BLOG HISTORY
BANNED FOODS
September 1, 2014 Monday
What you don't
know ...
Thanks to a friend of mine, who has recently found the need to switch to a more healthy lifestyle, we are going to discuss foods that have been banned in other countries but are still allowed in the US.
My friend, Gage, sent me this link about 14 different ingredients that can be found in numerous foods that you consume on a daily basis. The blog tells of why other countries have banned them (duh! It is killing us) and why the US is allowing them (they care more about money than they do about YOU).
It is time for us as a country to stand up and tell the government to stop feeding us trash. They are only getting away with it because we are allowing it. We are just as guilty as they are.
Americans are so superficial, they want their food to look great, taste great and satisfy all their gluttoness desires. But they need to be paying close attention to what is put into the foods they eat. What we are eating is killing us. It is toxic. It is poison.
We have been deaf, blind and dumb to the things that the US government is doing for too long. I for one have made a stand and have changed what I consume entirely.
I no longer live to eat. I eat to live. I get the amount of nutrients that my body needs and I am done. I choose not to die from stupid health problems that I have a chance to prevent now.
It would be very wise of you to read this article and do some research of your own. It would be even wiser still to become your own person, making up your own mind about what your body should and should not consume.
Sorry for the harsh message today but I am very passionate about this and I am sick and tired of seeing people destroy their lives because they cannot say no to peer pressure and to food. Come on people!! Take a stand ...
http://www.shape.com/blogs/shape-your-life/13-banned-foods-still-allowed-us
Get your running face on :D
Photo taken by Karissa Hagemeister
BEST FEATURE
September 2, 2014 Tuesday
Girl you lookin so fly
When it comes to outward beauty, we all have something that we love about ourselves. It could be your eyes, maybe your hair color, your lips. Each one of us is different and we each have something different that we like about ourselves, our best feature.
Once we take a good, long look in the mirror and find our best feature, we can then play with our hairstyle to accentuate that feature.
“When you feel good about who you are as a person and see the positive results that come from taking care of yourself, you automatically feel better,” said Ken Paves in his book, “You Are Beautiful.”
Ken, being our hairstylist, has been helping us out for many weeks now as we explore the many hair treasures that are in his book. Today we are going to talk about how hair is your best accessory because it is a frame around your face. You can use your hair to play up or play down the areas you like or want to hide.
So here is a helpful, little chart that Ken Paves made just for us to determine the best hair styles to play up your best features:
Beach hair
Photo taken by Melissa Snyder
INSPIRATION
September 3, 2014 Wednesday
Comes from anywhere
According to Isaac Mizrahi, style begins with inspiration. I picked up his book, “How to Have Style” because it always helpful to know what your competition is up to.
I get where he is coming from. I have to be inspired by the weather or my mood or something and that helps determine what I put on for the day.
He says to go with your first impulses in the morning. I don’t know about you, but most mornings I am not inspired to put on anything exciting. I have to find inspiration to get out of bed sometimes, lol. I normally go running first thing in the morning so there is not much inspiration needed there. But maybe I can start looking for inspiration out when I am running. I am surrounded by beautiful nature and there is plenty of inspiration in God’s creation.
Isaac recommends making an inspiration board. Most designers do this, or call it their theme board for the season. I made an inspiration board but I don’t feel like it is very inspiring to me. I do not get inspired the way most people do. I get inspiration in some of the strangest ways. But that’s just me.
“Personal style is what comes out when you discover your likes and dislikes, your own sense of what’s right and what’s wrong. This applies to clothing, cooking a meal, arranging a bouquet - anything and everything,” said Isaac Mizrahi.
To start off your inspiration process, start cutting pictures of things that inspire you and you can arrange them however you like on a board, or all over your wall. Make a list of what you like. Just take time to contemplate you and see what comes of it.
Some of us just may need to take time to get inspired.
My new favorite dress luv it
Photo taken by Tamara Haygood
HOPE
September 4, 2014 Thursday
Hope in God
alone
When you have nothing else to cling to, cling to hope.
Hope is the one thing that gets you through hard times, hurtful seasons, lonely nights and fearful tasks. Hope is easy to grasp but just as easy to lose.
When hope seems to disappear, days seem longer and nights drag on. Lack of hope is a loss of life.
You can hold on to plain, old hope. But I promise that will not get you far. Or you can place your hope in something that is imperfect. That won’t get you much farther.
