Tag Archives: Parenting

Finding Answers to Loss

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“The most wonderful of all things in life, I believe, is the discovery of another human being with whom one’s relationship has a growing depth, beauty, and joy as the years increase ….”  ~ Hugh Walpole

After many, many, many of months of not having time to read for pleasure, I have finally found a little time each evening to pick up a book I have been yearning to read. This book is all about the reasons of how and why a book that had a mere $200 marketing budget can make it to the #1 New York Times best seller list. It has attracted the attention of 7,000,000 readers around the world.

The Shack by Wm. Paul Young is as thought provoking a book as I have read in a long, long time. This book is about loss, transformation and enlightenment. It is about doubt, a divine relationship, light and healing. This book holds all the elements that draw you into a story. It raises possibilities of answers to questions that people from all countries, ages, social class and religious backgrounds have asked for generations.

To give you more information on this book, would rob you of what you need to determine for yourself – how this book’s message applies to you and your life. I suspect this is the reason why this book has become a masterpiece. For more information, please visit www.theshackbook.com.

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Shutterbug Surprise!

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“Our dreams are made of real things, like a shoebox full of photographs.” ~ Jack Johnson

Go ahead – have a crack at it! Jump on the Shutterfly sensation, and publish a print-on-demand, hardcover family photo album! The other day, I received one that my sister had compiled for a Mother’s Day gift. It chronicles, through family photographs, our family tree. The gift was originally meant for our Mom, but she decided to have extra copies printed, one for me and one for each of my brothers and our families. That is the beauty of print-on-demand. Print as few or as many as you wish!

Although the work in putting together a Shutterfly photo album can not be compared with a full scale independent publishing production of text writing, it is still a worthy project for those who are not inclined to write, but love to be creative with photography and scrapbooking. Shutterfly provides the perfect opportunity to combine both! You incorporate your favorite digital images and design with creativity, the empty spaces around the photos, much like you would a scrapbook, as extensively or basically as your skills allow. What a nice surprise gift for family or friends and to commemorate a significant event. For more information, please go to www.shutterfly.com/photo-books

While we are on the subject of surprises – Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC will have a number of surprise events coming up this summer! We will reveal the details to all of you when the final plans are put into place. Stay tuned, and thanks as always, for  your interest in this blogsite and in our company. The industry that we serve is ever changing, improving and evolving – keeping us on our toes and knee deep, in serving the needs of independent publishers!

 

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Embracing Love

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“Because I am a mother, I hold God’s greatest prize. And he expects great things of me -with a task of such size.” ~ Grace Atkins

I am one of the blessed ones! My Mom was the best example of a mother a child could ever have. She always had her priorities straight in life. She passed along to all of us – her four kids and now her eight grandchildren, the importance of a close family, by always being there for us – no matter what! And although we didn’t always like it, she enforced rules that gave us boundaries and feelings of safety and security that every child needs.

It pains me when I hear a child or teen say that they “Hate their Mother.” When I was raising  my son, I would often ask him not to be flinging that “H” word around lightly. I would explain that some very strong emotions and actions are attached to the “H” word.

Sure, my Mom and I have had some differing opinions throughout life, but I can never remember feeling the “H” word towards her, never – not even as a teen. It’s funny, as an adult, I can only remember one time, in all the years of growing up, that I was absolutely, completely and totally furious with her!

It was the day after Easter, and I was 11 or 12. My twin sister and I asked our Mom if we could walk to “Pettit’s Store.” She asked “what for?”  We said “we want to go buy some candy with the coins we had found throughout the house.” She said “No, you can’t go! Yesterday was Easter and you each have an Easter basket filled with candy. You don’t need anymore!”

Right then and there, we decided we would take our Easter baskets and run away! We were livid! We went down into the woods behind our house. There was a stream and a huge, huge, fallen tree. The tree had a cavity just large enough for the two of us to curl up in it together and hide. (Our house almost still within sight, mind you). We felt free as the birds! We were exercising our independence and we would show our mother who was boss! We were a united front! My twin sister and I!

The long and short of the story was that we ran away from home just long enough to gorge ourselves on all the candy in the Easter baskets and return home with tummy aches, and new attitudes, to boot! Perhaps our mom knew best!

