This is a blog for those who are interested in many things. Music, teaching, family, Jesus, Disney, Books, Tea, Interior Design, Party Planning, Theater, Cooking, Baking, Vacation Planning, Life, Wisdom, Advice, Just about everything, etc.
Author: Tansy
I am a music teacher on sabatical and currently working with my husband in our glass business. I love Jesus and my husband. I love decorating and planning....no specific order. My dream job would probably be interior designer & decorator/party planner/wedding planner/travel planner. I have never grown up, and I never plan to. I will always be a child trapped in an adult's body.
The true question when it comes to the phrase, “Let go and let God”, is that sometimes we just don’t know when it is precisely that time. There are so many that rely on God for everything, but they never do their part. Instead, they sit idly by because they would prefer God do all the work for them. I am quite guilty of being that kind of person. I am often reminded of the parable Jesus tells in the Gospel of Matthew about the 10 virgins. I don’t want to be like the five foolish virgins and not bring extra oil while waiting for the Bridegroom. Nonetheless, I catch myself, from time to time, hoping that God will do not only His part but mine also. I know that if I don’t change my ways, I will definitely run out of oil when I need it most.
On the other hand, one of the biggest issues I face most often is that I try to do things within my own strength. I can sometimes become so exasperated because I want to control every single situation and outcome. I want the end result to be a certain way, and I use everything I have in me to try to make it so. Unfortunately, in the end I am only disappointed to find out that the end result is far better than I could have expected, and I have wasted all of my energy and time trying to do it my way. No matter how much I like to “control” situations, it is always better when Jesus takes the wheel.
Recently, I went through a break up that I never thought would happen. I broke up with Disney. As a Christian, I could no longer sit by and allow this new “woke” Disney to be a part of my life. When I say I broke up with Disney, that also meant that I had to change everything in our house because 99% of it was Disney themed. So, I’m sure you can imagine just what kind of break up that was. It wasn’t like I just had to be rid of a few pictures here and there—I had to get rid of our entire home decor. I tried to justify that “Alice and Wonderland” and “Cinderella” wasn’t just a “Disney-thing”, but conviction began to set in every time I looked at one of the characters from the stories. They were all Disney made. I tried so hard to control the way I felt about it all, trying to justify why it was acceptable to continue my Disney obsession, but God had other plans.
The amazing thing about having a relationship with Jesus, He is always working on you. Change is always taking place as long as you allow Him to change you. Besides, He is only changing you for the better. There are more and more things that He is removing from my life because it is no longer good for me. Control is definitely one of those things. Honestly, relinquishing control is the most freeing feeling one can have.
Just recently, I closed my Facebook account. I prayed and prayed because I was trying to figure out what was keeping me from having a deeper relationship with Jesus, and the solution was given to to me clear as day.
One Tuesday night at prayer, I was praying about having the wisdom to know what God wants for my life and my relationship with Him. Immediately, I CLEARLY heard that I needed to close my Facebook account. I struggled the entire week because I argued that all of my memories were there. I began to feel like I had no control if I didn’t have all of those memories right at my fingertips. Needless to say, Holy Spirit worked on me pretty quickly. I had no excuses anymore. I was definitely given the wisdom I asked for because I immediately found a way to save all my memories instantly. Excuses, what are those? That’s the thing…we always want to come up with excuses for everything so we don’t have to change, but that is all it is…excuses. Sometimes we can be so terrified of change that we miss the amazing things to come. We sit by praying for God to do something major in our lives, but we refuse to change. The truth is, in order for something major to happen we MUST change. We MUST do our part. We MUST prepare. We cannot sit and wait for God to do everything. He will give us the wisdom to do the things necessary in order for the big miracles and blessings to take place. We must be ready. We must be willing. Yes, we are supposed to “Let go and let God”, but we still have to get up and do our part.
Everyday I will continue to ask myself if I am doing my part. I don’t want to be unprepared and not have any oil for my lamp. So, ask yourself, are you doing your part?
I looked back at my posts to see when I last blogged. WOW!!!!! April!!!!! Really!!! My last blog was in April?!?! I remember the old saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” In all actuality, it seems like the older I get, the faster time flies by. Not that I’m not having fun because I’m having the TIME of my life. (I had to throw that in there…haha!) Nonetheless, time is going by rather quickly, and I don’t believe it is just because I’m having fun.
I turned 47 in May! It seemed like not too long ago I was only 39. I honestly feel like that was just a FEW years ago…..not 8 years ago! In no way am I complaining about my age…I have no problems getting older. I am just flabbergasted that time is indeed slipping away. I suppose this is why we should cherish every single moment we have with the ones we love.
When I first began this post, I was initially going to talk about “time” and what has been going on in my life. Well, it seems that God has been showing me something else to write about. PEACE!
I’m not referring to the “hippie” kind of peace most people like to think of when someone brings up the word peace. I am talking about a peace that surpasses ALL understanding.
Before I came to Christ, my life was extremely chaotic. Even during the “better” times of this chaotic life, I could never find peace. I read all of the books about finding my inner peace because I knew if I did, life would be very different for me. I was the queen of the Self-Help movement. I admit that I even went down the path of spiritual Enlightenment because I was so desperate to find PEACE.
When I met my husband, I noticed something so different about him. He had a certain peace and joy that I could not comprehend. As we dated, he shared all of these amazing things that Christ did for him, and he shared everything like he personally knew Him. In all my years growing up in the Catholic Church, I never experienced anything like he was describing. I’m not saying that Catholics have not experienced this…I am simply saying that I never did.
About a week into our dating relationship, I decided I wanted to give my life to Christ. Of course, I didn’t tell him that because I wanted it to be my own experience, and I didn’t want to make him feel like I was doing it just for him. I suppose I had my own selfish reasons. Well, the day I did give my life to Christ, I felt a peace and joy I had never experienced before. It was a peace that surpassed ALL understanding. It was a peace I wanted to give to everyone.
