Monday Motivation

If anyone knows me, they know I am all about lyrics and music. And naturally...they go together!

Well, music moves and this song moves me as I hope it will do the same for YOU. Check out the lyrics below and my hopes is that it sets to tone for much positivity for the week ahead! Let's make some moves, people! :)

"Make A Move" - Royal Tailor

Mr. Good Intentions, so much I wanna do
My mouth just keeps on running
But I never follow through
I heard that true religion is love with hands and feet
I wanna find my own way
To reach a world in need
I've been captured by the unimportant
Locked in and now it's time to break free

There's more to life
Open my eyes
Someone is needing you
So I gotta make a move

What good are words
When this world hurts
Real faith will come through
When I make a move
We don't need permission to go outside of these doors
And dream some crazy dream
No one else has dreamed before
To show love and compassion
Whatever way it may be
To put faith into action
Do more than just believe
 

We are hope to those who have been broken
We were made to make a difference

I've been captured by the unimportant
Locked in and now it's time to break free
Now it's time to break free

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I dare ask the question.... What moves you??

"Hello Somebody... Is anyone listening?"

I got to believe at one point or another we've said this, thought it, or at least felt it. In fact, I think we too often go through life thinking people don't want to be bothered or inconvenienced. But really, if you stop to ask how they are doing, more often than not they tend to light up and appreciate you took the time to just...listen.

I think I am finally listening. I am finally starting to open up to the world around me and accept the fact that *gasp* It isn't always about me.

This is why I LOVE what Hello Somebody is all about. Within the past few months this non-profit organization kept popping up on my radar and finally I had to check them out! I love how Hello Somebody engages other people to help conquer huge goals for these kids in Rwanda.

Instead of just saying, "Yeah, we sell apparel and it helps feed a kid!" They reach out and recruit people like you and I and have you focus on ONE child. Your aim is to get one sweet boy food and education by selling some pretty nifty watches. I just bought one and I LOVE it.

Check out the array of awesome colors!

My last post, " An Early Christmas Wish" indicated the simple instructions of when ordering. So far, two watches have been sold for Fils Twizeyimana! 

Since Hello Somebody takes care of the orders, I have no clue who it was BUT much gratitude to you who bought a watch for Fils! :)

We only have 68 watches to go till Fils can be guaranteed food and education for a whole year! AND...we only have 2 weeks to make it happen!


I need 7 Rock Stars who can recruit 10 people each to buy a watch! Want in? Leave a comment below letting me know!


The Basics:

• Buy a watch here.
• Simply put Fils Twizeyimana name in the "Note" field upon check out.
• That's it!

BONUS: 

My Rock Stars will be automatically entered to win a $25 certificate to Amazon.com PLUS a free introductory Health Profile courtesy of yours truly, Whole Body Grace.

Thanks for everyone's support, I really appreciate it! :)

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 Would you like to be a Team Lead for Hello Somebody and help one of these kids get food and education for a whole year? Check out more information right over here ----> Rwanda 100






*Winner will be selected at the end of the month!

An Early Christmas Wish

I know. Not even Halloween yet, and I am making my Christmas list...sort of.

If Santa can only give me one thing this year, then Santa... I want Fils Twizeyimana, who lives in Rwanda, to be blessed with food and education for a WHOLE year.

There is an incredible opportunity through Hello Somebody, a organization that exists to feed and educate children, that I want to share with you all.

I have partnered with Hello Somebody and their movement to get 100 Rwanda boys off the street, fed and educated by simply buying a watch. Yes, a watch. If 70 people bought one watch for themselves (or for a Christmas present for someone else, hint hint!) You will be apart of giving Fils food and education for a WHOLE year. That's all it takes! 70 watches.

Now who is Fils, you say?

He's awesome and has an amazing story....

