Christmas Time

What does Christmas time make YOU think of??

It makes me think of a million things.

     This year I thought more about it's original meaning, which made me feel so much more grateful and giving than ever before.... it's a wonderful feeling! I learned more about Jesus' birth, and I am so glad! Our church played this yesterday evening (Christmas Eve) and ya know... it works. It's educational, funny, adorable... and true.

     But after it all is said and done... (this evening as I sit on the edge of my bed, in my apartment alone with just my kitties...) I feel a strange loneliness type feeling. It's nothing like anything I've felt before. It started while I was shoveling the sidewalk actually haha. The snow was falling quietly and calmly and the roads were silent and the Christmas lights were glowing all around. The fact that I was able to appreciate thos calm and relaxing moments, made me feel grateful for the person who taught me... And I suddenly had this feeling in the pit of my stomach... and I'v carried it with me for the past hour and a half now.
     I don't mean to seem any kind of ungrateful, God has truly blessed me. I have Jesus in my heart, wonderful friends, a very loving family (both here, at church, and distant as well.) I have a roof over my head, food in my cupboards, a job, my son....  but... there is still something missing.
     I no longer like to ask the question "Why," because I know in my heart that God has a plan and I don't want to question it.... but I am still learning and adjusting my ways and what not. So there are still some habits left to rid myself of. So I do catch myself asking "Why" on occasion... Like tonight. I find myself asking "Why do I feel this way? And why does the heart hold onto things that it knows will never be anything more than what it always has been?!!" Jerk.... yea I'm calling my heart a jerk. It just makes no sense sometimes.
     You ever look at someone you've known for a long time and suddenly your heart is saying "HEY! HEY YOU... YOU THERE!! HELLOOOOO!!!! What the HECK is WRONG with you.... You know... There was a time when you'd listen to me... and if you had just listened to me in the beginning than none of this would have happened! Go for it! I promise, if you just let ME lead you, you won't get hurt... I promise!"  .... Ever had that happen? No? Just me, huh? Figures. Stupid heart. I don't know why it thinks it's smarter than me (My Brain.) aww crap I just had a ummm.... I forgot the word at the moment. But I had one of those moments where I asked a serious question out of frustration that I have been asking for a long time and POOF.... I had the answer. No, it wasn't the question I had just typed here. I said to myself, "Why would you say that your brain is in control when this past year, you have done so much more with your heart leading than ever before in your life?" .... Figures. I'm having an entire arguement with myself and I'm sharing it all with you.... whoever you are out there. You ever feel like you walked into something you shouldn't have?? **whispers--> ruuuuuun..... **
     **Sigh.
     I miss things. And none of this will make sense to you out there. But that's ok. This is my vent. I miss the melting... the smiling eyes, the softness, the warmth, the comfort, the laughter... I went shopping by myself and it was like... I never forgot.... it was just... I hadn't thought about that much in a long time and I was afraid I would have trouble but I didn't. It was like... shopping for the person I know best. I miss that/ I miss being around that one person who knows me, my ins and outs, my likes, my dislikes... even all the things I never thought they knew or noticed.... in case you can't tell I'm talking about a relationship I miss.
     But it's so confusing. I don't know if maybe it's just me feeling sad for him, or worried for him, or what. Some things will never change. Never die. Never go away. But other things have changed. Like the fact that I am so happy with who I have become, I refuse to give it up! I refuse to let go of who I am now and what I have in my heart. My relationship with God is more important than any other! I will not let that go! If He wants me with someone, He will bring us together.
     Otherwise, I won't be trying to be with anyone. I don't need to. But God knows my heart better than I do myself. He knows how I feel, He knows that I miss my best friend. And that I worry for him. I pray that he finds what he needs, which I believe to be God and a good church family like what God has given to me. I pray that he allows Jesus into his heart and he lets it consume him and work in him the way He has in my heart. I pray this happens sooner than later. I pray God gives me the strength to help him any way I can. I pray that God guides my tongue and uses me to bring him closer to Him.
     God knows us each, better than we know ourselves. I have no doubt about this. I thank you Father, for all you have given me, for all you have blessed your children with. I thank you for loving me, even though I will be forever undeserving of your love. Thank you for sending your son to us. Thank you Jesus, for being faithful to us and loving us. In your Heavenly name, I pray, Amen.


Merry Christmas

I BELIEVE

I... am a Woman of Faith.
I have convictions and beliefs and love that will Not be taken from me and I will never give away or give up.

     Many may not understand what I feel <unfortunately> but none the less - I FEEL IT! Those who have known me since BEFORE my walk with God began, can vouch for the fact that OBVIOUSLY something changed in me! Drastically! and VERY quickly! I may not be able to explain it all yet, and I may never be able to explain it, but I can tell you this...
     I found a love I never knew I could feel. I never thought a love like this existed. I never thought I could feel so free with the amount of anxieties and issues I had. I never thought I would be so happy. I know Jesus died on the cross for our sins. I believe it with all of my heart. I know God loves us and forgives us and accepts us as we are... broken... empty... alone... angry... And He MENDS our broken hearts and broken bodies. And He FILLS our empty souls! And He COMFORTS us through everything and loves us just as we are! And He CALMS our anger and SOOTHS our souls... and SHOWS us that HE IS OUR FATHER!
     I BELIEVE these things with ALL of my heart! I am a new woman! Every day I struggle ,of course! It's not supposed to be easy! God didn't give us an Easy Button like Staples has! Although.... haha. No. He provides us with His promises, love, and open arms! That is all we need when we are struggling... right? someone to make us feel safe and believe...? Right? That's all I have EVER needed... and never found until I found Jesus. Sure, I felt safe in my dad's arms... but.... Not WHOLE. Not ENTIRELY 100% safe from danger. With Jesus... THAT is how I feel! He is my Savior! No one on the face of this planet could EVER love me more than He, or even come close.
     I feel alive! THANK YOU JESUS! I feel amazing! I pray that I am able to help another find this same joy. If God has me do anything at all... I pray that my testimony and my faith brings at LEAST one other person to Him. If that happens, I would be ready to go at any point. Until then I'm gonna hold on to EVERYTHING lol. just kiddin. I know God has a plan for me and I finally understand that no matter how small my life may seem in the big picture... without it... the big picture isn't complete.... EACH of us... we ALL have a purpose. A REASON FOR BEING HERE! All of us. I feel it. And I am going to continue to let God guide me in whatever direction He has planned out.

