I get dehydrated A LOT. It's probably really bad for my health, but for some reason I actually forget to drink water. Have you ever been going about your day, finishing all the millions of tasks that you put on your to do list that morning, get to about 6pm and realize, you haven't had a single drop of water at all today? I have, I frequently have days where I get headaches from my lack of water. I get dizzy spells when I workout because I don't drink water. It's sad, it's sickening. When I finally do realize I need to drink water, I gulp down about 3 glasses at a time and then get a stomachache from it. Why, oh why can't I just stop for two seconds and get a glass of water you ask? It seems like an easy enough thing to do, we all need water to live, we all drink water to survive.
The simplest answer I can give is that I just don't think about it. I'm not paying attention, other things or people are demanding my immediate attention and I lose track of time and realize I'm literally wasting away from lack of water. I've known about my little bad habit for quite some time now but it hasn't changed my actions so that I will actually seek out this water and drink it. I know I need it, when I have it I usually love it, and I crave it daily, but for some reason I can't seem to slow down enough or make it a high enough priority for me to drink the water I need in a day.
Now, you know where I might be going with this...
The same is true for my time with God. My personal relationship with God, my time just talking to him, my time reading his love letter to me. My time investing in the things that make him happy. I know it's not breaking a commandment or anything to miss a "quiet time" with God. To miss finishing my bible study homework, but somewhere along the way in my Christian life I was told that I needed to spend an hour a day having time with God, just with God, no distractions, period. I agree I need to have that. Just like I need to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. It's true I can live without my quiet time. I can go weeks without having a quiet time, but just like water, I find myself wasting away and dying without it.
Maybe that's why Jesus said whoever drinks his water will never thirst again.
So since I'm keepin' it real, I have to admit I'm not sure if I'm going to be changing anytime soon. I'm still super busy and can't seem to keep the water in me. At least I know my problem and I can try to make the changes needed to keep myself from dying. Gosh I can be so dramatic. Oh well.
Stay True
Alicia
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
2 things
So there are 2 things I'm proud of doing right now. Maybe not proud because they are not really that grand, but I'm excited that I'm doing them nonetheless.
1. I'm finishing up a 21 day Daniel fast. I know, I know, spiritual faux pa by "telling" people you are fasting but since it's over soon I feel better about it. It's been TOUGH. I want bread, not eating bread. I want sweets, not eating sweets. I want meat, not eating meat. I want ANYTHING besides vegetables, fruit, whole grain cracker/tortillas, nuts and seeds. But my body is grateful because I have lost about 10 pounds. I wasn't really trying to lose weight with this but hey, BONUS! And my spiritual heart is thanking me as well for this fast because I'm finally edging out of my wilderness journey of depression and doubt and self-pity so that's good too. I've been in that wildeness for a WHILE now but I fully know that the God of all heaven and earth is personally teaching and molding me through this process and I'm forever grateful. (more on these life lessons in another post)
2. I'm growing out my hair. It's not that glamorous because I feel a little downright dowdy with this hair (and it's starting to get in the way when I sit in chairs) but it's the longest it's ever been in my life. So, I decided that since it was so long and since my favorite grandmother on earth learned last fall she has breast cancer, in honor of her I'm growing it out, eventually at the right length chopping it all off and donating it to locks of love. I've always wanted to do this, and I'm so excited to be trying to grow it out to make a beautiful wig for some wonderful lady who needs to feel beautiful. Nathan loves it. I don't know why but he's always loved long hair, I'm sure that's a guy thing because every woman knows how much work long hair takes in the morning to prepare. Early in our marriage he even forbid me to cut it shorter than a certain length. Well maybe not forbid- I mean we don't live in the 1800s or anything. Persuaded me to not cut it short is more like it. I do in fact have his approval to cut it short in the end however. I mean, it's for cancer patients!
Trufully, I'm very excited about my physical changes, and even more excited to see the results of my inward changes too. I hope one day (probably years from now though) to be able to document my hair cutting account on this blog.
