Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Showing God in your 9 to 5
Today was an interesting day. Listening to things going on around work and life in general can be taxing on the soul. Well, when you start focusing on who God is in these areas in your life you have a stronger peace about how to not only handle certain situations but also how to just let them go. God definitely helps do that and you definitely cannot do it on your own. You can get caught up in the drama of life or you can let God catch ahold of their lives. The decision is your ultimately but He still wins either way. :)
What's in my purse?
Been reading a TON lately. LOVE it! Learning much about myself and those around me. Right now the books that are in my purse are "Made to Crave", "PUSH", and "The Slight Edge". Each of these books plays a different role in my life and let me tell you they are each helping better who I am as a person. PUSH has been helping me gather my thoughts and goals together. Chalene has an amazing way of helping you gather your thoughts and goals that align with your priorities. If you are having problems figuring out what you should be focusing on or where you would like to be in the next year you should really consider picking up this book and reading it! Not just read but implement these ideas into your own life!
On mondays, be looking out for what I'm learning in my life. I'm reading various books and will be blogging about them here! If you have any that you think I would enjoy or would like me to read then let me know.. I'd love to add them to my list!
On mondays, be looking out for what I'm learning in my life. I'm reading various books and will be blogging about them here! If you have any that you think I would enjoy or would like me to read then let me know.. I'd love to add them to my list!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
replace cravings
So many of us have excuses that we start using the same one over and over again because that creative excuse gene is now wearing out. "I decide tomorrow will be a much better day to keep my promises to eat healthier." OR "I'll start on Monday and enjoy the weekend's "rewards"." OR "I don't have the time to cook, I'm just going to order out." Have we all had these excuses? If you said no, you need to take a step back and really look at what you do with your eating habits.
We use food as a comfort or a filler (bordem) or even a friend. How do you use food in your life? I can tell you it was my friend for years. Now, I think it's something that I've dealt with for so long it's just a hard habit or addiction to break. I'm learning day by day and it's a minute-to-minute battle. I'm also discovering that God has GOT to be my replacement craving. That sounds awful because He shouldn't be a replacement anything. But let's face it... if I'm not giving God the time and I'm giving food the time and when I decide that He's worth my time, then I go to Him. Sounds like a mouthful but in that sense, He is a replacement! I need to change that! Food should never take the place of where God should hold us. EVER!
One way that Made to Crave has helped me (especially today.. oh my goodness) is that when my cravings start becoming something i cannot control, I need to go to God with it in that moment. Ask God to help give me the willpower to overcome this craving. Okay, here's my example from today. We took the kids bowling for our field trip. Well, we had to eat lunch right? The teachers got together and decided to purchase FOUR LARGE PIZZAS! YEP! F-O-U-R! And baskets of fries and each person getting a pop! Well, luckily I knew that we were going on the field trip and I said NO N-O ABSOLUTELY NOT! I had two turkey wraps (turkey, whole grain tortilla shell and squirts of mustard), yogurt, string cheese and an orange! I sat there with my awesomeness, ha and watched everyone else eat cheesy deliciousness! But is it delicious really? Sure it can be in the moment and it serves a purpose of feeding the need to have pizza but what does it really do to us afterwards? What nutritional value is there in greasy pizza? Ha, changes when you put grease in replacement of cheese doesn't it?
So my question for you is how are you replacing your cravings? Here's a better question.... are you an abstainer or a moderator? Do you need to completely abstain from food in the fact that you'll eat everything in sight (me)? or can you moderate your food? Have one taste and you're okay? Which one are you?
We use food as a comfort or a filler (bordem) or even a friend. How do you use food in your life? I can tell you it was my friend for years. Now, I think it's something that I've dealt with for so long it's just a hard habit or addiction to break. I'm learning day by day and it's a minute-to-minute battle. I'm also discovering that God has GOT to be my replacement craving. That sounds awful because He shouldn't be a replacement anything. But let's face it... if I'm not giving God the time and I'm giving food the time and when I decide that He's worth my time, then I go to Him. Sounds like a mouthful but in that sense, He is a replacement! I need to change that! Food should never take the place of where God should hold us. EVER!
One way that Made to Crave has helped me (especially today.. oh my goodness) is that when my cravings start becoming something i cannot control, I need to go to God with it in that moment. Ask God to help give me the willpower to overcome this craving. Okay, here's my example from today. We took the kids bowling for our field trip. Well, we had to eat lunch right? The teachers got together and decided to purchase FOUR LARGE PIZZAS! YEP! F-O-U-R! And baskets of fries and each person getting a pop! Well, luckily I knew that we were going on the field trip and I said NO N-O ABSOLUTELY NOT! I had two turkey wraps (turkey, whole grain tortilla shell and squirts of mustard), yogurt, string cheese and an orange! I sat there with my awesomeness, ha and watched everyone else eat cheesy deliciousness! But is it delicious really? Sure it can be in the moment and it serves a purpose of feeding the need to have pizza but what does it really do to us afterwards? What nutritional value is there in greasy pizza? Ha, changes when you put grease in replacement of cheese doesn't it?
