Chelsea DeVries's Blog, page 46
April 13, 2014
April 12, 2014
Be The Change You Wish To See In The World (Healthy Lifestyle choices)
Happiness is a form of courage... I don't know about you but I'm not a big fan of the word diet. Why? Well, it has the word "die" in it. I don't like to talk death. The Bible says to speak life so that is what I work towards. I'm writing a book about overcoming death so that is the only place I really speak about death. Other than that, I try to choose words that will bring blessing, success, and longevity to my life.
I've been meaning to write this post on healthy choices for a good month because I was going to include a video where my sister talked about how she's lost 40 + pounds since December of last year but I can always add the video later on so I decided it was time to talk about being healthy. I'm not an expert on health but I am interested in living a long life that is free from daily sickness and illnesses. If you are interested in that too, then read on.
Let me start with my nine tips to a healthier, happier you.
1. Don't weigh yourself every day. Instead, weigh yourself once a week at the same time. They say the best time to get an accurate picture of your body weight is by weighing yourself first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything. Personally, I weigh myself every Sunday morning.
2. Don't eat anything after eight. Try not to eat after eight because studies have shown that your body takes longer to digest food around this time meaning it won't process fats and nutrients properly leading to further weight gain. I've started doing this as part of my 2014 healthy choice and I do it from S-Th. I noticed weight loss of four to five pounds per week. It's small but it's a start. Personally, I'm not trying to lose that much; I just want to be healthy and also try to cut the size of my waist down. Instead of eating after eight, if you get hungry, drink water. At first, it may be difficult. It's extremely weird to my friends but I feel better and just make sure to eat a big breakfast when I wake up. It also is beneficial for me since I have to take my thyroid medicine on an empty stomach.
3. Drink at least 32 ounces of water a day. This is pretty self-explanatory but I do know that your body is 70% water and uses it for everything so stay hydrated and have a glass of water.
4. Limit your sweet intake to one day a week This one I'm still working toward because I have a huge sweet tooth and enjoy lots of desserts plus, Saint Leo's cafe doesn't help me here. They always have cake and desserts at every meal. Even at breakfast now, they have a huge assortment of pastries and donuts. It's such a temptation. It's not always easy to walk away without grabbing a glazed donut. (FYI, glazed donuts and bagels are my weakness). Yet, a few times this semester, I've been able to walk away knowing my self-control is greater than a measly empty calorie donut or bagel. As I said, this is my work in progress.
5. Stay Away from Fried Food This is impossible to do in college since the cafeteria usually doesn't always have good food available to eat but you must limit your intake of fried food because it leads to clogged arteries and heart attacks. As someone who almost had a heart attack at age 21, I can honestly say nothing about it is fun. Just think of open heart surgery every time you look at a french fry and I promise it will get you to wean off that fried food habit.
6. Exercise. Get moving! In case you didn't know, laziness leads to slow death. Your body was made for activity so buy some cute work out clothes or if you're a guy, some new Nikes, and start making working out a habit. As a college student, access to a gym is easy and included in my housing but for most people, they can't afford it and if you are like me, you probably feel awkward going to work out in a public place. My sister just bought a treadmill which I look forward to using when I'm home for good but I really want to invest in a stationary bike because I like bike riding but don't like to ride a real bike.
You should aim at starting with 30 minutes of cardio and then eventually increasing it to 45 minutes. I like to do 30 minutes of cardio and then a strength training workout that targets my abs, arms, and legs. Sometimes, I do workouts that target my butt, my legs, my arms, or just my abs. I also am a Pilates lover because it makes me feel good all-around as well as leaner and stronger. I also eventually want to start bench pressing again because I liked taking weightlifting in high school because knowing I could lift more and more made me feel like a badass. I aim to workout at least 3 times a week and sometimes even do an extra day of cardio on Sundays.
Chelsea's Workout Playlist1. Ball by T.I. ft. Lil Wayne2. Good Feeling by Florida3. Anything by Karmin4. Most of Britney Spears new and old hits5. Can't Believe It by Florida ft. Pitbull (Good for squats)6. Fergalicious by Fergie7. I Know by Lecrae8. Dum Dum by Tedashii ft. Lecrae9. One More by Superchick10. Feeling Myself by Will I Am ft. Miley Cyrus
These are ten songs to get you started but from there you can add your own jams. These songs are upbeat and some of them are motivating. Just get moving! I promise you, you will feel better and sleep better because of it.
7. Snack Smart Since I have a sensitive stomach, I can't eat everything that is healthy but I try to eat healthy snacks. My faves are cereal (it's the only thing that makes my stomach happy without making me sick) which I eat with lactose-free milk. I also like fruit and oatmeal. The trick is to aim for a snack with a lot of fiber so you feel full and stay full for longer. You can also eat nuts, yogurt, and cottage cheese, or even cheese. (These options don't work for me because I'm lactose intolerant and nuts make my stomach sick).8. Avoid Caffeine after 4 p.m. if possibleThis doesn't work for me since I need caffeine like all the time in order to be alert and study and work on papers and what not but if you can avoid it, it will allow you to get to sleep easier at night.
9. Take VitaminsPersonally, I recommend you take a mult-vitamin no matter who you are. It's a great way to start taking supplements. I also take the following: Calcium- Bone Density (Plus, if I don't take this, eventually my thyroid medicine will weaken my bones). Plus, I don't drink much milk so it's important for me to take this.Vitamin B6- I read that this can help with fatigue (especially fatigue associated with your menstrual cycle) so I take it. It also helps with PMS irritability so it's double important for me to take this. lol.Dong Quai- If I don't take this as PMS settles in (days 10-28) then I basically am the biggest sack of sadness and self-doubt you will ever meet. Dong quai is used for menstrual cramps, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and menopausal symptoms. It is also used orally as a ”blood purifier”; to manage hypertension, infertility, joint pain, ulcers, “tired blood” (anemia), and constipation; and in the prevention and treatment of allergic attacks. Dong quai is also used orally for the treatment of loss of skin color (depigmentation) and psoriasis (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dr...). By taking it, I can deal with life. St. John's Wort- When I found out I had depression because it is a side effect of hypothyroidism, I read a book called the Bible Cure for Depression by Don Colbert. In it, Dr. Colbert mentioned taking St. John's Wort for Depression. He prescribed 300 mg per day. I've been taking this and I really can tell that it helps avoid "dark days" for me. It doesn't completely make me happy and upbeat 24 hours a day but it helps me avoid sleeping away my life.Melatonin- I take this every night 30 minutes before going to sleep and it really helps me have more REM sleep which is important for your body's overall health. Plus, my dreams are crazy vivid when I take it so I love it (Unless I'm having a nightmare).Biotin- I think I'm going to start taking this in order to make my nails and hair thicker because with my thyroid disorder, my skin is dry, my nails are brittle and break easily, and my hair is thin and falls out easier.
I also wrote a blog about healthy hair almost a year ago that you can check out here.
Tips for having Clearer Skin
I think I should be a spokesperson for acne because I've tried everything and still had bad acne up until I turned 22. Now that I've followed this regime and learned what works and what doesn't, I feel like I should share it with you.
1. Only wash your face at night; Just rinse your face with cold water in the morning. I found this tip in Seventeen and it has really helped me have less acne.
The products I use twice a day on my face are: Palmer's skin success deep cleansing facial astringent with Vitamin E. -This is like a face wash within itself. My skin feels so clean after I use this. ( You can buy 4 bottles at a time for $17.96 on Amazon).After using this, I follow with Equate Moisturizing Lotion. I found this big bottle at Walmart for $5.00 by the skin-care stuff and it's moisturizer for all skin-types so no matter if you have oily or dry skin, you can use it.
After moisturizing, I use an acne cream:In the morning, I use: Nature's Cure Vanishing Cream which contains 5% Benzoyl Peroxide. I'm almost out of this so I will just look for an acne cream with 5% Benzoyl Peroxide to substitute or I may eliminate it from my routine.In the evening: I use Acnevir Adult Formula - I found an advertisement in Cosmopolitan and decided to look it up. I bought it to try it and I will use this until I die because it really is a miracle worker.I also use Dove soap each night when I wash my face (It's gentle, contains moisturizers, and doesn't clog pores.) followed by toner, moisturizer, and Acnevir.
Once a week, I use Noxema's Deep Cleansing Cream Plus Moisturizers in order to deep clean my pores. I also do a Baking Soda mask in order to deep clean my pores and prevent blackheads. (Baking soda +water; leave on for 20 minutes, wash off).
If I pop a pimple and it bleeds, after I put acne cream on it, before I go to bed, I put a dot of honey on it because it has anti-bacterial properties and heals the pimple without leaving a scar.
Make-up wise, I've found that foundation actually clogs your pores and causes acne so I don't wear it anymore. I wear N.Y. Color Concealer in Fair, Tinted Moisturizer (I use Covergirl Smoothers BB Cream in Light/Medium) and Pressed Powder (Almay Smart Shade Pressed Powder in Light/Medium). Pressed powder helps to rid your skin of excess oil and tinted moisturizer contains sunscreen and benefits skin unlike heavy foundation. I also wear Nivea A Kiss of Smoothness chapstick and it keeps my lips smooth and healthy, never chapped.
Sorry for name dropping all these brands but you should know what really has worked for me and what doesn't.
I hope this blog benefits you in some way and gets you on the path to a healthier, happier life.
If this blog is helpful at all, please leave me a comment and let me know.
Until next time, remember: Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.-Kahlil Gibran
Love Times Infinity,ChelseaxoxoGod Bless!~Just Keep Swimming~
I've been meaning to write this post on healthy choices for a good month because I was going to include a video where my sister talked about how she's lost 40 + pounds since December of last year but I can always add the video later on so I decided it was time to talk about being healthy. I'm not an expert on health but I am interested in living a long life that is free from daily sickness and illnesses. If you are interested in that too, then read on.
Let me start with my nine tips to a healthier, happier you.
1. Don't weigh yourself every day. Instead, weigh yourself once a week at the same time. They say the best time to get an accurate picture of your body weight is by weighing yourself first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything. Personally, I weigh myself every Sunday morning.
2. Don't eat anything after eight. Try not to eat after eight because studies have shown that your body takes longer to digest food around this time meaning it won't process fats and nutrients properly leading to further weight gain. I've started doing this as part of my 2014 healthy choice and I do it from S-Th. I noticed weight loss of four to five pounds per week. It's small but it's a start. Personally, I'm not trying to lose that much; I just want to be healthy and also try to cut the size of my waist down. Instead of eating after eight, if you get hungry, drink water. At first, it may be difficult. It's extremely weird to my friends but I feel better and just make sure to eat a big breakfast when I wake up. It also is beneficial for me since I have to take my thyroid medicine on an empty stomach.
3. Drink at least 32 ounces of water a day. This is pretty self-explanatory but I do know that your body is 70% water and uses it for everything so stay hydrated and have a glass of water.
4. Limit your sweet intake to one day a week This one I'm still working toward because I have a huge sweet tooth and enjoy lots of desserts plus, Saint Leo's cafe doesn't help me here. They always have cake and desserts at every meal. Even at breakfast now, they have a huge assortment of pastries and donuts. It's such a temptation. It's not always easy to walk away without grabbing a glazed donut. (FYI, glazed donuts and bagels are my weakness). Yet, a few times this semester, I've been able to walk away knowing my self-control is greater than a measly empty calorie donut or bagel. As I said, this is my work in progress.
5. Stay Away from Fried Food This is impossible to do in college since the cafeteria usually doesn't always have good food available to eat but you must limit your intake of fried food because it leads to clogged arteries and heart attacks. As someone who almost had a heart attack at age 21, I can honestly say nothing about it is fun. Just think of open heart surgery every time you look at a french fry and I promise it will get you to wean off that fried food habit.
6. Exercise. Get moving! In case you didn't know, laziness leads to slow death. Your body was made for activity so buy some cute work out clothes or if you're a guy, some new Nikes, and start making working out a habit. As a college student, access to a gym is easy and included in my housing but for most people, they can't afford it and if you are like me, you probably feel awkward going to work out in a public place. My sister just bought a treadmill which I look forward to using when I'm home for good but I really want to invest in a stationary bike because I like bike riding but don't like to ride a real bike.
You should aim at starting with 30 minutes of cardio and then eventually increasing it to 45 minutes. I like to do 30 minutes of cardio and then a strength training workout that targets my abs, arms, and legs. Sometimes, I do workouts that target my butt, my legs, my arms, or just my abs. I also am a Pilates lover because it makes me feel good all-around as well as leaner and stronger. I also eventually want to start bench pressing again because I liked taking weightlifting in high school because knowing I could lift more and more made me feel like a badass. I aim to workout at least 3 times a week and sometimes even do an extra day of cardio on Sundays.
Chelsea's Workout Playlist1. Ball by T.I. ft. Lil Wayne2. Good Feeling by Florida3. Anything by Karmin4. Most of Britney Spears new and old hits5. Can't Believe It by Florida ft. Pitbull (Good for squats)6. Fergalicious by Fergie7. I Know by Lecrae8. Dum Dum by Tedashii ft. Lecrae9. One More by Superchick10. Feeling Myself by Will I Am ft. Miley Cyrus
These are ten songs to get you started but from there you can add your own jams. These songs are upbeat and some of them are motivating. Just get moving! I promise you, you will feel better and sleep better because of it.
7. Snack Smart Since I have a sensitive stomach, I can't eat everything that is healthy but I try to eat healthy snacks. My faves are cereal (it's the only thing that makes my stomach happy without making me sick) which I eat with lactose-free milk. I also like fruit and oatmeal. The trick is to aim for a snack with a lot of fiber so you feel full and stay full for longer. You can also eat nuts, yogurt, and cottage cheese, or even cheese. (These options don't work for me because I'm lactose intolerant and nuts make my stomach sick).8. Avoid Caffeine after 4 p.m. if possibleThis doesn't work for me since I need caffeine like all the time in order to be alert and study and work on papers and what not but if you can avoid it, it will allow you to get to sleep easier at night.
