Call Her Blessed

Hello, Summer! (recipe and an update)

2012-05-25T17:33:00.000-06:00

Welcome, Summer.....it seems I've been waiting forever for you!

Popsicles

Sprinklers

Little giggles

Cool breezes

The smell of sunscreen

Sleeping in (a little)

Throwing the ball for the dogs

Flowers in bloom

and FLIP FLOPS! Oh, how I love flip flops!!

(all pictures taken with my iPhone and the Instagram app - look me up on Instagram! my user name is daiquirifouch)

One of my favorite things about summer is the FOOD. Our garden is in (our Mother's Day tradition):

And WOW, I can't believe how much the garden has grown in just the couple of weeks since I took this picture!

I can hardly wait for tomatoes still warm from the sun, fresh basil plucked from the pot, a bit of mozzarella cheese and a drizzle of oil and vinegar! It's what I live on all summer!

But that's not the recipe I planned to share. In fact, the summer dish I've been craving isn't something I can take credit for. I'm thinking about orzo pasta with asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil. You can find the recipe here (I substitute basil for parsley): Lemon Orzo Salad at "ABig Mouthful.com" (how fun is that web name?!) :-) I think I might try this recipe with quinoa instead of orzo too...a bit of extra protein....what do you think?

Photo from www.abigmouthful.com

This summer got started right with an INCREDIBLE spring ....when I learned that I'd qualified for an all-expenses-paid trip to Sonoma and San Francisco for 5 days! I got to meet our Doctors, tour the Corporate Offices, go to the spa, give wine tasting a try, and more -- unreal! I blogged about it at my "Skin, Beautiful Skin" blog, if you'd like to see more pics: "Big Time Perks" But I can't NOT share one of my favorite pictures here.....I got to meet the doctors who changed my skin and my life!

And finally....big Fouch family news....Sammy lost her first front tooth! She's impossibly cute with her sweet little missing-tooth-lisp!

Be blessed, friends!!

It's a Sweet Life

2012-05-21T09:56:00.003-06:00

Woke up this morning with a sweet little 4 year old boy patting me gently on the cheek as he murmured "mama" and nestled his warm little body next to mine....windows open and birdsong drifting in with the breeze. Life is good. It's going to be a great day!

Be blessed friends...

Just Can't Help It!

2012-05-11T18:35:00.001-06:00

I'm trying REALLY hard to keep my "Skin Beautiful Skin" blog separate from this one, but sometimes I just can't NOT share!

I know that I'm not the only one with unrecognizable skin after having babies. Don't get me wrong....I wouldn't trade a single one of my beloved babes for my pre-baby body (most days anyway!). But to have a simple, inexpensive, painless, and very effective way to get a *little* bit of that old body back? I'm all over it!

These before and after photos are just too good to keep to myself:

See?! Amazing!!

I just might be able to trade the tankini in for a bikini some day! On second thought.....

Reality Check

2012-05-04T09:42:00.002-06:00

I haven't *really* written here in a long time. I've been so busy living and enjoying life, that I haven't wanted to take the time to really think about it....never mind talk about it. What is there to talk about anyway? Who wants to hear from someone go on and on about how wonderful everything is?

My business is a big part of why I'm so happy -- fulfilled and challenged and rewarded. It's revolutionized my life....new hope, something of value to offer people, and the joy of helping to provide for my family. But with this type of business, it's hard to talk about it without the listener thinking I want something from them. So I live my life out loud, and talk about business when friends ask how it's going, but otherwise....try to keep my tendency to gush on and on to a minimum. I like my friends, you see. I'd like to keep them around ;-)

It also keeps me busy. I stay home full time with my kiddos, which is my main passion....keeping my home, being wife to Luke, and loving on my babies is my full time "job" (talk about a great job!). And in my spare time, when I used to blog, I now build my R+F business. So it's a time issue too.

But I'm starting to see that there's another reason I haven't been writing....it's how I process. And I haven't wanted to let myself process. Why? Because I know I've gotten off track a bit.