So my question for you is how are you replacing your cravings? Here's a better question.... are you an abstainer or a moderator? Do you need to completely abstain from food in the fact that you'll eat everything in sight (me)? or can you moderate your food? Have one taste and you're okay? Which one are you?
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
reasons
What are the reasons that you eat? What emotions do you have when you do eat? For me?
- comfort - drama
- reward - i lost that weight so i'll reward my efforts
- joy - i enjoy this at this restaurant
- stress - work, finances
- sadness - i'm not worth it
- happiness - get time to myself and enjoying a movie, book or two
If I would have delved myself into reading or bettering myself or listening and reading about God, all those nights would have been more productive. I would have not ended up here.
One of my worst things is snacking. Healthy snacks is something that I need to invest in. For real.
Praying through the cravings and not focusing on them or feeding them then I will be stronger each craving. What have you tried that has helped you through cravings? What is your success secret?
The one thing too that I've realized is that I need to not reward myself even with a cheat meal until I'm ready to say no every other time. Once I eat one thing, I justify it later with something else. This is a great weakness of mine. I'm prepared to conquer it with God's help and yours as well if you'll join me!
What weakness do you need help with? I'd be glad to make sure we both overcome it!
- comfort - drama
- reward - i lost that weight so i'll reward my efforts
- joy - i enjoy this at this restaurant
- stress - work, finances
- sadness - i'm not worth it
- happiness - get time to myself and enjoying a movie, book or two
If I would have delved myself into reading or bettering myself or listening and reading about God, all those nights would have been more productive. I would have not ended up here.
One of my worst things is snacking. Healthy snacks is something that I need to invest in. For real.
Praying through the cravings and not focusing on them or feeding them then I will be stronger each craving. What have you tried that has helped you through cravings? What is your success secret?
The one thing too that I've realized is that I need to not reward myself even with a cheat meal until I'm ready to say no every other time. Once I eat one thing, I justify it later with something else. This is a great weakness of mine. I'm prepared to conquer it with God's help and yours as well if you'll join me!
What weakness do you need help with? I'd be glad to make sure we both overcome it!
Made to Crave
In the first chapter of Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst, she talks about the kind of cravings that most people tend to have and why they are addicted to them. Well, it's no one's guess that one of mine is food. I have a BIG problem with food. Always have. However, this first chapter started explaining how you can start to overcome these cravings that seems to be holding onto all of us.
Cravings can be so overwhelming that sometimes that's all it seems we think about. I know I've been there and these last few days have really challenged me. What is your craving and how is it consuming you? My craving, for some reason, when there is unhealthy food in the house or wherever, I want to eat it. Why? Well, I could say at first I had no idea. Once I read this chapter and started thinking about what my craving was and where it was coming from. Well, one of the exercises at the end of the chapter was if your craving was talking to you what would it say? Well, I just started writing really not thinking about it, but here's what I came up with. Does this sound like you?
- I have always been here when no one else has been.
- I made you feel good for years so why would that change now?
- You need me to feel better about yourself.
Does this sound like you? Let me tell you this has been me for years! However, I can tell you that I've found other things that I crave more than food. I've been setting goals for myself and one is to lose 100 pounds in the next year. How can I do this when I crave so many awful things? The things that I'm learning to crave now are God with everything I have AND building a business that has been there for me since day one. Building business for me though is helping others. Yeah, the money is nice and that's what helps grow the business but the people IN the business have gotten me through so much and all I want to do is give back! Instead of giving into the crap that haunts me everyday, I think of these two things! I hear that voice in my head 1) that says that is going to taste so good and 2) don't eat that because you won't get to your goal, you will be putting food first instead of God, you will be letting yourself down which will take down the other people around you....
What goal can you set for yourself that will help you overcome your cravings and self-doubt? Write it down and refer to it ALL THE TIME!
Cravings can be so overwhelming that sometimes that's all it seems we think about. I know I've been there and these last few days have really challenged me. What is your craving and how is it consuming you? My craving, for some reason, when there is unhealthy food in the house or wherever, I want to eat it. Why? Well, I could say at first I had no idea. Once I read this chapter and started thinking about what my craving was and where it was coming from. Well, one of the exercises at the end of the chapter was if your craving was talking to you what would it say? Well, I just started writing really not thinking about it, but here's what I came up with. Does this sound like you?
- I have always been here when no one else has been.
- I made you feel good for years so why would that change now?
- You need me to feel better about yourself.
Does this sound like you? Let me tell you this has been me for years! However, I can tell you that I've found other things that I crave more than food. I've been setting goals for myself and one is to lose 100 pounds in the next year. How can I do this when I crave so many awful things? The things that I'm learning to crave now are God with everything I have AND building a business that has been there for me since day one. Building business for me though is helping others. Yeah, the money is nice and that's what helps grow the business but the people IN the business have gotten me through so much and all I want to do is give back! Instead of giving into the crap that haunts me everyday, I think of these two things! I hear that voice in my head 1) that says that is going to taste so good and 2) don't eat that because you won't get to your goal, you will be putting food first instead of God, you will be letting yourself down which will take down the other people around you....
What goal can you set for yourself that will help you overcome your cravings and self-doubt? Write it down and refer to it ALL THE TIME!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
priorities
What are your priorities? I just read the first chapter in a new book that I'm reading called PUSH by Chalene Johnson. She started out the chapter by telling us that most people who are unhappy with their lives compared to those who are happy and successful are not setting their priorities correctly. Either they don't have any or they just don't care enough to have them at the top of their list. One of my priorities is to let God be the center of my life. This can be tough when the rest of the world gets in the way or tries to anyway because Satan drags you down each time you do something for God or get closer to Him. It can be extremely tough. However, Chalene had also asked a series of questions that helped you think about your top priority and why it's important to you and why it should be your top priority. She also explained that your top three priorities are the things in your life that if you had them stripped from you would don't know what you would do. Such as family, faith, career, health.... whatever it may be. For me, I realized nothing else matters unless God is at the center. I can want SO badly for my career to change and be successful or my body to change so I can finally be different but without Him being in the middle of it all, none of that matters! You need to WANT that priority to be the center or at the top at all times. What good is it when it's not? What good is God to me when I choose not to put Him at the top? Or let's rephrase that.... what good am I?
I am NOTHING without Him so why should I live my life any differently? After you come up with your top priority, you're supposed to write down a paragraph or statement if you will on how you will do this. I have not perfected mine yet because I want to choose different words to make it stronger to me but my rough draft is "My number one priority is to put God first in all areas of my life. I will seek Him first though His word, mediation, being silent and listening intently to what His will is for my life. To show others what the Truth of God is and allow God to work in others' lives as I am just the messenger. Be a witness of His love, patience, kindness, faithfulness, and joy because He has given those to me. In return, God's grace and mercy will be shown to those around me and they will see only Him. My mind, body, and soul will be rejuvenated and restored thank to God's presence in all aspects of my life."
Now, like I said, it'll change a little bit but overall this is my top priority. What's yours?
I am NOTHING without Him so why should I live my life any differently? After you come up with your top priority, you're supposed to write down a paragraph or statement if you will on how you will do this. I have not perfected mine yet because I want to choose different words to make it stronger to me but my rough draft is "My number one priority is to put God first in all areas of my life. I will seek Him first though His word, mediation, being silent and listening intently to what His will is for my life. To show others what the Truth of God is and allow God to work in others' lives as I am just the messenger. Be a witness of His love, patience, kindness, faithfulness, and joy because He has given those to me. In return, God's grace and mercy will be shown to those around me and they will see only Him. My mind, body, and soul will be rejuvenated and restored thank to God's presence in all aspects of my life."
Now, like I said, it'll change a little bit but overall this is my top priority. What's yours?
Thursday, November 10, 2011
God is in every aspect of life
Okay, I know the title of this seems silly because it really is true. But sometimes we need that reminder, don't we? These last few weeks, I've developed old patterns which are not just hurting me physically but mentally and spiritually! I have the great fortune of having wonderful friends that I've surrounded myself with because God brought them into my life. Each of them brings something different into my life that is indescribable. I know for a FACT that those people were meant to be there because God knew I couldn't do what I do without their help. Obviously, He is the only source to my healthy well-being, physically, spiritually, and mentally. He does, however, provide those various opportunities and people in your life to show who you can be through Him! I LOVE THAT! I've been reading and listening to lots of different books and audio lately and let me tell you... first off, it's all common sense I feel but all of it hit me like a ton of bricks because I was actually listening to them this time! God shows us who He is EVERYDAY! Not just with those around us but look around you at what He's created for us to enjoy! Hear what people tell you and sometimes yeah, take it with a grain of salt, but listen with an open heart as well in case you may miss something. Listen to those words sung or spoken around you. Through the laughter of a child. Through the calmness of the breeze. Through the mundane of everyday life... the fact that we have an everyday life... at least for now. Through the whispers of quiet. Through the roar of a storm. Through the fragrance of flowers or the freshly fallen rain. Where is God around you? You may not feel Him there, but He is ALL the time! Where is He? Are you seeing, feeling, or touching Him? Are you allowing Him to touch you? What's holding you back? What causes you to hesitate? Embrace all that is around you and ENJOY what He's created for you. Find the positive through the storm. Walk around with your head held high because you have a God that LOVES YOU! Show people who gave you that smile! Show people who gave the passion and desires of your heart! Show people who created YOU! Do not be afraid to share that with those around you! For in the end, He's all we have and most importantly all we'll ever NEED! :)