Out of the ashes, so they say, came the phoenix, the second chance. Ive felt the flames, and what better time than July, to spring forth and experience Independence?

Poverty, need, and crisis have been known qualities in my life, but Ive also known Independence, Boundaries, and Abundance. Im no stranger to hard work, and I come from a family recognized for their strengths and character. While I could spend much time on those qualities of life, qualities I honor and admire; I prefer to concentrate at this moment on the greater gifts life offers.

My Bible says the greatest gift of life is the gift of love. I count that as Gospel, a statement I choose to eagerly believe and stow my faith upon. I lean on the Love of God and His blessing upon my life. I count it all abundance, the gift of Gods precious love and I want to share my thoughts with you here.

I struggle at times with the lot Im handed, even knowing it all counts for good. In those moments, I often ask Gods guidance to help me find the good in my life.

Today was such a day. The morning started as usual, the sun came up and I found the beauty in the sunrise. I got ready and left for church, grumbled a bit about all the trials Ive faced this week, but I counted some of my blessings too.

I taught Childrens Church today, and I struggled through the first part, only to find my soul being blessed by the children in the second part. Then I arrived home, tired, wanting to rest a bit before I started a project that must be completed by tomorrow. This was not to be. I had work to do. In the work, I received another blessing. All these blessings Lord, and each of them indicating that I should be grateful; Id forgotten. I took that moment to say Thank you Lord, and got yet another blessing, which I want to share here as my own Declaration of Independence. I hope it will bless my readers too.

As an Individual born of Freedom, a child of God, whose faith shall carry me through, I hold these truths to be self-evident and true, that all are created equal and endowed by the Creator, God of my Salvation, with the unalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

1. I am created in the very image of God. He and He alone know the number of hairs on my head, and provides abundantly for my every need according to His riches.

2. I am devoted to the achievement of freedom by using my God given talents and abilities to accomplish greatness as He provides.

3. I believe happiness is my divine right and I open my mind and heart to receive the abundant joy of living granted to me by God, who provides all things to him who waits upon Him.

4. I take the liberty of stepping out in faith and allowing God to support me, knowing I belong to Him and can never be alienated from God who supplies all my needs from His abundance and grace.

5. I believe God has already provided to meet my need; before I even speak it, He has provided the answer.

6. I seek positive reinforcement and counsel to support my faith and trust through all things God provides for my very existence out of His abundance and His glory and wealth.

7. I consider the limitless wonder of all God has provided in the depths of the oceans, the height of the mountains, the breadth and vastness of the skies above, and all He has created and I know he creates great things for me. I open my mind to the blessings that God bestows upon me from this moment on.

Fleeting though it may be, I have great faith, and I have the miracle of trusting that God can and will provide. If I just open my heart and believe, having faith that it will come to me; I can count on Gods provision, for my business and my life.

So, here on the last day of July, I want to declare my Independence, post my boundaries, and accept the abundance of life God provides. Will you join me in this proclamation?

Jan Verhoeff

Somewhere between college and life, Jan began to focus on other people. Her intense need to feel accomplishment in her life drove her to finding a deeper contentment than just existing in the hoot 'n holler of southeastern Colorado. While the beauty of the prairie never escaped her eye for color and beauty, the intensity of her desire kept her moving ever onward.

Summers in Michigan and Tennessee brought her closer to something, but it wasn't until much later, as an adult, mother of four that she began to understand that her need for accomplishment included sharing what she had learned along the way. It also meant that her talent for painting the dream and writing her thoughts had a lot to do with her accomplishments.

She began to focus on actually writing down her thoughts and ideas in journals, revealing her prayer thoughts and life events. Bits of paper became treasures of memory, and a notebook became an outlet of hope and a step of faith. Jan put her thoughts on paper, and began to publish them, where she found opportunity, including various magazines, trade journals, and local publications. Her interests in business and new enterprise became a resounding outlet for her talent, and wisdom for those who sought it. Jan's interest in business development became her trademark, resulting in her first book publication in !992, "Building a Business: From Scratch". This 22 page booklet was published by a local printer in a vertical brochure format, selling more than a thousand copies nation wide. It has resurfaced in college classes as the basis for college term papers, graduate thesis, and research documents for small business courses over the past 13 years.

Seeking more diverse outlets for her talents, Jan most recently has written several short stories published in various books, including: "Stories for the Trail" with the Lamar Writer's Group, "Prickly Points of Life" a combination poetry/short story collection of Jan's work, and "Coffee Clatter" a bound collection of written works originally published in a newsletter published by her daughter, Brenna, as a Sophomore Year Project when she was homeschooling at Buchanan Academy.

More recently her work is available in a newsletter she publishes weekly via email, and various blogs listed on the right side of this page.

You may contact Jan at: janverhoeff@yahoo.com