Saturday, July 20, 2013

A Light at the End of the Tunnel


June married a handsome young man who was kind and hard working. She knew she was headed for a “happily ever after” type of life. But as the years went by, June could sense that something was wrong in her relationship. Her husband began to work late many nights. When she asked him about it, he told her he had extra jobs. But the extra jobs were never ending.
June did some investigating and found that he had had a pornography addiction since college. June called her best friend and cried. What had happened to the problem-free life she’d thought she was getting? She and her husband had been together for twenty-five years. There were the children to consider.
Her pastor encouraged both of them to seek therapy. Her husband agreed to counseling. He attended an addiction group and participated in a rehabilitation program as well as separate sessions with his own therapist.
When June came to me for therapy, she was depressed and overwhelmed with her situation. Laundry piled up and the house was a mess. She spent hours journaling her anger and betrayal and then sharing it in therapy. As the months went by, June recovered her ability to participate in daily life. She and her husband learned to communicate on a deeper level than they ever had before.  
As she finished therapy, I asked June if she thought she had made a mistake in marrying her husband. She said when she first found out about the pornography, she would have said yes, but now she had found the light at the end of the tunnel. She could see all the good that had come from their troubles—the strength she had gained from her trial.

Find the light at the end of your tunnel.
1.              Explore all your options.
2.              Be solution focused—find an answer that’s right for you.
3.              Decide what you will do differently next time.
4.              Be kind to yourself—don’t blame yourself.
5.              Write positive affirmations. Say them daily.
6.              Create gratitude statements. Say them daily.
7.              Look to your higher power for blessings.
There is always a light at the end of the tunnel—if you look for it.
Read more about this topic and others in Christy Monson’s new book, Becoming Free, A Woman’s Guide to Internal Strength, available on Kindle, Nook, and iPad September 1st 2013.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Penumbras

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Conner Dell didn’t mean to blow up
the school bus. Or the bathrooms. In fact, he only wanted to go to sleep and possibly
dream about Melanie Stephens.

But explosions had a funny way of happening when Conner and his friends were around.

The twins, Conner and Lexa find themselves in a battle with the darkness. Conner, surrounded by shadows, thinks he has become a Darkhand, The struggle he faces between the light and the dark may just kill him.

Lexa is jealous that Conner likes her best friend Melanie. Will the three of them work their problems out?

Lexa has her own set of troubles when her teacher and mentor, Dr. Timberi doesn’t choose her for the lead in the school musical. In fact, she thinks it may be her fault that Dr. Timberi dies—or does he?

Bell’s characters come alive in this fast-paced middle grade fantasy. It’s a fun read for kids and grandkids. Begin with the first book, The Kindling, and give your family a fun read to close out the summer.

I highly recommend Bell’s writing and these two books. Enjoy, Enjoy.

http://www.bradenbell.com/penumbras.html

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Thursday, July 4, 2013

Overcoming Life's Handicaps


Helen Keller

As I looked for positive self-talk quotes the other day, I came across several by Helen Keller. We all know the story of Helen’s mind opening to the understanding of language through the dedicated efforts of her teacher, Anne Sullivan. How difficult it must have been for Helen to overcome her handicaps. What obstacles she had. 



Helen became the first deaf/blind person to earn a college degree, graduating from Radcliff in 1904. Helen went on to become a writer, public speaker, and an advocate for the disabled.

She is an inspiration in positive thinking and actions. Here are a few of her quotes. Enjoy.

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart.

What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still l can do something.