Thank you to all of you who spead the word regarding Ladydell Ministries.  We had over 1,500 unique visitors for February!  That's exciting!  I pray that each one was able to make use of the free ministry resources, was inspired by something I said in a blog post, and uplifted by one of the prayers.

Keep spreading the word!  Also, I'm working on my FaceBook page, so I'll be sharing the details on that soon.

"Don't be insecure.  Be inspired."

I have some things in my mind that are dream goals.  Actually, I had to create new ones because I accomplished all of the original ones years ago.  Then, I stood around trying to figure out what I was going to do with the rest of my life.  Somewhere in the midst of my pondering, activities, projects, and you name it cluttered my life once more.  All of these endeavors were quite noble, but they were all time consuming.  My dreams headed to the back burner.  Frankly, I was so busy trying to fix everyone else’s issues that, most of the time, I wasn’t even on a burner!

My life is changing - no slowing down, just changing.  The demands on my life are much different than they were.  I was working with a life coach (she contacted me) and she helped me to refine my message.  Rather, she forced me into that position of figuring it out – but that was what I needed to happen.  As I learned more about exactly what I wanted to do – the demands and responsibilities in life kept rising.  Now what?  I got to a point where I decided to put myself on hold, again, and get everyone else taken care of.  Then, another example of God giving me what I needed when I needed it emerged.  I had an offer to take part in an informational call.  I was going to skip it because my brain was already on information overload, so why bother with another “something” that I didn’t have time to do anyway.  Still in the debate mode, I made the decision to call in even though the call had already started.  I thank God I didn’t miss it.

Here’s my take on reaching your dreams.
·        They are achievable if you’re willing to put in the work.
·        Ask yourself some questions:  “Why are you doing this?  Is it just for the possible money?  Is it so you can make a name for yourself and impress your friends?  Is it because you genuinely care about people and want to help them?  Is it all of the above and more?
·        Begin.  Be like Nike – Just Do It!  Everything doesn’t have to be 100% at first.  You’ll get there.  The point is to start somewhere.
·        Take baby steps.  When you make mistakes, they will be much easier to correct.  A $50 mistake is a lot easier to fix than a $5,000 mistake.  Start small and build.

Whether it’s a service, a product, or an idea, if you truly believe in what you are doing – DO IT.  Do it to the best of your ability.  Trust what God has told you and follow the dream that burns within your soul.

Focus! 
 “A center of activity, attraction, or attention; a point of concentration.”  Webster’s thoughts on the word:  “focus.”    

Few of us escape the occasional scatter-brained day.  When it becomes a way of life, something must be done.  There was one day, in particular, that made me do some hard thinking about time-management.  That day brought the realization that I was getting out of control.  I don’t remember all the details or the exact sequence, but it went something like this.

I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth.  Upon opening the drawer where the toothpaste was kept, I realized I needed to put toothpaste on the grocery list.  As I exited the bathroom and headed to the kitchen by way of the master suite, I remembered I needed to wash the linen.  I stopped and stripped the bed.  After all, the laundry room is near the kitchen so wouldn’t that make sense to take it in one trip?  On the way to the laundry room, I noticed the carpet – not too good, so I went to the closet and got out the vacuum.  Well, that reminded me that I had a gift that needed to be wrapped – the wrapping paper was in the same closet.  I pulled out the wrapping paper container and proceeded back to the bedroom to get the gift from the closet off the master bedroom.  Upon entering the closet, it dawned on me that I hadn’t taken the dry cleaning.  I picked up the basket, keys, purse, etc. and headed out the door to the drycleaners.  On the way home, I figured I might as well go to the bank and get some gas while I was out.  My cell phone rang and well…  I detoured to a friend’s house for a few hours.  As time ticked on, I got hungry and remembered I hadn’t prepared anything for dinner.  Hmmmm???  I’ll just pick something up.  Rolling into the driveway, it dawned on me that the next day was trash day, so I went in and reminded my son about getting the can out front.  I went back to the bathroom to wash my hands before setting out the food.  While washing my hands, I eyeballed the toothpaste that was still on the counter.  I picked it up and then laid it down, headed back to the kitchen to put it on the shopping list.  While in the kitchen…

That was my day until I went to bed.  Focused on nothing and distracted by everything!  I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth that morning – it wasn’t done until bedtime.  The toothpaste didn’t get on the list until the next day.  As for everything else I had started – not much was finished.

