Wow...just Wow!

A friend & neighbor gave me this book "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst & I just read the introduction...just the introduction and I have to say, WOW!

Here is what had me in tears...

"It reminds me of a journey described in Matthew 19. A rich young man comes to see Jesus and explains that he is following all the rules but still feels something is missing from his pursuit of God. "All these rules I have kept, "he says to Jesus. "What do I still lack?" (Matthew 19:20) Jesus responds, "if you want to be perfect (whole), go sell your possessions and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Matthew 19:21)" 

Most know that story right? Well this is her response to those verses...seriously read this part if you don't read anything else!

"Its at this point in the biblical story that most of us ordinary Jesus girls starting thinking of all the rich people we know, "Well, I sure hope they get this message. Good thing I'm not rich. Good thing this doesn't apply to me. Good thing Jesus doesn't ask me to sacrifice in this way."  OR...does he? 

and she goes on...

"Jesus didn't mean this as a sweeping command for everyone who has a lot of money. Jesus meant this for any of us who wallow in whatever abundance we have. I imagine Jesus looked straight into this young mans soul and said, "I want you to give up the one thing you crave more than me. Then come follow me."

Then she wrote this...

"Suddenly, Jesus isn't just staring at the rich young man; He's also staring at me...the inside me. The part I can't cover up with excuses & makeup." 

Just WOW! I know we all have to have that "ah ha" moment in our own lives in our own journey. But seriously this is only the introduction people!   

No excuses from Jesus...He knows us inside & out. 

Lord I ask you, no I beg you, to give me the desire to be healthy. Its through You & You only I can do this. 

AMEN! 

Be prepared for many insights from this book on my blog! 

I love this song...so this is my inspiration of the day. Enjoy! 

"Where Feet may fail and fear surrounds me. You've never failed and you wont' start now." 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoZE2RsthRg

Lets get real

Well in August of 2008, I made the decision to have "lap-band" done. Had the surgery, no complications & I lost a total of 80 lbs. Then...well...life happened AGAIN & I gained back all the weight I lost. To give me some credit I got pregnant & breast fed a baby in 2011/2012...so that didn't help the weight gain issue at all. But to be completely honestly I had gain back 30 lbs of the weight lost before getting pregnant. (keepin' it real here) I gained this weight back because I like to eat junk. Its impossible for me to eat like I used to because of the lap band but if I get off track for a month I can put on 20lbs, so it doesn't take much for me to put back on weight. 

So, here I am completely starting over AGAIN! I am going to see my surgeon next week & speak to him about removing my lap-band. It causes me pain & I have frequent nausea because of it & if its not working to help me lose weight, then it needs to come out. I am opting to not have any revised weight loss surgery at this time in my life. I am instead going to try a very structured diet, this diet is physician supervised, and so far this is week (this is week 1) and I've lost 8 lbs. I'm taking this 20lbs at a time...so I'm 12 pounds from my 1st goal.

The only way I know I can do this is through support  from my friends & family & the Lord. I have to trust in the Lord to help me!

It is rare for someone like me to lose weight on their own after a failed lap-band procedure. But I know ALL things are possible with the Lord. He is my rock & my foundation...He can & will help me get through this. 

Picture Frame

So here is my first craft...I wanted to repurpose this picture frame. We are trying to pinch pennies, so most of my crafts are done not only for fun but to save money too.

I bought some scrapbooking paper on clearance at Michaels and used the card stock I had at home to do this craft.

I wanted to do a "art deco" type look for this frame...so I took something I had laying around to cut circles out of this paper.

Of course...I then had to take a break because my crafting partner was cranky...

Thank GOD for paci's!!

Ok...now I cut out all the little circles, four of the big blue ones and four of the little white ones. Then I covered the old picture border with white card stock and then glued down all of the little circles at each corner of the paper.

Then I glued on the picture I wanted. (its actually his birth announcement that I thought I did a fab job on...well that is a lie, I ordered it from Snapfish but I still took the time pick it out!!) 

Then I put it back in the picture frame & Wa-LA...beautiful new picture frame for Mr. Man's room!!

Super easy and cost me less than 3 bucks! Now if you have to go out & buy a frame it will cost you more but I remembering buying this frame at Target in the clearance isle...so think cheap!!

Next entry my disaster of a lamp shade that I will be recovering for like the 3rd time...yes...you have permission to laugh at me!

I'll try again...

