Get Fit Friday

Things have been crazy.
I have been doing IF.
Most days I do a 16/8 schedule but have realized that it is really easy to go past that 16 hour mark. I’ve fasted 18-20 hours three times.
Have so much going on. I’m struggling. No time for the gym this week.
Back on board next week.

Actually I don’t even feel bad about it. I did what I could. I want this to be a lifestyle change, not a crash diet. That means that there WILL be bad days. I need to know how to get back on track. Much better than giving up all together just because I had a bad day.

Thursday's Thoughts on... being a Christian - "Waking Up" woke me up

I recently read a book by Ted Dekker that seriously got my attention. If you are't familiar with him, he writes in the same genre as Frank Peretti, but more Sci-Fi than Peretti. Still not familiar? Think "Stephen King sprinkled with a little Dean Koontz but with a Christian worldview." 

This book was totally different than Dekker's other books. Mainly, it's not fiction, but more than that, I felt as though he and I were having a conversation about our faith. Not to give it all away, but in the book he shares his struggle with Christianity...or maybe it's our idea of Christianity... I'm not sure. He is  SO easy to read and tells his story with such transparency... again, I felt as though we were having a conversation. 

Oh! Before I forget!!! The name of the book is Waking Up.

Now that we've gone through all that and you have some idea of where I'm coming from....

I am STUCK on this thought...

Do I believe what I say I believe?

This leads to all sorts of other questions...

Does my life show that I believe what I say I believe? 

• How quick am I to pray with someone? 
• I say I believe God's Word is our lifeline... how much of it do I have memorized? How often do I have a verse ready to offer as comfort or advice?
• I say that I want to leave a legacy, that I want to make a difference in the lives of the people God puts in my life...what am I doing to invest in the lives of others? Am I available? Am I intentional? 
• I say that I believe that God's plan is perfect... do I live without fear? Do I totally trust God with every detail of my life?

Do others see Christ in me?

• Do I love as Christ loved?
• Do I see the potential in people?
• Do I see everyone as uniquely Created by God, or do I shy away from people who are not like me?
• Am I so full of the love of Christ that those around me are drenched in the overflow?

There are others. I could go on for hours. 

Not too long ago, a friend told me that they love how I will crawl through garbage to give a rose to a wilted soul. 

I hope this is true of me. 

I do want to be used by Christ. I do want all my trials and downfalls and the story of how God delivered, healed, and restored me to give hope to those who are struggling. I want my life, my story, to point others to Christ. 

It's so easy to lose focus on what's important. Time gets away from me. I want to live intentionally, to make each day count... not for my pleasure, but for Christ. Someone told me recently that I need to get out of my way. Come to think of it, Perry said something like that to me as well. The phrase "Let go and let God" comes to mind.

What do YOu do to make sure that you are "on track" when it comes to living your life for Christ?
I'd love to hear from you!

Big hugs and much love!

K

Wednesday's Weekly Recipes - Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese

I'm not CERTAIN that this is a "Southern" thing. I'm not sure it's even a recipe. I am POSITIVE that it is delicious and the perfect save for, "Oh SNAP! I forgot to make anything for the(whatever event you're going to. Seriously, this stuff is amazing.)"

One of my northern friends said that she fixes this too, so maybe it;s not a "southern thing". Even so, I have to add it to the list of shared recipes for 2018.

It is SERIOUSLY the easiest thing ev-er.

Ingredients

1 block of cream Cheese
1 Jar of Pepper Jelly (I like mild, but some like it hot. totally up to you)
Box of Ritz crackers (or whatever crackers you like)

Oh!
You will also need a cute dish to serve it on. (if your dish is small...you will need something for the crackers too) Preferably something indicative of the event you are attending... (a Tennessee dish for tailgating, a heart shaped dish for a Valentines party, or whatever...you get the idea)

Directions

Open the cream cheese
Plop it right in the middle of your dish
Open the jar of pepper jelly
Pour it over the cream cheese
(IF YOU HAVE TIME - pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds, if you don't have time, it will be JUST FINE at room temperature)
Open up the crackers and either arrange them around the dish (if it is big enough) or arrange them on your matching dish
Done

Tuesday Tips and Tricks - Getting Organized - The Hall Closet

Okay, bathrooms are DONE! yay!!!!

It may take me all week to accomplish this task... the dreaded hall closet... keeper of board games, blankets, craft supplies, puzzles, random chords and plugs that no one knows what to do with, loose photos, newspaper articles, instructions for electronics we no longer own, scrap books, photo albums, and old yearbooks...and my sewing machine...and the air mattress...and who knows what else.

Maybe your hall closet isn't in bad shape. Still, it won't hurt to go through it and purge and organize. (That seems to be the theme this year... "Purge and Organize!")

This is really self explanatory.

Have your trash bag handy as well as something to put donations in.

Now, if you are easily distracted like me (Oh! Baby pictures!), this may be an opportunity for you to make more to-do lists (go through photos, for example). This is not the time for that. We will never get done if we get side-tracked now!

Purge! Purge! Purge!

Once you've purged, THEN you can separate things that need to be looked through in order to organize them. (like baby pictures)

My intention is to clear off a shelf for my sheets (which are now neatly folded and stored in their pillow cases).

2 months and 3 areas complete! Way to go!


Much love and big hugs!
K

Monday Motivation

Does this one even need my thoughts added to it?

Goodness. This applies to so many areas of my life. My weight. My finances. My messy house. I found myself griping and complaining about these things and acknowledging that they all cause me stress and anxiety, yet I did absolutely nothing to change them. 

Part of my plan for 2018 was to make these 3 areas of my life work better for me. I wish I could say that I woke up one morning and everything had fallen into place. It's one step at a time, one day at a time, one choice at a time, but it is happening. Slowly but surely I am gaining control over these areas of my life. I'm removing excuses and replacing them with goals. 

What areas of your life do you complain about? 

What are you doing to change them?