Even if he doesn't.

I don’t worry much. I’m usually pretty open to all of the possibilities; even the undesirable ones. I could become paralyzed with fear if I let all of the “What ifs” command my daily choices. When I find myself stressing about what might happen, my solution is to stop and think through what my next steps would be if that thing actually did occur. It can get pretty morbid, but at least I know that even a major disaster won’t truly be the end of the world. And after all, I’m only imagining.

Last January, my oldest son’s best friend had surgery to remove a cancerous brain tumor. I was a mess. And it wasn't until the day before the surgery that I realized why: I had been praying and praying, but only allowing for the possibility of total healing. I had refused to acknowledge that God might’ve had any other plan. OF COURSE the only thing I wanted was for this precious boy to be healed. But I prayed as though there could be no other outcome.

The most faithful men in history tell a different story. (I’ll paraphrase. Look it up for the full text.) In Daniel 3:17-18, three young men stand up to the king of their land and refuse his demands. This king has the power to end their lives, but their faith is in the Lord and they tell him so. “The God we serve is able to save us, but even if he doesn’t, we still serve Him alone.”

Even if he doesn’t.

Even if he doesn’t, we will never serve anyone else.

Even if he doesn’t save us, he is still our God.

I can’t tell you what it felt like to tell God that it would be okay if he didn’t save Christian from cancer. It was both awful and wonderful to lay that burden down. I thought about his wonderful parents and his precious sister, and the amazing faith that they displayed throughout the entire journey. And I finally recognized that God can do whatever wants and we will still serve Him. He will always be our God.

…

On Saturday, I attended an event along with 2,000 other people. During the event, the children of two other attendees were involved in a tragic accident. One child was killed and the other two were badly injured, but miraculously survived. The entire assembly stopped to pray.

I just can’t stop thinking about the Hooten and Wallar families. The pain and loss that they are experiencing must be suffocating, but still they breathe. These families are a testament to what faith in the Lord can do in the face of tragedy. I don’t know either family personally. I just happened to be in the same room with them at a pivotal point in their lives. I’ve been crying for them, and praying for them, and checking up on their facebook posts. And what I’ve seen is astounding. The Hootens have turned their loss into an opportunity for others to find Jesus. They are shining the light of Christ in what must be the darkest time of their lives.

I hope that I never have to face what these two families are facing. I know too many parents who have had to bury their children. As many of them have shown, I know that God is greater than any earthly circumstance. I know that He is waiting in Heaven with a place prepared for each person who believes in the saving power of Jesus. And I know that no matter what happens, God is the Lord of all and I will serve only Him.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

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Xo
C

Maybe the Plexus is warping my brain.

Maybe the Plexus is warping my brain. Because I literally forgot about soda yesterday. As in, I forgot that it existed. Bahaha! This might sound dumb to you, but I can't stop grinning about it. Not everyone is into soda, but most people have some kind of unhealthy habit. What's yours? What if you could just forget about it?

Last night I was telling a friend about how my sugar and carb cravings have changed. Not only have I not HAD a Mountain Dew in over a month... I haven't WANTED one. I used to drink all the soda. If we had it in the house, I had it in my glass. If we didn't have any, I would come up with an excuse for an outing so I could stop somewhere and get some. Ridiculous, guys. I had so much caffeine in my system, I would have to medicate myself just to get to sleep at night. Even then, it wasn't a very solid sleep and I woke up still tired every morning. What I needed was to quit soda, but I could never seem to get rid of the cravings. I've tried before, but the feeling of deprivation was constant. And if I was having a difficult day, my willpower just crumbled.

Every afternoon, right around the time my kids got out of school, I would feel so tired and suddenly hungry for carbs: crackers, chips, sweets... All of it. Even when I'd been drinking soda all day! I would make healthy snacks for my kids (Because their health is important!) and then just eat whatever garbage I was craving. How backward! If I'm going to take care of my family, I have to take care of myself.

I started using Plexus products at the beginning of December, and I am never going to stop! I knew that soda was bad. Hey - We ALL know that soda is bad. So I committed to quit it. But I had no idea how easy it was going to be! I have no plans to quit sugar completely. My name is Carissa, and I like sweets, okay? All I wanted to do was break my soda habit. The change in my carb and sugar cravings really took me by surprise. I still want something sweet everyday... The difference is how much it takes to satisfy. I'm content with one or two small pieces of candy, where before I would've gobbled it all up and then felt terrible! Why did I do this to myself?

