Tag Archives: encouragement

Quick Takes, Mom Guilt, Exercise and MORE!

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Time again for the weekly wrap up, seems that’s my most consistent day to blog…probably because it’s a quick summary and I can knock it out before the household is up and roaring along and/or I can start it up before I go to bed…Work really gets in my way of blogging, however, since it allows for the basic necessities I suppose I’ll zip it.  So you can join in and be sure to check in on Jennifer Fulwiler, the new Catholic reality star….(now THAT is an untouched niche in reality TV!!) and her weekly buddies with 7 Quick Takes and see how their week is shaking down!  AH, but THIS week QT is hosted by the hilariously funny Grace @ Camp Patton…she is completely addictive, don’t say I didn’t warn YOU!!

1.  As I mentioned earlier this week, I’ve joined in with Clare et al. @ Peak313 for her 5 week challenge.  Basically a great accountability challenge with a Christian theme focused on spirit (see below for her super cute cutout reminder for memory verse #1), mind (wrapping mine around treating my body as the temple it IS instead of waiting for the fit-fairy to show up…she’s late apparently…), and body (exercise videos, workout suggestions and inspirational success stories)….the whole package.  She has mentioned prizes which has whetted my competitive spirit ( a little), but I really like the whole idea and she’s just so perky and encouraging…

Memory verse week 1 from Peak313 challenge! It’s not too late to join….

2.  Along those lines of building healthy minds AND bodies in this house, a friend recommended this documentary on Netflix (instant queue!!) America the Beautiful 2:  The Thin Commandments.  With 2 teenage boys in the house and one girl walking the line of puberty and the other totally immersed in the cheer life, it’s a message that can’t be touted enough.  In words.  Actions.  Example.  Man, this parenting stuff is tough!!

3.  For some inspiration, check out Lizzie Velasquez and her book, Be Beautiful, Be You.  What a strong message for my girls (and boys) both ways….on judging AND disregarding what others think of you.  Rise above???  She is soaring.

4.  The opposite of inspirational…..I won the “Loser Mom” award this week.  Despite having my daughter’s 5th grade teacher conference in my phone AND on my work calendar, I still managed to completely space it.  To make matters worse, it caused my DD to be late to her after school music practice and she didn’t get enough time and…..<sigh> won’t be playing the water drum this year, only the hand drum.  Which she played last year.  Ugh.  Dagger to the heart.  To ice the cake…..THIS is what I was doing when I could/should have been at the conference:

Yup. That’s me…resting in my car at lunch. Enjoying the 80 degree weather and breeze whilst reading a book. Niiiiiice.

**disclaimer, I usually do conferences in the a.m. because our work schedule is so hectic in the afternoons that it’s too crazy to leave.  Still.  I hang my head.  DD is over it, but this will live on in my Mom guilt “hall of shame”….

5.  This week our Saturday sports consist of 2 HOME games.  Let the angels sing!!!  We will be done by 1.  My feet are doing the happy dance.

Also on Saturday.  We will welcome a second TEENAGER into the house.  YIKES!!!  How is this happening?!?!?!?  I’m just not old enough for this.  Our nutty boy.  Our sensitive boy.  Our competitive boy.  Our smart boy.  Our driven boy.  Who is 5’8”!!  WHAT?!?!?  What happened to my fuzzy little hair boy with the infectious smile and laugh who made his entrance on the heels of a hurricane mid-evacuation of half the state?  He’s a big boy with an infectious smile and laugh.    someone slow this train down!!

Crazy boy bringing out my inner nut…

6.  In WWW. news this week, I’ve been venturing further into Twitter…mainly because I feel cut-off from the world during the day and it’s a great source for news, however, I’m also enjoying keeping up with various bloggers and podcasters and famous people I admire throughout the day as well.  I tweet a little, but nothing like some of the people on there…WHOA!  crazy, I tell you.  You can follow me if you want, maybe I’ll get over 24 followers….wooooooo…or follow me here and boost me out of the 70s….double woooooo.

I also had a Pinterest success this week with PB and Nutella Crescent rolls.  I blogged about it earlier this week.  It was enough of a hit that I may possibly feel inspired to tackle something bigger this weekend; perhaps that herb garden or the back porch project….hmmm.  Stay tuned…

7.  It’s Friday.  So that means.  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can make it through this day!  I usually take above mentioned boy to McDonald’s for a McCafé on Fridays before school (his teachers love me).  I’ll hit the gym at lunch.  And the weekend (for me) starts @ 5:30 p.m. If you are in Dubai…it started yesterday 😉

Time to get rockin’ people.  Have a great weekend!!

Someone has to be the base….

