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My Study Today: Job 3

September 3, 2013

Hello everyone. I have had a pretty good day so far. I got quite a lot done around the house, finished my workouts, took the dog out for a run, and apologized to a friend for a mistake I made which caused her extra work and frustration.  I truly am sorry for what happened, so I apologized and it won’t happen again. I handled it like an adult. I can honestly say that even though there are some tough things going on right now, none of them worry me. I am never alone, and I will never be left to deal with anything alone, 

So I know that I don’t always post Bible studies on here, but I would like to try and do a few a week for this month, as a challenge for myself. Just humor me, I like challenges. I recently finished reading the book of Proverbs, and now I want to read the book of Job, so I started it three days ago. Today I read Job 3.

This was a very sad chapter to read. Job is cursing the day he was born because everything has been taken from him; his house, his servants, his livestock, his children, and his health. Satan is trying to test this poor man to force him into cursing God and losing his faith. Despite all the tragedies that Job was experiencing and dealing with, he does not abandon his faith, even though he is heartbroken and living in constant torment. He still does grieve though, like any human would. I can recall many times throughout my childhood, teenage years, and young adulthood where I have felt like my world was as messed up and damaged as it could possibly get, and even though the pain I have felt is nothing like the pain Job experienced, we each experience pain on our own scale, so my pain is not any less important or real. This chapter also made me realize that my life is very blessed, and I shouldn’t waste time being angry or impatient or timid or proud or embarrassed. I should deal with issues as they come, face them with honesty and determination, and then move on, absorbing whatever I can from the experience, then moving to face whatever comes next.

That’s all for now, it is time to eat a huge dinner and play some Nancy Drew on the computer. I’m so nostalgic.  

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My Instagram

Hello my lovelies! Sorry for abandoning you all for such a long time! I have been off having adventures around America (well, only in 2 states, but that’s better than nothing!) all summer, and I am finally back in my little South Carolina nest, ready to tackle the fall. School has started and it is time to get back to business, so I need to refresh my self-discipline and replenish my self-control.

Also, I have joined the rest of the world and finally surrendered to Instagram. My account is inthemindofky. I will try and post a link on this blog…somewhere. (there is a link in the side bar).

I figured that the best way to start off the fall would be with a challenge! Woohoo! Actually, I am going to work on a couple of challenges, starting in September.

1. I am going to do the 21 Day Binge-Free Instagram challenge for recovering bulimics and anorexics. I am more that 21 days binge free, but I want to do the challenge anyway. I will try and link all my updates to this blog as well as my Instagram.

2. Fitness Challenge. Along with my regular workouts, I am going to add something new every day. I will be introducing a new element, workout, or move in my fitness routine, like trying a new challenging strength move, or taking a fitness class that I don’t regularly do (like maybe belly dancing???)

3. Some kind of photo challenge, but I haven’t decided what yet.

Come find me on Instagram my dearies!!

Do You Even Want To Be My Friend?

Okay, I need to make a post about something that I have been noticing lately. Have you ever met someone, and you are friends for a few months, they call you to come over and hang out, you go out and do stuff together, you talk about everything…and then all of a sudden they blow you off left and right, cancel plans, and never respond to your messages? Well, that’s what I’m going through now.

            One thing you should know about me: I’m not big on socializing. I’m really not the biggest fan of people in general. I do not make many close friends, and I’m not comfortable around everyone, so when I do make a friend I am very careful to take things slowly. I don’t like having people smother me, especially early on in a friendship, so I go out of my way to make sure I don’t smother other people. I’ve had people who call and text me daily after only one or two meetings, and it makes me feel like I am being forced into a friendship. Nobody wants that.

            So, I make sure I send a maximum of two text messages when I don’t hear from them, or one phone call, or a facebook message. Not AND…I said OR. I probably reach out to this person once a week with a text trying to find out if the plans we made last week are still standing, and they never respond…but the next time I see them, they want to make plans and hang out and they seem so happy to see me. That is what confuses me, they act like they are so happy to be my friend and so excited to do things with me (making plans, inviting me to movies and meals, having me help out with projects, etc…) but then they never follow through with the plans, never gets ahold of me or follows through with any of the plans that they suggested.

