Almost two years have gone by since I first had the idea to create the Heal With Hope website. The idea for the site came to me one day when I was sitting around feeling sorry for myself - my illness left me unable to work, and yet I knew that I still had so much to contribute to the world. So as I sat there I said to God, "ok, I know there must be something I should be doing with my life...I sure could use some help figuring out what that is"...and a thought immediately popped into my mind - create a website to help other people who are struggling with their health! As I started to plan exactly how I would do this, the vision for it became so clear - I knew without a doubt that this was a divinely inspired idea.

Once the site was up and running it was not taking nearly as much time as I thought it would to maintain, and once again I was in a place trying to figure out what it was I should be doing with my life. This was on my mind a lot...and one morning I woke up at 4:00 AM and had the answer...as I laid in bed I had what I can only describe as a "vision" - in my mind was a book...I could see it - the title, the way it should be laid out, the entire concept. I grabbed my notebook that I always kept by my bedside and starting writing...and writing...and writing...for almost 5 hours I sat there and put to paper all the ideas I could recall from my "divine inspiration". Well, it has been almost a year and as I sit here typing this blog entry I am delighted to tell you that I am also printing a rough draft of the book that was once just a vision - The Healing Handbook & Journal. I have no idea what will happen with this book, but I do know that whatever is meant to happen, will. Whether this book turns out to be a bestseller, or if the only copy that is ever read is the one I am printing out of my computer right now, that's ok. I am at peace knowing that whatever God intends for this book is exactly what will happen...and I also know that whatever is next on the horizon for me, I am ready, willing and able to take it on!!!!
~ Andrea :-) www.healwithhope.com

Summer has definitely arrived - the heat, the humidity...and for some reason memories of a time when summer meant something completely different: get to the beach, wear skimpy clothing, put the top down on the car, and most of all HAVE SOME FUN!!

And so my trip down memory lane begins - thinking of all of the great summer vacations I took with my family, the fun times I had with friends, and the sense of freedom that only summer can bring.

Of all the memories of summers past, my favorite had to be the summer of 1970...I had just graduated from high school...women's liberation was in full swing - you couldn't turn on the television without seeing some kind of women's rights rally, and inevitably a few women who would entertain the world as they made a bonfire and burned their bras!!

Fashion designers took notice and fashion took on a more free and liberated style...never before had clothing been designed to be worn without bras, though surely in the small town I grew up in, no one would even think about going braless. Well, unless you were 17 years old, had just graduated from high school, and were ready for adventure.

One day I was shopping for an outfit to wear out that evening when I came across the cutest little top - I'd never even tried on anything so skimpy before. Though I can't tell you what I ate for breakfast this morning, I can tell you that I remember every detail about that cute little top - it was a soft pattern, sleeveless with a collar, buttons down the front, and it was short - it ended just below the bust - where there was fabric meant to be tied into a bow under the bust. Well I just had to have it as it fit perfectly...and best of all I didn't need to wear a bra with it!! Note: for those of you who don't know me, I am well endowed, so if Iwent without a bra the world would know it!!

That night as I got dressed to go out I couldn't wait to put on my new top (minus my bra) with a new pair of low-cut jeans I had just purchased (Brittney Spears was not the first girl to show off her belly!! And in those days I had a belly I was proud to show off!!). My parents always liked me to have dinner with them before I went out, so I joined them in the kitchen for a meal before leaving.

I promise you I will never, ever forget the look on my father's face when he glanced up from reading his newpaper to say hello to me - looked at my outfit - and stopped breathing!!! I can see it as though it had happened yesterday - his mouth dropped open and he said, "where do you think you are going dressed like that..." I calmly explained that I was going out with my friends for the evening, to which he replied, "there is no way you are leaving this house without a bra!!". And so the battle began...I was a "liberated woman" who had rights, and I could wear what I wanted!! Dad's argument was that as long as I lived in his house I followed his rules and his rule was no bra, no going out!!!

This went on for some time, and to tell you the truth I honestly can't remember if I ever did put the bra on or not...but I sit here thinking about how great it would be if my dad were still here for me to argue with about silly little things...how great it would be to be young and feel as though you could do anything and be anything...and most of all how wonderful it was to be 17 in the summer of 1970. ~ Andrea :-)

No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born. —Dale E. Turner

The world is changing...or my perception of it is. I can remember being in my early twenties and reading or hearing about someone in their 50s or 60s who had accomplished something signficant - maybe started a successful business, or wrote a bestselling book - which seemed so extraordinary for someone so "old". It appeared that the world belonged to the young - at least in terms of opportunity and the expectation of one being able to turn their dreams into reality.

Today you often hear about people in their 50's, 60's, 70's and even 80's doing great things with their lives - and it is not considered unusual or uncommon. I am sure part of it is that we have greater knowledge of how to live healthier and longer lives, as well as great medical advances have been made that have added quality and quantity to our years.

I also believe that much of this has occurred because many of us have made the choice to move towards greater"awareness" and "enlightenment". We are learning to stop identifying with our physical form and instead recognize that who we really are - our true being - is our spirit. And so the emphasis that was placed on physical appearance seems less so, and we learn to keep our focus on ways to achieve inner peace, live in gratitude and align with our true self and purpose. Which then feeds our spirit, and in turn creates beauty that can't be described in physical terms, and serves to grow creativity and imagination - leading to some amazing accomplishments.

One of the greatest benefits of my long illness was my eventual journey to a remarkable path of enlightment, which has opened so many doors of incredible opportunities. In my mid-50s I am full of ideas, dreams, and goals of so many things that I want to accomplish...all of which fills me with such tremendous hope and optimism for the future.

So no matter your age, your health, or your position in life - the opportunity to grow, to transform, and to blossom is real and possible. Let go of your limiting beliefs and choose to know that you can...and you will... ~ Andrea :-)