New Beginnings Women's Help Center

12/23/2025

As a child, anticipation for an exciting event like Christmas can be contagious. Children will open gifts put under the tree without even asking if they can due to their excitement. They will ask "Is it time to open the presents yet?" over and over. If you have woken up to a little face of a child perched within inches of your face, you have experienced anticipation. They are bound and determined to reach their goal of opening presents. Do you still have that kind of anticipation about your life? What if you knew that this year, Christmas would be filled with many blessings and joy? I have had years like this, and then other years have been filled with dread. Those years of dread were due to many reasons like grief, loss, and difficulties. The things that pulled me through those years were to let others plan, cook, and buy gifts. As well as, limiting my time and expectations for myself. There will be years that you will struggle but remember that anticipation of Christmas will change as we grow up. Let's not be too hard on those who are not filled with excitement and anticipation for Christmas. Just because we are struggling doesn't mean others have to hide their excitement/anticipation. Let's all anticipate making room for both this Christmas. We need one another more during this time of year.

12/19/2025

The clock is ticking down the minutes until Christmas. Only 5 more days to go. The final rush to buy the food, gifts, and wrapping paper is happening. This is the time that many can experience the feeling of stress, sadness, and frustration. Which every feeling that this holiday stirs up in your heart, don't ignore it. Instead, ask yourself questions to dig deeper into that feeling. If you are sad, ask yourself who, what, and why am I having this feeling. Then listen for your heart to respond to your mind the answer. Feelings will surface long before our minds register the reason. Many times, we find ourselves frustrated and we don't know why. Every day becomes a struggle to manage leaving us overwhelmed and exhausted. Difficulties rise up and we become unsettled. Let's not keep listening to the clock ticking and start connecting the dots between the feeling and reason. It's time to live our lives connected with peace.

12/19/2025

We all have wishes especially for the Christmas season. We wish for a present from a Christmas wish list. We wish for peace and love during holiday celebrations. We even wish that our loved ones who have passed could come back for just one day with us. The longing for your family to be together during this season is very strong. What do we do with a wish that doesn't come true? If we spend the entire holiday season only focused on that one unfulfilled wish, we can miss the many present people right in front of us. One helpful way to broaden our focus is to look for someone we can bless. The next time you go out to eat, look for a full table of diners and pay for their meal. Maybe the waiter or waitress needs a little blessing. If we open our view to those around us, we become the answer to others wishes this holiday. Do something in memory of your loved one and bless others this Christmas.

12/13/2025

When we go to buy a gift for someone, most of the time there is thoughts about what others would like to receive. There can be a list, which is helpful, but we still have to go through the hunting, buying, and wrapping the gift. It takes time to do this for another. Some of us would rather give then receive gifts. We can get so wrapped up with finding the perfect gift for others that an internal stress rises. This stress can take away joy and give exhaustion. Have you ever thought about giving to yourself a gift? For instance, the gift of time, relaxation, and doing things one enjoys are all important gifts to give yourself. Some may think this is being selfish or self-centered. Actually, this depends more on internal motivation, which we cannot see in others. We are the only ones that know what kind of gift is the most encouraging and helpful to give ourselves. Just remember that gift giving is not just for others, we need to put our names on the list. The most important question we can ask is, "What do I need in this very moment?" We can all give an internal gift to self. Give it a try.

12/11/2025

We make all kinds of lists, especially at Christmas time. As children, we made our list in a letter to Santa each year. Now as an adult, we have our list of gifts to buy, food to make, cards to send, and more. This time of the season can start to feel fragmented as we scurry around trying to check things off our lists. Everything seems to be vying for attention. We have lost the exciting anticipation of Christmas day. Take a moment to mentally check in with what is on your to do list. Do you have things on your list that bring peace and joy? Are there things that help you to be present in the moment? Having these things on the list will help to brighten the moments. When we make time to sit and reflect inward, our awareness becomes crystal clear. This season, take time to add things on your list that will be supportive during this busy time. You are the one who will benefit the most. We all need to be our own Santa to bring internal gifts to ourselves. Give it a try. Comment below what you did.

