Unreasonable Hope



        

When I read the title of this book, I thought, "Okay, this is going to be another sappy story about someone that went through something tragic and got through it by just putting their hope in the Lord. Again." That sounds bad, but it was exactly what I thought. I wasn't necessarily saying that it was a bad thing to read about, because all of those different stories are great. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE those kind of stories. But honestly, I was prepared to skim through and just take the "highlights".

Well, I was surprised. This book doesn't have a sappy thing about it. 

Which made me LOVE IT!

Unreasonable Hope by Chad Veach is an inspirational story about a hope that we all forget to have. And UNREASONABLE one. Hence the title, right?

When we think of putting our hope in the Lord, we expect answers and reasons to what we're going through. Not this guy. Chad has come to accepting his situation, without answers. Without the known reasons. Yes, he believes everything happens for a reason just like I do. But just because there is a reason, doesn't mean that we have to KNOW it. God loves us without reason. 

I have learned so much by reading Chad's story. He tells about his daughter Georgia. She has a rare condition that makes things more challenging for her and their family. That sounds sappy, though. He doesn't just whine about it or make us say, "Aww, I feel so bad for them!" He tells it so we can laugh with him and feel the joy of the Lord that he has while going through it.


He compares everything that he's going through, or went through, with a verse or instance in the Bible. For example, in the sixth chapter, he titles a segment called Giants or Honey?. In this segment he talks about how in Numbers 13, there's a story about the spies that were sent to survey the promised land. Some of the spies saw an impossible situation and all of the bad things like the size of the giant people that were living there already. Two of the twelve spies saw a land flowing with milk and honey and all of the good things. Chad went on saying that sometimes, people see things differently even when they're in the same situation. 

He said that in his situation, he's going to look at the milk and honey through the hardships. That's so inspirational to me, because when I go through bad situations, the last thing I want to do is think about milk and honey; the good things. I want to focus on all the negative things and wallow in self pity. That feels more natural to me. But why since when is natural always the best thing?

My favorite quote by him (there was many, because him and I have the same thought process based on his writing)  is one of his ending paragraphs, "As we walk out this life, we'll continue to put our faith in the who behind it all, the one who is faithful in suffering, the only true remedy, who takes the pain and makes it into something more, something better, something beautiful."

Anyway, I highly recommend this book for anyone that is going through any kind of tough situation. Chad will give you a very unique and encouraging perspective on your situation as well as his! Please, take the time to read it and do so with an open heart.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest book review with booklookbloggers!

The man that climbed the tree...

I'm pretty sure almost all of you have heard the story of Zacchaeus the tax collector. If you haven't, this is a story that you will find in Luke 19:1-10. It is a story about a man with a bad reputation climbing a tree...

What does a man climbing a tree have to do with anything with us? Well, it has EVERYTHING to do with us!

Zacchaeus was a tax collector that cheated people out of their money. Absolutely no one liked him because of that. He always took more than he was supposed to and he lived wealthy while everyone around him lived in poverty.

This selfish, greedy man heard that Jesus was passing through Jericho, where he lived. Zacchaeus was most likely excited and curious like everyone else in Jericho. So naturally, he went to find where Jesus was passing through.

 At this point, I'm imagining the small town that I grew up in when there's a Rodeo passing through it. There's so many people out and about that aren't normally out and the streets are completely full. Everyone was curious about what was happening in our small town (because, let's face it... nothing exciting ever happened there) and they made sure that they were apart of it, even if they didn't have any interest in horses or Rodeo.

This is the same kind of thing that I imagine was going on in Jericho. Everyone heard about what was going on, so EVERYONE and their mothers were out and about to see Jesus.

That wouldn't be such a problem, if Zacchaeus was a normal sized man. Not only did people not like him because he was a thief, but Zacchaeus was a SHORT man. As a kid, when we heard that he was a short man, we instantly thought of a grown man our own size. Now when I think about it, I picture a hobbit trying to find Gandalf the white among elves.

So what did Zacchaeus do? He wanted so bad to see Jesus! So Zacchaeus climbed up a Sycamore Fig Tree (Ficus Sycomorous, for all of you dendrology folks like me thanks to my Ag teacher in highschool) to see Him!

A Sycamore Fig Tree was a symbol of blessing and prosperity for the nation that it was growing in. ( Fun fact: The caskets of some Egyptian mummies were made from the wood of Sycamore Fig trees.) So of course, Zacchaeus picked that tree to sit in. No other tree was probably good enough for him to sit in.

 Having studied recently a little more about Sycamore Fig trees, I'd love to have one of these trees in my yard! Mostly, because of the way it grows. The branches grow low to the ground and instead of growing straight up, they grow kind of out wide. Perfect for a tree house!

Anyway, Zacchaeus sat in that Ficus Sycomorous until Jesus got to him. Could you imagine the anticipation of seeing Jesus, our Savior, up close in all that he is? I could only imagine the adrenaline rushing through Zacchaeus. The fast beating heart and the heavy breathing. Kind of like the way we get when we see someone famous,( or when we're about to go on stage to perform a dance solo that was only half way finished until right before the recital...).

BUT not only did Jesus pass close enough for Zacchaeus to see him. Jesus stopped under the tree that Zacchaeus was in and looked up at him. Everyone around Jesus of course probably looked up too. They most likely quickly looked away though, because it was just Zacchaeus, nothing special. So they thought.

Jesus said, "Zacchaues, come down! I'm going to your house today!"

I could just hear the gasps and air sucking from the crowd. This crowd was probably full of people that followed Jesus devotingly. They were all do-gooders and goody two-shoes, most likely. These people were self righteous and thought that their poop didn't stink, I bet. So they were thinking (out loud, according to the scripture), "Jesus is going to the house of a SINNER!" They all knew what Zacchaeus was. And they were probably all of his favorite victims, because he thought that since they were good people he could take advantage of them.

Zacchaues instantly got down from the Ficus Sycomorous and was happy about the Lord coming to see HIM, out of all of the people that were around him. After hearing what the other people had said about him, Zacchaeus was ashamed. So he said, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."

 A  LOST man that seemed to do nothing but sin. He was a thief, he was greedy, he wallowed in his own wealth and rubbed it in other people's faces. No one expected him to ever do anything good. No one expected him to ever sought out Jesus to follow him. Yet, on this day in Jericho, Zacchaeus came to see Jesus. Then, Jesus stopped and sought Zacchaeus out of the tree. And Jesus was going to go to his house.

