High Five For Friday!!!

I truly don't know how it is Friday again already! Matthew 24:22 comes to mind and I wonder if this is what Jesus meant about the days being cut short. I don't think it is what he meant but my days do seem short. But hey I rather have them be short than long!


Ok moving on to my five:






1. Answered prayers... (but please continue praying)

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2. I accomplished my goal of exercising six times this week. And I accomplished another goal of posting on my blog six times in a week.

 Click here to read about my recent lifestyle change (this is me not using the word "diet"). 

3. I got to see one of my friends from Oregon on Tuesday! (Shame on me for not taking any pictures to document this event.)

4. My FREE Outside magazine and cards/letters from loved ones came in the mail this week! It's the little things folks!!!

 5. I was able to fall asleep at a decent hour at least twice this week!!! I'm hoping and praying that changes to seven days a week soon. And in case you are wondering... a picture of myself sleeping would be really awkward. It was awkward enough that I posted a sweaty picture of myself.

High Five for Everyday:

*My Superhero husband who accomplishes more before eight in the morning than most people do all week. He works so hard and complains so little. And he loves me unconditionally (truly). Most importantly, he loves the Lord.*

*And our pets, who give me something to fret over. And for also loving me unconditionally (well my cat does most of the time & my dog - all the time :).*

I have a lot in store for me this weekend! I'm looking forward to it! Thanks for reading my blog! Just a warning... the posts might decrease as I'm picking up another class on Monday... I know, I know... it will be rough without a daily dose of blog posts from LLHFL Blog.... ;) just kidding! Not kidding about the class and potential decrease. o_0 Time will tell! 

Lots of love to you and a blessed weekend too (note what just happened)!

God is love,

Vanessa

5 Suggestions For the Average Facebook User {From An Expert}

So I have become that person on Facebook... you know, that person who is always there, somehow liking status updates all day. I use to wonder about people like me, "Don't they have other things they need to be doing? How are they on Facebook so much?"

 Be careful what you ask, because before you know it, you might live your answer. 


I recently moved across the country to Tennessee from Oregon; I'm a country away from most of our family and friends. Perhaps this is why I've become a Facebook addict. I don't really like analyzing this phenomena, so let's move on... 


With all the time that I've spent on Facebook the past few weeks, you might as well call me a Facebook expert... (how did it come to this so quickly...) and being the expert that I am, I have come up with 5 suggestions for the average Facebook user:


1. Don't Post Sh**. Literally. 
The other day I posted a status update that said this: 

"Just cleaned up my cat's diarrhea for the second morning in a row. Considered taking a picture and sharing it with you all, but decided not to. You're welcome."

I just knew that my friend and fellow cat lover Rebecca would think it's hilarious. But then I realized two things 1) she cleans her baby's poop every day and mentions nothing. 2) I should probably just text Rebecca.


Then I started thinking about all my friends who are nurses (especially the ones that work at nursing homes), and all my other friends who have babies... and what would Facebook be like if they all shared their daily interactions with poop... or worse.... Turns out poop isn't a big deal and should be kept to oneself. 

I deleted my status update and thought about people's interactions with poop the rest of the day. Learned that lesson!


2.  Facebook is Great if You Lose Your Dog.


Because of Facebook (& other factors which you can read about here) I was able to find my dog in 24 hours. 

But Facebook is not so good if you lose your keys, cell phone, money, or mind. Not much help there as it turns out.


3. People Are Watching You Watch.


I'm not sure why, but some video watching applications on Facebook allow everyone to see what videos people watch.

Am I the only one disturbed by the amount of people who watched the video about big zits? If you must watch stuff like that then please go over to YouTube, so I don't have to be embarrassed for you.


4. Last Logged In


Facebook should really have a "Last Logged In" function for every Facebook user. That way we could figure out who is a Facebook stalker (never posts, just looks) and who never logs on. I think I could clean up my Facebook friend list this way. We all have friends that claim they are never on Facebook but yet somehow know everything that has been posted... if you're a Facebook stalker, that's cool with me, just own up to it... That's all I ask. Openly admitting your addictions is the first step to recovery after all (thus this blog post.... *big sigh, head hung low*)


If this function were available, it would also have to have an option that said "Has Been Logged on Since..." for folks who have been logged on for over 3 hours. This would help us decipher the folks that never get off of Facebook. 

