Gone Fishin’

One of my friends made a comment on facebook today about Bank of America and while I totally agree with her ,it reminded me of a story that I must share with you. Before moving back to Colorado permanently, my husband and I had to return to Texas without our children to pack up our life there and bring it back here. This whole process was, well to say the least, probably the most stressful two weeks of my life. First off, I missed my kids like mad, even though there was no way we could have gotten everything done with them there. Second, we had two properties there including the one we were living in that needed renters. Third, we had a property management business consisting of 75 doors that needed to be handed off for good. Last but not least, pack all of our crap into a huge truck which always sucks!!

Now I feel it very important to mention my husband and I had been doing a lot of praying during this whole process. I talked to god a lot! Everything was just so completely up in the air the moment we stepped off the plane back into Texas, we needed all the guidance we could get. On this particular day my hubby and I where on our way to Bank of America with two very large checks in hand that need to be deposited. While in the drive up teller line Nels, my husband, set the deposit slip with the two very large summed checks on the metal tray for retrieval. We waited, as the teller on the other side of the glass stood talking to a coworker not paying attention one bit when all of a sudden a gust of wind blew a random recipet into our car. Nels looked into the tray only to find the checks missing and the girl on the other side of the glass looking at him like “hello, aren’t you gonna put your deposit in the tray”? So of course all hell broke loose, we were now missing a three thousand dollar check and a seven thousand dollar check that belonged to two of our properties owners. We immediately pulled into a parking spot and started scouring the parking lot for these two checks with no luck. Now the whole time we had been dealing with Bank of America prior to this experience had not been good. Long lines, horrible customer service, the list goes on. So when I suugested we go inside and talk to the branch manager, Nels snapped back some not so pretty words about BOA and that it would just be a waste of time. So while I continued to look in the parking lot I found someone’s ATM card on the ground. I picked it up, looked at it and thought, “I need to take this inside”. So I went inside, immediately grabbed a branch manager told him what happened, gave him the card and asked him if BOA would take responsibility for the fee of stop payments we would have to put on these two checks. He said “well actually someone just came in a few seconds before you and said he found a loose check in the parking lot, let me see if it’s yours”. Luckily it was!!!! While the branch manager was dealing with our teller I turned to go back outside but was met by husband. He was astonished to see the check and even more astonished because he had found the other one but it was in the drainage gutter and needed something to retrieve it with. So we asked the manager to look for something for us and then poof!

Sidebar—- One of the benefits of being a landlord is when people ditch out, you are sometimes left with some really cool stuff.  Just prior to taking our bank trip that day we had emptied out a deserted apartment and found two perfectly good fishing poles that just so happened to be in our truck. Yes, you guessed it, I said “the fishing poles”!!!

So we both ran outside, grabbed a fishing pole and …. went fishing. I asked Nels, “how the hell did you find it down here in the gutter”? While he was fishing, he looked up at me and told me, “I just stopped for a second and said a prayer, I asked god to help me find this check, then something told me to go check the gutter and there it was just about to be washed away” and viola, he hooked the dirty, wet, stinky $7,000 check! We took it back inside and pretty much told the bank manager, “there you go bro, you can deposit this check now”, with the biggest smiles on our faces. After we all had a good laugh, the two checks were deposited. Nels and I were besides ourselves with disbelief. We just kept on looking at each other saying, “was that for real”??? So as you see… Miracles do happen, luckily with no blood in this case but LOTS of sweat and LOTS of faith.

(via mashupmama.com)

Yourself as a machine

I believe seasonal change brings about new inspiration. Well that, in addition to the fact that I just moved back home to Colorado and have been “honeymoon” mode if you will for the past two months. Yes, I realize the honeymoon ends and at some point I might find myself again saying, “what am I gonna do now or what should I do next”? But while this possibility is off in the distance, I am embracing the much needed life change and starting to build up rather than just laying foundation.

I have Texas to thank for the foundation but Colorado will be utilized for my building blocks. I’ve been working at two really cool gyms in Denver. One happens to be a super swanky gym in Cherry Creek called “Pura Vida“, and am loving the energy there. See, I think the thing so many people miss about fitness is general is that you have to constantly be changing it up. We as humans gets bored real quick, especially when it comes to staying in shape. We have to always be challenged, no to two ways about it, or we will quit. So I am really excited to mention I will be taking a new certification course for what I believe is the best thing since sliced bread. It’s called TRX. This ingenious contraption was invented by none other than a navy seal. It is the most versatile, universal and easy to use piece of equipment ever. It can be done absolutely anywhere which is what I love about it. In addition to this, I have been getting a lot of requests for my class playlists, spinning profiles and nutrition advice which has given me the urge to “expand” my business if you will. For the most part I have been trying to put it all on this blog but I realize now, the whole fitness aspect of this site will have to be a monster of it’s own which is why I decided to create mashupfitness.com. This site is currently under construction but will be solely focused on the fitness aspect of my career. With this new certification I will be able to reach a lot bigger audience because I can come to you with this, you do not need to join a gym to participate in working out with me. But, if you are a member of a gym and looking for new resources to spice up your normal gym routine then you will be able to download my playlists, workouts, recipes and much more! So stay tuned… this should be interesting.

(via mashupmama.com)

Long time no see

Aside from life itself, so much as happened since the last time I posted. In due time, you will hear all about it, especially the really juicy stuff. But for now, I’m keepin’  it short and sweet. After a small sabatical if you will, I’m back. Back in the habit and back with a new found ambition. I was in church this past sunday and the pastor said something that I thought was very profound. He was talking about how there are times in our spiritual journeys when we feel completely dry. We feel far away and don’t feel much closeness to the one whom we should always feel closest.

This is totally normal by the way, we as humans all go through this. But he said, “when you feel like crap, like you are not going anywhere, stop and take a look backwards at where you’ve been and how far you’ve come”. I found this statement to be rather ironic since we have just moved back in with my parents. It was just six years ago that I was here in this same place, “the cave”, as my husband and I call it because it’s strategically located in the basement where we are fortunate enough to have 1 window. If I wasn’t thick enough on the sarcasm, I was TOTALLY being sarcastic.

On the flipside, my husband and I both landed jobs before the move was official, which in my opinion in today’s economy, is unheard of. To top that off, my situation in particular is rather sweet. This is where my story today begins…..

