Higher Ground Ministries

Any Calendar Girls out there?

2011-11-11T16:10:00.001-05:00

Attention: Clark County Ladies! Higher Ground Ministries is working on our holiday fundraiser and we want you to be a part of it!

Are you a Wonderful Woman?

Do you have a unique success story that you would like to share with your community?

Do you want to inspire other women to work toward their own success stories?

You can do so by being part of Higher Ground's 2012 Wonderful Women of Clar...k County Calendar! This is our first attempt at doing something like this, but we are sure that friends and family will want to support Higher Ground by purchasing one of our calendars.

First, we need twelve participants. So, if you are interested, please send your name, date of birth (you may exclude the year if you like) and a brief bio telling us what makes you a Wonderful Woman. Those selected will be included in the calendar! More details will follow, but for now if you are interested in becoming part of this calendar, please e-mail me here or on Facebook by Friday, November 18th!

Thanks for supporting Higher Ground Ministries!

Subscribe to Higher Ground Ministries by Email

Please support our fundraiser

2011-11-10T20:50:00.001-05:00

Higher Ground Ministries is attempting its first ever holiday sale to raise money so that we can apply for 501 (c)(3) status as a non-profit organization. Obtaining this status will open more doors to Higher Ground Ministries as we seek grant funding to help us meet our goal of offering assistance to every women in Clark County who is in need of empowerment! Please consider purchasing items from either the Heavenly Delights catalog which contains food and gift items such as chocolates, cookies, soups, dips, etc. or from our Nature in Bloom catalog which features fall bulbs for your garden. Any help is appreciated and all proceeds go to build this ministry and to provide services to women in need of mentoring, guidance, and support.

The sale is set to end on November 14th, but we may extend it out to November 21st if necessary. Thanks again for supporting Higher Ground Ministries!

Please support our fundraiser: Support Higher Ground Ministries by clicking the link and making a purchase.

Is it Good for You?

2011-07-25T10:52:00.003-04:00

I'm going to be writing a column here at the Higher Ground blog dedicated to reversing the un's in our lives. Unhealthy living, unhealthy loving, and just plain unhealthy habits. If you are stuck in any of these un-healthy patterns, check out the blog for tips on healthy living, healthy loving, and healthy habits to develop. The column will be called, "Good for You" and I'll be updating it as often as I find tips to help you make healthier choices for your life. I might even have a guest writer or two to help me out. Stay tuned for some good stuff at Higher Ground!

God bless!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Renew, Restore, Create!

2011-07-19T11:40:00.004-04:00

Most single mothers don't have the resources to offer their children a fun day out at local attractions such as museums, amusement parks, etc. Higher Ground Ministries is looking to provide single parent families with one day of fun that they can share and enjoy without worrying about how to pay for it! You can help by donating tickets to local attractions, food and gas cards, or well, money so that we can purchase these things. We will work with local social service agencies and churches to identify families to participate in this project.

Women who participate must be willing to work with a Higher Ground mentor to develop a "Life Improvement Plan" and will be given information to help them overcome whatever barriers they may be facing in their lives. We hope that by providing this day of family bonding that we are able to strengthen families that are often stressed by the demands of trying to make ends meet. Sometimes just spending some time with those we love doing something that we don't ordinarily get to do is the right prescription for breaking us out of a rut and inspiring us to makes changes in our lives.

We hope you will consider helping with this project! E-mail any questions to us here.

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Strengthen Your Body, Mind and Spirit!

2011-06-28T11:48:00.003-04:00

Higher Ground Ministries will be starting our weekly women's groups on July 5, 2011 at 6 p.m. But this won't be just another sit-down meeting! We will be assembling at the C.J. Brown Reservoir in Springfield, OH for our first ever Women's Walk and Talk! All ladies are welcome to join us and you can even bring your children. Kids can walk ahead of us and enjoy the outdoors while we fellowship and share this time together to talk about whatever concerns, challenges or ideas tht might be on our minds.

We will meet up by the Ranger's Station just so that we can all walk together in our group. We will walk the length of the paved area up above the dam and then return to the Ranger Station, this walk is about a mile long. Please wear good walking shoes and bring a bottle of water! We will walk rain or shine, unless the rain is accompanied by thunder and lightning.

For future meetings, we will begin our walks from different locations throughout the city, but this seemed like a good place to start for our first meeting. There are places to rest along the way and when we finish our walk, we can meet briefly to have discussion, share our experiences and also to talk about how Higher Ground Ministries wishes to provide support for the ladies in this community. We are hoping to do this at least twice each week, so if you can't make it to this one please plan to join us at the next walk! For more information you can e-mail me or call 937-317-0881.

Have a wonderful week!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Stop Striking the Rock...

2011-06-17T11:31:00.004-04:00

Are you running up against a brick wall as you try to live out your vision? Do you even have a vision? If not, what's stopping you from envisioning the very best for yourself? The focus of this ministry is to help you find out who you are and to help you pursue that purpose with the strength of God pushing you toward success. Even if you've been big on planning and prioritizing throughout your life, you can still hit spots that trip you up and knock you off balance. Don't let these things get in your way. Open up your Bible and jump into God's word and He will gently guide you back to your path.

When Moses was trying to get water for his people, he was first instructed to strike the rock and water came forth. The next time he encountered this problem, God told him to talk to the rock. But, instead of talking to it, he struck it again. Thus proving that we can't always attack the same problems with the same solutions. As we grow and change, the responses we have to our problems also needs to grow and change. Are you still striking the rock when you need to be having a conversation with it?

Higher Ground Ministries wants to help. If you are going through a tough time and would like for our team to pray for you, please send an e-mail. There is great power in prayer and by reaching out to ask for help, you can greatly improve your chances at success. We can't do it alone, but with God's help we can do it ALL!

God bless you! Keep reaching for Higher Ground!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

A Special Treat: Author Judith Orloff and Emotional Freedom

2011-03-01T17:19:00.006-05:00

2 Higher Ground is proud to be a stop on Author Judith Orloff's Blog Tour for her book, Emotional Freedom. Please take a moment to read over some information about her wonderful book. We hope this will be a useful resource for our readers! Thanks to Judith for stopping by!

“Emotional Freedom is a must-read for anyone who's tired
of feeling frustrated, lonely, or stopped by fear."
-Deepak Chopra

I'd like to tell you about my friend and colleague Judith Orloff MD - a UCLA psychiatrist and a pioneer who bridges mainstream medicine with intuition, energy medicine, and spirituality. She invites you on a remarkable journey where you can embrace more happiness and mastery over negativity than you may have ever known. Our world is in the midst of a meltdown. She describes how to stay intuitively and spiritually centered in our times.

Dr. Orloff celebrates the exciting paperback launch of her New York Times bestseller Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life. She is treating you to an incredible one-time book-launch offer with special gifts from herself and friends such as Dr. Daniel Amen, Dr. Joan Borysenko, Dr. Michael Beckwith, and more!

To purchase the book and receive your "Celebrate Joy" special gift collection go to:
http://www.drjudithorloff.com/emotional-freedom-paperback/

In Emotional Freedom Dr. Orloff states:
“I’m presenting the unique process I use with patients and in my own life to view emotions as a path to spiritual and intuitive awakening (not EFT). I synthesize traditional medicine with energy medicine to offer you new tools to master emotions and become heroes in your own life. Inner peace leads to outer peace in the world.”

Publisher's Weekly’s review of Emotional Freedom says:“Superbly written..Dr. Orloff regards emotions as a training ground for the soul, and views ‘every victory over fear, anxiety, and resentment as a way to develop your spiritual muscles.’”

Check out these great videos:

Overcoming Negativity – Part 1 of 3 – Dr Orloff Interview - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSRUmR1tBNo

How to Stop Absorbing Other’s Energy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oyap0KBouP0

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Wonderful Women...where are you?

2011-02-22T12:44:00.003-05:00

Once again, I am putting together this year's calendar for our Wonderful Woman spotlights! If you write, sing, paint, or otherwise create, please consider becoming a Wonderful Woman spotlight! If you own a business, coach people, or are an advocate of any kind and want people to know more about your cause, please let me know. If you have something that you would like to give away such as a book or cd, that is also wonderful!

The spotlight is just a few paragraphs about you and all that you do along with a giveaway of some kind. Starting in March, we'll have some great things lined up here at 2 Higher Ground. Get on board with us! E-mail me for more information on becoming one of our Wonderful Women!

Thanks,
Rebecca

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Rise Up 2 Wise Up...

2011-01-21T14:58:00.003-05:00

Well, ladies, it's finally time! I've set the date for the first meeting of 2 Higher Ground's Women's Self-Esteem and Empowerment Group, Rise Up 2 Wise Up! We will be meeting at 6 p.m. on March 15th at the Clark County Public Library in Springfield, OH. This is the plan: We will be meeting eight times between now and December 1st. During these meetings, we will be exploring the Six S's of Success by tackling such topics as Knowing Who We Are, Setting Goals, Learning How to Defend Ourselves, Becoming a Believer, and Understanding a Woman's Worth, and How Women Can Change the World! After we complete these eight sessions, "graduates" of this program will begin mentoring the next "class." I'll explain how it all works at the meeting.

The goal of this group is to help women overcome their obstacles and make the most out of what God has given them. By learning more about ourselves, we can begin to reach out to other women and help them to achieve the same thing in their lives. We will use our own strengths to help others find the strength that lies within them. I hope you will stop in for our first meeting. I'm sure this is going to be a wonderful experience for everyone involved! It's time to Rise Up 2 Wise Up and empower women to succeed!

There is no cost to meeting attendees. No fees for participation. This is just a great way to get out there and get involved not only in helping yourself succeed, but in helping other women in your community do the same. Please feel free to e-mail me if you have questions about the group. More details will be posted here as the meeting day approaches!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Good Morning, Ladies and Gentlemen!

2010-11-14T09:38:00.004-05:00

2 Higher Ground is ready to serve this morning! God has spoken to us and He has put it on our hearts here at 2HG to start asking the women around us what they need to get them to the next level. What is holding you back today? For this holiday season, we want your donations of the following items so that we can help women start the new year off right. From now through January 31st, we will be looking for your donations to help us empower women so that they can empower their children! We need:

$20 sponsors to help us build job search packages that will include: 1 book of stamps, stationary, writing utensils, and a thesaurus.

or

$50 sponsors to help us purchase printer cartridge refills and printer paper.

We are also asking for your old computers and/or laptops and printers! If they work, but they aren't necessarily useful to you anymore, please consider sending them our way! We are hoping to hook some of our women up with a way to write resumes, practice their typing skills, and get ready to make some positive changes in their lives. If you have the ability to help, please consider doing so this holiday season as we get 2 Higher Ground up and running so that we can start helping our ladies reach their maximum potential!

To make a donation, please contact us at 937-327-0881 or by e-mail. Or you can donate through Paypal right here on the site!

Thanks for your support!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Hormones, Headaches & Heartache...A sampling for you...

2010-07-07T10:48:00.003-04:00

Here is a very short excerpt from my book, Hormones, Headaches & Heartache. In this book, I will be sharing with you my epiphanies about life, love, and letting go. I'm aiming to have this one finished by New Year's!

After working at the shelter, I moved on to a life-changing career experience at a local alcohol and drug treatment facility. This was an especially tough assignment for me since my background had been heavily entrenched in the addictions of one person or another. I had lots of issues that came up during the first few years I was there. I’m guessing that came from all of the literature and discussion I was privy to regarding addiction and the reasons why it exists. It helped to be there, though. I pretty much got my own addiction to alcohol under control and somehow, probably through osmosis, learned a little about how to cope with some of my other addictive tendencies.
During the time I worked at this job, I developed many relationships that taught me lessons I needed to learn. I began to understand that people can be devious when it comes to protecting their own best interest and that my naïveté in this regard would not serve me well if I intended to be a player on this field. I went into this job thinking it would be just another 9 to 5, show up and put your time in type of a gig. I didn’t realize that it was my chance to prove how capable I was of doing just about any damn thing that needed done. When that finally sank in, I ran with it. Ran myself right into a brick wall.

