Sep 15, 2016 | Healthy Body
Can you believe it is fall upon us already?
During Morning Minutes (the Healthy Mindset Cafe Facebook page Live recordings) we have been talking about the “why” we should keep ourselves healthy.
A few reasons why God wants us to be healthy, fit and well (notice I did not say skinny):
- We should be Glorifying God (1 Corinthians 10:31)
- We need to take care of our bodies as they are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
- We need to be a good witness to others (Acts 1:8)
- We will have more energy to do what God has called us to do (Ephesians 2:10
And I know what you are saying now…where do I start? What do I do? Can I even handle this?
- You start today
- Identify areas that are weak in your health and start there
- You can do this with baby steps
You see sometimes it is as simple as eating less fast food and more veggies. Other times maybe it is getting your body to stop
craving sugar and other foods that may cause you to feel sluggish or ill. It could be just eating smaller meals or eating consistently.
If we take care of our bodies, our heath we can accomplish so much more each day. When we feel good physically, mentally falls into place to. Are you ready to THRIVE with your health?
Baby steps:
- Eat (1) healthy meal a week, then build up to 6 a week. A cheat day is healthy, it will help you stay on track.
- Drink more water each day, add a glass each day until you are drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces
- Exercise or movement as I like to call it, add 20 minutes a day…one day at a time
- Take 10 minute mind rest breaks during the day
- Start your day with the Lord, even if it is only 10 minutes (it will grow)
So are you ready to take the challenge and improve your health starting today so you can THRIVE?
Sep 6, 2016 | Healthy Body, Healthy Mindset, Healthy Spirit
Did you know laughter can actually heal your body, spirit and mind?
Laughter is powerful as it releases stress and fatigue in your body. Some have found that laughter can even relieve a headache, tummy ache and mild depression.
When was the last time you laughed…I mean a good belly laugh?
The Bible tells us:
“A merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.”
Proverbs 17:22
Sometimes a good laugh can be had just watching a short video on social media or reading a funny quote. Here are some places/ways you can have a good laugh:
- A funny movie
- Lunch or coffee with girlfriends
- A funny book
- Watching your dogs or cats
- Watching young children
- Burning dinner (yes, I laugh when it happens so I don’t cry)
What are your favorite things that make you laugh?
Sometimes life is so consuming and stressful we truly need that comedy break even for a brief moment. Next time you are stressed out find something to laugh about and see how different you feel.
“A woman who laughs does not have gray hair…
OR she just colors it regularly!”
Share below what makes you laugh, I want to know so I can laugh with you!
Aug 16, 2016 | Balance, Healthy Body, Healthy Mindset, Healthy Spirit
This weeks post comes from an article I ready this week from Rachel Wojo at Dayspring.
I have been sharing this thought the past few weeks on my Facebook LIVE Morning Minutes. We really need to take time and stop each day to be filled so we can do what we are called to do in life. Read Rachel’s post below and share your thoughts below.
While we often think of summer as relaxed and enjoyable, fall boasts of structured schedules and activities. With school, work, and projects in full swing, the daily demands can be high. While the return to routine is a seasonal necessity of life, it’s easy to slip into an overload mode without realizing it. How can we enjoy having a full plate without feeling overwhelmed? Today I wanted to share 3 tips for managing a busy life.
When our hearts are at peace, our schedules will follow.
It’s easy to be tempted to rush through daily tasks without first spending time alone with God, especially when the appointment calendar is calling. I’ve found that when I fail to spend at least a few moments talking to God in prayer and reading his Word at the beginning of the day, then my day feels bumpy, choppy, and rushed. God may call us to lead a busy, full life as his servants, but he doesn’t call us to skip over our time with him. Keeping my heart at peace with him provides a peaceful attitude, even when the daily demands are high. John 14:27 is a beautiful verse to memorize and use as a reminder that we can be at peace even when circumstances are unsettling or schedules are jam-packed.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 (NIV)
When we remember that eternal issues matter most, we will choose our “yes’s” wisely.
If people-pleasing is a part of your DNA like it is mine, then sometimes saying “yes” one too many times becomes the straw that broke the camel’s back. I’ll find myself stressed and pressured, unable to smile or take the time to greet someone kindly. Choosing to say “yes” carefully can help tremendously when life is hustling.
