Posted in people, spiritual, Thoughts from the Word

My Mother

Posted on by fromthebrainofsarah

This morning I got up early to drive my mother to the airport.  Despite my admitted “home-sickness” for California, I opted to fly her out here on my vacation so the whole family (except our 2nd born who is still on the other side of the world) could enjoy her company and so she could see our new home and meet the latest great-grandchild.  We have had a lovely week together.

I know most of us can say this, but my mom is probably the most influential woman in my life.  She has taught me how to walk with God, how to study His Word, how to understand people, how to relate to the Holy Spirit, how to delegate, how to function in pain, how to sing, how to play the piano, how to laugh at myself.  She taught me how to be a wife, a mother, and now she is setting an example of how to be a widow.

My mother is a mother to far more than her own four children.  SO MANY women call her “Mom.”  She is 5’2″ of pure determination, and I love that about her.  She’ll be 79 on her next birthday but she acts far younger.  She is fiercely independent.  She is CAPABLE.  She is a seamstress, a teacher, a counselor, an accountant, a secretary.  (Did I mention she teaches 5 of her great grandchildren school?)  Sometimes she talks about driving across country by herself, and I shudder… but wouldn’t I want to do the same thing???

Proverbs 31:27-31 “She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.  Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.  Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.  Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”

Posted in organization and cleaning

That ONE thing…

Posted on by fromthebrainofsarah

She sells sea shells by the sea shore…

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Rubber baby buggy bumpers

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, a peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

These are a few of the tongue twisters I remember from childhood.  (Here’s a more comprehensive link if you’re interested:  http://www.uebersetzung.at/twister/en.htm )

But there is a verse in the Bible that’s a bit of tongue twister and describes my internal dialogue exactly. Romans 7:19  “For the good that I would I do not:  but the evil which I would not, that I do.”

I’ve started a new book.  It’s called “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.”  It’s written by decluttering/organizing expert from Japan, Marie Kondo.   In it, she asks you to envision the life you want to have and why.  Then she introduces her methods of decluttering.  She starts with clothes, then books, then papers, then msc. (also know as everything else).  When you  get to an item that you are discarding, she states that you should thank the item for whatever purpose it had while it was with you–whether it was only to teach you what you didn’t like!  Then she teaches how to fold the remaining clothes in a certain way.  It’s interesting.  I can probably fit the contents of all 8 drawers of my dresser in 3 drawers.  (pic to follow)

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Last week I began the process.  But I got stuck at step 2.  Books.  I really don’t want to analyze which books give me joy.  I really don’t want to get rid of any of them.  I like to look at books.  Even if I never read them again.  Books are my art.   I like the SMELL of them.  I am comfortable being surrounded by books.  I even “pin” decorating ideas using walls of books on Pinterest.

And you know what?  It’s ok.  I’m allowed to keep them.

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I was reminded of something about myself, however.  It usually takes “that one thing” to bog me down, clog my process.  That ONE thing that keeps me from doing something I really want to do.   (And I’m not just talking about bibliophilia.)   What’s that one thing that’s holding YOU back?

Posted in Random

A Few Favorites

Posted on by fromthebrainofsarah

Driving home from work Sunday night, one of my favorite things happened.  The train was running through downtown Easley, a moving wall of metal which can give you a bit of a start when it’s dark out, but nonetheless results in all green lights for through traffic.  Yesss!  This made me think of other random favorite things:

  • the smell of freshly washed laundry
  • blank notebooks and a sharp pencil
  • new calendars
  • humorous poetry (aka silly rhymes)
  • laughing for no apparent reason for an inappropriate amount of time with friends
  • the feel of a baby asleep on your chest
  • bacon
  • a real, honest-to-goodness, in the mail, note from a friend
  • sitting in my spotless house (so yeah, RARE) in my favorite chair reading a book and sipping tea
  • the sound of wind rushing through the trees
  • the little ripples in the pool
  • when something strikes me funny when I’m out by myself and try sharing it with a stranger who doesn’t get it AT ALL
  • deep conversations with strangers on planes
  • making homemade soup
  • eating homemade soup
  • Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie dough
  • organized drawers
  • randomly bumping into a friend while running errands
  • silence
  • the smell of books
  • the ocean and all that goes with it:  sand, surf, salt, seagulls, sounds of conversations, sun glistening off the water, shells
  • walking barefoot in the rain

The list could be longer, but you get the idea.  What are a few of your favorite things?

Posted in spiritual, Thoughts from the Word

“Tender Mercies”

Posted on by fromthebrainofsarah

For the past several days I’ve been thinking about a few attributes of God I’ve come across in my reading of Psalm 119:  “tender mercies,” “lovingkindness,” and “faithfulness.”  Today I’d like to share just one.

