Thank you

I just have to say Thank you Lord for increasing my territory!!  Your blessings overwhelm me.  Just when I think my heart can not hold one more ounce of Love, you increase me!!  Use me Lord, stretch me Lord, teach me, heal me, make me more like you!!  I pray for the desires of your heart Lord, not mine!!  May others always see your light through me.  Though I am not worthy, I am chosen and so forever grateful for what you have done for me on my behalf!!

STRETCHED

Ever been stretched?  Not physically but emotionally, spiritually, mentally?  Not an easy or comfortable place to be.  My heart is full and overflowing with issues.  I've been here before and It's not the most comfortable place to be, actually its the exact opposite, uncomfortable.  It causes me to change, it challenges me to take a closer look at not only myself, but what is around me and how the decisions I've made are being played out in my life.  Reflection is it's middle name.  Preparation is the process.  What is to come with what lies ahead.  Before I can go forward, I am taken backward because I made a request.  A request that I knew would be painful yet necessary.  God, show me my heart.  Help me to see the areas of my heart that need corrected.
When you make a request like this of God in honesty, it will be granted.  Always you will be shown the ugly.  Not in the perspective of what the world sees or even loved ones close to you see, but what God cries over! These are things so deep that unless asked to be revealed you may never even realize they are there or even how much they hurt God.  He is faithful.  He loves us so much to show us HIS concerns, not our own, so that through HIM we can begin to understand truth in what's most important.
How do you explain to others your request, the revelation that is being revealed, and why you may not be in the happiest place at the moment?  Things that are being shown to you are not easy to see or digest, yet you know they are truth and this is where God has brought you to change you.  To speak or share with someone what you are going through takes a trust that is more than deep.  Truth causes problems, even ifs its your own truth revealed by God.

God Talk

Love love love all the amazing people God is moving into my life!  I can honestly see His movement and placement of others into my world.  It is such a blessing to know that certain things are not just circumstance.  I find myself walking in expectation of what is to come!!  Last night was a turning point for me.  Or maybe you can even call it a tipping point.  I was sharing with one of my new friends that someone she had briefly met weeks before was coming to see us and that we would have time to visit and she got so excited and asked if we could have some God Talk!!  God Talk.......hmmm.......never really thought of fellowship as God Talk but that is exactly what nourishes us.  Fellowship in the Lord and sharing God's movement in our lives!!  We sat and visited with each other and shared our stories and the amazing thing is how they wove together like a tapestry.  That is the kinda stuff that blows me away!!  God touching three different families, using each family to bring something to the other to create HIS story in our lives.  This is only the beginning and I know that I know that I know that God is moving.  When you KNOW, your senses become more in tune to what is happening around you.  I pray always that I hear God's Whisper in my ear, in my heart, and even through others of  what He is telling me.  All for His glory.  Praying He uses me more fully to help those HE puts before me!!  Thank you Andi, Rob, Dairry, Elyssa and Shannon for the wonder God Talk last night!  Looking forward to much more that is to come.

Focus on you

FOCUS ON YOU by ISAIAH D. THOMAS
I don’t wanna do anything
That will not be pleasing unto you
I don’t wanna say anything
That will make you cry when you think of me
I wanna dwell with you in your secret place
Give you glory everyday
Honor you in all I do and say

Chorus
Change my heart change my mind
I wanna be with you all the time
Whatever is wrong make it right
Draw me closer Lord
Change my heart change my mind
I wanna be with you all the time
Whatever is wrong make it right draw me closer Lord
Cos I just wanna focus on you

Solo2
Lord I know that I’m not perfect
But I’m striving everyday
I won’t give up now, or give in oh
But I promise to be faithful till the end

All:
I wanna dwell with you in your secret place
Give you glory everyday
Honour you in all I do and say

Chorus
Change my heart change my mind
I wanna be with you all the time
Whatever is wrong make it right
Draw me closer LordChange my heart change my mind
I wanna be with you all the time
Whatever is wrong make it right
Draw me closer Lord
Cos I just wanna focus on you
Cos I just wanna focus on you

Bridge
If it’s fasting that you want -Choir
I will turn my plate down now -Soloist
If its love that you need -Choir
I gotta give you my whole heart -Soloist
If its worship that you want -Choir
I will bow down upon my knees - Soloist
If it’s forgiveness you need -Choir
I will love my enemies -Soloist
I just wanna focus on you -Choir

Really wanna take this time
To focus on you
It’s all about you
Give you my attention
Focus on you
Repeat above - 8x
Cos I just wanna focus on you -5x





http://youtu.be/WyqRVhYrv_E

Pushing and Shoving

OKAY ALREADY!!  I get it!! I'm going!! Ugggghhh!!!!  Why does it always have to be this way?  BECAUSE YOUR STUBBORN!!  I admit it.......I HATE CHANGE!  But change is what betters me.  But if it betters me, then why do I dislike it so much?  Because it takes me out of my comfort zone, my settle spot, my ME.

We can't ever do this with a gentle nudge.....ummm......let me rephrase that......."I" can't ever do this with a gentle nudge, it's gonna take a push and a shove...unfortunately.  That's okay, I'm grown, I'm strong, I can take it.  The hardest part of change is recognizing it in whatever form it appears to you and then to put it in it's proper position in your life and identify the direction it will take you.  That was a thought full wasn't it!! Ha!  Had to go back and read that one again.  I'm sticking with it, so I'll give you a few minutes to let it absorb.