Stay True
Alicia
1. I'm finishing up a 21 day Daniel fast. I know, I know, spiritual faux pa by "telling" people you are fasting but since it's over soon I feel better about it. It's been TOUGH. I want bread, not eating bread. I want sweets, not eating sweets. I want meat, not eating meat. I want ANYTHING besides vegetables, fruit, whole grain cracker/tortillas, nuts and seeds. But my body is grateful because I have lost about 10 pounds. I wasn't really trying to lose weight with this but hey, BONUS! And my spiritual heart is thanking me as well for this fast because I'm finally edging out of my wilderness journey of depression and doubt and self-pity so that's good too. I've been in that wildeness for a WHILE now but I fully know that the God of all heaven and earth is personally teaching and molding me through this process and I'm forever grateful. (more on these life lessons in another post)
2. I'm growing out my hair. It's not that glamorous because I feel a little downright dowdy with this hair (and it's starting to get in the way when I sit in chairs) but it's the longest it's ever been in my life. So, I decided that since it was so long and since my favorite grandmother on earth learned last fall she has breast cancer, in honor of her I'm growing it out, eventually at the right length chopping it all off and donating it to locks of love. I've always wanted to do this, and I'm so excited to be trying to grow it out to make a beautiful wig for some wonderful lady who needs to feel beautiful. Nathan loves it. I don't know why but he's always loved long hair, I'm sure that's a guy thing because every woman knows how much work long hair takes in the morning to prepare. Early in our marriage he even forbid me to cut it shorter than a certain length. Well maybe not forbid- I mean we don't live in the 1800s or anything. Persuaded me to not cut it short is more like it. I do in fact have his approval to cut it short in the end however. I mean, it's for cancer patients!
Trufully, I'm very excited about my physical changes, and even more excited to see the results of my inward changes too. I hope one day (probably years from now though) to be able to document my hair cutting account on this blog.
Stay True
Alicia
Friday, January 27, 2012
My Gratuitous Attitude (or lack thereof)
Well the experiment is almost over. Yesterday I committed to going for 24 hours without complaining and if I did complain or was tempted to complain I had to write down what I complained about and how I was tempted. I started at 2pm yesterday and I'm finishing up my last few minutes blogging about it. I hope I don't complain while I'm writing up this post.
So no major shockers here about the level of my thankfulness. Obviously, like all the other red-blooded Americans out there I am extremely entitled, spoiled, and ungrateful. Go me! Yes, I have to say I am thankful though for this exercise because it really taught me a few things:
1. Having children is both a reason to be thankful and a reason why I failed this challenge and was tempted all day long to complain.
2. The evening hours when I had another human being with which I could have an actual conversation with(My husband Nathan), was when I was complaining the most. Question is:Was his presence a cause or an effect of my complaining...hmmm....
3. I complain the MOST about being tired. I think I need to schedule a nap time in my day somewhere.
4. When I complain over and over again, I realize that documenting said complaints actually lowers the amount of overall complaining that comes out of my mouth.
Overall I'd say the experiment was good for me. I know what my triggers for complaining are now, and I know I need to get to bed earlier. However, documenting my complaints is only the first step. The real change happened when I started replacing my complaints with a few positive phrases that I could actually get myself to believe to be more truth than the original complaint.
Example: I'm Tired!
Instead I said: I'm so glad I have a bed to sleep on tonight.
Easy huh? Truth is I pretty much can ALWAYS find something to complain about, even though I have so many blessings coming out of my ear I should be spending my whole day being thankful.
The truth is, complaining for me is a cycle, and once I start I can't seem to stop, but the opposite is also true of saying positive statements- the more I do it, the easier it is to look on the brighter side and see the glass half full. (Unless some little munchkin spilled it and now it really is empty)
Stay True,
Alicia
So no major shockers here about the level of my thankfulness. Obviously, like all the other red-blooded Americans out there I am extremely entitled, spoiled, and ungrateful. Go me! Yes, I have to say I am thankful though for this exercise because it really taught me a few things:
1. Having children is both a reason to be thankful and a reason why I failed this challenge and was tempted all day long to complain.
2. The evening hours when I had another human being with which I could have an actual conversation with(My husband Nathan), was when I was complaining the most. Question is:Was his presence a cause or an effect of my complaining...hmmm....
