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.
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Reflecting on Women's History Month
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!
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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
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Do you have role models?
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...
(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...
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Greetings!
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...
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...
Friday, January 25, 2008
Interesting tidbits from books I've been reading...
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!
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!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
More than just a hatrack...
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!
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!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Our first blog post!
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!
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!
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