An Attitude of Gratitude & Hope for The Future

Today I was looking at this blog I started over a year ago when I actually had time to blog. I need to get better at updating and sharing my thoughts as some people actually seem to read them and care. I have since changed jobs and I now use some of my knowledge for the betterment of the public in my job.

I am now pursuing a Master's Degree in Public Administration. I have considered a focus on Health Administration and have been looking at jobs in that field. I work for the State of Alabama now and I love the benefits they offer so I have looked at jobs through them and others in the area.

My DH and I have started a health and wellness journey of our own. I have lost from 237 lbs to 210 lbs. I started in a size 22 pants and I am now back in a size 16. I even lost weight on Thanksgiving day. Now how I made that happen I will never know. My husband has lost from his start weight of 307 lbs to 284 lbs in 3 months. He started pushing a size 46 pants and is now back in 40 - 42 depending on the cut. We seem to have hit a plateau on the scale; however, we have been weight lifting and working out. We are still losing inches and I can see muscle definition beginning. People are starting to notice. I ran into a friend that I haven't seen in months a few days ago in Walmart and she looked me up and down and looked DH up and down and said "Wait, where is the rest of you?!?!?!?" That made me feel so amazing and made me want to work that much harder.

My DH's family has been through a lot over the past year death seems to have really hit them hard. If a car accident doesn't take them out a heart issue will. As people close to our family know my husband is "fluffy" and both of his parents have had battles with heart disease. His mother was a special lady to those that knew her but unfortunately heart disease took her away from us all too early at the age of 50. His father had a heart attack in 2005 and in the last two years has had to have a stent placed to prevent another attack. Heart disease has recently attacked my husband's family like a bad virus and has caused three family members since September to have open heart surgery. His aunt did not survive the operation. His uncle has been back and forth to the hospital with irregular blood pressure and fluid on his lungs. His cousin made it through the surgery and is doing well. Not only is heart disease an issue, but also diabetes. The mix of the two can be devastating.

The moment we knew we must do something about our health was in August when the doctor informed my husband that his A1C level was too high and markers for heart disease were beginning to be an issue. The doctor advised a well controlled diabetic diet and to eliminate as much sugar as possible unless it is naturally found in foods such as fruits. I am very proud of all the weight we have lost together. We are not done by any means!

In October, I found a lump in my breast while performing a self breast exam (SBE). I was so scared as both paternal and maternal sides of my family have history of breast cancer. I visited my doctor who believed it was a cyst. My doctor sent me for ultrasound to confirm and Thank God it was only a cyst! I now know that I have fibrocystic breasts and have learned how to determine if a lump is a serious concern. I am a fighter and had it been cancer I would have fought but I praise God that I didn't have to go through that! For all the women and men that do fight for your lives due to cancer; I speak life, healing, and total restoration over you daily. Remember, SBE can save your life as it is your first line of defense against cancer of the breast. In addition Breast Cancer affects men too!  

I daily speak against these disease processes. I declare and decree that according to the Word of God that sickness and disease are not allowed in our lives and the lives of our family members any longer. We have started each morning with a Confession of Health Over Our Minds and Bodies, a healthy breakfast, and at least 16 oz of water. I feel better than I have in years, but I know that I can do more!

Please, friends, pray earnestly for my family. Loss and grieving is not a fun process and dealing with disease at the same time is not easy. We have been through so much this year. We have so much to be thankful for!
 We are overcomers! We will be victorious! Go ahead Satan! Bring it On! MAKE MY DAY! I'm armed and ready for you and all that you may throw at me! I know Thanksgiving has passed but the scriptures say "Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). 
What are you thankful for this year?

 

My Life Purpose???

For the last few months I have become overly frustrated. I am frustrated because I have realized that I have spent all this money getting a Bachelors degree and I have yet to use it in a career. Today I found a video on You Tube entitled "How to Know Your Life Purpose in 5 Minutes..." It really was an inspiring video.

Adam Leipzig, the speaker, said that he went to a reunion at Yale and about 80% of the people at the reunion had still not discovered their life purpose. He said that the 20% of those who knew their life purpose could answer 5 simple questions.

• Who are you?
• What do you love to do?
• Who do you do it for?
• What do those people want or need?
• How does what you do benefit or change those people as a result?

So I thought about those questions for a moment. Here is what I come up with.

I am Kaitlin. I love to research about education, nutritional health, and  general wellness. I do it for myself first, my family and friends second. These people all need to know the truth about the current educational and nutritional system and the lies we as a society have been told. I want to uncover these truths to improve their quality of life. If they follow the advice I give more than likely they will gain outstanding health and wellness as well as an improved quality of life through knowledge and application. 

 

Here's the fun part. Now, that I understand this is what I love to do how do I apply it in my life to make it a career? Who will hire me for my knowledge and research skills? Do I need to start my own business? How do I do that with insufficient income? If I do start a business how do I incorporate my ideas to help others? I've thought about becoming a Health and Life Coach and there are online schools out there to enhance my skills but I can't afford them and they don't accept financial aid. Where do I go from here?

 

I would love to here your comments on this issue. 

God Loves You!

 I just wanted to tell my readers that God Loves You! He is performing a perfect and complete work in you. He has a plan and a purpose for your life. He will never leave you or forsake you. When the world tells you that you will never make it, tell the world "I have already in Jesus name." There is nothing you have done that God won't forgive. He will carry your burden if you will allow Him.



Recently I have had many people personally ask me for prayer and I am lifting up prayers for those of you right now. I am praying for the woman who is struggling with her husband with cancer and her son's current situation. I'm praying for the woman who doesn't know where to turn. I'm praying for the woman who is struggling with a decision. I'm praying for the woman who is hurting and in pain. I'm praying for the migraine sufferer. I am praying for the mother who's son is fighting a war. Today, I am praying for you!

May God Bless You and Keep You in His Grace.


 

Final Decision: A Miracle in the Making

 Yesterday, I received a letter in the mail notifying me that I have been selected for a job interview. This job would increase my income by 4 times monthly; get me to a point where we don't have to struggle to pay bills; provide benefits; and allow me to spend adequate time with my husband and church family. I was so excited that I burst into tears. I have been praying for a while now that God would give me a career that would do those things. I just had to praise God. I realized that when God gives me this position He will be putting me in a place of FREEDOM. He is giving me a Blessing so that I may be a Blessing to others. I have learned things during our time of financial struggle that could greatly benefit those that I would be working with. Please be in agreement through prayer for me as I prepare for this interview.

UPDATE: I had my interview. I am waiting on a decision. Keep Praying!

UPDATE: Unfortunately, I was not selected for this position.
 

Worship

Lately, God has been harping on me about worshiping Him. God loves us and He wants to show us how much He loves us. Worship is an important part of communication between us and the Kingdom. One thing I do know, when I'm having a bad day and I take the time to worship I feel better. When you are in worship evil cannot come in.

I often sit at work and play my worship playlist, not only does it keep me awake on long quiet nights, but also allows me to have a pleasant attitude when guests come in the door. I often have guests ask me to pray for them or even talk to me about Christ. I love it. I don't know if they sense the Holy Spirit on me or what but it makes me feel good knowing that Christ is shining through.

I think one of the hardest things is being asked to lead music and wanting worship and the congregation doesn't know how to worship. I am very accustomed to worship being an active experience of loving on my Father Jesus and it confuses me when people can sit on a church pew and not love on God. It makes me very concerned about their salvation and relationship with Christ. At revival the other night the minister said that if a demon were to speak in most church services that most people would run out but when God speaks most just sit there. Unfortunately this is very true because many Christians are not aware of the power they were given when they gave their lives to Christ.

God, I can't get enough of your presence. I want more of you. Release the fullness of your Spirit.
So as for me and my house we will WORSHIP the Lord!

 

A New Journey

I am ready for change.
I am tired of feeling sluggish.
I am tired of being overweight.
I am tired of not being fit.
I want to eat better. I want to live longer. I want to be in good shape.
I want to prevent sickness and disease.

Ok, so I realize that it's definitely not New Years, but I am making a mid-year resolution to get into better shape. The realization has officially set in that I can no longer fit into clothes that I love and I am not willing nor able to buy a new wardrobe. I have found some amazing people on Youtube that have shared their fitness routines and eating ideas that I plan on implementing.

I plan to weigh in soon and I will let everyone know my first goal.
Generally speaking I want to gain lean muscle, lose fat, and fit into most of the clothes in my closet.
Each year I tell myself that I am going to do this and every year I don't do it. I always blame it on something.
 I plan on getting back to blogging regularly and using this as a way to hold myself accountable for my journey. I hope to post healthy recipes, my tips, my struggles, etc. Friends, I am pretty sure I need to lose between 80 and 100 pounds to be in my ideal range. I need your support. I need your encouragement. I am going to do this with support or without, but without will be a lot more difficult.

 

What is Congress Thinking?

An Email from FeedingAmerica.com

"Earlier this week, the House of Representatives decided to proceed with the Farm Bill by splitting it into two separate pieces of legislation—a farm only bill, which would cover agriculture programs, and a nutrition bill. Today, the House passed the agriculture only bill. It remains to be seen what will happen with the nutrition bill, which would fund critical anti-hunger programs like SNAP and TEFAP.

What does this mean? It means passing a strong Farm Bill that ensures hungry Americans continue to have access to programs that help them put food on the table will be even more difficult. We expect this split is going to result in deeper cuts and harmful policy changes to SNAP when the nutrition portion of the bill is brought to the floor. That’s not right.

Lost amidst the partisan politics and political maneuverings is the fact that nearly 50 million Americans struggle with hunger, and a Farm Bill that doesn’t adequately fund programs like SNAP ignores and undermines that important fact. In short, it will lead to lost meals for struggling families.

What happens next is unclear. What we do know is the fight continues and we’ll need your help even more. In the meantime, we must keep the pressure on Congress. You can share your views by sending an e-mail to let your Members of Congress know that they must protect and strengthen anti-hunger programs as this process continues."

Check out these videos of people who need these programs.



For those of you that don't know my family is on SNAP benefits and I work 40 hours a week. This day and time we are still under the poverty level. I hate the way people judge those who are on SNAP. Please help by calling or emailing your members of Congress and letting them know that these programs are needed.