I received a wonderful call from my friend Emily last night. It's been a very long time since we talked and it was so nice to talk to her. She was checking in and mentioned she was enjoying the top 40 things to make 2009 better. I promised her last night that I would get back to the computer and start typing.
Here are five more things to consider...
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
I had to smile when I saw number 21.
This morning Emma and I were getting ready for church. Jake's throwing up and has a fever and Bill is staying home with him because I teach Sunday school. Believe me, he is better with throw up than he would be with seven four year olds.
Anyway, every day I would love to see Emma's beautiful long hair pulled back (out of her face) but on Sunday's I expect it. We were on a roll, weeks have gone by and I haven't even had to ask. Then came this morning...she did not want to pull her hair back. I wasn't going to give in.
I gave in. She got in the car with her hair hanging in her face and I grumbled quietly to myself..."is it really worth it...should something so unimportant be so important to me, should I really have small tears of frustration on a Sunday morning?" Then I prayed that God would always give me the strength and patience to be a good mom. I asked him to guide my way and more importantly to be with Emma guiding her.
Shortly after getting in the car I had the pleasure of asking Emma what her memory work for Sunday School was. Lucky me, it was Colossians 3:20 "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord"
No words were exchanged on that silent ride to church. When I parked the car and opened the door for her, there was a beautiful braid holding her hair away from her face. It's hard to explain how important that moment was for me.
Now, back to my call from Emily. I don't know about you but I think of my friends alot. I wonder how they are doing. I spend time feeling terrible that I missed their birthday or that I have allowed so much time to pass without calling or writing. Instead of using that to propel myself forward and make the call or write the note, I allow myself to get busy with the everyday things and then again, another day passes and I have not connected.
Another friend of mine mentioned that during the season of Lent she doesn't give something up, but instead choses to give. She made a commitment to write a note to at least one person she has been meaning to get in touch with every week during lent. I imagine that the people Beth gets in touch with this Lenten season will feel like I did yesterday when Emily called. It really meant a lot.
I need to sign off now and get some things done around the house, and write a note to a friend I have been meaning to get in touch with.
Thank you for checking in.
Kris B
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Here come 10
Poo...I missed a week. I don't know where last week went but here are the five things I missed sharing with you last week plus five from this week. For those of you who need to catch up, I am sharing a message I received from my sister regarding 40 tips for a better 2009.
Here are items 10-20.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon,
broccoli, almonds, & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk, and let new and
flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, or issues of the past, negative thoughts, or things you cannot control. Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons
you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a college kid
with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
A few things about my health. I am stable. The labs haven't changed enough to require any changes in medication. I am still coming along fine without taking any steroid medication. My doctor is comfortable with labs every 6 weeks instead of every 4 and she is scheduling me now to see her every three months instead of every two months.
This can be viewed two ways:
1) This is as good as it gets
2) This is good
Personally, I am going to chose number 2 however, that is sometimes a challenge. What is most difficult right now is the fatigue that greets me at the end of nearly every day. I move fairly well at work and even do OK now in the afternoon, but once late afternoon hits it takes quite a bit to keep me going. More often than not when Jake and Emma say their "good nights" I am saying mine too. This makes me sad mostly because I miss Bill and our time to talk and plan and dream together.
Bill's fine with this and we do have our days/evenings together. They are just fewer and possibly more cherished.
Here are items 10-20.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon,
broccoli, almonds, & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk, and let new and
flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, or issues of the past, negative thoughts, or things you cannot control. Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons
you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a college kid
with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
A few things about my health. I am stable. The labs haven't changed enough to require any changes in medication. I am still coming along fine without taking any steroid medication. My doctor is comfortable with labs every 6 weeks instead of every 4 and she is scheduling me now to see her every three months instead of every two months.
This can be viewed two ways:
1) This is as good as it gets
2) This is good
Personally, I am going to chose number 2 however, that is sometimes a challenge. What is most difficult right now is the fatigue that greets me at the end of nearly every day. I move fairly well at work and even do OK now in the afternoon, but once late afternoon hits it takes quite a bit to keep me going. More often than not when Jake and Emma say their "good nights" I am saying mine too. This makes me sad mostly because I miss Bill and our time to talk and plan and dream together.
Bill's fine with this and we do have our days/evenings together. They are just fewer and possibly more cherished.
Monday, February 2, 2009
The next five...
Here are five more ways to make 2009 one of the best years
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2008.
7. Make time to practice meditation and/or prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured IN plants.
Consider these things.
I will write more later this week.
klb
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2008.
7. Make time to practice meditation and/or prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured IN plants.
Consider these things.
I will write more later this week.
klb
Monday, January 26, 2009
5 of 40
I received a wonderful email from my sister recently.
It was titled "40 tips to a better life in 2009" I'm turning 40 in 2009 and I made a resolution to chose healthy living. This is certainly a wonderful guide for me to have.
