Investing in the New Year

If your holidays were as busy as mine (and whose aren't?!) you can probably understand why it's been a while since I've posted anything! I had always intended to post something every day when I initially started this blog. However, I've discovered that it just isn't very realistic, likely, or even very doable for me (unless I give up my day job as well as my main job of being a wife and mother...yeah, not going to happen!).

What I have learned over the years is that often times, "less is more" (who has time to read someone's posts every day anyways lol?). I've also learned how to not be so "all or nothing" and to prioritize. My health and fitness is always going to be something that is important to me (as well as helping others with their health and fitness needs/goals as well). However, my first priority has always been to put God and family first. It's not likely that I'm going to be one of the super duper elite diamond coaches out there who do this full-time, but that's ok with me. My success as a Christian, a wife, and a mother far outweighs anything else that I could possibly excel in; on Earth and in eternity! In fact, I've seen the best and most PRICELESS "returns on investments" EVER in the past year; both in my family and in my work environment. Most notably, my son accepted Christ and was baptized. There is no greater investment than when you invest in someone's life; especially your child's! If the only reason I live and breathe is to make sure my children know and choose Jesus as their Savior, then I'm confident that I'm accomplishing what God wants from me! I am enjoying every second of every opportunity I have in directing my children to walk in faith! Those devotionals and books that you see in the picture above were Christmas gifts for my children; which they have been reading and enjoying daily. I am extremely proud of them and that they are excited about growing in their faith!

My son, Casey, raising his hands in victory!

With that being said, I've been feeling a greater sense of urgency to make sure that I can continue being there to nurture my kids; which won't happen if I'm not functioning as well as I could be. I'm still an overweight, tired, aging Mom who finds it more and more difficult to make time to prioritize fitness back into my daily routine (because I got out of the habit again). Chris and I did do our first two months of Piyo, but we didn't get to the two months of the "strength" phase. Illnesses, busyness, exhaustion, and stress have been our obstacles in the past few months (though, I suppose that's everyone's excuse). We really need to get into our "beast mode" again! As I mentioned, one just has to find what is "doable" and prioritize even just a LITTLE bit of time. If all I can manage is just a few minutes on the treadmill for a while, a few glasses of water, one healthy choice, etc., then at least that's something...I just have to remember the Beachbody motto: "Decide. Commit. Succeed." With the Lord's help, I can definitely do this!

How about you? What are your priorities? With a fresh new year comes a fresh new perspective! Personally, I want my spiritual momentum to spill over into the areas where I am currently weak. The best part is that God excels in strengthening our weaknesses! In what areas do you need infused with his strength? Consider this verse; which has recently become a favorite of mine:

Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you.

Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. 

- Isaiah 33:2

Now, personalize that verse! "Lord, be gracious to me; I long for you! Be my strength every morning (and all day!), my salvation in time of distress." This prayer not only gets me through the day, but gives me a sense of joy and peace that is amazing! This verse has been very calming and I feel that it has also been a key to unlocking a prayerful heart all day!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Leave a comment with your thoughts and feel free to contact me if there's anything I can do to walk with you on your journey this year! Visit www.infusion413.com to view the special January promotions (which include the 21 Day Fix as well as the new program The Master's Hammer and Chisel) or let me know if you need help choosing a program/customizing a plan. Remember, just start small; even if it's just walking for five minutes a day! Be the best "you" that you can be for God, your family, and yourself! Be infused! God bless you!

Beast Mode: How to Defeat "Gaston"

It's hard to believe that Chris and I are already on our third week of Piyo. We're nearly finished with our first month, but you can still workout right along with us at any time (in fact, Piyo is on sale this month!). It hasn't been easy, but we are feeling stronger and more flexible. It's so worth it and I highly recommend it! Chris says he already has more room around the waistline of his pants and frequently likes to flex his growing arm muscles. ;) I do not mind this at all lol! I'm so proud of him/us and very grateful to God for getting us through it!

There have been many days where I have felt so tired and sore that I have wanted to just skip a workout or abandon this workout program. I pretty much feel like this every time I start a new routine but I stick with it because I refuse to give up on myself. Yes, there are times where I barely get through it, but I say my prayers and push on through!

This may sound odd, but for quite some time, there is a particular scene that plays out in my mind every morning when I wake up (and a lot of times when I'm struggling to get through a workout). In case you didn't know, I struggle with chronic pain; the doctor thinks I likely have fibromyalgia. I usually feel terrible when my alarm goes off in the morning and I often battle with finding the will to get out of bed. That's when I hear the words of Gaston, from Beauty & the Beast, mocking me: "Get up! Get UP! What's the matter Beast?! Too kind and gentle to fight BACK?!" There I am; lying there trying to convince myself to start the day. I know that I have a "beast mode" deep inside, but it would just be so much easier to lie there and give up. However, while I am a kind and gentle person, I am not a sissy that is going to just stay lying down and refuse to get up and fight for myself. Like the Beast, I always find my reason for living again and rise up strong; taking my enemy (Satan) aback. I find my "beast mode" by praying for God's strength and motivation. I remember that He is my reason for living and that He has given me responsibilities that I must fulfill for my family, my job, and everyone I encounter each day. Unless I am ridiculously sick, I get my booty out of bed and "Gaston" has to shut up for one more day lol. Satan is relentless, but my God is stronger! Jesus is the only reason I keep getting out of bed (or get up off the floor when I have done one too many reps). Beast mode.....HEAR ME ROAR!!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I hope this encourages you to engage your inner beast and that these fairy tale parallels can help you relate in a way that is beneficial to you (this isn't the first time God has brought Beauty & the Beast to my mind)! Ask yourself, "What is my focus? What makes me rise up courageously and ferociously to accomplish what I need to do?" Share your thoughts and comments about these questions in the comment section below this post! :) I encourage you to pursue your passion and purpose ! Ask God to reveal it to you if you don't already know. Rely on Him to be your strength and motivation and you too will defeat "Gaston" every day no matter how much he taunts you or tries to lead the charge chanting "kill the Beast"! No one can kill that Beast inside you because if God is for you, no one can be against you! ;) God bless you!

Why You Don't Have to Be a Loner

Chris & I before doing our 1st workout!

Anyone that truly knows me knows that I am a people person. I tend to be social and extroverted more often than not. When it comes to working out, however, I tend to be a loner. It's strange, but for the most part I have always enjoyed working out by myself. I feel like I can focus and perform better when I'm alone. It doesn't work for everyone, but I'm the type that stays pretty driven once I set my mind to something.

I often try to remind myself to take my own advice when it comes to having support or workout buddies. It definitely has its advantages because I do tend to push myself even more when there are other people around (the competitive side of me, I suppose lol). Yet, I'll admit to having mixed feelings when Chris surprised me with the declaration that he wanted to workout with me. What if I got too distracted? What if we got in each others' way? Would this work and would he be in in for the long haul with me?

