AVON Day

Buy it: Avon Skin So Soft Original Bath Oil Spray with Pump, 5 Fl OzToday is Avon Day. It's the day I get my latest Campaign order. I will then take all of the items, place them in bags for each customer, call the customers and set up a delivery time.

I am looking forward to starting next campaign.

Campaign 13

Home

Today, I will work on my surroundings. I will make my home a place of sanctuary for peace and love. I will work to make my home habitable, and welcoming for any who come through my door.

I don't want to be ashamed when I answer the knock. I don't want to make excuses about why they can't come in. I don't want someone to see me as "unsociable".

My home should reflect the inside of my heart. It should tell people who I truly am. It should tell God who I want to be for Him.

I praise God that I have a home to care for - a shelter during the storm, a place of solace when I feel drained, a place where peace surrounds me and God's love is ever welcoming.

I will remember where I came from, when I did not have a place to call my own. I will be happy and thankful for the hole in the wall I have to cover up, and the floor that needs to be repaired. It's my floor to stand on. It's my wall that God gave me. It's a picture of me, in the arms of my Lord as He works in my life. It's a reminder that this world is not my home.

I will do my best to make it better than it was yesterday.

I'm Gonna Be Ready

Today, I will get up and get dressed for the day. Jesus said that I should always be prepared, and that means I have to be ready to run out the door at any moment.

A fire could break out in my home and if I am not dressed, I will have nothing on to cover me should it all be destroyed.

A friend could call and need me to come over to comfort them in their time of need. I do not want to hesitate when that happens.

A customer may be ready to purchase some of my goods. I do not want to pass up a chance to be profitable, to reap what I have sown.

I will be ready to face the world, dressed for success in full body armour, so my spirit can feel adaquately enabled to fight the battles God has ordered for me to fight today.

Each day, from here on out, I will dress for the day's success immediately upon opening my eyes from sleep.

I will remain ready until I am ready to close my eyes in sleep at the end of the day.

No more will I seek the comfort of not having the right apparel on my person. No more will I seek to rest until the appointed time, for the poor and needy do not get a day off, and those who call out for God to show His face to them are numerous and in constant need. Let them see His face in me.

I will dress for success. I will be prepared. God cannot use me if I am not ready to be used.

Matthew 24:

42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

Ephesians 6:11

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

Failure is not an Option

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Today, I will not think of yesterday and all of my failures.

I have prayed for success, and God has given me an opportunity to succeed. My future depends on the decisions I make today. I choose to live today as if it is my last -- giving all I have to the task at hand, and being thankful that God has given me the task to do and made me able to accomplish it.

I will not be afraid of taking steps I have not taken before, of meeting people I have not met, or of experiencing things I have not experienced. They are all gifts from God. I will be thankful that I get to do it.

I will see problems as a challenge, and obstacles as an opportunity to learn.

I will not be afraid of failure, for I will not fail. With God, all things are possible, and even if the road I take leads me in a different direction than the one I intended to go, I will consider it God's will and God's direction in my life. I will look forward to arriving at the place God intends for me to be.

By the end of the day, I will go to bed knowing that I have accomplished something -- whether it is simply taking out the trash, washing dishes, or meeting someone who will change my life for the better. I will reflect on something I have done to be the blessing that God intends for me to be -- whether it be helping an old lady cross the street, or offering encouragement to someone who needs it.

I cannot receive God's blessings if I do not reach out my hand so He can hand it to me. So, I will not remain where I am today. I will go out and search for it. I will work for it. I will give myself to God through my words and deeds.

I will be all God intends for me to be with each moment of today, and I will succeed, even if I fail to accomplish my goals. Even if I fail to make my quota, even if I fail to reach the destination I choose for today, I will end the day in peace, knowing that I did not fail Him. And, for that, I can rest with the assurance that He will not fail me.

The Greatest Salesman in the World

Hello, World.

I've been battling the spirit of depression for the last couple of months, so I am asking for prayers.

I have prayed, read the Bible, tried to focus on other things, cleaned my home, loved on my baby dogs, and worked on my websites. I've even prepared myself to go out and sell Avon.

I haven't been sitting still...but I haven't been applying myself either.

So, I started listening to motivational, self-help stuff on YouTube, etc.

The first motivational book I listened to was Og Mandino's "The Greatest Salesman in the World."

When I went to college for office procedures when I was younger, this book and "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu were required reading. I read "The Art of War", but never got around to "The Greatest Salesman". I don't know what took me so long.

This book details a really motivational story of a man who lived back during the period of Christ, who desired to be a great salesman. Success was his motivation.

In it were great tips on how to be a great salesman, detailed by dedication, persistence, courage and determination. To go where others won't go, to do what others find tedious, to focus on the task at hand, and to remember where you came from, remaining humble, as you rise in success by giving and being generous to others.

I look at my life until now and I see all those traits -- up until now. It's time to get back on that horse and ride.

So, I'm sharing what I learned today in the link provided as suggested reading. If you are a Christian, you will enjoy the story.

