Although It's Been Said.

Many Times Many Ways.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you all have had a wonderful few weeks preparing for Christmas. I know it can get busy and sometimes a bit stressful, but my wish is that you have remembered what this time of year is all about. Celebrating the birth of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, Jesus. We get to do this by spending time with those we love, giving gifts, hanging stockings, and of course eating more than we should. 

Christmas Card.

Many of you saw this years' Johnson Christmas Card. We felt it depicted our life pretty accurately and wanted to give you all a glimpse into our world, TOTAL TWIN TAKEOVER. It was the picture before the perfect picture. Since we chose to do our card that way, we still wanted to take a family photo. We didn't realize just how accurate our Christmas Card truly was. Here is a little video compiled of over 300 attempts to find the perfect picture. Enjoy!

TRUTH: A picture is worth a thousand words.




DARE: In the busyness of this Holiday, take time to create memories that will last forever.

Christmas Time With The Johnsons.

Daddy & Kennedi and Mommy & Brooklyn

Kennedi Ila Johnson

Brooklyn Elysse Johnson

Best Friends Forever B & K

Love.

My World. 

TRUTH: These moments were absolutely priceless.                                      

DARE: Spend this Holiday season telling the people in your life just how much they mean to you. 

Johnson Christmas Card

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas. 

Love, The Johnsons

TRUTH:  

 For a child is born to us,

      a son is given to us.
   The government will rest on his shoulders.
      And he will be called:
   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.     

                                               

         

DARE: Remember Jesus this Holiday season.

Gifts. Less is More.

The last two weeks have been crazy around the Johnson house. BJ was at the church day and night in preparation for The Joy Of Christmas production, a Christmas production put on by The Los Angeles Dream Center. It was amazing! There were 7 shows in 5 nights, thousands of people in attendance and many children blessed with bikes and other amazing Christmas gifts. It was a very special event to be a part of. So, while he was busy at the church I was at home with my girls playing single mommy. I have to take a second and seriously give honor where honor is due. Every mom is a super mom, but especially those mommies who do it all by themselves. You all are my heroes! I am not really sure how I got through those two weeks. I even caught a stomach bug and was not feeling well. So, I guess my point is is that I was one tired momma come Monday morning when it was all done.

Lazy Day.

BJ had the day off this past Monday. Having him home kind of felt like a day off for me too. We drank coffee, lounged around the house, spent some time with just the four of us and even snuck in a few cat naps here and there. It was a really great day. About half way through my day I starting day dreaming about the perfect gift I could give myself for the crazy past couple of weeks. I do that every now and then. This time I dreamt of a day at the spa. I'm talking manicure, pedicure, facial and a massage. A spa day just for myself.

Wake Up.

I woke up from my day dream to the smell of a couple stinky diapers! I guess this spa day wasn't in the near future. Haha. After we put the girls to sleep, BJ went to check the mail. I don't ever check the mail, in fact, I don't like to. Getting bills in the mail probably has something to do with it. BJ threw me a card that was addresses to me. I thought it might be a Christmas card from or something. When I opened it, I realized it was a card sent from him. It was seriously one of the most special things I have ever received. It was just what I needed when I needed it. He told me how he sent that card to me over a week ago and was anxiously awaiting its arrival. I was smiling ear to ear. I quickly forgot about this spa day I so desperately wanted and all those feelings of being overwhelmed, tired and drained went away. It was a simple gift but it was what I needed. I just didn't know it.

Sometimes less is more.

When I looked at the envelope it almost looked like one of those cards with the fake check inside written out to you for one million dollars. You know the kind I'm talking about. So to be honest I wasn't all that excited to open the card. What if I had disregarded it or even thrown it away because of its packaging? How many gifts has God sent my way that I have overlooked and thrown away because it didn't come in the package I was looking for? This card meant the world to me and I am so glad I gave it chance. Not to say that a spa day wouldn't be nice (this is a sublminal message to BJ, I know he reads my blogs haha) but honestly, this card was more!

Looks can be deceiving. 

As I looked at my card over and over again I realized that God not only knows what we need and when we need it but He also tends to send things our way in packages we aren't expecting. There have been many times where I have said, "I never expected to be doing this or having that." There are things in my life that I currently don't understand, but somehow someway I know that it is exactly what I need and more. Are there things that God has sent your way that look different than you thought they would? Are you in a season of your life that you had not imagined you would be in? If so, I would love to hear about it.



TRUTH: "The best things come in small packages"- English Proverb




DARE: Don't overlook certain gifts just because they have been sent in packaging you weren't expecting.

Gifts.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.


I love Christmas. The amazing decorations, the delicious food, the fun parties and of course the gifts! Even though gift giving or receiving isn't one of my love languages, I love watching people open a gift that I have chosen. It is a great feeling to give, even if it's "not much." This year is going to be by far the most exciting and special Holiday season for us. It's the girls' first Christmas and they are turning one Dec 30th. Since BJ and I got married, we have alternated Christmas Day and New Years with our families. This year, we are spending Christmas Day with my side of the family and then flying out to North Carolina to spend New Years with his side. We are super excited. 


Fed-Ex.


