Top 10 Tuesday/ Hide His Word update

It’s no secret that I’m having a rough time right now…I have 3 boys under 3.5, my dad is battling Stage 4 cancer, I work full time and am trying to do it all.  My postpartum depression has grown into full blown depression, my weight loss has plateaued (despite my promises to my dad not to give up), and I’m physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted.

But the thing that has sustained me has been scripture memorization…so today I’m double dipping…you get a two-fer!!!  I’m linking this list up to Oh Amanda and Do Not Depart. 

I decided to split my top 10 Tuesday list into 2 parts. 

1st- 

5 way to memorize scripture (as gathered from Do Not Depart and A Holy Experience)
1. Write it down (I love my hhw moleskine)

2. Read it often

3. Listen to it (I love the links that Katie provided at Do Not Depart to the verses set to music…has helped me so much)

4. Hang it up everywhere (I have it hanging in my shower!!)

5. Practice with first letters (I’ve made index cards that you can see in the picture above that shows the first letter of each word…great for helping me recall.

 

2nd

Reasons to memorize scripture:
1. Fighting depression- I find that I need to take my thoughts captive when the depression starts.  Between Hide His Word and Seeds Family Worship I’m thinking about things that are true, noble, right, pure and lovely (Phil4:8)

2. Fighting fatigue- I am exhausted and restless.  Insomnia haunts me…so I play my verses on my iPhone and fall asleep feeling the Lords comfort.

3. Fight compulsive behavior- I believe that my depression and my emotional eating are forms of compulsive behavior.  I’m currently reading Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst. A quote from Chapter 1 of this book that has hit me hard is this: We consume what we think about.  And what we think about can consume us if we’re not careful. I want my thoughts to be on things above!!  She also uses the scripture “everything is permissable, but not everything is beneficial” (1 Corinthians 10:23) as a battle verse…and I’m gonna cling to it too!!! 

4. Strengthen my faith walk- I can’t imagine how hard these last few months would have been had I not been as deeply rooted in the Word…I love being able to fight this battle with the Sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17)

5. All the cool kids are doing it!! I love the camaraderie and support I get from my sister friends on twitter.  The gals following the #HideHisWord hashtag are so encouraging and all my gals from #hellomornings, #warriorprayers, #b90days all are ready with verses to encourage and lift up one another.

 

So there you go…I feel like this blog post could also be titled,

“How memorizing Scripture has Changed my Life”

 

It’s amazing to have the Word of God always on my lips.  It’s almost automatic for me now because I’ve been working on it so much.  But I still need to make a conscious decision to do it.  Last week I paused to review (aka…didn’t touch it all week)….now I’m motivated and ready to tackle it again head on!!!

Do you have a top ten list posted today?  Do you have any additional tips for memorizing scripture?  Post a comment, I’d love to visit your blog too!!!

Much Love,

 

Top Ten Tuesday, my couch 2 5 K playlist….

 

I’ve been trying to work through Couch 2 5K (for like the past 2 months).  I was just using my Seeds Family Worship playlist (which I absolutely love and listen to All. The. Time.) but I thought it would be fun to pump it up a little and create a fun playlist.  Inspired by another top 10 Tuesday post, I thought I’d share my running playlist

(and I should disclaimer this: it’s not so much a run and it is a walk with a slight thump in my step…)

1. Unwritten (Sisterhood of the traveling pants soundtrack)
2. Firework (katy perry) (I usually find out what’s popular “musically” from Glee- and once it’s on Glee it’s usually an older song…but I fell in love with this song when it was on Glee)
3. This is the Stuff (Francesca Battistelli- love her new album)
4. Out of the Mud (Seeds of Courage)
5. It’s your life (Francesca Battistelli- played on a past season of Biggest Loser during the “marathon episode” and always inspires me)
6. Do not be anxious (Seeds of Courage)
7. LA Baby (Jonas brothers – don’t just me)
8. Crushed (seeds of courage)
9. Mr. Brightside (the killers- one of my husbands fav bands and takes me back to our dating days)
10. The Good Song (seeds of courage)
11. Ask, Seek, Knock (seeds of courage- my cooldown/ stretching song)

So there you go…my top 10 running songs with a bonus cool down song!!!

And I love my Couch 2 5K app for my iPhone which allows me to play my own music while I “run”.

For more top 10 lists…check out oh Amanda!!

3 in 30 April 1, 2011

I can’t even believe we’re in April already!!!  Where did March go my friends?  I think I did well on my March goals even though I didn’t check in…but the past is behind me and here is what is ahead!!!

Goal #1:  Work focused

My bloggy friend Amanda at

has been doing a series entitled “working with delight” on her blog and it really has me thinking about my attitude at my job.  Recently, work has kind of been a nuisance to me!!  I decided it needs to change.

So goal #1 is involving my job as a pharmacist on weekend nights at the local hospital.

Overall I want to have a better attitude going in there…I’m a completely different person there than I am the rest of my life.

Tangibly speaking, I want to complete at least one third to half of my Continuing Education in April.  I have to report every 3 years and last time I did 3 years worth of CE in about a month.  Ay yay yay!! 

Thank you Amanda for inspiring me to do this!!!

 

Goal #2:  Body/fitness related

I fell off the Couch 2 5K wagon over the last 2 weeks because I was sick.  I’d like to get back on that and back to tracking my WW points and lose some weight!!!

Specifically: C25K 3x/week and track my Good Health Guidelines

Goal #3:  Slow Down

This one may be hard to measure, but in light of everything going on in my life, I want to slow down, find my eucharisteo groove of finding my one thousand gifts, and not see life as such a rush.

I’m hoping these three goals work together for me and help me get through another month!! 

 

Need motivation, check out 3in30 link-up and join us!!!

What are your goals for April?

Much Love,

3 in 30 February month end…looking to March

 

I feel like this month has absolutely flown by and can’t believe I’m already thinking about March’s goals!!!  I’m really pleased with the projects I’ve tackled this month and the progress I’ve done!! 

 

So here’s an update: 

 

I’m on day 53 of my Bible in 90 Days!!!  I’ve been consistently reading it and the book “one thousand gifts” by Ann Voskamp and working them both into my morning routine.  I have been waking up at 4:45am and get started.  It’s been such an encouragement to me to.

 

The  hello mornings challenge has probably  made the biggest impact on my routine.

The gals involved with that have become an answered prayer!!  I feel like this is a habit now and I’m excited to continue my morning routine into March

 

I’ve been doing a little better with my tracking but then I don’t do so great…it’s a daily struggle to choose to eat the right things.  I got burnt out early on salads and yogurt so I’m having to try some new things to get fired up about.

 

And the decluttering…oh the decluttering!!!  Doing well….oh so much more to do!!  How do we accumulate so much stuff?  The pantry and area above my computer have been cleaned…So much more to do….this goal may be carrying over into March.

I got to know Pixosphere this month as a sponsor of #3in30 and I’ve enjoyed the website and hope to be able to use it more to help with the photography/pictorial parts of the blog!!!

 

And now on to March’s goals:

1.  TV free afternoons – this is an old old habit of mine.  Growing up the TV was always on…didn’t pay attention to it.  I have a habit of needing the sound…and now my boys are always watching the tube.  They’re really good at playing and don’t always pay attention to it…but I do catch them wanting it always on (and on Disney a lot of the time).  We can usually change it to news in the afternoon, but I find myself using the TV on days when kids (or mommy) aren’t feeling well and if mommy needs some peace.

So instead, during the week I’m gonna try to turn the TV off and turn on some tunes.

I ordered 2 cds from Seeds Family Worship from the recommendation of some of my new twitter friends and I hope they get here really soon!!  My goal is to have music playing in the afternoons so the boys don’t get so stuck on the TV (and mommy doesn’t go crazy without the TV noise!)!!  I can’t imagine completely shutting off the television and that’s not where my convictions lie…I just want a imaginative play to be important, and if we can add in some scripture in the process…win win!!!

Anyone have any suggestions on how to make this go smoothly?

2.  Exercise – I got a jump start on this goal this week and I’m so excited!!  I spent 30 minutes on the treadmill 3 times this week!!!  I’m sore but it felt good and it was nice to have that time for myself.  I’m hoping by exercising I will enhance my weight loss and encourage me with my weight loss endeavors!!

My specific goal is exercise at least 30 minutes 3 times a week. 

I hope to continue to use the treadmill and do some of my videos. I know it’s not huge, but it’s a start!!!

What are your favorite workout videos?  Do you have any podcasts you could recommend I listen to while on the treadmill?

3.  My third goal involves my blog and online time.  I’ve gotten my new computer and getting it set just the way I want it!!  I love it!!

