fresh start

the new year began with a little bit of a rocky start for me. after some reflection, i've decided to make a more conscious effort in my life to improve certain relations. i am going to try and wipe away the past and any negativity in my life.

i was home alone while jimmy was on a business trip and normally i do not watch tv when he's not here. but after the kids went to bed, i decided to relax on the couch and turn the tv on and maybe watch some show that normally we wouldn't watch. i turned to oprah's channel, OWN and started watching an interview she was doing with Joel Osteen. I knew he was some widely-known pastor but that's about it. And my dad even gave me one of his books long, long ago. i admit i haven't read it yet. but i think i am going to pick it up and read it now. anyway, Joel Osteen is the pastor of Lakewood Church in texas. it is the largest church. it was just an interview with him in his home. i respect what he does and how to has been able to capture a HUGE audience. parts of the interview with his wife seemed a little staged and a little robotic. but i guess when you are in the public eye so much and speaking to so many people all the time, they've just probably naturally became that way. anyway, i liked some of the quotes that he has said. we haven't found a church here since we've moved and i think that is what i have been needing in my life.

here are some of his quotes that i found that i like:

“Certainly, none of us enjoy going through struggles, but you have to understand that your struggle may be an opportunity for advancement and promotion. The very thing you are fighting against so tenaciously may be the springboard that catapults you to a new level of excellence. Your challenges may become your greatest assets.”


“You may be at a crossroads in your life. You may have issues to deal with; people you need to forgive. You can go one of the two ways. You can ignore what you now know to be true and keep burying that bitterness in your life, pushing it deeper and allowing it to poison and contaminate you and those around you. Or you can make a much better choice by getting it out in the open and asking God to help you to totally forgive and let it all go.”


“When you go through difficult times, make sure you pass the test. Don’t be stubborn and hardheaded. Recognize that God is refining you, knocking off some of your rough edges. Stand strong and fight the good fight of faith. God has called each of us to be champions; you are destined to win. If you will work with God and keep a good attitude, then no matter what comes against you, the bible says that all things – not just the good things in life, but all things – work together for your good.”


"No matter how successful we are, we all face challenges, struggles, and times when things don't go our way. Understand that God has a divine purpose for every challenge that comes into our lives."