The Little Orange Monster

Remember THIS lil monster from the weight watchers commercial? His name is hunger, and boy does he present himself in unhealthy ways! Yes, today he disguised his self as Cheetos & Cheez-its! I just watched this commercial and they said something that really made sense! Learn what foods are healthy to snack on, that are also filling! I need to do some research in finding such foods so I can stock up and be prepared when hunger strikes. My workouts went well today, however, I wish I could motivate myself to get them done earlier...

My challenges today:

I succumbed to 27 Cheez-its and 13 Cheetos Puffs for lunch 😩 

I'd like to have a little more self control against these foods when my family brings them into the house.

My triumphs:

I'm sore all over which means my workouts are working!! Yes! 💪

What I ate today:

Breakfast:

100% whole grain rolled oats

1/2 red apple

2 slices whole wheat toast

Lunch:

27 Cheez-its

13 Cheetos Puffs

Dinner:

Chipotle chicken & steak burrito bowl

Exercise:

P90X3 Agility X

Focus T-25 Speed 1.0

P90X3 Ab Ripper

Press Play! ▶️

Today (or yesterday rather) was day 1 of my new fitness challenge! I am doing another round of P90X3 which is a total body workout program. I am also going to try to keep up with Focus T25 as well to get in some cardio, and just for the heck of it, I'm going to try and do X3 Ab Ripper everyday as well! It's roughly an hour and 10 minutes dedicated to a healthier, fitter Me! I pray I'm able to stay focused and not give up!

My challenges today:

I had no meal plan. I really need to figure out my meal planning and prepping because winging it is not gonna always have the best outcome. Even going into the next day, I still don't have a plan.

When you fail to plan, you plan to fail 😔

My triumphs today:

I pressed play!

I got it in!

I did that! 😬

What I ate today:

Breakfast:

Raisin spice oatmeal

Half plain bagel w/ cream cheese

Lunch:

Ham & Cheese Croissant

Dinner: 

Shrimp Stirfy

Jasmine rice

Exercise:

P90X3 Total Synergistics

Focus T-25 Cardio

X3 Ab Ripper

The Great War

Romans 7:21-23

²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?

this scripture is so real to me... as probably it is for most of us! Every true believer, deep down inside, wants to live a life that is pleasing to God, but as this scripture says even after we are born again, our flesh (natural inclinations) continues to be at war with the Spirit of the Lord that resides inside of us...

My Spirit says forgive...

My flesh says hold a grudge & never speak to them again...

My Spirit says demonstrate self-control...

My flesh says girl, eat whatever you want whenever you feel like it...

My Spirit says give that money to someone in need...

My flesh says remember that Gucci purse you wanted? you deserve it, spend it on yourself...

My Spirit says spend some time with the Lord, read His Word, and pray...

My flesh says girl you can do that later Basketball Wives is on...

My Spirit says watch your mouth cause what your about to say is not in love and its unnecessary....

My flesh says keep it real and tell it like it is...

And so it is, this is the war.... Every time I choose to follow my flesh, rather than yielding to the Holy Spirit of God, I allow sin to gain mastery over me. But every time I say YES to the Holy Spirit, I give HIM greater control over my life! 

Have a Blessed Day & REMEMBER, Walk in the Spirit, not in your flesh! =)

Sin Kills

The things that God calls sin, the devil tells us are fun, safe, innocent, desirable, no big deal, meeting our needs, and unavoidable.... The one thing we need to remember is THE DEVIL IS A LIAR!!!! Point Blank!!!

• sin steals joy (Psalms 51:12)
• sin removes confidence (1 John 3:19-21)
• sin brings guilt (Psalms 51:3)
• sin gives satan the upper hand (2 Corinthians 2:9-11)
• sin quenches God's Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19)
• sin brings physical damage (Psalms 38:1-11; 31:10)
• sin causes an ache in the soul (Psalms 32:3-4) 
• sin breaks God's Heart (Ephesians 4:30)
• sin opens the door to other sins (Isaiah 30:1)
• sin breaks fellowship with God (Isaiah 59:1-2)
• sin produces fear (Proverbs 28:1)
• sin makes me its slave (John 8:34; Romans 6:16)

Repentance Invokes Change

More often than not I think that God uses our children to teach us lessons. For instance, I think about this scenario - a child comes home from school, changes clothes, throws dirty clothes on the floor, goes in the kitchen, gets a snack, leaves a mess, skips homework and goes outside to play....
Naturally, we would bring the child in and chastise them on their behavior and let them know that it is unacceptable and there is a better way... Obedience!
The child apologizes and says I'm sorry for leaving my clothes on the floor, I'm sorry for leaving a mess in the kitchen, and I'm sorry for not doing my homework before going out to play.
What do we say?
Your sorry doesn't hold weight if you continue to do it again and again... a repentant heart invokes change... Follow my instructions my son or daughter and I will give you a rest from chastisement...
Likewise it is with our Heavenly Father with us, His children...
We say we don't have time to pray for others, but we pick up the phone and gossip about others for an hour, We don't have time to read the bible, but we make time to go thru emails, texts, and FB posts... We don't feel like going to church on Sunday, but we'll jump at the opportunity to go out with the fellows or clubbin with the girls.
Then God calls us into His presence, either by church / alter call, church TV broadcast, or church radio show, (whatever the means) and we receive chastisement on our behavior, and we are told that it is unacceptable and there is a better way... Obedience!
We say I'm sorry Lord for not making time for You in our lives, not following your instructions, and being disobedient to your Word! But does our sorry hold weight if we continue to live the same way and do the same things? A truly repentant heart invokes CHANGE!
I think about how I feel when my child says sorry and does the same thing again & again. Then, I think, WOW! That's how I make God feel when I apologize for my wrongs and turn around and do them again...
My words mean nothing without the actions to back them up!
God says to us - Follow my instructions my son or daughter and I will give you rest...