After we decided to move I immediately found myself on the prowl. I pretty much just googled gyms in Denver hunting for the best of the best. You see I would have to say I might be a bit ADD in that I get bored pretty easily. I will do something balls to the wall for a period of time whether it be a few months to a year, get bored with it and look for something bigger and better. This holds so true for my fitness career. It first started with my certification in Spinning, then after a year I was getting bored and wanted to do something different, hence obtaining my group fitness certification and kickboxing certification. After adding another bundle of classes to my week, with a total of eleven, I quickly found myself again wanting more. Just so you know, I’m a fairly impatient person. If I find something I want to do, having to wait to do it is near impossible for me to handle. With that said, there was only so much that was available to me  in South Texas and like I said I wanted more. New and innovative equipment and techniques are hitting gyms nationwide and I quickly discovered Denver just so happened to be an excellent resource in this arena. My point is, things just really started falling into place for me. Like I said, I looked for the best because I wanted a challenge. I found a really posh, state of the art, club in Cherry Creek and another top of the line club in downtown Denver. I got contact information, sold myself and landed interviews for both. Two interviews and auditions later, the jobs were mine. Most importantly with room to grow. More specifically, more opportunity for me to take additional certifications with new and innovative equipment. Now if you know me at all, this is the type of thing that just makes me dance my ass off. After slapping myself a couple of times to convince myself that this was in fact real and truly happening, I do what I always do, I got on my knees and thanked god for the marvelous blessing. So even though I’m having to swallow my pride and live in my parents basement yet again, (did I mention there was one window), I’ll take it gladly if it means another area of my life will blossom tremendously. Last but not least I think it’s really important to mention, none of this would have been possible had I not started in a really humble gym with a group of really amazing individuals that I wouldn’t have even considered co-workers. They where my friends and they mean the world to me. I am forever grateful to Jason Martinez, gym owner of The Ultimate Fitness Center in Weslaco, Texas……. thanks Jay, for giving me a shot! I promise you, I won’t forget where I came from. And to Denver….BRING IT BABY!!!

(via mashupmama.com)

vintage reworked

This really is my true passion. If you haven’t read my bio, please do, it really explains what makes me tick. When I was pregnant with my first I was so lucky to land the best job possible. My dad told me about an ad in the newspaper looking for a seamstress for a high end interior design workroom. Long description I know, but I thought I should go check it out. I did at that point just get my degree in Apparel Design and Merchandising with my concentration in Production so I happened to know my way around the sewing machine pretty damn good if I do say so myself. Plus I’m really good at doing things with my hands, I pick things up really easily. I can see something done once or twice and pretty much wing it from there. It’s actually how I learned to cut my husbands hair but that’s a whole another story. Turns out this job ended up being an amazing blessing. This was by far the ideal job for any pregnant girl, I got to sit all day and do the one thing I loved, which was sew. This environment was so calming for me. My boss was an amazing lady, stubborn, (she’d probably say the same for me), but amazing. This is probably why I worked for her for so long. She was much like a mother hen that took me under her wing and taught me everything she knew. I will forever be grateful for such an inspiring boss. I want to add,  this was by no means a sweatshop, in fact it was cutest most comfortable place for me to be. I was one among only a few employees that she had. I think at the time she had a total of four industrial sewing machines. We worked with many high profile interior designers in Denver on a daily basis. We did pillows, shams and dust skirts for some really high profile homes, I think we even did some stuff for a few of the colorado Avalanche players homes. The best part about this job, aside from the fact that I learned so much working there was the perks. By perks I mean fabric. We dealt with very expensive fabric, so expensive in fact, we’d get bolts of fabric in the shop worth more than my car. But every Friday was like Christmas because we got to go through all the scraps and take what we wanted, which is how this little $20 coffee table I found in a beat up antique shop acquired a quilted top and matching pillows. This has been one of the first furniture rehabs I have done in three years since I left Colorado. But as you can see, it’s just like riding a bike. I think it turned out rather beautifully I might add. Total cost of materials were as follows:

table $20

fabric- free

materials (paint, staples, foam, scotch guard, trim, buttons) $35

down pillow inserts, 2@ $9

TOTAL COST: $73

end result: my cat “pepper” is extremely happy to have a permanent bed fit for a queen at the foot of my bed……..priceless!

(via mashupmama.com)

There’s no place like home

Well the rumors are true. Familia Pina- Anderson is packing up and going home…. to Colorado that is. I am just as shocked as anyone else at this point. It all happened so fast it’s surreal. As I stated in my previous post, I had been praying for quite awhile as to what we should do, what direction we should go and when it was going to happen. If I wasn’t clear enough before, I got my long awaited answer upon my throne, my bike. I do not question at all the authenticity of this divine intervention. And since that point I have not faltered in willingness to follow orders. Now to dispell any, uh, how shall I say…. haters out there who don’t believe in getting answers from none other then yourselves, let me just explain how it’s done. I have yet to hear some loud booming voice saying “Jasmine, this is god, I’m here to tell you the answers you seek, you shall now go and……”  If that has happened to any of you than that’s freakin cool. I don’t doubt that god would take it upon himself to be that obvious, yet I believe he created each and every one of us in such a unique way he expects us to use his guidance with our own heart’s desires and go forth to seek, find or do on our own. Jesus does not magically provide a magic carpet to take us from one place to the next. Just like your mama said, “god gave you two legs, use them”. I did hear a voice but it wasn’t literally, I didn’t actually hear it like I hear sound…..it was a direct thought rather that popped into my brain while I was ready, open and willing to recieve it, then I understood. All this thought said was, “you can go home now, it’s time”. That moment was none other than extreme release and peace for me. I felt the biggest weight lift from my shoulders. Finally I had my answer and I knew what I needed to do. Mind you, this was just this monday……it is only now thursday, but in that time I have now found someone to purchase my rental properties and found someone to rent the home I now live in.

With the aid of the amazing southwest airline ding fares, I was able to get flights to Denver for an awesome price. At the moment I have met with my lawyer to discuss a wrap around mortgage since I will owner financing my rental property. Now we must find someone to purchase our property management business. Any takers?

Yes, I am scared shitless!!! Actually I think my being scared shitless is an understatement. But to my amazement, my father and his profound words of encouragement have set my nerves at ease. And no one really wants to move back in with their parents, I mean getting away from them was part of the reason we left in the first place. So to some of you we might seem like hypocrites, to me I see growth and I see humility which is something I have never been able to practice. Scratch that, we are all able to practice humility, we just choose not to because of this crazy little cancer called “pride”. So getting back to what I was saying, time and age changes everything and swallowing my pride has gotten a lot easier than it was three years ago. This is saying a lot coming from the queen of, “I have done nothing wrong, it is all your fault”.

In retrospect, I have not regretted my move to Texas, at all, not even a little bit. I found god, I found myself, I made some amazing friends, I’ve learned a lot of really crucial life lessons….but just like my message said……it’s time to go now and I’m ready. So in my perpetually happy sad state until it’s through and we are settled in back home, I’ll end with this…..movement and change are absolutely necessary for the really good stuff to happen. I’m so excited to experience another one.

