Brenda Baker, Angel in Adoption - Interviewed, Finally an IEP for Mom!

Attn: All Moms!
I am participating in a wonderful telesummit designed to help Moms in their quest to find answers to their most difficult challenges. Finally, an IEP for Mom launched today and featured Brenda Baker, an Angel in Adoption, who is determined to help Moms in navigating through stormy seas.

Brenda's inspirational journey and transformation is sure to refresh, refuel and recharge the hearts of those lucky enough to hear her story.
Listen to her interview now and hear Brenda describe her early misfortunes, her heart-felt desires and how she moved from a poor coal mining town to an affluent community in Maryland while following her heart and making many dreams come true!

Listen to Brenda as she transitions

:

from being a Heart-Broken Child, to a Single Mom,

from being a Married Mom, to a Mom with an Adopted Son,

from being a Mom of a Young Adult with Special Needs to a Mom with a Mission!

Sign up today so that you won’t miss Brenda’s interview. It is only available for free for the next 36 hours. Over the next three weeks, I will be interviewing 14 other guides, mentors and educators and sharing information that sustained me during my darkest hours in hopes that you will not make my mistakes.

You can listen live to every call via phone or via webcast for up to 48 hours for Free. It is our hope that you come to OASIS of Hope and Support as we know that it is frustrating and lonely to wander in a Desert alone. Register, Listen,and Enjoy the Abundance of the OASIS!

Announcing, Finally, an IEP for Mom Telesummit - Begins Tommorrow!

Dear Friends and Partners,

I am committed to giving voice to the unspoken dreams of young adults with special needs and find that I am most successful in my quest when I empower their moms first and foremost! An empowered Mom can move mountains and inspire her children to take action. A mom without power can barely get out of bed in the morning and does little to motivate her young adult.
I Believe:

If Mama Ain’t Transitioning, Ain’t Nobody Transitioning

and

“If Mama Ain’t Empowered, Ain’t Nobody Empowered!”

With these beliefs and commitments in mind, I created a telesummit for Moms of Young Adults with Special Needs. While all Moms have stressful jobs, the mom of a young adult with special needs has the most stressful job of all! While most moms can see a light at the end of the tunnel as their child goes off to college or to a job, the mom of the young adult with special needs, may not see an end in sight.

I know what that journey is like, I have seen first-hand, how lonely and tired I became while seeking appropriate educational and medical attention for my youngest son. I became thirsty for hope and support and nearly collapsed in frustration. Thanks to the support of my family, friends, and divine intervention, I found an Oasis in which to rest and regroup.

As I grew stronger, I heard the voice within me grow louder. As the months turned into years, I heard the command clearly: “Doreen, you must help those Moms to survive, if you want to give voice to unspoken dreams.”

When I retired from my government position in March, I simply did not have the energy to plunge into this endeavor. Instead, I nurtured my garden and soul, knowing that I would be ready when the time was right. In July, I felt better…and became more determined than ever to make a difference.

In early August, I learned that a Mom of a Young Adult with Special Needs grew so weary and distraught that she took her own life and the life of her 13 year son, choosing death rather than a continual battle with authorities on what was an appropriate educational setting for her son.

This sad story compels me to work on this project every day. Every day, I think of her and the unspoken dreams of her son, and I know why I am driven to do the work I am doing. I do not want these special moms to give up. I want to give them hope, support and the resources to refuel and refresh their spirits for the long journey.

Join me for the Finally, an IEP for Mom! Telesummit which I developed for Moms of Young Adults with Special Needs and please spread the word. No one should wander through the desert alone. Together, we can provide the hope and support Mom needs.

Tell her:

It’s Free,
It’s Worthwhile, and
She is Worthy!

Tell her:
Finally, an IEP for Mom! begins October 10th and ends on October 28th!

It is Designed to be: An Individualized Empowerment Plan for Moms of Young Adults with Special Needs

Learn more about this free telesummit

This telesummit is all about empowerment and collaboration, creating a win-win-win situation for You, for our Young Adults with Special Needs and for their Moms, and ultimately for their Families.

