Simply Love - how do we live out the trait that Jesus said is the greatest of these: Love.... in a world that doesn't value loving others above yourself, how do we go against the flow and show love to others.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #29
Simply Love - how do we live out the trait that Jesus said is the greatest of these: Love.... in a world that doesn't value loving others above yourself, how do we go against the flow and show love to others.
Joy in Simplicity - #28
When I was in college I spent a lot of time studying and talking about exercise and physical fitness. Since I was a health and PE major that makes total sense. However one of my favorite things to talk about in the midst of all the Kinesology and Physiology was PLAY! The basic premise of the importance of playing.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #27
Today I want to talk about a must have. Which is kinda funny when so much of this blog series is about simplifying your life and getting rid of things. Today I want to encourage you to have something.... an "Encouragement Box."
What is it? For me it is an old cardboard box that I wrote on with a marker that says Encouragement Box - kinda crazy if you knew how much I love baskets and containers. But it is what it is. For other people it may be a pretty decorated basket with a lid, or a modgepodged box. It is filled with letters, cards, and special notes of encouragement.
Why is it a must have???? Because we all have bad days. We all have those moments in life when we feel like we just aren't making a difference in anyone's life. It is those days that I pull out my box and just pick out a couple letters from people I love that have poured out their love for me through a letter or card.
I cherish that box! Well, I actually cherish the words in the box. Those words help me get through those days!
If you are more of a computer person, you may want to have a special folder on your computer for those special emails of encouragement. Two of my youth ministry friends have two very different names for those files. The one girl calls it her "Smile File" and the guy calls it his "I Suck" File - so opposite but yet for each of them it works - he calls it that because when he is feeling like he sucks he reads that and feel better about himself.
So what are you waiting for - start a box today!
Joy in Simplicity - #26
Have you looked in your medicine cabinet or bathroom closet lately.... I have (just in passing) and oh the stuff that I never use! I have facial scrubs, and lotions, and samples, and dried up nail polish, you name it I probably have it. I can't tell you when was the last time I purged those products.
I don't know why I always feel the need to save things just because someone gave it to me. I have lotions - from when I was a teacher at Clearfield - I hardly ever even use lotion except maybe during the winter time. I have great intentions it just never happens, they just sit there.
I will feel guilty no longer! If it is over five years old - I need to get rid of it! If I haven't used it I probably won't. Next time I get a smell that I am not fond of - instead of letting it sit on my shelf I just need to give it to someone who will enjoy it.
With my job I do a lot of traveling, so hotel samples have become something that I have collected. I figure I am paying for them I might as well use them. But I have established some rules.
Here are a couple ideas for your samples:
1. Put them all in one bottle, so you don't have 100 little bottles laying around.
2. Donate them to a local shelter - they are always in need of beauty supplies.
3. Soaps - I always collect my soaps and use them for my OCC shoeboxes! I take my own soap with me so I can collect all my samples while I am there then I just put them in my OCC tub.
4. As far as the other stuff in the closet - if I am not using it - I need to get rid of it!
5. While you are at it - check the expiration dates on your meds - if they are outdated - pitch them too!
Hope this will help you de-clutter your space! As soon as I am allow out of bed - I am all over this task!
Joy in Simplicity - #25
Today I thought I would do a nutritional simplicity blog..... as most people know by now. I am expecting! We are so excited! However due to a few minor complications I am on bed rest. But it will be so worth it. Tomorrow will be 8 weeks! I am hoping to start up my MS, baby, and me blog again soon. Maybe today - stay tuned for that.
Anyway - one of the things that tell you to do when you are pregnant is to drink lots of fluids - in fact - they want you to drink 64 oz. at day! Wow that is a lot! I must admit that for the first couple weeks I totally failed at that one. But I have turned over a new leaf and it makes a difference for sure.
I think in general we just don't drink enough water every day. I am going to be honest I would much rather a raspberry Ice Tea any day than water, but I have gone almost a whole month with not one Rasp. Ice Tea (because of the caffeine) I think I may have been a bit addicted - I love the stuff. But water is better.
How are your water drinking habits? A regular person (meaning non a pregnant person) needs to also drink 64 oz. of fluids a day...gosh where have I been - I have rarely ever done that, but to be honest I think it is making a difference and I am losing weight - just a few pounds which is healthy don't worry.
Consider the water challenge - try to see if you can for one week drink 64 oz. of water a day. I am guessing you will feel better, and save money all at once. Simple yes - life changing you better believe it!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #24
One of the things that I was never really good at was reading. I always did so poorly on those reading comprehension tests. In college I read my first Novel....I had to ask for an extension, which went against every part of my being, but since then I have grown to appreciate books. I don't spend a lot of time reading books for fun, I read for information, and to gain knowledge on different topics. Since I have begun to do retreats, my reading has definately increased and for that I am grateful.