I'll be sharing more from Hormones, Headaches & Heartache, so stay tuned in to Higher Ground!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Empowerment=Respect for other women as well as for yourself

2010-07-06T13:05:00.005-04:00

Over the years, I've talked alot about empowerment. I believe that we should take every opportunity to try and help one another to be our best selves. I believe that women especially need to do the work on their self-esteem to keep them motivated and working toward personal goals. I also believe, however; that an empowered woman and a confident woman can sometimes be a dangerous thing. I unfortunately have seen evidence that some empowered women are very effective and successful, but to an end that is disempowering to others.

Let me explain this a bit further. When we get to a point where we are confident in our abilities, acknowledging of our strengths and feeling good about ourselves we shouldn't confuse our ability to attract things into our lives with having a right to all that comes into our line of sight. Some of us believe if something appears in our lives that it is meant to be there. Sometimes, however; it is a test. Of our moral fiber, our character and of our love for our fellow human being. Earlier today, I blogged about women who cannot seem to keep boundaries when it comes to dating or having affairs with married men. This is a subject near and dear to my heart. Sadly, I wholeheartedly believe that even an empowered woman; one who has had to scratch and claw her way through obstacles her whole life, has the potential to make a bad decision where relationships are concerned.

Women tend to fly under the radar when it comes to infidelity. If a woman is sleeping with a married man, almost 100% of the time, the scrutiny for the offense is placed on the married man. Granted, he certainly has a cross to bear in that situation, but his cohort shouldn't walk away unscathed. It takes two to tango and while he has broken more than a piece of the moral code, she has also shown little regard for her fellow woman and for the family that this man may have created with his spouse. The man's responsibility in this situation is different, but he doesn't necessarily play a more significant role in the act than that of the woman who willingly participates.

I don't often turn on women like this, but I have to say that I just don't know how a woman can live with knowing that she is partaking of this type of "forbidden fruit." This is especially sad in situations where women who are trying to fix their marriages have husbands who still haven't quite committed to the idea of making it work. She may be trusting that he will change his ways, but the very fact that there are so many women out there who are willing to mess around lessens the seriousness of the offense in the eyes of the offender.

As women, we need to be very careful who we are willing to spend our time with. Is he really available or is he just playing around? The best policy is to look for a man who is not fresh out of a marriage or other long-term relationship. But if you absolutely insist, at least find out why the last relationship ended before you make yourself available to him. And for God's sake, make sure that the relationship really did end. Don't just take his word for it because he is paying attention to you and he seems like a nice guy. He probably seemed like a nice guy to his wife, too.

If you are lucky enough to be in a relationship with someone who isn't cheating or hasn't cheated on you, that's wonderful. Count your blessings. Lots of women aren't so fortunate. Ladies, let's keep reaching for Higher Ground.

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Shape Shifting

2010-06-24T09:49:00.004-04:00

It really is beautiful the way the wax rolls down the side of a burning candle and pools at its feet. As I meditated this morning, I was noticing just how much the simple behavior of this inanimate object mirrors my current feelings about myself. The candle starts out very rigid and inflexible until you light the wick. At that point, it takes on a different type of consistency. A willingness, if you will, to change a little. With this, the candle allows itself to melt down and eventually disappear. This might sound like a bad thing; I mean, after all, who wants to melt down and disappear. But upon closer examination, I think that the point is to allow our idea of ourselves to reshape itself and make way for the next one. The candle I was watching today, for instance, burned down very quickly and most of the wax spilled over to one side cascading into a very pretty shape. What used to be straight, boring and rigid had become quite fancy and interesting. When we allow ourselves to "burn," what potential do we have for becoming fancy and interesting?

I wrote a poem once that reflects this idea somewhat. It goes like this:

Without Regret

It is without regret that I have chosen to walk this particular path,
Without regret that I have chosen these lessons to learn,
Without regret that I have looked in the wrong direction at times,
Without regret that I chose to feel the fire burn.
For sometimes in my life I have needed proof that there was a reason to go the right way,
And that proof came in the form of pain felt as a result of making a mistake,
Or taking a wrong turn.
Without regret I have done these things
And I stand undefeated in the face of all that life has brought.

How can you shift your shape a little? If life isn't lighting your fire these days, what can help you create that spark? Go ahead, have your meltdown. You never know what you might come up with.

Think about these things today and remember to keep reaching for higher ground.

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Anger, Frustration and New Beginnings

2010-06-06T12:20:00.006-04:00

I'm always looking for ways to make sense of the things that happen in my life. Especially in times of transition. Lately, I've had lots of time to think about these things and truthfully, I've been everything from angry to scared to disgusted to elated and then back to angry. I hate being angry. It doesn't suit me. I've spent many years trying not to feel angry and it has taken a toll on me emotionally, physically, and psychologically. Stuffing your emotions or devaluing them, no matter which emotions they are, leaves you feeling numb and useless. If you aren't going to give yourself permission to feel your emotions, what good are they? Human beings were given the ability to feel for a reason. Without feeling the bad, we can have no appreciation for the good. And so, the big change for me this time around has been to allow myself to feel the anger and to take action and make my life better.

Years ago, I had a very different way of dealing with my anger. I was mean and I generally, literally hit the wall or kicked a door when I would get mad. Now, this was years and years before I got married, had a child, or had any life experience to speak of. Later, after I had settled down a little, I began to feel less angry and even decided that there must have been something wrong with me to have been so mad all of the time. After I had been married a couple of years, I began to have problems at work. In hopes of not scaring my husband away, I had trained myself to put a lid on my emotions. Things were very stressful at work and I was trying very hard to be "good." There came a time, shortly after I had my daughter and returned to work from maternity leave, when I became so angry and frustrated that I couldn't be at the job any longer. I didn't understand at the time that the underlying cause was that I wasn't allowing myself to feel the way I really felt. Now, coupled with my anger was a nagging feeling that I needed to be home with my daughter and that these people were really wasting my time with their petty office politics. Although I hated where I was and no longer wanted to do the work I had been doing, I was still trying to be the picture of diplomacy and tact and it really stunk.

I left the job and took another position that I was sure would be the answer to all of my problems. It turned out that the type of work I was doing unfortunately kept me right in the path of petty politics and office drama. Only now, I was driving an hour each way to get to it. My frustrations were still there, deep under the surface and it was all starting to boil over. I started to have panic attacks and all I could think of was that I must be a failure and that I couldn't handle all of the responsibility of this new job. I never imagined that something as simple as expressing my feelings about the work I was doing would be as liberating as it eventually was. I left the job and spent a much needed year and a half at home with my new baby. Of course, this created struggles in other areas of my life and I'm writing about these in a book called Hormones, Headaches & Heartache. I hope to have this finished within the next year and I can't wait to share the rest of the story with you.

I never would have thought that letting myself get really, truly mad would make such a difference. But sometimes, the emotions that you fight the hardest can be the most freeing. Where can you make changes in your life if you let yourself feel the way you really feel? How are you holding yourself back by trying to put on a happy face when you're really miserable? Take a risk, make a change, do yourself a favor! Until then, keep reaching for Higher Ground!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Scratching and Clawing my way...

2010-05-22T18:49:00.003-04:00

back up to Higher Ground. I'm here! I'm back! I haven't forgotten about this blog. It's just been one of those months and as we all know, when we have one of those months, things like the blog can sometimes find themselves at the bottom of our 'to do' lists. To be honest, I've been in survival mode for the past three and a half weeks. I decided that it was time to leave my marriage after years of trying to figure out whether or not it was the right thing to do. Now, I'm out and I'm doing my best to work on the things that I feel I need to be working on. On that very long list was getting 2 Higher Ground up and running again and finding out what you ladies want to see here. Shoot me an e-mail and let me know what topics you are interested in. For now, I'll be working on some new book reviews and links to articles that will help you to feel more empowered and able to reach your personal goals.

Hang in there with me, I'm reaching for Higher Ground!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

In the spirit of things...

2010-02-16T14:48:00.004-05:00

A friend asked me to post this information on how you can support the 2010 Olympics! Here is an example of a widget that you can use at your blog or on your website to show your support:

Other widgets can be found at http://teamusanews.org. Check it out today!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

It's Time!

2010-02-13T11:34:00.004-05:00

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.~Psalm 118:24

This phrase came to me this morning as I sat doing all of my daily e-mail reading, thinking and deciding how I was going to spend today. It's time! Time to get into my life and start doing the things that I usually plan to do, but never get around to doing. What are you waiting on today? Get started. Do it now! It's a three-day weekend for most of us, but even if it isn't you still have this day to start working toward your goals.

Some motivation for you:

Start reading Unstoppable Women by Cynthia Kersey. The book includes a 30-day challenge that can help you to get started on doing what you would love to do!

I started my challenge three days ago and I'm feeling pretty good about the whole thing. I encourage you to look for ways to empower yourself today and every day. Today is a day the Lord has made! Get out there and do your thing!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

This One's for the Guys...

2010-02-10T13:17:00.004-05:00

With Valentine's Day coming up soon, I'm challenging the men out there to tell me what makes their wife or girlfriend a Wonderful Woman. The winner will receive a 2 Higher Ground gift basket filled with goodies to help her take care of her body, mind and spirit! The winning nomination will also be posted as 2 Higher Ground's Wonderful Woman spotlight for March!

Guys, just send me a couple of paragraphs about what makes your wife a Wonderful Woman as well as a brief bio on her and if you can, send a photo. I'll be posting the entries received during the month of February and selecting our winner by February 28th! Get your nomination in today and give your Wonderful Woman the recognition she deserves!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Better to go hungry...

2010-02-05T18:37:00.004-05:00

"She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat."~Proverbs 31:27 (Amplified Bible)

This isn't a post about dieting. I'm meditating on this verse from Proverbs tonight. I heard it as I was watching Joyce Meyer and it really resonated. Sometimes I can get into a rut and feel as though things simply aren't worth my trouble. This often happens when I let myself fall into discontent or self-pity and I always know when I am allowing this to happen. Thankfully, on most occasions I have been able to turn it around and get back on track. Sometimes it takes a little longer than others, but usually I can get my head on straight when I take time to remember the blessings that I have experienced in my life.

My sister shared something with me recently that put it all in perspective. I am prone to anxiety and when I slip into these "ruts," it isn't unusual for me to start panicking. What if I slip all the way back into depression? What if I can't get back on track? What if I really am not able to be the person I want to be? These thoughts can attack when I'm feeling my lowest and if I don't put my foot down, I run the risk of losing a great deal of or maybe even all of the ground that I have covered to this point. My sister's advice to me was this; when you start feeling anxious about something that is happening in your life, you need to ask yourself these three questions:

1. Is this something you haven't been through before?
2. Is this something you didn't expect?
3. Is this worse than anything you've been through before?

As I thought about these questions, I realized that my answers to all of them were simply, "NO!" During the last few episodes of anxiety that I've experienced, none of it was anything I hadn't been through before. None of it was unexpected. I had really brought the situation on myself. And none of it was worse than anything I had been through before. And even if it had been, there was really no reason to let it overshadow all of the work I've done to build my self-confidence, my self-esteem and my desire to help others. And I will not let my emotional highs and lows dictate the distance that I will travel in this life to do what I am here to do.

And so, the quote above really speaks to me. I will not eat the bread of idleness, no matter how much it calls to me. Sometimes, it's just better to go hungry and go on.

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

New Year's Resolutions: Just One This Year

2010-01-01T19:15:00.003-05:00

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV)

Every year at this time, I look back on my accomplishments or on the projects that I have started, completed, or in the best of circumstances managed to do both. In 2009, I was fortunate enough to have met many of my deadlines and to have achieved several of the goals that were on my list of things to do. I was blessed with so many opportunities to get my writing out and to meet some really great people. And so, I would like to thank all of the libraries and bookstores who invited me in for Tea & Mystery and all of the wonderful friends who have given me support and encouragement over the last year.

In addition to saying thanks for all of the wonderful things in my life each year, I usually make it a point to make at least three or four good New Year's resolutions in an effort to aim myself in the right direction. This year, however; I have decided that there is really only one thing I need to do. And so, there will be no goals set to lose fifty pounds or to exercise more. Also, I'm not going to resolve to clean out all of my closets by June 1st. I'm not going to pick three or four areas of my personality and work diligently to make myself less or more of what I am because I feel I somehow fall short just as I am today. My only resolution this year is that I need to continue moving closer to God. Perhaps the most important thing that I can do to achieve any other goal I have for myself is to be sure to keep my eyes on God and to follow His plan for me.

