Yay! Such a good day!!! My best day on the Daniel Plan yet! :)
Breakfast - blueberry Greek yogurt, granola, and mixed berries and breakfast sausage
Lunch - homemade chicken and noodles and mixed veggies
Snack - cheese and flax seed crackers and trail mix
Dinner - chicken, cauliflower, and corn with my last sweet tea of the week
And I drank my 64 ounces of water too! :)
After "blowing" it yesterday, it sure feels nice to do well. I have had a headache all afternoon and evening though ... not sure why. But it was a good day of eating and starting my new schedule. I didn't "work out" today ... but really, I did! I did yard work at The Porch for 5 hours today! Whhhoooaa! I am pooped! Darrell did lots of movement today too, so we're both wiped and heading for bed as soon as I finish this blog post. But before I end, I wanted to share a quick thought from my Daniel Plan journal. The journal gives Scripture and devotional blurbs for each day, and today's blurb was about the friends essential. It talked about finding friends to walk the Daniel Plan journey with you ... friends who are safe and who accept you unconditionally. Thankfully, I have a good group of friends and family who love me and support me so well, but when I think of someone who accepts me unconditionally, as well as cheers me on with my Daniel Plan all the time, I think of my mother-in-law, Jan. She is such an incredibly godly woman, and she is the perfect example of strength and support with just the right amount of encouragement (lots!) and NO condemnation. I am so thankful for her, and I love how our friendship blossoms more and more over time. If you are doing the Daniel Plan, or any other healthy eating/life plan, you need a buddy! A good one ... like my mom-in-law!
Sleep well, everyone! And wake up excited that God's mercies are new tomorrow morning ... and everyday for that matter! GREAT is His FAITHFULNESS! :)
Monday, June 2, 2014
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Journey with Jesus Day 4
"My God will supply every need of your according to His riches in glory ..."
"With confidence, draw near to the throne of grace, that you may receive mercy and find grace to help you in your time of need."
Philippians 4:19 and Hebrews 4:16 ... sounds good to me!
God gives us EVERYTHING we need, and because of Jesus' shed blood, we can draw near to God ... be in His presence ... always and in confidence that He will hear us and answer us. And ya know? I think God knows that I NEED to get healthy. I NEED to be physically and emotionally and relationally and perspectively (yep, I just made that a word!), and, especially, spiritually healthy in order to honor God with my life. And so, right here, in my Jesus Calling devos today ... God promises to take care of my NEEDS ... I just need to press into Him to receive that grace and mercy to continue with my Daniel Plan for these 40 days and for every day for the rest of my life. ... Yep. That sounds good to me! :)
Today wasn't too good in the food department. Sundays are rough. I kind of think of them as my "day off from life." Haha! Sundays are my favorite day of the week. I love going to church, and I love spending time with my SoZo-ers. I love naps, and I love going out to eat with my family. All of these are consistent Sunday doings. Our food schedule is usually thrown off on Sundays 'cause we always go out to eat (and not usually to healthy places ... it's our day off from life after all ;)), and we don't eat dinner until after SoZo, which is late. So ... I know most of these are excuses. But I'm just letting you know what we go through on Sundays. So hopefully over time, we will make better and better choices for our Sundays.
So here's what I ate ... just know it's gonna be bad ahead of time. ;)
Breakfast - Mojo granola bar, cheese stick, and mixed berries ... not too bad :)
Lunch - Mexican - yum!
Dinner - pizza, chips, veggies with dip, and soda
Dessert - bowl of ice cream
Snack - popcorn and pickles
64 ounces of water ... that's good, right? ;)
Tomorrow begins my summer job at The Porch! And it's a great day to try again with my eating, fitness, focus, relationships, and walk with the Lord. What are YOU starting again tomorrow??? :)
"With confidence, draw near to the throne of grace, that you may receive mercy and find grace to help you in your time of need."
Philippians 4:19 and Hebrews 4:16 ... sounds good to me!
God gives us EVERYTHING we need, and because of Jesus' shed blood, we can draw near to God ... be in His presence ... always and in confidence that He will hear us and answer us. And ya know? I think God knows that I NEED to get healthy. I NEED to be physically and emotionally and relationally and perspectively (yep, I just made that a word!), and, especially, spiritually healthy in order to honor God with my life. And so, right here, in my Jesus Calling devos today ... God promises to take care of my NEEDS ... I just need to press into Him to receive that grace and mercy to continue with my Daniel Plan for these 40 days and for every day for the rest of my life. ... Yep. That sounds good to me! :)
Today wasn't too good in the food department. Sundays are rough. I kind of think of them as my "day off from life." Haha! Sundays are my favorite day of the week. I love going to church, and I love spending time with my SoZo-ers. I love naps, and I love going out to eat with my family. All of these are consistent Sunday doings. Our food schedule is usually thrown off on Sundays 'cause we always go out to eat (and not usually to healthy places ... it's our day off from life after all ;)), and we don't eat dinner until after SoZo, which is late. So ... I know most of these are excuses. But I'm just letting you know what we go through on Sundays. So hopefully over time, we will make better and better choices for our Sundays.