We want You to help us spread the word for the benefit of our Young Adults with Special Needs and their Moms who love them dearly. I am looking for partners to help us to get the word out about our upcoming Telesummit. Many of you are doing this anyway, so why not participate in our Affiliate Program which could be mutually beneficial to all of us.

How does it work?

For every person you have referred who buys the upgrade package using your unique affiliate link, I will pay you or your favorite charity a significant commission. 10% of every sale will be donated to the year round camp and respite center which Nancy Battye is developing for Moms of Young Adults with Special Needs!

And the drawback? There is none. You don’t have to commit to anything. You don’t have to purchase anything. With your help, we hope to create an ever-growing community of Moms who are Empowered, Renewed, and Refueled to lead their Young Adults with Special Needs by example.

If you would like to offer your support and be in collaboration with me on this project, please click on the following link in order to register into my affiliate program and then spread the word!

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at: Doreen@believeinarayofhope.com
I would love to have you as a Partner!

With Hugs, High Hopes, and Belief in YOU!
Doreen

Doreen G. Fulton,
Speaker, Author, Certified Dream Coach®
Founder, Believe in a Ray of Hope, LLC

Visit my telesummit site to see how I am helping Moms now!
http://www.iepformom.com


Visit my blog for inspiration:
http://believeinarayofhope-doreen.blogspot.com/

Visit my website for encouragement:
http://believeinarayofhope.com/

Email me:
Doreen@believeinarayofhope.com

Finally, an IEP for Mom ~ Individualized Empowerment Plan

Now that my federal career is over, I am launching a new venture! My Free Telesummit for Moms is launching October 10, 2011. It is entitled: Finally, an IEP for Mom, An Individualized Empowerment Plan for Moms of Young Adults who have Special Needs.

My purpose and passion is to give voice to unspoken dreams of young people with special needs. I feel that I am most successful when working with Moms. When Moms are supported, they can move mountains and pave the way to success. When they give themselves permission to dream, they give their children permission to dream. When they take action, their children take steps forward.

Unfortunately, many Moms are very familiar with Individualized Educational Plans and Special Education. Many are angry, frustrated, and ready to throw in the towel as they confront the unsuccessful launch of their adult children with special needs. They are exhausted and feel that they are running out of time.

To respond to these emotional challenges and lack of energy, I have created the Individualized Empowerment Plan for Moms with Young Adults with Special Needs. I will be launching this Free Telesummit beginning October 10th. I plan to encourage collaboration and facilitate a community of support, so Mom can finally rest easy and sleep at night.

Having mothered 3 children with unique learning challenges, I know how important a community of support is to each of us. When I have collaborated with others, I have been energized and have had much energy to share with my family, my friends and community.

I now coach moms who want to launch their young adult children into independence and a life of meaning and am interested in expanding my reach via this telesummit.

I have conducted workshops and training events with educators and parents. My most successful presentation was entitled, "If Mama Ain't Transitioning, Ain't Nobody Transitioning." I believe that the IEP Summit for Moms, will be well received as the needs of Mom are great and everyone benefits when Mom has an Individualized Empowerment Plan!

To learn more about my new telesummit and sign up for this Free Series of interviews with my favorite mentors, visit my new telesummit site. Visit this new site: http//iepformom.com and recieve 3 Free Bonus Gifts to get you geared up and ready to enjoy this Oasis of Hope and Support!

What keeps you awake at night? What are you waiting for. Sign up now!

Heading Out for a Virtual Retreat! Join Me!

Do you ever feel . . .

• you must constantly prove your worth by giving, giving and giving?

• overwhelmed by the stress, pressure and demands of being a superwoman?

• that, you are overworked, overstressed, and under appreciated?

If so you are not alone. I’ve been there, now I’m heading out for a Virtual Retreat - I am Healing the Superwoman Syndrome, once and for all!

