Welcome back, BeccA!

Please accept my apologies for not posting here in almost a year. One might be inclined to think I haven't had anything to say in this time but its not true. I plan to start blogging here more and more. No holds barred. It's me, uncut.

"What IS going on with me these days?" you ask. There are many aspects of what is going on with me. Work, personal, family, physical, spiritual. Here we go...

Work: I'm still working full time at the same place, 12 years now. I'm about 3 months away from my 2 year anniversary of employment at my second job; glad to be reporting I now have 1 dedicated shift per 2 week pay period. I'd like more, will keep holing out for that and filling in for other people in the meantime. I now sell Miche Bags! Please inquire, lots to say there.

Personal: Sigh. It's still just me. I'm resting in the knowledge that I'm happier alone than with someone I'm not supposed to be with. Temptation is all around and it's been quite a while since I've experienced the full sensations of lustful sin. Sometimes I feel especially vulnerable but I will NOT compromise and give in to my flesh for a moment of faux pleasure. I've learned from my checkered past, I know it will not satisfy what I really desire.

Family: My mom has lived with me the past 3 years and is now moving into her own place. I'm so happy for her to be taking back the reigns of her own life! She has gone through so much over the years and overcome many painful obstacles. It's about time for her to enjoy living!

Physical: The past couple of months I have been diagnosed with high cholesterol & gallstones. WAKE UP CALL, RIIIIINNNNG! Ok. Sometimes it takes reality to slap you in the face before you can kick that rebellion to the curb. The truth is, every time I open my mouth to eat or drink, I've just made a decision about what to put in and I am in control of it. It was like all of a sudden, my eyes were open and I could see me inside myself. I am wearing a fat body to shield and guard my heart. It's like a lead suit that someone is holding a gun to my head and forcing me to wear. Then I realized, I'm the one holding the loaded gun on myself! Only I can change what goes in my body, so I did. Just like that, bye-bye bad fats! The gallbladder surgeon said I should also be eating a diabetic diet. Still learning about that one. So far, I feel amazing! For anyone suffering inside a painful fat body, please consider that you are the only one who can get you out of it! You don't have to lose a million pounds...even 10 or 20 will get you feeling better and more able to go through your day. I was miserable! Today I feel great and I know it will only get better and better from here!

Spiritual: I am blessed! Right now I am in a bible study facilitated by my mom. It's by Nancy Leigh DeMoss called A Quiet Place of Rest. It's all about the importance of having a devotional life. It's gooooood!!! I will use other posts to highlight some of the good bits I've found in the study. Churchlife is iffy. My church is going through some pains right now, please keep us in your prayers. Sin has a terrible effect on the lives of believers and this is no exception. The only thing I have to say is, I am resting in the fact that God has a plan and He already knows the outcome. I have to trust that there is divine meaning in whatever that outcome will be and continue to have faith that anything that comes (good/bad/ugly) will be driven by His will to guide me to the next steps on my journey. And that goes for everyone involved. Keep us in your prayers!!

So that about sums things up for now. I am planning more posts soon, so stay tuned. :)

Welcome 2009

Hi there, it's been a while since I've posted. Plenty of things are in the works over here and I need to play some catch up. I do plan to post photos and stories of my December 08 trip to Maryland and Washington DC soon, so be looking for that.

Mostly, I've been contemplating the rebuild of my life with a new focus, me! It's funny what getting older can do to you. I woke up one day and said, "I'm 35." I'm not living the life I imagined I would and I am not living a fulfilled life. I've been floating along life's lazy river bumping into things as they came along. It's time for me to live with determination, to get up and active, moving where the mighty guiding hand of God leads me. It's time for me to be intentional instead of incidental.

So you can expect me to discuss current projects and progress as I go along.

Kitchen construction has now moved into kitchen clean up and reorganization. I've only just begun to get the kitchen in working order and so far, I am loving it! My Ikea shopping spree has paid off. More on that spree in my trip post :) Tonight I plan to make fajitas because I realized that there are a high number of dishes that I enjoy eating and could make....but never have! What is up with that??? Oh, I love Trader Joe's too, by the way. Made me some home made pizza last week that was so good with pizza dough and other ingredients I got there.

Things are going well at church. There is a group of ladies that is interested in getting together once a month (or more?) and scrapbooking. I'm very much looking forward to that. I think I'm going to start pushing myself to get up and get into Sunday School class on Sunday mornings. I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy the choice, now we just have to convince my body to get up earlier!

