Be Still Groups for Boys and Girls Starting this Week!

Be Still Groups for Boys and Girls start this week. Boys group meets Aug 5, 12, 19 @ 6, and girls meet August 6, 20, 27 @ 6:30.

What is Be Still All About?

The Be Still groups were designed originally for boys who are struggling with issues of life, whether it be handling emotions, anxiety, anger, family dynamics, bullying or even struggles making and keeping friends.

The idea is to spend a few weeks together talking about life experiences,how to deal with these struggles and be encouraged that they are not alone.

For the boys groups, it will be a refresher and reunion for the boys who were in our group last year, and having some new students join us. We have found that girls are experiencing the same types of struggles. So our girls group is new for 2014! If you have a son or daughter who might be a good fit for our groups, or know of someone who would, please call the office for details and how to be a part of Be Still 2014. Blessings, Susie

Summer Days, 2014..New Life, New Beginnings

 Summer days are upon us.  I love summer and all the things that are associated with it: picnics, beach trips, swimming pools, cookouts, summer vacations, and now and forever, I will add to that list….puppies.  Many of you are aware that our golden retriever Izzie had 10 beautiful puppies on May 22, 2014 and as a result, our  summer has been all about puppies. From the moment they took their first breath until we  released them into the hands of their forever families, the joy and the weight of their wellbeing has been on our shoulders. Add to that the happiness that only a puppy can bring, multiply it times 10, and then multiply that times 8 weeks.  It is a recipe for extreme joy and exhaustion.  Tomorrow morning, we release the last 2 puppies into the hands of their families, and then I will say we have run the race, and we did not stop til we crossed the finish line.  I have plans to sleep through the night again, to stop buying out Petsmart twice a week of all puppy products, and to eat dinner each night before 10:30 and stop being outside in my backyard at 4:45 a.m.!  All to say that I am sure your life is the same.  Maybe not puppies, but something that brings you incredible joy and yet takes a lot out of you during this season of your life.  Let me say, Hang in there.  Stay the course. Finish well.  Whatever you do, do it with excellence and 100% heart.  God has taught me so many life lessons through this 62 days of extreme puppy parenting.  I cannot wait to unpack some of it with you.  Here’s to golden retrievers.  If you are an animal or golden retriever lover, Gabe and Izzie and the puppies have their own Facebook page. I have attached the link for you here.   If you ever need a little stress relief, take a visit there an spend a few moments with some of the most beautiful creatures God ever designed.  Blessings, Susie

GROUPS AND NEWS

Summer 2014 is filled with groups at Journey to Hope.  Groups for Men, and for boys, and for girls and for women, and for couples! We have it all here, and be sure to check out the information on the following groups:

·         Anger Management for Men

·         Financial Peace University (FPU)

·         Be Still for Boys

·         Be Still for Girls

·         Generation Change

·         Process Group for Women Struggling with Life

Mother's Day Reflections

May 11th Dedication for Mackenzie Lynn.  Her life verse is Mark 11:22-24

It is now a couple of days after Mother's Day and as I reflect on the powerful impact that mothers have on their children, it is no surprise that this day when we stop and remember or reach out with expressions of love for Moms on this day.

For my family, we had such a mixture of joy and sadness on Mother's Day!  It was my husband's first Mother's Day without his mom, and for me, without my mother-in-law, and so there was sadness and sorrow that she is no longer with us. There was also great joy as my daughter-in-law Becca celebrated her first Mother's Day and our granddaughter Mackenzie was dedicated on Mother's Day.  And then, there is the joy for who my Mom is to me and getting to celebrate her love for me.  Being an only child means that my mother poured her entire life into this life of mine.  I wrote that she has always made me feel more than amazing, and she responded, "you are more than amazing". That is a mother's heart and love.

And then, there was the wonderful love sent to me from my husband and my children for Mother's Day.  Gifts and thoughts and love from all over the world remind me that the investment of a mother's heart in the lives of her children is an investment that will change their lives forever.  These gifts and words made my heart sing!

I am acutely aware that Mother's Day may have also been bittersweet for you.  You may be grieving the loss of your mother, enjoying your first mother's day, or in a troubled relationship with your Mom.  May I just say that you are in my prayers, and it is my hope that you can find some ray of hope as you reflect on the relationship with your Mom.   A quote I love about Mothers is this one

"To My Mom, I have my compassionate heart because of your kindness to others, I see wonder in the world because of your imagination; I pray God will watch over you and comfort you and protect you from any harm. YOU will always be with me, because I am who I am because of your loving hands. Thank you for loving me. Author Unknown"

I sent many of you a link to a video that is called A Mother's Prayer.  It is the prayer we have for our children, and I have never stopped praying this prayer for my children.  I never will.  They are my heart.  

