Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful!

I'm not really, well at least I don't think I am. Now my husband on the other hand tells me all the time that I am Beautiful. Geez, he's even sang it to me, but I'm pretty sure he was singing along with James Blunt. I don't hear him sing often but when I do and it's to such a lovely song, I smile! What is beautiful anyways? Is it all those darn gorgeous women in Hollywood or is being beautiful what's really on the inside?  They say "Beauty is Skin Deep", what does this mean? It is a physical characteristic not what's deep down in her soul. It's what inside that counts!

There is much that can be said about beauty.  Think about it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What's this mean? You and I have different views on what we see as beautiful. Almost like a garage sale "one man's trash is another man's treasure"! 

I have met some very beautiful women in the past few years that I enjoy being around, spending time with, learning from them, growing with them. I'm not talking about beautiful on the outside. These women are truly a gift from God, in our lives and in our business.  They inspire me, they motivate me, they lift me up, they teach me, I respect them so much. Every chance that I get to be around them, I take advantage of it. I thank them deeply from the bottom of my soul for helping me grow in personal development these past few years. I thank them for helping me to become a better person. I am committed to becoming just like them, giving back to others what they have given us. I love them dearly with all my heart and soul and that's because they are beautiful both on the outside but more importantly on the inside. I look forward to the day when I can hear someone other than my husband say "Karen .... is beautiful"!

Drink It, Feel It, Share It!

Now is your chance to try MonaVie and discover for yourself why we love this product so much. Drinking only 2 oz twice a day can change your life.  We have been blessed physically, financially, emotionally and spiritually with MonaVie. 
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* Ranked No. 1 in Fast 50 edition of Utah Business magazine

We are truly blessed, living A More Meaningful Life.  We are helping to change people's lives, one at a time!

www.MoreThanJuice.ca

Everything Happens For A Reason!

They say everything happens for a reason!  Who is they and what do they know? There are many things that have happened over the past few months and I've questioned "why?" We all do it, don't we? We say, "Why me", "Why is this happening"? But there's a reason.  We don't always know what the reason is and sometimes it takes months and even years to find out but eventually we do find out why. I ask why did my husband have to get in a car accident in June and still be in so much pain. I ask why has the weather changed so suddenly, summer left too soon! Although we got to enjoy the pool alot, for me, it just wasn't enough. I'm glad the kids are back to school though, now that one I didn't question and ask why. Just happy to have a schedule and normality in our lives once again.

We recently had a death in our family, a young cousin who wasn't supposed to die at this young age. And so this I've asked and questioned the Big Guy "why" many times over the past two weeks. So young, handsome and such a wonderful guy ... why! But they say "Everything Happens For A Reason". Not quite sure what the answer to that one is though. Our hearts are heavy and filled with much sadness.

We've met a few new friends just three weeks ago, by accident. Wendy, Ed, Julie & Mike, they have this place they call "The Perch".  On Saturday, August 27th, we took a road trip to the Winona Peach Festival. Well me being the wife I am, didn't write a location down and so couldn't plug an address into the GPS and took my husband on a wild goose chase. Got lost, go figure. Stopped and asked these people outside for directions (and a beer) and well let's just say 1 turned into 2 turned into 3.  We made it to the Peach Festival and had a great day. As dawn neared and it was time to go home, we stopped in at the Perch and they were still there, so we had another beer and another beer and well we had to drive home, so we called it an early night.  We've since become friends on facebook, we now text each other, we chat regularly and we've been back to visit The Perch.  What an amazing group of people, you should really stop in sometime if you're in the Beamsville area, I swear they will welcome you with open arms (and beer)!  Check out the umbrella between the two driveways, coolest thing I've ever seen with neighbours. Their motto is "if the umbrella is up, The Perch is open". There's even a sign that says "Beer - 2 for $5.00". Every car that drives by, toots their horn. It's amazing, what a great group of people. Nice that in this crazy world we live in, there are some people still so friendly and welcoming, it seems that we've known each other for years!

So I know the reason why we got lost ... we met some great new friends!

 I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so you can appreciate them when they're right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself. And sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.   Marilyn Monroe 

Don't Worry ... Be Happy!

I know, it's easier said than done!  Everyday we all have something to worry about, its just human nature. One church service, many years ago, the Minister said "Don't worry - just pray".  Now that was a hard one to swallow. How can one not worry about their family, their bills, their health and how can one just learn to overcome their fears and anxieties? So I thought I'd try a little experiment, about a year ago, I said to myself "Okay Karen, no more worrying, just pray about it". Wow, difficult thing to do. I was worried about my husband's health, I was worried about our children's future, I was worried about what bill to pay first and how we were going to manage. From that day on, I have tried my hardest not to worry and I just take it to the Lord in prayer. One of my girlfriends came to me with problems and troubles in her home, her family life, her job, her finances and I said "Don't Worry, Be Happy!" She just looked at me with those frozen eyes of the deer in your headlights. I told her remember what the Minister said in service awhile back "Don't worry - just pray!" I gave her my word that I would also pray for her. I'm not saying things got better but we put all our faith in God.  I can't say I've been honestly faithful in doing this all the time since then but I try to do it most of the time. I find myself less of a worry wart. I find that I don't have anxiety or as much stress in my life as I use to have. Try it my friends, if even for just one day.  You might surprise yourself and find that you are worrying less and that you are praying more and there's nothing wrong with that!

