The 75 minutes that have officially…changed my life...forever.

If you, or someone you know is depressed, feeling hopeless/defeated, hurt, struggling, trying to understand "why", heart-broken, jobless/homeless, stressed, lost, bullied, coveting, suicidal, in a "funk", or is hurting…in ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM…please please…if there ever is a time that I can encourage & inspire…in even the slightest way…PLEASE WATCH THIS…NOW. 

Of all the posts I could ever publish, in all my time on earth…I don't think any will ever be as powerful & life changing as this one. 

Wives/Husbands…please watch this with your Spouses. Boyfriends/Girlfriends/Partners…this one's for you. Parents…please watch this with your children. Families…please watch this all together. Or if you're alone like me right this second…please please watch it all by yourself. 

I PROMISE you…it will change your life! 

I bought this movie at Barnes & Noble months ago, & have been waiting for the "perfect" time to watch it with Bobby, but we've always been "too busy". Now that he's away at camp, & I have plenty of time to myself…I was looking through my movies & this one was screaming my name. For those of you who don't already know…I've been "struggling" for the last few years, with many changes, and have never been as "unhappy" in all of my life. To the world…I realize how impossible that may seem, or how ungrateful I may look, but you see…happiness is not at all a result of the things that you "have", whether material or not. I do have it all. The house, the cars, the job, the dream Husband, the most amazing Family & Friends, more LV's than the store itself, but still…I haven't been happy. I've always known that money doesn't buy happiness, but I never known how to articulate that message…until now. The best way to sum up what I've always known, and what I've struggled with for a few years now…is this movie/documentary. 

You see…we all dream of a life of "more", and believe with all of our hearts, that when & if we get there…our heaven will exist. I'm living proof that it's the furthest thing from the truth. Now don't misunderstand…money DOES make you more "comfortable", but it DOES NOT make you happier. You ever heard the saying, "MO MONEY. MO PROBLEMS"? THAT is the truth, and what the world forgets to share with the dreamers & the achievers. You see, as soon as you've "made it"…you stop & look around…& all of a sudden…you're all alone. People treat you differently, and how much fun is it to have abundance…when everyone around you is hurting? When families are working 10 jobs to be able to provide, & you have no kids at home. When you can travel all over the world, but the ones you love most & want to share those experiences with…can't. When people no longer want to come to your house because they feel it's "too nice" & the gifts they used to give you that came from the bottom of their beautiful hearts…no longer are given without feeling ashamed. You see, my loves…money is a dichotomy of many blessings, but also many curses, so please please don't "wait" for the day you have "more", or covet anything anyone else possesses. We all have our struggles, and we all have our crosses to bear. No one is without pain. No matter how much is in their bank account. 

But…with all this said…I also know that the more money Bobby & I make…the more lives we can help, change, touch, and…since I'm a FIRM believer that what I put out into the universe will 100% manifest…this will be the only time I speak on this topic. It's something that's been weighing on my heart for years now, but I refuse to "complain" about it, because I know full well God is listening, and I never want him to take away, our way to make an impact. I am fully aware of how truly blessed I am…in every way…but until now…I've never known how to not feel guilty for the life I've been given. I now know that God gave me this life, not because I'm any "luckier" than anyone else…but he gave it to me because he knew I would share. 

If you've ever wanted to know why I give so much…this, my beautiful Angels…is why. 

(Bobby gives everything & has worked for the last 18 years at the same company & has earned every penny. Neither one of us was born into money & although we are 100% blessed…we're not talkin' Donald Trump status, so don't worry! LOL. But to me…I am rich. For every ounce of his hard work & dedication…I couldn't be more proud. You took "provider" to another level & you're the best Husband in the world. Little shout out to my Boo! I ♥ you, Babe.)

I love you all…with every beat of my heart…and I pray that the love, peace & gratitude…I feel in my heart at this very minute…will in some small way…touch each & every one of your beautiful souls.

Be kind. Help out. Practice random acts of kindness. Stick up for the wounded. Fight for what's right. Don't fit in. Be humble. Give. LOVE LOVE & LOVE some more. Pray. Be Thankful. Hope. Dream. Believe. And ALWAYS know that EVERYTHING happens for a reason…EXACTLY as it should. What doesn't make sense now…will. Keep the faith & keep becoming the beautiful light you were meant to be. 

And most importantly…believe that you deserve all of this…and so much more. 

It's time for you to finally be..."Happy"!

With All The Love One ♥ Could Possibly Possess,

I've Got Sunshine!

I am so honored and excited to announce that I was nominated for the Sunshine Award! A huge THANK YOU to the insanely sweet Rachel at Unleashed Diva for nominating me. This is my second blog award & I LOVE me some sunshine, so this one is extra adorable!!! 
Thank you so so much, Rach!

So here are the rules for this one!

The Rules:

1. Include award logo in a post or on your blog page. (it will be displayed on my awards page too.)
2. Answer (10) questions about yourself (*the same ones that I answer below).
3. Nominate 10-12 other fabulous bloggers.
4. Link your nominees to the post and comment on their blog, letting them know about the award.
5. Share the love and link the person who nominated you.

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Ten Questions and Answers:

1. What would you most like to change about yourself?
I would try to live life a little more carefree & stress a lot less about the things I can't do anything about.

2. What is your theme song?
Ummm…that's so hard to pick only one, but the very first song that comes to my mind is…

3. One part of your life, a memory, action, etc. that you wish you could surgically remove from your brain?
Watching my doggie get hit by a train. And so ironic…her name was Sunshine. It happened on my 20th. Birthday & I will always remember that unbelievably horrible sight, & hope helpless I felt.

4. What generation do you wish you had been a part of? 
My favorite style era is by far the 60's! LOVE the big hair, smoky eyes, etc. But as far as living…I wish I lived in the 50's. A time when life was so wholesome & innocent. Sock hops, Drive-ins, etc. One of my very favorite movies is Grease & I would have loved to have lived it!

5. What was your favorite childhood toy?
Ummm…probably a stuffed Monkey!

6. What is your favorite housecleaning chore? 
Probably laundry. I adore the smell of fabric softener & dryer sheets & love that it has a beginning and an end. Until…the next batch comes! Good Times!

7. Do you Twitter? 
Yes I do, although I don't have any clue what to tweet! Do people really want a play by play of my life? Have no idea! Would love to know your thoughts. And all those #'s & stuff…clueless!

8. Any goals? 
Many. Starting with being "bikini-ready" all year long, starting YouTube videos & continuing to grow & better my blog, travel to many places, learn another language, & try my best to touch as many lives as possible.

9. Do you really drink margaritas all the time? 
Not at all. About 1 a year! Not a big alcohol drinker. No matter what it is…I never love the taste enough to waste my calories on it! Would much rather eat something good! Ha Ha. 

10. What is the ugliest car you've ever driven and were embarrassed to be seen in?

Honest to God…I have never been embarrassed in my cars, or any car for that matter. Sometimes that "junkier" they are…the "funnier" the experience! Embrace the junk! (I know neither of these are real words) Ha Ha.

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My Sunshine Nominees are:

Big City Belle

Krystal's Musings

Step By Step

Ooh La Frou Frou

Margarita Bloom

Everything According to Erin

Erica Bellio Creations

The Original Drama Mama

"Say What?"

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Don't forget to come back and link up so I can read all your answers to the questions!
Oh &…don't forget to add this little award to your blog!
How Fun!
Thank you again, Rachel!

I truly appreciate you!

Happy Sunday, Beauties!
Hope it's AMAZING!
XO


Love & Hugs To ALL My Sunshine's…

Unacceptable. RANT & PROFANITY! BE PREPARED!!!

Happy Monday, my Beautiful, Love-Filled Ones!

Warning…this will come as a shock to some of you, most of you, & some of you may strongly disagree, but that's 100% ok with me! What's not at all ok with me…is all this hatred going on in this world! THIS is my STRONGEST battle against being called a "Christian" & a "Republican"…to which I am both. However…my views on each differ vastly…from the norm.

I am 100% pro-choice.

Some people (A LOT) of people…have absolutely NO BUSINESS being Parents & for those people...bringing a child into this world…is 100x's worse abuse…than any abortion in history! 

What if you're raped?

Who am I to tell a victim that they HAVE to keep the product of something/someone so vile & inhumane?

Now would I/could I have an abortion…I would swear with ALL my heart that I would never, but I've also never gotten pregnant before (an age to not be able to take care of & be a fit Mother), or been raped before…so how would I know what I would do? What I would have done?

Now don't get me wrong…I think abortion is a horrible thing & anyone that has gone through it…I would bet…is still affected in a significant way…every single day…but, what if?

I can't say.

And "Christian"…telling you you're going to hell if you're gay?

Have you ever been gay?

Do you know what it feels like?

I don't, so again…who am I to tell YOU or judge YOU!

My God…the one I believe in…is 100% Love.

In EVERY form, ALL walks of life…NO MATTER WHAT! 

The biggest "Christians" I know…are living in the biggest glass houses…throwing the most stones!!!

If you're a Christian…your life is your testimony…not your words, or you attending church every Sunday.

THIS picture…is UNACCEPTABLE…and I've seen about 10 too many of these to stay quiet any longer!

This my friends…this kind of hatred & pure EVIL…starts at home & results in this.

