Wow, it's been FOREVER. Did I forget to mention that I'm a forgetful person sometimes? : )
But I haven't forgotten where I want to go, promise!
Updates:
Though I had to make a million calls, and stress out, and for a few moments believe it was not in my cards (which is alright if that's God's plan for me)...I finally got in. I'm going to Georgetown University for grad school!!! It just makes me think, timing is everything. I would not have appreciated it so much if I got in, like I wanted, for undergrad. But now that I got in, and it's of my own volition - cuz let's face it, grad school is not a must - AND I'm paying for it, I can appreciate this opportunity so much more.
And though I haven't lost much, I have lost weight. Through eating better, eating smaller portions, bringing my lunch from home, etc. And I've saved a whole lot of money by not eating out, it's amazing how great my wallet feels jajaja Besides that, I'm motivated. I found pictures of myself from back in the day, and I know I can get back there, I did it last year in Colombia, so why not again this year?
Money is rolling in, checks are getting cut, bills are getting paid. It feels phenomenal to be on top of my stuff and doing everything as it should be done. Small victories, because obviously that's how things should go, but victories none the less. And they lift my spirit. Just the fact that I'm in a position to pay these things off is such a blessing.
Life is good. Though it may not go as planned, and I don't do it all correctly, I can't deny that I am blessed and favored. I won't feel guilty for basking in the light God pours down on me - I will work everyday to be worthy of it, because one blessing is not enough to make me happy and keep me sitting. Everyday is an opportunity to operate as an agent for the Lord, just because I did good today and I've gotten what I wanted doesn't mean I'll stop trying to walk that path.
You'll find in life that bad will come and try to rock you when things are at their best. It's no coincidence that on Monday I found out about getting into grad school, and on Tuesday I found out how I was betrayed and how in turn I hurt other people. It's enough to make me think that I don't deserve the good in my life, that I'm not worthy of those blessings. But it's not true. And I might think, well then those people I hurt are just out of luck, but no, no person is my enemy. We are all just weak enough to think that our battles should be fought on this dirt, when really my battle is with something else entirely.
Anyway, I'm so glad I'm faithful, and that by going to church I'm reminded constantly of the good there is yet to be done.
Everybody have a great Memorial Day weekend!!!!
Love yaaaaaa! Muah!
Lau
Monday, May 30, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Day 3
I'm posting this at 2am, I'm too tired for more writing lol
Just watch the vid.
THE VIDEO ISNT WORKING??? :(
Just watch the vid.
THE VIDEO ISNT WORKING??? :(
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Learning to Cut Back
Sometimes simple is better and this month I'm cutting back.
First up is Lent. This past weekend I rededicated myself to Christ while I was at "the Mount" with my friend in Chesapeake. It's a big deal for me, it's been a long time since I really took the time to develop my relationship with Christ, so I'm really pleased about the step I took on Sunday. And this week Lent begins, starting with Ash Wednesday. Starting Wednesday and for the next 40 days until Easter I'll be giving up some up things that I think distract me or get in my way of growing and being the kind of woman I want to be. So starting Wednesday I'm giving up cursing, Facebook, physical intimacy, yelling and red meats (chicken/fish are okay). I simply feel like with these things out of the way I'll be able to focus on what's more important.
But taking it all the way back to the basics of this blog - when we don't dedicate our time to distractions we are much more open to noticing all the small things that change the direction of our lives on a daily basis. Being home again, maybe by not yelling I'll be able to hear what it is that my parents have to say - maybe I'll have them hear me. A wise friend put me on the idea that what I do speaks 1,000 times more than what I say, and I know that by being what I want to be instead of talking about what I want to be will work much more for me.
Now I'm starting something else that isn't for everybody, and not all people will agree with it - but it's a choice I'm making. Today was my first day of the Master Cleanse liquid detox. I don't feel like typing an explanation of it but I'll be recording a video every night to talk about what I'm experiencing. But the idea is that I'm pushing myself to be the change I want to see. I'm motivating myself by putting my business out there.
So, for all the world to know, I'm posting my stats. I figure, if everyone is watching and wondering how it will turn out, and they can see my progress, then I will be motivated to continue and show them what I can do. This is hard for me, and I don't know all of you that well, so all I ask is that you be supportive in whatever way you would like. Just, please be kind! :) Thanks.
Stats:
Weight on March 1, 2011: 160 lbs.
Weight on March 7, 2011 (after ease in period of eating only fruits/veggies): 157 lbs.
I'll weigh myself again in the morning. But yeah. There it is. Now you all know.
Here goes nothing, wish me luck...