K, moving on.....sometimes change comes to us from directions we weren't prepared for.  Don't like it when that happens, because then my guard is up and I fight.  I'm not afraid to fight.....just saying.  What really stinks is when I get out numbered!!  Unfortunately, sometimes it's necessary to call in the troops.  Why do I have to be this way?  I wish God had designed me to embrace change and flow with it. But He didn't.  This has served it's purpose both good and bad in my life.  I'm just thankful that He has put people in my life who know this about me and love me enough to allow me time and patience for change to take hold.

Not sure if I will ever embrace change.  But I am sure that I will never give up on attempting to become a better person, role model, disciple, friend, mother, wife, sister, and woman of God in all the HE desires for me to be.  So for now I remain uncomfortably comfortable.  For those who push me and shove me are ultimately those who LOVE me.

God is Moving

Sometimes I wonder how it can be that my heart just does not burst!!  The Fullness of God and all He does just fills my heart so much that it can not be contained!  Have you ever had something sooooo good that you just had to tell.  Something that no matter how hard you tried to keep it in, it couldn't be kept?  Oh that is how I feel about my Savior and the things of Him.  I believe that things are purposed and that our ways are not His ways.  Often we get caught up in the whys? or even the why not's?  We fail to understand why bad things happen to good people and we place blame, or worse, allow anger, pain, sorrow and hatred to fill our hearts in response to the lack of understanding.  This is the beginning of bitterness.  I've come from bitterness, I know what it is and have dwelt among it.  It stinks!  Getting angry at God for horrible things that have happened to ones I love because I failed to understand that His ways are not our ways.  God does not do horrible things.  I will fail miserably if asked to explain then why certain things happen.  I don't know why bad things happen to good people.  What I do know is that no matter how bad of a thing happens to however good of a person, God will always bring HIS glory to the table, if a person is willing to see it.  When I learned this truth, I got a vision I had not had before and that vision is so amazing!!  To understand that our Lord and Savior works in ways not of this world is the beginning of a perception that allows one to see His amazing love and mercy.  The result of this is praising Him through the storms with expectation in your heart and wonderful love wrapped around you!!   

God is forever moving!!  Oh this I have no doubt.  HIS WILL will prevail. 

So now to my praise report!!  

Long story short:  My cousin married in college, got pregnant, husband didn't want baby, she did, they divorced over it, baby born, he changed his mind and wanted to see baby, baby visitations given to him, he kidnapped baby and took to his home country of Iran.  Cousin distraught, search for baby, tried to get baby back, couldn't get baby out of Iran.  20 years pass, baby knows mothers name and searches for mother, baby contacts mother (my cousin) and mom and daughter are reunited.

This is the greatest of love stories to me, I just shared a long suffering story short.  This child was told her mother didn't want her and the US was a very bad place with mean people.  YET, God had planted the seed of love for her mother in her heart so many years ago that even lies could not keep it for struggling to grow.  She is twenty three now and desperately needed her mother because what God puts inside us is bigger and stronger and so undeniable that it will be put forth to produce.  Happiness does not even come close to what I'm feeling for my cousin and her daughter right now.  It's Gods presence and His healing and mending of these two hearts and lives that fills me up so much that I want to burst!!  He is moving!  He will show us His love and healing and mercy!  He hears us cry out in the darkest of times and knows our pain.  If we trust in HIM and reside in patience and praise, He will carry us through and those seeds HE plants will be forever growing in our life and those around us.

I just Love it when I'm blessed to witness God Moving!!  I encourage everyone to open your eyes, open your hearts and see God moving in and around your life!!  If you seek Him, you will find Him!!  It's His Promise!! 

Boom Chicka Wow Wow

Happy 4th Everyone!!  Love Monday Holidays!!  But what I'm learning is that I really don't know how to do "nothing".  WHAT??  When did this happen?  When I forget how to simply just do nothing?  Was it after my first child was born?  Not sure, can't remember back that far to be honest, but I can tell you that doing nothing is harder than it sounds.  I mean you have to sleep in for starters.  Exactly how do people re-program their internal clocks to do this randomly?  My success at this is 7am.  I want so badly to sleep till like 10 am or even shoot for noon!!  I mean after all my children are the most successful people I know at doing nothing and it comes so easily for them!! ha!  Then once you've slept in, you have to just lay there and turn on the idot box and watch nothing!  Some people get out of bed to do this on their couch....I've heard.  This is the do nothing schedule for the rest of the day with random trips to the kitchen to grab whatever doesn't take any effort to shove in your mouth.  I'm just not good at nothing.  I get restless and want to do SOMETHING!!  I used to be so good at nothing but somewhere along the way, all that talent for nothing disappeared and something just took over!!  CRAZY!!  Oh how I miss those nothing days and skills because now I have to figure out either how to do nothing today until this evening when I have something to do, or..............fail at doing nothing and get up and get my something going!!  ha!  Have a great 'NOTHING" day.

HIS will is PERFECT

There are times that my heart just can not contain all my Thankfulness!!  It overflows in the tears that roll down my checks for no other reason than if they remain inside I will burst.  God is so good.  I say this all the time.  Not for any other reason than the truth can not be held inside.  The light demands to be seen.  I will not keep it hidden.  When all you can say is WOW God, I never could of even imagined this for myself, but YOU had it there for me all along.  His word says that if you seek ME with all your heart you will find ME. Looking back at all the mistake I made and all the times decisions were made without even a single thought of seeking Christ for my answer, just blowing through life, thinking I knew what I wanted, I see HIS mercy upon me.  In every single bad decision I made, HE covered me and blessed me.  He kept me from myself at times and oh how Thankful I am.  Sometimes I sit and wonder just what HE had for me from the beginning  had our relationship been formed all those years ago and how my life would of been different.  I don't wonder very long except to express my sorrow and know that even though I walked in myself and did not seek HIS will back then, HIS mercy covered me and kept me for all the days HE has prepared for me now.  How can a person NOT be thankful?
God had my partner for me and we bonded many many years ago in our youth and then parted ways, both of us going on in our own ways, both of us trying and failing in so many different areas of life.  Searching for something we did not know.  Amazing thing is, that just when we were both at the bottom crying out in two different lives, HE showed us one another again.  It was like HE was saying, here is who I have for you, broken, beaten, and bruised, just as you are, but through this person MY WILL will begin to unfold in your life.
It hasn't been easy, as a matter of fact I have felt pain deeper than any other depths I even thought imaginable in God's anointed relationship and that's okay.  It's a birthing process and there is always pain in childbirth.  I've learned that sometimes you have to experience the depths of certain types of pain to be able to rejoice in certain types of joy and thankfulness.  To be able to look back and see all I have been taught is different now and the tears will fall for now I recognize all the goodness that has followed me.  I SEE HIM in my husband and I'm humbled by HIS grace upon my life, my marriage, my children, our life.  God gave me an amazing man, a giving man, a caring man.  He is not perfect, but he is everything God knew I would need.  I watched him yesterday bless our niece and nephew with such a giving heart while knowing that his own heart was torn in another relationship that matters dearly to him, yet he never thought twice about sharing what God has given him.  Blessed is the one who witnesses such acts of kindness through pain.  Yes I'm thankful !!  For while at times God's will is not easy, it is always PERFECT!!

Rain Rain Go Away

In this big huge crazy life of ours there is no doubt going to be rain.  It's annoying yet it washes all the dust off and refreshes.  I love how God does that.  Rain makes us moody, gives us the desire to just stay home and curl up and be lazy and for some of us it bring on depression.  Why?  Maybe so we can appreciate the sunshine just a little more.
This week for me has been tough.  Nothing like feeling like a totally inadequate person.  I do realize that I'm in a growth process and growing is awkward.  You feel clumsy, stupid, out of place, dumb, useless, just to name a few.  I'm here to tell you it's been a long time since I've had to "grow" in this capacity.  I'm outside my comfort zone yet at peace with it.  I just have to keep reminding myself to do the best I can and allow God to do whatever it is he is doing in me and allow the growth, accept the inadequacies, learn and overcome all the shortcomings and be the best I can be.  I now know that I could not of accomplished this type of growth a few years ago.  God's kinda awesome like that, he knows just what you need when you need it.  So here I am, feeling all grrrrr.... why can't if figure all this stuff out and be able to do more.  Have I ever mentioned I'm pretty good at throwing myself little pitty parties?  Hmm...well, if not, shhhh, don't tell anyone but I sometimes do that.  Anyway, feeling like I'm not learning fast enough, starting to question myself in more areas than I care to admit and God says, BAM!!  Quit looking at you and look at ME!
Exhausted from exercising my brain, I decided to just show a dvd at youth group last night.  The kids worked so hard on their Easter program so I thought it would be a nice change.  We watched a dvd called INDESCRIBABLE.  And God said BAM!! Again!  I know!! Crazy!! But HE did!!  Look at ME, now go back and look and you and all your teeny tiny world.  This dvd shows you just how BIG God is in comparison to our universe.  It describes how HE can measure HIS creation in the span of HIS hand in a way that makes your jaw drop.  My youth were just sitting there with their mouths wide open saying WOW, soooo cool.  Then it took us to Jesus and the cross and His love for us and how small we are compared to how Big HE is and what He did for us and how much He loves us and we are all like.....Ummm.....amazing God.  That was my pity party exit right there.
No more time to waste on the rain, because without the rain, we would never be truly able to appreciate the sunshine.
Sometimes we all get so caught up in our day to day problems, when all we have to do is look to our left or to our right and see someone else's pain or hurt and appreciate or realize that our own is insignificant in comparison.  Our pain is nothing compared to our neighbors who may possibly be in the midst of tragedy, nor will it ever come close to the suffering that Jesus went through for us.  I guess for me, I must of needed an attitude adjustment yesterday and my loving Father so gently nudged me and moved my focus from me to Him and others.  So so thankful and so blessed.

Outside the comfort zone

Let's FLY

Crossroads.  We all encounter them.  They are the points in our lives where decisions are made and changes occur.  Some crossroads we dictate (or are allowed to dictate through free will), others are dictated for us.  I love saying that control is only an illusion because in the blink of an eye, control can be gone.  Some crossroads are more obvious than others, some hold more significance than others yet all play such an important role in our lives.  I'm so thankful for all I have been allowed to encounter, push through, suffer with, lose, and grow with.  It has formed me and molded me into who I am today.  Sometimes when I look back on my life, I'm just flat out floored at where I've been, where I came from, what I've come through, and that I'm still here.  Not that I was a wild child or lived with reckless abandonment, but I'm wise enough to look back at some of the choices I made and crossroads I encountered, and realize that the hand of God is on my life.  Even the smallest thing like not falling asleep at the wheel on a long trip when I was exhausted are indications to me that my purpose is not yet fulfilled.  It seems to me that when you struggle in life to scratch out your place, if and when you find something that provides some of what your seeking, you become comfortable.  It's so easy to remain in the comfort zone.  You like it there.  You've gone through the scary and now your safe.  What a great place to be, experience and survive.  But can you live there?  forever?  and truly live?  For me, I think not and now I know why, at least I know my why.  Crossroads mean change and for me that's difficult.  I love my comfort zone.  I'm confident in my zone, people like me in my zone, I control my zone.  Ahh....there's that illusion again.  Some of us get the opportunity to leave our comfort zone on our own terms, if we dare, while others are forced out of their zone.  I would love to say that I chose to leave my comfort zone all on my own because I'm just that brave.  ummm NOT.  Nor was I forced (by circumstances) to leave it either.  I guess you could say that I outgrew my comfort zone.  I have a purpose and my purpose was not within my zone so I have been moved beyond it.  Scary?  Somewhat but so peaceful as well.  I am learning that my comfort zone gave me a safe place to grow and mature and now I'm truly learning who I am and what I am capable of.  So exciting, fulfilling and peaceful.  Where is my zone now?  I have no idea to be honest and I kinda like it that way.  No walls defining me.  So if you ask me where I am......I can honestly say, Outside the comfort zone and it's such a great place to be and now I truly feel alive!!

