A Letter To All Women - Young and Old

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BeYourselfSorry guys, this one is for the gals (although, the content of the post can pertain to men too). It wasn't surprising that I needed a Kleenex when I came across Lessons from the Sidewalk {An Open Letter to ALL Women} today in my feed reader. I've always struggled with the 'just a...' syndrome. In the past, I was always just a single mom - that was my identity for 12 years. Then suddenly, when my son moved in full-time with his dad and step mom, I wasn't really a single mom anymore. I was a part-time parent...and my identity crisis started - suddenly I wasn't sure who I was anymore.

I'm 'just a...'

Over and over that's how conversations would go as I compared myself to those around me, feeling like I never measured up. I'd like to say I've gotten better about this - not comparing myself and saying things like 'just a...' but it's a continuous struggle. That's why I LOVED reading this post, today. Here's an excerpt:

You are EXACTLY as we need you to be.  So please don’t change.  We are so desperate for your story, for the way your life makes ours so much better.

So, gals - please take a few minutes to go read this. It's well worth the read and a good reminder for all of us!

Until next time... Tishia

Why Is Facebook Pulling The Wrong Image?

As bloggers we need to be sharing our content on Facebook. But have you ever created a post on Facebook and when you add the URL they pull an image that doesn't go with that blog post? Don't worry - you're not alone. It's a common complaint among bloggers and one of the workarounds many people have found is to manually upload the correct image:

Faithful Bloggers

While it's not a huge deal to just manually upload, there are other "correct" ways to do it. And my very smart tech savvy friend, Lynette Chandler of Tech Based Marketing shows you how to properly fix it.  Here's a blurb from her post How To Make Facebook Use The Image You Want:

Facebook (and other networks) rely on special meta tags to identify titles, descriptions, images etc. that are in your post. If your blog post or web page doesn’t have these special tags, they will take a guess. That’s the technical part. The good news is, you don’t have to write these tags (read code) by hand for each post – although you could if you wanted to, but why when there are easy tools available?

How-to-Make-Facebook-Use-The-Image-You-Want-042930

Head on over and read How To Make Facebook Use The Image You Want for instructions on how to set things up so Facebook now pulls the proper image.  

Until next time...

Tishia

Awesome April Update

10389411_845561975516267_7352853470501745898_nA few weeks ago I posted, excited, about April and all the awesome things I was going to be doing. Things started off great. Things were going awesome and then bam! my world came to a screeching halt. On Monday, April 13th, at a little after 5pm, I received a phone call:

My mom: (sobbing, hard to understand) Tishia, Braylan has cancer

Me: (sobbing, heart racing, feeling sick to my stomach and can't catch my breath) NOOOOOOOOOO I screamed as my knees buckled and I dropped to the ground.

Braylan is my fun loving, energetic, full of life 4 year old nephew. At the time of that phone call, my brother, sister-in-law, Braylan and his 1 year old brother were on their way to a children's hospital about 3.5 hours away from where we live in Northern Michigan. When they went to their regular doctor to get results from Bray's recent blood work (he hadn't been feeling well), the doctor sent them immediately to the children's hospital. (the picture above is my brother and Bray Bray...on one of his good days at the children's hospital - which is AMAZING by the way)

The next 24 hours were a blur but I do remember not sleeping, not being able to stop crying and the anger I felt towards God. Yes, I'm angry with God. Yes I know it's not his fault and that being angry with Him is only hurting me...but that's a whole nother post for another day.

I can't believe the emotions just writing this has brought back. It feels like we're in a nightmare and I keep expecting to 'wake up' from it...except it's reality not a nightmare. We have a long journey ahead of us but the doctor's are very optimistic about his treatment plan and that his leukemia is curable and that he'll be in remission shortly. So right now, that's what I'm hanging onto.

So needless to say...Awesome April pretty much came to a halt. Being with my family has been more important than being awesome and working on the challenges I joined/was a part of. Slowly but surely I'm trying to find a 'normal' again and get back into the groove of my online business and doing what I love here at Faithful Bloggers - interacting with you on the forum, providing learning resource and more. Plus I even managed to get things going for the upcoming Faithful Bloggers Podcast which I'm so excited about!

If you would like to follow along on this journey, please check out his Facebook Page Braylan's Healing Journey. But most of all - please keep praying!

Until next time....

Tishia

 

Awesome April

Tishia here. I can't believe that April is already here. On one hand, I'm once again surprised at how quickly time goes by. It seems like not that long ago, we were ringing in the New Year. And then on the other hand, I'm glad April is here because it's full of all sorts of awesome!