Returning to the real point of the story, how can  you feel anything but love for a person who always has your best interests at heart? How can you feel anything but love for a person who sustained you in your littlest, weakest days? How can you feel anything but love for a person who has been there for you through good times and in bad?

Mom, I could go on at great lengths about the extraordinary Mom you are. But I would like to end this blog by saying “I hope I can be there for you, when you need me the most. Happy Mother’s Day!”

 

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Fold Your Hands

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“Faith makes all things possible…Love makes all things easy” ~ Unknown

Today is the National Day of Prayer. In my opinion, the disappearance of prayer being allowed in public places, in schools and at ceremonial events makes it even more important to stop and observe this day. The founding fathers of our country used prayer to guide them, protect them, and strengthen their resolve, as they put into place the documents that helped to create our nation and our freedoms. Our society has strayed much too far from the basic foundation and principles that were put into place for the well-being of our country and ourselves.

Now, more than ever, prayer is needed, to guide our country. One does not have to regularly attend a church, temple, chapel, cathedral or synagogue in order to worship. Prayer is communication with our own God, heavenly father or Higher Being, in our own private way. It can be well expressed through music, singing, words, clapping, dancing or through quiet meditation.

There is an enormous amount of evidence, testimony, medical and scientific research that prayer has many benefits. Prayer relieves stress, anxiety, calms fears, and helps in overcoming problems such as addiction, relationship issues and health concerns.

On this National Day of Observance, take a few minutes, lighten your load and ask your Higher Being for help, understanding, protection, guidance and to hear your prayer. And remember to listen, too.

 

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Struggle No More!

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“The pleasantest things in the world are pleasant thoughts; and the great art of  life is to have as many of them as possible.” ~ Montaigne

Yesterday, this blogsite addressed the issue of artists finding fulfillment in the creative work they do. Finding satisfaction in the work we do and the lives we live is not unique to artists, it applies to people in all walks of life.

I have found employment throughout the years in many different industries. In each job, I have found satisfaction, even in the most menial. I look back at my first “real job” as a cashier/clerk in a drugstore, when I was in high school. There were skills that I learned that prepared me for subsequent jobs. It was then that I learned to run a cash register, be accurate in handling money, and give change. My customer service skills were put to the test by helping shoppers find what they were looking for in the store.

Very early on in my working years, I decided that my attitude towards each job, could either make or break me. My own attitudes toward work (and life) and my success or failure was entirely up to me. My conclusions about life and and work, were this:

  • I decided to be accountable to myself in doing the best I can, each and every day.
  • Working is necessary, so, I may as well find happiness in it.
  • Taking the glass half full, not empty approach made sense, no matter what.
  • I decided I would learn something from each job I have held.
  • Putting my best foot forward felt much better than having a “who cares attitude.”
  • I could at least be proud of myself, even if no one else noticed.

When it comes down to it, our attitudes in life, often account for our happiness or lack thereof. They affect our health, our stress levels, our experience with others and with life, in general. For information on how  happiness affects health, please visit http://bit.ly/al0Qll.

Count the blessings instead of the shortcomings in your life. Challenge yourself to wake up each day with a positive thought and to end the day with a positive thought. It can make a huge difference – life is meant to be lived with joy, not struggle!

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Being Tortured!

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“The world does not have to change…the only thing that has to change is our attitude.” ~ Gerald Jampolsky

I am being tortured and I am in a snit! Old Man Winter will not leave me alone! Does he not realize what month it is? Does he not own a calendar? It is Friday, the last day of the month of April and I am calling “May Day, May Day.” I need help! Old Man Winter has messed about with me all too long! Snow has come back to haunt me far too many times in the past few weeks.

I have made a decision. It is for the best. Here is my plan of action:

  • I am not going to hang around with that Old Man Winter any longer.
  • I am going to hang around with others that have a positive influence on my life, instead of the negative.
  • I’ve decided there is no one that can bring about change, other than myself.
  • I am replacing the negative with the positive!
  • I am going to associate myself with those that give me energy and motivation, not someone that drags me down.
  • I am going to change my mental picture!

It is time to lighten up!  I will show you who I will be hanging with, so you will know I’ll be in good hands. Join me! We can share! Take a look!

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Wisdom Comes from Living It

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“All men make mistakes, but only the wise men learn from their  mistakes.” ~ Winston Churchill

There is nothing worse than having a deep concern and not wanting to share it because you know others will not understand. I am talking about something that only those who have lived it can relate – such as having a child struggling with drug and substance abuse.

