WLW: Scripture

This week's topic is: Scripture What scripture motivates you on this weight loss journey? What is your inspiration that keeps you going when you want to quit? I hope you'll dig a little deeper and share with us. You never know what motivates you that could help someone else. So I can't wait to read your  inspiration!

 To combat the negative thoughts that enter my head, to change the attitude that says "I will never meet my goal," and so much more, Psalm 139:13-18 is my go to scripture.  Reminding myself that God created me, from the beginning of time He planned my existence, from the color of my eyes, to the number of freckles on my face, He knows me.  He knew me before time began, He will know me in eternity.  It is in those moments, when I am reminding myself of these truths, that I can restructure my thinking, make better choices, and know that I have the ability to care for the body He has given me.  And, even if reaching my goal isn't easy, it will certainly be worth it.

Another Year

Today I celebrate another year of life. It is quite comical to me when people ask if I am having a good day. We get older, have a family, and birthdays become life as normal. But, that is not such a bad thing as I am  wonderfully blessed with a silly curly haired girl and a sweet husband.

We celebrated with my family yesterday since it was a holiday and my husband did not have to work.  I requested my dad grill turkey burgers and the rest did not really matter to me.  Rather than going to a restaurant, I prefer to gather together in a nice relaxed atmosphere where we can stay as long as we like.  It was such a great day too!

Only in my family does opening presents become a point of comedy.  I had told my mom I needed a new small crockpot because the one I had was falling into a million pieces and becoming more dangerous than helpful.  Of course, that is what I got.  She told me to open it and make sure it was the right size, which I did.  However, I did not pull the crockpot out completely, and thought is was a bit larger than I wanted.  Mom made some comment like, "Well, you can exchange it if you want, but look, isn't the lid neat?  You can lock it."  I did not bother to look more closely, and simply agreed that was a nice feature.  It would seem I was not doing as she wanted me to because there was another gift inside the crockpot!  I am laughing just thinking about it.  She finally said, "Oh, would you just open it all the way and look inside.  Pay attention!"

Sheesh, opening a present can be hazardous in our family!  There was however a beautiful bracelet inside, so I am glad Mom redirected me.  I even promised that I will search any gifts she may give me in the future.

Hope you all are be blessed, laughing as often as possible, and enjoying the warmer temperatures.  Go on, celebrate for me today!

 

Epic

Here's a small portion of the incredible ballet we went to last night. I could not adequately describe how amazing it was if I tried.  In the first two minutes I was almost a huddled mess weeping on the floor.  Luckily, I held back the tears and found myself completely lost in this story.  But it's not just a story, it's a beautiful wonderful truth of God's extravagant love for us.  I am thankful for the young men and women who chose to be a part of this production.



At the production's close, we asked our daughter if she would like to meet any of the dancers. She immediately responded, "Yes, the girl who played Mary, you know, Jesus' mommy." We found her and my daughter was more in awe than the day she met Cinderella. When asked, our girl even agreed that meeting her was better than meeting Cinderella. May her heart always be more delighted by the things of God than
the trappings of this world.
 

My New Anthem

This morning as I was on my way to CrossFit, the following song came on and it was then I decided, this is my new anthem.

Too Familiar

1 Corinthians 12:12-30 ESV For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ... 

 It has been almost three years since our move. Three years, a time span that is, by all counts, a short amount of time, yet there are days it feels like much more.  While I know this has been the right move for our family, I would be lying if I said I did not miss our old home.  More specifically, I miss our old church.  Lately, I have found myself trying to discover why I have yet to feel connected here.

While trying to sort through some of what I have been thinking, I began discussing this topic with my husband last night.

