Life as I know it...

Hi all,
Wow, it's been a while since I blogged. Sorry friends....life is crazy. I will keep this short but thought I would tell you what's been up.

1. I have been dating!! Woot woot! So needless to say, a lot of my free time has been taken up with either talking on the phone or spending time with the man! ;-)

2. I have recently moved. The last couple months have been crazy as I had been searching for a new place to live, and then moving, and now unpacking!!! Whew!!! Very exhausting.

3. Staying busy with work. Still doing great there. Very thankful for my job!

4. That's all folks!!! Ha ha.... of course that's not all!! Sheesh, life is full!!

5. God is still GREAT and I am very thankful for Him. He keeps my head above water when I feel I can't breathe. He holds me up when I feel I can't swim anymore. He gives me living water when I am thirsty. He gives me bread when I am famished.

6. I have been trying to get back into the Word. Mostly it's been me being encouraged through my relationship with Richard (as we share scripture together), and also I have joined a woman's bible study online where we are studying the book of 1 John.

There are many other things that I want to focus on but one thing at a time. I just want to take it easy, take a deep breath and relax!! =)

Give me Jesus

Good Monday Morning Everyone!!!!!

Today is going to be a good day. Busy work day, lunch out with 3 of my best friends. Girl Time. Girl Chat. Loves Loves Loves!!! On top of all that excitement I get to meet another good friend for a picnic/chipotle dinner at the park and then following that I get to play my favorite sport....Volley Ball!!!! Woot!! ;-)

Ya'll remember Jeremy Camp don't you??? I stumbled across this song this morning and felt it was a good one for me today. Hope you enjoy it too and take it as a reminder that we cannot live without Jesus in this world because He really is the only one that can fill all the voids in our lives. I'm just sayin!!!! :-)

Long in waiting...

I haven't posted much on my blog lately because life has just been crazy and honestly overwhelming. I want to dedicate this song to where I am today emotionally and spiritually. God is good...ever changing what is going on inside of me. It is truly time to breath in and let everything out.



All I can do is surrender!!!!

The glass....

The glass is not half empty...It's full!!! I am thankful for today. Why? There is just so much to be thankful for. I love where I live. I have amazing friends and family. There is so much to look forward to!

Last night I played volleyball with some great people. Went to the park with my regular group of friends to play ball and turned out there was a huge group there from another church playing ball. Let me tell you they meant business! When we arrived they already had 2 net's set-up. Then my group set-up our net, then 2 more nets were constructed. We had 5 nets going at one time!!!! Amazing!

Also, I might be joining a sand volleyball league this year. Hopefully it works out and I will be in heaven! ;-) This could be a healthy addiction.

Anyway- life is good. It's hard at times and seems downright stinky at times.. but life is good. Make every moment count peeps. Look on the bright side and not the cloudy side and you will make it through.

Really bad pick-up line

So, the last couple day's I have been sick with the flu. Not so fun. Needless to say I was not in a great mood to be dealing with much.

Anywho, I logged onto a dating website I am registered with and here is the blessed e-mail I received from an unknown, faceless person who apparently liked my profile.

"Yum. I want to take a bite of you."


FOR REAL?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I think I need to go hurl one more time.........

Life is too short to settle...why not reach for the stars?

When walking through life, there are some important factors to remember and remind myself consistently.

1. God is faithful. I want to be faithful back.
2. God didn't settle when he accepted me into His family, so why should I settle when looking for a man?
3. Life throws us curve balls. Its how we choose to deal with them is the key.
4. Be true to yourself and to others. That's the ticket on the train.
5. Allow yourself to love and be loved. That's the only way to live.
6. I am not a robot, I am a person.
7. My name is not "beautiful", "babe" or "sexy"...it's Annjeri. I am a person with feelings and I do have a personality. Whoda thunk?
8. Regardless of where I am at in life, life is full. Stepping out of the box and having open eyes is really important.
9. I have great family and friends. I believe some of the richest things in life come from those amazing people who bring a smile to my face.
10. I am a creative person therefore it will not do to live a life that is stifled. My creative juices have to flow.

Life is too short to settle...why not reach for the stars?

There is something to be said...

You know, there is something to be said about doing your hair all nice and cute and wearing your favorite outfit...even if it really is only for work.

It makes you feel happy..

It makes you feel confident...

Makes you feel pretty...

Dang it, I am woman hear me roar!!! LOL!!!

Anyway, since it's Friday let's have a party!!!! Have a great weekend everyone.

God is good and top 5 list..

Good Wednesday morning yall! Hope everyone had a good Tuesday. I am proclaiming that today is going to be a great day, full of blessings. Why? Because I am sick of the hum drums! LOL!

Anyway, I know God is good, well because He shows himself as being the best Father and friend ever! I fail him on a daily basis but He never fails us. So that is something to be thankful for. Amen!

OK, top 5 list of things I like about living in Colorado.
1.) Volley Ball in the park. Yup, we can actually go outside and play a sport and not keel over from heat stroke. I am sooooo glad that I don't live in AZ anymore. Sorry for all of you peeps that still do. I'm sure it's lovely....maybe.. =)


2.) Garden of the Gods. This is a beautiful park that is so close to where I live. People come here to hike, do casual walking or biking. Love it!


3.) Glen Eyrie Castle. I used to work here years ago. People go here for tea and there are places to hike around the castle. Love it!


4.) Watching movies outside. We have this place called "Shops at Briargate". It's a little outdoor shopping mall that provides family friendly movies outside during the summer.


5.) Pikes Peak. I get to see this view, with or without the snow..every day!


There is much, much more that I enjoy about living in Colorado but I will save the rest for later. Have a great day everyone.

Tuesday Manamana's

Yawn......Is it really Tuesday? It seriously needs to be Saturday so I can sleep in. Unfortunately, this weekend I did not get much sleep so I am suffering from it.

Anyway, last night was Monday night volleyball. Woot! I look forward to it all week. The wind was blowing like crazy, and it had been raining during the day. Storm clouds hovered over us for most of the night. But we played. Oh yes. Bring on the BUMP..SET...Spike! Actually, that didn't happen all the time, we were just trying to get the stinkin ball over the net!!! LOL!

In honor of our foul ball, fly away hits, and field catchers last night, here is a tribute to the sport.

It's Monday....again...

Hi ya’ll,
Hope everyone had a great weekend. I went to Gunnison Colorado this weekend with my good friend Monika. It was really fun. During the ride there (about 3.5 hrs) we talked and laughed. It was great just hanging out with her and shootin' the breeze.

On Saturday we went to the lake and swam, laid out, bobbed in the water. It was great until the wind picked up. Ugh! The water was cooooooooooold! Yes, we were crazy chicks taken a dip in what felt like freezer water. You know, when you stick your hand in a cooler full of ice? Yup, that was us. =)

Saturday evening we went to a reader’s drama that Monika's dad was in. It was great to see him in action even though it wasn't the type of play he typically is in. Then on Sunday we went on a picnic by a really large stream. It was so beautiful! I love living in Colorado!!!

So today is Monday again and it all starts over. I am hoping to do around 5-6 days of the shred this week and maybe get in some Pilates too. We are supposed to play volleyball tonight but who knows if that is going to happen being that it is only going to be in the 50's today and it's raining. Don't get me wrong, I love rain, but when I was looking forward to playing volleyball all week, it's a bummer. Oh well...

Hope everyone has a great week. Tootles for now.

Friday Randomness...

Today is a great day. Why?? Because it's Friday and I am getting myself out of dodge!!! Yup, I am going to Gunnison with my friend and we are going to go swimming and watch a play her dad is in. Going to be good times I tell you! =)

So last night I decided to try level 2 in Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred. OMG!!! Wowzers!!!! I completed it but let me tell you it is not easy. It is certainly something to build up to but I am glad I tried it. So, next week my plan is to bounce back and forth between level 1 and level 2 and see how that goes.

I have been really trying hard at doing the full range of motion with my lunges and squats. Even just doing level 1 4-day's this week and my Gluteus Maximus muscle's, lower back and hip muscles are telling me that they are not too happy with me. You know what I say right back? WHATEVER!!! GET OVER IT!! DEAL WITH IT!! IN YOUR FACE!!! =) My pushups I feel are also improving and I am seeing muscle toning in my upper and lower body. Now I just need to focus more on abs. I complete all of the ab workouts in the video, but I have yet to feel the soreness that I get when I do crunches on the Pilates ball. hmmmm.... I think my abdominals’ just need a talking too.

I am no longer going to be the one to just sit on the couch and do nothing. No, I will put my body into submission and it will be healthy. AMEN!!! So, along with my workouts 4-6 times a week, playing volleyball on Monday nights and hopefully do some walking/hiking on the trails this summer, I should be good to go.

On another note, my creative juices have not been flowing much lately. I have cut down almost 95% on baking. I now only do it for special occasions which are OK. I don't need that in my house nor do I need to eat it. I am just making sweet things when I have to bring it to an event. As for my painting, I really really need to start a new canvas. I have been itching to do it for the last month or 2, so I need to get that going. I really like the big thick canvas look. I have one in my bedroom that has my Easter Lilly on it, and I want to paint more like that.

OK, so I have rambled on enough, here is one of my favorite songs..

Thursday randomness

Happy Thursday everyone! It is one day away from Friday, and tomorrow I am heading to Gunnison Colorado for a little reprieve! As Medea would say "Hallelujer". =)


The plans are to go swimming at the lake on Saturday and go to my friends dad's play Saturday night. Woot! It's going to be a good time baby. Hooya!

Yesterday I took the day off and just relaxed. I caught up on a bunch of CSI shows. I know, priorities right? =) Went to the Chiropractor and got a massage. Went home and made dinner. (I am sure you wanted to read a play-by-play of everything I did yesterday.)

I also watched one of my favorite shows "So you think you can dance". Can I just say WOWZERS???? Last night's show was so dang good! I absolutely love dance. If I had the body for it I would be out there doing it myself. Instead, I have to live vicariously through others and I like to paint it. So there!

Some of the most amazing talent is on this show..




This one was interesting, but if you look at it at a creative viewpoint, it was good.


I don't like all of the contemporary dances that they do, but there were some really good ones last night.

Anyway, tonight is my last night until Sunday to do the Shred. I plan on doing it Sunday evening so I don't go too many day's without it. Gotta keep my body movin! =) Hope everyone has a great day.

Lunges.....

I just want to send a message out to Jillian Michael's....
By the way, if I had your middle name, I would be using it quite often since that is what people do when they are exasperated with someone.....THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!
1. I am loving the workouts you created

2. But I don't always like you...

3. Especially when you send this particular message out to the peeps who are screaming bloody murder.

Jillian: Common guys, just a few more
Me: Oh yes, we are ALMOST done!
Jillian: Now if you are screaming right now and your legs are burning this is now the time to push through
Me: I can't believe this. You said 3 MOOOOOORRRRREEEE!!!
Jillian: Common, you can do this, just a couple more!
Me: That was 13 lunges ago. ARE YOU CRAZY??????

4. I am noticing a change in my body, so thank you Jillian for your craziness because it is paying off!

5. I love you but I don't have to like you right now.

Oh yes, this will be me some day. Well, sorta...


The End....

Dancing

So last night I went to Denver with a group of friends and we went country dancing at a place called The Stampede. If any of you live near Denver you should try it. Really is a fun place to go and does not feel like a meat market.

Anyway, we had a great time. A few guys came along (which is always nice) and they took turns and danced with all of us ladies. ;-) I love trying out new things. Doing spins and turns and trying out new steps. Makes me want to go more often and it's a great workout.

Yesterday morning I did Jillian Michael's shred, then going dancing last night I got 2 workout's in. Woot. Today I am planning on doing her Target Zone workout or go for a walk. We will see.

Well, have a great rest of the your weekend. Have fun!!

Life is full

I know I may not always feel this way ALL the time, but today I have come face to face with this.

I am blessed.

Life really is full.

Life is a disappointment......

Yet also a blessing!

In my moment's of desperation, I hope to remember this......

Bringing all things to the throne of God

Today is another day to bring all fears, worries, anxieties, insecurities and faults to the throne of God.

Life if full but feels empty

Today I was reflecting on how full my life is. Great friends and family. Enough stuff going on to fill my time. Yet there are so many times where I feel empty and lonely and I have to wonder why?

I realized as I was pondering this that my personality is the type that just needs to know. I want to know what's coming next. I want to know all the details of what's happening or what's going to happen. I'm a planner. I can't plan if I don't know!!! So very frustrating. I get overly anxious when something is going on in my life that I have no control over.

I know everyone handle's life's stress differently. God has to constantly remind me to come back to Him. I have to get recharged...re-focused on what is truly important. God. He is the one that is important. Not anything on this earth is as important as He is. So why can't I remember this during times of angst? Ugh. This song came to my mind as I am writing this.
God I want to focus on you always—not be distracted by this world.

Wellspring of life

I read an article today called “Beauty and the Beastly heart” from boundless.org, written by Kara Schwab. This particular segment of her article caught my attention.

"Our obsession with outer beauty reveals hearts hungering for God. Real, lasting beauty shines in us when we connect our (sometimes beastly) hearts to a living God who loves and forgives and heals. Fill your heart with His love and "guard [it], for it is the wellspring of life" (Proverbs 4:23) ... and perhaps, of beauty."

Amazing isn't it, how easy it is to fill our lives with things other than God because we feel like we need to be in control? We search for things to fill in the gap and in the moment become careless of our own hearts! We tend to give part of ourselves away to someone or something because we need a certain comfort.

How sad is this. I know for myself this has happened many times. I want for something and I go for it--yet in the meantime I haven't asked God what He wants for me. Is this the right path for me God? Do you want this for me? Will this glorify You? Is what I am doing honoring You?

Living life with God is a daily task. It doesn't come easily for any of us. There is certainly no shame in wanting to be beautiful or be put together on the outside. I do think it is honoring to God and to others when we put our best foot forward. But let's not forget who we are inside...where our true beauty lies. God only looks at us from the inside, not the outside. Handing those things to God and asking Him to take control before we mess it up ourselves.

Out of our love for God and others flow's the true wellspring of life. From that comes a beauty that will outshine anything we could have ever expected.

Happy Monday everyone

Wow, it has been a crazy week! I know I haven't posted much here recently so I'm sorry about that. Needless to say work has been crazy and so has my personal life been.

I am so excited about summer. This month starts up Volleyball season with my friends in the park. It starts tonight so I am excited about that. Also, I get to go to Gunnison with my friend and we will get to swim and fish. Woot! ;-)

Also, I have started up the Jillian Michael's workouts again. I took a couple of weeks off because I threw my back out and it was pretty bad. Lots of muscle spasms to where I could hardly breathe when I tried to walk. But, with the help of my chiropractor and massage therapist I am a bit better. I was doing only the 30 day shred, but now I have also jumped into her Target Zone workout. It is really good and I am enjoying the circuit training. Besides that I started walking out on the Santa Fe Trail by my house. Good times.
Anyway, not much else to post. Have a great week everyone.

Shopping Shopping Shopping and a date

So, I just got asked out on a date for this weekend. Woot!

Guess what I did?

I shopped....

At the mall...

Bought some cute clothes....

Jeans....

Cute shirts....

Now I am exhausted...

The end.......

Bring me back to the Holy Place

For You are Holy, Holy, Holy. Lord God Almighty.

Just one look on Your face. Just one glance of Your eyes. My whole world has changed. Oh I seek only to see Your face. I don't want to go anywhere without you God, without your presence. Let me see your face, your holiness God.

Only one word comes to mind. Only one word to describe. HOLY! HOLY! Lord God Almighty!

Take us in to the Holy Place Lord! Be a flame upon our hearts God.

Take us in....

Holy Holy Holy

We are carriers of your presence God. Let us be a generation marked by your holiness and love God. Purified, set apart, holy unto you God.

I hope you dance

I love this song. To me it speaks life-not letting life get you down when you feel it pulling. I want to make life a joy, not a chore. Someday's it feels more like a chore, so I want to change my focus. ;-)

Great quote

Challenge! An essential part of your progress w/ building self-esteem & reclaiming health is about accepting yourself now, not 20lbs from now, when you have a better job etc. Avoid negative self deprecating remarks & instead celebrate the qualities you love about yourself.Make a list of them & post it everywhere.This isn't easy at first, but the more you practice this behavior the sooner you'll mentally buy into it.
By Jilliam Michaels

Morning coffee and reflection

Good Monday morning everyone. This week is going to be yet another crazy week. Overtime every day, house sitting, driving, driving, and driving. Prayer night tonight, hopefully working out tomorrow night, bible study Wednesday AND Thursday- time with friends on Friday night and celebrating my mom’s birthday on the weekend.

Eeeeee gads!!!! I have to figure out when to fit in all of my workouts between then. My back is starting to get a little better although not great. My sciatica is causing problems so I still am icing periodically.

This weekend I was introduced to a new ministry that supports Human Trafficking called Mission Passport. If you are interested in finding out what they are all about, you can go to www.missionpassport.com. They train ladies to make jewelry and hand bags from Thailand. Their goal is to work their way around the world and support women who need to find a new way to make money for their families rather than be in the slave labor business (of course there are many who need to be rescued first). Anyway, I believe you can order items online as well as have home parties. I am excited to get involved with this.

On that note, I am excited to see where God takes me on this journey in getting acquainted with different ministries in Colorado to support awareness of Human Trafficking. There are many many people here who are getting involved which I think is fabulous. We need more people around the world who are concerned about this and are willing to tell the people in their communities.

Well, off to work. Happy Monday.
Tootles

Happy Friday

Hello Friday! Are you ready for the weekend?!?! ;-)

My life has been a bit crazy. I watched my 2 nephews a few day's earlier this week and threw my back out. Ugh! So, this week I have been trying to get over the inflammation in my back and have been to the chiropractor 3 times this week and missed 2 day's of work because of it. I don't handle that kind of pain very well so it also makes me nauseous. But, I feel like I am slowing making my way out of it. Once that happens I can do more intense workouts yet again.

Anyway, things have been heavy the past week so I thought this song was appropriate. I know we all need it especially when we are feeling depleted.


Have a great weekend everyone. God Bless.

The Awakening

"The Awakening"

A time comes in your life when you finally get it. When, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks, and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out… ENOUGH! Enough fighting, crying, blaming, and struggling to hold on. Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you blink back your tears, and begin to look at the world through new eyes.

This is your awakening.

You realize it’s time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change. Or, for happiness, safety, and security to appear over the next horizon as if by magic.

You realize that in the real world there aren’t always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of “happily ever after” must begin with you. And, in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect, and that not everyone will always love, appreciate, or approve of who or what you are, and that’s OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions.

You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself, and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval.

Your stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you, or didn’t do for you. You learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.

You learn that people don’t always say what they mean, or mean what they say. That not everyone will always be there for you, and everything isn’t always about you.

So, you learn to stand on your own. You learn to take care of yourself, and in the process, a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers. You begin to accept people as they are. To overlook their shortcomings and human frailties, and in the process peace and contentment are born of forgiveness.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.

You learn the difference between wanting and needing. You begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with.

You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing. You stop maneuvering through life merely as a “consumer” looking for you next fix.

You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don’t know everything. It’s not your job to save the world, and that you can’t teach a pig to sing. You learn the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry, and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you learn about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are, not as you would have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely.

You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility, the importance of setting boundaries, and learning to say NO.

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over, and ignoring your needs.

You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drinking more water, and take more time to exercise.

You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty, so you take more time to rest. You learn that just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So, you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for. That wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen.

More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline, and perseverance. You learn that no one can do it all alone, and that it’s OK to risk asking for help.

You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step right into, and through your fears because you know that whatever may happen, you can handle it. You learn that to give in to fear is to give away your right to live life on your own terms.

You learn to fight for your life. Not to squander it by living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn’t always fair. You don’t always get what you think you deserve. That sometimes, bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people. You learn not to always take it personally.

You learn that nobody’s punishing you, and everything isn’t always somebody’s fault. It’s just life happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong, and to build bridges instead of walls.

You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy, and resentment must be understood and redirected. If not, they will suffocate the life out of you. They will poison the universe that surrounds you.

You learn to be thankful, and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted. The things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself. You make yourself a promise to never betray yourself. To never ever settle for less than your heart’s desire.

You make it a point to keep smiling. To keep trusting. To stay open to every wonderful possibility.

You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind.

Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a stand. You take a deep breath. You begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.

Written Gayle Williams.

Spirit vs Baggage

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all".

Today while listening to the DailyAudioBible.com, we covered the following scriptures:1 Samuel 10:1-11:15,John 6:43-71, Psalm 107:1-43, Proverbs 15:1-3.

The lesson that was taught after the reading really touched me, so I thought I would share.

“Saul is trying to sort thru the changes in his life once the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. A new heart was given to him the scriptures tell us. This relates to our own lives today. We all at one point or another, feel the calling of the Lord in our lives to rise up into something new, into who we were meant to be- it’s there all the time. It’s deeply planted into us and the assaults of life force us back and we have to contend for what we are going to become in Christ. So much of the time the wounds of life have us settling that we are “less” than what we had hoped or we are “less” than what we thought we should be. There is a dull ache within us-always there. We lay in bed at night and we think thoughts like this “There has got to be more than THIS!” That is because there IS more, but normally we don’t know how to approach the “more” that there IS. We fill it with all kinds of distractions, obsessions, addictions…we are looking for life that we are meant to live. We are created in the image of GOD. There is something deep within us that is screaming for THAT kind of life.

So Saul…he’s the one. Samuel has already prophesied over him. But to bring it all together and prove it true, Israel comes together and chooses by lot and it comes right down to Saul’s family and then comes right down to Saul, but Saul isn’t there- he isn’t present. So the people are asking, “is there somebody else?” the person who is chosen king, what is going on?…and the word of the Lord says that Saul is hiding in his “baggage”.

How often is that our story? We are invited to rise up and assume the life we are created to live. But we are hiding in the “baggage”.

I love this prayer that they prayed over everyone who was listening. This is my prayer for you and me.

Our Heavenly Father, we want to be done with the “baggage” because it is “baggage”-it is dead weight. What has gone before us is in our past. What is our story without you is done. The wounds of life, the terrible decisions that we have made, the terrible things that have been done to us, the things that have framed our lives but have also given us very narrow parameters to live in because that is the only place we feel safe. So we construct this personality, this character around where we feel safe. It is all informed by the bad things that have happened to us. This hasn’t been informed that we are created in Your image and that it is You who lives in us. It’s been formed by the assaults of life. That is something we need to repent of. We repent that we have allowed the injustice of the things done to us and the things we have done to dictate who we are meant to be. We repent because it is Your life that we seek. As believers we are to “die” to ourselves and be raised up in Christ. That means everything that we were is dead and buried and when we go into the baptismal river and go beneath the water and come back up, we have died to the old and become a new person in Christ. Old things have passed away and all is new. We embrace the life we were created to live-living with the life force of the Holy Spirit inside rather than us trying to arrange for a life in a way that will never work. Come Holy Spirit lead us into all truth. Lead us AWAY from the “baggage”. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Thoughts to chew on

So, this month my bible study is doing a relationship series and they are having people come in to talk to us about their experiences and give us a "real" look at what it's like to be married.

Last night a couple of good friends of mine came and talked, and their story is one that is really really stretching. I believe it would be stretching for anyone in their situation. The guy had become a widower at a young age and then remarried yet to lose his second wife to divorce (because she cheated on him). The lady had never been married before but became an instant step mom to 4 kids. They are growing in their marriage but thing have been hard.

Now, since I have been doing the online dating thing, I am constantly matched up to guys who have been divorced with or without kids. I am open to this but it would not be my preference. However, I want to do whatever God is calling me to do and I know He will sustain me in that time if I were to ever be a part of a blended family.

So, for all of you readers out there, if you have experienced this or can give me any good advise on what to look for- any red flags that I would need to pay attention to, please tell me. I'm all ears. ;-)

Help me Jesus!!!!

Day 3 of the shred. I made it through--almost! Today was harder than day 2.

For all of you prayer warriors out there, I need prayer! I'm telling ya, this ain't no piece of pie/piece of cake. As a matter of fact, I am burning off 32 years of piece of pie/piece of cake. Sheesh!!! I can barely write this post my hands are so weak from doing push-ups!

Any who, I am sure you will probably get tired of me talking about this all the time so I will try not to talk about it all the time. Just a little...probably a lot! ;-)

I honestly do not know how the peeps on Biggest Loser do it for hours straight. No wonder they puke! Ugh!!!

I am off to the store and bible study. Have a great night everyone.

Tootles

Happy Wednesday!

It's cloudy and rainy with snow on the way! Gotta love May! ;-) (I'm a poet and didn't even know it) HA!

Yesterday was day 2 of the shred. YIKES! Going up and down the stairs kills. Sitting and standing kills. Moving my arms or coughing kills. LOL! Even through the torture I am loving it. It reminds me of the old days when I did sports. I cannot wait until my body is strong enough to actually go out and be "in" a sport. Bliss! ;-)

I am proud of myself though. I know that this doesn't seem like much, but I did almost all of the jumping jacks last night. With the exception of a few seconds rest, I did them. Since I have bad knee's and a bad back I normally avoid a lot of jumping exercises. BUT, I was able to do these. Tonight I am going to attempt to do kick back jumps.

Here's a little clip of some of the exercises from levels 1-3. I am only at level 1 right now so I haven't done full push-up movement.

30 Day Shred

So, last night was my first night doing the 30 day shred by Jillian Michaels. It kicked my butt--BIG TIME--and I was only on level 1! LOL!

I love how it is less than 30 minutes yet you feel like you did an hours’ worth of stuff. AWESOME!!! ;-) The only thing I am worried about is my knees. I broke my left knee back in 2003 in a car accident and injured both my knees because of sports in high school so I am not able to do full squats. I am currently dealing with a muscle chorded up in my left knee which I am trying to stretch/massage out. Yikes!

Anyway, I am pleasantly sore today and am sure it will get worse as I continue on this path. I feel great about doing this. Already I cannot wait to get in my second workout even though I know it will kick my butt--AGAIN!



By following this awesome workout you can achieve that awesome toned body that you want just in time for the summer bikini season. If you watch the biggest loser, then you know that Jillian teaches workouts using the principle of muscle confusion. This means you keep your muscles guessing and you do not reach a development plateau as you would with most workout programs where you do the same routine every time. This also leads to very fast results. The 30 Day Shred uses muscle confusion to slim and tone your body and you will see amazing results before you know it.
The workouts are moderately challenging and require light weights as well as a lot of your own self motivation and determination.

Blow mighty breath of God...

Spirit of fire fan the flame.....I have a passion for your Holy name!

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend. I certainly did. ;-)
Some of my friends and I went to this Christian comedy improve called "Stick Horses in Pants" here in Colorado Springs. Funny name--Funny people! ;-) We laughed so hard it felt sooo good! I love crazy laughter. It is much needed in times of intensity. Then this Sunday I was able to spend some quality time with my beautiful Sis! We had a great time having lunch with my dad and stepmom and the kids. Then we went to the mall and shopped. I bought some bangles and necklaces. Too fun! ;-)

So today I am starting Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. I’m excited. I’m scared. I hope I can do it. I know I can. I’m strong…..or so I think. LOL A few people that I know are doing it right now. I have heard it’s intense but I’m sure it works. I also bought a Pilates video so I am hoping to begin that again. I used to do it years ago and loved it.

Now, here comes the truth. I am worried about fitting in enough workouts during the week. I just need to figure out my schedule. My life is getting fuller and fuller by the moment and I look at my calendar and scratch my head wondering “What the heck, where did all my free time go?” ;-) I can do this. I WILL do this. For me.

Let me know how you are doing. Just because it’s my blog doesn’t mean you can’t share what’s going on in your life too. ;-) I’d like to know what’s up.

Here is the song of the day.

Happy Mothers day!!!

Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty. Who was and is and is to come!!! God I glorify You. You are an amazing God! With all I am and with all I have I will adore You!!!!


I am filled with awestruck wonder at the mention of Your name!!! You are the sweetest name I know God!!!!

Happy Mothers Day to all you Mom's out there. You are beautiful!!!!

A new change

I don't really know how to start this post other than saying this:

I feel a change happening inside of me that I haven't felt in a really, really long time. I can really only give it credit to God and my willingness to submit. I know it's only been a week since I have "taken the plunge" as I like to call it.

A week ago this last Monday I was prayed over and received confirmation from the HS thru others just what God has been telling me. "Focus on Me Annjeri, pay attention to Me Annjeri and the things you are worried about and are anxious about will be put into alignment". It took me an entire week to see it. I was sad...HAD been sad to the core...feeling hopeless and despairing over where I am and where my future was going to take me.

I ended up getting contacted by a guy thru a website I am part of and we hit it off really well....it seemed! He was silly and really easy to talk to. Then I started noticing some things that were not right. In the end I told him, in a nice way, to get lost because he had become so extremely perverted I was shocked-and shaken to the core. I could not believe that yet ANOTHER guy was doing this to me. WHY is it that some people think it's OK to treat a woman like that? Well I tell you it is NOT OK!

That Sunday I cried out to God. I was seriously sick of everything going on with my life that I just couldn't take it any more. I could feel something shaking loose inside of me but there seemed to still be a lot of work before I could figure out what it was. On Monday of this week I was feeling this overwhelming pressure inside of me just ready to burst. It had something to do with the emotions from the prior week but then again it was God's presence ALL THE WAY!! I posted a few day's ago about this experience to what happened when I got home from work on Monday, at how the dam finally burst.

Well, now its Friday and I cannot seem to get enough of God. I have been listening to the Audio Bible online, dowsing myself in worship and journaling. I have felt a difference within me. I am more joyful- more filled with His presence than I have in a long time. I feel Him working inside of me, pruning me from the inside out.

I am not exactly where I want to be but I am happy to be on this journey. He is making me a better person. I can feel Him guiding me in every day decision's and I am so thankful for Him! ;-) I cannot imagine not being filled with the Holy Spirit. This is going to be an exciting yet ever changing adventure for me. I have no idea where He is going to take me. All I know is this.

I am nothing without God.

Happy Friday

Hey Everyone,

Happy Friday. Today is a good day. ;-) I am looking forward to the weekend and hopefully will get to sleep in a little. Anyway, this post is a bit random since I have a lot on my mind lately.

Last night I hosted a Sak Saum party. If you read my last post it is an organization that supports the freedom for women who were sold into Sex Trafficking. Anyway, they learn how to sew and make the cutest things. I have become a purse fanatic and I love love love their stuff. ;-) Anyway, we had a great turn out and I am excited about what it is going to do for the Kingdom of God in these ladies lives.

Tonight I get to go spend time with some great friends and hopefully have some good girl time.

Recently in the last month or so I started listening to the Bible online. There is this great site from www.dailyaudiobible.com where you can listen to the full Bible in a year. You can also listen to a daily Proverb and be a part of a community all around the world focusing on prayer. This has meant so much to me because I tend to not read the word on a daily basis, but I can tune in while I am working or just relaxing and soak in the wisdom from God.

Also, this week I have begun a new change in my life. I have really felt that God has wanted me to have more focused on Him, which also means less T.V. ;-) Soooo, I have been focusing more on delving into scripture, listening to some great worship, and reading a couple of books that I feel will lead me into some new territory soon. I will talk about those at a later date.

This last Wednesday I started going back to bible study. It's a group that I was involved with last year (and remained friends with everyone) but have felt the need to re-enter into community. For me this is important. I am not sure for how long I will remain in that study until God moves me somewhere else, but it's a good start and there are a lot of great people there. Also, I finally decided on what church I am going to attend full time. Yipppeeee!!! ;-) It's called Springs Church and the pastor is Gary Wilkerson. Some of you might know him as the son of David Wilkerson who just recently passed away. He is a great pastor and I love the worship they have going there. This will be a great change for me as I have not felt that New Life Church was my church anymore.

One more piece of randomness... ;-) I am really wanting to start a painting again. I have had certain ideas floating in my head for some time and have felt the need to begin another one. I will let you know when I start it. It is a bit intimidating since it would involve a picture that I got either through prayer or worship. We shall see! ;-)

That's all for now. Have a great Friday.

Thursday Randomness

1. My God is good! ;-)

2. I have great Friends and family.

3. Tonight I get to help out an organization called Sak Saum.

4. They sell purses.

5. Hand Bags.

6. Aprons.

7. Jewelery, baby booties, shawls......

8. Sak Saum means "For Freedom"

9. I want to be a missionary.

10. I love seeing people get set free

11. Have I mentioned I love Jesus?

12. I am thankful that God shows me my weaknesses and makes them into strengths.

13. I love painting my toes pink..OR purple like they are right now.

14. I love to laugh

15. I love to sing

16.

Relationships Article-Part 6 Interpersonal Red Flags

Interpersonal Red Flags

Non-Affectionate
This is not the problem for most couples. Often there's a need to restrain the passions that run so strong at this point in a relationship. Setting the flames of romance aside for a moment, is your friend comfortable with giving and receiving affection? Does he/she show appropriate affection to friends, parents, siblings, etc? If two people are less inclined toward affection, maybe neither will miss it. But affection is a part of the way our Creator wired us. Will your friend be able to show affection to your children? Is it uncomfortable for your friend because affection was never received growing up? The affectionate-resistant person would be wise to explore the reasons that touch is so uncomfortable.

Avoids Conflict
Some people just don't want to deal with conflict of any size, shape, or variety. When tension is present, withdrawal or denial serve to gloss over the problem allowing it to be avoided for another day. Obviously, the problem gets bigger with every effort to sweep things under the rug. How does your friend deal with conflict? Does the problem get avoided or minimized?

Conflict is inevitable because we're human. Whether you realize it or not, there's conflict in your relationship even this side of marriage. You might ask your friend the question, "If I have a concern, how can I bring it up in a way that you'll be able to hear me?" Your friend might say, "I don't want to hear it." That should be a pretty obvious red flag for you. Right now your conflicts might be fairly small, but marriage will change that, there's more at stake. If you don't develop a healthy pattern now, it won't get any better in marriage.

Fears Commitment
We might presume that if the person we would like to commit to isn't quite as interested, it must be a fear of commitment. That's not always the case. Since marriage is such an important decision, getting to know a person well makes a lot of sense. And there's no substitute for time.

Yet there are times when a person sends mixed messages, or struggles to commit due to a fear of intimacy. "When you find out who I really am, will you still accept me?" It seems like she's interested, then it doesn't. He appears to want to move forward in the relationship, but then he pulls back. This hot and cold pattern can go on for years. And even if one makes it to the altar, if the issue isn't resolved, it can still cause chaos and insecurity in a marriage. Do you see a pattern of consistency in your friend's commitments in general? Without the ability to commit, marriage is like the sands of an hourglass just waiting to run out.

Isolated from Family and Friends
Does your friend interact with family and friends? How healthy are those relationships? Though we have no control over our family members, family interactions tell us a lot about a person. That doesn't mean our friend will always end up like Mom or Dad, but it doesn't mean one will necessarily end up differently either. If we don't have the ability to pick our family, we do when it comes to our friendships.

Has your friend kept you away from her family? Does he avoid introducing you to his friends? If so, what's the reason? Are there some issues that are being kept from you? Sometimes those boundaries may be necessary, but interacting with a partner's family and friends will provide valuable information for your decisions about the relationship.

Emotionally Stuck at Home
Has your friend been able to leave home emotionally? I'm not saying she shouldn't love her parents, or that he shouldn't respect his folks. Honoring one's parents is a lifetime responsibility. But honoring them is not about obeying them now that you are an adult.

Genesis 2:24 states, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." When a man or woman doesn't leave home emotionally, heartache invariably results. I've talked with countless couples who've experienced this betrayal from a spouse. People may still be seeking parental approval that they didn't receive as a child. A man may still be controlled by his mother, but anything that even hints of control by his wife will be viewed as such. Can your friend set boundaries and say "no" to his parents when needed? Can your friend tell her parents when she disagrees with them?

Distrusting
No matter what someone does, including yourself, does your friend always second-guess the motivation? If you give your friend a gift, does the question reverberate, "What does he/she want?" Granted, our motivations aren't as pure as the driven snow, but with time one's constant questioning will drive a wedge into any relationship.

Distrust often develops as a self protective measure when people were not trustworthy in one's life. "I can be fooled once, but I won't be fooled anymore," may be the mindset. Again, hurt and pain likely exist behind the wall; and without help, the distrust will likely creep into every crevasse of the relationship. Can people be too trusting? Yes, absolutely, and that's a problem of a different kind. But without trust, marriage becomes a daily witness stand. Over time, the distrust will likely increase.

Dependent
It may be hard to imagine, but some people get married so that they can have someone else tell them what to do. They may fear making mistakes, lack self confidence, or want a "parent" to direct or blame their lives upon. It can look a lot like submission, but it's not.

You may see it in the amount of time a friend wants to spend with you. Who could argue against a couple sharing quality time? Every counselor knows the importance of that! But when your friend wants to spend every waking moment together, you'll likely feel suffocated before very long. It can feel flattering at first, but be careful of anything that tends to get out of balance!

© 2011 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved.

You can find these articles for yourself also at:
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/preparing_for_marriage/red-flags-in-a-relationship.aspx

Relationships Article-Part 4 Character Red Flags

Character Red Flags

Controlling
Your friend can manipulate in many ways: guilt-inducement, threats of abandoning you, threats of self-harm, yelling, physical aggression, isolating you, pouting, interrogating you, etc. It may be obvious; it may be much more subtle. You might be told that it's really love, but deep down you know that's not the truth. If you see glimpses of controlling actions now, it's fair to say they will likely increase after marriage.

Christian men can hide their control behind headship. Yes, the Bible does speak to the place of headship in a husband (Eph. 5:23), but it's not about domination or manipulation. Jesus is given as the model for headship, the one who came not to be served, but to give his life for you and me. Headship has more to do with servanthood than with being "in charge." It's more about his responsibility before God to encourage the relationship positively than about him demanding his own way. The mutual submission that is stated in Ephesians 5:21 provide a safeguard against marital headship from being used as a club.

Is she able to submit to a husband, or does life simply need to go her way? When a woman has experienced over-control, abuse, or harshness in her years growing up, submission may not come easily. Even when headship is carried out in a loving balanced fashion, she may fear that it will turn into domination. There may still be some wounds that need to be addressed.

Dishonest
"I'm sure she was just stretching the facts a little bit." "He lied to me so that I wouldn't be hurt." It's easy to minimize or overlook instances of dishonesty in a relationship. But lying is often a pattern that pulls the rug out from under a marriage. If you can't trust a person's words, what can you trust about them? Lies that we're aware of are often the tip of the iceberg. We want to trust our friend. But when we find an instance of dishonesty, it causes us to wonder what else has been stretched or distorted


"Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment." Proverbs 12:19. What greater picture of the outcome of honesty can we find? Like most sin, lying has momentary purpose, but it leads to destruction. Does your friend have a reputation that his/her words can be trusted? Is truth compromised for gain, impact, or convenience?

Addiction Issues
"She doesn't drink like that too often." "Oh, he told me he's not going to look at pornography anymore." When we want a relationship to work, it's easy for us to rationalize away the red flags. Chemical dependency, sexual addictions, food addictions, etc. will gnaw at the very fabric of a marriage. If you're seeing the problem now, don't simply accept good intentions; the addiction will likely intensify. Your friend likely needs help physically, emotionally, and spiritually to experience sobriety in whatever arena of struggle. People can often "white knuckle" an addiction for a period of time, but when stress, frustration, hurts, and fatigue set in, it's easy to return to old patterns. In most instances, the addiction is not primarily about the "substance," whatever that may be, but about the pain underneath that needs to be addressed.