9. Take VitaminsPersonally, I recommend you take a mult-vitamin no matter who you are. It's a great way to start taking supplements. I also take the following: Calcium- Bone Density (Plus, if I don't take this, eventually my thyroid medicine will weaken my bones). Plus, I don't drink much milk so it's important for me to take this.Vitamin B6- I read that this can help with fatigue (especially fatigue associated with your menstrual cycle) so I take it. It also helps with PMS irritability so it's double important for me to take this. lol.Dong Quai- If I don't take this as PMS settles in (days 10-28) then I basically am the biggest sack of sadness and self-doubt you will ever meet. Dong quai is used for menstrual cramps, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and menopausal symptoms. It is also used orally as a ”blood purifier”; to manage hypertension, infertility, joint pain, ulcers, “tired blood” (anemia), and constipation; and in the prevention and treatment of allergic attacks. Dong quai is also used orally for the treatment of loss of skin color (depigmentation) and psoriasis (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dr...). By taking it, I can deal with life. St. John's Wort- When I found out I had depression because it is a side effect of hypothyroidism, I read a book called the Bible Cure for Depression by Don Colbert. In it, Dr. Colbert mentioned taking St. John's Wort for Depression. He prescribed 300 mg per day. I've been taking this and I really can tell that it helps avoid "dark days" for me. It doesn't completely make me happy and upbeat 24 hours a day but it helps me avoid sleeping away my life.Melatonin- I take this every night 30 minutes before going to sleep and it really helps me have more REM sleep which is important for your body's overall health. Plus, my dreams are crazy vivid when I take it so I love it (Unless I'm having a nightmare).Biotin- I think I'm going to start taking this in order to make my nails and hair thicker because with my thyroid disorder, my skin is dry, my nails are brittle and break easily, and my hair is thin and falls out easier.
I also wrote a blog about healthy hair almost a year ago that you can check out here.
Tips for having Clearer Skin
I think I should be a spokesperson for acne because I've tried everything and still had bad acne up until I turned 22. Now that I've followed this regime and learned what works and what doesn't, I feel like I should share it with you.
1. Only wash your face at night; Just rinse your face with cold water in the morning. I found this tip in Seventeen and it has really helped me have less acne.
The products I use twice a day on my face are: Palmer's skin success deep cleansing facial astringent with Vitamin E. -This is like a face wash within itself. My skin feels so clean after I use this. ( You can buy 4 bottles at a time for $17.96 on Amazon).After using this, I follow with Equate Moisturizing Lotion. I found this big bottle at Walmart for $5.00 by the skin-care stuff and it's moisturizer for all skin-types so no matter if you have oily or dry skin, you can use it.
After moisturizing, I use an acne cream:In the morning, I use: Nature's Cure Vanishing Cream which contains 5% Benzoyl Peroxide. I'm almost out of this so I will just look for an acne cream with 5% Benzoyl Peroxide to substitute or I may eliminate it from my routine.In the evening: I use Acnevir Adult Formula - I found an advertisement in Cosmopolitan and decided to look it up. I bought it to try it and I will use this until I die because it really is a miracle worker.I also use Dove soap each night when I wash my face (It's gentle, contains moisturizers, and doesn't clog pores.) followed by toner, moisturizer, and Acnevir.
Once a week, I use Noxema's Deep Cleansing Cream Plus Moisturizers in order to deep clean my pores. I also do a Baking Soda mask in order to deep clean my pores and prevent blackheads. (Baking soda +water; leave on for 20 minutes, wash off).
If I pop a pimple and it bleeds, after I put acne cream on it, before I go to bed, I put a dot of honey on it because it has anti-bacterial properties and heals the pimple without leaving a scar.
Make-up wise, I've found that foundation actually clogs your pores and causes acne so I don't wear it anymore. I wear N.Y. Color Concealer in Fair, Tinted Moisturizer (I use Covergirl Smoothers BB Cream in Light/Medium) and Pressed Powder (Almay Smart Shade Pressed Powder in Light/Medium). Pressed powder helps to rid your skin of excess oil and tinted moisturizer contains sunscreen and benefits skin unlike heavy foundation. I also wear Nivea A Kiss of Smoothness chapstick and it keeps my lips smooth and healthy, never chapped.
Sorry for name dropping all these brands but you should know what really has worked for me and what doesn't.
I hope this blog benefits you in some way and gets you on the path to a healthier, happier life.
If this blog is helpful at all, please leave me a comment and let me know.
Until next time, remember: Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.-Kahlil Gibran
Love Times Infinity,ChelseaxoxoGod Bless!~Just Keep Swimming~
March 25, 2014
Something on my mind lately that needs to be addressed
Happiness is a form of courage...
In case you aren't aware, I have another bill for Saint Leo. This probably is not surprising news to you since probably to my readers and most people that know me know that losing my Bright Futures Scholarship my freshman year really made me have to work harder during the years that followed. When I say work harder, I really mean I've struggled financially in order to put myself through school. Yes, you read that right. Other than the 40,000 plus I now have accrued in student loans and the small scholarships for being a Florida resident, I've had to come up with $3500 on my own. Personally, I've never seen $3500 in the flesh (if you have want to be my friend lol). I was raised in a humble home. I was raised by working for your keep. My parents have never given me anything beside the basics freely. Some people may think that was harsh but I'm here to tell you and give a shoutout to my parents (mostly because my mom is reading this. Hey Mom and Dad, love you♥) that they really raised me right. I have a select group of friends that all were given cars at sixteen and had everything paid for. This is not what irks me. These same sixteen year old's did not have to have jobs and really have been handed the world on a silver platter. In my opinion, this is bad parenting. Granted, I didn't have a job at sixteen other than being a published author because that was all I had time for because I was enrolled in the IB program (I never got to be a teenager in the normal sense of the word. In other words, I've been in college since the age of 14.) but still, I wasn't given allowance unless I did my chores. There was no advance. You earned your week's pay by showing some form of responsibility.
Character is formed through difficulty. Some suffering is ok. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I am living proof that this saying is true. I'm glad I've had to work to put myself through school and constantly lean on God for provision because it's really taught me that a salary is not the source. The Source of all provision is God and I'm glad I got to learn this at a young age because the lessons I've learned in my financial struggle will be ones I will carry with me the rest of my life.
Aside from this rather verbose reason of no surprise that I have a bill, let me just say that this time I am surprised. Mostly because for once I thought I was going to be all caught up with my balance and I would be issued a refund with the rest. Yet, instead, I have a bill for being a part-time student for half the semester (8 weeks) and it totals 3788.59.
I've made a GoFundMe page to help me pay some of it off. It has to be down to $500 by July 1st otherwise I can't register for Fall 2014 during which I have a total of 9 credits left. I was hoping to do my internship during the summer and only have my two remaining classes to do in the fall but that plan is shot to hell as of right now.
With this GoFundMe page, I've started doing some direct marketing with the link and asking people to retweet it (you know me, just doing my marketing thang). Some of the well-known people that follow me, some of my friends, and some Christian people I connect with on Twitter. What surprised me is that the worst offenders of my direct marketing ventures have been the Christians. I always assume that worldly people are selfish so when they ignore me, I don't let it get me down. Yet, I felt completely slapped in the face with a wet rag when I realized that there are too many lip service Christians out there. They tweet all the right things but when I ask them to tweet a simple link to help me finish school, you would think I asked them for the answer to world hunger. (The answer here is Jesus and may I also suggest a Zac Efron kissing booth).
If you are one of those people who has ignored me with a request to share my link and you are reading this right now, please understand that I have judged you as one of my fellow brother(s) or sister(s) in Christ. If you are to be like Jesus, you are to rush to be loving and helpful toward the poor and needy. I will never call myself poor because I currently still have a house and a bed to sleep on, food to eat inside that house, and money left over to be generous with, yet, I am in need currently. I pride myself on being someone who goes out of her way to help a stranger. I'm also someone who has gone above and beyond to help her friends achieve their dreams in what little way I can. I'm not saying this in order for you to think a certain way about me (good or bad) yet I'm saying that it is a crying shame that Christians let theology get in the way of simply doing what Jesus called the only true commandments: Love God with all your heart, mind, body, and soul. Then, Love your neighbor as yourself. (Maybe these people don't actually love themselves and felt threatened to cast the spotlight on to someone else who loves Jesus and is asking for financial support. There's a theory that really would take another whole blog to discuss.)
Mostly, this blog isn't to point fingers or to say how mad I am with this person or that person but it is to bring attention that if you call yourself a Christian, you need to act more like Christ. Don't think just because you post Christian messages on Twitter that you yourself are holier than thou. For instance, I myself post Christian tweets and I myself can admit that I don't always act like Christ. I'm not expecting perfection here. I'm only asking that if you want to represent Jesus, then your actions need to match your words at least 90% of the time.
Please if you are reading this blog right now, I ask that you share this link Make My Dreams Come True.
It takes two seconds of your time to post the link to your social media accounts. That's all I'm asking for.
Yes, I would love it even more if at least 5 out of every 10 people that share the link donate ten or twenty dollars but I'm not going to ask that of you. Giving needs to be from the heart and if your heart is not affected by my near graduation and my future career then that's fine, I understand. I'm not the only person in the world with financial problems. Yet, on that note, remember the widow in the book of Mark 12:41-44 who gave all she had and what Jesus said after watching her give her tithe: Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” When you give no matter how much you have, it shows you trust God to give you back what you gave plus more. It shows genuine faith. That's why I find people who say, "Sorry I have bills to pay, I can't help you" as an excuse. You are supposed to give the first 10% of your income to God (ie through a church, a missions group, a ministry, etc). Malachi 3:10. After that, your money is yours to do with as you wish.
I just want people to be aware of my page because the more people that see it, the more chance I have of raising the money I need in order to finish my degree. Plus, beside the GoFundMe page, I am working on another appeal for additional financial aid. I feel like the last bill taught me so much of where to go and who to talk to. Some may call it street smarts; I call it God's favor.
Because of this bill, I have stopped going to class ( I missed 3 consecutive classes) and it has really caused me to fall into a bit of self-pity. Yet, I know just like last time that "I will believe God and see His glory."
I've decided, from this day forward, that I'm wasting time (and money) by being depressed regarding this. I have 31 days left on this campus (32 if you count the day I move out) and I've really got to make them count. So this is what I plan to do. I'm going to be like the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:11, I can be content in whatever state I am. (For those of you who aren't studying the Apostle Paul like I am or are unfamiliar with his life and writings, just know he wrote that statement and the subsequent letter from a jail cell.) He was knee deep in sewage and he declared that statement so I think I can equally (if not a little more so) be content despite this raging storm of financial difficulty.
If anyone (family, friends, or acquaintance) catches me being sad these last 31 or 32 days, please remind me of the Apostle Paul's statement and also tell me to listen to Lead Me To the Cross by Francesca Batistelli. I will think of Jesus and again be reacquainted with the Prince of Peace.
Before I leave you with a final thought, please let me apologize for this blog turning out looking like a religion paper ( I've been writing so many lately that it's just become habit to back everything I say with a suitable source.) Literally in the middle of this blog, I had to stop and re-read what I had written because I was going off on a whole other tangent regarding theology. The thought of me as a religious theologian just makes me want to barf. The word religion literally makes my pulse quicken that's how sick it makes me. I consider myself a deeply spiritual and faithful Christian. I am not religious.
Until next time remember, These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold...- 1 Peter 1:7, NLT♥
Love Times Infinity,ChelseaxoxoGod Bless!~Just Keep Swimming~
P.S. If my mom is the only one that reads this at least I got this off my chest and Mom, you are so awesome! :)
Thank you to the select few that have shared the link. Feel free to share the link as much as you want but aim for at least once a week. My goal is that if you are annoying as possible about something, people suddenly just want to get rid of you so someone will just donate say, $500. Hey, God only knows. Here's to hoping. Again, thank you so so much.♥
My promotion on Twitter currently looks like this:
In case you aren't aware, I have another bill for Saint Leo. This probably is not surprising news to you since probably to my readers and most people that know me know that losing my Bright Futures Scholarship my freshman year really made me have to work harder during the years that followed. When I say work harder, I really mean I've struggled financially in order to put myself through school. Yes, you read that right. Other than the 40,000 plus I now have accrued in student loans and the small scholarships for being a Florida resident, I've had to come up with $3500 on my own. Personally, I've never seen $3500 in the flesh (if you have want to be my friend lol). I was raised in a humble home. I was raised by working for your keep. My parents have never given me anything beside the basics freely. Some people may think that was harsh but I'm here to tell you and give a shoutout to my parents (mostly because my mom is reading this. Hey Mom and Dad, love you♥) that they really raised me right. I have a select group of friends that all were given cars at sixteen and had everything paid for. This is not what irks me. These same sixteen year old's did not have to have jobs and really have been handed the world on a silver platter. In my opinion, this is bad parenting. Granted, I didn't have a job at sixteen other than being a published author because that was all I had time for because I was enrolled in the IB program (I never got to be a teenager in the normal sense of the word. In other words, I've been in college since the age of 14.) but still, I wasn't given allowance unless I did my chores. There was no advance. You earned your week's pay by showing some form of responsibility.
Character is formed through difficulty. Some suffering is ok. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I am living proof that this saying is true. I'm glad I've had to work to put myself through school and constantly lean on God for provision because it's really taught me that a salary is not the source. The Source of all provision is God and I'm glad I got to learn this at a young age because the lessons I've learned in my financial struggle will be ones I will carry with me the rest of my life.
Aside from this rather verbose reason of no surprise that I have a bill, let me just say that this time I am surprised. Mostly because for once I thought I was going to be all caught up with my balance and I would be issued a refund with the rest. Yet, instead, I have a bill for being a part-time student for half the semester (8 weeks) and it totals 3788.59.
I've made a GoFundMe page to help me pay some of it off. It has to be down to $500 by July 1st otherwise I can't register for Fall 2014 during which I have a total of 9 credits left. I was hoping to do my internship during the summer and only have my two remaining classes to do in the fall but that plan is shot to hell as of right now.
With this GoFundMe page, I've started doing some direct marketing with the link and asking people to retweet it (you know me, just doing my marketing thang). Some of the well-known people that follow me, some of my friends, and some Christian people I connect with on Twitter. What surprised me is that the worst offenders of my direct marketing ventures have been the Christians. I always assume that worldly people are selfish so when they ignore me, I don't let it get me down. Yet, I felt completely slapped in the face with a wet rag when I realized that there are too many lip service Christians out there. They tweet all the right things but when I ask them to tweet a simple link to help me finish school, you would think I asked them for the answer to world hunger. (The answer here is Jesus and may I also suggest a Zac Efron kissing booth).