I'm going to attend a Crown Financial Ministries seminar next week called 'Journey to Financial Freedom' and I am stoked! I know it's possible and right now I feel very much like I'm drowning in my finances. I also feel like it's unnecessary! So now I need to learn what to do about it. Not only for myself, but I am instructed in the word of God to honor Him with the way I handle the money He supplies me. It's all His, technically!! Additionally, I'd love to volunteer to help other people through the Crown F.M. system and this is step #1 towards that too. You should consider attending, I spoke to the man in charge at the church where it's being held and he informed me there is still plenty of room for people to register.

I'm going to attend a showing of 'Orgasmic Birth' as a fund raising event for the 'Free the Midwives' organization. Midwifery is currently illegal in the state of Missouri and there are people who would love to get some changes started there. The proceeds go directly to the legal fees involved. I'm also excited to discover alternative ways to experience birth. I've always enjoyed a fascination with all things birth and I am learning that it doesn't have to be a terrible, painful, dreadful, terrifying and scary screaming experience like Hollywood and modern medicine tries to portray. Birth is a continuation of the sensual sexual experience and can be, apparently, orgasmically enjoyable! I only hope some day I get the chance to find out for myself. So that will be fun, let me know if you'd like to come along, it's a great film, even featured on 20/20 and it's for a great cause.

I'm still enjoying shifts at my new second job. I'll have one this Friday night, overnight. So we'll see how that goes 8-)

So that's just a few things I have going on right now. I'll post about my cat, PJ's health issues in a separate post. He deserves his own spotlight.

Until then, keep me in your prayers and I will pray for you, too!

Feeling better now

I haven't posted here in a few weeks. I was sick for about a week and a half and I'm feeling much better now. I was glad to get rid of that cold or whatever it was. I felt fine, I just was annoyed with a chunky chest and sounded horrible.

Things have been pretty much as usual for me lately. We had a Fall Family picnic and pig roast at church a couple of weekends ago, which was alot of fun. It's always nice to be sociable and fellowship.

This weekend, I enjoyed the Autumn Advance at my mom's church. Everything was beautiful and nice. I actually got to go for free because my mom's friend who bought a ticket couldn't go at the last minute and so I was able to take her place. We had the options to take 3 of the classes they offered. I chose 1. Scripture books, 2. The power of prayer & 3. Cake decorating 101. The first class making scripture books, has inspired me to a new project for the revamping of our women's ministry at my church. We have been talking about how to minister more and I think the scripture book idea is just the thing we need. You can theme the books for encouragement or love or salvation....the possibilities are endless! That way, if we send someone to visit someone in the hospital, we can leave a bit of the Lord's word in a creative and interesting way. They can take it home with them and flip through it whenever they like! Or for new visitors or whatever! I was a little let down by the second class only because the teacher spent a great deal of the time talking about the effects of prayer and not so much on skills or practical applications. Of course, this is my continued complaint with most teachings and preachings. I'm just a hands on kind of girl. Which brings me to the third class, cake decorating. Now, I already know some about it and have some supplies for doing it, I just thought why not? Besides, we got to take home the cake we decorated!!! Which I took directly to some friends of mine with 5 kids so they could enjoy and make use of it and I wouldn't be so tempted to eat it myself :)

I watched my two 'nephews' on Sat. night so my friends could enjoy a nice date night out. A rarity for them these days, I was happy to help and happy to spend some Aunt Becca time with the boys. I went for a visit with my cousin and her family on Sunday. My brother is out of town bow hunting, he's called 2 times now, he got a buck and a doe so far.

I have been way into renting movies from the Red box lately and have enjoyed the luxury of watching them in bed all curled up with my ear buds in. It's fun for me! Also, I'm in the midst of applying for a part time job being a concierge at a retirement community overnights on the weekends. I need to do something to pay off some bills and get this debt under control. My normal income just doesn't cut it anymore. I'm sure you all know exactly what I mean there.

My eating plan and bible study is still going. I don't work on my bible study as much as I'd like to...perhaps I shouldn't be watching so many movies, priorities, Becca! The eating plan is going well, this weekend I discovered I needed to switch around a couple of days and I did so without any problems. I will need to do that again for the different holidays. My only issue is staying as strict with it now as I did in the beginning. Also, getting back on track with what 1/2 really is. My halves have been too hefty lately. So, with that in mind and the fact that I now own a scale that will weigh me, as long as I lose *something* each week, I feel like I am on track. It's really more about honoring God with my eating and well, everything else too.

So that's me in a nutshell. I am so grateful for the Lord allowing me to find such a wonderful and spiritual website that offers me support and education to live my life more to the Glory of God than ever before!