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Not only is it July first, the start of a new month, a new section of summer, and a new week since it's Sunday, but it is my Dad's birthday! I was house and dog sitting all week, so I didn't get to see Dad but for a few minutes when he and mom came by on their way home from dinner out one night. I had to work really late both Friday and Saturday, so when I got home Sunday morning after work (around 12:30 am), Dad came to get a drink and gave me a hug! It felt so good; I just love my dad! Since it was so late/early, I got to be the first one to tell him happy birthday! No one can ever guess how old he is; he seems so much younger in both looks and how he lives.
Since I've been staying up so late all the time, and it was a holiday weekend that our church doesn't have normal services, I got to sleep in (relatively). Mom and Dad were up earlier and ate breakfast casserole and orange juice, one of Dad's favorites. After I got up and halfway awake, I took a bike ride around the neighborhood and up the big hill out. Biking is so refreshing! I was surprised that I was able to make it much farther up the hill this time than I did before! Almost all the way! It's so much easier to run up hills.
Even though it was a Sunday and his birthday, Dad had to go into work for a while to finish stuff for closing weekend. We had planned to take the boat out for a ride to relax and celebrate, but he decided not to jar Mom around with her arm, and we could just sit on the deck. It turned out to be cloudy and stormy all around us, and the water would've been rough. It was a good and relaxing family day, though! I finally got all my calendars for my phone and the wall all caught up with the things that I know of so far for everything from birthdays to holidays, to work and cross country meets. It's strange to see so few; in high school we raced multiple times every week.
I got to sit out in the sun and do a really good section of my Daniel Plan Bible Study! This chapter is on focus: your attitude, thoughts, mind. In Philippians 4:8, we are told to think about all sorts of good things, whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy. Thoughts release chemicals from our brains to our bodies. Imagine how we would feel if we didn't have so many negative thoughts floating around all the time! Thoughts have such an impact on how we feel and live our lives. I can be one of the first to tell how our minds can be our own worst enemy. It is another scientific fact that in workouts or running, you can always physically go farther; your mind is what stops you. So in a race of two physically equally talented and trained runners, the one with the stronger mind and willingness to push through will win. Not only do we have to train our bodies for success in both life and sport, but we also have to train our minds. Thoughts just happen, and we can't help what comes sometimes. However, we have to stop and ask ourselves if that thought is really true. This reminded me of the song "Fear is a Liar." If you Google the lyrics, you may find that you have been filled with many of those same thoughts that you are not good or strong enough, troubled, alone, ashamed, and can never change. Then you lose sleep and happiness (and health). There are so many lies and ways that our thoughts flip things around that really throw us off even though they don't have much validity. It is so important to take time to pause, breathe, and think--no not that same bad thought, but think about that thought and get some truth!
"What truth?" you ask. God is the truth (John 1:14), and we were given truth through His Son Jesus (John 14:6). This truth can set us free from whatever lies and chains hold us back (John 8:32). All the Word is truth (John 17:17), and it says so many things we ought to believe! He loves us, forgives us, has a plan for us, wants us to live a full and joyful life (John 3:16, Colossians 3:13, Jeremiah 29:11, John 10:10, John 15:11). Let your mind be filled with the good things of the Lord, and your life will take a great turn.
For dinner, Dad decided that he wanted Texas Roadhouse steak (I like his kind of birthday dinner better than mom's...sorry mom.) They aren't near as expensive as so many other places, but I think they have some of the best steaks I have ever had! Their service and atmosphere is great, too. If I have to look for another part-time job, that's an option I think I would enjoy. I would even get to dance! I also think it was too perfect that the name of the sirloin on the kid's menu is "Andy's Steak." It's the same as a 6 ounce on the regular menu, so I said I was eating an Andy's Steak for Andy's birthday.
I am trying to not eat much high-sugar, processed, "junky" foods with a lot of fake ingredients and all that jazz, but I am still going to eat the things I have already bought and enjoy new things when I want to try them. At the beach I found the Hershey's crunchers smores, and I LOVE smores, so I am trying it. It's so good! So, it is both good that it's tasty and worth it, but also bad that I want more. But there are also Luna smores bars and so many other things with a greater health punch for me!
Today is a pretty good and tasty holiday in my opinion! And one of my little fun project things.
1. National Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day: you know I love my creative ice creams! I don't do plain Janes. No chocolate, vanilla, Neapolitan. You gotta have some mix-ins. These are some of the best places that I have been for kinds like this! Sugar Life and Kirk's at Myrtle Beach, The Fudgery, The Pied Piper in Nashville, The Comfy Cow, Bruster's, and Clumpies in Chattanooga.
2. National Gingersnap Day: not a snap, but these seasonal bars from Quaker made me so happy Mom bought me two big boxes at Target back then. Other brands have great protein bars in gingerbread, too! Like Clif and Fitjoy.
3. National Postage Stamp Day: I am sad that these are almost gone. Another thing Mom got for me that I love to use to personalize my cards and express myself!