I LAUGH when I think about how good I feel and how great it is to be FREE of that addiction! For real. Like a lunatic, alone in my home (or in the car, or the grocery, or wherever I am when it hits me) I laugh.

Sometimes I wonder what took me so long, but it doesn't matter. I know that I'm never going back.

"... She laughs without fear of the future." Proverbs 31:25

Goals are nice, but what’s your plan?

Having hopes, dreams, and aspirations is important. Everyone needs something to strive toward. But just the idea of what you want isn’t quite enough. You need a plan to get there. And really, a plan is only as good as the actions taken to follow it.

Your dreams don’t work unless you do.

Sure, you have to start with a goal. Something you want to achieve or attain. But then you need to make choices and do things that will help you get there! It’s not just about choosing your destination. It’s the little steps that move your feet down the path.

Having a stack of books won’t make you smarter. You have to read them. Shelling out for a gym membership won’t make you stronger. You have to exercise your muscles. Healthy foods won’t nourish you unless you eat them. People won’t hear you unless you say something.

What is it that you want? What do you need? What are you doing to get it?

My pastor often talks about asking questions. More specifically, asking the right people the right questions. Who has experience with this thing that you want? Do you see someone else achieving your dreams? Instead of comparing or competing, conspire with them. Ask them to share what they know.

I can’t think of anything more rewarding than helping someone else. Many people that I know feel the same way. We are blessed to be a blessing. If I seem to know something that you want to know, ask me!

The New Year is laid out before us, full of possibilities. Let’s get to work!

xo,

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C

The American Dream

Like most Americans, my family carries some debt. Like most Americans, I’m a little fluffier than I’d like to be. Like most Americans, my husband and I have been plugging our way through life, working and working but seeing little improvement in our situation. Just maintaining the status quo.

Is this The American Dream? I don’t think so.

I want to feel better about my overall health.

I want to feel better about my long-term financial future. 

I want to provide the things that my family needs. Raising kids is expensive! Raising kids who are involved in various activities is really expensive! 

I want to take my family on vacations. I want my kids to see more of our relatives who live far away. 

I want to be able to say yes more often.

The bottom line is that I want to live healthier and wealthier. From what I have seen occur in the lives of my friends, and what I have begun to experience in my own life, I am confident that Plexus can help me achieve both of those things.

Plexus asks the question: What if this could change everything? I believe that it can, and I intend to find out for certain.

I invite you to follow along with my journey. Feel free to watch and cheer me on, but I would really love for you to join me! I’m ready to change everything… are you?

xo,

C

Five Golden Years

I think it's funny that my last post was about a low time, and waiting expectantly for it to end. I've been missing the blogging world for quite a while, thinking about and mentally writing things that I wanted to post. But never actually doing it.

The past five years have been a rollercoaster of emotion, full of loss and gain. My Grandmother passed away just days after we finalized the adoption of our youngest son. I tore my ACL. Our dog Liberty Belle died. We've had neighborhood friends move away, and we've fallen in love with the new ones who moved in. Our next-door neighbors slowly withdrew, and then suddenly became aggressively hateful and hostile. Words cannot express how difficult it is to share a fence with people who treat your family so badly.

The strain of these difficult transitions cost me two important friendships: one that was my fault and one that wasn't. We've met some amazing people and built new relationships during this time as well. I guess that's the ebb and flow of life.

We've taken some wonderful vacations, with and without our children. Though marriage isn't easy, that's the one area of my life that hasn't waivered. These five years have been middle school years, full of highs and lows in parenting. But every step with children is an experience that will teach them and mold them into the people God created them to be.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." - Psalm 147:3

These haven't been golden years in the way that one might initially think, but rather that I feel as though I've been put through the fire.

Gold is refined through a process involving high heat and caustic chemicals; separating the impurities and imperfections for the good of improvement. Temporary destruction for the promise of the beauty that remains.

I've been wrecked and rebuilt in these years, over and over. Melted and mended. I've experienced frustration, pain, and heartbreak, and every bit of it has helped shape me into something better.

xo,
C