Getting moving

Over a year ago I took this photo.  It was my starting point of getting moving.  To be more active. And that is as far as it got.  It was for a post here on my blog and an attempt to get motivated.   But, exercise is far down my list in terms of things I enjoy most so it doesn't get high priority.  And those shoes just got worn out and the story didn't get told.

Switch to now.   It continues to play on my mind.  And the reminder is there when I look in the mirror.  I would like to lose some of the kilos that have hung about since having children.  But more than that it is about feeling fitter.  My energy levels have been low and it's not just to do with low iron.  So what to do?  Well last week my day began like any other.  I dropped the kids at school and mentally went through my list of what I wanted to get done.  Exercise is always there but usually hits the bottom.  As I walked out the gate I bumped into a friend who was in her exercise gear and off for a run.  She will probably never know but it sparked something in me.  I wanted to do it to.  So as I started my to do's in town I found drawn to the exercise gear and picked out something for me.  And so it begins.  Instead of driving home I headed to the walkway and went for a walk.  And it was great.  I enjoyed it.  It starts when you find what works for you.  You won't catch me running but I like to walk and bike.  That's where I am starting.  You might like to know that since then I haven't got out again.  My kids have been sick and I haven't been out.  I was starting to worry when I read this post from Cathy Zielske.  She shares life about moving more and eating less and what that looks like for her.  It's real.  It wasn't so much what she said but also reading the comments from other readers. Sometimes instead of making big goals we have to set little ones.  

It has motivated me.  Setting a habit takes time.  It won't happen overnight but it will happen.  While I am waiting I won't stress about it.  Just keep living.

Around here

It has been time to blow off the cobwebs on my little blog here.  I have written many posts in my head they just haven't made it here.  Time for a change.

For quite some time I have been meaning to get more active.  Time for a change.

When everything else is done I get time to create.  Time for a change.

We have been in the middle of our biggest project yet - building a studio addition.  It has had some major complications but we are starting to see the other side.  I have learnt a lot from the process.  The best of which is when you fall down you get back up again.  But, this time you are stronger.

I have joined into a subscription  that Ali Edwards has put together called Story Stamp.  This month the theme is prompts.  I am all about telling my story.  This place is a great way to record it.

Hello forty

Celebrating a milestone.  40 - It really is just a number but a great reason to celebrate.  Some say life begins at 40, others it is all down hill from here.  I have been doing a lot of reflecting  and reading lately.  There are some great ideas out there.  Thought I would share some of my life lessons as I look back to look forward. Bucket lists are a great idea but don't forget to look back at what you have already done and celebrate.

I came across this idea at Susannah Conway - 40 lessons from 40 years.  She has also written a piece about getting older.  An interesting read.  I discovered it through Ali Edwards site where she also talks about getting older.  I also found this gem by Nichole Heady at Papertrey Ink - thank you cards to people who have inspired me.  Definitely something that I want to do.  And also at A Holy Experience - be the gift.  Pay it forward.  

In no particular order - 40 lessons from 40 years

1 Slow down. Don't be in such hurry to move on to the next thing. Celebrate your successes and learn from  your mistakes.

2 Be you

3 Find what you love to do and do it often. That thing that you always wanted to do. Go do it

4 Make memories

5 Respect people who make time for you in their busy schedule, but love people who never look at their schedule when you need them

6 Be that kind of friend

7 Finish what you started even if that means calling it quits

8 Shine, not so that others can see you but so that through you others can see Him

9 Step out of your comfort zone. You will be surprised at just how much is waiting for you there.

10 Don't do things just because everyone else is doing them. Do it because it is right for you

11 Discover what clothing suits you and have fun getting dressed

12 Live with less. Many people already do

13 Give thanks. Someone is praying right now for the things that you take for granted

14 Find your voice and speak out

15 Just breathe

16 Be brave

17 We are all messy and in need of grace. God is not an option, He is a necessity. Don't believe that He will not give you more than you can handle. He will. It brings you to Him. It doesn't make you weak – with Him you are stronger

18 Learn to forgive.

19 Find the music that makes your soul sing. Play it loud.

20 Share your story. Chances are someone is going through the exact same thing and they needed to hear they are not alone

21 Give people the benefit of doubt. You don't know their full story. Remember you can't change someone else but you do have a choice about how you react.

