13 years later...

I had to write today. Too much on my mind and too many tears in my eyes. I look back at my life and I smile. I cry. I dream. I believe. I hope. And I thank God. People always say that life is tough and I would have to agree, but there is one thing that I learned at a very young age. Church became my life because it realized that I could have been dead. Maybe even I should have been dead, but God kept me. I live my life for me. I always pray that people will see the God in me.
After talking to my father today, He kept saying that God is good. I feel that at times he thinks that it was his fault that I was in that wreak. I know that it wasn’t. I know that it was God’s doing because he knew that I could handle it.

Let me recap December 16, 1997.
It was basketball season and daddy was coaching. I was tired and didn’t want to wait on daddy to have practice and then go home. I begged daddy to let me ride the bus and he told me no. I keep asking and he said no. I asked one more time and he said fine, he was going to call my mom and I could go. I ran to bus 434 and got on. I sat in the middle next to window. We drove Gamm rd and then turned onto Reed Rd. Coming to the end of the read our bus didn’t stop it went across the street and it flipped over. I must have blacked out cause when I woke up I was laying against the floor of the bus. I never knew my face was bleeding. I remember seeing Sarah. She was younger than me and I had to make sure she got off the bus safe. Jamar tried to open the back door. I think he kicked it and broke his foot I think. We were instructed to climb out of the windshield of the bus. I remember stepping off and they laid me on the stretcher. By this time, my daddy was there. Looking over me and holding my hand. I was told that I had to be airlifted to the LSU. Sarah and I were on the same plane and I remember looking at her and it looked like her eye was out of the socket. I kept asking her if she was okay and she said yes. Once in Shreveport we landed on top LSU and I will never forget being rushed in the little red door on top of the hospital. Surgery number one took place and I was able to see my parents. At that time mom was taking classes to do taxes at H&R Block. I asked her if she was going to go to class and she told me no I would never leave you. I woke up from surgery number one and I will never forget getting a small coke and a two pop cycles. I was ready for another surgery if I was going to wake up to that again. Then they took me back for another one. Daddy said he was watching the door they told him that the surgery was suppose to take 30 minutes and it took about 2 hrs. He said he was watching the door every time a foot print came to the door. Finally they came out and said that my eye was okay. What a relief. One thing that matter to me so much was that they cut my sweatshirt off. That morning me and mama had fought about the sweatshirt that I wore that. She told me that I had to wear that UGLY shirt and I didn’t want to. Then on the way to school I realized I didn’t have my glasses. Daddy fussed at me the whole way to school. If I would have had my glasses on, then I most likely wouldn’t have my left eye right now. Needless to say, I never wore that sweatshirt ever again ☺. That day led to many more surgeries and many more tough times.

There were days that Mom would have to cover up the mirror or leave the light off so that I wouldn’t like to see my face. Going to Wal-Mart was even harder. Grown people would stare me down and children were even worst. It would try to wear my hair down so I could it would cover my face but it was still seen.

Going through the different chapters of my life that I have lived so far has left an impact on the remaining chapters of my life. Now I can say I think God for taking care of me every step of the way. At age 8 I didn’t know who was taking care of me or what was talking care of me but now I know. From the prayers of my mother, father, church members, Herndon family, and friends. I made it!

Beautiful scars and all

Life... What's Next?

So, I have come to end of the road, and the end of chapter 5 in my book if life. Im sitting here wondering whats next and how everything will play out. RIght now, I want to hit the fast forward button on life to see what my future holds, but then I know if i peep, I will want to change something. Is there a BIG money job waiting on me, is my hubby waiting on me, is my house waiting on me, is my photography going to get bigger or not, or am I going to relocate even though I don't want to. There are so many things that are running through my mind, but I am just trusting God and leaving it in his hands. He got this.

So, sitting her looking at graduate on Friday, its like wow! I made it. It be tough. There have been many tears. There have been many hours of studying. There have been many cramming sessions. There have been many papers lost, computer acting stupid, and test that I got locked out of. But through it all I made it. I went to school with intention to finish it and dont go down playing. Taking 21 hours was never in my plan but I made it. Four semesters of 21 hours and full summer, made me wonder why I was rushing through school. Now i see that it was all worth it. With my parents paying for my college, there was no time to play. I will never forget I got my first C in Psychology and Daddy holler and yelled at me for about two days that weekend. Then mom told him that, this is college. She did wonderful in school but college is another thing. College is not for everyone. Grad school is not for everything. Word of advice... if you dont like high school go get a trade and make some money doing what you like. College is too expensive to play with.

