Bound and Determined

Here we gooooo!  (Peter Pan, anyone?)

How am I preparing for the new semester?

So glad you asked.  ;)

~  I've been working over the past couple of evenings on gathering new (and cheap) recipes!  I decided to be more adult-like in my lifestyle this year, so instead of finding the easiest foods to eat (which typically means running over to Taco Bell), I'm going to be cooking more.  I love to cook, but last year I discovered that I don't know how to cook for 1, so my meals actually last me about a week.  Also, I learned that I don't feel like cooking until I'm hungry, and when I'm hungry, I want to eat right away!  Enter in determination #1:  cook more, eat healthier, and plan ahead.

~  During the school year, I typically restrict myself to reading only books I need to get through for school.  These books are GREAT, don't get me wrong, it's just that at times, I need a mental break.  So, I dug up a few books that I've received during Christmases past that I still have not gotten around to reading.  Determination #2:  do a bit of light reading before bed each night.

~  Last year, I was haphazardly healthy.  I ran a little, ate a piece of fruit or two, and thought about riding my bike.  This year, I plan on actually being healthy.  My parents gave me a blender for Christmas last month (please, spare me your "Father of the Bride" comments as I was quite happy to get it), and I plan on using it to make lots of smoothies.  Determination #3:  ride bike to work, run once a week, drink smoothies.

No, these are not New Year's Resolutions because resolutions fizzle out about two days into the new year.  These are things I am determined to do in the hopes that I'll enjoy life more!  Join me in my new adventure in active living!

This is looking like it'll be a great year!

Family History

It's been a year since my great-grandmother died, and I'm just now getting around to rooting around all the old books that we got from her.  Hidden inside many of them were old newspaper articles about WWII, research notes, and discussion questions.

I spent the afternoon amusing myself with my treasure hunt.  In one book, I discovered a letter written to Mommom and Poppop from my dad.  In it, he told them he loved them and that he was sorry he wasn't corresponding as regularly as he would have liked.  He also told them that this would probably be his final letter to them before life began to get busier due to new distractions, referring to the birth of my older brother.  Little did he know that he would have 9 more distractions down the road.  ;)

Among old books and aging copies Times Magazine I found pictures of my dad when he was in grade school.  Also, Mommom kept every single picture we had ever sent her, including the ones of my brothers, sisters, and I when we were just a year old, all the way up to our high school graduation invitations.

Another gem that I came upon, which also happens to be my favorite, was the letter addressed from Germany.  It wasn't a lengthy message, but long enough for me to get to know the woman writing it just as well as my great-grandparents did when they read it all those years ago.

You see, my great-grandparents loved to travel!  Europe was a well-visited destination for them, and they met all sorts of interesting people.  The German woman who sent them this letter told them how excited she was to meet them and help them discover which part of Germany their (and incidentally, my own) ancestors hailed from.  Also enclosed in the envelope is what I think was one of their German train tickets.

I could spend hours listening to stories of Mommom and Poppop's travels, or the various jobs that Poppop worked to support them, or their family traditions.  If I could, I would pore over old letters and read every single note they ever wrote in the margins of their books.

Family history - learn it!

Attitude Isn't Everything

Alarm rings.  Roll over and turn it off.  Tumble out of bed and hobble to the door on swollen feet.

*grumble, grumble, grumble*
*complain, complain, complain*

Showered and dressed, head downstairs to grab a cup of coffee.  Gulp it down in a swallow or two and head for the car.  Can't take the car today, get dropped off.

*grumble, grumble, grumble*
*complain, complain, complain*

Customer demands explanation as to why coupon didn't go through.  Try to keep a lid on it.  Vent once home.

*grumble, grumble, grumble*
*complain, complain, complain*

"Do all things without grumbling or complaining," was the oft quoted verse around our house growing up.  I hate that verse.  Why?  Because I need it.

Attitude.  It pervades everything we do, making our lives either the most joyous of experiences or the most wretched.

If there's just one thing that I've been learning recently, it's that while your attitude isn't everything, it sure is a lot.

All my life I've struggled with maintaining a positive outlook on life and the things that God has set before me to accomplish.  While I'm pretty good at hiding my distaste when I'm out and about, God and my family sure aren't fooled.


It wasn't until very recently that I realized how many areas there were for me to change my attitude toward.  But here's the interesting thing, once I began to actively try changing one area, the rest got easier, to the point where I wasn't even trying anymore.  I realized that my life was made up of preconceived notions and I wasn't willing to relinquish my hold on the way that I thought life was supposed to look.

By God's grace, He opened my eyes to my incorrect way of thinking.

But how did I go about changing a sour attitude?  For one thing, it meant swallowing my pride, willing myself to be humbled by God.  The next step was to be willing to be teachable.  My friends, it's HARD.

It's hard to swallow your pride and ask God to help you change your attitude.  It's hard to succumb to His prodding.  It's hard to be active in changing.  It's h.a.r.d.

But it's worth it...

Because letting God sanctify and mold you into something that resembles more Christ-like behavior is always worth it.

I'm by no means perfect at this.  I know that I still have a long way to go, but instead of grumbling about that, I will strive to rejoice in the knowledge that this means that God and I will be working very closely together for a while longer .... before He brings some other issue to my attention.  :)

Attitude isn't everything, but it sure is a lot.