Thanksgiving is over and the Holiday Season is upon us. I had a few very important revelations over the Turkey day festivities. I think I will keep them short and sweet though. And instead of preaching to you, I am going to write them in such a way that they will be notes of encouragement.

1. Folks, take care of your families. Take care of you grandparents, and your parents, and your kids. That should be a priority. Not an "at your convenience" option.

2. The Church is a venue through which we can have Christian fellowship and worship. Do not allow yourself to become so caught up in the social and political traps of the church that you forget the purpose of it. Christianity is demonstrated through Love. Inside or outside the church. I am not discouraging church. I am encouraging independent thinking about your life as a Christian. Study the life of Jesus Christ and model your life after that, not necessarily after what your Sunday school teacher tells you to do or what the Southern Baptist doctrine tells you to believe. It is very easy to be innocently misled by someone who has the very best of intentions.

I'm quite excited about the Christmas season. I hope all of you are as well. I'm setting a goal to be completely finished with all of my lingering projects by the end of 2009 so that I can start off 2010 with a clean slate and a determined spirit.

Get excited because we are only one month away from the Pink Pearls of Wisdom 2009 Reflection entry. That is usually a good one!

Today's Pearl of Wisdom:
Sometimes being completely lost is right where you are supposed to be.

Well...

So it has been a while, right? Well, since my last entry, I have had much going on in my life to speak of. I have faced some real struggles in both business and life and some struggles that crossed that dividing line into both areas. And with that, I am learning. I think that is the best way to put it, really. I am learning that people, imperfect as we are, can be disappointing. I am learning to never believe in someone too much...to never set their bar so high that it hurts when they allow it to drop and hit me in the face.

I'm finding that people will use me to get what they want. You are always someone's best friend when you have what they want. It is when you try to protect yourself or when something better comes along that you find out where the genuine souls lie. In realizing this about so many of the people in my life, i have realized a whole lot about me. I located some areas in my life that are weak...areas that I had been excusing as mere kindness...well, not so much. That kindness was also an excuse for me to avoid developing a back bone that would help support me. That kindness is what would have been my demise. I was going to "kindness" myself to death.

I realize that is a heavy load to drop in a blog but I said it all with a very peaceful heart. I am excited about life right now and all of the exciting things that are up for grabs. I am not worried about the struggles. They are good for me. I cry more than I think is humanly normal these days but it makes me feel better. I'm not sad. I just get stressed and it seems that sometimes, crying really does make it better. So I allow myself to do that these days. And through those little stressful tears, I smile because i love what I do and what I am working so hard to become.

Today's Pearl of Wisdom:
Every struggle survived is a battle won.