Project 52 | Week 4

This week was even worst than last in terms of my consistency in the Bible. I still did all my reading, but in one or two days as opposed to a small bit every day. I've got to do better. There weren't any large themes that came to mind this week, but I will share with you some verses that got me thinking.

The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”  ~Exodus 14:14 (ESV)

 This verse is so familiar to me. Some versions say "be still" rather than "be silent." I've had to take this position a lot lately...at work, in my marriage, in relationships with friends. I hate to say that I like to win. Granted, I'm not a poor loser, I can take an "L," but I have to work hard at not competing and/fighting in all things. I'm not talking physical fights here, but just issues where I disagree or I want to prove my point. I don't have to. God will take care of it.

And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them,  ~ Exodus 15:25 (ESV)

See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.”  ~ Exodus 16:29 (ESV)

The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan.  ~ Exodus 16:35 (ESV)

The Lord will provide. I am amazed how after all the grumbling, that God consistently provided for the Israelites as they journeyed from Egypt. He did just provide for a few days, or weeks, but for forty years, they sojourned and God provided food and water. I know I am all to often worried about finances and how next month will go. When I read Exodus and am reassured that if I am in the will of God, He will provide.

So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.  ~ Exodus 17:11-13 (ESV)

We can't fight the Christian fight on our own. I love this story of when Amalek fights Israel. I can picture the fight change for a different side's advantage each time Moses hands are down or raised. When Aaron and Hur step in, I am reminded that the Christian life is not one to be lived in isolation. God made us for community. The sacrifice of His son is all about a relationship with His people. Community is essential to live Christian life.

Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. “You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. ~ Exodus 18:17-18 (ESV)

So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said. Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. They judged the people at all times; the difficult dispute they would bring to Moses, but every minor dispute they themselves would judge.  ~ Exodus 18:24-26 (ESV)

My church has some guiding principles that drive everything we do. One of them is reproducing leaders and I see it straight from the word of God. Moses' father-in-law was wise to tell him to share the responsibility of leading the Israelites. In leadership at work and in ministry, I often try to take on more than I have to. God has put people in place with the same passions and I have to learn how to share responsibility.

And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”  ~ Exodus 24:8 (ESV)

Now, some versons say that Moses "sprinkled" and others say "threw." Either way, I'm not to fond of being splattered with blood in order to acknowledge a covenant. I am so thankful that Jesus has served as the ultimate sacrifice and I don't have to find an offering to God other than my time and talents. Thank you Jesus for the blood of the perfect lamb of God.

I'm linking up with Angela @ Selfless Ambition and I hope you'll hop over there to see what God is doing in the lives of others or to share what God is revealing to you!

Big D Climb

If you've been following my Fitness Friday posts, you know that I've been hitting the stair climber pretty often to prepare for the Big D Climb! Well, the day finally arrived and I started my morning by slipping on my new Flip Belt and fueling my body with some Jamba Juice!

I plan to give a full review of the Flip Belt after I've used it a few times, but know that it kept all my things secure during the climb and I think I really like it. If you want to know more about it, check out FlipBelt.com.

I hardly ever drive downtown, but as I approached and saw the Fountain Place building, I began to get a little wary of my decision to climb 52 flights of stairs. I guess you can't tell that from the picture though.

Of course, Melanie and I had to get a few before pics!

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the climb was. Well, at the beginning, when we were trying to keep up with others, it was hard. We were sucking wind. Once we found our own pace, though, it was all good! There were water stops along the way, every 5 or 6 flights of stairs. That made the heat in the stairwell a little more bearable. And, of course, we needed a few more pictures at the top!

Had to get that picture in front of the 52! I was a little disappointed at the end. It was very anticlimactic. I expected this big cheering squad and a celebration, but we were greeted by like two people clapping saying good job and a whole slew of people just resting and waiting on teammates. Don't know what I expected, but that wasn't it.

Anyway, I'm really glad we took on this challenge.I really enjoyed it. In our goodie bag was this little sticker...

You know what it made me think of, right? One of those 13.1 half-marathon stickers...I'm not saying I want to run a half-marathon for the sticker, but the thought did cross my mind.

January Cara Box Reveal

So, this was my first time participating in the Cara Box Exchange organized by Kaitlyn @ Wifessionals! I had the opportunity to be paired up with two awesome women, Kayla @ A Momma's 15 Minute Time Out and Gayle @ Grace for Gayle!

{One} I had a blast getting to know Kayla and shopping for her! I absolutely love giving gifts. I think I enjoy giving more than receiving!

