Rejoicing in His Sweet Faithfulness

As I was running tonight, ridding myself of a myriad of stress I had accumulated this past week, I was thinking about the little things we can always find to be thankful for.

I started my 3rd clinical rotation Monday.  It has been pretty intense so far, so much newness to quickly pick up on, new people to adjust to working with, and a whole new documentation system to learn.  However, the actual clinical experience has not been as trying as the 1.5 hour commute that is tacked onto each end of the work day.

So, as I ran, block by block I began to unwind, which let me reflect on the awesome things the Lord has put on my plate that deserve my focus rather than those little inconveniences that are less than ideal and if blown out of proportion could wreak some serious havoc on my attitude. 

This past week I was able to get through an entire Beth Moore book and a half on tape while driving.  Her words directing my thoughts back to scripture helped me stay on track this past week and kept my eyes and heart open to the fact that the commute to this rotation is not just punishment, the Lord plans to and will use that time well.

I have two excellent clinical instructors who are going to teach, challenge, and mentor me, serving to strengthen my ability to work as a physical therapist with each step over the next 3 months.  The department is small and all of the OTs & PTs alike are super patient and helpful, trying to share as much of their knowledge as possible to help direct my next steps so I can avoid the speed bumps and road blocks they encountered.

My husband is super sweet and supportive. He gets off at 1:30 on Fridays and spent this past afternoon doing laundry for me, so I could enjoy my Saturday.  He has constantly asked "What can I do to help" and "What can I do for dinner."  I have been a pill this past week and I know it.  It wasn't intentional, and had I not spent 3 hours listening to uplifting and challenging words everyday, I can't imagine how much worse I would have been. Anxiety about a new situation + adjusting to a new work & sleep schedule did not bode well with me.  Its not an acceptable excuse, but I want to give my husband the credit, praise, and appreciation he deserves for his patience and gracious attitude toward me, because his strength to perservere was undoubtedly from above.

The sun is staying up longer, which I absolutely love.  I am in no way signing myself up for a disorder such as SAD or anything, I know almost everyone prefers sunny days, but I love to at least see the sun everyday and today was one of those days.  When I left the house it was gloomy and drizzling still, by the time I got back, there was a beautiful pink and orange masterpiece in the sky and reflecting off the river.  It was breathtaking and I was once again reminded of the Lord's hand over everything. EVERY. SINGLE. THING.

I am still finishing up Beth Moore's book So Long Insecurity on tape and it is speaking volumes into my life and attitude.  I always knew pride was something I struggled with, but never went down the list applying it to my every decision and thought.  Whether I am attempting to mask my insecurities through perfectionism or not even trying things due to fear of failure, it all comes back to pride and my oh so fragile ego. Living humbly in the Lord is my newest goal, which I know I will fail at miserably, but through prayer, petition, and repeated dedication, I am seeking to draw closer to the Lord by tearing that ugly wall of my pride down.

All that being said, the Lord is stretching me like never before and I am doing my best not to resist.  I am starting a journey that I know will not be easy but it will be more worth it than anything I have ever experienced before. 

source

Some Thoughts On This Next Chapter

I hope this will not be the typical "end of semester" or "school is out" post.  It is quite a bit more than that for me this semester, it is the end of a chapter.  I am one big step closer to graduation.  I am excited, joyful, thankful, anticipatory, and honestly somewhat anxious.  I have been in school pretty much non-stop since the age of 4 and it is all wrapping up.  I am so thankful but also recognizing I can't pretend not to be a grown up anymore.  I know I am responsible and capable, but it just doesn't seem right sometimes, in less than a year I will be a Doctor.  I don't feel confident or mature enough to be a professional.  I know I am completely competent and continue to grow in knowledge and experience daily.  Will there always be a little voice in my head saying "you don't know what you're doing" or "how are you pulling off this charade?"  I know it is little more than lies in my head, for the past couple of years it has been "you can't do this, you must've gotten into this program on a fluke."  And now Satan must find new lies to tell me because the old ones have become almost obsolete.  Two clinicals, two classes, and the comprehensive exam are the only things standing between graduation and myself and it is intimidating.

Which brings me to, but why???? What in the world do I have to be intimidated by? I have been re-reading the book A Heart Like His by Rebecca Manly Pippert lately and am in the portion where she compares David and Saul.  Ironically I am also in the middle of Beth Moore's Bible study series on David.  It has all centered on living confidently in the Lord, stressing that that is the only source for true confidence.

