Change

Today I decided to write a little about change.

Change is not one of my favorite things at all! So of
course.....I've had to adjust to lots of changes over the past few
years. Isn't that the way it usually is?! The thing you don't like
is what you get to deal with : )

Something got me thinking about this yesterday actually.

Because we're usually on tour, finishing up the work from a tour and
then prepping for another tour, I don't really have much free time to
do things that are just for fun. I realized this fall that I haven't
been home in the fall since 2002.

So I decided to go to a cooking demonstration by a baker from New York
that was being held at one of the William Sonoma stores near me. I
love those stores by the way. I had a great time. After that I went to
the Macy's store in the mall that I was at.

I'm sure that you have a Macy's near you. When we tour, I've noticed
how many local department stores across the country were bought up by
Macy's. Even in Hawaii this is the case.
For us the store was Marshall Fields. When this happened there was so
much disappointment across the area because Marshall Fields was the
place of so many happy family memories for generations particularly at
Christmas. People were up in arms and wanted to boycott which many did.

As it turns out, most of us don't really like change. Some more loudly
than others.

So, I went to Macy's for a quick lunch. As I sat eating my lunch, I
looked around and noticed how much had changed. Some for the better
and some not. I have to admit that there was a bit of sadness in my
thoughts as I remembered so many happy family holidays that were spent
there when it was Marshall Fields. But it's inevitable.....change
comes.... like it or not.

Our lives change for so many reasons. Sometimes the reasons are not of
our choosing. Sometimes it's change as the result of our taking a risk
and reaching towards something we want.

But all change includes a bit of apprehension. Some more than others.
When change comes without our consent, it can turn our world upside
down. I have experienced this kind of change a few times in my life
and it's been anything but fun.

I believe that sometimes these unwanted changes are given to teach us
something. Or perhaps to warn us about something that needs to change
in our lives. I do not believe that they are with no purpose.
And..... if we can gather all of our strength and move ahead, having
learned the lessons that are there for us......the next kind of change
comes.

The kind where we take the risk and reach for something that we
want ....and that's a new life! A better life free of the problems
that were holding us back.

The tough part is getting strong enough to take the risk. Some days it
feels like an impossible task.

Sometimes we just want to curl back up into our old lives and have
things the way they were before this unwanted change was thrust upon
us. I have succeeded at doing this. I say succeeded loosely because
the truth is, if we are able to curl back up into the "comfort"
zone.....we are just prolonging the time that it will take to get to
our new and better life.

It's a rough and painful ride but a better day is coming and that's a
guarantee. I know that there are times that breathing is all that we
have the strength to do and that's all we need to do.

It won't be long before your strength will become evident, a little at
a time and as I mentioned the other day we need to reach for the new
and good.

Change is the open door that we go through to find the amazing life we
are meant to live. That's why it feels so scary. Because it's so
different than what we've settled with.

So, take those shaky steps forward through that door and once you
cross that threshold........you'll be amazed with all that's been
waiting for you on the other side. Things that we can't even imagine
right now. Wow.....
Let's do it together!

Happy Thanksgiving part #2

Well, tomorrow is the big day and as promised I am posting this
message tonight instead of tomorrow. I know that everyone is busy over
the next couple of days so I won't be writing much.

Tonight, I thought that maybe instead of focusing on the things we're
missing (maybe just for now), maybe today we should focus on the
things that we're grateful for. So I've complied a list and I hope it
will help to get you thinking about the many things that you have to
be grateful for too! : )

My gratitude list:

I'm grateful to God that He showed me time and time again the things
that I needed to know so that I could take the first steps towards the
life He wants for me. I'm sure that I tested His patience when I kept
ignoring what He was showing me because I was hoping for a different
answer. I'm so thankful that He didn't give up on me.

Next, at the top of my gratitude list are Ryan and Cayt. They have
stood by me throughout everything. All of the ups and deep downs. They
have supported me, loved me, encouraged me and been my strength when I
was at the bottom. They have been my life line.

And right behind them are Dan and Therese. They supported me and
encouraged me and never let me forget the truth.

I am soooooooo very thankful for these 4 people! Thank you so much you
guys!
In fact, they're the ones that encouraged me to start this blog.

Our dogs Maile and Wilco (members of our family and loved so much!)

The gift of my job with Sleeping At Last and all of the great people
that I get to meet. The fun times touring and the great places we get
to visit.

