The Last Song

I have read quite a lot of Nicholas Sparks books. Such as: 

This is by far one of my faves. Hands down

Not one of my favorites at all. 

I loved this story but hated it at the same time. I was happy to see Channing Tatum play John but so much for my happy ending.

This is another love/hate relationship. I think this one was the most tear jerker of them all. 

I did NOT like this book. :( Another sad sad song. We watched the movie a few years back when I had my wisdom teeth removed and wastn' allowed to sneeze, cough, etc. There I am on the cough sobbing like a baby. 

so so sweet but so so sad.

I still have a shelf full of books to go of his that I haven't read yet. Last night the husband and I watched The Last Song on blu ray.  I cried for 73% of the movie.  I knew what was going to happen but yet I still boo hooed until my nose was running and my contact's had the haze over them from tear film.  My emotions were rocked (it probably didn't help that I am already a pop tart and was coming off of my monthly but stilll) and that's when I realized that all of his books are like this.

Love. Loss. Happiness, Sadness. Hurt, Grief. Pain, 

They get into your soul and cause you to feel. And I guess that's a good thing.

Because not all love stories have a happy ending. 

So while I hate it for it's sad endings, and plots that might not work out the way I'd hoped or liked them to, I love it for it's reality and truth.  

And then of course there's this:

Feel free to share your favorite book or any recommendations for ones I have yet to read.

Kiara Laura

My mom and dad own 2 dogs. Cyrus (on the left) and Kiara (on the right).  Kiara is a golden retriever queen and my mother's pride and joy.  The dog she always wanted as a child but never had.

I've been spending a lot of time visiting the Queen in hopes it will make her perk up and feel better. 

 Mom took her to the vet a week and a half ago due to her peeing a lot and drinking a lot.  The vet did blood work and they found sugar in her urine.  This is obviously a hint of possible diabetes but they wanted to put her on antibiotic and recheck in a week in case it was a fluke or some sort of infection.

Since then Kiara has had her moments of high energy as well as resting and not feeling good.  She's even woke mom and dad up in the middle of the night to potty as well as had a few accidents during the day.  I've went a couple times during my last days of summer freedom to let her out and just chill with them. 

The above picture is her grinning as I was eating my Happy Meal during one  visit. She loves food. But    has not been allowed to eat table scraps or anything extra during her weekly waiting period.

 Plants from my parent's house

 Smiling. Being outside with pop.:)

 Purple shamrocks. These are my fave.

Her vet appointment has been changed from Friday to tomorrow due to her still drinking and peeing large amounts as well as her eye started watering.  They will test her blood again and then we will find out if it's diabetes or not.

Please be in prayer for sweet Kiara.  We all want her to feel better and find some answers.

Seeking for Wisdom 02

Source: google.com via Helen on Pinterest

Proverbs 11:28- A life devoted to things is a dead life..a stump.

A God shaped life is a flourishing tree.

(as scribbled in my journal)

Priorities, priorities, priorities

If lady wisdom were around she'd probably be shaking her head with that tsk, tsk, tsk thing going on.  It seems like more and more there are more and more distracting things thrown into our already ADHD worlds (things, things, things).

it's a fight to see if we are really making the right priorities

What we are holding and valuing in the highest regard.

What things are demanding our attention and are they even worth gaining our attention?

Our we God pleasing? or man pleasing? 

Is living Kingdom minded a fashion fleeting away or are we the pioneers of a revolution of God seeking, God fearing, power shaking, earth changing warriors?

Is it my four and no more?

Do we recognize the God shaped life?

I want a God shaped life..one that flourishes, thrives, grows, evolves into eternal goodness. 

Shake everything that can be shaken.

Starting with our priorities.

i love with the Lord speaks through wisdom.

make time..find the time..

Source: thebeeskneesbaby.tumblr.com via Jennie on Pinterest

this has been the first summer where I haven't worked at the daycare (summer camp).  After 5 years of teaching and working each summer 30 to 40 hours, I felt like this summer I would just hang out and relax, enjoy the time I had on my hands...read, craft, create, do nothing.

