Day 3: Bahia, butterflies & Mallory Square

I'm post this on Saturday, but this is actually Friday's events.

1. We got the car out and drove to Bahia Honda state park.


2. We stopped at a highly recommended diner type restaurant. We both got the catch of the day: mahi mahi. I even got it fried !!! Can you say yum?
( secret ingredient in the cole slaw: mango)

3. We set out to find the Butterfly Conservatory and we basically walked the length of the key twice! (My ankles are hurting today!) We loved it and it was WELL WORTH the walk.

4. We saw the famous landmark (the southern most point) and got a pedi-cab because we were tired of walking.

5. We ended up at Mallory Square, which is a show in and of itself. (Lots of jugglers and such) We watched and English guy perform a hilarious card/magic act. We did some window shopping back to our hotel.

6. We are staying at La Concha Plaza, which is tHe tallest building here. We are right on Duvall Street in the middle Of everything and it has been awesome. We ended the evening enjoying the breeze and the full moon on one of the roof terraces.

Day 2 Key West many toed cats & sunset dining

Well, today I wanted to find a Zumba class, but it was canceled. There was an evening class, but alas , we had dinner reservations.


We found a place to eat called Hammocks. It was good, but. Overpriced for sandwiches.



We went back to our hotel and decided we'd go to the Hemingway house. It was less than a mile from our hotel and we had a nice walk there. We had a wait to get in, but once we were in it was crowded, but not unreasonable. We went with a tour guide named Nick.


I had just recently read a book based on hemingway's life with his first wife, so that made this tour even more interesting. (The Paris Wife) He lived in Key West with his second wife, who was his first wife's good friend. (You can read between the lines!)

We ended the night with dinner at sunset at Latitudes. We had to take a boat over to a private island that Westin Resort owns. The food was amazing and the atmosphere was even better. Hopefully the pictures will speak for themselves!

Pictures: Sights around KW. Pictures from Ernest Hemingway's house, including the swimming pool that cost $20,000 in 1920s when the house only cost $8000. Also, a picture of a penny in the concrete that is reportedly H's "last red cent". The pictures end at Latitudes where we had our dinner at sunset.

Key west, day 1, we dodged the snow bullet and I'm not sad .......

Well, my last day of school was Fridays. I really can't believe that we've already had Christmas!! I feel like I was working just yesterday!!! My Christmas was great!, we traveled to Murray twice in two days. My family is smaller now, but Christmas was super- sized! Nick and I planned this trip way back in October!! There's really am advantage to having a husband who travels for work!!!


Our day began around 3:30, so we are kind of tired right now,but here's some pictures from today.


I'm trying out Blogger on my new IPad . I'm trying to figure out how it works. We had a very late lunch at Hog's Breath Saloon. It had great atmosphere and the food was fine.

I've also found several Zumba classes. We'll see if I go. I always like checking out the flavor of different Zumba instructors.

You were made for so much more!!!!

Here's a picture of me with my son in Honduras.  It's funny when I'm there, I totally eat what I want and I usually come back and have either lost weight or haven't gained.  I think it's because we are focused on God and others!!

 

 

 

 

Food tastes good!!! We all have an appetite, I get it!!  Food is fuel for our body and we need it to make all our body functions work.  All of this is true!!! 

 

 But, why have so many of us feasted continually to prepare for the famine???? If you look around, you see the evidence everywhere! First of all, we don’t have famines in America in our life time!!

 

 

 

Do you ever turn to food when your upset and you need comfort???

 

 

 

Do you ever go out to special meal to celebrate or reward yourself for a job well done!!

 

 

 

 

 Do you turn to food when you’re happy, sad, stressed or sad??  Don’t feel bad, we all have, but is that what food is made for????  I don’t think so!  God didn’t make us that way!!!  I contend that we should turn to God instead of self-medicating with food.

 

 

 

 

One time I was so hungry, I gave my sister my inheritance for a pot of stew she was cooking.  HEY WAIT!!  I don’t have a sister!!  You’re right, but does this story sound familiar??? Esau gave up his birthright to Jacob for a pot of stew.  It’s obvious in this story that food can be a powerful temptation like other “Big Sins”. 

 

 

 

 

I contend that as many people are destroying their health and body with the addition of food, as people are with drugs and alcohol!! (This is me speaking, not the author of Made to Crave .)

 

 

 

 

We often have scripts running in our head…..whether it’s negative self-talk, rationalizations or excuses….

“You can’t do this!”

“I’ll start tomorrow.”

“Just one won’t matter.”

 

“You’re such a loser!  How many times have you tried this and failed??”

 

 

Lysa, the author said for years she identified herself not by her relationship with God, but by the circumstances in her life. (Child from a broken home, rejected by her father, abused by a grandfather figure, etc.)

 

She realized that she needed to embrace her true identity instead of listening to those negative scripts and labels in her head. (Forgiven, set-free, accepted, holy child, made-new, loved, confident, victorious child of God.)

 

 

If you are following along in the book with me, you may realize that I’m jumping all around. I’m writing as things inspire me.  Here’s a summary of what Lysa recommends so far:

1. Have a plan.

2. Pray, pray, pray (daily, when you crave, when you need strength, when you would normally turn to food turn to Him.)

3.  Have an accountability partner.

 

 

4.  This is big: RECOGNIZE THAT YOU WERE MADE FOR MORE THAN THIS!!!! Embrace your true identity as a child of God with a Glorious Father, who has ALL POWER!!

