Facebook friends: THANK YOU ALL so much for your love, support, encouragement and prayers yesterday! You have no idea how comforting it was to me to know that I had so many people willing to pray for me and with me. I'm doing much better today and I give credit to the Lord for that :)

You know, we have good days and bad days all the time. And they all look different. For me sometimes "bad days" are when I'm not feeling well or haven't eaten well or choose not to workout etc. Yesterday wasn't any of those things. It was a day where my soul was hurting. That might sound strange to some of you but it's truly what I was feeling. I was wrestling with both myself and with God yesterday and I am SO thankful for HIS PATIENCE, HIS LOVE, & HIS ENDURANCE to stick with me through the times when I'm just out of it. I know I "preach" to stay positive and that happiness is a choice, but I too have those days where I just don't want to drink those words in. And that is why it is SO important that I fill my mind, my ears, my eyes and my life with things that are going to remind me to stay positive, to choose happiness, to stick with it, and to LOOK UP!

Last night when I got home I had a package waiting for me. At first I wasn't sure what it was because I thought "what did I order"? But then when I saw where it was from I got super excited :) It was my Love Fast, Live Slow shirt. For those who are unfamiliar with what that is, it's a campaign that is  "Inspiring a Movement in people to step back, slow down and love others." (you can check it out here www.lovefastliveslow.com) How often do we get so caught up in the business of life and ALL the things we have to get done and we completely forget about the things that really matter, PEOPLE! I know I do ALL the time. But, I'm excited to be able to support a campaign that is dedicated to putting PEOPLE first!
I'm sure there are those of you out there that struggle with staying positive and keeping focused too. So, I'd like to share with you some of the things that I do fill my mind, my ears, my eyes and my life with things that will keep my on track. And when I have those moments of weakness, these things help get me back on track too :)

1. For anyone who follows me, you see my daily morning post from She Reads Truth. This website/app has been HUGELY instrumental in keeping me on track with my daily Bible study. It's FREE and now there is even a site for all the guys out there called He Reads Truth. If you are looking for a way to get in to the Word daily, I HIGHLY recommend these sites. www.shereadstruth.com or www.hereadstruth.com

2. To stay on track with my health & fitness, I am part of SO many groups that offer accountability and encouragement DAILY! I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that this is why I've been able to achieve success in this area. For those that know me, I am a VERY self-motivated person so doing it on my own has actually worked for me. BUT, on those days when I just don't feel like it or don't care for the moment whether I eat that doughnut, without accountability I have no one to answer to for my actions & choices but myself, and myself can tell me it was fine, lol. So, if you are trying so hard to gain control in this area of your life, I would encourage you with this: If you keep trying something and it's not working, instead of giving up on it, maybe try a new way. (Accountability is where it's at with this too ;) )

3. Music: It's incredible the influence that our music choices can have on us. Now, I'm not here to say that you should NEVER listen to music that isn't uplifting. (remember when I went to that country festival this summer, lol. And I had a blast too.) BUT, when you fill you ears with music that is uplifting and encouraging, it keeps those things at the forefront of your mind. It's almost subliminal. You don't even realize it's happening but it really does work.

4. Personal Development books: I'm going to be 100% honest here, I'm not a HUGE reader. I go through short stints of time where I find a good book and begin it, get about 3/4 of the way through, then lose interest. I'm working on this. I do know however that to ever grow in life that we should have a willingness to learn. And this is one way that we can learn. I'll be starting a new book at lunch ti
me today :) If you need any ideas on good books, I'd be willing to share some or you can always just google it!

Thanks so much for reading today. I'd love your feedback too, If you have any ways that help you stay on or get back on track that you'd like to share, please comment below. Let's come together and create a community of people who are learning together, growing together, and loving together! Have a wonderful day everyone :)