Here are the first 5. I'd like to know you are coming back to see all 40 so I will do my best to post five every week for the next 8 weeks. This makes it easier to consider and implement if you are interested.
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile.
It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement,
'My purpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
I'll be back soon. I need to use writing to figure out why I chose to try the coffee cake at work this morning, which was followed then by the two remaining Christmas cookies that I uncovered in the pantry, followed by a few shortbread cookies. The final sleeve was opened tonight and they didn't get put back into the freezer so I ate them. Now they are gone. No more temptation.
OK, I guess I am just going to keep on writing.
I have an addiction to sugar. The dessert kind... though it may also be the reason that one glass of wine isn't always enough. I know this yet I still made that stupid choice this morning to feed the temptation with homemade blueberry coffee cake.
I walked by it.
I resisted.
I went back to my desk and announced that it would be a hard thing to avoid and one coworker said "it's fantastic, I couldn't resist it." Another coworker said, "oh, I had to try it too but I only took a one inch square".
A one inch square, now there's an idea. There's a dumb idea for someone who knows how hard it is to stop once I have started. The one inch square was not enough. I went back three times for one inch squares.
Writing is a very strengthening exercise. By writing it down I am getting smarter as to how I will handle that challenge tomorrow, or maybe even later tonight. Write first, wait it out...and then decide if it's really the choice I want to make.
Thanks for checking in on my journey.
Kris B
It was titled "40 tips to a better life in 2009" I'm turning 40 in 2009 and I made a resolution to chose healthy living. This is certainly a wonderful guide for me to have.
Here are the first 5. I'd like to know you are coming back to see all 40 so I will do my best to post five every week for the next 8 weeks. This makes it easier to consider and implement if you are interested.
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile.
It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement,
'My purpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
I'll be back soon. I need to use writing to figure out why I chose to try the coffee cake at work this morning, which was followed then by the two remaining Christmas cookies that I uncovered in the pantry, followed by a few shortbread cookies. The final sleeve was opened tonight and they didn't get put back into the freezer so I ate them. Now they are gone. No more temptation.
OK, I guess I am just going to keep on writing.
I have an addiction to sugar. The dessert kind... though it may also be the reason that one glass of wine isn't always enough. I know this yet I still made that stupid choice this morning to feed the temptation with homemade blueberry coffee cake.
I walked by it.
I resisted.
I went back to my desk and announced that it would be a hard thing to avoid and one coworker said "it's fantastic, I couldn't resist it." Another coworker said, "oh, I had to try it too but I only took a one inch square".
A one inch square, now there's an idea. There's a dumb idea for someone who knows how hard it is to stop once I have started. The one inch square was not enough. I went back three times for one inch squares.
Writing is a very strengthening exercise. By writing it down I am getting smarter as to how I will handle that challenge tomorrow, or maybe even later tonight. Write first, wait it out...and then decide if it's really the choice I want to make.
Thanks for checking in on my journey.
Kris B
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Two in one day?
Well, I know I miss writing and the fact that I am posting twice in one day is proof of that.
What else have I learned?
I learned that you can buy semi-sweet chocolate chips that are sweetened with grain instead of sugar. They are better than the ones we grew up with and for someone like me who has a sugar addiction, easier to keep under control.
I learned that if I start my day off with two large glasses of water, my body wants to drink more water all day long and eat less. This doesn't work if I eat first and drink the water second. I don't know why, but it's something new that I have learned by listening to my body and understanding how it reacts and response to what gets put inside.
Oh, the coolest thing....I learned that in the middle of a cold Wisconsin winter that there are WARM SALAD recipes to enjoy. This week I have had a new one every day of the week. No more regular old iceberg lettuce in our house. Yesterday it was spinach, today it was a rainbow chard, the other day bok choy...with some yummy roasted vegetables or nuts....it's a wonderful dinner on a freezing cold night. Added bonus is the yummy dressings that are homemade and EASY. If you come to the Barger house, you can count on a salad being on the menu. Not too worry about my family, they are still eating too. Bill is still the wonderful cook he has always been.
That's all for now.
Believing,
Kris
What else have I learned?
I learned that you can buy semi-sweet chocolate chips that are sweetened with grain instead of sugar. They are better than the ones we grew up with and for someone like me who has a sugar addiction, easier to keep under control.
I learned that if I start my day off with two large glasses of water, my body wants to drink more water all day long and eat less. This doesn't work if I eat first and drink the water second. I don't know why, but it's something new that I have learned by listening to my body and understanding how it reacts and response to what gets put inside.
