A few thoughts on One Word 365 and my word choice: LISTEN
I saw this quote on twitter the other day: @SoleHope "Well done is better than well said" Benjamin Franklin
I really heard that.
I am not sure when it started. This insatiable need to prove that I am as smart, or as good, or as likable as other people. I realize that is my own insecurity. Its these insecurities that get me into trouble every time. Its when I am nervous or feel less than, like I need to fit in, that I say stupid things.
So, my lesson today has been: a little less talk and a lot more action.
What are you learning on your journey today?
Choosing Joy,
Pamela
Monday, January 2, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Nothing to Say
The past 12 months have been crazy.
To say the least.
This time last year, I decided to join my friend Alece in her One Word 2011 Challenge. I thought about and prayed about what one word God had for me in 2011.
(We) came up with CHANGE.
I had no idea what I was in for.
I started college (again) at age 42, jumped through so many hoops trying to get our son, Joseph, the assistance he needs to function well and integrate with society. He has autism. Graduated our oldest son, Allen-Michael, from high school and into college life & responsibilities. I had shoulder surgery. Shawn had a cardiac event that led to him having surgery to remove a HUGE blood clot from the radial artery in his arm. all the while maintaining a 4.0 GPA, and as president of MASO and secretary of our Student Ambassadors.
You may be thinking: Wow, what a braggart! Overachiever! Why are you telling us this???
Well, here's why. I was feeling really pretty good about myself, as you might imagine. All the way until the beginning of November when I attended the Women of Faith conference. I really felt like God was speaking to me that weekend. So many great speakers with so much wisdom to share.
I was so convicted by Patsy Clairmont and her words on talking too much.(ouch)
Not letting other people shine. (guilty as charged)
The problem is that I didn't listen. (and i should have)
As many of you know, I am just finishing my program as a Medical Assistant. Part of that program is to participate in a student externship at the site of a working lab or physicians office. I was placed at a physicians office. I thought things were going great. Then I received a phone call from our externship coordinator.
I was FIRED from the site.
For making an unnecessary (albeit true) comment.
I was devastated. But my instructors were working with me because of my past history, grades, citizenship and so on, so they placed me at a new site. I loved it. It was at a medical group with a lab. I was able to get experience in all kinds of areas. I thought to myself, "things are finally going great".
Then I got the phone call. Once again I was being fired from my site for an unnecessary comment. This time there was to be no finishing the externship. I flunked the class and will have to retake it.
I am humbled.
In hindsight, I can see the importance of this discipline, right now, in this moment. I can also see how this could have been avoided if I had just LISTENED to Patsy.(God-using little ol' Patsy)
So, my OneWord365 is LISTEN.
Merriam Webster defines the word listen as: to hear something with thoughtful attention: give consideration. Synonyms include: attend, hark, hearken, hear, heed, mind.
These are all great words to help me focus, and use on a daily basis.
I am praying that 2012 will continue to bring change and show me ways to listen with my Fathers ears and heart.
"Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin." Proverbs 10:14
Choosing Joy,
Pamela
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Concluding One Word 2011
I cannot believe nearly a year has passed and 2011 is almost gone. My one word for the year was CHANGE. I had absolutely no idea how prophetic that would be or how God would use people and things in my life to CHANGE me so much.
God has required so much of me this year.
I have almost finished school. (January 6 is the big day)
Made new friends.
Said goodbye to old ones. (I miss you, Sara)
Learning to be quiet. (Keep my mouth shut and unnecessary comments to myself)
Learned sarcasm is not attractive or funny. (or a love language)
I still have many CHANGES to work out and keep working on. These are one day at a time, never give up, work in progress, kind of CHANGES.
I am really excited for 2012, and have really narrowed down my One Word selection. I think it is going to be as meaningful to me as 2011, if not more so.
What are your potential words for 2012?
God has required so much of me this year.
I have almost finished school. (January 6 is the big day)
Made new friends.
Said goodbye to old ones. (I miss you, Sara)
Learning to be quiet. (Keep my mouth shut and unnecessary comments to myself)
Learned sarcasm is not attractive or funny. (or a love language)
I still have many CHANGES to work out and keep working on. These are one day at a time, never give up, work in progress, kind of CHANGES.
