Graduation, Career Paths, and God's Plan

So, we've got one more day of this squat challenge! I hope you've all challenged yourselves to stick it out and finish strong!! 

The last few weeks have been a roller coaster ride for me. I started my LAST class to complete my BS in Kinesiology, this past monday. All of the time and effort I have put in to it is almost done. I'm excited to meet this milestone and achieve this goal that I have had to graduate.With graduation fast approaching, I started applying for new jobs a few weeks ago. It's always a strange feeling when you're watching a new season of your life approach, it's exciting and nerve wrecking all at the same time and as I began to apply for new jobs in the "real world", I was facing all of these emotions. I found a posting for a particular position and began to do some research on the employer. It took almost no time for me to get excited and passionate about the position, the company, and the opportunity. So, on Sunday afternoon, I sent in my resume and application. And by friday I was offered employment with them. It was one intense week!

Through these weeks the Lord has been so incredibly faithful to me. As the craziness of this week unfolded...actually the craziness has been happening all summer and just sort of came to a high point through this week...I was confronted by every fear I have, every negative thought I think about myself, extreme emotions and nervousness. I was mentally and emotionally weary, but every time one of these fears or negative thoughts or nervous breakdowns began to approach, I was covered by a Peace that surpasses all understanding. It was in these moments that God quietly and tenderly whispered the truth of His love over me, and reminded me of who I am in Him and that He is more than enough for me. I began to realize that my life is in His hands, that He has good things for me, and that if He doesn't open the door for this job then that just means that He has better things in store for me. It was remembering this truth, that gave me the confidence to walk through each opportunity knowing the Lord had gone before me, and the victory belongs to Him and Him alone. 

Beautiful things happen when we say, "yes" to God and allow Him to lead and guid (okay, sometimes drag) us through difficult and scary situations. We begin to see His hand at work, we are able to see that He really does protect, provide, and pave the way to His plans for us that are prosperous, that give us a future and a hope (see Jeremiah 29:11 for the fullness of this promise). One verse in particular that the Lord showed me as I was spending some quiet time with Him this week, is Psalm 40:5 and it says, "May, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done and Your thoughts toward us, there is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count." This verse just solidified for me, the truth that God has a plan and a purpose for my life and with trust and faith and a willing heart to walk where He calls me, He will be faithful to complete that work and fulfill all of His promises. He is GOOD, He has good things for each of us, and wants to take us all on an incredible adventure of a life!

30 day fitness challenge

Hi friends! Yesterday we warmed up with a reminder as to why it is really important to take care of our bodies. Today, we put those words into action. I wanted to give you all something you could do anywhere, so we are starting our first challenge off with squats. I know...they're not my favorite either, but you don't need any gym equipment, you can do them anywhere and they are great exercise that helps strengthen your legs and core! 

Day 1 (that would be today, don't wait for monday to come!): 30 Squats

Day 2: 50 Squats 

Day 3: 75 Squats

Day 4: 60 Squats 

Day 5: Rest Day 

Day 6: 60 Squats

Day 7: 90 Squats

Day 8: 50 Squats

Day 9: 45 Squats

Day 10: Rest Day

Day 11: 120 Squats

Day 12: 40 Squats

Day 13: 75 Squats

Day 14: 125 Squats

Day 15: Rest Day (We are half way through this, keep going!) 

Day 16: 80 Squats

Day 17: 50 Squats

Day 18: 125 Squats

Day 19: 50 Squats

Day 20 Rest Day

Day 21: 145 Squats

Day 22: 80 Squats 

Day 23: 40 Squats

Day 24: 100 Squats

Day 25: Rest Day

Day 26: 75 Squats

Day 27: 50 Squats (3 Days left!!!)

Day 28: 150 Squats

Day 29: 95 Squats

Day 30: 175 Squats YOU MADE IT!

Okay so here we go, let's get to work! But just a few more things before we do; don't be discouraged if the going gets tough, remember this is a challenge. If you have to break the squats up into several sets, then do it, but the goal in all of this is to keep going. Also, check yourself, don't sell yourself short by deciding to break things up before you even try, push yourself, you will be surprised you are stronger than you think! Good luck, stick with it, I'll be challenging myself right along with you! 

