What the what?? 10 year reunion? Has it really been that long already?? Crazy at it seems, it has been 10 years this month since I walked across that stage, moved my tassel from the right to the left, and threw my cap as high as I could to celebrate those 13 long years of my life.
It seems even more crazy to me that it's been almost 14 years since I walked the hallways of the "old" Lake Brantley High School as a young and naive girl of 14 who thought she had it all figured out. I can close my eyes and still picture so clearly the spot where my locker was. I remember the friends who all had their lockers in the same place and how could I forget exactly who I would wait for to pass by as I fidgeted around for books and stood there hoping he'd see me.
It's amazing to me, how quickly I can remember the smallest details of my life 14 years ago and sometimes I can't believe just how much can change over the course of 4 years of life... and how much more after 10 years. Looking back knowing what I know now it's hard not to want to shake some sense into the girl I was then. Those first two years of high school could've really done some damage, and in some ways they certainly did, but I got off easy. I can reflect on it all now and see God's hand firmly placed in my life, protecting me in SO many ways. There is no other explanation for the way my life took so many amazing turns, that I walked through the right doors and pasted by the ones that would've done me so much harm, and that I find myself where I am today and not where I was on my way to those first two years. All these years later I'm still thanking God his protection.
It's hard not to say I have regrets because I do. Regrets of things I did and things I didn't, things I said, or maybe should've, but that's part of life. It's also hard to say that I'd go back and change a thing because I do believe where I was (and was going) got me to where I am today. Had I not gone through a lot of what I did those first two years, I may not have had a reason to search for something more. I can remember when things changed for me. I was finishing up my Sophomore year. Still so young and so caught up in things (and people) I shouldn't have been caught up in. There was a breaking point for me. I'm not sure that it was just one thing that triggered it, but I can remember suddenly feeling so broken and so alone. I can remember crying like a baby, curled up in a fetal position on the floor of my old bedroom, so torn up about boys, friends, drama and the way things were going for me. I felt so empty and unsatisfied with life in general and I couldn't figure out why. It wasn't too long after that slight breakdown that I started attending a youth group regularly with a friend of a friend (who I still talk to today) and it didn't take me too long after that to figure out that I was feeling a purpose, had excitement, and was full of life again. People cared about me (like really cared about me) there, I felt like I could be more of who I was and I didn't feel all of the pressure I once had to do things I didn't want to do, in places I should not have been, with people who had the ability to crush me. I didn't look back much on who I had been after that. The summer before my Junior year, God changed me.
The next two years of high school are the years I love remembering. Do I still have regrets, well, yes of course, but not nearly as many and most not as serious as the ones from the prior years. My Junior and Senior years of high school are some of the best memories of my youth and what I love most about them is that almost all of them include the man that I married and so many of the people who are still in our lives today. It's so fun to go back and read the things that I wrote to Matt in his yearbooks. I shared so many of the memories in them that I still hold dear to my heart. It makes me smile to think of the good times we shared and that we'll share them together for the rest of our lives.
These past 10 years in some ways have flown by and in other ways (especially looking back now) seemed to have gone by at just the right speed. I feel so distant from that young girl of 14 who once walked the halls of the "old" LBHS. I'm a married woman of almost 7 years (to an amazing man of God who I've been lucky enough to call mine for the past 11 years). I'm a college graduate with a BA in Elementary Education (which I plan to use to educate my kiddies from home with), a mommy of 2 of the most ridiculously awesome little people I've ever met, and so full of joy which comes only from the hope that I have in a Savior who I am head over heels for. I'm so satisfied with the life God has given me and with the direction in which He choose for me and while I have my faults I know that everyday, if I look to Him, I am headed in the right direction, toward becoming all He ever created me to be.
Reality is, time goes by. Coming up to 30 and really reflecting over my high school years and the 10 years to follow has been fun for me. I am beyond blessed and there is no where else I would want to be in my life then where I am today. And as time goes on, I hope I always find myself feeling that way.
It's amazing to me how much wisdom comes with years gone by and an open heart ready to listen to the Word of God. Thank you, Lord for saving me when I so desperately needed saving.
I'm undecided if I'll be attending my 10 year reunion, but here's to the memories (the good and the bad) and to the next 10 years c/o 2002!
It would be unfair for me to write this and not say anything to anyone who is feeling now how I felt toward the end of my sophomore year. I'm not a preacher by any means, but I feel like I should say if you are broken, empty, or unsatisfied with life maybe you could give Jesus a try. Corny as it sounds I can promise He won't disappoint. The things I have seen happen over the past 12 years could only be possible through an all powerful, all knowing, almighty God. If you're searching for something, give Him a try and please feel free to contact me. I don't claim to have all the answers and don't know that I ever will, but I know a God who can do some pretty awesome things. I love Jeremiah 29:11 because I can look back now and see it so clearly at work in my life. "I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope." If you're feeling hopeless, I pray that you will turn to God and that you will find all you've ever been searching for.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Love to Write... Write to Love.
Sometimes I wish I could just do all my communicating through written words. Writing has always been the easiest way for me to get my thoughts out and together in a way that seems to make the most sense. It's almost like a filter or a way for me to plan out how I feel or see things before it all comes flying out of my mouth. I have a thinking before speaking problem. My problem is that I just don't tend to do it. Ask my husband, my children or my mother and I'm sure they wouldn't have a problem disagreeing with my confession. Writing just makes thinking before expression so easy for me because all the thoughts that I have put into words become so delete-able after I've reread them, rethought about them, and had a moment to decide that they are inappropriate, unnecessary, or not rooted in love. It's also so much easier to add in the things that I've forgotten to say or feel the need to add in so that what I've written seems complete to me.
I constantly reflect. Reflect about the past, reflect about the present, and want to make sure that when I look back I have no regrets. Being able to go back and reread my thoughts, what I've written or what has been written to me is so much easier then remembering or replaying a conversation in my head. Words are so easily twisted, changed or left out when reflecting on a verbal convo or confrontation, but when they're right there in front of you on paper or a screen there is no swaying from what was said or wasn't. It's funny too because as I'm writing this I'm shaking my head yes in agreement with myself. I can't help it, I just love to write!
