Trust or Bust

Trust. What a loaded word. A dictionary defines it as: 'firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of someone or something'....'acceptance of the truth of a statement without evidence or investigation'. We've all been there, haven't we? Trusting someone and then getting burned. I know I have, and it leaves me with second guessing people, a lot. I mean, take a look at the definition...reliable, truthful, acceptance without evidence or investigation. Who can honestly, 100% of the time,  live up to these sorts of ideals? No one of this earth, I am confident in that. Now, before you write me off as a disgruntled woman with trust issues, rest assured I am not. That's not what this is about.....trust me?  :)

Proverbs 3:5 tells us to 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding'. We are biblically instructed to trust God. If you are anything like me, you  have heard these verses time and time again, really believing them and relying on them in times of tribulation. We even sound them off to a friend who may be dealing with some big questions of their own. We say, 'You're right, it's in God's hands' and move on. BUT (I mean that's a big BUT) do we have a firm belief; are we accepting of this, with all our heart, without evidence or investigation? So, our challenge as women of God, wives, mothers, friends, daughters, sisters, etc. is to be filled to the measure with the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19), to stand firm in His truth and His awesome ability and strength. He. Is. RELIABLE.

Oh, do I wrestle with this. By the grace of God, I am blessed way beyond an ounce of what I truly deserve. And even though I know this, sometimes  falling to my knees in glorious thanksgiving, I struggle with Proverbs 3:5. Should I go back to work? Do I make my husband happy? Am I a good mom and teaching my daughter everything she needs to know? Honestly, the internal debates we have as women are as exhausting and scary as a triathlon after childbirth. Yikes. SO my challenge to myself and everyone else who is worn to a frazzle, is to get lost in the following scripture. Sip them like a really robust, hot cup of coffee. I really do love my java. Say them out loud in sweet prayer, commit them to your memory and celebrate them when you need a good swig of His incredible truth.

'Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all He has done.' Philippians 4:6

'The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.' Exodus 14:14

'Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this.' Psalm 37:4-5

'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your wears submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.' Proverbs 3:5-6

' I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.' Philippians 4:13


Trust or bust, baby.

Grace and Blessings,
k

Calories, Girl Scout Cookies, and the Dirty Thirty

We have this sign outside our front door:

It has earned quite a few giggles since we've put it out, and I can happily say it has stopped the door-to-door salesman who frequent our neighborhood. Seriously, I won't answer my door and the only outcome is poor Harley gets riled up. I have been a little giddy lately, as Girl Scout Cookie season has begun, and I am quite amused with myself that my amazing sign references Thin Mints specifically. As I am writing this post, we are 4 boxes of cookies richer, none of which are full. Let's be honest, it's slightly un-American to not open a box of Tagalongs immediately upon acquisition. Can I get an 'Amen'? 

So, an obnoxious amount of cookies and delightful calories later, I found myself falling in love with my treadmill all over again. Me and T have a rocky, complicated relationship. But she is a great friend when I need a boost of endorphins and a few less calories. Don't be fooled or impressed, I am not a runner. I've tried, really hard to be. The soreness alone is killer for me, so I stick to walking. T is a great walking companion and offers some challenges when I'm feeling ambitious. My favorite music to move to is a 'Dance Cardio' station on Pandora, although I have spent some time giving the thumbs down to some songs that don't quite sync with my values. 

Did you notice the 'MyFitnessPal' ticker at the top of my page? This app is, in my "professional" opinion, the best for tracking your weight loss goals and calories. And by "professional", I mean I've tried a lot of apps. A. LOT. Counting calories gets old - it's time consuming and can really be a big, fat reality check. [pun intended] For me, the really challenging part of it was using that reality check to springboard into better choices and not give up. It's easier said than done, trust me. I'm willing to bet if you have tried these types of apps, you have fibbed a time or two just to make your goal. I mean, I never did. that much. BUT the truth is you need to count calories to lose a significant amount of weight. Period. So, I'm sucking it up....so I don't have to suck it in. You are so welcome for that amazing word play.

My Plan to Lose the Dirty-30

1. Daily Calorie Goal: 1500
2. Exercise Goal: 5 times/ week

I will keep inquiring minds updated on my progress, challenges, and changes in my plan. You will also be blessed with recipes and fun fitness ideas. My Pinterest includes great stuff as well, go ahead and follow me! My goal is to lose the dirty-30 [lbs] in time for shorts and swimsuits...and get away with as many thin mints as possible. 

Grace and Blessings,

k

Mom With a Blog

Well, this is weird.

I love reading a good blog. Mainly because they are (usually) short, to the point, and relatable, which is how most of my conversations go these days. Granted, they are for the most part with a 3 year old, and they tend to consist of 'No', 'Stop', 'Don't Touch That', and 'Time to Go Potty!'. So, my big question is: Even though I have a lot to say, Are there others out there (besides my 3 year old) who will enjoy reading what I have to say? ....that is a rhetorical question, please don't answer.

So, here is my shameless shot at blogging. I will commit to 3 months and see if it is all it's cracked up to be. If it doesn't work out, I can blame my husband. This was his idea. My adventure will begin with an intro to me...

Who Am I Anyway?
Daughter of the King. Wife. Mother. Happy Homemaker. Day Sipper.
I could go on, but let's be honest, I wear a lot of hats and adore a lot of things. These titles are the core of who I am. Like, what is a Day Sipper?!? Don't you worry, I will give you spoonfuls of everything. I pinky promise.

I live in a little slice of Texas heaven, McKinney. I have relocated ALOT since college (Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2000! WHOOP!) and my mom likes to joke that my info in her address book is always in pencil. [insert lol here] But I think I will stay here a while; McKinney is one of those places that is fun to discover and relish in. More on that later.

I have been married to the love of my life, my best friend, since August 2009. He's perfect, for me. We have a beautiful, spunky 3 year old, as well as two other incredible young ladies Mr. A blessed me with. They are 15 and 11 and own a big chunk of real estate in my heart. My oldest friend in the world is Harley. This is him (his good side)

Isn't he precious? He's a rescue and our best guess to his age is 10, and we've been a team since he was just a puppy. He's done life with me longer than anyone unrelated to me.

I think I will end my first blog here; Harley is a hard act to follow.

Grace & Blessings,
k