Saturday Sabbath

Get Fit Friday - 100 Day Challenge - And So It Begins

So today is actually day 2. I had to start yesterday in order to end on a Friday. I'm weird like that. 

I don't really have anything to report of course, being that I just started. 

I will say this... 

I am SUPER excited! 
(and honestly, quite scared... my heart keeps asking, "What  if I  fail?")

I have felt paralyzed for SO long. I know that some of this is just... life.  I don't expect everything to suddenly be perfect, nor do I expect this to be easy. I've made some commitments that are going to be down right hard... BUT I figure I can commit to anything for 100 days AND after 100 days it SHOULD be pretty easy to keep it up.

I did do a few things to try to make these first days a bit less traumatic... 

I started drinking much more water about a month ago. 

I deleted my favorite game off my phone. Not that games are bad, only that I spent excessive amounts of time building my virtual metropolis and chatting with the people who played. 

I evaluated the way I use my planner. As with most things, I was being OVERLY detailed and rigid in my planning. I had to relax there a bit and adjust it to appointments, deadlines, and such. 

I started putting my phone on Do Not Disturb at 9:00 each night.
I slowly transitioned my diet from mostly fast food/restaurant food/processed food to a diet that can probably be considered Vegan (I do not identify as a Vegan, but that is a post for another day) and is totally prepared by me. I didn't put any pressure on myself here. I just prepared foods that I enjoy that also make me feel good. It just so happens that this ended up not including meat or dairy. (I also did not eat any of the Oreo Truffles my girls made the other night...see Wednesday's recipe)
I started doing modified push-ups so that I could at least do ONE push up when I started.

I read a lot about building habits, the benefits of a healthy diet and of exercise, and the effects of processed foods on our bodies. 

I thought I was pretty prepared... until I had to get up and go to the gym. Ugh! Soooo tired! I also underestimated the amount of food I'd require. I'm missing those calories I used to get from my morning coffee(s). Maybe this isn't going to be a cut and dry as I'd hoped. Its all good tho. No worries.

One funny thing did happen... I printed off a reading plan to get my Bible read in 100 days. Started that at lunch today and was surprised that it only required me to read TWO chapters! So I looked a little closer and discovered that the plan leaves out all of Leviticus and Deuteronomy and only has a few chapters listed for several other books! I got online and found another plan. Surprise surprise.. I have to read 15 chapters today... not 2! LOL

Until next week!

K

Thursday Thoughts: Are rules more important than people?

I don't rant often, but I don't know how else to say this...

Prepare for rambling word vomit...

I know we have to have rules in church.

I realize that we don't need every 2 yr old in the congregation toddling through the sanctuary with an open cup of grape Kool-Aid...nor do we need the entire preschool department eating cookies in the sanctuary. And yeah, I get that kids don't need to run in church... not because it's "God's house," but because we have Senior adults who could be knocked over. I'd personally rather not see folks staring at their cell phones during church, but I have no idea whether they are using their Bible app, taking notes, or checking Facebook... and honestly, it's really none of my business. And can I just say right here... people (yes, that includes teenagers) have to be REALLY disruptive for me to notice...unless they are what I am paying attention to. Honestly, the more focused I am on worshiping God, hearing a Word for God and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in me, the less I notice the people around me and what they are doing.

Again, I know that we have to have rules in church....but at some point some people got the impression that it is their duty to enforce the "rules" with little compassion for the people involved.

This goes beyond the physical walls of the church building...

So you don't like tattoos. Cool. Then don't get any...but don't condemn someone who does. Someone else's tattoos do you no harm and many times a person's tattoos have meaning and are very personal to them. Asking about the stories behind a person's ink can open up a conversation from which you can learn much about a person's heart and history. Some people grieve the loss of a loved one, acknowledge hurt, commemorate overcoming hardships, and record life events on their skin.   I have 2 myself. One is my wedding band. The other is my "survivor tattoo."  If I chose to have an entire back piece or both arms sleeved, my tattoos would still have no effect on your standing with God (or mine for that matter...but that is a post for another day).

You don't like piercings? Then by all means don't go get your nose and eyebrows pierced... but someone else having their entire face pierced has no effect on your relationship with Christ whatsoever. (or theirs.. again, a post for another day)

Someone dresses provocatively, peppers their speech with profane expletives,  drinks, uses drugs, is promiscuous, or even denounces Christ? Again... this has no bearing on your relationship with Christ...

but your reaction to any of these CAN reveal a lot about your understanding of Christ and what it means to follow Him. 

It breaks my heart that we are so quick to judge and condemn.