Performance Sampler Pack

I'm proud to report that thus far, things have been going very well! We are currently on our third day of the Piyo program. It fits easily into our busy schedule (most of the workouts are only 20-30 minutes). It's very doable and we are already feeling some degree of soreness; which confirms the changes that are happening in our bodies. We've even sampled the new performance supplements together (which have great taste as well as benefits).

With each workout we complete, I become more and more grateful that he's by my side. It has boosted my motivation to workout even more and progressing together has been an encouragement to me. It makes me look forward to seeing how much easier the workouts will become as we get stronger and more flexible. I can't wait to see our end results!

Of all the verses that could possibly come to mind, it was this one that came to the forefront as I was composing this:

The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." - Genesis 2:18 

A hot husband is definitely distracting! ;)

I feel as if Chris is as much a help to me as I hope I am for him. I can't IMAGINE doing this without him now! God has always known that fellowship and companionship is essential; that it's not good to be alone. I'm glad that He gave us to each other because we're better TOGETHER! Having my husband by my side is such a blessing and a gift! It's a very real demonstration of love and commitment; not just to fitness, but to me/us. It says to me: "You matter. I matter. We matter. Let's be the best we can be...together!" We will not quit! In everything that we do, we will do it well and give it our all for the glory of God! Love always perseveres!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I hope that if you're reading this, you will realize how important it is not to be a loner. EVERYONE (even the most introverted of people) need some degree of support! My stats on here and on Facebook show me that there ARE people reading and paying attention, but for some reason I barely hear a peep out of anyone (my new Instagram is off to a promising start, though, so feel free to follow me there as well!). As always, I want to encourage and remind you that you are NOT alone! I'm here, and I promise you there is a whole team here, but maybe everyone is waiting on someone else to share first. I've always hoped that this blog (and Facebook group) could be the kind of place where people could speak, share, and find encouragement. I remember the good old days of myspace blogging where there was lots of comment interaction and fellowship on blog posts; like a big chat party! I love blogging communities like that! Do you? If so, let's get this chat party started! Don't be shy! Comment below! Be infused! God bless you! 

Fresh Fire!

Happy new year! It's 2015! Time for the cliche "new year, new you" stuff, right? Nah, I'm not even going to go there! I'm not going to encourage the "new year's resolutions" stuff at all. Over the years, I have come to find that it's almost counterproductive and self-defeating. It's especially true if you tend to battle with "all or nothing" tendencies as I often have.

Don't get me wrong. It's good to set goals and resolve to do/be your best. However, I think sometimes we have a tendency to fall short and then beat ourselves up too much after leaping into something too fast (especially if we don't have a well thought out plan of execution). We set ourselves up for failure by having such high hopes and then feel terrible once we realize that we've bitten off more than we can chew.

It doesn't have to be that way. Regardless if it's a new year, or just a new day, you can start fresh whenever you choose; even if you feel like you've blown it already! I have started over more times (and in more ways) than I can even begin to list! I have often attempted to achieve the same objectives (such as weight-loss) multiple times over the years. I have had successes and failures with that goal more times than I could ever count. All I know is that at any time, I can choose to start again; and if I do it through God's strength and not my own, it definitely WORKS and LASTS as long as I keep my focus on Him.

That is my long-term goal; in weight-loss and in everything. I want to be infused with all the good things of the Lord. My life will be better and I will be able to fulfill anything and everything that He wants me to do if I'm abiding in Him and He's living in me. I don't have to rely on my own willpower to try to accomplish all that resolution type stuff. I will just keep failing myself. God is the only one that is unfailing. I have to depend on Him for my success.

I am going to start a little bit at a time; making better and different choices as much as possible and listening to God's guidance in the process. I mean this regarding all aspects of my life, but I am particularly focusing on my weight-loss again because it has become very urgent that I do something about it. I am ashamed to say that I am likely at my all-time highest weight and it is not healthy or wise for me to be where I am at. I am going to focus on incorporating a workout routine into my life again (in case you're considering it as well, 3 Day Refresh, 21 Day Fix, and Insanity Max 30 are the featured promotions/programs for January). Even if I have to start with small increments of time and lower impact activities, I'll do what I can and work my way up. I'm also going to be making a
conscious effort to improve my nutritional habits/choices. Prayer is and will continue to be the key to motivation and success...and I am going to utilize it! I want the "fresh fire" that a dear sister of mine in the Lord has mentioned that she feels is going to happen in 2015. I've been sensing it too and I want to be a part of it!

How about you? Are you like me? Are you finding that there is something in your life that you need to change? Whether it's weight-loss, breaking an addiction, finding your purpose, or whatever else, God has the answers. Seek Him! He will bring answers as well as that FRESH FIRE! Additionally, let's team up! Contact me or leave a comment regarding what I can pray for you about/help you with. We will journey this road together no matter what it is!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! If there's one thing that we should be sure to resolve to do, it's seek the Lord; this year, next year, and every year....and all 365 days of each one! We are humans and we fail, but no matter what, HE doesn't fail US! Keep searching and seeking! God bless you!

Our October Blessings!

There are only ten more days until Halloween. The kids' costumes have been picked out and ordered and we are looking forward to taking them out to get candy. I'm just hoping it won't be cold and/or rainy! It's been horrible weather for it the past few years! Irregardless, we'll still be going and making new family memories! This will be our first Halloween together!

Speaking of new things, there are a few other new things that are happening right now. It's been keeping me so preoccupied that I completely forgot to post this month's promotions (sorry about that!). Before I tell you what's going on with the fitness stuff, I'll just fill you in on the two big blessings that have been taking up my time.

The first one is the sale of my house (yes, finally!). It's very bittersweet. While we are very glad to finally get it sold (which will free up our budget, bless us with a profit, and take a load off of our minds) it's also sort of sad for me. As you might remember, I bought the house last year and my parents and I went to work on updating/improving the inside. The house not only reflects my personal taste, but it meant so much to me to be able to live close to my Dad and to have been able to get the house as a single mom. It was a milestone for me. I barely had any time to really savor it before God surprised me with Chris and things began moving me in a different direction (both literally and figuratively). The merging of our two lives meant trusting that God would provide for us as well as bring a new job opportunity my way. It's been a little unsettling to have to wait for the house to sell as well as a new job.

That's my other great news! :) It took three tries, but I finally ended up with the right job! It was almost like "The Three Bears" story in which the previous two jobs/interviews had a lot to offer, but only the third one was "just right" for me. God always knows best and I'm glad that He didn't allow me to have the jobs that I felt were right. He knew what the perfect fit would be for me (and when) and no matter how disappointed I felt in missing out on the first two, I knew that that only meant that God had something better. :) I am so thankful to God, and to The Salvation Army, for giving me the opportunity to work and serve the organization! It is an honor and a joy to be part of a team of people with big hearts and big faith! I am enjoying the learning process and looking forward to using my gifts and skills to help people!

