A Mother and Her Courageous Choice

Do you think mothers are courageous? We sure do, and we believe that they are courageous all of the time. Mothers make decisions that always put their children first, at least in most cases I know of. The mother we wanted to talk to you about today is no exception. 

In fact, she is the model of what makes mothers awesome. The New Zealand Herald published an article earlier this year about this mother, and the decision she made to have her baby despite what doctors told her. The news?

Toni, this young mother was told that the baby she was carrying would only live for a short time if the baby survived. If you have been following our blog or have joined our community, then you know the stories we share not only reflect courage in the lives of others, but we share miracles. 

This story is nothing short of a miracle, and you'll love sharing this with your friends and family too! 

Courageous Choice Over Doctor's Recommendation

Toni was pressured by her doctor to terminate her baby early based on what they say were anomalies that showed up in the ultrasound. Toni was told that her baby girl had many problems physically that not only cause her to live a short time, 

She was told that there was no amniotic fluid around the baby, and that the baby's brain was growing out of sync. Plain and simple, she was told there is no hope. The condition she was diagnosed with, occurs in 2 out of every 100 pregnancies. 

This Premature Rupture of the Membranes was the overall diagnosis for Toni, which is what doctors say causes the baby to suffer physically. Toni made a courageous decision to NOT follow the doctor's advice and carry the baby despite the pressures. 

As a mother, Toni never feared giving her baby a chance at life, and when the baby was born, none of the complications she was told she had were evident. Her baby girl was born only with what is referred to as a horseshoe kidney. 

Is it possible that God rewarded her for her decision? We can't answer that, but what we can tell you is that it's always right to be courageous. Life is precious, and we value it. We believe you should too! 

If you love what we have shared with you today, please leave a comment below! 

Live a Courageous Life! 

Do Friends Become Bullies?

Is it possible that friends can be become a bully? Recently an article was published on CNN about Ally del Monte and her thyroid disease.

As a result of medication she was taking, she gained 60 pounds, and the jokes started to roll in.

Can you imagine such a dramatic change? I know a young woman that had her thyroid removed in 2008, and after that, the weight just piled on pound after pound. It was horrifying, and she gained more than 100 pounds in 45 days.

Kids can be cruel though, and they don't have that understanding that we do as adults that these types of jokes can have long lasting effects on an individual's life. The boys banned Ally from the jungle gym, stating that they feared she would break it. How awful.

Ally took it as normal, because she was getting used to the poor choice of jokes. Sad, wouldn't you say? Would you call these friends? I wouldn't.

Just because you are different or you don't look like others or dress like others, does that make you alien in some way? Does it make you uncool? Friends can often change with the wind and be cruel to you no matter what the cost of your current friendship.

Kids often don't see that what they are doing is mean or even wrong. Is that because your example as a parent is poor? It could be, and if you aren't guarded enough about it, you could be leading your children to believe this type of behavior is okay. Am I right?

It takes you being a committed parent, and in some cases it also takes you being a committed friend. Whether or not you are a teen, middle-age, or you are the parent, you have to stand up and teach your children what is acceptable behavior and what isn't.

Who do your children consider friends? Can you remember ever having "friends" like this? If so, it's time for you to reconsider who you are spending most of your time with, and take a look at who your children are spending time with.

Sometimes it's not that easy, but if you stay in tune with their lives and stay involved, everything will turn out alright. Be courageous, and share with your children and friends how to show more courage and love in this world!

PS-Did you relate to this blog post? Are your children struggling with being bullied at school? Why not give them something positive to wear in front of their friends, that will hopefully get them to stop and think? You can go HERE to show your courage!

Courage of a Mom with Breast Cancer

Would you have courage to go on if you were diagnosed with breast cancer? If you are the mother of two children, you don't really think of anything else but NOT giving up. This is the story of my mom. My mom was diagnosed early in life with breast cancer at the age of 40. Not only was she young for the average age of diagnosis at that time, but my mother was also called back immediately after her very first mammogram, EVER. 

I was in the 5th grade, and my brother was two years ahead of me; it was tragic. I could never admit it, and I kept telling my mom that there was nothing wrong with her. I kept saying to her, "You are not sick!" As upsetting as that was for her, I believed in my heart that she would make it, and she did. I couldn't imagine being so young and losing my mother. So, I just pretended it didn't exist. I think for our sake, she took on that role and my words and just decided that she just wasn't going to die. That is the courage of a mother.

A photo of me and my mother on my wedding day, November 14, 2009
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The first step for my mother was meeting with the surgeons, and at that time, they just drew on you. That couldn't have been fun for her. Not just that, but like any woman, mom feared that she was going to be someone different, somewhat alien in that she was losing a part of her anatomy. She had a mastectomy on one side, a reduction on the other, and the surgeons just kept mentioning more surgery. 

Her thoughts? I can't stay in the hospital forever, I have children to raise and a husband. Wow. No thought for herself; she just knew that she had to get better. That is courage. Every time I saw her, she had her makeup on and she was smiling. She didn't act as though anything was wrong with her. I just kept believing that she wasn't ill. The day of her surgery, my dad broke down as she was being wheeled back for surgery, and then at that time, it hit me that she was sick. 

To see my dad cry was a once in a lifetime thing; he just didn't do it. We were the family that people looked to for strength, and how to raise their family. Mom and dad were the parents that showed up at every school function, no matter what. No matter how tired she was, even after mom went back to work, she was always there. 

My mom has exhibited a ton of courage over the years, and although our relationship hasn't been the greatest, we love each other. I admire her still for what she did then, and what she is doing today. Feisty or not, she is my mom. I am going to be a mother soon, actually I already really am. No matter where you children come along, you love them. I love mine, and I haven't even met them. 

The one thing I learned from her is to NOT give up. She was so determined, the surgeon promised her his determination. His announcement when they popped out of surgery was music to the ears. "I got it all, no chemo or radiation." Wow. Even mom's "courage" gave others faith, and she still shares her stories with others. 

I just requested a t-shirt from Courageous Life for my mother, in honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness month. Won't you do the same? It's for a great cause, and it's less than what most of you spend to eat out. You can go HERE to get your pink t-shirt. Share your courage! 

Courage-What Defines This for You?

Courage is a great thing, yet it seems these days that so few people have it. With so much negativity in the media and in the world in general, it seems that we have more to worry about but less men and women coming forward to share their thoughts on what is happening and why.

Do you realize that if you don't like something, you simply need to be the change you want to see? Although we often look at change as way too hard for us, and we may think that getting others to change is too hard, we have to keep looking.

What if those before us just gave us and did nothing? What if those we call leaders didn't exist? What if those we call leaders didn't teach us what we have learned? What would we be like? Would we have acquired that knowledge elsewhere.

To do those things, it took courage. What will you do?

Do You Have Courage? 

Has anyone ever asked you if you have courage? If so, there was probably a reason that they asked you. It doesn't mean that you are weak, and it doesn't mean that you are someone that they won't follow, but it does mean that you need to look within yourself for something deeper.

Can you recall a time when you saw something taking place that you didn't agree with, and you did nothing? That was a lack of courage, and on a deeper level it may be a lack of conviction as well. The question isn't whether or not you are capable of being courageous, but it's a matter of whether or not you know what you believe and why.

If you do, it's easier to stand up for it right? There are tons of quotes about courage, and if you have any doubt as to what it means to exhibit courage, read those quotes and you'll better understand it. Read biographies about leaders and what they do, and by all means be sure that you check our our website so that you can read more about the leaders we are meeting, and what they are doing every day to make a difference.

You won't hear about them in the news, or the newspaper, or even the radio. You won't find them on Entertaintment Tonight, American Idol, or even Bill O'Reilly's show. These people just go and do, and they do for God. There is a big difference.

How will you show your courage today? 

How to Be a Rich Woman

Have you ever wondered what you would need to do to learn how to be a rich woman? What would it take for you to acquire wealth, status, and favor in the eyes of the world around you? For most women this is the goal, but for others it's not.

Many women only long to be rich in love and life, build better relationships with family and friends, and are not as concerned with the material things of this world. Many women want only what love can bring, and not the material things. So, can a woman be truly rich in all aspects of life?

Does a woman have to sacrifice one to get the other? Are both possible? Is it a sin to have money? Of course NOT! The truth is, God wants you to live richly, but there are some guidelines, and some things that you need to remember in order to live the life God intended.

If you want to learn how to be a rich woman, KEEP READING.

How to be a Rich Woman is About What You Think? 

Have you ever heard that learning how to be a rich woman starts with how you think? If you have ever watched The Secret movie, you know what I mean. The idea that you attract wealth into your life, right? What about the idea that you attract the poor into your life?

You can still attract anything, because perception is projection. While I believe that The Secret is made up of biblical principles and distorted, it has occurred to me that yes, we could stand to change the way we think.

Let it be known that you:

1. Believe in thinking good and pure thoughts
2. Believe in thinking on whatsoever is honest and lovely
3. Believe in thinking that you are fearfully and wonderfully made 

These are all things that make a woman believe that she can achieve wealth from the time she is a young child. Can you imagine growing up as a little girl, and hearing your father call you "princess"? Isn't that wonderful feeling?

If you did not experience that, then you may read this, with the emotions clawing at your heart, despising him for NOT calling you "princess". You are NOT alone. There are countless women out there just like you that have been in that space of pain.

Just as it's important for fathers to tell their daughters how beautiful they are, they also need to instill in them that they can have, be, or do anything they desire. This includes learning how to be a rich woman. Whatever context that comes in, the choice is yours.

Life is all about choices, so what do you choose? As we get older, it's our responsibility to decide what is best, and to separate the bad from the good. We need to find mentors that can come alongside us and give us guidance.

Even if you see a child that is struggling that isn't yours, wouldn't you help them? Don't you want them to be able to recognize what God's best for their life really is?

If you believe that all girls should and can learn how to be a rich woman, then be sure to stop by and check out our website at www.courageouslife.com today!

A Mothers Love No Matter What

A mothers love is no doubt just as strong or as sound as a mothers courage. You might be reading this wondering what this is really about. It's about the fact that once a mother gives birth, she never considers that she would have lived life any other way.

Imagine, how strong that love is that she chooses you. She choose to plan for you, have you, and then care for you.

A mother, wants to teach you everything about life, how to love, how to know the difference between right and wrong, how to read, how to paint, how to sing, and everything else a mom loved when she was a child. There isn't a replacement for this joy in life.

Your experience may NOT have been so loving, so special, and one that didn't create memories. Either way, this story of a mother's love will touch you. Keep reading.

How a Mothers Love Works 

It seems that when your child is sick as a parent, that you would do anything for them, right? Could you possibly name one thing you wouldn't do for them? It would be tough to think that you could think of one single thing right? 

This is why one of the most amazing things is how a mother can give birth to a child that is handicapped and NOT think twice about loving them. In a mother's eyes, her children are perfect, no matter what they do, even if they are upset with them. 

I was sitting in the doctor's office, and I was across from an older couple that had a set of adult male twins. I was watching them interact and I saw nothing but happiness, smiling, and conversation that was  unconventional, yet continous. 

One of the boys couldn't talk at all, and was using his sign language, but the other was fully conversational in his own way. Their mother caught me watching them and smiling, and I said to her, you MUST be the happiest mother in the world. She said to me:

"I am, and you are the first woman to ever say that to me, thank you! You see, most people don't get it. They would think that my husband and I are burdened taking care of them all of their life,yet we find it such a joy. The truth is, we have our boys here with us always, whereas most mothers don't. They grow up, go to college, then they get married, and you NEVER see them again. We value and treasure every second with them, and we wouldn't have it any other way." 

As we were talking, the one that had the ability to speak said to me, "You are so pretty. Yep, yep you are. Why don't you think that you are? Yep, pretty just soooooooooooo pretty."

I was smitten. In that very moment, I was captivated in a conversation with a young man that was very capable of expressing what he saw, but yet somehow I didn't see the same thing. I did see that he was loved, and that there are some things in life that are absolutely no accident. 

In fact, it was the joy of her being able to converse with him in this fashion that she said she has learned so much, and that her son taught her so much. It was the same thing I was seeing right then, and it was amazing. A mother hangs on every word, no matter what, just because it's her son. 

A mother's love never ends, and doesn't pick and choose what is lovely. 

I have to say that after this today, there is nothing like a mothers love that transcends all understanding, and that no doubt, it is the most unlikely candidates that teach us more about ourselves than we ever could.