Now don't get me wrong, obviously the world and it's use of media (facebook, text messaging, email, etc.) has gotten a little out of hand. The generation rising up is going to have a lot of relationship issues because they're breaking up and making up all through texts or fb relationship statuses, but this isn't what I'm talking about. Once again ask my husband, he'll tell you, I like to talk too and I can appreciate a face to face conversation. I especially love/need phone calls from my mom and my mommy friends frequently just to get some good ol' adult conversation in my life!! If I kept to solely to writing and playing with trains and barbies all day I might go a little insane (I guess I should say a little more insane then I already am), but I just find writing to be so much a part of me and who I am and when I haven't done if for a while, I crave it.
I've started really thinking about that lately, and how I can use my love for writing as a way to glorify God. I feel like part of why I blog is to express myself while encouraging others and trying my best to clearly point anyone who reads what I write to God.
In my personal life though, I've started to make a connection with writing and my prayers. When I write them, I can clearly see exactly what I'm praying about. I feel like I'm so much more able to clearly say what I feel to God in sort of an organized way and most of all, that I'm praying for the things that I should absolutely be praying for every day. I've found that doing this has in a way freed up what I'm praying for throughout the day. I can be in prayer without thinking to myself, "okay, I should be praying for my husband, and my kids, and this person and that person," because I know that I've already actively prayed for them earlier when I wrote them all down. I'm more free to just pray for little things that come up like... patience in the moment... thinking before I speak... the man on the corner holding a sign... or whatever comes to mind.
It's been pretty amazing. And what's more, is it's been like multitasking. I haven't had the time or energy lately to blog, but I have been finding fulfillment daily in writing about the things that are most dear to me in this life to the one who is most dear to me in this life.
Thanking God today for giving me the ability to write, the ability to pray, and helping me find the connection!
I constantly reflect. Reflect about the past, reflect about the present, and want to make sure that when I look back I have no regrets. Being able to go back and reread my thoughts, what I've written or what has been written to me is so much easier then remembering or replaying a conversation in my head. Words are so easily twisted, changed or left out when reflecting on a verbal convo or confrontation, but when they're right there in front of you on paper or a screen there is no swaying from what was said or wasn't. It's funny too because as I'm writing this I'm shaking my head yes in agreement with myself. I can't help it, I just love to write!
Now don't get me wrong, obviously the world and it's use of media (facebook, text messaging, email, etc.) has gotten a little out of hand. The generation rising up is going to have a lot of relationship issues because they're breaking up and making up all through texts or fb relationship statuses, but this isn't what I'm talking about. Once again ask my husband, he'll tell you, I like to talk too and I can appreciate a face to face conversation. I especially love/need phone calls from my mom and my mommy friends frequently just to get some good ol' adult conversation in my life!! If I kept to solely to writing and playing with trains and barbies all day I might go a little insane (I guess I should say a little more insane then I already am), but I just find writing to be so much a part of me and who I am and when I haven't done if for a while, I crave it.
I've started really thinking about that lately, and how I can use my love for writing as a way to glorify God. I feel like part of why I blog is to express myself while encouraging others and trying my best to clearly point anyone who reads what I write to God.
In my personal life though, I've started to make a connection with writing and my prayers. When I write them, I can clearly see exactly what I'm praying about. I feel like I'm so much more able to clearly say what I feel to God in sort of an organized way and most of all, that I'm praying for the things that I should absolutely be praying for every day. I've found that doing this has in a way freed up what I'm praying for throughout the day. I can be in prayer without thinking to myself, "okay, I should be praying for my husband, and my kids, and this person and that person," because I know that I've already actively prayed for them earlier when I wrote them all down. I'm more free to just pray for little things that come up like... patience in the moment... thinking before I speak... the man on the corner holding a sign... or whatever comes to mind.
It's been pretty amazing. And what's more, is it's been like multitasking. I haven't had the time or energy lately to blog, but I have been finding fulfillment daily in writing about the things that are most dear to me in this life to the one who is most dear to me in this life.
Thanking God today for giving me the ability to write, the ability to pray, and helping me find the connection!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Life Happens!
Yeah, it's been almost a year since I've blogged. Life happens, and it happens really fast when you have 2 kiddies 20 months apart under the age of 4!!
Truth is, life happens for all of us. We're all swamped with so much. Sometimes I seriously feel like I have no idea how I'm going to get through the day with a messy house closing in on me, 2 kids tugging at my feet needing me (who don't really want to take naps), a husband that really is the best and doesn't ask for much (but needs me to be the wife I am called to be), family, friends, ministry stuff, bills, bushy eyebrows staring me down every time I look in the mirror, and a selfish nature I'm trying to dump! It's a lot!
It's been quite a wild ride having 2 kids so close in age. I think the last year has been probably the hardest year of my life. I really don't know how people get by without a loving God to call on, lean on, and trust in. A God whose plan for our life is better then any we could dream up for ourselves.
I'm 28 now. Seems pretty crazy sometimes. 30 is creeping up on me (seriously??? yep!) and really and truly, I feel like I'm growing everyday into the woman that God wants me to be. Am I lacking in most areas? Absolutely, but I feel like this past year has been such a HUGE time of growth for me. I feel like God has put people in my life, dropped books on my head, and lead me to verses in the Bible that have helped me see a little more clearly, that have given me a really strong hope. A hope for so much more then I could've ever imagined. A hope that maybe I am a good wife, and mom, and that I am doing a good job, and that if I keep relying on Him for my strength that He will provide. Truth is, being a mom isn't easy. Keeping a strong marriage isn't easy either, and feeling stable, sane, and okay while trying to juggle it all doesn't seem possible. I've been drawn over and over to Romans 5: 1-5 this year. I love readying the NKJ version, but my new favorite is from The Message. It reads like this,
1-2By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. 3-5There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!
