My New Apartment!

Many of you know that I moved a few weeks ago! After many MANY trips back and forth from my old apartment and one trip with hired movers, I am all moved in! I was out of town last week but came back yesterday so I have been working hard to finish decorating my place. I'm just about done! Only a couple boxes in my bedroom remain. I have had so much fun decorating and organizing...wanted to share before and after pictures with you. ENJOY!

Here is my living room before....

...and after! 

(Just watching a little Best of Will Ferrell on SNL)

 Here is my dining room before....

...and after! 

Here is my kitchen before....

...and after! 

(Big thanks to Kristi for my brand new towels!!) 

I did not take a before picture of my bedroom....so HERE IT IS NOW! :)

Here is my bathroom before...

....and after! 

I am so glad to be all moved in! I'm hoping to stay in this apartment for a while....I have moved QUITE a bit in my short 27 years of life. I moved with my family four times before college and then I've moved five times after graduating from college. Of course, I had to move each year of college....you might say I'm a moving expert. haha Hoping this move will last a while! :)

Time to Change: Body, Mind, Soul

It's time for a change in my life.

For the past 5+ years I have been (almost completely) focused on my career. My first year of teaching was consumed with hard work, pain and a hope for survival. The next few years I slowly began to gain confidence and find my footing as a teacher. In the fall of 2011, I began graduate school for my Master's in Education and hopefully in May of 2014 I will graduate!! Now, in my sixth year of teaching, I finally feel like I have got this teaching thing down! Of course, there are challenges and I am learning new things every day. However, I don't feel lost and unsure of myself any more. I feel excited and hopeful for the future.

However....

I still don't feel happy. I don't know if happy is the right word, but it's the only one that I can think of at the moment. I am beyond blessed with family and friends who love and support me. I have a job I love and that challenges me. But I feel like at age 27, my life is not balanced. I feel stuck.

You see, since my focus has been on teaching these past few years, I feel like I have drifted away from improving other parts of my life. Specifically my health, my spiritual life and my writing life. 

With only a few months left of 2013, I'm determined to make a change and start making healthier choices for my life. I'm hoping to blog my progress each week focusing on my goals with eating healthier, working out more, seeking God and making more time to write.

I'll let you know how it goes....Thanks for reading! 

Justin/NSYNC at the VMA's!

Thank you Justin Timberlake for one of the best moments of my life this past Sunday. For those of you who don't know (Do you live under a rock?), Justin performed at the VMA's this year before receiving an award. During his medley of hits and amazing dance moves, out pops his four former bandmates from NSYNC. I literally screamed like a preteen girl when NSYNC took the stage. It only last 2 minutes, but it was the best 2 minutes of my life! Here is his full performance in all it's glory (not the best version...MTV has a better one, but I can't figure out how to put it on here):

I also stayed up super late reliving some of Justin's former moments of amazing-ness at the VMA's last night, including a wonderful performance in 2000 from NSYNC:

2000

2002

2006

NSYNC....could you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do a reunion tour?? :) 

My Favorite Finn Hudson Performances

When I found out this weekend that Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson on Glee, passed away I was completely shocked. He is one of my favorite actors and my absolute favorite character on Glee. I loved the first two seasons of Glee, but stopped watching it regularly over the past two. I've only kept up with it for the Finn/Rachel storyline. I don't think I can watch Glee anymore. I am just heartbroken that this young man (He was only 31!) with so much talent has been taken. Just absolutely heartbreaking. 

Anyways, been reliving some of Cory's performances and wanted to share my favorites. 

10. "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Rachel/Finn)

9. "Dammit, Janet" (Rachel/Finn, New Directions)

8. "We've Got Tonight" (Rachel/Finn)

7. "Man in the Mirror" (New Directions)

6. "She's Not There" (Finn, football team)

5. "Jessie's Girl" (Finn)

4. "Marry You" (New Directions)

3. "Faithfully" (Rachel/Finn, New Directions)

2. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (Rachel/Finn)

1. "Don't Stop Believing" (Rachel/Finn, New Directions)

Lord of the Flies

Don't read this book if you are in for a lighthearted tale about boys playing in a forest. This book is DARK. I read this in school and remembered not being a huge fan of it. After reading it again, I'm still not. Don't get me wrong, it's beautifully written and it has a very engaging story. It's just not my cup of tea (as the British might say!)
SPOILERS: If you have not read the book and/or have not seen the movie, do NOT keep reading. You have been warned!

