So it has been a couple weeks and I am doing great! I am even losing more weight and that is always good! I'm not going to lie I went a little nutz the first day and pretty much ate any carbohydrate that was put in front of me, but in moderation of course : D It is really amazing how your view on food changes after you decide that it isn't the "end all be all" of life. You decide that you don't have to shove your face full of all the little things that you want because you have the rest of your life to enjoy them, whats the rush?
I will be giving you a sneak peak into what myself and any others that will be joining the 12 week Body for Life challenge that we will be starting on January 10th, 2011. This is a plan I chose because I want to continue my progress and as long as I'm losing weight I might as well look good doing so.
This whole thing is not about losing weight anymore or even about feeling my best, it's about inspiring myself and in return that has inspired others to do the same thing or anything that they have desired to do. There is nothing better then knowing that you are fulfilling your destiny, that the pieces are finally fitting together and you learn new things about yourself everyday, which you never thought would be possible because how can you know so little about the very person you are, but it is all too easy to slip into a "comfortable coma" never reaching your full potential, never following your dreams or becoming who you were destined to be. BUT what if, what if we just stopped, stopped everything we were doing and for one moment we took the time to seek God, seek ourselves, seek our desires and then made a decision to change, change everything we thought we were and were unhappy with and do it all different, and it all starts with a thought, just a simple thought followed by an action and a great deal of determination.
This is why I have decided to start the 12 weeks Body for Life so that I could take the thought I first had, to lose weight, and make it into something greater, something more and something that would push my self and make myself a better me. It is so easy to just go, go, go and before we know it we have spent our whole life going when we should have been DOING. I have made up my mind to DO something and this is only the being my friends and it can be the beginning for you as well. So please if any of you want to join me in my challenge then please don't hesitate to message me or send a comment my way and I will help you any way that I can.
I know that there is a reason why people say "You can do anything YOU put YOUR MIND to." It is a saying that has been holding true in my life for the last couple months and I suspect it will be a life long virtue of mine, because I truly believe, NO I KNOW, that it if you can gain control of your MIND then you can do anything and everything and will achieve all things that you CHOOSE to do.
I hope you will all join me on my next journey, I will be posting regularly to keep you updated and also motivated. I know that we can all achieve "the impossible", because the only reason that something is "impossible" is because you made up your mind that it was, now it is up to you to make up your mind that it is not. I hope you all have a lovely Holiday and please join me in the New Year with reaching your dreams! I bid you all a farewell till......very soon :D
Warm Regards,
Candace
Fruit and Granola Parfait
Strawberries, Bluberries, diced
Honey Granola
Lite, Nonfat, Vanilla Yogurt (I use Dannon)
combine and enjoy: D this one is so yummy it is my new desert!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
The End of the Beginning.....
Well, well, well.......I AM FINISHED! Yes it is now almost midnight and that means I have just about completed my forty days! This has been a challenging and rewarding journey and I cannot tell you how much I have learned about myself.
I honestly cannot believe that I made it till the end, when I first started the end seemed so far insight that there is no possible way I could have finished it, but I am very happy to say that I did! twenty pounds down and still going! Just because I have finished this leg of my journey does not mean that I will not be continuing the bettering of myself, because I will and I must!
After the New Year I and a few others will be starting 12 weeks of the Body for Life program, Now that I have lost the weight I am going to continue to keep my body in the best shape of my life. There is no reason to not try to better yourself constantly.
Tonight is very bitter-sweet, it is hard to explain but let me try.... it is sweet because I have accomplished what I set out to do and I have started to mold myself into the person I have always wanted to become, on the other hand it is very bitter, bitter because it is a sad thing to think that what I set out to accomplish is over, I did it, which is great and feels so good, but this has become a part of my life over the past forty days, it has become my accountability, the way that I have expressed myself, the way that I have grown, my thoughts, my struggles, my insights over the past forty days and to say goodbye to this chapter in my life is sad because it has truly meant so much.
But I must open a new chapter in my life and I have a lot of unfinished dreams, not-yet-reached desires and awaiting goals to achieve. Now achieving this I honestly feel like I can do anything, like my possibilities are my aspirations. I will still be blogging, just not everyday, and I will be writing about my continued journey and also my 12 week Body for Life goal I have chosen to accomplish.
I am so thankful for all of you readers that have allowed me to take you on this journey with me. I have learned so many things about myself and what things you can accomplish if you just put your mind to it. God teaches us things when we take the initiative to start something, if you are on a downward slope and not sure what to do to get out of your situation or how to change things, JUST DO SOMETHING! Even if it turns out to be the wrong something at least you took the first steps and if it isn't right you will find out sure enough, but can I give you one more word of advice..go in the direction of your passions, your desires, your goals, your dreams all the things you wanted to do and were created to do are just waiting for you all you have to do it reach for them.
Some of the most successful people in this world are not successful because they did what made them the most money or what people in their life told them they "should" be doing or who they "should" be, No, they are successful because they followed their passions, they took the desires of their hearts and made them a reality. It was not easy, it was not always fun, in fact 90% of the time it will be going through Hell, but if I have learned anything in these past forty days, it is you have to go through Hell and bring the enemy to his knees so you can tell him this, "There is no way I am letting you have control over my destiny and if you think I am afraid to take the risk of following my dreams, you are right, but I am still going to do it!"
I hope you all have learned things in your own life by reading this, but if you have learned anything I hope that it is you can accomplish ANYTHING you put your mind to all you have to do is do it. There is nothing to great, no one circumstance that you cannot overcome, you just have to decide who you want to be...do you want to be the person you can barely look at in the mirror or do you want to be the the person you knew you always were. I will choose to be the person that God made me to be, not the person the enemy tells me I am. I am truly going to miss this road I've gone down, but it is time for me to say goodbye and please stay tuned for my next blogs for the next journey in my life and yours, it has truly been a pleasure. I will bid you all a farewell till the next time!
Warm Regards,
Candace
Sun-dried tomato Roll-ups
Sun-dried tomato tortillas
Cream cheese
dash of garlic powder, dill, sea salt and pepper
Deli Turkey, shredded
Mix cream cheese and spices and spread overtop of the tortillas, scatter turkey on top of tortillas, roll the tortillas and then cut into 1 inch rolls, enjoy : D
I honestly cannot believe that I made it till the end, when I first started the end seemed so far insight that there is no possible way I could have finished it, but I am very happy to say that I did! twenty pounds down and still going! Just because I have finished this leg of my journey does not mean that I will not be continuing the bettering of myself, because I will and I must!
After the New Year I and a few others will be starting 12 weeks of the Body for Life program, Now that I have lost the weight I am going to continue to keep my body in the best shape of my life. There is no reason to not try to better yourself constantly.
Tonight is very bitter-sweet, it is hard to explain but let me try.... it is sweet because I have accomplished what I set out to do and I have started to mold myself into the person I have always wanted to become, on the other hand it is very bitter, bitter because it is a sad thing to think that what I set out to accomplish is over, I did it, which is great and feels so good, but this has become a part of my life over the past forty days, it has become my accountability, the way that I have expressed myself, the way that I have grown, my thoughts, my struggles, my insights over the past forty days and to say goodbye to this chapter in my life is sad because it has truly meant so much.
But I must open a new chapter in my life and I have a lot of unfinished dreams, not-yet-reached desires and awaiting goals to achieve. Now achieving this I honestly feel like I can do anything, like my possibilities are my aspirations. I will still be blogging, just not everyday, and I will be writing about my continued journey and also my 12 week Body for Life goal I have chosen to accomplish.
I am so thankful for all of you readers that have allowed me to take you on this journey with me. I have learned so many things about myself and what things you can accomplish if you just put your mind to it. God teaches us things when we take the initiative to start something, if you are on a downward slope and not sure what to do to get out of your situation or how to change things, JUST DO SOMETHING! Even if it turns out to be the wrong something at least you took the first steps and if it isn't right you will find out sure enough, but can I give you one more word of advice..go in the direction of your passions, your desires, your goals, your dreams all the things you wanted to do and were created to do are just waiting for you all you have to do it reach for them.
Some of the most successful people in this world are not successful because they did what made them the most money or what people in their life told them they "should" be doing or who they "should" be, No, they are successful because they followed their passions, they took the desires of their hearts and made them a reality. It was not easy, it was not always fun, in fact 90% of the time it will be going through Hell, but if I have learned anything in these past forty days, it is you have to go through Hell and bring the enemy to his knees so you can tell him this, "There is no way I am letting you have control over my destiny and if you think I am afraid to take the risk of following my dreams, you are right, but I am still going to do it!"
I hope you all have learned things in your own life by reading this, but if you have learned anything I hope that it is you can accomplish ANYTHING you put your mind to all you have to do is do it. There is nothing to great, no one circumstance that you cannot overcome, you just have to decide who you want to be...do you want to be the person you can barely look at in the mirror or do you want to be the the person you knew you always were. I will choose to be the person that God made me to be, not the person the enemy tells me I am. I am truly going to miss this road I've gone down, but it is time for me to say goodbye and please stay tuned for my next blogs for the next journey in my life and yours, it has truly been a pleasure. I will bid you all a farewell till the next time!
Warm Regards,
Candace
Sun-dried tomato Roll-ups
Sun-dried tomato tortillas
Cream cheese
dash of garlic powder, dill, sea salt and pepper
Deli Turkey, shredded
Mix cream cheese and spices and spread overtop of the tortillas, scatter turkey on top of tortillas, roll the tortillas and then cut into 1 inch rolls, enjoy : D
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Promises....
Oh boy, what a day what a day. Things do have a weird way of working themselves out. Today I expected one thing to happen and then the exact opposite occurred, but isn't that what I seem to have been saying these past few weeks? Yep I believe even my post last night was titled "The Unexpected" and then whatta ya know, the very next day the unexpected happened.
It was not the thing I wanted to happen, and surly not the thing I thought was going to happen, but it did and I know that somewhere down the road, in the next couple days, the next week, or is may even be the next year, I will know why it didn't "work out" how I planned it, and I also know that the reason that it didn't will be better then why I thought it should have.
God has a funny way of showing up, He's never on time, but He's always right on time. Like when you think there is no possible way you can endure another second in your current situation and you know that any minute now God is just going to do something miraculous, but what happens when the minute turns into a decade or even twenty years? How long are you willing to hold onto that promise, you know the promise from God that he gave you some odd years ago and you still have yet to see it come to pass. Don't worry you will, the jews had to wait forty years for their promise land and maybe if they would have just listened the first time then it might not have taken them so long, but it did, partly because that may have been the way God wanted it, but partly because they let their unbelief seep in every time they became discouraged or disappointed.
If you let disappointment control you, you will be spending your lifetime waiting for missed promises that will never come to pass because you haven't learned the lesson behind them yet. I cannot reiterate this enough people, please, please, please, make sure every time your going through a rough patch of life, STOP, THINK, PRAY and then REACT. There is nothing harder than feeling like something was "suppose" to happen, and even thought with out a shadow of a doubt that it would....and then.....it doesn't, there is a slight form of panic that sweeps over you at first, then there is an anger and a frustration, and lastly(and this should really be firstly) you seek God for reasons why and come up with a whole list of questions to ask Him, and once you do all that, after the initial shock of the situation wears off, you began to forget about all the reasons why you wanted this thing to come to pass and ask the Lord what HE wants to come to pass.
It is that simple, we must seek first and then we will receive and answer, and it isn't always the answer we want to hear, but trust Him it's the best one. I hope you all find the answers your seeking tonight and really get all the desires of your hearts fulfilled. I bid you all a farewell and goodnight till tomorrow!
Warm Regards,
Candace
Top Steak Pot Roast
Get a large piece of top steak sirloin
1 cup of Chicken Broth
Steak seasonings, Garlic Powder, Sea Salt, Pepper
Put in Pot Roast on Low till tender, Enjoy : D
It was not the thing I wanted to happen, and surly not the thing I thought was going to happen, but it did and I know that somewhere down the road, in the next couple days, the next week, or is may even be the next year, I will know why it didn't "work out" how I planned it, and I also know that the reason that it didn't will be better then why I thought it should have.
God has a funny way of showing up, He's never on time, but He's always right on time. Like when you think there is no possible way you can endure another second in your current situation and you know that any minute now God is just going to do something miraculous, but what happens when the minute turns into a decade or even twenty years? How long are you willing to hold onto that promise, you know the promise from God that he gave you some odd years ago and you still have yet to see it come to pass. Don't worry you will, the jews had to wait forty years for their promise land and maybe if they would have just listened the first time then it might not have taken them so long, but it did, partly because that may have been the way God wanted it, but partly because they let their unbelief seep in every time they became discouraged or disappointed.
If you let disappointment control you, you will be spending your lifetime waiting for missed promises that will never come to pass because you haven't learned the lesson behind them yet. I cannot reiterate this enough people, please, please, please, make sure every time your going through a rough patch of life, STOP, THINK, PRAY and then REACT. There is nothing harder than feeling like something was "suppose" to happen, and even thought with out a shadow of a doubt that it would....and then.....it doesn't, there is a slight form of panic that sweeps over you at first, then there is an anger and a frustration, and lastly(and this should really be firstly) you seek God for reasons why and come up with a whole list of questions to ask Him, and once you do all that, after the initial shock of the situation wears off, you began to forget about all the reasons why you wanted this thing to come to pass and ask the Lord what HE wants to come to pass.
It is that simple, we must seek first and then we will receive and answer, and it isn't always the answer we want to hear, but trust Him it's the best one. I hope you all find the answers your seeking tonight and really get all the desires of your hearts fulfilled. I bid you all a farewell and goodnight till tomorrow!
Warm Regards,
Candace
Top Steak Pot Roast
Get a large piece of top steak sirloin
1 cup of Chicken Broth
Steak seasonings, Garlic Powder, Sea Salt, Pepper
Put in Pot Roast on Low till tender, Enjoy : D
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The unexpected...
Sometimes there are things that happen that are out of our control. When these things occur it is very important how we react to them, because the very way we react to them is the very thing that we may be being tested on.
If you let your anger or your frustration lead to disappointment, overwhelm you and overcome you then that is something that can turn what may have been an opportunity into a curse. No we can' t always control what happens but once it does we sure as heck better know how to handle it. I feel like God prepares us for the devastating moments he allows to happen to us, he does it in a subtle way so that if we are really listening then once something unexpected does take place we will be equipped to deal with it. It does not mean that going through some of these little life unexpectancies will be any easier but we might find a little more peace and joy and comfort while we are going through them.
Yes if we really listen then we may be able to recognize the things that we are going through a little better. How is it that we can be totally oblivious to the things God has for us? It's like we walk through this life completely blind and deaf an expect God to magically change our situation, but how can he possibly do that when we would not grow, we would not learn anything, it would not do us any good to just be given something without learning the lesson behind it. It is like that old saying "Give a man a fish he eats for a day, teach a man how to fish he eats everyday". You must learn while you are in that position before He will do anything.
I hope you can learn from all your unexpected moments in life, and always remember when something does happen you were not planning on, stop, think, pray, then react. I will bid you all a farewell till tomorrow!
Warm Regards,
Candace
Cinnamon Roll Protein Shake
8 ounces of milk or water
1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder
1 tsp. Of cinnamon
1 tbsp. Of butter
A few ice cubes
Blend all ingredients in a blender and top with a dash of cinnamon, enjoy :)
If you let your anger or your frustration lead to disappointment, overwhelm you and overcome you then that is something that can turn what may have been an opportunity into a curse. No we can' t always control what happens but once it does we sure as heck better know how to handle it. I feel like God prepares us for the devastating moments he allows to happen to us, he does it in a subtle way so that if we are really listening then once something unexpected does take place we will be equipped to deal with it. It does not mean that going through some of these little life unexpectancies will be any easier but we might find a little more peace and joy and comfort while we are going through them.
Yes if we really listen then we may be able to recognize the things that we are going through a little better. How is it that we can be totally oblivious to the things God has for us? It's like we walk through this life completely blind and deaf an expect God to magically change our situation, but how can he possibly do that when we would not grow, we would not learn anything, it would not do us any good to just be given something without learning the lesson behind it. It is like that old saying "Give a man a fish he eats for a day, teach a man how to fish he eats everyday". You must learn while you are in that position before He will do anything.
I hope you can learn from all your unexpected moments in life, and always remember when something does happen you were not planning on, stop, think, pray, then react. I will bid you all a farewell till tomorrow!
Warm Regards,
Candace
Cinnamon Roll Protein Shake
8 ounces of milk or water
1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder
1 tsp. Of cinnamon
1 tbsp. Of butter
A few ice cubes
Blend all ingredients in a blender and top with a dash of cinnamon, enjoy :)
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
If you have nothing nice to say.......
Did you ever wonder what would happen if you only saw the positive in people instead of the negative? Think about it, what a happier place this world would be, instead of focusing on their annoying qualities, the way they chew a piece of steak, it's like a masticated cow died in their mouth, or the way they talk so horribly about their spouse, or they always say negative things about them selves so you would be sure to compliment them. Nope, what if we saw only the good, the way they have a way with words, or how they are always there when you need them, or the way they seem to give you good advice and make you feel at ease, or what about that time they loaned you 20 bucks when you didn't have enough cash, all those things are good things and all those things are little things that mean so much at the time. So why is it we are so quick to forget about those things, it's like a week goes by and all the sudden we are back to seeing all the negative in that person again instead of the love we felt for them not seven days before.
Now what if we took all those positive things that hold true and encouraged them every time you saw these traits come out in them. It's like when you compliment your friend's outfit and tell them how fabulous they look in it and how thin it makes them look, guess what outfit they will be wearing all the time now? Yep the one that made them feel the best, that they feel the most confident in, that they received the most compliments in. Because you see we are all human and we all want to feel that great way we felt when we got those compliments. It is the same thing when we notice the great qualities a person holds instead of the negative ones.
A wise man once told me that it is very important that you do not label someone, for example if your son is extremely rowdy and rebellious and has a sharp tongue and so did your uncle growing up as a child, so you compare your son to that uncle " Oh yeah, that Billy is just like Uncle Rob, rebellious as ever" And right there you have just labeled your son and you are pulling your hair out, pacing back and forth praying that God will make him just obey you for one minute! But why should he, and how would he know how too, this whole time you have been telling him exactly who he is, and the more you spoke those words over him the more he became them.
You see it all is in the words you speak, they have weight, they are powerful! The Lord SPOKE the Universe into existence, did you here that....HE SPOKE....ahh yes your words are very powerful. They can make or break your current situation, they can make or break the people in your life. Just think how wonderful people would be, how many people might get to being who they were actually suppose to be if someone just spoke those positive words over them, telling them everyday who they are and that they can achieve all their dreams and their desires.
What if our goal in life was helping people become who they were meant to be, wouldn't that be a great accomplishment on it's own. The lesson for tonight is to speak kindly about others, speak with love, and if you want something speak it into existence and you just might get it. I bid you all a farewell till tomorrow of course!
Warm Regards,
Candace
Taco Fajita Salad
Grilled Chicken Breast, diced
Avocado, diced
Grilled Onions, Green Peppers, diced
Pico Di Gyo
Vinaigrette
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Mix all ingredients and enjoy :D
Now what if we took all those positive things that hold true and encouraged them every time you saw these traits come out in them. It's like when you compliment your friend's outfit and tell them how fabulous they look in it and how thin it makes them look, guess what outfit they will be wearing all the time now? Yep the one that made them feel the best, that they feel the most confident in, that they received the most compliments in. Because you see we are all human and we all want to feel that great way we felt when we got those compliments. It is the same thing when we notice the great qualities a person holds instead of the negative ones.
A wise man once told me that it is very important that you do not label someone, for example if your son is extremely rowdy and rebellious and has a sharp tongue and so did your uncle growing up as a child, so you compare your son to that uncle " Oh yeah, that Billy is just like Uncle Rob, rebellious as ever" And right there you have just labeled your son and you are pulling your hair out, pacing back and forth praying that God will make him just obey you for one minute! But why should he, and how would he know how too, this whole time you have been telling him exactly who he is, and the more you spoke those words over him the more he became them.
You see it all is in the words you speak, they have weight, they are powerful! The Lord SPOKE the Universe into existence, did you here that....HE SPOKE....ahh yes your words are very powerful. They can make or break your current situation, they can make or break the people in your life. Just think how wonderful people would be, how many people might get to being who they were actually suppose to be if someone just spoke those positive words over them, telling them everyday who they are and that they can achieve all their dreams and their desires.
What if our goal in life was helping people become who they were meant to be, wouldn't that be a great accomplishment on it's own. The lesson for tonight is to speak kindly about others, speak with love, and if you want something speak it into existence and you just might get it. I bid you all a farewell till tomorrow of course!
Warm Regards,
Candace
Taco Fajita Salad
Grilled Chicken Breast, diced
Avocado, diced
Grilled Onions, Green Peppers, diced
Pico Di Gyo
Vinaigrette
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Mix all ingredients and enjoy :D
Monday, December 6, 2010
Seasons....
It is crazy to think that all we have standing in our way is our unwillingness to change. How do we do this? We end up wasting so much of our life obsessing and double guessing every step we make and we sit day after day, hour after hour at our boring desk or the job we can't wait to get out of or the house we can't wait to upgrade or the body we can't wait to change, we some how think that if we just barely get through this period of time in our life then we might have enough strength to make it to the next stage. Why can't we see that there is something more that we need to learn in this specific season, that it's more than just to teach us or grow us to a certain point, which by the way you aren't growing if you sit there complaining and wanting so bad to be somewhere else or doing something else that you can't even realize why God has you in that season in the first place.
I am here to tell you my faithful friends that the Lord is not a keeper of time so he's got as long as you do plus eternity and until you learn why you are in that situation and who your suppose to help or what your suppose to be learning then He will keep you there as long as it takes. SO you might as well get through it quick and do it right the first time. "Rejoice in your suffering, suffering produces perseverance, perseverance - character and character hope" (Romans 5:8) This verse is conveniently hung in my bathroom where I can see it everyday and it continues to remind me what my attitude needs to be, and if all I have at the end of the day is hope, then that should be efficent enough.
If you wake up dreading the day that you have to go to work or don't have a work to go to then you are already starting off with the wrong mindset and you need to make the decision to change your heart and with the changing of your heart comes the changing of your life. If I have gotten any point across in the last 36 days I hope it is that in order to make a real change in your life you have to make a decision to do so.
Sometimes we don't realize that the only thing holding us back is ourselves, can you believe that! WE are holding ourselves back from achieving our dreams, our goals, the desires of our hearts, we spend most of the week asking God why and to magically set his gaze upon us and change everything bad and horrible in our lives in the blink of an eye, but I have learned, because He has taught me, that WE must be the ones to act, we must be the ones to set the ball in motion, we can't just wait and hope for the best, No we must fight! We must take initiative! We must learn that just because things aren't happening the way we "planned" does not mean that nothing will happen at all. We must continue to strive for it, to yearn for it, to want something so bad that you are willing to fail to get it.
Because that is what it's going to take, you are going to fail, you will stumble, you will get discouraged, you will want to give up, you will want to slip into the "comfortable coma" of settling, BUT YOU CANNOT AND YOU MUST NOT! The road is not easy, but if it was there is no way that it would be as satisfying once you accomplished it. I hope you all want the desires of your hearts bad enough to achieve them, even if all you have at the end of the day is a picture on your bathroom wall to remind you never to give up, that you will always have HOPE.
Good tidings to you and I bid you all a farewell till tomorrow of course!
Warm Regards,
Candace
BBQ Chicken
Chicken breasts, baked
1/4 cup low sugar ketchup
2 TBSP worchteshire sauce
Sea Salt
Pepper
2 TBSP of Chicken Broth
1 TbSP of Cider Vinegar
1 TBSP of Splenda (or sugar sub.)
2 Slices of Bacon or Turkey Bacon, Chopped
Heat all ingredients except for chicken in a sauce pan on medium till mixed together and warm, put sauce on cooked chicken and enjoy :D
I am here to tell you my faithful friends that the Lord is not a keeper of time so he's got as long as you do plus eternity and until you learn why you are in that situation and who your suppose to help or what your suppose to be learning then He will keep you there as long as it takes. SO you might as well get through it quick and do it right the first time. "Rejoice in your suffering, suffering produces perseverance, perseverance - character and character hope" (Romans 5:8) This verse is conveniently hung in my bathroom where I can see it everyday and it continues to remind me what my attitude needs to be, and if all I have at the end of the day is hope, then that should be efficent enough.
If you wake up dreading the day that you have to go to work or don't have a work to go to then you are already starting off with the wrong mindset and you need to make the decision to change your heart and with the changing of your heart comes the changing of your life. If I have gotten any point across in the last 36 days I hope it is that in order to make a real change in your life you have to make a decision to do so.
Sometimes we don't realize that the only thing holding us back is ourselves, can you believe that! WE are holding ourselves back from achieving our dreams, our goals, the desires of our hearts, we spend most of the week asking God why and to magically set his gaze upon us and change everything bad and horrible in our lives in the blink of an eye, but I have learned, because He has taught me, that WE must be the ones to act, we must be the ones to set the ball in motion, we can't just wait and hope for the best, No we must fight! We must take initiative! We must learn that just because things aren't happening the way we "planned" does not mean that nothing will happen at all. We must continue to strive for it, to yearn for it, to want something so bad that you are willing to fail to get it.
Because that is what it's going to take, you are going to fail, you will stumble, you will get discouraged, you will want to give up, you will want to slip into the "comfortable coma" of settling, BUT YOU CANNOT AND YOU MUST NOT! The road is not easy, but if it was there is no way that it would be as satisfying once you accomplished it. I hope you all want the desires of your hearts bad enough to achieve them, even if all you have at the end of the day is a picture on your bathroom wall to remind you never to give up, that you will always have HOPE.
Good tidings to you and I bid you all a farewell till tomorrow of course!
Warm Regards,
Candace
BBQ Chicken
Chicken breasts, baked
1/4 cup low sugar ketchup
2 TBSP worchteshire sauce
Sea Salt
Pepper
2 TBSP of Chicken Broth
1 TbSP of Cider Vinegar
1 TBSP of Splenda (or sugar sub.)
2 Slices of Bacon or Turkey Bacon, Chopped
Heat all ingredients except for chicken in a sauce pan on medium till mixed together and warm, put sauce on cooked chicken and enjoy :D
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Perfection
Isn't it funny that as women we try to pretend that we can do EVERYTHING, like there is absolutely nothing that can phase us. Yes we can put on the best Christmas party, make the best apple pie, have the most divine clothes, use the fanciest hair care, always have our nails up-kept, our homes are always clean and organized and our gams look the sexiest in our killer new heels, that are secretly killing our feet. We are women, we are strong, we can multitask at the drop of a hat, we try to be the perfect daughters, the perfect wives, the perfect person, but what happens when they find out we aren't all those things, we don't have everything "all together", we do have deep dark secrets and horrible habits and we are only fooling ourselves and others by trying to paint ourselves into a perfect little picture.
WE ARE BEAUTIFUL and wonderful and we can accomplish amazing things, but by no means can we do it on our own. There is no shame in asking for help, letting someone that you love and trust know that you are just you and you can't do everything on your own. There is something quite unique about a self-confident women, the way she moves..it's graceful..it's magical, the way she can choose the right words at the exact right time, she has a way about her that is so charming, she is a hard-worker, she laughs in the enemy's face when he tells her she can't, to her CAN is the only option, she never backs down from a challenge and she is a gracious loser, she fights till the end for herself, for her family, for her spouse, she is elegant and loving and the only words that ever reach her lips are kind and just. Yes this women is a masterpiece and the very thing that the Maker of the Universe created her to be, BUT SHE IS NOT PERFECT, the thing that is so captivating about her is that she knows exactly when to ask for help and she isn't afraid to admit it.
I would love to get my hands on the thing or being that told us we were on our own and that if we weren't perfection then we weren't anything. I know exactly what it feels like to strive to achieve this so-called "perfection", we try to achieve it in our looks, in the perfect body, the perfect hairstyle, the best skin, the "I am not too needy" kind of cover-up, the "I am totally fine with doing whatever my boyfriend wants to do" thang, Let me tell you what, you will NEVER reach this kind of perfection, because even if you accomplish one of them you will never accomplish the others, at least not forever, this is the wrong kind of perfection you need to be striving for, because eventually your looks will fade, your body will sag, your hair will turn gray, you skin will be flawed, you will NEED someone, and you will get so fed up with always doing what he wants to do that by the time you get married he will think you are someone else and you will know that all you want to do is sit on the coach on a Friday night and watch Pride & Prejudice NOT the playoffs.
Being able to forgive, love, show compassion, being a good steward, give to the poor, help the helpless, ask for help when you need it, admit when your wrong, apologize, those are the things that describe perfection. This is a different kind of perfection, it's the kind that knows it has already failed at the other "perfection", and it is the kind that is willing to never give up, though you may fall seven times and seven times again, each time you get back up. You must never stop running the race, and realize that when you try to compete there is only one winner and that is the enemy, he is constantly lurking, knowing that if you believe all the "perfection" hoopla is actually achievable then he's already won. You must have enough discernment to tell the difference, it is pretty easy to recognize once you know what to look for, one is up-lifting and positive the other is negative and bitter and can plant a seed that will cause everything good in your life to slowly disappear. Which "perfection" will you choose? I know mine.
I hope you all have a lovely evening and know that you are great the way you are and if your unhappy with something in your life then all you have to do is make the decision to change it, ask for help if needed and then GET IT DONE. I will bid you all a farewell and a goodnight till tomorrow!
Warm Regards,
Candace
Enchilada Pie
Cooked ground chicken
season with taco spices
Enchilada sauce
green onions, diced
lettuce, diced
green olives, diced
sour cream
salsa
Cook chicken, mix in seasonings, pour chicken into a pan and pour enchilada sauce over it, spread grated cheddar cheese on top, bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, top with salsa, lettuce, green onions, green olives and sour cream, If wanted put mixture into a warm tortilla, Enjoy :D
WE ARE BEAUTIFUL and wonderful and we can accomplish amazing things, but by no means can we do it on our own. There is no shame in asking for help, letting someone that you love and trust know that you are just you and you can't do everything on your own. There is something quite unique about a self-confident women, the way she moves..it's graceful..it's magical, the way she can choose the right words at the exact right time, she has a way about her that is so charming, she is a hard-worker, she laughs in the enemy's face when he tells her she can't, to her CAN is the only option, she never backs down from a challenge and she is a gracious loser, she fights till the end for herself, for her family, for her spouse, she is elegant and loving and the only words that ever reach her lips are kind and just. Yes this women is a masterpiece and the very thing that the Maker of the Universe created her to be, BUT SHE IS NOT PERFECT, the thing that is so captivating about her is that she knows exactly when to ask for help and she isn't afraid to admit it.
I would love to get my hands on the thing or being that told us we were on our own and that if we weren't perfection then we weren't anything. I know exactly what it feels like to strive to achieve this so-called "perfection", we try to achieve it in our looks, in the perfect body, the perfect hairstyle, the best skin, the "I am not too needy" kind of cover-up, the "I am totally fine with doing whatever my boyfriend wants to do" thang, Let me tell you what, you will NEVER reach this kind of perfection, because even if you accomplish one of them you will never accomplish the others, at least not forever, this is the wrong kind of perfection you need to be striving for, because eventually your looks will fade, your body will sag, your hair will turn gray, you skin will be flawed, you will NEED someone, and you will get so fed up with always doing what he wants to do that by the time you get married he will think you are someone else and you will know that all you want to do is sit on the coach on a Friday night and watch Pride & Prejudice NOT the playoffs.
Being able to forgive, love, show compassion, being a good steward, give to the poor, help the helpless, ask for help when you need it, admit when your wrong, apologize, those are the things that describe perfection. This is a different kind of perfection, it's the kind that knows it has already failed at the other "perfection", and it is the kind that is willing to never give up, though you may fall seven times and seven times again, each time you get back up. You must never stop running the race, and realize that when you try to compete there is only one winner and that is the enemy, he is constantly lurking, knowing that if you believe all the "perfection" hoopla is actually achievable then he's already won. You must have enough discernment to tell the difference, it is pretty easy to recognize once you know what to look for, one is up-lifting and positive the other is negative and bitter and can plant a seed that will cause everything good in your life to slowly disappear. Which "perfection" will you choose? I know mine.
I hope you all have a lovely evening and know that you are great the way you are and if your unhappy with something in your life then all you have to do is make the decision to change it, ask for help if needed and then GET IT DONE. I will bid you all a farewell and a goodnight till tomorrow!
Warm Regards,
Candace
Enchilada Pie
Cooked ground chicken
season with taco spices
Enchilada sauce
green onions, diced
lettuce, diced
green olives, diced
sour cream
salsa
Cook chicken, mix in seasonings, pour chicken into a pan and pour enchilada sauce over it, spread grated cheddar cheese on top, bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, top with salsa, lettuce, green onions, green olives and sour cream, If wanted put mixture into a warm tortilla, Enjoy :D
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Timing....
Sometimes things don't happen at the time we thought they would. Life gets in the way and those things we were planning slip away to a later date, other times we are waiting on something to happen and you thought for sure it was suppose to have happened by now, but it hasn't. You don't always know the reason why the timing is off, why you missed that interview, why the person in front of you was the lucky winner of the day instead of you, why you seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But what if you weren't, what if you were in the exact right place at the right time and you just didn't know it, all the things you were waiting for were the wrong things, all the things you were looking at when maybe your gaze needed to be in a different direction. Nothing is by coincidence, everything happens for a reason and there is absolutely a time and a season for everything.
Sometimes you have to give up the things you think your suppose to be doing and do the things that God really wants for you, ("your ways are not my ways and your thoughts are not my thoughts"), you see the very thing that we think we know, could be the very thing that is stopping us from receiving the next opportunity that we are waiting for.
Ahh yes timing is such a beautiful thing when your balanced, only when your balanced and know what direction your heading, only then is the timing perfect, and even then God might make you wait for a few things, but once you've mastered the art of waiting you will be free, and it won't matter what time things happen or how they happen, it will just matter that your making your dreams come true and the rest will fall into place. As always I bid you all a farewell and a happy Saturday night till tomorrow!
Warm Regards,
Candace
4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded and sliced in almost in half
4 oz of cream cheese
pepper, garlic powder, sea salt, dill and fresh parsley
1/2 an onion, diced
Olive Oil
Pound chicken and slice almost in half still leaving connected, mix cream cheese and seasonings and onions, spoon cream cheese mixture in between sliced chicken breasts evenly, then cook in a pan with olive oil, enjoy :D
Friday, December 3, 2010
Not what you were expecting......
Not what you expected?...Hmmm oh really, well what exactly were you expecting?...Does this ever happen to you? You have been waiting for something and then once it arrives, it's not what you expected, you order a gift set online and once you get it, it's not what you expected, you lose 20 pounds and you don't feel as accomplished as you expected, you see a 4-star movie and it's not what you expected, you get that dream job and guess what...IT"S NOT WHAT YOU EXPECTED! Life is rarely what we expect it to be, but we must keep expecting, but instead of just waiting for something to happen, to arrive, someone to call you back, why not try doing something, taking action and then you may find that what you were waiting for is still not what you were expecting......it's so much better!
