As a Christian of 20 years, a yogi for 7, and fitness instructor for 2, I’m hosting a Christ-Focused Yoga session because I want to share the powerful experience of using yoga for prayer, worship and praise of the Creator. But, I know there are a lot of questions about yoga and spirituality, so I thought I’d share why, theologically, and how I personally and practically integrate the two. First off, there are many different types and styles of yoga. Even within the same style of yoga, an …
Balance
Confessions of a Working Mother & Wife
I don’t know when it really hit me, but when it did I felt a sense of both relief and terror. The realization that I was a great teacher, a fun mom, a mediocre wife, and a horrible homemaker. To make matters worse, my priorities were exactly in the same order… except for wife and homemaker, sometimes those were interchangeable at the bottom of my priority totem pole. How did I let this happen? When did I let my home, my husband, my family come after my job? Okay, if I am being completely …
From a Place of Emptiness
Being in a place of emptiness is teaching me a valuable lesson. What I am putting into my mind and heart is what will come out. For the last few weeks I have been trying to write blogs and be more loving and encouraging to my family. Instead, I have found that I am mentally and emotionally dry, used up and exhausted. But why? After going through the She Reads Truth Lent Bible study, I stopped reading my Bible. I got busy and tired, and my daily reading of inspiration and truth fell out …
5 Ways to Take the Hassle Out of the Holidays
If you are busy and often take on a lot at once (and don’t we all?), then the holidays can be a really stressful time of year. Here are some reminders and ideas on how to survive the season and the fast approaching New Year ahead. 1. Plan ahead: If you are able to prepare, usually life goes a lot smother. What kind of things during the holidays might you plan for? One obvious one is gifts. Make a list of whom you need to give to and plan accordingly. I also suggest that you have a few gifts …
Adventures in Meal Prepping
When I first decided to attempt meal prepping, it was out of complete necessity...aaaand a tiny bit of desperation. Just a tiny bit! (Don't ask my husband to confirm that.) My family's schedule was getting increasingly hectic, and with growing frequency, I would find myself completely unprepared and staring into the refridgerator at dinner time asking myself, "What the heck am I going to make that takes 10 minutes?!" Eggs. Yep. More often than not, the answer was some variety of churched up …
Awareness: Acknowledging the Battle Many Women Fight
The image of my sister waiting in anger, bitterness and bewilderment will always haunt me as she was wheeled into the operating room for a life altering surgery. Stage four breast cancer at age twenty-seven. Never married. No kids. A double mastectomy eleven days after being diagnosed; three weeks later a round of intense chemotherapy treatments began stripping my sister of all that identifies the female body. Radiation would also take place to attack the aggressive, BRCA 2 positive gene …
How to Start a Non-Profit- PART 2: Mission, Vision, Values & Differentiators
This is Part 2 of a series on how to start a non-profit: although, some info is applicable to for-profits as well! Feel free to refer back to Part 1 of this series {Here} before getting started! In this post, I'll explain what vision, mission, values, and differentiators are. I've also provided examples of each from an organization that I've always admired: The Rock Church in San Diego (sdrock.com). Vision Your vision is a description (about one sentence) of what the world would look …
Stop the Negativity Bias. Start Loving Yourself.
For women, when it comes to our bodies, are we ever happy? When given a compliment about our appearance, why is it our default to deflect it and point out something else that is wrong? For example, today I saw my friend at the gym. We’ve both been training hard and her efforts have really paid off—her arms are so strong and toned! I had to compliment her, I am just so proud and inspired. The convo went something like this: Me: “Kate you are looking great! Your arms are so …
The Supportive Spouse
Picture this... The kids woke up early making nap time a must for the little ones. The breakfast menu is limited due to the extreme need to grocery shop as well as the piling high of dirty clothes in the hamper making finding a matching outfit entertaining. The floors look no different from outside and the heat from the summer days have turned pleasant kids into cranky, sweaty, exhausted little humans who have no time to assist with house chores. You never had a chance to take a shower …
There is Always, Always Something to be Thankful For
Thankfulness is a word we throw around pretty nonchalantly. We utter a “thank you” to plenty of people through out the day whether it be to our family members, a coworker or a grocery store clerk. I never really thought much about being thankful until I found myself navigating through a situation in which I felt I couldn’t be thankful. In January 2010 our 5 1/2 month old baby boy, Case, died of SIDS. Grief was a process that I was familiar with, my mom had died 9 years before, but I didn’t …