In verse 77, the psalmist writes, “Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.”

The word “tender mercies” here is literally  translated to I. Womb and II. Compassion.  Strong’s concordance defines it as compassion (in the plural); by extension, the womb (as cherishing the unborn baby), bowels, compassions, tender love, mercy, pity.  It is from the root word “racham” which is defined “to love, love deeply, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion.”

I let that definition roll around in my head for a while, and came up with this:  “tender mercies” are likened unto the love and wonder, awe and protection a pregnant mother feels for her unborn baby.  Not only that, but it is like the womb which provides protection, comfort, security, nourishment and blood supply, to the forming child.  God loves US like that!

Do you know the song, “How Deep the Father’s Love For Us” by Stuart Townsend?  here’s a link to his website for the lyrics.  http://www.stuarttownend.co.uk/song/how-deep-the-fathers-love-for-us/

That song just kept going over and over in my mind.  Think about this amazing thought.  He loves you like a mother cherishes her child.  Like you love your child.  (But so so much more!)  Psalm 103:3 “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.”

 

 

Posted in exercise ramblings

What can I even call this day? (Other than Wednesday)

Posted on by fromthebrainofsarah

So today was a “rest day” according to my couch to 5K app.  But, I will be working 2 12.5 hour shifts Thursday and Friday, and figured I better do the run/jog today.  Since the temps were much too cold for me to walk/jog outside, I knew I would be running on the treadmill at the YMCA.

Oh!  Turns out I looked at my app wrong on Monday.  It DID say 1:00:00… however, it was supposed to be 1 hr of CROSSTRAINING.  (I feel so much better about jog/running for 36 minutes now).

Unfortunately, my day did not go according to my plan.  My plan consisted of housecleaning, laundry, jog then home and start going through years worth of files and purging out unneeded paperwork then clean out and organize my desk.  You know, just BE at home.

I did manage to purge the filing cabinet (it took me 45 minutes), but I was actually looking for the title of the old truck I was scrapping.  I ended up in “town” to sign over the title and took the opportunity to visit the grand babies.  🙂  Then back to Pickens…  16 minutes from home, I stop for gas.  Now the internal struggle gets real.  “I’m so tired!  I really think I could nap.  NO!  You are going to the YMCA and you are running!  Besides, if you take a nap, you won’t be able to sleep and you have to get up EARLY tomorrow.”  I reluctantly drove past the road leading to home and continued on the road leading to the YMCA.

I walk/jogged most of the 15 minutes.   I even took a pic.  See?

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Yeah… the flash did that.  I PROMISE this pic is the screen of the treadmill.

I took the opportunity to do a few arm exercises.  Not a lot.  But enough to feel a tad tender.  I greeted a woman wearing a “Keep calm and get your trauma on” t-shirt, spoke a few words about our respective jobs and then headed home.

I managed to get some laundry done, make dinner, make homemade apple cider and do the dishes.  I FEEL very unproductive when I look around at what still needs to be done, but all in all I did get a lot of things accomplished–they just weren’t necessarily all that was on my list or done in the order I had intended.

But did I do SOMETHING to help me toward my goal?  Yes.  Did I do SOMETHING I had been putting off for years?  Yes.  Did I get to snuggle my grandsons?  Yes.  Did I start my day in praise and thanks?  Yes.  Did I end my day realizing that what I did today was worthwhile and beneficial, and that I had been beating myself up for no good reason–YES.  I can sleep well tonight.

 

 

 

Posted in exercise ramblings, Random

Day 2… the “adventure” continues

Posted on by fromthebrainofsarah

I’ve been keeping myself motivated since Thursday for my run today.  Then I opened my run trainer app and it said “1:00:00.”  I’m like… mmm, I don’t think so, but I’ll try!  I slowly (not quite dragging my feet, but almost) headed out the back door and through the gate.  I looked down at my app.  It didn’t tell me what my walk/run ratio would be.  There was going to be NO motivation?!  This was my face…  20160208_092127

But I bravely set out.  I chose a different route this time, since I was going to be walking/jogging for an “hour.”  (I’ll be honest, I gave myself permission to do a half hour. This is, after all, only day TWO.)  The new route wasn’t so great.  A lot more traffic, a lot less room at the side of the road.   But I do enjoy learning different roads.  Ask my kids how they feel about my “short cut/adventures.”

Random things were swirling about in my head during my 2.17 mile, 35:04 minute run/jog (rug? jalk?).    Why was this farmer’s grass patch green and everyone else’s is brown?  Why do people throw beer bottles on the side of the road?  What was a ReWa truck doing here?  I AM going to run up that hill, and then I can walk!  Hello, mister farmer man in the tractor on the road….