If you are one of those people who has ignored me with a request to share my link and you are reading this right now, please understand that I have judged you as one of my fellow brother(s) or sister(s) in Christ. If you are to be like Jesus, you are to rush to be loving and helpful toward the poor and needy. I will never call myself poor because I currently still have a house and a bed to sleep on, food to eat inside that house, and money left over to be generous with, yet, I am in need currently. I pride myself on being someone who goes out of her way to help a stranger. I'm also someone who has gone above and beyond to help her friends achieve their dreams in what little way I can. I'm not saying this in order for you to think a certain way about me (good or bad) yet I'm saying that it is a crying shame that Christians let theology get in the way of simply doing what Jesus called the only true commandments: Love God with all your heart, mind, body, and soul. Then, Love your neighbor as yourself. (Maybe these people don't actually love themselves and felt threatened to cast the spotlight on to someone else who loves Jesus and is asking for financial support. There's a theory that really would take another whole blog to discuss.)
Mostly, this blog isn't to point fingers or to say how mad I am with this person or that person but it is to bring attention that if you call yourself a Christian, you need to act more like Christ. Don't think just because you post Christian messages on Twitter that you yourself are holier than thou. For instance, I myself post Christian tweets and I myself can admit that I don't always act like Christ. I'm not expecting perfection here. I'm only asking that if you want to represent Jesus, then your actions need to match your words at least 90% of the time.
Please if you are reading this blog right now, I ask that you share this link Make My Dreams Come True.
It takes two seconds of your time to post the link to your social media accounts. That's all I'm asking for.
Yes, I would love it even more if at least 5 out of every 10 people that share the link donate ten or twenty dollars but I'm not going to ask that of you. Giving needs to be from the heart and if your heart is not affected by my near graduation and my future career then that's fine, I understand. I'm not the only person in the world with financial problems. Yet, on that note, remember the widow in the book of Mark 12:41-44 who gave all she had and what Jesus said after watching her give her tithe: Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” When you give no matter how much you have, it shows you trust God to give you back what you gave plus more. It shows genuine faith. That's why I find people who say, "Sorry I have bills to pay, I can't help you" as an excuse. You are supposed to give the first 10% of your income to God (ie through a church, a missions group, a ministry, etc). Malachi 3:10. After that, your money is yours to do with as you wish.
I just want people to be aware of my page because the more people that see it, the more chance I have of raising the money I need in order to finish my degree. Plus, beside the GoFundMe page, I am working on another appeal for additional financial aid. I feel like the last bill taught me so much of where to go and who to talk to. Some may call it street smarts; I call it God's favor.
Because of this bill, I have stopped going to class ( I missed 3 consecutive classes) and it has really caused me to fall into a bit of self-pity. Yet, I know just like last time that "I will believe God and see His glory."
I've decided, from this day forward, that I'm wasting time (and money) by being depressed regarding this. I have 31 days left on this campus (32 if you count the day I move out) and I've really got to make them count. So this is what I plan to do. I'm going to be like the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:11, I can be content in whatever state I am. (For those of you who aren't studying the Apostle Paul like I am or are unfamiliar with his life and writings, just know he wrote that statement and the subsequent letter from a jail cell.) He was knee deep in sewage and he declared that statement so I think I can equally (if not a little more so) be content despite this raging storm of financial difficulty.
If anyone (family, friends, or acquaintance) catches me being sad these last 31 or 32 days, please remind me of the Apostle Paul's statement and also tell me to listen to Lead Me To the Cross by Francesca Batistelli. I will think of Jesus and again be reacquainted with the Prince of Peace.
Before I leave you with a final thought, please let me apologize for this blog turning out looking like a religion paper ( I've been writing so many lately that it's just become habit to back everything I say with a suitable source.) Literally in the middle of this blog, I had to stop and re-read what I had written because I was going off on a whole other tangent regarding theology. The thought of me as a religious theologian just makes me want to barf. The word religion literally makes my pulse quicken that's how sick it makes me. I consider myself a deeply spiritual and faithful Christian. I am not religious.
Until next time remember, These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold...- 1 Peter 1:7, NLT♥
Love Times Infinity,ChelseaxoxoGod Bless!~Just Keep Swimming~
P.S. If my mom is the only one that reads this at least I got this off my chest and Mom, you are so awesome! :)
Thank you to the select few that have shared the link. Feel free to share the link as much as you want but aim for at least once a week. My goal is that if you are annoying as possible about something, people suddenly just want to get rid of you so someone will just donate say, $500. Hey, God only knows. Here's to hoping. Again, thank you so so much.♥
My promotion on Twitter currently looks like this:
March 8, 2014
Why Mandy Hale is Officially One of my Heroes and You Should Buy Her New Book♥
Happiness is a form of courage...As most of you know, I am a huge fan of Mandy Hale aka The Single Woman because of her message that it's ok to be single, and loving it. Recently, I was picked out of multiple applicants to be part of her Single Woman Crew and be a part of her Never Been To Vegas book launch. This blog is basically the culmination of three weeks of socializing with women of all different ages from all different walks of life that all share one thing in common with me: We are single woman who are inspired by Mandy Hale.
When I started reading Never Been To Vegas, I was so excited to get to read the book before it hit store shelves but I didn't know what to expect. Mandy's first book, Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass, really keeps me going. I read it most nights right before going to sleep in order to meditate on a new perspective from Mandy. Mandy to me isn't some 34 year old blogger who now writes book on the single life, but because I've followed her journey since 2012, I've come to think of her as a long lost older sister who's lessons I can learn from, and to me that's exciting because it takes a little pressure off me being the oldest and the role model for my two younger sisters and focuses the attention on what I can do to better myself for no one else but me and God.
Yet, I started reading it while watching The Bachelor which wasn't the smartest idea because well, I wasn't immediately hooked. (I mean, have you seen Juan Pablo?). Yet, once I finished watching The Bachelor, and stopped daydreaming about Juan Pablo, I gave the first chapter a second read and finally realized that it was a genius way to start the book because it pretty thoroughly summed up the book's overall theme: It's not about the destination; it's about the journey. Appreciate your journey for what it is, the good, the bad, the ugly, the awkward, the really awkward, the passion, the fire, the rain, the mud, and even take a few minutes to sit and soak up a little sun.
Mandy starts the book by talking about why she's never been to Vegas but her luggage has, and what a funny story that is. It actually sounded a lot like something that would have happened to me so immediately Mandy and I started her journey on common ground. As a writer myself, I find that it's important to start a book in a way that both hooks your reader and leaves them relating to you or in the case of fiction, the main character.
Moving on to Chapter 2, I found it quite funny that Mandy and I had another similarity. We both had our first love at the age of 18. In Mandy's case, she dated hers and what a sweet couple her and Matt were. My favorite quote from this chapter came from the beginning where she talks about high school: " I can remember feeling like I never quite fit in with anyone. Now I can look back on it and see that I never quite fit in because I was never meant to. I never knew how to be a follower, and I never succumbed to the temptations of cigarettes or alcohol or drugs in high school like so many teenagers do. I was far from perfect, but I think I felt God tugging on my heart, even then, to live my life by a different standard than most. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, and I can look back at those days now and see that I was being prepared for a different sort of journey than the majority of my counterparts. At the time, more often than not, it just felt lonely."
The first chapter that really knocked my socks off and I really related to was Chapter 4 because it talked about the beginning of Mandy's walk with God, and how she learned to lean on God instead of focusing on her relationship status. Plus, Pastor Dan's prophecy gave me goosebumps. "Mandy, there is something about you that is very precious to the Lord. I feel like He is saying, "Even in your mother's womb, I knew you." There have been seasons that you drifted away from God, but He always pulls you back. He's never been very far from you. I see you one day speaking into the lives of many young women. I see you on airplanes. I see you going...the sky is the limit!" When he said the part about speaking into the lives of young women, every hair on my arms and legs stood up. Crazy. I'm now one of those young women and it's amazing how God thought of me even while he was giving Mandy hope for her future. What a loving God we serve.
Chapter five was very amusing because it talked about Mandy's journey after college. How she basically did a lot of "character work" before she went on to work for CMT. God even restored her hope by allowing her the chance to be an extra on Dawson's Creek. So, so cool!
Chapter six and seven really spoke to me. Chapter seven made me a little bug eyed when I found out that Mandy's academic advisor was also a Dr. B. Her's was Dr. Berg; Mine is Dr. Baglione. Sorry, if I sound a little bit like a fan girl right there. Please allow me to continue.
Chapter seven talked about Mandy's battle with depression upon losing her job at CMT. As someone who has suffered much of her life from depression and recently have overcome my battle with it, I can emulate with Mandy in understanding how much it's not easy living with it. Everyone you know doesn't understand why you stop talking to them and shut the world out but it's only because you don't know how to communicate how low you feel into words.
Mandy's story really gets interesting after this because she overcomes her depression and anxiety issues by taking dance classes. Then, Mr. E gets introduced to us, and Mandy. Soon after, Mandy gets a job in PR for a technology company, and ends up in a relationship where she completely gets battered, bruised, and broken, but due to God's grace, not damaged. She finds the strength to walk away and Mr. E and her reunite, only for him to disappear again.
Chapter 17 had a quote that really spoke to me because of something that happened to me this week. This week, I faced my fears and basicallyasked the guy I've liked for five months within another question if he saw things between us going anywhere and he gave me a straight very nose-dive worthy no. Well, that night, he seemed that way. I started crying because well, sometimes it really hurts to see yourself one way and have someone reject you (or think they reject you) only to watch them go for a girl who is completely everything you aren't (and yes, I mean that in the immoral way). I talked to my fellow women in the Single Women Crew and a lot of them were shocked that I've never had a boyfriend, and just by telling me that, my hope was restored. I realized that there are people in this world who will see my worth and wonder why I'm still single. And eventually, there will be a guy who comes along and wants to change that but not because he wants to complete me but because he knows we can equally benefit on this journey of life together. Plus, I had a moment of bittersweet tears because I realized that all these women in the crew all around the world are so beautiful and have so much greatness inside them and they face the same dilemma I do: they too have never had a boyfriend. The next day and the sequential days thereafter, I seen this guy and it's obvious that something good is happening here. Maybe a crush but ultimately I can tell that God's ultimate plan at this time was to get me to see how far I've come. A year ago, I was in a broken, battered, bruised place just like Mandy had been, and I thought I would never feel genuine feelings for another boy as long as I lived but thanks be to my Heavenly Father, I found the strength and allowed his grace to envelop me and I am here, a year later with genuine feelings for another member of the male species all the while, I've been attending all my classes and doing really well this semester. I've even started overcoming my fear of talking in front of people. (Yes, you read that right.) I guess the other night, I just did what I always do. I tried to rush God's perfect plan but with God's grace, I am able to realize that maybe something will come of these mutual feelings eventually but right now, because we are both graduating and relocating to different areas, it is not the proper time for us. If something is meant to happen, it will eventually, in God's perfect, beautiful timing. Plus, right now, I'm grateful that I can be friends with this boy and be myself around him. That for me is enough right now.
Also, I've recently said goodbye or stopped talking to a few people I deemed close friends because I found that they no longer benefited my life and my ultimate destiny. I am so very grateful for the part they played in my story but they are only a small piece of the bigger picture. I've started doing this because it's all a part of growing up. You start realizing who truly values YOU, and who only values you for WHAT YOU CAN DO so you walk away. Then, this quote from Chapter 17 spoke to me regarding all that I've been dealing with lately regarding relationships and love: "Maybe at the end of the day, all we can do is cling to what completes us (like our best friends) and release what depletes us ( like a guy who can't see the crown jewel standing right in front of him)." There is also more to this quote but that part I'm going to use in my upcoming novel One Last Breath.
By the time, I finished Never Been To Vegas, I was so into Mandy's story that I was legit invested. So much so that the ending she wrote basically made me cry. Why? Well, they may have been Mandy's words but I heard them in Jesus's voice: "You lose the job because it wasn't your destination, but merely a step along the way. God knows that you were never meant for a cubicle even though you don't yet realize it. You lose the love because to cling to it would hold you back from everything else you're meant to experience. Your arms are now free to grab on to life. You get sidetracked because God knows the only way to get you off the stubborn path you're on is to allow you to run smack dab into a detour. You get discouraged because you're human, and fallible. and sometimes you need those down moments to rest, regroup, and prepare for the up moments. You get blindsided by bad news and beat up by life because this is life and bad things happen, but the beautiful flip side of your present struggle is that it prepares you for your future success. You lose everything you think is so vital to your very existence because God longs for you not just to see but to truly grasp that all you really need in this life is Him. You wander the planet alone for a longer time than you would have liked because you have a destiny that's so special, and so important, and so far beyond anything you could have ever imagined for yourself, a relationship before it's time would only distract you from fulfilling it." I'm sure you're wondering why I gave you the most beautifully written ending to any book ever when I'm trying to convince you to buy it. Well, if that quote doesn't make you want to buy and prove why Mandy Hale is officially one of my heroes, I don't know what will.
If you've been moved by this synopsis review of Never Been To Vegas and would like to pre-order it, please visit the following link: Buy This Book; you won't regret it. Matter of fact, I'm going to order a copy despite having already read it because a book is more fun to have and read, once it's bound and you can literally turn the pages correctly.
For a book trailer that may also persuade you that you need to order this book, please click becoming your own happily ever after.
Thank you Mandy, The Single Women Crew, and everyone at Thomas Nelson, who allowed me this opportunity to help Mandy's message reach more people. I've enjoyed every minute of it.
Until next time, remember,
Love Times Infinity,ChelseaxoxoGod Bless!
~Just Keep Swimming~
When I started reading Never Been To Vegas, I was so excited to get to read the book before it hit store shelves but I didn't know what to expect. Mandy's first book, Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass, really keeps me going. I read it most nights right before going to sleep in order to meditate on a new perspective from Mandy. Mandy to me isn't some 34 year old blogger who now writes book on the single life, but because I've followed her journey since 2012, I've come to think of her as a long lost older sister who's lessons I can learn from, and to me that's exciting because it takes a little pressure off me being the oldest and the role model for my two younger sisters and focuses the attention on what I can do to better myself for no one else but me and God.
