Tag Archives: #HappyNewYear

Happy New and Grateful Year!

19 Jan

Happy New and Grateful Year!

grateful

Well, we are into the third week of January already! How is your year going so far?  Do you already seem to be over the New Year’s Resolutions? I’ve read several articles stating that most people that make resolutions usually give up on them around the third week of January.  If you are one of them, please don’t beat yourself up!  Can I just give you a helpful suggestion?  Maybe you can do a New Year in a totally different and new way.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to go into a New Year without guilt and shame or feeling like a failure because you didn’t reach any of your goals?

When the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, I do not make resolutions.  “Why?”  You may ask.  My answer is because I don’t want to go out of a year feeling bad about what I did not accomplish, but rather I want to celebrate the steps that I made even if they were small.   I want to look back over the year and see all of the positive things in my life rather than focusing on all of the things that were negative.

May I suggest that you make a list of all the wonderful and positive things that happened to you in the year 2016.  Call it your grateful or thankful list. I personally keep a journal, which helps me.  When you begin your list, if you do not feel like life was so wonderful to you, may I simply state the obvious?

  1. Are you still breathing? Well, that is one big positive thing you can write down that you can be grateful or thankful for.   Let everything else hinge on this first thing.
  2. If you are indeed breathing, that must mean that you are still needed on the planet.  Do you have family or friends?  Do you have a job?  Roof over your head, food to eat, clothes, drinking water, a place to sleep, a job etc.
  3. Maybe you could write down what talent or gift you have been given. This could help you set some new goals in 2017.  What will you do with those gifts and talents to help others since you’re still alive and breathing?

If you have truly had a year to where you can’t see the good, I promise you I am not trying to be insensitive or harsh, but rather, I am hoping to make you realize, that even the bad years come and go.  However, every year that you are alive, you get another chance to hopefully see a better year.  May I make a few more final suggestions?  Instead of taking it a year at a time, maybe you can take a day at a time.  Maybe you could also keep an ongoing journal or notebook of all the good things that happened throughout the year.  This will help you and go a long way to encourage you on those days when it seems nothing is going right.   If you keep a journal all year long, when you get to New Year’s Eve, unlike past years, all you will have to do is look at your journal to see all of the wonderful things that happened to you.  Do you want to know something?  If you can have one good year, then the next year could be even better!

I have found that even in my worse year, there is always reason to be grateful.  I also find when I focus on the positive blessings instead of the negative things that happened, I am constantly being blessed.  If my heart is still beating, that means I still have purpose and time to fulfill that purpose.  It is time to look forward and not back my dear friend!  Happy New and Grateful Life!

 

 

Part 6 If Oak Trees Could Talk!

24 Jun

Part 6 If Oak Trees Could Talk

Book Cover for If Oak Trees Could Talk

Welcome back to my Video Blog!  I have been so thrilled with the response that I am receiving as I am attempting to do something new or at least new for me! My hope is to truly Inspire One Dreamer at a time!  I hope that you are that dreamer! This past week was Father’s Day!  Even though my characters are fictional in my books I always model them after people that have impacted my life!

In the main character is Henry William Tyler, I wrote this character based on my Precious Dad!  My Dad was a loving, passionate, larger than life man that I loved with all of my heart!  As I wrote the characters of Henry and Helen, it was my hope and desire to honor my wonderful parents!  So again I thank you for taking the time to “Tune in” or to read along as I continue to read today If Oak Trees Could Talk beginning in Chapter Three entitled Henry’s Homework!

Chapter 3

 

Henry’s Homework

The morning light came in unusually bright and Henry found himself awakened early and alone. His precious Helen had awakened even earlier and went back to her room before the nurses came to their rooms.  Henry squinted for a moment until his eyes adjusted themselves to the light. As he sat on his bed, he remembered some of what the Oak tree helped him to remember, but he really did not know if he had actually remembered it or if he had only dreamed about it.  Regardless, Henry decided to take action and regain some of his life.  He rang the on-call button frantically and impatiently for a nurse to come to him.

“Well, aren’t you up early and raring to go this find and glorious morning?  What’s your big emergency that you hit that button a dozen times or more?”

At first Henry did not recognize Nurse Wanda, but then he answered her.

“Pencil and paper, I want pencil and paper please.”

“Now why do you want a pencil and paper Mr. Tyler?   Are you fixing to write yourself a letter?”

“Yes, a letter sounds good.”  Henry answered with an urgent plea in his voice.

“Okay, Mr. Tyler, if you want a pencil and paper, then a pencil and paper you’re going to get!”  Nurse Wanda said as she was glad that Henry seemed to want to do something besides sit and stare.

It wasn’t long until Nurse Wanda returned to Henry’s room with his medicine, breakfast tray, and of course, a pencil and paper.

“What’s this for?”  Henry asked.  “You want me to do homework or something?”

“It’s for your letter that you were going to write.  Do you not remember asking me for a pencil and paper so that you could write a letter?”  Nurse Wanda probed.

“Yes, Mrs. Stone, I’ll take them home so that Mom can help me with my homework.”

“Yes Sir, Mr. Tyler, you just let your Momma help you okay?”

