Workout on Limited Time

I have been a stay at home mom most of the last 18 years.  I have worked a few jobs in that span, but basically have been at home with my children.  For the last 4 years I have been a runner.  I am in the best shape of my life at the current time.  I am strong, have endurance, but I still have muffin tops and too much fat in my gut.  I am steadily moving toward accepting this.  When I work out, make mostly healthy choices with my food, drink a diet Dr. Pepper per day, drink a lot of water every day, eat a piece of pie sometimes, eat some cookies now and then, run some miles in a week, control my portions and move more, I can't expect any more from myself.  I think that is a healthy, balanced recipe for me.  If I do all of that and still have muffin tops and a flabby gut then I believe God made me that way and I should just be happy with that.  Let's face it, have we ever met anyone that is completely happy with their body?  Even when I lost 30 pounds last year and was the skinniest I have been in my adult life I was not happy with the way I look, and to top it off, I wasn't eating enough calories in a day to even feel good.  I was skinny but didn't feel good.  There is a healthy balance.  I feel great right now with my muffin tops and my flab.

I have a new appreciation for our working moms out there.  Since I got my temporary "job" driving the Blue Hairs for the retirement community, I have been working every day.  I am exhausted.  However, I have really dug deep to figure out how to get some exercise while I work every day.  It sounds glorious when you see posts from your friends who stay home and how they spent 2 hours at the gym or two hours running.  Great!  But who has time for that when there is homework, housework, dinner, baths, etc.??  These are things that kept me up at night when I first started my job.  If you want details about my new job, click here: http://funthoughtsonlife.blogspot.com/2014/02/calls-from-god-conversations-and.html

Anywho, I have several suggestions on how to get some exercise when you have very limited time.  Some days I have gotten up early and put in an exercise video to do.

This is the video I have.  I love The Biggest Loser video series mainly because they have regular looking people doing the workouts with belly flab like me.  People like me who just want to be healthy and not sport a six pack and Arnold Schwarzenegger muscles.  Don't get me wrong, I would love to have a six pack but I have never had one even last year when I was too thin.  God didn't make me to have a six pack.  Another thing I like about the Biggest Loser videos is that they are 10-20 minutes long.  On days that I am tired, if I get in 10-20 minutes it is better than no minutes.  Amen.  These workout videos are also wonderful when it is freezing cold outside.  I have run many runs in the freezing blistering cold.  This winter is not one that I am running.  I have not run since my Disney race in mid January.  I will get back out Saturday and run but for the most part, I am taking a break from running and strengthening my muscles.  Today, I just finished my video.  After dinner, I went to my living room and was like Nike.  I Just Did It.  My new word is OVERRULED!  When I feel like I don't want to exercise because I am tired, I say to myself, OVERRULED!  and I just do it.

Something else I do at work is do lunges or leg lifts on the elevator.  I know it is such a short ride but I am doing something.

Instead of beating ourselves up for what we don't do maybe we should spend some time praising ourselves for what we did do.  Like do a workout video for 20 minutes.  Maybe we should praise ourselves for eating 3 donuts instead of our normal 4.  Folks, the journey to healthy living starts with one small step.  One little tiny victory.  The journey to healthy living does not mean we will all be skinny, it means we will live life making healthy choices and enjoying life.  It is not a life of constant denial, it is a life of balanced discipline and rewards.

I love The Biggest Loser.  The finale of the last series was a week ago.  I was a little disturbed by the winner's ultimate physique.  She weighed 105 pounds.  A lot of people weigh that and look healthy in their petite frames, but she was tall and looked unhealthily thin.  I looked it up and they had been allowed 800 calories in a day.  I felt like, as wonderful as she looked, it was a little bit too thin for her.  An unhealthy thin.  No one can eat 800 calories in a day and feel good.  I know because I tried that last year and lost a lot of weight doing it, but felt like dooky.  It isn't worth it.  Being healthy does not necessarily mean we will be thin.  God made us all different and all of us are not made to be really thin.  We all have our own version of healthy.