22 Don't compare your backstage mess to someone elses on stage performance

23 You are already amazing

24 Do things when (or as soon as) you can. When you leave little things they turn into big things.

25 Be happy – now.

26 Leave room in the margin. 'In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps' Prov 16:9. You don't have to be in control of everything

27 Be generous. When you go from this life you can only take what you have given away.

28 Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take a moment and make it perfect

29 If you look for the extraordinary in the ordinary, you can train yourself to see it.

30 Wherever you are be there

31 Marriage isn't for me. The best thing you can do for your marriage is to turn the M around. Me into We. Do things for your spouse that they love just because. Love is a verb, it doesn't consist of gazing inwards, rather it is looking outwards together in the same direction

32 There is no need to be perfect to inspire others, let people be inspired by how you deal with your imperfections. It is not who you are that holds you back, it's what you think you are not

33 Enjoy your food. Eat healthy, try new recipes, add flavour

34 Dream big. Keep a journal

35 Having kids doesn't get any easier as they get older, it just changes. Find out what they like and who they are and grow with them.

36 Keep it simple. Use what you have. Where possible work out how to make things for yourself. It costs less and usually there is less waste.

37 Keep finding good books that you can't put down

38 Learn how to enjoy your own company. If you can't pick yourself, who else will?

39 Say no to things so that your yes is absolute

40 Do not fear the years to come – Life gets more fabulous if you let it.

That's the way the world goes round

Last night we went for a family outing to check out the new playground at Pukekura Park.  We picked up fish and chips on the way.  The boys could hardly wait to check out all the cool new things that were there. Their favourite thing next to the flying fox was the water play area.  They spent loads of time there sorting different ways to dam the flow and send it gushing down the hill.

As we moved around I sat to watch as the boys climbed aboard the spinning wheel for more fun.  Not my thing I'm afraid as my head can't handle the spinning.

As I watched I saw how the boys could either sit on the mat or hold on to the ropes for all they were worth or if they wanted a rest could hold on to the pole in the centre and watch as the world went by. 

It got me thinking.  Life is just like this.  Our world is a busy one.  We rush about in our busyness trying to keep up with everything that is going on.  It wasn't designed this way.  What if for a moment you could stop and cling to the One who designed it instead of holding on for all you are worth and trying to fight it?  

Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (NIV)

Seems like things would look a whole lot clearer.  And they do.......

Just a thought

enough

Time for a rest

It is no coincidence that I read this on the Bible app verse for today

Isaiah 40:31  

But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength.  

They will fly high on wings like eagles.  

They will run and not grow weary.  

They will walk and not faint

and this from Brave Girls

Dear Gorgeous Girl,

Chances are, you are needing some rest right now...after all, being brave is hard and exhausting work.

Would it be so bad it you took a little break and let yourself recharge? Of course it wouldn't be a bad thing....to the contrary, it would be a VERY GOOD thing for you to do, especially if you can't even remember the last time you let yourself rest for a little while.

Choose a good, uplifting book and let yourself read it without interruption, take a hot bath....get under the covers for an afternoon nap. You've got to recharge or you will burn out...it's just a fact of life. This doesn't mean you are weak, it means you are human...and little breaks here and there are an essential part of a productive life.

Enjoy some time to yourself...you deserve it. You are loved.

xoxo

and this at the word for today.

'To know whether something is right or wrong for you, 

you need only ask one question: 

'How will this affect my confidence before God?  

I have been weary of late.  The reminder that winter is a time to hunker down and hold fast during the storm.  It is grey and there is lots of washing to cycle through, that never seems to dry.  The nights are cold and all I want to do is snuggle up with a good book or watch a movie by the fire.  The boys have continued to switch up a gear in what they eat.  I feel like I am always in the kitchen fixing another meal to fill the hungry tums. What follows of course are all the dishes.  So today was a time for me to rest.  To slow life down.  I stayed home and took each moment that I had to do the next thing that I wanted to do.

Feeling recharged and ready to go on.