Yet, I started reading it while watching The Bachelor which wasn't the smartest idea because well, I wasn't immediately hooked. (I mean, have you seen Juan Pablo?). Yet, once I finished watching The Bachelor, and stopped daydreaming about Juan Pablo, I gave the first chapter a second read and finally realized that it was a genius way to start the book because it pretty thoroughly summed up the book's overall theme: It's not about the destination; it's about the journey. Appreciate your journey for what it is, the good, the bad, the ugly, the awkward, the really awkward, the passion, the fire, the rain, the mud, and even take a few minutes to sit and soak up a little sun.
Mandy starts the book by talking about why she's never been to Vegas but her luggage has, and what a funny story that is. It actually sounded a lot like something that would have happened to me so immediately Mandy and I started her journey on common ground. As a writer myself, I find that it's important to start a book in a way that both hooks your reader and leaves them relating to you or in the case of fiction, the main character.
Moving on to Chapter 2, I found it quite funny that Mandy and I had another similarity. We both had our first love at the age of 18. In Mandy's case, she dated hers and what a sweet couple her and Matt were. My favorite quote from this chapter came from the beginning where she talks about high school: " I can remember feeling like I never quite fit in with anyone. Now I can look back on it and see that I never quite fit in because I was never meant to. I never knew how to be a follower, and I never succumbed to the temptations of cigarettes or alcohol or drugs in high school like so many teenagers do. I was far from perfect, but I think I felt God tugging on my heart, even then, to live my life by a different standard than most. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, and I can look back at those days now and see that I was being prepared for a different sort of journey than the majority of my counterparts. At the time, more often than not, it just felt lonely."
The first chapter that really knocked my socks off and I really related to was Chapter 4 because it talked about the beginning of Mandy's walk with God, and how she learned to lean on God instead of focusing on her relationship status. Plus, Pastor Dan's prophecy gave me goosebumps. "Mandy, there is something about you that is very precious to the Lord. I feel like He is saying, "Even in your mother's womb, I knew you." There have been seasons that you drifted away from God, but He always pulls you back. He's never been very far from you. I see you one day speaking into the lives of many young women. I see you on airplanes. I see you going...the sky is the limit!" When he said the part about speaking into the lives of young women, every hair on my arms and legs stood up. Crazy. I'm now one of those young women and it's amazing how God thought of me even while he was giving Mandy hope for her future. What a loving God we serve.
Chapter five was very amusing because it talked about Mandy's journey after college. How she basically did a lot of "character work" before she went on to work for CMT. God even restored her hope by allowing her the chance to be an extra on Dawson's Creek. So, so cool!
Chapter six and seven really spoke to me. Chapter seven made me a little bug eyed when I found out that Mandy's academic advisor was also a Dr. B. Her's was Dr. Berg; Mine is Dr. Baglione. Sorry, if I sound a little bit like a fan girl right there. Please allow me to continue.
Chapter seven talked about Mandy's battle with depression upon losing her job at CMT. As someone who has suffered much of her life from depression and recently have overcome my battle with it, I can emulate with Mandy in understanding how much it's not easy living with it. Everyone you know doesn't understand why you stop talking to them and shut the world out but it's only because you don't know how to communicate how low you feel into words.
Mandy's story really gets interesting after this because she overcomes her depression and anxiety issues by taking dance classes. Then, Mr. E gets introduced to us, and Mandy. Soon after, Mandy gets a job in PR for a technology company, and ends up in a relationship where she completely gets battered, bruised, and broken, but due to God's grace, not damaged. She finds the strength to walk away and Mr. E and her reunite, only for him to disappear again.
Chapter 17 had a quote that really spoke to me because of something that happened to me this week. This week, I faced my fears and basicallyasked the guy I've liked for five months within another question if he saw things between us going anywhere and he gave me a straight very nose-dive worthy no. Well, that night, he seemed that way. I started crying because well, sometimes it really hurts to see yourself one way and have someone reject you (or think they reject you) only to watch them go for a girl who is completely everything you aren't (and yes, I mean that in the immoral way). I talked to my fellow women in the Single Women Crew and a lot of them were shocked that I've never had a boyfriend, and just by telling me that, my hope was restored. I realized that there are people in this world who will see my worth and wonder why I'm still single. And eventually, there will be a guy who comes along and wants to change that but not because he wants to complete me but because he knows we can equally benefit on this journey of life together. Plus, I had a moment of bittersweet tears because I realized that all these women in the crew all around the world are so beautiful and have so much greatness inside them and they face the same dilemma I do: they too have never had a boyfriend. The next day and the sequential days thereafter, I seen this guy and it's obvious that something good is happening here. Maybe a crush but ultimately I can tell that God's ultimate plan at this time was to get me to see how far I've come. A year ago, I was in a broken, battered, bruised place just like Mandy had been, and I thought I would never feel genuine feelings for another boy as long as I lived but thanks be to my Heavenly Father, I found the strength and allowed his grace to envelop me and I am here, a year later with genuine feelings for another member of the male species all the while, I've been attending all my classes and doing really well this semester. I've even started overcoming my fear of talking in front of people. (Yes, you read that right.) I guess the other night, I just did what I always do. I tried to rush God's perfect plan but with God's grace, I am able to realize that maybe something will come of these mutual feelings eventually but right now, because we are both graduating and relocating to different areas, it is not the proper time for us. If something is meant to happen, it will eventually, in God's perfect, beautiful timing. Plus, right now, I'm grateful that I can be friends with this boy and be myself around him. That for me is enough right now.
Also, I've recently said goodbye or stopped talking to a few people I deemed close friends because I found that they no longer benefited my life and my ultimate destiny. I am so very grateful for the part they played in my story but they are only a small piece of the bigger picture. I've started doing this because it's all a part of growing up. You start realizing who truly values YOU, and who only values you for WHAT YOU CAN DO so you walk away. Then, this quote from Chapter 17 spoke to me regarding all that I've been dealing with lately regarding relationships and love: "Maybe at the end of the day, all we can do is cling to what completes us (like our best friends) and release what depletes us ( like a guy who can't see the crown jewel standing right in front of him)." There is also more to this quote but that part I'm going to use in my upcoming novel One Last Breath.
By the time, I finished Never Been To Vegas, I was so into Mandy's story that I was legit invested. So much so that the ending she wrote basically made me cry. Why? Well, they may have been Mandy's words but I heard them in Jesus's voice: "You lose the job because it wasn't your destination, but merely a step along the way. God knows that you were never meant for a cubicle even though you don't yet realize it. You lose the love because to cling to it would hold you back from everything else you're meant to experience. Your arms are now free to grab on to life. You get sidetracked because God knows the only way to get you off the stubborn path you're on is to allow you to run smack dab into a detour. You get discouraged because you're human, and fallible. and sometimes you need those down moments to rest, regroup, and prepare for the up moments. You get blindsided by bad news and beat up by life because this is life and bad things happen, but the beautiful flip side of your present struggle is that it prepares you for your future success. You lose everything you think is so vital to your very existence because God longs for you not just to see but to truly grasp that all you really need in this life is Him. You wander the planet alone for a longer time than you would have liked because you have a destiny that's so special, and so important, and so far beyond anything you could have ever imagined for yourself, a relationship before it's time would only distract you from fulfilling it." I'm sure you're wondering why I gave you the most beautifully written ending to any book ever when I'm trying to convince you to buy it. Well, if that quote doesn't make you want to buy and prove why Mandy Hale is officially one of my heroes, I don't know what will.
If you've been moved by this synopsis review of Never Been To Vegas and would like to pre-order it, please visit the following link: Buy This Book; you won't regret it. Matter of fact, I'm going to order a copy despite having already read it because a book is more fun to have and read, once it's bound and you can literally turn the pages correctly.
For a book trailer that may also persuade you that you need to order this book, please click becoming your own happily ever after.
Thank you Mandy, The Single Women Crew, and everyone at Thomas Nelson, who allowed me this opportunity to help Mandy's message reach more people. I've enjoyed every minute of it.
Until next time, remember,
Love Times Infinity,ChelseaxoxoGod Bless!
~Just Keep Swimming~
February 16, 2014
You've Got to Be In It to Win It♥
Happiness is a form of courage...Hey there. I know it's been a while but I have quite the story for you so let me get started by having you watch a video:
This VLOG depicts what I'll be talking about in this blog :)
Ok, now that you've watched that...let's begin.
As you all know, I'm back at Leo. I was not happy to have to go back and was a little ungrateful. So ungrateful in fact, that I spent the second week of school literally doing the same thing I did last Spring: skipping class. Going to work but skipping class. Why would I do that? Don't worry, I'll get to that.
Finally, after a week of self-pity and spending a week focused on my strengths, my talents, and my insecurities with myself, I said ENOUGH! I focused on Jesus and trusted him and he told me to step out in faith.
On February 1st, I wrote out goals for this month that I vowed I would stick with and they are:
1. Workout 3 times a week
2. Don't miss any class except on Feb. 21 (thyroid check-up)
3. Write Ch.10-12 of One Last Breath
4. Finish Fifty Shades triology
5. Start preparing research for Sales Presentation (Personal Selling)
I have been reading Demi Lovato's Staying Strong book and that was what it said to do for February 1st. I'm going to do that every month from now on. It really helps you set your most important priorities and the rest becomes white noise.
Anyway, Monday I returned to my classes and I actually enjoyed them. I no longer focused on me going to class, talking in front of the class, doing the assignments, as I was doing all of that alone. Now me and Jesus were together in this. A funny thing happened. I started liking the me that God can see. I've finally begun to love myself.
As some of you may know, I posted a VLOG asking for creative handwritten or hand-drawn Valentines just to use as decoration for my walls. I was trying to inspire creativity. Yet, I didn't expect anything from it. I simply just let God take care of it and guess what? Shocker. He actually did.
In the last blog, you may remember how I said I wanted chocolate for Valentines. I didn't want it for romantic purposes, I just wanted chocolate because I'm a girl. Do I need a real reason for chocolate? :P
On Monday night, the guy I was working with was leaving and I was busy helping a patron find a book they needed for a class assignment. I was so busy with the patron, I didn't even see him walk over to my book and place a Hershey's bar on top. When I was done with the patron, I walked over to go back to my hw and found the gift just sitting there. Since the patron had been a guy and he was still there and talking with the guy I work with, I thought at first that he put it there, or that one of my friends had walked in and placed it on my book and left. So being the bold Leo that I am I spoke up, "Who gave me this?" Sure enough. The guy I worked with slowly raised his hand. It made my day! As you can tell, I was off to a good start for the entire week. Remember how the fortune in my VLOG said: You will soon receive an unexpected gift from an acquaintance. Yes, that happened.
Tuesday was really good because Tuesdays and Thursdays are usually good because I don't have class but I work early in the morning and then have the rest of the day to just do my hw and laundry and work out.
Wednesday and Thursday were equally good, mostly because I started eliminating people from my life that I feel only weigh me down.
Friday I wasn't really awake when I went to breakfast but as I was leaving the cafe, I followed this girl out of the doorway and something told me to look down. I did and all of a sudden, money was sprawled all along the doorway. I asked the girl if it was her's because I seen that her bookbag was open but she claimed she didn't carry money in her bag. No one else was around except for me. So, I knew then what God did. He rained provision down for me. I picked it up and it turned out it was $28 total. I was a month behind in paying my phone bill money to my mom and this was enough to cover what I owed. Praise God! Remember how the fortune in my VLOG said: new financial resources will soon become available to you. Again, that happened.
Saturday, I went to see Jason Derulo in concert (included in park admission). His show was amazeballs. Below are some pictures: (Provided by my sister's camera phone since I don't have a camera.)
He sang all of my faves of his: It Girl, Talk Dirty, Riding Solo, and the Other Side. His dancers were crazy good. He even let us hear a two day old song he just made in the studio called Wiggle Wiggle. It's going to be a definite hit. You will be turning up to that shit.As you can see, we (My family and I) were very close to the stage. So close in fact that Sunday, I was surprised when I logged into Facebook and thanks to my sister tagging me, found myself in a picture posted on 933 FLZ's fb page.
Yeah, it's only the back of my head but still, the paparazzi caught me. ;-)
Then this week started out good but of course you can't have a trial free life. This week my trial came in the form of an assignment for my marketing class where I was originally assigned to sing and dance in front of the class. The assignment was called Be Creative. I was really stressing it big time. Since I used up all my skips for that class, I knew I had no choice but to face the music (haha no pun intended) and grow a freaking pair. So I prayed that morning and planned on going to class half an hour early to talk to my professor.
As I was walking to class, my professor was also walking back from lunch so he met me at the front of the school of business. I met up with him and chatted to him about general things and then told him I was very confused as to the assignment and the girl I was assigned to work with contributed nothing so I honestly told him I had nothing prepared. He goes, "Chelsea, you at least have to give me something." So, I asked if I could write a poem about model airplanes (since that's what we were trying to advertise), and he said sure.He goes, "You have 20 minutes so go get started." I ran to the library and this was the poem I wrote (which I later shared with the class):
I lost my heart to a model airplaneI watched my heart soarLike a model airplaneSoaring,Gliding,Unexpected crash landing.If only I wouldn’t have left My heart’s remote In the wrong hands.You shouldn’t either;Give height to your own dreams And watch them take flightWith the purchase of the Boeing 747.
This poem gave me an idea for a poem that sums up my "love thyself" message pretty nicely. You can view it Model Airplane Heart
Friday was also Valentine's Day but it turned out I had a very blessed day. I got unexpected Valentine's from two of my friends when I thought I wasn't going to get any this year. You can hear more about my Valentine's day: Happy Valentine's Day
(And yes, I am aware that I wore the same thing in both of my Valentine's Day videos. I did that purposefully.)
