friday fluff- jeggings. I’m totally down.

29 01 2010

A few weeks ago I wrote about the denim leggings phenomenon a.k.a “jeggings” as in jean-leggings. I was kind of weirded out and skeptical about them. Then I became obsessed with seeing what the hype was.

Apparently others are hyped up about jeggings too because I called four Targets in my area to score this lovely pair to no avail.

so cute! at $10 no wonder they're sold out at target.com too.

I get on these obsessive clothing kicks, like if I can’t find whatever I’m looking for I’ll be forced to fashion a dress out of paper bags one day. But, as Jesus taught to a large crowd that came to listen to him and admire his beard:  ”Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes…. consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” (Luke 12:22-31)

Thankfully Jesus didn’t say anything about jeggings in this scripture, so I think I’m off the hook for being temporarily obsessed with this fashion trend ;) I did end up finding a great pair at the same price at WetSeal, which I ordered online because I forgot that they had a store in my local mall- boo for having to pay shipping!

Here are what I love about jeggings so far:

  • they are ridiculously comfortable. it’s almost like wearing your pajamas around except you look cute instead of grungy like you just woke up.
  • they’re great under boots. skinny jeans often are too tight on the calves under boots, but jeggings give you the look without the pinch.
  • you can spend a ton on jeggings as you can on any fashion trend. But will they be around for that long? doubtful. $10 is a reasonable amount to spend on something fun and trendy. these are not a fashion investment.
  • you can wear them in multiple seasons- spring when it’s too warm to wear jeans but too cold to go bare-legged with shorts or a skirt, fall or summer with a long sweater.

This is what I haven’t liked:

  • The pair from WetSeal have a low-rise waistband. Really? who wants low-rise jeggings? Aren’t they revealing enough with being skin-tight & all? Consequently you need to hike them up every once an awhile.
  • They’re skin tight. After all, they are leggings. This limits what you can wear with them unlike skinny jeans which may be tight but not nearly as revealing as jeggings. I do like the look with a long shirt or sweater though.

doing a little jeggings dance.

What fashion trend have you been obsessed with lately? Has anyone else jumped on the jeggings bandwagon? Send me a pic of you looking cute in your jeggings if you have & I’ll post it on a “friday fluff” post about fashion!


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white privilege makes me sad

28 01 2010

When I saw a fb friend’s status as “Doppelgänger week on Facebook. Change your profile pic to someone famous you’ve been told you look like!” I thought it would be fun. So I immediatly changed my profile picture to this:

barbara eden from "i dream of jeannie" if you're too young to have seen it- google her.

At first it was fun to see my other friends join in this little game. I told one of my colleages that I thought she resembled Pink, another person posted a Sean Connery picture. And then I saw my friend Joyce’s comment: “hmm.. out of the <5 asian american actresses that are out there, i look like none of them.” And then I saw my friend Gracee’s update when she joined in “alicia keys, my doppelganger? Or are we just two biracial chicks with white mama’s, a black daddy, braids & an afro puff?”

I started to think about how much I assume the world is about me, looks like me, and puts people who look like me on t.v., in magazines, on greeting cards, public service announcements, an endless list beginning to run through my mind. I started to feel so sad that the culture that I take for granted everyday is geared towards me as a white women and that too often I take it for granted. Moments like reading Gracee’s and Joyce’s update remind me that every single day I have the choice to use the power that is unfairly distributed for people who are marginalized because of the color of their skin. It uncomfortably reminded me of my white privledge. If you’re unfamiliar with this term or have no idea what I’m talking about- check out this article on white privilege.

I actually started to google “asian actresses” and “korean celebrities” to find someone who Joyce could use as her profile pic.  It was a quick search.  There wasn’t anyone, not just because of hair color or chin shape that there isn’t someone  famous that she doesn’t resemble. There is simply no one to compare her to (partly because Joyce is beautiful, smart, funny in the best sort of quirky way, and wears a really sharp green vest that I always admire. She will be totally embarrassed that I said this in my blog) because most of the celebrities are women from my ethnic background.

i pathetically commented to joyce "you could pull of lucy liu." Lucy's got nothin' on joyce!