Join me! It’s Free and it Starts Today! Register Here!

It's time to awaken to the Wonder of You and this Virtual Retreat will get you ready for your Individualized Empowerment Plan! It is a wonderful way to get refreshed, rejuvenated and renewed! by a spirit-led community of phenomenal female visionaries.

I am humbled to be among these phenomenal women and I am sure to learn much from them on this Virtual Retreat!

I will be interviewed by Becky McCleery on September 22nd.

My Topic: “Finally, an IEP for Mom!

An Individualized Empowerment Plan for the Mom

Who is Overworked, Overstressed and Overloaded!”

If you can't make it to the live call on September 22nd, sign up anyway, the call will be recorded and you are free to listen to it anytime within the next 48 hours.

If you are available, sign up and you'll be able to get your questions answered and your needs met. YOU are Worth It!

It is time to GIVE, GIVE, GIVE TO YOU! When your VIRTUAL RETREAT is over, you will have even more to GIVE to Those You LOVE!

What I Know Now, that I Wish I Knew Then!

The article linked below was provocative and definitely worth a quick read this morning! It provided me with much food for thought. It provides a great message for women, like you and me, who are seeking:

to lead a good life;

to lead by example; and

to leave a legacy.

I encourage you to read the 10 Commandments/Manifesto which is linked below. Please come back to this blog posting as I have another fun commandment to add and a very funny video for you to watch!

Ten Commandments for Turning 50: A Manifesto for Any Age (Are You Listening President Obama?)

While I am sure you will agree that this is a great list of commandments, I would like to add yet another Commandment to the list:

Find a reason to laugh every day!

I have found that laughter is the best medicine for a joy filled life. It not only refreshes the body, it refuels the soul and rejuvenates your heart.

Pause for a moment, take an instant vacation from your to do list, and watch this great video. Be prepared to laugh, feel better and take action!



With this food for your heart and soul, I would like to encourage you to do one more thing for yourself today.

Join your Sisters and Moms in moving forward, provide support, and sign up for your Individualized Empowerment Plan today!

Learn more about it at http://www.believeinarayofhope.com and remember you are never alone!!

Saying No to College! All I want is an Individualized Empowerment Plan (IEP)

Hey Mom,

I've got a question for you....

How do you respond when your young adult says he's finished with school, isn't interested in college, wants to tour Europe, and hang out on the street?

Choose from the responses below. Will you:

a) Put your foot down and kick him out?

b) Wish him the best and send him on his way?

c) Say good-bye and start counting the days, fully expecting him to land on doorstep a few weeks later, with an apology.

d) Bid him a fond farewell and applaud his audacity?

Click on the link below and find out what happened to one billionaire who said no to college and then reconsider what you might say....

Here's Guy Laliberté's story!

Now that you know the rest of the Guy Laliberté's story...

What life lessons do you wish to impart?

What legacy do you want to leave?

Is it time to sign up for your own IEP?

Learn more at Finally, An IEP for Mom!

Stressed? Yes? We Must Form a Circle of Care!!

Calling All Moms, I know you are stressed, but I have another question for you.

Who has the most stress filled job in America?

Is it the astronaut?
Is it the air traffic controller?
Is it the firefighter?

No, it is Us!

Yes, it is Mid Life Moms!

Like you and me, these Mid Life Moms, strive to balance the needs of our young adult children, our husbands, our aging parents, our jobs and a healthy life style.

While I agree that all Mid Life Moms have stressful jobs, I believe Moms with Young Adults who have Special Needs, have the most stressful job of all! While Moms with Young Adults can often envision a time, when their adult children will be grown and gone, the Mom with a Young Adult with Special Needs, may not be able to see an end in sight.


While juggling elephants and carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders, who is caring for us???

Check this short video clip out and learn what we typically juggle and what we can do to fortify ourselves!

If you are like me, your days can be difficult and it sometimes we feel overwhelmed. At such times, is tempting to crawl into a ball and shut the world out. While we all need rest and alone time, when we have succeeded in feeling a bit better, we must reach out to our circle of support.

