Saturday Sabbath

Get Fit Friday - 100 Day Challenge - the Challenge...

 So this challenge will start next week and end on November 23, the day before my 46th birthday.

100% for 100 days. That's the commitment.

I had to be very careful in selecting the things I'm going to challenge myself to these 100 days. I am committed. I will do whatever it takes to complete the challenge. I'm super excited to see what changes it makes in my life.

It's really too much to share my thought process on how I came up with my personal challenges.

But, in case you want to do this for yourself... basically, I thought about the areas of my life that are either unproductive, cause me stress, or otherwise need improving. The overriding idea surprised me. I want to be confident. Not prideful or arrogant, just confident that I have done what needs to be done to accomplish what I need to accomplish on any given day.

I made myself a workbook of sorts - you can find it by clicking on the "100 Day Challenge Workbook" tab at the top of the blog...if you really want to know how I came up with this list.

Here's the result:

1. Leave 10 minutes earlier than I think I need to for EVERYTHING.
2. USE MY PLANNER
3. Spend 30 minutes cleaning the house EVERY DAY
4. Throw away an ascending # of things each day (day one- 1 thing, day 2- 2 things, etc. to 100 things on day 100)
5. Keep an accurate spending ledger EVERY DAY
6. DO NOT EAT OUT
1. Cook supper every night. 
2. Take Lunch EVERY DAY
3. Eat Breakfast at home or take it to work from home
7. In bed by 10:00, out of bed at 4:00 (6 hrs of sleep)
8. Drink only water
9. Take my vitamins, including extra Iron, B12, and D3
10. No Processed Foods
1. No sugar
2. No bread
11. Have everything prepped for the next day before I go to bed at night.
1. clothes
2. meals
3. meetings
4. classes
12. Complete the following 100 day strength training challenges:
1. Push ups (start w 1, end w 100)
2. Burpee (Start w 1, end w 100)
3. Plank (start w 6 sec, add 6 seconds every day...10 min plank on day 100)
13. Gym time EVERY SINGLE DAY
1. Mile 
2. abs
3. Body section weight training rotation
1. Upper body
2. Lower body
14. Read the entire Bible in 100 days (printed off a reading schedule for this)
15. Spend dedicated time in prayer morning and evening.
16. Leave my phone on DND while I'm at work (only listen to music on it).
17. Put my phone on DND from 9 pm to 4:00 am
18. Finish eating for the day by 5 pm

I'm tired. So tired. I'm tired of barely getting by. I'm tired of running behind. I'm tired of feeling unprepared. I'm tired of being fat. I'm tired of being TIRED. 

I suppose I expect that these next 100 days will challenge me, get me out of this rut I'm in of barely getting by, and help me see what I can accomplish when I put my mind to it. I no longer believe "I can't." I don't know why I ever thought that anyway. I battled cancer twice and have somehow managed (we all know that this was only with God's intervention) to survive everything that has been thrown at me so far. I don't want to be defeated by things so trivial as lack of sleep, lack of exercise, poor diet and lazy habits. Seriously. That's unacceptable. Why is it easier to push through whatever has to be done in the BIG things (like cancer) while little things (like laundry) defeat me? Makes no sense.

I just gotta get it together. I'm tired of barely getting by.

Wish me luck!

K

Thursday Thoughts on... Good Behavior and a Sinful Heart

We look at a person's behavior to determine their relationship with Christ... GOD looks at the heart.

Good Behavior doesn't make up for a sinful heart.

When did I learn that my behavior is more important than what's in my heart?

It is amazing to me how God peels away layers and adds layers to make me who He created me to be.

I'm not okay with policing my behavior any longer. My prayer is "Create in me a clean heart, oh God." As soon as I started praying that prayer, God showed me areas of my life that are in contradiction to His will for me. Letting go of things I WANT and trusting God to replace those things with what I NEED is still hard for me to do. I let go of some things I've grown to love; things that give me comfort; things that reassure me and give me hope...that was painful. Very painful. Even though I KNOW that anything outside God's will is going to cripple my relationship with Him, I still WANT those things that comfort and fill me now...while God wants me to trust HIM to comfort me, to give me peace, and to fill me up.

I don't want to keep fighting against what I want to do. It's exhausting.

 I want God to change my "Want To."

I want to want what God wants. 

I want to love what God loves. 

I want to see people, things, and situations (including my own) through God's eyes. I know that this is impossible this side of heaven, but nevertheless, that is what I want.

I want more God. I want God in me to out shine any shadow Satan tries to cast on my life. I want to be completely all in for Christ, with no hesitation or doubt. I want to live for Him freely.

