Category: Body Work

Smile!

We all know what a difference a smile makes. We’d much rather deal with a smiling customer service agent than a scowling one. Smiling at our children, our spouse, or our friends and getting a smile back makes both parties feel good. And have you ever been smiled at by a baby? What a great feeling that is!

But I have noticed something about smiling this week that makes a huge difference in me.

Smiling when I don’t feel like it.

Smiling when no one is going to see it.

I noticed it most recently on my runs this week. We run early in the morning. The sun isn’t up and it is cold. And some days are easier than others. But every time I would start to feel discouraged, I would choose to smile, and when I did, instead of the thoughts of, “I can’t do this, I am so tired, my legs are so cold,” (and on and on and on), my thoughts switched to, “you’ve got this, this hill is nothing, you feel great, you are keeping a good pace, your breathing is perfect, you only have X more miles to go.” And no one saw me smile. There was no inward thing making me smile. It was simply a choice to smile.

Then at work one morning I was talking with a co-worker about a less-than-ideal situation and before she left my office, I told her I was just going to smile even though I didn’t feel like it. And you know what, it made a change in my attitude about the situation.

Then last night, as I was cleaning up my disaster of a house that was created by the other people who live in my house and not me, I could feel myself getting frustrated about it. But instead of getting angry and muttering under my breath (or out loud, they were gone, they wouldn’t have heard me), I chose to smile instead. And guess what? That’s right, no more angry thoughts, no more frustration. My attitude was changed.

We often talk about how smiles are powerful when we give them to others and that is true, but I think sometimes we discount how powerful they can be for ourselves. Just choosing to smile when you don’t feel like it. Choosing to smile when your attitude needs changing. Choosing to smile when it feels like screaming at the top of your lungs would feel better.

So, no matter what is going on in your life today, I challenge you to smile through it. Not a fake smile or a forced one, but a genuine, attitude-changing, smile. Let me know how it works!

Have you ever noticed this before?

Sticks and Stones…

I’ve been doing quite a bit of thinking lately about words. Words that we say to ourselves. Words that we say to others. Words that we hear from others. Words that have power.

We all know that the saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is one of the most untrue statements in the world. Whoever changed that to “…but words can hurt the most” made it much more accurate.

Words can hurt. Words can heal. Words can encourage. Words can destroy. The power of a single word is so strong, and yet, we tend to let our words fly without any concern for how they sound or what they are doing to the person they are directed to.

There are a few different areas in which the power of words has become very apparent to me lately.

  1. When I am running and I am tired, sometimes the difference between finishing a run and having to walk comes down to the words I am telling myself. If I am rehearsing how tired I feel, how my legs feel like lead, how my breathing is struggling, etc., you can bet that I will be walking soon. But if I am saying to myself that I have this, I can do this, I am a strong runner, my lungs are feeling good, etc., it is amazing how much strength and energy that gives me and I can finish the run.
  2. When you have kids, particularly a daughter that is 11 and the change from a smile to tears happens in a nanosecond, you quickly realize that your words make a huge difference in how quickly the tears change back to a smile. I am finding that I have to be very careful in how I respond to her these days and am trying to use words that build her up and encourage her in this time of her life that is scary and constantly changing.
  3. When life is difficult, we often tend to commiserate with others about how hard things are. But, if we would instead talk about the things that are going well, and look for those things that are positive in our lives, our attitudes would be greatly different, even about the hard stuff. It’s easy to wallow. It’s hard to rise above it. But if we choose to speak those positive words, we would notice an overall change in our outlook.

There are many other areas where our words are important: how we speak to our friends, co-workers, spouses, etc. It is so important for us to speak positive, encouraging words that build up rather than tear down, whether it be for ourselves or those around us. Yet it is so hard sometimes. But that is when we need to pray Psalm 141:3, “Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips,” and we need to make sure that what is going into us is positive so that what is coming out is positive as well.

Let’s work on that together.

When is it hardest for you to speak words that encourage?

