Whirlwind Week and a Half

So I guess I have been busy lately! Between getting over that bad sinus cold last week, working extra hours, and having fun after work, I wore myself out quite a bit. On Friday Jan. 27, I went swing dancing with my cousin and a guy friend. It was fun & the band was great that night. The next night on Saturday Jan. 28, I went with some friends to a Christian rock concert downtown called The Rock and Worship Roadshow. It featured Christian artists such as MercyMe, Tenth Avenue North, Hawk Nelson, and Lecrae. It was a great show and very encouraging.

On Sunday Jan. 29, I went to a funeral for my co-worker's mom. From family photos and the expressions on many of the faces I saw there I could tell that she had led a good life and was now at peace in heaven. She had been a wife, a mother, traveled the world, and led the occasional worship hymn at her church service. I hope to leave a legacy behind that encourages future generations to serve God and others through Christ's awesome love.

On Monday Jan. 30, the weather in Indiana was unseasonably warm and it was sunny. So I went for a walk and jog around my neighborhood for 1.3 miles in 22 minutes. Then when I got home I danced to some music for 8 minutes. So it added up to about a 30 minute workout total and I burned about 154 calories when I worked out outside. So that was good. On Wednsday Feb. 1, I went to my women's writer group. We discussed stories we are working on and how to use online resources such as blogs, ebooks, and youtube channels to get our writing out there for the world to see.

On Thursday Feb. 2, I went to my Bible study where we are reading the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. It's about how we should be showing Christ's love in radical ways and not let fear or other distractions hold us back from sharing God's love with others. On Friday Feb. 3 I went downtown with a friend to explore Super Bowl Village and to attempt to see a free concert. It was fun to see some the sights but the huge crowds made me feel slightly claustrophobic. I was able to see LMFAO perform and I had fun taking pictures on Monument Circle and around downtown. I walked around downtown for a few hours and got some good exercise in return.

On Sunday Feb. 5, I went to a friend of my aunt's house and watched the Super Bowl with some of my family members and their friends. We ate all kinds of snacks and I can honestly say that I severely fell off of my healthy diet during the first week of February. I ate all kinds of goodies that I should not have, but I hope to get back on the healthy diet soon or at least stick to it better and only splurge a little here and there. While at the party I talked to a guy who said he likes to go salsa dancing at the Jazz Kitchen in Broad Ripple on the nights they have it. So I hope to go salsa and swing dancing again in the near future.

Well I think that catches you all up to what I've been doing in my life lately and why I haven't gotten on here sooner. In my free time God has been teaching me a lot about faith and what it means to trust and believe that God will do what He says can do. My lack of faith in Him and my pride often tends to get in the way of what He is trying or wants to do in my life. I hope and pray that He continues to remove my pride and strengthen my faith so that He can do the work in me and through me to accomplish His will in my life.

Until next time, keep on dancing!

A New Year, A New You...

So far in this new year things are going well. I'm reading a few books to keep me encouraged and positive. I'm following a new, healthy diet, readjusting my priorities and pursuits in life, and seeking God's guidance through it all because without Him I am a helpless mess lol. Some of the books I'm reading include: the Bible, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God, and The Myth of Happiness: Discovering a Joy You Never Thought Possible. All of these books are proving to be very helpful to me.

The first book I am reading is the Bible. I am attempting to read the Bible in one year which I thought sounded quite overwhelming at first. However, now that I have started reading a few chapters a day I find it quite enjoyable and I look forward it each day. The second book I am reading is Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan. This book has really helped me so far and I have a hard time putting it down! The third book I am reading is The Myth of Happiness: Discovering a Joy You Never Thought Possible by Rich Wagner. This book is teaching me a lot about the idea contentment and joy vs. the idea of pursing happiness.

I would highly recommend any of these books, especially the Bible. My attitudes and outlook have been changing for the better since I started reading these books and I hope it continues throughout the year. Please let me know how your new year is going. If you decide to read any of these books please tell me about it. I hope that with God's help, reading these books changes you for the better as well.