The 11th Day Challenge

Something I hate would be sin. Sin is described in James4:17. Sin just gets in the way between me and God sometimes even keeps me ,because of my personal shame, from seeking him on a day to day basis. Sin is ultimately what separates us from the Almighty God. Isaiah 59:2.Thankfully I have His grace that holds me to him like super glue. He sent his only son (Jesus Christ) to earth to die on the cross for my sins and the sins of the world so that way we would be able to have an intimate relationship with Him. 1 Peter 3:18 So now sin is no longer my master, God is! How cool is that?!? Well thats all for my blog post about what I hate, but for those who may need a little more description on what I have written here is a little rinky dink site that may better help you understand. http://www.tgm.org/Salvation.html

Challenge Day 10

The person I see myself marrying or being with in the future would have to be my husband Jon. I cannot imagine my life without him no matter how crazy and weird he sometimes gets. He is such a great blessing to me. Before Jon came into my life I imagined having my own life separate from any man. I didn't trust enough to see who could be Mr. Right so I just dropped them before they dropped me. Now looking back, I realize that God has given me such a good husband to show just a tiny bit of the love that God has for me as well. It so neat to look back and see Gods hands working in my life.

Day 9 Challenge

The person who has gotten me through the most would have to be my best friend Jenise Mowery. The fact that she is fifteen and my best friend screams maturity. Of course there are times when I definitely remember that she is only fifteen. Like when she gets a sugar high and continuously bounces in her seat while giggling uncontrollably. But more often than not she has words of wisdom that allow me to get through what life throws my way. Example One: My wedding planning definitely took its toll on me towards the last few months. I was such a wreck. Breakdowns left and right, along with stress crying that left me almost blind the next morning due to my swollen eyes. She was there every step of the way. Overnight planning turned into much NEEDED sleepovers. It wasn't because we had so much to do but because I could not be alone without breaking down and the only person who could help was Jenise. Of course Jon couldn't be there as often because we were not married at the time. Example Two: There came a time in my life (still going though it now) when I am realizing who I want to surround myself with. I personally am content to be a hermit, someone who could ignore the outside world with the exception of a few close pals. When I stop to consider who I would like to delete off my Facebook. I realize I would never delete Jenise. I cant imagine my life without her. Well there are plenty of examples more of how she gets me through this life. She is my best friend and someone I know I can trust with anything! There are only few people I allow into the complicated shell of my heart and she is about 1 of 3 and probably knows the most. If I believed in soul mates she would be definitely one of them. I know that God has placed her in my life for a purpose and I hope that I can someday help her as much as she has helped me. The photos below are from a current escapade to our mutual friend Amanda's Quinceanera. I had a blast of course because I love to dance but Jenise is a little on the shy side of letting loose at a party. Jenise did in fact dance and ended up having a good time. I was super excited  and relieved to see her try, especially because one of her family members told me that I would probably be sitting the whole time. I did her make up and she looked so beautiful. I felt like mama hen that night! My baby is growing up! haha Its more like "my little sister is growing up! Its too much!" lol

Jenise and I in her Nana's bathroom after about an hour of primping.

Jenise and Amanda dancing. 

* Jenise Mowery *

Day 8 Challenge

A photo that makes me laugh would have to be one from when I was living in my first apartment back when it was just Pluto and me. My friend Whitney lived in the same apartment complex as I did and we would get our dogs together for play dates every so often. Well in this upcoming photo Pluto is shaking his head at just the right moment to create a hilarious picture. Enjoy!

My buddy looks like the goober I have always known him to be. I love my little boy!

Day 7 Challenge

According to the day seven challenge I am to choose a photo that shows my true self. My true self personality trait would include being funny, optimistic, vulnerable, loving, and joyful. Of course one picture cannot capture all of those elements even though those are only a few describing words for me. Jon suggested that I put "strong willed" on there somewhere. I think thats only because he doesn't like the fact that I usually get my way around him. lol I really do not know how to describe myself accurately. Maybe because I am my own worst critic. Maybe someone should post some describing words for me!

Day 6 Challenge

The day 6 challenge is to post a picture of somewhere I've been. Well my photos of choice would be Dance Team Nationals 2006. My high school dance drill team went to the biggest dance competition of my dancing career. Keep in mind I only danced in high school. haha Well I love to dance. If you have ever been to a party with me that involved dancing you would know my favorite place to NOT be would be sitting at the table talking. I love the dance floor. I love the gym dance floor even more so. So many of my favorite times included being involved in practice or rehearsal for my dance team. Below are just a few of the 568 photos of competition that year. Enjoy! : )

(This photo is not at the competition. It was taken at one of the football games. Its title is the Father Daughter Dance. My dad and I are second couple from the left.)

