I have shared about my various struggles, over this last year, in particular. I FINALLY realized, the other day - that the life I was trying to live was NOT sustainable. I had lost all of the focus and discipline I had worked hard to build over MANY years. I know the decline started in the Spring of 2025, with my "Tale of 3 New Cellphones" within 3 weeks. I lost my life-footing, and kept trying to crawl back and "catch up". THAT never works - I even had MANY conversations with myself regarding that fact; attempting to start over from where I was. But I just kept getting further and further behind - though I did keep trying, and trying. I never stopped writing my ideas, but even this Blog suffered. I sincerely apologize - and take full responsibility for my shortcomings. My Vacation was so needed; and then the Holiday Season hit me with a vengeance. Mostly, I didn't know what I was feeling, I really don't think I was, per se - except more and more behind; and SOOOOO overwhelmed with EVERYTHING!!! In looking at my Advent Calendar, still on the wall - I, recently, figured out that I finally just shut down, and went through the motions of my life - from December 15, on. I told my Counselor a couple weeks ago, that my Wicked/Wicked:For Good obsession was the only thing that got me through the year. (In looking back, I've written about how the movie Sister Act helped me survive 1992 - all I can say, is, God's Mysterious Ways.) Well - from this moment on, I will be taking it one moment at a time; and attempting to build, again. I know am not starting from the beginning; but you gotta start somewhere, right??! Working to keep what I need my life to be - sustainable. I cannot be the only person that feels this way... We would LOVE to hear any insight you might have. Please contact the ministry via this website; or email us at Ozer Ministries, Inc - ozerministries@att.net ; or my email - Connie J... - beamererin@yahoo.com . Have a good day, and be safe!!! #ENDtheSILENCEofVIOLENCE #isityou #domesticviolenceiseverywhere #youarenotalone #doyouknow

If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me why I did something, good or bad, I would be a millionaire. Sometimes, it was a conscious, thought-out choice; other times, it's because I had a period of a type of mental paralyzation - caused by feeling overwhelmed. Though it has improved; it still happens, and it can take awhile for me to really catch ahold of it and name it. I looked back on my Advent Calendar, from this previous December. The last date I put an ornament up, was December 15. I realized a couple weeks, ago, that was the date I shut down - to get through the Holiday Season in retail. I knew I had been struggling, throughout the year; but when I noticed that calendar, it was like a flashing red light in my face!!! I have been trying to evaluate this last year, and my downward trend, for awhile. I was functional, went to work, etc; but all the parts of my engine were not engaging. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner - overwhelmed, it is!!! I noticed I had lost my coping for that Holiday Rush - but I thought it was because I had lost my "Holiday Momentum", the last few years, being out with my surgeries, etc. Whatever the reason - I have an official date of shutdown. Apparently, I just gave up the fight. I have been trying to talk it through, with both myself AND my Counselor - not to make excuses; but to get to the root of it. That, is still a work in progress...  Have you had this happen to you? Some people refer to it as "spiraling", etc. Gotta say, honestly, am NOT a fan - but, here we are... We would LOVE to hear any insight you might have. Please contact the ministry via this website; or email us at Ozer Ministries, Inc - ozerministries@att.net ; or my email - Connie J... - beamererin@yahoo.com . Have a good day, and be safe!!! #ENDtheSILENCEofVIOLENCE #isityou #domesticviolenceiseverywhere #youarenotalone #doyouknow

...no longer want to be, is sometimes easier, than deciding who you WANT to be. I got this idea from a meme on Facebook, that said, "I have had MANY people in my life teach me who I do NOT want to be". As Mr Miyagi told Daniel in Karate Kid, during the bonsai lesson - "close eyes, picture what you want your tree to look like. Now open your eyes, and trim away all you don't want your tree to be". It's a starting point - usually, with a lot less "fuzzy stuff" - your own, or other people's expectations, etc. A different path for your future to take. Anticipation of something new and different. A motivational fear of the unknown; and it literally can be what you make it, by breaking old patterns. Have you ever thought about it? Is it time to start it??! Remember, doing it for yourself is a good thing. That's when change "sticks better". We would LOVE to hear any insight you might have. Please contact the ministry via this website; or email us at Ozer Ministries, Inc - ozerministries@att.net ; or my email - Connie J... - beamererin@yahoo.com . Have a good day, and be safe!!! #ENDtheSILENCEofVIOLENCE #isityou #domesticviolenceiseverywhere #youarenotalone #doyouknow

...it is redirection. I have been listening to inspirational videos on my lunch hour - this came up in one of them, and I found it interesting, and applicable, currently. Things come up, in life, that we REALLY want, sometimes, don't they. But, then we get what feels like a firm "NO!!!" Often, later, we see how that path could have gone really bad for us, and we're grateful for that "no". But, at the time, it's frustrating. How has this happened, and affected YOUR life? Ever thought about it; or are you still holding on to those negative feelings that arose from that perceived rejection? It took me a LOOOOOONG time to become aware of those kinds of feelings I was retaining; AND being held hostage by them.  Isn't it time to process those feelings, and move forward from them? The mind-opening freedom that comes, is amazing. It enables you to focus on your future; and move on from your past. We would LOVE to hear any insight you might have. Please contact the ministry via this website; or email us at Ozer Ministries, Inc - ozerministries@att.net ; or my email - Connie J... - beamererin@yahoo.com . Have a good day, and be safe!!! #ENDtheSILENCEofVIOLENCE #isityou #domesticviolenceiseverywhere #youarenotalone #doyouknow

Christmas - beginning with the Advent Season - celebrated via calendars and candles, was always a connection. Then on to Christmas Eve - with the candlelight service, that always ended with Silent Night. That trying to get to sleep, though - it came eventually, but usually way before I was ready. Most of my holidays, per se, always had some type of...friction.  Basically, if the focus wasn't on what my FATHER needed, at that moment; the stress-level automatically got raised for the entire household. Believe me, the good times were amazing; but as I got older, waiting for that "switch" to be flipped, became inevitable. That "switch" wears on you after awhile, doesn't it? #iykyk. Do you have happy childhood Holiday memories, or were yours tainted, somehow? We would LOVE to hear any insight you might have. Please contact the ministry via this website; or email us at Ozer Ministries, Inc - ozerministries@att.net ; or my email - Connie J... - beamererin@yahoo.com . Have a good day, and be safe!!! #ENDtheSILENCEofVIOLENCE #isityou #domesticviolenceiseverywhere #youarenotalone #doyouknow