My Montessori Charter School could use some funding and I'm interested in finding those "wonderful" grants that are out there for free. I've goggled some things, but everything requires some kind of payment to seek help.

Does anyone have any good ideas?  Or does anyone know a millionaire that wants to write off something on their taxes:)  

Thanks, Tina

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Letting go and letting God.  We are always learning when and how to do this. Some days it’s easy, some days it’s pure heck. 

I’ve hit a big one with my 18 ½ year old honor roll, scholarship, and college bound daughter.  I thought I was one of the lucky ones and got past the drama and drugs.  She’s my only child and the main reason I’m sober.  These past two weeks have been draining because it’s a shock at what is occurring and I’m just plain not used to “my” child doing things.    I know plenty of parents who have experienced a whole lot with their children, but no, not me I thought. Wake up call. Peer pressure at its best I see.

Right now, I’m ok, because I have God, and God is watching over my daughter. I have let go, but it sure is hard. I’m having to deal with the ex which isn’t that fun either, but I see that I’ve grown and I’m not all bent out of shape by seeing him.

But, my child has hurt me, and I’m not used to that. We will have to build the bridge of trust again.  She’s away right now, getting her “thoughts” together, so I’m not sure where things are headed, but its God’s will and not mine. Lord give me strength.

I’m just letting my recovery family know of the issues going on.  I know you support me as I truly support you.

Have a great weekend!  For those who know me, almost school time! Summer is about gone!

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God has already released good things into your future. When God laid out the plan for your life, He lined up the right people, the right circumstances, and the right breaks. In your future, He’s already released favor, supernatural opportunities, and divine connections. The breaks you need in life have already been preordained to come across your path. If you will stay in faith and go out each day and be a person of excellence, you’ll walk into these appointments of favor. It will be just as if you stumbled into God’s blessings! When you really understand this principal, you’ll begin to get excited about every single day! You’ll have a spring in your step as you think about what blessing is coming next! It could be today. It could be tomorrow. It could be next week. Keep expecting. Keep believing. Stay focused on the fact that God has already released into your future everything you need to fulfill your destiny. Start declaring seasons of increase over your life. Declare that the favor is on you and opportunities are coming. As you do, you’ll move forward into the favor and blessing God has ordered for you!

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We all encounter this each day and I thought this was a wonderful devotional to share with you guys. God Bless and have a great week! Tina



Resist discouragement
by Rick Warren

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. Habakkuk 2:3 (NIV)

As a pastor, I’m sure many of you are discouraged.

Some of you are discouraged over your children that their lives are not going well. Some of you are discouraged about your marriage; it’s not at all what you thought it would be. You feel deflated and disappointed.

Some of you are discouraged about your finances, or your health, or the economy, or an unanswered prayer.

I want to say something to you, and it may sound mean, but it isn’t. It’s simply truth, so I say this in love: If you’re discouraged, that’s your choice.

We make a choice to be discouraged. We make a choice to let discouraging thoughts move freely through our minds. But, we can also make a choice to change our thoughts at any time, taking them captive in the Lord.

You get to choose what to focus on – your purpose or your problems, God’s power or your weakness, or your circumstances.

We can fight discouragement. Here’s a tip to help: When you get discouraged, focus somewhere else. Say to yourself, “I don’t have time to be discouraged right now. I’m too busy fulfilling my life mission.”

This doesn’t mean you should be a Pollyanna and pretend everything is okay. You can be realistic, but you also need to be optimistic because you are a Christian: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13 NIV). God says, “Lo, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20 KJV). He will help you and he will strengthen you. Faith starts with optimism.

Some of you have been praying for something specific and you haven’t yet gotten the answer. In Habbakuk 2:3 (NLT), God says, “These things I plan [for your life] won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place.”

Just be patient. The answer you’re waiting for will not be overdue a single day. God’s timing is always perfect.

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The hustle and bustle is gone and now I can sit and reflect on my daughter and her graduation.  18 years gone by and she graduated from high school with honors. She received a scholarship with her A status throughout the years.

 I thank God each day that my drinking didn’t affect her determination.  I thank God that the split up after 16 years of marriage didn’t ruin her like I know it can.  I thank God that she has forgiven me and she told me the other day that she doesn’t really remember me drinking anymore.  I did try to hide it while she was young, and the older she got, it got harder. I still attended functions, ran her around and did what I was supposed to do; cook, clean, hold a full-time job, yet I was miserable due to my drinking husband, so I drank more.  But we were there together for her.  I stayed in a marriage so she could “be in a stable home”, yeah right.  But, something helped because she’s an awesome child now.

She does not drink now and I thank God for that because I know the disease runs wild in the genes, but God is saving her.  My mother and I claim through Jesus we have broken the generational curse that holds our family hostage with my daughter and my nephew.

If my drinking kept her from drinking, it’s been worth it.  We have had hard times like many here, but I’ve always given it to God. 

I’m just rambling about my daughter, happy it’s over for her, and now she’s starting college in August.  I’m glad that I didn’t give up on God and stopped the drinking because it was well worth it. It’s not always easy, but I read, pray and go to meetings. I love this site and the support that is here.  Anyone new out there reading this please don’t stop before the miracles happen, because they do.

Love you all, Tina

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To my recovery family:

I NEED SOME PRAYERS RIGHT NOW.  TABITHA WAS RANI'S (my daughter) FIRST AND BEST FRIEND HERE. WE'VE KNOWN TABLITHA SINCE MOVING HERE to the TAMPA are 4 years agao.

