Strength Training

I woke up this morning determined to complete a Biggest Loser upper body strength training routine...wow! My arms feel like mush...I guess it's been a while since I lifted my bright pink dumbbells!!!

As I was working my upper body (tricep dips, upright rows, hammer curls, etc.), I received a text that we're on a 2 hour delay, so I can now take my time this morning....

A strong cup of espresso (with a touch of 1% organic milk), read my devo, a cup of coffee (sans milk), eggs for breakfast, play time with the puppy, and time to write on my blog=)

What is the point? The point is that each morning we wake up, we never know what will happen (like a 2 hour delay), but we have a choice at every moment we breathe to commit to doing the things that keep us healthy, feed our spirit, and bring us a simple joy (espressos!). Simple...joy

I think we should bask in the moments that make us feel peaceful or calm!!

I hope everyone can have a moment of peace this day...with a myriad of global events happening such as the Tuscan tragedy, major weather events like the floods in Australia, the economic see-saw in most nations, etc. I just hope and pray that every human being can have a moment in their minds and hearts where they feel a peace and calm that can only come from one source...our Creator!

~Kimber

My Trip to France

I don't think I wrote about my trip to France this past summer...despite the tour being disorganized via the company we chose to use for the excursion, I had a memorable time with my high schoolers! We made the most of our whirlwind and unorganized experience. I basked in being in cities where the queens and kings of old used to reign. I felt honored to stand in the very place Saint Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc) was burned at the stake for being accused of witchcraft (utter injustice since she fought so valiantly in order to crown the king of France and unite the country she deeply loved). I savored walking down cobblestone streets where Leonardo DiVinci used to roam. I delighted in learning the history of the castles and cathedrals we visited all while looking at rooms and paintings and relics of old....

All the cliche tourist attractions even made me smile...looking at the city of Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower, having a croissant and coffee at local cafes, and shopping for pastries and trinkets.

Humility was even experienced as we walked along the D-Day beaches seeing all the remains of a war that was terribly devastating to Europe. Meeting a WWII veteran at the American Cemetery was a blessing as he told his stories of his experiences flying in planes for the allies. Meandering through the WWII museum was all too somber and melancholy...looking into the eyes of Jewish children who never had the chance to grow old and see their earthly freedom.

The memories of this trip will always be remembered....

Snow Day Reflections!

I realize more and more how much our thoughts create the life we live, the life we experience...our circumstances are a consequence of what we think (for the most part...some circumstances are beyond our control but we still have the choice of HOW we react to the out-of-control in our lives)!!!

I have joined the Biggest Loser Club, and this has been a positive & proactive move on my part. I'm reading some inspiring posts in the BLC community forums and getting some great motivation from Bob's words of wisdom! I love that you can have meals planned for the week but you can modify to your personal tastes....

I'm going to try to keep my blogs more up-to-date, but I'm not making any concrete promises because my personal journal is more important (to me) than my public blogs, but I will try to copy my blogs from the BLC site so that those who read them won't miss out if they're not a BLC member...

I'm so excited I get to paint my toes today; it's a snow day so I'm stuck in my townhouse with nothing but what I want to do today!!!!

Peace~
Kimber

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Dying a Slow Death...

The discouragement and sadness have been weighing heavily around me...it's almost too much to bear. I'm convinced without God, I would have already been crushed by the weight of this darkness that surrounds me!

Getting the news that I have a near $1000 car repair, the news of weighing 211 pounds, and the fact that I feel like I simply can't get my life together has felt like a slow death!

All I can do is lean on my faith and keep moving forward. Giving into the discouragement is easy, effortless, so fighting it feels like I'm battling death!

I must get of this vicious cycle! I must live beyond the mediocrity! Does anyone else ever feel this way? I hope not!

Well, at least the new episode of How I Met Your Mother comes on tonight, so I can have a few laughs at the end of the day! All of those struggling with their own slow deaths, you're in my prayers. Faith is the key...

Thank God for Laryngitis!

I've been sick for over a week now, and I have had laryngitis for several days...I think God is asking me to listen, really listen. I realize I need to listen to my own thoughts, to His thoughts, and to the "noise" in which I surround myself...

As I was scanning some pictures from France today, I had an epiphany of sorts~ I was barely in any of the pictures, and I used to love being in pictures, documenting the beautiful places I'm in...I used to love posing and being silly. I loved, love even, capturing my memories with a photo!

The pictures I found, out of hundreds mind you, where I did make an appearance, I heard myself saying, "Oh my! I look disgusting! Is that really me? Are those my legs? Could I be that pudgy!?! Yikes, is that my face...where did my real face go?" As I listened to all of this, I realized I've quit living and began criticizing myself to oblivion! I'm tired of putting myself down and not allowing myself to be alive in my own life!!! How sad is that? I know I'm not alone! I know there are thousands, millions possibly, who have quit living the life they have and stay chained to their own prison of negative thoughts and self-loathing!

Personally, I'm exhausted by living this way (could it be that this virus I'm fighting is a result of negative living??? Possibly...) I'm tired of saying: "Okay, when I lose 'blah, blah' pounds, then, I'll go here or start this or buy that or do this." What about now? I don't know if I have a tomorrow, but I do know I have a today, a right now, so what in the world am I waiting for? I've been tired for a very long time, and I'm ready to feel awake again...

This is what I decided to do today...I will buy myself a great outfit now, not 25 pounds from now (okay so maybe not the literal now but a very soon "now" when I'm finally healed from this cold/virus stuff and feel like shopping)... I will begin working on my goals now, not just when inspiration strikes. I will actually write down my goals, short term and long, and I will write down everything I want to do and begin doing them, NOW! For example, I want to go to plays at my local theatre again. I want to go listen to music again. I want to go and hang out with my friends at Starbucks and just talk and laugh and talk. I want to go to the movies again. I want to go for meditative walks in the park again. I want to go to the library and walk around aimlessly again...I want to go to mass again!

In order to achieve my goals, I have to accept myself, here, now, and always! I have to FORGIVE myself! I have to love myself...maybe even for the first time in my life! I have to allow God to fill me with His Spirit, His love, so I can begin to heal and begin to think differently!! If we allow Him, God can transform us, our thoughts, even our bodies. I believe this! So, I need to begin living like I believe it...I don't want my life to be one of hypocrisy!

I'm a believer in the fact that our thoughts create who we are...years of negative thinking has created what I have now, so I have no one to blame, no circumstance to blame, and, I can no longer blame my ex-husband! If I can forgive him, it's time to forgive myself!!!!!! I must let go of what he did and said to me...Release...

I am committing to thinking differently, so I can eventually manifest the life I truly want, the body I truly want, and the soul I really want...in the Psalms there are several references to one's thoughts...I suppose it's time to listen to God and believe Him! Truly, I want to make my God proud. I want my life to show His power...I want others to know He's alive because they can see Him in me!!

I already took a positive step in the right direction by committing to teaching a belly dance workshop in October...flabby belly and all!!! I even ordered a DVD so I could begin training in dance again!

Peace & Shimmies~

Kimber

A new blog title...

A friend of mine inspired me to rename this blog...belly bloggin' which is quite appropriate because I belly dance and I'm in the process of losing some excess, unhealthy belly while belly dancing...Thank you, "L!"