Best wishes to you all for a wonderful New Year!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Greeting the New Year

2009-12-27T21:44:00.004-05:00

As we leave 2009 behind, I am doing a lot of soul searching. This has been a year of ups and downs and many, many changes for me and for my family. 2010 is probably going to hold many more surprises for us. I hope that they are all good ones. Of the things I have learned this year, perhaps the most important thing I have learned is that we all have a purpose and if you let Him, God will help you to discover yours.

2 Higher Ground started as a blog meant to empower women to help one another succeed. Over the next several months, I'm going to be making some changes to this blog to include more on empowering both women and children to overcome the obstacles in their lives. We all make mistakes and we all encounter hardships. The important thing is that we learn from these and move on.

We will still be doing our Wonderful Woman spotlight in 2010 and I encourage you to send me your information if you are interested in being one of them. All you have to do is send me your bio, a summary of what it is that you do that helps you to empower other women and/or children, and send something that we can give away as a prize in our monthly drawing. For more information, please e-mail me.

I'm collecting links and suggestions for blogs that might be helpful to women and children. If you can think of anything else that we might want to include here, please e-mail me.

Lastly, I'd love to hear more about what has empowered you most during 2009. Was there a book, song or movie that meant alot to you this year? Or did a special person make a difference in your life? If you have a story that you would like to share here on the blog, please send your submission to me here by December 30th so that I can get them posted by January 1st. I'll be picking five stories to share on the blog and sending a special gift to the women whose stories I post here.

I look forward to a great year here at 2 Higher Ground and hope that you will join me! Happy New Year!

Take care,
Rebecca

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Great Video at Dove.com!

2009-10-17T16:43:00.002-04:00

Love this video about image perception. Check it out! Share it with your daughters.

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Happy October!

2009-10-01T07:49:00.003-04:00

I managed to be so busy during the entire month of September that I didn't post a single thing here on Higher Ground. Unfortunately, that's the way things go sometimes. During September, I moved to a new home, got my daughter enrolled in Kindergarten, struggled with my own emotions through her first day in a real school, struggled with my return to school after Summer break (I work in an elementary school), worked on book release items (I also write mysteries), worried about my sister who had surgery a few weeks ago, and have been nursing my daughter through her tonsillectomy over this last week. I'm sure there was more, but isn't that enough?

In all that time, I've been thinking about the focus of this blog and trying to figure out what would be the best way to use this forum to help women achieve success. I've come up with a few things. First, I am going to start a classified ad section here on 2HG. If you have something you would like to advertise, you may run a short description of it for one week for just $2. I'm working out how to set this up in Paypal, but you can go ahead and contact me if you have something you'd like to post. I'll also be starting a no-nonsense advice column called Let Me Have It! If you have a situation that you need some guidance in, please e-mail it to me. Your letter will be published much like a Dear Abby letter, so use a pseudonym or just ask to remain anonymous if you wish to do so. I can't wait to hear from you!

I would love to hear your thoughts on what you believe would be useful content here at 2 Higher Ground. If you have suggestions, please e-mail me. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Don't forget to tell your friends about our monthly contests. Our Wonderful Woman spotlight usually gives away a neat prize to one lucky subscriber each month! For those of you who are already subscribing or following, thank you so much for hanging in there with us.

I'll be posting this month's thoughts and some other resources later today. Be sure to check them out.

Have a great day!
Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Body Image, Anyone?

2009-08-26T16:33:00.002-04:00

I recently came across this story thanks to a Facebook friend. It's a wonderful article about a picture of a "normal" sized woman who was featured in an article in Glamour Magazine. Great story! Great message! Please take a moment to read this one.

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Resources to grow on...

2009-08-11T09:34:00.004-04:00

Interesting quiz for those of you who might be considering making some changes. Beliefnet has great inspirational stories and quotes, too. Check it out today!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

You must check this out...

2009-07-18T14:32:00.004-04:00

During one of my evening walks, I noticed a bright orange notecard sticking out of one of the information posts at the park. It said something like, "You are beautiful just the way you are." It wasn't signed, but it did include a web address, www.operationbeautiful.com. I checked it out and as it happens, this website is all about leaving random messages that boost women's self-esteem posted in public places. The objective is to put an end to "fat talk" and to help women see the beauty that all of us possess regardless of our size. If you have a moment, please check out this website. It's a great idea and a wonderful effort that is in keeping with our philosophy here at 2 Higher Ground.

The Operation Beautiful initiative gave me a great idea. Send me your pictures of the Wonderful Women in your life along with a couple of sentences about why this woman is special to you. Send them to me here at 2 Higher Ground and I will post them on the blog! I look forward to your e-mails!

Have a Wonderful day!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Great Link about Codependency

2009-06-26T11:43:00.003-04:00

One of my FB friends posted this link today and I thought it would be helpful to post here. Great information about codependency and taking responsibility for our feelings. Good advice, ladies!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Women of Wisdom: Special Blog Tour Stop

2009-06-24T08:23:00.002-04:00

It's an honor for 2 Higher Ground to be a stop on the Women of Wisdom book tour:
Women of Wisdom is a journey through sixteen years of one of the largest women’s spirituality conferences in the world, a very unique conference that has impacted thousands of women’s lives. Authors Jean Houston and Margot Anand both exclaimed separately to me – “Kris there is nothing like this in the world” – and they have traveled around the world. The book will continue to impact women, as they experience the wisdom and gifts of the sixty contributors in the book.

The Women of Wisdom book gives women access to powerful, inspiring women leaders and their message for women to step into their power, own their feminine gifts, and learn to speak their truths. WOW provides role models who will inspire women to discover their dreams and their purpose.

Additionally the book shares stories from women whose lives have been changed by experiencing these women’s messages. Evocative art, poetry and experiential exercises enhance the book’s message, providing diverse ways to experience the spirit of the feminine.

Included in the book is my own story of how I started Women of Wisdom, which has been an empowering story for women to hear. My story began with reading The Feminine Face of God, by Patricia Hopkins and Sherry Anderson. Shortly afterwards I had a vision of bringing these spiritual women leaders to Seattle. And I immediately set that in motion at Seattle Unity Church, where I was a board member.

I realized this was something more than just a conference when I welcomed people at the first night of the conference, February 11, 1993, and I stated “Welcome to the First Annual Women of Wisdom Conference.” It has become a movement for women to come together in community and explore their potential, and to honor and support one another. This conference has continued to grow and be strong for seventeen years now and that is a testimony to the power of the vision, and the importance of women realizing the value of their unique gifts to share with the world.

In 1998 I realized I had a wealth of material in the tapes of the talks from these nationally known best selling authors and that they would make a great book. I had a dream to share this with other women. I would get phone calls and emails from women asking me if there was an organization like WOW in their city. Not everyone has the luxury to travel to conferences and experience life changing conferences and this book will provide that opportunity to many women.

In addition, the powerful women who participated at the conference in different ways – artists, musicians, writers, local presenters and WOW leaders – would contribute to make this book a holistic experience of exploring the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of being a woman, giving the reader the full conference experience.

The women’s movement has led women to evolve to such heights as running for the presidency of
the United States. However in workshops I have given women have shared how isolated they feel. They don’t feel honored in society for their feminine gifts and how they don’t feel comfortable or safe speaking what they feel, what’s inside their hearts, whether it be in the workplace, home or other. In sharing women’s stories in the book, women will relate to their experiences and gain strength and support through the validation of the feminine that is expressed in the book.

Many of the authors in the book share how there is a lack of balance of the feminine in our world, and how we’re at a critical time where women need to become equal partners towards creating the solutions to the many crisis facing our globe. Jean Houston shares her experience of Women of Wisdom in the foreword of the book:

“Women of Wisdom is in the forefront of the biggest change in human history – the only change that will assure our continuity as a species. Those who organize and participate in the Women of Wisdom experience, know that for a new world to be born we have to bring a new mind to bear. Critical to this is the rich mind style of women that has been gestating in the womb of preparatory time, lo, these many millennia. In their ebullient and evocative conferences WOW demonstrates a tremendous change in who we are and how we do things.”

”Playing their part to usher in feminine mind, WOW emphasizes process rather than just product, and making things cohere, relate, and grow. Cultures in which the feminine archetype is powerful are almost always non-heroic, they tend to make things work together, each piece has its part to play.”

“Men and women will be released from the old polarities of gender that force them into limited and limiting roles, and qualities of intelligence will be added to the human mind-pool that will render most previous problem solving obsolete. Linear, sequential solutions will yield to the knowing that comes from seeing things in whole gestalts, in constellations, rather than in discrete fact…. And it will ring an ecological ethic, along with a new partnership between men and women, in which the human acts in concert and in partnership with Nature to bring about more symbiotic ecological relationships.”

Women of Wisdom book offers solutions and ways to manage these problems

The WOW book addresses these problems and gives women hope for the future as they learn it is important to:

• Speak their minds
• Become leaders
• Share their stories
• Follow their dreams
• Find a balance of work, families and friends, and take care of themselves.
• Honor their feminine gifts

We all know the story of putting on your air mask in an airplane first so that you are able to help your child. It is important for women to support other women in their growth, in their choices of careers, and that it’s time to stop feeling the need to compete with each other. But first women must develop an awareness of their own personal issues and fears and what stops them from becoming the leader of their own lives.

We are conditioned to look outside of ourselves for the answers to these problems that we face in our lives. This book will draw the reader inside, to discover the answers to their issues, their problems that seem overwhelming. The book takes them on a journey in search of the person and dreams they left behind; dreams they may have had as a teenager or college student.

The audience that is drawn to this book desires a safe avenue to explore and take that inward journey and they want support. WOW offers support as a conference and will continue to do so as a book, reaching thousands more people. The book gives suggestions on how to find and open the door into that journey. By reading the stories of other women, they will gain the insight as to how they might change their life. They will be inspired to begin the changes they seek towards a fulfilling life. Women desire to connect with other women, but may not know how. This book will open them to look at the possibilities and their potential, by finding women to connect with, whether it’s women they read about on the pages, or women in their neighborhoods, at work or in their life. This book will be the catalyst to begin that soulful journey.

***********************************************************************************

We invite you to go to this page - www.wisewomanpublishing.com/womenofwisdom.html - to access the order page and then go back to this page and enter your order confirmation code and your email address. That will take you to the sign up page for the Women of Wisdom enewsletter, once you join the WOW book group you will be sent an email with a link to the bonus gifts that are available to people who buy the book today. You can later opt out of being on the Women of Wisdom newsletter list if you choose.

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

How many ways are there to get "unstuck"?

2009-06-14T09:19:00.004-04:00

Funny you should ask. I recently remembered that there was a book out there titled, "Getting Unstuck," and decided that it was time for me to check this one out. When I went online to see if I could find the book at my local library, I came up with four different books all titled, "Getting Unstuck." I did what any very confused person would do, I reserved all of them. All of them are slightly different; addressing the same type of issue from different angles. I figured it might be helpful to break them down here and give you a brief synopsis of each in case you are looking for the same type of information.

The books include:

1. Getting Unstuck: Breaking Through Your Barriers to Change by Dr. Sidney B. Simon. This book is focused on helping you identify what "stuck" means as well as developing some simple strategies for getting yourself over the hump and heading towards being more satisfied with your life. Published in 1988, this book has some great ideas in it for how to address the barriers to happiness that may exist within your life.

2. Getting Unstuck: Escape Three Traps Women Face Today by Linda S. Mintle, Ph.D. This book addresses three main areas: Anxiety, Depression and Eating Disorders. Dr. Mintle talks about how our thinking influences our emotional health and how to know when we are stuck in self-defeating patterns. This book is definitely geared towards women and helps you to deal "honestly and openly with the depression, anxiety, and pain that can block your way to a full, productive life." Published in 1999.

3. The Life Plus Program for Getting Unstuck by Robert Handly and Jane Handly. This book has a slightly different title, but included Getting Unstuck so I stuck it in here anyway. This book talks about how to use what the Handly's call POWER tools to help us deal with guilt, anger, or blame. Thinking positively and overcoming obstacles are the main themes running through this book. The authors share their personal experiences with overcoming obstacles to help you see what you can do if you change the way you think. Published in 1989.