Monday is Memorial Day. Tuesday my second Avon order goes in. I have failed, in the past campaign, to order my business supplies: order books, brochure covers, call-back notes, bags, etc. So, along with more brochures, and more Avon, I have ordered all these.

On Thursday, I will receive all my supplies, and then I will start getting serious about selling Avon, and becoming the Greatest Salesman in the World for God.

In the meantime, I have distributed information to over 500 people, on and off the internet as to how to order Avon from me. It's a start...but it's going to take more than that to make it work.

My sleep hours are finally getting back to normal. I am looking forward to the challenge.

Have a blessed day!

Prospects

Hello, World!

I sold some Avon today. And, I talked to prospective customers. I got ran off from Albertson's though. Manager came out and asked me not to be there. He was nice enough to let me continue to speak to the prospective customer I was talking to at the time, though, before I left.

When he walked off, she looked at me and said, "Well! How rude!" LOL

I then went to Dairy Queen and ordered lunch and gave another book out. When the cashier asked, "Do you need anything else?" I said, "No, ma'am. Do you need an Avon Lady?" She said, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." I gave her a book.

I got my Flyers printed at the Library, and when the librarian handed me my papers, I asked her, "Do you need an Avon lady?" She smiled and grabbed one of them off the top of the pile and said, "Yes, I do. Thank you." LOL

I asked another lady while leaving the library, "Ma'am, do you like Avon?" She said, "Yes, but I don't live here. I'm from out of state." I said, "Not a problem. I have a website." And, I gave her a flyer. She (and her husband) asked me how that worked and I explained it and told them to call me if they had any other questions or needed assistance.

Sigh...now if I can turn all those into orders.

I got my cart in today. Gotta go to the post office to get it in the morning. I'll start going door to door in a couple of days, after the rain has passed.

Have a blessed day!

Though You Slay Me

Another interesting debate I got in with my housemate. My opinion on suicide: Everyone has the right to commit suicide. I'd hate for it to happen. It's wrong. God won't like it. But the right belongs to the individual committing it.

People commit suicide every day. Everyone is committing suicide in different ways. Some smoke or drink alcohol. Some take unnecessary risks. It's just a form of suicide attempt that isn't called that. Everyone has the right.

NO ONE should have the right to help someone else commit suicide. At that point, it becomes murder.

My friend said, "I believe that if someone is terminally ill the doctor should help him if that is his choice."

To which I replied, "I believe in the sanctity of life. Until GOD takes you off this earth, you should live. No one should play God."

He said, "But if there is no quality of life..."

I said, "Quality has nothing to do with it. God didn't promise life would be easy. He just promised to be here with us through it. Quality is what people make of it. Time is quality. How many children would give anything for just one more minute with their mom before the plug is pulled? There is a purpose in life. God can't be glorified through yours if you are dead."

He said, "I hate to see people suffer."

I said, "I do, too. But, everytime I walk out the door, I see someone suffering: That hungry man on the street with nowhere to sleep. That child who is sick and can't get medicine because she has no insurance or money. That old lady who walks with her buggy and thinks I'm her daughter.

Everyone suffers. We are all called to suffer. He calls us to ENDURE, not kill ourselves."

Just my opinion.

Fear is a Liar

Hello, World.

I received and readied all my Avon products for sale, and my books are ready for distribution. I also made a bucket to put all my products in.

My bucket is not fancy, nor does it look like it came from a factory, ready-made, but it will work. The customers aren't buying my bucket. They just want what's inside of it.

I spent 10 hours working yesterday on all this. Then, I relaxed the rest of the night and watched "Colony" with Fred. I was too excited, though, to really get into the show.

I woke up today with female problems that have come back with a vengeance. After nearly a year of thinking that part of my life was over, it's like it is making up for lost time. I am weak all over. My head hurts. I feel dehydrated, dizzy.

I showered, and feel a little better. And, I may yet get the motivation I need later tonight to go try to sell some Avon. At least, I'll try to clean out my car.

God wasn't joking when He called it a curse.

I prayed. Then, I picked up where I have left off in Psalms chapter 5.

7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

That, also, made me feel better. Especially the last few verses:

11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

If there is one thing I needed today, it was to hear the Lord speak to me.

So, now, I'm gathering up my courage and determination. I look back on where I've come from, and all I have been through and I know that, certainly, if I can get through all that, then I can do this.

Have a blessed day!

I'm a Boss!

Hello, World!

Today, I have spent the day making a list of all my potential customers. I have a pretty long list of people I know who love what I sell.

Then, I went into my account and ordered a lot of the products that I know sells outright. When I receive the products, I will make up a "Bucket" and place the items, already priced for the current campaign sales, and take it with me everywhere I go.

I will then label all my sales books, and jump in my car with my bucket and drive, stopping at every place of business along the way as I visit potential customers, taking orders and selling out of my bucket for extra cash.

In the past, this method has served me well. I have learned that I can sell in eight hours more than enough to meet any salary I have ever been paid by an employer -- so long as I am not lazy.