As Nurse Wanda left Henry alone once again, he stared at the blank piece of paper.  He thought as he looked upon it, that this is how his life had been, just a blank space that he couldn’t remember.  What kind of homework was he supposed to do? Henry wondered.  Before long, he found himself with pencil in hand.  He put the pencil on the paper and even to his amazement he began drawing a picture of his dearest friend.  As he drew, he drew branches extended wide and a huge trunk to an old tree.  He thought of how his friend towered above the others and so he drew it the entire length of the sheet of notebook paper.  As quick as a bolt of lightning, the memories from the night before came flooding back to him.  Henry began writing what he had remembered. As he penned the events of the night before, more and more thoughts kept coming into his mind. He wrote as fast as his stiff hands and fingers would allow him.  He wanted to capture every memory before they vanished away, possibly for forever.

At first the memories came just as a flash of something that seemed to be real.  However, then another image would come and still yet another one until finally Henry once again had enough of the pieces to realize that he had  real memories of a  whole event.  Every one of them always involved his old friend.   He frantically wrote down what he could see in his mind’s eyes.  He tried to pen down all the emotions as he experienced the events again, so that when Helen and dear Amelia read his letters, they would know why what they were reading was important to Henry.  Henry felt hope for the first time in months.  He felt as though he was reclaiming some resemblance of his life.  He knew that in his memory bank was a treasure chest of precious hidden treasures.  For whatever reason, the old Oak tree was serving as a key to help him open his treasures to share with others.

Thank you once again for either Listening or Reading along with my Video Blogs on Youtube! I hope that you will subscribe to my Video channel so as not to miss any! 

 

We Must Do the Work!

29 Jan

We Must Do the Work!.

We Must Do the Work!

29 Jan

 

  “Inspiring One Dreamer at a Time!” 

We Must Do the Work!     

 

Well here we are almost at the end of January, I was just wondering if you’ve made any resolutions at the beginning of the year? If so are you still working on them or have you already grown discouraged and gave up on meeting them this year?  I know how exciting it is to make New Year’s resolutions during such an emotional high!  However, when all of the celebrating and partying is over the real work must begin.  For many of us, we totally regret ever making those resolutions during the hype of all of the emotional clichés.

I am not writing this to try to discourage you further.  I am writing instead to encourage you to do the work.  Yes it is hard and grueling, but it is well worth every effort!  Do you know why?  Because when you made the resolution, emotionally or not, there was something that you wanted or desired on the inside so much that you said it out loud!  I am here to celebrate with you again!  Let’s pretend like the “ball” just now dropped at Time Square!  Do you remember the power you felt inside as the ball had dropped less than a month ago? Well feel that power again! It is what will spark your hope that you could make changes, dream new dreams or set new goals?  It is still with you, you haven’t lost it!  I am here to help you fan the flame as it were to cause the spark to erupt into a full blaze!  Come on you can do this thing!

Just wanted to give a brief update, my number one goal or resolution was that this year I wanted to do something with all of my stories “books” that I’ve written and left buried in my computer document files for many years?  I had to ask myself “what are you waiting for?”  So I began editing three of my stories and decided to do a little short story book entitled Mazy’s High Flying Adventure!  I am so excited to say that I finished the book and it is already available on Amazon, etc.  NO this is not a sales pitch where I am trying to sell my books, but I wanted to simply share that in order for our dreams to come, we have to put in the work! Even though I had already worked hard at writing the stories, to turn them into an actual book meant some long nights of editing, cropping pictures, etc.  Whether we feel like it or not, we must dig inside and find the reason that we desired to reach the goal in the first place.  I’ve just begun, but wanted to start my year off with success as soon as I could so that I could encourage myself to continue on!

I just wanted to encourage you to shake off all of the doubt and discouragement and go forward! Finish one of the goals that may take the least work so that you can see a measure of success! Prioritize!  Maybe you’ve been trying to do something to reach your goal that isn’t quite working!  Hey I’ve been there and done that many times, but the main thing is that you don’t give up on your dreams because what you tried didn’t work.  Go for it at another angle, or a different way!  The old adage “where there is a will, there is a way” applies here.  Come on my friend you can do it! I can hear the fireworks of celebration can you?

 

 

 

 

Expectations are High!

1 Jan

Expectations are High!.

Expectations are High!

1 Jan

Expectations are High!      

As we approach the New Year of 2015, I don’t know about you, but my expectations are really high!  I want to be even more determined to see my dreams and God’s purposes come together in my life!  Every year at this time I always take a step back and examine my year to see if I’ve done anything to make a difference, not only in my life but in those around me or those that the Lord puts in my path!  I am happy to say that 2014 feels like a milestone for me.  I really feel like I have made some headway toward the purposes of God in my life. I am also glad to say that I feel as though I’ve really shared His love with a lot of people and helped them to realize that God has a purpose for them as well!   I can only expect greater things for the year 2015!

Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

2For by it the elders obtained a good report.

