As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

~anonymous~

Because of Monique…

It always amazes me how God allows great people to continue crossing my path, on my road to destiny. Monique has done more to motivate and take me to the next level than any professional motivational speaker I've encountered. I had the opportunity to eat dinner with Monique, and in the first five minutes of our conversation, the question was asked, "What are my personal goals for 2007?" Shocked at first, I pondered very quickly and thought of, what I considered, an intelligent response. But then, like a lioness, she immediately weeded through my weak answers and asked me again, what my future goals are for Oma. As she dissected and encouraged me to go after my dreams, I was like a child sitting at the feet of a great orator. Because of Monique, I immediately purchased another house, took a second job, and in July, will enter Real Estate school, and in September, Seminary School. I will also be traveling to Hawaii in May and the Bahamas in September. Monique truly has the gift to inspire anyone to pursue their dreams. May God forever bless and open new doors for you. Much love!!!

In His Service,
Elder Oma Pittmon

"It is important to maintain your friendships. People you can share the 'real' you with. They are vital because when you think of them they encourage your life."

Dee Lockett

...YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Hi, my name is Regina and I am a survivor of domestic violence. Wow, I can actually say and write it without that overwhelming feeling of shame and embarrassment. Let me start from the beginning…

I was born and bred in Jacksonville, Florida. I attended private schools for 12 years and was considered both smart and funny by my peers. I had excellent grades, did one year of college and then joined the Army Reserves. I was called to active duty in December of 1990 for Desert Storm, and yes, I am a war veteran.

About a year and a half prior to going to Desert Storm, I met the man of my dreams and we decided to get married after a 6-month whirlwind romance. Have you heard the saying, “they change on you AFTER you put the ring on their finger”? Well, that saying is true for males also.

It started with the emotional abuse first. It was so gradual that I didn’t realize it was happening. There would be names called and then the apology. Not your average apology, but a truly heartfelt one. Then the flowers to make up or the occasional bracelet. However, the “you MADE me do this to you” statements, accompanied by a shove or a push, soon replaced the apologies. Then came the slaps and the loud talking or cursing, depending on how mad “I” made him. Heaven forbid a little alcohol mixed with the “Nobody will give me a job” story…that spelled imminent disaster, for I was sure to get a 6-hour lecture punctuated with punches and slaps, since it was MY fault that I emasculated him by having not one, but TWO excellent jobs and no time to spend home with him. Of course, I must be CHEATING ON HIM during my 15-minute breaks, right? I couldn’t have been asleep on my break recuperating from the previous night’s argument. Well, the war was my “way out”, and while on active duty status I found out that I was already pregnant with our first son, so I didn’t bother to tell him—I filed for divorce and left him. My divorce finalized in 1992 and I was free, or so I thought. The entire time we were divorced, I never heard from him. I went right on living and raising my son as a single parent, but I became hateful and suspicious of every male. It took me a few years of counseling with my priest to finally resolve my feelings and forgive him. Then, in 1996, he called asking to see the son he had heard about (or as I later found out, had seen since he had been driving past the house and stalking me for a few years). So, I agreed to meet him in a public place so he could meet our son. Eventually, we reconciled, and it seemed during the time we had spent apart that he had matured, so I thought…

He came back to us with a nasty crack addiction, which contributed to us losing our house because he was stealing money out of the account to pay for his habit. I became pregnant again in 1997, and he went to jail for some misdemeanor. Upon his release, I was so ecstatic that I remarried him. The stress was so bad that my migraines became uncontrollable, and I was on bedrest for the majority of the pregnancy, as well as homeless. I managed to get us a place in a rooming house. I was still working part-time and had to scramble to pay what bills I could before he beat me and took the money for his drugs. I had our second son in December 1997, and for the next two years the abuse continued and his moods were up and down, but he was the primary caretaker for the kids and he and the children were very close so I rationalized that as long as he took care of the kids I could handle what he dished out.

