I thought I would share a few before & after photos. Thank you to my contributing photographers Larry W. Stone Photography, JLH Photography, Robert Thomas Photography, and my friend Pearl Conroy. 

To see more Mt. Rodgers Competition photos click below

Thanks for stopping by my blog today! I hope you had a wonderful and blessed Christmas. Maybe you are still enjoying your holiday! I have actually been able to use some of my holiday break (meaning not having to tote my children back and forth to school) to do some creative projects.
I am all about making and preserving memories for my family and others. It is one of my favorite things! Handmade things are by far the best. So I am sharing one of the small project I was able to do for Christmas this year.

My creative ideas are usually inspired by something I see. This is why I LOVE Pintrest! Pintrest is like a candy store for creative people like me. You can pick and choose what you like, add it to your "treat bag" and create your own combination. There are so many ideas there! I love doing this because I will find two or even three ideas that I will combine and put my own creative spin on. 
I began a tradition years ago when I met my husband by giving him a Christmas ornament with the year on it. When our kids came along I continued this tradition with them as well. Now I'm sure you know most Christmas ornaments are not cheep. Early in the season I found my three ornaments,  for my husband my son and daughter. I really wasn't happy with them and I am pretty frugal. I always ask myself how can I make something like this cheaper (when possible). And this isn't just to save money but it makes it more meaningful and special. So I came up with my own project inspired by the the above photo found on Pinterest. And in the end I took the store bought ornaments back to the store.

So my end result was a bit bigger than a ornament or an over sized ornament at least!  But non the less a great momento for 2013 and cost way less than a store bought ornament! 
I hope you found something to inspire your creativity this Christmas season!  

Creatively Yours, 
~Melissa 
OCD Mama

Its about time that you see a little bit of CREATIVE Mama. She has been in hibernation! I'm brining her out along with leftover goodies tucked away from M.K.MacGregor Designs of  Christmas past. AND LOOK WHAT I FOUND!

Two years ago just before I decided to pack up M.K.MacGregor Designs I had made a ton of gift tags and embellishments. These are some of my leftovers!
Christmas was always my busiest time (and sometimes a bit stressful) but also my most fun time of year. I had always put my heart and soul into the gifts I made for my clients!
Also while digging I found a couple of items (of the few I have left) to give to my kiddos teachers and some special friends.

The first shows a gift that was one of my most favorite creations. A hand stamped coffee mug that reads, "coffee and friends make a perfect blend". My mugs always took some time to perfect therefore becoming a labor of love. I can't wait to give my last two to some special friends this year. The second photo shows some large jar candles decorated and embellished to make great teacher gifts.

Ok, so these are not new creations! But for those of you who are just getting to know me you are getting to see a little bit of Creative and Designer Mama. I will have to say, although I truly miss my business I am enjoying less stressful and more relaxed Christmas seasons! But stay tuned because I am usually inspired to do at least one creative Christmas project/gift for my family! This years projects is in the works. 

Christmas Blessings to You,
~Melissa     

I knew training would be hard but  last week was my hardest week so far. Depletion had set in! But I believe that God was teaching me a powerful lesson. Because it is in the times when we are weak that His power and strength can truly be seen.

Monday afternoon after Boot Camp and on my way home from picking up my daughter I was feeling worn down and particularly emotional. Hungry, tired, and completely depleted I questioned my own abilities to see my training through. I thought, how will I make it through these next five weeks. To make matters worse I still had weight training to do for that day. Then I heard these words on the radio by Christian Music Artist Mandisa.

"Overcomer"

Staring at a stop sign
Watching people drive by
T Mac on the radio
Got so much on your mind
Nothing's really going right
Looking for a ray of hope

Whatever it is you may be going through
I know He's not gonna let it get the best of you

You're an overcomer
Stay in the fight ‘til the final round
You're not going under
‘Cause God is holding you right now
You might be down for a moment
Feeling like it's hopeless
That's when He reminds You
That you're an overcomer
You're an overcomer

Everybody's been down
Hit the bottom, hit the ground
Oh, you're not alone
Just take a breath, don't forget
Hang on to His promises
He wants You to know

The same Man, the Great I am
The one who overcame death
Is living inside of You
So just hold tight, fix your eyes
On the one who holds your life
There's nothing He can't do
He's telling You

Maybe you have heard it many times as I had but on this day at this particular time her words hit me like a ton of emotional bricks. As tears streamed down my face I prayed, "God I do not feel like an "OVERCOMER". He whispered, but you are. Look how far you've come. Mandisa repeated these words again...

