Fitness Fridays: Disney

Happy Friday all you fitness fans!

I hope you keep in mind that while physical fitness is important you should always maintain a good state of mental and emotional fitness as well. 

So make sure you are battling stress! I was hospitalized twice one summer solely due to the 
physical ailments that stress was taking on me. 
So here are some of my favorite ways of doing that.
And I may have added some Disney flare to this one...

1. Get plenty of rest. Not getting enough rest and such makes you unable to think as clearly as you should be able to and causes stress, not to mention lack of sleep can have negative effects on your immune system.

2. Exercise. I know cliche but exercise releases endorphins, endorphins make you happy... all you Legally Blonde fans can finish that quote.   

3. Do something that you used to enjoy that you haven't done in a while. Only you know what that is. For me its usually art related or picking up a book I haven't in a while. But it's different for everyone. 

4. Be productive. Doing things that will make you feel good about yourself after is a great way to handle your stress. So it may not be something you really want to do at the moment but you'll be glad is done after the fact. What have you been putting off?

5.Yoga it out. Yoga is a state of mind not just working on flexibility. Look into it. You can find guided workouts on Youtube before you commit to finding a class.

6. Get outside! Even if it's just for a walk to no where. The sun's energies do so much for us; which is why the suicide rates are higher in places that don't get a lot of sunlight. Plus there's something that's just good for the soul about being in nature and appreciating it. 

7. Eat a good hearty meal. Your body starts to break down when it's not getting the nutrition it needs. Load up with  protein and veggies to boost your bodies natural health.

Relationship Application

I have this problem...

Admitting it is the first step, right?

My problem is that after one failed relationship after another, my standards rise more and more as to the type of person I will even consider to date. 

My family and closest friends have told me over the years that my expectations are too high. My standards are too great. This has been such a heavy burden on my heart. 

The qualifications for those applying to fill the "boyfriend" role in my life are not earth shattering but I was starting to think that maybe they are a bit too much...

Laci's Basic Relationship Application Outline

Single female seeking single male who is a mature Christian and living a life that represents that title. 

...That's it.

I feel like the word "mature" is taken independently  rather than as meant to be- paired with the "Christian" part of that. 

I am not seeking a stuffy stick in the mud who doesn't know how to have fun because every time he opens his mouth a string of "Thou shalt not"'s flow from his holier than thou entity. 

This person needs to be able to relax and let loose and play and frankly be stupid with me. Otherwise I will drive them crazy with my child-like whims of embracing recess moments. 

The deeper meaning that that statement really embodies I found explained elsewhere  A much better description than I could ever hope to give myself even though my entire being has felt this way for years!

Christian ladies! This is the kind of relationship you should be aiming for. Christian men, not only should this be a character assessment but make sure you turn it around and that the lady of your affection would line up with this as well. 

(Disclaimer: people aren't perfect and you are doomed for a life of disappointment if you attempt to pretend that someone will be. But the individual who makes honest strides and attempts to better themselves and live by God's standards will help you grow as well and together you will be an amazingly intricate tapestry together.) 

Check out this post which is now being extended into a book for release in 2014 and see what I'm talking about:

http://thechristianpundit.org/2012/08/15/it/

Now you cannot even begin to fathom the big picture of this post without checking out that link so if you passed it over, 

go back and do it right :) 

I can only speak from my own opinion but this was EXACTLY what I needed to hear. The standards I have are not outrageous. Just because someone doesn't measure up to them doesn't mean that the standards themselves are flawed. Especially when this kind of living is one that is personally striven for as well. 

Christian kids- don't be afraid to keep your standards high- especially when it comes to the person you will potentially be with for the rest of your life. But a personal note as well- make sure YOU are the kind of person that your dream spouse will want to be with as well. It's a give and take, love. 

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Proverbs 27:16-18 

Never give up, even when God's timing isn't 

lined up with your own.

 "Don’t marry someone whose leadership you can’t follow. 

Don’t marry someone who is not seeking to love you as Christ loved the church. Marry someone who knows and demonstrates the love of Christ."

Threads

I was recently overwhelmed with the reality that I was asked to write a article for a well-known blog on a topic that I have spent several years reading about. 

It was very much an awe-inspiring humble moment for the student to attempt to play teacher. 

The piece written used a story that was approved by my organization and it had to go through a couple different people for edits and revisions but the final product is now live!

CLICK HERE TO READ: MALA'S STORY 

written by Laci Carnes

http://www.threadsuk.com/malas-story/ 

Make sure to keep up with Threads as well!

A little more about them -

Who we are

We are a collective of Christians from all walks of life, who are living, working and trying to carve out our identity in our worlds.

We are artists and bankers. We are singles, and we’re marrieds. We are visionaries and geeks, hilarious and deadly serious.

We are scratching our heads about faith and life and what they have to say about each other. We are curious. We are wrestling with questions where there used to be answers, and are passionate about working it out together. We are celebrating each other’s talents.

We know our lives can be broken and dislocated and we also know Jesus is the ultimate fixer. We are humble, because we are not worthy. So we’re not judges, and we don’t do platitudes. Life can be full of knots, but we’re living it to the full.

