God's Will

Surrendering is NOT easy, I know that too well. Trying to understand God with OUR understanding is not only impossible but tormenting. We limit God to OUR thoughts. You want to KNOW what the Lord has to say to you, there is ONLY ONE place we can get to KNOW our Lord, that is through His Holy word.

Here are a few verses of who God says He is, and the things He does for us.

Isaiah 43:15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel's Creator, your King."


Isaiah 43:1 But now, this is what the LORD says--he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.


Isaiah 44:6 "This is what the LORD says--Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.


Ezekiel 37:6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'"


I can go on and on posting so many amazing bible verses that bring me so much peace. To KNOW the Lord is all i ask of Him, To know His character, expectations, how to honor him,  fear Him, shun evil. If there's one thing i've learned through pain and suffering is that GOD DOES NOT GIVE US MORE THAN WHAT WE CAN HANDLE! I wonder if you really understand that. 


Let me break it down...


God's will, WILL always be done in our lives. His purpose for you and I will come to pass wether we like it or not. The question is, are you willing to surrender  to Him? Like really, are you? Because it is one of the main struggles us humans face, we suffer from the I GOT IT syndrome. Me, me me..What is it? do we not believe what the Lord says in His word.. I got you, you are mine, seek me and you shall find me, surrender to me, give me your yoke, i will deliver you... Those are the the words from our Lord to us. Now ask yourself- What prevents me from surrendering to the Lord, what stops me from DAILY giving my troubles and worries to Him... The first step is to KNOW Him and then Surrender. Surrender COMPLETELY, that every awakening is that of total surrendering, through prayer and the reading of the word. 


I will continue this topic, for now please think about these questions :) 

Week 2 Of the Lose 5-10lbs in May

Can't believe we are on day 9 already!!!!

I've been doing good, lost 2lbs which is not great but its better than a gain any day. I've been working out inside on my elliptical because it's been raining and a bit cold over here. I am definitely eating good, especially no eating after 7pm.  I also drink lots of water AND my whey protein shake everyday for lunch or dinner.

My husband and i have been taking time to go out for lunch at least every other day. We decided to take this time while the kids are at school and our restaurant is fully staffed and running smooth. I've learned how to eat out. I avoid bread, stick to water or flavored water mainly stick to greens, chicken or fish.

I chose to eat whatever i want on Sundays because let's face it, food is just way too good :) One thing i've been doing wring is not getting enough sleep which can affect weight loss tremendously, i plan on changing that from tonight on.

Let's keep pressing on ladies, if you look at this like a change how you eat and live rather than trying too hard to lose the weight you already won the battle.

So tell me about you, how are your goals coming along?

I Created a New Blog for ALL things Deals!

Yes i did. I want to keep this blog to write about inspirational and weigh loss topics. My  New Blog  brings you all the deals i can find to save you money.

Hop on Over to check out all HOT deals - and the ones i snubbed this week.

A Dime at a Time

Also check for all your preschool ideas and printable visit my dear friend at

Pre K Ideas

Lose 5-10lb in May Challenge Begins TODAY!

 Hello friends! Are you ready for this  challenge? OK remember no strenuous exercise or diet required,  exercise and healthy eating will do.

Today, I plan on doing 30min on my elliptical and plan out my meals for the week. I will log meal and exercise ideas every week along with whatever progress i make, you are more than welcome to do the same in my community.

Week One challenge:

Lean and sexy arms

Every week i will add one challenge for us to take on. This week we will concentrate on working on our arms. How? with push ups. Let's start with 5 push ups every other day and as you build upper body strength you can increase reps.

There you have it, stay focus on the task at hand eliminate all distractions and temptations. You are doing this for YOU and no one else. YOU want this, let's get it.

Who want to Lose 5-10lbs with me in May?

I am sitting here thinking i need to lose a few pounds, the only problem is i do not want the process of losing 5-10lbs to be difficult. Ok, i know losing weight is never easy but what i mean is i don't want to starve or do any extreme diet or exercise, I just want to focus and lose 5-10lbs for the month of May. Is it possible? YES IT IS...

Want to join me?

 Come on just do it! what do you have to lose, OH YEA 5-10LBS... How might you ask? Here are some suggestions, you do whatever works for you.

• Walking (take 15-30min walks every day, eat healthy)
• Jogging (Jog for 15-30min everyday, eat healthy
• At home workout program ( Jillian Michaels, Tony Horton and Shaun T are great trainers check their products out)
• Sign up to the gym ( i don't have the time for this, but hey it might work for you)
• Use your home exercise equipments (i have an elliptical that i plan on using the days i can't got outside for walks or jogs)
• EAT SMART, yes is very important! Eat about 6 light meals a day and you should be good.

There you have, some ideas to get you started. You can then add to your daily exercise whatever works for you. No pressure, no extreme dieting just a group of women on a 5-10lbs mission. 

So you with me? I will post daily updates on my BF community  HERE so we can keep each other accountable and share ideas, recipes you name it! 

My first VIDEO BLOG!!! All about SAVINGS with Coupons...

Be nice it's my first VB ever!!! enjoy

"Oh that I had wings like a dove!"

Have you ever wanted to disappear, well i have and truth is with everything i have going on in my life right now running away is the first thing that comes to mind. I feel something like David did in this Psalm

And I say, Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.

Yes, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. I would hasten to escape and to find a shelter from the stormy wind and tempest.

Psalm 55:6-8

Today as i asked God for peace he brought me to this Psalm. Reading about King David's struggles  made me feel less guilty and desperate, for even Him, a man after God's own heart had moments where he felt like he couldn't handle the storm. 

To fantasize about escaping from the difficult or demanding aspects of our reality is human response Jesus understands completely. That's why He offers His own presence and way of life as the refuge we crave. We can read it here in Matthew

 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

Ah how refreshing!!! The Lord Never gets tired, and those who rely on His strength will always find renewal. In the Mist of WHATEVER challenges life presents, we can run to Jesus and find rest for our weary souls.

Thank you God! 

Why Hello there...

Hi friends! I pray YOU dear reader are doing absolutely wonderful. We are all doing fabulous at the DLC household. Kids are a year older and mom is always on the move excited to share all my new ideas with the world.

I feel so alive right  now and i think SPRING has everything to do with it. The beautiful weather, walks in the park, no heavy boots or coats for the next few months is simply awesome. But the most exciting thing i started doing is COUPON CLIPPING/SALE SEARCHING/BARGAIN SHOPPING like a mad woman.
As a family of 6 It took me a while didn't it? I just thought the whole process was so time consuming that i opted for the easy more expensive way out. I am done with that.

Let me show you my first attempt at this new lifestyle. Last week i went shopping and usually i would pay about 30-40 for the items you see on this picture, but no- i payed $20 for EVERYTHING YOU SEE HERE. I think i could of done better if i had enough time and more coupons to stack and double, but i am proud of my FIRST shot.

The basket where .99 cents at Bed bath and Beyond!!! Can you believe?? they are so cute too :)

I think i did good for a first time right? I plan on sharing about how to find these amazing deals at your local drug store and super market. This week i will take a trip to my local drug store to score some amazing things.. I will show you ALL.. stay tuned

No Yelling Challenge Update

  OK so the "No yelling for a week challenge" officially ends tomorrow. Yesterday i yelled not only at one of my kids but 2 of them. I was in one of those "whatever" moods and my 5yr apparently was in "i will not listen today no matter what" mode.

Even though i didn't stick to the plan, I don't feel as if I failed this challenge completely. Due to this task learned how to stop, breath and act instead of yelling. Now as soon as i see the situation escalating to where i might have to yell or get super irritated i pause, pull the child to the side and address the situation correctly. I can only pray that i can continue applying this to my DAILY life.

Basically that's it for that.. Is all about action from here on...With God ALL things are possible :)

No Yelling for a week challenge

Alright people i have a challenge at hand and i want you to join me. The challenge is " no yelling at your kids for week" what you say, you with me?

I can't believe I'm setting myself up for this one. All i keep thinking in my head is "will i be able to actually pull this one off"? but I WILL, why not?  First let me clarify something (or make myself feel a little better) I DON"T go on rampages and scream at  my kids on a daily basis. I have those moments each day when i let out 2, 3 or maybe 4 loud "PICK UP YOUR SHOES, STOP HITTING, I SAID NOOOOO". I understand this approach will only make kids listen at that very moment, if that, what i mean is kids don't always think "i should pick up my shoes or mom will yell all the time", on the contrary they have a way of blocking you and go right back to the old behaviour the next day. In fact they will actually imitate your crazy yelling before they ever do what you YELL at them to do.

So today, November 23-30 i am taking up this one week challenge with the hope of eliminating this non effective, unproductive behaviour FOR EVER!!!

Care to join me?

 

I'm Here, I'm Here!!!!!

Oh what joy i felt as i clicked on the "new post" button on blogger. It's been  way to long my friends but as you all know "life happens" and boy has it happened around here.

First let me start by saying that we FINALLY opened our restaurant HOOORAY! for those who don't know my husband and i along with a very good friend of ours spent a year building a franchise. 21 Flavors of bone and boneless CHICKEN WINGS! Delicious i tell you...We opened August 12 and if we thought building and sacrificing so much for a whole year was tough, these 2 1\2 months have been even harder. We've already learned so much (i wish the learning process would of came without errors) and know we will continue to learn even more. Here's a peek of our place..

God is good...

I have to run, but i will be back tonight to share some weigh loss update...

Completed my first 5K

What an amazing experience! I can't believe i waited so long to take part of something like this.

On June 13 i ran my first 5K in support of Tuft Medical Center Floating Hospital and helped save lives of children. I trained for about 6 weeks with couch to 5K program, I recommend this program to anyone for it works great.  helped me to slowly worked myself to run a 5K in 6 weeks.

What an amazing accomplishment for me. The run itself was breath taking, i ran right along the harbor in Boston and the weather was pleasant. There were about 1,500 runners and walkers. Together we helped raise 256,000 for this cause.. God is good :)

I plan on doing this specific 5K run every year God willing, and next year i will run it with my 13yr daughter ... YAY

THAT WAS GREAT!!

What we been up to & My 90 days of P90X outcome!

I'm sorry for abandoning you my dear readers, but exercising has taken me to a place in my life i didn't see coming. I'm no longer a home body, I'm enjoying the outside world everyday with my family :)

Last week we went on our first camping trip to Maine we had such a peaceful weekend. No Internet, phones, televisions just us creating memories. The boys went fishing with dad, i lay ed out by the lake with my girls, we built bond fires, ate smores, you  name it... Time seemed to have stopped- God really worked with us through this trip...

Can't wait to do it all OVER again next year!!!

Now if your wondering what ever happened with P90X- I did complete the 90days on May 22nd. Overall i lost 8lbs.. I know is not much at all- But is not about that for me, is about how i feel and the things i am able to do now because of those 90 days. I did lose inches of my chest, waist, thighs, arms, legs and is all that matter to me...I would of lost a lot more if i had done the eating program, but i can't stick to NO eating regimen- not because i eat a lot but because I'm way too busy, seriously i am.

Here's my final 90 day progress..

Before

After

I'm Happy with my progress.. Slowly but surely i will get there- No rush.. I start my next 90 days today (i know i can't get enough of it)

I also have been training for my first 5K run on June 13- It been a challenge because of Shin problems but I WILL MAKE IT THROUGH WITH GOD'S HELP! :)

Will you support me as i Run my first 5K for a cause?

On Sunday, June 13th I’m participating in the 8th annual Harbor Walk & Run, a fundraising event to benefit Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital for Children. Lives are saved there every day – adults and kid’s lives. Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital deserve our support.


I’ve made a personal commitment to raise $_500_ for Tufts Medical Center and I hope you’ll help me reach my goal. You can visit my personal fundraising page at www.harborwalkrun.org and learn more about the Medical Center, the event, and how close I am to reaching my goal.

You can make a gift using a credit card when you visit my web page.

Every dollar helps! And your gift is tax deductible. Thank you for your generosity. If you have any questions, please contact me at  Jstar1418@aol.com. I really appreciate your support.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER MY PERSONAL FUNDRAISING PAGE.

Your contribution of ANY amount is appreciated.. God Bless you..

P90X Day 61-67- Week 2 of 5K training & Mommy day 2010

I have never worked out so hard in my life the way I've been for the past 8 days now. I wake up at 5:45 to be out the door by 6am to do my 5K training. Considering I've never been a morning person this has been a bitter sweet experience for me. I hate it but i love it...

The program I'm using to train for the 5K is here http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml Check it out, so far it's bee great!

P90X is going really good, I think my arms are getting a little too big but as i lose the weight it will all even out. So i hope. Weight Loss is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, staying consistent is key yet extremely hard to do, but not impossible. Because of exercise i feel like a different person. I am more active, balanced and happy. 

This weekend i had a wonderful mother's day with my family. I am extremely blessed that God chosed me to bear children, especially such beautiful kids like mine :) Thank you Lord for your gift to me..

P90X Day 60-61 and 5k training day 2

I don't really know where to start because so much has been going in my life right now is crazy. We went on a mini vacation for a few days, got back to do some construction around the house which lasted a WHOLE week of mess, stress you name it. We also celebrated our little O first birthday party and had a blast.

With all that's been going on working out was extremely hard to squeeze in. I had no access to my living room where i usually do my P90X so i missed one whole week of it, but I'm right back to it. I also began training for a my first 5k run yesterday, so far so good. This program promises to train me run a 5k like nothing in 9 weeks, we shall see i will keep you guys posted.

I will also post some pictures in 2 weeks after i make up for the almost 2 weeks i messed up.

P90X Day 57-59 Phase 3

Hi friends..

Well vacation week for the little ones is over and we are back to our daily routine. The kids really enjoyed themselves which is always satisfying to us parents.

I'm going through writers block right now or  i'm extremely tired, either or i feel a big fog in my head.

Last week was crazy in the eating department. I went out almost everyday with my husband and let's just say we lived it up :) It was all so worth it, but now i have a lot of work to do and it started today.

I can't believe i only have 30 more days to go with this program, this is crazy. This program has changed my life completely, my confidence level has increased so much, i am forever grateful to Tony Horton for creating this incredible workout system.  My plan is to go for 90 more days once i'm done, by then it should bring me to that place i want to be.

Here's what my schedule looks like for the next 3 weeks.

P90X LEAN PHASE 3:

Weeks 9, 11
Day 1 – Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 2 – Cardio X
Day 3 – Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X
Day 4 – Yoga X
Day 5 – Core Synergistics
Day 6 – Kenpo X
Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

I need to stay motivated now more than ever and finish these next 30 days STRONG...

Love & War Giveaway Winner!!!

And the winner is.....

Cop Mama- Congratulations your the random winning number 14. Enjoy your copy of Love and War

Contact me @ Jstar1418@aol.com with your info within 48 hours if not i will select a second chance winner..
Enjoy girl :)

P90X Day 49-56.. No longer M.I.A

My dear bloggy friends, I am so sorry for being M.I.A for so long! I've been getting some house chores out the way. We also went on a mini vacation to New York city :)  where we had LOTS of fun.

I forgot to bring my laptop, but truth is i'm glad i did because i needed to spend some undivided time with the gang. Working out has been great, i can say i am addicted to this program. I even took it with me and worked out at the hotel (yup that counts as addiction). I have to admit, even though i did not eat excessively i did eat poorly this weekend :(  Need to drink my dieter's tea and meal replacements everyday this week to make up for the lost week i had...

Tomorrow i finish phase 2 of this program, which means i get to switch the whole workout schedule again! I will post Phase 3 schedule tomorrow.

AND tomorrow guess who's turning 1- Little O is turning 1 year old! SO exciting i can't believe is been a year already... Love you little princess, may the Lord give you many more healthy years with your family that loves you to pieces... And now here's a short video of this adorable little P90X baby O..Shes too funny...

Love and War Book Giveaway!

I'm currently reading  Love & War by John and Stasi Eldredge and i absolutely love it, so much i want to share a copy with you.

John and Stasi  are very transparent and real with their own story which helps the reader connect and find open. So far is one of the best marriage book i've read. It is good for couples to go through together if possible. However, one partner putting the principles to work like John and Staci suggest will result in positive change for any marriage.

I think if you are about to get married, a newly wed, or been married for LONG years, this book is for you. It is all centered around God, Scripture and though marriage is not always easy, and sometimes disappointing, it is possible to make it!

Ok enough talk.. Let's get to it!

For a chance to WIN a FREE copy here's what you do

• Leave a comment sharing why you would like to win this book
• Follow my blog (and boo you if you un follow, you will miss out on my future giveaways) Leave a comment saying your a follower
• Tweet about this giveaway- leave a comment
• Follower me on Twitter for another entry - Leave a comment here
• Blog about this giveaway- Leave a comment
• Join my Blog Frog community , start a Discussion-  leave a comment

This Giveaway end 4/23/10 -

I will pick a winner through www.random.org

Don't forget to join my community :)