Do you ever feel like just as soon as you get focused, serious and on purpose, life happens in the worst way and it’s like you’re back at ground zero in chaos? You finally get a promotion or pay increase and an unexpected tax bill arrives or medical procedure or even the dang car breaks down. It just feels like the universe is constantly challenging your sanity, patience, and love. Or is it just me?

I feel super jazzed to be finally consistently vlogging, then I realize I am not blogging. I finally plan my life in a manageable way that is not overwhelming and seems harmonious with my family and faith and there’s not one but TWO hurricanes that shut down the state and of course my awesome, harmonious schedule. I am finally getting consistent with working out at the gym and my subscription to my workout trainer program expires because my auto renewal failed. All these things I do to earn money and I have zero customers and zero commission. I just can’t find the break to catch it. But still, I press on.

I have decided all of this is exactly as the Word says: character building, faith building and to draw my focus off myself and back to the Lord from where all my help comes. It is very challenging to take the everyday stresses of life: marriage, parenting, and politics and say I will not be distressed about tomorrow because Jesus will take care of it. I mean it is easy to say it, it is challenging to really live out. The truth is that when I am able to believe the verses 25-34 of Matthew chapter 6, I find such strength and encouragement for my situation. Honestly, it’s pretty much how I make it moment to moment with a positive attitude.

Attitude is important on an airplane, it is the orientation (basically where the nose and wings are) of the aircraft relative to the horizon or flight path; if the nose is down, the aircraft is going down. Well if that isn’t exactly how it is I don’t know what is. A poor attitude brings not only the person down but also everyone around. My biggest challenge these days is my attitude. I feel easily triggered and frequently emotional. How can I help someone if I am an emotional roller coaster? I can’t. That’s why the management of attitude is important. I want to help people.  It’s all perspective. I can see the glass half full of water or equally full of water and air. My attitude will determine my altitude.

Routines are helpful. Boring at first and troublesome even to establish because they take me away from the spontaneous chaos I am so used to. They humble me into accountability to myself and my goals and they develop in me a discipline to the best actions before the fun ones. Oh but how things become fun once the routine has begun and the benefits are being exposed. My best example of this, is of course, the gym. When I first began going to the gym I went sporadically, late at night and had no plan other than cardio for 30 to 60 minutes. Needless to say, I didn’t really enjoy going. I felt intimidated by healthier physiques and insecure in my lack of knowledge about weights. But still, I pressed on.

Since those early years, I’ve grown. I have once again begun attending the gym more consistently and during daylight hours now. I bring a notebook with the days’ exercises written down and a pen to record the reps, weights, sets completed. I read the machines for instruction without shame and I will even ask one of the gyms trainers questions if I see they’re available between clients. I am a regular gym rat now! The benefit doesn’t stop there.   My body physique is changing! I am so in love with the results but I’ve also found thinking during my workout to be helpful in producing good feelings. I have literally walked out of the gym after workout sore but dancing because I just felt… HAPPY!

There is only one way I found that allows a positive perspective even during the most troubling times. Focusing on the Lord. Are usually look inward to see what I may be doing that separates me from Jesus and they focus on his word to help me get strength to overcome Philippians 4:8 I have found consistently, that reading the Bible daily, praying-mostly giving thanks for what I have and asking to love people more instead of getting caught up in negativity and listening to gospel music helps. Or use devotional books to give me some guidance in my Bible reading. I have found that having different devotionals to read has helped me to realize when the Holy Spirit is giving me discernment about something. I have playlists that are at least an hour long on Spotify and iTunes. (you can check them out)  This usually helps me when driving since I have been working on road rage behavior.  I try to pray at least in the morning, with my kids and always after spending time in the Word. These little opportunities to be in the Lord’s presence helps tremendously more than I realize but as I reflect I can see the difference and I am thankful.

While I cannot control the day or the outcome of everything, I am learning that success hides in daily activity and a positive perspective. Negative thoughts, mean-spirited people and just all-around crappy days happen, my goal is to take it as it comes, quickly get back to Jesus about it, whatever “it” is, and to trust that “it” will work for my good and His glory. It may sound corny if you don’t know Jesus but I can assure you, you will experience a peace that surpasses understanding if you:

• are open to character development
• keep steadfast FOCUS on Jesus
• accept that obedience to routine is humbling
• exercise to help release feel-good hormones
• pray and read your Bible expecting divine peace
• meditate on what is honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise
• give yourself time
• be persistent and
• be consistent

This is the best plan I have ever had, experienced and found victory with.

It’s amazing what a win feels like when it when it was a personal battle of faith that you pressed on through. It’s like no other and it can make you greedy for another. Perhaps that’s why the word encourages us with Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Until next time friends,  keep pressing on!

Aloha friends!  I want to begin this post with an apology for appearing to be MIA. I have been writing draft after draft and feeling like I need to add more research, more data. I suppose with the craze of fake news splashing my notifications constantly, I don’t want to contribute to the chaos.  Well, pathetic excuses aside, I HAVE been creating LOTS of content to share. I mean, I have really been having some adventures these 2 months and I am very excited to share with you. In fact, I have kept most of my adventures off of social media so that I can share with YOU FIRST!

So, where to begin… I took my first vacation alone ever in life. I went to Washington State, rented a car and spent the next 6 days growing into a healthier adult and I absolutely loved it! I highly recommend vacationing alone once in a while to a new place. It really can be so fulfilling and fun!!

Speaking of new… I may have mentioned that I was taking a class at the university here. Well, it was a short class about cleansing and the benefits to the body. I missed the last class to catch my flight to the airport, but I learned so much, I am super pumped to share with you what I learned which led me to… wait for it…

Water fasting. Yes, I left my cleanse class with an insatiable desire to do a water fast! I know, I know, you must be thinking I am crazy. You have really no idea. Wait until I tell you how long I am doing the fast for… 40 days. Yes, friends. 40 days is the goal. I did not arrive at that number on my own, please know that. I also DO NOT recommend anyone follow in my footsteps without properly preparing AND SPEAKING TO YOUR DOCTOR. I did. I prepared for a month and got my doctors’ ok and then I went nuts. You should know, that’s just how I do things these days. All in or why?

one of my happy places is my little garden… great things are growing here!

Does that seem like a lot for just 2 months? It does to me, but then again, at the time of writing this I am on day 18 of my 40 days and I am feeling like I could jump off the Seattle Space Center (with a bungee of course). Ok, I got that idea from an amazing simulated adventure available in the Space Center but then I found out that in Vegas… wait, did I mention my husband and I are planning a Vegas vacay? Yes friends, that too! OMG! What is going on in Maui in 2018? Lots friends, lots and lots and I hope and pray lots more.

Speaking of praying, spiritual growth is happening also. It’s amazing what goes on in a mind and to attempt to clear out the negative while feeding our bodies toxic substances is extremely challenging, but not impossible. Eliminating the additional toxins while clearing our minds is much easier in my opinion because the demons that plague us come head on and are relentless. The need for Jesus and the presence of the Lord has become very evident to me this past month and I am excited to share that with you also!

So, this is just a short, quick update to check in and let you know that I think of you often, am preparing what I hope you will find is GREAT content and I am having some amazing experiences that are following along with our New Year plan of action.  I am excited and optimistic about the future and the way it is going. I hope you are having some amazing experiences yourself and you have been true to your heart and following your goals for this new year. I know, it’s May 1st tomorrow so the year isn’t so new, but it’s always new to me when each day is the beginning of something amazing.

Ok friends. I am in between responsibilities right now and must go grab my daughter from school and I want to jump into the posts I have been hinting at. I will return shortly and look forward to sharing all that I have to share. I hope you are excited to read all about it too!