Unwritten Contract

              An amazing journey comes to a close. Silver Dancer auditions are 2 days away and it is defiantly weird not preparing all my stuff for them. I can’t explain or begin to express how honored and blessed I feel to have been a part of the organization for 3 incredible years. The girls I have danced along side with are like sisters to me. My coach is like mom and the whole organization really is like family. I think back to when I was younger, sitting in the seats, watching the ladies dance and wishing someday I could be in their shoes. It was just a dream back then. I had to pinch myself sometimes wondering if this was really happening, am I really living my dream. The journey was more than I could ever dream of as a little girl. People ask all the time, “What is your favorite part of being a Silver Dancer?” I could never just say one thing because I am completely grateful for it all. There’s that feeling of having a group of ladies always there to be your biggest supporters. Always having someone to relate to and help you push to be better. It’s no secret its hard work to be on this team. You go through a day of work or school and then you’re required to give your all for practice or dance through a 3 hour game. I would walk in exhausted to practice some days. I would look up to see a smile on my coaches’ face, or look at the girl next to me and feed off her energy. This experience is one that can’t be done alone. You learn to really rely on your teammates.

              Nothing can compare to game day. You’re standing in the tunnel, lights off, crowd screaming, and you get the biggest adrenaline rush you could ever think of. Although my very first home game was the most memorable, the feeling was the same, every single game. I never got comfortable and even being a 3 season vet, I still had nerves. Nerves of excitement, nerves that made me remember this is all reality. After the anticipation of waiting to run out, I get to my spot and would look up to the very top. The fans are so loud you can feel their excitement and love for the team. That would always make me smile and fuel me with energy for the game.

                One last thing that truly made this experience meaningful was the woman leading the team. Not only was my coach a fabulous dancer who taught me how to perform, entertain, push for more; she was an amazing leader and example for a young lady like me to look up to.  She is a daughter of God and represents her faith in a positive way. Being someone that works hard to live a Godly life, I respected so much of having someone like this as my guide.  She truly has been an inspiration to me and I know many others.

                I take a look at my life and I know that I have been completely blessed. I have more than I deserve and I am so grateful for all the blessings God has brought into my life. As a blessed person, you have an unwritten social contract to share those blessings with others. As difficult as the decision was to make, I feel like it is my time to serve. We are to act as selfless as possible and live a life that helps others. I have been praying for obedience to the Lord’s plan and trying to follow what He has put on my heart. My plan is to give back, volunteer, mission work, get more involved in my church, and just be that helpful hand.  The best way to live life is by helping and serving others and I want that to be my main priority. Whether it may be my role as a teacher, speaking at Giddings, or a volunteer, I am ready for what is going to be called upon me to do.

                I am thankful for the past 3 years and the woman that it has helped me become. I am happy for the ladies that will continue their journey that I have danced along side with and ready to be their number one fan! I am very excited for the ladies that are about to begin their journey with the family in a couple days. They don’t even know how incredible this experience is going to be. I hope ya’ll take it all in and absolutely enjoy every minute. Embrace change, be optimistic, stay humble, and have as much fun as you can.  

I will forever be the biggest Spurs fan and bleed Black&Silver

GO SPURS GO!!!

God Bless and Much Love,

Lisa

Finding my Voice

Finding my Voice

It takes a lot of courage to stand up for something you believe in. It takes a lot of courage to go against the crowd. It takes a lot of courage to become who you are meant to be.

Part of becoming and finding yourself is learning how to let fear of being different go. Too often I question myself of things I do. Will people judge me for this? Creating this blog was a stepping stone for me. I thought to myself, people will just say I’m not credible or who really cares what I have to say and think. Although this may be true to some, finding my voice is a blessing and sharing it is for the people that might be impacted in a positive way. What I have come to realize, and need to remember when I start letting fear creep in, what is the purpose of experiences and wisdom if they are not shared?  It’s great if you have a gift, but it’s useless unless it is shared and benefits others.

This leads me into how easily we judge one another. It is so simple to point out wrong and flaws in other people, but very rare do we really evaluate ourselves. I can’t sit here and say I have never judged someone, but I do reflect on actions I make and things I say. Being a well rounded and kind hearted person doesn’t mean you don’t ever make mistakes and you’re perfect. It means you care enough to learn and not repeat. To be the one that tries to make things right. Too often we over think, over analyze, and misunderstand people by assuming. If I post a picture of myself and friends at a bar with a drink, does that make me a party girl? I am proud of who I am and who I have become and confident with myself, does that make me conceited? I don’t praise you in everything you do, does that make me unappreciative? I stand up for what I believe is right and go against the crowd if I need to, does that make me arrogant or cocky? I’m hyper and happy most of the time, does that make me fake? I don’t always have the right answer or do the right thing; does that make me any different than you?

It's important to get to know someone's heart instead of judging what you see. Sometimes intentions aren't always clear and it's not my job or yours to criticize for lack of knowledge. If we all worked on believing the best and do everything in our power to concentrate on making ourselves better rather than trying to improve everyone around us, maybe it would make a difference.