    You're an overcomer
Stay in the fight ‘til the final round
You're not going under
‘Cause God is holding you right now
You might be down for a moment
Feeling like it's hopeless
That's when He reminds You
That you're an overcomer
You're an overcomer

When I got home I picked up my weights and pushed through my training for the day. I know I did not have the physical and mental strength in me to get through that workout. But it did come, by relying on Gods strength! You see God used my physical and mental depletion to draw me to Himself. I know I serve a powerful God! Too often I do not tap into the power He so freely gives. I focus on mySELF and think I can do it on my own. I don't typically follow celebrities, musicians, etc. but I decided to do a little research on Miss Mandisa and the story behind the moving words of "OVERCOMER". What I found was a more amazing woman than her inspiring song. God has a awesome way of piecing things together because in her recent blog post on October 16, "An Eternal Perspective" , she talks about exactly what God was trying to teach me. In her opening paragraph she states, " If you've been to one of my concerts, you may have heard me talk about followers of Christ having resurrection power. That same power that raised a man from the dead can raise us from [insert impossible situation here]. Jesus said that, “whoever believes in Me will be able to do what I have done, but they will do even greater things…” (John 14:12) I don’t know about you, but there are some situations I am praying for that could really use some supernatural resurrection power!"
She goes on to say that when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He allowed Lazarus to die first. Death was necessary ingredient for God to be glorified. To see Mandisa's full blog post "An Eternal Perspective"  click this link
http://mandisaofficial.com/home/an-eternal-perspective/.The same is true for me. I must die to mySELF in order for Him to raise me up, to become an overcomer. I am continually amazed by what God has been teaching me and how this journey has transformed my life. Did I completely overcome my struggle through my feeling of depletion? I wish I could say yes. The truth is I felt even worse the next day. But, I continued to push through. And I'll have to say I have a awesome and gracious trainer who takes care of me. She adjusted my training and so far this week my energy is back and I've been feeling good! Will that be the last time I feel depleted, tired, worn down and want to quit? No, I'm sure it won't be. But, less than four weeks left and I am continuing my training " Stay(ing) in the fight ‘til the final round"! Because I Am an Overcomer!I hope that you are encouraged by Gods message! And I pray that whatever fight you might be in that you see yourself as an OVERCOMER too!
Inspired by His Power,
~Melissa

Last weekend we were invited to a Masquerade Ball Murder Mystery Party. This was hosted by our niece and nephew, the newly weds and frequent gathering hosts of the family (not a huge age difference in age by the way, in case you were wondering). They are always fabulously creative with theme, decorating, and food! Naturally I was excited to take part in this creative event. I had never done a murder mystery party before but I'll have to say I was most excited about dressing up and wearing a mask. This was a perfect opportunity to use a little creativity myself. I started off with a pretty little black mask from Target, though very nice on its own needed embellishments! Though I must admit, that this OCD Mama never intended on wearing a mask without my own creative touch. So I dusted off my craft supplies (yes its been that long) and got to work. Simple really, I just used some glitter glue and a few  chipboard cutouts. I added a peacock feather hair clip , a $3 find at Wal-Mart! And there you have it!

I am sad to say that I did not get photos of me wearing my mask. I was very busy role playing a murder mystery. I am happy to report I was not murdered nor was I a murderer. I was, however, the recent ex-girlfriend of the murdered (played by my nieces father, a bit comical in itself) and the murderer was my best friend, or so my script/clues said (played by my nephew).  Surprisingly I was only accused only once out of 17 characters. Although I must confess I don't believe I have the best of role playing talents. Maybe I did not reveal me clues well enough. None the less it was a fun night. Hats of to my nephew and his bride! You did a wonderful job! 

Thank you for letting me share my little creative project with you! Maybe it will inspire those of you wanting to take up your own costume design of an upcoming Halloween celebration. I say go for it! It doesn't have to be complicated or completely from scratch. Start with some simple elements and embellish (my most favorite word). 

I would love to hear or see your costume creations and ideas so send me a comment or e-mail melissakmacgregor@gmail.com. 

~Melissa
OCD Mama

It has been about three weeks now since I officially began training for competition. I truly had hoped to journal more at this point. But, breaking into life of competition has been an adjustment for me and my family, for sure.

The first week and a half was pretty hard. Outside of taking care of my kids I felt like my life was centered around diet and workouts. My body was tired and sore from increase in training (weights & cardio) and the depletion of calories. Don't misunderstand, I eat constantly. In fact I eat six to seven times depending on the day. The diet in itself has taken a lot of planning and organizing. Preparing meals for each day takes a lot of work. Then there is fitting those meals in between transporting my kids back and forth to school (remember my two different pick up times) and my work outs. It has been a challenge. I started out preparing all my meals in the evenings for the next day but that was exhausting. This left little time with my family and more time in the kitchen than I wanted. Then I got a bit of a handle on the process by cooking most of my food on Sunday and dividing my meals in storage containers for the week. I am now able to pull out the meals I need each day, pack them into my cooler in the morning and head out the door. Easy Peasy, lemon squeezie! No room for cheating! 

I've tried to make it as little change as possible for my kids, but for my husband it has meant a little extra help. OK that is saying it modestly, he has helped A LOT! He has been super supportive and a true blessing to this whole process. He helps me prepare my food and helps with the kids when I need to fit in a workout. He always asks, "What can I do?" I would not be able to do this without him! 

