Shake Up the World a Little More...

A Thousand Reasons to Smile...

"When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile". ~unknown

I always choose the 🌞 yellow 🌞 balls or game pieces. I turned mine over after I picked it up the other day and was delighted to find it smiling at me!!!! Just look at how beautiful it is!!! Beat up by life and far from perfect, with a smile that's reflected on my face every time I look at it. 😉 We drove "home" (back to our little house here at Give Kids The World) last night after theme parking all day, and the neighborhood was full of other families fulfilling their dream trips....families who are here because one of their most precious treasures has fought or is fighting a life threatening illness. A whole village full of smiles that have been hard fought for. It makes me tear up to think about it...and smile all the way down to the deepest part of me....and then tear up again, thinking of & hoping for happier & healthier days ahead for those sweet faces. And hoping for the same for my own most precious treasures. Life is hard. It can beat you up like you never imagined. Everything in it, and every day is uncertain, whether you realize it or not. Always choose to smile & make the most of every little moment, every chance you get. It will make you beautiful in the ways that won't fade if you let it. ❤

Take the Time to Feed Your Soul...

Can't go to church today, but that doesn't mean I'm going to skip getting my worship on.... ;)

<3 5:01:89 plank with prayer
<3 Beachbody's 3 Week Yoga Retreat - Stretch, done to some Praise & Worship music
<3 A little quiet time in the Word/the Bible/the Good Book ;)

Was just what this introvert with extrovert tendencies needed!!! I love good times, excitement, adventures.... and I LOVE being with all of my people.....but that introvert in me DEF needs those times of quiet, peace & rest to recharge my body, and this heart of mine needs those times of worship and reflection with the One who made me. I spend time with Him daily....and I can tell ya, if you're only dependent on others to feed that part of you, and to do for yourself what YOUR mind, heart, body & soul needs....you're always going to come up lacking...and you were created for more than that. <3 Fitness in all areas works the same way!! :)

Jeremiah 29:13 "And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart."

See that there?? The YOU part. Mmmm-hmmmmmm. He said it. I'm just rephrasing it. ;) YOU gotta take charge of you!!! Your health in ALL areas....HEART, mind, body & SOUL. <3 So, if you can't get yourself to church this morning.....here's your fitness challenge for the day:: GET YOUR WORSHIP ON ANYWAY!!! :P <3

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Far Better Things Ahead....

A few of my keys to surviving the storms of life &, getting through them well:: prayer, unshakeable faith, holding onto God's promises like a pit bull ;) , and a CONSTANT input of scripture & positivity.

This is one quote that I would pull up on the hardest of days. Choosing to believe that one day....I wouldn't have to read it while saying "I hope so" and "God....PLEASE". There are still hard days. Single mom life isn't for the weak of heart & spirit. But, now....this quote makes me smile. Better days & better things than what we've had & what we've left behind.... are pretty flippin' AWESOME!!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

 

Stressed....but Blessed...

Hey there, Christian lady.....you know those Christian-ese phrases that are so super spiritual in theory, but in reality seem to really only make us feel bad and less like that perfect little Christian we're "supposed" to be??? I hereby invite you to to kick them to the curb & experience the freedom from the guilt trips they put us on!!!! We women and our guilt trips & our feelings....smh. We're awfully hard on ourselves...and on each other sometimes.

 Case in point:: "too blessed to be stressed". I'm over that one!!! Why??? Because....life IS stressful. If it wasn't....we'd already be in Heaven. 😉. It just is!!! Even AMAZING & WONDERFUL blessings often come with a side of stress. Quit feeling guilty because you feel it like everybody else does....and just admit that you're human, take a deep breath, pray, deal with it & move on to enjoy the blessings part. 😉.

 I was up a good part of the night trying to figure out how to coordinate 3 teens' & 1 adult's schedules & obligations so that we can take full advantage of everything Dreams Come True wants to do for us next week....and how to make sure everyone is peachy keen happy in the process. Haha. Lolol....you just gotta laugh at the thought of actually succeeding in doing that last part!! 😂 I'm a bit tired this morning from trying to figure out AALLLLL the things. But...hey. That plank challenge, tho...at least I'm making forward progress there!!! 👍👊😂😂. I'm just going to rest here for a second before I take on Hammer & Chisel.....yawn..

