Holy huge croc! ... and raging wildfires

Photo credit: AP Photo found on Toshiba News link

This 21-foot beast was captured Sunday in Agusan del Sur Province (where in the world is that?) in a creek. That's right, a CREEK. Not 100% sure what their defintion of creek is, but the AP used the terminology, so it must be legit. The male crocodile weighed in at 2,370 pounds. Oh. My. Gosh. That's just beyond enormous.
As for the Captain Obvious comment of the day the story reads, "Residents of the farming town of about 37,000 people have been told to avoid venturing into marshy areas alone at night, Elorde said." HA! You think?
To top it off, they think there might be an even bigger one lurking around...
Check out the huge croc story here.
In other news, wildfires are still raging in Texas. It sort of feels like our entire state is burning up. Not sure what we did to piss off the fire gods... (KIDDING. I do not believe in fire gods). Regardless, keep everyone in your prayers. Especially the brave men and women out battling those blazes. As the wife of a firefighter, they tend to stay at the forefront of my mind.

Here are some fire stats (updated yesterday) that I found on the Texas Forest Service website:
· It appears that in the past 48 hours, more than 700 homes have been destroyed. As better assessments come in, we will continue to update the situation report.
· Yesterday (Sept. 5) Texas Forest Service responded to 22 new fires for 7,544 acres, including 10 new large fires.
· In the past seven days Texas Forest Service has responded to 181 fires for 118,413 acres.

Just in those 48 hours more than 700 homes destroyed. 700 folks. That's really hard to wrap your mind around.
On that note, if you have friends, family, or just someone you know who has been somehow affected by the wildfires in Texas or know some brave soul out fighting said fires, please leave a comment below. Let's turn the comment board into a prayer wall how's-a-'bout?

Happy the-week-is-half-over day...

It's personal.

Ok so it's official - I have decided that this blog will be a personal blog. Not to say it won't occasionally incorporate business-ish stuff, but it means I am giving myself explicit permission to talk about everything from the goings-on of my family, to why I had a fantastic day and you should too, to the irresistable adorableness (is that a word? came out of my mouth didn't it? HA!) of my dogs. Basically, I will be blogging about what matters to me.
My life
God has recently been taking me down a new and very exciting path! I have established myself as The getREAL Coach, and am in the process of starting my business. To find out more about what I do, click here, and here, oh and here too. 
One thing after another has started very quickly falling into place, and I can't wait to see where He is taking all this!
So today it feels like fall is coming. And I LOVE IT. Yes, capital letters love it! According to a USA Today poll, only 28% of the adult population's favorite season is fall. Well guess what? I am a part of that 28%! What's your favorite season and why?
Moving on.
I seem to say this everytime a new month rolls around, but seriously people, is anyone else blown away by the fact that it is already September? I mean, holy crow! The year's end is creeping up on us all Ninja style. Sheesh.
The high school volleyball team I coach, Arbor Christian Academy, has already been in season for over a month. A month! Feels like just yesterday we had our first day of two-a-days. Speaking of two-a-days... totally brutal. But I love 'em.
...I digress. Anyway, we ended up having one big varsity team this year. We are calling it our Gideon season. We started with more than 20 girls and are currently at 13. It's sort of our joke that we're like Gideons army. God keeps whittling us to smaller numbers. So no doubt every victory belongs to Him! (Don't know the story of Gideon? Read it here.) So far it has proved true time and time again. We have a very young team and so it's been pretty up and down lately, but they're a great, hard working group of girls.
My family
Chris is now fully certified and can be hired on with the Amarillo Fire Department. They test again sometime during the beginning of 2012, so for now he's working EMS standby and security. That will probably change soon though, because it's totally boring him to death and he can't stand sitting still, so he's applied for a couple different positions. Here's to hoping he gets one of them so he can have the holidays off! He's also still volunteering for the county fire department as well. 
My dogs... you know, I just love to talk about my dogs. You get me going and look out, I will completely forget anything and everything we had formerly been talking about and all of my focus shoots in one direction faster than you can blink. Seriously though, my dogs are like my children. I just love 'em! But I'm not that crazy person who lets their dogs get away with anything they want (up on the furniture, hogging the bed space, eating people food, misbehaving). That, in fact, drives me bonkers. I mean really people, if you can't even train a disciplined dog how in the WORLD do you expect to have well-behaved children? And it is so not cool to go to someone's house who has no control over their dog. I think having a dog is good training for having kids. You know, minus the whole, when your baby cries you can't just put it outside thing. Oh and the learning how to walk part. Oh and talk. And uhm, school and such. Ok whatever. Point is having pets really shows you in a hurry the similarities (and differences, oh my the differences) the two of you have when it comes to training (hello parenting!) styles. Luckily for my husband and I, we've found we're pretty much on the same page. (Hallelujah thank you Jesus.) 
What's your take? Did you and your spouse get a dog before having kids? If so, did it bring to light some fundamental differences you guys had?