Well, by 1999 I was so stressed out about trying to keep his mood calm, moving from place to place, trying to figure out a way to please him all the time and handle work and still nursing our then two year old, that I basically had a nervous breakdown. My husband became concerned that my family would find out, so he convinced me to quit my job and move to Tallahassee, Florida where we would stay “temporarily” until we could get to Louisiana where his recording contract was. Well, we stayed with his Dad in Tallahassee for a while, but his Dad’s living environment was also unstable because he stayed with someone else as well, so we ended up in the homeless shelter in Tallahassee. Eventually, he got locked up again which left me in survival mode once again. I managed to get a job through a temporary staffing agency and worked for Florida State University and the Leon County School Board. I secured an apartment and enrolled the boys in daycare. Then I was blessed to secure a job with the Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic, and while working there the root of my migraine headaches was determined and I received treatment via a procedure on my neck by one of the head neurologists in the state of Florida (a little blessing in disguise). Well, after the kids were stabilized and I settled into a job I liked, he was released from jail and the cycle started again. Bill money was taken, he started problems with the landlord and the kids and I were once again homeless. I bought three bus tickets with my last check (because of course, he spent my funds from my 401(k) and the boys and myself move back to Jacksonville in May 2000 to stay with my family. I began working for a close family friend and enrolled the kids in school once more. In September 2000, he moved back to Jacksonville to “take care of his family”. So the kids and I moved into the apartment that he got for us, and a month later he beat me up again…so bad that time that I thought I would not recover. My tooth was broken, my lip busted, my eye blackened and he hit me across the lower back and my hips and thighs with a metal pole. So once again I went to the Hubbard House and he fled. While there I was committed to making a change, but somewhere deep within I still faulted myself for what happened. The Hubbard House helped me with daycare, gave the boys and me one of the best holiday seasons we ever had, helped me secure another apartment and allowed me the resources to prepare and update my resume which I used to gain employment with Randstad. My first assignment with Randstad was at Total Distribution Services, Inc., which is a subsidiary of CSX Transportation, Inc. Thanks to the Hubbard House, I received the hand-up that I needed to become productive again, and although we are still dealing with the aftermath of all that happened, the boys and I are headed in the right direction now. He was subsequently arrested for 2nd degree murder in 2001. I thank God daily—because it COULD HAVE BEEN ME. My message to anyone going through domestic abuse—tell someone! Anyone! YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Regina

Finding True Love

I never really knew what people meant when they said that they just knew their significant other was ‘the one’. I never truly understood love. I don’t believe you can until you experience it, but I always wanted to be with someone that was as fascinated with me as I was with them. One day, when talking about Mr. Right and in the middle of dating Mr. Right Now, a good friend told me that she thought I would end up with someone very special and not with some typical run of the mill guy. I didn’t know how true those words would be.

I dated a lot of the wrong guys, even married one. But marrying young and having to learn to stand on my own two feet showed me just what I could do. It also showed me what I didn’t want from a man and I refused at that moment to ever settle again. I set the bar extremely high, but the man I met and fell in love with raised it even more. I met Olin three years ago. He taught women’s self defense and invited me to one of his classes. The rest is history!

I wish that I could put into words just how wonderful he is. I could tell you that he opens the car door for me and pulls out my chair at dinner. I could tell you that he loves to shop and buys me shoes. I could tell you that we’ve never fought, we never even argue, in fact, we lay in bed and talk for hours. We have to force ourselves to go to sleep! I can tell that he’s caring and text messages me that he loves me in the middle of the day, or if he’s being really cute, text me that he has a crush on me! But as wonderful as all that is, it’s the smaller things that make the difference. It’s when he tells me how precious I am to him and calls me his angel, or when I’m upset and crying he tells me how beautiful I look with tears running down my face. When I’ve said I was sorry for being silly and getting emotional, he looks straight at me and tells me to NEVER say I’m sorry for any emotion that I feel. It’s when he writes ‘I love you’ on the bathroom mirror only to be seen when the shower steams up the room and well after he’s gone. Or when he tells me when I work late, “Work as late as need, do what you need to do, I’ll be here when you’re done.”

I’m not sure if this explains him or not, all I know is that you aren’t truly in love until you can feel it run through your veins. You can feel it consume you and just the thought of being without him, takes your breath away. Nothing in life is as important anymore. The everyday stresses don’t bother you as much when you come home to such a passionate environment.

I am writing this to all the women who aren’t happy, who are dating someone they don’t really like, or married to someone that does not make them feel what I just described. I will never understand why women stay in a relationship that they are not happy in. They give countless excuses, but the truth is that there are too many people in world to settle. This goes for men and women. We stay with people because we’re ‘comfortable’ or afraid of change. You are only cheating yourself and the other person you are with. Remember you should be as fascinated with them as they are with you.

H. Hill

I Remember Mama

My mother was born in small town, Denmark Iowa, on February 26, 1926. She lost her own mother at the tender age of five. I remember how she told me of her sad childhood and her determination even then was strong. At 18 she traveled from her small town on a bus all the way to California to marry her high school sweetheart, my father. It was war time and she determined to make the best of it. After the war money was scare and then a baby was on the way-the baby boomer-me. The memories she created for me gave me a wonderful childhood-she was determined to make it the best for me.

