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If today were your last day on earth, would you live it differently? Do you wonder how others perceive your generous spirit or worry that you will be taken advantage of? Living life with half empty or half full or, last day on earth attitude can change the way you think and more importantly, the way you treat others. Often, their cup is half empty whether you realize it or not. Smiling has become a thing of the past unless, of course, someone is taking a "selfie." Did you know that an open smile can radiate an open heart? It can and it does for every person you meet has a burden or a cross to bear of their own and the simple gift of your smile can lighten their step and improve their spirit. If this were your last day on earth- would you take the time to pat your dogs head, kiss your wife or husband or even tell your children that you are proud of them for their accomplishments at school and within their community? Everyone is in such a hurry these days and focused on "what they have to accomplish" that taking a moment to hold that door, saying please or thank you and even reaching back to help someone who has slipped or fallen down have become "extra steps" that many have turned a "blind eye" towards. If you went to bed this evening and considered the many times throughout your day and the many opportunities to extend your hand to a stranger, would you be pleased with your own answer? When strangers ask why I would create a business not based on earning income, they are often shocked by my answer, why not? Ironically, unless you've been poor, the expense a wedding or celebration is something you may never have had to worry about affording. At a very young age, my twin, Cindy Daniel and I visited nursing homes and brought gifts to strangers who were happy to see us. It was then that we learned the kindness of strangers who have no one were far more receptive to kindness than people we did know. Treating strangers with kindness and respect is free, it doesn't cost you anything. Rather than judging someone simply because they are different, embrace them along with their unique attributes and you will be glad that you took the time to learn their unique stories. Life is fragile take the time to live your own to the fullest by including those around you.



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The Half Empty/Half Full Philosophy For Compassion

If today were your last day on earth, would you live it differently? Do you wonder how others perceive your…

My son was recently describing my business to one of his friends. I listened intently for several reasons because it's often a complicated explanation that the listener needs a moment to digest and understand. You see, it's "complicated" mainly because I blended two existing companies in order to create The Pawning Planners. My son Robert explained "most people start a business planning to make a profit- my mom started a business to help people who didn't have much money that otherwise wouldn't enjoy a nice ceremony." You see, my sons description may be somewhat different from my own but the concept is quite accurate. When I told my twin sister, Cindy Daniel of my plan she (as usual) shrugged, sat down to complain about my coffee "being so strong that it could cross the room by itself and crawl right into her cup!" Fresh coffee being obviously more important than creating a business to involve my family while creating dream events. You see, the Texas Twins Events Team is made up of both family members and close friends who "pitch in" and assist the "Fearless Leader" (me). It isn't all wine and roses and as recently as last night, my financier husband and business manager stated a somewhat offense comment by saying "no offense but, you can be a tyrant and bossy usually up to and during set up for events!" You see, Mr Wortham was "hiding out" at his office with our dog Foxy Wortham rather than helping out at an event last weekend and when I called him out on it he informed me that "your vision for perfection exceeds ANY realistic goal and MOST of the time our entire team is terrified to piss you off!" Offended, I immediately responded that I'm not only "easy" to work with, I'm also funny, loving and kind. He laughed outrageously that I have no concept of a patient leader and my OCD issues often are so "unrealistic" that members of my team either don't tell me when something's wrong or worse, hide the issue in the hopes that I won't notice. I'm working on both my sense of humor and apparently unrealistic expectations for perfection but feel it necessary to address my goal has always been to exceed expectations of others while my family and team think I need to step back, breathe and occasionally give someone a hug! Oh well, ya all know I would jump in front of a train for my family and my team and I guess this season starting off with funerals depressed me and made me snappy so I'm working on a sunny side of life (#cindyism) interjection of my normal strict and stringent expectations of others. Pray for me as our events are often stressful enough without being requested to "smile" like I just returned from a cruise with my family!



