|
|
|
Angel Notes>
Series of Unfortunate Events II (Finally!)
July 4, 2007
-----------------------------------------------
FROM THE PUBLISHER
-----------------------------------------------
First of all, I must apologize for the delay of this
newsletter. It has been a wild roller coaster ride since I
last wrote! I have much to catch up on! Who knows, if my
Internet connection had not gone down, I may never have
gotten this done!
In the previous issue, I shared a story about my series of
unfortunate events. Well, to finish my tale, let me just
sum up by saying my life is about God’s strength and His
grace.
After my fall, I was feeling very low indeed. The rest of
that day, it was a pain and struggle to get anything done
and I was disappointed that we had to cancel our plans with
our prayer group.
I felt very helpless and alone, and when I was sitting
beside my son’s bed later that night, my mind kept
pondering the idea of giving up on everything!
Because I felt like an abject failure and that God had
given up on me.
But that thought was not allowed to take very deep root. In
the background, my son’s CD player was playing a favorite
song of mine from Rich Mullins. He was singing, “God has
not given up on me.” God, in His gentle ways, was speaking
to me…
There was more gentle reminders of His love from
unsuspecting “angels.” My son was singing: “the fruit of
the Spirit is love and patience and gentleness…”
I can’t give up, I realized. At least for my son’s sake. I
prayed, “Holy Spirit, come!”
Then I tried to get up from the chair. I could not! I cried
out to God, silently, “I am so weak and helpless! I can’t
do anything. Come, Holy Spirit, come!”
After that, I did manage to get up, painful ankle and all,
and went to my private reading room where I could write and
pray. Perhaps, I reflected as I thought about the days’
series of unfortunate events, this was a coordinated attack
from the enemy to keep me isolated, keep me friendless. I
felt frustrated, though, because it always seemed that I
made no progress no matter what I tried…
A few days later, I talked about the mishap and its
associated feelings with a long-time friend of mine. “I’m
afraid I’m going to have to go back to work, “ I said,
having felt so discouraged by all the unfortunate events,
scared that we would not be able to afford my son’s school
tuition without getting a job outside of the home.
“I feel like giving up. Throwing in the towel,” I told her.
My friend, who raised her daughter as a single mother and
sent her to a prestigious college, all while working at
home, wouldn’t hear of it. She offered me an opportunity—to
be her art director for her promotional products company.
A challenge came soon and it was a huge blessing. I was
asked to design and produce shirts for my son’s school, as
well as invitations, notecards, and a program for their
arts’ night and musical. Working with my friend, I produced
a fantastic shirt. It was heavenly watching my son perform
with his school, all 100 kids dressed in the shirt that I
had designed and produced! What a feeling! The school
ordered over 300 notecards that featured the children’s
artwork professionally designed.
Then came two more opportunities to direct the artwork of
specialty products. It has been a huge learning process,
one that has greatly humbled me and stretched me. Through
it all, I have been asking God to “take the wheel.” Is this
the path He wants me to go on? These opportunities and
other urgent projects have kept me from “minding my store.”
Is this a distraction or a necessary learning path to being
a better business woman? I keep asking God, through each
tense moment, for His strength and His grace.
There is more art directing work to come that will, I hope,
help me fund my son’s school tuition, and in the meantime,
I have committed to a mentorship to help me increase
traffic on my web store. I have found, indeed, angels
around at every turn.
So far, as I sit here on my front porch of a cool early
afternoon, I can feel His grace tickling me, lavishing me.
I made it to another day and though more challenges await,
I look forward to taking a day with my family for the 4th
of July to enjoy the mountains, have a picnic, and chill
out.
May your 4th of July be fabulous and His strength and grace
surround you always, so much so that you feel His marvelous
tickles and glorious love!
Dana Susan Beasley
Principal/Publisher
AngelArts
------------------------------------------
ANGEL TIPS
------------------------------------------
Be An Angel to Someone Who’s Discouraged
1) Listen. Empathize.
2) Offer something practical, like watch your friends’
children or to help her tackle a huge project that
overwhelms her, or offer to meet for a cup of coffee.
3) Affirm her. Remind her of her positive attributes.
4) Share with her that God will never give up on him, no
matter how much he feels like giving up on himself!
Top 5 Ways to Ask for Angels When You're Discouraged:
1) Listen to uplifting music.
2) Be vulnerable with a trusted friend.
3) Pray for the Holy Spirit to come in you, filling you
with His grace and love.
4) Play with your child or invite a friend for coffee.
Reach out and stop being isolated!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT’S NEW IN ANGELARTS!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are proud to announce the addition of our new products,
postcards from Colorado! These feature gorgeous artwork by
Ann Neal.
These are one-of-a-kind souvenirs! Colorado like you’ve
never seen it before! Pre-stamped for your convenience!
Unique back! Printed on canvas-like heavyweight cardstock
using archival quality inks.
These are like a mini-giclée! Share this unique view of
Colorado with your friends, family, or clients today. They
will see Colorado like they’ve never seen it before!
Only $1.50 per card! Includes stamp!!