4. Getting Unstuck: 8 Simple Steps to Solving Any Problem by Dr. Joy Browne. Dr. Browne talks about how we need to accept that sometimes setbacks are necessary to help us move towards something we didn't even know was waiting for us. A very positive way of looking at the negative in our lives and seeing how they have led us toward something better. In this book, Dr. Browne gives different scenarios in which the person is struggling to find an answer to a perplexing question in their lives. This one was published in 2002.

All of the books have good points and bad points, but for the most part it really depends on what kind of "stuck" you are. If you are stuck in a pattern of feeling bad about the things that are happening in your life, you'd probably benefit from reading some of #4. If you are a woman who is having problems with anxiety or depression, then check out #2. If you need motivation to take a step forward, choose #3. If you just need a general guide to moving past some negative patterns, then #1 might work best. Or read them all, it can't hurt to check out all of the available information. The point is that if you are feeling stuck in your life, there are a number of things you can do to get past it. You just have to be willing to do a little work.

Hope this information is helpful to you. If you find resources that are related to this topic that you would like to share here, please send them to us! We'd love to include it on the blog.

Take care!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Acknowledgement

2009-06-06T17:16:00.002-04:00

Just the other day, my sister and I were taking a walk and we saw these two ladies practicing a belly dancing routine right out in the middle of the park. They were doing a great job and my sister said to me, "I think I need to say something to them. I should let them know that it's great to see women out doing things like this." I asked her what she meant by this and she said that you just don't see women being so free and self-confident out in public. I thought about this for a bit and decided that most women probably don't feel comfortable enough with themselves to let themselves be happy. This got me to thinking about how important it is to let the women in our lives know when they have made a positive impact on us and that their presence and involvement in our lives is very much welcomed and appreciated.

It then occurred to me that this just doesn't happen enough. When we are asked who our role models are, we often cite famous people in history. As I think about my life, however; I cannot credit famous people with truly motivating me to be a better person or helping me understand that I deserve to be happy. Yes, there are famous people who definitely inspired me, but they weren't able to have the kind of impact on me that friends and family have had, yet I've not always been as quick to publicly acknowledge the women I know in real life. For me, the list includes a number of teachers and a few other ladies who played a big part in my life at crucial moments. My list is below:

Susan Samuels
Linda Stephens
Joan Butz
Barbara Czestochowa
Anne Dunn
Cheryl Eresman

These are just a few of the women who have made a lasting impact on me and I would like to take this opportunity to say a public, "Thanks," to them.

As you think about your own list of role models today, who would you include? Would it be your neighbor from down the street? How about that nice lady at your church or even your third grade teacher? Take a moment and let them know this today. It will mean so much.

As for the two ladies in the park, my sister did take the time to talk with them and let them know how nice it was to see them out practicing their routine. They told her that they were getting ready for a show that they had to do and that they were very nervous about it. She told them that they were great and they seemed very relieved that we genuinely wanted to compliment their efforts. Lift each other up as much as possible. If we don't do this, who will?

Take care!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

2 Higher Ground Poetry Contest Winner!

2009-05-10T18:52:00.002-04:00

Congratulations and Happy Mother's Day to our 2HG Poetry Contest winner, Jenelle Gaines! It was so difficult to choose from the entries we received and we thank everyone who entered. Jenelle captured the spirit of the contest with her entry titled, "What it Means." Jenelle is a mother, activist, and writer who lives in Enon, OH and her poem is absolutely what we were looking for here at 2 Higher Ground. And so, enjoy:

What It Means

To be a woman you must have poise,
And hold your own with all the boys.
To be a woman you must have class,
And know when it’s time to use your sass.
To be a woman you must have grace,
And know when you’ve fallen out of place.
To be a woman you must rejoice,
When you finally find your hidden voice.
To be a woman, you must be all
The higher you climb, the farther you fall.
To be a woman you know this well
And the story of the climb is yours to tell.

Congratulations to Jenelle Gaines!

Stay tuned for our next contest!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Special Feature: Author Blog Tour

2009-05-03T19:34:00.007-04:00

Barbara Weaver Smith is the author of Whale Hunting Women. 2 Higher Ground is proud to be a stop on her blog tour!

About Barbara Weaver Smith
Barbara Weaver Smith, president and CEO of The Whale Hunters, is an author, consultant, speaker, and coach. Barbara held positions as an English professor, a college dean, and a nonprofit organization president before founding her first company in 1996. Informed by her leadership experiences in all economic sectors, Barbara’s mission is to support women to achieve exceptional growth in their companies and organizations by doing bigger deals with bigger customers and partners.

About Whale Hunting Women
Whale Hunting Women—how women do big deals in business and community. For inspiration, motivation, and direction, this book celebrates women as deal-makers and includes how to “break the minnow mindset” and how to create a fast-growth culture. It documents three cultural transformations that favor women’s leadership styles: the trend to replace competition with collaboration; the need to transform bureaucracy to entrepreneurship; and the value of perceiving a world of abundance rather than a culture of scarcity. The book offers advice on how small companies or organizations can manage their public presence to generate the whales’ confidence that they have the capabilities and professionalism to complete big deals with big customers and partners. The book incorporates a deal-maker’s journal; each chapter includes worksheets to prompt reflections and action plans.

Barbara Weaver Smith’s website
Barbara Weaver Smith’s blog

Thank you for visiting this post about Barbara Weaver Smith and Whale Hunting Women. We are offering a free giveaway to two people who comment during the tour and to the hosts where they posted. It is simple to be entered in the giveaway – just post a comment on any post about the tour and you will be entered. But, an interesting post is more likely to get our attention. The host on the site where the winning comments are posted will also win a three-volume set of Whale Hunters Wisdom in audio format. Volumes include I: Mind of a Hunter, II: The Hunt, and III: The Whale Hunting Culture. This is a $90 value.

Please visit this link to see the tour schedule.

Order your copy of Whale Hunting Women – http://cli.gs/WHWEbook

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Monica Marie Jones-Commitment to Self (The Second Installment of the Commitment Series)

2009-04-27T14:24:00.005-04:00

I'm reposting this from one of my friends at Facebook. It's a great piece on taking care of yourself. Enjoy!

Recent events in my life and an interesting quote prompted me to contemplate commitment. Today I find myself at yet another Monday promising myself that I will recommit to taking better care of myself. I’d fooled myself into believing that I was doing so because I work out at least five days a week….but then why is it that I continue to gain weight, experience hair breakage, and lack the spark and motivation that I once had?

I came to the conclusion that my fitness is for others and not myself. Let me explain…

I teach kickboxing four days a week and I meet with personal training clients on the days that I do not teach. Working out has become and obligation and a service that I do for the benefit of others, so the focus is on all of the people that I am helping and not on me. I sit back and watch as all of my students and clients lose weight and get healthier while my weight stays the same or increases. The bottom line is that I am no longer intentional about fitness for myself. My body has become immune to the workouts that I do for others because I can control it to the point where it is not as challenging for me as it is for them. I don’t take out specific intentional and planned time to focus on my own fitness goals.

To what extent does our commitment to others affect or take away from our commitment to ourselves. You may find that you go out of your way to make sure that your significant other, children and friends are happy, but at what expense? Something has to give and quite often the price is our own health and happiness. We place our wants, needs and goals on the back burner so that someone else can realize their dreams. This may also be the case with your job, career or business.

Ask yourself these questions…

When was the last time you did something just for you?

When was the last time you bought yourself a new outfit?

How often do you treat yourself to a new haircut, pedicure, manicure or massage?

When was the last time you took a long, hot, relaxing bath or read a good book?

Do you feel guilty doing things for yourself?

If it’s been more than a month, you can’t remember, or you answered yes to the last question, then you too suffer from fear of commitment…to yourself.

How do we find that healthy balance between loving and helping others without sacrificing ourselves?
This brings to mind a quote that was told to me by a high school friend that had wisdom beyond her years. She said,

“Don’t be selfish with yourself.”

Now let me point out a few things that happen as a result of us being selfish with ourselves and putting others first.

We continue to do that thing that we know deep down we really don’t want to do. As a result, resentment begins to slowly grow. When resentment sets in, we are no longer doing that thing with a joyful heart. From there we begin to have contempt for that person or thing and we get to a boiling point that they did not even see coming. Now we want to quit or leave. Consequently, we end up causing this person or situation more harm than good. We have now become a hindrance instead of a help. When we make ourselves the martyr in such situations we are exhibiting false humility because we know we really don’t want to suffer like this.

I challenge you to make a commitment to yourself that parallels a romantic relationship. Start slowly with the courtship phase. Get to know yourself better, do nice things for yourself, and become your own best friend. The next step is engagement. Take the first step toward lifelong changes by committing to taking good care of yourself forever. Buy yourself a ring if you have to. Engage in activities that add value to your life. Join a church, surround yourself with positive people, join a gym or come up with a fitness plan that works for you, take a class on a subject or for a skill that you truly love. Start putting things in place that will lead to a lifetime of fulfillment.

Next is marriage. Align yourself with things, people, environments and circumstances that nurture your soul. Make sure that you are equally yoked with what and whom you allow into your life. You don’t want the “Until death do us part” to be an untimely death because the undue stress has caused you to suffer from a heart attack. More and more people are suffering from stress induced heart attacks at younger ages because of the people and circumstances that they place themselves in. Think about it.

Today, take a moment to reflect on the dynamics of your life. What percentage of your daily activities are devoted to caring for and bettering yourself? Are you receiving your fair share of the love you are giving out? If not, adjust accordingly.

You can read more by this author by visiting her website:

http://www.monicamjones.com

Have a great day!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Featured Poem: Here's to the Woman...

2009-04-25T20:49:00.002-04:00

HERE'S TO THE WOMAN

...who knows where she's going

and will keep on until she gets there;

who knows not only what she wants from life

but what she has to offer in return...

HERE'S TO THE WOMAN

who is loyal to family and friends,

who expects no more from others

than she is willing to give;

HERE'S TO THE WOMAN

who guides and inspires

not by quoting others philosophies but by living her own good example;

who accepts both victories and disappointments with the same grace,

and who can rise above life's challenges and move on...

HERE'S TO THE WOMAN

who gives the gifts of her thoughtfulness,

who shows her caring with a word of support,
her understanding with a smile;

a woman who brings joy to others

just by being herself...

~~ Author Unknown ~~

Taken from http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art29399.asp

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Today's Poem: Girls vs. Women by Christina E. Brown

2009-04-21T09:42:00.001-04:00

Girls vs. Women

Girls are insecure; Women are confident.
Girls dress trashy; Women dress classy.
Girls are students; Women are teachers.
Girls are listeners; Women are preachers.
Girls makes babies; Women raise babies.
Girls have sex; Women make love.
Girls are weak; Women are strong.
Girls fight; Women walk away.
Girls argue; Women speak.
Girls give in; Women compromise.
Girls envy. Women appreciate.
Girls give up. Women strive.
Girls look. Women see.
Girls take. Women give.
Girls follow; Women influence.

Christina E. Brown

Taken from PoemHunter.com.

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Without Regret

2009-04-13T17:29:00.007-04:00

In honor of National Poetry Month, I'll be posting a variety of poems throughout the next couple of weeks. Don't forget to get your entry in for the First Annual Higher Ground Poetry Contest. Just write a poem about what it means to be a woman and you could win a nice prize package which will include a $50 gift card to Bath & Body Works. Deadline is April 30th, winner will be announced on Mother's Day!

And now, for the poem...

*****

Without Regret

It is without regret that I have chosen to walk this particular path.
Without regret that I have chosen these lessons to learn.
Without regret that I have looked in the wrong direction at times.
Without regret that I chose to feel the fire burn.
For sometimes in my life I have needed proof that there was a reason to go the right way.
And that proof came in the form of pain felt as a result of making a mistake.
Or taking a wrong turn.
Without regret I have done these things.
And I stand undefeated in the face of all that life has brought.

Rebecca Benston

*****

Get your contest entries in today!

Submit Entry

Good luck!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

First Annual Poetry Contest

2009-04-02T08:47:00.002-04:00

2 Higher Ground is holding its First Annual Higher Ground Poetry Contest! Submit your entries by sending in a poem about "What it means to be a woman." The winner will receive a $50 gift card to Bath and Body Works! There is no entry fee and you may enter as many times as you like!