Unfortunately, this true peace is not something you can wrap up and give someone. Most often, it is not something people want to take freely. Sometimes, like myself, they are so wrapped up in political battles, religious battles, celebrity battles, etc. that they don’t want to relinquish the feeling that comes with those battles. Some are so addicted to drama and misery that they would feel empty if it weren’t there. I am guilty of that. Because of my addiction to drama and chaos, Jesus could have been staring me straight in the face (most likely He was at many points in my life) with the gift of peace, and I still would have refused it. That is exactly how so many people are. We can’t get so wrapped up (no pun intended) in the world that we ignore the true peace Christ can bring to our lives.
My husband and I recently watched the sequel to “Unbroken” (“Unbroken: Path to Redemption”). If you ever have any doubts about the peace that only Christ can give, then you should definitely watch this movie. Here’s just the synopsis of the two movies. You absolutely must watch the first one to truly understand the torment, Olympian, Louis Zamperini went through in order to completely grasp how miraculous his path to redemption really was.
UNBROKEN
“As a boy, Louis “Louie” Zamperini is always in trouble, but with the help of his older brother, he turns his life around and channels his energy into running, later qualifying for the 1936 Olympics. When World War II breaks out, Louie enlists in the military. After his plane crashes in the Pacific, he survives an incredible 47 days adrift in a raft, until his capture by the Japanese navy. Sent to a POW camp, Louie becomes the favorite target of a particularly cruel prison commander.”
UNBROKEN: PATH TO REDEMPTION
“Haunted by nightmares of his horrific experiences, World War II hero Louis Zamperini meets Cynthia Applewhite, a young woman who becomes his wife. Zamperini’s personal demons soon threaten to destroy his marriage — until he hears the stirring words of the Rev. Billy Graham in 1949. Embracing his newfound Christian faith, Louis starts to turn his life around by learning to forgive his former oppressors and spreading the message of peace and love.”
Peace is what many of us are lacking. If you can find that true peace, Facebook would be so much easier to peruse because it wouldn’t be overtaken with arguments and hate just because we may disagree on views. We can agree to disagree and still stand for what we believe in without spreading hate. We can forgive those who have wronged us without holding on to bitterness and resentment. The way I see it, if someone like Louis Zamperini can forgive his oppressors, well what is stopping me? Peace is where your life ACTUALLY begins. Choose peace! You will never regret it.
Since I gave up my love for Disney, it has caused me to think about change in a huge sort of way. If you are wondering why I made such a decision, please read my previous blog. I must admit that giving up Disney caused me to go into a mild state of sadness for a bit. It was almost comparable to a bad break up. Like a bad breakup, the after effects of your life require change. Change is inevitable when something you love is removed or subtracted from your life…you are forced to look at things differently. You are forced to look at life in “some” sort of way. Of course, you can choose to die (in a dramatic sense, of course), but that is not a direction I would ever choose because there is so much more to life. Besides, my break up with Disney was not THAT heart breaking. Unfortunately, it still felt like I lost a loved one. Nonetheless, the only direction I choose is to grow. How can you grow from what you thought was the “Happiest Place on Earth”?
Since we moved into the home we live in, I have taken every step to make our house a home. Every room is decorated and brings a certain amount of cheer to our home. People have often commented that no one could be depressed in our house. It is flooded with lots of color, flowers (fake of course), and inviting comfort.
However, the outside of the house has always been neglected because it was never taken care of to begin with. Sure, we have a yard guy, but all he is responsible for is mowing and trimming the grass. He will trim the shrubs upon request, but that is the extent of his duties. Needless to say, there are numerous areas of the yard that look like a wooded forest. It also has its fair share of poison oak and thorny vines. These are not exciting things to deal with. Nonetheless, in order to get the yard to look beautiful, one has to start somewhere. Right? So, I’ve taken up gardening. I suppose I felt that I needed to do something that would allow me to bring some beauty and joy into my life since my breakup.
The funny thing about this change is that I AM NOT A GARDENER!!!! I have killed so many plants in my lifetime (hence the reason I have fake flowers in our home—I can’t kill those). However, I am determined that our yard will one day look breathtakingly beautiful. For those of you that know me, you know that this is a huge feat for me because I am NOT the “outdoorsy” type of person. Y’all…I hate the outdoors! Being fair skinned has caused this love-hate relationship with the sun. Unfortunately, in order to get our yard in a beautiful state…there are sacrifices that need to be made. It is a very slow process, but at least I am making some progress. I have a vision….hopefully everything grows into that vision.
So let’s begin with the transformation. We removed the half dead box hedges in front of the house and replaced them with azalea bushes.
In addition to the azaleas, we also planted some knockout roses and gardenia bushes in front of the house. On the front sides of the house, we have some New Dawn climbing roses (that are obviously not climbing yet). We also added an arbor to the front and planted yellow climbing roses on each side.
Yellow Knockout RosesThis New Dawn was constantly chopped, unknowingly, by our yard guy. It’s protected now. This one was spared more often than the other. However now they are both about to upgrade to climbing status, so we are in the market for a trellis to add to each side of the house. The yellow climbing rose bush produces the most vibrant yellow rose. So far we’ve only had one, but they started from nothing. I am definitely looking forward to when they begin to climb across the arbor. The chopped bushes you see were trimmed and weeded. They were overtaken by thorny vines, and they had grown entirely too tall. They made it quite difficult to see anyone on the sidewalk whenever we would pull out of the driveway. This was definitely a “safety” trim more than anything.
Since we moved in, there were some shrubs on the right side of the house. We requested our yard guy to trim them, and he did. Little did we know that the only thing that was growing on those “dead” shrubs were thorny vines that strangled them to death. Those were cut down, and now we are in the process of planting more Bridal Wreath shrubs on the side of the house instead. I know these grow to become most beautiful, so I cannot wait to see them mature.
I’ve always dreamed of having beautiful hydrangeas creating a pathway to the front entrance. So, we planted a few hydrangea shrubs. Although they started out as multicolored, our soil has turned them completely pink. My goal is for them to be multicolored, so the soil will be getting the nutrients it needs to make that possible.
