Along the Way

“To give thanks is an action and rejoice is a verb and these are not mere pulsing emotions.”

~Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare To Live Fully Right Where You Are

Lately, I’ve been stuck. I feel like I’m always saying this, but isn’t it always true? To a certain extent, we get recharged, we move forward in joy, in fresh newness, and then slowly, so slowly we hardly notice it, we’re back where we started.

Taking time for quiet time.

When I started my journey to 1,000 gifts, I was all in. Counting the gifts that God lays out before me each day? No brainer! Making a list, displaying it for both myself and others to see, what could be better? How could this not show me the joy, the purpose, the gift in each moment?

Well, I guess that’s the nature of me, and maybe of life? I’m forgetful. I carry on, and I forget the purpose of my journey, and I forget the gloriousness that is the gift of each moment. The unexpected, undeserved surprise that I get another moment, and another, and that beyond simply having the moments, that so many of them are filled with good.

Postcards from my love while he was away for work.

The quote at the top of the page is from this week’s reading for book club, and it’s a line that particularly stood out to me. I don’t have to feel thankful to give thanks; I don’t have to feel joyful to rejoice. Both are actions, and I’m the choice-maker. In each moment, what will I choose?

A mama duck with one precious little duckling, on a very early Saturday morning.

I looked back over my list after finishing up today’s chapter, and I realized that it had been 18 days since I added one single gift. Before that addition ~ 6 days. I have wallowed in my busy-ness, in my seeking and my ignoring, and my living for me and my living in fear, and I have not chosen to rejoice anyway. Today I added 12 gifts, with intention and purpose.

My Chobani winnings ~ such excitement to find this on my doorstep!

The photos in this post are all moments from the past 18 days. While writing this post, I looked through my camera roll on my phone to see what was there, and I found that I had captured many, many moments through my lens, many, many gifts. I have been seeing, but not naming.

As I move forward from this moment, it is with new intention. To name the gifts, and to choose the rejoicing. Will I slip again? Undoubtedly. Is it still worth the effort? Absolutely.

What gifts have you noticed in your life recently?

2012
05/24
CATEGORY
Personal Challenges
Personal Growth
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2 comments

Wonderful Weekend

This weekend was wonderful. I relaxed, and I reveled in my summery, non-student status.

On Friday I decided to take an impromptu trip down to Milwaukee for some much needed Trader Joe’s time ~ I hadn’t been since January and I desperately needed to stock up! Thankfully, I am now all set in that department. With Terry out of town all last week, Friday night consisted of cleaning out the fridge. I can’t lie though ~ it was a pretty pleasant evening!

Saturday morning I was up and at it early for a trip to the Farmer’s Market ~ the first of the season! Our Market is pretty small this time of year, but I did grab some tomato plants, and basil and parsley plants, plus a tiny cactus for a project that I’m plotting. I also grabbed two huge bags of fresh spinach!

The rest of the day was errands + laziness + office work.

Then this happened. And it was awesome.

After Trader Joe’s and the Farmer’s Market, I had some new deliciousness to try out, and it all came together Saturday night in this awesome salad. I started with a pile of fresh spinach and topped it with quartered and seared mini cucumbers and warmed mini heirloom tomato halves. That was all topped with reduced balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, and a few torn fresh basil leaves. All served with a goat cheese medallion on the side. So, so good. Seriously good.

Sunday morning I was up way to early, but luckily for a good cause!

After a much needed caffeine pit-stop, I hit the road for Green Bay. One of our new friends from last month’s marriage retreat was running in the Cellcom race, and since they don’t live very close by I didn’t want to pass up the chance to see them! I got to spend time with Tanya and their kiddos while we watched for Trevor to finish his leg of the race. Such a fun time!

And then… Terry came home!! Finally. We spent the afternoon and evening catching up and bumming around, and generally taking it easy.

What did you do this weekend?

2012
05/21
CATEGORY
Daily Activities
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5 comments

WIAW: Eats During Finals

Confession: These eats are actually from a week ago Monday. With all the craziness during finals, I didn’t get around to posting them last week, and I took such care to document my day that I just couldn’t let it go to waste!

Last Monday, I had all three of my finals up in Green Bay, pretty much back to back, with the first one starting at 8am. It was pretty intense, and thankfully I planned ahead with awesome eats to help me power through the day!!

This isn’t food. I know, you’re shocked! I just wanted to first show off my cozy exam-day fashion. My yellow Toms cords ~ so comfy! Plus a snuggly scarf, and lots of layers.

At the last minute before heading for bed Sunday night, I decided to pack everything up that I wanted to bring to school with me on Monday. So glad that I did ~ on Monday morning I just had to grab and go!

Breakfast on the go: Kashi blueberry waffle sandwich with almond butter and apple butter, plus fresh juice! I made the juice Sunday right before bed and sealed it tight overnight.

Coffee #1 was the plain jane variety (plus a little cream and sugar!), with a side of last minute studying for my first final of the morning ~ Bio Organic Chem.

With one exam done, I moved on to getting in all the studying I could for my toughest exam of the day ~ Human Genetics (spoiler alert: this particular story doesn’t end well…). A side of apple slices for the win!

Coffee #2 of the day was a bit more fancy, in the form of a raspberry mocha! Desperately needed to cheer me up during my Genetics exam…

After my Genetics exam, I had a more substantial snack in the form of black cherry chobani, with sides of chopped nuts and raw oats, plus a few mini chocolate chips (best idea ever!!). And my water bottle peeking in… Proof that I didn’t just drink coffee all day!

Fast forward through my third exam, a call to my Mom, and a meeting with my advisor, and I finally was headed for home! To fuel my drive: baby carrots and (unpictured, already consumed!) sugar snap peas, wheat thins, and two gouda babybels.

There was pretty much no chance whatsoever of me cooking that night, so grocery store sushi was the perfect option! Spicy shrimp roll with brown rice, and shrimp summer roll.

After all of that, I still had Character Development that night, which required coffee shop visit #3 of the day! This time it was for hot chocolate though ~ no more caffeine! And of course, more water.

I’m so grateful that I made the choice to pre-pack healthy snacks because I know me, and even with the best of intentions, I never would have taken the time to do it so early in the morning. And even though I barely got any sleep the night before, and I had been feeling sick both before and after that day, those healthy snacks helped me power through that incredibly intense day feeling awesome!

**Yes, three disposable cups were consumed in getting me through that day… It was just a weird day! I never make three coffee shop stops in one day ~ I’m a one cup of caffeine/day sort of gal. And every single one of my non-disposable coffee cups was dirty! An anomaly.

Linked to: What I Ate Wednesday

2012
05/16
CATEGORY
Food Adventures
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7 comments

The Importance of Friendship

Last night, I had the supreme pleasure of a girls’ night out with two of my very best girlfriends, Colleen and Barb.

This is the only picture I could find of all three of us together!! It’s from last fall’s camping adventure (husbands present, but not photographed!).

We met at a local eatery, drinks, appetizers, and desserts were devoured, and laughter abounded as we joked and talked about the not-so-serious and downright-silly.

We also talked serious about the “real” stuff going on in our lives: husbands, kids (where applicable!), families, our own personal struggles in being Godly women.

It was good.

There was a time in my life when I did not consider it to be very important to maintain friendships. I struggled with wondering why I didn’t have that group that I just “clicked” with, and wondering why friends didn’t naturally flow into my life. As I’ve lived with depression, one of my personal struggles over the years was that I would never call people back, I would cancel plans (if I actually managed to make some!), and generally stayed to myself completely.

In junior high and high school, I was blessed with a group of fantastic girlfriends. We weren’t the most popular, or the least, we were just part of the landscape of our high school but for us, we were the greatest. As we’ve grown up, our lives have certainly gone in different directions, but we still keep in touch and they all hold such a special place in my heart.

Well… Not the best picture! But we’re all there (plus two extras, but I won’t tell you who!). You may recognize Sarah, still one of my great friends, and Nicki, who just got married in December!

I think the ease with which these friendships came even though, I now realize, I put minimal effort into them, spoiled me! When these ladies nearly all left town after high school and I stayed behind, I realized that I had no friendship skills! Bad news. And worse news, I was too deep in depression to try to figure it out. But I was super sad.

Thankfully this story has a happy ending. But before that, I spent years praying, but not actively trying; sad, lost, and confused. As a couple, Terry and I also had the same struggles ~ we didn’t have any “couple” friends who fit the criteria of both living in our same town and being at a similar life stage to us. I continue to pray for God to put the people in our lives that He wants here, in His time.

We, and I, are finally at a place in our life where we have friends. Although along the way I may have definitely questioned God’s plan a time or two, I can see that He was working His plan, His way, in His time. And now we are blessed with a fantastic group of couples in our lives who get us, who we can be real with, and silly as well; we even have our brand-new friends from the retreat. I have not only the two lovely ladies above, but my book club ladies, and the friends that I’ve made in Character Development. My life has suddenly become filled with friendships that are deep and fulfilling.

