I've often thought back to when I was in high school an how I didn't really try to stand out or do anything outstanding. I didn't play sports, I quit playing clarinet when it became too hard in 10th grade and my grades were no where near superior. I was the shy girl with a few friends getting into just enough mischief to stay to stay out of big trouble.
In hind sight, a little more determination and I could have been that girl playing clarinet, getting scholarships of some kind and awards for something. But 4-8 years ago I had no idea who I was. God knew who I was though and he was slowly planting those seeds for my future.
Lots of mistakes and a couple giant regrets later, here I am forgiven, wiped clean, clean slate, REBORN, new beginning!!
Everyday I am being blessed by the littlest things that'll make me so happy. In the 3 years since graduating high school I have accomplished so many more things, be it giant or teeny tiny, than I ever did in the 4 years of high school. I can't go on enough about the opportunities that I've been given and how it's shaped me as a person over the last couple years.
Last semester at school, I tried my best and was so surprised to get straight A's and make the Dean's List. In high school and college for photography I never got straight A's. While working at Home Depot I've tried my hardest to get used to the job and do my best and that hard work paid off and I got a little badge award at the store meeting. It's very small but let's me know that I am doing the right things in this life that I've been given.
This isn't a post to boast about my many achievements. I was just told by a true friend that if you work hard and your heart is in the right place God will bless you tremendously.
So if you choose to see everyday as a gift, every opportunity as a chance to learn and grow, try your hardest at everything you do and always be ready to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. God is always watching and He will bless your positivity and kindness.
Work hard and count your blessings!
#BeKind
#StayHappy
Last week was day three of our 10 day juice fast that we changed a little bit and then we changed it a little more. Today would have been day 10 except we decided to change it to seven days of 100% veggies and fruits. We made this decision because there were three of us doing it and one was leaving on day 8 to volunteer at church camp for a week and the other one had already had foods other than fruits and veggies so I would have been the only one at home doing it. Plus it was getting harder and harder to stay motivated.
The first four days we saw so mush weight loss that we got too excited and sort of treated ourselves with more grilled veggies rather than juicing. Then the next day we saw weight gain and got discouraged and by day 6 we were just so ready to have real food back. Our motivation was gone and we knew we had messed up somewhere in Joe Cross' reboot. Of course we knew we weren't 100% juicing and when we were juicing more is when we saw the results.
About day four I weighed in at 195 and now a week later and 3 days after not eating 100% veggies and fruits I am 200 again.
So juicing works for getting all the toxins out and losing weight at a fast rate but if you aren't changing your exercise routine along with it then once you stop you will gain some or all of it right back. Exercising is very important. Eating nothing but fruits and vegetables for a week will change your appetite, making you want those healthy options more often. Now that the seven days are over I still find myself wanting an apple or a salad and turning my nose up at fast food and greasy things that are bad for you.
All in all this wasn't a fail. We didn't get quite the results we were looking for but it did change my perspective towards food forever. I will continue to juice as much as possible and eat healthy. I've been given this one body and this one life, it's about time I start taking care of it from the inside out and I hope you all will do the same!
Juice on!
#StayHappy
Well it's not Monday but I've been working on my post since Sunday.
As you should know by reading my first few posts, I used to weigh 300 pounds. For a long while when I first started losing weight my long term goal was 199.9 pounds. I just wanted to be under 200! Well yesterday I reached that goal! I had been stuck at about 212 for a long time and then one day I was so excited to be 209. Then last week I got sick with bronchitis and was in bed for days and lost another 5 pounds. So all of a sudden I was down to 204. It happened so fast and I didn't really look or feel any different than when I was 212.
Now that I've moved into a new house and new surroundings, I feel motivated once again to get out and be myself and try new things. We watched a documentary called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.
The man, Joe Cross, comes to America from Australia with a skin disease and over weight. He sets a plan to do nothing but drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for 60 days in the land of fast food. The first 30 days he sticks close to New York City and the last 30 he travels the states with his juicer hooked to a battery in his rental car, sharing his story and juice with everyone he meets along the way.
Juicing the food makes it so you are able to intake more at a faster rate so it shocks your system with so many nutrients that it can't help but flush out your system of all the toxins and force you to lose weight at a faster rate and cleanses you from the inside out. 4 ounces of veggies will make you full but 4 ounces of juice takes way more fruits and veggies to make and won't make you as full. So you drink more than 60 ounces a day and your body will go into a whirlwind cleanse.
