Reduce Your Use Challenge

Earth Day is about two weeks away.  In the last few months, I have been working on reducing my use of plastic.  I wish I can say that I have reduced my use by a considerable amount.  I have been phasing out the plastic food containers in my home.  I have been using glass containers, mason jars, and metal containers.  We do use reusable water bottles instead of purchasing water bottles.  Unfortunately, I am still guilty of using plastic sandwich bags, not bringing my reusable shopping bags when I go shopping, and not bringing my many reusable travel mugs when I buy coffee.

We can turn a blind eye to this plastic problem, or we can face some of the facts (1):
     - at least 8 million tons of plastic enter the oceans yearly,
     - there is more mincroplastic in the ocean than there are stars in the Milky Way,
     - more than 60% of marine litter is plastic based,
     - the average U.S. citizen consumes 167 plastic water bottles each year, and only recycle 25% of
     them.

It doesn’t stop there.  Most of our clothing are made with synthetic fibers which are made with plastic. And these fibers go into the ocean when we wash our clothes.

Plastic doesn't just impact our environment.  Plastic is also toxic to our health.  There have been links to plastic and many health issues such as cancer, birth defects, encodrine disruption, and so much more.  These fibers that go into the ocean are eaten by the fish which we consume.  Plastic has contaminated not just the oceans but has crept into other food sources. I urge you not to take my word for it and do your research.

Plastic is so convenient, but I think it is time that we think about whether or not the environmental and health effects are worth the convenience.  We are called to be good stewards- of the world around us as well as our own health.  When God created the earth, it was good.  Yes, we live in a fallen and broken world and we cannot completely be free from the use of plastic but each of us can do our part and be responsible for the "Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of the Earth," (Genesis 1:26, MSG).


In the next two weeks, I am working on reducing my use of plastic even more by using reusable sandwich/ storage bags, my reusable shopping bags, and using my reusable travel mugs when I get coffee outside of my home.

Here are some ways I will be reducing my use of plastic.  A HUGE shout out to my friend, Christa, for her recommendations (the straws, bamboo toothbrushes, water bottle).

1- Reusable coffee mug.  Even paper cups are lined with plastic.  Stay away from plastic tumblers and instead go for glass or stainless steel tumblers (not aluminum).  This is my favorite travel mug which was given to me by my Secret Santa this year.

2- Reusable water bottle.  I love my 32 ounce Klean Kanteen, 24 ounce MyBevi water bottle, and my 17 ounce S'well yoga bottle.  These are all insulated stainless steel bottles and keep my water cold all day long.  Although I have links to these for Amazon, I suggest that you check out the clearance section at Target.  I paid about $7 for my MyBevi.  I also paid under $5 for son's MyBevi.    S'well bottles are pretty pricey.  I found mine at Target's clearance section for under $10.

Christa loves her Life Factory water bottles.  I had one of them but lost it somewhere.  My boys can't bring glass to school and this is why I opted for the stainless steel bottles.

3- Store food in glass or stainless steel containers and mason jars.  You can get these from Amazon, Target, Walmart. I love these because they are sturdier than their plastic counterparts.  I purchased these stainless steel containers for my boys' lunch.

4- Reusable shopping bags.  Almost all retailers sell shopping bags.  These bags usually cost no more than $1.99 depending on the retailer.  You can also purchase insulated shopping bags, which are even better for cold or frozen food.  At one point in my life, I was a shopping bag hoarder.  I loved buying them whenever I go to a store I haven't been in. I haven't purchased a bag in awhile but I have over a dozen of them.

ImageCredit: Amazon.com

5- Reusable covers by Beeswrap.  You can purchase a pack with one small, one medium, and one large wrap.  You can use them to wrap food and even to cover containers.  They last a little over a year and can stick to most containers.

6- Packing regular utensils instead of plastic utensils for my lunch and the kids' lunches.  I love these cute utensils with chopsticks since I sometimes make makis (Japanese rolls) for my boys' lunch.

7- Reusable stainless steel straws. I have not used these yet but this is one of the items that I plan on purchasing these when we do eat out.

8- Bamboo toothbrushes. Plastic is used for EVERYTHING.  Replacing your plastic toothbrush with a bamboo one is one less plastic that ends up in the ocean.