If you’re wondering why I said “ethnic background” instead of white it’s because of a book I read a few years ago. As a white woman, I can either choose to be guilty about this unwarranted power I’ve been given culturally, try to pretend it really isn’t there and do nothing about it, or use this power on behalf of others. The book Being White by my friend Doug Schaupp deals with a lot of these issues & explores what it means to be white in a multi-ethnic world.

When was a time that you became aware your ethnicity? Can you remember a time where you realized that you were being treated better or worse because of your race?

This has been one of the things I’m most grateful to God for using InterVarsity; for teaching me the ways that scripture has so much to say about racism, social injustice, the beauty of God choosing to make himself known through the diversity of people, and the power of the gospel to break down barriers. Thanks be to God that justice and reconciliation are actually possible through Jesus- the one who broke down every dividing wall of hostility!



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Categories : inner world

new challenges! will you join me?

27 01 2010

I just updated the “cool people doing cool things” page for the next few months of challenge to live an integrated life of focusing on spiritual, mental and physical growth.  I’m pretty excited about these, so check them out! As always, you don’t really need to do much prep work, just let me know if you want to participate & comment on the blog about how you’ve been impacted.

This months challenge is to join “The Strongest Life Discussion” I just finished reading this book “Find Your Strongest Life: what the happiest and most successful women do differently.” I  found it to be very helpful in thinking through the best of what I have to offer this world especially as I have more time to reflect on where my strengths and weaknesses are.  After I finished it, I thought “it would be super-cool to talk about this with other cool people!” So, if you’re up for it, order it from amazon or pick it up from your local bookstore.  I’m looking for 10 ladies to join me in reading this book & discussing it on the blog once a week through your comments. We’ll begin the discussion questions on Sunday February 7th, so it should give you time to read part 1 of the book (49 pages)

I will say that this book will be especially helpful for people who feel stuck in their current job, aren’t sure if they’re cut out for what they’re currently doing, have lost the passion for a job they once loved or are simply trying to live well in every area of life but are stuck somewhere. Even if you’re simply interested in learning more about yourself to become more self-aware, this will be a helpful book.

I’ll post a discussion question every Sunday in February and share my own insights from the book. There is even a Strong-Life Test you can take online, but I would suggest not taking it until you read a bit in the book. That way you can maximize what you learn about yourself and apply it to your current situation.

So, who will join me in finding and living your strongest life?

I don't think I'm cut out to be a riveter, but more power to Rosie!


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losing weight is easy- maintaining a healthy weight is hard!

26 01 2010

One year ago I set out to lose 10lbs. I set a reasonable goal of trying to do this in 10 weeks- 1 lb. a week. By the end of 8 weeks I had lost 10 and then, continuing the healthy habits I had been practicing, I lost another five! Over the next three months I lost another five simply by maintaining the habits I had begun initially to lose weight. Thankfully this hasn’t been a quick-fix plan to shed some junk in my trunk, but a lifestyle of honoring God, my health and the one body I’ve been given in this lifetime to enable me to work, play and care for others.

Maybe you’re trying to lose weight this year- maybe you’ve been trying for awhile. When I began to intentionally try to care for my body better I wondered “once I hit my goal weight what happens next? Well, one year later here are a five things I’ve learned that have helped me stay within 3-5 pounds of my target weight.

  1. I can apply my love of learning and variety to eating and food.  When I began to try and eat 5 fruits/veggies a day, I suddenly needed to find more ways to keep it interesting so I would continue to enjoy eating healthy.  Rather than seeing cooking as a necessary evil, I began to see it as a place to learn, experiment and enjoy the diversity of food that God has given us.
  2. All or nothing thinking is of the devil. I’m not kidding. When I begin to think “I’ve failed at eating well!” when I help myself to a second cupcake and then continue to eat that way, this sets me up for failure.  Balance has been key. If I make choices to eat foods that are more rich in fat and calories one day, I try to exercise a little more the next day or to eat foods that are low-calorie/high fiber/low fat i.e. fruits and veggies the next day. Food isn’t bad or good. Some food have more calories and fewer nutrients. I would go crazy if I never ate McDonald’s fries for the rest of my life. It’s been amazing to see that when I try and apply a more balanced view to eating and exercise, it positively impacts the way I view other areas of my life.
  3. Weight, just like money is not static.  A bank balance goes up and down. There are times of the year that I have extra cash and less cash. I don’t let my bank account define my worth, so why should I let my weight?  I’ve found that staying in a range rather than a specific number has been helpful and knowing what a healthy range is for my frame. I’ve tried to stay within 3-5 pounds of the mid-range of what a healthy weight should be for a person of my size. Even knowing what this range has been is really helpful. It can be tempting to think I need to keep losing weight to be in the lower range, but I’d rather stay in the middle than make myself miserable by obsessing about eating and exercising.
  4. Small choices make a big impact.  20 minutes of exercise, the choice to eat an apple instead of a handful of chips, or being strategic about when I splurge has helped me to develop an integrated way of thinking about eating. Every choice that I make impacts my long-term health; whether I’ll be more prone to heart disease, adult diabetes, osteoporosis and all kinds of other ailments that can be impacted by weight and exercise. Plus, I’ve found that when I do take even that small amount of time to exercise, it helps me to think more clearly, sleep better and have a more positive outlook. Especially in these dreary winter months, I need exercise to help me stay positive!
  5. I take my measurements once a week. Scales can be deceptive depending on time of day, how much water I’ve drank, etc.  Apparently this is one of the things they do at Weight Watchers to help people measure progress.  I’ve found that when I take my measurements it helps me not to freak out if the scale says I’ve gained weight. Plus, it helps me to know my measurements when I’m ordering clothes online.  As Shakira says “my hips don’t lie”  even if the scale does :)

It has felt so nice to be comfortable in my own skin- to not have my clothes feel too tight or too baggy, to not be winded going up and down the stairs or chasing my son, and to look in the mirror and say “dang! I look good today!” as opposed to “dang! I’d look great if I lost 5 pounds!” I really do believe that part of the learning process has been learning to view my body as God does- I’m treasured, valued and created to enjoy life! In the long run, feeling bad about yourself is a terrible motivator for losing weight and being healthy. Plus, do you really think God wants you to walk around all day berating yourself for what you’re eating or how you’re not exercising?

Since I’ve been able to learn how to integrate healthy eating and regular exercise into my routine my next goal is to focus on toning my body and getting stronger. I’ve loved doing yoga, the way it makes me feel and look. BTW- the 12 days of yoga challenge I did last month….I ended up doing 7/12 days. Which, as the month got progressively more crazy I realized that I probably even wouldn’t have done that much yoga if I hadn’t set a goal of trying to do 12 sessions during December.  Some exercise is always better than none!

What are your goals for the next few months? What helps you to stay motivated?  I’m shooting to do yoga 3x/week and to walk outside twice. My friend Gracee asked for recommendations of swimsuits the other day & I found this one that I just love!

so cute! I'm a sucker for vintage.


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Categories : exercise, food, inner world, Uncategorized

friday fluff- what’s on your nightstand?

22 01 2010

For some reason I was wondering this week what other people keep on their night stands. And it struck me as  one of those intimate life details that demonstrates keeping things that are important or essential to you close by.

I don’t like my actual nightstand- Dave and I bought Ikea’s Malm bed a few years ago & the night stands are too low.  Here are some shots of much prettier bedrooms with the malm bed:

a cool pull-out bookshelf headboard. you can hide your sneaky things in there.

While I like the streamlined look of the night stands connected to the bed, it just isn’t very functional to always have to reach down to grab a book, magazine or lip balm.  Plus, having night stands take up extra space in a room that already feels too cramped with the bed in it doesn’t help.

So here is what I keep at hand on my night stand:

lip balm, lotion, a catch-all tray for pony-tail holders, bobby pins or earrings.
magazines: entertainment weekly (read immediately in one sitting), real simple (read over the course of a week) the atlantic (read over the course of a month).
books for Reuben: we typically read to him in the mornings while he snuggles in bed with us.
framed baby pictures & a baby monitor: reuben was such a cute baby!
lamp. i love lamp.

team jacob, the backyardigans and curious george.

How about you? what books/magazines are on your nightstand that you’re reading (or intending to read)? pictures of dogs? kids? significant others? pee wee herman memorabilia? (I do hear he’s planning his return-Entertainment Weekly told me so). What do you like about your bed/nightstand?


