Life, In Spite of Me: Extraordinary Hope After a Fatal Choice

http://www.reachingyouministries.com/

Pain. Despair. Hopelessness. Emotional wounds. Deep depression with the feeling of no way out other than suicide.  But somehow, God protected Katie Jane Anderson when she decided to put her body on train tracks to commit suicide.  With all the blood she lost she should have died.  Instead, she lost both her legs and survived.  She was 17 and had a hard road to continue on the road of healing, but she persevered and God changed her.

Life in Spite of Me, Extraordinary Hope After a Fatal Choice is about Katie's journey through her attempted suicide and how she found joy in her relationship with God. It is truly amazing that Katie survived this suicide attempt, but her survival is touching lives by giving hope to those feeling a deep sense of hopelessness.  Through her journey she has started an online ministry to provide support to others who are feeling many of the same things she felt.

I thought this book was well written and easy to read.  It truly shows how God can transform anyone going through a tough time.  She does a great job sharing how depressed and hopeless she was before she decided to lie down on the train tracks.  And,  her lack of legs are a constant reminder of the fatal choice she made.  From what I can tell, she is now living life to the fullest, reaching out to others through Reaching You Ministries and enjoying her new baby boy!

Feel free to check out her facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kristen-Jane-Anderson-Reaching-You-Ministries/410445290572?ref=ts&fref=ts

**I got this book free to provide a review.  My opinions are my own.

Lack of time?

I've been quiet on here a bit and it's not that I don't want to write.  It's lack of time.  Somehow, since our move I haven't gotten into a rhythm of doing some of the things I love.  This may have to do with being pregnant, some may have to do with my husband's weird work schedule, or just maybe the fact that my daughter no longer naps(she does have quiet time, but that's about 1 hour).

So, the news I do have for those that don't know me personally is I'm 20 weeks along in this pregnancy and we are having a boy.  And, is this boy moving already!  Our daughter is the first person that got to feel him kick and now she touches my belly and says, "Baby brother, please kick!"  Today it worked and she got a little kick from him.

And, at night, she kisses my belly then says, "Good night brother, " then gives my belly a hug.  I'm hoping this deep love she has for him already will continue once he's born, but I do realize this is going to be a huge adjustment for all of us!

13 week ultrasound picture

Fitness plan during this pregnancy...

Ok, so during my first pregnancy my hubby and I went to the gym 3 times per week and I used the elliptical. Although it was better than nothing, I wanted to focus on strength training this time around so I don't lose the muscle I've worked so hard for.  I barely worked out during the first trimester due to "all day sickness", so I feel like I've lost a some of the muscle I had.  Basically, I want to maintain my fitness so my labor/delivery and recovery goes as well as possible.

That's where this new workout DVD comes in!!  Let me introduce you to: Erica Ziel from Knocked Up Fitness. Erica Ziel is a mom of 3 and a Pilate's instructor, certified personal trainer and nutritionist.  She is from southern California where she's sought out for her experience in pre and post natal fitness.  Please check out her website for more information.

http://knocked-upfitness.com/

I have been doing these workouts for 2 weeks now.  And, in a lot of ways it feels like I'm starting over.  But these DVDs are for anyone at any fitness level.  Erica truly focuses on reminding you to listen to your body and taking breaks if needed. The workouts are broken up into segments that make it doable for any one's schedule.  The workouts range from 8-20 minutes and can be paired with one another or repeated depending on your fitness level.  On days when I'm extremely exhausted, I start out with the core warm up and if that's all I'm up to doing I'm ok with that.

Her workouts include: 

DVD 1

Core Warm Up (12 minutes)

Prenatal Fitcamp (8 minutes)

Pilates arms (8 minutes)

Pilates Legs (10 minutes)

 Total Body Pilate's (8 minutes) 

DVD 2 

Core Cardio (12 minutes)

  Pilates Yoga (20 minutes).

I haven't done all the workouts yet, but what I have done so far is a good workout.  I feel like I'm working all the muscles that had such a hard time going back to "normal" after the delivery of my daughter.  I now have hope that maybe, just maybe, my muscle recovery after the delivery of this baby may not be as hard as it was the first time around.

If you are interested in purchasing these dvds, please look here: Amazon

More news for those that don't already know...

Lots of adjustments going on in my life.  I'm almost 4 months along in this pregnancy...nope, you didn't miss the news, I just haven't said a word about it on here yet.  I haven't said anything about it yet mostly due to feeling quite sick!  It's hard to believe I'm finally starting to feel better.  I'm still tired, but that comes with the territory.

Along with that means I've been taking time off of my workout routine.  I tried real hard to stick to something, or just do something simple like walking.  That didn't work at all, it actually made me feel quite a bit more sick.  I had read some blogs that said working out made their all day sickness go away, but it turned mine into a monster.  Now, that I'm feeling better, this is week 1 of getting back into some form of routine.  I still haven't set my bike trainer up on our apartment patio, but I plan to do that this weekend.  In the meantime, I'm doing some strength training.  I'm trying a pregnancy workout routine and so far it feels like a good workout(I'll post more about that later).