So here's what I ate ... just know it's gonna be bad ahead of time. ;)
Breakfast - Mojo granola bar, cheese stick, and mixed berries ... not too bad :)
Lunch - Mexican - yum!
Dinner - pizza, chips, veggies with dip, and soda
Dessert - bowl of ice cream
Snack - popcorn and pickles
64 ounces of water ... that's good, right? ;)
Tomorrow begins my summer job at The Porch! And it's a great day to try again with my eating, fitness, focus, relationships, and walk with the Lord. What are YOU starting again tomorrow??? :)
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Journey with Jesus Day 3
So I didn't do as well today, but overall, the day was still a good one! I realized today that my body is getting used to healthier foods. It's hard for me to believe that 'cause I was so opposed to eating healthy in the beginning. But today, I slept in until noon (and it was marvelous!), so when I finally got my lazy butt out of bed, I didn't want to spend a ton of time cooking anything. So I made myself a grilled cheese and popcorn and some sweet tea. This used to be one of my all-time favorite meals. But today? I didn't finish any of it. It wasn't as yummy as I remember it. And I didn't feel as good or as satisfied after eating it. I kinda "blew it" by taking the easy way out, but I also gained from it because I realized those easy carbs are not as yummy as I used to think. I was way more satisfied after dinner when I had chicken and rice noodles and broccoli and green beans. Whole foods really are better than junk foods, and I'm excited that my body is finally learning that ... which makes me happy, happy, happy! It's still a process for sure ... heck! We went to Frost Bite for ice cream after dinner! But I'm excited to see the progress my body is making. Slow and steady wins the race, Jack! ;) (Hey! Can you tell I've been watching Duck Dynasty lately?)
Breakfast - ha! I skipped that again 'cause I didn't get outta bed till lunch time! Gotta love Saturdays! :)
Lunch - 3/4 of a grilled cheese sandwich, bowl of popcorn, and sweet tea
Snack - fresh strawberries (straight from the garden - yum!), cheese stick, flax seed crackers, and broccoli
Dinner - homemade chicken and rice noodles (delicious, if I do say so myself!), broccoli, and green beans
Dessert - small Frost (blizzard)
64 ounces of water :)
Darrell and I also went for a walk in the park for almost an hour! Yay! It was wonderful to walk with my man. :)
Life is sweet ... and so is getting healthy! Good night, friends! :)
Breakfast - ha! I skipped that again 'cause I didn't get outta bed till lunch time! Gotta love Saturdays! :)
Lunch - 3/4 of a grilled cheese sandwich, bowl of popcorn, and sweet tea
Snack - fresh strawberries (straight from the garden - yum!), cheese stick, flax seed crackers, and broccoli
Dinner - homemade chicken and rice noodles (delicious, if I do say so myself!), broccoli, and green beans
Dessert - small Frost (blizzard)
64 ounces of water :)
Darrell and I also went for a walk in the park for almost an hour! Yay! It was wonderful to walk with my man. :)
Life is sweet ... and so is getting healthy! Good night, friends! :)
Journey with Jesus Day 2
Today was another success ... still a few setbacks but still successful! I did have too much sugar again today. My snacks were sugary. It "sounds" healthy to have a yogurt parfait or a granola bar or trail mix ... at least it sounds healthy to me. But really, all of those things have tons of sugar in them! It stinks. Every time I think I'm making a healthier choice, I find out it's really unhealthy for me. Lame. I hope it's at least healthier than the big bag of potato chips or the dozen cookies I really wanna eat. Haha! ... I try not to get too discouraged though. I AM making better choices overall, and lasting change is a PROCESS! I am not a cold turkey kind of person .... I have to be eased into things. So I'll cut the sugar out a little at a time. I definitely count today as a good day! :)
Breakfast - uhh, I kinda slept through that. Haha! I had the day off work. :)
Lunch - 3/4 of a bean burrito and mixed veggies
Snack - 2/3 cup of berry yogurt with granola and mixed berries
Dinner - PB&J, broccoli, cheese stick, and dill pickles
Snack - cheese stick, apple, granola bar, and trail mix (I had an early dinner ...)
And I drank 64+ ounces of water again! :)
I also worked out a lot today ... 30 minutes of swimming at L.A. Fitness and a 40-minute walk in the park. Yay! :)
My Jesus Calling was all about thankfulness today. "Punctuating" my day with thankfulness. Sounds like a plan, huh? What are YOU thankful for today? ... I am thankful for my loving and supportive family. And I am thankful that they are all safe. I was thinking tonight about how thankful I am that Darrell and I are living with my parents because life is so short, and I get to see my parents everyday now. What a blessing!
Onward! :)
Breakfast - uhh, I kinda slept through that. Haha! I had the day off work. :)
Lunch - 3/4 of a bean burrito and mixed veggies
Snack - 2/3 cup of berry yogurt with granola and mixed berries
Dinner - PB&J, broccoli, cheese stick, and dill pickles
Snack - cheese stick, apple, granola bar, and trail mix (I had an early dinner ...)
And I drank 64+ ounces of water again! :)
I also worked out a lot today ... 30 minutes of swimming at L.A. Fitness and a 40-minute walk in the park. Yay! :)
My Jesus Calling was all about thankfulness today. "Punctuating" my day with thankfulness. Sounds like a plan, huh? What are YOU thankful for today? ... I am thankful for my loving and supportive family. And I am thankful that they are all safe. I was thinking tonight about how thankful I am that Darrell and I are living with my parents because life is so short, and I get to see my parents everyday now. What a blessing!
Onward! :)
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Journey with Jesus Day 1
Well, today was a success! I feel good about almost all of my choices. I learned that too much sugar gives me headaches. God is already teaching me so much about His grace and faithfulness. And I'm excited to keep going! Here's my day in a nutshell ...
Breakfast - apple, cheese stick, and Mojo granola bar
Lunch - brown rice, great northern beans, and broccoli-cheese soup
Snack - cheese and flax seed crackers
Dinner - turkey burger, fries, and broccoli with my first sweet tea of the week
And 64+ ounces of water! Go, me! :)
I felt good about all of these choices except ... I drank two big glasses of sweet tea, and I got a headache (I'm confident it was from the sugar). And although I skipped the bun for both burgers, I had a second turkey burger and a second helping of broccoli, and, thus, I overate. I made excuses that a turkey burger is a lean meat, and I told myself that broccoli is good for me. Although true ... I still should not have overeaten. BUT! Even with these minor setbacks, I consider today very successful!
I also worked out on the elliptical for 30 minutes and walked on the treadmill for 15 minutes and stretched for 5 minutes.
And here are a few things from my Jesus Calling devotional tonight that I thought were fitting for my first day back on the Daniel Plan ...
From the Jesus Calling blurb ... "Instead of bemoaning the loss of your comfort, accept the challenge of something new." .... Perfect! I'm "comfortable" with eating carbs upon carbs and sugar upon sugar and eating anything I want whenever I want, never thinking about the consequences. Four months ago when I started the Daniel Plan for the first time, I definitely "beMOANed" the loss of these comforts, but now, I am accepting the (well-worth-it) CHALLENGE of something new ... a new way of life that will change me for the better and for the forever! :) Love it!
And! Also from the Scripture that went along with my Jesus Calling blurb ... 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) - "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." ... The context of this verse is about being transformed by the glory of the Lord, but I think it's okay to say that God will be GLORIFIED when I am TRANSFORMED into His IMAGE the way He truly made me to be ... honoring my temple ... ALL of my temple - body, mind, spirit, and soul! Pretty cool, huh? :)
I'm looking forward to continuing on tomorrow! Good night, y'all! :)
Breakfast - apple, cheese stick, and Mojo granola bar
Lunch - brown rice, great northern beans, and broccoli-cheese soup
Snack - cheese and flax seed crackers
Dinner - turkey burger, fries, and broccoli with my first sweet tea of the week
And 64+ ounces of water! Go, me! :)
I felt good about all of these choices except ... I drank two big glasses of sweet tea, and I got a headache (I'm confident it was from the sugar). And although I skipped the bun for both burgers, I had a second turkey burger and a second helping of broccoli, and, thus, I overate. I made excuses that a turkey burger is a lean meat, and I told myself that broccoli is good for me. Although true ... I still should not have overeaten. BUT! Even with these minor setbacks, I consider today very successful!
I also worked out on the elliptical for 30 minutes and walked on the treadmill for 15 minutes and stretched for 5 minutes.
And here are a few things from my Jesus Calling devotional tonight that I thought were fitting for my first day back on the Daniel Plan ...
From the Jesus Calling blurb ... "Instead of bemoaning the loss of your comfort, accept the challenge of something new." .... Perfect! I'm "comfortable" with eating carbs upon carbs and sugar upon sugar and eating anything I want whenever I want, never thinking about the consequences. Four months ago when I started the Daniel Plan for the first time, I definitely "beMOANed" the loss of these comforts, but now, I am accepting the (well-worth-it) CHALLENGE of something new ... a new way of life that will change me for the better and for the forever! :) Love it!
And! Also from the Scripture that went along with my Jesus Calling blurb ... 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) - "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." ... The context of this verse is about being transformed by the glory of the Lord, but I think it's okay to say that God will be GLORIFIED when I am TRANSFORMED into His IMAGE the way He truly made me to be ... honoring my temple ... ALL of my temple - body, mind, spirit, and soul! Pretty cool, huh? :)
I'm looking forward to continuing on tomorrow! Good night, y'all! :)
A Journey with Jesus
I'm going on a journey! I've sorta been on it over the past few months ... but only half-heartedly. On February 3rd, my husband, Darrell, and I started something called The Daniel Plan. If you haven't heard about it, it's a lifestyle change plan (not a diet!) that incorporates faith, food, fitness, friends, and focus. It is a plan to change the way you take care of your body, your mind, your relationships, and your soul. You work on each of these areas A LITTLE AT A TIME to produce LASTING change that you can carry with you the rest of your life. Those are the things I like about this plan the most ... you go at your own pace to make changes (for me a [very] little at a time!), and you hit every area of your life, not just food, so that your purpose is more intentional and motivational. ... Well, I was super resistant when we started back in February. I was in denial. I was lazy. And although I've had a little success ... I've lost five pounds; I feel better; I'm exercising regularly; and I've cut out A LOT of junk food, and I eat more veggies ... okay, so I guess I've had more than a little success. ;) Haha! BUT! I will say that I can do more. I can feel the power within me to make REAL, LASTING changes that I can be EXCITED ABOUT. And finally ... I WANT TO, and I see that I really need to. ... Hallelujah! :)
I'm going on a journey with Jesus! A journey to deeper faith, better food choices, more physical activity, more intentional relationships, and a thankful heart and an eternal perspective. The Daniel Plan is all about setting goals, so I'm gonna set a goal or two for each "F" essential I mentioned earlier. And I'm writing them here so that I will remember them, be able to refer back to them regularly, and commit them to completion.
My goals for 40 days (and beyond!) ...
FAITH - Whether I do other Bible studies and other reading or not, I will read one page in my Jesus Calling book and look up the Scriptures, and I will journal a one-page prayer each day.
FOOD - I will follow the Daniel Plan plate more closely than I have over the past four months, and I will limit my sugar intake by only allowing myself two desserts and three sweet teas a week.
FITNESS - I will do a cardio workout at least four times each week.
FRIENDS - I will share my health progress with my "health buddies" and encourage them with their progress at least once a week. I will pray for my friends at least once a week.
FOCUS - I will practice thankfulness each day. I will write in my Daniel Plan journal and write a blog post about my success each day.
Ready or ... yeah, I'm ready! Here I go! :)
I'm going on a journey with Jesus! A journey to deeper faith, better food choices, more physical activity, more intentional relationships, and a thankful heart and an eternal perspective. The Daniel Plan is all about setting goals, so I'm gonna set a goal or two for each "F" essential I mentioned earlier. And I'm writing them here so that I will remember them, be able to refer back to them regularly, and commit them to completion.
My goals for 40 days (and beyond!) ...
FAITH - Whether I do other Bible studies and other reading or not, I will read one page in my Jesus Calling book and look up the Scriptures, and I will journal a one-page prayer each day.
FOOD - I will follow the Daniel Plan plate more closely than I have over the past four months, and I will limit my sugar intake by only allowing myself two desserts and three sweet teas a week.
FITNESS - I will do a cardio workout at least four times each week.
FRIENDS - I will share my health progress with my "health buddies" and encourage them with their progress at least once a week. I will pray for my friends at least once a week.
FOCUS - I will practice thankfulness each day. I will write in my Daniel Plan journal and write a blog post about my success each day.
Ready or ... yeah, I'm ready! Here I go! :)
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Currently (May 2014) ... stolen from Hannah :)
Currently, I am ...
FEELING ... restless. Discontent. Guilty. Thankful. Ha! Yeah, that last one doesn't fit, does it? I have been learning so much about thankfulness over the course of this last year. My Bible study leaders, Rick and Patti Ehrhardt, have contributed to that quite a bit ... and then, of course, the Holy Spirit. He is so faithful to work in my life, even when I'm not faithful to Him. I've grown a lot in thankfulness, and I continue to strive to possess a thankful heart each and every day. But over the past several weeks, I have been struggling. ... I'm tired of my job - I have so much downtime. I've gotten lots of good reading done, but I don't know how much more I can read! And I'm a productive person, and having tons of downtime each day really wears on me. So I've just lost sight of thankfulness concerning my job. And a lot of my friends are having babies. And I've caught the baby fever! God could give us a baby any time. But so far, no luck. So I struggle to be content with the waiting. I'm just ready for a new adventure ... what better adventure than being a MOM!
READING ... my Bible ... 1 Samuel to be more specific ... Jesus Calling by Sarah Young ... and Better Off Without Jesus by Chuck Bomar. I finally got my reading list down to three books! Haha! I was reading about 4 other books ... The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers, The Daniel Plan, Grace for the Good Girl by Emily Freeman, and Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst ... and it was crazy trying to read so many books at one time! Sooo many good books though!
THINKING ... "what a long day!" I'm a job coach for a high school in my area, and with it being the last three days of school, we're not taking the kids out to their jobs in the community ... therefore, I have no job. I'll probably read a few tests to kids in the Resource room later, but for now ... I've got nothin'! Nothing to do. And I would keep busy if I could ... but there's nothing for me to do. Aide positions are fairly specific. So why not blog? ;)
PLANNING ... to try again with The Daniel Plan. Darrell never used his Daniel Plan journal, so I'm gonna try another 40 days of healthy eating, exercising, perspective, relationships, and faith. (Those are the goals of the Daniel Plan, by the way!) I'm hoping it will kick-start me to healthier living. The first time went alright ... but this time is gonna be even better!