Here's a list of general things that are all around us and yet go
unnoticed so often. I'm grateful for.........

The stars and there beauty on a clear winter night

Yesterday (before a crazy storm came through here) I was in my yard
and there were lots of birds all making lots of noise and I looked to
see what the commotion was. I think they were warning each other about
the storm. How cool is that?

Music

Traveling

Water when I turn on the faucet.

Heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer

A roof over our heads

mountains

I can jump in the car and in 5-10 minutes drive to a wide variety of
great places to eat or shop

The moon when it's full on a clear night

The city of Chicago and all that it has to offer from shopping to
culture to great food to sports.

Fresh fruit in the middle of the winter

Snow

Rain

Fall leaves and all of their colors

Walt Disney World

movies

Storms

Fresh laundry

Fresh air

a car that runs

Sprinkles Cupcakes (the new addiction in our house)

Books

Wisdom

The ocean

Homes that have been decorated for Christmas

Christmas Music

There is so much more!

I'm hoping you will take a look at your life today and notice the
little things that you can be thankful for too and make your own list.
If we spend the day thinking about all of the good things, it will
crowd out the bad.
Have a great day and a Very Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,
Kim

Happy Thanksgiving part #1

I know that today is a busy day for most of us and with that in mind,
I'm going to do something a little different. I'm posting this message
now and then tonight, I plan to post my Thanksgiving Day thoughts
because I know that for some of us, there won't be much time to read
before we're off for the days events (whatever that will be)

and... I'm hoping that it will be of some help as you face the day
tomorrow (if you're struggling or not).

For those of you that are alone or hurting, make sure that you set up
some Thanksgiving Day plans TODAY. Maybe you can get together with
someone else that is alone for the day. Or maybe you could head to a
movie and then to dinner at a restaurant (many are open and serving a
full Thanksgiving meal). Or maybe your idea of a good day is to stay
home and watch a bunch of holiday movies and eat junk food all day.
The important thing is to plan (deliberately) to do something. Don't
just ignore the day. You'll feel much better if the day is made up of
the choices you've made. Even if they're choices that you're stuck
with due to circumstances out of your control. Decide how YOU want to
spend the day and have fun with your choices. Remember too that you
are NOT ALONE! You may feel like it but you're not. I assure you!

Let me tell you about one Thanksgiving that I experienced about 5
years ago.

This was the first year that I was faced with my Thanksgiving
changing (whether I liked it or not).

To say I felt lost would be an understatement. Thanksgiving had
always been one of my favorite holidays so it was particularly painful
that this would be the first tradition in my life that had to change.
I also knew that it was very likely that it would need to be
changed.... forever. I felt terrible. I didn't know where to start
and I didn't really want to either.

So the decision was made that we would start the day with some
wonderful Cinnabons (a holiday treat that we've had for years). This
was good because it was part of our normal tradition. The guest list
had changed a bit but it felt familiar.

The next thing we did was to go to a movie (yes a movie on
Thanksgiving)!

We went to the huge AMC theatre near our house and when we arrived in
the parking lot, a wave of sadness came over me. Here I was at a movie
on Thanksgiving Day instead of with the people that I had spent so
many many big family Thanksgivings with before. All of the hurt and
disbelief rushed through my head. I felt like I was in shock and numb
except for the hurt.

I didn't say anything about how I felt while we were in the car that
day so I don't know if anyone knew that I was feeling bad. So we
walked into the theatre and as we were buying our tickets, I mentioned
to the ticket person that I was sorry that they had to work because of
all of us that didn't have a family to go have dinner with. The
theatre was surprisingly crowded too. She and the guy next to her kind
of laughed and said "don't worry, why do you think we're here? We
wanted to work today for the same reason!" Well that sure took me by
surprise. I looked around at the crowd and suddenly I didn't feel as
bad. We were surrounded with other people that were alone or maybe
hurting too but they were smiling and clearly having a great time. I
realized that I was not the only one in this position and that maybe
it was all gonna be ok after all. The movie was great too!

We went out to dinner later that night and shared the restaurant with
loads of families and singles and that made it feel like Thanksgiving.
AND BONUS...the food was great and I didn't have to cook : )

At about 11:30 that night we went to meet some friends at the big
midnight sale at the outlet mall. Crazy fun! And this year there are
quite a few stores open on Thanksgiving day if you want to get a jump
start on your shopping.

