Hi friends! I’m sorry I missed last week, but you know, life.

I started my new job two weeks ago, and so far I really like it! For the first time in I can’t remember when I feel like I am contributing to something bigger and better and have a purpose. It feels great knowing I’m not watching the clock and dying to rush out the door with everyone else at 5 pm. Then again, I normally can’t rush out then, and if I did, I would simply be bringing more work home, but honestly, I don’t mind! At some point I will have a lead and mentor under me so that will help A LOT! But until then…it’s me. So, because of that and the fact that I am actually participating in life, I have been thinking about doing Nordy’s Garage maybe every other week instead of trying for every week.

Let’s be honest; I haven’t been that good about getting it out every week anyway with as busy as I’ve been. And I don’t ever want this to feel like it’s something I HAVE to do or squeeze in. This odd little page means a lot to me, and I want it to continue being fun.

I’ve taken a lot of notes on my phone this week of things I wanted to write about and maybe one day I will, but none of them felt like what I wanted to say today. And one day I will write a book with the details of what caused all of this (Nordy’s Garage) and continuing events that have kept me writing. But for now, you get the drive-by version of those things. One day I’ll be brave enough to lay it all bare.

You know, I thought when I moved to Texas that I had done a lot of changing and it was coming to an end and I was settling into “me” but I’m finding the metamorphosis continues.

There have been a lot of people who have encouraged me in all kinds of ways along my journey, but there is one person who I don’t think is aware of how much of an influence she has been.

Her name is Abby, and she has no idea what she’s done, which in itself is a testimony to me. It makes a person realize that they never know who they are influencing in any way, at any time.

Abby and I have known each other for over 20 years. Our (ex) husbands were stationed at the same base and we met when our kids were in kindergarten together. We weren’t close at that time. We were both busy moms.

But we came across each other again many years later and found we both were in the same boat. This time not busy moms but, divorced. We started chatting again, sharing battlefield stories of dating and the scars we wore from it.

And in time, we bonded. Over laughter, tears, chats, and Jesus…on Facebook. We were states apart but our hearts were growing closer. We talked about the men in our lives, pets, work, and kids. We shared our fears and frustrations in life, going through breakups and breakdowns, both finding our way through life and supporting each other when we could.

But she didn’t know how much I was paying attention. As I was working hard and becoming who my job and life needed me to be, she was becoming more herself.

Then one day I noticed a man being talked about on her page and before I knew it, she was engaged, then married!!

She is a dedicated nurse at a VA hospital and then suddenly decided to also become a LimeLife beauty guide! Again, I watched as this once fairly quiet lady bloomed and became one of the most real women I have ever known.

This once shy person (who thought she was too imperfect to stand out) is now doing live video tutorials, sans make-up, wet hair sometimes, in the middle of the night/early mornings as she is getting off shift, or before she goes in to work for the night, sharing her love of The Father and empowering women and encouraging everyone. She is there, online, even if she thinks no one is watching just in case someone needs it.

But I was watching. Not every night. But I was watching the transformation of this tender heart become vulnerable so other women could be brave too.

It is partly because of this woman’s transformation that I am where I am today.

I saw this woman almost personally dare me to be legitimately me again. Not the version that a potential employer might want was my career was growing. Not the face that the public might want to see. But me. The real me. She has encouraged me to be true to myself and my needs, and I can’t tell you what a difference it has made in my life.

She has cemented in me that when I am genuinely myself, I will attract what is good for me. It caused me to be completely transparent when I interviewed for my current position. It has helped me to remember not to compromise when buying my house, no matter what anyone else thinks is good for me, because I am the one living there and I want it to be my sanctuary. And to not think I have to be perfect because people who really love me will love my imperfections (uniqueness) the most.

So, Abby, this one is for you. Thank you, my friend, my sister in heart. Keep on being genuinely you and making the world a better place everywhere you shine. I owe some of my success to you!!

Friends, remember to be YOU, everyone else is taken. 😊

You can check out my beautiful friend at https://www.facebook.com/abbyneumann24

Hi Friends!! What’s good?

As most of you know, I just got back from vacation. It was long overdue, and I had such a wonderful time! The condo was almost perfect and decorated as if Chip and Joanna had been there personally. It was so relaxing to get up in the morning and have coffee in the sunroom overlooking the pool after climbing out of the overstuffed, pillow-topped bed I had slept in the night before while surrounded by ultra-soft king-sized pillows.

A lot of the trip was spent eating at “must try” locations and having so many new and exciting experiences.  I got to enjoy a town that was so eclectic that it honestly surprised me! I know for myself and a for a lot of people the thought of a vacation is a luxury and something that doesn’t happen very often, so I tried to soak in as much as possible. But it didn’t hit me how much of a luxury it was until the last day.

I was eating at the final “must try” stop on the trip and was thinking about how much food was on the table and how much food I was leaving behind to get thrown away, and I was even taking food home with me! At that moment it struck me how THAT is the epitome of luxury. To be able to waste food. There are millions of people in this world who won’t have as much food in a month as I had on that table yesterday. The person who cleaned off my table most likely threw away more food than some will have in a week. And the tip that I left could have fed a family for days in some parts of the world. But I do not feel guilty about it nor should I. I feel very blessed to be allowed to have the life that I do. But looking at it from the perspective that I did yesterday helped to make me much more aware so that I can make changes and do better in the future regarding helping in ways I hadn’t thought of before.

For many years I have been in survival mode and it caused me to be singularly focused. I took chances a lot of other people would never have taken in order make opportunities for myself. I have been called brave and I have been called crazy for some of it, but I will not be made to feel ashamed for enjoying the fruits of my hard work. However, I will admit I need to do better at recognizing what a blessing it is to now be able to help others more.

And on that thought…For those who have encouraged me to keep on when I felt like quitting, for those who gave Nordy and I a place to lay our heads as we traveled or moved, for those that fed me, let me cry, prayed for and with me, and for those who gave a reference that allowed me to get the job that I am starting on Monday morning, I am beyond grateful! I would not be where I am without you!

This position is the next step of a new life for myself (and The Nord of course). It will allow me to be in a place of (very small) influence that I need to use with grace and the promise to uplift as many as I can along the way and to share God’s blessings and love. Also, to help others reach their potential, and for me to be more involved in making my community a better one.

I have so many ideas in my mind of things I want to do. I feel like the ball is just now starting to roll. My dream is growing and I have those who love me to thank. Please keep the prayers and encouragement coming so that I can do all that God would have for me to do while I am able!

Have a great week, friends!! Let’s keep the momentum going!

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