Truth is, life happens for all of us. We're all swamped with so much. Sometimes I seriously feel like I have no idea how I'm going to get through the day with a messy house closing in on me, 2 kids tugging at my feet needing me (who don't really want to take naps), a husband that really is the best and doesn't ask for much (but needs me to be the wife I am called to be), family, friends, ministry stuff, bills, bushy eyebrows staring me down every time I look in the mirror, and a selfish nature I'm trying to dump! It's a lot!
It's been quite a wild ride having 2 kids so close in age. I think the last year has been probably the hardest year of my life. I really don't know how people get by without a loving God to call on, lean on, and trust in. A God whose plan for our life is better then any we could dream up for ourselves.
I'm 28 now. Seems pretty crazy sometimes. 30 is creeping up on me (seriously??? yep!) and really and truly, I feel like I'm growing everyday into the woman that God wants me to be. Am I lacking in most areas? Absolutely, but I feel like this past year has been such a HUGE time of growth for me. I feel like God has put people in my life, dropped books on my head, and lead me to verses in the Bible that have helped me see a little more clearly, that have given me a really strong hope. A hope for so much more then I could've ever imagined. A hope that maybe I am a good wife, and mom, and that I am doing a good job, and that if I keep relying on Him for my strength that He will provide. Truth is, being a mom isn't easy. Keeping a strong marriage isn't easy either, and feeling stable, sane, and okay while trying to juggle it all doesn't seem possible. I've been drawn over and over to Romans 5: 1-5 this year. I love readying the NKJ version, but my new favorite is from The Message. It reads like this,
1-2By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. 3-5There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!
These words mean so much to me! To know that if I just keep the faith, keep pushing forward, keep pushing through hard times, gaining life experience, and wisdom, and learning how to have patience through the hard moments, and experiences it's priceless! Knowing this is a season of my life that will pass and that what I do and learn from it will help me grow into all that God has for me... it's like really really good music to my ears!
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't just want to survive. I want to go through my life with joy. Joy through it all. Joy from the hope that I have in my God.
Something I'm learning and need to keep at the forefront of everyday is that I AM NOT PERFECT. That what I read and see on pinterest, facebook, other blogs and social media isn't the way life really is. Yeah, sure, every now and then I do a pretty cool DIY project, cut my kids food into fun shapes, have the house clean, dinner on the table, and happy kids all at the same time, but that's not going to happen every day. It's not real! If I let go of my OCD, enjoy my children, play with them, dirty up the house, make a messy meal, spend time with my husband, and go to bed knowing there is a good chance our house could be deemed condemned if a health inspector walked though... but that we had fun, made memories, and it will still be there when we wake up tomorrow... is okay!
I don't want to look back on these years of my children's life and think... "wow, I spent a lot of time trying to be perfect, have a clean house, and wishing I did a better job at it all." I want to look back and remember, "that was tough, every day of it! God saw me through even on the hardest days." I want to look back and have fun memories playing with my kids, getting along with my husband, and making big messes together as a family!
Life is short and it happens whether we are paying attention or not. Kids are growing up, time is going by, and before you know it all we will have are the memories.
Thank you, Lord, for getting through to me! For making me see this. For knocking me on my feet and teaching me this. For giving me hope. Hope in You and hope for me!
I am blessed. My life is happening now and I don't want to miss a second of it!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
All Nat-U-RAL Baby (Safe Cleaning Products - Orlando Area)
If we talk at all you know that I've pretty much become an all natural Mama! We've switched it all around here... food, cleaning supplies, toiletries... everything, and it all started for us with a little girl named Chandler Rae.
Matt and I were first introduced to the organic world after watching the movie Food Inc. (which I highly recommend if you have not seen it). This movie pretty much rocked our world and educated us on the foods we were putting into our bodies and feeding to our little ones at our very own dinner table every night! It was shocking information to us and we immediately made changes in the meats and dairy products we purchased for our family. Soon after, we decided to start buying organic fruits and veggies too (it was a pricey decision, but one we couldn't refuse after the new knowledge we now had about pesticides and contamination to most of the produce out there).
When our precious bundle Chandler was born we had no idea how much more organic and natural we would soon be going. To put it lightly, our girl has some serious allergies. We noticed her skin allergies when she was about 2 weeks old. Her eczema was the worst I had ever seen and our pediatrician (at the time) brushed it off to be nothing. He handed us a script for steroid creams and told us, "she'd probably out grow it." Months later she was still suffering with dry itchy patches all over her body and also had a persistent cough and runny nose 24/7. We knew something had to be wrong, but were told time and time again, "it was probably just a couple of viruses, not to worry, and continue the creams for her skin." I knew it was more. There was something wrong with my baby girl. When Chandler was about 7 months old she stuck her hand in peanut butter while I was making her brother a sandwich. It was soon evident that a peanut allergy was in the cards for Chandler. I rushed her to the ER in a panic. Praise God, she was okay, but it was all adding up in my mind. I knew she had to have some serious allergies and maybe it was more then just peanuts. I was still nursing Chandler at this point so everything I ate, she got. I immediately cut out peanut butter, but was very curious if it was something more. We decided to have her tested for allergies to see if I was right. Not only was Chandler allergic to peanuts, but she was also allergic to eggs and has a sensitivity to wheat! Holy moly!! This was overwhelming information (to say the least) for me because this meant so many things for us. We now had answers and for that we were grateful, but changes now had to be made! Big ones. Grocery changes, diet changes, and label reading to the max! While in the moment I wanted to crawl under a rock and forget I knew any of this, we now live in a peanut free home with limited egg and wheat used and it's been easy. The alternatives out there are amazing! The local health food stores and even some Publix stores now carry great products with guarantees of no cross contamination. Also, finding substitutes has been fun and surprisingly easy.
When I first learned of Chandler's allergies, I turned to the internet for tips and advice and after one of my posts on facebook, was recommended a site that would soon educate and shock me about more than just what we put on our dinner tables. This site taught me so much about the ingredients that are in our cleaning products, our lotions and soaps, and most of the common products you would find in any household. I was flabbergasted. I felt like I had been contaminated for the last 27 years and immediately began searching for new products for our family.
We now use Shaklee cleaning supplies which I am absolutely loving! Not only do they work better then the other yucky stuff we were using before, but I don't have to put on giant rubber gloves and clear the house before I clean. These products are non-toxic, safe for the environment, and kill more germs for longer then all the other products out there! I feel safe cleaning around the kids and am now confident in knowing that these products are not harmful to us, our home, or our planet. Also, after reading the book, Green Goes with Everything by Sloan Barnett (the wife of Shaklee's owner), I have learned so much about the correlation between cleaning supplies and allergies and I think it would shock most just how much our bodies are affected by what we are cleaning our homes with! One of the best parts too is that using these products saving you big time! We bought one of the starter kits for less than $100, and will not need to buy any other cleaning supplies other than laundry detergent and dish washer soap for at least a year. In the long run, we will save thousands on our cleaning supplies using Shaklee products. Shaklee also has a health and beauty line which I plan on checking out.
We've also changed to California Baby for lotions, shampoo, diaper cream, sunscreen, and bubble bath. We are loving these products and they are all organic (truly organic, there are lots of products out there that claim to be organic or natural and are absolutely not, read your labels!!) I've been testing other brands too for Matt and I and have also fallen in love with the brand Everyday Shea. I'll throw this in too for tmi, but I quit using deodorant!! Not only is it very unhealthy for your body, but it's completely unnecessary. I have switched to baking soda and water. I was shocked to find that it works better then what I was previously using and bonus, it only cost me 44 cents and it's lasted more than a month! While it is not an antiperspirant, I feel like if God gave us sweat glands under our arms, he put them there for a reason! Just my opinion, but I have to say I'm enjoying the switch!
While I'm not a huge make up wearing woman I have changed to the organic line that Physicians Formula has recently come out with. I like the prices and the quality and am very happy with the ingredients I'm exposing my face and body to every day.
I really could go on and on about this subject and the changes we've personally made in our home, but I felt pretty passionate about sharing our story and encouraging all to do the research, become educated, and make the changes in your home too to become healthier and to provide a safe environment for you and your family.
We feel so very blessed to have been given Chandler Rae and feel like God has blessed our family by creating her with allergies! We love you baby girl.
Click here to check out Mercola.com where I found a lot of helpful information. Also, check out Food Inc and Food Matters!
Happy Researching!!
When buying "organic" or "natural" be sure to check your labels. Just because it has the title "organic" or "natural" does not mean that the ingredients are! Look for the USDA organic certified label on the front of a product. If you see it there, you can rest assured that this product and its ingredients are truly organic.
Matt and I were first introduced to the organic world after watching the movie Food Inc. (which I highly recommend if you have not seen it). This movie pretty much rocked our world and educated us on the foods we were putting into our bodies and feeding to our little ones at our very own dinner table every night! It was shocking information to us and we immediately made changes in the meats and dairy products we purchased for our family. Soon after, we decided to start buying organic fruits and veggies too (it was a pricey decision, but one we couldn't refuse after the new knowledge we now had about pesticides and contamination to most of the produce out there).
When our precious bundle Chandler was born we had no idea how much more organic and natural we would soon be going. To put it lightly, our girl has some serious allergies. We noticed her skin allergies when she was about 2 weeks old. Her eczema was the worst I had ever seen and our pediatrician (at the time) brushed it off to be nothing. He handed us a script for steroid creams and told us, "she'd probably out grow it." Months later she was still suffering with dry itchy patches all over her body and also had a persistent cough and runny nose 24/7. We knew something had to be wrong, but were told time and time again, "it was probably just a couple of viruses, not to worry, and continue the creams for her skin." I knew it was more. There was something wrong with my baby girl. When Chandler was about 7 months old she stuck her hand in peanut butter while I was making her brother a sandwich. It was soon evident that a peanut allergy was in the cards for Chandler. I rushed her to the ER in a panic. Praise God, she was okay, but it was all adding up in my mind. I knew she had to have some serious allergies and maybe it was more then just peanuts. I was still nursing Chandler at this point so everything I ate, she got. I immediately cut out peanut butter, but was very curious if it was something more. We decided to have her tested for allergies to see if I was right. Not only was Chandler allergic to peanuts, but she was also allergic to eggs and has a sensitivity to wheat! Holy moly!! This was overwhelming information (to say the least) for me because this meant so many things for us. We now had answers and for that we were grateful, but changes now had to be made! Big ones. Grocery changes, diet changes, and label reading to the max! While in the moment I wanted to crawl under a rock and forget I knew any of this, we now live in a peanut free home with limited egg and wheat used and it's been easy. The alternatives out there are amazing! The local health food stores and even some Publix stores now carry great products with guarantees of no cross contamination. Also, finding substitutes has been fun and surprisingly easy.
When I first learned of Chandler's allergies, I turned to the internet for tips and advice and after one of my posts on facebook, was recommended a site that would soon educate and shock me about more than just what we put on our dinner tables. This site taught me so much about the ingredients that are in our cleaning products, our lotions and soaps, and most of the common products you would find in any household. I was flabbergasted. I felt like I had been contaminated for the last 27 years and immediately began searching for new products for our family.
We now use Shaklee cleaning supplies which I am absolutely loving! Not only do they work better then the other yucky stuff we were using before, but I don't have to put on giant rubber gloves and clear the house before I clean. These products are non-toxic, safe for the environment, and kill more germs for longer then all the other products out there! I feel safe cleaning around the kids and am now confident in knowing that these products are not harmful to us, our home, or our planet. Also, after reading the book, Green Goes with Everything by Sloan Barnett (the wife of Shaklee's owner), I have learned so much about the correlation between cleaning supplies and allergies and I think it would shock most just how much our bodies are affected by what we are cleaning our homes with! One of the best parts too is that using these products saving you big time! We bought one of the starter kits for less than $100, and will not need to buy any other cleaning supplies other than laundry detergent and dish washer soap for at least a year. In the long run, we will save thousands on our cleaning supplies using Shaklee products. Shaklee also has a health and beauty line which I plan on checking out.