So mine would say "Last Logged in 5 Minutes Ago" and it would almost continually say that because I'm constantly logging on through out the day and staying logged in for just a few minutes. This function would really help my addiction because it would then become like a game to see how long I could go without logging in. By the way, I need a job. 


5. Facebook is What You Make of It.


If Facebook is a place that you choose to share the crazy drama in your life, then so be it. If it's a place to share your political beliefs in a cruel way, then so be it. If Facebook is a place that you choose to be a salesman, then so be it. Just know that I will block your updates from my feed, because I get embarrassed for you.

For me, Facebook is a place to connect with family and friends from all over the world. A place to share my life and my love for the Lord. It's ok if you block my updates in your feed, but just know, you might miss a diarrhea post... and some really good Bible verses. 




Lighten up already. It's just Facebook.


Oh. Ok.


God is love,
Vanessa the addict 



PS. Let's try to limit the self portraits on Facebook  to 3 a day, I get embarrassed for you. Duck lips need to be less. Ok I'm done.

How I Lost 10.5 Pounds in 30 Days

In today's post I'd like to share with y'all how I lost 10.5 pounds in 30 days. Hopefully what I'm about to share with you will be helpful and encouraging.

On June 13th, the day I dropped of my husband at BNA (Nashville International Airport), I weighed 142.5. I weighed myself 30 days later on July 13th, and came in at 132. 

I weighed 132 in the picture that you see in the upper left hand corner of this blog.

What's my secret?


Prepare yourself. You'll want to write this down....


I exercised more, and ate healthier. Period.


 I'm sorry, I wish I had some secret easy button for you, but I don't.  I know this sounds crazy, but I've become thankful that there's not an easy button. I'll get to that later. 


Since last September of 2011(you can read this post to get an idea of what my life was like) I have slowly gained weight. I didn't exercise at all during the month of May. By the time I moved to Tennessee in early June 2012, I felt really flabby and out of shape, thus the 142.5. 


Fast forward a few weeks later and now I'm exercising six days a week, and my sweets cravings are nearly completely gone. 


So without further adieu, allow me to share 7 lessons I've learned that are essential in healthy weight loss:



1. It starts in your brain.

• Before I moved to Tennessee I had made up my mind that I needed a lifestyle change. As you already know, a lifestyle change is more than weight loss or looking good.
• I've also found that good role models are helpful. I have plenty of friends who are in great shape and look great in a bathing suit. As it turns out, they all eat healthy and exercise regularly. Weird I know. Also I have chosen a few famous people as healthy lifestyle examples. One example that I keep in mind is Carrie Underwood. She is very open about her vegan lifestyle, which is how I'd like to ultimately eat. And she isn't skin-n-bones jones, she is strong, which is what I'd like for myself.  Don't miss understand me, I'm not trying to be Carrie Underwood, we are all made differently, her self-discipline is what inspires.

via

• The Bible says that our bodies are temples. "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with you bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 A healthy lifestyle is a way of honoring the Lord, it's a way of worshipping Him. So why not include the Lord in your exercises and what you consume? I have found that Jesus is absolutely the difference between 2.5 and 3 miles, or passing on what I know isn't good for me. Yes, I pray for strength when I run. My exercise time has become one of my most cherished times with the Lord. Seriously.
• It's also important to trust the Lord with your life (this could be an entire blog post), because stress has a huge impact on our physiology. When we stress, we tend to eat junk, and stress depletes our energy and robs are motivation to exercises. This is all easier said than done, I know. But if I can do it,  you can do it! 
• I choose to weigh myself only once a week at the most, and I made sure it was first thing in the morning. Remember it's not about numbers.

2. Food

• In short, I eat less crap, and more fruits and veggies. :)
• My weakness is sweets and "quick and easy". My grandfather would literally pour table sugar on his green salad; I'm not quite that bad. And my grandmother is the queen of the microwave; I quite possibly could be the princess. To curve this, I've become very purposeful in my grocery shopping. I just don't buy that stuff any more. I know I'm weak, so I don't even tempt myself by allowing it in my house. It's for this reason that I also choose to not even go down the "snack" isle. My sweets now come from more natural forms; like honey. The more natural the food, the better. It turns out that eating an apple is just as quick as a handful of crackers, and so much better for us. The only time I use the microwave now, is if I need to reheat something for a few seconds.

  

  I also consider this an essential to have around. 
• Like I mentioned above, I try to eat vegan as much as possible. My digestive system is so much happier when I do this. I realize this kind of eating isn't for everyone, but I recommend giving it a try if you haven't done so. This is admittedly easier to do when my husband is out of town because he's a big beef/dairy guy. But I'm also blessed with a husband that will pretty much eat anything you put in front of him as long as it tastes good... the secret is to be prepared. There are tons of books and recipes out there for folks who want to give vegan a try. Keep the recipes simple at first, so you don't get discouraged. Most the stuff I eat doesn't require a recipe. For example, long grain organic brown rice with steamed vegetables (simple as that). One thing that I do continue to indulge in is ranch dressing. I know there's vegan versions for ranch dressing, I just haven't made the switch yet, it will come in time. :)
• Also, I think it's important to mention that I'm not a food snob. If I'm at someone's home etc and they prepare a meal that has cheese on it for example, I'm not going to refuse to eat it. 
• Alcohol is high in empty calories, so I have choose to leave that out of my diet. If you'd like to leave it in your diet, then I suggest doing so in moderation if you want to lose weight. The same goes for other high calorie consumables (ice cream, cup cakes, etc).
• I also try not to eat for at least two hours before I sleep.

I consider these one of my must haves. I buy the variety pack from Costco.

3. Exercise

• On June 13th, when I started this lifestyle change, I ran to the end of the lane I live on and back. Each day since then I've made myself go a little bit further, even if it's only 10 feet. Now I'm up to running 4 miles outside without stopping (my goal is 7 miles).
• Here are some essentials while I exercise:
• A good pair of running shoes
• Music (check back next week, I hope to have a playlist for y'all). I CAN NOT exercise without music. I prefer fast paced, uplifting music. 
• A supportive bra.

• For the first 30 days my exercise regime was only cardio. Since then I have added weight training to my workouts, making my total workout time about an hour long.

4. Water

• This is something that I have struggled with. I know I need to drink 3 to 4 liters of water a day, but too often I fall far short of that goal. I do best when I have bottles of water already full in the fridge (or in the cooler if I'm traveling) ready for me to grab. You'd have to live under a rock to not know the importance of staying hydrated. :)

5. The Great Outdoors

• Fresh air and sunshine make me feel better. So when the weather and my schedule cooperate, I choose to exercise outdoors. I always feel better exercising outside vs. in the gym. But exercising in the gym is better than not exercising at all. I honestly can't think of a better workout than hiking or running in the mountains. 

6. Shut Eye and Relaxing

• My biggest struggle since moving to Tennessee has been adjusting to the Eastern Time Zone. I have not mastered a regular sleep routine as of yet, but I'm not giving up! My ideal sleep schedule would be to be asleep by 9 or 10 and up at 5 or 6.
• I require 8 hours of sleep. My husband can get by on 5 or 6. Do what works for you and make sure you get that amount consistently. 
• I also take a full 24 hours off from exercising (and most work) each week. I do this each week from Friday night to Saturday night (Sabbath). I've done this for almost 10 years,  and now my body is so use to that weekly break that by Friday afternoon it automatically "winds down". 
• I've also recently discovered the blessing in unplugging once a week. During the same time that I mentioned above, I turn off my computer and my cell phone. I hope to share more about this in a different post.

7. Moderation

• Too much of anything can be bad. Too much food means obesity. Too much exercise means no life. Too much sleep means lazy. Too much alcohol means beer belly and alcoholism. Too much sun can cause cancer. You get the idea. Is there such a thing as too much fresh air? :) But seriously do all things in moderation.
• It is possible to be obsessive about being healthy. Don't do that, no one will want to be around you. When you obsess over something, it becomes your idle, and God warns strongly against that (let me know if you need Bible verses to support that statement).

I feel so much better since making these lifestyle changes, plus I can think clearer. Which means my prayer life is better and so is my ability to study. And for that I am very grateful.

So why am I sharing all this? 

I truly hope this encourages you if you are considering making changes in your lifestyle. Also, I could use the accountability. The lowest weight I have been in years is 129 pounds and I'm near that mark now. I don't want to stop there... I'd like to see how 125 feels... and then see how 120 feels. (By the way, I recommend using a BMI calculator to determine what is a healthy weight for your height.) So I am totally open to suggestions to conquering a weight plateau (please leave suggestions by commenting below). 

For His glory.

God is love,

Vanessa

PS. ***I am not a health care provider. I'm just an expert on what works for me. There are no guarantees that what has worked well for me will work well for you. Pray and talk to your health care provider before making drastic changes, especially if you are on medication.***

http://wearethatfamily.com/features/works-for-me-wednesday/

Everyday, Every Day Beauty

Huge glorious mountains are required for a place to be considered beautiful... or so I thought. 

sights of the morning after my workout

my content kitty on my happy bed spread

a distance marker on my runs...

flowers also from my runs

my view from my front door

my every day gift from God

getting use to TN bugs

cutting from my hanging basket

my dog. home. asleep.

 I'm learning to see beauty in my every day everyday here in Tennessee...

along the driveway

too may to count

Pond I run by..

by the front door

hiding in the trees along the driveway 

on my way home from giving Bible studies

this morning's sunrise

by my parking spot

Poco Bear smelling the flowers with me

Ike helping with the flowers too

out front, hiding under a bush

an unexpected view

my doormat 

my view when i get out of my pick up

 "And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us…"  Psalms 90:17, NKJV

God is love,
Vanessa

A Memory Verse a Week for the Weak: John 11:35

 This past Memorial day, after putting flowers on loved one's graves, my mother and I went back to the cemetery to watch a F-15 fly overhead. I had always enjoyed watching air shows fly over the Puget Sound as a kid. My mom has similar found childhood memories growing up in Phoenix.  

F-15 (Photo courtesy Oregon Air National Guard)

I'm not familiar with how other towns celebrate Memorial Day, but in Baker City, Oregon the day is kinda a big deal. Most of the stores close in remembrance of those who gave their lives. And as my mother and I drove down Main Street to the cemetery, I couldn't help but be proud to live in a community that still honors the Brave. The cemetery itself is gorgeous, with dozens if not hundreds of American flags erect and waving in the breeze. Flowers and people are of an abundance on this weekend of Memorial. 


A part of me felt a bit silly and giddy to go to the cemetery to watch a jet fly over, but my insecurities quickly dissolved after parking the car and taking a long look around to see babes, parents, veterans, my mom, and so many others come to watch the same moment.


And that's all that it was; a moment. The F-15 came flying in with such force that it felt as though the entire planet stood still. And it left in the same fashion. I watched the jet until I couldn't see it anymore. Somewhere in that brief moment, tears rolled down my face and onto the gravel my beneath my feet. 


After the F-15 no longer held my gaze captive, I looked at my mother, and she too was crying! It was then that I realized where I got my crying tendency. Prior to this realization I thought I was a crying weirdo. 


Turns out that she too cries when the National Anthem is sung, no matter where she hears it. No matter where I hear that song, little league game, or watching the Superbowl, I'll shed a tear. I'm not particularly patriotic, that's not it. Any time a group of people join together for something good, I get goosebumps, and I get teary. You know those flash mob dances that you see on YouTube? Ya, well that opens up the flood gates for me. Choir sings at church, same result.


Or like last week when my dog went missing for 24 hours; I ugly cried in front of, I don't know how many people. Wow, was it ugly. And then when I found Poco Bear, I fell to my knees, I was sobbing so hard. 


When I met my nephew Wyatt for the first time.... tears.


My wedding day, in front of everyone... or pretty much any wedding actually...


So as you can imagine, I shed a tear when I read what happened to the movie goers of Aurora, Colorado. I assume I wasn't the only one, I imagine people across the world wept. 12 lives gone. Countless others scarred for life. 


Perhaps you will join me in taking great comfort in these two words (this week's memory verse):

"Jesus wept." 

John 11:35 is the shortest verse of the Bible and quite possibly the most descriptive of our Saviour. 


There is no doubt in my mind, that just like the death of Lazarus caused Jesus to weep, so does the mind boggling incident in Aurora.  Jesus is not immune to the pain and suffering of this world. In fact, he cries even more than I and my mother combined, and everyone else for that matter. 