Even though Jesus is blameless and perfect, he STILL had people try to correct him. They wanted to make sure that Jesus knew what Zacchaeus was. They wanted to make sure Jesus had his priorities straight, apparently. Of course he did! He knew EXACTLY who Zacchaeus was and what Zacchaeus had done!

After Zacchaeus said what he was going to do in order to pay back for his short comings against other people, Jesus replied, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which is lost."

That is so powerful to me, because that was Jesus looking at those people that were trying to correct him and teach them a lesson. That lesson was that Zacchaeus was the reason that Jesus was born! He came to save the LOST people. Because if everyone was already a follower and did everything that they were supposed to, then Jesus wouldn't have had a reason to come to earth.

"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

That's the verse we've all come to memorize. Let's look a little further though.

"For God did not send His son to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:17

This is the verse that so many people miss. If Jesus came to CONDEMN the world, the people that were complaining would've probably been able to convince Jesus that he shouldn't be going to Zacchaeus' house. Because Jesus wasn't sent to condemn us, but to SAVE us. All of us. Especially the lost, then it makes perfect sense why Jesus was going to Zacchaeus' house!

So what can we learn about this story about a man that climbed a tree (ficus sycomorous)?

Jesus loves ALL of us and wants to be apart of ALL of our lives. He has come to earth, died, and risen to save ALL of us! Our duty is to accept that and FOLLOW Him! No matter how dirty, bad, self centered, creepy, decietful, or sinful we are! He wants to save us.


Let us seek Him, like Zacchaeus did. Let's climb our trees to look past all of this world and focus on Him. So one day, we will see Him face to face and be invited to HIS home in the sky.

You see, once Zacchaeus saw that Jesus accepted him like he was, he turned away from the bad things that he did before. Once we truly accept Jesus, we turn away from the bad things and strive to do better!

If you haven't accepted Jesus as your Savior, I'd love to answer any questions you have. I'd love to pray with you. I'd love to talk with you. I'm a sinner just like you are and Jesus has saved me! He can save you too!

Pray with me:

Dear Lord,

Thank you for all that you have done. Thank you for stories like this story of a man named Zacchaeus that climbed a tree in order to see you. Thank you for all that you've shown us through this story and help it to stick with us, Lord. Help us to seek you and only you to be saved. For it's in your name I pray.

Amen.

The Look and Tell Bible

The Look and Tell Bible published by Thomas Nelson is an extremely fun and creative board book written to engage young children in well known Bible stories.

This book includes all of the Bible stories we've all heard many times! But they are being told in a new way in this book! There are many pictures! You can tell what each picture is and it's not too busy like some other picture books.

The pages are board pages, so this is toddler proof! It's so hard to find good books with tough pages... my little ones are rough on books.

On the left side page, there's pictures and labels of what the pictures are underneath them. On the right side page, there's the story. In the story, they replaced some of the words with the pictures that are on the left side of the book. This helps the little ones be more interactive with the story and understand more.

Each story isn't too long and they aren't just a few sentences. They are a good length to get the whole story across and keep them interested. The pictures within the story really help with that.

I was super excited to share this with my little ones, but I haven't shared it with my oldest yet. I let my youngest (1 year old) look through it and he didn't want to give it back so I could put it back up for my oldest's (will be 3 years old) birthday this coming up Monday! I can't wait to show him, because I know that he will LOVE it!! Especially the David and Goliath story!

I recommend this book to all those families that love sharing Bible stories, lots of pictures, and durable books!

I was given this book in exchange for an honest book review from booklookbloggers!

Who am I??

Do you ever get that lump in your throat when you think about things in your past?
I'm talking about those guilty feelings that you get because you know that you did something wrong or did wrong to someone in the past and you wish that you didn't do it.
Those things that make you feel like vermin on this earth and you can't believe that you made it to this day being who you were to who you are now.

Sometimes little things like familiar songs, faces, names, and even smells, take me back to moments that I wish I could've been more prepared for. Moments that I could've taken myself out of and looked down on with the bigger picture in mind.

We are so small minded in each given moment, it's hard to make sure that we don't make the same mistakes that we did before. Or even hurt the same people that we did before. So we keep making them and that leads us to even more mistakes.

Yes, I've made a mistake. Yes, I know you have too. Yes, I have hurt people and no, I'm not perfect or proud of those facts.

Even though I feel bad and I'm not proud about these moments and mistakes, I don't regret them. I don't want to go back and change them. They have shaped me into who I am today. They were stepping stones to the BETTER choices that I've made to get where I am right now.

When those mistakes creep up on me and form that lump in my throat, I can't help but to feel bad about them again. I can't help but to want to wallow in the wrath of myself. I get hard on myself and turn against myself. It makes me ask, "Who am I?"  "Am I the same person that made those mistakes?"

I usually ask myself those questions and expect myself to have the complete answer... always feeling incomplete and inadequate. Yes, I will always be the same person that made those mistakes! But has something in me changed? Have I learned to do better? I believe so. But I still feel bad about myself, because I am my own biggest critic.

Really, the best answers to those questions are better left to the one who created me. The one who knows every little thing about me, even my DEEPEST DARKEST secrets. He knows every nook and cranny to my being and soul. He knows about my mistakes and my shortcomings. He knows the NUMBER OF HAIRS ON MY HEAD!! He even knows about my tomorrow, because He's already there before me.


So why have I become so reliant on myself to overcome those mistakes that I've made? And answer the questions about who I am?

Here's what God says about who I am to Him:

I am God's child. (Galatians 3:26)

I am Jesus' friend. (John 15:15)


I am a whole new person with a whole new life. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I am a place where God's Spirit lives. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

I am God's incredible work of art. (Ephesians 2:10)

I am TOTALLY and COMPLETELY forgiven. (1 John 1:9)

I am created in God's likeness. (Ephesians 4:24)

I am spiritually alive. (Ephesians 2:5)

I am a citizen of Heaven. (Philippians 3:20)

I am God's messenger to the world. (Acts 1:8)

I am God's disciple-maker. (Matthew 28:19)

I am the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13)


I am the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14)

I am GREATLY loved!! (Romans 5:8)

When I stop looking at things through MY eyes and begin to look at things through GOD'S eyes, I can see them for what they really are. It not only encourages me to stop wallowing and start worshipping, but it helps me help others see themselves through God's eyes as well!