Of course, one of my gifts is being able to connect with people, so I'm hoping that I will be able to enlist the help (as well as donations) from my big hearted family, friends, and readers of my blogs! ;) The organization can't exist without YOUR time and gifts. It is because of YOU that The Salvation Army can continue to have the means to feed, clothe, and give assistance to those that might otherwise not have basic needs. Please, prayerfully consider how you can get involved; whether it's through a donation of any amount or volunteering your time (we need individuals, families, groups, church congregations, etc. to start signing up for bell ringing! Click here to sign up to be a bell ringer!). These last few months of the year are busy for everyone. The holidays can be a hard time of year for various reasons. What better way to show your Christmas spirit and spread, peace, joy, and hope to others than by spending at least one hour of your time ringing that bell and encouraging people to donate their spare change for those in need?! C'mon, you can do it! One hour will bless you AND others. Get your spouse, kids, or church involved too! :) You'll be glad you did!

Ok, so I've been so busy talking about the Lord's business here that I nearly forgot about my own business. It pales in comparison, but since I need to finally clue you in, I'll throw it in here at the end lol. You've got a little over a week left to take advantage of the following deals: the new P90X challenge pack and the Ultimate Reset challenge pack. Additionally, they are offering up to 50% savings (yeah, I know, right?!) on Les Mills Pump and Les Mills Combat challenge packs, programs, and accessories! Now THAT'S a deal! I LOVED doing Les Mills Combat! I got three words for that: Fun. Fit. Fierce! It was enjoyable, got me results, and I felt super tough (how can you not when you're doing boxing and martial arts mooves?!). Get it while the getting is good! You won't regret it!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Thank you so much for reading! Also, a big thank you to all who have supported and prayed for my family and I. We couldn't have made it without you! We appreciate everyone's encouragement and prayers! Be infused! God bless you!

The Chrisliss Story

"Well, didn't you just jump on out that boat, Peter. Congrats on the leap of faith!" 

Those were the exact words spoken in a Facebook comment by my friend, Shenora, after making it publicly known that Chris and I are going to get married. Those words have been ringing in my head ever since. They were a prophetic statement of confirmation and encouragement; as well as a foreshadowing of things to come. My heart was lifted and reassured to have such blessed words come out of the mouth of a godly woman. It cemented my confidence and strengthened my faith as I held tight to the image in my mind of walking on the water towards Jesus and His plan for my life (and all the lives involved).

In regards to the foreshadowing part, I knew that I would need to hold onto that courage and strength if I were to KEEP walking on the waters. We all know that Peter is often bold and full of faith, but that his tendency to be impulsive, second-guess, and worry were often his trouble spots. It's nothing I can fault him for, because I have the same tendencies. It hasn't been easy preparing to move and make a bunch of fresh new changes after finally getting settled down. I had bought a house, put a lot of time and money into fixing it up, and was very content in my new job and church home. I was perfectly happy with how things were going and was even at the point where I had become pretty indifferent to having a relationship. My promise to follow through on Gianna's request for a "new Daddy" wasn't forgotten, but my need for a man was no longer that high of a priority and I had become more patient and relaxed about when that part of the picture would be fulfilled. Therefore, that was obviously God's cue to surprise me and shake things up so I wouldn't get too comfortable lol!

So, here it is, peeps! This is for everyone who always loves to know a couple's "story" about how they met and all the "details" regarding the upcoming nuptials (though there isn't much to share regarding that part considering it's basically a private wedding). If nothing else, I hope and pray that all of you who have been so loving and supportive of the both of us will make sure to the read the part at the end about how you can pray for/support our upcoming marriage/blended family. Your prayers mean so much to us! Thank you!

Our Story

There was a moment in the infancy of our relationship where Chris stated: "It's so odd how we've followed similar but at the same time oddly different paths to arrive at the almost mirrored image of each other that we both are today." Indeed! Our life stories are very parallel to each other. We were raised in the Christian faith, grew up in blended families, and have always done our best to live the kind of lives that our faith has taught us to live. Yet, despite our best efforts, we both managed to find ourselves in marriages where those values weren't fully shared. We both tried our hardest to honor our commitments to our mates and to God. Unfortunately, sometimes, things still don't work out. Ultimately, in both of our cases, we were forced to make the painful decision to move on for the sake of our health, safety, and the well-being of ourselves and our children (those close to us know and understand the reasons why).

Chris started saying this early on so he was thrilled
to randomly find this picture one day
(which he immediately texted to my phone lol). 

Eventually, we both began to start over and move on. In that process, our paths finally crossed on Plenty of Fish (a free dating site). He was fresh to the dating game, but I had been on and off the site for a while. It had gotten to the point where I figured I had seen all the other "fish in the sea" and I was annoyed and tired of fishing. Not only did there seem to be no new fish, but there truly weren't any worth catching. I even had some that would message me and tell me that I was too good or too pretty for the site and that a nice girl like me wouldn't find the kind of guy I was looking for on a site like that. That's because my profile was very specific as to the kind of person I was looking for; faith and character were the top priorities. My best friend even told me that my standards were too high, but no matter what, I stuck to them. There was NO WAY I was going to compromise on those two things, but anything else was optional. I didn't have requirements as far as looks, income, ethnicity, etc. was concerned. All I cared about was the heart.

What nerd could
resist lol?

Imagine my surprise when I was using the "Meet Me" feature and a picture of a handsome guy popped up. "Do you want to meet him?" it asked. Before hitting "yes" or "no", I always check out the profile first because looks are secondary to substance. In my experience, it is very rare to find a guy who has both. Therefore, I was shocked to be proven wrong lol. I was amazed and refreshed to see almost a mirror image of my own profile as I began reading his lol! Every time I read something, it was just another new level of jaw dropping awesomeness and common ground as he showcased his heart, humor, interests, etc. Where had he been and why hadn't I seen him before now?! Oh well, at least I found him and I couldn't believe that I had probably just viewed the profile of the ideal guy for me! The best part was, the two things I always look at first (faith affiliation and kids) matched up with mine! So, I clicked "yes" to meeting him and promptly "favorited" him. Then, I waited to see how long it would take before he would contact me (call me old-fashioned, but I believe in finding out who the real men are and waiting for THEM to make the first move! The site does let you know when you've been viewed, faved, or if someone wants to meet you). Almost immediately, I got a message from him....and it made me laugh because he obviously had taken note of my picture in Jedi attire. He had said, "Hey, I saw that! Some sith in a jedi disguise trying to spy on me?? lol." I promptly responded with: "Sith?! Never!!! I would have used a Jedi hand wave to make you message me, but I see I didn't have to. ;) They only work on the weak minded anyways...so it would have been wasted on you. I LOVE your profile."

