Blog moved to AngelaBreidenbach.com

Hi friends,
If you haven't noticed already, this blog has merged with my website. Please consider reading and visiting with me at http://www.AngelaBreidenbach.com and click on the tab called A-Muse-ings. That's the integrated blog of God Uses Broken Vessels and my website blog.

At A-Muse-ings you'll find interviews with celebrity pets by Muse, Writer's feline investigative reporter, humorous explanations of Bible verses, and sometimes Muse Reviews of great books, movies, and events.

What? You thought Writer wrote all this stuff?
She just types what I dictate ^~~^
~Muse~

Second Chance In Love

Hi,
Today is a special day. It's our 15th Anniversary! Wow! We both are a little stunned at how fast time passed. Our combined family is grown now and we have four grandchildren, all under four!

When I wrote A Healing Heart, I didn't necessarily have second chance at love as a theme. I focused on workaholism and trust issues. But when a reader mentioned it, "So many "love stories" seem to be written about first time love--A Healing Heart captures the beauty of a second chance for love when God is in control."  (click the link for the full review) I did the hand slap on my forehead.

Of course!  It made perfect sense because God blessed me, a single mom of four, with a second chance at love.

Breidenbach Family Wedding Photo. Yep, we combined into a family of eight!

With all these personalities, our household has been very energetic and interesting from the start! Sibling rivalry, settling into comfortable family positions, and learning to understand people from different backgrounds were just some of our challenges. (My daughter wanted to sit on my lap too. I didn't think about that when I wore an entirely pearl covered dress. I still love this picture! It's so, well, us.)

Mara Keegan in A Healing Heart has three teens. When Mike and I married, three of our children were already teens. They ranged from six to fourteen. Second chance love with children was something I knew firsthand and could write about. Kids and a dating relationship? Let me tell you, it's a challenge. Especially with the numbers we juggled. But a challenge I'm glad we chose to take on even though there's a lot more than two in the relationship!

Fifteen years. Wow! Now we stay connected with a Sunday night family dinners. Mike and I really enjoy the empy-nester phase. (Shh, don't tell all the kids.) We've often looked at one another and smiled at the stunning quiet around us. And then someone shows up with a baby to watch or several kids stop in with various dogs and we're right back in the familiar menagerie.

But the one thing I love most is that we took the second chance at love. It's been exponentially multiplied by more than two ever since.

Is there a second chance in love? I think so.

Do you know anyone with a successful second chance marriage?
What do you think helps them succeed?

News! Read All About It!

Hi Friends,

Alerting you that you will see this blog go through a metamorphosis during the next few weeks. I'm hard at work recreating a new version, all cleaned up and fresh, of my website. with new books coming out I needed a more comprehensive and easier to use option for you. In the process, my blog is going to go through some changes as it gets brought under the umbrella of my website. Finally ;)

You'll still be able to read blog posts, but this website style version of of blogger is going to morph into a more professional part of my entire branding and website. I hope you'll enjoy the finished product of a more cohesive spot to connect. But as you've already likely noticed, the additional pages that used to look like tabs have moved to links on the right side. Those pages will blend into my website duplicate pages so there will no longer be, um, duplicates. Whew!

Ultimately, it's going to be smoother for all of us. You'll no longer have to search extra pages and I won't have to update the same info on duplicate pages. I know. I know...novel concept, lol.

So a big thank you for hanging out with me :) I'll keep posting through the changes. When it fully integrates, I'll let you know if there's any change in the following factor so we can keep up our relationship. Other than how it looks, I don't think you'll experience any loss of data or connection.

And if you have any suggestions on something you would like included, please send them my way.

Appreciatively,
Angie

How adventurous are you?

Have you ever taken an offer from an airline for free tickets in exchange for your seat? I did today and earned a ticket, a hotel room, and meals. Why not take the deal? 

But an entire plane load didn't. Some had work the next day, some had school, and some didn't feel safe volunteering and changing plans so quickly. I've volunteered before and my seat hasn't been needed. It's something I think about when I travel in order to take advantage of opportunities that come my way.

Two people volunteered their seats. I found a few things in common with the other young woman. But what if you don't know the outcome? We had a possible solution, but not a guaranteed one at the time we volunteered. How adventurous are you?

Angie in an experimental aircraft

Adventurous people tend to have these traits:

*Willing to take a risk

*Quick decision-making skills

*Look for opportunities

*Proactive

*Find humor in the unexpected

*Allow the unknown to unfold

*Adaptable

*Thinks of the future benefit

*Trust their abilities to work through to a solution

What about you? Do you have adventurous traits? 

Have you ever wished you'd acted on an opportunity?

What other traits would you add to this list?

Not only did I spend the night, but I'm considering spending the next one as that flight might be oversold too. There are other opportunities that worked out besides a summer flight I already needed to buy. Wonderful friends came to dinner, a business friend and associate was able to meet with me, I spent time relaxing, and there's an entire day pending with two catch up projects I have with me.

When am I going home? Soon, just a tad bit more profitable.

--Angie

PS Did you notice the countdown widget for the upcoming release of A Healing Heart? I am getting so excited to share it with you!

Victim to Victorious Retreat!

Victim to Victorious Retreat

Jan 26th, 2013 9am-5pm

Sponsored by The Written World Bookstore

4743 N. Carefree Circle, Colorado Springs, CO

Cost includes lunch and snacks. 

For additional information or additional registration forms, call 719-418-5066 or 

email TheWrittenWorldBookstore@gmail.com

 

 Based on Gems of Wisdom: For a Treasure-filled Life

Victim or Victorious- Stop self-defeating behaviors. Based on the book, Gems of Wisdom: For a Treasure-filled Life by Angela Breidenbach, learn how not to be a victim of circumstance by overcoming self-defeating behaviors. We'll tackle some of these...

• Helplessness • Lack of knowledge • Enabling habits • Lack of self-esteem
• Personal choices • Thought process • Stress management skills (the stress drug)
• Disorganization • Depression • Skepticism • Procrastination
• Workaholism • Negativity • Boundaries

What are my life goals and what would it take to get to them? Make decisions instead of reacting to all the old mental recordings. “What self-defeating behaviors do I have and how do I defeat them?”

Bring a friend and pass on the blessing.

Anatomy of a Goal

Angie here: Have you ever thought through the anatomy of a goal? Torn it apart to find out what it's made of?

Goals are surprisingly simple. I think like Paul Bunyan, it grows and grows in our minds until the goal is so big it can't possibly be real.

The anatomy of a goal is real, a goal not a pipe dream. So how can you tell the difference in a measurable goal and something impossible to achieve? You break it down and take it apart.

Anatomy of a Goal:

Overview-big picture and what it looks like completed.

Monthly view-twelve major parts divided out and doable in a month.

Weekly view-week by week level to reach the monthly expectation.

Daily-tasks in bite size increments.

Hourly-sometimes we have to look at the smallest task and get that done. It gives us confidence that repeat performance will move us forward.

I still sing the little ditty from an old Christmas show when the character was afraid. It made such an impact on me as a child that success isn't measured at the big overview level. It's made one step at a time.

"Put one step in front of the other, and soon you'll be walking 'cross the floor. Put one step in front of the other, and soon you'll be walkin' out the door."

When I broke down my goal of two books at 90K words in a year, it turned out to be 495 words a day. It's doable.

How about you?