Feeling insecure, have a weakness? Join the Club!

Pam’s Page 18 – “Family Life”
Some days we just need an encouraging word or even just a hug that says, “I Love You!”
We women can be very hard on ourselves. Often we compare ourselves to others and begin to feel very insecure.
We entertain thoughts like, “She’s a better wife, mother, business women, housekeeper and cook! She’s prettier, has better hair, better body, smarter and more fun than me!”
The crazy thing is…..none of us are perfect! We all have some insecurity in at least one arena of our life! EXAMPLE: You will know when I’m cooking because the Riley House Smoke Alarm goes off (tee-hee)! I’m over it…..we eat OUT a lot. No problem! :-)

Focusing on our weaknesses can delay our ability to have a happy home! Believing if we just tried harder, was more perfect, achieved more…….THEN we could be happy. THEN we could feel valued!


It’s easy to begin to feel very insecure about our weaknesses but no amount of achievement will eliminate these insecurities. No validation from our family or friends will totally eliminate these insecurities!



The only thing that has helped me deal with mine is to face them head on and ask God to help me use them to my advantage rather than my disadvantage. To be empowered by my weaknesses and use them to help others.

My insecurities help me to be more sensitive and discerning about other's insecurities. I can sense when someone needs an encouraging word or maybe a hug.

Sometimes I notice a woman feeling overlooked by others. So I’ll go out of my way to find something to compliment her on or say something to bring a smile to her face!

Occasionally I run into a rude woman and my initial reaction is to get miffed. But if I pause for just a moment, I can see under her tough exterior where a ton of insecurities rage. I’ll then choose to offer her compassion.

The most important part of facing my insecurities head on is to stop looking at others for my validation and truly learn to depend on God.

Many days I have prayed, "Lord I give you both my talents and my weaknesses today! You like me God and that is enough!"
JUDE 24-25 ~ "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy--to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore. ~Amen."

Christmas Party in JULY? Yup.....

Pam's Page 18 - "Finances"

Can there REALLY be a Christmas Party in JULY?
Well there sure was an awesome one at Elizabeth Keene's Home yesterday!

Elizabeth invested time in her Home-Based Business and opened her home for the afternoon. Displays of "Gift Ideas" were everywhere!
SHE MAILED OUT SIMPLE INVITATIONS:
Dear Friends,
We know how busy we all get during the Christmas Holiday. Let us help make this Christmas season a much happier and stress free time for you. Come on Saturday July 26th and enjoy a stress free shopping experience with us. We have gifts for everyone on your list. House ware, clothing, jewelry, radios, gift cards, stocking stuffers and don’t forget your pets. Let us help you to have the time to enjoy this Christmas Season with family and friends.

It was great "girlfriend" time as Sandy, myself, Elizabeth and Rickee prepared for the day!
Elizabeth and her incredible Husband Ken enjoyed time with lots of friends, family and customers! Plus, by the end of the day......they had helped alot of people buy gifts for themselves and their loved ones! What fun........

Elizabeth blessed many people yesterday, and in turn......she was blessed as well.
Way to go girl!!!!!!!

Book - "French Women Don't Get Fat"

Check out this book on my Daughters Blog. It a great compliment to the 90 Day Restoration Challenge, we just completed!Please click here to visit Sheri's Blog and view her post recommendation about this book – Purely His by Sheri Prescott

90 Day Restoration Celebration!

Pam’s Page 19- “Friendship”

Hello sweet girlfriends-
Did YOU take my Blog Restoration Challenge posted April 17th, May 20th or June 19th? If you did, please post a comment below for all of us to celebrate your decision or discoveries!

AM I AN OVER WEIGHT VICTUM? When a part of my life is not working well it’s easy to pass the blame, procrastinate and develop victim thinking which ultimately drags my attitude down. For much of my adult life, the part that wasn’t working well has been my health. I have blamed many situations for my poor eating habits and lack of exercise!

MY EXCUSES? (1) I have lots of important things to do, people to help and I don’t have a lot of extra fluff time! (2) I don’t have time to focus on buying, making and eating the perfect foods to lose weight! (3) I hate to exercise, it’s no fun and it’s a waste of my time! (4) If I was just taller or had a faster metabolism I could eat anything and not gain weight!!!! (5) If I didn’t have to travel so much (business)…..I wouldn’t eat out at restaurants and fast foods places, with all those high calorie meals.

SOUND LIKE A WHINNER? Absolutely, my health excuses will never bring me victory in that arena! How about you? What challenge would you like to see victory in? No more excuses?

My personal Restoration Challenge is going great! I've moved on to bigger and better things by making myself accountable to others. On June 4th I sought wise council with a Fitness Coach and a Nutrition Coach, and have implemented their advice! I’m getting wonderful results! Yipeeeeeeee!

