Laughing My Butt Off!

Today is workout Wednesday. Normally, I would be talking about....well, workouts lol. However, today was just "one of those days" and gosh dang it, I didn't feel like doing anything. Yeah, it was kind of like one of those "I wanna punch Bob Barker" days that I talked about before. Then, I got to skype with my boyfriend and our buddy Ben and everything was made better. Why? Because we were laughing; and laughing is good medicine! Laughing also burns calories! Yeah, there's a workout for you there; and it's a FUN one! So, to that I say, "Laugh it up, fuzzball!" Yes, that was another Star Wars reference! Get used to it lol! :)

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Remember to laugh it up! It goes a long way! It was just what I needed tonight! So, forgive me for the short blog....but I was "working out" lol! ;) Maybe someday, I will literally laugh my butt OFF! Be infused (with laughter!). God bless you!

Family, Friends, and Faith

It's been quite a busy week! I feel like every day was jam packed with something! Sometimes, it just seems like a blur after you sit down to think about it!

I really don't have anything to say or share today. I almost forgot to post at alll even though Sundays are the days I usually like blogging the most. They are my more "personal" posts and a break to focus on spiritual wellness which is the most important aspect of one's overall wellness. I guess if there would be anything I would want to share, it's just that reminder to enjoy life and what's most important; as well as taking the time to rest. I finally feel a little more rested up after such an exhausting week (even though I just started Les Mills Combat TODAY lol) and I also felt rejuvenated after some unexpected family time with my parents and some extended family. It was wonderful to be able to do that today and to get a pleasant start to a new week!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I hope you can take some time to relax as well as enjoy all the wonderful and most important things in life; family, friends, and faith. That was one thing my family always does so well when we get together; we laugh, share stories and memories, and talk about important things. Never underestimate the power of those simple things that mean so much! Be infused! God bless you!

Superhuman vs. Being a Super Human

Sometimes, you are reminded of the fact that you are human and can't do it all by yourself. Life has many demands on your time and resources and it's hard to handle. Tasks get put off and/or forgotten and before you know it, you're scrambling to catch-up and make-up for lost time.

Today, I was thinking about all the things that haven't gotten done; a few dishes in the sink, never-ending laundry, my shaggy headed son needing a haircut, and Friday and Saturday's blog posts that I totally forgot to compose (sorry about that!). Despite my best efforts to be superwoman/mom, I fall short. It just can't always be accomplished.

It's in moments like these where I have to just stop for a moment and reflect. If you're like me, I'm sure you can relate (especially other fellow moms out there). It's absolutely necessary to truly stop and shift your focus. For me, it was acknowledging what actually DID get done and remembering where the priorities were. As long as my time, attention, and resources went to what was most important, I can relax and remember that I did a LOT because I did what mattered most.

So, what DID I get done? Well, I made sure my kids got to school every day (unless it was canceled...then I had new arrangements to deal with). I made sure their homework was done, sibling dynamics were neutral, meals were given, clothes were laundered (though this never ends!), and bedtimes were observed. The job of a mother isn't a "paid" position in terms of currency, but it certainly pays off in other ways! So, that job is a BIG DEAL and MUST be done - always. I may not do it perfectly (see prior shaggy-headed comment) but I make sure the major parenting stuff is covered! ;) All that while having to make sure I work my other two jobs (the ones that DO pay the bills). I'm a Team Beachbody coach, but have not reached the point to where I can be like some of the other coaches that don't need a "day job" anymore. So, I keep on juggling both. ;)

Chris and I at the wedding reception;
the first time he has ever grinned ear to ear like that
for one of our pictures together! Priceless!

In the midst of all that, I still try to make sure I stay connected with family and friends. I also make sure that I'm continuing to be a good girlfriend to the wonderful man that always places me in the highest of priorities in his day-to-day life. This past weekend, he once again drove over an hour to be with me and insisted on taking me out to a nice dinner for our early Valentine's Day. Then, after my shift the following day, I finally got the chance to return the favor by experiencing the long drive to "his turf" lol. I was beyond honored to go with him to a wedding reception for a good friend of his as well as spend a lot of quality time laughing and visiting with his parents for the first time. Then, I drove all the way home in mildly treacherous winter weather; happily exhausted from such a long day.