This pathway is definitely a project that is in progress. It will take some time before it looks the way I intend it to look. At least this is a great start.
There are many corners of the yard that has shrubs and trees that have taken over and just looks like a forresty (I know that’s not a word.) mess. It is definitely not a task that can be done in one day. We did tackle one of the front corners of the fence that could have caused us to kill someone because it completely prevented us from being able to see anyone walking along the sidewalk.
That particular corner of the fence near the entrance/exit of our driveway was covered with some sort of thicket that was so ridiculously overgrown it reminded me of the thicket the Maleficent surrounded the castle with to prevent the Prince from finding Sleeping Beauty. (Okay, okay….just because I gave up Disney doesn’t mean I refrain from using the stories as analogies.) The picture here only shows a portion of how this thicket looked.
It was so thick and unruly that it actually grew into the fence. Besides that, it was infested with thorny vines and poison oak. We managed to get rid of most of it. Some of the branches are completely grown around the wire of the fence that it would take an act of congress to remove it. We are still trying to figure that part out. However, it has been cleared, and we now have another climbing rose bush. This one has yet to produce anything, but they are supposed to be orange in color. Like the yellow rose bushes, they too started from nothing. So in addition to all of the bushy hazards we had in the front yard, we have a huge eye sore. I am hoping that these daisies take over enough to camouflage the eye sore. If they don’t, I may have to try something else.
So that basically takes care of the front yard. We have a small portion of the backyard that is fenced in. About 2 years ago, we were trying to incorporate a raised garden behind the house, but it was an epic failure. So basically it has been sitting there with a few of my herbs that have been planted ever since and seem to thrive without my help. It also has marigolds that I planted when we first put it together. Now these marigolds are three years old. That is quite odd to me because I didn’t think they were supposed to come back. Nonetheless, they are in their third year (even after I pulled them out). I also threw a bunch of wildflower seeds in the raised garden and they are finally coming up. What I am starting to see is absolutely beautiful, so I cannot wait to see the rest.
A friend of ours gave us a few tomato plants. When I planted them a few weeks ago, they were just a few inches tall. They seem to be doing rather well, and it looks like I will have to support them very soon.
We also have two blueberry bushes that have been planted there for three years now. I was extremely excited one day when we came back from prayer because one of them is now infested (obviously this use of infested is in a good way) with blueberries.
We also have two strawberry plants that are producing rather nicely. So, I believe that I am pretty pleased with the way our raised garden is turning out. It is finally coming alive. My lavender has also decided to come back.
Clearly you can see that I have moved on from interior design, and I am trying to bring as much color outside as I have inside. While it is very simple to keep up artificial flowers, it is such a wonderful thing to see God’s creations bloom right in front of your eyes. I pray everyday that I don’t kill what He has created, and that He gives me the wisdom to know how to take care of it all. My neighbor is really amazing at taking care of flowers, so I just pray that I can do half as well as she does. She definitely has a gift.
As for me, I am completely out of my comfort zone, and I am trying to learn new things. Never be afraid to try something new. God has so many amazing things planned for our lives, but we have to be open to change. Often times in order for us to grow, we NEED to change. We need to fertilize our minds with new knowledge and water the seeds that He has already planted within us. Bloom where you are planted, and never stay dormant. Change is inevitable….it will cause growth.
This will probably be one of those blog entries that offend many, but please keep in mind that these are simply my opinions and revelations. Just because this is my revelation doesn’t mean that I am trying to push my beliefs and opinions on you. This is simply for anyone who might want an explanation because they may feel the same way. So, here it goes….
I have always loved Disney. As a child, we were never in a position to take a Disney World vacation, and I was completely fine with that. During my first marriage, I began to collect Disney plushies because for some reason it helped me to find the happiness I was lacking. I finally went to Disney World as a honey moon during my second marriage. After that first trip, I made a choice that I was going to find ways to go to Disney World as often as I possibly could.
I was so obsessed with these trips that I began doing the whole Disney bounding thing, and when I did, it was to every last detail. Don’t get me wrong, it was a blast. It was such a delight when my present husband (the most amazing man I have ever known….aside from Jesus, of course) volunteered to Disney bound with me. I had an amazing time on our first trip. We celebrated our 2nd anniversary in Disney, and I do not regret it at all. I got to do the whole Disney experience with the man I love whole heartedly. Our second trip was very much the same….we chose the character and Disney bound the part. On our third trip, we took my step son with us. Again, we had a blast. However, on the last day at the park, Magic Kingdom (my favorite park), something changed. I lost my desire to go to Disney World again.
I didn’t thoroughly question this feeling. I thought it was simply because I needed a break from the large crowds. Admittedly, it was EXTREMELY crowded, but crowds never bothered me before…I was in the happiest place on earth. Till the beginning of this week, I could not pinpoint the reason behind my nonexistent desire to return to Disney World.
A few days ago someone told me about a movie they thought was quite controversial. Through the conversation, I felt that I needed to watch it to understand. I tried to read some reviews but only found mixed emotions. I renewed my Disney + subscription (I had cancelled it all because of the agenda they were pushing in what I thought was a cute movie, “Godmothered”.) so I could watch this movie, “Turning Red”. I was horrified! The insinuations throughout the movie is what really horrified me. The content and symbolism around certain things and situations were ghastly. Sure, the rebellious 13 year old wasn’t something to brag about…I thought that was horrible too. However, it was everything else that made me sick to my stomach. I couldn’t even watch it till the end. I won’t even go into the details because there are enough reviews on the internet that you can research for yourself. However, that movie caused me to reach a major turning point in my life. I guess you can say “Turning Red” caused my “Turning Point”. (Okay….maybe it was funnier in my head.)
