Our Wednesday was a bit hectic, and I had a meeting at 8:15 a.m. I had pushed Gene out the door to go exercise, so I was in charge of the morning chaos at home this morning. I always feel extra thankful for the help I get daily from my husband, but today I was a bit aggravated at him.
I am a creature of habit, perhaps even obsessive habits. One habit I have is hanging up the coats in the coat closet. Gene prefers to hang Jacob's coat on the vacuum sweeper, which is housed in said closet. Generally, Jared's coat is near there, but today it was placed on the top shelf of the closet.
I was a tad frantic already, running late and now aggravated at Gene. I was looking everywhere for the coat and getting more stressed by the second.
Jacob, bless his heart, says, "Mommy, we can ask Jesus. He knows where everything is."
That certainly caught my attention.
"Yes, I thinking asking Jesus is a great idea, Jacob," I said as I glanced up into the closet and saw the coat.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
OK, Mom, pace yourself
I talked to my mom today on the phone, and she was a bit miffed that I was "behind" on my blog. I am never behind on my blog because it's not deadline driven. However, I had been wanting to blog myself, so I thought I'd share a few posts tonight.
Mom, there are four or so new posts. Pace yourself now. Don't read them all too fast. It might be a few days before I can return to my faithful follower.
And, thanks, mom. I love knowing you read my blog. You could post every now and again for more inspiration.
Mom, there are four or so new posts. Pace yourself now. Don't read them all too fast. It might be a few days before I can return to my faithful follower.
And, thanks, mom. I love knowing you read my blog. You could post every now and again for more inspiration.
A Prayer
I have had a good week, and I feel very blessed this week. However, some of my friends are having a tough week. If they happen to read my blog, they should know that I am praying for them. My heart reminds me throughout the day to lift them up in prayer. As some are fond of saying: "Prayer, it's the most and least a person can do." Another friend of mine always used to sign his e-mails "pray or be prey."
A regular prayer life is not an easy thing. In fact, living a Christian lifestyle is not an easy thing. It's a tough task, like any other lifestyle, that demands discipline, action when you don't "feel" like it and lots of faith.
Our pastor talked about faith this past Sunday, so I suppose it's been on my mind. I want to be known for my faith. Not because I am able to talk about it (I can talk about anything), but because I am living it each and every day.
One thing I've recently learned in a deeper way is how to respond to our failings as we live out our sinful lives. God forgives our sins if we are truly sorry ourselves, so we really need to work on forgiving ourselves and allowing ourselves to grow in spite of past decisions. Yes, we do have consequences for our actions, but with God, there is no such thing as a hopeless situation.
Friends, I love you. Please know that you are in my prayers. If you have no idea what any of this e-mail means, I would love to share my personal savior with you.
A regular prayer life is not an easy thing. In fact, living a Christian lifestyle is not an easy thing. It's a tough task, like any other lifestyle, that demands discipline, action when you don't "feel" like it and lots of faith.
Our pastor talked about faith this past Sunday, so I suppose it's been on my mind. I want to be known for my faith. Not because I am able to talk about it (I can talk about anything), but because I am living it each and every day.
One thing I've recently learned in a deeper way is how to respond to our failings as we live out our sinful lives. God forgives our sins if we are truly sorry ourselves, so we really need to work on forgiving ourselves and allowing ourselves to grow in spite of past decisions. Yes, we do have consequences for our actions, but with God, there is no such thing as a hopeless situation.
Friends, I love you. Please know that you are in my prayers. If you have no idea what any of this e-mail means, I would love to share my personal savior with you.
Snow Day
Gene, Jacob, Jared and I had a lot of fun this past Sunday afternoon. Jacob was so excited to go outside. He never did take a nap, but Gene, Jared and I did. Jacob kept coming in trying to convince us that he had "sleeped." We finally made it outside though. Here are some fun pics of our day in the yard. Yeah for snow, sometimes :)
A good day
Monday was a good day. I woke up at 6:15 a.m., showered and headed to
campus to take a yoga class. It was wonderful. I got back around 7:45
and changed into my work clothes.
My husband took the boys to
daycare, and I finished getting ready. I had to switch cars with Gene
because I was a field trip sponsor for Jacob's trip toPotwin Pottery. This adventure saw some 25 preschoolers painting cups in a store filled with breakable objects. (yikes!)
Highs
for the day: no soda, no fast food, exercise accomplished, good overall
calorie consumption and proper amount of sleep the night before.
I am sure that I took at least a day off of my 48-year-old body.
By the way, if I have any new readers, I often refer back to old posts.
A good journalist would also give the pertinent background information, but I am feeling lazy today.
A plus for today is that I became CPR certified today. Yeah, me!
That's it for now. I'm going to see if my pics are finished downloading :)
campus to take a yoga class. It was wonderful. I got back around 7:45
and changed into my work clothes.
My husband took the boys to
daycare, and I finished getting ready. I had to switch cars with Gene
because I was a field trip sponsor for Jacob's trip toPotwin Pottery. This adventure saw some 25 preschoolers painting cups in a store filled with breakable objects. (yikes!)
Highs
for the day: no soda, no fast food, exercise accomplished, good overall
calorie consumption and proper amount of sleep the night before.
I am sure that I took at least a day off of my 48-year-old body.
By the way, if I have any new readers, I often refer back to old posts.
A good journalist would also give the pertinent background information, but I am feeling lazy today.
A plus for today is that I became CPR certified today. Yeah, me!
That's it for now. I'm going to see if my pics are finished downloading :)
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
A short summary
So, I am not sure today was a good day. I wrote out a little schedule last night in attempts to be organized this a.m. because I had to be at the wellness center at 8:30 a.m. for my fitness assessment.
Turns out my body thinks we are 48, not 33! I would consider this a problem. However, we do have a great wellness coordinator where I work who did help me with some stragies to help my body and me agree on a proper age for us.
Natually it involves things like losing weight (which means ditching things like fast food and Coke, which might lead to swearing) and exercising. If I exercise, lose some of this body fat and chill out a bit, I can take literal years off my body. Whoo-hoo.
I think I ran around like a crazy person most of the day. I missed two deadlines today and then managed to almost knock myself unconscious on the ice when I was picking up Jacob today. Ouch!
I have two bandaids, and one of them happens to be a cartoon character, but who knows where the "adult" bandages have disappeared to.
And, now I must close because I have to wash the dishes and finish up a few things for work. Tomorrow IS a new day, right?
Don't worry friends, I am OK. I just like to write and vent. I think my attitude right now is OK. And, in good news I had taco salad for dinner. I skipped the tortilla saving myself 140 calories and I measured the sour cream (yeah, me!) And I only had one glass of iced tea tonight. Keep me in your prayers as I continue on my journey. I'm calling it: goodbye fat girl. Nice, eh?
Turns out my body thinks we are 48, not 33! I would consider this a problem. However, we do have a great wellness coordinator where I work who did help me with some stragies to help my body and me agree on a proper age for us.
Natually it involves things like losing weight (which means ditching things like fast food and Coke, which might lead to swearing) and exercising. If I exercise, lose some of this body fat and chill out a bit, I can take literal years off my body. Whoo-hoo.
I think I ran around like a crazy person most of the day. I missed two deadlines today and then managed to almost knock myself unconscious on the ice when I was picking up Jacob today. Ouch!
I have two bandaids, and one of them happens to be a cartoon character, but who knows where the "adult" bandages have disappeared to.
And, now I must close because I have to wash the dishes and finish up a few things for work. Tomorrow IS a new day, right?
Don't worry friends, I am OK. I just like to write and vent. I think my attitude right now is OK. And, in good news I had taco salad for dinner. I skipped the tortilla saving myself 140 calories and I measured the sour cream (yeah, me!) And I only had one glass of iced tea tonight. Keep me in your prayers as I continue on my journey. I'm calling it: goodbye fat girl. Nice, eh?
Monday, January 08, 2007
Sister from another mister
I have this wonderful friend, Anna, who I happened to see a couple of days ago. She is the older sister I've never had. We have both sold Pampered Chef (very good stuff, by the way) and attend church together. She took care of my boys and has three boys of her own. Our relationship has just deepened with each layer added.
She is a very direct person, which I totally appreciate and get in a person. There are just so many reasons why I love this woman. Mostly though, it's her uncanny ability to say just the right thing to me always on cue. But there is one small thing that we disagree on — the power of breathing.
She's always telling me to slow down and breathe. I completely see the merit in this advice, but I find it must more enjoyable to harass her constantly over the steady advice quip. "Just breathe, sweetie."
I wonder how many women she has cared for with these three little words. I know I'm not the only gal who calls to bend her ear. She's truly an amazing blessing to all of us girls who know her.
She is doing a great job on her own fitness journey, and I am so proud of her for that.
She's also become a writer as of late, and I can't wait to read what she has so far on her novel. That might be another blog or perhaps a post on hers.
If you want to meet Anna, scroll down and click on the link to her blog. She's quite a gal.
She is a very direct person, which I totally appreciate and get in a person. There are just so many reasons why I love this woman. Mostly though, it's her uncanny ability to say just the right thing to me always on cue. But there is one small thing that we disagree on — the power of breathing.
She's always telling me to slow down and breathe. I completely see the merit in this advice, but I find it must more enjoyable to harass her constantly over the steady advice quip. "Just breathe, sweetie."
I wonder how many women she has cared for with these three little words. I know I'm not the only gal who calls to bend her ear. She's truly an amazing blessing to all of us girls who know her.
She is doing a great job on her own fitness journey, and I am so proud of her for that.
She's also become a writer as of late, and I can't wait to read what she has so far on her novel. That might be another blog or perhaps a post on hers.
If you want to meet Anna, scroll down and click on the link to her blog. She's quite a gal.
Proud sister
It takes a lot of guts to "do what it takes" to follow your dreams. My youngest sister recently moved back to town (yeah! Gene and I often call on her to sit with the boys after they have gone to bed, so we can run here or there)
At any rate, she knew she needed a job immediately, so she went out and got one. She's worked seven days in a row at a local fast food restaurant. Nope. It's not a glam job. She stands on her feet for hours and comes home smelling like old food, but she's there every day.
I hate hearing people say that "I would never work fast food" as if the job and the people who do work there are below them. No one is below any job, frankly, and I am very proud of her to stick with this while she looks for something better.
And for those who say you can't make it on a fast-food income, it's probably easier than making it on zero per month. In fact, we sat down with a financial spreadsheet, and it's easier than you might think to make it on the income if you live within your means.
Anyway, way to go, little sis. Be patient. Good things do come to those who work hard while they wait.
At any rate, she knew she needed a job immediately, so she went out and got one. She's worked seven days in a row at a local fast food restaurant. Nope. It's not a glam job. She stands on her feet for hours and comes home smelling like old food, but she's there every day.
I hate hearing people say that "I would never work fast food" as if the job and the people who do work there are below them. No one is below any job, frankly, and I am very proud of her to stick with this while she looks for something better.
And for those who say you can't make it on a fast-food income, it's probably easier than making it on zero per month. In fact, we sat down with a financial spreadsheet, and it's easier than you might think to make it on the income if you live within your means.
Anyway, way to go, little sis. Be patient. Good things do come to those who work hard while they wait.
My fitness journey
began today at the Student Health and Recreation Center. Gene and I went there and worked out.
yeah! I also avoided eating out today, electing instead to have a sandwich and a small bag of chips (a lot less calories and fat grams than McDonald's!)
I only drank one soda today, even though I desperately wanted another.
Yeah. I may not blog about my progress every day, but then again, I just might.
yeah! I also avoided eating out today, electing instead to have a sandwich and a small bag of chips (a lot less calories and fat grams than McDonald's!)
I only drank one soda today, even though I desperately wanted another.
Yeah. I may not blog about my progress every day, but then again, I just might.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Peace?
On the first day without kids her kids, I heard the mommy say, "No poopie pants."
On the second day without her kids, I heard the mommy say, "No hunting for a lost sippy cup."
On the third day without her kids, I heard the mommy say, "I'm all alone!"
On the fourth day without her kids, I heard the mommy say, "Wow! Combing my hair really helps!"
On the fifth day without her kids, I heard the mommy say, "Well, I do love 'em, so I better go get them!"
On the second day without her kids, I heard the mommy say, "No hunting for a lost sippy cup."
On the third day without her kids, I heard the mommy say, "I'm all alone!"
On the fourth day without her kids, I heard the mommy say, "Wow! Combing my hair really helps!"
On the fifth day without her kids, I heard the mommy say, "Well, I do love 'em, so I better go get them!"
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Hmmm
So my mom (yes, she's a common theme) bought me this journal (along with my dad, who also deserves mention) that is called Streams in the Desert.
I'm on day four, (kudos to me as it's Jan. 4). Anyway, this particular day has some mind-blowing stuff for this Christian girl.
It's about faith, and I will get to that momentarily. Not all of my friends are believers, and I totally get why. It's hard to put your complete trust and faith into the "unknown." Only that's the most ironic part. God is "unknown" to unbelievers because they choose not to know him. Having a personal relationship with God, with Jesus, is key. I know this and believe it, yet I sometimes have a hard time living it. How do you have an intimate relationship with a facelss being who also happens to be the creator of the universe? Am and I just some puppet to amuse him? I have had these questions a time or two, and my first response to the "how do you get closer to God?" question has always been prayer.
As Christians we learn that prayer is a powerful way to connect us to God, but my reading today suggests that prayer, used in the wrong way, can actually harm our relationship to God. Say, what!?
Yes, it says we need to guard ourselves and be careful not to "pray yourself out of faith." The belief we hold that God will answer our prayer is essential. Without the belief, our prayer is indeed self-focused. And if our eyes are on ourselves, they are not on the Lord.