I feel a bit like today's blog is a lot of rambling, but someone must need this because this is what God laid on my heart today.  I pray that whoever needed this rambling today be blessed.  Thank you so much for reading my blog and don't forget to visit my website at www.funthoughtsonlife.com

Have a great day!!
Jennifer

Calls from God, Conversations and Cottage Cheese

Before I get into today's blog post I would like to thank you all for reading!  This post today is my 101 blog post.  It amazes me every day that anyone would want to read my musings.  But you do, and I am grateful.  If I make a difference in just one person then it is worth the effort to put down my thoughts in a blog.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that God speaks directly to me.  There are several reasons why, but the main one is that I feel like God is my screenplay writer and I am just the lead actress in a drama.  His drama production is perfection.  I sit back and act as I feel led. I have spent a lot of years trying to control every little thing in my life and it doesn't work.  So now I just let the Holy Spirit lead me.  That being said, let me get to my new job.  Yes, new job.  No, we are not in financial trouble and Jennifer had to go to work.  No, Jennifer was not looking for a job.  No, Jennifer didn't need a job.  BUT, God needed Jennifer to act.  Which brings me to my phone call from God.


Two weeks ago, I was sitting folding laundry minding my own business when I got a phone call from an unknown number.  Generally, I don't answer unknown numbers but I felt like I should so I did.  It was a phone call from God.  He needed me.  He used the activities director at a local assisted living and memory care facility to bring me where I needed to be right now.  Here is cornbread language:  The activities director at a local old folks home called out of the clear blue sky and said that their bus driver was injured and he needed a CDL driver to help him out.  I immediately said, "Sure, I would love to help!"  Well, since I wasn't looking for a job, I didn't expect to go for an interview, fill out masses of paperwork, etc. but I was apparently official :)  The gentleman who called me asked me when I could come in for an interview and I said, "My children are home for a snow day today."  He said, "You can bring them with you."  I knew then that he really needed my help.  So, I went for the interview, updated my resume, etc.  I ended up going for my drug test, background check, and mounds of paperwork for my new "job".

I didn't see this as a job at all.  I am a stay at home mom.  But God needed me at the facility.  So I went.  I have been working there for 3 days now.  I went to help out the Activities Director by driving the bus.  Instead I am the one who is on the receiving end of this deal.  I feel as full as I ever have in my life.  God has me right where He needs me right now.  I have met many residents, and although I can't remember all of their names, I know them when I see them and they know me.  My job is basically to be their beck and call driver.  They sign up on a list if they have a doctor's appointment, need to go to walmart, the grocery, bank, or anywhere.  I take them, wait for them, and bring them back.  I love it.  I feel like I am making a difference.
Friday, I took a lady to visit her husband who is in another nursing home in Gallatin.  Before I left, I went around and asked if any of the other residents needed to go anywhere in Gallatin.  No takers this time, but one lady did say she needed some cottage cheese.  She gave me the money for the cheese and I was on my way to Gallatin.  The conversation was nice on the way to the nursing home.  We talked about many things including how many children we have.  We also talked about alzheimers disease and how horrible it is.  The lady's husband has it.  God had me right at the correct place and the right time.  Since we have been dealing with alzheimers disease with my mother in law, I knew just what to say and talk about to make her feel better about her husband.  After I picked her up later in the day, we were talking and she said, "Me and you are just good friends.  Isn't this only your second day?"  I said, "Yes."  She said, "Well I love you and we are going to be just fine together."  My life is complete.  Back to the cottage cheese, I brought the resident back the cottage cheese, took it to her in her room, and she was so excited!  I stuck my head in the door and said, "Cottage Cheese delivery!"  She said, "Oh my goodness that was fast!"  Then I got out the cheese from the bag and handed it to her and she said, "HOW did you know that I like Daisy brand cottage cheese?"  I said, "Well, God just laid it on my heart to choose Daisy.  I am glad you like it."  She said, "You have made my day."  My life is complete again.  Conversations and Cottage cheese-Changing lives one curd and one word at a time.