Not a lot.

But a bit.

I know this because under all this joy and contentment, lies a twinge of fear. That little twinge has taken root, and has been growing. I feel it creeping in. Distancing me from the Source of Peace and Joy. Trying to keep me from really turning around and looking it dead in it's ugly face.

The fear of loss. The fear that comes when I love temporary things too much.

Tears of fear have been choking me too often lately. Swallowing them back down has become harder and harder.

Luke left for a trip this past week, and I cried when he left. But I wasn't crying because I would miss him....although I really really miss him. I was crying because I was AFRAID. I was certain that I was saying goodbye to him for the last time....that his plane would go down. I know - morbid. What is wrong with me?!

I visited my parents recently, and I cried when I got on the plane to go back home. This time, a lot of the crying had to do with missing them desperately....feeling like they need me and I need them like never before...and feeling helpless to do anything about it. But part of it was that fear again. What if something happens to one of them and I'm so far away?

Clara was up in the middle of the night last night with a fever and sore throat. I had nightmares of her having some terrible disease, and when she was the last one out of bed this morning, I had to go check on her to make sure she was still breathing.

Sammy has a field trip today, and I've seriously considered keeping her home. Surely, her zoo trip will result in her being abducted or maybe even attacked by a loose lion.

I have some minor out patient surgery planned for this month. It's scheduled for the day before the one year anniversary of Bernie's death. It's a sign. I'm going to die too.

Business is booming. Our future is bright and my partners are building thriving businesses. Surely it will all come crashing down at any moment.

And then this morning, I woke with one thing on my mind:

You of little faith, why are you so afraid?

Matthew 8:26

But even this....instead of bringing me peace, brings me more fear.

So I turn to my Bible, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want...." More fear.

"The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?" More fear.

"The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace." More fear.

Only this time, I'm afraid of HIM. I'm afraid that my life is not pleasing to him...that my lack of faith which is resulting in this fear will be my destruction. Like He's going to have to teach me a lesson.

Where does this come from? He has NEVER shown Himself to be an angry or vindictive God to me. He has been nothing but mercy, and grace, and patience. And still....I'm afraid of Him. Afraid because I know He sees my true heart.

He sees my clenched fists as they hold so tightly to the things of this world. Surely, he will rip those things right out of my hands to force me to turn back to Him with my whole, yet broken, heart.

And yet, there is that gentle voice...the Holy Spirit telling me that I am wrong. That this fear is sin, and I must let it go....along with my desire to hold on with this white-knuckled grip.

I can still hold these precious blessings, but I need to get back to holding them in the palm of my open hand. This grip....it's exhausting. And these gifts....when I have my fingers wrapped around them so tightly, I can't really even see and enjoy them past the view of my throbbing fingers.

On my knees.

Arms held high.

Hands open.

Heart filled with Him and all He has planned for me.

This is how I want to live.

I want to live like I truly believe that He is good. I want to live like I believe He loves me and wants good for me. I want to live a life of freedom and joy in Him.

I do believe, Lord. Help my unbelief! Mark 9:24 I get it.

So this is me today....slowly and reluctantly opening these hands that have been working so hard to hold on to the things that I can't protect anyway.

Luke

Benjamin

Clara

Samantha

Thomas

Mom and Dad

My sisters

My health

This business

They are yours, Lord. Thank you for blessing me with them...for this incredible abundance that I don't deserve. Please keep them and protect them. And my heart, Lord....it belongs to you too. Take up residence, sweep out the cobwebs of fear and anxiety and worry, and settle in to do Your work here. Fill me with a gift of faith and peace and joy so that I can say with my whole heart,

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;

in you I trust, O my God.

Psalm 25:1

A Major Award

2012-04-23T19:15:00.001-06:00

I'm so thankful for the AWANA program, which makes it fun and cool to learn about our faith. Sammy earned a book fi usher award tonight, and was rightly very proud of herself! I'm proud of her too :-)

Thomas, on the other hand, wasn't all that excited:

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Happy Easter!