You see, God has a plan for me. That plan is bigger than anything I'm dealing with right now. The same for you!! God has a plan for you too! And no matter what mistakes you've made or what you're dealing with right now... He will always lead you to where you need to go to fulfill the plan that He has for you.


Our destination is HOME. Our destination is God's KINGDOM! Our destination is HEAVEN. When we set our destination for Heaven, we set our paths straight and God will lead us there with Him, if we let Him take the driver's seat and if we don't be "back seat drivers".

Let's pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for another day of your grace and mercy. Thank you for allowing me to wake up to this beautiful life you've given me. Please, Lord, help me to see myself through YOUR eyes and not through my own eyes. I know that I am not perfect, but YOU are! I know that I have failed many times but you HAVEN'T! Please, help me to find encouragement through your word each and every day. Help my readers and followers to find the same! Help them to see who they are through your eyes and not their own! Thank you, Lord, for all that you have done, are doing, and all that you will do for me and my life.

For it's in your name that I pray, Lord.
Amen.

Mama's SLEEP Mode

*YAWN*

Do you ever have those moments when you don't want anything to do with anyone? Those moments when you just want to lock yourself in your room and bury your head under a pillow with the blankets over you? The moments when you want to shutdown and restart? Yeah, I'm sure you have. I know I have!

Those moments usually come when my toddlers are both screaming and getting into stuff at the same time. Or the dogs are tearing up something that I won't be able to fix. And mayyybe during those times when my husband is mad or upset with me because of something I said or did... and I don't want to confront him.

It's in those moments that I wish I could shut down and restart.

As a parent, I'm never able to really "shut down" or "restart", much less both at the same time.

Let me explain: Do you know how a laptop has the option for the "Sleep Mode"? There's "Sleep", "Restart", and "Shut Down".

When you put the laptop on "Sleep", you can close the laptop and the screen will shut off, but the laptop is still on, using the battery. If you open the laptop back up and push a button, the screen will instantly come back on and you can get right back to what you were doing before you put it on "Sleep Mode". To save time, it's best to leave your computer in sleep mode when you know you're going to use it again soon.

When you put the laptop on "Shut Down" or "Restart", there's a period when the laptop has completely shut off and the battery is not being used at all to keep it on. It takes it awhile to come back on and reload when you turn it back on. To save battery, it's best to shut down your laptop when you know you're not going to use it for awhile. Also, when you're making updates to the laptop with the software, it's best to restart or shut down the computer to let the updates finish what they need to do.

As a mom, I never sleep completely... but when I do, I don't "Shut down" or "Restart" like most people do when they sleep. When I hear a child cry in the middle of the night (or get up and go into the living room to watch tv, or get into the food cabinets), I wake up and go see what's wrong. I could be dead asleep and still hear the noise and wake up instantly ready to find out what's going on! It's in my instincts as a mother.

Even though it is called SLEEP mode on a laptop, I think it should be called "Eyes closed but I'm fully aware of what you're doing" for us parents. Because what is sleep without actually SLEEPING?!

We may get our time to wind down and rest or possibly have times when someone else looks after our kids and SOMETIMES we get to spend time with our significant other. Those times are refreshing and enjoyable. They're more special than they've ever been.

But our babies are still on our minds, on our hearts, and they're always going to be there. We constantly worry if they're getting the care that they need or if they're happy or if they need a kiss for their booboos that they might get while doing something they're not supposed to. If they're being taught how to act right or if they're getting the attention that they deserve(especially if they have siblings). No matter where they are or who they're with!

It's NEVERending.

I'm not complaining at all. Because if this is what it's like to not ever truly SLEEP again, then I'm content with that!

I will have my days when I gripe and complain about doing this and doing that for these little boogers. I will have my days when I will want to give up and go hide under those covers. BUT I will not give up and I will NOT hide under those covers! UNLESS I have my little monsters under there with me and we're building us a blanket fort with books and a flashlight.... that's acceptable.

Day of HOPE!

  

There are things that are happening all over this world that we have no idea about! Good things and bad things! We'd love to hear more about the good things, right? But the bad things are, sadly, inevitable.

Have you ever had the thought, "Man, I wish I could change this world and make it a better place!" ?? But you quickly scan over what exactly that means and it intimidates you? So, of course, you just go back to your normal day to day life and not think about changing the world for better, until you hear about something else bad happening.

Well, I've got news for you! There is a way to change the world. There's a way to change the world without even taking one step out of your house! That sounds like it's too good to be true! It is too good! But it is also true!

Trades of Hope (yeah, you've probably rolled your eyes by now thinking "here she goes again!" hang in there with me.) is a company that I have become apart of that has allowed me to work from home and earn money while not taking one step out of my house to do it. I have literally done the majority of my business online and while sitting either on my couch or in my dining room. With two boys running around, making tractor noises and dinosaur roars. With two dogs that like to fight all the time and one that's still not completely house trained (poop and pee galore). With a supportive husband that works all day outside and wants to relax and enjoy his time during the afternoons. All while I am keeping the house up, taking the trash out, and cooking supper.

With Trades of Hope, I can do all of those things WHILE earning money WHILE helping EMPOWER women all over the world out of bad situations.

What exactly does it mean to "empower women out of bad situations"? It means that I partner with these women (through the company of TOH) and as they make their handmade goods, I sell and market the goods. They get their FULL asking price (which isn't much to us, but more than they would normally make without TOH's help), and I get 20% of the wholesale price. Trades of Hope is sending groups of women over to these women in bad situations and they are teaching them how to sustain business and become entrepreneurs.

Trades of Hope is NOT a charity. Let me repeat again, Trades of Hope is NOT a charity!

There is nothing wrong with charity, don't get me wrong...

But these women that we have partnered with are far more interested in gaining DIGNITY and making something MORE of themselves. They don't want things just HANDED to them. They want the opportunity to help themselves and their families. We are women SUPPORTING women!

As a Compassionate Entrepreneur (CE), I help make this happen!

Individually, I wouldn't make an impact. But with our sisterhood at Trades of Hope... I can FEEL the impact! Not only through the instant bonds that we all have, but through every call, every message, and every video that I watch made by our sisterhood. I can feel it through every picture that I see and post and every item that I wear made by our beautiful artisans.