But if you place your hope in God, your situation will turn around. The dark clouds will lift. You will see the light at the end of the tunnel.
When you hope in God, you are telling him that you trust him with your situation. That you have faith in who he is and that nothing is too great or too powerful for him to handle. You are admitting that you cannot do anything to fix it. You are telling him that you let go of the controls.
He is in charge. And he loves it when we do that. He is just waiting for us to hand over our bad situations. He wants to amaze you at how well he can turn it around and make everything more beautiful than you could ever imagine.
I have been to the hopeless point. I have been dead while living. It was rock bottom. It felt like the end. I had wished it was the end. But once I held it up to God and allowed him to take a swing at it, my life was rocked so hard that I have never been the same since. The life that I live now, just with my mood and personality and attitude, I thought was never possible for me. I thought I was stuck being sad, lonely, depressed and misunderstood.
But I do not feel that way at all anymore. And I have not in the longest time. I have an extreme love for the life God has given me. I have him with me everywhere I go and so I am never alone. I am happy, full of joy and I do not allow things to let me down. Once God saved me from my hell on earth, there is no way that I am going back to it.
My hope is in God alone. He blows me away with the things that he does on a constant basis for me. If you need hope, find it in God.
Yankees are always in style lol
Photo taken by Karissa Hagemeister
SEASONS OF FRIENDS
September 5, 2014 Friday
Let
em
Go
Friends will come and friends will go. Some will stay, but most will not. Some will leave without warning or a good bye. Others will leave in the sky.
There is no pattern to how it all works. There is no way to make someone stay when they decide to move on.
For about a decade of my life, I was a military brat. So I learned this lesson quickly. Being younger it was not as difficult. I bounced back quickly. Moved on easily to making friends. I learned not to get too close because nothing lasts.
As I got older, it became a lot harder to bounce back. It was harder to make friends because I did not want to get close to anyone.
Once we settled down in one area, I made a good best friend. But as soon as we got to high school, I was history in her mind. After that, I spent the rest high school with no best friend and keeping minimal, casual friendships alive. That was the first of many hurtful friends that just walked out of my life.
I went through a process of learning to let people in and making good friends, but almost every single one of them has chosen to walk out of my life. It hurts when they do that still. But I know that I need people. So I cannot block them out anymore.
For me, I just need one or two really close people in my life. That is probably why it is so difficult when one leaves. But I have found that when one does leave, that opens up a spot in my heart for someone else.
It is strange to me to watch people walk out of my life, without leaving a reason or saying goodbye. But what baffles me even more is watching those same people walk back into my life years later. It has happened with a handful of people in the past year. I feel like I am dreaming most of the time because I had allowed the parts of me that were close to that person to die. So I guess it is like seeing a ghost or something.
I always hear about friends being in your life for a season and then they leave. But I never do hear about them returning.
However, I have found to be true that if you love someone and you have to let them go, if they are yours they will come back to you.
Anyways, this was not entirely where I was planning on going with today but it is what came out so it must be for someone out there. Love you all, have a great weekend.
My fab cuz, Melissa
Photo taken by Karissa Hagemeister
MELANCHOLY
September 6, 2014 Saturday
Creative
Intelligent
Loyal
I am back from my great adventure to the mountains and I thought about you guys a lot while I was there :) I hope your previous week was fun and filled with beauty.
As I promised last Saturday, we are going to do a run through of the 4 different temperaments. Most individuals are mixed with two of them, so you will probably relate really well to two different temperaments. Hopefully, you took the test last week and figured out where you fall in the temperament scale.
Today, we will start off with melancholy. I am starting with this one because this is the one I am and therefore understand the most. But I am learning to understand the other three as well as adopt some of their strong characteristics.
Melancholies have strengths and weaknesses, as do the other three. Understanding that many of the weaknesses you face are a result of your temperament, will help you realize why you deal with things the way you do and possibly help you overcome some of your weaknesses.
Photo taken by Karissa Hagemeister
Melancholy Strengths:
Loves music, art, nature
Analytical
Emotional
Deep, reflective thinker
Dependable
Self-sacrificing
Faithful and loyal
Deeply cares for friends
Perfectionist
Detail oriented
Self-disciplined
Creative and intellectual
Thorough
Gifted
Knows limitations
Melancholy Weaknesses:
Moody
Pessimistic
Depressive
Proud
Critical
Fearful
Suspicious
Deeply hurt by others
Harmful to self
Tires easily
Demands sacrifice of self
Hesitant
Many of the strengths of a melancholy also lead to their weaknesses. We tend to take things too far and being so inward focused we hurt ourselves. We are said to be the most creative and intellectual of the four. We are also the best to have as friends because we remain loyal to a fault.