This month is National Poetry Month, so seek out your muse and send your poems to 2HG! Be sure to include your name and your city and state with your entry! Contest ends on April 30th. The winner will be announced on Mother's Day, May 10th!

Submit Entry

Good luck!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Reflecting on Women's History Month

2009-03-31T10:18:00.004-04:00

As March comes to a close, we need to take a moment to think about the women in our lives. Our mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts, grandmothers, friends, etc. are all people who influence us in ways that we may not even realize.

The mother whom you watched as you were growing up. The way she spoke to you, her messages to you helped you determine your worth and for better or worse, she helped shape you into the woman you are today. Even if we try all of our lives not to be like our mothers, chances are that we will often catch ourselves doing something just like our mothers would have done. It's human nature. As women, we reflect what we see in the important women in our lives.

What about the sister you watched grow up or the sister who took care of you as you grew up. Where do we learn our interactions with our friends or our boyfriends? Did you have a sister who always picked the wrong guy? The wrong job? Or even the wrong outfit? How is she doing today?

Your daughter, if you have one, will be looking to you in the same way you looked to your mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, etc. for guidance. What would you have her do? How would you direct her through these troubled times? What example would you want to set for her?

It is important that we never forget that other women need our help. Other women, even if they look like they have it all together, need each other to make it all make sense. Sometimes, in all of the struggle to be a good wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, etc. we get lost. This is the time to help the women in your life find themselves. If they are lost, help them get back on track. What will you do to empower a woman today?

Have a wonderful day!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Special Author Spotlight: Maureen G. Mulvaney, The Women's Millionaire Club

2009-03-15T08:39:00.007-04:00

We're proud to be a stop on author Maureen G. Mulvaney's blog tour through Nikki Leigh's Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours!

Years ago, Maureen G. Mulvaney (MGM) arrived in Phoenix, AZ… Flat Broke, Jobless and Licking the wounds from a divorce. If she can Make It…So Can YOU. Let her show you 'HOW'.

Author of The Women's Millionaire Club

MGM set out to answer the simple question: Why do some women make a fortune and others don't? She assessed, surveyed and interviewed 21 'Ordinary' Women who started their home based businesses with NO Prior Experience yet they each did the 'ExtraOrdinary'-- MADE MILLIONS while MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

MGM wanted to give YOU the ingredients and recipes to learn 'How To' Do the SAME whether you are a veteran, 'newbie' or 'wanna be' Home Based Business Entrepreneur.

Discovered the Closely Guarded SECRET RECIPES of Millionaire Women for Building and Owning a Million Dollar Home Based Business.

Entrepreneurial Success Coach

MGM teaches small business entrepreneurs 'How To Attract Paying Clients, Who Become Lunatic Fans, That Refer Others.' MGM has over 25 years as an entrepreneur and small business owner. She teaches, consults, coaches and speaks to Women Entrepreneurs about the country. Call 480-759-6251 to enroll in MGM's next Intense Weekend.

Professional Speaker

MGM is:

* An internationally known speaker
* Who has graced the stages from Finland to Malaysia & every corner of the USA
* Has spoken with everyone from Norman Vincent Peale to Ann Jillian
* Is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP).
* (Less than 10% of the 5000 plus members of National Speakers Association have ever been able to attain this Earned CSP designation because one must have both longevity in the speaking industry plus outstanding skills.... MGM has both!)
* Her Clients include Amway to Arbonne, AT&T to MCI, Hospitals, Schools, Banks, USArmy and hundreds more.

Our Mission for The Women's Millionaire Club is …To help Home Based Business Women become Millionaires by creating an Abundance Conscious Community to Support Each Other through Education, Empowerment and Caring Energy!
To Book MGM Call 480-759-6251 or email: mgm@mgmsuperstar.com

The Women's Millionaire Club, by Maureen G Mulvaney, is being offered beginning on March 17th, 2009 at 12:01 am. We invite you to go to this page - http://mgmsuperstar.com/wjtc/exclusive.html - to access the order page and then go back to this page to access the bonus page. On the Exclusive Private Invite page, enter your order confirmation code. That will allow you to gain entry to the FREE Pot o' Gold Bonus Items.

For more information about Maureen G. Mulvaney, please visit her wonderful blog.

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Sending the right message

2009-03-07T08:39:00.004-05:00

It is now, more than ever so important that we send the right message to our young women. Especially after all of the reports that pop-star Rihanna was going to reconcile with her boyfriend, pop-star Chris Brown after being severly beaten by him during an argument between the two of them. When our young women see this type of thing, it makes them think that it is okay for a man to beat on a woman. Because the two individuals involved are so high-profile, it sends a very dangerous message out not only to our young women, but to our young men. 2 Higher Ground wants to make sure that we are doing everything we can to let young women know that abuse is not okay. An apology does not equal undying love and commitment.

Keep these statistics in mind. According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) approximately 1,200 women a year - three every day - die in the United States as a result of domestic violence. One-quarter of high school girls have been the victims of physical abuse, and approximately 15.5 million children are exposed to domestic violence every year. According to experts, young children who have witnessed violence, or been victims of violent acts, are at even greater risk of committing violence in their own relationships.

In my day job, I work with kids and I often listen to their conversations to see what they are thinking about current events. Luckily, I haven't heard many of them talking about the Chris Brown/Rihanna situation. Those who have been talking about it seem to have the right ideas about what should happen. But what about those conversations we don't hear? Are our children understanding the things they hear on the news? How can we make sure that they know right from wrong when we have so much out there influencing their minds? For me, I admit that I tell my daughter at every turn that it is not okay to let anyone beat on you for any reason. I tell her that a man who would beat on a woman is no man at all. I just hope that I'm getting through.

What else can we do to ensure that our young women know how they should be treated in a loving, caring relationship? How else can we make sure they are getting the right messages? Weigh-in here. We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Susan B. Anthony

2009-02-28T14:09:00.002-05:00

Susan Brownell Anthony (February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) was a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States.

After the first American women's rights convention took place on July 19 and July 20,1848, in Seneca Falls, New York, Anthony took the opportunity to attend and support the women's rights convention held in Syracuse, New York, in 1852. It was around this time that Anthony began to gain widespread notoriety as a powerful public advocate of women's rights and as a new and stirring voice for change.

In 1856, Anthony further attempted to unify the African-American and women's rights movements when, recruited by abolitionist Abby Kelley[citation needed], she became agent for William Lloyd Garrison's American Anti-Slavery Society of New York State. Speaking at the Ninth National Women’s Rights Convention on May 12, 1859, Anthony asked "Where, under our Declaration of Independence, does the Saxon man get his power to deprive all women and Negroes of their inalienable rights?"

Perhaps one of the most important women of our time. Susan B. Anthony was a voice for women long before we were supposed to speak. We're so glad she wouldn't shut up!

Information for this post was taken directly from Wikipedia's entry for Susan B. Anthony. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_B._Anthony

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Where is your loyalty?

2009-02-20T18:33:00.004-05:00

I have never understood why women stay with abusive partners. I was just at the grocery and I was reading the front covers of the various magazines that were covering the Rihanna/Chris Brown issue. I cannot believe that this incredibly popular young woman is having any trouble deciding whether or not she should leave this young man.

We've all heard the stories about women who say that they simply cannot leave their husbands or boyfriends even if they are being physically and/or emotionally abused. My first thought is always, "Why?" These women either truly believe that they love the abuser and shouldn't leave them out of some sense of duty or loyalty or they simply don't know what steps to take to get away. This is one of the reasons why I started this blog; to share ideas that will help women make decisions that will push them toward happier and healthier living.

As a woman who was once a victim of sexual assault, there was never any question as to how close I would let my attacker get to me after the incident. As a matter of fact, I dared him to approach me for any reason. I'm not saying that staying frighteningly angry about the incident is the best way to deal with it. Although anger was a huge part of my life for a while, I learned that it wasn't the best way to move on. What I am saying is that a woman must first be loyal to herself and to her right to live life in a safe environment where she can grow and succeed at whatever she wants to do. When you start being more loyal to yourself and your right to be happy, you naturally start to move away from those who wish to do you harm and gravitate toward what will help you live a better life.

What have you done for yourself lately to show that you are loyal to being your own wonderful woman? Tell me about it here.

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Looking for inspiration...

2009-02-18T15:56:00.002-05:00

Ladies, if you have written or know of an article, poem, song or other type of work that you would like us to link to, please let us know. We're always looking to include inspirational material so that we can all benefit from one another's experiences. Check out Jenn's Story and Rebecca Benston's "Empty" in our list of Stories From Our Readers. Really, anything you would like to share, please let us know.

Thanks!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Valentine's Day Giveaway

2009-02-12T08:34:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to make you aware that there is a great contest going on over at Benston Blogs! I'm giving away a Valentine's Day prize package for people who comment on the blog over there. All you have to do is comment on one of the posts to be entered into the drawing. Contest ends at 12:01 a.m. on Valentine's Day. I'll announce the winner sometime Saturday!

Get your entry in today!

Thanks,
Rebecca

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Wake Up!

2009-01-28T16:04:00.003-05:00

Listen to Nikki Leigh's interview with Author, Doris Roper on Blogtalk Radio! Roper is the author of Wake Up Your Life, a wonderful book about how to pick up the pieces when you go through life's difficult transitions. The interview is very informative and you'll definitely want to get a copy of this book!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Featured Short Story: A Glutton for Punishment by Rebecca Benston (Chapter Four)

2009-01-25T18:42:00.006-05:00

When Sissy answered the phone, Jane said only two words, “Go ahead.”
Sissy answered her with a very succinct, “Consider it done.” With that, she hung up the phone. It was too late to turn back at this point and truthfully, Jane didn’t want to. She just wanted Pete to get what was coming to him. A couple of weeks passed and Jane didn’t hear anything from anyone. She wasn’t sure what, if anything had happened. Maybe they hadn’t done anything. Maybe it had all been an exaggeration. After all, Pete had already stopped by twice to pick Emma up for his visitation and Jane had refused to let her go. His breath had smelled of alcohol and his new girlfriend had been waiting in the car on both occasions. There was no way Jane would turn him loose with her daughter.
He had filed contempt charges against her in court and she was waiting to find out what would happen next. His next visit was scheduled for this coming weekend and Jane was worried that the third refusal to let him take Emma might land her in jail. She had already racked up $500 in fines.
Emma was sleeping on the couch when Jane flipped on the evening news and sat down to watch. They covered a story about a local fireman who had rescued a toddler from a burning building and then the anchor started talking about a car accident that just occurred out near the edge of town. They flashed to a shot of a car that looked a lot like Jane’s old car. It was twisted around a tree and the caption that was running below the shot read, “Fatal crash takes the lives of two, alcohol and speed a factor.” Jane looked more closely and saw the bumper sticker on the back end of the car that read “Back Off, Sucker.” It was the same sticker that Pete had kept on his car for years. She thought for a moment and then shook her head. She turned up the volume in time to hear the anchor say, “The victims have been identified as 31 year old Peter Anderson and 26 year old Janice Turner.” Jane switched the television off and sat there for a moment. There was no way this was possible. Pete was dead and so was his new girlfriend. Just as she was starting to process the information in her head, the telephone rang. It was her mother, she was worried that Jane had seen the story and was calling to make sure she was okay. Jane assured her that she was fine and then she called her friend Sissy.
“Sissy, hi, this is Jane,” she said.
“Hey, girl,” she said in her usual upbeat tone, “how’s it going?”
“Well, I just saw on the news that my ex-husband was killed in a car accident,” she said numbly, “I think I might be in shock, I still can’t believe this.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” she said, “are you alright? Does Emma know?”
“No, no she’s sleeping, I hadn’t even thought about how to tell her,” she said, “What am I going to say to her?”
“I’ll be right over, hon,” Sissy said, “don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.”
Jane hung up the phone and waited. It was close to 8:30 p.m. and Emma would stay asleep for the rest of the night. Jane put on a pot of coffee and sat down to wait for Sissy.
When Sissy arrived, she came in and sat down with Jane. She took her hand and said, “Are you alright?”
“I think so,” she said, “I hadn’t expected something like this, I was just thinking that I was going to have to go to jail this weekend for refusing to let him take Emma again. My God, it’s my fault for thinking such awful things.”
“Now, honey, I told you we’d take care of things. We weren’t going to let you go to jail and we sure as hell weren’t going to let him take Emma. He really should’ve been more careful,” Sissy said, an almost imperceptible smile on her lips.
Jane looked at her and then it dawned on her. This hadn’t been an accident. Sissy had done something. She had really made something happen. For a moment, Jane didn’t know what to say to her friend. She thought she should feel bad but then as she thought back to all of the terrible things Pete had said and done to her over the last few months, she sighed.
She looked at Sissy, who was still staring at her with that smile on her face. It was so incongruous to the situation. Jane stood up and walked into the kitchen. She pulled two coffee mugs from the kitchen cabinets and poured two cups of coffee. She took one to Sissy and sat back down on the couch. As she watched her little girl, Emma, sleeping soundly on the couch, she felt a sense of calm wash over her. She didn’t need to worry about Pete anymore. It was over. It was finally over.
“What now?” she asked Sissy.
Sissy looked at her with a smirk and said, “Got any cake?”THE END

We hope you've enjoyed this short story by Rebecca Benston. You can find more by this author by visiting her website at http://www.rebeccabenstonwrites.com.