Just when you think you can't.........

Think I'm crazy, it's okay.  Think I'm a Jesus Freak, I AM!  But I just have to say that GOD is soooooo GOOD!  I could spend all day praising HIM and fall short in my praise.  I am so thankful HE sees me other than I see myself.

This past week has been Crazy with a capital C.  I recently ended a career that I loved and was passionate about for 11 years.  A career I was successful with.  But it was time to move on.  God had been nudging me for a while and I just got tired of wrestling with HIM.  HE will always win and the struggle just flat wore me out.  I resigned my position with the company with nothing to take it's place.  Time to fully rely on HIM.  Looking forward to some much anticipated time at home joining the unemployed masses I kinda just relaxed and asked for God to put me where he wants me.  He knows the desires of my heart better than anyone.  So here we go.....be careful what you ask for!!  ha!  A few opportunities were brought to me and one through my husband.  One seemed great but would require way more than I was willing to give.  Another one was right up my alley and could be accomplished with little or no effort, the next one-through my husband was like, Oh really?  Don't think I'm really all that interested but I will check it out anyway.  Curiosity got me and I made the call.  Never in my mind had I ever considered entering this field.  And maybe it's not even the field but the people.  I believe that God uses us in so many different capacities.  Anyway, I decided to interview for the position and 4 interviews later the job was offered to me!  Okay, I'll give it a try.....but oh wait, there are these classes and tests you have to take in order to work.  WHAT?  REALLY?  K, barely graduated high school (that was the old me).  And......you have to pass a test that is timed, multiply choice with trick questions!!  Umm.....what have I gotten myself into here????  NOT GOOD!  Day one of class, I left, got in my car and cried all the way home!  Yep.  My head hurt, my confidence GONE, questions rising up from within wondering if this was really where God wanted me.  Exhausted.  Day 2 of class, not much better, I just resigned myself to whatever will be will be and if I fail, I fail.  For the record....I HATE FAILING!!  God dealt with me on that one too!!  Pride needed to move it's butt out of the way!!  Day 3, test day!  Knowing that me on my own was not going to pass this test, I had no other choice but to give it to God.  If He brought me to it, He would bring me through it.  I needed a 70 to pass and got a 74!!  I give HIM all the glory because I don't even know how it happened.  So....just when you think you can't.........always remember GOD CAN!!

Next week I do this all over again!!!  Would love your prayers!!

16 reasons I love Relational Marketing

Not sure where it came from, but it came.  I love people!!  I'm a people person.  Maybe all that waitressing I did as a teenager helped me to pick up on and anticipate others needs.  Or maybe it was my collection job that trained me to help someone do the right thing even when they didn't want to pay their debt.  Definitely beginning my own service based business fostered that love.  I believe we are all created to serve in some capacity.  How we choose to do that defines us in a sense.  I remember back in the day.........because I'm so old now (ha ha) when I first heard about network marketing and how it was this thing called a pyramid scheme and people who got in were suckers.  I had no clue what any of it was and had absolutely no interest in finding out either, I wasn't a sucker!!  Years went by, I grew up, had a family, stayed home, homeschooled my children and when the season came upon me, believed just enough in myself and my people skills that I could start my own company.  Since I was never told I couldn't, I guess I just believed I could.  So I did, and was successful.  I worked long hours, sacrificed my childrens activities and so much more.  Rewarding, yes but at a very high cost to my personal life.  How do others do this?  Ugghhh. Exhausting!! Here is what I learned ~  Let me tell you.....it's all about relational marketing folks!!  After owning and building my own company for 8 years, I sold.  It was bittersweet.  I was also introduced to network marketing.  What I learned is that I had networked all my life!!!  I just wasn't getting paid for it!  Are you kidding me?  My husband and I jumped in and quickly learned how much fun it was meeting so many new people, but also how rewarding it could be.  Did we get rich?  nope.  Did we make money? yep  Did we continue in the business we first tried?  nope  Did we meet tons of people that enriched our lives?  absolutely.  Do we regret investing?  not for a miute.  

You see, here is 16 reasons why relational marketing is so awesome. *thanks Craig Holiday*

1 - Level playing field (everyone starts in the same place)

2 - Little investment to start (it took me $11,000 plus to begin my other company)

3 - It depends only on yourself (yeah scary but rewarding)

4 - Immediate mentor ship program (everyone in the business wants you to be successful because it benefits them as well)

5 - Seniority mean nothing!!  (no politics or tenor, you more than welcome straight at the top)

6 - You choose your own level of success and income

7 - Most relational marketing opportunities can be done part time with less risk

8 - RESIDUAL INCOME (enough said)

9 - Exponential growth (look it up!!)

10 - You get to pick who you work with (can't do that at your J.O.B.)

11 - Building something for the next generation

12 - You business is based on YOUR effort

13 - The bigger your business gets, the LESS you have to work!!

