I Can See the World From Here...

Be aware...this could get a little preachy. I am standing in front of my soap box, about to jump on.

It seems lately that I hear people complaining about their lives..."life is so unfair, I want the latest iPhone, newest car, I haven't been given the same opportunities as so and so, I always struggle...." Fill in the blank. Here is where my issue come in...

Let me tell you that if you were born in this country, you started out ahead of the gang. Please know that I am not making light of some very real struggles in this life - with people in this country - but I'm growing a bit weary of people believing that if they can't afford a car that cost $40k or a house seven times that amount then you are suffering. Or, because you were raised by poor parents, or incompetant parents, or whatever then you just couldn't get ahead in life. Really? See, I just don't agree with that. It might not be easy, but you can do it.

Today I was reading an article about a city in Iran where the Chief of Police has come out and said that they are going to start rounding up women that look too tan and putting them in prison for violating Islamic law. That is a very real threat. You want to know someone that is not given an opportunity? Talk to those women. It is believed that those women are the reason that earthquakes are happening. Or read the articles about the young girls sold off, without any say, and married to these men that have absolute control over everything in their lives. There is someone that doesn't have an opportunity. Or look at all the young children who are orphans - fending for themselves and trying to make it and maybe even providing for their families, too. These are real people - with very real problems.

I'm not trying to sound like an add for "Save the Children" which we've seen so many times, we either have grown immune to the images, or we change the channel in fear of feeling too much or overwhelmed by the massive scope of the issues. I just wish we - myself included - would take a moment to look around and be thankful. You see, as trivial as it is, I'm going to go to the beach this weekend...I'm going to get sun on my face, and no one is going to be looking to persecute me for violating a law. I am going to go to church on Sunday and openly worship in the way I want to worship and I won't worry about being thrown into prison. I'm going to go to work, openly communicate with people of all backgrounds, all religions, all points of view, and we are not worried about being afraid for agreeing or disagreeing with a certain political view.

We really need to open our eyes to a world view...not just a view of our own homes. Yes, you can even have a world view if you have only lived in one place your entire life. It's about opening your heart, and your mind to see other situations around you. It's about being thankful for where you are and maybe being able to help someone else - whether that person is next door, in another city, state or even in another country.

You see, I hope that my heart is never hardened to those around me. I truly desire to still be able to be moved by another person's situation. I want to be able to reach out with love to those around me, and not get so wrapped up in my day to day that I am blinded to the needs of others.

On a different note...I know it's not Memorial Day or Veteran's Day, but I was also thinking today about how thankful I am for the people who have served in the military. I'm thankful for those that are going out - even right now as I lie in my bed and type this blog - and helping to keep this country safe...helping to keep other countries safe. They have made sacrificies that I can't imagine. From leaving their families to paying the ultimate price, these people have done something for this country that I haven't done and for that I am thankful. Anyways, thanks to all of my friends who have served or are still serving.

I hope y'all have a good night!

I Think I'll Take A Moment To Celebrate My Age...

So starts one of my favorite Tim McGraw songs. Actually, for some reason that has been one of JD's favorite songs lately. Even though I'm a year past the 30 talked about in the song, I thought it was still appropriate.

It goes on to say "the ending of an era and the turning of a page - now it's time to focus in on where I go from here - Lord have mercy on my next 30 years".

Probably because another year has come and gone, it has been on my mind lately how quickly time passes. It's almost like you just get settled in to one year and you're heading into the next. I have a son that is almost as tall as I am. Wow. Really? A pre-teen? Really? How?

In my 31 years I've experienced broken bones, a broken heart, flat tires, tears that flowed and didn't seem to stop, disappointments, jobs that absolutely stank, betrayal, grief, overwhelming stress, unbelievable sadness, what seemed like crushing defeat, the loss of family -

But thankfully my story doesn't end there......

I've also experienced the birth of my son, overwhelming grace, mercies that are new each morning, a joy that can't be denied, a heart that still loves, friends that are as close as family, family that is stronger than any super hero ever imagined, opportunities that had to be devine, support when I needed it, a hand to hold when I was at my weakest, a confidence that cannot be taken away, laughing until I cried, a child that makes me proud, a belief in the greatness of the future and what it has in store, and much much more.

I've often heard people talk about turning a certain age and how sad they were because they felt as if they were getting old. I don't understand this. I've earned every bit of the 31 years I've been blessed with. I wear the scars, I delight in the redemption. I am absolutely amazed at the opportunity of life that I've been given. I am thankful. So thankful. As I look back on it, I wouldn't change a thing. Each experience has helped contribute to the person I am today. I am happy to say that I don't have to live in my past, but I can look forward to what life has in store for me.

In closing, here is a quote that has seemed to stick with me lately - Most people are as happy as they make their minds up to be...Abraham Lincoln. Well, I've got my mind made up.

P90X Week 2 - Done!

I've made it two weeks! Yeah me! No really - Yeah me! =) I've found that I actually look forward to doing the workouts. Not that I love working out, but that I love the way I feel when I get done. I went yesterday and bought heavier weights because my weights were too light. Not that I'm using huge weights now - only 10 lbs, but I'm just wanting to get lean.

I measured last week and I lost an inch off my hips in the first week. I know I have a long way to go, but that was encouraging. We all know that I've got some serious junk, so I'll take every inch off that I can get. =)

I will have to say that is has been a little easier because my co-workers are supporting me, too. The hardest time for me is lunch time when we usually go out. Instead, I have my lunch bag, we eat and then go for a walk. I feel so much better - and my checking account is loving it, too.

Well, my birthday is next Sunday and I know I'm still going out for my birthday, but I've made plans to figure out what I want to eat in advance - that way I'm not making the decision then.