..

Fight for your Smile

Here I was....doin' my yoga, minding my own business, doin' my own thang, when I leaned into a stretch that had me looking over my shoulder, and....boom. That glare that I didn't know was there... ;) . Tried to steal my hard-earned peace & tranquility!!

Ok, so maybe not....but the pictorial symbolism rocks!! ;)And because it seems to be a theme, not only for me but for other people, too (namely, women of the people pleasing kind), there really is always that ONE person...usually more than one....that are going to be your Negative Nellies, your energy suckers, your voices of gloom and doom....and sometimes damnation based on wrong assumptions and judgements...in your life. And, I don't care who ya are....for most women, their words HURT. Their wrong assumptions hurt. Judgements from people who clearly don't really know your heart and/or motives and the reasons for them....they hurt. Because we've got all those women's emotions and feelings going on that are wired into us....

But, you know what hurts more?? Listening to those people....and letting them effect your thoughts, your decisions, your todays, your tomorrows....your own self worth and value. You gotta learn to give them a little smile, say "bless your heart"....and keep moving right along.

I mean, really. Fight for your smile, your peace, your tranquility, and your purpose that's based on the truths that YOU know.....or you might end up looking like....Grumpy Cat. And while HE'S kind of funny, the thing about the people version of him is that they're not so much, and their behavior is usually a reflection of the condition of their hearts....and the state of THEIR peace, tranquility...and how well they're living up to their purpose and potential.....or not. Think about it...and adjust your emotions and responses as needed. <3

Some Princesses Wear Running Shoes....

So. I try to plan my runs in the middle-ish parts of my days most days. I'm kinda like a kid whose mind is more alert and sharp in the morning, so that's when I like to get my think-hard work done....but then I hit a point where I need a recess or PE break to shake some of it off, and then refocus for the rest of my day after. It works for me. Don't criticize. wink emoticon

Sometimes, depending on the time I'm able to schedule my PE time & the route I choose, I'm often at the end of my run at just when a nearby elementary school gets out. Today was one of those days. Just as I got to the school and pick-up car line, I switched my runkeeper to walk for the rest of the route home. As I was walking away from the school, I got behind a mom pushing a stroller and a couple of kids walking beside her. She was going pretty s-l-o-w pushing that stroller, so I increased my walk to run past her. As I did, her little girl appeared on the other side. Crazy, wild brown curls going all kinds of which-ways on her cute little head. Disney princess dress with play clothes underneath. Sneakers, or "running shoes". Normally, kids just move away or back up, closer to their moms when I pass them while running. This cutie, however, was in her own little world, bouncing along....and when she saw me, instead of getting that shy little look I'm used to seeing and backing closer to her mama....she grinned and those twinkly eyes lit up. She turned that bounce into a run and started running with me!! As we "ran" together, her smile got bigger and she kept looking at me. We were "racing"!!! We got to the crossroad and of course, she got there first. wink emoticon She was so excited that she won..."I won!!" she said and then looked at me...."We were racing!! Did I win???" I told her "of course you did" and gushed over what a good...and fast... runner she was. As she ran back to her mom, I heard her say, "I won!! I knew I would win!! Because I'm a princess"!!

I love kids and the way they see things. <3heart emoticon

May she always have sparkly eyes with a zest for living each moment to its fullest potential. And let her brown curls get crazy messy, because fun things happen when you let your hair get messy. And may she never doubt herself....not for a second, that she can do things....and and do them well....and even win.

Because princesses like pretty things. Like sparkles & flowers ....& princess dresses....they like to look and be pretty. That's how they're created. And they should be sweet & kind....& loving & gentle. But they should also be strong & smart & capable. And courageous & adventurous. If life doesn't make them forget or convince them otherwise....and if it does that to her....may she find her running shoes again. To help her remember.

