What’s something special you see daily, but never paid attention long enough to really appreciate what you’re looking at? In this case, it’s not my husband. It’s myself 🙂 I’ve lived a life that I know many people wouldn’t survive it. I know half would give up at the beginning. The other half would maybe try and last halfway. I’m sure there are many and many women’s out there that has suffered or is suffering all or worse than I have. I pray to God to give you strength. It’s not easy. I know!
My mother today at 68 stills has to work to take care of herself otherwise she doesn’t have the income to live on. She has 2 daughters that can’t afford to pay for her living. Sad story.
She has worked so hard her whole life ever since she was little and for what? Today she is still working and not living. That’s why I always say live now if you can. This time will never come around again.
Today’s picture inspired me because I’ve been a fighter.
I’ve fought child abuse.
I’ve fought mentally and verbally abuse
I’ve fought my fears
I’ve fought self-esteem
I’ve fought depression
I’ve fought suicide
I’ve fought PTSD
I fought drugs
I fought alcohol
I fought an alcoholic father
I fought murder
I’ve fought adultery
I’ve fought unfaithfulness
I’ve fought being sick
I’ve been fighting my weight
I’ve been fighting my sickness
I’ve been fighting this world
This world will not bring us better things, from here on it will only be worst. Some of these things I’m still fighting daily like PTSD. Depression. Etc. Some stuff you can never get rid of it. It’s a constant battle.
Everyone that knows me knows I love makeup and fashion. Clothes, shoes, bags, and makeup are my favorites. Now you ask me you must have a lot of it then. Actually no… I have plenty, but it’s never enough. I have enough bags; some I haven’t even used yet. Shoes I don’t have many I do need to buy some cute ones, but it’s hard to find the perfect fit comfortable and that looks good. I love the looks of many brands, but they just don’t look good on my feet I don’t know why. Clothes I’m just starting to build up my wardrobe as I’m losing weight, I didn’t want to start buying all these outfit being 50 pounds overweight, but now that I lost some I started to.
Makeup I don’t buy anything too expensive Unless I really like it and it’s worth me paying that amount of money for it. Otherwise, I buy cheap makeup and I get the same results. A lot of people doubted that I could do a cute makeup on a budget, so I proved them wrong. I got makeup from CVS pharmacy, and my brushes are from BHcosmetic and I did a before and after picture and this is my results.
I wanted an opinion to see what you all think. I think it came out nice. The first photo I used bronzer and the last one I didn’t. Personally, now I will never leave the house without some bronzer I love it.
Just to make sure you guys know, I am an amateur I do NOT know how to do makeup professionally I only do it on myself everything I know I learned by myself on myself … I got not courses or classes for it at all.
Anna, the daughter of Penuel, was eighty-four years of age and long widowed. Apparently she was a member of the resident staff at the temple in Jerusalem, devoting herself to continual service in the temple. The text does not indicate why she was called a “prophet.” Her unnamed husband might have been a prophet, or perhaps she herself had spent time praising and bearing testimony or even foretelling future events under divine inspiration. In simplest terms, she obviously was a woman through whom God spoke. As a descendant of the tribe of Asher, Anna looked for the Messiah as the prophets Isaiah (Isa 9:6) and Micah (Mic 5:2) had foretold.
When Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the temple to present him to the Lord approximately a month after his birth, they offered their sacrifices according to ancient law. He had been circumcised on the eighth day, probably in Bethlehem. Now the days of Mary’s purification were completed (see Lev 12:4). As they were in the temple, a devout man, Simeon, was moved by the Holy Spirit to be present and to hold the Infant in his arms.
Anna watched as Simeon prayed, knowing in her heart that the Messiah had come. Luke’s description of this woman helps the reader to understand the respect and veneration that she commanded. A lifetime of prayer and fasting made her comments worth reporting. She, a recognized prophetess, confirmed God’s gift of redemption and her words resonated with all who looked for salvation (Lk 2:38).
Anna personified in her day those who “serve the living and true God, and . . . wait for his Son from heaven” (1Th 1:9–10). She is a model for us; like her, women are to “live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for that blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:12–13).
1/2 zucchini into small pieces
5 cherry tomatoes in 4
10 dried tomatoes
1 Lightly cooked broccoli
4 radishes sliced
5 black and green olives
1 bunch of arugula
1 half pineapple into thin slices 4
2 boiled eggs cut into 4
Cooked pumpkin into small pieces
Arrange all the greens, then the cooked and sliced raw, and garnish the dish.
Sprinkle with olive oil and flax seeds.
