Bouncing Back

Defeat.  It is extremely hard when you get defeated.  I have learned the art of bouncing back from getting defeated in sports, both as a player and as a coach.  The biggest lesson that I have learned from getting defeated is to not dwell on it, but let it go.  There is always another game or day that will come.  The sun will shine again.  So what I do is prepare for the next.  I remember coaching a basketball team last year and getting beat in a nail biter.  In the locker I knew and the players new that they could have been better, but unfortunately the other team was better.  The great thing that my team did was take that loss and use it as a motivator for the next game.  The amazing thing that happened that season was after that game, they won the next several games.  I was so proud of them.

Hopefully some of the lessons you can learn from this is that one, you can bounce back from being defeated and two, use that loss to be a motivator to be better next time.  There will always be a next time.  You can count on that.

Never give up.  You can do it.

T~Money

Lazy Saturdays

I enjoy a Saturday when I get to do absolutely nothing.  It is those days that I feel like I have rejuvenated from the long week I have had.  The things I do on a lazy day is maybe run a few errands, but usually I stay at home in my pjs.  I usually am doing things on my computer, catching up on TV shows that I had missed throughout the week.

I am so glad that I could have a lazy Saturday today because I had an extremely long and tiring week last week and this lazy Saturday couldn't have come at a better time.  As the day ends, I am feeling really relaxed.

So what are things you do on a lazy Saturday?  If you don't have or take a lazy Saturday, I would encourage you to do so.  I will help with your quality of life.

T~Money

Happy Valentine's Day, Yesterday

Yesterday was Valentines Day or some people may call in National Singles Day.  I want to tell you all that I am so in love with my Valentine.  Now I am still single so you may think, who is her valentine?  The answer: Jesus.  Jesus is my true valentine and let me tell you why.

Jesus loves me so very much regardless of what I have done.  When I have sinned, He forgives me of my sins.  He is the ultimate friend.  He is my provider.  He is my comforter.  He is my beloved.  He is my warrior.  He is my savior.  He is my encourager.  He is my cheerleader.  He is my champion.  He is loving, faithful, kind, generous, gentle, patient, constant, and always there if I need Him.

Jesus truly is the ultimate valentine and these are just a few reasons why I am so in love with Him.

If you don't know Jesus, I would encourage you to find out about Him.  He is truly the best thing that could ever happen in your life.  Trust me.  He is will change you.

T~Money

100th Blog Post

I just saw on my account that this is my 100th's post.  Wow I can't believe it.  I just had to go back and look to see when I first started this blog and it was just over 8 years ago.  This year because of my goal to write on something every single day shows that over the last 8 years of having this blog, this year I have written the most.  I am okay with that.  There are days that I want to say something, days that I am just to busy, days were I really don't want to do it or tired. 

I just read my very first post and it had to do with a prank call that I received while at work 8 years ago.  I had a good laugh as I read it.  Actually it is that friend who pranked mes birthday day today so I had fun remembering that memory. 

So there it is, my 100th post.  I pray that the Lord will use this blog as a tool to help others or just give others a nice laugh when they need it.

T~Money

Vacation Time

I always love going on vacation.  I try to get out of town at least once a year.  I have been to some amazing places and seeing some great things.  The cool thing about having family out of town is going to visit them.  One of my ultimate goals is to visit all 50 states and right now I am at about 23 so I have a long way to go. 

Right now I will tell you about one of my vacations that I took in 2013.  I flew back to Louisville, Kentucky to volunteer at the kids camp for an afternoon.  The kids camp is called Camp Hiho.  Camp Hiho does a Saturday day camp for kids with autism.  I stumbled across from it while trying to find internships for my master's degree.  I learned so much from going to this event.  Besides having my life changed, I was able to meet a famous actresses family.  The actress is Jennifer Lawrence.  Her family is awesome.  Her brother Blaine is the director of the camp and they are just a great family.  Unfortunately Jennifer didn't make it out for the event.  I did get props for coming the furthest of all the volunteers.  This was a great trip to take.

I also got to see and spend some quality time with one of my amazing friends from Gonzaga Tiffanie Shives.  We met when she was a player on the team.  Also while on a 5 hour layover in Denver, I got to have dinner with my brother, sister-in-law and three nieces.  It was a lot of fun. 

I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to go on this trip.   I hope to go back and volunteer at the camp again soon. 

T~Money

Writer's Block

Writer's Block happens when a writer can't think of anything to write.  I have had this many times.  I especially remember being in high school and college and writing papers and nights I just couldn't think of anything to write.  Even on some days now when I am writing on this blog I get writer's block.  It happens to everbody.

The way that I am able to get rid of writer's block is to walk away from whatever I am writing and return to it at a different time.  That is why I believe that some days when it comes to this blog I am writing more than 1 blog post a day because I get writer's block.  Another thing I do is pray for God to give me the words to write down.  It works pretty much every time because that is the true faithfulness of God at work.  Finally, sometimes I start writing about how I can't think of anything to writing about and the words just start going.  That helps when I am journaling.

So there you have it, a short blog post to help me get rid of writer's block.  A few tricks to help you get rid of it.  Hopefully it helps.

T~Money

Reading Books

Growing up, reading wasn't one of my favorite things to do.  In school, when it came to book reports, I would either choose a sports book or autobiography because those were the type of books that I liked to read.  The only time I would deviate from these types of books was when the teacher chose the book we had to do.

Since I have grown up, I have branched out in my reading.  Now I read things like leadership books, romantic novels, inspirational books, and still sports books and autobiographies.  I am all about learning and enriching my life. 

I will say that my favorite book to read is the Bible.  It is the only book that I have read over and over and over and always get something out of it.  The bible is were I get all of my main inspiration in life because it is God's word. 

I love how reading is challenging and helps me learn.  I love to learn new things in life.  My final thought is this, what books do you like to read?  Any recommendations for me?  I have the my next few books lined up and ready to read.  If you don't read, I encourage you to read.  It will change your life.

T~Money

My Favorite Bible Verse

There has been one particular bible verse that has special meaning in my life.  People would call that a life verse.  The verse that I am talking about is Ps. 37:4.  The verse is "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you that desires of your heart."

I first heard about this verse because it was the life verse of a pro football player who use to play for the Seattle Seahawks named Shaun Alexander.  This was a verse that he correlated with his football number 37. 

This verse is important to me because it is a constant reminder that I need to spend quality time with the Lord every single day.  Good things happen when we spend time with Him.  It has become probably the favorite part of my day.  I do it when I wake up in the "evening" which is my morning when I am trying to get ready for work. 

If you don't have your own life verse, I would encourage you to seek the Lord and find one.  It will change your life for the better.  Trust me on this one.

T~Money

Fuller House

Back in the 90's, I was and am still a huge fan of the TV Show Full House.  We enjoyed watching it as a family.  Even today I will still find reruns on cable that I will watch.  The TV Show was just so family friendly that we could watch it, and the show agreed with our family values.  I can still hear Uncle Jesse saying "Have Mercy" or Michelle Tanner saying "You Got It Dude" or Stephanie Tanner yelling, "How Rude" or Joey trying to be funny by saying "Cut It Out."  So many memories I have from watching this show. 

It was to my excitement when Netflix decided to have a spin-off show called Fuller House.  I literally jumped through the roof.  The show premieres on Feb. 26th, 2016 and it is centered around DJ Tanner being a widowed mother or 3 boys and her sister Stephanie and best friend Kimmie move in to help her out.  I am so looking forward to this show.

If you need a TV Show to watch with the whole family with great values, then this is it.  Set your DVR's because you will not want to miss it.

T~Money

Purity Ring

Purity Rings are something that people take seriously or mock.  My family takes them seriously.  When my brothers and I each turned 13, we were given a special ring from our parents.  The ring symbolized that we were going to wait until marriage to have sex.  It is a value that I still hold today as I am not married yet, but still waiting for the one that God has for me.

I will say this, I have gone through 3 rings to get to the one I have today.  2 I have lost and 1 I have in a drawer because I am using a different one right now.  I am a simple type of person and like to just were a gold band as a ring.  I have never been into having a ring with a huge diamond on it.  The only down fall is that it does look like I am married, when I am not.  I honestly don't care because God truly knows my heart. 

I enjoy my purity ring, but do look forward to the day that I can spend a lifetime with the right partner that God has for me.

T~Money

Hunger Pains

As I am on my weight loss journey, I notice that I get hunger pains a lot.  They come mostly when I am at work.  I could be counting a row in the warehouse or freezer and the pains just come on.  To keep them under control, I try to eat smaller meals more times in the night especially at work and also, pray to God to give me self control so that I just don't go over eat whenever I want to.  I try to use the hunger pains as a way to draw near to God and ask for His help.  It is in these moments that I struggle the most and are learning from.  God is definitely using them in my life right now.

T~Money

I am Second

I am Second is a slogan that is used to show others that in our lives, we are second and God is first.  There are wristbands, and t-shirts and other memorabilia that can be worn.  I wear a wristband on my right wrist as a reminder and also have a t-shirt. 

This is really important to be personally.  I want everybody to know that God is really important in my life.  Also I want to show Christlike character wherever I am at.  I love to shout it from the roof tops that Christ is were I focus my life on. 

There are times that I have wanted to walk away, but He just keeps drawing me back to him.  He is just so amazing, awesome, and faithful no matter the circumstance.  There may be times that we don't understand what He is doing, but I believe to trust that He has everything under control.

So I am proud and please to say that I am Second and Jesus Christ is First.

