In 15 days, I have accomplished a lot. I didn’t realize it until just a moment ago, but now that I look back, I am quite pleased. Monday will be a great start to next week because I finished quantifiable work on my to-do list. Yay!

In 15 days, I have:

1. My old blog is completely deleted, and its posts are permanently gone.  I started over, a move that was pretty to do, but I knew why it had to be done.
2. I deleted connections to people with whom there was never any real connection.  My initial requests were selfish, as were theirs to me.  Though I have fewer connections, they are all more genuine, and I can build a real community with like-minded people over time.  I think that is more efficient and effective, and I thank Eric Walker again for the example.  The deletions were not personal in the least.  It was all business.
3. I completely redesigned my website.
4. I searched for and found effective tools for traffic generation on Google, and in 3 social networks.
5. Two mentors crossed my path, and I have a lot to learn from them – one man and one woman.
6. I set my short, medium, and long-term goals.
7. I met all of my short-term goals:  figure out my “perfect customer”; build my business from the heart; get my blog hosted with a great hosting company, choose 5 more domain names for future growth, spend time networking with Facebook colleagues to build relationships, and write a blog at least once every other day.  I need to up it to a blog a day, and I will soon.  All single short-term goals are accomplished.  Now, I must set more short-term goals and keep working towards the medium rage ones.
8. Go out on 2 dates with hubby and spend 2 “girl days” with Deanna.
9. Watch the latest Twilight franchise film.
10. Finally sleep more than 4 hours.  Night before last, I slept 10 hours straight.  I needed it so badly.

So…when I look at all that, I am pleased.  I have done more than I thought I did, and I can move to the next stage now…..TRAFFIC GENERATION!

This should be a lot of fun.

My husband and daughter have been awesome so far.  We are all on board together to build this business and know that it will help us to do more for others and to live a life where money truly is a tool and not something that we stress over not having.  Eventually, we will all do the business together.  Working from home is proving itself to be so much more than I could have ever hoped.  I am a blessed woman!

Network marketing is proving to be a profession that attracts bright people who have a heart for others.  I am surrounded by people who know that network marketing/working from home will help many to keep their homes, feed themselves and their families, and then do these same things for others.   If the second wave of the US recession hits harder than we expect it to do, self employment is going to become the norm.  I want so badly to help people gain a wealth mentality…which has nothing to do with having 40-foot yachts and traveling all over the universe.  For me, wealth is having what you need and enough to give too…

A special shout out goes to Tinu Abayomi-Paul for all of her business-love sent my way.  Thank you for showing me another beautiful example of what leadership looks like!  I pray that God heals your body and that all your prayers are answered.  You are an angel to me, Tinu….

Congratulations to all of us on making it to week’s end with our minds and integrity intact.  We, are soldiers too…

Blessings,

The Soldier’s Wife

Christi Johnson

Johnsonconsulting1 – Skype ID

336 790 2112 – office

johnsonconsulting3@gmail.com

It was not a difficult sell to him because he values family like I do, but the challenge was in finding something to do that could actually generate a full-time income.  I have done a number of things, trying to find the best thing, and I thought it valuable to share what I have learned over time.  What did not work for me very well may work for you.  These are not listed in any kind of order, and there are only three. Still, these work-from-home roles earn many people a full-time income from the comfort of home.  I hope this is helpful as you search for profitable ways to work and earn income from home.     Here goes….

1. Network Marketing.  Difficulty:  Varies widely from easy to exceptionally difficult, depending on the products, the compensation plan, and the structures in place for the beginner.  Some people make money almost overnight. Others take If you do your homework and have a great process, you will be fine, however.  Training is abundant and often free! I know that network marketing often has a bad name among people who have been exposed to the industry and who have not been been able to find success.  It is true that many successful, high-income-earning MLM (multi-level marketing) professionals are only looking for a way to make a lot of money quickly at anyone’s expense, but people like that are easy to find and easier to avoid with the advent of social networks and searching online.  It is easier than it has ever been to find people who will work with you, who will believe in you until you reach your goals, and who will show you what to do to find the success  you need.  There are also a lot of companies out there to choose from.  You want to make sure that you get a company with a compensation plan that will reward you well, no matter what your personality.  Here is a great resource to read to make your decision.  Make sure that you use both online and offline methods of marketing so that you are able to reach your widest audience possible, and make sure that you are a student of the industry.  Despite the “bad guys” that have plagued us in the past, Network Marketing remains the best way to earn a great and residual income from home with the least amount of overhead.  I do this for a living, and am happy that I finally found a company that suits my needs.  Feel free to contact me if you have questions.  Great Research Resource:  MLM Watchdog.
   