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Title: Lord of the Flies

Author: William Golding

My Synopsis: A group of British boys (ages 6-12ish) are marooned on an island after their plane is shot down. Two boys (Ralph and Piggy) discover a conch shell and they use it to call an assembly of all the other boys. They decide to elect Ralph as chief over Jack, but Ralph appoints Jack as head of the hunters. Jack, Ralph and another boy Simon explore the island and return to the group saying they need to build a signal fire (using Piggy's glasses to start it). As the story goes on, most of the boys are more concerned with playing and eating than helping build shelters are keep watch over the signal fire. Ralph is furious when he sees a ship pass but finds out the signal fire is out. Jack returns with his first kill (a pig) and begins a wild, savage dance with his hunters. One night, there are military planes overhead in battle and a dead parachutist comes down on the island. The twins, Sam and Eric are watching the fire but have both fallen asleep. When they awake they see the shadow of the parachute and think it is a beast. They run back to the boys and raise the alarm. Both Jack and Ralph go back up the mountain to see the beast but still only see the shadow and believe it a beast. Jack tries to get Ralph voted out of power but eventually leaves the group to start his own tribe. The hunters leave with him and while Ralph tries to start a new signal fire on the beach, many other boys follow Jack.

After killing a pig, Jack and his tribe cut off the head and place it on a stick as an offering. Simon later finds it in the forest (he often goes places by himself to be alone) and has a terrible vision of it speaking to him (he calls it the Lord of the Flies) and he faints. He later climbs the mountain and finds the dead parachutist. Simon realizes that the beast is in each of the boys and is not a real creature. He goes down to tell the boys what he has found, but they are in the middle of a savage dance/feast so they do not recognize him and believe him to be the beast. The boys kill him with their bare hands. Ralph and Piggy witnessed his death and are devastated and unsure of what to do. The boys from Jack's tribe sneak to their camp and steal Piggy's glasses. When Ralph, Piggy (blind but holding the conch), Sam and Eric return to Jack's camp to try and reason with them, one boy, Roger, rolls a boulder down the mountain that hits Piggy and kills him. Ralph runs away but Sam and Eric are forced to join Jack's tribe. Later when they are keeping watch they warn Ralph that Jack and his tribe are going to try and kill him. While Ralph is hiding, Jack's tribe tries to smoke him out by setting the forest on fire. He eventually is forced out onto the beach and collapses in exhaustion. He then sees that a naval officer is standing over him. The officer says his ship noticed their fire and came to investigate. After seeing the boys covered in paint, he first believes the boys to just be playing a war game, but he is horrified to find out some of the boys had been killed. Ralph begins to weep and soon the other boys join him.

Favorite Character(s): Simon was one of the few boys I actually liked from this book. He was sort of seen as an odd ball because he liked to be alone and he wasn't pulled in to the savage ways of most of the other boys. He was very sweet and took care of some of the little boys who couldn't get food. I felt he was also the bravest one though as he was the one who discovered what the beast really was. He was wise beyond his years as he realized that the beast wasn't an actual monster but was the evil inside of each of the boys. I was devastated when he died. I remembered that Piggy dies in this book, but had forgotten about Simon's horrible death. It was just unthinkable and terrifying. 

Least Favorite Character(s): Jack is one of the most disturbing literacy characters I have ever read about. It's terrifying how one person can stir up so much hatred and fear in a group of young boys. Throughout the book he and Ralph are at odds for power. And Jack is obsessed with killing and blood. He gets the boys to chant "Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!" throughout the story. Just chilling. And although most of the boys are mean to Piggy, Jack is especially cruel.

Favorite Quote(s):

"We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything."

"Then, amid the roar of bees in the afternoon sunlight, Simon found for the fruit they could not reach... passed them back down to the endless, outstretched hands."

“The thing is - fear can't hurt you any more than a dream.” 

“Maybe," he said hesitantly, "maybe there is a beast...[w]hat I mean is, maybe it's only us.” 

"Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy."

Should you read this?: If you aren't a fan of dark and depressing books then I would stay away from this one. I really had to force myself to finish. Like I said, it is a beautifully written book and a very captivating story, but the message is so depressing and pessimistic that it's hard to think about anything else.

I found that there are several versions of the movie and I watched a few clips.  Here are a few pictures I found from the 1963 version:

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Coming Up Next: 1984 by George Orwell

To Kill a Mockingbird

I actually finished this book awhile ago but with summer school starting I haven't had a chance to write about it. I absolutely loved reading this book again. It's one of my favorite books of all time. Just an incredible story with an important message. Reading it makes me want to watch the movie again! Luckily my mom has it so I know what I'll be doing next time I visit the parents! :) 

SPOILERS: If you have not read the book and/or have not seen the movie, do NOT keep reading. You have been warned!

