Tag: encouragement

Categories
Goals

Can You Hear Me Now?

Do people still call their friends when they need to talk? Or is it just text messages?

I’ve shared my journey over the past year of increasing vulnerability in my relationships with friends. God has brought some amazing new friends into my life that minister to me when I’ve responded to his voice and shared my life.

Most of the time, I send brief text messages to my friends during the week and then try to meet-up for coffee or lunch. However, as I become more real with people, I feel the need to call a friend just to talk about things.

Sure, I talk on the phone with my family, but it feels like years since I’ve called a friend when I need a listening ear or need help. Perhaps it’s a reflection of how closed off I am in my relationships. Or, perhaps, our world is so busy, that I don’t think they’ll be available to talk. Probably a little bit of both.

So, what’s the verdict? Do people still call each other? Do you have a friend that you can call when life gets hard? I have friends that I believe I could call and they would listen. And I’m always free to talk with a friend who calls me. Face-to-face is always my favorite, but that phone call can fill the gaps.

I think I’ll call a friend today.

Categories
Health and Wellness Self-care

Give Us Grace

This is my second year of teaching P.E. Last year I taught K-5th grade. This year I have K-8th grade…a range of attitudes and personalities. 😉 This also means that instead of teaching two days a week, I now teach 4 days a week.

Teachers do amazing things. I’ve been learning this as I create lesson plans and manage my classroom. But, I think what gets overlooked, is the amount of grace a teacher shows his/her students. I treat each day as a brand new day. If there is a kid that was difficult one day in class, I let it go and don’t carry it to the next time that I see him/her. Every child gets a clean slate every day.

Can I be honest? It’s hard to constantly be letting things go. I’m able to do it with my classes, but I’m noticing that I’m doing a worse job at home. It’s as if I give out all the “grace passes” that I have at school and am empty by the time I get home.

Now, I exaggerate some, but I have noticed how little hurts or frustrations outside of school stick with me more…they swirl around in my subconscious and I have a hard time letting them go. This ends up with me either irritable or in tears.

So, if you have any teacher family and/or friends, give them a little extra grace when they seem irritated or emotional…we’re busy giving grace all day long.

Categories
Health and Wellness Self-care

My Wish For You

I talk a lot about wellness and taking care of your bodies. This isn’t just a passing phase or hobby…it is truly my heart and what I care about, not just for myself, but for the people around me. I heard someone say recently, “I want die young at an old age.” And that is my wish for you: to live a full life – healthy and thriving – until an old age. I want you to get the most out of life. This requires you to take care of yourself…and not just physically.

True wellness (or total fitness) is physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, social, and environmental. I hope that through my blog, you’ve been able to see some of my journey in each of these areas and have encouraged you in your quest for wellness as well.

So here is my wish for you…

Physically: that you would find ways to move you body that bring you joy; that you would fuel your body with good foods and use quality supplements to fill that gap; that you would give you body the rest it needs to heal and replenish; that you would take care of your body so that you can thrive each day.

Emotionally: that you would be able to process through your feelings — whether with a friend or a professional — and find healing and hope; that you would grow in empathy and kindness.

Mentally: that you would find solutions to your problems and learn to process through all the information thrown at you to determine what is worth listening to and what should be ignored.

Socially: that you would have fulfilling relationships with others; that you would be a good friend; that you would find ways to serve and care for those around you.

Environmentally: that you would choose products that are free are harmful chemicals and toxins; that you would be wary of what you put in and on your body.

Spiritually: that you would run to Jesus and know him as your Lord and Savior; that you would see God working in the good and the bad and know that he loves you, sees you, and cares for you; that you would experience growth in your faith in God and love for others; that you would be filled with a peace and contentment and joy that makes no sense to the rest of the world.

My prayer and my desire for you is to find true and total health. That is what “wellness” means to me.

Categories
Faith Family

Eye-Opening

I’ve spent a lot of my life pigeon-holing and judging. I’ve expected people and places to look, act, and respond a certain way. And I’ve been frustrated and angry when they refuse to change to meet my needs.

Maybe it’s age allowing me to look at things differently…or perhaps I’m finally hearing and seeing what God is trying to tell me and show me.

I’ve done this with health and fitness. There are universal truths of health and fitness, but not one-size-fits-all. Everyone’s body is different, so different forms of exercise work best for different people. We all know how to eat healthy, but there are certain diets/styles of eating that work best for different body types. Find what is healthy and what works best for your body.

I’ve done this with church. The Gospel is the core of the Christian faith, but how people grow in their faith and understanding of God and the Gospel is different for everyone. For some, they want the deep-dive, intellectual approach. Some want to experience the Holy Spirit through music and gospel teaching. I’ve spent years frustrated with my church because I was trying to make it go the way I best experience God…but what might not be God’s plan for that church. Find a church that points you to God and his glory and helps you find joy in him.

I’ve done this with my relationships. I put expectations on my husband, kids, family, and friends that I don’t hold myself to. I’ve felt left out and uninvited, when so many of my friends feel the same way. I judge others for not being there for me, but am I there for them? Find ways to love others and let got of expectations.

What about you? Do you find yourself discontent with others and the world around you? Perhaps we all need to let go of expectations, stop assuming, and open our eyes to the possibilities and needs of others around us…to see the world with new eyes.