Pick Me Coach

Hi everyone! 

I am not sure where in the world you find yourself today, for I am in Louisiana.  On this cold morning, as I drove Sam to school, God had prepared for me sight that was truly breathtakingly beautiful.  It was the one morning that I left home without my camera, but to quote Sam, “mom, it looks like a painting!”  The pinks and aqua blue sky danced within the clouds, the sun providing a spot light for the audience to see.

It was on this morning drive that He whispered the words for today’s post - “Pick Me Coach.”  My personality is such that I have spent my entire life taking care of and trying to please other people.  If you are not like this, surely you know someone who is.  Yes, it has taken me 46 years for the light bulb to finally go off, but better late than never, right??!!   

Always with good intentions, I use to think that if I just worked harder; made elaborate gifts and surprises; and worked my hardest to be the perfect daughter, wife, mother, or girlfriend that then the “coach” would pick me.  Do not get me wrong, nothing in life gives me more pleasure than giving my family and friends surprises, but now that the light is on, I see this process a bit differently.   

Unfortunately both men and woman can fall into the mind set that if that do this or that for their significant other that they will make that person happy.  Newsflash and splash of cold water on the face, “if they are unhappy, YOU cannot MAKE them happy!!!”  We cannot CHANGE people and if you think you can or they tell you that you are the reason that they are unhappy, then you should then run, RUN LIKE THE WIND!!!  

They way I look at this in terms of my own life, if God can give me three beautiful children and wink at me with all of the sincerity of my grandfather, then He has a plan.  I do not need to jump up and down trying to get the coach to notice or “pick me”.  He too has scouts and I call them angels.  These girls know true talent when they see it and when the time is right, they will let the coach know.  Because I have also learned over the years that His game plan is always WAY better than mine!! 

Trust the Head Coach!!

Beat the Bullies

Hi everyone!

Sometimes life comes at us like a kid taking on a bully at break-neck speed, knocking us in the stomach with all the force it can muster. Once the wind is knocked out of us we have one of two options, lay there on the ground, staring at the sky and pretending that nothing ever happened or get up, brush ourselves off and take on the things in our lives that have bullied us for as long as we can remember. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes the time between when we brush ourselves off and when it finally clicks that we can beat the bully once and for all can take minutes, hours, days, weeks, months or even years…the important thing though, is finally realizing that we can win. We don’t have to let the things that have bullied us and taunted us in the past mandate where we go in terms of our future.

It is amazing how sometimes tragic events in our lives can actually bring about positive change. For me, I have had a year that seemed perfectly designed by Satan. My fall in March had crippling effects on my fast growing embroidery business, computer consulting projects, and on my ability to be 100% in the classroom. Then with my mom’s sudden illness and death at the end of the summer, it just seemed that the dark cloud over my head was never going to pass. The funny thing is though, during my mom’s hospital stay I started writing and since her death I have continued writing and it has been through researching her story and ultimately my life that I have been able to identify where my bullies originated in the first place. In any conflict, one cannot take on the enemy until we study that enemy.

Last night on The Biggest Loser, when Becky said that when she was young and would lose weight her dad would tell her “look around; I’m sure you’ll find it.” My first thoughts were I am right there with you Becky!!! But the important take away that I was able to grasp from that segment, was Bob encouraging her to look for the positive within herself. Sometimes the people in our lives that spend their lives trying to sabotage us are actually dealing with their own insecurities. When you are a child or teen though, you don’t realize that. The very people that are supposed to be there for us, to mold us and teach us right from wrong, are the very ones who tear us down and teach us destructive behaviors instead. Don’ get me wrong, there comes a point in all of our lives, for ourselves, that we have to forgive them and embrace what we know is right for us. This in turn will then allow us to lose weight and/or accomplish any other unfinished goals we may have. It will also allow us to not make the same mistakes with our own kids.

Going through Beth Moore’s “So Long Insecurity” class has just brought me that much closer to dealing with the bullies. It has been like a spiritual karate lesson, teaching me self-defense skills to defend myself once and for all.

Before my mom’s death, my goal was to complete a half-marathon for my birthday on November 20th. Given the length of mom’s illness and subsequent obstacles, I will not be able to meet this goal, but it doesn’t mean that I will abandon that goal. It has always been a lifelong dream of mine to run a half and full marathon, now is just the time to tell the bullies to get out of the way and train like there is no tomorrow, so that in the spring I can do just that. I have learned that a setback doesn’t mean failure, it is just a setback. So my birthday present to me is to live each day treating myself in such a way that each added day I have on this beautiful earth I can live life to its fullest and as healthy as possible, so that this might be my own personal testimony to myself, my kids, and to all of the other readers out there who have been bullied by life way too long.

Wonder Woman had a Cape - Jen has Running Shoes

Hi everyone!

Wow, what a day!!  It has been very busy, but very productive.  The most exciting event of the day, I purchased new running shoes for my son and myself.  Now some of you may be asking “what’s the big deal???”  For me though, FINALLY on the road to recovery, it is just one more step toward the many mountains I wanted to climb this year.  I have always been a “glass is half full” kind of girl, but I have to tell you, being injured really put my outlook on life to the test.  Being injured for me has been like Wonder Woman losing her cape!!  :D

My whole reason for doing the Daniel Fast has been to seek guidance in terms of where the Lord wants me to go with my business and myself personally.   The beautiful thing about this adventure is that with each passing day I can see ever more clearly where I have been and where I am supposed to go!!  As my 21 days pass, the whole process is like looking through my outdoor window that does not have any walls, so you can see things from both sides with ease.  :D

It just so happens though that this whole fasting process also has me cooking and eating healthier than I ever have in my life, which I LOVE!!  So any time people make healthy changes in their lives they do have to change their eating habits, but it also helps to plan goals as well.  Since I am also one that LOVES a challenge and the more difficult the challenge the better, my goal is so in line with this way of thinking!! 

Four years ago I participated in and complete 3 triathlons.  That was THE most INCREDIBLE summer of my life.  However, the past several summers have left me either moving or with some sort of injury.  My friend Kathy knows how much I want to do them again and Mike, a dear trainer friend, has been encouraging me as well.  So though I cannot participate in a triathlon until my arm is healed next spring, I can run!!  :D  What is even more perfect is that there is a run on my birthday, November 20^th!!!  I cannot think of a better present to give myself!!  So last night I downloaded a training schedule to run/jog/walk and complete a half marathon.  While this is a 12 week training schedule, I did not want to wait, but wanted to start the training process now.  My precious Sam wants to do this with me too, so mother and son will train together from now until November!!

Oh, and you did read it right, I did say half marathon!!  :D  As my friends know, if I am going to take on a goal, I always go for big ones!!  Of course I can be a mom, do computer consulting, embroider, teach and train.  After all, Wonder Woman is on the road to getting her cape back!!