My name is Fils Twizeyimana, and I am 19 years old. I’ve been coming to Africa New Life Ministries since 2004. I learned about it from a former staff member who invited me to the Dream Center.  I am thankful that I learned the word of God there.  Once I knew God’s word, I was able to depend on Him and ask Him to help me go off drugs on the street.  I sniffed glue for 9 years, and I have been clean for 2 years now.  My dream is to finish school and be a counselor.  I want to help rehabilitate children from drugs and street life.  I desire to be a strong man and to have a family I can support.  I want to be a leader and an example of breaking the chain of poverty through education.  My parents died in the 1994 genocide and I live in their house. The court gave me the house after they died. I would be very grateful if someone bought the watch knew my name. I had no hope and no one to talk with about my life.  I took drugs to take my mind off my struggles.  Now that I know Jesus, I have God to talk with, and I know God cares for me.  God has shown me His love through people, especially at Africa New Life. My favorite color watch is dark blue.

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Are you ready to help impact a life and grant my Christmas wish come true? I got 30 days....70 watches. And I got HUGE faith I can do this...but not on my own.

Ready? Set. Go!

• Go >>>here <<< and check out the awesome array of colors the watches come in and start thinking of all the lucky people on your Christmas list that would love one ;) (hint, hint again...)
• When you check out with your watch(s), make sure to put Fils' name in the “Note to seller” (in which you click on and it opens the note field) Hello Somebody keeps count of how many watches are being sold for him!

One last note...

To make it clear, I am not getting anything from doing this other than the simple fact that I am choosing to pour into someone's life like many have chosen to pour into mine. I have been blessed and only wish to be a blessing in return. This year has taken a toll on me in more ways than I imagined. So, if anything good can come from this year...it is to know I was a tiny part of helping this young man have a better life and hope for a beautiful future. And you can very much be apart of this as well. (and this concludes my Miss America practice speech! ....kidding, kidding..)



#TeamFils <---- Trend it on Twitter!



More to come!...you might not only just be getting a watch. You might be getting healthier at the same time ;)












Pic Credit Hello Somebody

Re:Creating Our Family Trees

We all come from a family tree of sorts. We all got passed on the same family traditions, religious practices or the same traditional food our Mom's and Dad's had. And they grew up living the same lifestyle their parents did...and so forth and so on...

You look around these days and decades ago it wasn't the same for this generation of kids and young adults like it was for our great grandparents...even our parents.

To say times has changed is a dramatic understatement.

From high school tragedies, bullying to now the ever increasing health issues arising in our country... it's alarming.

__________________________________________________________________________________


I've been blessed with an opportunity to learn the value of true health and wellness. Moving away from my comfortable surroundings in Tucson, Arizona led me to my own self discovery of how we are really made to live.

It makes me deeply saddened to watch all my family take all these pills for all these random ailments, go through various health challenges and so much more. It's no way to live. And I understand some things we just can't help but most of what these pills are for are for things that CAN be controlled by diet AND lifestyle.


I'm the only one in my family who is NOT on high blood pressure pills. I am also the only one who has moved away and not constantly surrounded by the temptation of tortillas, chili con carne, tacos, enchiladas and a whole host of other mouth-watering Mexican dishes. (But how I do miss a good home cooked meal...)


By moving away from my hometown it caused me to see the world in several different lights. It caused me to see ME in many different lights...that I didn't like. I made a change. I made several changes...


And now I am making a decision.


I am changing my family tree.


I believe that educating others of the importance of eating real food and the importance of staying active, we can recreate our family trees. And what I am most excited about is recreating my own family tree (when God chooses to bless me with a husband and kiddos...)

I have been blessed with seeing first hand what eating real food can do. Making a commitment to my health has resulted in a joy I've never known.

This is the way God created us to live. Our bodies were meant for so much more... if we only just grasp the fact the times have changed. If we see our parents and family going through these health struggles, taking tons of meds, living a not so satisfying lifestyle...isn't it time we take a step back and think....

Maybe I should try something new? Something different. Maybe that stuff they've done for years...maybe I shouldn't do?

I'm not saying you have to move away. I believe changes can start small right where you are in your family...