Now, when I say that this is a major turning point….IT IS A MAJOR TURNING POINT. I was that Disney fan that surrounded herself with Disney. Our home has “Disney” themed rooms for goodness sakes. Nonetheless, at that moment, I decided that my relationship with Disney was over. Again, this is not to persuade you to boycott Disney. This is simply MY revelation. If you love Disney, by all means….carry on.
Just this morning, I began thinking back to all the Disney movies I’ve watched and loved. Sure, we all love movies with happy endings, but when rebellion is promoted in order to get that happy ending…..that’s another thing. There are some that lessons were learned from their rebellion, but there are others that victory occurred because they rebelled against their parents. This has been a consistent theme, but it wasn’t until “Turning Red” that I realized where this “rebellion theme” is headed. It is a huge disappointment to have this type of revelation because it means that an agenda was being pushed ever since the beginning. The difference with the latest movie is that now the parents have to give in to what their children want to do. Don’t dare discipline your children because we now fear that they are unhappy or unsafe? I am in no way comparing abusive parents to parents who discipline. There is a crucial difference between the two.
Looking back on my own rebellion, I realize that my parents’ discipline was for my own good. While I may have felt sheltered, it was to keep me safe and keep me from an early death. It took years for me to realize this, and all I can say is that I wish I would have come to this realization so much sooner. I could have saved myself from years and years of heartbreak and struggle. While many will say that I have been brain washed, I say that you are so far from the truth. Looking back on the horrible things I’ve done and how immorally I lived, it is obvious that I was not brain washed….if I were, I would not have been in rebellion for so long. I chose my own path. I chose to take the test over and over and over and over again. So many things could have been prevented if I would have opened my eyes to see that the only reason my parents disciplined me was because they loved me and wanted what was best for me. I know it pained them to see me going through my adult life with nothing but trouble. No parent wants to see their child going through tough times. The day I gave my life to Christ is the day that I realized the worldly views tainted my entire life. I was reborn—a new creation. Praise Jesus! Now, He guides me down the path I must take.
Apparently, this revelation I had about Disney is just another part of me that I needed to come to terms with. As much as I want to deny it, I do believe I was making my love for Disney an idol. After all, my goal was to surround myself with Disney memorabilia as much as I could. Thank goodness we have a small home! While I do have Disney decor all over our home, it will take some time to make a transition. However, a transition will be happening in some of those cases. One step at a time. For now, I am getting rid of those things that I can easily be rid of.
In conclusion, my opinion and revelation about Disney is my own. I do not condemn anyone who is where I was. While my husband does not like Disney, he allowed time for me to develop my own conclusions. So, I believe that he will be completely shocked about my revelation. So, if you are a lover of Disney or the new movie “Turning Red”, that is your opinion. When it comes to change….we have to be ready for that ourselves. No one can force change upon us.
TIME…I’m sure many won’t have the time to read this…..
We often get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives that we tend to resort to the phrase, “I don’t have enough time.”
Out of all the excuses in the world, the one I detest most is also the one I seem to hear most frequently – I don’t have time. Sadly, I’ve heard those very words spew from my own mouth. I don’t have time to learn a new language, I don’t have time to workout and get fit, I don’t have time to start a business, I don’t have time to do this, that, or anything else.
Think of everyone who has ever achieved greatness throughout the entire span of human history – Archimedes, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, Ford, Jobs and anyone else you can think of who was successful – do you know how many hours they had to work with in a day? Twenty four. Same as you and me.
Not only am I going to explain why it’s an inane excuse, I’m going to show you ways you can ‘find the time’ to do everything you could possibly want to do and more. There are 24 Hours in a Day…So how is it, exactly, that you don’t have enough time?
So clearly, ‘finding the time’ is not the issue. If Michelangelo can find the time to paint the Sistine Chapel, I’m reasonably certain we can find the time to workout three times a week, call our parents, put in a few minutes posting about our home businesses, cook a healthy dinner, spend time with your family, call your parents, and most importantly…spend time with Jesus.
I get that some of you may think I’m being too literal. You don’t mean the hours aren’t there….you’re just too busy‘. Fine.
Perhaps we need a lesson or two at managing our time.
People love to say they’re too busy like it’s some kind of insurmountable, external obstacle that they are in no way culpable for, as it’s clearly dictated by forces beyond their control. It makes them feel like it’s not their fault for not trying to do whatever it is they wish they could do. It basically externalizes responsibility.
I believe fear plays a huge role in why we make excuses about not having enough time
I think many people are just too terrified to fail so they’d rather stay stagnant where it’s comfortable rather than try. In reality we should embrace failure because it is definitely not something we should be afraid of.
If you are someone, however, who honestly feels like you don’t have enough time to accomplish the things you want to accomplish, then sit down one day and write out everything you did for every hour of the day up to that point. You can even go through and list everything you did that whole week if you’re feeling ambitious. Jot down how many times you checked Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok, etc. I realized that if I actually posted a brief post about my home based business everytime I checked Facebook or Instagram, then I’m not completely wasting my time on social media because posting is a crucial part of my job to share the amazing products my business has to offer. Jot down how often you find your mind just wandering off as if you have lost focus for a period of time during the day….you find yourself doing things that really don’t matter in the bigger picture. Jot down how many episodes of your favorite series you are watching in a day, a week, a month, etc. Jot down how many times you log on to your online games each day. Will a half hour of Candy Crush or Texas Hold ‘Em (I’m not exactly sure what’s the latest and greatest online games these days.) here and there actually get you where you want to be in life? Will watching 30 minutes of YouTube help you achieve the bigger picture in life? No, probably not. Add up all that time that was squandered, and you are sure to find a few extra hours in your day that you could have applied to working your business, spending time with loved ones, making some extra money to help you get out of debt, etc.