2012-04-08T08:49:00.001-06:00

HE IS RISEN! I remember the first time this fact truly sunk in to my heart.....He is alive. Right now....and forever more. I don't have to die and go anywhere to meet Him, I can know Him right this second!

Knowing Him is the most astounding thing that has ever happened to me.

Crazy in love, and overwhelmingly thankful!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Snack Time

2012-03-19T09:30:00.001-06:00

It's moments like this that I want to bottle so I can enjoy every detail forever. The still pudgy baby fingers, the sweet little profile, the concentrating tongue, the sweet silence as he focuses so intently :-) Melts my heart...

Yummy Product Giveaway!

2012-03-06T13:02:00.001-07:00

Just want you to know that I have a special promo I'm hosting during this "Lucky" month. I'll give you a hint:

Click on over to Skin, Beautiful Skin if you'd like to know more. See you there!

And ALSO...

2012-03-01T14:04:00.001-07:00

As I drive my kids to school in the morning, we're typically pretty quiet (they take after their Mama, and are not morning people)....but I like to quietly sing a few verses of "Jesus Loves Me" as we make our way down the road. I like the idea of that tune...those WORDS...ringing in their head all day long.

Thomas cracked me up this morning. I was singing my typical little soft song, not even sure that he could hear me, when suddenly he said, "And ALSO, Jesus is God, Mama"

I could just hear is brain working...."Jesus loves me"....."Jesus is strong"...."and ALSO....."

Made my day!

Such a gift, these children. I learn more about God and how to go to Him as His child than from anywhere else. Today I learned to think "and also...."

He loves me
He is strong
He is God
He is good
He is sovereign
He is abundant
He is gracious
He is Savior
He knows me
He has plans for me
He shelters me
He is great
He is King
And also....
And also....
And also....

Antibiotics and Acne

2012-02-27T12:07:00.003-07:00

I plan to keep my "Skin, Beautiful Skin" blog pretty separate from this one.....but what I learned today about using antibiotics for acne is worth sharing here too!

I took antibiotics for years when I was a teenager....and got just moderate results in clearing up my acne. I'm so thankful that there's a more effective solution available (especially with all the recent talk about drug resistant bacteria).

"UNBLEMISH" may or may not be for you, and that's fine. But know that there are ways to treat acne that are more effective than taking a prolonged course of antibiotics!

Read more here: Skin, Beautiful Skin!: Learning About Acne and Antibiotics

A New Blog!

2012-02-21T15:28:00.001-07:00

As you know, I'm LOVING my work with Rodan + Fields Dermatologist.

I've set up a new blog called "Skin, Beautiful Skin", where I'll be writing about all things....well....skin! Info, products, business, technology....I hope you'll check it out. I'd also love it if you'd give me your feedback about what you'd like me to write about there. What are you skin concerns?

And, of course, check in there regularly for some GIVEAWAY fun! :-)

"Call Her Blessed" will still be here, and I'll continue to document matters of faith and family here.

Thanks for your support, bloggy friends!

Click HERE to go to new blog

Kid-Speak

2012-02-13T17:00:00.001-07:00

I was helping Ben with his homework and asked him to hold my coffee for a second so I could teach a quick lesson in fractions (which I needed my hands for). He held the warm cup and gave it a little sniff..."hmmm, smells pretty good!"

I was having a sweet cup with lots of cream, so I told him he could try a sip if he wanted. He tried a little taste, crunched up his nose, and went straight to the kitchen for some water...all without a word.

After we'd figured out the fractions, he handed the cup back to me, ever so gently with a matte-of-fact

"thanks for helping me, mom. Here's your disgusting coffee back, which I will never learn to love."

Hahahahhaaa!

And Sammy cracked me up today too. She's been enjoying the Bible based cartoons Veggie Tales lately, but I'm wondering how healthy it is...

"Mom, why was Goliath such a big deal anyway? They shoulda just taken a big bite out of him....he was just s giant cucumber!"

Love these kids!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Revealed

2012-02-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling a million miles away from Home lately, with no clear direction for getting back. That centered feeling of being solidly in Him.... precarious. Peace....just out of my reach. Joy in the little things.... gone missing.

"Prone to wander" (you know that old hymn)....indeed.

All of this, in the midst of "success". Crazy!

So I sat today with Pandora playing worship music, and my Bible open to the book of Hebrews. I couldn't read. I couldn't focus.

"Be still"

So, that's what I did.

And the Truth washed over me. The tears came. I had no words or even any clear thoughts....but to be with Him....brought me to my knees. Brought me Home. Finally.

I'm prone to wander, yes. But He lets me wander. Why? Maybe to help me see my true heart without Him. It's shocking. I so easily jump into the ways of the world. And suddenly, I feel like a different person. The hostility boils to the surface. The greed. The selfishness. The fear. Profanity comes shockingly easily. Not only out of my mouth, but in my thoughts. In my very heart. Aggressiveness and callousness. Is this the real me?

In the desert, while I wander....yes. This is the real me. My true heart of sin is revealed, and it's not pretty. There is nothing good or loving or patient or kind about it.

And in the mean time, people call me for my advice (!). They want to know how I do it. They ask me to lead training sessions so I can lead others to where I am. They think I'm wise and witty and good. Little do they know!

Let me proclaim from the rooftops:

Anything good or successful or worth learning from....it's Jesus.

You're seeing Him reflected in me, and I have very little to do with it!

wisdom....Jesus

courage....Jesus

generosity....Jesus

humility.....Jesus

patience.....Jesus

kindness.....Jesus

Me? I, like Paul, am chief among sinners. If there is any good to be found in me? Anything to be admired or loved or coveted? You can have it. You can have it all. You only must call on His Holy Name.

I hope you will, because Home is an extraordinarily beautiful place to be.

Retirement

2012-01-23T12:28:00.002-07:00

I'm in my pre-trip panic zone. I am notoriously unproductive and flighty in the days before a big trip. There's some sort of disconnect in my brain that makes it seem more appropriate to play iPad games, re-pot houseplants, and eat lots of chocolate than to straighten the house, do the laundry, and pack. I'm leaving my love and my babies for 6 days?!

This time, I'm at least trying to make reasonably good use of my dysfunction ;-) I'm doing lots of cuddling and hugging and kissing with my little ones. I just want to soak them up before I go.

And yes, I admit, I sort of fear that my plane just might go down...leaving my children without their Mama. I want their last memories of me to be sweet ones.

I KNOW.... completely silly and irrational....but the truth.

So why am I leaving? Well, for a really great and exciting reason, actually. My Dad is RETIRING. I can hardly believe it! Although, I don't think this will be your standard retirement. It's more of a "moving on to something bigger and better". There's a big celebration in his honor, and I wouldn't miss it for anything.

I've been thinking about him and his career lately (for obvious reasons). Something just dawned on me lately. My Rodan + Fields business? I built a team logo recently and the general idea looks something like "Team Fouch....Faith. Family. Service." I chose the 'faith, family, service' to remind me of who I am and what this business means to me. It also speaks to the journey I've taken to really see what this thing is about....first, it was a leap of faith. A calling. Then, I began to realize what it would mean for my family. Finally, my vision became complete when I saw that this is a genuine blessing for me to share with others. It's an act of service - a way of giving back to the world.

But "Faith, Family, Serivce"?? I know now where those core values come from. They come straight from my amazing Mom and Dad. They've always been a team -- they're both retiring -- we're celebrating them both this week.

Faith -- our family moved all over the country. Dad took various positions as he was Called to do so. Mom was the ever-present support and center of our home. Moving was always okay because Mom and Dad made it clear that wherever we were together, that's where we were home. And in retrospect, we were following a heavenly Call, and when you follow? Everything turns out. Always.

Family -- no matter Dad's long hours. No matter business trips. No matter what.....it was always clear to all of us that WE....our family.....was #1 in Mom and Dad's book. Invaluable. I grew up feeling like my family was as solid as a rock. Jobs came and went. Houses came and went. Cities came and went. But our family was always together and the most important priority.

Service -- Mom and Dad have always taught us by example that life is best lived in service to others. Compassion. Love. Integrity. Hard Work. It's always been about building and offering something of value. It's as natural to me now as breathing. This lesson is one of the best gifts Mom and Dad gave me....it enables me to measure what I do against a high and True standard of Love.

As you can see, I'm incredibly proud to be "Bob and Ann's daughter" :-)

I just want to wrap up with words from my very own Thomas, who just walked in and blew me away....

Thomas, "Mama! Did you hear that? I just called you 'Mommy'. Did you hear? Know why I called you that?"

Me, "Why, sweetie?"

"Cuz 'Mommy' means BIG LOVE!"

Okay, I can go now :-)

Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T21:55:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite holiday traditions is to have a custom family tree ornament made. Our names and the year make it so fun to look back and see how our family has grown in the past 14 years. 14 years!

This Christmas was sweet and wonderful. We piled the decorations on the tree until it looked almost droopy. And since we celebrated at our own home this year instead of traveling, Santa took the opportunity to really spoil the kids. The highlight of the gifts this year? A wii to replace the one that no longer worked, and a bean bag chair for each kiddo :-)

We were blessed to be able to celebrate Christmas day with Grandpa Jim and Grandma June --- we had a nice day of opening gifts, deep-frying a turkey, and just generally stuffing ourselves silly :-)

We has lots of fun with the kids' school programs. These brave kids shocked me! Thomas was the star of the show (maybe just to us since he's the only one we had eyes for), and Clara actually got on stage and danced (blue shirt)!

This was a tough year of loss for us, and we really felt it this holiday season. We especially missed Luke's mom as we decorated our home with some of her special things. I felt good to have a little bit of her with us though...

This was also the first time in many years that we didn't celebrate with my parents. Thankfully, my Dad got to come out for a visit after Christmas (we missed you Yaya!). It's been so precious to watch my kids and Dad enjoy each other. I especially enjoyed watching Dad teach my kids the "catch the dollar" game that my grandpa used to play with us :-)

And here we sit enjoying the last few hours of 2011!

This has been a tough year, but s great year. I'm thankful for my healthy family, our cozy home, and the promise of a fabulous year to come. Happy 2012, friends!

Simple Gifts

2011-12-16T12:01:00.001-07:00

...are my favorite

But You Can Call Me "Slacker"

2011-12-08T13:23:00.001-07:00

As much as I'd like to be the blogger I once was, I'm just not. I can't say that I'm all that sorry either. Blogging used to be my way to "get out of the house" and communicate with the world. Now....I more often actually get out of the house and communicate with the world in a face to face way. I'm loving it.

My husband said to me recently "You seem more whole than I've ever known you to be."

He's right.

What I do miss though, is the (mostly) permanent record I was keeping of my little family's life. One of my favorite things is to look back through my old posts and photos. It's amazing how time flies!

I know myself well enough to know that I'm not going to get caught up any time soon -- my piles of old prints waiting to go in albums in the upstairs bedroom is evidence of my "slacker" tendencies. But I don't want to completely let the memories be lost, so I'll do a quick overview instead...

*********************

My baby boy is FOUR! Holy cow - I just can't believe it. He's the most loving, stubborn, energetic, and destructive kiddo I've ever known, and I wouldn't change a thing about him! He is a whirlwind of exploration, destruction, and hugs and kisses....I don't know half the time if I should be hollering at him or giggling at him. So most days? I do both simultaneously :-) I love you, little boy. I can already see the courageous and fun-loving man you'll grow to be, and I am so blessed to be your Mama.

As a side note....the day of his party was one of my hardest days. I was STUCK in San Francisco after an R+F event, and I thought I was going to miss his party because I would be getting in late. If you saw a haggard looking, over-tired, WAY emotional woman blubbering her way through the SF airport....it was likely me. I felt like a horrible mom, and nearly quit R+F all together. Thankfully, I didn't miss his party. Or quit R+F.

Samantha decided that she didn't want to play soccer this last season - so she was my buddy as we sat and watched her siblings play. There is simply no one who is easier to spend time with than my sweet little Sammy:

Ben is turning TEN this coming week! And Clara can wear my shoes even though she's only 8! I'm so proud of my kind-hearted, smart, wonderful big kids!

Clara came home with this little tidbit of joy....made my day:

Samantha took the lead of her older brother and sister, and started saving her money for her own iPod. She worked and saved for over a year, and finally had enough money to make her purchase after her recent birthday. Holy cow, I am SO proud of her!

Yup, Samantha is SIX. Why does six seem like it's about 3 decades older than five? She wanted a "flower" party with a daisy cake -- it was so fun to make it with her :-) We also found a pink poodle pinata, which was just perfect for my little girly-girl. Sammy is going through an interesting phase lately in which she HATES to be called "cute".

"Well Sammy, 'cute' is supposed to be a compliment.", I told her.

"But I don't LIKE it", was her reply.

"Okay. What should I say when you look especially nice then?"

"'Pretty' or 'beautiful'. 'Gorgeous' works too."

Well, okay!!

Samantha -- I love your sweet spunk! I love how you dance and sing and pretend. You are a gentle and loving spirit, and I just wouldn't be complete without you in my life and heart. I'm proud of you, my gorgeous girl!

My work with R+F is going great. I love the people, the "work", and the perks. I LOVE having a hope for our financial future that is now a joy to imagine. And to top it off, I earned a free iPad from R+F last month! My little heart goes pitter-patter every time the UPS guy drives by the house -- can't wait to get it!

Finally -- change -- change is in the air. The season has changed. The kids are growing. The business is growing. People in our lives are movin' and shakin'.....some in fun ways, some in painful ways, but all good. I've been in the mood for change too. I'm going to tackle painting the living room soon, but don't have time for that project today. Instead, I settled on a new, shorter 'do:

Have a great day, bloggy friends! Check back in another month or so for another update ;-) In the mean time, if you'd like to keep in touch with me on a more regular basis, you can find me on facebook here: Daiquiri fb

The Fridge

2011-11-30T10:28:00.001-07:00

You can tell a lot about a family by their fridge, don't you think?

We're not entirely tidy or organized, but we're full of activity, joy, and love.

Wouldn't trade this crazy life for anything....not even a perfectly clean house.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Experiment

2011-11-27T10:32:00.001-07:00

I've been struggling to blog from my phone because the photo quality is so lousy!

A photo sooc on my iPhone:

Too small, I think. Lets resize it to a width of 400:

It looks exactly the same on my phone, but I'll. ER it's blurry on a bigger screen.

Here's a shot I took and I ran it through a filter in Camera+ (one of my favorite iPhone camera apps). It's also resized to 400 wide:

And here's a shot sooc after taking it with a different photo app. It claims to turn your phone camera into a 12 MP camera. It's also resized to 400:

Any difference? Not to me on my phone...will have to go check on the bigger screen.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Daycare

2011-11-27T10:17:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting here watching my girls play "daycare"--which is interesting considering neither of them have ever been in daycare themselves :-) Apparently, they believe that it's all about the pillows...roughly 53 pillows. Ha!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful

2011-11-25T20:45:00.001-07:00

For sisters.
For my folks.
For my little family.
For pie.

But most of all, for the blessing of fresh starts and knowing that the ones I love are in Him.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My Favorite Senior

2011-11-11T15:10:00.001-07:00

I did a recent shoot for my favorite senior in high school, Abby. Here's a peek:

And here's the link if you'd like to see more: Abby's Senior Shoot

Which is your favorite?