There are SO MANY WAYS we can reduce our use of plastic.  It can be overwhelming to go cold-turkey with your plastic usage.  That's why I urge you to pick two or three items that you can replace with non-plastic alternatives.  Let's be good stewards of God's creation.  Which of these are you committing to use?

<3,
Marie


1- McCarthy, J. (2017, June 12). 9 Shocking Facts About Plastic in Our Oceans.  https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-oceans-facts-images-2436857254.html

Love Yourself Challenge

Valentine's Day is 10 days away.  You can buy into the commercialism that it is, and maybe get disappointed by your better half's lack of romantic ability.  Or maybe become bitter about the fact that you have nobody to celebrate with.  OR you can throw all your expectations away and just show yourself some love.

I think that self-love isn't easy for a lot of women.  There are those who have been too busy taking care of others their whole lives and just don't have time to even think about themselves.  There are those who have repeatedly told they are unworthy and have come to believe this is true.  This causes these women to hate themselves.  There are also those who have been told that loving yourself is being selfish.  And then we have those on the other end of the spectrum that are border-line narcissistic.  I am in no way advocating selfishness or narcissism.  What I am saying is that need to be able to love ourselves.  We need to stop feeling guilty about taking time for ourselves.  There is a healthy balance between loving ourselves and STILL loving and caring for others.  This healthy balance comes when we see ourselves as God sees us.  In fact, I think that when we have a healthy love for ourselves, we can love and care for others even better.

Last week, in my Hope Prevails Bible Study group, we dug into Scripture to remind us how God sees us.  Here are some I would like to share with you to help you with this challenge:

You are beautiful. (Psalm 45:11)

You are loved. (Jeremiah 31:3)

You are the apple of His eye. (Zechariah 2:8)

You are holy and dearly loved. (Colossians 3:12).

You are valuable. (Matthew 6:26). 

If the God who created this amazing and complex universe loves you, how can you not love yourself?  So, I'd like to invite you to a Love Yourself Challenge. 

Each day, for the next 10 days leading up to Valentine's Day, you will take a few minutes celebrating YOU.   Some of these may seem like simple activities, but if you're like me, you don't take the time for yourself. There’s laundry to be done. Cupcakes to be baked. Kids to be driven.  You know how it goes... For the ones that ask you to list or write something, you can share it on social media (#loveyourselfchallenge) or write it in your journal.This isn't meant to stress you out but to help you take some time to appreciate and love yourself. 

Day One: List at least 5 things you like about yourself.  Don't focus only your external features, but both your internal and external qualities.

Day Two: What is one thing you have to forgive yourself for?  Write yourself a letter of forgiveness.

Day Three: Take a photo of yourself laughing. Bonus: Post it on social media without doing a retake.

Day Four: What is one thing that makes you unique?

Day Five: It's FRIDAY!! Pamper yourself.  Get a mani/pedi and take a long bubble bath.  OR, if that isn't in your budget, but a new nail polish color.  At home, take a long bubble bath and give yourself a mani/pedi. 

Day Six:  ENJOY a cup of coffee or tea. REALLY sit down and savor that cup.

Day Seven: Create a playlist of your favorite songs.

Day Eight: Draw a heart on our wrist to remind yourself you are loved.

Day Nine: Take a photo of something that brings you joy.

Day Ten:  Whether you have Valentine or not, get dressed up with your favorite outfit. Write yourself a love letter.

So, will you join me in this challenge?  

<3,

Marie

Countdown to 4-0

     This weekend, I worked on my Life Plan with the help of the book, Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want.   I had to determine what my priorities are.  These priorities are called "Life Accounts."  One of my Life Accounts is... drum roll please... my Health and Fitness.  I have been told I am too obsessed with my fitness bordering making it my false idol.  I am thankful for my well meaning friend that pointed it out, but I do have to disagree.  Yes, I talk a lot about health and fitness on my page, but it's because it is one of my passions or as social media lingo would call it, my niche.  And yes, my health is a priority for me.  I have been given this ONE body and I need to take care of it.

   When I took the time to take an assessment of my life accounts, one of which was my health and fitness, I was faced with the realization that in the last couple of months I have drifted in that area, particularly the eating department.  I can come up with excuses about why I drifted but I wont do that.  All I know is that I am turning 40 this December, and I want to be in the best shape of my life.