I've finally started appreciating the love I do have instead of ignoring it for the love I don't have. Being grateful really changes your view on life. For more on being grateful and who was my Valentine this year, read my previous blog A Letter To My Valentine♥
Anyway, today I watched a bunch of Bible teachings and they all talked about not running from the plans of God just because they may make you uncomfortable and I realized I finally overcame my biggest fear: publicly sharing my creativity with the world, face to face. See, I have this great gift of being creative and I write blogs, books, and even poetry but I don't like to read my writing in public for fear of not being accepted for sharing such an intimate part of myself. This is why I hate public speaking so much. It makes me uncomfortable. Yet on Friday, I received the greatest Valentine's day gift of all: I overcame my fear and I've realized that when you stop begging for attention is when you actually get it.
Mandy Hale explains this better than I do so my final thought will be from her book, Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass.
Before I get there, let me go ahead and tell you about something sort of poetic the Lord just revealed to me. When I started writing this blog, I was hungry. I mean, famished because I hadn't eaten anything since brunch and I also barely ate anything at brunch. I decided to wait until dinner to eat again so I could really eat my heart out (if you know what I mean). I went and God had prepared a feast for me. There was nachos at the main station, bacon cheeseburgers at the grill, the salad bar was chock full of good toppings, and they even had chocolate pudding out by the yogurt. Usually on the weekends, the cafe disappoints but not today. I was eating alone because I just wanted to get back to blogging and everyone that walked by my table kept looking at me because I had three plates and one bowl in front of me. It looked like I had a four course meal in front of me enough for two people. I left the cafe actually full and satisfied and happy (mostly because of the chocolate pudding). Then God said to me, "This is what I want life to feel like for you every day, Chels. Full and complete, and satisfactory." Whoa man.
Conclusively, as long as you focus on what you can't do, you will never do it or you will constantly go around and around struggling with it. As long as you focus on what Jesus can do in you, nothing is impossible. Jesus is the key to life. And not just any life, but a full, complete, and satisfactorily peaceful life. Trust me, I'm living it right now. Not every day is easy because some days you wake up and you still want to sleep. You are sore from that workout you started yesterday or you did an extra set so your muscles ache. You are a little angry at yourself because you gave someone too much credit and yourself not enough. Yet, every morning now, I wake up and expect good things to happen to me. I get up and get ready and run that thought over and over in my head: Something good is going to happen to me today and every day, it does. It's not always big enough for me to share on Facebook but it's big enough that I notice it, and look up and smile at Jesus, and say, "Thanks Handsome." ♥
My next blog will be about what I've been doing in order to maintain a healthier lifestyle and will feature a video of my sister Jamie explaining her weight loss journey. (Jamie if you are reading this, yeah, I forgot to ask you about that. Hope you're ok with it.)
Until next time, remember this: "Here's a little secret that's going to save you a lot of unnecessary grief in life. Are you ready? Your worth is not tied to any person. Life will be a miserable experience if you spend it worrying about others' disapproval rather than letting your light shine without fear. I'm learning that not everyone is meant to understand us, approve of us, or join us on our journeys. Some would slow us. Others would deter us. Some would jump in the car and take off without us! And some are giant roadblocks that would keep us from the destiny that God has for us. So trust that the people who strayed from your path don't belong there anyway. Not everybody can go where you're going.
An amazing thing happens when you stop seeking approval and validation: you find it. People are naturally drawn like magnets to those who know who they are and cannot be shaken! Looking to someone else for the things you should be giving yourself only serves to water down the person you were born to be. It is vital to be so rooted in who you are that you're not yanked off your feet by someone else's opinion or disapproval.
The bottom line: the ones who are meant to get you will get you, and the ones who aren't will be mystified by you. And that's okay. It's not your place to try to please everyone or earn everyone's approval. After all, you're not here to fit nicely inside anyone's mold. You're here to break it." -Mandy Hale, exerpt from Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass.
Love Times Infinity,ChelseaxoxoGod Bless!
~Just Keep Swimming~
This VLOG depicts what I'll be talking about in this blog :)
Ok, now that you've watched that...let's begin.
As you all know, I'm back at Leo. I was not happy to have to go back and was a little ungrateful. So ungrateful in fact, that I spent the second week of school literally doing the same thing I did last Spring: skipping class. Going to work but skipping class. Why would I do that? Don't worry, I'll get to that.
Finally, after a week of self-pity and spending a week focused on my strengths, my talents, and my insecurities with myself, I said ENOUGH! I focused on Jesus and trusted him and he told me to step out in faith.
On February 1st, I wrote out goals for this month that I vowed I would stick with and they are:
1. Workout 3 times a week
2. Don't miss any class except on Feb. 21 (thyroid check-up)
3. Write Ch.10-12 of One Last Breath
4. Finish Fifty Shades triology
5. Start preparing research for Sales Presentation (Personal Selling)
I have been reading Demi Lovato's Staying Strong book and that was what it said to do for February 1st. I'm going to do that every month from now on. It really helps you set your most important priorities and the rest becomes white noise.
Anyway, Monday I returned to my classes and I actually enjoyed them. I no longer focused on me going to class, talking in front of the class, doing the assignments, as I was doing all of that alone. Now me and Jesus were together in this. A funny thing happened. I started liking the me that God can see. I've finally begun to love myself.
As some of you may know, I posted a VLOG asking for creative handwritten or hand-drawn Valentines just to use as decoration for my walls. I was trying to inspire creativity. Yet, I didn't expect anything from it. I simply just let God take care of it and guess what? Shocker. He actually did.
In the last blog, you may remember how I said I wanted chocolate for Valentines. I didn't want it for romantic purposes, I just wanted chocolate because I'm a girl. Do I need a real reason for chocolate? :P
On Monday night, the guy I was working with was leaving and I was busy helping a patron find a book they needed for a class assignment. I was so busy with the patron, I didn't even see him walk over to my book and place a Hershey's bar on top. When I was done with the patron, I walked over to go back to my hw and found the gift just sitting there. Since the patron had been a guy and he was still there and talking with the guy I work with, I thought at first that he put it there, or that one of my friends had walked in and placed it on my book and left. So being the bold Leo that I am I spoke up, "Who gave me this?" Sure enough. The guy I worked with slowly raised his hand. It made my day! As you can tell, I was off to a good start for the entire week. Remember how the fortune in my VLOG said: You will soon receive an unexpected gift from an acquaintance. Yes, that happened.
Tuesday was really good because Tuesdays and Thursdays are usually good because I don't have class but I work early in the morning and then have the rest of the day to just do my hw and laundry and work out.
Wednesday and Thursday were equally good, mostly because I started eliminating people from my life that I feel only weigh me down.
Friday I wasn't really awake when I went to breakfast but as I was leaving the cafe, I followed this girl out of the doorway and something told me to look down. I did and all of a sudden, money was sprawled all along the doorway. I asked the girl if it was her's because I seen that her bookbag was open but she claimed she didn't carry money in her bag. No one else was around except for me. So, I knew then what God did. He rained provision down for me. I picked it up and it turned out it was $28 total. I was a month behind in paying my phone bill money to my mom and this was enough to cover what I owed. Praise God! Remember how the fortune in my VLOG said: new financial resources will soon become available to you. Again, that happened.
Saturday, I went to see Jason Derulo in concert (included in park admission). His show was amazeballs. Below are some pictures: (Provided by my sister's camera phone since I don't have a camera.)
He sang all of my faves of his: It Girl, Talk Dirty, Riding Solo, and the Other Side. His dancers were crazy good. He even let us hear a two day old song he just made in the studio called Wiggle Wiggle. It's going to be a definite hit. You will be turning up to that shit.As you can see, we (My family and I) were very close to the stage. So close in fact that Sunday, I was surprised when I logged into Facebook and thanks to my sister tagging me, found myself in a picture posted on 933 FLZ's fb page.
Yeah, it's only the back of my head but still, the paparazzi caught me. ;-)Then this week started out good but of course you can't have a trial free life. This week my trial came in the form of an assignment for my marketing class where I was originally assigned to sing and dance in front of the class. The assignment was called Be Creative. I was really stressing it big time. Since I used up all my skips for that class, I knew I had no choice but to face the music (haha no pun intended) and grow a freaking pair. So I prayed that morning and planned on going to class half an hour early to talk to my professor.
As I was walking to class, my professor was also walking back from lunch so he met me at the front of the school of business. I met up with him and chatted to him about general things and then told him I was very confused as to the assignment and the girl I was assigned to work with contributed nothing so I honestly told him I had nothing prepared. He goes, "Chelsea, you at least have to give me something." So, I asked if I could write a poem about model airplanes (since that's what we were trying to advertise), and he said sure.He goes, "You have 20 minutes so go get started." I ran to the library and this was the poem I wrote (which I later shared with the class):
I lost my heart to a model airplaneI watched my heart soarLike a model airplaneSoaring,Gliding,Unexpected crash landing.If only I wouldn’t have left My heart’s remote In the wrong hands.You shouldn’t either;Give height to your own dreams And watch them take flightWith the purchase of the Boeing 747.
This poem gave me an idea for a poem that sums up my "love thyself" message pretty nicely. You can view it Model Airplane Heart
Friday was also Valentine's Day but it turned out I had a very blessed day. I got unexpected Valentine's from two of my friends when I thought I wasn't going to get any this year. You can hear more about my Valentine's day: Happy Valentine's Day
(And yes, I am aware that I wore the same thing in both of my Valentine's Day videos. I did that purposefully.)
I've finally started appreciating the love I do have instead of ignoring it for the love I don't have. Being grateful really changes your view on life. For more on being grateful and who was my Valentine this year, read my previous blog A Letter To My Valentine♥
Anyway, today I watched a bunch of Bible teachings and they all talked about not running from the plans of God just because they may make you uncomfortable and I realized I finally overcame my biggest fear: publicly sharing my creativity with the world, face to face. See, I have this great gift of being creative and I write blogs, books, and even poetry but I don't like to read my writing in public for fear of not being accepted for sharing such an intimate part of myself. This is why I hate public speaking so much. It makes me uncomfortable. Yet on Friday, I received the greatest Valentine's day gift of all: I overcame my fear and I've realized that when you stop begging for attention is when you actually get it.
Mandy Hale explains this better than I do so my final thought will be from her book, Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass.
Before I get there, let me go ahead and tell you about something sort of poetic the Lord just revealed to me. When I started writing this blog, I was hungry. I mean, famished because I hadn't eaten anything since brunch and I also barely ate anything at brunch. I decided to wait until dinner to eat again so I could really eat my heart out (if you know what I mean). I went and God had prepared a feast for me. There was nachos at the main station, bacon cheeseburgers at the grill, the salad bar was chock full of good toppings, and they even had chocolate pudding out by the yogurt. Usually on the weekends, the cafe disappoints but not today. I was eating alone because I just wanted to get back to blogging and everyone that walked by my table kept looking at me because I had three plates and one bowl in front of me. It looked like I had a four course meal in front of me enough for two people. I left the cafe actually full and satisfied and happy (mostly because of the chocolate pudding). Then God said to me, "This is what I want life to feel like for you every day, Chels. Full and complete, and satisfactory." Whoa man.
Conclusively, as long as you focus on what you can't do, you will never do it or you will constantly go around and around struggling with it. As long as you focus on what Jesus can do in you, nothing is impossible. Jesus is the key to life. And not just any life, but a full, complete, and satisfactorily peaceful life. Trust me, I'm living it right now. Not every day is easy because some days you wake up and you still want to sleep. You are sore from that workout you started yesterday or you did an extra set so your muscles ache. You are a little angry at yourself because you gave someone too much credit and yourself not enough. Yet, every morning now, I wake up and expect good things to happen to me. I get up and get ready and run that thought over and over in my head: Something good is going to happen to me today and every day, it does. It's not always big enough for me to share on Facebook but it's big enough that I notice it, and look up and smile at Jesus, and say, "Thanks Handsome." ♥
My next blog will be about what I've been doing in order to maintain a healthier lifestyle and will feature a video of my sister Jamie explaining her weight loss journey. (Jamie if you are reading this, yeah, I forgot to ask you about that. Hope you're ok with it.)
Until next time, remember this: "Here's a little secret that's going to save you a lot of unnecessary grief in life. Are you ready? Your worth is not tied to any person. Life will be a miserable experience if you spend it worrying about others' disapproval rather than letting your light shine without fear. I'm learning that not everyone is meant to understand us, approve of us, or join us on our journeys. Some would slow us. Others would deter us. Some would jump in the car and take off without us! And some are giant roadblocks that would keep us from the destiny that God has for us. So trust that the people who strayed from your path don't belong there anyway. Not everybody can go where you're going.
An amazing thing happens when you stop seeking approval and validation: you find it. People are naturally drawn like magnets to those who know who they are and cannot be shaken! Looking to someone else for the things you should be giving yourself only serves to water down the person you were born to be. It is vital to be so rooted in who you are that you're not yanked off your feet by someone else's opinion or disapproval.
The bottom line: the ones who are meant to get you will get you, and the ones who aren't will be mystified by you. And that's okay. It's not your place to try to please everyone or earn everyone's approval. After all, you're not here to fit nicely inside anyone's mold. You're here to break it." -Mandy Hale, exerpt from Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass.
Love Times Infinity,ChelseaxoxoGod Bless!
~Just Keep Swimming~
February 13, 2014
A Letter to my Valentine♥
Happiness is a form of courage...
It appears I always did. Either way, this one is for my Valentine.
Jesus, thank you for being the only man in this life that has never let me down. I love that you are always there for me even when I don't understand why I'm upset. You are and sometimes you come and don't say a word, and just hold me. It is there that I am home. In your arms, I am home. I love you♥
It appears I always did. Either way, this one is for my Valentine.
Jesus, thank you for being the only man in this life that has never let me down. I love that you are always there for me even when I don't understand why I'm upset. You are and sometimes you come and don't say a word, and just hold me. It is there that I am home. In your arms, I am home. I love you♥
January 14, 2014
2014: The Year that I Become Unstoppable
Happiness is a form of courage... I bet you thought I was going to leave you hanging forever. Am I going back to Saint Leo or am I not? I'll get to that but first let me tell you about the rest of my break.
I love being on break because usually it's not that stressful. I just spend time writing and then save all my money for school since I don't usually get hired by any part-time job in my area.
This break, though, was no exception. I wore no-make up unless I was going to Wal-mart. (Have you ever been to Wal-mart? There are way too many creeps.) And most days when I'm home I dress like a bum since I plan on seeing no one (the bonus came when my camera broke) so sweat pants were my uniform of choice.
