Fab Friday~Dedicated to Ali My First Born!

It's that time again! Seriously where does the time go? My favorite things of the week! Having to limit it down to 5 is getting harder and harder. Cheers to another FAB Friday~TGIF!

1. My oldest daughter Ali. All my girls inspire with in their own unique ways but lately my 17 year old Senior who is college bound very soon(eeek) has inspired me. Well lets just say she always has. When she was in grade school I could remember putting her to bed one night her sobbing thinking I did something so bad to make my baby cry. When asking what was wrong her reply, "There is this girl at school that the kids make fun of everyday and they make her cry." my heart dropped. She was crying someone else's tears. She was crying for this little girl she barely knew. It was then I knew my first born child would grow up to be a sensitive, loving, selfless human being and that she is. I remember telling her to befriend the little girl, we all need to feel liked, yet more importantly loved. Her response, "Mom I do, we play on the swings and monkey bars." she was one step ahead of me...sighhh...I wonder if she remembers this night, because mommy will never forget!

She took on band at an early age, 6th grade to be exact. She too had the experience of being teased herself at the bus stop especially for lugging her trumpet to and from school faithfully everyday. I never asked what drove her to play trumpet. Wait maybe I did ask once, "Trumpet are you sure?" I have to admit I questioned her choice of instrument. But she was sure and so we made it happen and she has been in band ever since. I and everyone who knows her would say, "Music is Ali's Life" it is, it truly is what drives her. I am inspired by her for sticking with her goals and never giving up in spite of those mean girls that tormented her in Junior high, who would wait for her to get to the bus stop just so they could try and break her. I am inspired she never let them break her. I am inspired she would take a book with her to the bus stop and act as if she was reading and what they said NEVER affected her emotions(even though mommy knew it did). She kept on being Ali, doing what she loves to do. Sure there was a time I as a parent had enough! Like when my Ali came home crying because they took her book and threw it out of frustration because she was not giving into their tormenting. They hated being ignored these insecure mean girls. I literally had my keys in hand and told her, "Lets go show me where they live!" what was my daughters response, "Mom NO it will only make it worse!" I promised her it wouldn't but she begged me not to. I had to stop, calm myself down and say "Self it is not a good idea to confront any parent in the state of mind you are in, calm..calm." Yes I had to calm myself down and think rationally. I remember telling her, "Fine, but if it happens again and if they ever touch you I am going to their house you hear me!" She nodded her head, "OK Mom!" Now don't get me wrong it took all of me to not go there that day. But my daughter was right, it would not solve anything and most likely if a child acts this way it is not a good sign of what their parent's will be like, after all our kids are a reflection of their upbringing.

I am so proud my daughter stood her ground, I am proud she is so strong and Inspired by her drive to do things her way not the cool way...though I think she's pretty darn cool. She continued to read at the bus stop, and might I say she is quite the avid reader and puts mommy to shame. She continued playing that trumpet and is now in one of the best bands in the state, she will correct me in saying THEY ARE the best band in the state. Actually they are they received many awards, top honors and I am so proud to watch her dedicate herself consistently doing what she loves no matter how uncool those kids thought she was. Ali inspires me continuously. She just decided out of the blue to start a band and learn the Bass. She locked herself in her room all weekend teaching herself. Of course I questioned her asking,"What's going on?!?" her response, "I am learning the Bass!" she yet again dedicated herself and didn't come out until she accomplished what her heart desired. My Ali is full of life, love, sensitivity, and of course music:) I am so inspired and blessed to call her my daughter.

Forget the other 5 things they do not even compare to the Inspiration and joy she brings to my life. To Ali my first born~YOU INSPIRE ME ~I Love You!
XO
MJ

Greene County Fair time~

Mikayla's first trip to the Greene County Fair. She wasn't able to ride the cool rides, but daddy made sure to give her first taste of cotton candy and her very own blueberry snow cone. She was one happy camper!

My Brown Eyed Girl~

Actually they are brown around the pupil and green around the brown. But they look quite dark in pics so we are calling them Brown..lol~Mikayla is learning her eyes, ears, mouth and nose. She finds poking herself and us in the eye quite funny!....hmmmmmm...