A time to pull weeds

I have been putting it off.  The wet cold weather a very good excuse for not getting into the garden which so badly needs weeding.  Funny enough it actually looked like rain on Saturday when I donned a coat and beanie and headed out thinking I might get a bit done before it starts.  As it happened the rain never came, it was the lack of light and a need to cook dinner that called me in.

We had harvested the pumpkins and tidied the herbs and then life took over as it does and the garden was left.  As I weeded I found myself thinking how often I have had to weed this garden and vowed that I wouldn't let it get so bad again.  How much I actually enjoy growing things and how great it would be to make use of the garden that we have.  But, with the everyday, full on life of raising four boys and running a household the addition of two acres of land gets to be too much {even just this little patch of garden on the driveway}.

I wonder just what I signed up for and how great it would be to have a little quarter acre section.  Just for a minute.  I only have to look around and realise just how good we have got it and what lies ahead if I just keep moving forward. Our piece of the country right in town.  Because amongst the weeds there is goodness.  Plants have held on and are pushing through.  It just takes the time to clear away the things that hold them back.  We have done a lot in the five years that we have been here.

So it is with me. I have many seeds of thought that I have planted but they struggle through trying to grow amongst the noise that is my life.  The more often I weed the things that hold me back from doing what I should be, the more I grow.  As I caught up with blogs that I read I came across this post.  While the content caught my eye as I had recently written a similar post it was the quote in the picture that held me for longer -  'she loved life and it loved her right back'

To love life is a choice not a reaction to the circumstances I find myself in.  Time to pull weeds.

Okay with the messy

At any given time my bench is filled with produce from the garden

As much as I would like at least the beds made I still walk out without them done

There was more to do on this day than wipe the crumbs from the table before I went out.  They stayed till the end of the day when I came home.

There's always gonna be another mountain.  I'm always gonna want to make it move.

Always gonna be an uphill battle,  sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

It ain't about how fast I get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side. 

It's the climb

The climb - Miley Cyrus. 

The last month has been quite a climb. I have been here there and everywhere; for everyone and it's been messy. Finding yourself again in the messy is a good thing. It makes you more aware of what is good and what is right. So I didn't finish some of the things I wanted to, there is always tomorrow. What counts is how I spend my day and where I am headed, who I am doing all this for. I may get distracted by all the social media, but it leads me home to what I need to hear. While I haven't been writing here I've been listening and lived and learned. The little things have made big differences.

I read this post by Ann at A Holy Experience and this one at Allume and another at to Overflowing.  No matter what you see of others or read or think, we are all messy and in need of grace.  No matter how much you seek what is perfect you will always come up short.

So what if I was to look at all of this from a different view?

In the devotion for her book 1000 gifts, Ann Voskamp describes well how 'we elevate what we deem beautiful, endeavour to create spheres of pristine beauty and perhaps rightly so, for "what ever is good, pure, lovely, think on these things" But I wonder if maybe in the upside-down kingdom of God, what we regard as unlovely is, in Jesus, lovely.  Because somewhere, underneath the grime of this broken world, everything has the radiant fingerprints of God on it.  Seeing the world with Jesus' eyes, we have the astonishing opportunity to daily love the unlovely into loveliness.'

So my bench covered in food to be sorted - a blessing of what has been provided and what I can share

My unmade beds - extra sleep after a later night with lots of fun and laughter

The crumbs and mess on the table - a meal together and memories of treasures collected and still to be sorted

How about you?  Do you find yourself at the end of the day wondering just what you got done and was it worth it?  Are you waiting for things to be perfect before you do that thing that you have been wanting to?  What about stopping and looking at the messy and seeing it for what it really is.

Summer is coming to an end

Summer is coming to an end.  While it is still hot at the moment, who knows how many more visits we get to the beach?  On a previous visit I was captured by something we do often when we go to the beach.  When my boys are little the waves are always a little daunting so we go close to the sea and dig a pool to sit and play in. To be successful the trick is to dig as close to the shore line as possible without the tide destroying the pool as it washes over the side. Digging further away seems fruitless as bucket after bucket is tipped in and drains away.

