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Bear One Another’s Burdens

February 25th, 2012

We have dear friends at our church whose 17 year old daughter, Meredith, has two brain tumors situated over her hypothalamus.  The doctors were only able to remove a third of it, due to their location.

 

The doctors have reluctantly agreed to let our friends try an alternative protocol for Meredith for 6 weeks.  We would appreciate any and all prayer warriors to lift them up and cry out for Meredith’s healing–whether through a miraculous touch of the Father’s hand or through the natural protocol.

 

Prognosis is not very good even with the traditional treatment.   We are praying Meredith can be spared from going through chemotherapy and radiation if it is truly not going to help.

 

In addition, my girls and I have posted chip-in widgets on the sidebars of our blogs and websites.   If you are led of the Lord to donate, all funds go directly to Meredith’s family.

 

If you want updates, the girls post on their website when there are updates.

 

Seven Farmgirl Sisters

 

Thank you so much!

 

 

T-Tapp Tuesday–For Better Results….

February 21st, 2012

I posted at my other website today about staying in the muscle–for better results!

 

Stay in the Muscle!

 

It’s also Deep Discount Tuesday–see you over there!

Fabulous Family Friday Returns! Helpful Reviews

February 17th, 2012

It certainly took long enough!  :)

 

I thought I’d give the reviews I promised last week!

 

First, a miracle product!

 

Two weeks before certifications, my right hand broke out in this awful rash.  I’ve gotten it before, but it’s been a long time since the last time it broke out.  My guess (and Teresa confirmed this) was that it was s-t-r-e-s-s!  My adrenals were stressed already from the cold/sore throat/cough I had for 3 weeks in December, Christmas, preparing for certifications, and my hand was itchy and so red.  Parts of it broke open and would bleed from time to time!  I wish I had taken a picture so you could understand how uncomfortable and bad it was!

 

Lauren (one of the super-duper office girls at T-Tapp!) told me I needed to show my hand to Teresa, that she had something for it.  So I did.

 

When I showed Teresa, she had something in her bag, so she put a little on my hand.  She told me it would sting a bit, but it should start feeling better.  I know it had colloidal silver in it, as well as MSM.  It didn’t sting too badly, and it quit itching so intensely!  ( I would wake myself up scratching it. :( )

 

I was amazed just from that one application  how much better it felt!  Even the next day it felt better and wasn’t quite so red and angry looking!

 

So she gave me a small jar to use out of for the rest of the week, then before I went home took a little out for her and gave me the rest of a bottle that she had.  I used it three times a day, and in just 3-4 days the rash was nearly gone!

 

What was this miracle stuff?!

 

Silver Majik Lotion!

 

It doesn’t take much, really, so a full bottle would probably last a loonnnnggg time! I still have plenty left in the partial bottle she sent me home with!  I used it 3 times a day for a few weeks, now I use it twice a day.  I have just a tiny little spot on my hand now.  It truly is amazing!

 

 

`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

 

Next review—pillows! :)

 

I have this thing about pillows…I’m a side sleeper and I can’t get one to stay firm enough for longer than 3 months!   And who keeps the packaging and wants to send a pillow back to the company to cash in on their 3 year warranty?!

 

(I can see that conversation:

 

Dallas:  what is all this plastic wrapping?

Me:  To all the pillows I own, in case they go flat and  I need to send one back before the warranty is up!

 

Um….yeah!  I have enough junk in this house….and the garage….and the shop….and…. :p )

 

 

I slept at a friend’s home the night before we flew out to Ft. Lauderdale a year ago for filming the PBS special for T-Tapp.  I loved her pillow on her guest bed!  It was a Sealy and I could tell it wasn’t going to go flat in just a few months!  And the firm was truly “firm”!  Without being a rock!

 

 

I did some checking online, and found J.C. Penney carries Sealy pillows.  My husband and I were going out to eat at a restaurant a few weeks ago that was near a mall that had a Penney’s, so we looked.  They had all three kinds on the website.  I found the “firm” custom support pillow was…um…not firm enough for me!

 

Then I found the Encompass one was even less firm!

 

So I tried the Grand Impressions one—and it was just right! ;)

 

This one had a few mixed reviews, but I thought it was worth the gamble.  I’ve only had it a few weeks, so we’ll see how it actually holds up, but it’s the first pillow that really supports my neck (I get shoulder issues from my neck not being supported) but it is soft on my face/cheek. I had one pillow that was great–but I felt it put my jaw out of alignment!  (Get one end fixed, the other goes out!)

 

Penney’s was very reasonable, and this way I didn’t have to pay shipping–I would have went with the Custom Support or Encompass by the reviews–so I was so glad to find them where I could feel how supportive they were!

 

And no, I did not keep the plastic wrapping to know where to send it if it breaks down! ;)  I’ll report back in a few months to let you know how it’s holding up!

 

 

`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

 

Finally, a book review!

 

 

 

 

My pastor’s wife gave me 31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers several years ago.  I ended up getting some of her other books as well!  I go through periods of time where I don’t use any devotionals, and others where I have 4 or 5 going!

 

I love how she has taken Scripture and created beautiful praise prayers to our Lord!   Because of going through this book several times, I have gotten the knack of doing the same with my daily reading in the Psalms.  I used to read 5 Psalms every day to go through the whole book in a month.  Then I started slowing it down, and now I only read one Psalm a day, savoring it more slowly, using the words and thoughts to pray/praise back to my beautiful Savior and Lord.

 

All of her books are good (31 Days of Prayer, 31 Days of Power, The Satisfied Heart (now called 31 Days of Drawing Near to God), but this one on praise is especially powerful.  I highly, highly recommend it! It will revolutionize your devotional time and your prayers!

 

 

I hope these reviews have been helpful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s Not All About Willpower

February 16th, 2012

Just posted this over on Be Youthful ‘n Fit!

 

It’s Not All About Willpower

Workout Wednesday–A New Home!

February 15th, 2012

Well, finally, after much trying this and that and changing and putting my poor daughter, Jessica, through a lot as my resident IT girl ;)  I have a new home for my T-Tapp posts!

 

Be Youthful ‘n Fit!

 

Since certifying to be a T-Tapp Trainer, I’ve been working on my website–and with Jessica’s help, it’s coming along nicely!  I had a few setbacks, and I wanted other things “in place” before launching, but I finally decided you all wouldn’t mind a little “construction dust” here and there!  (Right?! ;) )

 

Don’t worry! I’ll still be blogging about other things here at HSB!  But it’s time to move the exercise posts over (and they’re not there yet, but we’re working on it! So if you want a past post, keep coming back here and checking the archives for now!)

 

I hope once I get a few more “business” things taken care of, I can be more regular with my blogging–at both places!

 

There will be giveaways, so head on over to check it out!  And let me know what you think!

Workout Wednesday–Trap Dominance

February 8th, 2012

We all seem to have it!

 

Between poor posture, lots of reading, slouching at computers ;) as well as while driving, caring for children, etc. etc. etc., our traps become way more dominant and the lats become weaker, making it even harder to “sit up straight” for very long!

 

Added to that, we tend to store stress (so to speak) in our traps as well, so for most women (can’t speak for the men!), trap dominance is a given.

 

First of all, what and where are the traps?

 

The trapezius muscle is a triangular muscle with the three points between the lower back, shoulder and neck/base of skull.  Many tension headaches can be attributed to the tension in this muscle.   Not to mention tight, sore shoulders, as well.

 

 

Here is a picture of where the traps are located.

 

So, what do we do about it?!

 

Ribs UP!

 

By getting the ribs up and shoulders back in alignment with the hips, you equalize the workload on the shoulder–the muscles are working more equally vs. some pulling more than others.  This also engages the lats  (latissimus dorsi, picture here), which help balance the traps!

 

It truly is a “balancing act”!