I had this brilliant idea yesterday to start up my blog again...you know the one where I put like three entries in and then quit. Like I don't have enough to do already...2 kids in school, summer coming up, a new baby...Yeah...start your blog up again. Good idea, right?? I figure I can at least do something in it a few times a week. So here is my plan, I will post my so called "crafts" and how to do them, my amateur photography and then some rants or praise about being a mother. Trust me I'm no Martha Stewart, have you seen her "how to make blah blah blah..." I swear one craft has book full of instruction with it. So, I won't do that to you...my crafts will me simple, easy and try to take less than an hour to do. My photography might be awesome or really stink and my rants probably won't be grammatically correct. So, if your interested read on my friends, read on...

Also, if you want to follow my wonderful instagram page...I'm cdschubert, find me I swear you might get to see some of the cutest kids ever born!! And some of my so called "art"...come on you know you want to!

Birthday

My daughter turned five last week...to a mother this always a bitter sweet moment. Five...WOW! She is no longer a baby and she knows it too. Being a mother has been the most fulling job I've taken on. Even though I do not get paid to stay at home with them, I just love my children and being a stay at home mom!

I found that once I decided to stay at home with my children, women act differently towards me. Now, I understand that I am lucky, that I have gotten to stay at home with my girls and watch every milestone happen. I was there when they started to crawl, walk, talk etc...I am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to watch all of this. But it always puzzles me when a woman (who works) asks me "What do you do for a living?"  And my response is, "I stay at home with my kids." At this point in the conversation, there is usually a moment of silence, like at a ball game, you know, "a moment of silence for so and so who passed away." I mean, its very uncomfortable!  Then I get the "oooh," then nothing.  They usually turn their heads and starting talking to someone else.  Now sometimes, generally this is from a man, they will say "wow, that is a hard job."  Really?  Why is this?  Why are women so uncomfortable now days with women who makes a choice to raise their kids and stay at home with them? Is this not the age where a woman finally has a choice? A choice to either work, or to stay at home...40 years ago they didn't have a choice. Women stayed at home, period!

Like I said earlier, some women do not have a choice, they have to work. They have to help bring home food etc...so the family is provided for. Those type of women, are usually more open about the idea. They usually, say to me, "oh, I wish I could have stayed home with my kids." And I have to give it to them, I do not see how their houses stay clean, or how they have time to even brush their own teeth!  But its the women who do work but have a choice that get on my nerves. They look at me like I've grown three heads or something. Like I'm a loon for choosing to be a stay at home mom. 

So, I am here to say it LOUD and say it PROUD! I love being a stay at home mom! Its probably the best job I've had to date! And for you women that have an issue with this...tell me why?  I truly want to know, why does this make you so uncomfortable? I will not judge, I'm just curious. Is it that we have turned over the supporting of the family to a man, or is it that you just get bored staying at home?  I am just so glad that women in this time period have a choice. I would have hated to live during a time period where I didn't have a choice!

Missed Birthday's

Today will be a short post...not much time due to me being a college student at the age of, oh lets just say 29.

Today would have been my sister, Jamie's 42nd birthday. I have missed the last 4, well technically I haven't missed them, but they weren't celebrated in the normal fashion. You know, with birthday cake, candles, phone calls, PRESENTS! I miss those birthday celebrations.

This morning, as my daughter Tabitha was counting down her birthday, 7 days on her little fingers. She counts them for me every morning. I think its just to remind me that "hey my birthday is coming."  But this got me thinking about my sister, and about when she was a child and counting down her birthday on her "little fingers." It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.

But I shouldn't be sad today! Today is a day that a wonderful woman was born, who lived for her children and taught me what true love really looked like. Even though we lost her at a young age, I thank God we got to spend the time with her we did on Earth. As the saying goes, ( I believe this saying was in the movie Steel Magnolias) "I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special. "  My sister was that moment of something special, I'd rather have had that than nothing at all. 

So in celebration, Happy Birthday my big sis Jamie!

I've never done this before...

Really me? Starting a blog...NEVER! Oh, yeah here it is. I've wanted to do this for over a year. Why? I have no clue. I thought it would be fun. A place to write what I feel, what I go through on a daily basis, (oh, that will be soooo boring) a place to vent! (that might be interesting) Maybe someone will read it...maybe...Now I just got to figure out how to post pics and I will be set! Oh, and figure out what the heck to write about!

One of my favorite quotes to inspire me!

Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way.

~Dr. Seuss~