(via mashupmama.com)

Music saved my soul

I do and don’t mean this literally. God saved my soul but he saved it through I medium I would totally and completely understand. I want to add, I believe he does this for everyone. He uses the things he knows we have in our heart to send us messages. This has not been the first time he’s done it either. Back in college after being heartbroken from a breakup, I turned to music and fitness for solace. At first I did it for revenge, I did it to get in shape and turn his head. Despite what he may say I know it worked. Then it turned into something for me, something I hadn’t expected and I quickly became addicted to it. I became addicted to the bass from the beats. I became addicted to what the music made my body do when I danced to it. I became addicted to the people I met because they accepted me with open arms.

A few months into this journey I bought my first techno cd ever, it was Bad Boy Bill, Bangin the box volume four. Mind you, this was over ten years ago, but it just so happened he was playing at a local club here on friday night. So with my hubby, pumas and highstepper dancing partner in hand we went to the show. I knew I would be surrounded by a bunch of way younger people but I didn’t care. I had to check out and see what he had to tell me with is decks. I was far from dissapointed. In fact my throat was sore from all the screaming I did.

After leaving the club dripping sweat from dancing I went home and slept like a child. This was just the beginning of what this genre of music would  do for me later the next day and the day after. The “day after” I refer to was today, and today  I turned thirty. I woke up this morning wishing someone would come clean my house for me and then the phone calls started pouring in.The first was from my 86 year old  great grandmother singing me happy birthday and thanking god for the additional year I have been blessed with.  This is when the tears began.

Please know this, this woman has called me every year on my birthday since I can remember and done the same exact thing.  Not once has it made me cry until today.

Then I headed to the gym to teach my normal 9:30 spin class. I usually spend some time putting together a playlist for my classes, I take this part pretty seriously. I feel like it’s the music that drives people to push themselves beyond their comfortable limits. And this is the place where they start to see results. Anyways, this morning I did not have a playlist put together, so I decided on an album I’ve listened to many times before. I  also decided on an endurance and strength training ride which is only about 70-80% of your maximum heart rate. It’s usually a bit slower, not as up and down and all around like the interval high intensity rides I usually do. These endurance rides I love because we don’t break between tracks and this is where by the end of the ride you are just dripping with sweat. I chose to do this this morning because I wanted some time on my bike to reflect and pray. Yes, believe it or not, I pray all the time on my bike. You wouldn’t know I was by looking at me but I do.

About twenty five minutes into the ride a song came on that all of a sudden spoke to me in a way that I totally was not prepaired for. You see, I have been praying about something for the past few weeks, something that has really been troubling me. I have been feeling totally lost in my surroundings not knowing where to hang my hat or how to make sense of it all. Today my prayer was answered through the lyrics of this song. It was the most beautiful voice in the form of a little Asian princess singing to me while on my bike, while on my throne if you will. I put my head down on my towel so no one would see me and I cried so hard my stomach hurt because god gave me my answer. He gave it to me in a way he knew I would see the red flashing lights saying……Jasmine, let your fears go, and you might find your way back home, let your fears go and you might find your not lost. I’ve heard this song many times before but not like this. So today has been a “happy sad” day as my husband and I have been calling it. I know it sounds really silly but I feel different, I feel new and I feel changed. Most importantly I know what I need to do……it’s time to go home.

(via mashupmama.com)

Losing your twenties

Well, I am turning 30 in 10 days now. I think I’m among the last out of all of my friends. In retrospect, if a forty year old were reading this post right now, she’d probably say, ” ha, thirty is nothing, wait till you turn forty, stop whining”!

It’s been really weird though I’ve been going through some really weird changes. For one, I woke up one morning and decided it was time to take my nose ring out. I’ve had this nose ring for ten years now but felt it just wasn’t me anymore. On to some ink maybe…. ha, as if that’s any more me than a stupid nose ring. No seriously, I really want a tattoo. Second I cut my hair into this totally grungy kind of gypsy look, if that makes any sense and I haven’t put on makeup in almost a month now. In addition to that, for the past year I have been wearing fake nails and again just woke up and looked at my hands and thought…”gross”, this is not me. What is going on? Am I turning into a hippie or something?

I don’t know what wild hair has graced me with it’s presence but it’s been rather interesting the past few weeks around my household. I know one method to my madness  has to do with where I live. I just don’t feel at home. I want to leave and find the spot where I can lay down my roots. I want a big piece of land with a bunch of pets and a bunch of trees. I want to live far enough away from civilization but close enough because I know I’ll need to be. Again….if that make any sense. The only thing that makes me happy right now is hanging out with my kids, my hubby, my church and being at the gym. Why? because this is where the uncensored version of my life thrives.

My kids don’t lie to me, they tell me how it is. They are not vindictive and spiteful. Yes, sometimes they drive me to insanity but they are real, no bs. My husband is not one of those guys that will tell me “no” if I ask him if an outfit looks good on me, he’s not a beat around the bush type of the guy,  in fact he’s the furthest from that type. I sometimes have to tell him to keep the truth to himself.

At the gym, people bare their most intimate souls. I say this because I think the number one thing people have shortcomings with is their physical appearance. It takes a lot of balls for someone to walk into a gym that has completely let themselves go for whatever reason and make the best choice they can to reverse what time, life and poor choices has done to their bodies. These people go to the gym and work their asses off day after day. They sweat like pigs and they do it in front of other people. I have great respect for them. I have an even greater respect for them because they are not trying to hide behind their insecurities, they are clearly trying to better themselves.

Now, I’m not saying that these are the only people out there trying to better themselves, there are obviously millions of others that are also trying to improve but in other ways. But realistically, if you don’t have your health, than how can you improve anything else efficiently. But what’s so cool is, I see these people at the gym day after day forming little pacts with each other for strength and support in achieving their goals. It’s like a regular group effort program, if you will.

Yet, unfortunately I have also noticed the downside of these people who regularly attend gyms. They are called enablers and or sabatours that disguise themselves as friends. These people, in my opinion are people who  may not agree with lifestyle change or who are in some way threatened by it. They act like friends but really what their trying to do is keep the other person fat, unhappy and miserable, just like them. These are the people that suggest  “let’s go to mcdonald’s” or “why aren’t you drinking” when they know damn well that both of those things will ruin what the gymgoer  is trying to accomplish. Just so you know, I’m totally aware of the gymgoer being able to make their own choices and not chosing the right ones. But I’m also aware of the gym goers who go to the gym on a daily basis only to return to their lives eating crap and somehow feel justified doing it because they go to the gym.  Then they wonder why they still are not losing any weight. I myself have been guilty of that way of thinking. It wasn’t until I totally changed my eating habits did I start seeing the results I wanted.