Want to see what I got her, head on over to Kayla's blog to find out!

{Two} I was looking forward to receiving a box from Gayle! And this weird thing happened...through our emails and blog stalking, we found out that we live in the same city. Crazy, right? So instead of mailing my Cara Box to me, Gayle and I met up for coffee at our local Starbucks! Super cool, right? Who can say that they met their Cara Box Match in person? I can!!!

This month's Cara Box theme was resolutions! If you read my resolutions post, you know that my two focuses for 2013 are spiritual and physical fitness! Gayle did an excellent job buying items that will be great for helping me achieve my 2013 goals!

I had been considering buying weight lifting gloves since I crossed the great divide and moved into weight lifting and not just cardio at the gym. I was so excited when I opened my box and found weight lifting gloves, a water bottle, a tennis ball for rolling out those pesky knots, Gatorade fuel, a scripture-filled journal, and heart-shaped sticky notes! Gayle also wrote a sweet note of encouragement that had me smiling from ear to ear!

Gayle, thanks for not making me feel like a stalker! So glad you wanted to meet in person. I truly enjoyed our two-hour coffee date! Someone sitting near would have thought we'd known each other forever. I am encouraged by your life and the struggles you've overcome. I appreciate you letting me into your life and I am inspired by your love for Jesus! I look forward to keeping in touch!

Kayla, thanks so much for being so open and honest with me. It is so obvious that you strive to live for God in all you do! I am thankful to know you and really enjoyed getting to know you this month and praying for you. Thanks for educating me on the Siesta Scripture Memorization Team, raw eating, and juicing!

Thanks again, Kayla and Gayle for making my first Cara Box Exchange unforgettable! Happy to have two new friends in the blogosphere (and in real life)! I had a great Cara Box experience and will probably participate again in the future. If you want to know more about the Cara Box Exchange and/or want to sign up, head over to Wifessionals!

Want to see more Cara Box Reveals for the month of January? Check out the link-up!

Fitness Friday | Week 5

That gym rat feeling has come and gone this week. Some days I was really pumped to go, and others I didn't feel like it so much! Monday, I lounged around most of the day since school was out. I finally got my hubby to join me at the gym. He was a bit camera shy!

I hit the weights this week, but made sure to follow-up each session with at least 15 minutes on the stair climber.

I'm preparing for my first event of 2013, which is this Saturday. I'm participating in the Big D Climb to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. What's the Big D Climb, you ask?! Well, it's 52 flights of stairs...crazy, right? So, that's why I've been on the stair climber every day this week. I think I'll take a break from it today to give my legs a rest for tomorrow.

Today's weight is....drumroll please...

That's another 1.6 pounds down this week...

MyFitnessPal - Nutrition Facts For Foods

Linking up:

Project 52 | Week 3 - God is Sovereign

I have to admit that I got off a bit in my reading this past week. I had to take Sunday morning to catch up on a couple of missed days and again today to catch up from yesterday. There is no excuse for any of the days that I chose not to spend time in God's Word. I can't even say that I forgot because I remember in the evenings thinking, "I should spend some time with God." And I chose to do other things or go to sleep. Here's to a new day, which God provides mercies that are new every morning; great is His faithfulness (Lamentations 2:23).

This week, one thing constantly reoccurred for me and that is that God is sovereign. 

In Week 2 of Project 52, I left off admiring the life of Joseph. I am amazed how he was sold by his brothers, made the head of Pharaoh's home, imprisoned by Pharaoh, put back in Pharaoh's good graces by interpreting a dream, put in charge of Egypt, and finally reunited with his brothers. Joseph certainly could have blamed his brothers for all that happened to him and held a grudge, but instead embraced them and acknowledged God's sovereignty.

And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.  ~ Genesis 45:7-8 (ESV)

After Joseph's death, a new Pharaoh is in charge, one who does not know of Joseph and his family. For fear of the Hebrews being too numerous and rising up in war against the Egyptians. He give the order to his people "Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live." (Exodus 1:22) A young Hebrew boy is born, and his mother chooses to hide him in the reeds to protect him from being killed, and what do ya know, God is there!

Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said. 
Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” 
“Yes, go,” she answered. And the girl went and got the baby’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.”  ~ Exodus 2:5-8 (ESV)

Can you imagine the mother who has set her son to float down a river thinking she'd never see her son again? He is alive and is going to be raised by Pharaoh's daughter.

God is amazing in how He orchestrates our lives. My prayer is that I will trust His sovereignty and His plan for my life!

I'm linking up with Angela @ Selfless Ambition and I hope you'll hop over there to see what God is doing in the lives of others or to share what God is revealing to you!

The Cups Song (You're Gonna Miss Me)

So, last night was my first time watching Pitch Perfect. Well, it was my first and second time since I watched the movie twice. I love movies with great music. I wasn't able to find a good clip of one of my favorite parts of the movie, but here is Anna Kendrick on the Letterman Show with a glimpse.

After seeing Anna Kendrick perform this song in the movie several times (not because she performed it several times in the movie, but because I kept rewinding the movie), I was in love with the song and found myself singing it without much effort. I had to know where the song came from.
A simple search in YouTube for "You're Gonna Miss Me" or "The Cups Song" brought up several girls (and guys) covering the song. I soon found the origin of the song. Lulu and the Lampshades (now Landshades) is an English band, but I wasn't able to find much about them. Here is a clip of them performing the song in 2009.

Awesome, right?! Like I said, I found myself singing the song! Then, I couldn't resist trying the cup. Again, a simple search on YouTube for "You're Gonna Miss Me Cups Tutorial" and there are tons of YouTubers eager to teach me. It took about 20 minutes, and I got the beat down solid. Now, there's just putting the words with the beat, which I have not figured out yet. Lots of concentration for a non-musician like me to do both at the same time. I'm off work today, so maybe I'll get it. Or maybe I'll do some work...I don't know!

Love Rebel Wilson in this movie! She is hilarious!

3 Liebster Awards! Woah!

I can't believe that three lovely bloggers nominated me for a Liebster Award all in the same week! Shout out to the lovely ladies who nominated me:

Angela @ Selfless Ambition
Gayle @ Grace for Gayle
Summer @ Simply Summer

Thank you so much! I'm honored that you nominated me!
I hope you'll take the time to check out their blogs!

Here are the rules

1. Post 11 random facts about yourself.
2. Answer the 11 questions the nominator(s) asked.
3. You (the nominee) come up with 11 new nominees (no tag backs) and 11 questions for your nominees to answer.
4. Nominees should have less than 200 followers and should link back to you on their Liebster blog post.
5. Lastly, be sure to actually let the nominees know they've been nominated. Duh.

{1} 11 Random Facts about Me

• I was in the Army for six years.
• I have 5 tattoos, 6 if you count the one that I had covered.
• I love all things Louisiana...cajun food, the Saints, Mardi Gras, etc. Born & raised in Shreveport, LA!
• My husband and I were married on the same day we started dating a year prior...started dating 2/12/09...married 2/12/10.
• I usually get car sick when I ride in the back seat...and lately, when I ride in the passenger seat too, so I prefer to drive rather than ride!
• My favorite number is 21, my line number when I pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Oo-oop!!!
• I have an almost two year old labrador retriever named Maci! She's the best dog I've ever had.
• I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist...at certain things.
• My maiden name is Wagner. I miss it some times! My dad had so much pride in his last name. My brother is definitely keeping the family name going with three boys!
• I absolutely love my three nephews!

{2} Okay, I figured you didn't want to know 33 more things about me, 
so I chose a few questions from each blogger, for a total of 11!

Angela's Questions

1. Your fave movie?
• Sister Act 2, but Imitation of Life is a close second. I used to watch Sister Act 2 every night in my dorm room before I started being a party animal!
2. Your fave candy bar?
• Do Reese's Peanut Butter Cups count as a candy bar?
3. What's your middle name?
• Dionne...but growing up, I convinced some classmates that my first name was Kim and my middle name was Berly. Get it?! Kim Berly Wagner
4. Name 1 person in your life that has influenced you the most.
• It's so hard to choose between my mom and my dad...they've both influenced my life so much! If I had to pick one, I guess I would say my mom. She has modeled for me what a Godly woman looks like and it has been amazing to see her faith and positive attitude as she fights breast cancer.

Gayle's Questions

1. What one item in your house {not person or pet} would you rescue from a fire?
• My Macbook, or iPad, or iPhone...one of those! Probably the Macbook!
2.  Do you have any phobias/irrational fears?
• I have a phobia of balloons. Well, phobia may be a bit extreme, but I seriously hate balloons. Blame it on childhood experiences at field day.
3. Favorite TV show: right now? of all time?
• Right now: Scandal / All time: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
4. Who is your favorite superhero?
• Storm from X-Men. I liked her in the comic book, the cartoon, and the movie!

Summer's Questions

1. How many pillows do you currently have on your bed? (you can include throw pillows)
• 9 when the bed is made up, which is rare...so I guess the answer is 2!
2. If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
• My mom's cornbread dressing...I have to clarify that not just any cornbread dressing will do...it has to be my mom's! I know there are some people who agree that all cornbread dressing is not created equal.
3. What is your earliest childhood memory?
• I have a horrible memory. I think the earliest I can remember is first grade. I remember it snowing and my teacher, Mrs. Welch, took us outside. I made a snowball and put it in my pocket. I was so disappointed when I got home and it wasn't there.

{3} My 11 Nominees 

Nicole @ Even the Sparrows | Cece @ Frugalista Married | Jessica @ Blogging While Single
Angie @ Fitness Girl Kitchen Stories | Heidi @ Literate & Stylish | Laura @ Laurel Lane
Aanika @ The Active Mum | Samantha @ 24 to 30 | Shayna @ We Had a Baby, It's  Boy
Sarah @ Fueled & Aflame | Shelly @ Shelly No Belly

{4} 11 Questions for my Nominees

1. If you had to describe your style, what would you call it?
2. What type of workout do you prefer, cardio or strength training?
3. What's your earliest childhood memory?
4. Why did you begin blogging?
5. Would you rather watch a movie at the theater or at home on DVD?
6. Which birthday has been the best so far?
7. What's your pet peeve?
8. Is there a language you'd like to learn? If so, what language and why?
9. What's your favorite thing to have for dessert?
10. What's the last book you read? Or what are you reading now?
11. Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Okay, that was difficult...and fun! Hope my nominees have fun sharing a little about themselves!

Thanks again for nominating me Angela, Gayle, and Summer!!!

{5} I'm off to do some blog hopping and let my lovely nominees know about their award!

Fitness Friday | Week 4 + Link-Up

It's so hard for me to believe that I've kept up with this for four weeks...well, this is week 3 for me, but the 4th week of the link-up.

Anyway, if you read last week's Fitness Friday post, you know that I lost 5 pounds. Well, earlier in that week, I was actually down 6 pounds. I'm trying not to weigh myself more than once a week, but when I noticed that, I had to consider the reason for the difference. My eating didn't change much, so the only thing I could think of is the fact that I did mostly toning last week. So, as a result, I decided to devote this week to cardio (and abs).

Most days I did the Secret Admirer Cardio Workout from ToneItUp.com.

For the days leading up to Valentine's, Karena & Katrina of Tone It Up are hosting a 6-week #LoveYourBody Challenge. I'm not participating in the challenge, but I love this cardio workout. There are a few typos in the picture: the workout is split between 3 machies (not 4) and the time on the stairmill adds up to 15 minutes (not 10). Anyway, when I put my full effort in, I usually burn 700-800 calories in 45 minutes.

In addition to focusing on cardio this week, I began the Daniel Fast with my church. You can read more about the Daniel Fast here, but in a nutshell I'm only eating foods from the ground...no meat, dairy, sweetners, etc.

At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.  ~ Daniel 10:2-3 (ESV)

In the past, the Daniel Fast has been extremely difficult for me, but this year, I am much more prepared...and preparation is key!

Today's weight is....drumroll please...

That's 3.6 pounds down this week...

MyFitnessPal - Nutrition Facts For Foods

By the way, I am loving MyFitnessPal. I feel like it is so much easier than WeightWatchers Online and Spark People. The only thing I need added to it is for it to track a few more measurements other than just neck, waist, and hips. Speaking of measurements, I haven't taken mine. I need to get on that!

So happy with my weight loss so far! And thankful for my workout buddies, My FitnessPal buddies, and fellow bloggers for keeping me accountable. Three weeks to a habit, and I'm three days shy of that. My husband called me a gym rat yesterday! I'll take that as a compliment!

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Last week was a great success, we had 15 bloggers link up! Very awesome. Lets see if we can double that this week. Spread the word. Tweet it, Facebook it, pin it! This is a fitness, health, weight-loss, and everything related in between. Link up your weigh-ins, your healthy recipes, your work outs, and any other fitness related posts. Please make sure you are linking up a specific blog post, and not just your blog ;]

Make sure you are a follower of the host(s).

A huge thanks to Desirae @ Going with the Flow for organizing Fitness Friday and for allowing myself and Samantha @ In Bloom to co-host with her!

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Project 52 | Week 2

Wow! This blog is really keeping me accountable on not just reading God's Word, but really meditating on it and doing my best to hear what God is saying to me through His Word. All to often, I want a sign from God...not thinking about the fact that He has already said so much in His Word.

