Playlist

Monday, December 5, 2011

Silent Night.


Tonight I'm working on Christmas presents by light of my sewing maching and a night light. I have on my From the Inside Out (by Hillsong United) Pandora radio station. It's so majestic. I'm so at peace.

I'm so thankful for this sweet night.

I got a text today from someone that is so important to me that I haven't heard from in awhile.

Erik got word that he's going to have a phone conversation tonight that he's been waiting for.

Change is in the air for us. We're prepping for whatever it is that God has in store for us next.

This evening just feels so good and so right and I couldn't be more thankful.

We'll have news to share soon. I'm saying prayers that tonight will tug at your heart the way it has mine. I hope life's so sweet to you. I love you.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Forget skinny. Get healthy.

Wow! It's seriously already Friday? This week snuck away from me! I've been working on this post a little everday. It's kind of a tough and touchy subject so I wanted to get it right, but this morning I'm posting it imperfections and all! I'm sorry it took so long. I hope I get the right message across.


I am so heartbroken over the obsession with being thin. Seriously broken in half. Some people are so consumed by what they weigh, that they put all of their time and more importantly thought into losing weight, counting calories etc. On the contrary, I love that now more than ever our world is realizing that taking care of our bodies is important. It's becoming easier and easier to find inspiration to excercise or eat right. I had an instructor in cosmetology school who her whole life had been very thin and people would comment on that to her all of the time. "You're so skinny." "Do you ever eat?" You know the drill, and she would get upset about it and she explained to us, you would not walk up to someone and make comments on how fat they are. Which is true, you wouldn't. What makes it okay to comment on how skinny someone is?

It's funny that we don't see it that way, isn't it? Because so many people spend so much time wanting to lose weight, longing to be skinny. For the people that are born that way, it isn't their choice.

If you watch the biggest loser obviously the show is about losing weight, but do you see it's so much more than that? They're not starving themselves to lose weight. They're eating healthy, they're working out. They're getting strong. They're feeling good and they're dropping lbs.




Either way. So many people are focussing on what they weigh. I think health is so important. Not losing weight. Being healthy. Being healthy is so much more important than being thin. Being thin does not show that you're healthy or inshape. It's not about numbers on the scale. Muscles weighs more than fat. Working out isn't just going to make you look good. It's going to make you feel good. I think that's what it's about. Feeling good. Being healthy. Eating right. Exercise. I am not perfect at this by any means but trying is so worth it. I can really tell the difference in the way I look, in the way I feel when I eat right and work out.




My biggest pieces of healthy advice are going to sound a little crazy, but they make sense.
  1. Drink water. Such a clique right? Do it! Some people that drink soda or coffee a lot don't realize that they don't drink water ever! This is a big step in getting healthy. If you need to start small start by adding one glass a day and work up. Water is SO important.
  2. Look for whole grains. Pass on anything enriched or bleached. Whole grains. Nom, nom, nom. Noodles, breads, bagels, the works. It may not be the best tasting at first, but that is because you're used to the unhealthy. Once you get used to whole grains you won't go back. Nothing will satisfy you the way they do.
  3. Avoid anything lite. I know you think, to be healthy you need to be fat free and lite everything. Wrong. Fat is what makes you feel satisfied. With out it you're going to continue to feel hungry. You want fat in your diet.
  4. Avoid anything diet. Look for sugar on the label. In lite and diet they take out the fat and the sugar and replace them with substitutes. You want the real thing.
If you don't work out for whatever reason challenge yourself to something simple. Start with 10 push ups a day. You think I'm joking right? Try it! 10 push ups once a day. You will realize you can make a difference with something so little. I promise. At first it will start to get easier. You will feel a difference and then you will see a difference. When it's easier to do more, add on. It's as simple as that. Do something! Start somewhere!

I think that everyone has a weight that is right for their body. That your body is always going to take you to. I think eating healthy is about understanding what your body is telling you and listening to it. I think you should eat what you're craving, with in reason. I think your body will comunicate with you what it needs, listen to that. If you feel like your body is always telling you that you need dessert. Eliminate dessert from your diet for 10 days. That's it, 10 days will break you of the habit of eating sweets if you're doing it out of habit with out realizing it.



Please remember. It takes time to get unhealthy. It takes time to form bad habits. It's going to take time to get healthy. It's going to take time to form good habits. Don't give up on you. You're going to feel a difference before you see a difference. You're going to see a change before your friends do. Your friends are going to see your transformation before others notice. It will take time. Keep going.


We love you. Please love yourself. Be happy with yourself.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Opportunity.

Morning.

I heard some words this morning I'd like to ponder, keep in mind, and be reminded of often.

"Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?"

It's quite possible that when we're busy praying for blessing's God's busy creating opportunities for us that we're passing by, waiting for him to hand over what we've been asking for instead of working for it ourselves.

Be bold. Take advantage of opportunity.
#thismomentisanopportunity

We love you.


Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thanks. Giving.



I keep typing and erasing, and typing and erasing because I don't feel like I have the words to make this post as meaningful as I hope for it to be. When I struggle in writing I find it's best to just lay it all out and then work with what you have, so I'm going to pass on the backspace button for awhile, I appoligize in advace for what comes out. ;)

Thanksgiving.

I love Thanksgiving. I am so thankful for Thanksgiving, for this holiday we get to spend celebrating with food, family, friends, football, parades and most importantly giving thanks. This one day a year that we spend appreciating all that we have. It's terribly sad, right? I love, love, love Thanksgiving, it is one of my favorite holidays (the other being the 4th of July). I love that they're holidays not based on gifts, but on beauty and thanks and giving. But please really think about this..


What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

The day after Thanksgiving we would all wake up with full homes and full bellies. What about the rest of the year? What about all of the other days? I hope that this day in your life is so full of thanksgiving, you find yourself celebrating it more than the holiday. But, I think that's what everyday should be about. It's heartbreaking that it is SO easy for us to forget what we have. Aren't we rediculous. We get so wrapped up in wanting things we don't have, we don't appreciate the things we do.


It's crazy the things we have right. What's even more crazy is we don't even realize it. I try to send up more prayers of thanks than anything else, but it's so easy to constantly want and ask for more. Do you have enough?
Erik and I took a look at what we have and I just wanted to share with you what we're celebrating today. Erik put stars next to the ones that are most important.

ERIK'S THANKFUL LIST
Popsicles
Smells
*God
TV/Movies
*Katie
*Family
*Friends
*Music
*Stability
*Home
*Job
Snacks
*Health
*College Football
Love Sac (I should probably do a post on this, it's like a jumbo bean bag.)
*4 Seasons
Color Green
Colors Orange and Blue
FOOD
Clothing
Heat
*Forgiveness

KATIE'S THANKFUL LIST
My Savior
The people in my life. (YOU)
  • Erik
  • Family
  • Friends
  • My Cross Country Team
  • Our Church Family
  • My Daycare Kids
Having a job that I love.
FOOD
Music
Books
Health
Safety
Freedom
Grey's Anatomy
One Tree Hill
Water
Chocolate
Outside

These are all big things that we love and care about, it's funny how easy it is to miss things though. Please spend a little bit of everyday being grateful for what you have. I hope you can find enough in what you have and be so thankful.

Please remember..



Everyday may not be good, but there is something good in everyday.
We are thankful for you.
WE LOVE YOU.
Happy Thanksgiving.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

This weak.


One of my beautiful best friends miscarried her child this week. My godchild. <3 Please send love and prayers to her and the father. Pray for their strength, their peace, their healing and that their relationships, with the Lord and with each other, carry them through this. Together. They are two of my favorite people in the world. This week has been heart breaking.

Quick follow up. Jen, I will be so happy to have you as my first client! (: The moving sale was a bust, promise to get a hold of you and Bryan for the next one!

This has been an exhausting week, I'm very much looking forward to the long holiday weekend. Thanksgiving is my favorite. It will be the perfect opportunity for everyone to rest and recoup. What are you Thankful for?

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Sweet Sale.

Yawn. Morning All.

HAPPY SATURDAY. And a happy, happy birthday to our sweet, sweet friend Ashley. We're sending up birthday prayers this morning because we can't be there to celebrate in VIRGINIA, prayers that she has the sweetest day and the sweetest year. Ashley, Devin and Crew hold a very special place in our hearts. We miss and love them SO much. Happy birthday doll.

We've been bumming this morning, we're just about to finish watching Love Happens then it's time for a MOVING SALE. I live for garage sales. I love them. There is a moving sale at 9 and then we're off to the church I went to growing up. The United Methodish Church in Sidney for their annual bazaar. They sell all sorts of goodies, crafts and lunch! Yum.

It's go time now, I'll report back to you when we get home. (:

Friday, November 18, 2011

Casual Friday.

I never, never, never, never, never wanted a job were I had to dress up and was stuck wearing anything other than exactly what I wanted or was comfortable in. I am happy with my place right now, but obviously substitute teaching is not my calling. The two days that I love enjoy to sub the most are:

1. Days when I am subbing for a gym teacher. Yup. SWEAT PANTS. I eat that up.

2. FRIDAY when I get to wear JEANS!

When I'm working all week I live for this day. I take that back. I live for coming home everyday after school and changing first thing into my sweats! But secondly I look forward to Friday all week because I get to dress casual! (:

I also very much enjoy when the schools host themed dress up days for events such as homecoming week. I feel more comfortable in my wacky Wednesday get-up than my profesional attire. Bleh.

It's just not my style.

SOMEDAY. I will own my own salon. (: I will be my own boss. And I will wear what I want to work, and I couldn't be more thrilled for that day. Until then it's building hunting for this girl!

The end. I love you.