This is the precise reason I started planning because I was always complaining about not having enough time. People have laughed at me because part of my “to do” list everyday is 1. Make bed 2. Clean kitchen 3. Organize my day. The truth is, if I don’t write everything down for my day, I do tend to skip over many things because I get caught up in everything else….often times, things that don’t really matter in the bigger scheme of things. Sticking with schedules has really been helping me. After listing my morning routine for so long—now I can simplify it to “Morning Routine”, and I know all the things that must be done before I head out the door. I’ve also found certain things that I can do before I go to bed, so in the end I have more time in the mornings to get other things done. So, in my planner, I mark down for each day “nightly routine”. My nightly routine has helped me and is helping me to accomplish so much more every single day. I know that by sticking to a nightly routine, I have made that time for myself in the morning to spend time worshiping and praying so I can have the most important relationship in my life…my relationship with Christ. If I don’t have that…nothing else really matters anyway, right?
When I began to work on my Masters, I was juggling work, family life, and school. I began to become highly stressed because not only was I going to school, but I was also teaching high school, I was the director of a very active choral and drama program, and I was also married (My relationship with Jesus was not a priority at the time…although, I did hold a job as a church music director. It was simply for appearance purposes if I am being blatantly honest.). Nonetheless, I did not know how to juggle all of it, and it took a toll on my marriage because I was making everything else a priority. Of course, I made the excuses that my spouse didn’t understand, wasn’t supportive, asked entirely too much of me, etc. I didn’t know how to plan. Lack of planning was the root of my downfall. After failing at so many things, my job, my relationship, etc. I took up “planning”. I developed a habit of sitting at my desk and planning my entire week. At first, I was one of those people that liked to decorate my planner (scrapbooking, in a sense)—it was much needed therapy at the time. After failing at so much, one tends to need a bit of therapy to work through it all (especially when you don’t have Jesus). I have now become the planner that simply writes things down (I no longer decorate—it is no longer a priority.). I have been using planners for quite some time now, and I have achieved great success from it.
This is only 5 of the 7 planners during my 7 year planning time. I keep them because there are monumental things in them that I like to reflect on.
Before I began to plan, I had an excuse for every failure. Honestly, when we face the truth of the matter, we can never say that we can’t do this, or it isn’t working out, if we are not investing time into it. Basically, instead of saying we don’t have time for something, we are actually saying, “It’s not a priority.” “I don’t have time to spend worshiping and praying each day” becomes “Developing a relationship with Christ just isn’t important to me.” “I don’t have time to spend time with my spouse because I have so much other stuff to do” becomes “My marriage is not a priority.” (God knows I’ve used that excuse in my previous marriage. I don’t have time to work out” becomes “Working out and becoming healthier is not a priority.” “I don’t have time to work my home based business” becomes “Building my home based business, so I can get out of debt isn’t a priority.” Often times we say we are going to do something or be a part of something, and we get involved on paper, but that’s it. We don’t invest time into those things…..maybe it is your relationship with Christ, your marriage, a relationship, education, your home business, your daily job, etc. We simply sit there and expect things to happen without putting in any effort at all. Of course, when we fail at those things, it’s always easy to say, “I didn’t have enough time.” We can’t ever blame someone else for our lack of relationship with Christ, our failed marriage, failed business, dropping out of school, etc. We can’t ever complain about our failures, nor can we blame anyone else for our failures if we have not put in the time and effort. It comes down to what we choose to make a priority and the time we invest in those things that are important to us. Each day is a new day, a brand new page in your book of life. What are you writing on that page today? Say this every single day…..”I Create My Life.” The best part about it all is that when we put our relationship with Christ first….for some reason everything else just seems to fall into place so much easier. What are your priorities in life? Are you still making excuses by claiming to not have enough time? Are you still blaming “time” for your failures? What can you do to accomplish your goals? Does your time management need improvement?
Manage your time wisely, and just watch all the amazing things you will begin to accomplish. It all starts with a plan. Peace and Blessings!
Now, go find your time and seize the day! Create your life.
Today I was reflecting on how different my path is now as opposed to the path I used to walk. It is shocking how our perspective on things can be so tainted when we are on the wrong path because we are so caught up in the world. I didn’t realize that my views were controlled by the latest worldly trend, which extended so far beyond my control. I am not referring to fashion or anything like that…I am speaking of material things, relationship statuses, etc. I had such a void in my life that I sought out people, places, and things to fill it….only to throw them out like the latest, out-dated fashion. Sadly, nothing seemed to matter because the void was always there. No matter what, I always took the wrong path.
For so many years I kept searching for something or someone to fill the void, and the only thing that search led to was nothing but disappointment. I depended on things, people, places, jobs, etc. to make me happy. When I saw that I didn’t find the happiness I was seeking, in whoever or whatever it was at the moment, I’d leave and search elsewhere. It was a very vicious cycle, and I didn’t know how to end it. The problem was, I was trying to do everything in my own strength.
The day I accepted Christ into my life as my Lord and Savior, my perspective on life completely changed. I saw the horrible person I had become. I saw Biblical morals, and I saw how I changed those morals to suit the way “I” wanted to live my life. The “don’t judge me until you’ve walked in my shoes” mentality was anything but right, but at the time that was my mentality towards everyone who I assumed was judging me. Of course, I didn’t see anything clearly because I didn’t understand what it meant to have a relationship with Christ, and that was a vital piece I was missing.
You see, I was very dedicated to doing “church work” and going through all the motions, but my relationship with Christ was not one to give testimony about. My life was full of sin and bad morals. I did as much as I could to put on this perfect “front” when I was around fellow church members, family members, colleagues, etc., but the truth of the matter was that I was ashamed of the life I led. I used my position in the church to cover my life of sin. I was so ashamed, so in order to cover up that shame I became dishonest about so many things. I had relationships in which we lived outside of marriage. I made myself believe that because the ways of the world changed, the morals of good relationships changed as well. After all, according to the order that relationships go nowadays, I was just following the trend. You’re supposed to try it out before you buy it, right? It seemed like it was the thing to do…test out the relationship before buying a house together, having a family, or getting married. After all…it is better to test things out before you make that commitment. If it didn’t work during that “trial” period, then it definitely wouldn’t have worked if we would have gotten married. My perspective was so deluded.
