"The strength of a woman can be found within her soul"

Way back when, or so it seems, a dear friend and I would give our goodbyes by saying, "Have fun." After realizing just how much we were saying it it morphed into another phrase, "Stay strong."Now saying it for over four years, I have a little something to say about it...

It's so hard to simply "stay strong"!!!

Some say if you aren't going forward, you're going nowhere. I agree with that and staying strong means nothing without getting strong and being strong continually. Once upon a time I did think I was strong. Boy was I wrong!!! I will admit maybe I wasn't "wrong" but staying strong in high school terms is not strong enough for todays terms. Life goes on and trials get harder. Strength grows weak if not nurtured and sought after.

And isn't life much easier when you aren't doing things alone? I wouldn't say I'm "lonely" in fact I've picked up the overwhelming thought that things are better when you can do them yourself. Like having an OCD over everything. Truth is that life is better when you have someone to be strong with. For a lot of reasons, I haven't sought after a social life here in Davenport and I can see what that mistake has done to me. I've not made any progress which has brought my strength down.

Day by day you can choose to be stronger but there is only so much you can do for yourself. You have to open up and let others bless your life as you bless theirs. Zion is not one person, after all, it is a group of people with one heart and one mind.

How great would it be to achieve the goal of Zion? it would be fabulous to me. I usually end with a toast to something so my toast today is to the weak....

Here's to the weak that are still striving, to the dreams of the weary, and to the stubborn that don't let people in like I do. We are still deserving and just need to accept help to get us to where we need to be.

-Ani

When under attack

When under attack, you hope you've prepared enough to survive it. It's easy to feel attacked or fed to the dogs, but where is the light of hope? Where is the comfort of home?

This is to another day. This is hope for tomorrow. This is hope to find home.