Oh Bikram, How I Love Thee

I did my third Bikram yoga class this weekend and I'm hooked.  I love it.  It is so hot and so intense and so hard, but it is so good and I'm in love.

Seriously, I'm not sure I've ever sweated this much in my whole life.  It's 105 degrees in that room!  I look like I took a shower with my clothes on.
Here I am 15 minutes after I finish all sweaty and red faced.  Don't let the smile fool you.  I thought I might die.

If you know me you know I'm not a morning person, but I got up at 5:15 (yes in the AM!) and went to a 6 am class because that was the only time I could go.  That's how much I love this class.
Besides the fact that I nearly sweat to death and bend my body into positions that I didn't think were humanly possible another great thing about Bikram is that it makes it so easy for me to drink my 100 ounces of water.  I drink at least 32 ounces during the class and another 32 pretty soon after.  I have to or I feel like I might die.  I've been freezing my water before I go so that it starts to melt during the class and it stays nice and cold throughout the 90 minutes.
If you haven't tried a Bikram class yet you really should.  I was afraid I would be the biggest person in the class and the least flexible, but that wasn't the case at all.  I felt totally comfortable and I'm so glad that I am going.

Best Friends, Best Super Bowl Party

I seriously believe that I have the best friends in the whole world. They are amazing. We love each other like family and I can't imagine my life without them.

This weekend they threw the best Super Bowl Party ever. They've got an enormous front yard and set up a screen to watch the game outside and brought out a couch, chairs, and fire pit. There was also TONS of yummy food. I contributed chips and salsa and Pioneer Woman BBQ Jalapeno Poppers.

Here's Jerad and Eli in front of the fire pit ready to watch the game!

The boys got to make some s'mores, which they thought was awesome.

It was kinda cold so we enjoyed the game snuggled under a blanket on the couch. My oldest may have been a little worried about the game.

Here's me with three of my little rascals and Lindsay with her one little football player. I love her boy and you can see how much Seth loves her!

One of the great things about my friends is that when they get an idea in their head they go all out.  They decided they wanted to use the Super Bowl as a way to meet more people in their neighborhood.  They put fliers on the doors of houses all around the neighborhood and invited everyone to the party.  Lots of people they'd never met before stopped by and hung out.  It was incredible.  I see lots of movie nights in their yard coming up in the future and they are going to make a huge impact on their community (did I mention that Lindsay and her husband both teach at the same high school?  She works with the "at risk" kids and he's the Athletic Director and Head Football Coach.).   

I am so thankful for the people God chose to put in my life.  They make life fun and are there when life isn't fun and help make it better.

Lord, Send Me

Everyday I pray for God to send people to help rescue those that are in slavery.  The children in bondage, the women and men enslaved around the world.  I pray that God would raise up an army to rescue the helpless and hurting and oppressed.  I pray that He would move in the hearts of people to take a stand against modern day slavery and bring redemption to those that have been sold as property and not valued as human life.

Today I stopped praying all those things.  I stopped asking for God to send someone and I started asking for God to send me. 
Lord, use my hands to loose the bonds of wickedness and undo the heavy burdens, and let the oppressed go free  Isaiah 58:6

Lord, use my feet to go to where others will not go, to walk the path You've laid out before me

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:  

"Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?"  

Then I said, "Here am I!  Send me."  

Isaiah 6:8

Love 146

My heart breaks
My soul weeps and mourns
2 Children
Every Minute
Sold In Slavery
Help Stop Child Sex Trafficking 
Love Protects~Love Defends~Love Restores~Love Empowers
 
LOVE 146

Love146 History from LOVE146 on Vimeo.

 Isaiah 58:6
loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke

New Things

I met one of my goals this weekend and tried Bikram Yoga for the first time!  It was so hard, but so good.  There was only one pose that I 100% could not do.  The rest of them I was at least able to attempt.  If you're in the Austin area and looking for a place to do Bikram Yoga I highly recommend Pure Bikram.  I had a great first experience.  The staff was super friendly and it was a great class.  I'm going back tonight!

Another new thing....I reached a new low weight on this journey!  181!  I was beginning to feel like I'd never see the scale move down, but it is and I couldn't be happier.  I'm exercising a ton and being extremely mindful of everything I eat.  No processed foods, mainly raw and organic, almost totally vegetarian.100% Clean Eating.  I've also been consistently taking CLA and Omega-3 Supplements.

And finally, this little man turned 5 on Monday!  How in the world did that happen?  He asked to play glow in the dark mini golf with friends and then have a small family party, so that's what we did.  It was perfect.  I love him to pieces.

Perfect Night

A late night around our fire pit after the babies were tucked in bed was just what this girl needed.

Time with just the hubs to talk about the future.
Our house plans.
Growing our family.
Moving.

Oh and several s'mores.  S'mores consumed with my man around an open flame.  Perfection. 

Feeling Hard Pressed

The past couple of weeks have been tough. 
Last night my husband asked me what was wrong and I told him that I felt hard pressed.  I told him that I knew there was a verse in the Bible that said something about being hard pressed on every side and that's how I was feeling.  I'm feeling defeated in my parenting, attacked in my marriage, depressed, failing at friendships, seeing friends walk away from marriages and God, frustration in my fitness and diet, exhaustion, and the list goes on.  Like I said, hard pressed.  Right now it seems like I can't find a way out of the hole that I'm in and it's dark and filled with nastiness. 
I hate being here.  I hate it.
Today I decided to actually look up the verse I was thinking of and see if God had anything to say to me about this feeling of being hard pressed on every side.

Oh did He have something to say.  Thank you Lord, for saying something. 
Here is the scripture in the entire context of the chapter:
2 Corinthians 4
¹ Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ² Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. ³ And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
 ⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
 ¹³ It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. ¹⁵ All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
 ¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Twice this passage says "we do not lose heart".  Oh how I needed to read those words.  I've been losing heart.  God can renew me if I'll let Him.  I've been turning my heart from Him and seeking my comfort in other things.  Why didn't I turn to Him?  He's the only one that can heal this broken heart I've got inside of me. 
He reminded me today of the path He's brought me down, this life He's allowing me to live.  It's not been easy and yes, at times I feel hard pressed.  But friends, I am NOT crushed, I am NOT in despair, I am NOT abandoned, and I am NOT destroyed. 
The light of Jesus shines in my heart and I know that He is my only hope.  I hold on to that hope with white knuckles never letting go.