3. I complain the MOST about being tired. I think I need to schedule a nap time in my day somewhere.
4. When I complain over and over again, I realize that documenting said complaints actually lowers the amount of overall complaining that comes out of my mouth.
Overall I'd say the experiment was good for me. I know what my triggers for complaining are now, and I know I need to get to bed earlier. However, documenting my complaints is only the first step. The real change happened when I started replacing my complaints with a few positive phrases that I could actually get myself to believe to be more truth than the original complaint.
Example: I'm Tired!
Instead I said: I'm so glad I have a bed to sleep on tonight.
Easy huh? Truth is I pretty much can ALWAYS find something to complain about, even though I have so many blessings coming out of my ear I should be spending my whole day being thankful.
The truth is, complaining for me is a cycle, and once I start I can't seem to stop, but the opposite is also true of saying positive statements- the more I do it, the easier it is to look on the brighter side and see the glass half full. (Unless some little munchkin spilled it and now it really is empty)
Stay True,
Alicia
Thursday, January 26, 2012
An Attitude of Gratitude
Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I really LOVE bible studies. I love love love them. I love them more than ice cream. I've been in so many bible studies you'd think I attend them as religiously as a drug addict attends AA. Which is actually a very good analogy for me since the reason I attend these bible studies is frankly because I am so messed up. It truly is my AA.
Thankfully (yes, thankfully) I am in a new one entitled "Lord change my Attitude" Obviously, this week I'm learning how to have an attitude of thankfulness.
So it has this exercise in it where you set your clock (or my case my iPhone alarm) and try to go for 24 hours without complaining. If you feel like complaining, or are tempted to complain you have to write a little tick mark in your journal, and hang your head as a failure. Not really that last one, but I probably will hang my head as a failure since I tend to take these exercises pretty seriously.
I have really noticed lately that I am a bit of a complainer. I complain about my house, my kids, my situations, my jobs, food, weather, clothes, etc etc etc. People in general are complainers, and we complain in groups too. Complaining is such an easy conversation starter. "Man it's hot/cold/rainy/snowy/tornadoey/earthquakey out there today." Another person says, "I know I wish it was colder/warmer/drier/wetter/less windy/less filled with mass destruction!" and there's your complaint. Our society (American that is) has complaining built into it's DNA. I mean. our forefathers started this country because they didn't like their situation and swam all the way from England to get away from it. I realize I'm minimizing the significance of that historic moment, but for the sake of my point it works.
So I think I'll run with this experiment, it's a good idea to try. I'm going to go for 24 hours and see if I can make it through the day without complaining once. It'll be good to challenge myself. I'll report back tomorrow on my findings.
Stay True
Alicia
Thankfully (yes, thankfully) I am in a new one entitled "Lord change my Attitude" Obviously, this week I'm learning how to have an attitude of thankfulness.
So it has this exercise in it where you set your clock (or my case my iPhone alarm) and try to go for 24 hours without complaining. If you feel like complaining, or are tempted to complain you have to write a little tick mark in your journal, and hang your head as a failure. Not really that last one, but I probably will hang my head as a failure since I tend to take these exercises pretty seriously.
I have really noticed lately that I am a bit of a complainer. I complain about my house, my kids, my situations, my jobs, food, weather, clothes, etc etc etc. People in general are complainers, and we complain in groups too. Complaining is such an easy conversation starter. "Man it's hot/cold/rainy/snowy/tornadoey/earthquakey out there today." Another person says, "I know I wish it was colder/warmer/drier/wetter/less windy/less filled with mass destruction!" and there's your complaint. Our society (American that is) has complaining built into it's DNA. I mean. our forefathers started this country because they didn't like their situation and swam all the way from England to get away from it. I realize I'm minimizing the significance of that historic moment, but for the sake of my point it works.
So I think I'll run with this experiment, it's a good idea to try. I'm going to go for 24 hours and see if I can make it through the day without complaining once. It'll be good to challenge myself. I'll report back tomorrow on my findings.
Stay True
Alicia
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Posting
It's time for a new blog. I used to blog SO much when I just had one child. And he was a newborn. Thus he slept all the time and I couldn't fill my days with soap operas, so I had decided to blog. My hope is to blog more, that means spending time actually trying to think and type out my thoughts and I'm hoping this process will be a good growth for me and maybe you might learn a thing or two as well.