Drake wrote a song about me once. He sang, "Sweatpants, hair tied, chilling, with no make-up on." Every girl out there thought it was about them but he actually wrote it for me.
Anyway, so the first weekend in January, I went to the movies with my family and saw
This was so good because the media makes Justin out to be a bad guy(just like Michael Jackson, etc.) and he's not. Sure, he makes mistakes. He's human. My mom saw this movie and when we exited the theater she turned to me and said: "I still love Justin." Me too, Mom. Me too.♥
This was really good. Very tragic story but the quote in it spoke such truth: It's what we as storytellers do; we restore order through imagination and instill hope again, again, and again. -Saving Mr. Banks♥
Yet, I went to the movies without make-up. I've been in public without make-up before but this was the first time I didn't even worry about what I looked like before I left the house. Why have I suddenly changed and accepted myself?
Because I spent the whole Christmas break studying
Joyce Meyer's book Beauty For Ashes and the Action Plan to help with further Bible study. I entered 2013 with a lot of demons that I had carried around for 21 years and I decided that I would end 2013 by putting those demons behind me. Obviously, it's a day to day process but I can fully tell you that I feel lighter emotionally because I gave God all the ashes of my past that I've been holding onto.
Once that was complete, he revealed some things to me. I'll get to that in a few.
This past week came and went and I accomplished nothing other than helping my sister with her English hw. Her grade in the class went up 3% because of my help so it helped me feel that even though I didn't write more to my book, I made a positive difference in my sister's education. Which made me stop listening to that voice in my head that constantly tells me "I'm not smart enough" to finish college.
The main reason it was so hard to write was because Monday, I finally got an email from the financial aid appeal committee letting me know that they could give me $2000. That made my balance/bill for Fall semester go down to $1899.96.
Tuesday, I got an email from the department chair and my advisor telling me I wouldn't be able to take as many online classes as I wanted to.
I had wanted to take 3 campus classes and then take the other four I have left online. I figured because I was supposed to graduate in May they would make an exception. I was wrong. I took matters into my own hands and emailed the dean for specific approval letting him know why I wanted to finish this semester. I prefer online classes because they are easier for me, they require independent study, and the textbooks and classes are usually cheaper when grouped together.
Yet, the dean denied my request so of course, I sat for the rest of the day and bawled my eyes out because I always end up messing up and failing a class because I have a lot of insecurities regarding speaking in front of my peers.
I finally decided based on how much the textbooks would cost me. That's how I picked my classes. And also which professor I trusted for the on campus marketing class.
Yet, once I emailed my advisor with my schedule, he emailed me back on Thursday telling me that he couldn't register me because there was still a hold.
Then, I remembered that the unwritten rule at Saint Leo is that the balance must be $500 or less for your hold to be removed unless you agree to a payment plan. Which left no option but for me to find out how much the payment plan would be for. Yet, I felt that I was cheated by being only given $2000 when I needed $3500 to register and didn't want to agree to a payment plan until I knew for sure that I could pay it each month. I don't want to be in anymore deeper debt than I already am. On Thursday, I found out I have already $41,000 in student loans outstanding. That probably doesn't even include whatever aid I might get for next semester since I won't be finishing this semester.
Despite everything, I'm going to be working twenty hours a week and I'll be registered for 5 classes, 2 of which will be online.
I have to come up with $250 down payment and then I will have a monthly payment each month starting on Feb. 15. It's honestly too expensive to go to school just to make decent money in a dream job where most of my money will just go back to the government. So much for land of the free. More like, land of the bound. In other news, Obama's two daughters will get to go to any college they want for free. Isn't that just peaches and cream? What irks me the most is that I have a 20 hour job and I don't even get to use any of my paycheck for things I want to like: chocolate festival at MOSI for $21.95, Ladies' Night at Applebees, a Godiva basket for Valentine's day in order to treat myself. But no, I'm young and not free because my noose is tied and Saint Leo has me hanging by a thread always. I won't be recommending this school to anyone once I graduate because my whole experience beside working at the library and having class with a select group of professors has just left me feeling used and abused, and poor.
I'll be returning to school Thursday since I will be registering Friday. Yet, it was nice that a lot of my friends keep texting me that they can't wait until I'm back. My roommate is glad to have me back.(Weird, I know. I have real friends).
My only other option beside staying home and hoping I get a job close to home and pay back my balance would have probably meant that I never would have finished school; my other option would have been to marry a rich guy and yeah, I wasn't too ready for that. Still awaiting my Christian Grey. ;-)
Yet, I believe I have the talent and determination to be unstoppable this year and see this dream of being a publicist out to completion while also seeing my dream of being a best selling novelist out to completion so yeah, you can't stop me. No one will. Not SLU. Not financial aid. Not the government. Not my parents. Not my negative friends who don't believe in me. Not the haters. Especially not my worst enemy: Me.♥
If I have any doubts as to what God revealed to me, I will go see the counselor at SLU since they already know me because of last spring semester and that's including in the cost of my attendance at SLU. So I'm going to take advantage of it so my insecurities don't stop me.
Thursday night, I was watching Joyce and she said something that I knew God was saying directly to me:
Until next time, remember: "You don't have to be afraid that you're not up for whatever it is that you've got in front of you to do."-Joyce Meyer♥
Love Times Infinity,ChelseaxoxoGod Bless!~Just Keep Swimming~
I love being on break because usually it's not that stressful. I just spend time writing and then save all my money for school since I don't usually get hired by any part-time job in my area.
This break, though, was no exception. I wore no-make up unless I was going to Wal-mart. (Have you ever been to Wal-mart? There are way too many creeps.) And most days when I'm home I dress like a bum since I plan on seeing no one (the bonus came when my camera broke) so sweat pants were my uniform of choice.
Drake wrote a song about me once. He sang, "Sweatpants, hair tied, chilling, with no make-up on." Every girl out there thought it was about them but he actually wrote it for me.
Anyway, so the first weekend in January, I went to the movies with my family and saw
This was so good because the media makes Justin out to be a bad guy(just like Michael Jackson, etc.) and he's not. Sure, he makes mistakes. He's human. My mom saw this movie and when we exited the theater she turned to me and said: "I still love Justin." Me too, Mom. Me too.♥
This was really good. Very tragic story but the quote in it spoke such truth: It's what we as storytellers do; we restore order through imagination and instill hope again, again, and again. -Saving Mr. Banks♥Yet, I went to the movies without make-up. I've been in public without make-up before but this was the first time I didn't even worry about what I looked like before I left the house. Why have I suddenly changed and accepted myself?
Because I spent the whole Christmas break studying
Joyce Meyer's book Beauty For Ashes and the Action Plan to help with further Bible study. I entered 2013 with a lot of demons that I had carried around for 21 years and I decided that I would end 2013 by putting those demons behind me. Obviously, it's a day to day process but I can fully tell you that I feel lighter emotionally because I gave God all the ashes of my past that I've been holding onto.Once that was complete, he revealed some things to me. I'll get to that in a few.
This past week came and went and I accomplished nothing other than helping my sister with her English hw. Her grade in the class went up 3% because of my help so it helped me feel that even though I didn't write more to my book, I made a positive difference in my sister's education. Which made me stop listening to that voice in my head that constantly tells me "I'm not smart enough" to finish college.
The main reason it was so hard to write was because Monday, I finally got an email from the financial aid appeal committee letting me know that they could give me $2000. That made my balance/bill for Fall semester go down to $1899.96.
Tuesday, I got an email from the department chair and my advisor telling me I wouldn't be able to take as many online classes as I wanted to.
I had wanted to take 3 campus classes and then take the other four I have left online. I figured because I was supposed to graduate in May they would make an exception. I was wrong. I took matters into my own hands and emailed the dean for specific approval letting him know why I wanted to finish this semester. I prefer online classes because they are easier for me, they require independent study, and the textbooks and classes are usually cheaper when grouped together.
Yet, the dean denied my request so of course, I sat for the rest of the day and bawled my eyes out because I always end up messing up and failing a class because I have a lot of insecurities regarding speaking in front of my peers.
I finally decided based on how much the textbooks would cost me. That's how I picked my classes. And also which professor I trusted for the on campus marketing class.
Yet, once I emailed my advisor with my schedule, he emailed me back on Thursday telling me that he couldn't register me because there was still a hold.
Then, I remembered that the unwritten rule at Saint Leo is that the balance must be $500 or less for your hold to be removed unless you agree to a payment plan. Which left no option but for me to find out how much the payment plan would be for. Yet, I felt that I was cheated by being only given $2000 when I needed $3500 to register and didn't want to agree to a payment plan until I knew for sure that I could pay it each month. I don't want to be in anymore deeper debt than I already am. On Thursday, I found out I have already $41,000 in student loans outstanding. That probably doesn't even include whatever aid I might get for next semester since I won't be finishing this semester.
Despite everything, I'm going to be working twenty hours a week and I'll be registered for 5 classes, 2 of which will be online.
I have to come up with $250 down payment and then I will have a monthly payment each month starting on Feb. 15. It's honestly too expensive to go to school just to make decent money in a dream job where most of my money will just go back to the government. So much for land of the free. More like, land of the bound. In other news, Obama's two daughters will get to go to any college they want for free. Isn't that just peaches and cream? What irks me the most is that I have a 20 hour job and I don't even get to use any of my paycheck for things I want to like: chocolate festival at MOSI for $21.95, Ladies' Night at Applebees, a Godiva basket for Valentine's day in order to treat myself. But no, I'm young and not free because my noose is tied and Saint Leo has me hanging by a thread always. I won't be recommending this school to anyone once I graduate because my whole experience beside working at the library and having class with a select group of professors has just left me feeling used and abused, and poor.
I'll be returning to school Thursday since I will be registering Friday. Yet, it was nice that a lot of my friends keep texting me that they can't wait until I'm back. My roommate is glad to have me back.(Weird, I know. I have real friends).
My only other option beside staying home and hoping I get a job close to home and pay back my balance would have probably meant that I never would have finished school; my other option would have been to marry a rich guy and yeah, I wasn't too ready for that. Still awaiting my Christian Grey. ;-)
Yet, I believe I have the talent and determination to be unstoppable this year and see this dream of being a publicist out to completion while also seeing my dream of being a best selling novelist out to completion so yeah, you can't stop me. No one will. Not SLU. Not financial aid. Not the government. Not my parents. Not my negative friends who don't believe in me. Not the haters. Especially not my worst enemy: Me.♥
If I have any doubts as to what God revealed to me, I will go see the counselor at SLU since they already know me because of last spring semester and that's including in the cost of my attendance at SLU. So I'm going to take advantage of it so my insecurities don't stop me.
Thursday night, I was watching Joyce and she said something that I knew God was saying directly to me:
Until next time, remember: "You don't have to be afraid that you're not up for whatever it is that you've got in front of you to do."-Joyce Meyer♥
Love Times Infinity,ChelseaxoxoGod Bless!~Just Keep Swimming~
December 31, 2013
Goodbye 2013: Youtube Style (Top 5 Videos), etc.♥
Happiness is a form of courage...I realized this year how much I love Youtube. It's a free service where you can be entertained. They have music, commercials, movies, and really funny people. You can even discover new talent on there. So, I've decided this year, I'm starting a new trend: a blog about my Top 5 favorite Youtube videos from the year. Without further ado, here goes:
Number Five: "Hold On We're Going Home"-Drake (Cover performed by Max Schneider)
I found Max Schneider technically in June 2012. I turned on Nickelodeon and the movie "Rags" was currently playing and I instantly fell in love. From then on, I've been a Schneider monkey. I've even tried to get him to come to Saint Leo to perform but no such luck. Anyway, now that my crush on him is over, I still support his talent and when he came out with this cover, it was literally when I wanted to marry this song. (Yeah, you read that right). Anyway, in January of 2013, Max's first single/music video came out, "Nothing Without Love." His debut album comes out this year so remember the name because you're going to start hearing a lot about Max Schneider.
Number Four: Pumpkin Carving with Miley Cyrus (Jenna Marbles)
If you don't like Jenna Marbles, you basically don't have a funny bone in your body. I've always loved her videos and loyally watch every one she uploads but no one makes fun of celebrities better than her. This video is no exception. My favorite part of this video is when she goes, "People always ask me why I do that thing with my tongue. That just means you're fertile." LMAO. So funny!
Number Three: 1 Million Thank You Party -Live Chat with MKTO
In case you don't know who MKTO are, they are a duo of two guys who met on a tv show and instantly became best friends. The duo are called MKTO because not only are the two artists in the duo named Malcolm Kelly and Tony Oller but their music is for Misfit Kids and Total Outcasts. They are a pop duo currently about to release their debut album on Jan. 31, 2014 but have already released three hit singles. This year they plan to open for Emblem 3 on the BandLife Tour. They made this video after their music video for "Thank You", their debut single, reached one million views. In celebration, they decided to host a live chat and they recorded it. I love this because you can see how funny they are. It is thirty eight minutes long so only view it if you have nothing left to do. (I watched it when I should have been doing my homework. Oops.) Trust me, if you watch the whole thing, you won't be sorry.
Number Two: Killer In the House Prank (Toppy Nikci)
If you don't know who Toppy Nikci is, then congrats. You live under a rock. Minus the fact that he's my best friend, He's an Albanian-American comedian from New York. He started his channel in August of 2013 and as of December 2013, he had over 500 subscribers. Once you watch one of his videos, you'll be hooked. This video in one word: KILLS. We all love pranking our family but mom pranks are equally the best simply because moms are so sweet and have the best reactions. In this video, Toppy pranks his mom by pretending there is a killer in the house when his mom gets home. Even Ella his kitty is featured. When he mumbles, "some guy...hit me in the head," I die laughing every time. Then his mom screams when "the killer" comes out, hysterical. Hurry up and watch it before the killer gets you! Muhahaha.
Number One: Loving The Elderly (Toppy Nikci)
This video is my absolute favorite this year not only because it's loving and funny at the same time but because it really shows a side of Toppy I know all too well. He's super funny but most people don't know he's also a sweetheart. My favorite part of this video is each of the elderly people's reactions and when this video was interrupted by a random guy asking Toppy about his camera, he replies with his familiar New York accent, "Yeah, exactly." Gets me every time. Hurry up and spread the love. Subscribe to Toppy's channel before 2014 starts because this is his year, people.