I am really excited for 2012, and have really narrowed down my One Word selection. I think it is going to be as meaningful to me as 2011, if not more so.
What are your potential words for 2012?
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Over The Top
I have to say it.
The Women of Faith conference chose THE most appropriate title for their Kansas City, Missouri conference when they chose:
OVER THE TOP!
I do not even know where to start sharing the fabulousness of the past weekend. The speakers and musicians were as unbelievably unique and talented as they were diverse.
First, though, I have to share with you how I ended up at the Kansas City conference. As many of you know, I am a Booksneeze Blogger for Thomas Nelson Publishing. When the opportunity came up to apply to attend the Woman of Faith conference as a BB, I immediately jumped on it. I never really thought that they would pick me, but they did. The event I chose to attend, however, was in August and in Indianapolis, Indiana. The event date was the 18-19th, and on August 10th I had to have emergency surgery on my shoulder to repair a torn rotator cuff. Needless to say, attending the Indianpolis event was out of the question for me. I was devastated. I talked to the kind people at Booksneeze and Women of Faith. I was allowed to transfer my tickets to the Kansas City event. At the time, I had no idea why things would turn out the way they did. Now I can see that God's timing is perfect and I was supposed to be at this event, with my sister-in-law Stephanie, and hear these speakers and their messages.
Andy Andrews was straight up hilarious. I have not laughed that hard in a very long time. My ribs still ache four days later. Andy is a motivational speaker and best-selling author. He uses Godly principles to help people find and achieve their purpose in life. For all of Andy's A.D.D. and antics, he is a very wise guy. My favorite quote from him is this:
Sandi Patty, Patsy Clairmont, Lisa Welchel, Brenda Warner and the fabulous Mandisa all seemed to be expressing a similar message. One that I believe God has been trying to get me to hear for awhile and I am just now beginning to receive. I am a little dense sometimes and have to be hit over the head with it before it sinks in.
There is much to be said about being quiet.
To quote dear, sweet, Patsy "SHUT UP! In Jesus Name." Proverbs 29:20 says "Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them."
I really think God overtook Patsy's little body that day and was speaking directly to me. Then Lisa started talking about friendship. How to be a friend as well as find one that is suitable for you.
WOW! Talk about a wake up call. I am not a very trusting friend. Sure, I will let you in to a certain extent, but the really hard stuff...NOPE. I have really been hurt before and it is hard to trust after that. It is really no excuse, but there you have it. I also get anxious and say stupid things to show how "intelligent" I am. You know...that I am observant of my friends likes and dislikes, etc. then I really stick my foot in it.
So, along those lines, I have a confession to make. Most of you know I am a twitter-a-holic. One of my favorite tweeps is Mandisa. (@MandisaOfficial) I was so blessed to meet Mandisa at Women of Faith. I was so excited. Not for the usual reasons, though. Not because she is a fabulous and award-winning singer. (although that is so true) Not because she was on American Idol and gave Simon amazing grace after he was so incredibly rude to her. The reason I was so excited is because she is so positive and joyful. Mandisa is a role model for me because she has overcome crazy obstacles in life and come out so much better for what she has been through. I owe her a HUGE apology. She was so lovely, came up and gave me a hug once she found out who I was. Like the dork that I am, I made a seriously stupid comment on something that I had no business commenting on.
On that note, Mandisa, I am so, so, sorry for my lack of judgement. Please forgive me. God is truly dealing with me and my learning to turn on the filter. It has been a hard learned, but much needed lesson.
Regardless of my major faux pas, I am so thankful for the opportunity to attend and learn from these amazing teachers. I think Amy Grant summed up the experience perfectly in the lyrics from her song "Better than a Hallelujah:"
*Thomas Nelson {Booksneeze} and Women of Faith provided complimentary event tickets for myself and a friend in exchange for review of aforementioned event.
The Women of Faith conference chose THE most appropriate title for their Kansas City, Missouri conference when they chose:
OVER THE TOP!
I do not even know where to start sharing the fabulousness of the past weekend. The speakers and musicians were as unbelievably unique and talented as they were diverse.
