Girly God Feathers and Siesta Gal Pals

Mama Siesta, Beth Moore (and me)

I had the greatest time hanging out with my new Siesta Gal Pals~ Audrey, Bridgette, Jean, Lisa, and Miranda January 22 & 23 in Houston Texas. These Siestas, and many others I got to know (through LPM blogging) all committed to memorizing Scripture (24 verses) in 2009. Bible teacher, Beth Moore challenged her blogger gal pals ("Siestas") to choose a Scripture every two weeks, memorizing it, and posting each on the LPM Blog the 1st and the 15th for accountability. As a reward, Beth invited any Siesta who blogged in at least 20 of the 24 Scriptures to join her for a celebration! It was Wonder-FULL!

Pink boas were seen all over Houston; an ID we decided to wear as a way to identify a fellow Siesta. I TOTALLY claimed Psalm 91:4 over myself and each Siesta I saw wearing her Girly God Feathers! Just over 500 Siestas gathered from all over the country for celebrating the awesomeness of God's word, His faithfulness and Him being our "everything". We had praise and worship with Travis Corttrell, a teaching from Beth (Psalm 119), time for fellowship, and time to share our verses we memorized. It was a weekend I will cherish in my heart forever. Thank You, God!

... a teaching on Psalm 119 (176 verses!)

me & Amanda (from Houston, TX)

Audrey (from Illinois)


Lisa (from Texas), me, and Jean (from North Carolina)




Miranda (from Georgia)

me and Bridgette (from Arizona)

For a more complete overview of the weekend, visit this post from Amanda.

Siesta Fun & Weigh-in Wednesday!

I'm getting geared up for a fun time in Houston with a group of sister gal pals called SIESTAS and a special Bible teacher we call Mama Siesta! We are thinking that wearing pink feather boas would be a fun way to identify ourselves in airports, hotel lobbies, and where ever!!!
God tells us in His word,

He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
Psalm 91:4 (NIV)

What a better way to meet each other and celebrate the beauty of God's word, his faithfulness, and all that he is, than to be adorned with "Girly God Feathers"! I can't wait!

I believe every woman should have at least one or two feather boas in her wardrobe on those days when she needs to be reminded she's special, covered in God's love, protection and faithfulness! This photo below is one I took for my friend back in April 2009. She lives in Florida and since I couldn't spend the day with her in person on her Birthday, I sent her a crown and boa like the one I'm wearing to honor her Birthday. We wore them together miles apart.

Also, today is "Weigh-in Wednesday" with the "Sisterhood" and happily I am down this week by 4 pounds! Praise God. I must humble myself and keep my attitude in check with my weight, always remembering I am not defined by the number on the scale, the size of jeans I wear, or any outward appearances. I am defined by WHOSE I am, by the condition of my heart. I am a daughter of the King and am Born Into Purple. I am royalty because who my father is. If you have accepted Christ, YOU TOO are royalty... Born Into Purple! As far as my weight, I simply want to honor God with my body... taking care of myself as an act or worship. Thank you God for helping me this week.

If you don't know Christ and would like information on how you can meet him and enter into a relationship with Him, click here.

It Works!... and I'm doing it!

With the new year here, I'm geared up for new goals, and fresh ambition... I'm not as much into "resolutions" as I am into "goals".

Since I was young I've always been goal oriented and a huge "list person". For me, it's a great way to stay focused and move forward with what ever I have my thoughts on. Sometime in the mid 1980's, my sweet Grandma Beaudry gave me a book called "Positive Imaging: The Powerful Way to Change Your Life" by Norman Vincent Peale. I read it and applied it to my situations as I was just beginning a career in the Fashion Industry. The concepts in this book took my list making and goals to a new level.

I will never forget not too long after finishing my "Positive Imaging" book for the first time, I became a specialty retail store manager of a pitiful small volume store in Portland, Oregon. I wholeheartedly applied "Positive Imaging" to my personal and store goals. I wrote down each goal on a piece of paper, framed it, hung it in my office where I looked at it almost everyday. I began visualizing each goal- IN DETAIL- getting achieved. With each goal, it was like running a movie in my head. I remember my District and Regional Managers noticing my goals in the frame on the wall and making comments about my list. Most comments were encouraging while a few others were filled with hints of doubt that I could accomplish such high expectations. That didn't bother me, I just stayed focused.

