Grace, Love & Kindness + Life.

I've just finished up my 21 day fast. What an amazing experience. <I slipped up three times.>  For my first full fast I am pleased with my obedience. Giving up sugar, (sweets, aka chocolate, candy..) and junk food (chips... etc) was something I knew would challenge me. And it did. And I grew closer in the word of God during this time. What a phenomenal experience. I'm so grateful for the accountability I had too. Even from people who weren't on the fast with me. They knew and we're accepting and supportive. Onto the health side of this, I felt so much better! I'm not saying I'll be giving up cake altogether.. I couldn't do that to the cakes. But I will be subsiding with my intake. I still plan to limit myself. My next challenge begins Feb 1st. And I'm taking people with me on this one.  It'll be the entire month of February! Why yes... I did pick the shortest month. 28 days. The catch? Minus 5. You get 5 cheats. - "why...

We are 11 days into 2017. 11 days. That's 2 weeks... yes, 2 weeks. I've been sugar free for 9 of those 11 days (got a late start) I've been eating so well for 9 1/2 of those days. I worked out for the first time in 4 1/2 months. Why am I not skinny yet?? Isn't this what we all struggle with? All of those who are in the "New year, new me" bit that is. And maybe that's not your motto... maybe your motto is, "be better 17'" I don't know what it is. But somewhere along those lines, you completely understand where I'm coming from. And we both know, it's totally not realistic. You didn't gain the weight over night. You didn't just wake up with cellulite. ( no, you didn't. ) you also didn't wake up with the goblet. (the extra skin, under your chin) I wish wisdom was for the younger, because it's taken me 33 years to get this down. And the older I get, the harder it's becoming. I let myself ...

I'm done with the consumption of my life with such minimal 'things'. I love my phone.  I love food. I love chocolate. I love all sweets. I love looking at my friends snap chat stories.  I love reading facebook posts. I love seeing my friends and people who inspire me, instagram photos. I love reading updates on Twitter. I love Television. I love movies. I love food. Oh... wait. Seriously. I could be like Bart Simpson and write these over and over again, in hopes that I would purge myself from loving these things, too much. Which is where I believe I am. I also love exercise, and reading and I love spending time with my boys- all of them. But the things I listed above consume me. Too much. I don't really make resolutions. I don't wait for a 'New year, new me'. I wake up every day knowing it's a brand new day, and the fact that my eyes opened, I'm breathing and can see, means God has blesse...

In 2016 I made the commitment to be committed. That if I was invited and I said I would go, then I would go. And for the most part, I stuck to it, pretty well. I also discovered the word "maybe" which was my go around... to making sure I was giving my best yes to something. I'm an introvert by nature. Actually, I call myself an “Outgoing introvert”. And when 2016 began I created a resolution if you will, that I would truly commit. As I said, I stuck to it pretty well. If the circumstances arose that I couldn't for emergency purposes... that was different. But I was notorious for saying I would, and then backing out. Back up to just before making that resolution to myself... at the end of 2015, Daniel and I prayed for a word that would carry us through the new year- for all of 2016. Something we would stand on and push through. This was new for us. But so was our commitment in listening to one of our favorite preachers, who did this tradition with his congr...

The other day I saw a beautiful woman, who was a mother of 3 maybe child 4 with her, was hers too.. but for sure 3 of them. All boys. My heart sank because I knew how blessed she is. She was yelling at one of them to to wash their hands, glaring at one of them to sit down, all the while a baby was on her hip. The 4 th boy, oldest, clearly, sat quietly eating. Her hair was on top of her head, her sweatpants, probably should have been washed days ago.. her shirt with a brand new splatter of bbq sauce on it. She looked tired. But she was radiant. I don't know her, and regretfully I don't even know her name. But I was her. I am her. My boys are older, and there are only 3. But I was her once too. One of my 3 is a bonus son, who've I've been blessed with for the last 10 years of his 17 years of life. So he's mine too. God blessed us with these children y'all. Tired. Exhausted. Trying to fit into a smaller pant size but eating on the go. I know....

Kindness. This has been sitting on my heart since interacting with the rudest people out at the race track.  It's inspired so much within my heart to change the way I view others. I repeat, Kindness. It's my 2 nd most liked word in my vocabulary now. It costs, nothing. Not one single cent, to be kind. “Kindness is the language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see”. -Helen Keller. I mean, how amazing and true is that? People forget that kindness is free. We can change the world, one person at a time. So each day I will be doing something, from this day forward. It'll be written on a post it note in my bathroom where I go first thing, everyday. Seeing and reminding myself too, be kind. “No act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted.” Monday: Compliment someone. Verbally if you can help it. Tell them you love their shoes, their smile, the way they wear their hair. Their shirt, their car. Anything, j...

Oh, be still my heart. I know I've made mistakes while I have been your momma. I know I'm not perfect. All I've ever wanted to do, is raise you to have a childhood that you wouldn't have to recover from. This morning I re-read a blog that was about a mom and her boys. So as it inspired my tears this morning it's inspired this blog post as well.  As my boys have gotten older, I keep coming to the realization that they won't always be there to hug good night. They won't always be there to scratch their backs before bed. They won't  have  to text me to ask me something. I'm not just raising boys, I'm raising men. Men who will one day be husband's. One day be fathers to their own children.  It's emotional, even though this is the way life is supposed to be. I love my sons so much, I can't even fathom that I won't be able to walk into that smelly room and tell them to get started on the weeks worth ...