To Do or Not To Do List...

To do or not to do that is the question? I have been following Chalene Johnson another super woman and inspiration to get my groove on. Everyday she is asking, "Have you written your~TO DO~ list?" My response everyday is a simple, "No." I have never been the type to write out a list and follow it word for word, task for task. Writing my own chore list/demand letter does not go well with my stubborn personality. So in a sense I am rebelling against the "TO DO" list idea. But I am a fan of goal lists which I find much less tedious and much more inspiring.

I read recently somewhere(forgive me for forgetting the source) to make short term goal lists for 6 month time frames. When that 6 months is up re-visit those goals to access the progress and re-write a goal list for the next 6 months. Repeat this process consistently and see what happens. Join me as I make my goal list~ no matter how big or small, a goal is a goal!

Have you ever been on a job interview and the employer asks, "So where do you see yourself in 5 years?" I hate this question #1~I am always caught off guard, #2~How do I tell them not here and not working for you and if I am working here I'm taking your job..lol! Not really but it is such an unfair question to ask, especially in today's economy when the main goal is to just put food on the table. Ask me at a time when I was given options to pick a job of my liking and not forced into the first job that gave me the time of day. So no one likes to be caught empty handed in the goal department. Make it a priority to always set yourself some goals because it means you are constantly self evolving, pushing yourself, learning and living life to the fullest. Not to mention in the end when the goals have been conquered it is a proud moment for you and for your kids to see what you have accomplished and trust me they are watching. Quick example~I made it a goal to lose my pregnancy weight gain over a 6 month time frame. My girls would come home and comment, "Mom you are doing great!", "Mom, did you work out today?", "Mom I am so proud of you!"..sighh...my girls know how to make my day. They watch me accomplish goals and see the reward and see it can be done through hard work and consistency you are teaching your children to create goals of their own no matter how big or small it's a good thing! Now on to my goals(can I say I am nervous to post these) I've got some major reconstructing to do in my life. It's hard to believe 3 years ago my hubby and I were both living in California making good money~life was good! In that short 3 years things have changed dramatically. But the beauty of it is this~ I was due for a change anyway! I just needed that push that forces me to~YES~ think outside the box(I hate this term for reasons too long to tell) to begin again, to re-invent ourselves. So cheers to the next 3 years ahead of us! I plan on taking the next 3 years and making up for the past 3 bad~it's time to begin again! All aboard!

My goals(remember you read it here first) for the next 6 months #1 To get my darn DSLR camera already~ it drives me nuts I must wait. #2 To become a better photographer which I shall do by practice! practice! practice!~ Chase Jarvis a well known photographer wrote in response to inquiries on how to make it as a photographer, which can be applied to anyone and everyone not just photographers~"Dedicate at least 10,000 hours to whatever it is you’re looking to master." Basically he is telling you it takes time, it doesn't happen over night #3 Become an expert on lighting~Lighting means the world to a photographer! #4 Begin building a portfolio I am proud of~I would like to have at least 3 photo shoots within the next 6 months with live subjects. #5 Work on building a better blog #6 Get a Flickr account it almost seems like a must if you are in the photography world.

So there you have it! I think 6 is a good number to end with. That gives a goal per month and I still have a personal self goal list to conquer alongside, which I will keep to myself. These are goals to make myself a better person, to remind myself to always be self aware of every action and word that comes out of my mouth.

So it's your turn! Make it a priority to make that list! Post it on the fridge for the kids and everyone to see. It will hold you accountable and if they are anything like my girls, if they do not see you striving to complete those goals there will be questions asked. "Mom when was the last time you worked out?"~you get the picture. So Cheers to goal making! It's time to ~Be Inspired, Create, Be the Inspirer!
XO MJ

Labor Day Weekend Recap~

Woke up to the bluest of blue skies, birds were singing, bees were buzzing, the wind was blowing not to hard, not to light, just right~YES! It was going to be one of those days~ NO Weekends! The heavens above called us, in fact demanded we come out and play. My dear hubby wanted to clean out storage, but days like these are rare and I say storage can wait and that it did~ sorta:/

So mama got her way and to the park we went! Minus 3 teens who just refuse to do anything with us these days because it's so not cool. Wow! When did I become uncool? The life of parenting..sighhh. In my defense I am cooler than cool~ I am the bomb...lol:)

The pictures I will be posting are Mikayla's first ride on a swing and really her first trip to the park since she started walking. It was too hot and humid a summer to get out to the park. We spent our summer near any body of water that was cooler than 80 degrees. So you will see she loved it! We wore her out so much you will see she couldn't even make it home without falling asleep. Sighhhh...to be a baby again. At least I am cool in her eyes still~YES!

P.S...I am still shooting with my Canon point and shoot. I am hoping to have that new DSLR soon! Keeping my fingers crossed it is sooner than later:) In case you hadn't noticed I am a HUGE FAN of Black and White photography I add in the color for my hubby so we are both happy in the end. I know B&W doesn't work for everything but when it can be applied I am using it..lol!

Fab Friday!

It's Fab Friday! Thinking I will keep Friday's blog posts light and just give a recap of the week of my favorite things that kept me inspired and kept my creative juices flowing. So here I go lets recap! Enjoy your extended weekend y'all make it F~A~B~U~L~O~U~S!

So here are my top Five Favorite things that got me through me week and kept me company~

1. Bianca Juarez and her "In the Name of Love" blog~ see previous posts of her inspiring message that touched my spirit at 3am(yes I said 3am) and then check out her equally inspiring blog~
In The Name Of Love~Bianca Juarez


2. Cure For the Common Life by Max Lucado~ I am reading this book for the second time! It is that awesome! It has a great study guide in the back that leads you to answer questions about your life and is definitely an eye opener.
Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado

3. Pandora which is an awesome music site free of charge where you create your own radio stations and you in turn get to listen to endless hours of music. This will probably make my fab 5 list every week because I can't live without my music:) It's a must when I have my thinking cap on.
Pandora

4. Incubus~ Was able to retrieve my many cd's from storage after fearing for their life they may have melted over the summer in the relentless heat. Glad to say they are safely home in mama's care and first CD I grabbed was Incubus~Make Yourself! This CD never gets old~ I Love every song and have been singing to it all week 24/7~ who knows this may make it onto next weeks Fab 5 too..lol
Make Yourself~Incubus


5. My Canon Point and Shoot Camera of course:) Another Fab 5 permanent staple most likely. Though I am really close to getting that new DSLR ~I can taste it:P Hopefully by next week I will be able to break open the piggy bank and make it mine! I think I have settled for the Canon but nothing is set in stone until the day I bring it home...I CAN"T WAIT!! Taking pictures is my point of view how I see the world.

So there you have it! I hope you too can find some of the things I posted as inspiring or uplifting. Or maybe you would just like to share what or who inspired you this week. Let us know your Fab 5 for the week!! TGIF!
XO~MJ

Inspire~Inspired~Inspiring.....

Inspire~Inspired~Inspiring~this word in it's many forms has crossed my mind so much lately it is literally driving me crazy, in a good crazy kind of way. Inspiration when sought really isn't that hard to find. So this past week I made it a point to direct myself back to the things which Inspire me so I in turn can be the Inspirer. Inspiration is literally at our fingertips. The Internet is loaded with millions upon billions of inspiring content so I ask myself this, "Why do I see so many uninspired people walking, talking, breathing as if there is no hope left to grasp when it is literally a key away and literally right before our eyes in our very own homes?"

Inspiration~ #1."Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity" #2~"Divine guidance or influence exerted directly on the mind and soul of humankind." There were a few descriptions but these 2 best suit what Inspiration means to me. To Stimulate the mind but most importantly emotions. Influencing the soul,the spirit~ to take action to create, to change, to grow. I honestly believe it happens in the order of connecting first emotionally & spiritually since I believe we as beings thrive off emotion and are inspired off feeling. Life experience creates a multitude of emotions leading to Inspiration. So if this is the case why are so many people left uninspired? My answer has to be they gave in, gave up are choosing not to take the good from the bad. In fact they only celebrate during the good times and go into hiding, crawling into a dark place during the bad moments, asking, "Why me?" How do I know this. cause I chose to put myself in that corner time and time again throwing myself a pity party, "WHY ME?!?"

So "Why Me?!?" why you, why anyone for that matter? Why must we go through the bad? I know, knew, I understand why, but I need to be reminded time and time again because let's face it~ I am human! It's easy to throw myself in that corner and merely wait for the good to shine instead of fight the powers that be. I know what I need, MUST do, so why do I choose at times to do the complete opposite? Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, I need to be reminded!

I was up late last night just couldn't sleep and came across a speaker not by chance but by through Divine fate! The name "Bianca Juarez". Whom I could describe here in my blog how amazing she is but this is something you have to see for yourself. Here is a link to her blog:)
In The Name Of Love~Bianca Juarez

She is a Bible Teacher who is being used by God to use herself as a vessel to Love, Teach, to remind us where to turn in times when we forget WHO OUR PRIME BEING of Inspiration is and where it all began. I will tell you in a second how I stumbled upon her message at 3:30am it was not an accident! I don't like the word "ACCIDENT" it always seems to be a negative ending when you hear the word accident. Save that word for what it was intended for, like car accidents, Ooops..I accidentally spilled the milk, etc.~ you get the point. Bianca Juarez's message was not an accident but more like a Divine Purpose, meant to be! She said many things that Inspired me, that made me think, feel, led me to want to change, create, and be the inspirer myself. She said, "When God wants to use you, he's going to break you!" I literally broke down hearing this. It all makes sense! I was looking at my current situation as a negative experience instead of for what it was and is. I should actually feel blessed in my current state. Knowing God loves me enough to teach me, to YES break me, so I can learn to appreciate the good times, & pray through the bad. Knowing the end result I will be a stronger, more humbled human being. He is teaching me to be grateful through the good,the bad, & of course all the ugly stuff life will throw my way. In being broken there is beauty, there is grace, there is a new you waiting to be born! I fully believe everything happens for a reason when GOD IS IN CONTROL! I quote Bianca in saying, "I would rather follow someone who is broken, rather than someone who pretends they have it all together."

Have you ever tried to re-tell a funny story or joke and it just didn't have the same effect as the first time you heard it? So the receiver sits there silent with an odd look and that look says it all, "I DON'T GET IT!" and then what is our response? Something along the lines, "Oh man, you had to be there!" or "I can't remember word for word but it was funny, YOU HAD TO BE THERE!" Sometimes you just have to be there and experience first hand to get the same experience. Lets face it some people were born to deliver, and delivering God's word is what Bianca was born to do. Here are the videos that spoke to me at 3am this morning~it's a 2 parter and worth every minute as you listen to her story broken and all. Be prepared to laugh, cry, and be changed!


APU Chapel (Bianca Juarez) from Bianca Juarez on Vimeo.



APU Chapel (Bianca Juarez) pt. 2 from Bianca Juarez on Vimeo.


So tell me what Inspire's you lately? Or maybe it's a "WHO" has Inspired you? Lately my sources of Inspiration have come from 1 book I have been reading again and again, "Cure For the Common Life~by Max Lucado", my laptop~ there is an endless amount of inspiration to be found in cyber world, Bianca Juarez is living proof, and of course my music. You will see my 3 sources in the post picture above I took! But when it comes down to it, those 3 things were made by people, those people were made by God, God gave those sources a talent they are now sharing with the world. So in the end it all begins and ends with God. Inspiration begins with God! So true!

Oh and before I forget to answer the question, "How did I come across Bianca Juarez?" It started out with my new found love for photography, which led me to Creative Live(see previous posts), which led me to Jasmine Star(see previous posts), which led me to Bianca Juarez, which then led me to write this post. See so there was a plan, God's Plan, a Divine Purpose! I didn't know it at the time but each Inspiration led to another. My job was to be still and listen, to let my Spirit be the guide and in the end God had this message waiting just for me. How lucky I am to be loved by such an AWESOME GOD!
Amen!~XO MJ