Hi, Friends!! What’s good today?

As I was praying and pondering about what to write this week, I was thinking about my journey the last many years and the things I’ve experienced.

I’m sure at times many of you, just like me, have thought “what else can go wrong?” or “will anything ever be easy?”. And it seems during those times people will try to encourage you and say things like, “It’s temporary,” “This too shall pass” (or something along those lines) or if you are a bible believer you are asked, “what about Job?”.

These things are really hard to hear when you’re in the middle of a tough time, and I feel it’s rather dismissive to say even if well-intentioned by those saying it.

If we’re honest, the truth is, most often the bad times don’t last. But we sure don’t think or feel that way when we’re overwhelmed, and we find ourselves doing everything we can to get it to pass quickly so we can be on to the good things in life. Which again if you are honest, also do not last.

Although I am not there yet, I dream of owning my own business one day. But until then, I believe God has allowed me to go through trials and hardships, along with blessings, to get me to where I am right now. With each tribulation, each frustrating job, every tear shed, if I paid attention or looked back, there was likely something I did or could learn from it. I don’t know too many (if any) lessons that I’ve learned when the going was easy. Sure, I enjoyed the good times, but those weren’t the times that I grew.

There have been so many times I’ve doubted myself when things didn’t seem to be working out. I felt I was doing something wrong, or worse, that there was something wrong with me. All the while, not realizing I was being refined for something more.

You see, I have been offered a wonderful position with a great company doing something I’ve been hoping for, for a very long time. And considering my dream, this new career path that I am on will certainly better prepare me. But I had to go through the times that I have and work in positions and for people that made my life so hard at times that I wasn’t sure how I’d make it through the next day. All to put me in alignment for my new assignment.

What I’d like to do is to encourage you to “patiently wait” (yeah I don’t like that term either) while working through the trials and hardships and look for the joy (not to be confused with happiness) in those times knowing they can be forming you for something you don’t yet see.

I can’t imagine how my life would be if I would have given up along the way. (Don’t think I didn’t consider it more than once)

I’d be very grateful if you would remember me in your thoughts and prayers so that I can be an effective leader as I take on this new position in life and that I can help others to grow and reach their full potential.

I’ll be on (real) vacation next week so who knows what I’ll come up with to share!!! Until then, stay kind and gracious, friends.

Hi friends! What’s good today?

Here’s what’s good in my Lil world. I’ve got my desk space and my new computer and it feels so good to have a little part of me back.

You see I’ve been living “temporary” for almost 2 months now and it’s been a little different for me. I miss having my space, being surrounded by my stuff. You know, those things that bring me comfort and make me feel at home.

Let me ask you this; have you ever found yourself at a crossroads and not sure which road to take?

What if you had the opportunity for a second chance at something? Would you take it and use the knowledge you gained the first time around knowing what you’re facing? What if you had the chance to do it again, looking at it with fresh eyes and new wisdom?

Or would you take a pass and try something new, unfamiliar, maybe something better, even if the path was unsure and long?

I think this is something we all face in our lives in big and small ways.

You see I’m at that point in my life right now.

I mentioned a job that I had offered to me that I accepted. I went to work on my first day and found out that there had been a “miscommunication” of sorts and that although still good, the pay was not what was advertised or agreed to (it was a small base pay + commission to potentially equal what was agreed to during the interview) and the same miscommunication regarding the work location (the office was over an hour away and it was sold to me as a remote job so I could work from home) with the reality being I was expected to be in the office.

This job was in the same career field that I’ve been in for years, the office environment was very casual and relaxed and everyone seemed nice but I knew when this came to light that I would have to decline the offer.

This is what has put me at my crossroads. I have the potential for other job opportunities in a career that I’ve wanted for a long time but not in a place I particularly want to be. While other things seem to distract me in another direction.

I am not in a position to worry about HAVING to have a job. And I keep saying I wanted to take time off to pursue my passions for a while but the kind of person that I am (driven/workaholic) is torn because time off = no pay and I worry that if I wait too long the chance might pass me by for what could be a good thing.

I know it seems like a big DUH for most people looking at it but put yourself in my shoes. Do you go with the stable, good thing?