I actually remember this particular Thanksgiving more than most and
not just because it was hard but instead because it had turned out to
be really fun! I had a great day and for some reason, it felt more
like the kind of Thanksgiving that I would pick if I had a choice. And
now I did! It felt relaxing and comfortable!

As I had said in an earlier post, I miss the people that I used to
spend Thanksgiving with but I don't miss the way things were and I'm
truly blessed that I get a chance to make my life what I would like it
to be. On that Thanksgiving Day, I would have never believed that I
could feel happy again but I sincerely do and you will too.

So.... customize this Thanksgiving to fit YOU and you might find
yourself actually enjoying the day (not to mention that it could be
the start of your own Thanksgiving traditions)

I'll be back with Thanksgiving part #2 later tonight.

Love,
Kim

Map Your Own Life

Todays post will be a bit shorter. I hope that you had a chance to read yesterdays and have taken the time to sit and think about it. Without knowing what your actual goals and dreams are, you'll feel like you're just floundering in a stormy sea.  I thought it might be a good idea to give us a little more time with this. I know that we're all busy at this time of year so it might be hard to find the time, but I hope you will. Even if it's while you're laying in bed before you fall asleep. Maybe it will have to be a series of 5 minute slots here and there. Whatever works for you. 

With all of the busyness that we feel, somehow still, the voices of uncertainty and sadness and dread still manage to show up. Especially if you're dealing with broken relationships and hurts that involve family. Thanksgiving is only a few days away now and I'm sure (just like me) that it's bringing up some difficult feelings etc.

Yesterday I had a little setback myself. An email arrived from an extended family member that brought up a lot of  wounds and questions. It seemed harmless enough but then, there it was, bubbling to the surface. All of the hurt and anger and unanswered questions about why? I spent a good part of my day going over all of it in my mind again and again. That's how this poison works. 

Well, I decided that I could let myself sit there in the sadness or I could look at my goals and stay focused on them. So I did. It's surprisingly easy if you just try. That's not to say that I have forgotten how I feel. It's just that now, it's not the main things I'm thinking about. It's the side thing and I don't need to let it destroy any more of my day. Whenever I catch myself starting to think about it again, I just smile and refocus my attention on my dreams and goals. They feel so happy and light, it makes my mood change almost immediately. 

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to be thinking about the things that we're thankful for and maybe we can start with this.......an amazing gift.......

God has given us the opportunity to recreate our lives. To follow our dreams and to be truly happy! 

It may take a little work but it's there for the taking and I am so so  thankful for that! 

So today, (if you haven't already) try to take some time to decide what you want for your life.  Then, we'll head off on this road together for the best adventure yet! 

"There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It's why you were born. And how you become most truly alive."                                Oprah

For those of you that are struggling, I mentioned earlier that I would be available if you need a listening ear, or a question answered or if you're just having a hard time. I'm including my email address here (in code so I don't get a bunch of spam)

capturingwishes (at symbol) aol (dot com)

Please feel free to contact me.  If you need to talk, I'm really here and it's no bother at all. I would be honored. 

Love,

Kim

Dreams and Goals

Happy Monday!
So, it's finally here. It's Thanksgiving week and I'm sure you're very
busy with some form of preparations. Maybe you're traveling, or having
everyone to your place, or gearing up to spend the holiday with people
that have been a source of deep wounds. Maybe you're trying to come up
with an answer for the yearly questions about your career choices or
your marital or family status. Or maybe you will be alone and you're
bracing yourself for that. No matter what state your life is in, there
is likely to be some kind of preparing going on.

In the music business, ironically, most artists take the day off. We
have been blessed to be home for every Thanksgiving but one since we
started touring. But I do know of one artist that was on the road for
the holiday and they were able to go into their hotel kitchen and make
their own Thanksgiving dinner. They all made different parts and from
what I heard, it turned out very nicely. Sometimes you have to adapt.

The one time we weren't home was because we were in Florida and so
we made a little mini vacation out of it and we went to Walt Disney
World. Dan flew home to be with his girlfriend at the time (now wife)
and for most of the rest of us, our significant other flew down to
spend a couple days with us before we hit the road again for the
remaining days of that tour.

