Dance in the Rain, Dance in the Storm

by Ellie on May 31, 2012 · 0 comments

in Inspiration

Let’s face it.

Life is hard.

Our identity as an individual is in constant strife–battling against the principalities of this world, and to top it off there is never-ending input from secular media, social surroundings, and false ideals that have been etched within the advanced first world society that we live in.

[Source]

Is this introduction too raw in your opinion?

I think so too!  But as I type this out, these are the very emotions and words that come to mind.  Lately, I’ve been in deep reflection (when am I not?) of where I am in life and who I truly am.  As I take my thoughts and questions to God in prayer, I constantly find myself concluding that no matter what I do or don’t do isn’t all that important.

That last statement doesn’t really make sense, I know.  But let me clarify what I mean by it.

You see, there have been quite a few transitions in my life as of late! (And they’re all good ones) I can honestly say that I am infinitely grateful for those blessings in my life, but the fact of the matter is that my humanity can sometimes get the best of me.  There are times when I need the constant reminder that this life isn’t about me or how I perform, and that there is more out there.  More amazing surprises that God has planned out for me.  I know that the more I grow in spiritual maturity, the more I will be available to hearing His voice as well as be an empty vessel for Him and for others.

My prayer and goal in this life [and particularly this week] is that I will be completely emptied of my own selfish thoughts and desires.  Oftentimes that sneaky little voice will whisper to me that I’m not beautiful enough, or smart enough to carry out the things that God has in store for me.  However, the one thing that has been getting in the way of His plans is me, myself, and I.

I (WE) NEED TO CAST ALL NEGATIVE THOUGHTS OUT OF OUR LIVES!

I’m not talking about just “positive thinking”  type of practice.  I’m talking about casting those things out in Jesus’ name!  Because His name holds power, and His name is LOVE itself. One verse that comes to mind is…

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out all fear…” ~1 John 4:18~ 

And God is love.

I need to meditate on this verse whenever fear of the unknown creeps up into my thoughts.  I need to “take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Obviously, not every one of us will agree on this whole subject simply because of the fact that our beliefs and world views may be different.  Nevertheless, I challenge myself and you to call out to God in desperation whenever we’re hit with a force [negativity, fears, etc.] that’s “greater” than us because frankly, this has been my lifeline!  :)

By the way, if taking that first step to crying out to God is scary, then this might encourage you a bit:

I’m not trying to coerce my faith unto any of you because that’s not going to do any good; my hope is that you will give your struggles to God and know the same freedom that I have when I trust in Him.  Now, when I trust my own wisdom, then I get in trouble.  Heh…but that’s another story. ;)

He doesn’t promise us a problem-less life on earth, but He does promise us peace and stillness in the midst of the storm.

These very things I “preach” to myself as well because time and again I find that I lack in faith, even more than I thought I did.  And I believe that’s the first step to discovering one’s true identity.  Knowing that we fall short of perfection, and that we need Him to show us not who we are, but whose we are.

Really, it’s not about how much we accomplish or what we make of ourselves, but it’s simply about being still before Him and know that He is God.

Faith and trust in the Lord have been my anchor as of late–as it always should be.  Trusting Him that I am His daughter and that I am worthy of His calling has been a challenge as I adjust to this new chapter in my life, but I know that He gives me joy, peace, and strength to take on anything that comes my way.

I apologize if this sounds like a vent session!  I guess it kind of is, but I’m typing it out to process all my thoughts, all whilst hoping that somebody out there will be encouraged.  :D

Know that you are precious, beautiful, and worthy of God’s love!  Have faith that He has a plan for you, and that He truly works out everything for the good of those who love Him.  Please remember these promises, because I sure need to remember them and live by them as much as I can!

 

How have YOU been doing lately?  I sincerely want to know! 

Are you facing obstacles in your life?  If so, have you been dealing with them?

Have a beautiful day and thanks for reading!

Love,

Ellie <33

{ 0 comments }

Semi-Healthy Living Counts Too

by Ellie on May 28, 2012 · 14 comments

in Exercise Tips, Fitness, Health

Hola dear friends!  First of all, I want to wish you a great Memorial Day and let’s tip our hats off to the brave men and women serving our country–those of the past and present. Thank you tons!

Summing Up My Fitness Routines

If you’ve been reading my blog for some time now, then you’re probably familiar with some of my fitness routines and the ways that I choose to stay healthy.  Yes, I say choose because it’s not a matter of being genetically athletic or even having a certain build, but it’s a matter of making the everyday decision to wear those running shoes and hit the pavement.

I realized the other day that I tend to share with you some workouts here and there as well as my thoughts on fitness DVDs, but without taking into consideration that it’s kind of all over the place!  Many of you blame your overly organized ways on your type-A personalities.  I blame my scatter brained type-AB personality for my lack of organizing skills.  Heh. (Well, we’re actually supposed to be more like genius or psychos.  You choose.) :)

So here’s a compilation of what I’ve been doing lately, if you’re interested.

Obviously, I don’t perform these routines all within the same day!  I normally go with the flow while having a loose fitness plan on my mind throughout the week.  Typically I like to work out 5 times a week or as time allows.  If on a given day I feel like my muscles are extremely tight and need to be “elongated”, then my go-to routines would be either Leah’s Ballet Downloads or some kind of yoga stretching.  And vice versa.  Whenever I know that my cardiovascular system needs a kick in the derriere, I run on the treadmill or perform body weight circuits.

One thing I would like to remind you of, however, is that in order to live an active lifestyle one doesn’t need to go berserk with a 1-hour sweat session every single day!

No sirree, it can be something as simple as jogging for a good 15 minutes or even cranking out some burpees and squats for a duration of 10 minutes.  I really loved these Front Deck Workout tips from Talia because not only are they genius and practical, but they’re a great reminder that as long as we put our muscle [and mind] into whatever we’re doing, we’re still leading a healthy lifestyle.

Although my knowledge on fitness is limited as I’ve never ever taken a course on it, I do know the importance of changing it up as often as we can from personal experience.

So get out there and have fun!

Find what you like to do and what kind of routines best suit your personality and weekly schedule.  I know that in the blog world it’s so easy to fall into the “must try this workout because he/she does it” mindset, but the important thing is to keep moving and finding the things you enjoy in fitness.  For example, just because I L.O.V.E. Insanity it doesn’t mean that you will too.

Throughout most of my life I liked the idea of being active (and even athletic), but I just didn’t have the motivation to do anything about it!  Partly because I didn’t know how.

Nowadays there are many great resources and people with so much knowledge that there is no reason to not challenge your body.  :D   Even if you start taking baby steps to partaking in a healthy lifestyle, the important thing is that you’re doing something about it and it can only get better from here on out (with a few ups and downs).

Speaking of semi-healthy…

These semi-healthy banana nut muffins are so tasty!  I ended up making a batch for Greg and a men’s group he facilitated the other day.  I wasn’t sure what their reactions would be since I’m so critical of my own recipes!  And with good reason–because sometimes they’re just no bueno.

But you know what?  They loved it.  ;)   Despite the fact that there are onemillionbajillionzillion banana muffin recipes out there already, I will make sure to post it up soon!

PS:  Do you notice something different on my blog?!  It it’s not obvious then I don’t know what to tell ya. Haha!  The layout and template is completely different.  However, it’s kind of crazy looking and messy because I’m still getting to know how to work DIY Themes.  Oy, my lack of computer skills just kills me.  “You’re killing me Smalls!”

In what ways do you choose to stay active?

If you’re wanting to be active but aren’t, what’s holding you back?

This week I will try to ________.

-Be outdoors more often!

Love,

Ellie <33

{ 14 comments }

Green Onion and Spinach Quiche for One

May 22, 2012

Hi guys!  It’s so nice to hear [and read] that so many of you are fond of fish and you’re not leaving me alone in this lonely fish-hating world (exaggeration much? ), and if you haven’t cooked tuna steak before, I highly suggest that you give it a go because it’s so simple that it [...]

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Cajun Spice Tuna Steak Recipe [A Trio of Dishes]

May 17, 2012

Hi everyone!  Boy do I have a delicious and long post for you. I find that oftentimes I squeeze together a bunch of recipes all within one single post because it can sometimes get overwhelming to post all of the successful ones. There have been plenty of undocumented recipes that I’ve been making in the [...]

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My Fitness Addition and a Day in Manhattan

May 15, 2012

Hello everyone!  I have to say that you guys are pretty awesome.  You know…like, for not judging me despite my bad choices and putting the rest of the world in danger? Mondays are most of the time always Greg’s days off and we haven’t had the chance to go on a date for quite some [...]

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Strawberry Season is Here!

May 11, 2012

Hello dear friends!~I hope you’ve been holding up nicely this week. I certainly have…not!  Well kinda. Let me share a little somethin’ somethin’ with you.  God totally spared my life yesterday! Let’s backtrack to Wednesday night.  I basically stayed up all night from 10 pm until 12 pm the next day with my eyes glued [...]

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Mountain 14 Workout and WIAW

May 9, 2012

Lately it’s been quite busy with volunteering and spending time with Greg’s parents.  As you may already know, they live in Kansas and come down whenever they get the chance. Last weekend was Greg’s pastoral ordination (hallelujah! ) and they made sure to fly over to Cali to celebrate this special time with us. Greg [...]

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Our Wedding Pictures Have Arrived!

May 3, 2012

Hello!  Here are my wedding pictures.  Finally!    I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.  Disclaimer:  This post contains pictures galore. The favor boxes contained bite-sized homemade shortbread and chocolate chip cookies and tea bags! I decided to alternate each table with these centerpieces.  Some had this wood slab with a mason [...]

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