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Teamwork

In cheerleading stunts, I am learning the lingo.  The “base” is the support for the girl who is being lifted (aka, the flyer) and tossed in the air.  The base must be strong and sturdy and fully focused on her flyer.  The flyer seems more glamorous in their “elevated” status and exciting tricks while being lifted and then tossed, however, they also must be strong, flexible and focused, completely trusting and relying on their base.  It’s teamwork at its best.

In life, and in cheerleading, our best tricks and “AHHHHHH-inspiring” moments only come when we have a good sturdy foundation.  A base we can trust to hold us up and catch us when we fall.  A lesson I’m learning throughout this, our first cheer season, is to hold my tongue in regards to the gossip-monger cliques, for it is quickly becoming obvious how unreliable their own bases are in their own “mean-girl” actions.  A teachable season for both my daughter and I  to  discern people for who they are, pinpoint traits to emulate and moments to rise above.  There are many girls in this sport who are amazing and wonderful girls and I pray they can all rise above the few who are Divas-in-training to encourage and lift up their teammates; that they can be the “base” in their actions and words.  We all have the opportunity to be both base and flyer; its important to remember it all starts with the base.

How sturdy is your base?

1 Thessalonians 5:11 

Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

 

Switching it up…again

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“They” say that the more you change it up in exercise routines the better result you get, what with muscle confusion and all.  Phew.  Because I am ALWAYS changing my routine and trying something new.  True, I have my regular lunch routine but the rest of it is always mixed up.  None of this is because I want to stay trendy, mainly because I get bored.  Often, it is a result of the kids and their schedules.  No matter the reason, every few weeks I am off to something “new”.

This week marks the return of the dreaded early a.m. workout.  Now, it positively BITES to get out of bed @ 4:45 a.m., but there is not denying that I am an early morning workout person.  Period.  End.  When I workout in the morning, I am more focused on the rest of the morning and tend to make better decisions (nutritionally speaking) throughout the day.  It’s a win-win.  The difference with this a.m. routine is that it is Monday through Friday rather than a few days during the week.  Next week I am considering another boot camp, however, this one is offered at 5 a.m.  ish.  It’s a 3-week deal.  I’m still considering it.  It won’t work long-term, especially when school starts back up, but definitely a good mixer upper.

The best thing, I find, about shaking up my routine is that it feels fresh again and motivates me to keep going.

I also find great stories like THIS @ Socially Fit to remind me that procrastination is not helping me.  Or THIS @ L-Jay Health to encourage me to add new ingredients to my menu.  Or THIS @ Peak 313 Fitness to try new moves.  And stories like THIS @ Eat Clean Diet to remind me we ALL have the power to change, but we have to WANT to and we have to put in the SWEAT equity to get there.  No one is going to show up for us.  Even if they do, it’s not going to do anything to help US.

What about you?  Do you mix it up.  Or is it same old same old?  Morning or afternoon?  What motivates you?

Have a great day!

Motivation. Encouragement. Give and take circle.

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This weekend we watched a fantastic sermon by an Evangelical preacher, Nick Vujicic.  If you’ve not heard of him, or his book Life without Limbs,  do yourself a favor and check him out.  We were introduced to him two-fold: 1)My son’s AMAZING 5th grade teacher gifted him with Nick’s book and 2) at a similar time my husband watched a video of a sermon of his.  The message was simple and true:  the “things” we think that will fill the hole in our lives to bring happiness will NEVER fill the “GOD-shaped” hole in our hearts.  One of the many examples was Nick praying repeatedly in his life for arms and legs.  “If I only had arms and legs, God, THEN I would be happy.”  And then he asked the audience, “YOU have arms and legs.  Are YOU happy?”  The grass is always greener on the other side, isn’t it?

And so, we discussed with the kids the message.  The examples.  The Truth that Christ brings into our lives and the fulfillment we receive when we live out our lives stepping out in faith that the One who brought us out of the darkness WILL bring us to an everlasting joy.  Our time here is fleeting and what awaits us is so far beyond our wildest hopes and dreams.  While we are trekking through this life though, motivating each other to take one more step, encouraging each other on through hardships and difficulty, we spread Christ’s message through our actions, examples and words.  It starts at home and we are to be content in what we are given and to use those gifts to their maximum.  Life comes full circle.  When we are in need, we receive and when we encounter misfortune we do what we can to provide comfort and aid.  If the man with no arms and no legs can overcome depression and live his life for the glory of God, surfing, getting married and bringing 500,000 people to know Jesus, can we not look within and live our own lives maximizing the gifts we have been given?

For me, my own excuses the last few days in response to whatever tasks lie in front of me, have sounded hollow, empty and weak.  Because, He has far more in mind for me than excuses.

Hebrews 3:13

But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

**all photos pulled from the web, from Nick’s website and general Google search!