2. Executive Recruiting/Headhunting/Staffing Firm.  Difficulty:  Challenging to exceptionally difficult.  You need the right training, which can cost anywhere from $500-$5000 and a lot of patience.  The average ramp-up time is 6 months to a year, but once you make your first placement, it is not difficult to get referrals.  It is worth the early effort for the income potential.  Make sure to get excellent training! This is definitely a time-intensive job, but many find it highly rewarding.  You can choose any section of the workforce where employers have difficulty finding quality, employable talent, and you can become a resource that those employers go to when they need to hire a key employee.  Nursing, Executive-level leadership like CEOs, CFOs, and CTOs in specific industries, Generalist recruiting, and Sales professional recruiting are some of the more popular types of talent to recruit.  It is better to find an obscure niche like Reimbursement professionals in the hospital and health system sector.  Though there are fewer of those people to find and fewer roles filled each year, they are difficult to find, and employers will pay a premium to interview and hire key talent that they cannot find on their own or who they cannot directly recruit because it would be illegal or a conflict of interest.  Valuable Tools and sites:  A great contact management software system, great phone and interviewing skills, top-notch recruiter training, a phone that is not attached to your house or mobile phone, and a firm belief in what you do for a living.  The great recruiter will earn anywhere from 20-33% of the first year base salary and is confident enough in his or her skills to demand that kind of income.  The average starting salary for the best roles is over $70K per year, which means the average fee is $21K.  Three placements, and you have earned great money. Is is wise to work with a reputable firm for at least 2 years before launching out on your own. Make sure that non-compete clauses either do not exist or only keep you from working in the field for a year or less. Save an annual salary before starting unless your spouse can support the family while you train.
3. Internet Marketing/Online Marketing and Affiliate or Personal Product Sales.   Difficulty:  it depends on what you learn and how well you take action. There is no way around this statement.  Internet marketing is the work that a lot of people are attracted to learn about and try to start doing, assuming that success will be overnight, easily attainable, wildly profitable, and on autopilot.  The last three can be true, provided you have the right training and an intuitive sense of what will work versus what will not.  The first almost never happens.  It’s just not possible.  How can anyone turn on their computer, go online, build a website and a blog site, get at least 350 instant friends on Facebook, at least 200 instant followers on Twitter, write at least 45 articles, link back to their own website……and earn $15,000 between today and tomorrow?  Even if they worked the full 24 hours of their first day in business, overnight success is not possible.  It takes time to build credibility, get readers/followers to your blog, create products to sell online, find affiliate products to supplement your income, and to build social networks that bring in cash.  It takes time to wade through the endless information to find products that actually do what they say they are going to do.  If you are an absolute genius, you can probably start earning money on the internet within 30-60 days, and the amount earned can range from $5 to possibly $1000 per month or more…but this is still rare.  The work is difficult at times because the internet changes every day.  Marketing tools are enhanced in major ways (note that I did NOT say MINOR ways!) every month to six months, and advertising can cost a lot of money if you do not know what you are doing.  Still…with all these challenges, the internet is a lot of fun.  You’re never really alone in business because there are millions of successful and wanna-be internet entrepreneurs, and they tend to belong to many of the same communities.  After a week or so online, you can start to get a general picture of the work needed and the tools you need to grow.  The search for better tools and better methods of traffic generation is the constant holy grail for professionals in this sector of the world economy, and they love what they do for a living.  If you search long enough and reach out to others for help you will eventually find your way.  That is the truth.  If you start this, do not give up on yourself.  Ever.  As far as marketing is concerned, I would strongly recommend having around $2000 set aside for e-books, web-based training, and other things like forums that you will have to buy to learn how to implement new skills as you learn them.  I would also recommend staying away from Google AdWords until you have read enough of other people’s’ experiences to be clear on what you need to do and are sure that your strategy will have at least some measure of profitable results.  Losing money to AdWords is quite depressing and humbling; many people have gone directly OUT of business after losing significant money there.  The good thing is that there are free traffic methods that work just as well, if not better.  You can email me or comment here if you would like some great suggestions that will save you money and give great education.  This is a great way to earn money from home, and like network marketing, the monthly income can reach staggering heights.  Just be ready to pay your dues.  Here is a great place to start: The Warrior Forum. Spend $37 after you get there to join the War Room. Do not hesitate to do this; you need it! You may get stuck in the War Room for a little while because the information is meaty and you can study for days on end (no exaggeration!) Still, the War Room will help you figure out what you need to buy and what you should avoid like the plague.  Ask questions and they will answer you. Finally, build a business based on your passion(s), and time will find you a successful online marketer.  Oh…I almost forgot!! Here is a great coach who doesn’t cost an arm and a leg and who will speak to you  plain english, giving you a blueprint for what you need to do.  Make sure you are prepared when you call; at least have an idea of what you want to do…and take notes while you guys talk.  Eric is a great business coach.

I pray that this has been helpful to you. I wish someone had given me a guide when I was first learning about working from home. I could have avoided a lot of early mistakes.

If you have any questions, feel free to either comment or email or call me. I’m usually available, and if I am not, I will return the call as soon as I possibly can.

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by to read!

Christi Johnson, the soldier’s wife
Johnsonconsulting1 – Skype
336 790 2112 – office
johnsonconsulting2@gmail.com

In thinking of my productivity, I realized that I should probably write what worked really well for me.  Wives who are mothers AND whose spouses are in the military face a special set of challenges.  Not only does the spouse come home from work with a set of concerns that are unique to military servicemen, but the wife is the anchor who holds everything together.  I do all the laundry, all the cooking, most of the heavy cleaning, the majority of the grocery shopping, the school follow-ups, the curfew-keeping when Deanna plays outside, the friends’ parents meetings, and most of everything that happens inside the home or outside my husband’s career.  I dose the medicine when anyone is sick, schedule specific home service concerns like lawn mowing and fire ant treatments.  I do the doctor visits and emergency room drives if they happen.   It’s not a burden.  It’s life…and I am blessed to have it.

I found 23 things that made my heavy work week manageable.   Not all of them will work for every home, but many of them will.  Enjoy!  Let me know if you have other tips that can help a  home-based, military spouse entrepreneur work more efficiently.

