Joy In The Journey

Christmas is such a glorious time of year and for some of us that glorious time is also filled with mixed emotions and sadness. I am filled with joy and excitement this morning as I give thanksgiving for all the many blessings in my life and I give glory to Jesus at the coming of His birth. But my joy is also tempered with remembrance of those I love that are no longer with us. It’s hard to believe but 16 years ago this morning my dad went home to glory. Through the eyes of f aith I know that he is with my mom and that they are in the loving arms of the Lord and that brings comfort and peace but does not diminish the loss. This picture with my parents and siblings was taken 35 years ago on Christmas morning, the legacy of love that my parents gave us and that shines in the joy and love in being together unites us still and always will, even from thier heavenly places as we carry on thier legacy and remembrance in our growing family. This morning as I said my prayers I was r...

It's Christmas Eve and I am excited for whatever the the day brings, time with my beloved, with family, the coming of the birth of Jesus and the blessings and grace that await each new day.   I am also reflective with emotions and thoughts churning all about this morning,    Perhaps sometime later today, if there is time I will share them.   For now I will share this excerpt from my cookbook that I wrote to honor my parents and to bring Glory to God.  The picture was taken on Christmas Eve 2001, he was holding his first great-grandson Blake just over a month old.  It's the last picture of my dad, he went home to Glory the next morning.  This picture and the story that goes with it, is in the cookbook with the  recipe for  Cabbage and Beans ,  a tradtional recipe that my family makes on Christmas Eve. Yesterday, John and I spend a lot of time in the kitchen making several traditional dishes, using my nonna's old piz...

When you get a fire in your belly nothing can stop you!! So what happens when there's a fire in your belly, you see amazing results that others have had, you have all the tools at your fingertips, you know the drill, you just have to  #doit , and you know you are facing a big challenge that is going to be tough and out of your league, but you know you have it in you to do it........I'll tell you wh at happens!! You go all in 100% jump in the pre game to get yourself prepped and ready for the real deal, haul a$$ and get a little obsessed so you can  #crushit !!!! That's exactly what I'm doing!!! It's not going to be pretty, and it sure won't be perfect, but it will be 100% authentic!! And I am going to be journaling my crazy journey on my blog and business page. Truth is I have been skating along, maintaining, comfortable, gaining ground, losing it and back and forth I've been in both my health journey and in my lifestyle coaching business. And I have gain...

Life is too short and precious, love when you find it after heartache and loss takes on a whole new meaning and time is fleeting. Looking at this picture makes me want to squeeze every hour out of the day, because doing crazy fun things, traveling and having adventures and time for all the little moments with my beloved is what rocks my world! And finding time and balance with my beloved and a few moments for my own self-care while working full time, running a business, working on special projects, staying on top of our nutrition with meal prep and planning, getting in some exercise and all those other demands that chip away at the day can make it a challenge. Thankfully I found a way. Can you relate? Can you rattle off your own list....and is there time for YOU on that list? What if I shared with you  #the25thhour , a community that can help with wellness tools and tips, resources, insights, nutritional support and so much more, including the opportunity to get a weekly shopp...