Running in the Rain (video)

Wonder Woman....is a Bear?!?!

Just made a quick pit stop at home before having to go pick up my football-player-in-training & found a box at my door.....look what it is!!! An early Valentines Day surprise!!!

I needed that surprise....and the laughs that accompany it....so much

Dressed to impress and ready to conquer the world!!!

Trust, Faith, and a Daily Devotion

When your daily devotion hits you right upside the head & right where you are...from Streams in the Desert....

Surely, I am with you always (Matthew 28:20)

"Never look ahead to the changes and challenges of this life in fear. Instead, as they arise look at them with the full assurance that God, whose you are, will deliver you out of them. Hasn't He kept you safe up to now? So hold His loving hand tightly, and He will lead you safely through all things. And when you cannot stand, He will carry you in His arms.

Do not look ahead to what may happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you His unwavering strength that you may bear it. Be at peace, then, and set aside all anxious thoughts and worries". ~Frances de Sales

He will silently plan for you,
His object of omniscient care;
God Himself undertakes to be
Your pilot through each subtle snare.,

He WILL silently plan for you,
So certainly, He cannot fail!
Rest on the faithfulness of God,
In Him you will surely prevail.

He will SILENTLY plan for you
Some wonderful surprise of love.
No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
But it is kept for you above.

He will silently PLAN for you,
His purpose will all unfold;
Your tangled life will shine at last,
A masterpiece of skill untold.

He will silently plan FOR YOU,
Happy child of a Father's care,
As if no other claimed His love,
But you alone to Him were dear.
~ E. Mary Grames

I Ran A Mile....

Watching my 14 year old at baseball tryouts & thinking about our after school convo from yesterday....

Him:: "Mom, I ran a mile at school today"
This, from the kid who hates running...and, in the past, was not shy about letting me know it when he was forced to.
Me:: "You did?!?! Was it awful & horrible for you???". wink emoticon
Him:: "No.... All those other kids were complaining so much and I thought, 'you shouldn't complain.. This is nothing! My mom ran 28!!!'. I even said it out loud to one kid. Because I'm really proud of you, Mom". ❤❤❤

Maybe their thing isn't running. Maybe YOUR thing isn't running. But taking care of yourself, pushing to achieve goals...it's not selfish. It's being an example....you're teaching those you care for that they can achieve hard things too. They're always watching & always learning from you, whether you think they are or not.

Trust His Heart

....that moment (or those moments) when clarity is shed on something that didn't work out despite your best efforts and you've been kind of wondering WHY NOT ever since....

And you say, "WOAH, nellie. Thank you, Lord"....

He knows best. Yes, He does.

Do you ever wonder just how many bullets we dodge, thanks to Him not working out the things we thought we wanted??? 

Kickboxing....My Kind of a Girl's Night Out

3 friends....since we were about 12 years old.  Reuniting for a kickboxing adventure/girls' night out...
Old friends, refusing to grow old.

So fun.  So awesome.  Even if I'm such an uncoordinated dork. And, apparently, I hit like a girl.  ;)
But...hey.  It was only the first class of 5 that we signed up for.  You can't learn new things
if you're not willing to look likea dork sometimes.  And I am totally willing,  haha ;)

And.....my kids. One day....they will look back and be thankful for the woman that took care of them.....& kickboxed across the living room & into their bedrooms as she warmed up, did less than supersonic Wonder Woman spins, and basically acted like a fool sometimes. They will laugh and say, "I'm glad my mom was a li'l bit crazy". Right now, however, I think they're thankful that very few see the things that they do.... 
wink emoticon
Their eyes roll. Their mouths say, "MOM. You're weird". But....those lips. They turn upward, even though they fight it....and they smile. 

Haha. ;)smile emoticon

Sometimes, music just hits you right where you are, ya know???

She Always Gets Back Up.

Just because.  Life is hard.  Being a mom is hard.  Single mom-ness is hard.  REALLY hard.....and we never feel like we're doing enough, being enough, etc, etc, etc.