I recently saw a post on Facebook that asked the question, “Do you believe in living together before marriage?”. I perused through the comments only to find a plethora of agreements that couples should live together before marriage. The scarcity of comments referring to Biblical teachings on marriage only clouded my presence with sadness and fear. Sadness and fear for those who are still living with a tainted perspective on what marriage truly is and how important it is to keep God first in your marriage.
I have experienced two marriages in which God was not first. Both relationships started with us living together before marriage. Both relationships did not keep Christ at the center. Both relationships did not use the Bible as guidance. Sure, I thought I did the “church” thing by keeping a position as music director through it all, but my relationship with Christ was missing. I just didn’t get it! Needless to say, neither of those marriages lasted, and I have my self to blame because I just didn’t get it. I did not understand what it meant to have a covenant marriage. I didn’t understand what it meant to keep Christ first in my life and in my marriage.
When I met my husband, he first showed me the importance of having a relationship with Christ. Even though we were just in the beginning stages of a relationship and getting to know each other as friends, I soon realized how wrong I was regarding my views on how relationships were supposed to look. Our conversations were centered around Christ and the importance of Him always being the center. I noticed a joy and peace about my future husband that I had never experienced in my entire life. I wanted that joy and peace more than anything. The day I surrendered my life to Christ…I soon experienced the joy and peace I so desired. The void that I had lived with for so long was immediately filled with a love I had never truly known. Knowing how special I am to my Father was and still is the best thing I have ever come to understand. I have not wanted for anything because my Father takes care of every single need and then some. I am a child of the most High God, and I know who I am in Him.
The craziest part about my perspective is that when I was living in the world and viewing everything according to worldly values, my life was ALWAYS a struggle. Ever since I surrendered my life to Christ and my perspective has changed according to His Word—the weight of the world is no longer on my shoulders and the stresses I dealt with are no longer a part of my life. Since October 14, 2018, I have had peace and joy that is so difficult to explain sometimes. It is a peace and joy that only comes from Christ and changing my perspective according to His Word.
My previous worldly views are now guided by His Word and what He says is true. My path may be the least traveled, but it is a path guided by the Word of God and my relationship with Christ. My perspective and decisions are now guided by the Holy Spirit and no longer tainted by the world. It is constant work to be sure that I am living for Him and the way He intended me to live. I still fail at times—sometimes I fail miserably, but I know that I am His child and I am loved. As long as I continue to seek Him daily, He will always guide me through every circumstance, decision, relationship, etc. As long as I keep my eyes fixed on Him, my perspective will not be tainted by the world any longer. Praise Jesus! Perspective is EVERYTHING!!!
We live in a society where it seems like people are getting offended left and right. One group is offended if they don’t feel like they aren’t being treated fairly. One group is offended if the wrong political party is in office. One group may be offended because some may not accept that they “identify as a tree, dog, man, woman, it, they, etc.”. It is like walking on thin ice no matter where you go. Let’s not even begin to dabble into the world of Facebook. Every where you turn, someone is offended. My husband and I have friends from church, and we all joke around about being offended. However, living in offense is no joke.
I once lived a life where I was offended often and allowed that to determine my happiness…my commitments…
It wasn’t until I surrendered my life to Christ that I learned that I didn’t have to allow offenses to control my life. My pastor tells us quite often, through his sermons and just in conversation, that it is inevitable….someone in the church WILL offend you. We are all human, and we give in to our flesh more often than we should.
It is our human nature that when someone wrongs us, we want to gather up a team of people that will feel the same way as we do. We tell them about what that person did to us, and then 9 times out of 10, those people will join the gang of the offended and hurt. The sad thing is, 9 times out of 10, the ones who are on our side do not even know the person who offended or hurt us. I am guilty of doing that in the past. I was so selfish and prideful that when someone offended me or hurt me, I would go complaining to whoever would hear me and take my side. So, instead of confronting the person who offended me or hurt me, I would just walk away with a sense of pride and arrogance because I had the upper hand. After all, I had my posse. So anytime me and my posse were in the presence of the person who offended or hurt me, we would immediately put on that cloak of self righteousness and walk past that person with the stench of pride, bitterness, and deep down resentment.
What was really sad in all of this is that the person I thought offended me or hurt me, had no clue that they did anything because they actually didn’t. I took whatever they did or said so personal that I brought it all upon myself. So here I was in all my bitter glory thinking I had the upper hand, but the truth of the matter is that…I really had nothing but my own stupidity in my hand. I heard something one day, “It takes more work to hold a grudge and be offended than it does to just forgive someone and move on.” There is so much truth in that. Looking back, I think about how much work it took for me to stay bitter, angry, resentful, etc.
“Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him.” Proverbs 26:12 KJV
“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go: first be reconciled to your brother, and then come present your offering.” Matthew 5: 23-24 NASB
So, instead of resolving my offense or hurt, I just walked away. Commitment didn’t matter to me. Integrity didn’t matter to me. Character didn’t matter to me. I can’t even begin to tell you how many jobs, relationships, and friendships I walked away from because of my own prideful stupidity. All I had to do was to talk to that person and work it out. I spent more time “acting” better than others, more “righteous” than others, when in the end, I was just a prideful, arrogant, self-righteous, bitter, butt head.
