Inspiration from The Word

Recently I was throwing a "holy" pity party. I mean it was me and God and a whole lot of my complaints! Somehow I had ended up in this pit of discouragement and I wanted an answer and I wanted it NOW!! 

Well, I didn't get my answer at the end of my tantrum. (Go Figure!) But someway, somehow I made it through to the next day, and the next day, and the next. (God's Grace)

With the Easter holiday coming this week I decided to do some reading in my Bible about the crucifixion. I was thinking about all the pain and darkness our Lord Jesus willingly endured for all of us. 

I wonder when He was being tortured beyond imagination and taking on all the SIN of this world, did he throw a temper tantrum and demand the Heavenly Father do something NOW?? If He did, then Satan and darkness would have won. 

As much as it hurt, and as dark and as scary as it might have been for our precious Savior to endure the cross, He did just that -- endured. In those times when Jesus may have felt like He could not continue or like giving up on all humanity, I like to think that the Heavenly Father was whispering.....

PUSH HARDER
DIG DEEPER 

It will be worth it all!!

And just like that there is my answer!!

PUSH HARDER
DIG DEEPER

Pray more, read more, seek more, praise more, love more!! 

It may not be the answer you want....
But it is absolutely the answer you need. 

Confession Time....I LOVE SODA!!

Reality Time....SODA IS BAD FOR YOU!!

And for me, soda is really, really bad, because I have systemic lupus nephritis--meaning my kidneys are not the best anymore. 

So in order to try and take more control of this disease without all the toxic medications, I have decided it is high time to put an end to this soda addiction once and for all. 

I am giving myself 14 days to kick the habit! Here's my plan....

Supplies Needed.....

1. My favorite soda (Pepsi)

2. Caffeine free version of my favorite soda in the can (for some reason caffeine free is better in the can)

3. Juice (to replace the craving for soda)

14 Day No Soda Challenge (Week 3 Optional)

Week of March 23

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1	Brkfst – normal Lunch – normal Dinner – Replace soda w/ caffeine free version	Brkfst – normal Lunch – normal Dinner – Replace soda w/ caffeine free version	Brkfst – normal Lunch – Replace soda w/ caffeine free Dinner – Replace soda w/ caffeine free	Brkfst – normal Lunch – Replace soda w/ caffeine free Dinner-Replace soda w/ caffeine free	Replace soda w/ caffeine free for all meals	Replace soda w/ caffeine free for all meals	Congrats! You are caffeine free! Now keep going!
2	Brkfst – Caffeine free soda Lunch – Caffeine free soda Dinner  - Replace caffeine free soda w/ juice	Brkfst – Caffeine free soda Lunch – Caffeine free soda Dinner  - Replace caffeine free soda w/ juice	Brkfst – Caffeine free soda Lunch – Replace caffeine free soda w/ juice Dinner – Replace caffeine free soda w/ juice	Brkfst – Caffeine free soda Lunch – Replace caffeine free soda w/ juice Dinner – Replace caffeine free soda w/ juice	Replace caffeine free soda w/ juice for all meals	Replace caffeine free soda w/ juice for all meals	Great job! You are now officially done with soda! Now keep going if you wish to add more water to your diet!
3	Brkfst – Juice Lunch – Juice Dinner – Replace juice w/ water	Brkfst – Juice Lunch – Juice Dinner – Replace juice w/ water	Brkfst – Juice Lunch – Replace juice w/ water Dinner – Replace juice w/ water	Brkfst – Juice Lunch – Replace juice w/ water Dinner – Replace juice w/ water	Replace juice w/ water for all meals	Replace juice w/ water for all meals	Awesome! You are now drinking plenty of water and no sugar! You should feel much better!

*****After completion, I plan on allowing myself one soda per week as a treat*****

When I say "normal" on my chart I mean the normal soda I would have for that meal. 

I plan on starting this challenge Monday, March 23. I will keep you updated on how it goes (I'm sure it won't be as easy as I planned) and if I feel a difference in my body once it's over. Until then....:)

My Hair Before Lupus

For anyone who has Lupus, hair loss is one of the many symptoms of the disease. For me, it was very hard to get used to this constant battle with hair loss. 