The girls are so mobile these days and prefer walking around and exploring over sitting in our laps, so this 5 hour flight to North Carolina should be pretty interesting. I think I might have a few stories to share with all of you in the New Year! As I was planning our trips and going over my to do list the other day, I thought it would be a great idea to buy the girls some educational, fun, plane-friendly, toys. I found a few things I knew they would love and with my gift card (which is by far the best way to shop, guilt free haha) I purchased these gifts online. Within two days the packages arrived. I was so excited to open up the box and show the girls their new things.


It's Not Time.


The purpose of these gifts were for our plane ride to North Carolina. I knew that if I gave it to them prematurely they would not be as interested with them and that the gifts would not truly serve their purposes. So I put them away. Since then I have desperately wanted to show them their new gadgets but each time I remind myself that it's not the right time. They have no idea that Mommy has these gifts hidden away. I was organizing my room the other the day and the girls were helping me. They were actually undoing everything I was organizing. They came across one of their gifts, it's an educational mini lap top. They both looked at it with so much interest and I quickly moved it out of sight. They didn't think much about it after that. As I was hiding it in the closet, I had a moment. There are so many gifts that God has ready for us but He is waiting for the right time to give them to us. He knows that we don't really need certain gifts or provisions right now, so He is waiting for an appointed time. Wow! There are things that I have been praying for and asking God to grant me and the reason I have not yet seen them or have them in my possession is not because He is denying me my request, He is just waiting for the right time.


When?


God knows what we need, but most importantly He knows when we need it. My girls do not need these gifts quite yet, but in due time they will get them. Not only will they be happy, but everyone on the plane ride to North Carolina will be happy too! I don't know what you have been asking God to provide you with or what miracle you have been believing for, but I want to encourage you that it is on it's way. God will do what He has promised He will do, but He is waiting for the right time. 

TRUTH:                    This vision is for a future time.

      It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.

   If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently,

  for it will surely take place.

         It will not be delayed. -Habakkuk 2:3

DARE: Wait with expectation. 

Addicted.

BJ and I have learned to be very creative when it comes to making sure we get some alone time or should I say time to eat our dinner at a reasonable pace. (Not shoveling our food down because our little munchkins are demanding our fullest attention) On our way home from church the other night, we decided to swing by and grab some fast food. Instead of taking it home we parked in the parking lot and ate our food while the little munchkins slept. We have done this a few times. It's like a make shift date and we love it. We started talking about our day, what's happening in our worlds and I said something that sounded a bit bizarre.

Addicted.

"As crazy as this might sound, I'm almost addicted to going through trials. Every trial has made me better, stronger, wiser. I am not the girl I was when we first got married. I am not the girl I was when we moved to North Carolina. I am not the girl I was when we got pregnant, moved to Cali or even the same girl a few days ago. I almost don't even recognize her." Those were the words I spoke to BJ that night. He and I began to talk about how much we have grown and how much we have learned. We realized that growing and learning doesn't come in the good times, but most often in the hard times. These trials and hard moments have now become BLOG material and to be honest it feels pretty weird when I don't have some crazy story to share with all of you. So I guess you can say, I am addicted to the hard times. Not that I desire hardship but instead I embrace the hardship that is inevitably coming my way.

Relentless.

I realized that I was not a crazy person for thinking this way. John Bevere, one of the world's most influential leaders, authors, and speakers came and shared with our church about being relentless. He spoke about how conflict and hardship will happen. That trouble is inevitable. He encouraged us to embrace a positive attitude towards adversity. I know, it doesn't really make sense does it? He described it as a paradigm shift we need mentally. Just as a tree becomes stronger through wind or a body builder adds more and more weight to lift in order to build muscle, you and I should view hardship as an OPPORTUNITY to become better!

Allow.

God knows where He is taking you and He knows what we are going to need, who we need to be in order to truly be successful and able to handle all that He has for us. He values you and I that much that He will allow us to go through the storms of life, knowing that we are capable of being victorious. I tweeted a statement that God gave me the other day as I was running, "God didn't send the storm, He allowed it. Not to break you, but to make us stronger."

Better Me.

I don't know if you are in the middle of a storm, if you have just walked out on the other side of a storm, or if you are getting ready to walk into a storm, but I want to encourage you today that God has not authored it, but allowed it, knowing that He has given you every tool you need to overcome it! It might not feel exciting or worth it, but I promise you it is and when, (not if) you walk through it you will be stronger, wiser, and better. I don't want to be the same person I am today three years from now. I want to be a better me.

Do I sound crazy? I am sure I do. How have you viewed or do you view adversity? I would love to hear your thoughts.


TRUTH: "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way"- James 1:2-4

DARE: Embrace a positive attitude towards adversity.

thank.FULL for the Storms.

Last night we experienced some intense wind here in Southern California. It was a little bit scary. Tree pieces and all other kinds of debris were everywhere. The sound of the wind was so loud, it sounded as if something was pounded itself on our apartment. It wasn't like anything I had ever experienced before here in California.

There Has To Be More.