ONE CURD, ONE WORD

I am excited to be doing what God wants me to do right now.  One day, the regular bus driver will be healthy again and I will only be on an as needed basis.  But for now, I will drive regularly and spread joy through Conversations and Cottage Cheese.  Today I leave you with a conversation between me and an elderly gentleman on my first day:

Me:  Hi!  I'm Jennifer, the new bus driver.
Man:  Well I am ____. (Names always left out to protect those who may not want to be blogged about)
Me: Nice to meet you, _____.  I am going to Walmart at 1 today, do you need to go?
Man:  Well, we need to do something about your hair before we go to Walmart.
Me:  Yes!  We do.  What do we need to do with it?
Man:  We need to comb it or maybe a wig would do.
Me:  I think so too!  This morning a beaver attacked me and chewed my hair off!
Man:  That sounds scary!

I was surprised that I made it until noon of my first day before someone said something about my hair.  I was super excited that finally someone said something!  Again, thanks so much for reading my blog!  You can subscribe to it by entering your email address in the box at the right.  If you are on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom and click on View Web Version.  Then you will see the box on the right.  If you subscribe, then you will receive an email each time I update my blog.  Also , don't forget to hire me to speak at your next event!  I can speak on your topic or mine.

Have a great day and don't forget to let me know how God speaks to you!
Jennifer

Groovy Gluten Free Grub

One of my best friends and I went to try out a new place in town to eat. It isn't that new but it is at a new location and we had not eaten there so it was new, right?!  It is called Butterbean Bakery and Bistro. It is located at 210 Douglas Bend Road in Gallatin. It is in an adorable old home painted blue. From the time I pulled up I knew I was going to like it. 

They even had a little swing out front!  

Very welcoming on the outside. 

When I walked in the front door, I immediately was hit with beautiful confections including a gorgeous banana cake and hazelnut cake balls. 

The confections were behind some repurposed windows that have it a very quaint look. 

My friend arrived and we were seated. The prices were reasonable. $6ish for a sandwich. They had sandwiches, soups, paninis and some other stuff. I understand their menu rotates. Now I don't like fru fru sandwiches, and this is what they had here. I am here to tell you that this chick loved what she ordered!  I got a turkey sandwich with spinach, Brie cheese and cranberry sauce. I got a side of chips and black bean dip. You also could get a bowl of soup. My friend got the soup and said it was good.  She also got a fig sandwich and said she wouldn't order it again. I would not have ordered it in the first place 😳. Back to my sandwich, it was yummy!!  I was thoroughly impressed with the food. 

Now here is the kicker. I am not gluten free, but everything here at Butterbean IS GLUTEN FREE. Pretty exciting for gluten free folks I think!!  Their breads, chips, everything is gluten free. I thought my bread was divine. I loved it. I don't know what it was made out of and maybe I don't want to know but I liked it. 

Go check out Butterbean in Gallatin. Let me know what you think!  

Thanks for reading my Groovy Grub Report!  Subscribe to my blog by entering your email in the box at the right and don't forget that I would love to come speak at your event. 

Stay Groovy!

Jennifer 

Food is My Friend

I have lived my life chunky.  If you have read any of my blog posts, you know I have struggled with weight.  It is my everyday reality.  Ugly, stinking truth.  Maddening, saddening, debilitating truth.  

I am on the cusp of something magnificent.  I am not quite sure exactly what it is yet, but I am convinced that God is leading me on a journey and I am on the edge of huge self discovery.  Of course, He is leading me on a journey every day, but I am specifically referring to a journey about having a healthy lifestyle.  I have always believed that they key to weight loss success is Eat Less, Move More.  I still believe you eat what you want, but not a lot of it.  Portion control.  It is key to weight loss.

But what do you do if you are somewhat at an ideal weight, maybe need to lose 10-15 pounds, but really are more interested in healthy lifestyle changes.  Making better choices.  I have made some discoveries lately about myself and my eating.  Here is what I have realized, as dumb and simplistic as these may be, they were revelations for me:

1.  I love unhealthy food.  I love fast food, hamburgers, pizza, pie, cake, cookies, frosting.  I am using the word "love" when I am referring to these foods.  I don't like salad, fru fru sandwiches, vegetables, fruits, nuts.

