Blowing dust off this thing....#Empowered

Haven't posted here in a long while, but for a blog hop, I'll try it again!! :)

This week's word, #Empowered, has helped me so much! I am remembering that with God's help, nothing is impossible. I am remembering that God wants me to come to Him with EVERYTHING, even my struggle with food. And with God's help, I have been #Empowered to commit to run a 5K in October! Some people around me may have doubts, but I can do it!!


I'll confess, I've gained 20 pounds in the last year. It has really bothered me. I haven't been a Skinny Minnie for years, but I had stayed in the same size clothing pretty much since my 10 year old was born. Even through another pregnancy, I didn't gain enough weight to have to change sizes. But I've had some health problems over the past 18 months, and I suspect that one of the medications I am taking has contributed greatly to the weight gain.


I'm trying not to focus on the number, nor the clothing size, but on getting healthy and exercising more, and making better choices about what I eat. My husband has committed to doing the same as well. I started taking modified TaeKwonDo classes back in the spring and even tested for my yellow belt! I had to stop with the classes for a while when the health problems reared their ugly heads again, but I'm back at it! I am #Empowered! I can do this!! I can hopefully test for my orange belt in 3 months, train to run the 5K, and be healthier!! I am #Empowered by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the closer I get to Him, the better life will get!!

Blog Hop: Encouragement

This post started taking form this morning before I was completely awake. I had not thought much about participating in the Blog Hop, but this post fit in perfectly, so why not?

We have a friend who has in the last 6 months started attending our church and coming to our Sunday School class. We've become fast friends! She is a real treasure, and is bringing something extra to our class that is definitely needed. She recently went on a mission trip to Belize. We asked what we could send with her on the trip, and she suggested tennis balls.

Tennis balls?? On a mission trip??

Yes, we wondered the same thing! But those going on these trip each year throw the tennis balls to kids who are waiting by the side of the road. It is the only toy that many of them will have for an entire year. They play with that tennis ball until the next year when new missionaries come by with new balls.

Think about that....I mean, my sons are most definitely spoiled with too many toys. They cannot even fathom what it would be like to have only one toy. But to these children, a yellow tennis ball completes their need for a toy--for an entire year!!

So last Sunday, my sister coined a phrase related to this: She encouraged us to have a "Tennis Ball Outlook" on our lives. We need to be thankful for what we have and grateful to the Lord for our many, many blessings. We have been blessed to be born into a country of much prosperity where we have many opportunities, and even if we are born into a lower economic class, with help and work, we can bring ourselves success and betterment. We have homes, food, clothing, and even have extra to spend on such luxuries that we consider 'needs' as computers and internet access.

So are you looking at life with a "Tennis Ball Outlook?" If not, why not? What do you need to change to do so??

Three Things You Don't Know About Me

I decided earlier that I was gonna do the blog hop from my other blog, but now I wanna do it here, too! LOL Is that cheating?! So now if you go to both, you'll know 6 things you didn't know about me!

OK. Here goes.

1. My mom taught my husband in Kindergarten. We both moved away from the area, then were set up on a blind date by 2 of my friends--his aunt and cousin. We went on our first date in August, and were engaged on November 17! Hey, when you know you've got a good thing, why waste time?! We were married the following July. Here we are, 11 years and 2 kids later!!

2. My sisters and I all graduated from high schools in different states. Yes, trivial, but I'm stretching here! Since our dad was a United Methodist minister, we moved as needed. Brenda graduated in Virginia (where we all three live now), Suzy graduated in Tennessee, and I graduated in Georgia.

3. My mom and I were on a plane once with Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor! We were on our way back home from visiting my grandmother in Florida, and for some reason she rode in to Charlotte (I think!) on our little puddle jumper plane! I didn't have the nerve to go try to get her autograph, which I would have been able to get away with at 8 years old in the early 80s, and I've always wished I had.

OK, so now you know these things about me....don't you wanna leave a comment about one of them?!

Blog Hop: A favorite photo

Howdy, blog hoppers! For this week's hop, I chose to share a picture of my entire family last summer when we went on a cruise to celebrate my parents' 50th anniversary. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime! I adore my family and am so glad that we all got to be together on this trip. As my nieces and nephews get older and go to college and out on their own, I will look back at this time and remember how much fun we had!

I am very blessed in that we all live in the same town. As a United Methodist preacher's family, it is rare that the entire family settle one place. First, my oldest sister married her high school sweetheart and stayed here. Then my other sister fell in love with one of my brother-in-law's best friends, and they married and settled here as well. I joked from that point on about finding me a good Scott County boy....and I did! My husband was actually in my mom's Kindergarten class years ago! We are very blessed!

Thanks for stopping by, and hope to see ya'll again soon! Don't be a stranger!

Let's try a Blog Hop!

MckMama has started a new feature called a blog hop! Each month will have a different theme. I thought it sounded like fun, so here goes!

For those who don't know me, I'm Christi! I am the mama to Isaac, 8, and Adam, 5, and wife to Chris. I am a teacher--first grade for 12 years--and starting a new job as a Reading Specialist in the fall. I am halfway through a Master's program in Reading, which I am loving! I enjoy reading, singing, dancing, and naps when I can take 'em! I'm very proud of my boys and almost as proud of all my nieces and nephews: Kellie, 26, Ked, 18, Katie, 17, Logan, 16, Maria, 14, Wesley, 12, Keener, 12, Leigh Ann, 9, and Ian, 3. My blog is about a whole lot of nothin' much....pretty much what comes to mind! I do a weekly meme called Flashback Fridays, which you can see below this post! I have two other blogs, Blah Blah Reviews and Showered By Blessings, and contribute at Sited and Blogged as well. I'm also a moderator at My Parent Connection, my favorite message board! I hope ya'll will come back and visit more often!!