Intro- Who am I (long)

Who am I? An intro to me! This is long so bear with me. I'm complex!

Faith. Family. Friends. Fitness. Flash. This is my life.

Faith: I am a woman of God, I was reborn a Christian 4/18/10 through an encounter with God, re-vowed my faith through water baptism 9/6/10 and I was baptized by the holy spirit 5/19/13.

I was brought up in a Catholic family and never felt quite right. I have always felt a calling to Christ but Catholicism didn't enable me to meet God the way I needed to. My mom tried her best by taking me to church on Sundays, sending me to teen retreats, and classes- but once I turned 18 I broke off and went the way of many young adults.
 Life threw BIG challenges & troubles at me which I believed were God punishing me. It made me want to get further & hide from him. At the age of 20 I met Saira, a coworker & she invited me to church- I will blog about her one day. When I committed my life to God & he showed me that all the obstacles I faced were hidden opportunities. All He wanted was for me to get back on track and rely on him for my needs. He has been providing for our needs and granting me the desires of my heart. Don't get me wrong, I'm not perfect, I make mistakes a plenty. I often battle with how to press on in this broken world. Christianity can be a safe haven but the narrow road has challenges of its own, and if you're on it- you know what I mean. By personal choice & faith, I became a believer & a follower of Christ and his written word- The Bible♥

Family: I am a wife, mother, & daughter.

I'm blessed to be happily married to a man of God, Anthony. My best friend & hero, a U.S Army soldier.  He's a VERY supportive husband & a loving father to our 3 children; Nevaeh who is 6yrs old, Samantha who is 2yrs old & Anthony Jr who is 1. The Army has moved us away from home and family. We've moved from California, to Virginia, and now the bordering states of Kentucky & Tennessee.
The bible asks us wives to submit to our husbands; and in my heart and soul I “do.” But my sinful nature sometimes gets in the way. I try, sometimes too hard, sometimes not hard enough and I'm working on finding the balance. Being a parent is something that comes with a whole other set of mishaps. Both my husband & I were raised by single mothers, so we don't quite have the full picture on how partner parenting works. Everyday is a learning process, and I couldn't have asked for a better mate <3

Friends: I'm a passionate music inclined soul that thrives with the energy of my surroundings. I don't like negativity or care much for rebellion... so I can be very picky about whom I allow into my close circle. I left many wonderful friends back home, I've gotten close with the ladies I've had the pleasure to fellowship with over our church moves. And of course, a whole new set of sisters- my fellow army wives. Now given our moves & circumstances I've spent a LOT of time indoors... alone... with kids... and my social skills have been on the decline. I'm far more comfortable texting and emailing than I am talking on the phone or in person. Sometimes I can be pushy, bossy and overbearing. I'm used to being in "mom mode" and dealing with children, so sometimes it's hard for me to break out of that mindset. So if you're reading this & you've experienced it- I AM SORRY! Feel free to let me know, I won't take offense, I promise!

Fitness: Just recently after my 25^th birthday I made a big decision- I became a beach body coach.
Staying home, having 3 kids, I got comfortable with my husband and I let myself go. (gasp)
My husband is a runner. He was a competitive track runner when we first met and he has maintained his physique & energy levels, while I got real far from where I first was. I've never been skinny, I've always been thick, and my frame hides weight very well. So I felt OK with being 50lbs overweight because I didn't look that heavy. Well that eventually caught up with me. I had no energy!!! I would take my kids to the park & sit on a bench instead of playing with them. There came a point where Nevaeh said to me “You don't love us! Daddy plays with us and you don't, you just leave us and sit, you're be mean” (heartbreaking) I knew it was time for a change. A Pastor once told us “Christians should be attractive- we are made in the image of God, our bodies are temples. Love yourself & be confident- God makes no mistakes” I started to hide because I wasn't happy with myself, and now I'm working to find that image of God hiding underneath the weight. I want to give him glory as I reconstruct my temple working out to P90X3, and honor him with the way I care for the body he has given me, with healthier eating. KEEP ME ACCOUNTABLE!

Flash: I started sewing from home in 2011. I got elbow deep into crafting with all my free time at home. I opened a little store & read somewhere on Etsy that  a fancy camera worked wonders for product appeal- so I got a DSLR camera. Once I had it in my hands I couldn't stop clicking. Now, I'm known to shoot people a few times a month, I've flashed unsuspecting children, and framed my family. (Photog Humor) I've jumped into the wonderful world of photography. I've still got much to learn. God made our world majestic and beautiful and I am determined to capture a glimpse of his beauty in my work. Be it in the innocent smile of a child, or the tender embrace of a husband & wife whom he has brought together. I want His light to shine through the lens. Love is all around us. God is Love. Would you open your heart to him today and dare to be loved?

So I just told you who I am, now -Who are YOU?