My Inspirational Hodge Podge: Part 2

On Bourbon Street. At 2:30 in the afternoon. Wow. 

This post is overdue. 

And for all two of you who were actually interested in seeing my inspirational quotes, I apologize.

But, I have an excuse.  

We left town to visit family in New Orleans. (Now the picture above is making sense, yeah?)

At Cafe Du Monde: Swimming in Powdered Sugar

What a quick, but amazing trip. We ate waaaay too much Cajun food (still working that off in the gym). We got to pet alligators and snakes. We rode four-wheelers. We walked around the French Quarter (which I haven't been to since I was twelve). We went to Cabela's (best store ever). Heck, we did the whole Southern Louisiana thang.

Jackson Square: The French Quarter

It was awesome.

We soaked in family moments. 

Aaaaand...

We left our computer charger behind. 

So, we had a dead computer for *gasp* over a week. 

So, without further ado (Did I even say that right?), here are some of the quotes posted throughout my house any place I needed "taped-up motivation." 

Some of them were actually words of encouragement for myself, from myself. 

Here ya' go!


When I'm Struggling with Contentment:

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." -Martin Luther King

"Just remember that someone out there is more than happy with less than what you have." -Unknown

"If you are waiting for the day you finally "arrive", you will never get there. Be content or it will never be enough." -Yours Truly

"Happiness is not a destination. It is a moment by moment decision to find the blessings in whatever circumstance I am in." - Yours Truly


When I Am Snappy with My Husband and Kids:

"It is more important to show grace than to be right." -Yours Truly

"My kids will learn how to live life by my example. Don't complain. Allow mistakes. Accidents are just that. Be content. Give to others. Smile. Relax. Tickle. Laugh. And love the Lord with all you have." -Yours Truly

"My true self is shown in how I treat those closest to me. Lord, flavor my words, my actions, and my reactions with grace understanding, and love." - Yours Truly

"Three things you cannot recover in life: the WORD after it's said, the MOMENT after it's missed and the TIME after it's gone. Be careful!" - Unknown

The Most Important Quote I Say Daily (slowly and aloud)

"The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. 
He makes me to lie down in green pastures. 
He leads me beside the still waters. 
He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever." -Psalm 23


That last one reminds me that I have a God who is there and in control. Even when I don't see it. 

Memorize it. 

And when you are stressed, close your eyes and say it aloud. I'm thankful I started saying this every day. It has helped me more than any quote I or anyone else could come up with. :) 

Blessings to you this Thanksgiving! Soak in the moments. (Like we did in The Big Easy!)  

Peanut with my awesome niece, Heather, at Cabela's. (A.K.A.- "Heaven")

Me and my precious cousin, Ashley, eating Cajun food for lunch. Cajun is one of my faves.

My Inspirational Hodge-Podge: Part 1

The days are so full right now. 

Not as in busy.

Full.

And, sister-friends (my new favorite phrase), I am soaking in the fullness.

Each day is new. 

The Lord graciously pulled me through the storms of this past year. And, I am grateful for every day during this season of un-eventfulness. Because, I know all too well that at any moment, things could change. 

Not that I live in fear or expectation of disaster...but I have come to realize and expect that life is crazy. Messy. And at times, can seem too much to bear. 

But, I can honestly say that I know the Lord has my back even when all else falls apart. He has proven Himself faithful, even when I doubted that very fact. 

It has been a time of reflection. 

I have been searching out scripture and quotes that inspire me to become more than what I already am. 

We are surrounded by negativity all day long. Our inner dialogue sometimes can be our own worst enemy. (Mine can be brutal and has in the past led me down the path of depression numerous times!)

I've learned to combat it...

...by talking to the One who made me and loves me in a mighty way. He longs for me (and You!) to give Him our hearts: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Trust me. He can handle it. (Cuz, I have got some ugly in me, I guar-awn-tee!!)

...by getting back into the Bible daily. It is full of hope and truth to put my feet on solid ground. 

