The ones we are here to love...

Today, I met a woman at church that is lost and needs a Savior. I spent about 15 minutes listening to her pour her heart out to me and tell of her struggles. I do not doubt for a second, there was a reason I left in the middle of the service to go out in the hall. She came out shortly after and we started talking.

She has quite a story. It may be similar to yours. It may not. We all have a story.

Because of unfortunate events in her childhood, she has been addicted to meth since she was 14. She has the physical markings to prove it. For the last 14 years, she has depended on this drug to meet her needs.

She also has 2 children. A boy and girl ages 9 and 8. She rarely sees them. Her husband divorced her and took her kids, rightly so, she was addicted to meth at the time and there had even been shootings at her house. She doesn't blame him for taking them, but man, does she miss them.

I asked her how she got the money to do her drugs. She said "the oldest trick in the book. And do you know what that makes a woman feel like?"

No, I don't...but I can only imagine.

The only times she can see her kids is when she goes to their basketball games. Her son plays with my son. That is what brought us together...and for her to come up and talk to me today.

So, I listened. I asked questions. I told her truth from the Word. I gave her advice. I told her there is hope. But she has to want it. She has to want to change.

This is who Jesus hung out with and loved. These are the ones that he forgave and changed their lives. How can we do less?

Mark 2:16-17:

Some teachers of the law who were Pharisees were there. They saw Jesus eating with "sinners" and tax collectors. So they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

17 Jesus heard that. So he said to them, "Those who are healthy don't need a doctor. Sick people do. I have not come to get those who think they are right with God to follow me. I have come to get sinners to follow me."

Luke 15:1-7:

1 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach.

2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!

3 So Jesus told them this story:4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’

7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

Psalm 34:18:

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

Luke 6:36:

You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

1 Timothy 1:15:

Here is a saying that you can trust. It should be accepted completely. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the worst sinner of all.

Matthew 9:10:

Later Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house. Many tax collectors and "sinners" came. They ate with Jesus and his disciples.

I would hope any believer of Christ would sit and listen to her too. I would hope she would feel the love of Christ through those of us here on earth representing Him. I would hope she fully surrenders to Him and her life is changed forever.

I told her if she gives her life to Him, she is a NEW creation and she can be the generation to change her children's future. They have had a hard life, we can all agree on that...the dad does not seem to be a whole lot better then a drug addicted mom. They have seen things no child to see and probably felt things no child needs to feel.

But there is hope. Where there is the love of God, there is hope. And His love is everywhere, she just needs to accept it and give up control. After all, look where controlling her own life led her. She has no where to go but up at this point.

She told me she was bi-polar, I said good, I think King David was too :) I asked if she read Psalms and saw how he went from angry to happy, to ready to kill, to ready to save... that man seems very bi polar. I told her to dig into Psalms. To see that it is okay to be angry, lost, sad, etc...and then turn to Proverbs and live by his wisdom.

I also told her to listen to Klove whenever she could get near a radio. Oh ya, forgot to mention, she has no electricity, no job, no gas, nothing. She was going to go back up to the church tomorrow to see if we could help get her electric turned on. I pray we do.

She is leaving to go to rehab soon. She says she has been sober 70 days, but honestly, I don't believe it. She looked high. But, if she follows through and goes to treatment, she could possibly come out of this sober and straight.

I told her Micah could understand and he would love to take her to a local meeting when she gets back.

I pray she heard me, I mean REALLY heard me today. That she wants to change so badly she figures, heck, why not...and give her life to Him. And that he wraps His arms around her so tight and never lets go. That she is a changed woman and that she helps change those around her, especially her sweet kids.

I pray for her...would you please too?

John 3:16-17

"God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.

17 "God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through him

So blessed - OKC Spring Sprint!

Today was full...and good.

I love events like this. I love the energy, the laughter, the motivation, inspiration, and the people I get to meet and stories I get to hear. It energizes me and moves me in ways to keep growing my business by teaching other women (and some men) to own small businesses at home and letting them know they CAN do it. They are able, they have what it takes, they just need to tap into it. They need to believe in themselves.

