Brave Heart, Brave Soul. She who is brave is free.

We all have our tribe, our people, those we call our clan. We share a bond, an energy. We click in a straightforward, uncomplicated and effortless manner. We are sisters, brothers, together we are a kaleidoscope of brilliant and diverse kindred. Me, well I'm a wild one you could say, naturally a bit of free spirit. I absolutely beat a different drum. More importantly I surround myself with like minded kindred spirits. These women, they are my tribe, my clan, my kinsfolk. Together, we drive our Father nuts I have no doubt. Though born some hundreds of miles apart, we were created to be tribal, wild, strong and yes independent women. I'm not ashamed to to say my vibe is distinctive. I like mystery but not necessarily uncertainty. I love happening upon the undiscovered. You know those not quite revealed gems of life? You can blame it on my red hair or just chalk it up to being a strong independent spirit. Either way I have always been a bit stubborn, free-willed and unt...

What inspires you? What stirs your soul, your passion? When you look at a blank canvas what is it you see, what do you imagine springing to life in front of you? What textures cross your thoughts, what hues burst inside your head and what colors come to life, exploding across an yet undetermined canvas sitting right there in front of you? Our lives are much like a canvas, ready and waiting.  Just one stroke of fresh paint begins our journey across a vast and wide, bare, empty, untouched canvas sitting atop the Master’s easel. From the moment we’re born, brushes are dipped in paint, fresh beautiful strokes touching our lives for the very first time, creating an individual masterpiece, the beginning of OUR own unique story.  The Master, with His grace guides each stroke, dipping His brush into just the right color as His brilliant vision takes shape.  As children we are delighted in the bright beautiful colors, the diversity in the landscape our lives take on. We...

Forgiveness is like a bridge, with water passing underneath.  It’s a word many of us like to use but fail to apply.  I’ve been faced with this same quandary, muddling around the perimeters of forgiveness.  We all have those chapters in our lives we wish could be forgotten, but that’s not exactly forgiveness is it? When we forgive we pardon, exonerate, show mercy. We don’t continue to carry around the wrongdoing, revisiting it like a parole meeting.  The problem with most of us is well we are human, so the offense, the infringement, the breach and the fault of the situation is not as easily let go.  We like to revisit the scene, like a CSI looking for evidence of the crime.  The problem with this practice is it leads to resentment, hostility, and bitterness because we can’t let go of the hurt we feel has been done to us. This practice and this kind of continual grudge holding only leads to contempt so we become the victim of our own grief, agony, de...

I’m going to step out of my box today. I’m going to speak boldly, courageously. I have something to say and I need to clear my chest so to speak. I think too many times those of us with strong, independent and sensitive souls are misunderstood. For the most part we’re liked and yes loved but there are those who have no taste for us in the least. For years I tried to please everyone. Not only is this impossible, it’s toxic to our well-being. I didn’t handle rejection very well at all for a long time.  I was crushed, undone by the brush-off.  In recent years I have come to understand, it has nothing to do with me. It comes down to apples and oranges.  The reality is I'm never going to be everyone’s best friend. And you know what, that’s OK! Life lesson #45:  I'm more than what you see. I am strong, I am kind and I am giving.  What I am not is a doormat. Many times we feel we have to stay quiet while others seek to provoke us. In life we are alwa...

Family, I am forever grateful for those I call my 'ohana. When I have been at my lowest, it is my family who has lifted me back up.  There is no greater love than the one I share for those who I call family.  Time spent in deep conversations, bread broken together, laughter shared and yes even tears spilt are the threads forever tying us together. I love my family, all of them, both distant and close, stubborn and sensitive alike.  I am proud of the beautiful people I share both my maiden and married names with, those I share DNA with and not. I am blessed to be part of the family I call 'ohana. Family, well it’s simply a love story we  the author's write ourselves.  ‘Ohana means family, meaning we are bound together. We are a tribe, a clan, kin, and blood, FAMILY. We are different, bonded through blood but created in love both separately and individually. Some are tall, others short with curly hair, dark or light, others are loud, many are sh...

Life is such a crazy, beautiful mixed up mess isn’t it?  Personally, I’ve never fit into a box and truthfully I don’t ever remember worrying about it.  I never wanted to be normal. I was happy coloring outside the lines, being the nerd or geek who spent her day’s slaying dragons, conquering Lex Luther and Toy Man, following Frodo into Mount Doom or simply lost in a book for hours.  I was the girl into Dr. Who before it was cool. I lived and breathed comic books, jumping off dressers yelling “Wonder Woman” and singing to myself. I was THAT girl.  Reckless, abandoned and free in a world chained to ordinary, I was brought up to believe I could be anything or anyone I wanted to be.  I was different and that was a marvelous trait as far as my parents were concerned. They supported my creativity and encouraged my never-ending journey into imagination. To let sparks fly, to own who I was and not apologize for it. My feet were never on the ground, but my ro...