Category: Faith and Family
Establish your routines NOW – Physical, Spiritual and Mental
Posted by Stephanie in Faith and Family Thursday, 9 September 2010 09:43 No Comments
*****See you Saturday, September 11th during the 6AM show on QVC!*****
We’ve just wrapped up Labor Day and before you know it the pumpkins will be grinning half-toothed smiles, the turkeys will be gobbling and the Christmas trees will be twinkling! Oh…wait a minute… all of that already happened yesterday afternoon during our family outing to Carolina Pottery to look for a few home decorating items. Does anyone else out there notice that the stores seem to go from July 4th to December 25th overnight?
Just as we put away the pool toys and the beach towels, backpacks are out, pencils are sharpened, school is in session and all of sudden it seems every single holiday is upon us! It can make many a mother have a panic attack. I know because I’m one of them. How in the world are you going to get all of the homework done, all of the volunteering accomplished, the tricks or the treats, the dance lessons danced, the ball games played, the holiday plans in place and balanced across all sides of the family, the gifts bought, the travels travelled – oh – and then you need to make sure you’re also nurturing yourself spiritually, mentally and physically…. CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!! (and for those of you who are too young to remember… Calgon used to have a commercial where a busy woman would shut her bathroom door leaving all of life’s demands in the hallway while she escaped into what appeared to be a luxurious bubble bath…).
Now, I’m all for a luxurious bubble bath, but do I really want Calgon to take away all of the craziness and insanity that comes along with the fall? I truly don’t… And the way I’ve learned to enjoy this time the most is to get right back to what I just mentioned – making sure that no matter what’s swirling around me – I’m taking care of myself spiritually, mentally and physically. In fact, September is the PERFECT month to establish the routines now that will carry you right on through the new year to make habits that will anchor you through the busiest times you’ll face.
I like to start my day with the spiritual by doing things like reading Scriptures, reading devotionals, enjoying a Bible study or prayer journaling. Then I usually try to go ahead and get my workout in while listening to Christian music which reinforces the spiritual side. (This is a wonderful bonus and if you’re looking for some good music, send me a message on Facebook or on the blog to tell me your favorite style and I’ll send some suggestions… ) Ideally I do this before the kids get up so that I’ve knocked out two of my “non-negotiables” before the sun is even up! In terms of the mental nurturing, I like to read before bed though I confess that lately I’ve really enjoyed playing Scrabble on the I-pad. (And some nights I’m so tired after a full day I consider it mental exercise to actually locate the bed…)
So how do your nurture yourself spiritually, physically, and mentally? If you don’t have solid answers, I want you to spend the next few weeks establishing routines NOW so that when the holidays are here, you’ve got these basic, yet important items covered and woven into your daily life. Then you’ll be able to truly enjoy the blessings of the holidays and also perhaps be more of a blessing to others. Next week I’m going to post some tips on how to find time in your day to work on the spiritual, physical and mental areas of your life so if you were going to tell me “Sorry Steph – no time for any of those things” you can throw that excuse out the window 
I want us to partner together to find the time so when we’re well into October, you’ve got solid routines in place to get the most out of the gift of each and every day.
God bless!
steph
Sissy and The Fountain of Youth
Posted by Stephanie in Faith and Family Thursday, 12 August 2010 14:41 No Comments
Recently I had the joy of seeing someone I’ll call Sissy up at the studio. Okay…her name is Sissy… and my first distinct memory of her is the very first class I ever taught as an instructor for the Firm. I had been in training and after Dale gave me the stamp of approval, it was time to hit the platform. I was nervous enough to be teaching my first class to begin with…but then to make it even more nerve-wracking, Anna Benson (co-creator of the Firm) decided to drop in about 3 minutes into the class and not only observe, but observe from a position about 5 feet from the platform, sitting on a 17-inch tall box, chin resting in elbows, elbows settled into knees…and she just watched…no expression either way to indicate if she thought I was remotely okay or the worst ever to have graced the platform. It was truly one of the most stressful experiences I had ever been through in my young life up until that point…
But like a shining star, there was one person who just smiled and smiled at me – who seemed to know that I must be dying inside but that I would make it – and it was Sissy… She probably doesn’t even remember it as she smiles literally almost all the time. She is a billboard for a face that radiates joy.
And when I saw her recently, do you know that she looked just like she did to me when her smile got me through that first class fourteen years ago?
And this got me thinking about aging as it happens to the best of us…but how do we do it well? I think Sissy has the secret to the fountain of youth and it’s a two-fold answer.
First of all, Sissy is not doubt a woman who rests her faith in Christ. I have no idea what she may be stressing over in her life right now, but I know that she rests it in the arms of a God she trusts and loves. Life may throw some challenging things her way, but her foundation is solid in the Word and I know that gives her plenty to smile about. She knows that there’s a lot of security when you’re not wondering what you’ll be up to for the rest of eternity because of Christ.
Secondly, she takes care of herself and honors the physical blessing of her body. She takes classes…she runs…she eats well… You don’t get to look like her unless you live like her and that means that day by day you make choices that support healthy living. You can’t hide whether you do or you don’t when it comes to living healthy and she certainly is on the “what to do” side.
I know that there are plenty of anti-aging creams, surgeries, diets – the list could go on and on as we seem to treat something that WILL happen to every one of us as if it’s not supposed to – but I think we can all take a lesson from Sissy and first of all make sure that our foundation is secure for eternity in Christ. Secondly, while we’re here on earth, let’s make sure we’re being good stewards of the bodies we’ve been blessed with. That’s a fail-proof anti-aging plan no doubt.
In Him,
steph
Got Strength? Got Peace?