12/09/2025

Children can look with wonder and excitement about the future. They are the ones to continually ask, "Are we there yet?" when traveling to grandma and grandpa's house. Children get so excited when they think about Christmas. Many of us as adults have lost that sense of excitement about the future. Circumstances in life can bring grief, pain, and heartache that changes the outlook. Maybe this Christmas season is the time to recapture hope. First, we must change our perspective from discouraging thoughts about our lives to something different. Then try to pick one simple thing to focus your attention into the future. If a child can focus on Christmas morning and all the presents under the tree, we can certainly focus on one thing. What comes easily to a child needs to be carried with us as adults. So, finish this sentence: The one thing I'm focusing on for 2026 is __________? This can be an encouraging word, event, walks in nature and more. Comment below what you will be focusing on this holiday season.

12/05/2025

The glow of persistent lights has a calming effect on our minds. Just try to sit and stare at chasing or blinking lights for a few minutes and see how you feel. It can cause nausea, migraine, or feeling overwhelmed. During the holidays, we can feel like our circumstances are causing our minds to short circuit and blink rapidly. In order to have persistent lights, we need to make sure we are plugged into a power source. Some find that their power source is found in the birth of Jesus at Christmas time. His birth brings peace and hope into the thought life. Our lives can then glow peace and hope outward. If your life feels like the lights are dimming or going to go out, try looking for those whose lights are persistent in glowing peace and hope. They can help light the way when it seems dark. May we all be a persistent light of peace and hope to everyone around us. This little light on mine, I'm going to let it persistently shine.

12/04/2025

https://youtu.be/PkdkiuJgqxk?si=D5drZV_jZzzB4Tdy

Music video by Danny Gokey performing Tell Your Heart to Beat Again. 2016 BMG Rights Managementhttp://www.vevo.com/watch/QM4TM1600001

12/03/2025

Everyone has their own kind of ornaments that hang on the Christmas tree. Some love angel ornaments and some love Santa ones. Whatever type of ornament you put on your tree reflects what you love. Still there are others who would rather not even put a tree up and decorate it, especially if a loved one has passed. It is very normal to not want to celebrate when your heart is grieving. However, if many years have passed and you find yourself still not wanting to celebrate holidays, you may be stuck in grief. In order to get unstuck a certain type of ornament needs to be hung on your tree. That ornament is HOPE. An ornament that says, I have hope that one day I will see my loved one again in heaven. With this hope filled thought, go out and look for ornaments that represent that hope. Maybe your loved one liked cardinals, a certain sports team, or everything that sparkles. Then this Christmas you can decorate a tree with those hope filled ornaments that remind you of your loved one. Those that are no longer present in the body are still within our thoughts. We need ways to remember them even during the holidays. Comment below what kind of ornaments represent your loved one this Christmas.

11/29/2025

The dreaded Christmas lights that always seem to get mysteriously tangled up every year is not a festive way to start the holiday season. Every feel like what is the point, putting up all those decorations only to have to take them all down later. Emotions can get all tangled up in the holiday season just like Christmas lights. Expectations are so high that we feel like a hamster in a wheel that just keeps going round and round but doesn't get anywhere. PAUSE! TAKE A DEEP BREATH. Ask yourself these following questions:
What are my expectations and are they realistic to accomplish?
What memories do I want to make with those loved ones around me?
What is really important to me this holiday season?
This is checking in with your inner self before the rush of the holidays start. This will be your compass to lead you towards untangling emotions and memory making experiences. Then when we go to pack up all the decorations and lights, we will be able to smile like this little one, because of the memories that were made.

11/27/2025

Children are able to experience joy from the simple things in life like jumping in the leaves. When we become adults, we may dread having to rake up all the leaves in our yard. It seems that the more we live the less we experience gratefulness, thankfulness, and feeling blessed. The weight of life gets to heavy and we being to experience, dissatisfaction, joylessness, and affliction. Maybe we have lost that child-like curiosity of the world around us. A child can pick up a leaf and think they have found the greatest treasure. It is not that we need to feel different to experience joy again. We need to do what a child would do to change our thinking about the leafy treasure. We need to give gratitude to others, and it will change the attitude. The more we thank, bless, and share with others the more we will reap joy. It is true that the gift is in the giving. Maybe that is why we call the holiday, Thanksgiving.

11/25/2025

https://youtu.be/9LOSvwjI42M?si=jFE3MiSisSFE-q98

Official Music Video for “Heaven On My Mind” by TobyMacStream & Download here: https://TobyMac.lnk.to/heavenonmymindIDSubscribe to TobyMac on YouTube: https:...