I drop the ball so often.  I let my anxiety get the best of me.  I get my little pity party on and get carried away. (Think grad school barbie depressing thoughts.)  And where is the Lord in all of this? Right where I left Him.  I don't say that condescendingly, but more as encouragement.  He is never the one to waiver.  I do that all on my own.  I listen to everything around me but the peaceful calming voice of the Lord.

So, I am resolved to make this short break from the anxiety causing insanity of PT school to wait on the Lord. To listen to the Lord and overall, seek Him and His will above all in the things I do and say.  Lord, make my heart open to receive your counsel and guidance, and Lord most of all, make me desire Your will above mine in the life you have given me.  I am so blessed and squander that blessing so often with my selfishness.

Time with my in-laws is always difficult for me, which I often do not handle well, and only serve to cause anxiety for my husband and diminish the joy we might have spending time together.  Lord, please do not let me steal the joy of others for my own selfish motivation or due to unkind words spoken to me.  Lord, let me not become a selfish gossip, leaving a wake just because I want them to accept me, and acting as a crutch to others just because I am shown unkindness.  My worth is not determined by anyone's opinion of me but the Lord's. Above all Lord, let me trust my husband to make the right choices for our little family, and in so demonstrate my love for him and confidence in You.

God I am so weak, but know that in You I am strong and you are capable of taking me and my life and completing something more than I could ever imagine.

source

I hope you are having a Merry Christmastime!

The Potting Soil Inicident

So, at Bible study the other night the topic came up that we were all forgetting things. Entire chapters have disappeared, a picture or reference instantly brings back a memory, but left to our own recollections, there are blanks.  That being said, I want to try to update more often and photo document more effectively. (New Year's Resolution maybe?)

That all being said, I thought I would share my most recent housewife-y faux pas.  Haylee, DJ and I have been rolling about it and thought it might bring smiles all around, and likely quite a few "oh, honey"s.  

It all started about mid October when I decided to clean out the planters on our porch.  I had basil and rosemary this year and they were so cute in their prime, but they had since withered and were now just a depressing remnant and reminder that winter was on its way.

I pulled out the plants & roots and dug around the bottom for the golf balls, wine corks, and stones I used to create a drainage system in the bottom of the container and was left with some potting soil.  It didn't look like too much to me, so I figured I could just rinse the containers out in the kitchen sink and everything would be all clean for my gardening endeavors come springtime.

Had that been the case, this would be a pretty lame story. Apparently garbage disposals and dirt don't work very well together because the sink quickly became backed up.  Eventually I got everything down the drain and cleaned up, just as I had pictured, all squeaky clean and ready to be put away. I moved on with cleaning & straightening things up, fixed dinner, and did not give it another thought.

It wasn't until the next evening as I was unloading the dishwasher that I was reminded of my not so great idea.  The entire dishwasher was covered in potting soil, dishes and all. I repeated the cycle on rinse, which did absolutely nothing. On top of that the dishwasher was not draining, so there was a nice pool in the bottom of it.  I unloaded a few dishes, hand-washed them, and used a cup to scoop as much of the water into the sink as I could and completely forgot to tell DJ about my issue until he was doing the dishes following dinner and I heard "oh my gosh, there is something seriously wrong with our dishwasher." He was seriously upset because we were just given a new one by our apartment complex and he was "so sick of dealing with everything breaking." I was in the middle of studying for something and only paying half attention until I heard "This is so disgusting, the entire dishwasher is covered in mold!"  It was then that I explained the whole story, oh I wish I had a picture of his face.  Big eyes, raised eyebrows, and and crinkled forehead that I knew was saying "you have got to be kidding me."  We called maintenance and were told they would be there in the next couple of days.

Well, the next day, once again I had forgotten about our little problem I had been choosing to ignore in the dishwasher.  Haylee came over to watch an online class at our apartment and brought some kale to make kale chips out of.   She prepared and seasoned the chips and put them in the oven. Well, as luck would have it, maintenance stopped by to check out the situation.  On the work order we specified "water in dishwasher," a completely true statement, but our maintenance man came slightly under prepared for the disaster he was about to meet.  Haylee was completely unaware of what was going on, all she knew was that the kale chips were about to burn and burnt kale chips would smell a million times worse than regular kale chips.  

The maintenance man left to get the shop vac, because, yes, it was that bad.  During that time, we caught the kale chips right in time and I filled Haylee in on the happenings.  The maintenance man came back and spent a long time trying to clean out our pipes, I felt soooo bad, and could not bring myself to make eye contact.  The dust he stirred up caused my allergies to flare up, sending me into sneezing & sniffling craziness.  So naturally, I went to sit on the porch, and left Haylee to awkwardly take responsibility for the issue.

All he said when he left was "have a good day." Praise the Lord because I have no idea what would have come out of my mouth had he said anything that required more than "you too, thank you!"  We could not have done more to come off as the strangest renters in our complex.  Who knows what type of leaves he thought we were baking, our incessant giggling definitely did not help, and the pipes filled with potting soil most definitely sealed the deal.

DJ got home soon after and between the smell of the potting soil, sewage, and kale chips, quickly decided we would be going to study at Starbucks that evening.  Since this incident, both Haylee and DJ have had some serious conversations about "appropriate things to put down a garbage disposal" and potting soil is definitely not on that list.

Happy Christmastime!

Some Light Reading: A Link Round Up

source

 Happy Fall Y'all!

 Just Thought I'd share some favorite posts and articles I have come across lately :)

• 5 reasons we don't homeschool: a well rounded reasoning behind homeschooling.  We haven't talked a whole lot about what we want to do when we reach that decision in our lives, but I am not taking homeschooling off the table (my husband is strongly opposed, hmmm...wonder why -that is a rant for another day).
• How to build your housekeeping muscle 6 helpful 'how to' points to stick to when it comes to cleaning house.  I hate to admit that I do not clean like I would like to, but thought these were some good points to keep in mind.
• Dale Cooper Thinks You Should Drink More Coffee I am probably showing my ignorance, but I have no idea who Dale Cooper is, however, I do love a good cup of coffee and drink a cup (or two, or three) daily. So, naturally I like to hear how good for me it is :)
• 3 things I wish I knew before we got married: spoiler alert #1 = marriage is not about living happily ever after, shocker, I know. I am such a sucker for all of these marriage posts, its hard work, but so incredibly rewarding :)
• Girl Talk: Only Runners Understand Loved these, I am not alone! :)
• How to Look Rich LOVED this post, such a good reminder that class doesn't come from designer pieces or require big money to acheive. 
• How Does One Get The Polished Look Similar to the above link, loved this quote:

• You got rid of the impossible dream to be Grace Kelly, now get rid of all those lists that say you need X perfect pieces to be well-dressed. I’m talking about that crisp white shirt, that trench coat, that pencil skirt, and the little black dress. Yes, these are great pieces for many women, but not all women. You’re an artist, you’re a weekend warrior, your wedding registry was at R.E.I., you have more curves than Marilyn Monroe, you live hundreds of miles from a city and heck, it never rains where you live. 

• How to Shop Sticking to Budget I always love reading blog posts about budgeting. So often 'shopping on a budget' posts are disappointing at best, but this was a good one.  One thing I do a lot is play 'would you rather' which often ends up going like this:
• which would you rather have – that It Bag, or a sushi and sake date night with your mate once a month for a year? Which would you rather own – the perfect pair of black leather pumps, or six pairs of sandals from Payless? Which is more important, your morning Starbucks, or a pair of riding boots? Break down the price of the item and compare it to other items in your life.
•  I also liked this quote a whole lot, especially pertaining to all of our Dave Ramsey talk lately.
• A woman should get fitted for a new bra every year. She should have the perfect LBD in her wardrobe to be ready for unexpected social events. And she should be able to sleep well at night, knowing full well what is going on with her finances. The best accessory I acquired was getting out of debt – the best accessory any woman can wear is self-confidence, and confidence comes from being true to one’s self, feeling strong, and being financially solvent.
• The World's Weirdest Fitness Tips & Tricks I know a few of these are legit, it would be pretty crazy if they all were, who knows!
• 10 Foods Sold in the US that are Banned Elsewhere I love America as much as any patriot, but would argue we seriously fall short as a country in keeping our food, hygiene and pharmaceuticals safe.  

How to Cure Your Sugar Hangover

I hate to admit it, but I have fallen off the eat for health bandwagon numerous times since Halloween.
From baking sweet treats, to filling our home (and fridge) with them and everywhere in between I have been absolutely failing in the "make good choices" department.

I thought I would explain the physiology behind my series of bad decisions, with the hopes that harping on them will help to turn me away from my sickening and fattening ways.

First, we must stop the cycle.