...by posting positive quotes, sayings, and scriptures wherever my eyes might land. (I like to post them where I find myself most often in times of annoyance, stress, or anger. For me, the kitchen is where I tend to find myself getting bitter or stressed. So, I place my "words" above the kitchen sink on my window. For some, it might be the car or in your reading nook... (Wait. Does anyone actually have a reading nook?) 

You see? We are all in a battle within our mind. It is actually where the greatest battle is fought. (And it is the toughest to find victory!)

But, by replacing those negative thoughts with Truth and positivity, your internal dialogue can be dramatically different. And I don't know anyone who doesn't want positive change!

Because the Truth is?

You are worth more than what you think.

You were fearfully and wonderfully made by a Creator who does care, regardless of how you feel towards Him.

You can overcome. 

Things can get better.

There is hope.

God is hope and Hope does not disappoint. (And in those moments when it seems God is disappointing you? Been there. Mucho numero times. Take hope! He has promised to never leave you. He is working. It might be painful. It's just that sometimes we can't see how He is working it all out during the daily grind.)


Now, GO! Print out some words of life. And make your house look like a note-pad of inspiration!

PS. Truth is hard at times. It forces us to see ourselves for who we really are. Don't fight that, though. Allow it to make you all your were created to be. :) 

PSS. I will be posting some of my favorite quotes and things that are woven in and around my house later this week. I pray they will inspire you and convict you as much as they have me. Much love ladies! 

What's Your Value?

I've been laying very low lately. And for me, that is hard.

I like going. Doing.

But, I've been asking myself lately, "Why do I do what I do?"

I constantly found myself tired, bitter, jealous and even depressed. After this pattern in my life for as far back as I can remember, God has graciously shown me something.

It all boils down to where I am looking for my value.

I want others to like me. Ok, not just like me. REALLY like me. To think I am something special. Worth something. Valuable.

That's not all together wrong. Every one wants to be liked. It's part of being human.

But, I realized that half of what I was doing was a feeble attempt to find self-worth.

Case in point:

I put pressures on myself to cook more elaborate meals, decorate harder for holidays, clean better, workout, dress more stylish and even plan family activities in order to "measure up" or "keep up" with what it sure seems everyone else out there is doing.

And then, I had to "document" it through Instagram, Facebook and other "look at me" arenas. Why? 

The truth is, most of my life is unglamorous. And, yet I have found myself trying so hard to convince myself and others otherwise. It is maddening!

Now, while I recognize this is my struggle, I am convinced that it is a prevalent problem.

Why do any of us feel the need to share the glorious moments of our lives?

We can't wait to post a pic of our perfect vacation, our kitchen re-do, or our skinny pictures. We work hard to let others know that we have performed our "wifely duties" and created a meal worthy of Martha Stewart. We post statuses of how fantastic our family outing was or how picture-perfect our kid's birthday party was. We even use our cell phones as mini-glamour-shot sessions to get a picture worthy of our Facebook profile shot.

Am I the only one who sees how sick this is getting?

Deep down, we want people to think we are worth something. We want to impress. To prove that we are (or once were) smart, organized, creative, funny, and pretty. Valuable.

We are all searching for value.

Where we find it, though, can be glorious or dangerous.

Are you losing sight of where your value is? I was.

Do you realize that your worth isn't found in your waistline, your husband, your ability to home-school your kids, your pocketbook, your number of blog-followers, your well-behaved children, your fashion-sense or any other darn-tootin' earthly thing?

The truth is, we are worth more than gold.

And it is by nothing we do. It is because of Whose we are.

www.freedigitalimages.net

God sent His Son to prove my value. I'm learning to REST in that fact.


Please, share how God might be showing you that you are seeking value in the wrong places? I love hearing from you. We are in this together!

How 'bout a Healthy Diddy?