The pictures on the ends were our "main" photos when we met. :)

Long story short, the conversation continued via messages and then over the phone. We did a video call on Skype the same night and we have been inseparable ever since lol! Our lives for nearly six months (yeah, I know....but when you know, you KNOW!) have consisted of constant communication and connection via text/Facebook/Skype; and always looking forward to the weekends when we could finally get to see each other for a short time before resuming our daily work/life routines. This 75 minutes apart thing has been rather tiresome and taxing (but always worth it!).

We've also bonded easily and quickly with each other's family and friends and received their approval and blessings. We are so touched and amazed at how wonderful, loving, accepting, and encouraging everyone has been to us! The Vineyard Church has also been just as amazing and apparently, the family counselor had given Chris a prophetic word a few months before we had gotten together. He had said that God had showed him that there would be a lot of positive changes that would happen in the coming year and at a very rapid pace. Chris didn't know what that meant at the time, but it's definitely come to pass now lol!

The moments of affirmation just continue to come too! We have had our moments of doubt and struggle (particularly as we prepare for this upcoming transition and all that is on our "to do" list) but today's sermon was a big help to us. Kent was talking about the Lord's guidance and how it comes to us in many different forms. It comes through prayer and His Word, but also through godly counsel. Sometimes, we expect these big signs when all we need to do is line it up with God's Word and see if it fits with what's "in the book." Kent kept saying, "Well, it's in the book. Did you read the book?" Lol! He said that 9 times out of 10, the solution to our problem has been addressed "in the book." Want to know how to parent a child? It's in the book. Want to know how to treat people? It's in the book. Want to know how a marriage is supposed to function and look like? It's in the book.

He's right, it's "in the book" and if more people would pay attention to it, we would all function better! He pointed out that in his career as a pastor, he has seen so much pain (especially in regards to marriage and divorce) because people haven't heeded what's "in the book" or the godly counsel of others. He mentioned that so many "blew through stop signs" and failed to heed the warnings. All of this really hit home for Chris
and I (and I was wiping away tears) because we have experienced both situations. With our first marriages, we both ignored the "stop" signs and warnings from godly counsel. We went through so much unnecessary pain. Now, we have the reverse situation where everything is lining up with what's "in the book". Lots of good godly counsel is giving us prophetic words and tons of support, and yet we sometimes are LOOKING for the "stop" signs out of fear. I just couldn't help but cry because all of Kent's words were absolutely melting all that fear and reminding me WHY I jumped out of the boat. I need to keep walking on the water. God set this in motion and I don't have to keep looking for "stop" signs that don't exist this time just because I ignored the ones that DID exist last time. Everything is going to be alright!

How You Can Pray For/Support Us

We are so grateful for the prayers and support of our family and friends throughout our lives! We appreciate your prayers now as well because right now is a very high-stress time for us. I won't specify every little thing, but here is the gist of it:

• Our houses; refinancing his and selling mine. The good news is, I've added a lot of value to my house and I'll come out ahead once I DO get it sold. The bad news is, we don't know when that will be. Pray that the right buyers (and nice new neighbors for my Dad's sake) will come along soon. Paying for two houses isn't doable for us. Also, the refinancing that needs done on his is another catch-22. He's also going to get some money out of it (which will go for my ring and some car repairs he desperately needs to get done before it conks out or something) but coming up with the initial funds to get a foundation inspection done has us in a bind; especially when he was initially told he wasn't going to have any upfront costs. I told Chris that I would marry him with or without a ring. There are a lot of "traditions" that just haven't happened the "traditional" way, but that's ok lol. We're old enough to know what's really important, so that's why we aren't hung up on rings or the wedding itself (it's going to be private and small; just us, our kids, best man/matron of honor, and parents. His step-father will be officiating us in their backyard; sweet, intimate, and non-expensive lol. We HOPE to have some kind of a reception for our close family/friends at a later date, but we don't know when or how that will be possible yet). 

• My Job & the Kids' School: I'm sad about having to leave a job/people I love, to say the least. Pray that the right person will fill my shoes and that I will be able to find somewhere else to work and serve when the time comes. I'm working up until the wedding/move and then I'll be around to watch the kids so we don't have to worry about childcare for the rest of the summer. I hope to start a new job after we're settled and school starts again. That's another area too...getting all the school stuff figured out/transitioned for Casey and Gianna; especially Casey's special needs stuff. Good special help is rare and this is the part that concerns me a lot because I don't know how any other school could ever be as great as Casey's current one. 

• Faith, Wisdom, Provision, and Patience: There is a never-ending list of transitions, adjustments, and changes for all of us. Address/name changes, packing up and moving (and figuring out how to get all that done) and just so many phone calls and changeovers to make, things to do, pay for, etc. My brain is overloaded and I have been beyond exhausted trying to stay on top of things! I just keep praying for the wisdom, endurance, and patience to get through it and that my faith will build up as I trust that God's timing is going to be perfect and He will find a way to provide for us all. He led us out of Egypt to go to the promised land. I won't complain in the desert. He'll provide and He'll get us where He plans for us to be! It may not go the way we think or look the way we thought it would look, but we can deal with whatever happens because He's got a plan! 

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to read this! We hope it's given you a glimpse into our journey and we thank all of you for your prayers and support! We also realize that there are some people that have (or will ask) about wedding gifts and such. Obviously, we have enough stuff accumulated between the two of us over the years so we aren't the typical wedding couple that needs "stuff". I am not one that likes to ask for/accept help, but since I am always one that likes to give it, I have to be humble enough to receive it too. So, if anyone DOES feel led to support us monetarily so we can take care of the avalanche of urgent financial needs that we have, you can Paypal it to chrislisscunning@gmail.com (or if you'd like to hire Chris for computer work or me for some furniture project work, we will gladly take on the jobs; or maybe you'd like to sign up as a Team Beachbody coach through me and/or make a purchase for yourself? :) It all helps!). No matter what, as long as we're all praying, things will happen! We'll keep our eyes fixed on the big picture God has for us; we're not getting back in the boat! :) Be infused! God bless you! 

Don't Watch These Videos!

All three of the videos for "The Perfect Execution" series are NOW available! I know what you're thinking. There are all sorts of videos and sermons out there and everyone is saying, "Oh, you got to watch this one! It's so good!" I've had friends and family members recommend things to me in the past as well. Sometimes I get around to listening, reading, or watching it and sometimes I don't. Though, when I do, I'm usually pretty glad I did!