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Title: To Kill a Mockingbird

Author: Harper Lee

My Synopsis: I am going to leave a lot out because this story is long, complex and wonderful and I don't want to bore you with a super long summary. Basically the story is told through the eyes of a young girl named Scout over several years of her childhood. Her dad, Atticus, is a lawyer in the town of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout, her brother, Jem and their friend Dill (who visits during the summers) become interested in their neighbor Boo Radley who never leaves his home. A lot of the book involves their attempts to get a look at Boo and his interactions with them (leaving gifts in a tree hole, putting a blanket on Scout when she is cold outside) although they never see him.

Atticus decides to take on a case defending a black man, Tom, who is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell (the daughter of Bob Ewell). Scout and Jem soon feel the effects of the town's dislike for this decision. During the case, Atticus provides a lot of evidence  that makes it clear Tom is innocent yet he is still found guilty by the jury. Before Atticus can get an appeal, Tom tries to escape jail and is shot to death. At the end of the book, Jem and Scout are walking home in the dark after a town festival and they are attacked by someone. Jem is knocked unconscious and carried home by a mysterious person that saved them. Scout follows them home to find that it was Boo Radley. Scout learns that Bob Ewell was the one who attacked them as he was still upset with Atticus for defending Tom. The sheriff finds Bob dead from a knife wound and the sheriff declares that Bob fell on his own knife, even though Boo most likely stabbed him. Scout and Boo sit on the porch for a bit and then she walks Boo home.

Favorite Character(s): Hands down, it's Atticus. What an amazing father, an amazing human being, really. If these characters were real, I have no doubt that both Scout and Jem would grow up to be amazing people because of their father. He is such a wonderful role model in that he is patient, caring and loving. He doesn't let prejudice or anger rule his life. And I just love his relationship with Scout. He is a loving and lets her be who she wants to be. And everything he says is just pure wisdom; almost all my favorite quotes are from him! If you haven't seen the movie, check it out! Gregory Peck plays him and he is incredible! 

Least Favorite Character(s): Bob Ewell is just a horrible man. I was not at all upset that he died. It was evident that he abused his children and failed to provide them with a safe home. And the idea that a man would attack children to get back at someone is just despicable. I just can't even fathom the cowardice in that. Thank goodness for Boo! Oh, and my other least favorite character, although she had a minor role, was Miss Caroline, Scout's first teacher. She basically gets on to Scout for being able to read and write. Really?? I jump for joy when that happens! She won't listen to her students and is absolutely clueless on how to teach. I know it's just a book, but man, she bugged me!

Favorite Quote(s):

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what."

“They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.” 

"Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

“People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.”

“I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks.” 

“We’re so rarely called on to be Christians, but when we are, we’ve got men like Atticus to go for us.” 

Should you read this?: Umm...YES! Stop what you are doing right now and go get this book!

Here are some pictures from the movie! 

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Coming up Next: Lord of the Flies by William Golding

The Great Gatsby

Before going to see the new Baz Luhrmann movie, I wanted to re-read The Great Gatsby. I was amazed with how much I had forgotten since high school. Honestly the only thing I remembered was Gatsby was obsessed with some green light. I found my old high school copy at my parent's house and dove right in. I loved it! I finished it in less than 24 hours. Sure, there were still parts that were hard to understand, but overall I thought it was an amazing book. Why had I forgotten this wonderful story? High school wasn't that long ago! 

I recently read Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick (also an amazing movie!) and in this story, the main character Pat is reading through all the books his ex-wife (who is an English teacher) has her students read. I decided I wanted to do the same thing. I want to go back and re-read (and read for the first time) some classic books taught in high school English. (Why yes, I am a huge nerd. Thanks for asking!)

Now, since I am also trying to write/blog more, I have decided to combine the two! After I finish a book, I'll answer a few questions about the book and share it with you. Hope you enjoy! Oh, and feel free to leave any suggestions for more books I should read. 

SPOILERS: If you have not read the book and/or have not seen the movie, do NOT keep reading. You have been warned!

