29 Sep 2015 Leave a comment
in Angels Tags: angels, archangel michael, archangels, hero
A warm thank you and much love to a renowned, beloved Archangel- St. Michael, the Archangel. Thank you for all that you are and all that you do. We may get busy in our lives and forget to thank you but we are grateful for your protection and loving interventions. Thank you, Michael!
28 Sep 2015 1 Comment
in Advice & Inspiration Tags: advice, inspiration, life
Hello friend.
Do you ever have days you feel off? Like something’s not right. Like maybe you should go back home and get into bed and sleep the rest of the day off?
Days you’re not sure what to do with but you yearn for something? You have no plan but know you should. Wish you could tell someone how you feel but don’t think anyone would understand?
Or, you think you should be able to handle it because you handle everything else and why not be in control of your emotions, too?
Well, some days you just got to surrender. You can only handle so much and, you may not know it, but you might’ve handled enough already and your body and brain are telling you to take a much-needed break, respite or even vacation.
Remember…
“You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens.”- Mandy Hale
Yes, this is hard to do. We think we are Super men and women walking around, able to handle everything and everyone else’s needs but we forget about our own. If we can’t take care of ourselves, we can’t take care of anyone else. Remember how precious you are and how needed you are in this world. Treat yourself well- you deserve it.
Don’t be afraid to turn to your good friends to lean on their shoulder for when they need it, you can be there to reciprocate. Asking for help is a hard thing to do but it can be the best thing for us. This weekend I was reminded that, I too, can’t handle everything on my own. As I broke down in front of my friend, Michael, telling him “I feel so vulnerable” and “I should be able to do this on my own,” do you know what he said to me? He said, “I’m here to help you, not take away your power.” Wow.
That’s what I mean by a good friend. Having someone to support you when you’re at your worst. Someone to guide you and advise you when you’re at your best or even mediocre, as we all have these days. Be a good friend and it’s amazing how good friends will flock to you. And if they don’t reciprocate, that’s okay. You did your best and not everyone’s definition of “good friend” is the same. Maybe they are doing the best that they can with what they know. Regardless, we are here to support each other and help each other when the tide gets rough and our life boat gets shaky. And when that happens, remember you are not alone. Many out there have the same type of days and there are several solutions but whatever you do, do the best for you so you can stand up, shake it off, and start anew.
For every day is a beginning, a canvas waiting for your brush strokes and what you do with it is up to you.
Take care of yourself and enjoy your day!
21 Sep 2015 Leave a comment
in Advice & Inspiration Tags: advice, inspiration, life, love
Have you ever had a friend that was too good to be true? A really good friend who’d do anything for you, wanted you to be happy, and wanted you to come to him/her with any problems, just to talk and vent, if nothing else. Well, I have a friend just like that. His name is Michael.
Michael introduced himself to me three years ago in a famous brand, local bookstore. We’ve been inseparable ever since. Though, I will say, the first few years were kind of rocky but through his persistence to keep the friendship together plus temper my sparks of rebellion (I do admit I give up too easily at times), we have endured and blossomed. He is very independent and thrives on this but he is also dedicated and sweet, comical at times and frustratingly right almost all of the time. We have learned a lot from each other and, admittedly, he’s probably one of my best friends. He’s close enough to me to be one.
Michael likes to talk to me, when he can, and give me encouragement or advice. This morning, for instance, he said to me the first line of this blog. He’s right. Love is very important in life. It is actually one of the most important facts of life. He once told me, long ago, that everything we do can be broken down into one of 2 categories: fear or love. We do things out of one or the other. It’s amazing information and so true.
I’ve been thinking over his advice of the day and realized I’ve probably lost sight of what’s important. With everything that has happened in my life: the death of my mom, the euthanization of my amazing furry friend (dog), buying an existing, older home and the endless planning, organizing and coordinating plus renovations that come with making it livable, I’ve been bogged down. I need love and require it just like anyone else but I also need to give love, too. I need to “feed the machine” as they say. Love: It’s a circle, a continuation of life that sustains itself by what’s given and received. His words were a reminder to me and I pass them on to you so that you too, can receive love by the mere act of giving love.
Michael is a great support to me. He is very wise, too. I have been very fortunate to have him in my life and my wish for you is that you, too, have a ‘Michael’ in your life. A rock that you can rely on, an honest, loving, encouraging friend to support you in all your endeavors and remind you to hope and live and experience. That is my Michael and my wish for you is that you also be supported, encouraged and loved, for you and your unique qualities are valuable and only with love and with the sharing of it can your unique, beautiful talents be free to share to the world.