It is for this reason, that I have created the Individualized Empowerment Plan (IEP) for Moms of Young Adults with Special Needs! This telesummit is coming at the end of September and will help you to:

Create ME Time;

Learn from Self Care Experts;

Develop Self Care Practices;

Tear Down Barriers;

Access Services to Enrich the Life of your Young Adult;

and

Form Circles of Support!!

For more info on the upcoming free telesummit: Individualized Empowerment Plan ~ for Moms of Young Adults with Special Needs , follow this link and contact me at 703 371 5682 today to secure your place in the circle of support.

You are worth it! Your families are depending on you and looking to you to be around for the long haul.

In the meantime, let's begin today to:

Make Me Time,

Tear Down the Walls Between Us;

Pause to Reflect on What You Need; and

Form a Circle of Support!


In the end, I leave you with additional questions.

Do you need additional support?

What else do you need?

What works for you?

What do you do to keep showing up?

Please leave your comments and suggestions below.


With Hugs, High Hopes and Belief in YOU,
D

P.S. If you know experts that have programs/services designed to help Moms for the long haul, I want to hear from you as I am still adding to my speaker line-up. Thank you so very much!!

What the Experts Know - A Free Telesummit - Empowering Mom

Are you a Mom

* watching your young adult with special needs struggle in life?
* suffering with your child?
* feeling helpless?

If so, I would like to recommend that you listen to a special interview with Peter Tongue. Peter offers a message of hope and the interview is free for the next 24 hours and is powerful!

You can listen to it, by signing up for the Telesummit series at the following link:

What the Experts Know. You can find out more about Peter at the website and see his special offer there too.

There is absolutely no obligation and you need not purchase anything.

The telesummit series is designed to empower us to listen to our children, to question the status quo and to lead by example. Peter's message complements the IEP for Mom summit that I have designed for you.

As the interview is about to end, Peter offers us a special offer at a very reasonable cost. As part of the special offer, you can secure a 1 on 1 counseling session with him and special audio recordings that are designed to help you get into the flow and sleep soundly.

As I was listening, I thought of you all. Astrid has lined up some wonderful educational experts and I look forward to hearing them over the next couple of weeks for free.

Join me by signing up now. Simply click the link below, provide your name, email address and learn from the Experts for Free!

What the Experts Know.

Let me know what you think.

Do you now have:

More information?
More options?
More hope?

When Life Isn't Fair, How Can You Make a Difference?

LIFE ISN'T FAIR!
THERE ARE NO JOBS FOR ME!
I'M NOT SMART ENOUGH!
I CAN NOT NAVIGATE THIS TRANSITION ALONE!

In an effort to address these challenges, and to help my children to thrive, rather than survive, I decided to approach the transition process from a different angle and with a unique focus.

As a mother with three young adults with learning challenges, I have many people counting on me to “be there.” I have learned to be there for them, I had to first be there for me.

I knew that I had to work tirelessly and with purpose and resolve. I had to work smarter, not harder. Rather than focus on the challenges of my children, I decided to focus on my own competencies, my own resources and my OWN desired outcome.

In short, I decided to focus on my strengths and the strengths of my children and the teachers who were guiding them.

Like Marcus Buckingham, I had to:

First, Break All the Rules!

I had to switch gears and focus on me, rather than my children. I had to turn inward and assess my strengths. Rather than focus on the faults of the education system, the failings of my children, and where I had made mistakes, I had to focus on the beauty in me, around me and the beauty in all of us.

Take a moment to watch the short video and let me know if you are ready to focus on your Strengths, to take Action, to
ENROLL in an INDIVIDUALIZED EMPOWERMENT PLAN (IEP) FOR MOM!




Are you willing to dream?
Are you willing to take action?
Are you willing to focus on your strengths?
Are you willing to switch the focus from what is wrong, to what is right?
Are you willing to enroll in an IEP for Moms like you and me

Register today: http://believeinarayofhope.com/31101/index.html

Mom's Day of Reckoning is Coming! Will You Be Ready?