5.  Find a deeper reason for this journey. (Not to just wear a size (fill in the blank), but to get to know Him better!

 

 

 

 

 

 

God made us for so much more!!!!

 

ARe you the MAn (or WoMan) with a plan???

Have you ever driven by a beautiful flower garden and thought,  “Oh, I really need a garden like that!” It’s a great thought until you see the person working in their garden every day, planting, watering, weeding, watering, and dead-heading, all while sweating in the summer sun.  That garden took a lot of planning and constant work.

 

 

I know some people (I won’t name any names) who say, “I really need to lose some weight!”  I always tell that person, it takes more than wishing!!!  It takes a plan! Not many things happen by accident.  I don't know about you, but, I have never lost weight accidentally!

 

 

Anything important that we do takes careful thought and planning!  That includes claiming a healthy body and lifestyle. 

Fashion advice: Huge pants make you look huger!!!

 

What is your goal?  Do you want to lose weight, be stronger, have more stamina, run a 5K?  Whatever your goal is, you need a plan.

 

 

The author of Made to Crave adopted a healthy diet with a good balance of protein, carbohydrates and fresh fruits and vegetables.  I follow the Weight Watchers meal plan.  Both of our plans emphasize the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables. 

 

 

 

I don’t think anyone has gained tons of weight eating fruits and vegetables.  I don’t mean fruit salad with sugar and whipped cream, or green beans cooked down to black strings with salt and pork (Again…I’m not mentioning any names!!!)

 

 

 

 

 

After a while, I promise you won’t crave the bad stuff.  Lynn, the author, says the healthier foods you eat, the more you crave them.  I also allow myself one day to eat “bad”.  I don’t count that as cheating because I don’t use all of my flex and exercise points in WW.  I can tell you more about that if you want.  That works for me, you just need to find the plan that works for you!!!!

 

 

 

 

You’re worth it!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Lessons from that Rich Guy.....Money????

 

 

Okay, first of all, my blogs with the word money in the title are the most popular!  I wonder why?? That’s not why I put money in my title though……..

 

We’ve all heard the story about the rich young ruler in the Bible.  The rich young ruler wanted to find out what he needed to do to follow Jesus.  Jesus tells him to sell everything and give to the poor.

 

 

  The story may seem harsh, but the ruler loved his money enough that he chose it over a life with Jesus.  You may say, “I’m not rich, so I don’t have anything to worry about!”  But, what are you choosing over God?  What are you filling your mind, or your mouth with???? 

 

The author of Made to Crave believes that God made us to crave a relationship with him, but Satan tempts us with “things” that we try to “fill up” with that interfere with that relationship with God.

 

 

Most of us fill our lives with things that don’t bring us closer to God.  Things that don’t build up or strengthen us spiritually, physically or mentally, but weakens us instead.  Satan knows our weaknesses and will use it against us!!!!

 

 

 

 It’s tough, I know, we all have our struggles.  Whether it’s, choosing that plate of fresh fruit and salad instead of the burger and fries, lacing up the sneakers and going for a walk, instead of putting your feet up and watching some reality TV (ouch).  We all have to decide each day…… I will choose to be the best I can be….spiritually, physically, and mentally.

 

 

Yes, it’s hard, where can we get our strength?  You know the answer….We must SATURATE ourselves with the TRUTH!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do you crave???

Here I am with a Zumba instuctor who is a master at Samba! I met her at a special Zumba Halloween event.

 

 

If you know me, then you know that I like to read.  I’ve just started reading a book that my mom gave me for my birthday.  She had been studying it in a Ladies’ Bible class, and she had been telling me a lot about it.

 

Also, if you know me at all, you know I’m at the age and stage in my life where I have to work hard to keep extra weight off.  I’m a “Lifetime” member of Weight Watchers and I’m currently trying to get back to my goal weight.  I think this book may help me!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst is a spiritually-based wellness book that promises to:

*”Break the cycle of “I’ll start again on Monday,” and feel good about yourself today.”

*”Stop agonizing over numbers on the scale and make peace with your body.”

*”Replace rationalizations that lead to failure, with wisdom that leads to victory.”

*”Reach your healthy goals and grow closer to God through the process.”

 

 

 I would love to invite you all in to study this book with me, but since we are all short of time; I’m going to invite you into my blog instead.  Maybe you will even want to read the book on your own.

 

I just finished the introduction and it was packed full of great words of wisdom!  I’m just going to pull a few things out of it.

Most of us feel spiritually malnourished!  We feel overweight physically, but underweight spiritually! 

 

Most of us aren’t missing the “how to”, we are really missing the “want to”, which is the motivation to make the changes and “deciding that the results are worth the sacrifice.”

 

Lysa also said that getting healthy isn’t just about losing weight.  “It’s about recalibrating our souls so that we want to change_spiritually, physically and mentally.

 

 

I don’t know about you, but I think this book is just what the doctor ordered!!  I plan on taking my time and trying to do a good job summarizing the chapters for you!!  I would love to hear what you think!!!