My little monkey is excited about a sibling.  At first she only wanted a sister, but now she switches back and forth between wanting a brother or a sister.  She pretends to be a doctor and with aid of kitchen utensils makes sure that I'm doing well.

We are still adjusting to our move.  Going from small college town, to metropolitan area is quite the change.  And, quite frankly, one we actually haven't liked very much.  On the brighter side, we have found a church we like and are starting to meet people there.

One of the many cards a friend has sent me through this process of moving.  Thanks Catrina for understanding when I need one of these!

Adjustments...

Moving is hard.  I knew it would be.  And, add a preschooler to the mix who very much misses her friends and sometimes the days become a bit more lonely and long.  I know before long we will have plenty of friends and play dates galore, but for the time being the adjustment is big and sometimes a tad bit overwhelming.

Now, some people would say: Don't you live near family?  Yes, we do.  It is a blessing living near family, but it doesn't change the fact that this is a HUGE, hard adjustment for all of us.  We not only need to get established in our community, but figuring out where we fit into the family dynamics is a new challenge.  Before, we visited and spent time with people then left. We weren't around for birthdays, father's day, mother's day and everything in between (we were around for Christmas and sometimes Thanksgiving).  It's all new navigating these family relationships and it's not easy. Some people are respectful of boundaries and some are not. These boundaries are set in the best interest of my little family (my daughter, my husband and myself).

I love all of our extended family.  However, my first priority is being a wife and mother.  I no longer bend over backwards to try to fit everyone in like I used to when I was a new mom and visiting everyone.  That isn't fair to my myself, or my daughter because I was too exhausted to be a good mom.  Which is my 24/7 job, being the best mom I can be to my little monkey.  So, right now, if someone wants to spend time with me, my daughter and I are a package deal (and maybe my hubby if he's off work).

Isn't it amazing how life changes so drastically once you become a parent?  Before I was so willing to deal with staying up into the wee hours of the morning to get time with family members, but that just no longer works and hasn't worked for quite a few years now.   All the lack of sleep with a newborn and I realized just how precious sleep is (I constantly prayed for more sleep).  I haven't taken that for granted since my little monkey started sleeping through the night.

What have you changed in your life since you became a parent?  Or, what do you think you'll change once you become a parent?

Guest Blog Post: Thankful for a Big Rear by Teasi Cannon

Teasi Cannon, author of My Big Bottom Blessing.  Oh, and don't forget to enter the giveaway by clicking HERE

One day not long ago I was sweeping my kitchen floor in the near trance-like state of La La Land, when I was jolted to my senses by the precious voice of my 4-year-old nephew saying, “Aunt Teasi, you have a vahwee (very) big butt.”

I set my broom aside, smoothed my shirt, and calmly turned to face him.  Bright-eyed and curly-haired, he stood – completely oblivious to the fact that he had said the words no woman ever wants to hear.  And then I let him have it.  I bent down, coming only inches away from his little round face, and said, “Why…thank you!”  Then I smiled big, stood to grab my broom, and returned unscathed to the task at hand. 

A few years ago those innocently spoken words would have completely obliterated me, and rather than a thank you, might have actually incited an immature come-back such as: “Oh, yeah?  Well, you’re short and you talk funny.”    

But now, to the glory of God, moments like that are reminders to me that the miraculous has happened: I no longer hate my body (especially my back side); in fact, it has become one of the biggest blessings in my life.

Like most women (really every woman I’ve ever met), I lived years literally disgusted with what I saw in the mirror.  The territory between my ears felt like nothing short of a war zone, with battles being fought everywhere: the bathroom, the grocery store, the bedroom, even church.  I could never silence the ambush-ready community of inner critics (those hurtful thoughts we all think) that called my head home.  And I missed out on so much: parties I refused to attend because my pants were too tight, dates with my husband because of a few gained pounds, quality time with my kids.  I know I’m not alone in this.

We women have been lied to for years.  We’ve been told that our value – our very right to be seen and celebrated - is determined by our waist-to-hip ratio or the proportions of our facial features, and that’s just not true.  Our value is determined by the only One who really knows it: our God. 

After hitting my head hard on the floor of my personal pit of despair, I slowly began my journey toward believing that.  One inch at a time of healing, truth, and righteous anger led me to a life-saving realization: All those years I was desperate to change how I looked, God was desperate to change how I see.  And He did.

Truth is, if God can make a prostitute the great grandmother of the Messiah, turn water into wine, and make blind men see; don’t you think He can turn a big bottom – or a big nose - or bird-thin legs – or whatever it is you hate – into a blessing.  He did it for me, and I’m so ridiculously happy about the journey that I wrote a book about it.