The REASON for this Winning Woman's TroopWalk 2009 (edited)

Image by Army.mil via Flickr

From Ruth -

Hello to those of you following this TroopWalk 2009 journey!

I appreciate your interest in this event and so do our military service members, veterans, and their families. We are receiving so many emails every day now that I am overwhelmed with appreciation early on in this event, but that volume of correspondence makes it difficult to answer each and every person who contacts me/us to directly.

I appreciate each and every one of you – more than you know – so please keep those emails and text messages coming! You keep me upright, focused, and your support helps me keep moving those tired, achy feet forward on the path to completing a much-needed mission!

There is something I would like our followers to understand:

This TroopWalk 2009 event is about the Founder and President of Inspiring Alliance Military Support Network, a nonprofit service organization that provides transitional support to our military audience, setting aside 5 months or more of her life to make a statement about the unmet needs of our service members, our veterans, and those unsung heroes who support them — the spouses and children who are also affected by sacrifices made by every member of our Armed Forces!

Although my sacrifices seem small in comparison to those made by our soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors, we think it is important for people to understand I am a single woman who has given up my income, my home, my vehicle, my social life (contact with church, family, and friends), and I have set aside my for-profit business in order to be able to invest however many months are necessary to travel from Walter Reed Army Medical Center to the Naval Medical Center San Diego to make a statement on behalf of those individuals Inspiring Alliance serves.

I have listened to countless stories about the challenges our service members face – everything from not being able to find a job when an individual shifts from military service to civilian life to stories of loss of homes, forced bankruptcies and even extended waits of up to 18 months for some of our wounded warriors to receive their first disability check after they have applied for government support. We all recognize the system is flawed, but I wonder how many people think about how issues like this affect the very core of our country.

Stop for a moment to recognize that every service member puts his or her life on hold — in much the same way I have (except that they get paid a wage during their military tenure and I have no income source except for donations and gifts of food or lodging during the tour). In addition, entire families – not just a spouse and children, but extended families – are also affected during that time our nation’s heroes are protecting our freedoms!

Let’s come together, America, and show our support for all these brave men and women do on our behalf. Let’s show them how much we appreciate them as you join me on the sidewalks of VA, WV, OH, IN, IL, MO, KS, CO, UT, NV, and CA to share your understanding of the true price that is paid for Freedom! We love and appreciate all our service members, veterans, and their families do for us — let’s get up out of that chair and off that sofa and PROVE IT!

God bless you all, and God bless our Armed Forces!

Click on map below to see where Ruth is at, and don't forget to donate to the cause at;

http://www.troopwalk.com

Day ONE - Ruth our Winning Woman Trooper

Image by Old Shoe Woman via Flickr

Day One -

As Ruth bowed her head in prayer and remembrance for the many troops who have fought for our freedom, she thought about the fact that she is ready to take her first step on this walk across America alone. No cheering crowds, no media coverage, just one woman, alone with a big heart and desire to help raise awareness for the troops.
Finishing her quiet time, she gazed up and looked toward the Walter Reed Army Hospital and saw two silhouettes waving at her. Thanking God for this encouragement, she began the first day of her 5 month journey at 8AM yesterday, Memorial Day 2009...

Ruth finished her first day walking 27-1/2 miles for the TROOPWALK.com Fundraising event. Sore calves, aching toes, a right foot with 5 broken bones, tired, and exhausted physically but she is excited about the journey and hopes to meet the families of military and supporters of our troops along the way.

If you are able to walk a few minutes, a mile or give words of encouragement as she comes to your town, please come out and meet her.

If you have a hotel, motel, restaurant and can offer food & drink and a place to stay for the night, it would be such a blessing to her.
Please let us know how you can help!

WE have SPOT satellite monitoring with accuracy with her location to let you know where she is.

Keep the prayers and support coming!

Donate Here;

http://www.inspiringalliance.org

The One Flaw in Women

Women have strengths that amaze men.

They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they
think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what
makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideas.

They give moral support to their
family and friends.

Women have vital things to say
and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Share this with a friend and family members
to remind them just how amazing they are.

Remember that everyday you are a Winning Woman!

Mother's Day - A Day of Celebration

Image via Wikipedia

Happy Mother's Day the kids are shouting and squealing with delight at the prospect of all the secret ideas the have concocted with dad to spoil mom on this special day.