So, this week, I read Genesis 25-42, and here are my take-aways:

1. Children are a Blessing. I know the Bible says to 'be fruitful and multiply' several times, but I am amazed by how God chooses to make one sister fruitful and the other barren. I mean, have you read Genesis 29-30 and just amazed how Leah has kid after kid after kid, and six of them are boys.

When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.  ~ Genesis 30:19-21 (ESV)

After the experiences of some of my friends with infertility and miscarriages, it makes me wonder if I will be the fruitful or the barren sister. I have to believe though that God has a plan for me and my life...even as it relates to childbearing. And that He has a plan for each of the ladies that He chooses to experience infertility or miscarriages.

2. Names are Significant. As I kept reading of all the child birth, the names of each child of each place, of each alter...they all had significance and meaning. Again, in Genesis 29-30, each child's name has significance.

And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son. Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name Zebulun. Afterward she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.  ~ Genesis 30:19-21 (ESV)

It made me look into the meaning of my own name. Kimberly is originally an English surname/name of a place, a meadow near a royal fortress. Kimberly does sound like  hebrew name though: Kinneret meaning harp, and also translated to mean 'Sea of Galilee' probably of its harp-like shape.

3. The LORD is with me. In Genesis 39 alone, the phrase 'the LORD was with Joseph' is mentioned three times. I have to believe that for myself.

The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.  ~ Genesis 39:2 (ESV)

I love seeing the story of Joseph play out and am looking forward to reading more about him next week.

I'm linking up with Angela @ Selfless Ambition and I hope you'll hop over there to see what God is doing in the lives of others or to share what God is revealing to you!

Fitness Friday | Week 3 + Link-Up

It's been quite a week of fitness and healthy eating! I am so motivated right now! I hope I can keep up this momentum! Here's a glimpse at my week + weigh-in + link-up!

Sunday | Couch to 10K Run, Week 4, Day 1 | I am not a runner. In fact, I hate running. But, I love running a 5k for charity. Recently, Melanie (one of my line sisters) and I talked about running more this year. She's is planning to do a half-marathon this year. That is not on my to-do list, but I will run a few 5k races and maybe a 10k as a part of her training. And I shouldn't even say race, because my goal is just to run without stopping...no competition here!

Monday | Jamie Eason LiveFit Program, Week 1, Chest/Triceps | I blogged about my new workout buddies here and how they've given me the confidence to cross the great divide from the cardio equipment to the weights in the gym. I was so pumped that I even did 15 minutes of  cardio afterwards!

Tuesday | Jamie Eason LiveFit Program, Week 1, Back/Biceps | Today was another weight day, but with no cardio. I also learned how to work my JEFIT app better and found out that it recommends the amount of weight you should be lifting based on the amount of time it takes you  to complete a set. 

Wednesday | Stair Climber | I had planned for this to be a rest day since I volunteer at church on Wednesday evenings, but I was so motivated and left work early, so I decided to get in some cardio. I left work on time to get my workout in before going to church. The stair climber made it's appearance this week in my workout because that friend Melanie I referred to earlier...well, she convinced me to sign up for the Big D Climb benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She may be carrying me up these 52 flights of stairs.

Thursday | Jamie Eason LiveFit Program, Week 1, Legs/Calves

The Plan for Friday | Jamie Eason LiveFit Program, Week 1, Shoulders/Abs

The Plan for Saturday | REST!!!

Side Note: I feel like a total dork trying to take pictures of myself in the gym, but I hate blog posts with no pictures.

Okay, on to the eating...I've been logging everything in MyFitnessPal and I love it! Here's an overview of my last week. I have consistently not hit my calorie intake goal, but I think that is partially due to the fact that I was fasting and partially due to the amount of calories I've burned from working out every day this week. I also see that I need to decrease my carbs. I love the messages I get from MyFitnessPal when I complete my entries for the day.

These little messages give me hope for achieving my weight loss goals! On January 1st, I weighed 177.6 pounds. Today's weight is.....drumroll please....

I'm down 5 pounds from January 1st! Woot! Woot!

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Have you linked up? This is week 3 of Fitness Friday, you guys! This is a fitness, health, weight-loss, and everything related and in between. Link up your weigh-ins, your healthy recipes, your work outs, and any other fitness related posts. Make sure you are a follower of the host(s).  A huge thanks to Desirae @ Going with the Flow for organizing Fitness Friday and for allowing myself and Samantha @ In Bloom to co-host with her! 

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