (non-organic) soups etc., I got so sick for literally hours, culminating into days! No energy and extremely sick with headaches, cramps, swelling, just awful stuff. After feeling so much better after the fast, all of a sudden I was miserable again, it was scary, sad and terribly upsetting. I couldn’t believe that simply by eating non-organic foods, including my nutrisystem foods left over from prior to the fast would make me so sick, lethargic and achy again. I felt horrible & slept for hours, I was hurting and so sick! I realized what it was!!! I may have never known how much the chemicals & preservatives were hurting me if it hadn’t been for the fast. I have now replenished my organic food and whole foods and am doing great again! Wow it feels good to feel good again! :)I felt it important to post this as so many people are exhausted all the time and have headaches and on & on. I got to the point where it was all very severe. Again, I would have never known these preservatives and chemicals were so much of the catalysts of my problems (in addition to the excess weight) if I hadn’t gone on the fast and “discovered” it in the aftermath of it. It has been a rough few weeks but I am so grateful I have discovered what I have about myself for my ongoing journey to health & wholeness. I hope there are those here that will consider trying whole foods and organic foods for a while and see if you feel better too!

Final word: People talk about how expensive it is to eat organic, but it costs a whole lot more in lost energy and health conditions to eat the garbage stuff our society has become so accustomed to and we have forced our bodies to try and use as fuel. It is like trying to run our vehicle on water with a little gas in it… it won’t work very well and eventually the vehicle will get “sick” and break down. I am not preaching to anyone… but I am reporting that I am amazed at the difference in myself even at this point when I eat organic & whole foods (whole grains, fresh produce, etc.) versus eat what is thought to be “normal”. I never ever thought I would be so sold on this way of eating. I will still have my splurge meals once a week. But wow what a difference it makes for me to eat organic and whole foods 98% of the time! I am genuinely amazed by all this! Well, gotta run! …Back to “working” to get myself some income coming in! Blessings to All! :)

My 30 Day Water Fast - Perceptions

Sometimes I look for answers in the powerful rushing wild rivers, when it actually lies in a small gentle stream barely tumbling over the rocks in a hidden little cove. Recently I have been in a phase that involved extended fasting on my quest to get my health back & reclaim my life. This was the first time in many many years that I had even attempted a fast of more than a few days and to be honest after a couple weeks I began to whine to the Lord. I felt deprived at times, hopeful at times, but overall I just wanted to eat something! I realized that my flesh is very strong about what it wants! To deny the flesh… Whew not that easy of a thing for me. I would occasionally get frustrated with myself at how much of a struggle I felt through especially the last couple weeks of the fast. Funny because the whole time, though I prayed and told the Lord it was as much a spiritual fast as a fast for my health… I felt like it was pretty much about “me”.

However, it was at the times where I was the most frustrated and deplete that I would cry out to God in frustration. In those moments it was like the red sea parting… All the “stuff” simply parted and I was left with the most humbled me crying out to HIM, completely vulnerable with realization that within myself alone there was not a whole lot I actually could control in my life anyway! In those moments it was no longer about “me”. In those moments it was about HIM and about the people I felt led to pray for, to lay at His feet. It is hard to explain what happened in the final period… The toughest period in the flesh… But somehow in that time of struggle and vulnerability and frustration I would come to that end of “me” and end up somehow headlong in HIS presence, without my even being conscience of it, HE was doing things, changing lives, changing me, changing others… All of a sudden I began to see some break-throughs happening. It stunned me. Things I had prayed for, for quite some time and all of a sudden different people were reporting break-throughs. I was and am astounded at God’s love and care for those HE loves. Here I was crying out in my struggles and only in getting to the point of forgetting myself and lost in just crying out to HIM did things truly begin to happen. And that is when I “got it”. THAT is what fasting is supposed to be about… About coming to the end of you, only then can GOD really take HIS most powerful place without human interference!

I have the movie “Seabiscuit” on right now. I almost turned it off a couple of times in the first hour or so. It was slow moving and I guess I was looking for more immediate gratification. But something said keep watching… It has become an experience this movie. It is an awesome thing to see people arise from hurt and pain and even in inability to be all we should be, to come to a place that without even realizing it, we shine in our most humbling moment(s). The movie is about triumph for the humble, the common, the unlikely winner. In a way I think that is what GOD is about. HE is about breathing life into the foolish things (like me…) and using this old clay pot even when there are beautifully glazed vessels HE could choose to use instead. Isn’t that amazing… It boggles my mind. I don’t have to be the perfect expensive vessel to be used by the King of Kings. He is the not only the King of Kings but also the King of Hearts. The King of my heart who has chosen to use a humble, misshapen clay vessel. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this God whom not only do I love but the mysteries of all mysteries… HE loves me. Can you imagine such a thing? HE loves me… Wow… HE loves you as well… Take it in because therein is the source of life and hope and love… HE is amazing this God of love…

4 years since Hurricane Katrina & my personal "Katrina"

Today, August 29th, 2009 marks 4 years from when hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and devastated so many lives, causing mass damage and devastation in her wake of terror. I remember it very well because I had left a dangerous mess of a private hidden life with my now ex. Although the public side of my life with him seemed idealic to many, the private side was very sad & very messed up. From the public perspective outside of my relationship with him, I had a life that I loved in many ways. Being out west and having almost no money I left everything I owned (a house full of furniture & decor items as well as books & personal info in file cabinets etc…. over 30 years of accumulations of adult life…) other than a few cosmetics, clothes, my Bible & a couple boxes of family photos. I had a couple friends there that were very helpful, even life giving in my departure from all the craziness. One of them was an absolute angel to me, not only when I left but prior to that time period, and afterward as well. I called her daily and she was always there with love & support. (Darlene I will never forget all you were and did for me. You were an absolute God-send to me & I thank you so much my friend & sis.)

I left Nevada on July 25, 2005 and went to stay with friends in CA to heal for a couple months before heading back across the USA toward “home”. I originally wanted to go out in the woods alone and just cry and heal with just me and God. I felt so deplete and worthless that I didn’t want anyone to witness the raw pain and worthlessness I felt. I was a damaged, broken woman full of guilt and grief. There was much involved that I didn’t speak about, some things that had I been stronger I should have reported to the sheriff. But I was good friends with his wife and friends with he as well, and at the time I just couldn’t bring it all out in the open. All were components that had to do with the strange damaging secret life I lived with my ex, that I carried deep inside of me.

For many months after leaving I can remember crying out to God often like a broken child for the strength & will to continue on and start over. I have truly miraculously healed from all that with God’s love and care (and you wonder why I love God so much???? :) but I still see news stories that remind me of that life with him that take me to my knees for those I don’t know, but that I “understand.” To this day I believe it is my calling to intercede in prayer for these people.
My friends there in CA took me to San Francisco, touring through the wineries in Sonoma & Napa Valley and up the coast. All the awesome things I experienced coupled with their care and kindness helped me to begin my healing process. It helped me much to be in those beautiful areas & have the opportunities to explore such beautiful areas. It was inspiring to me on many levels. When I have my health and fitness level in a better place I want to go back with my sister Patty (and my son if he is able and still wants to) to re-experience the wineries and that beautiful sea-life filled coast, as a whole person.