1. Make sure that the work you are doing is work you love.  There is nothing more burdensome than working at home and disliking your work, or your blog, or your niche, etc.  Know the things about which you are passionate and start there.
2. Work when you will not be disturbed, or when disturbances can be minimized.  Being able to focus on tasks is critical.  I tend to do more work late at night and in the very early morning.  Everyone is either asleep or occupied doing something that does not need my presence.
3. Be extremely clear about what your work hours are and how you need everyone to respect your work time.
4. Have a dedicated work space.  I am at a place in my work where having my computer on my lap desk means I am working.  I am rarely interrupted now because I set the standard from the beginning and did not waver on the days when family “stuff” threatened to crowd out my work time.  Still, I have an office.  When I go to the office, absolutely NO ONE interrupts.  Otherwise, I am usually on the couch, letting the sound of the TV keep me company.
5. Set manageable goals for each day, and give yourself wiggle room to miss deadlines by a week.  Yes…I wrote a week.  It happens – often.
6. Schedule time with your child(ren) and let them know in advance that a “date” is coming if they can be patient for 1-3 more days.  Do NOT break your word about that date.  Children hang on our words, and they want to know they matter more than the work….and they do matter more.  They are the reason we work from home. 
7. Schedule “happy time” with hubby.  Here is the trick.  Don’t tell your husband you have written the dates.  Just casually mention what you have in store for him later.  Because he will not know you have scheduled this time, be sure to never reveal this secret to him.  Do NOT let 7 days pass without “happy time.”   Every 3 to 4 days is even better.
8. Do NOT compromise on “happy time.”  When you put it into your calendar, keep your schedule clear and be consistent.  Your work day should end around 3-4pm so that you can take a short nap if needed or spend extra time on your hair or skin, etc.  Do not break this date.
9. Take frequent breaks if you have to work while the entire family is at home.  If you pass your husband or your children, give random touches, kisses, and compliments.  Be sincere…but do it.  Even the smallest amount of affection can go a long way for the health of your family.
10. Don’t do personal things during work time.  Protect that time and make it count.
11. Choose any day and stop working for at least 8 hours if you have had a week-long push to reach a specific, goal.  Use that 8 hours to do something that you have not had time to do for yourself.  Give yourself a pedicure.  Cuddle with your husband.  Go to sleep and sleep hard!  Wash and style your hair.  Leave home and go to a coffee shop and sit happily with your mocha latte.
12. Ask for help from whoever can offer it.  Make sure you know that they love you or have a vested interest in your success.
13. Take a 15 minute walk around the block at least every other day.
14. Do not forget to eat simply because you are rushing to meet a deadline and you want to save time by not eating.  Salads are great, healthy and quick.  So is soup.  Sandwiches is wonderful.
15. If part of your work involves listening to audios or watching videos, take lunch and listen at the same time.  This is time maximization at its best.
16. When you take short stretching breaks, throw a load of laundry in the washing machine.  By the time you hit your next break, that load will be ready for the dryer and you can start another load in the washer.  At most, do 2 loads a day until you have your laundry under control.
17. If your children are old enough, have THEM remove their clean clothes from the dryer and take them to their room to fold.  The same goes for hubby.  You will keep everything clean.  The family can be considerate enough to fold and put them away neatly.
18. 2 days a week, start work 2 hours later than you usually do.  I love starting at 10am.  Those extra 2 hours restore my sanity.
19. In the summer, have a daily schedule for your school aged child.  For Deanna, we have her up at 8am.  She awakens, does her toilet, cleans her room, and gets dressed.  She is downstairs every morning by 9am.  Breakfast is at 9am:  Cereal, fruit, and juice/water.  I take my first break at 10am and give her 2 hours of academic material that she can do independently until noon.  She makes her own lunch.  Snacks are in ziplock bags, apples are in the refrigerator with last night’s leftovers, and juice boxes are in the pantry.  TV from 1-2:30.  Outside play from 2:30-5:30, with hourly check-ins.  I stop working and start dinner at 6pm.  Her bedtime is at 10pm sharp in the summer…sometimes later.
20. During the school year, she still has a schedule.  She is up by 6am.  We are out the door to school by 7:30am.  She is in school from 8:15-3:15.  I work all day. I get her from school at 3:15.  We are home by 4pm.  I work until 6pm and then start dinner.  She is in bed at 8pm sharp.
21. If you have an infant or a toddler, rest when they rest and try not to have a rigid work schedule during waking hours.  This is easier said than done, but I believe the baby and the mommy will be better off delaying a rigid schedule until the child is school aged.  Not every home can do this, but if you can, please try.  Your child will be a more secure, happy, emotionally healthy little person.
22. Ask your husband what he thinks of various areas of your work:  your blog, your static site, your marketing materials, your marketing budget and plan, your products, your network marketing company.  Try to involve him as much as you possibly can.
23. Never. Ever. Quit.  Adjust where you need to do so, but don’t quit.  The people who succeed are the ones who stuck it out for the long haul and learn what it takes to have an income-producing, home-based business.  Decide that there is no Plan B.

Please feel free to add some tips if you know of any.  I’ll take all the help I can to make this journey a better one.  It will help others like us as well!!

Thanks for stopping by to read!

Blessings,

Christi Johnson – the Soldier’s Wife

Johnsonconsulting1 – Skype ID

336 790 2112 – office

We decided to hang out with Deanna at the bookstore and wanted to tidy the house a bit before leaving.  There wasn’t much to do – light dusting, vacuuming, and mirror shining.  He vacuumed and did all the floors.  I did a blend of a lot of little things from one end of the house to the other and got a fresh load of laundry into the machine.  Somewhere between the oven and the kitchen table, we butted heads.  Thankfully, we both chose to let the moment pass and spent the next 30 minutes silently cleaning together.

As I moved about our home, I knew that I had not responded well to him, but my rationale was that it was exasperating being told WHAT to clean WHILE I was cleaning.  Man!!  I hate that!!  On the other hand, while he was vacuuming, I gave my unsolicited advice on the ideal height from the floor that our Kirby vacuum should be.  Man! He hates when I do that…when I tell him HOW to vacuum WHILE he is vacuuming.

Basically, we were irritated with one another for doing the same thing – butting in needlessly and thinking “my way is better than your way.”

Somehow, we ended up in our walk-in closet. Dexter turned to me while looking at the floor and said, “I really don’t like your mouth sometimes.”  He nodded his head in agreement with himself.

In a rare flash of insight, I said, “You know how I got on your nerves telling you how to vacuum?”