We had a fantastic time!!! WDW was decked out for Christmas and it was
amazing! We even got a great Thanksgiving dinner at our hotel that was
almost as good as home. Then, on Black Friday we were able to enjoy
the Christmas fun at the parks while we were ordering lots of great
deals online from our laptops. I can remember Chad outside at a table
ordering a bunch of new Apple gear (at a fantastic price) for me to
give as gifts to the members of our little group. It was a surprise of
course and his gift was already on it's way. I can still picture it.
Here we were in sunny warm Florida doing great Christmas shopping
without ever setting foot in a mall and when we were done...off we
went to the parks for some fun real snow and Christmas lights at
Hollywood Studios (known as MGM then.) That was unbelievable. You can
go online to see a picture. It makes Clark Griswold's house look like
it was hardly decorated at all. It was one of the best trips I've had
there and if you don't know...all of us in the Sleeping At Last family
are HUGE DISNEY FANS! We go as often as we can and when I'm booking
our tour...I do my best to include a couple of days to stop at the
Disney Parks in whatever side of the country we happen to be. This
trip for Thanksgiving was memorable and I would love to do it again!

So, as we are all preparing for our week of Thanksgiving. I wanted to
touch briefly on the subject of goals.
I have mentioned several times in my blog posts that this blog is
written for the purpose of helping us as we are reaching for a new
life or a goal of some sort.

As you probably know, goals are a great deal more difficult to reach
if you don't really know what they are.
Have you ever really devoted yourself to deciding what your actual
goals are?

For example.....you can say your goal is to have a successful career.
But what does a successful career look like to you? What specifically
would that be?

You can say that you want a happy life but what does a happy life look
like to you?

You can say that you want to change your life but specifically what,
do you want to change?

What would be different in your life if you achieved these goals?

For the goal of a successful career.....what level of success are you
shooting for? Do you want the high powered job with lots of money or
does your version of success mean that you can successfully make a
difference in the world with the charity that you founded or work for?
Do you want to run a large corporation or a small business with a
local impact?

If you're an artist...what level of success do you want? A household
name or true to your art form? Fame or respect?

If you want a happy life....who would be in it and who would not?
Where would you live? What would your days look like? How would you
feel?

If you want to change your life or something in it? What specifically
would that be? How would your life be then?
Would there be a cost (relational or financial) involved?

For any goal to become attainable, we must take the time to sit down
and REALLY think about what we're aiming for. We need to think about
every part of that goal. Every detail and.....we must think about it
honestly. So many times we are afraid to think about and define what
we desire. We may feel ashamed or unworthy. Well, you are most
definitely worthy and you deserve to be happy!
But the thing that I have found most often when discussing goals with
other people is that.....

So many of us have never really defined the specifics of our goals. We
just generalize and hope for things to work out. Then we all feel
hopeless and warn out when we aren't getting anywhere. But, how can we
get anywhere when we don't know where we want to be? We can't just sit
and hope for the best.

We all have dreams. Dreams are goals that we (for some reason) just
don't think are reachable. But dreams illuminate your real goals. They
often show us what we really want and why. Listen to them. They were
given to you for a reason.

Without specific goals, how do you aim for the unknown? More often
than not, the steps that you would take to achieve these goals are
very different depending on what you want.

An example would be, if you are a musician or a band. Do you want the
success of U2 or do you want the success of Wilco? The path to each
one is very different. So with no decision on what you desire, how do
you make sure you're on the right path?

Also, there is some amount of danger in not determining what your goal
is. If you take the steps to become U2 but you really wanted Wilco,
your life will take a turn that would not be right for you. There are
tremendous costs involved in either choice and if you're aiming for
the right goal, you would feel willing and be comfortable with paying
them. If not, they would be terrible to pay. Now, I know that you're
probably thinking...who wouldn't want to have the success of U2? Well,
think about that clearly. What would your life look like daily? Are
you prepared for that? For some the answer would be "YES!" and others
would be "no. You have to decide which answer is right for you.

For those of you that are not musicians....this same advice applies to
you.

Take the time today to ask yourself the simple question "what do I
want for my life, really?" Tell yourself the truth and think about
reaching these goals. Will you be happy? Is this goal clear and does
it line up with who you are and what you want? Give yourself
permission to dream and then decide what YOUR personal goal is.

You might be saying that you just want to survive and how do you even
think about goals like these? Well, surviving is a goal too and maybe
for now, that is goal enough. I know that anything beyond that right
now is just too much for some of us to think about and thats ok.

For you, try to come up with one goal each day. The goal could be to
smile once, or to do something kind for someone today. Or maybe to sit
down and watch a movie that you like or read a book today. Maybe you
could go out and get something to eat that makes you happy. Your goal
until you're stronger is to find one goal a day that is just for you.
A kindness to yourself. You can also think about a bigger goal now
too, it's just that sometimes when you're feeling bad, you don't have
the strength to even think about this kind of a thing and also your
thoughts will probably need a little space for clarity. You wouldn't
want to aim for the wrong goal because you were so burdened with the
pain, you couldn't see what you really wanted clearly. Trust me, when
the bad feelings start to go....(.and I PROMISE YOU THAT THEY
WILL! )...then you can refer back to this and you'll be ready to
define your goals and reach for them.

So for this day, take the time to go and sit somewhere that you can
think clearly about what your goals really are.
This is a gift that you can give yourself. Some find it helpful to
write them down. Others are happy to just know. Whatever way you're
comfortable with is great. Just take the time (it won't take long if
you're honest with yourself) and you'll find that there is a burden
lifted off of you as you begin to take these first steps on the road
to your dreams.
Smile and Have a Great Day!
Love,
Kim

"Pirates of the Caribbean"

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I plan to tell you about lots
of fun tools (movies, books, music, art and more) that I see as
valuable for helping us to reach our goal of a happy life. There's so
much available and it's not only fun, but also very productive.

So, let's get started......

Today I would like to tell you about a movie that helped me a few
years ago and actually still does to this day.

The point that I would like to make, is that sometimes these great
resources don't come with verbally expressed answers to something in
our lives. Many do, but sometimes, it's the feelings that they bring
up (good or bad) that can give us the answers. For this one, feelings
were the lesson and the gift.

A few years ago during a particularly tough time in my life, there was
one set of movies that for some reason helped me to keep breathing. I
couldn't figure it out. Why was this movie so calming to me when I
was having a big round of panic attacks?

The movie was "Pirates of the Caribbean." It could be any of the
three movies (The Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Mans Chest, At
World's End) and I loved them all the same. I had it on whenever I was
near a dvd player and a tv.

The guys thought it was Johnny Depp that I liked, but really... it was
Jack Sparrow! Johnny Depp was ok too...... but Jack Sparrow uh
huh...........oh wait...now that I think about it....yep.... Johnny
Depp too. Apparently I prefer the rugged version. Just kidding. They
still tease me about it.

Actually, I couldn't figure it out. I love the stories and they're
filled with lots of fun and humor along with some relationships that
are examples of how relationships should be (ex: Elizabeth and her
father) but I still didn't know. Why did these movies make me breathe
easier?

Then one day, I realized that the thing that I loved about them was
the freedom. The wide open ocean without a care in the
world.......ahhhhh, that sounds woonderrrfullll..........(except of
course, cannon balls flying at your slow moving ship). Maybe it was
a metaphor. Could that be it? No wait, that would make me a
pirate. Oh gosh, I hope I'm not that. Am I being punished? Have I
been acting like a pirate? Oh no......oh wait, if anything, I'M
the one being stolen from, so that can't be it. Phew......so, what
is the answer????

I was talking to Therese one day and we were talking about my panic
attacks and she said "Did it ever occur to you that maybe you have
panic attacks because you feel trapped and smothered and that's why
you can't breathe?"

Wow....how did I miss that?

Hence......."Pirates of the Caribbean" equals freedom to me.

I never thought about it before but that is exactly how I felt. So
why did I feel that way? I love my job with Sleeping At Last so it
wasn't that. I love being a mom so it wasn't that. Ahhhhhhhhh there
it is.....the answer.

My life was carved out by other people and did not resemble what I
wanted much at all.

You see, I was born taking care of everyone else. From a very early
age I can remember always trying to make everyone happy and when my
siblings came along, trying to take care of them too. I rarely did
anything for myself and felt uncomfortable when I did. I was taught to
think of myself as not good enough and undeserving. I became the
classic "pleaser" but I didn't know it. I would do just about anything
to please whomever I was with and I did it without regard for myself
at all and to a dangerous level.

The problem (and there are so many with this) is that unfortunately I
was surrounded with not very good people who knew this and took
advantage of it. They knew I would never say "no" and so the end
result was that my life was molded into something that they wanted and
it didn't matter that I didn't. I loved them so much and tried so hard
to please them that I never noticed that they didn't feel that way
towards me.

When I finally realized this, probably 80% of my life was not what I
would have chosen and I realized that I was just trying to survive in
it.