First, though, I have to share with you how I ended up at the Kansas City conference. As many of you know, I am a Booksneeze Blogger for Thomas Nelson Publishing. When the opportunity came up to apply to attend the Woman of Faith conference as a BB, I immediately jumped on it. I never really thought that they would pick me, but they did. The event I chose to attend, however, was in August and in Indianapolis, Indiana. The event date was the 18-19th, and on August 10th I had to have emergency surgery on my shoulder to repair a torn rotator cuff. Needless to say, attending the Indianpolis event was out of the question for me. I was devastated. I talked to the kind people at Booksneeze and Women of Faith. I was allowed to transfer my tickets to the Kansas City event. At the time, I had no idea why things would turn out the way they did. Now I can see that God's timing is perfect and I was supposed to be at this event, with my sister-in-law Stephanie, and hear these speakers and their messages.
Andy Andrews was straight up hilarious. I have not laughed that hard in a very long time. My ribs still ache four days later. Andy is a motivational speaker and best-selling author. He uses Godly principles to help people find and achieve their purpose in life. For all of Andy's A.D.D. and antics, he is a very wise guy. My favorite quote from him is this:
"Fear is nothing but a misuse of the creative imagination God has placed inside of you."
For me, that is a huge realization. I learned much from Andy. As the only male speaker on the tour, his perspective was a treat.Sandi Patty, Patsy Clairmont, Lisa Welchel, Brenda Warner and the fabulous Mandisa all seemed to be expressing a similar message. One that I believe God has been trying to get me to hear for awhile and I am just now beginning to receive. I am a little dense sometimes and have to be hit over the head with it before it sinks in.
There is much to be said about being quiet.
To quote dear, sweet, Patsy "SHUT UP! In Jesus Name." Proverbs 29:20 says "Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them."
I really think God overtook Patsy's little body that day and was speaking directly to me. Then Lisa started talking about friendship. How to be a friend as well as find one that is suitable for you.
WOW! Talk about a wake up call. I am not a very trusting friend. Sure, I will let you in to a certain extent, but the really hard stuff...NOPE. I have really been hurt before and it is hard to trust after that. It is really no excuse, but there you have it. I also get anxious and say stupid things to show how "intelligent" I am. You know...that I am observant of my friends likes and dislikes, etc. then I really stick my foot in it.
So, along those lines, I have a confession to make. Most of you know I am a twitter-a-holic. One of my favorite tweeps is Mandisa. (@MandisaOfficial) I was so blessed to meet Mandisa at Women of Faith. I was so excited. Not for the usual reasons, though. Not because she is a fabulous and award-winning singer. (although that is so true) Not because she was on American Idol and gave Simon amazing grace after he was so incredibly rude to her. The reason I was so excited is because she is so positive and joyful. Mandisa is a role model for me because she has overcome crazy obstacles in life and come out so much better for what she has been through. I owe her a HUGE apology. She was so lovely, came up and gave me a hug once she found out who I was. Like the dork that I am, I made a seriously stupid comment on something that I had no business commenting on.
On that note, Mandisa, I am so, so, sorry for my lack of judgement. Please forgive me. God is truly dealing with me and my learning to turn on the filter. It has been a hard learned, but much needed lesson.
Regardless of my major faux pas, I am so thankful for the opportunity to attend and learn from these amazing teachers. I think Amy Grant summed up the experience perfectly in the lyrics from her song "Better than a Hallelujah:"
"Beautiful the mess we are,
the honest cries,
and breaking hearts,
are better than a hallelujah sometimes."
*Thomas Nelson {Booksneeze} and Women of Faith provided complimentary event tickets for myself and a friend in exchange for review of aforementioned event.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
TWO MORE DAYS!!!
I can' t believe it is almost here! You know what i'm talking about, don't you?
The WOMEN OF FAITH: Over The Top in Kansas City.
It starts on Friday morning and i am going to be there with my friend (and sister-in-law) Stephanie. I am not sure if i am more excited about seeing the incredibly talented, wise, funny and diverse group of ladies who will be speaking, or getting to spend quality time with Stephanie, without our kiddo's and family hanging on our every word.
I am so blessed to be able to share this experience with Steph. She is so much fun. Our relationship has not always been easy. A lot of it has been my own insecurity. I am so thankful for her grace.