I used to hate being a melancholy. I wished so badly that I could change to a sanguine. All I seen were the weaknesses and those weaknesses consumed me for the majority of my life. I was continually depressed, hated life and afraid of everything that could hurt me in even the smallest way. Because I was doomed to being a melancholy, I thought I was stuck with that life forever.
Instead, I fought the depression and the thoughts. I took control of my life and made it into something I love. Not in my own power but by the power of God, of course. Most of the weaknesses of the melancholy I have overcome in the past year. I do still battle with fear but it no longer keeps me in hiding.
The way I think about it, if God chose to bless me with this temperament of creativity and intellectual abundance, I will not let the weaknesses destroy me or hold me back from anything he has created me for.
If you share the same temperament, I hope you choose to overcome the weaknesses that are holding you back. It is beautiful when the cloud lifts and you begin to see life the way it is meant to be.
Melancholy facts from the book “The Spirit Controlled Woman” by Beverly LaHaye.
MEANING OF LIFE
September 7, 2014 Sunday
You have meaning in life
This beautiful life you have been given is gift. A gift formed and created just for you. It is a life meant to be lived. A life meant to be loved. A life meant for something great.
Yes! Every life in this planet was made for greatness. Every person’s life has meaning. That means you too my beautiful friend.
You were made for something radical, great, extreme, out of this world. Are you living up to it? If not, you are letting your life down and very possibly many lives around you.
Life is not meant to be waisted sitting on your bum. Life is meant to be pursued, explored, challenged, overcome. Life is meant to be BIG. And to be lived to the fullest.
I know you feel it. I know your heart is pounding faster and your blood pumping harder as you read this because it resonates with something deep inside of you.
You may not want to hope that it is true. You may not want to believe it is true. You may not want it to be true because you like your tiny box that you have made your life into. But, my friend, you KNOW it is true.
Go out there and find that life you so desperately desire. It is your’s waiting for you. Waiting for you to live it.
Live the life made and meant for you.
Anna Ruby falls in GA is most beautiful
Photo taken by Tamara Haygood
BALANCE
September 8, 2014 Monday
Balance in all areas of life
Finding balance in your life is so very important. It is important to find balance in what you eat, when you eat and how often you eat. It is important to find balance in when you orkout, how you work out and how far you push yourself.
We even need balance in our life when it comes to work, sleep, play and spending money.
I, for one, am not good with balance at all. I try but I ended trying too hard and live from one extreme to the next. This is how the conversation works in my head, “I am eating healthy and I am working out regularly. Good. I am in a good place. But I am feeling low on energy and people say I need to eat more when I workout. So I am going to eat more.” Hours later, “Still hungry, I probably should eat more. And more. Oh, I ate too much. No more eating.”
I never know when to stop or when I have gone too far with one thing until my body yells at me. For example, I have a tendency to lean more towards the workaholic side of things. I will push myself for months on end. Not taking days of. Not resting. Just going, going and going. I do start to feel like the energizer bunny or a super human after a while. But then, out of no where, the energy is completely gone and I can barely get my butt out of bed. For the next few days, all I desire to do is to sleep. But I am never really sure when I have had enough sleep and if I am just turning lazy.
It is a hard cycle. I wish I had more advice for you on getting balance but all I know is that it is super important. If you have any advice, feel free to share it with me. I am always open to learning new tricks.
Just try to stay aware of what you are doing in all areas of your life. Look out for the warning signs that your body sends you before you go too far. Oh and Happy Monday!
My beautiful sister in Anna Ruby falls in GA
Photo taken by Karissa Hagemeister
HAIR MYTHS
September 9, 2014 Tuesday
The truth about your hair
Many of us have fallen for some horrible hair myths and have limited the ability of your hair awesomeness. I am one that has fallen for them.
Ken Paves, hair genius and author of “You Are Beautiful” shares four main hair myths common for today.
Myth #1: A predetermined face shape determines your hair.