Growth Opportunity

Over Christmas my mom gave me a book filled with short daily readings that her aunt had given her last year. She really enjoyed reading it and thought I would too. It is called Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young. Since I do my devotional/Bible reading at night before bed, I thought this would be perfect for something quick in the morning. Each day consists of a short paragraph or two, written as if Jesus were talking directly to you. It is based on scripture that she provides the references for at the bottom, so you could look them up if you choose.

It has been amazing to me how some (many) of the days have been exactly what I needed for that day. But none so much as Sunday.

I have been struggling. I am training for this marathon that is coming up in April and am feeling like between some asthma/breathing issues, scheduling, and weather it has just been very difficult to get my training runs in the last couple of weeks. And that is frustrating. And it makes me scared that I won’t be ready for the race. So Sunday morning when I got up, anticipating another long run in the afternoon and wondering if I was going to be able to do it, here is what I read:

Strive to trust Me in more and more areas of your life. Anything that tends to make you anxious is a growth opportunity. Instead of running away from these challenges, embrace them, eager to gain all the blessings I have hidden in the difficulties. If you believe that I am sovereign over every aspect of your life, it is possible to trust me in all situations. Don’t waste energy regretting the way things are or thinking about what might have been. Start at the present moment–accepting things exactly as they are–and search for My way in the midst of those circumstances.

Trust is like a staff you lean on, as you journey uphill with Me. If you are trusting in Me consistently, the staff will bear as much of your weight as needed. Lean on, trust, and be confident in Me with all your heart and mind. (Psalm 52:8; Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP)

Talk about exactly what I needed. Every single sentence I read (and have read over and over again) went straight to my heart.

  • Issues with training making me anxious = growth opportunity.
  • Embrace the challenge = gain blessings.
  • Belief God is sovereign = trust Him in ALL situations – even running.
  • Don’t worry about the past, look at right now and God’s way.
  • Lean on Him and let Him bear the weight. (This is a great one to think about when I am spent during a run.)

And while nothing has changed–my breathing has good and bad days, the weather is just crappy this time of year in southern Illinois, we lead a busy life–my attitude has. I am choosing to not be fearful about it. I am embracing the challenges and knowing that it won’t be easy (if it was – everyone would do it!), I am believing that God is with me on each and every run and I can call out to Him for His help and strength when I feel weak. It doesn’t matter if I had a bad run last week or missed one due to weather, I have today to try again.

And what a difference it is making to hold on to these promises when I am tired, struggling to breathe, freezing, etc. I guess that means I am taking this opportunity to grow!

As you read this today, is there an area of your life that you can apply it to? What is it and what kind of difference do you think it will make?

 

Family Challenge

How often have you been a part of this scenario: Mom wants to lose weight and eat better, but Dad and kids don’t, and continue to eat normally. Mom does well for a while, but eventually, fixing two types of meals gets old or the junk that is still left in the house becomes major temptation for Mom and she falls off the wagon.

Well, that kind of happened to me over the holidays. The junk won. The less than healthy meals took over. I didn’t lose too much ground, but a few of those previously lost pounds crept back on.

I knew something needed to change and I was ready to get back to eating right and not missing my workouts. But I needed help to succeed. I needed the junk not to be in the house.

So, in an effort to both help me, and to help my family be healthier, too, we have removed all sweets/sugar from our pantry, fridge, and candy cabinet. All four of us are now “sugar-free” until my birthday, March 24.

For me, this transition isn’t that hard. I’ve done it for most of the last 9 months, and I feel better when  I am not eating junk anyway.

But for the others in my house, it is a bit harder. Especially when the kids are at school and the school uses candy to reward. My solution: buy some sugar-free candy and send it to school with the kids along with a note asking their teachers to please use the sugar-free options for my kids when candy rewards are given. But this still means that the kids have to make good choices. They have to think before they eat when they are away from home. They have to be able to say “no, thank you” when offered something sweet. And when you are a kid, that’s hard. But they are on board and have agreed to this challenge. They are even helping to remind Daddy that sweets are not an option, even when Mommy isn’t around. 🙂

I am curious and excited to see what the results will be. Will there be changes in my children’s behavior? Will my husband’s waistline show any sign of getting smaller? How will this challenge that we are undertaking as a family strengthen our bond? What will we all learn about ourselves and one another and what we can do when we work together? What will we learn about healthy living as a family?

Now, my challenge is to find a reward for our family, that is not food based, that we get or do once we complete our sugar-free challenge. That’s where you, my readers, come in. I would love to hear some of your ideas about what our reward should be at the end of our challenge. Also, what family challenge would you like to take on this year? (Last year, we instituted family game night every Monday night and that was our challenge.)

Plans

It is a new year.

2012.

Can you believe it?

2011 went so fast and it is already the second day of 2012, which will also go fast.

Lots of people made resolutions yesterday. Many of them failed to keep them today.

I don’t make resolutions. I have things  I want to accomplish and plan to accomplish – things like getting to my goal weight and finishing my first full marathon, expanding Knitting (and now crocheting) with a purpose, growing closer to the Lord and my family – but while I can make decisions to help me bring my plans to completion, there are more important plans that I need to complete.

God’s plans for me.

Yesterday, at two different times, I was reminded of a verse that I love:

Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Perhaps my plans aren’t God’s plans and in order to find out which is which, I have to seek Him with all my heart and talk with Him about what I am thinking, as well.

So, my plan for 2012 is to line up my life with God’s plan for me, whatever that looks like, whichever direction that leads me, no matter what that means or how much it requires of me.

That may be harder than just following my plans, but it will also be more worthwhile.

I hope you will have a Happy New Year following God’s plan for your life as well.

Gotta Go Through

The other day I got to work and this is the picture that was on my desktop background. It is just a random picture that was on the computer when I got it and I have chosen to use a number of the stock pictures on the computer and they change every hour or so. I have seen this picture before and it is beautiful; one of my favorites. But the other day I noticed something about it that I hadn’t before. I saw the mountains in the background and I wanted to get to them. The only problem is, there is water between me and the mountains. And as far as I can see in either direction there is water, or at least swampy ground. The only way to the mountains is to go through the water (or take a really long detour around and try to find a place where there is no water).

And I got to thinking, this is how the Christian life is; and even life in general. We want to make it to the mountain; we have a goal of some kind (usually multiple ones one right after the other). We want to know the Bible better. We want to be able to pray deeper. We want to be helping others more easily and readily. We want to lose weight and get in shape. We stand on the edge of the water, wanting to get to the mountain, but not willing to go through the water to get there. We want instant gratification rather than the process. But we can’t know the Bible more without going through the water and actually spending time reading it. And we won’t ever pray deeper if we aren’t spending time in the water of prayer. We won’t ever help others more until we get into the water and start doing it. We won’t ever lose weight and get in shape without watching what we eat and exercising.

Sometimes we may try to figure out ways to get to the mountain without crossing the water. We look for ways around it, but all we find is that we have followed a detour that got us no closer to the mountain, and there is still water that has to be crossed. But this water may be swampy, and murky, and harder to cross than the first water.

The lesson for us is simple. We have to do the work, go through the water and get wet, in order to achieve our goals and get to the mountain. It won’t be easy, but when we see progress we will be encouraged to continue.

What water are you needing to go through to reach your mountain?

Get Up!

Today I’m blogging about a blog post. Yes, it’s odd, but hear me out. I was reading Jon Acuff’s blog for today and was really struck but one paragraph in particular:

“When you fail, get up the next day. When you succeed, get up the next day. When the shine of your scene wears off, stay on it. When another scene looks distracting and attractive, stay on your scene.”

This time of year is always tough for me. It seems as if the cooler temperatures and dreary days bog me down in multiple ways. I want to eat everything in sight – almost like my body wants to add a layer of fat to ward off the cold. I want to stay curled up in my bed sleeping, reading, and watching TV rather than going out to exercise. I want to completely hole up in my house, and yet never actually do anything like clean or cook. I don’t want to talk on the phone. I don’t want to do anything that requires an effort.

