One Word 2022

I had never heard of One Word until I attended Bible study at Ada Bible. However, it turns out that this isn’t just a Christian thing. But for this (and I would guess most) Christian it is typically a little different because I tend to anchor our word with a Bible verse.

So, what exactly is One Word? I have seen many things but it comes down to this overall concept: To change anything in your life you need to focus and picking one word, with God’s help, to focus on and have clarity about for the year will bring you that change.

To be honest, I do not think I have ever really used it the way I should through the years of picking a word. Because, it has gotten hard. Not just hard but Satan pushing in ways that break me and I have allowed him to win over the years. And then, I finish the year without any focus on my word, or much of anything to be honest.

And the worst part is I never even realized it, until this year. Here we are only 18 days into the new year. My word is picked. My verse is picked. I have started and stuck with a new habit of writing scripture out each day. I am leading a Bible study and attending two other Bible studies. I have been doing well, to the outside world.

And yet, my word, which happens to be Fulfilled, is no where in site. My home life is in chaos. My desire to draw closer to God through scripture writing and Bible reading and studying isn’t there. Yes, I am doing both of them. Yes, I am getting in depth with both of them. Yes, I pray for God to light a fire within me for His Word. And still, so many things are going wrong.

Do you want to know what all of these things are telling me? Satan is working overtime my life. This has got to be a fabulous year that I will be feeling Fulfilled in all aspects of my life. I mean, normally the devil gives me a little bit of time. Typically I am pretty focused on the word for a good 4-6 months and then it goes downhill. And here we are not even out of January and I am being hit hard.

My favorite hat says, “Not Today Satan” and I often say it out loud. I even, at times, open a door or window and tell him to get outta my house!

So, what if you want to give up making resolutions and just focus on One Word for your year? How do you decide on a word? How do you even begin or know where to start?

There are a lot of blogs out there and websites that have lists of words to help you get started. But this is what I have done.

1. What went on in the past year? Was there something that really stood out that I wasn’t happy with?
2. I typically have a couple words in mind at this point and I pray over them. I flat out ask God to give me a clue as to what word I need in my life. Where do I need to focus so I know it is coming from Him and not me.
3. Once my word is chosen I start digging into Bible verses. Sometimes they have the word in it and sometimes it does not but it hints at it.
4. I write both the word and the verse down. Commit it to my heart. This year I also committed it to God that I would focus on this all year and not allow other things to get in my way.
5. I share it. I don’t have to but I am hoping it will help with the commitment to keep it in my forefront all year long. When you have an accountability partner who can say, “Hey what has God done with you and being fulfilled lately?”

Are you going to pick a word for the year? I would love to hear what yours is!

Three Ingredient Strawberry Jam

Well all over Facebook you can find people posting videos with recipes. One that I had saved but kept on popping up all over was the three ingredient strawberry jam.

It looked amazing as an end product. It looked pretty easy to make. It didn’t look like it would take a long time; well that is other than the cool down period that requires waiting and patience’s. It was also healthy! I mean seriously – it is just three ingredients and they are not unhealthy ingredients either.

Since our family goes through a ton of nut butters and jelly and jam I thought it would be the perfect recipe to try. And I wasn’t only going to try it, I was going to double it because if it was good, it would not last in this house. So I was going all in! If I could make a jam that is healthy, easy, and quick I would be over the moon.

The original recipe came from: The Busy Baker

Keep in mind that when you watch my video all the ingredients you see we doubled per the first recipe:

Three Ingredient Strawberry Jam

• 2 lbs Fresh Strawberries
• 1/2 Cup Raw Honey (you can lesson by 2 tablespoons if you have ripened to perfection strawberries)
• 1/4 Cup Chia Seeds
• Jars For Storing

Instructions:

• Clean, hull and slice strawberries
• Put strawberries into warmed saucepan (medium heat)
• Add honey to saucepan
• When strawberries start to soften stir them in the juice and honey
• As the berries start to fall apart break them apart even more with a potato masher
• Stirring continually let the berries and honey come to a slow boil
• When you have big bubbles you will add the chia seeds
• Chia seeds will help the jam become the jam.
• Stir continually (low heat) for 15 minutes
• Remove from stove

Now if you like chunks of fruit in your jam you can put it into your jars and then in the refrigerator. But if you are like 99% of my family and like smooth with no chunks you are going to want to do the next step before you put it into the jars.