A few things I’ve learned along the way:

  • It takes work to maintain friendships.
  • Women need other women.
  • If I feel like I’m the one always reaching for awhile, it doesn’t mean my friend doesn’t like me. It means that they may have stuff going on. They still want to be my friend.
  • Sometimes, even with the best of friends, I still have that “I don’t want to” feeling. Terry gave me a pep talk once that basically consisted of “too bad, go anyway.” That has always stuck with me, and I never regret going anyway.
  • Women can find other women intimidating and unapproachable. It turns out, we all feel that way! Getting to know each other bridges that gap and makes it easier for all of us.

My definition of friendship: real people, sharing real stuff, about real life.

God calls us to fellowship. It’s part of His plan. He didn’t promise it would be easy. Here’s what His word has to say:

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

Proverbs 11:14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

Romans 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Out do one another in showing honor.

What have you learned about friendship over the years?

2012
04/28
CATEGORY
Friends
Personal Growth
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10 comments

This and That

Or… What I’ve Been Up To Lately!!

1. On Saturday, our church hosted a one-day women’s retreat (more to come!). One of my besties, Colleen, picked me up, and I had to smile when I saw the Chobani in her purse because I had grabbed one on my way out of the house as well. As the retreat was getting started, we both had to laugh when we simultaneously pulled out kitchen-drawer spoons out of our respective bags! We may or may not have still been mid-giggle-fit during the opening prayer…

2. I have received my first football injury! So not as impressive as it sounds. Terry and I were tossing around the football on Monday night before my Character Development class, and somehow, someway (quite gracefully I’m sure!) I managed to catch the football with the tip of my ring finger, which jammed and swelled impressively and painfully. The next day, and still today, my finger turned up black and blue 360* degrees around. Pretty great. Sad news of it ~ I can’t get my wedding ring on.

3. At Saturday’s retreat, mentioned above, I had a definite I’m-turning-into-my-Mom experience. Making fun of my Mom for her tendency to massively overpack and bring multiple bags with her everywhere she goes is pretty much an ongoing activity in our family. Below, you can see everything I brought with me to my (one-day!) retreat. What’s in the bag? Snacks, writing utensils, feminine products. And at the beginning of the day my water bottle and sweater were in there too!

4. Terry has been having back pain for about six months now, and it has become more and more crippling. After months of trying everything we could think of (physical therapy, massage therapy, chiropractics, and even acupuncture), we and our family doctor finally made the decision for him to have an MRI last week. I’m not going to lie, it’s been an incredibly stressful week, ups and downs, fears and faith. Well, today we met with our ortho doctor and found out that for all intents and purposes, the results of the MRI were fantastic. Terry is tumor-free and growth-free, and there is nothing poking around in or out of his spine that shouldn’t be. Relief, and grace has been experienced today. The next step is a pretty intense physical therapy regimen for 4-6 weeks, and then re-evaluate. Prayers are welcome! Both for praise, and for perseverance.

5. At this point in the semester, my house has become absolutely disgusting. Like, I don’t even want to be here because the mess is scary! All I have time for is “surface cleaning”, which here means laundry, dishes, and sometimes the bed gets made. Tasks such as sweeping and shower scrubbing… Not happening. Case in point: this toilet paper has been sitting on our kitchen floor for about two weeks. Yes, we’ve just been grabbing rolls as we need them and leaving it as it lies! Full disclosure. In happier news, as of yesterday the toilet paper has been transferred to its proper home in the bathroom!

6. Last week, I had the fantastic opportunity to attend the Wisconsin Dietetic Association’s Annual Conference with UW Green Bay’s dietetics club. I wasn’t sure how I was going to enjoy it, but I’m so very, very glad I went. It was completely awesome to spend so much time surrounded by like-minded people who are actually working in the field that I am working towards. It really felt professional, and like a real life career choice. Does that sound silly? Oh, well! The conference also really affirmed for me that I am actually learning things in my program. I loved that I was able to sit through sessions geared toward real-life professional RDs and DTRs and comprehend the material that was presented. Awesome experience.

7. Although Terry and I have been a bit like ships passing in the night lately, we have actually made time for two recent date nights! On Saturday we saw the movie Chimpanzee ~ loved it! I still think African Cats was my favorite, although he said that this one was his. And tonight, we made a last-minute decision to go on an evening river-cruise that our local Maritime Museum was hosting as a fundraiser. I’m so glad we did, because it was a fantastic time!