I have to admit.  I found myself with too much time on my hands.  All my family and friends were at work so there was limited hang out availability.  I was able to read, to rest, to relax, to do nothing....but I became restless.  I became ready to explode with action and an outlet for something.  Then it came up that my in law's needed some help working at their furniture store.  I would only be working 2 days a week and get to work those days with my husband.  I've never sold furniture in my life and it def. forced me to step out of my teaching is life comfort zone.  But it's been good to have something to do.  It's been good to be uncomfortable.

God's been speaking to me about comfort zones. How dangerous it can be if we remain, take refuge, and refuse to move out of our comfort zones.  For comfort, familiarity, can breed complacency. I'm leaning how to see God in the uncomfortable places.  In those things that scratch and provoke me (not in a bad way).  For it's in our moments of un-comfort that God requires us to step up, rely on Him, trust solely on Him, believe that He will meet us.

I also have came to the revelation through my reflections on time this summer that:
1) Idle time is no good. No friend. It leaves for idle thoughts and an open door for the enemy to step in and start whispering lies.
2) Time management is key. I have also learned that I enjoy having a schedule and following it.
3). Letting God invade my time and wreck my "schedules" is well worth it, no matter how big of a fit I pitch.

Seeking for Wisdom 01

I needed to steal away last night into the quiet. Into the place where it's just me and God. I kept hearing 'wisdom' and knew that instead of trying to lean unto my own understanding God was sending me to the book of proverbs.  I opened up to Chapter 10 and my eyes fell  upon verse 12.

"Hatred stirreth up strife but love covers all sins"

notice it says ALL sins...not just some...not just the ones we think may weigh as more serious than others...ALL SINS

Sin is sin, and the truth is, we all sin. But love covers a multitude of sins. God's love is so wide and deep that it covers our sins.  Could you image what it would be like if God was like "oh you sinned today, I can't love you anymore...'you sinned again are you kidding me? I can't believe you lied to me, i'm done with you." Praise God he loves us in the midst of our sins. He loves us when we trip, slip, and fall smack on our faces.  He loves us when we lie to Him, when we lie to ourselves.  God is not a God of strife and division.  Being upset and stirring up anger leads to strife (vigorous or bitter conflict, discord, or antagonism) And that's not something we want being stirred up.

I don't now about anyone else but that is a beautiful revelation to embrace: love covers all sins.  

Beach Wedding

I love beach weddings. The husband and I attended one last Saturday down in Ocean Isle beach. check out how gorgeous it was:

 The bride and groom being married by my old youth pastor.

It was so simple but so serene.

Starfish lined the aisle the bride walked down. 

Perfect background

They had music but the waves could have been sufficient enough.

The hubby and I had to get a beach photograph as well.

Aren't we adorable?

WE had one day where we made a trek to the beach. Luckily for having a pass to the MB national park grounds we found a perfect spot to lay out. Hotel and multi family vacationers free. 

bliss.

The only bad part was the wind was picking up and we were being pelted by sand. 

which caused the 2 most pasty people on the beach to head in earlier. 

I can't wait to get back to the beach in August for the anniversary.

Father's Day highlights

Meet the dads. On the left side is my daddy, on the right side is David's daddy (my Father in law)

Cookout menu included:

Shrimp, steak, and chicken kabobs,

from the garden grilled zuchinni  and squash

white rice

corn on the cob (on the grill)

this amazing veggie salad that my mother in law made

can you smell the goodness?

Here's my yummy plate

it's quite normal if your mouth is drooling right now

stuffing our faces

Hawk fellas

Dad got a fire pit. He was pretty pumped about the situation

My apologies for just now getting these posted.