Posted by Stephanie in Faith and Family Friday, 23 July 2010 06:28 1 Comment
The Lord gives strength to his people: the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 29:11
This verse was written by David and in the course of the entire Psalm, he shares the power and glory of the Lord from thunderstorms, to floods, to lightning and there are multiple powerful, moving images in his words describing the Mediterranean Sea, mountains, and cedar forests of Lebanon. Yet, through the power of the Word, David also was inspired to write these words for me – a far cry from the Mediterranean as I’m sitting here in a house in South Carolina thousands of years later near Lake Murray, no mountains and your typical southern hardwoods in the backyard.
You see, there are many days when though I try my best, I need some extra strength – especially when it comes to motherhood! Whether it’s the strength to attempt to keep the house clean while a 2 and 4 year old are constantly into anything I’ve just cleaned, the strength to have even more patience as I try my best to provide “fun and educational” activities for my kids, the mental strength to plan meals and sort out schedules, or maybe just the strength to make it through the day – the only way I’ve learned to do it is to rely upon the strength offered through the Bible. And it’s verses like these that remind me that there is a source of strength freely given to me, just waiting – and God wants to spend time reminding me of it through his Word.
The second part of this verse uses the word “peace” and quite frankly, in terms of noise-level, that only happens at my house during nap time and night time. My kids are not allowed to act like wild animals but they’re kids, and noise is part of the deal. (Disclaimer: next time you see me in the grocery store they will probably behave as such as I’ve just written this and you know how kids can humble you in a heartbeat and prove your wrong!) But in terms of the soul comforting, it’s-going-to-be-okay- and-you can do this type of peace – that’s the blessing of the Lord and it is given to me daily no matter how chaotic things may be around me.
Take some time to learn this verse and carry the words in your heart. When you feel the stress of living getting ready to wash over you, remember that you have a source of strength and peace which supersedes anything life may throw at you. Rest your soul in the sure knowledge that the Lord does give strength and bless us with his peace when we are his through the grace of Christ.
In Him,
steph
Celebrate today for what it’s really about!
Posted by Stephanie in Faith and Family Monday, 31 May 2010 03:00 No Comments
There’s a lot going on today! Maybe you have the day off from work, cookouts planned with friends, massive sales to catch on items ranging from swimsuits to furniture according to the circulars in my local paper, boating trips to the lake or picnics by the pool… All of these things are wonderful of course, but without the sacrifice of thousands of men and women throughout the years, we wouldn’t have the right to do whatever we happen to be up to today. And quite frankly, whether your political views lean to the left or to the right, we should all be able to agree that the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our right to even have a viewpoint certainly deserve our utmost respect and honor.
That’s why I want to personally thank the members of our armed services for the freedom I’m blessed with each and every day. For protecting the freedom to share my heart publicly- from fitness to faith without fear… For the freedom my husband and I have to raise our family as we believe it should be done… Most of all, for the freedom to worship an amazing God without fear.
To those families who have lost a soldier, the ones who truly understand the gravity of today, I especially thank you. After the funerals, after the tributes… you are left to face life on this earth without a precious loved one. Maybe a son or daughter…father or mother…brother or sister. It is my prayer that you will hold fast to your faith and rest on the blessed assurance that the day will come for everlasting reunion through the grace offered freely through Christ.
I’d also like to thank my dad, Steve Corley, and my father-in-law, Jay Wilson, for their service as well. It gives me such joy to share with my kids that their grandfathers have served our country and that we’ve got two great examples in our very own family of true patriots.
Have a wonderful day and please remember to thank God for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to give you the freedoms you enjoy uniquely as an American.
God bless!
steph
Daughters AND Sons Need a Strong Mom
Posted by Stephanie in Faith and Family Tuesday, 25 May 2010 03:00 2 Comments
As a mom it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle of daily living. In between doing the laundry, cleaning up the spilled juice, unloading the dishwasher, packing lunches, getting the glitter glue off of the table, ironing the clothes, cleaning the bathrooms, rounding up the toys, don’t forget to feed the dog, working in your home, working out of your home…is there really any time left for you?
You know what? If you look at your “to-do” list, there’s a good chance that there isn’t any time left for you. Certainly no time to get in a workout. It can wait until later, right?
Wrong.
And I’m quite sure you already know that it’s important to live a healthy life or you wouldn’t be reading this site right now…Maybe you’re wrestling with feelings of guilt about taking time for you. If you’re someone who experiences the “guilt monster,” let me remind you that when it comes to modeling healthy living, exercise isn’t just about you. It’s about much, much more than that!
If you have a daughter, you have the power to teach her that even though women tend to be mutli-taskers to the max, sometimes you have to stop and focus….focus on taking care of you…. when you take care of yourself, you can better utilize the nurturing side that comes to most women naturally… and that your health is important enough to allow the laundry to wait for just a few more minutes, you can skip that ridiculous television show, you can get to the cleaning shortly – after you’ve taken care of your workout.
And if you have a son, you are teaching him that when he has his own family one day, he should support his wife in taking care of herself…. when a woman is given the opportunity to be a healthy wife, she’s a much happier wife… that fitness is an important part of your life so it should be of his as well… and that fitness is a family affair.
So fitness is not about taking time for you…it’s about a lot more than you.
It’s about giving – giving your family a stronger mom to keep up with a bazillion demands in a day and also the opportunity for you to provide an example daughters and sons will carry with them as they form their own families in the future. It’s about teaching them that they are some of God’s most amazing creations and that they need to honor their bodies with pure, healthy living.
Be the mom they need you to be…one who leads them down the path of healthy living by simply being the example herself.
If you know a mom who is doing her best to live a healthy life despite the never ending to-do list of responsibilities, forward this on to her and let her know what good job she’s doing!!
Have a great day and God bless!
steph