He nodded, still studying our closet floor.

“Well, you got on my nerves when you asked me to clean while I was cleaning.  Can I ask you a quick favor?”

He nodded again.

“Can you try to at least wait until I have finished cleaning before you check behind me to see what I have left undone?”  He nodded.  Then, he turned his sweet brown eyes on me.

“Christi, can you just do what I ask sometimes…or if not, can you at least keep a respectful tone of voice?”  I nodded.  “Done.”

Pause…and then…quicker than bees could get to honey, we reached out for a makeup hug.  The argument was officially over.  Now THAT’S how you fight with a soldier!!! 

When I think of much we fought as newlyweds, I am amazed that we are still married.  We both were selfish.  Adjusting to one family, one life, one bank account with two people having access, one employed person determining where the family would live, and a foreign country (Great Britain) was a LOT.  Still, in nearly four years, here are five things I have learned about fighting fairly with my hubby, and they work really well for us.  I hope that you can find something useful here.

In the heat of a disagreement:

1. Put yourself in your spouse’s shoes and imagine what they are feeling and why. Try seeing the conflict through their eyes.  This exercise can stop selfishness instantly and help you move towards towards loving behavior and feelings again.
2. Use words, phrases, tones of voice, and body language that don’t fan the flames of anger.  Please, thank you, and pet names like “honey” and “baby” can take a lot of fire out of any anger you feel.  Don’t pick emotional fights when irritated or angry.  Do this instead…
3. Be quiet and listen.  Sometimes, when we can express thoughts and feelings,  negative feelings disappear.  Allow your spouse to respectfully vent.  You can   listen quietly and start to participate when you feel confident enough to move forward and not continue the disagreement.
4. Apologize for your part of the disagreement…and mean it!  (Stand your ground on principles of “faithfulness/fidelity, fiscal accountability, and intimacy, though.    You can do this gently yet unwaveringly so that the foundations of your marriage don’t get lost in the shuffle of human dysfunction.  Back to the apology now…)  Nothing says “LOVE!” better than a sincere apology combined with clear actions to rectify the problem area(s).  Big tip:  don’t wait on your spouse to apologize before you will consider doing so.  Pride never helped a good marriage.
5. Finally, once you and your love have disagreed and reconciled…once you have set new boundaries, make sure to leave the disagreement completely in the past.  Don’t bring it back up over and over.  Don’t bring it back up at all.

We have used some or all these five tips in every disagreement.  The longer we are married, the better our relationship grows.  I hope this is helpful to you!

Sincerely,

Christi Johnson

Johnsonconsulting1 – Skype ID

336 790 2112 – office

The date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence reminds us that we are free.  We celebrate by having cookouts, barbecues, spending most of the day outside and ending with a show of fireworks. It is a happy day.

This date holds a lot of meaning for soldiers and the families.  Not only are we acutely aware of what our freedom meant to the young nation back in 1776, but we are also challenged daily to remember the early soldiers’ sacrifices for the country we have now. We are charged to never forget.

…and we never do.

Right now, there is a young mother somewhere in our military whose husband joined the United States just three years ago.  She found out she was expecting their first child – a baby boy – four months after his joining.  A month after the baby was born, the young husband and soon-to-be father deployed to Iraq.  Eleven months into his 12 month tour, his caravan hit an I.E.D.  It just so happened that he was in the vehicle that took the blast.  No one survived.  She has been a widow for over a year and sees her husband every time their son smiles.

At this moment, there is a soldier in an US hospital on a base in Germany.   He’s a tall man.  Handsome.  Strong.  Beautiful, wavy, brown hair and a piercing, brown eye are his most notable assets.  His surgeries have nearly come to an end.  One of the last things remaining is to be fitted for his prosthetic eye.  It has been three months since his mishap with a car bomb.  Somehow, he didn’t get down low enough when the device blew, and some of the projected debris from the explosion hit him in the face.  He lost his right eye.  He feels blessed to even be alive and hopes that the eye will not look too strange…that his wife will stay with him, even though he is scarred and no amount of surgery can remove all the damage.  He reaches tentatively to touch the place where his right ear used to be and lies down once more to what he prays will be a dreamless sleep.

Somewhere in the United States is a little girl who has just turned eleven years old.  She remembers how her mommy used to come into her bedroom at night when she thought the child was sleeping.  She almost always awake, though…..something her mom never realized.  She stayed awake because, when her mother entered the room, usually a couple of hours after her bedtime, she would pray for her daughter…pray for her to always act like a lady, to make good choices in life, and to be a good student in school and a good friend to those she loved but who were not in her family.  Listening to her mom’s voice made it safe to go to sleep at night.  This little girl fights insomnia now simply because she misses her mother’s voice at night….and the one kiss that always followed the prayer..  Every time she leaned down to gently kiss her daughter, the child would breathe her mother’s scent deeply and drift peacefully into sleep.  Today, closing her eyes  is so difficult to do.  By the time she turned eleven, she realized that she was starting to forget little things about her mommy. Mommy was a soldier…and a gentle one at that.  Daddy’s kisses are wonderful, but nothing compares to her memory of her mother.  She stays awake to remember…

Independence Day for military families is not just a day to eat outside with family and friends.  It is that and it is so much more.  The festive nature of the day challenges us to find something beautiful about the sacrifice that so many have made.  All soldiers who die in combat die believing the fight is worth it…and it is.