Well intended people have crushed the spirits of people I've been pouring into... people that I am praying will accept the forgiveness and grace of Jesus... over something as trivial as their choice of hairstyle. The things that they are policing don't even matter. I mean really...

Rules are important, but they are not more important than souls. I don't think that anyone would actually say "I value this pew more than I value you, and if I have to choose, I would rather you leave the church than sit here curled up with your feet in the pew," nor would anyone actually verbalize the words "You cannot get to heaven with tattoos." 

We all know better than to SAY these things... 

but the way we treat people DOES say this, whether we want it to or not. 

If we are going to judge someone, let's look beyond their clothes, skin, accessories and hairstyle. None of those things define a Christian anyway... We judge people who don't conform to our idea of what a Christian "looks like," but the things we are judging don't even define a Christian. 

I wish we would all spend time with people who look different than we do in order to see beyond what they look like to discover who they are. 

Perhaps it is easier to examine and judge the appearance of others rather than examine our own hearts.

I wish we would be more concerned with cultivating, growing and bearing fruit in ourselves... That Fruit being:

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Gentleness

Faithfulness 

Self-Control

And growing LOVE in the true Biblical sense... I've heard that a good way to determine how well I am loving is to substitute my name for "Love" and "it" in 1 Corinthians 13. Each time I do, I realize how very unloving I am. Perhaps you would like to try... Just substitute your name for "love" and "it" below...

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13(NIV)

How'd ya do?
Yeah...I didn't do so great myself.

When I am tempted to judge, I remember that in Scripture, it was the Pharisees, who pointed out others' sins, flaws, and failures. The Pharisees shunned "sinners." The Pharisees set themselves above others. Jesus had much to say about them and their hearts...

"brood of vipers" comes to mind.

In contrast, Jesus embraced, touched, hugged, healed, restored. He did not condone sin, but He also did not shy away from it. Jesus looked on the heart and saw people for what they were, and still are...sinners in need of a Savior.

I sincerely wish we would do the same.

Just my thoughts

K

Wednesday's Weekly Recipe - Oreo Truffles

So my girls took over the kitchen a few weeks ago and made these... Super easy...

Ingredients

1 bag Oreos
1 Block of cream cheese
White Chocolate Chips
mini milk chocolate chips


Directions:
Put the cookies in a zip-lock bag and crush them.
mix crushed cookies with the cream cheese in a large bowl
Once mixed, roll into 1" balls
Put in the freezer until chilled
Melt white chocolate chips
Once chilled, cover truffles with melted white chocolate and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips
Chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes

Enjoy!
K

Tuesday Tips and Tricks: Focusing on God

Life gets... busy.

If I'm not careful, I completely miss my time with God. It just slips by. I've learned that, like so many things, If I don't make a conscious effort to spend time with God...well, I won't.

There are so many things that scream for my attention. Satan is good... very good... at distracting me.

When it comes to staying focused on God, I've learned that there are a few things I can do to fight against the things that distract me.

I overslept the other morning and could not have my quiet time. I decided that day that I would set my alarm 30 minutes early so that I am assured time with God in the mornings. That prompted this post. What other things have I learned to do that help me focus on God during the day?

• I set my alarm early... allowing time with God.
• Starting my day in prayer and scripture gets me focused first thing. Before people start needing things from me, I spend time in God's presence. I've noticed that the way I start my day sets the tone for the day. Starting my day with God helps me the rest of the day.
• I pray on the way to work. 
• If I take my little one to school, i pray for her... out loud for her to hear. This is one area where I failed my children. They need to hear their parents pray for them. I regret not being faithful to this. So, when I take her to school, I pray for her. 
• On the way to work, I pray for my boss and co workers. I pray for myself, my attitude, and  that God will help me be productive and pleasant to work with. I pray for wisdom, patience, kindness, and alert-ness.
• I listen to my "worship" playlist. Thankfully, we don't get reprimanded for having one earbud in at our desks. Of course I work upstairs, away from customers and that makes a difference. I take advantage of this and listen to a play list I put together. It is made up of my favorite worship songs. These songs are directed toward God and help keep my thoughts going that direction.
• I read a bit of my Bible at lunch
• I have quiet time before I go to sleep. for me, this includes prayer, reading my Bible and journaling. It is a great way to end my day and prepare for a night of rest.

Starting and ending my day with time spent with God has made a huge difference in my life. It's not so much about spending sooo much time sitting with my Bible open as much as it is about where my mind is.

What do you do to stay focused on God?

Have a great day!

K

Monday Motivation

Sunday Scripture

Whether you suffer from insecurity or pride, remember that we all come to Jesus exactly the same....

as sinners in need of a Savior.