Congrats to those that made the list and to the new talent Youtube will discover this year: Hats off to you. May all your dreams come true this year.♥
Before I go, I've been reading Stay Strong by Demi Lovato and in it for today, Demi said to make a list of all you've accomplished this year.
My greatest accomplishments in 2013
1. You only know you love someone when you let them go
2. Forgiveness sets you free and allows you to heal.
3. Starting and writing a good chunk of my book, One Last Breath.
4. Getting better grades in college...(I had straight Bs this semester.)
5. Reading a lot of books and learning a lot more
6. Learning to love me
7. Realizing guys are people too
8. Understanding and coming to a good place in my singleness
9. In order to gain friends, you must know what it means to be a good friend
10. Learning to be thankful and positive
As I was about to post this blog before I did, I wanted a last picture of me in 2013 and unfortunately, my camera broke but thankfully, my sister had her new Nokia Lumia to take pictures on. (I guess smartphones aren't that dumb, after all). So I'm off to celebrate the end of the year with my family and Dick Clark and all the food my mom is about to make so Happy NEW YEAR everyone. ♥
Until next time (and next year), remember, "Today I celebrate all that has been & all that has yet to be. The good, the bad, the happy, the sad..it all makes me..ME. :)"-Mandy Hale♥
Love Times Infinity,ChelseaxoxoGod Bless!
~Just Keep Swimming~
Number Five: "Hold On We're Going Home"-Drake (Cover performed by Max Schneider)
I found Max Schneider technically in June 2012. I turned on Nickelodeon and the movie "Rags" was currently playing and I instantly fell in love. From then on, I've been a Schneider monkey. I've even tried to get him to come to Saint Leo to perform but no such luck. Anyway, now that my crush on him is over, I still support his talent and when he came out with this cover, it was literally when I wanted to marry this song. (Yeah, you read that right). Anyway, in January of 2013, Max's first single/music video came out, "Nothing Without Love." His debut album comes out this year so remember the name because you're going to start hearing a lot about Max Schneider.
Number Four: Pumpkin Carving with Miley Cyrus (Jenna Marbles)
If you don't like Jenna Marbles, you basically don't have a funny bone in your body. I've always loved her videos and loyally watch every one she uploads but no one makes fun of celebrities better than her. This video is no exception. My favorite part of this video is when she goes, "People always ask me why I do that thing with my tongue. That just means you're fertile." LMAO. So funny!
Number Three: 1 Million Thank You Party -Live Chat with MKTO
In case you don't know who MKTO are, they are a duo of two guys who met on a tv show and instantly became best friends. The duo are called MKTO because not only are the two artists in the duo named Malcolm Kelly and Tony Oller but their music is for Misfit Kids and Total Outcasts. They are a pop duo currently about to release their debut album on Jan. 31, 2014 but have already released three hit singles. This year they plan to open for Emblem 3 on the BandLife Tour. They made this video after their music video for "Thank You", their debut single, reached one million views. In celebration, they decided to host a live chat and they recorded it. I love this because you can see how funny they are. It is thirty eight minutes long so only view it if you have nothing left to do. (I watched it when I should have been doing my homework. Oops.) Trust me, if you watch the whole thing, you won't be sorry.
Number Two: Killer In the House Prank (Toppy Nikci)
If you don't know who Toppy Nikci is, then congrats. You live under a rock. Minus the fact that he's my best friend, He's an Albanian-American comedian from New York. He started his channel in August of 2013 and as of December 2013, he had over 500 subscribers. Once you watch one of his videos, you'll be hooked. This video in one word: KILLS. We all love pranking our family but mom pranks are equally the best simply because moms are so sweet and have the best reactions. In this video, Toppy pranks his mom by pretending there is a killer in the house when his mom gets home. Even Ella his kitty is featured. When he mumbles, "some guy...hit me in the head," I die laughing every time. Then his mom screams when "the killer" comes out, hysterical. Hurry up and watch it before the killer gets you! Muhahaha.
Number One: Loving The Elderly (Toppy Nikci)
This video is my absolute favorite this year not only because it's loving and funny at the same time but because it really shows a side of Toppy I know all too well. He's super funny but most people don't know he's also a sweetheart. My favorite part of this video is each of the elderly people's reactions and when this video was interrupted by a random guy asking Toppy about his camera, he replies with his familiar New York accent, "Yeah, exactly." Gets me every time. Hurry up and spread the love. Subscribe to Toppy's channel before 2014 starts because this is his year, people.
Congrats to those that made the list and to the new talent Youtube will discover this year: Hats off to you. May all your dreams come true this year.♥
Before I go, I've been reading Stay Strong by Demi Lovato and in it for today, Demi said to make a list of all you've accomplished this year.
My greatest accomplishments in 2013
1. You only know you love someone when you let them go
2. Forgiveness sets you free and allows you to heal.
3. Starting and writing a good chunk of my book, One Last Breath.
4. Getting better grades in college...(I had straight Bs this semester.)
5. Reading a lot of books and learning a lot more
6. Learning to love me
7. Realizing guys are people too
8. Understanding and coming to a good place in my singleness
9. In order to gain friends, you must know what it means to be a good friend
10. Learning to be thankful and positive
As I was about to post this blog before I did, I wanted a last picture of me in 2013 and unfortunately, my camera broke but thankfully, my sister had her new Nokia Lumia to take pictures on. (I guess smartphones aren't that dumb, after all). So I'm off to celebrate the end of the year with my family and Dick Clark and all the food my mom is about to make so Happy NEW YEAR everyone. ♥
Until next time (and next year), remember, "Today I celebrate all that has been & all that has yet to be. The good, the bad, the happy, the sad..it all makes me..ME. :)"-Mandy Hale♥
Love Times Infinity,ChelseaxoxoGod Bless!
~Just Keep Swimming~
December 28, 2013
A Christmas Filled With Hope♥
Happiness is a form of courage...Most of the time when I sit down to write a blog, I know exactly what I'm going to write but today, I've literally put off writing this because I didn't know exactly how it was going to go so, if you aren't scared of a little spontaneity then follow me down the pot hole...I mean the rabbit hole.
I put off writing this blog because I was hoping I would be able to blog about the fact that Saint Leo gave me additional financial aid and I am all registered for my last semester but instead, I still haven't heard from them....which is only making me start to feel helpless.
I mean what a great Christmas gift would that have been?
Speaking of Christmas, let me tell you about it.
This year, even though I had a bill for school, I decided to put my faith into action and give gifts to my immediate family only and picked my four closest friends and sent them Christmas cards. Basically, in total, my gifts for everyone including my dogs cost me less than $100. It was my cheapest most financially responsible Christmas yet. Yet, this only meant that my gifts had to be really thought out.
My parents had a rough year financially so they only bought us calendars and one gift each.
My sister Jayde bought everyone a lottery scratch off. I lost.
My sister Jamie bought herself presents and bought my mom a present.
In case you didn't know Christmas is my favorite holiday for two reasons: It's my boy Jesus' birthday and it's the season of giving and I love Jesus and giving equally. I decided that instead of dwelling on my dire circumstances, I was going to enjoy a happy, healthy holiday with my family so I did♥
I helped decorate Christmas cookies this year...just call me Martha Stewart. :)
My family got dressed up and went to Christmas Eve service at church...since JESUS is the REASON for the SEASON.
Merry Christmas Eve ♥
It was Katrina's first Christmas with us.
How I love my little nugget♥
You can bet I spoil my little "niece."♥
Hazel only posed for this picture because I told her it was for Justin Bieber. Even dogs have celebrity crushes.
My best friend and I are too cute♥
After eating dinner and Katrina getting a visit from her dad Dakota who brought each dog a present, we had cookies and watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. We usually watch A Christmas Story on Christmas Eve every year but this year, we tried something new.
We slept in until 11:45 and then woke up and opened our presents.
Check what I got for Christmas
Then came time for me to pass out my presents:
I gave Jamie: her favorite movie Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging I gave Jayde: one of her Top five favorite movies: Perks of Being A WallflowerI gave my dad: a DVD of five Three Stooges episodes (we always watched it together when I was little)I gave my mom: a new alarm clock and Power Thoughts by Joyce MeyerI gave Geniveve: a box of cookies (her favorite), a bag of treats, and new shampoo that smells like Apricot. (It's like Victoria Secret for dogs lol)I gave Hazel: a new toy that was leopard print and a bag of treatsI gave Katrina: a bed with a blanket and a bag of beef jerky (her favorite)
My babies are spoiled...they know Chelly loves them.
All in all, it was a great Christmas!
I'm just going to keep positive confessions about my schooling knowing that, "I believe God and will see His glory." You should make this your confession too in 2014 because it will keep your faith strong despite any storm that comes your way.
God knows I really WANT to go back to school so only by God's grace and favor, I believe it will happen. At least at school, I have a comfortable bed and my own room. I even have a free-flowing shower at school. Basically, at school I live the good life, and I think I took it for granted all these years but coming home, I can see how good I have it when I'm away from home and I really just want to go back. There are other reasons why I don't like staying home for too long but I feel they are too personal to publicize them.
The other night I was watching the news and they mentioned, Justin Bieber's unconfirmed retirement from show business but the news media didn't know if it was true because "there has been no comment from Bieber's publicist." I heard that and a spark enveloped my chest and I got that "butterflies in your stomach" feeling similar to be excited to see that special someone. I guess you can say I'm excited to start my future as a continued author and a publicist. I just hope Saint Leo doesn't deny me my dream's completion.
Hey, it's almost the end of the year, which means that I will be blogging about my top five favorite Youtube videos for 2013 (a new thing I'm going to start) and also about what I resolve to do in 2014. Yet, it's also a good time to get those tax write-offs and donate to a good cause like the charities featured under the DONATE NOW section to your right or by helping someone you know finish school. :)
Before I leave you with a final thought, here's a funny outtake of Hazel's Christmas picture and my breakfast the first Sunday I was home from college:
Hazel was literally sticking her tongue out at the camera.
My dad brought us Taylor Ham back from NJ. I love Taylor ham and cheese sandwiches. So So good!
Until next time remember, "As for me, I will always have hope.-Psalm 71:14"
Love Times Infinity,ChelseaxoxoGod Bless!
~Just Keep Swimming~
I put off writing this blog because I was hoping I would be able to blog about the fact that Saint Leo gave me additional financial aid and I am all registered for my last semester but instead, I still haven't heard from them....which is only making me start to feel helpless.
I mean what a great Christmas gift would that have been?
Speaking of Christmas, let me tell you about it.
This year, even though I had a bill for school, I decided to put my faith into action and give gifts to my immediate family only and picked my four closest friends and sent them Christmas cards. Basically, in total, my gifts for everyone including my dogs cost me less than $100. It was my cheapest most financially responsible Christmas yet. Yet, this only meant that my gifts had to be really thought out.
My parents had a rough year financially so they only bought us calendars and one gift each.
My sister Jayde bought everyone a lottery scratch off. I lost.
My sister Jamie bought herself presents and bought my mom a present.
In case you didn't know Christmas is my favorite holiday for two reasons: It's my boy Jesus' birthday and it's the season of giving and I love Jesus and giving equally. I decided that instead of dwelling on my dire circumstances, I was going to enjoy a happy, healthy holiday with my family so I did♥
I helped decorate Christmas cookies this year...just call me Martha Stewart. :)
My family got dressed up and went to Christmas Eve service at church...since JESUS is the REASON for the SEASON.
Merry Christmas Eve ♥
It was Katrina's first Christmas with us.
How I love my little nugget♥
You can bet I spoil my little "niece."♥
Hazel only posed for this picture because I told her it was for Justin Bieber. Even dogs have celebrity crushes.
My best friend and I are too cute♥After eating dinner and Katrina getting a visit from her dad Dakota who brought each dog a present, we had cookies and watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. We usually watch A Christmas Story on Christmas Eve every year but this year, we tried something new.
We slept in until 11:45 and then woke up and opened our presents.
Check what I got for Christmas
Then came time for me to pass out my presents:
I gave Jamie: her favorite movie Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging I gave Jayde: one of her Top five favorite movies: Perks of Being A WallflowerI gave my dad: a DVD of five Three Stooges episodes (we always watched it together when I was little)I gave my mom: a new alarm clock and Power Thoughts by Joyce MeyerI gave Geniveve: a box of cookies (her favorite), a bag of treats, and new shampoo that smells like Apricot. (It's like Victoria Secret for dogs lol)I gave Hazel: a new toy that was leopard print and a bag of treatsI gave Katrina: a bed with a blanket and a bag of beef jerky (her favorite)
My babies are spoiled...they know Chelly loves them.
All in all, it was a great Christmas!
I'm just going to keep positive confessions about my schooling knowing that, "I believe God and will see His glory." You should make this your confession too in 2014 because it will keep your faith strong despite any storm that comes your way.
God knows I really WANT to go back to school so only by God's grace and favor, I believe it will happen. At least at school, I have a comfortable bed and my own room. I even have a free-flowing shower at school. Basically, at school I live the good life, and I think I took it for granted all these years but coming home, I can see how good I have it when I'm away from home and I really just want to go back. There are other reasons why I don't like staying home for too long but I feel they are too personal to publicize them.
The other night I was watching the news and they mentioned, Justin Bieber's unconfirmed retirement from show business but the news media didn't know if it was true because "there has been no comment from Bieber's publicist." I heard that and a spark enveloped my chest and I got that "butterflies in your stomach" feeling similar to be excited to see that special someone. I guess you can say I'm excited to start my future as a continued author and a publicist. I just hope Saint Leo doesn't deny me my dream's completion.
Hey, it's almost the end of the year, which means that I will be blogging about my top five favorite Youtube videos for 2013 (a new thing I'm going to start) and also about what I resolve to do in 2014. Yet, it's also a good time to get those tax write-offs and donate to a good cause like the charities featured under the DONATE NOW section to your right or by helping someone you know finish school. :)
Before I leave you with a final thought, here's a funny outtake of Hazel's Christmas picture and my breakfast the first Sunday I was home from college:
Hazel was literally sticking her tongue out at the camera.
