Day 504 ~ Goals for your Marriage? (XVII)

Day 17 of the Husband Encouragement Challenge
courtesy of ReviveOurHearts.com

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge o the Holy One is understanding.'" (Proverbs 9:10) 

• You can't say anything negative about your husband . . . to your husband . . . or to anyone else, about your husband.
• Say something that you admire or appreciate about your husband . . . to your husband . . . and to someone else, about your husband!

Are you a wise woman? Do you open your mouth with wisdom, as Proverbs 31:26 suggests? As you continue in your 30-day challenge, remember that a wise woman encourages her husband. Is your husband a "wise man?" Does he have a godly perspective that comes from knowing God and walking with Him in obedience? Does he have a sense of purpose for his life and vision for your home? Tell him how much this means to you.

If you are not sure about your husband's vision for your home, ask him, "Honey, what do you want to accomplish with our marriage and home in the years to come?" and "How can I help you accomplish that?" If he does not have a vision, your questions may inspire him to develop one.

If your husband is not walking with God—or perhaps, does not know the Lord - you have the opportunity and responsibility to practice your faith and create a thirst for God. Thank God for giving your husband a place in his heart that only He can fill, and keep praying that he will turn to the Lord to fill that vacuum!    

Day 17 ! . . .    

I'm going to keep this simple and not let it get too wordy.  

WOW!

This gives me something to think about.

We've always talked about having a beautiful house, and now, growing The Blessed Spoon...  

But I have never asked my hubby what he wants to accomplish in our marriage.

Yes I am supportive.

Yes I have been encouraging and thanking him each day.

And just thought that "living happily ever after" was the goal... chuckle, chuckle...

"What do we want to accomplish in our marriage?"

Hmmmmm...

This is definitely not a "one-day" conversation.  Guess what we'll be working on...?

[here's to you finding your... ]

Peace...

I am second..

... for a, l & c.  You are my sunshine(s).  

Images are courtesy of google or Bing images.  Some images maybe labeled property of Carla Barila Karam and of this blog, Took It... Making It... Living It... My Life .  © 2012  U.S Copyright Laws apply.

Day 458 ~ Heart of Goals

Well after dropping such a teaser last night... all I have been doing today is working towards my goal.

I want to let you know that although this is MY goal and something very near and dear to my heart... it is not all about me.

Its about a lot of people... and before I give any of this away... I better pipe down.  wink, wink.

Just know that my heart is in this 100% 

{and} even though I have 36 days for my BIG REVEAL [October 15th at Noon- MDT] ... and I have plenty of preparations to do for the BIG day.

oooooo I can't wait to tell you all!  

Oh okay ... I will tell you a little ... when all is said and done... you all can {and will} get involved!

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ~ Mark 11:24 

[here's to you finding your... ]

Peace...

I am second..

... for a, l & c.  You are my sunshine(s).  

Images are courtesy of google or Bing images.  Some images maybe labeled property of Carla Barila Karam and of this blog, Took It... Making It... Living It... My Life .  © 2012  U.S Copyright Laws apply.

Day 209 ~ 2011 Top Ten & A Look Ahead

My post this evening is a quick mention to 2011 and a preview of 2012.  I wanted to share with you some of what I have been up... what my plans are for my blog... and then finish off with my Top Ten most read posts.  Honestly, I saw a few other blogs do a Top Ten... granted their blogs are more informative than my real life drama (lol! humor? a little funny?) ... no seriously... Even though my blog is not an informative, "how to", sort of blog... there always is a  lesson learned to each of my posts... so I thought it would be cool to include it in mine.

I know that I have shared with you, on numerous posts, of what a difference blogging has made in my life, so much so that you are probably sick of hearing about it!  Too bad! (wink, wink)  Anyways, I love blogging and this, my (baby) blog, has 156 days to go.

I Realize that this is my blog and I can do what I want, however, if I want to be respectful of my goals, I must follow through as planned.  With that being said, I will be finishing this blog in 156 days as planned, as mentioned.  After all, this was meant for me to take back my life and make it into my own!  Therefore, this phase of my journey will end...

And a new one will begin! 

I am in the process of putting together a website for all my blogs.  A self hosted web site.  A collection of my writings... my work... my portfolio of my life.  Everything is still in the design, construction and  constant developing phases  I will however keep you in the loop as to its progress.  

This website will also be the home to my next blog.  My next blog will be an ongoing one, without expiration.  

