A Kiss of Bliss

Life By Heart....A 30-Day Journey with MY STORY!

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Sun, 08 Sep 2013 21:31:00 +0000

The Time is Now!

A few years ago, I was asked to contribute my adoption story to a wonderful book project called, Life By Heart, by best-selling author, Elle Febbo.

After months and months of the publishing process, the book has finally been released!

Those who Pre-Ordered the book have already begun receiving their copy and I am LOVING getting their comments:

As a contributing author, my friends and family can order the book directly through me in a few weeks for $14.95 + S/H/Tax

OR you can purchase the book right now through Amazon by clicking here:
When you receive the book, please give the book your Five Star review to help promote it.

Prayers and Our Purpose

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 18:05:00 +0000

God spoke to me this morning through His word, and I want to share it with you.

First, this is the verse that spoke so clearly to me: (I’ve heard/read it many times in my life, but this time…I got it.)

Jeremiah: 29:11-14:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹²Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.^[b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Ok. So here’s what I got:

In the past, I have always considered a “purpose” to imply something I am to work towards, or to accomplish (in the future). It’s almost scary to think, if I have ONE purpose, when I fulfill that one purpose, what happens to me? Is that when God decides to take me Home? Am I finished here?

But this verse changed my way of thinking. Our purpose is not one thing to accomplish in the future. It is ongoing, and present and active. Our purpose is NOW! Our purpose is to SEEK HIM and through seeking Him, we are seeking His kingdom…which IS our future. (And by seeking his Kingdom now, His kingdom is also our present.)

Think about what that looks like for you. It is different for everyone at different times. Sometimes, seeking Him may involve searching for His guidance in all that you do. (This is praying.) Other times, it may involve seeking Him in other people. (This is compassion and Love.) And other times, it may involve seeking His desire for you to accomplish something in the present moment…where you are….with the people around you. (This is action.)

…and by Seeking Him, we are praying…we are asking….we are searching for His guidance…for HIM, Who is LOVE. (1 John 4:8)

Jesus says it says is very clearly in Matthew 6:33: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Read Matthew 6:34 for even more awesome comfort.)

I really want to know what you think about all of this. God is so amazing, and I just Love Him and you!!!

In Honor of our New Pope, Francis I

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:45:00 +0000

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

A New Spin on Prayer Requests

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:32:00 +0000

“…You do not have because you do not ask God.” James 4:2

Update: Within one week, one very clear blessing was given. Within two weeks, two other prayers were clearly answered. This prayer board isn't going anywhere....

My husband and I heard God calling and answered Him. He wanted us to lead a couple’s prayer group in our home. So last night, two couples joined us in our living room to discuss our spiritual backgrounds, our goals for the group, and some nitty-gritty passages from the Bible.

I am pleased to say that, although a small gathering, God brought the people He wanted to hear His message to our home last night. I am looking forward to growing together, with one another, and hopefully, I can be a vessel he is calling my husband and I to be.

One of my husband’s strengths as a leader is his ability to concoct some pretty out-of-the-box ideas. When one of these ideas comes to fruition, the results are always beautiful. Last night, at our first small group meeting, he introduced a new spin to the typical prayer request format. When we were wrapping up our evening, my walked into another room and returned with a dry erase board. He announced that instead of going in a circle, stating our prayer requests, he wanted us to each think of one thing we have been praying for. He encouraged us to consider a prayer that is easily measurable, so that we can easily see the prayers answered. The idea is to erase the request once it is answered, even if the answer isn’t what we had desired, and write a new one. As each of us took our turn writing our prayer request on the board, we were able to explain it further, which allowed us to understand one another and connect to each person’s request.

When the board was finished, I took a picture with my phone and texted the picture to each person in the group, so we can remember to pray for each request as possible. My husband and I even changed the wallpaper on our phone to the picture of the prayer board, so we will remember to pray for everyone in our group as often as possible.

I cannot remember where I heard this or who said it, but recently I heard of a man who stated that he never prays longer than five minutes, but he never goes five minutes without praying. I hope to at least pray fervently for each person’s request each time I pick up my phone.

Prayer Board...Requests are blurred to protect our privacy

I was blessed to share my testimony in www.lifebyheart.com. Reserve your copy today!

Life After NICU: Reve's Birth Story

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:12:00 +0000

With beautiful poignancy and faith, my sweet little sister tells the story of her precious son, Thomas, and his birth story. My guest post for today is...

Life After NICU: Reve's Birth Story: To Thomas: The Story of Your Birth On July 12, 2010, Daddy and I found out the most wonderful news. We were expecting! I simply cann...

To Read More about God's Divine plan in our lives, hurry and reserve your copy of Life By Heart at www.lifebyheart.com.

When God Speaks...