The picture above is my hair a few years before my diagnosis with Lupus. My hair was long, thick and full. Once the disease set in my hair began falling out in several strands daily, and then eventually it would come out in chunks. 

I have had to cut my hair extremely short (I'm talking like Pixie short) several times over the past ten years. This was very hard for me since I had always been used to long hair and felt long hair looked best on me. 

After every cut, it would take about two years or so to grow my hair back to its original length. However, the texture and fullness of my hair has never been the same since being diagnosed with Lupus. 

Recently, my hair had started to fall out in strands again. I decided to try a hair loss product to see if I could keep from having to drastically cut my hair again. 

I have been using a product called Nioxin for about a year now, and my hair loss has slowed dramatically. I still have a few strands coming out daily, but not the huge chunks like before. Also, the patches of hair that had already fallen out are now starting to grow back! 

Even with using this product, my hair will never be the thickness and fullness it was in the picture above. But I am glad I have found an alternative to the drastic Pixie cut. I now feel I can deal with the hair loss a little bit better. :)

Homeschooling Momma

Hi everyone! I'm Christina. The oldest of the three sisters.

I've been married for almost seventeen years to my amazing husband! He's my best friend and he supports me in anything I do. We have two of the best boys in the world.

My oldest son is fifteen and just got his permit (LIFE CHANGING!) I'm not taking this change very well. My youngest is seven and full of life! There's never a dull moment with him. My family is everything to me and God has blessed me with the opportunity to be a stay at home mom. 

The best part of being a stay at home mom is that I get to home school my boys. We've been homeschooling for four years and we love it!

I love that I can choose what they are learning and most importantly, that we learn and talk about God everyday! 

We have good and bad days, and some really bad days, but we keep going. Believe me, there are days when I'm like what did I get myself into!! But when I hear my boys talk about God and recite the scriptures they've memorized that all goes away. 

I know that God has placed a desire for homeschooling in my heart, and I can't wait to share our experiences and ideas with you through our blog!

I saw an interesting saying on a t-shirt that was posted on Facebook it said:

"Some people never get to meet their biggest inspirations; I raised mine."

That's exactly how I feel!!

My Try at DIY

REVAMPED LAMP (This was soooo easy!!)

I recently moved my son into a new room and wanted to decorate with a sports theme. However, I was on a very tight budget. So, I decided to try my hand at a little DIY with a lamp (seemed simple), instead of paying oodles and oodles for a sports themed lamp. 

I went to our local vendor mall (which is basically a giant indoor yard sale). I found this lamp for $2 in working condition. AWESOME!

I decided to try a rope looking lamp since it would be in a little boys room. I found some wreath wrapping wire at Hobby Lobby for $3 and some little wooden decorative soccer and basketballs at Michaels for $.99 (YEAH!).

First, I got my hot glue gun ready. I started at the top of the lamp, below the light socket, and started gluing a little, then wrapping a little. 

Here's a peak at how the first section turned out.

After wrapping the entire lamp down to the bottom, I decided to add the soccer and basketballs for decoration. 

Voila! Here's how it turned out. Not too bad for around $7, and it matches my son's bedroom decor perfectly.

Next project......that horrible side table!! Stay tuned. 

Inspiration from The Word

Trust the Father

"TRUST in the Lord with ALL YOUR HEART and do not lean on your own understanding." 

Proverbs 3:5

 I have heard this scripture quoted over and over and have even quoted it several times myself. But there is a big difference between quoting the scripture and living the scripture. 

If we slow down and really think about what this one verse is commanding us to do, it suddenly doesn't seem so simple anymore. The definition for the word "trust" from Merriam-Webster dictionary is "assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something." 

Are you assured today that your Heavenly Father has the character, ability, and strength to take care of every situation you are facing? Does He have all of your heart or just the parts you have been willing to give up? 

We sometimes try so hard to "fix" our own lives instead of allowing God to have control and trusting in His plan. The truth is we do not have the answer to the problems we face, but He does. 

Trust the Father! He's Got This!