Thanks!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Check out this article...

2009-01-22T13:18:00.003-05:00

Author Rebecca Benston recently had an article published in Alive Magazine entitled, "Empty". Check it out when you get a minute. The article deals with the emotional impact of multiple miscarriage. An interesting and moving read!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Featured Short Story: A Glutton for Punishment by Rebecca Benston (Chapter Three)

2009-01-16T15:04:00.003-05:00

Jane’s attorney, Angela Nelson, had assured her that she had nothing to worry about. He wouldn’t be able to take her car or the money she had in her savings account. She had also said that he might not be able to get visitation if he continued to threaten her as he had that day in the parking lot. When they sat down in the courtroom, Pete was already there with his attorney. He smiled at Jane as though nothing was wrong and then started whispering to his attorney. Jane looked at Angela and said, “Please tell me they won’t give him custody.”
Angela patted her hand and smiled at her, “I’m sure everything will be fine, just relax.”
The hearing went on for about an hour as the two attorneys spoke with witnesses and then with both Jane and Pete. By the time it was all over, Jane was exhausted. She couldn’t take anymore. She went home and threw herself down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling as though she were in prayer. She might have been, but for the feelings of resentment towards Pete that kept her from thinking “good” thoughts. Emma was staying at her mother’s for the night so she was on her own.
The night passed slowly and Jane found herself watching old rerun sit-coms at three in the morning. Somewhere between Barney Miller and Alice, she drifted off to sleep. She awoke to the sound of someone knocking on her door. She shook her head to regain her consciousness and then headed over to the door.
“Jane Anderson, you need to open up, Sheriff’s office,” a voice said from outside.
“Just a minute, I was asleep,” she said, nervously, “hang on.”
She was wearing sweats and other than having a serious issue with her hair, she looked normal. She opened the door to a Deputy Sheriff and her husband, Pete.
“We’re here to collect the car,” the officer said, holding up a copy of an official looking document. Jane noticed that there was a document taped to her door as well. She pulled it off of the door and opened it quickly. It was from the court and it stated that Pete was entitled to the car and to standard visitation with their daughter, Emma. She read on quickly until she came to the part that said Pete would be able to take Emma every other week and then for an entire month in the summer.
“What the hell?” she said, “How did this happen?”
“I’m not here to speculate, ma’am, I’m just here to make sure that he gets his car,” the officer said. Pete just stood there smirking at Jane. He was taking her vehicle and he intended to leave her with nothing, no way to get around. This meant there would be no way for her to get a job, even if there was something out there that she could get. With no transportation, she had no way to get Emma to appointments and no way to make sure that they had what they needed in the house. She would be crippled by this and Pete knew it. He was planning to use it against her so that he could get custody of Emma. This couldn’t happen.
“What am I supposed to do for transportation?” she said to the officer. “He’s not supposed to be able to do this, I want to speak with my lawyer before you do anything.”
“I’m sorry, Miss, the car needs to go today,” the officer said, “I’ll need the keys.”
“This is bullshit,” Jane said, on the verge of tears. She reached to grab her purse from the hook by the door. Angrily, she reached inside and grabbed the keys. Without thinking, she flung the keys at Pete hitting him in the jaw. The officer put a hand up and said, “Miss, that’s not necessary.”
“Just get out of here,” she said and turned to slam the door in their faces. She waited until the officer and Pete had pulled away from the building’s parking lot. Once they were gone, she picked up her phone and punched in a number. There was only one person she wanted to call right now. The person who could make all of this go away.

Come back soon for the rest of the story!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

On our shoulders...

2009-01-15T15:01:00.004-05:00

For anyone who has listened to Dr. Laura Schlessinger's radio show, it is obvious that she has some strong opinions about family and women's roles. Though I probably shouldn't be, I was surprised to read her most recent blog post on why women hold more responsibility for children's well-being than men. You can read the article here.

I agree that women hold all of the power physiologically; however, I have to disagree with her statement that we hold the power legally. Any woman has gone through a custody battle of any kind can attest to the fact that we are basically powerless with the courts no matter the circumstances of the divorce. Of course, Dr. Laura would have us believe that the very fact that we go through a divorce reveals some fatal flaw in our moral character. Take a moment to read her article and then come back to the blog here and weigh in on the matter. Do you think the mother is more responsible for the emotional, psychological and physical well-being of a child than the father? Why or why not? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Featured Short Story: A Glutton for Punishment by Rebecca Benston (Part Two)

2009-01-04T12:21:00.004-05:00

Jane sat up straight in the seat, “What do you mean, a solution?”

“She means that we can help you with your situation,” Lola said from the passenger seat. She turned and looked at Jane sternly. “Your situation with Pete.”

“How do you mean? Do you know a better attorney or something?” she asked.

“Well…kind of…not exactly, but well, yes,” Sissy said.

“Do you remember me telling you about the trouble I had with my divorce a couple of years back?” Sissy asked her.

Jane nodded.

“Remember how I told you that all Ted talked about was getting the house and how he was going to take all of the money out of the bank accounts so that I’d have to struggle to keep my business going,” she continued.

“The business you started with your own money?” Jane asked her. She was getting very curious now.

“Yes, that’s the one,” she said, “Do you remember me telling you that Ted had passed away just three days before our final hearing?”

The pieces began to fall into place and Jane nodded, “I remember, what did you say happened to him?”

“I didn’t really say, but they think it was some kind of electrical problem,” she said, throwing her hands up in a practiced show of naivete. “He was just driving along one night and his car sort of burst into flames.”

“Oh, my God,” Jane said, “That’s horrible.”

“Yes, it was horrible,” Sissy said, holding her hand in front of her, admiring her French manicure. “Such a shame.”

“It’s odd, really,” Lola said, “but the same kind of thing happened to my ex-boyfriend, Greg.”

Jane’s brow furrowed, “It did?”

“Well, not an explosion, but a freak accident with his ATV,” she said, “He was an avid sportsmen and one day, he was out riding around in the woods, doing whatever it was he did when he went out in the woods. The policeman who came to see me said that he had lost control of the four-wheeler and flipped over the handlebars. He died instantly.”

“Jesus, you guys must be bad luck,” Jane said, and then her hand flew to her mouth. “Bad something…I guess.”

“We’re bad something, alright,” Kate chimed in, “Bad ass women who don’t take shit from men who try to hurt us. That’s why we want to help you.” She had been quiet during the rest of the conversation, but Jane knew why. Kate had been attacked by her former boyfriend, Steve. He had beaten her severely and left her to die in the parking lot of their apartment building. She had managed to drag herself to safety and from there, she had taken steps to get him out of her life. The process had been a difficult one from what Jane had heard. Kate hadn’t been able to get a restraining order because there had been no witnesses to the beating and because Steve had somehow managed to get himself beaten up before going to the police and claiming that Kate had been the one who hit him.

Jane hesitated and finally, after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, she said, “I don’t know what to say, what can you do for me? I just can’t imagine…”

“All you need to do is tell us a few things about Pete, we’ll take care of the rest,” Sissy said. “You won’t need to do anything and we’d rather you didn’t know more than that.”

Jane turned it over in her mind. She had wished that Pete would just disappear. She had also wished that he would drive his car into a tree or something along similar lines. Now the opportunity for relief from this jerk was right in front of her. She would have been skeptical, but in light of what she knew about her friends she felt like they might actually be able to help her. None of them had ever been in trouble with the law. None of them had been questioned by the police at the times of their significant other’s deaths. In fact, they had actually been treated very well by the local law enforcement officers. Sissy had even started dating a policeman recently and was supposedly thinking about marrying him. She thought about Kate and her situation with Steve.

“So whatever happened with Steve,” she asked her, “He just disappeared?”

“That’s what they say,” Kate said, winking her eye. “He just disappeared.”

“Can I think about it?” Jane asked, “I mean, can I get back to you on this?”

“Jesus, Jane, we’re not selling you a car here,” Lola said, “We’re offering you a special solution to your problems.”

“Now, Lola, let’s not put too much pressure on her,” Sissy said, “this isn’t an easy decision and if she isn’t sure, I don’t want her to jump into anything.”

“Thanks, Sissy,” Jane said, “I don’t mean to sound unappreciative, but I just don’t know. I mean, we have a daughter together and how do I deal with telling her that he’s gone?”

“How have you been dealing with it?” Sissy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jane thought for a minute and then started to tell the ladies about Pete’s habits.
She told them where he liked to eat, where he liked to shop, and where he liked to hang out after work. She gave them the address where he was living with his parents. She told them about his tendency to overeat and how he loved a good meal. She told them how he liked to go fishing at night and drink beer on the dock while he fished. When she was done, she asked them if they could give her some time to make up her mind. She assured them that she only wanted to make sure she was doing the right thing. After all, what if he decided to come back to her and everything went back to normal. Not likely, but it crossed her mind. The ladies agreed and she told Sissy that she would call her in a couple of weeks to let her know what she had decided.

When Jane got back home that night, Zsa Zsa was asleep on the loveseat. Emma was sleeping in a little sleeping bag on the floor near the couch. Jane looked at her daughter and then leaned down to brush the hair away from her precious little face. Tears rolled down her face as she thought about her discussion with Sissy and the girls. How could she take Emma’s father away from her? Would it solve anything? What was she going to do? She had a court hearing the in a couple of days and she would find out where things stood. She picked Emma up and carried her to the bed, tucking her in and kissing her goodnight. Zsa Zsa had already awoken and headed home to her own apartment. Jane changed her clothes and got into bed beside Emma.
She held her close that night as she fell asleep. She hoped that the right decision would come to her soon so that they could get on with their lives.

Come back for more of the story next week!

Subscribe to 2 Higher Ground by Email

Attention: Authors, Singers, Artists!

2009-01-03T08:57:00.004-05:00

Would you like to be this month's Wonderful Woman? Well, I'd love to put you in the spotlight here at Higher Ground. Whatever it is that you do that can help bring women together and lift them up to a higher purpose, let's tell people about it here! All I need from you is something to give away for a monthly drawing for subscribers! Send me your information (bio, summary of your book, description of your music, art, etc., a picture or two to promote it, and something free to give away here on the blog) I'll feature you and your work in the spotlight for an entire month!

We're all wonderful women, so have your moment in the spotlight! Let others know what you're doing that helping to lift us to Higher Ground!

Come on ladies! Send me an e-mail today if you are interested!

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T21:54:00.001-05:00

Hope we all have a great year in 2009!

Featured Short Story: A Glutton for Punishment by Rebecca Benston

2008-12-30T09:30:00.005-05:00

Jane Anderson sat in the kitchen looking out the window of her small, third-floor apartment. She had been looking out at the parking lot where her car had been just two hours earlier. Everything had been okay two hours ago. Or at least, it was as okay as it could be under the circumstances. Jane was going through a divorce.

