When Spiritual Discipline is Tough

Let's put on our humanity for a second and agree that sticking with Spiritual Discipline can be tough. What I call Spiritual Discipline, you may call quiet time. You also may call it devotional. Whatever the label, making it a habit is challenging.  

What is the secret of the super saints? You and I know there are those among us who never fail at their Spiritual Discipline habit. Or so we think.

Everyone gets discouraged: Moses got mad. Elijah hid. Esther hesitated in doing what God called her to do. Peter and the disciples fell asleep at the top of the mountain. Ops!

We also have examples of people who did great. They remind us of what is possible. Daniel prayed three times a day. Jesus prayed early in the morning. John Wesley's mom kept the prayer habit going while mothering and homeschooling 17 children.

So what is the secret of sticking with Godly habits day in and day out? I'd say try a couple of things but do not fail to start with this:

1. Ask God to help you. I'm not sure if a lot of us who are trying to connect with God, ask Him for help. God will speak to you and He will give you the strategy you need to make this work. 

2. Start small. Everyone has a spiritual superhero. The one I admire prays for 4 hours a day. I can't begin to tell you that I would love to do that but right now, I'm working full-time, I have a business of my own and I have a husband and kids. These are not excuses, these are facts of life. Starting small means starting where I am. Praying before everyone wakes up. Once the kids are grown, I bet I'll be able to carve more and more time to pray. Will I start at 4 hours? I'm sure it would be wonderful. Starting small is also a wonderful thing to do. God does look at the heart, not at the number of hours we are trying to pile up in prayer. 

3. Ask a friend you admire how they make it work. I often ask like-minded people about their devotional life. I ask my mentors questions. They tell me how they made time for God when their kids were little. I learn a lot from my friends, family, and mentors. I'm here to tell you that there are people out there who are seeking God and pressing on to know Him. Ask them questions. 

4. Got interruption from kids? Ask them to join you! I never forgot about the story of John Wesley's mom. She trained her kids to know that when she had her apron on top of her head, they were to give her some space because she was praying. She was also hands-on with their Christian education. If you find that your kids are interrupting you, ask them to join you. The word of God is for everyone. The spirit receives it with joy. There is nothing wrong with exposing kids to what you read in the Bible as well as letting them hear your prayers. Thank God I heard the prayers of my mother. I'm seeing the answers right now. How would I know unless she involved me in her devotional life? 

5. Set an alarm. If you have a problem remembering to set aside time for God, set an alarm as a reminder. When that alarm sounds, grab your Bible, get on your knees, get in the presence of God. Soon, this will become a habit and you will not need the alarm. 

6. Start with 5 minutes and increase the amount of time slowly. If spending time in Spiritual Discipline is a foreign concept to you, start with praying and reading your Bible for 5 minutes then increase the amount of time slowly. The goal is to slowly "taste and see that the Lord is good." 

7. Join a group - When I want encouragement, I join a group. When I joined a Bible study group, I was encouraged to study the Bible on my own. I was also surrounded by people who like me, wanted to spend time with God on a regular basis. The group can't do Spiritual Discipline for you but they can encourage you to do it. 

8. Read a book - There are wonderful books about studying the Bible, prayer, and fasting out there. I often read books related to each discipline. Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster covers them all and he will stretch your thinking too. If you want other book recommendations, send me a message and I will give you some solid books to read. The books I read are recommended by my mentors. These books really helped me pursue God with more passion and joy. These books are simply a tool. The Bible is my main book. God is the One I seek to know, worship, and serve with joy. 

9. Teach what you learn - The best way to master a subject is to teach what you learn. If you have kids, teach them. If you have friends, tell them about what you are learning. If you are a Sunday School teacher, teach your students. I know you have a lesson plan. You can enhance that lesson with the things you are learning from God as you practice Spiritual Discipline. Our faith in Jesus is active. Jesus always taught many things. We need to teach others too. It doesn't take a degree or an actual classroom. We are called to spread the good news of Jesus by simply teaching what we learn. Teaching can be as simple as a conversation with a friend who is feeling stuck in her devotional life. "Have you thought about reading the Bible?" is something I often ask. Then I tell her the why (if you want to know God, you need to read His Book) and how (I recommend a 15-minute Bible reading plan). I'm encouraging you to teach what you learn my friend. 

