We all have those things we dread doing each year. Paying our taxes, getting our cars inspected, annual checkups at the doctor and somewhere on that list falls the daunting task of spring cleaning. It is amazing how much stuff we can accumulate in such a short period of time – and how much of it we really don’t need. Though the thought of committing to such a challenging task may seem overwhelming, you might find motivation in knowing that cleaning and de-cluttering actually relieve stress. Additionally, taking note of things you bought but never used, finding items you’ve lost, or freeing up kitchen space can help you save money. Undoubtedly, one person didn’t make the entire mess, so cleaning should be a team effort as well. Here are a few ideas for getting the whole family involved with spring cleaning – and maybe even have fun while doing it.
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This weekend will mark the beginning of the month of April and kids – and kids at heart – everywhere will enjoy some laughs as pranks and jokes commemorate April Fool’s Day. Though the origins of the holiday are unknown, it has become a world-wide phenomenon that even large corporations participate in. While we hope you are able to pull off the perfect prank and avoid getting tricked yourself, we want to go into this month thinking about being a different kind of fool. Did you know that the Bible encourages some kinds of foolishness? In 1 Corinthians 4:9-10, Paul writes, “For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute.” Sounds a little strange at first, right? When Paul says that he and other apostles are fools for Christ, he isn’t talking about telling jokes and pulling pranks. Instead, he means that he acts in a way that seems strange or foolish to the rest of society, those who do not know Christ. Paul gave up worldly possessions – money, power, safety – to live his life for God and to encourage others to do the same. Oftentimes, we find ourselves trying to blend in with the crowd rather than stand out. But we are called to be different. Are you willing to be labeled a “fool” for standing up for your beliefs? Are your convictions and your love for Christ so strong that you will not waver, no matter what the rest of the world thinks? If we’re honest, there are times when all of us have just gone with the crowd rather than what we know is right to avoid seeming foolish. Let’s challenge ourselves this month to not hold back, even if we get labeled April fools. Luke 9:24 says that “Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” In other words, nothing should be worth more to us than Jesus, even our reputations. Though it may seem foolish or strange to those around us, living life for Christ is what will really matter in the end. Checking texts, scrolling through Facebook, posting pictures, and typing emails are all part of our everyday lives – a big part. Think about how much time you spend on your phone, tablet, or computer each day. Thirty minutes? An hour? One report says that the average person spends about 90 minutes a day on their phone. Another says that number may be even higher, up to 4.7 hours a day. Even if we take the smaller statistic and add up those 90 minutes per day, it amounts to 23 days per year and almost 4 years of the average person’s life. We also check our phones an average of 85 times per day.
Most of us wouldn’t deny that we spend too much time on our phones. But we justify our constant typing, scrolling, and liking by saying that “it is just a part of life.” “That’s the way it is these days.” While it’s true, there is nothing inherently wrong with texting, emailing, and most social media sites, should that be our standard? Should we continue to spend hours upon hours on something just because there is nothing bad about it? While he probably didn’t know that it would apply to smart phones and iPads back in the day, Paul wrote a verse that is relevant to this very subject. 1 Corinthians 6:12 says “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” In other words, just because checking our phones isn’t sinful, it is not doing anything to help draw us or those around us closer to God. Our phones are not bad in themselves, but when we are controlled by the need to check our messages or see how many likes our posts have gotten, we are brought under their power – and we are more focused on that than on our walk with the Lord. Set aside a day this week to put down your phones, close your laptops, and talk to the people around you, instead of those that pop up on your screens. For just one day, challenge your family to unplug and find something to do together, face to face. Explain to the kids that it is not a punishment, rather a way to talk and spend time together without the distractions of your emails or their snapchats. Spend time enjoying the people and places around you. At the end of the day, talk about what was hard about giving up the phone or computer, as well as what was beneficial. Build on those responses to come up with a plan to encourage the family to look up from their screens in the days, weeks, and months to come. It doesn’t have to be drastic, but a few simple changes can lead to a world of difference in the way your family members engage and interact with each other and with the world around them. It always seems like spring break goes by a little faster than all the other weeks in the year. The kids love having the week off from school and we love being able to spend intentional time together as a family. Though the week is supposed to be a little break from learning for the kids, we can’t help but reflect upon and share a few of the things we learned over spring break.
We hope everyone enjoyed spring break. What lessons did you learn over the week? As we head into spring, we look forward to the longer, warmer days ahead. Though we will probably wake up a little less rested this Sunday, the extra hour of sunlight that we enjoy in the spring and summer months is well worth it. One of the best ways to enjoy the warmer, longer days is to bring your workout outdoors – and bring the whole family with you too!
Working out outside has many benefits; it is a great way to explore new trails or hiking spots near your home and that Vitamin D helps your body absorb minerals, as well as aid in digestion. Oftentimes, games with the kids or an afternoon spend doing yard work as a family can serve as exercise you don’t even realize you’re getting! If you’re looking for some inspiration for how you can get active outdoors this week, here is a list of some of our favorite activities – just don’t forget the sun block and a water bottle!
Do you have a favorite outdoor family activity? Show us how your family gets exercise outside by posting a photo on twitter and tagging us! We can’t wait to see what everyone is doing with their extra hour of sunlight! What is the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning? Maybe it’s what am I going to wear today? What is today’s workout going to be? What should I make for breakfast? Or how many more times can I hit the snooze button and still make it to work on time? Once you get past the grogginess and get started with your day, do you think about how many more minutes until lunch? How am I going to get all of this work done? When can I sit down and relax?
The more you think about your daily activities and commitments, the easier it is to get overwhelmed by the workload. Even if you are working for your boss or taking care of your family, you can still sometimes fall into a self-focused mindset. When you begin to dwell on how overworked or stressed out you are, commitments become chores and plans become burdens. But, if you adopt an attitude of gratitude, that can all change. Instead of worrying about all you have to do, wake up with an attitude that sees commitments as blessings. You can thank the Lord that you have a job to get up for and a body that is able to exercise. How often do we take those things for granted, when they are truly blessings from God that he chose to give to you! During the day, even when you’re feeling overwhelmed, thank Him for all of the people in your life that you’ve made plans with. Thank Him for your family and for giving you the responsibility of providing and caring for them. Thank Him for the work He has done in your life through your relationship with Christ. One of our favorite verses to meditate on is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing, and in all things give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” When you remember that it is God’s will for us to be thankful and rejoicing in all circumstances, it is easier to find something to rejoice about, no matter the situation. Aside from the physical benefits of exercising, one of the best things about a good workout is the feeling of pride and accomplishment when it’s over. However, it can be discouraging to put in so much effort and not see a change in the way your body looks, feels, or functions. It may seem like you should stay even longer at the gym, but did you know that the solution could actually be to spend a little more time in the kitchen?
We all know that eating healthy is good, but did you know that it is just important as getting exercise when it comes to maintaining or improving physical fitness? It is easy to forget how crucial good eating habits are to a healthy life. Oftentimes, even though we know something is not good for us, we fall into the habit of eating what is most convenient. Grabbing a breakfast taco or a pastry on the way to work is quicker than preparing breakfast. The vending machine right down the hall is full of quick snacks. And at the end of a long day, the drive thru sounds more appealing than going home and cooking a meal. The key to fighting these bad habits is to have healthy snacks on hand for when temptations set in. It doesn’t take much, just a little prep work. It can even be a fun activity for the whole family to join in on! Here are a few tips: 1.) Start early - Sunday evenings are a great time to meal prep. By getting it done early, you are able to go into the week fully prepared. Prepare and organize lunches for the first few days of the week. It will save you time on those chaotic Monday mornings and you’ll save money by not having to eat out. 2.) Make leftovers your friend - When preparing dinner, double the recipe so that you will have another night’s worth of food with minimal extra prep time. The drive thru is less tempting when you know you have a home cooked meal waiting at home! 3.) Make it a family affair- Let the kids help with the cooking! Assign small tasks like washing fruit or other manageable tasks. It will be a great way to spend time as a family, and in the end, you will have worked together to create something you can all enjoy! They will be proud of their efforts and will look forward to working on the next meal, plus, cooking is a valuable skill to pick up at any age. Don’t forget to talk about why it is important to make healthy choices! In addition to preparing bigger meals ahead of time, think about healthy snacks you can take on the go. Remember that it is great to indulge every now and then, but the key is to enjoy treats in moderation. Finally, don’t overthink it; enjoy the healthy recipes you find, have fun preparing a meal with your family, and don’t get upset if you slip up every now and then! So you’ve decided to start a strict workout routine. Congratulations! You have started on the path to improving your body and your life in one of the best ways possible. But as many can attest, the hardest part of a workout regimen isn’t the workouts, it’s sticking to your daily routines and going full out at all times. So what is the key to staying motivated? Well, just as it is important to remain faithful to your routine, you can find your strength in your spiritual faith.