Wherever you are or have been, whatever you are experiencing or have experienced... Jesus is there with you. Jesus is the original and ultimate "Been there, done that, bought that t-shirt" guy. So no matter if you are in a prison cell, or standing amongst a sea of people in New York City, you are never alone in your experience. 


There is not a tear that goes unnoticed by our Saviour. And while a universe may separate us from Him, there is nothing that will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:39, but if you have time read Romans 8:18-39)

Please, please take the time to read this post called, 

SO YOU STILL THINK GOD IS A MERCIFUL GOD?!

 it was wrote by a woman who survived the shooting in Aurora. And for the love of Pete will someone please teach me how to subscribe or follow her blog? I can really relate to her heart! 


God is love,
Vanessa

Judge Me Because You Love Me

I keep seeing this quote. I've seen it on Pinterest, Facebook, and I even saw it on a church sign the other day. Perhaps the quote is striking a nerve with people in the same fashion that it hit a nerve with me.


On the surface, I thought this quote was great. But once I did a little digging in God's word, I found that this quote doesn't paint an accurate picture of what the Bible says about judging. 


First, let's look at some Bible verses that do essentially say the same thing as the quote above:

"But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things human beings look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 (TNIV)

I draw two lessons from this verse: 

1. We as humans can't look at other humans hearts (figuratively), only God can. Therefore, God should be the judge on heart issues. 
2. God says that humans look at outward appearance, so as a Christian we really ought to consider how we are portraying ourselves to the rest of the world. I don't like to be judged by my outward appearance any more than the next person, but it's a fact of life, people judge us whether we like it or not. If we call ourselves Christians, we are then representatives of Christ, so by default we then tell the entire world around us what Christ looks like by our everyday actions and words. The problem is, humans are not perfect, and Jesus is perfect, so often times the image of Christ is horribly misrepresented. And I'm guilty of this too; I've misrepresented Christ and unfortunately, I will probably do so again. If only the entire world, Christian or not, could remember that Christians are disciples or students of Jesus. Jesus is the teacher, and like any student, we Christians have a lot to learn. Which is why it is also important to cut every one some grace (this could be an entire blog post in itself).

Let's look at the next verses:

"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults- unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say. 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor. Don't be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don't reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you're only being cute and inviting sacrilege." Matthew 7:1-6 (MSG)

Some lessons:

1.  The judgement we place on others, can also be placed on ourselves often times. For example, the other day when I was frantically searching for my dog and crying hysterically, driving down the road, I had to stop suddenly because the person in front of me stopped suddenly. Well then the person behind me had to stop suddenly, only he decided to also hunk, flip me the bird, and yell. I thought to myself, "How dare he!! He has no idea the kind of day I'm having!!" and then I was gently reminded, "Vanessa, you have no idea what kind of day he is having."
2. This whole judging thing can not be reduced to 9 words like it has been in the pictured quote above (see verse that was highlighted in bold above, Matthew 7:6).

Secondly, there are times when we are called to judge. Let's take a look at 1 Corinthians 5: 

 "I also received a report of scandalous sex within your church family, a kind that wouldn't be tolerated even outside the church: One of your men is sleeping with his stepmother. And you're so above it all that it doesn't even faze you! Shouldn't this brake your hearts? Shouldn't it bring you to your knees in tears? Shouldn't this person and his conduct be confronted and dealt with?

I'll tell you what I would do. Even though I'm not there in person, consider me right there with you, because I can dully see what's going on. I'm telling you that this is wrong. You must not simply look the other way and hope it goes away on its own. Bring it out in the open and deal with it in the authority of Jesus our Master. Assemble the community - I'll be present in spirit with you and our Master Jesus will be present in power. Hold this man's conduct up to public scrutiny. Let him defend it if he can! But if he can't, then out with him! It will be totally devastating to him, of course, and embarrassing to you. But better devastation and embarrassment than damnation. You want him on his feet and forgiven before the Master on the Day of judgement. 

Your flip and callous arrogance in these things bothers me. You pass it off as a small thing, but it's anything but that. Yeast, too, is a "small thing," but it works its way through a whole batch of bread dough pretty fast, So get rid of the "yeast." Our true identity is flat and plain, not puffed up with the wrong kind of ingredient. The Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has already been sacrificed for the Passover meal, and we are the Unraised Bread part of the Feast. So let's live out our part in the Feast, not raised bread swollen with the yeast of evil, but as flat bread-simple, genuine, unpretentious. 

I wrote you in my earlier letter that you shouldn't make yourselves at home among the sexually promiscuous. I didn't mean that you should have nothing at all to do with outsiders of that sort. Or with crooks, whether blue or white-collar. Or with spiritual phonies, for that matter. You'd have to leave the word entirely to do that! But I am saying that you shouldn't act as if everything is just fine when a friend who claims to be a Christian is promiscuous or crooked, it flip with God or rude to friends, gets drunk or becomes greedy and predatory. You can't just go along with this, treating it as acceptable behavior. I'm not responsible for what the outsiders to, but don'e we have some responsibility for those within our community of believers? God decides on the outsiders, but we need to decide when our brothers or sisters are out of line and, if necessary, clean house."

More lessons:

1. This is just one example of many when God does call us to use sound judgement. But you'll notice (especially be the words in bold), that the judgement is on those close to us, and for their own good. The example that comes to mind is cancer. When a doctor discovers a patient has cancer, the doctor doesn't look the other way and hope that the cancer will go away on it's own. The doctor doesn't even pray that the cancer will go away on its own. A good doctor will pray and will take quick, drastic, measures to remove the cancer from the patient as quickly as possible, so the cancer doesn't spread and eventually kill the patient. The patient, of course is devastated at first, but if the patient values her/his life, he/she will follow the doctor's orders, pray, and make whatever lifestyle changes are necessary to completely rid their body of the cancer. These measures don't always save the patient, but one must at least try, other wise there's no hope at all. 
2. It's also important to notice that it says, "...when a friend..." It would do absolutely no good if a stranger off the street walked up to a patient and said "Hey, you got cancer. You should do something about that. I've read a lot of articles about getting rid of cancer, let me help you..." That would be crazy. It's just as crazy when "Christians" judge strangers and try to convince them or condemn them of their sin. The sinner is going to think the same thing the patient thought, "You are crazy! Stay away from me! I don't want to listen to anything you have to say, crazy!" Change in my life has been brought about by people who genuinely love me and care about my future, people who practice what they preach, and people who have a daily loving relationship with the Lord which has stood the test of time. 

As much as I like the pictured quote above, I'm going to trade it in for a more accurate picture quote (which is below, but you can also find it in the Bible): 

You can purchase this print here.

My conclusion:
Sometimes love involves judgement; but judgement must always involve love. 


God is love and our ultimate judge,
Vanessa 

High Five for Friday!!

My week has been like a roller coaster... good thing Jesus is always along for the ride! {Can you imagine Jesus riding a roller coaster?}

1. God has been busy answering prayers this week (and every week)! 

Colton, who I requested prayer for in this post, was released from the hospital. He is far from being out of the woods and still needs your prayers. But I'm so thankful for the progress! Thanks for the prayers!!

Also, the Bingham family who I also requested that you pray for, is going to be on the Today Show today! I'm praying that the added media attention will be a blessing. 

2. Searching for my dog. 

Amazingly, searching for my dog ended up being a ginormous blessing. 

As a result I made new friends and learned more lessons about hope, faith, and love. I realized a love I didn't know I had before. God's glory truly shined through the entire ordeal, which was a really humbling experience. And a new facebook group has resulted (your welcome to join us). Read this post for the complete story. 

3.  I met Ryan (my superhero husband) nine years ago yesterday. Nine years is 1/3 of my life!!! And after all these years, Ryan still writes long love letters. 

4. A little conversation between DeVon Franklin & myself on Twitter. I'll let the tweets speak for themselves. :)

5. "Awesome Abs" class with Jordan.

And now my abs look like this! Just kidding. Luckily for me, my superhero prefers more curve. 

So I was completely expecting the class to be taught by a petite, bubbly, girl. But to my complete surprise, the class was taught by a manly, buff, guy with a beard. Needless to say my abs still hurt even though the class was on Monday. And Jordan played my kind of exercise music! 

 I'm really looking forward to the next class!

Have a blessed weekend y'all! <3

God is love,

Vanessa