I believed this myth. I have a long face and everyone told me that I needed to have shorter hair because it would make my face not look as long. I like having short hair but I much rather prefer long hair on myself. But I have learned that if I do certain things with my long hair, it gives the same affect that the short hair would have on my face and it still looks good.
Once again, going back to that chart from last Tuesday, your hair style should show off your best feature not be limited to your face shape.
Myth #2: The older you are, the shorter your hair should be.
This myth makes me so sad. Women should grow their hair however long they want no matter what age. They are so concerned with “looking” their age. Why look your age when you can look 20 years younger?
Myth #3: You can’t go blonde, red, ...
Ken says that you can dye your hair these different colors you just have to find the right shade that matches with your skin tone. With blonde hair, there is golden blonde, platinum blonde, ash blonde, ... so you just have to find the right one that compliments your skin.
Myth #4: You can’t get a certain cut because of your hair texture and type.
This is what Ken has to say about that, “Beauty as a whole has to be personalized and exceptions to every ‘rule’ have to be made based on each woman’s needs, her lifestyle, what her life calls for.”
Go break the rules. Go bold and have fun with your hair. It is your best accessory. :-)
What does the fox say?
Photo taken by Casssandra Hagemeister
STYLED WITH CONFIDENCE
September 10, 2014 Wednesday
Style is
95% confidence
Confidence or even having the air of confidence is a big deal. Confidence even counts when it comes to style.
Why do you think celebrities can pull off some of those ridiculous outfits? Their confidence level is so high that they flaunt it even when it does not look good.
Two times in Isaac Mizrahi’s book, “How to Have Style” he notes the importance of confidence in style:
“Confidence and knowing what is right for you is 95 percent of style.”
“Style is 95 percent confidence (and 30 percent accessories).”
The top rule when it comes to fashion and your personal style is to be comfortable in your own skin.
You know better than anyone else does how well something fits you or if something really flatters you. If you do not feel comfortable in it, you will not exude confidence in it.
The one thing that people can notice about others with just one glance is their confidence. When you are confident, you attract others. People see that confidence, that want to be like you. They want to be confident.
If you do not feel comfortable or confident in an outfit, don’t buy it and don’t wear it.
If you are wanting to pull off a crazy outfit, just walk around with confidence, even if it is pretend confidence. You will totally be able to pull it off.
Tubing down Georgia
Photo taken by a guy from Helen, GA
BEAUTIFUL MESS
September 11, 2014 Thursday
You are not
alone
I like to have everything together or at least appear that way. I don’t like to cry around others. I don’t like people to feel sorry for me. I don’t like telling anyone my problems because I do not want to depress or burden them.
Many people are the same way. They keep the heavy things to themselves and only share the light-airy things.
I do not understand why we behave this way. For me, it is as if I am afraid to let people know. But what am I afraid of?
We are all humans, which means we all a mess. But we are each a beautiful mess. It truly is more beautiful when we are able to share our mess with others.
We are not meant to be an island. We are not meant to live in an isolated tower. We were not meant to carry our burdens alone.
Why do we do it? Why do I do it?
I have been trying to stretch myself and come out of my lonely, comfort bubble. To let a select few know that I am a mess too. There is no way I can have it all together.
Stepping out and reaching out to someone is definitely one of the hardest things I have done. But once I get it out, weight lifts off my shoulders and I see that I am not walking this world alone.
You may be very comfortable with sharing your beautiful mess with others but if you are not, just remember that we are all a bunch of beautiful messes walking around. Give it a try and see the difference it makes in your life and in your close relationships.
You are not meant to carry it alone, beautiful.
Two goofy sisters
Photo taken by Karissa Hagemeister (after rolling down the hil behind them)
GOING DEEP
September 12, 2014 Friday
Deep heart
diving
Your heart is like deep waters. There are hidden tunnels, wrecked ships and creatures of the deep. (Maybe not the nicest metaphor).
All of our hearts are like this. We have secrets from the past that we would prefer be kept hidden. We think it is best if they be buried deep down where no one dares to go. This way they cannot come back to haunt us too often.
The wrecked ships are the scars left behind from those whom we have loved and lost. From the abuse we received from those whom we loved. It is the baggage that we still carry around from past relationships.
Then there are those heart issues that we have a hard time facing and overcoming: forgiveness, anger, hatred, prejudice, ... the creatures of the deep. If we stay in their company for too long, they can choke the life right out of us.
We each have our tunnels, ships and creatures. We all have a past, even if it was not a past we chose for ourselves.
We like to avoid the deep waters of our hearts and we definitely do not want anyone else going down there. It hurts us too much to be reminded. The feelings return. The pain is like a fresh stab to the heart.
But we were not made to carry such deep, dark hurts with us. It taints our life, our joy, our happiness. No, it is not necessarily safe to bring someone down there with us. But there is one who will go down there with you. He will explore all the deep areas of your heart. More than that, he will heal the wounds that we left open. He will restore the pieces that were torn. He can make your heart as good as new. He did and continues to for me.
He is God alone. He is the only one I trust with my complete, deep past. He is the only one that has been able to restore and bring life back to the broken recesses of my heart. It is only by him that I am able to love and to live to the fullest.
Mommy & me
Photo taken by Karissa Hagemeister
VLOG
September 13, 2014 Saturday
Tides
are
changing
Today is special, instead of reading, you can watch a VLOG I made just for you. I need to work on my excitement in these videos but for now it is just me talking ... lol
Things are changing, not only for me, but for bringing beautiful back, so make sure to watch it to see what is going on.
MY KINGDOM
September 15, 2014 Monday
Needs
to
fall
We are all out to build our own kingdom. Your kingdom does not look like my kingdom. Vice versa.
We build our kingdoms to leave a legacy, to make a mark, to be remembered, to be famous so the whole world will know who we are and what we have done.
It is most definitely good to do something with your life, to have a purpose that you pursue, goals, something to move forwards towards. But we get it confused when we are trying to build up our own kingdoms, our own empires, our own names.
I am guilty, just as the rest of us. I have tried to build my castle by keeping myself busy, staying in control of my life and everything that touches it, by putting walls up so high that no one can get in and making sure that I stayed comfortable through it all.
Someone I highly esteem once said, if you are comfortable, you are not loving enough. This comes into my thoughts on a regular basis. The world needs, is searching for love.
If I am too busy building my kingdom, making sure I am comfortable and making sure no one gets in, I am not loving. I am not leading. I am not being a light and an example to the world. The only way the world is going to turn to Jesus is if we unite and be the love of Jesus that everyone so desperately is searching for.
My name is not important. My fame is not important. If I am building a kingdom to honor myself, my life is a waste. My kingdom will fall.
But if I continually choose to live a life that loves and builds up the Kingdom of God, the world really will change. It is amazing what God can do when we choose to get out of his way.
I cannot wait to see what he has in store for His Kingdom.
Photo taken by Karissa Hagemeister
Enjoy this music video by Colton Dixon singing, "More of You"
This song inspired today's blog
CALENDAR
September 16, 2014 Tuesday
Connect
with
me
Going through my schedule for the next few months, I have found that there will possibly be days when I cannot blog.
There will be a few days when I will be on the road all day, some days when I will be shooting all day or at a fashion event all day. I promise to try to keep up with the blogs as much as possible and keep them relevant, juicy and encouraging.
As I mentioned in my VLOG, I no longer feel the need to follow the daily subject structure that I had been using for quite a few months. Instead the blogs will most likely be topics that are weighing on my heart at the time.
Something a little fun and different that I am doing is adding a calendar to the “Connect” tab. It will have my traveling schedule so you can see where I am going to be. If you are around the area, feel free to contact me and I would love to meet with you.
I love traveling so this is going to be a very exciting season of my life. I will share so much with all of you beautiful people about the journey and fill this blog up with tons of pictures.
Here is a snippet of the month ahead ...
Family saying good bye to the mountains
Photo taken by Karissa Hagemeister
Schedule for October
Would love to connect with you, beautiful
SANGUINES
September 18, 2014 Thursday
Lively, enthusiastic, compassionate
Earlier this month, I shared with you about the four temperaments but only discussed Melancholies. So let’s take the next few days and go over the other three, just in case someone out there really wants to know :)
Today we will discuss Sanguines. Sanguines are extreme extroverts. They talk, a lot. They are very fun and loving. They tend to be the life of the party because their personality takes over the room and they like having all eyes on them.
I was not born with an ounce of Sanguine in me. However, I find myself attracted to Sanguines just because they are opposite of me. I feel I can learn a lot from them. And through the past few years, I have watched them and adopted some of their good traits so that I would not feel like an outcast all of the time.
Now, when people first meet me, I pull out my sanguine card and I am super friendly, somewhat talkative and bubbly. Which is often mistaken as flirting but they soon meet the quiet melancholy side of me and probably wonder what kind of strange cookie I am. LOL
That being said, let’s delve into the strengths and the weaknesses of Sanguines, just as we did for the Melancholies.
Photo taken by Karissa Hagemeister
Just like the melancholy, sanguines can see their weaknesses as obstacles to overcome. They can train themselves to listen more and talk less. They can get a handle on their emotions. If they buy a planner, they will be able to remember things much easier as well.
If you are of sanguine temperament, the world loves you because you do brighten everyone’s day (even if they do not want it brightened). But your friends and family, even yourself, will find a deeper connection and satisfaction if you are able to try and place others before yourself every so often.
Source: “The Spirit Controlled Woman” by Beverly LaHaye
PHLEGMATIC
September 19, 2014 Friday
Faithful,
Calm,
Peacemaker
Phlegmatics, the third of the temperament groups. Phlegmatics are introverts, like the melancholies but great at making friends like the Sanguines.
Looking back on my life, the earliest I seen signs of phlegmatic behavior in my life was once my parents divorced. I was eight years old, happy and carefree up to that point. After that, I am not quite sure what shifted inside of me but I became a very worried and fearful child. I had a very hard time sleeping at night for years because of worry.
With the help of God I have slowly overcome much of that worry and fear. I no longer allow fear to hold me back from anything.
I have also been the peacemaker, especially in my home. I can’t stand yelling, fighting, tension, anger. It stresses me out so I do what I can to ease the problem.
Fall!! I'm READYY
Photo taken by Karissa Hagemeister
Phlegmatics are those type of people that everyone enjoys being around. They are happy-go lucky. Whatever comes, comes. Take life as it happens.
But what many do not know is the reason they are this way is because they lack confidence in themselves so they do not go out there and try to make things happen. They are afraid of doing something wrong, so many times they will not do anything, they will just let whatever happens, happen.
Phlegmatics could make such a difference in the world if they would try because they have such a like-able personality and make great friends and confidants easily. They have influence but they cannot see it and are too afraid to use it.
However, their weaknesses can be overcome and they can live a life without fear and with great success.
Source: “The Spirit Controlled Woman” by Beverly LaHaye
CHOLERIC
September 23, 2014 Tuesday
Me and my girl after our 5K Stache Dash
Photo taken by Gage Sellers
The last but not least of the four temperaments are the Choleric temperament. Cholerics are extroverts. They are the take charge, in your face, get it done type of people.
I do not believe I was born with any choleric tendencies and I have never been fond of strong cholerics. They just come off more mean than friendly most of the time. However, in the past few years, I have adopted some of their traits to add to my personality collection.
I have taken on a strong outer shell, where it appears nothing can effect me. I stop the tears and stop the compassion. I keep my focus on my goals and what I am doing. In some ways I have taken it a little too far and I am trying to find the right balance.
Let’s take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of the Cholerics.
Confident,
Bold,
Motivated
The Choleric is another strong and powerful temperament. They see things that need to get done and more than any other temperament, they do actually achieve their goals and complete their projects. However, because of their lack of compassion and friendliness, they do not have an easy time making friends. People that help them or follow their leadership normally do it because they are afraid of them or because they are trying to work their way up some kind of corporate ladder.
If they could learn to be somewhat compassionate and a little less harsh, they could make some very loyal and helpful friends and make a big difference in this world.
If you are a choleric, you were blessed with a really strong personality, do not abuse your power but use it to make a difference.
Source: “The Spirit Controlled Woman” by Beverly LaHaye
FREE FALLING FEAR
September 24, 2014 Wednesday
Feel the fear but move in faith
Constant change seems to be the story of my life right now. Add that to constant traveling and we get one tired girl.
I am so ready for this upcoming season in my life, I have already started packing (even though I have a week and a half to go). At the same time I am pretty frightened. I do not know most of what awaits me. I do not know how everything will come together. I am stepping into new territories ... and once again, I am doing it all alone.
I have had to quit all my sources of income, of comfort. And I think that is what terrifies me the most. There is no back up plan. It is all or nothing.
