Movie Monday - Soul Surfer

Soul Surfer

A teenage surfer girl summons the courage to go back into the ocean after losing an arm in a shark attack.

This movie was amazing! I have to say I cried almost the whole time! The story is so amazing, and what makes it better is that it is a true story. I am a sucker for good true stories, as often as possible ;)

The journey that Bethany goes though really hits home with me and becoming a new christen. And finding my path and realizing there is a bigger picture and only God can see the whole frame. Obviously I didn’t have my arm bitten of the message this movie give is amazing.

I give this movie a strong 5 out of 5 Stars! I also got my sister to watch it, it is a family film and can be enjoyed by anyone.

Don’t forget to smile!

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God is Love

       As a new Christian I have had to be more creative in learning to give myself to the lord, giving him my problems so he can bare my stresses and make me free.

“Don’t worry about anything” Phil 4:6

Everyone keeps telling me to give it to the lord. But I don’t know how to do that.

So being the crafter that I am I have created a box. So I can write down my troubles, worries or prayers and give them to him, by putting them in the box. 

 I think that it will help me to feel more connected to him and to lift all this worry away. I always feel awkward because if someone is here then I feel that it might be weird or even my honey; I know he doesn’t want to hear it. So this will fix that problem too!

Did anyone else have trouble praying when they first started? I am still finding it awkward to be talking to the wall…

Don’t forget to smile!

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With tears in my eyes...

I want to thank everyone for their lovely comments, they were amazing!  I was crying practically the whole time. The love that went in to the comments and the love that reached out and hugged me is so over whelming, ohh here come the tears again. What a big family I have now. I am sure I will be taking up some of you on your offers for help and guidance. I am also going to have fun looking for all the music you sent me!! My iPod will be full in no time♥  I am so happy to know that there are others that use music like me.

One of my favorite comments about music: I'd recommend anything by Francesca Battistelli or Mandisa. Both have awesome, praise-worthy sing-a-long at the top of your lungs songs. –Jen

I can totally relate to this one, because I have Francesca’s album on my iPod and I so do that.

On another high note, I am feeling my life change right before my eyes. It’s wonderful when you finally step back and realize that God has a plan for you. You start looking at each day different and get excited about what you will read/learn next. Work has been awesome, my stress level has gone way down, and I am just loving life.

Also I am officially signed up for bible study! My first one is this Monday night! I am so exited everything is coming together.

I got a new hair cut tonight, I needed a change to go with all the other changes in my life and I cut it very short!! But it turned out so good I am in love with it.

I took this picture in the fall and i thought it would be perfect for todays post! I wanted to add this picture just because I feel like a new born in my faith and I am growing and thriving with the help of the people around me. So Thank you again everyone!

Don’t forget to smile!

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I finally did it!

I finally put my hand out and you know what happened…I was grabbed and embraced. I finally took the plunge that I have needed for some time now, I went to church.

This may sound silly to some people but I have recently, with some help from blogger friends, have decided to accept Christ into my heart. I didn’t grow up with anything remotely close to religion in my life, so when I told my hubby that I wanted to take this step he was set back a little. But he has been very supportive and understanding with the whole thing. However being new at all this I got side tracked and lost focus a few times, and he has always been the one to ask me if I have read my passage that day. What a hero I have.

Needless to say I have been putting of going to church for some time, only for the fact that I don’t want to go by myself. I had not stepped foot in a church since I used to go to youth group when I was still in high school.

So one day I go and pick up my honey from work, he turns to me and this is the convo we had…

Him: “So this Sunday you have a date with Zach’s mom?” {Zach is my honeys best friend}

Me: “Oh really”

Him: “You’re going to church! I was talking to her today and told her that you had been wanting to go to church and had been too scared to go by yourself. So she told me, to tell you that you have a date.”

Isn’t he the sweetest!

So on Sunday I went to church and it was the most amazing service EVER! I almost cried the whole time.

SIDE NOTE: I don’t know much about the bible, I know the basic. Adam & eve…and well that pretty much sums it up. I have watched movies, but let’s just say my knowledge is nil.

So after we were done singing {always been my favourite part} the guest speaker comes up and starts talking. And reading John 9, a man is born blind. I love how he explained it all and I could have cried.

“I was blind and now I see”

“Why this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes”

“I came into this world, that those who do not see may see”

And the way he described this part Ohh here comes the tears!

It was amazing and life changing. Since I have been going I have been reading my bible every night and listening to more Christian music just because I love singing. It is the way I communicate with him, some of its even educational :)

So thanks to wonderful friends here and in the blogging community I love so much, I have been able to be embraced with more love then I could have imagined, and I just love it.

I do you have any music that you like to listen to? I only know two right now that I am listening to. Tell me your favorites so I can try them out! I have a playlist on my ipod called Lovin my GOD, and I would love to fill it up. Let me know in the comments I would love to know!!!

Don’t forget to smile!

These are the lovely ladies that have helped me with every step that I have taken. Check out their blogs I know you will love them as much as I do♥

 

ALSO....My Church also videos their sermons, here is the video if you want to watch it♥

January 29th 2012 - Special Guests:Teen Challenge, with Rev. Steve Paulson from Moose Jaw Church of God on Vimeo.

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What we have been up to...

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope everyone is enjoying themselves. I know I am. I have had the great honour of joining my family in BC for this wonderful season and I am just beside myself with joy. I have gotten everything a girl could want for Christmas and New years.

I got to be here with my sisters, up at 6am as usual on Christmas morning and trying to waste time so mom and dad can sleep for another hour. I got to be here when Skylar cut the Christmas turkey that my dad spent all day baking. I got to be here and share pizza and a beer with my dad to bring in the New Year. I got to watch the countdown with my family and get huge hugs from my sisters thanking me that I am here.

The days have started to mend together now and I never want it to end. We have been here since December 18^th and we have to be back on January 8^th. I know it is greedy of me to ask for more time but I love my family and if I didn’t have to leave you can bet that I wouldn’t. We haven’t done much but just being with them, even if it’s watching a movie or just talking, I am thankful for every minute.

So far we have gone swimming 3 times! Ohh how I have missed swimming! I learnt how to make homemade cinnamon buns and homemade Mac and cheese. I also tried to learn to skateboard but that didn’t work out to well and I really hurt my knee and ankle.

And to bring in the New Year, I swung on a swing. January 1^st 2012, in a light hoodie, jeans and running shoes, with no snow on the ground at all, I swung. It was amazing.

So here are some pictures, and I will give you more updates in a few days!

Don’t forget to smile!

84. hugs from your parents

85. kiss on the for head from your mom

86. the smell of homemade bread

87. waking up beside the one you love

88. saying good morning to your sisters and giving them a hug

89. Talking to my dad on the phone and saying see you soon and knowing you will

90.  GPS

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New!

New – adjective

different, inexperienced, strange, unfamiliar, unique, unknown

Many new things have happened to me the last few days. It has been a week of learning and experiencing and just plain growing.

Find this necklace here



New toy! The Gypsy for my cricut machine and I am trying to learn how to use it. I have been trying to figure it out for a day or so now and getting the updates and stuff but I just haven’t had time to play with it yet.

New days! I have started going back to the gym and man does it feel good. Zumba today and loving it more than ever! I had stopped for while; I was so focused on getting my license that’s all I was doing in my spare time and the gym kind of feel behind. But I am going back to 3 times a week again, and it feels nice. Well my legs would not agree with this statement however but I know my brain does ;)

New meaning! To date night, the other night was date night with me and my loving boyfriend. And everything was going according to plan. I mad supper and cleaned the house. We finished eating supper, Cashew Chicken, and were watching a movie. Half was though the movie the power goes out! So now its 8:30 and there is no power. We could hear the sirens from our apartment and decided to go and check it out. So we hopped in the car, and just a few blocks down there were fire fighters and SASK Power. So we decided to keep driving around, even though it was pouring out. I got some cool pictures.

New makeup and hair products! (was in serious need of restocking) I was in need of new colours to mix it up a bit. I got this one colour it reminds me of a mermaids tail, kind of shinny greeny blue, sooo nice! I also got some new mascara because I needed it bad.

New scratches on my car L Skylar was out last night and got into an accident (He is ok) 3 thousand dollars in damage. But we have to wait and see what the adjuster has to say and go from there. I’ll keep you posted.

New painting! For my craft room. I bought it at a store that I had never been into before and I was walking by and I saw that they were having a closing out sale. Well as soon as I spotted the 70% off sign I was already though the door. As soon as I laid eyes on this painting I knew I HAD to have it. Guess what I paid for it…you will never guess. $5.00 Needless to say I was happy to take it off there hands.

New Teachings! I have been working with another wonderful Friend of mine, Sasha over at Lemonade Makin Mama! She has been teaching me all the things I need for my journey. She has been sort of bible Study though email. And it is wonderful, she spells it out just perfectly so I understand every word.

New music! for my IPod. Francesca Battistelli and Meredith Andrews.

New Bible! From my wonderful friend Becky over at Farm Girl Paints! She sent me a wonderful care package full of fun stuff. The Daily Reading Bible, which includes date on which things to read on which days, great for a first time bible reader like myself. God’s Wisdom for your Life: 1,000 key Scriptures. As well as a lovely card.

Thats what is new in my life how about you?

Tell me whats new with you!

Don’t forget to smile!

68. gifts that mean the world

69. re-inventing date night

70. the word SALE

71. subway for supper

72. my wonderful Zumba instructor

73. the way my body feels after a work out

74. my cats ability to sleep in some of the positions he does

75. quality time

76. teck friends that get you all of the coolest gadgets

77. Noah B’s laugh

78. having a friend that could be your twin

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i'm letting go

Do you ever have those days where nothing and I mean nothing goes the way that you have planned? You just want to cry and stomp your feet like you did when you were a child. Well I have had many of those day but I have never until the other day thought to myself why…?

Why I am I acting like a child and having these thoughts… Life is not as bad as you are acting right now. Well I had one of these moments the other day, while I was crying over something that seemed so wrong.

On Thursday I went to take my driver test to get my license and was unable to. I was told some wrong information and found it out to late. She proceeded to tell me that I needed another class before I can take my test. Well that doesn’t seem so bad but I practiced all the night before for the test, so I was just very frustrated. My eyes began to swell up with water and I could hardly talk for fear of crying. My driving instructor was there and stud up for me, however to no avail and I still have to take the class.

                Then a glimmer of hope….She told me that there was one this Saturday and that there was still room if I wanted to join. What good news, however when we reached the car my eyes could no longer hold back the tears as I thought about work. I had to work this Saturday and there was no way I could get it off because my boss already had it booked off and the next class wasn’t until the end of October.

Mad about the situation I was in, I kind of shut off. I was grumpy and not a very good person to be around. I tried to hide it for work but I was told to day by my friend that I wasn’t hiding it that good. I have been working to get my license for a while now and everything keeps going wrong.

So I prayed…prayed for help. Prayed to God to enter into my life and send me the holy spirit to guide me. Help me not be this terrible person. Help me to see past this road block and see the good. I talked to my best friend that night and she calmed me down out of tears. She reminded me that God had a plan and I was not meant to take the test that day because if I was then I would have been able to take it. That maybe there is something in that class that I need to know before.

Then I received an email from my loving daddy…

A strong person knows how to keep their life in order. Even with tears in their eyes, they still manage to say "I'm ok" with a smile. Send this to a strong person. I just did. God is good. Change is coming. God saw your sadness and said hard times are over.

I sent it to a few people that I think would a appreciate it. I got a astonishing response back, from a wonderful lady that I am lucky to have in my life. She said: Thank you Tamara, this is so thoughtful of you. I don't feel strong, but I am blessed to have lots of people holding me up. Thank you for being one of the people that holds me up. I got a teary eyed reading those words and thanked God for giving me this amazing woman in my life.

Then everything started falling in to place. I got a text mesg from my driving instructor telling me that she will do special classes with me at night so I can get my license sooner! Tears again.

How could I ever think bad things about my life when I have all these wonderful people surrounding me? I was not sure about this journey that I had started to travel on until he showed me the power of love and acceptance this past week. He has a plan for me and I am ready to follow it with all my heart!

The first time I prayed it was weird and I didn’t know what to say. In youth group I would always sing to the songs so loud and that’s how I communicated with Him. So I went to the best blog ever and I checked out her playlist and fell in love with Francesca Battistelli and her amazing voice.

There is this one song that jumped right into my heart and sang to my soul. It’s called I’m letting go and it is what I am going though right now. It feels like I was lead to this song because she wrote it for me.

There is another song on her album that I have listened to about 5 times today, but ill keep you waiting and ill show it to you tomorrow! See you then.

Don’t forget to smile!

57. Finding new music

58. The friends I have in my life and the ones to come

59. unexpected thoughts of kindness

60. Multi grain creamy ranch Pringles

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Finding my TRUE Self

“From the beginnings, we keep reliving the Garden Story. Satan, he wanted more. More power, more glory. We eat. And, in an instant, we are blind. No longer do we see God as one we can trust. No longer do we perceive him as wholly good. No longer do we observe all of the remaining paradise. We eat. And, in an instant, we see. Everywhere we look, we see a world of lack, a universe of loss, a cosmos of scarcity and injustice. We are hungry. We eat. We are filled…and emptied.”
Quote from:
One Thousand Gifts
by Ann Voskamp

I started reading One Thousand Gifts today; because I wanted to fill this empty hole I have in my heart. Because I wanted someone to tell me that my life is not just to be here and die. That one day after many days here I would live in the light of something more then I could ever imagine. I thought that I would just wake up one day and know the glory of the Lord and feel His love in return. That I would be able to see his love in everything that I do and everything that I am. I want to feel this love more than my human body can stand and yet I am I not ready? I am I not ready to hear what He has to say and do the things that He asks. For every time I try I have stumbled and failed.

As I read chapter one I am starting to realize who I am, through this book, thought her eyes. I have grown up as a No God person and I didn’t even know it. Nor do I want to be one. I have seen all the things that He has not done and focused on that; for I knew nothing better. I have taken death, sorrow and lose right to the heart and I have made that hole in my heart. I am the one that dug deep and removed Him with my own hands, and didn’t even know. Is it so easy to do, for a child I supposes, it is. Growing up not knowing any different; never being told the whole truth. There other day I got a fortune cookie that said “A half-truth is a whole lie” and I didn’t know what it meant. But I believe that everything happens for a reason.

I am meant to go on this journey, I am meant to find the light but not until I am ready. I started reading chapter one and half way though I got such a headache I stopped. It ached because all I have known; all I have lived she so plainly put on paper and showed to the world and yet I am scared to tell my friends because what will they think. What will that say if I believe; what will they say if I don’t, I have spent my whole life thinking about what other people will think not what is going to make me happy. Even know I am a culprit of my own demise, doing my makeup to impress my boss or what should I wear so that people will notice me. I don’t want to be a fly on the wall that no one sees and I don’t want to be something I am not either.

So where is the line? The line between what I need to do and what I should do. The first step to finding out, is the first step I will have to make in my journey. It has become a journey to not only find God but to find my true self along the way. I want to know more about the garden; I need to know more about the snake. I have been living with my eyes closed. I want to know more; about everything.

And thanks to my wonderful new friend Sasha it has become possible (more on that to come)

Don’t forget to smile!