Someone is waiting on a soldier to land at an airport after a 13 month deployment to Afghanistan.  Their reunion after a year of the is going to be sweet.  The spouse hopes that her soldier will be home for at least 2 years to make up for three back-to-back tours in the middle east.  She nearly screams when she sees him coming down the escalator and runs to him, the tears on her face quite understandable.  I am happy for them both.  They both know how blessed they are to have another reunion…

Steven Curtis Chapman is an artist whose daughter died in a vehicular accident.  “Heaven is the Face” is a song he wrote about her and about the fact that he knows he will see her again one day.  He knows that death is a part of life and places his hope in Christ, the Resurrection.  Like him, families of wounded and fallen warriors hope for the day that they see their loved ones again.  They pray for the day that the hearts of their wounded warriors can be healed.  This is the first video.  If you are missing a soldier who has died or has been injured, I hope this song encourages you.

Mark Schultz sings “Letters from War,” about a mother whose son comes home from war after a long silence.  Where he once wrote her often, the letters have stopped.   Miraculously, he returns home one day.  For all of us who have our soldiers and they are alive and well, I pray that they all remain safe.  I hope this song also is an encouragement.

Happy Independence Day, everyone.  Pray for those nations do not yet have what we do here in the USA.

Remember those who gave their lives and have continued to do so for the sake of democracy.  Celebrate our freedom.

We have earned it and we continue to earn it every, single day…

Steven Curtis Chapman:  “Heaven is the Face”

Mark Schultz:  “Letters from War”

Christi Johnson

36 is a strange number to choose…but that’s the number of things that made yesterday great.

Enjoy, and thanks so much for journeying with me…

1. I slept really late.  I mean really late…like 11:13am.  Yay!
2. Hubby talked to three more people who are coming over for dinner to hear about what I do for a living.  Strange…he does my job better than me.  Funny.  I have to put him on video soon…
3. Deanna had her interview for Northwood Temple Academy at 1:30pm.
4. I did Deanna’s hair in a pretty, braided, ballerina bun…and it looked so nice.  She was transformed back into my baby…for three seconds.
5. I did my own hair in record time and IT looked nice as well.  Damp, two strand twists.  Perfectly detangled from the scary afro…and taken down in ten minutes to give me the most beautiful coily curls I’ve ever done.  Unbelievable…
6. We were late to the interview at 1:30pm…BUT the Headmistress was still in her meeting with 2 teachers who had not yet signed their contract paperwork for the 2010 school year.  So, we weren’t really late.  Perfect!
7. Deanna had on her best, most wonderful self.  She smiled and answered questions well, and she seemed to truly enjoy the Headmistress.
8. The Headmistress seemed to really enjoy our Deanna.
9. Everything we learned about the school was just what we have prayed to have in a school.
10. At the end of the interview, the Headmistress closed her packet, said, “Well, there’s no reason to wait.  She’s accepted.”  She wrote it in big, blue letters right on the front of her application packet.  I nearly died of joy but cried like a baby instead.
11. Deanna chose to ride home with Daddy…and she was positively glowing.  I love that she is a Daddy’s girl….and she even stuck her tongue out at me as they drove away from her new school.  It was a neat moment and memory.
12. I went home alone and got to work for three hours straight in ABSOLUTE SILENCE.  The only noise came was in my brain, and it was amazing!! I buzzed off my work energy…loved it.
13. I commented on every single friend’s page that had a comment or picture or something that I could honestly comment on…and it only took me 1.5 hrs.  That was actually the highlight of my work day.  Thanks, Eric, for cutting down on your friends and going for quality over quantity.  The lesson was cemented for me today.
14. 3 people reached out to me to request friendship on FB.  That was an added, unexpected bonus.
15. Hubby and Deanna came home smiling – with french fries.
16. We all went to see “Eclipse” at 9:15pm…something we have never done as a family.  We ALWAYS go movies in the early afternoon.  Being out later felt really nice for some reason…almost like I am an adult…lol
17. I had popcorn with lots of butter.
18. Nothing in the film came through the screen when I ducked.  
19. In that crowded theater, we three sat together.  Niiice!
20. Deanna and I talked through the ENTIRE movie.  We whispered and giggled like little girls.
21. When I apologized for getting on hubbie’s nerves with all our talking, he quickly forgave and THEN made plans to go see “Avatar:  The Last Airbender” this afternoon.  I nearly died of joy.  Again.
22. I wanted some soup and got it from Wal-Mart after the movie.
23. I wanted some juice with something peachy about it…and I got it from Wal-Mart too.  Everything I wanted was at Wal-Mart.  Sweet!
24. I like Leandria Johnson – Gospel singer.  Actually, I love her.  I sang a song of hers on the way to Wal-Mart.  This one is out of chronological order, but that’s okay…because of # 24.
25. Some random lady and her husband walked up to me and asked if I would like tickets to hear Leandria Johnson sing live on July 31st!!!
26. The random husband with the lady gave me their phone number and told me to look for him at the concert so I can meet Leandria face to face.  What kind of mad blessing is that?!?!?!  I cried for joy.  Again.
27. God is good.
28. I cried for utter joy three times today, the last time being in my car on the way home from Wal-Mart as I reflected on the back-to-back tiny miracles that had happened all. day. long.  My pretty hair was the start of all these blessings… 
29. I kissed my husband – Spider Man style – as soon as I got home from Wal-Mart.    Double Yessss!!
30. Hubby fell asleep on the couch and is the sweetest thing sleeping that I have ever seen…I love him so much…my soldier…my hero…my absolute heart on this earth…
31. Deanna and I laughed while Napoleon Dynamite danced at the end of a film named the same – “Napoleon Dynamite.”  Too funny…favorite comedy…
32. I ate my soup.
33. I found new fonts for my blog…but I don’t know how to set them up at all…check # 33.
34. I can ask David Haines what to do about the new fonts I found on TypeKit.  Love you, David. 
35. I promise….I have the BEST mentor and team of “trainers” in the universe – Marcello Lisi, Emmanuel Padilla, and David Haines.  You three are going to be so sick of my hugs when we finally do meet and I thank you for helping this soldier’s wife work successfully and earn well FROM HOME.  I love you guys so much already!!!
36. As yesterday ended, I was here.  On my couch.  Working while my family slept so peacefully and loving every single moment of it….