 

 

I know I’ve said ribs up a LOT on here, but that’s because it is so important!  Whenever you hear Teresa say “shoulders back” on the dvds, think ribs up.  For me, I was trying to squeeze the shoulder blades together, which is starting to get the idea, but it tends to be overinvasive, leading to inflammation.   Also, you are usually using the traps to “push” the shoulders back vs. the lats to “pull” them back.

 

I liken it to the difference between a military “standing at attention” and a graceful “model” stance.

 

Try it there, sitting at the computer.  Get all slouchy. :)   Now bring your shoulders up and back by squeezing your shoulder blades together.  You probably feel the muscle tightening up in your shoulder blade area most.

 

Now get all slouchy again. :)

 

This time think of a string pulling your head up, up, up and your ribcage out of your tummy.  Once you get as “high” as the “string” can pull you, gently relax your shoulders while still keeping ribs up.

 

Now you should feel the tightening more in the lat region.  (Around your br*a band.)

 

You will get tired, especially if like most of us, you spend much of your time reading, caring for children or elderly parents, leaning over washing dishes, cleaning, etc.

 

But with time, the lats will get stronger and it will be easier to stay in good posture for longer periods of time!

 

The more I do this, the more my trap tension also seems to release!  Recently I was extra tense (um…certifications plus riding in the van for 22 hours over 2 days!), and it seemed I just couldn’t get my traps to fully release.    Part of my problem is I needed a new pillow!  (That is coming up on Friday–I’ll be returning to Fabulous Family Friday with some reviews this week!)   But even throughout the day, I just couldn’t fully relax.

 

I thought maybe I might need a chiropractic adjustment, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was totally in the muscle.

 

I kept focusing on ribs up (not that I’m doing it 100% of the time–far from it!), and doing Kayla’s trick with finding the breastbone, then the bottom of the ribs, and physically lifting them.  That usually does it for me, but this was a stubborn case!  :p

 

The toughest part is to relax the shoulders–no hunching!  And you don’t have to be in an over-exaggerated hunch to be truly “hunching”!  But by continuing to “practice” and think “relax”, I eventually got things back in balance!

 

Ribs up is soooo key to much of our body alignment!  As I’ve posted before, it helps with inch loss in the arms, tummy and thighs. It helps the adrenals.  It helps our thoughts! ;)   And now you have a key to help release some tension and enjoy your day just a bit better!

 

`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

 

 

I’m not trying to string everyone along about my surprise!  I’m awaiting a few final things to fall into place and then I can make the grand announcement!  As I said there will be giveaways involved–yes, plural!

 

Until next time–

 

Happy Tappin’!

 

Life Happens (Again!)!

February 1st, 2012

I’m sorry I’ve been MIA–we had the tummy bug hit our house!  :p

 

 

So my “announcement” will have to wait until next week–between most of us getting sick and me trying to get the business end of things set up, I’ve had to put some things on the back burner.

 

I also have a few comments that I’ll be responding to–so if you posted a comment, please know I’m not ignoring you–just been too crazy around here!

 

 

Thanks for your patience!  I promise it will be worth the wait and there will be giveaways!  Yes, more than one!  ;)

Thankful Thursday–Thankful for T-Tapp! (And Ribs Up!)

January 26th, 2012

Today is my five year anniversary with T-Tapp!  Wow!  Who could have known then that in 5 years I would be a certified T-Tapp Trainer?!   Even more, I’m thankful for my health as well as finally finding a workout that works–without having to neglect my family to do so!  It’s my prayer that I can help others on their journey to a better body and better health!

 

Just think–where could you be in  5 years with T-Tapp?  It all adds up… one workout at a time!