There's no guarantee that a person will not return to a former addiction, but if there is at least a year of consistent sobriety, chances diminish significantly. Again, the difficult question remains; if I were not saying that something needs to be done about this addiction, would my friend be pursuing help?

Inability to Apologize
We all mess up, no one is exempt. How does your friend admit when wrong? Or should I ask, does your friend acknowledge his/her mistakes? We don't want to be wrong, but dealing with it when we are goes a long way towards establishing a healthy marriage.

People may tend to struggle more with admitting mistakes when they've grown up around critical people. For some, Paul's words in II Corinthians 12: 10, "For when I am weak then I am strong," is experienced as, "For when I am weak then I am worthless."

Writing out an apology may be easier than saying it. Practicing with a small matter may make it easier when the offense has a greater emotional impact. But saying "I'm sorry" needs to happen for a relationship to thrive.

Unwilling to Get Help
If your friend is not willing to go to counseling if you marry and can't resolve an issue together, don't marry him/her. I know it may sound self serving since I'm a marriage and family therapist, but it's true. It's not merely about one's willingness to meet with a counselor or pastor; it's about one's willingness to grow, to be open, and to learn. A person might agree to it now, but conveniently has a change of mind after the "I do's."

There are often two reasons why people will avoid counseling. One, they know at a deeper level that the way they are approaching life and the relationship is not healthy. If it stays an issue just between the couple, one may succeed at convincing the other that there really are no problems, or if there is, the problem is the partner's. On the other hand, if they meet with an objective counselor, it's going to be a lot tougher to keep an unhealthy perspective alive. Secondly, a person may know that there's pain that needs to be faced, but it may scare the person half to death to do so. "If I meet with a counselor, I'll probably have to face some pains I've successfully avoided until now." Of course the price of not facing the pain is a lot more costly than facing it.

What current evidence would lead you to believe that your friend would be willing to get help when married? Is he open to learn from others, or does he know it all? Does she have a humble attitude, or is there arrogance in her tone and words?

© 2011 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved.

You can find these articles for yourself also at:
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/preparing_for_marriage/red-flags-in-a-relationship.aspx

Relationships Article-Part 3 Emotional Red Flags

Emotional Red Flags

Angry
I'm not talking about one's ability to experience the feeling of anger; all of us should be able to identify that God-given emotion in our lives. I'm talking primarily about frozen anger- resentment. When we hold on to anger and don't address it, bad things often happen. There may be issues about unforgiveness in the person's life. Often, underlying anger is fear, hurt, or both. Metaphorically, the clenched fist feels a whole lot safer than the more vulnerable open palm.

It can also relate to the frequency and intensity of how anger is expressed. Proverbs 22:24 says, "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered." Is it really stretching this verse to say, don't marry a hot-tempered person? I don't think so. "But he's got a good reason to be angry!" "You don't know what she's been through!" There are a lot of legitimate reasons people may struggle with anger, but marrying into it is like walking into a hornet's nest.

Men tend to have a tougher challenge facing their anger. They may either ignore it, denying its there, or they may explode. Ladies, seeing how he resolves his anger will be the difference between a red flag and a green light in your relationship.

There is no place for physical control or violence in a relationship! It is a major red flag that needs swift action like ending the relationship! Could someone get help for their violent ways? Yes, but you would need strong evidence that it has been thoroughly dealt with spiritually, emotionally, and with a significant time of violence-free living. Your friend getting help while remaining in the relationship runs the risk of pseudo recovery.

Lack of Self Control
If a person is merely the pursuer of one's latest desire or emotional experience, life will be interesting, to say the least. Does your friend follow through on commitments and plans? Does he lack the initiative to find and hold a job? Has she gotten into debt because of impulse spending? Have you looked at each other's credit histories? Does he lack control of his passions?

When a person's emotional state rides like a rollercoaster, there may be bio-chemical issues involved which may need to be evaluated by a doctor or psychiatrist. If that's the case, what changes will proper medication produce? How likely is the person to stay on the medication over time? There may be a legitimate explanation for one's actions, but those actions still need to be lived with if two marry. And if the behavior persists you have to decide if you can deal with that for a lifetime.

Self-Absorbed
How much of your friend's life revolves around himself? Does she have a very narrow flexibility quotient- is there only a thin range of your behaviors that are acceptable in her thinking? Does she need to get what she wants even when it inconveniences others? When the pursuit of a relationship is in full gear, it's easy to think we could live blissfully seeking our friend's interests into the sunset. If that doesn't wear off before marriage, you can count on it doing so after the vows have been exchanged.

You might think that you are acting selfishly when you want your friend to meet your needs. Look for balance. Philippians 2:4 says, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others." It's a good thing to want your friend to show interest in your needs as well as those of others. We often get an accurate sense of a person's ability to sacrifice not by their response to a romantic relationship, but by one's reaction to others in need. Are you willing to be the tag along to your friend's self indulgence? I hope not.

What amount of energy does your friend give to appearance? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with working out or dying your hair. Some need to give more attention to their appearance. But is it in balance? Does it keep a person from serving others? Does it communicate a narcissistic tendency? Sometimes it's difficult to see because we're attracted to the results. Yet over time, the downside of self absorption will become more negatively evident and destructive to the relationship. Does your friend have a humble heart?

Victim Perspective
When a person struggles with distrust, one is only a step away from playing the role of the victim. We can call it by different names- hyper-sensitivity, self pity, critical, or martyrdom. The thread that connects these is a person's difficulty resolving pain and moving forward. Life is a series of whirlwinds that just don't seem to end. Other people or circumstances are perceived as the cause of undesirable events, and one is likely to blame just about every problem on just about everyone else. A person will take little responsibility for life's struggles. When married, it becomes very easy for a spouse to be blamed for one's lack of contentment.

Is there any truth to the person's perspective? Yes, probably a little. But when someone may not want to get past the pain, there's a good chance that they won't. And who ends up with the bull's eye on their chest? You do. In extreme cases, there may be a personality disorder that is involved that is pretty resistant to change. Does your friend own his shortcomings? Does she have a narrow band of acceptable behaviors for you? You may be able to put up with that for a while when the romantic feelings are sky high, but what happens when they're not?

It's easy to think that we can rescue the victim. That if we're able to express true love, godly love, that things will change. It's tempting, but it's a trap.

© 2011 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved.

You can find these articles for yourself also at:
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/preparing_for_marriage/red-flags-in-a-relationship.aspx

Article on Relationships-Part 2 How Content are you?

How Content Are You As a Single?

An important dynamic in any relationship is one's general level of contentment in life.

As a single, you are somewhere on the range of contentment. You might be extremely content or very discontented, or anywhere in between.

When people marry, their range of contentment can shift in either direction, or it can stay relatively the same as it was when both parties were single.1 If it's higher post-marriage, then you've found the goldmine. If it's lower, you've unfortunately found the landmine! Before marriage, most anticipate that exchanging rings will lead to the goldmine.

Many factors play into which mine you are likely to strike after marriage. If you experienced a low level of contentment as a single, expecting marriage to propel you to marital bliss probably won't happen. On the other hand, if you are already highly content as a single, you very well may find marriage to be the goldmine. Wherever you're at right now, if you're not content, don't count on marriage to make everything better!

Often there are spiritual and emotional issues that we need to address. If you've encountered pain in your life that hasn't been faced, please take the time to work through it now before marriage. I'm not saying a person who's struggled in life can't be a good spouse, but it often takes more work to get there. Wishing away the hurt isn't going to resolve it. God can help you face the circumstances that were not the way you would have written life's script. God's power, your openness, and often the support of a counselor and community, are key in your move toward wholeness. Jesus said in Matthew 5:4, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Burying our pain only delays the inevitable.

