Not For A Moment (After All)

If you know me personally, you probably know that I always try to see the good in things, stay positive, and stay strong in my faith...but I sometimes I stray, just like everyone else. I'm not perfect by any means. When Im feeling empty, off track & lost...I know I can come running back to Him with open arms. No matter what I'm feeling, how low I get, how hopeless I feel...all of those feelings are completely restored when I'm back to where I need to be. He is the way, the hope, the light...the only answer for me. Come hell or high waters, He will always get me through whatever struggles are thrown my way. 

I have a ton of favorite Christian songs, but for some reason...this one really hits home...no matter how hopeless I may feel, it always brings me comfort knowing He will never ever ever forsake me... ❤️ 

It's by Meredith Andrews - Not For A Moment (After All) 

"You were reaching through the storm 

Walking on the water 

Even when I could not see 

In the middle of it all 

When I thought You were a thousand miles away 

Not for a moment did You forsake me 

Not for a moment did You forsake me 

After all You are constant 

After all You are only good 

After all You are sovereign 

Not for a moment will You forsake me 

Not for a moment will You forsake me 

You were singing in the dark 

Whispering Your promise 

Even when I could not hear 

I was held in Your arms 

Carried for a thousand miles to show 

Not for a moment did You forsake me 

And every step every breath you are there 

Every tear every cry every prayer 

In my hurt at my worst 

When my world falls down 

Not for a moment will You forsake me 

Even in the dark 

Even when it's hard 

You will never leave me 

After all 

Not for a moment will You forsake me"

Thankful...

I'm feeling the love and counting my blessings today. I can see the blue skies, hear the birds chirping, pay my tab at lunch, come back to a great job & go home tonight to the most amazing man in the world. #Blessed 

Oh...P.S you guys - I downloaded a new app called "Blog Go" and wanted to try it out! Ummm amaze-balls! It's so easy, quick & right at my fingertips - so I will definitely be blogging a lot more now! 

I have been so extremely busy - it ain't even funny! I'm definitely not complaining one single bit though because I just love it! I love my life and am so so so happy. 

Have a great day everyone - smooches!

xoxo 

Chandy

Sticks & Stones

"Sticks & stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." LIE.LIE.LIE.LIE.

That's the biggest crock of crapola grown-ups have been teaching children for years. Words do hurt & can destroy some. Oh, yes indeed. It can wreck self-esteem, rip confidence to shreds, it can alter the way the a person sees the world; it can make them jaded & steal their joy.

I think that ole' saying might have been put in place by parents as a defense mechanism for kids who were being bullied growing up - it's the only armor of defense parents had because as a parent, you can't go sucker punk the little brat who's torturing your little Johnny-boy.

For me, when I was little - people said a lot of cruel words to me & behind my back about me. It did sting a bit & after a while, it wore on me & it became exhausting at times to keep my head held high - but I was strong enough to not let it get to me. I was able to push through, to keep my happiness & tell those mean little f*ckers to get a life...but not everyone is like me. To some, words are like daggers to the heart.

Words destroy people. I think they have the tendency to reek havoc on some, while others let them gently roll off of their feathers.

I guess you could say I'm a mix of both. I'm like a strong steel wall and a delicate little flower all wrapped into one. So, when someone says something mean & hateful that slips off of their tongue with no hesitation, yet they probably have no direct intention of hurting me, it stings & then it pisses me off - only for about 30 minutes or so and then I bounce right back and am completely fine & tell them to go play in traffic. Jk

Thankfully, I have had only positive thoughts my entire life & have purposely thrown up a "DO NOT ENTER" sign to any negativity heading my way. I can't stand it & won't allow it in my life! And that is by choice. I have never been in a deep depression. I mean, of course, I have had a couple days where I didn't want to get out of bed (that may or may not have been because I wanted to watch Disney movies all day...but shhh...don't tell anyone) but THANK GOD it has never been worse than that - I also think that's due to my personality & outlook on life also. Anyways, getting to my point - it lead me to thinking about all of the people who suffer from deep depression, and even worse - children who are in a deep depression. Kids are fragile human beings that are like sponges and soak up every single little thing they hear. So, if there is some little snot-nosed kid trying to ruin their recess break or school-life - we should take action! Not only put the bad kid in time out; we should check on the little ole guy who was being bullied.

I don't have kids - (yet) so I don't know how bullying is handled now-a-days, but I know when I was a youngster - no one ever asked if I was okay. They would scold the person at fault and then that was that. I think we should have positive reinforcement - tell our children that we love them & everything will be just hunky dory fine & be a support system for them.

NOOOOOOOOT trying to put a damper on your day or anything, but reading these statistics nearly ruined mine - so I thought I would share with you.....

PLEASE WATCH THE LINK BELOW:

http://www.ksat.com/news/Students-deal-with-pressures-of-going-back-to-school/-/478452/21708190/-/tskm2wz/-/index.html


With that being said, did you know that:

- If you didn't watch the video that I just politely asked you to watch - go watch it now! lol 

But seriously, with that being said, did you know that:

• Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death for ages 10-24. (2010 CDC WISQARS)

• Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death for college-age youth and ages 12-18. (2010 CDC WISQARS)

• In ages 10-14, we have seen an alarming 128% increase in suicides since 1980, making it the third leading cause of death for that age group.