 

 

`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

 

I’m sure if you’ve heard much about T-Tapp, you’ve heard “Ribs Up!” more than a few times! ;)

 

That is actually a part of the T-Tapp stance set up.  Teresa says “shoulders back” in earlier videos.  Most of us tend to be trap dominant (we store stress there–ever notice how much more “hunched” you get the more stress you’re under?!), so we start pushing the shoulders back with the trapezius muscles (traps) instead of gently pulling them back with the lats.  (Latissimus dorsi)

 

 

I’ve referenced trainer Kayla Howard’s wonderful video on slouching, and it’s a great place to get the feel of it away from workouts.   The more you do this away from your workouts as well as during, the easier and more “natural” it will be.  Your lats will get stronger and you will actually be able to activate them at will!

 

 

Teresa shared an interesting tidbit at the Safety Harbor Retreat a few weeks ago.  I didn’t get to go to the actual Retreat, but several ladies stayed over for Trainer Certifications and shared the wealth of information they received.   Ribs up also helps the adrenals.   How?

 

 

Well, if you think about it, when you’re all slouchy, you are pushing the organs down and out in your belly —more out if you’re a short torso!   That puts pressure on these glands sitting on top of the kidneys, and like most of our organs, they don’t work as optimally when squished!  (Think of being squished in a tiny cubicle to do your work when you need a bigger office with better light!)

 

 

I love how T-Tapp is more than just a workout to lose inches and sizes!   One of the things that kept me “T-Tapping” even when I wasn’t seeing much outwardly was the tremendous benefits I was experiencing in my health.  I posted about the things you just can’t measure here at the forums. It’s always good to keep a notebook or list of the “little things” that add up and sometimes become more important than inch loss!

 

Ribs up helps so many things!  Inch loss in the arms, tummy, thighs; helping with posture and getting the back in alignment; helping the muscles in the shoulder balance so there’s less pressure pulling unequally and therefore avoiding shoulder issues (or lessening them and helping to rehab them); and now we find out good posture doesn’t just look nice and feel nice–  it helps with adrenal health, too!

 

 

And another good benefit–Nanci shared on the forums how she found out that you can’t think negative thoughts very easily when you are focusing on ribs up!  Here’s her post —good food for our “thoughts”!    Thanks for sharing, Nanci!

 

 

Stay tuned–I am hoping to announce my surprise next week and there will be giveaways as a part of it! :)

 

 

Happy Tappin’!

 

 

 

 

 

It’s Official!

January 19th, 2012

I am now officially a T-Tapp trainer!  Yippee!

 

I certified in both Total Workout (TWO) and MORE!   The first one (TWO) was the hardest!  I’m so glad it wasn’t my first time meeting Teresa Tapp nor my first time at Safety Harbor–that would really make it overwhelming! ;)

 

It has been a fun week and I enjoyed a lot–and learned a lot, too!  Teresa has some exciting things coming up, including Senior Fit which will hopefully be released sometime in March/April!  Although it’s been a longer wait than she first planned, she has tweaked it and made it even better than at first!

 

 

I will be announcing some exciting things in the next few weeks, plus a few giveaways, so “stay tuned”!

 

 

And thanks for prayers and thoughts for me as I made this journey to certifications!

 

I also want to publicly thank my wonderful family for their support!

 

Happy Tappin’!

 

T-Tapp Tuesday–A Mind-SOUL-Body Workout

January 10th, 2012

Teresa often says T-Tapp is a mind-body workout.  There is no music because there’s too much to stay focused on!  In fact, some people don’t like T-Tapp precisely because they like to “zone out” while working out.

 

 

But you can’t do that with T-Tapp! ;)

 

 

It takes focus because getting the right stance, keeping position, keeping your tuck/curl and ribs up all take concentration.     Sure you can expend energy not thinking about the moves, but you won’t get max muscle activation, and therefore, not max benefits.

 

 

The benefits are not only for the body, losing inches and getting healthier because you’re opening up all the nerve transmissions and establishing brain to body connections (yes, they’re already connected, but sometimes the messages aren’t getting through too well!), and not only for clearer thinking, but for better living emotionally and spiritually as well.

 

 

My T-Tapp journey has been nearly 5 years.    I set out, like so many others, to lose some sizes and stay flexible.  Along the journey, I’ve also improved my stamina, gotten my sluggish lymphatic system moving (evidenced by a lump under my armpit that disappeared!), am sleeping better and have more balanced hormones.   But what has been amazing to me is how this journey has helped me feel better about myself–not in a narcissistic way, but to be comfortable with who I am and where I am, instead of always wishing for the next “milestone”.

 

 

Even more, it has helped me spiritually.  We are three dimensional beings— body, soul and spirit.  You really can’t just take one component out and deal with it to the exclusion of the other two.  What you are feeling emotionally will affect you spiritually and physically.  What you are going through physically will affect your emotional and spiritual life.

 

 

What the Lord has done for me, and yes, through an exercise program :) is to uncover lies that I believed.

 

 

Lies that paralyze me.  Lies that keep me from the LIFE Jesus died to give to me!

 

 

He didn’t just die so I could have eternal life in Heaven “someday”.  He died to restore my relationship with my Abba Father, so I could experience the fullness of life here as well….in His love.

 

 

I have related more to God as my Abba Father in the past 8 months than the 32 years prior of being a Christian!  I could relate to Jesus and the Holy Spirit….but God as Father was harder for me to relate to.  The enemy likes to attack our view of God as Father the most!

 

 

You might think this is kind of irrelevent to exercise!   But I assure you, it’s not.

 

 

I had a lot of inconsistency in the months following my mom’s sudden death in May of 2010.  I was wrestling with God about His timing in taking her Home.  Finally, 9 months later, I decided it was time to quit arguing with Him about it (I know, that looks so silly in print, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who tries to argue with God about something He has decided was better than my puny plans!).   I was able to start being consistent again with my workouts.  What a coincidence, eh? ;)

 

 

Fast forward to early August of 2011.  The Lord uncovered what I call a “dead spot” in my heart— an area I had closed off to Him and hadn’t even realized that I hadn’t totally dealt with it.  It was over a miscarriage almost 22 years ago!  I had had a hard time releasing that one emotionally, but thought I’d dealt with it.  But I actually walled off a part of my heart.  Not that I wasn’t close to the Lord or didn’t have joy— in fact, it was one of those situations where you don’t know how bound you are until you are free!

 

 

I totally gave it all to Him and it was amazing how much more vibrant life was!  Now, I’m a pretty expressive person and like to live life to the hilt as it is!  But it was just…different.  Like I said, I didn’t know how “dead” that part was until it was made alive again!

 

 

And amazingly, I can look back to that point and see that my body has done a lot of reshaping since.  Seriously!  Oh, yes, eating better helps, as does consistent workouts, but there was a noticeable change.   I don’t fully understand it (we are fearfully and wonderfully made!) but I truly believe that often when we are “holding onto” something— be it a hurt, a grudge, or holding back so we don’t get hurt— that our bodies may “hold onto” things as well.

 

 

This isn’t just about “getting smaller”, but also total health.  I know we can’t make an idol of health, but we’re to be good stewards of our bodies.   If we can become healthier by letting go—of hurts, bitterness, “dead spots” of not trusting God– then why not do so?

 

 

I feel my nearly 5 years of T-Tapp have helped to bring me to this point.  By working on the physical–discipline to do the workouts, losing inches, gaining health; and then by dealing with the emotional (which led to much of my wrong eating); it’s only natural that the Lord would also deal with the spiritual part as well.  By uncovering the lies I’ve believed for far too long, I can release the emotional and spiritual “gunk”, and I believe it allowed my body to release some physical “gunk” as well!

 

 

I know that may sound strange at first, but you seriously can’t treat one facet of a person without it affecting the other facets.

 

 

And for that reason, I call T-Tapp not just a mind-body workout, but a mind-SOUL-body workout!

 

 

I plan to share more specifics in the weeks to come, but if you have experienced help in your emotional or spiritual health through working out with T-Tapp, please share!

 

 

 

 

I head to Florida in a few days for trainer certifications–I would greatly appreciate your prayers as I hope to certify for TWO and MORE!