Life's Bump and Signs Take 2

Below are reflections on the changes I have made over the course of the week since coming upon bumps and signs within my life.

1. I have chosen not to set around and sulk over my new life status (as bad as it hurts)…I’ve chosen not to eat pints of ice cream and bags of popcorn for dinner even though that probably would be real tasty. This week I have tried to load up on creamy rich yogurt loaded with vitamin D and lots of fresh fruit containing vitamin C. My hope was to cut the depression out, promote good mental and physical health while trying to ward off the allergies, sinus, and cold junk trying to invade my life in recent weeks.
2. I have been trying to surround myself with friends and family even though today I am chilling at home alone. There were even a few girls’ nights out of the house to help me take my mind off of things. Being with my family one evening this week helped me to realize that sometimes you need to laugh because life is short. My doctor has always said laughter is the best medicine!
3. I have tried to be positive and patient. Other people out there have it a lot worse than me and I know my problems, pain, and hurt are not life threatening. Life will continue on with or without me, so my thinking has been that I better “get on the bus” or I might miss out on something important. Patience is a virtue that I necessarily was not blessed with, but I have been praying to have patience and a positive attitude & life outlook on all this. Time heals and time helps questions be answered…so I am trying to be patient. I have thought about the book of Esther in the bible this week too. Within the book of Esther God is never mentioned, but His providence is shown throughout the book. God works in His own time and season hence why I am trying to be patient! I am trying to live a life pleasing to God, by obeying His word, so that He will find favor in me. I know eventually I will understand why and how my life all connects together with all the recent changes.  
4. I have been doing a little spring cleaning around the house. This actually has come in two forms. First, I have actually been trying to do a few things around the house that I have let go since it has been winter. Second, I have been reviewing several of the past lessons from my ladies bible class. We are studying the book “Spiritual Spring Cleaning” and several of the past lessons are helping me renew myself spiritually and have trust. Create in me a pure heart, O God; and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10.
5. I have tried to get back on my physical activity route. I made it to the gym a couple of times this week and I have tried to walk some at home using this workout video I have. I’ve also learned physical activity can also come in other forms. LOL. Yesterday, I got outside and soaked up a little vitamin D and washed my car. It needed a bath desperately so this weekend it got bathed inside and out.

These are just some of the things that I have done this past week since the bumps and signs showed up along my road. Maybe somehow they can help you if you are dealing with something difficult within your life that you might be struggling with. I am not perfect and I do not profess to have the answers to all of life's bumps and signs that come along the road of life, but I can share with you how I have dealt with my bumps and signs personally within my personal life. Keep in mind you have to do what is right for yourself and only you know what that might be. I have no magic answers!  

Life's Bumps and Signs

Trying to smile and put on a happy face. I keep telling myself, "You is kind, you is smart, you is important" like Aiblieen says in the book "The Help". In the meantime here are my reflections on life's "bumps" and "signs". Every individual whether single, dating, married, or divorced is traveling down the path of life. Each one of us is traveling via our favorite mode of transportation (car, truck, by foot, train, airplane, etc.) and we are all traveling at our own speed whether slow, within the speed limit, or very fast. We each see and interpret “signs” and “bumps” differently that come into our view while we are traveling down the road of life.
 
Sometimes we encounter the “sign” of a roadblock and or obstacles that might dart into our path. These make us agitated, angry, nervous, scared, shaken, happy, joyful, thankful, etc. There are even times when the road of life gets a little bumpy which is another sign of sorts, but hopefully for most people the road is smooth with only a few occasional bumps. I’ve learned that bumps usually make us stronger and more prepared for the path ahead in life.
 
These “bumps” come in the form of change along the road too. I have learned that you cannot change the people around you, but you can change the people that you choose to be around. Sometimes people choose to not be around you and that might be hard to grip at times, but change is inevitable and the sooner we accept it the sooner we can be at peace with ourselves. If we want to grow and change sometimes we might have to take risks. “Growth means change and change involves risks, stepping from the known to the unknown.” “Time change, people change, situations change, relationships change. The only thing constant is change.” For me letting go of the past and accepting change can be hard sometimes. I have learned that people grieve and react differently to life’s situations. We must keep traveling down the road because what is right for me might not be right for you. The sooner we accept change I believe the easier the transition is for us to move on and let go.
 
“Bumps” and “signs” help mold and shape our thoughts, feelings, wants, and desires into the person God wants us to be. God is the creator of all things and He knows every detail about us. He sends things our way to test us to see if we can stay on the road and on the right path of life. Usually once, we have overcome these bumps and are driving once again on smooth surfaces we find time to review our experiences and see how they are interconnected. Reviewing the bumps gives us great insight into ourselves and helps us see into what we have become. Reflecting moments like this are when usually we can get a glimpse of the Providence God has bestowed within our lives. It might take months, years, or even decades to see the Providence, but I have faith that it is there so I just wait so that one day I might see and understand how the recent “signs” and “bumps” have influenced my life.

