Author: Marlene Knopp

Posted on

I’VE HAD A LOT OF TIME TO THINK

I have had a lot of time to think lately – have had to slow down a lot also – well okay – almost to a crawl. In 1994, I wrote a poem to my brother who later passed away. The first couple of paragraphs started:

“Each of us has a purpose as we walk our path in life, While people touch us daily and leave us changed inside.”
“You have taught me compassion and a lot of patience too, Things I might not have learned, if I hadn’t been touched by you.”

When I met a new friend after writing that, I think I was intrigued by him as he was so different from anyone I had met – he opened my eyes to a whole ‘nother world – I was no longer sheltered and naïve. What I love most in this world is to have a meaningful conversation with someone from the heart. As I am an introvert (a few friends, close and meaningful), I guess that makes sense – and we definitely had that and more. I find that most of the men I was involved with throughout my life (and they are far and few between) were not very honest with me and I needed to move on in my life. Timing is everything . . .

l look back on my life and realize I have been so very blessed in so many ways and yet how different it could have been . . . then I go back to the poem I wrote and remember everything has a purpose.

What I want to do for the rest of my life are the things that give life meaning, to do the things I love to do, and have fun doing it. I want to get back to my website again, (hopefully encouraging other women to stay true to themselves) . . . to just be kind, loving, and respectful to the people God puts in my life . . . giving back. I have everything I need and then some . . .

mjnak

Posted on

CoVID 19 Pandemic

I have heard, read, and believe that we can find something good - something positive - in every situation if we choose to look for it . . . it gives us hope . . . an attitude of gratitude for absolutely everything.
"Everything has a purpose as we walk our path in life, while people (and situations) touch us daily and leave us changed inside."
Have you ever wondered if the real purpose of CoVid 19 is for us to shelter in place and take the time to get our priorities straight . . . to take time to be thankful for what is truly important . . . to spend time with family or to pray for those who are so important to us . . . to appreciate the people who are putting THEMSELVES at risk to provide for OUR needs. . . to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of God's world . . .
Just sayin'. . .
May God watch over and bless each and everyone of you and your families during this unprecedented time to keep you safe and healthy . . . prayers go out everyday to see an end to this pandemic . . . according to God's will and in His time - not mine - Thy will be done Lord . . . according to Your purpose . . . Amen.

mjnak 04/06/2020

Posted on

FAMILY . . .

It's hard to believe half the year is over as we venture into July.  June was a busy month - something going on every weekend (except for two) starting with Memorial weekend. 

One of those weekends was with my mom, brothers, sisters, their family members and their grandchildren - 4 generations for our 32nd family reunion.  We started in 1988 and continued every year at different places with anyone that could make it.  We divided my immediate family into teams, rotating every year to the next team with each having responsibility for planning the location, food, etc., for that year (the grandchildren even took over one year).  We started with 24: our parents, 8 brothers and sisters, 5 spouses and 9 grandchildren.  Our family has since grown to 50 including my mom, 7 brothers and sisters with 5 spouses, 10 children/step children with 7 spouses, and 20 great grandchildren/step great grandchildren.  Officially, one more was “inducted” to the family when the first great grandchild got married the weekend after the family reunion.  (I wonder when there will be great great grandchildren?!?)

The reunion reminded me once again how important family is, including extended family.  I grew up knowing one set of great grandparents, both sets of my grandparents, my aunts, uncles and cousins (and there were many).  I had a good upbringing and for that I am so very grateful!  I miss my dad and my brother, along with so many relatives (who have since passed on to a different life), yet while they were here, touched my life and helped to make me who I am today. 

God and family are my foundation - the most precious gifts in my life.  I, my brothers and sisters owe so much to our parents.  I am unable to imagine how they raised 8 children – 4 boys and 4 girls (and stayed sane besides!).  They were role models to each of us – by listening to and watching them, we grew up knowing the difference between right and wrong; to be independent and take care of ourselves; to be responsible and accountable for our actions; to be kind; to be respectful; to say thank you; and most importantly, to work hard and to do our best.

We had our fair share of “scrapping” growing up, however, we are all so very close to one another and get along so well.  I am so saddened by the number of stories I hear where family members refuse to talk to one another or worse.  I pray they are able to find a way through all the unimportant “stuff” and come together in love.

Thank you to my Mom and Dad for being such amazing parents!  Love you to the moon and back!

'Til the next time . . .

Posted on

ATTITUDE . . .

I am a glass half full kind of person - I think I have always been that way for whatever reason.  I have met many negative people and even live with a person who only sees the negative in most situations.  I find that very sad and frustrating at times because each of us have a choice as to what our attitude will be.  I try to keep in mind the saying, "Change your attitude and change your life." 

"Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you're going to live your life."     Joel Osteen

 

 

"We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude."     Charles R. Swindoll

What attitude will you choose?

'Til the next time . . .

Posted on

LIFE IS A JOURNEY . . .

 

Our lives begin as a journey . . . and it continues to the end of life.  We are meant to learn and grow throughout our lifetime - to make the most of our time here on earth - to become a better person and to do good things.  During that time we encounter peaks, valleys, and sometimes we get to rest on the plateaus: "a state of little or no change following a period of activity or progress".

I can think of a number of situations while I was growing up and, again as I was raising my girls as a single mom, that challenged me and I struggled with "why"?   

I have learned, continue to learn, and now believe that whatever each of us goes through, we can find and take away something positive from every situation.  We may not see it at first, however, looking back we can hopefully say, "Oh, that's why I needed to go through that!  Now I understand . . ."   

'Til the next time . . . 

 

 

Posted on

FAITH, HOPE, LOVE . . .

Through out my life, faith, hope and love have carried me through some very difficult times.  Early on, I would light a candle in my bedroom to remind me that God was in charge and was working out the situation according to His will for me . . . for my life . . .  and to keep my focus on Him. 

Eventually, I came up with my own mantra to remind me that "this too shall pass" (based on Acts 2:21).  I would repeat these words to myself as I went for walks around the pond to remind me to focus on what was in my control and leave the rest to God who was working out the situation according  to His will for me . . . for my life (Proverbs 3:5-6).  This was and still is my mantra:

Faith is fear-less . . . Hope is worry-less . . . Love is end-less . . . 

Most of the time, I tried to reflect on the temporary nature of the present difficulty . . . to see the positive in the situation and remind myself there was a lesson to be learned from what I was going through.  Looking back, I can see the lessons and I have grown -  spiritually, emotionally and mentally . . . 

'Til the next time . . . 

Posted on

COURAGE . . .

"Sometimes you have to stand up and fight for what you believe in.  And sometime it takes even more courage to stay put.  To hold your ground and refuse to be bullied.... It doesn't change the bully.  But it can change you."  ~ Touched By An Angel calendar

As I was growing up, whenever we wanted something because everyone else had it, I can remember my Mom saying, "so, if everyone jumped off a cliff, would you too?"  What does that even mean????  

As time went on, I learned to stand up for what I believed in - not always a popular decision, however, I wouldn't back down when I felt strongly about something.  It takes a lot of courage, and yes, it got me in trouble at times, yet I am so very grateful to my Mom for teaching me that I need to be able to feel good about my choices in life and to take responsibility for the outcome - good or bad. 

And, I had to work up the courage to admit when I was wrong . . .

'Til the next time . . .

 

 

Posted on

SUCCESS . . .

FAITH stimulates success . . . HOPE sustains success . . . LOVE sanctifies success . . . 

Success comes in a number of different forms depending on how a person defines success.  The dictionary defines success as "the accomplishment of an aim or purpose". 

Throughout my life I've had many challenges as all of us do.  It was hard for me to think of being successful when I would dwell on the challenges - I just saw the failures. 

Now, looking back, I see many successes in my life.  (Sometimes it is hard to see the forest for the trees).  I realized that I had been too involved in the details of a problem to look at the situation as a whole. 

I learned there are times in our lives when we need to step back or away from our situation and see it from a different perspective.  It can make all the difference in the world.

Faith in a higher being, hope for a better tomorrow, and love from and for the people that surround and support us in our lives . . . 

'Til the next time . . . 

Posted on

POSITIVE AND POSSIBILITY THINKING

Teachings from Norman Vincent Peale, Dr. Robert H. Schuller, and Steven Covey (who have since passed away), etc. have had a great impact on how I think about and view life in general.  For a long time I have been learning to be a positive and possibility thinker.  I believe life is much better when one approaches it from a positive perspective - I can do anything I set my mind to do. 

So can you . . .

Til the next time . . . 

Posted on

SELFISHNESS vs SELFLESSNESS

I am reminded today of one of my favorite quotes from "A Daily Devotional Calendar" (Twenty years of Possibility Thinking slogans from the writings of Dr. Robert H. Schuller):  

"Selfishness turns life into burdens, while selflessness turns burdens into life." 

"We give thanks to God always for you all . . . remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience . . .

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

We have all carried burdens throughout our lives - some more than others.  Yet, how we choose to deal with them makes all the difference in the world.  I have witnessed some pretty selfless people in my life, even in the face of tremendous adversity, put others first.  I wish I was better at that . . . 

How do you see yourself:  selfish or selfless?