The whole thing had come as a complete surprise to her. She had been sitting home with her two year old daughter Emma one day, doing her normal daily routine when her husband had come home from work. He’d moped around for the better part of the evening and after a few hours; he had disappeared into their bedroom. When he reappeared twenty minutes later, he was carrying a suitcase and a duffel bag. Both appeared to be full and he headed straight for the coat rack by the apartment door.

“Where are you going?” she had asked, puzzled at this turn of events.

“I’m leaving, I don’t want to be here anymore,” he had said. And that was the extent of the explanation she was given. He had disappeared into the night and she didn’t hear from him for several days. She was confused. They had a good life together. The apartment was average, they had two cars that ran, they were able to put food on the table and everything had seemed fine.

He called her three days later on a Friday to tell her that he would be dropping off some diapers for Emma. He said that he hadn’t changed his mind and that he wanted to get a divorce. Jane was devastated. The two of them had just celebrated their third anniversary a couple of months back and everything had been fine. She asked him what had caused him to make this decision and he replied that he simply wasn’t in love with her anymore.

Jane was a nervous wreck. Aside from the fact that she had virtually no work experience, she was often ill and she had no way to support herself and her young daughter now that her husband was gone. Her counselor listened attentively during their sessions and even gave her information about support groups that she could attend. It didn’t help though. Jane still felt like the rug had been pulled out from under her.

One evening, Jane’s friend, Sissy Duncan called her to say that she was back in town and that she wanted to get together. After some consideration, Jane called her neighbor, Zsa Zsa Dresback and asked her if she wouldn’t mind looking after Emma.

Jane dressed in a simple black pantsuit with low heeled shoes and a few pieces of costume jewelry. Nothing gaudy, just a little something to give her some sparkle. When Zsa Zsa knocked on the door, she told Jane to have a great time and to stay out as long as she liked. Jane thanked her, and then kissed Emma’s cheek before heading out the door. She headed downstairs. She hardly ever went out and she really needed some advice from them. She got into her car, a newer sedan that she and Pete had purchased only six months back, and drove in the direction of downtown.

She was headed for the Tiger Lily Lounge, a local hangout for singles. Sissy and her friends had been meeting here for drinks every other month or so for the last ten years. Jane was new to the group, having met Sissy at the local gym during a last ditch attempt at keeping her last New Year’s resolution. The two had hit it off immediately and Sissy had invited her to meet the rest of the girls. Jane had immediately liked Kate and Lola. They were just average, middle-aged women trying to make sense of being single in a society that was overrun with substandard dating material. When she arrived, she saw the group sitting at a table near the bar. She headed across the room and took a seat at the table.

“Hey, ladies,” she said, halfheartedly. She was on the verge of tears. Just the sight of a friendly face had nearly crippled her. She didn’t know what to say to them. They only knew her as the married one who didn’t say much about her home life.

“Hey, how are you?” Sissy said, getting up to come around the table and give her a quick hug. “Are you holding up okay?”

“Yeah, hon,” said Kate, “what can we do to help?” Her southern drawl made Jane feel as though she genuinely cared, even though they had really only spoken to one another a couple of times.

“You know, we can help,” said Lola, “What’s been happening?”

Jane looked from one to the other and took a deep breath. “He’s threatening to take our daughter, and everything else he can get. Our final hearing is set for next week and from what they said the last time, he’s got every right to take the car and anything else he wants. What about my rights, damn it? I don’t work outside the home, so I don’t have any rights, I guess,” she said. The words poured out and as she laid out the details of the separation, the ladies faces grew dark and she noticed that Sissy’s smile had turned into a scowl. Sissy laid a hand on top of hers and said, “Let’s all take a ride.”

The ladies went out to the parking lot and got into Sissy’s shiny, new SUV. Once inside, Sissy drove them to a secluded spot just outside of town and parked the vehicle. They were parked at the edge of a local reservoir park in one of the lots that overlooked the water. Sissy turned around and said, “Listen, you’ve known us long enough now and it really seems like you need our help. Can I trust you to keep this just between us?”

Jane shrugged and said, “Sure, what are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about a solution to your problems,” she said and the smile returned to her face.

Stay tuned for more of the story...

Short Story for 2HG Readers!

2008-12-30T09:24:00.003-05:00

Author Rebecca Benston has written a short story entitled, A Glutton for Punishment as part of her new Women's Fiction series. Even better, she's agreed to post it here at 2 Higher Ground! We'll be putting up a chapter or so every other day, so be sure to come by and take a look!

Thanks Rebecca!

2HG's First Big Speaking Event!!!

2008-12-01T18:06:00.003-05:00

On Monday, December 29th, I'll be presenting Write Yourself Right at the Clark County Public Library in Springfield, OH at 7 p.m.

This event is all about using writing to help yourself cope with everyday problems. We'll discuss goal setting techniques, problem solving and how you can alleviate the stress of a sticky situation by simply writing down the outcomes you desire. Participants will complete exercises built around developing better ways to view our problems and work toward resolution.

Space is limited so be sure to call 937-328-6903 after 12/15 to register!

Long time, no post...

2008-11-30T10:32:00.002-05:00

Sorry about taking so long to post here. It's been a very hectic few months. I'm working on something that might be of interest to all. Around the first of the year, I'll be starting to present a discussion series called Picking up the Pieces: How to overcome obstacles from your past through writing your future. I'll be doing these presentations at public libraries wherever possible. Participants will learn how to journal through their problems and find resolution through creating a plan for the future. It's sure to be a wonderful learning experience for all who attend!

I'll post more details about where and when I'll be presenting. In the meantime, please check out the changes I've made to the blog! Oh, and Happy Holidays!

To All Who are Participating the Higher Ground Project: Please Read!

2008-08-21T08:16:00.003-04:00

Though I sent an e-mail out to participants, I wanted to be sure that everyone had been included, so here's the information:

I just wanted to update you on the status of the Women's Self-Esteem book project. It's been several months since I have been able to work effectively on this book.

Earlier in the year, I had a miscarriage and due to the subject matter involved, I was unable to focus on the project for several months. I wanted to be able to devote the time and attention that this project requires and deserves, and for that period of time it wasn't possible. Now, however, things are improving and I feel that it is time to begin working on things again.

Over the next few months, I will be doing what I can to put the initial draft together. There may be follow-up questions for some or all of you, so please keep watching for status reports. I've also been trying to keep the Blog page updated, so if you get a chance, please stop by and see what's there.

I do apologize for the lengthy delay and I appreciate your patience as I work these issues out. This book will happen, it needs to! Your stories and your input make it a worthwhile endeavor and I hope you will be pleased with the end result. I'll keep you posted on our progress!

Thanks again,
Rebecca Benston

Do you have role models?

2008-07-29T11:06:00.011-04:00

I'm posing the question because I've been thinking alot about my own role models these days. I've also been thinking about how I could be a better role model to the young women out there. Some of my own role models are:

(Row 1-Annie Oakley, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Suze Orman, Hillary Clinton; Row 2-Mary Kay Ash, Lisa Scottoline, Janet Evanovich, and Ellen DeGeneres)

These women are strong, talented, intelligent, and not afraid to be themselves. This is the kind of woman I aspire to be. Though I'm not sure exactly how, I intend to try to be someone that our younger generation of women can look up to. I believe that if we are willing to share our experiences and advice with one another, we can all be wonderful role models for each other as well.

Who are the women who inspire you? Why? What can you do to become a role model for other women?

Let's talk...

Got your bucket list?

2008-06-23T17:45:00.005-04:00

I recently watched the movie, The Bucket List and found it to be very motivating. Although I'm not sick or dying, it is still important for me to have a list of goals that I would like to accomplish in this lifetime. It got me to thinking. Women need to do this for themselves to ensure that they make the time to do things that are important to them. We have a tendency, as women, to get caught up in being the caregiver, the nurturer, the person who knows all of the important stuff. Often, we forget to set goals based on what we want or need and not based on what will fit comfortably in our lives or not alienate those whom we love.

My challenge to you is to create a list of ten things you would like to do before you die. However miniscule or grandiose, just make the list. I'd like for all of us to share a few of our goals and see if there is anyone else who is in our group who might be able to help us realize one or more of our goals. The philosophy of 2 Higher Ground is for women to help other women succeed. Once we all know what others are hoping to do in their lives, maybe we can use our network to help each of us achieve some of our goals. Post your list here by June 30th and I'll check back to see if we are making any progress. I'll start by listing the top four goals on my list.

Rebecca's Bucket List (Partial)

1. Be published by one of the big publishing houses!
2. Successfully grow my own tomatoes!
3. Learn how to play piano!
4. Sing at the Grand Ole Opry!

What are some of your "bucket list" goals? Please share! We'll all exchange our advice and support after we see what kinds of goals are out there! This will be fun, ladies! Post yours today!

Need your input

2008-06-04T07:03:00.004-04:00

I've been trying to think of how this blog can best serve women. Originally, I intended it to be a networking tool where we could all exchange ideas and strategies for helping each other achieve our successes. I'm wondering, what would you like to see on the blog. Are there features that you would prefer to see each month? Is there anything on here that you think we could do without? Please feel free to submit your ideas for articles, interviews, etc. via e-mail.

Also, if you would like to write an article for the blog, please let me know. I welcome all participation and would love to make this blog feel more like a community that you can use.

Have a wonderful day!

Greetings!

2008-05-04T16:01:00.000-04:00

Hello, I haven't forgotten about you all. I've just been taking some time off to recover from a few medical issues. I wanted to check in, however, to let you know that I am working diligently to put together the book, Reaching Higher Ground! I've collected a number of stories from women around the country and am finally ready to start putting everything together. I'm hoping to be finished with it by the end of the summer.

Additionally, I've made some changes to the blog! Updates were long overdue!

As always, if you have suggestions for interviews or other content you would like to see here, please e-mail me! I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time...

First Chat Session Tomorrow!

2008-04-11T19:55:00.000-04:00

Please remember to join us over at the MySpace page for Reaching Higher Ground for our very fist online chat session! We'll be on at noon tomorrow, April 12th and we'll be discussing the group's mission as well as this month's topic: Women and Competition. We hope you will stop by!

Thanks!

Happy April!

2008-04-01T10:03:00.000-04:00

On this 1st day of April, I wanted to post something to let you know that I am still around. Sorry for the delay in posting, but I've been struggling with some health issues that had me so preoccupied that I couldn't focus on anything else. I wanted to take a moment to let you know that I plan to have my first chat session for the Reaching Higher Ground group on April 12th at Noon on the group's MySpace page. Please join me as we have our first live chat about the group's mission and what we hope to accomplish over the course of the year.

The chat session is taking the place of face to face meetings that had previously been scheduled in hopes that we will at least be able to get some dialogue started. We do plan to go back to face to face meetings at some point, but we need to do some additional preparation first so that we can be more effective in our quest to help empower women.

Please check in with us on Saturday, April 12th at Noon, we'd love to hear from you!

Thanks!

Good News!

2008-03-04T18:32:00.001-05:00

I've added a chat feature to our MySpace page! I'll be setting up a schedule for chats within the next week. I hope you'll join me for some group discussion and sharing of ideas!

Thanks!

It's been awhile...

2008-03-04T16:39:00.000-05:00

Hello, all. Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I've been under the weather and my husband just had surgery. Everything is ok for now, though and I wanted to check in.

Regarding the group in Springfield, I am thinking that I will need to push those meetings back for a while. I am not able to do all of the planning right now and I want to be able to do them well. Instead, I was thinking of holding a monthly chat, here on the blog. If I can figure out the logistics, I will probably go with that idea at least until I can get the live meetings going again. I think it is important to have the discussions, whether we do them in person or not. Please check back for more information on the meeting format. I'll have more details as soon as I look further into how to set up the chat.

Thanks to those of you who live in the Springfield area for your patience as we have dealt with the weather issues and now with my own health issues. I appreciate your willingness to participate in the group and hope that the option of a chat instead of a live meeting will bring even more people to our next gathering.

Stay tuned...

Group Meeting Announcement

2008-02-12T08:08:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, I need to cancel tonight's group meeting at the Clark County Public Library. The weather is bad and I'm not able to get out today, so I won't be able to be there. I'll post news about upcoming meetings later on. Hopefully, we can try again in March.

Thanks,
Rebecca

An Interview with Author Tanya White!