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 18:29:00 +0000

When God speaks to you, you listen. How strange is it that when we hear of instances of God speaking to someone, our humanness leads us to question whether it was truly the voice of God. For me, flags begin to go up in my mind and it's like, "Biblical Radar! Activate!" While I listen with an open mind, there is always an inkling of protection, preparing for something that does not align with what my Bible says.

But I wonder...who do I think I am? Through years and years of selfish prayers, asking, talking, rambling...I have finally learned to be quiet; and in the quiet, I have begun to hear God's messages to me....and He has a lot to tell me. There's a lot I need to hear. So why do I think God will only speak to me through my own meditation? How presumptuous of me to assume that God wouldn't speak to me through others?

So what do I do with these messages? Are they all for me, or does He call me to share them? Yesterday, in the midst of very slow moving 5:00 traffic, God started speaking to me. The message needed to be recorded, written down, but I was driving. So I pressed the handy "speech-to-text" button on my phone and began saying out loud what God was speaking into my heart.

I didn't even really grasp it until later, when I read it to my women's prayer group two hours later. Maybe I still do not grasp all of it. So in the spirit of faithfulness, I will share these words here. I invite discussion. I encourage comments asking, debating, whatever you feel compelled to write in response.

You need to find out for yourself what God expects of you. You need to do some research. Get out your Bible, go on the Internet, ask other women what do you think God expects of me? Then, make a list. But you must remember, that first and foremost you will never be able to do everything on that list every day. You will always fall short. And God expects that from you. Because that is why he sent his son to forgive your shortcomings. So if you want to know where you should go, what you should do, and who you should do it with, go to your list that you made your self based on your own research. Just remember it is not a list you expect to live up to. But it will form your decision-making process, and hopefully it will ingrain in you the character that you wish to develop.

If God expected us to be perfect, He would not have sent his son. There would not have been a need for Jesus to die on that cross for our sins.

In other words, if God expected us to be perfect here on earth, he would not have had to come in an earthly form as Jesus. We are perfect in God's eyes. We are forgiven for everything we've ever done or will do. We were given that when we decided and chose to believe in Jesus. That is Grace.

To learn more about my journey, read my story at www.lifebyheart.com.

How My Child and I Made a Biblical Behavior Plan Together

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:09:00 +0000

I’m definitely not the type of parent who lives in some kind of my-child-is-less- than-perfect-denial that indicates others are at fault when I hear of my child misbehaving. I know my kid. I know that, more often than not, he doesn’t listen to adults. I know that he tends to have a ‘tude with adults, too. Of course, I don’t blame anyone else, but myself.

He’s a child; a six year old. I ultimately believe that it is the responsibility of my husband and I to train our child in the way he should go, and he will not turn from it (Proverbs 22:6). If our child is speaking in an unacceptable tone, my husband and I should start looking at the way we are speaking to each other.

With that said, it is also my responsibility as a parent, first to Love the Lord with all of my heart, soul and mind, and then to teach the words of God to my child. (Deuteronomy 11: 13-19) So this weekend, when I got over the embarrassment of the fact that my six year old son was being disrespectful to adults volunteering in his Sunday school class, I decided to approach this situation by turning to God, my Father, and let my son in on it.

Because I must be very calculating in how I approach important topics with my precious little opinionated ball of love, I asked my son a series of questions.

“Who created you?”

“God did,” he said, as if he thought I might be a little dense.

“Do you think since He created you, He knows what’s best for you?” I replied.

“Yep.”

“Hmmm,” I thought out loud, “So how can we find out how God wants us to behave?”

“Ummm…maybe…look in the Bible?”

“Wow, son, That sounds like a really good idea! How about you and I get out your Bible and a notebook and see what God says about how little boys should behave, okay?”

“Okay! Sounds great!” And Voila! In a fifteen-second conversation, I convinced my son that he came up with the idea to look in the Bible to see what God has to say. I hope this lays a foundation for him for the future when he has difficult decisions to make.

So I fixed both of us a bowl of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, grabbed his Bible, a notebook, and my phone, which has my Bible app on it for easy reference, and we set up camp on his bed. The first thing we did was to set up the notebook in three columns. The first column I labeled “Behavior”; the middle column I labeled “Expectation” and the third column, I labeled “Consequence”.

With chapter eleven of Deteronomy in my heart, I asked my wide-eyed, ice cream-eating little man if he knew that God has commandments.

“Yes! Listen to my father and my mother!” Jackpot! The only one he could remember is the one I needed to focus on today.

I told him, “Did you know that’s the only one of God’s commandments that also comes with a promise from God? ‘Honor thy father and mother so that you may live well and have a long life.’ (Ephesians 6:2-3)”

So we went on to discuss how important it is and what it means to honor your parents. This established our list of expectations: Listen to Mom and Dad, Obey Mom and Dad, Don’t Interrupt when they’re talking to each other. Then we talked about how the bible says what will happen if we honor our parents, and we put “live well and have a long life” as a positive consequence in our consequence column.