We've also changed to California Baby for lotions, shampoo, diaper cream, sunscreen, and bubble bath. We are loving these products and they are all organic (truly organic, there are lots of products out there that claim to be organic or natural and are absolutely not, read your labels!!) I've been testing other brands too for Matt and I and have also fallen in love with the brand Everyday Shea. I'll throw this in too for tmi, but I quit using deodorant!! Not only is it very unhealthy for your body, but it's completely unnecessary. I have switched to baking soda and water. I was shocked to find that it works better then what I was previously using and bonus, it only cost me 44 cents and it's lasted more than a month! While it is not an antiperspirant, I feel like if God gave us sweat glands under our arms, he put them there for a reason! Just my opinion, but I have to say I'm enjoying the switch!
While I'm not a huge make up wearing woman I have changed to the organic line that Physicians Formula has recently come out with. I like the prices and the quality and am very happy with the ingredients I'm exposing my face and body to every day.
I really could go on and on about this subject and the changes we've personally made in our home, but I felt pretty passionate about sharing our story and encouraging all to do the research, become educated, and make the changes in your home too to become healthier and to provide a safe environment for you and your family.
We feel so very blessed to have been given Chandler Rae and feel like God has blessed our family by creating her with allergies! We love you baby girl.
Click here to check out Mercola.com where I found a lot of helpful information. Also, check out Food Inc and Food Matters!
Happy Researching!!
When buying "organic" or "natural" be sure to check your labels. Just because it has the title "organic" or "natural" does not mean that the ingredients are! Look for the USDA organic certified label on the front of a product. If you see it there, you can rest assured that this product and its ingredients are truly organic.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
10 years & 2 kids later... And I still LOVE you.
To My Ever Faithful Husband & Father to Our Beautiful Children After 10 Years of Us,
Can you believe that 10 years ago today you asked me to be your girlfriend? 10 years! Let's be honest though, we probably could've celebrated about 4 or 5 months ago, considering we sure acted like we were a couple long before we made it official. I guess today we'd call that "facebook official."
I knew you were the one that day after the youth garage sale. I was only 16 then, but I knew. You were funny, and goofy, and I had such a great time around you. You were sweet too. A "nice guy," and while most girls don't fall for the "nice guys" early in life, I knew I had to have you!
If I hadn't been sure after the garage sale, the 12 Hour Blitz sealed the deal for me!! After that day, not only did I know you were a great guy, but I knew you had great taste in music too. Your "S1" CD mix melted my heart and I couldn't believe you let me listen to your portable CD player!! We made so many ridiculous inside jokes that day and even though I had wrecked my truck the week before, you managed to cheer me up, make me laugh, and forget about all of the "stuff" a 16 year old teenage girl stresses about (which by the way, does not compare to the stress of a 27 year old wife and mommy of 2, what in the world did I really have to stress about???) That was seriously one of the best days I had had in a long time. I knew that day we'd be good friends and little did you know that after that day I started praying every morning for our relationship to become more than just that.
It didn't take long for us to become more than just good friends. We soon became BEST friends and the more we hung out, spent hours talking on the phone, and made memories we'll have for the rest of our lives, the more I knew you had to be the one for me. We were just teenagers (you a sophomore and me a junior in high school) but I knew.
Everyday I felt like God was telling me, he's the one, Amanda, he's the one I made for you, but we stayed "just friends" for a longtime and that made me question Him. I was stubborn and impatient to the point that I tried to put things into my own hands to try to make "us" work and when that didn't work, it broke my heart. I now understand it was just God's hand on it all. He was us giving us a strong foundation to build on, so that if and when we had a simple disagreement, we'd have too much to loose if we broke up. (Typing this all out now brings me back... it's so crazy to think that we were together 2 years of high school and made it out alive! All the lingo back then was silly "gf, bf, break up, ask me out," it all seems like an eternity ago, but it was high school and God saw us through it.)
I'll never forget our first kiss (and I'm sure you won't either). It was a Monday night. My lacrosse game had been rained out. (You were my biggest fan by the way, at almost every game cheering me on. My Dad to this day will say he knew he liked you after your famous line, "she must be butter cause she's on a roll." [I'm seriously laughing out loud right now remembering that.]) We came back to my house and hung out with Matty G for a while. After he left, you had just a short time before you had to be home too (in time for 7th Heaven, of course.) We don't have to get into the details, but needless to say we'll never forget it.
It only took us about 4 months to finally make it official. The exact date (7.7.01) was just 1 short year (to the date) of my baptism (7.7.00) and there is no doubt in my mind that it was all in God's plan for it to work out that way.
It's been 10 years since that day and what a 10 years it's been together! In the beginning, I almost thought you were to good to be true. I was just waiting for you to break my heart. As time went on, you proved to me over and over again through your words and your actions that you would NEVER do so. While every second of the past 10 years has not been easy, there's not a thing I would change about it. We've had good times and bad, happy and sad, but there has never been a doubt in my mind that it's all been God's plan. He has showed me love through the love that you have been giving me these past 10 years. Thank you for allowing Him to use you to love me. Thank you for loving me when I'm a real pain in the butt. Thank you for providing for our family and never ever complaining about it. You are a true man of God and I could not feel more honored to be your wife. That God chose me to be the one for you.
Here we are now blessed beyond measure. We'll celebrate 6 years of marriage in November. We've created life, twice. We've got a little boy (who will be 3 in just 2 days) who melts my heart and surprise surprise, reminds me so much of you. And our little girl, while she's a little bit too much like her mama, she certainly has your sense of humor. What a joy it is to have you to raise them both with. You are there for us more than you should have to be. You do things for them that a lot of daddies wouldn't. They are so very blessed to have you in their lives and I am so very blessed to have you as a partner in parenting.