First up is Lent. This past weekend I rededicated myself to Christ while I was at "the Mount" with my friend in Chesapeake. It's a big deal for me, it's been a long time since I really took the time to develop my relationship with Christ, so I'm really pleased about the step I took on Sunday. And this week Lent begins, starting with Ash Wednesday. Starting Wednesday and for the next 40 days until Easter I'll be giving up some up things that I think distract me or get in my way of growing and being the kind of woman I want to be. So starting Wednesday I'm giving up cursing, Facebook, physical intimacy, yelling and red meats (chicken/fish are okay). I simply feel like with these things out of the way I'll be able to focus on what's more important.
But taking it all the way back to the basics of this blog - when we don't dedicate our time to distractions we are much more open to noticing all the small things that change the direction of our lives on a daily basis. Being home again, maybe by not yelling I'll be able to hear what it is that my parents have to say - maybe I'll have them hear me. A wise friend put me on the idea that what I do speaks 1,000 times more than what I say, and I know that by being what I want to be instead of talking about what I want to be will work much more for me.
Now I'm starting something else that isn't for everybody, and not all people will agree with it - but it's a choice I'm making. Today was my first day of the Master Cleanse liquid detox. I don't feel like typing an explanation of it but I'll be recording a video every night to talk about what I'm experiencing. But the idea is that I'm pushing myself to be the change I want to see. I'm motivating myself by putting my business out there.
So, for all the world to know, I'm posting my stats. I figure, if everyone is watching and wondering how it will turn out, and they can see my progress, then I will be motivated to continue and show them what I can do. This is hard for me, and I don't know all of you that well, so all I ask is that you be supportive in whatever way you would like. Just, please be kind! :) Thanks.
Stats:
Weight on March 1, 2011: 160 lbs.
Weight on March 7, 2011 (after ease in period of eating only fruits/veggies): 157 lbs.
I'll weigh myself again in the morning. But yeah. There it is. Now you all know.
Here goes nothing, wish me luck...
Thursday, January 27, 2011
With the Quickness!
Hey guys, quick post today.
Just have to be a little me-centered for a moment and say, I GOT A JOB!!!
Wee! I'm super happy and I just feel ridiculously blessed and favored. I know it's a tough market out there right now, so the fact that I was able to snatch up a quality job within 12 days of returning to the US is a pretty big deal.
But anyway, on with the show. Today there is a bunch of snow on the ground which is impeding me making a planned visit to Norfolk :( But I've always loved snow so that's okay.
What is the nice thing about this??? Because exhibit A surely says "this sucks":
Well, to be honest, this:
Negra's very first experience in snow! Do you remember what snow was like for you when you were 10? When you hoped beyond hope that it would snow so you could get out of going to school and could go sledding, make snow forts, snow men, and snow angels? Remember that? Well, I might not be running outside into the cold to do all that, but just reminiscing on that times makes me really happy. Even in a dark, cold moment we should seek to find the light side of things.
Things could always get worse. And you know what, if you're always the person who is optimistic and sees the good in a bad situation people will look at you and think maybe you're silly, but if you are always the pessimistic, dramatic, grouch, well - people will always think you're a cynic.
I'd rather be silly than a cynic any day.
Have fun and be safe out there guys!
Muah!
Just have to be a little me-centered for a moment and say, I GOT A JOB!!!
Wee! I'm super happy and I just feel ridiculously blessed and favored. I know it's a tough market out there right now, so the fact that I was able to snatch up a quality job within 12 days of returning to the US is a pretty big deal.
But anyway, on with the show. Today there is a bunch of snow on the ground which is impeding me making a planned visit to Norfolk :( But I've always loved snow so that's okay.
What is the nice thing about this??? Because exhibit A surely says "this sucks":
Well, to be honest, this:
Negra's very first experience in snow! Do you remember what snow was like for you when you were 10? When you hoped beyond hope that it would snow so you could get out of going to school and could go sledding, make snow forts, snow men, and snow angels? Remember that? Well, I might not be running outside into the cold to do all that, but just reminiscing on that times makes me really happy. Even in a dark, cold moment we should seek to find the light side of things.
Things could always get worse. And you know what, if you're always the person who is optimistic and sees the good in a bad situation people will look at you and think maybe you're silly, but if you are always the pessimistic, dramatic, grouch, well - people will always think you're a cynic.
I'd rather be silly than a cynic any day.
Have fun and be safe out there guys!
Muah!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Sometimes you gotta switch lenses
Hi!!! Yes, I'm back after my very awesome trip to Manizales - I had an amazing time and I just have to say that if you haven't been there during the Feria, you definitely have to go!
So today I learned a great lesson about stepping back and reassessing situations from a different POV. If you had seen me this afternoon you would have said "Okay, I think I need to run for cover" because I was HEATEDDDDDDD. Like, I can't explain the level of mad I was. And all for such a stupid thing...Let me set it up for you:
My mother made the innocent mistake of throwing out my favorite pair of sneakers because they were dirty. Now when I say dirty, I mean FILTHY - but that's because I went paintballing in them on Monday and they were covered in mud. The thing is, those were my capoeira shoes. I went to Brasil in August 2010 which was a big deal for me because it was the first vacation I ever took that I completely paid for myself. I worked and saved for months to take that trip, and the only thing I brought back from Brasil for myself were those sneakers, so I could play capoeira. So they have a lot of sentimental value. Like, A LOT.
And that was precisely what my mother threw into the garbage, without asking me or telling me she did so. My automatic reaction was this feeling of impotent rage at not being able to recover them, and I felt like I was slapped in the face. You see, I processed it as the following...[My mother could care less about my things, and now that I'm mad she laughs and says to not take it so seriously??? She doesn't give a rat's behind how I feel or what I think!!!]...so my interpretation was pretty much "My mom is the devil incarnate". LoL I'm ashamed to say it now, but it was a little kid's reaction.
I definitely had to take a breather and calm myself down after I realized what had happened because I felt so provoked and upset. But we are grown ups now, right? So we use our words and our inside voices :P
The point is, later in the day I had to go visit my mother's father in the hospital and he got emotional talking to me, telling me that the only thing I had in life was my mother and father and I should never endeavor to be too far from their sides. Afterward I went for a late lunch with my mom and her brother, Lucho, and we started talking about their childhood. It was rough because my mother's mother died during childbirth, and Lucho's mother married my grandfather years after that. The result was that my grandfather was left a widower with 5 children, and not knowing what to do, was very harsh with them and ended up splitting them up into different homes while he got himself back up on his feet. End result, some of his children resent him so much for sending them away that they don't talk to him, or just barely.
Now, connecting that back to my shoe drama. In a moment of anger, I make my mother the devil, I blame her for my pain, and I interpret her actions as malicious. The same way my uncles may have looked at my grandfather when they were young. If I choose to hold onto my interpretation, what do I gain? Maybe I get to make my mom wrong about something, maybe I can be her victim (and let's be honest, it's more beneficial to be the victim sometimes) and get pity and make other people call her wrong too. I get to be right! But...So what? I get to be right, but I don't talk to her? What kind of relationship do we have? You give something up when you make people wrong, you give up love, understanding and communication. Is that really worth it?
I know the situation is not at all the same, but I don't want to end up like my uncles who don't speak with my grandfather because of something he did out of pure desperation 45 years ago. That is far too long to hold on to something. Therefore, I choose to interpret things with a new lens today. If my mom threw away my dirty shoes, well dammit, who wants their kid walking around looking like a dump? She probably thought I wouldn't wear them anymore anyway. She only had good intentions. Plus, she didn't even know the whole Brasil/Capoeira connection, so who can blame her for that?
Today I encourage you to switch your lens. Try to see things from a better point of view. Honestly, what do we get from being offended and angry with somebody - especially somebody we love dearly? Personally, I don't think being right, or making someone wrong, is worth the head or heart ache.
So add that to the little things that save your life, maybe with just the right adjustment you can begin to see that there is hope for a better future, whether it be with a phone call, a replaced pair of shoes, or a simple knock at the door.
Every relationship is a journey we take, and every journey starts with a single step. So let's start on the right foot, shall we?
So today I learned a great lesson about stepping back and reassessing situations from a different POV. If you had seen me this afternoon you would have said "Okay, I think I need to run for cover" because I was HEATEDDDDDDD. Like, I can't explain the level of mad I was. And all for such a stupid thing...Let me set it up for you:
My mother made the innocent mistake of throwing out my favorite pair of sneakers because they were dirty. Now when I say dirty, I mean FILTHY - but that's because I went paintballing in them on Monday and they were covered in mud. The thing is, those were my capoeira shoes. I went to Brasil in August 2010 which was a big deal for me because it was the first vacation I ever took that I completely paid for myself. I worked and saved for months to take that trip, and the only thing I brought back from Brasil for myself were those sneakers, so I could play capoeira. So they have a lot of sentimental value. Like, A LOT.
And that was precisely what my mother threw into the garbage, without asking me or telling me she did so. My automatic reaction was this feeling of impotent rage at not being able to recover them, and I felt like I was slapped in the face. You see, I processed it as the following...[My mother could care less about my things, and now that I'm mad she laughs and says to not take it so seriously??? She doesn't give a rat's behind how I feel or what I think!!!]...so my interpretation was pretty much "My mom is the devil incarnate". LoL I'm ashamed to say it now, but it was a little kid's reaction.