T~Money

Going Back to School

I love to learn and a joke that I love to say is, "if being a full time student was a full time job then sign me up."  So whenever I have the opportunity to learn something, I usually take it.  This type of opportunity was given to me recently.  My church is offering some bible credited course from a bible college in Minnesota at a low cost.  We are calling it the Covenant School of Theology, and I am extremely excited to see how God uses these classes to change my life and draw me closer to Him.  The first class is all about being God Centered.  Last night was our first classes.  It is a small group and I know that we will all be challenged and changed. 

One cool thing about this is that I get to take the class with my dad.  I pray that this class would be used to strengthen our father/daughter relationship.  Well I will let you know how it goes as the weeks go on.  The course is 12 weeks long.  I better get on my homework :)  Blessings to you all.

T~Money

Social Media

I am a fan of social media, especially Facebook, Twitter and Instragram.  Any other sites, I know nothing about.  I have been on Facebook the longest and that is over 10 years now.  Lots of good things have happened to me on social media.  With Facebook, I get wished happy birthday on my birthday from my friends, I have reconnected with old friends whom I haven't seen in a while and I get to express my opinion and just be me.  With Twitter, I post sayings and scripture verses because that is all a person can do on Twitter.  With Instragram, it is all about pictures.  With Instragram I feel like I am actually there with the person whenever they post a photo.

I would say this, I sensor who I chose to view my social media pages and so forth and I would encourage you all to do the same.  It is important to be safe and now who is watching you on social media. 

To sum it all up, I think everyone should have a social media page if they want to, just be careful.

T~Money

Awesome God

Our God is an awesome God He reigns from Heaven above with wisdom and power and love, our God is an awesome God.  Those are the lyrics to a famous song called Awesome God written by Rich Mullins.  This is one of my favorite songs in the world.  

I just wanted to take a few moments and tell you just how awesome God really is the me.  God sent His son Jesus to die for my sins, and I sin way to much just because He loves me.  It doesn't get much greater than that.  He also provides for me when I am in need.  He is faithful to the promises that He has brought into my life.  He has given me dreams and visions that He has fulfilled.  He has never left me nor forsaken me.  All He does is love me unconditionally every single day regardless of my actions.  God is truly awesome.

Now if you don't know this amazing and awesome God, I would encourage you to learn about Him.  My life has been forever changed by Him.  I look forward to strengthening my relationship with this awesome God.  My prayer is that you would be drawn into His presence every single day.  Many blessings to you all.

T~Money

Journaling

Journaling is a powerful tool to have in your toolbox.  Journaling is a way to clear and person's mind by getting all of their thoughts and even feelings down on paper.  I am not very good at journaling, but I will say that I always attempt to do it.  I have found journaling to be extremely helpful when I take the time to sit down and actually do it. 

So of the greatest advice that I have been given when it comes to journaling is if I don't have anything to write about, then write about that and the words just keep on flowing out.  It is amazing at the times that I don't think I have something to say that the words just keep pouring out.  It is truly the coolest thing out their.

Some things that I like to journal are: my prayers, my thoughts, my feelings, my memories, book or movie reviews and just anything that I want to.  A way of journaling is doing this blog.  This blog is like an online journal.  I enjoying writing on it as close to every single day as I can.  Most importantly I am having fun while doing it.

If you enjoy writing or need a place to get things out of your head, get a journal and start writing.  You will not regret it and have fun at the same time.

T~Money

Review of Goals

It is a good idea to review your goals every so often.  My goal is to do it once a month and so I thought now was a good time. 

Goals I am doing well on:
-Book Reading: I have read 2 books this month so far.
-Exercising: I hurt my back earlier in the month so I am getting back into the swing of things and have gone a couple times a week the last two weeks.  Looking forward to increasing it this month.
-Blogging, Facebooking and Tweeting each day: I have been able to do this almost every day and when I don't, I do take the time to catch up.

Goals I am still struggling with:
-I made it 13 or the 20 work days of only eating food I take to work.  This is a huge struggle for me, but I am not giving up.  I am going to try again this month.

So there you have it.  Things are going good and bad, but the thing is I am not giving up.  I am going to keep on going.  If you are struggling with your goals, don't give up.  If you have been knocked down, get right back up.  You can do it.  We all can.

T~Money

Why I Love To Coach

Years ago, I was given a desire to coach sports.  My first sport that I love to coach is basketball, but I can coach almost any sport as long as I know about the other sports. 

Here are the top 4 reasons that I love coaching:

1.  It is a way of helping kids learn sports.
2.  It is a way to motivate kids to be the best they can be.
3.  It is a way to express Christ in my actions and character.
4.  It is a way to be a mentor to kids.

Coaching is in my blood and a strength that God gave to me in my makeup/design.  I would like to encourage all of you to use those strengths that you have to help others with and give glory to God.  It is so much fun to give back.  So go change the world.

T~Money