Looking back on my life now, I have to say that I am proud of where I am now. Church has me grounded. Friends have my back. Family is my support. Joy is in me. Love is my heart. God is walking with me. Life is good!

My P90X Diary

Recently, I have heard a lot of talk about this program called P90X. I heard it was HARD, INTENSE, and a LOT of Work. So I had made up in my mind, that I was going to slowing back away from the program (without starting :) and stick with my gym workout. After a friend of mine had a long conversation with me, I decided what the heck, Lets "Bring It." (One of Tony Horton's Favorite saying.)

So what exactly is P90X? According to BeachBody.com, " The P90X^® workout program is a revolutionary system of 12 sweat-inducing, muscle-pumping exercises designed to transform your body from regular to ripped in just 90 days. Your personal trainer, Tony Horton, will keep you engaged every step of the way, and you won't believe your results!"
To hear Reviews about P90X go to BeachBody.Com and read some of the testimonies.


I am currently on Day 16... And it can be a challenge to say the least. My body has been hurting, but I have seen some change come in these first 16 days, so I refuse to give up on it now. But I need some help... I need some support and I want to support you. So You keep me posted on your progress with P90X and I will keep you posted on mine.

I'm not bold enough to post my before picture YET, but its coming when I get that confidence.

If you want to post pictures, GO FOR IT!
If you have some tips, POST THEM!
If you have some recipes, POST THEM!
If you are having a hard day, TELL US! We are here to support each other.

I would love to know what equipment you are using and what day you are on also.

I am only using the Resistance bands... BUT I LOVE THEM!

Also sign up for a free coach at BeachBody.com and track your goals on their website also.

My p90x Journey

Recently, I have heard a lot of talk about this program called

The Little Things

"Not Until We Appreciate The Little Things Will We See The Big Picture"

I was on Fall Break today, and I made it family day. I went to surprise my dad at school, which is the elementary and middle school that I attended. It was great to see old teachers and talk to students that he currently has. Then my mother took a half day from work and we had a picnic at the park and went shopping. I'm sad I didn't find anything, but I'm happy that she got everything that she was looking for.

While enjoying my day with my family, I had to stop and count my blessings. So many times, we get lost in the fast pace world that we call life. We forget about others because we are thinking about ourselves. Or forget about ourselves, because we are thinking about our kids. Something has out minds blocked out from focusing on the little things.

As I watching the kids play basketball and seeing my father in his element, I began to think about when I was in middle school... I had it made. I'm was blessed beyond measures. Money had no true value... All we thought about was getting concession (which we called Hawk Treats) on Friday. Teachers reminded us over and over again, when we had an assignment due. Friends would make us mad and we may stop talking for a few hours, but by the time 7th period came we were friends again. Drunk and high had a different meaning, we had "drunk" some good Kool-aid and we wanted to go as high as we could on the swings. The Little Things.

The little things like...
Being able to get up out the bed in the morning
Being able to smile Being in good health
Being able to speak/hear/see
Having something to eat
Having air to breath
Having rough days to appreciate the great days
The little things...

For me, I just have to say Thanks because I'm content. I'm not where I want to be, but I'm thankful I'm not where I could be.

I could be...
Homeless
Sick
Hungry
Depressed
Suicidal
Jobless
On Medications
Crying Every Night
or Dead...
But I'm not.. I'm here!

I'm breathing, laughing, smiling, joking, and thinking...

So when the little things, become big...You Will Appreciate... The Little Things!

Breast Cancer Aweness Month

Breast Cancer has hit home for him a bunch of times in this past year... Thank God for all of my family and friends who are survivors...

Mother Nita... I Miss you
Ms. Barbara... Your smile is still with me
Mrs. Nita... I miss you sooo much!

Looking Beyond The Outside

So many times, we are quick to judge people,

• By the way they look
• By the way they act
• By their beliefs
• By their religion
• By ANYTHING....