Out of her experiences of living with a teen hooked on drugs, public speaker, author and Mom, Mitzi Rudderow has written a book called “Coming Clean: Drug Addiction – help and hope.” This book should be in the household of every family with children. For a parent, learning how to identify addiction before it becomes a crisis is of paramount importance.

Through this book, you will learn how to avoid the mistakes this Mom made, what the red flags of substance abuse are and parenting do’s and don’ts. This book is made very affordable for every parent because Mitzi is truly committed to helping other parents learn from the mistakes she made with her teen.

As a radio broadcaster, Mitzi learned so well how to communicate with others and she has used her skill to communicate about an issue, through her book, that is all too pervasive in today’s world – drug and alcohol abuse.

Take your first pro-active step, as a parent of a teen, by educating yourself rather than denying that your child could very well face these struggles in his or her teenage years.

For more information on this book, please visit www.mitzirudderow.com and visit her blog http://www.comingcleantogether.wordpress.com

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Weekend Indie Publisher News

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It is a big day for all the participants of the Young Authors League of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA). Today they will be premiering their new publication “Making the World a Better Place.”  The group premieres it’s book at Southlands Mall Barnes and Noble in Aurora, Colorado from 4 – 8pm today! Head on in, and support a new generation of young authors! www.cipabooks.com

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Oh, the Angst it Caused

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“Worry gives a small thing, a big shadow.” ~ Swedish proverb

The other day, I was thinking about the progress I have made in no longer worrying about things that probably will never happen. I am very proud of myself and a lot of what I used to worry about was related to raising a child. When God gives us a child, he also gives us tremendous responsibility. Responsibility that I took very seriously.  All I knew was that I was given a gift, and I had only one chance to do it right – to raise our child in the best way I possibly could.

A few weeks ago I watched as young authors, 4th and 5th graders, received acknowledgement that their written work had been published in a book called “Making the World a Better Place.” I thought back to the days when my son was in grade school. I reflected on my needless worry as he was learning to write. You see, he kept writing everything backwards. At the end of every week, all his school papers would come home signed CRAM instead of  MARC!! (Note: the C and the R also faced  in the wrong direction, however, I can not reproduce it on the computer).  Oh, how I would worry! Oh, how I would toss and turn! The teacher assured me, that given time, Marc’s backward writing would most likely straighten out. And straighten out, it did!

Now that I have done a little research, I have learned that  “right brain/visual kids often will write backwards. The image is recognizable to them at any angle. It is their gift.” Now this makes sense! My son, who will be graduating from college next month, is all about visuals! He, in fact, is a visual effects artist! His career will be  devoted to  filmmaking.  I am so proud that he will be using his gift to create a form of artistry that will educate, inform, entertain and inspire!

All along he probably knew just what he was doing – adding one extra dimension to the worries  of parenthood!

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Writing through the Eyes of a Child

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“The most effective kind of education is that a child should play among lovely things.” ~ Plato

Don’t you love the honesty of a child? Kids often come up with statements all of us would not have thought of, as adults. They speak their minds, looking at the world through a different set of eyes than a person who  has seen the ugly, harsh realities of life. Writing through the perspective of a child brings very different results. What we have lost as adults can be brought back to us, through a child’s story. Children are more apt to write and to speak with abandon, without the fear of being judged.

Two weeks ago, when I attended the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) “College”, I spent some time  in a room filled with children and their parents. One of the ballrooms of the hotel was all dressed up and all decorated up to celebrate a group of newly published writers – kids!

Fourth and fifth graders from the Cherry Creek School District in Denver were asked to participate in a short writing and art contest using the theme “Making the World a Better Place.” The Young Authors League http://cipabooks.com/YAL/ of the CIPA Education and Literacy Foundation (ELF) had screened and selected the finalists. The winner’s stories about ways to make a difference in the world were published.

That late afternoon, the kids were all pumped up, shined to a polish and waiting for their moment in the spotlight! They had all become published writers and were listening to hear their names called so they could climb the stage stairs, accept their certificate, receive a copy of the book “Making the World a Better Place” and make a little acceptance speech. How sweet it was to see a group of children, who rose to the stage, full of confidence, not yet beaten down by the storms of life.

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