zumba with me and jason hatmaker

Hey, friends! I need a "lighter" post. Sometimes we need to escape the daily struggles that come with life and enjoy some good laughter. So, take a deep breath. Whew! I feel better already!

To help you out, why not try the above video? [Warning: Girls, you may want to forbid your man from watching this! haha!] This was a Zumba certification class led by Gina Grant. She is amazing! (If I could only get her whistle down!)

There is no one as good as her, other than Jason Hatmaker. He can make moves like you have never seen. No, not really. He is a wanna-be. He shows up week after week in his hot pink cargo's with tassels on them ready to swing his hips and swish his hair...well, minus the hair swishing...he really doesn't have any hair. And, yet, each week they turn him away at the door. So, he stands outside the door with tears in his eyes watching from the window. Actually, we have had to hire security to keep an eye on him. He kinda scares us all. (Alright. In fairness, that is just a funny payback to my good buddy Jason. But it is true he doesn't have much hair! haha!).

The point of this post is just to give you a chuckle. Lighten up. Relax. Smile. Exercise. Dance! It is a great stress reliever. Just do it!

What makes YOU laugh?

New Year

Kid Rock? Really?? I am not a Kid Rock fan by any means. However, I do love this song. I especially love the scenery (if only I could take him out of the scenes...blech!).

My reaction when I hear this song is to want to jump in my vehicle, turn up the volume and just drive. Specifically, to a very warm place. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to escape the daily grind of life and really be free?

We are standing on the threshold of a brand new year. A chance to start fresh. Let go of things that shackle us and be free. That is what I intend to do this year. Last year, life was tough. It still is at this season in my life. Maybe it is like that for you as well. But one thing we can do is begin afresh. Consequences and situations may not change, but our outlook certainly can! Life is so short. We just cannot afford time to be spent in misery! We were made to live in freedom!

It would be nice to think that we were born free. The truth is, we were not born free. We were born to sin. The sweetness to the story, though, is that we don't have to be bound to a life of slavery. We can truly be free. If we put our faith in Christ, we will have the ultimate freedom! We were not "born free" but we were born to "be free".

2010 is done. It is over. Nothing can be undone. 2011 is a new opportunity to begin again.

So, Happy New Year. Be thankful it is new and plan on it being happy! Love you all!!

guest blogger and her skinny jeans

To the left is my guest blogger and my best friend...and partner in crime...Cathy King. She sent me this email and I couldn't resist sharing it with you. Enjoy!

Hi,

I wanted to share with you an experience I had the other day. One of my children, and I won't mention any names, had the bright idea that Mama would look sooo cute in a pair of Skinny Jeans. Mind you, these are the things I swore I would never go near when they first came out, not with those stove pipe legs. But, she continued, "if you wore your boots over the top of them, it would look really cute." I thought, well...maybe, I will give it a try.

Let me tell ya, any article of clothing that you have to go up about 5 sizes just to get it over your feet, be warned. My next clue that I should beware; after I got the first pair peeled off, I went to the Women's dept., to try to see if they had any in Women's sizes. Not a pair was to be found! This should have told me something then, but no...I go back to the Junior's dept. and think, ok... I will give it one more try and got a pair even larger!

From now on, anything that I have to work just to get it over my feet and have broke out in a sweat before I get them on and then have to peel them off my calves...and they are turned completely wrong side out when I do get them off...you can KEEP!!!

I told my children, after the third try, Do NOT use my name and Skinny Jeans in the same sentence ever again!! They simply are NOT made for "this" body! Now, feel free to pass this warning on to any of your friends, it might save them a lot of work and sweat!

Happy & Blessed in my Curvy Jeans,
Cathy

**Thanks, Cathy, for a great laugh today! And, honey, if you can't pull of skinny jeans...none of us need to even try! I love ya!

Christmas thoughts

Ahhh....Christmas is here. Like many of you, I have wonderful thoughts about this time of year. I dream up fuzzy and warm images such as a white Christmas (which we have!), sledding with laughter, sleigh rides with wool blankets, twinkling Christmas trees, toasty fireplaces, garland mantels, gifts adorned with big bows, festive parties, dainty foods, crystal bowls filled with punch, pianos playing favorite carols... I could dream of many more while I sit and listen to my all time favorite Christmas song, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".

And, like many of you, I have other wonderful images this time of year. I think of lovely manger scenes, sweet baby Jesus figurines, ornate angels, children dressed in robes as shepherds, Christmas services with hymns, prayers, candlelight services, reading of the Christmas story, family gatherings, cakes made in honor of Jesus' birthday. I could certainly continue. Those are all wonderful, every bit. However, most of us want to stop there. It's nice. Sweet. Familiar. Happy. Lovely.

The images and thoughts we tend to ignore are what made Christmas necessary: bitterness, anger, slander, gossip, hatred, lies, deceit, adultery, murder, jealousy, theft, rape... Disturbing, isn't it? We want to do right, but we find ourselves not doing what we know we should. We live in a sinful, fallen world. We were a ruined humanity with no hope. BUT, a baby was born for a purpose. The purpose was to save us from an unbearable penalty- death in our sin. We desperately needed a Savior. A Redeemer. One who could be so perfect that He could rescue us. And that He did.

The images musn't stop there. We have to follow that sweet baby as He grows up into a man. He finishes what he started. He died on a cross because he was a sinless man and only He could be the perfect substitution for you and I. He made us right with God.

If we were to even stop there it would be such a waste. The amazing thing is that He proved to be who He said He was by being resurrected! He offers us a pardon and peace with a Good, Loving, Heavenly Father! Now that is one awesome beginning and end!