From The Heart of Mia: Passion

From Mia’s heart….

Passion. Have you ever become so passionate about something 

that it seems to disrupt your whole being?  Then those around you 

have to start hearing about it… and if it all goes well, you stir up a 

passion in them!  That’s all you want to talk about, think about…you 

become thirstier and thirstier and never become satisfied.  That’s the 

way I have felt about Heaven for over four years!  I imagine it, I read 

everything I can about it.  I pray and pray that I can see just a glimpse of 

Heaven.  I look for every sign that points to the time of our rapture.  I 

can’t wait to get there! And the thing is, I just get more and more 

stirred up in my spirit.  I get more and more excited…which brings me 

to my favorite verses: 

Colossians 3:1-4 (NKJV)

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where 

Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on 

things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When 

Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” 

Sometimes we can’t explain where our passion comes from; 

however, I can explain mine.  On September 8, 2010 my daughter, Bree, 

at the age of 20, went to sleep and never woke up. Jesus just pulled her 

up to Heaven. Shock went through our whole family—my husband, 

kids, parents, Bree’s aunts, uncles and cousins, friends…just about 

everyone who knew her was shocked.  Bree loved the LORD. She was a 

SUPER kid…athletic, intelligent, beautiful and above all, she LOVED 

Jesus.  Her cousins would just follow her around because she was older, 

yes, but mainly because she loved them so much and they could feel it.  

My husband and I have read her journals and letters to Jesus over and 

over these past several years….and there is one thing we know for 

absolute certainty….Bree, our precious, precious daughter, is in 

Heaven! How do we KNOW that?  Because she truly believed in Jesus 

and what He did for her on the cross.

This is a picture of my sweet daughter, Bree.

I ache to see her again, hold her and just tell her how much I love 

her.  But this heartache and pain has been such a blessing, as it has 

awakened my spirit and opened my eyes. Heaven is real!  Bree is more 

alive now than ever!  It’s just a thin veil that separates us from a world 

we can’t physically see, hear or touch unless the Lord allows it.  And 

sometimes He does.  I believe that those on the other side of the veil 

see us clearly, and are even cheering us on in life.  That’s another blog post 

in itself. 

This all brings me to a point.  My kids have been asking me to 

start a blog, and I’ve even received a prophecy that I would be 

blogging. Someday.  I must admit that after years of ignoring these 

signs, I finally was convinced by my persistent daughter and her 

husband, Christy and Andrew to just write “something.” Sooo, the ice 

has been broken and the adventure begins!  Thanks for listening… 

All glory be to God Almighty! 

From the heart of…. 

Mia

Revelation 21:4

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; 

there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. 

There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

C-Sections Are Not of Satan!!!

Hello everyone!
So I have not written a blog entry in a while, and I thought it was past due.

I really felt the urge to write a blog of encouraging words to expecting mothers based on my experience. First let me start off by saying that I am currently 32.5 weeks pregnant with our second little girl. Eden, our first, is now 2 years old. Here is me today...

When we were expecting with Eden, I had a birth plan that was all mapped out, and I prayed everyday for her. My husband and I were so excited! We could not wait to meet our little one.  We decided not to find out her gender until birth, so not only were we excited about meeting our little one, but we were totally clueless on whether it was a boy or a girl!

Everyone and their mom told me their birth story! And after that, I told myself that I really did not want a c-section, but I was not worried about it. After all, my family has naturally great childbearing hips. I was always told that I was built to have babies. After all I am related to the woman who wrote Cheaper By The Dozen! In her book she talks about inheriting the "Galbraith hips" and guess what? That's my great aunt Galbraith she is talking about! Anyways, I was pretty certain I did not have to worry about having a cesarean. However, when I went in at 34 weeks to see the doctor, Eden was breech. No big deal though, right? She still has plenty of time to flip... 36, still breech, 38.... breech. I was doing everything I could to help flip the baby, except have her turned manually by the doctors (that scared me too much). I was going to the chiropractor, and doing handstands in the pool, and every exercise on Spinningbabies.com. Nothing would turn her. We scheduled a c-section.

I was so depressed and scared. I had heard quite a few horror stories that made me really nervous. Some of my friends kept telling me, "Have faith! God will flip the baby! Have faith that He will not make you have a c-section!"  I would like to say that this thought process is ridiculous. It is okay to have faith that God will work things out for the good, but to make it sound as there is only one good way for it to happen is not okay.

God tells us "'For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11. But He also says "“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9. So why do so many women look at having a cesarean as a failure or a curse from God? I mean, really? Does it really matter how God gives you the blessing? I ended up having a c-section. It was AMAZING. Though the recovery was tough, the birth was beautiful and very easy. The doctor noticed when doing the procedure that I have a heart shaped uterus which made it very hard for baby to flip. 1 in 200 women have a heart shaped uterus. Here is a picture of a normal and heart shaped uterus, so you can kind of gain some understanding.

So here I am... 32.5 weeks pregnant with our second little girl. And guess what? She is breech. The doctor does not recommend we try to turn her because of the shape of my uterus. I really hope to have natural birth, but this time I have so much more peace than I did with Eden's delivery. God has shown me that His ways are way better than mine and everyone of my friends' ways. The thing is, I was built by God. He know's what is best for me and my baby. When people tell me how much better it is to have a natural birth, or how horrible c-sections are, I cannot help but laugh inside. Do not get me wrong, I WANT to have a natural birth, but I also realize that though it may be a great way of delivering for most women and their children, it is NOT the best way of delivering for all women in all circumstances.

Many women (including me when I was pregnant with Eden) feel they have failed some how by not being able to deliver the way "God intended it." What a bunch of bologna!  If He wants to take the baby from out of your stomach a different way, then THAT is how He intended it! If God wants to deliver a baby using the hands of a skilled surgeon, then let God's will be done! The most important thing is giving it fully to God, and trusting in His plan even if it does not match yours!

Working Hard for the Hiney, So Hard for it Honey!

Hey everyone. I just have to share how Great Jesus is. I just feel overwhelmed by His love, power, grace and mercy lately. You know how it is when you TRY to fathom His greatness and get totally overwhelmed with joy that all you can do is weep on your knees in His presence? He is so Great you guys. Don't forget that. When things get scary, just remember that we don't have to fear ANYTHING except for Him alone. Psalm 27:1 says "The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?" Wow. Isn't that cool? If you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you have nothing, and no one to fear.  "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31. That is some pretty powerful stuff right? Anyways, I think that is pretty awesome. Eden had eye surgery today and that was something that God helped ease my fear about with these scriptures.

 This is Eden waiting for her appointment!

Sometimes I let fear creep into my life. Satan starts planting irrational thoughts like "well God took your sister, and it worked for the good, but what if His plan involves taking Eden too." Here is the thing. This is TOTALLY a thought from Satan. God may have given us a hard past, and He may have some events that are even harder in the future, but why would we fear GOD's plans? Do not get me wrong, losing my sister was the hardest thing I have ever had to endure, but I can honestly say that it has had the most drastic affect on my life, and in a GREAT way! I still cry, and I yearn to see her face again, but God has revealed to me the importance of my time here on earth. We only have a little time here to be open vessels for God to use. Bree was a great example. She touched so many, and through her life and early departure MANY AROUND THE WORLD were and are still being SAVED! That brings such tears of joy to my eyes.

This is right before she went in. She did WONDERFULLY!

 I still struggle with letting go of what the world thinks of me for the sake of bringing truth and true love to others.  But God makes it clear, “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!" Luke 6:22.  Praise Jesus for that! I am not saying that you should go out and use Jesus's name only to hurt peoples feelings and bring people down, but I am saying that you should not have fear of being outcast when you share the love and truth of Christ. And be prepared; you will offend people. Jesus offended many, and so did His disciples, because people do not want to hear the truth. The truth is very offensive to someone who does not want to change. But please do not let this stop you! He, Jesus, The Great I Am is applauding you!! Not only that, but He is using you to bring others to Him! It may not be the person you are talking directly to... it may be the person standing in the corner listening in to your conversation, or it may be a person on Facebook who glances at your profile. God has NO limits. You NEVER know! Be courageous my friends, and be bold!