One of the best things I’ve discovered – These coaches told me, “Surveys have shown that 85% of the people who are successful keeping weight off and staying regular with exercise…..keep a diary. They write down their goals, plus daily ledger what they eat and any exercise completed that day. This is a life long habit that has lasting results!”

*So they advised me to join the FREE SparkPeople.com program and I love it!!!!!

Click here to check out this FREE Website and Ledger your Meals & Fitness:
www.SparkPeople.com
Get a FREE personalized diet or healthy lifestyle program. Register and get:· Meal plans and calorie counter
· Fitness plans and tracker
· Answers from our experts
· Much more

I’m still standing on this verse: "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

Did YOU take my Restoration Challenge this past 90 days? If you did, please post a comment below for all of us to celebrate your decision or discoveries!

Grandbabies are one of the sweetest adventures of your life!

Pam’s Page 18 - “Family Life”

Our two precious granddaughters melt my heart every time I hear them say, “I love you Nana!”WHEN WE ARE TOGETHER- They follow me like a shadow, studying every crazy thing I say and do. I’m especially grateful that there are locks on our bathroom door…..to give me that brief moment of privacy (tee-hee). However, even those moments include little voices saying – “Nana are you done yet?”
WHEN WE ARE APART- I live to get another new picture via e-mail. I live to hear their little voices on the phone! Tears fill my eyes just because I miss their touch.

MOST WOMEN HAVE MANY TITLES- Our names change when we get married and we get the title of WIFE. Then we give birth and we get another title -MOM. I never thought that the NEXT title in life could make my life any richer than it already was! The title of NANA or GRANDMA brings with it…..special little people that hung-the-moon!
"Nana - Grandma" is truly a title to cherish! If you are not one yet, may I be the 1st to tell you that your life will only get richer when grandbabies enter it. Get ready for one of the sweetest adventures of your life!

Some victories are undeserved!

Pam’s Page 18 – “Friendship”OK Sweet Girlfriends-

Have you ever had one of those moments where you simply and utterly felt amazed? So amazed that it rendered you speechless? Being speechless doesn’t happen often in my world filled with both spoken and the written words. I am rarely at a loss for words. However, this weekend, I was speechless.

I stepped out my front door and was simple and utterly amazed by my large green plant. It was full of six beautiful blooming flowers! Hot pink and smell-n mighty-mighty fine! So I took a picture as "proof" of this victorious moment!
Many of you would say to me, “So what’s the big deal Pam, everyone has flowers blooming in their yard right now?”

For those that know me very well……you are looking at this picture and saying, “They must be exceptionally real looking silk flowers!” or “This can’t be Pam’s House!”
So I must confess to my Blogging Girlfriends:"I am Pam Riley and I am a Silk-Flower-Aholic."
Yes, I even place a lot of silk flowered around the outside of my home! I water nothing and never put my hands into dirt to plant anything unless it’s artificial.

My theory is, “I want my flower beds to look perfect but I don’t want to be a slave to gardening!” Crazy.....I know!!!!

My rationalization is, “No one riding a galloping horse, would notice they aren’t real flowers anyway!”

My problem is, “No one rides horses any more and I really irritate the true flower people. The people who live to watch Gods creation! To watch that baby flower bud bloom into a beautiful smelling work of art.”

So explains - why I was simply and utterly amazed as I stepped out my front door that day! I had done nothing to deserve this blessing!
How about YOU?
Has anything amazed you lately? Have you had a surprise blessing or victory? Something you didn’t expect or deserve? Please share it (in the comment box) so we can all do a little victory dance with you!
PRAYER:Dear God,
I give You
praise and thanks
for even the smallest of
blessings in my life.
Amen

Do difficult people bug you too?

Pam’s Page 17 – “Finances”

The world is full of difficult people! Of course I'm not one of them (tee-hee), but I know several who are. If we’re going to succeed in business or even just in life…..we need to learn how to get along with these difficult people!

TODAY’S BOOK RECOMMENDATION: “How To Get Along With Difficult People” by internationally known speaker and author Florence Littauer (It's available on my Blog Library Store)

Florence Littauer asks people who take her class to list all the things they don't like about other people (easily fill a book). Then she starts to meddle and asks them to list their own faults. (Like we have any.)

The list of don't likes is crowded with things like complainer, gossiper, liars, bigots, and on and on and on. The list of their individual faults includes things like overeating, preoccupied, poor willpower, etc. Not a difficult person in the bunch! Crazy?

