2010 - Year In Review

Wow, living this past year has felt like living on a roller coaster. This year started out with us still getting used to living in West Virginia again after 10 years in Florida. It was definitely a difficult change, and one that brought a lot of emotional turmoil within me.
The first Sunday of the year, my kids and I decided to try a new church, Cornerstone Family Church. I knew that Sunday that I had found my new church home. The people were so friendly and welcoming; there was such freedom in worship; and, the pastor was great.
At this time, I was also working at Winterplace Ski Resort, but in February, I started working at Bluefield Regional Medical Center. I also started taking classes online through University of Phoenix.
Now, the reason we moved back to West Virginia in the first place was because of my grandparent's health. They were getting to the point that they needed help if they were to stay in their home. So for the first few months of the year, my son was helping to take care of my grandfather when my mom was at work, but it was getting to the point of being too much for him to handle as my grandfather's health began to seriously deteriorate. So in May, I resigned from my job in order to help with my grandfather. He went home to be with the Lord just a few days later. The death of my grandfather was very hard on all of us. He was the rock of our family. All of us were extremely close to him, and watching him die was so hard. We miss him something terrible, but we know that he is no longer in pain and he is playing music in Heaven now.
Through the summer, I continued with my classes and helped take care of my grandmother. Then my daughter Elissa started back to public school after four years of being homeschooled. This was a difficult decision for me, and even though she is doing exceptionally well, she has been exposed to a lot and learned a lot of things that she wouldn't have had I kept her homeschooled. However, she has a good head on her shoulders and I am very proud of the young lady she is.
Throughout my adult life, I have struggled with depression and have been diagnosed with a couple of different things, none of which I would ever accept or believe. It was just depression. And for a time before we moved back up here, I was fine and not dealing with this. But when we moved back up here, and maybe even before that, I began struggling again. Things reached a point in October where I had to admit I needed help again. I am finally feeling better, and I am also able to admit that I have Bipolar II Disorder. It was not an easy thing to accept, but it is what it is. Bipolar Disorder runs in my family, I just hate that I ended up with it. I have struggled for many years and I also hate that it took me so long to accept it.
We also figured out that my son has Ausperger's. While being something else that has been a bit hard to accept, it at least gives us answers and makes things make sense.
So as this year closes, I am looking forward to starting school at Mountain State University (I stopped classes at UofP in September). I am also looking forward to the future with expectation and hope. I am part of the praise team at our awesome church. I have 3 awesome children. I am physically healthy, as are my children. We have a nice, warm place to live. We have so many more blessings that it would take way too long to list here. I am so thankful for the grace of God by which I am saved, and the love of Jesus that fills my heart and surrounds me. I have made SO many new friends this past year. They could never take the place of my wonderful friends in Florida, but they have their own special place in my life and heart and I am so thankful for each of them.

Why I Do What I Do

I have had many thoughts going around in my head lately about so many things, but mainly about the new business I have started. I see successful people in businesses like these, especially in the company I joined, and I wonder how they do it. I have been telling people and posting about it all over the place, yet I have only had one person who was seriously interested. And it has been that way in other things I have done. So then I started thinking about my credibility. I do not know why my credibility would not be at least as good as anyone else's, yet I feel that maybe if I explained myself and why I do what I do.....I don't know. Maybe it won't make any difference, maybe it will.
So....why do I do what I do? Why have I all of a sudden started filling my Facebook page and people's ears with AdvoCare? First of all, I believe in it! I know the products work. I know the business works. Second, if you had the answer someone needed, wouldn't you be shouting it out for everyone to hear? I live in a state that has one of the highest rates of obesity. With obesity comes many health problems. I want to help people!!! I want people to get healthy, to get the most from their bodies. The state I live in also boasts a serious poverty issue. I have personally spoken to people who are making money with AdvoCare, so I know it works!!! My desire is not to get filthy, stinking rich and dupe people in the process. My desire is to build a lucrative, successful business which enables me to provide for my children without anyone else's help, and help and enrich others' lives in the process.
Another reason I believe in AdvoCare so much is that it isn't just about weight loss. AdvoCare has products for EVERYONE! AdvoCare also employs many doctors and scientists in creating and testing the products so that they know they are putting out the best products on the market. So for vitamins for the whole family to products for weight loss to products for health and wellness to products for skin care to products for energy to products for people who work out a lot, AdvoCare brings the best to the table.
I have tried to start many different similar businesses over the years, yet NEVER have I come across one like this one. I have gotten disgusted with the expense required or with the mediocrity of the products. Yet with AdvoCare, I can promise that the cost of the products is worth every penny (and they are not that expensive) and that the products are top of the line.
So in all this, I suppose I am wondering why, when someone asks for info and I provide that info, do I never hear from them about it again? Even an acknowledgment or a thanks, but no thanks, would be better than nothing at all. So back to where we started....my credibility. I do not think my credibility should be questioned. I am just as sincere about this as I am about my faith in Jesus Christ. I am not a liar...I am an honest person.
Anyway, regardless, I know I have the answers....whether it be for your body, your soul, or your finances. All I can do is shout it out....I can't make anyone listen.