It's OK to expect your friend to deal with his/her pain before getting married! Imagine two construction workers standing next to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. How silly would it be for one to say to the other, "So when do we start the addition?" The structure needs to be shored up before you can add to it and expect it to survive and thrive over time. Wounds in life happen, often without our vote, but each one of us has a choice about what we do with those pains. If you or your friend needs to work through past pains, do it now before moving forward in your relationship. Needs that either of you have now may look very different after you've addressed those emotional wounds.

© 2011 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved.

You can find these articles for yourself also at:
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/preparing_for_marriage/red-flags-in-a-relationship.aspx

Relationship Article-Part 1 Spiritual Red Flags

So, my friend sent me this article from Focus on the Family that I really like. It's something that I feel God has been speaking to me of late, since I am in that stage of life--ready to date. I thought I would share it. I like to post things like this on my blog occasionally not just for the purpose of giving out the information (although I am sure it helps other in the process), but to help me as I look back and can read it again any time I want. ;-)

There are a series of part belonging to the topic of Relationships that I will post here. Here is Part 1-Spiritual Red Flags for those of us in the dating world.

Ineligible to Remarry
If your friend was married before, is there freedom to remarry? Society views remarriage as a given, but the Bible speaks to this important issue. Focus on the Family believes there are three situations after a divorce in which a person does have freedom to remarry. 1- The previous marriage ended as the result of sexual unfaithfulness by the person's spouse. (Matthew 19:9). 2- The person was divorced by an unbelieving spouse who was not willing to stay married (I Corinthians 7:15, 16). 3- The divorce took place prior to a person coming to faith in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17).

One word of caution- Typically, a person will learn the details of a previous marriage from the person of interest. The details of the previous relationship and its demise might be accurately portrayed, or they might be one-sided, presented in a more favorable light toward your friend (Proverbs 18:17). If you spoke with family or friends of your partner, would you understand a fuller, more objective picture of the former relationship?

Spiritually Distant
For the person who has come to faith in Jesus Christ, finding a mate who shares a similar commitment and spiritual walk is vitally important! Since II Corinthians 6:14 says, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers," some have concluded that if a person is a Christian, he/she should only marry another Christian. It does mean that, but I think it runs deeper. If Paul simply wanted to convey that two people were heaven bound, he could have used a different word-picture. He could have used a corral or field of oxen- creatures in proximity with each other. Instead, he uses an agricultural picture of a yoke, one that would have been placed upon the necks of two oxen as they pulled a plow or agricultural tool. The yoke would require two things of the oxen. 1- That they walk in the same direction. 2- That they walk at a similar pace. What happens when two yoked oxen walk at different speeds? It's not pretty!

"He believes in a higher power." "Oh, she'll come to faith after we marry." "He says he'll come to church with me." Those things may happen, but they are not guaranteed. Marrying someone who doesn't share your faith in Christ is saying, "God, I think I can handle this one on my own, thanks." But even if your friend knows Christ, is there a hunger to grow spiritually?

You first need to understand your own spiritual walk to see if being yoked together is going to work. Is God my delight? Am I growing in my understanding of His infinite love for me? Have I committed to follow Him daily? Do I believe and trust in His Word? Notice, I didn't ask if you are perfect, all of us fall short. But yearning for a deeper walk with God will enhance a marriage, not hinder it.

Has your friend received God's free gift of forgiveness through faith in Christ? If so, what impact does it have upon his/her daily life? Does he believe what the Bible says, or is there a more culturally correct worldview that's held? Does she have a tendency to compromise when it's convenient? Is he like the seed that fell among the rocks in Matthew 13: 20, 21- quick growth, but no deep root system?

Time and again, I've spoken with people, who thought they were marrying a Christian, but once wedding rings were exchanged, spiritual interests fell like a rock. That's why it's so difficult to start a relationship with someone who subsequently receives Christ. You don't know if the interest expressed thereafter is really about the Lord, or about one's interest in you. You may need to see what your friend's relationship with God would look like if you were not in the picture. Would the person attend church without your presence or prompting? Would the person walk with the Lord, or walk from the Lord if you were no longer involved?

© 2011 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved.

You can find these articles for yourself also at:
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/preparing_for_marriage/red-flags-in-a-relationship.aspx

Yesterday was a very interesting day. After a weekend full of emotional let downs, I was struggling with intense emotions all day Sunday, and it carried over to Monday. In the mix of everything I was dealing with, the presence of God was so thick within me it was all I could do to not weep all day long. LOL!!! The name of Jesus would make me want to weep. The words "He is jealous for you" would make me want to weep. But, I was at work and I really had to focus. I would tell God "I don't want to lose this intimacy with you but I can't just start weeping here at work." So, the emotions settled until I got in my car on the drive home.

Then it hit. The dam was beginning to break, but it wasn't until I went up to my room and put on Kim Walkers "You are jealous for me" that I felt the dam burst open. I literally could feel my body falling forward (thankful that my bed was right there) and I began to weep and weep and weep. In the presence of God I wept and cried out to him. After a long time I began to laugh and the joy of the Lord filled me. AMAZING!!!!

I love this picture. I feel it represents God's beauty as well as His covering over us. He washes us clean. ;-)



This morning I still feel it. I want to weep and laugh. My legs are week. I could probably spend all day in His presence. Sigh..... but work is calling my name. Must focus, must must focus!! ;-)

Here is a song that I have heard in church as well as on the radio this morning. I really touched my soul. Hope you like it. ;-)

Worthy is your name Jesus!

My soul cries out

The Son of God is the stairway between Heaven and earth. Lord, hear my prayer. Listen to my plea. Don’t turn away from my distress. My heart is sick, withered like grass. I have lost my appetite. I lie awake, lonely as a solitary bird on the roof. But you oh Lord will sit on your throne forever.

Oh, how my soul cries out for you my God, maker of Heaven and Earth! For you are my shield and my comfort. You are the light that I stand on. Your presence fills me to the core and I cry out to you!

When our lives are centered on Jesus we can see more clearly than if we weren’t fully focused on Him. Come Holy Spirit speak to us with all clarity and truth. Send your Holy Spirit to us so we may live the life we were created for. God, I offer up my future to you. This month, the month of May--spring will bring things that turn to life. I will offer up my future to you. All that I am, Praise the Lord. He forgives all my sin’s and heals all my diseases.

My passion is for the Lord, maker of Heaven and Earth. For the Lord will come before me. The people not yet born will praise the Lord. My heart cries out for the Lord—He lives forever!!

Looking back and then looking forward

This last Monday we had a prayer and worship night. We have what we call "the hot seat" where anyone who wants personal prayer for specific things, or even just wants to hear from the Lord will sit in the middle and everyone gathers around them. I had to get to bed early that night due to some early scheduling at work the next morning so they prayed over me first.

I bowed my head and just waited in expectation to hear what the Holly Spirit had for me. When I looked up everyone was looking at me waiting for me to tell them what to pray for. ;-) I just stated that I want to be more focused on my time of worship/prayer/meditation on the Lord because I have felt for a while now that God was telling me, "Annjeri, if you would just focus on me, spend time with me, then all of the things you are worried about and feeling anxious about will come into alignment with ME."

So, we started praying and a friend of mine received this word picture from the Lord which I find interesting because I actually blogged about this very same thing which you can find at the bottom of this post.

Anyway, the word was about how God places blinders on horses to keep them focused on their goal. Not looking from side to side and comparing myself to others, but focus on what He has for me at this moment. I SOOOOOO needed this reminder. ;-)

For me, I feel like the Lord is saying to not worry about tomorrow but focus on this moment with Him. Stop being anxious on whether or not something is going to happen, but just seek His face and find out what He wants; find out what is important to Him. Getting my focus back on the right track is of the utmost importance. Nothing else stands the chance when it comes to Him.

I find myself desperately wanting things like marriage/true love/becoming a parent/being thin/getting out of debt....... You name it. I know we all struggle with things in life and I know they may be the same or different but it's still hard to just wait. I feel that the only thing that truly works is God. HE WORKS. He is the All Knowing, All Powerful, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Counselor, Prince of Peace, Great Warrior, The Good Shepherd... I could go on and on and on.