If you are attending this conference i will be tweeting at @PamelaSHunter using the hashtags #WOFOTT #BOOKSNEEZE Please feel free to look me up.
Choosing JOY,
Pamela
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Ship high in transit...
Have you ever been so stressed you thought your head was going to explode and vomit erupt like lava from your neck?
Me too!
That is where i am at right now. I know that seems like a graphic description, but it is as close as i can come to giving you a visual picture of the ride i am on.
I will graduate from college on January 8, 2012.
I have finals tomorrow. After completing this round of finals, i will begin my last pair of regular classes. From what i understand, they are extremely difficult.
From there i have externship and clinical review. These two classes are pass or fail. There is no in between or second chance.
I also have a husband and three sons, one of which has autism spectrum disorder.
AND i live with debilitating chronic pain.
Most of the time it is easy ( or easier) for me to Choose Joy, like my friend Sara encouraged me so often.
Although, for the past two days, Ship High In Transit is what has been coming to my mind most often.
So, my questions for you are:
What is stressing you out?
Would you pray for my mental health this next ten weeks?
Me too!
That is where i am at right now. I know that seems like a graphic description, but it is as close as i can come to giving you a visual picture of the ride i am on.
I will graduate from college on January 8, 2012.
I have finals tomorrow. After completing this round of finals, i will begin my last pair of regular classes. From what i understand, they are extremely difficult.
From there i have externship and clinical review. These two classes are pass or fail. There is no in between or second chance.
I also have a husband and three sons, one of which has autism spectrum disorder.
AND i live with debilitating chronic pain.
Most of the time it is easy ( or easier) for me to Choose Joy, like my friend Sara encouraged me so often.
Although, for the past two days, Ship High In Transit is what has been coming to my mind most often.
So, my questions for you are:
What is stressing you out?
Would you pray for my mental health this next ten weeks?
Friday, September 30, 2011
Honoring Sara
On Saturday, September 24, 2011, our sweet Sara went home to be with our Jesus. While i am sad that i will not hear her voice of wisdom again, or see her tweets in my timeline, i am beyond thankful to know she is home.
Sara loved to sing and dance, which she has not been able to do for a very long time. I can picture her up in heaven, her head thrown back, getting her praise on. Dancing around in circles.
The joy on her face: matchless.
The pain that riddled her body for so many years: gone.
As a way of honoring Sara, several of her blogger friends have decided to get permanent reminders of the mantra that she lived by:
CHOOSE JOY.
While many of our friends went with a more traditional black tat, i decided to go for Saigon pink. There are several reasons for this. One being that since i am in the medical profession, i need it to be a bit more discreet. That's okay because its really for me and anyone who gets close enough to see it. Not for the sake of having a visible tattoo. The second reason is that it makes it unique. We also incorporated Sara's initials into it. That adds more sentimental value, along with the font being in her own handwriting. Lastly, i really like the color pink. Its simple, i know, but there it is. I am a girly girl at heart.
.
I hope that you can take time to get to know and love Sara (gitzengirl) as much as i do. Her blog is going to remain up on the interwebs, so i encourage you to sit down with Sara and visit for awhile.
She will change your life.
i know.
Because she has sure changed mine.
Sara loved to sing and dance, which she has not been able to do for a very long time. I can picture her up in heaven, her head thrown back, getting her praise on. Dancing around in circles.
The joy on her face: matchless.
The pain that riddled her body for so many years: gone.
As a way of honoring Sara, several of her blogger friends have decided to get permanent reminders of the mantra that she lived by:
CHOOSE JOY.
While many of our friends went with a more traditional black tat, i decided to go for Saigon pink. There are several reasons for this. One being that since i am in the medical profession, i need it to be a bit more discreet. That's okay because its really for me and anyone who gets close enough to see it. Not for the sake of having a visible tattoo. The second reason is that it makes it unique. We also incorporated Sara's initials into it. That adds more sentimental value, along with the font being in her own handwriting. Lastly, i really like the color pink. Its simple, i know, but there it is. I am a girly girl at heart.
.
I hope that you can take time to get to know and love Sara (gitzengirl) as much as i do. Her blog is going to remain up on the interwebs, so i encourage you to sit down with Sara and visit for awhile.
She will change your life.
i know.
Because she has sure changed mine.
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