Goodness knows we’ve had enough of them this winter!
Over the past couple of weeks, our area has experienced devastating floods, a tornado, and snow. Gotta love the Carolinas!
With March just around the corner, more rain is sure to come. So let’s consider some fun and meaningful ways to engage our rainy day senses:
What Can We See?
Read rain-related verses.
Go through old photos – not for the purpose of organizing but simply to enjoy.
Watch the rain⏤the way droplets weigh down the leaves on a branch. Or the places where it puddles. Reading the verses beforehand can’t help but add depth to our wonder.
Hopefully a rainbow!
What Can We Hear?
Listen⏤really listen⏤to the soft ticking of the rain on your window, umbrella, or rooftop. Rain is a symphony of nature created by God for our listening pleasure.
Vinyl spinning on a nearby turntable.
Perhaps a crackling fire if it’s cold outside?
The sloshing sound from beneath our rain boots as we jump puddles with (or without) our children/grandchildren.
What Can We Smell?
Step outside and catch the scent of rain. Depending on where it falls (the driveway, freshly plowed dirt, grass, or the pup), we’ll pick up on a variety of aromas. All a delight, except for the latter. 🙂
Burn a candle as you read a favorite book. (Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson is a new fave of mine. This isn’t an affiliate link. I’m just a fan.)
Soup cooking over a hot stove. Is there anything more soothing than soup on a rainy day? Besides warm chocolate chip cookies, of course.
What Can We Touch?
Warm pj’s and flannel sheets. Need I say more?
The hands of a loved one. A rainy night is the ideal setting to unplug and spend time with those God has placed in our lives.
Birdfeeders. My country birdies are voracious eaters when it rains.
A pen. Rainy days are perfect for re-engaging the art of a handwritten letter.
Hearts and lives through prayer. Let’s pull out our prayer journal and lift up the lost and loved ones to the Lord.
What Can We Taste?
Steamy mugs of tea. Lace it with honey and sip away.
The rain! When’s the last time we put on our rain boots, ran outside, looked up to the heavens and stuck out our tongue? None of us are promised tomorrow, so let’s have some fun!
The goodness of God. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8) Rainy days offer a pause⏤physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Set aside time to journal or make a list of specific ways you’ve tasted (experienced firsthand) God’s goodness in recent days.
“You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the LORD, have created it.” (Isaiah 45:8)
So, which of the five senses do you most enjoy on a rainy day?
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Not just any ice cream, mind you. It must include sweet morsels of cookie dough, thin mints, or chocolate chips⏤sprinkles, syrups, or anything fruity are simply not invited to the party.
Recently, while wiping minty green deliciousness from around my lips, the words Where is your self-control? rudely interrupted the moment. The words stunned me even more than the fact that I was returning a half-eaten pint of my favorite meal snack to the freezer.
We know when it’s time for a change. And this was that moment.
Scenes from the last two years darted past.
Let’s see. There was the stress of prepping our old house to sell, then the move, writing two books in one year, the heartbreak of returning a beloved puppy on Valentines Day, and struggling with a couple of ongoing medical issues that wiggled fingers from their ears, double-dog-daring me to just try and lose the weight.
Hmm…turns out, it wasn’t ice cream I tasted. It was my emotions. If only they were fat-free. *sigh*
Convinced I couldn’t gain control of my eating habits, or the expanding waistline, I gave up. I grew comfortable buying one larger size after the other, but way down deep, I knew my lack of self-control was costing a lot more than 4.99 a gallon.
So I whipped out my favorite sketchbook, turned it sideways, and drew a line down the center of the page. Each column claimed a title.
The left column: Results From Eating Poorly. Keeping it real here, folks:
Avoiding people I haven’t seen since the added weight.
I’m not reflecting the power of self-discipline.
Feeling dumpy.
Slave to sweets.
I run away from the camera and videos.
The right column: Benefits from Eating Healthier
Live unashamed!
Healthier body, mind, and spirit.
Attention and energy will shift more to others (instead of worrying about what people think about me.)
I won’t shy away from the camera, whether it’s snapping shots with my family, fun selfies with friends, or video opportunities.
This time next year, I will be healthier, stronger, and more energetic. (One of the reasons we moved closer to the mountains was for the convenience of kayaking and hiking.)
There I sat, comparing the two columns and circling key words, like avoid, slave to sweets, not reflecting⏤followed by⏤live, unashamed, won’t shy away.
For the first time in two years, I saw my life choices for what they really were, as well as their cost. Two scripture verses quickly followed:
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.1 Corinthians 6:12
[Truth is, I had given food way too much control over my life. It was my comforter, my be-happy-for-ten-minutes drug, my thoughtless activity. I want my life to reflect what I believe, not what brings me relief.]
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 6:22, 23 NIV
[I agreed with the voice that had rudely interrupted me only minutes prior, saying aloud, You’re right! I have no self-control. God said, “Wrong! I have given you everything you need to exercise self-control. My power lives in you. Depend on Him, not yourself.”]
I prayed for help, wisdom, and a desire to eat healthier.
I came up with a simple plan to focus mainly on my eating habits. If I tried too much at one time, I would be overwhelmed. I re-started Weight Watchers, looked back at this post in 2015 for tips, and instead of finding ways it wouldn’t work for me, I found a way to make it work. Now I make a weekly menu and stock my fridge with all the right things (I use my extra points on the weekend for a cupcake — and I enjoy every bite!)