 Dance Officer Jazz

 Dance Officer Lyrical 

 Dance Officer Modern

 Team Hip Hop

 Team Military

 Elite Jazz

 Team Pom

Challenge Day 5

My favorite memory has to be when I was younger. Everything was as my mom would say "hunkey dorey" and to me it was. I had little responsibilities and my vacation days were just that... vacation days. I did not have to work 40hrs a week just to afford rent for the month. Instead what money I did scrounge up went to things I wanted for myself. Like CD's, a new bike, or a ticket to the movies. I didn't have to watch my spending in order to "survive". Back in the old days I had two parents who loved each other. Sure times were hard and we didn't have the most luxurious house but we had love. My dad and I would play Super Nintendo for a few minutes each night. If we didn't play video games, in the winter we would go for a bike ride and when we got back to the house my mom would greet us with my hot cocoa and my dads lemon tea. Times were so simple back then, well at least in my mind. 

My Attempt at Correcting Day 4 Challenge

I really hate failing at anything so after my Chinese food I decided to suck it up and really make something of my night. Here are some pictures of what went down after the last post.

Chelsea did in fact come over. She and Jon were talking Carmax stuff while I did more important things.

 Like take some more current body pictures for my "Weight Watchers Updates"

Side shot! The photo is a little blurry only because I had to turn off the smart feature to prevent the flash from interfering with the shot. 

I had to concentrate a little bit. I'm glad I didn't get my whole face in the picture! 

After we spent most of our workout sweating unnecessarily, Jon decided to change the thermostat with one of Chelsea's bobby pins. He did succeed in changing the temperature from 80 degrees to 70 degrees, but the heat was still on and couldn't change it to cool. 

Here is the after workout photo. Chelsea didn't like my idea too much but I still think its good to break loose a little sometimes. She still looks good anyway. 

 Here is a picture of us only about a month or so ago! Changes happen fast! So cool!

This is me at my wedding rehearsal way before I started to loose any weight. THANK YOU WEIGHT WATCHERS!!!!

Day 4 Challenge Failure

Before we begin let me announce that I have failed todays challenge. I was supposed to get a picture of my night. I know I'm disappointed also. But luckily I can describe my night to you. : ) So my evening began at 1:30pm when I clocked in to work. I ended up stuck on register for two hours, then rushed to take a lunch before my 5pm class. My 5pm class was a make up session with a nice lady and her dog Samson. I always forget the pet parent names by the way. Class went well but towards the end of class I noticed a small headache. I took a fifteen minute break to walk to the dollar store, located a few stores over, and grabbed some headache medicine. Well ten minutes before my 6:30pm class my headache turned into a migraine. Dizziness, nausea, and intense sensitivity to light and sound. Lucky me! My human students were so sweet! Dakoda's dad helped me put away the chairs at the end of class! I was so grateful! I do like working with grateful parents. It makes me enjoy my job. lol Well after my 6:30 class I talked my way into leaving early. I left the store around 8:15pm which is a lot better than 9:30pm! So here I sit at home writing to you guys waiting for Chelsea to come over and work out. I think Jon and I are going to order Chinese food! OH YEA!!

Weight Watchers Update (February)

Since November 25th 2010, I have been fervently seeking to loose weight through the program Weight Watchers. Since I am no longer embarrassed by my weight, I started out at a whopping 209.0 lbs. I am currently at 185.2 lbs! That is a 23.8 lb loss! It feels good to look in the mirror and finally see the results. I love the compliments my husband and especially my dad give me. The reason my dads compliments hold higher than my husbands (sometimes) is because growing up it was just my dad and I. My mom, for those who don't know, died when I was ten years old. Well being a girl and having a dad who really did not have a way with words, a simple suggestion like lets get you to a healthy weight turned into a "You know Sarah its annoying that you can't ever find the right size for pants" or " You shouldn't be eating that because you need to loose weight". Those words stung in the mind of a developing teenager. I know now what his intentions were only to help me not to tear me down. Well now I receive comments like " Hey Skinny!" -Dad and Charlotte, lol or "We do not enough in the budget this month to yet again get you new shirts." -Manager at Work. Speaking of clothes my current closet are all too baggy. I have to layer undershirts (I hate extra clothes btw) to make sure my tops do not sink too low which before was never a problem and my pants look baggy after one hour of wear. I really do not want to buy transition clothes. For example, last month I bought a new pair of size 16 work pants. Please note that it was two sizes smaller than the pants I had at home. Now a month later and I am relying on my belt to hold them up and washing/drying them almost every day to keep their tight shape. Most people would say "oh poor you!" sarcastically but I also hate spending money on clothes. I have no idea why but it just bothers me. I guess I'm too much like my dad in that area. Well I just had to get my blog on today. Since I found out how to change backgrounds and banners, I have become addicted to my blog. It will subside, unfortunately, but until then enjoy! : ) P.S. I will / should be posting again tonight with the day 4 challenge.

