Avoidance

It may be easy to avoid but physical balance and health are a very important piece to the life puzzle. I have struggled with my weight for quite a while now. Not my whole life but it started in high school. I can't even blame this weight on my boys. I weigh less now than I did before they came along. It is a huge commitment, so much time and energy, struggles with food, addiction, emotions and hormones. But my doctor, the one who prescribed my high blood pressure medicine, really thinks I need to lose some weight. Don't you think that would motivate me? If only... I highly dislike being told what to do and how to do it. This makes weight loss a bigger challenge. My husband has lost about 45 pounds in the last two years or so and that makes him an expert. I love him so much but he needs to take a class in how to talk to his wife about weight loss. I keep hoping that one day I will wake up and magically want to go to the gym! Or even more importantly, that I'll want to eat nutritious, satisfying foods. I just read this article about having a hungry soul and it really hit home. I wish that I could turn it all over to God but the control freak in me has a tough time with letting go. I guess I need to figure out WHY I eat. Maybe I need therapy. That wouldn't surprise me. Maybe I need to go to the gym. Hmm.
How do you keep physically in balance? What are your challenges? I can't be all alone in this battle, can I? Oh, the picture is me in 1993.

Beat The Family Up!

What!? Beat your family up? I don't mean physically beat them. I mean beat them up in the morning. Get up before the kids. I have just started the Bible study "A Woman After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George. She suggests making an appointment with God at the beginning of every day. Here are some verses that she references about when to pray...

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation. ~Psalm 5:3

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. ~Mark 1:35

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ~Matthew 6:6

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. ~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

And how to pray...

Blessed are they who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart. ~Psalm 119:2

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. ~Hebrews 11:6

Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts. ~1 Chronicles 16:9

And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. ~1 Chronicles 28:9

So to summarize; Pray with your whole heart with faith in our God, that He will provide all your needs. Start your day with God and know that He is with you all day and you can pray to Him all day. Give Him all your needs, worries and troubles. Praise God with your whole heart and mind.

MIA

So, I've been missing in action for a little bit. I've been leading a Bible study and participating in another. My husband is also going to school, so I don't get as much time to kill on the computer. But I have been trying to balance everything and even keep the house clean. A clean house is low on the priority list for me, personally. I wish I had just a little bit of the compulsive-cleaner-itis that some of my friends have. But something I've done to help balance and also get some prayer time is journaling. I have a couple of beautiful journals that have been sitting on the shelf for quite a while now. I sit down and open my journal and think of all the things I'd like to say but I don't know where to begin. I found a great writer, Alyssa Avant that helps people learn to journal. Check out the site and let me know what you think! Have a blessed and balanced day!

A little more about me...

My name is Emily. I turned 30 in August. I have been lots of things; dental assistant, massage therapist, receptionist, customer service. I never thought I'd figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. Enter stage left-Jason.

My husband, Jason, is in the Navy. We met online in July 2004 while he was deployed to Afghanistan. We moved in together shortly after he arrived back stateside. We traveled and had a ton of fun until it was time for him to deploy again, this time to Iraq.
Shortly after he deployed I found out that I was pregnant. I had moved home to stay with family while he was gone. We talked by email every day, at least once. Lots of IMing and texting.

He got home six months later, six weeks before Joshua would arrive. We moved into a small apartment near the base. On march 23rd, Jason proposed. Of course, I said yes. Joshua arrived by scheduled caesarean March 24, 2006. We got married July 4th. It was simple and patriotic. We were surrounded by friends and family. It was wonderful.

In December 2006 we moved to Sicily. Yep, in Italy. Gotta love the Navy, eh? Very shortly after arriving here we found out we were pregnant. In October 2007, we we welcomed Nikolas. Two boys, 18 months apart. Haha. No, not really.

It has been crazy and wonderful and amazing. I never imagined I could feel so much love. Being a mom and a wife must be the best two things to be.

I'll continue on later. I need to drink my Theraflu and get to bed.

Step One

I imagine the first step to getting my life balanced is learning what is most important. Making priorities and keeping them in order. As a Christian, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ should always be number one. My husband is next but some people would argue that your children should be in this spot. But your children aren't going to divorce you or have an affair. Your marriage takes a lot of hard work. I do believe your children are your first ministry but your marriage is your first responsibility.
So, Jesus then your marriage with your children close after that. Not everyone's priorities are the same, nor are the same for your entire life. Every person has many seasons in their life. Some seasons a career is near the top of the list, sometimes its children or finding a spouse.
Right now, my home is higher than a career because I'm not currently working outside the home. I plan on returning to school in the next year or so and at that time I'm sure that will require more balancing. I also have responsibilities to my women's Bible study group. I serve on the board and this spring I am leading a study. I also have Stamp Club, which is very important girl/craft time away from the kids.
I also do a lot online. I Squidoo, blog, CafePress & Zazzle I am an affiliate for Compelling Creations. I am an Independent Consultant for Thirty-One Gifts.
Somewhere in there I need to exercise and have some time to relax and rejuvenate. I also need to clean and cook and do laundry. How do people manage it all? That is what I plan to answer on this journey in this new year.

Here is some scripture to help you prioritize.

~Proverbs3 5-12 (The Message)
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
your wine vats will brim over.
But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;
don't sulk under his loving correction.
It's the child he loves that God corrects;
a father's delight is behind all this.

~1 John 2:17 (NIV)
The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

~2 Corinthians 3:5 (CEV)
We don't have the right to claim that we have done anything on our own. God gives us what it takes to do all that we do.

~Psalm 55:22 (NIV)
Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.