I don't really do New Year's Resolutions. I tend to abandon ship after two weeks of any kind of major change. But, since gaining weight after my hip surgery and pulling my back out a couple of weeks ago (talk about feeling like an old fogey), I have been on a mission to take back my health.

It isn't easy to make lots of changes to get healthy. I have made little strides here and there. But, when I noticed myself bailing out of the family football game for the past two years, I realized I was turning into the very person I never wanted to be.

I want to be active. I want to feel healthy. And most importantly, I want to set my family up for success by living an example of healthy living. Not just by eating healthy food. And not by allowing my body to be my obsession. But, simply to teach my children that if you take care of your body from an early age, you will be grateful later.  I didn't realize that health was much more than how I physically looked. I was a cheerleader in High School, so I always prided myself on knowing how to stretch, exercise and work hard. But, knowing how and actually doing it are two very different things.

Now, I can finally say I have had enough.

Enough sitting back while others bike mountains, run races, and chase goals.

Enough feeling sorry for myself and believing that I can't do it.

Enough excuses about how my family takes it all out of me. (That is an ol' trusty one.)

Enough watching my life pass me by and thinking that "one day" it will happen.

I have done a few new things that I believe have set me and my family up for success. I am by no means an expert on any subject. But, I have always failed to "stick" with anything for long periods.  So, here is how I had to change my way of thinking.

I Can't NOT Exercise. (And, yes, Mom. That is a double negative.)

It isn't a choice anymore. I have struggled with depression. My body is headed South, literally. And I finally realized that if I wanted a better quality of life, then I have to be the one to change it. For my mental and physical health, I must do it. The days I don't, I can tell. And so can my husband. (cuz I'm grumpy!)

Make Sugar Once A Week

I kept sugar in my house for years, out of fear that my kids would go hog-wild on the stuff if I kept it from them totally. But, I found myself constantly "cheating" and my boys whining for treats after every meal. So, I came up with a new idea. One night during the week, I let my boys pick out a dessert they want to try. On Friday or Saturday, we all bake it together. It's great bonding time. I'm teaching my boys to cook, and dessert is back to being a treat instead of an expectation. We don't go hog wild on it, but we do enjoy it. And whatever is left over by Sunday, we toss it. I know my boys will have the occasional birthday cake or a sucker after a haircut, but for the most part, sugar is out. (And might I add, it is FUN to sit down as a family and pick out fantastic desserts to try together!)

Stick to Whole Foods

Whole wheat products. Fresh or frozen whole fruits. Fresh or frozen whole vegetables. Beans. Low-Fat Dairy. I have not (nor plan to at this point) jumped on the gluten-free band wagon, so it's not difficult to stick to this. Best rule of thumb? Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store. Don't buy snack foods and treats for your kids. They will survive. Mine have. Organic Tortilla chips and salsa. Hummus and carrots. It might take some convincing and even some determination, but your kids will follow suit. I promise. (And Peanut is still a challenge!)

Only Water and Tea.

Not sweet tea. I'm Southern. Tea wasn't tea unless there was four cups of sugar in it. I fought this one long and hard, but finally cut out coffee and traded it for hot tea. Among my favorites? Peppermint, Chamomile, Green and any citrus flavored tea. Add a little honey and voila! You have a new low-cal treat. Don't expect it to taste like a latte. But, stick with it. It will grow on you.

VITAMINS. VITAMINS. VITAMINS.

I hate vitamins. I always buy them and intend to be good. But, I take the horse pills for a couple of days and then tap out. But, while visiting a friend whose genius husband is a biologist, I was told how Fish Oil is literally the BEST thing you can do for your nutrition. So, while weaning off a certain medication, it has been vital in helping me maintain my mental clarity. I take Fish Oil (3500 mg per day), Vitamin D3 (1000 mg per 15 pounds of body weight), Vitamin B Complex (I double the recommended dosage), and Emergenc-C (two packs a day during cold/flu season). My kids take chewable organic Multi-vitamins, Fish Oil (that they love!) and Vitamin C. As we all sit down to eat breakfast, I pull the huge basket off the top of the fridge and divvy up our goodies! It's now a part of our routine and the kids don't let me forget! If you are uncertain about which vitamins you should take, go to an herbal specialist. I buy mine from various places but Swanson is a great website with amazing prices.

Think About Your Future

We have good friends in South Carolina. The husband was wanting a work-out buddy to get in shape. He approached a friend of his and asked if he would be interested in working out with him. The guy said, "No." When our friend asked him what he planned on doing if he wasn't going to get in shape, he replied, "I don't know. I'll probably just get old and die." Wow. Now there's a quality of life worth fighting for. No thanks. I'm not going down without a fight. I know there will be uphill battles, injuries, surgeries, sickness, and a lot of other trials, but I want to live a quality of life that allows my family to do more than we can imagine. I want to kayak, bike, hike the Grand Canyon, do a Mud Run, etc. And it's not going to happen by me sitting around feeling sorry for myself.

So, there it is folks. My new way of thinking. The old way trickles back in. But, I just force those thoughts out. God has given me this body to take care of to do His purposes. How can I do that if I'm constantly sluggish and mentally exhausted?

And I by NO means have conquered it all. In fact, I hesitated to write this because some people will read it and feel worse about themselves. DON'T! It took me a lot of inward soul-searching and physical hurdles to get to this point. Just don't sell yourself short. You are worth the investment. Stop doing it to be skinny. Do it for your kids. For your spouse. And look forward to the many years ahead of living.

PS. My first priorities are my time with God, my family, and my gym time. So if I can carve time out after fulfilling those things, I plan to post some of my new favorite quinoa recipes. It's pronounced 'keen-wah'. If you haven't tried it, don't be intimidated. It's easy as pie to cook with. Promise.

'Til then! Live Well!

He's One of the reasons I want to Live Fully. My silly boy!

And I'm Going to Have To Be Healthy To Keep Up with Peanut!

Is This Thing Still On...?

"Checking. Checking. 1,2,3... "

Hi.

Yes, it's been a while.

I must say, there have been countless times I wanted to blog. Where I felt the urge to share.

But, something kept telling me to "wait." Well, not some thing, but some One.

You see, I'm quite social. And, if you couldn't tell already, I love to talk.

And to be painfully honest, I like to hear myself talk. Especially when I feel like I have it figured out.

Whatever "it" is.

But, God has been doing a number on me. Lawd have mercy, has He!

The past few months have brought out a lot of inner junk. As my husband likes to say, "I have a lot of junk in my trunk." (both figuratively and literally...HA!)

I kept struggling with the same "stuff." Lots of stuff. Piles and piles of stuff.

And one thing kept coming into my heart.

"Listen."

I've always prayed for wisdom. And I have asked that no matter what the cost, I would be open to it.

And, one thing I saw was that for me to listen, a few things had to happen.

I needed to put a sock in it.

We women like to talk. Boy, do we. About everything. One thing I noticed in my study of Proverbs over and over was the theme of "silence" and "wisdom" going hand in hand. However, I was sure that didn't take aim at me...! I mean, I had good things to share...about God, above all else! And it wasn't talking bad about someone if I ended it with "Bless her heart!" So, my talking was fine. And, I needed to talk. It was therapeutic for me to talk. I could go on and on about any subject of your choosing... But, after reading James 3, about the damage my mouth can do, I took it to heart. It's time for me to hush. To stop thinking I need to impart my two cents on it all. And for that, my husband is thankful. If only, I could do this 100%... Hey, I'm a work in progress.

I needed to clear my schedule. 

I was running myself half crazy trying to be everything to everybody. See if you can relate:

"So-and-so had a baby and nobody had a shower for her?!! Well, Jesus would want me to be his hands and feet, so I better go plan a baby shower! And Needy Judy is struggling so I should call to see if we can get together to cheer her up. And I need to make a home-made meal to take to the new mom at church. Bless my neglected children's hearts. I haven't done anything from Pinterest lately like so-and-so. How does she find time to do it all? I need a girl's night. That's what I need. Friday night. But, it's been weeks since Lance and I had a date night...What??!! Home Goods is having a sale?? Look at the dust on my night stand. Good grief."

