Night 2

Another day has gone by and I've made it through. I'm llooking forward to tomorrow being the end of my cleanse. I will begin to add food back into my meal plans on Thursday. All day I have been doing well. My headache did come back, so I just drank more juice. It eventually went away. I'm so glad to be doing this.

I did attend a BeautiControl unit meeting this evening at Graffiti's. I didn't really have an appetite, but i did want a salad. I ordered a glass of water and took two bites from my mom's salad with no dressing. Ok, so i cheated a little. It was still veggies! Like i promised I will list a recipe below. Then tomorrow I will give you another! be Blessed, Be Inspired...To be better!

Enough

This morning started out normally for me. I dragged myself out of bed and had a cup of coffee. Yes, coffee. It was actually my second cup since Wednesday including the Chai Latte I enjoyed last night while doing homework. Its not such a big deal to me anymore. And I'm glad for that. I thought i was going to become one of those coffee drinkers that take it intravenously! I have incorporated more tea into my diet. I've also decreased my intake of red meat. I don't really know why. I just have. And that's alright with me.

I realized this morning that I posted a remark on Instagram a while back that summed up the way I would like to be. It read: "Truth: I will never be skinny... my body will never be perfect. But i will push myself to every mental, physical, and spiritual limit. And that is enough."

My pre-infant body was amazing. my legs ran all the way up my back, my rear end was tight, my breast were small and perky, and my stomach was not a washboard, but it was flat as a pancake. there was also a time where I was really focused and determined- it was a very long time ago, but that time did exist. In my days of early recovery from drugs I spent alot of time at the feet of Jesus and talked to Him. I listened to Him. I found comfort in being there, and following His guidance. Somewhere along the way all of these things were minimized. Not that they weren't important, but I found distractions. I turned an ear to the sly old Devil thinking that what i wanted was important. I ate whatever I wanted to. And I slacked off in areas in which I could not afford to slack off. By the end of November 2012 I was convinced that I had totally messed up my life and more importantly my relationship with God. I found out I had 4 Chakras that were inactive, I hated my job, I failed my math class, and I just felt so oppressed.

I looked back on that Instagram post that I had created 4 months ago and noticed that today in this very moment I am pushing myself to limits I did not know I could reach. I'm not perfect. All of my "i's" are not dotted and every "t" is not crossed, but I find myself back in the realm of The Holy Trinity. I read more verses. I pick up my devotional EVERYDAY. I pray, I meditate. An exercise regimen has been adopted. A healthy eating plan has been established and I'm in the swing of getting homework done.

I like the person I'm becoming. I've experienced some mountains along the way, but the valleys are what have truly made me who I am. They have made me appreciate the view when I reach the peak. I thank God for all He's done for me, and even all that He hasn't done. I shall continue to strive. I will continue to push... and to anyone who is reading this that might be discouraged please know: Mistakes must be made in order for us to learn, but that doesn't mean we have to make them all ourselves. If you've fallen into a trap that the devil has set for you, it's not okay, and you need to get back immediately in the realm of Holiness. The best place to find comfort, peace, and everlasting joy is at the feet of Jesus. The best voice to listen to is the one of the Holy Spirit. It leads us and guides us into ALL truth.

Be inspired...to be better!

Day 4...and 3

Yesterday turned out to be an extremely long and busy day for me. I started my spring semester and met with my former supervisor to discuss my return to the business. I left last year in October because I'd had enough of the business ethics - or lack thereof- that were being practiced. Like I've mentioned before: if you pray seriously about something God will give you the answer whether you like it or not. And so I was given the strong suggestion to return to my old job after 3 months of working in the family business.

I do thank God for answered prayers. Sometimes when you think you're right, we're really wrong. It's so important for those of us who believe in God to seek his guidance each and everyday. The moment we get out if God's will we are screwed. I thought u would be fine leaving my management position behind, but I found out very quickly that I was being made in that position, and everything I went through was only making me wiser and stronger. Thank God for answered prayers...

As for my juice fast... Day 3 went fabulously. I juiced my way through and came out on top. I even drank a jug of juice before I went to Zumba and felt amazing. I'm very excited about the progress I made with the fast. I did make the decision to incorporate food back into my diet today. I'm okay with the idea. I'm. Just happy that one goal has been completed for the year. I can't say that I won't do it again. For anyone out there who is thinking of juice cleansing I would highly recommend it. I felt lighter. My energy levels went up, and my digestive tract thanks me for it. I did include one more recipe for the road. I have lots more that I may share sporadically throughout this blog! Be inspired... To be better!

Day two

This morning I woke up in a really great place. I felt peaceful. I felt calm. And my body eliminated much waste this morning! It sounds gross but I feel great! No headache today. I prayed and read today's devotion, which only confirmed the message I received at church yesterday. God speaks to all of us. He uses different methods, different people, different tones, and even different expressions of love. It's just up to us to sit still and quiet long enough to hear what The Spirit is trying to tell us.

After I read my devotional I prayed again and did some deep breathing exercises with my blue kyanite to cleanse my chakras. I do feel like I have more clarity at this moment and my spirit feels amazingly calm.

So... I'll continue on with my juice fast and continue to feed my spirit more goodness and keep you all posted! I will also posh a couple more recipes this afternoon! Be Inspired...to be better!

Night of Day One

Its bedtime now. Time to shut this party down for the night. Day one of the Juice Detox was not bad at all. I've had a couple people tell me that Day 2 is rough so I am preparing myself for the possibilities. At the close of Day 3 I hope to have increased my metabolism, even just slightly. and maybe lost a pound or two. My headache has subsided, and so has the urinating- I'm up to every 20 minutes now.

My emotions are a little raw. I've spent some time reading, praying, meditating, and journaling today. I just want a deeper connection with God through Jesus Christ. and the only way to do that is to spend some time talking and fellowshipping with Him. I thank Him for all He has been to me today.
 you all be blessed... take care of your minds, bodies, and souls!...Be Inspired...to be better!

Still day one

I've literally been in the bathroom every 10 minutes urinating! My head still hurts. Otherwise I feel pretty good. I do feel well in my spirit right now. This morning I burned some sage as I prayed through the house.

This afternoon while I was juicing I burned some sandalwood cones as I meditated on the word I received at church today. I just finished a cup of Healthy Fast herbal tea. I feel relaxed except for the fact that I have to make a bathroom run yet again!

Below I've shared a couple recipes that I used myself this afternoon. They came from a Facebook friend so enjoy and juice away!Be Inspired... To be better!

Starting line

I absolutely could not wait to post! I must tell you all first that due to my sleeping habits I finally closed my eyes around 1am. I did not wake up until 7. I did not panic. I did not rush. I calmly got out of bed and started with a glass of water that had in it a shot of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar. My taste buds were opened and I was excited to have my first glass of juice.

I've felt pretty good so far. I did experience a slight headache right before my lunch cup, but I think that was only because I waited a little longer than I should have. When I return home from spending time with my family I will do some bulk juicing for up to 24 hours ahead. I will also post a few recipes this evening for those of you who want to join me! Be Inspired... To be better!

TTYL

My Sunday mornings are a bit busy with God so I will see you all promptly between 1 and 2 o'clock to get you up to speed with my cleanse. So far so good!

Groceries

So it's almost 11:30 and I'm sitting down wide awake to post this blog. For me that means one addition thus far to the list of resolutions. I do want to create some normal sleep patterns. I've always been a night crawler, but since I've been working at night for the past 3 months my sleep account is almost bankrupt. Now that I am not employed for the month I will use this time to change my sleeping habits.

As I've promised the 3 day juice detox will commence at 5am tomorrow morning. These are the items my grocery cart contained today:
a large bunch of kale greens
1 bag of lemons
approx. 7 inches of ginger
1 whole pineapple
2 bags of carrots
1 bag of green apples
3 large grapefruit
1 bag of oranges
6 tomatoes
1 bunch of scallions
3 large cucumbers
1 bunch of spinach
1 bunch of parsley
1 gallon of self dispensed filtered water
4 individual cartons of Silk almond milk
5 12pks of Pepsi products (one was Diet Mt Dew- personal favorite.)
Cheetos
Munchies
Taco Dinner Kit

The chips and taco kit were for my kids. The sodas were also bought for the rest of the house. I must admit that the Mt Dew was definitely for me. Maybe its a reservation. I never promised to swear off soda forever. only temporarily. I do promise to go completely through the detox without them, and for as long as i can stand after that. Another issue is my coffee. Its a real crutch and I know I will miss it dearly, but I really want to do this thing right. So... no soda, no coffee, for three days. I do have a smorgasbord of herbal teas i have collected in the last couple months including Yogi's own Blueberry Slimlife and Healthy Fasting. I will take full advantage of these items as I'm juicing. with only a few hours to sleep I'm going to shut this thing down and reconnect with you all in the morning! You all stay tuned and join me on a road to improved metal, physical, and spiritual health!...Be Inspired...to be better!

On Your Mark, Get Set, Get Healthy!

Over the last couple of days I've been observing my vision board...wrapping my brain around the fact that I have goals written down that I actually want to reach. I will try to the best of my ability to achieve some things this year!

So the first order of business is to start my detox on Sunday January 6, 2013. My projected 3 day juice cleanse will commence Sunday morning when I wake up. I anticipate wrapping it up on Tuesday January 8, 2013. I'm excited about it. Not a whole lot of nervousness or self doubting this time. I plan not only to detox my body, but I will detox my mind and spirit as well. Lots of prayer and meditation will be incorporated into this process.

If you're interested in getting healthy or changing your lifestyle and eating habits, come follow me. I will inform you all each day of my experiences and share a quick recipe with you. Stay tuned and more will be revealed...Be Inspired...to be better!

Love and Happiness

Relationships really are a two way street, and couples really do have to work at it everyday to keep a relationship healthy. It's not something that just happens overnight. Its a process. A beautiful journey when the right people are in love.

I'm usually not one for relationship advice, but i must admit my discoveries...

October 2004 I had what i thought would be a one night stand with the father of my 2 children. I was at a time in my life where i was single and lovin' it! Being an exotic dancer at the time did not leave room for many serious lovers in my life so i stayed low key. And after a very traumatic breakup only 3 months before, I was so not interested in anything exclusive. One night turned into 2, which turned into four months of the best sex I'd had in a very long time. As long as he was putting out, I was getting it in.

It all came to a screeching hault when i turned up pregnant in February 2005. We were both shocked, especially me because I had been told by an OBGYN that I was infertile. The next few years turned out to be some unbelievable moments of drug addiction, co-dependecy, and an extremely toxic relationship. (Don't worry, just stay tuned!)

Like I've stated in a previous blog, it was not until 2012 that I realized I really did love this guy. He is not perfect, neither am I. Today we just work on being alright  where we are. He's a Virgo and I'm a Sagittarius, so it takes some effort for us to come to an understanding sometimes. I have a young, wild, and free spirit while he's layed back and chill. I want to jump in feet first, but he wants to take his time and check things out.

For years I thought we'd never be able to work out our differences. Last year I talked to God about alot of things, and believe me... If you sincerely ask for an answer in prayer, He will give it to you whether you like it or not. So many of my awful ways have been revealed to me. And when I realized this man had seen the ugliest side of me and never walked away, I knew he loved me for sure. Today we have an open relationship that keeps getting better. Some things we still have to work at because we have both done some serious damage to this thing we call love. We have disagreements, but we quickly resolve them. I hate it when he wears my bedroom slippers, and he still can't understand why I freshen up "1,000 times a day", but we manage. We tell each other the truth no matter if it stings a little and we try to see each other's point of view. We kiss, we talk, we laugh, and sometimes I can even get a glimpse of his pure loving heart when he puts his arm around me to hug me.

Relationships are not always easy, and you have to meet in the middle. It doesn't matter what your signs are or even what you've been through...Its about the love you both share and the places you wanna go... Be inspired...To be better!

Perception

So here are my goals for 2013: Join a gym
 lose AT LEAST 30 pounds
 3 day juice detox
minivacation with my significant other
deepen my relationship with God
Buy a camera- and use it!
continue to develop this blog
laugh more
read at least 12 books
practice yoga and gain more flexibility
write more
talk less
more quality time with my children
connect with so many more strong, beautiful, creative women
I am so blessed to have made it to see this year. There have been many instances where I never should have made it out alive, but I did. God help me to reaffirm my love for you and your son Jesus so that I may see clearly what my purpose is in you...


I put some pieces together on my vision board today and I must say that it was uplifting to find a little inspiration on the carpet with my children. My 7-year-old pasted pictures on his board that reflected my own creative mind at his age. A deeper level of thinking, but still so plain and simple. He had a clipping of a shiny silver ball that had sharp points coming out of it. To me it was a pointy ball, but to him it was the sun. Another picture illustrated a girl at the kitchen counter smiling up at her mom. To me it was mother-child bonding. To him it was just a really nice kitchen. I marinated in the thought of how my own perception can be a little tilted at times. We both saw the same picture, but two totally different feelings had been manifested in that moment. I praised him for his creative simplicity.

My list of goals may continue, there will be additions I'm sure. My ultimate goal is to expand my creative expression, remember that there is no one way to look at any situation, and somethings just simply are what they are no matter how you look at it!

Inner Parts

                                 I almost decided not to post tonight just because its a very quiet day for me. My cup has been running over for hours and I have finally come down from my cloud. I went to my place of worship this morning -Church. I must say that because it's where i saw the spirit of God move so swiftly through the santuary. I needed every bit of it all. The word was confirmation for me. I must continue to purge all negativity and be renewed.

                                2012 was an interesting year for me. i received countless promotions at work. I became an award winning employee at the state level. I threw my entire self into my job only to be disappointed by the ugly truth that: the higher you climb the ladder the bigger the demons get. I lost my balance of work and home life. In addition I returned to school to continue my business degree. I quit my job to work in a family business- worst mistake of the WHOLE year. I quit smoking cigarettes. I used my juicer 5 more times! I was reminded, on many ocassions, how blessed I am. I sat still long enough to figure out that I didn't hate my children's father I actaually loved him more than ever and want to spend the rest of my life with him. I also identified some demons that must be banished. Me and God have our hands full right now.
                                  I NEVER make resolutions, but I must say that I will love myself enough in 2013 to commit to positive change and growth. I look forward to more happiness, more freedom, more yoga, more juice, more peace, more time with my family- and with God! I anticipate even more pain that can ONLY make me stronger. I look forward to learning how to live better, love more, how to listen more, and smell the flowers like i did when i was just a girl. I look forward to the Moon Goddess that will emerge from within my soul. I look forward to more rain, more sunshine, and yes more glitter because yes even WE- me and you, Wendy- can still SPARKLE!....Be Inspired....To be better!


Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me...
                                    -Psalm 51:10