Happy Birthday, Marissa!

Where have the last five years gone? My baby girl, Marissa, turned five today. We had a Purplicious Party yesterday and everything went well. The girls painted, danced, bounced on the moonbounce, ate pizza and decorated cupcakes! Perfect day for a purple party!

It feels like a lifetime ago when I brought her home from the hospital and I just sat there in our living room staring at her. She was the most beautiful baby girl I had ever seen. Her skin was the most beautiful shade of olive and she had these tiny angel kisses on her eyelids. I loved to watch her breathe, sleep and dream.

It is bittersweet watching her grow. On one hand I am so excited to see her reach each milestone, on the other, I am saddened as she inches farther and farther away from me. Marissa has grown to be such a lovely young lady. She is smart, funny, frilly and sincere! She is just a darling and I know that she will grow to be strong and independent.

I could not be more proud of her and I am so thankful that God gave her to me.

Happy Birthday, Marissa!

Part-time or Lifetime?

I am not and will never claim to be a "righteous" type of person. I don't attend church regularly, I do not bow my head in prayer to appease an audience and I do not feel it necessary to inform all those around me of my deep love for Christ and/or of my religion. I do not condone those who feel it is their calling to live a life dedicated to their religion and their savior, but I do raise an eyebrow when I meet someone who makes such claims but their daily actions reflect otherwise.


I grew up in a home that was heavily influenced by the practices and beliefs of the Southern Baptist Church. I learned about accepting Jesus into our hearts, the importance of reading the scripture, the sacrament of baptism etc etc etc. Ironically, I didn't feel that I gained the majority of my moral guidance from my family or the church where we attended. As I grew into myself and learned to question my life, my surroundings and my personal goals, I was able to reflect, research and reach out to the necessary tools to faciliate my personal relationship with Christ.

Today, my husband and I decided to take our children to Hershey Park, PA for a day trip. During the car ride, my husband and I began to have a conversation about how we feel we are raising our children and modeling what it means to be virtuous and show good moral standing. I started to think about the experiences that I have with people and if my interactions with others on a daily basis reflect a christian life.

I think about a few people that I know who attend church weekly, sometimes multiple days a week; those who hypocritically wear the cross pendant delicately dangling from their necks as they speak of holiness and virtue and with the next breath boast of their plans for deceit and lust. Maybe I'm being harsh, but recent events have soured my thoughts and feelings for the "part-time" christian. In my private moments in prayer, I think of those souls and I pray that they find their path.

Some may argue that a true christian should take every opportunity to share their love and beliefs and I cannot argue with that point. Actions speak louder than words and that is truly all that I can say on the matter. Choose your steps carefully, it is not only God who is watching, but all others who look to you and wish to see your divine journey.

My post this evening has strong feelings and can be read as negative and cross towards christianity. I apologize for any misunderstanding as that is not the case. However, I AM angry. I AM furious that people feel that they can hide behind holy words and claim to be something that they are clearly not. What sort of message does that say about christians? Can we openly live a life of sin and simply laugh it off that Jesus will forgive us tomorrow? Can we pick and choose when we want to be christian? I will not raise my children to be "part-time christians" I hope that I teach them the value of a lifetime devoted to Christ. Each step, each word, each action, a true reflection of what it means to be a good person both inside and out. Let's remember the, unfortunately, ever-so-trendy but all to real question, " What Would Jesus Do?" as we walk through our life.

I believe that in order to be a lifetime christian, our actions must reflect our hearts. Do not claim to be something you are not. If you talk the talk, then walk the walk. I ask others to be patient with me and my imperfections, because I'm still a work in progress.

I do not judge others who make poor choices, live life in a less christian manner, or struggle with their own peronal journey with God. I only ask that we all not claim to be something we're not. If you stumble, reach out to those that can help you find your way. When others need guidance and support, help lead the way by heart and your actions.

Operation Detox *UPDATE*

Like most women, I feel that I'm constantly at battle with my weight. I'm not overweight by any stretch of the imagination and I consider myself in pretty good shape, however I've got that lingering 5-10 lbs that just will NOT budge!

Recently I learned about The GOOP Detox, its endorsed by Gwenyth Paltrow (who ALWAYS looks great) and a friend of mine just lost 11lbs in one week! Amazing! I guess the trick would be learning to KEEP it off and not allowing your body to go into shock when you go back to regular food.