What if your Son/Daughter, Sister/Brother, Best Friend/Family Member…came to you & told you they were gay?

Would you want this to happen to them?

This makes me sick to my stomach & it NEEDS to stop!

If you believe in a God…you are taught that God makes no mistakes.

We are all made in his loving care & he made NO MISTAKES.

Being different & YOURSELF…is what makes this world go round. 

The ONLY people I pre-judge are mean & evil ones!

"And be ye kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

-Ephesians 4:32

NO WHERE in this does it say, "unless you are gay, a difference race, are too skinny or too fat, etc"

As long as you're a kind & wonderful person, spread sunshine wherever you go, don't hurt or cause harm to anyone…and follow the 10 commandments…in my opinion…you are ONE HELL of a Christian & are going to the heaven I'm going to! 

PARENTS…please please…teach your kids better.

I am fully aware that the Parent you are…is as result primarily…on the Parents you had, but that's no longer an excuse.

When you know better…you do better, & ALL OF US know better! 

This Bible verse no longer applies…

"Then said Jesus, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do…"

-Luke 23:34

We know. We ALL know EXACTLY what we do.

"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned, forgive, and ye shall be forgiven."

-Luke 6:37

Somewhere, somehow…all of this got lost in translation & it's about time…we find it again!

Life is hard enough, & we are all fighting our own battles, & have our crosses to bear…

wouldn't life be a whole lot better if we all felt like we were all in this together, and we were NEVER fighting alone?

What I loathe.

Who I am.

Again…I am deeply sorry if I offended anyone…in any way.

These are just my personal views & since this is my Blog…I feel I have a right to share them.

If you disagree with any or all of the above…the same love I preach…I practice.

I will respect you & your beliefs…100%.

Unless…you're just evil & in that case…I will judge away! 

LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Or…

Sorry to put a damper on today/this post.

I'll be back to my usual sunshine tomorrow, but today…in my heart...this was necessary.

The sole purpose of this was to try to do my little part…to try to make one less person cry at night.

To try to make one less person hurt.

If you know me at all…there are 2 things I DO NOT/WILL NOT tolerate in this world…Cruelty or Injustice.

Be kind to one another.

THAT is my wish.

Whew!

The End.

Feel free to leave comments, but just so you know…this is not open for discussion on my end. These are my beliefs & nothing/no one will change them.

With ALL The Love One ♥ Could Possibly Possess,

If You Judge Books By Their Covers...

"I'm sick of people being shallow, & picking on other people for the things they can't change about themselves.
"She's too tall."
- It's not like she can control her height?
"He has a big nose."
- What is he supposed to do about it? Get plastic surgery?
"She has a weird looking face."
- Is that really her fault?
"She's really flat chested."
- That's genetic. She didn't choose to be.
"He has crooked teeth."
- Not everyone can afford braces.
"Her hair is too frizzy."
- She didn't choose her hair, & not everyone has the time to flat iron their hair every morning.
"His eyes are creepy looking."
- He didn't choose the shape of his eyes.
"She's fat."
- So, it's not her fault? Everyone has a different weight limit to them. If you're tall; like me, then you should weigh more. If you're short, then you should weigh less. Everyone is beautiful in their own way!!!!♥
"He's gay."
- Who cares? If they're bi, their bi. If they're gay, their gay. We're all human beings. Let people be themselves. They can choose to be with anyone, don't stop them.

You know what? People can't choose their family & how much money they grow up with, their facial structure, their body type or many other things. Don't pick on them for that. If you're you're going to dislike someone, dislike them for their personality & actions, not how they look or where they come from. Life isn't a video game. You can't just choose what you look like, how tall or short you are, your weight? I'm just saying'."

-Jasmine

"Be the rainbow in someone else's storm." -Maya Angelou

Be kind. Love one another & always remember…

What if that person…was you?

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Happy Sunday, Sweethearts.

Due to another insane migraine…I will resume with the official "Sunday Sweethearts" next week!

And…if I feel well enough tonight…I'll post my "Indian Summer" Giveaway!

I'm working on that now.

Thank you for your patience, love & support!

You guys ROCK!!! 

Hope you're enjoying this beautiful day! 

XO

Live in Light & in Love,

Bringing Back "Sunday Sweethearts"

Happy Monday, Gorgeous Dolls! 

Hope you had a PERFECT weekend & are ready for this wonderful week ahead!I know I am! TONS of exciting news to share! First off...I am ECSTATIC to announce that after discovering this beautiful world of blogging through the hearts & words...of so many amazing people...I am re-starting my very own Link-Up! After playing on a few other beautiful blogger's weekly link-ups & a few weeks of my own "Sunday Sweethearts"(seems like forever ago now)...I decided to once again...make it a permanent addition to my Sundays & would ♥ ♥ ♥ for all of you to join me! 

