Day 53 - 4 Agreements

Hi

I am finishing up my responsibilities for year end inventory. Many things happen in life that are out of our control. It is how we react, cope, and work through these events that matter.  I constantly go back to the book by Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements.

I can really get worked up over the drama.  In the end, don't take anything personally and don't try to read into anything. As long as you are impeccable with your word and do your best, You will be at peace.  I am confident in myself and live by these agreements.  Life is good.

Read the book if you get a chance.  It is very good.

Peace......

Day 52 - Fall

We went up to N GA to Anna Ruby Falls today. It was beautiful. More about spending time with family.   Got to walk up the hill to the falls.  I don't think I could have walked before August.  The exercise has helped me get around and do some things I could not do before.  I told Cliff I want to even camp.....in a tent. We are going to go this fall.   It is good to get out of the house and spend time outdoors.

Peace...

Day 51 - Fellowship

I like to be alone.  In fact I prefer it over being in a group. I watch HGTV's House hunters and all the people are looking for a house to entertain. Does everyone in the world like to entertain?  I have a close friend and she doesn't like the entertaining idea either.  I was shy as a child. I also was single until 28 and lived by myself. So maybe I am happy with my own company. I know we are created to fellowship with one another.  God encourages us to love and support one another. Maybe I am an introvert?  I think it is good to accept who you are and the type of person God wants us to be.

Day 50 - Remember me

I was listening to Pandora on the way to work and the song Remember Me, by Mark Schultz started playing. It took me back about 7 years when two of my friends sang this beautiful duet in church.  It was mesmerizing. Both have such beautiful voices and they blended perfectly. It was a very peaceful meditative song. It is amazing how God places memories in our hearts. We never know what impact we have on others and how God can use us to touch lives.   Thank you Sabrina and Renee for sharing your angelic voices. You are both very special to me.

Peace...

Day 48 - Joined new club

I am privileged to join the club of those who have had a Colonoscopy.  I said I was being transparent. Just started my prep and the procedure is tomorrow. Not a fan of the drink. This too shall pass.   I get a day off. That is a positive. Plus the scale may go down.   Anyway. Life happens. The good, the bad and the ugly. I am not sure if this is bad or ugly or both.   Hope you all enjoy your time tonight and tomorrow. 

Day 47 - Helping

Everyone around us is going through stuff.  We all have issues and problems.  I have friends with cancer and health problems. Friends who are lonely. Friends who are out of work. Friends with little money. We are called to help those around us.  It is easy to get caught up in our own problems to not see the hurting world. Take time to see the world and the problems. Then do something. We must never stop. Be the example to change the world around you. 

James 2:14-17 My brothers and sisters, if a person claims to have faith but does nothing, that faith is worth nothing. Faith like that cannot save anyone. Suppose a brother or sister in Christ comes to you in need of clothes or something to eat. And you say to them, “God be with you! I hope you stay warm and get plenty to eat,” but you don’t give them the things they need. If you don’t help them, your words are worthless. It is the same with faith. If it is just faith and nothing more—if it doesn’t do anything—it is dead. 

Day 46 - Holy Spirit

Tomorrow we start our small group. We are doing the series called Forgotten God by Francis Chan. If you are not familiar with the author he has many talks on You Tube. I believe this study will fit well with my journey.  This study is about the Holy Spirit  In the book of John, Jesus gives us the promise of the Holy Spirit. 

John 14:15-17 “If you love me, you will do what I command. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever. The Helper is the Spirit of truth. The people of the world cannot accept him, because they don’t see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will be in you. 

I would love to hear of any Holy Spirit moments you have.

Peace....

Day 46 - Work

I went into work on Sunday. Not what I wanted to do but had to get some year end accounts balanced. This account is very frustrating because whatever we thought could go wrong did. After 6 hours of reconciling by looking though month after month I found maybe two thirds of the difference. In accounting, we balance. When it's off something is wrong.  So tomorrow I will go in very early to continue the recon.  The fact that this was not dealt with months ago is a problem. 

I guess that is also true with our lives.  We do not mess things up overnight. It takes months that we are not keeping ourselves in check and balancing our lives. That's what leads us to sickness, clutter in our lives, and frustration.  If we can keep a check on our health and our lives on a daily and weekly basis we will not loose control.   Now I am doing this and have to make up for the years I did not.  It is sometimes hard throughout the day to keep strong, but I want to be balanced. It's the accountant in me.  Hope you are balanced!  If not, take the plunge and start your personal reconciling today.

Peace...

Day 45 - Worth

During my life I have felt the need to always prove myself to people. You can tell when someone doesn't know you or believe in you.  Often times these were cases where I was going to bat for the underdog, a belief, or knowing the company was not doing the right thing.  I have fought many a battle in the workforce for those who deserve it.  

Then there were times I had to always prove the point when dealing with difficult and irrational thinking people.  I have always been irritated with bosses who could not make a decision. It wasn't from lack of facts or knowledge. They just were afraid to make a decision.    

With stepping back I will no longer have to deal with the crazies in the business world.  Choosing to step back is giving me freedom to live and be with the ones who mean the most to me.  I will still fight for the underdog in any situation. But I won't have to be in the middle of playing the game of work. I will no longer feel the need to prove myself to, as my son says it best,"the man" anymore.  Life is good. It is very good. 

Peace...

Day 44 - Just Dance

Nicole and I got out the just dance for WII tonight. I used to only make it through three songs. I was keeping up and did 6 - 7 songs. Not breathing hard either. 

My friend and I were talking about dancing back in the eighties. Doing the club scene. She said she was a pretty good dancer. But she doesn't feel link dancing anymore. She has to dance. I am going to get her dancing again. Get up and get moving. It is really fun and you feel great doing it. 

Peace...

Day 43 - Make it happen

I am very pleased with my decision to go through change this year.  I believe I am doing the right thing in my life. It isn't easy. I am giving up money, career, and having to put in some long needed discipline with how I live my life.  But the reward will be great. I choose to live a life with purpose  I have not yet gone through two months and I feel more at peace with my life than ever before.    The goal is to:

Make time for God

Make time for family

Make time for health and exercise

Make time to see the USA with hubby via RV. (Long range)

Make life easier and more simple

Enjoy life de-stressed,  relaxed, and living to the fullest. 

Peace......

Day 42 - Sugar

My Dr was very proud of my improvement. However, my blood sugar came back high so I will be monitoring this to see if it improves with my continued diet and exercise.  I would love to take the magic pill and be cured but I suppose it took years to get this way. It should take a few to get back. I will have a recheck in two months. That should give me time for more improvements. 

Cliff made some great fish tacos today.  Flounder covered in almond flour and fried in little oil. We added coleslaw, cheese, onion, and a little BBQ sauce to a whole wheat tortilla. Awesome. 

I added the latest pic to the photo page.   Here I will close with a cute collage my precious made on an app. 

Day 41 Stand Out

It is so easy to go with the flow. Attitudes are contagious.  Both good and bad.  Sometimes our cultures bring us down. Do not get sucked into the negative world. Everyone would love for you to join with them in a pity party. Break the mold and be different from those around you.

Peace...

Day 40 - One

One person.  One life.  One day.  One minute.  Sometimes all we get is once.  But once is enough to change.  We are so insignificant in the scheme of the universe but yet we can make an impact and we sometimes dont even know that our opportunity was out there?

The power of one. Check out this website:  http://www.rachelschallenge.org
Rachel Joy Scott was the first person to die at Columbine.  What she wrote in her journals about spreading kindness to the world has become a huge program for making a challenge to young people across the country to stop bullying.

We are all connected and have the power to help and change the world around us.


Peace.................

Day 39 - Everything is Connected

I wanted to share this Ted video with you.  Please watch through the end as this visualizes what our cells do in our body.  These micro machines.  God is amazing. God connects all of us within life as well.  We have a purpose and a function for life and we interact with many other people.  God uses us, like he has in the cells of our body, to interact, create, fix, produce, and change life and people around us. Let go and Let God use you to fix and change and love the world around you for the purpose of doing God's will.

http://www.ted.com/talks/david_bolinsky_animates_a_cell.html

Peace.....

Day 37 - Who you meet along the way

Some people come and go quickly through our lives.  But they are nice and have a great heart and follow the right path.  Barb has only been around work for a few months and needs to leave to take care of her mom.  She is a genuine soul and when you meet her you like her.  I am glad our paths crossed even only if briefly.  I am proud of you for taking the time to love your mom and help her now.  Many would not choose this path.  I enjoyed your friendship.  Your laughs.  Your perfumes in the office and the big beautiful Japanese fan.  May peace and happiness follow you wherever you go.  

Day 36 - God Driven

How many people have you met in your life that are God Driven?  You know.  Like Mother Teresa. The kind that have all kinds of God stories and miracles that happen. The kind who are leading many many lost to know Christ.  The kind that are unshaken and unchanged by the earthly world around them. 

Ephesians 3:20 With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. 

Dana Davis is one of these God Driven people I know.  He probably doesn't even remember me.  I met him when I took my son to Greater Atlanta Christian summer program starting when Wesley was in 1st or 2nd grade.  Coach Davis was running the program.  He was also struggling with cancer.  I maybe only spoke to him directly about 20 times during the time my son was in the program.  He started a Christian journey email around this time and I have followed him through his emails.  Emails of struggles with his own battle with cancer and uplifting victories.  The losses of some of his friends.  But most importantly, the raw love of God and the many miraculous stories and places he and his family have traveled to spread the Love of God.  His kids have gone on to lead Godly lives.  I would believe Coach Davis has touched more lives than he would ever imagine.  God has been able to use Coach Davis because Dana surrendered to God's will.  Here is his latest email.

I left his email in case you want to start following.  God has so many plans for us!

From: "Dana Davis" <dana@airwoof.org>

Dana's Christian Journey         in view Sep 12, 2013 at 11:47am GMT   I had an interesting two-part conversation with a young man last week. First, he told me how much God had blessed him and his family the past few years. “Tears come to my eyes nearly every time I think about what God has done, because I know I don’t deserve anything.” The second part of the conversation seemed a perfectly natural conclusion: “I just want to live for Him. I don’t want to be consumed with pleasing men; I just want to be faithful to the One who is so faithful to us.” If the character and love of God are in the forefront of our thinking, the result is a grateful heart. In a section of his letter to the Romans, Paul explained the position of his people, the Jews. As Jesus was rejected, the chosen people of God experienced a hardening of the heart. Paul was confident that God would fulfill his destiny for the Jews, but full of God’s Spirit, Paul grieved for his people. But while the Jews refused the gospel, a door was opened for the Gentiles. “Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you.” (Romans 11:30-31) Paul seemed overwhelmed by the mercy of God. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” Paul could not help but praise God (see Romans 11:33-36). When we see, we praise. When God’s truth is in view, we are changed. “Lord, give us ‘in view’ thinking.” In view of how much God has forgiven me, I will forgive others. In view of God’s mercy, I will show mercy. In view of God’s love, I will love my neighbor as myself. In view of the fact that God rescued me from this world, I will not conform to it. In view of God’s provision, I will be content and share with others. In view of the fact that Jesus washed feet and served others, I will do the same. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2             This email was sent to becky.young@micromeritics.com Subscribe Link Unsubscribe Link

Day 35 - Encouraged

Love yourself no matter what state you are at.

     Be Confident that you were Created perfectly.  God doesn't make a mistake.

           Show kindness to everyone.

                  See the good in all.

                       Always do your best.

                               Talk the talk and walk the walk.

Peace...............................

Day 34 - Blessings!

Hi!
Today I wanted to send a shout out and a praise to two of the women I work with in Accounting.  They are both being treated for cancer.  They have both been going through radiation treatments.  And now have both completed this phase of their treatment.  VICTORY!  I praise both of them for the courage and stamina to keep working through the treatment sessions.  And if you don't know anything about radiation, it does effect your body.  It burns and you have other complications associated with this treatment.

So today, Kathy and Darlene, I salute the both of you and pray that God richly blesses you both.  I pray that God will heal your body and give you both miracles of healing.  I thank God for your courage,  your positive attitude, and the smiles I see on each of your faces.  You are both a blessing and an encouragement for others.

If you know of someone with cancer, please stop and pray for them right now.  And pray for Kathy and Darlene.  God Bless!

Peace.....

Day 33 - noticed

My co worker said she could tell I am loosing weight. That makes you feel good. Walking is really helping me. Today my foot hurt so I could only do half my time. Keep going. Keep moving.  It will pay off.  Water is my problem. I am not drinking enough throughout the day.   I get started working and forget to drink.  I need to set up reminders on my pc to drink.  I will let you know how that turns out.  

Keep on.  

Peace.   

Day 32 - Review

Changing a lifestyle is hard. I want German chocolate cake. I settled for sugar free hot chocolate.  In order to change you have to keep the focus and not forget why you are making this change.   For me, I want to improve my health.  I want to focus on what matters most and become all God wants me to be.  I want to de-clutter my life.  Reviewing what is important daily can keep you on track.  Having someone to keep you focused is also a must. My hubby is that for me.  He has lost 30 pounds since his lifestyle change from last January.  We cut out all bread and try to be gluten free.  Exercise is a necessity for both of us.  We both feel much better. Change is good.  Try to look deep to see what you can start doing to make a change for the good.

Peace...

Day 31 It's Not About You

Trying to transition into something else takes a lot time and effort. After work I have about enough time to make dinner, do the blog, and walk.  Meals have to be thought of and planned or it is easy to slip up.  It is easy to become self absorbed with our life. However,  we are called by God to be light to the darkness. God never wants us to be so closed off from the rest of the world. We should always be aware of our surroundings and the people around us to be a reflection of God.  Consciously look for opportunities for God to use you to spread his light to others.

Peace...

Day 30 - Faith

Treadmill - It's a habit.  I have been walking every night. My clothes are feeling loose.

Water. This will be my focus for the week. Not being consistent with the water.  I am improving.

Food. I wasn't perfect this past week with the company. I stayed the same for my weight. I am good with this as long as I get back to the program. 

De-clutter. This weekend I am going to work on my clothes.  Too many. 

Devotional. I am very excited getting back to God.  He has changed my attitude. I am peaceful, relaxed and enjoying my life. I rest on the promises of God that He will work everything out.  If you need facts that you can find answers in the Bible, here are some stats on how many times a word is used in the KJV.

Love - 547.  Peace - 420,  Faith - 402,  Seek - 291,  Believe - 284,  Hope - 133

There are 1,260 Promises in the Bible.   

Start finding your answers to life and living to the fullest today. 

Peace...

Day 29 - Listen

Challenge for tomorrow. Try to focus all of your conversations to be about the other person. We love to talk about ourselves. We just love to talk. Engage someone then just be silent and actually listen to them.   Let me know how it works out for you!

Day 28 - Umbrellas

I remember in 6th grade getting ready for school on a rainy day.  I had to walk about three blocks to the elementary school.  It was a dreary day and I wasn't thrilled about going to school.  I set out from the house and went down the porch stairs.  There was white ice on the stairs and I slipped, fell down the stairs and my umbrella went flying.  Well that was all I needed to upset me.  I started crying and crying.  My mom, the comforter, was there to help me.  She saw I was ok and tried to encourage me to be strong and go on to school.  It did not seem to help me at the moment.  So in her robe and bath slippers she went out to retrieve the umbrella half way down the walk.  As soon as she hit the stairs, there went Mom falling down the same set of stairs I just fell down.  That did it.  I laughed and laughed.  My mom laughed and laughed.  Mom got the umbrella gave me a hug and off I went to school.  (Careful to not fall down the slippery stairs.)

I am sure you can remember a time when you were upset and your mom or dad could make everything feel better.  A comforter.  Someone to hug you when you were down.  That is exactly what God can do for you, too.  God is our comforter.  He is our Father and he loves us very much.  If you have never felt God's love before He is waiting for you to invite him into your life.  

My friend had just recently read my blog and commented that I sounded so happy.  I can say I am happy knowing I have God living in me.  He is as much a part of me and my life as my husband, father, and mother are.  If you have never experienced this or need some peace in your life,  then ask God to come into your life.  Probably the most familiar passage in the bible is John 3:16.  For God so loved the world, that He gave his only son, and whoever shall believe in him shall have eternal life.


I added some of my songs to my blog.  They are linked to Box.net by their title.  Enjoy!

Peace........

Day 26, oops. Day 27 -You Never Blow It

I had company over the weekend and needless to say I wasn't perfect in my eating plan.  I did get my walking in everyday.  I told my hubby I blew it over the weekend.  He told me you never blow it.  It is just something that you did and you get right back in the groove again.  I love my husband.  Do you remember all the times you started a diet,  then messed up, and then just stopped?  I have done this many a time.  But you never really blow it.  You have to think of your eating as a lifestyle change that is a continual process.  No one is perfect 100% of the time.  But it is the determination that if you do slip you did not blow it and you get right back on your new routine.

Everything takes work, diligence, time, and continued effort.  And it is OK to not be perfect. 

Day 26 - All In

Yesterday our preacher at 12 Stones preached about being All In. Meaning God wants us to make a full commitment to Him with our lives.  I made a commitment about a month ago to step down from my role as Controller for my company.  It was a very hard decision for me to make.  I am doing this to make room for my family and to improve my health. The job required many extra hours that took away from my family. I guess you could say I am downsizing my career. God is in the middle of this decision.  My family is the most important thing to me.  Nicole is in middle school and I want to be around for her as she becomes a teenager.  God was calling me to be All In with my family and with my health.  I realize what is most important to me.  Cliff and I are in this together. It may mean much sacrifice from a monetary standard but we are putting our faith in God that He will provide.

Peace...

Day 25 - Porcelain

Porcelain. [noncount] : a hard, white substance that is very delicate and that is made by baking clay 
▪ The bowl is made of/from porcelain. ▪ a porcelain bowl/doll

                                          

We are such delicate human beings.  We can break so easily. Like porcelain.  I am referring to the breakage we get from the hurting of our souls.  Why are we so easily broken by words?  Why do we so care about what others think?

Because we so long for acceptance.  We want to fit in and belong.  We make decisions in life based on this and still we can not be accepted by those we are trying to please.

God will take our brokenness and accept us for who we are. Even in a broken down tired state he will put us back together like new.  Turn to God for your acceptance. He is all we need to feel beautiful and loved. 

The mean and ugly of this world will continue, but with God you will no longer feel broken and rejected. It is those people who have the brokenness and issues with their souls. Pray for them to be healed by God. 

Peace...