Sincerely, 

    Kaity

Summer, sunshine, & something to think on

Time seriously flies! I cannot believe it's already been 2 months since I last blogged, my goal was to blog every week and I am kicking myself for not sticking to that, but life happens, and the good news is I am not quitting! So there, small victory :)

Summer is my favorite season and the official first day is saturday! Summer means a lot of happy things: watermelon, picnics, beach trips, warm weather, pool time, lake trips, bright colors, flip flops...oh I could go on for days! I love summer. But as summer comes there is this whole thing about getting ready for "swim suit season", and with that comes a lot of fears, anxieties and crazy diets. So I wanted to talk about fitness in this post but with a different spin on it then maybe we are used to. I'll try to keep things short, but I'm really passionate about this topic so if I get long winded, forgive me, and KEEP READING...I really want you all to get this :) 

I think it is SO important that we not only have knowledge of the fact that God has created us fearfully and wonderfully (hence the name of this blog), but that we also live that out! The Message version of the Bible puts it this way, "...I thank you, High God- you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration- what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; you know exactly how I was made, bit by bit..." did you catch all of that? Tell me that doesn't just make you stand still for a second, in total amazement that God has especially crafted Every. Single. One. Of us! I don't think we celebrate this enough. The fact that though we are humans, in desperate need of the rescue from a Savior, we are still the Lord's creation, we are wonderful simply and solely because we were crafted by the hands of the Perfect Artist, Himself. Oh my goodness!

    So this all may seem a little off-topic of the fitness post I promised, but I needed to give this background information in your minds before getting to the nitty gritty. In a world that is so image obsessed, it's easy to get caught up the in the craze of trying to keep up with the latest and greatest. We need the latest fashion trend, the latest shoe fad, the most expensive purse we can find, even the brand of makeup we use determines how good we are at keeping up with the Jones'. It can be completely exhausting with things coming in and going out in the blink of an eye, and then there are the body image trends....most recently "the thigh gap". To even think about it makes me furious. We treat our body's like they are a fashion trend when really they are created in the image of the Sovereign God (I'll remind you to read the paragraph above, again). And with the pressure to look like everyone else, we often find ourselves in the gym, on a diet, juicing, fasting, etc. We treat exercise and fitness like something we need because we aren't good enough. Ick. 

    Now don't get me wrong, I believe exercise and a healthy life-style are absolutely necessary, after all I did say this would be a fitness post; and I am not saying that I have not found myself in the trap of striving after what the media deems as 'good'. What I am saying is this, we have the wrong perspective, people. The most important part of fitness, is a healthy perspective on what Christ has given us, so before we can get physically strong, we must first strengthen ourselves spiritually.  Exercise shouldn't be something we participate in to change ourselves (sure there is always room to get a little healthier but thats another issue), it's not something we should get into with the attitude of "if I can just fix this then I'll fit in better." What exercise and healthy living should be, is an act of worship and thanksgiving to God. Thank Him for the body, soul, and mind He marvelously created for you to live in...you've only got one. Worship Him through your healthy eating habits and exercise knowing that you are using that one body to get strong in order that you might be able to accomplish the good work He has for you in the best way possible. 

So, consider this our pre-workout warm up...tomorrow I am coming at you with a 30-day fitness challenge! Keep an eye out, and get ready ;)

My Strong God

Hi friends! 
The last couple of weeks have been, to be completely honest, some of the most exhausting weeks I've had in a while. Sometimes, I like to think I am Superwoman, that I can take on everything that comes my way. I'm even so silly as to not just think it, but to actually try to do it. I have a lot to balance right now, and I won't ever settle for giving things less than everything I've got. There is some twisted part of me that gets some sort of thrill over stretching myself to thin, and this is a problem because I'm focused on my own strength to see me through.What my flesh really likes about trying to juggle 27 different things, is the false sense of control I feel when I get things done that seemed impossible. 

It seems that whenever I get in these situations of "puffed-upedness" (I do believe I just created a word) that God finds a way to so graciously humble me and remind me that I don't actually have it all together the way I think I do. Usually, that comes in the form of all 27 juggling balls falling to the ground at close to the same time. I'm sort of in that place right now. I'm tired, I'm worn out, and I'm realizing that I'm not going to make it through everything I need to on my own. 

So, I love this verse in Psalm 73, it's in verse 26 that the author says, "my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." We are not strong enough to fight the battle, to defeat the enemy, to win the day. Our flesh will fail, our weak hearts will give out unless we go to the One, the Source, of all strength and ask Him to not only fill us, but also to take back control over the things we are holding on to.

I know that I am not alone in this, I'm sure we can all look back and find a place in life where we have all seen our flesh and heart fail. Let's face the facts, none of us will ever be Superwoman. Remember, the Lord is strong, He is in control, He is here to hold you up and pull you through...forever. It's exhausting to try to hold things together that don't even truly and fully belong to us, and I don't know about the rest of you but I am ready to lay all of my stuff down, to put it all in the hands of my strong God!

Sincerely, 
          Kaity

A Still Small Voice

              Remember the life of Elijah, the prophet written about in the Old Testament? In 1 Kings 19:11-12 the Lord is really wanting to get a hold of Elijah's heart, to speak to him about some important stuff. God calls him away, up to a mountain to get him alone, because there the Lord is going to speak with him. "Then He said, 'Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.' And behold, the Lord passed by and a great strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice." 
                I really like this set of verses because it shows us some very important things..