My dad brought us Taylor Ham back from NJ. I love Taylor ham and cheese sandwiches. So So good!Until next time remember, "As for me, I will always have hope.-Psalm 71:14"
Love Times Infinity,ChelseaxoxoGod Bless!
~Just Keep Swimming~
December 1, 2013
A truly thankful Thanksgiving♥
Happiness is a form of courage...What a blessed Thanksgiving break I had this year. I'll just begin by telling you what I'm thankful for and go from there.
The first Friday of break I was thankful for going tanning again because I hadn't been tanning since May. Plus, going tanning is so much nicer when it's cold outside because it's like traveling in a time machine to the future where I'm sitting on a private beach for 20 minutes and napping like it's summer outside. Florida doesn't get that cold but this Thanksgiving was our coldest we've had in years. I was also thankful on Friday when I purchased my tanning package at Sicilano Tanning. Instead of it being 17.00 or 18.70 with tax. It was 15.00 or 16.50 with tax. So I ended up having a dollar left so I could go to the movies with my family on Saturday morning.♥
On Saturday I was thankful for going to the movies with my family. My mom and I ended up seeing Delivery Man and my sisters saw Catching Fire. My mom and I had a great time watching the movie which was funny and afterward while we waited for my sisters we talked about everything and anything. I'm so grateful my mom is one of my best friends. Here's some pics of Jayde and I after the movies:
We are such sisters because we made the same face. haha.
On Sunday I was most thankful for watching the AMAs with my family. I thought they were way classier than the VMAs but that's just me.♥
On Monday I was most thankful for doing my six page term paper for my consumer behavior class and completing it all in one day. And of course, it exceeded the six pages.♥
On Tuesday I was most thankful for going to the thyroid doctor and hearing the following:You're thyroid levels are great. Compared to last year when I still wasn't diagnosed with hypothyroid and my skin and hair were suffering, and I thought I was going to need a wig by Christmas. This break, my hair was healthy and thick upon my head instead of falling out in balls. I also started to notice that my acne has cleared up all on it's own. My face hasn't looked this clear since when I was in the hospital. Praise God for healing!♥
On Wednesday I was thankful to catch up on General Hospital with my family and to walk away like the grown girl that I am from a friendship that was only bringing me down. I was also thankful to finish paying off my Spring bill which I paid in full by God's grace and without any help from my parents. It felt pretty awesome! I also finished my Christmas shopping on Wednesday, which I did on a budget this year but hey, I put more thought into each of my family member's gifts. I also dowloaded Lecrae's new album Church Clothes 2 after I listened to Britney Spear's upcoming album Britney Jean for free. I'm obsessed with I'm Turnt off Lecrae's album because it's like a Miley Cyrus or Drake song minus the twerking and drug references. It's basically about being "turnt up" for Jesus. I'm all about that. The songs I'm obsessed with from Britney Jean although I like all of them are Chilling With You ft. Jamie Lynn and Brightest Morning Star♥
On Thursday I was thankful that it was finally Thanksgiving! I was thankful to eat way too much food and be surrounded by way too much love from family and friends. When we went around and said thanks this is what I said I was thankful for:1. Jesus2. My health3. My family4. My friends (each and every one of you fine people!)5. My dogs (Geniveve, Hazel, and Katrina)6. My education at Saint Leo for what it's been and for much better grades this semester7. My new roommates Carrie and Kristy and my room of peace8. Lastly, the idea for my novel and the grace to continue it.♥
Then, we had a feast but before I show you the feast. Holidays are the best times for photoshoots so get ready because these are some hot and sexy pictures.
Jamie did my makeup and hair for me so all credit to how pretty I looked on Thursday goes to her and of course God and my mom and dad for making me beautiful Thanks Jamie. Love you♥
We're partners in crime♥
Geni is so cute. Even though she can't see well, she can still pose like a boss♥
Hazel looks like E.T. in the scene when it's Halloween and he's dressed up like a ghost. Don't you see it? She's so cute.
We love each other. :)
My little "nugget" Katrina is so adorbs♥
Haha. She plopped into my arms and frightened me.
Jamie and Hazel are so cute together. Hazel loves her ride or die♥
That's better, I suppose :)
Yup, all this is single♥
Mom and Hazel♥
How adorable♥
My sister Jamie is so beautiful♥
Seriously, she should be a model♥
Jayde and I with Mom♥
Kisses♥
I don't really know what happened here but hope this picture makes you laugh. Who knew I had such a big mouth? ;-p
Jamie♥
wtf?
Jamie and I with Mom♥
laughing as usual♥
Umm yeah, about this picture...
My sisters and I♥
Jamie what was so funny?
Kisses love us. haha.
We love each other♥
Katrina and Jayde are too cute♥
And inseparable. Literally, I think "Nugget" will be the first dog to go to college. haha.
Jamie and Jayde are so beautiful♥
Or are they?
Silly sisters♥
Jamie and I♥
We're partners in crime. Seriously, my sister is my bodyguard so you better watch when you're messing with me. She's 16 and 6' 2". She's a bad bitch♥
I love her but sometimes she's cray♥
Like when she tried to jump on my back♥
Jamie and Hazel's pretty picture taken by me. All thanks goes to my camera being on Beauty Shot.
And of course, here is our feast. It was so good. At the end of this day, 2 plates of food and 3 slices of pie, I died a peaceful death I had twin food babies♥
On Friday I was thankful for having a relaxing day listening to Joyce Meyer teachings after watching Richie Rich. Her teaching was about being thankful and stop complaining. She said: " A lot of people will not get where they want to be because they complain about where they are." Anybody want to say Amen?♥
On Saturday, I called people to my GoFundMe page that I made to help me with my Fall bill in order to raise enough money to register for classes in January. The page is Help A Senior Graduate! and even if you cannot donate yourself, I would appreciate it so much if this page goes viral so please share it with whoever you know and however you wish. You can even ask people you know to donate via your Christmas cards. I've even notified Ellen DeGenerees and I hope she helps out but if not, I still have all of you helping me so thank you! On Saturday though, I was thankful I got my first donation of $100 by my new roommate Carrie. This donation meant a lot to me because it was the first but also because Carrie has a bill of her own but chose to help me pay mine. Thanks Carrie♥
On Sunday, I was most thankful for Thanksgiving break ending on a positive note: It's one of my best friends birthdays. You all know him as Toppy Nikci but I've known him for almost four years by the name of Tom! I hope he had a bomb day and that he realizes how thankful I am to have him in my life.♥
Before I leave you with a final thought, I have more pictures to share so get ready!
Katrina is such a pretty nugget♥
I love this gingersnap so much♥
Me and two of my babies♥
Me and my best friend♥
Jamie and I decided to take a bunch of spontaneous pictures so enjoy♥
Pony rides for Katrina lol
All three of us looking cute
Katrina is like the little infant I have yet to have♥
Jamie being awkward while Katrina and I look cute in the corner♥
Kissing my baby♥
I love Katrina's face in this picture. She looks like she's saying to Jamie, "Get your foot out of my face, bitch." lol.♥
We tried to do the Lion King with Katrina.
Katrina's Chrismas photo♥
Look back at it ;-)
Me and my sis Jamie always make a good time out of a little♥
Until next time remember, " Thanksgiving man, not a good day to be my pants."-Kevin James♥
I'm thankful for every moment.-Al Green♥
Love Times Infinity,ChelseaxoxoGod Bless!
~Just Keep Swimming~
The first Friday of break I was thankful for going tanning again because I hadn't been tanning since May. Plus, going tanning is so much nicer when it's cold outside because it's like traveling in a time machine to the future where I'm sitting on a private beach for 20 minutes and napping like it's summer outside. Florida doesn't get that cold but this Thanksgiving was our coldest we've had in years. I was also thankful on Friday when I purchased my tanning package at Sicilano Tanning. Instead of it being 17.00 or 18.70 with tax. It was 15.00 or 16.50 with tax. So I ended up having a dollar left so I could go to the movies with my family on Saturday morning.♥
On Saturday I was thankful for going to the movies with my family. My mom and I ended up seeing Delivery Man and my sisters saw Catching Fire. My mom and I had a great time watching the movie which was funny and afterward while we waited for my sisters we talked about everything and anything. I'm so grateful my mom is one of my best friends. Here's some pics of Jayde and I after the movies:
We are such sisters because we made the same face. haha.
On Sunday I was most thankful for watching the AMAs with my family. I thought they were way classier than the VMAs but that's just me.♥
On Monday I was most thankful for doing my six page term paper for my consumer behavior class and completing it all in one day. And of course, it exceeded the six pages.♥
On Tuesday I was most thankful for going to the thyroid doctor and hearing the following:You're thyroid levels are great. Compared to last year when I still wasn't diagnosed with hypothyroid and my skin and hair were suffering, and I thought I was going to need a wig by Christmas. This break, my hair was healthy and thick upon my head instead of falling out in balls. I also started to notice that my acne has cleared up all on it's own. My face hasn't looked this clear since when I was in the hospital. Praise God for healing!♥
On Wednesday I was thankful to catch up on General Hospital with my family and to walk away like the grown girl that I am from a friendship that was only bringing me down. I was also thankful to finish paying off my Spring bill which I paid in full by God's grace and without any help from my parents. It felt pretty awesome! I also finished my Christmas shopping on Wednesday, which I did on a budget this year but hey, I put more thought into each of my family member's gifts. I also dowloaded Lecrae's new album Church Clothes 2 after I listened to Britney Spear's upcoming album Britney Jean for free. I'm obsessed with I'm Turnt off Lecrae's album because it's like a Miley Cyrus or Drake song minus the twerking and drug references. It's basically about being "turnt up" for Jesus. I'm all about that. The songs I'm obsessed with from Britney Jean although I like all of them are Chilling With You ft. Jamie Lynn and Brightest Morning Star♥
On Thursday I was thankful that it was finally Thanksgiving! I was thankful to eat way too much food and be surrounded by way too much love from family and friends. When we went around and said thanks this is what I said I was thankful for:1. Jesus2. My health3. My family4. My friends (each and every one of you fine people!)5. My dogs (Geniveve, Hazel, and Katrina)6. My education at Saint Leo for what it's been and for much better grades this semester7. My new roommates Carrie and Kristy and my room of peace8. Lastly, the idea for my novel and the grace to continue it.♥
Then, we had a feast but before I show you the feast. Holidays are the best times for photoshoots so get ready because these are some hot and sexy pictures.
Jamie did my makeup and hair for me so all credit to how pretty I looked on Thursday goes to her and of course God and my mom and dad for making me beautiful Thanks Jamie. Love you♥
We're partners in crime♥
Geni is so cute. Even though she can't see well, she can still pose like a boss♥
Hazel looks like E.T. in the scene when it's Halloween and he's dressed up like a ghost. Don't you see it? She's so cute.
We love each other. :)
My little "nugget" Katrina is so adorbs♥
Haha. She plopped into my arms and frightened me.
Jamie and Hazel are so cute together. Hazel loves her ride or die♥
That's better, I suppose :)
Yup, all this is single♥
Mom and Hazel♥
How adorable♥
My sister Jamie is so beautiful♥
Seriously, she should be a model♥
Jayde and I with Mom♥
Kisses♥
I don't really know what happened here but hope this picture makes you laugh. Who knew I had such a big mouth? ;-p
Jamie♥
wtf?
Jamie and I with Mom♥
laughing as usual♥
Umm yeah, about this picture...
My sisters and I♥
Jamie what was so funny?
Kisses love us. haha.
We love each other♥
Katrina and Jayde are too cute♥
And inseparable. Literally, I think "Nugget" will be the first dog to go to college. haha.
Jamie and Jayde are so beautiful♥
Or are they?
Silly sisters♥
Jamie and I♥
We're partners in crime. Seriously, my sister is my bodyguard so you better watch when you're messing with me. She's 16 and 6' 2". She's a bad bitch♥ 
I love her but sometimes she's cray♥
Like when she tried to jump on my back♥
Jamie and Hazel's pretty picture taken by me. All thanks goes to my camera being on Beauty Shot.
And of course, here is our feast. It was so good. At the end of this day, 2 plates of food and 3 slices of pie, I died a peaceful death I had twin food babies♥On Friday I was thankful for having a relaxing day listening to Joyce Meyer teachings after watching Richie Rich. Her teaching was about being thankful and stop complaining. She said: " A lot of people will not get where they want to be because they complain about where they are." Anybody want to say Amen?♥
On Saturday, I called people to my GoFundMe page that I made to help me with my Fall bill in order to raise enough money to register for classes in January. The page is Help A Senior Graduate! and even if you cannot donate yourself, I would appreciate it so much if this page goes viral so please share it with whoever you know and however you wish. You can even ask people you know to donate via your Christmas cards. I've even notified Ellen DeGenerees and I hope she helps out but if not, I still have all of you helping me so thank you! On Saturday though, I was thankful I got my first donation of $100 by my new roommate Carrie. This donation meant a lot to me because it was the first but also because Carrie has a bill of her own but chose to help me pay mine. Thanks Carrie♥
On Sunday, I was most thankful for Thanksgiving break ending on a positive note: It's one of my best friends birthdays. You all know him as Toppy Nikci but I've known him for almost four years by the name of Tom! I hope he had a bomb day and that he realizes how thankful I am to have him in my life.♥
Before I leave you with a final thought, I have more pictures to share so get ready!
Katrina is such a pretty nugget♥
I love this gingersnap so much♥
Me and two of my babies♥
Me and my best friend♥
Jamie and I decided to take a bunch of spontaneous pictures so enjoy♥
Pony rides for Katrina lol
All three of us looking cute
Katrina is like the little infant I have yet to have♥
Jamie being awkward while Katrina and I look cute in the corner♥
Kissing my baby♥
I love Katrina's face in this picture. She looks like she's saying to Jamie, "Get your foot out of my face, bitch." lol.♥
We tried to do the Lion King with Katrina.
Katrina's Chrismas photo♥
Look back at it ;-)
Me and my sis Jamie always make a good time out of a little♥Until next time remember, " Thanksgiving man, not a good day to be my pants."-Kevin James♥
I'm thankful for every moment.-Al Green♥
Love Times Infinity,ChelseaxoxoGod Bless!
~Just Keep Swimming~