So those little prayers we offer up to God because they are expected or the answers we thank him for that we never believed he would provide should be red flags for our relationship with him.
Another quote by George Mueller was cited in today's reading, and it especically struck a cord with me.
"The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety."
Praise God for delivering words that I need to hear right to me. And thanks mom and dad for the neat prayer journal.
I'm on day four, (kudos to me as it's Jan. 4). Anyway, this particular day has some mind-blowing stuff for this Christian girl.
It's about faith, and I will get to that momentarily. Not all of my friends are believers, and I totally get why. It's hard to put your complete trust and faith into the "unknown." Only that's the most ironic part. God is "unknown" to unbelievers because they choose not to know him. Having a personal relationship with God, with Jesus, is key. I know this and believe it, yet I sometimes have a hard time living it. How do you have an intimate relationship with a facelss being who also happens to be the creator of the universe? Am and I just some puppet to amuse him? I have had these questions a time or two, and my first response to the "how do you get closer to God?" question has always been prayer.
As Christians we learn that prayer is a powerful way to connect us to God, but my reading today suggests that prayer, used in the wrong way, can actually harm our relationship to God. Say, what!?
Yes, it says we need to guard ourselves and be careful not to "pray yourself out of faith." The belief we hold that God will answer our prayer is essential. Without the belief, our prayer is indeed self-focused. And if our eyes are on ourselves, they are not on the Lord.
So those little prayers we offer up to God because they are expected or the answers we thank him for that we never believed he would provide should be red flags for our relationship with him.
Another quote by George Mueller was cited in today's reading, and it especically struck a cord with me.
"The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety."
Praise God for delivering words that I need to hear right to me. And thanks mom and dad for the neat prayer journal.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Happy New Year!
I have been home with my fellas this week, actually I have been with them pretty constantly since Dec. 22, but who is counting.
My mom called me today to ask me if I knew where the lid to her new crockpot was as I was the one who put the crock away. I didn't know where the lid was because I don't think it was on it when I put it away. I hope she found it. We did not talk long because Jacob and Jared were engaged in World War Ten Thousand.
I wish being healthy worked more like child's play. All I would need are pictures or videos of people eating healthy and exercising and I would do whatever it took to have the very same thing, even though it would seem that I am perfectly content to eat crap and shun exercise.
My boys have WAY TOO MANY TOYS. We have enough toys for most of Topeka to have one, but no toy is greater than the one the other brother beholds. I think if one of my sons was playing with dog poo, the other would not be happy until he had the poo. Not some of the poo, or poo of his own, but ALL OF THE POO from his brother.
Why is this? Then Jacob crawled under the desk to hang out while I was trying to do one little thing on the computer. Jared thought it would be fun to crawl under there, too. Apparently, Jacob was trying to push Jared out, but ended up getting his finger bit instead.
By the way, I do have a membership to the gym. I have not gone yet, but I was missing some vital things. I did not have any tennis shoes, and I moved up another size. Geez, even my feet rebel against me. And, as I might see a student of mine, I wanted to wear presentable workout clothes. I have plenty of T-shirts, courtesy of WU athletics, but no non-embarassing bottoms. I am now the proud owner of work out pants. I gave up shorts a few years back, and I didn't see any workout capris.
Now I am ready. For what, I have no idea.
My mom called me today to ask me if I knew where the lid to her new crockpot was as I was the one who put the crock away. I didn't know where the lid was because I don't think it was on it when I put it away. I hope she found it. We did not talk long because Jacob and Jared were engaged in World War Ten Thousand.
I wish being healthy worked more like child's play. All I would need are pictures or videos of people eating healthy and exercising and I would do whatever it took to have the very same thing, even though it would seem that I am perfectly content to eat crap and shun exercise.
My boys have WAY TOO MANY TOYS. We have enough toys for most of Topeka to have one, but no toy is greater than the one the other brother beholds. I think if one of my sons was playing with dog poo, the other would not be happy until he had the poo. Not some of the poo, or poo of his own, but ALL OF THE POO from his brother.
Why is this? Then Jacob crawled under the desk to hang out while I was trying to do one little thing on the computer. Jared thought it would be fun to crawl under there, too. Apparently, Jacob was trying to push Jared out, but ended up getting his finger bit instead.
By the way, I do have a membership to the gym. I have not gone yet, but I was missing some vital things. I did not have any tennis shoes, and I moved up another size. Geez, even my feet rebel against me. And, as I might see a student of mine, I wanted to wear presentable workout clothes. I have plenty of T-shirts, courtesy of WU athletics, but no non-embarassing bottoms. I am now the proud owner of work out pants. I gave up shorts a few years back, and I didn't see any workout capris.
Now I am ready. For what, I have no idea.
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