Today I am so excited to start off the first post of 2019 sharing my word for the year!
This is the sixth year that I have joined in on the "pick a word for the year train". Every year in the summer and fall as I start to pray about the upcoming year and ask the Lord for a word and for some scripture verses for the year I am always amazed at how the Lord leads.
Something I started doing a number of years ago is after I pick a word for the year, I then pick an "over arching verse" for the year that I work on memorizing, along with 12 other additional verses (1 for each month) that all deal with the theme from my word of the year.
I use the word for the year in other ways in my personal life, but incorporating scripture in this unique way has been a beautiful blessing and something I plan to continue throughout my life. As the coming year unfolds I am continuously amazed at how uniquely this word and these verses will come into play in encouraging me, reminding me of God's unique grace and love, and the way that I see His plan unfold in specific ways for a variety of different seasons and situations.
As a new year begins we never know what will be coming in front of us. We don't know the unique and difficult challenges we may face along with the beautiful highs and blessings that are yet to be seen. And yet as I think and pray about a word for the year I am constantly surprised at the way that I see God in His tender mercy reflects the promise and hope of the word that I have chosen throughout each day- especially as I purpose to look for it.
My words for the last five years have been:
Espoir 2018
Rachat (2017)
Anew (2016)
Mettle (2015)
Valor (2014)
Over the past few months as I have prayed about 2018, the Lord kept bringing to mind the themes of hope and expectancy without fear. This theme has been something that I have been challenged to examine in various ways as I continue to heal and step out of "sick world" and slowly step back into "regular life". But it doesn't just stop at my health. I have been challenged to really examine different ways that I view hope and expectancy in my life... especially in deep ways that are intensely personal.
Sometimes after a long battle with health or another traumatic experience... I think we can grow more timid than we ever believed we would especially in relation to hope and expectancy. I remember lying in bed years ago, unable to move and thinking that I would be the most fearless person alive if I ever started to heal. And I have started to heal... and am healing... but I find myself timid with lots of different areas. In the last few months I have been really challenging myself about this and praying about what this looks like specifically in my life.
Along with this, I have been really pausing to consider the power of "words". As an author I know the power that words can hold and I want to always speak life into situations... not death...and in doing so started to consider the words that are being spoken into my life. Back in August, I confronted this in new ways as it became abundantly clear that a friendship that I had... needed some clear and defined boundaries as this person was constantly speaking fear and the "worst case scenario" into my life- usually several times a day. Y'all know my heart and it wanted to be a support for this person, but I started to realize that the help that they needed went beyond the role of a friend and needed professional counseling... something that I am not equipped or trained to do.
I don't typically share something like that on the blog, but felt a nudge to do so today for a couple of reasons... first I hear from women all the time who are struggling with unhealthy friendships and my heart hurts for you. It is a tough road to navigate.
Second, I also share that very personal story to say...as I have walked the road of forgiveness in that situation it has really made me consider the words that we allow into our lives and the words that we speak into others as well. I want my words to reflect life, hope, and grace and encouragement ... and not fear or discouragement. So many times we are so careless with our words and this upcoming year I want to make sure I am reflecting hope and grace to each person I encounter. (As a side note- as I said above- if you are in a similar situation as I was above... my heart goes out to you. It can truly be a tricky road to walk and my prayers are with you for wisdom in the situation. I truly encourage you to seek wise counsel for yourself in that situation too.)
I look forward to walking this road with you this year and examining this more... as I consider present and future moments. In the last few months I truly felt the Lord impressing upon my heart these themes for this coming year. So as I continued to pray I felt the Lord bring these two words together into one perfect word:
Sine Timore
Sine Timore is a latin phrase that means:
"without fear"
Granted, it is not a word that is "common" or used everyday but the definitions sum up exactly what I pray for for this coming year - living in hope and expectancy without fear.
As I mentioned above I pick a key theme verse for the year and this year there were two that really stood out to me:
"Bold power and glorious majesty are wrapped around her as she laughs with JOY over the latter days."
-Proverbs 31:25-
"In the morning I lay my requests before you and watch expectantly."