I’ve got some new programs that are helping make my online life a little easier!!!  I’m starting to get some regularity in my computer time and I really enjoy that.  I’m finding it easier to create and post on the blog and this has become my own special little place.

Photo by sisterlisa at Pixosphere

With the help of my friends Hope and Shawntele, I’ve been working on a new look for the blog!!  (thanks sister friends!!)!!!  I’m so excited about the overhaul and am hopeful for the future of MommaKristi!!  It really is my heart and I want to share with other women who are in some of the same places as me!

So my third goal is to finish the blog overhaul & get my hosting together.

I’m hoping our TV free afternoons, my quiet morning time, and the new computer tools will help with this goal (as well as my friends!!).  I’m also hoping to be more intentional about what I’m doing with my time…when I’m blogging or tweeting, I’m not saying to the boys, “just a minute…mommy’s busy”.  I hope once the blog is set up, I can lessen my time actually working on the computer!!!

Wow…long post!!  Thanks for stopping by!!  Do you have any goals for March?

Lots of stuff...

Well, not really lots, but I'm pretty excited!!! I weighed in a ww and I lost another 2 lbs!!! So it's a total of 7.2 lost since 12/7/10!!! Yippee!!!!

Also, I read day 2 & almost all of 3 in the B90 Challenge. I'm so excited about it!!! I'm afraid to fall behind and everyone at the #B90Days on twitter say to read whenever you have a chance....so that's what I'm doing!!! It's so intriguing to be re-reading these stories in Genesis...it's crazy what all they did to one another!!!

I even worked out this am!!! Yes!!! I know it's only January 4th and I don't want to burn out but I'm really trying to keep a positive mental attitude!!!

The big boys are playing with their tag readers with daddy. Coley just got a bath and is sitting in his high chair watching them. Life is soooo good!!!

New things....

I'm doing some new things on the boys blog!!! Make sure you check it out if you don't normally look there!!!

Also- haha!!! I wondered where this post of Jake below went!!! I meant to post it on the boys blog!!! Hahaha!!!

That's Jake at a local children's museum by the way!!!

On a side note, I'm thinking about starting couch 2 5 K again!!! I need to do something. Weight watchers alone isn't cutting it (well, that and my will power)!!!

Over due update

I was doing great with the Couch 2 5K for a few weeks and then life just caught up!! Jason and I are trying to keep walking and continue to get healthy!!
I plan on doing a cooking marathon this week for stocking the freezer!! Jason's sister Jenny is due a week from today and I want her to have plenty of food in the freezer for those first few weeks of bringing a baby home!! Plus-Jason and I have slipped into the eating out is easier mode-so I need to stock our home with food again!!!
Not sure if I've mentioned-but we're working on getting out of debt using Dave Ramsey's method. We've gotten rid of the credit cards and things are going well. A budget it tough stuff-but I know it'll be worth it to be able to buy what we want and not have looming debt!!!
I'm hoping to post vacation pics from camping on Max's blog this week...make sure you check them out!!! And I hope to blog more this week. I hate that I've let it slack. So much is happening and I'd love to have a record of it!!!

Week 1, day 2-check!!!

Yep-that's right. I've kept with it. I meant to post this last night but Max had a different idea and broke our computer. Not really-but somehow while he was pounding on the keyboard while playing this game, he shut off the modem. Oh well. Daddy fixed it.

So yeah, Week 1 Day 2!!! Woot woot. It was tough. And my body aches this a.m.!!!!

I can do this, I can do this, I can do this!!!

Couch 2 5K

Week 1 Day 1-done!!!
Yeah, you heard it right, I'm doing Couch 2 5k, can you believe it!!?

I decided that I needed to do something to get in shape and luckily the message board I frequent has a big group of girls doing it so I jumped on the bandwagon. I had checked out the program before but kept making up excuses as to why I didn't want to do it.

Enough is enough. I'm gonna get in shape. And oh yeah-I'm definitely starting from the couch!!

Here is a good reference for the program. I used the podcast. Oh wow did it help. I just prayed as I ran and didn't have to think. It was tough, but I didn't!!! I'm so happy I started it and I'm so happy that I told so many people that I was gonna do it.

When I finished-I told Jason I felt like I have super human powers....it really did feel good!!!

The best part is-it's a 9 week program- I will keep at it and finish it. At this rate-I'll be at the 5K portion the week before Max's 1st birthday and my 30th birthday!! Not bad for someone who hates to run!!!