Week 2 Weigh in!!!!

WooHoo..hapy happy happy about these results!! Now, I knew from reading and hearing about other people's success stories that there had to be something to the Herbalife products but I was not expecting that once I finally got on board and started using them that I would have results like this!! 4.4 pounds gone and a total of 7.5 inches..with moderate exercise, and eating a fresh, color packed meal with plenty of protein along with 2 shakes a day..and not to forget.. 1 to 2 snacks... depending on my level of activity-hunger. Amazing!! Bathing suit season is right around the corner and where I hid behind a sheild of clothing last summer this year I will be bikini ready without a doubt!!
So today my husband will finally be home after a fairly lengthy business trip..so that means straightening the house..which I cleaned yesterday..but with 3 critters it doesn't take long for things to get a little fuzzy..my vacumn is always in high demand...plus the sun is (sort of) shining and Marli the terror cat is raising just that terror..chewing on the corners of my notebooks, playing under the throw rugs, slapping my pens off of the table..oh..and has now decided to eat a few bites of dog food..#1 because I never feed her (this is a joke..the cat eats better than some people I know) and #2 she doesn't have enough energy and needs to refuel..Max the Wonderdog has had a hairtrim and shower complete with a blow out this morning and Melissa supervised!!;D oh..forgot the topic..hubby coming home..and I should maybe go grocery shopping as my mostly fruit, veggie, and soymilk eating/drinking habits are not so his thing!! But before heading out today I want to finish my inspirational reading and journaling..as for me these 2 things are what set the mood for my day..a balance if you may.
Okay..time to get off the computer, stabilize, organize, and get on with my day..I wish all of you a wonderful, blessed start to your weekend..don't forget to share your smile!!

Ja...Es ist endlich passiert !!

 Hellooooo!! Let me tell you all about my day..I have been putting off purchasing these 2 CDs forever...and finally today thought..I am about to spend quite a bit of time..okay..a lot of time..driving around Deutschland and much to the amusement of my husband I am such a deutsche Schlager fan..needless to say I have been singing my little ol' heart out this afternoon..suprised that the dogs aren't howling!! And have had my own dance party in my livingroom..now tell me..those of you who are in Deutschland ..who can resist Atemlos durch die Nacht?? Ich nicht!! ;D As for the Revolverheld CD..now this is just good music..
But..that is not all..I have done 2 other things today that I said I would never, ever do as a deutsche Hausfrau..German housewife..I would by all means NEVER iron sheets..guess what did it this morning while making the guestroom bed up..what more you ask?? I swore that I would NEVER be that person who left her laundry hanging out in the rain after washing..for this I have a justification ..in my mind anyway..since I am now one of "those" women....It really was pretty much sunny when I left the house..I promise!!!!

 See.. I have proof that the sun was shining at some point in the day..spotted my sweet flowers coming to life out front and wanted to share them with all of you..who by the way are spread all over the place!! I was amazed to see that some of you are reading Fluffy from places like  Slovakia, Poland, Kazakhstan, Malaysia..and of course my readers from the US and Deutschland..you all give me such energy..Thank you for reading!! 
So, not only have I completed 2 nevers..I also had a perfectly charming conversation with an older man while shopping at Aldi regarding the price of carrots in Emden vs the price of carrots on the islands ..which by the way is significantly higher!! ;D
Reloaded the fridge with some fruits and veggies and since I treated myself to a lunch out..including a stop by the bakery for a pastry..and it was yummy!!..but since I had a Herbalife shake for breakfast and will have another for dinner and I am drinking my peach tea while writing I felt totally okay with doing this!!..Usually this treat would have me kicking myself for at least 3 days..but since I am getting such great nutrition no worries!! 
So have included a picture of the rain that has returned..even the birds are staying away this evening..but I have to tell you I will so take what sunshine we can get now..