1.) God desires alone time with us
     - Yep. You read that right. The God of the universe DESIRES to spend time with us, in communion and fellowship, alone with our hearts.It is in our selfishness and busyness that we reject Him of this time. Oh, how foolish we can be.

2.) Sometimes, God just wants to speak tenderly
    - Sure, there are times when God will and does speak through the strong winds and earthquakes of our lives, we expect Him to speak then. But often God wants to speak to us tenderly. In His still small voice that whispers to the corners of hearts and says, "I see you, I love you, and this is what we are going to do next". But too many times, the chaos we call daily life gets too loud for us to listen in for that gentle voice of love, and we don't take the time to get quiet before God to find it.

3.) When life gives you quiet minutes...GRAB THEM
     - Don't jump on Facebook for the 30th time today, or check your Instagram feed to see what your BFF is having for lunch, take that time and sit at the feet of Jesus. Maybe it's just one minute in between classes, or maybe it's an hour you've found on your lunch break...read a verse, a Psalm, send a prayer of praise to the Lord, thank Him for the day He has given you, or sit alone and do nothing...but whatever the time, however you chose to use it, practice quieting your heart before the Lord. You'll be amazed how much it will refresh you to reflect on the good gifts He has given you for one minute, or to remember who God is in your life, or even to sit quietly and listen to Him speak words of love into your heart. 

I hope that this weekend you make time to get alone and to get quiet, to listen for the still small voice of God in your heart. Remember, He desires time with you, He wants to be able to shower you with His love, to pour out His grace, to refresh your heart and guide your steps...give Him time to do just that! 

Sincerely, 
Kaity

Sundays in the Kitchen

I used to look at people who do food prep and think 'why would you want to spend the last day of your weekend cooking all afternoon?!' Well let me tell you people, food prep is the most underrated thing. It's wonderful, it saves me so much time during the week, and I am able to eat healthy meals! 
Here are my steps and tips to successful food prep:

1.) Have a Plan- my sister and I go through and pick some recipes we are going to make for the week. Usually they are dinner type meals that can make several servings and are easy to reheat. Make a list of the ingredients you will need for each recipe, along with your other usual grocery store grabs

2.) Time to shop- I love grocery shopping. Whole Foods has become my favorite Sunday hangout, I could walk the isles for a good couple of hours. But anyway, get what you need and don't forget your list! 

3.) Head to the Kitchen- once your shopping is done its time to cook! I like to start by preparing the big meals first. Last week we made a slow cooker stew and a slow cooker chicken recipe (links to both below). I also like to put a couple of salads together that are easy to grab for lunch, cook up some rice and quinoa (you can make these side dishes for just about anything), and cut up some fruits and veggies for snacks (I eat more of them if I can just grab and go!). 

4.) Ease Yourself Into it- if you are anything like me, then the kitchen can be a little bit intimidating. Don't worry about having every single meal for the week prepped, it can get overwhelming, and you can end up with more food than you can really eat. So start by trying to prep one or two meals. Maybe cook up some chicken for a lunch and dinner, or throw together some salad for the week.  Prep to the extent that works best for you and your schedule.

5.) Get creative and try new things- because we prep for the whole week, we eat a lot of the same meals. so for my sister and I, we try to find new recipes and flavors each week. Have fun in the kitchen and experiment.

Last week we tried three all new recipes we ended up loving them all! here are the links to each of the recipes. They are easy to make and may be a good starting point for you:

• Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken: http://www.emilylovesfood.com/2012/11/20/slow-cooker-sesame-chicken/
• Quinoa Egg Bake: http://www.fitsugar.com/Healthy-Quinoa-Egg-Bake-Recipe-26947762
• New Mexican Stew: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-mexican-stew.html

I hope you enjoy! 
Sincerely, 
Kaity

T.G.I.F.

I don't know about you all, but this week I am especially thankful that it is FINALLY FRIDAY!!!! It's the second week of another spring semester for me and it seems that life gets real right around this time, and you find out what the professors and classes are really going to be like. I had a lot of hours at work to balance in between running to classes this week too, I just felt like I was playing catch-up from the beginning of monday morning on through today. It's weeks like this when it's easy to get overwhelmed and break-down (I'm not going to lie....I had my moment), but it's also in weeks like this that you set the tone for future weeks to come. Will you take the easy way out and decide to quit while you're behind, or will you dig deep and fight to catch back up in the race? This morning, the Lord reminded me of the faithful God that He is by putting this verse in my mind:  "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 4:8-9. We all will walk through tough stuff, we all will face various trials, God will require challenging things that will stretch us, but He will never push us past our breaking points. He is faithful to carry us through. 
And that friends, is a wonderful thing to be reminded of as I round out one crazy week! 
I hope you all have a great weekend and get plenty of R&R...and don't forget to cheer the Bronco's onto a Superbowl victory on Sunday!!! :) 

Sincerely,

Kaity


" I trust that since He was faithful in my past, He will be the same faithful God in my future." -Candace Cameron Bure