Below, you'll find the video for the last part of the series. Here are the videos for part one and two if you haven't seen them yet (be sure to subscribe to The Vineyard Community Church on Vimeo!). I won't say that you MUST watch them because maybe you aren't like me at all. Maybe you've never had a problem understanding God's grace or the fact that you don't have to earn your way into God's favor. Maybe it's all been easy for you to grasp and you've never felt (or been) legalistic, fearful, unsure, or had a hard time figuring out what it means to be forgiven and your sins paid in full. But, if you ARE like me, you HAVE had those moments of wondering if you're "enough" and if you're going to "make it" to heaven; wondering if your efforts will get you where you hope to be. If any of this sounds like you, watch this series! It has really been helpful in reaffirming to me what it means to be dependent on grace and not on myself. Chris had told me many times that Pastor Kent was good at explaining things in really relevant ways and is able to break things down to where people can understand. He's absolutely right! I love his preaching style and I am absolutely loving the Vineyard Church! Buuuuut...don't watch these videos. They're probably not for you. ;)

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I hope you had a blessed weekend! I sure did! It was busy and tiring, but full of family and good times (as well as those handmade Mother's Day cards lol). I'm so blessed! The Mother's Day sermon was outstanding too; can't wait for that to be uploaded because it talks about the femininity of a woman. Very interesting! Be infused! God bless you!



The Perfect Execution: Part 3 - Freedom from Vineyard Community Church on Vimeo.

Fiery Love

Yesterday, when the kids and I were visiting the Vineyard church, the worship band played the song "Fiery Love". My boyfriend (who plays the drums in the worship band) has often told me that it's his favorite song to play. Not only does he like to completely let go and rock out when he plays it, but he always puts his heart and soul into playing for the Lord. He's always told me that he plays with "reckless abandon"; remembering he only really has an audience of one. When members of a worship band play with that heart and attitude, it shows. It enables you to connect with God that much more because their hearts are lining up with God's heart; making it about Him and not the music/performance itself.

Apparently, Chris's aunt also noticed this. She remarked later that while she was observing Chris play, the guitarist had stepped in a way that blocked her view of him. She was wanting to continue to watch Chris, but God was urging her to stop and listen. It was then that she said she could feel the passion and the intensity that was being put into the song. God had told her that he was playing the intensity of His (God's) heart. What a beautiful thought!

The video below is the song "Fiery Love". There are no drums, no Chris, no worship band, but the man who is singing and playing his guitar is singing with deepest sincerity and passion. You can feel it in the beautiful lyrics of the song. That's how it should be. When we worship the Lord, it's not about the music, the people singing it, or anything else. It's about passionate and sincere hearts praising and honoring the Sovereign Lord. Think about the words as your prayer to Him and sing it from your heart!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! May we all be inspired to give our hearts over to God in adoration and worship in all we do; experiencing the wonder of his fiery love for us! Be infused! God bless you!

A Welcome Attitude

Today was another one of those Sundays where I'm just barely finding some time to blog. This day (as well as the week/weekend) has been very full and eventful. It seems like the theme has been one of "welcoming". 

A picture from a few years ago;
probably the last time I seen her.

Firstly, my Grandmother was welcomed into the arms of Jesus this past week after battling with her health for the past few years. Our family is saddened and will miss her so much, but we are relieved to know that she isn't suffering anymore and is finally at peace. I'm grateful to everyone for their thoughtfulness and prayers for my family! 

Secondly, I continue to feel welcomed more and more by my boyfriend's family (and church home). This has been another great weekend of spending it with the many people who have become so dear to me. The theme was even in the church sermon as the pastor was talking about how we need to welcome AND honor Jesus. It's easy to invite Jesus in and have Him make himself at home in our lives if things are good and He's doing what we think He ought to be doing for us. It's another to honor Him regardless of whether or not things are going well. The pastor referenced various stories in the Bible where people were asking for Jesus' help and miracles and the fact that many times, it was those great wonders that made people believe as well as continue to expect Jesus to keep doing those things (and whenever they asked). Sometimes, it's so easy to forget that just because He's God, it doesn't mean He's always going to flaunt it the way WE want. Our requests won't always be answered the way we want and expect; which doesn't diminish His divinity either. No matter what happens, our faith needs to continue being just that: faith. Faith stands; no matter what. 

The last thing that falls along the line of "welcoming" is the fact that I have been becoming more welcoming of the changes that God is making in my life and in my heart. In the past few years, I feel that I have toughened up (probably a little too much) in order to get through everything that I have. While that is sometimes necessary, it can also become a problem when you become so tough that you don't allow yourself to be broken and vulnerable anymore. It makes it harder for you to let go (as well as let in) the things that you should. The depth of the emotional pain I have wrestled with has been difficult; hard to deal with and let go of. It's also been hard to embrace the healing and restoration that God has been pouring out on me as things have finally gotten better in my life. A woman with a prophetic word at church had shared that there was at least one woman there that was struggling and felt "numb". I knew that was me because I had shared that same thing with Chris recently. I resisted at first and reasoned that I didn't really "feel" strongly led to receive prayer from her (especially in a new church where I didn't know people yet). God pointed out that I didn't "feel" it because I was numb (duh) which is exactly why I needed it. It was also an issue of allowing myself to feel it and not trying to ignore or stifle that prompting that I knew might be arising in me. So, God was good and was like, "You want to 'feel' something? There, do you feel it now?" Yeah, I did...and I'm glad I had that lady pray for me because she had been through a very similar ordeal of a bad relationship that ended in divorce and she had experienced the same array of emotions. 

If there's anything that I've learned recently, it's that I need to give myself permission to be "that girl" again. I had made a conscious effort to not be as open in an effort to guard my heart better, protect myself, and be smarter about things. Maybe now it's time to rejoice in the fact that I don't have to do that anymore (at least not to the degree that I have) and that I can relax because I'm surrounded by God's love and the love of Chris, his family, and my own family and friends. This is probably the most peace, love, and goodness that I have ever truly experienced in my life and it's ok to "welcome" that. It's MORE than ok! I just never knew that life could be this good; even with the day-to-day stress that is still there. Life is good. GOD is good. Even if things fell apart again, He is still good and always will be. He is sovereign. 

Grace and peace to you, my friends. I encourage you to be open and welcoming; to Jesus and to others. Allow Him to take it all, good and bad, and work it out for His purposes (Romans 8:28). Rest in the fact that honoring Him really is a good thing no matter what you "feel". Have a "welcome" attitude! Be infused! God bless you! 

Sweetly Broken

Yesterday, I was talking about dealing with and eliminating fear. I mentioned at the end of the post about being broken, but in a sweet and gentle way that one can't really describe. When God does work in your heart, it's like that. He breaks you in a very tender way. It can be painful, but it's tolerable because God is the one doing it. It's like when Aslan removed Eustace's dragon scales in "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (if you don't know what I'm talking about, it's a book in the Narnia series. MUST READS! The movies don't do it justice!).

I was thinking of this song "Sweetly Broken" by Jeremy Riddle. I think it helps paint a picture of what my heart was saying yesterday.

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I hope you have a blessed week! Be infused! God bless you!

