Spiritual, Emotional and Physical Challenge (90 days)

Here are the simple rules (Thanks Lou):

1. NO complaining. Absolutely none. Not about the weather, the food, your health, the government. Nothing.

2. NO fantasies. No wishing to be somewhere else, be someone else, married to someone else, having a different body.

3. NO comparisons. Don't compare yourself or your situation to some one else's. Ever.

4. NO "if only" thoughts. Don't let those thoughts fill your mind. They are destructive and wasteful.

5. NO "what if" thoughts. We can't control the future. God has control over that don't get in his way.

AND (thanks Shari)

Start a journal and write down two things you are grateful for every night. Each night thereafter, read the two things you are grateful for and add two more things. But don't be repetitious. Be creative. Hopefully this will keep you in a "positive" state of mind.

I am going to start this "emotional" challenge as well as a spiritual challenge (reading the Bible in 90 days, thanks Marsha) and a new physical challenge on Monday, March 2.

All three challenges will run for 90 days.

Let me know your thoughts and if you wish to join any part of the three challenges. :)

I AM SO READY FOR THIS, question is: ARE YOU??? :)

OH YEAH, IT IS THAT TIME AGAIN

Why do some people have the knack to remain calm and relaxed even in the most stressful situations? I believe that I am calm in most situations but there are a few people who push my buttons or there are situations that “crop” up that are out of my control that stress me out. Our life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. But what I refuse to let happen is to let stress become such commonplace in my life that it becomes a way of life. Stress isn’t always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you are constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price.

If you habitually find yourself feeling weary and inundated, it is time to change your way of life and do something about it. I am a firm believer in balance. When all the things in life are in balance, you feel the best. Plus you need balance in order to protect yourself from the harmful effects of stress. First thing you need to do is take charge of your thoughts (ask for God’s guidance), your emotions, your schedule (in my case, I need to learn to say no), your environment, and the way you deal with problems (don’t let “those” people get under your skin).

Stress management involves changing the stressful situation when you can, changing your reaction when you can’t, taking care of yourself, and making time to rest and relax with those you love.

Here are a few of the things that I do when I am in the “stress” zone:

1. I ask the Lord for help. We have to realize we can’t do this on our own.

2. I ask the Lord for guidance.

3. I read and study the Word of God (Bible), this is how the Lord speaks to us and reveals things to us.

4. I don't beat myself up. We all are human so realize that. We all make mistakes. This is not an excuse to sin but if you do sin ask God to forgive you and to help you to not repeat your mistakes.

5. I forgive myself. This is probably the most difficult thing for us as Christians to do. I know it is for me. God forgives and throws your sin into the sea to never be remembered again. Unfortunately we do not forget our failures so, learn from your mistakes and forgive yourself. God is not going to hold something against you when you have asked for forgiveness.

6. I forgive others (yes sometimes over and over again). If someone has hurt you, you have to forgive them. Again, I know it is hard but it is something God has commanded us to do, just like he has forgiven us.

7. If you have the funds, time or inclination, give back and don’t expect something in return. Also, pray for those who are need your prayers.. earnestly and without ceasing. God will bless you in His own time.

I will be praying for you...

FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT

Recognizing What Battles to Fight by Joel Osteen

Not every battle is worth fighting. Many of the challenges that come our way are simply distractions trying to lure us from our destiny. When we have opportunities to get upset, maybe somebody is talking about us, or a competitor at work is spreading rumors, or our parents say something that they shouldn't have, we ought to stop and ask ourselves, "If I engage in this battle and spend my time and energy trying to straighten somebody out, defending myself, arguing with a family member, trying to prove that I'm right, even if I win this battle what is the prize going to be? What is this fight going to accomplish?"

You see, there are a lot of battles that come across our lives each day, but they simply aren't worth the fight. The end result is strife and disharmony.

Proverbs 20:3 says, "Avoiding a fight is mark of honor." If you want to honor God and enjoy your life, decide to be a peacemaker. Be the kind of person that will avoid an unnecessary fight.

If you'll be disciplined to fight the battles that do matter, and take the focus off of those that are less important, not only will your relationships be better and your home full of peace, but God will bless you because where there is peace and unity, God commands a blessing.

________________________

My thoughts:

I absolutely love this post and God knows exactly what messages to bring to us exactly when we need it. Life is too short to deal with people's bad attitudes and snarkiness. I will do what I do best.... I will pray for them and ask God to help me deal with them and ask that HE help ME be a better person.

Cough, Cough

I am not a huge fan of taking medication, especially when I am this close to the homestretch but I am seriously thinking about caving in. This hacking is getting old real fast. I am trying to heal the old natural way and rough it like tough people do, because you all know I am cool like that. I can think of a million other things I could be doing with my time to get ready for the coming months instead of trying to see just how close I can keep my face to the humidifier without burning my face off! :)

Hopefully within the next few days I will be feeling better and hitting my workouts stronger than ever.... It is hard to suck in air on the treadmill when you can't breathe through your nose. :) Just sayin.

Okay, enough about me..... :) Remy is doing EXCELLENT. He is so eager to please and WANTS to learn new things all the time. In just a week and a half, he has learned to fetch, walk on his leash, NOT potty in the house, shake with his left paw, stay, go to his mat, sit and come to us when we call his name. :) What a smart boy he is! :) God definitely has blessed us again with a wonderful pup! We take him to the vet tomorrow for a check-up. I have some anxieties about it but am just laying it at the Cross because really God doesn't want me worrying about things like that. He will take care of us.

Here are a few updated pictures of Remy! Enjoy.