The truth is we all have our moments when difficult is the right word to describe us! Littauer profiles people like Sally Spiritual, Marvin Music, Sam Sermon, Joyce Judging, Bob Bossy, Debbie Depressed, Gloria Gossip, and others. I recognized myself a few times (but don’t tell anyone). She does a good job of pointing out those weaknesses we see in others and ignore in ourselves!!!!!!

Her book is engaging, entertaining, and funny! Finally, it is an awesome resource for creative ideas on how to get along with people, including yourself. You'll have it all marked up in no time, and you'll be in a much better mood after you read it (tee-hee). You'll surrendar any judgmental thoughts about those difficult people that use to bug you!

PRAYER:
Dear God,
Please teach me
how to forgive.
Show me the innocence in others,
and the innocence in myself.
I surrender to You
my judgmental thoughts.
May I see beyond them
to the gentle peace
that only forgiveness brings.
Amen

Three strikes and you’re out - the Tree Monster arrives!

OK blogging sisters (Frolic ONLY)-

Thursday of this week was memorable…..I was just ignoring the Storm Sirens as I busily finished my computer work. That was my missed opportunity #1, to go to our basement!
I had a great view of our backyard from my recliner and could see our trees seriously bending with the wind. That was my missed opportunity #2, to go to our basement!

THREE STRIKES AND YOU’RE OUT: Then the Babies (our dogs) broke out with insane barking because of a crazy crackling noise coming from our back yard.

At that very moment I looked up from my computer in time to see a giant Tree Monster land about two feet from the window and engulf much of our back yard!

1st Picture - A view of our back yard two weeks ago!
The other pictures were taken right after the storm passed, note one of our huge trees has consumed much of our yard!

People say, “Tragedy plus time equals humor!” The Babies (our dogs) nearly had a heart attack when the storm brought the tree flying toward our house on Thursday! Then they looked so confused during their first walk around the debris! Now they have figured out how to have fun maneuvering in their playpen (fenced yard) and still chase squirrels, despite the giant fallen tree. They are enjoying the adventure and will probably be disappointed when the “Tree Removers” arrive tomorrow to clean it all up.

Oh, Urghhhh – yes, I learned my lesson! I will head to the basement at the 1st warning next time!!!!!

Even if I don't WANT to?

Pam’s Page 16 – “Finances”
Hello Home-Base Business Women-

Wouldn't it be great if success was always easy! Just drive down the road of "Memorable", park your car and take a nap! When you wake up.....you're a success! NOT!!!!!With all my being, I’ve had days that I just don’t want to stretch and improve my business or myself. So some days I have to push through the "don't want to's" because on the other side of every "don't want to” is a really great feeling of accomplishment. To know you are GROWING as a leader and a mentor.

Author John Maxwell says, “As a potential leader you are either an asset or a liability to your organization! A business can not grow without until its leaders GROW WITHIN.”
If we want to be successful in any business, we must push past the “don’t want to’s” and remain a Student of that field. Lot’s of education is available over the Internet, and that’s great for stay-at-home Mom’s. However, one of the best ways to get the “total experience” is through live training and instruction from top field leaders and industry experts.

I was blessed again this past week, to continue my education and growth at the Artistry Beauty Institute in Grand Rapids, MI.
I love ABI’s extensive and comprehensive training courses! I love spending time with other women who are growing, developing, and becoming more effective! They know on the other side of every "I don't want to” is a really great feeling of accomplishment.

I also know that YOU (my blogging girlfriends) are passionate to reach your maximum potential and seek to mentor others. YOU are a woman who avoids making excuses for your lack of personal growth. You wouldn’t be spending time reading this Post, if you didn’t want to avoid the “don't want to’s” in your life!

LET US STAND TOGETHER: "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me (and you) to go to the heights." Habakkuk 3: 19

Is there a "don't want to" thing that you've been avoiding? What is God enabling you to do today?

Winner of My 4th of July Drawing!

Congatulations to the Winner of My 4th of July Drawing!


Drum roll please------the winner is - USA in Cognito
You have won a beautiful Cross Photo Frame that reads:"We walk by faith , not by sight.."
I will need further information: Can you please pull up my “Contact Me” link and e-mail me the address to ship your prize! You can have me mail it to you, a family member or any friend.....it's yours to give!
Thanks to all who participated! I have been very blessed by all your "Comments"!!!!

Blessings to our Military this 4th of July!

Pam’s Page 17 – “Friendship”Happy 4th of July to all my Blogging Friends!

I’d like to honor all our friends and family who have served in the Military! To thank God for those Men and Women, who were willing to pay a price so we all can enjoy our freedom today!

I’D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU:
Please post a comment telling us who of your friends and family have served. Let us all pray a prayer of gratitude for their sacrifice.