So today I want to encourage you to find a good book and take some time over the next couple weeks to read it. Reading helps us practice the art of being still. In a world that is always rushing around like a chicken with your head cut off.
A couple simple tips...find a good reading spot, a chair in the corner, near the fireplace snuggled up on the couch. Pick a book you already have on your shelf that you just never got to read yet. Because let's be honest we all have a stack of those books. If there is a book you are dying to read - ask a friend if they have it before borrowing it. If you are an electronic book reader - they now have programs where you can trade books with friends for free.
What book will you read next?
Joy in Simplicity - #23
Working on catching up with my blog series. I am committed to finishing this series! And hope that I can do some catching up today!
Today I want to challenge you to live your life with a signature of significance! But before I go on I want to give credit where credit is due. I didn't come up with that title or this idea, it is straight from the mouth of Louie Giglio, but more importantly straight from the heart of God.
On Sunday when I was skipping church once again (bedrest) I decided to check out a sermon by Louie and found this one. It was so awesome - I even took notes as I was laying in bed. It's main theme from scripture was the passage in Col. 3 that says - whatever you do, do all in the name of the Lord! (that is a bit of a paraphrase)
The premise of the whole talk was that whatever you do - you should be excellent at it, whether you are a plumber, a dancer, a pastor, a housekeeper, a housewife.... be awesome at it! Because at the end of the day our lives are to point to Jesus Christ. And to quote Louie "excellence always builds a platform for us to share Jesus Christ with the whole world"
Your platform may be cameras and a microphone, it may be a conversation with a client asking you why you choose to integrity over dishonesty, in a world that rarely values the first.
So my challenge to you is to simply be excellent at what God has called you to be! Remember excellence is not an act, it is a habit! Live it!!! Find Joy in it!!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #22
This blog will focus on the importance of dates! Even for you married folks! And if you aren't married friend dates are important too!
Joy in Simplicity - #21
Well as you can see I am a little behind - but hopefully I will catch up today. It was one of those weekends. But you know - I talked about the importance of rest - so I took myself up on that. Anyway - this was to be Friday's blog so here goes.....
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #20
Today I want to share with you a simple, yet one of the most life changing verses in the bible. Now some of you may read this verse and disagree with my statement about life changing, however I will explain myself and hopefully you will understand. This is a verse to memorize - put it on your dashboard of your car, put it on your mirror in dry erase marker, and save it in your heart, you will never know how handy it will come in.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #19
As I promised today's blog will focus on some simple tips to help make your pet happy and well trained. Most of these tips come from our (Tucker and Mine) experience with Fred the Dog trainer. We have taken several classes from him, and as a whole I would say that Tucker is a very well behaved dog for the most part - he has a few things that we still need to work on, but it is mostly our fault for not keeping at him with with training.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #18
Today I want to talk about the joy of pets! Some of you out there are not pet lovers and that is okay but there are others that would say their pet is part of their family, and others that land somewhere in the middle.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #17
Today I will conclude the three day series within a series of the 30 healthiest foods. I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas for recipes with these items, and your feedback. Without further waiting - here are the final 10 items on the top 30.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #16
Yesterday I started to share with you the list of the top 30 most healthy foods - today we will do the second ten on the list.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #15
"When you don't use it - you lose it"....What I am referring to is that I used to be a health teacher, and I spent a lot of time educating my students on healthy choices for their health - one of those areas was nutrition. I saw it as a very valuable topic that needed to be shared. To be honest we simply are not a healthy society..... I think we have good intentions - we desire to be healthy but we get a lot of mixed messages as far as our health goes. I am going to try to avoid giving you a lot mixed messages, I simply want to give you a list of some healthy foods that if you incorporated into your diet on a daily basis could make a lasting difference in your heath and that as we all know will bring us great joy!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #14
Today I thought I would give you a break from my daily writings and recruit an expert to tell you how to get the deals and save money. A dear friend of mine Christiana Maurer is the queen of saving in fact last year alone she saved $1600 on grocery shopping. Now you might think, that is crazy I can never do that - it may be crazy but if you can take just one of her tips and save $100 isn't it worth it. So I asked her if she would share some tips with you. And this is what she had to say.....
1. See the Big Picture
One of the easiest ways to save is to be aware of how much you are spending. A gallon of milk here and a loaf of bread there can really add up. Keep track of your purchases for a month to see how much of your money is actually being spent at the store. Then you can set a realistic goal for saving.
2. Planning
If you don’t purchase the Sunday newspaper, you will want to start. While it may seem that you are spending money to save money, it is a valuable tool to help you be an informed shopper.
Spend some quality time each week with the store circulars, coupon inserts, and your recipe collection. Plan your eating and shopping around what is on sale. If there is a coupon available to match with the sale – even better!
