The Total Makeover

The Storms of Life

    As I think about the recent events that have occurred in our world today the one scripture keeps coming to mind:

What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:26 (NIV)

It is a sad thing when you covet what the world has and get caught up in what the world has to offer. The truth is that death has no age limit, as we see with the passing of Whitney Houston.

    I grew up listening to Whitney and have always loved her music, but my heart was sadden when I heard that she had passed away at the age of 48. Forty-eight! Really! That is young in my book. She let the storms of life dictate her actions. This is a very scary thing because life can throw many curve balls and if we are not careful we will just sit and take the hits.

    All those that know me know that I grew up in a strict Christian home and I was taught the difference between right and wrong. However, I did not always adhere to the teachings my parents gave me. I went off to do my own things and got caught up in the storms of life. Certain events took place in my life that I am not proud of, but it led me to get involved in other things that I am so not proud of doing. It took some time for me to realize that I was letting circumstances dictate my actions.

    I have said all that to say this……as women (being the emotional beings that we are) we allow our emotions to dictate our actions good or bad. We kind of go with the flow of the atmosphere. Today, I want you to take a stand and decide that no matter what is going on in your life, no matter what the enemy tries to throw at you, you will take a stand and decide to live your life without sacrificing your soul.    

Before the Children Came

Before the children came I was a vibrant, energetic and sexy woman. After the children arrived I was less vibrant, a little less energetic and so far removed from sexy! As I stated in one of my previous blogs post "Getting Back to Sexy" it is easy to lose sight of the woman inside after having children.

Let me just say that I love my children dearly and could not imagine my life without them. They bring a joy to my life that I cannot put into words. So, when I say my life was different before they arrived does not mean that I wish my life without them.

My life was carefree and I did what I wanted whenever I wanted to before the children came. Even after marrying my husband – with no children- we did things like, get up early and go to breakfast. We didn't have to get anyone else ready but ourselves.

After having children my energy left and I didn't have the big smile my husband so loved when he arrived home from work. All I could muster up was a "hey" as he walked through the door. Still in my lounging clothes and hair tied up. Who has time to dress, do hair and put on make-up when you have three children 13, 9 & 4 that are home all day because you homeschool! I understand how easy it is to get lost in a daily routine. Below are some things that might help you organize your day and put some pep in your step.

Set time limits – This is something that I had to learn the hard way. I am an overachiever and it is easy to get caught up in what I am doing and overdo it. Set a time limit for each thing that you are doing. After the time is up – leave it alone until the next day.

Get plenty of rest – I know for mothers and wives this is sometimes easier said than done, but it can be done. I have recently made the commitment to get as much rest as possible. I arrange my day so that towards the end of the day my children and I have whine down time. This helps us come down and get our bodies ready for a good night sleep. Once the children are in bed, I spend some time with hubby and then it is off to bed for the night.

Take time for you – I can't stress this enough! I know I say it a lot, but it is so important. I find that when I take time away from my busy family to do things for myself I come back calm, relaxed and ready to conquer whatever is waiting for me at home.

Incorporate the help of children and husband – this is something I learned the hard way. I always thought that being a good wife meant that I had to be able to juggle everything. I started getting my children involved with the cooking and cleaning of the house. They were so eager to help and it took a load off of me. It also started teaching them responsibility.

Hope these tips helps activate and build the woman in you!