I ask for strength and I am given difficulties to make me strong

It is now March! I have been a little behind on my blogging so here is a quick catch up. LL is now bigger and better than ever. On top of working my husbands brilliant masterpiece, we have both taken on new endeavors. Him being in the medical industry and myself beginning in oil and gas. I am beyond excited about the opportunities that are on the horizon and I thank God every morning for what he has put into our paths. With that being said we have never been pulled in so many directions at one time and wish there was some guide to life, instruction manual, google map, or some sort of reference that I could just peek at to make sure we are still between the lines. I have never been more sure and more confused than at this very junction in time. But this Leo does not weary without a good fight and you better believe there will be some scratching a clawing at this mountain called life.


It is crazy how when you get to different stages in your life things begin to take a whole new meaning. I remember years ago when March came that meant spring break.. bathing suits, beach and fun. Now a days it means fishing season officially kicks off and we are in motion.

We have just returned from Houston Texas where we did the 36th annual fishing show. Overall it was a very beneficial, almost must do show for us. The contacts we made happen to be incredible and to top that we got to move some product. The industry is beginning to get smaller and smaller and we are starting to learn everyone in it. And the overall consensus, this is such a good ole boy industry and everyone wants a piece. For us, we really hit the pavement last year, and so FINALLY we are beginning to be noticed. We really worked hard at this one. And since we have not been on the road since the end of last year, this particular one really took a tole on us physically. The amount of work both mentally and physically is unreal. For 9 hours a day , we put on our suits and get to selling. We talk to literally hundreds of fishermen, both novice and professional. Fresh water and saltwater, young and old. My partner/husband and I have gotten our whole groove down with eachother that when someone else comes around to help our perfect motion is somehow slowed. We have it down to a science, how many minutes someone should be in our booth, how to close them and the list goes on. As I write it down, I am laughing because of the complete truth behind it. I learned so much in the 5 days we worked that show. One of the things was, this is some bonifide hard work. With lack of sleep, skipped meals and constant networking we finished strong. I am so proud of the partnership that we have and no matter where we go in life, which direction we end up I know together, this pair is a match to be dealt with. During the travel and crazy work I complain, get grouchy, bicker and feel completely exhausted but as we cross the bridge and finish what we started it is the most indescribable feeling ever.. We did it is the only way i can put it into words.

If it makes you happy, then why the hell are you soo sad?

Well the first month of the new year is coming to a close. And what a fantastic start it was. We have worked hard, prayed even harder and are starting to see our harvest bare fruit.

But as I write this my mind wanders to all of the other facets in life. Love, friendship, marriage, relationships, family.. and I am left with all of these thoughts running through my head. Some relationships are failing, others are on the mend, others want to find love so bad they are missing out on the life around them, while some have love right in front of them and have no idea. Friends are coming and going and the lifelong ones begin to take form. Family beginning to fill the spots of those friends now in the distant past. As I hear story after story about struggles and happiness, uniting and new opportunities, I can't help but to have an opinion about it all.

I believe life is this long battle we have to get through. Sometimes we are in the trenches fighting front line combat and then at other moments we are sitting high in the horizons maintaining the battle ground. Then there are the glorious days where we have conquered the opponents and the battle has ended for now. I believe we were given partners to help in this battle called life. This partner should be your number one, your right hand man (or woman), the one who makes this incredible journey bearable. When one is down the other is up. When one is defeated, the other is triumphant. The partnership becomes one unit and absolutely nothing or no one person can come between that inner unit. Your unit against the world. With the odds already against us, why do we so often cling to those who create more battles??

I also believe with my whole heart that my partner was divinely delivered onto my path by NO mistake. As I stumbled through my final years of college, between work, school, boys and the night life, my husband made his way into my life. If you ask him how we met, he will tell you that he had been praying and praying for his Mrs. and along I came. My mom would pray for a "nice young man" to settle this young Leo. The prayers were heard and answered. This unit is solid, secure.. and sealed with Gods approval. I will endure any battle with this partner by my side. That being said, we are continuously attacked on a daily basis, our bond tested to absolute breaking points. But we will NEVER let it break. To date, this is the hardest challenge of my life.

If you're ready to exceed your current plateau, take the plunge.

Before officially starting the new year of work and businesses and the hustle and bustle of our lives I wanted to just look back over 2010. We started the year with a new project.. amped and hit the ground running. We stirred up commotion in the Texas Governors office and made some friends. We went in front of a committee from the State of Texas and met day in and day out with the University perfecting my husbands new idea. After running with that until the beginning of March began fishing season. Advertising, donations, fishing tournaments, pro staffers and list goes on! The tradeshows, conventions, expos and traveling began. The intense schedule of packing and unpacking, loading and unloading we became the carni people we used to make fun of. On top of selling to Walmart and tackle and bait stores we managed the business side of things as well, attending mixers, seminars and other networking events weekly. After our yearly trip to Vegas for the largest fishing convention in the US, our travel began to slow. We had our last main event the first weekend in October. After that event took place it was smooth sailing into the the holiday season. But of course not in the Casta household. We picked up a patent and dusted the brilliant idea off. We then began pushing the medical industry.. testing the waters, attending industry events. This past was trying to the bone, exhausting beyond belief and much more intense than the last. 2010 was a year God heard millions of my prayers, maybe even billions :) But now I can say our prayers WERE HEARD! As the year came to a close so many opportunities were put in our path. I have never been more excited for our future and what will unfold. I can only imagine where we will be a year from now but have the sweetest idea. I am so very happy to say goodbye but appreciate the growth i have endured. 2010 thank you for preparing me for 2011.. I am fully ready to take the plunge.