Not only is it July first, the start of a new month, a new section of summer, and a new week since it's Sunday, but it is my Dad's birthday! I was house and dog sitting all week, so I didn't get to see Dad but for a few minutes when he and mom came by on their way home from dinner out one night. I had to work really late both Friday and Saturday, so when I got home Sunday morning after work (around 12:30 am), Dad came to get a drink and gave me a hug! It felt so good; I just love my dad! Since it was so late/early, I got to be the first one to tell him happy birthday! No one can ever guess how old he is; he seems so much younger in both looks and how he lives.
Since I've been staying up so late all the time, and it was a holiday weekend that our church doesn't have normal services, I got to sleep in (relatively). Mom and Dad were up earlier and ate breakfast casserole and orange juice, one of Dad's favorites. After I got up and halfway awake, I took a bike ride around the neighborhood and up the big hill out. Biking is so refreshing! I was surprised that I was able to make it much farther up the hill this time than I did before! Almost all the way! It's so much easier to run up hills.
Even though it was a Sunday and his birthday, Dad had to go into work for a while to finish stuff for closing weekend. We had planned to take the boat out for a ride to relax and celebrate, but he decided not to jar Mom around with her arm, and we could just sit on the deck. It turned out to be cloudy and stormy all around us, and the water would've been rough. It was a good and relaxing family day, though! I finally got all my calendars for my phone and the wall all caught up with the things that I know of so far for everything from birthdays to holidays, to work and cross country meets. It's strange to see so few; in high school we raced multiple times every week.
I got to sit out in the sun and do a really good section of my Daniel Plan Bible Study! This chapter is on focus: your attitude, thoughts, mind. In Philippians 4:8, we are told to think about all sorts of good things, whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy. Thoughts release chemicals from our brains to our bodies. Imagine how we would feel if we didn't have so many negative thoughts floating around all the time! Thoughts have such an impact on how we feel and live our lives. I can be one of the first to tell how our minds can be our own worst enemy. It is another scientific fact that in workouts or running, you can always physically go farther; your mind is what stops you. So in a race of two physically equally talented and trained runners, the one with the stronger mind and willingness to push through will win. Not only do we have to train our bodies for success in both life and sport, but we also have to train our minds. Thoughts just happen, and we can't help what comes sometimes. However, we have to stop and ask ourselves if that thought is really true. This reminded me of the song "Fear is a Liar." If you Google the lyrics, you may find that you have been filled with many of those same thoughts that you are not good or strong enough, troubled, alone, ashamed, and can never change. Then you lose sleep and happiness (and health). There are so many lies and ways that our thoughts flip things around that really throw us off even though they don't have much validity. It is so important to take time to pause, breathe, and think--no not that same bad thought, but think about that thought and get some truth!
"What truth?" you ask. God is the truth (John 1:14), and we were given truth through His Son Jesus (John 14:6). This truth can set us free from whatever lies and chains hold us back (John 8:32). All the Word is truth (John 17:17), and it says so many things we ought to believe! He loves us, forgives us, has a plan for us, wants us to live a full and joyful life (John 3:16, Colossians 3:13, Jeremiah 29:11, John 10:10, John 15:11). Let your mind be filled with the good things of the Lord, and your life will take a great turn.
For dinner, Dad decided that he wanted Texas Roadhouse steak (I like his kind of birthday dinner better than mom's...sorry mom.) They aren't near as expensive as so many other places, but I think they have some of the best steaks I have ever had! Their service and atmosphere is great, too. If I have to look for another part-time job, that's an option I think I would enjoy. I would even get to dance! I also think it was too perfect that the name of the sirloin on the kid's menu is "Andy's Steak." It's the same as a 6 ounce on the regular menu, so I said I was eating an Andy's Steak for Andy's birthday.
I am trying to not eat much high-sugar, processed, "junky" foods with a lot of fake ingredients and all that jazz, but I am still going to eat the things I have already bought and enjoy new things when I want to try them. At the beach I found the Hershey's crunchers smores, and I LOVE smores, so I am trying it. It's so good! So, it is both good that it's tasty and worth it, but also bad that I want more. But there are also Luna smores bars and so many other things with a greater health punch for me!
Today is a pretty good and tasty holiday in my opinion! And one of my little fun project things.
1. National Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day: you know I love my creative ice creams! I don't do plain Janes. No chocolate, vanilla, Neapolitan. You gotta have some mix-ins. These are some of the best places that I have been for kinds like this! Sugar Life and Kirk's at Myrtle Beach, The Fudgery, The Pied Piper in Nashville, The Comfy Cow, Bruster's, and Clumpies in Chattanooga.
2. National Gingersnap Day: not a snap, but these seasonal bars from Quaker made me so happy Mom bought me two big boxes at Target back then. Other brands have great protein bars in gingerbread, too! Like Clif and Fitjoy.
3. National Postage Stamp Day: I am sad that these are almost gone. Another thing Mom got for me that I love to use to personalize my cards and express myself!
