All i have to say is...

WOW!

we have been visiting the blogs of the entries and you guys rock and totally inspire me. I hope working through some of this was therapuetic for everyone. I know it was for me. People look at me strange {well at least I feel them through cyberspace, LOL} when I tell them that it is no surprise to find me laughing or crying in my scraproom at times.

And, as I sit here typing with tears in my eyes like total weirdo, lol... I have made plans to go see my grandmother. Thanks for those of you who have reminded me that even though she is not there mentally, that there is still a part of her that knows me and knows I am there.

I wanted to add the second half of the month's layout from Peggy and Jocelyn. Make sure you put us on your blogger feed b/c in the next few weeks we will post the entry layouts.

Jocelyn:

The journaling reads

Do I want to hold onto the hurt......

the pain that was so deep I thought I could

never take a deep breath again...Will I give

you this much control over my life. NO!

I must move forward....I must forgive.

I can breathe again...I can Smile.....

for this experience I have grown to be

the person that I know Today.....Forgive....

Peggy:



My journaling:
"I would give a lot to see you just one more time. I would tell you how much I love you, and how much I miss you.
You never asked for much, but I was too occupied with myself to even give you the little you asked.
You've always been there for me. I'm so sorry I haven't always been there for you."

Forgiveness Prompt 10

We have special news for this prompt today! We have our very FIRST sponsor! a HUGE thanks to Bonnie over at Scrapadilly and Green Greco products. These products hold a special place in my heart. The first reason is because they have totally cute products;) and the other is that their products are Eco friendly. So please check out the links above and support them. Bonnie is donating an awesome prize package of Green Geco products for one lucky winner who completes Prompt 10 and links it back to this post by September 10, 2009. We will promptly select a winner just in time for the next prompt.



with that being said...let's get started!!! Here is prompt 10:

I found this scandanavian proverb while thumbing through a book and i just knew it was perfect for us here at Forward Progress.

he who lets the small things bind him leaves the great undone behind him


how can we move forward in life if we have not forgiven {someone, something, ourselves, etc} for something in the past?

Now, you might be thinking that this is about the past but i want us to focus on what we need to do in order for us to forgive and forget ...a promise to ourselves....to let go of so we can move forward.


you might not want to forget but there is a process we go through for forgiveness and it starts today. for me, it starts now:

Here is ellen's take on today's prompt:

I used a heart from Clear Scraps and made a mask with the flowers on the back with Glimmer Mists and Color Washes. I sure wish it showed up better but this is the best photo I can get with it. I hid my journaling in the scroll. There is a little Magistical Memories chipboard drink on the back, LOL! I find I like to have a glass of wine when these things start going through my head.




in the scroll i wrote this:

it seems as if everyday i ask myself, "what if i would not have done that, would my life be different"? i often think, "will my children be punished for the decisions i have made"? if so, how can i live with myself? i am not sure why, til this day, i am so hard on myself. i seek perfection in everything i do and even when i receive constructive criticism, i take it so hard. i am not perfect. i am not perfect. i am not perfect. ellen, you made those decisions b/c at the time, it is what you needed to do to survive. maybe you got lucky, maybe there is a grand scheme for you. you are touching lives now, you are making a difference. let that be good enough. let that be enough so you can forgive the hurt you caused and allow yourself to heal and be forgiven. you must forgive yourself or that negative energy will destroy you. it will consume you. it has consumed you. don't give it the power you are now. it starts today. it starts now.


Lisa's:

This topic, for me, was easy. In life, we are all exposed to teachable moments. Some we recognize as such, others might slide right past us going unnoticed. Well, I'm hear to tell you, divorce is not one of those unnoticeable moments. There are lessons to be learned at every turn. While I am certain I failed in many ways in my struggle to get through the most painful experience of my life, I am proud to say, I worked hard at forgiving from the beginning. And I firmly believe that it was only by forgiving that I was able to let go and move on.

Title reads: Letting Go of hurt, anger, resentment

Journaling: "moving forward means letting go of the past if the past fosters nothing more than pain and anger. learning to truly forgive...and in the process, letting go, has brought healing and freedom."


The Howards: married 5-24-86 separated 1-9-05 divorced 2006:

coming soon...

prompt 9 and it's a "thinker"!!!