Matthew 11:28-30
²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”


(Message Version)
^28-30"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Gods Grace

There are some things in life that will knock you on your butt! But you don't have to stay there. Roll over, on your knees until the Grace of God can stand you back up. Communicate with God, develop a relationship with him, and make a commitment to him!
Thinkin about the Grace of God gets me hyphy!! I thank God for his Grace! Gods Grace strengthens me to keep my commitment to Him... Being confident in Gods power and not my own! I am confident that grace saved me...
because of Gods Grace I'm saved from sin
because of Gods Grace I'm saved from myself
because of Gods Grace I'm saved from destruction
because of Gods Grace I'm confident that His Grace made me what I am and who I am
because of Gods Grace I'm a wife
because of Gods Grace I'm a mother
because of Gods Grace I'm a sister
because of Gods Grace I'm a daughter
because of Gods Grace I'm a lifegiver
because of Gods Grace I'm cleansed
because of Gods Grace I'm restored
because of Gods Grace I'm strengthened
because of Gods Grace my mind is renewed
because of Gods Grace I'm distinctively different
because of Gods Grace no weapon formed against me shall prosper
because of Gods Grace I walk with purpose
because of Gods Grace I'm more than a conqueror
because of Gods Grace I'm the head and not the tail
because of Gods Grace I don't have pride
because of Gods Grace I can love my neighbor
because of Gods Grace I can love my enemy
because of Gods Grace I'm an overcomer
because of Gods Grace I cannot fail
because of Gods Grace I will not fail
because of Gods Grace I'm above and not beneath
because of Gods Grace I have no fear
because of Gods Grace I wear the helmet of salvation
because of Gods Grace I wear the breastplate of righteousness
because of Gods Grace I am not ashamed of the gospel
because of Gods Grace I can endure hardness
because of Gods Grace I'm a royal priesthood
because of Gods Grace I'm a peculiar people
because of Gods Grace I'm a holy nation
because of Gods Grace I am forgiven
because of Gods Grace I can forgive
because of Gods Grace I am not a recovering anything
because of Gods Grace, I am a new creature in Christ Jesus
Not because of ME, but because of the Grace of God!

Happy Thanksgiving

When I woke up this morning I was so sick and out of it, I felt something like a Thanksgiving Scrooge, bah humbug... I quickly checked my attitude at the keyboard as I logged into Twitter and FaceBook to see all my friends posting how thankful and grateful they were for various things in their lives... So I thought, what am I MOST thankful for and why?
I am MOST thankful for God sending his Holy and perfect son Jesus Christ to live on earth as a man to be an example of how WE should live our lives, allowing Him to be a ransom for the forgiveness of OUR sins, and allowing Him to conquer hell and the grave by raising Him 3 days later to sit at His right hand so that His Spirit may reside in ME to lead me and guide me in the ways of righteousness... Out of all the the love I've experienced in this world, that has to be the greatest!
I am thankful for the breath of life God allowed for me to breathe this morning and fully realize that the ONLY reason I am able to rise and breathe is because it is for HIS glory. It is in His plan for my life to continue to be a Godly example and fulfill His will and the purpose he has for my life...
I am thankful the unconditional love that flows through my family and that as we live and grow together we gain a better understanding of each other and who we are in Christ.
I am thankful for the numerous connections I've made in my life... whether they be for a reason, season, or lifetime...
I am thankful for every experience, test, trial, and victory... they teach me to talk to God, trust in God, lean on God, depend on God, believe in God, and mostly, to continue to grow in God and deepen my relationship with Him...
However, In everything we are supposed to give thanks... everyday!! So these are things I am thankful for everyday, not just on today!! So today, on this Thanksgiving, instead of focusing on all that I have received, I shall focus on what I can GIVE! Not in a material sense, but in an encouraging inspirational way... So my next question is what can i give you??
I can be kind and help a person when I see they have a need...
I can be gentle and sensitive towards ones emotions...
I can share my wisdom and experiences to help someone going through the same issues that I have successfully conquered...
I can hold my Peace and not get all puffed up about the minor things in life and give a living example of grace and mercy...
I can give Patience when people get all puffed up with me and let the Peace of a Holy God residing on the inside of me to prevail...
I can give Unconditional Love and love a person for the person God called them to be regardless of their situation, their actions, and if its reciprocated...
I can demonstrate self-control when faced with temptations so that I don't kill my witness, knowing that for some people I AM the bible that they read...
When I have the power to tear someone down and have every right to do so I will operate in Meekness and show them the love of a Holy God...
When I glance back over the last few years of my life, I'm looking to see how I have grown. Has MY tree of life beared any fruit or harvest? My pastor said "YOU CAN'T LOVE GOD AND NOT GROW!" That is really deep when you sit and think about it... So as I sit and think, YES, I see growth, I see fruit, and I see a harvest... I have grown, I have matured, after 8 years of no conception for no apparent reason, God blessed us with not 1 but 2 pregnancies, God blessed us with a house, and HE has stabilized our jobs and schedules to maintain our family dynamics, just to name a few things...
The things that I am thankful for and the things I have to give reflect who I am in Christ and the relationship I have with HIM! No, I'm not rockin a 4 carat ring, I don't live in a big fancy house, I'm not rollin the flyest whip for 2010, I'm not rich, and I don't wear the latest trends because I don't identify with materialistic things! They have nothing to do with a Holy God...
I am who I am... a child of God... Thankful for my life...
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours =)