Well, I have worked out three days in a row now. Water Aerobics day one, Yoga day two, and day three held Slide Aerobics. I am going to feel Slide Aerobics!!! I think I sweat off the last month of my life too...but it felt good!
I did eat out, Jose really didn't give me a choice. Ok ok, I shouldn't blame him or make excuses because I could have found a way to not eat out that day. But we have made dinner with what we have in our kitchen!
I did spend money elsewhere, but in one good justification. I spent money on two T.A.P.P necklaces. T.A.P.P stands for Tumaini AIDS Prevention Program. My money is going to help those afflicted and effected by AIDs in Uganda.
Overall, I feel very postive about my first few days. Now that I am exhausted from my work out today, I'm in for a night of Criminal Minds and CSI:NY. Ahhh..
9.24.2008
9.22.2008
Turning over an Old Leaf...
You know the saying..Turning over a New Leaf...well I'm revamping it to fit ME (how post modern I know)
But honestly, I can't tell you how many times I've said..I'm going to start anew. I'm going to change this and start doing this. Then a week later...back to the old business. I know I'm not the only one, but I am a HUGE offender of this.
So I'm not starting anything new, I'm just revamping and recharging what I've said I was going to do. I'm turning over an Old Leaf.
Here is a list of a few things I am going to do.
1. Take inventory of whats in my kitchen cabinets so I know what I have so I can eat in, rather than out.
2. I will not eat out until I have paid off a credit card. The less I eat out, the more that goes towards that credit card and the quicker it gets paid off.
3. I am going to watch every penny...literally. Using only cash. I'm debating on whether or not to take out my debit cards (I already do not carry my credit cards) and only carrying cash.
4.Making a grocery list, cutting coupons, and STICKING TO IT! I used to be good at planning meals, then I slipped. So back to planning meals and posting the Menu for the week.
5.Work out a few times a week. I'm getting into shape.
6. Finish the book I started. **
7. Wrote notes and letters to people.
8. Drink more water, less other stuff.
9. Cut back on Sugar.
10.Keep it clean around the house! Then it doesn't pile up and I don't get as frustrated!
I've started these all before. But today, I started again at lunch time. I ate at home for lunch (had both veggie and fruit with a bologna sandwich on wheat). I cleaned up my dishes that I used for lunch. I packed my bag for Water Aerobics tonight. I have my Nalgene full of water to drink today. And I planned (in my head) tonight's dinner using what we have in the fridge!
I have a friend who has a list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. Seems a bit to intimidating to me at this point. I like the idea, but I'm going to take it in baby steps. So wish me luck!
But honestly, I can't tell you how many times I've said..I'm going to start anew. I'm going to change this and start doing this. Then a week later...back to the old business. I know I'm not the only one, but I am a HUGE offender of this.
So I'm not starting anything new, I'm just revamping and recharging what I've said I was going to do. I'm turning over an Old Leaf.
Here is a list of a few things I am going to do.
1. Take inventory of whats in my kitchen cabinets so I know what I have so I can eat in, rather than out.
2. I will not eat out until I have paid off a credit card. The less I eat out, the more that goes towards that credit card and the quicker it gets paid off.
3. I am going to watch every penny...literally. Using only cash. I'm debating on whether or not to take out my debit cards (I already do not carry my credit cards) and only carrying cash.
4.Making a grocery list, cutting coupons, and STICKING TO IT! I used to be good at planning meals, then I slipped. So back to planning meals and posting the Menu for the week.
5.Work out a few times a week. I'm getting into shape.
6. Finish the book I started. **
7. Wrote notes and letters to people.
8. Drink more water, less other stuff.
9. Cut back on Sugar.
10.Keep it clean around the house! Then it doesn't pile up and I don't get as frustrated!
I've started these all before. But today, I started again at lunch time. I ate at home for lunch (had both veggie and fruit with a bologna sandwich on wheat). I cleaned up my dishes that I used for lunch. I packed my bag for Water Aerobics tonight. I have my Nalgene full of water to drink today. And I planned (in my head) tonight's dinner using what we have in the fridge!
I have a friend who has a list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. Seems a bit to intimidating to me at this point. I like the idea, but I'm going to take it in baby steps. So wish me luck!
9.17.2008
Good things in Life
So today as I was walking home from work, or rather just across campus (its so great to say that!) I looked up and saw a student that lives in our dorm. He waved at me and so I waved back being the friendly person that I am. Then in trying to be extra friendly I yelled out..." Are you on your way to Rugby practice??!?" (the night before I had a conversation with him about rugby). He kept walking...and I felt stupid. He had earphones in and was probably listening to music louder than he medically should.
I still felt stupid. And I had to laugh at myself. I thought of other times where I felt stupid and laughed at myself. Like when you pass someone and you think you know who they are so you wave or give an extra friendly smile. Then it turns out you DON'T know who they are at all and they now think you're odd for such a great big smile.
Or how about when you are walking alone and you are attacked by a bee, or even worse a spider dropping down from the trees. You then flip out and flail your arms around, all the while looking like a crazy to the rest of the world who can not see the bug attacking you.
Or how you trip over nothing in the sidewalk? Or when you say something completely wrong to someone important...you know somehow your words just get mixed up...
I love it when I find something really funny and go to share it with someone who does not find it funny, yet you just can't stop laughing about it.
Those moments when you feel like a complete dork are great. They're humbling, and good entertainment for the rest of the day. And being able to laugh at yourself is probably one of the greatest gifts in life.
I still felt stupid. And I had to laugh at myself. I thought of other times where I felt stupid and laughed at myself. Like when you pass someone and you think you know who they are so you wave or give an extra friendly smile. Then it turns out you DON'T know who they are at all and they now think you're odd for such a great big smile.
Or how about when you are walking alone and you are attacked by a bee, or even worse a spider dropping down from the trees. You then flip out and flail your arms around, all the while looking like a crazy to the rest of the world who can not see the bug attacking you.
Or how you trip over nothing in the sidewalk? Or when you say something completely wrong to someone important...you know somehow your words just get mixed up...
I love it when I find something really funny and go to share it with someone who does not find it funny, yet you just can't stop laughing about it.
Those moments when you feel like a complete dork are great. They're humbling, and good entertainment for the rest of the day. And being able to laugh at yourself is probably one of the greatest gifts in life.
9.14.2008
I miss my baby...
I still think about her and her craziness. She was definitely a one of a kind. I know we say that about alot of things, but seriously if you knew her you would be echoing me in that. My sister in law always said she had never met a dog like Izzy. A friend in Des Moines said the same thing. She was just a one of a kind dog. It feels like a piece of me is missing with Izzy not around. She was at my mom's house for the past few months as if she were in hospice. She had been sick for a while and I knew it was just a matter of time. That didn't make it easier, but we just couldn't watch her suffer any more.
I miss having a dog and I have been begging Jose to let me get another one. He didn't grow up with a dog or a pet really so he doesn't know what it is like to have one your WHOLE life and then not have one around.
So, to honor the late great Izzy, you can all tell Jose he needs to let me get another dog.
So amazing
I love youth pastors. I really do. I may be a bit biased having been married to one and basically been one myself, but really I think they may be favorites of a few other non youth ministry people.
This past weekend I spent a very wet weekend (it literally did not stop raining from the moment I left AU until the time I returned) up near Lake Michigan at Camp Warner at a Youth Leaders retreat for the CHOG in the State of Michigan. Leaving, I wasn't very excited and I wasn't feeling the greatest. But I left with a different attitude. Over the course of the weekend I heard bits and pieces about these youth pastors lives and ministries. Many of them were volunteers who worked full time and moonlighted as youth pastors at their small churches. BLESS THEM! Youth ministry is not a part time job even if it is advertised as on. To do honestly effective youth ministry, it is a full time lifestyle type of job. These people were doing that!
We shared our joys and pains of working with middle school students. They were nice enough to share some of their stories with me, a perfect stranger to them. One youth leader that just captured me was...well I don't remember his name at the moment. I sat down with him at dinner one night and the other fellows from our table had left and just asked some questions about him and his ministry. He is in construction full time but also does the youth ministry at a small (possibly dying) church near Detriot. He said he came from a larger church that had alot going on, plenty of resources but he wasn't being used there. So he and his wife happened to stop by this church one Sunday and found out they did not have a youth pastor and there a few youth in the church. So they made the switch. Talk about "SEE A NEED FILL A NEED". He was sacrificing and giving up working with aministry that had plenty to reach a few youth at a dying church. I don't think I could have done that. Doing Youth Ministry with out a budget can be frustrating and difficult, but it can be the most rewarding at times.
And to my surprise, most of these youth pastors were nearing 40 and OVER!! One had been in youth ministry for 32 years, another 18 years. These are lifers! Previous to going on this retreat I met with someone at a School of Theology. He told me that they encourage youth pastors to really consider an M.Div because, " lets be honest, you're not going to do Youth Ministry forever. You grow out of it and the natural progression is to become a SR Pastor". I don't agree with this guys line of thinking here, but my short meeting with him was not the time to challenge him. And I was so glad to see these two youth pastors, one who was in his 50's and the other who was 44, still doing youth ministry. One of them was the Middle School Ministry pastor!!!
I left this weekend with a continued passion for youth ministry. There is just something about being in a room full of people who love youth ministry, who love youth enough to sacrifice a weekend to learn how to work and coach young people. I hope when I go to Heaven that I get into the wing of God's big house that is full of youth pastors.
This past weekend I spent a very wet weekend (it literally did not stop raining from the moment I left AU until the time I returned) up near Lake Michigan at Camp Warner at a Youth Leaders retreat for the CHOG in the State of Michigan. Leaving, I wasn't very excited and I wasn't feeling the greatest. But I left with a different attitude. Over the course of the weekend I heard bits and pieces about these youth pastors lives and ministries. Many of them were volunteers who worked full time and moonlighted as youth pastors at their small churches. BLESS THEM! Youth ministry is not a part time job even if it is advertised as on. To do honestly effective youth ministry, it is a full time lifestyle type of job. These people were doing that!
We shared our joys and pains of working with middle school students. They were nice enough to share some of their stories with me, a perfect stranger to them. One youth leader that just captured me was...well I don't remember his name at the moment. I sat down with him at dinner one night and the other fellows from our table had left and just asked some questions about him and his ministry. He is in construction full time but also does the youth ministry at a small (possibly dying) church near Detriot. He said he came from a larger church that had alot going on, plenty of resources but he wasn't being used there. So he and his wife happened to stop by this church one Sunday and found out they did not have a youth pastor and there a few youth in the church. So they made the switch. Talk about "SEE A NEED FILL A NEED". He was sacrificing and giving up working with aministry that had plenty to reach a few youth at a dying church. I don't think I could have done that. Doing Youth Ministry with out a budget can be frustrating and difficult, but it can be the most rewarding at times.
And to my surprise, most of these youth pastors were nearing 40 and OVER!! One had been in youth ministry for 32 years, another 18 years. These are lifers! Previous to going on this retreat I met with someone at a School of Theology. He told me that they encourage youth pastors to really consider an M.Div because, " lets be honest, you're not going to do Youth Ministry forever. You grow out of it and the natural progression is to become a SR Pastor". I don't agree with this guys line of thinking here, but my short meeting with him was not the time to challenge him. And I was so glad to see these two youth pastors, one who was in his 50's and the other who was 44, still doing youth ministry. One of them was the Middle School Ministry pastor!!!
I left this weekend with a continued passion for youth ministry. There is just something about being in a room full of people who love youth ministry, who love youth enough to sacrifice a weekend to learn how to work and coach young people. I hope when I go to Heaven that I get into the wing of God's big house that is full of youth pastors.
9.11.2008
Life as I Know It
Life changes, obviously. Now that I live in a dorm again, I have not made it to bed before 12am. MIDNIGHT!!!! I totally feel old saying that. But not being a morning person at all, makes it even worse. I don't have to be at work until 9 am, but it is still like pulling teeth to get out of bed. I try and try and try, but to no avail.
But the time that used to be spent in bed is typically spent talking with students, or putting my house back together. It is a good trade off, so I really shouldn't complain. But be praying for rest and plenty of energy
But the time that used to be spent in bed is typically spent talking with students, or putting my house back together. It is a good trade off, so I really shouldn't complain. But be praying for rest and plenty of energy
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