Scentsy has been nothing but a blessing to our family. In a desperate time, I joined hoping to help pay bills as Micah and I were going through an on again and off again separation. Little did I know, just 8 months after I started my business, I would be a single mom supporting my kids. But God knew. He prepared me for it, in many ways, one being building my team and customer base. At just the right time, I was making enough with Scentsy and cleaning houses, that I was able to leave with the kids. God knew the perfect timing in all of it.

And when Micah got treatment and got sober, it was the perfect time to come back into our lives, as I was making enough where he could stay home and focus on his family and his sobriety, without stressing about work or hanging out with the same bad influences again. God's perfect timing once again.

I am thankful for all that Scentsy has brought to my life. My family is blessed. And I LOVE sharing this blessing with others. I love helping women succeed and watching their lives change. It's a high.

This year is going to be BIG. I mean, way BIG. We are entering markets with new products that expands our current market by 6 times!! Seriously...and we don't even have to really do anything new to take advantage. This company cares about us and our success. In a time like this, many companies sell. Well that is not an option for Orville and Heidi Thompson, CEO and President of Scentsy. They said, and I quote, "Not enough lives have been changed." Not to mention, they promised never to sell out. :) And they truly mean it.

They want the person that signed up in 2004, 2009, and 2012 to have the same opportunity to build a downline of thousands, reach SuperStar Director, earn a large residual income, and build an asset of a business that is multi generational and can be handed down to their children and their grandchildren. We are blessed.

I could go on and on about how amazing they are and the opportunity we have in front of us, but I will stop - for now :) Instead, I will show you some pics of the fun we had today. Enjoy!

And remember, if you want part of this fun, excitement, new ground floor opportunities in the new brands coming out, or just some part time income, you know where to find me - yummy.scentsy.us.

See more pics of the Spring Sprint in PA next week!!! FUN!!

So excited!!

Tomorrow, in OKC at the Cox Convention Center, is an event called Sprint Sprint. Scentsy started doing this last year and traveled for almost a month across country, 2 different teams and 2 different routes, visiting many states.

It is a mini-convention, training type of day and it is so fun!! Last year, I missed the OKC one due to an ill grandmother, but was able to attend in Pennsylvania and we had a blast. Here are some pics :)

I am hoping to have some more great pics in the next few days of tomorrow to share on here with you. We have tons of fun together! I love my group!! And in just a few more days, I am heading back up to PA to do it again with the northeast team! There will be about double the amount that was there last year! That is amazing!

Tomorrow we get to learn from the best too! Personal friends of mine, and fellow SuperStar Directors Allison Dalke, Jacqueline Roy, and Jana Holcomb will be teaching on stage. I am so proud of them and know they will teach all of us some wonderful things!

We will also get to see all the new Scentsy products coming out, along with get our own kit full of goodies! There is also a chance to win a Gold, Silver, and Purple ticket, which can win us anything from free product to an all expense paid trip to Convention in Vegas in July for two!! We will see the new warmers, new scents, new bath and laundry care, new cards with scents AND then new Velata line and the yummy chocolate!! YUMMO!

And my favorite part of the day is after...our group is walking over to the canal and going to eat at Chelino's. This is a time to talk about everything we just learned, to get to know each other better, to meet new friends, to share our excitement, and build bonds. This is a business of relationships...and this dinner will help just as much as the day of training!

I just love all the girls that are going and so excited to see what their business is going to do in 2012. BIG things are happening with Scentsy and I am super excited to be part of it!

You know that commercial with the pig zip lining and he says, "Weeeee, Weeee, Weeeeeeee! Pure. Adrenaline."? That is Scensty. That is what I get to do and get paid to do it. That is our businesses. We have fun...and it's only going to get better from here!!!

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

It does matter.

Micah made a comment today that made sense...and something I have known for quite sometime :) He said all day long he had listened to Air1 while travelling to Edmond and back and it made his attitude WAY better. He was positive and focused on things that matter, not getting upset over dumb things and bad drivers.

