Today... made the 1st day that I finally noticed that all of this hard work that I have been doing with exercising and eating right is finally starting to pay off.  Woke up, had a cup of coffee, enjoyed some quite time with God, took a shower, and then it happened...

I put on the jeans.  You know the ones.  The ones that sit on the very bottom of the rack in hopes that one day you will be able to squeeze yourself back into them (aka. skinny jeans).  Ok... so truth be said they weren't my skinny jeans, but they were the jeans that I when I put them on fresh out of the dryer that I would have to do a few squats to make them look more appealing...  I will work on the skinny jeans later. 

So...  New Year's Resolution #1... no more doing knee bends in order to get my jeans to fit... check!

Finally, my goals, my long awaited effort to make a change... a change that will stick, has become a reality.  Why now?  Why after so many attempts to making myself healthy is it just now sinking in?

Because...  We are made for more.  The words that have stuck in my mind over and over again...  We have a Physical and Spiritual RESPONSIBILITY to take care of the body that God has so graciously given to us.  We belong to Him... it's time to take care of the all to common, most often neglected blessing that we all have... our body!

So have you made this commitment time after time all to see yourself "give in" to the pressures of food and "too busy to workout" mood?  Or maybe you have never started?  Either way... TODAY is your day.  Go for a walk, eat an apple and most importantly truly identify the beautiful body, soul and creation that God  has given you!

For you self-improver's that need a good read to help you get started...

• The Bible
• Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst
• Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
• Disease Proof your Child by Dr. Joel Fuhrman  (WOW... changing my life as a parent!)

I have registered for 2 upcoming 5K races.  I am so excited and nervous at the same time.  My friend, Tori, who has been my key motivator through it all has been so awesome!  My hubby too... for he has ran with me and watched the girls without a single complaint.  As for the food... well that has been a challenge.  I hate fruit.  I absolutely hate it.  I can do the veggie/ salad thing, but fruit... yuck.  Every morning my husband has made me breakfast.  Sounds perfect doesn't it?  Wrong... it consist of a cup of yogurt and a banana.  The first few days I acted like a child, turning up my nose and trying to convince my hubby why I shouldn't, couldn't and wouldn't eat the fruit.  But after a few days of being forced... I woke up this morning and actually enjoyed my banana.  So this is going to be work...but this time I will not give in.  This time I am doing it with a whole new motivation in mind.

THRIVE MARRIAGE CONFERENCE at LCC...  Wade and I went to our very 1st marriage conference, thanks to my in-laws, for our Valentine's weekend.  I will be honest, I wasn't to sure of the idea when Wade first approached me about it...  "Well what's wrong with our marriage?" immediately popped up in my head and it was like all of my defense mechanisms were going off by the dozen!  But, then it dawned on me...  we tend to everything else in our life, we make efforts to learn and grow in other areas, so why wouldn't I want to learn more about how to make our marriage Thrive?

I would highly recommend that if you have never given your marriage (good or bad) a little TLC with a weekend away and some of the most valuable marriage advice possible (His Word)... then you should really give it a try!  Here is what WE learned...

1. God created us for pleasure... a marriage should be pleasurable!
2. The more we work together as couple to get closer to God, the closer we become as Husband and Wife.
3. When you truly depend on God for everything, your marriage will thrive--- you should not fall apart when a trial comes your way!
4. Rid yourself of what the world thinks marriage and sex should look like.
5. It is never about "right" or "wrong" in is about RESTORATION.
6. Attack Problems, Not People...  wholesome words to your spouse is not only biblical, but it encourages, builds up and gives grace to those that hear it.
7. Act, Don't React... Use the same compassion that Christ exemplifies to handle problems, not our flesh.
8. We do all of this not to create a good marriage, we do it because it is who God has called us to be!

Hi!  I woke up this morning with all the same excitement that I had from yesterday (which you can read about here), but with clearer thoughts and was actually able to process all that has happened over the last week. 

Last Friday, while visiting Wilmington for a marriage conference (which I will post later, promise), Wade and I had a series of events happen that we would have never imagined...  Just as I spoke about in past posts, our God is so creative and sometimes waiting, although extremely difficult, can be some of our greatest moments/ lessons in life's journey.  And yes... it is a journey, that has turns, flips and sometimes sudden halts that leave us wondering what God's plan is.  But that's just it... HE HAS A PLAN!  And it is absolutely, positively PERFECT.  We do not see the whole picture, but He does.  So why is it so hard to completely hand it over to HIM and relax?  Maybe so we will seek Him more?  These are all questions that I had while we were in "waiting."  But then SUDDENLY, things changed for our family.

Over the course of 1 week, we attended a marriage conference, 3 phone calls, 2 interviews and 3 LONG days of waiting to find out yesterday that Wade has a JOB!  He has spent the last year and a half, countless hours, sending resumes, making phone calls, having successful interviews to see the doors closed and even endured a Fire Department Agility Test in efforts to make a complete career change to have little to no success.  That is why this is such a miracle...  This job was practically laid in Wade's lap.  No effort.  He did not pursue this job, nor did he even know there was an opening!  It was as if God said, "Here you go my son, here is the perfect job for you.  Why?  Because I love you..." 

So, Wade will be working for a Home Builder in Wilmington, NC starting Feb. 28th.  There are so many details that we have to work out like the selling or renting of our home, finishing out my new job till May, a place to live in Wilmington and of course the move.  The excitement of the job, is literally taking up all of our thoughts right now and I know that all of these other details are just minor.  God is not going to take us on this adventure without finishing the details.  HE HAS GOT THIS.  As for the move, leaving my family and friends... that hasn't quite set in yet.  I know it will closer to time, but as for now I just ask for prayer in this.  I also ask that you will pray for Wade and I, as we will be spending a good part of our time apart.  We haven't been apart for more than 5 days in the last 8 years.  So pray. 

I also wanted to thank you for following our job search journey.  For all the thoughts, prayers and encouragement that I have received from so many of you.  I am so thankful for all of you.  The journey is not over... it has only begun!

NOW... back to my jumping around, can't believe this, all we can talk about, thank you Jesus, can't stop smiling kind of day!

What a weekend!!  I have so many things to post about from all that has happened this weekend, but instead of bogging you down with paragraph after paragraph, I am going to hit the BIGGEST, MOST EXCITING highlight of the weekend!  (I will be sure to blog about Thrive Marriage Conference and EJ's precious Valentine Dance later!) 
So... I am sitting at my father-in-laws computer RIGHT now.  Mind going crazy, because of what is taking place right now as we speak.  But before we can go there, let me take you back to last August.  I know, right, that's a long time ago.  But it was then that we were visiting Wade's parents, when God spoke to us.  To make it short, God spoke to us that we were moving to the beach, a life long desire that we have both shared throughout our entire relationship. This desire that was spoken to us, ended with jobs falling through and so on, so that still small voice was soon faded into the current circumstances, which soon turned into just settling for the next best job that would come our way...

6 months later, this weekend.  Wade and I came to a marriage conference that Wades parents graciously paid for at LCC here in Wilmington.  It was there that this desire to live at the beach surfaced so profoundly that it was the MAIN topic of every conversation for here on out.  As we were sitting in a restaurant, a waiter came to talk to us.  This quick conversation led us to emails being sent, phone calls being made and to Wade's 1st interview with Bill Clark Homes.  It was there that the manager, spoke about family, construction and the Lord.  yes... the LORD.  The interview was left with the proposal to follow up with the "lead man" the following day (today), which soon fell through because his wife came down with the flu. 

Today, on our way home, packed and ready to go, discussing all the miraculous events that took place this weekend, about 30 minutes out... the phone rang!  The interview was back on, so we made a BIG FAT U-turn and headed back to Wilmington... so RIGHT NOW he is on his way back to his 2nd interview.  Which leads me back to the conversation that Wade and I had before he left...  Wade told me that the only home run he ever hit in baseball was that of a curve ball...  which got us thinking.  Life is going to throw us curve balls... but God can still make them successful.  All you have to do is swing!

Now, back to praying...

You are probably going to think that this is a post about my kids...nope!  It's about me.  Last week, which you can read about here, wasn't the best week.  It's not that anything REALLY bad happened...just one of those weeks.  This week much better...

This morning, if you read my facebook status, you know that my husband was making up his own "moves" to P90X.  I laughed hysterically at this. Here are some of my teachable moments from today...

1.  Today, I was up at 5am, had a cup (more than once) of coffee, read my Bible and was about to start getting ready for work, when I heard the agitation in the huffing and puffing coming from Mr. Wade Nagy.  When I asked what was wrong, he simply stated, "I cannot find my DVD for the day, it's missing."  After only 2-3 minutes of searching (which I am sure felt like forever to him) he was up and doing a workout... well sort of.  Instead of throwing a major fit of how he could never find anything in this house, stampeding off and completely opting out of doing P90X altogether, like most people would have done (me!), he decided to look at the Record Sheet and make up what he thought would be the exercises on the video.  WOW... imprevising.  Making the most out of his situation.  Not letting his problem deter him away from his goal.  You get the point.

2.  My favorite thing about my new job (one of them) is my drive...  I leave around 7am.  The sun is rising above the mountains that seem to peak as soon as you cross the Catawba County line...  Seeing those blue ridge mountains and listening to K-Love.  No other noise.  Just a chance to clear my head.  You can learn a lot by just sitting and listening... and driving of course!

3.  My Bible this morn...  Since Jan. 1st I have been following the Reading Plan that is in my Bible, in efforts to try and read the whole Bible.  I didn't set a timeline like most people do, nor did I choose to publicly share this, because too often I have set this goal and failed.  So... this morning it was laid on my heart to share with you.  Share with you my goal of reading the Bible from cover to cover and share Scriptures that I read and give you my thoughts.  I am not sure if this will turn into a weekly thing or not, but I do want your opinions...


So far, I have read Genesis 1-42.  Today, I read, Gen. 40-42 and it really spoke to me.  I have heard and read these stories before, but I guess at different times in our lives we need to hear different things.  At this point in our life when we spend most days waiting... waiting for a job, waiting for our house to sell, waiting for our kids health to improve, etc. just WAITING for God to move us, I found that these verses were for me.

Joseph assisted the Cupbearer in a time of need with the promise that he would in turn remember him when he spoke to Pharaoh.  The Cupbearer promised.  He promised he would remember, but as soon as things got better, as soon as he was returned to his position as Cupbearer, he had forgotten his promise.  Joesph had to WAIT.  He may have been forgotten by man, but God never left him.  He continued to bless him in prison.  Perhaps Joseph needed some time to grow, some time to become closer to God?  Whatever the reason, soon Joseph was remembered.  Because of his faithfulness to God, his willingness to help others and his ability to WAIT, he soon went from a place of want to a place of abundance.  He was blessed beyond measure. 

As Wade and I tackle this time in our lives, it is important for me to LEARN while I am waiting.  I need to remember what God has shown me through all of this, so that when things turn to "better" that I don't forget all of these monumental moments.  Sometimes when things get "good" we forget about the ones that are hurting... the ones that we should show compassion and love towards!  Although I want to get out of this "place" of want and need, to a place of abundance, I don't ever want to forget how it feels to truly NEED God!  So many times we call upon Him in need, but never when things are going good.  Let's praise Him while we are being blessed and while we are WAITING to be blessed.  We will always need Him...

It's Super Bowl Sunday and I am soooo glad today is here.  Not only is it the excused day of the year to be at home and eat good ole tailgating food, but for me... it is a start to a new week!  Last week... well it was long to say the least.

Our girls have been sick and if you have children, you know what kind of stress this can add to your week.  We are thankful for medicine and that they are slowly recovering, but we are considering other means to help them stay healthy...one being their diet.  I am a firm believer that God has given us a body that was made to fight sickness and even though I know He gives us medicine as well, I believe that He wants us to take note of everything we do to our bodies...including food!  So with that said, we are checking into what we can do for a more natural approach to healing (after today of course)... comments/ advice welcome!

I am on week 3 of my new job, which I love and I am so thankful that God has opened this door of opportunity to provide us with more income.  However, leaving my babies at home was more difficult than I expected.  I am only leaving them for about 4 hours a day/ 3 days a week, but it's tough!  I can't believe I am saying this, but I actually miss waking them up, changing their diapers, feeding them breakfast and managing to take just a few sips of my coffee , while having my house destroyed all before the clock turns 9am... 

So this week, I would like to give kudos to the working moms out there...  Your job is hard and you sacrifice so much for your family.  Let's just face it... whether you are a working mom or a stay at home mom... you WORK hard and your role as a mother is so vital.  You are raising the future and hopefully you are instilling Christian values.  As a former teacher, I have too often heard the stories that make you cringe coming from the experiences that some children have to face.  This week, a story of a boy that sleeps on a couch.  Not because he wants too, but because he has no bed, no bedroom and no room for his brothers and sisters.  I have heard stories similar and even far worse, but after being in my "own world" for a while, I was once again reminded of what other children face on the daily basis.  What was brought to my attention the most was that fact that he didn't mind.  He was just grateful that he had the couch, while his siblings had the floor.  So for this reason, I am okay with leaving my children's diapers for the next few weeks.  Even if the only influence I can have on these kids is to say that "I care" with a smile, then I feel like I have done my job.  SO thank you to all that serve children everyday.  You are God sent!

Then there is our job search...

If you have been keeping up with our job status, then you know about the Samaritan's Purse Construction job in Liberia, Africa. This week we found out that even though he was a strong, potential candidate for the position, he was not the one chosen.  Wade and I have been praying that God would appoint Wade to ONE opportunity...so this is an answered prayer, but I have to say it was a little disheartening.  I loved the idea of truly making a difference and God using our family in such a dramatic way... but I have to remind myself that because he knows best, that this must mean we are not ready.  I know that we can make a difference here and that His plan is perfect...so I am trusting for the right job to open up.  Please join me in prayer this week, that something is revealed to us.  Whether it is the Fire Department, Home Builder or even a new opportunity that he has yet to interview for. 

I am grateful that God has given us a desire for missionary work... and I hope that one day we will be able to travel to another country and tell others about Christ.  I know that this will not be the end of our desire to go to Africa...

Yesterday, if you had asked me what kind of week I have had, I would have probably responded with "terrible."  But as I sit here and write down my thoughts and things that happened this week... it's not so bad at all.  I can look at each of these moments and see God at work in all of them.  He renews us through our "falls" and He makes all things NEW!  If we just take the time to reflect on our situation or problem, we can always find GOD.  He is always there.  To hold our hand through the valley and lift us up to the mountain.  The mountain where all things are new and made FRESH...  So here is to a SUPER Sunday, where all things are new, all things are fresh and new opportunities are just over the horizon. 

Enjoy the Super Bowl... go Packers!


When things get tough... COUNT your blessings.  These pics are just two of my many blessings!