When I Don’t Feel Thankful….

….. Oftentimes, when things are not going right, the last thing on my mind is to be thankful …I’m sure you all can relate…However, the good book advice otherwise,…. it says “ In ALL things give thanks”  …..

As we all know, life is full of ups and downs and we have different coping mechanisms…. ..When I feel overwhelmed with stuff going on around, I just go quiet , sometimes close my eyes and go to one of the “happy places” in my head…*don’t look at me like I’m weird....I know you do it too…LOL. ..And you know what?……Most times, I feel calm…Then I’m able to think happy thoughts…..I think about all  things that are going right… about little things that don’t make the “headlines”.
I want to use this opportunity to express my gratitude for :

• Waking up this morning, feeling rested for the first time in a long while…
• Getting a text from an old friend….who was just saying hello..
• The new recipe I tried that turned out well the 1st time…yummy!
• Making it to church early…(I figure if I can make to work early, why not to church)
• When I got the top  I have being eyeing at Macy’s for 50% less than the original price..yay!
• When the discrepancies on my credit card account was resolved by my bank…(someone or some people have been using my credit card to make online purchases, imagine?!)
• The price of gas that is still below $3/gallon..It was $2.50/gallon today…yay!
• Being able to do long walks ..(been trying to get an exercise routine going for a while)
• Being able to do the “5 servings of fruits and vegetables”…(didn’t get it right the first many times)
• Finding a parking spot close to the entrance of the store…(It was pouring and i didn’t have an umbrella,you see)
• Getting a hairstyle that fits my face…ladies, sure you can relate..
• …And for you dear friend reading this blog…:)

Something Else To Think About….

…...We hold back because we don’t want to get hurt again…..We tell half-truths because we don’t  want to feel vulnerable…We conceal our true feelings because we don’t want our ego to be bruised…

We do all theses things and more because we are insecure….

If only we know that it is not all about us….maybe then  we can trust a little bit more...

…When Somebody Dies...

Death is not a favorite topic for discussion, but we are reminded of its existence daily….We only hope it happens to us when we are ready….
The first thought that comes to mind when someone dies suddenly is: Is it this person destined to die at this time?…
And if the person that died happens to be a spiritual leader who died suddenly and “young", then I wonder if the person had any kind of premonition about his/her death, If their death was preventable…and I wonder, If someone “ spiritual” or of great positive influence  could die young and suddenly, then what are the chances of “ordinary"/not-very-spiritual people?…
Maybe the yardstick for measuring life and death are not according to deeds…..
I guess we are all concerned about how and when we will die...concerned about living a fulfilled life before we die...
Sometimes, we see death as consequence of sin/ wrong doing or sickness…..However, death can actually be a reward because the bible says “To live is Christ and to die is gain”. I read somewhere that God “takes" the good people before the bad people because He is giving chances for change, for repentance...

RIP Dr Myles Munroe (April 20th 1954-November 9th 2014).  May your legacy live on….You have blessed your generation.
RIP to all we have lost to death one way or the other.

What Meal Of The Day Should Be The Heaviest?

Hello beautiful people…..Let’s talk about food….:)….after all, we all eat…and we do a lot with and around meals.
…..Familiar with this quote "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper”? .. 
The quote was popular a few years ago when calorie counting became part of weight management. I agree entirely with breakfast being the most important meal of the day (I regard the first meal of the day a “ breakfast"  regardless of the time of day you have it)  because I believe it contributes to how you “kick start” your metabolism and “wake” your taste buds up.
However, eating large during breakfast with the mindset  of eating less during the day doesn't always work, studies have shown. It actually does have  the opposite effect….You tend to eat more because your body is expecting the same portion it had for breakfast. This  study  shows that eating a large breakfast will not reduce food intake later in the day but could actually add more calories to total food consumption. 
The bottom line is to watch/monitor total daily calorie intake. A "stuffed" tummy is not the same as being “well-fed”...

These are tips for "balancing our plates":

• Keeping meal portion at a minimum. 
• Maintaining  consistency in  frequency, portion (plate size), and composition are important.
• When/If you skip a meal  or 2, for whatever reason like fasting, the next meal should be your usual portion (Not eating breakfast, lunch and dinner together) . Speaking of skipping meals, especially breakfast, there are conflicting results from studies done to identify the benefits of skipping  breakfast with regards to weight management…so it all boils down to what works for your weight and health.
• The importance of having fruits and vegetable included in our diet cannot be over emphasized-(the recommended portions are 5 servings of vegetables and fruits per day). 
• When hunger calls, answer with water first.

I tend to agree with health articles that recommends  healthy diet should consist of less processed/cooked food and more of uncooked/raw food (excluding animal products, of course)……..That might be a challenge for some of us that enjoy cooking,…. but it is do-able.:)...

..Be Encouraged….

..Every now and again we all do need some pep talk…Hope these quotes helps somebody out there……..