Which Is More Important - How or Why?

by, Alycia W. Morales
@AlyciaMorales

I'm 50 pounds overweight. And unfit. My core suffers as I enjoy chocolate and sweet tea and sit at a desk all day. My husband isn't in much better shape than I am, and we've decided to eliminate our "extra." But that's not the only "why" we're doing this. At least not for me.

So, this past week we began an all-natural, daily supplement dose that is increasing our energy, blocking an enzyme that turns sugars and starches into fat (so we shed our fat intake rather than retaining it), suppressing our appetites, increasing our metabolisms, and cleaning our systems. We'll take these for a month or two and then give our bodies the appropriate break they will need.

Like It or Not, Your Kids Are Just Like You

by Alycia W. Morales
@AlyciaMorales

Life Lessons #2

I used to stare at people in disbelief when they'd tell me my kids would be just like me ... only twice as bad. And when I became a Christian and heard about this thing called generational curses, I wondered ...

Could it possibly be true?

So I started praying. Lord, please make them twice as good, not twice as bad. Please give them a double portion of honesty, loyalty, and the desire to love deeply. Please skip the perfectionist tendencies, the moodiness, and the desire to be left alone most of the time. Don't give them those, Lord. Especially not in a double portion.

Life Isn't Fair. Get Used To It.

by Alycia W. Morales 
@AlyciaMorales 

Life Lessons #1

I used to hate it when my parents would say, "Life isn't always fair." Now, my kids make angry faces when I tell them the same thing. Just like I did.

Sometimes I buy one child a gift and not the other three.

Or I take one child with me and leave the other three home.

Or someone gets the last piece of chocolate when there isn't enough left to go around.

I try to make things fair more often than not. But sometimes a parent just wants to bless a child out of the blue. Just to let them know they're special ... not because they want to play favorites.

An Invitation to the Party ~ A Happy Birthday Post

by Alycia W. Morales
@AlyciaMorales

Happy Birthday to Me! Happy Birthday to Me! If you couldn't tell, today is my birthday. And I'd like to welcome you to my party!

I'm turning 21 again. Well, maybe not really ... I wouldn't want to be 21 again. But I am turning something. Like maybe a new leaf. I find myself looking for a new beginning this year. I don't really know why, but I feel impregnated with a new hope. A fresh outlook on life. Something exciting about to be birthed. The next BIG thing with God, because even the littlest things are BIG with Him.

And I'd like to invite you to celebrate with me.

As my birthday approached, I found myself pondering the past 41 years. I kept asking myself what I'd learned that would be valuable to someone else. What is my legacy? What am I leaving behind if God decided 41 years was long enough for me to be? Would I have anything to pass on to my children, both in the natural and the spiritual? Is there an ounce of wisdom in my graying hair?

I've discovered that I think there is.

For the next 41 Tuesdays (since my birthday fell on a Tuesday), I want to share a flower from the bouquet I have picked from the garden of my life. These are things the Lord has taught me. These are things I've discovered along my journey. These are things I've learned by watching others' examples. These are things I've heard spoken by others wiser than me. And now I want to share them with you...

I hope they bless you as much as they've blessed me!

Welcome to the party!

Watch for the first post next week. :) Until then ... may your life be inspired!

Double Cross by DiAnn Mills - A Book Review

by, Alycia W. Morales  @AlyciaMorales

I'm all snuggled in with my coffee, Double Cross, and ... Hey! Who's that lurking in the background?

One of the things I love about DiAnn Mills' recent release, Double Cross, is that she talks about the value of life even when someone has aged and developed dementia. This topic hit home for me due to the recent loss of my father-in-law, who had dementia but wanted nothing to do with medical assistance or outside help. As his children, my husband, sister-in-law, and I didn't necessarily understand why he wouldn't let us help him, but we did understand his desire to pass in his own environment on his own terms. And we respected that.

In Double Cross, FBI agent Laurel Evertson has to work with a man who she put in jail years before. Morton Wilmington claims to have found faith in Jesus while incarcerated and says he has forgiven Laurel for sending him to prison. The question throughout the novel is whether or not Wilmington's faith is legit and whether or not he can be trusted. I won't give away the ending, but I will tell you it was one of the best I've ever read and extremely satisfying.
Meanwhile, Houston Police Officer Daniel Hilton is working hard to protect his grandparents from the enemy, who is scamming the elderly. Two of his grandparents' friends are already dead, and no one seems to think there has been foul play. Daniel works alongside Laurel and Wilmington to uncover who is behind the murders and the false policies.

The pace of this novel was a little slower than Firewall, but it was fitting considering the focus on the elderly and various characters' hesitancy to trust other characters. Don't quit reading. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Especially since every time you think you know something, DiAnn throws in a plot twist that takes you down another path and leaves you wondering whether or not you'll ever figure out who did it. Double Cross is a masterfully woven tale that will keep you turning pages until a very rewarding end.

Disclosure: I was given a copy of Double Cross to review. However, I never let that fact sway my review. And I would let you know if I didn't recommend reading it. In this case, I highly recommend you read it.