Maximize the time in your day

Today I woke up incredibly motivated and ready for the day ahead of me. I grabbed a glass of orange juice and talked with my dad and grandma before walking about half a mile to our local community center. I stepped onto the treadmill thinking that I might do 2 or 3 miles at most, but the playlist I had going on my iPod and the talk show on the TV above me were enough motivation to keep me going until I hit 6 miles. Where that burst of energy came from, I have no idea. After helping out around the house and enjoying some sunshine by the pool, I got myself ready to meet up with a friend for some coffee. Tonight I am looking forward to dinner with my family and then a show at Starlight theater. How wonderful does this day sound? I have been so inspired lately to soak up every ounce of the day. 24 hours goes by pretty quickly, but if you have a plan of action for the day and a list of goals to accomplish that is reasonable, then you might just find yourself going the extra mile..or 3 (no pun intended). While there are definitely some mornings that are difficult to roll out of bed or the mornings where you seem to snooze your alarm at least 5 times, think about how great it feels to have productive days! Having one full, but enjoyable, day will lead you to want to have another and another...you see where I am going with this. Life advice: try to have a goal for the day and hold yourself accountable to it! Make realistic expectations for yourself, but don't be afraid to push yourself a little bit further. Have some alone time, spend time with your family, call a friend and take your time making a healthy meal. I guarantee that the combination of all of these things will put you in a great mood and motivate you to do the same tomorrow! 

Technologically Challenged

Today I was so excited when I looked outside and saw that the sky was full of clouds and that a rain storm was on its way in. And no, I am not being sarcastic! On days when it is sunny outside, I feel like I am wasting my day unless I am outside the entire time soaking up the sun and the beautiful weather. This means having movie days are out of the question on sunny, summer days. I woke up early this morning and got in my daily workout and after showering, making lunch and getting ready for the day, I grabbed my favorite blanket and snuggled up on the comfy couch in my basement for a day full of movies. However, to my disappointment, I popped in a DVD and became quickly overwhelmed by the wires and cords and colored things behind the TV...what the heck was I supposed to do with all of these strange objects?! After staring at the back of the TV for a solid 15 minutes and then moving cords and plugs around for about 30 minutes, I finally figured it out. Thank. Goodness. Watching the movie Drumline has never been so rewarding and I payed a lot more attention than I usually do when I'm watching a movie! I think that's how it can be in our relationship with Christ. At first, it is really overwhelming and confusing. What do I do? What is it supposed to look like? How can I put all of these things together to make something that works? There is a lot of trial and error in our relationship with Christ, just like there is when you are trying to figure out how to get a Blue Ray DVD player to work. Yes, there is an instruction manual, but sometimes it is better to figure things out for yourself. There is no instruction manual for life, and you will make many "errors" before you find the right path or the right colored plug-in, but the end result is worth it. Have some patience, dive into life and remember to enjoy the benefits of your hard work! 

The Golden Rule

I can't even remember the amount of times my dad told me to use the Golden Rule (Do unto others as you want others to do unto you)...I can still hear him saying it to me now as I think back to fights my sister and I got into and rude words that were exchanged. However, as much as I mimicked and fought the system, he was right. The Golden Rule is one that has been passed down for years and it makes a lot of sense. Treat others the way that you want to be treated--while this can be very difficult at times, it is worth the effort. Tonight I had the opportunity to meet up with a few friends that I have been blessed with the chance of knowing over the past few years. They have always encouraged me in my faith and I absolutely love the meaningful and intentional conversations we have when we are together. As we were discussing ways that we wanted to grow and goals that we had for ourselves, I summed mine up into one broad statement. I want to love others the best way that I can every single day. It is so easy to get caught up in our own lives and not concern ourselves with others, however, what joy does this bring to us? A petty, temporary self-satisfaction that does not go beyond our own selfish motives? I want to change this. I want to look for ways on a daily basis to reach out to those around me and love them. This can be a daunting task considering I have surrounded myself with many people that I care deeply about, but this is meant to be a challenge. I want to support my friends in what is important to them. I want to give to something bigger than myself. I want to offer words of encouragement to a friend that is struggling. I want to listen to a friend that needs it. I want to send a letter to someone I love, putting into words how much I care about them. All of these things will take time, but it is all about how I use the time in the day that God has given me. I want to love others. Period. God calls us to love one another and I want to do just that. I am going to change up the Golden Rule...I think it should say, "Love others the way you want to be loved". Think of how you can make someone's day every single day. Love them for who they are without placing judgement on them. Become selfless and look for ways to support those around you. The love that you spread will come right back around and I guarantee the feeling will be incredible.