14 - Economic Proof - a lot of relational marketing opportunities are economic proof!

15 - You can have Success and Significance at the SAME TIME (helping others)

16 - You can't fail ~ the law says you give & you will receive.  You reap what you sow!

I'm not saying this is for everyone, If you don't like helping others, do not attempt this type of opportunity.  But if your tired of trading your time for money, maybe it's time for a change.  Find something, anything that you have a passion for and see what opportunities are out there.  

For me:  I have struggled with my weight all my life, still do.  I found the only way to help myself stay healthy and fit is to help others do the same and that holds me accountable!!  And guess what?  That too has a relational marketing opportunity, so now I get paid to do what I love and to do what I was doing for free before I knew of the opportunity.  Am I getting rich?  Not yet, I haven't decided that is what I'm in it for but I know the opportunity is there if I choose to embrace it.  I have friends that are so I know it can be done.  I do however create residual income every single week from being a product of the product.  I have managed to surround myself with others who love what I love and want me to be as successful as I want to be.  I profit financially, emotionally, physically and even spiritually.  I haven't had to sacrifice my family once in the Beach Body opportunity.  I win.  How's does your job compare?

To learn more about the opportunities I'm involved in visit me at http://www.ynotgetfit.com/ or  http://whatif.124online.com/

Oh that's explains it!!

Road Rage at 7:30am in the morning!! Really?  Is your day that bad already!!!  Geezzzz.  Took my nephew to school this morning, since my idea to sleep in spread throughout our household somehow.  Not a big deal at all.  Made it there pleasantly avoiding all the traffic, dropped him off, headed home.  Made it all the way to a stop sign and of course stopped for the line of traffic heading for that same intersection.  Now keep in mind this is high school crossing here folks, and while most of the cars on coming were turning west, not all peeps at this age use their turn signals!!  Do I dare cross the road full of oncoming cars assuming they are all turning!!  Umm.....NO!!  I've learned a long time ago what ASSUME really means, so I waited until the way was clear to cross the road.  In the meantime I have a car behind me who doesn't know what ASSUME means and is honking at me to GO!  I look into my rearview mirror and low and behold, whom do I see is honking at me and yelling with gestures to go but my EX!!  Ha!  Knowing that he didn't recognize me or my car I just couldn't resist to SIT there for just a little while longer to allow him to vent.  Oh the little joys we take in our flesh.  It probably wasn't the nicest thing in the world to do so please forgive me.  ;~)

Is it really that difficult?

K, so it's spring break and all the kiddos are home from school.  Gave them each one chore.  Each one is to clean a bathroom.  There are 3 kids here ages 12 (girl), 14 & 15 yr old (boys).  We have 3 bathrooms.  Do the math, one each right?  Now take into consideration that two of the three have been trained multiply times on how to do this chore to our satisfaction ~ummm CLEAN.  Not really high expectation here, just CLEAN.  They have been taught to clean sinks, mirrors, facets, bathtubs, toilets, all around the toilets (umm boys don't have good aim, still can't figure that out!) ya know, the basic stuff.  Not a difficult task, but evidently it is.  Me to kids:  "did you guys clean the bathrooms?"  Them: "yep", Me: Okay, I hope they are clean.  Them: oh they are, we know how you are about them.  Ahhh.......maybe just maybe they finally get it.  NOT!!  I totally avoided checking them because I just knew, so I let it go, until I had to go to use one of them.  I've only been in two of them so far and this is what I find.  One of them I guess decided that it was enough to clean the outside of the toilet and just skip the INSIDE.  Really?  Not to mention the soap drippings on the sink that were clearly there before the chore was assigned.  The other bathroom, well let's just say, we wiped off the countertops (not even gonna try to figure out with what) and just didn't think to even clean the sinks!!  Really?  Don't even want to go downstairs and check that one.  Grrrr.....  I mean really?  How hard is it?  There is hair and toothpaste in the sink and we just skip it?  Not to mention the streaked mirrors from overuse of windex.  Guess what?  They get to now clean them all over again today.  So how long should it take for a young adult to be able to learn this skill?  They clean their rooms just fine.  So frustrated. Just sayin........it's not rocket science.

Notes

I take notes.  Maybe it's because I don't trust my memory or maybe just because whatever is being said speaks to me and I want to be able to see it again.  Occasionally I go back over notes I've taken and just read what spoke to me.  I love how God speaks to me in my seasons.  I can always go back and see the old message and often retrieve a new one.  So Awesome!!
My notes on Ruth from TD Jakes "Woman Thou Art Loosed"
Need a hand up ~ not a hand out.
The hand is a symbol of power.
You are raising somebody's husband so put into them what you wish you had.
Ruth was born into a culture that was against her calling, yet she was called anyway!!
1. The Bursting Place
 ~ a place where truth and lies collide
~ a place where function & dysfunction co-habitate
Dark & Light together - this is where we live
New wine in an old place will burst
Truth causes problems
God sends lights into darkness
2. Identify (your) a sponsor
~you can't do this by yourself - God will put someone in your life to sponsor you
You can not free people when you are bound by the chain.
I'm willing to give up who I was so you can make me who I am.
Sponsor is either there or coming.
The top of Moab is the bottom of Bethleham
It's John who knows when your ready
It's Ruth who brings you out.
You can be sincere and be sincerely wrong.
You can not become what you do not understand.
3. Work you way out of the corner
~movement should be a process not an event
~you can't go further than you think
When you see excellence in another form, you enlarge your own
Something is about to be dropped ~ you catch it.
You will live off the droppings, their excess is your essence
4. Go to bed with a stranger
~Get intimately connected with a strange world you have been visiting~ Get intimate with GOD
~Become intimately involved with what you used to dream about
Make yourself avail. to opportunity and it will come to you.
5. There is always a Birth in a safe place.
~Birth in a healthy place.