Until then i wanted to share this layout about change from Devon.



We are all about changing for the better here. thanks for letting us share, devon!

Jocelyn & Peggy

We asked Jocelyn to join us for a few months and do the next 3 prompts with us and this is her layout for our Taking Stock prompt {prompt 9}.

I always enjoy Jocelyn's candor and this layout is no exception. And look at that gorgeous picture of her!

Thanks Jocelyn!

Peggy is joining us as well for awhile and this is her take on Taking Stock. Take a look at this cooool detail! Peggy sent some instructions with this so I will be posting those at a later date or you can visit her blog from some more details {click on her name}.







Journaling left page:
When I think about where I am at this point in my life, I can only come to the conclusion that I have everything I have ever wanted ... My family. Although in my childhood dreams I definitely was a mom, but never a SAHM, I now can't imagine nor ever wish for another life. Maybe this fact, the fact that I'm a SAHM, is the reason that I still have so many plans for our house, our home, the place where I am at most of my time. Nothing in my house is 100% the way I want it to be. Still, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else, I love my home and my life in it. But then, sometimes from one minute to the other, I get frustrated because the bathroom isn't big enough, or the electricity is playing up again... How can a person go from intense happiness to utter dissatisfaction in just a moment's time? But then I turn on the TV and watch a documentary about homeless people, or poor people in Africa or other poor countries, and I am reminded once again, for a minute anyway, how good life has been to me. Still, I don't think it's so unusual for a person to want more, I think we all do from time to time, it's in our nature. What would we be without our dreams, without goals in our lives?

Journaling right page:
Yes, 3 different kind of bricks. The exterior of our home definitely leaves room for improvement. However, this ugly exterior houses a safe haven for our family. It's our own cozy little place, where we are building our own happy memories. Our bathroom ("the little white room") definitely could do with a make-over... but ... it provides us with everything we need: water, just by turning the tap ... what a luxury! Yes, there are way to many weeds in our garden, and we so need to replace our fences. But, when our kids are playing here, and the garden is filled with laughter, this garden feels like paradise!

P.S. I WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW WE HAVE A SPONSOR COMING UP FOR NEXT MONTH! A NEW COMPANY WITH WAY COOL PRODUCTS!

A Layout to Share

This month's prompt was about taking stock of ourselves. Looking at where we are right now with regard to who we are, our goals or where we want to be. Kim created this wonderful layout that expresses how she sees herself. I love that she intentionally used a blurry photo to place emphasis on the fact that the lines that define us are often unclear.



Her journaling reads: "Here I am. I am not perfect. I can be moody, impatient and stubborn. I'm also loving, creative and loyal. I am real, I am me. And that's enough. Right now I am stopping and taking a moment for this...and to just breath."

Thank you Kim for participating and taking the time to take a closer look at yourself.

Goals

I like to hang out over at CMK and I am so glad I do b/c the inspiration over there just drips from the gallery.

The other day I spotted this layout by Joli when she got picked for LOTD. It's about change and accountability so I asked her if we could post it here b/c, well, this is what we are about...right?!

Thanks for letting us be a part of your journey, Joli! I am right there with you, this is something that i battle everyday and have come to the realization that it will be part of my life forever. I found that having a partner to help me get motivated has helped. Mmy best friend stacy has lost 34 lbs over the past year and when i am feeling "bleh" i call her, she yells at me to go to the gym and i feel better for it.

Thanks again, Joli!


If you have a layout about a journey you are on, let us know! we want to post it here and follow you on that journey. we are all here for each other, lord knows i need it ;)

Prompt 9

taking Stock...Assessing my personal well being. How can we expect to have forward progress if we are not looking after our state of well being. peace within ourselves..

I have goals...dreams...aspirations...but how do I expect to reach those if i don't have "stock" in myself.

These means evaluating your present position. Are you happy? Probably. Could you say you are even if aren't? Are we honest with our present self?

If you could put a monetary number on how much one share of stock in yourself would cost, what would it be?

Are you worth it?

Okay! I got Lisa's Loaded and hopefully I can get mine loaded soon.

Here is Lisa's layout:



And Ellen's: