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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

be happy for no reason.

its raining its pouring...the old man is snoring...
wish i was snoring right now...

i don't know about the weather in your neck of the woods,
but its raining cats and dogs outside my window. ughhhh!!!!



don't you agree???
(ahahaha, love this pic)


ohhhmyyygooosshhh! 6 a.m. Boot class this morning...
that class was no joke! for real, ya'll!
no pain, no gain...right? RIGHT!

bascially, the class consisted of some running (as if i don't do enough already, lol), jumping, squats, lunges, weights, etc. back to basics type stuff, but it was not easy! i wasn't gonna go because i looked outside and saw rain. haha, any excuse to stay in bed. not this chick! since, i slept in my workout clothes, i slipped on my sneakers and went...now i'm full of energy and ready to take over the world! so, happy i went :)




don't we look all dolled up and cute?!?

last weekend, we had a girls night out to celebrate a birthday.
i was having a bad hair day because it rained all night! i had a great time though :)
i was soooo tired (we ran 11 miles that morning) and could barely keep my eyes open around 11pm.
yes, i'm a grandma. can't party like its 1999 anymore...i'm lame, thank you. i know :(



Tuesday, March 29, 2011

choose to see the delay as a miracle.

today's thedailylove article was speaking directly at me this morning, so just thought i'd share :)

There are SUPER frustrating times on The Path. Instead of fighting against frustrating times with more frustration, anger and resentment, take a higher road today.

Remember, a delay is not a denial. The Uni-verse's timing is always perfect and if something isn't quite manifesting yet, there is a reason. So, today, instead of choosing to be angry, hurt or just plain ole pissed off, take a BIIIIG DEEP BREATH and know that everything is happening in perfect time. It might piss you off to know that it's not happening in YOUR time, but it is happening in the perfect time.

Do what you can do that's within your power today and let go of the rest. There's no use letting the things you can't control dictate your level of happiness.

So, instead of choosing frustration because you think you won't be provided for or taken care of, choose to see the circumstance through the eyes of faith, and then relax, let it go and enjoy the rest of your day doing what you can.

We are not all powerful beings, though sometimes our ego would like us to think we are. There is also a tremendous gift in not always getting what you want. There are gentle and compassionate Hands that are guiding your life.

So instead of fighting against what you cannot control today, let go and choose to see the delay as a miracle in disguise sent by One who loves you, who has your best interest in mind and Who is setting up an even greater outcome than you can now imagine.

Love,
Mastin

TheDailyLove.com

Monday, March 28, 2011

today is a gift. unwrap it slowly...

My heart has been a little heavier than usual these last couple weeks.

 I’ve been going to the same dentist for several years now. I couldn’t ask for a better dentist or a better group of people that work in that office. A couple weeks ago, I went in for my regular cleaning and my dentist told me, one of the dental hygienist (we’ll call her J) was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer. The doctors found out way too late and now she has been given only six months to live. As my dentist told me this, his eyes watered up and mine did the same. To be honest, I never thought J liked me. There were a couple times I caught an attitude during appointments because sitting in that chair for way too long or any other lame excuse. My dentist explained to me that J actually really liked me a lot. My heart instantly skipped a beat. Its funny to assume that someone may or may not like you…and then it turns out….they actually think pretty highly of you. My thoughts turned to regretting ever catching an attitude with such a down to earth person. This situation makes me think of how its so important how we treat people. How can someone I hardly see or know think so much of me? What is it about me? The entire dentist office is different…I sense sadness. It makes my heart ache to know someone is suffering. I've never experience a close death of anyone close to me. I’ve said a prayer for her every single night and she is constantly on my mind.

Ever since I’ve heard of this news…I’ve tried to express my gratitude for everything a little more than usual. Maybe this was another one of God's wake up calls...its amazing how He works through some people to touch others. Every morning I thank God for a new beautiful day and tell myself I’m going to have a great day no matter what. God knows when my heart is smiling, hurting or yearning for more. Even when I feel like giving up sometimes….He is always there…pushing me…cheering me on. He's my biggest fan...next to my mom of course ;) No matter how many times I may have turned away from Him…He’s always been there for me.

In the last two years I can sense His presence in my life now more than ever. I’m continuously learning patience and confidence because of His direction. And, even though sometimes I just want to see the final result…He says “not yet” and, He pushes something else my way to overcome. Our Father works in ways we just simply will never understand, but His ways always come with good intentions because He loves us that much. These last couple months I’ve tried to take certain situations into my hands instead of being patience and letting Him do his work. Of course things didn't happen...Ashley's way. I found myself saying now…”I get it…I get it” Sometimes, I look in the mirror and simply smile at myself…I smile because of how much I’ve grown just in the last year. I know, I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. Life is just that good…today is blessing and tomorrow is not promised, so live for today…sounds like something from a fortune cookie…lol. Be happy now...in this moment...don't wait for things to turn around. God can't do everything...sometimes your help is required. Love those around you and spread it to strangers. Love is the most powerful gift.


Although, my heart is heavy...I've still remained in good spirits because I'm living with a purpose and I'm truly happy with my life and grateful for all of my blessings. I'm sorry for a somewhat sad post on this Monday morning, but my heart was speaking to me and I had to get the words out.


Law of Attraction Affirmation of The Day: Today I welcome Happiness into my life. No matter what's going on around me I choose to be Happy. I will stay in a constant state of gratitude. I know with God all things are possible. I welcome good people into my life knowing that each person in my life is there for a reason. I know that there's a lesson to learn from each situation & I welcome the learning. MP365

Friday, March 25, 2011

i'm livin' in the 21st century, doin' something mean to it...




i just booked my flight to chi-town.



towards the end of may, i will visiting the gorgeous doctor to-be above.
pretty and smart...she's the full package, for sure!
gosh, i love this girlie!

we have been friends for years and, although we haven't lived in the same state since highschool...we have still maintained a wonderful friendship. i've never been to chicago and its been a while since i've seen my girl, so i'm def counting down for this trip! look out, chicago!

{get it right, get it tight}

i mentioned before that i recently joined a gym.
okay, so i'm still loving it, but i have an issue....
i don't know about you ladies, but i go to the gym to WORKOUT!
if i have my head phones on...is that a cue to come talk to me??? ummmm....i think NOT!
why do some men think its okay to stare at you while you're trying to workout?
yeah, admire all you want, but lets put a time frame on how much staring you can do in two hours. geeezzz.
and, i don't mean just a couple glances here or there, but full-on stalker staring...that's scaring, yo.
at least wave, give me a thumbs up or something...lol

sometimes, its hard being such a pretty girl. i'm sure you ladies can agree with me, right? lol :)

i signed up for sessions with a trainer...and, its a guy!
he looks hard core! my first session is on sunday afternoon.
hopefully, i'll make it out alive. wish me luck!

anyone ever tried this workout before???
i'm body aches just reading it...lol



hope you guys have a wonderful weekend :)

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

oh, baby.


Children are a gift from the Lord, a child is a reward from Him. --The Bible, Psalm 127:3


this past weekend we celebrated baby james baptism ceremony.
look at 'em...i could just eat this little one up.
its such a joy to watch my best friend raise this cutie pie.

god bless you, baby james.

p.s. my bestie and her hubs have me to thank for their beautiful family.
i'm the one who urged her to go out with him. i'm such a great friend :)

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

countdown...

in exactly 19 days...I WILL BE RUNNING MY FIRST HALF MARATHON.
{insert surprise aka WTF face}


there it is...

i've been physically training for it, but now i'm mentally preparing myself as well. yes, i give myself a pep talk everyday. raise your hand if you're the odd girl in the corner talking to herself? {waving hands in the air}

i never ever ever ever...did i say ever? thought i'd be running a half marathon. its still bananas to me, but i'm thrilled for being consistent and being able to cross this goal off my to-do list. oh yeah!

along with never thinking i'd actually ever enjoy running...i never thought i'd enjoy waking up a 5 am to go to the gym. yes, i dragged my booty out of bed and met my bestie at the gym to take a class. the only reason i actually had motivation this morning to go is because i slept in my workout clothes, so i could have a few extra minutes to snooze. don't judge me. my friends make fun of me for doing this. whateva! lol.


i'm soooo looking forward to the weekend after my race because i will be going to savannah, ga for a bachelorette weekend get-away! i've never been to savannah and there’s a bunch of ladies going, so i'm expecting to have a whoooole lotta fun!

today’s inspiration:
Step into your greatness, your vision and your Highest Potential. The momentary discomfort is worth the long term reward.

Monday, March 21, 2011

truth for mature humans.

don't you just love forwards? even better...don't you just love the people who religiously forward emails to their entire contact list? no? okay, well then you probably would hate me. i'm one of those people. lol. there’s no better distraction during the work day, than getting a funny forward. i got this one today. read it, and i'm sure you can relate to a few! i promise its worth the read...pretty funny stuff ;)


{my favs are in bold}

 
1. I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die. { i know my bff would do this for me - what are girlfriends for?}

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet? { i fold every other sheet, but this one}

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood. {lets get it together Map Quest}

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories. {especially if you're involved in the decision making}

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection…again.

13. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. “Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this – ever.

15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? **** it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away? {omg! this errrks me}

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste. {i really do hate when this happens}

17. I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

20. I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.

21. Sometimes, I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

22. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in. {thats why i use recycle bags...you can fit more in them, duh!}

23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text. {promise, i dont this all the time}

24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

25. How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear or understand a word they said? {i think all MEN do this}

26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?

29. There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.

31. Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey – but I’d bet my *** everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!
{its called skills}


happy monday! hope you guys have a great work week!!!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

beauty.


beauty is...
mysterious and all-revealing, all at once,
confident, yet modest,
anything that makes your heart sing,
almost always found in joy.

true beauty is a beautiful soul.

http://www.lifebyme.com/
happy st. patricks day!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

love is simple.



I love you...I carry you in my spirit. I pray for you more than I pray for myself. And if you’re away for more than an hour, I can’t stop thinkin about ya. And your smile, when you smile, my world is alright.

- Diary of a Mad Black Woman




praying for japan.

Friday, March 11, 2011

editing nut.


its official. i'm seriously obsessed with picnik.

maybe, i'm a little late to the game.
as you can see, all i've been doing is editing pictures. lol.
i would like photoshop, but that's a little out of my budget and picnik works just fine for me.
see a little of my work below. i got mad skills, right? ha ha, just agree with me please :)

drum roll please....{cue the drums now}


my new header.
isn't she lovely?


my goddaughter kielie and me.
shes my little twin. love her!



my birthday dinner.
twenty-six never look this good, right?


best parents in the world.
jackie + joe = jokie {my sister made this nickname up}


my wonderful godchildren.
kielie and peter


love my beautiful friends.
shelley and kristi.



no one makes me laugh like this girl.
my other half :)


we are f.a.m.i.l.y
my cousin jamie and her son peter.



welcome to the world sweet baby james.
my bestie's new addition.




happy friday!
hope you guys have a fanastic weekend :)


p.s. for all you carolina fans out there! GO TAR HEELS!!!!!!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

can we be friends?


oh, facebook...we all know you entirely too well.
who doesn't have a facebook profile? i mean really.
thank goodness my parents don't care for social networking.

last month, i took a tiny break from facebook, and boy did i have a lot of extra time on my hands.
as of last week i'm back on. dang you, mark zuckerberg for creating this world wide addiction.
go ahead laugh...i knew i couldn't take more than a two-week break. ridiculous, i know!



i looked through my "friends", and thought how many of these people do i actually talk to? 

answer: ummmm, not very many - frankly, it didn't faze me one bit to delete a couple few "friends"....not being mean, but some of those "friends" were just taking room up on my homepage. Facebook all comes down to an opportunity to brag, the new way of stalking people, and of course being a social networking site. i'm not one of those people who puts my whole life story on Facebook, but basically to keep in touch with my friends and my family around the world. sometimes, i'll post an uplifting status...there is just too much negativity in the world now a days. i don't use FaceBook to update my every single move...sometimes it makes me laugh how people update their status every five friggin' minutes...honestly, how do you get anything done? anyways, i'm not judging here. i've come to realize in deleting some of my "friends", that its actually helped me stay off of FaceBook more... because now theres not a lot of updates to read. after all, when entering adulthood you realize its not how many friends you have, but the quality of friends you have. so, its just not necessary for me to have 250 or 1,500 friends. i don't even have that many numbers in my iPhone contact list. geeez.

 have any of you ever felt like this???

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

today is the beginning.

for the next 40 days...

NO complaining


NO cursing
NO chocolate


in observance of Lent, for the next forty days i will go without complaining, cursing and chocolate.
can i do this? i believe it will be challenging, but i'm willing to try. what will you give up?


a little history on the season of Lent:

Lent is a forty-day period before Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday. We skip Sundays when we count the forty days, because Sundays commemorate the Resurrection. Lent begins on 9 March 2011 and ends on 23 April 2011, which is the day before Easter.

In the Roman Catholic Church, Lent officially ends at sundown on 21 April (Holy Thursday), with the beginning of the mass of the Lord’s Supper.

Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. Lent originated in the very earliest days of the Church as a preparatory time for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves and when converts were instructed in the faith and prepared for baptism. By observing the forty days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days. All churches that have a continuous history extending before AD 1500 observe Lent. The ancient church that wrote, collected, canonized, and propagated the New Testament also observed Lent, believing it to be a commandment from the apostles. (See The Apostolic Constitutions, Book V, Section III.)


A Lenten Reflection

Give up complaining——focus on gratitude.
Give up pessimism——become an optimist.
Give up harsh judgments——think kindly thoughts.
Give up worry——trust Divine Providence.
Give up discouragement——be full of hope.
Give up bitterness——turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred——return good for evil.
Give up negativism——be positive.
Give up anger——be more patient.
Give up pettiness——become mature.
Give up gloom——enjoy the beauty that is all around you.
Give up jealousy——pray for trust.
Give up gossiping——control your tongue.
Give up sin——turn to virtue.
Give up giving up——hang in there!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

thoughts for adding romance to your relationship

i'm currently reading, Infinite Possibilities by Mike Dooley, and its pretty interesting stuff. the chapter i've come to is all about love and relationships. i love the idea of being in love and relationships, so i just had to share - i found these 10 simple thoughts for adding romance to your relationship pretty insightful. yes, these thoughts may seem like common sense to some, but honestly after i reading, it kinda opened my eyes to things i'd never thought about before. i guess when you see the words in black and white...
sometimes it gives you a different perspective on things. so, here they are...


p.s. i by no means am trying to be a therapist or give relationship advice.
 i just feel knowledge is power, and the more you know, the more you grow.


10 simple thoughts to consider for making the most of your romantic relationship, in addition to all the other
guidelines and ideas that may already be serving you.

1. Beyond what’s “necessary,” shed all behavioral expectations you may have for your partner: rid yourself of all behavioral expectations that your partner will have to live up to, and instead keep your main focus on yourself – your own standards and behaviors – so you can add to the relationship rather than take away from it. Doing so will enable you to become your best; you’ll release your partner from our culture’s sometimes implied “job” of entertaining and making you happy, and you’ll create room for the unexpected.


2. Dwell on what’s right: Nothing can doom a relationship faster than dwelling on what’s wrong. In life you get what you think about, so if you’re constantly focusing on what’s wrong in your relationship or in the other person, look out! You just magnify it and project more of the same into the future. “We’re so different; I don’t know why we ever got together!” – chances are that if you’ve been drawn together with someone to the point of entering into a serious relationship, you have far more in common than you’ve even realized, whether or not your similarities have manifested into the same extracurricular activities or not. What you likely do have in common is life assumptions and core beliefs, and it’s likely just as true now as it was when you first met. Another irony here is that it’s the little differences between partners that actually attracted them to one another in the first place.


3. Don’t assume: If you’re assuming something about another, it means you’re guessing. And if you’re guessing, it means that communication and, more importantly, understanding has broken down in the relationship. In absence of actually knowing what’s going on, we make up the missing pieces, and usually when we make stuff up, we tend to listen to our fears more than what we know to be true.


4. Accept that there will be challenges: Enjoy and appreciate the challenges in your relationship, because by their mere existence, they create the perfect opportunity for you to master the areas of your life and yourself where you have the least understanding. Our relationships and our partners are not accidentally in our lives. Your partner’s qualities are often the very qualities that will bring about the perfect challenges that help you grow where you most need – and want – to grow.


5. Let the other person love you in his or her own way: This is presumably what attracted you in the first place – your partner’s unique personality and how he or she expresses him-or herself. Don’t expect to be treated exactly as you treat the other; it’s not fair and it only draws attention to your own perceived shortcomings of the other person, creating issues where there were indeed none.


6. Talk smart: Talking – communication- some say is that most important ingredient for a successful relationship, but I would add that it’s critical to choose your words wisely. Your talking can do as much damage, if not more, than silence.


7. Accept responsibility: This isn’t about what happened; it’s about how you reacted to it. Your emotional reaction to anything is based on your perception of it. You have choices about how you respond, and first course of action is to reexamine your understanding and perspectives, which is virtually impossible if you blame others for how you feel.


8. Fight fire with kindness: When someone is angry with you, it’s because somehow he feels threatened; he’s usually afraid of somehow losing his grip on the situation. Kindness truly is power, and it’s a powerful person who can live be a code of kindness at all times.


9. Have your own life and your own interests, and strive to be a fulfilled outside the relationship as you hope to be within it: Relationships should be to life what an excellent dessert is to a fabulous meal; they should never be the meal itself. Your relationships should add to your life, not be your life.


10. Make your own happiness job number one: Nothing else you might ever do in your relationships could be more important to you and, just as important, to those you love. You exponentially add to the joy of your relationships when you make your happiness job number one.


also, mentioned in the book...

Relationships

 
The key, of course, is self-love. And the only way to love yourself is to first be yourself: authentic, genuine, and natural, which will lead you to understanding yourself, which as in all things, brings appreciation, acceptance, and compassion.


Follow your feelings, your heart, and your mind. Forget about appearances and what other people think, because no one else can know the secrets in your soul nor the promise that you came here to fulfill.


Where you are is never who you are. Yet, often where you are is all other people ever get to see of you. Only you know the truth about who you are.


When you don’t know what to do, don’t do anything! Wait. Wait until you do know, because if you stay true to yourself, eventually you will reach the point of knowing.

In Love
 1. Honor yourself between relationships:
This first point about being in relationships is actually about when you’re not in one! Each of our lives has seasons, and what is right for one person may not be right for another. Whether you are single by nature or whether you are between relationships, your life now affords you opportunities for growth, adventure, and self-discovery that do not exist presently for those in a relationship. Enjoy this time. Use it. Appreciate every moment while being unconcerned about what anyone else thinks.

2. Measure your relationships by the love that’s been shared:
Too often relationships tend to be measured by how long they lasted instead of how much love or fun was experienced. There’s a belief that “great” relationships withstand the test of time. Since when has a clock or a calendar been the measuring unit for love, emotional growth, or happiness? Quality if what counts, not quantity. What’s important in any relationship is that it is fulfilling, rewarding experience in terms of either learning or happiness.

3. Understand your motivations:
Entering a relationship when you’re not ready or for the wrong reasons can make it an unhappy experience from the start. We have an obligation to ourselves to understand what motivates us, and that obligation extends to our partners as well. Relationships can’t make you happy; they only intensify whatever you already feel about yourself and life. Other people are like a mirror: they reflect your attitudes about life and yourself back to you. Your first objective, for the benefit of yourself and your relationships, is to make sure that you’re independently happy. When you’re happy and joy is your motivator, the rest of the details in your life will take care of themselves, and usually though not always, those around you will be happiest.

4. You decide what’s meant to be:
Why is it that in most areas of life, people believe in free will, infinite possibilities and our inherent, natural born freedom, yet when it comes to relationships, they believe that some are meant to be? It’s probably the romantic in all of us, and in that sense, when everything is rolling along smoothly in your relationship, it’s pleasant to fantasize that perhaps the Universe saw the two of you as being such incredible complements that is preordained the union. Yet should the relationship become challenging, the notion of your union being “meant to be” can mischaracterize everything!

5. Relationships are an adventure:
Just as in life, in an adventure there is hope, challenge, promise, and mystery. Relationships are not “work,” per se, as we so often hear. I understand the point trying to be conveyed when they are called “work.” and yes, all relationships, like all adventures, are an ongoing labor of love. But given that most in our society still consider “work” to be a four-letter word, attaching this label or characterization to your relationship is unwise. A firm belief in anything, including the presumption that relationships are “work,” will bring about that reality. The truth is that relationships don’t have characteristics until the people in them define them. They’re not easy or hard, challenging or rewarding, work or play until someone says so. A bigger truth here is not that relationships are this, that, or the other thing; it’s that individuals in relationships see them as this, that, or the other thing, and so they become. Rather than working on the relationship, each person “should be” mindfully “working” on his or her own life perceptions, which is true regardless of whether or not we are in a romantic relationship. It’s just that such relationships create fantastic opportunity for exactly this, as your partner so often reveals to you your own perceived strengths and weaknesses, and understandings and misunderstandings. It’s not that the relationship is work; it’s that it creates ideal conditions for us to learn about ourselves. Thoughts become things.

hope you enjoyed this "free" advice :)

Monday, March 7, 2011

sweat, tears and lifetime.

i'm officially a gym member. a rush gym member.
i've never really been a fan of gyms, but i finally got suckered into joining by my bestie.
what are friends for, right?

now, we can workout together (everyday....NOT!) on the days i don't train with the running group. yay!
The Rush is pretty darn awesome! all together they have 23 locations in TN, SC, NC and GA.

i've been taking advantage of all the fun classes they offer...

on Saturday, i enjoyed 1 hour of Yogi (Yoga/Pilate's), 1 hour of Zumba and 8 miles on the bicycle.
i was pretty pooped and sweaty afterwards, but it felt great to change up my workout routine a bit.

 
Army Wives
 the new season of Army Wives premiered last night!
this is gonna be a great season :)

and...a new show premiered last night as well....

Coming Home
 
Coming Home
 dear Lifetime,
i love you. you know i do.
and, you know i'm a such a tear box. that's probably why you create shows like 'Coming Home'. i'll probably need to invest buying a whole year supply of tissues. thanks!

sincerely, your biggest fan


Coming Home...wow.
can you imagine being away from your loved ones for more than a year?
coming from a military family, luckily i've never experienced deployment.
but, my heart does go out to those who experience this time and time again.

these soldiers and their families are truly very strong people.
i seriously cried the whole episode. happy tears of course. its always beautiful to see reunions like these.
if you didn't see it, you must tune in on Sunday nights at 10pm. its definitely worth staying up to watch.

my thoughts and prayers are consistently on our American soldiers, our local law enforcements agencies and their families because these people are truly special.
they get up everyday and protect us.

i pray every night for the lord to watch over our American soldiers and for them to return home safely to their families.

"Sometimes you have to be a part from people you love,  but that doesn't make you love them any less. Sometimes you love them more."  — Nicholas Sparks (The Last Song)

hope you guys have a great day :)

Friday, March 4, 2011

thank you, Friday for gracing us with your presence. so good to see you!!! ;)

soooooooooooo...
check this out, yo.

ashley (that's me) just signed up for a half marathon. my first one eva!

so, my running group has basically been training for this half marathon and i just found this out last month. i know ya'll are probably thinking...where have you been girl? well, i've just been running with them...haven't really been paying attention to details. all that running was building up to being able to actually run a half marathon. am i ready? my legs/feet say heck yeah! but, my mind is having doubts. i know its a mental thing. April 10th. the countdown is on. what's 13.1 miles? piece cake! ha! and, the best part of all of this is that the event is in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. and the course is flat. um, hello...talk about ideal. right? darn skippy! i'm pretty thrilled and pleased with my progress with this running thing. its grown on me.


no, i will not be dancing on any tables this weekend. lol.

i will be dancing my booty off tomorrow in celebration of my bestie's birthday! yay!
dancing is a great form of exercise. i love to dance, but its been so long and i hope i have not forgotten how.
whateva, i'm just looking forward to enjoying time with friends and burning some extra calories. oh, and of course any excuse to get all dolled up and wear a little extra makeup.


last, but not least...thank you for reading my blog!!! all of my random thoughts, positive messages and quotes. i really do appreciate all of your comments and it brings a smile to my face to see new followers. :) <- see, thats me smiling right there.

hope you all have a fantastic weekend!!!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

If you don't have a smile, I'll give you one of mine.


Smiling is infectious,
You can catch it like the flu.
Someone smiled at me today,
And I started smiling too.
~Author Unknown

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

the rest of the story.

(Don't be so quick to judge this post by the first sentence - read till the end. It's actually pretty enlighten and interesting)

Did God create everything that exists? Does evil exist? Did God create evil?


A University professor at a well-known institution of higher learning challenged his students with this question. "Did God create everything that exists?" A student bravely replied, "Yes He did.” "God created everything?" the professor asked. "Yes sir, He certainly did." the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything; then God created evil. And since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then we can assume God is evil."

The student became quiet and did not answer the professor's hypothetical definition. The professor, quite pleased with himself, boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "May I ask you a question, professor?" "Of course,” replied the professor. The student stood up and asked, "Professor does cold exist?" "What kind of a question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The other students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Everybody, or object, is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body, or matter, have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 F) is the total absence of heat; and all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat.

The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?" The professor responded, "Of course it does."

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have already said, we see it everyday. It is in the daily examples of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

The young man's name was – Albert Einstein. And now, you know the rest of the story.