It got me to thinking.  Life is a lot like this.  With our own efforts we try to do the best we can.  We dig a hole and can fill it as many times as we like and the water just sinks away.  We look for the next big thing in life that will fill us and make us happy.  It isn't until we go to the source and dig deep that the water stays in the pool.    God is the source of our strength.  We need to lean in to him and dig deep into his word, holding on to his promises.  And he doesn't just fill us.  He fills us to overflowing (Psalm 23:5).  The more we give the more we receive.

At church we have been working through the book of Matthew.  I have been challenged by this verse:

 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 10:39 (NIV)

As I read this post at To Overflowing I am reminded that it is not about me.  Less of me and more of Him. Because in doing this I discover what it means to really live an abundant life .

Growing in his grace.

Losing myself in His love

 

5 Minute Friday - Roots

Every week Lisa-Jo Baker at Gypsy Mama invites us to join her in writing for 5 minutes.  Write what you are passionate about.  Without worrying about getting it right.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking. 

2. Link back here and invite others to join in. 

3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you and encourage them in their comments. 

Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community

I have been reading for some time. This week's prompt caught my eye.  Time to join in the fun, I think

Roots 

GO

I was sitting in church that Sunday.  Watching as someone was being baptized.  A verse came to mind as the woman shared her story.  I thought it was for her.  I searched and I stumbled and I couldn't find it.  Little did I know that the next few minutes would change my  life forever.  My mother called and held the news that at that exact time my father had passed away suddenly.

I crumbled and fell the news hitting like a full force blow to the soul.  My heart aching for a man that was so precious to me.  Gone in a instant.  We left and we went home and travelled that day into a week of together remembering all that he was and still is to us.  And I held on to that verse it was not for her but for me.  It carried me

The verse - Jeremiah 17: 7-8.  But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.  They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.  Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought.  Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit.

My roots go down deep and I long to go deeper.  To hold on to the strength that is mine from the Lord.  

STOP

A new beginning

It has been sometime since I wrote.  Where have I been? On Sunday September 16th, 2012 my world was changed forever when I got the news that my Dad has passed away suddenly.  It has taken some time to get back to routines and do more than just going through the motions of life.

Yesterday was the first day I have felt the heaviness lift.  I heard this line in a song - Let everything that has breath praise the Lord, and read this post - How to Handle Losses at A Holy Experience.  I choose to praise Him.

Through it all I have learnt much. Even as I write this post I found these posts How to Live the Really Best Bucket List and How to Live, Blog, Write.  I know that I have more to say.  It is just going to take some time.

For now here is the poem that I wrote for Dad.

 

There are not enough words

Or pages I can find

To write a fitting legacy

For you are one of a kind

But the words they start to come

And the memories overflow

The stories keep on coming

From the lives you've touched of those you know

At the place that we call home

Your fingerprints are everywhere

There's not a place I can look

That doesn't radiate your care

You always had the time

No matter how long it would take

You knew what was important in life

It's not things, but the memories you make

You always taught us to be our best

In your quiet way

I'm proud, stand tall, be true, be you

Do what you've set your mind to is what you'd say

The greatest gift a father can give

You proved time and again

Is to love their mother

You were her soulmate and her friend

You are our rock of strength

A solid stone beneath our feet

You gave us roots and wings to fly

And touch the lives of those we meet

You've laid your tools to rest

Hung up your rod and hat

Your hard work is now done

Put your boots down by the mat

The time has come, it is too soon

I still can't believe you're gone

It is good night and not goodbye

In us your legacy lives on

With hugs and kisses I know full well

He's waiting for you there

So into the Father's arms

I dedicate your care

Now to those of you who knew him

There is just one thing I ask of you

The love he shared, please pass it on

One of the greats has gone, but it's time the ripple grew.

Colleen

The last verse of the poem refers to the stones that we used in the service.  When you throw a stone in water the ripples that result radiate outward.  Dad was our rock and in memory we can carry on the love that he shared.  So everyone was invited to take a stone when they came to put a flower on the casket.  The idea was to throw it into water or place it somewhere as a reminder of how Dad touched their lives.

Till next time

enough said

It has taken some time for me to get to this point.  A dream has been building that is bigger than me.  It started last week as I had the opportunity to share some of that dream.  

