Get Fit Friday - What's Working / What's Changing

This is not what I planned on sharing today. I'd planned on sharing how I'd finally gotten my diet in check and started craving gym time. Neither of those are true, so I'll not be sharing that today.

I've had a difficult couple of weeks. This whole process of surviving after an attempted suicide is sort of like peeling layers of an onion. Thankfully, I haven't had to deal with everything at once. It seems that, as I am ready, another layer peels away to reveal another hurt or... something. I've actually begun to believe that it matters how I talk to myself. I've actually begun to believe that the harsh way I judge myself  is unfair. I've actually begun to believe that I have given power to people who no longer have any control over me because I continue to speak to myself the way they did. That is no longer acceptable to me. So this week...

I've been gentle with myself and I've spoken kind words to me.
I've given myself the benefit of the doubt and allowed myself to grieve.

I've grieved what might have been and what will never be.
I picked up pieces of my heart and I've made peace with....
me.

I know not only that I trip and stumble; but also how hard I try.
So this week I've been gentle with me and allowed myself to cry.

I've cried over what's past and can't be changed and over what will never be.
I've cried for people I love... and realized that I love me.

So I've been gentle with me. I've been loving, encouraging, and kind.
I've focused my thoughts on the good in me, tho it's sometimes hard to find.

I'm choosing to see myself differently than others seem to do.
I'm choosing to trust Christ to determine my worth and purpose and value.

I'm allowing my heart to be healed by the one who saved my soul
Cause I think that maybe He saved me so that I could finally be whole.


Much love and big big hugs,
K

Thursday Thoughts on: What I Truly Value

A while back, I started a list of questions that I'm trying to answer.  As I've wrestled with these subjects, I've actually made peace with myself. I'm learning to embrace who God created me to be... and have been pleasantly surprised to find that woman to be quite different from who I've been trying to be.

Anyway, here are this week's question and (hopefully) answer:

What do I truly value?

I value people.

I love hearing their stories and learning what makes them who they are. I am almost always amazed at how someone's story twists and turns...and how God uses all those twists and turns to bring them to His side.

Occasionally I meet someone who becomes a friend. This doesn't happen often and I fully realize this is because I have solid boundaries re-enforced by thick walls of concrete-filled titanium blocks stacked 4 feet deep and 20 feet high held together with gorilla glue. I can only think of a handful (or maybe just a couple) of people who live inside these walls, but the few who do are like oxygen to me. With them I find myself totally at ease...totally myself. They offer no expectations, no pre-conceived notions of how I "should" be, no condemnation, and no judgement. I can breathe and relax in their presence and for that I am eternally grateful.

One of these people recently asked me why I try to get involved with "so many groups." It took me a little minute to figure out how to respond to this. When I did finally work out my response, I realized it fit very well with what I'm writing about today, so, with the encouragement of the friend who asked the question in the first place, I've chosen to share those thoughts here...

I like broken people. I like people who have been told that they don't matter. I love to share the love of Christ with them. I love to show them the difference Christ has made in my life...even when my circumstances are unchanged and the people around me are hurtful. I love the look in a person's eyes when they realize that they matter to me... when they realize that I just love them and want nothing from them. I love the change that love makes in a person who is broken. I love making a person feel that they matter... that they are not alone in their struggles...I love encouraging people. 

I want people's lives to be better because they knew me. I want to make a difference. I want it to matter that I took up space here. I want the people God places in my life to know that they are loved, that they are valuable and important to me. 

I suppose I seek out broken people because giving to them makes my heart hurt less.

I don't want anyone to feel like I do, so I do what I can to help people see that they matter. 

This is wasted on people who already know that they are important, so I seek out broken people.

Broken people are easier to love. They have no expectation. They soak up my kindness and goodness and love and they are just thankful for it.

So that's all I have to say about that. I truly value people and I seek out truly broken people because I  see my own brokenness in them and loving them makes my heart hurt a little less.

Just my thoughts,

K


I wanna know....
What do you truly value??
Does your life reflect that?
What can you do TODAY to invest in the things you truly value?

Other questions I'm pondering....

What determines my worth?
What do I LIKE about me?

What is holding me back?

Wednesday's Weekly Recipe : Beignets

I had a wonderful day visiting my son in New Orleans Saturday. In light of that visit, here is a recipe for a New Orleans treat...Beignets! (compliments of Delish.com)

Ingredients

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

2 large eggs, separated

3/4 c. granulated sugar

1 tbsp. melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Vegetable oil, for frying

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

1.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl, combine egg yolks, sugar, ¼ cup water, melted butter, and vanilla and stir to combine. Fold into dry ingredients until just combined.
2.  In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, then fold into batter.
3.  In a large pot, heat oil to 375º. Drop small spoonfuls of batter into hot oil and fry until golden, about 5 minutes. (You want to keep the oil at 375º to make sure they cook all the way through.) Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
4. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

 

Tuesday Tips and Tricks... for the working mom... week 4

Here we are in our 4th week of sanity saving tips for working moms. This week, tips on:

Managing the Morning Mayhem

Is morning something akin to mayhem in your home? It doesn't have to be! Check out these 10 blogs for tips on saving time and streamlining your morning routine.

• Do not turn on the TV or the computer in the morning because it will be a distraction that will most likely make everyone late according to Mom Always Finds Out.
• Make a To Do list first thing in the morning before you get the kids up so that you know what you need to accomplish that day. This and other time saving tips can be found on WAHM.
• To get a little added exercise, walk your child to school in the morning. If you can stop by the convenience store on the way home that's even better according to Care2.
• Get up extra early while the house is still quiet and enjoy some alone time to meditate or read and get your day off to a better start, suggests Empower Network.
• Try to put in a load of laundry in first thing in the morning so that you can get at least one load done each day, suggests Calypso in the Country.
• Plan to give the kids baths at night and take your shower then as well so that mornings are less hectic, notes Madhuri Banerjee.
• Take public transportation for your office commute so that you can be doing something while you are getting to work instead of stressing out behind the wheel, as pointed out by ReUpLifestyle.
• Be organized and make sure that everything has a place so that you don't have to hunt for it in the morning. This should make your morning faster and less stressful according to Girlfriendology.
• Let the older kids make their own breakfast in the morning. Try these microwaveable scrambled eggs from Beyer Beware.
• Use a crock pot to start dinner first thing in the morning so you can save time later during dinner. For 53 simple crock pot recipes check out Domestic Superhero.

Monday motivation

Have a great week!
K