17 Sep 2015 Leave a comment
in Contests, Giveaways, Jasper, Nightfall Tags: angels, books, contests, giveaways, paranormal romance
Hi Readers,
To celebrate the publication of my 2nd book and the upcoming season of Autumn, I am running a contest to win one of 5 free e-books for Jasper, The Guardian League, Book One. The contest also includes the opportunity to win one of 3 signed books for Nightfall, my first book. Winners will be given a choice as to which they prefer while supplies last.
Now here’s the easy part. All you have to do is “Like” my fan page to be entered into the contest. If you’ve already liked my page and want a chance to win, let me know and I will add you to the list of contestants.
The contest runs from September 15th until Thursday, October 8th. I will contact all winners on Friday, October 9th.
As always, I appreciate Honest Reviews left for my books as they help other readers in choosing what to read. And as I’m a new author, I appreciate all of my fans helping me out. If you love my books, let me know and please consider leaving a review to help me out. =0)
Good luck! Like my page at:
09 Sep 2015 Leave a comment
in Advice & Inspiration, Dogs Tags: advice, degenerative myelopathy, dog, inspiration, life, love
Did you know I have a bear? A real, live, furry bear. A teddy bear I can hug and hold. One that interacts with me by following me around, staying where I stay and showing me love with licks of her tongue and throaty whines? I have had this bear for over 12 years now and yes…. she is my dog.
My bear is a 57 pound German-Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix a friend gave me when she was only 6 months old. My friend’s vet named her Woogle, at the time, and she was brought in because she was a stray, running around with a wild pack of dogs, sleeping and eating on the streets. Woogle dragged herself around, literally, because she could not stand except for her front legs. To this day, we don’t know what happened to Woogle and why she dragged around her back legs. My friend told me later that the Vet recommended she “put Woogle down” because he said it was hard enough to adopt out a healthy dog but a dog that might have problems later on would be even harder to adopt. My friend took one look into Woogle’s eyes and saw the life in her and her will to live and she told the Vet she couldn’t do it. She had to give Woogle a chance.
So, here I am 12 years and 1 month later with Woogle, now named Kaley. My friend gifted us with her and we took her in shortly after surgery to “fix” her back legs so she could walk, run, and play with the best of them. Kaley has blessed my husband and I and my dog at the time, Chanelle (a Beagle/Corgi mix) with her love, companionship, loyalty and her goofy, funny demeanor. But now, sadly, because of a genetic condition called Degenerative Myelopathy, my Kaley will face euthanization this Saturday to return her to peace and much needed joy.
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) has caused my happy, playful, fun-loving, carefree dog to once again drag her back legs around. They are now fully paralyzed and atrophied. DM is now working on her right front leg, paralyzing that and lessening her ability to keep her head up. DM has caused my bear to have an open wound that has healed into a large open bed sore that is patched nightly. My bear who used to run in the yard and chase after Frisbees and Chanelle now lies around all day on a egg crate pad covered with quilts. My husband has to carry her out to the yard but most of the time she “does her business” inside unaware that her body is doing so. Because of DM, my once healthy dog has recently experienced seizures that cause her to jerk her head in unnatural ways and froth at the mouth, water spittle spilling over her chin.
DM seems to attack dogs with different time frames for the disease to take full effect. Unfortunately for my bear she did not have the elongated 2 + years with DM some owners have had before it started attacking her upper body. She was only diagnosed two months ago.
I will be holding my bear this Saturday at 9:30am while the 2 injections go into her to take her to heaven, thanking her for all the years she’s blessed my husband and I, reminding her she’s a good girl and always my baby and asking her to be around me, waiting for me to join her on the other side whenever my time may come. I will be crying tears of sadness as I hold her until her last breath, wanting her to know I am with her until the very end, always her mother and always loving her.
I write this as a reminder to all pet owners that time passes so quickly and for us, the 12 years flew by with her because she was such an awesome dog who didn’t demand a thing. She just wanted to be loved, cared for, and craved affection. She was very much a “people dog” always willing to please her owners and be by her owners’ sides when they were down, sad, or in tears, willing to comfort in any way she could even if it was just lying at your feet.
So, take some time today to pat your dog on the head, scratch them behind their ears, say sweet, positive words to them to let them know how loved and cared for they are and above all, enjoy every day with them because you never know when it may be their last. I know I will be spending lots of time hugging my bear until the last minute of her life on Earth.
TK Lawyer 