#SHARE2015

It's that day. That day in the year when we all seem focused on resolving to be better, do better, do more, eat less, spend less...whatever. And here I sit in front of this stinkin' screen resolving to "blog more." Not because I think people need or really even enjoy what I write, but because it's cathartic for me...and it's way cheaper than therapy. We'll see if this too will fall by the wayside along with my resolutions to lose 30 pounds and eat healthier...

So, for the last three years, I have begun praying for God to focus me on a word as the end of the year approached. A word for me to focus on throughout the upcoming year. A word to help me grow in an area of my life that needs refining.

2013 was the year of FAITH. A year that saw me walk away from a job I loved and had worked dang hard to have. We're avoiding any reuse of that word for a while.

2014 was the year of JOY. A year of making the conscious decision to CHOOSE JOY in all circumstances. A year that saw half of my little town (including dear friends and church family!) lose everything on April 28 as a tornado ripped through our community. A year that took me to the poorest country in the world five times to experience unimaginable circumstances. Um. Maybe this whole word thing is not all it's cracked up to be.

Third time is a charm, y'all. 2015 is it, and God confirmed the word SHARE as my word over the last week. This past Sunday in my Sunday School class, we were talking through what to DO with the Word and one of those things was SHARE, and Bro. Mike's sermon encouraged us to embrace grace - for ourselves and others - in the coming year. It had been the word on my heart and this was the confirmation I needed.

2015 is definitely the year of SHARE.

But first things first. I've struggled a bit with differentiating between GIVE and SHARE. So I went to the wisest and smartest person I know...that handsome guy I get to call my husband (brownie points, indeed!). We talked through it during a few of the 1,467,823 minutes we've spent in the car together over the last week traveling for the holidays and here's what we came up with...

I baked you a pie (Just hang with me, people. This IS totally hypothetical because you and I both know - I don't bake pies!). I could deliver the pie to your house and walk away, and you can do with the pie what you wish. Or, I could baked a pie and invite you over to share it with me. I'll make coffee or hot chocolate or maybe we'll just drink water with it since we've both resolved to eat healthier this year. Regardless, we'll chat for a bit over the yummy pie I baked (It's my blog, I can take creative liberties, people!) and enjoy the pie TOGETHER.

SHARE: to grant or give a share in; to partake of, use, experience, occupy or enjoy with others; to have in common.

Now don't go thinking I'm going to be delivering pies all over the place in 2015, but I do think God is urging me to slow down and enjoy life WITH people more. I have a "slight tendency" to be "a little" task-oriented and focused on completion of a task and moving on to the next thing on the list. What if I slowed down and enjoyed the process of the task? What if I shared in and learned to enjoy the experience of getting there...instead of just pushing to get there?

Maybe I'm way off. It's only January 1, and God may take this whole SHARE thing in a totally different direction. I guess we'll see as 2015 goes on. I'm diving into The Word today to explore some scripture about sharing and can't wait to SHARE what I learn (See what I did there?).

Did you choose a word or theme for 2015? What are your plans for the year? Would love to hear what you're planning for the year!

Choosing JOY in 2014

For the last few years, I've selected a word for the year - a word that will be the focus of my spiritual life and (hopefully) allow God to reveal something new to me in that area of my life. Last year, my word was FAITH. Oh, how God tested and proved Himself faithful in the craziness of 2013! 

This year my word is JOY.

A few weeks ago, Jeff preached in our pastor's absence and although I'm privy to his amazing wisdom and biblical knowledge everyday, there's something about hearing him preach it from the pulpit that makes his words resonate a little more. His sermon was on JOY…and it really got to me. Am I truly joyful when things aren't going my way? Do I try to find my JOY in things, people, accomplishments or other things? (Don't answer those questions, Jeff!)

The thing that resonated with me most from his sermon was this:

 JOY is a CHOICE while happiness is based on our circumstances. 

When we have JOY, it comes from The Lord…not the acquisition of the latest gadget or a pretty new dress or great pair of shoes or finding the perfect shade of lipstick or even because my kids are (miracle of all miracles!) getting along and being agreeable. We must choose JOY daily, hourly and sometimes, in every minute of the day to feel peace and contentment in our lives. Even in the difficult, the miry muck and not-so-fun parts of life - JOY is a choice to trust a God that ALWAYS wants to give me His best…NOT what I think is best, but what He knows is best. 

For 2014, I will focus on choosing JOY in all circumstances…

• I will choose JOY in my MARRIAGE. My marriage is not perfect, but it's based on a commitment to one another and built on the ideal of service…serving through the various ministries we are blessed to be called to be a part of and serving each other daily. So, despite the dirty dishes in my sink (daily!) and his tendency to procrastinate (about everything!), I am grateful for a Godly husband who loves me and our boys more than anything. I CHOOSE JOY.

• I will choose JOY in my CHILDREN. My boys are amazingly sweet (most of the time!) but they are very active. Because we are juggling so many other things, I often lose my temper and have unrealistic expectations for their behavior. They are kids; they are not perfect…and neither am I. I will remember how quickly time is passing and stop to play with them more often. I will color more pages in their coloring books and snuggle at bedtime longer. I CHOOSE JOY.

• I will choose JOY in my JOBS. I am blessed to have not one - but three jobs that I love! While balancing the responsibilities for three careers gets hectic, I am grateful to have the opportunity to do what I love…and even get paid a little for it. And am even more grateful that all three jobs give me the opportunity to daily pour into the lives of others - to share what Christ is doing in my life and the hope that comes from a relationship with Him. I CHOOSE JOY.

• I will choose JOY in my SERVICE. Confession: I am a people pleaser and saying "No." is (very!) difficult for me. I will not overextend myself and allow the chaos that quickly becomes our family life to "steal my joy." I will borrow the words from Lysa TerKeurst in 2014: "Thank you for asking me. My heart says yes, yes yes, but the reality of my limited time leads me to say no." I CHOOSE JOY.

• I will chose JOY in my FRIENDSHIPS. I am blessed to have many wonderful friends…some that go back to elementary school days and some that God has brought into my life in the last few months. Again, thank you, Lysa TerKeurst, for the great reminder in a recent devotional - "Real love pursues authenticity rather than chasing acceptance." I will focus on being the kind of friend who gives real love - with no expectations or stipulations. I CHOOSE JOY.

•  I will choose JOY in my Savior. All too often, I find myself questioning things that are happening around me. "Why did so-and-so do/say did? Why did that happen to him/her - he/she is such a good person? What did I do to deserve this?" But Scripture is clear…

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has the chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."

James 1: 2-4 (NLT, emphasis mine)

So, bring it 2014. I'm ready. I'll be clothing myself in His Word daily (also a 2014 "resolution") and joyfully facing everything you bring my way. Be it good or bad or somewhere in between - my heart will continually sing the praises of the ever-lasting love and unimaginable faithfulness of a loving Father.

"I will be filled with Joy because of you. 

I will sing praises to your name, O Most High."

Psalm 9:2

Do you have a word for 2014? Would love to hear what YOUR focus will be in the new year! 

Forward Thinking

There are (amazingly) only 20 days left in 2012. Where has this year gone? When I look back on the year, so much has happened and so much has changed. I am grateful for the lessons learned - even if some were learned the hard way. One of the greatest lessons of this year for me has been "letting go" of a lot of things and re-priortizing my life (and time) to reflect things that have eternal significance. I am in no way in a "good" place with that, but I am in a better place than I was in 2011. 

So that has me thinking about 2013 and what I need to do to be in a better place at this time next year. What are YOUR plans for 2013? What changes do YOU want/need to make in your life? Do you have a plan of action yet? Now is the time to start thinking about these things so that when January 1 arrives, you are ready to go! Would love to hear your thoughts and plans...mine are coming soon. Stay tuned. 

More Water, Less Dr. Pepper Wrap-up

The more-water-less-Dr. Pepper challenge officially ended yesterday. I would love to report it was a smashing success and my plan to "ween" myself from Dr. Pepper was well on its way. Unfortunately, I got a little off-track after the Frostbite 1/2 marathon.

There were only a couple of days when I drank a Dr. Pepper after my 2 p.m. "curfew," but my water intake declined drastically - in fact, there were some days I doubt I even drank 20 ounces of water. I really can't explain it and I'm frustrated with myself for going backwards; I was doing so well. In fact, going into that weekend, there were several days I only had one Dr. Pepper. And then in my I-just-ran-a-half-marathon-so-I-can-eat-whatever-I-want phase, I got off track. Ugh.

Tomorrow is a new day and February is a new month. I will do this...