30 Days of Awesomization 

awe-010-1024x594First, I'm taking part in a 30 day movement all about awesomizing things (business, life and the world).  I heard about it a few weeks ago at a conference while listening to a keynote speaker talking about WWAYD (what would awesome you do).

I'm enjoying participating in this. It's all about making my business, my life and the world a better place. Yes, in just 30 days! It may not seem like much time but it's amazing how much awesome can happen in 30 days when each person participating is doing three awesome acts a day!

If you hurry there is still time to join us. Registration will be closed in a few days.

30 Days of Stretching 

stretch-yourself-challenge-april-2015Not in the physical sense ;-) I'm also participating in The Stretch Yourself Challenge. This is a challenge that Kelly puts on twice a year. Here's a brief description from her site:

The Stretch Yourself Challenge is a 30 Day Content Marketing Challenge held twice a year (April and October) with a goal of making your comfort zone a faint memory and your next goal a reality!

What I love about this is that there are several different challenges to choose from. You don't have to do them all, you can pick one and focus on just that during the challenge or you can do them all, it's up to you.  Each challenge gives you an idea of how long to spend on it and even tells you the intimidation factor.

Here's an example:

Challenge #1: Tell Everyone You're Stretching Calendar Space: One Afternoon Intimidation Factor: Small

Simply by writing this post, I'm taking action and doing challenge 1. There's more to be done for this though - sharing on Facebook and Twitter too.

I'll be checking in periodically during April to share what's going on, what I'm up to with each of these.

Time With God (Over a Lifetime)

Time With God  

Our devotional time with God varies with the seasons of our lives. Some of those seasons allow for indepth studies, while others allow for just short snatches of focused time. There isn't a "right" way to have devotional time. The most important thing is that we make the time to do it, even if for a just a few minutes at a time.

This blogger reminds us "He is a God of grace and meets us in the moment."

These days I am taking life slow with God. Sounds strange, I know. It has been almost two years since we had to leave our church of twenty years. For me, it has been devastating. I have tried to work through the pain as best as possible. I have worked on forgiving and getting myself emotionally healthy again. It has been quite the process. During this time, I have slowed down with God. That doesn't mean that I spend less time with Him. It just means that I am not going through a ton of Bible studies. Instead I am camping out on a verse or chapter a day. I started doing this with Thom Gardner's book, The Healing Journey. I needed reassurance that God still loved me even though I had been through severe rejection from fellow Christians. I would only do a verse or two a day and journal about them. His book taught me to focus on what God was really saying about me and His love for me.

BETA Tribe Leader Membership Opportunity

beta-tribe-leadersThe BETA Tribe Leader Membership we opened up to our Community last week is rocking and we are thrilled. Conversations are flowing on the Private Membership Forum and we're getting some great input for the membership we offer when we come out of BETA.

We are only keeping the doors open to BETA Tribe Leaders for one week. At midnight on Monday, February 23rd we'll close it up and focus on getting to know the awesome people who've joined us.

Later, in March, we'll re-open the full official membership and start welcoming new members again :)

If you love the idea of being in on something from the very beginning, please come check us out!

We Want To Meet You On The Edge

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Hey there Faithful Blogger!

Are you snuggled in all safe and sound in that comfort zone you've been in for far too long?

Or are you packed and ready to venture out into a new place?

What's it going to take to nudge you into that willing space... right on the very edge between what is familiar and what's completely unknown?

Is it time to venture into podcasting?  Videos?  Speaking?  What are you feeling the call to?

If you're dreaming of taking your faith based blog to the next level - what is it you need to get there?

We want to know!

Will you share your thoughts, hopes, dreams and fears in a comment below?

We promise you this:  If you let us know what you need - we'll do all we can to meet you on on that edge!

Finding a Safe Place After Crisis

faydra koenig Holidays have a way of magnifying any crisis that we might be facing. Do you feel as though you're at the bottom of a pit you can't climb out of?

Faydra Koenig offers you a safe place where you can safely talk, get help and work through whatever crisis you are facing right now. No matter how bleak things may seem to you right now, you have the chance to stand up and reclaim your life. Learn to put aside the pain, shame and loneliness and find new hope and direction for your life.

Maybe you can't see it from where you are right now, but Faydra can help show you the way out. She'll share the same tools she used to overcome child abuse, infidelity and scandal.

Visit DoingLifeWithFaydra to help find your way out.