All in all...I'm loving P90X. I can hardly wait to see the 90 day results. Then it will be time for round 2!

Teeth Whitener and Wrinkle Cream...

As I'm closing in on another birthday, it seems like I've been a little more concerned with things like wrinkle cream and teeth whitener. See, I figure if I wake up at 60 and decide to start taking care of my skin, it will probably be a little too late. =)

So, several weeks back JD and I went to our local Walmart to look at Oil of Olay products. As we are standing there, JD notices that one of the wrinkle creams costs $60 to which he says "SIXTY DOLLARS FOR WRINKLE CREAM? You don't even have wrinkles, Mama. Why in the world would someone pay that kind of money for wrinkle cream". Of course, the ladies standing around us were laughing. I explained that I was starting out small - not with the $60 cream, but hey I might use it one day. Well we ended up with a face wash and a night time cream. I came home and could hardly wait to wash my face. I washed my face, got out of the shower and I'm telling you this....that stuff was so harsh that I promise you my face felt like if I smiled too big it would crack. You ever seen a picture of the desert all dried out - yep accurate description. Needless to say, the wrinkle cream felt nice. ha!

Fast forward to last week. My skin is adjusting to the new "dry it out, then put wrinkle cream on" skin care approach, so I thought I'd tackle the teeth whitening portion. I go into Walmart - once again - and I look for just Crest White Strips, to which I was informed that my Walmart will no longer be carrying them, so I bought the trays. You know, the ones that fit right in your mouth and you wear them for 45 minutes. Well, you're supposed to do that every day for a week. Here's my problem. First off, I get the trays all in and I realize that it doesn't say whether you can swallow that stuff or not, so I sit there trying not to swallow until I finally hear from Mallory and she informs me that it will be okay. I was glad JD wasn't there to witness this.

I wake up this morning and I guess the whitener is working so good that it actually managed to burn a hole on the inside of my lip. Oh yes, it did. Ouch. Needless to say, after 5 days of whitening, I've decided to take a few days off from that process. Ha!

All in all - I think I would like to grow old gracefully. Maybe wrinkles aren't so bad.

I Survived!!

I survived my first week on P90X! Woot Woot! Heck, I am counting this as an accomplishment. I even forgot my lunch bag on Friday and went back home to get it so I could follow my meal plan. Trust me when I say, I would usually just eat out. =)

So, after a week, here are some observations:

1. I think you have to be determined to make it on this program. You can't go in half-hearted, or you will crap out after day one - certainly after plyometrics. Thanks to the person who said I couldn't do it. You actually helped me make it through this week.
2. I'm getting used to the small meals, and I actually like it.
3. Let's be real, my body would rather be fat and lazy - but I am feeling so much better already.
4. Sunday nights, after church, I need a plan or it's going to be late and I'll be hungry.
5. It's really all about planning and just doing it.

I have a goal in mind...which I accidentally loudly shared at Becky's house today. Once again - sorry Dan, I'm still blushing. ha! My goal isn't so much about weight loss, but about overall fitness and what the mirror says - not necessarily the scale.. That being said - I have lost 4 pounds this week. I know though that there is coming a time when my measurements will go down and my weight might not for a couple of weeks. That's fine - as long as I'm giving it my all.

There you go...I better get in bed soon. Tomorrow starts week 2 of P90X.

My "New" Comforter from Target

Here's the deal...I love to wrap up to sleep at night, but I get HOT in the middle of the night. So, I tend to sleep with my air on 63 or 64 at night. Yes, even in the heat of Summer. As you can probably imagine, my power bills are super low in Winter and not so low in Summer. Well as the days are warming up, and the air is running more, I got a great idea: Instead of sleeping under the thick comforter that I absolutely love, I will go and buy a thin bedspread type comforter.

Yesterday, I left work and went to Target. Low and behold, I found the type comforter that I was looking for and I even branched out. See, I also love to have dark colors in my bedroom, deep reds, chocolate brown....you get the point. However, I branched out and bought a comforter in ice blue. The problem was that the only had a queen size and I really like the king size because I like it to be big. I came home, did my work out, took a shower, and got in the bed - with the air up to 70.

Fast forward to today...I go to a different Target. What do I see there but a king size comforter. So, I get this idea.....I'll buy it and return the one I bought yesterday. Yes, I slept under it and that is creapy - and I've never done this before, but what the heck. I return it and there were no questions asked. I come home tonight and start to unfold the king size comforter and what do I see???? I guess someone else doesn't have a problem bringing back a used comforter either, because this comforter had dried rose petals in it. Yes, oh yes, it did. All I could do was laugh. I mean, really....I kind of deserved that.

So, next time you buy a new comforter...just remember - it might not be so new. =)

P90X - Day 2 - Plyometrics

I was very nervous about plyometrics. I've been told how absolutely excruciating this workout can be and honestly "jump training" does not sound like something I'll be able to easily accomplish. Well, I was right...however, although once again I needed to modify some of the exercises, I completed the entire dvd and felt like a champ for doing it!

I produced less sweat in childbirth than while I was doing plyometrics. Seriously. Of course, it's been almost 12 years since I experienced childbirth, so my memory might not be 100% on that anymore. =) However, I actually really really liked this dvd...not necessarily while I was doing it, but when I was done I felt like I had challenged myself and rose to the challenge.

They say not to eat for at least an hour before you do this workout, and I couldn't agree more. If you eat, you will more likely than not puke.

JD even did the first 20 minutes with me. I was proud of him. He would like to work up to doing the whole dvd, and I think that is a good idea. This workout is very hardcore, no joke, serious, but all in all I feel so good now that I think I might be looking forward to doing it again next week. =)

That is the other thing....since you do different dvd's each day, if you don't like one - just know that you don't have to do it again until next week. That's encouraging. =)