This past Tuesday I wrote all about how thankful I was and how I wanted to continue giving thanks even though the Holiday of Thanksgiving was already over. I planned to write about how thankful I was for the little things in my life. I am thankful for the roof over my head, the food on my table (well my plate, our kitchen table doesn't fit in our "cozy" apartment), and the clean water I drink everyday. As I was going over my to-do list, and strategizing where I was going to hang our Christmas stockings since we don't have a fireplace, I became discouraged really quickly. I started to look and think about everything I currently didn't have both tangible things and intangible things. Everything from only having one car to feeling stuck and further away from our dreams than ever before. My discouragement then turned to frustration and frustration turned to sadness.


Resistance.

What in the world? Just a few seconds ago I was feeling thankful and overwhelmed by all of God's blessings and here I was on the verge of tears feeling so sad. Where did all that thankfulness go? Have you ever felt discouraged? Have you ever felt your most vulnerable right after feeling the most grateful? Please tell me I am not the only one. I have so much to be thankful for, so much to be grateful for. There are so many things that I have that I know I take for granted each and everyday, but that doesn't mean that I don't desire for more. It's not that what I have isn't enough, because if God chose to not do another thing for me, I would have everything. But I have to believe that there is more! I have to believe that God has more for me and my family; that what I see in my heart will happen. But standing where I am and seeing only what I can see can be discouraging. There has never been a season in our life where we feel like we have given more, believed more and risked more. It has also been a season of most resistance.

Did You Know?

A few years ago, researchers placed a number of young trees in a greenhouse. One group was supported by (tied to) a stake. A second group was left to grow unstaked. And a third group was left unstaked but manually waved back and forth for several minutes every day. At the end of several months, the three groups of trees were measured for growth in height and trunk diameter. The staked trees were the tallest and weakest (small trunk diameter), the unstaked trees were intermediate in height and trunk diameter, and many were not growing straight. The unstaked trees that were waved back and forth each day were the shortest but had the greatest trunk diameter, thus were the strongest. Wind makes us stronger. Resistance makes us stronger.

Dis.Courage.

The definition for the word discourage is to deprive of courage, hope or confidence. I have been blogging about courage and fearlessness lately. Like I mentioned earlier, we are in a crazy season of life. We are having to rely and trust God in very huge and interesting ways each and every day. I have had to take up courage and strength. Another definition for the word discourage is to obstruct by opposition or difficulty. I knew right away this feeling of discouragement I was experiencing was not from God, but instead the enemy who would try to take away the very thing I need in this season of my life. While I was driving to get me and BJ dinner, I knew that I had to snap out of this mindset, but to be honest it was so hard. I tried everything, but nothing helped. This morning, as I was cleaning up and doing my morning routine, I decided to turn on worship music. The moment I did, I just raised my hands and began to thank God for who He is. Not asking Him for anything. Not seeking His hand to move in my life, but His presence to be close. I was not only  overwhelmed by thankfulness, but I was filled with courage. When you know that the One who made the heavens and the earth is on your side, how could you not be encouraged? When you know that Jesus, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is there with you, how could you not feel like you can conquer the world? 

 

 

I wish I hadn't waited that long to turn to Him. When I focused my attention on Him, my circumstances seemed smaller. When I looked at myself and depended on my own strength, my trials seemed so big. The wind in our life is there to make us stronger. The opposition we face today makes us that more capable to handle what God has in store for us. Have you been feeling discouraged? Are you being faced with great difficulty in the very thing you are believing God for? Turn your eyes to Him, to the One who can and I promise you will be filled with great courage. 

 

 

 

 

TRUTH: "Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous.Be strong."- 1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT

 

 

DARE:  Embrace the storm.

 

**Here is a song my mom shared with me. I think it's fitting for this blog. Enjoy!

Blessings 

thank.FULL

Whew! My skinny jeans are feeling "extra skinny" this morning. I had a full 10 days of delicious, not so healthy for you,  food while visiting my parents. But hey, it's the Holidays right? I never feel guilty eating more than I should during the Holidays. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with their family and loved ones. I sure did. It was our very first Thanksgiving with Kennedi and Brooklyn. Celebrating this special day with my daughters was so amazing. I sure do have a lot to be thankful for.

Just Because.

I am not a big fan of Valentine's Day. I think we should express our love towards our spouses, boyfriend, girlfriends etc every day. It's not so much boycotting Holidays like these, but I am more of a surprise me with a box of chocolates on a random Tuesday, just because, kind of girl. I feel like this about a lot of Holidays actually. Over the past few weeks I have read countless Face Book statuses, tweets and texts about how thankful everyone is. I loved reading everyone of them. I love seeing people recognize the significant and not so significant blessings in their lives. I wanted to write a special thank you to all of you, but I wanted you to feel extra special. So I decided to write you a little thank you on a random Tuesday. I don't know, I guess it feels a little more authentic. Well, at least for me it does.

Thank You.

I want to thank each and everyone of my readers (you) for coming along side me on this journey. I never knew what TRUTH or DARE would look like when I first began this journey of writing, and to be honest, I was a bit nervous. OK, I was really nervous. Each of you have encouraged me by posting a small comment, leaving me direct e mail, or even sending me a quick text to tell me how a particular post has helped you. You have no idea how happy it makes me. This has been an incredible journey and I really feel like it's just the beginning. Through this BLOG, I really feel like I have discovered so much about God, myself, and all of you. My heart's desire for this BLOG is to remind each of you the TRUTH that is hidden in God's word or through the wisdom of others and to DARE you to believe it to be true. This life is all about taking risks, stepping out into the unknown and living this life the way it was meant for us to live. It's an adventure and I am so THANKFUL that each of you have taken me up on the DARE and are apart of this journey.