I dedicated the plan to God with open and outstretched hands, confessing I can’t do it without Him.
So why am I sharing this journey with you at ten pounds down instead of waiting for a whopping victorious number?
Because it’s the small, strong, day-to-day choices we make that are to be celebrated.
It’s not about arriving at a certain number on a scale, or making “x” amount of money, or gaining “x” amount of social media followers.
It’s about arriving at the feet of Jesus.
Is there a situation in your life that might benefit by drawing a line down the center of a page?
After an 8 week recoup time last November, I’d planned to hop back on the Weight Watchers wagon without missing a beat. And then Oprah and her bread-eating self entered the picture and everything changed. The plan (PointsPlus™) I credit for helping me lose 30 pounds last year switched over to SmartPoints™.
Flexibility is one of the main reasons I chose Weight Watchers last year, and now there is very little of that, especially for those of us with a sweet tooth. {Despite my sugar allowances, I passed every health requirement for insurance with flying colors⎯the first time in years.}
Having choices on the PointsPlus™ plan also helped me to not feel deprived. I’m concerned many will end up feeling exactly that on the new plan, but we all have our choices to make, and with those choices, changes. My change included cancelling my membership. I’m sticking with the PointsPlus™ plan using my old calculator. Yes, I miss not being able to access online tools but it’s worth the sacrifice. I know what works for me, and even though it’s harder to stay on track without the support of the Weight Watchers leaders (whom I love by the way!), I’m determined to try.
So, while change is often a good thing, this one doesn’t feel like it. I’m disappointed, a little timid about going it alone, and a tad frustrated that the company had to go and change what was working for many people.
Graphic courtesy of PictureGraphics
I hope the new program will be the right direction for many. I really do.
How about you? Has anything changed in your life lately as a result of choices made by others? Hopefully, it’s a good change! Please share in the comment section.
I don’t know what it is about Fall. Maybe it’s the cool breezes or the fact that I love layered clothing but nonetheless, when a new season approaches it’s time to take stock of what we have, what we need, and what we can share with others.
This particular season is a new one for me. I’ve lost 30 pounds since April 2015. Nothing much fits anymore so my hubby encouraged me to buy new clothes and get the other multiple sizes out of the house. I’m happy to report that I was a submissive wife. 🙂
So, I’m now I’m working on my own closet this week and thought it would be a good opportunity to invite you to join in the process I plan to follow.
1. Pull everything out of the closet. The floor should be clear as well. (Can I just say I dread this part?)
2. As we pull out our summer clothes, it’s the perfect time to toss over-worn clothes and donate the no-longer-worn. For those kept, clean if necessary before storing them away in labeled storage containers. We store our containers in the attic but they can also be stored on the top shelf of your closet, depending on how many clothes you have, or slip them under every bed in the house. One more place is a restored armoire.
3. Before adding Fall components, take inventory. Again, it’s a good time to ween out the worn, outdated, and unworn. If you have multiples of a particular item, you can take note of it so there’s less opportunities for impulse purchases.
4. Keep a small separate tote for gloves, mittens, hats, headbands, etc. I use an over-the-door hook rack for my scarves.
Organize Your Stuff Now
5. For the first time in a very long time (sad, I know) I purchased boots. Umm, multiple pairs of boots. And I’m not a shoe person! But it didn’t take long to see the benefit of having boot shapers. One pair I purchased from Target had them already inserted into the boots. I realized later it was probably because I took the display pair. Oops. So now I’m searching for ways to make my own. Maybe you are too. If so, check out Leanne’s Organize Your Stuff Now.
I hope you’ll join me tomorrow as I share my Five Favorite Fall Finds. But for now, I’d love for you to share your favorite tip when it comes to switching out seasonal clothing in the comment section. I have a lot to learn.
I look at my friends and wish I could live vicariously through them but the truth is, my idea of adventure is trying a new latte flavor at Starbucks. Sad, I know.
Today I asked the Barista to create a short Toasted Graham Latte instead of my normal Skinny Vanilla Latte. I knew I was in trouble (Weight Watchers point-wise) when she swirled a bit of whip cream on top and sprinkled tiny bits of graham cracker on top, but I gulped it down took one for the team, and let me just say…it was worth every single point. Yum to the max, my friend!
Fall is the perfect season for us to venture out — turning onto an unknown back road, taking up a new hobby, or going to a place we’ve always wanted to visit but haven’t. Or, for the more adventurous at heart, trying a new Fall flavor latte at Starbucks. 🙂
Now there’s no way I could tempt you with such a delight without offering an opportunity to win a cup of your own, so simply fill in the blank below via the comment section, and you’ll be signed up for a random drawing being held Wednesday, October 14th.
(If you’re not a Google user and it shows as Anonymous, please FB message me or email me via the button on my side bar so I’ll have your address if you’re the winner!)
Just one more way to love, love, love this spectacular season.
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Having choices on the PointsPlus™ plan also helped me to not feel deprived. I’m concerned many will end up feeling exactly that on the new plan, but we all have our choices to make, and with those choices, changes. My change included cancelling my membership. I’m sticking with the PointsPlus™ plan using my old calculator. Yes, I miss not being able to access online tools but it’s worth the sacrifice. I know what works for me, and even though it’s harder to stay on track without the support of the Weight Watchers leaders (whom I love by the way!), I’m determined to try.