How to Be Fearless

Fears. We all have them and they come in many different forms. Some of them even have names like agoraphobia or arachnophobia (yeah, I'll fess up to the last one...but I won't be swimming in a sea of spiders any time soon in an attempt to get over it!). Though, in all actuality, there is only ever ONE fear at the heart of every one. I've heard Dr. Phil mention it many times and that is: "the fear of losing control."

Any time I ever feel worried or afraid, I always make myself ponder that root: losing control. I try to dissect the things that make panic rise up in me and do my best to identify what makes me feel that I've lost it (or WILL lose it). Figuring out and breaking down the triggers is a big help. No matter what, it all comes down to an issue of trust; not in myself, but in God. No matter what the fear is, I can overcome it because God enables me to do so. It's because His Spirit is a Spirit of courage, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). Relying on His Spirit vanquishes fear because there is NO FEAR in love (1 John 4:18) and the strength and courage that He infuses us with deflates our fears. Oh, and that self-discipline part? Yeah, that's the part that helps us unlock it all! It all hinges on whether or not we make the right choice in accessing what He's given us. We have His Spirit inside our hearts; we just need to use Him! It reminds me of when I read Prison to Praise by Merlin Carothers and he mentioned how he said he wanted Jesus to use him, but Jesus told him something like 'I don't want to use you, I want you to use ME!' So many times, I've thought on that because it's so easy to think of things backwards; that God needs us rather than us needing Him.

The older I get, the more I realize and understand what it means to surrender control and trust God. There are so many things that I don't know, can't predict, and are unable to figure out; whether it's past, present, or future things. The only thing I HAVE been able to figure out is that God is sovereign. Sovereign. That word is a BIG DEAL. It's a word that means "supreme power or authority." In other words, ultimate control! So, here's my chain of thought on that: God = sovereign = ultimate control. If I'm worrying/fearing, I'm not trusting, which means that I don't feel in control which further means I need to "check myself" and remember who is. If I'm seeking ultimate control on my own or for myself, I'm putting myself in a place of God's sovereignty; big no-no! I am NOT God and that is what the fear and control thing boils down to; remembering who IS God and who holds the sovereignty and control. Reminding myself of that always sets me free, relaxes me, and I'm able to surrender and let go.

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I know that there is someone out there that needed to hear this besides me. I composed this as a result of the things that God was working on in my own heart today (and in the past few months). I feel humbled and broken; but in an amazingly sweet and tender way that I can't explain. His Spirit is breaking my many fears by reminding me of who He is, who I am (and am not), and how much better life is when I remember who I belong to; knowing that if any fear (great or small) came to pass, I would be ok because He is Lord. I'll submit to Him the "what ifs" the "maybes" the "yeah, buts" and whatever else makes my mind spin and rest in Him because He's saying, "Hey, I got this!" Even if any of them came true, it wouldn't matter either because He'll work it out. He'll calm the seas so I can walk on the water; as long as my eyes are on Him and not the fear underneath my feet! Be infused...and be fearless! God bless you!

A Grace FULL Life

We live in a society that is all about rewarding performance. Work hard and "earn" it. Of course, that's not always a BAD thing. After all, God discourages idleness (Proverbs 19:15). However, we sometimes try too hard or take it too far. This is particularly true in the case of God's grace. It's hard for us to understand because accepting God's love and free gift of salvation doesn't compute. We think we have to "earn" our right to heaven by doing the right things, following all the rules, and living up to an impossible standard of perfection.

God's Word says that it's our faith in the GRACE of God that saves us, not our works (Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace has nothing to do with US and EVERYTHING to do with HIM. It's all about the cross; His sacrifice, His blood. If we could save ourselves through our own works, then Christ died for nothing and we would need no Savior (Galatians 2:21). Do we "deserve" it? No. Does He give it anyways? Yes! Why? Because He loves us; He's a compassionate and gracious God (Psalm 86:15) and His thoughts towards us outnumber the sand!

Our pastor, Larry Sprinkle, listed three ways that God's grace will benefit our lives:

1. God's saving grace removes guilt. - Through the blood of Christ, we are forgiven (Ephesians 1:7-8, 1 John 1:9). His abounding grace cleanses us of our sin and He removes them as far as the east is from the west. Think about how far removed that is. Not across the street. Not in the next state. From the furthest east to the furthest west (Psalm 103:11-12). It's gone; like that Casting Crowns song (this YouTube video I found is amazing!).

2. God's strengthening grace reshapes our lives. - His grace gives us strength and sustains us! It fuels us and brings confidence and peace to our hearts that is indescribable! Only God can do that! No amount of self-help from any guru or "enlightenment" can ever compare to God's grace! (Hebrews 13:9).

3. God's sustaining grace removes our hurt. - This is a big one for all of us because everyone gets wounded from time to time. His grace covers us; we are weak but He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9). We just need to allow Him to heal our hearts or the wounds will fester and poison us; resulting in becoming toxic to ourselves and others (Hebrews 12:15). Don't be bitter, be BETTER!

GRACE and peace to you, my friends! In closing, watch the video below by "The Skit Guys". It was featured in church and I have also posted about them before (I just can't find the post for some reason lol). They have a real talent for illustrating Biblical concepts! Lay down your pride, surrender, and accept from God what you can't attain on your own. Be infused...with STRENGTH and GRACE! God bless you!

As Innumerable as the Sand...

It's always great when someone gives you a wonderful analogy to wow you and boggle your brain! Today, in worship service, our stand-in for our regular worship leader presented us with some great food for thought. Sand. Yes, sand....like the beaches of warmer places (Spring, where are you...really?). He showed us a big cup full of sand; explaining that he attempted to count a few grains (about a pinch). He asked us to imagine how many pinches of sand might be in that container and gave us a few ballpark figures. Obviously, there's no way to count all the grains of sand; nor all the grains of sand on one beach, many beaches, the ocean floor, or the dessert. But my goodness, it's astounding to think of!

Now, consider this verse that  he referenced to us. It's in Psalm 139:18 (the whole Psalm is really amazing, by the way): "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee." God has that many thoughts toward us; about me, about YOU, about every single person! Innumerable! Indescribable! Can we even think even a fraction of that many amazing thoughts about ourselves (or about any person) in one day or  even a lifetime? THAT is how extravagant He is and how GREAT His love towards us is! It's hard to fathom, yet it just makes you feel so awed and favored by the Creator of the universe when you think about it!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! You are loved; by the God of all creation! He is crazy about you and sent His son to die for you; taking the place of your sins and eternal separation from Him so He wouldn't have to be without you for eternity (so long as you freely choose to accept His sacrifice and want to be with Him - love always gives a choice). Think about that this week! Be infused! God bless you!

What is Your Life Blood?