    I KNOW what I need to do to do it the healthy way and now I have to do it. I know that fitness is not a puishment, it's a blessing; and nutrition isn't restrictive, it's healing.  It is more than just eating healthy and working out.  It is going for my yearly physical (which I am on pretty good about) as well as my yearly women doctor visit (ok, I was reminded by my doctor to schedule this because it has been a year and three months since my last visit).  It is (GULP) seeing my dentist regularly.  It is taking time to de-stress including taking a social media break, and even scheduling a massage for my hard working muscles. 

    I will be scheduling my overdue doctor and dentist visits this week, which will take care of those.  BUT I need accountability to stay on track with my healthy eating.   I scaled back on my challenge groups in 2017 because I didn't want to bug and pressure people to join my groups, but here's the truth: I NEED THESE ACCOUNTABILITY GROUPS as much as others do.  So, as part of my Action Plan for this particular life account, with the short term goal of LOOKING AWESOMELY FIT at 40, instead of holding different challenge groups throughout the year, I will be forming a year long challenge group. And yes, I'll be reaching out to everyone I know to join me on this journey because I NEED YOUR HELP TO HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE.   I will open it up every quarter for those who want to jump in. 

     Do you want to be a part of my Fit for 2018 group?  I'd love for you to join me  (and I mean that because I kinda need you to join me).  I will be kicking it off on January 15.  Please complete this form if you'd like to be in this group.

HOPE PREVAILS

I used to suffer from depression. I wrote about how motherhood and my faith in Christ saved me from depression here.  Unfortunately, not everyone gets delivered from depression just like that, though.  The sad thing is, there aren’t a lot of resources for those who suffer from depression.Or some people don't even realize that they are suffering from depression. You’d think that in this day and age we’d have more than enough resources, since some light has been shed on the prevalence of mental illness. Professional help for mental illness isn’t exactly cheap.  And finding a Christian therapist is even more difficult to find.  

This is why I love Dr. Michelle Bengtson. I came across Dr. Bengtson through my network of friends on Facebook.  Last year, I contacted Dr. Bengtson to see if I can feature her in a mental health challenge.  However, Dr. Bengtson was in the middle of promoting her new book, so we agreed to touch base at a later time.  I continued to follow Dr. Bengtson. Last August, 2016, she released her book Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey through Depression.  This book is the answer to the dilemma for the Christian who suffers from depression, as well as those who have a loved one who suffers from depression.

You see, Dr. Bengtson is not only a speaker and author, she is a board certified clinical neuropsychologist.  She has 25 years’ experience in diagnosing and treating medical and mental disorders. I’d like to say that her book is a triple threat.  She writes from the perspective of a medical professional, from someone who suffers depression, and from a Christian perspective.  She's been there as a doctor and a patient!

Today, less than a year after she released Hope Prevails, she is releasing the Hope Prevails Bible Study. I have had the privilege of being in her launch team which meant I was able to read the Bible Study before the release.  In Hope Prevails Bible Study, Dr. Bengtson gives us a condensed version of her journey, Scriptural references, and questions for reflection. It is a perfect stand alone or a companion to the original book. Another resource she gives is a playlist based on songs that has helped her in her own journey. 

To whom do I recommend the book?

• To the one who suffers from depression.  Even if you are already getting professional help, this study is an excellent supplement because it offers Biblical insight that your therapist may not offer.

• To the one who has a loved one who suffers from depression. This study can help you understand what your loved one is going through and gives your the resources to help your loved one.

You can grab a copy of the Hope Prevails Bible Study and the original Hope Prevails book from Amazon.  To celebrate the release of the Hope Prevails Bible Study, Dr. Bengtson is having a Facebook Launch Party!  This is a great place to get more information about the study, meet Dr. Bengtson, and get a chance to win wonderful prizes!! I'll be popping in to join Dr. Bengtson, and I hope you'll join us there .

<3,
Marie

How to Have A Healthier Thanksgiving (PLUS! Winner of the book giveaway)

     THANKSGIVING.  Family, friends, football, and food... and abundance of food.  Since Thanksgiving is somewhat of the kickoff the holiday season, too much indulgence on Thanksgiving Day may just set the tone for how you eat for the rest of the season. I'm not saying do not enjoy yourself on Thanksgiving dinner but I am saying not to overindulge. So how can you set a healthier tone for the holidays and avoid holiday weight gain?

