My Big Life Change!

Picture taken by Abby Austin of 1000 Miles on my own two feet.



MY GOALS FOR LIFE!

To transform my life, with God's help of course, one step at a time.

1. Get healthy & honor God with my body

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter


2.Become at least 50% sustainable with emphasis on doing our part to take care of God's planet.


3. Live life as an adventure, experiencing new places, things & people.
18 out of 150 bucket list goals accomplished


4. Become debt free & build security for my family, so we can then bless others financially also.

5. Continue to grow closer to God, building My family's faith & sharing the Gospel with those we meet, by using the talents and gifts God has provided us.

6.Continue to make money by creating and sharing my thoughts and beliefs through artistic expression: all the while hoping that my art will impact others. "Holly Kennedy

: All I know is, if you don't figure out this something, you'll just stay ordinary, and it doesn't matter if it's a work of art, or a taco, or a pair of socks! Just create something... new, and there it is, and it's you, out in the world, outside of you, and you can look at it, or hear it, or read it, or feel it... and you know a little more about... you. A little bit more than anyone else does... Does that make any sense at all?" Quote from PS I LOVE YOU

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Does anyone have the map to the narrow road?


Tonight I was inspired by one of my dear friends to pick up my Bible. I will be honest with you, I don't read my Bible as often as I should. I love to go to church and gain God's wisdom through the teaching and the life lessons, but I have neglected the Word. I am not sure why reading it is so difficult. Perhaps, its the thought that it will be boring and I won't understand it. Or maybe its because I don't want to hear what God has for me to learn. I think both apply actually. My big life change has to be spiritual as well as physical and emotional. God is my savior and my friend, my comforter and my provider. But I am despirately needing to see Him as my guide. Too many times in this life do I let the world choose how I am to live. My friends, the television, society, even my enemies make my choices for me. I want God to guide me, and I think that I have finally made the decision to read His Word and see where he takes me.


Tonight I read Hosea chapter 1 & 2. A wonderful story of how a nation fell away from God and how he used many trials and heartaches to get them back. He related this whole story to a marriage, in which God told Hosea to marry a woman who would be unfaithful to him and would have children by other men, but would come back to him in the end. Hosea knew ahead of time that she would cheat, but he obeyed God.


What a guy! What an example of obedience towards God! I don't know if i can be that faithful. But, I want to! I want to obey God even if I know that my world will fall apart. Only He, can help me become the person I want to be. I want Joslyn to know of God's love and mercy. I want her to see His miracles and know the blessings that God gives when you serve others.


I have known of the blessings that come with service. I have served in the church, many different ones, almost my whole life. I love the feeling I get when I am being His hands and feet. But, I love that feeling too much. I need that feeling to bring up my self esteem. I wain for the acceptance that comes with doing for others. I realized this when I went through Celebrate Recovery and did the 12 steps. I just haven't changed. God has been very merciful with me and has allowed me to help so many people, through Him only. But upon doing this, I have been able to keep the focus on others and not my shortcomings. I have ignored my family's needs in order to serve, many times and I don't want to do that anymore. Also, I have recently discovered that I will stay somewhere I am not supposed to stay, because I was commited to serving those people. I don't want to go to a church because I can serve there. I want to go to a church because that is where God wants me. I don't want to leave my family to serve, when I know that I am needed at home. My God must come first and my family must come second. Service should be God breathed, and I believe that when it is, that everything else will fall in line.


So, in order to put the focus of my attentions back on God and not on serving, I am going on what I call a serving strike, for 1 year. I have started going back to Celebrate Recovery and I am anxious to see where God is going to lead me next. This is the first time that I can recall that I am not committing to a church or a service project. Believe me, this is scarier then going to a holy roller church. Not making a plan, not scheduling, God is leading. I feel that this will be a wonderful discovery for me and my family. And I hope through out it all, we will be a stronger family, but mostly I want to be closer to God and know that where I have been on this discovery, He has lead me!
PS. the picture is the view from my front porch!

Friday, June 11, 2010

100 new recipies!