            The last thing in the world that I want to be is a stalker or an annoying burden to someone. I do not want to make them feel pressured or stressed or force them to switch around their schedules to fit me in. I’m a laidback girl, and I strive to be a laidback friend, but when we make plans to hang out somewhere at noon, and I text them to make sure we are still meeting up…and I get no response…so an hour later I send another text and I still don’t hear back from them. I hate feeling like I am pestering someone, so after that I give up. I am not going to force someone to be my friend; I just get confused when I get very mixed messages from someone. Uggggg.

I Can See It In Your Eyes

Blehh, I’m Sick… Should I Skip My Workout?

When we are feeling sick, the last thing we want to do is strap on our running shoes and burn some calories…we want to wallow in self-pity and watch crappy television. However, anyone who has ever gone on a run with a stuffy nose knows that about 5 minutes into your run, your head clears up like magic. So how do I know if I’m too sick to work out?

The best way to determine if you are healthy enough to work out is to “check the neck”. Basically ask yourself one question: are my symptoms above or below my neck?

If your head/nose/sinuses are stuffy or you have a sore throat, then you are still well enough to run. In fact, the increased intake of oxygen will help you recover more quickly. However, if your symptoms are below the neck, play it safe and skip the workout. If you feel like throwing up, have a fever, weakness or exhaustion or any other similar issue, stay home, drink tons of water and fruit and vegetable juice, rest, and allow your body to recover.

How To Stretch Your Ears

just me giving you a little introductory video on the best ways to stretch your ears!

Abercrombie and Fitch Drama

I have to say this:

I am so tired of all of this Abercrombie and Fitch drama. People are acting like store discrimination is new news, as if Abercrombie is the first store in history to target a specific demographic. I see both sides of this issue.

In my opinion, the store can sell what they want. They design, produce, and sell the clothes. We are the ones that buy them (unless you are like me, and have never set foot in a store that even sells jeans for over $20).

NEWS FLASH: All stores are discriminatory. I can’t shop at maternity stores because I’m not pregnant, but maternity stores also aren’t going to burn the clothes they don’t sell because they don’t want to donate them to the poor or chase me out of the store and tell me I’m not good enough to wear their mom-jeans. Maybe I’m just “running my mouth”, but is anybody really shocked that a store like Abercrombie discriminates? I’m not. There are clearly stores that target African Americans, just like there are stores like Hot Topic that target goths and punks, Big and Tall only makes clothing for tall people, bridal stores that target brides, and stores that cater to old people, jocks, plus-size, etc…

I also can’t shop at plus-size stores because I don’t fit that store’s image. The difference is that plus-size stores don’t openly announce that skinny people aren’t wanted. The CEO of Abercrombie is a douchebag, and should have never opened his abnormally large mouth in the first place, but hasn’t Abercrombie always been this way? why do we hate them now, all of a sudden?

 Why are we choosing to speak out now? Why not ten years ago? Why not when the company first started?

Be Aware of Your Words and Your Silence

Become more aware of words and silence.

This has many parts to it, but bear with me, because this is such an important step. In order to actually create change in your life, you need to become more aware of what you put out into the world, especially when it comes to the words that come out of your mouth. Words hold a great deal of fire, and can be more powerful than anything, and as humans we tend to throw them around without ever giving a second thought to the damage that these words could potentially cause.

Words can be used as weapons. They can dig into a person and eat away at their core. They can break trusts and ruin loves. When you agree to do something and you fail to live up to your words, then you have broken someone’s trust in you. When you lie to someone, you lose credibility. I should know, I used to be the biggest fibber in the world. I had no problem dropping white lies to avoid discussions and creating stories to get myself out of trouble. I would agree to meet up with friends and create excuses to skip out on it. I would nod mindlessly when someone asked me about an obscure band or song that I didn’t know. The lies I told weren’t even important to me. Half the time, I didn’t even realize that I was lying. A story would just form and spill out of my mouth, automatically. I became an automatic liar, and my lies were ridiculous and pointless. I could care less if I know the random indie band you are talking about. If I know I’m not going to be able to keep a social appointment, then why do I automatically agree to be there? What is with all of these false words that fly out of my mouth?

