Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Confirmation Message from Kristin Barnes

Sunday, January 26, 2014

In with the New!

Wow!! I am amazed at the difference I feel without all that hair. Nothing to hide behind. I'm right out there.... front and center. Feels wonderful. Now, the question is..... what do I do with all the hair I cut off? Any ideas?










Boom Time 2014: Out with the old energy!


Saturday, January 25, 2014

Boom Time 2014! Just for the record...

As I stated in my first video, I am doing this blog so that I can share my journey as I work toward goals in several aspects of my life. I am working on my health, my finances and my relationship with myself. I will share more specifics on those goals shortly, but for now, I wanted to document how I look right now.

These aren't the best pictures, but I figured I gotta start somewhere. So... here they are.






Boom Time 2014! Heads up.

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for the outpouring of love and support! Stay tuned. Something big coming tomorrow!!

Monday, August 16, 2010

1st Day in Arizona!

We have spent our first full day in Arizona and are starting to get settled in.  Ana went to school today and loved it!  That is one major feat tackled.  I am so thankful that we found a great school for her.  Now I just gotta get comfortable with the layout of the city.  Thank God for GPS!!!

I got in yesterday around 4:30 in the afternoon and I was so exhausted!!  I don't know what I was thinking when I scheduled a party the day before I was leaving!  I had a great time, but there were so many people and so much preparation to do all at once.  We were having so much fun that the last people didn't end up leaving till around 11:30pm and I was supposed to be leaving to drive to Arizona at 4:30am.  That did NOT happen.  I didn't get to bed until 3am.  So, I ended up leaving at 7:30am and it was rough driving that distance on 4 hours of sleep!  I don't regret it though.  I was so happy that so many of my loved ones came to see us off.  There were at least 40 - 50 people!  I am so thankful for all of you and I feel very loved.  I look forward to seeing some of you when I get back to LA in September for Kahlil's 19th bday.

So, anyway, once I got to Tucson, I was like a zombie!  Ana went with my friend Sarah to pick up her daughter and I crashed out on the couch for about an hour.  Then, I had a little food, pulled out a few clothes for myself and Ana, got her school stuff together and crashed again!! I think I went to bed about 9, which is really early for me.  I haven't been that exhausted in a long time.

This morning, I took Ana to school and met one of her teachers (Ms. PB).  We got her settled in her class and then I left so that Ana wouldn't be embarassed with mom hanging out watching her at school (she made a point to ask me not to stay too long).

Then I took our chihuahua (Papi Chulo) to meet his new dog friend Halle (yes, as in Halle Berry) and it was not cute at all at first.  Halle is about 6 X the size of Papi and she was so excited to see him that she scared him half to death.  He finally tried to attack her, which I have never seen him do, and she backed off a little.  They seem to have worked it out now though.

I hung out at the house for a few hours, unpacking my car and resting a bit.  By the time I finished, it was time to pick Ana up again.  Then, she and I drove around the city a bit looking for a Target.  I managed to get turned around a couple of times even with a GPS.  But, we got there.  I spent more than I planned (don't you hate it when that happens?) and then we came back to the house.  I was nervous about staying out too long because I had left Papi unsupervised in a new and unfamiliar place and I didn't want to have to clean up any accidents.  He was a good dog, though, and it all worked out fine.

Now we have had our dinner and put away our clothes.  Ana has gone to bed and I am getting myself settled for sleep.  I will do my best to keep updating the blog regularly so that everyone in LA, and other places, can know how things are going.  I hope you guys will post comments so that we can feel closer to you all.  We really will miss everyone.

By the way, it is monsoon season in Tucson and the skies are breathtaking!  I will get some pics and/or video of it and put it online so you can see.

Love to you all!

Gratitude:  I am so grateful that my car made the drive to Tucson so effortlessly.  It's an old car and I was a little nervous about how it would go, but it did me proud.

Blessings!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Boom Time - Live Taping this Weekend!

I am excited that I will be doing a live taping this Saturday for a Gospel show called "Then and Now" on Time Warner's On Demand.

I will be performing 2 or 3 of my songs and it will be available all month On Demand!  Yay!  I am so looking forward to seeing it.  It will be an acoustic set with guitar and percussion so it will be more intimate than the times I was at Agape.  It'll be a lot of fun.

If anyone is interested in coming to see the show, contact me at kristinsings@gmail.com.  Tickets are $15 or $20 for VIP.  It will start at 6pm and probably go for a few hours.

I would love to have my peoples in the audience supporting me and giving love.

Gratitude:  I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my music and message with a wider audience.  What a blessing to use the gifts given to me by God to inspire others.  That is what I live for!

2nd Boom - Revelations! 5-21-10

Today was a very special day for me.  I had the wonderful blessing of performing at Revelations – the annual convention hosted by the Agape International Spiritual Center.  This is a very big conference and it was a high honor to be invited to sing.  When I found out I would be singing, I told my mother and she asked me if I needed any background singers.  I was shocked!  My mother hadn’t sung professionally in almost 20 years!  And, we had never performed together. So, of course I wanted her to sing with me!  Then, I decided to have my daughter sing with me as well.  So, now we had 3 generations preparing to perform on the same stage!  This would definitely be a first.  To round out the background singers, I recruited one of my close friends, My-Key.  So, this morning, we all went to the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel for a 7:30am sound check (man, I was sleepy!).  When we walked into the conference room, I looked on stage and to my delighted surprise….my father was playing keyboards!  I had no idea that he was going to be there!  So, now, I had both of my parents and my daughter on the stage with me!  What an incredible blessing!

When we all got on stage to perform my song, I shared how incredible it was for me to have my family on stage with me.  Then, I had an aha!  For many years, I held myself back from stepping into who I know I really am because I was afraid that it would mean leaving my loved ones behind and being alone.  Today, I realized that here I was on the stage, standing in the greatness that God gave me and I my family was right there with me, supporting me!  That moment anchored me in the realization that I can step into who I really am and bring my loved ones with me.  I am so grateful for living this truth today.  So, when I sang my song, I let it all out.  I was centered, and willing to share the fullness of me.  I opened myself up to be a channel and it felt incredible!  I will always remember that moment.

Afterward, I received further confirmation from Reverend Beckwith himself. (If you’ve seen The Secret, he is the African-American with the locks.  If you haven’t….Go Get It and Watch It!)  He came up to me and told me that I was amazing today.  He said that I was on fire and he could see and feel that I was standing in my power.  I could tell that he was really moved by my offering and that really meant a lot to me. 

So, the next time that I catch my old thought pattern coming up– the fear of being alone, I can take myself back to today and know that I create my reality and that is not a part of it because I choose to stand in my fullness and be surrounded by those I love.

I am grateful for this powerful anchor that I will carry with me.  God is so good!

Monday, May 17, 2010

2nd Boom - Testimony in Action (5/15/10)


I was saying a prayer today and had an interesting realization!  There was a part of the prayer that says, “My tongue, my pen, my whole being, testify to Thy power, Thy might, Thy grace and Thy bounty…” Usually when I consider something like this, my thoughts go to verbal testimony.  Today, however, I heard it differently.  I realized that this testimonial is one of action.  One of example.  It has to do with being a leader of self.  Choosing those thoughts and actions, which testify to the power, might, grace and bounty of the God within me.  My tongue testifying to these things might very well be verbal.  I can speak a testimony of those exact things.  I can also testify to those things through example in my speech.  For instance, I can choose to speak to and about others in a godly way.  My words can be the words I would use if I were conscious of the presence of God around and within me.   My pen testifying seems to allude to the written word.  So, that which I write should also be a testimony through example.  The phrase that helped me to see this prayer differently was, “my whole being”.  The others are easy to acknowledge as a verbal testimony.  But, how does one’s whole being testify to the power, might, grace and bounty of God?  The answer seems to be that we must demonstrate in our actions that power, might, grace and bounty.  If we are tapped into the greatness of God, then it will flow through us and become a testimony to others.  This is a testimony in action.  It is easy to speak a testimony, but to live it…. now, that is a beautiful thing and definitely something worth striving for.