After reflecting on all of that, I don't beat myself up as much over the "little" things that are still begging for my attention. After all, dishes, clothing, and the blogosphere will always be there (and be a continuous, regenerative, greedy vacuum that wants to consume my time). I could never feel too guilty about putting those things on the back burner, but I WOULD feel guilty if I made the truly important people/events/etc. wait! I may have come home to the sink and laundry hampers that mock me, but  you know what? Who cares! Who REALLY cares? Those things are nothing but "filler" in my life. The meat and potatoes, the things that matter most, are the very things that got the most of my being this week/weekend. Through it all, God was right there; carrying me through, listening to every prayer, and providing everything I needed (Casey even came home with a fresh haircut when I picked him up from his Dad's! So grateful for that little surprise blessing!).

Grace and peace to you, my friends! It is my hope that we all can remember to enjoy what matters most in life and never beat ourselves up for the little things that will never matter when our lives end. The legacy we leave, and the impact we have on this world/people, last a lot longer than a haircut, clean dishes/clothes, or a blog post. Though, this may be one of the blog posts that people will remember when I die...who knows lol! ;) Sharing this was definitely time well spent! The dishes and laundry can wait yet another day (especially since my wonderful Dad is going to fix the leaky sink tomorrow!). See, even the sink itself gave me permission to focus on the important stuff. It knows where it stands lol! Doing your best doesn't mean being superhuman, but a SUPER human! Yeah, there IS a difference! Be infused! God bless you!

Consider the House "Warmed"!

Tonight's blog is going to be short. I'm pretty tired from such an eventful day lol. But, it's a very good kind of tired because I had my house warming party today and I think I can definitely say that my house has been "warmed"; with laughter, love, friendship, and the beginning of many memories!

There were a lot of special people that didn't make it, but I am very thankful for the ones who took the time for me and made an appearance. This is only the first of many gatherings and I look forward to having people over more often! :)

I don't know what else to add other than the fact that simple things like this are truly the best things in life! Gathering together to talk, laugh, share stories, and show one's love and support is something that is such a priceless treasure! My heart has been warmed more than anything!

To the wonderful people in my life, I dedicate these verses:

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. - Proverbs 17:17

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. - Proverbs 18:24

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another - Proverbs 27:17

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. - Ecclesiastes 4:9-10


Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:25

I am so BLESSED to have several friends that are like family to me!! They love and encourage me, and "meeting together" is always a joy (and we definitely won't stop meeting up lol). I am thankful for the ones that have helped pick me up and support me when I've fallen or been knocked down. I definitely pity those that DON'T have good friends like mine and have to manage things alone!


Grace and peace to you, my friends! I'm glad that I don't have to go it alone in life! I have God, my kids, my family, and my friends! I hope you have those things too! You definitely have God if nothing else (and you have me - I'm here!). Be infused! God bless you!

Focusing on Good Things

I am having one of those moments where I'm so upset that I have nearly made myself sick. Let's just say it has something to do with the subject matter of this past blog entry. 

I really shouldn't be this upset. Once you realize how a person is, you should be glad to dismiss them. It's a good thing to let go of the people and things that aren't good for you anyways. That's what I have to keep telling myself and just move forward. 

God bless my best friend, Sarah, who is always there to remind me that no matter what someone has said or done to me, she still thinks the best of me and she lifts me up again! She always encourages me and gives me renewed hope! It's just like what I heard in church today about remembering to meditate on the truth and not dwell on any negative messages or doubts. If we fuel ourselves with truth instead of worry and lies, we will behave and live in a way that clings to the promises of God! 

One promise that comes to my mind is this; that Jesus said we will have trouble in this world but not to worry because he has already overcome it (John 16:33). Because of Him, we are overcomers too! No matter who has hurt us, or what hardships have arisen in our lives, God is greater than all of it! He will infuse us with his strength (Philippians 4:13)!

Yeah, we're totally going to be
 enjoying some Starbucks again lol!!

I may be disappointed in the people that fail me, but I forgive them (just as I fail and seek forgiveness as well). It just reminds me and brings me back to the fact that God is my refuge and is forever loving and unfailing (Psalm 36:7). Maybe He allows me to witness bad behavior in people just so I can depend more on Him and know that He is God. That's about the only thing I can figure lol! But, maybe that's all I need. That and to remember that even though there are a multitude of shady people out there, there ARE a few good ones that God has blessed me with that I am SO GRATEFUL FOR! As I've mentioned earlier (and in blog entries like this one) I have the greatest best friend ever! I am so incredibly thankful that God crossed our paths so we could laugh and cry together; supporting each other through the good and bad times and building each other up in faith. For these reasons, I am all the more looking forward to celebrating her birthday with her on Tuesday. My bestie's main request....Starbucks lol. Yeah, it's the simple things! We're going to have a terrific day celebrating the fact that God created her with a purpose and that the earth is blessed (and so is my life) because she's in it! We will do this with lots of laughs, girl talk, and coffee lol! Cherished memories! :) 

Grace and peace to you, my friends! If you're frustrated and hurting due to something or someone in your life, take heart and remember God's good promises and focus on good things! He will provide for you. Even in the tough stuff, He has things to show you so that you can learn and be all the wiser for it! It all works out! Be infused! God bless you! 

Fueled with Thankfulness

Today winds up my first week of this new fitness blog. I feel very accomplished (as well as hopeful) that it will be reaching and helping others in various ways! It's my hope that people will read and engage with me (and others) on this blog and find the encouragement and motivation they need for not only their fitness goals, but their entire well-being. That's why on Sundays, I'll post blogs of a more personal and spiritual nature (sort of like my original blog). No matter what you're doing to help your body physically, it's important that you work from the inside out and make sure that your mind and heart are fueling the changes you're embarking on.

I've reflected a lot this week about everything that is going on in my life. I wouldn't know where to begin if I tried to explain and dissect it all, but let's just say that reminding myself of the core verse that is the theme of this blog (and my Team Beachbody team as a whole) is what carries me. I keep focusing my mind on being empowered and infused with the strength of God so that I can make it through whatever I have to deal with every day. Careful thought and prayer is what works out the matters of the mind and heart. Paul said in Philippians 4:4-9 (NIV): 

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

I have thought about these verses a lot this week. Breaking it down, bit by bit, we can get a picture of what our general attitude should be like and how we should handle and view everything in our life. Paul says to ALWAYS rejoice in the Lord. It's not just a statement, it's a command (and he reiterates it a second time). With that kind of emphasis, we should gather that it's pretty important to have an attitude of praise and thankfulness. He says our gentleness should be evident and that the Lord is near. God will empower us as we praise Him and when we converse with the Lord in prayer, we are to have that attitude of thanksgiving. We are far less prone to being worried and anxious when we are focused on the many blessings that we should be thanking our Father for! I seen a saying once that said: "Always thank God for what you have before you ask him for more." How true is that?!

Secondly, Paul says that when we behave in a way that's positive and thankful, we will receive peace from God; peace that surpasses anything one could understand or explain. It calms and protects our hearts and minds against anything that could negatively effect us. It's all because that positive and thankful heart brings about that wall of peace that prevents us from being shaken by anything the world can throw at us. 

Paul finishes his train of thought by instructing us on what to fuel our minds with to ensure that we keep our positive attitudes intact. It's all about input and output. No matter what form you're talking about, everything has a cause and effect process. Just like you have to think about what foods you're fueling your body with, one needs to think about what they're fueling their mind and spirit with. Everyone knows that if you feed your body junk, that's what your resulting output is going to be. You feel only as good as what you're fueled with. The quality you put INTO yourself is equal to the quality you'll be able to GIVE of yourself when you expend it. That's why Paul tells us to think of good things; things that are pure, lovely, honorable, and praiseworthy. The things we watch, the music we listen to, the things we do, the people we hang out with, etc. are all going to effect our behavior. Therefore, we should really try hard to surround ourselves with the things that glorify and honor God so that we are more apt to honor God as well. Yes, in the world that we live in today, it is becoming more and more difficult. It definitely is a struggle to accomplish this when we are surrounded by so much media bombardment, negative people, and things of that nature. It's impossible to escape it completely, but when we do find those good things, we need to focus on them the most so that we aren't overcome by the negatives. Then, we can be the kind of example that Paul was; and people will see and imitate our examples too. 

I hope that you are encouraged by what God has put in my heart. Focusing on prayer, positive things, and leaning on like-minded people is what helped me this week! More and more, I am reminded of how much more dependent I need to be on God and HIS strength and not my own. I am grateful for all the Lord does for me as well as the good friends and family who have been there to listen, empathize, advise, and pray for me. A BIG thank you to three friends in particular: Sarah, Steve, and Joel. You helped me make it through this week and I couldn't be more grateful for your support! I love you! Thank you also to Whitley and Racheal for the fellowship I had with you yesterday! Both of you make me smile and I love you too!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Feed your body, mind, and spirit with good things!! Stay positive and thankful!! Be infused! God bless you!!