 

1. PLAN A WORKOUT THE DAY OF  THANKSGIVING.

Fit in a workout for the day. This Thanksgiving Day, I plan on starting my day with my usual work in and work out.  I will be lacing my sneakers, popping in a Focus T25 or P90X3 DVD and getting my work out in. Yes, it is a holiday. But it doesn't have to be my rest day. I choose those two programs because one is 25 minutes long and the other is 30 minutes long. You may not have these programs but I'm sure you can set aside 30 minutes to go for a run or a walk.

If you can't somehow fit in a workout the morning of Thanksgiving, plan to take a walk after Thanksgiving dinner. Make it a fun, family activity. Take the kids, grandma, whoever wants to join, and take a nice stroll around the neighborhood. Let your family members/ friends now what you plan on doing and recruit people to go along with you. If you know you're going for a walk afterwards, you will be less tempted to stuff yourself until you explode during the meal.

2. SKIP THE APPETIZER. ENJOY THE COMPANY.

Do you really need that appetizer??? My dad is a great cook. Everything he makes is off the wall delicious. (OK, I'm drooling now).  I think the reason for that is because he is slow and deliberate when he cooked. So, during get togethers growing up, my mom always had food out so we had things to munch on while we were waiting for the main meal. I know a lot of families have a similar custom. As much as I hate sounding like the Thanksgiving grinch, do we REALLY need all that appetizer? Instead of stuffing your face before stuffing your face some more, why not use that time to play a game? Or actually talk to each other and see what is going on in each other's lives? Or whether permitting, go outside and play football or kickball... or take a walk (haha!).

 

3. DROP THE FORK AND NOBODY GETS HURT.

When you are full- STOP EATING! Stop saying, "Oh, I'm really full." and keep picking at the food! When you are putting food on your plate, instead of putting heaps and heaps of food, start with a little bit of everything. When I say a little bit, I mean a little bit. Enjoy the food. Savor every bite.  Seriously, who gave us permission to be gluttons for Thanksgiving? And, my dear friend? Forgive me for sounding like I'm judging. I'm not judging you. I'M PREACHING TO MYSELF TOO!! In the past, I've acted like the food will vanish if I don't eat it all. If I love it so much, I can pack it up and eat it the following day! According the foodsafety.gov, leftovers can last up to 3-4 days.

4. EASE UP ON THE ALCOHOL.

Another thing people like to do during big gatherings like Thanksgiving is celebrate with alcohol. A glass of wine (maybe even two) is alright in my book. A no-no is drinking yourself to a stupor (ok, maybe that's an exaggeration- but you get my drift). Healthy doesn't only mean not overindulging when we eat. It also means your overall health. Drinking all that alcohol, even if it's only on special occasions, is hazardous to your liver. AAANNND, if there's family drama that has been swept under the rug for the sake of togetherness for the holidays, alcohol may just take get that drama out from under the rug and get everyone riled up!

 

5. HELP OUT WITH CLEAN UP.  BONUS: THE HOSTESS WILL LOVE YOU!

Wanna burn off a bit of those calories you just inhaled? Help clean up after dinner. You'll be moving around and burning calories. The hostess will appreciate it and love you. Just make sure you don't pick at the leftovers as you're putting them away. #1- That's just gross. #2- That's gluttony since you just ate.

My fitness partner and I
geared up for Thanksgiving
by pushing each other
to workout all this week.

6. WORK OUT THE NEXT DAY.

Put it in your calendar! Set a reminder for yourself!  WORK OUT THE NEXT DAY! If you have a workout buddy, schedule it with him/ h er ahead of time so you can keep each other accountable.

Please know that I am not against enjoying the holidays. I love thanksgiving. I have a thanksgiving tree where the kids and I hang cut out leaves that has things we are grateful for. Leading up to thanksgiving, I do a special Thanksgiving devotional with the kids. I have so much to be thankful for including and especially God's saving grace and His new mercies that I desperately need every day. I am thankful for my family. I think that's what Thanksgiving should be about! Reflecting on the many things we are thankful for.

THE WINNER OF THE MY LIFE STILL COUNTS BOOK GIVEAWAY: Christa Cordova!! Congratulations!

Motherhood and Suicide- My Story

Only a small handful of people know about what I am about to share.  Even my own parents do not know about this incident. This comes from a deep dark corner of my past that I never want to revisit.  I hesitated writing about this, but I want to share this with the hope that it will  turn others who are in darkness to this Light that has helped me. And for those who may know someone who suffers from depression, that they will fall on their knees and cover that individual with prayer...

The pitter patter of the rain outside should have helped me sleep. Instead, I tossed around in my bed.  My thoughts kept going to the news of Robin Williams' suicide which has been plastered all over social media.  The cause of death- strangulation with a belt.

When I heard about the belt, it brought me back to the day I tied an extension chord around my neck and tried to hang myself. This was well before I became a mother, before I was married...

A friend once told me I do not seem to have a passion for life. I was blah. Another person described me as an enigma. I think that, at that point of my life (my late teens/early twenties), they were right about me.

I always kept a guard up. I was afraid to be myself because... I did not know who I was. All I knew was I wanted people to like me. I did not want to disappoint people. I tried to be a good daughter, a good sister, a good friend ... and in my efforts to do this, all I ever did was disappoint people. I also disappointed myself. It often drove me to question my worth in this world.

I couldn't afford seeking professional help. Truthfully, I was also afraid to seek professional help because I thought that I would still be told that I brought this feeling of hopelessness upon myself. So I can't say for sure I had depression. But there were many instances when I would wonder what the point of living was.  I would think about how much easier life for others would be without me. I would think about how my life didn't really mattered.  I tried to end my own life twice. The first time was a really lame attempt. (Remember when teens were inhaling Lysol in a bag and dying from it?? I got the idea that this was probably the least  painful and ugly way to die, so I tried it... only I was too stupid to realize I need a lot more Lysol to do the job.) A few months after that was when I hung myself with a brown extension chord. I still remember the feeling... coldness crept up my body and I slowly felt light headed and it felt as if I was just fading away. Then somehow, in the middle of all that, I saw a vision of my little sister being the first one to find me. And suddenly, even if my life was crappy, I didn't want to end it, for her sake. 

After that day, I moved about my life.  On the outside, perhaps I seemed okay but inside, this hopeless feeling still existed. I continued trudging on, one foot in front of another, playing a part that seemed empty and pointless. I coped with the feeling by writing.

I was in a better place when I met my husband.  There were still dark days here and there. I was good at hiding it. I continued using my journal as my outlet. Then came October 1, 2002.  The day I found out I was pregnant. It was unplanned and my mind swirled with a million thoughts.  I was entering into the unknown. I was now 1000% responsible for a human being. For the next nine months, I would have this life growing inside of me. I was the source of this human being's every need. At the same time, I felt helpless because I knew I have little control of what will happen to this baby. So on that day, I got on my knees and prayed. I did not know what else to do. And that's when my relationship with God began.

Since finding out I was going to be a mother, suicide never entered my mind again. Life wasn't perfect. In fact, we went through rough times.  I wrote pages upon pages on my journal and prayed and prayed to cope.  I'm sure that thinking I was the best person to raise my son was also what kept me from ever thinking about suicide.  Perhaps it was a little prideful of me to think that, but that's what I thought.

It would take six years for me to fully surrender my life to God. For those next six years, God pursued me. He put me in situations and He put people in my path to finally draw me to the foot of His cross.  Since then, I have used Scripture (especially the book of Psalms), music and my journal as my outlet.

Image Credit: chasingmiracles.com

I am not saying that God is like a genie and you just need to ask Him to take depression away and He takes it away. I realize that Christians and non Christians, mothers, husbands, single people suffer from depression and have either committed suicide or attempted suicide. We live in a fallen world full of suffering, illnesses and death. Depression is an illness. Just as we hear miraculous healing of people who are physically ill, there have been people who have been healed by the power of prayer. THIS IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. SO I DO IMPLORE YOU TO SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP IF YOU ARE SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION.



However, I do believe that relationship with God is a crucial part of the battle against depression.  You see, once you get to know God then you will realize just how important you are to Him. You will come to know His great love for you. "For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." -John 3:16. This verse may seem like such a far fetched idea but it is true. If you take certain Bible verses out of context, you won't be able to grasp this love, but His Word, in its entirety, is God's love letter to us. It points us to Hope that this world cannot offer. An eternal hope that can help us maneuver through this fallen world.  A Hope in Jesus Christ.

My prayer is that if you or someone you know suffers from depression, you will find some time to seek God today and you will come to know peace and hope that comes from Christ alone.