You can find ChapterOne online here

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New Painting

Today has been a day full of surprises for me! First I got to sleep in, then I checked my blog and had a beautiful comment that brought me to tears, and then I got inspired to finish a painting that I have been working on for over two months.

Surprises are good, I love them.

Recently I have come to the conclusion that I am ready to let the lord in to my heart and I have been struggling at where to start. There are so many questions I have and so many things I want to learn. I was reading the book of Romans the other day online (because I don’t own a bible yet) and I was having trouble understanding it. So I opened it up again today with the audio and read along. And for some reason it all made sense, I think that I was not really ready to read it the other day and that I was meant to read it today. Because I got to Romans 5 and got the eager to paint, so I closed everything on my computer and pulled out my paint. While I was painting the wording on I realized that what I wanted to write would not fit, so I got angry and pushed everything to the side and opened my computer. I read this post from a blog I am new to and have completely fallen in love with, Lemonade Makin Mama. And it was like she was talking to me, starring at me and giving me this advice herself. I have been focusing on all the things that are wrong in my life right now and not focusing on the little things that mean the most. I have been shaking my cup and only bad things have been coming out. As I sit here in my craft room and look around at all the beautiful things I have and how lucky I am to have this space all to myself. It makes me feel selfish for even thinking bad things about my life. I have a loving boy friend that gives me everything I need and more, a loving family that I don’t call as much as I should and still loves me. I finished my painting and it couldn’t have turned out better! I am very pleased with the way it turned out, so thank you for your advice.

I have been living with my eyes closed. I have recently read about this book called One Thousand Gifts and I can’t wait to read it! I have put it on my wish list on the Chapter’s website and I am hoping to be able to get it soon. I believe that when He thinks I am ready to read it I will receive it. But until then I am continuing my list, with Becky, and look forward to reading it one day.

Don’t forget to smile!



16.Finding new friends

17.Random thoughts of kindness that means a lot

18.Unexpected gifts

19.Clean blankets

20.The smell of your house when you finish baking cookies

21.Friends that text me every day, just to say hi

22.Finishing a long overdue painting

23.Finding inspiration from unexpected places

24.Organized shelves in my craft room

25.Being able to be wrapped with love when my honey hugs me

26.Country music

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Save me from this road I'm on

It's so easy to get lost inside
a problem that seems so big at the time
it's like a river that’s so wide
it swallows you whole
While you sit around thinking about what you can't change
and worrying about all the wrong things
time's flying by
moving so fast

Empty; I have this vast feeling of emptiness in my soul recently. It’s like a part of me is missing, and I need to find it. I have read this book that tells you everything that you think will come to you. Think bad and bad will come; the universe doesn’t know that it’s bad; it sends you anything you are thinking. For example: I hope the car doesn’t break down, all the universe hears is: I hope the car breaks down.

You need to send out as well as think good things and good things will follow. But it’s so hard to think good thoughts when bad things are happing. It’s so hard to keep your chin up when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I haven’t painted anything in over a month; I have had my camera out but haven’t really used it. This emptiness is starting to consume me. Starting to get into my head and devour me alive. So how do I come back from this? How do I start to see the light at the end of the tunnel again?

I need is a divan intervention! I need to be showered with his love and be consumed by it. I want to be filled with love and a fullness I have never felt before. I read about the things unconditional love can do, I read about it all the time, but have never felt it for my own. I have tried but I don’t know how to do this. I can’t do this on my own any more.

Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on
Jesus take the wheel

I haven’t done this before so I don’t know if I am doing it right. All I can do is pray and hope that someone hears me and will help guide me though. I listened to a song yesterday when reading my favourite blog, which made me want that feeling so much. I want to be the tree that’s bends beneath the weight of His wind and mercy. I need to be saved from this road I am on, I need help more now than I have ever known…

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So Small

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Bursting my bubble

Have you ever wonder what you have been doing with your life? Like sat down and thought to yourself, “what have I been doing for the past three years?” Well I have been doing a lot of that, and came to a very sad conclusion. I have been in Saskatchewan for three years and I haven’t been anywhere. I have been to Regina a handful of times and Swift Current maybe 4 times at the most. IN THREE YEARS! But it gets worse. We were driving out to that lake the other day, because we both had the day off which is rare, and I realised we had never been. I looked at my honey and I said “We have never been to the lake, this is the first time” And that got me thinking…

How many places in moose jaw have I not seen? As we drove closer to the lake everything was different, I had never been to this part of moose jaw before. What is with that, Moose Jaw is such a small down and I haven’t even seen half of it. I am just starting to now know streets and how to get to someone’s house without Google Maps, how sad is that. Have I been so blind? Have I been that ignorant of my surroundings?

I feel like I have lost myself. I used to be so adventurous and would jump at an opportunity to do new things. Now I find myself always driving the same way home, taking the same roads. I stick to things I know and hardly try something out of my comfort zone. I have put myself in a bubble, and every day I put a new wall up and make it even smaller. I don’t look people in the eyes any more when I talk to them, or even really try to do anything with friends. However this month I am trying to change that!

We have had dinner with two friends this week and have went to the lake and just hung out with my honeys family. It really hit me that we have been so distant from everyone when Honeys Grandfather greeted us when we arrived at the cabin. “It has been so long since we have seen you, our house number is still the same you know, we haven’t moved!” Have we been so distant that even our family can feel it. I know my family deals with it, very well I might add, for they live in BC and I live here. I try to come home once a year but it hasn’t worked out in our favour as often as we have hoped. I have only been home twice and I know it hurts my mother the most but she tries to not let it show. I do love them and miss them a lot.

It’s time to burst my own bubble and start living my life, because time is flying by and I am falling further and further behind. Life is in the fast line and I am in the slow lane, the tortoise just passed me and I am losing the race. So here’s to getting my butt out the door and being a better friend to my friends.

Until Next time..

Don’t forget to smile!

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New Journey

These photo's were taken at work the day of my first day at Curves for Women

The last little while I have come to the conclusion that my weight is really affecting my life. So I decided to change that, with the help of some very important people. My Father is the main reason for me getting up enough courage to face the facts and change. He also is giving me the opportunity to go to the gym, by getting me a membership to Curves for women. Secondly, to my loving boyfriend who has supported me though thick and thin, no pun intended. He is always there for me when I want to try a new diet and it fails like very diet does. But I think at the end of the day, when all is said and done, it is me that is the driving force. It was very hard for me to face the fact that I am very over weight and I need to change my life.

Finding a gym that fit me was the hard part. I wanted to do my research make sure that I was going to like it. I am very low self esteem and I hate, absolutely hate sweating. So I found Curves for Women, and I love it. It is everything I wanted and more in a gym. There is only girls there no guys to make you nervous. The work out is already planned for you, you don’t have to worry about what machine you should be using. And the people are fantastic, they are so nice and wonderful. The first time I went I knew, I fell in love with the atmosphere and the people.

I have now been going to Curves for just over a month now and the results are in. I have lost 3 pounds and lost -3.50 inches. my BMI is down -3.39. I have gotten over my sweating problem and now I just work out and have fun.

I would like to thank everyone for there love and comments. Here is one from one of my readers:
And I know its not easy. But you can do hard things. You have to believe that. And when your ready to change your life you will. I'm sure you've heard it before 'its not a DIET its a lifestyle change But its so true. If you want to lose weight and keep it off you have to change the way your living your life. Make the changes small, this is not going to happen over night. But each small change will build on the one before. It has to be changes you can live with because if you ever go back to your old way of living the weight will come back.
Your comments matter to me, every word! So thank you for being here for me.

Hope everyone is enjoying there summer.

Bye for now.

Photo's are Copyright Sooter Studios Moose Jaw

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