 The very last pic is the result of my closet cleaning action from yesterday..good thing as I found a few cute tops today!! and some new make up,  new smell good, and...just kidding not too much and sometimes my inner girly girl comes out and must be satisfied..I am sure my husband is going to read this and think how happy he is to be on a business trip..and as for my mom..she is either noding her head or laughing or both!! ..
So..time to wind this day up..maybe add a touch more blond to urge the spring on..
I wish you all an amazing rest of your day!!

Don't forget to share your smile..and ..
Be the change you want to see in the world!!

This morning was rough....

 Hello all!! Max decided that yesterday he wanted to learn a bit also..so here he is..sitting in my lap like the spoiled baby that he is!! Today the temps are low, the wind is blowing, and the skies are for the most part grey..Made for me to be in a not so great mood this morning..as my husband is still on his business trip and I am getting a bad case of cabin fever..an not in a good way..so methods used to help you ask??..Drank a Herbalife strawberry shake with soy milk and protein powder for breakfast, took a brisk 5 km walk on the treadmill..hindsight here..was maybe not the smartest thing as now my foot is a bit on the sore side and swollen..but crap..sometimes you just need to get up and move!!, cleaned out 1 of my closets so far, watched a couple of episodes of Mike & Molly, and decided to make a grain and veggie filled lunch with enough to carry me thru the rest of the week for either lunch or dinner..Couscous with garlic, onion, eggplant, and sun dried tomato..pure Vegan and hearty enough to go hand in hand with this weather!! Oh..and I painted my nails a yummy, fresh tangerine color..come on spring..I am soooooooo ready!! 
I am happy to report that since I am once more able to climb the stairs to where my office is, that my diningroom is looking less and less like a junk room..and not only that, after spending about 4 weeks now sleeping on the fold out couch in what we call here a "Sitzecke"..which is kind of like a loft but not really..more so like a room with only 2 walls and no doors..I have wonderful remodel plans for this area..time to get busy on some projects we knew we would face when we bought the house..a while..okay..a little over 2 years ago..well ..the time has come 2015 is to be our year of progress!! So..now I am off to tackle my dressing room, a roomfull of clothes and shoes that can be a bit on the daunting side to tackle..not because it is messy..just because with a woman's clothes there is always a bit of hesitation to get rid of anything..but rule of thumb that I go by..if it doesn't make you fabulous when you wear it..or you haven't touched it ina year..out it goes..
Wishing you all a great Tuesday!! ..Oh..almost forgot..another pound down as of today!! WooHoo!! :D

Only a week away....

Good Morning to you all !! Today I woke up realizing in about a weeks time my daily existence at home will be over..I will be back in the routiene of very little time at home, a lot of time driving, and even more time spent in hotels..would like to say that I am looking forward to that happening but can't quite find it in me ...
maybe later today I will feel more positive about my life of a gypsy..which normally I really enjoy..I love a change of pace, to see new things, to meet new people, explore new places..but I think the catch is ..that when I return to this lifestyle early next week that means for months on end..I will be pretty much in the same 3 places, away from home about 97% of whatever month it may be..  away from Matthias and my beloved critters..but enough of that ..for now I am going to be thankful for the time I have here and enjoy our early morning filled with a warm fire, snuggle faced animals, a good cup of coffee and a little time to just sit before the day kicks in!!
So yesterday found me brave and energetic enough..(thanks to being on the Herbalife products for a little over a week now!!..Have I told you guys how AWESOME they are yet??) to climb the narrow staircase that leads to where my treadmill is located..put on my tennis shoes which are designated esp for this machine..and I walked..2 miles!! I cannot say the foot was screaming "Man, this feels great" but it was okay, after the first about half mile a bit of numbness took over which made it more bearable..I was hoping that I would be running sooner than later but I am now coming to see the sad, sad truth that this may take a little longer than a minute..However, progress is progress and I am happy with what I was able to do and plan on repeating this morning..
And as far as that long assignment I was working on..this is the day that I submit it to my instructor..no more writing, no more changes..just need to press send. But never fear..my table is already lined up with 2 new book and an online self study course for a week long class I will be taking in April, which sadly doesn't count towards my degree but does count towards being a well prepared nurse! For now it is time to drink another cup of coffee..maybe 2... and get to my daily readings and journaling and then it is off to the races..I wish you all a great week, and esp. a blessed Monday.

                           Success is not measured by what you do compared to what
                      others do, it is measured by what you do with the ability God gave you.
                                                                          -Zig Ziglar

Week 1 weigh in!!

Good Morning all!! Wanted to share my weigh in-measurement results for Week 1..this equals 1.73 lbs lost and the difference in my waist tells me just how much bloaty, yucky stuff I was feeding my face with before I started on these incredible products!! Some of you may be thinkng..that's it?? But let me tell you all..for someone who is not quite 4 weeks out from having foot surgery and is happy just to be able to walk around the block as of yesterday without too much pain I am happy..this is almost 2 lbs lost pretty much sitting and studying and walking around in my house doing normal stuff. I am totally ready to get back on my treadmill and log some kilometers but I know that I also don't want to mess my healing time up..so 2 weeks more of restricted activity and then....sweat central here I come!! Especially since I feel amazing and my energy level is through the roof and that combined with my type A personality this lack of activity is HARD!!!! So..time to get a healthy Vanilla with 2 scoops protein in for breakfast..then to finish this darned assignment so that I can clear off my dining room table!! 
I wish you all a wonderful, blessed Friday!

Randy Houser - "Like A Cowboy" | Live at the Grand Ole Opry | Opry

WooHoo..let's get this started!!

Good Morning to you all!! Wanted to share the view of my  dining room table and what it looks like when I am in the middle of writing a paper for my MSN program...I know..I know it is a complete and total mess and I was a bit shocked upon seeing this first thing in the morning..esp. since Max the Wonderdog decided he needed to go outside about 0500!! But a quick trip to the coffeemaker and the realization that I am actually wayyy ahead of schedule on this assignment made it okay..for today! I was able to complete this weeks assignments yesterday morning bright and early and had intended to only do 2 sections for next week but ended up completing 4!! That leaves 4 more to go..plan for today is 2 and then tomorrow 2 as I am now in the "body" of the paper and each section takes a couple to a few hours...Of course I had my Herbalife products to keep me feeling full and energized throughout the day..I must say..when I am able to finally be 100% back up and around watch out..I will be unstoppable..even after only 6, now starting on my 7th day with these amazing products not only is my energy level up, but my concentration and ability to stay focused on a project has improved..no longer do I find myself snacking on all of the crap that was such a big part of my evening just a short week ago..tomorrow is my weigh in day for week 1..looking forward!! I have daily contact with my Health Coach Ausha and she gives me hints on not only how to maximize.. what will be my hopefully not too far future as being a Health Coach for someone else but also about the products and the different ways they can be used..for example..this sooo doesn't apply to me.. but did you know for those that need to gain weight that Herbalife has a plan for that too?? I had no idea!!! Awesome!! By the way..my Protein bars arrived yesterday..tried one of the Vanilla Almond ones yesterday for my mid afternoon snack..so delicious!! I cannot wait to be able to get back on my treadmill..took the pups for a short walk yesterday..not so far but enough to get us all outdoors and some fresh air into our lungs!!
I also wanted to share this picture of our Melissa..to some she looks like an ordinary dog but to us she is amazing!! Especially for me as this is a picture of her getting prepared to sleep by me..Missy started her life on the streets of Romania where she lived for about 3 years, she was then..thank goodness rescued by an organization here in Deutschland where she lived in the Tierheim Hage..for  another almost 3 years..needless to say by the time we adopted her..about 2 years ago she was a nervous, shy, scared dog..at first she didn't trust anyone and you literally had to corner her to pet her, then slowly she warmed up to Dalton and Matthias, and now..finally..with me being homebound after surgery and Papa being on a business trip she has decided that I am actually okay too!! Of course it does not hurt matters that I am unable to climb the stairs to sleep in our room quite yet so I am sleeping on a fold out couch where she has access..we now have our evening and early morning snuggle times and it is doing both of us a world of good!!
So, my dear readers of Fluffy..time to journal, spend some time praising our awesome God, and get this glorious day started..don't forget to share your smile today!! You never know who needs one..

A view from home....

 Hi there..hope you all had a wonderful Monday!! The sun shined here and I could not help but go out and about..okay..in the yard as I am still not allowed to drive..about 2 weeks more to go!! Did manage to put a regular shoe on though and walked in it for about a whole whopping forth of a block..still pretty uncomfortable but at least the swelling is almost zero now.. I will totally take progress where I can get it!! I am so glad that I took advantage of the day yesterday because today is back to being grey and a little on the misty side..:C Was so looking forward to taking the books to the back patio..maybe tomorrow!! My Tulips are trying to push their way up along the walkways and flowerbed in the back yard..hopefully we will not get a huge freeze that will knock them out for the season..they are gorgeous when in bloom..red.

As for today..as I am stuck in the house and I tend to do when I either need to travel to a new place or just get the urge for a change I rearrange the furniture..victim of the day..the dining room!! Not a whole lot to rearrange but enough to quiet the small voice..;D

 Wanted to give you a look into my daily existance when I am home..I don't know about most of you but I was totally spoiled to large clothes dryers in the states that made the need to iron anything pretty much a non need, well here we do have a dryer, it is built into the washer..the complete cycle to run both takes oh..about 3.5 hours and then it is so small that if you have more than a couple of items in there everything comes out super..and I mean super wrinkled and most of the time not quite dry..so..we generally do not go that route but just get really happy when we can move the clothes drying rack outdoors into the sunshine..see pic below!! Some things here will always have to be ironed..cotton for instance but I get excited when I know stuff will be dry in a few hours vs overnight or longer if it is cloudy and everything has to get hung in the utility room. The rest of the pics are random..small peeks at when makes my life at home..lots of wood to heat the house for example..lots of green plants throughout the house..and of course the critters..Marli thinking .."Man, I wish my humans would let me go outside so I can terrorize the birds of the world." and Max the Wonderdog at the end of the day curled up in his favorite TV watching spot!! By the way..have been working on my Herbalife webpages.. not only for Deutschland but also for the US..more to come!!!!

Have a great Tuesday!!

The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.
                                            Psalm 29:11 

My gosh..Monday again??

Hi there!! Our day started super early as the dad type person in the household had to get an early start..as a result the critters are tired and not at all amused by my energy and picture taking this morning!! What can I say..I have some Chris Thomlin playing on the radio..can't help but sing along!! The early start is great for me as I have an assignment due today and then a 15 page paper to work on that is to be submitted next week!! 
So..you all know I have started using Herbalife products..actully waiting on another shipment that should arrive today..protein bars and a super shaker bottle!!..anyway..yesterday was the first complete day of following the eating plan that my health coach had given to me ( as..yes, on Valentine's Day I cheated and ate Chinse takeout and a small desset with my husband!!)..and to my suprise..when dinner rolled around..mind you shake for breakfast, protein snack, healthy lunch, protein snack, shake and 1 peice fruit for dinner..I had to literally force myself to finish dinner..I was full after eating so healthy and really concentrating on increasinng my not only healthy food but protein intake throughout the day..crazy right?? And by the way..I must say..had the chocolate shake for the first time last night..it was so yummo am having it again for breakfast..see pic below!! As they say..good stuff in= good stuff out!! I know..I know some of you out there are thinking..shakes..diet plan..extra protein..phooey..who needs all that?? Well, I am here to tell you..I have tried it all, not eating, vegan eating, not eating after 5 pm, cabbage soup eating..the list goes on and on..I really think this is going to work for me!! I feel awesome..and yes, I know it is just the beginning but as I am a total snacker and evening eater..if this program helps me to feel not hungry during the day and so satisfied in the evenings that I don't even want to go in search of crackers, cookies, nuts,oh and don't forget the infamous ice creamm..then I am all for it!! My coach did inform me that the scale most likely won't start moving down till around the end of the first week period so I am forcing myself to break my other bad habit of weighing everyday..stating today that is!!..other area of concentration is consuming 2 liters of water throughout the day to keep everything functioning smoothly!! Enough of the ravings for today..time to hit the books and APA Publication Manual..which is to become my new constant companion for the durattion of this Masters program!! I wish you all and amazing Monday!! Be blessed!!

     And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thine soul, and with all thine might.     -Deuteronomy 6:5

Valentines Day...and a Strawberry Shake to start the day!!

Hi there..Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!! Today is the day to decorate your own soul as well as make someone else's day a little better..we should do that everyday !! So today is my first complete day on the Herbalife plan-products..I have just finished my second shake of the day, the first was of course..as pictured above..Strawberry to honor the day and the second Vanilla..both with protein powder added!! Not only tasty but filling!! As I weighed yesterday I am waiting until tomorrow to weigh again..as my pre program start date was only 1 day before my program start date I know I will not see any changes on my measurements but maybe a smidge of a difference in my weight!! The sun is shining here and the temps are good enough to actually get outside and breath in some fresh air..we are so taking advantage of this as well as the pups..Max the Wonderdog would rather bein front of the fire but for Melissa there is almost nothing better than running around in the yard!! I would love to say that I have the day free but for any of you who have ever studied online you know the reading, writing, and preparation is never quite finished..in my opinion even though you get to study from the comfort of home vs going to a campus somewhere I think that an online program is almost more difficult..maybe because you have to be totally self motivated to really stay on top of the assignments..on another note..we had our first "married date" of the day already..we went to get our hair cut together and then went grocery shopping..and no Mom..I'm not driving..still totally dependent on my honey!! ;D For Valentine's Day we will really kick it up and order Chinese for dinner!! Thank goodness my new eating plan makes it super easy to be good during the day!! Wishing you all a great, fabulous, high energy, blessed day!!!!

Second day...and then it arrived!!

Breakfast

Lunch

My new start with Herbalife!!

Mid afternoon Snack

Dinner

How can that be?????

All I have to say is....that I am not shocked but to actually strip down, get on the scale, take measurements, and then the worst part..taking front and side view pics..was a real wake up call for me this morning. This fight with my weight has been one that I have fought since forever and my weight-body image is an issue that is always there.. with every waking moment and sometimes even when I sleep..As an adult the heaviest I have been is 175lbs and the lowest number I have seen on the scales is 124 lbs...and this was as a very unhealthy Vegan that consumed about 1 can of green beans a day..It is so easy to hide behind baggy clothes and to justify sitting on the couch when the weather is not just how we would like it to be, and to join in when everyone else is eating whatever they want to..but after a few years of this these are my results..no, sorry..will not be sharing the front and side pictures until #1 they are not quite so gross to look at and #2 I have a tan!! These will be taken every 4 weeks along the way... But, as I begin this journey in earnst and get started in the Herbalife Lifestyle I will be posting the 16 Week Results Log..so I continue to wait on my goody box full of products to be delivered but until then the meal plan gives me guidelines for alternatives until it arrives!! So..even though I am a bit disgusted with myself that I have let myself go I am ready and fully energized to start new and make 2015 my healthiest year yet!! So, now the numbers are out there, I have an entire community of people behind me for support and encouragement..as we say auf Deutsch..los geht's!! 

Waiting..