We don't look down on the women that we partner with that are coming out of bad situations, we look up to their strength and their want to make something better for themselves and their families! Don't you always want what's best for your family? Wouldn't you take up the opportunity to MAKE that best happen?


Let's JOIN together and give those women and their families that opportunity!

Don't hesitate, because this is something that is happening NOW! And the more world changers that we have NOW, the bigger the impact that we can make!

Be the change that you wish to see in the world!"

Even if you can't commit to joining as a CE, host an event with me through facebook (cause y'all know I don't ever get out of my house) or even a home party (I'd love to do one of these!). There's also the easiest way to helping... purchase a product. EVERY product is handmade by our artisans. 

Thank y'all!
God Bless!

Sister Eve and the Blue Nun

Sister Eve and the Blue Nun written by Lynne Hinton is an intriguing mystery book added to the Sister Eve Series. I have never read any of the Sister Eve Series untill this one. I have definitely become a fan of this series after reading this book!

This book is about Sister Eve and her quest to solve the mystery of Sister Katie's murder. Apparently, Sister Katie had found some information about a certain lady in history that didn't have the qualifications to become a saint. This information could be the difference between her becoming a saint or her staying just a lady of history.

Sister Eve believes that it is because of this information that Katie was murdered.

All evidence seems to point to Sister Katie's brother and Sister Eve's good friend, Anthony. Sister Eve knows for a fact that Anthony, the monk, didn't murder his sister. This book is about Sister Eve trying everything in her power, along with her family and friends' power, to prove Anthony's innocence.

Whether she's able to or not, I'll leave that up to you to read and find out.

Sister Eve is a private eye like no other. Not only is she a NUN but she is a woman with her own wits about her and makes for a good detective! This book shows us how she turns to God to help find out who killed Sister Katie and how she journeys through her life, fighting the thoughts of denouncing her nunnery.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a good, clean, mystery book that includes murder, humor, and spiritualistic aspects!
Very good unexpected ending and I will be reading some more of Lynne Hinton's Sister Eve books in the future!

I was given this book in exchange for a review through BookLookBloggers.

HAND IT OVER!

Hey, y'all!
It has been a good while since I've had the time to post.

As you all have probably seen through my posts on facebook, I've started my journey with Trades of Hope. This journey has been an incredible experience! I have learned so much, not only about the things going on in the world, but so much about myself!

God has shown me through this company that I am more than I give myself credit for. I CAN make an impact, even if it's small contributions like selling products here or there.

I've made it my passion to share the mission of Trades of Hope and while doing that, I'm able to do my other passion: share the Word of God. It has helped me become closer to God, personally. It has also helped me bring others closer to Him too.

I'm not going to take any credit for it though, because it is ALL GOD! He definitely plays the leading role in everything that's happening through this company, through me. I am handing this over to Him.

That's something we all have issues with sometimes: handing things over to God. It's so easy for us to hand money over to a  cashier at the store. It's so easy for us to hand over our hair style to our hairstylist. It's so easy to hand over our health to our doctors. It's so easy to hand over our love to our family. It's so easy to hand over our time to our passions. But WHY is it so hard to hand over anything to the Creator of All Things?

I mean, He's the one that lead us to these situations. He's the one that promises us that He'll help us through them. So why can't we TRUST in Him and let HIM take care of it??

I was talking to my daddy the other day about this. We trust PEOPLE more than we trust GOD sometimes! Why is that??

My answer was: I feel like I get a more immediate satisfaction or gratification from people, when I put my trust in them. When I put my trust in God, I feel like I have to be more PATIENT and wait around for Him to take care of what I trusted Him to take care of.

It's SO HARD to be patient and to think that you're going to receive something great from waiting. WHO has that TIME to be patient? Or to wait around for gratification?

When I want or need something to happen, I usually want it to happen NOW!

That's why we trust people more sometimes, because no matter how many times they fail us, we always get immediate gratification and satisfaction. They either allow us to keep trusting them (because they prove to be trustworthy) or we learn not to trust them anymore RIGHT THEN! And when something happens that makes us lose our trust in them, we are DEVASTATED! Because we put SO much trust in them...

YET! When we trust God with everything, He NEVER lets us down! It may take longer than we want for the gratification or satisfaction of Him answering. Everything falls into place, no matter what we trust God with. We should trust Him with EVERYTHING, because without Him.... there would be NOTHING!

Also, when we go to God for things... are we honestly HANDING it over to Him? Or are we just informing Him on what we want to happen? Are we TRUSTING Him to handle it? Or are we just letting Him be apart of it?

These are things that I'm super convicted of, because I get so caught up in what I want to happen immediately... I don't wait on God. I don't hand it over to Him. I hold on TIGHT to everything and try to handle things on my own. I might pray to God ABOUT it and ask Him to put His hand over it. But that's not HANDING it over to Him.

Let's pray to God to help us TRUST Him more, so we can HAND things over to Him!!

Dear Lord,
Thank you for every single person reading this. They are a very big encouragement to me and my calling from you. Please, bless them through the words that you lay on my heart to share. Help them to plant seeds and please nourish those seeds to grow and produce your amazing fruit.
Lord,  come to you today to ask you to help us to learn to TRUST in YOU more than we trust each other. Help us to become closer to you and YOUR plan, not our own. Thank you for your UNFAILING promises. You are truly the ALL POWERFUL, UNDENIABLE, LOVING Father that we should always look to for EVERYTHING!

For it's in your name we pray, Lord.
Amen.

I Don't Wait Anymore

Are you constantly worried about what you "should be" doing? Have your plans for your life been changed over and over due to what's been thrown at you? Do you worry about what you're going to do next?


Well, I Don't Wait Anymore by Grace Thornton is a book written straight for your heart, from her heart after God's heart. Grace is a young woman from Alabama. She had everything planned out, she had many expectations, and she wasn't settling for anything less. Grace was holding onto things that weren't even promised to her.


That's when Grace's world took a spin towards the unexpected. Everything she planned for, disappeared after one big change in her life. The man that she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with, broke her heart. She felt empty and scared of the unknown plans that she hadn't prepared for.


Then this happened, "The big became big, and the small became small. I began to know Him and see His bigness in light of His faithfulness, in light of His love and the story of redemption He so beautifully crafted since the beginning of time."