When the ex came and got me from SC & took me to Nevada, I had a thriving business, several thousand dollars, all my earthly belonging in a 24 ft truck & a heart pretty much in tact. When I left, I pulled out with a ‘99 Dodge Dakota (mid-sized truck) and very little else. I left behind a weekly TV spot, a spokesperson role for a local medical weight loss center with commercials etcetera, I sang in a number of events including a very successful annual benefit show at one of the big community based casinos. I knew and was friends with most of the “who’s who” in town and was often recognized from the TV spots, people were very kind to me and much of my public life there was a gift to me in many ways. And yet personally I felt like nothing, like a walking zombie… Worthless & deeply grieved. I have always been a strong person with a strong level of belief in myself so this was a foreign state of being for me. I began to feel more and more like I was watching myself perform day to day “playing me” as I began to feel less & less “there”. It is a hard to explain state of being for those who haven’t experienced it. But obviously it was not a healthy situation by any stretch. I believe to this day that not only was my mind and spirit in a damaging situation but, that I was also in real physical danger. I almost felt I deserved it as I had put myself into the situation and should have known better! I had “seen” the signs and yet I still left my life to start a new life with this man across the USA. I was so full of guilt that for many many months I would pray for others but not myself. I have known and loved God all my life, but during that time period I felt I had deserted God and the common sense HE gave me and that I didn’t deserve HIS love or care.

When I was in CA, Katrina hit. I remember watching it all on TV in utter shock. So today as it marks 4 years, I want to thank a few that imparted into my life. It is no small thing when you help others in whatever ways you can. So visit the friend in the hospital, listen to the hurting souls, pray for others, give in whatever ways you can whether it monetarily or food for the hungry or a blanket for the cold, care, love, little tiny things make a huge difference… They truly do.

To Darlene: You were a lifeline to me, thank you for being such an amazing friend to me when I was so deplete. Thanks for always believing in me sis. To my family: Thanks to all of you for your prayers, love care and non-judgment. Mom & Newberne: Mom, Thank you for understanding some of what I felt then. Thank you both for helping me get across the USA even though the gas skyrocketed at that time and I was devistated by it. You helped me not once but twice. It took me 2 years to pay you back and yet you never once asked me for it… never once… I love you both so much. You always loved me & never judged me… You are awesome parents. Newberne though you came into my life as an adult you are an awesome father and I love you. Chad: If it hadn’t been for you I don’t know if I would even be alive right now. I had given up and you would not give up on me. You were the bridge that would not go away. You somehow with God’s help found a way for me to hear again just long enough for my guilt wall to drop so that I could come back to know the love and care of God. I am crying now remembering that final day that the wall fell and I could see again as you reminded of the “prodigal son” in your unique way that only you could. You knew far more than anyone and yet you never betrayed me, you never judged me, you always believed in me, even inmy worst days always loved & respected me. I cannot tell you how much I love you and how proud I am of the man you have become. If I never had anything else in this life I am blessed beyond words that God allowed me the gift of being your Mom. (OK pulling myself back together now… whew… memories.. so real… so close right now…) Pamela, When you were at such a hard time physically we shared our closest times as sisters. You often navigated me to a safe area in the middle of the night as you lay hurting almost bed-bound with your laptop. And you listened that day that I came out of that church on a Wednesday night so hurt and so sad, knowing I wouldn’t get a campground as I had so little money and gas was so high that I wouldn’t even buy myself socks and I was freezing at that point in the Colorado mountains. You booked me a three nights in a beautiful campground that, even though I told you not to. I needed that reprieve so badly. It was like being in heaven for a little while. I had a lakefront site with electricity and full hook-up. Thank you. Whew… and others that prayed and cared like you Leann who I knew as Angel as an onlilne friend who listened and cared. I called you also several times sis, in my journey back into wholeness. Thank you sis, I love you. And to Landmark church that God led me to a couple months after getting to Atlanta. You didn’t know how much of a broken mess I was then, and yet you embraced me with open arms and hearts and I felt a part of the family there. I miss many there and I thank you so much. To my sister Patty & Nephew Billy: I will never forget that first Thanksgiving I came home and I felt so odd. You both met me at Barnes & Noble after Thanksgiving, before I went back to Atlanta. You listened, you cared and we shared a heartfelt connection that day that meant so much to me. You connected with the real me deep inside and it mattered, you both made such a difference by loving and caring and believing in me, thank you. I love you so much! TO ALL READING THIS: Please know you probably have no idea that there are lost broken people around you. I seemed very whole and fine on the surface. You can make a huge difference…

To the ONE Who gave me life and hope and joy again: Thank You God… I know their are many who misunderstand how amazing You are and how much you love them. Thank You for loving me at my very worst as well as at my best. I will love you forever.
I am currently in a transitioning phase of my life again. But it is good and I am full of hope and gratitude even for this new phase in my life. God is good and I am thankful and blessed. Blessings to All, Brenda

Finally... Entered into my "Second Life"

For the last few years I have talked about the next phase of my life as my "second life". Now I know there is a huge virtual reality group that came along a while back and made that phrase quite famous, but I came up with it first, so this is my interpretation of what that means to me. For me, my "second life" denoted what my "intentional life" would be once I was able to leave the corporate/structured work life and live a life that I chose based more on my wants/needs. That life (now this life) was to be a life with much more freedom. My second life was a life that didn't have to be perfect (there is no such thing) but I wanted to live, really live before I leave this earth.

I have found that most of my adult life has been lived to take care of others (and myself) and factored into that endeavor, to a smaller degree but still a component was measuring up to the societal acceptance and approval. At 51, I am at a place in my life that only my monthly living bills need to be paid consistently. Thankfully, I have paid off my debt and am only responsible for myself now with my only child being a grown man on his own. Therefore, my financial needs are modest. Also thankfully, I own my vehicle (not the bank) and I don't need a lot of material things to be happy. What I do need and for the most part want, I pretty much have at this point. I am a gadget gal, love technologies' fun and helpful delights. But I have been a single parent most of my life too, so I have never been one to spend a lot on anything. When I bought my Kindle (Amazon e-reader - love it by the way) I thought about it and reads zillions of reviews and researched it for 6 months before I actually broke down and bought it. That is typical of me. I don't buy items over about $30 without some major thought and research first. And with the Kindle as in other purchases/electronic gadgets/etcetera, I am happy with the version I purchased. I don't have to rush out to get the newest glossy, glitzy, updated version. So today, I am thankful for the preparations I have made (paying off debt, paying off vehicle, buying most of the things I need to take care of myself well with my "second life" plans) as well as having the mindset to move into a lifestyle in which I personally find more freedom, as opposed to staying within the accepted societal expectations only.

I have finally left my latest several year "corporate gig" as the overall operations, office and marketing manager of a professional tax consulting/tax law firm, to embrace simpler choices in my own life.This phase of my life has been something I have sought and planned in abstract for the last 20 years, and in more specific terms for the last 10 years. This past couple years I have literally planned what I needed to full time van dwell. (What RVers often refer to as "full-timing".)

I have a couple memberships that allow me use of a beautiful mountain/lake area for my home-base. I will have the use of satellite cable, water and full electrical hook-up as well as a wonderful community atmosphere. The area has many amenities and perks that work well with who I am. I am working on a "secret project" as well as doing some writing that I am expecting to support me. My needs are minimal, but I plan to be successful enough to help others along the way as well as take good care of myself. I am determined to take very good care of myself in the also extremely important areas of health and spirituality.