There were a lot of things that I was considering blogging today. They were things regarding today's sermon which was given by three of the church elders in the absence of our pastor today. I haven't had the time to process it all, or organize them into a blog the way I would like, but it has definitely been on my heart all day. It was all about being close to God; thinking about when we were closest as well as furthest away. It's something that I have thought about a lot when evaluating my spiritual walk. They were talking about how when we are distant from him, it's because our E.G.O. has gotten in the way which stands for "Edging God Out". It's definitely true because when we aren't close to Him and depending on Him, it means that we have become too self-sufficient and full of pride to "need" Him. We take care of ourselves and whatever else is going on in our lives so much that we forget our priorities.

I just kept thinking about how everything they were saying was what I have been pondering for so long. I struggle so much to balance it all. I need to find a way to build more "God time" into my day the way that I do everything else. I don't want life to be so jam packed that I feel like I have to pencil Him into my schedule. I always have an awareness of Him being with me no matter how busy I am (and pray in my heart throughout the day) but I know I need some very focused time with Him as well. I know it definitely needs to be the first priority of the day (now, to start implementing that into my "I'm not a morning person" routine lol). I can make it a habit just like anything else if I would focus and do it! After all, being spiritually healthy is the most important thing there is because it will transcend into other ares of my health and life.

Life. That was the other thing I was thinking about today as we were singing the songs about the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus is everything. His blood was His life being given out for us. LIFE is IN the blood. That's why when a person bleeds until they bleed no more, they die. That's also why we sometimes refer to things metaphorically as being one's "life blood". For what or whom do you bleed for? Is it a sports team? Your job? A person? A hobby or addiction? Drugs or alcohol that courses through the blood in your veins? What gets your blood pumping? What has become the "life blood" that you can't live without? If one can't look at their life (and where all their time, energy, and resources are spent) and say "Jesus", those other things are going to bleed us to death. That's what the world does and is: death.

Grace and peace to you, my friends. I'm deeply pondering the things that I've mentioned and I hope that you are too. It's worth meditating on because God should be our focus and life blood. Every day, we go through our routines and life has its demands, but if we don't discipline ourselves to be consumed with the right life blood, the bad blood will drain the life out of us! So, more than ever, we truly need to remember what it means to "be infused" with Christ. I say it at the close of each post; not just because it's tied in with the name and meaning of Infusion 413, but because it really is important to BE INFUSED with the Holy Spirit. Here's to hoping we can all truly ponder that more and live it out! So, yes, be infused! God bless you!

Integrity: Maintaining Yours When People Lose Theirs

"Know that the world is full of ugly, but beauty too. Don't let the bad in people override the good, the evil override the miracles. Above all, there is always love and love never fails." 

- Jama Smith. 

The above quote comes from a dear friend of mine who had posted these wise words of advice in a recent Facebook post. Jama's words couldn't have been more timely because in the past couple days, I have been needing to mediate on those nuggets of truth in order to attempt to cope with some rather unsettling behavior and underhanded actions of a couple people. It seems that no matter how cruel, competitive, and wicked this world is becoming day by day, there still exists that sweet, naive little girl inside of me that is always amazed that someone could behave so nastily and immaturely. It doesn't matter that I have had tons of experience by now in dealing with people who have no character or integrity (or the ones that appear to have some and then flip a switch and show me that they don't). Deep down, I always believe that people are generally decent, grew up with some kind of basic faith and/or manners, and would treat others the way they would want to be treated. Sadly, that's not always the case.

Of course, there are a lot of emotions that one feels when someone purposely hurts you, betrays you, and then happily twists the knife some more for their sick satisfaction. Sometimes, the sweet little girl inside doesn't always want to play nice. The anger can sometimes make you want to fight back in a way that would hurt the one that would hurt you. However, I am incredibly blessed by the fact that faith and experience has taught me that reacting in anger and matching the perpetrator's cruelty isn't only ineffective and fruitless, it damages your own integrity and character. That is something that I am never willing to sacrifice. As Jama said, it's important not to let the bad in people override the good; whether it be in the world around you or in yourself. People who exude maliciousness and seek to be abrasive, toxic, and cruel aren't people you want to emulate. I would never want to mirror someone's ugly heart just because they have sought to poison me with their venom. Instead, I choose to stay true to one of the highest compliments that someone has ever given me (which, ironically, came from Jama) and it was when she remarked that I was one of the most forgiving people she knew. How humbling! Yes, that's the person I strive to be; and praise God, it can be seen by others! It makes me want to work all the harder to retain that virtue! Evil comes easily (because we have a sin nature) but CHARACTER has to be taught and developed. There's no way I'm going to let anyone hit my "reset" button to go back to any sort of "default" setting. I have learned and grown too much to ever be a person like them or a person like who I was.


I continue to compose these blog posts for so many reasons (and this makes post #200 already! Yay!). I don't do it simply because a lot of Team Beachbody coaches do it. I do it because I truly have a heart for people and a desire to help. Anyone that knows me know that to be a fact. So, I share with you what I have shared today as a reaffirmation of the kind of person I am and the kind of business that I run. Infusion 413 has heart, character, and integrity at its core because God is the foundation of who I am, the motivation for why I do what I do, and how I conduct this business (as well as my life). It is my hope that people will see that I'm genuine and caring and that the mission of Infusion 413 is something they would proudly want to be a part of (because I'm certainly happy and grateful for every single person who choose to be a part of my team and allows me to be their coach!).

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Remember, we all get hurt, double-crossed, bullied, and used in our lives. However, we should continue to cling to what is good and not let evil corrupt or change us (and, actually, allow the pain to help us grow instead). All things will work out for good according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Continue to act in love no matter what because love really does conquer all and cover a multitude of sins. Evil isn't conquered by evil; it's overcome by GOOD (Romans 12:21). Rest assured, God is JUST and HE is the avenger and equalizer; not us. He's not mocked and everyone reaps what they sow (Galatians 6:7). Keep living a life of love! Know what love is and isn't and how to "fight fair" when you've been hurt (I just posted about that a while back lol). Stick to God's Word as the blueprint for your life and you'll succeed! Be infused! God bless you!

Do You WANT To See?

Today's sermon reminded me of another one I heard a few years ago. Not only is it refreshing to be reminded of something that touched you so deeply the first time, but to it's great to see evidence of the Holy Spirit revealing Himself to people in the same ways! It's amazing! 