Something I’ve learned is to get where you want to go and to be who you want to be, you are going to have to do difficult and uncomfortable things sometimes. Best advice is to remember how you want to feel, how you want to be remembered, who you were created to be and what you were created to do. Be strong and courageous. Use that truth as motivation to keep you going. It’ll be worth it.

Much Love and God Bless,

Lisa

Trust & Happiness

God is to be trusted and praised whether He performs as we desire or not.  Prayer is a powerful thing and is something you should have complete faith in. But, prayer of fate cannot override the plan God has for you.

                Pretend you are from a third world country. You don’t know what a surgeon is and this is the first time you have stepped foot in a hospital. You walk into the operating room and see a man lying on the table and another man holding a knife. The man with the knife starts to cut open the chest of the man lying on the table. He then begins to cut the arteries around the heart, remove the heart from the body and place it aside. What would you be thinking at this moment? You would assume the surgeon is cruel and horrible. You might wonder how someone could do this to another person. You wouldn’t understand. After questioning the situation for awhile, you then see the man take another heart and replace it in the empty spot. A couple days later you run into the man that was lying on the table. He is up walking around, full of life, and happy as ever.

When you can’t understand God’s hands, trust His heart. When you can’t understand what He is doing, trust His plan. It’s hard for us to handle things when we don’t understand why something happens to us, or when something won’t come our way when we have spent hours upon hours and days upon days praying about it. We spend too long searching for answers and asking why. I personally have questioned multiple things in my life. I never understand why at the moment, but it never fails, I always learn from the situations and if nothing else, it brings me closer in my faith.

Aside from trusting God’s timing, trusting that what He has already placed in your life is what you need. I hear too many times people longing for more. Whether that may be materialism, relationships, job, money, or anything else that makes us ungrateful, we must learn to be content of what we are blessed with.  For example, I overheard someone giving relationship advice the other day. The girl is in a long committed relationship. She loved her boyfriend, but was expressing the aspects of him and the relationship that she was unhappy with.  She was seeking answers about if she should see what her other options were out there or stay where she was right now. The person on the other end giving the advice said something along the lines of not settling and you should be completely happy. I thought this advice was horrible (to be honest and blunt). Of course, it is important not to settle. There are some things that should be nonnegotiable for you, but you have to find what is truly important. And you should seek happiness, but happiness is not something that is given to us every day. Sometimes we have to create it. This kind of mindset is the reason some people will never be fully content. No one is perfect. We all come with flaws, quirks, and imperfections. You are never going to meet someone that has everything that is considered perfect. What you are missing in your current relationship is what you will naturally find attractive in others, but what is failed to be understood is that the new person lacks something you have already found.

Being content and loving what you already have will bring you more happiness. You don’t have to search for it, it’s already there.

Much Love and God Bless,

Lisa

Path to the Cross

Path to the Cross

I suppose if I am going to ask you to follow my journey, I should let you in on a little about me. What makes me, me! For people that do know me, it is no secret that my Faith comes first. But what is unknown to many, is the path I have taken to get me where I am now. This is a personal side of me, so I ask this be a judge free zone! :o)

 Based on how much I rely on my faith and how strongly I value it, you would think I grew up in the church and this has been my way of life always. Wrong. I did not grow up with God as the focal point in my life.  Uncomfortable, embarrassed, ashamed, are a few emotions that I felt growing up.  I remember those moments being around friends speaking of His word and me having no idea what they were talking about.  I knew His name, but that is it. Being really shy (I know, me shy? Things have changed!) and already intimidated by my lack of knowledge I never asked to go to church or learn. It wasn’t until I met an amazing girl that will forever be one of my best friends. It was freshman year of high school and she asked the terrifying question, “Do you want to go to church with me?!” Anyone that is new to the church, at any age, has that uncomfortable feeling when it’s their first time attending. It’s intimidating. When I built up the courage to go, I was glad I did. I remember everyone being very welcoming and cheerful and without knowing the significance it would later have on my life, I knew it felt right. I promise this is not an attempt to press any certain views on anyone, but I do believe you learn so many morals of becoming a well rounded, kind hearted person through His word.

Testimony: One common challenge you go through during your teenage years is peer pressure and that want of being “cool” and included. For those that knew me in high school, know I wasn’t the “party girl.” I preferred having sleepovers making silly videos and eating junk food than going to parties and drinking. As this does sound like the correct choice to make, I found myself wondering why I was the different one. I had no desire to drink and that didn’t make me fit in with the crowd. One night I decided to go with one my friends to a party. I wanted to know what it was like. I wanted to be a “normal” high school student. I was pumped up and dressed up super cute. I got to the party, had someone make me a drink, took one sip, and put the cup down. It just wasn’t for me. And that night I learned it was all right. It’s just fine being different.

Through out high school I continued to attend church and grow a relationship with God. My senior year of high school, my best friend that I always went with moved away. Instead of continuing on my own, I stopped going to church and lost connection with Him. I knew Him enough to reach out when I was going through tough times. I was the occasional prayer and eventually fell off the path. I can’t say I turned into this sinful horrible person, but I wasn’t living a Godly life.

