A Typical Saturday with Words and Photos

 

I decided to surprise my readers with a bonus post filled with photos that capture a typical Saturday in my life. Each weekend begins the same way for me. I always set aside time for scripture reading and prayer. This practice grounds my day and helps me find focus.

After nourishing my spirit, I head to my Crossfit class. The workout energizes me and sets a positive tone for the rest of the day. Once I return home, I tackle the laundry. With the cooler weather arriving, I find myself reaching for more sweatshirts, sweaters, and jeans. This change in clothing means I have an extra load to do today. In addition to my usual clothes, I also need to wash towels.

After completing my chores, I take some time to relax. After lunch, Patty and I snuggle up in my recliner for a much-needed nap. However, Patty feels tired enough to need more sleep, so she decides to head to bed for a longer rest.

Food is important to me, and I am making an effort to eat healthier and include more protein in my meals. Recently, Jon treated me to a protein pizza, which I was excited to try. To complement it, I prepared a fresh salad, topping it with diced chicken and real bacon pieces for added flavor. For lunch, I opted for leftover pasta and meat sauce, which meant I consumed a hefty amount of carbs.

After lunch, I spend some time doing things I enjoy. I watch YouTube videos, sip on water, and read outside, all while keeping my chores in check. This simple routine embodies my Saturdays, filled with balance and comfort. It’s a satisfying way to spend the weekend, combining work and relaxation.

How Do I Share Scripture Without Worrying What Others Think?

When I started this blog, it was originally to make a few bucks through Google Adsense.  Of course, my readers know that Adsense declined me.  However, I have continued to write because I enjoy it, and it is a creative outlet. For my full-time work, I work with data and my creativity is limited as to what I can do with data from our web application firewall system.

I have explored scripture more as part of writing this blog.  I will read about a topic and decide that I want to get more information and use that information to create a blog post.

Something came to mind during a morning prayer session related to people pleasing.  Recently, I have joined some online blogger communities where I’ve been sharing my blog posts/link. I want to get my blog “out there.”  Why do I want to get my blog out there? 

According to Matthew 28:19-20:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We are supposed to share the good news of the Gospel.  I hope my readers have found inspiration from God's word in my posts that are applied to every day life.

You know how I mentioned earlier that my full-time work relates to data?  I can't lie, I regularly check the analytics on my blog to see how many views my posts get, where did the people come from both in locality and platform (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, etc.). I've gotten blog traffic from outside the USA!  I also get a boost from seeing a like or two when I share my blog links.  

When I prayed about getting likes on my posts and seeing how many people visit my blog, I started to wonder if I'm crossing the line of winning the peoples' approval (aka people pleasing) rather God's.  While I will continue to share across my social media platforms so interested readers know when I've made a new post, I'm going to step back from pushing it in groups just to get traffic and likes. I want people who visit my blog to enjoy and learn from the content rather than click just for the sake of clicking.

Resources:

Matthew 28:19-20 quote is from Breeze 

Ryan Robinson Blogging Tools

How to Support a Friend Going Through Menopause

I had my annual appointment with my gynecologist yesterday.  We've been talking perimenopause and menopause for the past couple of years.  At 51 and based the history that I shared with my doctor, we're making some prescription related updates to officially move into the perimenopause. 

My husband Jon is concerned about my mood and demeanor, thus the scripture to the left of the text.  😉  There are a lot of things that could occur over the next several months and my doctor wants me to contact her with any concerns.  I told her if my moods get out of whack, she'll probably hear from my husband! 

Did you know there are apps for tracking female health? My doctor recommended Ovia.  Let's just say this is much better than the paper calendar I used to mark off during my teenage years.  

The project manager is me seeing a lot of unknowns so I decided to do some additional research to supplement what my doctor and I discussed.

Since I study scripture to formulate blog posts, I opted to look for research from a Biblical perspective.  One of the best articles I found is from Woman Alive which I've linked should you want to read it.  It should not surprise you that there is a scripture for the various symptoms that women experience during this change of life.

As women, we should not be ashamed of what our bodies are going through.  God created us and will help us navigate these changes.  It might be hard to feel like God is with you if your face is flushed and you're sweating while everyone else around you is freezing.  Stay in close contact with your doctor and don't hesitate to share concerns.  If your doctor isn't supportive, perhaps you need to find someone else. I am blessed that Dr. Megan at OSU on Kenny Road is so kind and supportive.  Did I mention that she also does Crossfit?  You didn't think I'd forget about Crossfit did you?  😊  Dr. Megan said the strength training and movement in Crossfit are exactly what a menopausal woman needs.  I like to read so I took the opportunity to get myself a book on the subject called STRONGER THAN EVER Menopause Book for Women Athletes. 

The best thing you can do if there is a menopausal woman in your life is to pray for her and to support her.  I'm not sure what God has in store for me but I'm going into it with an open mind.

Resources:

Ryan Robinson Blogging Tools

Menopause Article - Woman Alive 

Book: STRONGER THAN EVER Menopause Book for Women Athletes

Stop the Cycle of Stinking Thinking

Those of you who follow me on social media have heard me complain about having to report to the Columbus office. Technically, we are three days at home and two days in the office. I've been following that quite loosely. I'm grateful for a manager and director who have allowed or tolerated this flexibility. I thought the answer to my "woes" was to find a fully remote job. However, walking away from an employer that I've been with for almost 30 years is not an easy task. During drives to and from Columbus earlier this week, I listened to several Joyce Meyer podcasts. Joyce frequently talks about "stinking thinking." Let's say those podcasts penetrated my thoughts and prayers. This morning, I started a Bible plan in YouVersion by Vance K Jackson called "Let God Direct Your Heart." Day 1 of a 3 day plan hit the nail on the head! My stinking thinking hardened my heart! I took a screenshot from part of the Devotional.

  I will be totally honest that I don't LOVE driving into the Columbus office; I'd much rather work from home in my exercise pants and t-shirt. However, it really isn't as bad as I've made it out to be. There is truth behind something that I said on social media earlier this week and that it is hard to manage a household when you're not there but it can be done. While I love her to pieces, my cat Patty can and will survive if I'm gone for a few hours. The neighborhood "Karen" can complain that my trashcan wasn't put away five minutes after the trash collectors came. Jon follows his own timeline on things that need done whether I'm home or not. As I wrap up this post, I want to tell you about "Grateful Living." I stumbled across this website when searching for content related to gratitude as I believe an attitude of gratitude can help with my "stinking thinking" along with prayer and scripture study. I signed up to receive their "Word for the Day" email which contains a quote for reflection. This is the first thing I look at in my personal email each day.

Resources:

Ryan Robinson Blogging Tools