spend a dollar...make you hollaaaaaa...

We are in Seattle this weekend visiting my husbands parents....I am loving that the weather is not hot enough to make me have boob sweat of EPIC porportions so nice and cool. We shopped today at the premium factory outlets...and you know what that means: I spent enough money to feed 28 people in Ethiopia for 6 years tide me over for a while. I visited old friends like Coach, Gap, Juicy, Restoration Hardware, Ann Taylor and DKNY. They were so happy to see me that they offered %30 -%50 percent off....thats always awesome.

When we met up with the mister, I had to run to the back and shove the bags in....before he had a chance to start running numbers in his head see how many bags I had. I have trained him well to know name brands...its hilarious because he can spot a fake handbag sometimes before I can...and he will elbow me when we are out somewhere and say "hey babe, check out her Louis...its fake" and By golly...its fake. Hes pretty legit. I love him. A lot. Anyways.....because he knows brands now, he knows that when he sees a shopping bag from the COACH store...he knows how much stuff there costs. So I have to hide things. Just kidding, I dont hide things. Well, at least I dont hide alot of things. Just some.

I think I have an addiction. Shopping feeds my soul. Shopping is better than cupcakes. Well, actually nevermind. Nothing is better than cupcakes. Except maybe one thing. But this is PG so lets move on.

Tomorrow we are going to see the King Tut exhibit at the Pacific Science center in Seattle, that should be pretty legit. Nothing like checkin out the coffin of a hot dead egyptian!

It's SSSOOOOO Hard!

 

Right now all I want is a cupcake with tons of frosting. Or maybe a HUGE bowl of fettuccine alfredo....or even better...Just a HUGE bowl of alfredo sauce with a WHOLE loaf of garlic bread to dip into it. And THIS is what I am eating for dinner......

 

 

With water...and maybe some tuna or chicken on top. Did I mention that all I want is ice cream?

 

I have been working out every single day and trying to eat right...and its SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HARD. I hate it. But I love it. I love food...all food well except for salmon, and venison and oysters well, most all food. My husband loves to cook, and he is AMAZING in the kitchen...but he LOVES food too..and most of what he cooks is like death to your arteries or your heart SUPER yummy and FULL of calories.

 

I have struggled with my weight my whole life...and I know that I am overweight because I dont move enough and I make bad food choices. But I also know that eating right and working out is hard. And I dont like when things are hard. I want to quit....and eat chips and queso. But I cant...I made myself a promise and I am going to stick to it. I hope.

 

Sometimes I feel like the only person in the whole entire PLANET who finds it so hard to eat right and work out. But then I see the chubby girl at the gym next to me on the treadmill...and she is huffing and puffing and pouring sweat glistening just like me. We look at eachother and smile...of course we cant talk because we are both so out of breath we are both so into our workout. Then I look up and see her TV screen....yep...shes watching the food network too. Its Bobbly Flay on the screen and he is making some sort of blessing sent from above 10 layer chocolate cake. Its like he's a drug pusher and I am willing to do ANYTHING for cake ....and the other CG (chubby girl) looks at me...like she wants to say "lets go right now and eat cake"...I look at her with the "OK lets go!!!" look...but then we both smile again, change the channel on our screens, pump up the resistance on our treadmills and keep on keepin on.

 

No cake today my friends....No cake today.

Jewels!

So I joined up with some ladies over at "The Life of a not so ordinary Wife" for a FABULOUS jewelry swap!

 

 

 

My partner was Alisa Marie from All things Alisa! She sent me this AMAZING chunky cobalt blue bracelet! I LOVE it!! It was perfect for me and I cant wait to rock it tomorrow! This jewelry swap was awesome...thanks so much Melissa! for that awesome swap!

 

kibbles and bits

I dont get it....I mean sure there are times when its appropriate to be half naked....like when you are...ummm...well, I cant think of any right now. But I know one thing here are the times when its NOT appropriate to be half naked:

When you are going to a childrens birthday party
When you are going to the county fair
When you are going grocery shopping
When you are going out to dinner
When you are going anywhere there are children present
When you are going anywhere that there are OTHER PEOPLE present

I get that you think have a nice body....and I get that you want to show it off. Props to you, I mean if I had a body like that I would show it off by wearing a tiny skirt and a see through shirt...Oh, wait...no I wouldnt. But anyways... come on...when parents have to explain to there kids why they can see your underwear under your dress because its SO short...its probably not the best outfit to wear. I dont want my 11 year old son to see your kibbles and bits. And sure as heck dont want my husband to see your kibbles and bits. AND more than anything I DONT want to see your kibbles and bits.