This.

Never Underestimate the Impact of Surprise Encouragement

Kinda cool when you open a surprise pkg like this on a Monday following a week that left you feeling like you can't win for losing in a cpl areas...my sweet friends.  They have a way of  making  my day.  <3

10 Facts Every Woman Should Know

10 Facts Every Woman Should Know:

1. Everyone has rolls when they bend over.
2. When someone tells you that you're beautiful, believe them. They aren't lying.
3. Sometimes we all wake up with breath that could kill a goat.
4. For every woman unhappy with her stretch marks is another woman who wishes she had them.
5. You should definitely have more confidence. And if you saw yourself the way others see you, you would.
6. Don't look for a man to save you. Be able to save yourself.
7. It's okay to not love every part of your body....but you should.
8. We all have that one friend who seems to have it all together. That woman with the seemingly perfect life. Well, you might be that woman to someone else.
9. You should be a priority. Not an option, a last resort, or a backup plan.
10. You're a woman. That alone makes you pretty damn remarkable. 
- Austin Blood

On Reserve....

....gonna leave this right here.

Because if I hear one more well intentioned, well meaning, "you're too pretty to be single", "you're too good of a catch to be single, "you're too.........to be single".....Sigh.

All filed under:: Things not to say to a single mom....or single woman, for that matter.

How 'bout, "Know your worth & don't settle" instead?? 

A New Year......She's Back, She's Better & Stronger Than Ever

So...yeah.  I had to take some time off.  From the blogging world, and from a lot of other parts of the world that was as I knew it, too.

In the past few years, I went through a horrible divorce, lost my dream home, found out my daughter had stage 4b cancer and fought that fight with her, with everything I had in me.

A year ago, we had just gotten home from what we hoped was the final hospitalization.  I had lived for 2 years in Crisis and Survival Mode, and the storms I walked through were building long before they all got out of control.  When you live like that....when it's "over"....if you're like me, your body, your mind, your heart all say to you...."we've had it....you've gotten your family through all of this and now, we're going to crash".  And that's kind of what happened.  Shrug.  A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.  Which means, listen to that body, mind and heart....keep doing the bare minimum of what it takes to get through life and take care of your kids...but pull back as much as possible to allow all the things you've gone through to hit you.  So that you can properly process and deal with it all....and find your way to healing.

And that's just what I did.  I thought about deleting my blog, thinking "I'll never get back enough mental energy for that", but could never do it.  I thought of deleting it and starting a new one, one that would fit my life now.  But I can't do it.  All the parts of my past are all part of the me I am today....everything I've lived, all the posts I posted, all part of ME.

So.  I'm keeping the old.  And embracing the new.  And am on my way back....with guidance and dependence on the One who made me, as always.  And I'll probably share some of what I've gone through during my time/post gap as I continue this journey.  At the time, I was surviving and had nothing in me to give.  As time heals and hearts get stronger, though, you get distance & healing, and learn to share again in the hopes of helping others.

I made it through multiple catastrophic storms that could have broken me, and in some ways did. They could have destroyed me....but they didn't.  They made me better.  And stronger than ever.

I'm so ready for the new year and the new me that He will shape me into along the way, and the new future that He has for me.  I'll be working and tweaking here & there, to make the old blog fit the new me....you never know what changes you might find, haha.

Ready, Set, Go.  ;)

My Friends Remind Me....

To be honest.....feeling A LOT more things all at once than blessed {I'll spare you the rest wink emoticon }....but for right now, just want to say THANK YOU. For the prayers, encouragement, so many acts of service and kindness, generosity, attempts to add a smile to our days here & there, patience and understanding with unreturned msgs, etc., etc, etc, .....THANK YOU to each and every person & family that's helping us get through so much. Even in the moments when I look around and feel completely worn & empty & like there's nothing left to lose &.....{this is where I spare you the rest}..... there's still the feeling of "my cup runneth over". It doesn't make any sense, but it is what it is.

Only God can do that. Through all of you.