"Angels Among Us"

Yesterday God decided He needed another angel in Heaven with him.  My cousin, Nolan was taken home yesterday to be with the Heavenly Father.  He fought a long and very hard battle, but it was now his time to be completely healed and rest!  It doesn't seem fair because he was only 32 and had so much to live for.  But everything happens for a reason.

Another place at the table will be empty at family holiday dinners.  In January 2009 we lost another precious family member behind, Christie.  She was only 29 and left to precious daughters behind.  I was out of town when she got super sick.  I didn't find out until after the day she passed because I have no service all that weekend, but I don't think I could have handled being in town for that.

The only thing made yesterday better was seeing my baby cousin, Blayden.  Well, he's not a baby anymore; he's 15 months.  His laugh and smile will just light up a room!

Why is it only these type of circumstances does it remind me of how precious my family is to me?!  I love them so much even if we all are dysfunctional at times! :-P  But what family isn't?  I am so thankful for my friends that I have been praying for my family!  You guys have made it possible to keep it together the past couple of days.  PLEASE continue to pray for my family!  There is a lot of healing that needs to be done.

Inspiration!

Watch this new clips about an incredible story of a completely girl.

Incredible Inspiration -Melanie Young

Melanie has been an inspiration to me since the first time I met her!  She is such a blessing to me and everyone she encounters!  God is using her is unbelievable ways!

This is an absolutely CRAZY semester!!  I am only taking 13 hours and I think I have more homework and information overload than any other semester!  It's still pretty fun though... having friends that are awesome make a world of difference!  My speech class met at our professors home this morning and we watched all of our 80's music videos :)  It was quite hilarious!! :-P



Please continue to pray for me and my family!!  There's a lot of drama with my family and friends and I always seem to be stuck right in the middle!  But this time I cannot control anything and I know that, so why worry about it?!  I am focusing on my education, my daughter (Sassy, my dog;), my job and my future.... I have NO time for any drama in my life!  Thanks!


Second chances are only given out once.... handle it with care!  I've already been betrayed once... I'm not going through that pain again!!  Please Lord, don't like me go through that pain again!!  Please tell me that things have changed and that it's going to be different this time!

Anonymous

I received an anonymous card in the mail today.  There was no name and no return address.  And I don't recognize the handwriting!  Although, it did make my day... so whoever this mystery person is, thank you!  (I do wish I knew who it was though!)

He listens...
When you feel alone,
when you need someone to talk to.

He comforts...
if you have to cry sometimes.

He answers...
when you call out
late in the midnight hour.

He steadies...
when you stumble in the darkness.

He shelters...
with His goodness...
all the time.

God Listens.

God Listens.

Max Lucado -The Lucado Inspirational Reader

You can talk to God because God listens. Your voice matters in heaven. He takes you very seriously. When you enter his presence, the attendants turn to you to hear your voice. No need to fear that you will be ignored. Even if you stammer or stumble, even if what you have to say impresses no one, it impresses God—and he listens. He listens to the painful plea of the elderly in the rest home. He listens to the gruff confession of the death-row inmate. When the alcoholic begs for mercy, when the spouse seeks guidance, when the businessman steps off the street into the chapel, God listens.

Intently. Carefully. The prayers are honored as precious jewels. Purified and empowered, the words rise in a delightful fragrance to our Lord. “The smoke from the incense went up from the angel’s hand to God.” Incredible. Your words do not stop until they reach the very throne of God.

Then, the angel “filled the incense pan with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth” (Rev. 8:5). One call and Heaven’s fleet appears. Your prayer on earth activates God’s power in heaven, and “God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven.”

You are the someone of God’s kingdom. You have access to God’s furnace. Your prayers move God to change the world. You may not understand the mystery of prayer. You don’t need to.
But this much is clear: Actions in heaven begin when someone prays on earth. What an amazing thought!

When you speak, Jesus hears.
And when Jesus hears, thunder falls.
And when thunder falls, the world is changed.
All because someone prayed.

Wow!

So, Wednesday afternoon I applied for a job.
30 minutes after leaving I receive a phone call to set up an interview for the next day.

So, Thursday I go in for an interview with one lady and she says she is passing me off to the boss for an interview if I wanted to wait 30 minutes until she got back.
I waited.
Interviewed a second time.  This lady asks me if I can stay for the orientation for the job in 20 minutes.
I stay for the orientation.

Dude!  That is the FASTEST I have EVER gotten a job!!
I have training February 5th and will start sometime after that.  I am excited to finally have money coming in to pay the bills.  But I have DEFINITELY ENJOYED NOT having a job for the past few weeks! 

My momma was right when she said, "Never say never," because I said that I would NEVER work on Sunday's... BUT... I kind of have to because that is the only time my schedule works out with this job is the weekends for now. :(  So much for getting involved with church. :-/ I'll only have this job until October because that's when the season ends.  Which is cool.. because I want to have a trainer job by then! :D



Pray for strength!! Come February, my entire world is going to change once again!  It's been 5 years.  I say that I'm okay with it... but honestly I don't know how to feel about any of it.  Please pray!!!


That is all, folks! :)

Wrong choices... right places...