WE ARE TORN UP. TABITHA WAS GRADUATING WITH RANI THIS YEAR AND THEY JUST SPENT THIS MORNING TOGETHER, TOOK PICTURES AND MADE PLANS FOR SAT.  RANI IS IN SHOCK RIGHT NOW. 

(THIS HAPPENED TODAY) SHE KNEW THE OTHER GIRL AS WELL.

WESLEY CHAPEL - Florida Highway Patrol troopers are investigating a single-car crash on I-75 that killed two teenage girls this afternoon.

Tabitha Pastrana, 18, of Wesley Chapel, was driving her 2002 Mitsibushi Eclipse north on I-75, just north of State Road 54, when she somehow lost control, said Trooper Larry Coggins.

Her car went into the shoulder and into the woods, slamming into trees and overturning and landing on its roof around 1 p.m., Coggins said.

Pastrana was dead at the scene. She was not wearing a seat belt, Coggins said.

Her passenger, 17-year-old Kristin Gaskin of San Antonio, was flown to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, where she later died. She had been wearing a seat belt during the crash.

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I am in awe that 3 years of sobriety have passed. I have come so far, and still have farther to go!  I’m Blessed that God has stood by my side in helping me get and STAY sober. Relapse isn’t in my vocabulary because I’m working the steps and I’ve surrendered totally to God.

I read this devotion the other day and I realize I’m still working on some of these “what ifs”, and so I know that walking in sobriety is a lifelong challenge. I intend to beat the challenge. My life was in shambles when I drank and I always felt awful and I don’t want those things in my life again.

How often do you play the “if only” game?

· If only I had it to do over.

· If only I had listened sooner.

· If only I could erase the past.

· If only I could forgive myself.

Because no one is perfect, we all have regrets. We’ve all made bad choices, said foolish things, wasted time, and hurt ourselves and others.

How do you release those regrets?

Here are some strategies that don’t work:

1. WE BURY THEM. Burying the past doesn’t work. Like creatures from a horror movie, unresolved regrets come back to haunt us over and over. Minimizing (“It wasn’t a big deal”), rationalizing (“Everyone does it”), and compromising (lowering your standards) are ways we try to bury our regrets

2. WE BLAME OTHERS. This tactic is as old as Adam and Eve. When Adam sinned, he took it like a man – he blamed his wife! We use blame to balance out our guilt.

3. WE BEAT OURSELVES. We try to pay for our guilt unconsciously through illness, depression, setting ourselves up for failure, and other forms of self-punishment. The problem with beating up on yourself is this: your conscience never knows when to stop! Many spend their entire lives in self-condemnation.

What does God want me to do with my regrets?

· Admit my guilt – Own up to it. Don’t make excuses. The Bible says, “People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy” (Proverbs 28:13 NLT).

· Accept Christ’s forgiveness – He’s waiting to clean your slate. Ask him to clear your conscience, and then remember “there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NLT).

· Forgive yourself and focus on the future – “Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is). coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19 HCSB

So, onward I go, redoing the steps when necessary, forgiving myself and others and carrying no regrets. Those are hard for me. But, with each passing year, I see God working more in my life and with each passing miracle I know that He’s looking out for me.

We are recovering addicts here and WE ARE ALL SPECIAL. I love you guys and thanks for standing by me.

 Tina/Godluvsall

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I am in awe that 3 years of sobriety have passed. I have come so far, and still have farther to go!  I’m Blessed that God has stood by my side in helping me get and STAY sober. Relapse isn’t in my vocabulary because I’m working the steps and I’ve surrendered totally to God.

I read this devotion the other day and I realize I’m still working on some of these “what ifs”, and so I know that walking in sobriety is a lifelong challenge. I intend to beat the challenge. My life was in shambles when I drank and I always felt awful and I don’t want those things in my life again.

How often do you play the “if only” game?

· If only I had it to do over.

· If only I had listened sooner.

· If only I could erase the past.

· If only I could forgive myself.

Because no one is perfect, we all have regrets. We’ve all made bad choices, said foolish things, wasted time, and hurt ourselves and others.

How do you release those regrets?

Here are some strategies that don’t work:

1. WE BURY THEM. Burying the past doesn’t work. Like creatures from a horror movie, unresolved regrets come back to haunt us over and over. Minimizing (“It wasn’t a big deal”), rationalizing (“Everyone does it”), and compromising (lowering your standards) are ways we try to bury our regrets

2. WE BLAME OTHERS. This tactic is as old as Adam and Eve. When Adam sinned, he took it like a man – he blamed his wife! We use blame to balance out our guilt.

3. WE BEAT OURSELVES. We try to pay for our guilt unconsciously through illness, depression, setting ourselves up for failure, and other forms of self-punishment. The problem with beating up on yourself is this: your conscience never knows when to stop! Many spend their entire lives in self-condemnation.

What does God want me to do with my regrets?

· Admit my guilt – Own up to it. Don’t make excuses. The Bible says, “People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy” (Proverbs 28:13 NLT).

· Accept Christ’s forgiveness – He’s waiting to clean your slate. Ask him to clear your conscience, and then remember “there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NLT).

· Forgive yourself and focus on the future – “Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is). coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19 HCSB

So, onward I go, redoing the steps when necessary, forgiving myself and others and carrying no regrets. Those are hard for me. But, with each passing year, I see God working more in my life and with each passing miracle I know that He’s looking out for me.

We are recovering addicts here and WE ARE ALL SPECIAL. I love you guys and thanks for standing by me.

 Tina/Godluvsall

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