We’re inspired, and we’re hopeful. We are threads.

Thank you to Threads as well as No More Traffik for giving me this opportunity!

Fitness Friday

Welcome to the first posting for Fitness Fridays. 

Every Friday will now have some thINSPIRATIONAL quotes, photos and what I did that week to work on my own health.

 I have started a program called AthLEAN XX. I used it 2 summers ago and while it kicks my butt in less than 30 minutes each time, I do love it. 

My first three days of AthLEAN XX worked three different target areas. The Glutes (that derriere), your amazing arms and of course...abs. 

Thanks to day 1 I had trouble walking, sitting, bending and dressing for 3 days after. Day 2 has allowed my to feel like my guns are water pistols and day 3 has me feeling like a have bruised ribs. I liked day 4. It was a day of rest! But let's keep some perspective...

Today I walked 6 miles and I still have my shoulders to work out before the night is over. 

Diet has not eluded me. I have been chowing down on my salads and managing my tea an coffee with little to now sugar. I choose water 9 out 10 times; couldn't tell you the last time I had a soda. Three out of four nights this week I had a Special K cereal. This wasn't even out of wanting to take in less calories but after working out I'm roasting! The last thing I was is a hot meal so cereal with cold milk is just the ticket!

I am also a HUGE believer in -

If you don't have "junk" as an option when you're home guess what! You don't have the option to eat it!

Practice keeping healthy food in your cabinets and fridge and give all your wonderful but damning comfort food away. 

Now I used to love my chips/crisps- especially if sitting on my butt watching TV. But it was the crunch that I grew accustom to. I now love to get super fresh lettuce and curl up on my sofa and crunch crunch crunch away. Your brain doesn't know the difference and it helps get in your veggie servings!

Not Your Average Resort Tour

Rosen Shingle Creek Resort's 1,500 guest rooms are all nestled on the 230-acre green patch of paradise right in the middle of tourist town, USA- Orlando, Florida.

This resort is a towering beauty that over looks the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management; my lovely campus. 

I had been on a behind the scenes tour of the prestigious Shingle Creek Resort with on of my classes before where I saw the load-in docks for events, the massive and well organized laundry area, the staff lounges and set-up space for exhibitions and the like. However, I saw a completely different Shingle Creek my last night in Florida before leaving on my IJM internship for Northern Ireland. Not more, not less but a completely different experience going from an event management major to a resort guest. Especially when the tour was guided not by a professor or staff member but by a young lady 
of 4 years old. 

Join me in putting a spotlight on my little friend Brooke while she leads us through a tour of what she sees as her "castle" for the night.

The Great Gatsby

I have just finished The Great Gatsby 

by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

It has been on my reading list for YEARS now but I somewhat shamefully admit that my interest was due to the reference on One Tree Hill more than its astounding fame. 

You see, I've always hated the cover art.. That and I refuse to buy paper back classics. BUT if I don't care for the book at first glance then I usually assume the author didn't care enough to present his work well to the general public. But you know what they say... 

You can't judge a book by it's cover.

Never thought of actually applying that literally.

I found Fitzgerald's writing to be escapism at it's finest. It is not the easiest read and having been one of the tiny few who saw the movie first- I find that it was quite helpful to grasp what was actually taking place rather than attempting to sort out the authors way of conceiving ideas and happenings through a beautiful scenery of subtlety.

I have heard so many mixed reviews as to individual opinions of the movie and whether it was justice to the written pages, ruin to the grace and elegance or simple exaggeration of an already timeless story. My personal opinion is that you must have an appreciation for the director,Baz Luhrmann, as he tends to have a very distinctive flair to his work; but I enjoy the change of pace.

Back to the book- it is not a fast read as I would hate to advise anyone of attempting to breeze through it quickly. It is meant to be absorbed. The book can easily take hold of personal dreams and make clear the jumbled longings you've wrestled with; having no luck at actually understanding them and then all of a sudden seeing the feelings you've had for countless years appear in one simple sentence- almost summed up with a neat little bow. 

It pulls on the very nature of human longing and desire. The book seems to have a centralized theme of time.Jay Gatsby is a man with whom people know very little about; even considering how hundreds seem to end up at his glorious home every weekend and partake of his food and 

endless flow of gin and drink.

That's because Gatsby is a mystery, even at times to those who know him best. He is constantly at a pull of one life and another; the past and the present but always set on the future.

Always set on Daisy.

It is Gatsby who has spent the better part of his life creating this world of lavish and luxury for the woman whom he loved in the past and who he lives for in the present. Every thing he does is to reach further to her and recreate what they had always dreamed of. 

And leaves the understandings of reality vs fancy still undetermined to the fanciful heart.

It is a recommendation that the book is read AT LEAST once in your lifetime. It is a wonderful companion for a leisure soak in relaxation for the body but intellectual stimulating for the soul.

ENJOY

Pranking Grandma is Always Good for a Laugh

Ever wondered what would happen if someone THOUGHT they were going to fly off of a ride?

 

What about a grandma being tricked into believing that

her granddaughter was not harnessed in properly
while on a giant slingshot?

 

 

 

This was the case for my mother.

 

And it is hilarious.