You see when you decide to change, to take control, to give God the reins and really determine within your mind that it starts with you, then all you have to do is make a move, then another one and another until you get exactly what you weren't expecting.... you get more. This whole 40 day journey I have made up my mind to take, has changed me, and I don't just mean I lost 20 pounds and now I can fit into smaller sizes, I mean it started from the outside and has really changed me on the inside. I have had such a clearer concept on what my life is and what I was meant to do, and you know what, when you show initiative like that and discipline yourself God will turn his gaze upon you and say "Now your getting it", but you have to do it, you have to do the leg work, you have to decide and then act.
I have made more connections, more positive decisions more proactive steps in my life in the past 33 days then I ever thought I would. It is truly amazing how you can change your whole outlook, your whole thought-pattern with just one decision, it's the same decision you made when you decided to do all the good things in your life and it is the same type of decision that will see you through till the end.
There is no way I am going to sit here and tell you that it was easy, in fact most of the time my weakness and give-in was so strong that I could barely sleep at night, I would toss and turn thinking that this must be the stupidest thing I could have committed myself too, 40 days was way too long and no one really would care if I failed or accomplished this or not. WELL I am here to tell you that right there, right when I was at my lowest point, when I was ready to give up and run to the fridge and eat a stick of frozen cookie dough, I DID'T, and you know why....my will was stronger.
The human will is the strongest thing God could have given you, the will to live, the will to not give up, the will to win, the will to be everything you were meant to be and everything bigger that what you expected. You can not succeed in this life if you are not willing to try, and I encourage you all to try and you will absolutely be surprised at the things you will accomplish, that is a promise. I bid you all a farewell and a happy weekend and remember there is no end to what you can do, you just need to do it.
Warm Regards,
Candace
"Betty Spaghetti"
Spaghetti squash baked, then take a fork and scrape out the middle and it will look like spaghetti noodles
ground beef or ground turkey/chicken
Italian seasonings
low sugar spaghetti sauce
mushrooms, chopped
onion, chopped
After baking the squash for about 30 minutes and then scrapping to the form of noodles, place noodles on a plate and then cook beef and add sauce and seasonings and vegetables, cook till done and top noodles with sauce and enjoy :D
Thursday, December 2, 2010
DIFFERENCE
Do you ever wonder what kind of difference your making in other peoples lives, in the world, in the universe? This is one question I think most of us have asked ourselves, but have you ever asked yourself if your doing everything you possibly can to make a difference? This might be a harder one to answer because the truth is most of us aren't, and most of us aren't even doing everything we possibly can to help ourselves much less make a difference in someone else's life.
As I have said before there is no way that you can help others or make a difference in the world without being balanced in your own life. And how do we get balanced......WELL it starts with just one area in your life that you know needs work, and then you accomplish it, and then with one down you start working on all the other areas that need help, until you become that totally free, completely inspiring, wonderfully made being you were always suppose to be. You see, if you are not that person yet, the person you can look in the mirror and really like, really love, then you will never, and I mean never, be able to fully make a difference, because you can't make a difference and help others become who they are meant to be if you don't know who YOU are meant to be.
The only way to find yourself is to start shedding all the things that are not yourself, your bad habits, the horrible foods you eat, the unneeded extra money you spend, etc, etc, etc. You see you know exactly who you are and what your passions are and all those desires that you have had since you were a little kid, now all you have to do is find the innocence of a child to get them back. Do you remember when you were a kid, when you said you were going to be a princess or a singer or a movie star when you were all grown up, you would twirl and jump around with excitement because you actually believed that that was your reality and somewhere along the way, as you grew older and the pressures and hurts and misguided futures sunk in, you told yourself you couldn't, and you started listening to the world telling you that your reality wasn't your actuality.... and you gave up. You gave up everything you thought you were, you gained a few pounds, you became too busy to even care to help others, you lost your dreams and in return you lost yourself.
Let's all return to that childhood-innocence that we were born with and try to remember why we were placed on this earth in the first place, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. One day you will be able to look yourself in the eye and really love who you've become and once you do that...well that my friends is when all your dreams start to come true. Please find yourself again and be all that you were meant to be. I bid you all a farewell and goodnight till we meet again, tomorrow : D
Warm Regards,
Candace
Spicy Rolls
Low Carb whole wheat tortillas
Cream Cheese, softened and mixed with garlic powder, sea salt , pepper and dill
Red, Yellow and Green Peppers, diced
Roast Beef, sliced
Take one tortilla at a time and spread cream cheese mixture all over, then add roast beef and peppers, tightly roll tortilla and cut into one inch pieces, enjoy : D
As I have said before there is no way that you can help others or make a difference in the world without being balanced in your own life. And how do we get balanced......WELL it starts with just one area in your life that you know needs work, and then you accomplish it, and then with one down you start working on all the other areas that need help, until you become that totally free, completely inspiring, wonderfully made being you were always suppose to be. You see, if you are not that person yet, the person you can look in the mirror and really like, really love, then you will never, and I mean never, be able to fully make a difference, because you can't make a difference and help others become who they are meant to be if you don't know who YOU are meant to be.
The only way to find yourself is to start shedding all the things that are not yourself, your bad habits, the horrible foods you eat, the unneeded extra money you spend, etc, etc, etc. You see you know exactly who you are and what your passions are and all those desires that you have had since you were a little kid, now all you have to do is find the innocence of a child to get them back. Do you remember when you were a kid, when you said you were going to be a princess or a singer or a movie star when you were all grown up, you would twirl and jump around with excitement because you actually believed that that was your reality and somewhere along the way, as you grew older and the pressures and hurts and misguided futures sunk in, you told yourself you couldn't, and you started listening to the world telling you that your reality wasn't your actuality.... and you gave up. You gave up everything you thought you were, you gained a few pounds, you became too busy to even care to help others, you lost your dreams and in return you lost yourself.
Let's all return to that childhood-innocence that we were born with and try to remember why we were placed on this earth in the first place, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. One day you will be able to look yourself in the eye and really love who you've become and once you do that...well that my friends is when all your dreams start to come true. Please find yourself again and be all that you were meant to be. I bid you all a farewell and goodnight till we meet again, tomorrow : D
Warm Regards,
Candace
Spicy Rolls
Low Carb whole wheat tortillas
Cream Cheese, softened and mixed with garlic powder, sea salt , pepper and dill
Red, Yellow and Green Peppers, diced
Roast Beef, sliced
Take one tortilla at a time and spread cream cheese mixture all over, then add roast beef and peppers, tightly roll tortilla and cut into one inch pieces, enjoy : D
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Resolutions....
