Greetings from the frozen tundra!! Today, the high was a balmy 8. However, with the wind chill, it was like 10 below. Lovely. Yesterday we had about 7 inches of snow to boot. Normally I would be all out of sorts about it, but the weather folk had forecast anywhere from 7 to 10 inches in our area...so I'm good with the 7. It wasn't as cold yesterday, so Ben and I bundled up in our winter gear and headed outside for about 30 minutes or so......
It seemed like an occasion for the fur hat to come out. It is a rugged, manly contradiction to the more feminine, powder blue snowsuit.
Poor kid could barely walk because the snow came up to his knees in the back yard. I think he had fun though. At least, as much fun as one can have when they have snow in their gloves and can barely move :-)Switching gears. In keeping with the whole "beginning of a new year" hoopla, I figured I'd throw out a few fun, random suggestions you might want to give a whirl in 2011. You never know, one of these could change your life.....
READ THIS: I recently finished a book my mom gave me for Christmas. It is called The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven (title is self-explanatory). It is written by Kevin and Alex Malarkey. It is INCREDIBLE. Although I absolutely believe we go to either heaven or hell when we pass, I have always been skeptical of stories from people who said they died and came back. This story is, without a doubt, the real deal. There were parts of the book that completely overwhelmed me. It is just an amazing story that shows what an awesome God we serve!! Read it...you'll be glad you did.
DO THIS: Try a new form of exercise! Perhaps running!! Since I took up running a couple of years ago, I can't say enough about what it has done for me mentally and physically. It is almost like free therapy. Seriously. And anyone can do it....ANYONE!! (Unless you're injured or your doctor says don't do it, of course).
I know it is difficult to get started. When I first started, I thought I was going to die after the first couple of minutes. No joke. But I took baby steps to improve. First, a quarter mile without stopping, then a half mile and so on. Before I knew it, I was up to three miles and it just kept building from there. And the sense of accomplishment that comes with meeting each of those goals is thrilling. Also, if you're looking to lose a few lbs in the new year, there are few activities that burn more calories than running. Not to mention what it does for your health. So, give it a try. A real try. If you hate it, fine. But, you just may love it!!!
LISTEN TO THIS: At the start of the year, the Christian radio station I listen to threw out a challenge to only listen to Christian music for an entire month and see what it does for you. I started listening to Christian music about 3 years ago. Before that, I listened mostly to top 40 music and I had the (false) impression that Christian music was boring and dorky. Then, I found a contemporary Christian station I love (KLOVE) and now I listen to it every day. The positivity and hope that comes from the music and conversations on that station is such an important part of my daily life now. I can be having a horrible day and I will ALWAYS feel better after listening to it. I don't necessarily love every song they play, of course, and I still listen to top 40 every now and then. But if you're looking for an encouraging, clean, kid-friendly radio station, I would recommend giving Christian radio a try. If you want to go all out and give the "one month challenge" a try, by all means...do it! Here are some songs I LOVE....
RELAX WITH THIS: More often than not, I am a big, old, ball-o-stress. I think I was born stressed-out. It's something I've been trying to get a better handle on over the last few years because it has really started to affect my sleep. A few years ago, a doctor recommended progressive muscle relaxation as a way to lessen my stress and anxiety. She gave me a 30 minute CD that guides me through the process. Sweet mercy, that thing has been a life saver!! It basically works by guiding your body through a series of tightening and releasing the major muscle groups. The idea is that your body will become more aware of the difference between tension and relaxation so you can better recognize when your are becoming tense and can nip it in the bud before it gets out of control. I don't know about all that, but I do know that I feel like a wet noodle when I get done with it....and then I sleep like a baby. I'm sure there are many other CDs, books, etc. on this method. If you are a stress ball like I am, try it out!!
I could throw out some more brilliant "ideas", but this dissertation would then become a novel. So I won't. I just wanted to share some things that have had a positive impact on my life. Hopefully at least one of them will do the same for you :-)
Have a great evening!!
2 comments:
I love your random suggestions - I just might have to try some of them! Looks like Ben had fun in the snow! Also, your bbq is cracking me up for some reason.
The funny thing about that grill is that don't even use it. We have hauled it with us in our last 3 moves and never use it. Our "real" grill is stored in the garage. Funny.
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