I will be announcing my "secret project" here within the next few weeks. I certainly hope you will join me in that unveiling! Thanks for sharing in this momentous new phase of my life. It only gets better from here. I will leave you with 2 quotes that say a lot to me as I take this continued journey: "Mistakes are the portals of discovery." -James Joyce & "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." -Leonardo DiVinci

Keeping Your Focus Among Massive Distraction

There's nothing like a good end of "your world", disaster movie to put things into perspective. I think when we are presented with (or inundated by) something so extreme, it allows our minds to clear much of the distractions that can rob us from accomplishing the success generated by "focus". I find when we focus in on whatever it is we focus in on... THAT becomes our central theme for the moment. If we continue to focus in on it, it will become our focus for the hour or the day or the week... well you get the idea. If we put the attention on negativity, possibly the economic crisis and all that is taking place right now for a reasonable portion of time and then go back to our focus on living well, loving God, taking care of our families and on doing well at our work, then there is balance and success can remain and grow. But, if the focus gets too muddled and we lose that precise point of positives thought put to action, it can and most often will steal everything away that matters to us. Everything...

It is crucial that we focus on the upside of things. In doing so our focus will help guide our actions and outlook which will lead to a better result in whatever it is that we are looking to accomplish. So often when things are tough, whether it be related to the economy, personal relationships or a host of other things, we focus so much on the problems and issues surrounding that problem that we become discouraged and lose our ability to retain hope and expectation of the positive. When we go there in our thoughts, it sets us up for failure. If you find yourself focusing on the negative rather than the positive look at the flip side of whatever it is that is getting you down. If you are concerned about your job, think about the fact that in no area of the United States is the employment at 11% yet. That means that of those of us that are of age and ability to work, 89% of us are! Look on the flip side. Having marital troubles? Look at those beautiful children and remember that there are some wonderful things that came from that marriage. Change of any type can be difficult, for some it can be debilitating but it doesn't have to! Turn on some uplifting music, watch a hope filled movie or hang out with some very upbeat, positive friends when you feel down, not with someone who will feed your discouragement! Look on the upside... it will give you alot and take nothing from you to do so. Right now stop and make a list of all the things you are thankful for. Focus on the positive. If you feel stuck in the negative or downtrodden heaviness try: Listening to upbeat music that you enjoy, music that sends a good message to you. For me "Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance" by Mary Mary can pull me out of a funky mood just about anytime! And/or... PRAY! When I get stuck and feel a heaviness in my outlook I often will read verse prayers (also called word prayers) out loud. By the time I am on the second or third prayer I am thanking God for His care and all He has done and will do that I am in soaring into wonderful strength and wholeness. (Check out "Prayers That Avail Much" by Germaine Copeland, my favorite is the 3 in 1 commemorative edition). And finally, go to where you feel good! For me that is nature... For me that means waterfalls, mountains rivers creeks lakes forests the ocean and so forth. For someone else it could be a beautiful garden (when I lived in S. FL many years ago I used to often go to a Japanese park with a waterfall and willow trees. It was very beautiful and inately peaceful.) or wherever makes you feel peaceful and puts a smile deep within you. Just a drive through a scenic area or sitting on a park bench overlooking a serene area or watching people skate by or on a dock. There are probably about as many places as people.

Finally I must say that for me knowing loving and being loved and directed by One far greater than I is crucial to my well-being. I find immense hope strength and purpose in my relationship with God Himself. I highly recommend your getting to know Him as well. It's a quality decision that you willnever regret. For further on that: http://www.gotlife.org/intro.html

USA Economy in 2009: 11% Empty or 89% Full?

Turn on the news on any TV channel or radio station, morning, noon or night and chances are good that you will hear something about the economy. We have heard and seen a substantial level of downtrend in the US economy, especially in the latter months of 2007 continuing through all of 2008. The housing market has literally fallen apart, with many either losing their homes to foreclosure or experiencing huge drops in their home's market value. This alone has substantially weakened the overall wealth report of the masses in the US. The worst case scenarios involve the loss of family homes, forcing people (often entire families) to live in their vehicles, with relatives or in homeless shelters, if not altogether homeless. When you add in the other elements that have been a big part of the overall picture, including: the stock market wildly swinging in all directions with record breaking lows and then occasionally hitting a huge surge upward, national and personal debt badly deplete, and unemployment is reported the highest since the depression days of the 1920s, all fueling a huge decrease in consumer spending, the forecast looks bleak. Hardest hit is discretionary spending including the automotive industry, much of the retail market, as well as shutting down many restaurants. It's not only an eye-opening time for the American people but also many other countries that are literally suffering a defraying of the fiber of their economic structure as well.

Should we all just get depressed, give up and lay around on the couch waiting for the world to fall apart? Of course not! First, let's look at the real statistics: In December 2009 the unemployment rate is at 10.3% and some economists predict it will hit 11% in 2009. Even if it hits 11% that still means that 89% of the adult Americans able to work, in fact are working. They may not all be earning as much as they would in better economic times but they are working and at least paying for their family's basic needs. 89%! The housing market, the stock market and consumer debt are all in terribly badly shape. That said, we are still a far more affluent country than over 75% of the world. In fact if you have any kind of roof over your head (including your vehicle) and any kind of food to eat, you are very very blessed. We have grown so used to excess in this country that we have lost sight of all we do have.

It is wisdom to take note of what is happening around us and get our lives, hearts and minds in order. It is the fool who continues as if nothing is changing around him. But with that enlightened wisdom, also must come the ability to see into the upside of the downtrends. During our country's most difficult times have come the most inventions that have continued to become the mainstays of America. Ergo the saying: "Necessity is the mother of invention." Once again, our mind set will tell each of our tales. How we choose to feel and deal with what is happening can propel us into greater things or allow us to fall into a pit fueled by fear. We make the choice between the two, you and I. Can we choose if we lose our home or job? Sometimes yes, but most of the time I would say no. However we CAN all choose if we are going to respond or react to the changes we continue to see and hear about here in the USA. Reaction can be anything from an emotional outburst to a slow emotional shut down. But there is usually some kind of non contained emotional energy that takes place when things are left to simply reaction. But response, that is a whole different story. Response comes from forethought and using rational decision making skills. To respond most often means a positive result, whereas to to react is general the adverse bring on the negative.

Let's choose how we "see". Is the glass half full or half empty? Actually it is over 89% full and less than 11% empty. We are Americans. We are a nation of creative, inventive, forward moving people of all ages, sizes, races and religions. It is time to take up our swords and plunge forward into whatever may come. I would rather move forward and fight the good battle than sit in a dark hole and watch everyone walk by me. Welfare and subsidies of all times are meant to be a help to those needing help, not an enabler to do nothing. Take up the good fight for yourself and those that you love. Don't give up, don't give in. Respond, create, keep moving forward. As in most of life's challenges if handled well, you have little to lose and so very much to gain. We inspire when we continue to move forward, we shine the light without even realizing it, so that others can keep moving forward too. Let's shine ladies and gentlemen... In good times or tough... let's shine...

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~GOD (Jeremiah 29:11)

The Economic Answer: Live Below Your Means

There has been a huge amount of coverage on the ongoing and ever deepening levels of the current economic crisis. It appears that a sort of domino effect is taking place. First the homeowners that can't afford to pay their monthly mortgages, then the lenders and real estate industry, followed by the residential contractors... And now it has hit the banks and even the hugest of lending institutions. Where will it end? What do the government bail-outs mean? How will they affect the average working citizen of the United States? Will our taxes go up? What does it mean? I, like many others will continue to follow the news as it happens to learn the answers to these unanswered questions.