We had a wonderful time and I am looking forward to our July 4th cookout as well.

getting away for the weekend

Source: etsy.com via Caroline on Pinterest

Later on this evening the hubby and myself will drop the dogs off at mom and dad's and head to Myrtle Beach.  We will be attending a friend's wedding on Saturday in Ocean Isle (yes an on the beach wedding) but then we will also get to spend time and hang out with our old youth pastor and his family.  Just being away   and taking a breather is going to be refreshing.  I am hoping a walk on the beach, and some ocean sun for my pasty skin will fit into the agenda.  As well as some SHOPPING!

Source: heathersthompson.typepad.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Being by the ocean and basking in the Lord's goodness has always helped to revive my spirit and stir up new found love in my relationship with God.  I love how I can hear His whispers in the wind. "my sheep hear my voice".

Sometimes when we need to hear His voice the most He seems silent, or as if we have developed some sort of spiritual hearing loss.  I just feel the Lord is providing opportunities for His children to stop and steal away just to hear His voice.  Being still before the waves of His presence and simply soak in His everything.

Developing Healthy Habits

Source: sweetandfit.tumblr.com via Uyen on Pinterest

Sometime during the month of May I became very aware that I had been slowing gaining weight and that my muscle was forming ever so not adorable dimples in all the wrong places.  I began to really feel bad about how my body looked and the fact that some pants were becoming a little to snug in places that never had been a problem.

I am not a large person.  This is not about me losing 25 plus pounds.  However, I came to the revelation that as my 29 year old body was becoming older, I couldn't live and eat like my younger active cheer-leading self. I became aware of some nasty little habits I had developed with choices I made when eating, grazing, snacking, etc paired with the lack of fitness.  I came to realize what most women have told me...your body changes and you have to adjust to those changes.

So I began to commit myself to making some lifestyle--healthy habit choices.

1. I began counting my calories again and came to the awful conclusion that I was eating way to much crap. You don't realize how many calories or unhealthy things you eat until you start tracking and monitoring them.  I have found many apps that help track your fitness and this one became my best friend
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/   I have the app on my itouch as well as my blackberry and you can sync it to any desktop or computer.
It allows you to set a weight loss goal and asks how active you are, then develops a target amount of calories to eat each day in order to achieve your weight loss goal.

You can track food eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks (which includes being able to look up how much each food is that you are about to stuff in your mouth) as well as your weigh ins, amount of water you drink daily, and your fitness tracker.  You can even print out each page to keep as a hard copy. I can honestly say it has helped me stay faithful in being focused.

2. Eat more fruits and vegetables.

Source: google.ie via Sarah on Pinterest

This has actually been easy thus far considering my parents have an amazing garden and have been providing the veggies while the husband stocks up on the fruits during his Grocery Game adventures.  One thing is certain, the more healthy foods your body invests in, the more gross you feel when you splurge or cheat, or even treat yourself to fast food.  I have felt completely nasty after eating fast food, fried foods, etc.

I have also developed a slight obsession with these guys:

Source: msn.com via Nicole on Pinterest

3. Increase my daily water intake.  I have been trying to drink tons and tons of water. Preferring it over teas and the occasional soda (even though I rarely drink sodas).

Source: getfitordie.tumblr.com via Kephren on Pinterest

4. Fitness. Being active. Working out. Since I cancelled my gym membership and we kind of built our own personal gym in the garage, I have been doing a lot more running on the treadmill as well as the elliptical and stationary bike.  Our black lab mix is my running partner and joins me every other day on the treadmill.

Source: thehealthychange.tumblr.com via Little Brick House on Pinterest

The key is staying consistent and focused.  That means getting on the treadmill even when I feel the least motivated to.  Telling myself this constsantly:

Source: lessfatmorethin.tumblr.com via Uyen on Pinterest

Results:
I am losing weight.
I feel better about myself.
I have more energy.
It helps promote a balance and I feel better emotionally when Aunt Flow rolls around.
I am learning how to have better self control.

So here's to fitness, and making changes. Here's to living healthy. Feel free to share your motivation or healthy habits below in the comments section.