The following two questions can help us choose our activities and appointments carefully. The first question is: Will this activity or appointment have lasting impact? And the second: Is this a one-time or long-term commitment? It’s easy to look at one week of the calendar and feel like “That works with our schedule.” But then when looking at a full month of that same activity, it becomes overwhelming and stressful. Asking the Lord for guidance as we make daily calendaring decisions is a wonderful way to help us remember that ultimately we desire his will and not our own. I love what 1 John 2:17 says:
And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:17 (ESV)
When we enjoy making plans and maintaining beauty, we are following God’s plan of order.
When my children were much younger, maintaining a daily home routine made life more enjoyable for me. A few years passed before I realized that this routine was part of God’s divine design for life. Take a look at this beautiful verse:
Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of hosts is his name: Jeremiah 31:35 (ESV)
He gave a fixed order to beauty so that it could be enjoyed routinely. The creative God we serve loves to see us enjoy daily life. As my husband and I sat by the ocean a few weeks ago, he said, “I know I said this last year, but imagine how long these waves have been turning. For thousands of years, the water has been rolling onto this beach.” And yet sometimes the waves roll in faster than others. Sometimes we enjoy a slower pace, but sometimes the waves toss a little faster. Regardless of the speed of the waves, one of the ways I’ve discovered to enjoy maintaining order is using a planner. Using stamps, pens and fun stickers in my planner provides a practical and inspirational way to pattern after my Creator.
While God may have called you to a busy life or even a busy season, he didn’t call you to do it alone. So, when your schedule starts to speed up, don’t forget to lean on Him for the strength and guidance to tackle what lies ahead. Choose one or two tips from the list above and commit to implement them in your life over the upcoming months. You might be really surprised at how He can transform what looks like a crazy, hectic day into many peace-filled, beautiful moments.
For more on Rachel visit her website at: http://rachelwojo.com/
May 27, 2016 | Healthy Body, Healthy Mindset, Healthy Spirit
Breathe!
A simple thing we far to often neglect to do with all the stress and things we feel we have to do.
Stop with me now and take a deep breath…breathe in and exhale out…
As busy women entrepreneurs, parents, wives we often have a to-do-list that never ends.
God is loves us so much He wants us to take care of ourselves, get rest and BREATHE!
If we look at Proverbs, in two separate verses God tells us to REST:
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest.
Proverbs 6:10 NIV and Proverbs 24:33 NIV
Take that time today and BREATHE in the refreshing breath that Christ gives us as His daughters.
If we can do this, we will be of better service to those we are called to serve and our families. You will begin to THRIVE in your business and you will find true JOY in your heart.
Ready, set….BREATHE!
Take a quick listen to this song…
Dec 29, 2015 | Healthy Body, Healthy Mindset, Healthy Spirit
I love to share great posts with you along with recipes and my own posts. Today I happened to read one of my favorite blogs and found this article so valid for right now as we close out 2015 and ring in 2016.
I hope you enjoy this article from my friend Kelly Thorne Gore from iBloom.
This is my FAVORITE week of the year. When I was a Children’s Minister, I worked at an amazing church that always gave us the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day off. They even cancelled services on the Sunday after Christmas to give the staff and volunteers time to rest and recuperate. That week off was just what I needed to gear up for the new year. When I started iBloom, that was definitely one of the habits I wanted to continue. The last two weeks of the year are quite relaxed around iBloom. It’s a time for our team to reflect on the past year, do things that recharge us, and get ready for the upcoming year. Here are the things I do to get ready for the new year:
#1: Reflect
The first thing I do is spend time reflecting over the past year. One of my favorite parts of the iBloom Planner is the “My 2016 Plan” section. One of the exercises in that section is a Reality Check. It’s during this time of reflection that I do an honest assessment of my personal life and business. I ask myself these questions:
- What is going well? {These are usually the things I want to continue into the new year!}
- What is not going well? {This could be physical spaces or systems that aren’t working, things that are causing me stress, or just things that aren’t allowing me to live my best life.}
- What needs to change? {This is based on my priorities, as well as the things that aren’t going well.}
This time of reflection gives me direction for the new year.
#2: Get Organized
I don’t know about you, but it seems like every year there are spaces or things that need to be reorganized. This year I had a variety of home projects including my kitchen {cabinets, fridge, and pantry}, laundry room, hall closet, bedroom closet, and my home office that needed work. I also had a few systems for my business that needed to be organized- projects I’m working on, how I’m organizing receipts for taxes, cleaning-up my email inbox and folders, updating my log-ins and passwords, and organizing my computer files.
I know this seems like a LOT to tackle in a week, but it’s absolutely possible. In fact, I’m almost done. Here’s what I did:
- Make a list of the spaces and systems that aren’t allowing you to function at your best.
- Estimate how long it will take to organize that space or system.
- Decide what day I’ll complete each project.
- Then, do it! I like to play a game with myself. I set a timer {for the time I estimated} and I try to beat the clock.
- Reward myself.
It’s amazing how spending this time getting organized sets me up for success in the new year. If you have lots of spaces and systems that aren’t working, it may take you longer than a week and that’s ok! The point is to get organized, so you can function at your best. If it takes you a month, that’s fine. Just do it!
#3: Finalize my Success Strategy
In order to have successful new year, we must plan for it. My success strategy includes my priorities {those things that matter most and that I want to be intentional about living into}, life goals, business vision, income goals, business projects, and an action plan for making all of those things a reality.
The Success Strategy that I use is in the “My 2016 Plan” section of the iBloom Planner. Plus, there is space to track the books I want to read, events/training I want to participate in, and space for creating my vision board. Everything is in one place, so I can remind myself daily of the plan I’m working toward.
Recommended Resource: iBloom Virtual Retreat: Create Your 2016 Success Strategy {it’s my gift to you!}
#4: Visualize My Success
Once I have my Success Strategy, I LOVE to spend time visualizing it as a reality. I set aside a few hours {ideally a full day} to imagine that it’s December 31st and I’m reflecting on the past year. I act as if all of my goals have been accomplished. I smile and celebrate how my life is different because I spent the year working my Success Strategy.
This is such a powerful time because it helps me realize the significance of my success plan and what can happen when I diligently work it. Does everything happen exactly the way I envision it? No! However, once I started doing this step, I’ve seen far more goals accomplished. I know it may sound a little silly, but give it a try! It’s actually a lot of fun and quite a powerful time of dedicating my plan back to God.
I’m a really visual person. I need to see what the success will look like, so each year I create a vision board. I used to put my vision board on a white poster board that hung in my office, but I only saw it when I was in my office. Now, I put it in my iBloom Planner so it’s with me wherever I go. Each morning as I review my Success Strategy I look over my vision board to remind me of the end result.
Recommended Resource: How to Create a Vision Board
#5: Me Time
A big part of this week is doing things that recharge me. For me, that means taking naps, getting my hair done, having a girls day with my Mom, enjoying a massage, reading a book or two, watching a Hallmark movie, and spending quality time with my family making memories. What are the things that recharge you? Be intentional about doing a few of those things this week.
These are the 5 things I do each year to get ready for an AMAZING upcoming year. How do you get ready for the new year?
About Kelly Thorne Gore
Kelly Thorne Gore is the Founder & President of iBloom. Kelly and her iBloom team are on a mission to inspire and empower every woman on the planet to live a life she LOVES (and ultimately a life that honors God)! Kelly is passionate about living life intentionally and making each day count. In her spare time, Kelly enjoys spending quality time with her husband Jon & their daughter Sophie, family, and friends. She’s a girly girl, loves bright cheery colors, gerbera daisies, University of Kentucky Basketball, and Tyler Perry Movies!
Oct 14, 2015 | Healthy Body, Recipes
INGREDIENTS
Sauce
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 tsp (20 mL) wasabi paste
- 1 tsp (5 mL) sesame oil
Spring Rolls
- 1 lb (450 g) cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed (about 3 cups/750 mL), coarsely chopped
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
- 2 large carrots, peeled
- 1 medium seedless cucumber
- 2 avocados
- 12 (8-in./20-cm) rice wrappers
- 1 cup (250 mL) water
DIRECTIONS
- Combine sauce ingredients in Small Batter Bowl; whisk until blended. Reserve 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the sauce for shrimp. Cover remaining sauce; refrigerate until ready to serve. Coarsely chop shrimp using Chef’s Knife. Combine shrimp, reserved sauce and salt in Classic Batter Bowl; mix well. Cut carrots and cucumber into long julienne strips using Julienne Peeler. Peel and slice avocados into 24 slices.
- Moisten both sides of one rice wrapper with water using Chef’s Silicone Basting Brush. Arrange a portion of the carrots and cucumber on half of the wrapper to within 1/2 in. (1 cm) of edges. Top with 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the shrimp mixture and avocado slices. Fold sides of wrapper in toward center; roll up tightly. Repeat with remaining wrappers, vegetables and shrimp. Cut spring rolls in half diagonally. Serve with sauce.
Recipe courtesy of Pampered Chef.
