Archive for the 'Enjoyment & Rest' Category

Published by Kelly Wilson on 28 Dec 2015

A Top Ten List for a Better Life!

 

 

Carrot & stick incentive

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of each calendar year, I always pray for ideas to make the next year better. Here is my top ten list as of today. Maybe some of these will work for you too.

  1. If I am what I eat, I want to be made up of good things. Eating healthier foods and beverages will give energy and help with weight management. I will be adding whole foods will at every meal.
  1. Water will be the new beverage of choice. Soda will be a “treat” rather than a staple.
  1. Take a few minutes on Saturday or Sunday to plan your dinner meals for the upcoming week. You can capture the plan on your calendar or smart phone notes.

Sunday – Lasagna & Spinach Salad

Monday – Teriyaki Chicken Wings, Brown Rice & Mixed Veggies

Tuesday – Roast Beef, Baked Potatoes & Corn

Wednesday – Beef Soup (made from leftover Roast Beef) and Super Salad

Thursday – Baked Chicken, Hash Browns & Salad with Beets & Goat Cheese

Friday – Pizza from Donatos (Kenny & Kids – Pepperoni, Kels – Veggie)

Saturday – Scrounging leftovers from the week’s meals

  1. Try to move more throughout the day. Experts say walking 10,000 steps each day is great for our hearts, bodies and minds. Stand up – while you type at your desk. Park far away from the door and use the walk from the parking lot to get some extra steps. Take the stairs up. Secure a pedometer in an after CHRISTmas sale.
  1. Get and stay connected. Call a friend while driving to work. Have a lunch date with your honey-boo. Text your tweens, teens and young adults between meetings. Write a hand-written letter to an older relative, ask him/her to respond to your family history questions.
  1. Laugh more.
  1. Hire a coach to help you set and achieve meaningful goals. Check out www.betterdaybetterlife.com for one approach.
  1. Take time to rest. Some days I realize that I hardly sat down all day. I don’t want to live like that anymore. This year I will rest more and take time to savor the moment. I might have some full days of Sabbath where I plan ahead and just focus on Christ.
  1. Fret less and pray more. Lean on God’s word as found in the Holy Scriptures. Philippians 4:19 says, And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus (NIV). Memorize this verse and then speak it to yourself as needs arise throughout the day.Spend quality time with God, your Creator and Lord, daily. Perhaps the first 10-30 minutes can be spent in prayer and reading your Bible. (Start with the Gospel of Matthew and read through Acts by July 4th.) You might have to go to bed 30 minutes earlier, to be up early enough to get a good soaking in His word. It will be worth every moment that you invest, paying eternal dividends. I wish you a productive and joyful 2016!

Making Progress iStock_000000919492XSmall

 

Published by Kelly Wilson on 11 Apr 2015

More Creativity

I am often amazed at how my 9-year old daughter, Koah, can turn anything into a moment for fun and creativity.

I had ordered some ceramic plates online that came packed in mailing peanuts. When I went to wash and put the dishes away, she grabbed the box and made a drawing out of peanuts on our family room carpet. (Thankfully she is old enough to not be in danger of swallowing the Styrofoam pellets. These would be a hazard for young children.)

Creavity

I love the creativity she expressed in this moment. …And I wonder how can I be more like her? I could…

Take a breath and enjoy the moment

Stop being in a hurry so much of the time

Think of how to use everyday items in ways I haven’t done so before

Make it a priority to have fun

Wear my pajamas later into the day on Saturday’s

Ask God for answers rather than trying to come up with everything myself

Published by Kelly Wilson on 05 Jan 2015

“Read it!”

“Read it!”

When my now 18-year-old son was about 2 years old, he loved it when my husband and I read to him. He was relentless then and he is a voracious reader now. Sometimes I would be reading to him and then get distracted and stop. He would say very sternly, “Read it!” And if I remained distracted, he would hit me with a cubby hand and say more slowly – reeaad it! (This was during the time of Jerry Seinfeld’s popular TV show, and thus we occasionally called our son, the book Nazi.)

As I think about the arrival of 2015, I want to do more reading this year. I have a number of books already identified (and started). Some of the books on my plan are items that I am reading again. I think this is a mark of a great book. You can read it over and over and get something out of it every time.

My daily Bible is one such book. I came across the “One Year” version in 1999 at a Women of Faith conference. Author and speaker Becky Tirabassi introduced the audience to this product, which allows readers to go through the entire Bible in a year.

Published by Tynedale House

There is a set of readings for each day that has a portion of Scripture from the Old Testament, New Testament, a Psalm and verses from Proverbs. This simple layout has been so beneficial to me, allowing me to see connections that I never saw before and giving me a simple process to read. I just brew my coffee and read while enjoying that time with God. My life is immeasurably better.

Hidden Art Cover

Another book I am planning to re-read, is called “The Hidden Art of Home Making” by Edith Schaeffer. It is a book that teaches readers the value of running a home and how we can use our homes to serve God and extend His kingdom.

A few weekends ago, I attended an open house CHRISTmas party. While there, I ran into a lady who had read the book that I wrote. She was very kind and said, “I loved the book and have reread portions of it often.” I was surprised… but totally delighted and honored to receive such a gracious compliment.

It is giving me the boldness to throw my own book into the ring for your reading consideration this year. Should you take this challenge, I believe you will be inspired to try a number of the tips and most importantly you will have a framework for managing your life. You will be positioned to have an even better life than you have right now.

kellycover-websm

May you do phenomenal things in 2015!

Kelly

You can purchase copies of “A Better Day, A Better Life: How to Thrive, One Day at a Time” at www.betterdaybetterlife.com. Copies of the “One Year Bible” and “The Art of Homemaking” can be secured at www.amazon.com and other booksellers.

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