My Weight Loss Journey

I am officially down 8.6 lbs in 30 days.

A month ago I weighed the same as I did at 9 months pregnant and knew it was time to change something.

First, my husband and I moved our exercise bike to our living room. We have three hours a week we watch TV shows. So during those TV shows we take turns with 30 minutes on the bike while we watch. That helped, but we still weren't losing.

Next, we purchased Focus T25 by Shaun T. While we were able to feel more in shape by the amount of workouts we were able to accomplish we didn't lose any weight and only lost 1/2 an inch before gaining inches back the next week.

Then, I found Thrive. I have been on it a week and lost 3 lbs. I have had more energy than I think I have ever had. I am finally able to keep up with my son who is on the go from sunup to sun down.

What is Thrive?

Thrive is wearable nutrition!  It is a simple 3 step system which is repeated every 24 hours. It's all about absorbable vitamins that fill in your nutritional gaps. It consists of two capsules in the morning, followed by nutritional powder and ends with the DFT patch. Most people experience mental clarity and focus, all day long-lasting energy, better sleep, and even weight loss. You really have to try it and experience its affects to truly understand.

It has jumped my metabolism. I continue to eat right and I continue to workout, but alone those just weren't working.

Visit the Thrive website for more information. It is free to sign up as a customer and look around. If you refer two friends you can get your next month free.

Great CVS Deal for This Week!

I don't know if your household drinks soft drinks, but being a youth minister's wife, we go through a lot. I found a great deal this week that ends Saturday! So go out to your local CVS and cash in on this great deal!!!

For those of you who shop CVS. They have a deal this week where you can buy 6 12-pack Pepsi products for $20. When you check out at the register, they will give you $10 in extra care bucks to use on your next purchase. Then, if you still have your $5 off a purchase of $20 coupons from an old CVS purchase (that is still valid) you can get $5 dollars off the purchase.

After you get home, click this link and print out the $7.50 mail-in rebate. All you do is circle on your CVS receipt where you purchased $20 worth of PepsiCo products! It will say Coors Light on the mail-in rebate, but that is because Pepsi is owned by Coors Light! Who knew!?!

Are we Teaching Our Kids its OK to lie?

One thing that happened to my six-year-old neice recently is that some of her first-grader friends told her that God doesn't exist. That we lied to them about other fictional creatures around Christmas and Easter and that we are lying to them about God too. We lied to them that as long as they are good... and we have done the same with what God says to do...

I have started to rethink my theology on raising children. One day soon, I hope to be a mother myself. Will I tell them these fictional characters are real and just hope they can tell the difference between lying to them and telling them about the one true God? I don't know...

Summer is Coming to an End

As summer comes to an end, I am getting a little stressed about the upcoming school year. My lesson plans are finished for two classes, but I still have two more classes to complete.

My classroom needs to be cleaned out, the desks rearranged, the bulletin boards need to be stripped down and decorated, and the shelves need to be cleaned out.

School starts August 21st! Teachers go back August 19th! Keep me in your prayers!

It's that time of year again! What normally is only a once a year event for youth ministers has happened twice in one summer now! At the beginning of summer, we held a five church lock-in at the Plex in Columbia, SC. We only had three students show up.

So, here we go again. Tonight we are having a Lock-In at the church. Wish me luck! Two sleepless nights in one summer! I am getting too old for this!

Calculus Teacher

I am now a Calculus teacher at Jefferson Davis Academy in Blackville, SC. I am so excited because Calculus and Pre-Calculus is one of my favorite sections of mathematics. Geometry is my weakest but I basically taught myself geometry my freshman year of high school and my college geometry was an independent study.

So I have been up to my ears in lesson plans, creating and working on my website

http://www.schoolrack.com/MrsWrightJDA

I am excited! I am nervous! But mostly I am elated that I have finally reached the point in my life where I know God has called me. I am teaching! It has been so hard waiting!

The Best Brownies EVER!

I have recently started cooking for snacks for the youth. Its cheaper for the church and healthier snacks because I can control the ingredients. One nonhealthy but tasty snack I made at the last Chill-In was brownies! Homemade, PERFECTLY sizes wonderful BROWNIES!

The key is baking it in a mini muffin pan! They come out bite sized and perfect. And with the mini muffin pan it takes half the bake time.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso combined with 1 tablespoon warm water
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder (for extra rich brownies, try dark cocoa powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Dark chocolate chips (I used 60% cacao)
• Baking spray (cooking spray with flour for baking)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray mini muffin tin with baking spray.

Combine butter, sugar, espresso mixture, and eggs in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, and beat to combine.

Fill a mini muffin tin with the brownie batter. Place a few chocolate chips in the center of each brownie bite.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow brownie bites to cool slightly prior to removing from pan.