I definitely had to take a breather and calm myself down after I realized what had happened because I felt so provoked and upset. But we are grown ups now, right? So we use our words and our inside voices :P
The point is, later in the day I had to go visit my mother's father in the hospital and he got emotional talking to me, telling me that the only thing I had in life was my mother and father and I should never endeavor to be too far from their sides. Afterward I went for a late lunch with my mom and her brother, Lucho, and we started talking about their childhood. It was rough because my mother's mother died during childbirth, and Lucho's mother married my grandfather years after that. The result was that my grandfather was left a widower with 5 children, and not knowing what to do, was very harsh with them and ended up splitting them up into different homes while he got himself back up on his feet. End result, some of his children resent him so much for sending them away that they don't talk to him, or just barely.
Now, connecting that back to my shoe drama. In a moment of anger, I make my mother the devil, I blame her for my pain, and I interpret her actions as malicious. The same way my uncles may have looked at my grandfather when they were young. If I choose to hold onto my interpretation, what do I gain? Maybe I get to make my mom wrong about something, maybe I can be her victim (and let's be honest, it's more beneficial to be the victim sometimes) and get pity and make other people call her wrong too. I get to be right! But...So what? I get to be right, but I don't talk to her? What kind of relationship do we have? You give something up when you make people wrong, you give up love, understanding and communication. Is that really worth it?
I know the situation is not at all the same, but I don't want to end up like my uncles who don't speak with my grandfather because of something he did out of pure desperation 45 years ago. That is far too long to hold on to something. Therefore, I choose to interpret things with a new lens today. If my mom threw away my dirty shoes, well dammit, who wants their kid walking around looking like a dump? She probably thought I wouldn't wear them anymore anyway. She only had good intentions. Plus, she didn't even know the whole Brasil/Capoeira connection, so who can blame her for that?
Today I encourage you to switch your lens. Try to see things from a better point of view. Honestly, what do we get from being offended and angry with somebody - especially somebody we love dearly? Personally, I don't think being right, or making someone wrong, is worth the head or heart ache.
So add that to the little things that save your life, maybe with just the right adjustment you can begin to see that there is hope for a better future, whether it be with a phone call, a replaced pair of shoes, or a simple knock at the door.
Every relationship is a journey we take, and every journey starts with a single step. So let's start on the right foot, shall we?
Monday, January 3, 2011
On A Rainy Day, Microwave Experiments
Today has been especially frustrating. Arguments with the family are never very uplifting. Neither are rainy days. But someone told me to smile because, well you know...Jesus loves you.
And they're right. One thing I've learned is that all that unnecessary drama just works for a higher purpose, but if you let your own selfish feelings get the better of you, you're missing out on another opportunity to love.
I'm leaving to go to the Feria de Manizales tonight...it's a 10 hour bus ride. Hence the bed rest for the past 4 days, trying to get that strength up! So I'll be out for a while. But I wanted to leave you all with a goofy experiment I tried with my momma this afternoon (after our argument). Letting go of bad vibes and moving forward is the only way to deal with such things.
So for your viewing pleasure, I present:
Coffee Mug Chocolate Cake or "The Internet Knows What It's Talking About"
Step 1: Mix questionable ingredients in a mug as your mother makes faces...
Step 2: Create sludge....
Step 3: Cook...
Step 4: Try it, give novice opinion.
(And yes, I revealed my swollen post-wisdom-teeth-removal face...don't I look wise?)
Step 5: Wallow in/eat your failure and enjoy! At least next time you can make it better...that's the great thing about mistakes, you learn from them. :)
Have a wonderful week loves! Remember to focus on the little things. I'll be back in a week's time to share my carnival experience.
Peace & blessings!
Laura
And they're right. One thing I've learned is that all that unnecessary drama just works for a higher purpose, but if you let your own selfish feelings get the better of you, you're missing out on another opportunity to love.
I'm leaving to go to the Feria de Manizales tonight...it's a 10 hour bus ride. Hence the bed rest for the past 4 days, trying to get that strength up! So I'll be out for a while. But I wanted to leave you all with a goofy experiment I tried with my momma this afternoon (after our argument). Letting go of bad vibes and moving forward is the only way to deal with such things.
So for your viewing pleasure, I present:
Coffee Mug Chocolate Cake or "The Internet Knows What It's Talking About"
Step 1: Mix questionable ingredients in a mug as your mother makes faces...
Step 2: Create sludge....
Step 3: Cook...
Step 4: Try it, give novice opinion.
(And yes, I revealed my swollen post-wisdom-teeth-removal face...don't I look wise?)
Step 5: Wallow in/eat your failure and enjoy! At least next time you can make it better...that's the great thing about mistakes, you learn from them. :)
Have a wonderful week loves! Remember to focus on the little things. I'll be back in a week's time to share my carnival experience.
Peace & blessings!
Laura
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