how do you want things to be???

i read regularly read the Bible, devotionals, etc. and i also regularly read things that are uplifting and positive, even though they may or may not have a "religious" connotation to them. sometimes i find that the non-religious reading is more uplifting, encouraging, and inspiring than the religious stuff. for example, this morning at church, the closing song was supposed to be uplifting in that it was talking about overcoming worry, spiritual warfare, etc. but i found it to be stress-inducing because of their choice of images playing on the screen during the song. everything was sharp, jagged, spinning out of control...and they didn't have the chorus showing anything opposite to counter it. it just didn't seem very "feng shui"...they had the yen but not the yang (or vice versa)...the negative images, but not the positives. i left there feeling stressed rather than feeling elated and "victorious."

fast forward to my afternoon... we decided to eat at home rather than eating out. we stopped by the store, picked out some fresh salmon and some great produce, and a few other necessary items for the coming week, and went to pay. the search through the depths of my purse ensued, but to no avail...i couldn't find the card i needed to pay for our groceries. they said they could push the buggy into the freezer for me and it would be ready to go when i got back from running home to get my card. we got home, found the card, got a treat from the ice cream man, and i returned to the store... only to find that they decided i wasn't coming back and that most of my cart had been emptied of my items. sure, they offered to get them for me again, but who wants a teenager picking out their peaches and plums??? so off i went, re-shopping for the items that were supposed to be our delicious home-cooked sunday dinner. (they didn't even wait an hour for me to return...20 minutes home, 20 minutes back, and 10 minutes i stood in the deli picking up something quick for lunch so we could have the salmon dinner this evening...only gave me 10 minutes to be at my house to get the card and turn around, and yet not even that.)

so fast forward further... lunch is over, i sat down to the computer and decided to check out the daily motivator, and this is what i read:

How you want it to be

Whatever you genuinely expect is what you will express with your words, your actions and your life. Whatever you expect without question, you’re already working to create, even when you don’t realize you’re doing it.

Worry is a powerful form of negative expectation. Repeated worrying creates the reality of what you’re so worried about, and that’s certainly not what you want.

Yet it is just as possible, and just as powerful, to truly expect the best. If you can envision reasons for worry, you can also envision reasons to be confident about more positive expectations.

Put the power of your expectations to work in a positive and enriching way. Tell your life how you want it to be by expecting the best of it in every moment and in every situation.

Truly expect to get it done, and those very expectations will lead you to find a way. Instead of fighting against your worries, be pushed forward by the very real and powerful expectations of the positive life you intend to live.

The future has not happened yet, so make sure that when it does happen it will be to your liking. Know that you can expect the best, and then get busy making it so.

— Ralph Marston

funny, i didn't expect to come back to the store to an empty cart, and yes i did get stressed, but worrying about it and fussing about it wasn't going to do me any good. i had to just grab my old receipt they had printed out, grab the cart, and go...get my food for my family, and head home.

life is a lot like that. things come our way that can stress us out, make us worry, and just really put us in a pissy mood...but we have control over how we handle ourselves, and how we react to what is happening around us. i could've been a really cranky customer and caused a big scene, but i don't think that would've resolved anything besides making me look like an idiot, and making everyone around me stressed out.

when life throws things at you like job loss, an unexpected move, the loss of a loved one, sudden responsibility that you didn't bargain for, etc. you get to choose how you will react, and you get to choose how you will live your life...which way seems more productive? worry and fretting circumstances and the future? or being positive and making plans? it's a no-brainer to me!

my dream house...

i was looking at local homes for sale. this one would be perfect for our family. it's 5 bedrooms, 3 car garage, has a "game room" upstairs (which would be perfect for the kids for so many things), has a den downstairs, and the 5th bedroom is downstairs and could double as an office/guest room. the lot on which it's located is nice and big with plenty of room for a pool and a playset. the cabinetry inside is perfect for my decorating style, and i like how the floor plan is laid out when comparing it to the feng shui bagua.

time to start putting together a decorating "dream"...

(i love making a dream board digitally and being able to share it on my blog too! fun!)

my dream car...

i have been looking at this vehicle for awhile now. it's been on my dream board, i notice them every time i see one on the road, it's perfect. it's not a minivan, it's not an SUV, and it has room for my whole family...it's sleek, modern, and all-around amazing! i will be buying this car within the next 24 months...and as a bonus, i will be supporting my big brother's job when i do. next on my list is to test drive it...maybe over spring break, that would be a great "date" for my hubby and me!

fear, fulfillment and destiny...

"if fear is keeping you from being who God wants you to be, the most important question you have to ask yourself is this: am i fulfilling the life that I know I am called to live? am i living my destiny?" --jeff greathouse

no, i haven't posted on here in awhile. i decided to absolutely, 100% focus on my family and having the best christmas season possible! and let me tell you, it was amazing! we didn't have tons of cash for gifts, but the kids did get things they wanted and liked, we ate well, and we did TONS of baking! i think my favorite baked item this year were the earl grey cookies, but i really enjoyed attempting springerle, making sirupsnippers, and lots of other delectable goodies! the norwegian lefse for christmas eve turned out to be the best batch ever too. my kids enjoyed jumping in and helping make the goodies, but i think they enjoyed eating them much more. funny thing is, i think they're baked out...they have been avoiding sweets for the past week, which is not a bad idea since i am transitioning our eating as a family back to much healthier options like we were doing before the hectic school year and holidays hit.

so on to the main reason for my post...fear, fulfillment, and destiny...

i have been doing a great deal of reading over the past year or so on, simply put, positive and intentional thinking. it's been a process, difficult at times, and i'm still working on it. but i have finally had a mental transformation from being fearful and worrisome pretty much constantly, to being optimistic, hopeful and at peace. i am enjoying life, in spite of and sometimes because of the crazy twists and turns we've taken unexpectedly. teaching kindergarten is fulfilling in many ways, but there is so much more i want to do and be. so this break from blogger and especially during my vacation from school during the post-christmas lull has brought about some clarity of thought, an idea of goals to write, and just a glimpse of my destiny. (btw...my biopsy came back as nothing, woohoo!)

as for goals, i have always had a hard time writing them out, and still haven't, but now i have some concrete ideas in mind and have done a lot of thinking about "where i am, where i want to be, and what i am grateful for" which are the most important aspects to keep in mind when setting out on a new journey in fulfilling our calling, our purpose, and our destiny.

those goals are still a little jumble-y in my head, but tomorrow i have a date with my notebook to continue writing them out, as well as working on my dream board, coming up with a realistic schedule for myself and our family, and adding in my new workout routine (kinect is going to help me out a lot!). i am also looking forward to a phone appointment with my business partner to discuss business strategies and excitement coming up for our company this year...it's going to be amazing!

looking forward to an amazing year ahead...are you fulfilling the life you are called to live? are you living your destiny?