I want to put off all the old sinful stuff  that I've leaned on for so long and put on the righteousness of Christ Jesus. I want people God puts in my life to see Christ in me... not just good behavior.

Goodness knows, God has brought me through so much... I want to live for Him. I want to live a victorious life characterized by the Fruit of the Spirit.

I am convicted that "good behavior" impedes this. I believe that we all put so much effort into behaving the way "a good Christian" should, we miss the work God wants to do in our hearts.  If we just stop and allow God to change our hearts, our behavior will flow naturally out of HIS goodness in us.

I WANT that.

Scripture says that what's in my heart IS gonna come out.

I want my heart changed so that what comes out is God's goodness.

Just my thoughts...
K

Wednesday's Weekly Recipe_ Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients
6 to 7 cups fresh broccoli florets
3 to 4 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper


Instructions 
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and coat with non-stick spray.

Combine the broccoli and olive oil in a large zip close bag and shake to coat.

 Add the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the bag and shake to coat. Use your hands to rub the bag and help the coating to stick to the broccoli.

Spread the broccoli in an even layer on the baking sheet, picking up any coating that's on the bottom and dispersing it over the broccoli as needed.

Bake for 12 minutes, then stir and flip the broccoli, bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until crisp-tender.

Enjoy! 

Tuesday Tips and tricks : SOAP Bible Study Method

One of the questions I am often asked revolves around studying Scripture. "How do you do it? How do you interpret it? How do you decide what to read?"

One of the most common excuses for not having a quiet time also revolves around this. "I don't understand it. "

Actually, the MOST common excuse is "I don't have time."

Today's post will address all these.

When I get stuck, when I don't feel particularly motivated, when I cannot quiet my thoughts, and/or when I am having a difficult time focusing, I default to the SOAP method of Bible Study.

S - Scripture - Read it. Write it. Read it again.
O - Observe - What is the Scripture saying? Write your thoughts.
A- Application - How does this apply to you? How can you use this in your life today?
P - Prayer - Pray about it... Ask God to reveal how this applies to you... confess any sin brought to mind...

For example....

S - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Genesis 1:1-2

O - God was here before the earth was created. He created heaven and earth. Heavens is plural (?). The earth started out formless and empty. There was water. The Spirit of God was there.

A- The earth started out formless and empty... but God was there. Much like my own life... before I started following Jesus, my life was formless and empty. That doesn't mean that God wasn't there. At the same time, there are people in my life whose lives are formless and empty... that doesn't mean God isn't present. (The Spirit of God hovered over the water). Is this an accurate image of God while we live in sin? He's there, hovering over us... waiting to put light into our lives? It gives me hope that this tells me that the Spirit of God was present in the darkness. I am comforted knowing that He is present in my dark hours. I am filled with hopeful expectation knowing that He is present in the dark lives of some people I love. 

P- Father God, thank you for your Word. Thank you for your encouragement. Thank you for reminding me that you are always... you have always been and will always be. Thank you for not leaving me in the darkness. Help me to remember that you are present even when times are dark, that you are present in the lives of those whose lives are filled with darkness. Help me to remember that darkness does not mean you are absent.  Help me to shine light Lord. Shine YOUR light through me into the dark places. Use me Lord. Amen.

And there you have it. The whole process took about 10 minutes. It gives me something to ponder today and presented a different look at this common verse.

For those with a love of music... this is what I'm listening to this morning... my heart is FULL!!!!

Here are the lyrics... So beautiful!

I need you to soften my heart
And break me apart
I need you to open my eyes
To see that You're shaping my life

All I am, I surrender

Give me faith to trust what you say
That you're good and your love is great
I'm broken inside, I give you my life

I need you to soften my heart
And break me apart
I need you to pierce through the dark
And cleanse every part of me

All I am, I surrender

Give me faith to trust what you say
That you're good and your love is great
I'm broken inside, I give you my life

'Cause I may be weak
But Your spirit strong in me
My flesh may fail
My God you never will 
I may be weak
But Your spirit strong in me
My flesh may fail
My God you never will

Give me faith to trust what you say
That you're good and your love is great
I'm broken inside, I give you my life

Give me faith to trust what you say
That you're good and your love is great
I'm broken inside, I give you my life

'Cause I may be weak
But Your spirit strong in me
My flesh may fail
My God you never will 
I may be weak
But Your spirit strong in me
My flesh may fail
My God you never will

Songwriters: Christopher Joel Brown / London Weidberg Gatch / Mack Donald Iii Brock / Wade Joye

Give Me Faith lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Essential Music Publishing

Monday Motivation

Sunday Scripture

I know this is a powerful verse for many.
It resonates in my very soul.

I am left breathless at the understanding that the Lord of all Creation DIED to save me while I was his ENEMY.