Go to:
http://www.angelartswebstore.com/page/page/4402411.htm
to purchase your postcard today!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
REACH NEW HEIGHTS IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recently, my parents celebrated their 50th wedding
anniversary. The big event was a reminder to me of the
importance of respect and follow-through on promises.
My sister and I worked hard to prepare for the event, which
purpose was to honor my parents. It wasn’t easy and there
were lots of glitches, and in the midst of the preparations
I had extreme challenges in completing a promotional
project I agreed to do.
This project was a hassle from start to finish, but I
promised to complete it. I was amazed by the attitudes of
the other people I was working with. One sales rep even
went to lunch and never returned that day, leaving me in a
ticklish situation to get the project done in time.
While getting ready for my parents’ party last week, there
was a lot of bickering. It was easy to complain for one
reason or another, whether it was the heat or lack of
satisfaction with the program, or hunger, or forgetting
important items…
But thankfully, my wise sister-in-law drew us all together
in a circle. We stood, holding hands, our arms crossed
against our bodies. She reminded us why we were here,
rehearsing the program. To honor my parents. And more so,
to honor God. Because by honoring my parents we were
honoring God. It wasn’t easy to do so, but we made a
promise, even though at times it was inconvenient or we had
other stresses in our lives.
She prayed and after that, the rehearsing went better. The
program was a hit at the party and my parents loved it. We
made a memory that drew us together as a family and we will
never forget.
To reach new heights in your relationships, how can you
practice respect for others? What promises have you made
that you need to keep? How does it affect you when others
around you do not follow through on their commitments? What
is the reward for following through on your commitments?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
REACH NEW HEIGHTS IN YOUR HOME!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meal preparation services are a growing trend these days
and they are fantastic!
It has come in handy for our family reunions, especially
last week when my family gathered for my parents’ wedding
anniversary.
It was a life-saver for our kitchen remodeling project, and
I will use it again for an upcoming family camping trip.
So how does it work? Most of these places have a
professional kitchen where you can assemble meals. You
usually have a wide variety of menu choices and some come
with options such as organic ingredients or low fat
ingredients, etc.
You can choose your number of servings as well. And if
you’re short on time, you can pick up the meals already
assembled for you.
The only hard thing to remember about these meals is to
thaw them beforehand. Try to do it the night before! Most
meals are the main dish only but suggest sides to go with
it.
The meals are very affordable. Our latest purchase was
$3.39 per meal and that was prepared for me. I don’t think
I could beat this price. The grocery shopping, the gas
money, the price of meat…
Meal preparation services will truly help you reach new
heights in your home!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
REACH NEW HEIGHTS IN YOUR LIFE!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stress. How to deal with it? It’s a common question,
especially when the challenge of getting through everyday
can be extremely hard and energy-draining.
Dealing with stress effectively is mostly a matter of
letting go. Letting go of perfectionism, letting go of
people’s expectations of you, letting go of your
expectations of yourself!
How though, can we do this practically? How can we give
ourselves a break, especially when the stakes are high and
the busyness of life overwhelms us?
The most practical way to handle this is to just say no! To
limit our activities, especially when we know we don’t have
the emotional strength to handle extra pressures.
Take a hard look at your calendar. Are you overbooked? Have
you overbooked your children’s schedule? Do you have time
for spontaneity, for sitting and doing nothing? Do your
children have time to imagine, to play, to dream? Do you
have to get that project done right away, or can it wait?
What do you really enjoy doing but have set aside?
Looking at these questions objectively may spark some new
energy in your life, enabling you to reach new heights!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
REACH NEW HEIGHTS IN YOUR BUSINESS!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
As a work at home mother, I know how hard it is to get
things done. Getting the ball rolling, starting or
finishing a project. Setting deadlines. These are so
different when you have no “boss” to answer to. No outside
force giving you the whip to get your work done.
So one solution is the accountability that comes with
mentoring. You will learn “the ropes” faster, avoid some
pitfalls, and have extra motivation to get your work done.
Where can you find a mentor? A trusted successful friend
whom you admire, a business coaching service such as Action
International are just two options out there, not to
mention the many resources you can find on the Internet.
Just commit to being mentored, ask or sign up, and give it
a try! The benefits will greatly outweigh the challenges
and you will reach new heights in your business!
------------------------------------
NEED CONTRIBUTORS!
------------------------------------
Got angel stories? Real-life experiences about how someone
touched your life profoundly and inspired you to greater
heights? Have a personal story about how you overcame a
seemingly unbeatable obstacle or experienced an incredible
miracle? Have a product that will help people improve their
lives, businesses, relationships, or homes?
Please e-mail us at info@angelartswebstore.com to
find out how you can be a contributor to Angel Notes! This
is a great avenue for FREE advertising!
--------------------------------------------------
NEED ADVERTISERS!
---------------------------------------------------
Wanting a way to gain exposure for your service or product?
E-mail us at info@angelartswebstore.com to find out how you
can benefit from advertising in our newsletter, Angel
Notes.
Copyright © 2007 by AngelArts. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by internetbasedfamily.com
|
|