Joe Cross lost a tremendous amount of weight in a very healthy way and he was also able to stop taking the daily prescribed medicine for his skin disease.
We were very inspired by this documentary and lots of research was done about how to juice. So a juicer was bought and a garden supply of fruits and vegetables and we are now on day 3 of a 10 day juice fast. We have modified our fast. We are still 100% fruits, vegetables and water but we aren't 100% juicing. The juicing is interesting but we are getting the hang of it. Eating nothing but fruits and veggies has been hard but it has also gotten easier since we've gotten it in our heads that we need to make healthier choices and the water is nothing for me since I've already been drinking nothing but water for years.
We've also already seen results on day 2 with weight loss! Which brings me back to my goal of 199.9. Sunday June 9th we weighed in for the juice fast and I was 204.6 and on Tuesday June 10th I was 199.8. So I've reached my goal and can finally say I used to be 100 pounds heavier! But I am not stopping here! 100% fruits and vegetables is obviously working along with exercise of course so I will update you again in a week when the juice fast is over! My new goal is 160 and I will be a new person!
Hopefully this will inspire someone to try this because now that I'm trying it it's kind of like duh why didn't I think of that?! It can be hard seeing all of these commercials of food and all the temptation everywhere you look but it gets easier! So see you with another progress report next week!
Our first official juice. Called The Mean Green. Renamed The Incredible Hulk.
When you're a new Christian like me and still learning about everything, you look at people and wonder if they've let Jesus into their heart or not. I also catch myself judging whether someone is a Christian by their appearance, their friends and how they act overall. It's just as wrong as plain judging someone.
Hot Chelle Rae has been my favorite band since right before they were big and famous. Ian Keaggy is a guitarist for the band and I have always said (jokingly of course) that he is my husband. I've seen them twice in concert. Once in Columbus, Ohio where I saw Ian walking down the street and screamed like a little school girl, I tweeted him saying sorry and he retweeted me saying It's all good ;) I also saw them at Universal Studios Orlando when I worked at Disney. They'll probably always be my favorite because I have their autographs and I love their music.
Now back to wrongly judging people. Ian, and the rest of HCR for that matter, because of their music, lifestyle, and persona on social media I would have never tagged any of them as Christians and I was wrong and I am sorry for wrongly judging someone. Even though I don't know them in real life, it still counts. Now it's not impossible to change! Maybe all of them aren't Christians but I am so happy (as an avid fan) to see that Ian Keaggy is a Christian and putting it out for the world to see. He's a Christian with a heavy rocker image.
I was home in bed sick all weekend with bronchitis and not only did Ian's tweet prove he was a Christian but it also meant he felt pretty much like me this weekend.
So don't judge a person by their rocker shell. Especially if they're a celebrity you don't know in real life. =] But honestly everyone has a story and then they have their story of being reborn. Their appearance may not match both stories. Don't judge, just be a friend.
This week will be kind of short. I've been wanting to post the lyrics to my new favorite song. It's not necessarily how I feel right now or recently but have felt in the past and I know some people who feel like this now and they may get some help from it. I will also post the video!
Until next week folks!
#StayHappy
Tenth Avenue North - Worn Lyrics
Artist: Tenth Avenue North
Album: The Struggle
I’m Tired I’m worn My heart is heavy From the work it takes to keep on breathing I’ve made mistakes I’ve let my hope fail My soul feels crushed by the weight of this world And I know that you can give me rest So I cry out with all that I have left
Let me see redemption win Let me know the struggle ends That you can mend a heart that’s frail and torn I wanna know a song can rise from the ashes of a broken life And all that’s dead inside can be reborn Cause I’m worn
I know I need to lift my eyes up But im too weak Life just won’t let up And I know that you can give me rest So I cry out with all that I have left
Let me see redemption win Let me know the struggle ends That you can mend a heart that’s frail and torn I wanna know a song can rise from the ashes of a broken life And all that’s dead inside can be reborn Cause I’m worn My prayers are wearing thin And I’m worn Even before the day begins I’m worn I’ve lost my will to fight I’m worn Heaven come and flood my eyes
Let me see redemption win Let me know the struggle ends That you can mend a heart that’s frail and torn I wanna know a song can rise from the ashes of a broken life And all that’s dead inside can be reborn Cause all that’s dead inside will be reborn
Throughout high school, I had too many interests to choose from and never focused in on any of them. I didn't play sports EVER, art was a joke until senior year and no other activities caught my attention. So I did absolutely nothing in high school besides going to class and getting good enough grades. I never tried hard enough to have excellent grades so I could get scholarships or grants for college. I didn't pay attention to any of that until it was too late. I didn't even want to go to college until half way through my junior year and it's too late to start caring by then.
So then it's my Senior year and I'm scrambling to make a plan. (I liked plans back when I was making my own road signs instead of just reading the ones that were already there for me.) The plan I came up with was Florida. I ran away to Florida, took a semester at the community college for business, passed with flying colors, (failed the running away miserably) and moved back after 6 months. Plan over...
Insert more scrambling, more creative road sign making and yet another fool proof plan.
This one (on paper) says I did not fail. I went to Clark State for photography.
It was always an in between thing until I figured out the details of Interior Design.
It was creative. (I love being creative)
I had an interest in learning photography as a hobby.
Now onto why I am not a photographer even though a piece of paper says I am...
I took the whole program while using the school cameras and computers with photoshop so I rarely had extra opportunities to practice or play around on my own and still don't.
Since it was only for a hobby most of the stuff just didn't sink in.
I have ADD and started taking medicine to help me concentrate after this program so if I did it all over again I'd probably feel better about my knowledge and skills.
I'll have to pay for that piece of paper that says, "I'm a Photographer", soon but I don't regret that one bit. I may not have failed the classes at the time but I am certainly not a photographer. But without the photography classes I wouldn't have needed an internship which wouldn't have gotten me that invite to that church picnic I am so thankful for.
That's where I started putting down the hand made road signs and reading the ones that were already there. You may be making your own plans right now and it seems like its going just right but when it all changes down the road just put down your signs and look for His.
Now that I'm reading His signs I know I'm in the right school for Interior Design. It's what I've been interested in for a long time so I have little to no trouble paying attention. I was recently very stressed about the commute, money, rent and jobs and once again by following His signs I am relieved of the stress and I know I have made the right decisions for my future.
So although I have a piece of paper that says I am a photographer, my mistakes of not paying enough attention in the classes and only just passing them and my inabilities prove otherwise. But the photography program was a thread in a different part of my life that I definitely needed to get me as far as I am in my life today. Just another amazing thing God has done for me.
#StayHappy
Concentrate, there's a lot of sparkly things out there to catch your attention.
******Now I'm not knocking my mad skills at being a photographers assistant! I did learn enough for that awesome job! Keeping track of things, ordering things, organizing things, ya know that's my thing with a photography spin!******
Now please enjoy the song you've been singing since you read the title...
Now that finals are over and the March of Dimes walk was this past Saturday I can now breath some what easier! There are some newer stresses but that keeps life exciting, right?
Some times you are thrown a curve ball and you have to decide in a split second whether to swing or take the ball. In my 2-3 week pause I was thrown a big curve ball and I am seriously relying on God to get me through this one. But ya know I had a plan and sometimes you just can't have your own plan because it's not up to you. It's really hard waiting for the signs to show up for the next step for what I should do next (sorry I am being very vague here but to get the message across details don't really matter) but I know it will be worth it in the end. If I hurry too much then I may just run to Disney World tomorrow and ruin all chances of keeping a good job close to school and family because ya know Disney is just way too tempting!
I have never had such a hard confusing decision to make in my life. I have been so preoccupied with this one thing that I have sort of forgotten to pray or read the Bible sometimes and then I find myself so frustrated because I want answers NOW! But to find those signs and my answers I need to do those important things or I will just continue to be frustrated. I have found myself down in the valley A LOT the past couple weeks. I have mastered the mountainous show but when I am home, I am so confused on what to do, so very lost wandering through the valley.
So what do I do? I keep the faith, keep my chin up, make the right decisions and stay happy because even though I am walking through the valley right now, I am not alone. (I was told this on church a couple Sundays ago.) Although I may be having troubles on the inside they don't need to spill out on everything on the outside. I can still smile on the outside to make someone else's day a little better. These decisions are consuming every thought in my head but I've got to try to keep positive and make the right decision.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, I've left it vague enough to fit almost any hard decision in here, then just be patient and look up to God. A couple of Sundays ago I was told the mountain is where you go to be with God but the valley is where God comes to be with you. So you aren't alone in the valley, you will get through it.
I can feel myself getting through this valley very soon. I am at the end of it now. Just have the biggest decision to make now before I can start climbing the mountain again.
Well I just had to share a (vague) recap of the past couple weeks and how life as a Christian is still hard but so very worth it. Even though I don't have very many friends I never feel totally alone. He is always in my heart.
So have a good week every one and hopefully this time next week I will have a decision made and can share the next major step in my life.
Thank you to all who's reading this! I will not be posting a "Monday Reminder". But this is a quick little post to just say that I will be pausing my little blog for a couple weeks so I can concentrate on finals, work, and March of Dimes. All of these things together have left no time for writing so I am pushing the pause button. Just for a couple weeks. Finals are April 30th and March of Dimes is May 11. Once I start posting again I will send out those reminders on Facebook and Twitter again!
I really want to say thank you to my followers. I've heard some great feedback and I've seen from the numbers shooting up on Mondays that I do in fact have followers! (Shout out to my follower in Germany! Awesome!) Don't give up on me, I will be back! I love this blog and I think about it all the time! (Which is why it is in my best interest to push pause in this crucial "buckle down" time.)
#StayHappy
Don't forget me!
I'll be back after this short break from our sponsors...
Lets use my time of exhaustion and lack of writing this week to have a moment of silence for the tragedy in Boston this morning and for all the terror that has happened this year and in the past.
As scary as it all is to hear and see on TV, we just can't imagine being one of those victims. Please say a prayer for all the people in Boston today. Pray for our country and pray for the younger people. Seeing a better world starts with you. Don't pass the plate.
It's a scary world but God can save you from this one and welcome you into His kingdom!
Stay Happy!
Pray and one day we will be in Heaven where evil doesn't exist.
One day as I was riding in the car with my mom in 2010 a radio commercial came on for March for Dimes, March for Babies. They have walks all over the country to help raise money for premature babies. They want to prevent babies being born too early but they also use the money to help babies that were already born premature. The walks are 5 miles long and they have a shorter path you could choose to take if you'd like.
So my mom and I decided to make a family team. I was the team captain of "Heaven Spelled Backwards". I named it after a little girl I knew that was just born premature. We ordered t-shirts and raised money. The time came for the walk at Buck Creek State Park and my team had raised a good amount and I had 4 walkers on my team. This whole experience was just so amazing.
In 2011, that time came around again and since I was the team captain I started getting phone calls and emails asking if my team would be participating again! So I was very proud that my little team of 4 last year was wanted back again and on the call list for coin banks, posters, and other things to promote our team. I rallied my team together. This time we raised more money, had 4 core walkers and couple others who wanted to walk but then at the last minute weren't able to. We ordered t-shirts and once again walked the 5 miles at Buck Creek. The whole process is so heart warming, just knowing you are helping out something much bigger than yourself.
Then 2012 came around and I got those same phone calls and emails but I was living and working in Florida so I had to sadly decline.
So imagine my excitement when I got the emails, letters, and phone call this year! So everyone! "Heaven Spelled Backwards" is back in the running (walking)!!!! But with my busy schedule lately, I am super late in getting my team together and money raised! This is the 75th Anniversary for the March for Babies and the Buck Creek 5 mile walk is on May 11, 2013. Check in is at 8am and the walk starts at 9am. This year for t-shirts I have waited too long to collect money and order them so I am going to get a tally of people that are for sure walking and I will get white shirts and purple paint and create some kind of cool design on them. They will be $7 and whatever extra I make on them will be donated right back to the team.
I need your help family&friends near and far! If you live in or around Springfield please join my team and help us raise money for the walk in May. If you live far please donate to my team! It's a great cause and just a dollar or two...or five will help so much! Fill your heart with kindness and either join my team, donate to MOD, or both! Thank you so much!
2. Scroll down a little where it says "Search Walker"
3. Type "Sarah LaFollette"
4. Click Join this persons team.
To donate: Follow 1-3 above and instead click the donate to this persons team tab.
If you have any extra questions about joining or donating or March of Dimes please feel free to email me at greenlafalot15hp@aol.com or sarahlafalot7@gmail.com or just leave a comment and I will reply there!
Participate in a "good cause". Most people say they've always wanted to do something like this but never seek it out. I was blessed for it to be on the radio and then I searched the information I needed and now it is still filling my heart 3 years later!
Stay happy!
Go on an adventure!
P.S. "I can only Imagine" -Mercy Me just came on my Spotify radio full of mixed genres. Boy oh Boy is my Grandma looking down at me right now smiling. =] I think of her every single time I hear this song. <3