Every time I make a visit to home I try to suggest something new like...using sea salt instead of iodized salt. Little changes...will eventually make BIG impressions.


What do you want your family tree to look like?

Here are some great places to get some ideas to start changing your family tree NOW! :)
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
Beyond Organic
Dr. Axe --Health.Life.You

Just Start

Inconsistency.

This is what my life has been about this year, it feels like. I make no apologies and take full responsibility but I believe that ultimately...things do happen for a reason.

I believe seasons in life (be it loss of beloved pets, re-occurring bad habits, or just being fed up and utterly bored with life so you resort to watching all 7 seasons of Grey's Anatomy on Netflix to ignore that life is going on without you whether you like it or not...)

Whatever it is that happens to us in these rather dark times, I believe it shapes you to be the person you need to be...for the next season.
(Even if at the current time I feel as though "Failure" should be my middle name instead of Christine, but I don't think my mom would agree to that name change.)

So, now what?

I come crawling back to God and humble myself and say, "I give up...what's your plans? Because mine suck."

Only wisdom I can conjure up is... Just start.

Because I can't get back yesterday. I can't keep regretting decisions that have already been decided. And I certainly can't stay where I am at...

I choose to ignore the big part of me that's always wanting to do "all or nothing". Been down that road... So today I am just going to start doing what I can with what I can.

That simple? Yes. Easy to do? No.

But completely worth it in the long run.

What do you need to just start? Going for a 10 minute walk? Not eating late at night? Emailing someone just to say your thinking of them? Maybe you just need to start with forgiving yourself...

Think about it.








*Pic credit to Baqmar

Right Where You Are

To figure out Your ways- It's a puzzle with a maze in some bright, beautiful place...

Lovely to see but I can't begin to fathom any of the missing piece.

And maybe that's okay?

Maybe that's all part of this love story You create.

Sometimes I think this world gets it all wrong. Complicates it to the extreme. So unnecessary. But necessary enough to see... Should love be this hard?

I think You covered the hardest part for us all... Why can't we see that?

And what is with all these denominations? Why the separation?
Maybe it's just me but...
I thought love was universal?

I haven't been doing this Christian thing for too long but...
As far as I've seen...

What's captured my heart is that You always meet me where I am.
You speak my language.
You step in my world.

I may stray...I will stray
But the line...the line can never be cut between You and I.
You tenderly will tug on it every now and then...
And I become a little more alive within...than when I'm without You.
And I come running back.

This is where I belong.
                                 Right where You Are.
                                                               

What do your morning talks to God look like? Some how I end up rhyming in mine.... :)

What I Love About Summer--#SexyBack11 Update #2

Mmmmmmm.....Berries! And lot's of them...

If we are what we eat... I am a blueberry. Because that is all I have been eating...mostly in muffins though. So, that needs to stop! I've been on this muffin kick lately making gluten-free brown rice muffins from scratch. They are delicious, completely healthy, real food at its best kinda stuff but alas...too much of anything isn't good for you. (Insert dramatic sigh here)

So, #SexyBack11 Update comin' atcha!

Honestly...didn't bother stepping on a scale this week. I have a love-hate-mostly-hate relationship with my scale. So...next week we shall be on speaking terms...hopefully. I've been loving reading everyone's updates and it seems a few of us have had our struggles...good news is we are all in this together. And health is a one step at a time thing kinda thing. Day by day. Sometimes...moment by moment.

Well, last week:

I conquered the real food part. (i.e Not processed, packaged foods...)
I started to get back to dancing! (but I need to do more of it...)

BUT..

I can tell I didn't lose anything AND I picked up a nasty little habit that shall be quickly squashed!! .....((Whispers)) I had coffee everyday this week... *sighs*

I blame the late nights thus...lack of sleep.

Goodbye June, You were not my friend.

Hello, July. You will be awesome.
 

Until the next #SexyBack11 Update....

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. ~Hebrews 12:1

photo courtesy of: GraphicsHunt