• Put your jam into the blender and pulse it a few times
• Poor the jam into your jars
• Put cover on
• Put it in the fridge

Now Chrissie (The Busy Baker) talks about how it is not jam like when it is hot. That was very true – it was more like soup! However a few hours in the fridge and it was all good to go.

I will make the recommendation that if you want to be able to enjoy it sooner, you a few smaller jars instead of one big jar. I had put our families in a large jar and a gift for a friend in a smaller jar. The smaller jar was cooled and ready to eat much faster than ours. So we were tormented with waiting for ours to cool down.

A couple other notes: there are no preservatives so this must be kept in the fridge and it will last about 2 weeks. Unless your household is like mine then you don’t need to worry about when you made it because it will be gone before the two weeks are up!

Want a more in-depth instruction? Head over to The Busy Baker  site!

 

 

Journey To St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital Marathon – Week Two

So week two was a little easier and a lot more difficult. Really I did the same exact routine as I did the first week. I know it isn’t good to do the same thing over and over again because just like your brain your muscles develop memory (muscle memory).

I workout at Planet Fitness on the days I do work out. I really like the facility. I am not sure if they are all set up the same or not but mine suits me. They have free weights. They have weight machines. They have numerous options for cardio: treadmills, ellipticals, ARC trainers, recumbent and regular bikes. They have a 12 minutes ab section. They have a stretching section. They also have a 30 minute circuit workout.

One of my favorite parts though is the black card members area. They have tanning beds and stand up tanning (I don’t use these). They have the total body enhancement machine (haven’t used this but it was recommended this week by a friend for my Vitamin D level). They have massage chairs and hydro-massage beds (the hydro beds are my favorite after workout relaxation).

Monday I did the 30 minute circuit and treadmill.

Tuesday I did the treadmill.

Wednesday I am off for rest and Bible studies

Thursday was the 30 minute circuit and treadmill.

Friday was treadmill alone.

Saturday was the 30 minute circuit and the treadmill.

Doing a lot of the stuff was easier this week and I am sure that means I need to increase some of the weights and push a little more.

The more difficult part this week was getting my head into it. I had to keep on reminding myself why I am doing this. That not only am I doing this to get healthier but I am also doing this so that I can be a hero. Raise funds to help those families who need to use St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

This is really important for me to keep on going because it is for myself and most importantly the families who need this hospital for their children!

My St. Jude’s Marathon Journey – Week One Update

Since this was not what I had planned when starting this journey I didn’t update at the end of week one. So I am doing that now.

I have a brain and body that don’t always work together. I think about where I was when I ended my working out on a regular basis. I think I should still be so close to that with what I should be able to do. Then I would overdo it and want to completely give up by day two.

This time however I thought I was being really smart. I had decided I was going to implement the Jeff Galloway training for a 5k and go from there. Anyone I had talked to who had done the Couch to 5k training before and was not a fan, really like Jeff Galloway. I read about it and purchased an app and was all set to start.

I was planning on doing the gym Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday each week. I was planning on doing the 5k training each day and then the 30 minute circuit workout (which incorporates weights training) on Monday, Thursday and Saturdays.

I got to the gym on Monday and was so excited. Changed my shoes and knew I would need a little more warm up time than what was recommended. My fibromyalgia has certain spots that hurt more than others. Two of my worst spots are my calves/shins and my hips. Both of those are needed for running. So I planned on walking for a good 10 minutes before even starting the program.

I thought I was doing great and it turns out that I am in way worse shape than my mind thought. I started the program on day 1 and after 3 minutes in I realized there was no way I was doing this yet. I decided right then and there that I was just going to continue but really slow. I would give myself at least two weeks of just getting used to working out again and then I would decide if in week three I would start the program or if I would give myself another week of getting used to it. It was also decided at that moment it was going to be eating double on my fruits, veggies, berries and omega capsules!

When I look at myself I don’t see who I have become. Even though my life has been one of constant pain and things getting worse, I dismiss it and still feel as if I should be able to do what I want when it comes to being physical. For some reason I have not allowed myself to accept that the limitations are truly there. I know they are because so much of my life has changed and yet at the same time, I haven’t fully accepted it.

Tuesday at the gym was okay. Lots of stretching and just cardio time.

Wednesday was off and I don’t think I had ever been so happy for an off day.

Thursday came and I got the kids ready for school and headed off to the gym. I sat in the parking lot for 35 minutes. I didn’t want to go into the gym. Having to think about getting on the treadmill and then doing the circuit just wasn’t appealing. I did finally get out of the car (with a little bit of text coaching from some amazing friends), I went into the gym and I did my long day.

Friday was just a cardio and it went well.

Saturday was a longer day and it went good. I even went out to breakfast with a friend and then went to the gym afterward.

Week one was hard. Week one was not what I thought it was going to be. Week one was a struggle but I did it. I went to the gym each day I planned. Not only did I go but I did workout each day I went. Not only did I workout each day I went but I did what I was planning in regards to cardio and circuit!

It was hard but each moment I was second guessing what I was doing, I remembered why I was doing it. I remembered what this will do for families who go to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital for help, hope, healing and health. I remembered that not only with this help those families but it is pushing me forward on my health journey.

My Road To The St. Jude’s Marathon

Well let me just tell you a little bit about who I am.

I am a 42 year old (almost 43) wife and mom (that is Jack and I celebrating birthdays with a cupcake fight). I have a few really good friends, a lot of friends and a lot of acquaintances. I have numerous autoimmune disorders and until March 2016 my life was being run by them.

I didn’t think I would be doing much of anything for the rest of my life. I had gone into a horrible depression, I didn’t want to get out of bed daily, and the quality of my life had plummeted downward so fast I missed the whole thing!

In March of 2016 I started taking capsules that are whole food based nutrition. I had tried at this point everything and anything to help. I had been to see doctors, specialists, use essential oils (which helped but didn’t heal me the way I wanted), tried to push myself with exercise to just make it better, did prescriptions, elimination diets, joined and used many health products from network marketing companies and then finally gave in and started on the whole food based nutrition.

Since March 2016 things have really changed for me and my family. I could go into a lot of details but, you can do a search (or message) if you are interested.

About a month or so ago (actually as I sit and think about this, it has been longer than that) on our team call they had brought in someone from corporate to talk to us about how this company gives back. Really they are amazing and I am so blessed we have found them but back to the journey.

She spoke to us about St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and all that they actually do for their patients and the families. Talk about mind blowing. I knew that those families went away without having to pay a dime but it is so much more than that! Maybe as I go alone I will get into more details, but they are truly an amazing place.

Their biggest fundraiser is their annual marathon they do the first week of December each year. My heart had this familiar squeeze and ache. I think this is God’s new way of getting my attention and boy does it work! It didn’t take me long to know I was supposed to be a “hero” (what they call those who participate and raise funds for this event).

I didn’t put it out there at first. To be completely honest, I was hoping no one else had thought about it and it would just pass by. But as time went on and I started to see others from our team posting about what their plans were, I knew I had to actually put it out there!

I skipped the whole month of December and the first week of January. It probably would have been wise to start in December but I reasoned with myself that I had a whole 11 months if I started when the kids went back to school.

Currently I am in week two of being at the gym. I will do a short review about how the first week went a little later.

Here is a really short video that talks a little about my #roadtostjudes

I do not know what this journey is going to bring, but I hope you join me on it!