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WRITE 2 THE HEART
Stories that are aimed "Write 2 the Heart"
August 3, 2006
moderator @ write2theheart.com
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Welcome to your latest issue of "Write 2 the Heart." You are
receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription
or a friend generously forwarded their copy to you.
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Michelle realized the uncomfortable boundaries in her life were not
what she wanted. Taking one positive step at a time she changed her
attitude and her whole outlook on life.
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Scaling Life's Mountains
By Michelle C. Ustaszeski
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It is the simple things in life that please me. But it hasn't always
been that way. There was a time in my life when everything seemed
dark. It was a time when my children were the only source of light in
my life. I was disappointed in myself for descending so deeply into
such an obscure frame of mind and that increasing self-resentment
only made each day all the more dismal. I took refuge in the stories
that I wrote, escaping my own reality by creating new ones and falling
to sleep as a character with a life far better than my own. I was trapped
between the boundaries that I created for myself, allowing no other
feelings but self-pity and disappointment to reside and freely cultivate.
It may sound quite dramatic to those who are fortunate enough to
have never experienced such inner despair. Unfortunately, most people
can relate to how difficult it can be to climb over the peak of
depression, especially if they have been dwelling at the foot of the
mountain for some time now. But with each minute, each hour and
each day that we remain still, we have a greater tendency to get
comfortable within those boundaries. The mountain becomes a part of
the scenery that we soon fail to see and the journey we were meant to
travel in order to reach our destiny becomes postponed, or worse yet,
never conquered.
Life began to change for me after I realized that it was not my
environment that controlled me, but it was I who controlled my
environment. It was I who dimmed the lights in my own world and it
was I who needed to slowly turn them back on. It was during that
journey when I took a second look at my life, realizing that my
children needed me. They deserved a mother who would provide light
in their own times of darkness, guiding them into a better life than I
had allowed for myself during those times of hopelessness. They
deserved a mother who would conquer and move mountains in order
to share with them the wisdom that I would obtain for the day when
they would have to set out on their own journeys. They would learn
that happiness is a gift that we give to ourselves and that regardless of
how lost we feel at times, continuous movement in faith will
eventually bring us to our peak.
It was at this time when I began finding the good in all things that I
had subconsciously ignored. I began to notice everything that I
overlooked outside of myself due to my previous self-indulgence with
inner wretchedness. I found that it was the simple negatives in life that
would control me and that the simple positives would, in fact, set me
free. Just as I would have probed for and willingly allowed any
negative to govern me, I began my search for each and every positive
that would eventually set me free. I began taking one step at a time,
falling on occasion, but getting right back up with my goal in mind as
it became more visible with each step. Using my own internal compass
and by creating my very own paths, I conquered feat after feat until I
eventually mastered the art of scaling.
We deal with disappointing and depressing experiences each day of
our lives. Rest assured that these difficult times are your opportunity to
grow and to learn more advanced strategies in order scale your next
mountain more quickly. These difficult times provide you with
experience and knowledge that you can pass on to your children and to
the world. They bestow upon you wisdom that, when looking back,
will cause you to proudly stand in awe at how far you have traveled.
Only through difficulty can you rest at the peak, look out over the
horizon that surrounds you, and rejoice beyond today's imagination at
how beautiful life really is and how lucky we truly are.
Michelle C. Ustaszeski
michellecharlene @ earthlink.net
You are encouraged to write to the authors to let them
know what you think of their story. Have a comment
on today's story? Send it to: moderator @ write2theheart.com
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Michelle C. Ustaszeski is a writer and photographer of inspirational
and motivational art. She believes that if you can prematurely feel the
emotions of your desired outcome, your reservations have been made
and reaching your destination is simply a matter of time.
In 1998, Michelle created Sam-n-Nick's Inspirations, named after
her two children, and located at http://soulfuel.com, when she
combined her love of writing together with the digital camera. Sam-n-
Nick's Inspirations produces and sells scenic and enlightening framed
art, bookmarkers, stationary, music, books, candles, bath products and
other comforting gifts to warm the hearts and souls of her customers
through private home parties.
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Military Prayer Reminder
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As you read over this list of names, please take that moment to
pray for our troops and their families:
Alan
Graham
Julie Sagel
Jason
Eric Hernandez
Kristin Danielson
Ryan
Larry Miele
Daniel
Amy
John
Joanne
Gary Boardwine
Hadassah
Chanz Wackerly
David Habighurst
Tonia
Melissa Bair
Matthew Nutter
Matt Hall
Donald Wayne West
Frank Schambach, Jr.
Nick Nation
Iain Kirkham
Bo Lefeat
Many of our troops are returning home, but remember, more are
being sent overseas. Please continue to pray for our country, our
leaders, and our troops. If you have loved ones in the military, or
who are being called to go overseas, send their names (first and last
or first only) to be included in our prayer reminder.
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Cheryl's Corner
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I thought Hurricane Katrina would be the worst thing that could
possibly happen in my life for a long time. I should know better than
to think such things!
Things were going smoothly; we were doing the repairs that were
urgently needed around our house. Here's a hint: Don't stay in your
house when it is being roofed! Every bundle of shingles that are
brought up to the roof, dropped and then dragged, sound just like
someone falling and rolling off the roof. My nerves were shattered!
And get more than one referral on a roofing company. Our first one
didn't finish felting before leaving one evening and that night we got
our first heavy-duty rain since the hurricane. My ceiling was ruined
causing me more repairs and the main leak was over my computer. For
some reason, they thought they should charge me more for the job
after this, so David fired them. We were blessed that out youngest son
stepped in and did the job for us, because contractors are impossible to
find right now.
The next project would be the kitchen floors. But, before we could
get started, David wrecked his motorcycle in May. His leg was
shattered, ribs were dislocated, sternum bruised and a vertebra in his
back was fractured. He was transported to a trauma unit in Hattiesburg
where he had to have surgery and a titanium rod was placed in the
large bone in his leg. It will be another month before he might be able
to put any weight on it.
He has had to live in his recliner in the living room. Everything
else, including the bed hurts his back. Of course you know who has to
be his gofer. After having to run to get the same things several times a
day, I placed a rolling shelf by him for all his miscellaneous things, put
together a computer to alleviate boredom and let him play with his
new Bible program, then gave him his father's day gift of a cd player
early so he can listen to worship music while he reads his Bible. His
friends call it command central. I call it my leg and sanity saver.
God has been gracious through all of this, David is alive, praise
God! He will be able to continue to minister in The Biker Church. You
can read more at www.thebikerchurch.org. It has been a joy and
pleasure to be able to minister in hurting lives and to plant churches.
He just has to go to all the meetings and the various churches as a
passenger in my Toyota instead of on his Harley!
May God bless each of you!
Cheryl
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Nothing may be reproduced or published without
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