There is no way that I am going to stop blogging any time soon!  Blogging is in my heart, my head,,, it my niche!  YES!!  My Niche!

SO here are my 2011 top ten most read posts.  

10.  Day 27  ~ An Angel Named Caylee

 9.  Day 49  ~  A Mother's Love

 8.  Day 70  ~  I Believe...

 7.  Day 63  ~  My Fight Continues!! ... Part Deux

 6.  Day 39  ~  What Is A Friend?

 5.  Day 33  ~  Thank You God for My Family!  For I am Truly Blessed.

 4.  Day 95  ~  I Will Never Forget!

 3.  Day 23  ~  "words" ...  Use Them Wisely

 2.  Day 124  ~  You Only Live Once...

Top most read post...

 1.  Day 28  ~  I Have a "Dream Team"!! & You're On It!

The power of your thoughts can open any door and you can set yourself free.  ~Lucy MacDonald

Blessings to all!!

156 days to go...

PS... Sons, I love and miss you.  To the moon and stars above and back.  You are my sunshines.

All contents herein are protected under Copyright laws and can not be used, altered or copied.  All accounts herein are written by Carla B Karam and are true accounts of her life.  Some names may be changed to protect the innocent or protect me from the guilty.  (just kidding...wink, wink)

Day 157 ~ Giving Life Thought

cbk

It's been about four days now that I have been putting in extra time on the design elements on this blog and then if I have any extra time (ha, ha) I've been putting some thought into my next blog.  

When I was writing My wii Fit Plus 21 Day Challenge ! I found it a bit challenging writing my ...Challenge blog in the morning and ...Life blog at night.  Not that I could not handle writing both blogs... I did it for the three weeks.  It was that it didn't leave much time for the rest of my life.  There was housework, meal planning and cooking, as well as my first priority - my family, to take care of.

Let me make something perfectly clear... I had a blast doing it and none of my responsibilities were neglected.  Although... as I look back on it I should have given it a little more planning especially since I was on a family vacation the last week of my ...Challenge.  

You know how they say that hine sight is always 20-20 ... what would I do differently? hmmm...

I know that my next blog needs to be written frequently each week for it to be effective, however I need to put my family first and do this comfortably... and realistically...  keeping it fun!

Tonight's quote is a special one.  Today, Dean's great aunt, Auntie Mary (who is Dean's grandfather's sister) told me that when she found out she had been denied membership to a sorority back when she was attending Texas College of Mines (UTEP) she had gone to her father for consoling...

Great Grandfather Feris Karam said in Arabic to his daughter, "Don't surround yourself with people who will take the laughter out of your soul and clip your wings where you can't fly alone." 

 I am thankful for all of our family ancestors for whom without we would not be here, or let alone know what we do. 

Blessings to all!!

208 days to go...

All contents herein are protected under Copyright laws and can not be used, altered or copied. All accounts herein are written by Cali-Gal/Carla B Karam and are true accounts of her life. Some names may be changed to protect the innocent.

Day 130 ~ Making It Happen

For some reason I have found myself sitting down at my laptop and writing my post early today.  I can't explain why... but regardless I am going to go with it and look at this as a positive sign.  (wink, wink)

It is a beautiful morning out, even though in about six hours we'll be up to at least 90 degrees out.  I guess I shouldn't complain... we aren't having floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, let alone freezing weather.  Not to mention, that I do have a roof above my head and that I have the cognitive skills to have goals in place.  
May God bless those who may not be as fortunate.  

I am very thankful for being able to enjoy this day and I look forward to what it has in store for me.  

Come to think of it... I need to make things happen.  

Don't make excuses. Make things happen. Make changes. Then make history.  ~ Doug Hall

When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened.  ~ John M. Richardson, Jr.

Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.    ~  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Blessings to all!!

235 days to go...

All contents herein are protected under Copyright laws and can not be used, altered or copied. All accounts herein are written by Cali-Gal/Carla B Karam and are true accounts of her life. Some names may be changed to protect the innocent.

Day 129 ~ And The Forgiveness Continues...

Buried machinery in a barn lot;
Dallas, South Dakota, May 1936
photo borrowed  from wikipedia

It wasn't until my day was over today and the dust cleared, that finally my thoughts were on something else other than a "garage sale"...  when the time finally came for me to sit down and write tonight's post, I realized that after months upon months of procrastinating, that I finally decided to  forgive myself yesterday.