Grace

I am beginning to understand true grace and the power of grace in my life. Grace is so undeserved, yet God showers His grace on us freely. Every person is in need of the grace of God, too. Even the people who think they are just fine living on their own without God, they are still in need of the amazing grace that only God can provide. And because we are all equally in need of grace, why in the world does anyone think they are better than anyone else? I am not just talking about snooty people in the world, but people who call themselves Christians. I have seen supposed Christian people look down their noses, figuratively and literally, on people that they think are "less than" they are. Every single one of us sins. Every single one of us does things that we need forgiveness for, regardless if we are Christians or not. And sin is sin is sin. In 1 John 5:16-17, the Bible says there is sin leading to death and sin not leading to death. The sin that leads to death is the continual rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior!!!!! Other than that, we can all be forgiven!!! Every single one of us struggles with something, whether it is lying, adultery, homosexuality, stealing, gluttony, drugs, alcohol....whatever it may be! But we ALL have at least one thing that the enemy of our souls knows about and uses against us to try to get us to fall. Yet when someone does give in and people find out about it, rather than reacting with love and grace, people tend to get all judgmental. Yet if we are repentant, God is faithful to forgive...His grace is abundant! So who is a man to offer up judgment? Granted, we are not to just fall and stay in our sin; we are not to live lives in continual sin. In Galatians 5:13, the Bible tells us that we are called to freedom, but not to use our freedom as opportunity for the flesh. That tells me not to use my freedom to keep sinning! Yet, if I mess up, there will be people to condemn me rather than love me and help me to overcome. This really is disgusting to me. What if the one thing that could make the difference in someone's life when they mess up is how one person reacts? What if that one person rebuffed that person, looking down their nose at them and condemned them? What if that one reaction caused that person to turn back to their sin, thinking that that was it, they really messed up now so they might as well just live with their sin. But what if that one person simply loved on the one that messed up? What if the reaction the one received was not condemnation but love, grace, encouragement to get up and get back on track? What if that one reaction made all the difference in how the one who messed up saw themselves? What reaction would Jesus have? We are supposed to imitate Him, remember? And from what the Bible tells me, He would offer love and encouragement to repent and keep on keeping on. (Remember the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery? Did He stone her as the law commanded? No, He didn't.) Grace abounds, for every single person in this world. And the people of this world offer enough judgment and condemnation. Shouldn't we, as Christians, offer more love and grace than the world offers judgment and condemnation? Shouldn't we try to overcome and not add to it? Think about it.

Back on Track!

Well, I had abandoned my blog because I quit my diet and I felt bad, lol.

So now I am doing something new. I have now reached my all time highest weight, which is definitely NOT something to be proud of. I am technically eligible to go on The Biggest Loser now (you have to want to lose at least 100 pounds), however I really don't want to lose 100 pounds. 95 would be perfect, lol.

Anyway, my amazing friend Becky had told me about a site called www.settingcaptivesfree.com and their course The Lord's Table. I started it today. I am excited! The whole purpose is to set people free from the addiction to food and get us focused back on what we should be focused on anyway.....glorifying God in all that we do! If my motive to lose weight is self-centered, then I will fail, as I have many times before. My motive has to be the glory of the Lord, above all things. My relationship with Christ has to be first in my life. I do not want the addiction to food or gluttony to come between me and my God! So in getting my view of food in the right place, and putting God in His rightful place in my life, my eating habits will be under control and as a result, I will lose weight. I have absolute faith that God will see me through this and not only will my weight get under control, but I will grow closer to God than ever and my relationship with Him will be better than ever.

Pray for me! I will keep you posted!

Day 5 - Weight Loss Challenge to Myself

Well I guess this was a cheat day, lol.

Weight Loss: 1/2 pound

Breakfast: Bowl of fresh fruit consisting of pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, raspberries, bananas; coffee with fat free creamer.

Lunch: Bowl of homemade veggie/beef soup, handful of fritos with onion dip

Snacks: Sunflower seeds

Dinner: Side salad, ranch dressing, hushpuppies, butter, mixed veggies, 6 grilled shrimp, 1 grilled crab crake, few french fries, 1/2 slice of key lime pie

Water Intake: 1/2 gallon

Exercise: none (yet again) :-(

Weight Loss: 0 pounds

Breakfast: Bowl of fresh fruit consisting of pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, raspberries, bananas; coffee with fat free creamer.

Lunch: Salad of lettuce, carrots, purple cabbage, orange bell pepper, cucumber, sunflower seeds, chicken breast, olive oil and red wine vinegar

Snacks: Apple, sunflower seeds

Dinner: 2 bowls of homemade veggie and beef soup, 1 pc of V Day candy

Water Intake: 3/4 gallon

Exercise: none (yet again) :-(

Day 3 - Weight Loss Challenge to Myself

Weight Loss: 1.5 pounds

Breakfast: Bowl of fresh fruit consisting of pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, raspberries, bananas; coffee with fat free creamer.

Lunch: Salad of lettuce, carrots, purple cabbage, orange bell pepper, cucumber, sunflower seeds, chicken breast, olive oil and red wine vinegar

Snacks: Apple, orange, sunflower seeds

Dinner: 6 inch Subway turkey sub with lettuce, tomato, green peppers, pickles, olive oil, vinegar, on wheat with the bread gutted

Water Intake: 3/4 gallon

Exercise: none (yet again) :-(