Let’s do a little Challenge here today… Posting a throw back Thursday Before and Now photo Challenge.
Who’s in? 🙂 Come on let’s do this… hehehe
I received some of my old childhood photos from my mother when she went to our hometown ” Brazil ” to visit, and when she came back with all these beauty 😮 I had big surprises to see all my modeling days hahahahahaha
I really don’t know what she was thinking LOL I would have left these photos hidden hahahah.
I still like to believe I have some type of Fashion in me … didn’t I ? What do you think?
The memories I have left from those days in another hand is something I hate to remember. Lets not even go there.
Anyways, this photo above was taken at one of our homes in Rio De Janeiro Brazil.
I think what was in my mind was ” Hey look at me I’m beautiful ” LOL
I love looking at old photos just as long as they don’t have my big head in them ..
Today This is who I am a simple lady. I love to shop and get dressed and look my best no doubt about that.
I absolutely love make-up and fashion. Even though I don’t dress myself the best I can, I can still coordinate very well 🙂
The only reason I don’t do it to myself is because I haven’t reached my weight goal 🙂
Feeling confident plays, a big role in being a fashionista. I can dress other people, design, and put awesome outfits together. But when it comes to myself, I chicken out and dress simple usually dark colors. I do go wild on my makeups though. I picked a few for you to take a look. Thanks for taking the time and hey, share with me what you think xoxo
If our mission from Christ is to “seek first the kingdom of God,” how can a successful, God-honoring marriage not be marked by mission? We’re not told to seek first an intimate marriage, a happy life, obedient children, or anything else. Jesus tells us to seek first one thing, and one thing only: His kingdom and His righteousness (the two words define and build on each other, creating one common pursuit). A successful marriage is not only supported by a kingdom pursuit, but in many ways the pursuit is a prerequisite for post-infatuation intimacy.
Life without this aim, and marriage without this purpose, is going to lose a lot of its luster. “We hunger for this today: cooperating together, meshing, working like a mountain climbing team, ascending the peak of our dream, and then holding each other at the end of the day. God has planted this hunger deep within every married couple. It’s more than a hunger for companionship. It’s more than a hunger to create new life. It’s a third hunger, a hunger to do something significant together. According to God’s Word, we were joined to make a difference. We were married for a mission.”
Being “married for a mission” can revitalize a lot of marriages in which the partners think they suffer from a lack of compatibility; my suspicion is that many of these couples actually suffer from a lack of purpose. Jesus’s words given to individuals in Matthew 6:33 are perhaps even truer in marriage. When we give away our life, we find it. When we focus outside our marriage, we end up strengthening our marriage.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6: 19-21
* Is your marriage one with mission? How can you and your spouse more fully live a life of mission as a couple?
* Ref: The Bible & Breath Spiritual Passion into your Marriage
If your marriage and family feel like a joke or as if they’re bordering on chaos, it’s not anything that God hasn’t seen or isn’t capable of redeeming. So much of Christian teaching today is about us developing “our” gifts, improving “our” talents, reaching “our” potential, yet so much of Jesus’s teaching and modeling is about surrendering to the work of the Holy Spirit. Let’s allow marriage to teach us to trust this Holy Spirit. He’s proven Himself. If we truly want to transform our marriages, we must learn the glory of divine dependence.
God will never call us to do something without giving us everything that is necessary in order for us to finish the task. It may not be all that we think we need, but it will be all that we do need. This is not to say the job will feel easy. But God promises through Isaiah, “He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power” (Isa. 40:29 NASB).
Don’t pass over this thought, because it’s crucial: Isaiah 40:29 assumes that God will call us to various tasks for which we lack enough power on our own.
The “secret,” then, to a truly sacred marriage is actually a person, God’s promised Holy Spirit. Because God is such a relational God (meeting our need for salvation by sending His Son), it shouldn’t surprise us that He meets our need for transformation by also sending Himself in the person of His Holy Spirit.
Since marriage is one of the most profound acts of worship any two believers can ever share, it is impossible to be married in a sacred manner without the Holy Spirit being active in our lives, helping us to understand what it means to love, giving us the power to love, convicting us when we fail to love, renewing our hearts when we grow weary in love, and pouring out hope when we grow discouraged in love.
The Lord gives strength
to those who are weary. Isaiah 40:29
But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.” Acts 1:8
* Do you lean on the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and your marriage? What is a specific situation where you lacked ability, but were strengthened by the Holy Spirit?
____The Bible & Breathe Spiritual Passion into Your Marriage.
No Gear – All you need is a sturdy pair of sneakers of comfortable shoes to sneak in short bouts all day long.
Healthy Heart – Walking is associated with a reduced risk of hypertension, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes, according to a study of 49,000 participants at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, CA.
Happy Days – A walking workout can boost your mood. a study from the University of innsbruck in Austria found that 20 minutes of brisk walking had positive effects on mood and psychological well-being. The study subjects had type 2 diabetes, but researchers believe the results would translate to those without diabetes as well.
Best For – exercise newbies or those who are considerably overweight, says Fabio Comana, Ms, director of continuing education for the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Start by walking for 10 minutes four times a week adding five minutes every week. (Check with your doctor before starting any exercise regimen.)
RUNNING REWARDS
Extra Time – No secret here: You can burn the same number of calories in half the time as walking.
Less Hunger – Running may suppress your appetite, says preliminary research from the University of Wyoming. After completing 60 minutes of walking or running, participants were invited to a buffet. the runners ate less due to an increase in an appetite-regulating hormone, due to an increase in an appetite-regulating hormone while the walkers had a bigger appetite, though more research is needed to confirm these early findings.
More Smiles – A “runner’s high” has been chocked up to and endorphin release; a 2008 German study found that running has an opioid – like effect in the brain.
Best For – those with no heart or orthopedic issues. However, easing into a running routine is always advisable, easing into running routine is always advisable. Start by alternating four – minute bouts of walking and jogging. Each week, add an additional minute of jogging and decrease walking by one minute until you’re running from start to finish.
I guess I can start by saying there was a point in my life when I was considered ” skinny” I was about 17 and weighed about 135lbs was a size 2-3 I didn’t have any kids, and wasn’t married yet. when I turned 18 I had my first Boy, Got married and started to gain weight. I had my other 2 boys right after the other didn’t give my body enough time to heal between pregnancy, but I don’t count that as an excuse at all. I do have friends that went through the same situation and have 5 kids and went right back to their regular weight and sizes. So being over weight for me is no excuses. It is lack of motivation, and not having the control of eating right. I mean the right things and at the right time.
Something everyone that are over weight or wants to loose weight needs to do. First step is start eating at the right time, the right amount, and the right choice of foods. The heaviest I’ve been was 225 pounds. By this time I couldn’t even look at my self in the mirror with out hatting my self, crying, asking God for help, having hate, and suicidal thoughts. I wanted to die. I hated my self and my body so much I could even have a sexual relationship that I enjoyed with my husband because I would feel so uncomfortable with him. He never judged me, or called me fat, never told me I needed to loose weight, but I would still have those feelings that he didn’t love me anymore or that he would think of someone else while he was with me. Because I was so fat. It’s a horrible situation to be in and very hurtful.
This Picture I was 31 yrs. old –Size 22 — 225 Pounds
In March of 2013 I was diagnose with the blood clotting disorder of Factor II and one of the main reasons was the fact I was overweight. When they told me I was 225 Pounds and that was one of the reasons I almost died, I knew I had to start doing something. After being in the hospital for about 12 days I came home decided to follow along all the things I knew about diet, but I couldn’t follow the exercise anymore. Right there and then I knew I was going to face a big battle. I could no longer go to the gym because of pain, and I had to wait for my DVT and my PE to completely heal. I could no longer eat any greens and a lot of other stuff I can no longer eat because of my clotting disorder. I became discourage.
Thank God I decided to get right back on track. All of a sudden I started to drop weight out of no where, so I started to help my self and cut down my intake, started to drink more water, stopped drinking soda all together , no Diet, No zero , no soda at all. Started drinking my protein shake from Arbonne.com 2x a day some days I only do it 1x its delicious and I add fresh fruits to it.
I make mine with
1 scoop of protein shake, 1 cup of silk vanilla almond milk, 3 strawberries
It’s the best. Makes me full for 4 hours. If you visit the website they have other stuff there like the detox tea, fruit bars… etc. I only like the shake, plus it’s the only thing I’m aloud to have according to my blood disorder even though it’s all vegan and natural.
My results so far have been pretty good…. I don’t go to the gym. All I do is try my best to eat small portions of all the things I like to eat. I don’t cut anything from my diet besides Soda.
because I believe if I do I will end up eating it later in time and gaining the weight all back. So, I’m losing weight very slowly but healthy and I’m not starving myself. 🙂 Bottom photo is most recent from March 13, 2015, still need to lose 50 pounds
Anyone out there doing any diet? workout? That’s working? Care to share?
I would Love to know what you guys are doing 🙂
Thinking Out Cloud 