Two of the many things on my mind today

So my new resolution to write in my blog more didn't really happen, did it?  Well I won't make any promises to do better but I will say that I will try to do better :)  A couple of things are on my mind right now, well actually a lot more then a couple.  I thought that I would share a little. 

First and foremost!! My grand daughter, Avery Clair Williard, will be here tomorrow!!  Yay!!  I can not wait to see that sweet little face!!  So if you are reading this before 5:00 pm on July 27th, please say a pray that everything go well.  If it is after she is born you can still pray :)  Pray for health of Avery and healing for Kristy.

On a MUCH different subject:  I am not an outspoken political person.  I hate how politics divide people and bring out some very ugly sides of people.  And this subject isn't really a political one but some have made it one such as the mayors of Chicago and Boston.  It is about the stuff going on with Chick-fil-A.  I have heard a little bit about it but not much until today when I was ready facebook.  I'm sure you know all about it but Dan Cathy who's father started Chick-fil-A, spoke out on his views concerning family and same sex marriage.  He is against it and believes the family should be as the bible says it should, one man and one women.  Because of this many people are blasting him and the company and saying they won't eat there and saying really mean things.  Here is why this troubles me. 
1.  I believe that same thing as Dan Cathy.  I can not speak for him but I would not be surprised if he was to say he does not hate those who do not believe the same as him.  As for myself, I believe God calls us to love ALL people.  Here are a few verses that state this:
Zechariah 8:17
do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD."

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

John 15:12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

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I don't always like stances people take and sins people commit.  But guess what.  I have sins in my life as well.  And God promises to never leave me in spite of those sins because I have accepted Him as my savior.  I think if God can love the sinner so should everyone.  I am not just saying that Christians are above everyone and should love everyone I am saying every one has sins in their life and everyone, despite your views, should respect each other and not start name calling and judging.

2.  God gave us free will.  Sometime I think that it would be easier if God just made all my decisions for me.  But then I would never rely on God for help and He wants me to ask Him for help.  If we didn't have free will we could not have that free will to accept Him into our lives.  So we have free will to make the decisions that shape us.  Of course God wants our decisions to be in line with His word. But sometimes people choose differently.  That does not mean we should wish them ill or hate them.

3. We live in a country that gives us freedom of speech, and religion.  If mayors are going to start shutting down businesses that don't have the same values as them then where does that leave our freedom in this country?  See while the owner of Chick-fil-A does not agree with same sex marriage and relationships his restaurant will still serve and employ those with a different view. This is not the message that those mayors and others like that are giving.  They are saying if you don't believe like me you don't deserve to have a business that employs people and feeds people and helps the economy.  Also, I know the company gives back to the community.  I know our local one is doing a school supply drive and they do other things as well.  There are a lot of businesses that believe differently then the Chick-fil-A owners do that do not give back.

I am not a very good writer and I am sure that I have committed a lot of grammatical and spelling errors in this blog but I just wanted to convey my sadness on all the hate I see because people do not agree.  I feel like if you don't agree with me or chick-fil-a that is fine. We can still get a long.  If you choose to not go someplace that has a different value then yours that is fine, I will do the same. But unless it is causing harm I don't think we should try to ruin the business like some are doing with Chick-fil-A.  I am not worried about them.  God will see them through this.  I believe they will prosper.  And there are more ways to prosper them monetarily. 

Ultimately, God does not like sin whether it be same sex relationships or lying or gossiping or disobeying the laws such as speeding (we all do it from time to time).  But He still loves everyone and He sent His son to die for everyone. I hope you understand that I am not saying that we should accept sin and not strive to live as sinless as we can.  We have to stand up for what we believe in.  But we shouldn't do it in hate.  I have had lots of friendships with people who view things differently then me.  Do I become joined at the hip with those who believe completely opposite then me? No.  But we can still show respect for one another.  If they ask me my opinion I will give it to them without judgement.  I wish others would do the same.

When I am weak, then I am strong!!

9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. http://esv.to/2Cor12.9-10

Wow, this passage hit me like a ton of bricks yesterday at church!!  I have been going through a time of insecurity and doubts about what God wanted me to do.  Feeling sad and depressed and well, wallowing  in self pity, to be honest. I had hurt feelings and I dwelt on it!!  I knew satan was using it to distract me from focusing on God and I was trying to combat that but the key word there is "I".  What I should have been doing was resting on the power of Christ!!!  He gave us this wonderful reassurance that His grace is sufficient for us and that power is made PERFECT in weakness!!!  So often we view weakness as a negative however, when do we most rely on God?  When we are weak!!  We should do what the next part says and "boast all the more gladly" when we are weak.  That is when God can do His work because we get out of the way!!  Then and only then can we be content.  That is when we are strong.  Not through our own abilities but through God's!!!!! Amen and Praise the Lord!!!!!!

Being transformed from the inside out

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. http://bible.us/2Cor3.18.NASB

I have a devotional called "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young.  This devotional shares the words Jesus laid on Sarah’s heart.  I can not tell you how many times the words for that day was exactly what I needed to hear for the things I was going through at that time.  Today was no different.

I have struggled with self image for years.  Today was a reminder that I need not worry about what the outside looks like because I am being transformed on the inside through my relationship with Him.  How many times do we fret and stew and pout because we don't like what our outside looks like but we don't have a thought about fixing our mind on Him and becoming transformed in His Glory.  When we are fully fixed on Him and we are totaling listening to what He is telling us to do, act, and live then the rest will fall into place.  I admit that I spend a lot more time depressed about what I look like or what others think of me then I do spending time in His word and applying those words to my life.  Here is what was written for today:

        Let my love enfold you in the radiance of My Glory.  Sit still in the Light of My Presence and receive My Peace.  These quiet moments with Me transcend time, accomplishing far more than you can imagine.  Bring Me the sacrifice of your time, and watch to see how abundantly I bless you and your loved ones.

       Through the intimacy of our relationship, you are being transformed from the inside out.  As you keep your focus on Me, I form you into the one I desire you to be.  Your part is to yield to My creative work in you, neither resisting it nor trying to speed it up.,  Enjoy the tempo of a God-breathed life by letting Me set the pace.  Hold My hand in childlike trust, and the way before you will open up step by step.

I didn't intend to write the whole thing but didn't know where to stop cause it was all good :)  I hope this spoke to you as it did me.  I highly recommend this book.  They also have an app for smart phones with the daily readings.  Here is the link:  http://thejesuscallingapp.com/  

I would love to hear how God is transforming you from the inside out.  Feel free to leave a comment :)  

Have a great day!!!

Traci 

I love my Kuerig......

I am sure there are some new Keurig users out there.  We bought one for my daughter for Christmas and then my husband got one for me.  I LOVE it!!!   However, I quickly found out that those little Kcups can add up.  You know, the ones that are pre filled with coffee.  The ones that make life so convenient because you just pop the little thing in the machine, push a button and in about a minute you are sipping on your fresh brewed cup of coffee. I can be running late but while I am getting my purse gathered and coat on my coffee is brewing, I just grab it and go. But I think it is around 50 or 60 cents a cup, maybe more.  Now I know that is slightly cheaper than McDonalds and much cheaper then coffee house lattes but still it can get expensive.  Especially if you are drinking several cups a day.  So I bought one of those My Kcup things.  It has a permanent filter in it but sometimes grounds found their way into my cup and I didn't think it was as good, still good but I liked the Kcups better.  Plus you had to pop out the housing for the Kcups and slip in the My Kcup.  Not a huge deal but still.......  anyway I was browsing on Amazon and came across these little caps that you put on your used Kcups after filling them with your coffee.  They were pretty cheap and the reviews were all positive (I always look at the reviews).  They are called DisposaKup Lids.  So I ordered them. Here is what I got:

Just the lid, not the cup.  I got 100 lids and I love them.  So this is how they work.  After you have brewed your coffee from the Kcup you bought at the store, you take off the foil top, rinse out the coffee and let it dry.  So I started this when I ordered mine so I had a few saved up when the lids arrived.  This is what it will look like once it is dry.------>  See the little filter in there?  Keeps all the coffee in the pod, none will make their way into your cup :)  After you have some cups ready you just put your own coffee in and pop on the cap.  Sometimes the caps can be tough to put on till you get the hang of it.  They fit tight which is good.  It needs to handle the pressure of the water that makes Keurig coffee so good but it also can be a challenge.  I found that walking my fingers around the lid while pushing up from the bottom of the cup worked for me.  Don't squeeze the cup because they will collapse on you.  I fill about 4-6 up at once so they will be ready for me when I want my Starbucks house blend coffee.  When I do I just pop it into the machine like my purchased cups.  I always line up the punctured hole on the bottom with the needle in the machine so I don't have more then one hole in the bottom of the cup so there is not extra water coming out.  I don't know if it matters but I read that in one of the reviews.  When you are done the lid will have a hole in the top.  If I am making a second cup (or 3rd or 4th......) I just reuse the lid and cup.  Save even more money :)

Here is a picture of my coffee basket.  It was on sale at Michael's for 40% off and much cheaper then one of those holders Keurig makes.  Plus I have my tea and sweetener in there and sugar bowl.  Everything is much neater then it was before.  So enough of my rambling on about coffee.  If you have any Keurig tips I would love to hear them.

Traci

Why I decided to blog again....

You may have heard of this little web site called Pinterest. A few people use it now :) Well, I have been one of those and as you know it can really take up a day. But I have loved following the links to blogs of some wonderful people. People that are giving us helpful household tips, decorating advice, event planning help and so on. And on some of them you feel like you are getting to know the author of the blog. One blog I follow, A Merry Life is written by a young lady that has a weight loss blog. She met her now husband through blogging and I have watched them get engaged and now married and her adventures of moving from Tennessee to New Zealand.

It got me thinking, I am getting to share in someones life I have never met and chances are I never will. Wouldn't it have been cool if my grandparents would have had a blog. I would have gotten to know them as young loves, young parents and eventually grandparents. I would have loved to see and hear about their everyday lives.

Well, I am going to be a grandparent this summer!! I am so excited. I hope that I get to live close to all my kids and their kids for the rest of my life but reality is, that may not be in God's plans. So, if I am consistent and stay with this, I hope that no matter if we live near or far, they can read some of my ramblings one day and I can teach them things about me and about what I have learned in this life. Of course I plan on being in their "Real Life" but sometimes I may just put down a thought or two that will give them a glimpse into my life that they would not otherwise see.

Well, I don't know if this makes sense but for now I will just blog about who knows what. I may share a bible verse God has shown me. Maybe a story about my day, or I may share an idea I have or a recipe I found. I may show you my latest Pinterest project. Maybe a picture or two may appear.

Join me if you would like. I'd love the company :)

Uh Oh! I gained

I have been telling myself that when the time came I would be ok.  I would just get back on the program and put it behind me.  Well, today I was put to that test.  I gained 1.6 pounds.  Grrr!!  Was I surprised?  No!  Was I disappointed and want to cry? YES!!  But the truth is I went to the meeting expecting it.  Why? Because this week I was not on the program like I should have been.  I had cake at work.  Not just once but 3 times this week.  And I didn’t have a small taste.  They were my normal before Weight Watchers pieces. The pieces with the most butter cream frosting.  I also didn’t eat enough filling foods – salads, fruits, whole grains.  And I am definitely not drinking enough water.  As a matter of fact I had several diet cokes this week.  So my gain didn’t just come out of the blue!  Truth is, I needed this kick in the pants to get me on track. I have not been tracking my foods either.  Up till now I have lost every week even when I was less then perfect but this week I was extra less then perfect.  Today was a good test for me.  What would I do with this gain?  I thought about just eating all the fattening foods I have been missing this weekend and telling myself I would get back to it Monday.  But why risk it?  In the end I decided to consider it a lesson learned and get back to the program TODAY!!  It doesn’t mean that I will deprive myself of the little dietary pleasures of life for the rest of my life.  That would just cause me to binge later.  No, I will enjoy cake every once in a while but I will have one small piece and savor every bite.  I will have a diet coke with my lunch or dinner but I will follow it with 1 extra glass of water.  Several little things that will add up to losses and not gains.  It is all part of the lifestyle change I have committed to.  I have lost 32 pounds.  It was 33.6 but now it’s 32.  That’s ok.  It is 32 pounds that I was carrying around with me before the first of May.  Now it is gone and next week I hope to add 2 more pounds gone to that 32 pounds.  I am going to look to the future and learn from the past.