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Title: The Great Gatsby

Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald

My Synopsis: Nick Carraway moves to New York and winds up living next door to a mysterious millionaire named Gatsby. Nick also lives near his cousin Daisy Buchanan. She is married to Tom who attended Yale with Nick. Nick meets Jordan Baker, a legendary golfer, through Daisy. Nick soon learns that Tom is having an affair with a married woman named Mrytle. Nick eventually receives an invite to one of Gatsby's parties and becomes friends with him. Gatsby asks Nick (through Jordan) to arrange a meeting between Daisy and Gatsby. Apparently Gatsby and Daisy knew each other years before and were deeply in love, but since he was penniless at the time, they did not marry. Gatsby changed his name and earned his fortune in an effort to impress and win Daisy back. After an awkward first meeting, Gatsby and Daisy are reunited and begin an affair. Later, Daisy, Nick and Tom attend one of Gatsby's parties and Tom becomes suspcious of Gatsby. Even though Tom is having his own affair, he is furious when he begins to suspect Daisy is being unfaithful to him. One day when Gatsby is visiting Daisy at her house for a luncheon with Tom, Jordan and Nick, Tom suggests they all go to the Plaza to have a drink. At the Plaza, Tom and Gatsby fight about who Daisy truly loves and things get tense. Tom declares that Gatsby is a criminal and Gatsby tries to get Daisy to admit she never loved Tom (which she can't). Tom sends Gatsby and Daisy back to their house in Gatsby's car. As Tom, Jordan and Nick are driving home, they find out that a woman was struck by a car and killed. The woman turns out to be Myrtle, Tom's mistress. Nick finds Gatsby later and finds out that it was Gatsby's car that hit Myrtle and that Daisy was driving, but Gatsby is going to take the blame. Tom tells George, Myrtle's husband, that Gatsby was driving the car and he was most likely the man Myrtle was having an affair with. George finds Gatsby at his house swimming and shoots Gatsby dead and then shoots himself. Nick helps arrange a small funeral for Gatsby and hardly anyone attends. Nick moves away from the East Coast feeling disgusted by the people surrounding Gatsby and his tragic end. 

Favorite Character(s): Nick Carraway - I'm usually drawn to the narrator of a story. They are the person who allows you to peek into their lives completely and it is through their eyes that you see the rest of the characters. Nick seems like a genuinely good guy in that he doesn't try to take advantage of Gatsby as everyone else appears to. He has a strong moral compass when it seems like everyone else lacks any morals at all. Nick is also a true friend to Gatsby - he plans his funeral and is one of the few people who actually shows up. I feel so sad for him at the end of the book. 

Least Favorite Character(s): Tom and Daisy Buchanan - Even though Myrtle's husband is the one who pulled the trigger of the gun that killed Gatsby, I completely blame these two for his death. They are horrible, self-absorbed people. Daisy seems vapid and superficial to me. I honestly don't understand what Gatsby sees in her. 

Favorite Quote(s):

“He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced--or seemed to face--the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.” 

“And I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties there isn’t any privacy.” 

“Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.” 

“Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!” 

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. "Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.” 

Should you read this?: YES! I know my synopsis sounds depressing, but it is an amazing book! The language and plot development is just incredible. I am so glad I read this again! 

**Now a side note on the movie. I have heard a lot of mixed reviews, but I personally really enjoyed the movie. And ladies, if you only go see the Great Gatsby to see the lovely Leo, it will be worth it. I mean, c'mon, look at him!

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Coming Up Next: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

To Be a Writer

Well, everyone, I'm back! It's been awhile, but I have decided to bring back my personal blog and start writing again! HOORAY! I know you're excited. Try to contain your joy. ;-)

For those of you who know me, you know one of my life goals is to become a writer. Several people have asked me "Well, Kim, what is it you want to write?" And my answer is complicated - EVERYTHING! I would love to write children's books, fiction, nonfiction, research....I just want to write.

Right now I am getting my Master's in Education with a focus on Language and Literacy. I have taken several courses on teaching writing, but in all of them, there was a great emphasis on the teacher's writing life. In order to teach writing well, we must be writers too. That's not to say every teacher needs to be a published writer! It's just important for teachers to go through the writing process with their students: writing in a writer's notebook, coming up with ideas, collecting entries, drafting, revising, editing, sharing. In two of my courses I had to write several of my own pieces and I absolutely loved it! In one class I wrote about several of my family members, sort of like mini-biographies. When I was done, I bound it together and gave it to my parents as a present. In my most recent course, I wrote a memoir about my time as a swimmer and a short fiction story about a brother-sister relationship.

I'm addicted to writing! And I love it!

I really want to continue working on my own writing and I thought a wonderful way to do that was to get back into the habit of blogging. I hope you all will come along for the ride!

De-Clutter!

OK, Spring is in the air and it's time for some Spring Cleaning. Even though I live in a small, one-bedroom apartment, I am DISGUSTED with the amount of stuff I have. I need to simplify and organize so that's my goal this month. I've planned out what I want to work on each week:

Week 1: Closet/Get rid of clothes

Week 2: Bedroom/Under the bed!

Week 3: Living Room

Week 4: Kitchen

I've gone through most of my closet and have gotten rid of three big bags of clothes! If you know me, I LOOOOOVE shopping for clothes so I have plenty to get rid of.

Wish me luck for the rest of the month...I'm going to need it! :)

SLEEP!

Well, February was an interesting month....although I didn't achieve my goal of completing the Daniel Fast, I feel like I am eating a little better. I have actually given up meat for Lent and I'm really enjoying it. Who knows...maybe I'll stick with it after Easter! HAH! Not likely...but you never know.

I feel very proud of myself in the fitness department. I have continued to work out 3 times a week and after completing the 5K a month ago, I am beginning to like running! Who knew??? I have been running 2 to 3 miles at a time and it's actually do-able for me. I'm training for a 10K at the end of the month...I'm super nervous but excited!

This month is all about sleep. I DESPERATELY need to work on this. I'm in the bad habit of staying up late watching TV instead of getting a good night's rest. My goal this month is to be in bed by 10:30 on school nights. Perhaps it will be easier to get up in the morning! :)

Epic Fail

Well, the Daniel Fast Take 2 was an epic fail. The first week or so I did pretty well, but once Valentine's festivities hit I was a goner! GEEZ! However, this whole experience has shown me that SWEETS is once again, what I will be giving up for Lent. I am also going to try giving up meat because I really enjoyed trying vegetarian dishes this month. I'm going to allow myself to have fish though.

There is some good news in February though! My desire to stay more active has continued from January! I have been running a lot and even ran in a 5K early in February with my best friend, Sarah and my twin, Lesley (twin as in we both have the same BIG in our sorority...not actual twin sister haha...I WISH THOUGH!) I ran (well...jogged actually) the whole thing and I was so proud of myself. I enjoyed it SO MUCH that I went crazy and signed up for a 10K at the end of March. I have NEVER run that far in my life so it should be interesting. However, I ran 2 miles this morning and actually ENJOYED IT....usually I'm dying after 5 minutes of running.

Well, hopefully Lent will go better than Food Month did. I also wanted to add something during Lent this year and I've decided to add schedule, intentional prayer time. I'm going to start with 5-10 minutes a day and hopefully work up to 30-40 minutes. Very excited! :)

Daniel Fast - Take 2

Well, I'm a week into my month of food focus and it's going....alright. I decided to attempt the Daniel Fast again. I won't go into the details since I already blogged about it (you can check that out here if you are interested) but basically it's 3 weeks of eating only vegetables, fruit, brown rice, beans, nuts and only drinking water. Now, I have "pretty much" done this for the past 6 days. I cheated a bit this weekend since I finished the Cupid's Chase 5K in Georgetown and I wanted to celebrate at my favorite breakfast spot, Monument Cafe.

I have cheated a bit with dairy and sweets, but I have not had meat since last Tuesday. It's amazing how hard it is to take things out of your diet, but I'm finding it a little easier than last time. However, I feel like this time it's been a much greater mental battle than I remember. It's amazing how much food overtakes your mind and it's all you can think about. I tried to study in Starbucks yesterday and I had to leave basically because I wanted to knock the girl out next to me who had a tasty looking drink and a bagel with cream cheese. Not cool, Kim.

I'm hoping to learn balance through all of this. I want to be able to eat the things I love, but as my mother loves to say, "not in excess." That's my problem with food; I get something I love (example: a box of oreos) but instead of eating a small portion, I end up eating most of it in one sitting. I'm not even hungry at that point. And I always feel horrible afterwards.

One of my best friends Allison sent me a text the other day with this verse -

"Do not labor for the food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life, that the Son of Man will give you." John 6:27

This is what I want my focus to be this month. Actually, my focus for the rest of my life. :)

Fitness Month

Well, I believe I have started the year off right! Fitness month has gone better than I expected. :) I met my goal of exercising at least 4 times a week. The first couple of weeks it was only for 15-20 minutes, but I'm slowly working up to 30-45 minutes. The first few weeks I did exercise programs with an online program called bodyrock. It's really tough, but I have a hard time motivating myself so I felt like I wasn't working very hard. I also did a couple yoga routines with Jillian Michaels. They were hard but fun! I think I will continue to do workouts with her. I need someone telling me what to do...even if they are on the TV. ;-)

I've also been walking and running again. Saturday I am doing a 5K in good 'ol Gtown! I've been running the last few days so hopefully I won't die on Saturday! :) I ran 2.15 miles last Saturday, 2.4 miles today and I'm hoping to run 3 miles on Wednesday. Hopefully the 3.3 miles on Saturday will happen. :)

Of course, my FAVORITE exercise activity was brushing up on my MJ moves. My favorite Christmas present by far was my Wii MJ Experience game. 30 minutes of dancing to this and I was exhausted, but it felt so good. :)

I'm glad to have gotten into the habit of working out and I'm hoping to continue this throughout 2012. The only downside to this month is I have not lost any weight. In fact I have gained 2 pounds. :( BUT February is food month so I'm hoping to turn that around.