I have a natural tendency to go round and round doing nothing in particular.  Yes, I could have done this type of aimless behavior for hours.  I was masterful at wasting time.  Hence, I had to come up with a plan to keep myself in check.  I hope the following points will help someone else as they have helped me to focus and move forward in my personal life and my ministry.

Focus on exactly what you are supposed to be doing.
Zero in like a laser beam.  On that day, the objective was to brush my teeth.  That was the only thing I was supposed to be doing at that moment in time.  I know this sounds insane but on occasion, I have written the objective on a piece of paper and put it right in front of me.  Finish the blog, write the article, update the website, fold the laundry, whatever it is.

Are your actions (or alliances) helping or hindering?
Will the next thing I do move me closer or further away from my objective?  If I’m in the bathroom to brush my teeth, it is not time to go to the closet and select an outfit.  It is not time to straighten up the shoes in the closet.  It is not time to sort laundry, have my son empty the trash, or rearrange a cabinet.  It is certainly not the time leave the bathroom and go to the kitchen to put an item on the grocery list.  There is nothing wrong with doing these things.  At some point in time, they will all need doing, but right now, it’s time to brush my teeth.  Unless selecting an outfit is going to aid me in brushing my teeth, it will have to wait until I finish. 

Be pro-active.
We all have things that we do repeatedly that work against us.  Prepare for those moments.  I know that as soon as I get started with my daily grooming, something is going to occur to me that will place my attention elsewhere.  Now, I keep sticky notes and a pen in the bathroom.  Anything that comes up that needs tending is jotted on the sticky note and put on the mirror, and then I can continue with whatever the objective is. 

I had to make two rules for myself.  1. I can’t leave the room until I have completed the task.  2. If the action is not necessary for me to achieve the goal, then I have to write it down and continue with the objective.  Upon completion, I collect my notes and complete those tasks using the same principles.

I know some of you are thinking there must be something seriously wrong with Dell.  Nope, there isn’t.  Granted, my wiring might be a bit different from some.  The issue is about making productive choices.  I’m choosing to make smarter choices.  If that means I have to do (seemingly) silly things to achieve it, then so be it.

These few strategies will work with any goal, whether a business goal or personal issue. 
1.  Focus on exactly what you are supposed to be doing.
2.  Make sure your actions are helping you and not hindering you.
3.  Be pro-active.

I hope this helps. 

Happy posting.

I think I’m talking to myself right now.  I tend to be a poor manager of my time – too much on my plate.  Anyway, here are a few tips I heard some time ago.   

          You may not have a large block of time, so use what time you do have.  “Use what ya’ got!”

         Don’t try to do five tiny things in a block of time.  Rather, do the one or two big things.  Then with the little snippets of time, fill in with the things that only take a few minutes.

         Inch by inch is a cinch.  Yard by yard is hard.

        Ten or fifteen minutes a day can be more profitable than waiting for the big chunks (hours) of time that never seem to come.

         Reconsider the things that don't benefit you and use that time for the things that do matter.

Well, that’s my two cents.  Now, go forth and be productive!

From the sea of useless chatter posing as words of comfort, came two things to which I had devoted no thought.

My sister-in-law, Melvina, shared with me how important it was for me to decompress.  I've been trying to do that ~ not knowing that was what I was doing.  In hindsight, I wish I had made arrangements to take a trip for about a week or so.  I needed to go alone, relax and get rid of the pressure.  For the past several months, I've been in one position:  "GO!"  I'm exhausted!  I've been able to slow down a bit, but mentally, I'm still in the "GO!" mode. 

I multitask waaaaaaay too much!!!!  I was working on 6 websites at the same time.  I finished 4 and planning to finish another in the next few days.  As for the 6th one - I might put that on the back burner for a minute or two.  Now I'm working on writing - 5 books are in my head.  So, I set up folders for all 5 of them and I drop notes and ideas into each folder.  That's insane, but it seems like that's how I function.  I seldom do one thing at a time, at least not on purpose.