A month ago I was in a very scary car accident. Nobody was hurt, but they very seriously could have been. It put a lot of things in perspective for me. I began to realize that there were many aspects of my life that seemed ugly to me, and I didn’t want to have anything to do with them anymore, including lying. I became more aware of every word that comes out of my mouth. 

I know that being honest can be extremely uncomfortable. It can be hard to open up to people and tell them what you need. Instead of making excuses to avoid hanging out with the “friends” you don’t really like spending time with, be honest and tell them that you are working though some things in your life right now, and you will reach out to them when things in your life calm down. If they back off and give you the space to breathe and re-organize your life, then respect that and let them know you appreciate their understanding. If they continue to hound you and push you to dedicate your precious time to spend with them, then they become a source of stress in your life and you need to make it clear that they are being intrusive. Be polite, but make it very clear that they are making you feel stressed, and you need to take a break. It may seem “rude” or “impolite” to be open and honest like that, but it is also rude for people to assume that they are entitled to monopolize your free time. Nip it in the bud.

When you say you’ve seen a movie, or done something, or heard a band that you actually haven’t, it may not be a big lie but you still set yourself up to look foolish. What if they ask you about your favorite part of that movie or song? What if they want details about the amazing/crazy/unbelievable situation that you’ve been bragging about? When you get caught in a pathetic lie, it makes you look pathetic as well. Honesty could help you avoid this humiliating situation. 

Sometimes, the best thing to do is to stay silent. People who don’t speak up or respond right away are often perceived as odd or “slow”. Maybe these people are just wise. When you pause to contemplate the impact of the words that you are about to speak, you can avoid unintentional insults, more lies, and stupid misunderstanding. Being able to keep your mouth shut should be considered the ultimate virtue. 

Silence does not always need to be filled with mindless chatter. We’ve all spent time with those special people that seem incapable of shutting up. It is miserable to be around those people, and you dread seeing their name pop up on your caller ID. It is hard having constant, pointless noise surrounding you, and the chaos of noise can cause stress to accumulate faster than you ever thought possible. 

Try appreciating silence. Make it your goal this week to learn to value silence, and be grateful for every moment of peace and quiet that you experience. Create silence in your life. When you remove the pressure of feeling like you constantly have to fill every moment with conversation, you will literally feel a huge weight roll off of your shoulders.

I challenge you to start being more aware of what you say and the lies you tell, and to try and go as long as you can without filling the silence with mindless words or automatic “small talk”. Trust me, you will be amazed by what you discover about yourself when you actually pay attention to the things you do or do not say.

 

The Beauty of Nature

How did everybody do on their quest to appreciate the beauty of nature this past week (and a half)? If you didn’t do so well, or forgot about it, then go ahead and spend another week focusing on it. Spend as long as you need until it has become part of your daily life. These lessons are supposed to inspire you to actually create changes in yourself and in your world, but you need to be ready to take advantage of that and try your best.

Don’t be ashamed if you need to take longer working on some of the steps, there is no pressure or judgement in this cleanse.

I found this lesson to be very enjoyable. I make sure I run outside with my dog, Avery, every day. It’s good for both of us, and it helps me get out of the house and clear my head for a while. I have also been looking at the stars every night before bed, and I thank God for this beautiful world. I love the fact that I am becoming more aware of how the day actually feels. When I wake up in the morning, the air smells very fresh and soft, with a hint of damp humidity. At night, the air is crisp and heavy. I feel it when the sky is getting ready to storm; I smell the rain and can feel the air become thicker, more humid. It is amazing how synchronized you can be with the world around you, if you just ay attention to it.