On the subject of "breaking in" the news, I find that reactions from family and friends have been interesting. Several times I got the question,
Are gonna get ALL those muscles? 
Well yes, that is kind of the point of the competition. 
Am I going to become She Hulk in the next six weeks? 
Well no, that would be a slight misconception there! I assure you that this would be far from reality (for me at least). Training naturally (meaning no drug enhancement) that just won't happen. 
Over all my family and friends have been supportive. Some I will call "my groupies', those promising to come to the competition waiving signs and cheer from the audience. 
Then there are my "Facebook fans" my most overwhelming reactions of all! Early on I struggled with sharing my news and progress on Facebook. As a Christian woman I was worried that many would think it was immodest or about vanity. But, stepping out of my box (because after all that is what this is all about) I did share a few posts on Facebook. Here is one of my posts.
   

God is "dragging" me out of my box on this journey of mine! I had a hard time with the vulnerability of taking photos of my progress but I am also amazed by the result! It seems a bit surreal! I am discovering how amazing these bodies God gave us really are! For the sake of modesty this is all I am ready to post right now! 

I could not believe the support I received on Facebook.  I had so many encouraging comments in support of what I was doing. And most of all I was amazed that church friends who had seen the post were asking me abut the competition. 

But really I feel God is using this opportunity to stretch me to bring me out of my box (my comfort zone) and help inspire others. I do not expect it to be an easy journey (and it hasn't been) but it has been an amazing one so far. As my lifestyle, diet, and body continue to change over the next several weeks I hope you will support me too. Even if it is nothing more that prayer through this journey!


"I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me." Philippians 4:13 AMP


Philippians 4:13 has been my life verse. Though not the version I have memorized I love how it uses the words "Christ Who empowers me". I constantly have to remind myself that He is the one who empowers me, especially when I feel weak! I need to remember this when I am not feeling confident or when I don't feel I have the physical strength. And I am taking it one day at a time. 


I would love to hear your comments here as well. Do you struggle with confidence or worry about what people think? I'd love to hear how you deal with your struggle or maybe how God is dealing with you. 


Thank you for joining in my journey to competition I know there will be much more to share!    
  

I promised you some big news so here it goes....

Those that know me or follow me on Facebook know that the last five months have brought on quite a fitness "addiction". Following my new found addiction I was presented with an opportunity that would bring a life changing experience for me. For the past few weeks I have been praying, pondering, and struggling with my decision to pursue this opportunity. This will bring my commitment to fitness to a whole new level. Though I am terrified of the "new territory" I am blessed to have support from my husband (the love of my life), family and friends (the few that already know). This is going to be a challenge but I am excited to share the journey with all of you on my blog. 
​
I'm going to keep you in suspense for a few more brief moments.... so keep reading! I want to start with a testimony of the last few months and the amazing transformation I went through. Make sure you read to the end then you will see my big surprise! 

My intention was to give you a blog post each week but last week was a long, hard, and busy week to say the least! This OCD Mama is still struggling with the new back to school routine. Though my mid-week left me feeling depleted (physically mentally and creatively) I still want nothing more than to be there for my kids. If you are a follower of my FaceBook page you know that last week was my daughters birthday. This celebration brought definite highs and lows to my week. I was able to spend time in my daughters class the day of her birthday bringing cupcakes to her and all her classmates. This was one of those definite blessing to not working outside the home. But on the other hand much of my busyness entailed preparations for her party on Saturday. Weeks ago I did what any crafty mama would do looking for inspiration for her sweet little girls Minnie Mouse birthday party....I went to Pintrest! Ah, yes Pintrest! My favorite place these days to feed my OCD mind. After all it is THE place to find all things to inspire ORGANIZATION, CREATIVE (projects), and DESIGN. There I found fabulous ideas for Minnie Mouse party favors, food ideas, decorations, even Minnie ears made from Oreo cookies. As the party got closer and my overloaded to-do list left me more overwhelmed, my grandiose ideas were replaced by simpler solutions. 

Though I thrive on being organized and get gritty over crafty projects I have discovered God is teaching me to let things go. Despite the fact that my daughters party turned out nothing like the vision in my head, she had a great birthday party. She and all her friends (actually mostly her brothers friends) had a blast. But I have a confession, though I am trying hard to let "some" things go in order to enjoy my kids more, I am still an OCD Mama through and through. I guess I just need to take my own " Wedding Planner" advice and give myself more time to plan. Maybe I should start on the Sweet 16 now! I want to know the cool and creative ideas and themes you have done for your kids birthdays. Leave me a comment and share how you got your ideas. Did it turn out how you envisioned?

Tomorrow I hope to bring you a bonus blog post with some BIG NEWS! I want to share with you something I have been pondering and praying about for a couple months now! This is a life changing decision for me and I'm super excited to share it. So I hope you will come back tomorrow to read about it!

Blessings,
~Melissa