My First Week of My Last High School Year

So here it is…my first week of my last high school year and I must admit, it’s already this big huge emotional ordeal.

I mean, the first day I get to school, I automatically feel so out of place. I’m thinking, “Maybe I’m just not used this.” Not to mention, I had no classes with any of my three best friends. I thought, “Surely, this discomfort will go away soon.” But it didn’t. Sitting with my friends at lunch, we began to vent and found that we all felt the same. Read more

Share Your Heart

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Thrive, Don’t Simply Survive: Passionately Live the Life You Didn’t Plan

Editorial Reviews
“We don’t have a choice about many challenges that come our way, but we can choose how we respond. In Thrive, Don’t Simply Survive Karol Ladd offers insight, inspiration, and instruction for getting on top of circumstances that drag us down. It’s a handbook for reclaiming everyday joy.”

– Kathy Peel, author and CEO of Family Manager® Coaching
–This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

“Karol takes us from the woes of life to thriving through our circumstances. She carries us through the process of valuing our past, rethinking our present, and conquering our future. She shows us that merely surviving is not a viable option, but thriving with determination and commitment can help us live abundantly through a life we didn’t plan.”

– Dr. Thelma Wells, president, A Woman of God Ministries;
speaker, author, television personality, professor, mentor

“I loved this book! With concepts and biblical principles that will re-ignite your life, Karol Ladd not only reveals that you are not alone, she also shows you exactly how to passionately thrive in an uninvited Plan B life. Through true stories of women just like you and me, Ladd shows us how we, too, can embrace our lives, no matter what has or hasn’t happened.”

– Victorya Rogers, life & love coach, host of MantoKeep.com,
author of Finding a Man Worth Keeping

“We don’t have a choice about many challenges that come our way, but we can choose how we respond. In Thrive, Don’t Simply Survive Karol Ladd offers insight, inspiration, and instruction for getting on top of circumstances that drag us down. It’s a handbook for reclaiming everyday joy.”

– Kathy Peel, author and CEO of Family Manager® Coaching

Life is unpredictable and often doesn’t turn out as we’d planned. The things that matter most to us — marriages, children, careers, families, and friends — sometimes fall apart and leave us only with deflated dreams.

Whether you’re struggling with the big issues of life or simply overwhelmed by the demands of every single day, Karol Ladd’s powerful biblical principles will give you the help you need. In this book, you will discover how to redefine your unexpected life, and you’ll learn concrete skills that will help you move past simply surviving and into a thriving life that is lived passionately and with joy.

New purpose and hope await you just beyond the cover of this book.
Best-selling author Karol Ladd offers lasting hope and biblical truth to women around the world through her positive book series. A gifted communicator and dynamic leader, Karol is founder and president of Positive Life Principles, Inc, a resource company offering strategies for success in both home and work. Her vivacious personality makes her a popular speaker to women’s organizations, church groups, and corporate events. She is co-founder of a character-building club for young girls called USA Sonshine Girls and serves on several educational boards. Karol is a frequent guest on radio and television programs. Her most valued role is that of wife to Curt and mother to daughters Grace and Joy.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: This Is Not What I Signed Up For!
Living in an Unpredictable World

Part One: When Dreams Disappoint

1. Seven Common Disappointments in a Woman’s Life
Identifying Your Struggles and Realizing You Are Not Alone

2. Time to Let Go
Climbing Out of Your Rut and Moving On with Your Life

3. Worry and What-Ifs
Conquering the Anxieties and Fears That Dominate Your Mind

4. How Can I Trust a God Who Allows Pain and Suffering?
Deepening Your Faith in the Lover of Your Soul

Part Two: Embrace the Unexpected

5. The Beauty of Plan B
Finding Fresh Possibilities in New Dreams

6. The Bitterness Battle
Stepping Up to New Responsibilities and Stepping Away from Anger

7. Big-Picture Thinking
Renewing Your Focus Can Revive Your Spirit

8. You Are What You Say
Speaking with Sincerity rather than Complaining

Part Three: Live Passionately

9. Your Confident Stride
Taking One Step at a Time in a New Direction

10. Healthy Connections
Building Positive Relationships into Your Circle

11. Life Is Not a Spectator Sport
Using Your God-Given Abilities to Be a Blessing to This World

12. Strength of Soul
Discovering Your Capacity to Persevere

Conclusion: Forward Hope
Recognizing God’s Redeeming Work in Your Life

Thrive, Don’t Simply Survive

Five Myths that Keep You from Passionately Living the Life You Didn’t Plan

by Karol Ladd

Challenges and disappointments come in all shapes and sizes. An unexpected diagnosis, an unwanted divorce, a surprise pregnancy, a broken relationship, a terminated job, a painful car accident, a financial loss, an untimely death, or a wayward child can catch us off guard and turn our lives upside down. Perhaps your life didn’t turn out as you thought it would, or maybe you didn’t turn out to be the person you thought you would be. Although your dreams may have had to change, the important thing to remember is you still have a life to live and there are myriad opportunities ahead of you. Read more

Let Your Light Shine

by Chere Williams

Do people know that you’re a Christian? Is there a light shining within that makes it unmistakable that you are a child of God? Anyone can declare themselves a Christian; it is easy to talk the talk, but walking the walk is not for the faint hearted. Being a follower of God requires courage, strength, obedience, and knowledge of the teachings of Christ. Many will say they are Christian, but their actions prove otherwise. Christianity is more than a religion it is a lifestyle that should mirror the life of Christ. Self examination is critical in our journey of becoming mature Christians. We have to take our scalpel and dissect our behavior, words, and lifestyle to see if we are on the road to maturity. Read more

Maybe I’m Too Old to Get Married

by Christine Pembleton

Time seems to be a constant enemy for us in life. When we’re young, we can’t wait to get older. And as we age, we regret the time we’ve wasted on things which don’t mean anything to us anymore. Yes, the Word says we should be content in all things. But can someone be honest every once and awhile and admit that being content with our age is tough, especially when your past is filled with regrets. Read more

Mingled Tears

Jesus Wept. John 11:35

Many sermons have been preached and many theories put forth about this shortest verse in the Bible, but what really interests me is that these words are even there. Tears sprang to Jesus’ eyes even as they spring to ours. What a wondrously comforting thought! Read more

Southern Meatloaf Recipe

Mmmmm! Some comfort food to start off the fall! Read more

How to Set Fitness Goals… the SMART way

by Phyllis Ward

Fail to plan and plan to fail. That’s right. We’re going to talk about setting goals. Goals must be SMART.

S = Specific

M= Measurable

A = Attainable

R = Realistic

T = Timely Read more

Inspirational Ink…Insight for a Woman’s Life

WHAT HE’S TEACHING ME ABOUT…MINISTRY

by Tammi Ector Fisse

Picturing Ministry

From the time I realized being a servant could mean more than singing, teaching, or working in the nursery, I wanted to be in full-time ministry. I grew up in a church where volunteerism, though needed and rewarding, was the extent of service opportunity for young women. I also grew up in a poverty-stricken community. I didn’t know private Christian schools existed. When I found out they did and that teaching at one constituted full-time ministry, I believed I’d found my calling. Read more

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