I really have the best life and would not trade it for this entire world.  Thank You, God!  You did not have to bless me….but You have…and I am grateful…so grateful….I am crying.  Again.  Unbelievable…

Thank you for journeying with me so far….

Christi Johnson,

Wife to a beautiful warrior and King who lets me happily work from our castle…I love you, Dexter…

Johnsonconsulting1 – Skype ID

336 790 2112 – office

johnsonconsulting3@gmail.com

We were half-heartedly watching television, not really paying attention to what was on, so the prospect of a date seemed really exciting to me.  I could tell he was excited as well.  It took me a moment to answer before jumping up to get ready.  In the middle of doing my hair, I came back out to the living room to look at him.  He looked like a little boy, happy to be going out the house for a bit.  His smile was disarmingly cute – even though he is actually a handsome man.  In that tiny moment, I could see the delightful child he probably had been.  Not for the first time, I wished that we had known one another while we were growing up.  We would have been best friends.  When neither one of us are being stubborn or selfish, we have more fun together than I can describe well.

This is going to be so much fun, I thought.

After getting dressed (in jeans, t-shirts, and trainers), we headed out the door.  We took his car and talked all the wy to our first destination:  McDonald’s.

“Bae, what about some french fries?”  He calls me “Bae,” which is just the first syllable of “Baby.”  The first time I heard it, I frowned.  Bae??  It’s a southern thing, I learned.  I’m from North Carolina, which is southern…but NC is not “the south.”  He’s from Mississippi.  He is from “the south” in a very real way.  You can miss out on chitterlings (or chitlins) in North Carolina, but not if you’re AA and from Mississippi! 

“Ummmm,” I responded.  “That sounds yummy.  Perfect.  We can go to the one down from Barnes and Noble, huh?”  I have the habit of turning statements into questions.  When I began to do that, it was so that I  could make a suggestion without having him feel that I was trying to be in charge.  After a while, it stuck…just became a part of what I do when interacting with my husband.  The only time it aggravates me is if I write out the question/comment…like just now.  I have read it three times and it makes my skin crawl because it is sooooooo grammatically incorrect.  It also sounds extremely uneducated beyond third grade.  That’s just in my head, though, because it works.    Anyway, I digress…

We ate the fries, both of us smacking like children, and made our way to the bookstore.  We’d made that decision to go to the bookstore right after talking about McDonald’s.  The date was to spend some time at comfortably reading and drinking coffee, one of the things that we used to do when we were dating.  This one date, however, trumps all the other ones.

We made a bee-line to the magazine section.  I set up our chairs.  Hubby went to get the coffee – one tall Mocha Latte and one tall Caramel Macchiato with whip and extra caramel.  After those two things were done, we chose our magazines.  My husband always chooses car magazines.  I always choose home design and travel magazines.  Armed with our choices, we sat down in the chairs and started reading and looking at pictures.  Every time he found something funny or interesting, he’d turn his magazine to me and either crack a joke or talk about what had caught his attention.  The thing that made us giggle the most was the carbon fiber toilet.  Only a man would think of that!    It makes me laugh even now.

The house plans and travel magazines I had were pretty good as well.  Hubby and I both like hardwood floors.  We also like clean lines with minimal but comforting decorations.  One day, we are going to build our dream home.  It will be split-level and only one story.  As we age, we want no impediments to getting around our home with ease.  I showed him everything I liked and we “dreamed” about what our final home will look like and where it may be geographically.  I also showed him pictures of beautiful travel destinations.  Some of the places are unbelievable:  Bora Bora, Kaua’i, Santorini in the Cyclades, the Isle of Man…we imagined what it would be like to go to those places and talked about next summer’s travel plans. It was so much fun dreaming with him, planning our future together and musing aloud on what it may look like after he retires from the Army.  We spoke of possibly trying for Germany on his next assignment…but we can’t know anything until he gets selected for promotion.

The thing that made this date so good was the fact that, while it was low-key and inexpensive, we spent some truly quality time together.  That’s something that it seems we never have time to do.  He’s in the field or going to the field or preparing to deploy or going to training or going to the range all day…*sigh*

The list is nearly endless.  This week, he is chasing down signatures and recommendation letters for promotion in September’s Warrant Officer Board.  Applying for Warrant Officer has been a two-year process for us.  Last year at this time, we were still living in Britain, and he could not get to a Fast Start training while he was there.  He needed to raise his ASVAB score to even be eligible to apply.  Six months after arriving back in the US, he did Fast Start and more than aced the test, earning well above the required score.  He should have been able to apply right then, but his new unit asked him to wait another 6 months.  He did.  Then…they asked him to postpone applying for the June Board and do the September Board instead.  They promised to have all his signatures and recommendation letters by June 15th.  If you look at the date, you’ll see, June 15th has come and gone.  Hopefully, he’ll have the last letter sometime this week, before the 4-day weekend begins.

Hubby is utterly exhausted and is hoping that his MOS isn’t too full yet.  Even if it is, he still has the chance to go into a feeder occupation for his job…which is the only comfort he has at the moment.  Can you imagine how you would feel if your goals had been delayed for going on two years by people who have no idea how important promotion is to you personally?  People who take your progression very lightly and who have, at times, tried to actually PREVENT you from being promoted?  From Britain to here, it’s been a ride.  I am amazed that we went out and had real fun.

He leaves home tired most days and comes home the same way.  Poor baby…never really gets a break.  We hung out with no real agenda other than to enjoy ourselves both personally and as a couple.  By the time we were ready to leave, four hours had passed and the light in the sky was growing darker.  It felt like we had only been there for only an hour!