With that said, one of the hardest things I fight with weekly, is the peer pressure to break my own healthy habits. I’ve had people make fun of me and my antics. I’m sure I’ve even had some of my local friends sneer at my recent facebook posts about what I eat on a daily basis whereas any of my other friends in other parts of the country where healthy living is more standard, would not think anything of it. So here is where my particular location of residence fits into the picture a bit more. Healthy living is just not a normal way of life down here in the land of refried beans and tamales. Even though it is starting to become more prevelant and for that I’m really excited, I still feel even more out of place because of my stronger beliefs when it comes to health issues. I now find myself desperately craving others that share these beliefs. On the flipside, I also find myself delighted in those people who are more than willing to open their minds and try. I mean it’s no mystery, the US is the fatest country and I’d be willing to bet that the US also has the greatest health problems to go along with it.

So in the past couple of weeks, I have been really torn because the people who are willing to change are craving knowledge, they are tired of being tired and look to people like me and all of the other trainers at the gym to help them adopt healthier ways of living. The best  and most rewarding part is to have ladies who take my classes corner me and thank me for helping them lose their unwanted pounds. So for that, I should say, all the other bs is worth it. So, despite my crazy pre-thirty life crisis, I can honestly say I’m probably in the best shape of my life. And for the first time in, well, ever, I can look at myself in the mirror and feel really good about what I see. Although I find it really  ironic that it took me moving completely out of my “healthy” surroundings back in Colorado to this land of never ending rice and beans for me to actually accomplish my own fitness goals. Life is just strange. Writing this post has brought me to this conclusion…..turning 30……BRING IT!!!! I feel better now than I ever did in my twenties.

(via mashupmama.com)

Sunshine Mashup

While my idea for this shot I think was in the right place, the outfit did not turn out so much as planned. Fear not, I have  ideas in the works that will visually convey mashupmama like it needs to be. In the meantime I’m lucky I share an office with an extremely talented photographer, Laurie Mire, and this shot she took combined with her graphic skills came a sunshine mashup. I’ve talked about it before, but since so many people have been asking me these days, where did I come up with the name mashup mama, I thought I should take the time to explain. Long story short, there’s five things in my life that I’m really passionate about. My faith, my family, my love of design in all facets but mostly interiors, my addiction to exercise and nutrition, and my never ending quest of entrepreneurship.

The beauty of blogging is that we can have our own voice on the internet and we can pretty much do and say what we want. Since there was no other way to for me to effectively do all of these things and choose five different titles, I chose one. Because at the end of the day, all I really am is five different women mashed into one. Thus, mashupmama.

(via mashupmama.com)

My top 10 pantry favs

Poor little carbs, they get such a bad rap. I see it all the time at the gym, so many people talk about cutting out all carbs, no breads, blah, blah, blah. Yes, you can totally lose weight with this method but it is not a healthy one because most people cannot stay on this diet for a lifetime, if they did not only would they be extremely sluggish but deficiant in many nutrients that only grains can provide. Trick is, eating the right ones.

So I thought I would pass off my list of favorites to you. I have these items on hand.

1. Brown Rice

2. Soba Noodles

3.Almond Butter

4. Spicy Mustard

5. Mary’s Gone Crackers

6.Oatmeal (dry rolled oats)

7.Black, Kidney, Pinto, Garbanzo and White beans

8.Pouches of Tuna (rather than the cans)

9.Classico brand Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce

10. Nuts and seeds ( I keep these in the fridge though,they keep longer)

*I’d also like to note here since we’re talking about carbs, I always have ezekiel bread in my fridge if not a multi-grain loaf. Bread also keeps longer if you keep in the fridge.

You can get any of these items at your local super market and if they do not have a natural health foods section, it’s best to target a health food store.

Stay away from the white flours and sugars. These are referred to as simple carbs. Instead, think brown. These are referrred to as starchy complex carbs. These carbs are an amazing soucre of fuel, which we all need.  One rule of thumb I always try and follow as well, is I try to eat most of my complex starchy carbs in the first half of the day. That way my body can start burning and continue using it as a source of fuel throughout the day.

So for example, yesterday for breakfast I had 1/2 cup of oatmeal, with a cup of rice milk, 1tbsp agave nectar, 1 tbsp of almond butter, handful of frozen blueberries and popped it in the microwave until soft. Yumm!!

*I try not to eat dairy as much as possible, it does nothing for me but stop me up and inhibit me from achieveing my fitness goals. This sucks sometimes because I love love love cheese.

So that’s it peeps, be sure to follow me because  next week when I will start posting my daily menus.

(via mashupmama.com)

Time flies but internet gives it back

This one is gonna be short and sweet because I am both speechless and exhausted at the same time. Long story short, I took my four year old to her first ballet class today. I think we were both equally excited and my heart just melted at the sight of my four year old little ballerina. It seems she was just learning to walk…..why have I not cherished each moment more? Aggggh… another time, another post. Forgive me I’m tired and my brain is close to mush.

Anyhow I was a bit disappointed because there was a class full of young little girls with four instructors and you would think they’d start from the top and show them the five basic positions of ballet. I know, I know, I’m being that ridiculous whining mother. But I quickly caught myself with those negative thoughts and reminded myself, this is the summer program, these little girls are not all beginners like my own, and they are just trying to make this fun for them. Most importantly, I am her mother and technology today provides me with no excuse not to teach her the basics myself. After all, she will grow out of these ballet shoes in no time and may no longer want to have anything at all with being my little ballerina princess. So believe you me, this memory is mine. So on to my favorite one stop learning shop. You know, the internet will NEVER cease to amaze me. There really is no reason for anyone to leave their home, because everything we need consists of  small metals boxes. These days you can have a bride practically delivered to your door.Yes, yes, off the subject….

So with my trusty search engine I was guided to a site, that literally made me say out loud, “No way!!!! That is cool” (PG version of what actually came out of my mouth). I am, really I am trying to clean up my potty mouth.

I stumbled a top notch site called monkeysee.com.

Basically I think it’s a step up from youtube because it’s a bit more professionally done. And by that I mean, the people who are posting videos are actually experts in their field, not just pretending to be. You can learn how to do just to do about anything in any field of interest. Anything like teaching your four year old daughter the five basic positions of ballet or keeping your kids safe during fireworks season, or how to change a tire. So your probably thinking, “this chic is a joke, you can see all of that on youtube”.

Yes, I know you can but this site and it’s instructional videos are definately not box office hits but it’s a far cry from the average youtube homemade webcam video. I promise, check it out and you’ll find everything neatly organized and layed out. Seems like an excellent time saver to me rather than spending countless hours searching through various youtube clips containing annoying background music and graphics.

