Rip It Like A Band-Aid

I don’t know about you, but even though spring is here, I’m having a hard time mustering up the energy to do any type of spring cleaning.  The weather has been great.  The windows are open and a nice breeze is making its way through the house. The aroma from the lilacs my daughter picked is filling up the kitchen.  Birds are melodiously chirping out my back window.  Come on!  What is it going to take for me to find the energy to utilize a day like this?!

Every now and then it doesn’t matter how ideal the conditions are, we just can’t seem to find the energy to spend it the way we intend to.  Don’t get me wrong, sitting back with a glass of lemonade and enjoying this time of year is a great thing, but we all know it isn’t feasible to sit around ALL season long!  Perhaps the best thing to do is rip it like a Band-Aid.  Stop thinking about what needs to be done and just do it.  I can promise you, as I write this snuggled in my bed at 1:00 in the afternoon, the last thing I feel like doing is springing off the mattress and diving into the dust on our bookshelves.  But look at the bright side, the end of the day will be that much sweeter if we can complete a task that has been hanging over our head for weeks.

Do you have something on your to-do list that you keep putting off?  Don’t let it continue to pull you down for another week.  Rip it like a Band-Aid.  Rest assured, it will only sting for a second.  :)

~L

This Is Not Reality!

I walked past this Barbie, and had to think, “Get a ReaLitY cHeCk!” I’m not talking to myself here and I’m certainly not talking to you, but rather those responsible for selling us this bill of goods – the media, pop culture, Hollywood, and anyone else wanting us to believe the insidious lie that we need to look this perfect.

To PuT it iN pErSpEcTive, consider this:  Could you look like this Barbie (or the picture perfect celebrities we see gracing the covers of magazines in the grocery store checkout isles) if:

You had a full-time hairdresser and makeup artist getting you ready every day?  Well, “Maybe.” You say, but I’m _____ pounds overweight, so “Maybe not.”  I’m glad you brought that up because I failed to mention that you also have a personal trainer who monitors your daily exercise, weight, etc.  They even make house calls.  Exercise not producing the desired results?  Plastic surgery isn’t just an option; it’s a WaY of LiFe for you, Baby!

You’re thinking that you’re getting closer, but still there’s the issue of eating right.  Not to worry, because you also have aT yOuR diSpoSaL a dietitian who will carefully plan your meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner, so that you know you are eating the right amounts of protein, carbs, and fats.  I can hear you saying, “That’s all well and good, but I get home from work exhausted, needing to cook dinner, my kids have activities and homework, I have to pay the bills, pick up the house, schedule appointments, and shop for groceries.”  Not to worry, because although you may work hard, you have a chef, a nanny, a personal assistant, a chauffeur, a manager, as well as someone who shops for you, pays the bills for you, cleans for you, picks up your messes, and yes, eVeN tHinKs fOr yoU.

Now before anyone gets upset thinking I’m blasting these women who live this life, understand that my criticism is targeted not at them or their lifestyle, but rather at the ImPosSibLe and uNreAlisTic sTanDaRd that is projected on women by society.  If you have acquired these kinds of resources, use them for God’s glory and thank God for them.

However, most women do not have the resources that these extremely affluent women have.  Instead, they dO tHe BeSt they can with what they have.  This is their reality.  They are married, single, divorced, widowed, with children, without children.  Women who cook, clean, pay the bills, deal with financial pressures, grocery shop, wipe snotty noses, cart kids around, make appointments, and manage all the other affairs of their household.  Its no wonder that they have little if any time to think about themselves.

This reminds me of the ProVerbs 31 Woman. If you get a chance today, I encourage you to take a few minutes to read it.  You may see yourself on these pages. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs%2031&version=NIV

But notice how the standard is not perfection and outward beauty.  Verse 30 says it all:

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

What a breath of FrEsH AiR! Finally a standard that is actually possible to attain!!