I am grateful for this new layer of understanding.  It is always such a bounty to be able to see things in a new light.  What a wonderful blessing to be able to start the day with new understanding.

Blessings!

2nd Boom- Leadership (5/14/10)


I just did an assessment of my leadership ability from a tool I received as part of the Life Success Course offered by PSI Seminars.  I was asked to rate myself in 15 areas that have been identified as traits of leaders.  What I discovered is that I am a potential leader.  A leader scores a minimum of 120 points out of 150 points possible and I scored 115.  I was slightly surprised at the result because I am often placed in positions of leadership.  For instance, I directed a choir for 16 years, starting at the age of 22.  However, I also know that there has been a recurring pattern of “almost” in my life.  “Almost reached the goal.” “Almost ready.” “It’s almost here.” I think that this trend is a result that shows me that up to now I have “almost” committed myself to being a leader.

For the record, the kind of leader that this assessment was speaking about might be a little different from what many people think.   Before one can be an effective leader of others, one must be a leader of self.  So, this was focused on being a leader of self. 

The areas that I rated myself lowest in were persistence and self-esteem.  The persistence part was pretty clear.  I do persist despite challenges, however, sometimes I let the challenges take over and then I have to work to get back on course.  The self-esteem part was intriguing.  It was interesting to me that there were separate ratings for self-esteem and self-confidence.  I have often seen them as similar enough to lump into one, so I hadn’t really considered them separately before. 

The tool described self-confidence as “a strong trust in your own powers and abilities.”  This area I scored pretty high.  Self-esteem was dealing with liking yourself unconditionally.  I know that I have had a tendency to beat myself up and judge myself harshly.  This is why I rated myself a 6 out of 10 in this area. 

As a result of doing the assessment, I have decided a few things.  The first is that I am committing myself to being a leader.  I am setting a goal to redo this assessment on August 8th and honestly score myself with at least 120 points.  Another decision I made is to focus specifically on building my self-esteem and being more persistent.  Shifting these two things should make a big difference in the results of the other goals I have set for myself.

So, now I’ve got to ask myself, “What don’t I love about myself unconditionally?” The answer to this question will help me determine some action steps.  Also, I am using the tools given to me by Mortonette to shift my feeling about myself.

As for persistence, I am making a goal to give myself at least 15 min of “Me” time per day.  I will use that time to nurture myself in whatever way I want – prayer, meditation, soaking in the tub, going for a walk etc. I am choosing to be persistent in giving myself the love that I deserve.

I feel very good about what I have learned through this assessment.  I am grateful that I gave myself the gift of taking this course a few years ago.  I can see that it is still paying off.  Time invested in oneself is priceless and it continues to pay off throughout our lives.  I am grateful for this understanding.

Blessings!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Doctah B Video

Ok, so it doesn't look like there's an easy way to post a video.  So, once I post the video on youtube, I'll put the link up so you guys can see it.

2nd Boom- Day 2 (More Updates)

First of all, I wanna say that I have decided not to post the blog entries every day.  I will post at least once per week (likely more often than that, though).  I am freeing myself of the responsibility of finding time to post each day now that my life is getting busier as a direct result of working to complete my goals.  I am working intently on keeping my word, so I feel it is important to state what I intend to do with the blog.  That way, my readers know what they can expect.

For today, I'd like to share some of the wonderful things I have created over the past month.  I am very excited about the growing momentum related to my music and workshops.  About 3 weeks ago, I was speaking with Doctah B and he suggested that I contact Samm Brown, who hosts a radio show on KPFK called "For the Record".  Samm knows Doctah B and my father as well.  So, I found Samm's e-mail address and sent him a message letting him know who I was and what work I have been doing.  Within 3 hours, I received a response stating that he wanted to put me on a panel discussing the healing power of sound in June or July!  It was so great to get such a warm response without even having a conversation.  I am so thankful that Doctah B made the suggestion! I will let you know as soon as the executive producer of the show contacts me with the date of the show.