2008-01-30T10:05:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to have had the opportunity to interview Tanya White, author of How to Deal with a Difficult Woman. Tanya is the Communications Director for the Women’s Evangelical Network (W.E.N.) W.E.N. is a non-profit international organization that equips women to grow in their ministry by providing guidance through spiritual and intellectual development in their walk with Christ. Tanya also participates in other professional business organizations throughout her community. She is also a licensed minister.

Having many great influences and mentors such as her late parents, Joe and Erma White, Tanya attributes her birth as an author/writer to her life coach Valorie Burton who taught her to embrace vulnerability and to work on healing hurts of the past.

Tanya has a diverse educational background. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management-Human Resource concentration, Master of Arts Teaching-Learning and Behavior Disorders, Master of Science in Human Resource Training & Development. Some of Tanya’s life changing keynotes and interactive workshops address such relationship issues as Breaking The Happily Unhappy Cycle, Reject Rejection, Calmly Confronting Conflict and The Art Of Asking For What You Really Want. For full listing of keynotes and interactive workshops, please visit www.tanyawhite.com.

Bio information taken from www.tanyawhite.com.

And now, the interview:

1.What do you think are the most important skills for a woman to acquire? Self love, dedication and collaboration.

2. In what ways can women help one another overcome adversity? Be patient, compassionate, mentally put yourself in their predicament so that you can be more sensitive, tolerant, truthful and understanding.

3. In what ways do you see women impeding the progress of other women? Being jealous of one another. Jealousy provokes a domino affect other negative behaviors such as backbiting, sabotaging endeavors, malicious criticism, belittling, challenging your authority and professional knowledge, creating strife and chaos.

4. What has been your most important achievement as a woman? I have 3 important achievements-Discovering who I truly am despite others expectations or standards, loving the woman I am and am evolving into and pursing my purpose with passion.

5. Other than the obvious, what do you see as the biggest difference between men and women? Generally men are extremely focused on the end result of things. They have tunnel vision for executing a plan and usually the significance of the little things. Women are the complete opposite. We enjoy focusing in on the small details and are slower about getting to the end result. But men and women can find that happy medium of creating a “win-win” situation when both parties are willing to be patient with one another and adapt to the different personalities.

6. Who are your role models and why? Joe and Erma White, my late parents. My dad empowered his children before I even understood what empowerment was. My dad would always, “Listen to what I teach you because you have to learn to function when I am not here.” My siblings and I never wanted to hear him say that because we thought that he would be with us forever. But when he died in 1996, I understood exactly what he meant and appreciated his wisdom. My mother taught me and my sister what it truly meant to be a lady and carry ourselves with grace and genuine love for all people. Although growing up I thought they were strict and rebelled sometimes, there is nothing more that I cherish more than their wisdom and commitment to family. The strong foundation that I received from my parents during their short time on earth has had an everlasting affect on the way I live today.

7. What advice would you give to every young woman? First, I would encourage every young woman to invest the time to discover and love who they truly are. The more you know and love yourself the higher your self confidence and self esteem becomes. People will value you when you value yourself. Secondly, find out what your purpose is and pursue it daily with passion. Lastly, cherish the gift of goodbye. Do not hold on to dead situations or relationships because you are afraid of the unknown. When you do all these things you will live your life to the very fullest without shame or apology.

Be sure to visit Tanya's websites for more information about her book, How to Deal with a Difficult Woman!

www.tanyawhite.com
www.myspace.com/tanyawhiteky

Reaching Higher Ground-Call for Submissions

2008-01-29T11:13:00.001-05:00

If you are a woman and you have a story to tell, please send your submissions to me for the book, Reaching Higher Ground: Women's Stories of Struggle and Triumph. The book will include vignettes of women who have had a variety of experiences and found ways to overcome adversity. I'll also be including facts, resources and valuable information on how to deal with each type of circumstance. I'm looking for stories of about 2500 words or less detailing your experiences in the areas of:

Dating/Relationships
Marriage/Family
Career
Spirituality
Women's Health
Education
Divorce
Abuse

The deadline for submissions is May 30, 2008. There are no royalties available, however, participants will receive a free copy of the book when it is completed. You may submit anonymously or you can include a brief bio with your submission. Please e-mail them to me at lonestoryteller@yahoo.com.

I appreciate your participation!

Interesting tidbits from books I've been reading...

2008-01-25T13:39:00.000-05:00

As always, I like to share the good stuff when I find it. Some of the books I have been reading include:

He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo
It's Not You, It's Him by Dr. Georgia Witkin
10 Stupid Things Women Do to Mess Up Their Lives by Dr. Laura Schlessinger

Lest you think I'm the strangest married woman you've ever seen, I have to explain, I've been reading these for the Women's Group Meeting that is coming up in February. Our topic is Building Better Relationships and I wanted to gain a broader perspective about the subject by reading a broad range of opinions.

In any case, one thing I found that was pretty good was in the Greg Behrendt book. It's an easy-to-read digest that details many of the excuses or ploys used by men to get out of a relationship. Or at least that's how I read it. At the end of each chapter, Behrendt and co-author Liz Tuccillo include little nuggest like this one:

Regarding being too busy to call...

'100% of men polled said they've never been too busy to call a woman they were really into. As one fine man said, "A man has got to have his priorities."'

I like it! It rings true. I wish I had learned this lesson a long time ago. Granted, it's not something I have to worry about now, but it would have saved me so much heartache.

In Dr. Georgia Witkin's book, It's Not You, It's Him, she provides lots of great advice on learning to trust yourself and being comfortable with who you are. One of the best pieces of wisdom I picked up here was, "Don't apologize for being single." This, too, is great advice. When I was single, I never felt like I had to be part of a couple in order to matter. I did feel that something was missing, but not in terms of my self-worth. I think it is important that a woman feels like she's somebody, especially when she's single. Don't pin all of your worth on how "coupled up" you can get! I recommend this book to any woman who struggles with self-esteem issues and pressures from others to find a mate.

For those of you who haven't read or heard Dr. Laura Schlessinger, I have to tell you, you're missing out. She may seem to have a very stern demeanor and you might even think she's unbearably judgemental. But, if you take a few moments to digest some of what she is saying, you'll see that it's really just tough love. She truly understands what women need to be doing for themselves in order to overcome adversity. She's a huge proponent of "getting over it" and taking the right actions to fix problems in your life. Taking responsibility for the things we do is one of the first steps towards accepting who we are and growing our self-esteem. In the book 10 Stupid Things Women Do to Mess Up Their Lives, she says of depression, "In depression we simply come to accept a situation in a passive-submissive way. It is far healthier to rise up against the injustice and demand redress or change. It is far healthier to walk out in the face of prolonged lack of redress or change."

You tell 'em, doc. This is why I like her. She tells it like it is and she's not afraid to let you know when you are acting without backbone.

From these three books I gained insights into a common theme, "You must develop your sense of self-worth in order to find healthy relationships." If we learn nothing else, this one thing is crucial to our happiness. Our relationship choices have a long-standing impact on our self-esteem, on our children's self-esteem and so on and so on. When we are able to make choices from a place of strength instead of a place of desparation, we are doing the best possible thing for everyone involved.

Have you read any good books lately? We'd love to hear from you! As always, you can send your ideas and suggestions to us confidentially by clicking here. Or you can leave a comment at the end of the post.

Thanks for stopping by!

Has this ever happened to you?

2008-01-23T08:12:00.000-05:00

The topic of the hour is whether or not women are being treated fairly by courts in terms of divorce and custody issues. What I'm wondering is whether or not there are other women out there who have gone through or who are currently going through a divorce where the ex-husband is an emotionally or psychologically abusive man who seems to be able to find loopholes in every court decision? This is more of a call for your thoughts and suggestions than an informational post.

I ask because my sister is going through a particularly nasty divorce and she is at wit's end trying to figure out her next move. It seems as though the court is ruling against her mainly because she is not working outside the home. She is getting little cooperation from the very institutions that are supposed to be based on fairness and protecting the rights of the innocent. In fact, they are telling her that unless the man physically harms her, she can't do anything to keep him away from her. So, she endures phone calls and threats from this young man and can't do anything to stop them aside from changing her phone number. She is worried that he will do something to harm her and their son, but she has no recourse until he actually does. This is exactly the kind of thinking that gets women killed and I don't want her and my young nephew to become part of that statistic.

How can we work together to make the courts see that the best way to deal with these situations is to err on the side of caution? How can we make them be more proactive? If there are women out there who have ideas on how to combat this type of reactive thinking on the part of the courts, I'd love to hear them. Please send your thoughts to me here.

More than just a hatrack...

2008-01-13T09:26:00.000-05:00

I wear lots of hats in a given week. For example, at the beginning of this week, I was trying to organize a women's group meeting. Mid-week, I was teaching 6th graders and at the end of the week, I was out promoting my mystery series. In between, I worked my regular hours at the local library and also found time to be a wife and mother.

It's alot to juggle and sometimes I'm overwhelmed. What gets me through is looking back at why I do each of these things. I'm a woman, which automatically means that I'm destined to spend much of my time worrying about or thinking about others.

For me, a big part of being a woman is looking for ways to help others, especially women, reach their full potential. The women's group is a project that I hold dear and I feel like time spent on getting it going is time well spent. Teaching gives me an opportunity to work with kids. This is not only something I enjoy, but something that I feel can help make a difference. Although I'm not with the students on a regular basis, I feel that I can make an impression on the kids I teach simply by being someone who listens and offers assistance when needed.

As far as writing goes, I love to write and am often plagued by having too many ideas that I can never get down on paper. Writing has finally become that "thing" that I do. The thing I'm comfortable with. The thing I would do if there was only one thing in the world I could choose. It has opened the door to new friendships, a new form of self-expression and a solid definition of who I am. And I believe it allows me to be a better woman, a better wife and a better mother. On this website, you'll see a graphic that says, "Find out who you are and do it on purpose." I believe this is one of the keys to happiness.

What kinds of things make you happy? What can you make time for in your life that will help you feel more like you? Feel free to share your thoughts here. Remember, the more we share, the better we serve one another. We can learn through the experiences of one another if we are willing to share our stories!

Have a great week!

More networking!

2008-01-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

I've joined some groups on Ning to get more ideas for our Women's Self-Esteem project! I found a couple of groups that seem like they will be great. If you haven't checked out Ning, jump over there. A few of the groups I found that might be interesting to you are:

CafeChronique
Feministhousewives
Pantyclubnetwork

We've also got a networking site there that we were using before we set up this blog. To view it, go here.

If you are looking to meet new people, check out Ning! It's a great place to start.

First meeting!

2008-01-06T11:57:00.000-05:00

Our first meeting of the local Reaching Higher Ground group will take place on Monday, January 7th at 6:30 p.m. We'll be meeting at the Clark County Public Library in Springfield, OH. For more information, please visit the local website.

Special thanks to all of the Springfied businesses that allowed me to post flyers! The list is below:

Heart of County Gift Shoppe and Teaberries Country Cafe, 1600 E. Leffel Lane
Goodwill, 291 E. Leffel Lane
Circus Plaza Laundromat, 297 E. Leffel Lane
Rudy's Smokehouse BBQ, 2100 S. Limestone Street
Kroger's, Bechtle Ave. and Derr Rd.
Sav-A-Lot, 2125 Park Rd.

We appreciate your support!

Our first blog post!

2008-01-01T11:47:00.000-05:00

Over the years, I've been struggling with what it means to be a woman in today's society. Are we truly expected to be everything to everyone or is this some crazy notion that we fall back on when we feel overwhelmed? In my own journey, I have found that there are really five big components to a woman's life. These are all encompassed in what I call the Five S's. And no, success isn't one of them. That's what comes after we have mastered the other five.

All five components have to do with self and how we work towards building the different facets of our lives into something we can manage, be proud of, and feel secure in. I'm providing a brief outline of these Five S's below and I'll be posting on each one of them individually throughout the year.

I will also be linking to other websites that can be of assistance to readers. I encourage you to send in any links which have been helpful to you so that I can add them to this website. If you are a woman and you wish to share your story about how you have perservered or overcome challenges, I urge you to send your story here so that others can benefit from the wisdom of your experiences. The more we share in our personal triumphs, the more we all benefit.

Thanks for stopping by!