**Alot of these notes may not make sense to others but if any of them penetrate you, allow them to bless you too.  Amazing conference for women.

What do you invest in?

We have choices every single day to invest in.  What do you invest in?  Is it things, opportunities, ideas, people, relationships?  How will those investments benefit you or others?  And are you open to receiving the benefit or profit from the investment?  I'm not really speaking of financial investments here, but investments of the heart, mind, & soul.  Investing can be a risk.  You can gain or you can lose.  How open are you to either?  I guess I ask myself these questions as the end of a season draws near for me and a new season peeks at my future.  Are the investments of my ending season going to pay off and did I even invest in them for a return?  Sometimes we invest because it's the right thing to do.  Investing in others with no expectation of a return.  I love that we are given the opportunity every single day to invest in others.  Share their dreams, encourage them, listen, pray, or just be there to serve them.  These are the greatest investments I know of.  So when your trying to decide what to invest in.......make sure to choose wisely, because at the end of the day, the things that matter most are things of the heart and soul, not your bank account or possessions.  And never ever forget to invest in YOU!!
So thankful to have had an amazing season of investments!!!  They have forever changed my life so I guess the answer to my question is maybe it's not the end that counts but the journey of blessings along the way.  Bottom line....invest in yourself and others and there will always be a profit, if not for you, for them and that in itself is a gain!!  Happy investing!!

Burnt Bridges

Never a good thing in my opinion, but saying that, it is only just my opinion.  Sometimes however, it seems impossible to walk over that bridge without burning it, especially if you are on fire!!  So how do you keep it all under check and control and not set the blaze free when your seething?  For me, it's called wisdom straight from my Father above.  It's not easy at all but it's possible.  I am currently crossing that bridge.  I have every right to burn that baby down and reek havoc along the way.  Or do I?  Can my anger and actions be justified?  Of course they can, we always have a way of doing that, wouldn't you say.  Do I even NEED that bridge to cross back over ever?  Probably not.  Does the situation deserve my vengeance?  Some say absolutely.  Could I be held to blame in doing so?  Most would not blame me at all, after all, they would.  Hmmmm........when is it okay to dish out to someone what they deserve in your mind?  NEVER.  That's a hard one folks.  I'm doing my absolute best to cross this bridge and the journey over it seems unending.  Opportunities keep presenting themselves challenging me to light it on fire and not look back.  I often feel like the other party involved challenges me to do so just so they can justify their harmful actions and lay blame at my feet.  NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.  Oh the high road is so very lonely, but it is one I will travel on this particular journey.  I give my enemy no ammunition to toss my way.  I pray for strength and patience.  After all, it's only a bridge and on the other side something huge is waiting on me.  My flesh battles daily with the situation and I struggle to keep it all in check.  I'm almost over the bridge and so far  through the help of my Father I have not lashed out and inflicted harm (which I know is in me).  It's never fun to see the ugly in you and know what damage it could do if released.  I know I will make it over and my enemy, though he may spew untruths regarding me and the situation, the truth can not be hidden for long and I will know in my heart that I did the right thing, not the worldly thing, but the right thing in the end.  That I can sleep with peacefully. 

Recall Notice

RECALL NOTICE: 
The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.
This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype unit's code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed "Sub-sequential Internal Non-Morality," or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed. 

Some of the symptoms include: 
1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion in the mental component
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect.

The repair technician, JESUS, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required.

The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R. 
Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the repair technician, Jesus, into the heart component. 
  No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with: 
1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control   Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.

WARNING: Continuing to operate the human-being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call onJesus. 
  DANGER: The human-being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility. Thank you for your attention! 
  - GOD 
  P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by 'Knee mail'! 
reply with remove in subject/aol

**just had to share this!**

Steadfast Heart

I've dreamed many dreams that never came true.
I've seen them vanish at dawn.
But I've realized enough of my dreams, thank God,
To make me dream on.

I've prayed many prayers when no answer came,
Though I waited patient and long,
But answers have come to enough of my prayers
To make me keep praying on.

I've trusted many a friend that failed,
And left me to weep alone,
But I've found enough of my friends true blue,
To make me keep trusting on.

I've sown many seeds that fell by the way
For the birds to feed upon,
But I've held enough golden sheaves in my hands,
To make me keep sowing on.

I've drained the cup of disappointment and pain
And gone many days without song,
But I've sipped enough nectar from the roses of life
To make me want to live on.

~Source Unknown

4 Mistakes Everyone Makes When Fighting Ab Flab

By Lucy Danziger and the staff at SELF
Feb 17, 2011

There are a lot of things you can do to help melt stubborn belly fat that probably won't come as a surprise to you—you know, the typical cut-calories, get-regular-cardiovascular-exercise type of advice. But what you don't do can be just as key to finally achieving that firm, flat tummy. Get to know these sneaky belly bulgers so you can steer clear of them and trim inches off your waistline fast.

Parking in front of the TV
The occasional DVR-athon can be just what the doctor ordered, but people who tuned in for two or more hours daily had weaker ab and back muscles (by up to 10 percent) than those who viewed less than two hours, regardless of their overall activity level, researchers from the University of Oulu note. An hour of tube time is fine, especially if it motivates you to hit the gym. Schedule your workout to coincide with your favorite dramedy or reality show, and then tune in while you log some miles on the treadmill, elliptical or stationary bike.

