Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Second Chances

In my opinion, for one to be given a second chance is to receive a blessing from God.  I was very grateful for the second chances that I had been given.  And the beautiful thing about it is that there is no statutory limit on making things right again.  God's time is totally different from ours and if he sees fit to allow us to make things right, it will happen--no matter how much time has passed. 

Second chances come in a variety of "colors".  It can be a second chance at love, friendship or to accomplish something that you had previously failed.  Second chances can be very powerful and I believe that God gives them to us so that we can forgive and be forgiven.  It is a gift that shouldn't be taken lightly.

 What do you do with the second chance you've been given? 

If you've been given a second chance, you should do whatever it takes to make it right as soon as possible.  It doesn't matter what the circumstances are.  If you've wronged someone, they deserve the truth and to hold on to that truth is just selfishness on your part. If it's a second chance at love or friendship, jump at the opportunity.  Life is too short to let valuable time go to waste. 

Lesson to be learned?

God does things at his own discretion and during the time he sees fit.  We are here to learn the lessons that need to be learned from each others experiences.  I've learned that my second chances have allowed someone else the opportunity to express forgiveness and love.  I value that because it's what God teaches us... to forgive.

Peace and Blessings

Val :)

Monday, November 14, 2011

Starting Over Is Never Easy... Just Necessary

Wow!  Truer words have never been spoken!  Starting over IS never easy. Yet and still many of us have had to do just that... Start over.  Why? because it was necessary to our survival.  Either we lost our job, lost our significant other or lost our minds... temporarily that is!  Anyway, in each of these cases we've had to reevaluate ourselves and our lives in order to do just that... Live. 

I promised that my posts will be honest and will speak to my experiences and the experiences of those who wish to share them on my blog.  The following, although may be tinted with a bit of humor is the truth and the facts as they have happened.  I'm sharing this (not too much details, of course, but you'll get the gist) in order to show that through any negative circumstance you can emerge triumphant.

Not too long ago, I've found myself in a situation that was for one, totally beyond my control, impossible to stop and most of all totally F'd up!.  This life altering "circumstance--is what I'll call it" effected me in such a way that it has not only changed my life, but the life of my kids,  family and my friends.  The sad thing is that it not only happened to me but thousands of others--actually more like millions.  Just imagine.  You are celebrating New Year's Eve with your friends and colleagues and the very next day, you all will be without a job.  Now, that's F'd up!!

Now, the silver lining...

I'm a strong believer in the saying, "things happen for reason."  Everything has a purpose and ultimately is "meant" to happen.  For YEARS I had been putting off going back to school.  I wanted to become a web designer.  I wanted to follow my brother's footsteps and learn how to create graphic designs and cool websites.  I'd been using my job responsibilities as an excuse.  "I don't have enough time" is what I was telling myself.  Then came the kids and then that became another excuse.  Guess God had to show me that there was no acceptable excuse and if I put my mind (and heart) to it, I could accomplish anything.

My Pot of Gold...

November, 2011 I have realized my dream and can now call myself a web and graphic design artist.  After I was --cough, cough-- laid off from my job I enrolled in an online program that made it possible for me to learn the skills and realize my dream  The plan is now to begin my career doing the very thing that I'd been foolishly putting off for all those years for apparently no good reason at all.

Lesson learned...

Yes, we may have to start over, but it is not the end.  It is the beginning of a new life that God has intended for us.  Guess another great saying fits here:  "when one door closes another opens".  Or as in the wise words of a great friend--don't wait for that door to open, KNOCK THAT BITCH DOWN!!  Follow your dreams no matter what circumstances you face.  God is with you.  He loves you and guides you.  He will not let you fall.  Don't let your own fears and insecurities keep you from realizing YOUR dream!!

Peace and Blessings to you all!

Val
:)

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Welcome All!!

Hi!  My name is Val and I created this blog as a way for me to voice my opinion and share ideas with the world.  Why?  Well because I've experienced some ups and downs and I think others can learn from my experiences. 

I'm not here to bash anyone, however I am here to discuss what I call the "injustices" of our time.  This includes, but is not limited to the financial crisis we've experienced as of late as well as the Wall Street protestors just to give a couple examples.  I am a fair person therefore any and every topic is up for discussion and if done honestly and in good taste, I believe it can be a learning experience for us all.

Please feel free to post to my blog your thoughts and ideas about anything that may be on your mind.