DID I JUST READ THAT CORRECTLY? Holy moly...what 10-12 year old thinks about that kind of stuff? It's absolutely disturbing and sad. I think people tend to throw their words around so easily, not knowing how fragile people are on the inside. People are made to be loved, to be cherished - not torn down and shredded to pieces & then stomped on. 

In the world we live in today, children's home lives are not the best we've ever seen. It's nowhere near Mary Poppins status now-a-days & to add to that - children are having miserable lives at school due to bullying & a million other reasons, I'm sure. 

How tormented does someone have to be to think that taking their own life would be better than being in the situation they are in now? 

We need to make a change. 

One Little Word 2013

Okay, so - I guess you could technically say that I'm about 9 months late for this. But in my book, it's never to late to start!

I just came across a program / life changing type of thing that you intentionally do daily, every minute of the day when you think about it - its the...

One Little Word challenge by Ali Edwards. Ali defines the purpose of your One Little Word (OLW) by saying: “You live with it. You invite it into you life. You let it speak to you. You might even follow where it leads. There are so many possibilities.” 

You choose a word that you want to represent yourself and everything you come across & do for the entire year. You need  to choose a word with intent - a word that you can make a conscious effort to create & bring to life, every time you can. Well, for me I wanted to become lots of things! I wanted to find a word for me that represented something more than just something like "success" or "happiness". I wanted a word that everytime I thought of it I would smile & feel great inside. And I think I have found my word....This year (what's left of it) the word I chose is SPECIAL. The definition of it is below:  


spe·cial  (spshl)

adj.

1. Surpassing what is common or usual; exceptional.

2.

a. Distinct among others of a kind.

b. Primary.

3. Peculiar to a specific person or thing; particular.

4. Regarded with particular affection and admiration.

Special, to me, is something that I can show in every aspect of my life.

I chose the word "special" because so far, 2013 has been the busiest year of my life. I have been so caught up with everything - school, work, building my photography business, being engaged and planning my wedding, spending time with my fiancé & family...sometimes I feel like I may not be giving it my all in that exact moment because I will either be working on the d-low: responding to emails or clients  or thinking about what I have to do next. It doesn't happen a whole lot, but I have noticed it here & there and I want to make a change. I really do put my all into everything that I do, and now that I am getting married & starting a whole new journey with the love of my life, I really am going to make an extremely conscious effort to make everything in our lives & every moment together special! Not that it already isn't special & amazing, but if I just consciously make an effort to cut off work at 5pm and focus on us & our lives, it will be great! I'm talking - no social media after like...7pm lol no answering emails & no business calls. I'm turning off the office work and making special moments with my family & friends that we will cherish forever & ever from here on out & I couldn't be more excited about it.  


I'm starting by taking these steps:

- say special things towards people I know with intent & purpose 
- do special activities with my hubby, family and friends that will make memories & will cherish
- block out those around me with ugliness in their hearts & create room for more special-ness (I think I just created a new word lol) 
- inspire creative & special thoughts in the office 
- cultivate a special & lovely feeling in my home and workspace
- create a home for my husband & I that is special to us & full of love, every time we step foot inside
- recognize all of the special things that I am surrounded by and never take them for granted 
- know that I am special in God's eyes & He has the perfect plan for me 


Even though there are just a few more months left in 2013, I'm taking Ali’s One Little Word & going to keep “SPECIAL” in the forefront of my mind & display the word throughout all of my actions. I'm super excited - what word would you use to represent yourself for the year? 

xoxo 

Chandy 

Hey guys! Ahhh I've been so super busy lately that I have kind of fallen off the bandwagon with my own personal blogging...But guess what - I have been given the amazing opportunity to work with the world renowned wedding store - David's Bridal! They have asked me personally to share my journey as a bride-to-be and everything that goes into planning a wedding as a guest blogger on the David's Bridal Blog. Of course, I said YES! I have written 5 posts for them thus far - the 5th one is going to be published tomorrow woohoo!

Please, feel free to check out all of the blogs I have done thus far at the following links:

http://www.davidsbridal.com/blog?p=10458

http://www.davidsbridal.com/blog?p=10484

http://www.davidsbridal.com/blog?p=10500

http://www.davidsbridal.com/blog?p=10533


and I will post the 5th blog tomorrow when the link is published.

Thank you all for your never-ending support! I appreciate you tons & thank you for being awesome.

Happy Tuesday!

LIVE!

Experience. Dream. Risk. Close your eyes and jump. Enjoy the freefall. Choose exhilaration over comfort. Choose magic over predictability. Choose potential over safety. Wake up & notice the beauty of everyday life that we sometimes tend to take for granted. Make friends with your intuition. Trust your gut. But above all, trust in God. Discover the beauty of uncertainty. Know yourself fully before you make promises to another. Make a million mistakes so that finally, you will know what you truly want out of life and what you need. Know when to hold on and when to let go. Love hard, and love often...and without reservation. Seek knowledge. After all, knowledge is power. Open yourself to possibility. Keep your heart open, your head high and your spirit free. Embrace your darkness along with your light. Be wrong every once in a while, and don't be afraid to admit it. Awaken to the brilliance in ordinary moments. Tell the truth about yourself, no matter what the cost may be. Own your reality without apology. See the good in the world. Realize that you do deserve the best, so don't settle - never settle. Be BOLD. Be Fierce. Be Grateful. Be wild, crazy and gloriously free. Be you. 

:)

Go now, and LIVE!  

Holy Schnikees...August is HOTT!

Ummmmm can I just say that today's workout with Power Park Fitness was so hard but beyond badass. Well, I guess any workout in the August heat is a little tougher for some. I just tried to stay focused and just get it done. Working out with 3 incredibly strong guys whom fitness comes as second nature to, was just more motivation to keep up and not quit. I just kept telling myself...left, right, left right haha ONE STEP AT A TIME & it eventually leads to a completed workout...which felt GREAT!

We Ate clean. Trained Mean. Job well done today for me in my book. I really am so so so excited to do our workout tomorrow because we're starting earlier in the morning.

The Start of My Fitness Journey

Well, let me just start off by saying it's kind of hard to type because my arms are so sore. Didn't even think you had to use any of your muscles to type.  I can definitely thank Power Park Fitness for that.

But anywhoodles, for the past few months, I have totally changed my eating habits and have been clean eating since May. Let me tell you - I feel great! I can totally feel a major change in every way. I have more energy, don't feel as "blah" and have dropped some pounds as well! The one thing that I have been on & off about is the working out. Yes, I will admit it. And I can give you every excuse in the book if you really wanted me to - but I will save my breath & your time by just giving you a few lol But in all seriousness - I have been so so so busy the past few months. From working a full-time job, doing photography shoots every night after work & on the weekends, editing those shoots, planning my wedding, going to school for my Master's degree, being engaged & wanting to spend all of my spare time with my boo....yeah, all of that has played a major factor into not finding time or even wanting to find the time to workout. Until one day, it just clicked. I realized - I'm not even seeing the best me...and I want to be the BEST me possible. I want to feel like a million bucks every time I look into the mirror. When I lost all of my excuses, that's when I started seeing results. If you always wait for the time when you "feel" like doing something or when it's the "right" time to do it, it will never get done. So, that's when I started saying screw it...I'm doing this for me and dangit, I'm going to do it! NOTHING is going to stop me.

My fiancé and his family love to do obstacle course races, 5k's & etc. I've been dating my hunni for almost 2 years now, and have always been hesitant when it came to working out with him & the guys. Don't get me wrong - I have ALWAYS wanted to...but something was just always stopping me. I think it was fear. Obviously. Fear that I wouldn't be able to keep up with all of these buff guys or bench press 200 pounds. But finally, I faced my fear & got my butt out there with my soon-to-be sister-in-law and we ran the Power Park Fitness course with them. Yes, you heard me - WITH the guys. It was so cool!
I surprisingly did really really good! I kept pace with everyone & did all of the obstacles except the rope climb & this other obstacle that takes an insane amount of arm strength to do. Oh, and I didn't do the salmon ladder either. But still...I was super proud of Alisa & myself for going out there and giving it all we had.

So, there was more. They had tires. Really big ones, too. When I approached the huge monstrosity of a thing, I kinda started second guessing whether I could flip that 90lb thing or not. But then I immediately told my brain to shut-up & just went for it. It was like a high. Something I always wanted to try, but was too timid to do. I was finally doing it. And ohhhhhh boy it was awesome. So yes, it was a struggle for me the very first time - the tire was so close to the ground, it was hard to get a good grip on the tire without smashing your fingers into the concrete. But I did it anyway.

After that, my fiancé drilled some 2x4's into the tires where it would raise the tire off of the ground just a wee-bit in order for us to get our little fingers under there. So, the second time around - I killed it! I gave it my all and did it! It was awesome hearing my hunni cheer me on & tell me that he was proud of me. It just gives me that much more drive to do better, to make him proud.

So - we've been working out together lately. Going on runs in the 100 degree heat & running the course. Whew. Let me tell you - NOT EASY...but it all boils down to how bad do you want it? Badly.

I'm running my first 5k in September! Super excited & I've never officially ran a 5k event - but I'm so stoked to do this one repping Power Park Fitness all the way!

Better Late Than Never, Right?

Hellooooo world. Nice to see you here. Welp, this is my first personal blog post. Ever. So, I'm kind of excited about it. I love love love to write - but never have really found the outlet to do so...so, I figured - why not start here. Right?

First off, I am definitely NOT grammatically correct 95% of the time - hope you don't mind!





This blog is going to be about everything - from my fitness journey & getting in the best shape of my life to my wedding planning, the actual big day & everything else you could think of.


From first getting married to living the dream & everything else that comes along with it.

(My fiance & I ^^^) 

I don't really know how to work this or make friends or get followers, but I suppose I will figure it out as I go :)

Here's to my first post...

Cheers!