Grace began looking at everything around her through God's eyes. She began searching for God and all of His glory through everything. That's what got her through this big change in her "life plan"; giving her plans and life over to God. Only then was she able to get pass all of the pain and hurt her emptiness caused her. She let go of her expectations and grasped on to God's adventure for her!
I Don't Wait Anymore is beautifully written, with such insight that you can't help but to relate to in all of it's beauty. God shines through the pages and every seam of this book.


To make it even better, the pages are nice and there's a ribbon bookmark connected on the spine so it's easy for me to keep my spot, when I have to pause. Also, at the end of each chapter, there's a question or two that helps you ponder what the chapter was about and it helps you relate it to your own life. Underneath the question, there's lines, a place for you to answer the question in the book.


I'd highly recommend this to anyone that feels like they don't know what to do next in their life. Especially, the young single women who feel empty and lonely.


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11


I was given a free copy of this book from booklookbloggers in exchange for an honest review.

So it begins...

God has created me with a strong ambition. My ambition for doing more for God, is stronger now more than ever. I have recently began trying more to improve myself. I am not perfect by any means and I have some things that I need to work on to better myself.

For example, I have joined a fitness group for moms and I have taken on the challenge of the group. It has been incredible what God has allowed me to experience through it! I am now driven to be healthier! Not only for myself and family, but ultimately for God. God has shown me that I am my best person when I have done my exercising and when I have eaten the “healthy” choice instead of the “unhealthy” choice.

God has shown me through this group that I am not the only one out there experiencing some of the things that I have been experiencing as a mom. These ladies have come together through that group and they support, encourage, and inspire each other. I am really thankful and grateful for that, because some women can be so hateful to each other! I fully believe that, as women, we should build each other up and not tear each other down. No matter how different we are from each other!

While scrolling through this group, commenting on some of the posts and just looking in on what’s going on with the other ladies, I came across something I could relate to. She was looking for a way to bring in income, but she wanted to stay at home. She wasn’t wanting to do anything that would take her away from her kids.

 As some of you know, I have been in that same boat! I’ve tried doing Avon a couple of times and that ended up taking more from my life than giving. It might be for some people, but it wasn’t for me and that period of my life. I tried babysitting, but after having two of my own, I don’t think I could handle another child around here for a while. I also tried surveys. I still do surveys and get paid cash for doing them, but it’s not enough to call it “bringing in money”. I have really been looking for something that would allow me to be a stay-at-home mom and be able to have the option to homeschool my boys in a year or two WHILE bringing in some money to help out with a few things financially.

So when I saw that she was going through the same thing, I made sure I added my comment to the post so I could follow what suggestions other people were making. I needed their suggestions too! There were so many work-at-home moms making all kinds of excellent suggestions! I was looking up things left and right. I did so much more research that day about everything.

There were two suggestions that really stuck out to me. The first one was Usborne Books. I’ve heard of them before and I’ve looked into them a few times, but I never really reached out to one of the consultants for inside information. So that’s exactly what I did this time. I reached out to the sweet lady that suggested it to me. She was so kind and set up an online party through facebook with me. I enjoyed it and I could see myself selling children’s books, since I’m very passionate about them. But something just didn’t feel completely right about it. I had to make sure it was completely right and try my other options before I made the decision.

The second suggestion that I found was for a program called Trades of Hope. When I first read the comment that was made about it, I was very interested. I felt like there had to be a catch. There had to be something that would make me turn away from it. I searched and searched. I joined as many online facebook Trades of Hope parties I could. I literally went to the search bar on facebook and searched “Online Trades of Hope Parties” and clicked on events. There were lots of them and I joined as many as I could. I learned so much through each party and enjoyed hearing what other people had to say about Trades of Hope. I even cried a few times, because I was so touched. I began to pray about this Trades of Hope thing.

I learned about the makers of TOH. Shelley’s story is so beautiful and selfless. I learned about the artisans, the people making the items being sold. They each have a story to tell. There’s ladies and men coming out of poverty, thanks to TOH. There’s ladies coming out of sex trafficking, because of the work of TOH. There’s people all around the world coming out of very bad situations and making something of themselves, because of the work that TOH is doing. I HAD to learn more!

Finally, the Compassionate Entrepreneur that commented with information about TOH on that post from the fitness group, reached out to me and asked if I wanted to do an online Facebook party for TOH. Of course I accepted, even though I had just had a party for the Usborne Books. I was excited to learn even more and have my family and friends learn about TOH.

The party was set for the following Monday and it was to last all that week. I felt so lead to do all that I could for this party, because this Trades of Hope thing really felt like it was meant for something more than just “earning money from home”. It was more than just following a passion.

I kept getting signs during the days leading up to the party. My family and I went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch after church the Sunday before the party. At church, the message went right along with what I was feeling in my heart about TOH. To top that, I got my fortune cookie after I was through eating my meal. I remember my dad telling me that the fortune won’t come true unless you eat the cookie first, then read the fortune. So I traditionally, broke my cookie open, removed the small piece of paper, and put the cookie in my mouth. As I was swallowing the last bit of cookie, I read the little piece of paper. It said, “You will attract cultured and artistic people to your home.”

Wow! That really hit me! Because you know what came to mind and hit me in the heart as soon as I read that! I know that you know! Trades of Hope did.

During the party throughout the week, I learned even more than what I had already learned from everywhere else. There’s so much insight into the work that is being done all over the globe with TOH! I made sure that I was as involved as possible with the party. I felt like I couldn’t do enough with everything that I was doing for the party. The lady that was hosting with me encouraged me so much! Then people started responding and getting involved. That encouraged me even more!

I was still not sure if I was going to be a part of the team or not. Then I learned something new. Something that I never even would have guessed about TOH! Which is funny, because I should have known better!

I learned that Trades of Hope partners up with ARC. ARC is a company that helps intellectually disabled, autistic, and those young adults that people look down on because of their behavior, get a job. They help them build skills and make something of themselves. Y’all, this got to me big time. THIS HIT HOME! Literally.

My brother has Williamsyndrome. It is a form of disability that keeps him from being “able” according to our society. Which is so weird saying because he has such amazing abilities and he inspires me in a way that no one else ever would be able to! I get so emotional thinking about what I could do to help people as awesome as he is make their own means. I was in tears, praising God for that bit of information that made up my mind.

That solidified my decision. I was going to do whatever it took to become a part of this Trades of Hope thing.

All throughout that week of my party on facebook, I couldn’t get TOH off of my mind. I just couldn’t. Everything that I was involved in was related to TOH in my head and in my heart. God was working on me. I believe that He still is.

