Hello Everyone!  How are things in your outdoor world?  How is the new year going for you so far?  I am having a blast with my friends old and new.  My topic for today is about living and loving your life….  It also going to be about self renewal.  There is not a single one of us that has not found themselves in one kind of rut or another.  People all have stories.  I started this website last May so that I could do something I enjoyed and hopefully help others on the way.  We all make poor choices in our lives.  It can be the wrong job, the way we treat our friends, family, spouse, significant other, or sometimes even ourselves.

Those of you who have followed me from the beginning know my story and testimony.  You know about the confusion and heartache I faced last April.  I tried to post messages of love and forgiveness and asked you to practice it even though I struggled with forgiveness issues from my past.  Like you, I am a work in progress.  It is no secret…. I am a christian that loves God and tries to let him drive my life.  I am a very strong willed person and also a very kind and loving person.  I am normal like everyone else.  I have succeeded and had moments of greatness and I also have failed and had moments of heartache.  Way more heartache than one person should ever be exposed to.  Someday I will write a book about the lies and deception I have experienced in my life….

So here is where my message of renewal begins….  The definition of renew, as defined by Merriam Webster, is:

           To make new again; to restore to freshness, perfection, or vigor; to give new life to; to rejuvenate; to reestablish; to recreate; to rebuild; Specifically, to substitute for (an old obligation or right) a new one of the same nature; to continue in force; to make again….

I love the word renew.  It can be a goal for everyone in many different aspects of your life… In order to embrace the process of renewal we need to get right with ourselves and our God.  There are so many awesome pieces of life that you can’t see when you are in a state of lying, denial, hiding, running away, not accepting responsibility, un-forgiveness and just not making a general commitment to the dreams and goals you have for your life….  

I truly believe life is what you make of it and the way you live it determines your happiness.  I try to live my life with a sense of gratitude and positive attitude.  My life has been blessed with a loving family, rock solid friendships, a beautiful daughter and grandson, a fantastic job that I love, a wonderful church that I can be myself in, and a nice roof over my head and good health and prosperity.  2010 was one of the ugliest years of my life, but I would not allow myself to stop living my life.  NorthernGirl has been such a great tool to share all the wonderful blessings in my life.

I am going to try to incorporate the word  renew into my thinking this week and during 2011.  Maybe you like that idea and will too.  How about getting right with yourself and God…..  Think about your life and be brutally honest.  Are you where you want to be?  And I am talking about more than the lake, ocean, or in your spear shack.  Take a personal inventory and rip the cover off your life.  Take off your mask.  Be yourself and start truly living life again.  The past is the past.  Why not learn from it and put it in an archive box.  Memories and life experiences are meant to be cherished and mistakes are things we all have made and we need to learn from.

Just for today be honest with yourself and think about your true wants and desires and that purpose of your life.  What will you do to embrace that and move forward?  Can you make a commitment to yourself of renewal?  That is my plan and my message.

For myself, I am going to stop chasing the world and stop doing the easy things that everyone else does.  I am going to focus on my hopes and dreams of being able to serve others.  I love helping people.  I love learning from other people….  I love the outdoors and am so thankful I have a way to share my blessings  with you. 

NorthernGirl is always changing and many doors have closed in my face….i.e, trying to get art work created so I could start a clothing line, fish decoys, and art prints.  I don’t know why these doors keep closing.  I promise that I will keep exploring different passions and ideas until NorthernGirl becomes the web site it is meant to be.

If you have stories or comments you wish to share, photos of your blessings (or big fish) send them to me.  If you like what you see on this site please share the link on your Facebook, twitter or email it to a friend.  I am always looking for ways to enrich your life.  Let me know what you would like to see.  My mind and heart is open to your ideas.

I look forward to your comments.  Have a blessed day and love to you all,

NorthernGirl Tammy

Live Life Love Life