God Bless

Advocare 10 Day Cleanse

     Well... my brother put me on this herbal cleanse, actually it's a challenge on top of the cleanse... who loses the most body mass whatever whatever I don't know all the technical jargon. I feel funny. Today is DAY 3 -- my meals are light and small and I've been getting on my exercise bike for 20 minutes 3 times a day... I feel good but my body feels funny. I plan to stick close to this meal plan after the cleanse is over, I'm going to ad milk though because I love my Special K cereal!! On the cleanse I cannot have any dairy products... I don't mind, because I know I can have my cereal after the challenge is over lol.
     So my breakfast is a meal replacement shake. My lunches consist of half a cup of fruit and a hard boiled egg, OR 2 hard boiled eggs, OR a can of plain tuna in water. dinners consist of a piece of boneless skinless chicken breast and a 1/2 a steam fresh bag of veggies OR a cup of brown rice OR OR a piece of fish with the same options. I'm enjoying it so far. I couldn't continue this every single day after the cleanse because I would get bored. But I have been researching recipes to keep the simple items and give them a little extra flavor but not add all the sugars or salts or extra unhealthy crap -- VERY EXCITED!!
     Also, I am really enjoying these Spark drinks -- equivalent to a cup of coffee!! TASTE AWESOME!! I have had the fruit punch and the citrus. It is an 8 ounce cup of water with the powder mix and boom, I'm wired for like 5 or 6 hours!! I'm planning on getting a tub of it when this one runs out. They really have some awesome products!! I can't wait to see the results from this cleanse and then continue with this new menu plan and work out!
     I am still working on quitting smoking, but I only had 2 yesterday and none today, and I haven't gone and bought a new pack either. I am trying to stay busy so I just forget about the cravings all together. It's really only boredom that gets me smoking, so I am working on filling all of my time. I started a new book, this one is about youth ministry since I started helping with the youth group at church. Hopefully this book will guide me and give me some good direction with these kids. I am still doing my 30 days of prayer thing, and I am going to continue until I have it memorized (that's the plan anyway.) I am just so excited!
     God is really working in my heart! I am expanding my horizons! I want to bring others to Christ! I want to bring young teens and children to Christ! I want EVERYONE to come to Christ!!!  ---it is super hard to contain the excitement and NOT shout out seeing as how I am at my dad's and I don't want to disturb anyone lol.
   
     I love my dads new house! I have been helping him get it organized and get ready for an estate sale (the items left with the house when he bought it.) Today I stained and clear coated the trim for his living room, in another hour I am going to be doing the final coat of that. I have no clue what he is going to have me do tomorrow, but I'm sure it'll be fun! The other day we hauled a bunch of wood out to the back to burn, then I helped him clean out his little gardener's shed so he could store the wood he is able to burn inSIDE the house, in there. We made a little space in the basement, but not a whole lot.
     Plus, he gave me a BUNCH of National Geographic's... I am obsessed with it! I love reading those! I will never get bored NOW!! wanna know WHY>>>>>>>> Now I have 1984 through 2000!!! Plus I have been getting them since 2011. AWESOME!!! I cannot wait til I have a house or a place of my own where I am able to fill all my book shelves!! It'd be nice to collect every single issue EVER, but I won't hold my breath on that one haha. I am very happy with what I have. I still have a TON of other books I need to read. I plan to read all the novels and then sell them... well... besides my antique books and any collector books I have. I am not going to part with my National Geographic's though.

VERY EXCITED ABOUT LIFE!!

Bye Bye Hair... Bye Bye..

I'm chopping my hair off. For a really good reason.

There are too many worldly things that I am attached to, one of them being my hair. So I am going to chop it all off.

I was told once, when I was 60lbs lighter, that "short fat girls shouldn't have short hair cus it makes 'em look fatter." screw you old man at the grocery store. BUT, I don't care anymore. I need to find ways to focus and one of them is going to be getting rid of all my hair. I have only told one person the entire reason, this is just the gist of it. I am excited!! Because I am no longer nervous or worried about things like this. I am going to get things done. I am going to get somewhere. I am going to move forward with all of my plans in life... with God holding onto me and guiding me... no more distractions.

SO... deciding on the cut... because I don't want to just chop it randomly and I really don't want to shave it... or look entirely like a boy. SO... I am somewhat punk. I guess. I don't really know what people would consider me. I just call it punk because that's what I'm drawn to and everything I like and would buy if I could afford, is considered punk. so... I want something punk ISH I guess. I don't know... maybe I will just start... randomly cutting it... I jsut don't know... sigh