Okay so part of my Adventure list is to try to make 100 different recipies from around the world. I love to cook, but besides the normal hamburger helper, lasagna, chicken enchiladas, and tacos. I don't try many new things. This is a new way to get out of my comfort zone and become a better person. If you have a recipe from a country that I may not have on my list, or if you know a better recipe, please comment. I can't wait to see how this goes.

1.France
2.Slovenia
3.Czech (Jennie & Dan)
4.Germany (Roladen)
5.Columbia (Jennie & Dan)
6.Cuba
7.Jamaica
8.China
9.Japan
10.Tunisia
11.Italy
12.Spain
13.Australia
14.Argentina
15.Belize
16.Albania
17.Belgium
18.Chile
19.Denmark
20.Fiji
21.Greece
22.Guatemala
23.Dominican Republic
24.Hungary
25.Iceland
26.Ireland
27.Matagascar
28.Libia
29.Mexico
30.Morocco
31.New Zealand
32.Netherlands
33.Norway
34.Philippians
35.Panama
36.Peru
37.Romania
38.Russia
39.Sweden
40.Slovakia
41.Saudi Arabia
42.Scotland
43.South Africa
44.Serbia
45.Samoa
46.Turkey
47.Palau
48.Sri Lanka
49.Tanzania
50.Taiwan
51.Uganda
52.Uruguay
53.Vietnam
54.Ukraine
55.Syria
56.Switzerland
57.Venezuela
58.Wales
59.Croatia
60.Antigua
61.Bangladesh
62.Canada
63.Congo
64.North Korea
65.South Korea
66.Kenya
67.Honduras
68.Haiti
69.Finland
70.England
71.Egypt
72.El Salvador
73.Ecuador
74.Ethiopia
75.Israel (Shakshuka)
76.Iraq
77.Iran (Mirza Ghassemi)
78.India
79.Indonesia
80.Luxembourg
81.Grenada
82.Monoco
83.Malta
84.Malaysia
85.Poland
86.Portugal
87.Pakistan
88.Senegal
89.Soloman Islands
90.Cape Verde
91.Chad
92.Comoros
93.Cyprus (Kat)
94.Yemen
95.Zaire
96.Zimbabwe
97.Thailand
98.Tibet
99.Seychelles
100.Vatican City

I will need so much help with these!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Bows & Arrows


So I have been a very bad blogger and haven't written awhile. Life has taken me in many different directions lately. I have been busy helping my very good friends open a store The Lime Zebra. A very cute consignment and boutique in Moore, Oklahoma. Joslyn has learned to roll over from her back to her belly, but can't roll on to her back. She gets frustrated fast when on her belly. Also camp wow was this week and i have spent days preparing for it. I do not get to go with the youth this year and I am saddened by it. Adjusting to Chickasha hasn't been hard yet because I am always in the city. I am determined to check out a few places next week that will be in Chickasha that other moms will hang out, ie; library, park, and splash pad. Maybe I will meet some moms from here. The main reason I am writing is because I crossed off another item on my adventure list.
Shooting a bow!

I am so thrilled that my best friend Greenie introduced me to Abby. She is one of those people that you can have tons of fun with but also sit down and have a meaningful conversation with. She has grown to be one of my dear friends. Two weeks ago, Abby and Paul came up for a visit. They drove up in their cute little camper with both George and Emma (german shepards) fogging up the back windows. John and Paul get along famously, so they went off to shoot their pellet guns and left us girls to talk. After an evening of my chicken enchiladas, Mamma Mia, scotch for everyone but me, and great conversation, we crashed around 1 am. My favorite part of the evening was watching Abby help Joslyn get a bath and read books. The next morning before it got too hot, we got the bows out. Paul was my intructor for the lesson and I got all of the dos and don't about shooting a bow. I got to use Abby's bow and after the 6th or 7th shot I actually hit the target. I was thrilled! It was fun. I am enjoying my adventures one by one. The more fearful the experience, the better I feel after it is accomplished. Fear will not control me. Well until next time, happy bow hunting!