It all started about 2 1/2 years ago. Jefe’s job was getting worse and worse and I was struggling to work full time (nights) at McDonalds. I had recently found out I was pregnant and was trying desperately to work through exhaustion, sickness and just plain being overwhelmed in order to pay for our house, car, food, etc. Then some complications happened with my pregnancy that made it an impossibility to work. In fact, I was put on “sit-rest” for 6-8 weeks.

From there, we got a new job and moved back to Utah to live with family while we tried to short sale our Arizona house. Within 2 weeks we had an offer but it took an aggravating 6 months for the house to close. We tried everything we could to stay current on our home loans until the day the bank told us that the “Would not approve the sale of our home unless we were 90 days past due on our loan”. Another crushing blow. Our credit (and it felt like our integrity) was going down the drain and there was nothing we could do about it. Our realtor was a leach and a liar. Pretending to help us out, but actually not telling us when the bank needed paperwork or another copy of something. He falsified reports, lied to his boss, and even told the bank at one point that we were no longer interested in selling the house at all!! Our complaints to his boss (and his boss’s boss) went unheard and we finally had to take matters into our own hands and direct the bank to not contact him anymore but to let us personally know if there was anything they needed (which is basically unheard of in a short sale process).
Finally the 1st mortgage was approved but the 2nd mortgage would only approve if we would PAY THEM $2000 just to close it. It felt like we were bribing them (which we kinda were) just to close the sale. But the buyers were getting inpatient and they said it was the only way. We maxed out our credit cards and pulled everything together we could manage to give them the money to close. It felt so unethical, and yet, in their words “This is the only way”.

Things started to look up from there a bit. We had a new baby, a tiny apartment (with 6 of us crammed inside) but we were on our own again.

Still, a piece of myself felt lost and sad. The kids and my husband were great! They gave me extra kisses and hugs and even space when I just needed space. After a year, we moved into a house that my uncle was kind enough to rent to us. Things seemed to be looking up, but still that piece of me…I could feel at some point that I needed to be doing more to grow myself. I needed to read my scriptures, find uplifting material to pour my heart into and come away feeling strengthened, but no matter how hard I wanted to try, something inside of myself resisted.

My uncle gave me a book as a gift. Others had told me what a wonderful, uplifting book it was and how much I would grow from listening to it (it is a book in CD). After 2 months of having the book and not listening to 1 minute, guilt won out and I put in a CD one day. Nothing registered. I listened to almost 2 full CD’s with no change. Was I really THAT far from where I wanted to be?

I decided to ease my way into reading again by borrowing a set of books from my mother in law. The books (The Hunger Games) were captivating and exciting. They weren’t really uplifting, but they got me reading again. I finished all three in a week and a half.

Another friend had been talking about a book by Glenn Beck and Keith Ablow called “The 7 Wonders that will Change Your Life.” On a whim I bought it for myself for my birthday, but it sat on the counter for 2 months before I would even pick it up. During this 2 month time, I slowly began listening to the CD’s of the book called Promptings. Bit by bit a sentence or 2 would register with me. I felt a spark coming back to life. By the end of the “book” I had found several things I could work on in my life and was excited to being to improve myself again!

Another wonderful change has been in my quality as a mother. I have been listening to the promptings that I have received and have changed myself and have found better ways to motivate and inspire my kids. I am opening my heart to more prompting around me and trying to become a better person and a better friend. I am looking more for what Glenn and Keith describe as the “bread crumbs”.

I wouldn’t change the experiences that I have had for anything because I believe that I am a better person because of it. I have learned so much about myself and have found new ways to grow and become much better.

As the title suggests, in a way, each day is a new beginning. A change to make yourself better, a change to DO better, and a chance to help lift those around you to be better as well.

I challenge each my readers to take a good look inside and decide if you have a passion for each moment you are living. If so, your are so very blessed, congratulations! If not, begin today to take 1 small step to awaken your passion within. If you are like I was a few months ago, you may not know where to start, but may I suggest one of the books I have told you about. They are amazing and could help awaken a passion for living each moment within you, as it has for me.

www.Time4Felt.com