Do you hear what I hear...

It was a full moon. The husband and I were going for our bi weekly "long run". Our corporate meeting for him and I sort through everything currently going on in our lives. We unload every facet and talk through each of the inventrapreneurs ideas. Many things are changing, and new opportunities presenting themselves each day. So many things we juggle, so many thoughts to untangle. This particular evening, we took our two furry children (who happen to be my absolute best friends) on the last leg of our run about 2 miles from our house. At the corner where we turn around to head back home, there is a church. Right as we turn and begin to head back the most magical thing happened. The bells in front of the church began chiming what sounded like songs of christmas. It was already dark, the full moon was right over the church and the bells were playing the most beautiful songs. I HAD to stop. At first I was confused cause there was not one car in the parking lot, no one to be seen anywhere near the church but the bells just began to ring. They may have been testing them, they may have gone off on accident, but whatever the reason we were ment to be there at that moment. They continued and we could hear them for the next 10 minutes of our run. On this night I knew there was a lesson to be learned.. keep my faith. How could something this extraordinary be anyone but Him. Yes sir we are on the path. This climb has been the most incredible, insane, tough, trying, CRAZY, and absolutely life changing journey ever. And exactly when I begin to doubt whether or not this is what I am supposed to be doing, the bells begin ringing and I have faith that we are in fact arriving.

Clown to the left of Me.. Jokers to the right

The words play loudly in my head.. stuck in the middle with you... A fave as of this moment in time. We have officially kicked off our holiday season and are pushing through. Ideas, events, promotions, email blasts, savings, buy 1 get 1.. buzzing through our offices. Keeping each other pumped and positive is important. Wrapping up the season of fishing lures, as it is somehow already unwrapping itself if that makes sense. It seems the season has already begun for next year so onward we must go. We have trimmed the fat, and LL is ready to endure the winter and breakthrough the other side in a way we have not been able to do just yet. Meanwhile, we are awaiting our destiny in the world of medical sales, the company is in formation and the forces will join very soon. And as I write the words down, I can't help but feel the lyrics being in the middle.. at a waiting period. I feel like I have grown tremendously in the past 3 years of my life, I think my amazing husband has grown and learned more than he thought was possible and most importantly we have grown so in tune with each other, the harmony is a beautiful song to carry us to the next level of our lives. The next adventures and chapters, building families and building legacies, and learning more as the days pass. So in this waiting period I have taken the time to be with our family and friends and really enjoy this time. This years holiday seems it may be an unforgettable and exciting one and I am happy to share it with the people in our lives. We missed our families and close friends on our travels this year and I can't imagine a better time to catch up on those times than now.. my absolute favorite time of year.

Seasons are Changin'

I woke up this morning feeling excited. A little over cast outside, colder than usual inside my house and I can feel the season changing. The season of our lives.. I believe we are FINALLY moving onto a new journey. About a month ago, my mom and I were at lunch and she told me that she has been praying and the seasons will be changing for us. My mom is our biggest fan. Hands down, this beautiful lady appreciates every accomplishment, every small step, every encounter, and every meeting like no other one person. My mother picks me up when I think I could never ever get up, and inspires when I can't see through my tears. She has a powerful prayer. So today I feel what she had seen.
My favorite time of the year approaches and we begin to plan parties, get togethers, and holiday festivities. Our fishing season pushes into cruise control with us still sitting behind of the wheel of course, but travel is done. Now we start the action plan for next year. The husband and I have started our runs and long walks that we used to crave. These runs have been so important to our lives. It's an hour and a half.. no phones,, email, music, computers, tvs, people, nothing. Just him and I on the pavement reviewing our lives. It's a recap, inner circle meeting, advise, opinions and exercise... and it has been amazing. So many ideas, opportunities, and paths that have come to surface and to review them on a trail of fresh air and cool breeze is essential. It's time to move forward and Mr. and Mrs. Casta are being positioned to do just that. New business and whole new direction and something that I have felt since the first breakfast meeting attended.. this will carry into the level you envision. We have come to one conclusion together... work the hardest we have ever worked for the next year, sacrifice and pray the hardest we have ever prayed and have faith that this next season is a whole new level. I have an overwhelming peace about the whole thing... I am ready for the change.

Simmering

Hmm.. it's Thursday. It's been a really busy week. But more of an annoying busy. It is officially fall here in South Texas and we are LOVING the weather. It's been a little hectic in the Casta household. Now that Livingston's super busy season is simmering and by simmering about to boil and potentially blow up bigger than we could have ever imagined, in other words working on some huge things which could change the way we do business forever. We picked up two more large distributors that cover 6 more states which is forward movement pushing through the season. With that said, we are now exploring, while we wait for Livingston to boil. Something new has come along with the StethoCleanse, Roberts idea that he owns the patent to, I had mentioned a couple of blogs ago. A person that we have known for years has stepped up to the plate and he may just hit it out park for us. I will update when there is ink on paper. The medical industry. Interesting to see how this unfolds, may be the answers to our prayers, could be the change I have been feeling, believe this could be magical. But I am not afraid to get on my knees and pray whatever it is we are supposed to be doing. I am excited, we are going into my absolute favorite time of the year, so much to look forward to and to see what the rest of the year is going to bear. As for me, I am looking into non profit work, something that has been heavy on my heart for the holidays and now have looked into for a temporary position. Trying to focus on enjoying the life we are in now, the journey to the place where we have imagined, so we appreciate every second with eachother, our families and our friends we couldn't survive without.