For now I just want to share a little bit of how I got where I am now. To me it is evidence of God working in my life!

My writing – I’ve always, always loved to write. I admit that in fourth grade I despised “Writing Wednesdays,” but that was just because I was being forced. The first stories I wrote (that I remember) were in second grade. Our teacher would staple together little booklets, and we would fill them in during class. I swear I filled in almost twice as many as other kids. I’ve also kept some sort of journal almost all my life, starting when I was probably in first or second grade until now.

I enjoy writing. I enjoy grammar and languages. I didn’t learn to enjoy it at school, but in a lot of ways despite school (I did not enjoy my composition or English classes very much). Now, I’m at the point of having participated in NaNoWriMo twice, winning both times, and dreaming about one day publishing a novel. But speaking of writing, this leads right into…

My blog – Blogging is something I wanted to get into because of how much I enjoy writing. It’s a thrill to move my fingers across the keyboard and have words appear, words that mean something. I enjoy trying to make my words flow and have a certain “sound.” In person, I’m quiet. After being so shy throughout my childhood, this quietness is sort of stuck in me, and I don’t really mind it. It just means that I usually won’t speak up unless I’m sure what I’m saying is relevant and important/useful. But it’s a different story here. Here, I can and will say what I want to, when I want to, and I know that only those who are interested will continue to read. And I’m okay with that! It’s a way for me to express my opinions, experiences, and thoughts that I might otherwise hold back, afraid no one is interested.

My art – I come from a very artistic family, on all sides. My father’s mother painted numerous landscapes, one of which is currently hanging in my living room! I have a niece whose drawings get better every time I see them. My mother’s brother, aunt, and grandmother are all very artistic, and even my stepfather brought in some income for a while by selling his art online. My husband is a whiz with a pen, with paint, with almost any medium he’s tried, so our kids may end up artists as well!

As for me, I never saw myself as an artist. I was just another kid who drew people’s faces. Until, one day, I decided to really try, and I impressed myself. I took an art class in grade school, and a tried a tutorial online one time, but other than that, I’ve been completely self-taught, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come.

Avon – I started selling Avon for a number of reasons. One, I had recently quit my job due to getting married, and I wanted to help bring in some extra income for our little family of two.

Second, I wanted the flexibility of a basically self-employed status because, as an army wife, my husband’s schedule can sometimes be unpredictable. I want the freedom to be able to work when my husband is working, so that I can be spending time with him when he’s not working.

Third, I wanted the challenge. I’m an opinionated person. I can be forceful when I need to be, as I demonstrated at my previous job when I had to speak with insurance companies regarding lack of payment on claims. And I’ve taught myself to be less shy than I used to be. But being a salesperson, developing relationships with strangers, and being assertive is another story completely. I didn’t know if I could do it, but I was and am determined to prove that I can. And you know what? I’m really loving it. Also, I get discounts on products that I’m growing to love.

I ordered some lipstick samples for myself because I’m trying to find a new color. My old favorite melted, but I was getting tired of that color anyway. The one I bought for my wedding got lost, and I can’t remember what it was!

I felt silly this weekend when I discovered that I had tried all 10 lipstick samples even though I only needed to have tried 5 of them. There were two of each. Ah! I could have given those other 5 to customers! But at least I was able to figure out my favorite two colors: Bronze and Crystal Coral. They have a really light feel and long-lasting color. I can’t even leave lip prints on my husband’s cheek.

I like the Smooth Minerals samples that I tried, but I also want to try the new lipstick that’s coming out next campaign called Ultra Color Rich Mega Impact lipstick! By the way, to kick off the new lipstick, AVON is having a turn in and turn on promotion. For more information, check out my store this week!

Is any other subject so likely to go in one ear and out the other? Hm, that’s ironic. Everyone knows that communication is the basis for any strong relationship, including, of course, marriage. We may be tired of hearing it, but if it’s old news, it’s also tried and true.

Have you ever known someone who is a peacemaker? Are you ever surprised at how they can smooth over issues that have people in knots? I have a theory about that. I think those peacemakers are really just people with strong communication skills. They’re able to look into the argument and locate the misunderstanding.