Our food costs more, our gasoline is outrageous and small businesses are struggling to continue on. Many have actually closed or at best cut out benefits and laid off 1/2 or more of their employees to continue on. So what does all this seemingly "negative" news mean? No matter what state we are in, we have to face something as Americans that we haven't faced in many years. We have to make tough decisions to begin to live below our means. I constantly hear car commercials tempting all in ear and/or eye shot to save on gas by turning in their SUV or Van and buying a smaller more gas efficient vehicle. They offer to so very kindly take that "gas guzzler" off of our hands. Oh how kind of them??? They are selling cars... Bottom line and that is all they are interested in. It astounds me that people will actually fall for their "invitation". Buy a new car, pay more for their car payment (or pay a car payment), pay more for insurance, even property taxes in most states is more on a newer vehicle and when all is said and done they are paying maybe $300 to $500 more per month and yet somehow they justify it because they are saving on gas? It makes no sense... I heard someone recently say they were paying the $200 for 1 & 1/2 week's groceries and the same amount of money used to last 2 weeks. She said she couldn't pay all her bills because everything costs more now. What she didn't say was that they have changed what they buy... They haven't and therein lies the problem. Far too many people live in big houses they can't afford and/or drive expensive cars they can't afford and on and on. If we don't make changes we are going to be in big trouble as a nation. I have heard that fewer people are going out to eat and doing so less often and as a result many restaurants are hurting, some have closed. These are necessary changes. Even after the economy recovers (which some economists are predicting to be into 2010) we would be much better off as a nation if we begin to live below our means. How about living in smaller, more affordable homes? Consider repairing the paid off vehicle and putting monies aside for maintenance instead of buying a new vehicle? Possibly learning to make just as healthy (maybe more healthy as vegis are typically far less expensive than meat/protein) but more cost effective meals? There are so many things one can do to change the demands on their income... But are they willing to do make those changes? I think many Americans are finally coming to the point that they/we realize that it is necessary to make some hard choices if we are going to weather what may come in the next couple years.

In the meantime, let's not forget that although we have to deal with what may come, there are many millionaires that are made during the downturns. What is the difference? They refuse to stop doing the things that promote success. Don't give up on your dreams, don't stop working or quit your job, but do keep feeding your dreams and the positive thoughts and plans that keep us motivated to accomplish extraordinary things. As we make the hard choices to live on less, let's choose to exercise those things that fuel us in the positive ways: Physical activity, reading, spending time with family and friends, and living with joy and anticipation of the good to come in the things that truly matter. As you take a look at your income and outgoing Moines and make some hard but wise decisions to live below your means, don't forget to smile and love and live. Go to the park, grill the burgers and hot dogs instead of the steaks but grill! Living on less doesn't mean doing nothing and living in depression, it means choosing well and learning to live well and congratulate yourself for making those wise choices. After all, living well is not about big homes and expensive cars. Are there some here in America they may possibly have forgotten that truth? Let's all choose well and live much more and better as as a result.

Vandwelling: What? Why? How? & Should I Consider It?

VanDwelling... This article will explore VanDwelling: What is it? - Why would anyone choose to live that way? - How can one make their living space more comfortable and functional? And, should you personally consider it? Look for additional articles that discuss additional aspects of vandwelling such as: short term versus long term van dwelling, travel versus stationary vanwdwelling and more indepth preparation suggested for vandwelling.

What is it? Vandwelling simply means using a van as a dwelling as well as a mode of transportation. Those with plenty of money may be driving a Roadway or Pleasureway Camper Van with all the bells and whistles of a much larger RV, however most of them would probably refer to themselves as "RV'ers" or "Full-timers" instead of "Vandwellers". For the most part, most vandwellers are those driving converted vans. Many of those converted living spaces are self built/converted. To get an idea of what some interior set-ups look like and/or include, I have a slide show of varied samples of actual vandweller interior living spaces on my website http://www.lordandcurtiss.ws/

Why would anyone choose to live that way? Many choose this lifestyle for many different reasons. One of the most basic reasons is: life circumstances. Some vandwellers began to dwell in their vehicles as a necessity due to long work commutes. Many vandwellers started out as displaced individuals due to divorces/break-ups, loss of a job, financial troubles, a lease ending and not ready to sign another, etcetera. Often life circumstances have forced many into the lifestyle, including the current massive foreclosure dilemma of recent months. However, many times once one has experienced vandwelling and the fear of the unknown is no longer an element they find they like it! The freedom, saving monies, having the courage to be different/unique in the face of a mostly generic follow the societal guidelines world and the ability to live on less and experience so much is intoxicating.

How can one make their living space more comfortable and functional? First, consider that as a vandweller it is important to be equipped for no electricity to be available as well as being equipped for full hook-up options. It is always best to defer to the lower wattage/amperage options available in everything, especially large power draw items such as a microwave or A/C. One has to determine what their particular situation is and what they personally need and work from there. The most basic needs are the most important. So let's start there. You need a place to sleep as comfortably as possible. I have a conversion van that came with a back seat that lays down into a nice sized bed. I use a backrest with arms (for sitting up on it) and lots of pillows for additional comfort. Though the bed as is, is pretty comfortable, I also have a 2" memory foam mattress topper for additional comfort as well. There are many that don't have this option and build a wood base for a bed or use another option such as an air bed. The next basic for most, is bathroom options. Some use composting toilets, others use devices as simple as a plastic container designed specifically for either males or females. My personal choice is a hassock type simple portable toilet that one can use standard kitchen bags (that can be quickly and courteously disposed of) with the use of kitty litter to keep everything as clean and odor free as possible. I like the hassock style because they look quite harmless, it has a tight top lid, and can be topped with a cloth for use as a side table when not in use (Or just shove it out of sight). Throw in a few battery operated lights (LED lamps put out a lot of light with very little battery power!) In the warmer months try to park in the shade and have battery operated fans (some have both battery options and a power supply for electrical use.) One can use a generator or solar options but that definitely requires another article! With electrical hook-ups consider a small swamp cooler or portable A/C unit. During the winter months toasty clothing (thermal underwear, socks etc.) and a thermal sleeping bag will greatly improve your sleep conditions. For very cold nights consider a portable propane heater with a safe-off option and be sure to ventilate! (It is extremely important to leave a window partially open with a propane heater and to have the safe-off option for your safety and well-being.) With electric hook-up a small ceramic heater will do.

For the next level: Decide what you need/want and evaluate how much living space you have available. For storing and/or cooking food you may include something as simple as a cooler (I have a stainless steel cooler that keeps ice cold for 3 days to a week, depending on the outside temperatures). Some have 3 way refrigerators (AC/DC/Propane) but they can be very pricey. I like the heavy duty cooler option because it is low maintenance and of course will work whether I have electric hookup available or not. If you plan to cook, there are many options from camp stoves using propane and portable grills, low tech 12 volt warmers and even thermoses that can be used for simple cooking methods. With electric hook-ups of course there are many space saving options from the new convection portable type "ovens" that grill/steam/roast/bake in 1/2 the time with amazing results, (I have the black & stainless option of the NuWave Oven) as well as George Foreman type grills and many other options. Next, one must consider space saving organization. This can range from simple plastic containers that slide under the bed to nice organizational products especially made for clothes, pantry items, personal items etcetera. I have several black soft-sided organizational unit that aid me very well for all the aforementioned.

