We had a blast at the ZOO!
I couldn't pass up buying Levi and Lanie these cool stuffed snakes!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
The day will not be a failure...
This morning I skipped my workout (for the first time in 5 weeks) BUT I'm ok with it. I am going to workout later and the day will not be a failure. As I was getting dressed this morning my shirt...that I've not worn in months...fit me better than the last time I wore it! Yay! I've not been getting the best results on the scale, but if my clothes are fitting better (or a lil to big) then I don't care what the scale says.
I have some capri's from a couple of summer's ago that are too small and my goal is to be able to wear them by June. That gives me almost 2 months to drop about one size. I think this is very attainable, but encouragment doesn't hurt, so if you want to cheer me on go ahead!
I have some capri's from a couple of summer's ago that are too small and my goal is to be able to wear them by June. That gives me almost 2 months to drop about one size. I think this is very attainable, but encouragment doesn't hurt, so if you want to cheer me on go ahead!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Walk by Faith
So, about two months ago I stopped listening to the Bobby Bones morning show. Not because I dislike it or it was inappropriate, but mainly because my antenna broke on the Runner and I had no radio. Now, if you know me you know how much I love that morning show, for my 45 min drive to work I was completely entertained and laughed out loud daily. Before I got my antenna fixed I decided to change my morning habits, give up a morning show I loved and spend time with the Lord each morning. More recently (since I started going to the Y before work each morning) I've listened to the radio until the morning news report and then started my payer time.
WELL the reason for the huge intro is to say how listening to Christian music really does affect me. I tend to get songs stuck in my head (when I had no radio I had a youth church song in my head for a week because it was the only music I had heard) and when the only music you hear is "Living He loved me, dying He saved me and burried He carried my sins far away" then you think that throughout the day. For me this makes a difference, other people may be able to listen to whatever (and thats totally ok). Don't get me wrong I love lots of music and I can't say that I don't ever listen to secular music.
WELL another reason for another huge intro is that this morning (I've had a very rough couple of days this week) I heard a song I've heard tons of times, but this morning the Lord SHOUTED to me (maybe at me) through this song by Jeremy Camp..." I will walk by faith even when I cannot see (You)." Today I needed to hear that. I needed to be reminded that when things seem so rough and I can't find the Lord, He is still there. He doesn't leave me. I might push Him to the back burner, but I'm always on His radar. Today I'm not having a rough day, my issue hasn't be solved, I'm still very emotional, but today I can remember that if I just walk by faith then I'll be more than ok. I could have not posted that yesterday or the day before because I very selfishly cared too much about myself to bring God into my hurt. He does not cause the hurt. He has a plan for me, I am happy with the plan? Not at the moment, but I will still have faith and I will continue to walk in that Faith, even when I cannot see what good is coming from these struggles.
WELL the reason for the huge intro is to say how listening to Christian music really does affect me. I tend to get songs stuck in my head (when I had no radio I had a youth church song in my head for a week because it was the only music I had heard) and when the only music you hear is "Living He loved me, dying He saved me and burried He carried my sins far away" then you think that throughout the day. For me this makes a difference, other people may be able to listen to whatever (and thats totally ok). Don't get me wrong I love lots of music and I can't say that I don't ever listen to secular music.
WELL another reason for another huge intro is that this morning (I've had a very rough couple of days this week) I heard a song I've heard tons of times, but this morning the Lord SHOUTED to me (maybe at me) through this song by Jeremy Camp..." I will walk by faith even when I cannot see (You)." Today I needed to hear that. I needed to be reminded that when things seem so rough and I can't find the Lord, He is still there. He doesn't leave me. I might push Him to the back burner, but I'm always on His radar. Today I'm not having a rough day, my issue hasn't be solved, I'm still very emotional, but today I can remember that if I just walk by faith then I'll be more than ok. I could have not posted that yesterday or the day before because I very selfishly cared too much about myself to bring God into my hurt. He does not cause the hurt. He has a plan for me, I am happy with the plan? Not at the moment, but I will still have faith and I will continue to walk in that Faith, even when I cannot see what good is coming from these struggles.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Things I wish I'd Known Before I got Married by Gary Chapman
In buying this book I didn't really know what it was, but the title caught my eye. After starting it I learned that it was more of a premarital book with questions and kind of a how to aspect of what to look for in your relationship before you are married. I bought the book intending to send it to a friend, she will need it more than I did because she hasn't been through counseling. Luckily our premarital counseling taught us a lot of the same information.
My favorite chapter was chapter 12: I wish I had known that...personality profoundly influences behavior. The reason this was my favorite is mainly because I love learning about personality, personality traits, and all those things in between.
Some of the comparisons are Half Full or Half Empty, Neatniks and Slobs, Dead Sea and Babbling Brook, Passive and Aggressive, Professors and Dancers, and The Organizer and the Free Spirit. I love the section on Dead Sea and Babbling Brook mainly because Mike and I fit it perfectly! Bet you can't guess which one of us is the babbling brook??? I constantly need to be reminded that it isn't that he doesn't want to talk to me, but that he is perfectly comfortable in silence. He tells me exactly what needs to be told and not much more unless I ask. Chapman says in this book that the Babling Brook is more of a painter and the Dead Sea is a pointer; meaning I explain something with every single detail I can remember as opposed to the pointer who gives much less detail and is very "get to the point" in their communication. It was a good reminder that most Dead Seas don't mind questions and will answer if you ask, but more than likely they won't just give up the information on their own. Also that Babbling Brooks would be really hurt if they were told to get to the point or to stop talking.
I also really enjoyed this chapter because most relationships have one or the other personality types, it is cool to see which one of the couple is which. It is also really neat that you can be one or the other or you can each be a little bit of both. I would say that I may lean towards being the aggressive one in our relationship, but then there are times that I'm the passive one and Mike usually saves the day by stepping up to be the aggressive one.
Chapman mentions that if you are one way you stay that way and don't change. I think this is true to a degree, but learning from each other and working on your relationship can sometimes cause a change in re/actions.
Overall this is a great book for those of you that are in a serious relationship and are thinking about a marriage covinent with someone.
Yay for my first book review! Enjoy your afternoon.
My favorite chapter was chapter 12: I wish I had known that...personality profoundly influences behavior. The reason this was my favorite is mainly because I love learning about personality, personality traits, and all those things in between.
Some of the comparisons are Half Full or Half Empty, Neatniks and Slobs, Dead Sea and Babbling Brook, Passive and Aggressive, Professors and Dancers, and The Organizer and the Free Spirit. I love the section on Dead Sea and Babbling Brook mainly because Mike and I fit it perfectly! Bet you can't guess which one of us is the babbling brook??? I constantly need to be reminded that it isn't that he doesn't want to talk to me, but that he is perfectly comfortable in silence. He tells me exactly what needs to be told and not much more unless I ask. Chapman says in this book that the Babling Brook is more of a painter and the Dead Sea is a pointer; meaning I explain something with every single detail I can remember as opposed to the pointer who gives much less detail and is very "get to the point" in their communication. It was a good reminder that most Dead Seas don't mind questions and will answer if you ask, but more than likely they won't just give up the information on their own. Also that Babbling Brooks would be really hurt if they were told to get to the point or to stop talking.
I also really enjoyed this chapter because most relationships have one or the other personality types, it is cool to see which one of the couple is which. It is also really neat that you can be one or the other or you can each be a little bit of both. I would say that I may lean towards being the aggressive one in our relationship, but then there are times that I'm the passive one and Mike usually saves the day by stepping up to be the aggressive one.
Chapman mentions that if you are one way you stay that way and don't change. I think this is true to a degree, but learning from each other and working on your relationship can sometimes cause a change in re/actions.
Overall this is a great book for those of you that are in a serious relationship and are thinking about a marriage covinent with someone.
Yay for my first book review! Enjoy your afternoon.
Monday, March 7, 2011
This is the year!
This is our year for improvement. Mike and I have set some goals for ourselves. Some things were suggested by others, some are life changing, and some are strictly to try and enjoy life more!
1. We are both going to make the life change to be healthy. Not only to lose weight and to make our bodies look better, but to feel better. We have changed our diet (one main thing is to eat out less), we have implemented going to the gym, and having a better outlook on the whole plan in general. I have started going to the Y each morning (getting up at 5:20 yikes). Yes, am way more tired at the end of the day, but I seem to do better the rest of the day when I start my morning by being active. Mike plays ball 3 times a week and has been lifting everyday (he loves working out). We have a heavy bag we've been training on when it is warm outside. And how do we feel??? BETTER! We've both lost or kept off some pounds.
2. Suffering. Our home team (bible study) was challenged to find something we can do as a suffering for Christ or someone else as Christ would have done. I picked something that has always been a challenge for me...praying. I am pretty consistent in praying, but not always selflessly. I am trying to pray for others more than for myself. It has been more than a year since we started trying to get pregnant and almost a year since our miscarriage. For the last year I have prayed about and for this daily with no miss. Did I consistently pray for anything else? Anyone else? No. So my suffering is to make a consious effort to put others into my prayer life. Another way I want to change my prayers is to LISTEN! I tend to forget that you pray to talk with God, not to talk at Him! Mike decided on his suffering(s) and I am excited to cheer him on and be there for him when things get tough.
3. Read more. I really enjoy a good book, do I read very often? Not so much. I want to read more, it can't hurt! I've read a two part book by Francine Rivers over the last couple months, I loved it! I started two books recently that are not fiction, but somewhat self help books. One is on changing our soul when it comes to "dieting" (hate that word) and the other is things that you wished you would have known before you were married. I want to read these books and then review them on here so that the world can see that I'm reaching this goal.
4. Admire not critisize. I am hateful sometimes in what I think of others (and myself). I am so quick to judge it is pretty gross. I don't want to be jealous of others' success, but find joy in it and learn from it.
(Speaking of...I read Jess's blog about her March goals and I thought good for her! She is really living her life to the fullest and working hard to be happy! I admire that she wants the world to know what she is working on so that she can be held accountable.)
More to come...my break at work is over...
1. We are both going to make the life change to be healthy. Not only to lose weight and to make our bodies look better, but to feel better. We have changed our diet (one main thing is to eat out less), we have implemented going to the gym, and having a better outlook on the whole plan in general. I have started going to the Y each morning (getting up at 5:20 yikes). Yes, am way more tired at the end of the day, but I seem to do better the rest of the day when I start my morning by being active. Mike plays ball 3 times a week and has been lifting everyday (he loves working out). We have a heavy bag we've been training on when it is warm outside. And how do we feel??? BETTER! We've both lost or kept off some pounds.
2. Suffering. Our home team (bible study) was challenged to find something we can do as a suffering for Christ or someone else as Christ would have done. I picked something that has always been a challenge for me...praying. I am pretty consistent in praying, but not always selflessly. I am trying to pray for others more than for myself. It has been more than a year since we started trying to get pregnant and almost a year since our miscarriage. For the last year I have prayed about and for this daily with no miss. Did I consistently pray for anything else? Anyone else? No. So my suffering is to make a consious effort to put others into my prayer life. Another way I want to change my prayers is to LISTEN! I tend to forget that you pray to talk with God, not to talk at Him! Mike decided on his suffering(s) and I am excited to cheer him on and be there for him when things get tough.
3. Read more. I really enjoy a good book, do I read very often? Not so much. I want to read more, it can't hurt! I've read a two part book by Francine Rivers over the last couple months, I loved it! I started two books recently that are not fiction, but somewhat self help books. One is on changing our soul when it comes to "dieting" (hate that word) and the other is things that you wished you would have known before you were married. I want to read these books and then review them on here so that the world can see that I'm reaching this goal.
4. Admire not critisize. I am hateful sometimes in what I think of others (and myself). I am so quick to judge it is pretty gross. I don't want to be jealous of others' success, but find joy in it and learn from it.
(Speaking of...I read Jess's blog about her March goals and I thought good for her! She is really living her life to the fullest and working hard to be happy! I admire that she wants the world to know what she is working on so that she can be held accountable.)
More to come...my break at work is over...
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Porn and Pastries
Last night I attended an event hosted by my church, Westlink Christian Church, as a part of our "Porn Weekend." This event was for women only, 500 women gathered at our church for pastries, fellowship, and to hear a couple speakers from xxxchurch.com.
As you would expect this event and the advertising done by the church was a controversy in our community over the last month. I've heard before if you are not making a fuss in your community, then you are not doing your job as a congregation. In this case that statement totally applies!
Craig Gross and Shellie Warren were the guest speakers, they were merely amazing. They addressed talking to your children about sex and porn, dealing with porn addictions in your family, living a life that is pure before you enter a covenant as husband and wife, masturbation, knowing your worth as woman in the context of your sexuality, and your relationship with the Lord. They encouraged us as believers to be open about all of these issues in our families, friends, and church life!
On the website for the event, people shared their concerns about talking to their young children about sex, porn, etc. Some were offened that the church would post the word "porn" for anyone of any age to see. It was emphasized that if we can't talk about it in the church then where are these kiddos going to learn about it? Craig talked about the "sex talk" he just had with his 7 year old son. He reminded parents that if you talk about it early on you can avoid the awkward talk with an older kid that has already learned about sex from society. When you introduce it at a young age you can gradually build the comfort in talking about sex and grow with your child as they learn more. They will be more comfortable with coming to you with questions if you are open and honest with them. We are kidding ourselves if we think our youth don't know about sex and that they are not exposed! Shellie said "It they are old enough to ask the question, then they are old enough for an answer." She went on to say the answer definitely has to be age appropriate, but they need an answer.
During Q&A a woman asked about talking to her young daughter about "loving" Justin Bieber or The Jonas Brothers. Shellie gave the advice that more than anything you need to use that as a teaching moment to teach your child about the word "love" and how to use it. Encourage them to "really like him" and "love" someone you actually know and have a relationship with, I loved that advice!
When Shellie was talking about "making love" she reminded us that you don't make love with sex. You can definitely have sex and not be making love. I loved that she talked about the purpose of sex. She said that the purpose is not to procreate or to have pleasure, but the oneness that it creates with a mate. Shellie also spoke about loving someone that loves the Lord first. That you are worth more than you give yourself credit for and that the Lord has set a path for you. She spoke about the woman as a helper, that you don't need to change for the man or strive to be with him, but that he needs you as a helper and the right one will see that in you. She reminded the women that "if the man you love is faithful to the Lord then he will be faithful to you." She encouraged single women that delay is not denile, the wait is not a no, but honoring the yeses. I really felt like she made a good point that the wait is worth it and that the Lord has a plan.
In talking with my mom (60 years old) she felt lucky to be in a situation where a different generation could learn more about the current generation. She and I talked about how people my age were just about the first people to be able to access the internet as preteens. It is a whole new world when you account for what you can access on the computer, ipods, and phones. The speakers touched on this too because it is more of an issue than it has ever been.
Lastly, they talked about helping spouses, family members, or friends that do have sexual addictions. They gave advice on being open and building those people up and honoring the Lord by sticking with them and helping them.
I could go on forever, but I won't. I feel so blessed that the Lord has given me the ability to be open and able to talk about just about anything. I will leave you with one reminder...use the abilities the Lord has given you in sharing your faith, love, and spirituality
As you would expect this event and the advertising done by the church was a controversy in our community over the last month. I've heard before if you are not making a fuss in your community, then you are not doing your job as a congregation. In this case that statement totally applies!
Craig Gross and Shellie Warren were the guest speakers, they were merely amazing. They addressed talking to your children about sex and porn, dealing with porn addictions in your family, living a life that is pure before you enter a covenant as husband and wife, masturbation, knowing your worth as woman in the context of your sexuality, and your relationship with the Lord. They encouraged us as believers to be open about all of these issues in our families, friends, and church life!
On the website for the event, people shared their concerns about talking to their young children about sex, porn, etc. Some were offened that the church would post the word "porn" for anyone of any age to see. It was emphasized that if we can't talk about it in the church then where are these kiddos going to learn about it? Craig talked about the "sex talk" he just had with his 7 year old son. He reminded parents that if you talk about it early on you can avoid the awkward talk with an older kid that has already learned about sex from society. When you introduce it at a young age you can gradually build the comfort in talking about sex and grow with your child as they learn more. They will be more comfortable with coming to you with questions if you are open and honest with them. We are kidding ourselves if we think our youth don't know about sex and that they are not exposed! Shellie said "It they are old enough to ask the question, then they are old enough for an answer." She went on to say the answer definitely has to be age appropriate, but they need an answer.
During Q&A a woman asked about talking to her young daughter about "loving" Justin Bieber or The Jonas Brothers. Shellie gave the advice that more than anything you need to use that as a teaching moment to teach your child about the word "love" and how to use it. Encourage them to "really like him" and "love" someone you actually know and have a relationship with, I loved that advice!
When Shellie was talking about "making love" she reminded us that you don't make love with sex. You can definitely have sex and not be making love. I loved that she talked about the purpose of sex. She said that the purpose is not to procreate or to have pleasure, but the oneness that it creates with a mate. Shellie also spoke about loving someone that loves the Lord first. That you are worth more than you give yourself credit for and that the Lord has set a path for you. She spoke about the woman as a helper, that you don't need to change for the man or strive to be with him, but that he needs you as a helper and the right one will see that in you. She reminded the women that "if the man you love is faithful to the Lord then he will be faithful to you." She encouraged single women that delay is not denile, the wait is not a no, but honoring the yeses. I really felt like she made a good point that the wait is worth it and that the Lord has a plan.
In talking with my mom (60 years old) she felt lucky to be in a situation where a different generation could learn more about the current generation. She and I talked about how people my age were just about the first people to be able to access the internet as preteens. It is a whole new world when you account for what you can access on the computer, ipods, and phones. The speakers touched on this too because it is more of an issue than it has ever been.
Lastly, they talked about helping spouses, family members, or friends that do have sexual addictions. They gave advice on being open and building those people up and honoring the Lord by sticking with them and helping them.
I could go on forever, but I won't. I feel so blessed that the Lord has given me the ability to be open and able to talk about just about anything. I will leave you with one reminder...use the abilities the Lord has given you in sharing your faith, love, and spirituality
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Life as a first grader
I wish we could remember our experiences like they were yesterday. I would love to see myself in first grade to see what I was like. Now that I'm 26 and in first grade things are really great, I am a total know-it-all, I rock at art class and all the kids want to play with me at recess! It amazes me each day when kids say the most amazing things. Yesterday a kid was asked his favorite body part...of course he said "nose, duh." Another one of the students said that if he had $100 he would buy "a hot rod to pick up hot chicks."
Daily I'm reminded through these kiddos how great life really is and how when we grow up and lose our childlike view on things life seems to be crap. Today my student (hard of hearing/spec ed) used a complete sentence to let another (regular ed) kid know he spelled a word with a d instead of a b. I cried. Although she stresses me out (hourly) she makes great gains each day and I get to be there for it all! I felt like today was useless and that my job was crap, until this happened and I realized that I really am shining my light for not only my student, but others around me. God never ceases to amaze me when it comes to His greatness!
Daily I'm reminded through these kiddos how great life really is and how when we grow up and lose our childlike view on things life seems to be crap. Today my student (hard of hearing/spec ed) used a complete sentence to let another (regular ed) kid know he spelled a word with a d instead of a b. I cried. Although she stresses me out (hourly) she makes great gains each day and I get to be there for it all! I felt like today was useless and that my job was crap, until this happened and I realized that I really am shining my light for not only my student, but others around me. God never ceases to amaze me when it comes to His greatness!
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