I’m astounded sometimes at the arguments my friends get into! Thankfully, my husband and I, though we have only been married a short time, have had over nine years to practice arguing. And unlike some couples, we’ve used that as a chance to develop our communication skills, as well.

There are numerous books and articles addressing this issue, but just for a quick break down, let me list four of the things that I find helpful when I’m trying to communicate with the people in my life:

1. Active Listening – In my opinion, this does not have to necessarily mean repeating everything the other person says verbally. I think it’s often good enough just to do it silently in your own mind. Before focusing too much on what you’re going to say next, take a moment to hear what your friend is saying and repeat it to yourself in your own words. This is also a principle we find in the Bible. (James 1:19)
2. Benefit of the Doubt – I struggle with this one even as I try to apply it in my life, but it’s true. You may hear what you think you hear, and you may react before realizing you may not have heard what the other party meant. But if something comes across as hurtful, try to find another possible meaning – a positive one. Let that be your interpretation of the words until you have a more substantial reason to believe otherwise.
3. Ask for Clarification – Why don’t we do this more? I see it in real life, on TV, and I even read it in my favorite books. People hear things, and interpret them, never wondering whether they’re correct. The way I do this most frequently is to ask someone to say something again, but in different words. Then I tell them what I think I heard and ask if that’s correct.
4. Don’t Try to Wound – This applies especially during arguments or fights. When fighting with people you care for, don’t forget that you care for them, and they care for you! Keep your arguments about the issue, and don’t try to wound the person. Even the biggest disagreements don’t have to put a rift in your relationship if you keep the fights fair.

It’s a short list, but as I said, it’s tried and true, by myself as well as others. There are dozens of rules and guidelines besides these. I for one can’t memorize all of them. But I can keep these few in mind, and hopefully you can, too!

I am beyond excited about this website. I’m thrilled because for me, my day job is now my passion as well. It wasn’t always the case. I’ve spent many years working at things about which I’m not passionate. It’s not a fun place to be, and I hated that time in my life with, dare I say, a passion.

I hate how it seems that we’re forced to work without passion. Yes, we’re told we should find a job we love, but if all else fails, find something that pays well. In the end, that’s what we’re pushed to go for. By society. And we have to, because we have to have that well paying job to live, really.

Not everyone can give up their day job for their passion. I was lucky, in a way. But then again, most things that seem like luck are just God working in my life. He has guided me and opened up the doors, putting me where I now stand: at the threshold of my passion.

One thing I know… Even if I’m doing what I’m passionate about every day, it’s still going to be work. My day job is no less of a job now than when I went to Dr. Chiang’s office five days a week to sit at a desk. Despite people thinking that homemaker and self-employed are the same as has it easy, I’m finding that my passion requires real work. I have to set goals, make lists, put in effort. It’s definitely more enjoyable than my old day job. It’s definitely fruitful. It’s definitely worth the effort. Why? Because I love writing, I love sharing what’s on my mind, and I love meeting similar-minded people and making friends!

I wanted to share some of my goals, or, in other words, my passions. I’m in a new phase of life: a new army wife, new to “homemaking,” newly self-employed, new problogger. How I got here is amazing; where I plan to go is exciting!

I want Ocipura.com to reflect me in more ways than it does now, in ways beyond just being decorated in my favorite colors. I want my thoughts and opinions to be easily understandable when my current and future friends read them. I want the site to mean something. I want to reach other military families who “get” me, other homemakers (be they wives or husbands), other animal- and art-lovers. I want to help people understand why I love my God! I want to share my thoughts on marriage and military and the work I do. I want to see more traffic coming to this site and also to my Avon store as I give my honest opinions about products. I even want to welcome those who disagree with me and want to argue their points.

When you come back, you can expect to find a place where you and your friends can hear about opinions and experiences of some one who may be going through the same things you are going through. I plan to include posts about what I’ve learned about home business, homemaking, art (I enjoy casual scrapbooking, drawing, crochet), being an army wife, marriage, and cooking (including recipes)!

I’m excited about the future of Ocipura.com! What do you do as a day job? Are you passionate about it? What would your dream job be??