POSITIVELY OPTIMISTIC

It is has been a while since I have blogged but I felt the need to… call it therapeutic if you want, but it makes me feel better writing down my thoughts. The other day we took both of our dogs, Remy and Becher to the vet for a grooming visit and their annual checkup. We were expecting to pick up the boys and receive the good news that everything was fine. What we didn’t plan on was hearing that Remy has ehrlichiosis, a tick disease. If the disease is caught early enough, prognosis is good. If not, he has a 50/50 chance of recovering. So for the next six weeks Remy will be on a heavy duty med to rid his body of this disease and we are hoping his body is receptive and responds to the same. Two nights in and Remy still seems like a perfectly healthy golden retriever/chow mix.

We have always been grateful and thankful that God put these creatures in our path and that we have had unconditional love from both of them. I find it absolutely amazing how much joy they bring us. The joys of dog ownership are countless. Our dogs love us no matter what. They are willing recipients of the good stuff in life at every opportunity and seem to have an uncanny knack to know exactly what we need at the precise moment we need it. They add something to our lives that cannot be obtained by any other creature big or small.

When they are bad, they definitely know they are…yet they also understand that we will forgive them. When they are good they smile with the whole of themselves unlike any other creature on Earth. Dogs are never moody, never bored, never boring, never nagging, and never critical or mean and are ready to receive our love.

I can’t imagine a world without them.

LEAVE THE JUDGING UP TO GOD

I have a hard time with people who judge other people. Quite frankly, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. Do you like to be judged? I certainly do not and believe as a Woman of Faith that I should embrace everyone I meet without passing judgment.

Some of us are so quick to judge others for doing the same things we have done in the past. A person who seems at a low point may in fact have worked very hard to overcome hardship to even reach this level in their life. We never know what adversities a person has conquered or what trials they have been through. It is not OUR place to judge.

This does not mean we should be so open-minded that we blindly accept anyone or everything we hear. We cannot judge a person, but we can judge their actions. Even when people make mistakes, we can still see the best in them, love them, and care for them in spite of their mistakes. It is called unconditional love. We do not have to condone their actions. Not at all, but we do need to love them. Just like our children. We know their flaws, yet we love them unconditionally! Right??? :)

So before you start judging one another, think about this. Only God can truly judge a person, and His judgment is unique to the individual, not based on a formula. God knows. God sees. God honors those who honor Him.

TIME IS NOW

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:1

It is about time. Finally!!! Time to snap out of the haze we have been in. Our mini vacations are over and it is time to hit it hardcore again with our fitness training. I asked God for balance at the beginning of the year and His answer literally knocked me on my butt. I haven’t been consistent with my workouts because I have had one nagging injury after the next BUT I truly believe this was God’s way of slowing me down and telling me that I needed to work on my spiritual side rather than my physical side. I have been waiting on His approval to start up full speed again (knowing now I need to spend more time with Him and make Him my No. 1 priority). In the last few days I finally got the affirmations I have been searching for. It is time to get back on track and hit the fitness training again. I have obeyed and am ready to follow His instructions further (now that I have His blessings). We are given one life to live and we should not waste them away. I truly believe that we need to be in tip top shape to spread the word of Christ. :)

I always find it exciting to start something new but more exhilarating to finish it. My goal is to follow through to the July 4 weekend and then re-program and re-evaluate. If you know me at all, you know I do not have lots of inches or weight to lose. This is for an overall wellness healthy conditioned body. It is about incorporating this into my life and making lifestyle changes. Kevin and I have been living a healthy lifestyle for almost 7 years now and we know what to do. There aren’t any magical pills to take, just a lot of dedication and commitment to see things through but most of all, no excuses.

So I’m ready. Kevin is ready…. Are you? :)

FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE

I am a failure. I struggle. But most of all, I overcome. I get right back up and I know what I have to do. At this point in the year, I am not where I want to be PHYSICALLY due to my back injury BUT I am definitely where I want to be SPIRITUALLY. I think God has a way of knocking us on our rear when we need it the most and teaches us things we never ever expected. At the beginning of this year, I asked God to teach me balance. I was thinking more along the lines of the physical side, not the spiritual side. He, however, had other plans for me. He is teaching me all about building up my spiritual muscles. He is teaching me patience (UGH, hate that word). :)

One of my favorite verses is “This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.” It reminds me that no matter how much I strive for perfection, we will never really arrive in any areas of our life this side of heaven. So we need to learn balance and celebrate the gift of living in the moment and taking care of ourselves the way God intended us to live.

I am fully ready to receive the works God has in store for me and more importantly the results that come from those works. I trust Him completely to help me find that balance I crave so that I can find peace deep down to my soul.

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well.