I have people asking me what am I going to do when the 40 days are up, and I have thought and then I thought...and I thought some more and I have decided that I will be starting Body For Life and I have also asked a few to join me and if I haven't asked you yet, well I strongly encourage it. I have chosen the Body For Life 12 week program because it is the perfect balance of foods as well as a balanced work-out routine. I will be having a meeting with me and the other girls (or boys) on December 10th to get the plan down. Don't worry we will not be starting before the Holidays, because it seems that that is something most people will not do and thought that I was absolutely NUTZ for doing it over Thanksgiving, but I choose to believe I was strong, I had will-power and I like a good challenge!
Anywho we will be planning this 12 week program on the 10th so we will be ready and prepared to start our New Year's Resolutions. Did you know what the top two New Years Resolutions are by the way????....Well I do..Number One: To Lose Weight (big surprise) and Number Two: Be healthier (which goes hand-in-hand with number one.) Do you know why 99.9% of people fail their Resolutions???....BECAUSE, they do not have a proper plan in place AHEAD of time and so they give up before they even begin.
I will not and cannot do that this year! I mean after all my Birthday is on New Years Day, so who am I to fail on such tradition : D Nope, not this year! We will be planning 21 days in advance so get all your cravings and Christmas cookies eaten by then because whoever decides to join me I absolutely will not let you back down! BEWARE!
Some may ask why I care, or why I would be willing to hound you like a dog if your not keeping good on your resolution, it's because I really do care, I know exactly what it is like to feel those things you hate feeling day after day and also I know exactly what it is like feeling like you are the only one who thinks those hateful things about yourself and how you could spend all day looking in the mirror and it wouldn't matter because your only growing older. I also know after all the self loathing and all the nights and countless events you spent feeling uncomfortable, feeling like everyone was not really looking at you, not really seeing you for who you were, just seeing your faults, those negative things you see, after all of that and all the days, months and even years of feeling this way somethings gotta give. I finally got tired of not seeing what everybody else really saw in me, all the good things all the quirky and kind characteristics that I hold are like no one else and I am the only one who holds them, so why was I lying to myself, listening to the enemy whisper in my ear saying I was not good enough, and you know what I'm not good enough but with God I am, and that beats anything nasty the enemy has to say about me.
You just have to get to the point where your sick and tired of feeling awful. Nothing will ever change, no compliment, no nice gesture, no hair-cut or new wardrobe will ever suffice. You will have to decide in your mind that you will change and that you will not listen to those lies any longer and then DON'T. It is very important that you DON'T. If any of you readers would like to join the 12 week challenge I will be blogging along the way and may even set up a web page for it so you all can participate online as well. I will keep you updated and if you want to get involved start early and read Body For Life or you can also go to their web page and read more there. I really hope you decide to join me for the next leg of this journey only 10 days left of the old and then in with the NEW YEAR!!! Bidding you all a farewell and goodnight till tomorrow!
Warm Regards,
Candace
Low Carb Chili
Ground Beef, cooked
1 medium onion, diced
1 package of mushrooms, diced
1 small can of tomato paste
chili seasoning
Worstheshire Sauce, dash
cook beef and then add all other ingredients, the longer you let simmer the better it is, dish out and add cheddar cheese and sour cream on top, enjoy :D
Anywho we will be planning this 12 week program on the 10th so we will be ready and prepared to start our New Year's Resolutions. Did you know what the top two New Years Resolutions are by the way????....Well I do..Number One: To Lose Weight (big surprise) and Number Two: Be healthier (which goes hand-in-hand with number one.) Do you know why 99.9% of people fail their Resolutions???....BECAUSE, they do not have a proper plan in place AHEAD of time and so they give up before they even begin.
I will not and cannot do that this year! I mean after all my Birthday is on New Years Day, so who am I to fail on such tradition : D Nope, not this year! We will be planning 21 days in advance so get all your cravings and Christmas cookies eaten by then because whoever decides to join me I absolutely will not let you back down! BEWARE!
Some may ask why I care, or why I would be willing to hound you like a dog if your not keeping good on your resolution, it's because I really do care, I know exactly what it is like to feel those things you hate feeling day after day and also I know exactly what it is like feeling like you are the only one who thinks those hateful things about yourself and how you could spend all day looking in the mirror and it wouldn't matter because your only growing older. I also know after all the self loathing and all the nights and countless events you spent feeling uncomfortable, feeling like everyone was not really looking at you, not really seeing you for who you were, just seeing your faults, those negative things you see, after all of that and all the days, months and even years of feeling this way somethings gotta give. I finally got tired of not seeing what everybody else really saw in me, all the good things all the quirky and kind characteristics that I hold are like no one else and I am the only one who holds them, so why was I lying to myself, listening to the enemy whisper in my ear saying I was not good enough, and you know what I'm not good enough but with God I am, and that beats anything nasty the enemy has to say about me.
You just have to get to the point where your sick and tired of feeling awful. Nothing will ever change, no compliment, no nice gesture, no hair-cut or new wardrobe will ever suffice. You will have to decide in your mind that you will change and that you will not listen to those lies any longer and then DON'T. It is very important that you DON'T. If any of you readers would like to join the 12 week challenge I will be blogging along the way and may even set up a web page for it so you all can participate online as well. I will keep you updated and if you want to get involved start early and read Body For Life or you can also go to their web page and read more there. I really hope you decide to join me for the next leg of this journey only 10 days left of the old and then in with the NEW YEAR!!! Bidding you all a farewell and goodnight till tomorrow!
Warm Regards,
Candace
Low Carb Chili
Ground Beef, cooked
1 medium onion, diced
1 package of mushrooms, diced
1 small can of tomato paste
chili seasoning
Worstheshire Sauce, dash
cook beef and then add all other ingredients, the longer you let simmer the better it is, dish out and add cheddar cheese and sour cream on top, enjoy :D
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