~Robynn

It’s Never Too Late

Well, we are over half way through Lent and I wish I could tell you that this year’s experience was the best one ever. Unfortunately I’ve struggled a bit this year, and to be honest, there is no good excuse why. I always have GOOD intentions throughout the day but life seems to be too big of a distraction to F O C U S on God. How sad is that!? It’s easy to feel guilty for not spending enough time with God and not giving Him the thanks He deserves, for my bLeSSinGs are plentiful. At this point it would be easy to pack it in this spring and try again this Christmas…

LUCKLY, God knows our hearts and if we are paying attention, he will give us the MoTiVaTiOn we need to keep going. Doug and I were reading our nightly “Word Among Us” meditations for April 5 and the reading couldn’t have spoken more directly to me.

“…we can begin to experience God’s presence and grace as a tiny trickle that grows wider and deeper as we yield to it. As we wade more deeply into his life, we can experience God nourishing us and healing us…We will prosper in this river, for it promotes and support every sort of life, even lives like ours! …Why not step into the river today? Ask Jesus to lead you. He will start you gently, in the shallow end, where the water is ankle deep. And every day he will take you one step further, bringing you into ever-deepening waters that can HEAL, empower, forgive, and restore you. Just follow his lead each day and soon enough, you’ll be swimming!”

No matter how fast Easter is approaching, it isn’t too late to start wading in the water. Come join me at the river—

~L

“Enjoy The Journey Because, You’re Gonna Miss This” – The Challenge (Wk. 2)

 

 

You’re gonna miss this

You’re gonna want this back

You’re gonna wish these days

Hadn’t gone by so fast

 

These are some good times

So take a good look around

You may not know it now

But you’re gonna miss this

 

     The above words are the chorus to country singer Trace Adkins’, “You’re Gonna Miss This”.  I’ll have to admit I get a little cHoKeD uP every time I hear this song or see the video.  It seems that we get so caught up in the future that many times we wish our lives away.

     It’s so easy as you set out to accomplish a dream or make your life better in some way to get too focused on the destination and not EnJoY tHe jOurNey.  I can speak from experience that I don’t always “stop and smell the rOsEs”.  Maybe your life is far from perfect and to be perfectly honest, a big mess.  Maybe you are eyeing some pretty big challenges or seemingly impossible dreams that will take some time to overcome or achieve.

     Remember this:  regardless of where you are on your journey, this is your OnE LiFe, the only one you get.  So take the time to enjoy the sWeeT PleAsuRes along the way because many of them are not permanent fixtures, but rather fleeting vapors.

     What are the simple pleasures in your life?  A dear fRieNd?  A job you love, but that doesn’t pay that great?  Good health?  Relationships with family and friends?  Your children?  I know for me, I it will be a sad day when those flip flops get put on the right foot (and between the right toes!) 100% of the time. 

     The point is that where ever you may be on your journey, if you look around you can see GoD’s liTtLe  bLeSsinGs.  Embrace them, enjoy them, and savor them, because some day, you’re gonna miss this.

 

~Robynn

 

P.S.  A book that I really like regarding this topic is, “Enjoying Where You Are On The Way To Where You’re Going”by author Joyce Meyer.  In it she specifically talks about enjoying our self, as imperfect as we are, while God is changing us.  Not an easy thing to do.

 

Enjoy Trace’s video, “You’re Gonna Miss This”:    

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBDN8yWyNYU

 

Green Apples

Trying to eat hEaLtHy snacks?  This has worked like a ChArM for my family and me.  Place fruit in a pretty bowl or basket and then strategically locate it in a HiGh tRaFfiC area.  (Or use as an accessory on the kitchen table or a side table in your great room.) In my case, our high traffic area is our island where we eat our meals and snacks, as well as CoLoR, draw, play with PlAy dough, etc.  My kids know that this is one food they can help themselves to without asking.  My husband and I also find that we eat lots of aPpLeS and BaNaNaS because they are constantly in front of us.  You can also place veggies such as bags of cArReTs on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator so when your kids open the door, VoiLa!!      

And by the way, don’t worry if you find that ALL the apples have ONE bite taken out of them.  Offer to cut them up in slices instead of having your kids eat them whole.