Okay, now that being said.... FITNESS! I have been doing really well! I havent gained any weight in my pregnancy! Well so far, that will change I am sure. Tomorrow marks 9 weeks! But I have been working out hard still! Not as hard as before my pregnancy, but I am definitely working out! Here is a picture of me and my family doing the card workout together on vacation in Vegas.

Thats my dad on the left, me then Jessie (who kicks my butt) 

and Ryan my brother who is my awesome trainer! You look great you guys! 

I do not know what I would do without you =D

By the way, if any of you need a personal trainer in San Diego County, Ryan is AMAZING! You guys can call him at 760-880-2248 or email him at Grandon001@gmail.com. You won't regret it!

Eden has been helping me workout hard as well! She is such a cutie, look at this kid!

By the way my pregnancy has been going beautifully, though morning sickness has been a challenge for sure! Oh and I cannot stomach veggies at ALL you guys!!! I have been trying to eat healthier by choosing fruits for my sweets cravings. That has helped. I am excited to have this first trimester be over so I can have my energy and an apatite back! 

Here is a tip that has helped me get my healthy foods in... plan in advance. The crock-pot has been a life-savor. All you have to do is throw in some chicken, veggies and some low sodium and low sugar sauce in the morning, set it to low and and dinner is made for your family 8 hours later! Super easy! It just takes remembering, which can be a challenge with this mommy brain of mine, lol! But it is so worth it.

Also, if you have a sweet tooth, fruit is amazing like I said, but sometimes you crave chocolate so bad! I eat these chocolate brownie bars (click here). because they are really tasty but my favorite are the peanut-butter chocolate ones (click here) lol! They are both a great source of protein, and they are low on sugar and high in fiber! Not to mention they really hit the spot and boost your energy. 

Here is another tip for exercising. If you are low on energy, it is super important to get in your multivitamin or prenatal!! I notice a DRASTIC difference in my energy when I do take my prenatal than when I do not. This is what I take, Isotonx Prenatal (click here). It is Isotonic which means it goes directly into your blood stream, which is what you need in the morning! I stopped drinking coffee and caffeine before I got pregnant and found that taking my multivitamin has been extremely effective. Andrew takes, Isotonix Multivaitamin (click here). 

Anyways, those are my tips for this blog! Talk to you guys soon!  

Roller-Coaster Week

I am so happy you guys! I have been so good with my eating habits and workouts! I have lost 2 lbs this week!!! WOOT! It was a wake up call for me finding out that I was preggers. I started to really eat right. Except I have to confess today I was really sore from Friday and Saturday's workouts, so I was just going to rest today, but then we decided to have pizza... Because I have been eating so healthily, that pizza destroyed me!!! I had heart burn for like 6 hours! After realizing the damage that stuff did to my body I decided to suck it up and go on a 4 mile brisk walk. I was in pain probably for the first 2 miles, because I was so stiff and STILL burping up pizza that I ate hours ago. But after that I got in the groove and finished that stinker!

This is my lil' angel, Eden... She inspires me.

I am always seeing these pregnant women walking and they inspire me so much. So thank you ladies! Keep up the good work... I am really praying for the strength and persistence that you have!

This week has been filled with some ups and downs you guys. But God is great! I know a few of you know this already, but I had a little bit of a pregnancy scare right after I found out that I was pregnant. What a roller-coaster ride it has been. Long story short... I was spotting (which I had with Eden too) with some cramps, the Doctor kind of freaked out and acted as though I probably (not possibly) miscarried and had me take like 12 blood tests. When all was said and done the baby is great! God is good!

I know that some people are probably thinking, and this is why you wait to announce your pregnancy... I hear you, but think about how many people were praying for me and my baby. Prayer is so powerful! So thank you all so much for keeping this baby in your prayers. I really appreciate it so much.
One thing that I feel I am learning more and more everyday is that this child and Eden are God's children not mine.  He wants the best for this little one and Edie Peedie, and I am learning to trust that.

This is a picture of my workout partner/hubby and our lovely goddaughter Nevaeh. I love them =)

Andrew keeps me hoppin'!

Working Out For Two

Another great week! I haven't had this great of a week in over two years! I have kept up with my workout routine, and have continued to eat healthy.  Except for one day, Sunday, oh dear, Sunday. You see... I was in a hurry because Andrew and I were going to catch a movie, so I grabbed a protein shake and some seasoned almonds at the grocery store and decided not to look at the back of either, because how bad can those things be? I mean come on, they are healthy. After I had finished the protein shake and had 2 thirds of the almonds, curiosity got me to look at the back of these items. I drank 840 calories!!!!!! Then, I ate 680 calories!!! 1520 calories for a snack? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Why did I not just go to In n' Out and order a Triple Triple Animal style! It would have at least tasted amazing! So yeeeeaaaah. That protein shake was probably made with buttermilk and the almonds soaked in gasoline, that's the only way I can explain how America could fatten up such "healthy" things. Learn from me, READ THE BACK PEOPLE!!!

So you want to know why we were running a little short on time for the movies? Well, I had to drop Eden off at Grandma and Granpa's house, and in doing so I had to tell them the news (as you have probably guessed by the title) that they are going to be grandparents of TWO! That is right, I am as the Bible says, with child! Woot woot! And this month was the month that we decided not to try because my hubby and I were feeling so sick at different times. I guess it's true, stop trying and you will get preggies! So exciting! I think I am REALLY early, like 2.5 weeks. People are worried about me telling others too soon, and I am a little nervous too. But here is the thing, I don't want to limit the amount of prayers for this baby's health and growth. I am asking you guys to please pray for this little one's health and safety, that he or she (I think he) is an extremely healthy baby that grows up knowing and loving Jesus.  

There are 4 of these majiggers to prove baby Lowen's existence =D

I started having some really gnarly cramps yesterday, as well as some light spotting (brown) which is still continuing. I know that cramps can happen, but those were ridiculous, and the spotting I am really not worried about because I remember the same thing happening when I was pregnant with Eden. But it does not hurt to ask for your guys' prayers =D.

I am going to keep on working out, and just monitor my body a little bit more, and maybe go a tiny bit easier. Eating? Well I will not be eating for 2... Or in Sunday's case 6!

Kick Bootie Workout Week!

What a great week. I have done much better with my eating program, and I have ripped it up with my workouts. I have only taken one day off of working out in the past 7 days.  Today was my walk/run. I ran about 3.25 miles and walked a mile, and that was while I was sore! I was so proud of myself jogging, and then I saw a pregnant lady jogging faster than me! She had to be about 5 months preggers, and she looked AMAZING!  That made me even more determined to keep up with my workout program. I want to be pregnant by this year, but I am hoping I lose enough weight so that I can really have a healthy pregnancy. So yeah, that was a wake-up call that I need to go and go hard!   

Yesterday I was awfully tempted to skip my workout. I decided to sun bathe outside in the yard.  All it took was 15 minutes of looking at my flabby thighs and tummy to realize that I NEEDED to workout! Right then and there I did a killer leg and butt workout. I would have done abs but I am still sore from the ab workout that I got in on Wednesday! Today I was again very tempted to skip my run, but praise God I didn't! I thought I would share 3 tips that have really helped me overcome my desire to be lazy.

1. Workout in the morning... and get dressed in your workout clothes right when you wake up.

• This is so crucial. If you are like me, life just gets in the way if you decide to workout in the evening. If you get up early enough to workout in the morning your only obstetrical is your own lack of motivation... which brings me to my second tip...

