Time to Face the Change...

Ch-ch-changes. Everyone, sing it with me now! Ok. No one? Anyone? (Crickets chirping?) Not my favorite Bowie song, but definitely the one that comes to mind whenever I feel change is in the air.

Do you have that moment when you feel change is coming - whether it's necessary or even dreaded? You can just feel a season of change is coming. Facing changes is not always my favorite thing to do, but most of the time I find change to be a relief, especially if it's something I've been thinking about or dealing with for a long time. Besides 98% of anxiety about a situation or change is in the time spent over-analyzing it rather than in the actual change. At least that's the way it has been for me. Most of the time, I have found that I usually make something out worse in my head than it actually ends of being.

I'm in a season of making changes. These changes are mostly in areas of my life that I've been trying to make positive changes in for quite some time now. Positive change for me seems to be more of a process and less of an all-at-once destination. That is where prayer comes in for me. It helps me to lessen my anxiety and worry and focus live in the moment instead of the woulda-coulda-shouldas. It keeps my footing firm on the path I am on, instead of wandering. I've mentioned this verse before, but it is a verse that I constantly come back to - Matthew 6:27 - "Who of you can add one single hour to your life by worrying?"

So how do you deal with change? Do you dread change or try to positive and focused when change comes?

Blessings!

Under Construction

I've come to the realization about three things: 1. I'm such an irregular blogger (going 2,3,6 months between posting), 2. I'm such an irregular blogger because my posts are generally long-winded (yeah I said it), 3. Lately I've been thinking in random blips of funny and 'Chelle-osophy (can you get what I'm hinting at here?).

Like my life, this blog is constantly in a state of being under construction. I'm changing the format a bit so that I will (hopefully) be more likely to post in a more timely manner (at least a month between posts) with my wacky schedule. Look for more posts, more often, and shorter than a small novel. Mostly just random thoughts that fly through the mind that is 'Chelle.

Blessings!

They All Fall Eventually

Vices. Old habits. Comfort zones. They all put up a pretty good fight, and when they die (and, yes, they can die), they die hard. Some whimper out, but some go out with guns blazing, holding on to every little foothold they can hang on to - but they all fall eventually.

This week some old habits came back to rear their ugly heads. Last weekend started a downhill slide for me in my fitness and eating routines that seemed to last the whole week. I let myself get too busy to plan ahead and then too tired to put up a fight against my cravings. A week later, I'm still paying the price for my lack of planning and shall we just say laziness, but thanks to my handy-dandy food/exercise/life journal I can see how all of this "busyness" has affected me and what I need to work to correct.

Here's 5 things I've learned about myself this week by looking back at my journal:
1. As spontaneous and fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants as I like to think of myself being, my body really likes and needs routine - routine exercise, regular sleep patterns, and routine eating times.
2. Chelle + pizza + fast food = not friends anymore (no matter how hard I try) :-( Sad, but true.
3. Not drinking water makes me feel like I've been frozen in carbonite (How's that for a Star Wars reference? Yes, I'm a nerd.) Seriously, though, water is necessary for things to run right.
4. Not fueling your body properly when you are training makes you feel bad, which in turn makes you more likely to skip workouts or feel really awful when you do train. (Did I mention the training walk where I felt like I had a massive hangover and hadn't been drinking?)
5. Don't beat yourself up about what happened yesterday. Recognize what happened. Put a plan in place to overcome (sometimes that's realizing you have to set more doable goals). Renew your commitment to your goals, and resolve to do better today (better, not perfect. That's a whole other post).

I used to think that keeping a food journal was quite frankly one of the most annoying and boring things to do. However, I believe it is necessary for anyone who is trying to change their eating/exercise habits. It is a great way to look back at what is working/has worked to help you make progress toward your goals. A journal is also a great way to see what might be lacking or what needs to be eliminated. Working toward a goal is hard enough, being able to see what might be stalling your progress will help the process be less frustrating. Finally, a journal is added accountability, if you are willing to be honest with it and with yourself. It's looking yourself in the proverbial mirror and being able to say, 'I'm really doing this' or 'These were not good choices, but I'm going to change that right now!' Steps toward positive change everyday is what counts. Why not keep track of it?

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9

Blessings!

Ch-Ch-Changes

Do you ever have those days when you need a little inspiration - a little encouragement to even do the things that are part of your normal routine? Today has been one of those days for me. Keeping my brain focused on a task has literally been a challenge. Couple that with a quiet day at work, and that leads to an even bigger challenge...not taking a major face plant into my keyboard or at the very least drooling all over myself. 

I've been thinking a lot today about the "c word"...No it's not that c word. The one we dread the most - CHANGE! I know there a lot of changes coming for me - mostly in our ministry and growth in general. I can feel that season coming on. And I'm pretty happy with that. The unknown always makes me a little nervous (ok maybe a lot nervous), but I'm excited to see what might be coming. God has this amazing way of bringing together pieces of a puzzle that I might not have thought to put together, but He has this way of making them fit together perfectly. I'm reminded of something I wrote a few months ago for a Lenten devotion for the church - it's great to have a heavenly Father who always has His eye on the big picture. It makes the thought of change a little easier knowing He has it all under His control.

One of the biggest changes I have experienced is the change from being just me to being C5's mom. Back then the thought of being a mom was so foreign to me. It wasn't something I ever pictured myself being. Now it's something that I couldn't imagine not being. I am so thankful that God blessed me with this rambunctious beautiful ball of energy who is a picky eater, loves rock'n'roll concerts, and dances like nobodies business. Now I get to watch him grow and change. This weekend we will be celebrating his 5th birthday. He's about to start school and every day I am amazed by all of the things that he learns and the things that he says (like "Momma, you're freaking me out like a green bean!" or the time he looked right at me and said "Momma, you are so beautiful. You're my best friend.)  I know C5 will keep growing up and one day momma won't be his best friend, but these are the times I will always cherish.