The End of It All

8 Jul

I thought having a baby would…

  • end my career
  • ruin my marriage
  • be full of tedious work
  • end of many friendships
  • end my social life
  • make me boring

Instead, having a baby has…

  • given me a new passion for my work
  • increased the joy in my marriage
  • shown me that tedious work for your own baby is actually fun
  • started and bloomed many new friendships
  • started a whole new social world
  • made me more alive with energy with new perspectives

We hear so many negative reasons why people don’t want to have kids. I’m here to tell you that if you have a good foundation and joy in your life, a baby will enhance everything you already have.  Now…get to baby making!

What You Do Proves What You Believe

30 Jun

I heard this statement today while listening to this speech. I thought I was just going to listen to a speech about leadership – instead, I was challenged on what I BELIEVE. I guess that’s what good leaders do though. They challenge us and inspire us to believe…not to plan, but to believe.

As I was reflecting I tried to write down 100 things that I believe. I made it to number 31 before going blank. Even now, I stumble over ideas that my parents taught me or things I’ve heard in church – but when I look at my actions I have to second-guess some of my “beliefs”. For instance, I might have said “I believe the world is a beautiful place that we should protect”. However, my actions in no way support that “belief”.

How many beliefs do you have that need to be challenged or reflected by examining your actions. Go ahead – try to write down 100 things you believe. It’s harder than you think!

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Beautiful Things

9 Feb

Last night, Mark and I had the opportunity to be inspired again. Inspiration is breath for your dreams. It’s the lifeblood of your hopes.  The funny thing about inspiration though is that you must act upon it immediately for it to have any effect on your dreams or else it becomes a cold wind of despair and dried up bones…just a hope that cannot possibly become a reality. Inspiration can even become bitterness – “how can they be so successful at it and not me?”.

So, what am I going to do with this beautiful thing called inspiration? I’m going to hide it in my heart and make 3 changes today:

  1. Pray more
  2. Practice more
  3. Love more

It sounds simple, but really, these are the things that I neglect everyday. I know that if I’m faithful to do these things, the Lord will direct my steps and my works to align with His will. Be inspired today and make a change now.

The rest of my life

20 Jan

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the rest of my life. Maybe it’s because I have a daughter, maybe I’m getting older, or maybe I’m becoming more mature.

However, I think this type of forward thinking is beneficial. My knees hurt because I’m out of shape at the age of 25 – so I think, “how will they feel at 40?” I struggle with my weight after just one child – how will I manage with two or three? We live paycheck to paycheck, and I wonder will we ever have a real savings account.

This type of thinking makes me want to change my life. Make it better now so my daughter can have the very best of me.

How do you feel when you think about the future?

The Thing About Blogs

20 Jan

Here’s the thing about blogs…you write it in hopes that someone will read it.

Only…when a certain someone tells you they have read your blog (which is what you want, right?), you immediately take a mental inventory of what’s on your blog to ensure there’s nothing too damaging or revealing on your blog.

Then, inevitably, the next blog post you write is tainted because you are trying to write for your readers and not for yourself.

This is why twitter wins sometimes.

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A Contest To Win…

13 Jan

Do you ever notice that every magazine, every commercial, and every piece of mail has the claim for free giveaways. In all my life, I’ve never registered to win, and I’ve never heard of someone in my life who’s won something.

SO – I’m conducting an experiment. I will register to win for every opportunity I see to win a prize for a YEAR. It’s going to take a lot of time and dedication – but gosh darn it…I’M GOING TO WIN SOME STUFF!!!!

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The Real Thing

10 Jan

I never truly understood the fullness of God’s love.

Until…

I had the love of my life – my daughter.

His love yearns for me
His love protects me
His love wants the best for me
His love wants me to accomplish great things
His love never fails

Now I know

HCG Diet – Day 7

16 Nov

OK folks – I’m a believer! In just 4 days (6 if you count the loading days), I dropped 10 lbs. It’s incredible. I haven’t been hungry at all because of the drops. The cravings are really intense, but they are starting to let up. It’s definitely a mental and emotional battle. For example, I thought June was sick on Saturday. I was so upset about it, that I ate 2 oreo cookies – talk about an emotional eater!

I’ll keep this updated with my weight loss. 50 more pounds to go…

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HCG Diet – Day 2

12 Nov

June is now 4 months old, and I still haven’t lost ANY of my baby weight. The whole idea of the weight ”flying off” because of nursing didn’t really pan out for me. I’ve become increasingly self concious about my weight, so I decided to take the bull by the horns and do something about it!

I’ve started the HCG diet. I actually started on Monday with 2 days of “calorie loading” or “gorging”. It was pretty funny how unsatisfying it was to eat myself into a coma – I thought it was going to be a wonderful treat, but I just ended up feeling bloated and even worse about myself.

It’s now day 2 of eating very low calories and taking the HCG drops. I’ve lost 3 pounds after the first day and I’m so excited to weigh again tomorrow.

I’m writing this all down so I can look back for inspiration and encouragement. I can do it. I’ve done it before. I can do it again. I’m not quite ready to share my starting weight with the internet world, but I will tell you that I have 60 lbs to lose!!!!

Here’s to the new me!

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Fun With The Internets

4 Sep

Since being a mommy, my whole Internet experience has changed. Here are some of the google terms I’ve used in the past 6 weeks:

Green poop
Mucous thick spit up
Eye goop
How much should a newborn sleep
How much should a newborn eat
Newborn bath
Hip newborn clothes
Gassy newborn

Ahhhh…motherhood!

I’m still alive and better than ever

27 Aug

The last 6 weeks have been a wonderful, dream state blur. Words don’t come close to describing the emotions and love that we have experienced.

For now, here’s a quick list of things that We are learning and experiencing:

Burping, farting, pooping and peeing are celebrated on a semi-hourly basis.

There are not enough burp cloths in the world.

Losing a pacifier at the wrong time is devastating.

Hearing my baby cry isn’t stressful.

You can become an expert at many new things in less than 6 weeks with daily practice. Case in point: diaper changing.

Being a mommy has rewards that outweigh stretch marks, 3 am feedings, and 30 extra pounds.

Praying never felt so good.

Check out junejett.com to hear about June’s adventures!

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A Little Baby Update

9 Jul

Mark your calendars people!

july20

Mark and I are planning on inducing on July 20th. I’m so excited that I’ve peed my pants several times…

 

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A Moment In Time – My MJ Tribute

29 Jun

Michael Jackson was more than a celebrity in my home while I was growing up. He was a part of our lives…my life.

  • He was the first musician I loved and whose album I bought on my own.
  • I learned to dance to Billy Jean, Triller, Bad, and Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough.
  • I knew how to moon walk before I was 10.
  • Some of the best memories from my childhood were spent with my family dancing and goofing off with MJ playing the background.
  • I got to stay up late to watch the world primere of “Black or White” and “Remember the Time” – I thought music videos as we knew them were changed forever.
  • I have watched the entire Smooth Criminal video over 100 times.
  • I spent a whole summer skating to the nearest USPS box to drop off a letter every day to MJ. I sent the letters to Neverland Ranch…I never got a response.
  • I felt special to share a birthday with MJ – August 29th (I didn’t think it was just a coincidence)

Now that he’s actually gone, it brings a very surreal feeling to me. I feel like he’s actually been dead for a long time or he’s some ancient artist that never really existed during my time – like Elvis or the Beatles. I was never waiting for him to release a new song that was going to change my life. Most of the music I loved from him was made before I was born or just a child.

The Michael Jackson that I loved was not the Michael Jackson that died last Thursday. The Michael Jackson I loved has been gone for a long time. So…I didn’t cry much (only once), I don’t watch any of the commemorative TV specials, and I don’t care if people make crude jokes about MJ. His music will still have a place in my heart the same way it has my whole life.

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Baby Class and Birthing Videos

8 Jun

On Saturday, Mark and I attended the much dreaded Childbirth class at our hospital to prepare ourselves for the coming of our baby girl.

As horrific as the videos were, we actually left the 8-hour class feeling really good and much more prepared for what awaits us. 

There are so many important moments and events in our life that don’t come with an instructional class which makes me think - childbirth must be the most important event of them all. 

We will observe many weddings, funerals, graduations, and anniversaries…but this special event of childbirth requires a miracle to make it happen.

6 weeks and counting…

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A New Life

4 Jun

As my due date quickly approaches (JULY 24), I am realizing that my life will never be the same. It is a new life in every sense of the phrase – a new life in my baby girl, a new life for me, a new life for Mark.

Besides the most obvious of having a baby this summer, here’s what’s also changing and brewing:

  • We are leaving our beloved church family at ORCC to following God’s calling to help start a church plant – Life Song Worship Center. Kick off day is Sept. 13th.
  • Mark will be leaving his job that he loves in order for us to plant this church. Appliance repair anyone?
  • I have started to fervently pursue my Wedding Hair and Makeup business. I’m booked almost every weekend through the end of September (except for 6 weeks where I’ll be home with baby June.) Check out my humble beginnings: Wedding Hair and Makeup
  • Every room in our house has been reorganized and flooded with baby stuff. June already has more belongings than Mark and I combined. It’s like we are living in a new house.

That’s really all for now. We desperately need your prayers. The things listed above are requiring a huge amount of sacrifice, tears, and commitment from us. We won’t give up, we won’t back down, we won’t relent.

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me if only I can finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me…the task of testifying to the gospel of  God’s grace. -Acts 20:24 (I have this verse tattooed on my wrist…it has never meant more to me than right now).

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