Or do you (patiently…HA HA) wait and keep working at your passion and meanwhile try to find something else stable not knowing if any of it will work out how you hope and continue to live temporarily in hopes that it will happen?

My brain and my heart are at war. So, until I figure it out, I’m hanging out on middle ground.

Hopefully next week I’ll have an update, and if not, I’ll just add to the confusion!

Take care, friends. Be kind to your crazy people…I am one of them…LOL!

I used to pray, I mean literally pray that my mind would slow down and stop being so busy because it used to be almost overwhelming. But after everything that I’ve gone through in the past 18 months my brain has almost completely shut down.

I find myself almost numb to life, and that is so unlike me.

I have even been struggling to find things to write about here, and this used to be my biggest passion.

At times I have wanted to give up and forget about it, but then I think about my why. Why do I do this blog? Why did I start it?

Because I wanted to help. Someone. Anyone.

If by me telling my story or doing what I can to uplift someone and it makes even a little difference in their life, I have to keep on.

Maybe someone will be able to relate to something I say, and they will not feel so alone.

But it gets hard trying to let myself be vulnerable. I can share all the feel-good passages I come across, and it may brighten someone’s day a little, but what I really hope for is to let someone know that they are not alone.

You are not alone when you put the kids to bed at night, get undressed, and take your aching body to the bathroom so you can cry in the shower because life is kicking your butt and you have to publically hold it together and not let anyone see you being “weak”.

You are not alone when you can’t find your way, and you have no idea where your next paycheck is coming from, and you have to swallow your pride and ask for help.

You are not alone when life’s rug is pulled out from under you when the love of your life tells you they love someone new and you have to watch them move one with their life.

You are not alone when you stand in the middle of the kitchen and scream to God and ask Him why your friend silently took their life without dropping a clue to anyone.

So, I’m going to work harder at this thing. I’m going to stop avoiding what God has placed in my heart and the path set before me, and I will try to remember this; “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt

 

Once again, in America, we have had two mass shootings.

And like after every one of them, people use it to politicize their ideology. We try to find something to blame in order to make ourselves feel better, feel safer, and try to wrap our minds around the reason why.

We desperately search for a cure but are unwilling to face the disease.

We look for an easy way to understand it all, so we pick something and stick to it. We blame “angry white men,” “anti-American Muslims,” “evil illegal immigrants.” Whoever fits the bill at the time, and then the entire group of like people are blamed.

But are we willing to blame ourselves?

We celebrate violence in movies and music. We put our elderly away in homes so they don’t disturb our fast track lives. We applaud the sexualization of children. We treat people like they are replaceable and that they only have value if they are young, good looking, and thin.

And from the youngest of age, we teach our children that a baby is nothing more than a clump of cells, a disposable choice, instilling in them the idea that life itself has no meaning.

Today I went to lunch with my mom, and as I walked through the booths to pay the bill, I saw table after table of people with their faces in their phones living a virtual reality, trying to escape the real reality right in front of them, practicing escapism in the most modern and acceptable form.

We have done everything we can to disconnect from humanity and each other, and we wonder what the problem is.

So, are you willing to look inward and accept your part in the way the world is going or will you continue to point the finger and try to put the blame on everything else?

How about we start by putting down the phones and letting people know we see them, and that we acknowledge their presence and their value as a human being!! Start by looking people in the eye and saying hi! Start by connecting with your children instead of putting them in front of a tv or computer or putting them in every activity you can pay for, keeping them busy with everything but time with you!

It really does start and end with you and with me. Do your part. Stop passing the blame.

If you want a better world, then be a participant in making it that way and stop expecting everyone else to do it for you.

What will your legacy be?

It has been a looooong year. Well, closer to 18 months. But either way, I am not who I was. And I thought I’ve transformed before. Friends, let me tell you, I am not the me I once was.

So, welcome back!! To me, and to you!

Ok, I know it’s been a long time coming, and I was absent for a long time, but there are reasons for that. One reason is because Nordy’s Garage was HACKED!! I have spent too much money and too much time trying to get it back. And no, it wasn’t being held for ransom. At one point, after $$$$$$$, it was restored only to have it lost again in the transfer. It would have cost another $$$$ to find it all again, but I figured someone was letting me know it was time to let it go and really, truly put the past away. So here we are — the NEW Nordy’s Garage.