I have always played worship music in our home for hours a day. Whenever we drive anywhere (and I am in charge of the radio lol), I put it on Air1 or Klove. It just sets the mood for those in the car. Not to mention, the positive words going in my kid's heads over and over and over. They sing along with the words, sometimes not even realizing they are saying bible verses word for word.

I cannot ask for a better way to set the tone for the home or car ride. What do you listen to?

Us, we listen to - Air1 (go to Air1.com and listen anywhere) or Klove (klove.com) - of course with the occasional country or dance music. But 90% of the time, its positive and encouraging music. I would rather the kids hear God's word then about drinking beer, having sex, or degrading women, as heard in MUCH of today's pop music. I am so over it. I hate it in fact. I don't care what you say, it does effect those who hear it. It becomes normal. It did for me when I was young, and I will not allow that behavior to be the norm for our behavior.

My kids know we are weird. They know we are not like the majority of people out there. They know kids their age are listening to it and can sing all the lyrics. They know they are dancing to it in a way kids should not dance. It affects kids. Period. Like I said, it did to me when I was their age. And I will be danged if I allow that to my kids.

Ok, off my soap box. In the meantime, Air1 and Klove have a 30 day challenge going on right now. Listen to Christian music ONLY for 30 days and see how it changes your life. So, I challenge you. Do it. And if you go to their websites and let them know you are up to the challenge, you could win some prizes for doing it!

If you are in search of some awesome Christian bands...here are a few of mine.

Skillet - http://www.skillet.com/

Kutless - http://www.kutless.com

Jeremy Camp - http://www.JeremyCamp.com

Casting Crowns - https://castingcrowns.com/node

Kari Jobe - http://karijobe.com/#!/ss:facebook

Group 1 Crew - http://www.group1crew.com/#p=

Plus Many, Many, Many more!!!

Hope you enjoy all these amazing bands and it fills your head and heart with God's love!

We are blessed.

I have to remember daily that we are blessed. Even when we don't have all the answers or things do not go the way we want them to...we are blessed. In a time when I watch other families pray over their children that are in a life or death situation, I am thankful all four of mine are in our home, safe and healthy. It could be much worse. In a time where I see women raising kids alone (which I have done), we are blessed to have our family all together. In a time when one or both parents are gone all day to one or two jobs, we get to be together all day long.

I could go on and on about this. But I think I am preaching to myself. I have pity parties. I make things harder than they have to. I worry too much. And I tend to be an all or nothing person. If I would just relax, sit back, and only tend to the big things...I know God will take care of the details. Maybe it is all about trusting Him. Hmmm.

A dear friend of mine told me not too long ago, "Life is simple. You just have to choose it to be." Of course my response was something like, "WHAT?!". I don't know simple. I don't know how to live simply or just be simple. But in the moment, my emotions were taking over. I just got back from Mexico and returning home from trips is always hard. You miss the people you spent time with, you are thrown back into "real life", and things don't always go the way you planned when you left. So looking back, I overreacted.

Now I am realizing, my life is simple. And blessed.

I get to do what I love and get paid to do it. I get to work the hours I want to work. I get to train up other leaders to take control of their lives as well. I get to pray for friends. I get to volunteer at our local church feeding hungry. I get to attend Life Group. I get to teach my children what we believe is important for them to learn at home. I get to see my kids and husband all day, every day (minus the hunting days :). I get to travel several times a year to meet with other amazing leaders in our company. I get to have fun. I get to laugh. I get to cry. I get to hug my kids a zillion times a day. I get to kiss them at night and tuck them in.

I am blessed. And really my life is simple. It's choosing it daily that I must remember. Even through the hard days, the busy days, and the crazy days...I am blessed. I don't deserve the life I have. I didn't do anything special to earn it. But man, I am thankful for it. And I pray that daily I remind myself of this, and to keep it simple....so in turn, my kids will learn it too.

Where oh where?

So, if you don't know already, our current house situation is not working :/ Although we have been great tenants and paid our rent every month...our landlord has not been paying her mortgage. So...the house is in foreclosure. Awesome.

I know God is working this for our good, but its still hard living in limbo of our next step. We thought we would be in this home for a while, making it our last step before our final home, but it looks like that won't happen. Things are falling apart on this house and we have decided not to stay in it and try to buy it. So...on we move...again.

This time we really want to find a home we can put roots down in. Our poor kids have moved way too many times. I moved a lot as a child too and I didn't like it. I want them to make friends and keep them...not have to say goodbye. It's heartbreaking as a parent to watch and have to do as well.

Most of you know Micah's dream...to own a bucking bull business. He has been blessed to have a friend and mentor, Scott Acamazo, owner of Ace of Spades ranch. Scott has been helping, teaching and training him on what the aspects of being a stock contractor of bucking bulls entails. This is his dream and as a couple, it is my dream too. So...that throws a curve ball in our next plans. Scott, and MANY other contractors and bull riders, live in Stephenville, TX. Micah has traveled several times in the last 6 months to Scott's place to help and learn. So, I ask myself, if this is our dream and that is where he needs to go to learn, why don't we move there? If he wanted to be a doctor, we would have to move near a medical school...so this is basically the same thing.

This is a big step. This is scary. But exciting. That means I have to find a new customer and host base for Scentsy down there. Yes, I will keep many of my same customers and hosts because I can ship basket parties and I can ship orders directly to them...but in order to continue to build my business, I need to step outside of my comfort zone and meet new people. Stephenville is a college town so it has a lot of promise for growth for Scentsy and our new brand, Velata. I teach about finding new hosts, customers, and recruits...but now will I have to practice what I preach. Eeek. :)

So, next Wednesday I fly to Philadelphia for Scentsy Spring Sprint and then will fly back to Dallas on Friday. The kids and Micah will meet me there where we will spend the night then head to Stephenville the next day to look around, show the kids the town (I have been there once), and look at a few houses. Please pray for us. Pray that God opens doors that no one can close. That this next big step is a blessing to our family, Micah's dream, and to my Scentsy business.

We will keep you updated....

Doing it all..or not.

Do you ever wonder how I do it all? Me too.

With homeschooling, working a home based business of almost 700 downline, travelling to different events, cooking, cleaning, being a wife, planning meals, along with SO much more on a daily basis...and now figuring out where we are going to live next...let me let you in on a little hint. I DON'T get it all done. Ever.

So there...the cat is out of the bag. Never do I get all the work I want to get done in one day. Never do I get all the schooling and/or reading I want to get done in a day. Never do I spend enough time with my husband or each kid. Never do I clean enough, cook the best meals, discipline accurately or any of the other things that go along with life...nope. I don't. And I am finally getting to the point where that is okay.

I just have to figure out what the "rocks" are and what the "sand" is. Have you ever seen the illustration of trying to fit a handful of large rocks and a large cup full of sand into a container. If you put the sand in first...the rocks won't fit. But if you put the rocks in first...the sand can all fit. What does this mean? Put the important things first...then fill in the rest. I am a work in progress on this, and I think in different seasons the rocks are different. But I do know some of them are always the same. God, my husband, my kids, my faith, my work, and the kids school. They always have to happen...daily. And sometimes they don't look like what they are. Like take school for instance...sometimes its the boys outside helping daddy cut down trees and build a fence while Journey helps me make lunch. That my friends is school. It's not always textbooks and computers...sometimes its legos and stories. But they are always learning.

And work, sometimes its sending emails, planning the next meeting, or just making a few phone calls. And other days its hours on end...but something gets done each day to keep my business growing. Do I wish I could do more? usually...but in this season of my life, I have to remember WHY I chose to be a Scentsy Consultant and work from home. The reason is because I get to spend 24-7 with those people who are the most important to me that many cannot due to time constraints of school and work. We are blessed and I am thankful. Do we always get along? Um, no. Do we have the perfect life...not really. Do we fight, yes. But they are learning how to love, give grace, forgive, deal with different personalities and ages, and how to do this thing called life.

So next time you wonder, how does she do it all? Now you know, I don't. And that is okay.