While reflecting back over the past 12 years that you've been a part of my life, all I can do is smile and praise God for putting you in my life.
I love you so much and am blessed that everyday you wake up and choose to love me too.
Happy 10 years!
Here's to the rest of our lives!
Love Always,
Your LITSBYFITB ;)
One of these days I'll get some classic pictures of us up here. If I only had time and our scanner on hand. Soon! I promise.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
I'm a Minivan Mommy Now!
So if you haven't seen my posts or heard me say it... We, the Sanders Family, are now the proud owners of a minivan!! It's been a long time coming for us, but it finally happened on Thursday!
I almost feel guilty because of how happy I am to be driving around in a new car. I told a couple of friends, "A minivan should not make someone this happy," but I honestly think I'm happy for more than just materialistic reasons on this one. I mean, let's be honest, it's a minivan, not a sports car, but you have to understand... a minivan has been my dream car for a while now!! Putting all my dreams aside though there are so many reasons why this car is making me so happy!!
One of the major reasons being.... AIR CONDITIONING! The AC on our old car has been flaky for more than 3 years now. When I was pregnant with Landon, (July baby) it was like torture. I would get in my car after work and get so hot I would literally take my clothes off and drive home in my underwear and under-tank. Thank goodness I never got pulled over or in a wreck! For the longest time, Matt thought it was just my pregnant hormones. His mind changed when I went into labor and he had to drive from Daytona Beach to Winnie Palmer Hospital in the heat of a hot summer day. He was so hot and sweaty by the time he got there, he took a shower in my hospital room before Landon was born. We've had it serviced, checked for leaks, and replaced the freon like 5 times since then, but by the time summer roles around again, it's back to misery on wheels. Poor Landon has really never known what it's like to have AC in the car and Chandler is an entirely different story. The poor girl has the worst allergies and exzema that I have ever seen. Having the windows down during allergy season has been terrible for her. The girl has had a cough since February and we're hoping to see a difference in her soon. Her exzema has been worse then ever too because within minutes of getting in the car she's a sticky sweaty mess. We've pretty much been confined to the house unless it's before 9am, after 6pm or raining. Day trips that were musts, like doctors visits or grocery shopping was getting rough on the kids and becoming stressful for me. Now, I know that AC is a luxury (shoot, having a car is a luxury), but it is amazing how different all of us are now that we have it. Our moods are better, we're excited to go places again, I don't get stressed out when we're out of milk, and Chandler's skin is clearing up! Landon is still getting used to actually being chilly in the car, and Matt and I both just so relieved for our family! It all sounds crazy, but I'm telling you AC in Florida makes a difference! A HUGE difference.
Another reason we're so excited is space. It's been over a year that we've pretty much been confined to the kids, a driver, and 1 passenger. The back seat with two car seats wouldn't even fit the tiniest of booties (trust me, just ask my brother's fiance, Sheena). On top of that, having a hatchback limits trunk space. With at least 1 double stroller always in the back, fitting groceries, bags, or anything else was almost impossible. The space we have now is amazing. We can fit two strollers if we had to, plenty of groceries, and 7 passengers!!
Reliability and peace of mind is something else we now have thanks to our new minivan! The transmission on the car was slipping on top of the AC being out, and really, I'm sure there were so many other crazy things wrong with that car. Every time we got in it we weren't quite sure if we were going to make it to our destination and I-4 had become a no no! We couldn't go above 55 mph anymore because of the transmission issues and who really wants to drive on the interstate with the windows down... certainly not my 2 year old who would say, "mommy, the wind is going to blow my head off." In addition, to being able to freely come and go we also have a 6 year 125,000 mile warranty which means Landon will be 9 before that bad boy expires!
What a relief for our entire family! God has provided for us in a big way. It's something we've been praying about and saving for, for a LONG time and when we did our taxes this year, we knew we had enough to make a move!! It's only been 5 and 1/2 days and let me tell you, we have been enjoying everything about our new van! We did decide not to get all the luxury upgrades because we couldn't justify paying extra for something we didn't absolutely need. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to go with them, but for our family it just wasn't worth the extra bucks. What's amazing though is my parents just told us that they'd like to put in a DVD player in for the kids since we are taking a big trip next month! Landon is VERY excited about "having a TV in his car." Ha.
All in all this has been such a great thing for our family! We couldn't be happier with our newest addition!
I almost feel guilty because of how happy I am to be driving around in a new car. I told a couple of friends, "A minivan should not make someone this happy," but I honestly think I'm happy for more than just materialistic reasons on this one. I mean, let's be honest, it's a minivan, not a sports car, but you have to understand... a minivan has been my dream car for a while now!! Putting all my dreams aside though there are so many reasons why this car is making me so happy!!
One of the major reasons being.... AIR CONDITIONING! The AC on our old car has been flaky for more than 3 years now. When I was pregnant with Landon, (July baby) it was like torture. I would get in my car after work and get so hot I would literally take my clothes off and drive home in my underwear and under-tank. Thank goodness I never got pulled over or in a wreck! For the longest time, Matt thought it was just my pregnant hormones. His mind changed when I went into labor and he had to drive from Daytona Beach to Winnie Palmer Hospital in the heat of a hot summer day. He was so hot and sweaty by the time he got there, he took a shower in my hospital room before Landon was born. We've had it serviced, checked for leaks, and replaced the freon like 5 times since then, but by the time summer roles around again, it's back to misery on wheels. Poor Landon has really never known what it's like to have AC in the car and Chandler is an entirely different story. The poor girl has the worst allergies and exzema that I have ever seen. Having the windows down during allergy season has been terrible for her. The girl has had a cough since February and we're hoping to see a difference in her soon. Her exzema has been worse then ever too because within minutes of getting in the car she's a sticky sweaty mess. We've pretty much been confined to the house unless it's before 9am, after 6pm or raining. Day trips that were musts, like doctors visits or grocery shopping was getting rough on the kids and becoming stressful for me. Now, I know that AC is a luxury (shoot, having a car is a luxury), but it is amazing how different all of us are now that we have it. Our moods are better, we're excited to go places again, I don't get stressed out when we're out of milk, and Chandler's skin is clearing up! Landon is still getting used to actually being chilly in the car, and Matt and I both just so relieved for our family! It all sounds crazy, but I'm telling you AC in Florida makes a difference! A HUGE difference.
Another reason we're so excited is space. It's been over a year that we've pretty much been confined to the kids, a driver, and 1 passenger. The back seat with two car seats wouldn't even fit the tiniest of booties (trust me, just ask my brother's fiance, Sheena). On top of that, having a hatchback limits trunk space. With at least 1 double stroller always in the back, fitting groceries, bags, or anything else was almost impossible. The space we have now is amazing. We can fit two strollers if we had to, plenty of groceries, and 7 passengers!!
Reliability and peace of mind is something else we now have thanks to our new minivan! The transmission on the car was slipping on top of the AC being out, and really, I'm sure there were so many other crazy things wrong with that car. Every time we got in it we weren't quite sure if we were going to make it to our destination and I-4 had become a no no! We couldn't go above 55 mph anymore because of the transmission issues and who really wants to drive on the interstate with the windows down... certainly not my 2 year old who would say, "mommy, the wind is going to blow my head off." In addition, to being able to freely come and go we also have a 6 year 125,000 mile warranty which means Landon will be 9 before that bad boy expires!
What a relief for our entire family! God has provided for us in a big way. It's something we've been praying about and saving for, for a LONG time and when we did our taxes this year, we knew we had enough to make a move!! It's only been 5 and 1/2 days and let me tell you, we have been enjoying everything about our new van! We did decide not to get all the luxury upgrades because we couldn't justify paying extra for something we didn't absolutely need. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to go with them, but for our family it just wasn't worth the extra bucks. What's amazing though is my parents just told us that they'd like to put in a DVD player in for the kids since we are taking a big trip next month! Landon is VERY excited about "having a TV in his car." Ha.
All in all this has been such a great thing for our family! We couldn't be happier with our newest addition!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Christians Offend Me
I already know that some of you are reading this just because of the title of this post. Maybe it struck your curiosity because you wouldn't call yourself a Christian or just plain don't believe. Maybe you were wondering why a Pastor's wife would say such a thing, so you clicked on the link to see what I had to say or maybe you actually like reading my blog (I hope the latter). I don't really know why you are reading this, but I just hope it makes you think.
Let's get this straight, I am head over heels in love with my Savior. He died a brutal death for me and the more I learn about Him and His life on this Earth the more blown away with Him I become. He, like any of us, was human, but He was also God at the same time. Confusing, yes, but when you consider His human side and what He faced for anyone who believes in Him I am totally awestruck by His Love and sacrifice. I could go on and on about Him, and just how AMAZING He is, but there is no need for me to do so when you can read all about it in a book which says it all already. Who is this man I am talking about? It's Jesus Christ.
When you hear that name, I'm not sure what exactly comes to your mind. When asked, people around the world say things like, "good man," and/or "humanitarian." Most people don't have too many negative things to say about Jesus (it's the Christians they don't have nice things to say about), but for some reason for the longest time I would cringe when I heard His name, mostly because of the ways I've heard it used... ways that change Him into something He was/is not... ways that use it to advance or elevate someone's status or to make themselves look good... and even in ways that truly make me want to throw up in my mouth! I'm not sitting here saying that I judge anyone who is talking about Jesus, but I am saying that when I hear people talk about Him in such a way that changes who I know He is, I see red.
Too many "Christians" today take His name and/or the religion of Christianity and make it into something it is not and something it was never meant to be. When people make Jesus out to be someone who is judgmental, condemning and legalistic, I feel it is misrepresenting who He was on this Earth, who He is today, and what His message still is and frankly, it's more then just offensive to me. People are dying and going to hell because of it.
If people knew anything about who Jesus really was they would run to Him with open arms and never let go. They would fall down in humility at His feet and do anything they could do to show others who He really is, and I'm pretty sure they would do it in the same LOVING way that He did and does for us. His very own Disciples, some of the people He was closest to during His time on this Earth, were just as faithless and disobedient as those who were not His followers, yet Jesus gave them chance after chance, loved them more than himself and displayed to them time after time how to serve/save this world in LOVE!!! Now, I know that there are some of you who are thinking to yourselves, "hey lady, don't you remember when He called the woman at the well out about having 5 husbands and don't you remember when he called Peter, Satan and told him to get behind him." Well, yes. I do remember that, but I also remember Him doing all of those things in Love. He had no impure motive. He did not think of Himself as higher than anyone He ever called out (even though He CERTAINLY was/is) and He actually cared about the souls that He touched...every single one of them.
I'm not a pastor, so I'm going to stop my ranting, but my husband is and I think he did a pretty amazing job communicating some of this message a couple Sundays ago at our Church. You can check out that message here.
One Passionate Life “A Passionate Presence” from Journey Christian on Vimeo.
All I'm really saying here is that we are not called to be judges on this Earth. We are called to be lovers of the Lord and lovers of our neighbors (every single one of them). When it is all said and done and you have done all you can to try and relay the TRUE message of Jesus to someone who still seems to not care and makes the decision to continue living in sin, then by all means just freaking pray for that person and pray for yourself that you may have a heart that is able to love the sinner and not the sin. After all, it is what Jesus did and does for us and it is what He has called you to do if you have taken His name as your own and call yourself a Christian.
*Disclaimer* I believe God knew what He was doing when He married me to a pastor! It was part of His plan to teach me how to be wise with my words and to keep my mouth shut when it is so VERY hard for me to do so. In times when I so badly want to gossip about another Christian or want to really go off on someone for misrepresenting Christ I am usually reminded first, that I am representing my husband and our church, and then I am usually reminded that I am ultimately representing Jesus (the very One that I want to stand up for in a not so Jesus-like way). He also so quickly reminds me that acting in such a manner is pointless and is no better than acting like those who are misrepresenting Him in the first place. Essentially, if I acted out the way I sometimes want to, I become a misrepresenter too. I wrote this post because I feel like there has been a lot of this going on around me lately and it's been driving me crazy. Have I handled every situation as He may have wanted me to? No, but He is working on me and softening my heart everyday to Him, even when people surrounding me (who claim to be representing Him) push me toward a hard, tainted, heart. I am honored that my King chose my husband and our family to serve in vocational ministry and wouldn't change where He has us today or His plan thus far, but I also pray daily for protection over our hearts in a day in age where so many claim to be His followers yet produce no fruit and show no love. It can be an exhausting, disappointing, frustrating, and angering position if we don't keep Jesus forefront what we do. For too long my heart has been so hard toward Christianity or the church in general and I believe that is exactly what Satan wanted. I no longer cringe when I hear the name Jesus. Instead, I want to praise His name for all eternity. He is the Savior of the world and I will no longer miss out on all He has for me and the plan for my life because of those around me who just plain don't get Him at all.
Let's get this straight, I am head over heels in love with my Savior. He died a brutal death for me and the more I learn about Him and His life on this Earth the more blown away with Him I become. He, like any of us, was human, but He was also God at the same time. Confusing, yes, but when you consider His human side and what He faced for anyone who believes in Him I am totally awestruck by His Love and sacrifice. I could go on and on about Him, and just how AMAZING He is, but there is no need for me to do so when you can read all about it in a book which says it all already. Who is this man I am talking about? It's Jesus Christ.
When you hear that name, I'm not sure what exactly comes to your mind. When asked, people around the world say things like, "good man," and/or "humanitarian." Most people don't have too many negative things to say about Jesus (it's the Christians they don't have nice things to say about), but for some reason for the longest time I would cringe when I heard His name, mostly because of the ways I've heard it used... ways that change Him into something He was/is not... ways that use it to advance or elevate someone's status or to make themselves look good... and even in ways that truly make me want to throw up in my mouth! I'm not sitting here saying that I judge anyone who is talking about Jesus, but I am saying that when I hear people talk about Him in such a way that changes who I know He is, I see red.
Too many "Christians" today take His name and/or the religion of Christianity and make it into something it is not and something it was never meant to be. When people make Jesus out to be someone who is judgmental, condemning and legalistic, I feel it is misrepresenting who He was on this Earth, who He is today, and what His message still is and frankly, it's more then just offensive to me. People are dying and going to hell because of it.
If people knew anything about who Jesus really was they would run to Him with open arms and never let go. They would fall down in humility at His feet and do anything they could do to show others who He really is, and I'm pretty sure they would do it in the same LOVING way that He did and does for us. His very own Disciples, some of the people He was closest to during His time on this Earth, were just as faithless and disobedient as those who were not His followers, yet Jesus gave them chance after chance, loved them more than himself and displayed to them time after time how to serve/save this world in LOVE!!! Now, I know that there are some of you who are thinking to yourselves, "hey lady, don't you remember when He called the woman at the well out about having 5 husbands and don't you remember when he called Peter, Satan and told him to get behind him." Well, yes. I do remember that, but I also remember Him doing all of those things in Love. He had no impure motive. He did not think of Himself as higher than anyone He ever called out (even though He CERTAINLY was/is) and He actually cared about the souls that He touched...every single one of them.
I'm not a pastor, so I'm going to stop my ranting, but my husband is and I think he did a pretty amazing job communicating some of this message a couple Sundays ago at our Church. You can check out that message here.
One Passionate Life “A Passionate Presence” from Journey Christian on Vimeo.
All I'm really saying here is that we are not called to be judges on this Earth. We are called to be lovers of the Lord and lovers of our neighbors (every single one of them). When it is all said and done and you have done all you can to try and relay the TRUE message of Jesus to someone who still seems to not care and makes the decision to continue living in sin, then by all means just freaking pray for that person and pray for yourself that you may have a heart that is able to love the sinner and not the sin. After all, it is what Jesus did and does for us and it is what He has called you to do if you have taken His name as your own and call yourself a Christian.
*Disclaimer* I believe God knew what He was doing when He married me to a pastor! It was part of His plan to teach me how to be wise with my words and to keep my mouth shut when it is so VERY hard for me to do so. In times when I so badly want to gossip about another Christian or want to really go off on someone for misrepresenting Christ I am usually reminded first, that I am representing my husband and our church, and then I am usually reminded that I am ultimately representing Jesus (the very One that I want to stand up for in a not so Jesus-like way). He also so quickly reminds me that acting in such a manner is pointless and is no better than acting like those who are misrepresenting Him in the first place. Essentially, if I acted out the way I sometimes want to, I become a misrepresenter too. I wrote this post because I feel like there has been a lot of this going on around me lately and it's been driving me crazy. Have I handled every situation as He may have wanted me to? No, but He is working on me and softening my heart everyday to Him, even when people surrounding me (who claim to be representing Him) push me toward a hard, tainted, heart. I am honored that my King chose my husband and our family to serve in vocational ministry and wouldn't change where He has us today or His plan thus far, but I also pray daily for protection over our hearts in a day in age where so many claim to be His followers yet produce no fruit and show no love. It can be an exhausting, disappointing, frustrating, and angering position if we don't keep Jesus forefront what we do. For too long my heart has been so hard toward Christianity or the church in general and I believe that is exactly what Satan wanted. I no longer cringe when I hear the name Jesus. Instead, I want to praise His name for all eternity. He is the Savior of the world and I will no longer miss out on all He has for me and the plan for my life because of those around me who just plain don't get Him at all.
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