I also got contacted on Facebook recently by someone who heard my music on Reverbnation.  She has a Time Warner cable TV show that is on On Demand and she wants me to sing on the show.  The taping will occur on May 29th.  She also has an internet radio show and asked me to send her some music that she can play.  Of course, I already handled that.  I am excited that I am getting opportunities to expand then numbers of people that know what I am up to.  I will also be sending her the flyer for my next workshop and asking her to announce the workshops on her radio show - or maybe she'd be interested in doing an interview.  Oh yeah, she also mentioned that she is doing a tour sponsored by Rally Burger in June and she wants to put me on it.  We've gotta talk details before I make any commitments, of course, but it sure is nice to be seeing some tangible momentum.

Another nice thing that happened over the last couple of months is the building of a relationship with another healer named Jillana.  She and I met at Agape when I offered service there in February.  After talking, we realized that we have very similar goals.  So, we have decided to team up and support each other in our healing and in the building of our work.  Since my workshops are in a further state of organization than hers, she has agreed to assist me with locations and promotion in return for a percentage of my profits.  I am so thankful to get some assistance in that area because it really is a lot of work.

Also, we connected up and did some EFT (Emotional Freedom Tapping) work on each other.  She has been repressing her voice for a long time because she doesn't like the sound that is coming out now.  She used to sing, but something happened and she started to withhold it.  We did one session together and, within a few days, she started getting requests to sing and, a couple of weeks later, she was on stage at Agape doing backgrounds for someone!  She is willing to do a video testimonial for me, so once that is done, I will share it on here.  It is always a great feeling to see people make breakthroughs as a result of working with me.

I have gotten a few other video testimonials and statements which I will be posting online shortly.  One of them is from Doctah B.  I will post it on here.  I think I can figure out how to do it.  I will be editing the video footage so that it will be more succinct.  However, I will post the entire statement as an exclusive for my readers.  Doctah B is quite a character, so get ready to laugh!  Don't let it fool you, though.  This man is quite wise and an incredible healer.

Ricky Byars-Beckwith (Music Director at Agape) also gave me quite a nice written testimonial about my voice.  She said "An incredibly gifted artist whose voice expands the meaning in a song, Kristin Barnes is a force to behold as she comes into her own."  It is so wonderful to have great testimonials like this from such powerful and gifted people!

Well, I think that's enough for today.  I look forward to sharing more exciting news with you all in the next week.  In the meantime, check out the video and let me know what you think.

Gratitude:  Today I am grateful for having peace of mind.  Even though there are some challenges that I am currently working through, I have been able to create a calm serenity by using some tools that I learned in my journey.  I am so blessed to have access to incredible tools that allow me to keep centered and balanced even in the midst of trials.

Blessings!

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Ralph Waldo Emerson


"I am a gift given unto the universe.  Shaped unique by the hands of God."

Kristin Barnes

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Goals for 2nd Boom (May 9, 2010 - August 8, 2010)

Ok.  So I promised myself... and you... that I would post my new goals today.  I realized that 3 months from today is the day before my birthday.  So, I'm making August 8th the deadline for these goals.  That way, I'l be starting fresh on my birthday, which is perfect for me.

Goal #1

Weigh 185 lbs or less.  (Starting weight is 213.  That means a total drop of 28 lbs)

Goal #2

Fully functioning licensed seminar business conducting at least 2 seminars per month with at least 10 participants.

Goal #3 

Earning a minimum of $2500 per month doing what I love to do.  (Workshops/seminars, voice students, nutrition business, live performance, healing sessions, life coaching)

I will reach these goals by using the knowledge and resources that I have created during this past 90 days as well as those that were already in place.  I will also be continuing to use the tools that worked well for me - prayer, meditation, yoga, thai chi etc.  I am even more clear now about the importance of making time for myself and my spiritual well-being.  I am determined more than ever to keep consistent with creating time for myself.