Some people say there is a moment in life that makes you either start your relationship with God or find your way back. Mine started in October 2009. I was a full time student at Texas State working on my dance and education degree and dancing for the Austin Toros basketball team. Life was good and busy! I was constantly using my body and working it in over time. I was a work out junky, so being sore and having muscle cramping was the norm and did not make me think twice. I remember complaining about being unusually sore and uncomfortable during work outs and practice, but just pushed through it. It wasn’t until one morning I woke up in bed and couldn’t lift my arms off my bed. My legs were stiff and I was in complete intense pain. I couldn’t get up to get my mom so I just remember screaming to get attention. I was quickly in the car on my way to the ER. This is where I would be for the next 4 months on and off. After I checked in and did the normal check up routine and blood work, the nurse came out and told me the different possibilities this could be. The options ranged from least serious, dehydration, to most serious, a condition called Rhabdomyolysis, which we were informed could be fatal at worst case scenario. Patiently waiting, with my mind set on that I just need to drink more water, the nurse came out saying I am going to be set up in a room immediately. My heart sunk and I was scared. The doctor informed me that I had an outbreak of rhabdo and it has spread into my blood stream and liver. The next 3 months involed trips to the hospital, mulitple tests, patience, and most importantly, prayer. There were some mornings I couldn’t get out of bed because my legs wouldn’t bend at the knee. Rhabdo causes paralysis, the feeling of being paralyzed but it is not permanent. As you probably concluded, any form of physical fitness or dancing was not allowed. I had to drop 2 of my classes that semester and I had to give up my spot on the dance team. At one point, the doctor told me to consider a different career path because he wasn’t sure if my muscles would heal back properly. My liver counts got progressively worse before anything got better. With nothing else to rely on, I turned to God.  As terrifying and negative as this experience was, it brought positive into my life. It gave me a new outlook. I promised myself I would never take for granted the blessing God gave me to dance. Before this experience, there were mornings I would wake up and complain about going to class, having to practice, and days I would do everything half way. Now I know I am blessed to have this body with the ability to move, this talent that God trusted me with to share. Most importantly, this sparked the relationship with God that I needed back. I said the typical prayer “God if you  just get me through this, I promise I’ll stay with you always.” I have kept that promise.

 

Much Love and God Bless,

Lisa

Life Cleanse-Positive People Only!

-Life Cleanse-

The only people worthy to be in your life are the ones that build you up. Do the people you surround yourself with bring the best out in you or serve as a sponge for all their problems and negativity? Emotions are contagious and misery isn't going to be rewarded. You can't change anyone but yourself and you can't be positive until you're no longer being influenced by them.

            I’m sure this is something everyone can relate to. You wake up feeling good. You turn your music on, jam out (maybe that’s just me :o)) and you build yourself up for what is going to be an awesome positive day. No matter where life takes you that day, you’re going to encounter negative people. The complainers, the gossipers, people that are mad at the world (not you), and people that let fear run their life. I do understand that life brings challenges and it’s not realistic to be happy go lucky every day. You’re allowed to have a bad day. But something I try to remember is that no one is at fault for what I am personally going through. There is no reason to take my bad day and make them company to it. As simple as this may sound, we all get caught up in all of the negative acts of emotion. When you surround yourself with people that complain or gossip, you find yourself getting involved and engaging in their negativity. You may add into it. Not because you want to. Not because you really mean it. But you got pulled into it. It can be compared to a sugar high. You feel okay while the act or conversation is going on, but then you’re left feeling bad about yourself. We’ve all done it and been there. Forgive yourself! What I am personally working on is trying to avoid these situations. This is definitely hard to do because even some of my close friends and people I have to associate with every day are these negative people. You can’t just drop your friends, or run away from problems at work, but there are solutions and ways to better deal when these situations arise. Even though difficult, I feel to make a better me, it is possible and something I must strive for. I have been tested a lot in the past months. God has placed me in negative situations and I noticed I kept getting the same test until I finally realized what He was doing. I can’t change the people around me. I can only concentrate on myself. I have not aced the test yet. I can say I’m getting better. This is where the Life Cleanse starts. Separating myself from things that don’t make me happy or don’t serve my purpose that I have been given. Concentrate on the positive and you will see positive results. Concentrate on the negative and you will see the negative. We all have the choice. Be Positive!

Much Love and God Bless,

Lisa

Introduction

Welcome =)

    I've decided to start a blog in preparation for goals I have set for my future. Over the past couple years God has placed on my heart to share my wisdom that I learn along the way from experiences and challenges He places on my path. This won't be a religious blog, but God does play a huge role in my life and is placed first. I not only want to use this blog in hopes that something I say will inspire or motivate someone to want to do more, be more, or be a blessing to others, but also help me build and work on myself. I'll be the first to admit I am nowhere near perfect, but I strive to better myself every day. I plan on being completely honest in this blog and might get personal at times. I hope you follow my journey and maybe, hopefully, take something with you along the way.


Much Love and God Bless,
Lisa <3