His reaction to the next part really surprised me. It was time to talk about what would happen if he didn’t do what we expected of him. At first he suggested being punished for a week, but I suggested that we check to see what the bible says about that. To my surprise, when I explained what Proverbs 13:24 meant, “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him,” he opted for getting a spanking if he didn’t honor his parents.

We talked about how we find in Hebrews 12:11 that when we are being punished, it feels bad instead of good, but later, we learn what is right because of it. We talked about how not all discipline means that he’ll get a spanking and sometimes, a time out might work, too. When he asked what the bible says about “time outs”, I told him that sometimes, we need to just take the time to go by ourselves and ask God to “come into our heart and to make it clean” (Psalm 51:10-12). So we decided that when he must go into time out, whether it’s at home, at school, or…gasp…at church, he should take that time to ask God to come into his heart and to show him the mistakes he was making.

We went through the same process with one more behavior we wanted to address, which was his stubbornness when it came to listening to his teachers or other adults. We that found Proverbs 4 really illustrates the importance of wisdom and how we should get wisdom and get understanding and hold on to it like it is one of the most special gifts he could ever receive. We talked about how at home, mom and dad teach him but at school and at church, it’s his teachers who give him wisdom. We talked about how we need to listen to the people who want to teach us important things that God wants us to know and how if he ever listens to someone who tries to tell him or teach him things that he thinks in his heart are wrong, that he will end up hanging out with bad people and he’ll have lots of trouble in his life. (Psalm 1:3)

When we got to the consequence column, we talked about the good consequence to listening to your teacher is to gain wisdom, good judgment and to be successful. (Proverbs 4:7). The negative consequences involve not learning, and not moving on in life. Of course, a six year old needs immediate consequences, which are usually handled at school with the “moving of his color.” Certain colors of the rainbow indicate certain types of behaviors. We decided that if he makes a few mistakes at school and just moves his color down one level, that we’ll talk about it at home, but if it happens more than three times a week or if he moves it two or more spaces, then he’ll be punished from his favorite activities for one week.

The whole process lasted about an hour and he listened intently the entire time. I finished up our time together by reading the story of Jonah and the Big Fish to help him to see what happens when we don’t listen to God and what we should do while we are punished and how God makes everything right.

I hope to update this post with many positive reports about how this behavior plan is going. For now, I will end by saying that we had a wonderful night, with listening, and respect and obeying. Sometimes, just one night makes all the effort worthwhile. And, I got to spend some very precious time with my sweet boy.

To learn more about my relationship with my child and how God blessed our lives with him, please visit www.lifebyheart.com.

How to Make a Love Jar

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:28:00 +0000

In honor of one of my first real posts back, I wanted to share these instructions. They may be hard to see, so you might need to zoom in. For more detailed instructions, including pictures, check out the article I wrote a billion years ago on eHow. (It's been so long, they removed my name, but that's my article and pictures, all right.) How to Make a Love Jar

How to Make a Love Jar:

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 17:01:00 +0000

I AM the solution. I am the LOVEolution. Keep this in mind. Some very wonderful things are about to start happening.

Small Business Magnets by Vistaprint

I can't wait to share with you how you can get one of these magnets for yourself or for a friend....

I'm back!

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 16:04:00 +0000

It has been a while since I blogged on this site. I am here to simply say, that I am back. Stay tuned....some very exciting adventures are about to occur.

How a Man Cooks a Gumbo

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 19:42:00 +0000

We've had a hankering for a big ole' Gumbo, and because the temperature yesterday dropped from 76 to 41 degrees in 8.2 seconds, my husband thought today would be the perfect day to "whip up" a pot. (We have to do winter stuff quickly around here since tomorrow, I'll probably be laying out in the backyard in my bikini....for us Louisianians, "unpredictable weather" means "totally predictable weather".)

While I was busy in Lafayette yesterday doing a Premier Jewelry Show, he packed up our two-year-old and trecked to Wal-Mart to get gumbo supplies.10 AM, bright and early, he started cut, cut, cut...chop, chop, choping the ingredients.

While my son and I marched, marched, marched around the house (his new OBSESSION...marching! Thank you, Jack's Big Music Show), the smell of the perfect cold-day-in-Louisiana Sunday meal wafted its way down our parade route. I peeked into the kitchen and saw my brilliant Cajun Cook standing near the stove, arms folded, face beaming with pride.

Then I see what he's so proud of.

THIS is how a man cooks a gumbo:

Inaugural Poem....this is NOW!

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:58:00 +0000

This is an excerpt from Elizabeth Alexander's poem delivered at the request of our new president at his Inauguration. The light is here! THIS IS IT!

...What if the mightiest word is Love?
Love beyond marital, filial, National;
Love that casts a widening pool of Light.
Love with no need to preempt grievance.
In today's sharp sparkle, this wintry air,
Anything can be made; any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp,
Praise Song for walking forward in that Light.

I am simply touched by the fact that our new leader chose this poet to compose such an eloquent declaration of what life is, what Love is.

We Stopped Saying "I Love You"

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 07:08:00 +0000

Well, it's kinda hard to stop cold turkey when you've said it to each other an average of five or ten times a day for twelve years.

We would say "I Love You" when we leave for work, almost every time we talk on the phone---which is usually about 3 or 4 times during a normal work day---, when we come home from work, and then when we go to bed.

Doing the math...(I'm figuring it at eleven years, since we didn't actually say our first I LOVE YOU until a few months into dating and to make up for any days when only one "I Love You" was spoken...

At five "I Love You"s a day, that's 1,825 "I Love You"s a Year.

1,825 a year for 11 years, 20,075 "I Love You"s have been said. By ONE OF US.

For the most part, most " I Love You" statements are reciprocated, so that means that in the course of my relationship with my husband, about 38,159 "I Love You"s have been exchanged.
(I took away about 2000 in my figure there to cover for those "hmmph!" responses. You know what I'm talking about.)

38,159 times hearing or saying the same three words.

Some people might see that and think, "Awww, what a great thing to hear so many times!"

I see that number and the only phrase that comes to mind is desensitize much?

So both of us, almost together decided that at this point, saying those three words, almost seemed like an effort to convince the other of something. It's as if we're really saying, "I promise I love you. I swear. Ask anybody. Cross my heart and hope to die. " I think it got that way, because, for some reason, and this applies to both of us, we went from "I Love You, too" to "Really?" or "Do you?"

So our solution---skip the "I Love you" and when we're feeling that warm, full-heart feeling, we say, "You Love Me." It's a statement, not a question. Try it. When you say those three words out loud, it's important to put the emphasis on the word Love, if you want this to work.

("YOU love me" would come off as a demand, and while I do think that there are definitely moments that do demand that particular demand, you usually don't want this statement to be equated with one like, "YOU eat your green beans!"

"You love ME" sounds like a question, and that's not the point.

So just go with the emphasis on the middle word.)

What's the point of this post?

Ummm, I don't know. Except that I really can't describe how this little switch in syntax has positively effected our relationship. It's like, this is real. This is what I want to hear. Just knowing that he KNOWS I love him....WOW! Isn't that what we're going for? Isn't that what we're really trying to accomplish? To have someone else truly KNOW that you Love him?

So that's all I have to say.

You LOVE me.

A Kiss of Bliss: HURRICANE HELP

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:47:00 +0000

A Kiss of Bliss: HURRICANE HELP

HURRICANE HELP

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:44:00 +0000

Well, Hurricane Prep: Take TWO for those of us on the Gulf Coast.
As you al know, Gustav, which was deemed to doom us, dwindled in the Gulf, avoiding MUCH damage and destruction. I know some areas in Louisiana had more desctruction than others, and my Loving thoughts, prayers and vibes are with you always.

When your windows have been boarded up, your fine china is packed up and your cars are gassed up, what more is there to do? The days before Gustav's predicted landfall, hundreds, maybe thousands of people used the power of positive thinking and Gustav actually calmed.

The very last thing I did after the baby, the dog and the cat were secured in our truck, was to write on our dry erase board on the fridge: "It's so great that Gustav calmed!"

Returning home five days later, it was that message that welcomed us home, safe and sound.

It's time to do it again. Time to send out your Lovelight, visualizing Ike calming, like a wittle hurricane baby being rocked to sleep by the waters of the Gulf. Here's a suggested affirmation you can use to actually eliminate Ike's power:

Ike is calming in the Gulf. Our homes, friends and family, are safe and secure.

I'm telling you....IT WORKS!!!!! The Power of Faith, Love, Vibes, Prayers....is SO MUCH STRONGER than any storm. Believe me.

Bobby Jindal, Louisiana's Governer, is saying right now that for Hurricane Gustav, 80,000 people were approved through FEMA for hotel assistance and only 1,000 stayed in hotels. (Or, I guess, only 1,000 requested FEMA's hotel assistance.)

I have found some coupons for hotels if it is necessary. Don't get stuck with nowhere to go. Let's just try to ensure we have a safe place to go, because if we don't need to evacuate, we can always cancel the reservations.

(1) $20 off with 3 night booking!

(2) $30 off with 5 night booking!

(3) Save Big NOW on all Hotel Bookings with a $100 Cash Back Rebate!

(4) Save between $20 and $100 on ALL Hotel Bookings Now!

***Department of Social Services will be open tomorrow (Tuesday, September 9, 2008) 1-888-524-3578 press option 3 to bypass the menu and find out if you qualify for assistance.***

Some other helpful links:

(5)

(6) Looking for a petsitter or dog walker? Sittercity.com has petsitters in your area. Sign-up today!

Need a babysitter? Find the most qualified sitters at Sittercity.com.

(7) Download Legal Forms, if necessary:

(8) Jindal is saying that there is a shortage of tarps. You can order your own, and pay for overnight shipping.

Tarps Anchor 11017 20' x 20' Poly Tarp Woven Lamin (Sold Individually)

(9) Valuable monthly discounts on shopping. The 2009 Entertainment Book is Now Availble! Order Today and Get Free Shipping!

Please leave your positive thoughts and encouragement for everyone in the Gulf Coast, as well as those affected by Hannah on the East Coast.

I hope this was slightly helpful. Be safe. I already know that WE are more powerful than IKE!

BELIEVE IT! BREATHE IT! ACHIEVE IT!

Do you know this person?

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 04:21:00 +0000

There's this woman who is just absolutely beautiful. She has this unbelievable light inside, and when she shines,

MAN! This lady SHINES!

But sometimes, she dims her light so low that she can't see. She extends her arms and feels her way around, but she ends up bumping into stuff and stubbing her toe.

The weird thing is that when I see her feeling her way around, I can see clearly all around her, because I didn't dim her light, she did.

So, when I can, I reach out my hand and grab hers and bring her into my own light, just for a while, until she can see a little better.

Eventually, she can find her light switch with the little flicker of light that I gave. And she brightens and there she is again,

SHINING!

But what if no one else is around the next time her light goes out?

No worries. She's found her way to the light switch before.
Maybe she's always had a little help, and this is the first time she's gotta do it on her own, but she remembers how to get there.
And on her way, she might stub that toe again, or bump into things, but she'll get there and when she finds that switch again,

WATCH OUT!
Because this time, she found it on her own.

Not only is she simply GLOWING, but she's PROUD, she's CONFIDENT, she's ready to dance in her own light.

Look at her.
Do you know her?

No?

Look in the mirror. There she is.

And if she needs a little of my light, or if I need a little of hers, I KNOW, without a doubt, that our lights are here for the sharing.

REAL Love

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:58:00 +0000

Can Real Love last forever?

Love IS Forever!
Love IS all there really is.

What doesn't last forever is the ego, the body, the human form.Thankfully, what doesn't last forever are thoughts, hurt, pain.

But love?
Lasting forever?

Undoubtedly.
So, ultimately, there's only one answer to this question:

LOVE!

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 04:48:00 +0000

Yesterday, as I was getting my hair completely reformed, a lady walked in with her three-year-old little girl and two sons.

The little girl had adorable long curly hair, but her Momma said that she won't brush it, and she won't let anyone else brush it, so it gets very knotty. She wants the beautician--- my aunt has a sign that says, "I'm a beautician, not a magician." This totally applies to this miracle-worker.--- to cut this little girl's hair to her shoulders.

The little girl? Not happy. Not happy AT ALL....AND EVERYONE WITHIN A 15-MILE RADIUS KNEW IT.
She's SCREAMING.

This little girl is HYSTERICAL!

"Cali (I think that's what her brothers were saying), if you let her cut your hair, you'll get a treat."
"You want a lolipop?"
"You want a cracker?" (That was my offering.)

NOOOOOOOOOO!

There was about three minutes of:
"MAMA, YOU'RE CHOKING ME!
MAMA, YOU'RE CHOKING ME!
MAMA, YOU'RE CHOKING ME!..."

Mama wasn't choking her.

Then, about 6 minutes of:

"I DON'T WANT MY HAIR LIKE THAT!
I DON'T WANT MY HAIR LIKE THAT!
I DON'T WANT MY HAIR LIKE THAT!
I DON'T WANT MY HAIR LIKE THAT!
I DON'T WANT MY HAIR LIKE THAT!..."

Tears started to well up in my own eyes and my hairdresser had to tell me not to cry.

This child was not only feeling her own pain, but she was making sure that everyone else in the place were feeling pain as well.
I watched the other beauticians roll their eyes at each other.

A customer, who had been waiting, walked out.

Then, all of the sudden, I closed my eyes and started chanting in my head:
"She's calm. She's peaceful. She's happy.
She's calm. She's peaceful. She's happy.
She's calm. She's peaceful. She's happy...."

As her little sobs in between whichever distress cry she was emitting at that moment became more and more like her catching her breath, I just kept repeating in my head, now with complete trust that
She's calm. She's peaceful. She's happy.
She's calm. She's peaceful. She's happy.
She's calm. She's peaceful. She's happy...

I imagined my words wrapping around her in the sweetest, warmest hug that little girl ever felt.

I visualized her heartbeat slowing down to normal. I felt like while I was there, in my chair, looking like I was about to break into a version of "Beauty School Dropout", I was coaxing her breathing back to slow and steady breaths.

About three minutes and one long, deep, princessish sigh later, we sat in the midst of the calm after the storm.

That was it.

The beautician was only half-finished with her haircut.
Not one wimper, not one tear.
She sat there, quietly.

She sat there
calmly,
peacefully,
happily.

When her mother and I made eye contact again, she apologized that I had to hear that. (I was at the station closest to this ordeal.)
I told her what I had been doing and she told her boys to come over to us so that I could tell them.
I just said I was believing positive thoughts about her and she calmed down.

Right there, in Style America, I showed this woman The Secret.

"When the student is ready, the teacher will be there."

The New Me

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 05:43:00 +0000

It's....It's.....
Unfreaking believable!!!

It's CRAZY!!!

Alright. I finally get to the point, although it's hard not to find these adorable images: Gotta do it in list format or else I'll ramble.

Sooooo,
1. 6:00 tonight: My mom calls me asking me if I want to go see Oprah, Jane Fonda, Glenn Close, Jennifer Hudson, Ellen DeGeneres, Charmaine Neville, Salma Hayek, Rosario Dawson, Ashley Judd, and Julia Stiles in The Vagina Monologues!!!
2. DUH!
3. I said, I'm there!
4. She said, a teacher she works with is buying the tickets tomorrow and I'm giving her our money then.
5. How much? I say.
6. 125.00
7. Crap! I say.
8. Aside: Due to the $1,000 earnest whatever on the house we're buying and a SUPRISE $450 for an appraisal on our house, we have $200 in the bank. (We've depleted our savings with the adoption expenses lately.)
9. Mom says, she doesn't have it to loan me (I didn't ask, but she knew I was figuring it out in my head.)

10. Sorry. Had to take a break to do another dance.
11. I told her I'm going! I said I'd check our bank and call her back later.
12. 7:00: Checked the bank. No go.
13. I contemplated calling Anthony (out of town for the night) and using the advice in chapter 2 of The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love* , but then I knew how he is and I couldn't risk any negative vibes.
14. 7:20: So I sat here, surfing cafemom knowing without a doubt that I'd be there. I didn't do ANYTHING at this point.
15. 7:48: My little sister calls me.
16. We haven't really talked in a few weeks.
17. 7:48:13: I hear, hey, I'm bought you a ticket to The Vagina Monologues.
18. She said she isn't doing it for any reason except that she wants to. Not because she owes me or she wants me to pay her back, she just wants to.
19. I've been trying to work with her to heal her life, accept her past, and love herself.
20. She said she gets it now.

Breathe it, Believe it, Achieve it

The Kiss of Bliss Project

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 02:25:00 +0000

What is a Kiss of Bliss?

A kiss of bliss is a powerful way of sending love, positive energy, power, and so much more to anyone, anywhere in the world. This project began in late 2007 by the owner of a powerful group for mothers on cafemom that is dedicated to the power of profound love. It is also referred to as the Pure Focused Energy Experiment. Because the results have been astounding, I have decided to spread this powerful mode of transferring love to anyone who wishes to love or be loved.

The process is simple. Anyone can participate and it is completely free, but the end result is worth more than gold.

Simply choose someone you love. (Or someone you don't, that works magically, too.)
For a designated period of time (a week is recommended), when your schedule allows, focus on your person of choice enveloped in total bliss, whatever bliss means to you. This may involve visualizing the lovee receiving money, feeling loved by those near, receiving respect at work, filled with the energy and power of love.
It is optional, but you can send special messages or letters during this week to your lovee. Call to say you're thinking about him or her. Ask if he/she can feel your energy at a particular moment.
You may tell this person before their designated time begins or you may choose not to tell him or her until the time period has ended.
Encourage the lovee to journal any changes or actual experiences that occured during the time they were kissed with bliss.

Here's my own personal response to my week of love:
(This is how it feels.)

I encourage everyone to try this project. What better gift to give someone than your complete and utter belief that he/she is feeling great? Because there's one thing everyone in the world has in common:

We all want to feel good.

I have done this project with my closest friends. When we were all transitioning from college to "adulthood"--- and I use that term loosely, roadtrips to hang out with each other were often. But life, love, careers, and families became more of a focus and adulthood (yuck!) became our passtime. Living about 200 miles apart, we do not get to enjoy each others presence as frequently as we would like.

By spending one month focusing on one of us for a whole week, we have been reconnected through what really matters: our hearts. Here is a video I made for my friend who had the priviledge of experiencing the first kiss of bliss week:

The Secret and The Bible

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 21:11:00 +0000

The entire law is summed up in a single command:"Love your neighbor as
yourself." Galations 5:14

As a Christian and an avid practitioner of the Law of Attraction, I have recently discovered that many people tend to view both practices as seperate. Some Christian friends have referred to those who apply the law of attraction to their lives as "cultish". This judgement prompted me to consider connections between the basic principles of Christianity---assuming there are some--- and the the principles of the law of attraction.

First, I want to identify the sources I am using to discuss these connections. For Christianity, I will refer to the Bible and the Apostles Creed. For the Law of Attraction, I will use Rhona Byrne's highly successful book, The Secret, as well as some of the teachings of and wisdom of praticitioners of the law of attraction such as Esther and Jerry Hicks and, of course, Abraham. I will also refer to the Optimists' Creed, which was orginally published under the name "Promise Yourself" by Christian Larson in 1919.

In my consistency of living a Christian lifestyle, I use the Bible as a reference, a source of peace and guidance. As a practitioner of the law of attraction, I continue to refer to publications written about this practice, and I associate with others who live their lives according to "the secret", whether they are aware of it or not.

Since the Bible is the more accepted form of reference for this discussion, I will begin each topic with the basic principles of the Law of Attraction, then defend them with passages from the Bible. In the near future, I will offer commentary on each one, but for now I am asking your responses to them so I may quote my friends.

I will begin by posting one of the most common versions of The Apostles' Creed:
(note: The Apostles Creed is not found in the Bible, but Christians wrote it hundreds of years ago as a way to summarize their beliefs.)

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of Heaven and Earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
born of the Virgin
Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified,
died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy
Spirit,
the holy *Christian
Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection
of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

*some versions state catholic church as opposed to Christian Church. It is important to recognize the definition of catholic as: "including or concerning all humankind; universal"

Common Similarities:

To me, the most obvious and relevant connection between the Law of Attraction and Christianity is Faith. Faith, according to Webster's Dictionary is

(1): firm belief in something
for which there is no proof (2): complete trust

In order to receive all the glory that we deserve in this world, we must first have faith that we deserve it and that we can and will get it. Faith in God, faith in the Universe (which, to me, are One, as God is One), Faith in whichever Deity one allows each of us to believe that we are one with creation. As we believe that we are one with creation, we then become able to create, as our Creator intends. Ultimately, we will receive exactly what we want. The secret, the basis of true Faith, is to KNOW what we want and also KNOW that we will receive it.

Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his
prophets and you will be successful. 2 Chronicles 20:20

LOA Basic Principal: You get what you think about, whether wanted or unwanted.

Biblical Evidence:

Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap
whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption
from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from
the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will
reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. Galatians 6.7-9

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you
believed, you would see the glory of God?"
So they took away the
stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard
me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the
people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
When he
had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man
came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around
his face. John 11-40-44

LOA Basic Principal
: Asking the Universe for what you want is your opportunity to get clear about what you want. As you get clear in your mind, you have asked.

Biblical Evidence:

Prayer: Moses replied, "When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out
my hands in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more
hail, so you may know that the earth is the LORD's. Exodus 9:29

"O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant,
saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to
offer you this prayer. 2 Samuel 7:27

O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to
the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant
success today by granting him favor in the presence of this
man. Nehemiah 1:11

By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to
the God of my life. Psalm 42:8

LOA Basic Principal: Believing involves acting, speaking, and thinking as though you have already received what you've asked for.

Biblical Evidence:

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11: 24

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock
and the door will be opened to you. Luke 11:9

LOA Basic Principal: Receiving involves feeling the way you wll feel once your desire has manifested. Feeling good now puts you on the frequency of what you want.

Biblical Evidence:

He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of
people were brought to the Lord. Acts 11:24

Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were
added to their number. Acts 5:14

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see
him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious
joy, 1 Peter 1:8

for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:9

LOA Basic Principal: Be grateful for what you already have and you will attract more good things.

Biblical Evidence:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one
another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with
gratitude in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures
forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34

LOA Basic Principal: Focus the qualities you love about yourself and others and the law of attraction will you will show you more great things about you and them.

Biblical Evidence:

The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as
yourself." Galations 5:14

LOA Basic Principal: All forms of matter and energy are attracted to that which is of a like vibration.

Biblical Evidence:

so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should
have equal concern for each other. 1 Corinthians 12:25

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave
thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were
darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the
glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and
animals and reptiles. Romans 1: 18-20

For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did
not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
1 Corinthians 4:7

You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge,
my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who
sent me. John 8:15-16

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness...Genesis
1:26

So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or
between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. Genesis 13:8

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of
observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is
justified by faith apart from observing the law. Is God the God of Jews only? Is
he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one
God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through
that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather,
we uphold the law. Romans 3 27-31

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret
place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth" Psalm 139:15

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with
God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking
the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And
being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and
became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Philippians
2:6-8

"If I have denied justice to my menservants and
maidservants when they had a grievance against me, what will I
do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to
account?
Did not he who made me in the womb make
them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?Job
31:13-15

LOA Basic Principal: We are what we think.

Biblical Evidence:

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Proverbs 23:7

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave
thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were
darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the
glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and
animals and reptiles.