2. Pray like crazy for motivation.

• I have to do this every day! God is so good, and He wants us to succeed in becoming healthier. Pray that He gives you a passion for working out and eating right. This has really helped me! I am not saying that I always feel like working out, but I am more motivated when I lift it up to Him.

3. Schedule it.

• Write down on your calender what you are going to do for your workout, and stick to it! 

4. Here is a bonus one... DO IT!  

I had to do all of these today in order to get my bootie out the door!

In all of the efforts I have put into working out, cooking healthily, and mommy duty I have found it SO hard to keep up with all the house work! Balance is really hard to master, and I even have help once a week! I know I can do way better. After I workout and cook everyone a legit meal I feel so done that I don't even want to look at the dishes. I am hoping that if I keep up with my workout plans and eating plans that I will gain a lot more energy. 

Remember that today is a very special day... Happy Good Friday everyone. Today is the day that Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. What an amazing thing, that the King of Heaven and earth would come down and die for us to erase our sins. All we have to do is accept Him as our Lord and Savior and accept His gift of salvation. What a beautiful thing.

Well, have a Happy Easter, everyone!  Don't forget, Easter is not about celebrating the easter bunny and eating candy, but it is all about Jesus rising from the dead! It is so fun having Easter egg hunts, but in the midst of all the hype it is truly important to remember the wonderful truth of God's victory! He conquered death! God bless and have a great weekend, everyone!

Anything Is Possible... Even Bumbie Shrinking!

Well  you guys... today I am feeling motivated. Today starts (for me) a new week, and I am ready to rock it! For a while I was off sorts with my workouts, but the last 7 days I have really started to get back on track.  Thanks to my TLS coach, Ryan Grandon, I have started to really track my workouts. Every exercise I do I write down on a calender. Ryan was right when he said that it is really motivating to look at your calender and be able to write something down. This week I worked out 4 times.

Today I kicked butt, my butt. I have to say though, it didn't feel too grand. I'm still feeling it! Have you guys ever heard of jumping-jack-squats? I haven't until this last week in a workout class. I have heard of jumping-squats, but not jumping-jack-squats. I have found that I am really not that out of shape when it comes to power, but when it comes to cardio... can I say heart attack!?! So in this class I was pretty much dying from all of the cardio, but the workout that killed me the most were these wonderful jumping-jack-squats. I mean come on, aren't squats enough of a workout? Do they need to combine them with jumping? But to combine them with jumping jacks? WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!  Needless to say, I decided to incorporate them into my "card workout" routine. For those of you that don't know what a card workout is check out my week 7 blog post: 6 Steps Forward 1 Step Back I did 84 of these suckers today! I about died. Any who, after the crazy card workout which incorporated 3 other workouts (88 push-ups, 164 bicycles/leg-out thingies and 88 lunges) I decided it was a great idea to do 100 sit-ups. I am beat people!

I am really out of shape. I was running on Saturday with Andrew (my hubby) and found that my lungs were completely uncooperative. My legs wanted to go, but my breathing said otherwise! That is so frustrating. So I am going to work on not gassing out this week by upping the cardio up and getting back my breathing pattern! Yikes. I hate running. But it seems to be the only thing that really shrinks my, as the Lowen family would call them, bumbies. And my bumbies must shrink!!! Don't get me wrong, I love having a big butt, but this is getting down right ridiculous! Yes, 'tis time to get pumped again.

I was really un-motivated, but I have been praying like crazy that God would really put a passion in my heart for working out, and I have found that prayer really helps me here! I know that I really cannot do anything without Jesus.  Getting back in shape seems impossible. What is cool is that ANYTHING is possible through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 5:13). Any who, I am excited. After just one week of working hard I feel so much better. I have to admit though, my eating habits definitely need improving! I haven't been completely evil, but I have had my naughty moments! I will do better for sure this week, because if there is one thing I have learned, its that you cannot out-exercise a bad diet!!!!

Here is a video of the evil exercise that did me in today.

And here is a picture of my week this week...