Yet we wont look at peoples hearts... The MTV Show If You Really Knew Me has been one of my favorites this season. I have tissues ready every time I watch it, because its a show that shows the realness that I strive for in my life. No one is perfect... POINT BLANK. If You Really Knew Me showed me that people who we "think" have a wonderful life, may not. Sometimes I wonder if after challenge day things go back to being the same.

We need to get to the point in our lives when we stop lying to ourselves and start accepting who we are. It's not an easy things.

I struggled with my weight. I live in a world where being plus size is not considered cute nor beautiful. Not until I realized that, I am the way that I am, and I have the right to change it... Nothing was going to change. I have been working hard for the past Seven weeks and now I see change in myself. But not until I took a different look at it, and looked beyond the outside of my body, did I see my true motive. I have the chance right now, while I am young to get to a body weight that will make me happy.

After hearing about the college freshman who killed himself, because his roommate videoed him having sex with a guy, I had to do a quick reality check on myself. Since I believe in Jesus Christ and believe what is written in the Bible, I don't agree with homosexuality. But they are people just like we are... Their feeling get hurt just like our feelings get hurt. THEY ARE PEOPLE. We have things to say about them or people who are different than us... but when you look in yourself... I'm sure there is something that you don't like about yourself, but there is something even better inside of you that makes up for what you don't like. We have to start looking beyond the outside.

If you were to judge me from the outside, you would see my scars, but yet you don't know the story behind my scars. You don't know how many days I hated going to Wal-mart because people would look and stare at me. You don't know that I would go in the bathroom and never turn the light on, because I didn't want to see myself. You don't know that I never wanted to wear make-up because doctors told me from a young age that I need to wear makeup to cover up my scars. You don't know how many times people look at my scars instead of looking me in the eyes. Not until college, did I embrace my scars and love them and smile about them. Now I am able to speak to kids who have scars and they know I know how they feel. Now I am able to see that God choose me because he knew that I could handle it.

Not Until you look beyond the outside... will you see the real person.



My chains may be rusty, but they are strong enough to hold me together.

College Students: Renting Textbooks

Everyone knows how expensive their college textbooks were at the start of the term. Here we are, it’s the end of the term and the bookstore wants to give you pennies on the dollar for your books. I say forget the bookstore! You can make some real dough by going to www.chegg.com/buyback/ . They’ll pay you top dollar for your books, like $40 each – and no lines because it’s online. What could you do with double the money the bookstore would give you? Chegg even pays the shipping!

How about the fact I have a promo code CC130088 that gets you an extra $5 with your order?

GET lots of cash + GET more cash = A green way to sell your books

Go to www.chegg.com/buyback/, you can get your used textbooks sold now. After all, you read your books cover to cover, or at least that’s what your professor believes, so you should be smart enough to know where to sell them for the extra buck, smarty pants.

The Chegg Champion program helps students earn cash for college.

The World We Live In

Well, It has been a while since I blogged. I just haven't had time with finals and all, but now I have two weeks to myself.

So about two months now, my Young Adult Sunday School has been reading this book called "Fatal Distractions." All I can say is WOW. It is talking about how the seven deadly sins are effecting us. We may not think that most of them are about us, but somewhere in them there we are.

So about three weeks ago now, we covered lust. Wo... is what comes to mind. After reading my lesson, I caught up on my listening to The Brickhouse Podcast... you need to subscribe to them if you want some powerful encouraging word for young adults and I think anyone else. So the first one I listened to was Rated R. It was an open forum about questions that Young Adults (YAs) want to know. That was awesome. So then I went to Unprotected Sex. Wow wow WOW! That was sooooo powerful and for me.

As a Christian, I have found it hard to stand up and be different, but within the last five or more years, I have been able to stand and not sit. I have been able to kneel and not fall. Prayer is so important, and I don't feel like people my age and younger understand how powerful it. I know that I had my "Come to Jesus Experience" when I was younger, and I know that I should be thanking God for letting me live through that bus accident. Since I have had that, I know that the least that I can do is say thank you for each and every day. I'm honestly scared for the youth underneath me, I'm scared for my fellow YAs who haven't realized that tomorrow is not promised and they can die two minutes from now. I see the need for a strong youth group and YA ministry, but one person can't do it along.