Your shirt should cover your boobs, your pants, skirt or shorts should cover your butt, and I shouldnt have to see your hoo ha when you bend over to get something out of the cold case at the grocery store.

Ladies, respect your selves and leave something to the imagination.....because when guys see the goods....thats all they want....kibbles and bits.

No biggie...Just Learning Spanish at 2am....

I was sound ASLEEP and was jolted awake...because I remembered (in my sleep I guess) that I hadnt made the misters student loan payment for the month. So I grabbed my phone and called the 1 800 number to make the payment over the phone. It was an automated system so I put it on speaker and turned it down low...I could still hear it, but I was still sitting next to the mister in the bed and he was still snoring like a trucker sound asleep and I didnt want to wake him up. This is what happened...

- automated system is talking to me and I am pressing buttons and entering information and the mister sits STRAIGHT up in bed and says:

Mister: "are you learning spanish?"
Me: "Um, no Im paying your student loan payment"
Mister: "Then why is the person on the other end speaking spanish?"
Me: "They arent, they are speaking english, see...listen" (as I put the phone closer to him)
Mister: "They ARE speaking spanish! Why are you secretly learning spanish?"
Me: "Babe! They are speaking ENGLISH, why would I be secretly learning spanish at 2 in the morning?"
Mister: "I dont know....but thats not cool!"
Me: (as I am finishing up the proccess, and I have to confirm the bank account number and amount that I paid by speaking it into the phone)
Mister: "See, you just paid for the Spanish Lesson!"
Me: " Okay babe, you are right...I am secretly learning spanish, and paying a small fortune for it" (followed by an eyeroll and laughter)
Mister: " I knew it!" (then he layed back down and went right back to sleep)

So if any of you would like to participate in my 2am spanish lessons....its cool.

Scooter

Saturday night after the Women of Faith conference was over we walked from our hotel in downtown Spokane, a couple blocks to eat dinner. On the walk back to our hotel we passed a man in a wheelchair, asking people for money. He scooted along next to us, and asked us if we had any change. We just kept walking and shook our heads...and then something told me to look at him...really look at him. As I stopped walking and looked down, his eyes met mine...and he smiled. I was captivated by his smile.

 "Mam', do you have any spare change?' I reached into my wallet and got out a $10 bill, and one of the ladies I was with said....we can give you some money...but also, is there anything we can pray for you about? He smiled the biggest smile and said "YES! I need prayers for my three sons and their mom. They are not believers and I worry about them every day." He went on to tell us the story of his life and how he came to be begging on the street. He was a veteran and after he came back from war, he made some stupid decisions and he was in and out of prison....he lost his wife, his kids, his home, and his job. He lost everything. He told us that he received disability because his legs were shattered in war, but it wasnt enough so he begs on the street to get more money to pay his bills and "keep his belly full". He was clean, and he didnt appear to be intoxicated or under any kind of chemical influence.

After talking with him on the street corner for about 20 minutes, I asked him if I could pray for him right there...and he obliged. So I put my hand on his shoulder and prayed...I prayed for His family, for him....for peace, comfort, providence, health, and joy. We prayed that his family would find him...and that they would be re-united. We prayed for a while....when I was done praying...he looked at me, with tears streaming down his face and said "thank you." It was the most heartfelt thank you I have EVER heard. And all I gave him was a $10 bill and a prayer.

But I know it was more than that. We gave him hope....he told us when we left that most people just ignore him, and never make eye contact...partly because he is in a wheelchair and not at eye level...but also because they dont want to see him. God spoke to us loud and clear that night.

The man's name was Scooter.

How many times have YOU walked by Scooter and not even looked at him?

Women of Faith - Celebrate!

This weekend 3 friends and I went and volunteered at Women of Faith in Spokane! It was my 6th year attending the conference and my 4 year volunteering, and I think that it was my favorite year so far. God is awesome...and His awsomeness was ABUNDANT this weekend.