Through everything I said, two things stood out.  First and foremost, I miss the diversity.  Our community, the city as a whole here is primarily white.  While that is not inherently a negative, I long for the differing cultures, skin colors, and styles that we were privy to in Tennessee.  I want our child to grow up appreciating others, the tones of their skin, their style of speech, and the ways they worship Christ.  I do not like that here, in this dusty little town, so many look, speak and act the same.  Yet, we are just like the vast majority, it should be comfortable and easy, but it is not.  My heart often aches for the beauty that came from being a part of  a multicultural church.  While I miss the music too, but more importantly, I miss knowing that "all are welcome here." 

While both places of worship place a high priority on missionary work, I find myself thinking our current home is prone to get lost in thinking missionaries are only needed on the other side of foreign borders.  We, the lighter skinned, must save humanity!  But what about our neighbors?  What about the facade they live behind?  What I heard before was that the mission field begins in the home, in our neighborhoods, in our communities.  If we cannot serve the least of these, who are merely hiding behind all of their material goods, how will we serve those with little?

As my friend Sara recently wrote:

There’s a gap that needs to be bridged in the world. There is a disconnect between the people who have and the people who have not. Right now, in many ways, the bridge across that gap is called the US government. The “haves” pay taxes so the “have nots” can have government programs that help them. But WHAT IF… the church was the bridge? What if we wanted to give?

What if suburbia was so moved by the gospel … so moved by grace, God’s unmerited favor on our lives … that we began to give back to Him what was already His.  (Desparate Mission Fields: Wisteria Lane)

A part of the issue is that I was serving there; I was both being fed and feeding others, and I have yet to do the same here.  I do not feel useful for the kingdom here.  In this little town, in the place that is well established, I have not broken through the lines. While the people are kind, and there are many honestly loving and gracious lives of which I am grateful to know, I am still the stranger.   

I am having trouble relating to a place that is so much like me.  The chains of similarity are smothering, the bonds of familiarity are nerve racking.  I long for diversity, for differences, for the interactions that bring about differing opinions, backgrounds and lessons. 

While discussing the problem was good, determining the solution was better.  We will walk where we believe God is leading us.  We will rejoice in being here, we will seek to find the heart of the people here.  We will watch and listen and learn how to serve, here, where we are, today. 

Our former pastor once said we would be "taking the lesson of diversity to west Texas."  I laughed as I wondered how exactly we would do that seeing as how we do not add to the diversity here.  Now I am beginning to wonder if it's the diversity of our hearts, all pointed to our heavenly Father, that we are to be sharing.  May we rejoice in the place God has us now, in the place we were and the lessons we learned.  May we seek to serve, even in suburbia.

This week's topic: Fruits & Veggies.
Is there a new fruit or veggie that you have tried recently? Or did you discover a new way to cook an old favorite?

I love fruits and veggies! Consuming the prescribed amount of fruits and vegetables is easy to accomplish for me. While many do not like them, I enjoy them and find them easy to prepare. Salads are my number one way to eat vegetables because they are easy to fix and I usually make mine with a variety of veggies.  I also like to throw some bell peppers, onions, or even some fresh spinach into my eggs in the morning.  Spinach and kale are staples in one of my favorite breakfast smoothies.

There has not ever been a time in my life that I have not liked fruit, of all kinds.  I think of fruit as nature's candy bar, but without all the calories.  Fruit provides a nice and healthy way to satisfy my sweet tooth.  When they are in season, I cannot get enough of mangos, strawberries, apples, blueberries, oranges, kiwis, melons, pineapple....the list goes on to cover the vast majority of fruits.

Now if I could convince my child to consume some vegetables.  Hmmmmm.

Consider The Cord Struck

Yesterday's post seems to have struck a chord for quite a few people.  Since its posting, I have found myself in conversations concerning this issue, and many just like it.  I made a comment to a woman today that I "sometimes think our standard get to know you questions need some revamping.  Whether then, "where do you work," "how many children do you have," and the like, what if we asked instead, "What are you enjoying about life right now?"  "What are you learning?"  "What makes you laugh?"  "How are you?"  "Is there anything I can do to help you?"  I have found myself wondering what it would look like if we each began to seek the heart of the person we are speaking to whether than their resume.

One of my favorite responses came from my dear friend Christine.  I am not surprised she stated her thoughts so well.  Here is what she said (emphasis is mine):

I'm glad you addressed this. I think it's good to apply this to other areas of parenting as well. We should respect the decisions that others make and not question it or think its wrong just because it's not the path we have chosen (or God has given us). Anything from : where they go to school; public, private, home school, what we feed them, how we dress them, how we handle discipline, how much moms work or don't work, and of course how many children we raise. It makes people feel safe to assume that since you aren't doing what I'm doing you must have made a wrong choice because the alternative (I made the wrong choice) is too difficult. When in reality none of that matters. We all make different choices and that's ok.  It's in God's hands.

She also listed well known only children, which was rather fascinating.  

I am challenging myself, and you, to begin walking alongside those you enounter without questioning every step that is made.  As you do, refrain from asking why they are walking as they are, and be content with the simple fact that we are not alone in this world.

 

Let's Talk About One Child Homes (AKA: My Rant)

My dear friend Carla, who happens to be an extraordinary mom, pastor's wife, and talented writer, recently wrote a great post entitled, "Five Things Not To Say To Adoptive Parents."  I found myself nodding in agreement, not because we have adopted, but because we have family and friends who have.  While I read through her post, I also began considering our own family and the questions we receive.  It is not that we are so unique, it is simply that we have one child.

The questions we get asked are typically as follows:

• "Don't you think your daughter needs a sibling?" 
• "When are you going to get a brother or sister for her?"
• "Aren't you worried she will grow up to be spoiled?"
• "Why don't you have other children?  Don't you want more?"
• "Don't you think she will be lonely being an only child?"

The list goes on, and on, and on some more.  I have a few statements I would like to say, but I don't.  I bite my tongue and nod and smile, and do my best to remove myself from the conversation.  If my child is with me, I am usually fighting back anger because I do not want her to interpret these questions as meaning she is less than a child with siblings.

Rather than diving into personal details like, "Well, we have tried, but what do you know?  No baby.  Not sure why, but it just hasn't happened," I typically say, "That is all up to God.  If He wants her to be an only child, that is what she will be, if He wants her to have siblings, she will have them."  I have, in past conversations, stated that it did not matter to me one way or another because I really did not want to go through pregnancy and a c-section again and that having to recover from that as I near 40 just did not sound fun.  A comment like that?  It is easier to say than explaining how maybe there is something physically wrong with one of us and having to endure the pity of the other person.

I am left wondering why we believe someone could not be happy in the situation they are in.  What is wrong with having one child?  There are as many talented, caring, giving, selfless only children as there are those from multiple sibling homes.  In fact, I know plenty of children, who have siblings, who are spoiled, obnoxious and undisciplined.  In spite of that, I do not walk up to the parents and state, "Maybe you should not have had more than one child because you clearly can't handle it."

I have been pondering why we, especially women, do not encourage one another more than we question one another.  I have friends with no children, friends with one, friends with six or more.  I have friends who have birthed their children naturally, others who have had c-sections, and some who have adopted.  I find each to be wonderful and beautiful, and walking the script God has for them. 

As my husband and I have discussed this topic, we have come to a place that has us thankful for where we are.  We are so grateful to be the parents of an intelligent, comical, lively, curly haired girl who delights in conversations with anyone and is more often than not smiling and laughing.  We do not feel robbed of anything and find it our responsibility to do our best to help her become the woman God wants her to be.  We want her to walk the journey God has for her, not the one society would write for her.  We want her to praise God for every single person and circumstance in her life, and even for those not in her life.  We want her to trust that God is indeed working all things together for her good, and we teach that best by modeling that on a daily basis.

Yes, I had always believed we would have more than one child.  Maybe we will at some point, I do not know.  What I do know is that I find incredible joy right where we are, in this time, in this place, with our only child.

Why Supplements?

For safe, effective supplements, go here. 

A Few Of My Favorite Things

Do not let the silence of this blog fool you. The lack of posting is not due to a lack of activity in my little world. There is quite a bit going on, which I will sum up in one word "preparation." We are in a season of being prepared which means there is also a great deal of growth**, and it is exciting. Vague? A bit, but for now, that is  all you get.

Yet, I do miss blogging and I miss interacting with other bloggers.  So for today, I give you, a few of my favorite things:

• I stumbled upon this blog the other day, written by former Biggest Loser contestant Austin Andrews.  Good stuff, check him out.
• Have you visited the Tip Junkie site?  Seriously, this gal has some incredible DIY ideas!  I made some of the body scrubs she has posted for my daughter's preschool teacher, and they were a hit.  Now, I should make some for myself.
• The women's shirts and tanks on this site had me doubled over laughing and smiling.  Genius.
• Fat Sick and Nearly Dead.  I was inspired, bought a juicer and have made one of his recipes.  I need to sit down and plan some more out.  It is rather fun my friends.
• CrossFit.  Do you dare?
• AdvoCare's Catalyst. It protects my muscles and helps them tone up.  
• Have you heard the song Alive by Natalie Grant?  You should, it will bless your socks right off.

**No, I am not hinting I am pregnant.  A friend at church asked me based on this post, so I want to clear that right up.  I do not keep those kinds of things to myself, I would be blabbing that news the second we found out!  The growth taking place is that of mental, emotional, and spiritual growth.  

 

WLW: Homemade Lara Bars

Topic: you are free to choose!

All of a sudden I am in a panic because there is no set topic. Hmmm, what to discuss?  I've got it!  I am going to take the easy way out and share a recipe, which is good.  Trust me, I made it just one hour ago, so I know this to be true.

Have you ever found yourself wanting to buy protein bars but opted out due to the price?  Well friends, let me tell you, I happened upon this site, and found a recipe for homemade Lara bars.  Can I get a "woo hoo" anyone?  I made the oatmeal raisin variety, and they were tasty!  Plus, a whole lot cheaper than any packaged bar I might buy.  Click here to see all the varieties, but for now, here's the oatmeal raisin bars.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. (160g) raisins
• 1/4 c. warm water
• 3/4 c. (60g) oatmeal (not quick-cook)
• 3/4 c. (90g) cashews
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• dash salt 

Directions:
Soak the dried fruit in warm water for 5-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, gather remaining ingredients and pour into a food processor.  Drain the fruit and add to the food processor.  Process for 30 – 60 seconds or until the mixture sticks together when pinched with your fingers.  Pour into a loaf pan and press firmly into bars with a spatula.  Chill for 10 minutes and then cut into 6 bars.  Store refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Enjoy.

No Exceptions

Forgiveness

Have you ever held onto bitterness? Has someone done something that you just could not let go of, could not shake, and at the very thought of the person, your stomach would turn? Have you ever maintained an unforgiving spirit, thinking you were "letting the other person have it"? Guess what. The only one left hurting was yor, or me rather. I know I have held onto bitterness, and unforgiveness while the other person carried on with life. In fact, it would seem they chose to skip and whistle as I sat trapped by the chains of my unforgiving spirit. Let's break free from those chains, release ourselves and one another, whether or not the other person even knows, and walk with a spirit of forgiveness.

 

Decisions 3-5

I made these little slides last week after reading "The Traveler's Gift," for the second or third time.  I have been posting them on facebook, and wanted to share them here as well.  Enjoy and be encouraged.

To learn more about Andy Andrews, click here. To order your own copy of the Traveler's Gift from Amazon, click here or from Andy's site, click here.

**No items were exchanged here, I am posting about this book and Andy Andrews because I enjoy them both very much.
 

Stonger

This should give you some perspective. Enjoy, and prepare to laugh and cry!

Wisdom and Attitude

I am currently reading through 9 different books, all aimed at increasing my knowledge and improving my circumstances, should I put the concepts I learn to use. Should I not implement these things into my daily life, all I have acquired is great knowledge. While that is fine and dandy, I would much prefer to gain wisdom and then act on it. This idea of attitude and how it can be a powerful factor in where we are has been all around me lately. Today, during a conversation with a friend, I found myself reiterating a point I heard Andy Andrews make, "Where we are today is a direct result of our best decisions." Every choice I have made has landed me in the very spot I now find myself. Whether it be good or bad, I am the reason I am where I am.

But what about God? Don't I believe in his sovereignty?  Yes, I do.  If I had chosen correctly, at many of life's choices, I would not be having to learn some lessons now.  If I had chosen to believe that God does in fact "work all things together for my good," I would have been consistently running victoriously through life rather than sitting motionless in the confines of my doubts. 

What good does complaining do?  None!  Not one bit of good!  In fact, complaining has me so focused on the negative aspects of life that I am only steering myself closer to the very things I claim I want to move away from.  Speaking the negative will begin a train of negative thoughts set on a course to wreck every goal I have written down.  It is a bit insane, don't you think?  Rather than complain and rehash a list of "I can't", "I don't", and "I won't" statements, I am learning to ask the right questions.  I am beginning to develop the habit of asking myself and others what I can do, what I will do, what I am capable of doing and what I am willing to do and how those things will move me closer to my goals. 

As I look at those around me, I also find myself presented with a choice.  Will I compare my situation to theirs, or will I recognize the success of others, learn from them, and be glad for them?  Let me be honest, unless each one of them sits down and shares their story with me, I do not know what scars they have from battles they have fought in order to stand in the place they now stand.  To compare myself to another not only robs me of my joy, but it also rips the reigns of control out of my hands.

I have chosen to marry the man I married, the place we live, how we raise our daughter (these are joint choices, but choices all the same), the work I do, the work I do not do, and the people I surround myself with.  If I am surrounding myself with those who speak positively and act on the wisdom they have sought, I will do likewise.  If I surround myself with the "woe is me" crowd, I will find myself wailing along with everyone else, going nowhere.

I am reading through these books, studying the lives of successful people around me, I am beginning to see the faulty thought patterns I prone to, the insane cycles I have chosen that have me moving in circles rather than closer to my goals.

There comes a point where we must either accept the place we are at, or decide to change.  I am choosing to change thought patterns, statements I make, and the people I listen to.  It is making a profound impact on me, on my family, and I am confident it is also affecting the course of our future.

 

Decide

As you go through life and as you intentionally improve your health, wealth, thinking, and grow your AdvoCare business:

And to encourage you that success may lie just around the corner, the one at which you wish to quit, allow me to introduce you to Arthur:

Teacher Appreciation Gifts

Every now and then I find something wonderful on Pinterest. The site has actually been quite helpful when it comes to gifts and recpies. Who knew there were so many wonderful things out there? I didn't, until recently.

This week is teacher appreciation week. In light of that, I wanted to do something for my daughter's preschool teacher that was not edible and yet had a personal touch. Lo and behold, I came across this site, and decided on two different scrubs to make for a woman who certainly deserves to be pampered.

First, my child and I made the lemon sugar scrub.  Yes, my child was helping me, which made it even more fun.  Here's the recipe for it.  I found a jar I liked, attached a scooper with a ribbon, and made a label to adhere to it.  This is the finished product, pretty isn't it?

I then found a citrus body scrub recipe and decided to do that one too.

What I like about both of these is that they are gifts that we were able to do ourselves for someone whom we have come to adore quite a bit. I rather enjoy making gifts for others which also allows me to involve my child. I hope the recipient enjoys these as much as we enjoyed making them. 

WLW: Goals

Topic: What are your goals right now? Do you have a short term goal you are trying to reach? Is it a certain weight you are trying to reach? Or are you pushing yourself to exercise a certain amount? Whatever your goal is I hope you share it with us. Then we can all cheer you on as you work towards that goal.

 I have a running list of goals, at all times. They are posted on our bathroom mirror so I am reminded of them each day. Part of my physical goals is getting to a certain weight, but more than that, I want to have a body fat percentage under 20% and want to feel healthier and stronger. A friend and I will be participating in a half marathon in December, so there's another goal to be worked toward.

As for my exercise, CrossFit is taking care of that, although I definitely have some goals to increase the amount of weight I use for some exercises. It truly has amazed me how much my strength has been affected since the car wreck and surgery. Many days I am feel like I am having to start from square one, which has me reminding myself to be thankful I am able to exercise again.

While I am not sure it constitutes a goal as much as it is something I plan on doing, I will be juicing more often.  Hopefully, I will have more success than I did on Tuesday.

Having goals, attainable ones, written down is an effective method to actually achieving them.  There is power in writing them down, it is like a contract with ourselves of what we will achieve.

Juicing

I perused Joe Cross' site the other day as we are awaiting his documentary to arrive in our mailbox via Netflix. I came across his Mean Green Juice recipe and decided it would be my lunch today.

The ingredients, minus the carrots. I pulled them out, but they are not in the recipe.

Using the blender since we do not have a juicer:

What it looked like in the glass. If you are thinking, "That does not look at all good," you would be very correct.

My solution:

We will see what happens tomorrow when I put this juicer to work.   Although, I do not think it could be worse than today's not not at all drinkable concoction.

A Lesson In Giving

While attending a Bible study last year, my daughter brought home a tithe bank. Using what is typically used for soup to go at a local restaurant, this handy little bowl was crafted into a lovely little piggy bank. In it, she told me, was "money for God." Anytime she received money, some would be deposited into her piggy bank, and some into the box of God's money. We only prompted her to place money in there when she first received the tithing bank, but ever since then, she has done so on her own accord.

 My aunt sent her some money, and as she saw it in the card and exclaimed, "I got some dollars!" She then said, "Let's put some in my bank and some in the box for God."

Every now and then we received questions from her asking what God would do with the money. We, in trying to keep things simple, told her He would use it to help others, and that we could trust Him to take really good care of it and use it well.

 Today, with the bowl nearly overflowing, she said, "We need to take this money to church and give it to God today." We transferred the money into a sandwich bag and as she walked into her Sunday school class, she held it out to her teacher and promptly stated, "This is for God." As soon as the teacher took the bag, she was off to play with the other kids. The teacher was smiling and laughing, and we did the same.

What a great little teacher my child is. She was told that the money collected in that container was for God, and that is exactly what it has been. She easily deposited more coins in there than her own piggy bank, and I have had a front row seat to every moment. Granted, she does not have bills to pay, she does not know what purchasing power is, but at this early age, she knows the importance of setting some of the money aside for God. She knows He will do something with it, something good. She handed it over freely, never once did she recount or try to slip some of the coins out and into her own piggy bank. She gave it, happily.

As we walked away from her Sunday school room I found myself praying, "Father, may she always be a joyful giver, and may I become one as well."

No, it is no wonder that Jesus said, "“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

A Lightbulb Moment

As part of a 90 Day Personal Growth Challenge set forth by one of AdvoCare's Diamond Distributors, I have been reading this book:

It is short, easy to read, and yet I find myself having one lightbulb moment after another. Last night, as I was completing the book distinction number one caught my attention: "Millionaires ask themselves empowering questions. Middle-class people ask themselves disempowering questions."  For example, a millionaire would ask, "How can I make $1 million a year doing what I love?"  The middle class, however, would ask, "How can I get my boss to give me a raise?"  Smith explains that empowering questions ask what you can do and disempowering questions ask what you can't do (page 102).

I paused and began thinking of the questions that tend to float across my own mind.  So many of the questions I ask are disempowering.  No wonder there is a flood of negative conversations happening in my brain on any given day!  I have been asking the wrong questions!

For some of you, this may be second nature, and I congratulate you on that one.  For me?  This was a lightbulb moment like none other.  I am a big proponent of self improvement and of continually learning and growing about one's self, others, and how to improve one's life.  While I have gained a great deal of knowledge and even begun applying these things, I realized it is the negative self talk that has been keeping me a step or two behind where I want to be.

What did I do?  I began rewording common questions I ask myself.  I went through my list, and changed them from disempowering to empowering questions.  Friends, I have a ways to go still, but my outlook on these things is changing.  I do not feel burdened and overwhelmed, but excited and ready.  What a difference perspective makes!  I challenge you, today, to begin asking yourselves questions that are empowering.  No more wailing and gnashing of teeth, it's time we step forward with strength and determination to achieve those things God has instilled within us.  Dream big, write it down, ask the right questions, and go for it.

If any of you are interested, here is the suggested book list we were given:  
Start off your journey by taking the test in the Strength Based Leadership book. After you take the test you can start your first book!
1. The top 10 distinctions between the millionaires and the middle class by Keith Cameron Smith
2. Rich dad poor dad by Robert Kiyosaki
3. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell
4. Everyone communicates few connect by John Maxwell
5. The travelers gift by Andy Andrews
6. The greatest salesman in the world by Og Mandino
7. The 17 indisputable Laws of Teamwork by John Maxwell
8. The butterfly effect by Andy Andrews

WFW John 14:2-8

John 14:2-8 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

I imagine, when we arrive at the heavenly table, the settings will be elaborate intricately designed. There will be special touches at each place, specific to the one designated to sit there. We will know that this place has been prepared for us, especially for us. With great care and attention to detail, we will feast together with our heavenly King. Better than any earthly table, more beautiful than the greatest piece of art. Breathtakingly beautiful. We will be welcomed, each one, as the prized and honored guest. Each one, called and welcomed and adored. We each will find our place, fitting perfectly within Heaven's woven tapestries. And we will know, we are home, in our Father's house.

To enjoy more Word Filled Wednesday posts click here..

WLW: Motivation

This week's topic: Motivation. What keeps you going when you want to give up? Is it a phrase, or a scripture, or a person, or a thing? What is that one thing that motivates you to keep working towards your goal? I hope you'll join us. You never know…your motivation may help inspire someone else to keep going.

I have long had a problem with the statement, "I need motivation." Honestly, that one comment makes the hairs on my neck stand straight up. According to dictionary.com, motivation is: "the act or an instance of motivating, or providing with a reason to act in a certain way." With that being said, our motivation is really our WHY. Why do we choose healthy over unhealthy foods? Why do we choose exercise over inactivity?

The answer will vary for each of us. I know all too many women whose sole motivation is a certain size of pants or a number on a scale. While I understand these, I honestly wish more people had health in mind as their reason. Overall, good health, that should be our goal. As a result, yes, the number on the scale will be a healthy number and we will wear our clothes confidently and comfortably.

As a mom, I also find being a role model for my daughter to be an answer to my why. I want her to learn and see healthy behaviors throughout her life. Am I perfect? No. But, she sees me eating nutritiously the vast majority of the time and knows I exercise daily.

Am I at my goal weight/size? No, I am not. Post surgery and post so many things, I am still working on regaining strength and endurance. I am also revisiting this book to try to better plan my eating and caloric needs.  What I do find myself doing each day is reminding myself of what my body has accomplished and what it accomplishes each day.  There are screws and plates in one ankle and my neck, a scar spreads across my lower abdomen from when my child was brought into this world, and there are many bumps and bruises along the way.  A full marathon, a half marathon, crazy workouts, being a wife and mother, and friend, and more.  I am here, I am still moving forward.  I have more to accomplish.  That is all the motivation I need.