About three or four weeks ago, I heard on the news where they were offering ELEMENTARY students condoms as long as they talk to a counselor, and they would not tell their parents. First, that is not in God's will, and Second, they are in elementary school. That should not be on their mind. They need to be learning how to read, write and count, not about penis, vagina, and sex. What is this world coming to. God's word says that we are not suppose to have sex outside of marriage. During our Sunday School lesson, our teacher said, "It's like we are prostitute if we have sex outside of marriage," and that got me. Our bodies are not our own. They belong to God, and they were bought with a price. So if He says that we are not suppose to have sexual relationship with anyone outside of a martial covenant of one man and one woman, we are sinning and prostitutes. After reading and applying this lesson to my life, I'm dedicated to doing whats right. In the words of Pastor Tim Ross, "You may be a virgin but you mouth is not one." Its time to be Real.

I pray for the youth and kids under me. They go through a lot and they are my heart. I want to do something that will plant a seed and I think that is what I am doing everyday. I try to live a life that is acceptable to God and that is an example to the youth that look up to me.

That is what has been on my heart and now its on my blog.

pEaCe

WoW

Morning!!!!

WOW is all that can say this morning. Last night was wow! So let me set up how it felt. I went to bed around 2:30ish and I starting playing the BrickHouse Podcast by Pastor Tim Ross (AWESOME MAN OF GOD.) So I was listening and I have been listening to all the old ones I have missed. Well I was over taken with emotion and joy. So I turned off my iPod and just laid in bed and prayed. I tend to pray for a while, that’s just me. So I was praying and I had prayed for my family and friends and the world... But then it came to me. And it was like "Brittany, you need to stop saying things and start living them." And from that... OMG it was a wrap. I couldn’t do nothing but cry and thank God. Everything came out of me and I wanted to blog but all I had was my phone... So I tweeted everything. I was like Lord his is nobody but you cause I really don't remember what I was writing. But when God gets real to you... I know that it is a powerful thing. I know that I should have been dead 12 years ago during my bus accident. I should not have done some of the things that I have done. I should not have told the lies that I have told... BUT NO MATTER WHAT GOD LOVES ME AND FORGIVES ME AND ITS TIME FOR ME TO FORGIVE MYSELF. We live in a world where we tend to worry too much about what other people think.. but it's time to worry about our relationship with Jesus. I continue to think about the fact tomorrow is not promise the time is now. We put off so much stuff till tomorrow that we don't need to put off. God is REAL!

Then I thought about relationships. I have the fear that I won’t get married, and now that fear is gone. I have left it in God's hand and I know that he will bring it to past in HIS TIMING. That is one thing that I have been inpatient about. It's like you see your friends getting married and being in relationship and you want to be there. But I, Brittany Figaro, will get mine when God says its time. We go through guys saying he is not right and this is not what I want and we settle. Settling is not an option. I want a relationship that last FOREVER till death do us part and we stay in love like when we first fall in love. I'm going to get mine and God will prepare me for my husband.

And all too often, I hear that I'm intimidating when it comes to relationships. But my walk with Christ is first and for most in anything. I need a Christian man who is not afraid to praise God and not afraid to cry because he know that God is good. It makes me feel all gooshie inside when I see a Man that gets his praise on. But yea.

That's just a snapshot of my heart this morning.

I'm still just filled with joy and happiness.

And I'm going to keep that!

pEaCe

:pictures :)

:) None of my pictures match my blog.. but you know what... IDK I like them :) #That is all!

But I'm Happy...

After going to a wedding and sitting in Sunday School, I realized I'm blessed beyond measure... But time after time after time... I forget that. So I had to come up with something to make me remember that. That's where "But I'm Happy" came from. When I want something that I know God doesnt have for me right now.... I have to think "But I'm Happy." So... I'm happy :)

My First!!!

Well, I have been thinking about starting a blog for a while now. So, Today July 27th, 2010, I did. I'm sick right now, but I'm praying for healing In Jesus Name. Well that's all for now. I have something on my heart, but I'm still praying on it. Its coming soon. Oh yeah... Pictures are my life and my heart. They capture moments that we tend to forget! More pictures to come!