The theme this year was Celebrate and there were alot of changes to the program...but all of them made a huge impact, and in my opinion were completely amazing.

The first night was the always hilarious and inspiring Ken Davis! His message was about being "fully alive" and LIVING! He spoke about three main points:

1. God is the author of JOY! True joy comes from Him...
2. Perfection is not a requirement! God didnt make us perfect!
3. God will NEVER let you down. He can be trusted!

His message was awesome...and He is hilarious!

Then we had the pleasure of hearing the amazing CeCe Winans!

And let me tell you, that woman has some pipes on her! She was fabulous! She sang this song "My Alabaster Box"...it was about the prostitute who washed Jesus feet with her tears and poured her oiled perfume on them and dried them with her hair...

Luke 7:37 ³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

It was awesome amazing beautiful...actually there arent words to describe that song. You have to hear it yourself!

The Next day we heard from Sheila Walsh, Liz Curtus Higgs, Angie Smith, Pat Smith, Selah and Lisa Harper.

Sheila talked about how sometimes we have to get real, and be broken before God, because thats when he can work the best! She said "Its's amazing what God can do with a broken heart and a broken life when you give Him all of the pieces." Sheila is always fabulous to listen to, and every single time I hear her speak, its like the words are JUST for me.

Liz was HILARIOUS! She talked about loving yourself for who God created you to be. She said "The day God created you, He said "WOW!!" He loves you EXACTLY as you are....you are Gods definition of beautiful for YOU, not for anyone else! She encouraged us to stand in front of the mirror and say TA-DA!!! Like we are a masterpiece...a priceless peice of art. I love it...its something I am going to try and do...because God doesnt make junk...He makes masterpieces!

Then she did the most hilarious rap....you've gotta watch it!

Watch it here

The fabulous Lisa Harper told us about the greatest Love story ever....(The Bible) and How God is fully, completely, totally in LOVE with us. She used the best analogy...Its like God wants to take you to the mall on the day after Thanksgiving...when its PACKED with people. He wants to wear a shirt that says "I'm with her" so that everyone in that whole place knows that He loves you. He isnt about to try and hide how He feels about you.

I wish that everyone could see that....That God really REALLY loves them

I have to say that one of my favorite speakers from the whole weekend was Angie Smith. She is the wife of Todd Smith from Selah. She is gorgeous, transparent, graceful, and wise. But she is also hilarious. She told us about losing her daughter Audrey. She told us about fear...and about being so afraid to go into the deep of the water...because thats where the waves can wash over you. And about how its only when you face your fears, and see that God is faithful through ALL of it that you can fully trust Him. She said "I believed in Christ from the shore, but I knew Him in the deep.". I am so thankful that God uses real women to speak into our lives....hearing Angies story was a blessing.

 I got to meet her and have her sign a book for our clinic!

One of the other sweet things from the weekend was the "Jesus Painter". It was amazing....you have to learn more about it....you can check it out here: www.Jesuspainter.com . There was an orginal canvas of His painting for sale...and the last day I acted like I was going to snag it..You couldnt tell, right?

The weekend was awesome. God used the worship, the speakers, and the performers to break chains, crumble walls, and move mountains. He is good, and so is Women of Faith...if you have never been, you NEED to check it out. For real. You wont be sorry. I promise!

http://www.womenoffaith.com/events/  Here is the list of the upcoming events!

I've Learned....

I've learned:

1. When you cook a turkey, you have to take the "jiblets" and the neck out of the middle before you cook it. (I've forgotten to do this more than once)
2. You cant earn Gods love. Its free. You just have to accept it. Like a gift.
3. screaming at your kids doesnt make them listen to you...it just makes them Scream back ignore you more
4. when you wear alot of mascara, and have long eye lashes....you have to clean your sunglasses alot...or else you think that there are little black bugs all over everything.
5. when you have an event or a party at your house...something will go wrong. So just expect it.
6. People will let you down. So expect that too.
7. God will NEVER EVER let you down. Never. So dont expect that.
8. It doesnt matter how much black you wear...if you have a big butt...yes, your butt looks big in those shorts, jeans, pants..etc.
9. If you dont have money in the bank, dont spend it. ever.(unless you find the perfect shoes for 60% off)
10. Probly not the best idea to try and put eyeliner on when you are riding in the car on very very bumpy roads.
11. Probly not the best idea to put mascara or makeup on while YOU are driving either.
12. When you are fake with people, eventually they figure it out. So dont be fake.
13. Forgiveness is harder to give then to recieve, but its very very important to do.
14. You cannot scare snakes away by blowing a whistle. (I may or may not have done this multiple times after being told it would get rid of snakes)
15. Working out doesnt not make you more tired. It makes you sore and worn out...but in fact, gives you more energy
16. You cant lose weight without eating right and working out. You just cant. Well, unless you do things that damage your body and mind. then you can. but thats just craziness.
17. Making mistakes makes you smarter, and learning from your mistakes makes you a better person.
18. Pinterest is the devil. It makes you want to work out like crazy, and cook, and bake, and craft, and shop. It basically makes you want to quit your job and just do random craft projects and cook and eat all day.
19. It doesnt matter what people think of you. So, stop trying to please people. Start living for Christ...He is the only one that matters.
20. Being disrepectful to your husband is never, ever ok. never.
21. Giving to others doesnt take away from what you have. It gives you more. More inside. Thats what really matters anyways.
22. Garlic makes you have bad breath. Everytime you eat it. So when you go on a dinner date with your man...if your gonna eat garlic, make sure he eats garlic too. Then no harm, no foul.
23. Sometimes its ok to give in when you are arguing with your friend or spouse. Its better to have a relationship that to be right. (even when you KNOW you are right!)
24. Just because it zips, doesnt mean it fits.
25. Camel toe is not sexy. ever. No, you cant just wear a longer shirt.
26. When you are having a rough day and you feel like everything sucks and is falling apart... you need to: Stop, Breathe, Pray, re-apply your mascara and lip gloss....and pull yourself together. God is in control...and He's got your back. All the time. Forever.

regular or decaf?

I had a totally random thought today as I was drinking my coffee (my quad shot, iced, non fat, white mocha) this morning. What is the purpose of decaf coffee? How do they make decaf coffee? Do they grow decaf coffee beans? How do they get the caffeine out of the coffee? Why would you drink coffee, if it wasnt for the caffeine? I drink coffee to wake me up, to pick me up throughout the day...but also because I like the taste. But I wouldnt drink decaf coffee...because I just dont see the point.

I feel like there are people in this world who are decaf Christians, and people who are regular coffee Christians.

Decaf Christians love God. Decaf Christians have said the sinners prayers and have accepted Christ. and have a personal relationship with Him. They pretend like their lives are perfect....they pretend that their kids dont ever act up, like they never argue or fight with their husbands, that they never struggle with lust, they dont ever get depressed, they dont ever get mad or struggle with anger...the list goes on. They dont want to let people see that they struggle. They are coffee...but without the caffeine. They taste like coffee, but dont give you everything that regular coffee does.

Regular coffee Christians love God, Regular Coffee Christians have said the sinners prayers and have accepted Christ, and have a personal relationship with Him. They know that their lives are not perfect....they tell you that their kids act up, and ask for prayer to help deal with it. They argue or fight with their husbands, and ask you for prayer and accountability for their marriage. They struggle with lust and ask for prayer and for someone to help keep them accountable...the list goes on. They let people see them struggle...because they know that God is right there with them. They know that struggling with life and sin doesnt make them any less of a Christian, or it doesnt make God love them any less. They are the full fledged regular coffee...the kind that wakes you up with your first sip.

When someone that you really admire and look up to tells you something about their past, something that isnt very pretty.....and they tell you how they overcame it with Christ, it gives you hope. Your testimony and the every day struggles that you go through in life can bring people to Christ. It can give people hope. Its OK to be transparent and to let people see where God is working in your life.

Its ok to be decaf coffee, It will let them smell the coffee smell, and taste the coffee taste, but it wont wake them up. It wont let people see where God is working in your life, because you dont let them see your life.

So, are you regular coffee....or decaf coffee? (PS...God loves decaf people AND regular people...he even likes UN SWEETENED TEA people. But thats a whole 'nother post!)