Stressing out
Feeling frazzled and frantic? Increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol, a result of chronic worry, lead to excess stomach fat, research shows. To de-stress and weigh much less, learn to breathe. When you're on edge (or feel like you're about to be), slowly inhale through your nose, counting to four. Then exhale from your mouth for a count of eight. Repeat until refreshed.

Diving into that darn bread basket!
Those fluffy white rolls? They're your flat-ab foe! When staring down a breadbasket, check its contents before digging in. If you see whole grains, go for it—in fact, feel free to enjoy 3 ounces a day. (One slice of whole-wheat bread or 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice are each 1 ounce.) Dieters who did so lost more stomach fat than those who merely cut calories and ate refined grains, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reveals.

Munching late-night
I like dessert as much as the next gal, but if you're trying to tighten up your tummy, it's best to pass up that scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream and all other P.M. snacks. Your body may not burn nighttime nibbles as efficiently as it does those you eat during the day, a study of high-fat diets in the journal Obesity finds. Declare "last call" two hours before bed. "If you're really hungry, have a 150-calorie snack," says SELF contributing expert Janis Jibrin, R.D. If not, sip tea, cut the lights and bid farewell to the fridge until morning.
For the ultimate guide to fat-burning foods and moves check out the Jumpstart Diet.

----------------------------------------------------

I'm I a sucker? maybe? maybe not!

I'm sure it can be seen miles away.  Not sure if I've always been this way my whole life, but now I know I am.  Why am I a sucker?  Here is why......I always see the best in people, often I don't even think or even imagine they can be anything other than what they present themselves to be to me.  I don't look for hidden agendas, or strategic movements on their behalf to take advantage.  I trust people.  Often it's only after being shown true character by either someone else pointing it out to me or by receiving actions of someones bad character that I'm exposed to it.   Others see things I don't see.  Is it because I'm not looking and they are?  Not sure about any of it but I know it blows my mind what some people see and believe right, when in my heart it is so very wrong.  I stand in amazement at how people can destroy other people and not even blink an eye but totally justify it.  That is not in me and I'm so thankful.  If it's in you, please don't reveal it to me.  I don't want to see ugly.  I've been told that I need to open my eyes to what others purposefully strive at.  And while this is true in some ways, it others ways, it is not for me to see, judge or change.  I know that you reap what you sow and when morals and value and characters are revealed to me that leave me saying......I can't believe this person would do that, my flesh rises up and knowing that in some cases (not all) I have been blessed to yield power to change it's path and destroy before being destroyed. Knowing this does not give me permission to do so.  Such a difficult battle for me and a test I pray I pass.  Wisdom is discerning when to turn the tables on an unjust person and when to walk away and let the reaping and sowing take place.  Abstaining from a hardened heart, and finding peace and joy from within knowing that the surroundings your standing in will potentially harm all that you've worked for.  I pray for those who choose to do whatever it takes with no regards to others lives.  I pray for the Lords vengeance to rise up and not my own for ultimately it is not my battle for I am His child and He is my Protector.  So maybe I am a sucker to believe the best in people but I have no doubt that God sees the best in me.......even when I'm undeserving.  He sees the best in me, so I will continue to choose to see the best in YOU!!

To do list

To Do List

UGGHHHH  All my "SUCCESSFUL" friends swear by it!!  People I look up to and reach out to for advice say it is what will set you apart in working towards your goals!!  So why is something so simple so difficult for me???  I mean, I get it.  I really do, so why don't I do it?  Why are we so willing NOT to do what we KNOW to do and KNOW works?  For me......fear of failure probably.  I recall going through a season of my life of battling depression.  NOT a good season for me at all.  I still struggle with it occasionally but as long as I stay on track with my exercise I seem to be good.  Gotta love those happy endorphins in abundant supply.  I recall during this season it seemed as though I couldn't get anything done!  So for me in my own little world I began doing a "DONE" list to encourage myself.  Not a list of what I needed to "DO" but a list of what I actually got "DONE".  Just my own little "hooray for me, look what I accomplished today" list.  Our minds seem to be under attack so often that we tend to beat ourselves up to the point where Negative digs in and camps out.  This was my fight back to show myself and my mind that I did accomplish something today and for that I should be proud.  It really helped me get through that rough season.  I'm so grateful for changing seasons.  Now I must learn to accomplish a TO DO list and not allow the fear of failing to accomplish it keep me from moving towards my goals.  I'm learning.  It's been a slow process but a process nevertheless.  I would love to hear your strategies for your to do list and how you overcome possibly not completing it.

Turbo Jam Lower Body Workout

Love Turbo Jam workouts!! Yesterday I did the Lower Body workout which is only like 26 minutes. Talk about quick and to the point oh my!! You are started off immediately with weights. And of couse me being me grabbed some 8 pounders! Not that big of deal right? I can handle it. Then you get to use the ever so fun thigh bands. These are no joke!! I decided to use my bands from Brazil Butt Lift instead. They are smaller and I wanted to be as effective as I could be. I love this workout, I haven't done it in a while and my lower body is screaming that back at me today!! It litereally kicked my lower body awake to say the least!! This one is definately going back into my workout rotation in preparation for our upcoming stair climb event!! Tubo Jam Lower Body is part of the Fat Burning Elite package!!