I hesitated about telling my husband about everything that I was experiencing with it, because I was afraid that he wouldn’t understand. I shared it with him and he understood. He said that me not being able to get it off of my mind and heart was definitely a sign that God was telling me something. He encouraged me to start my journey.

There was one small problem though, the starter kit cost. I had a few people purchase from my party, but not enough to get anything towards my starter kit. So I went ahead and started thinking of different ways to earn the money. Yard sales and selling stuff online through a Buy, Sale, & Trade group on Facebook, just anything that I could do that wouldn’t be asking other people for money.

Well, God did a thing.

I called my husband at work the Tuesday after my online party was over. It was just one of our normal calls and I was checking on how he was doing. For some reason I had the urge to mention to him that I was still planning on pursuing Trades of Hope. After I mentioned it, he immediately told me to go ahead and buy the starter kit. He said that we could move some of the bills around and it would work. He felt like God was calling me to do this too! I was overjoyed! Shocked, but overjoyed. I kept making sure that he was sure that he felt the same way and he kept saying that he did. So what did I do? I made sure I messaged the CE that hosted my party and I followed the steps to purchase my starter kit. I was becoming a Compassionate Entrepreneur with Trades of Hope.


I am a Compassionate Entrepreneur with Trades of Hope. God has called me to be a part of this and I plan on living it to its fullest.

 I appreciate all of the support that I am getting from my family and friends. I will keep everyone updated on my journey. Please keep me in your prayers as I move forward with this.

 I am going out of my “comfort zone”, because direct sales have NEVER been my strong suit. In high school when we had to sale chicken plates for our senior class to go on our senior trip, I barely sold one. It was terrible. BUT! I fully believe and rely on: God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called. I am called.

Feel free to join me!! Talk to me about this Trades of Hope thing. Let me host a party for you. Online or in your home. I promise you will learn about things that you have never heard about before and IT WILL TOUCH your heart. Even if you aren’t called to become a part of the Trades of Hope journey, maybe there’s someone in your family or friends that is and they haven’t heard about it yet. Wouldn’t you like to be the one that introduces it to them? Let me help you! And in return, it would share God’s love, help me fulfill my calling, AND it would help those artisans become what God needs them to be for their family.

www.mytradesofhope.com/kaylanickles

NKJV Chronological Study Bible

The Chronological Study Bible NKJV is a very uniquely and cleverly designed Bible. It has each of the Bible's events set up in a chronological order throughout the Bible. It was designed with those that enjoy reading things in order in mind. Of course, sometimes the Bible is hard to understand because of how the events are laid out in the text. This Bible has the same wording, just in the order that each writing took place.

When I received my package in the mail, I was super excited to open the package! I opened the package and was not disappointed. The cover is imitation leather with a stone color and navy blue. The pages are lined with shiny silver lining. There's also a ribbon bookmark, to help keep your reading place. I instantly began flipping through the pages and began trying to figure out how this Bible was different and how I am supposed to navigate it, since I knew it would be different.

I was greeted with a Table of Contents that showed me each of the "Epochs" that this Bible is divided into. Instead of being divided by each book of the Bible, this design is divided by each epoch. There's nine epochs. After the Table of Contents there's an Introduction and it tells a little about where this design came from and how it is accurate. There’s also a page or two explaining the origins of the New King James Version.

Throughout these pages, there’s illustrations of timelines and art that really set the mood of the text. I’ve enjoyed looking at the pictures while reading the text. I thought the pages were thick, at first. Then I realized I was skipping pages, because they were sticking together by the lining. I’ve had to peel apart the pages. I enjoy doing that, because it’s the sign of a new book. I can see how it would frustrate others, though.

At the beginning of each epoch, there’s a brief explanation of why it is the next epoch. It tells you about the time frame and what’s going on during that time era. I enjoy learning about the setting, while reading the Bible. It helps me understand things more and it fulfills my need for being detail oriented.

At the end of this Bible, there’s a very informative section called the Cultural and Historical Topics. This section is filled with certain general topics that you may be needing to find and it has the page numbers, plus a description for you to find just what you’re looking for. There’s also the Concordance and the Index of Scripture Passages that’s filled with helpful guides to find exactly what you may be looking for in the Bible.

There’s a Daily Reading Plan that guides you completely through the Bible in one year, or two years. It gives you the option and a plan for each. The very last pages of this Bible are covered with maps from that time.

I have enjoyed this Bible, so far. The only thing that I don’t like is that there aren’t any red letters for when Jesus is talking. I am able to look past that, though. I cannot wait to use it for my studies and be able to deepen my studies with all of the new information about the time frames and additional areas this Bible gives information about! I recommend this Bible for anyone that’s a visionary learner and for those who really enjoy order!

I was given this Bible by BookLookBloggers in exchange for an honest review.

15 Day Mommy Fit Challenge: THE RESULTS ARE IN!

15 Day Mommy Fit Challenge: Day 15... RESULT DAY!

These past six days have gone by so fast! There has been lots of different things happening, but it seems like it has only been a few days since I've written to you guys last. Well, today is Results Day! I am proud to show y'all my results, because you can actually see it. Plus, I've lost 5.6 lbs! I started out weighing 155.6 lbs and when I weighed in this morning, I weighed 150.0 lbs! That's awesome! I feel so much better than I did before.

Before this challenge, I would just do a 5 minute work out every day, eat whatever I wanted to, and not pay attention to how much calories I was taking in. I wasn't really seeing any kind of results. I was feeling bleh and didn't have much energy or motivation to do anything productive.


After this challenge, I have a better outlook on what it means to be healthy. I work out for at least 30 minutes a day (the hard stuff too!), eat healthier, and I pay attention to HOW MUCH I eat. I am seeing such amazing results! My husband is seeing them too! I have more energy and I'm feeling so much healthier!

I didn't do this challenge 100% like it was designed to be done and I still see results! I am going to still follow along with this challenge and do the workouts, but do my own meal plans. They will still be healthy meals! Just not completely like the ones in this meal plan.

I will keep y'all updated every now and then, but probably not as often as I have been with this one!

I am so thankful to Trainer Nicole and her time and effort that she put into this program! It is definitely my number one preference when it comes to starting the habit of becoming more fit!

