Challenge Update: No Fast Food

March 15, 2015March 15, 2015 my13daychallenge

Yesterday, I had Chinese food for lunch. My stomach said Chinese food and so my car drove me there. It tasted great. It smelled good. I loved every bite. I loved it so much that I even wrote myself a happy note to read while I was eating the food. This morning I remembered that I’m giving up fast food for 40 days. I panicked. I’ve gone 24 days without fast food. If Chinese food counts as fast food, I just blew my Lent. I couldn’t believe that I somehow forgot that I’m not eating fast food. I’ve worked so hard to eat at home and prepare meals in advance. I started to feel bad that I only made it to Day 24 and then I remembered the real reason for Lent. I’m getting ready for Easter. Easter means Jesus and Jesus said to forgive and love. Since that forgiveness and love includes gentleness with myself, I’m not going to worry about eating Chinese fast food on Day 24. Day 25 starts today.

There is one drawback though to eating more meals at home.

Musings

Hello Feelings

March 7, 2015March 8, 2015 my13daychallenge

I was having my daily devotional with prayer and scripture study when I started thinking about feelings. Happy feelings. Sad feelings. I started thinking about the feelings I show to world and the feelings I keep to myself. With all those feelings running around my head, I knew I had to do something to validate them. I wrote words to describe the various feelings I had felt that week. Frustrated. Happy. Cute. Scared. Hope. Fat. I then put the opposite of each feeling next to my first list. Certainty. Sad. Unsure. Brave. Fear. Beautiful. I did something kind of unusual but it felt right. I said hello to each feeling. “Hello Frustrated. I know you’re here. It’s okay to be here. You are teaching me something and when it is safe to feel Certainty you will leave. Until that time, I love and honor you Frustrated”. It was especially interesting to say hello to feelings that I normally consider positive ,such as happy, and at the same time acknowledge that it is also safe to feel sad.

After my little validation ceremony, I just sat down on my bed and thought about the beauty of all feelings. What have your feelings taught you today?

My latest challenge is going well. I’m 17 days into not buying Fast Food.

Challenge Three: More Vegtables · Challenge: Create

Salads in a Jar

February 24, 2015 my13daychallenge

I’m having fun with Mason Jars right now. I’ve made salads in a jar to take to work for lunch. They really do last five days in the refrigerator.

I’ve made yogurt in a jar for breakfast. They really do last three days in the refrigerator.

Just for fun, I made money in a jar. It makes me smile every time I see it.

I don’t think it will last five days though.

Wonder Women

Wonder Women: Meet Carrie

February 17, 2015 my13daychallenge

Have you ever met a healer? I have. Her name is Carrie.

Carrie loves to learn. Her natural curiosity of the world led her to earn a degree in science. After a few years of working in cancer research labs, she had an awakening moment that challenged her to combine her love of people and science to the healing of broken bodies and minds. Carrie is now in school studying to be a physician’s assistant. In addition to her studies and residency schedule, Carrie works part-time as a nursing assistant.

Carrie promotes healing to her patients. That is admirable. Carrie promotes healing in herself by exercising, reading books, maintaining friendships and standing up for her beliefs and feelings. That is grit. That is heroism.

Some may say that taking care of yourself is not heroic. I think it is. It takes a lot of energy to be a Wonder Women. Sometimes the most heroic thing a Wonder Women can do is to do the things needed to heal herself.

Carrie is a Wonder Women.

Challenges

My Latest Challenge

February 12, 2015 my13daychallenge

Last year I participated in my own little Lent. It was such a good experience so I’m doing it again this year. The whole idea is to spend 40 days thinking about your life, evaluating where you are with God and preparing for Easter by spending more time reading scriptures and saying your prayers. I can wrap my head around that, because I’m like everyone else here on planet Earth. I’ve got a few favorite sins and weaknesses that could use some serious evaluating and reflection.

Oh, I’m also suppose to give up something up I really like. It’s a symbol that says I’m denying the natural man to make more room for God in my life. I could also add something to my life that makes the world a better place. It’s kind of hard to pick what to give up. I’ve got a ton of choices. Wasting time on Facebook. Sweets. Fast Food. Thinking negatively about myself. Chocolate.

I thought about giving up the spinach-vegetable-fruit smoothies I’ve been making the last few months. I really love those. It would be such a huge sacrifice for me not make them for the next 40 days. (wink-wink)

In the end, I decided to participate in one service activity a week as part of my little Lent. I’m also going to give up fast food chains. I spend too much money eating out on foods that don’t build a healthy me. I can still go to sit down restaurants with friends and family but no more drive through meals. At least that is the plan from February 18th until April 2nd.

Wish me luck and please send me easy to make recipes. I’m going to need them.

Wonder Women

Wonder Women: Meet Tiffanie

January 25, 2015January 25, 2015 my13daychallenge

Have you ever met a scientist? I have. Her name is Tiffanie.

Tiffanie loves to learn. When she has a question, she searches and finds an answer. In her life, Tiffanie has asked hard questions and she persevered until she found answers that made sense to her.

Many parents tell their children to help other people. Tiffanie actually shows her children what helping looks like by doing kind deeds. She’s also funny and makes life delightful for those around her.

Like many other amazing people, Tiffanie says she is ordinary. That’s just not true though. Tiffanie is a Wonder Women. She is a Wonder Women for seeking her own answers to questions instead of relying on other people to make decisions for her. She’s a Wonder Women for loving and teaching her children. She’s a Wonder Women because she makes time to maintain her childhood friendships. She’s a Wonder Women for sacrificing for her family. She’s a Wonder Women because she spends time on her own dreams and goals.

Wonder Women may think they are ordinary but the truth is that ordinary lives are made amazing by wonderful people. Tiffanie is a Wonder Women.

Remember every women’s success can be my success if I let it.

Wonder Women

Wonder Women: Meet Stacy

January 23, 2015January 23, 2015 my13daychallenge

Have you ever met a beacon of happiness and fun? I have. Her name is Stacy.

I met Stacy my first year of college. She was my rush adviser when I joined a sorority. Her enthusiasm for life and serving others made me want to be like her. Stacy loves life. She is kind. She is funny. She loves the rain. Stacy always posts a song about the rain every time it rains to her social media account. It’s a little thing but people love her for it.

Stacy goes out of her way to help others. I was ill one time and she visited me. I felt better by having her visit. Halloween is Stacy’s favorite holiday and her costumes are legendary. Just like all of us, Stacy has had some dark days. She keeps singing. She keeps striving to be a beacon of happiness and fun to those around her. Stacy is a Wonder Women.

Remember every women’s success can be my success if I let it.

Challenge 14: Gratitude · Musings

How to make me really happy

January 13, 2015January 13, 2015 my13daychallenge

Today I got a package from my amazing brother John. It made my day. I absolutely love getting mail. It’s so much fun. There is just something wonderful about letters, packages and magazines with your very own name on it.

As a child, I would wait for the mailman to come. One day we got a new mail carrier. Her name was Mary. I was thrilled to discover girls could deliver the mail. I was headed for a career with the post office. Then I discovered the tragic news that Mary didn’t get to keep all the mail in her truck. I made new career plans.

The first thing I do when I get home from vacation is to go to the post office and collect my held mail. I get my mail before I unpack my suitcase or even brush my hair. I have my priorities.

Question: How do you make me very happy?

Answer: Send me something in the mail. I love all mail. (OK, maybe not bills)

Challenge 14: Gratitude · Musings

New Years Goals

January 1, 2015December 4, 2015 my13daychallenge

2014 was hard. Hard in a lot of ways that I can’t write about on a public blog.

At 4:29 a.m. this morning, I woke up with a desire to do my morning devotional. I went to bed pretty late so at first I wasn’t very happy to be woken up at such an early hour. It was such an odd time to wake up though. I lay there trying to go back to sleep and trying to fight the thought that I needed to do my morning devotional. I figured I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep until I did it so I got out of my bed. The routine is pretty basic. I say a prayer, read a few scriptures and then I do five minutes of a deep breathing meditation. I’ve been told that meditation heals you and makes all your cells happy. I like happy and healed cells. Sometimes, I end my little routine with a song. I went along with the usual routine and then I did something different. I pretended it was December 31, 2015. I had met all of my 2015 New Years Resolutions. All of them. Even the ones I’m too afraid to speak out loud. I imagined myself on December 31, 2015 standing on a small mountain looking out to the ocean. It was a beautiful ocean that was framed by a rising sun. I looked beautiful next to that ocean. When I picture myself in the future, I always have perfect hair that never gets fuzzy and no acne. It’s amazing what your imagination can do for you. It was kind of cool, because in that moment it felt like I had already accomplished every single one of my goals for 2015.

With my morning devotional done, I promptly went back to sleep for three more delicious hours.

What are your goals for 2015?

Wonder Women

Wonder Women: Meet Jenny

December 29, 2014December 29, 2014 my13daychallenge

Have you ever met a warrior. I have. Her name is Jenny.

When Jenny was expecting her first baby, she was diagnosed with arrhythmia. For the next 14 years and through additional pregnancies, she struggled to find answers for her health challenges. It was discouraging and frustrating. She kept going. At times, it would have been easier to give up and focus only on the pain. She kept working on her dream to write songs. She kept loving her family. She kept hoping even when there was no hope. There were years when the doctors didn’t know how to help her. There were days where she and her husband planned her funeral. She kept living even when it was hard. This year she walked a 5k. This year she has written a song. Jenny calls herself a survivor and gives the credit for her persistence and her miraculous life to God.

I call my friend Jenny a warrior. Women with warrior hearts continue to get up and keep going in the face of difficulties. Jenny is a warrior and a Wonder Women.

Dear Readers, you may get up slowly. You may need to lay on the ground for a while to recover. However, the moment you even think about getting up the future has started for you. You are a warrior and a Wonder Women.

Remember every women’s success can be my success if I let it.