The Very Hungry, and Accepting... Caterpillar

You might be thinking..."Oh yeah- I remember reading that book in Kindergarten" but I didn't know that the word accepting was in the title?" It wasn't, it isn't, and it will never be- but that is what the children's book is about-the caterpillar ACCEPTING his change. The definitions of acceptance are "the act of taking or receiving something offered/ favorable reception; approval; favor./the act of assenting or believing: acceptance of a theory./the fact or state of being accepted or acceptable." The caterpillar accepted his change, and in the end became something more beautiful than he could imagine. The caterpillar did something very important--he RECEIVED his new change. He approved of it, but most importantly he believed in the change. When we have pain/struggle/newness/and confusion in our lives we have to act as the Caterpillar- we must receive- or take hold, approve- or be okay with, and believe- or trust, that God will carry us through this incomprehensible time of metamorphosis. God doesn't hurt his children, but I believe he changes them. He wants you to be the BEST version of yourself. The best version of the caterpillar...was a butterfly. The best version of yourself might be scary- but when we receive, approve, and believe in things that we cannot comprehend, the best version of our self can shine though- letting others see our inner beauty. While reading, The Problem of Pain, by C.S. Lewis, he explores the idea that we, as God's children, have to be submissive to him "For we are only creatures: our role must be that of patient to agent, female to male, mirror to light, echo to voice. Our highest activity must be of response, not initiative. To experience God in true and not illusionary form, is therefore to experience it as our surrender to His demand, our conformity to His desire: to experience in the opposite way is, as it were, a solecism against the grammar of being." Acceptance is the hardest part of overcoming our problems. Sometimes we can "trick" ourselves into thinking that we have accepted life changes- but again until we receive, approve, and believe, cannot. We might eat our way through life, like the caterpillar, because we don't want to receive the incomprehensible, or maybe we keep seeking other things to fill us up, like the caterpillar- whatever it is we are doing is holding us back from the metamorphosis God has in store for us. In Romans 12:1 it states “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Think about this: what have you not accepted in your life- what have you had problems taking hold of, being okay with, or trusting in that hold you back from becoming the BEST version of yourself?

The "F" Word...I'm Working On It!

The "F" word- yes- I said it... the "F" word! It is hard to do-- a must for everyone.... so get ready- I have begun the journey of working on the "F" word.... “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” Lewis B. Smedes. That's right, the "F" word I am working on is....FORGIVENESS! When things happen to us, immediately we hear- Forgive, Forgive! We might pray about it; it might take us a long time to forgive, or some of us even say "I'll never forgive him/her." Maybe you are past that point on your journey. Maybe you have forgiven others in your life and you thought you were moving on. But then, you woke up today still questioning the constants in your life and you realized you were the prisoner! Those constants in your life are still getting to you because you forgot to forgive to MOST important person....YOU! We can control one person in our lives...ourselves. When we realize this- we can let go(easier said than done, right?) OK- we can BEGIN letting go ...we can even forgive ourselves for things in the past, even for our past "idea" of ourselves and our standards. When you have a picture in your mind and that picture gets ruined...for whatever reason....where do you start, how do you learn to love the new picture that you see- the one you are convinced is tainted? You start with forgiveness, acceptance, and looking for the good. We are all on a journey- and we know that as we write our plans in pencil, God is watching us, and then erases them! When we can forgive ourselves, the GOOD starts to outweigh the BAD. That tainted picture in our mind becomes a total picture we can accept. In my life, I am working on the "F" word. After years of forgiving others for my struggles, I have realized that I have been the one in jail...I was held hostage by that overlooked "F" word! So now my journey begins. Today I am free. Today, think of one thing that is positive about the NEW person you have become...start working on forgiving yourself and then start chiseling away!

Diet Coke, I have taken you out of my living will...

Yes, that's right folks- reach for your tissues...Bon Voyage Diet Coke. Let us all pause for a moment of silence ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ Why would anyone deliberately get rid of Diet Coke in their lives (other than my husband who swears that is just a form of poison)? Well, it was my sanity, however if you want to have a healthy baby, lose weight, get healthy, have more energy, or feel less bloated in your life...then get rid of that darn Diet Coke! I grew up on Diet Coke, so I have been drinking it for years! I still remember as if it were yesterday, my mother drinking a chilled can of Diet Coke for breakfast as she sat and read the paper. IT IS ALL HER FAULT! I picked up that bad habit when I was in high school- and it has been a HECK of habit to break! Let's just say for MANY years I have been trying off and on to break the Diet Coke habit. Finally, this week I have decided once and for all--I AM GOING TO STAND UP TO DIET COKE! He is NOT going to control my mornings, my lunch time, and my evening drinks with my other friend Malibu..... HE JUST ISN'T! I gave up Diet Cokes and have resorted to unsweetened teas and water. Shockingly, the THING that I thought was making my day better every morning, was actually making me feel worse...THAT'S RIGHT PEOPLE-- I said it... I have cheated on my soul mate DIET COKE and left him for my lighter partner, unsweetened tea and you know what... I am happy about it (don't hurt me!!! lol) Anyways, just updating everyone on my life change and wanted you all to know that now, I will not need a Diet Coke IV in my last days; I am taking it out of my living will! SIANARA SACCHARIN.

All Dogs go to Heaven...

Boston Terriers are crazy, wild, sensitive, funny-looking, nosy, snoring little dogs! Cody and I have had Duke for almost six years...but for some reason, he is still my baby. When he was three, we decided to get him a friend, at least we thought this would stop his breaking out of hard plastic kennels, chewing up couch cushions, and eating trash...(I guess he had separation anxiety)! So, after we got married, Cody decided it was time to get another...and that is what we did- we bought Katie girl...she was a princess (her name was princess when we bought her from this little podunk town a few miles away) she was merely eight weeks old, but still the tiniest Boston Terrier I had ever seen! She was the runt, kept inside (in a pack-n-play) and bottle fed. She was so darn cute...crooked teeth and all! She later became a mommy- by accident of course, and we loved those puppies. Two years later, at three years old, just a few months ago...she got sick. She passed away, and still to this day I miss those crooked teeth, that little tail, and her little jelly-bean shaped body curled up on the couch. She wasn't allowed on the couch, but I remember telling my husband, "But daddy...she is a baby...she can do that!" He always said- "You are going to let our kids get away with EVERYTHING!" It brings tears to my eyes when I think about how on Saturday mornings she would nest up in my hair at the top of the bed and lay on the same pillow as me- or how if I said, "Katie- attack your father...tell him who's boss, tell him you and mommy are in charge!" She would immediately bark and run him out of the room, EVERY TIME! Needless to say, it has only been a month, and we still miss her--Duke too. He has reverted to his old ways of nosy-ness, digging in the trash can, sleeping on the couch, eating through the baby gate in the laundry room...just to be free. When we had Katie, he would sleep back there all day with her- they wouldn't make any messes or break out...but now, since she is gone, he is only content laying on the couch watching the cars go by in the summer sun. I love my dogs- so does my friend's little boy- E... when he visits us, and Duke is bothering him, he always says, "No....DUTE!!!!!"--he cannot say Duke, then abruptly he says... "No Katie!" and asks, where Katie??? I tell him, she is in heaven with all the doggies.

Duke, playing with cody- his favorite color is purple

Duke, taking an afternoon nap...

Katie girl- just cozy... we miss you princess.

Chic Retreat Bedroom Makeover...

Ok, Okay- I know, but after spring break, we have state testing and I have been a busy teacher these last few weeks...plus some sad news, my boston terrier, Katie, passed. I havent felt like blogging but I did finally feel like "doing" some tranforming, distressing, and redecorating! I had the help of my sisters A Lang and K Satsky and while our husbands where out serving on an ACTS retreat and serving the country... we secretly transformed my master bedroom! I call it country-chic! ------------------------------------------ My first boston baby, Duke- insisting that he be in the photos that auntie ang took the dresser before: not that chic... first we sanded, stained (Minwax Provential 211) and primed, primer had a hint of grey so that white wouldn't bleed through: then we did two coats- in Rapture Blue by Sherwin Williams, and distressed the edges after it dried. We went over the entire dresser with a Ralph Lauren mocha colored glaze: We painted the bedroom in "Wicker Basket" by Olympic, found at Lowes. We layerd a couple of coats because of those deeply textured walls...UHHH I thought we woudld never get it coverd! A beautiful chic retreat for only 90.00! It cant get more delicious thant that! I do have drop cloth curtains to add too, I am just waiting on my curtain rods!