-Psalm 3:5-
A lot of time as a young sick gal I find myself facing the truth that I struggle with this concept due to the season of illness. To be honest I have come to realize that after this season I often expect the worst instead of the best in big and small things. Instead of believing for joy and hope I often question, doubt, and wonder behind the scenes. I was hit with this fully when I was examining a situation in my personal life. One of my best friends recently said to me, "but Rebecca, what if the best case scenario happens"? and as the situation has played out it has been consistently a story of the best case scenario happening. I was humbled by this and as this new year approached I knew that I wanted to live fully expectant with hope in all areas of my life.
As I mentioned above I pick a key theme verse for the year and this year there were two that really stood out to me:
"Bold power and glorious majesty are wrapped around her as she laughs with JOY over the latter days."
-Proverbs 31:25-
"In the morning I lay my requests before you and watch expectantly."
-Psalm 3:5-
A lot of time as a young sick gal I find myself facing the truth that I struggle with this concept due to the season of illness. To be honest I have come to realize that after this season I often expect the worst instead of the best in big and small things. Instead of believing for joy and hope I often question, doubt, and wonder behind the scenes. I was hit with this fully when I was examining a situation in my personal life. One of my best friends recently said to me, "but Rebecca, what if the best case scenario happens"? and as the situation has played out it has been consistently a story of the best case scenario happening. I was humbled by this and as this new year approached I knew that I wanted to live fully expectant with hope in all areas of my life.
So that is my "word" for the year friends! Did y'all pick a "word" for this year? I would love to hear about it and what the significance is to you!!
"we will laugh more, love more... we just won't be so afraid..."
"we will laugh more, love more... we just won't be so afraid..."
"Everyday you preach to yourself a gospel of your loneliness, inability, and lack of resources or you faithfully preach to yourself the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."
-Paul David Tripp-
If you're on the fitness train and you have lost the weight or are losing the weight you had set to lose then it may be a good idea to start toning up if you haven’t already. Toning up will define your muscles and reduce body fat which will increase the definition of muscles. If you are sick of the gym and want to be able to tone up from the comfort of your home, then here are a few tips to do just that:
|
| Photo Source |
Whole Body Vibration machine
A full body vibration machine uses vibrating plates to make your muscles contract and relax multiple times as you stand, sit or lie on the machine in various poses and positions to impact certain parts of the body. This machine will not only help to tone your muscles but will also help with any fat burning and also increases your circulation. Because the machine is contracting your muscles many times per second it makes you feel like you have been working out at high intensity when you haven’t even moved. If you are struggling to find a machine that targets your whole body then there are sites that will break down each machine type and the cost to find you the best one on the market.
Body Toning Belt
Body toning belts will use a safe electric current directed to the preferred muscle and contract and relax that muscle with each pulse to help tone the muscle. The good thing about the toning belt is it can be used on most parts of the body as it just wraps around the part you want to tone to be more direct. It has interchangeable pads also which help to distribute the charge, so you can change the size of the pad to be more direct in some places. Using the toning belt will also help with blood circulation on the parts you use it on.
Exercises
There are a few exercises you can do from home just using your own body weight. The first exercise you can do is the press up which can be a full press up or a ¾ press up depending on how comfortable you are at doing them. Doing the press up will help with toning your arms, shoulders, and chest. The next exercise would be the Tricep dip, this again requires no weights but you will need to be able to use the edge of low surfaces like a sofa or coffee table, so make sure you have enough room, this will work just your triceps and parts of your shoulders. The other main one which will be for toning your abs is situps, this will be unweighted as well which makes it easier to do from home and you will need a clear bit of floor to be able to do these exercises. There are many exercises you can do from home but these are the main ones that are easiest to do. There are lots of sites out there which can show you the best techniques for these and also give you other exercises to do.
Getting fit and toning up at home is great for those that can’t afford a gym membership or just don’t like the gym. Working out from home will help keep you fit and also make it easier to fit around your home life as you have to find less time to work out at home as opposed to going to the gym. With these tips then you will be well underway to getting toned up and fit while going about your everyday life.
*contributed post*
2018 is a year that seems impossible to put simply into a few words.
Like many of you it held some incredible highs (even starting off the first day of the new year in a castle on our European river cruise !!), amazing places in the world that I fell in love with (hello Switzerland & Alaska!!), time with family, special relationships & precious text/skype messages, lots of laughter, starting to see HUGE healing steps in my health journey, an official "Cancer Free" 5 year celebration, learning to ski, starting to run, adventures with friends, a special Disney trip, seeing dreams starting to come to pass...& a hundred million other little details that happened behind the scenes...
but 2018, among the joy, has held tears & brokenness (especially since the accident). These last few months have been incredibly painful, difficult (in intensely private & personal ways) & finishing up the last treatment round of 2018 these past few days have seemed to be more about "surviving" than "thriving"...and I know many of you have also experienced that feeling this year in various ways...
So as we approach this new year, my prayers are simple for us friends...not for a bunch of resolutions to make things "better" to be met, but for tender grace to meet us all each day, for resolutions on believing in hope in the waiting, for plans that change our hearts to love lavishly those around us, for blessings & miracles to come from the seemingly impossible, for peace in letting go & living in forgiveness, for longings fulfilled & prayers answered & most of all for hope as we watch expectantly at what God will do...
May God bless you abundantly as we embark on a new season & year friends! Cheering you on in this upcoming year...
"I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year with Thee, O Father, as my harbor, Thee, O Son of my helm, Thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails."
but 2018, among the joy, has held tears & brokenness (especially since the accident). These last few months have been incredibly painful, difficult (in intensely private & personal ways) & finishing up the last treatment round of 2018 these past few days have seemed to be more about "surviving" than "thriving"...and I know many of you have also experienced that feeling this year in various ways...
So as we approach this new year, my prayers are simple for us friends...not for a bunch of resolutions to make things "better" to be met, but for tender grace to meet us all each day, for resolutions on believing in hope in the waiting, for plans that change our hearts to love lavishly those around us, for blessings & miracles to come from the seemingly impossible, for peace in letting go & living in forgiveness, for longings fulfilled & prayers answered & most of all for hope as we watch expectantly at what God will do...
May God bless you abundantly as we embark on a new season & year friends! Cheering you on in this upcoming year...
"I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year with Thee, O Father, as my harbor, Thee, O Son of my helm, Thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails."
//The Valley of Vision//
- Isaiah 9:1-
Friends, I wish I could send each and every one of you a Christmas card this year! Let me be honest... not everyone even on my list got a Christmas card and some of you reading it are saying ... "um... and my envelope was definitely not decorated." True. True. *smiles* Thank you for your gracious patience with understanding that finances were a bit tight this year in being able to send out all of the cards I would have liked to.
Please know that from the bottom of my little heart I am sending warmest wishes for a wonderful Christmas to you and your loved ones. May you be abundantly blessed by His love, joy, comfort, and most of all His peace these next few days and as we approach 2019.
I am taking a bit of a break from work and blogging these next few days and look forward to connecting over on Instagram (after Christmas) some in the next week but will be back here in blog world regularly starting Wednesday, January 3rd. From now until then, I am sending love across this space. I know that some of you are feeling very "unseen" and "forgotten" this Christmas season... please know you are not. I am praying right now that you will feel specifically and tenderly loved by God in unique and personal ways these next few days.
Please know that from the bottom of my little heart I am sending warmest wishes for a wonderful Christmas to you and your loved ones. May you be abundantly blessed by His love, joy, comfort, and most of all His peace these next few days and as we approach 2019.
I am taking a bit of a break from work and blogging these next few days and look forward to connecting over on Instagram (after Christmas) some in the next week but will be back here in blog world regularly starting Wednesday, January 3rd. From now until then, I am sending love across this space. I know that some of you are feeling very "unseen" and "forgotten" this Christmas season... please know you are not. I am praying right now that you will feel specifically and tenderly loved by God in unique and personal ways these next few days.
With Lots of Love and warmest wishes,
Self-confidence is something that you feel when you trust in your abilities and your qualities as a human being. It’s an important part of your health and wellbeing, and it’s a way for you to feel good about yourself every single day. The problem? If you have no confidence in yourself, you won’t believe that you can be successful in your personal and professional life. When you believe in yourself, you’re willing to try something new. Whether that’s switching between hobbies or getting dressed in the morning in something that makes your soul sing, you need to find what it is that makes you feel confident and run with it!
When you feel more confident in yourself, you are more willing to try new things and this then translates into feelings of logic when it comes to working out what would make you happy. You can devote as much energy as possible to what will make you feel good and feel confident in what you’re doing, and it’s how you find passions in life. Perhaps you aren’t feeling confident enough to go shopping for new dresses in https://www.fillyflair.com, but that can change. You shouldn't waste time and effort worrying that what you’re wearing isn’t good enough, you should just spend time thinking about what will make you look and feel good. The right shopping trip can make you feel beautiful and ready to take on the world. The question is whether you are ready to take on board what you need to do to boost your confidence or not.
|
| Image Source |
- Stop comparing yourself to other people. There is so much of yourself that gets snatched away because you’re busy thinking about what others are thinking about you. Worrying about what others are doing with their lives just snatches your own happiness. Feel pride in the way that someone else is living their life, and then concentrate on how to improve your own.
- Take care of your body with exercise and eating well. You are going to feel more confident with more energy and the more you eat well, the better the energy you have. Being sluggish and not working out is only going to make you feel bad about yourself, and you shouldn't have to put yourself through it. Making self-care a priority for you is going to help you to see that you are important; as vital as anyone else.
- Treat yourself with more kindness. Use kind words when you are describing yourself and think about the way your words are like needles in your skin if you didn’t clean them up. You need to consider how you speak about yourself, too, because the way you talk about yourself to other people matters.
Confidence is always going to be the preference, and no matter how many people you have around you, you need to consider the way that you feel about yourself first. You matter, and as long as you know that, you can grow your confidence well.
*contributed post*
If y'all have been around this blog for even a short amount of time than you know that I love music ...and this holiday season has been incredibly special as every weekend has held a beautiful Christmas concert of some sort. Some have been local (and included a high school choir- which y'all know I would love!), some have been at a nearby university, and two weeks ago we headed up to Montreal for the CBC Sing-In which was so incredible!
We had never done this before and it was a little bit of a trip but it was simply delightful! The CBC Sing-In (it was the 39th year of it happening!) is Montreal's biggest and oldest sing-along which takes place at the Church of St. Andrew & St. Paul and also is held at Bourgie Hall.
Several months ago I was looking for holiday activities to do in the surrounding area and came across this event. The tickets (which are free but are still required to guarantee a spot at either location) went on sale in November and we grabbed a few- excited to experience this event.
Y'all... it was seriously just lovely. The concert featured a choir, the Sing-In Brass and percussion ensemble, and organist Jonathan Oldengarm and conductor Jean-Sébastien Vallée.
If you would like to see more photos from the event (or listen to it) you can find more on the website HERE!
It was such a fun holiday event to do and we are already planning to go back again next year!
Happy Thursday friends! I hope your week is finishing up well!
|
| Photo by sasint from Pixabay |
Money drives most of the decisions that we make in life. If you’re someone who has a passion for fitness then you might be looking at new workout equipment or a diet plan like the KetoLogic lose weight in 30 days strategy. But us travelers like to get out there and explore, even when our budget isn’t as high as we’d like it to be. So here are some suggestions on saving money when traveling abroad.
Flights
Getting around is usually the most expensive part of any travel. Flying comes with high expenses and finding out how to save on them can be easier said than done. Well here are some ideas for those of you looking to travel on a budget.
There are many companies out there who are looking to save you money on your flights, but you should be careful who you book through because there are scams out there and some websites also give priority to paid advertisements. One group that is leading the fight against airline prices is Scott's Cheap Flights. They scour the web looking for the best flight deals and collate them all for people signed up to their service. There are equivalents around the world where rather than relying on algorithms, experts take the time to find the best deals for you.
 |
| Photo by Tama66 from Pixabay |
Accommodation
After flights, it is fair to suggest that accommodation is an expensive part of the travel process. However, it doesn’t have to be thanks to the many different avenues you can now use to have a roof over your head on your travels. The traditional hotel has become cheaper in certain parts of the world thanks to the competitive nature of online booking websites like Booking and Trivago. However, there is also a newer market that has taken over which you are no doubt aware of, which is the ability for the average person to advertise their property on websites like Airbnb for travelers to use. This market has grown in a way that few people saw coming ten years ago and is now one of the leading, and cheapest, ways of booking accommodation when you travel. Cheap is good but what is even better is that due to the much broader range of options now available to the average traveler you get more bang for your buck as well.
Things To Do
Finally, once you’ve arrived in your destination and put your bags down in your accommodation you’re going to want to get out and about. Before you set foot on the plane you should research all of the free things that the city or country you are visiting has to offer. Different countries have various approaches to tourist attractions, some offer you the opportunity to buy a pass that heavily discounts activities while some just ask for a donation.
That word research is key to anyone who has the travel bug. You must research to make sure you get the best price, accommodation and attractions.
*contributed post*
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