The 31 Day Challenge: Day 3

Todays blog theme is to get a picture of your favorite TV show. My favorite TV show is most definitely the Merlin Series. I love the renaissance themed everything so its no surprise my favorite show is set in the medieval era . The show is about a sorcerer named .. you guessed it Merlin. His duty is to protect Prince Arthur from harms way until Arthur is crowned King of Camelot. The downside to all of Merlin efforts is that Prince Arthur's father ,King Uther Pendragon, has made all forms of magic and sorcery illegal in Camelot. Together Arthur and Merlin battle the forces of evil without anyone knowing or finding out that Merlin is a sorcerer including Arthur.

Right to Left: Uther Pendragon (King of Camelot), Arthur Pendragon (Prince and Future King of Camelot), Merlin (Young Sorcerer), Gaius (Merlins Guardian and Royal Physician), Morgana (The Kings Ward), Gwen (Morgana's Servant)

31 Day Challenge: Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest.

The person I have been closest to would be my husband Jon. The above picture is us at the "Blast From the Past Youth Fundraiser". I believe that this picture was taken in 2007 sometime. Jon and I have been inseparable since May 13th 2003. That is 7 years and 9 months worth of commitment. Take a good look at his sunglasses....

Our wedding day! May 1st 2010. We chose to dance down the isle wearing converse and sunglasses. Its crazy sometimes to think of how we survived high school and got married. Earlier I asked you to look at Jon's sunglasses. No they are not the same exact pair but he does love the aviator style. These pictures were taken about 6 years apart! We have both changed so much.

The 31 Day Challenge!! Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.

My dear friend Christine has challenged me to a 31 day challenge. I'm not sure the purpose but I liked the daily challenges. So here is Day 1


1. I am a Child of God.
2. I am married to Jon Dixon.
3. I work at PetSmart as a Dog Trainer.
4. I am on Weight Watchers.
5. My best friend is Jenise Mowery.
6. I help Jon with his Youth and Music Ministry.
7. I love chocolate!
8. My dogs name is Pluto.
9. I am afraid of the dark.
10. I love my Daddy.
11. I want children some days closer than others.
12. I love to babysit.
13. My favorite jewel is the diamond. (shiny!)
14. I watch tons of movies.
15. I have a blog.

Decisions / Choices

I find myself questioning what kind of people I have surrounded myself with. Lately I have felt nothing but hurt and remorse for the lost "friendships". Apparently I am very good at being used. In the past I have closed up my heart to numerous people but I did not like the callous life style that accompanied that decision. I was sitting in my adult Sunday evening class and we were talking about how Abram left his family to follow God (Genesis 12:1-3). This was definitely not a simple task for Abram, unless he had the "friends" I do then it might have been an easier decision. But seriously, he left all the comforts of home and went to a land that God would show him. I feel that I will need to burn down some bridges between me and a few select people in order to continue to do what God has led me to do. Ministry is not an easy road. Dont get me wrong I love working along side my husband to do Gods work but it sometimes takes its toll on our relationship. We have had to work harder in order to communicate. I find comfort in Genesis 12:3 because God promises Abram that he (in a lump sum) would take care of him and Abram wouldn't need to worry about those who curse him. In the same manner I am positive that God will do the same for me. I just need to remember to keep on keeping on. Although better said than done.

On a different note. I feel like God is leading me back to Him. I have strayed yet again. Not in the sense of doing a whole lot of bad things but just not communicating and reading his word on a regular basis. Every sermon that was presented to me has been directly aimed at me and where I stood in my walk with Christ. If that were not enough, God also revealed his power and provision. Last month Jon and I were $100 short of rent and we had no idea how we were going to make it until the next paycheck. Because of the snow we were cooped up in the house for 2 days straight. We decided to do some cleaning around the house and found some old bills (already paid) and other mail. I opened a few envelopes and discovered in one were 3 checks from the medical insurance company stating that I had no obligation to pay certain co-pays. The refund checks totaled around $98. Simply stated "It was a God thing!" Looking back it reminds me of Philippians 4:19 NLT (new life verse BTW) which says... "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus"