choice

earlier today, this hand



got stuck in this toy



and OH the tears.
oh the frustration when she realized the situation she had put herself into.
after all, it was HER choice
no one forced her into that position, no one said "glenda, try this"
and yet she found herself in a predicament that she didn't forsee
all from one simple choice.

as i gently went to help her out, she struggled against me
not realizing that i actually knew the best way to fix the problem--that i could see the whole situation and knew the best plan of escape

once i finally got her removed, i pulled her onto my lap and hugged her, soothing words whispered gently into her ear. and for a moment, she relaxed and let herself be held, but then she struggled against me and wriggled off my lap, shooting a look over her shoulder at me through the tears she was still crying.

for several moments she sniffled, cried, and seemingly recounted the story several times. not caring that i was only a few steps away ready to give consolation and comfort.

on the one hand, this was amusing to watch. on the other...i recognized myself. after all, if you start reading after the word "toy" you could easily substitute any person on this planet in a situation their choices got them into...a God who rescues them...and their inability to fully receive that love.

not quite as amusing when i look at it through those lenses.

be blessed today...and remember that there is a God who wants nothing more than for you to receive and embrace His extravagant love!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Fitness Friday: 25 surprising (or not so) nutrition secrets

i loved this article!
because i truly want you to read it, i'm not going to list all 25 secrets here.

however...
i'll give you a few teasers

1 - drink a second cup of coffee
(don't mind if i do!)
9 - cut portions down by a quarter
(that doesn't seem too bad...)
10 - turn off the tv during meals
(i'm guilty...are you?)
15 - work out before lunch or dinner
(cool...that's the best time for me anyway!)
19 - drink 2 glasses of milk a day
(breakfast and bedtime for me :)
22 - choose food with the fewest ingredients
(all those nasty additives, etc)

it's worth a read -- if for nothing else for the explanations behind the numbers!

have a healthy and fit friday
:0)

Friday Fitness

i'm starting a new feature here at le blog...because i want to help people be more educated about food and fitness. most of the things i'll be sharing are things that i didn't realize a year, two years, or 5 years ago. which means that even when i was skinny mini...the healthy version...i was still putting processed crap and foods very low in nutritional value into my body.

lately i've been making some changes.

and yes, while i'm no angel (pizza/wings for dinner with my small group last night and possible pub food tonight...) i believe that being AWARE of what you're putting into your body is important. so i'm aware that last night and perhaps tonight i'm filling my body with processed, greasy, possibly fried foods. that makes my lunch choices important, and means i'm limiting crap for snacks. there are plenty of fruits and vegetables in my fridge, so i have no excuse to reach for chips (which thankfully, i don't have in the house at the moment!)

i maintain that education is key. if you don't know...you don't care. if you know and you still don't care that's your prerogative...and if you know and care then maybe you'll find this little series helpful.

i'll just be passing on information that i learn. a simple google (or blackle) search will probably turn up similar information for you, but perhaps i'll save you a step or two. :)

here are 3 quick things for today since i spent all that time explaining why i'm doing this :)

1 - one of my blogging buddies posted this article on dangerous potato chips...and you're doing yourself a huge favor if you read it. seriously scary stuff!

(plus she's awesome and you should read her blog if you don't already *anyway*)

2 - an article that one of my friends shared on facebook a couple of months ago that has stuck with me. unfortunately, i haven't found a solution for canned tomatoes yet...but i'm looking into methods of canning them. there are not many available in glass jars, so i think the easiest and cheapest alternative will be to produce my own. ok, maybe not *easiest* :D

3 - two articles, one written in 2008 and one in 2009 about wiifit. pointing out the obvious--that if you don't use it it doesn't work, but if you do you actually may see some results.

for me personally, the wiifit game has been a way to gradually ease me back into exercise after my asthma attack earlier this summer...and a way for me to accurately track weight loss. and the bonus is that when i'm using it consistently (i average about 3x a week, although some weeks are more or less depending) i actually see results.

my opinion? wiifit is mainly about getting you off the couch and active. and it's fun. and if you lose a couple of pounds in the process it's pretty awesome :)

so there you go :) next week i'll share my reasoning behind my more organic than not lifestyle changes and you can all call me a crunchy freak ;-)