Oh the childish excitement and giddyness that flows through the house, as the kids are trying to keep quiet making breakfast for mom, setting the table, perhaps even cutting flowers from the garden to decorate with.

Shhh, she's coming they whisper so loud the neighbors can hear. But she takes it with a smile and plays along with her family knowing that they know she knows too.

How fun, and what a happy day - Mom is treated like a queen for a day, along with all the wonderful treats and surprises only kids could conjure up with true creativity.

Will the boxes she opens be a string of pearls, or a diamond ring? No, most likely it will be those special drawings and paper wrapped boxes that are called to be the caretakers of Mom's Jewelry that will be the delight of her life. Made with love, by her children, she embraces and lovingly touches each one as if they were indeed precious gems.

Her children surprise her with flowers in a vase and a box of chocolates, which they handpicked, and now are eagerly awaiting the unfolding of the covers that reveal this wonderful delicacy, which they want to partake of with her.

A family, safe, secure, blessed, enjoying the wonderful gift of children that God has given them.

Now, its Dad's turn; he kisses his wife in front of the children, (security for the kids, knowing that Dad and Mom love each other). He gently puts an elegant long stemmed rose without thorns into her hands and a card. As she opens and begins to read it, tears well up in the pools of her eyes. Her husband in the best way he knows declares yet again his undying love, devotion,. and faithfulness to her and the family He thanks her in front of their children for being his wife and the love of his life! It may have been a difficult year with challenges that brought them close together, but together they are stronger and their relationship is bonded by the Christ-centered vows they made to each other on their wedding day.

Sounds like a fairy tale, but it is also real for so many women who have developed strong relationships with their husband and children to celebrate this day.

I hope that you will find your day full of wonderful treats and blessings to savor and keep in your heart, till next Mother's Day.

Enjoy and celebrate today as a Winning Woman that you are!

Mother's Day - A Day of Restoration

Image by joaquimb via Flickr

A woman is sitting in front of a window gently holding the fragile and delicate baby's breath and fragrant lilacs in her hands. Gazing, she seems out of touch with the world for the moment, until the rustling noise of keys brings her back into reality. It is Mother's Day. A day she dreads each year and is glad when it is over. She thinks about how things could have been different for her, she would have a child that would be calling her Mommy, but that is not to be this Mother's Day.

Instead, she goes to the grave site of the child she allowed others to take from her womb years ago as a young girl. The guilt infested her heart, and filled her with anger and sadness. Deciding she would not let it just disappear from her life like a some stain removed in the wash cycle, she opted to make a memorial of the child she could have had the joy of celebrating Mother's Day with.

Every year Mother's Day celebrations come and go. Some turn out well, and for some it is a heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, sad and disappointing day.

Many a woman has looked at this day with disdain, because, sometime, early in her life, she may have had an abortion, given up her child for adoption, due to an illness lost her child. She thinks about the fact that she is not a mother, could have been a mom, and her heart is filled with sadness, mourning over this loss.

It may be that because of various situations and circumstances, a young girl chooses to end the life of her child without fully understanding the consequences of this "choice" in years to come. Most regret this decision and live with the guilt, the pain and the sorrow for the rest of their lives.

Regardless of the reasons, it is still painful for many women to think about let alone talk about it, especially on Mother's Day.

Thankfully, we have a Heavenly Father who reaches out to us with unconditional love and forgives us, restores our soul and waters our spirits, so that we can once again become whole and begin anew. The refreshing and cleansing is the turning point for women who need to accept what was done, ask forgiveness from God and themselves, and be able to know that God will give a new beginning for those who ask!

The Bible encourages us with this; In Romans chapter 8 verse 1; So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus... He is the restorer of our soul, our being, it is the hole that He fills with His love,mercy and grace.
Grace is the undeserved favor of God,which He lavishly pours out upon His children. There is nothing you can do to deserve it, just love Him as your Savior and Lord.

When we look to celebrate this precious day of remembrance, rejoicing in our own mothers, children, grandchildren - let us be sensitive to the women who are grieving on this day. A prayer, a smile, an invitation, an extended opportunity to share God's grace and love is a wonderful and kind gift to give any woman on any day. We never know when our paths cross with the woman God has chosen for us to meet and befriend, encourage, esteem, love on, hug, and pray with.

This Mother's Day, if you are a woman who has been through the pain of such loss, or a woman who is looking to celebrate - I hope your paths cross. It just might be the most wonderful Mother's day for you both!