You have just read the title and you are wondering, "What does she mean? Where is Doreen coming from when she says the day of reckoning is coming? Let me explain.

If you are like me, your child has been on an IEP, for years. The years have flown by. You have become accustomed to the support of educators, tutors, and advocates who have helped your children in moving from grade to grade.

Before you know it, your children, like mine, have become young adults; you see them suddenly approaching adulthood and graduating. At this critical time, you are caught off guard and feel very much alone and ill prepared to help them make this transition smoothly. You wonder: Will they live in your basement forever??? How can you move forward, with this heavy load?

I know how you feel, as I have been there myself and I was shaken enough to take action! I have developed an IEP Summit (Individualized Empowerment Plan) for us, Moms and you are encouraged to join us, as the change we want begins with us!

Find out why I say, "If Mama Ain't Transitioning, Ain't Nobody Transitioning." Mom's Day of Reckoning is Coming and I want you to be ready!!

Read more about it at my website.

Music and Quotes Conspire to Inspire and Lift YOU Higher!

Somedays, we feel blue.

Somedays, we feel down and out..

Somedays, are filled with despair too...

Somedays, we just need to pout and shout....

Somedays, my halo falls off and my horns begin to sprout....

At such times, I like to sit down, to pray, to reflect, to journal, to talk to a dear friend and to find a way to believe that it is going to be all right. I like to take a nice hot bath, to read, and to listen to soothing jazz. I find music and quotes quite comforting on those tough days.

I found the following youtube offering on a friend's facebook posting and wanted to share it with you Mamas in Transition. It's hard work trying to balance the many demands before us. I know somedays, we need music and quotes to lift us up. On other days, it's just fun to be further inspired.

Whether you are feeling tired or inspired, the following music and quotes will lift you higher!



I believe my dark days will be followed by days of light. I believe that God is with me and that I can ask for guidance. I believe my failures make me wise, humble and more compassionate. I believe that my days of woe, make me enjoy my successes more. I believe that my grief, strengthens me and helps me to become more empathetic.

What do you want to hear, when you are facing adversity and need encouragement?

If you are like me, you want to hear, "It is going to be all right!!"

My Miracle Baby Turns 24 and Continues to Delight and Surprise Us!

Today, I reminisced alot, thinking over the last 24 years and what a joy and pleasure it has been to watch my children grow. Greg, my oldest, is celebrating his 24th birthday today and I am celebrating his life.

It seems like only yesterday, that we brought him home and called him our Gift from God. To read more about how his life with us began, please read My Favorite Christmas Story.

He began as a miracle from God and even today, he keeps me on my toes, keeps me guessing, and keeps inspiring me to be the best me possible.



Today, Greg and his bride to be are contemplating buying their first home on five acreas of beautiful VA countryside and he has dreams of developing his own chicken farm.

Growing up in Northern VA, I would never have guessed that his interest would take him down this road. As he was growing up, we made sure that he had the opportunity to play baseball, football, and soccer. We provided tae kwon do and piano lessons. Each time, we were sure he would want to pursue one of these pastimes on a deeper level and each time we were wrong.

While he enjoyed each extracurricular activity, when he entered high school, he surprised us and went out for Lacrosse. We wondered where the inspiration had come from.

When he moved to Christiansburg, after pursuing college life, he happily reported that he loved the slower pace and the country life and I wondered where this fascination had developed.

As I looked through old photographs, a lightbulb lit up. I came upon a few pictures that both surprised and delighted me. When he was little, we enjoyed taking him to the Reston Petting Zoo. We introduced him to horses, goats and chickens. Looking at the pictures now, I can see now how his early fascination began.

As we begin a new year, I encourage you to think about the memories you are making. I encourage you to take time to reflect. I encourage you to enjoy your discoveries, your loved ones, and every day miracles!