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Mishaps. Unexpected Drama & Working to Overcome Adversity Are Keys To Success

My son was recently describing my business to one of his friends. I listened intently for several reasons because it’s…

A formal marriage license can be obtained from any county in Texas and the marriage can be performed anywhere by a Minister, Rabbi, Judge or Ordained official. I am registered in the state of Texas to perform marriage and also, marriage counseling through Twogether in Texas. Often, I receive phone calls or emails from couples wishing to obtain a certificate that reduces the standard fee of $71 for the marriage application to $11.00 NOT understanding that the requirements of the premarital education class involve 8 hours of learning AND counseling services are not FREE. I feel it is important to note that couples unable to afford the $71 fee might want reconsider getting married until they are at the very least more financially stable. Benefits of taking a premarital education course include: Enhancing your communication and conflict resolution skills to enhance your relationship. Learning the key components of a successful marriage. Receiving a $60 discount on marriage fees, and Waiver of the 3 day waiting period The 8 hour premarital class offered by instructors in your community may be a available in a variety of formats including: One day 8 hour classes Weekend events, or Multi week educational series Classes may be led by: Clergy, Ministers, or their designees Licensed mental health professionals or, Marriage educators In order to learn more about the qualifying marriage education opportunities in your area, simply enter the zip code, city, or county at www.twogetherintexas.com upon your successful completion of the premarital class, the provider will provide you a certificate to present to the County Clerk to receive your $60 discount when you purchase your marriage license. I offer marriage education classes at $75 an hour, so if you are considering taking the class ONLY to save $60 off your marriage application, you are not taking the class for the right reasons. If you are divorced in Texas, there is a 30 day waiting period after the divorce is final BEFORE marriage–unless waived. If the 30 day waiting period is waived, a certified copy of the document must be presented at the time the license is purchased. PLEASE REVIEW the address on the marriage license!!! I cannot stress this point enough, the address YOU provide at the County Clerk WILL BE the SAME ADDRESS your license is sent to after I file it in person at the Vital Records department. If your address is incorrect or, out of date, you will have to purchase a copy rather than receiving it in the mail. Declaration and registration of an informal marriage (Common Law) An informal marriage license can be obtained and recorded by a man and woman who agree to be married, and after the agreement, they lived together in the state of Texas as husband and wife and presented themselves to others that they were married. BOTH PARTIES MUST BE PRESENT. An absentee affidavit cannot be used for an informal marriage. A person under 18 may NOT obtain an informal marriage application. The fee is $36 cash or credit card (credit card use adds an additional 3% fee) Persons authorized to conduct marriage ceremonies in Texas: Licensed or Ordained Ministers, Jewish Rabbis, persons of the Court who are duly authorized to conduct marriage ceremonies, Justices of the Supreme Court, County and Probate Judges, Courts of Domestic Relations, Justices of the Peace, Judges and Magistrate Judges of the Federal Courts of Texas. The Minister/Judge /Rabbi who performs the marriage is responsible for recording the document either by mail or in person within 30 days of the event taking place. If the licensed is returned by mail, it is to be mailed to the following address: Tarrant County Clerk 200 Taylor Street Fort Worth, TX 76196 Hours of operation Monday-Friday 8AM- 5PM I do not mail marriage licenses, rather, the day after your ceremony I take them IN PERSON, to prevent your important document being lost in the mail, to the County Clerk who will record the document, stamp it and return it to the ADRESS that is on the back of the license, so PLEASE review the address when you receive your license on the day your application is obtained. Hopefully, this clears up any questions regarding marriage Counselling in Texas, discounts on marriage licenses, and lost licenses due to an incorrect address being provided at the time the application was made. However, if you still have questions or comments, please use the contact us link at http://www.texastwinsevents.com or http://www.thepawningplanners.com or www.texastwinstv.com Reverend Wendy Wortham Texas Twins Events

Twogether in Texas/State of Texas Approved Marriage Education/Marriage Application Texas

A formal marriage license can be obtained from any county in Texas and the marriage can be performed anywhere by…

Children can be cruel, we hear it everyday. But, unless you've experienced hurtful comments or been a victim of bullying, you probably don't know that words are as painful as physical punches. Emotional and physical trauma are remarkably similar with the wounds left on the victims psyche. Many times the victim is targeted through no fault of their own ie: they wear glasses, have View posta learning disorder, a speech impediment, or something that makes them unique or different. The child has no control over such things- I know because I suffered for years with a chronic stutter that was so debilitating that my twin sister often had to speak for me because attempting to talk was such a difficult task. In fact, I didn't laugh on my own until I was in my teens. So self conscious of my own speech issues that I was often mute to mask my disability, my self esteem would also suffer for many years while I attended numerous speech classes to overcome the issue. I am an activist against bullying for numerous reasons and although you would never guess by looking at me, I'm a survivor myself! It's truly a tragedy that cyber bullying continues to affect children as young as 6 for being different? What happened to kindness? Childhood innocence? Teacher interaction? Parents are often completely shocked to realize their child has been skipping school to keep themselves safe from predators. My philosophy on bullying is and always will be to "punch a bully in the face" by either exposing them (social media gives a mask of anonymity to these predators but, the police can access the account and disclose the perpetrator) or, by contacting them directly. You see, what we as parents don't know is perhaps the greatest tragedy of all because if we were aware- we would most assuredly act quickly in order to protect our children. Many don't know that both my twin sister, Cindy Daniel and I lived at a shelter or, that my heroin addicted mother sold us for $50 each to go buy drugs at 6 years old. They also don't realize that we became the mothers we never had, the friends we've never known and the kind and generous strangers we've never met. How do some children overcome bullying and others do not? Perhaps because I was a twin and there were two of us, I would be able to rise above my deficiencies and move forward with a clear understanding of the effects abuse and name calling have left on my psyche. I would use my pain to push forward overcoming poverty by working several jobs at the same time. I would also be capable of becoming a chameleon, something of a transformation that protects me from be a victim. Cindy and I were both married to violent husbands and assumed (at the time) that every other woman was as well. Children learn what they live and, after enduring years of bane calling and physical injury, we finally removed ourselves from these marriages and moved forward. We are survivors- no one helped is out of these horrific conditions. Rather, we helped each other because God had gifted us with the strength and endurance we would need to overcome adversity. By outwardly appearing to be successful by smart purchases at area thrift stores, no one who worked with me had an idea that my secondhand outfits that appeared to be designer fashions gave me the ability to look accomplished and successful which is how I sold high end items, you see of others believe you are successful, they trust your opinion when making buying decisions. Perception is everything and due to my childhood I had realized that "looking successful" was key to being successful! You see, anyone meeting me in person would assume that I am self confident and, ironically even a little cocky, this is a personality that I can adept to within seconds of feeling insecure and, I'm very good at giving the impression of being unshakeable! I created Debt Survival Info after struggling through the real estate crash with my husband and enduring his job loss for three years taught me that many others were suffering across America and had no idea how to either repair their credit or worse, how to prepare an adequate defense to a debt lawsuit! The effects of default judgments and credit prevented these consumers from finding suitable employment. How could I change this? How could I help these strangers? How could I empower them? I decided the answer lay within myself and, spent three years reading every law book and article I could find that have me the information I needed to formulate a program that repairs consumer credit and more importantly accurately addresses the default judgment storm hitting courtrooms across the US. Default judgments on non served respondents destroy their credit and impede their ability to find work by scarring their credit. Debt Survival Info/Defending Debt Lawsuits LLC successfully educated consumers in 4 counties and, is the #1 accurate consumer information site on Google. By lobbying to change laws associated with third party debt collectors and addressing the issue of employment and credit- I've helped hundreds of families. Next, I decided to address the needs of families who could not afford a wedding, funeral, baptism, flowers or photos of their event by starting a unique business, Texas Twins Events. You see, I needed a "happy" company to overcome the sadness I had witnessed in hundreds of debt lawsuits. Texas Twins Events was created to give me a window to involve my twin sister and our children in my new business endeavor and spend more time with me. I've met so many wonderful people who were incredibly grateful for my help, my family has travelled with me on many events and, our children have learned the struggles of others. Becoming the person that I wish I had known has given me a gift of friendship, the capacity and determination to do more and finally, the ability to put my painful past behind me. No one meeting me would have an idea of the things I've endured or overcome. Neither would anyone meeting my sister. We hid our pain, knowing that by exposing the truth might leave us open to being hurt by exposing our weaknesses. When I began modeling, I had very little self esteem. However, I used my "trade show girl" persona to mask this and, was incredibly successful at doing this transformation both on the runway at style shows as well as in print and commercial ads. No one had any idea that I had overcome not only my stuttering but my insecurities by instantly becoming what I perceived my audience wanted me to be. A self defense mechanism that was self taught would help me become a top salesperson in any industry I worked within. Remarkably, Dr Harry Baker told me one day after three years of studying twins, that 5% of the victims who endure childhood trauma, sexual or physical abuse overcome and empower their psyche to survive and thrive. Sadly, others fall victim to drug abuse, alcoholism or, suicide. What made me different? Failure was never an option! I had a twin sister who relied on me, my son, my nieces and finally, my grand nieces, Maryssa and Makenna Mahaney. Starting two businesses to address the needs of less fortunate consumers became my way of giving back, educating and empowering others to overcome debt and credit issues and, having a beautiful memorial wedding or, religious ceremony. I've been questioned as to why I would create two diverse businesses and my answer is simple- I saw a need and decided to help others who needed my help. Giving back to my community has enriched my life and my community. Using my painful past to become more compassionate and empathetic to the plights of others to become the person that I wish I had met during my lifetime has made me a hero and savior to many who had no hope. My dream is that by touching the life of one that this person will reach back and help the person behind them and the chain will continue to grow and hope will change the lives of everyone it touches bringing empathy and passion back to communities. Kindness is free and, when needed so are my services! What can you do to help? Get out, get involved and find a need within your own community!



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How I Overcame Childhood Bullying & Put My Pain Behind Me

Children can be cruel, we hear it everyday. But, unless you’ve experienced hurtful comments or been a victim of bullying,…

Today while staying at our friends, Mearl and Sharon McBee's beach home, I took my husband to his first shopping experience at a thrift store. Cindy Daniel and I grew up finding bargains at discount stores like Mac Frugal and Ross but, the best kept secret was always finding a vintage couture piece at our local Goodwill, Salvation Army or area charity thrift store. In Fort Worth, we love the YWCA thrift store on Camp Bowie. Today I visited the Haven House Mission Thrift Shop at 12381 US HWY 98 in Destin, Florida. They also have a second location at 3384 US HWY 98 in Santa Rosa Beach. Their slogan is "help us help others." The reason is that by shopping and saving money, your purchases provide the income to support numerous charitable organizations. The Haven House is non profit and your donations are tax deductible. Serving the community for 17 years, Haven House Mission was established to support men in recovery from alcohol or chemical dependency. Haven House provides a faith based, safe, family atmosphere in a nurturing environment of love and support through traditional values. Their Thrift Shops offer work therapy opportunities for their residents and are critical components to meeting the recovery program goals. Work therapy gives residents the opportunity to build relationships, learn new skills, work towards a common goal, and practice discipline with structure. Every resident is given the opportunity to establish responsible work routines and ethics. By adhering to these standards of accountability and punctuality, residents learn healthy habits that will aid them after they graduate from the program. Do you have a donation? Looking for a bargain? Visit them today and "like" them on Facebook. Many churches and food pantries rely on income through their second hand stores to fund charitable organizations so why not get our if the mall and go on a treasure hunt to find something you didn't even know you needed yourself? I always have a great time shopping second hand stores and they are staffed with friendly and helpful staffs so, if you've never been, expand your shopping this holiday season to include a stop by and help them to help others. Reverend Wendy Wortham Texas Twins Events IMG_5168.JPG

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Finding Bargains at Thrift Shops also Helps Numerous Charities

Today while staying at our friends, Mearl and Sharon McBee’s beach home, I took my husband to his first shopping…

If you had told me years ago that I would start three very different business, I probably wouldn't have believed it! Where would I find the time, the resources, the help I needed to pull it off?
Well, my friends the story of my success comes from a life of survival and perseverance. All three businesses were started to address the needs of my community and offer affordable solutions to families with little or no money.
I never actually planned on getting into furniture restoration until the real estate crash hit and my husband was suddenly jobless- that's right- jobless. Working in the upscale furniture industry taught me many things about fabrics, frames and fads. You see, I was a top salesperson for twenty years because I valued quality over cost and, my customers not only trusted my judgment, they begged for my opinion when placing a special order and, I often visited their home to use my eccentric insight to create a unique outdoor living area and, ultimately an extension of their home. I've always been a little different although I'm an identical twin. Cindy Daniel and I grew up shopping at thrift stores and garage sales so we often threw couture with discount store items together for a unique look. When designing a backyard, I used my insight on clothing and fashion to do something unexpected with colors and textures. I don't have home furnishings you can buy at a mall for a number of reasons: First, there is no quality and I believe in recycling and secondly, I love unique, vintage items! When entering my home you will find that this eclectic old mansion contains Asian, Western, Victorian and various European and Moroccan themed items from my travels as a clothing and Cadillac print model. I began refurbishing furniture to replace the home furnishing I sold to start a business addressing the needs of consumers unable to find employment for to marred credit by third party collectors along with furs, jewelry and a lifetime of beautiful clothing collected while working as a model in Fort Worth and Orange County to start Defending Debt Lawsuit Consultants www.debtsurvivalinfo.com when I realized millions of consumers either had no idea how to repair their credit or, knew it was so bad they didn't bother. The problem is, your credit can affect your ability to seek gainful employment or WORSE, can get you sued and a default judgment on your credit is just as bad as a bankruptcy! It took me nearly three years to read and educate myself at law libraries to form a solution to a worldwide problem that no one talks about. Americans are embarrassed when they are forced to stop paying credit cards to feed their families due to job loss, illness, wage cuts or the loss of unemployment benefits- you shouldn't be! Survival often involves hard choices and is why my website is titled Debt Survival Info. Do others attempt to mimic my site? You bet your ass they do and, add back links but, they don't know we monitor all visitors and do not allow back links without verifying and validating the source first. Why? Because debt collectors use the internet too. They throw out misinformation daily that the average consumer believes! Would you sacrifice to save another? Maybe, I believe there are many as passionate about others as I am. My husband, my sister, my tiny Texas Twins, Maryssa and Makenna Mahaney and my web designer as well as my community all have it in them to lend a hand to a stranger, and they often do! Yes, living without furniture was somewhat inconvenient and it would take me years to replace everything that I had sold- but I did. I learned to strip, stain and reupholster using high end fabrics I traded jeans on eBay bought at yard sales for to overseas friends for tapestry and textile items to reupholster the items I found and trades for. There is a reason my furniture at Texas Twins Treasures is so unique and exotic, the reason is my secret for success by taking some tapestry that wouldn't completely cover the item, I became creative and mixed fabrics to finish the job. You see, necessity (again) added a spin to what might have otherwise been one single upholstered piece. When life hands me a lemon, I make lemonade! Texas Twins Events was started when I realized that most consumers who couldn't afford a beautiful ceremony, deserved to have one at a cost they could afford! I set about using sales from my Texas Twins Treasures items to start this new business with help from my partner, Matthew Wortham and my twin sister Cindy Daniel along with the Texas Twins Team. I'm often asked why or how doing so many things came so easily- it didn't. I worked my butt off, often sick from thyroid cancer and health issues. I continued to work hard flipping furniture to have money to cover the $52, 341.00 and counting investment of starting Texas Twins Events. I own all the website domain names, Trademarks, Copyrights and Proprietary Rights to All Of My Businesses and I can thank Mel Tillis for the Whataburger commercials that ran in Texas for years that I never earned a residual on for giving me knowledge the hard way of retaining the legal requirements to protect myself and my businesses. Every time I saw myself on a commercial I was not earning royalties or residuals, I turned the tv off. Have I been taken advantage of? You don't know the half of it. I trust VERY FEW because I've been burned in the modeling industry as well as luxury sales and have been forced to sue for Copyright and Trademark violations as well as Theft of Services and Unpaid Commissions. Yes, I've always won because I educated myself to the law and over prepared my case. But, knowledge is power. If you've never been taken advantage of, you don't know how to correct this breach- I do. I wouldn't he who I am today and I would never have accomplished so many things had I been spoiled or rich. Two things I believe put our children at a disadvantage in life. Working, sacrificing and surviving are the backbone of America. My knowledge of floral design and event production came from a background that had me juggling numerous jobs at the same time including decorating the showrooms at my various places of employment these past 35 years. You see, everything that has happened to myself, my twin, our husbands and our families, I believed happened to give me an opportunity to learn and later use this knowledge to better not only my own life but the lives of my family and my community. Low cost weddings, funerals, Quincinera, and more flooded my emails. Everyone was searching for something not offered in the events industry that had nowhere to go but, to Texas Twins Events! www.texastwinsevents.com would I help them? Could I help them? You betcha! Taking trades and turning them into treasures was a talent I didn't know I had- until I needed to use it. Cindy Daniel makes fabulous tutus, headbands and accessories for our little twins out of necessity and, mends broken jewelry to keep Maryssa and Makenna Mahaney well dressed and show stopping cute since she has never received child support for these Texas Darlings. Both of our husbands endured job loss, we have struggled our entire lives to provide for our families and, we've succeeded in life and, in business through these sacrifices. The things that have happened in my life have often had strangers encourage me to write a book. Finally, I've decided to find the time. Originally, the first three chapters were titled "Travels of the Texas Twins" but, I may be changing it to "Triumph Over Tragedy- A Tale of Two Sets of Twins in Texas." I will keep you posted, together we can change the world since I believe we all have something to contribute to our communities, our families and finally ourselves. Wendy Wortham

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If you had told me years ago that I would start three very different business, I probably wouldn’t have believed…

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