~Robynn

To Get Out You Have To Go Through

Can I be not only honest, but also transparent here and say, I’m in a 9-month “fuNk”?  Have you been there?  My guess is yes, because that’s life.  There are MoUnTaiNtOpS and vAlleYs and everything in BetweeN.   

At first you try to do everything you know to do.  Maybe there is just a slight adjustment you need to make.  For example, if you are hitting the wall in your career maybe you attend a motivational conference, get additional tRaiNing or search for a new job.  If you’re struggling in a relationship, maybe you work on being a better listener.  But, then there are those times where you have tried everything you know and still, no PrOgReSs.

In these times God feels like He is a zillion miles away, your prayers seem to make it no further than the ceiling and nothing seems to work regardless of how hard you try.  These are the “dark nights of the soul”.  And if we are honest, they hurt.  You would cry, if you could, but you can’t even seem to do that. 

My confidence and fAiTh in this whole process is that “This too shall PaSs.”  I’ve been down this road before and because I have the experience under my belt I know this isn’t “fOrEver.”  I also know that the only way out is to go through.  Because of this confidence, I know I will OveRcOmE.  It’s like that first heartbreak.  You think you will never survive.  But next time around, although you may be heartbroken, you now know that you will be OK.

The apostle Paul fully understood the need to PeRsEvEre and eNdUrE.  In Philippians 3:14 (NIV), he said, “I press on toward the gOaL to win the PriZe for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  The word “press” here, implies that a force is resisting his forward movement.  What’s resisting your forward movement?  Lack, sorrow or grief, defeat, discouragement, depression, addiction, bad habits, afflictions, trouble?     

If you are experiencing the “dark nights of the soul”, take heart.  The valley won’t last forever.  There are mountaintops ahead, but until then. . .

Press on Baby, Press on!! 

~Robynn

Goodbye Joneses! Hello Freedom!

So here’s the truth: I have never considered myself to be a very good writer.  When I first started blogging (1 month ago!) it was easy to give up b/c of the following thoughts:  What if people think my posts are horrible?  What if someone thinks I’m not very SmArT?  What if people look at my pictures and think I’ve gained weight since they saw me last? Writing is a bit out of my CoMFOrT zone, BUT I’m never going to be a good writer unless I work at it and have someone critique me.  Society influences makes us think we need to be perfect.  The thing is, look how many of these thoughts keep us from doing what we really want to do?

Yesterday I wrote about living on a budget.  For a moment you may have considered taking a deeper look at your own finances.  Then, after a few minutes, you talked yourself out of it b/c your thoughts sounded something like this: “What if I traded in my new car for something older and used that money to pay off my credit cards?  Forget it…I can’t bear to look silly driving a car that is more than 5 years old!”  We’ve talked a lot about ‘what would you do if you knew you could not fail?’  So many of the reasons why we never attempt to answer that question is because we are so worried about what everyone else thinks. The thing is, what does it really matter what others think?  Can you really call the people who don’t support you “F R I E N D S“?  Why surround yourself with people that aren’t going to encourage and support you in doing what is best for YOU?  This is YOUR LIFE. You have the power to choose how you want to live it.  Don’t give in to society.  Follow what is in your heart.

So whatever life change you want to make (drastic or not), remind yourself of WHY you are doing it.  Don’t live in misery b/c of what you think everyone else thinks! Don’t limit yourself on the things you want to accomplish b/c the Joneses are standing on your doorstep. I’ve been there too.  It’s okay.  It’s normal.  Acknowledge  this challenge and ChAnGe your way of thinking to take control of your life.  Focus on what is going to bring peace and happiness in YOUR life regardless of what the Joneses think.  Get excited about feeling F R E E and the rest will come.  Trust me. :)

~L

*By the way, this is a  picture of me and my daughter taken by my husband this evening  :)

F R E E D O M is F U N!