Every woman is loved and precious to God - without conditions, He loves you!

Celebrate the fact that you are His wonderfully created and beautiful Winning Woman!

Twitter - a Bird's Nest of Hope & Love

Image by Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten via Flickr

There are those; the cynical, the nay-sayers who would challenge the idea of an online community that is like a family.

Yes, many of us are professionals looking to meet and expand our networks. Some of us have products or services that we can promote and gain clients from. All types of business people connecting with others in their field to find reprieve from the pushy side of business and be able to share ideas, attend webinars, exchange knowledge, information, and join a group.

Health issues such as; Autism,Breast Cancer, Heart Attacks, Strokes and other causes have a platform.

Politically, it has extended for many of us an eye into the throws of national and global issues without the bias of msn, and gives us information and a voice to express our concerns on subject that affect each of our lives no matter where we live. politics We can find groups such as TCOT that one can be a part of to express freely concerns about our country.

Imagine a group of guys discussing with intense brevity the biggest fish they ever caught, current trades and stats in their favorite sports or even Fantasy Football. Fantasy Football

Additionally, for women; there are the clubs, groups or organizations that draw those who would perhaps never be able to attend an actual live meeting due to children, work, illness, or financial restrictions. To find a plethora of resources, make new girlfriends to connect with, develop and share special friendships with, and find encouragement from each other is found sometimes from a simple 140 character tweet that can brighten up a person's day.

The benefits of Twitter are endless like the reverberation of a smooth stone carefully aimed skipping across a quiet pond. The ripple effect is almost immediate. A word, a cause, a comment can create such a passionate response and support.


For me, it has been only a few months since I discovered Twitter, and admittedly, I have to say it has been a blessing. Funny how God uses the oddest things to help us out when we need it the most. Moving to a new community where I know no one, working virtually with my clients, I spent days and nights focused only on work. On top of an extremely cold winter, missing my grand kids, left me with no energy or desire to seek groups, organizations, let alone trying to make friends. Hating the thought of being stuck in a blue winter mood coupled with an attitude of lethargy, I spent my free moments searching the internet to mine its caverns for untapped treasures.

I started with FB, and rapidly became bored and frustrated, because it did not offer the "live" interaction or dynamics of topics and people I could easily communicate with. It was more dry and stoic, thus I continued my search in hopes of finding something that would suit my personality, and what I found, literally changed my life!

Don't get me wrong, I was busy with work, have a huge address book of professional contacts and business friends. Having traveled all over the world, made friends in different countries, continue my relationships with them, but Twitter was different. The social interaction, the opportunity to meet other professionals, learn and be current with politics, technology, issues, and concerns of today, infused my excitement about Twitter in a most profound way. I looked forward to tweeting with new found enthusiasm and anticipation. Finding new friends and an avenue to interact immediately was sheer delight.

You may even be nodding your head in agreement as you think about why you are on Twitter; personally, it has given me a voice to express my experiences with Breast Cancer, expertise as a Business Executive and Coach, an amateur gourmet chef, a chocolatier, wine connesuier, mom of twins, Grand of 6, an author and writer of books and stories that I can now share. To be involved in causes that are important to me as well as others gives new meaning to social networking.
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As prosaic as it may sound, it already feels like home, like a comfy sweater, like a nest that I share with other tweeps. Home in the sense, that when I log in, I find myself reading with awe some of the wonderful tweets from friends I have found and developed relationships with. It brings a smile to my face, and warms my heart. I know that my presence makes a difference in someone's life and my tweets have value and impact.

I may never meet any of the people on Twitter, but I know we make a difference in each others lives in some way. We all leave an impression in the hearts of those we have come to know. Our imprint will be like a spirit that continues to reach and touch others lives that cannot be taken away even if Twitter goes away, (which I hope never happens).
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We have built an international under-pinning of people who share the same basic desires; to relate to other people who share similar interests and are looking for friends to expand their networks, to be free to speak, pursue their desires for freedom, self-sufficiency ,reward for hard work, protection by our government, and ultimately being able to thank God by honoring Him with our lives.

So thank you Twitter and all the new friends I have made and yet to make. Thank you for being so kind to invite me into your lives and allow me the privilege of sharing mine with you. Thank you for "being" there, with words of encouragement and affirmation. I hope that I too, can be an encourager and offer bits of wisdom and grace to those I meet.

These are my reasons, what are yours? Would love to hear your comments. Thanks!