Those yellow books, __________________ for dummies, I believe has nothing on monkeysee.com. Check it out!

(via mashupmama.com)

Rotten Fruit

Among other things I’m convinced caffeine, though extremely effective is the devil. I’m not sure what my deal has been lately but it’s been a roller coaster of which I wish to get off. It’s amazing how stress affects one’s life.

At the moment I am teaching nine, count em’ nine classes at my gym, trying to keep this blog up and running with all of my interlaced online businesses, keep up with my children between golf, soccer, ballet and library…… Basically I feel like I’m about to freakin’ lose it!!!! To top it off, somewhere in the midst of all this I got caught up in my whole refurbishing project of my desk that I felt it necessary to continue only to have purchased two more pieces of random furniture and have now become a regular at antique shops. I don’t think I’ve ever even been in an antique shop, at least not up until about a month ago. What the *&^* am I thinking???? I might be one mashed up mama, but this is freakin ridiculous!

I have so many ideas and so many things I want to do but lack the time and the money to pursue it all.  I feel perpetually tired and have been resorting to caffeine to get me through my long and sometimes really annoying days which seems to only make things worse when I’ve come down from my high and I’m plagued with the most painful headache. I’m not a regular coffee drinker, never have been, aside from the frequent cravings of an iced coconut soy latte when I was pregnant with my first, it’s pretty rare that I drink coffee. Lately I have been addicted to very concentrated liquid green tea endorush, (liquid crack in a bottle sold at most gyms). I know, I know your probably thinking I’m a little nuts, green tea is however totally natural but for some reason I think it among many other things has been a source of my jekyll/hyde attitude lately. The other I believe has to do with my faith.

Here I go, I’ve stepped on the box get ready. So, if it makes you uncomfortable, right now would be the time to stop reading.

You know that song by The Frey, “You found me”? Well I so connect with the lyrics to this song because to tell you the truth, I’ve been a little pissed at god. ( Just in case any of you are wondering… it’s perfectly okay to be pissed at God, despite what you may believe he wants an honest relationship with us… good, bad and ugly)

This recent bout of anger is out of sheer frustration. Frustration that I’m not being heard. I feel sometimes I call and call and call, only to be returned with emptiness. Just when I’ve reached the point of booking a one way plane ticket to East Asia…. I find him. And when I do, he brings me back to my knees. Two Sundays ago at church, our youth ministry performed a skit. This skit was so moving I wept like a child. My whole body ached from the inside out with remorse for not doing what I know I should be doing. For not saying what I know I should be saying and not acting the way I know I should be acting.

I felt as if God was saying ” Jasmine, it is not about you, your heart is in the right place. It is however, about how you handle the rotten lemmons life hands you and whether you choose to toss them or taste them, even though you know you shouldn’t and do anyway. If and when you have tasted that rotten fruit, I will still love you. I will always love you. I’m always there even when you do not feel me. I will never forsake you, for you are my child and I made you. I know whats in your heart because I put it there. I will be patient with you while you grow and I will pick you up when you fall, and you will. But I am the only one who can give you the comfort and peace you desire. Trust in me totally and completely. Not once, not twice but every single minute of every single day. Do these things and you will find my protection from the worst possible fruit imaginable.”

These are my own words of course…. or are they?

Did God just speak through my hands as I was typing? I don’t know. And no I’m not talking about some freaky possesed action that just happened where I’ve forgotten who I am and how I ended up at the computer.

What I do know is that…… a skit in church hit me like a ton of bricks.

I sat there and prayed with every ounce of my being for forgiveness. I asked God to forgive me for not making him a priority in the midst of the craziness we call life. I asked him to forgive me for not always seeking him when life does or does not suck. What I got and always get in return was more than it’s weight in gold. There I was at the edge of my seat hanging on every word that came out of my pastors mouth. It was as if God was speaking right to me through him.

(Just so you know, this happens frequently when I attend church. It always seems as if that message was exactly what I needed to hear that day).

My heart felt light and my soul clean……again. If that isn’t God moving, I don’t know what is. If that isn’t god picking me up when I’ve fallen, I don’t know what is.

You may be wondering why I’m writing about this now, when this happened two weeks ago. Well, that’s a good question for which I have no excuse. You see we as people need to be reminded. We need to be reminded of which direction to go and what steps to take. Why? Because for the most part, we all have some form of ADD, ADHD, OCD, pick your excuse and we’ve got it, when really it’s none other than forgetfulness and the ugly need to control every situation instead of leaving it up to someone else to take care of. Someone who knows exactly how to take care of it and knows a hell of a lot better than we do.

We leave church on Sunday, then Monday comes and we go back to our own little worlds surrounded by money, work, play and strife. Only to return the following Sunday to beat ourselves up for not remembering and seeking him diligently like we know we should. So today after being filled with sore muscles, angst and grumpiness I took the time to sit down and write. In fact, I didn’t even know what I was gonna write about….. it just came out.

By me reading my own words….I got what I needed yet again…… to be reminded.

God you are weird! AMAZING WEIRD, but weird none the less and I am so grateful for the personal relationship I share with you.

(via mashupmama.com)

You wanna trade?

My husband is a living breathing encyclopedia… sometimes I can’t stand it but mostly I’m eager to listen in on his millions of useless and useful facts. I have caught on to his habit though. If there is something I do not know, I simply Google it and feed my brain. The other day he was reading the Denver Post online and he stumbled upon an article about bartering. I was astonished to find out that people across the country have started bartering with one another. Maybe I’m just totally naive and this has been going on for years, but for me, this news is AWESOME!!!

This article was great. First, some unemployed Russian dude stumbles across another guy’s ad asking for assistance attaching a bumper to his car. Russian guy agrees, in exchange for an oil painting of his wedding portrait. Turns out the guy needing help with his bumper is an artist. How cool is that? The article goes on to further describe numerous people participating in this very system. Some were good experiences and others not so good. But much like bidding on real estate, you pick and choose who buys your house and what price is fair. Read more here and here.

After reading this I decided to do a bit more research online. I stumbled on various blogs, forums and other sites that are bartering communities. There’s even a site called Dibspace, a Seattle based bartering community online.

This is directly from their site…..”Dibspace.com is a brand new startup designed to help local economies become more self-sustaining by giving businesses and individuals a powerful new way to support each other.

Dibspace.com is by no means the first alternative currency, but it is, we believe, a major breakthrough in alternative economies. Designing Dibspace has been a gargantuan effort involving many brilliant advisers in fields ranging from economics to technology to user interface design. The differences may be subtle, but they’re powerful. After all, sometimes it takes a lot of work to make something simple.”

WOW….Isn’t that just  nuts!!?