I love and enjoy this life that awaits but I feel like I am free falling backwards of a cliff with my arms spread wide. Inside, I am freaking out, terrified out of my mind. Afraid that God’s hand will not be there to catch me. But on the outside I am the look of serenity. If my faith is not up to par yet, at least I am going to make it appear that way.
All we need is a little faith to get us through the fear
Photo of Karissa Hagemeister
Fake it till you make it, right?! I sure hope so.
Fear may try to choke me and paralyze me, like it has done my whole life. But I will not let it hold me back. Even if I still feel the fear, I will act the opposite of what it tells me to do because my faith is bigger than the fear that eats away at my insides.
During the day, I can make it shut up. I can feel my head with so many other great thoughts. But once I lay down to sleep, there the fear is, staring me in the face.
It keeps me awake longer than I need to be. Even when I do sleep, it is not restful as the fear enters my dreams and torments me through the night. I awake feeling as if I just lived out a whole week.
It makes me feel like I am being drug through jagged rocks, that are cutting and tearing my skin. Or that my adult teeth are being pulled out. But I know that this is part of the test.
Will I remain strong? Will I remain faithful through the torment? Once I get on the other side, I know it will all be worth it.
I just hope the other side is not too far away ...
FALL TREATS
September 26, 2014 Friday
Fall treats minus the sweets
Welcome to fall, beautiful!!
Fall has become one of my favorite times of the year. Its that brief moment in time as we anxiously approach the holidays. It is a promise of cooler weather to escape the killer summer heat. It is always a transition time. Moving out of one extreme season into another.
Fall is a season of promise.
Along with it’s promises and cooler weather also come those beloved fall treats. Pumpkin this and that. Cinnamon rolls. Lattes. Caramel apples. You name it ... I can’t have it.
I knew this was going to be hard for me when I first made the decision to remove sugar and gluten from my life. But in the spring and the summer time it is slightly easier to avoid. Fall will be a good prep time for me to resist because once Christmas goodies start popping up, I am going to have to wear my strong girl armor to say no like every 5 seconds.
Me cheating ... bad girl
Photo of Karissa Hagemeister
I can tell you it has already been difficult because there is something about the breeze and the cooler air that draws you to the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks and baking those homemade goods.
I can also tell you that I have slipped up already. And it wasn’t worth it. Yes, it was tasty for a moment but almost immediately it made me feel horrible inside and extremely exhausted. I know better than to do that to myself anymore.
My body knows what is and is not good for me. I have to make the better choice to take care of it if I plan on living longer.
I will still enjoy my fall season but I am already cooking up ways to make it sugar free and gluten free, which means happy and healthy for me.
If they turn out to be amazing, I will share my special recipes with you :)
THE END OF LIFE
September 29, 2014 Monday
... As
I
Know It
Today I begin the last week of life as I know it. Anticipation as well as fear of the unknown grips my heart and consumes my thoughts.
I knew this time would come all along but I became very comfortable in my routine. I became comfortable with my stable jobs and income. I was very content with my friends and family all around me. I am happy just being at home, not having to venture into the big world.
At the same time, I crave adventure. I desire travel. To do new things, meet new people and break past the comfort and contentment.
This is my last week of working for any of the numerous jobs, people and companies that I have worked for over the past few years. It feels weird to not be “employed” anymore, especially since I am so used to having at least 3 places of employment. But I knew all along that I was not made for that type of lifestyle. I could have stayed, working for others for the rest of my life but I would never have been fully happy or satisfied.
Let's begin this journey ... I'm ready
Photo of Karissa Hagemeister
I am an entrepreneur through and through. I am an independent woman with creative ideas and plans to change the world. I need to be me.
Being twenty-six, the time has come for me to leave the life I knew and created behind and move forward to step into the life I was created for.
At the beginning of next week, I will begin my travels as I take on runways, film wardrobes and my fashion line. I will begin taking it state by state and eventually overseas to wherever God leads.
I will begin this journey alone but I am never alone as God always goes with me.
So, it will be hard to end this part of my life as it is always hard to end good things and good byes never really seem easy. (If you can’t tell, I get really attached to everything and really should work on that.)
At the same time that I feel the pain of leaving so much behind, I will embrace with open arms my future as I plunge forward into the life that I have been preparing for, dreaming of and longing for.
May God go with you, as he has with me, as you end chapters and begin new ones. As you take a leap of faith, step out on a limb and risk it all. You only live once, beautiful, so make sure you are not too afraid to actually live.