UPDATE: More Water - Less Dr. Pepper

It's day five of my "More-Water-Less-Dr.-Pepper" challenge and I'm still alive...and so are all those around me. I'm not going to lie - it's been rough, but I've gotten all 64 ounces down every day and have not had even a drink of Dr. Pepper after 2 p.m. I'm a little embarrassed at the level of my caffeine addiction as I really had no idea how much I was drinking until now or really how dependent I am on it to...well, function. I'm battling a pretty intense headache, but that just makes for a good "excuse" to go to bed earlier. I'm finding other substitutions (Crystal Light) when I get to the point I just can't drink another class of water.

I have two tweeps (@Ginny26_2 who blogs at Happy Feet26-2 and @JennRunsChi) who've joined me in the challenge and the accountability has been great! I really appreciate them checking on me and posting their progress reports. Jenn even found a great app to help track water consumption from Florida Hospital.

So, if you've taken part in the challenge and haven't let me know, keep going! There's just 19 more days left until February 1. If you haven't committed, jump on board! The more the merrier!

It's just water...What's the big deal?

Water. It's essential for most things to function, including my body. So, why can't I make myself drink it? There is no "taste" to speak of; I can't use that excuse. There is no "texture" so I can't really fall back on that one. I just can't seem to make myself drink the necessary 64 ounces a day...or more than about 8-10 ounces for that matter. When I express my frustrations to my husband, he says, "Well...that seems like it would be the easy part of running." Yeah, it does.

I know I need to: I feel better. My skin's clearer. I run better. I weigh less. Those are all good things, right? According to an article from WebMD.com, drinking water before a meal can actually help you lose weight. Uh. Hello? This is a win-win; there are no cons in this pro-con analysis (For a more scientific approach to the benefits of water, see this Mayo Clinic article).

Ok. There's one. Anyone who's been around me for any amount of time can attest to the fact that I have a serious caffeine addiction in the form of Dr. Pepper. Its 23 flavors are simply magical for me. I need it to start my day and as my students would probably tell you, my thoughts are incoherent until I've had it. My husband and children would probably tell you I need it to get through and finish the day, too. It's one of the last few "bad habits" I need to kick, but I can't seem to take that step. I start the process and then battle the withdrawal headache until I give in and drink one...or two...or three. But, hey! At that point, who's counting? **Note: Before you suggest I try Diet Dr. Pepper, please know that I have and I can't make that switch. The aftertaste is horrendous.

Here's the deal. I've been reading a lot of different fitness/health challenges to help everyone kick off the new year. So, here's mine and I'm putting it out there for all to read (and hold me accountable):

1. I'm going to drink at least 64 ounces of water per day until February 1.
2. I'm not going to drink any Dr. Pepper (yes, you read that correctly!) after 2 p.m. each day.

This is NOT going to be easy for me, people. I'm a working mom of two small children; caffeine at night = survival. But, I'm committing to it. I may be shooting Dr. Pepper at 1:45 p.m. each day and staying up late to drink all the water, but I'm doing it. I hope that by February 1, the new challenge will be one Dr. Pepper per day and then March will be...well, you get the picture. It's a process, folks. A process.

If you want in on the challenge, let me know and we'll be accountability partners. It's just water, right? What's the big deal?

So...are you in?

What's the plan for 2011?

Last year, I made one New Year's resolution for 2010: TO BE HEALTHIER BY 2011. And, for the first time in my life, I followed through with a resolution!

There were two things I did to make this happen:

1. Started exercising consistently
2. Ate healthier and smaller portions

Although 2010 was definitely a year of change, I'm not finished. I still have 5-10 pounds I'd like to shed, and I want to be a faster runner (not like Kenyan-fast, just consistently below a 10-minute mile pace!). I think the two might be related, so I'm hoping it's a "kill two birds with one stone" kind of thing.

So what's on my agenda for 2011?

1. To complete (at least) three half-marathons and get my time down to 2:10
2. To try three new vegetables (I am still learning to eat like an adult)
3. To drink more water (and less Dr. Pepper)

I'm still working on the plan of attack for the first (which I'm pretty sure you'll read about in the months to come!) and the second and third should be pretty easy to tackle. I'm battling caffeine withdrawals now from the Dr. Pepper reduction, but I know the benefit(s) will outweigh the temporary discomfort.

What are YOUR resolutions for the new year? Do you have a plan to achieve them? Nothing like posting them on the Internet for a little accountability...hmmm?

Wishing you a happy and healthy 2011!