And when I allow some of these things to happen – I eat a few cookies or sleep in one day – I tend to beat myself up and start asking, “what’s the point of even trying?”

And then I remember how hard I worked last spring to get the house in order and how I don’t want to have to do that again this spring.

And then I remember how hard I worked to lose 49 pounds and how I don’t want that weight back on my body.

And then I remember how hard I worked to get to the place where running 5 miles is easy and I don’t want to lose that.

And then I remember how hard I have worked to change my eating habits and I don’t want to regress.

And then I remember that there is nothing stopping me from starting fresh at any moment except me.

I get to choose. I get to “get up” every day and decide how I am going to proceed with the day. I get to say yes or no to the snacks. I get to say yes or no to the exercise. I get to leave the TV off and cook dinner for my family. Sometimes I may fail. But the next chance to choose well is just around the corner.

What area of your life do you need this reminder for today?

Practicing Thanksgiving – Revisited

As the month of November has come to a close, I wanted to be able to look back on all 30 of the things I listed on Facebook that I was (am) thankful for, so here’s my list:

  1. Today, I am thankful for a friend who met me to walk this morning without whom I would have probably stayed in bed.
  2. Today I am thankful for my hubby, Mike. He works so hard to provide for his family, and when he is on 3-11, survives on not a lot of sleep so he can take our kids to school since that is the only time he sees them on this shift. I am blessed to have such a good husband and I love doing things to spoil him (like making him Pumpkin Toffee Cheesecake) since he is usually the one spoiling me. 🙂
  3. Today I am thankful for my small group (Mike, Kimberly, Mark, John, Curt, Michelle) and especially Scott, who would do anything to help out at any time, including running kids to and fro. I love you all and am so glad that we get to do life together!!
  4. Today I am thankful for the friends that God has blessed me with. Friends that bring me breakfast, lunch, and hot cups of what’s the point. Friends that know me well enough to know I am having a bad day from a text. Friends that pray for and with me. Friends I can laugh with, talk with, cry with, and just sit with. Thank you all for your friendship!
  5. Today I am thankful for my family and a lazy day at home with them that will include snuggles, games, tv, homemade smoked pulled pork, homemade pumpkin pie, tickles, giggles and lots of love!
  6. Today I am thankful for my couch. It is the place where I spend time with family and friends, where I nap, where I read and study. The place where snuggles and tickles abound and memories are made and remembered.
  7. Today I am thankful for a job that I love that is right where God has placed me for the last 11 years. I am thankful that where I work is filled with co-workers that are also amazing friends.
  8. Today I am thankful for my son, Ty. He is opinionated, creative, fun-loving, imaginative, energetic, and so much more. He brings a smile to my face (almost) every time I look at him. God has taught me so much using Ty!
  9. Today I am thankful for a pastor (and boss) who is sensitive to the Lord’s leading, sets a good example for all of us in the ways he leads, takes responsibility, and does his best to glorify God.
  10. Today I am thankful for things like heated car seats, warm showers, and cozy sweatshirts. And the fact that I don’t have to be outside for my job when it is cold outside. Good things to be thankful for on that first really cold morning of the season. (And Lillard Luttrell, if you call me today from the beach, I will come through the phone and hurt you. Badly.)
  11. Today I am thankful for all of those who have served, are serving, and will serve our country in the military. People like Lynette Mellor, Jennifer Weiss, Steve Donnan, Jennifer Donnan, and so many more. THANK YOU for serving our country!  ‎Patrick N Carrie Davis-Lent – this includes you!
  12. Today I am thankful for music. Music can lift me up, it can feel with me, it can unleash feelings I can’t put words to, it can bring me closer to people, it can be an avenue to hear the Lord speak, and it can just bring absolute joy and fun. I especially am thankful that I get to share my love of music with my kids. ( We watched the CMA awards together last night.)
  13. Today I am thankful for that wonderful thing called the Sunday afternoon nap and I am already looking forward to my date with my couch this afternoon.
  14. Today I am thankful for opportunities to enjoy God’s creation, particularly with my kids. Taking nature walks, looking at clouds, enjoying the moon, etc. I see things so much more through the eyes of my children and love it!