'Til the next time . . . 

Posted on

I’M STILL HERE . . .

Good Morning!?

I woke up to a sunshiny kind of day . . . the snow has been melting slowly which is a good thing to prevent a lot of flooding in our area and the temps aren’t average yet, however it is going to be a GREAT day!!  

I haven’t posted in awhile because I have been working on the quirks of my website (I have fixed the ones I am aware of) and taking some online courses on programming languages to assist me with my website. 

I am taking a course for Web Design for Everybody (Basics of Web Development and Coding) through the University of Michigan.  I completed one course and passed (WAA HOO! ?), will have another done by tomorrow and then 3 to go if I chose to do all of them.  It’s been awhile since I have studied anything, however I am determined to complete this course.  

In the meantime, I hope to begin sharing more now – it may not be everyday, however, I hope you enjoy what is here so far.  And, I am looking forward to the first person who will share their story with me and you.

‘Til the next time . . .

Posted on

7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE

When I became a leader at the organization I worked for in the late 70's - early 80's, I wanted to be a better supervisor.  So I attended a number of seminars for that very purpose.

One of the most memorable seminars I attended was "The 7 Habits of Highly  Effective People" based on Stephen Covey's book and presented by the Franklin Covey organization.  Covey's 7 habits are:

      1.   Be Proactive
      2.   Begin with the End in Mind
      3.   Put First Things First
      4.   Think Win-Win
      5.   Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
      6.   Synergize
      7.   Sharpen the Saw

I took a lot of information away from the seminar that day, however, the most memorable and important being to synergize.  What I learned (to me it meant) that when two parties are working together, in order to have a successful outcome, they must work together, taking and implementing the best ideas from everyone . . . teamwork at its best.

'Til the next time . . . 

Posted on

LESSONS LEARNED

There have been times in my life when everything fell into place . . . even if I had planned it, I could never have orchestrated it happening as well as it did.

I call it reaching a new plateau in my life.  I can look back and remember very distinctly each time it happened.  It’s like I had been struggling for a time and all of a sudden a new solution or direction appeared and everything fell into place to make it happen.

On the plateau, I had a chance to rest a bit before a new challenge presented itself.  I believe the lessons I was meant to learn at that particular time in my life had been completed and I was being prepared for the next step in my journey for life (a new plateau) – to help me grow and become the person God meant me to be to carry out His plan for my life.

And, I have to admit, sometimes I went willingly and other times kicking and screaming – resisting because I wanted to stay and enjoy the familiarity of where I was in my life.  But God had others plans . . . new lessons to learn . . .

As Robert H. Schuller would say:

“When idea is not right, God says, ‘No’.”    When the time is not right God says, ‘Slow’.”    When you are not right God says, ‘Grow’!”    "When everything is right, God says, ‘Go'!.”

‘Til the next time . . .

P.S. Check this out - LESSONS FROM GEESE

Posted on

DEEPEST NEED OF A HUMAN BEING

One of the quotes from my daily devotional calendar of possibility thinking slogans from Robert H Schuller is:  "The deepest need of the human being is the need to be needed - so - make it a point to meet someone's need today."

We seldom know or realize how we touch someone's life when we hold open a door, smile, say "hello", or maybe offer a hug. 

I love the signs along the interstates that simply say:  "BE KIND" or "SMILE" or "BE NICE".  It always makes me smile and lifts my spirits.  I wonder if the person putting up the sign realizes how it makes my day or even the day for others . . . maybe that was his/her intention.  Whose need are you going to meet today?

'Til the next time . . .

Posted on

BEEN BUSY . . .

Sorry I haven't posted much lately.  I am continuing to work on the website to make it more user friendly and preparing to easily receive the reader submissions and respond appropriately.

'Til the next time . . . 

Posted on

DECLARING MY PURPOSE

MY FAITH STATEMENT:

"I am a child of God, made possible through the awesome and glorious gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, who died so my sins would be forever forgiven, giving me the promise of salvation and eternal life." ~ mjk 09/28/03

MY MISSION STATEMENT:

"To personally know and share the love of God through my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and as I prepare for eternity, to live my life in a way that is deserving of His love and friendship." ~ mjk 09/28/03

MY LIFE'S PURPOSE STATEMENT:

"My goal in life is to live a Christ-centered life . . . and to experience all that comes with it." ~ mjk 11/20/04

MY LIFE'S MOTTO:

"To always be faithful" and "To thine own self be true."

‘Til the next time . . . 

Posted on

FINDING MY PURPOSE

Semper Fi, the motto of the Marine Corp, means "always faithful". I learned about it from my husband who is a marine (once a marine - always a marine).