Then about a year ago, I went in search of quotes on the internet, each and every morning, I post one on my facebook profile page.  What a great way to start off your day and the day of your friends.  It puts a smile on your face when someone clicks "like" on your post knowing that you may have helped change and influence someone's day in a positive way.  What is even more rewarding is when you see a friend post it on their page. They're spreading the joy and it's almost like something contagious.  Before you know it, hundreds of people are reading it and changing their day.  Don't Worry, Be Happy!  

Below are some of the quotes that I have posted over the past year to help me and others deal with anxiety and stress in the hopes that I can change just on one person's life!

Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. ~Benjamin Franklin

Imagine every day to be the last of a life surrounded with hopes, cares, anger and fear. The hours that come unexpectedly will be much the more grateful. ~Horace

The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable. ~Seneca

How much pain have cost us the evils that have never happened. ~Thomas Jefferson

It is the trouble that never comes that causes the loss of sleep. ~Chas. Austin Bates

Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each. ~Henry David Thoreau

Thus each person by his fears gives wings to rumor, and, without any real source of apprehension, men fear what they themselves have imagined. ~Lucan

I never think of the future - it comes soon enough. ~Albert Einstein

It is idle to dread what you cannot avoid. ~Publius Syrus

The rose is fairest when it is budding new, and hope is brightest when it dawns from fears. ~Walter Scott

Don't waste your life in doubts and fears: spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hours or ages that follow it. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

No longer forward nor behind

I look in hope and fear;

But grateful take the good I find,

The best of now and here. ~John G. Whittier

It is not work that kills men, it is worry. Work is healthy; you can hardly put more on a man than he can bear. But worry is rust upon the blade. It is not movement that destroys the machinery, but friction. ~Henry Ward Beecher

MY FAVOURITE

Ask yourself this question: "Will this matter a year from now?" 

~Richard Carlson

And my favourite quote is a story in itself, I'll save for another time, my husband thinks it's quite funny actually. Remember - Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Are You there, God? It's Me, ..... Karen

Alll my friends and women everywhere, I am sure, have all read the book "Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret". Remember 6th grade, we giggled to ourselves and each other as we passed it from friend to friend. Thinking back, over 30 years ago and how it brought a smile to my face, as the mother of a teenager, I remember my daughter reading the book in 6th grade and giggling with her friends.  
This post today has nothing to do with that book, I actually started it out with "Are you there God" and then I was reminded of that book and my childhood, it just made sense and seemed to fit for the title ... "it's me Karen".

For those who knew me growing up, as a teenager and then in my early twenties, they were surprised to learn that after I married, my husband became a Minister. I know I sometimes find it hard to believe myself. It has been almost 7 years that Brian was ordained into God's work. I say to people I run into that I haven't seen in years, well I am making sure to secure my place in Heaven LOL 
All kidding aside, I love what he does and wouldn't change a thing. We rarely miss a Sunday service, even when we go on vacation, we try and attend a local one. There are times on a Saturday night, when I'd like to have another Smirnoff's Ice but then I remember Sunday morning and just say no. I think of all things that was probably the hardest to do, giving up late Saturday nights but hey as we mature, we have to make sacrifices eh! There are times when I see the sun shining and we are entertaining the congregation and I think I'd rather be in my pool. But your know in all honesty, I can truly say I have met some of the most wonderful people in church, in ours and other congregations. We have developed strong personal relationships with many families. I wouldn't change it for anything. 
We have good days and we have bad days too. We have the days we question things and God, being the wife of a Minister doesn't make it any different than you, we all deal with thoughts of doubt, sin, questions and unbelief. 
May times, I have said "why me"? On the other hand, so many times I have said "thank God" I know the angels are surrounding me and my family! Just recently my husband was in a car accident the day before we left for our anniversary vacation, it could have been much worse. One of my dearest friends and her daughter were involved in very serious accident on the QEW and walked away with a few cuts, a few bruises, minor stitches and a swollen elbow. When you see the car, this is when you know there is a God!
When I was younger my brother was involved in a car accident that even the paramedics couldn't believe he lived through. I remember my grandfather, God rest his soul, saying at the time, that "God was on vacation and the Devil didn't want him". Makes you wonder sometimes eh, makes you appreciate life a whole lot more. 
We just spent the weekend in emergency with my husband who has not been feeling well for the past two weeks and so this past Sunday morning we stayed home, him to recover and me to sleep in. Today I told a few friends that I was glad to be at work, I felt like I  had two kids all weekend. You don't hear that often on Mondays from employees. It was a nice change LOL
For the past two years, being on this MonaVie journey, it has also led us to some wonderful Christian friends. At our big R3Global weekend functions, we are eager to join in on the Sunday service with Ed & Cheryl Henderson from New Life Network. 
http://www.newlifenetwork.org
We have seen so many lives changed with this bottle of juice either physically, emotionally, financially or spiritually, all because of the Power of God!
Perhaps feeling a little guilty for missing a wonderful weekend in Detroit, at Brian's cousin's wedding, with family and missing a Sunday service led me to write this tonight. Not really sure the purpose of it perhaps God just wanted me to share some thoughts in the hopes that someone, somewhere in the internet world out there tonight needs to know that just like in the book, Yes Margaret, there is a God!
He who kneels before God can stand before anyone. ~Unknown