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become a high-roller & make some healthier choices

20 01 2010

I was thrilled last week when I saw this sign at my local Meijer:

As I’ve mentioned before, I like to read up on health tips on carrots n’ Cake. A few months ago, the author Tina shared about this system called NuVal which is short for nutritional value.  Basically the way it works is that each food/product is given a score from 1-100 for it’s nutritional value. The website explains it as:

“NuVal Scores summarize comprehensive nutritional information in one simple number between 1 and 100.  Each NuVal Score takes into account more than just the nutrition fact panel.  It considers 30-plus nutrients and nutrition factors – the good (protein, calcium, vitamins) and the not-so-good (sugar, sodium, cholesterol).  And then it boils it down into a simple, easy-to-use number; a number you can trust to make better decisions about nutrition in just a few seconds.”

Isn’t that cool? So many times when I’m shopping I wonder if the packaged food I’m buying is actually healthy. Sure, the label of the granola bars says that it’s full of whole grains and protein, but what about sugar? I don’t want to waste a ton of time either comparing labels.  With one glance you can see how your favorite cereal rates nutritionally & make a more healthy choice just as easily.

I took some shots in Meijer just to compare. I was fascinated!

Whole, unprocessed fruits and vegetables typically score the highest. In this case the strawberries I bought scored a 100! Not a fan of whole fruit & sub in juice instead? How does it stack up?

Still not as great because you don’t get the fiber of the whole fruit, but for trying to get the nutrition on the go 81/100 isn’t too shabby.

Trying to be healthier by reducing fats in your diet? Sometimes it can be counter productive nutritionally. How about our old friend PB&J? Or PB on celery or a bagel for protein & carbs.

I buy Sunbutter because Dave is allergic to peanuts. It’s nice to have around to use for dipping apples for a quick snack. It gets a 41/100. The thing about NuVal is that there isn’t necessarily a “bad” score. We all know what we’re getting into when we buy that pack of twinkies or hot cheetos. But sometimes, with things like granola bars, jams or other processed foods, we think we’re making healthy choices but sometimes it isn’t as nutritious as we think it is.

Crazy that a simple choice like PB can be so nutritionally diverse! Granted, I am paying a boat-load more for sunbutter because of the allergy factor, but it’s been worth it to have an easy, lower fat protein to eat for a snack.

Here’s the last one- most of us think reduced fat is a good thing right? You may be better off just sticking with your chunky Jif instead:

This supposedly healthier choice only gets a 7/100. Why? Because when fat is taken out, other stuff needs to be put in to make it taste good- i.e. sugar, corn syrup and other stuff that I can’t pronounce.

This January I definitely have been trying to stay motivated with eating lots of fruits and veggies and getting regular exercise. Amazing how much better I feel mentally, phsically and spiritually when I take a 20 minute walk even if it is cold and gray outdoors. It helps me to reflect on life, how I’m caring for my body and to pray.

One of the things I made last week was an AWESOME recipe for macaroni & cheese with cauliflower from Real Simple.

yummmmmm.

Instead of white cauliflower I chose orange- it was so pretty and almost tricked me to think “wow, I’m going to eat that huge chunk of cheddar cheese in my bowl!” Plus, a comfort food like this is so nice in the winter- and it’s a one-dish meal with the veggies already in it! I feel like the easier it is to make healthy choices the better!

Have you noticed NuVal where you shop? What’s one thing you “traded-up” to make a healthier choice?


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so what do you do when you’re livid?

18 01 2010

Now that I’ve had a chance to retract my adamantium claws after some frustration recently, I’ve been thinking about the process of healing after a difficult incidents like this.  Thank you to everyone who wrote encouraging comments, emails, called me & sent me carmels via carrier pigeons. I’m thankful for your kindness and the pigeons only ate 1/2 of the carmels!

What do you do when you’re angry? hurt? frustrated? bitter? Why would I bother to even write about difficult experiences, or how I’m dealing with them? why? Because I’m betting that every single one of you have some sort of shizzle you’re dealing with in your life too. And we all have to make choices about how we’ll respond to people who hurt us, situations that are less than ideal and the fallout that comes from conflict. So, why the heck not blog about them & encourage one another to live out love. After all, as Elvis Costello

he's the best on vinyl.

once sung “what’s so funny bout’ peace, love and understanding?”

I was struck that in the midst of dealing with some painful things in my life, that there are thousands of others dealing with the wreckage of their lives in Haiti. And it reminded me why I need the gospel. I was reminded that because Jesus is able to give an unceasing, unchanging love in the midst of pain and brokenness, I can forgive instead of being resentful. I can triumph not because I’ve reamed someone out about what a jerk they are, or what wrongs they did to me, but because as St. Paul said “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I need Jesus to continue to heal me from the inside out, so that I can get my eyes off myself and my own issues and focus on how Jesus leading me and my community to bring his love, power and healing to a hurting world. And this is only possible through Jesus- I can’t be nice enough, tell myself to get my mind off my problems, or put on a happy face. The tapes just keep playing in my head.  I simply do not have enough love for all the jerks in my life, let alone this world. But Jesus does, and he is able to give me (and you!) his love. Which is totally, totally rad. This is the essence of the gospel, the essence of what Christians are meant to believe and live. If anyone tells you differently, they’re just bamboozled.

So, how did Jesus minister his love to me to help me heal? Well, funny you should ask. He did it in ways that would make me feel most cared for, which looked like:

  • A great date with my husband. We ate Kentucky Fried Chicken which we had been craving for weeks but continually talked ourselves out of because it is ridiculously unhealthy. We saw a movie by our favorite director, Wes Anderson. And we loved, loved The Fantastic Mr. Fox. It was just the thing to cheer my spirits!
  • A great date with a friend. Doing yoga with one of my girlfriends helped to release a lot of the tension I had been carrying around and reminded me that I am not in control of anything though I would so love to believe that to be true. It reminded me that God is way bigger than my problems and the problems in this world.
  • Dance parties. The first with my son to the Urbana 09 worship cd. We jumped around and shook our hips and praised Jesus. Worship is actually one of the most counter-cultural things I think that Christians do. What? Praise God for his goodness in a world that is so absolutely broken? Hecks YEAH! Because even when everything changes for the worse, God remains the same.
  • My second dance party was a solo one, and I rocked out while I cleaned with my ever-present ipod friends:

brittney

Gwen

Rhianna

Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake showed up for a little while too, but it was mostly just the four of us sweeping the kitchen floor and shaking our booties.

I think sometimes Christians forget that God can use anything to remind us of his love and his presence. Perhaps because we’re so afraid that it is escapism into something besides God that we fail to realize that God may want to remind us we have bodies to dance, eat, and celebrate that we can find joy in the midst of pain because of his love. For some reason in my life that is often embodied in pop culture. And fried chicken.

What are ways that you deal with your anger? What helps you when you’re in a funk because of some conflict? I’m not looking for a dissertation, but how about your top three list?


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Categories : exercise, friendship, inner world, spirituality

livid

15 01 2010

I’m so angry right now that I feel like adamantium claws are about to burst forth from between my knuckles.

that's right- vein popping mad.

It typically takes a lot for me to get angry- usually I just go from confused to depressed, but in this case I am pillow-punching, uncensored journal writing, doing-lots-of-heavy-breathing-through-the-mouth mad. I won’t go into the specific details of the incident that sparked my rage, but I will say that it unleashed a lot of other things inside of me that I’ve been dealing with for awhile.

The incident revolves around my worth as a minister. As you may know, I am a regional evangelism consultant with InterVarsity, a campus ministry. For whatever reason nine years ago, God called me to serve students and the campus rather than going to law school and being a big-baller, shot-caller lawyer.  I have never regretted this choice. I have however, doubted my worth or validation as a campus minister especially when comments like this come up:

“so, do you think you ever want to do this for real?” Someone asked me after I preached at a church. I kindly responded, “well, I do this for real. I have for nine years.” And I walk away from this person wondering if everyone else in the church thinks that the souls of college students and the mission field of the college campus is worth less than those of people sitting in church pews? I wonder why they think, that though I have more preaching experience than the seminary intern who takes the pulpit once a month, they’re viewed as valid ministers while I am not.