I was thinking about my devotions this morning.  I Corinthians 4:2 “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” I was thinking how doing the right thing (in this case, exercise) isn’t always enjoyable.  Sometimes you DON’T feel better after doing them.  Sometimes it’s cold outside and your ears hurt.  Sometimes your muscles hurt and tighten up after you sit for a few minutes.  But it’s still the right thing to do.  It’s part of stewardship.  Taking care of something/someone that has been entrusted to your care for a certain amount of time.

I was also reading about King David tracking down Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan. Remember how Jonathan and David were best friends?  closer than brothers.   The Bible said their hearts were “knit together.” King David wanted to honor his friend by taking care of what remained of the family Jonathan had left behind.  David found Mephibosheth and brought him into his household.  The Bible says “As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons.” (II Samuel 9:11b) “So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem:  for he did eat continually at the king’s table;” (v13)

I was asking the Lord what he wanted me to meditate on today, and he brought this to mind:  What does is mean to eat at the king’s table?  What privilege does that bring into a person’s life?  Earlier in the chapter, David restored to Mephibosheth Saul’s lands.  Saul was Jonathan’s father, Mephibosheth’s grandfather.  Saul had been the king before David; he had made himself the enemy of David and had tried to kill him multiple times. Yet David extended kindness to Mephibosheth for Jonathan’s sake.  How like our Lord Jesus, the King of kings!  He went to even greater lengths to restore us… “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) He died on the cross for our sins so that he may restore us to our rightful inheritance, that we might sit at His table continuously.  Fellowship with God.

Being fit is not my purpose in life.  But being a good steward of those things that God has given me IS.  Walking in fellowship with the king, sitting at his table IS.

Posted in exercise ramblings

So it’s Thursday…

Posted on by fromthebrainofsarah

I’ve been struggling with the knowledge that I really need to get back in shape.  My clothes don’t fit.  I’m tired all the time.  My job is high energy.  I can’t get anything done when I’m at home. Magically, when I work out and keep in shape, I am able to do SO much more!  But for months, I’ve been procrastinating –and the pounds are creeping up.

I keep pinning these 6 minute workouts on Pinterest… Today, I was scrolling down my Pinterest feed and read the 21 day NO JUNK FOOD challenge.  Out of morbid curiosity, I clicked on it to see what it was.

THE NO JUNK FOOD CHALLENGE (already I’m thinking, NOPE)

The Rules (RULES???? losing me)

  1. no chocolate
  2. no candy
  3. no biscuits or cookies
  4. no cake, donuts, or muffins
  5. no pastries
  6. no white bread
  7. no chips
  8. no fast food
  9. no soda
  10. no ice cream

Yeah.  Right.  I LOVE junk food.  I love chocolate and candy and cookies and pastries and chips and fast food…. HOWEVER.  I am gaining weight.  What if I just eat fewer of these things?  Could I manage that?  Perhaps.

But still.  I know I need to work out.  But what?  I already joined the YMCA.  I don’t go. My friend from church wants me to run the color run with her in April.  I already said yes. Let’s look at my schedule… oh dear.  It’s Thursday.  You know you never start something on a THURSDAY.  Logical me kicked in.  That’s stupid.  Of COURSE you can start something on a Thursday because if you don’t start today, right now, right where you are, you will not start.  Suddenly I knew.  Just throw on your sweats and your running shoes and GO outside and walk-jog.  Don’t shower first.  Don’t do your hair.  Throw on a head scarf, and go.  Isn’t there a verse in the Bible about running???  (There are.  Lots of them.  One of them is I Corinthians 9:24 “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize?  So run, that ye may obtain.”)

I ALMOST got derailed from this new-found determination to start jogging TODAY by my inability to find my ear-buds.  I managed to kick myself in the rear and get downstiars.  But wait.  I need to eat something before I go.  But what?  It’s got to be light, don’t want to cramp up.  AHAH!  1/2 c plain yoghurt, 1/4 c unsweetened applesauce and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon.  Surprisingly quite delightful.

Whilst (like that old word?  me too) I was eating I found an app “Run Trainer” and selected “from couch to 5k” and installed it.  It popped up with “1st jog: 15:00” it sounded do-able so I read on… walk for 2:00 jog for 3:00 (repeat) for the 15:00 duration.

I headed out the door with my new app for 15 minutes in the damp outdoors, and I did it! I’m NOT going to take the NO JUNK FOOD CHALLENGE but I am going to challenge myself to greatly reduce my junk food consumption and challenge myself to choose healthy eating options.  I am going to challenge myself to some kind of exercise at least 3 days a week.  In addition, I am challenging myself to meditate on Biblical principles on eating and exercising.