My 30 Day Journey to Physical, Mental and Spiritual Fitness: Day 2

Yesterday was H.A.R.D. but I made it through!  Glory to God!  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

Sleep is so important when embarking on this type of journey.  So I have decided that I am going to incorporate it into my daily regime.  This is big deal for me because I never get enough sleep. I’d often skimp on sleep in order to portray being the superwoman that I am not!  In doing some research on sleep I found the following article from The Harvard Women’s Health Watch suggesting six reasons to get enough sleep:

 

1.         Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later.

2.        Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.

3.        Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.

4.        Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.

5.        Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.

6.        Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

After reading this it confirmed what I already knew… Sleep is too important for me to shortchange!  There is power in SLEEP!  I use to try to sleep as little as possible in order to fulfill the tasks that I had that ultimately outweighed my time. I now understand that just as exercise and nutrition are essential for optimal health and happiness, so is sleep. The quality of your sleep directly affects the quality of your waking life, including your mental sharpness, productivity, emotional balance, creativity, physical vitality, and even your weight. No other activity delivers so many benefits with so little effort!  I am taking it!  It is one the easiest things that I have to do on this 30 day journey! 

Today I am making sleep a priority!  Tonight I will make a conscious effort to pay off my sleep debt once and for all! 

It is my hope that sharing this will be useful to someone, somewhere who desires change… Be blessed and follow me on this journey!

For the Mind: You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. C. S. Lewis

For the Body:  Drink 8 bottles of water. Walk 5 miles. Don’t eat after 6. Sleep at least 7.5 hours.

For the Spirit: When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet {Proverbs 3:24}.

Until Next Time,

M'Shonta

My 30 Day Journey to Physical, Mental and Spiritual Fitness: Day 1

It all started with a photo that was taken at a wedding over the weekend.  There is nothing like a real look at reality… How did I let this happen?  How did I get so out of shape?

A million thoughts thundered through my mind…but only one stuck.  You have got to whip yourself back into shape…

So I am starting today… I don’t like where I am mentally, physically or spiritually. Mentally, I have consumed myself and my time with too many things… My plate is heaping with helpings and I have to learn how to serve up delegating tasks.   Physically, I have become inactive.  Once the wedding was over and my goal was reached… I have just been basking in happiness… I have to get back active and vow to stay the woman that my husband promised to spend forever with…

 

I understand that weight fluctuates… However, my dedication to staying fit and healthy should not.  I want to have a healthy family and I must commit to doing so today.  Spiritually- I am just not where I used to be… Yes, I still pray and read my word faithfully every morning, but I desire that intimate relationship with God.  I love being in His presence and hearing His still soft voice.  There is nothing like parking in the peace of God.

 

The reasons listed above gives a high level view as to why I am beginning this 30 Day Journey to Physical, Mental and Spiritual Fitness.  This will take discipline, hard work, dedication and determination.  I am all in.  I want to change more than I want to stay the same… I don’t desire to go “back” to where I used to be, but I’d rather journey to somewhere I have “never been before.” A place where my spirit, mind and body are all in agreement and living out God’s perfect will for my life….

My spiritual mother teaches that we are three part being: mind, body and spirit.  So each day I will share the tools that I am using to motivate my mind, body and spirit to achieve my ultimate goal of being fit in every area of my life.

It is my hope that sharing this will be useful to someone, somewhere who desires change… Be blessed and follow me on this journey!

Starting Weight: My starting weight is 141.6 {the heaviest I have ever been}! Going forward, I will update my weight loss on Saturday Morning.  My ultimate goal is to get back down in the 125-128 range and to continue to live a healthy lifestyle.

For the Mind: Today you will only do that which you can do… The rest will remain until you arise tomorrow.

For the Body:  Drink 8 bottles of water. Walk 5 miles. Don’t eat after 6.

For the Spirit: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, but to he that endures until the end.

Until Next Time,

M'Shonta

An Eye for Entertaining

Planning events is fairly a newfound talent for me… However, my friends think differently.  After doing a few friend-a-views, I discovered that I apparently had a niche for planning and entertaining that dated back to my early high school years…  Perhaps it was the practicality that I saw in everything…or the fact that I leaned towards purchases that would serve a dual purpose…or maybe that I loved all things beautiful and believed that a Simple Sunday Dinner could be easily converted into a Stunning Sunday Soiree… I am not 100% sure of its origin, but like fashion, I believe that entertaining starts with an eye.

I love to plan and I love to entertain.  Nothing makes me happier than making someone else happy!  Over the past few years, I have planned numerous events… I have carried out countless themes… and I have delivered smiles to many faces… When I look back at some of my earlier events… I cringe!!!! Much like looking back at my 7^th grade photo when I wore hunter green overalls, white Ked’s, a blue striped sweater, unkept bangs and unibrow!  Then I quickly remind myself that time has brought about tremendous growth and change.  How true!  This is also applicable in my event planning and entertaining!  Over time, I have been able to develop my personal style and to incorporate the trends of today’s top party planners…

I don’t have a desire to become a professional event planner nor do I have the desire to do a million parties for the general public… However, I do have a desire to celebrate those in my life first class!  I want to make birthdays, baby showers, anniversaries, retirements, holidays and etcetera a big deal because they are!  Celebrating monumental moments in life are a big deal!  Oprah Winfrey said it best, "The more you praise and celebrate your life; the more there is in life to celebrate."   

I recently styled and planned a baby shower for a church member and dear family friend… The theme started with a cute stuffed bumble bee that I found on clearance in Hobby Lobby for less than $3.  The wheels immediately started turning and I immediately started scouring my home, the stores and the internet for inspiration.  Many of the items that I used to style this {bee} themed shower was already in my possession... I set a very small budget and found some really cute pieces that aided in tying the theme together.  All in all I was in love with the outcome… People are still {buzzing} about the shower… The mother-to-{bee} is still glowing… And the love and compassion that was poured out during our time of fellowship is still {flowing} like {honey}…

 

It’s true… Beauty is in the eye of the {bee}holder… We, who are blessed to possess the {eye}, are responsible for sharing the beauty that we see {in fashion, art, makeup, music and even event planning} with others..

Do you have an {eye}?  How are you showcasing the beauty that you are blessed to {bee}hold?

Until Next Time,

M’Shonta

Mrs. Turner Cooks: Scotch Eggs

Happy Freedom Day Everyone!

I am sure that many of you are grilling all around the country today!!!! My wonderful hubby and I will journey over to our parents home this afternoon to enjoy the best grilled steaks in the world!  His dad makes the most flavorful and delicious steaks that I have ever placed in my mouth :)!  But... we will have to wait until this afternoon to savor that deliciousness!  Until then....I made something new for breakfast and it was a hit with the hubs....

A few months ago my forever friend found these eggs while watching a YouTube channel... She later found the recipe below:

{Source}

 

 

These turned out phenomenal!  I can’t wait to pair these with some waffles or crescent rolls in the future… but today we enjoyed them with steamed rice and bacon!  Yummy!

 



The Joy of the Lord is My Strength: It's Renewed Every Morning

"....Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning!" Psalm 30:5 It's morning time!!!! Thank you Jesus for the beautiful gift of {Joy} that you have given me!!!! Thank you for the deep, abiding joy that has come into my life as a direct result of the trials, tribulations and traumatic experiences that I once encountered! But with the Holy Spirit, which is my ever present helper, my faith has matured and I have been strengthened. I am no longer in pursuit of happiness, because I have come to the realization that happiness tends to be short lived and depends upon temporary factors like circumstances or other people.

Joy, on the other hand, is true contentment that comes from internal factors like our faith in the Lord. True joy is everlasting and not dependent upon circumstances. Joy is a gift that God promised to give us every morning... All you have to do is wake up and receive it!!!!

So, now you can understand why I say... this {Joy} that I have... the world didn't give it to me and the world can't take it away!!!! Wake up and walk in joy that God has blessed you with this morning!!!! It's morning time!!!! Joy is here wake up!!!
 

{God} Things Come to Those Who Wait | Rosanna Crown Plates

Several years ago when I was {daydreaming} about planning my wedding... I ran across these images on Iffer's Little Nest Blog.  I fell in love instantaneously and tucked these images away in my wedding file folder...

 

 

Just two years later, I found myself frantically searching for those plates in hopes of having them grace our head table at the wedding... After months and months of searching I threw in the towel and moved on to the more pressing details of our special day....

Fast forward...almost nine months into marriage... On a random Sunday afternoon... I was scrolling through Dillard's and I ran across these!!! I could not believe my eyes!!!  I began to shake and tremble... my heart skipped a beat!!! I grabbed them as quickly as I could and dashed to the register... I didn't ever bother looking at the price!

To my dismay... they were only $15.75 with 50% off!!! Yes, the plates and mugs were only $7.87 for a set of four!!! Can you say score??? That was less than $2 a plate!!! I immediately asked the sales representative to search the Internet to see if she could find me more... But it was not a successful search!!! Every store that she accessed in the system did not have any in stock!!! So in the end I purchased 8 mugs and 4 plates for less than $25!!! I will continue my search for another set of salad plates as well as the matching platter and tea pot!!! Until then... I will enjoy this glorious find!!!

My heart is so happy... All I could think was that God brought these pieces all the way to Florence just for me!!! {God} things come to those who wait!!!

"Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."

—Habakkuk 2:1-3, King James Bible

Thankful Wednesday: Thankful to Be Free

I am so emotionally overwhelmed this morning as I reflect on the Ohio kidnapping. I thank God for the courage and strength of Amanda Berry! I thank God for sparing the lives of all these women! It really takes courage to break free from those things that bind you up, enslave you, imprison you, torment you, abuse you and hold you captive in fear for years and years! Today, I encourage each of you to examine your life and pinpoint those things that are preventing you from being all that God has proclaimed you to be! Freedom is a wonderful thing! As I reflect over my life and I think about all that things that once imprisoned me, enslaved me, tormented me, abused me and held me captive in fear...I too jump with joy proclaiming.... I am Free! I am Free! Thank you Jesus, that now I am truly Free to Be Me!