And, as I began my journey in life - the next phase to challenge me - I realized the first 4 letters could include the aspects of balance: spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical - just what I was searching for in an acronym. It took me a few years to figure out the rest of the acronym for S.E.M.P.ER.F.I., however I eventually came up with "evolving, radiating from inside".

And so, I began fulfilling my purpose in life putting together this website, "Journey for Life" to be able to share my journey in hope of helping someone in theirs. I told myself, "even if I only help one person, it would be worth it.

I will be sharing the wealth of information I have collected in my lifetime from the people who have touched my life.

'Til the next time . . . God Bless!

Posted on

SEARCHING FOR MY PURPOSE

In 2003, I interviewed for a secretarial position at a local church. I was asked what my faith statement was and I couldn't come up with anything. My fate was sealed.

However, I did join an individual group at that church which was just beginning Rick Warren's "40 Days of Purpose" with the entire congregation over the next 40 days. It was perfect for me because I had been searching for my "purpose" in life - so began the next part of my "journey for life."

As a result, I wrote my faith statement. Later, I also wrote my mission statement and my life's purpose statement, and decided on my motto.

'Til the next time, God bless . . .

Posted on

BEGINNING OF GOALS

I began the year in 1999 with the following written goal:

"My first priority is to learn and focus on behaviour that finds a balance for healthy, constructive, positive and loving relationships where I am able to clearly define the boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour."

I continue to set goals at the beginning of each year and to do my best to complete them.

'Til the next time . . . 

Posted on

NEW YEAR GOALS

Robert H. Schuller used to say that "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail."

More than 20 years ago, I began each day with a reading from "The Language of Letting Go" by Melody Beattie.   Besides the "Seek Balance" excerpt used on the "Balance Page" of this website, I began to set yearly goals for myself, based on the following excerpt from Melody's book.

GUIDE FOR SETTING NEW YEAR GOALS

I would make some time to review and answer the questions posed as honestly as I could, type them up using the second page as a template, print a copy for myself and put it somewhere so I would come across it occasionally throughout the year.  To  my amazement, I would find that I was working on or accomplishing my goals.

I challenge my readers to try this - you will be amazed how well it works and how good you feel having reaching some or all of your goals!

'Til the next time . . .

Posted on

GRATITUDE . . .

I am thankful to my daughter, Nikki, and her husband for believing in my dream and for their assistance with my website.  They are amazing and have been a blessing in getting me this far . . .

What are you grateful for today?

‘Til the next time . . .

Posted on

BACK UP AND RUNNING . . .

I apologize for the delay in getting the site back up and running, however, I want to ensure that your privacy is protected.

As issues surface, I again will shut the site down and try to fix the issue as quickly as I can.

Thank you for your patience - it is appreciated!

‘Til the next time . . .

Posted on

WELL I ALMOST MADE IT . . . Happy New Year 2019

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

5 minutes after midnight and into a new year (2019), I almost got my website up and running before the end of 2018.  Not everything is complete yet, however, I will continue to work on it . . . please bear with me . . .

I look forward to thoughts on what is working and what is not working.  Feel free to leave your thoughts or comments . . .

‘Til the next time . . .

Posted on

PROGRESS . . . slowly working toward completion

Finally, I am getting closer to the day that my website will be up and running.  I am still focused on having it up by year-end.  I am grateful to my daughter who has been giving me ideas and, hopefully, will fine tune the website to be a bit more simple, clean, and easy to get around.

I can't wait to share this website!  If it helps even one person in his/her life, I will call it successful.  I can already feel what it will be like to sit down and share my daily thoughts and read about other's stories rather than trying to figure out how to set it up.

See you soon!   ~ mjk  11/29/18

Posted on

WEBSITE IS COMING . . . really

I had planned to have my website up and running by now, however, I have been dragging my feet for the past two years.  It's hard to believe it has been two years plus since I actually started this phase of my life - fulfilling a vision from the 1990's. 

Maybe deep down it's been about fear of whether or not it will be successful or that I didn't have the experience, and so, I have allowed other things to take priority.  I have decided to go beyond the fear and forge ahead.  According to Robert H. Schuller, it's “Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.”  So, I am asking for the assistance of my daughter to help me get this up and running so I can be on-line by the end of 2018.

See you in 2019!   ~ mjk  11/04/18

Posted on

FEAR . . .

"Lord, I know what you are asking ... show me today the plan you have for me ... empower me with courage to let go of my fears and trust that I will be able to carry it through knowing you are with me every step of the way; that I am being divinely led, guided and cared for.  Thank you Heavenly Father for your faithfulness."   ~ mjk  10/27/18

‘Til the next time . . .