Because I'm travel so so much...I found it really difficult to have with me to share...all my favorites...while away from home. But...I decided that I really enjoyed it & now that I have  a few more Followers/Friends...it'll be a lot more fun! I'll just host it all the Sundays that I am home, & the weeks I'm not...I'll try my very best to prepare ahead of time. It can happen, right? I hope you love, as much as I do...people sharing nothing but positivity & things that made you smile on the outside...and the inside.

The inspiration behind this, is a day to share ALL the things that happened during the previous week...that made your heart...a little sweeter.

I wanted to start this "movement", in hopes that everyone who reads these precious moments...will inspire each other to love a little more, and to become aware of the impact a simple act of kindness/love...really does have on our lives. We all can make a difference., no matter how small, and I truly believe that love really does...make life worth living. No matter what each of us are going through...when you surround yourself with love & goodness...the world absolutely gets a whole lot sweeter.

It's my little version of "Paying It Forward".

I would love nothing more, than for you to join me on this journey...to touch, inspire, & of course...make sweeter...as many lives as we possibly can!

How awesome would that be!!!

I can't wait to begin this crusade with all of you & to make the world sweeter...one ♥ at a time!

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Here's a sample of what mine were one week....

1. Grow Old With Me...

Elderly couple marries on Christmas Eve at Glen Carbon, Illinois retirement home

 

2. Feline Love

3. Random Act of Kindness

While driving home last week, on the side of the road was a car pulled over, hazards on, with the most adorable girl sitting on the trunk, enjoying the beautiful sunshine...with her Mama in the front seat. I drive by & smiled, and then something made me turn around. I just figured...they looked totally fine, Daughter was smiling, now adays everyone has a cell phone, AAA...but something told me to turn around. I did, & asked them if they needed anything. Mama told me she ran out of gas & left a message for her Husband, but he was at work & who knew when she would/could hear from him. He had the kind of job where he couldn't just leave & rescue his family. So...I told them to hang tight & I would go get gas & help them. I've never run out of gas before (knock on wood) & have never used a gas can, but figured hey...how hard could it be? So...I headed to the closest gas station, bought the biggest one I could find (had no idea where they were headed/how far they had to go), filled it up...& was on my way. I was so excited to be able to help & that I did it all by myself. All growns up. He He. When I got back to them, they still hadn't heard back from her Husband, so who knows how long they would've been waiting. With the help of the sweetest older man on his daily walk...she was all filled up & ready to go. Or so we thought. As she turned the key to go on her way...nothing. The car wouldn't start. At that exact moment...around the corner comes my beautiful neighbor, on her way home from work. She pulls over, finds out what's wrong & calls her wonderful Husband, also on his way home...to turn around & help. With jumper cables in tow...he hooks her up & she's all set! Come to find out...we were the only people that stopped (I love you K&A) & they are our brand new neighbors, who we've never met. They are so so sweet & are coming to our house this week for Pumpkin Carving Night! I truly believe that all things really do happen for a reason & now we all know our new neighbors! We're all looking forward to meeting her Husband & getting to know each other. So...life lesson...when your inner voice speaks...make sure you listen.

4. Soldiers Coming Home

Sitting in the nail salon, getting a mani-pedi...I could not believe me eyes! As "Breaking News" scrolled across the TV screen...what I saw made my heart, literally skip a beat & tears start rolling down my cheeks. Could it really be true? Are the Soldiers all coming home? Even though I don't have anyone in my life personally fighting...I cannot even begin to imagine what everyone who does...is feeling. The Soldiers & everyone who loves them...what a wonderful, wonderful blessing! THANK YOU, JESUS! Get them out ASAP & get them back in the arms of everyone who loves them! Such wonderful news & makes me so so happy!

 

5. Special Delivery

Hubby & I  surprised Papa & Mama yesterday, with the bike he's been wanting & the BBQ she's been wanting. What a fun, perfect day! It's amazing that the gifts you give to others, the joy you add to someone's else's life...always feels like a gift you've given youself. There's nothing like it. Nothing.


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"Sunday Sweethearts" will officially start up again this Sunday, July. 22, 2012 & I would be honored & completely OVER THE MOON...to be graced with your beautiful presence. And since I don't see us ever running out of things that have touched our hearts...I'll be your hostess for as long as the party continues!

Thank you to all of you for reading & an extra special Thank You, in advanced...for all of you who join me! I love & appreciate you...all! 

Please grab the button code from my sidebar, insert it into your post, and then join the link-up below! Can't wait to see what made your heart...a little sweeter!

See you then!

XO

Sweethearts Unite ♥ !