  Yes, I eat these things but not as a meal.  If I have a salad, I like my meat and potatoes to follow shortly.  I could go my whole life and never eat another vegetable, salad, fruit or nut.  They are not items I am interested in eating voluntarily.  Adkins diet is great for me.  I tried it once, and lost weight but I can't go my life eating like that.  Another diet tried and failed at.  I need balance.  But I love unhealthy foods.

2.  Food is my friend.  We have a longstanding relationship.  I love food and it loves me.  I enjoy it, I socialize with it, I adore it, I entertain it, it makes me feel good, makes me happy, makes me feel full.  I like to spend time with food.  Daily.  All of these are characteristics of a good friend.  This morning I determined that food is my friend.  Admitting these things is the first step to recovery.

3.  I wish I ate to live.  But I don't.  I live to eat.  I wish eating was something I had to do each day.  Instead it is something I want to do each day.  It is my struggle.  My craving.

Enter onto the scene, an online Bible Study.  I found it through a friend's facebook post.  She wanted to know who was joining in on this study.  I thought, not me!  However, I felt very led to participate even though I knew nothing about it.  The study is through Proverbs 31 Ministries  http://proverbs31.org/.  I did some research and decided I would buy the book.  All the while thinking, "Another book that will collect dust, another attempt at a Bible study that will end in failure to finish."  But, I bought the book and signed up for the study.  The study is on the book Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst. 

 Well I can't put it down.  The study is excellent, the support is phenomenal, and the material is taking me to the next level beyond Eat Less, Move More.  It gets to the underlying meaning of why we crave what we crave.  We can crave all sorts of things from shopping, to food, to rescuing animals, to alcohol, drugs, internet, social media or a host of other things.  We crave them.  Insatiable desire for them.  Everyone craves something different.  This study talks about how God made us to crave.  It gives scripture reference to why we crave things here on earth.  The truth is that whatever we crave we need to steadily tear down the tower of craving and use those same bricks to build a pathway to prayer.  God wants us to crave him.  Instead we crave worldly things like food and shopping.  

This Bible study has brought me to some shocking realizations about myself and my cravings.  It is teaching me how to overcome my cravings.  To crave God rather than food.  I am trying to balance.  Balance food and healthy choices.  Balance God and my cravings.  Balance life.  I crave a balanced life.  

Thanks be to God for compelling me to join this study.  It isn't too late to join me.  Visit the website at http://proverbs31.org/ and sign up if you want to. I bought the book on my Ibooks on my Ipad.  I am sure you can get the book at Lifeway or order it online at the Proverbs 31 site. Maybe it will change your life too.  I am on the verge of something big.  Not sure yet what it is, but it is big.  God is big and He does big things in my life.  I am ready, I am willing, I am listening, God. 

Let me know what you think!  I am excited about this.  Please subscribe to my blog by putting your email address in the box at the right.  You won't miss a single post.  Thanks for reading my post.  Please share it with your friends to spread the word and don't forget to hire me for your next event!  I can speak on your topic or mine.  Visit my website at www.funthoughtsonlife.com

Have a great day and Crave God!  

Jennifer 

The Sun Always Shines

I love to fly. I like the exhilaration of takeoff and landing. It feels so powerful to get going so fast that a huge object that weighs so much can lift off the ground and fly. It was raining the day I flew last week. I wondered if we would be delayed because of all the horrible snow storms across the country. We were on time and in spite of the rain I enjoyed the flight. 

It occurred to me while I was flying that we were about to fly through the clouds. When we reached 35,000 feet cruising altitude, the sun was beautiful. Below was a sea of clouds and I could not see the ground. 

Life is much like flying. Sometimes our lives are grey and gloomy. Sometimes the rain of life seems to be never ending. The thing we must remember when we feel like life is gloomy is that the sun IS shining high above our gloom. We have to get above the clouds to see the sunshine. Maybe getting "above the clouds" is having lunch with a friend. Maybe it is going to the grocery store by yourself. Maybe it is going on a date night with your husband. Maybe it is strolling in the park with your children. It may be going to the park to watch children play. Maybe it is going to visit the elderly in a facility.  We all have to find what rejuvenates us to be able to see the sunshine that is there in our gloom. 

Pain is inevitable in life. Misery is optional. Gloom is inevitable, the sun is always there, we just have to fly through the clouds and get up high enough to see the sun that is always there. 

May we all fly high each day and see the sun in every gloomy situation. 

Thank you for reading my blog. I am grateful for each and every view. Please consider me to come to your next event. I can speak on your topic or one that I have already developed. Please visit my website at www.funthoughtsonlife.com

for more information. 

Tell me about your sun today!

Jennifer

Disney's Dopey Challenge

I ran one marathon, Country Music in 2011, and swore I would never run another one.  I hated it.  It is too far, hideous training, and I am slow enough that it takes me too long to run one that I have to take my lunch along for the journey.  My first marathon I packed Chick Fil A chicken nuggets and french fries.  I ate them on Rosa Parks Boulevard.  

Fast forward to 2013, January.  My running goal for the year was to not run anything over 10 miles at a single time for the year.  Enter: emails about the Disney Race in January.  It is a race on my bucket list.  I decided to sign up for the Marathon because I was a bit concerned that this item on my bucket list would not ever be checked off if I don't proceed with it. Enter:  A Running Buddy and his email asking me to run the Goofy Challenge.  He felt like I could do it and he has a way of making you believe you can run to the moon.  So I signed up.  I became a part of the Dopey Crew even though I was only running the Goofy.

Training went well, was fun, made new friends, felt a sense of being a part of something spectacular, solved some world problems on the road, felt good about myself, proved some things, etc.  

Thanksgiving Day I ran the Turkey Trot and with no explanation as to why or how, I hurt my hip.  One minute I was fine and the next minute I was tossing my leg over my shoulder and hopping the last mile to the finish.  I tried to heal it by resting it for two weeks and no improvement.  Saw a sports medicine doctor who diagnosed me with a severe adductor strain.  He said my injury would take me out of running for 6 weeks.  The problem with this injury is that it gets no relief during the running process.  It is used for every movement in running so it will only get worse if I try to use it.  I followed his instructions to the letter of the law and did not run.  I skipped the Rocket City Marathon that I had registered for.  It killed me.  Disney was more important.  I missed several "crucial" training runs.  My head was feeling like I was a loser and I would not be able to run Disney if I wasn't trained.

Arrival in Disney, the discovery is made that there is an extra Dopey bib amongst the group I was with.  What is another 9.3 miles?  So I took the bib and agreed to run the Dopey.  I did not wear my garmin for the 5K, 10K or half marathon.  I enjoyed those races better than any races I have ever run.  I felt so close to God as I watched the sun rise over the World Showcase in the 5K.

 Since we had to get up at 2am Nashville time every morning to start each race, of course it was dark when we ran.  In each race, I got to watch the sun rise over some part of Disney.  I was humbled to watch it go from dark to light over the World Showcase in Epcot.

 Gorgeous work, Lord!

This is one of my favorite pictures from my trip.  It was a selfie, but captured a moment for me.  I love how the background is blurred with the iconic golf ball in the background as the sun barely began to shine on it.

  In the 10K, I enjoyed the time I ran next to a lady who was pushing her leg in a cart because she was injured.  We talked about how injury stinks and she wept as we talked stating that she just felt blessed to be there moving forward.  I felt blessed from my time running with her.  In the half marathon, my best running buddy and I enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.  We stopped and had our pictures made with every character and laughed in between.  We had the worst clock time we ever have had in that race that day.  But we had the best time we have ever had in a race.  We smelled a lot of roses and solved a lot of problems.  On Thursday, 5K day, My buddy and I bought a park hopper pass and went to 3 Disney parks. 

 We agreed that a Mickey Mouse ice cream treat qualified as carb loading!

 We had the best time ever.  Some were concerned that we would suffer come Sunday when it is marathon day since we spent the day going to parks.  It was a truly magical day.  We laughed until our sides hurt.  We had the goal of riding all the roller coasters in the park.  We were successful for the most part.  We learned to read a map and that just because you can see the ride doesn't mean you are heading toward it. We filled our personal fuel tanks full to overflowing my visiting the parks that day.  They are memories I will never forget.

When we got back to the condo, I threw a load of clothes in the washer.  When one comes to run two races and runs 4 races, one needs to wash their running clothes.  I accidentally washed my race bib.  In Disney, you have to wear your same bib for two races.  So Dopey's had two bibs, one for the 5K and 10K and one for the half and full.  My bib was pretty mangled after a bath.  You could barely read my corral number and the wording on the bib.  I looked like Job's Turkey wearing my washed bib.  But I decided I liked washed bibs.  It made me unique.

  

The marathon had it's own set of challenges just because of the length of the mileage.  I had a firm plan for success.  I would run 3/1 splits, not pay attention to mileage or pace, but simply focus on running for 3 minutes.  I can do that.  I had already taken a lot of pictures so decided that there was no character that would make me want to stop any more.  I would start the marathon and do my splits and not stop until I got to the finish line paying no attention to miles or how far I still have to go.  I did not imagine that a roller coaster would be open.  At mile 12.5, I noticed while running through Animal Kingdom that Expedition Everest was running.  It was the one roller coaster that Caroline and I did not get to ride when we went to the parks.  When I got to the entrance to Everest, I asked the cast member if I could ride.  They said, "Of Course!  Hop in the fast pass lane!"  It was a no brainer for me.  I HAD to ride.  I ran all the way up the cue line so as not to lose any more  time on my marathon. I rode the ride and had the most EPIC ride ever!

This is a selfie I took on the roller coaster ride!!

  It was groovy to be able to distract myself with a little roller coaster reward for running hard for the first half. After the roller coaster ride, I ate my lunch that I had packed.  For this marathon I packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and chips. It was yummy and fueled my for the second half of my race.  I finished strong in my marathon, Did not stop again until I saw the finish line.  It was the most epic marathon experience ever.  I got a PR in the marathon by 11 minutes even with the extra time it took to ride the roller coaster at the half way mark.  I would not trade my experience for anything.  It was the best day of my life.  

The marathon was the best as far as scenery.  You got to run through all 4 parks as well as on the Disney track for the Richard Petty Experience, and through the ESPN Wide World of Sports where the Braves have their spring training.  We got to run on the Braves field(around the perimeter of the grass).  It was incredibly entertaining scenery, very flat course, and fun around every corner.

After the race, I shopped at the Disney Running Merchandise booth at the finish line and then returned to the car.  The others of course, were already there and were laid out from tiredness of running.  I bounced up and said, "I have been shopping and I rode a roller coaster in the middle of the marathon and still got a PR!!"  They all just looked at me.  I thought they all would have ridden the ride but they didn't even see it.

 This is my group of friends that I was in Florida with.

I rapidly realized that I ran a different race.  I OWNED my marathon.  I made it all mine.  Riding a roller coaster in the middle of a marathon is totally me.  Since I washed my bib, the writing was faded badly and my bib said the Nopey Challenge rather than the Dopey Challenge.  Thus, the ride was open and no one else saw it, and the OWNING of my marathon.  Jennifer Anglin-Queen of the Nopey Challenge!

I will be washing my bibs from now on.  

Overcoming injury, healed by God Himself, smelling roses, going to 3 parks, running 4 races, riding roller coasters, laughing till my abs hurt, washing bibs-THIS is Jennifer Anglin. 

Frozen Soap Bubbles

The weather here in Tennessee is colder than it has been in over 20 years. We have temps in the single digits and wind chills below zero. School is out and the kids are stir crazy. What to do?  

We made frozen soap bubbles. Make a solution of two parts water, one part dish washing detergent, and 1/2 part white Karo syrup. The best thing to do to blow them big is cut the bottom out of a solo cup. We used what we had, straws. The bubbles freeze instantly. Have fun with this!  We did. 

My son has been ice skating on our driveway that he froze in layers the night before. He also has been skating on a frozen pond behind our house. There is fun to be had if you look for it!

Enjoy the frigid weather and time with your kids. Remember me when you need a speaker for your event. Visit my website at www.funthoughtsonlife.com

Enjoy your day!

Jennifer