Words of Wisdom - Faith, Family, Friends & Fun

Fun

Friends

Family

Faith

"We didn't realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun." - Author Unknown

Motivational Monday – Are you waiting for something?

Photo Credit: Union Church of Manila

The weather forecast called for six to eight inches of snow in my area. It was predicted that snow would accumulate an inch each hour. Schools closed in advance and the lines at the grocery store extended into shopping aisles. Waiting.

Many situations cause us to wait. It could be that we’re waiting in line, waiting for a paycheck, waiting for test results or waiting to start a venture. Are you waiting for something? Have you been putting off something that you’ve always wanted to do? Maybe you're waiting for God's timing.

I discovered a podcast called, The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman. Episode 67 is titled Wait Now Go. In the brief session she addresses the question, how do we know when we need to wait and when we should move? Check it out for a dose of inspiration. Click here.

Are you waiting for something?

Wellness Wednesday – Fluffy to Fabulous – 3 tips to keep you motivated along your fitness journey

Fluffy to Fabulous - Forearms today, something else next week. Working it out one body part at a time.

Do you remember my new motto…? Fluffy to Fabulous. Feel free to take this journey with me. Write down what fabulous looks like for you. It could mean fitting into a dress that has taken up residence in the back of your closet for months or making healthy food choices.

Did you write down your “fabulous statement”? If not, do it now, I’ll wait…daydream…and wait some more….

Okay, ready? Close your eyes and visualize yourself at that fabulous state. Keep that picture in your mind when you feel like you’re veering off track from what you want to accomplish. What will it take to keep you motivated? Here are 3 tips to get you started

1.      Read something inspirational every day. It could be a quote, a favorite scripture or a mantra that you repeat though out the day.

2.      Reward yourself – treat yourself with something special each time you experience success. For example – maybe walked away from that chocolate chip muffin in the break room at work (on wait, that’s me). Your reward could be a warm bubble bath with your favorite music filling the room.

3.      Accountability partner – have someone you can talk to about your journey. Rest assured, somebody has been where you are. For the challenge that I’m participating in, we have a Facebook group where we can share recipes, talk about our struggles and share sound advice.

BONUS

4.      Take a selfie…at a long angle, so you look slimmer. This is called “fake it until you can make.”

If you are in the Belleville, Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor Area check out A-train’s Super Fit. This Friday, January 25^th is a special Step Class – Step, Sweat & Tone with Crystal Marie, 6-7pm. Click here for details.

Fluffy to Fabulous will not happen overnight, but you can do it; even if it is one body part at a time.

Motivational Monday - Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day - What are you doing for others?

YouTube Video Credit: University of LaVerne

YouTube Video Credit: Evan Murray

Fun Friday – Food for Thought – Silly Side Up

Have you ever had a moment where you just let your mind wander and play the What If game? Writers often use this method to generate ideas and start the creative juices flowing. As I was working on meal preparations, ideas began to dance. Here is what developed…

·         Mrs. Dash is one of my favorite seasonings, but is there a Mr. Dash?

·         What would happen if Uncle Ben and Aunt Millie got married? Would they have little rice cakes?

·      What if Aunt Annie and Aunt Jemima were sisters, would they have a lot of dough?

·         If you eat a lot of Red Velvet Cake will you feel soft and warm inside?

·      If you have problems with your blue tooth do you call a dentist (ok, this one isn’t a food item, but   still food for thought)

·       Who is Granny Smith? How many grandkids does she have? Does she only like apples?

·        If Mrs. Butterworth and Mrs. Dash were in a race, who do you think would win?

Use these ideas or add your own at story starters.

Now that you see how to play the What If game, what would you add to the list?

Words of Wisdom – The DIY –Do it Yourself Plumbers – A teen and his mom

Standing in my kitchen as still as a deer, I heard the faint sound of water running. A tilt of my head helped me to zoom in on the sound, so I thought. I still couldn’t identify the origin of the hissing sound.

Inching closer to the stairway leading upstairs, the sound became louder. One carpeted stair at a time led me to the culprit…a running toilet. At the same time, I made this discovery, my son emerged from his bedroom and said, “Oh yeah Ma, that toilet has been running all day.”

I called my brother (handyman) and he made a futile attempt to talk me through turning the water off near the base of the toilet.

“Either push the knob or pull it, to shut the water off.”

I pushed and I pulled the knob I saw, but it didn’t budge. For fear of breaking something, I left it alone. Instead, I took a creative approach. I went to the basement, rummaged through my Christmas tote and grabbed a random piece of three-inch wide ribbon.

Back up two flights of stairs with the ribbon in tow, I was ready to work on the toilet situation. I removed the porcelain toilet tank top. Then I lifted the long metal piece that had a plastic blue ball, wrapped part of the ribbon around the metal piece and another part around the toilet handle. The running water sound subsided. Success…a temporary fix.

The next morning while I was at work my son called and said, “Ma, I fixed the toilet.”

“Oh, you were able to move the knob?”

“No, I pulled it out of the wall.”

After arriving home I inspected my son’s handy work. Hmm. He pulled something from the wall, it looked broken to me.

Time to admit, there are some things you just can’t do yourself.

Time to call for help.

Wellness Wednesday - What kind of shape are you in...financially?

Not only do we need to take care of our physical health, but our financial health as well. What are you doing about it? No time like the present to improve your health...financially.

Have you heard of Toastmasters? It is an international public speaking organization with clubs nearly everywhere. People join this group for various reasons, some are seeking a promotion on their job and want to improve their public speaking. Others want to improve their speaking, publically.

If you are in the Metro Detroit area, stop by and visit the Westside Professionals Club. We are holding an Open House where guests can learn more about Toastmasters. Our guest speaker will be a fellow Toastmaster for the Innovators Orators Club, Joseph Samples.

Mr. Samples is a financial coach and financial advisor. He helps people make better and informed financial decisions. He will share his financial expertise and entertain questions. Be a part of this informative presentation that will take place Thursday, January 10tha t 6:30pm - St. Mary Mercy Hospital, Livonia, MI.

What steps will you take to get your financial health in shape?

Motivational Monday - 7 Simple satisfying pleasures in life

What would happen if you became so wrapped up in your daily activities that you never took the time to relax or enjoy the simple pleasures in life? It is often said that the best things in life are free. Here is a list of 7 simple (free) pleasures to help you enjoy life a little more.

·         Watching a sunrise/sunset

·         Sleeping in on a rainy day

·         Finding money you tucked away and forgot about

·         Having a good laugh – a deep hearty laugh can cleanse your soul

·         Spending time with a friend reminiscing

·         Holding hands with someone you love

·         Making someone smile – maybe someone you know is having a stressful day; you could do a good deed for them

What would you add to the list of life’s simple pleasures? 

Don’t let your current circumstances or conditions stop you from enjoying life’s simple pleasures.

Fun Friday - What are you reading? Meet author Nicole M. Stevenson

Nicole M. Stevenson, author

What fun things do you have planned for this weekend? In between all of your busyness, find time to curl up with a good book. Today on the blog I'd like to feature author, Nicole Stevenson. Nicole's recent book is Diamond's Kindergarten Madness.
Here's a summary about the book...

Diamond is five years old, living in New York. She is about to enter school for the first time. The last couple of days she has been feeling anxious about it. Her Mom has been reassuring her that she is going to like the school. Diamond”s mind has gotten the best of her. Find out what happens to her on her first day.

By Nicole M. Stevenson - available on Amazon

Nicole has also written books for adults. These include "Beyond the Pulpit" and  it's the sequel "For Worse." You can find these book under the name Nicole M. Matthews and Nicole Matthews.

Happy reading!

Do you have a recommendation of a good book to read? Do you know any local authors you'd like to see highlighted? Leave a message and let me know

Wordless Wednesday - Christian Comedy with Michael Jr.

A little humor to kickstart your New Year.

YouTube Video Credit: Comedian Michael Jr.