And finally, Taking one's personal needs and wants and putting it together with the interior design/look that refect the personal style one individually prefers make "the" space "your" space. I have black organizers and mostly stainless steel and black devices and equipment. My van interior is a nice rich beige color and I also have touches of greens, beiges and lavenders in my bedding and pillows to soften the overall look. Throw in those things that are important to you or that you enjoy. (IE: Small flat screen TV, portable DVD/CD player, reading material etcetera.) I power these simple low power usage items with a portable power station that can be powered up during the day almost anywhere. There are many many things one can do to fine tune their new small living environment.

Should you personally consider vandwelling? Remember this is MY personal opinion: If you are a single or a couple that can flourish and grow in small spaces then it is something you may want to explore. Consider the following aspects of you and your personality: Do small spaces feel cozy to you instead of claustrophobic? Do you acclimate well to non-traditional choices? Can you adapt to change? Are you in a place in life where you don't need large spaces for family members to enter often? As you read this article did you feel an excitement build or were you scared silly at the thought of vandwelling? And, finally you can actually do anything you choose to and pretty much be happy if you want to. But only you can decide if it may possibly work for you. I would suggest you google "vandwelling" and go on my website listed below and read my story on the main page and then go on the resource tab and go into some of the resource websites and explore the lifestyle option for a while before you make any radical choices.

Look for additional articles to come soon. Until then... Know that you can do most of whatever your head tells you you can do so think well. You don't have to follow the leader... You can be the leader. Just stay safe, do things honestly and legally, be respectful of others and their property, and finally enjoy life!

Blessings for Your Journeys, Brenda
http://www.lordandcurtiss.ws/
simplywhatmatters.blogspot.com

Strategizing To Live Well In A Down Economy

If you are one (like myself) that is being or has been affected by the effects of the current economy, it may be time to step back and assess what can be done differently. Do you have less money coming in? Have you been layed off or downsized? Or possibly you just can't make ends meet on what you have coming in due to the increase in your outgoing costs for the basics like gas and food. Whatever your situation is, you will find there are many ways to reduce or help subsidize your overall living expenses. By the time many of us "wake up" to the fact that things are tough and maybe won't be getting better economically right away... we are in trouble financially.

There are things we can do to rapidly and drastically change our living expenses. You may have to go outside your comfort zones a bit, but tough times call for change. Time to strategize!

• Are you living in an apartment or home where you could bring in a room-mate? Can you open up a bedroom (and bath) to rent? Check your lease agreement and make sure you are not in breach of the lease to do so. Many apartment complexes will allow a new roommate as long as they register with the property management. Home owners can most often rent out a room or share their home without restrictions.


• Do you drive to work? With gas prices so high, it has been difficult for many to continue to commute independently. Seek out others at work who may be interested in car pooling. Many cities now have car pooling directories set up. Inquire with your community, town hall or mayor's office for available options. In some larger traffic dense cities like Atlanta, there are even monetary incentives for people to begin car pooling!


• Have a plan before you shop. No more are the days of picking something up when you have no idea what you are making (or bringing home) for dinner. Develop a menu and shop for what is actually needed. It costs far less to make dinner than eat out. It can go even farther if pre-planning is involved. Shop the sales and buy with the season. Google "budget meals", "frugal meals", and "tips for saving money on food" for lots of ideas to save on your food budget. But remember a sale is only beneficial if you don't succumb to the temptation to buy something you didn't need in the first place because it happens to be "on sale". Plan your menu and snacks and shop accordingly. Make the days of shopping on the fly a thing of the past. Now, you shop smart... you are on a mission! Huge savings can be derived with just a plan.
  
• Consider buying used instead of new. Check garage sales, consignment shops, thrift stores or http://www.craigslist.org/ for items that you (or your children) need. Often you can buy gently or rarely used items for a fraction of what it would cost you to purchase new. Consider that in a couple weeks or more your new item will be in the gently used category. How much more are you paying to have that new smell for 2 weeks? If you choose and shop carefully, you can buy almost anything at a far reduced price. Many people are selling items now to make ends meet. As always use good judgment and check it out before you buy. If your gut instinct says something "doesn't feel right" no matter what it looks like, don't buy it.
  
• Find more cost effective forms of entertainment. Don't just park yourself or your family in front of the TV! There are so many great things to do for very little money. Check you local paper for free events like concerts on main street or in the park. Check out nearby walking or hiking trails, waterfalls or scenic or historic areas you can explore and enjoy. If you walk into cool shops along your way, pick up postcards or ideas (note how something is made to duplicate it or just appreciate it's artistic value - but leave it on the shelf... :). Instead of going out to dinner at your favorite restaurant either go for the lunch specials or enjoy desert anytime after you have dinner at home (consider ordering water - beverages are often the most overpriced items on the menu unless you are going to be there for a while and make use of the refills). Cook out on the grill or better yet go to a park to grill or take a picnic and let the kids play on the swings. Find a park or public area with ducks & geese (be careful of the geese they can be a little aggressive at times) and feed them stale bread. (The kids will love throwing out a few pieces of bread in the water and watching the ducks clamor to get them.) Go camping (if you don't have equipment, consider borrowing it). Check out the discount movie theatres or special pricing deals (at times at off times such as Saturday morning before noon theatres will have strongly reduced prices). Go to an arboretum and enjoy the flowers and butterflies or take a paddle boat out on a local lake... There are so many great low cost things you can do if you open yourself to new experiences and discoveries. You might find that you have been missing out on a whole lot by taking the easy road (like a big meal out and/or movies out with all the super expensive eats) of "entertainment" for so long! Hey, have fun out there! If you don't feel like getting out... why not grab a good book or put on some music (or both) and light a few candles and relax for a while. Life doesn't have to be expensive to enjoy. The simple things, laughing hilariously at a silly joke, relaxing in a hot bath to candle light, gazing out over a lake or waterfall, watching your kids play in the park, reading a good book or writing a good book, painting a sunset or watching a sun rise or set... now that's what I call living at it's best!

For the more adventurous free spirits that are open to more creative and out of the norm alternative living ideas like RV and/or vandwelling... look for a feature blog article coming soon!

For now, enjoy life and explore new ways and ideas to save monies and you will not only make it through these challenging economic times, but you may find yourself a lot richer in a lot of ways far more important than the almighty dollar! And again I say: Have fun out there! Life is meant to be enjoyed. I think many times in the USA in particular we have come to equate enjoyment and happiness with the ability to buy things or do what we want when we want it... the bigger (or more) is better concept: Go off for the weekend and stay in a hotel and then buy the big dinner and then buy the mementos and before you know it that "relaxing" weekend away costs you several hundred dollars! Instead... how about camping out by a lake, river or waterfall and enjoy activities in a state or national park... Explore beautiful trails and sites, enjoy the sights and sounds of a meal cooking over an open fire or grill while people laugh and talk and share... And at the end of the weekend, still have money to put gas in your vehicle to get to work next week! And tell me who really experienced and enjoyed the weekend?

If we allow them to, the monetary challenges many of us are facing now, just may end up fueling the very best in us. What started out as "saving money" and making ends meet, could end up being the catalyst for positively life changing experiences. Awaken, breath... take in the simply wonderful choices in life.

Handling Life Changes

Have you ever been there? All of a sudden everything in your life seems to be shifting and changing. It is very scary and yet a little exciting at the same time. All the security is suddenly gone... well the security based on earthly things that is... but it is sobering... it stuns you a bit. One minute you feel relieved that the crazy pace of the merry go round' will finally be stopping soon and the next minute you realize that although you have been spinning to the insanity of it for too long, it paid your bills, so you kept spinning until it felt almost normal for things to often spin crazily. Then one day you knew it was stopping... it was happening so suddenly that you began to hang on to columns that held it together. And then you saw it all clearly as it was slowing... it was time... time for you to get off and start the next phase of your life.