Just as your faith is unwavering and a part of who you are, make your workouts a fact of your life. You wouldn’t miss out on doing something like setting time to go shopping or brushing your hair every morning. With enough persistence, working out can become just as fun as that shopping trip you planned, and also less expensive! Working out is made easier and more routine if you designate a time and place to really focus on you and your workouts! Similar to going to church to get in touch with your spirituality and exercise your faith, pick a spot in your house and designate it as your “me space” to really get into your workouts. Of course, if you can afford to spend the money and time to hit up the gym, by all means do so! However, don’t use not having a membership as an excuse to "forget" a workout! There is always a time and a place for you to get that workout in! Make your workouts personal. Your spiritual faith is one of the most personal aspects that make you, you! So bring that same level of personalization into your workout. Take what pre-orchestrated workouts you can find on the internet or in workout videos and customize them to your level of experience! If you have more experience with hitting the gym and you have the techniques down, bump out your workouts or mix and match various exercises. If you are new to the workout scene and still getting your feet square underneath you (literally and figuratively) try a couple of different workouts and test your limits! Just remember to keep pushing a little harder every time to see the results you want. Our last tip for you is to find a buddy you can enjoy your workouts with. It is proven that working out with a partner is the biggest motivator for people just starting to workout. This is a wonderful thing you can put into practice in various ways! One of the most rewarding things in life is finding a friend to share your faith with. Someone who can relate to you on a personal level who shares similar ideals. Find this kind of connection in your workout buddies as well! Get fit with someone who is looking to share in your workouts and get the same fitness results If you are both aiming to improve your overall health and lead happier, healthier lives, then you are off to a great start! Faith and fitness may seem like two entirely different entities, but in practice, they aren’t all that different! Give these faith and fitness tips a try and let us know how your improvements are going! We love to hear about your growing strength in body and soul! Happy training! It’s the end of the week and maybe you’re feeling the pressure of a long week pushing you a little harder than usual. Its okay, we all go through it! You know that feeling when everything just seems to be too much? After all, there is only so much a single human can do! Even with the help of our partners or community, sometimes feeling overwhelmed creeps up on us like a dense early morning fog. But like the fog, this feeling is only temporary! Here’s some perspective…
Another week has passed and with it another week of personal struggles and blessings. The end of the week is when we can step back and renew our minds for a restful few days with family. We are all healthy in body and spirit and for that we remain thankful. Regardless of the things we may have encountered in our lives this week that have tested us and pushed us, we are here at the weekend even stronger and more fulfilled then we were the week before. It is in this state of renewal that we evaluate what lifestyle modifications we can make for next week! I want to be more active, I want to be more present, or I want to be more productive. Make the coming week the time you make all that happen! What provides happiness is the joy in knowing we hold the power to make our lives exactly what we want! Taking the utmost care of our bodies gives us the key to unlock all sorts of doors in life. It houses our thoughts, feelings, and soul, so I take this time to remind you, your body is worth taking care of! Even if you have a few moments to spare, use them to refine and improve yourself. It is well worth it! In the next week, we remind ourselves to stay humble. We remind ourselves that there are things in life that are out of our control, and that’s okay! By remaining strong in our faith and leaving the inevitable in the hands of the Lord, we are comforted by the knowledge that being servants of Christ leads to a beautiful life. Faith is not knowing that God can, it is knowing that God will. Surrender those grips on the uncontrollable and find peace in your faith. It will help on the days when things can get a bit too much. These are just a few thoughts that get us through our days. We remain thankful for our families, our friends, our communities and our health. Remain grounded in faith and never give up! As weekends wrap up and a new week begins, go out there and show the world a stronger and renewed you! Christmas is now behind us and with a few days of 2016 left, we can’t help but think of what resolutions we want to make for 2017. There is something purifying and regenerating about having the fresh start of a new year. Many people emphasize that they want to change their eating, exercise, and spending habits. These types of resolutions are great, positive changes to make in your life but they relate to solely physical things and this should not be the only types of resolutions you make. Spiritual resolutions are just as important for your mental and physical well-being.
Resolutions to pray more and attend church more often have great intentions. But, just like many resolutions, they fall short of genuine commitment. Do you want to pray and attend church more because you think it’s a good thing to do, or because you want to honor God? A great way to make sure you stick to your faith-based resolutions is to stop thinking of them as resolutions and thinking of them as commitments to God instead. It’s also important to remember that these commitments to our faith need to be a part of our everyday lives. A good way to attend church more is by getting involved with your church and offering your talents to your faith community. Offering your time and talents to your church will be a great way to stay aligned with your commitment while feeling useful and connected with others in your church. Get creative with different ways to incorporate prayer every day. Write a prayer down daily on a dry eraser board or notepad at home. You can also recite prayers out loud on your way to and from work. You can even use the PrayerMate app to help with daily prayer. By setting routines like this, you’ll make prayer just as important as brushing your teeth each day. Something else to remember, especially when life gets a little hectic, is that you are not in this alone! God is always by your side. Happy New Year, everyone! Christmas is now behind us and with a few days of 2016 left, we can’t help but think of what resolutions we want to make for 2017. There is something purifying and regenerating about having the fresh start of a new year. Many people emphasize that they want to change their eating, exercise, and spending habits. These types of resolutions are great, positive changes to make in your life but they relate to solely physical things and this should not be the only types of resolutions you make. Spiritual resolutions are just as important for your mental and physical well-being. Resolutions to pray more and attend church more often have great intentions. But, just like many resolutions, they fall short of genuine commitment. Do you want to pray and attend church more because you think it’s a good thing to do, or because you want to honor God? A great way to make sure you stick to your faith-based resolutions is to stop thinking of them as resolutions and thinking of them as commitments to God instead. It’s also important to remember that these commitments to our faith need to be a part of our everyday lives. A good way to attend church more is by getting involved with your church and offering your talents to your faith community. Offering your time and talents to your church will be a great way to stay aligned with your commitment while feeling useful and connected with others in your church. Get creative with different ways to incorporate prayer every day. Write a prayer down daily on a dry eraser board or notepad at home. You can also recite prayers out loud on your way to and from work. You can even use the PrayerMate app to help with daily prayer. By setting routines like this, you’ll make prayer just as important as brushing your teeth each day. Something else to remember, especially when life gets a little hectic, is that you are not in this alone! God is always by your side. Happy New Year, everyone! |
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AuthorsAntonio Daniels Archives
August 2018
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