From the Mouth of My Babe

2011-11-11T09:28:00.001-07:00

Thomas is cracking me up this morning! We were sitting at the table while I sipped coffee, read my devotional, and prayed. It's a precious time to me each morning -- sitting there with my hot cup of coffee warming my hands and my Jesus warming my heart.

This morning, Thomas joined me because he was setting a puzzle at the table. I was fascinated to watch him -- I had no idea he was so good at setting a puzzle of that size! He finished it, all by his big boy self, and we high-fived and hugged to celebrate.

"Thomas! You did it! And you did that big puzzle all by yourself! How'd you get so smart?"

"Mama, you know!"

"I do? How?"

"Jesus put some smart stuff in me!"

Well of course!

And then, not 5 minutes later, Thomas came to the table to ask me to join him in the other room to see something he wanted to show me.

I admit, I was a little frustrated because he kept interrupting what was supposed to be my quiet time.

"I'll come see in a few minutes, buddy. I'm enjoying my time with Jesus right now."

"Mama! You're silly! Come now!"

"Why am I silly? No, I'm not coming now. I'll come see in a few minutes."

"No (with a grin), you come now. Jesus is with you everywhere, so you come now. You bring Jesus with you!"

I busted up laughing! I guess I can stop wondering if what we're teaching this little man of God is sinking in!

What a great way to spend my time with the Lord....seeing Him reflected in my little boy :-)

Crazy In Love

2011-11-10T09:16:00.002-07:00

Today, I'm just at a near loss for words.

Mighty
Awesome
Wonderful

I look out my window as I eat my breakfast. The neighbor's trees glow orange in the sun and the breeze sends those little flickers of light floating to the ground. Life is so beautiful. So fragile. So short.

My life is nothing more than those leaves. I sit and sip my coffee....enjoying the presence of my Lord.

He is everything. He is the beginning. He is the end. He is my everything in between. It is by His power and grace that I can do all things....including open my eyes and feel the breath fill my life for one more day. He is......stunning.

And I am....
well, I am nothing.
And I'm blissfully happy in this place of being nothing outside of Him.

How can being nothing feel so full and abundant? Only in Him who is everything.

I pray that this day, this moment, this and every thought and breath is as beautiful to Him as those glowing fall leaves floating on the breeze. May this little one of His bring joy to Him.....beauty to His throne room...fullness to His heart.

"Let my soul live that it may praise you."

Psalm 119:175

Is This Really My Life?!

2011-10-25T13:08:00.000-06:00

I recently had the opportunity to spend 4 days in San Francisco, CA with about 2,500 of my favorite people :-) It was a whirlwind long weekend of meeting incredible people, connecting with people I hadn't seen in a while, and learning so much that I thought my head might just explode. A few photo highlights:

I met our Doctors -- smart, beautiful, fun, generous.

I met our founding consultant -- not yet 30 years old, retired kindergarten teacher, in the biz for 2 1/2 years, and our first millionaire!

I met our CEO -- an icon in this industry

And I got a glimpse of my future when the President of the Direct Sales Association (sort of like the BBB for the standard brick and mortar business) spoke as a keynote speaker for the first time ever. He stood on stage, placed his hands on his hips, slowly shook his head back and forth, and looked at us with an incredulous look on his face.

"You just have NO. IDEA. what you all have here, do you? You are in precisely the right place, at the right time, in the right market, and with the right company. I've never seen anything like it.....it's the perfect storm!"

His vision of where we'll be in the next few years....where I'LL be in the next few years....absolutely took my breath away.

And oh man, did we have FUN! As I was walking down the sidewalk on the way to the convention center from our hotel for the 15th (or so) time, I turned to my friend and said, "Seriously! Pinch me! HOW is this my life?!" We laughed as we flip-flopped our way down the sidewalk with our heels tucked in our purses.

Life is good. It feels so wonderful to have a dream in my heart...