Stay tuned for Food February! :)

So long, 2011! Hello 2012!

I can hardly believe it, but 2012 has arrived! 2011 was a very hard year for my family so I'm hoping 2012 will bring a lot of peace and comfort to us. 2011 did show me, once again, how truly amazing my family is and the strength of each person in it. I look forward to growing closer to my amazing family in 2012!

Now, I know some people aren't big fans of New Year's resolutions, but I AM! :) I love getting a chance to start over and look forward to the year ahead. Yes, most of the time I don't "achieve" the goals I set, but I think the process and journey is more important than the actual achievement. This year I wanted to do something different though - kind of a combination of what I did with the Spiritual disciplines (working on one a month) and what Gretchen Rubin did in her book The Happiness Project. I'm going to take 12 resolutions and focus on one each month of the year. My goal is not to "master" each resolution, but focus on it and hopefully create a lifestyle change in myself. Of course, I hope to achieve the lose 25 pounds goal, but we'll see what happens. ;-)

I have three main goals: Get Healthy. Get Creative. Seek God, and not the world. After my best friend got married in August of last year, I moved into an apartment by myself. I absolutely LOVE it, but it was also incredibly difficult. I missed her like crazy and I just missed having someone there when I got home. Plus, it helped me be accountable in my eating habits (I gained about 20 pounds from August until now). I can't rely on someone else to keep myself healthy and happy so I'm really trying to learn better habits this year. I'm excited to get started! Here are my 12 goals:

Jan - Fitness - I want to exercise regularly, at least 4 times a week.

Feb - Food - I want to eat healthy foods and lose 25 pounds in 2012.

Mar - Sleep - I want to have a regular sleep pattern and get 7-8 hours each night.

Apr - De-Clutter - I want to remove all the excess clutter from my apartment.

May - Nature - I want to spend more time outside and GET OFF THE COUCH!

June - Media Fast - I want to take time away from the TV, Computer, iphone and spend more time in books, prayer and with God.

July - Cooking - I want to cook more for myself, at least 3-4 times a week.

Aug - Shopping Fast - I want to stop shopping for things I don't need and use that money more wisely.

Sept - Crafts - I want to explore my creative side and get crafty! (Hello pinterest!)

Oct - Music - I want to get back into playing piano and guitar. (my keyboard is mighty dusty!)

Nov - Writing - I want to journal every day and write a novel for NaNoWriMo.

Dec - Books - I want to read 100 books in 2012 (this will be an on-going goal, not just for Dec.).

I'm looking forward to what 2012 brings! Happy New Year everyone!!

35 Years

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful parents! :) 35 years and still going strong!

My Best Friend's Wedding

fI haven't blogged in a while and a lot of that is due to all the festivities leading up to my BFF's wedding last weekend. It was a WONDERFUL wedding and I still can't believe it's over. I wanted to share a few photos:

Me and the lovely bride

Me and the wonderful couple

Me and the Sherwins :)

I was blessed to be Sarah's maid of honor, and it was a wonderful experience. I consider Sarah to be my sister so I knew this would be an emotional day. I did not expect to get as emotional as I did during the ceremony (I was crying non-stop!) BUT I guess I got it all out early on because I made it through my toast with no tears. :)

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Kim, Sarah’s best friend and college roommate. Growing up, I always wanted a sister. I was blessed to have a little brother, but God chose to not give me a sister until I was 18 years old. I met Sarah my freshman year of college at Southwestern University when she moved into my dorm room after we both were in need of new roommates. I’d love to tell you that we were BFF at first sight, but that first semester together was pretty awkward. But don’t worry, as you can tell, that didn’t last. We have lived together ever since that fateful day in the Spring semester of our freshman year. (Well, actually, we did not technically live together our junior years but we were at each other’s apartments almost every day so I still count it.) We were inseparable and most of my best college memories involve her: living in the God quad, riding yellow pirate bikes, camping with Phi Lambs, road trips to Nomads, praying with Allison and meals in the commons. My favorite memory is when we would perform and make up songs together including our original song “Why Don’t Boys Like Us.” (Ask me later if you want to hear the whole song, it’s amazing!)