“since you and your husband work as a team and for the same organization, we’re just going to support one of you.” A board member says to me after we’ve made a presentation for partnership with their church.  I walk away wondering, that though we have two entirely separate jobs with InterVarsity, similar to a teacher and a school board member (and I’m actually in a senior management position!)- am I not worth funding because I’m the woman and the “helper” in our team?

“we don’t believe in paying people while they’re on study leave. You’re not actually doing ministry during this year so we don’t think we should support you.” I sit stunned with my husband, reeling that though the organization I work for views my sabbatical as part of my job, and has made the choice that it is important enough for me and my organization to grant me the gift of a focused time of study, prayer and reflection- others view it no differently than if I have decided to stop helping students know Jesus and get a degree in architecture, art history or  turf-grass management (yes, that is a major, and one in fact that I had while I was at Michigan State University!)

“so, you guys are like missionaries or something?” We don’t work in China. We don’t work in Haiti. We don’t work in Ukraine. Our job is misunderstood and unglamorous.  We don’t have the benefit of reporting to our ministry partners wearing native garb from our mission field to fascinate them with stories from far-off places that they’ve never been to, or will likely go to. The native garb I wear to minister to the indigenous people in the bustling unions of Ann Arbor, Cleveland, Grand Rapids and Morgantown are skinny jeans, slouchy boots and and a sweatshirt.

these are my people, whom I dearly love.

I go to the dark, spiritually empty places of residence halls, cafeterias and student unions to minister the freeing love of Jesus in a place that says students are only valued as much as they can achieve, how good they look or how prestigious an internship they can secure. And Jesus sets people free, transforms them and the campus to a place of love, beauty, truth and justice.

I know I am called to minister to students and to reach the college campus with the unchanging, unsurpassed love of Jesus. However, recently I spent 20 minutes sobbing into my husbands chest hurt and frustrated that so often people don’t see our work as valid, important or strategic. Angry that people, Christians who support ministry, only value me as much as I can produce- that they are more focused on results than the spiritual formation of me as a person, and the formation of the students and staff I serve.

In the midst of this, Dave and I have been praying that God would be the only one whose opinion we value. That he’s able to provide for us even when people decide to pull their support. That our worth is found in the sovereign God of the universe and not in what we can produce, our savvy words or the degrees we have. Hard stuff to internalize, but Jesus is reminding us of his love and the truth of scripture that is more real than even the painful feelings that we have.

o.k. rant done. pray for me. pray for people who don’t get it. pray for college students who are broken and need the healing love of Jesus. Pray for a world that needs college-educated leaders to serve with compassion, justice and wisdom wherever God sends them. Pray that I’ll stop punching my pillow and that no one will find my R-rated journal.


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so, how’s your sabbatical going?

14 01 2010

I’ve been asked this question a lot lately since I began my glorious 1-year academic sabbatical on January 1st..  Ever since I began working for InterVarsity I have looked forward to hitting that seven year mark  when all employees are eligible to take a 3-6 month rest sabbatical or up to a year academic sabbatical.  Even when things would get really tough, I’d remind myself- only three years to go until sabbtical, only six months left until sabbatical.  I actually had to pray with some friends that I would put my trust in God and not in the month of January which I was beginning to see as my promised land of rest from my normal work routine.

When I was at Urbana I asked colleagues that have taken sabbaticals what I should expect or if they had any helpful advice for me during this time. Here is a smattering of what some of them said:
“about three months in, you’ll be an emotional train wreck. God will start doing some major work in your life and you won’t be sure if you can handle it. I was crying all the time” – this was from a male staff member who looks like he used to play football and has five kids.

“about three months in you’ll finally have a quiet settle into your life, your mind won’t be racing, you’ll slow down when you’re talking and you’ll settle into a mellow rhythm. When you come back you’ll feel like you rode your bike onto the highway because everyone else is still talking and going so fast.” -also from a male colleague  who is highly ambitious and a hard worker.

Hmm, seems like there is something about the three month mark for dudes.