For me, I feel that this would be a great way for me to quickly shed those pounds and then retrain myself how to properly nourish my body and not over indulge in the "not-so-good" foods that I have recently grown accustomed to.

I'm a believer that crash diets don't work and that we need to make the effort to have a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE rather than yo-yo our way through life and weight management. I'm curious to see how this GOOP Detox will work and if I will be happy with the results. I wouldn't try this if I wasn't already in decent shape, and I won't continue with it if I feel that I'm starving myself or that it is showing negative side effects to my body.

I'm hoping to start this tomorrow or Tuesday. I'll keep daily updates and we'll see how this goes!

Check out the detox plan at http://goop.com/newsletter/15/


UPDATE:

After talking with some friends and doing a little more research, I have decided that this probably isn't the right plan for me. While I am looking for a way to jumpstart my weight loss and help motivate me, I just don't think that this is a very healthy way to go about reaching my goals.

I have modified my diet, making sure that my daily calories come out to about 1000 calories/day and I've been working out doing 30 min cardio, 30 min weights and 10 minute abs. I'll keep posting my updates!

As of today, I'm 4lbs down from the beginning of the week!

My Children...

tiny heart

tiny hands

tiny fingers and tiny toes

sweet cries

sweet sighs

sweet dreams; little woes

You were inside me and my heart began to grow

my love for you is endless, more than you will ever know

I held you and kissed you, thanking God for precious life

I guard you and protect you, may you grow to know what's right

I fear for you and cry for you and want to do my best

You reach for me, you run from me, you push me to the test

I hurt for you; I laugh for you; I ache for you; I know

You hurt for me; you laugh with me; you grow from me; you know

big wishes

big hopes

big dreams and big fights

my children, my world, the light of my life.

Open Doors

When one door closes, another one opens. That is something I think we often times forget. I have always tried to remind myself that there is a learning experience from every opportunity, both pleasant or challenging. Its not easy to always find the lesson, but I think that with each opened door we are presented with an opportunity where there is always a chance to grow, learn and/or change.

I've never been much of a risk taker, but as I have gotten older I have learned that sometimes you have to push yourself or take that extra step if you want to find great success. I don't mean to be reckless but I do mean that we each need to rely on faith and our abilities to carry us through any situation.

Also, just because something doesn't work out, doesn't mean that we missed out. There are times when things are just not meant to be and I believe that there is always something else waiting for us around the corner.

The lessons that I hope to instill in my children is to work hard, perservere, dream big and try not to take yourself too seriously. Life is short and fragile, make the most out of every day.

Here are some quotes that I would like to share:

Risk-Taking Quote from the Cadet Maxim:
"Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible. "~ Cadet Maxim

H. Jackson Brown, Jr. Taking Chances Quote:
"Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do."~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Eleanor Roosevelt Daring Quote:
"Do one thing every day that scares you."~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Henry David Thoreau Going For It Quote:
"We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal and then leap in the dark to our success. "~ Henry David Thoreau

Billy Wilder Quote on Trusting Your Own Instincts:
"Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else's."~ Billy Wilder

Need Washing?

This story was sent to me and I was so touched by it, I wanted to share...


A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence.. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout.

We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Target. We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in 'Mom let's run through the rain,' she said. 'What?' Mom asked. 'Let's run through the rain!' She repeated 'No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit,' Mom replied. This young child waited about another minute and repeated: 'Mom, let's run through the rain,' 'We'll get soaked if we do,' Mom said.. 'No, we won't, Mom... That's not what you said this morning,' the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.

This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet? 'Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!'

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain.. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes. Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

'Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If GOD let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing,' Mom said. Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories...So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.


I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.

Siblings

I have been blessed with two beautiful children. It was early in my life when I realized how badly I wanted to have children. I think some women are just programmed to want to be mothers. I believe that my children are my greatest accomplishment in life.

We had Marissa our first year of marriage and after many conversations, pleas, fights and realizations, we had Christian 3 1/2 years later. I believe that our children have made us better people and have at many times made our marriage stronger. As parents, Marty and I have learned to rely on one another and support each other through the not-so-easy parenting moments..

My children are as different as two people can be; they have many moments when they do not see eye to eye. However, as I have watched them grow and connect with one another I realize that they have developed a deep love and friendship that only siblings can know.

Seeing my children together reminds me of my relationship with my own brother, Michael. We have an unspoken language of love and understanding. I couldn't have asked for a better brother and friend. I hope that my children continue to grow and nurture their friendship and will recognize that no matter what, they will ALWAYS have each other!