Twenty-Twelve.

My hopes is that you and I will continue to grow and learn together. That we would get to know each other better and that no matter what part of the world we are in, that we can truly do life together. If I haven't been able to personally connect with you, please do me a huge favor and officially follow this BLOG. This helps me see who it is I'm talking to each and every week. I have changed some of the settings, so hopefully it is a lot easier to join. I have a lot of exciting things coming up for TRUTH or DARE in 2012 and I want you to be able to be a part.


This week, I am going to be sharing with you a few things that I am thankful for. Even though Thanksgiving is over and we are all in Christmas mode, what are you thankful for? Please share with me by leaving a comment in the box below.





TRUTH: "Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live." -1 Thessalonians 5:18 MSG


DARE: Tell someone how thankful you are for them today. Everyday is a perfect day to give thanks!

Cupcake Wars.

This is my first time celebrating Thanksgiving with my family since my husband BJ and I got married. I am so very excited to be home. The girls love their Papa Joe and Granny's house and have officially taken over the place. We have had so much fun, eaten delicious meals and made a lot of new memories and it's not even Thanksgiving yet. Today, my mom and I channelled our inner Rachel Ray, Paula Dean and Martha Stewart and made the most delicious cupcakes. 


Cupcake Wars.


I have never been much of a baker, but as of late, I have been so interested in learning how to bake. I am not talking about break & bake cookies, although I have mastered baking those, I'm talking about real baking. My mom and I went to the market, bought all our ingredients and spent the afternoon in the kitchen having a blast. Our finished work was not only delicious but looked like a work of art.  If we would have been featured on the show Cupcake wars our cupcakes would have won, hands down. 


Store Bought.


Anytime I have been invited over to someone's house for a party or even for a Holiday gathering I am usually the one who signs up for soda or chips. Anything store bought. But this year, I am going to bring something homemade! As I was mixing all the ingredients together using my mom's amazing Kitchen Aid mixer (baking at my mom's is so much more fun because I get to use all her cool gadgets) A thought came to mind. Homemade anything tastes better than store bought, fake & bake everything, any day! I think most of us, if not all would agree. But homemade desserts take a little bit of time, exact measuring, and some patience. I must have re-read the recipe about 1,000x making sure I was getting it just right. A few times it seemed as though we got it wrong and had to make some on the spot adjustments. But in the end, we had 24 delicious cupcakes ready to be enjoyed. 


Homemade. 


You and I were not meant to live a fake & bake kind of life, but instead a homemade, handcrafted kind of life. Though it takes time, it is by far so much more worth it. I know there have been many times in my life where I have wanted to rush things or take the easy way out, but time and time again, I realize that going through the process is so worth it. The process is the journey and without the journey, what is this life really all about? Today, there were memories created and moments in time that I will remember forever. 

TRUTH: Eggnog and nutmeg turn ordinary cake mix into a deliciously                                  different dessert. 

DARE: Be authentic. 

For the simple recipe, FOLLOW this BLOG and share a recipe with me by posting it in the comment box below. Have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

GIVEAWAY SHOW

Last week I had the chance to be apart of the studio audience for the show The Doctors. I was told that I was not going to just any taping, but that I was going to be at the Holiday giveaway show. I don't think I slept a wink the night before and I was more than willing to wake up extra early that morning. I wore a festive outfit, put on some red lipstick and listened to Christmas music the whole way there. I was beyond excited. I anticipated it was going to be an amazing day!

Expectation.

When I arrived at the studio, I noticed a long line of people waiting to enter. I was greeted by a sea of red and white scarves, vibrant holiday sweaters, and smiling faces. Everyone including myself was expectant about the hours to come. I have never met a more excited and friendly group of people as those that were in the audience. But what if we all didn't know we were going to sit in on a Holiday giveaway show but instead attend just an ordinary show. Would I have been so excited? Would the audience members been so jolly?  I don't think so. As a matter of fact, I know so. In order to receive the gifts won in the first show we had to stick around for a second taping, which was not a giveaway show. While we waited for the second show to start, people were yawning, hardly talking, and checking their watches every five minutes. Talk about night and day. The expectation in the room was low. Fortunately, the group of girls I sat with were fun and still very excited. We were all loving every minute of this experience!

 Ordinary.


Friday morning was just another ordinary day that I started with great expectation. As you saw from the video post, I was excited. I knew that there were things I was going to go home with that I did not have before and an experience I was going to walk away with that I would remember for a long time. But it still was just another ordinary day. I want to start every ordinary day expecting extraordinary things to take place. I want to go to sleep every night with such anticipation I can hardly sleep. Why? because that is how we are to live our life. Everyone who came to the show that morning was going home with all the same gifts no matter how excited they were. But it was a whole lot more enjoyable and memorable for those who were excited. I didn't care if they were giving away a high valued gift or just a wooden pencil, I was ecstatic. Imagine how much more enjoyable life would be if we viewed every opportunity, every conversation, every new experience as a high valued gift freely given to us!

People have often said, "we should live each day as if it were our last," but I believe that we should live everyday as though we know it is going to be our best day! I think that when we do, we are going to start living out a lot of great days. I have lived out too many days being so eager for a big moment that I have missed out on memories and special moments I can never get back. This morning, no matter what, you and I were given breath into our bodies to live another day of life. Let us not take it for granted.







TRUTH: "This is the day that the Lord has made, I shall rejoice and be glad in it."Psalms 118:24


DARE: Start your day tomorrow with great expectation.

Fearless Part II

WARNING.

For the record. I am not a DUKE fan, I have never been a fan nor will I ever be. I love the UNC TARHEELS and any other team when they play against DUKE. I am not a fan of coach K and did not rejoice last night when he became the most winning-est coach in men's college basketball. 

903.

My husband BJ has programmed our television to automatically turn to Sports Center. Last night, I turned on the television just as DUKE beat Michigan State 74-69. To me it seemed like an ordinary game, but as I watched closer I realized that this game was a pretty big deal. With this win, Coach K surpassed the all-time record for wins in men's college basketball. The entire stadium was going absolutely crazy. Like I mentioned before, I am not a DUKE fan so I wasn't all that interested in the win but what I did find interesting was how the whole team including the coaching staff was wearing hats that read "903."

Talk about Guts. 

The team had t shirts, hats and all other kinds of paraphernalia made before they even won the game. Talk about guts, talk about fearless. Coach K even had his entire family there to experience this moment with him. But what if they didn't win last night? I am sure that had to have crossed his mind as he invited the most important people in his life to a game he was hoping to win. Win # 903 was going to happen this season, it was just a matter of when. Coach K and every other DUKE fan believed it was last night. And they were right.


What if we don't?

A lot of the fears that I experience start with a "what if", but last night I asked myself what if I don't? What if I don't chose to trust God with my life? What if you don't wait for the right person to come into your life and settle for someone we were never meant to be with? What if we don't make a stand for what we believe in? What if we don't give away our last dollar to someone we feel we are supposed to bless? Just recently, I was presented with an opportunity to give financially to one of the amazing ministries of the Los Angeles Dream Center. They presented the ladies of our church with a need and I felt as though BJ and I were supposed to give. In all honesty, I was completely freaked out. I was so fearful to give because we have our money budgeted to the last penny. I know what we have and what we don't have. I must have spent a whole week talking myself out of giving what I felt we should give. I made some pretty good arguments and almost convinced myself to keep the money.

 This Time.

But I didn't and decided to give despite my fears. I am so glad I did not allow fear to dictate my decision and I chose to believe that God would take care of us! Was it easy? No. Will it be worth it? Yes. Have I always chosen to believe? No. There have been many times where I have allowed fear to dictate my decisions. I have wanted to give so badly, but fear paralyzed me and kept me from truly receiving all that God has had for me. This time, I chose different.




TRUTH:                                   Don't panic. I'm with you.

   There's no need to fear for I'm your God.

I'll give you strength. I'll help you.

   I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you. Isaiah 41:10 MSG

DARE: Instead of asking yourself, what if, ask yourself what if I don't?

Fearless

I have been a bit out of my workout routine as of late. OK, OK, I have been really out of my workout routine for the past month! So, this past week I decided to get back on the healthy train and go for a run. I really do enjoy running, it refreshes my mind and body and I always feel better once I've finished. This was my first time going for a run since we have moved so I wasn't sure what my route would look like. As I started running an overwhelming sense of fear came over me. I was suddenly afraid to go for my run and even thought about turning around and heading back home. I really wasn't sure where this fear was coming from. I called BJ on the phone and asked him if he thought it was safe. His reply was yes, the neighborhood is safe, there are a lot of people at the park and Jesus is with you. I agreed with all he said hung up the phone and continued running.

Fear. Less.

I knew that what I was feeling wasn't God warning about something that was going to happen but instead the enemy trying to instill fear in my mind. I started going over every "warning" anyone has ever given me. You know the ones that start with, "be very careful when you go out in public by yourself..."  or the ones that start with, " I saw on the news the other day about a mom who.." You know what I am talking about. I played out all these scenarios in my head and even plotted how I would fight off anyone who looked suspect. What in the world? Why was I being so fearful? Where was this coming from?

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

                                                                                                                    -2 Timothy 1:7 NKJ

Fear. Full.

I've never been a fearful person but during this run I realized that I have been fearful about a few things. It took me a few times around the park to get honest and really identify these fears. There is no love like the love a mother feels for her children. If you are a mother I know I am not alone when I say I fearful of something happening to my children. Sickness, hurt, disappointment, you name it, I have feared it. There is nothing I wouldn't do to protect my girls from harm. Absolutely nothing. I get up in the middle of the night and just peek over their cribs to make sure they are OK and there isn't a moment in my day that I am not thinking about them. I know that God has given mothers and fathers great wisdom and strategy to look after their children and that no matter what, we will always be protective and want the very best for them. But what I am talking about is a fear. Fear isn't something that comes from God. 

Fear Factor.

Maybe you are not a mother or a father but you are single and you fear that you will never find the right person and marry. Or maybe every time you get in your car you fear getting into a car accident. Or maybe the company you work for is experiencing layoffs and you fear you are next. I don't know your situation but I do know that fear can paralyze us and keep us from experiencing all that God has for us. It even has the potential to keep us from everyday experiences. Before writing this BLOG, I even feared writing about my fears in fear that what I fear will actually happen. Do you see what I am saying? Our fears can run our lives if we don't identify them and face them. The areas in our lives we fear the most are areas we cherish the most but also trust God the least. 

It Takes Guts.

Trusting God takes guts, especially when we are being asked to trust Him with our most prized possessions: our marriage, our kids, our finances, our future. As I was finishing up my run I made a decision that I was going to trust God wholeheartedly. That I was not going to allow fear to run my life or dictate my decisions. Some say Fear is the opposite of faith and that can be true but I really feel that fear is faith in the wrong things. It is faith in the "what ifs." The majority of what we fear will never actually happen!

This week I am going to be sharing more about my journey with fear.  What is a fear of yours? Is it public speaking, fear of failure, rejection? I would like to hear from you.

TRUTH:                          "Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you.

               I've called your name. You're mine.
              When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you.
              When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.
              When you're between a rock and a hard place,  it won't be a dead end—
              Because I am God, your personal God,
              The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
              I paid a huge price for you" Isaiah 43:2 MSG 

DARE: Don't let the worries about the unknown dictate your decisions today! 

My 5 Year Anniversary

11.11.11

Today is a special day! It is BJ and my 5 year anniversary. I seriously can not believe we have been married for 5 years. This morning we were greeted by two smiling babies and a very excited dog all ready to take on another day. I would have never imagined in a million years that this is where my life would be. If you would have told me 10 years ago that on 11.11.11 I would be celebrating my 5 year anniversary, that I would be a mommy to twin identical girls, and that I would be living in Los Angeles, California serving at the Los Angeles Dream Center, I would have called you crazy. I am so very thankful for a God who loves me and who has never given up on me. When I look back at my life's decisions I realize that there isn't anything I have done to deserve such an amazing life. But, it is by the grace of God. Without His unconditional love for me I would not be where I am today. All that I ever thought I would lose when truly surrendering my life to Christ has proven meaningless. What I have is worth more than anything this world has to offer. 

 P.S. I Love You.

BJ, I love you with all of my heart. Thank you for encouraging me, believing in me and making the happiest girl on the planet. I admire the way you look at life and believe in people. I know that no matter what comes our way we will get through it. And not only will we get through it, we will be stronger, wiser and closer. Thank you for bringing out the risk taker in me and allowing me to see the beauty in adventure! I wouldn't change a thing about our life. Not a single thing. You make any day a better day. I am so grateful for our past, in love with our today and look forward with great expectation for our future. I am so thankful God saw it fit to bring us together to change the world. I believe in you, I believe in us and I believe in the vision He has placed in your heart. Thank you for giving me two of the most beautiful girls in the world. You seriously are the BEST DADDY EVER! My favorite time of the day is when you walk through the front door and you tell Kennedi that she is the love of your life and that she is the most beautiful girl on the planet and how happy you are to see her. And then you tell Brooklyn that she is the love of your life and that she is the most beautiful girl on the planet and how happy you are to see her. And then you come over to me and tell me that I am the love of your life and that I am the most beautiful girl on the planet and how happy you are to see me. You light up my world and make everyday the BEST day. I love you with all of me. xoxo

-Jo

TRUTH: "I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend. Lucky to have been where I have been." -Jason Mraz 

DARE: Love God. Love people.

 

Our First Date.

Flooded

I've been meaning to do a really good cleaning in my kitchen. I'm talking a good ole, on my hands and knees kind of cleaning. I was actually planning to do it this week. Well, I got a chance to this morning. Yeah for me, right? Not exactly. After feeding my girls their breakfast, I decided to make them some freshly squeezed orange and apple juice. I made a cup for myself and some for them. It was delicious as always and the girls really loved it. I did what I always do and threw a few orange peels down the sink to clean out the disposal and to make the sink smell fresh. Well I guess that wasn't the best idea. Minutes later the sink began to fill up and started flooding over.

Clean up on isle 10.

I grabbed towels, removed any electrical kitchen appliance from the counter tops and started filling up my garbage can with sink water. Water was everywhere! I spent the next hour or so cleaning up water, scrubbing my floors, and giving my kitchen the attention it has been needing.

Things Just Happen. 

I didn't plan on scrubbing down my kitchen today and I sure didn't wake up thinking, "Today, my kitchen sink is going to flood." But I cleaned my kitchen and my sink sure did flood. As I was cleaning up I knew this was BLOG material. I had an hour to think this over and guess what? I got nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. The only thing that came to mind was, sometimes your kitchen will flood. Yeah, I know, very insightful and profound. But you know, it is so true. Sometimes things just happen. I didn't do anything intentional to cause my sink to overflow with water, but it did anyways. It just happened. Sometimes there are things that just happen and honestly may not really have a rhyme or a reason as to why. I tend to over think things when mishaps or inconveniences come my way and I often find myself thinking OK, If I would have done this or that maybe I wouldn't be in this situation. Or, if I would have avoided this then this wouldn't have happened. But it is not always the case. Sometimes there is no point, or life lesson. Sometimes things just happen.

 It's Not Over.

 You know what else "just happens" sometimes? The plumber finally decides to come over and fix the problem right when you put your kids down for their nap. Oh yeah, a dog barking, a plumber who doesn't understand the meaning "inside voices" and a very loud machine that has now been running for the past 30 minutes all happening right now as I write. Great thing is that my girls are sleeping right through it. Whew!

I Want to Hear From You. 

Has something "just happened" in your world this week or even this morning? I want to hear about it, so please comment below.




TRUTH:  "Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today." - Mark Twain

DARE: Don't over think it. Some things just happen.

Guilt

Did I spend enough time with my daughters individually today? Did I give enough attention to my dog? Did I even feed my dog? Did I call and text back everyone? Did the house look straightened up before my husband got home? Should I have done a load of laundry or two instead of taking a nap while the girls took theirs? Should I have cooked rather than ordered a pizza for dinner tonight?

Could Have. Should Have.

These are the million questions I go to bed asking myself most nights. My day is filled with chasing my girls around the house, keeping the house looking clean, making out with my husband every once in a while, keeping up with friends and family, ministry and even playing fetch with my dog. When my head finally hits the pillow I question if all that I have done was enough. I make mental notes of what I am going to do more of the next day. I feel guilty for handing my husband a baby with a dirty diaper as he walks through our door after a long day at work. I feel guilty for not spending enough time with God or for not brushing my teeth before 2pm. I even get "buyers regret" and find myself standing in the Customer Service line one too many times at Target.

You're Enough.

The other night as I was going through my list of " I could have done better", I felt God say, "You did your best and that's good enough for me. These feelings of guilt have not come from me. I am pleased with you." I laid there with my eyes opened and just began to re think my day. Instead of " I should have done this or that", I was thinking, "I look forward to doing more of this or that tomorrow." God wants us to always strive for better and to expect greater things in ourselves and each other, but He doesn't want us to overlook all that we have been today.

Condemnation.

What I have been dealing with is condemnation. I have been scolding myself every night for the areas I feel I have come up short rather than rejoicing in all that I have accomplished and done well. When I realized that what I felt wasn't true guilt, but false guilt and that I was feeling like a bad mommy, wife or friend I knew that this was not coming from God. God always desires better from us and wants us to be the best person we can be, He does not accuse us. He explains and shows us how we can better ourselves. I really feel like I am not alone in this. Have you been feeling guilty lately? Have you been feeling like you are not being a good enough mom, friend, brother, co- worker or child of God?


Conviction.


God does desire for us to live a full life and accomplish all that He has set out for us too, but He does not condemn us, He convicts us. There is a line between condemnation and conviction and I feel like there is freedom in understanding the difference. God does not beat us up or expose our weaknesses to leave us feeling hopeless but leads us to contrition. When He convicts us he explains rather than accuses. His conviction illuminates our path instead of darkening our understanding. It leads us to Him instead of leading us away from Him. When He convicts us it feels light and right not heavy and wrong. It is not a finger pointed at us, but instead it is pointed at our sin or our issue.

I have been getting bullied and the other night I finally decided to stick up for myself. I am a good mother and so are you. I am a great spouse and so are you.  I am a loyal friend and so are you. Are there areas in my life that need developing? Sure. Are there areas in my life that need maturing? Yes. But, that is up to God to show us and teach. So I am here to encourage you today and remind you, that you are enough!




TRUTH: There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. - Romans 8:1


DARE: Don't allow yourself to be bullied today and BELIEVE that you are ENOUGH!

Let it Play Out

This past weekend my parents came down to visit with us. We had a great time together. We spent the weekend in my old stomping grounds, Long Beach, one of my favorite cities. We walked along the pier, did some window shopping and of course ate some really good food. I even tried oysters for the first time. I love any opportunity I have with my parents and the girls love time with their Papa and Granny. Our weekend away felt like a mini vacation, something we really needed.

That's bad.

All great weekends must come to an end. As we were getting ready to pack up and leave, the power in both of our bathrooms went out. We were right in the middle of getting the girls ready and BJ nor I had grabbed a shower. My parents knocked on our door to confirm that our power had also went out before calling the front desk. The front desk informed us that due to some remodeling, the power was not coming back on. Getting ready in the dark wasn't really something anyone was looking forward to. It wasn't a big deal and none of us were upset, it was just an inconvenience.

That's good.

The front desk called us back within a matter of minutes to not only apologize for the inconvenience, but to inform us that they were going to comp the 68 dollar parking fee we had accumulated over the weekend. Taking a shower and brushing our teeth in the dark turned out to not be so bad after all.

That's bad. 