Now almost 7 years later, I am standing here at her wedding. I knew it wouldn’t take long for the “right boy” to like Sarah. She is an incredible person and a wonderful friend. Her friendship has literally been a godsend in my life, at a time when I desperately needed it. She has been with me during all of the low points and high points of my adult life. Honestly, she helped me navigate my way into adulthood. She’s one of the first people I want to share any type of news with, and I can spend hours talking to her. Needless to say, I have always been apprehensive of ANYONE coming close to being worthy of marrying her. I even made a list of requirements for her future husband, but Kevin passed all my tests with flying colors.

Kevin and Sarah are both very blessed to have each other. I have been honored to have known them throughout their whole relationship: from their first date, all the way through their engagement and now at their wedding. They have such a special relationship built on love, trust and lots of laughter. I have no doubt that their marriage will be amazing and bear much fruit...including kids. I can’t wait to meet your little Kimmy Jr. I mean, your kids are going to have two aunt Kim’s so I think it’s only right you name your first girl after us.

May God bless your journey together! To Sarah and Kevin!

Me giving the toast

I think they liked it :)

I Confess....

Last month, I studied the discipline of confession. I have to confess (hah hah) that I wasn't very excited about this one. Mainly because it was one of the corporate disciplines, and I wasn't too keen on confessing to someone. I have always struggled with letting others see my faults and sins. In this chapter, Foster writes that "we feel that everyone else has advanced so far into holiness that we are isolated and alone in our sin. We cannot bear to reveal our failures and shortcomings to others. We imagine that we are the only ones who have not stepped onto the high road to heaven. Therefore, we hid ourselves from one another and live in veiled lies and hypocrisy" (p.145). It saddens me to think I feel paralyzed in sharing my burdens with others. God did not place us on this earth to live alone in isolation. "We are freed to hear the unconditional call of God's love and to confess our needs openly before our brothers and sisters. We know we are not alone in our sin....in acts of mutual confession we release the power that heals" (p. 145-146).

I was unsure of what to "do" this month for confession. Foster gave an amazing example in his book of a diary of confession (pp. 149-150). Basically, after prayer and meditation, he wrote down anything that came to mind that needed healing and forgiveness from his childhood. The next day, he did the same thing for his adolescence, and finally he wrote down anything from his adulthood. Later he brought his writings to a trusted friend and shared what he wrote with him. Then his friend took the paper, ripped it up and prayer over him. I decided to do the same thing and I brought my writing to one of my best friends, Allison. It was extremely difficult for me to be so open and vulnerable, but I cannot tell you how free I felt afterward. It's amazing how much guilt and shame I had carried around "hiding" these struggles and sins.

It is so amazing that God has given us the ability to listen to others and forgive in His name. Foster emphasizes that private confession is just as valid, but there is a sweet freedom in sharing our burdens with others. Foster writes that "the Scripture teaches us that all believers are priests before God: 'You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood' (1Peter 2:9)" (p. 147). Foster quotes Dietrich Bonhoeffer who writes that "a man who confesses his sins in the presence of a brother knows that he is no longer alone with himself; he experiences the presence of God in the reality of the other person" (p.148). I am so thankful I was able to share my sins with Allison. I felt God speaking through her to me, and it was incredible.

Now that it is July, I am on to the discipline of worship. I have decided for July I will only listen to worship music in the car and while I work out. I also want to work on playing the piano and guitar more. I'll let you know how it goes!

Thanks for reading friends! :)

Fasting and Confession

This whole summer vacation thing has distracted me from my blogging! It's amazing how easily I fall back into the habit of being lazy. :) I did want to update you on what I learned about fasting (mainly, that it is HARD and I definitely need more practice)

I stopped the Daniel Fast at the beginning of June. The first half of it went really well, but I cheated a few times during the last half. It is incredible how hard it is for me to eat only fruits and vegetables. BUT it was very rewarding. I can already see a change in my eating habits (eating more fruits and vegetables, choosing healthier options, not snacking as much). On the spiritual side, I have really tried to focus on why I turn to eating for my emotional needs.

Although this fast was a great experience, I do not feel as I used it as a spiritual experience as much as a physical one. In his chapter on fasting, Foster writes that "throughout scripture fasting refers to abstaining from food for spiritual purposes" (p. 48). Although eating healthier and trying to lose weight is a noble thing to do, Foster reminds the reader that fasting centers on the spiritual, not physical. He states that "fasting must forever center on God. It must be God-initiated and God-ordained." (p. 54) Along with this central purpose, "fasting reveals the things that control us...we cover what is inside us with food and other good things, but in fasting these things surface....anger, bitterness, jealousy, strife, fear." (p.55) King David writes in Psalm 69:10, "I humbled my soul with fasting." I actually experienced this in the first week of my fast. Emotions came to the surface that I had buried for months.

In addition to revealing the things that controls us, "fasting reminds us that we are sustained 'by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God' (Matt. 4:4). Food does not sustain us; God sustains us." (p. 55) It is humbling to realize how sovereign our God is and how He supports us. Foster writes that "fasting helps us keep our balance in life," (p. 56) and I definitely agree. This discipline, as all the others, has pointed out that I am a work in progress, and that I should continue to seek God in all aspects of my life.

He concludes the chapter with different ways to practice fasting. I will hope to continue with the practice in different ways, and I definitely want to try the Daniel fast again. He does mention that you should not call attention to your fasting so no more blog posts on that subject! :) It will be interesting to look back at my first few attempts of fasting and see how I have matured.

This month I am studying confession, and I must say, it has been the most difficult discipline for me. I will share more of my learning with you in a few weeks. As always, thanks for reading!

Daniel Fast BREAK!

Well, I took a (3-day) mini-break from my Daniel fast for this weekend because of a bridal shower out of town I went to and I didn't want to deal with food issues. Now that I'm back home, it's back to fasting! I had done 10 days before my break so that means I have 11 to go....up through June 2nd! The sad thing is, my stomach has felt so much better this weekend than it had those first ten days of the fast. So basically I have very little motivation to get back on it. I know that deep down I really want to finish it. I just never imagined it would be this hard.

Here we go again!

Daniel Fast

I am right in the middle of my study of the discipline of fasting. I have tried fasting over the years during lent dealing with both food (sweets and fried food) and non-food things (facebook, shopping). I decided to try the 21-day Daniel fast for this month. Food has always been an issue for me....I am definitely not overweight, but I do know that I do not have a healthy diet. My cholesterol is high and I have gained about 30 pounds since high school (15 since the end of college). Food also affects me emotionally as I tend to turn to food depending on my mood: if I'm happy, I may indulge in an extra dessert or if I'm sad I may turn to snacking on unhealthy items. I do feel like I place too much value on food. I wanted to take these 3 weeks to not only cleanse my body of unhealthy toxins, but also look at how my obsession with food affects my spiritual life.

For those of you who have not heard of it, the Daniel fast is a 21-day fast based on the account of Daniel in the Bible. (specifically Daniel 1 and 10). If you have not read the book of Daniel you should! It's one of my favorite books. I did a Beth Moore Bible study with my two best friends on it a few years ago and it was amazing. The book starts with King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon overtaking Judah. Daniel was one of the Israelites taken to the King to be educated. The King gave them portions of his own food and wine. Here are few excerpts from the book of Daniel:

"But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore, he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of eunuchs, and the chief of eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than your youths who are of your won age? So you would endanger my head with the king." Then Daniel said to the steward who the chief of eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hannaiah, Misheal, ad Azariah, "Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetable to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see." So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days, it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youth who ate the king's food." (Daniel 1:8-15)

The 10th chapter of Daniel reveals him to have a vision:

"In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks." (Daniel 10:2-3)

From these two passages, we get the guidelines for the Daniel Fast:

1. Eat only fruits and vegetables (or things grown from the earth)

2. Only water to drink

3. No preservatives or sweeteners or breads

4. Lasts for three weeks or 21-days

(check out http://daniel-fast.com/index.html for more information!)

I have never done such an intense fast before so it has been an eye-opening experience. I am on day 6 and it has already been very, VERY hard. My body and mind have been fighting me. It is obvious to me that I am very addicted to sugar. It would be scary if it wasn't so funny! I literally had to argue with myself on Friday to not eat doughnuts in the teacher's lounge. I must have looked insane staring at this box of doughnuts, whispering under my breath (No one would know! NO! BE STRONG! Oh come on...you lasted 4 days, that's good enough....WALK AWAY KIM!)

I'll be honest up front, I will be breaking my fast a couple times due to end of year parties and a bridal shower I'm going to, but I am hoping to hold to it until May 31st otherwise. It will be an interesting 2 more weeks as the first week has been incredibly difficult. Please pray for my spiritual growth and that my focus be on seeking God, not merely surviving a "diet." I am hoping this fast will jump start me into a healthier lifestyle when it is over! :)