I called an audible. For Pete's sake, I just needed permission to focus on my family. To not be everyone's Savior. (We already have one and He's much better at it than I am.) To live each day slowly and know that by clearing my schedule, I cleared my mind's noise and was able to actually "listen."

I needed to find my first love. 

I love Christians. Heck, I am one. But, can I be really real? We sure can be a bunch of judgmental pious know-it-alls who walk around with about as much inner joy and peace as a bucket of lead. I have spent so many years trying to do things right (which is not a bad thing), and know the right answers that I forgot the whole reason why I believe what I believe.

Jesus.

He's my hope. My strength when I am weak. My friend when I am lonely. A father that never lets me down. My constant. My counselor. My truth. My inner peace. My joy.

My first love shouldn't be "getting it right". In Revelations, Paul told one of the churches that they had lost their "first love", which of course, was God.

Getting it right is fine and all, but when we sacrifice seeking the One who made it all, we have missed the entire mark.

I can't even tell you what this looks like. I wrestle daily with learning to grasp His love for me and what that even means. But, I can tell you this. He never disappoints. My prayers for true wisdom have not gone unanswered. He reveals things through His Word to me constantly and through His Holy Spirit. It isn't always easy. But, the inner rewards are worth the journey. Proverbs talks about seeking wisdom as a treasure. I just had to realize that I was placing value on the wrong things.

So, before I get any wordier than I already have, let me end by saying: I haven't got it figured out and I mess up royally on a daily basis, but He is faithful.

PS.  I am not returning to blogging full-time yet. I still feel the need to focus on listening to God and to be emotionally present for my kids and my husband. It's my temptation to busy myself with other things. Silence is hard. But for now, that is what I am being led to work on. This was my heart. Thanks for letting me share. I miss you guys!

What are some things God is working on in your life?

A Case of the Grumps

I did it.

I started looking at all of the blogs that remind me how far I am from perfection. Every project looked like a million bucks. Every craft was amazing. Every picture of the writer looks like it belongs in a magazine. I began to think I was a worthless piece o' blogging junk.

And down I went.

Into the dumps. Ain't no fun in the dumps, let me tell ya. And, as for my three guys, it ain't no fun for them when Momma's in the dumps either. All I can say in true Southern form is, "Bless Their Hearts".

And you wanna know the worst part about being in the dumps? All I do is beat myself up about being in the dumps, so the glorious cycle continues. "You ought'a be ashamed of yourself." "What kid of example are your setting for your children?" "I bet 'so-and-so' never gets ugly with her family the way you do." "You are such a bad person." "You'll never be what that other person is." 

I couldn't shake it. I tried to think positive. Eh. I tried to pray away the jealousy and envy. (cuz, let's be real, that's all it really is...) But, nothing seemed to work. It was as if the negative fairy was standing over me throwing pessimistic pixy dust on my head.

Well, eventually, I gave in to the grumps and said some ill words to my husband. Yeah, I did. I ain't proud of it. I felt terrible, especially since Opie heard me. He had been sticking to his Daddy like glue ever since my downward spiral had begun. (everyone stays clear of a moody momma)

Now mind you, I've helped Opie overcome days where he has had a case of the grumps. I have told him that some days are just hard to work through. And that, often, a good night's rest is all we need to feel much better.

My precious husband told me later that Opie addressed my moodiness when they were alone, moments after he had experienced my episode of "vomitous of the mouthous".

He explained how moods affect us and how Mommy was just having "one of those days". And in perfect form, my attentive son applied the lesson that I have worked so diligently to teach him...

"Well, maybe tonight, we need to send Momma to bed early." 

OUCH.

Opie, My Red Head