I find myself in a new phase of life and with a fresh start in life (of sorts).
We haven't moved. I haven't suddenly lost my 3 children (more on them later) I haven't started working (still a stay at home mom) but for me this newness denotes a personal inner change. A rebirth of sorts, and I wanted to document this change forever online, and for any oddball on the Internet to read. This cyber-society is a bit strange but I am better at typing out my thoughts than writing them down in a journal so I thought I'd start here.
So let's start with an introduction.
Here I am world! Oh wait I've been here for over 31 years already (yes I'm putting my actual age in print because I am not ashamed to be 31, it's great)
In those 31 years I've managed to have so many experiences that maybe I might write about in future posts but for the sake of space I'm going to hit the highlights.
Here in 30 seconds or less is my life:
Born in dirtville west Texas to 2 country bumpkins trying to make their way to the big city and eventually ended up in suburbanville. I lived in suburbanville of many towns in the Texas/Oklahoma area for most of my life until finding true Paradise in Austin for the majority of my high school career. Found my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ before college and had the most impacting 4 years of my life after that. Learned, Loved, Married, Moved. And now I'm in Houston. Yuck. From paradise to the swamplands, I had 2 gorgeous children, a few part time jobs to keep me busy here and there and added another child by adoption to make my life truly crazy. All in all I would say I've achieved whatever "American Dream" people in other countries and cultures probably aspire to, and yet, as everyone who's achieved this American dream realizes, it's not the end all to life.
So that's me. I'm hoping that in the next week or two I can find time to update this baby and make it a place where I can come and share with friends my thoughts on life, love, children, cooking, and other various topics. I hope it's a place you come to with your afternoon coffee (or diet coke) while your kids sleep to get a laugh, ponder a point, or share a pain. Some wonderful people in my life once told me my biggest strength is my ability to be completely vulnerable and real with people. I'd like to think it's my adherence to truth, but I'll take being real because so many people aren't these days.
So here I am being real with a bunch of strangers, whoever might be interested. I hope I'm interesting for you.
Stay True,
Alicia
I find myself in a new phase of life and with a fresh start in life (of sorts).
We haven't moved. I haven't suddenly lost my 3 children (more on them later) I haven't started working (still a stay at home mom) but for me this newness denotes a personal inner change. A rebirth of sorts, and I wanted to document this change forever online, and for any oddball on the Internet to read. This cyber-society is a bit strange but I am better at typing out my thoughts than writing them down in a journal so I thought I'd start here.
So let's start with an introduction.
Here I am world! Oh wait I've been here for over 31 years already (yes I'm putting my actual age in print because I am not ashamed to be 31, it's great)
In those 31 years I've managed to have so many experiences that maybe I might write about in future posts but for the sake of space I'm going to hit the highlights.
Here in 30 seconds or less is my life:
Born in dirtville west Texas to 2 country bumpkins trying to make their way to the big city and eventually ended up in suburbanville. I lived in suburbanville of many towns in the Texas/Oklahoma area for most of my life until finding true Paradise in Austin for the majority of my high school career. Found my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ before college and had the most impacting 4 years of my life after that. Learned, Loved, Married, Moved. And now I'm in Houston. Yuck. From paradise to the swamplands, I had 2 gorgeous children, a few part time jobs to keep me busy here and there and added another child by adoption to make my life truly crazy. All in all I would say I've achieved whatever "American Dream" people in other countries and cultures probably aspire to, and yet, as everyone who's achieved this American dream realizes, it's not the end all to life.
So that's me. I'm hoping that in the next week or two I can find time to update this baby and make it a place where I can come and share with friends my thoughts on life, love, children, cooking, and other various topics. I hope it's a place you come to with your afternoon coffee (or diet coke) while your kids sleep to get a laugh, ponder a point, or share a pain. Some wonderful people in my life once told me my biggest strength is my ability to be completely vulnerable and real with people. I'd like to think it's my adherence to truth, but I'll take being real because so many people aren't these days.
So here I am being real with a bunch of strangers, whoever might be interested. I hope I'm interesting for you.
Stay True,
Alicia
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