“When I took my sabbatical, I thought my life would be less crazy. I thought that InterVarsity made my life crazy. Then, a few months in and I was just as busy, I realized I made my life crazy. Having a sabbatical helped me to realize that I need to make better choices with my schedule.” -from a female colleague who was working on her M.Div and is newly married

“Write your books! Write like crazy!”- from my good friend Gracee and other female friends who are my cheerleaders and writing friends and colleagues as well.

If you remember my post about things I was hoping to do on my sabbatical, I was dreaming about all the fun things I thought I’d have time for. However, for the past two weeks, it’s been nothing but a big platter of crazy, with a side of hectic in busy sauce for my life. I am remembering my friends comments- “work doesn’t make my life crazy, I make my life crazy.” I don’t need to go through the laundry list of what I’ve had going on, but it’s been a balance of schoolwork for my M.A. program, including the most difficult (and simultaneously fun) paper I’ve had to write, catching up on housework after being away for Urbana, figuring out schedule stuff with my husband and trying to be a good mom to my son.

Thankfully in the midst of this, Dave and I have really been having wonderful prayer times together.  The message from Sundar Krishnan at Urbana sparked our prayer life tremendously and we’ve been praying like God is actually God ever since then.  If you want to listen to the message it’s here on the December 30th video. The man cast a vision for prayer unlike any I’ve heard before. Seriously. It’s good. Go watch it now. It’s way cooler than my blog anyhow.

Thankfully things are beginning to slow down into a normal rhythm of life this week. Funny enough, I also received “Find your strongest life” in the mail today.

I've really benefitted from Marcus Buckingham's other leadership books as well.

I had ordered my books for my next class at Wheaton with Amazon’s one-click ordering and had forgotten that I had pre-ordered this book for when it would be released. It seemed like a timely delivery :) .

Thankfully, I also have a husband who wants to help me make the best choices to honor God, care for our marriage and family and live out who God has created me to be. Making a schedule for the semester really helped to see what we’ve already committed to, what I need to say no to and the things I’m still hoping to do.

I didn’t make a new years resolution this year, but if I did, it would have been what I’ve been praying and asking others to pray for me- that God would give me wisdom to know how to best use my sabbatical when I’m not working on my degree, and that I’d have the self-discipline to say no to things- even If they’re really cool opportunities.

So, any other friends that want to offer me sabbatical advice? Encourage me to trash the platter of crazy and indulge in some peaceful pudding instead? :) Talk about how Marcus Buckingham is a visionary leader, has a great accent and is handsome?


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Categories : Uncategorized

an ode to oats

10 01 2010

Ever since I began to follow Carrots n’ Cake and the author Tina’s obsession love of oatmeal, I’ve jumped on the bandwagon.  Especially living in cold Michigan, a bowl of steamy oats in the morning is such a nice way to wake up. Though my mom has always been a good cook, the oatmeal she made for my brother and sister and I was atrocious, the worst you could think of; bland, grey, lumpy. Even with large amounts of brown sugar I could barely spoon a mouthful.

Then I married my husband Dave who cooks oatmeal to just the right consistency. And then I read Tina’s blog about all the incredible things she adds to her oats to jazz it up and keep a healthy breakfast interesting. So, here is an awfully cheesy ode to oats and all the ways I’ve been enjoying them. Hopefully you’ll be inspired as well to try some new things with oatmeal!

An Ode to Oats

Steaming hot into my Ikea bowl, I’ve just boiled you in water and watched you roll.
A dollop of yogurt to help you cool, oh oatmeal you make me drool!

A pinch of brown sugar, raisins and bananas,
your fiber content keeps me svelte, much hotter than Vanna!

If I’m feeling decadent or a little tropical,
sometimes I’ll throw in some coconut or sun-butter
I’m so thankful that your health benefits aren’t simply topical!

In the summer I love you with milk, peaches, apples or berries
though my husband  would rather have eggs, of your deliciousness I’m never wary!

You keep my belly full making fuel for a busy day,
with fiber and antioxidants you help me stay healthy.
And this dear oatmeal is why as my breakfast you’ll stay.

hooray for oatmeal!

What is your favorite breakfast? Do you eat the same thing every morning? What interesting things do you throw in your oatmeal? I tried chocolate covered raisins last week & I thought I’d died and gone to heaven as the chocolate melted into the oats.


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Categories : cooking, food

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