Tempted and Kicking Temptation in the Butt

There are times when I just get so frustrated in life, that I'm ready to "throw in the towel." No, not commit suicide, just have a...to quote Victoria Beckham, "MAJOR" hissy fit.

When I'm dieting and I see amazing food that I "can't" eat...

When I'm frustrated trying to get pregnant and it's not happening...

When I'm taking classes and the end doesn't seem in sight...

I just want to explode and give up, all at the same time (is that possible? And if it was, it might be messy...)!

I'm tired of dieting, tired of trying to work things out when I have relationship issues, tired of sacrificing and compromising and going the second mile... and sometimes I lose little battles. But you know what? When I give in, I'm the first one to suffer.

That's why I have to suck it up and keep on, keepin' on....#1 because it's the RIGHT thing to do and #2 it's probably best for everyone else that I do. :)

So how do I deal with stress?

1. Go for a run or a walk (exercise boosts good feelings and gets out aggression)


2. Watch a movie that makes me cry or gives me warm fuzzies (also promotes good feelings and cries out the bad ones)


3. Call a friend that will listen and encourage me (not one that will gossip and add fuel to the fire, but a mentor, one that will offer perspective and pray with me)


4. Try and take a nap (get enough rest)


5. Step back and examine the situation (after the emotional storm subsides and I can view something logically)


6. Check my diet and make sure I'm getting enough protein and good food to eat.

Those are the biggies.

What do you do when you are ready to burst?

Congrats to Greg and Katya!

Greg and Katya had their baby yesterday at 12:30 pm after a hard, 13 hour labor. They are affectionately calling him "Buddy" while they pick a name.

Congratulations guys!!!!! 7 lbs. 3 oz. 19 inches long.

Finding Your Happy Place

Do you remember that part in that movie where the guy curls up into the fetal position and repeats over and over to himself, "Find a happy place!" Sometimes, when life gets tough, that's exactly what I tell myself...

But in all sincerity, I think that too many of us go through life not knowing what are talents, preferences and abilities are...we don't know until we've stepped in #2, or gotten in over our heads, how we could have avoided it in the first place, and been on our way sooner to finding that "happy place."

I'm an advocate for personality testing. My friend Heather was a Psych major in undergrad and now she's getting her MA in Counseling. She ran the gamut of self-testing in this one class she was taking, and let me tell you, she came out knowing a lot about herself. I told her I was going to call up her professor (an acquaintance of mine) and tell him I'd pay him to let me take those tests. It's THAT great getting to know all the stuff about yourself. Sure you could discover some of the same stuff through life experience but WITH testing you can discover those things and more, sooner!

Why waste years of your life slogging through professions that make you unhappy when you could be in a job that works with your talents and abilities? Why pay thousands of dollars in school loans for a degree you won't ever use? Get your butt to the school guidance counselor and ask for advice. Visit your college career center and take some tests. And good gracious, do the internship. You have everything to gain by taking the time to find out who you are and a glimpse at who you can be.

These self-evaluations tell you who you work better with, and with whom you are most likely to have conflicts, based on your strengths and weaknesses (a lot like your Chinese horoscope, except more accurate). They show you areas where you could stand to grow! Imagine that!

Go. Learn. Grow and get a better job! Do things right the first time, and save yourselves the time, money and energy you'll have to expend to reinvent yourself in your late 20's or 30's.

Take this free assessment to find out if your current job is a fit for you: Run with the Bulls Assessment

Other personality and career tests

Waaaz Ahhhhhhhhp?!

You know you had one of these necklaces!!!! I did, in third grade, or was it fourth...

I have a challenge for you. How long has it been since you contacted your best friend from High School or your roommate from college? How about that neighbor kid you used to play with back home or that kid from youth group that moved away to another church? If you have good memories of those people (and some people don't), you may be wondering, "What ever happened to (insert name here)?"

Loosing touch with old friends is a common occurrence. Sometimes you drift apart over time, being absorbed into new circles of friends...sometimes a friend moves away and you don't stay in touch, maybe you don't like to talk on the phone, or write or email....OK maybe you don't have a GOOD excuse but you have managed to lose touch with someone to whom you were once close.

My challenge is this...pick up the phone and call them, get their email address and shoot them an email. Find out what's happening in their lives and ENCOURAGE them with a note. You never know how God can use you to brighten someone's day. Who knows, you might just rekindle a flame of friendship! Pass it on.

What is common to man....

I Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."

I speak for myself. I am tempted to do all kinds of things everyday. Somethings I automatically recognize and resist, others I habitually fall prey to...like the temptation to gossip. Oh my word! There is nothing so tempting as a juicy bit of news! But when do we cross the line between sharing news and trading gossip?

Wikipedia says,

"Gossip consists of casual or idle talk between friends. While officially value neutral, the term often specifically refers to talk of scandal, slander, or schadenfreude relating to known associates of the participants, and discussed in an underhand or clandestine manner. Compare backbiting.

While gossip forms one of the oldest and (still) the most common means of spreading and sharing facts and views, it also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and other variations into the information thus transmitted. The term also carries implications that the news so transmitted (usually) has a personal or trivial nature. Compare conversation."

When I am angry about something someone has done to me, or I am having a bad day, there is nothing so satisfying as channeling it into gossiping about someone that has annoyed me. This is a HUGE temptation for me. While I may not initiate a conversation like this, I enjoy becoming involved it it. I revel in evil!!!!! AND IT'S WRONG! I will admit it.