When you eat too much sugar, it enters your body & is converted to glucose, which enters your bloodstream.  Those simple sugars are easily processed, so there is A LOT of glucose entering your bloodstream very quickly. That increase in blood glucose (sound familiar?) causes your pancreas to create more insulin to help deal with the excess glucose in your system.  Unfortunately, that glucose is used up quickly, which causes a crash.  Your body is working on over drive to handle that sugar and once the sugar is all used up, it takes your pancreas a little while to decrease insulin production.

What does excess insulin cause? It makes you hungry quickly, but more importantly, it makes you crave more and more sugary foods. Aha! There it is, its not you just being "weak" there is a chemical component to it.

The key to interrupting this vicious cycle is to resist the impulse.  Try to fill your diet with things that are more difficult for the body to digest and will help your body level things out.  Protein, fiber, and even good fats are where you want to look.  These will curb your hunger without continuing the depressing sugar craving cycle.

Not only is your blood sugar out of whack, but the bacteria and yeast living in your body are also thrown off.  Both love feeding on those simple sugars, and when they are in the body in excess, those colonies flourish.  Stopping the sugar helps this, but probiotics to restore the balance and put the yeast and bacteria back in check are also helpful.

So, application:
1. Eat good protein, fiber, and fats
(think veggies, lean meats, and legumes)
2. Up the water intake.
The water will help you to flush that excess junk out of the blood and fight dehydration. (Thank you kidneys!)

I loved this article (this post was pretty much a summary)
And the book Skinny Bitch is another that skimming always helps me get back on course!

Summing things up:

source
I need to get my act together before these cute little guys arrive on the scene!

source

Happy Tuesday!

Bringing in the Holidays with You've Got Mail

Here it is, apparently now my annual whimsy nostalgic You've Got Mail blog post.

I love it, somehow it just puts romance and excitement into the holiday season.

I picture Kathleen Kelly in all of the hustle and bustle and her relaxed, smiley disposition throughout the movie.  Her femininity and transparency is what I most love.

I conclude all over again that I want to be Kathleen Kelly when I grow up.

Someday ;)

"People are always telling you that change is a good thing. But all they're really saying is that something you didn't want to happen at all... has happened."

Happy Weekend!

Halloween, Holidays, and Hospitality

In a world where excuses are so simple to make, I am attempting to avoid them all together. In my diet, exercise, academics, relationships and most of all spiritual life.

An attempt to eliminate excuses manifested itself last night in the way of hospitality.  In our life right now, we had every excuse in the book to avoid opening our home, but we stepped out of our comfort zone and did anyway.  The results were so refreshing.

We opened our little one bedroom to ~15 guests last night for a night to celebrate Halloween and carve some pumpkins! In my usual fashion, it was an under-photographed event unfortunately (something I would also like to work on).  The menu I set out was:

Chocolate Reese's Pieces Pretzels

Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
(Not my picture, obviously)

With sour gummi worms, candy corn, and hot apple cider :)

Everyone brought all sorts of other treats and ended up being one big sugar high.

Despite all of our poor dietary choices, the night was exactly what I needed to re-charge my batteries and get out of my whiny I'm-so-ready-to-graduate rutt.  Not only was it a good night, but it was very clear the Lord was teaching me through it.

We went to Chipotle for dinner as Pumpkin & Pi for some boo-ritos :)

I love entertaining.  I dream of having a beautiful home someday because I dream of opening it to others, welcoming them in, and showing the Love Christ has afforded our family through the love and joy we impart.

I dream of my home someday being a comfortable place, not a perfect place, but a safe place.  A place where people can come and know no fronts or Kevlar necessary.

I felt convicted that "someday" is now.  We could sit around our whole lives planning for "someday." Right now we have been so blessed with a wonderful location and sweet home.  Small and busy are two terrible excuses not to take the plunge of entertaining that I feel the Lord has put in my heart.  Life will always be busy and while the size of our home might not always be my insecurity, there will always be some insecurity the enemy will sneak into my head.

While this sounds slightly dramatic and pretty insignificant, it was a big step for me.  My husband was not on my page at first. He graciously agreed to move forward with my proposed plans however, and in the end, we were both glad things happened as they did.

Anyway, the moral of the story is that 1) excuses are exactly that, excuses and 2) hospitality is like anything else, it requires practice and the longer you go without doing it, the easier it will be to believe those excuses.

I read this blog post a sweet friend posted on Facebook yesterday and wanted to share it also, with Thanksgiving quickly approaching, it reminded me of the blessings in my life and to thank the Lord for them every. single. day. because things can change so quickly. I am so challenged to "consider it all joy," even the situations that seem less than ideal. Please keep that sweet family in your prayers, they have stood strong in such adversity.

Happy Friday!