Okay..so yesterday morning I finally jumped in and made the commitment to myself to become involved with the company Herbalife..first to use the products to get myself back to a healthy weight and then to be there for others who want to do the same...Of course since I just ordered my start up kit and a variety of products they have yet to arrive so here is a visual journey of what I consumed yesterday..all except for the "healthy cookies" that were my evening snack..hate it when that happens but I guess cookies with raisons and oats are way better than the donut and curry peanuts I ate day before yesterday!! Small but good steps in the right direction..it took me about 3 years of eating like a piglet to get to where I am right now so of course I cannot expect to change the numbers on the scale or the way my clothes fit..or not..overnight. So, next blog with be with my pre program weight and measurements, still waiting for the products but my coach sent me a copy of the meal plan that I am to  follow so I can adapt starting today....my number 1 concern is due to still recovering from foot surgery is that I cannot get my cardio workouts in..but if all goes as planned I should at least be able to start back on a short distance walking plan in 2 to 3 weeks!!! Ready for that you ask?? You have no idea how ready I am!!! I miss my treadmill like nobody's business!!

So...you want to see my day...

My days involve lots of reading..lots of writing..and for now lots of sitting...and lots of being frustrated that the numbers on the scale keep creeping up..did some reading on the internet this morning re different eating plans, have contacted a friend about a company that she is involved in that offers health related products, and have been doing what I can exercise wise with no cardio involved, thought about keeping track of my steps but all that gets me is pain and a swollen foot...ugghhhh..I will be so happy to put on a pair of tennis shoes in about 3 weeks and just go for a walk outside with the pups!!!! I understand the running portion will have to be very gradually eased back into but I would give anything in this moment to be able to hop onto my treadmill and just run and sweat and try to sing while out of breath!!!! A girl can dream can't she??

I have to say that God works in so pretty amazing ways..over the past couple of weeks I have been a bit stressed about what the future holds as we all know I live a 50/50 life..and for those of you who have done this before...you know it is nothing short of a challenge, and for those of you who haven't..well, it is not something  I would recommend..it is stressful, for a short time okay..but long term, well..it just sucks. Anyway, doors are beginning to open..on both sides of the world..were I was worried about possibilities..it now seems that there are more than a couple to choose from. The winds of change are also blowing for my husband..and where the leaves in his world land will determine what decisions I make in the near future..but for now I am just super happy that God has shown me that there are choices out there..whatever culture we end up in!!..Speaking of, I read in a Facebook post last week that there are 3 things those experience success do on a regular basis and the first item on the list was "They invest in themselves"..this has been an area that I have been concentrating on the past few days, by updating a professional networking site, becoming a member of professional organizations, attending webinars, and signing up for courses that relate to my profession but are not connected to obtaining my MSN..yes, granted I seem to have in moment more time on my hands than I know what to do with but I feel strongly that all of these steps are important..if you are going to have a career, something more than a job..Not to mention taking time out to invest in your health by exercising, eating right, and for me my stress reduction comes in 2 forms..by journaling and exercising..lets just say for now I journal..a lot..as my exercise possibilities are for the time being lacking..seriously!! ;D

So..readers of Fluffy..I continue the quest to not be so..well..Fluffy..and to grow spiritually, emotionally, in knowledge, and my relationships..to have more patience, more of God's grace, and to be thankful for this crazy journey that is our life..as I write the song by Casting Crowns ..Praise You in the Storm.. is on internet radio..by chance?? maybe??..but I think not!!

 

  I wish you all an awesome, amazing, blessed day..

 

Monday Again???

Good Morning all!! So, let me tell you about my hubby..I have said time and time again that he builds cars..therefore he is not such the romantic type..but what he did yesterday knocked my socks off!! For those that know me personally you all know that I am a bit of a clean freak, okay, a lot of a clean freak. I have been known to have a dirty dish in the sink throw me into a tailspin..but that is totally besides the point. Yesterday was one of those rare winter days here where the sun was shining and as a result my eyes saw every peice of dust that was on the furniture..don't ask about the mostly white kitchen with stainless steel appliances (everything shows!!)..so that put my into a cleaning mode and instead of just letting me do my thing alone my husband starting cleaning the Rollläden, for those of you who have not been introduced to such a creature ..these are built in devices that are in front of windows or large glass doors that #1 can be raised and lowered to keep the sun out or #2 to protect the house from damage in case of high winds or storms. As we have several in the house this is no small feat...So..what this boils down to is we spent about 4 hours pre spring cleaning the house..with him telling me to get off of my foot the whole time of course..but now we are hours ahead in what could have waited until next month or the month after to be done..and man does it feel good!! House is cleaner than usual and the pesky chores that no one really likes to do..like cleaning the oven or windows both inside and out.. for example are done!! What it showed me is that even though he would have really, I am sure, much preferred to lay on the couch and catnap the day away he once more showed me that we really are a team..and to me that was amazing!! Of course all of this activity stressed the critters out, see facial expressions above!! ;D The good part of that is that all 3 slept really well last night and when that happens that means I get to sleep really well also !! 
So, have been trying to get back into some sort of workout routiene, I don't know about all of you but not being able to do any form of cardio is making me a bit crazy..but I still have several weeks of very restricted movement possibilities, we did go grocery shopping on Saturday and I must say walking longer distances using this goofy shoe and crutches is a bit of a workout within itself..plus the way several people just flat out stared made me really uncomfortable..I stay home for the duration..thanks!! But at least I have my hand weights and am able to still work on my abs, legs, and po!! Plus am working hard to cut out the snacks before going to bed..this is 1 of my bad habits that I MUST break..as Matthias always says..we are no longer 20 something..that fits into a lot of aspects of our lives..unfortunantly!! Wink Wink..like being able to stay up late, eat what we want, throw caution into the wind..you know..things like that!! 
As you all know, I am a big reader..have 3 books going at once..plus my Bible and  textbook for school..I set up my goal through Goodreads this past week..45 books in 2015..for all of you how are also book junkies out there maybe this is something you might want to look into doing also..www.goodreads.com..
I am wishing you all am amazing, blessed week...PS..for all you Max the Wonderdog fans out there..he is doing well, stiches come out this evening!!

                                                          Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:old things are passed away; behold, all things become new.    
                                                                                     2 Corinthians 5:17

Not quite sure...

Good Morning all. .I took this picture a few of days ago..the day seemed like it was going to be dark and cloudy one minute and then the next time I looked outdoors this is what I saw..It seems fitting for the questions that are going through my mind today..after seeing some not so positve posts on a social website yesterday, being fed up with the trash on television and then this morning reading that ISIS seems to have burned a person that they had captured alive I must say that I am a bit sick to my stomach...no, actually full out nauseated...in my prayer journal this morning I had to ask God WHY??..Why do we have so many problems in this world today, why instead of things geting better do they seem to just become more and more negative..maybe it is just me..through this journey I am on to develop my relationship with God, and to overcome the skeletons in my own closet maybe I am just more aware..more sensitive..that seems to have an odd way of happening when you get out of your own head and self pity state..I have to admit today I am just confused..yes, I go about my days..working towards higher education, working to succeed in both of my jobs, worrying about my kids, working to have a successful marriage that will thrive despite frequent periods of time apart, missing my family members who are so far away, working to maintain the few close friendships that I am blessed to have, taking care of a house and 3 critters who I am blessed to have..but I can't help but thinking I am missing something..something in the big picture to understand why the world is the way it is. My Uncle posted a video on yes..facebook the other day that was about the world he and his generation grew up in..and I have to tell you..it brought me to tears..the simple things, the security that people had for their kids to play outdoors,people being kind to each other on a regular basis,  no dealing with hackers and terrorists, no cyberbullying..I realize things were not perfect but they were in no way, shape, or form like the problems we face today..Just my thoughts for the day..

I wish all of you a blessed Wednesday..

                                              Psalm 46:1-2

                       God is our refuge and our strength a very present help in trouble. Therefore we shall not fear, though the earth shall change..