We must have trust in God and believe in Him and His timing. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding" Proverbs 3:5. Leaving you with this inspirational art message, I found today as come to accept my newfound status in life, “I’m not single. I’m not taken. I’m simply on reserve for the one who deserves my heart.”

Good friends+good laughs+good food=good times

I enjoy having company over to my home occasionally because of the good times it creates! This weekend I invited a few good friends over for a girl's night. Basically it was a night to catch up and have a few good laughs. Let's just say there are some things you cannot erase from your mind. LOL. You cannot have a girl's night without some good food...so I made one of my favorite soups "Taco Soup". Cannot wait until the next one!

My Plateau is looking a Little Brighter!

Yesterday I celebrated Valentine’s Day along with millions of other Americans. I am thankful my sweetie sent me flowers instead of chocolates for me to overindulge in…although I was not that nice to him because I sent him his favorite combination peanut butter and chocolate…sorry sweetie! I will admit that I could not resist a slice of homemade fresh apple cake with caramel icing after dinner with my sweet family yesterday. My justification was that it was Valentine’s Day and it was just one slice. Who was I kidding…sometimes I need more willpower! 

Flowers from my sweetie...I love the orange ones best...he said "yuck & that explains why they were so cheap"...Gotta love lines from a true UK fan to his TN born and raised girlfriend. LOL!

Reality hit today when I was reminded that is was “weigh-in day” via the automatic reminder set up by the weight loss app I use on my tablet. So, I stepped onto the scales this morning to check in on my weight loss success…actually the success has been nonexistent for the last little bit. I have been at a “plateau” for the last three months. My scales told me that yet again, I stayed the same for another week, but I thought I needed more motivation…so I got out the measuring tape to check on the “inch” progress since I had not done this “check-in” since October. So today, I am celebrating 3.5 inches lost in my waist, 2 inches in my hips, ½ inch in my arms, 1 dress size, 2 pants sizes, and 1 inch in my thighs. My fitness routine is still paying off! YAY! My plateau is looking a little brighter now!

In order to continue the weight loss success maybe I need to avoid those overindulging moments of eating sweets that I have a weakness for sometimes! I am still hoping to reach my goal in order to get these remaining 26 pounds off. I want to note that I have been able to drop my BMI 7.1 points since I started this journey January 2011. I have 3.5 points until I am at a healthy normal BMI putting me out of the overweight & obese range that currently make me at a higher risk for the chronic conditions of high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. It is not all about the weight loss for me as it is for the “health” aspect of being healthier. I want to live an active productive life. I have many health risks that run in my family like health disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. In order to help prevent them for occurring at a young age within my life I decided last January to be healthier so that’s why I started on this journey. I hope that these last few pounds, inches, and BMI points will keep melting off.

Check out these publications from my employer the “University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service” if you want to understand weight loss, BMI, how to build a healthy plate, or how we should be eating to live instead of living to eat.  

http://www.ca.uky.edu/hes/fcs/factshts/HEEL-LR-908.pdf

http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/FCS3/FCS3562/FCS3562.pdf

http://www.ca.uky.edu/hes/fcs/factshts/FN-SSB-154.pdf

Until my next reminiscing blog post comes to me please help me celebrate a little of my sweet plateau success. Thanks!



Most recent photo of me and my new self made this week :)

truths about me

brunette hair & blue eyes.

 

i  am a Christian…follower of Christ…daughter…sister…friend…county agent…student.

 

my favorite color is chocolate brown followed closely by hot pink, turquoise, and Kelly green.

 

i could eat pizza or ice cream for every meal. seriously! but trying to eat healthy for a better body.

 

diet coke is my drink of choice.

 

i love life so much.

i am a zeta tau alpha.

 

i want to find a man who loves me for “me”.

if given the choice, i will always choose the “milk chocolate and peanut butter” combination.

 

i fear being alone.

 

big sucker for a good cheesy pick-up line.

 

i straighten my hair without a mirror.

 

i am the biggest fan of Chapstick.

 

i wear what i want to wear even if it’s odd.

 

my friends are fun to be around…we know when to be serious and they are not afraid to tell me the truth.

i’m very particular and like things to be analyzed, thought-out, and not taken lightly.

i cry sometimes. happy or sad.

i believe style and fashion are not important, but comfort is.

 

i truly do believe i will be one awesomely good housewife one day.

 

i want to be a mother one day.

 

i like to have a workout routine, but sometimes I get in an unmotivated funk.

 

i believe you should fall in love with your best friend.

 

i love building meaningful relationships with people.

 

i’m a question asker. full of curiosity. i am not afraid to ask anything!

 

i love the gospel.

 

i like to use social media…Facebook…my RSS feed...and Blogger to keep up with happenings around the world.