A series of very difficult and hurtful circumstances occurred that
left me wounded and lost and that's when the panic attacks started to
become strong. This time there was no choice but to face the truth,
but I was in denial and really didn't think I knew what was wrong.

Then came "Pirates of the Caribbean" and God gave me my answer.

As I look back now, I am so grateful to God that I was rattled out
of that cage and given a chance to start my life over. It was tough
and I wouldn't want to do it again but now I'm surrounded with good
people and while I miss the others, I know that my new life has begun
and I'm setting sale out on that beautiful open ocean to carve out the
life that I want and as the real me. Freedom!

Thank you Jack Sparrow and all of characters from "Pirates" (as I call
them)! Who knew that these movies would help to save someone's life?!

And bonus....the next one is due to be released next year. Can't wait!

Love,
Kim

Unexpected Sources of Strength (and they're fun too)

In keeping with the message of hope and a better life for all of us, I
thought today I would write about some resources that I have found
along the way that help with building us up in various fun ways. It's
a little unconventional but very easy to do and I think it helps a lot
to clarify our goals and strengthen us to reach them.

The resources that I'm referring to are movies, tv shows, books,
magazines, websites, music and so much more.
I'm planning to write about many of my favorites. There is something
to be gained from all of them. I'm pretty excited to tell you about
them too.

Today I'm going to start with movies and why I think they're valuable
(as are all of the resources I mentioned.)

If you know any thing about the guys and all of us in the Sleeping At
Last family, you have probably guessed that all of us are big movie
fans! I think it would be safe to say that Netflix and AMC cash in
with all of us.

Each of us has our own individual tastes but we also have lots of
cross overs as well.

For instance, we all LOVE PIXAR movies! If there's a new Pixar
release, the odds are good that we will be in line at the midnight
showing the night it releases. Even if we're on tour we find a way to
get there and see the movie. In fact, Ryan's dream job would be to do
film scoring for them.

As far as our other favorites go, they vary a lot. Dan loves old
movies with Charlie Chaplin and also "Star Wars" and westerns.
Actually, as I'm writing this, it occurred to me that "Star Wars" is
the future world version of westerns. Guess that explains it.

Ryan loves old movies and indie films. He also loves documentaries and
dramas (that are well done).

They all love "Harry Potter" and the guys also love super hero movies
as well (depending on which one).

And, we all love comedies.

Cayt (Ryan's wife) and Therese (Dan's wife) share the same interests
as their husbands (for the most part) however they also like girl
movies (as we call them) just like I do. The guys will go along to see
them but they rarely hide the fact that we're dragging them there.

As for me, I'm a very eclectic movie lover. I love chick flicks,
mysteries, love stories ,dramas, some sci-fi and some old movies too.
For example, I love "Signs" and I also love "The Holiday." I love
"Cloverfield" and yet I love "In Her Shoes." From one side of the
movie spectrum to the other and most things between. The common thread
in all of them is that they mean something to me in one form or
another. Sometimes it's just good entertainment and for others, there
may be messages of hope or answers to questions about what I should do
in a situation that I'm in. Some are a great escape from whatever is
going on in my world at the time. I plan to elaborate a great deal on
all of this in future posts.

Did anyone ever ask you to pick a favorite movie? It's hard to do.
There are sooooooo many great ones. Can you think of a movie that you
really love and one that puts you in a better mood every time you
watch it? Did you ever ask yourself why that is?

In previous posts, I mentioned filling our minds with good things and
movies can fit into that category. When we're struggling with
anything, we long for answers and sometimes an escape. Movies often
provide both. Often we don't have someone (or we would prefer not to
tell anyone) that we can talk about our struggles with.

Personally, I have not had the benefit of that for most of my life.
Many of the people that were in my life made it very clear that they
would not be the ones to go to. I've felt pretty much alone as I
struggled to figure out how to find the life that I wanted. This
pushed me to look for answers elsewhere. So I did. And God gave me
those answers time and time again and sometimes in the most surprising
ways. Movies were and are one of the ways.

I'm so excited to be able to share these great resources with you and
I hope they will bring you as much happiness and wisdom as they have
for me.

I know....some will say "But movies aren't real life. They're just
fantasy or unrealistic. You can't have that for real. People don't act
that way in real life. That's too idealistic. " Well, I think we've
all had enough of "reality" and we don't really need to have more
messages of horrible people, doom and disaster.

I think this world would be a better place if we all thought of these
"idealistic" stories as possible and attainable.

Maybe then, they would be!