Title: TBA

Usually my blogs have witty titles, but I just can't seem to think of a good one of this one so for now the blog is titled TBA: To be announced.

Anyway, I am taking a year off from dating and so far it has been quite enjoyable.  I am spending my time growing intimacy with God and enjoying my own life~ every minute of it.  I am beginning to notice the blessings from God and all of the creativity of the creator.  When I start to get upset that I am spending another Friday night alone, I instantly remember that I can get though this year. What is one year in light of eternity?

I started today off by taking my dog to the dog park.  It was beautiful weather outside and I loved to watch him run around and play with other dogs.  After we returned, I decided to make the entire day memorable.   I got dressed, did my hair and makeup and put on perfume.   My first stop was Barns and Noble.   I could spend hours at Barns and Noble looking at all the books and just enjoying the all the people in the cafe.  I flipped through some scrapbook magazines while sipping a chai.   I browsed the christian life section and was surprised how many books it offered.  I purchased: "Love Does" by Bob Goff for a friend who lives in Australia.   I also purchased "The Shack" by Wm. Paul Young.  A friend of mine suggested that I would enjoy that book to read over the summer.    I guess it is a movie now (!?!?!?)

After I left Barns and Noble I stopped at the local movie theater.  Beauty and the Beast was going to start in 10 minutes and I purchased a ticket.  I highly recommend this movie if you are looking for nostalgia and good entertainment.  I LOVED watching it.  Yes.  I sat by myself but I was so immersed in the movie I did not notice or care that I was alone.

My roommate had family in town for the NCAA so I wanted to stay out of the house a little longer and I decided to grab some dinner at a local sandwich shop. I have never eaten here before and was excited to try something new.  I ordered something called a "Symphony".  It was a turkey sandwich with mayo, avocado and cream cheese.  Yummy!  The sub shop was empty as I spent some time writing a letter to my friend from Australia to accompany the book I purchased.

I might have spent the whole day alone, but it was a wonderful day!

~Sunny :D

Morning Routine

I typically arrive to work around 6:00 AM.  I am not required to be there until 7:15 but I like to arrive early for three reasons:

1) I am a morning person by nature

2) I beat morning rush hour traffic

3) That is the only time my classroom is quiet all day. 

I would usually arrive to work and immediately start to put grades into the electric grade book, write lesson plans, check e-mail, create manipulatives or do some other work related task.  In an attempt to create some healthy work boundaries, I decided to STOP doing work related items until 7:15AM. At exactly 7:15, I begin my work day.  

This gives me an hour and 15 minutes to fill everyday at work.    I begin by praying and I put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18).  I printed out a picture and taped it inside the front of my lesson plan book to help me focus my prayer.  (Picture at bottom of this blog post). I ask for forgiveness of my sins and praise God for various things.  I pray my requests during this time as well. 

After my prayer time I would read a few chapters in my bible~ Usually 3-4 each day. Once I was done with my reading,  I would listen to worship music or journal until 7:15.  

In an attempt to take control of my health I decided to join a gym located near my school.   I figured if I get up 30 minutes early (4:30AM) I can get in a gym workout and still arrive to school by 6:15-6:30.  This will still give me plenty of time to get my prayer and reading in before the 7:15 bell rang. 

Why do I hit the gym before work?   I want to get home before I hit rush hour traffic AND then I will know my workout is done for the day and I won't have to worry about it after a long day of teaching. 

What is your morning routine?

Pray it every morning! 

Single Girls can Grill Too!

My roommate purchased a small grill from Target.  We are currently renting a Condo and the grill that is provided is very old and very dirty.   We both feared that we would burn down the entire condo development if we lit the grill.

Today,  she came home around noon and announced: "I purchased us a baby grill and we are going to learn how to use it."  Let me preface this by stating that neither of us had any idea how to grill (unless the George Forman grill counts) and I knew we were in for an adventure.  I once had the goal of learning how to grill, but I could not figure out how to turn on the grill in my last apartment complex, so I never achieved my goal.  Here I am 5 years later learning how to grill~ God works in mysterious ways.

She came home with the Backyard Grill 14.5 Round Portable Charcoal Grill (Look at me talking like I already know stuff about grilling).

Our new "BABY GRILL"

The thing with baby grills is that we realized that some assembly was required.  If you can imagine, two woman who have never grilled a day in our lives trying to figure out how to put the thing together.  It took nearly an hour to set the thing up and we were both excited to use it.

We decided to make simple hamburgers.  One of us was the "grill-master" with the task of running the grill and cooking the meat.  The other one was of course the google-expert who had the task of finding directions on how to use it.  (I was the google expert on this adventure).

We had some problems adjusting the flame (Sometimes it was a little too high if you know what I mean) but overall I am proud to say our hamburgers tasted yummy and were only slightly burnt.  Considering it was the first time we ever grilled, we are proud of ourselves.

Why am I telling you this?  I am trying to live one day at a time and find the joy in the small things that life has to offer.  When I woke up today, I did not think I would spend my afternoon building a grill and cooking dinner on it tonight.  It was a fun memory that I will always cherish.

~Sunny :D

Bibles

My first bible was given to me as a Birthday gift a few weeks after I accepted Christ (almost 20 years ago).  It was a purple New International Bible (NIV).    I was young in the Lord and highlighted and underlined all kinds of stuff.  Looking back, I am sure that most of it I either misinterpreted or did not fully understand what I was reading.   That bible was not the most sturdy and it soon began to fall apart.

Soon after that I started to attend a very strict Calvinist style church. The girls had to were long skirts down to their ankle, the boys all wore suits and we only sang hymns out of the church hymnal. The pastor discouraged me from reading NIV and pushed King James Version (KJV) onto me over and over.  I purchased a KJV when my trusty purple bible was literally falling into pieces (I mean pages would fall out onto the floor when I opened it).   I tried so much to get interested in KJV.  The language felt outdated and I did not have much motivation to read it because I had no idea what it said.

I went back to the Bible bookstore and I purchased a leather-bound NIV study bible which has been with me for over 17 years.  It is covered in highlighted parts, underlined items and notes in the margins. On the front pages it lists important events in my life: Baptism, Death of my Dad, When I started to attend and left churches.   The back few pages have song lyrics and poems that have been inspirational to me over the years.  I have a bible case which contains pictures of my nieces and nephews when they were little, cards that have encouraged me, and scripture verses from previous bible studies I have attended.  You can tell which books get read the most (Psalms and Proverbs) and the least (Numbers and Deuteronomy) just by looking at where the creases are on the pages.  I am very good at sword drills and can quickly find things when I open it.   The bible is kind of like a little piece of my history.

But..It is familiar.   One of my goals this year was to read the New Testament between Christmas and Easter(Goal Achieved).    This is often a tradition of mine and while I have not done it every year since I became a Christian I can say I have done it most years.  I am incredibly familiar with the New Testament because I have studied various parts of it over the years.

It was suggested recently that I change the version I read.  A friend of mine explained that I am too familiar with my bible and maybe reading a new version will offer "Fresh eyes on scripture."  I think this is a great idea.  I am not invested in KJV and NKJV is very similar.  She suggested New Living Translation.

I went to the bible bookstore and found a discounted NLV in the teens section.  It is pink.   It is not a study bible, it is not leather bound and it is not something I plan on using to replace my old bible.  I keep this bible at work and read it in the morning before work.

Since I have completed my goal of reading the New Testament I have decided to go back and re-read the entire New Testament with my new pink, work bible.   Do I have "Fresh Eyes" on scripture?  Honestly, I am not sure since many of the stories in the gospels are familiar.  Perhaps with time that will change.

I am curious?  Which version of the Bible do you use?

~Sunny :D

Take Time to Stop and Smell the Flowers

I took my dog for a walk around a nearby lake.  It was a beautiful day and it felt good to get out of the house.  While on the walk, I found the most amazing flowers.  I can't really describe how wonderful they smell, but I did take a picture for you.

These are so beautiful

As I was looking at those flowers I just saw God's hand.   I praised him for the creativity behind those beautiful flowers and thanked him that I was able to enjoy them.    When was the last time you were able to stop and smell the flowers and really appreciate God's hand in making them?

~Sunny :D

2017: The Year of Change

Yes.. I know I should have written this in January, however my work life was very busy and I had several obligations required so I did not have the time to really focus on this blog.

After reading the book "New Rules for Love, Sex & Dating" by Andy Stanley I have decided to take a year off from dating. The whole idea behind the book is: Become the person the person you are looking for IS looking for.   My 40th Birthday is in August, but I am still going to take a year off from dating to focus on my relationship with the Lord.  Will this challenge be easy?  Honestly I am not really in a position to change my dating status and I have zero prospects on the horizon so I think this will be an easy challenge for me.

2015 & 2016 were some of the most difficult years of my life.  2017 is a year to clear my mind and heal from everything that has happened.   I want to make myself a better person and figure out who I am in Christ.

I am very goal oriented so here are some goals I listed for 2017

Spiritual:
1) Read the New Testament between Christmas and Easter.
2) Read "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis
3) Read "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young everyday for a year.
4) Be more grateful for who God is/keep a journal of thankfulness

Health:
1) Eat healthy and start to lose weight again.
2) Start attending a gym again
3) Run a 5K

Live life to the fullest:
1) Take a pottery class
2) relearn guitar
3) Travel somewhere I have never been

In my journey to get closer to God and become more Christ-like I want to start living life to the fullest.  Live an abundant life.  Find joy in the small things. Make each day count for something and find something amazing in each and every day.

~Sunny :D