Author: Chrisy

Waiting

I am not a fan of waiting.

I don’t like waiting in line. I get frustrated waiting for my kids and husband to move. And waiting on someone else to finish what they are supposed to do so I can do my job, well, don’t get me started.

I am a go-getter. If I see that it needs to be done, I do it. If I know I am supposed to do something, I want to get it done.

So, waiting for something that I know is supposed to happen bugs me.

But I also am aware that when it comes to God’s call and timing, I am not the one in charge. And it has become a learning point for me over the last several years to wait on Him.

As I was reading from Love Does by Bob Goff last night, I ran across this paragraph that does a pretty good job of describing me.

I think God passes by me a lot, and it serves to show me the direction He’s going. We don’t always know where He’s headed or what to expect along the way. But I think direction is the point, the part, and whole of it. He wants followers, not just onlookers or people taking notes. Plus, I think God knows that if I found out more than just the direction He was going, I’d probably try to beat Him there. And if He spoke to me with something audible, I’d probably mess it up and mishear Him.

So I continue to wait for His next move. His next direction-giving moment in my life. Even though I get tired of waiting.

Is waiting easy for you?

A Path in the Right Direction

Seven years ago this month something happened. That January I began working on a Master’s Degree in Leadership and Ministry as part of following the call that I have heard. And that is a huge part of my story.

But something else happened that month as a result of starting that program.

I was convicted about how I was caring for my body (or not caring for as the case may be).

I was eating whatever I wanted. I was getting no exercise whatsoever. And it hadn’t even occurred to me that it was a problem.

And then the Lord reminded me of this scripture:

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (I Corinthians 6:19-20)

I was doing my best to honor God with my mind and with my heart, but nothing to honor him with my body. And that realization was enough for me to make some changes.

I started exercising again. I started being more conscious of what I was eating. A little over a year later, I ran my first 5K and 7 months after that, my first 1/2 marathon.

There have been ups and downs. I have done well with exercise and completely sloughed off. I have many months of good eating that somehow turn into a month of eating terribly. I have cut sugar, carbs, meat, dairy, and eggs out of my diet. I have let all of them creep back in at times.

But the one thing that hasn’t changed is this: I have never turned back. I may have wandered off course for a short period of time. But I have never turned back. I am always looking forward to what is next, how I can get better, more consistent, healthier, thinner; how I can pass on what I have learned and am learning to my family, to my children, to others who struggle with these issues.

I ate sweets over the holidays and I hate that I let them creep back in, but as has become my custom, they are banned from my diet again beginning Monday through my birthday in March. Last year my family joined me, they may do so again (we will talk about it this weekend). I ordered my first produce basket of 2013 today, so the fruits and veggies that I have been out of for a while will once again fill my refrigerator. A week from tomorrow, I begin the Goofy Challenge – running 39.3 miles in two days. The training for that has kept me mostly on track with exercise, but that isn’t an end-point. It is simply the end of this training run and then I will begin training for the Mini Indy 1/2 marathon I do each May.

My goal isn’t to be perfect. My goal isn’t to have a perfect body. My goal is to care for my body in a way that honors God. To eat healthy food that contributes to a healthy body. To exercise regularly which contributes both to a healthy body and a healthy mind (running is cheaper than therapy!).

So with that goal in mind, I continue on this path of health, with all the bumps, detours, and successes that come along with it.

Are you on the right path?

New Year. Same Reality.

It’s a new year. 2013. Remember when the year 2000 seemed like a huge deal?

Resolutions have been made. Some have already been broken. Hope is high for changes of all kinds.

At least it was yesterday.

Today we are back at work and back to whatever it is that makes up our “reality.”

For some it may be what feels like a dead-end job. For some it may be the snooze button on the alarm clock instead of getting up to exercise. For some it may be the fast-food burger instead of healthy salad. For some it may be overdue bills and creditor calls. For some it may be a marriage on life-support. For some it may be doctors and hospitals.

For most of us it is not exactly what we pictured our reality would be when we were growing up.

But no matter what it is, we have a choice: let our circumstances rule us, or let our faith buoy us in the midst of our circumstances.

Instead of lamenting about a job you hate, look for ways to love the people you work with just like Christ loves you.

Instead of beating yourself up about not exercising or eating right, choose to start again right now and pray for help.

Instead of worrying about bills, make sure you are not holding too tightly to your money and are giving to the Lord.

Instead of feeling sorry for yourself in your marriage, start working to show your spouse how much you love them, without expecting anything in return.

Instead of sitting alone in waiting rooms, strike up conversations with others who need to be shown hope.

How we respond to our reality shows what our true character is. And I want my character to be defined as Christ-like. I may not be happy with my day-to-day reality, but I won’t let circumstances rule my life. I will choose faith. I will choose hope. I will choose love.

What will you choose today?

 

Merry Christmas!

I am spending this week with my parents and missing my sisters and their families. That is because they are important people in my life and after spending most of our Christmas Eve’s together, it is still weird that we don’t anymore because we are spread so far apart.

But thanks to technology, we do get to see each other and talk to one another and of course text, so we don’t feel so far apart.

I used to sing this song with my middle sister, Stephanie, and it is a very precious Christmas song to me.

I pray that you will hold your family close – even if you are far apart – this Christmas, and hold your Savior even closer.

Merry Christmas!

Staying on the Wagon

For anyone who watches what they eat and spends regular time exercising, there are times of struggle.

And one of the biggest times comes over the next week.

Extra candy, cookies, and other assorted “fattening” foods abound during this holiday week.

It’s no wonder most people make a New Year’s Resolution to eat better, exercise more, or lose weight.

But rather than look back and feel disgusted with ourselves, why not look ahead and make a key decision now.

It’s okay to have a little “treat” over the holidays. It is not okay to have the whole package.

Give yourself permission to have one or two of your favorite cookies. But then put the lid on the container and stop. Make that choice.

I’m going to let myself have a piece of KFC Extra Crispy chicken on Christmas Eve. But I am not going to eat a whole bucket.  Nor am I going to desert my vegan eating habits for the entire week because of one piece of chicken.

If you can’t continue in your “regular” exercise pattern because of being out-of-town, or family being around, that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything. Fire up the Wii and play Just Dance with your family. Take a walk together one afternoon. Do something to stay active.

I don’t really get a choice over my vacation. I’m still training and my longest run has to be run so I can make sure I am ready for our race in 3 weeks.

Don’t make the holidays something you will regret come January 2. Enjoy your friends, family, a little rest and some good food. Just think further than the moment as you go through the holiday.

What’s your favorite holiday food that is hard to resist?

Telling Kids about Tragedy

Friday was a terrible day for Newtown, Connecticut and for our country. All of us felt pain, sadness, grief, anger and more. As parents, we all wanted to pick up our kids from school, hold them a little tighter, and never let them leave our sight again.

Words have been flying about gun control, mental illness, school security, and the like.

And I, like many of you I am sure, just kept trying to figure out how to tell my kids. I wanted them to know, but I didn’t want them to be afraid.

So this is what I told them.

  1. Always listen to your teachers. If they tell you to run, to hide, to be quiet or anything like that, just do it. No questions asked. They are looking out for you. They are trying to protect you. Listen to them and do what they say.
  2. Life is uncertain. We don’t know if we will survive the day. That is why we always live life to the glory of God, and one that is in right relationship with Him.
  3. Life is uncertain. No one knows if they will survive the day. That is why we always live life to the glory of God and SHARE that hope with those around us. We offer them the same certainty of eternal life that we have through Jesus Christ.
  4. Many parents are scared. They don’t want to send their kids back to school. They want to keep them close. They are living in fear. I love you (my children) and I don’t want to lose you. But I will not live a life hampered by fear and worry. I have entrusted you to God’s care, and if something happens to you, I will be sad. I will be grief-stricken. I will be devastated. But I will be okay. God will see me through. He has seen me through many heartaches in my life and he would see me through that. Jesus came so that we could live life to the full, not so we would be bound by fear and worry. That doesn’t mean I am not concerned for your well-being and safety, it just means I will not allow myself to be trapped in a cycle of fear and worry.
  5. I don’t want you to be scared either. I will do my best as a parent to keep you safe. Your teachers will do the same. You need to be aware that bad things happen in this world, and they could happen to you, but you do not need to fear them, because
  6. even though bad things happen, our God can redeem them. That doesn’t mean that he makes the bad things seem good. That doesn’t mean that it is a good thing when children die. It means that God can bring good out of any situation. He can use any circumstance to bring glory to Him. When my niece Vivian died after only 6 days of life, that wasn’t good in any way, shape, or form. But the way God has been able to use my sister, Stephanie, in the lives of other women who have lost children is good, and has brought much glory to God.
  7. I love you.

I have hugged them a little more. I have said I love you more often. I have smiled more and got on their case a little less.

I have been reminded that life is fleeting and we need to live life to the fullest.

And I am thankful to my God, who has blessed me with this life, with this family, and with these friends at this time.

I pray that we all would hold on to these things, pray for the families that have lost much, pray for the children and teachers left who are afraid, and speak with kindness and love for one another in the days ahead.

 

Monday Music and Merry Christmas!

On this Monday morning, when we are all trying to figure out how to make it through this next week leading up to Christmas, when we are all thinking about our kids at school today and praying that they are safe from harm, when we are all thinking about how to make this Christmas more meaningful to our families, I just want to share another of my favorite Christmas songs with you. Every time I listen to this song, I have a flood of memories – from Madrigal Dinners in high school, to the anticipation of being home with my family on Christmas Eve while in college, to quiet nights alone leading up to the holiday. The story he tells in the middle of the song always brings tears to my eyes. I also want to wish you, my readers, a very Merry Christmas, and share our family Christmas card (christmas letter 2012) with you.

 

Food is Necessary

I typically don’t have a problem with eating. I like food.

But in the last three or four weeks, I have had a problem. I can’t eat. I’m not hungry.

I have been sick with stomach issues that made it nearly impossible to eat, and now a nasty cold, which makes it hard to eat and breathe at the same time, but this started even before that.

I don’t know why, but I haven’t had an appetite at all. And when I don’t have an appetite, I don’t get hungry for anything in particular, and when I am not hungry for anything in particular, I don’t cook. And thus I don’t eat.

Which wasn’t too big of a problem last week when my stomach was hurting and would hurt worse anytime I ate because I wasn’t running.

But this week, I started running again since in less than a month I will be doing 39.3 miles in two days.

Tuesday wasn’t too bad, I made it through our 8 yassos (800 meters – 8 times – fast) without any issues.

Wednesday I ran the slowest 7 mile run I think I have ever run. My legs felt like lead. I had no energy.

Thursday I could barely make it up the four hills and run to the Annex and back.

It was at that point that I realized what I knew but had never experienced to this extent. If I am going to run, I have to eat. Apparently a protein shake, 1/4 cup of almonds, and a small plate of Orange-Scented Broccoli the day before isn’t enough to fuel a run.

But the problem comes when I try to eat and can’t. And I have a 14-mile run coming up on Sunday, so I am concerned about it. Can I do it? Can I make myself eat?

I really became aware of how much of an issue this is as I made three kinds of cookies last night. Typically I would constantly be snacking on the cookies as we decorate them. But I didn’t. I had a couple, but even then it was more of a taste-testing to make sure they turned out the way I like them rather than I want a cookie kind of feeling.

I am not sure what is going on with my body, but I need to figure it out so I can at least get enough fuel to finish out these last few weeks of training and for the race. Because I haven’t trained this hard and this long to fail here at the end.

Have any of you that are runners ever had an issue like this? If so, how did you get through it?

Christmas Lights and Heart Issues

Hi. I’m Chrisy, and I have a problem. I spend my evenings the weeks leading up to Christmas judging Christmas lights.

No one has asked me to, I just do it.

Some people do a wonderful job – lights of the same color, no flashing, tastefully done.

Others? Well, not so much. They mix colors. Different strands flash at different times. They go overboard on lights, displays, lawn ornaments, etc. What my son has deemed “over decorated.”

Why do I do this? I don’t know. I always have. Ask my high school friends. I used to comment about Christmas lights all the time. When they were put up too early (before Thanksgiving), kept up too long (past January 6), or not done “well,” I always had a comment. My personal opinion about someone else’s choice in Christmas light decor.

Is there anything wrong with doing that? Not necessarily. I do it in good fun with my family and one of my good friends. I’m not knocking on doors and telling people who their lighting choices need help. It’s something that for some reason I notice and at times comment on.

And yet, as I think about it, I wonder if that is how we are about people more often than not. When we see something we don’t “like” or something that doesn’t fit our definition of “right,” do we make snap judgments about those people? Are we quick to notice what we don’t like, and not so quick to look beyond what we see?

Is that what happened to Mary, this woman, pledged to be married to Joseph, who ended up pregnant before the wedding? What kinds of judgments were made about her? We know that her own betrothed planned to divorce her quietly after he found out, right up until an angel visited him in a dream. What did her parents think? Her close relatives? Her neighbors?

We all know that we are told not to judge, lest we be judged. And if you are like me, you try hard not to judge people. But it is hard. We all have our ideas of right and wrong, good and bad, and it is really hard not to hold others up to the impossible standards that we have set for ourselves and the rest of the world. But the reality is this, we don’t know the whole story. We don’t know where God is at work in ways we can’t see. We don’t know what people have been through to bring them to the place they are at this point in their lives. We don’t know their daily struggles, or their past hurts, or what they are facing tomorrow.

So, as I drive around looking at Christmas lights this year, I will try to remember that I don’t know everything. There may be deeper stories about why some people decorate they way they do. And as I walk through the grocery store, I will work hard to look beyond what I can see when I look at the people around me. Because God loves them. God has a plan for them. Just like he loves me and has a plan for me.

What are you thoughts on Christmas light strategies? Simple and understated or over the top?

Monday Music: A Dream Come True!

I have a confession to make. I love Amy Grant. To those of you who know me, that’s not a confession, it’s just an assumed part of my DNA.

And part of the reason I love her so much is her first Christmas album, A Christmas Album. I know that album inside out. I love every song. I sang Emmanuel with a group of friends at the church I grew up in. My sister Steph and I sang Heirlooms more times than I can count. I wanted to move to Tennessee so I could really have a Tennessee Christmas. It was the first Christmas album played every year. There is just something about it  that I love.

One of my favorite songs has always been Emmanuel/Little Town. And I have always wanted to sing it.

And last night at the Yuletide Celebration, my friend Tina and I got the chance! The song is so 80’s. The track held that true 80’s sound. And I loved every minute of it. It was so fun to sing. It was so fun to remember my “first love” of Christmas albums (and Amy Grant). I just have one regret. Cardboard Amy didn’t sing with us. Because we didn’t think of it. (Yes, there is a cardboard cut-out of Amy that circulates around the office at various times.)

So, here they are, two of my all-time favorite songs (I can’t find a video that houses them both). Enjoy! And why don’t you share some of your favorite, memory-laden, Christmas songs with me?