Love Came Down

This week has truly been incredible. Today I found out I passed my Organizational Psychology class (got a B+ overall).  After an already incredible day I decided to race to my Zumba class right after work. I was thinking of leaving before the last song since it's just a cool down and I haven't eaten all day but I am so glad I didn't because I needed to hear this song. Burn Bright by Natalie Grant almost brought me to tears. Two years ago I truly lost who I was, I can't even begin to explain the pain and brokenness I felt. I decided to move home before completing school against the wishes of just about everyone, some people then and even still today may never truly understand why I made the decision I made. The why is I heard a voice in my head that said to go home and I truly believe it was my Heavenly Father. I know now if I wouldn't have listened to that voice, I would have truly lost everything if I hadn't. It has been a  very long and rough road but that voice and that decision forever has changed me, and this change has AMAZED me. My light is burning. I am shining and truly living!!!

Natalie Grant- Burn Bright

This next song by Kari Jobe I believe truly explains why and how. I don't normally talk about religion or politics but I have to share that because of the love, grace and mercy of my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is why I healed. Through the love and hope I feel I have and continue to mend every broken piece inside. But I am not only being put back together I am improved, stronger, wiser, filled with more love, hope and overwhelmingly positive thoughts than I have ever had before. Do I still struggle? Yes. I will forever be on this roller coaster of an adventure but I am ready for it! I am grateful for this second chance at life and I just had to share my never ending gratitude. Now I am getting a second chance at school, I can not wait to finish and get that degree that I put on hold a couple years ago.

Kari Jobe- Love Came Down

I just want to thank you for being a part of this Creating Amanda blog. I am on an incredible journey to not only find myself but create and love myself and I can't wait for what more is to come. Along this journey I will always share my gratitude, love and hope as long as I possibly can!

I hope everyone has an amazing week and a week filled with CREATING AND LOVING EVERYTHING YOU ARE!!!!

#MoreThanANumber

I have missed blogging. Life did get busy and distracting but if I am being truly honest it has been difficult for me to find messages and stories that move me strong enough to want to share with everyone I possibly can. My life has been wonderful but at the same time at a stand still. My weight loss hit a brick wall, my school path has been unclear, and I don't even want to get started on the distraction friends and even boys can be. Thank goodness for my amazing friends, family and the timing of powerful messages that slap me straight across my face and wake me out of my daze. 

Thanks to one of my best friends, Sarah, who shared this video with me and it was truly everything I needed to hear wrapped up into 2 minutes. Click on the link below and PLEASE watch and listen to her powerful words.

#Morethananumber Video by Brittany Dawn

My life before February pf this year, is exactly what she is describing in the first 40 seconds of the video. "I was trapped inside myself. Spiraling in and out of perceived happiness, but was really adrift sorrow, in the bottom of a bottle lost at stormy sea." I was lost. My light had dulled. Mornings faded into nights, and I hid inside myself only to peak out for a moment to experience fleeting happiness. There were times I would wonder if I could ever laugh again, feel joy, peace or strength? Till like her I woke up and told myself "You are worth it! You are worth the fight!" I worked hard every day, I smiled again, then laughed. I started to feel joy, peace and strength unlike I have ever felt before. I have found myself and learned to love myself. I have learned to love and cherish every second of every day. 

But we are never done climbing our mountain. I feel like I have been stuck at a rest stop on my mountain a little too long. Sometimes when we are idle too long, enjoying our rest, we think the view from a little rest stop on our mountain is good enough and we retreat to the bottom of the mountain before we even get to the top. Well I am not retreating. I am pressing forward till I reach the top! 

Many of her words I know like me will have run chills up your spine, here are just a few that did it for me.

"Be strong and be proud to be a constant work in progress, Just stay in progress."- Strive for progress not perfection. 

"I am a Fighter. I am a Warrior. But my body is not a battleground."- I will continue to love myself for all that I am now. I will be a constant work in progress, getting better and stronger daily but I will not beat myself up with hate and negativity.

"I know who I am. I know what I stand for and I know what I am worth!" 

"Every morning is a victory. Every morning you get up, brush off the hate and the negativity, and throw it on your passionate fire."

May we all choose that we are worth it! We are more than a number, or what anyone else thinks of us. Know yourself. Love yourself. Work hard everyday for yourself and be proud that you are in progress!