*I was blessed to received this message below. I hope it touches your heart as much as it did mine!

- FREEDOM ISN’T FREE -

I watched the flag pass by one day, it fluttered in the breeze.

A young Marine saluted it, and then he stood at ease. I looked at him in uniform so young, so tall, so proud, with hair cut square and eyes alert he'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him had fallen through the years. How many died on foreign soil? How many mothers' tears!

How many pilots' planes shot down? How many died at sea? How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?

No, freedom isn't free!

I heard the sound of Taps one night, when everything was still. I listened to the bugler play and felt a sudden chill. I wondered just how many times that Taps had meant 'Amen,'

When a flag had draped a coffin of a son, husband, brother or a friend.

No, freedom isn’t free!

I thought of all the children, of the mothers and the wives, of fathers, sons and husbands with interrupted lives.

Of un-marked graves in Arlington.

No, freedom sure isn't free, but it's worth fighting for! So we are grateful for all the sacrifices our Military Families have made for this Country!!!!!!

Our family in Military Service – My father served in the Navy (Dad's picture above) as did my brother Steve. My brother Dave and Scott’s brother Jeff both served in the Army. Our son-in-law Tony is currently in the Army (picture of him, our daughter and granddaughter above). I took this picture just moments before he left to serve a year in Iraq. I can now say first hand, “Everyone connected to a Military Soldier pays a price when they go off to war! None of our lives are the same…..until they safely return, our prayers are passionate and our tears are many!”

How about YOUR loved ones who Served? Please post their names so we can honor them! To remember to thank them for protecting our Country. Thank them for their sacrifices………so we can celebrate the 4th of July.

Mom's Awesome Party Pictures!

Pam’s Page 17 – “Family Life”The Birthday Girl was totally blown away by her Party! My eyes are full of tears as I've been preparing this Post, looking at Mom's pictures!

I'm soooooooo blessed to have been apart of creating these memory for my Mom! A day when over 100 dear friends showed up, just to wish her a Happy 80th Birthday and tell her how special she has been in their lives!

The Party Theme - "Caribbean Cruise".......complete with special Island Music and lot's of atmosphere!

Mom was in awe at the huge turn out for her small community. She greeted every single person as they entered the building! Her heart was overflowing with joy!
PICTURE BELOW: The guests first visited this little table to sign her guest book.
PICTURE BELOW: Then they could view her many pictures and photo albums! Starting all the way back to her High School Senior Picture and "Class of 1946 Year Book "
PICTURE BELOW: Many guests had fun celebrating her life through these pictures!

PICTURE BELOW: From there everyone began the Buffet Line. Starting with Watermelon Balls and mix fruit.

PICTURE BELOW: Right behind the bowls of fruit......you could see my best work of art for the day (tee-hee)! I created a beach, swimming pool scene out of a watermelon shell. It had a little guy on the diving board and two little gals in poka-dot loungers! Way fun........

PICTURE BELOW: From the fruit the guest moved left - to the pastry area.

PICTURE BELOW: There was many different types of small pastries. Little brownies, speciality cookies and lemon fillo pies with edible tropical fish on top.

PICTURE BELOW: The men got a kick out of the fun food displays, even though it was kind of girly food (tee-hee)!

PICTURE BELOW: Next on the Buffet Line - The Pineapple Cheese Trees. We had tooth picks stuck in red cabbage, a unique way to serve the cheese (tee-hee)! Scott won the "Greatest Husband Award" because he finished my assembly of these.......just ten minutes before the party began! Why? I was running behind! :-(

PICTURE BELOW: Then along side the Pineapple Cheese Trees - was a shell shaped glass bowl full of Gardeto Crackers, to compliment the cheese!

PICTURE BELOW: My Scott dished up Neapolitan Ice Cream for all the guests. Then offered them a special fudge topping and a mini-umbrella with a cherry attached. *It takes a REAL man to wear a hot pink shirt, and dish up ice cream(tee-hee).

PICTURE BELOW: At the other end of the ice cream table our guests could pick up their Pineapple Sparkle Punch!

PICTURE BELOW: Rickee Ewing blessed everyone with a smile as she filled the glasses! She was awesome help!!!

PICTURE BELOW: The center piece for each guest table was one of Mom's favorite pictures, five women walking arm-and-arm on the beach.

PICTURE BELOW: Mom also had fun walking around to all the tables. She was so blessed by time with each guest!

PICTURE BELOW: It was a day full of priceless moments with special family, like Mike & Carol Harrington.

PICTURE BELOW: .....and time with many awesome friends, like Phyllis!

We shall cherish these memories! Cherish these dear people God has placed in our life!

Thank you Lord!!!!!