Demanding Diva

All of us have been there. Self doubt, negative thoughts, beating ourselves up when we are feeling depressed. I believe it is about time we start being a bit demanding. BUT not in the way you think. I am talking about treating ourselves with respect, value, and fortitude. We expect people to treat this way, why not from ourselves. I think it is time we DEMAND the same treatment from ourselves. Don’t you agree?

If we want to feel better about ourselves, the first thing we need do is stop being our own worst enemy. Truly….We need to stop getting down on ourselves when things do not go our way. We all are extraordinary people on an exciting journey, in the middle of creating a life that we want or have created. So why do we put up with the negative thoughts or self-bashing. I know it is easy to tear ourselves down when we gain a few pounds or make a mistake. But the path of low-esteem is not the road any of us should be on. We need to relentlessly remind ourselves that we were born for a purpose and God made us in His image. Isn’t that alone something to celebrate?

Personally, I know it is easier said than done. Self-bashing can come very easily to those who are perfectionist. But harsh thoughts and words never go away and quite frankly that is not the legacy I want to leave behind. I want people to know me as a beautiful woman, inside and out. How I let my light shine every day and that included not beating myself up over my faults or weaknesses.

So demand kindness and love from yourself. God loves each and every one of us. I remind myself everyday that God’s grace is enough because I am most in wonder of God’s grace when I am most aware of how little I deserve it … and nothing I do (whether in terms of my actions, or just beating myself up) can make me deserve that grace any more.

OH BABY

Kevin's nephew Spencer
February 1, 2011

Introducing the newest member of the Coutu family, Spencer Michael. Aaaah, what a baby doll. Is it possible to love someone that you have never met? Brings tears to my eyes just thinking of him.

Congratulations to the new Mommy and Daddy, Chrissy and Mike. <3 <3

DAYS LIKE THESE

Sometimes not all of us will get along with everyone we come into contact with. Although I do find myself wanting to please everyone all of the time, I have come to realize that not everyone will like me nor will I like everyone I meet.

However, when that certain person is family, it can make the situation difficult. I have found it difficult in the past to tell people how I really feel. Even if I have told someone how I really felt, the situation only changed briefly and then went back to the way it initially was. So nothing changed. The reason why nothing was changing was because I wasn't saying what I really wanted and needed to say. In essence, I was afraid that I would hurt their feelings.

I was skirting around the real issue which as we all know never creates the desired outcome. And yes, I do understand that even if I did speak my mind and say what I really wanted to say, there would be no guarantee that I would end up with the desired outcome either. It might even make the situation worse.

Let me tell you this…. Nothing is as important as the truth. If this person loves me as much as they say they do, nothing should stop me from telling them how I feel. For years I have been sacrificing my happiness just to keep this person from giving me grief.

I truly believe that in most circumstances if you say what is in your heart and lead with your heart and deliver what you have to say in a loving and respectful way, you will, more often than not, receive the outcome you desire. Of course, not everyone is receptive to your words or feelings, which means they aren’t willing or ready to take responsibility for their part. In a situation like that, I simply chose to stay in love and remain patient.

I truly believe that some people are in our life for a season and/or a reason. If things do not change over time, well, sometimes the hard decision has to be made to let that person go - depending on the severity of the circumstances, even if they are family. It isn't the best resolution but sometimes it may be the best decision in the circumstances.

Here is my test of finally letting someone go: Family is family is family but if they are toxic or abusive (verbally, emotionally or physically), you might think about letting them go......

POWER TO CHANGE.... IT IS ALL IN OUR MIND

Oh that ugly word stress… why does it have to make an appearance in our life? Because first we let it and permit it to be a part of our life. And isn’t it the silliest of things that cause us anxiety? If we figure out and realize that stress is not a condition but a situation that can be fixed, only then will we figure out how to deal and respond to it. We may not always be able to control what happens in our life but we can certainly control how we react. Sometimes I truly believe it is a simple lack of faith that causes us stress. We start to feel anxious about something and BAM its out there and we lose what little control we had.

The best way to start reducing the stress in our life is to start praying, cease feeling anxious about all things and focus on a solution rather than dwelling on the issue. Instead of thinking about all the bad things that can happen, consider as many ways as possible to create an outcome that is advantageous. Starting praising God for all the good He has done in our life and for the life we have at this very moment. We all have things to be grateful for. We have the air we breathe, we have the food we eat, we have the house that shelters us, we have our health, we have our family who we adore and we have our faith, which gets us through times of stress and anxiety.

We do have the power to overcome stress, it is just finding the appropriate ways in dealing with and managing it and not freaking out over every little thing. This Bible verse is one I think all of us should have laying around, whether on our fridge, our desk or our bedside table, it is one we should memorize and know my heart. It can get you through some pretty tough times and give you the peace you so desire.

Philippians 4:6-7

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."