At home that evening, I made us a couple of steaks and he popped in “Zombieland.”  That’s a funny movie, by the way…a bit of a, edge-of-your-seat thriller in many places.  It’s not scary.  It’s hilarious yet still a thriller.  The zombies are quite mindless and terribly contagious if you’re unfortunate enough to get bitten and survive.  We cuddled and fell asleep on the couch once the movie ended, waking the following morning.

That was the best date we have ever had, which served to show me that it’s not always about spending a lot of money.  It’s about being together in a way that makes us both happy personally yet still meets our marital needs of quality couple time.  It was refreshing.  In fact, once we returned home, he was not as tired as he had been before leaving the house.  He was relaxed and happy.  That was great to see.

In retrospect, the amazing thing is that I did not come up with the idea of going on a date.  Hubby did…which is RARE!  He’s just one of those guys who is content to either stay home or go to the golf course.  We both are quite content with our own company, so I don’t find that I need or want a date very often….maybe once a month or once every other month.  Our daughter was in Texas with my mom and step father, visiting my sister and her family.  Up to last Saturday, we’d just hung around the house, watching movies and relaxing.

I really love my soldier.  My hero.  Maybe this evening, I can figure out a way to blow his mind even though it’s a weeknight….

*giggle*

What are you doing for your soldier this week/weekend?  4th of July will be here before we know it.

Christi

When my Grandmother first found out that I was pregnant, she made it her aim to let me know that I would never be anything in life and that success would never find me…no matter how hard I worked.  I’ll never forget being 6 months pregnant and as multi-colored as…as…well as I don’t even know what when my Grandmother came to visit  for a week or so.  At the time, I’d moved back home to Fayetteville, NC from Jersey City, NJ and was living with my mom and my stepfather.  I needed to heal from three years of romantic expectations mirrored by the fact that the life of marital bliss that I’d imagined with him was not going to happen.  I was going to be a mother, and I was going to be alone.  That hurt.  A lot.

The night before my Grandmother was return home to Florida, I walked into my mom’s room.  Mama, as all the grandchildren call her, had been given the master bedroom suite during her visit.  I recall begging her pardon for a moment and I went into the master bathroom to get something.  As I re-crossed the bedroom and just before I got to the doorway, Mama called my name.

I turned.

“Yes, Ma’m?”

She was staring at me, her eyes moving over my face and my body.  She paid careful attention to my belly for a moment and then asked me, “What are you going to do?”

Unfortunately, I don’t remember my exact response to her, but I know I shared with her that I would be successful and that I would eventually reach my goals with God’s help and persistent effort.  I also recall saying something about teaching.  In short, I answered her question to the best of my ability.  She raised her arm, pointed at me, and said something I will never forget.

“You won’t ever do anything once you have that baby.  You’re not going to succeed.  You’re not going to do anything but fail.”  Her slightly crooked index finger stayed in the air, pointed at me.  “You’re going to learn everything your mother tried to teach you because your child is going to turn out just like you.  I hope you get it back…everything you ever did to your mother and father.  I hope you get it back.”  Finally, the finger went down as she lowered her arm to the bed beside her.

She continued to share.  I had never in my life spoken back to Mama.  In fact, I had never spoken back to any of my elders in the generation preceding that of my parents.  That evening, I broke my polite streak.

“Mama, that was hateful.  What you just said was nasty and hateful.  How dare you wish such a miserable life on me and this unborn child!  The life I had was due, in large part, to some things that happened when I was a little girl, and I became rebellious as a result.  So…what you are wishing is just downright evil.  You are hoping that my baby has terrible life experiences, that I will be irresponsible in protecting her and that I won’t have an open and honest relationship with her.  Mama….what you are hoping for will never happen, and I do not receive your words.”  I turned on my heel and left the room.

That was the last face-to-face conversation I ever had with her.  She called often after Deanna was born, and we conversed on most of those calls. When Deanna was 8 weeks old, Mama planned another  trip to NC.  She was excited about meeting her first great-grandchild, and just before her visit, she called to say that she was proud of me…that I had proven her wrong.  I was teaching school, and she admired teachers. She did not exactly apologize, but she admitted that I had begun to make something of my life.  My Mama was proud of me.  It meant a great deal to me.  She asked if I had received the gift she’d sent for Deanna – a gold bracelet with a heart engraved on it.  I had not, but I told her that I would keep an eye on the mail for it.  The call ended on a happy note.  I treasure it to this day.

The next night, my grandmother died.  I have always wondered if she knew she was about to die and wanted to “settle” her affairs before going to heaven.

She suffered a massive stroke while driving to church and died in her car.  She was going there, dressed from head to toe in black, so that she could sing, “It Is Well (With My Soul).”  It was the same song she had asked me to sing at her funeral, the song she had requested me to sing at her funeral since I was a teenager.  I sang it for her the day she was buried.

After Mama died, it took me years to actually believe in myself.  Her words didn’t as much damage as they could have because I was already terribly insecure.  Long before pregnancy, long before graduating from college, and long before ever I made my first purposeful step in the direction towards rebellion around the age of thirteen, I struggled to find value in my existence.  I don’t struggle with those same insecurities today,  but sometimes I do think about how I used to be.

Many years after Mama died, I met a woman in my church who shared tips with me about looking and dressing more confidently.  She helped me to see that the way people interacted with me had a lot to do with how I viewed myself.  She told me that I could change my internal perspective but that I needed to wade in the shallow water first.  She told me to put on a little lip gloss and a nice skirt and top. She told me to look like a lady and act like a grown woman.  Don’t ask peoples’ opinions so much unless they are trustworthy and mature.  Only mature people will point me in the right direction.  She said that insecure people would commiserate with me in one way or another…and that was the last thing I needed.  She told me to smile at strangers and to greet people first.  She made me learn to look everyone in the eye.  Stop looking down.  There was nothing down there.  She encouraged me to notice how people reacted to me…and to figure out what had changed in them or in me.

