I have really been eating badly for the past few months, and it is past time that I did something about my health. Today I joined "SparkPeople", which is a free online site that helps you set fitness/weight loss goals and track your progress. They also have recipes, meal plans and exercise tools..all free! I will probably tweak some things because I am a big fan of natural, unprocessed food, so I probably won't be doing a ton of packaged Lean Cuisine type meals. All in all, I am very excited to get started. Today I went to the park and walked four big laps around the circular drive..and I even ran a little! I brought my MP3 player and listened to a sermon I had downloaded..it really kept my mind off the fact that I was exercising and made the time pass quickly. If any of you have been thinking it's time to get active and make better choices for your health, you can look at the website here, and decide if it sounds like something you would be interested in. Happy Thursday!
Apparently I was too young to remember that this video is a bit inappropriate, but in keeping with today's post:
Olivia Newton-John, everyone!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
New Kid On the Block
If you have a minute, stop by and say hi to my friend Julie. She's new to blogging but I always enjoy reading something she writes! She is one of my closest friends and has encouraged me greatly in my walk with God. I love to be able to introduce her to the awesome friends I have made! Love you guys!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Be Jealous..
We have finished up our study on Romans 12 and are going out to Carrabba's tonight to have a wrap-up celebration dinner! I heart Carrabba's! I will try to save you some, but no promises!
Friday, April 17, 2009
It's My One Year Blog-A-Versary
I have enjoyed meeting each one of you and getting to know you better and know God better through your writing, which always touches my heart and sometimes makes me laugh out loud. Here's to another year of learning and laughing together as we follow our Great King! Thank you for contributing to my life in so many ways!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Meanwhile, here in Richmond..
I have the night off..I have been playing a lot of Pathwords on Facebook recently, which has been detrimental to my blogging. I miss all of the friends I have on here. It has been a whirlwind past few weeks. I have either had visitors or been out of town on the weekends, and the rest of the time I am working or hanging out friends. There hasn't been a whole ton of down time.
That said, I also haven't really felt the urge to write. Maybe now that my fast is over I will be back to normal! I gave up soda and complaining (the fast coincided with Lent) and I also committed to pray specifically for 10 people each day, being very detailed in my requests for that person's spiritual well being. I have already seen results in people coming to church and in conversations that have happened during the past forty days. I did okay on the not complaining, but by no means would I say that I was able to uphold my fast in that area. I did curb the grumbling, but it made me realize just how much I express dissatisfaction. It's not pretty.
I am thinking about getting baptized (I was baptized when I was 3 in the Catholic church), but I really want to have a deep understanding and desire to do it before I take the plunge (hee hee). What has getting baptized meant to you? I know that it has nothing to do with being saved, but rather is an outward sign of commitment and symbolic of being born again. I know that Jesus thought it was important enough to do it. SO...I need to mull it over some more.
Bible study is going well..we are doing our last session in the Romans 12 study (taught by Chip Ingram) tomorrow and then will have a dinner to celebrate the completion of (over)ten weeks of this session. It has been great, and I feel as though I have come out of it changed and more knowledgeable of what it means to live as a Christian. Next up will be a study of Esther, which I won from the Lifeway All Access Blog over Thanksgiving, when I was really pessimistic about the viability of our group. People kept backing out and I thought maybe it had been a mistake to try and lead a Bible study. Two days later I won this awesome leader kit complete with videos (and it's Beth Moore, so you know it's going to rock), and it was such an affirmation that I was supposed to persevere. I can't wait to start the Esther series, although I will miss Chip, who is also an awesomely gifted teacher.
Other than that, nothing much new here. I may or may not be a year older now. I am loving LOST, and I have been procrastinating on writing my book, but I know that it will be coming along soon!
I will leave you with this last thought..
Colossians 1:24-27
24Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
This is the passage we studied at the Women's Leadership Weekend I attended with the girls from church. I had never thought of it like this, but the Holy Spirit is a deposit of our inheritance..the true proof that all that God says is true..if we are convicted in ways we weren't before..when we aren't able to sit in our sin anymore..that is the proof that Jesus is working in us. It is the "hope of glory". It is the promise that we will be glorified one day with Jesus, and we will not have to struggle anymore. For now, while we are still here in this fallen world, to know that God is residing in us may be the only thing that keeps us going. I am so glad I have that hope..and it is not hope like "I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow". This hope means we can keep going because we know that our future is secure in the hands of the one whom we have placed that hope in! Yay God!