Another friend, Erma impressed upon me the significance of having closure.  This explains why from the moment of my mom's passing until the burial, I was pretty much a basket case.  By the time we got to the repast, I was fine.  I haven't shed another tear.  I'm ok now.  I have closure, total peace, and no regrets.  I still can't remember my mom with much of a smile, but I'm getting there.  At least I'm not falling apart anymore.

I still don’t have a handle on that decompress idea, but at least I understand that it is necessary.  I may have to work on it a bit at a time and simply change the way I do things.

I've added a couple of things to the site (blog) under the Archives section.  Tell me what you think.  I generally don't like crossword puzzles, but this one I like.

It was in total peace and with no regrets that my mother, Mrs. Della Greene Wheeler slipped away from this life.  She went home to be with the Lord at the age of 89 on Friday morning, April 1, 2011.

Indeed, she was an amazing woman.  Although she was not famous, didn’t have a lot of money, and rarely rubbed elbows with the elite, to me she was amazing.  She was a published author, but worked as a licensed practical nurse for over 30 years and on that income alone, she determined to provide for us in grand style.  She made certain we had everything we needed and pretty near all we wanted.  Whether or not she spoiled us is debatable.  However, there are some things she did for which I could never thank her enough and will be eternally grateful.

My mom taught us not to want everything we saw.  She taught us to desire those things that were of value.  She taught us respect for authority.  My mom modeled before us the worth of doing what’s right no matter what anyone else did or didn’t do.  From watching her, I learned to love God with every fiber of my being.

When I was a youth, I complained because she made me act like a lady, but, somehow she knew what I could become.  I griped because she wouldn’t let me hang out with just “anyone,” nevertheless, she held fast to what was best for me.  It seemed pointless to me, for all those years of singing lessons, however, God knew what we would need down the road.  For it was at her bedside on her final days and moments on earth that God allowed me to sing for hours to give back to her the sacrificial gift she had given me.  God allowed me the time to thank her for pointing the way to Christ and making me the woman I am today.

For those of you who had the privilege of knowing my mom, I’m sure you would agree that Della had a way of brightening the day of everyone she met.  She always had a song of praise to her Savior in her heart and on her lips.  Her sense of humor and cheerful outlook stayed with her until God called her home.  

I tried to prepare myself for these days.  In theory, I was on point, probably.  In reality, nothing could have spared me the pain of my mom leaving.  I have concluded there are no words or deeds that will comfort me.  I am fully aware that she is in a better place, I’ll see her again, God knows best, she loved me, and she knew I loved her – none of that changes the fact that she is no longer in my life right now.  This is something that only time wrapped in God’s grace can heal.  I know that one day I will remember my mom with a smile instead of these tears.

Thank you for your caring expressions of sympathy and thoughtful deeds. Your gracious spirit meant a lot to all of us.

Dell  and  the  Family  of  the  late  Della Wheeler

I have fallen in love with winter squashes.  Today we had spaghetti squash with turkey dinner sausage.  Oh my goodness - the squash was delious!! 

I was looking for a better carb and came across this winter squash as well as butternut (love that one too).  Never heard of it before, but decided to give it a try.  Glad I did!  Super simple to cook, too. 

I cut it in half and placed in a 375 oven (rind side up) for about an hour.  I put some water in the glass dish - about an inch.  Remember to scoop out the seeds and whatnot first.  Once it gets tender, scoop out the flesh, add a little sea salt, butter, a pinch of pepper, and enjoy.

Wonderful and healthy.

If anyone has a recipe for beets, let me know.  Not pickled - fresh.

This my absolute favorite summer meal.  There's so much in it that it truly is a meal.  Even non-salad eaters dive into this one. 

Sometimes I toss it and sometimes I layer it.  I coursely chop everything so it's nice and chunky.  I prepare it in a large roasting pan (turkey size).   

• fresh greens
• chopped or sliced boiled eggs
• chopped chicken
• crumbled bacon
• sometimes cubed ham (from leftovers)
• grated cheeses
• celery
• grape tomatoes
• cubed papayas
• cubed pineapples
• sliced peaches
• dried cranberries
• walnuts
• lowfat raspberry vinegret dressing
• paired with a wonderfully hearty toasted bread -  YUM!!!

I rarely eat it in the winter, but as soon as the weather gets warm it becomes a staple at our house.