Slowly but surely, I followed her instructions.  By the time Deanna was 6 years old, I was pretty confident.  Not arrogant.  Just confident.  Confident that I could do whatever I set my mind to do.  I was no longer afraid of people, but more importantly, I knew that my destiny lay squarely in my own choices in life.  No matter what came my way, I always had the freedom to choose the right response.  I love Mother Greene for teaching me those things.  I carry her words in me even now.  Over time, I found that I could give others advice and that they would listen to me because I had experienced pain and had come through a bit scarred but not broken.

This foundation helps me as the wife of a soldier.  Soldiers leave home and deploy to war for 4-6 months or 1 year to 15 months.  Often, they come home changed.  Hurt.  Scared.  It takes a woman who knows her value to speak love and healing to her soldier.  It takes a strong woman to not take it personally when he is crabby and hard because of what he has to deal with at work, in the field, and before every promotion.  When my husband’s father died last year, he spent the entire week leading up to the funeral yelling and getting angry for no reason.

Finally, one night, I had had enough.  I knew he was hurting and that he regretted not having spoken to his dad in the year preceding his death, but he didn’t know it.  I walked into our bedroom to find him on his knees at the side of the bed, looking through a drawer.

“Honey, you are being rude.”

“I’m not being anything.  Get out of the room.”  He kept shuffling papers around in the drawer.  I decided that he wasn’t looking for anything and was just trying to be busy to ignore the pain.

I stared at him for a moment and then said, “I know you are hurting, and I know you miss your dad.  I am so sorry that he’s gone now and that you can’t talk to him…but you need to stay in here and be alone until you can remember that we love you and that we are here for you.  We are the last people you should be treating rudely.  I love you, baby.  I’ll see you when you feel a little better.”  I looked at him for a moment longer, told him I loved him again, and walked out, closing the door softly behind me.

Not 20 seconds later, he came out of the room and walked over to the kitchen table.  He called me and Deanna to him and apologized.  He told us he loved us and that he was blessed to have us as his family.  He said he felt very sad and that he missed his daddy.  That broke my heart.  I just pulled him close to hold him.  We all got a bit teary, kissed on him, and then we spent the rest of the night pampering him.  If I had argued back at him even once during the week, we all would have had a rough time of it.

There is so much strength and value in a woman who understands who she is and what her role is in her soldier’s life.  She’s got to know her own personal value first, though.  That’s key.  It takes a lot of confidence to recognize what is real and what is an emotional smokescreen.  We can never be helpful in the ways that matter the most as long as we take our solders’ bad days personally.  Instead, we should encourage them to rise above pain and allow love to do its work.

At least…that is what I have learned.  I am valuable.  Period.  Else, I would not exist.  I ignore what my life’s experiences might tell me and believe, instead, that the love in my heart can propel me and my loved ones to be more than we have ever imagined.

Are you viewing yourself the same way?

You, too, are priceless with a worth far above the finest rubies.  If you don’t know it already, it’s time you learn and believe.

Be encouraged, fellow soldier. 

Christi Johnson

Johnsonconsulting1 – Skype ID

…and he is keeping me awake with all his farting.  It’s kind of funny because he has on his SF tee-shirt and looks like a baby lying there on his side…but he smells like Poot City!  This is yet another part of marriage that no one tells young wives-to-be.  Also…that’s a fossil in the picture in case you were wondering. 

Anyway…I am really happy in our marriage today.  It hasn’t always been like this.  Actually, it wasn’t like this just two months ago.  So much has changed, though.  I know I have.  I still haven’t figured out if all the changes are good, but so far, no more arguing.  That will work just fine for me.

We have the rest of the weekend to enjoy one another.  On Monday, he’s back out to work, and on Tuesday, Annie returns from two weeks in Texas with my mom and stepfather.  It’s been a great break…a much-needed break…but I am ready to see my girl again.  I’m ready for hugs and kisses from my baby.

Good night (or morning), everyone.  See you sometime over the weekend…if I survive through the night with my toxic sweetheart in bed beside me…

Christi

Johnsonconsulting1 – Skype ID

The sky looks exactly like it did the night that we had the worst storm in St. Paul’s, NC history.  I think there were 28 tornadoes, and the town of Red Springs basically got demolished by wind, rain, and other violence from the sky.  We got a bit of thunder and I think some tornadoes even flew over our house…but St. Paul was spared most of the trouble.  I his under the coffee table in the living room, and where my sister was comforted every time mommy told us we’d be alright, I didn’t believe her one bit.  I knew even then that no amount of mommy’s love can tame the wind and the rain.  That was God’s business.

Red Springs got torn up from the floor-n up….as we would say when I was a girl.    I can’t believe how long ago that was, and I am scared just like I was back then.

The sky looks dangerous tonight.  I’m going to go upstairs in a minute and sit with my husband who is blissfully ignorant of the impending danger.  He’s safe in his Man Room with his Playstation.  The entire house could be in danger of being blown away, but as long as he has his Playstation in one hand and a bowl of cereal in the other, he’ll be fine.  Love him!

Oh….the rain just started to come down.  It sounds like there is a bit of hail too…and the wind is definitely blowing.  On second thought, I think I will leave my soldier upstairs to fend off the storm.  I’m going to stay down here and watch the sky, praying that Jesus will take care of us tonight.

Also…hello.  My name is Christi Johnson.  My husband is in the Army, and we are stationed at Fort Bragg…Fayettenam.  We have a 12-year-old named Deanna, and my family is my life here on earth.  Welcome to our journey.  I look forward to getting to know you along the way, and I hope that we can find some common ground.

Okay…gotta run.

There’s a storm coming….

Christi Johnson
336 790 2112
Johnsonconsulting3@gmail.com