It’s funny because, I myself, am a trader. Not a trader like the bad kind, you know what I mean.  As a matter of fact, I recently struck up a deal with my pseudo business partner. As you can see on my site, some of my pics are taken by my friend and photographer, Laurie Mire. You see, I know good talent when I see it, and more often than not, I find myself in those situations wanting a piece of what you got, if you got it.

In this case, I just didn’t have the extra money for all of the professional pictures I need or want. Most importantly I wanted her to take some cool pis of me for my blog and in addition to some family pics that have been long overdue. She expressed to me that she was really interested in getting into shape but wasn’t exactly sure where to start. Just so happens, I’m sittin’ on various fitness certifications and that’s right up my alley.  Thus, a good ol’ fashioned trade was born. We started with a super simple meal plan and a starter workout in exchange for a series of photos that you will soon see on this blog. She gets more exposure on my site for free and a rockin’ bod, while I get the pictures I really need. Everyone walks away happy.

I also have another friend who constantly is swapping cute gear with me.. jewelry, clothes, purses, you name it. C’mon, what girl out there wouldn’t be stoked to get some cute free clothes? Unless of course you’re too proud for that kind of act. If you are, then I feel sorry for you. You could be robbing yourself of some really cool things, situations and/or friends! So swallow your freakin’ pride, go through your closet and make one of your friends’ day, I bet you’d be surprised what you get in return.

Last, but certainly not least, if your brain is not swimming with ideas of what you might need or want and could possibly get for free, your crazy!!!

So since it’s on the forefront, I’m a Jill of all trades, I cook, sew, create, refurbish furniture, design, teach health and fitness…..Bottom line I’ve got a lot to offer…. what do you got?

Now seriously, no bs… anyone here in Rio Grande Valley have body parts for a 1994 Honda Civic?

; 0 )

(via mashupmama.com)

It’s official!

It all started with a stupid desk. Since we’re being honest, it started with an argument and a desk. You know one of those stupid arguments you have with your spouse about moving furniture around and why you think your solution works out way better. I got lucky in this case and my idea was way better. At first I planned to move my extremely large and awkward desk into my  new office that I would share with a friend. I think I have it’s only fair to note that I would not be the one actually moving it, it would be my rather large viking of a husband.

This is what prompoted me to make the decision I did because I didn’t want to hear him complain about having to move it again when the time arose. And since I’m a woman and pretty much march to the beat of my own drum I figured I better sacrifice and spare my hubby’s lower back. So I borrowed, scratch that, stole my husband’s small little desk in exchange for my big one that we would keep at the house. Much like a closet a woman needs more space for all her stuff that goes in an office. Unfortunately my office does not have the room for all of my fun junk, my sewing machine and all of my fabric. So what’s a girl to do?

A girl is to make “pretty” with what she has. I don’t remember asking, I think I just decided the natural wood color was not gonna do it. Deciding what color to put on furniture is much like deciding what to wear, so yes, it was another drama filled afternoon that ended with paint everywhere. So, many games of rock, paper, scissors and various facebook suggestions later, I decided upon the the peacock blue.

Can I just say, I have a new great appreciation for power tools. All pervertedness aside, I can totally understand why a man foams at the mouth when presented with a new toy, whether it be a drill, saw, nail gun, staple gun, (which I think is among the greatest inventions known to man), and a power sander.

After being completely covered in sawdust, I roughed up the whole desk and proceeded with the paint. Two coats of color, one of Shellac and the most perfect glass knobbies made a rather blah piece of furniture absolutely fabulous all under $30!

I’d say, this is mashupmama in it’s finest…

(via mashupmama.com)

Mash THIS!

If you want something done right, ask a mama to do it. This has been my experience in the past couple of weeks. I have been needing my “career” situation to take shape and have found it impossible to get work done in my home with my tazmanian devils like I explained in my previous post.

Thus, I will be moving into a real office later this week which I am both scared shitless and so excited about.

At the moment I am covered in paint, peacock blue and alien green to be exact, and I stink. I have not showered since I taught my 9:30 am spin class. Gross I know, do I care? not at all. This is my mashed up phsyco life and I love it. No one else can mash it up like I can.

Just today I had yet another amazing dripping sweat workout. I kicked mutliple butts on the bike. Thank you Jesus for giving me the strength to not only ride but talk at the same time!

I have been eating almonds and dried apricots like they’ve just been put on the endangered species list.

I have sung out loud to Whitney Houston, Micheal Jackson, Tom Petty and 311. I cried mutltiple times while listening to 96.9 (my favorite christian radio station). I even danced in my undies a bit to sirus radio and my favorite dj at the moment, Armin Van Burren.

I sanded and painted a desk and bookcase for my new office, met with a totally inspiring web design CEO, shopped at my favorite store, Marshall’s for some new workout gear, answered multiple e-mails, saved someone some major cash on their light bill, read my kids multiple poems and now am writing this post. Did I mention covered in paint and woah, just caught a wiff of myself…

None the less, I love it… it’s what makes me me

God truly has a sense of humor, glad he made me the way he did…

peace out y’all… I need a shower

(via mashupmama.com)

Working at home is……

The life of an at home working mother is not as glamorous as it sounds.

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. In fact,  not only do I highly recommend finding something to do that brings  another source of income to your household for shear security purposes.  I  strongly recommend it be something  that can be done from the comfort of your own home. Being your own boss, well there’s nothing like it. I have to be honest and mention that in my home, I am not the only boss of me. My god, my husband and my children are the people I answer to at the end of the day.    It takes two bosses to manage a home.

Never the less, working at home definitely has both a bright and a dark side.

When one decides to work at home, you must know straight away that it will be a constant battle to master the art of  working at home while your young children turn your living room, and every other room in the house for that matter, into a hazardous construction zone.

Warning: Forts of various sizes and structures will plague the bedrooms, while an at home working mother sits behind her desk typing hastily.  “Experiments”  and or  “science projects” will be made of rocks from outside with the latest purchase of lip gloss and nail polish to form a rather unique shrine inside the tub. And where do you think their mother is? That’s right…… behind her desk.

Mind you, time has only passed from 10:30 am to 11:00am at this point and the day has only just begun.

Why is it that children do not understand that being on a phone call does not mean mama is talking out loud just for the fun of it?

Yes, these are all symptoms of a home including a mother who is supposed to be manning not only her home but her business at the same time. This was me last summer. Scratch that, this has been me since I started working at home which was about three years ago.

I’ve tried to make phone calls while my children destroyed my home and went from loving each other to biting each other in a matter of seconds. In fact, even as I write this post, my four year old is getting into god knows what in her toy room…..I don’t even want to go and look. It is quite silent though. FYI- to any new mother, silence usually means trouble……. hold that thought………

I’m back…. only a whole bucket of legos now on the floor, no big deal.

In the midst of me working at home, we have had bumps and bruises of many sorts, numerous haircuts, nail polish on the floor….and walls, furniture destroyed, various marker art on limbs,….. the list could go on and on. I have put my foot down…. NO MORE!

It’s funny, I have spoken in front of many crowds and talked about the benefits of owning a home based business. I’m always sure to point out the fact that being at home and working for yourself is a freedom unmatched. It is, it truly is, but another prison remains. The prison of being in your own  home while “working” and trying to be a mother at the same time is extremely difficult with younger children. Though total punk nuggets they are,  I do not blame my children, it’s not their fault they have a skill unmatched to create and destroy in record time. It’s rather impressive actually. They learn from the best. I’ve lost count of the many projects I’ve started that have left my home a disaster area. Yet, a four and seven year old deserve much more than a mother who sits behind her desk all day, then screams in horror when she emerges to find her home a war zone.

Like I said…. no more. It was just a few weeks ago I was praying for God to somehow change our situation this summer. At that point I wasn’t sure what needed to happen I just knew something did. I prayed for the opportunity to totally enjoy a summer with my children at the pool while still being able to “work”. And to my great surprise I get a phone call from a good friend wanting to know if I’d be interested in renting and sharing a small office space. In the past I have tossed the idea back and forth of renting my own space but by myself the financial responsibility might be a bit much. Then, this opportunity presented itself.  God does answer prayers and when he does those “aha” moments are so sweet.

Now here’s the catch, just like my children have mastered the skill of mass creation and destruction, myself and my husband must master the skill of …….PLANNING. It takes two bosses to run a home. We will have to take turns with the kids and constantly coordinate with each other’s changing schedules.  It’s a good thing God is an awesome god and he’s helpful in every way I ask, especially when it comes to dealing with my husband. Now I don’t say that because my husband is some sort of tyrant. He’s not. Both of us are just so headstrong and driven that it takes us humbling ourselves to one another consistently in order to make our marriage work and God is the glue that binds.

But at the moment, I’m secretly thanking him for the multiple vacation bible schools that just so happen to fall on different weeks throughout the course of the whole summer:) Vacation Bible School Tour Summer 09′…..here we come!

(via mashupmama.com)

Mother’s Day Bliss

Like the late great Martin Luther King, Jr. said “I have a dream”…….. well many dreams really. It’s funny though, I think a lot of us are forced to put those dreams on hold. I was one of those people. I graduated from Colorado State University  in 2001 with my Apparel Design and Merchandising Degree. I had a job lined up with Club Med to be a costume designer for their stage shows. I would remain at a Club Med location for six months and if they liked me then I could travel to another Club Med location. This was all a dream come true until my monthly bill never showed. I’ll never forget the day I was in the bathroom at my parents house staring at the dreaded “+”. My life ended and began all in the same day.

I could choose path “a” or “b”. While plan “a”  would surely take away my freedom, at least for a good eighteen years, plan “b” might bring me freedom but be accompinied by a lifelong heartache…. I’m glad I didn’t choose that one. My mom used to always tell me, “watch out girl, if your not careful, your past will catch up with you”. I hate it when she’s right!

Well it did, my irresponsible and careless past caught up with me. And instead of living the single life on white sandy beaches with bronzed international hotties, I soon was then heading to monthly checkup’s at the OBGYN. I don’t regret my decision one bit, not even for a second, not even when I’d find playdo and goldfish crackers in my underwear drawer, and not even when magic marker art became a wall collage in the living room. Time and marriage then followed and naturally, what was once one led to two.

I don’t think anything amazes me more than the fact that a woman can grow life in her body. It is the most unexplainable feeling having something inside of you. I remember laying on my back for hours and just watching the rolling of my stomach. I felt like my stomach was right out of the movie “Alien”. Then when D-day arrived with my first one, I was really sick, my blood pressure was through the roof but I still had two weeks to go. The doctor informed me I couldn’t wait, the baby needed to come out right now. Ever hear of a drug called pitocin? Well it’s pretty much Satan in an IV drip. No pain is quite like the pain of childbirth. No word can describe the immense sensation. Never the less, it is worth every stitch in places I won’t mention. After becoming a mother, the holiday itself took on a whole new meaning.

Yesterday I was blessed with yet another meaning. At church we had a child dedication service. This dedication was more of a prayer. In this prayer we, my husband and I, chose to dedicate our children to Christ. For they are still young and cannot therefore fully understand what it means to accept Jesus Christ or to ask for forgiveness of any sin. We prayed that when they came to this understanding that they would do the same as we, ask for forgiveness, believe Christ died for our sins and fully accept him into their lives. Until then we as parents promise to teach our children about Jesus Christ and raise them according to god’s word and grace.

Our pastor then presented the many children participating in this dedication with their very own, personally picked to suit them, bible. My heart will never forget the look on my six year old’s face when he took that bible, shaped like a treasure chest with a funky metal clasp in those hands. Those hands, at that moment, I remembered once being so little. I was so thankful for that blessing standing there on stage with my little punk nuggets. Thus, a new indescribable meaning.

Since we are not perfect, we will heavily rely on Jesus’ guidance in our times of question, in our times of frustration, desperation and all of those feelings that we feel as parents, (that again I won’t mention).

I say that last little statement light heartedly of course, with a big smile on my face.

I was just remembering earlier this weekend after returning home from a date with my hubby to find out my four year old decided to give herself a haircut……. this is the fourth time!

Aaaaahhhh, the joys of parenting.

(via mashupmama.com)

And the contraversy continues

I’m curious what products have been sold more since this whole emergence of Swine Flu. Vaccines or Vitamins? I recently saw a movie that really opened my eyes. It’s pretty safe to say that when I became pregnant with my first child I started to pay more attention to nutrition and what I was putting in my body. I also think it’s safe to say 99.9% of this nation are food lovers. Sadly, we live in a fast food nation. I myself am guilty of indulging on and feeding my children food that I know is horrible for us. Why? because it’s quick, I’m in a hurry or I’m just too damn lazy to cook dinner. Growing up in Colorado was awesome, for those of you who live there or who have visited know what I’m talking about. One thing I’d like to point out about Colorado, it’s a fairly healthy state. It ranks 19 among 50. Everyone is really active and for the most part nutrition is a big part of a Coloradoans daily life. This was a huge culture shock for us when we moved to South Texas. Texas sadly ranks 46 among 50.