I think that will do it for today. Be sure to follow this blog and comment below! Oh and head's up - my business blog will be launching soon!

Top 5 things I learned from my dad

In honor of Father's Day, here are the top 5 things I learned from my amazing dad. He and my mom continue to be the best examples I could ever ask for, and I still learn so much from them every time we're together.

1. God first, others second, self third. Moral of the story... selfishness gets you nowhere; selflessness gets you anywhere you want to go.

2. You can do anything you want in life as long as you work half the day. You choose which half; the first 12 hours or the second. Moral of the story... Work hard, play hard. You have to work hard in life and be disciplined. But when you are, reward yourself by making the time to do things you enjoy.

3. Don't complain about the problem if you're not willing to be part of the solution. Moral of the story... Sitting around complaining about a problem without working towards solving said problem is a monumental waste of your time. Take action toward change, or you have no right to complain.

4. Ask God to help you accept the things you cannot change, give you courage to change the things you can, and grant you the wisdom to know the difference. Moral of the story... This serenity prayer speaks for itself. It's something my dad taught me at a young age and something I've held on to ever since.

5. Eat life up with a big ol' spoon. Moral of the story... You don't know what this life is going to dish out. All you can do is make the best of every moment you're given.

Dad's play a fundamental and irreplaceable role in our lives. Some of us are blessed to still have our dad's around. Others celebrate their fathers that are now in heaven. And still others never knew their real father, but had a special person step in and fill that role during their lives. No matter your situation - real dad or adopted dad, grandfather or uncle, older brother or friend - tell your "dad" thank you today.

The "D" word

Today I had a good ol' fashioned schooling on the "d" word...
Discipline.

Illustration found on forthelovemagazine.net via Google images.

Nothing like a little Godly reprimand right? That's what I had this morning.
I'm currently studying the book of Proverbs, and am finding that every chapter holds serious gems of wisdom, whether I want to hear them at that particular moment or not. And of course, I'm human, so being reprimanded for something does not quite make my top 10 list, if you know what I mean.
But today, it was necessary. Ever have those moments? They're not enjoyable, exactly, but they are freeing. It's freeing to admit you were in the wrong about something, and it's freeing to receive a new sense of determination to make change in that area.
For me, that area is discipline. One of the definitions for discipline on dictionary.com is this;

to bring to a state of order and obedience by training and control.

My life has been anything but that, lately. It amazes me how quickly things can get out of control. I've mentioned before that I should be nicknamed the "Queen of Procrastination," but all jokes aside, it's a terrible truth. 

Maybe you're like me. Maybe procrastination is your middle name and you go with the excuse, like I do, that I "work best under pressure." Ha, you know you've said that before, don't lie! And, although that is somewhat true for me, what happens when there is no pressure to do something? Like keeping my house clean, and staying on top of the laundry. There's no "deadline" for that. It's up to me to be self-disciplined and get it done. And, oh I don't know... how about, say, writing a book? I don't have a publisher yet (keyword: yet), so it's up to me to practice self discipline and work on that book. There's no deadline. It's up to me.

Discipline is so way easier said than done! I'm a volleyball coach, and discipline is essential to the success of my athletes and my team. It starts with external discipline. That's where I come in. As the coach, I create an atmosphere of discipline - a set of requirements the girls must meet or there are consequences. I do this in hopes that, after awhile, the girls will develop internal discipline. They won't need to be told certain things to do or not to do, they will be disciplined enough within themselves to do what needs to be done.

So here I sit... I'm past the external discipline. Now it's all up to me. I have to exercise internal discipline. 

Where are you at? Are you, like me, practicing procrastination instead of self-discipline? 

 

Nuggets of truth:

*Discipline means not doing everything I want to do.

Uh oh. Nobody likes to hear that. You mean I have to prioritize? You mean I have to learn how to say NO? You mean I can't do what I want, when I want to? Yep, I sure do. Questions to ask myself: Do I have time to do this? Does it benefit me? If I choose to do it, does it bring me closer to my goals?

*Discipline means living a balanced and controlled life.

I don't even know what those words mean most of the time. Balance and control? Who really has balance and control? Well, although I might not be able to have that 100% of the time, I can strive for it. In fact, for the sake of my sanity, I have to strive for it. Questions to ask myself: What feels "out of order" in my life? What steps can I take to keep things balanced? Am I inviting and accepting this lack of control?

 

I wrote down these little nuggets of truth after reading an article by Joyce Meyer in the Enjoying Everyday Life magazine. It's called "The Best Life Ever." Some other things she said...

*God designed us to be dreamers. 

*Ne need to train and cooperate with God for those dreams to be fulfilled.  

*To turn potential into completion we must make time, be determined, and work hard.

 

Do you have these obstacles, too? How do you practice discipline in your life?

 

Chew on this...

Image found via Google images search

"You can't become a leader and expect to stay a leader without developing the necessary skills and doing the hard work yourself." - Joyce Meyer

"Doing things with excellence means you don't take short cuts." - a very wise family friend, Kristine George

"Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table." - Proverbs 14:23, The Message 

The Granny in the Weight Room

She had to be in her late 60's, at least. Sweet, gentle, grandmotherly smile. Short, tidy, salt and pepper-colored hair. About 5'4, maybe, slender build.

Fragile. She looked fragile.

But she wasn't, apparently.

She bent down to lift the plates onto her weight bar in our workout class. Effortlessly, might I add. I looked at mine, and back at hers.

It took only a fraction of a second for it to register...

You have got to be friggin' kidding me! She had more weight on her bar than I did...

Image from fotosearch.com via Google images.

And so it began. My competitive nature kicked in faster than lightning striking a lone tree in an empty field. I mean come on, was I really going to let a granny out-do me in a weight lifting class? If you know me at all, you know there was no way on God's green earth that was going to happen.

So, show of hands... who has ever been outdone by the granny in the weight room? This could be a figurative granny, of course, but for me it was a literal granny.

I go to group workouts at the Amarillo Town Club and attempt to get my butt into gear with classes like Body Attack, Body Combat and Body Pump (yes, they are as hard as they sound). Last week I decided to double up on classes one day. What possessed me to do this I have no idea, but I went for it. First, 60 hardcore minutes of Body Attack. To give you an idea of how intense the cardio in this class is, if you exert 100% of your energy and go as hard as you can for the entire class, you can burn up to 1,000 calories, according to my class instructor. That's right, do the math; that's almost 17 calories per minute of class time. Now, following this class I committed myself to attending a sissies-beware weight lifting class, Body Pump. This one is 60 minutes of high-rep weight lifting. Thing is, you can set your own standards, deciding how much weight you want to lift throughout. You can go as light or as heavy as you need. So, since I had just nearly killed myself in a class the hour before, I figured I'd take it easy for this hour and get the reps in. (You'll come out of this class sore even if you do light weights). I noticed the older lady to my left after I loaded my weight bar for the warm up track.

'Nice and easy,' I had been thinking to myself. That thought vanished like mist on a hot, dry day. She was smiling, oblivious to my rude gawking. It took less than 2 seconds. Less than 2 seconds for me to quickly throw more weights on my bar before the class instructor cranked up the music... and before granny could notice that I had lighter weights than she did.

I matched her weight-for-weight during each track. Sometimes I put a little extra on, just to make a point to myself. After that class, I could barely walk. Once simple tasks like sitting on the toilet became catastrophic feats. Sneezing made my whole body quiver in pain.

If it weren't for that dang granny, I could walk without looking like I had been hit by a bus.

But if it weren't for that dang granny, I wouldn't have pushed myself as hard. I wouldn't have lifted those heavier weights... those heavier weights that, over time, will make me stronger. Much stronger.

That experience got me thinking about a question my friend, Denai Vaughn, recently posed on her Facebook page. "Collaboration or competition?" I have a naturally competitive personality. I want to win at everything, all the time. Basically, you won't beat me at anything. Ever. I can find competition in just about anything (I am the direct result of two highly competitive parents. I mean, 2+2=4, you know?). 

Now here's my question. What is your stance on competition? Was that granny a blessing to me, or a curse? Was it a positive thing to use that competitiveness to help push myself harder than I would have otherwise? How can that competitive nature help, and how can it hinder?

For me, a spirit of competition is essential. It's essential to our survival. It's essential to our success in the work place. It fuels drive, and determination, which breeds strength and endurance. We need that in everything we do, from our relationships (these days more than ever before we have to fight for our marriages to survive), to our work promotions. Strength. Endurance. Focus. Determination. These things can be learned from healthy competition. Of course, sports, in my opinion, are an excellent platform by which to gain these skills that will pour over into adulthood. Traits like commitment and passion are learned in an arena of competition.

There is always a place for collaboration, as my friend Denai strongly advocates. Collaboration is also essential. But for me, you can't have one without the other. Even when you are collaborating in the business world, you are still competing with other businesses in your field, yes? This makes your team strive to do more, be more, achieve more. When you are collaborating with teammates on the court, in the field, you are still competing against your opponents, correct? 

How do you implement a healthy sense of competition into your life, into your work? How about collaboration? Do you think it's true that, although different, the two can complement each other and work toward a common goal when used correctly? 

Competition and collaboration are as different as opposite sides of a coin... but they still represent the same coin.   

Thrive'n Jive'n!

Tuesday's Thrive With 5 event at the Sleep Inn & Suites, 6915 I-40 West, was fantastic! If you missed Breaking Down Business Barriers, here are some key points myself and the other two speakers, Denai Vaughn and Carol Henderson, talked about...

I discussed how to overcome "I Can't" - Information, Communication, Act, Notoriety, and Truth. It's so important to evaluate the information we are telling ourselves. Is it positive or negative? Do you have an attitude of "I can" or an attitude of "I can't"? The first step in overcoming ICS ("I Can't" Syndrome, pronounced 'icks') is to recognize what kind of things are going on inside your head!
Highlights:
"In order to move forward we have to have information about where we're headed. We have to know where we're headed to get there."
"We can know all there is to know, but if we don't take action, nothing will ever happen."
"In order to see the truth - to live in it, claim it - you have to recognize the lies you might be telling yourself out of fear."


Denai, The Networking Queen, spoke on BRAND - Branding Basics, Recognizable, Advocates, Networking your Brand, and Discernment.
What are the basics of branding? Denai advised to choose a brand and an accompanying logo that people can easily identify you with. Also, prepare to be married to your brand! What you choose, you should stick with! Recognize your brand advocates - the people who have your back and will help you protect your brand!
Hightlights from Denai:
"Find what you're passionate about in that industry, find the continuity. Ask yourself, do I want to be branded by the company I'm with or by my passions?"
"If you have advocates they will love what you do because of how you do it. Hurting people, hurt people. You're gonna have some haters, you have to let them go."
"If you're networking your brand, (people) will want to imitate you, but they can't duplicate you."


Carol Henderson, a longtime successful business owner, spoke about budgeting. She talked about MONEY - Mouth, Options, Networking, Excellence, and You.
Carol said it's important to listen to the words you say, because what you say is what you get! When budgeting, options are very important. Pay attention to where you're advertising. What audience are your reaching by advertising in that particular area? Also, the ever-true statement, it's not what you know, it's who know. Get connected! It all comes down to you, Carol says. It's your choice to pursue excellence in your business and your budgeting.
Highlights from Carol:
"Try to bring more to the table than what you promised. Over-deliver."
"Excellence isn't perfection, it's doing the best you can with what you have."


If you'd like to read more about what each of us discussed Tuesday, let me know! We will start working on our Breaking Down Business Barriers online magazine soon (available in print, too). In it we'll have a more in-depth overview of the seminar, and some excellent insight from our four expert panelists. 


What are some of your expert tips about how to break down those barriers inhibiting your success in business? What have you overcome in the past and how did you do it? Share your story here, or email me at mdcoach@live.com for a chance to be featured on my blog!

Thrive with 5

Please allow me a little room to promote, because I am way beyond excited about this conference!
Tuesday, May 17th I will be one of three featured speakers at the first seminar in the Thrive with 5 series, 'Breaking down business barriers,' and I cannot wait!
It is so important to continue pursuing excellence in your business, and in your life. (*ahem* I will also need a little room to preach in this blog post.) If you quit seeking the next best thing and new, potentially better ways of doing things, your business will become stagnant and out of date. You can't broaden your clientele if you don't broaden your reach, that's for sure.
At 'Breaking down business barriers' you will hear insight from professionals on what has worked for them, and what hasn't. You will be able to ask questions and leave with answers. 
I will be speaking about how to turn "Can't" into "Act" and overcoming a little something I call ICS (pronounced 'icks') or "I Can't" Syndrome. No one wants the ics, but it happens. How do you overcome it? "I can't" essentially translates into "I won't." I'll talk a bit about my own journey so far, and how taking chances and turning day dreams into actions led me to places I didn't think I could go. 
Also speaking will be The Networking Queen herself, Denai Vaughn. Denai is amazing and talented, and has tons of insight and good advice! Come ready to take some serious notes, you'll want to remember what this lady has to say.
Our other speaker will be Carol Henderson. I'm meeting with her tomorrow and can't wait to hear what great things she will have to share at 'Breaking down business barriers.'
If you're out of town but want to get plugged in, don't worry, this conference will be available virtually. Yes, I am super pumped about that. I love it when technology trumps circumstance. Ha!
Check out the Thrive with 5 Facebook page for more info. 
To register and for more info check out this website.
If you have questions about this seminar, comment away!
Do you ever attend events like these to learn more about broadening your options in your circumstance?