 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

What do you want to see happen for you in 2015?  Let me encourage you to trust in the Lord and hope for those things with an expectancy that He will not fail!  If you have tried to believe for those things before and seemingly come up empty-handed, Press in and believe again!  Make a quality decision ( a decision of which there is no retreat)!  Determine that no matter what happens, that you will see great strides toward what you have hope to see!  This is truly faith and it pleases the Lord when we refuse to give up and  trust him!

As we move in to 2015, my prayer is that as I write this and you read it, that we can come into a prayer of agreement.  I would love to come into agreement with you in 2015 and believe for God to do that BIG THING!   Only you know what that big thing in your life is.  What I do know is that regardless of how big we may think it is, to God it is but a small matter and it gives Him great pleasure to show you his favor!  So right now, In the name of JESUS,  my prayer  is that the Lord will get that “Big thing” to you, or lead you to it, whatever needs to happen.  That He moves all circumstances or hindrances to the side that you will have a clear path to move in the direction that you need to move!  The Lord orders your steps and you will delight on your way!  I rejoice with you that the doors of opportunity are opening wide and that you will see BIG Things happen in your life for 2015!  I trust God to show you His favor as a shield and I declare over you that 2015 will truly be a HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Amen….

I would love to hear a good report from those of you that came into the prayer of agreement with me!   As the Lord answers your prayer maybe you could share it with me as this is what encourages me to press in to bigger things in my own life!  I am excited as I know that the Lord does not disappoint and that He is ready and willing to move on our behalf!  I leave you today with this blessing from the Lord!

Numbers 6: 24 (KJV) The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:

25The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

26The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

 

Happy New Year!

What a Year!

23 Dec

What a Year!.

What a Year!

23 Dec

 

What a Year 2014!

 

Christine Gilliam Hornback's Book Signings

Book Signing

Psalms 37:23( KJV) The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.

 

I had posted recently on my facebook page about how my life has been like a whirlwind lately. Especially through the year of 2014!  Simply meaning that it has been rapidly moving in circles to where I absolutely have to trust God to help me navigate through them!   I am not complaining but rather rejoicing, as I’ve labored seemingly for years to have the personal success that I am now enjoying.  If you have read any of my writings or followed my blogs then you will know that I am a Mom of two boys that I home school which is and will always be my greatest blessings and  priority.  I am also an Author, Artist and an Inspirational speaker.   I actually have four books published at the present time and am currently working on several more, however, being any of these things especially being an Author is not a golden ticket to success!  As a matter of fact, writing the books was, in my opinion, the easy part.  Marketing the books or promoting them to get the messages inside of them out to the public has proved to be the real task!   I have had so much to learn and am still learning every day.  There have been times where I’ve honestly just became overwhelmed and wanted to throw in the towel!  However, again if you’ve followed my blogs or my writings than you know that I am a very determined person!  I do not give up without throwing my most valiant effort toward that thing.   Unless GOD releases me to do something different!

I was a director of Women’s Ministry for many years!  It was honestly a joy and a privilege to help so many women over those years!  I found that with the Lord, that what I helped to make happen for them, He made happen for me.  I actually published two of my books during that time although I had written nearly a dozen.  I think that I thought in my mind that since I was so active in my local church doing Women’s ministry that the Lord would somehow combine the two.  I never thought in the beginning of publishing my first book that it would come down to a choice, however, when I realized that it was coming to that, I actually stopped writing for a while.  I loved Women’s Ministry and truly would not even let myself think about stepping out and doing anything different.  What I now know, is that it wasn’t trading one for the other, but that the Lord simply wanted to add to what I was doing and to promote me to a larger platform!  I bucked against God like a stubborn mule at first when I felt in my heart that I was going to release the Women’s Ministry, but one day in His sweet and calming still voice He spoke to me, “My Daughter, you will always be in Women’s Ministry because you are a women!”  Duh!… This was such a simple thing, but it became a revelation to me, so much so, that it allowed me the freedom to step out without looking back!  I dared to pursue my writing/ art career but also still do ministry which I so loved with a passion! When I say ministry, I do not necessarily mean to go to packed out church buildings and preach to multitudes, however I would do that with invitations, but, what I mean is that one on one ministry that now happens everywhere I go!  Life is absolutely exciting and full of adventure.  I never know how the Lord will use the open doors, but all I have to do is simply walk through them by faith and let Him use me once I am there!

God’s plans for me are always so much larger than my thoughts can take me. So I wrote all of this blog not to toot my own horn of obedience or successes, but rather as stated before my passion is to minister to you my readers!  I want to encourage you to trust the Lord! What He is doing for me, He will do for you!  Maybe you’ve stepped out before and felt like you were a failure.  Yes I’ve done that before as well but no attempt with GOD is a failure!  I’ve shook  myself off and simply began again!  I am hardly making a fortune, (YET) on my books or art, and my calendar is not filled for the next six months up the road, but do you know what?   I am thrilled because I have learned to let the Lord order my steps so that I can truly delight in my way! I have no doubt that He will bring me to success in every area!  I hope in the coming year, that you experience this kind of freedom that I am talking about and simply walk with the Lord and let him lead you!  I would love to hear of what the Lord is doing or has done for you in the coming months.  Please feel free to contact me!  We will rejoice together!

Happy New Year, May it be beyond your wildest imaginations

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