So, is there a lesson in all of this? Yes, don’t be a bitter butt head. Work out your differences with your brothers and sisters. Love one another no matter what. Forgive one another as God forgives us. By forgiving, that means you don’t hold on to the hurt and put on a front when talking to the person who hurt you—you LET IT GO! Don’t pretend to be “not offended” when you clearly are offended, and everyone can see it because you become defensive about “not being offended”. Talk to that person instead of getting a bitter posse to back you up. How many times are we supposed to forgive our brother or sister? Well, if you don’t know the answer to that, I’ll let you look that one up. Just a hint: it’s found in the Bible. 😉
It has been quite a while since my last blog post. There really isn’t any reason for that except that I allowed the judgement of others to prevent me from writing again. Isn’t it funny how it is so easy to allow others to determine our path…our steps? I had to ask myself that very question, and it has taken this long for me to actually have an answer. God does have a plan for every single one of us. As my husband likes to jokingly say, “It’s our density (destiny).” He is a huge ”Back to the Future” fan. All jokes aside, God has a plan, and He directs our steps. However, we have to understand that the enemy does not want us to fulfill the plan God has for us, and he will use people, places, and things to stray us from the path. Sadly, I’m sure he’s used me to try to stray someone from their God-given path. The enemy knows exactly what hurts us, what pushes our buttons, what causes us to quit, etc. The fortunate thing is that he’s not very clever, so he will use the same tactics over and over. It is our job to overcome those things so he can’t ever use them on us again. Sometimes that is easier said than done, but we have a good God who loves us and will give us strength to overcome. Fortunately for us, He already knows what we are going to do before we even do it. Isn’t it so amazing that God knows your every step, even before you were born?!?! I am just overwhelmed by Him. In a good way, obviously.
So, here I am giving this another go. So much has changed since I last posted, but God’s hand has been in all of it. At the moment, I am no longer teaching music. For now, God has me working with my husband in our glass business. Since I’ve been there, I have worn many hats: customer follow ups, quoting showers and insulated glass, quoting window/door replacements, scheduling, and now marketing/advertising. Let’s just say that I love what I am doing now. The most challenging hat was window/door replacements, but God definitely got me through it until we found someone to fill that position. It is funny how He will download some of the oddest things to our brains when we need it. Anyone who knows me, I am sure they never would have imagined me working for a glass company. Honestly, I never thought I would do such a thing either, but at the moment that is exactly what God is having me do. We can make all the plans we want, but He will always direct our steps as long as we allow Him to and are obedient to what He calls us to do. I am working on the obedience thing daily. Today is one of those days. I was composing a Facebook post, and God clearly directed me back to this blog. I have no idea what His plan is, but I am being obedient.
So, here I am again. I am back after a long hiatus due to allowing others to direct my path instead of allowing God to direct my steps. Praise Jesus for second chances, third chances, etc. I am relying on the strength God gives me to overcome any obstacle put in my way. To God be the glory….Amen!
Attention! Attention! Attention! I am so happy to report that I have made it through my first five months….and quickly approaching month six! I committed to going to the gym 3 days a week, and I am happy to report that I’ve stuck to it and completed my fifth month of training. During this time, I have only missed two days due to sickness (one of those I could have completely prevented). So, what has been changing since I began my training?
Some of the biggest changes I have experienced is that I definitely have more energy than I have ever had. I would have thought that waking early and working out Monday, Wednesday, and Friday every week would cause great exhaustion, but it has had the complete opposite affect on me. I have been getting the best sleep every night, and the night sweats are completely nonexistent now. The bloated feeling that seemed to become a normal day to day feeling is almost nonexistent now. I feel so much stronger, and the confidence I feel about myself is entirely different. It is almost difficult to explain….it isn’t a cocky type of confident feeling. It is more like I feel good about myself because I know that I am no longer being lazy; I am heading in the direction towards better health.
While there have been so many positive changes, there are quite a few things that have not changed. My eating habits have not changed in the way they should. The holidays made it very difficult to even “think” about eating healthy because let’s face it…I LOVE SWEETS!
Sugar is my worst enemy. That one time I could have prevented my sickness….the one I mentioned earlier…..well that was all brought on by the enormous amounts of sugar I was consuming. The comforting idea about this entire journey is that I knew I wouldn’t knock out all of my goals at one time. At least I am still on the right track.
My husband and I just returned from a much needed vacation, so now is a great time to knock out the next part of my goal towards a healthier me. I really thought that making the gym a habit was going to be the most difficult part, but I was completely wrong. Eating completely healthier is definitely the most difficult journey in my book. I have been cursed with a love for sweets, and I must be delivered from it. Because my eating habits have not really changed, there hasn’t been any weight loss in quite some time. That is to be expected. Afterall, did I really think that I could continue eating the way I was just because I was going to the gym? (I honestly hoped it worked out that way.). The ugly truth is that diet and exercise do go hand in hand.
Healthy lifestyle concept with diet and fitness
When my in-laws moved into our home after Hurricane Ian, I strongly believe I began to stress eat. Not that THEY were stressful, but the entire situation was a bit taxing. Now that they are in their own place and we have returned back to a “normal-ish” life, I can develop some sort of eating plan. The first thing that I decided to remove from my daily lifestyle was carbonated drinks. I honestly feel that even though the Stevia sodas are supposed to be better for you than a regular diet soda, it is still not good for you. So, I stopped buying them altogether. I’m implementing more water into my day (even though I was supposed to be doing that from the start–shhh, don’t tell my trainer). I am not eating near as much sugar as I was around the holidays, but I still feel that I’m consuming more than I should. I would like to get to the point that I have eliminated sugar completely (the unnatural kind).
I am also planning to consume more fruits and vegetables rather than processed snacks. I know, that alone will make a world of a difference in my weight loss. My husband and I are also being more disciplined about fasting three days a week. Let me clarify that this fasting plan is not for weight loss, it is for our prayer life, so we are not being strict about all of those intermittent fasting plans out there. I would rather consume much less food than fast, so the only way I would ever fast is if it is for good reason….prayer and a closer relationship to God is DEFINITELY a good reason.
Now that I have made going to the gym a habit, it is time to make a healthier eating lifestyle a habit. There are so many “diets” out there. There are also the diet shortcuts, but none of those things are permanent. I recently found out that there are many people taking some sort of diabetic drug for weight loss. My trainer has been researching it and found out that once you start, you must continue taking it for the rest of your life. It’s no different than a diabetic who needs insulin for the rest of their lives. I don’t want to have to take a pill or a shot to be able to stay slim. I don’t want to have to go under the knife to remove fat from my body. I strongly believe that a healthy diet and a disciplined exercise plan go hand in hand, and I am determined to prove to many that if you do those things…you don’t need all of the drugs and surgeries to lose weight. I am determined to prove that hard work, determination, and perserverance is the ONLY way towards a healthier lifestyle. We should all know that in life there are no shortcuts. The same goes for weight loss, there are no shortcuts. What happens if you stop taking the weight loss drug? What happens if you continue living the same way you did before the surgery?
So, the rest of my journey begins. Over the next few months, I will be conquering this healthy eating lifestyle along with continuous exercise. I will be conquering this whole weight loss thing because I will be putting all of the good things in my body instead of the horrible things I’ve lived on for so long. I have 47 (almost 48) years of bad habits to break. This will definitely be one roller coaster of a ride. Stay tuned….
I know you’re probably wondering…when looking at new blogs, we automatically think, “Oh no, just another person taking a stab at this blog thing.” Well, you would probably be right, however, do you really know who I am?
My name is Tansy Waguespack-Bibeau, and I am here because I have a story to tell. Yes, I am one of those women who hyphenate my last name only because I am a teacher, and I am called by both names. Therefore, I answer to almost anything. Ms. Waguespack, Mrs. Bibeau, Ms. Pineapple, Ms. Bubbles…I’ll explain that another time.
Currently, I live in Slidell, LA and have been here since June of 2017. Let me give you a little history of who I am before we get to why I’m here.
I am originally from a small, little, South Louisiana town, along Bayou Lafourche, called Lockport. I’ve had a very interesting childhood growing up in such a small town. Our schools were small, as well as our churches. After I graduated high school, I was quite eager to move away from home. I mean, what teenager wouldn’t be? So, I went to Louisiana Tech, but unfortunately, the world pulled me in, and I only lasted 2 quarters. So, this little bayou girl made her way back down to South Louisiana and stayed there until my sister graduated from high school. My sister and I are 5 years apart. During that time, I successfully built up a private piano/voice studio and was music director for Our Lady of Prompt Succor in Golden Meadow. I took a class, at our local university, here and there…whenever I could afford it, that is. Then when my sister graduated, she decided to go to Louisiana Tech, and I decided to go back with her. We were roommates and classmates all at the same time. While there, I met my 1st husband, and we ended up getting married before I graduated, but during the beginning of that marriage I managed to lose my relationship with my sister, develop a rocky relationship with my mom and dad, and graduate all at once. I may write about that life experience at some point because it definitely was a learning experience. Anyway, we were only together for a very short time, and then we divorced. I managed to make my way from Ruston to Shreveport during that time.
While I was in Shreveport, I was finally living my life on my own. I won’t deny that it wasn’t a struggle, but I was so proud of myself for being able to live on my own and not have to depend on anyone. My relationship with my sister was somewhat rekindled, and my relationship with my parents was getting better. In 2008-2009, I was teaching music/choir in a middle school very close to my apartment. I found out from one of my Nicholls college professors that one of the high schools on the bayou was looking to start a choral program again. It was always my dream to teach high school choir, but for some reason, that was never a possibility while I was living in North Louisiana. So, needless to say, I jumped at the interview. I was given the job immediately, and I accepted eagerly. I finished out the school year, and completed the summer portion of my Alternative Teaching Certification Program at Louisiana College. I moved back down the bayou before the summer was over. I never thought I would be back in South Louisiana, but there I was. A few failed relationships happened, and another failed marriage. To be honest, before Christ, I was a pretty horrible person. When you live in the world, there are so many lessons you end up learning because of your own idiocracy (I do know that word doesn’t exist in the dictionary, but it seems appropriate, all things considered).
So, how did I end up in Slidell, LA? I was in a relationship that I thought was going somewhere, but in the end it was going nowhere. Unfortunately, I did not see any of the signs. I ended up moving here for him because it was closer to his work. Little did I know, that after moving, I would end up on my own again. Honestly, I was very relieved. So often, we are able to actually “see” once something comes to an end. After time passed by, I decided that I was going to do things differently in the relationship department. Again, that will be a story for another day because that decision became one of the biggest and most rewarding life lessons of my entire life.
I met my amazing husband who is my world. I was very apprehensive about moving to Slidell to begin with because I had no desire to live in Slidell, LA. However, I do not believe that I would have met my husband if I weren’t living in Slidell. So, I am so very thankful that I did move here because life has taken a turn that makes everything from my past a lesson I can share with others. Hopefully, my mistakes can help someone else.
After 19+ years of teaching choir, music, and drama, I decided to make a career change. I now work with my husband in our glass business as the marketing and advertising manager. Again, that story is for another day. Both my husband and I are part of the worship team at our church, and we are living our best life in our tiny house with our tiny dog. We have so many blessings to be thankful for, but my biggest blessing is that God gave me the husband He planned for me.
While this blog may not be the typical blog you read from other people, it is my blog, and I am definitely not like other people. I have done things so differently that the only word I can use to describe myself is UNIQUE. I intend to write about whatever it is that is on my mind. I feel that I have been given a gift, and I need to share it. I have so many thoughts, ideas, things I love to do, things I love to see, things I love to share, etc. I’m not looking for a specific audience, because that means I am thinking too small. My desire is to reach whomever I need to reach. I don’t intend to make this a private blog because I do not feel that keeping my life private and keeping my life lessons private will benefit anyone. In today’s society, we tend to give everyone the “social media” version of our lives, but why is that? Are we that afraid that people will look at us differently? Are we that afraid that people will judge us harshly? Why should any of that matter? We need to face reality, and look at life just as it is. Yes, it IS full of happiness, accomplishments, things to be proud of, but it is also full of difficulties, problems, disagreements, tragedy, brokenness, etc. Why hide the things that most everyone struggles with?
So I do hope that you choose to follow my blog. It doesn’t mean that you have to read everything. Simply read the things that interest you. Please feel free to comment and share your own thoughts, ideas, stories, etc. I would love to hear from you. Until next time….God bless you all, and I love you!
A Little Bit of This and A Little Bit of That 