The flesh can be so week but God IS so Great. He surpasses everything that we need here on earth. Coming to terms with that is sometimes hard. We want something we feel we need to go and get/do it ourselves. Trust is a major issue here. Can we trust God to do what He promised? Can we actually lean on Him and know that we will not fall? Can we dive into His depths and not drown? Trust, Trust, Trust, Trust.

Glory Glory Glory Glory Glory Glory Glory!!!!!!!

Father God, I not only pray for myself, but others who will read this post and are struggling with life. I pray that you will stir up the pot enough for us to realize the chaos and seek Your face instead. You are the Master Communicator here. You speak to us and bring fulfillment to our lives. You bring healing to our hearts. God, your word said that if we seek You we will find You. Even in the darkest places we will find You. Wrap us tight Father and show us the right direction. Amen.

Here is the blog post I was telling you about. I posted it on January 14, 2011. My friend who gave me this word picture actually missed that post so she was unaware how much this word meant to me.

Have you ever wondered what the purpose of horse blinders were for? Well, I have to admit I looked up the official reason why we use them. You’re welcome. ;-)

Blinders, also known as blinkers or winkers, are a piece of horse tack that restricts the horse's vision to the rear and, in some cases, to the side. Many racehorse trainers believe these keep the horse focused on what is in front of him, encouraging him to pay attention to the race rather than other distractions.

It's interesting how we walk through life with certain blinders on. In many cases, someone might have a blinder to keep them focused on a specific goal, and others might have them on because they just haven't dealt with some issue in life and can't seem to see "outside the box" if you will.

God showed me this analogy of how humans tend to deal with things. We walk through life with a certain "winker" on that makes us not see the whole picture, and then there comes a moment in time where God pulls it off and all of the sudden we see the real world. You know what I am talking about? Reality hits us. WOW!--and we think, "Was I really acting like that?" or "Why did I think that way all this time?".

There should be an even balance on how focused we are on certain things in our lives. To put a "blinker" on should mean complete focus on something that we need to correct, or maybe it's just something we want to accomplish. When they put these things on horses it was for a single purpose--to not get distracted and to finish the race. If we decide to guard our eyes and minds from reality, and that is solely the purpose of putting on a "blinder" then we are not only doing ourselves an injustice, but God and others around us. God wants us to be free to receive his healing and possibly move onto a different, healthier path. If we had our eyes blocked from Him (and just focused on our internal torments) then we would never see any other possibility he would have for us.

I know for myself I tend to do this as well. I focus way too much sometimes on the negative things in life and have a difficult time seeing the good things happening in my life. I certainly don't want to walk around like that. I want to see everything that God has for me--it might be things I had to learn from the past (looking backwards), or seeing the good things around me (looking side to side), or just staying focused on the goals that He has for me (looking forward).

So, what Blinders, Blinkers or Winkers are you wearing today? Are they there for self-protection, or are they there to focus on a goal? How has God been speaking to YOU lately?

Jeremiah 29:10-14
This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Update and encouraging song

Happy Thursday folks! ;-) So much has been happening as of late, I haven't had time to really post anything. First of all, work has been busy with overtime. Secondly, we had easter and the preparationg before that. I had a great time with family.

Third, I want to give a shout out to my good friends April and Kyle on their wee little man named Dawson.


He was born this last Saturday. Most handsome little guy! Myself, along with my other good friends waited in the hospital for many hours for this little guys to show his cute face. It was a precious moment and last night I got to see him again. I love seeing friends have babies. Especially this couple because their marriage is so precious it gives me a glimpse of what true love is. ;-) God is good.

And lastly, here is a new song that I found of by Kim Walker. I know I post a lot of her songs but the presence of God is so rich in the songs she sings. Plus I like her voice. ;-)


I will post more later. Hope you all have a great evening.
Tootles. ;-)

He is jealous for you!!!

You know, I absolutely love love love this song. God loves YOU!!!! God loves ME!!!!

OH, How He loves us so!!!!!!!

Happy Tuesday-Cardio

Well, happy Tuesday everyone. Not much too really report today.

Have been doing pretty well with my workouts. Last night I tried to do my Jillian Michaels 40 minute target zone workout. Ya, only made it to less than 10 minutes. ;-) My knees are bad from having so many injuries in my young life, so doing squats do not always sit well with me. (Pardon the pun! HA!)

Anyway, I popped in my walk off the pounds video and did the 2 mile walk. I am going to be sore at some point here. The amount of knee lifts that they have you do in those videos is a killer. Whew!

Today, I am planning on doing 45 to 55 minutes of cardio. I want to try the rowing machine first. My personal trainer told me that it is a great way to warm up. The only thing is, the machines are right in front of the weight lifting area and pretty much everyone can see you. Ugh! I hate that. I like to be incognito at the gym if you know what I mean. The thing that I like about this gym (Gold's) is that they have a "Cardio Cinema" where you go into a dimly lit room and work out in front of a big movie screen. There usually isn't a huge amount of people in there, but when it is full people are so engrossed in the movie they could care less about what anyone else is doing. Like it. Love it!! ;-)

So, today is going to be one of my really busy days. Right after work I have a dental cleaning-then workout- then shower and straighten hair-then meet up with a friend. Somewhere in the mix I need to cook food for dinner and lunch tomorrow.

Here's to seeing how I actually do. ;-)

It's Friday!

Good Friday to you all! Well, actually good Friday is just around the corner but hey, this can be a good Friday too! ;-)

Last night after work I went to the gym for the first time in a little over a month. I know. Embarrassing! Life happens and unfortunately something gets kicked under the rug because of it--that just so happened to be my workout routine! Ugh! I hate being overweight. I know I have said that before. I don't like it when people look at you and you have to wonder what they are thinking. That seriously encourages me to get a move on and shape up! ;-)

Anyway, so I went to the gym and did 35 minutes on the elliptical and then when I went home I kicked butt with an arm and leg routine to boot! ;-)

I figured out a way to get a quick upper and lower body routine done within 10-15 minutes. Believe me, when you are out of shape like me, that is all the time you can handle! ;-)

Here are just some of the ways I tortured myself last night and no, since I couldn't take pictures of myself, these are NOT me. Hard to believe I know! ;-)
I probably did close to 200 reps altogether. I wanted to make sure that each arm and leg got 50 reps out of each excersize I did. A little excessive I am sure, but that's just who I am.






So anyway, I know some of it worked because I am beginning to feel the abuse today. ;-) But, if this is the type of abuse I have to endure, then I can take it. I am off to more of it today after work. Maybe an extended cardio time as well. I think I might work the stair master for a while and hope I don't fall off.
Have a great weekend everyone.

New Life

So many of my friends are having babies right now. It really is amazing when you think about the intricacies of a new baby. How God has his hand in every part of it. From the time the cell is formed to the time the baby is born there are so many minute details involved.

Matthew 10:30-31 "And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Have you ever sat back and wondered how a person is created? I mean, we know how a cell is formed and how the sperm meets the egg and so on. But I mean there are so many intricate details involved in "building" little people. They all have different personalities, facial features, facial expressions...body language.

I have 2 nieces and 3 nephews. They are all extremely precious and yet all so very different. Some of them have facial similarities but not one of them are alike. Interesting isn't it? They all came from the same womb but they turned out to be so very different.

Psalms 139:13-17
13 "For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!

Another element in God's view of the unborn is the identification of children as a blessing. In Psalm 127: 3-4
3 Children are a heritage from the LORD,
offspring a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.

This is my prayer for all of the children out there about to be born and to my friends and family now pregnant.
Psalms 71:5-8
5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD,
my confidence since my youth.
6 From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
I will ever praise you.
7 I have become a sign to many;
you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor all day long.

Apparently, God knows each of us in the womb and sees our future course as if it were present. Those whose hearts will turn to Him, he nurtures from conception; those who will become His enemies, He nevertheless leaves free to walk their path of choice. God's sees our children as His precious Creation.

So I dedicate this blog to you, Mama, and I pray blessings over you as you journey through the beautiful art of pregnancy, and then on to motherhood. Hugs.