The truth is, the devil is the Father of Lies. John 8:44
Friday, December 21, 2012
Saturday, December 15, 2012
The Fall of Man
Besides feeling shocked and sad, all I could think about yesterday was, the Fall of Man. As many of you know, yesterday was a very sad day for the town of Newton, CT and the whole nation. A young man went into a elementary school and took the lives of 20 beautiful little kids, 6 adults of the staff, his mother's life, and eventually his own. I have been sick for the past couple of days so when I noticed something on the Internet about this story, I just glanced at it with the other headlines and my since my son is home with me my television stays on NickJr in the morning. It wasn't until my sister texted me that about wanting to cry that I turned on the news and grabbed my ipad to read into what happen. I immediately thought, what is wrong with people? The answer that came back to me is, sin is what's wrong with people. The Fall of Man has become more apparent these days and unfortunately all too often it is in situations like these. Don't get me wrong, I see the fall of man everyday and even in my own life, but yesterday was one of those situations that just jolts it into your mind.
This tragedy and others like it just reiterate to me how real the devil is and how SERIOUS sin is. The devil is alive and well and will use anyone or anything he can get his hands on. We indeed are in a spitiual warfare and yesterday was just more evidence of that. We as Christians need to fight everyday against sin. We need to pray for the lost. We need to go out and reach the lost. It really sucks that these kids had to suffer in this way, but I truly believe these little ones are in heaven. I can't imagine what the families of the victims are going through right now. My prayer for them is that they will turn to Christ. He is the only way they will get through this. I pray that if they don't know Him, that they will come to know Him as their Savior. I know that until Christ's return, sin and the evil it causes will always be present, but I pray that we turn back to God and that devastation like this happen less and less.
Lets continue to pray for Newton, CT and the whole world.
This tragedy and others like it just reiterate to me how real the devil is and how SERIOUS sin is. The devil is alive and well and will use anyone or anything he can get his hands on. We indeed are in a spitiual warfare and yesterday was just more evidence of that. We as Christians need to fight everyday against sin. We need to pray for the lost. We need to go out and reach the lost. It really sucks that these kids had to suffer in this way, but I truly believe these little ones are in heaven. I can't imagine what the families of the victims are going through right now. My prayer for them is that they will turn to Christ. He is the only way they will get through this. I pray that if they don't know Him, that they will come to know Him as their Savior. I know that until Christ's return, sin and the evil it causes will always be present, but I pray that we turn back to God and that devastation like this happen less and less.
Lets continue to pray for Newton, CT and the whole world.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Moments of Insanity
Well if anyone knows me, they know I'm a little bit on the crazy side. Okay, maybe not a little. I'm a whole lot of crazy, but it's a good crazy. There's also the insane part of me and that's where Shaun T comes in. For the past 2 years Shaun T has been getting my butt into shape with his crazy workout called Insanity. The workouts are, you guessed it, pretty Insane!! The crazy thing is they are also addicting. Once you do Insanity you want to keep doing it or challenge yourself to something even harder. Well I guess Shaun T knew that was going to happen because he came out with Insanity: The Asylum. It is NUTS!!! The difference between Asylum and regular Insanity is that now weights are involved and you have to work with an agility ladder and resistance loop bands as well as a pull up bar, if you have it. When I first started asylum I was scared, but I like that about workouts. It got me more lean and cut. It's not so much a weight loss program as it is a program to just make you a great athlete. I really liked it and I noticed that it was titled Vol. 1, which could only mean that another one was coming..............and here it is!!!
Yep, volume 2!! I was so hyped about it when I saw a trailer for it, but at the time I was training for a half marathon so I knew I was going to have to wait to do it. I got it in the mail last week and decided to start it this week, but I did do the the tutorials for the agility ladder because I had read that you NEED to do them before the regular workouts. I did the tutorial 3 times and I'm so glad I did because there are so many different moves than what vol. 1 had. So day 1 was not so bad, but the matrix push up routine was ridiculous!! Day 2 was upper elite and it wasn't as bad but that's only because I used lighter weights to get use to the workout. I know once I add heavier weights it is going to be rough. The push ups in that workout are insane as well. When I woke up this morning my back was killing me, like sore is not even the word for how it feels right now.
Today has been the hardest day so far. The workout was called Power Legs and it is titled just right. You are constantly moving and your legs are really burning, especially at the end. I had to stop a lot cause I was out of breath. I'm sure tomorrow my legs will feel like jello. I'm not sure why I challenge myself with these workouts, especially around the busiest time of the year, but at least it will help me keep off those holiday pounds.
You may not want to try these crazy workouts, but I encourage you to be active and stay in shape, it really has helped me feel better about myself and eat better. I mean I may not eat green, but I'm still watching what I eat lol.
Yep, volume 2!! I was so hyped about it when I saw a trailer for it, but at the time I was training for a half marathon so I knew I was going to have to wait to do it. I got it in the mail last week and decided to start it this week, but I did do the the tutorials for the agility ladder because I had read that you NEED to do them before the regular workouts. I did the tutorial 3 times and I'm so glad I did because there are so many different moves than what vol. 1 had. So day 1 was not so bad, but the matrix push up routine was ridiculous!! Day 2 was upper elite and it wasn't as bad but that's only because I used lighter weights to get use to the workout. I know once I add heavier weights it is going to be rough. The push ups in that workout are insane as well. When I woke up this morning my back was killing me, like sore is not even the word for how it feels right now.
Today has been the hardest day so far. The workout was called Power Legs and it is titled just right. You are constantly moving and your legs are really burning, especially at the end. I had to stop a lot cause I was out of breath. I'm sure tomorrow my legs will feel like jello. I'm not sure why I challenge myself with these workouts, especially around the busiest time of the year, but at least it will help me keep off those holiday pounds.
You may not want to try these crazy workouts, but I encourage you to be active and stay in shape, it really has helped me feel better about myself and eat better. I mean I may not eat green, but I'm still watching what I eat lol.
A moment to be encouraged
I check out different things on desiringgod.org and I came across this piece written on motherhood. I thought I would pass it along. Very encouraging for me to remember and think about as a mother taking it one day at a time.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
A moment of criticism
You often hear people say that they are their own worst critic. This is very true for me. I absolutely love music. I can remember as a young child getting excited about how certain songs would sound and loving different harmonies and use of instrumentation and wondering why other kids my age weren't as excited about it as me. I can jam out to music all day and be as happy as a kid in a candy store. I am not a musician. I don't play any instruments, but I do have a voice. God blessed me with one. I mean I'm not no Whitney Houston or anything but I can sing. I love to sing!! Besides being in the Word, singing is where I feel closer to God. Music just has this ability to speak to you like nothing us does and because of that I am my own worst critic. I know that making a joyful noise is not about how you sound, but I'm also smart enough to know that no one wants to hear someone sounding like a HOT MESS!! Lol I mean I don't want to hear that. Anyways, because I know this I get really nervous about singing solos.
For example, this weekend we have a benefit concert at our church and I am singing O Holy Night. Yes, O Holy Night, you know that song where you have to hit all these high notes and a really big one at the end. I've always wanted to try this song, but I've been too scared. However, this year I decided to be brave and trust that Tim (our wonderful pianist at church) would arrange it just right for me and he did. He adjusted the key and lets me do my own thing, BUT it's still nerve wrecking. Andrew (he's in charge of our worship ministry) and Tim were giving me tips on working the song differently and I love their advice because I've always wanted guidance on how to control my voice and it's always cool to hear someone else's take on a song. The problem with that is when I get fed a lot of things from others and then I have a way of how I want to sound with my own criticism on top of that.......well you guessed it, it makes me more nervous. Today Andrew told me to just forget everything they said and just feel the song and sang it, yes sang it, like I want to. I distinctly remember hearing him say, "Get nasty with it" hahaha, I knew what he meant. He wanted me to loosen up because he knew I was over thinking it. So I did but I didn't at the same time. I did feel more comfortable, but not as comfortable as I do in my own home.
My problem is, I don't believe in myself. That's the biggest reason why I have never pursued any kind of music career. I have done so many different things with my voice but as soon as I get in front of people, it's a wrap. I mean I sound good, but not the same. People tell me all the time that they love to hear me sing and how great I sound, but I don't believe them. As a matter of fact, people telling me that makes me even more nervous when I sing because I feel like I have to live up to this greatness they hear. So as you can see I put a lot of pressure on myself because honestly, singing is one of the few things I think I'm good at.
I don't like being this self critical about myself so what I am trying my best to do is to trust in God and realize that no matter how much I practice, the song will come out the way the Holy Spirit wants it to anyways. I am learning to put my ego aside and just worship God in the song and forget about everyone else that's in front of me because what they think of me is not important. If I crack, then I crack but my worship is what's really important. As much as I love to sing and sound great, my desire is to be invisible and to let Christ shine through me when I sing. I want Him to be center stage so that others can be transformed. So from now until the concert I will just be praying for not only my solo but the whole benefit concert and for all the focus to be on Him.
Hopefully one day I will learn to stop being so critical of myself.
*** I really hope I don't crack........lol
For example, this weekend we have a benefit concert at our church and I am singing O Holy Night. Yes, O Holy Night, you know that song where you have to hit all these high notes and a really big one at the end. I've always wanted to try this song, but I've been too scared. However, this year I decided to be brave and trust that Tim (our wonderful pianist at church) would arrange it just right for me and he did. He adjusted the key and lets me do my own thing, BUT it's still nerve wrecking. Andrew (he's in charge of our worship ministry) and Tim were giving me tips on working the song differently and I love their advice because I've always wanted guidance on how to control my voice and it's always cool to hear someone else's take on a song. The problem with that is when I get fed a lot of things from others and then I have a way of how I want to sound with my own criticism on top of that.......well you guessed it, it makes me more nervous. Today Andrew told me to just forget everything they said and just feel the song and sang it, yes sang it, like I want to. I distinctly remember hearing him say, "Get nasty with it" hahaha, I knew what he meant. He wanted me to loosen up because he knew I was over thinking it. So I did but I didn't at the same time. I did feel more comfortable, but not as comfortable as I do in my own home.
My problem is, I don't believe in myself. That's the biggest reason why I have never pursued any kind of music career. I have done so many different things with my voice but as soon as I get in front of people, it's a wrap. I mean I sound good, but not the same. People tell me all the time that they love to hear me sing and how great I sound, but I don't believe them. As a matter of fact, people telling me that makes me even more nervous when I sing because I feel like I have to live up to this greatness they hear. So as you can see I put a lot of pressure on myself because honestly, singing is one of the few things I think I'm good at.
I don't like being this self critical about myself so what I am trying my best to do is to trust in God and realize that no matter how much I practice, the song will come out the way the Holy Spirit wants it to anyways. I am learning to put my ego aside and just worship God in the song and forget about everyone else that's in front of me because what they think of me is not important. If I crack, then I crack but my worship is what's really important. As much as I love to sing and sound great, my desire is to be invisible and to let Christ shine through me when I sing. I want Him to be center stage so that others can be transformed. So from now until the concert I will just be praying for not only my solo but the whole benefit concert and for all the focus to be on Him.
Hopefully one day I will learn to stop being so critical of myself.
*** I really hope I don't crack........lol
Monday, December 3, 2012
A Moment to be convicted and inspired....
So I would like to thank my brother for introducing me to P4CM ( Passion 4 Christ Movement ). I have always liked to listen to spoken word, but when it is about Christ, that's even better. This was a challenging word to hear, but those are always the best ones to listen to.
**side note....I am tempted to show this to my husband but whenever he hears spoken word he starts to think he's a poet....lol
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