That is where I am right now. The merry go 'round is still spinning but I know it will be stopping here very shortly. And that changes everything. A life upside down... or is it? Even though it robs us of our own life and debilitates our health, do we grow so accustomed to the craziness that we accept it for the monetary security it buys us? I guess the answer in my case is yes, for a while anyway. But now the time has come... and my stomach feels nauseous (after all I have been spinning madly for quite a while now) and my head and back hurt while I try and prepare to get off the crazy ride. Soon it will stop and I will walk away. I imagine my legs will feel a little weak as they learn to steady themselves on the stable ground.

I know the direction in which I am headed and everything about it awakens me. And yet there is much preparation between now and then and many questions I don't have an answer for yet. Change is scary indeed, but it can also be liberating and exciting. Today as I am still standing on the merry go 'round and dealing with all that means, one part of me is crying inside as I am leaving all I have worked for behind... it hurts, I am sad... a grieving is happening quietly inside as I work busily preparing for that thud of a stop that I know is coming soon. And yet... as I gaze out into the future there is another part of me that I can see smiling in life as it was meant to be, breathing again... living fully again... Is that me? That woman laughing as the breeze blows through her hair? Do you see her? She is free of many things... she lives differently than some can understand and yet she is free... do you see her? I almost can now... The door that was is shutting, and I can almost see a big beautiful window beginning to open...

Living Within Your Means or Even Better Below Your Means!

Why are we in a recession, economic downtrend, or "term of your choosing"? Well, many reasons, but most of it has to do with debt in some form or another. And, the #1 cause behind it whether it be individuals or even our government, is that most of us simply lived bigger than we could afford to & have done so for a very long time! How much better would it be if we lived as many of our relatives of the yesteryears lived; below their means, saving some monies for a "rainy day" or possibly emergencies (ie: the unexpected in whatever form it appears).

What happened in the last 2 to 3 decades that has led us here?

In the 50s and 60s credit cards became more and more the norm and continually increased in popularity. By the 80s people became accustomed to buying when it suited them on their credit cards (whether they could "afford it" or not). They paid the interest to have it all "now". The problem is most of the time it was borrowed against future earnings expected. As life "happened" and the unexpected took place ie: car repairs, lost earnings at work, or unexpected expenses in any form, in addition to the fact that many people hopped around to find the work that suited them, or for whatever the reason, weren't earning as much as they were spending. In many cases that gap between earnings and expenses just kept becoming bigger and bigger until the gap became a canyon. Years of buying vehicles, homes and lots of "stuff" on credit loans and credit cards have caught up with us. Even the U.S. government has a ridiculous amount of debt compared to the 80s. I heard recently that much of the U.S. debt has been underwritten (purchased/invested in) by foreign entities and countries, including a huge portion to the Middle East! That is disturbing to me!

Today, there are scads of news stories about riding bicycles to work, spending less, and living differently. I am convinced that as difficult as the economy is on many of us, whether it be from the affects of lay-offs from companies downsizing or closing down, or homes being lost due to the too big mortgages previously committed to, or the prices up up and away on everything from gas to food, many have had to make some big changes. We as a nation are talking, walking, and spending differently for the most part. For many years most of us have been living week to week. When the economy goes haywire, that wreaks havoc on all that are living too tightly to begin with, or, worse steeped in debt.

I personally believe that if we allow it to, this can be a wake-up call for us as individuals as well as our government leaders. Often people only change when they have no other choice or their concerns outweigh their "live for the moment" mentality. The statistics confirm that many of us are currently not spending as frivolously. And the credit cards I suspect are being used mostly for survival (as a substitue for lack of savings) instead of "stuff". Far less people are buying new vehicles or homes these days. When I see and hear all the huge sales on vehicles and homes and other big ticket items, it reminds me that to be debt free today is a gift of huge proportions. Today can be the day for change, for forethought, for wisdom. I truly hope we all learn from these pivotal times that appears to have enveloped us in the latter months of 2007 and deepened in severity through 2009 thus far. Is it tough... absolutely! But I do believe we all can and need to learn the important lessons and long term benefits of living within and below our means.

All that said, those that may have been thought to be a bit off the societal paths in their thinking and/or possibly laughed at for their frugality and voluntary simplicity (from simple choices to the major off the grid folks) may now get some respect for those choices (if not some envy)! I also believe that those of us who know how to live well in simple ways; for example knowing how to camp and cook simply and even those who have downsized to live in an RV (hopefully paid for) are often ahead of the line in their/our abilities to live well in tough economic times. Suddenly knowing how to live well in a small RV or a van doesn't seem nearly as odd and ludicrous to the societal masses anymore. I am personally, so thankful to be (continually learning) and preparing to van dwell or live as simply as becomes necessary, while still enjoying the comforts that are personally important to me. I think it is a gift to be of that mindset. I feel empowered by the lessons learned by having traveled across the USA a few years ago in a small pick-up camper on my then Dodge Dakota mid-sized truck. I am glad I have been a camper and know how to live more simply if necessary. I am admittedly a gadget girl, and love my laptop and techy gadgets, and although I confess I would have a hard time without my laptop for very long, I can grill over an open fire, happily pass the time by reading a book, know just enough about using an inverter and emergency power source to get me by when needed, and if I had to I could use a simple porta potty without having a nervous breakdown over it. Those of you who are free thinkers and always enjoyed the freedom of alternative living ideas, I believe are better for it in these times. For those of you who have cringed at the thought of living without your morning $7 cup of coffee, or traveling without staying in a $100 per night hotel, there may be be some relearning and adjustments necessary along the way. But that's OK, you are bright and you can learn to do things more frugally and simpler if need be, right?

Yep, America is changing... then again maybe the bulk of the tough times will soon go away and once again everything will go back to the numbness of spending and going deeper and deeper into debt without much thought. I hope things getter better soon but I hope we don't go back to our living beyond our means and all that has brought us here. I saddley suspect being creatures of habit, that once the immediate pain has subsided many of not most will go right back to their old ways of living far beyond their means. But will you or I? No... not I, I made that choice months ago and thankfully am now debt free. I may not own a home as you do, or a new vehicle, but I have a paid for 97 GMC Safari Van and am doing OK and am very grateful not to have a bunch of debt weighing me down.

The economy is rough in other countries as well, but here in America we have been ripe for this for quite some time now. It is a rude awakening for most of us. Whether it be taking care of our individual households or running companies, things are challenging these days for many of not most of us! But we can learn and live and be ultimately better for the lessons from it.

Living within your means = Good Choice! ~ Living below your means = Wise Choice!!!

Safely and Happily Back Home

I got home from vacation this afternoon just after 5:00 PM. Vacation was good. I enjoyed it much. There were amazing moments and tough moments, but all in all it was good, really good. I learned alot about myself and others as well. I am glad however, to be home! I am writing this leaning up against my big down pillows and memory foam pillows that I know just how to organize to be most comfortable for me. Maybe "home" is not so much about what size it is or type it is but what we make of it. I find that I tend to live in limited spaces and make those spaces suit me very well. Even when I was at the cabin this week, though it has two bedrooms I pretty much lived in the main room and slept on the futon in there as well. I think the "outside" was so gloriously expansive that I didn't need so much space on the inside. Yep... Maybe it is much more about what we do with the "space" we have. For me if I am comfortable and cool (I don't like being hot) I am in good shape. Add in a few simple comforts and I am a happy woman. I guess I'm pretty low maintenance!

I had time towards the end of the weekend with my Mom, my extended family and last night and today some good one on one time with my 26 year old son. When I left to drive home, I was satisfied with the time I spent on vacation, both by myself and with others. It wasn't perfect as life rarely is. But overall, it's been a good week. Even the tough stuff seemed to find resolution. I have also made strong personal commitments (to myself and God) to doing the things that will improve my health and fitness. I guess you could say the quiet time allowed me to see and hear more clearly what truly does matter.

Tonight, I don't feel alone or lonely, I feel satisfied and thankful. I am very glad to have tomorrow to do laundry, do my hair and just relax before going back to work on Monday and facing the deluge of decisions and tasks that will be awaiting me. It's OK though... I'm ready to back until it is time for me to make my more permanent escape to those mountains that seem to call my name. For now, I will go back in September for the labor day weekend. In the meantime, I invite you to do some simple things for yourself: Light a fragrant candle, take a hot bath with candles and music, lay back on comfy pillows and read a good book, listen to some awesome music, call someone and tell them you love them, forgive someone who has hurt you and then forgive yourself, write, pray, sing, laugh... Enjoy your life. It truly is the simple things that matter.

Blessings for Your Journey, Brenda
www.LordandCurtiss.ws

Just Keep Moving & You May Find Yourself In the Midst of Your Bliss

This is my last night at the cabin in the GA mountains. Vacation so far has been wonderful... not big huge roller coaster rides, instead hearing and smelling the rain saturating the forest around me, sitting on the cabin porch in a big cedar rocker hearing the birds singing in the morning and the crickets chirp at night. Simplicity and quiet... it has been so good for me. Right now the movie "Hope Floats" has just come on and I am about to shut down my laptop to watch it. I smiled when I saw it was coming on. It is one of those movies I enjoy watching from time to time. Sandra Bullock plays Bertie, a woman who is stunned on a talk show when her "best friend" confesses that she had been having an affair with her husband for a year. The reality of it all starts with her (their) young daughter shown sitting in the front row of the show crying her eyes out. The movie goes on to tell Birdie and her 8 year old daughter's tale of starting over. It is sad and funny and filled with a lot of deep truths beyond the simple lines. It reminds me that life isn't perfect, people are often far from perfect, but somehow things seem to work out for the best more often than not. The secret is in learning the lessons and moving forward... keep moving forward. When we learn the lessons of life, even those thrust upon us, it can often turn out that the devastation can be catalyst for better things if we just keep moving forward... past the pain into the new path.

Ok yeah I am a bit reflective. I guess it is obvious I have been here by myself for 3 days. :) It has been good for me to relax and not have the stress and crazy pace of work. And, now I am ready to go and pick up my mom in SC to head out for a couple days to the NC mountains. We are staying a couple nights in a very nice B&B. I have never stayed in a B&B before. I am kind of a private person and just never desired to. However, this seems like the perfect place to enjoy and be a bit pampered out in a beautiful little NC resort town (also) in the mountains. I know mom is excited about going, and I am as well. Then back to SC for family 4th of July & Birthday celebrations.

On "Hope Floats" Bernice (the little daughter) was just introduced in her new small town school. They moved from Chicago back to the small town where her mom and dad grew up. You see I know the end of the story. And though there is a lot of pain and messiness along the way, it ends up that she knows who she is. It ends up better, I believe, than if she had stayed in a marriage that she wasn't fully alive and well. Maybe I like the movie because it is so much like life. It's just not all pretty stuff. I am glad I have had time to reflect and sit and be quiet without the diversions that so often overwhelm us so loudly in our society. I will miss these mountains. But I will be back in September for the Labor Day weekend. Until then I am really going try not to get so sucked up into working all the time and not living outside that as much as I should. In the meantime... I have more vacation to enjoy.

I am laughing... this little girl is a hoot... she really stole the show. What a little actor she is. I guess when someone is full of life and genuine spirit it just has to shine out. I pray I will bloom and shine and make a difference wherever I am.

Blessings to You & Yours as you discover your place and purpose. (Even if that means you have to get a bit scratched up by some thorns along the way...) Signing off for now...

~Brenda of http://www.lordandcurtiss.ws/

Relaxation and Restoration... Ahhhhhh...

I am on vacation! I am up in the mountains in a little cabin with lush forested greenery all around me. Ahhhhhh... I can breath again... Just beyond me is a sparkling lake that meanders around much of this area, and all of this is surrounded by picture postcard mountain ranges. And with all this I can still get internet and phone service... this must be heaven!

Speaking of heaven, I have a copy of the book "Heaven" by Randy Alcorn with me. Several people have told me that reading it has been life changing. I also have an excellent book about writing successful ebooks. Today and tomorrow, that is the central focus of my vacation: reading, writing and relaxing! I do plan to amble around here a bit this morning and then basically read and relax in this quite comfortable cedar wood rocking chair with the awe-inspiring scenic views surrounding me. No Disney World or Dolly World's needed. The big theme parks and man made excitement definitely have their enjoyment factors when one is in that frame of mind. (I have been to both in recent years {when my son was younger} and enjoyed them.) But this... relaxing here in the mountains in a simple little cabin surrounded by such perfect beauty that I can't help but deep down smile, this is like "coming home" for me. It feels right to be here. I can think and breath in such an easy unencumbered way. This is where I want to end up, not only in this and other scenic and ambience rich areas, but in this state of being.

Enough of my day dreaming. It's currently 10 AM and since I didn't have to get up at 5:30 AM to get myself together and fight the metro traffic to go to work today, I think I will get myself together and meander around the area for a bit. I'm up for taking in the sights and sounds of a waterfall about now. Ahhhhhhhh.... OK I admit it is hard for me to quit taking those deep satisfying breaths... I do love this. Maybe this is all just "on loan" to me for a while (I have to go back to work next week after all) but it reminds me of who I really am and what makes me feel alive and well. I have been moving at such a pace for so long now and so much of my life has been work related, that I essentially forgot what this feels like. This is why so many people are embracing simpler lifestyles. For me, this freedom and restoration already taking place in me is healing. Ahhhhhhh.....

The Economy From A Close-Up View

I was just reading an RV Newsletter and one of the featured reports was about the long-time owner of a large multi-location RV dealership in CA. Of his 8 locations, 2 closed earlier this year and he is currently liquidating all his inventory to close the final 6. Prior to that story, I read one about a number of primarily large motorhome manufacturers that are closing their doors and the effect that will have on current owner's warranties. It is everywhere... the reports pour in... Many companies that up to the second half of last year were strong and profitable, now have layed off half of their staff in the last few months and currently are barely hanging on. Many of these business owners that have been in business for many years are now just hoping to make it through the end of the year without having to close down!

I sit here on a Saturday morning reading my online newsletter and once again am stunned by the broad scope of the declining economy. I am the manager of a southern-based, national professional pre-tax planning firm. We have a marketing department to invite business owners to receive a free consultation regarding how utilizing the IRS tax law code through pre-tax planning will greatly benefit them and their business. The truth is that in this down economy it can help people tremendously as it not only saves them tax dollars but increases their net worth. Whoops... got side-tracked lol... So the point was that we call on hundreds of business owners every week to offer our complimentary consultation and information What we have found is that in the last quarter of 2007 and ongoing this year, many businesses that formerly were very strong and profitable are barely hanging on right now. Many of them have layed off up to 90% of their employees. We hear the stories every day. It is staggering... business that formerly were paying over $300,000 in annual federal income taxes, now their profits down by 75% or more. We hear the same stories often from small companies to very large companies... I continue to be stunned by how wide spread and devastating it is across the United States. Although mortgage lenders, real estate, title companies and builders are typically the hardest hit, it has affected all kinds of businesses regardless of size or type. It is very sad and disconcerting to see so many people hurting and struggling to keep the companies going that they have invested themselves into, most often for many years.

It has hurt us as a company as well. Because even though the fact is that our services would help these companies, we can't help them unless the remain a company with a strong enough anchor to keep going (paying at least $40,000 in annual federal income taxes). As an adult that has a close-up view to the economy, I have never seen anything like it... It is truly sobering.

Altough I believe the economy will become much stronger within the next year, I am personally preparing for whatever may come. I believe in NOT living in the biggest home that I can sorta kinda afford and/or driving a vehicle I can barely afford to insure, much less pay the monthly payments on. I say that because I am surrounded by people who do just that. Most of the people where I work (and others I know as well) pay far more for rent or a mortgage than I do. I choose to rent a portion of a home (bedroom and bath with run of the home) in a nice community for 1/2 of what it would cost me to rent an apartment. I drive a 97 GMC Safari van and keep it maintained instead of making payments on a newer vehicle. That alone helps me to save monies and have the ability to give when many are struggling just to keep their monthly bills paid. I think we have gotten to a point as a society that we are in a kind of stupor about what we really need. I know far more people that cry and struggle and stress to pay the mortgages on their big homes and loans on their late model vehicles than those who don't. With gas prices astronomical and food costs way up, it is a tough pendelum to live by! Jobs keep going down - costs of living continue to rise!

In the USA the norm has been to have newer, bigger or multiple for so many years. Suddenly, there has been a screeching halt for many... it had to happen at some point... it is pretty devastating to see so many people hurting. There are ways to reduce living expenses dramatically but many people either don't know how to or have been so far removed from that thinking that they just keep trying to maintain what they once barely could and now wasting what resources they have to try and keep their world as it was, for a while longer.

I believe that some of the unconventional and not widely understood ways of living that also reduce living costs greatly is more important now to consider that any time in my 50 years. Particularly a single or couple can easily save major monies living part or full time in a small RV or van or doing a number of other things to greatly reduce expenses. Maybe even more of the mainstream will begin to see the beauty and enjoyment of a simpler less encumbered lifestyle. I personally enjoy my laptop, a nice personal DVD/CD player and a small flat screened TV as well as my beloved Kindle (Amazon.com reading device)... I am not without my comforts... But I can afford the few choices I make because I am not paying for the big house and late model car. I love the freedom that preparing for an even simpler life (vandwelling) allows me. I always know that no matter what happens I will have a roof over my head and am developing alternative ways to make enough income to subsidize my minimal needs.

I recently have seen several news stories about people who were "forced" to leave their homes and live in their motor homes or vans. The reporters refer to them many times as homeless... no they aren't... they just have a smaller, simpler home! There will always be seasons that incur emergencies, tough times and/or difficulties in life. Whether we choose to live simply long term or intermittenly, in most cases we can drastically reduce our living costs. Fruther, it is when we choose to own our lives and make the best of our situations whether we choose it or it is thrust on us that defines the difference between a victim mindset and a visionary...

Blessings, Brenda of www.lordandcurtiss.ws

Who am I & What is "Simply What Matters All About?"

First: I am currently entrenched once again in a very demanding management position. My job demands all of me and that's a good thing in many ways. I am satisfied that I do my job well and believe that every once in a while I do make a difference there. I try to mentor a couple of the younger managers to turn things over to when the time is right to do so. I have been on the all encompassing fast pace again for a while and am preparing to simplify my life greatly within the next year. For me that means making preparations in a number of ways including my health and fitness (or lack there of at present), saving as much as I can without reducing giving or doing the things I feel God led to do (I don't want to be self serving or without gratitude or forget Who put me in this position in the first place!) and lastly I am building my passion online and endeavoring to support myself by sharing things I feel enhance lives. Choices... Wow they are so important. I don't always make the right one myself, but I keep moving forward and I draw on God and His direction as I know and am quite thankful to say that I have learned that nothing begins and ends with me! HE is the component that makes it all work out as it should... I just have to put my hand to it and do my best to follow after what is authentically who and what I am and am responsible for. I am not the average woman who believes choices need to be based upon what society dictates. I never have really... March to a different drummer as they say. But I have found there are others like me out there... Maybe you here reading my blog... This blog is about living authentically, making choices that simply matter for me and what I believe I am called to be and do. Sometimes that just may mean what feels right coupled with an authentic confirmation of the paths I am to walk... What I know to be true deep within me. The following is an excerpt taken from my website: www.LordandCurtiss.ws just to give you a birds eye view of my "outside the societal box" thinking and a bit about me in this journey I am on...

I am a 50 year young, God loving divorced mom of one adult son. I have spent most of my life working far more hours than I should. I am very responsible and have always worked myself to the ultimate (& at times ridiculous) to build other people's businesses... And I have been pretty successful at it! At the same time, most of my life I have been a single parent, so though I made a decent income compared to many women in my shoes, living on one income and paying all the bills solo, I didn't have anything extra for savings. Often I felt like I worked from can 'til can't, and the only thing that kept me going was the ongoing motivation to provide a good home and environment for my then "growing up" son. I have gotten burnt out from time to time amidst the mad crazy pace of management and business life, but I've always ended back in the rat race due to the responsibilities and demands of being a single mom for the most part. Since my son is now grown and a man on his own, after my current corporate management "gig" is over (I plan to make that happen before my next birthday) I will then fulltime and travel using my van as a home base while supporting myself primarily through my online businesses, occasional consulting and speaking engagements, and my true passion: writing.

How did I come to discover this free (& honest) nomadic gypsy spirit that lives inside of me? First, I always have been drawn to small spaces inside, and wide open scenic vistas outside; love nature, love scenic beauty, love exploring, love uniqueness and discovery of all kinds. I loved every movie I saw with the actors living in a well kept RV or travel trailer actually, although I don't remember the names of the movies, those are the "clips" that live in my head: an older woman with a bird on her shoulder sitting at the table of the nice travel trailer she lived in since her husband died, she was happy and at peace though others didn't understand her choices. Another movie I remember vividly was about 2 women who traveled the country heading to Canada (with breathtaking footage along the way). An unhappy waitress who joins them along the way has a very unique personalized (too pink and frilly for me but cool nevertheless) travel trailer that she just gives away without thought when she meets the "man of her dreams". (What????? Don't give that away!!! What was she thinking???) As long as I can remember I have been drawn to the gypsy life, from the travels to the ornate cozy gypsy wagons, travel trailers, and small RVs and campers to the biggest perk of all: Independence and Freedom to live life outside the "societal box".

Thanks for visiting my blog. Please feel free to pop back in as there is much more to come... I hope to get to know others and get feedback from both those who share my passions and even from those who may think I'm a bit touched... :) That's OK, we each have our own path to walk and mine does not take away from yours and yours does not take away from mine. So lets immerse ourselves into life, our lives and make the choices based upon: "Simply What Matters".