She gave me her unconditional love and because she was unable to have any more children, I believe we shared a very special bond. That bond was there till the end as I look back and remember Mama.

My father died at an early age and she was a widow at 48. How sad she was but determined to make the best of it.

She re-married a man she had known almost her whole life, Harold Little who lost his wife early in life also. She was my mother’s cousin. She became a farmer’s wife. She gave and did for others her whole life never putting herself first. When her second husband died, I thought maybe no I can give to her and make her life carefree. She came to live with us in September of 2001 all the way from Iowa. In December of 2001 she learned she had cancer but she was determined to make the best of it. She braved chemotherapy, taking pills and giving blood but most of all losing control of her life. I watched her struggle everyday as I tried to give her comfort, strength, love, peace and joy from the family that loved her so much. We created memories as much and as often as we could-Disney World, the beach, a cruise and birthdays and Christmas with games and working puzzles in-between.

Even though I will remember all of my wonderful childhood, the joys and sorrows that she endured-I will remember Mama as she valiantly tried to give until the very end her love. She was determined to make the best of it.

Our Father took her home July 17, 2004.

My life will never be the same without her. But I remember Mama and I am determined to carry her philosophy and her values that she lived, determined to make the best of it.

She was my hero, my friend, my mother. She will never go in the history books or be canonized as a saint-she didn’t have a college degree or fancy stuff. But she gave me the ultimate gift of a mother - uncondtional love and I will always remember Mama.

Martha Jane Thompson Walsh Little
Born 2-26-1926 and left us on 7-17-2004

I will always love you...
Terry Summers

Jaxson - My Miracle Baby

May 1, 2005 - No one was more shocked, surprised and scared than I was when I went in for my 28 week (7 months) check up and was asked, "Do you have your bag packed? You're gonna need it, cause you aren't going anywhere." I asked the nurse what she meant and I was told that I was being admitted immediately because I was on the verge of having a stroke or a seizure. I had developed severe pre-eclampsia and my pressure was around 196/100. I of course was floored because I felt fine and my pressure had never been higher than 116/70 and now I was on the verge of possibly having a seizure or worse a stroke.

I was put on mandatory bed rest until I at least reached 32 weeks. I was given 4 steroid shots in my hip to help my son's lungs develop just in case he came early. The Chief of the Neonatal Unit came in to tell me the WORSE CASE scenario of everything that could go wrong and then politely said "but I am sure everything will be fine." I was scared out of my mind and for the most part alone. My husband is in the military and was away in VA for school and training prior to his deployment later that year and here I was in TX with no family, a few friends from work and church & my best friend (who has 2 young daughters of her own).

On Friday, May 6 my worst fears became real. I went into labor around 6 that morning and then around 8 am my placenta ruptured and my son's heart rate dropped to 60 bpm. I was rushed to the OR and was put to sleep while an emergency c-section was performed. The only thing I did have time to do was call my Husband and my Mom (who by the grace of God was 2hrs away at a conference). I woke up two (2) days later to my Mom, Husband and Best Friend sitting by my bedside. Two days had passed and I still hadn't had the chance to see this fragile life that had been rushed into this world or know if he was even alive, because no one was talking. It was the evening of Mother's Day when I finally saw my son and I collapsed by his bedside when I did. Jaxson weighed 2lbs 13oz and was 15inches long. He was connected to all of these ventilators, tubes & wires. His skin was so transparent, I could see right through it. All I could do was cry and apologize over and over again.

For 2 days I went to the NICU and sat by his bedside every chance I could, only leaving when I absolutely had to (shift change, to eat, sleep, etc.) I was devastated when my pressure shot up again and I had to be admitted back into ICU because the Maternity Ward wasn't prepared to handle the problems and complications I was having. I had to remain in ICU for 3 days and was not allowed to leave to go and see my son because of the monitoring that had to be done and the medication that I was on. By that time my husband had to return to school and my Mom had to go back to FL to work, so sitting in that ICU room alone and not unable to see my baby was like nothing I could put into words.

After being in the hospital for 2 weeks I was finally discharged; sent home without my baby. I was to be on strict bed rest for another 2 weeks, therefore I was not allowed to drive and had to depend on others to take me back and forth to the hospital to see Jaxson. That mess was for the birds! The minute I was able to drive again, I lived in the NICU. I was finally able to hold him 3 weeks after he was born and not being able to hold your baby is the worst feeling. You already feel empty and incomplete when you have to leave the hospital without your baby because you still have this little bulge where they use to be and now they are not, yet your arms are just as empty as well. I felt so helpless and so much blame, like it was my fault. I kept wondering if there was anything I could have done differently, feelings of why me, sorry and apologetic that I had done this to him. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't cry. Every time I saw him I cried and apologized and begged him to forgive me; to hang in and get stronger and bigger so I could take him home and make it up to him.

Jaxson finally came home on June 17 (2 days before Father's Day) after 6 1/2 weeks in the hospital. He weighed 4lb 15oz. He has endured an infection in his digestive system, a blood transfusion, cranial bleeding, several pokes and prods of needles for an array of tests, prodding in his ears to check his hearing and behind and all around his eyes & eyeball to check his vision (and it was soooo hard holding him and watching this procedure every 2 weeks for the first 3 months of his life). Jaxson had his final overnight hospital stay on the 28th of July, for a double groin hernia. We have physical therapy with a therapist once a month to help him with his motor development skills (he is in his correct range/age wise with all other mental developmental areas) because he doesn't want to crawl or scoot, he rolls himself toward everything he wants and tries to walk when you hold his hands. Other than that, Jaxson is a happy and healthy 11 month old, 17lbs 29 inch, little boy that is into everything! He is my little monster and my Miracle from God. It is hard to believe that he will be a year old next month!

There isn't a day that goes by, no matter how tired I am or how frustrated I may get sometimes that I don't stop and thank God for my MIRACLE and kiss Jaxson several times over and tell him just how much I love him and how grateful I am that he came into my life and changed it forever.

When you are healthy from the beginning, workout and eat right all throughout your pregnancy, you never think (it may cross your mind -- what if...), never really think anything can go wrong; at least you pray that it doesn't. But what do you do when it does? Whatever you can do and Stay on your knees in prayer.

Thank you Monique for letting me share my story. I hope it can help others going through similar situations.

Kyra Ridgeway

Monique:

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my story. I was adopted at age 13 and ran away from home at age 16. My adopted dad would physically abuse me once or twice a week and I couldn’t take it anymore.

My senior year in high school, I met a really nice guy from my math class and we started to date. My boy friend was very nice to me while we were dating and after we married in 1992, I saw a different person. My husband became verbally abusive and later started using me as his punching bag. We have 2 small children and I spend most of my free time with our children. My husband comes home from work, eats dinner and never says a word to me. It’s very hard for me to understand him and I don’t know what to do. I know that he has a lot of stress at work but our family is suffering from his behavior.

In 2001, I got a phone call at work from a woman I had never met. The caller stated that my husband had been spending time with her during the day for over a year. Come to find out, the caller lived 3 miles from my husband’s job. The reason for the caller calling was to inform me that she is HIV positive. Oh boy, I didn’t know how to deal with the information. I approached my husband a few days after the conversation with the caller and he said I was nuts.

Long story short, my husband has informed me that he hasn’t loved me in years and he stayed because of the children. My heart has been broken and I haven’t been happy in years. I ask myself, why do I live this way and why me.

I was given 4 – 6 months to live because my husband gave me HIV.

C. K. Jones

Nothing but LOVE…

My twin brother (James) and I have lived in the same city for 10 years and we continue to be best friends. I’m single and my brother has been married for 8 years. I have two adopted daughters and my brother has 3 sets of twin girls. I have my girls and my brother’s girls every other weekend. The girls range in age from 3-8 years old and we have our hands full.

The joy of my life is to spend time with all eight girls and have fun with them. On Friday nights, we share weekly stories of what has happen during our week. On Saturday morning after breakfast, we have a morning walk in the park, go to one of our local malls, or visit a theme park. The girls are so much fun and I just enjoy spending time with them. On Sundays, we visit a different church around the city and later cook dinner. The girls have an assigned duty to prepare for dinner on Sundays. They are taught how to cook, how to set the table and they are very aware of their table manners. We invite my brother and his wife over for Sunday dinner and it’s always a joyful experience.

I am so thankful to have my brother in my life and his wife is an adorable woman. My brother and I want the best for our eight girls and we will continue to work harder and harder to teach them.

Enjoy your brothers and sisters.

Jamie Jackson

Proverbs 10:10, "Who can find a virtuous woman?  for her price is far above rubies".
 
On Saturday, December 24, 2005, my family and I experienced the Homegoing Service for the greatest woman to ever grace this planet - Mrs. Jeanette Hooks Donahue!  Although she never made the cover of Time Magazine; her name was never mentioned on CNN; she wasn't honored by President Bush, my mom was a warrior for Jesus Christ.  
 
Born in Conway, Arkansas on August 10, 1925, she was the wife of Oscar Charles Donahue, Jr., the mother of 10 children, 30 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren, and surrogate mother to countless persons she came in contact with.  After suffering a heart attack and severe brain damage on November 7, 2005, she transitioned from this life to eternity on December 20, 2005.  What was amazing even before her death was that my mother was disconnected from her feeding tube and life support on December 1.  She lasted 20 days because my mom was a marathon person who believed in fasting.  She would fast for 30 days at a time with no food or water.  Although the doctors and nurses were amazed at this 80 year old woman, I knew better.
 
This phenomenal woman nurtured her five daughters and taught them to take pride in being a wife, mother, business woman, and most importantly, become a servant of the most High God.  She taught each of us that no matter what obstacles we faced in life, remember that Jesus loved us and would be there to forgive us of our sins.  I remember as a young girl listening through the vents in our home as my mom would go down into our basement, and kneel down at the alter in the prayer room she designed, and prayed for hours at a time.  She covered all of her children daily with the blood of Jesus Christ.  She would sing songs like, "I Need Thee, Oh, I Need Thee", or, "Just Another Day, That The Lord Has Kept Me".  Every morning, around 4:00 a.m., she would awaken and after taking her bath, (she believed that cleanliness is next to godliness), she would meditate by reading her Bible and starting her day off with prayer.  
 
My mom endured hardships as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  Without constantly complaining about being a housewife or mother, she handled her assignment from God with great care and dignity.  She understood her purpose - to nurture the next generation of women and men who were chosen to lead souls to Christ.  From the fruit of her womb, several pastors, evangelists, and psalmists were born. I know that when my mom entered Heaven, she received an ovation of thunderous applause from the angels.  She fought a good fight and finished her course…Now she has entered into eternal rest! 
 
I love you, Mom
From your #4 daughter, Oma

First let me say that I have never been a big fan of the burnt-bean taste of Starbuck's coffee.  However, one morning, after a late night out, and having to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to work a Conference, Starbuck's was my only option for caffeine and a bagel.  I hopped in the long line, and waited to try the Pumpkin Spice Latte.
 
The day before, I had been standing and walking in 3-inch heels all day.  So this particular morning, in an effort to minimize the 3-inch wear time, I decided to wear my flat sandals to the Convention Center where the Conference was, then change into my other shoes.  A woman standing in line behind me asked, "Why the two pairs of shoes?"  She was amused by my explanation, and continued to make small talk with me.  Among other things, she asked me what I did and who I worked for. 
 
This woman's name happened to be Alison (spelled like mine, with one "L"), and Alison happened to be the CFO of one of the companies present at the Conference.  Small talk with Alison evolved into a formal interview, which led to another interview with one of the VPs at the Conference, a few follow-up phone interviews, and finally an all-expense-paid trip for a face-to-face interview with the person whom I now call my boss.
 
The moral of this story is, it pays to be polite to strangers!  You never know who you might be talking to, so smile, be nice, and keep your head up!  Now when I say it pays, I mean it pays!  When I received the offer, the base salary was $30,000 higher than what I was making before, AND I got a $10,000 signing bonus!  Not to mention, the company is moving me to one of my favorite cities in the country - MIAMI!
 
So next time you're in Starbuck's, put your "Happy Face" on, and try the Pumpkin Spice Latte - it's THE BOMB! 

Alison Williams

My fiancé introduced me to Monique about three years ago. We had just joined a gym where Monique was offering her personal training services and my fiancé knew that I was going to need some help developing a workout plan. I signed up for a three month plan with Monique. Getting in shape with Monique’s help was one of the biggest challenges of my life. Monique encouraged me to tackle any obstacles that came my way, not only in regards to fitness, but life in general. She truly helped me gain a much greater sense of confidence in myself and in my abilities. Before meeting Monique, I felt rather insecure with who I was and I did not have much confidence in myself. Monique has inspired me to reach any goal I set before myself & to do it with a big smile!

Last July I ran the Peachtree Road Race (6.2 miles) for the first time and I had a wonderful time! In October, I ran my first Half Marathon (13.1 miles) ever! This was something that I would have never dreamed of doing, but with Monique’s encouragement, I signed up and completed the race with no problems! I look forward to my next fitness challenge, whatever it may be. I know that all of this has been possible because of the amazing motivator that Monique is. Over these past three years, I not only gained a great inspiration in my life, I gained a wonderful friend.

Wendy Arce