From that list of about 10 goals for that particular year, I recall having achieved all but one of them. Some of the goals where big and some were huge! I experienced victory in achieving these goals and also received promotion within my retail career as a result of my successful goal-oriented positive nature, high expectations, and actually producing results in areas others seemed to struggle.

What exactly is positive imaging? As Mr. Peale describes in his book, it's "the forming of mental pictures or images, based on the principle that there is a deep tendency in human nature to ultimately become precisely like that which we imagine or imagine ourselves as being... Imaging is positive thinking carried one step further. In imaging, one does not merely think about a hoped-for goal; one "sees" or visualizes it with tremendous intensity, reinforced by prayer. " You play out your goal and achieving your goal over and over in your mind so much that your sub conscious believes it to be true.

I read another great book at the end of 2008 called "Turn Your Dreams Into Realities ~ 101 Ways to Make It Happen" by Sue Augustine. AWESOME book! A lot of the same principles as "Positive Imaging", with doable ways to apply daily. The problem was, when I read "Turn Your Dreams Into Realities" I just read it and didn't make any efforts to apply the book to my life; I didn't benefit from all that I could have.

I'm sharing all this because I've been re-charged to re-read "Turn Your Dreams Into Realities ~ 101 Ways to Make It Happen" and "Positive Imaging" being deliberate and faithful in keeping the principals as a driving force to achieving my 2010 Goals and Dreams. I look forward to checking in bloggy world with each achievement!

I know goal setting backed with the power of positive imaging works and I'm doing it! I can't wait to share good reports of achievements.

Weigh In Wednesday

I had a great week with healthy eating and being more aware of my activity levels.

I cut my afternoon mindless snacking that had become such a bad habit for me. I increased my water intake- drinking between 7-8 servings (8oz each)... I still need to increase more. I started being MORE active, but not under an exercise program yet. I exercised good portion control and felt positive about my progress. I thought, FOR SURE I would have lost a couple pounds this week since my last Wednesday weigh in. I deliberately don't get on the scale everyday because of past obsessions with the scale dictating my day and mood. I only weigh on Wednesday's and feel accountable to Sisterhood and a few close friends. So, you can imagine my surprise when I did my weigh in this morning (after a productive visit to the bathroom I might add), to see the numbers 155! That's a 1 pound weight gain since last week! WHAT???? I don't get it!!! I started bumming about the fact that in my mind I lost weight, my tummy pooch even looks smaller, but the scale says different? WHAT??? How could this be? For a split second, I thought, DANG, if this is what I get for my hard work, forget it.

As I continued through my morning, the still small voice in my soul spoke volumes of truth to me. "THE NUMBER ON THE SCALE IS JUST A NUMBER." I thought of how God views me from the inside... my heart, and not my outward appearance or what the scale says about me. I reflected on how I was faithful in beginning new "good" habits this week, I was obedient in improving my caloric intake to lower levels, and I was, and am, making strides toward taking care of this wonderful shell of a body God gave me. I was feeling victory this week. The number on the scale I saw this morning WAS NOT going to steal my victory and make me feel defeated. I will continue moving forward making more progress~ I have a long way to go, but will get there one step at a time through God's power and strength.

Later on in the day, I heard on old song from the 80's that just got me going... YES, somehow I heard this on the radio today~ busted! Ya'all remember Patti LaBelle's "New Attitude" from way back when? If you have time, enjoy this 80's flashback. I believe God gave me this song today to remind me, "I'm in control (with His help), My worries are few,'Cause I got love like I never knew,ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo...I've got a new attitude..." Attitude is everything.

Running hot,
Running cold,
I was running into overload,
That was extreme.

I took it so high, so low, so long,
There was no where to go like a bad dream.

Somehow that wires uncrossed,
The table were turned,
Never knew I had such a lesson to learn.

I'm feeling good from my hat to my shoe,
know where I am going and I know what to do,
I've tidied up my point of view,
I've got a new attitude.

I'm in control,
My worries are few,
'Cause I got love like I never knew,
ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo...
I've got a new attitude,

I am wearing a new dress, a new hat,
Brand ideas,
As a matter of fact,
I've changed for good.

Must have been the cold nights, new moon,
Night changes,
Or forget your love for just being like I should.