DREAMING ... of becoming a MOM. :) My husband and I have been off birth control for about 2 months ... so I'm hoping to be a mama sometime in the near future. I think about it a lot ... I try to be thankful for where I am and be patient for when God wants a baby for us. Overall, I think I'm pretty good about the wait ... but some days (especially when I see Ivy and Belle ... or hear about Tiffany's baby Gillian on the way), I struggle a bit. But all in God's time ... He's got it! :)
SETTING GOALS ... to lose some weight and get healthy physically ... but also spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. I wanna be physically healthy to take care of my family (which will hopefully be growing soon!) and have the energy to love and serve the people around me. I wanna be spiritually healthy so that I can honor Jesus and love and serve the people around me. I wanna be emotionally healthy so that I can overcome my failure issues, learn to give myself grace, respond to circumstances with an eternal perspective, and so that I can love and serve the people around me. And I wanna be relationally healthy so that I can grow as an encourager and love and serve the people around me.
EATING ... mostly whole foods, more veggies, and less sugar. I still mess up quite a bit, but I am doing better than I was 6 months ago ... and imperfect progress is still progress. :)
TRYING ... to be more thankful and let go of the try-hard life.
EXCITED ... to have a change of pace and scenery for my job this summer. I'll be working for my mom, helping her get The Porch ready to reopen later this summer. No job coaching again until August.
LAUGHING ... at my husband. He makes up languages, tickles me, hugs me and then goes dead weight and pretends to snore loudly in my ear, cracks jokes and acts crazy all the time but especially when I'm having a downer day. He's just a huge goofball, and I love him!
FEELING ... restless. Discontent. Guilty. Thankful. Ha! Yeah, that last one doesn't fit, does it? I have been learning so much about thankfulness over the course of this last year. My Bible study leaders, Rick and Patti Ehrhardt, have contributed to that quite a bit ... and then, of course, the Holy Spirit. He is so faithful to work in my life, even when I'm not faithful to Him. I've grown a lot in thankfulness, and I continue to strive to possess a thankful heart each and every day. But over the past several weeks, I have been struggling. ... I'm tired of my job - I have so much downtime. I've gotten lots of good reading done, but I don't know how much more I can read! And I'm a productive person, and having tons of downtime each day really wears on me. So I've just lost sight of thankfulness concerning my job. And a lot of my friends are having babies. And I've caught the baby fever! God could give us a baby any time. But so far, no luck. So I struggle to be content with the waiting. I'm just ready for a new adventure ... what better adventure than being a MOM!
READING ... my Bible ... 1 Samuel to be more specific ... Jesus Calling by Sarah Young ... and Better Off Without Jesus by Chuck Bomar. I finally got my reading list down to three books! Haha! I was reading about 4 other books ... The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers, The Daniel Plan, Grace for the Good Girl by Emily Freeman, and Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst ... and it was crazy trying to read so many books at one time! Sooo many good books though!
THINKING ... "what a long day!" I'm a job coach for a high school in my area, and with it being the last three days of school, we're not taking the kids out to their jobs in the community ... therefore, I have no job. I'll probably read a few tests to kids in the Resource room later, but for now ... I've got nothin'! Nothing to do. And I would keep busy if I could ... but there's nothing for me to do. Aide positions are fairly specific. So why not blog? ;)
PLANNING ... to try again with The Daniel Plan. Darrell never used his Daniel Plan journal, so I'm gonna try another 40 days of healthy eating, exercising, perspective, relationships, and faith. (Those are the goals of the Daniel Plan, by the way!) I'm hoping it will kick-start me to healthier living. The first time went alright ... but this time is gonna be even better!
DREAMING ... of becoming a MOM. :) My husband and I have been off birth control for about 2 months ... so I'm hoping to be a mama sometime in the near future. I think about it a lot ... I try to be thankful for where I am and be patient for when God wants a baby for us. Overall, I think I'm pretty good about the wait ... but some days (especially when I see Ivy and Belle ... or hear about Tiffany's baby Gillian on the way), I struggle a bit. But all in God's time ... He's got it! :)
SETTING GOALS ... to lose some weight and get healthy physically ... but also spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. I wanna be physically healthy to take care of my family (which will hopefully be growing soon!) and have the energy to love and serve the people around me. I wanna be spiritually healthy so that I can honor Jesus and love and serve the people around me. I wanna be emotionally healthy so that I can overcome my failure issues, learn to give myself grace, respond to circumstances with an eternal perspective, and so that I can love and serve the people around me. And I wanna be relationally healthy so that I can grow as an encourager and love and serve the people around me.
EATING ... mostly whole foods, more veggies, and less sugar. I still mess up quite a bit, but I am doing better than I was 6 months ago ... and imperfect progress is still progress. :)
TRYING ... to be more thankful and let go of the try-hard life.
EXCITED ... to have a change of pace and scenery for my job this summer. I'll be working for my mom, helping her get The Porch ready to reopen later this summer. No job coaching again until August.
LAUGHING ... at my husband. He makes up languages, tickles me, hugs me and then goes dead weight and pretends to snore loudly in my ear, cracks jokes and acts crazy all the time but especially when I'm having a downer day. He's just a huge goofball, and I love him!
Monday, May 26, 2014
SoZo Devotionals: 1 Samuel
I started reading through the book of 1 Samuel recently ... so what better place to get our devotionals this week than what I'm reading in my own personal devotions? :) Hope you can get some good stuff out of this week's devos ... well, of course you will! It's GOD'S Word you're reading! Soak it up! Sit and think about it. Grow! And have a wonderful week!
Monday, May 26th - Read 1 Samuel 1
I think Hannah is such a cool lady! She had so much faith! As I read this chapter, I was able to learn a few things about Hannah that I can think about in my own life. Read about Hannah in this chapter, and then write down the things you find about her character. Do YOU carry the same character qualities in your life?
Tuesday, May 27th - Read 1 Samuel 2
Again, I found more character qualities in Hannah. Can you find 'em? And then think about it ... do you exhibit those same qualities? How can YOU grow in your character today?
Wednesday, May 28th - Read 1 Samuel 3
Samuel was READY to follow the Lord and do as He commanded. Think about YOUR life. Are YOU ready to follow the Lord? Do YOU strive to do all that He has called you to do? If not, what can you do to change that?
Thursday, May 29th - Read 1 Samuel 7:3-4
If we are following the Lord, why is it to important to "put away" (get rid of!) the gods (or idols) in our lives? What is an idol? Do YOU have idols in your life? How can you get rid of them and follow after the Lord? How can you "direct your heart to the Lord and serve Him only" as it says in verse 3?
Friday, May 30th - Read 1 Samuel 12:14-15
Verse 14 - What happens when we fear and obey the Lord?
Verse 15 - What happens when we rebel against the Lord?
HOW do YOU fear and obey the Lord in your daily life?
HOW do YOU rebel against the Lord in your daily life?
What changes do you need to make to honor the Lord?
Saturday, May 31st - 1 Samuel 13:8-15
What can you learn from Saul's life?
What happened when Saul didn't trust God and went His own way?
What happens when we don't trust God and walk our own way?
Don't forget to spend some time talking with Jesus this week. He loves to hear from you ... He seeks your worship ... and He wants to answer your prayers and lift your burdens. :)
Monday, May 26th - Read 1 Samuel 1
I think Hannah is such a cool lady! She had so much faith! As I read this chapter, I was able to learn a few things about Hannah that I can think about in my own life. Read about Hannah in this chapter, and then write down the things you find about her character. Do YOU carry the same character qualities in your life?
Tuesday, May 27th - Read 1 Samuel 2
Again, I found more character qualities in Hannah. Can you find 'em? And then think about it ... do you exhibit those same qualities? How can YOU grow in your character today?
Wednesday, May 28th - Read 1 Samuel 3
Samuel was READY to follow the Lord and do as He commanded. Think about YOUR life. Are YOU ready to follow the Lord? Do YOU strive to do all that He has called you to do? If not, what can you do to change that?
Thursday, May 29th - Read 1 Samuel 7:3-4
If we are following the Lord, why is it to important to "put away" (get rid of!) the gods (or idols) in our lives? What is an idol? Do YOU have idols in your life? How can you get rid of them and follow after the Lord? How can you "direct your heart to the Lord and serve Him only" as it says in verse 3?
Friday, May 30th - Read 1 Samuel 12:14-15
Verse 14 - What happens when we fear and obey the Lord?
Verse 15 - What happens when we rebel against the Lord?
HOW do YOU fear and obey the Lord in your daily life?
HOW do YOU rebel against the Lord in your daily life?
What changes do you need to make to honor the Lord?
Saturday, May 31st - 1 Samuel 13:8-15
What can you learn from Saul's life?
What happened when Saul didn't trust God and went His own way?
What happens when we don't trust God and walk our own way?
Don't forget to spend some time talking with Jesus this week. He loves to hear from you ... He seeks your worship ... and He wants to answer your prayers and lift your burdens. :)
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
SoZo Devos: Godly Counsel
Hey, everybody!
So sorry for slacking off the past month! I have no good excuse for not posting our weekly devotionals, so I hope you'll forgive me and pick back up where we left off. Here are a handful of devos to use over the next week and a half ... we're gonna talk about Godly counsel. Enjoy. Dig deep. Grow. :)
Devo #1 - Read Proverbs 12:15, Proverbs 11:14, and Proverbs 15:22
What/who are counselors ... or advisers?
What kinds of counselors/advisers should we listen to?
How can having many advisers be dangerous to your spiritual health?
Who are some of the Godly counselors in your life?
Who is our Ultimate Counselor?
Devo #2 - Read Jeremiah 7:23-26
What happens when we obey the voice of the Lord?
In verse 24, what do you think it means when it says, "they went backward and not forward?"
In what ways do you go backward in your life?
How can you obey God today?
Devo #3 - Read Psalm 81:10-14
What happens when we receive God's counsel and obey it?
What does it mean for God to "give them over to their stubborn hearts"?
How has your heart been stubborn lately?
What does it look like to "walk in God's ways" (v. 13)?
How can you walk in God's ways today?
Devo #4 - Read 2 Timothy 3:1-5
What a list, right?!
Read through that list again, and write down any of these characteristics that describe you. I know it may get ugly, but don't be afraid. Admitting sin is the first step to giving it over to the Lord.
Think of the people you receive advice from or just hang out with ... do those people possess any of these characteristics?
At the end of verse 5, Timothy tells us to avoid people with these ungodly characteristics. How come?
Devo #5 - Read Ephesians 2:1-7
How do we "follow the course of the world"? (v. 2)
What are the "passions of our flesh"? (v. 3)
What did God's great love and mercy save us from?
How can you live for Jesus today as a way to say thank you for His great love and mercy in our lives?
Devo #6 - Read Titus 2:11-14
Define the following phrases by writing them in your own words ... ungodliness; worldly passions; self-controlled lives; upright; godly lives.
Why is it wise to "renounce ungodliness and worldly passions"?
How can being "zealous for good works" be wise?
What are you passionate about? How can you glorify God in those things?
Most recent prayer requests from our group ....
Kristy - her softball coach (Coach Rogers)'s dad is very sick and not doing well; finals for school this week
Olivia - Saya is having back problems ... possible surgery, and Saya lost her job at Casey's; also, Olivia's friend, Courtney ... her dad has cancer
Eric - Angie's sanity for the last two weeks of school ... pray she doesn't kill any little children!
So sorry for slacking off the past month! I have no good excuse for not posting our weekly devotionals, so I hope you'll forgive me and pick back up where we left off. Here are a handful of devos to use over the next week and a half ... we're gonna talk about Godly counsel. Enjoy. Dig deep. Grow. :)
Devo #1 - Read Proverbs 12:15, Proverbs 11:14, and Proverbs 15:22
What/who are counselors ... or advisers?
What kinds of counselors/advisers should we listen to?
How can having many advisers be dangerous to your spiritual health?
Who are some of the Godly counselors in your life?
Who is our Ultimate Counselor?
Devo #2 - Read Jeremiah 7:23-26
What happens when we obey the voice of the Lord?
In verse 24, what do you think it means when it says, "they went backward and not forward?"
In what ways do you go backward in your life?
How can you obey God today?
Devo #3 - Read Psalm 81:10-14
What happens when we receive God's counsel and obey it?
What does it mean for God to "give them over to their stubborn hearts"?
How has your heart been stubborn lately?
What does it look like to "walk in God's ways" (v. 13)?
How can you walk in God's ways today?
Devo #4 - Read 2 Timothy 3:1-5
What a list, right?!
Read through that list again, and write down any of these characteristics that describe you. I know it may get ugly, but don't be afraid. Admitting sin is the first step to giving it over to the Lord.
Think of the people you receive advice from or just hang out with ... do those people possess any of these characteristics?
At the end of verse 5, Timothy tells us to avoid people with these ungodly characteristics. How come?
Devo #5 - Read Ephesians 2:1-7
How do we "follow the course of the world"? (v. 2)
What are the "passions of our flesh"? (v. 3)
What did God's great love and mercy save us from?
How can you live for Jesus today as a way to say thank you for His great love and mercy in our lives?
Devo #6 - Read Titus 2:11-14
Define the following phrases by writing them in your own words ... ungodliness; worldly passions; self-controlled lives; upright; godly lives.
Why is it wise to "renounce ungodliness and worldly passions"?
How can being "zealous for good works" be wise?
What are you passionate about? How can you glorify God in those things?
Most recent prayer requests from our group ....
Kristy - her softball coach (Coach Rogers)'s dad is very sick and not doing well; finals for school this week
Olivia - Saya is having back problems ... possible surgery, and Saya lost her job at Casey's; also, Olivia's friend, Courtney ... her dad has cancer
Eric - Angie's sanity for the last two weeks of school ... pray she doesn't kill any little children!
Saturday, April 19, 2014
SoZo Devotionals: Peter
Hey, SoZo!
Next Sunday morning, we will be continuing our study of Peter. This week's devotional passages will be taken from our lesson this Sunday ... so perhaps you can read them this week and have some thoughts for our discussion??? I think so ... I hope so at least. ;) Have a wonderful week! Take some time to think about the POWER of Jesus' resurrection this week. God's NOT dead! He is ALIVE! And He works in and through us by the POWER of His HOLY SPIRIT! SINCE Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, we have LIFE and POWER to live for Him! Wahoo! That is something to get excited about! I hope y'all will focus on how YOU can LIVE for Him this week. Love you all!
For each day's passage, READ it (haha! duh!), and then write down the facts it presents that give us confidence to trust in Jesus.
Sunday, April 20th - Matthew 14:22-33
Monday, April 21st - John 10:27-30
Tuesday, April 22nd - Romans 8:28-39
Wednesday, April 23rd - Philippians 4:12-13
Thursday, April 24th - Hebrews 1:1-4
Friday, April 25th - Hebrews 4:14-16
Saturday, April 26th - Hebrews 13:5-8
And don't forget to practice ... practice spending time with God THROUGHOUT your days ... practice prayer ... practice serving. When we commit our TIME to the Lord ... inviting Him into our days, He really does CHANGE OUR LIVES! :)
HAPPY EASTER!
Next Sunday morning, we will be continuing our study of Peter. This week's devotional passages will be taken from our lesson this Sunday ... so perhaps you can read them this week and have some thoughts for our discussion??? I think so ... I hope so at least. ;) Have a wonderful week! Take some time to think about the POWER of Jesus' resurrection this week. God's NOT dead! He is ALIVE! And He works in and through us by the POWER of His HOLY SPIRIT! SINCE Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, we have LIFE and POWER to live for Him! Wahoo! That is something to get excited about! I hope y'all will focus on how YOU can LIVE for Him this week. Love you all!
For each day's passage, READ it (haha! duh!), and then write down the facts it presents that give us confidence to trust in Jesus.
Sunday, April 20th - Matthew 14:22-33
Monday, April 21st - John 10:27-30
Tuesday, April 22nd - Romans 8:28-39
Wednesday, April 23rd - Philippians 4:12-13
Thursday, April 24th - Hebrews 1:1-4
Friday, April 25th - Hebrews 4:14-16
Saturday, April 26th - Hebrews 13:5-8
And don't forget to practice ... practice spending time with God THROUGHOUT your days ... practice prayer ... practice serving. When we commit our TIME to the Lord ... inviting Him into our days, He really does CHANGE OUR LIVES! :)
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
My kids :)
Gosh. I never blog. I said I would blog more in 2014 ... and no. Unless you count the devotionals for my SoZo-ers. ;) Oh well. So I'm not a true blogger. That's okay. One thing I am is a stalker! Haha! I was creepin' on people on Facebook all evening. Okay, creepin' sounds ... well, creepy. But I was just seeing how the folks on my friends list are doing ... people from high school mostly. It's so fun to see who's gotten married and who has kids and look at their pictures occasionally. ... We're all grown up! ... And then I was reading Emily's (The Thought Spot) and Maggie's (Raising an Ewok) blogs. They have such beautiful kidos and beautiful families. It's just so much fun! I'm sure it is extremely difficult at times ... but they both excel at being parents and loving their husbands and kids. And they both talk about how the rewards are soooo much greater than the difficulties. ... Darrell and I have been talking about starting a family for months now. Only God knows when He's gonna bring a baby our way. But it could happen any day now. ;) We shall wait and see! :):):)
But until that day ... here are some of my other kids ...
But until that day ... here are some of my other kids ...
In the above picture, we went to see the new Christian movie that's out, God's NOT Dead. We had such a great time, and the movie was so cool!
In this picture, I'm making a lame face while everyone else is excited because they told me we were doing the Josh face ... and we weren't! Josh (far left) has an awesome stone face that he gives at any given time (except this picture, apparently). He's so nonchalant yet piercing with his facial expressions. He's such a fun guy with tons of energy, but he's not one to mess with ... and his famed facial expression proves it. He is a camo, huntin, gun-lover kind of guy after all. But anyways ... his "Josh face", as we all call it, looks only a tiny bit like the face I'm making in this picture (his is way better!). Haha!
These are our beloved teenagers (and college-agers)! We are in love with them and love them like they are our own!
Sunday, April 13, 2014
SoZo Devotionals: Made to Crave
Hey, all! Sorry I didn't get any devos posted last week. We went to North Carolina and got back late Sunday night ... and well, I spaced it. But this week's devos are awesome! I pulled them from my Made to Crave study I've been working through over the past couple months. This week is simple, but if you really take some time to think about these verses by answering the questions, they can really give you some perspective! Have a wonderful week! I love you all bunches!
Sunday,
April 13th – Read Ephesians 5:25-33
What does this passage teach about daily
dependence on God?
What significance does this passage have for my
life in Christ?
Monday,
April 14th – Read Philippians 3:18-19
What does this passage teach about daily
dependence on God?
What significance does this passage have for my
life in Christ?
Tuesday,
April 15th – Read Revelation 2:17
What does this passage teach about daily
dependence on God?
What significance does this passage have for my
life in Christ?
Wednesday,
April 16th – Read Psalm 73:23-26
What does this passage teach about daily
dependence on God?
What significance does this passage have for my
life in Christ?
Thursday,
April 17th – Read Lamentations 3:22-26
What does this passage teach about daily
dependence on God?
What significance does this passage have for my
life in Christ?
Friday,
April 18th – Read Matthew 6:9-13
What does this passage teach about daily
dependence on God?
What significance does this passage have for my
life in Christ?
Saturday,
April 19th – Read Deuteronomy 8:3
What does this passage teach about daily
dependence on God?
What significance does this passage have for my
life in Christ?
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