New Year... New me

I am making a resolution this year that I truly hope I can stick to.

I want to become a better person. The woman that God wants me to be. I want to let go of the worry and the frustration and the anxiety. I want to de-stress and decompress.

This will require a lot of work on my part. I was taught well how to worry about things. I come by my anxiety honestly. But, I need to let go. I need to let go for my health and I need to let go because I am not in control of anything. God is in control. I am preparing to hand everything over to Him and not take it back again.

Here is my prayer for 2011 ---

Dear Lord,
Be with me and my family. Help us to see that we are not in control but that You are. Help us to remember that you have us in your hands and you are not letting us go. Help us to remember to seek you first. Help us to remember that we can do ALL THINGS through CHRIST who strengthens us.

Lord, Please keep your hand on us in our daily lives. Remind us to let our light shine for You. I hand over our financial troubles and frustrations and give them to you. Please help us out of the mire that we are in and bless our labor so that we may begin to reverse the mess that we are in.

Remind us that our bodies are your temple and that we should take better care of them. Not only to feel good and be healthier but because we are living for You. (It wouldn't hurt my feelings to be a size or 5 smaller... just sayin')

Please help us to achieve these goals and to become better Christians in 2011.

In Jesus name, AMEN

Christmas at the Zoo!!

This weekend Sean and I took Lexi to ZooLight Safari. I had never been and felt kind of like a kid myself!! It was beautiful with all the Christmas lights and decorations. Even the trains were decked out!

The thing that was the most fun was watching Lexi. At 20 months she amazes me with how she takes in her surroundings. She was absolutely fascinated with the lights and the music. She loved the train ride and even started waving at the light displays as we would pass them :-)  After riding the carousel we went to the "barn" and checked out the animals in the petting zoo. She was giggling and grinning as we pointed out the different animals that she has read about and seen in books. You could see the light bulbs going off in her head as she put the two images together. "See Lexi? There are the sheep. Baa Baa."

It's so much fun to do new things with her.

G.R.I.T.S. wear pearls when they exercise.

I promised funny stories so here goes...

I recently got back to my Zumba class after a few months away. I've always been a people watcher and enjoyed this class because we have so much fun and it's interesting to see these ladies and girls from all walks of life dancing to the beat!

So, as I was getting my Zumba on the other night I noticed that the two girls in front of me were wearing pearls. Yes, pearls to exercise class. Not the big ones that tie with a string that were popular not long ago, but a danty little strand of pearls... I felt under dressed. I don't even put on makeup to go to exercise class. What's the point when your going to sweat it off in the first five minutes?

I must reevaluate my Zumba wardrobe...

Prayerfully Hopeful

Today I may have received an answer to prayer. I don't know, but as the title states I am prayerfully hopeful.

Worry

I wish I wasn't such a worrier. This was passed on to me by my parents. I've always worried about EVERYTHING...to the point that I make myself physically ill.

I'm worried about a lot of things right now. I shouldn't be. I know that God will take care of all of it and if I would just mind my own business... It's easier said than done though.

Lord, I don't want to be a worrier. I want to trust in You, knowing that all is well. I know that you are taking care of us and I know that even though the bank account is growing slim that you have a plan for us. Please let Your peace wash over me and teach me to be a light in the darkness to others that are going through worse than me.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7


Deep breaths...

The Reason for the Season

The holiday season is here! Thursday is the big Turkey Day celebration. Or in the words of Mickey Mouse, it's Thanks A Bunch Day. A day where family and friends gather and reflect on the year and what they are most thankful for...or at least that's what the day is meant to be.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the "holiday rush" that we forget to take that moment and be thankful for anything. We worry about finding the perfect presents for our loved ones and friends. We worry about the food that we are going to cook. We worry about having our house decorated "just so."

The current economy and our family financial situation has taught me to reflect and be thankful for a lot of things. I am thankful to God that he has managed our finances. I am thankful to our parents who have pitched in to smooth out the edges. I am thankful to my husband for being supportive of my decision to stay home and his patience while I look for a job. I am thankful for his resilience and persistence as he looks for part-time work. I am thankful that we still have a roof over our head, clothes to wear, food to eat, and that we are taking care of our baby girl...even if that means we eat Ramen noodles :-)

As we enter the Christmas season, let's remember why we celebrate it in the first place. We celebrate the birth of Jesus, the precious baby who grew to be the man that was persecuted and died on the cross so that we may live eternally.

I can't think of a better gift or a better reason to be thankful.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Always the last to know

I wish I had a crystal ball that would tell me what the hit toys were going to be 6 months before Christmas so that I could be prepared. My daughter is in love with Mickey Mouse. If she's upset, won't eat, can't sleep we turn on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and all is right with her world again.

Recently I saw a Mickey Mouse toy at the store and pondered getting it for her for Christmas. It wasn't that expensive and it was reminiscent of the Tickle Me Elmo dolls that have been so popular for the past 10 years or so. I wasn't sure if she would like it or not and decided to wait...

Wouldn't you know that this is the "It" toy to have this year and that my precious baby found it in the toy catalog and went nuts!!!! They are nowhere to be found...Maybe I can get one in time for her birthday.

Why or why didn't I just buy it?!?!?!?

Stuck in my Head

I've got songs stuck in my head. Oh how I wish they were part of the current Top 40, or even songs that I liked back in high school. Alas, no. These are the songs that my 18 month old adores. The songs that are on her favorite cartoons. I find myself randomly singing them...in public!! Sometimes I even fall asleep with them in my head. Ahh, the life of a mother.

I need an outlet...

And not the wall kind! A friend recently told me that she was using her blog as an outlet to get things off her chest and out of her mind... here goes. I recently changed careers so that I could stay at home with my daughter. I don't regret my decision for one minute. I have enjoyed being with her everyday and seeing her develop into an inquisitive younger version of myself and my husband. What has been hard is the financial strain that it put on us when I gave up my income. The funny thing is, if I had continued working we wouldn't have been able to afford decent childcare.

I knew when I quit my job that there would have to be some kind of alternative income coming in. I started trying to find a job that allowed me to work from home. You would think that these jobs would be a dime a dozen... let me assure you, they are not. I bought an embroidery machine about 4 months after my daughter was born. When I purchased it I saw dollar signs...the kind that came in. My husband saw the ones that were going out, but was very supportive of my "dream" to make money. After all, I could think of a dozen or so things that could be embroidered that I would purchase...my only problem was getting other people to think along the same lines.

A friend of mine had mentioned Medical Billing to me before I quit my job and suggested that I look into it. So, I started researching schools and programs. I realized that Medical Billing might not be the road for me to take. A lot of time spent on the phone with a toddler in the background who doesn't like you to talk on the phone... After thinking about this, I discovered Medical Transcription. I found a school that allowed me to take classes at my leisure and I figured that I could be working in about 6 months.

Well, here we are 9 months later and I'm still not working!!! I finished school a month ago with High Honors. Regardless of this, I have to be certified (i.e. pay another association $$$ to take another test that says I am worthy of doing this job) before a company will even look at my resume. So... after waiting for my application to go through so that I could register to take the certification exam, I find out that I have to wait yet again. Apparently, it has been decided that said exam needs to be "updated." Therefore, I have to wait until January... I don't wait well...


"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

Yes, I know Lord. I will wait. I will trust in you and I will praise you in this storm.