10. Don't let yourself get lazy - As a Bible lover and teacher, I hear people sometimes say they get lazy with their Spiritual Discipline. Getting lazy is the same thing as knowing you have to sweep a room and you don't quite do it well. There's dirt in the corners. The broom did not cover every square inch available. Just a lazy type of job! Getting lazy is different than getting discouraged. The lazy person will crack their Bible open. They'll check the reading on her to-do list. They will go to Bible Study and complain that the reading is boring. The solution is not to let yourself get stuck in that place. When you feel yourself getting there, ask God to help you. Tell Him how your heart feels. You basically say, "restore unto me, the joy of thy salvation." God will answer your prayer and give you Divine direction. Reading the Bible is not supposed to feel like an amusement park ride daily. It is also not meant to be boring. As you ask God for direction, He promises to lead you and guide you in the way you should go. God will challenge your mind and your understanding of His word. He will take you deeper than before. It is up to you not to let yourself get lazy and continue in the most rewarding journey you can have on this side of life. 

I sincerely hope these tips can help you be encouraged in your Spiritual Discipline. Let me know if you try any of these and what you discover. One thing I know for sure, God is a rewarder of those who seek Him. He will be found by you my friend. 

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Redial

We used immobile phones growing up. I remember waiting for a dial tone. I also remember when the line was busy and we had to redial.

The process was simple, no matter how frustrated I was. I had to stop the busy tone by hanging up and the second step was to redial.

A few years ago, I told you that I believe that September is the new January. This year, I want to encourage us to have a "Redial" time this month. The goal is to hang up whatever line was busy in the previous 9 months. We are going to redial by engaging in a combination of things we can do in order to reach our desired goal.

I chose the five areas where I can redial. I also chose specific things I can do in order to reach my goals. Be sure to choose at least one area you can "redial" this month.

Here we go:

1. Eating Habits - I will track my food consumption in the WW App. I will eat when hungry, stop when I'm satisfied.

2. Exercise - I will follow my marathon training plan.

3. Rest - I will go to bed 30 minutes earlier than normal so I can get 8 hours of sleep.

4. Parenting - I will remember to read my parenting goals for the year and do them.

5. Reading - I will carve time to read more books. I will do that by staying away from mindless browsing online.

How will you "Redial" this month? 

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What do you when you are stressed?

I'm not sure if you can tell but since I started this blog in 2003, I've had some major battles with stress. I am thankful to God that I won each one and each year, I continue to learn how to manage stress well so it doesn't manage me.

The other day, I was mapping a running route for my running group. My mind told me "I'm under stress." I quickly told my mind: "NOPE! Stress is under me."

Here are six ways to stay in control when you are navigating stress:

1. Recognize you are stressed - denial will not help you at all. I learned that accepting the feeling of stress is actually good. Denial only delays the process of management. I accept that I am stress by greeting it. Once I say, "Oh, hey. I see you." I immediately move on to the next step.

2. Identify the source of stress - This requires asking myself some leading questions. What is concerning me? Why do I feel these feelings? Writing helps. Thinking about it helps. I don't dwell in this step too long. Identification is followed by action. There's no need to identify the source of stress just to stop there. Let's move to the next step with confidence.

3. Pray about the situation - God wants to hear about the source of your stress. He has the right solution for your burden. Talk to Him. Cry if you feel tears are coming. He will give you beauty for ashes at the end of it all. That's the kind of God He is: wonderful.

4. Talk about the situation - Chances are, you know the right person who can handle your stressful situation. They will listen attentively. They will offer advice if you ask for it. They will be supportive and they won't gossip about your stuff. Let me remind you that Facebook is not that person. You need a real human being who can be trusted with your troubles.

5. Find intentional relaxation moments - Last year, I majored in finding intentional relaxation moments. I found these moments to be very helpful because they helped me manage the side-effects of stress. These moments have to work for your personality. What is relaxing for me might not be relaxing for you. I encourage you to make a list. Some items on my list are a manicure, bubble bath, and a long walk.

6. Seek professional help - I believe in seeing a Christian counselor during stressful times - as well as regular times in life. I find counseling effective in giving me the tools to fight and win this battle with stress. I always leave feeling better than I came in. I become aware of my power, not the lack of it. Come to think of it, that's what stress does to me: makes me aware of my lack of power. When I seek professional help, I become aware that I am a victor, not a victim.


What do you do when you are stressed my friend? Here is what I know for sure: you can win. You can overcome and you will rise stronger. God's for you, no doubt!

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Fashion Daily

I'm amazed at how my sense of fashion changes every year.
During my stay-at-home mom years, I lived in exercise clothes but I dressed up on weekends (because, church).
Once I became a working mom, I retired my tights and business casual was the way to go.

Each job I had required a different type of dress code. I'm thankful there was always room for creativity and comfort.

This year, I was blessed with a new job and I realized that again, I had a chance to establish my sense of fashion.

I enjoy being comfortable. I also enjoy dressing up on occasion. My fashion choices for 2018 have reflected these two facts.

Another thing I've enjoyed in 2018 are trips to the thrift store. My job changed allowed me to find a new area of shops. It's been great finding frugal treasures there.

Last weekend, I found a bunch of clothes on clearance for $2. I couldn't be happier. I also found comfy shoes. Thrifting has been great. Oh, I also maintain the one in one out rule. If one piece of clothing comes in, we need to donate (or sell) something else.

My fashion goal is to represent my God and my family well. I will never be a fashion model but I model my Lord Jesus everywhere I go. Okay, I am a model for my kids. They watch me and we often talk about fashion.

The most important fashion accessory I have is a confident and modest heart. 

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App Rupture Part 2

Last week, we talked about the need to get our faces out of our phones. Here's the fact: we can all improve in that area. Let me be transparent and tell you how I'm doing.

Three weeks ago I got a good measure of my usage (yikes!). Two weeks ago, my usage decreased 4 percent. Last week, my usage was down 5 percent. I also noticed that my work, business and personal productivity increased. My goal is to get my usage down to 2 percent by the end of the year.

Way before IOS and Droid software engineers made their time measuring apps public, the Holy Spirit convicted me of my need to be free from such bondage. I knew I couldn't quit cold turkey so I set the goal of improving in that area.

God was the initiator. He touched my heart. What the software engineers did was help me measure my progress in the changes I was willing to make. Nothing more, nothing less.

The first step always needs to take precedence in the heart. The heart is the fertile soil where lasting change can happen. Your heart’s submission to God’s plan will determine whether your change of habits can last.

An app can't set you free from your phone addiction. Let’s think about an addiction to potato chips for example. If you have an addiction to chips, you won't be set free from it by staring at advertisements of new flavors of chips. You will not cure your addiction by buying magazines filled with cute photos of chips from 150 countries in the world. Limiting your exposure to images, ads and the taste of chips will help you overcome your addiction.

Likewise, an app cannot set you free from your phone addiction. God can because He has the correct strategy for you. He always starts His work in the heart. His freedom is lasting and it will make you a better person.

I don't think God wants us to make a mass exit from the digital world. I do believe He doesn't want us to be enslaved by it.

Let me tell you a secret. I work with brilliant computer scientists. Their areas of research have applications in many facets of life, including the apps you and I use daily. I often ask them about their phone usage. They tell me that they are not bound by the lure of their phones because of the priorities they have set for their lives.

These scientist are high achievers. Some are world renowned in their areas of expertise. Friend, you and I can't accomplish our priorities if we are easily distracted.

You and I are experts in our “fields.” I'm a field expert in being my Zeke’s wife. I'm an expert in mothering my sweet children. I’m an expert in my own health and fitness. As a professional, I'm an expert in marketing and communications. In the light of eternity, God will hold me responsible for my areas of expertise. I can’t be distracted multiple hours a day because of phone addiction.

I don't want God to find me staring at my phone while I could be growing in my expertise.

Here’s a review:

Monitor your heart. The work starts in the heart. Search your heart and ask God to direct your time.
Measure your current phone usage. You can't manage what you won't measure.
Manage your phone usage. You’re not an ER Doctor on call. You don't need your phone as much as you think you do. Get your priorities straight. Turn off those needless alerts. Get some freedom step by step.
Meditate on your Priorities. When I think about my family, I find great reason to unplug from the needless use of my phone. I also think about the repercussions of my behavior. What am I teaching my children about technology and relationships by my current example? I want to exemplify freedom. I can only do that if I walk in freedom.

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Back in the Counselor's Office

“Cintia, I haven’t seen you in a long time.”
“I know, I think it’s been two or three years.”

I proceed to tell my Christian counselor everything I’ve been up to.
Time stops for a little while and I have a chance to rethink where I am based on where I came from.

If you are a long time reader, you know that I am not shy in saying that I get Christian counseling when I need it. I try to go often unless I don’t have insurance - which happened last summer. In that case, God provided me with all the support I needed to get through that tough season of joblessness.

The day I went back to the counselor’s office I got there too early. I had one hour to invest, so I invested in myself. I sat in a small coffee shop and I drank pu’er tea. I edited photos from earlier in the day, guilt-free. No one needed my attention and I could do whatever I pleased. I wasn’t nervous about the session, I was just ready to get there.

After a while, I got up and drove back to the counselor’s office. I noticed the people sitting in the waiting area. I’ve done this long enough to know there are a multitude of emotions going on in that room. I admire everyone’s bravery for showing up. Sometimes, making those appointments and keeping them is hard to do. There we were, ready to see the counselor.

My name is called so it is my turn.
She is still in the same room. That feeling of peace is still there and her decoration seems familiar.

After I tell her everything I’m up to, I make an effort to listen with my heart.
I used to take notes. This time, I told myself that my heart and mind would remind me of what’s really important. I took mental notes and I told myself I’d transfer them to paper at some point.

I used to have a laundry list of issues for the counselor to hear. This time, I let the Spirit of God take the lead. I decided I’d hear what He wanted me to hear and I’d say what felt most natural. I very much enjoy this rhythm. I might keep it doing things this way.

I realize that I’ve been through a lot and it is okay to feel my feelings. I am amazed that God was present and He still wants to heal me. I’m thankful for His love and His plan for my ordinary life.

Friend, I don’t know if you are a person who goes to Christian counselors’ offices. I wanted to share my experience in hopes that you see that it is normal and helpful to go. The simple act of taking time to talk to someone about my life has given me the opportunity to live a healthier inner life.

My stress level went down after my visit. I also was able to find healing from some hurts I experienced 20 years ago. I had no idea the hurt was still there. Thank God He cares.

Christ makes it all possible. I hope you will consider letting Him heal your inner being.

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Don't speak out of your wound, speak out of your wisdom

People are always looking for peace. They just don't know it.

I look for peace when life gets out of wack. The unexpected illness shows up. The friendship turns toxic. Family harmony turns to family hate. Life has a way of mixing all the pieces we carefully put together.

When such moments happen, we have the tendency of using our mouths. My advice is, "don't speak out of your wound, speak out of your wisdom." If you haven't arrived at wisdom yet, do yourself a favor and cultivate quietness until peace comes.

You and I probably spent a lot of time reading/watching/listening to people speaking out of their wound on social media and in real life. Here is what I do. If it is a close friend who will be able to receive advice, I discretely tell them they might want to reconsider their wounded words.

This habit of speaking out of your wound has become acceptable because it has earned the title of "real (add profanity here)." Somehow, watching people bleed while doing absolutely nothing to help them, has become an admirable character trait.

I went to a hospital today and I can tell you exactly what they would recommend if someone was bleeding. The first step is to stop the bleeding. The second step is to treat the cause of the bleeding so the person can heal.

We don't behave this way online. We have accepted the internet as the primary place to bleed (or vomit) while many applaud it without questioning the health of the wounded person.

What happens when the person speaking out of their wound is the one reading my words? The first step is to recognize you developed such habit. You need help. I am not implying that one should be fake online. I am advocating for wisdom to arise out of the deep hurts we all experience. If it can't help, it shouldn't be said. A close friend, a counselor might be a better audience for such words. There are always proper places for our words. Wisdom comes when we can discern where those places are.

Please don't think that you shouldn't say what you feel. My friend, you certainly can. Feelings were given to us for a good reason. I believe that sharing wisdom is more effective than sharing the wound only.

Let's get real (without the cuss words). I know that this post will not turn the internet into a wisdom-only place. Darkness will always be out there. The truth of Jesus compels me to believe that darkness will not overcome His light. We can all make a difference if we change our behavior. How do we do that?

We can use silence when the pain is working its way through our being. We can all take a break from  shiny screens so we can focus on the lessons learned out of pain. We can reach out to a person, in real life, that can benefit from our story.

If you are looking for peace tonight, be sure you take the time to find it. Reach out to a good friend. Turn off your screens for a while. Turn on your heart and know that God can redeem, restore and renew. Let's get to wisdom.

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How I'm Finding Peace in Today's World

"He must seek peace and pursue it, because the eyes of the Lord 

are on the righteous and His ears are open to their request." 

1 Peter 3:11-12 (HCSB)

Each new season of life, I am mysteriously presented with the option to either hold on to peace or let go completely. As a new set of challenges freshly arrive on the desk of my existence, I can hold on to inner turmoil or I can choose peace. 

This is the part of the Sunday School lesson where most people say "oh, this peace stuff is easier said then done." I have to disagree. I find it more difficult to live with less than what God has for me. Here's how I see it: each day when I wake up, I can spread turmoil everywhere I go of I can transmit peace. I can't give what I don't have so I seek peace. 

I start by getting a good dose of the Prince of Peace Himself: Jesus. One of His names is the Word. The Word of God can be found in the Bible. Jesus Himself was knowledgeable of God's Word. Remember how he dealt with the Devil on Matthew 4:4? He quote Scriptures often and He knew what it was there. God's plan is all over Scripture and I find peace as I get a good dose of it each and every day. 

My problems are still very present in my life. So is God's Word but I have to seek it and pursue it in order for God's Word to take hold of me. This is the number one way I can hold on to peace in this present day. 

In case you are wondering, it is supposed to look foolish to others. How can the simple act of opening one's Bible and reading it restore peace, quietness and contentment to the soul? It worked for many before me. It worked for my grandparents who lived through perilous times and are now present with the Lord. It worked for Daniel (the guy from the Bible). It worked for his 3 exiled friends. It worked for Jesus Himself so it will work for you and I. 

I don't know if like me, you feel like you have a pile of turmoil on the desk of your existence. The way to move that over is to choose to have a face-to-face encounter with God's Word each day, looking for God's peace to fill your heart and mind.

• I recommend starting with a Book of the Bible you are interested in. If you are completely open, start with Proverbs or Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. 

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2016 Goals You can Reach

Think about your greatest achievements in life. They were not an accident, correct? It took hard work, persistence and determination. I dare to say, it all started with a goal. You and I have 37 days left in 2015 my friend. Today I want to help you reach your goals through these 3 questions:

• What do I most want to be thankful for one year from now? - this week we are counting and naming our blessings. I challenge you to look further and decide how will you insert certitude in your goals. When you answer the question I just gave you, you make a decision to put some boundaries in your living. Isn’t it what goals do so well? They help us establish our margin and they solidify our path towards a better future. Name your blessings now and start working towards them as you set your goal.

• Which activities in my schedule aren’t delivering the results I want? - I am fascinated with this concept. I read about a man who reviews his previous year and makes decisions on what he won’t do in the upcoming year. He just doesn’t quit the things he hates; he quits the things that aren’t delivering the results he wants. In other words, he kills his darlings. It’s not easy but it is freeing and I have found that rectification brings affirmation towards the path you really should go. In a gardening sense, when you trim a tree or a bush, you are setting that plant up for success. The pruning will cause more growth. The same thing happens when we choose to kill the activities that aren’t delivering results we want. We are really freeing our lives for successful activities.

• Are you buying what you’re selling? - every time we woke up for the past 327 days, we were selling something. We sell that “something” through the way we live what we believe. This past year I tried to sell the fact that putting my family first is a good deal. I tried to sell the fact that resting must be included in one’s daily schedule. I also sold long distance running, reading the Bible in one year, being a friend who connects offline often. My immediate family and close friends also know about the bad sales deals I tried to give them. My lack of patience, my shortcomings and lack of wisdom in some areas were bad deals no one should dare to buy. What did you sell this year? Would you buy it? Get rich quick schemes and shortcuts won’t do. The way of integrity is the way to go. I challenge you to think of yourself as a salesperson and evaluate what you sold to others this year.

My friend, let’s make time to answer these 3 questions and write our 2016 goals. I pray that as you reflect on these questions your heart is filled with hope and excitement. You have a world of possibilities inside of you. Establishing your 2016 Goals will help you get them out.

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The Oscars: How to Give a Great Acceptance Speech

"The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions." Proverbs 10:11 (NLT)

It's amazing how a little statue make people influential with their words. Last night, after Downton Abbey of course, my husband and I watched the Oscars. My favorite part is the acceptance speeches because with every speech a message was sent all over the world. 

You and I may or may not have that same platform but the one we do have you probably already used today. The first platform to be influential with our words we all have is our home. This morning I have used my platform to set the course of the day for my family. I believe that the more I use the Bible in my daily speech, the better the chances of my family receiving life-giving words that will make a Godly impact. 

The second platform we have to be influential with our words is the media. Each word typed, each video recorded or shared can be life-giving or death-giving. There's no in between. Life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21) so I'm either influencing you to succeed or to fail. You and I might not be on a glamorous stage holding an enviable statue in hand but in a way we are. What kind of acceptance speech will you give today at home and in the media?

Life will throw you Awards and Awkward Situations today. You have no choice but to accept it. That acceptance is quickly followed by a speech of some sort. Case and point: a few weeks ago my oldest son started throwing up. To make matters worse, my husband and I had a big performance together. What an awkward situation! For my acceptance speech, I chose the life-giving words of a prayer. I prayed God's healing over him and I prayed to God that no one else in the family would get sick. I also journaled that prayer. In social media that day, I chose to use my influence to spread hope by posting Bible verses. I understood that if my acceptance speech had a fearful undertone, I would not be doing anyone a favor. God in His faithfulness healed my son and no one else got sick so my husband and I performed together for the honor and glory of His name.

Today I pray that my words will be a life-giving fountain. I pray that as I accept the Awards or Awkward Situations life gives me, I will have an acceptance speech worthy of a faith-filled Believer in a God who is good, loving and wise. 

Choosing life-giving words are not meant to pretend that life's situations don't suck sometimes. It simply puts me in a place where my character can be molded into a more mature believer. If we can choose it, we can change it. We get to choose our words so let's change them to life-giving fountains. 

What will your acceptance speech be today?

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Your turn!

Source: kristanlynn.com via Cintia on Pinterest

How do you finish the "Keep calm and..." sentence?

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Wordless Wednesday: The New Normal

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It's a Girl Giveaway

Because IT'S A GIRL, I have a wonderful giveaway for you today! Danielle from The Conservatory Girl makes some wonderful items that she sells in her Etsy shop.

* If you are a local reader: Danielle is Mike Dietiker's daughter :) I have 'met' her online because of him and trust me, she's a talented, awesome person! Be sure to check out her blog too!

Here are the goodies: Danielle is giving away a $20 Gift Certificate to her online store to the winner of this giveaway!

Here are just a few of her items and she will be adding more this week!

To enter: visit Danielle’s Etsy shop and then come back here and let me know which one of her items is your favorite. For additional entries you can:

• Follow my blog and comment saying you are a follower.

• Post about this giveaway on your blog or put it on your sidebar and come back and let me know in a separate comment; and/or

• Tweet about this giveaway, come back and let me know in a separate comment with your @ name.

If you do not have a blog, you can still enter; you just have to leave an e-mail address so you can be contacted.

This giveaway will run through to Wednesday, March 10th, 8:00 p.m. EST, and the winner will be chosen via random.org. Winner will be announced shortly after that time and have 48 hours to confirm or an alternate winner will be chosen.

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Rest :: Sleep

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." I Peter 5:7

I worked all weekend with God’s help things went great. I found out after a hard experience in the Spring that my body needs to rest before during and after intense times of work.
I took an afternoon off. I turned off the TV. I took a nap. I read Vegetarian Times for the first time in months (I’ve had a subscription for a while, I hardly ever read it). I read the book of Ruth and the book of Esther. I prayed and just asked God for peace and rest. I felt like a brand new person the next day.
I pray that your holiday season will be peaceful and restful. There are many reasons for the opposite, but I encourage you to get in your mind now that you are going to have a peaceful holiday. I’ll blog more on that later.

Birthday
Zeke's birthday is 19 days away. I have a plan, don't quite know if it will work but the two of us are going to celebrate it. I'll let you know what happened after his birthday.

Holidays

This will be our last holidays without children. Next year we'll have a 6-month-old. How exciting is that? I love the holidays. Still haven't made specific plans other than rest, read and cook a little for Zeke and I.

Baby Love

Our nursery should be all ready next week. What I mean is, Zeke's gonna paint it, so we can start working on getting furniture and etc. The hard part was the construction stuff that went into that room. We'll show you a before and after :)

P.S.: Joyce Meyer has a new book I plan to read, it's called 100 Ways to Simplify your Life, it's coming out November 12.

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The Commitment

The Commitment

by Simply Cintia

I commit to finish what I've started
I commit to be true to myself.
Derails will not stop me,
Dismay wil not block me
I will reach the goal set before me

Anxiety cannot attack me
I stand fast against it
Deadlines are not my enemy
They simply keep me focused
I will reach the goal set before me

I commit to keep faith as a close friend
Wisdom as a teacher and guide
Unbelief will not have my best
I have been set free
To reach the goal set before me

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Friends!

I wanted to talk about friendship a little bit. Research has proven that if your friends are getting in shape, you are very likely to do the same. I also believe that getting in shape may also cause controversy, jealousy and intimidation. Come down of the ‘pink friendship cloud’ and think about the following situation:

You have lost 40 pounds. You look and feel great from the inside out. Your friend has gained 50 pounds and feels bad but won’t admit it.
You have changed some of your habits, therefore the things you used to do before don’t fit your current lifestyle.

Going out to eat 6 days a week is no longer possible because you bring your lunch to work and maybe you want to go out only in special occasions. Watching movies while eating a huge tub or popcorn with tons of butter might not be your thing but your friend is still into it.

What should you do? You can’t end the friendship because of food choices!
Only you know what kind of friends you have. I believe true friends will respect your new healthy lifestyle. They will not insist in highly caloric foods knowing that you no longer partake on that. I also believe friends are not the food police. Unless they are your accountability partners they are not to accuse you for your food choices. Respect is a good word to be used when it comes to food choices.

I believe true friends will find new ways to connect with you. Ask yourself, what are some non-food related activities you and your friends would enjoy?
A walk around the Lake?
A visit to the museum?
A hike on a national park?
Community service?
A bike ride?
Going to a book reading?
Getting pedicures together?
True friends lead a two-way relationship where they’re not intimidated by your new lifestyle but they respect it and still want to be a part of your new life.

Goals for the Week:
* Train for 5K 3 times a week (OK!);
* Walk on Saturday or simply swim;

* Treat myself with a visit to a friend (OK), a manicure and pedicure;
* Focus on protein and dairy intake;
* Listen to your body!

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The weight of my Mind

This is part of what I shared in the health seminar yesterday:

"15 years ago I looked at this girl - who wasn’t fat to begin with but lost more weight - and I decided I wanted to be like her. What a huge mistake. I felt inferior, I felt less than. Through this image I was introduced to a tyrant constantly telling me I wasn’t thin or good enough.

I did lose a lot of weight and standing in the mirror at 120 pounds, I called myself fat. I literally looked in the mirror and in my mind, I still thought I was fat. For 10 years, no one could tell me why that happed. I even shared that with a co-worker who didn’t have the answer herself.

Since I was 11 years-old I’ve been on some kind of diet periodically. Nothing I’ve tried gave me lasting results. I told you I would talk about the Media’s influence but I’m not gonna spend a lot of time in that and you will see why.

I don’t need to give you tons of states for you to know that advertisers are out there to create new wants in your life. I studied the tactics of advertising in college and after taking that particular course my professor told me: Cintia, you know how they do things so you shouldn’t be affected by advertisement. The kind of advertisement that always impressed me was mascara. Every other day there’s one that’s supposed to make your lashes 3 times fuller. For some reason that really impressed me.

The media is always after women. I took a magazine class with one of the leading Magazine experts in the country. He calls himself Mr. Magazine, his name is Samir Husni. On his book “Selling Content” Dr. Husni quotes Richard Stolley, founding editor of People magazine who wrote the laws of magazine cover designs.

Here they are: “Young is better than old. Pretty is better than ugly. Rich is better than poor. Movies are better than television. Television is better than music. Movies and television are better than sports. Anything is better than politics. And as morbid as it may seem, nothing is better than the dead celebrity.”

Dr. Husni preached, backed by research and real life, that every magazine that includes a diet on its cover soar in sales.

I don’t have to bring any examples of thinness being celebrated on television. Actresses are celebrated when they lose extreme amounts of weight for their roles. What I realized with the Janet Jackson incident – as well as with the recent The Biggest Loser – is that I don’t live in a ranch somewhere out in Arizona with Chefs and personal trainers working with me 8 hours a day. I have a job, a family and a life. I can dedicate only 40 minutes of exercise most days of the week.

Think about it at home:
* How does the statement above (Media Standards) can be compared to God’s standards?

Now that we know what the world standards are, let me talk to you about God’s way of loving & changing me.

I came to the States at 18. In College I gained weight and lost it. My life was a constant yo-yo experience when it came to weight but I never gave any in depth thought about it. If I was getting too big, I either combined diet with exercise and pills or exercised until it came off. Then it came back again.

When I got married in January of 2006 I lost a lot of weight and gained it all back within two weeks of the marriage.

Along with the weight I experienced chest pains. I dressed and came with my smile to work but inside I was a mess.

I didn’t have a lot of knowledge about portions, nutrition and exercise. 85% of my clothes did not fit. That’s when I really got desperate. We couldn’t buy larger sizes and I didn’t believe in larger sizes. As I put on my tight pants, I remember calling myself fat with a lot of anger.

I suffered before leading worship at church. It was extremely hard to lead others to worship when I felt insecure about myself, my clothes, the way I looked. My husband never called me fat, never told me to lose weight, he encouraged me through it all but that didn’t work for me either.

The summer of 2006, when we were house parents to the college summer staff here at the Lake I had enough of that suffering. I got on my knees at Colonial Inn an said a simple prayer. I asked God to help me because I didn’t know what else to do. I kept living life.

That’s when God said ok, because you are going to stop trying I’m gonna work on your behalf.

He led me through a process that has given me so much more than weight loss. The first thing He had me do was to renew my mind. For 10 years my mind was functioning according to the standards of the world. I was so sick, I was walking around the lake and being bothered by how thin other women were. That’s sick. As Christians we are supposed to look at persons as Jesus would. Look at their eyes with the love of the Father."

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Word of the week: DO

I watched this Frontline documentary today. It was sad, sad but real.

History can’t be changed but we can do better in the present. We should remember periods like the Holocaust so that we love all of our neighbors and more importantly, help our neighbors. Love is an action. God so love the world that He gave. You and I need to be like our heavenly Father.
I’ve said the world doesn’t stop because you’re on a diet. There’s so much going in the world, we can’t be blinded right now, we need to make a difference.

I know you can’t save the world but you are richer than many women in Sudan. You are richer than someone in your own town. Give something to the poor. Pray for Sudan. Don’t be blinded by your own efforts to lose weight. Find a balance in that and changing the world right where you are. You can recycle, save energy, donate money or time. You and I need to do something.

I read about an awesome idea I will adopt. Here in the area, there’s a health challenge going on in our area called “Lighten up for life.” They are encouraging the participants to donate the amount of pounds they lost as food to one of the local pantries. I thought it was a creative way to give. It really inspired me and I hope you get inspired to help someone else during your journey.

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Break | Folga

I'm taking a break this week! Estou tirando uma folga essa semana. I'll be back next week! Volto semana que vem! Thanks for reading Simply Cintia. Obrigada por ler Simply Cintia.

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Goal!

"The victory of success is half won when one gains the habit of setting goals and achieving them. Even the most tedious chore will become endurable as you parade through each day convinced that every task, no matter how menial or boring, brings you closer to fulfilling your dreams." Og Mandino

My dad introduced me to Og Mandino so I read The Greatest Salesman in the World for myself once I grew up. Very inspirational, really touching. I didn't know this quote but I agree with it totally. Each day I work out I get closer to my goal. It would be tedious to focus only in numbers. There's more to life than how long I work out, how many pounds I can lift and how many miles I can run. It's about a greater goal. I'm Brazilian, so I can relate to the cry GOOOLLL!!!!!! Losing weight is like a long soccer game. I've been scoring during this game, I'm winning. My team mates are my friends who are directly helping me along the game. I'm the leader of the team. I'm in this game to win. I realize sometimes I need time out to reconfigure my strategy but we're going to win this game ultimately.

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