I just have to talk about this

Okay, so we are at McDonalds last night with some friends.......side note: we didn't go there for the food but the free wi-fi.  ~end side note.  Anyway, as we are leaving and heading to our cars, a vehicle pulled up into the drive thru and the voice box asked the vehicle, "Welcome to McDonalds, would you like to try our 50 piece chicken McNuggets?"  OH MY!!  REALLY?  That's just plain crazy!  Who needs a 50 piece nugget meal?  Do people not realize how bad this stuff is for you?
See Below Info from Wikipedia:

The 2004 documentary Super Size Me states "McDonald's Chicken McNuggets were originally made from old chickens no longer able to lay eggs. These chickens are stripped down to the bone, and then "ground up" into a chicken mash then combined with a variety of stabilizers and preservatives, pressed into familiar shapes, breaded and deep fried, freeze dried, and then shipped to a McDonald's near you." Super Size Me also alleged that they included chemicals such as tertiary butylhydroquinone (a phenolic antioxidant used as a chemical preservative), polydimethylsiloxane (an anti-foaming agent), and other ingredients not used by a typical home cook.^[5] This was recently proven by CNN.^[6]

As of October 9 2010, listed as ingredients in the cooking process of McNuggets are dimethylpolysiloxane which in a 2002 lawsuit against McDonald's, a judge commented that Chicken McNuggets are a "McFrankenstein" creation of various elements not used by the home cook.^[7]and TERTIARY BUTYLHYDROQUINONE or TBHQ.^[4] TBHQ, a chemical the FDA requires to not exceed 0.02 percent of its oil and fat content can cause death from the ingestion of as little as 5 grams. Ingestion of a single gram (a thirtieth of an ounce) has caused nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation, and collapse. Industrial workers exposed to the vapors-without obvious systematic effects-suffered clouding of the eye lens. Application to the skin may cause allergic reactions^[8]

American McNuggets (190 calories, 12 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat for 4 pieces) contain the chemical preservative tBHQ, tertiary butylhydroquinone, a petroleum-based product. They also contain dimethylpolysiloxane, “an anti-foaming agent” also used in Silly Putty.

REALLY?  Silly putty?  Hey, I don't know what all those big words up there are but I'm sure they can't be good for you!

Just sayin........

Social Media OH MY!!

Wow, to say that on some days I feel overwhelmed is pretty much an understatement!!  Thank goodness for my husband and all my friends out there who have made the decision to climb and conquer social media with me.  They are beacons of understanding in an otherwise massively confusing world.  Recently I attended a seminar on Social Media and it's impact on our lives.  It surely opened my eyes to a whole new world of opportunity. Now if only I can navigate the waters, of facebook, twitter, youtube, hootesuite, tweetadder, tweetdeck, ibosocial, blogspot, hubze, and weebly!!  We have fan page engines, and social media gurus to direct our paths in this vast ocean of networking all in the attempts to catch up to the now so we are not left behind in the future!!  Is your brain crying yet?  MINE IS!!  Why do I do this you might ask, well, here is your answer.  I've worked for the "man" at the "j.o.b." and received my wages.  For most people, this is what they are satisfied with or are taught it is the thing to do.  For millions of people, it's awesome.  I've also owed and operated my own company and worked for "myself" at my "dream" or at least "passion" and received my "worth" in return.  I can honestly tell you that, I enjoyed the second much better.  For me, I would rather work hard for myself towards my passion and be compensated, than build someone else dream and just be paid their estimation of my value.  Social Media has opened up worlds of opportunity for all of us to pursue our dreams and passions and make money!!  HELLO.....no brainer for me!  So yes, I'm a networker because I have a passion for people.  I will invest in MYSELF and learn what I can about how our society is currently and will continue to operate business via social media and hopefully along the way be blessed enough to take my tiny or huge (you never know) piece of the pie along the way.  Oh, and just so you know......there is plenty of room at the top for you to join me!!  Have a great twitter status update kinda day my friends!!

Deadline

By Randy Alcorn - Multnomah Publishers (2006) - Paperback - 448 pages - ISBN 1590525922

Heart-Pounding Murder Mystery Involved in a tragic accident under suspicious circumstances, award-winning journalist Jake Woods teams with detective Ollie Chandler to uncover the truth. This alluring repackage of the R andy Alcorn bestseller finds Jake drawing upon all his resources in an ever-intensifying, dangerous murder investigation. Unaware of the imminent threat to his own life, Jake struggles for answers to the mystery at hand and is plunged into a deeper search for the meaning of his own existence. "His Body Hung Suspended Between Two Friends--His Soul Between Two Worlds " "Doc's shoulder jammed into Jake as he swerved the Suburban sharply to the right, cut between a telephone pole and a billboard, then careened into a ten-foot high embankment. Sometime between the sound of Doc's last cry and the sickening crunch of bent metal from the car's first roll, Jake lost consciousness. The last sensation he felt was that of being crushed between the two men he had known since childhood... " When tragedy strikes those closest to him, award-winning journalist Jake Woods must draw upon all his resources to uncover the truth about their suspicious accident. Soon he finds himself swept up in a murder investigation that is both complex and dangerous. Unaware of the threat to his own life, Jake is drawn in deeper and deeper as he desperately searches for the answers to the immediate mystery at hand and--ultimately--the deeper meaning of his own existence. "Deadline "is a dramatic and vivid novel of substance, filled with hope and perspective for every reader who longs to feel purpose in life. READER'S GUIDE INCLUDED Story Behind the Book "Deadline" is Randy Alcorn 's first novel, which stayed on the bestseller's list for thirty-six months. A thorough researcher, Randy spent time with Portland homicide detectives and columnists at the "Oregonian, " as well as observing editorial meetings at the "Indianapolis Star" so he could accurately create the novel's murder-mystery storyline, setting, and characters. Randy also creatively portrays characters who have died and gone to heaven, where they view events happening on earth. « less… more »

 

http://www.amazon.com/Deadline-Randy-Alcorn/dp/1590525922

 

 

I just finished this book and loved it!!  I would highly recommend it!!  Enjoy the read and stay blessed!!