That said, I also haven't really felt the urge to write. Maybe now that my fast is over I will be back to normal! I gave up soda and complaining (the fast coincided with Lent) and I also committed to pray specifically for 10 people each day, being very detailed in my requests for that person's spiritual well being. I have already seen results in people coming to church and in conversations that have happened during the past forty days. I did okay on the not complaining, but by no means would I say that I was able to uphold my fast in that area. I did curb the grumbling, but it made me realize just how much I express dissatisfaction. It's not pretty.
I am thinking about getting baptized (I was baptized when I was 3 in the Catholic church), but I really want to have a deep understanding and desire to do it before I take the plunge (hee hee). What has getting baptized meant to you? I know that it has nothing to do with being saved, but rather is an outward sign of commitment and symbolic of being born again. I know that Jesus thought it was important enough to do it. SO...I need to mull it over some more.
Bible study is going well..we are doing our last session in the Romans 12 study (taught by Chip Ingram) tomorrow and then will have a dinner to celebrate the completion of (over)ten weeks of this session. It has been great, and I feel as though I have come out of it changed and more knowledgeable of what it means to live as a Christian. Next up will be a study of Esther, which I won from the Lifeway All Access Blog over Thanksgiving, when I was really pessimistic about the viability of our group. People kept backing out and I thought maybe it had been a mistake to try and lead a Bible study. Two days later I won this awesome leader kit complete with videos (and it's Beth Moore, so you know it's going to rock), and it was such an affirmation that I was supposed to persevere. I can't wait to start the Esther series, although I will miss Chip, who is also an awesomely gifted teacher.
Other than that, nothing much new here. I may or may not be a year older now. I am loving LOST, and I have been procrastinating on writing my book, but I know that it will be coming along soon!
I will leave you with this last thought..
Colossians 1:24-27
24Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
This is the passage we studied at the Women's Leadership Weekend I attended with the girls from church. I had never thought of it like this, but the Holy Spirit is a deposit of our inheritance..the true proof that all that God says is true..if we are convicted in ways we weren't before..when we aren't able to sit in our sin anymore..that is the proof that Jesus is working in us. It is the "hope of glory". It is the promise that we will be glorified one day with Jesus, and we will not have to struggle anymore. For now, while we are still here in this fallen world, to know that God is residing in us may be the only thing that keeps us going. I am so glad I have that hope..and it is not hope like "I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow". This hope means we can keep going because we know that our future is secure in the hands of the one whom we have placed that hope in! Yay God!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Bible study tonight was rough.
I have issues with Happy, Healthy, Wealthy philosophies. I don't really think that God calls everyone to have good health, money, and easy times when they become Christians.
I went to a conference with Heather on Friday. The speaker was Creflo Dollar. I was a bit leary of him because I was afraid it was just going to be a show, but he was a good speaker. I was a little amused when he shouted "Somebody say power" and "Say Hallelujah twice". Whatever. I may not be used to it, but there is nothing wrong with being demonstrative. It was when he said "Turn to your neighbor and say 'I'll never be broke another day in my life'" that I got my feathers a little ruffled. He is obviously a devoted servant of the Lord, but that part did NOT sit well with me.
I expressed that I didn't agree with that to Heather and her mom, and while they agreed that not everyone was called to be wealthy, they did agree that God wants to bless his people financially. I just don't know how I feel about that. I agree with this verse out of Proverbs 30:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread
I feel that it takes a lot of spiritual maturity to handle having money without it damaging your relationship with God, and I honestly at this point in my life want desperately to never forget from whom my help comes from.
I know that God blesses and protects his children. I don't always think it is monetarily. I know that Paul was a man after God's heart, and that he lived a life full of danger and severe persecution. I envy his relationship with and his dedication to serving God.
Heather, Tiffany and I were the only ones at Bible study tonight, and Tiffany asked about the Creflo Dollar conference, and I told her that I liked it, and that he was funny, but that I wasn't sure I agreed with everything he said. Heather got frustrated with me because she knew that part of my hesitation came from a conversation that I had with my friend Julie the day after the conference, and Julie kind of affirmed what I was feeling about the money issue. That doesn't mean that she's right or that I'm right.
Maybe I don't have enough faith in God. Maybe I feel like I am not spiritual if I have money when so many others don't, or that I want to have a relationship with God where it doesn't matter what I have as long as I am living in his will. All I know is that I got very defensive and I really wanted to walk out when we were talking tonight because I felt a little ganged up on (Tiffany was agreeing with Heather).
I will be in the Scriptures about it, and just to let you know, we were able to get past being confrontational. I am open to revising my way of thinking if it means living God's best for my life. I know that God's best is not what the world would call "best". I pray that God would open my eyes and direct me to his heart on this matter.
I have issues with Happy, Healthy, Wealthy philosophies. I don't really think that God calls everyone to have good health, money, and easy times when they become Christians.
I went to a conference with Heather on Friday. The speaker was Creflo Dollar. I was a bit leary of him because I was afraid it was just going to be a show, but he was a good speaker. I was a little amused when he shouted "Somebody say power" and "Say Hallelujah twice". Whatever. I may not be used to it, but there is nothing wrong with being demonstrative. It was when he said "Turn to your neighbor and say 'I'll never be broke another day in my life'" that I got my feathers a little ruffled. He is obviously a devoted servant of the Lord, but that part did NOT sit well with me.
I expressed that I didn't agree with that to Heather and her mom, and while they agreed that not everyone was called to be wealthy, they did agree that God wants to bless his people financially. I just don't know how I feel about that. I agree with this verse out of Proverbs 30:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread
I feel that it takes a lot of spiritual maturity to handle having money without it damaging your relationship with God, and I honestly at this point in my life want desperately to never forget from whom my help comes from.
I know that God blesses and protects his children. I don't always think it is monetarily. I know that Paul was a man after God's heart, and that he lived a life full of danger and severe persecution. I envy his relationship with and his dedication to serving God.
Heather, Tiffany and I were the only ones at Bible study tonight, and Tiffany asked about the Creflo Dollar conference, and I told her that I liked it, and that he was funny, but that I wasn't sure I agreed with everything he said. Heather got frustrated with me because she knew that part of my hesitation came from a conversation that I had with my friend Julie the day after the conference, and Julie kind of affirmed what I was feeling about the money issue. That doesn't mean that she's right or that I'm right.
Maybe I don't have enough faith in God. Maybe I feel like I am not spiritual if I have money when so many others don't, or that I want to have a relationship with God where it doesn't matter what I have as long as I am living in his will. All I know is that I got very defensive and I really wanted to walk out when we were talking tonight because I felt a little ganged up on (Tiffany was agreeing with Heather).
I will be in the Scriptures about it, and just to let you know, we were able to get past being confrontational. I am open to revising my way of thinking if it means living God's best for my life. I know that God's best is not what the world would call "best". I pray that God would open my eyes and direct me to his heart on this matter.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
I feel giddy...
On Wednesday night my friend and I went to the New Kids on the Block concert at the Richmond Coliseum. The opening act was a group called the Jabbawockeez..they were about eight guys with white drama masks on who did combination street/breakdancing routines. Apparently they debuted on America's Best Dance Crew and won, and now they are touring across the country. There were mildly humorous aspects to their performance, such as when a bunch of guys with white masks did Beyonce's "Single Ladies", or when they did "PYT" by Michael Jackson, but they weren't singing and there was a lot of dancing with a mop, which I could have skipped.
Here's a clip of them doing Beyonce:
My best friend Julie and I..so excited to be in the same room as Joey Joe and Donnie Wahlberg..When I first got there I was surprised to see such an eclectic group of fans..young and old, many sporting New Kids T-shirts or dressed in eighties' attire (Julie tried to make me, but I wasn't having it). Some women were pretty dressed up, as if they were reuniting with long lost boyfriends instead of going to sit in sticky auditorium seats. It was a good day to be people-watching.
I was gettin impatient as I had to sit through the opening act..kind of feeling as though maybe this would be a waste of time. And then..finally..the music for the New Kids started throbbing, and I was a kid all over again. I raised my voice in unison with thousands of other women as we saw the men who had captured our hearts twenty years ago. That dormant love swelled, and we were swept away as five boys who were now men turned and smiled, and then began singing some crazy new songs that were a little inappropriate.
Julie and I screamed crazy things like "I love you, Donnie" and danced and just had a great time full of general tomfoolery. They still know how to get a crowd going, and we all went crazy when they did their old stuff, such as "Step by Step" and "The Right Stuff". It was cool to see 40 year old men pretend like they still had it goin' on..but you know what..they kind of did! The concert ended on one of the newer songs, and after they said goodbye, we all just stood there, waiting. They hadn't performed their most popular song, and it would be a huge let down to leave without hearing it. So, of course, the music started bassing again and out they came in Celtics Jerseys to do "Hanging tough". They rocked it out and I can honestly say it was one of the most fun times I have had in quite a while.
Hangin' Tough:
I have to warn you..it's pretty loud!
The euphoria has worn off a bit..but I loved it!
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