When I sat back and thought about it, and what all this meant, that is... I realized that most of my forgiving, in one way or another, had something to do with my sons.  I do not want to belittle, dismiss or excuse the fact that they are upset or what they must be feeling...

(As a side note...) Not to keep you in the dark... I know that I have not gotten back to "my story," (or maybe we can refer to it as "my experience") concerning the fight for my children, which I started writing about in my posts  Day 62 and Day 63.  To be very honest with you... if I really think about it, I think I have procrastinated because of the difficulty of remembering it all... re-living the experience.   It was not the best time in my life, you know. 


Quite frankly, as I take a look at the fact that I first wrote about this "experience" and now... well, go ahead and say it... "I really have procrastinated on the matter."  Give me a few days or so to get my "goat going" (wink, wink) american idiom.  Get my courage up sort of speak.


Anyways, as I was saying, and the point to this post is that even though my sons do not respond to my messages, (which only leads me to believe that they are mad at me,) will not communicate with me as to why exactly they are mad at me... well, I can not beat myself up about it anymore.  I will add that I will take responsibility for my own actions and know all the effort I have always put forth and will continue to do so.  


I have made many attempts to talk to them, communicate with them in a healthy way.  Have left them countless upon countless messages... (I am embarrassed to admit that I even got all psycho with the phone calls one night when I received disrespect from one of my sons)... and nothing.


Not even a call to their little sister on her birthday.  What fault is this of hers?


Bottom line... I can not be mad at myself or punish myself, any longer, when I have made many attempts for a healthy relationship.  Honestly, the ball is in their court.  They choose to believe lies and the negativity which has been imposed onto them by their father... as opposed to them making their own decisions and opinions for themselves.  

What I am trying to say is that... both of my sons need to hear what I have to say, especially since they have been listening to one sided views for all these years and basing their judgment upon me on the lies that have been drilled into their minds for so many years.


Although all of this pains me so... not having my sons in my life, let alone their sister's life; missing all of this time with them and the  memories that go with life; and especially the way they are handling all of this... I forgive them.  I do... and will do so seventy times seven times.


After all, I must keep in mind that this it is not entirely their fault.  It is not their fault that their father thinks so little of himself that he had to bully the mother of his children, as well as alienate their relationship with her.  I do not know why he chose to be so hateful and hurtful.  Maybe it was the beating that he received when he was jumped by all those boys back in junior high or the lack of a father around.  I don't know... however, I almost feel sorry for him.  To think of the lack of self-love and respect he must have for himself, that he thinks so low of himself that he would have to go to such measures to make himself feel good, or like a "big man."


With all that said... I have decided to forgive him as well.  Not only that, but I will also continue to ask God to help me forgive him so that I may live peacefully.


I do want to add that just because I have decided to forgive the father of my sons, that this does not mean that I will not finish sharing my experience with him...  after all, I must share with you in order to be able to help you.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.    ~ Mahatma Gandhi

You can't undo anything you've already done, but you can face up to it. You can tell the truth. You can seek forgiveness. And then let God do the rest.  ~ Author Unknown

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.  ~ Matthew 6:14-15 

Blessings to all!!

236 days to go...

All contents herein are protected under Copyright laws and can not be used, altered or copied. All accounts herein are written by Cali-Gal/Carla B Karam and are true accounts of her life. Some names may be changed to protect the innocent.

Day 126 ~ One Chance At Life

If you thought yesterday was a day for quotes presenting themselves... well you haven't heard anything yet.  

I really can't believe it! ... and find myself compelled to share this experience with you mostly because of the positive feelings I am being presented with..

If I was asked for three quotes that would help any person in most situations, I would most definitely share these with you!  The three following quotes presented themselves at a most opportune time...  seems as if the moment my "happy" monitor starts to dim, positive words come my way and re-energize me!!   ... 

• Walk a mile in my shoes, see what I see, hear what I hear, feel what I feel...  THEN maybe you'll understand why I do what I do...  'til then don't judge me..  ~author unknown 

• You are grown up now!  You can do anything you want to do.  Whenever you do what pleases you, wonderful things occur.  It is a way of being nurturing to yourself, and as you do so, you find more fun in your world.  You are allowed to have more fun.  The more fun you have, the more other people love you.    ~Louise L. Hay

• When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile.  ~author unknown

Today I AM FINALLY moving forward.  I know what I want and I am going for it. Now, more than ever, I understand ... I believe with all of my core that I have one chance of making this right... and I can not waste any more time... I have so much to do!    I am so excited and can not wait to see all my dreams come to life!!  