  15. Today I am thankful for my Lord and Savior. I’m thankful for the ways that He has saved me, and continues to do so. I am thankful for the ways that I learn from Him through His word and His people. I am thankful that even when I fall short (which is often), His grace abounds.
  16. Today I am thankful for my daughter, Anne. She is (usually) quick to help, especially when it comes to cooking these days. She has a big heart and is always looking out for others. Even though she is growing up fast, she still has a child-like joy about life. We are blessed by the gift we have in Anne!
  17. Today I am thankful for the unexpected. A previously unplanned lunch with my husband. A note from a friend that is just what I need. A smile from my kids. A laugh after reading a blog post. Sometimes it’s just the little things that make a big difference.
  18. Today I am thankful to be part of a worship team that not only practices music but also practices prayer and devotion to God. I have missed spending time with these wonderful people of God. It is good to be back.
  19. Today I am thankful for my middle sister, Seffie. I love our talks. I love the fact that she is always looking out for me. I love her good heart. I love the fact that she is my lifelong friend. — with Stephanie Luttrell Hammer.
  20. Today I am thankful for days of rest. They are rejuvenating. They give us a reboot. They help us just stop in this society of constant go. Thank you, Lord for the example and command of Sabbath rest.
  21. Today I am thankful for Family Game Night. It had been awhile since we had one, but we always have fun when we do and last night was no exception. I love spending time with my family without electronic forms of entertainment and with good fun and conversation. 🙂
  22. Today I am thankful for parents who raised me “in the way I should go.” They taught me not just right and wrong, but what it really means to be a person of integrity who follows Christ in all I do. They taught me what love is and provide amazing examples of what marriage should look like, how to parent, and how to care for others. I love you! — with Kathryn Davis Luttrell and Lillard Luttrell.
  23. Today I am thankful for the reminder that just like I am attentive to, and always willing to get up for my sick son in the middle of the night, my Father God is always watching over me and knows where I am, what is happening in my life and is always taking care of me.
  24. Today I am thankful for family. Since Mike’s mom died, Thanksgiving has been a hard day, but today we will be surrounded by the Ennen side of the family who is so glad to have us as a part of the day. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
  25. Today I am thankful for the whole family sleeping in and then just hanging out in bed with my hubby.
  26. Today I am thankful for the wonderful benefits of living in a small town. I love the community events that are put on where we get to enjoy one another’s company as we walk around downtown or check out the lights display at the Farm Heritage Museum. I love running into friends and hanging out with them. I love being able to run through town and see people I know. And I am so glad that we are raising our kids here.
  27. Today I am thankful for worship. What a wonderful thing to be able to worship our God and King with all that is in me!
  28. Today I am thankful for a night of listening to some amazing music at the Christmas Pops concert with my daughter and some of my friends. Good music done well, along with snuggles from my girl and wonderful company made for a fantastic ending to a spectacular weekend.
  29. Today I am thankful for both exercise days and rest days. It always feels good to exercise, and sometimes it feels just as good to have a rest day.
  30. Today I am thankful for: finishing a run with no breathing trouble, friends that encourage me during my run (Anne Dawdy Borwick, Lisa Gaulden Barber), friends that let me “shop” in their closet for clothes that fit (Kimberly King Gan) so I can look nice for Joy Michelle Luttrell Veach and Stephen Kuehn‘s wedding this weekend, and the fact that I get to celebrate my sister’s wedding with all of my family in just a few more days!!!

What an exercise! It was good for me to have to think each morning about which of the things I was thankful for I wanted to post, because, when you make yourself become aware of what is happening in your life, you find many things that you are thankful for.

I hope that you had opportunity to find things to be thankful for over the last month, too. But don’t let it stop now. Continue to be aware of those things for which you are thankful, and thank the Lord for His gifts.