Oh, the coolest thing....I learned that in the middle of a cold Wisconsin winter that there are WARM SALAD recipes to enjoy. This week I have had a new one every day of the week. No more regular old iceberg lettuce in our house. Yesterday it was spinach, today it was a rainbow chard, the other day bok choy...with some yummy roasted vegetables or nuts....it's a wonderful dinner on a freezing cold night. Added bonus is the yummy dressings that are homemade and EASY. If you come to the Barger house, you can count on a salad being on the menu. Not too worry about my family, they are still eating too. Bill is still the wonderful cook he has always been.
That's all for now.
Believing,
Kris
Still Believing...
Hello,
It's been a couple weeks and I have learned a couple of new things. Last week I worked 4 six hour days instead of 5 five hour days. I learned that consecutive six hour days is still too much. The first two days I was fine, the third day I felt myself wearing down, the fourth day...needless to say, it took me about four days to recover.
What does that mean?
I was able to do enough to get by and very little extra. On Tuesday, I had to stay home from work and rest.
I also learned that it really makes a difference what I put into my body. I haven't been consuming any artificial sweetners and very little caffenine for quite some time however, the other night I broke down and had a few CC and diet cokes with my husband. Now, it could have been the whiskey but I definitely believe the diet coke had something to do with how awful I felt for days to follow. I don't want to put anything in my body that is going to make me feel like crap and if I do, I have now learned moderation. Believe me, it will never be easy, I will always be practicing, but I know now something about how the amazing body works and what it needs and to be more kind to it.
Well....I have to buzz and get Jake from an after school program.
I will write again, sooner rather than later as there are more things that I have learned that I am looking forward to sharing with you.
Still Believing,
Kris B
It's been a couple weeks and I have learned a couple of new things. Last week I worked 4 six hour days instead of 5 five hour days. I learned that consecutive six hour days is still too much. The first two days I was fine, the third day I felt myself wearing down, the fourth day...needless to say, it took me about four days to recover.
What does that mean?
I was able to do enough to get by and very little extra. On Tuesday, I had to stay home from work and rest.
I also learned that it really makes a difference what I put into my body. I haven't been consuming any artificial sweetners and very little caffenine for quite some time however, the other night I broke down and had a few CC and diet cokes with my husband. Now, it could have been the whiskey but I definitely believe the diet coke had something to do with how awful I felt for days to follow. I don't want to put anything in my body that is going to make me feel like crap and if I do, I have now learned moderation. Believe me, it will never be easy, I will always be practicing, but I know now something about how the amazing body works and what it needs and to be more kind to it.
Well....I have to buzz and get Jake from an after school program.
I will write again, sooner rather than later as there are more things that I have learned that I am looking forward to sharing with you.
Still Believing,
Kris B
Saturday, January 10, 2009
A new year
We are ten days into the new year and ever since we rang in 2009 I have been thinking about catching up with you. Ever year for the past four or five years I have always spent considerable amount of time writing out my goals for the year ahead. I need a plan. I need goals.
This year however, I did not write out my goals. I simply made a statement to live by.
"I will chose to live a healthy life."
The greatest example so far are the wonderful walks I have been taking since we welcomed "Star" into our family on the Saturday following Christmas. She was a gift to Emma and Jake from Bill and I, however, we have all come to love her for very different reasons. I love my new walking partner. Who would of thought a K9 companion could be an exercise accountability partner?
This week, it was my fortunate luck to be watching Oprah when she talked about her struggles with weight. One particular statement she made was so powerful and personal for me....she said that she needs to love the body that she is in. She needs to remember that the body she currently has is the same body that continues to have a heart that beats and lungs that breathe and God's blessing her with these working organs and another day. All of this regardless of how she treats it. Regardless of the medications, regardless of what food she choses, regardless....her heart still beats, her lungs still breathe, now why in the world would anyone chose to give anything less to than the best to this amazing and loving body.
All of a sudden, "chosing to be healthy" just got a little easier.
Well, Star is seeking my attention so off I go...more on chosing to be healthy to follow in the days and weeks to come.
klb
This year however, I did not write out my goals. I simply made a statement to live by.
"I will chose to live a healthy life."
The greatest example so far are the wonderful walks I have been taking since we welcomed "Star" into our family on the Saturday following Christmas. She was a gift to Emma and Jake from Bill and I, however, we have all come to love her for very different reasons. I love my new walking partner. Who would of thought a K9 companion could be an exercise accountability partner?
This week, it was my fortunate luck to be watching Oprah when she talked about her struggles with weight. One particular statement she made was so powerful and personal for me....she said that she needs to love the body that she is in. She needs to remember that the body she currently has is the same body that continues to have a heart that beats and lungs that breathe and God's blessing her with these working organs and another day. All of this regardless of how she treats it. Regardless of the medications, regardless of what food she choses, regardless....her heart still beats, her lungs still breathe, now why in the world would anyone chose to give anything less to than the best to this amazing and loving body.
All of a sudden, "chosing to be healthy" just got a little easier.
Well, Star is seeking my attention so off I go...more on chosing to be healthy to follow in the days and weeks to come.
klb
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)