Only being in Texas for about a month, I gained a good 15lbs while my husband tacked on a good 60! Ahhhh but the food is so good, but soooo bad for you. South Texas has among the highest obesity rates and people with Diabetes in the country! After feeling so uncomfortable looking at myself in the mirror I decided to get my tail back in the gym and back on a healthy eating regiment. It’s takes a lot of will power to reach any health and fitness goal and usually a good chunk of time but I was determined to get the weight off, most importantly keep it off once and for all. This requires one crucial element…..lifestyle change.

Recently, this whole Swine Flu epidemic has struck a cord with me, particularly because it’s right in my backyard. I live in Weslaco, Texas. Most people in other parts of Texas don’t even know where Weslaco is, much less the rest of the nation. But our town among many other Texas towns has been closed since last week. At this point we will be able to send our kids back to school on Monday. I was totally concerned about this whole thing, still am, in fact I too have been using germX like crazy. But there’s a bigger issue here that I think people have been avoiding for way too many years, and it’s called preventative medicine.

We are all a bunch of  hypocrites! All of us, every single one of us! Inlcuding myself!!! If it’s not Sars, AIDS, Bird Flu, Swine Flu that will kill us, it’s us! We are slowing killing oursleves and the people we  love around us simply by what we are putting in and on our bodies. Why do we not pay just as much attention to those things as well? Why do we continue to take our children to McDonalds when we know it’s horrible for them? Why do we continue to buy processed foods that are full of preservatives, dyes, and fats that lead to a number of health related issues and even deaths? Why do we continue to smoke when we KNOW it can cause cancer? Why do we continue not to put sunscreen on when we KNOW doing without it can cause cancer?  Two of my best friends have lost their mothers to various forms of cancer in the past year, and it’s horrible. I did not even know how cancer really works, I thought it was something you got. When in fact it’s completely different than that, you can see here. (Thanks Leila for educating me in this area) We hear of people dying from some form of cancer every single day but do we really take the time and discipline to do what we can to prevent the possibilty of it happening to us or our loved ones? Like I said I am as guilty as you. It has been exactly 16 months since I last smoked a cigarette. Nasty habit I picked up in College. But I could feel what it was doing to my body, saw that it was darkening my teeth and decided it was time. I don’t want my kids to smoke, why is it okay for me to? Oh that’s right I forgot we live in the “do as I say not as I do” age. I’m so guilty of this it’s not even funny….. all the more reason I decided to quit.

As more time goes on and the healthier I get, the more sensitive my body is to crap. One of my most favorite foods in the world is hot wings and french fries but if I were to eat it, I’d be wishing I didn’t in less than an hour, I can promise you that. As a mom it’s even harder to maintain good eating habits. You don’t want to deprive your kid of the all american  mac and cheese, nor do you want it to go to waste, so you’ll eat what’s left. Again- guilty as charged!!! The movie I referred to earlier in this post just totally shocked me. I encourage each and everyone of you to watch it. Go to the site, watch the trailer, heck, you can even watch the film online!

I will shut up with this, I hope and pray that we as a society, instead of nitpicking other peoples flaws, can take responsibility for oursleves and our families. I pray we  change what we can to be healthier. God is not a stingy god, he created the earth with all of the tools we need to maintain our health, we just need to suck it up and stop running to the doctors office for magic virus killing pills and vaccines. Because if you notice, America is not getting healthier, we’re getting sicker.  Refrain from immediately resorting to modern medicine and dosing your kid up with the newest ADHD medication. Because in more cases than not, it could be what your feeding them that’s making them hyperactive! If your life, your health and your family mean anything to you, then start by taking inventory of your your home and your kitchen.

So do some research and GOOGLE it, the pharmaceutical companies don’t want you to know about natural alternative treatments, but the information is out there and has been for years. We have pure freedom to make choices and most of the time we don’t take advantage of that when it comes to our health. We assume that modern medicine is the only answer. Now before anyone knocks me,  I won’t ever take for granted the fact that modern technology and medicine also saves many lives and for that I am grateful. I am constantly amazed at the advances we make every day in this field. I think Thomas Edison himself must be rolling over in his grave!

But for all of you mothers out there who think stocking up on antibacterial hand wash is enough, it’s not! It’s not good enough! There will always be a bigger badder virus or disease to come. Our kids desearve better than that and we if want them to continue living healthy lives then the ball is in our court starting with what we do in our own homes.

(via mashupmama.com)

Need someone to carry you?

I don’t care what anyone says… god does amazing things. But he does it according to his plan and timing not our own.

Since completely surrendering my life to Christ in October of 08′ my life has been nothing but a whirlwind of change. I have learned how to pray and how to keep on praying. I seek Jesus Christ every single day, sometimes four or five times a day for his help, his strength, and his guidance. I ask him to continue to change me to be more loving and understanding like him. To this, he always answers.  Since I have sincerely been doing these things god has blessed and healed my marriage. He’s changed and blessed my children in so many ways. The other day we took my daughter to get her ears pierced for her birthday. My six year old son went outside the store in the mall and got on his knees to pray for his screaming and scared sister. He later helped her pick out some nail polish and she was all better.

He has healed various situations that almost tore apart my family. He’s blessed me financially and he has blessed with some much needed wisdom. And everyday I wake up a little different from the day before.

Everyday I grow just a little bit more and realize something I had not the previous day.  Every single day I am able to let things go that have caused me strife in the past and everyday I’m able to forgive and be more understanding. Most importantly everyday, I learn to humble myself just a little bit more to ask for help with the things I struggle with.

Now you might say, “well so do I”, “I wake up different everyday”. As rebuttle, I should ask “do you really?”, “do you wake up and treat a situation or person different than you did before? has your attitude changed about a specific topic where you have become more open minded to other views? do you notice the small things in your everyday behavior that can be changed to make you better?

If you answered yes to any of those questions above, I believe someone is trying to tell you something.

Whether you believe it or not, God is waiting to bless you. He waits to bless you with love, kindess, patience, understanding, wisdom, and whatever else you ask……

but you must:

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it’s own” Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

8 months ago I never thought I would have the peace I do going through the storms of my life. Yes they have been difficult but I was carried and given  strength. I NEVER thought I would have thought I’d have the guts to write about my faith in Jesus Christ, on the internet no less, available for the whole world to see… but I do now.

God is truly amazing!

(via mashupmama.com)

Please bless this blog

I figure it’s only fitting to start this journey the right way. God, thank you for blessing me with desire and ability to relay what you have placed in my heart on this crazy thing called the internet. I thank you for giving me the ability to see and type what I am, at this very moment. I pray for this blog to be a succesful one. I pray that I can touch many lives in ways that glorify your name and your purpose you have for me. I pray that god that you bless  me with wisdom, peace and patience when teaching myself how to construct this blog. And that you would grant me the serenity not to cuss, scream or throw anything at this computer when I’m stuck…..In Jesus’ amazing name…. AMEN:)

(via mashupmama.com)