  

8. After absolutely working my butt off, I finished up my business plan for my management class, and I am as proud and relieved as can possibly be. I also had to make a website, which I think turned out fantastic, and an advertisement, which Terry helped me out with completely by producing professionally. I’m so proud of this project!

9. I mentioned quite awhile ago that microbiology was completely not rocking my world. I’m happy to report, that has very much changed! It’s definitely not my favorite by any means, but I’m coming around at least. In lab we’re working on our unknowns, which means that we each get handed a random tube of “broth” which contains two bacteria strains, and we ultimately have to determine which two we have. It’s crazy, but I love that I have the skills to be successful, although i really don’t see myself ever doing this in my “real” life! In lecture, we’ve been talking about all kinds of gross and fascinating stuff like germs on surfaces, spread of disease, and STDs. Good times!

10. I think that may about cover it! I like to end on a nice even number like 10 though…!

What have you been up to lately??

2012
04/26
CATEGORY
Daily Activities
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6 comments

Blessings at the Marriage Retreat

Last weekend, Terry and I went to a Marriage Retreat, and we had an absolutely fantastic time! I shared some pictures on Monday, and today I want to tell you a bit about the ways that Terry and I were blessed there.

The retreat was at Silver Birch Ranch in White Lake, Wisconsin ~ about a two hour drive north for us. Silver Birch is a Christian camp that serves children, adults, and families; it’s an absolutely amazing resource and we’re so lucky to have access to it. Terry had been there before, for two men’s retreats as well as to chaperone a junior high retreat, and I had only been there once for the day with him.

We have both been incredibly busy lately and have barely had time to see each other, so to say that we were excited for the retreat is a huge understatement! We were both really looking forward to just relaxing and connecting with each other, and that’s what we got. I also focused a lot on being all there, and I’m very happy to report that I was super successful! The only times I had to really remind myself to keep my mind in the moment were during “down time” such as when I couldn’t sleep or in the morning while I was getting ready.

To be honest, the teachings were not that great, and if that were the main factor of the retreat, I don’t think that I would be saying such glowing things. Luckily, however, two huge factors came together to make this weekend absolutely incredible for us: our small group, and the Silver Birch staff.

Coming into the weekend so very weary, I wasn’t that excited to be thrown into a group of strangers to mingle and share with. However, we ended up in a group of people whom we clicked with so completely; it was an incredible experience that I don’t think I’ve had since I was a kid! From the very first session, our entire group just meshed, and we ended up spending pretty much every minute of the entire weekend with them, from late-night at the canteen to daytime activities – trap shooting and horseback riding! – to an evening bonfire. I truly believe that our experience would have been much less without each of them. I already miss them so much and can’t wait to see them again!

The other thing that pleasantly surprised me was the manner in which we were simply served by the Silver Birch staff. Their willingness to provide for each of us if we could think of anything at all that we needed was so touching; it truly showed to me the true meaning of serving our brothers and sisters. For this one weekend, they were simply there to minister to each of us in our marriages. The best example of this was Saturday night, when they held a candlelight dinner for the couples. We were each set up a little separated from every other couple, and students from the on-site Bible college served as our servers for the evening instead of the typical self-serve meals. There was even a rose at each place! It was seriously unbelievable, and wonderful.

So, this was a bit wordy, but that’s it! Our wonderful experience at the Marriage Retreat.

Have you and your spouse or significant other done anything special for just the two of you lately? Or, have you treated yourself to anything special recently?

2012
04/19
CATEGORY
Faith
Friends
Marriage
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The Journey to 1,000

I’ve mentioned here and there that I’ve been reading a fantastic book lately, and I’m finally getting around to telling you about the experience!

#1: The smell and anticipation of coffee on an incredibly sleepy morning.

Back in February, an acquaintance of mine put out a question on Facebook to find out if any of her friends were interested in doing a book club, working through a book a couple of chapters at a time. I’ve been wanting to join a book club for about forever, but I simply don’t have the time right now to read an entire book in a month (usually!) ~ this was exactly the chance I had been looking for! I would have joined pretty much whatever the circumstances! It turned out to be one more fantastic choice in a series of fantastic choices that have come along lately.

#26: The satisfaction of deleting homework items from my calendar (my version of checking them off the to-do list!).

It turned out that only one other person was able to commit, and from there our little club was born. Alyssa, Sara, and I all knew each other before this started, but only “surface-y”. Several months in, I’m feeling so very blessed to be sharing pieces of our lives together.

#41: Date nights with my lovey!

We’re reading One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that the experience has been life changing for all of us. We’ve ended up choosing to read only one chapter every two weeks so that we can spend our entire evening when we get together going through just one chapter.