I recommend this workout program to ANYONE who is wanting to lose those stubborn pounds, anyone who is wanting to tone, and anyone who is just wanting to become even the least bit healthier in their habits!

God has truly blessed Trainer Nicole with a gift and a means of showing other people about how to be healthier and more fit. I hope y'all take the time to look at what she has to offer and I hope that y'all see the results that I'm seeing! Because it feels AMAZING!


So here they are! My result pictures!!

Before

      After!! :)

 

Kid's Quest NIrV Study Bible

Do your kids ask you those tough, neverending questions about God's word or God in general? Maybe they ask questions like, "Why does God let wars happen?" or,"Where does God live?" There's also the very popular question, even if it goes without asking, "Why can't I have all of the things that I want?" Maybe YOU're asking these questions, as well.

Kid's Quest NIrV Study Bible is a Bible like no other. This Bible is specifically designed with the kids who ask all the questions in mind. It has a colorful cover that instantly attracts the eyes. When you open the cover, you're welcomed with a "Who this Bible Belongs To:" page. It has lines for you to put your child's name in it to personalize the Bible. Kids love making things their own by having their name on it! It makes things so much more special for them.

The next few pages go on to explain how to navigate this particular Bible and the pages also answer questions about why it is written the way it is written. The colorful writing draws you in and makes things more easy to read. The only thing about the colorful writing, there's no words written in red. The words that Jesus says in a traditional Bible, are red. I was disappointed about this, but it didn't turn me away completely.

There is a Table of Contents dividing the books of the Bible into Old Testament and New Testament. There's also a Table of Contents with the books of the Bible in alphabetical order. At the end of the book, there is a dictionary and a Topical Index.

At the beginning of each book of the Bible, there is a short understandable explanation of the book and some of the things that you will find out in the book. The explanation states who wrote the book, why the book was written, what happens in the book, what we learn about God in the book, who is important in the book, and when the book took place.

Throughout each book there are "Kids' Question" bubbles at the bottom of the pages. These are the questions that this particular version of the Bible was designed for. It has the question, the answer to the question, and biblical scripture supporting the answer to the question. There is also a cute little cartoon picture with each question that makes learning about the answers more fun.

There is also some Quest Challenges, Quest Clues, Real Life Challenges, and some ponderings for kids to expand their thoughts with.

I enjoyed reading through this Bible and showing things to my boys. Both of my boys are still too young to be asking very many questions, but I'm sure they'll be there soon. I'm excited to share with them the answers to the tough questions and have scripture references to back up what I say. Plus, I'm a children's director and I have some younger kids in my church that I'm sure will benefit from this Bible.

I would highly recommend this Bible to anyone that gets asked those tough questions that you have to sometimes just answer, "I don't know." to. This Bible is designed so you don't have to always say that. Whether it be kids or even new christians. This Bible was designed to help us all understand the things that sometimes seem like you can't understand them.

I received a free copy of this Bible in exchange for an honest review from BookLookBloggers.

15 Day Mommy Fit Challenge: Day 9

Day 9: 15 Day Mommy Fit Challenge

These past six days, since I've written to y'all last, have been hectic!

Day 3: I got my workout in, but had to take my son to the ER later that night with a 104 - 105 degree fever. We were there for five hours and didn't get home until around 1 the next morning.

Day 4: Later that morning, 10 AM, we saw the pediatrician and ran some tests on our baby. They couldn't find anything. In and out of doctor's offices and hospital labs allll day. Our baby still had a fever and was still fussy about his belly. We finally got some medicine for him from the pharmacy, a general antibiotic, and he went to sleep. By that time, I went to sleep too. There was no way I was about to work out. I still stuck to my meal plan that day, though.

Day 5 (Friday): I woke up optimistic. I was going to get things done and do a work out. I stuck to my meal plan. I got a call from my mom saying that they were going to visit that afternoon. Marvelous news, considering the long week that I had. I was so excited! But I didn't do my workouts... and we made hot wings for supper. Fortunately, my parents and brother are trying to eat healthier as well and they went and bought us some salad stuff to go with our hot wings. I did eat some hot wings, but I made sure I only ate four or five and then filled up the rest of the way with veggies and salad. I even resisted the snack cakes that were offered to me! I had to eat a spoonful of peanut butter before I caved for a snack cake!

Day 6 (Saturday): I woke up and made breakfast for everyone. I made eggs, oatmeal, and biscuits. I only ate oatmeal with some fruit and drank some almond milk. I had a few wings for lunch and stuck to my healthy snacks. Our visitors went home a little while after lunch. Then for supper, we finished out our turkey spaghetti that I made earlier in the week. Our baby was doing much better, but was still very fussy and clingy. I got in a few squats, but nothing that would make a big difference.

Day 7 (Sunday): We all woke up late and very exhausted and not in the right spirits to do anything. Our youngest was still not feeling his best, pooping in his diaper every thirty minutes. We stayed home from church to reconnect with each other and have a day to ourselves before we restarted the week. It helped so much! I highly recommend it! I don't recommend missing church, but family does come first. When you feel a little disconnection in your family, pause and take a day to reconnect. That's exactly what we did. It helped me stick to my healthy eating all day and I even got a mini workout in.

Day 8 (MONDAY): So we all know how Mondays go. I still had some housework piled up from the week before, plus stuff from having company Saturday and not doing much housework on Sunday while our family was reconnecting and having fun. I made sure I stuck to the healthy meals.

Breakfast: Chunky Monkey Oatmeal

Lunch: baked chicken thigh with veggies leftover from the night before's supper.

Supper: Turkey taco salad

Plus, all of the healthy snacks in between.

I didn't do Day 8's workout. I didn't feel like I was ready for it. I felt like if I was to do it, then I would over do it and not be able to continue. Soooo, I just did my own 30-45 minute work out by taking work out exercises from previous days workouts that I did and putting them together. I made sure I had cardio, arm strengthening, ab toning, and leg strengthening exercises. I also did lots of stretching. I enjoyed only half of a fruit shake afterwards, because it didn't feel right to drink a whole one.

Today is Day 9! I woke up early! Our baby is feeling almost 100% better. He's being clingy and not letting me out of his sight, so I have to work around that. He's  napping right now. I already have my toddlers schoolwork done. We're now watching a movie while I fold some clothes and write to you guys.

My meal plan for today:

Breakfast: Chunky Monkey Oatmeal

Lunch: Taco Salad leftover from last night

Supper: Turkey Burgers with sweet potato fries

I am planning on doing the work out for today later on after my husband gets home. He helps make sure I'm not bothered and I am so thankful for him. I'm trying to make sure he's seeing that no matter what, I'm not giving up on this! I am not a quitter and I don't plan to ever be one.

I am planning to go ahead and sign up for the next round of 15 days, starting May 2nd. That way I can stick closer to the program and get better results. I was looking at before and today's picture. The results are phenomenal and I haven't even been doing things exactly how I've supposed to be doing. Just doing them halfway has gotten me results!! I'll be posting result pictures on day 15!

God has allowed me to see results, because He knows that it motivates me. I am definitely motivated and will keep on keeping on!! God Bless y'all!

A Dream of Miracles: An Amish Wonders Novel

A Dream of Miracles by Ruth Reid surprised me! This was the first Amish fiction novel and Ruth Reid novel that I have read. I have always avoided this genre, because I honestly don't care for the mushy stuff in books. I thought that this book would be filled with it. I only chose to read it, because I felt like I needed to switch things up a bit for my followers. Well, I was definitely surprised! It had the mushy stuff, but the main characters were so relatable and human, it was inevitably natural for those parts to be in the book.


The main character of A Dream of Miracles is a young Amish widow named Mattie. Her husband Andy passed away before their second child was born. Her first born is named Nathan and her second born is named Amanda. They are both under three years old. In this lovely story, Mattie is learning the ropes of being an Amish widow. She's having to adjust to being the mother and the father to her children. In the Amish community, the mother and the father have two very different roles in the lives of their children. While learning how to do both roles, she gains help from a local bachelor, Alvin. He helps take care of all of the outside things around Mattie's home. Mattie's best friend Grace thinks that there might be more to it than him just "being a good Christian" by helping Mattie.


Mattie's first born, Nathan, comes down with a mysterious illness. The sickness plunges Mattie into the realm of the Englischer world as the local doktah is out of town and the fill-in suspects something fishy about the child's sickness. She is sent to the hospital for further inspection of the child's sickness. Mattie is accused of something every parent would lose their wits over.

Being a mother and a parent of two boys, the emotions Mattie goes through became real to me.

While going through the accusations, Mattie meets a man named Bo Lambright. At first, he seems to be the main cause of all of the trouble that Mattie and her children are going through. Seeing as he is the Englischer that came into her life as a result of her child being sick. As the book digs deeper, there's more to it and the result is definitely risky!


With their faith in God, Mattie and Bo get through things individually and together that were only meant to tear them down. Ruth Reid writes in both points of view and lets us get a taste of each of their thought process. That's what I enjoyed most about the book, because it kept me hooked and satisfied.


I really enjoyed engulfing myself into this Amish world that Ruth Reid writes about. I've had a few experiences with the Amish and have completed a few studies about them. This book taught me new things about them that I didn't know before. There's use of their language Pennsylvania Deitsch and no worries! Reid provides us with a glossary of their meaning in the very front of the book. Though, I could understand their meaning through the very cleverly written context.


Also, in the back of the book, there is a "Reading Group Guide". This guide is made for discussions and thoughts revolving around the story in A Dream of Miracles. I read each question and answered them to myself. It helped me grasp the inner meaning of the story and the message that is being sent through it.


I feel like Ruth Reid was trying to tell us to not give up hope when all of it seems lost. If we look to God and pray to Him about what we're going through, HE WILL TAKE CARE OF US. Not only will He take care of us, but He will bless us with more than we could ever imagine. Mattie and Bo both started out in this story as individuals with nothing but loss. By the end, they both gain something that's beyond normal understanding... a firm belief in miracles.


I would recommend this book to any of the Amish world's fans, romance fans, mystery fans, and Christian literature fans. I questioned the ending so many times throughout the book, but I wasn't disappointed when I finished it.


I was given a complimentary copy of A Dream of Miracles in exchange for a honest review from Booklookbloggers.


BlogThis!

15 Day Mommy Fit Challenge: Happy Day 3!

I'm sorry that I didn't write for Day 2! I had everything started and typed, but my youngest got a fever and started throwing up. So I had to tend to that. I still got my evening work out in though! Thanks to my darling husband!

I woke up on Day 2 sore from day one, in a good way. When I took dance classes in highschool, I enjoyed being this sore the day after class. Well, I still enjoy it! I enjoy every little pain, because you know what that means? I'M GETTING SOMEWHERE!
I woke up today on Day 3 just as sore and still feeling great!!

As a matter of fact, when I weighed in yesterday morning... I lost 3lbs! Then I just weighed in this morning and I am down 4lbs! Where has this challenge been these past few months that I've been working so hard, all the wrong ways, to lose what I need to lose in order to tone my body?? I am seriously now obsessed with making sure I do everything I can to continue this challenge and possibly take it beyond the 15 days.


Yesterday, my MAIN meals for Day 2 were :

Breakfast: Egg Scrambled in a wheat tortilla with a side of baby carrots and blueberries

Lunch: Canned Tuna, with a side of brown rice leftover from the night before

Supper: Turkey burger with a side of sweet potato fries and broccoli

Of course I had my snacks in between those meals, but they were healthy and spaced out a good two to three hours.


The workout for Day 1 was brutal! I went through the first block three times easy peasy. Then when I got to the second block, I was losing momentum and couldn't finish out the third round of it. So I saved that round for Day 2's cardio portion.


My husband decided that he wasn't going to do the same work outs as me and he did his own. He helped motivate me when I thought I should've given up and he also held the baby when the baby started gettitng in my work out space. He had the timer and called out how much time I had left for each portion. He told me that it reminded him of when he was in basic training for the Air Force. Well, I kind of felt like I was in some sort of basic training. I mean, I am training my body to be healthier... basically.

Day 2's work out was great! I loved that I got to do whatever for cardio and then followed the exercises that were given to us. I did block 2 of Day one for my cardio and it worked out perfect. My husband was still 100% supportive and held our sick baby while I stayed determined to get my work out in.


Today is a new day! I woke up energized, despite the fact that I stayed up the majority of the night worrying about my youngest. I am a new me already! I am changing for the better and I feel like God has put this challenge in my life to show me how much I really NEED to change. God put this challenge in my life so I could share it with my husband, then share it with my family, and share with y'all! I am so thankful for it!

We CAN do this!!!

Happy Day 3!!