One of my favorite breakfast places is in Long Beach, so it was without question that we were going to eat there before we hit the road. We had decided that we were going to get ready, check out of the hotel and grab some breakfast. We had been looking forward to this meal all weekend, I had anyway. While you wait to be seated, someone comes to pour you freshly brewed coffee so you can sip it as you wait. It's a cute little place just walking distance from the beach. It was long after we were done talking, tweeting, checking our Facebook, uploading pictures and "checking in" to the restaurant when we realized it was taking a long time to get our food. The guests sitting all around us had eaten and were paying their bill and we didn't have our food. By this time, my girls were getting a bit restless and when I looked at my watch, I realized we had been sitting there for over an hour. The servers didn't seem to care that we had been sitting there and I have to admit I was a little irritated.

That's good.

The server finally came back to our table, this time with our breakfast plates. I was going to wait until she served us our meal to at least ask what took so long. Before I could utter a word, she looked at us and not only apologized for the inconvenience, but informed us that our entire meal had was on the house. Eating our delicious meal a little later than I wanted to turned out to not be so bad after all.

What is it? 

These moments were not crazy, life-altering moments, but they did teach me that sometimes we just need to allow things to just play out. I didn't stress out or get worked up about these happenings but I also didn't think they would work out in my favor. And they did. Whether it be a small thing like the power going out or maybe something a bit more serious, allow it to just play out. I can't promise you that you might get an entire meal for free, but, I can promise you that it will work out the way it needs to. What might look like a "bad" thing right now, might turn out to be not so bad after all.





TRUTH: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love     God and are called according to his purpose for them.- Romans 8:28 NLT


DARE: Let it play out.

All Things Pumpkin

I am not sure the last time I baked something from scratch. This past week I learned how to bake pumpkin bread and it was a success. It was so simple and so delicious. Here is the quick and easy recipe. Enjoy!

Learning to Bake Pumpkin Bread. 

• 3 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

Mix everything together, add flour gradually at the end.
Pour into 3 greased 9 x5 loaf pans (or substitute 3 mini loafs for one of the large loaf pans).  Bake at 350 for 50 minutes to an hour (less time if using mini loaves).


TRUTH: Pumpkin Bread is very yummy


DARE: Make it and enjoy! 

Here's what you need

Mixing it all together

Kennedi Helping Mommy

Brooklyn Helping Mommy

Yummy!

I made pumpkin muffins!

Learning To Laugh

Did you know that laughing burns calories? Let's burn a few.

What did the bee say to the sushi? What's up bee? (Wasabi)

Why was the energizer bunny arrested? He was charged with battery.

OK, enough of the cheesy jokes. I hope you at least laughed a little bit. I love to laugh and be around people who do. I wouldn't consider myself a funny person or someone who knows a lot of jokes as you can see, but I love having a great time. I think most people do and now that we know it burns calories I am sure many of us will try to laugh more often. I have an easy time laughing with friends or laughing during a funny movie but my first response to hardship isn't always to laugh. As a matter of fact, it's not even my second, third or even fourth response. I usually respond by getting upset or frustrated or even bitter. Laughing doesn't seem to make sense. 


It's just not that serious. 

My husband BJ is definitely the more outgoing, funny one out of the two of us. I am the serious, matter of fact girl that tends to take things way too seriously. When we are working on a project together I am all work and no play and when under pressure it's not easy for me to just "chillax" (combination from the words chill and relax) These past few months I have really noticed that laughing is so important, especially when faced with trials or situations that have not turned out the way we thought they would. We can't control what happens to us, but we can control our response. Most of our day to day things we face aren't life or death. They aren't going to matter a few days or even moments later, but somehow we have allowed them to become a big deal. When I gave you a sneak peek of this week's posts, God immediately gave me material to work with. In other words, He presented me with countless opportunities to respond with laughter. 


Laughter distracts us.


I've never been a fan of parents who laugh when their kids fall down in order to distract them from the pain they might be facing. But recently there have been a lot of falls, bumps and even bruises as the girls have been learning to walk. Just yesterday, Kennedi was doing her thing, and fell down. It wasn't a hard fall, but I could tell it scared her a little. She looked to me to see my reaction and instead of doing the, "oh baby, are you ok?" (in a sad tone) I just smiled and even laughed out loud a little. She sat there for a second and then laughed back. My laughter served as a distraction. A good sense of humor can get us through just about anything. I am not talking about laughing in the face of tragedy as some sort of way to avoid true feelings, but I am saying that when we choose to respond with laughter, it can serve us well. 

Laugh More. Live Longer. 

• Most laughs involve exhaling deeply and when you exhale, your blood pressure and heart rate decrease, and you then experience a calmness and sense of relief.
• You’ll be better able to bond with your spouse because those who laugh together to ease tension are much more likely to have better marriage.
• In a study reported in the International Journal of Medical Sciences, those of us who enjoy chuckling as much as 10 to 25 times a day experience fewer diseases than those who laugh less than that amount.
• A survey of close to 600 men shows that 73 percent believed that having a good sense of humor made them better on their jobs.

Believe Me.

Believe me when I say, I am still learning and will forever need to learn how to do this better. This past week it wasn't necessarily my first response to things, but it was my second. I think that counts for something, right? I can honestly say, that when I have chosen laughter, it has felt so good. Making the most of every situation is what it is all about. 








TRUTH: A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones. Proverbs 17:22





DARE:  Laugh more often!