3. Tracking
If you are just getting started with your savings journey, keep track of the date and sale price for items you use often. If you do this long enough you will begin to see patterns develop for how often items are put on sale. You will also be able to differentiate between mediocre and rock-bottom sale prices.
What am I talking about? Maybe this will help! A current mediocre sale on cereal is 2 for $5 (or $2.50 a box). However, every few months, cereal goes on sale 3 for $5 (or $1.67 a box). Combine that with a coupon and you are on your way to some super savings.
When an item (that you know you will use AND that has a long shelf life) goes to its rock-bottom price – STOCK UP!!!
4. Highway Robbery
Just kidding – but that is what my husband calls playing the drugstore game.
I could explain how this works in detail, but that would make this tip r-e-a-l-l-y long! If you want to know how it works, check out moneysavingmom.com. She breaks it down for each of the major drug stores under her Store Deals section.
Just to illustrate how effective this can be, I haven’t paid more than $1 each for toothpaste, razors, shaving gel, or most hair care products in a very long time.
5. Bravery
Bent-n-dent stores – You can find some great deals here. (If you are in the central PA area think Surplus Outlet, Wengers, Whispering Pines, L&L) But… be careful! Watch those dates, and don’t assume that just because the product is in a store like this that it is cheaper that anywhere else. If you have been keeping track of those sale prices, you’ll be in great shape.
Store-Brands – If your family is brand-loyal then use those coupons and sale price combinations. But if you are willing to branch out, the store brand is often cheaper than the brand name, even with the sale and coupon. My husband and I have been very presently surprised by Aldi products. Most times their things are just as good, if not better, than the name brand grocery store products but at a fraction of the cost. (Let me give a shout out to their 5-Cheese
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #13
Do you ever feel like there is not enough time to make homemade meals every night of the week. Many of you are juggling a full time job, being a mom, a wife and also a taxi service. It can be overwhelming when you think - what should I make for dinner.... will I have enough time to get it all done.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #12
Today will be short and sweet - including just a few ideas to help save a little fun money for you and your family.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #11
As a woman - I get plagued by worries....and it seems like these last two weeks I have become the queen of worrying. I know that it isn't good, but it just seems to take over my life in different stages.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #10
I just realized that this is my 300th post! I am so proud of myself - doing these series has definitely helped me become a better blogger, now I just hope that someone is actually reading them.
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #9
"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing, so on that seventh day he rested from all his work" - Gen. 2:2
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #8
I love the movie - Pay It Forward - the concept is just so enlightening in a world filled with "If I do something for you, I expect something in return!" The movie is about a little boy that comes up with the idea as a school project - there are some adult themes in the movie so please preview it before you let your children watch it.
Friday, January 07, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #7
Can you believe we are already one week into the new year! Did I mention I love the new year, and I love the first real snow of the year - some of you may be thinking really the first - yup - the first snow that stayed on the ground while I have been in Richfield. It makes the dead of winter look so much nicer. Simple Beauty!
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #6
How are you doing with reducing being stuffified (which is now my new favorite word)? I am going to admit it is a little hard to decludder while your house is under construction - but I promise when we have a kitchen again - it is going to be un-stuffified!!!
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #5
571 - that's a big number... it is the number of emails in my inbox! AHHHHH!!! Okay now that I have gotten over that! My inbox seems to always be full, my mail box always seems to be filled, my floor seems to be filled with piles of papers. Mail everywhere!!! To me that is overwhelming and it simply sucks my joy every time I look at the pile! So today I am starting my Inbox/Mailbox empty adventure! (If you look at it as an adventure you are more likely to do it!)
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #4
Have you ever seen the veggie tale movie - Madame Blueberry...it is about stuff and she goes to this place called Stuff Mart (can you think of a few stores that may fit this category, not mentioning any names) and she keeps buying stuff until her tree house gets so full that it is catapulted out of the tree - okay honestly it has been a long time since I have seen the movie so I am sure if this is just how I remember it or if it is fact - but the point is - we are stuffified! Yup I just made that word up - but don't it apply?
Monday, January 03, 2011
Joy in Simplicity - #3
There is a verse in the bible that talks about praying continually 1 Thes. 5:17 - it's a great verse - because it is a simple truth - however in my honest I must admit that I have simply failed in that fashion - I have prayer ADD I think - I sit down to pray and then my to do list comes to mind, and oh I forgot to change over the laundry - you get my point - I have even talked about writing a book called Popcorn prayers - Prayer Strategies for on the go people - I still may one day - but until then I am going to continue to collect ideas to help me be better at praying continually.
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Joy In Simplicity - #2
The simple fact is that in order to be walking in a close relationship with our creator - we must be meeting with Him daily! In order to find our identity in Him - we need to know what it means to be His child. In order to walk in the way of the righteous - we need to know what that looks like for our lives.....there is no better way to do that than through reading his word.