My Top Tips for a Stress Free Christmas

Stress Free Christmas  

 

It's supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year....but maybe not so much as holiday stresses, family and money concerns tend to pile up during this time of year. This blogger offers some sanity saving tips to help you focus on what's truly important during this time of year.

It doesn’t have to be perfect! For so many years, I would get super stressed at Christmas thinking that everything had to be perfect. But I have learnt (the hard way!) that it doesn’t! People won’t remember the perfectly folded napkins, they won’t remember the perfectly wrapped colour co-ordinated presents, and you know what? They won’t even remember the perfectly cooked, immaculately decorated dessert that you spent hours on. What they will remember is the atmosphere, the laughter, the Christmas where you dropped the dessert when you were carrying it to the table. And they will remember the memories that are created by just being with family and friends.

Gingerbread Houses at the Historic Grove Arcade – Asheville, NC

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I love all things Christmas...winter, snow, trees and gingerbread houses. Unfortunately I live in Florida so I really enjoy it when other bloggers share their travel adventures. Join this blogger for a fun trip to Asheville, North Carolina to see some amazing gingerbread displays!

Have you ever made a gingerbread house?

Five Ways to Deal with Anxiety and Depression | The Architect and The Artist

Anxietyanddepression_zps9829cf60 The holidays can be a difficult time of year for those of us who struggle with depression and anxiety. It's so important for us to stay grounded in God's Word, as well taking care of our emotional and physical health.

This blogger gives us some helpful reminders to navigate anxiety and reading suggestions to help us focus our thoughts.

Through the struggle there is hope. I have found that my life has become richer and more anchored in God simply because I have had to battle my moods. While it has never been easy, I have grown because of the hardship. My prayer for you is that if you struggle with either monster that you will lean into God to help you through.

Five Ways to Deal with Anxiety and Depression | The Architect and The Artist.

Can Protestants & Evangelicals Celebrate Advent?

I remember little Advent boxes from Germany from when I was growing up and enjoyed opening up the little window, but I never really understood the spiritual significance of Advent until I become an adult.

Focusing on Advent can keep us from getting bogged down with holiday stress as we focus on the most important part of the season - the coming of Christ.

This blogger from a Protestant background explains the Advent Tradition and provides some helpful tips and resources to help readers observe this beautiful tradition.

Advent doesn’t have to be elaborate. In fact, for me, the more simple, the more meaningful it becomes. Advent doesn’t have to be Pinterest perfect. Light a candle each night at dinner and read a verse from one of the books below. Read one of the books below at bedtime. Pray each day in December and thank God for the gift of His son. There are many Advent traditions, but we aren’t bound by those traditions. Just making this time of year special, with a focus on Jesus, is just what we need sometimes! 

Can Protestants & Evangelicals Celebrate Advent?.

A Word Fitly Spoken: When Your World Crumbles Apart

We're all familiar with the old phrase "When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade." This blogger offers a new take on that thought with asiago cheese of all things! Sometimes our carefully made plans just fall apart but many times there is a way that we can take those bits and pieces to make something new.

When your world crumbles apart, don't despair or give in.  Look at it as an opportunity to explore new options and discover new pathways.  Don't retire; re-purpose. 

A Word Fitly Spoken: When Your World Crumbles Apart.

Five Things about Nicolas

 

Did you know that October  is Down Syndrome Awareness Month? Today I decided to find one of my old posts to curate.

It wasn't easy for me at the beginning when I learned my new baby had Down Syndrome. But with time, I learned that it wasn't the end of the road, just a bend in the road.

Nicolas was also my inspiration to start my own blog just over a year ago. Here's a little bit about him!

12 years after his appearance into our family none of us are the same. We’re long past the initial fear and apprehension. There have been many joys and some heartache but would not have missed it for the world. Our family would never be the same without him.

Five Things about Nicolas - Natural Health for Special Needs Moms.

For further reading:

The Church and Disability

Down Syndrome and Abortion

How to Deliver a Down Syndrome Diagnosis, The Right Way

My hour with Oscar de la Renta

 

You may know that the legendary fashion designer Oscar de la Renta passed away recently. I thought it would be interesting to feature this blogger who shares great pics and the unique experience of seeing some traveling exhibits that feature his work and artistry while they were visiting the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

I can only imagine what it must be like to wear a custom-designed dress that takes into account a woman’s form, function, and fantasy… but Laura Bush knows—and she shared her love and appreciation for her friend, Oscar de la Renta, in a video introducing the exhibit. I just re-watched it, and to see his smile and love of life is a good reminder for me to live every moment to its fullest! I hope you do the same!

 My hour with Oscar de la Renta.