Beyond the question of why it's so fun, I should ask myself, why do I continue to do it? Is it foolish to admit I struggle with this sin on a blog? :0

Congrats to Eric

I want to "extend the right hand of fellowship" to my friend Eric the "Ridge Dog" of fitness for completing his personal trainer certification! YAY Eric!! This trophy is in your honor, but you can't take it with you. It's "symbolic."

So everyone else doesn't feel left out, I have some things to share! Eric sent me some cool links to check out. The articles these links lead to deal with the importance of sleep as it relates to weight loss.

http://womenshealth.about.com/library/weekly/aa121702a.htm

http://www.thedietchannel.com/Weight-Loss-and-Sleep.htm

http://www.webmd.com/solutions/sc/link-sleep-weight-loss/sleep-to-get-thin

Check them out all you people who are struggling to lose weight! I know I am.

What are YOU processing right now?

My friends...I implore you to share first in prayer and then with a trusted friend, the thoughts your are thinking about this day. Tell someone you love and trust about your struggles or joys and have them pray with you. Is something troubling you? Are you worried? Or are you excited about some fabulous news? Rejoice and praise him!

All of us are being tested and tried, to refine our spirits and to shape us into the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is remarkable how different these trials may be...the forms they take and the degrees of difficulty that they reach. God's extends to us His sovreign grace and views us through the cleansing blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son. I am glad for it.

I write to you today because of how important I feel it is to share and confide in one another when we are experiencing growing pains or troubles, these trials and temptations that we must deal with on a daily basis. We need to lift one another up in prayer, free of judgement, and to encourage one another in our daily struggles.

While it is not necessary to broadcast our sins, struggles and temptation to the entire body, I do believe it is important to have spiritual accountability with a mentor or within a small group. It may be most comfortable to share within a group of the same gender for some issues, other issues among couples, may be handled in couples counseling. What I do know is that we cannot experience growth without successful negotiation of areas of difficulty in our lives. What I advocate is ongoing godly counseling and accountability within a mentoring partnership.

We live in a very individualistic society where it is traditionally inappropriate or uncomfortable to share private struggles with anyone (even with other family members in some instances) especially in Christian circles where we consciously or unconsciouslly judge one another's piety on a regular basis. Imagine how difficult it must be to be a leader of anything in the church, to struggle with the sins and trials common to man, and NOT feel comfortable sharing your inner battles. It's very personal to share struggles, and it is human nature is to gossip. Therefore trust and confidence are essential elements of a sharing situation.

I cannot stress how important it is to establish a godly accountability relationship. I don't think it's healthy to pretend everything is sunshine and roses when it is not. I think this avoiding behavior leads to destructive outcomes. Without appropriate cleansing, reconcilliation and healing, an issue can bury you and those you love.

I think Satan would like nothing better than for us to isolate ourselves and to allow sins to control our lives, leading us to believe that our struggle with him or our own sins should be personal, isolating us from the prayers and support of the body of Christ. Placing this pressure on ourselves to fight exclusively against the devil, we give evil increasingly stronger footholds in our lives with every small concession we make in it's favor. That's how the devil operates. He erodes our resolve, one mite at a time.

That's why it's so important to build relationships with one another where we build eachother up and trust one another enough to know that if we share personal issues with one another we will receive the unconditional love and honesty that should be there when it's needed.

Just Do It

I have some things I would like to do and a limited amount of time in which to accomplish them. I would like to paint some rooms in my house, buy new curtains, and get a new comforter for our bed. I would also like to lose a couple pounds before I go on vacation, and set up my new schedule for the fall, while planning meals for our vacation later this month. Nike has it right..."Just do it!"

Anyone up for a painting party?

In Appreciation of Friends

A true friend is someone who will tell you the truth in love, even if it's hard to hear it, because they want the best for you and the people you love.

A true friend will tell you if you have a bat in the cave (booger in your nose), or spinach in your teeth, so that you don't walk around like that all day.

A true friend will tell you when you're lookin' a little rough, and tell you it's time to go and get your hair done or to get back to the gym.

A true friend will make time in their busy schedule just to chat, because they know you need to talk.

A true friend listens to your outbursts, sifts through the emotions to the heart of the issue and helps you find and repair the part that hurts.

A true friend will share his/her food supply and not think you are a mooch (but only if you don't do it too often).

A true friend will bear uncomfortable situations to be by your side in your time of need or grief.

A true friend supports you in your crazy ideas (like going back to school) if he/she knows it will be good for you.

A true friend encourages your walk with the Lord, spurns gossip, and looks for the best in the situation when it could be at it's bleakest.

Thanks for being my friend.

Friendspiration

Do you have friends that inspire you? I do. Lots of them. And it wasn't until I sent out a family newsletter asking people to send me news back, that I got to see just how inspirational these friends are and have become since we last communicated.

I've got one friend who is a wife and a mother to a little boy, and she is going back to school to become a social worker, after years of contemplation. I have another friend who is a wife and mother to two little girls and a little boy and she has started her own childrens' photography business. Visit her website at http://www.patriciaanne.com/ . She taught herself how to use her camera, built her own website and now she is attending business fairs to market herself!

Another friend, who is a wife and mother to three children is a teacher and she has started her own consulting business for children with behavioral issues. Another is a wife, a soldier, mother of three boys and her husband, who is also in the army is being deployed for a year overseas.

I cannot tell you how hearing from all these special women in one day has lifted my spirits and got my own thoughts stiring about what I could be doing with my own life. What potential is inside of me? What potential is inside of YOU?