where troubles melt like lemon drops.

i realized today i havent blogged in a while. so much has been going on. I'm preparing for the first ever "Beautiful You" Weekend Event!! I can't explain how excited I am about this and how appreciative I am of all the people who have come alongside me in this journey. It is going to be a crazy ride. I still have so much more to do, but definitely in my weakness God is strong.

i have been in a much better mood recently. my attitude towards each day and the possibilities that it holds..excites me. sure i still have my down days, but it is much better overall. living in the past is one of my specialties..the "what ifs." But i plan on moving forward. making each day better than the next. to-day, right now is all i have. i cant fret about the future or dwell in the past. i have to stay in the now. how can i positively effect the lives of those in my path? how can i make Their day easier? it's not about me. and while i still matter and am important, i have to get out of myself and encourage others. when i was little all i cared about was making people laugh. that was my goal for each day. it brightened my day and put a smile on my face when i saw the joy of others around me. maybe it's time to get back to that. to bring happiness to others. we get so bogged down with life that we never stop and just enjoy the journey. (i know, easier said than done) but if i gave joy to others as much as i fret about my own problems...it would change My perspective on things.

bring laughter..

music

music is my passion. it's what drives me, wakes me up, gets me excited. it's sad that i have been unable to truly write any music recently. sometimes, though, waiting can give you exactly what you are looking for. my love of music cannot even be expressed. i smile. i laugh. i cry. all in the rise and fall of a melodic pattern strung together to play on my heart strings. it is truly a blessing to see that God knows this about me and so this is one of the main ways He speaks to me. He will comfort me with a song about His love and forgiveness at just the right time. Every time it happens, i'm truly taken aback and it makes me wonder what I ever did to deserve this kind of attention. but that's just the point. i didnt. there is nothing i can do to deserve the Love that God shows me every single day. now i need to stop and be able to open my eyes to all of the things He has for me each day. i run thru my life too quickly sometimes, focused on how much i can get done or how "busy" i can make myself. why? and while it is not good to just sit around and do nothing all the time (we are called to act) sometimes we need to take moments to reflect. i am sorry for all the times i have brushed God aside. and I will be sorry for all the times I will do it in the future. So how I can bless God to-day? How can I take His love that He exudes out to me and shine it back? I think God provides me with an answer..music. Every note being a concious act of worship back to the creator. I wonder if He gets as excited when I play/sing for Him as I get when He uses music to speak to me? i will sing.

isn't it funny

i've been in a lot of pain recently. many tests and needles(AHH!!) later, i'm in more pain than ever. it would be so easy to give up on my quest for health. to forget this diet, and any advice and just live how i want. it's very easy to get upset, depressed, frustrated with the situation. i've kept it in for so long, it would be very easy to explode out with all of the things i've been feeling. BUT in the midst of all the pain, confusion, anger, and chaos..i choose to be happy. now each day is different and I cant always claim that I have the best attitude all the time, that is impossible. but I choose love, joy, laughter. these things are what keep me going. I had one of my worst days (as far as pain) the other day, and surprisingly..it was one of the best days i've had. I was smiling throughout the whole day, giddy from pure joy. It was incredible. I'm sure God put it inside me and helped me get through that day. It was a very strange prospect. And as I talked to people I realized that yes taking care of me and my health is important. But connecting, loving, giving, Living..is more important. It's so cliche but I love the movie Wall-e. And one of my favorite quotes in that movie has stuck with me and become something i strive to do/be each day.

"i dont wanna survive, i wanna Live"

How will you "live" to-day?

beautiful

Ever since I was a little girl I wanted desperately for someone to find me and "work their magic on me," like in the movie Cineralla. It wasn't enough to be a "good person" you needed the beauty to go with it. I waited and waited for the day to come..but no such luck. It never came. I found myself despising the way I looked. I had huge glasses, a big nose, and a gangly body. It never occured to me, until much later, that I Was beautiful, just the way I was. I didnt have to have a "make-over" to make myself into what society tells me is beautiful. I already had the most amazing, talented, fashion designer craft me into existence with His bare hands. God created me the way I am. He formed every part of me. Who am I to say "Oops God, you messed. I'm not right"? Take a look in the mirror, dont compare yourself to anyone else..cuz no one else is there. Take a look at how beautifully, and skillfully God handcrafted you. You. are. beautiful.

rollercoaster.

my life is like a rollercoaster. since i've been home there have been so many twists and turns that i never expected. i have been extremely frustrated recently cuz of health issues, but even so..i cant let that get me down. i've got alot to do. i need to get going. i'm excited to see how things turn out but scared that i'll become complacent and stop listening. it is encouraging to know that even in the midst of all my confusion God knows exactly what's going on and exactly what i need. my problem is to stop long enough to listen. how many times do i just run thru my day and realize..i did absolutely nothing. well, i've gotta start somewhere and to-day seems like a good day to begin. i'm currently working on my "project"/ministry/company/whatever you wanna call it for my girls. I've got a website created and am working on pulling together my first weekend event. The website is: http://www.beautifulyounme.webs.com/ it is very bare right now, i need to find someone who can help me fill in the blanks and work on design. but it's a start. it's more than i had this morning. keep moving forward. i dont know where this rollercoaster will take me next, tears, laughter, frustration, but i know that where it takes me God is right by my side,

so bring it!

when the tide turns.

hope. i have not had much of this concerning certain areas. i was stuck in pain and everyone around me looking only saw a facade or got sick of looking. i've been suffering my whole life, waiting for someone to tell me i'm not crazy, that this isnt just an overdramatization of reality. i almost gave up on hope altogether. my final strand was rolled away in my last tear..but with that, came new hope. the hope that i am not crazy, someone else is standing up for me too. and as i looked around i began to see more people standing, hoping with me. it was/is a tremendous feeling after walking thru this desert for so long. this post even may seem too dramatic, if you learned what in fact i am talking about. But it's not to me. it is a constant reality that i dont have to face alone. it gives me a shove to walk forward. this..is just the beginning.

if i cant..

here's where my love crashed on the waves. rocked by the ocean. it spun into a hurricane causing confusion and panic to all around. before awkwardly settling into a single question. a question unable to be answered until the very moment the skies cleared. it seems ironic that once answered it started to rain. the tumulous current pulling me back under. i was dragged along the fixed coral which was unmoving, staring at the raw scene. right when i thought my lungs would burst from the pain rising in my chest my head cleared the surface. unable to locate familiar landmarks i looked up at the sky and saw crystal blue. it was almost as if i was upsidedown and the ocean was above me while i was in the clouds. the sight was intoxicating, wondering what reality was. curious as to what would befall if the sky and ocean started to converge. if i cant swim to the shore i might not survive, but who wants to sit casually on the shore, watching all of the waves play tauntingly with the rocks, all the wonders underneath surface waiting to be discovered..this is right where i'm supposed to be.