Life on a Budget

Let me tell ya, the word “budget” was not in our vocabulary when Doug and I got married 5 years ago. Like many newly married couples we graduated from college, moved to a new city, got good jobs and spent money on the weekends rewarding ourselves for all of our HaRd WorK.  BUT about 3 months after living like that we couldn’t seem to figure out why our checking account wasn’t increasing?!  We knew our paychecks were coming in every 2 weeks, but where were they going?  The only way to find out was to write down everything we spent for the entire next month.  Which we did…and oh was that a wake-up call!

After seeing that in 1 MONTH we spent over $275 eating out and over $400 in gas (not to mention the large amount we spent on household items, clothes, entertainment, etc) we knew something had to change.  We didn’t want to live paycheck to paycheck and knew it was time to come up with a plan.

From that point forward we were committed to tracking every dollar we spent. To eliminate the chance of failing we did the following:

1)Create a monthly budget in an Excel spreadsheet (For example, click: Sample Finance Spreadsheet)

2) Hang the new spreadsheet on the FRIDGE w/ a mini-accordion file.  Label each section of the accordion file w/ a different category.

3) Every evening write the total amount spent for the day (in their categories) and then put the receipt in the appropriate section of the mini-accordion file.  If we didn’t have time to write on the sheet, attach the receipts on the cork-board.  Only put the receipts in the accordion file AFTER they are written on the sheet.

4) In the middle or end of each month transfer the numbers from the sheet to the excel file on your computer.  This will give you automatic calculations of how much you spent in each category—if your goals were met—how much you saved, etc.

5) At the end of each month transfer all of the receipts and the written spreadsheet into a large accordion file that has a section for each month.  This accordion file will contain all of the receipts and expenses info for the year and come in handy during tax season :)

Happy Budgeting!

~L

“Fueling Up” – The Challenge (Wk. 1)

If you began the challenge with us on April 1st, you already have a few days under your belt. CONGRATULATIONS!!

When taking a road trip you have to fuel up every so often.  During THE CHALLENGE, we will be “fueling up” on Mondays.  This day seems the most logical since it allows for a fresh start at the beginning of each week. Our purpose for “fueling up” will be to motivate, challenge, InSPirE, and encourage you. Feel free to share your “fueling up” tips by commenting on the bottom of this post!

Today’s Fueling Tip:

H.A.P. (Have A Plan) – Whatever your G O A L or dream, make sure you have a plan for TODAY, TOMORROW, AND THIS WEEK! Many times it’s easy to set the dream/goal, but not really have a plan to get there. Sure, you may want to get out of debt, get organized or lose some weight, but how in the world are you going to do that? Your plan needs to include the following:

· A breakdown of steps required to achieve your dream/goal (If your goal is getting out of debt, your steps may be: 1.) Get on a budget, 2.) Cut up credit cards, 3.) Read a Dave Ramsey book, 4.) Get a second job, 5.) Have a garage sale, etc.) – maybe you don’t know exactly everything that will be entailed, but try to come up with as many steps you can think of. You can adjust these steps as you go.

· A timetable for how long each step will take – Include specific dates for each step.

· What resources do you need to reach your goal – A SuPpOrT system – maybe this is a support group, an accountability partner, encouraging and inspiring books to read, time, advice from someone who has done what you are wanting to do, a class to learn a particular skill, workout clothes, a running partner, etc.

· Obstacles you will likely face along the way – Discouragement; temptation to spend money you know you shouldn’t; family gatherings where food is in abundance; no immediate results; slower progress than expected; unsupportive spouse, friends, family; etc.

· A “Plan B” – Your plan for adjusting and adapting to situations that don’t go as you had hoped (By the way, it’s almost a given that things won’t go as planned, so if you know this ahead of time you won’t be thrown off when it does. You can just adjust and move on!)

Did you see the theme “A*D*J*U*S*T” over and over? Yes, you are going to have to adjust. Research shows that those people who can adjust to adversity have a much better percentage at succeeding compared to those who can’t adjust. So, don’t get discouraged if things don’t go exactly as you would like. Just MOVE ON BABY, MOVE ON!

~Robynn