Who is Alicia Guzzardo?

My heart in starting this blog is to in some way be an encouragement to you and in some way water your soul. I read something a while back that resonated with my heart. I was reading John and Staci Eldredge's recent marriage book called "Love and War", and was glancing at the back and saw that Beth Moore had endorsed the book. One thing that she said that really stuck out to me was this, she said, "They weren't afraid to put themselves out there for the sake of someone else." If you've read the book you'll know they did just that. There were so many times I thought, "Really? Did they really just confess that?" It was so amazing and absolutely hilarious. What I learned from that is how wonderfully refreshing it is to read something and think, "I had no idea someone else felt like that." It's freeing to know someone's human. So if there is one thing on my heart it's that. So I thought it would be appropriate to start out with the bad, the good, and the ugly about Alicia Guzzardo.

Top 10 Random Facts, "the bad/weird":
1) I get my words wrong all the time. Growing up I wasn't a reader so I say words the way I heard them growing up instead of based off a spelling. Since I grew up in the deep south you can imagine the words I come up with. If I got a dollar for every time Mike says, "Baby, that's not a word"...I'd be rich.
2) I am horrible at fashion and things that are "in-style". I'm always coming in when it's going out. I don't get it. I try so hard and still fail. It's just not me. I've decided to just buy classics because fashion intimidates me. I seriously pray before I go shopping. I ask God to lead me to the right thing because I'm well aware that if I don't have His help I won't find it.
3) When no one is around and worship music is on, I do interpretive dances for Bella. But thankfully she loves it...
4) I'm really bad at naming countries and their locations. Before I met Mike, I'd only flown once and now I've only been out of the country twice, one was to Canada and the other was to Jamaica for our honeymoon. The first staff party I went to with Mike at his work they played the game, "name your favorite place overseas and why"...i prayed the whole time it wouldn't come to me. I smiled the whole time pretending like I knew where all their favorite places were. I was so stressed out. (PS: it never came around to me=) Thank GOD!
5) I cannot separate real from pretend. When I watch a TV show I get so into the characters that I worry about them. When Mike and I used to watch 24, I would stay up all night worrying about Jack, "but babe, he has no friends, no family...i mean poor guy..."Mike repeatedly has to remind me that it's pretend. But I've had to stop watching them because I stress about their lives so much that's it's unhealthy. Ridiculous eh?
6) I'm really bad at finishing things. I leave like 2 chapters unread at the end of every book. I'll open a new package instead of finishing the few crumbs in the old one, etc. Thankfully Mike is awesome at finishing things, so we make a good pair. Still working on that book thing though.
7) I'm jealous of people who are naturally really tan. I used to only date guys that had really good completions and tan skin so for the chance we got married and had kids, my kids would have a good chance of being tan. True story. Face it, white is never going to be in. So unfortunate for me...but Thank God for sunless tanners. =)
8) I've become kind of high maintenance. I hate bugs, camping, non-air conditioning, smelly, sticky, etc. I like things and places that are clean, nice and accommodating. Thankfully my husband is the same way. We vacation well together.=)
9) I secretly wish I could sing really well. I record myself singing on my iphone sometimes and think while I'm doing it that it's really good so I go back and listen to it...not so much. =/
10) I absolutely canNOT multi-task. Unlike my husband, I can't be on a phone call, typing an email, and playing with my child all at the same time. It's never going to happen. One thing at a time is the way I roll.


Top 10 Random Facts, "the good"...things I love:
1) Cooking for my family. As weird as it is, cooking is the way I love to unwind at the end of a day. It's therapeutic to me; when Mike's watching Bella of course =)
2) I love to entertain and host guests, it makes me come alive. I'm so incredibly social and I absolutely LOVE people.
3) I truly care about what others care about. I feel like I have a gift of feeling what someone else is feeling. I will think about it for them, worry for them and most important pray like I was praying for myself or my own family.
4) I'm not a spender. I keep our family on budget and I love it. I take a lot of pride in the fact I'm thrifty. I've had the same running shoes for 8 years, I have two purses, I glue my shoes if they break, etc. I really stink at buying things for myself. It's really a problem. Unless it's a major need, I won't do it. Those who know my father know where I got this from. =)
5) I love to give. I love to give of my time, energies, personal money, etc. I think about what I can do or buy for people all the time. It fuels me. When Mike gives me money to get something I need, he has to make me promise not to give it away.
6) I can fall asleep in less than 3 minutes every night. The minute my head hits the pillow I'm out. Sometimes I wake up and I don't think I ever moved.
7) I love organization and clean. Mike and I are both this way ...Praise the Lord.
8) I feel like I'm a good mother to Bella and wife to Mike. I pour my heart and soul into being a mom and wife and I really truly enjoy it. (Though I definitely still have room to grow in those areas=)
9) I'm proud of myself for fighting so hard to overcome so many strongholds in my life. So many have been such a fight and so many times I wanted/want to give up but I keep fighting no matter how uncomfortable it gets. I am determined to be an overcomer.
10) I feel like my greatest strength is my relationship with God. I love God and realize my need for him. I'm well aware that I'm not perfect and need major work, therefore, I feel like I can find something to learn from any situation.

Top 10 Random Facts, "the ugly":
1) I can be very controlling. I have to constantly remind myself to rest under my husbands leadership and trust him. He is worthy to be trusted, I just have issues.
2) I used to have major fear problems. When Mike would go out of town I'd try to get someone to stay with me, I'd sleep with the lights on, I'd never leave if I couldn't come home before it got dark, etc. It was extreme. Thankfully I am free from all that now and don't even think about it. But it was one of the hardest things I've overcome.
3) If my flesh had it's way, I'd stay home, live a comfortable, cozy, safe life, free of risks. My flesh likes to be in control because I have a fear of losing control. I am in the process of overcoming this by traveling all the time and consistently pushing myself beyond whats comfortable.
4) I turn into a different personality when I am hungry or tired. If I'm without one of these things, steer clear.
5) I struggle with comparison. If I don't watch it I can get in a rut of focusing on what I don't have instead of what I do.
6) When I fail it is very hard for me. I hate feeling like I disappoint anyone. It shakes me to the core. I've had to work on the root of that issue as well.
7) I can have a double standard. I can do things but when others do them I judge. For example, if Mike speeds I pray God convicts him but when I speed I try not to notice. =)
8)I can be too opinionated. Out of insecurity I want people to agree or understand from my perspective so I feel validated by the way I see things. I hate this. Sometimes I leave from conversations and instantly repent and start memorizing scriptures on "shutting thy mouth and keeping my words few so sin will be absent." I apologize in advance.
9) I'm a recovering addict. =) I pick my nails until they hurt. It's crazy. It's a nervous habit since junior high. I'm on the road to recovery but I'd had to go to extremes to get there.
10) I can be a BIG scaredy cat. I have to constantly push myself to be brave and courageous. I want to destroy the enemy and his kingdom, but sometimes demons scare me. I want to bind up the broken hearted and set the captives free but I get so stressed to step on a stage and share an encouraging word. I want to lay hands on the sick and see them healed but when I see a person in wheel chair, I freeze and debate whether to go pray for them. I am striving to be more brave and risky.