I have finally been to all of my classes except my lab.
The first day of school was amazing!  I actually found a parking spot, not miles away from my building... but it was an 8AM class... so it was pretty empty anyway.

My Principles of Training class is a personal training class! :D  It uses ACE Fitness PTr Manuel as the textbook!  I am so freaking excited!! :D :D  ACE is who I was planning to use for my certification.... so I think in May or June I'm going to take my certification test!! :D :D  

As my last post stated I was pretty nervous about all of my classes because I didn't know what to expect... well now I do...  My Small Group Communication class seems like it's going to be FUN... which coming from me is like, WOW!  A few of the things we are going to do is make an 80's music video :-o, go to our teachers house, have breakfast and work on a project one day and all kinds of other random things.  My group seems amazing! :D  Super excited to work with this ladies! 

I am still a little nervous about Tests & Measurements, because I know it will be difficult... but I already know it's going to be better than the first time I was in this class... because I finally have a teacher that knows what they are talking about!! :) 

Exercise Physiology is definitely going to be a challenge!  In A&P, the physiology part was the hard part for me... but hopefully this will be better because it's related to exercise... which I understand. :)

"Sometimes the wrong choices bring us to the right places..." I was depressed, bitter, and angry at God because He lead me away from a job with consistent hours, good pay and amazing co-workers to a place that I never felt that I truly belonged or fit in.  But now I finally understand why all this had to happen.
      I wasn't content at TMF and wasn't moving forward with my life.  I wanted to go to XTC, because I thought it would make me content and happy, which actually it had the complete opposite affect!  Through it all, I am finally happy with my life and the direction it is heading!  The Lord is working everything out like it should be.  I am back in school full time, with one semester left before I graduate.  I am SO close to getting my career started.

So, I have gotten away from the reason why I started this blog.  It was to share my weight loss journey and all that I am going through with that.  But, I guess I can't really just share PART of my journey because everything affects me and my weight loss struggles.

I will say that I have been tracking all my food intake on a cool app. on my phone.  And I have been exercising 3-5 days per week.  The weight loss is slow, as it was last time I was losing weight... but I know that I will get to my goal!  I'm not giving up this time!! 

My main problem is my eating habits.  I do really good the first part of the day then I mindlessly snack on stuff before bed.  I know most of that is because I don't listen to my body... because most of the time I am needing water, not food.  <--This is what I most need to work on!!

Anyway, that is all.

 

Craziness!

A LOT has happened in the past couple of months.

I finally quit my job and have loved every minute of being unemployed, except for the part of having absolutely no money.  But, I have gotten to enjoy most of my Christmas break which has been extremely nice!


Last week I learned that my pastor was retiring as pastor of my church; it broke my heart.  He has been my pastor for the past 19 years of my life.

Sunday morning I couldn't even sing an entire song without tears falling down my face each time I looked at Bro. Dale or Mitzi.  The service was amazing; Bro. Dale preached a great message.  Each time I looked at Mitzi she had a big smile on her face and when she looked at Bro. Dale she had so much love in her eyes.

Wonderful, merciful Savior,
Precious Redeemer and friend;
Who would have thought that a Lamb
Could rescue the souls of men?
O You rescue the souls of men.

Almighty, Infinite Father,
Faithfully loving Your own.
Here in our weakness
You find us falling before Your throne,
"O we're falling before Your throne.

You are the One that we praise.
You are the One we adore.
You give the healing and grace
Our hears always hunger  for,
O our hearts always hunger for.

I have known the Father's care for me;
He's been good, He's been good.
Through it all, He's always there for me;
God's been good to me.

Through the strong, through the night,
Come what may, ev'rything will be alright.
I have known the Father's care for me;
He's been good to me.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

That afternoon we had a reception for them.  Today was one of the hardest days!  I love Bro. Dale's big bear hugs.  Through the ups and downs of life Bro. Dale and Mitzi have been there for the church, for each other, and for the members of the church and for me. They make me want to be a better person/a stronger Christian.


I cannot believe the spring semester is starting tomorrow and I have an 8 AM class.  I haven't had a class that early since my very first semester of college.  This week has flown by.  I have been so distracted and have done NOTHING to get ready for the semester... nothing is organized, nothing has gotten cleaned like I had planned.  Luckily it's only 2 days of classes then the weekend... which I really need to get everything done!

This semester is going to be one of the hardest one's yet!  I have Exercise Phys which I hear is just awful!  And Test & Measurements which I dropped the first time... but this time I have a MUCH better teacher... maybe I'll actually understand what's going on.  And the dreaded group speech class... self-explanatory... I hate group projects and speech... put them together in one class... =one big nightmare!!

TWO SEMESTERS OF COLLEGE LEFT!!!! :D :D

Woohoo!!  Spring semester is going to be rough, but summer I will have no classes... except studying to get CERTiFiED! :D  Then the fall semester, my very last semester, hopefully EVER should be pretty easy.
The light at the end of the tunnel is getting bigger and brighter! :D


As for the job search.... haven't been looking too hard... I don't want a job that I will only have for a few months then hopefully get my career going... we'll see where the Lord leads with this!



Much more has been going on... but that's catch up for another post and I need to get ready for tomorrow.