Maybe Nordy’s Garage 2.0? Nah…if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

I want to give a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who have continued to support me along the way and those who were wondering where I went. Well, here I am!!

And with that being said…what’s good today, friends??

I received a request that my first post on the new site be about change. Lord knows I’ve been through a lot of it the past 18 months. We all go through things that change us. Sometimes it’s for the better, and sometimes we feel that it’s not. But I firmly believe that if you look hard enough, you can find something useful in any bad. Often it’s a mindset that we have to train our brains to see. And sometimes, even if we look hard, it takes time to see the good that came from what we once thought was all bad.

So, let me tell you some of the things change and time has taught me.

I have found that grief is a tricky devil and very, very unpredictable. Regarding the loss a little over a year ago of those I loved, there are no answers, and I’m still looking for the silver lining, but I know God works for the good for all of those who love Him. So, I’m learning patience.

I have found you CAN run away to save your sanity. But you still have to deal with your stuff.

I have found when people really, truly love you, you will know it, and they will ALWAYS be there. But, if they didn’t love you, well, you will know that too.

I have found that no matter how new, how modern or how simple and small, a home is what you make it and it’s more about who is there than what is there and sometimes your dog is all you need.

Moving to Texas was one of the most significant changes I have made in my life. I packed up everything I owned and left the town I had lived in for over 20 years in hopes of improving my life. It was scary and exciting at the same time. Things fell into place pretty quickly once I got there, and I was able to secure a job and a home with ease. I was excited about the chance to start over and learn some new things in my career so I could continue to grow and make a better life for myself (and Nordy). I was hired on with a large company, and I was ready to show what I was made of.  I certainly got the opportunity to do that. Soon into my new life, reality hit me hard. There was no work-life balance, and when I wasn’t working, I was thinking about or stressed about work. My job owned me. The company was growing and going through changes of its own, and the employees were caught in the middle. Although I learned a lot, even with promise after promise that things would get better, it eventually caught up with me, and the stress became too great for many of us, and several decided to move on.

That got me to where I am now.

Another change.

Me, the workaholic, decided to take an even greater risk and become unemployed…by choice. I’ve referred to this time as my sabbatical. And anyone who knows me understands that it hasn’t been very restful as I’m not sure how to just exist. But I have enjoyed my time. I’ve taken time to do things that I enjoy like painting the interior of a house! To a lot of people that sounds like work but for me, painting (houses or pictures), ironing, and doing yardwork, relax me. They allow me to disconnect from everything else and simply focus at the task at hand. I also love seeing the progress and transformation of those activities. It makes me feel oddly productive.

It’s been about a month and my sabbatical is about to come to an end. I have decided to accept a position with a company in the greater Kansas City area. With the research I have done on the company, it appears to be a great place to work. I will be incredibly busy, but according to what I have read and been told, the company and management put their money where their mouths are to show their appreciation to their employees. I also understand that my new team is more like family and that is one thing I have missed in my work life. I met some great people where I worked in San Antonio. Some will be lifelong friends but the “family” aspect of the job was sorely absent and it is something that made the hard times bearable in my previous job in North Dakota, so I’m looking forward to getting back to that atmosphere. Plus, I will be closer to my family so that is a bonus you can’t put any amount of money on.

But here I am again. I am facing yet another change.

I guess my point is that change is going to happen. You cannot avoid it no matter how much you try. Some change we cause ourselves and some of it happens without our permission, but the one place we have control is in how you react to it. If you feel like your life is changing too much, too fast and things feel out of control, take care of yourself. Only you will know what that means. It might mean finding someone to talk to. It could be surrounding yourself with people who love you. Maybe it means taking a leave of absence and focusing on health and healing. It could be as simple as getting a massage or as big as moving 1000 miles away. But do what it takes to make you ok. And remember, you don’t need to apologize to anyone for doing what you need to make yourself whole. You are worth it. No other reason is required.

Friends, here’s to new beginnings and becoming who we are meant to be.  *CHEERS*

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton