Military Suicide Rate Skyrockets

This past weekend Kate Hunt, Miss Peoria Metro, spearheaded an event at the Illinois Veterans’ Home. Hunt invited her sister queens, part of the Miss Illinois Scholarship Association, to perform their talents for the veterans. Joining Kate was Audra Ferguson (the reigning Miss River to River), they both sang for the veterans. Later, Sherrie Gearheart, Miss Southern Illinois and founder of Live Out Loud Charity, visited with the veterans. Read the full article CLICK HERE.

Suicide Kills More Than Car Accidents

Just reported on CNN: Suicide kills more people here in America than car accidents according to the CDC. My heart pours out to the ones suffering the losses of the two radio hosts that took their lives. My heart pours out to Paris Jackson that attempted suicide just this week. Please, if you are hurting, if you feel alone, if you need help, it’s ok, pick up the phone and call 1.800 SUICIDE. This national hotline is FREE, confidential, and will help you. Perhaps you don’t feel suicidal, just depressed, just pick up the phone and call. Please reach out for help. I spoke with a person yesterday that said, “I don’t think anyone would miss me if I took my life”. I explained that I would miss her. That so many would miss her and those that have taken their lives felt the same as her but they too were wrong. And because of their act so many have suffered guilt, sadness, depression, and spiraled into a downward path of taking their lives as well. Please reach out for help. I also recommend Powertochange.org a wonderful resource where you can sign up for an email mentor. I love you all. You are loved.
Here are some things that can help make us happy in life:
1. Altruism (giving back to others makes us feel good, get involved with a charity)
2. Exercise
3. Healthy relationships (this one IS HUGE and I plan on writing an article soon and have done so in ACTION MAGAZINE).
Thank you for reading everyone! God bless.
Sherrie Gearheart
Executive Director
Live Out Loud Charity
 

http://liveoutloudcharity.org/2013/06/08/suicide-kills-more-than-car-accidents/

Saving a Life

I thank God every day for giving me His vision for starting Live Out Loud Charity. Today a life was saved through suicide prevention. I am so grateful I logged onto facebook. This isn't the first time I have saved someone's life via facebook, in fact if you refer to this blog: http://www.sherriegearheart.blogspot.com/2011/02/true-story.html you can read the story of the man in India and how I saved his life. But before I go forward with this blog, I must say, it isn't me that is saving people's lives, I want to make it clear, that I am only used as God's tool. It is God that intervenes and I do my best to listen when I am needed. :) Tonight I was needed by a younger girl who has been in an abusive relationship for years. She broke away and found someone who treats her right but when her abusive boyfriend came around again she found herself scared to say no. She was then beaten again and her fiance found out about it after she broke down to him. He called off the wedding. She then went on facebook one last time before she was going to end her life. She saw I was on facebook (thank God) and decided to reach out to me since she knows I run a non profit for suicide prevention. We started chatting and she opened up to me about everything. As a QPR certified Gatekeeper I used my training to take the proper steps and I always mention God in my stories as I am a believer and a Truth Media Certified Mentor. From there she started to see things clearly again and to place things into perspective. As the conversation continued she finally told me that I had saved her life. That she was going to end it all and logged on to deactivate facebook. By chance, as one last attempt she reached out to me and thank God she chose life, and thank God she chose to speak with me. I am so grateful to God. During that conversation she reached out to her fiance who was so happy to work things out and come over to her home to discuss everything with her. It will take her time to heal as she was in a very abusive relation ship and it will take her time to rediscover who she is again. I encourage everyone to leave their abusive relationships. Please. God wants the best for us. God gives us dreams so we can live them. I honestly believe God plants little seeds of dreams in our heart so we can make them a reality. I mention dreams because in a healthy relationship your partner will support your dreams not try to control you from living them. With all of that being said, I honestly believe God wants the best for us. Often times people hold their past regrets against themselves and feel they don't deserve best but as the quote above by Drake says, "No matter how dirty your past is, your future is still spotless," just goes to show that our current decisions matter and that we can turn our lives around. God wants the best for us!!! Bible says: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 
I believe in God and it was my faith that carried me through my hardships. I thank God for my life every day and for my loved ones including my significant other which has brought so much happiness in my life. In this blog I placed two quotes that I just love. I hope you like them two.

Merry Christmas to everyone this Christmas Eve. I miss the days I would visit my grandparents and would be so anxious to see my gifts that I would open all my christmas gifts on Christmas Eve and have nothing for Christmas day. The tradition in my grandparent's household was to open one gift on Christmas Eve but of course as I am, I always have to somewhat break tradition and open them all. haha! So my grandma, over the year's starting saving one and hiding it well so I would have something to open in the morning. They have both since passed on and are angels in heaven. They brought so much peace and serenity to me. Because of them I have a strong faith in God, a hard work ethic, and a giving heart. I miss them dearly. This Christmas is a unique one as I am spending it with my parents, mom and Joe :) I am in Florida and it is my very first warm Christmas. I never thought Christmas could feel like Christmas with out the snow but let me tell you... I love it!!!! Merry Christmas all and God Bless everyone!!

With love,

Sherrie Gearheart
Miss Southern Illinois 2013

My Journey

I love this quote! Sometimes I think we are so hard on ourselves..... just remember this quote! xoxo, Sherrie Gearheart

Tiara Magazine article: Miss Southern Illinois 2013, Sherrie Gearheart visiting Philippines

Love Story

Sometimes our outer shell says one thing to the world while our heart sings to a different tune. Set your heart free and watch the smile envelop your face. Your soul calm and at peace. Love.

This love story is between you and me. The world has nothing to do with it. For those in the limelight your love story does have an audience. Time and time again you must remind each other, the sacredness of love is between us: a man and a woman, a husband and a wife. Only these two can embrace this love. This love story is ours to redeem.

Love is our two hearts beating as one.You are my home. My home is within you and yours within me. Your smile my joy. Your hands the softness to my skin. Our love story is unfolding if we allow it to speak its eloquent words  and blossom its petals into a beautiful rose of life. Love is us, our undying connection, our faith in God that binds this love together, forever.

The bible says:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

I love you. Will you be mine?

Sherrie Gearheart

Passport Missing

I will start updating my blog postings from last September...... I am bearing my heart and soul in my blog

You will never believe what happened to me in September. My life was turned upside down. My apartment was broken into and my passport was stolen just days before I had to leave overseas for my humanitarian trip to the Philippines. I had less than 5 days to get a new pass port, to move out of my apartment abruptly, and to pack for my trip in the midst of the confusion. While dealing with all these emotions I had to then prepare myself mentally for 24 hours of air travel time because once I landed I would hit the ground running with appearances galore as Miss Southern Illinois, VP of Project Michelangelo, and founder of Live Out Loud Charity. I was to complete a media tour to promote my charity work involvement and Jojo Sayson's new book Springboard to Heaven. There I was on the flight 5 days later, new passport in hand, extremely tired and fatigued from all my last minute packing, and just in disbelief that my life was back in boxes. I had created such a beautiful home, put so much time and energy into it for it to now be packed away and disheveled in a storage unit. I knew in two weeks Id return home without... a home. I told myself to focus on the present moment because I was about to embark on a journey I had never experienced before. This is the first time I am sharing this story publicly since well..... I didn't want people to worry nor did I want my personal life out there in the open.... AND of course I didn't know at the time who took my passport. Therefore, I shared my dilemmas with those close in my circle. I must say, if it was not for my close knit support system, I would have easily collapsed and never made it on that plane. Fortunately, I have people I can count on. So there I was, in sort of this daze on my flight to the Philippines sitting side by side with Jojo Sayson, President of Project Michelangelo Foundation. I had no idea what was in store for me. I feel that I experienced a lifetime worth of events in just 2 and a half weeks. My mind is still in disbelieve at how much we accomplished in that short time frame and yet..... there was still so much more to do. We plan to return in 2014. I will share in the blog posts to follow details of my Philippines Trip. Once I returned from the Philippines the month of September was over. The month of October was an interesting one as I closed a chapter in my life and began a new one. <3 br="br">Sherrie Gearheart
Miss Southern Illinois 2013