Of all the things that you are thankful for, which one rises to the top today?

Plates are Crashing!

Have you ever seen one of those guys at a circus that spins plates on a stick? He starts with one and continues to add plates spinning and tries to keep them all going and not let any of them fall to the ground. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, visit YouTube and look up plate spinning. You’ll find lots of videos to give you an idea.)

Sometimes I feel like a plate spinner. I have so many things that are vying for my attention and I have about enough time and energy to give each of them a spin before another one is about to crash so I have to run off to make sure it doesn’t. And sometimes. Plates crash. They stop spinning and completely fall to the ground and shatter into thousands of pieces.

And what results is me, feeling like a failure.

I just can’t keep it all going. Diet. Exercise. Bills. Cleaning. Work. Parenting. Connecting with my husband. Plans for holidays. Cooking. Devotions. Reading. Knitting. Small Group. Budgeting (work and home). Friendships. Time commitments. Making sure everyone else gets what they need from me and vice versa. Drinking enough water. Laundry. Lists. Prayer. Grocery shopping. Sleep.

There are times when I am really on top of budgeting and bills, but I am eating terribly, sleeping in too late and never exercising. There are times that I am faithful with my Bible reading, but I am not investing enough time in my husband. Three are times that I am really good about connecting with my friends and giving to them, but my kids haven’t had a home-cooked meal in two weeks. And there are times when I am not doing any of it well.

And that’s where I am right now. I feel like plates are crashing around me. I am doing well with some things, but others have fallen or are about to fall. And then I start getting down on myself about it. And then more stuff falls. It becomes a downward spiral.

Until I stop it. Until I ask for help and give God control. Until I choose to pick up some of those plates. Until I give myself grace and ask for grace from others.

The reality is I really can’t do it all on my own. But I think I should be able to and that’s where I get into trouble. That’s when my attitude starts going south. That’s when I start feeling overwhelmed. But when I remember that 1) God is there and is ready to help – I just need to ask and 2) that I live in community and there are people – family, friends, etc. – that are more than willing to step in when they are aware there is a need, that’s when things get better.

If you are feeling this way today, I encourage you today to stop, take a deep breath, and ask for help – from God, from your friends, from your family. And accept their help and their grace. I know I need to.

What do you usually do when you are feeling overwhelmed with life?

I Should Be Committed

The title of this post is what many people will say about me as they hear what I did today.

I registered for my first (and probably only) full marathon. 26.2 miles.

I might be a little insane. I just finished a great half marathon, and have been sick with a cold/flu/allergies since then, so it is possible that my brain isn’t functioning at 100%. Except I have been thinking about doing this for the last few months. And talking about it with my running partner. And while we were talking hypothetically at first, at some point it transitioned and today we pulled the trigger, so to speak. We put our money where our mouths are and registered for the race.

So now I keep repeating to myself, “Just breathe. Just breathe.”

It’s a little nerve-wracking to know that now, not only do I have to run 26.2 miles on April 15, but I have to TRAIN to run for the next 20+ weeks. And it’s the training that is the kicker. On my birthday I will have to run 20 miles. Happy Birthday to me. Or rather, Nappy Birthday to me, as that’s what I’ll be doing after running 20 miles.

As hard as it is going to be (and I know it will be hard), I am looking forward to crossing that finish line and knowing that I set my mind on accomplishing this task, trained appropriately, and finished the race. But I also know that I won’t be doing it alone. I will first and foremost be asking for help from the Lord, as I know I don’t do anything on my strength alone. And I know I will need lots of help from Him. I will also have the strength that comes with doing this with a partner. I’m not sure I could commit to doing this without Crystal. And I will have the encouragement of my family and friends to keep going, even when it is hard. I will especially be leaning on those friends who have done this before (and survived).

So, here goes another page in the story of my life. I’m ready to run and ready to learn. Because I am sure there will be much to learn in the coming months.

What seemingly impossible goal do you need to take from hypothetical to reality and how can you get there?