Happy Mother's Day, A Mother’s Prayer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re5EIUIXbhc&sns=em
 

Blessings as you reflect on Mother's Day this year., Susie

New Staff Member: Doug Thrash

Journey to Hope is very happy to announce that we are adding a new staff member to our team on March 31, 2014.  Doug Thrash will be joining us as a Christian Life Coach.  We are excited about the possibilities and feel that many will find hope and healing through Doug’s coaching at Journey to Hope. Welcome, Doug!  Read about him below.  Doug will begin afternoon/evening hours on Mondays, Tuesdays and some Thursdays, and will be leading the Financial Peace University group we will be offering beginning toward the end of April. Please see flyer for details about dates and cost.

Doug Thrash is a Christian Life Coach and he completed the program of studies for Diploma in Christian Life Coaching from Light University. His graduate degrees include a Master’s degree in Business Administration from George Mason University and a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.  Doug also has a BS in Mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy.

Doug served in the Marine Corps for 20 years as a Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) in F-4 Phantom squadrons and as a Systems Acquisition Professional, completing his career at Marine Corp Systems Command at Quantico, VA.  He went on to work in Strategic Marketing, Technology Development, and Network Engineering at MCI Communications, Nextel, and Sprint Nextel for 15 years. Currently, he is a Test and Evaluation Engineer with DELTA Resources, Inc with his primary work having been managing and providing oversight of all advance electronics testing of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles that the Joint Services used in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Doug is married to Barbara from Meridian, MS.  Barbara is a private piano teacher and they have resided in Stafford County since 1988 and plan to stay in this area until the Lord calls them home.  Doug has served as an elder in a local congregation since 2004 and at a previous congregation, he has led the Financial Ministry Programs since 1997. In this capacity, he has been Stewardship Chairman and taught and facilitated Ron Blue’s Master Your Money, Crown Financial‘s Small Group Study, and most recently, Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University (FPU).

Doug is very passionate about CrossFit training and has been a member of the Stafford “box” for over 2 ½ years. He greatly enjoys working in the yard and his favorite season is spring when the 1500+ daffodils he has planted over the years come into bloom. 
Message from Doug:

My passion is working with individuals/couples to help them become debt-free and achieve true financial freedom. The key component of this journey is recognition that God owns everything and we are just managers of His assets. He expects us to be wise in managing the money and treasures He has entrusted to us. As stated in Proverbs:

“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” Proverbs 21:5

When God “owns it all”, that means He also owns your debts and His best for everyone is becoming debt free. I look forward to taking the journey together toward financial freedom.  A Christ-follower recognizes that the greatest debt of all was paid for by God sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for each of us.

Blue Monday, Fact or Fiction?

Blue Monday, Fact or Fiction?

January…is it really the most depressing month of the year? For many of us, it rings true. There has been research conducted worldwide which would support depressive symptoms at record highs during the month of January, regardless of location, climate, socioeconomic situation. It is my opinion that there is something to this whole idea. As we return to work and school after the holidays, there is an automatic let down that the days off and gathering together has come to an end, and a return to the M-F work or school week can create some sadness. Other factors that influence this time of year for many are

• the fact that January is the month that the bills come in for the gifts purchased at Christmas, making January the month of the year when there is less disposable income .

• the fact that in much of the world, the weather in January is unrelenting, either cold or rainy or snowy or a combination of all of the above. Weather and gray skies have long been associated with the blues.

• Add to that the sad truth that there are more relationship breakups or changes in January than in any other month. People do not want to break up, change, or end a relationship just before or during the holidays, so January is that month where many take steps to make changes in their lives, and this often includes relationship changes.

• Finally, there are the New Year’s resolutionaries. We choose January as our start over month, whether it be fitness, or our diet, or weight loss, and creating those new habits pretty much takes up the first 3 weeks of January. Developing those new disciplines in bodies that are resistant can create mood changes. Just being hungry all the time can create mood changes.

Are you feeling depressed yet? Wait, there is more. Many proclaim the third Monday of January as the most depressing day of the year, and have coined it Blue Monday. There are a few articles that posit the first Monday in January when we all return to normal as Blue Monday, but whichever day is truly the most depressing day, it stems from all of the factors listed above.

So, if you have been feeling blue, and it not usual for you, take heart and join the rest of the world for a few weeks of the blues. Understand that while you may be depressed, some of the contributing factors this month are being felt all over the world! What role does faith have in Blue Monday and in the most depressing month of the year? I think that our faith is what sustains us when the blues come, and they will come. Putting your faith and trust in a God who can turn any situation around and always wants you to not lose hope,and to never give up. Lean into Him this month and on Blue Monday. Let Him sustain you. I really like Lamentations 3:21-23,

(Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends !His mercies never cease.23 Great is his faithfulness his mercies begin afresh each morning(NLT)

as a remedy when the blues are threatening my personal outlook. New beginnings and second chances and the gift of each new day…..God’s specialty. Especially in January. Blessings, Susie

Check out this article and more in our January newsletter. Here is the link and be sure to sign up on our home page to receive the newsletter monthly.

http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=207b9376944e1b1aa93f36f6d&id=7fa60c9c00&e=fa7f90e8fc 

Interesting links about Blue Monday and January depression:

http://mashable.com/2014/01/06/most-depressing-day-of-the-year/

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/35486637/