I have heard it said that in order to be successful we need to prioritise what is truly important. Most Christians would say that they choose God as number one in their lives. I have come to realise that as William P Young writes in his book 'The Shack” the trouble with priorities is that it sees everything as a hierachy...you put God at the top... what does that mean and how much is enough? How much time will you give him before you can go about the rest of your day, the part that interests you the most. He doesn't want a part of us and a piece of our life. He simply wants us.

So I made a start with the ladies that I shared with.  So it continues. I hope you will join me as I unpack the equation and find what is enough for you.

Check here for each of the posts
I am enough 
I have enough 
I do enough
Plus one
To the power of three

Make a wish

i wish ......
i could do all the things that I dream of doing
i could share what I know
i had the courage to believe I can make a difference.

She Will Run

Every Tuesday during term time I am a part of a great team that heads up Mainly Music at Northpoint Church in Bell Block, New Plymouth. As part of our time we have started a session that runs after the music time with the children. Welcome to those who have joined me already.

This term we are looking at the study that has been developed from the book 'She Will Run' by Suzie Botross. It has been specifically geared towards mum's. 'If you are a woman hungry to be more,live more, enjoy more, love more,and influence more,this book is for you! She Will Run is designed to help you not only develop personal life skills but also to help you thrive in your relationships with others....'

Life sometimes feels like a race that we can't win. We run in circles, run and never catch up and run til we drop. 'She Will Run' gives us a focus for equiping and inspiring you to run your race. You have been designed for a specific purpose. It is my hope as we journey through the series together we will find tools and ideas to stay on the track set before us, to run our best race and make a difference.

We are all in this together. While we might think that others have it all together and are living a life that we can only dream about, what you realise is that you only get a small piece of the picture. I often get the comment {after people find out I have 4 boys} 'I don't know how you do it' I hope you can find the answer here on my blog. And that you would capture the gems that I have discovered to live a sorted life.

Check the posts here

She Will Run - Wk 1 Stress

She Will Run - Wk 2 Guilt

She Will Run - Wk 3 Criticism

She Will Run - Wk 4 Conflict

She Will Run - Wk 5 Managing Time

What's on my mind?

With all my sorting and organising I have been thinking about a few things that I wanted to get down to try and clarify why I do what I do. So here goes.

One of my biggest motivators is something that seems to come up time and again through things that I hear and read, is that I have enough hours in a day to do all the things that God intends. Phil 4:13 says 'I can do all this through him who gives me strength'. Notice it isn't I can do all things. I'm not supermum! So how do I know what I should be doing? The answer lies in being in tune with God. Knowing his voice when I ask just what I am supposed to be doing. It usually starts with a feeling. Whether I have a peace about what I am going to do. Then looking at the options. What is important vs urgent. Something I learnt from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. My key bible verse at the moment is Rom 12:2 which you will find at the top of my blog. We live in a busy time, rushing from one thing to the next and it is so easy to overcommit our selves and our children and not really enjoy anything that we are doing. John 10:10b says 'I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. Daily we need to make a commitment to stand out from the world and do what is right with God

This leads me into my next train of thought. If there are things that I should be doing does it mean that I have to leave the things that aren't a priority? One thing I have heard countless times as a mum is the old adage that the washing will still be there tomorrow so we can leave it and do what is more important like playing with our children. They grow up so quickly etc etc. True but along with that days washing comes tomorrows and soon we are overwhelmed with the day to day things that drive us crazy. So I find I have adopted more of a theory of the need for balance. While I would love to plan my days and be organised for what is coming up I have learnt that my circumstances do not allow for it. At the moment I have an overall picture of what I what to get done and do things one at a time. When I feel I haven't been doing something in one area say creative I make time to do something. The same goes for time with my husband and children, organising, business opportunities. One thing that I am beginning to understand more is how to use my time more effectively. My thinking was I needed long stretches of time to really get things done. But I would be waiting too long because it just doesn't happen. So I found that spending small amounts of time on one thing gets me that much closer to my goal. It is amazing what you can do in 15 mins. A tip I picked up from my reading and notes about scrapbooking that I have been reading. While some might call the things I do over organised. The systems I have put in place save me time that I can use for other things. And ultimately I can enjoy my life.