My goal... which will assist in making all my other goals come true... 

to do better today than I did yesterday... and whatever I don't finish today... I can do better tomorrow!

Blessings to all!!

239 days to go...

PS... A shout out to my nephew... he and his wife just welcomed their third little boy into the world today!!  May God continue to bless them and their family!

All contents herein are protected under Copyright laws and can not be used, altered or copied. All accounts herein are written by Cali-Gal/Carla B Karam and are true accounts of her life. Some names may be changed to protect the innocent.

Day 94 ~ I Can Move On & Prevail!

There have been days in my life that I have felt so alone... having a family does not necessarily mean "you have a family."

I sit back and look at myself, and how I have ... "coped" ... "endured" ... "managed" ... "bumbled" ... "mourned" ... "celebrated" ... "fought" ... "made peace" ... "struggled" ... "surrendered" ... "cried" ... "laughed" ... "battled" ... "agreed' ... "defended" ... "attacked" ... "engaged" ... "dismissed" ... "scrambled" ... "organized" ... "learned" ... and "experienced" ... and I have had to do it all, right or wrong, learning along the way, all by myself!  


[No father; no mother; sister or brother; grandmother or aunt; uncle or grandfather; let alone cousins to help or be there for me, a shoulder to cry on, or maybe a hug? A little loyalty or camaraderie?]


It's no wonder I am a little rough around the edges.  ;)

As I look back on all the chapters of my life, trials and tribulations, mistakes, accomplishments and achievements...


I've done okay!  I have a few more things I want to do... and will continue to do ~like my blogging...


As long as I keep moving in the right direction, forward, that is... keeping my goals in sight... working towards them a little each day... I will prevail... I will prevail!  I WILL PREVAIL!!!

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.  ~ Winston Churchill

Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many -- not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.   ~ Charles Dickens

Act as if it were impossible to fail.  ~ Dorothy Broude

Don't run from lessons; they are little packages of treasure that have been given to us.  As we learn from them, our lives change for the better.  I now rejoice whenever I see another portion of the dark side of myself.  I know that it means that I am ready to let go of something that has been hindering my life.  I say, "Thank you for showing me this, so I can heal it and move on."  ~ Louise L. Hay 

Blessings to all!


271 days to go

All contents herein are protected under Copyright laws and can not be used, altered or copied. All accounts herein are written by Cali-Gal/Carla B Karam and are true accounts of her life. Some names may be changed to protect the innocent.

Day 84 ~ Tomorrow I Will Do Better

courtesy of Bing images

Can you say exhausted?  There are a few things that are great about being busy... first, you don't have time to think about things- you have to act now, and think later!   Then.. time goes by fast!  Granted, you never want to wish time away.  Just trust me - time does just fine on its own.  Finally, you often loose weight because half the time you forget to eat.  (wink, wink!)

Well... now there's something old to consider... life.  Regardless of what is going on at the moment... hence being there for my mother in law... I still have to take care of my own life.

Prior to Nana's passing, I had plans.  Learning more and more about the type of woman Nana was, I am compelled on moving forward in her name. 

I need to get back on track, move forward in order to accomplish what I want and expect from myself.  

courtesy of Bing images

First thing is first.  I will continue to write my blog and continue to heal.  My other project...~ I will be doing is a Lifestyle Change which is meant to do a redesign of my diet and exercise routine so that I may lead a healthy lifestyle.  My LifeStyle Change Redesign will also include a blog.  I had planned to start this the first of September and would last through March.

My wii Fit Plus 21-day Challenge was just that... a challenge.  In the 21 days I was able to loose just under nine pounds.  Six pounds shy of my goal.  Even so... I felt great, although it was a crazy challenge.  Especially when I had set out to work out twenty-one days in a row without a break- which I did complete!!  (big smile!)

As I think about what is yet to come... I stop right there.  I am not going to over analyze anything, especially when I'm so tired.  I am just going to finish this post up, relax and finish my tea, thank the Lord for my day, and have faith that tomorrow... well, I will do at least one thing to make it a better day than today.

       “Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.”    ~    Mary Anne Radmacher

 “What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind.”       Buddha

 “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely...”        Ralph Waldo Emerson

 Blessings to all! 

281 days to go

All contents herein are protected under Copyright laws and can not be used, altered or copied. All accounts herein are written by Cali-Gal/Carla B Karam and are true accounts of her life. Some names may be changed to protect the innocent.