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it
forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John
8:34-36

Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews.
Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim,
where he stayed with his disciples. John 11-54

LOA Basic Principal: You get what you put your energy and focus on, whether wanted or unwanted.

Biblical Belief:

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness
and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may
be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For
since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and
divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,
so that men are without excuse.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to
sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They
exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things
rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Romans 1: 24-25

LOA Basic Principal: Energy attracts like energy

Biblical Evidence:

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on
its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds
and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5 (?)

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never
walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

LOA Basic Principal: Everything draws to itself that which is like itself.

Biblical Evidence:

While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. John 9:4-6

The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do
what pleases him." John 8:29

I and the Father are one. John 10:30

Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even
though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and
understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." John
10:37-38

LOA Basic Principal: The feeling of love is the highest frequency you can emit. The greater the love you feel and emit, the greater power you are harnessing.

Biblical Evidence:

When Lazarus died, Jesus spoke with
his sisters:
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the
Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and
troubled. "Where have you
laid him?" he
asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they
replied.
Jesus wept.Then the Jews said, "See how he loved
him!"

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you,
being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with
all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is
the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may
be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians
3:17-19

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of
love and of self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was,
and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelations 1:8

What about Jesus?

Jesus was the ultimate example and practitioner of the Law of Attraction. After healing a blind man, Jesus said to him,
"For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those
who see will become blind."

We perform miracles everyday. A friend of mine envisioned the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, and is now married to that person. She knew him before she ever met him.

After years of longing to become a mother, but believing that it would never happen for me, one day, I finally and faithfully believed that I would, in fact, become a mother. That very day, a mere thirty minutes after I made stated aloud that I will be a mother, I received a phone call that would forever change my life. One week later, our son was in our home.

Miracles. Why aren't they recorded?

In the book Life By Heart, I share how God gave me a son through faith.

A Kiss of Bliss

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:40:00 +0000

A Kiss of Bliss
Comes not from the lips
but from the heart.
Now's the time to start!

MORE TO COME...
A place to share and spread the miracle that IS LOVE! Love is very powerful and can accomplish so much.

You can share your thoughts right now by leaving a comment.

noreply@blogger.com (carinmomma) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 03:42:00 +0000

Perspectives on Giving:

writing your story

My friends:

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this venture. I am so excited to complete it. It is my goal to have at least 20 stories submitted by the end of February. I would like to have them all edited by the end of March. My intention is to submit them to a publisher in April. I would like for them to come out in time for Mother's Day.

image Copyrighted: Candaa Designs
This image and all references to CircleofLoveadoption.com
and/or CandaA designs are sole property of Carin Wilson
owner: CandaA Designs.

My Vision:
Containing stories written by
personally selected writers, this book
will educate, motivate, encourage and
reassure all of its readers. The success of
this book is inevitable, because God
is working thorugh me and the beautiful
women who are courageous enough to tell
their stories. We will spread a message of love
and open the minds of anyone who has any
misconceptions about this very personal,
very important act of love.

How to Write Your Loving Story:

You have taken the first step. You have already shared your beauiful story in a very non-thretening environment on Cafemom. You have been selected, personally, to submit your story to this book. Please read below for a few tips and some small guidelines for writing your story.

Write in your own voice:
In writing, your voice is just as unique as the sound that comes from your throat when you speak. Your speaking voice is always a part of you and, unless you are making funny noises or imitating someone, it is one of those wonderful characteristics that makes you unique. Your writing voice is similar to your personality. Think about some of the times you have written in non-pressure situations, such as chatting or posting on message boards, writing friendly letters or emails, or keeping a diary of your thoughts and feelings. These are times when you probably used your voice, if you were being yourself. When we write technically, for business or school, we often leave out our voice. There is no "extra padding" to set the writing apart from just a bunch of words. Your voice is the reason you were asked to write this.

Here are some questions to consider about your writing voice:

Ask a friend to read some of your past writing to tell you how you come across on the page.

Is your personal writing literary? funny? romantic? poetic? factual? upbeat? depressing? straightforward? flowery? How do you sound?

Do you write your mind? Express opinions? Or are your words over-polite and politically correct?

Is it stilted? Does it flow?

Do you sound like YOU or does it sound like an article in a newspaper?

Does your writing have a rhythm? (Do you feel like it is moving in a certain direction?

Do all your sentences sound the same? Do they all begin the same way? (If so, see the part of this blog titled: "Making your Sentences Interesting")

Do you have 'favorite' words and phrases that you repeat often? If so, which ones? Can you find alternatives?

Do you use cliche's that you hear people say often? EX: "cried like a baby", "down and out", "nowhere to turn", "at the end of the day". Cliche's are not YOUR VOICE. They are overused phrases that do not cause eyebrows to raise. Look at the cliche': "cried like a baby" and consider this: "the tears, burning my cheeks, seemed to flow like hot lava."