How you can support me:


1.  Spread the news about the blog.  More readers creates more accountability and provides more opportunities to get constructive feedback.

2.  Comment on the blogs!  Add your thoughts, challenges, etc.

3.  If you are interested in creating something new for yourself, post your goals and lets get a support group going!  I would be happy to have others working alongside me to create momentum in our lives.  A workout team would be awesome!

4.  Spread the news about the workshops, seminars, vocal coaching etc.  I will post flyers etc to help you get the word out.


Thank you all again for your continued support.  It makes such a big difference!

Gratitude:  I am grateful for wisdom gained through life experience.  So valuable!

Blessings!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Long Overdue Update!

Hey everybody!

The last several weeks have been a whirlwind of activity!  I have made great progress on all of my goals.  Some have been completed.  Others are still in process. Committing to goals means growth. It often brings up mental and emotional blockages that have been in the way of achieving those goals prior to now.  This is what I have been experiencing in my journey.  Before I give more of the details about what I learned in the last few months, let me state the progress of each goal.

Goal #1

My first goal was to weigh 190 lbs or less by 5/8/10

I can say with surety that I will not have reached this goal by tomorrow.  I currently weigh 213 lbs.  This means that I am 20 lbs lighter than my original weight and 23 lbs heavier than my goal weight.  I did not commit to this goal with the level of intensity that I know I am capable of. Therefore, I am setting a new intention for this goal.  I do feel good that I consistently gave significantly more time to self-nurturing than I ever have.  This is one pattern I intend to continue because it has proved to be immensely helpful to my overall well-being.

Goal #2

I am happy to report that the goal of having at least 3 successful mentors willing to support me in achieving my long-term goals has been accomplished!!  I actually have 5 different mentors right now!  I am so excited to be working with so many incredibly powerful people!  I will give more details on those people later after I ensure that I have their permission to share their information.  You have already heard about a couple of them (Doctah B Sirius and Mortonette).  Both of them can be found online.  To look up Doctah B, go to www.elevationtime.com  Mortonette's website is simply www.mortonette.com

Goal #3

The goal of having a fully functioning, licensed vocal coaching/seminar business conducting at least 1 all day vocal workshop and 2 seminars per month with at least 40 consistent voice students either attending the workshops/seminars or weekly private voice lessons - was not complete.

Since the last time I posted, I have completed 2 workshops!!!  This is a huge deal to me because I have been envisioning the workshops for 4 years and I can now say that I have done them!  It feels incredible to say that!  I am also overjoyed that the participants gave incredible written feedback and all of the assessment items on my survey came back with scores of 9 or 10 with 10 being the highest!  This is tangible evidence that the workshops created great value for the participants.  I am definitely on the right track.  So, now I am working to reach out to a wider audience.  The number of participants in the workshops was lower than the goal that I set for myself, so I am reevaluating my promotion methods.  I have also been advised by one of my mentors that I have a tendency to set my goals very high.  This tends to send my mind into overwhelm, thus bringing up all of my blockages.  

I will be revising this goal based on the progress that has been made and new information that has arisen through my efforts.

Some things I learned:


I have a tendency to set myself up for failure by creating very high goals and then going into overwhelm in the process of working to attain them.  I have been advised to make sure that whatever goals I set for myself are achievable within the time frame and are realistic.  I will definitely be keeping this in mind for the next goals that I will be posting on 5/9/10.

There has been a pattern in my life of creating great things under duress.  I noticed that I often move fastest when I feel that my back is against the wall.  This creates a great deal of stress because I am working under the belief that I have to struggle in order to grow.  I have been working with the aid of a few of my mentors to create a new paradigm for myself that allows for growth to occur with ease.  I release the need to struggle!!

These two learnings have huge implications and affect every goal that I set.  I intend to release myself from these patterns so that I can achieve my goals through a process that is inspiring and joyful.  I am looking forward to seeing an entirely different paradigm for the next few months.

There is so much more to report!  A lot of exciting things occurred in the last few months.  I will post again tomorrow so I don't end up writing a book right now.

Thank you all for your support and feedback!  You have been a great blessing to me!

Gratitude:


I am so grateful for the new information that I have received about myself throughout this process.  Awareness is such an important step in creating change.  I am excited about the continuation of the journey!!!!

Blessings!!!




Tuesday, March 16, 2010

"You Are A Divine Instrument" Workshop Payments

Order online in advance and get a special discounted price for both days.








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Workshop Options






Friday, March 12, 2010

Workshop Flyer for March 21st and March 28th

Here is the flyer for the workshop with My-Key's beautiful artwork in the center!  Please support me by:

1.  Attending the workshop.
2.  Forwarding the flyer to all of your contacts (you never know who might be interested).
3.  Post the flyer at work or in coffee shops or other locations near you.
4.  Post feedback on the flyer (wording, layout, etc)

Thank you all for being such incredible supporters of my work.  I look forward to seeing you at the workshop.

Boom Time Days 27 - 31 (3/6/10 - 3/11/10)

It is a good thing that I had a relaxed day on Saturday because this week has been a whirlwind and I expect the next one to be even busier.  I have been hard at work getting ready for my workshops and the Agape services next weekend.  On Sunday, I met up with Sean to get more work done on my press release for the workshops.  We got a lot done and I felt great about what we accomplished.  It wasn't quite finished, but it was really close.  We didn't know when we would both be able to meet again in person, so we decided to communicate back and forth through e-mail until we got it done.

Monday was weigh-in day.  I found out that I was down to 224 lbs, which is a loss of 9 lbs.  Yay!  I'm well on my way to my goal.  If things continue as they are now, I should be able to surpass my goal which would be wonderful!  Sheri came over on Monday morning and worked me out!!  It was great.  We worked on my upper and lower abs, thighs and arms.  I am really looking forward to when my body gets back to the level of strength I had when we were working out before because I can really feel the difference.  Now that I have completed the first 30 days, I'll post another picture.  (I promise to use a better one this time Dee!)

Tuesday was primarily a work day.  I did get some great advise on my nutrition business.  I had a phone meeting and we went over some strategies that really helped me to get things moving.  I am very excited about how quickly this business is growing.

Wednesday I worked out with Sheri again.  This time it was even more difficult than Monday!  She worked my butt for real!  I am glad that she is pushing me hard because I am really ready to get back to my healthy size and strength.  She is such a great trainer.  If anyone is looking for one, hit me up and I'll connect you with her.  In the evening I attended an event for my nutrition business and it was very inspiring and motivating as usual.  It is so nice to be working with such talented, dynamic, service-oriented people.

I was also totally excited to see my girl Dawnee!  I missed you so much girl!  I am glad that you have decided to get involved because that means we'll get to hang out more regularly.  I been needing your energy!  And her sister Aziza was there who happens to be pregnant (congratulations girl!) and I got to give the baby a little blessing rub.

Yesterday (Thursday), My-Key finished the drawing for my t-shirts.  I loved it so much that I decided to use it for the flyer for the workshops.  (I'll be posting that right after this one)  She did an incredible job!  Wait till you see it!  She is so talented.  If anyone is looking for a great artist to develop your designs, check her out.  Thank you so much, My-Key for contributing such incredible work to my business!

Last night, I went to meet with my very talented friend Jami Lula who performs at a lot of Unity churches and Center for Spiritual Living churches.  I contacted him and let him know that I was looking to expand my network of contacts so that I can start performing and doing workshops in various spiritual places.  He was happy to help me.  So, I went to his house and he fed me dinner (bless you Jami) and we had great conversation.  Afterward, we went into his office and he gave me the contact information for at least 30 different churches that he works with!  He is also sending me a letter of recommendation so that I will have something to work with when I contact them.  I am so thankful for his help.  Jami, you are a God send!  I love you!

All in all, it has been a very busy and productive week.  I am so happy that I have been able to keep my stamina together and get the work done!  Next week will be even busier, so it will be very important that I keep my diet straight and find ways to rest.  Looking forward to posting all the good news in the making!

Gratitude:  I am extremely grateful to wonderful friends who are willing to help me get my business together.  Everything is moving so fast and is done at such a high level of professionalism!  I am so happy!  Thank you all.  You are such a blessing!

Blessings!

Monday, March 8, 2010

Boom Time Day 26 (3/6/10)

I had a nice, relaxing day today.  Originally, I had planned to go to Calabasas to do a voice lesson and then, possibly go visit my relatives out there.  However, the person I had scheduled with, forgot that we were doing the lesson and wasn't at home.  So, we have to reschedule.  She was on the soccer field watching her children at the time, so that wasn't the time to handle it.  I will see her on Wednesday and maybe we can work it out then. 

Anyway, that one change shifted my entire day and I ended up with lots of free time that I didn't expect.  I handled some basic errands and then went to the library to do a few things online.  The internet was rediculously slow, so I went home to see if I could log onto my friend's internet service.  Unfortunately, the signal strength was too low to do anything even though she just lives across the street.  So, I made a lot of phone calls for my business and left a lot of messages.

I was excited to have some time to go grocery shopping because we were getting low on food in the house and I wanted to stock up on healthy foods to support me in my weight goal.  I have been wanting a lot of salad recently.  I think my daughter and roommate are starting to get sick of it.  I'm not giving in to them, though.  We've all got to do better with our diets.  I took my daughter with me to the store and was able to get a lot of great food for a fairly decent price.  I even was able to get my daughter some little "goodies" which I usually wouldn't do because money had been tight for so long.  I felt great to have the cash to get what I needed and more. 

We decided to rent some movies and stay home for the evening.  I was really enjoying the idea of keeping my schedule simple.  I've got lots of days to keep busy.  Plus, it is really important to me that I keep time in my schedule to be with my baby girl.  We've been through so much together in the last year-and-a-half and I want her to know that she is still my priority even while I'm building this great momentum in my life.  We rented 3 movies.  My daughter picked "Confessions of a Shopaholic" (a bit disappointing) and I got "X Men Origins" and "Angels and Demons".  I really enjoyed those two movies.  We were going to get popcorn until I read the labels and was shocked!  I picked up a box of Orville Redenbacher's popcorn that said "organic" and "50% less fat".  I discovered that there were 2.5 servings in each bag and each serving had 40 calories of fat!  This is supposed to be the healthy stuff!?! Just out of curiosity, I looked at the regular movie butter popcorn and saw that they had 3 servings and each serving had 90 fat calories.  Can you believe it?  A person who eats a bag of that popcorn by themselves (which I have done before) is actually eating 270 calories of fat!!  That made me never want to get any microwave popcorn again. 

So, people, the moral of the story.... Read the labels!  Don't go by what they say on the box.  Sure, the Orville Redenbacher popcorn was better than the movie butter kind, but it was far from healthy.  It's too easy to get caught up in the words they feature on the front (which is why they do it).  Organic and half-the-fat sounded good at first glance, but once I read the label I saw an entirely different picture.  Fat is fat!  Organic or not, that popcorn would have been a bad idea.  Instead, I got some pretzels (0 fat) and managed my portions so that I didn't eat too many empty calories. 

For those of you working on your weight, reading the labels will help you to make sensible choices.  There is nothing wrong with having a few snacks as long as they are healthy, kept in moderation and are part of a healthy diet in general.  Stay committed to the goal that you set for yourself.  There is a lot more joy in feeling healthy and energetic than there is in eating comfort foods. 

Gratitude:  I am grateful for quality time with my beautiful daughter.  It is so wonderful to see her smiling and happy after such a long time of great difficulties.  God has really taken care of us....and I must say, we didn't do too bad ourselves either.  Thanks to faith, taking personal action and having lots of support from family and close friends, we have come a long way!  And that, is something to be thankful for.

Blessings!