And, I am not lazy, unless I have nothing to sell.

It sure beats flipping burgers!

Have a great day!

(By the way, Click HERE to see my personal Avon website)!

AVON Calling!

Hello, World!

Today I was blessed by God to be able to become an Avon Independent Sales Representative, again!

And, in less than 5 hours, I already have 4 potential customers.

Avon pretty much sells itself. The name has been around since 1869, and I have never been so proud to be a part of it!

They even gave me a web site!

Click HERE if you'd like to order from me, or even become a representative yourself!

God Gave Me You, Mom

Hello, World.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. I will be going to my mom's for dinner with the family. It's a celebration that is celebrated at Mom's every year, and it's almost as big as Christmas at her house.

I love my mother. We've had a lot of ups and downs. We fight. We make up. And, we love each other even when we are mad.

Mom never stops trying to be mom, even though I am 50 years old. I've come to understand that that is just her. And, that is what I need to love about her, as much as it drives me crazy.

It's when I feel that she isn't being my mom that she and I have frictional moments. So, I've resigned to love my mom because and in spite of the fact that she is my mom.

She will never change who she is. I accept that, and I hope she never does.

Have a blessed day, and enjoy your mom this Mother's Day. One day, sooner than you know, she won't be there.

Happy Mother's Day!




Buy this for Mom!
(Help me pay some bills)

Cold Dead Hands

Me and my housemate were arguing about gun control the other day; particularly, whether churches and schools should be allowed to have armed guards including trained teachers that are allowed to have weapons on the campuses. The argument got heated. He doesn't believe this should be allowed. I argued that had a trained teacher had a gun the shooters would have not got as far as they did.

His argument was "What if a teacher gets mad and starts shooting at the students?" I thought that argument was absurd and told him so. A trained, law-abiding teacher who got the job because they had no record or any mental problems that would endanger the kids, being subject to background checks before they even get the job is unlikely to do such a thing. I mean, how many cases of this have we had? Period.

The argument got heated. He said he'd never go into a church with a gun on him even if he had a CCL because it's a holy place. I told him the Bible never had a problem with God's people defending the Holy Land.

He claimed that his training in martial arts was enough. I told him that martial arts wasn't going to save him from people who are ten or fifteen feet away shooting everyone in their sites. And, it was doubtful his skills could save a person the shooter was shooting at 20 feet away unless you had a gun to stop him with.

He wanted to argue that no one has the right to own an automatic weapon of any kind. I told him to go talk to the survivors of that church in Texas down the road from where the church that got shot up was that a man with an automatic weapon used to kill the man who shot them and saved countless lives doing so.

The argument got heated. I told him we needed to agree to disagree and leave it alone. He was not going to change my mind and I obviously wasn't going to change his. He wanted to continue until I told him "Look, if you refuse to allow law-abiding people the means to protect themselves, their family, or their property when the opportunity presents themselves, then you are as much a murderer as the shooter you refuse to let people defend themselves from." I told him once again to agree to disagree and "Get out of my face because you are P**ing me off!"

He shut up and went to his room for the rest of the night.

Meatballs

Hello, World!

OMG. Want a REALLY good meal?

Try this:

A casserole dish. 2 cups of rice in the bottom. 2 Cups of water. 2 Cans of Cream of MUSHROOM soup. Stir. Make sure rice is evenly distributed and soup and water are mixed well. Throw in half a bag of Meatballs from the freezer section (I bought Great Value). Place in the oven for an hour.

When you pull from oven, heat up a can of Spaghetti Sauce.

Dip the meatballs and rice onto a plate, top with spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with cheese (I used parmesan, Fred used shredded cheddar) and eat.

IT'S SO GOOD.

I gorged myself. Fred ate a HEAPING plate full and Gary had NO complaints.

Watching Dexter and playing with Traffic exchanges the rest of the night.

Have a blessed night!

The Dark before the Light

Hello, World!

The last few days I've been struggling with my sleep hours. I'm so used to sleeping during the day, I guess, after working the graveyard shift for the last two years, that sleeping at night is a struggle.

Fred and I have been enjoying episodes of "Dexter". We are in the third season now.

I took Gary to the Bank yesterday so he could pay his rent. And, I paid my lot rent for the month with that money, as well as the house payment. He bought us all chicken to eat, and gave the dogs the wings (as is our tradition). I spoke to the trailer park owners about my unemployment, and they were really supportive. He used to work at the Prison, too, and said I should have no problem at my new place of employment that I am only waiting on the background check for now.

Last night I snacked on sausage and pancake "corn dogs". I dipped them in my pear preserve syrup and it was AWESOME. Fred enjoyed it, too.

I am still waiting on my last checks, so money is way tight, and I had to break down and use the credit card to buy groceries with yesterday. I also got the dogs some flea drops -- it's that time of year. They were thankful for it, I think.

Still struggling with depression, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel...I think.

It's just a flicker, but it's there. I'm looking hard.

Have a blessed day!