The sermon was about the story of the blind man; though it was mainly about being spiritually blind more than anything. The point of the sermon was to be like the blind man and cry out to Jesus for what we want to see. Jesus had asked the blind man "what do you want me to do for you?" That's the same thing that He asks us when we have an issue, can't see something clearly, or need some kind of healing and/or miracle. Though, it's more than just telling him what we want, it's being ready and willing to receive it. The paralytic at the pool wanted to be healed, but he was fairly passive about his healing. Jesus had asked him if he wanted to get well because the man only offered excuses of "well, others get in ahead of me". I guess he couldn't even find any good friends to help him. You know, the kind who would tear shingles off a roof in order to get their buddy healed. Nah. Too hard. Wishing, hoping, and complaining for decades was easier than finding the means/help to get himself well. Though, I can't judge him for that. After all, I've been on this weight-loss journey for years. When I have his attitude, I get no where. When I do whatever it takes to get healthy (and enlist God's help to do it) I ALWAYS succeed then!   

What is stopping us from getting what we most need in our lives? Jesus is asking us these two questions: "What do you want me to do for you?" and "How bad to you want it?" Passivity, excuses, and half-heartedness isn't the kind of attitude or display of faith to have if we expect to receive from Jesus. Like I've mentioned not too long ago, you either do it or you don't. "There is no try!" Remember?! We need to decide and be whole-hearted about whatever it is that we are in desperate need of! Jesus will be there to help us, but we have to want it (and want it with all our might) and not let anything get in the way of seeking Him for what we need! Think about it! What do you want, how bad to you want it, and are you willing to do what it takes (and will you receive it)? Do you really WANT to see what you need to see in order to be who you need to be?

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Click here to read the blog post I wrote a few years ago about this (it's worth it!). It's regarding that similar sermon I heard years ago that touched me so much. It was preached by the late Scott Kaehr (that man had such an amazing heart for God!). Be infused! God bless you! 

What Love Is (And Isn't)

I never stop learning what love is (and isn't). There have been so many times in my life where I felt like, "Hey, I get it!" only to discover that there is so much more to learn and experience. It's amazing when you realize that you just reached a whole new level of understanding! 

Learning to love (and be loved) is such an amazing gift! It helps one understand the pure, perfect, flawless love of God. Though, in order to do this, it's helpful to understand what love is and isn't. One does that by contemplating on the Word of God. God didn't just speak it; He demonstrated it. Love is action. Love is virtue and character. NEVER is it described as a "feeling". Of course, love can generate strong emotion, but those emotions aren't love itself. Emotions and feelings are fickle and varied. Someone that ACTS in love does so as a result of genuine character and virtue. 

Knowing this, I composed a sort of reference guide. I referred to it earlier this week as Chris and I were conversing in depth about what it means to love. I had actually compiled the guide last year in the midst of a difficult relationship I had had with someone who DIDN'T understand love at all. I showed it to Chris and remarked that he fit the bill so well and how glad I continue to be regarding the fact that we display genuine love, respect, and care for one another. I can't tell you how amazing it is to read through something and realize the fact that the man who SAYS he loves me really DOES because he's demonstrating it the way it was designed by God! 

Just like when I took this picture,
I was distracted from what I was doing by his goofiness;
but I love him. ;)

However, human love isn't perfect (hence the "fighting fair" part of the guide for how to act in love in the midst of conflict). In fact, even as I type this right now, I had to GENTLY remind Chris to give me a few minutes to type this blog (if we are on Skype as I'm trying to do this, he can be a little noisy and/or distracting while I'm trying to work lol). Because he loves me, he doesn't get offended by this. He is gracious, apologetic, cooperative, and patient. It helped that I approached him in a kind manner, but even if I had been a rude and snippy female, he's the type of man that would still treat me with kindness because that's just the kind of character and humility he has. The way he demonstrates love to me helps me to love him that much better (and reminds me of how kind and generous God is to me; whether I deserve it or not). 

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I hope that the following guide helps you as much as it continues to help me. I know that sometimes, we try to figure out whether or not someone loves us based on the advice of our culture, other people, past relationship comparisons, or who knows what. However, God's Word is the measure and the mirror that we should be using to figure that out. Only then will we truly understand how to love and be loved. Be infused! God bless you! 

*****

1 Corinthians 13, John 15:13, 1 John 4:7-21, Galatians 5:22-23  

Love IS

God (He is love. We love him and others).

Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness,self-control). 

Patient (long-suffering)

Kind

Enduring/Persevering

Truthful/honest

Protecting

Hopeful

Forgiving (keeps no record of wrongs)

Sacrificing (even one's life) and puts others first

Love is NOT

Fruits of the sinful nature (sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like - Galatians 5:19-21).

Envious

Boastful

Prideful

Rude

Selfish

Angry/easily provoked

Fearful

Hateful

Unforgiving

Fighting Fair

1. Truth, honesty, and communication. Expressing and listening to each other with open minds and hearts and doing so in love. Meaning, building up and not tearing down (Ephesians 4:29, 2 Corinthians 13:11, Hebrews 3:13). No name-calling and personal attacks. Any emotion should be expressed tactfully and respectfully without accusations/assumptions, judgement/condemnation, bad attitudes, and vocal/body language expressions that can wound as well. Appropriate breaks and constructive methods of dealing with anger should be used (like "time outs" and breaks for some down time). Additionally, while input and help from family/friends is often helpful and needed, it needs to be limited. Not everyone needs to know or needs to no everything (or know every instance). When they do, it's important to let them know when/how a conflict is resolved so that they know we're ok. 

2. No games. No "blame game", excuses, ultimatums, threats, or manipulation. It solves nothing and only creates more problems and wounding. Adam and Eve played the blame game, but it did nothing to help and there were still consequences (Genesis 3). 

3. Taking responsibility,ownership, and apologizing. "Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy?" Choosing humility over pride and looking at one's own errors instead of the flaws of someone else (Proverbs 11:2, Proverbs 13:10, Proverbs 14:3, Proverbs 16:18, Ecclesiastes 7:8, Matthew 23:12, Ephesians 4:2, 1 Peter 5:5). We all have planks in our eyes so we shouldn't throw stones (Matthew 7:3-5, Luke 6:41-42, John 8:7 ). 

4. Compromises, solutions, resolutions. Both people have to be willing to sacrifice and be willing to come up with a solution to the problem; as well as resolve how to prevent that type of thing from happening again and repenting/doing better (2 Corinthians 7:9, Romans 2:4).

5. "Forgive and forget". Forgiving and moving on (and not dragging up past issues and mistakes into fresh conflict). Unforgiveness is a poison that will eat away at a relationship and breakdown intimacy. It's not always easy to forgive, but holding onto grudges is so much harder. It drains you of energy and is a load on your shoulders. Without forgiveness, restoration isn't possible; nor can we expect God to forgive us if we don't forgive others. The judgment and measure we use will also be measured to us (Matthew 6:15, Matthew 7:2, Luke 6:37). 

The most important thing to remember is that we can and will make mistakes. Relationships are tough and require a lot of grace, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness (sometimes a little more than we would like). No one is perfect or loves perfectly, but we will strive to be made more perfect in love and remember that true love covers a multitude of sins (Luke 17:4, Proverbs 10:12, 1 Peter 4:8).