My New Adventure

I have never considered myself an athlete. I like sports and enjoyed playing softball and basketball and tennis in my younger days but an athlete? Not really. I definitely never thought of myself as a runner!! I didn't particularly enjoy walking for exercise either so running was never in my plans or things I wanted to do when I grew up.

Well, never say never. About 8 weeks ago my best friend, Lisa was telling me that she had taken up running. She was using a program called Couch to 5k. I listened and loved her excitement and supported her but didn't really consider it to be something I would do. I had just started Weight Watchers and I knew that I was going to have to incorporate exercise into my new lifestyle if I wanted lasting success but what would that be? I really can't tell you exactly how I decided to give it a try but one day after talking to her and reading a couple of post on the WW message boards I decided to look up this program on the computer. I started reading and before I knew it I was strapping on my shoes and out the door I went. The first week you run/jog 60 seconds and walk for 90 seconds. You do this 8 times. Do you know how long 60 seconds is?? A lot longer then you think if you are running and think you are going to die before the end of the 60 seconds. On the other hand the 90 seconds of walking went too fast. Before I knew it I was having to jog again. Also I was trying to watch the time on my iPod which was not working out so good. But, in 30 minutes I had completed Week 1 Day 1 of my new adventure. And it felt good. Soon it became too hot and I moved to running on a treadmill at the YMCA. Also I had found out through Lisa that I could download a podcast that would tell me when to walk and when to run. Oh what a difference that made. (Here is the link if you would like it http://www.ullreys.com/robert/Podcasts/ )

I have just finished week 6 of my training and I can say that I feel like a runner. I am not a fast runner by any means but I love it!! I never thought that was possible but here I am actually looking forward to my runs. Friday I just completed my 25 minute run. I remember when I didn't think I could increase to 90 seconds or 3 minutes but now here I am running 25 minutes straight. One of my very favorite moments was in Week 5. Lisa and I are scrapbookers and I was having a crop on the day that we were scheduled to do our first 20 minute run. We were both nervous that we wouldn't make it. This would at least double our longest runs. She lives in another town and was coming down to go to my crop and I had an idea. I said "Why don't you come down early and we will go to the Y and run this thing before we go to the crop?) So she did some rearranging of her schedule and she came down. I was so excited to have her by my side. So we jumped on the treadmills and away we went. First 5 minutes--not bad. Next 5--halfway there but having to talk my feet into not stopping. Having Lisa there to run with me helped. This is a big journey for both of us. When I didn't think I could make it I would look over at Lisa and get the encouragement I needed to continue on. Before I knew it we were at the end of 15 minutes. 5 left. I thought, I can do this. I'll just pretend I am just starting a 5 minutes run. Pretty soon I am counting down from 1 min left and getting excited!! We did it!!! Thank you Lord!!! My family has also been a great source of encouragement for me. They have cheered me on. I couldn't do this without the support I get from family and friends.

I got a Nike+ and new Nike+ running shoes. The Nike+ is a little sensor you put in your shoes and it records the stats of your runs. My girls and I are challenging each other to do the most miles. I started using it on June 20th and as of today, July 4, 2009 I have done 18.05 miles and burned 2950 calories. I love coming home and putting my iPod on the computer and recording my times and distances. I am not a fast runner at all. My average pace is 15.39 minutes per mile but hey that is more then I was doing 8 weeks ago!! Who knows, one day I might be running in a real 5k. I am getting the bug but know I am not ready yet but I will be. And when I am I will be out there running. I am not there yet but as I have said I'm Getting There!!