#74: A freshly-opened jar of almond butter.

We’re learning to live life in the moment. To fully commit to whatever is happening right now. To see grace and God in the smallest of moments, and to view the gift in all of it. I’m a different person than I was, and it’s amazing.

Track with me as I list 1,000 gifts in my everyday life.

What have you been doing lately to grow, and stretch the boundaries of who you’ve been?

2012
04/17
CATEGORY
Faith
Inspiration
Personal Challenges
Personal Growth
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9 comments

Wordless Weekend: Marriage Retreat

Linked To: Lolly Jane Boutique

2012
04/16
CATEGORY
Faith
Marriage
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9 comments

WIAW: Easter Weekend

Well, this is a strange WIAW post right off the bat because… I have no pictures of any of the foods I am about to tell you about!

As I’ve been reflecting over the changes in my eating habits since “the click“, it occurred to me that I wanted to share my Easter weekend eats. Unfortunately, I had already eaten them without taking any pictures! Not to worry ~ I decked it out with a few other photos that I dug up for you!

The reason that I want to dedicate a post to talking about the food choices I made over the holiday weekend is that I noticed quite a few changes in the way that I approached the eating part of the festivities. The biggest change I noticed was simply how mindful I was about the food!

We had two Easter celebrations this weekend with meals to navigate ~ Saturday with my family at my Grandma Fran’s house, and Sunday with Terry’s family at a restaurant for a buffet-style brunch.

Saturday:

What I Ate:

  • Ham (a “real” ham, not the more processed, pieced-together kind)
  • Spinach, Strawberry, and Walnut Salad with a strawberry/poppyseed, oil-based dressing
  • Potato Salad
  • White Roll w/ Butter
  • A Few Homemade, Bite-Size Cannoli-Style Desserts

What I Didn’t Eat:

  • Processed Cheese Spread
  • Candy
  • Cupcakes, From a Mix, Colored with Jello
  • Easter Bunny Confetti Cake, From a Mix

Why?

The meal was pretty easy for me ~ I chose pretty much the items that I would gravitate towards anyway, being sure to heap up the spinach salad. I definitely did not need, or even really enjoy, the roll. As for dessert, I was delighted to find the cannoli bites! No added colors, only a couple of ingredients ~ these were a perfect choice. I’ve been very conscious of high levels of ingredients for awhile now, and I recently read this post, which really increased my awareness of the issues with added colors in our food. This is why I avoided both cake-style desserts, along with another post that I recently read, which explained that one of the ingredients in store-bought cakes and mixes is actually petroleum! Yuck.

Sunday

What I Ate:

  • 6 (ish) Peel and Eat Shrimp
  • Scoop of Cottage Cheese
  • Pineapple
  • Strawberries
  • Grapes
  • About 1/2 of a Made to Order Omelet with Mushrooms and Peppers
  • 1 Bite of Terry’s Prime Rib
  • White Roll with Butter

What I Didn’t Eat

  • Tons of Deep Fried Items
  • Desserts

Why?

I was pretty proud of myself with this takeaway meal at a buffet. Normally my buffet approach is that I want to eat everything in sight that looks halfway tasty. This is part of the reason that I don’t really like to go to buffets anyway, along with the general assumption that the food quality is not that great. Again, like Saturday, I really didn’t need or much enjoy the roll; I really do love my bread, but I need to learn which bread is worth and which really isn’t! As we got towards the end of this meal, I almost went back to the buffet for a delicious-looking slice of chocolate cake; it was a completely mindless almost-action. Luckily at the last minute I remembered about the petroleum! Yuck.

How Did I do the Rest of the Weekend?

I prepared for both events by eating something healthy before I went. On Saturday, that was a lunch of Ezekiel toast, eggs, and sautéed mushrooms, and on Sunday that was Ezekiel toast with almond butter and raspberry preserves before church. Not showing up to either event famished definitely helped me to eat more mindfully. On Sunday evening, I made homemade enchiladas loaded with whole grains, clean ingredients, and veggies, plus sweet potatoes, peas, and spinach on the side with the idea of back-loading my weekend with nutrients.

Overall, I feel fantastic about how mindfully I ate over the holiday weekend! So different from usual, and I loved it!

How/what did you eat over the holiday weekend?

2012
04/11
CATEGORY
Food Adventures
Personal Growth
Uncategorized
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7 comments

Happy Easter

“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” ~Romans 6:8-11

Happy Easter!

2012
04/08
CATEGORY
Faith
Uncategorized
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2 comments

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