I'm sometimes frustrated that while I'm focusing on getting through formal schooling more quickly, it has become increasingly more difficult to interact and actually do what I'm theoretically learning right now.
But, there are also moments when I got to have a short but sweet intercultural moment.
http://instagram.com/p/X0Z24zSYsO/
My friends and I got to spend the afternoon with some Indian girls, talk about like, faith, and beauty (we were at the botanical gardens). It was such a short time, but I'm so grateful for those moments when I got to share my faith and listen to their lives. I pray for more moments like these and I want to plan for them. I hope I have reached a turning more of better time management so I can do more volunteering - so I can be around internationals more.
I'm also getting excited about my plan to start a new WMU group. It may not be large, but just to be with other people to find practical ways to support cross-cultural workers and be missional in our community. It's going to be great. In the meantime, I want to get more involved with the people who are already doing things through Travis Ave.
15 April 2013
12 April 2013
Steps to Healthiness
Since I started dating my husband, I've put on some extra pounds. And that was extra sad for me because I was already on the heavy end of my normal over-weightness. In some ways this was good for me because, unlike other short-lived romances, there is no voice in my mind telling me my weight had anything to do with his attraction. But, after a year, I'm more comfortable with his view of me and my view of my self.
Then, after our wedding, we gained a little more together. Not much, but just enough to remind me of the newly-wed weight that so many people develop, but I could not afford. It was no longer a matter of vanity. As we talked about our hopes and dreams of children, we realized that we're getting a late start and we need to take our health seriously. Because:
1) We want to have a chance of keeping up with the energy of our children.
2) I want to decrease the amount of joint and back pain I deal with so I can play with my kids.
3) We want to live to play with our grandchildren and hold our great-grand children.
4) We don't want to look like the old tired parents at play group and birthday parties!
5) I don't want to be a high risk pregnancy.
6) I want my babies to be healthy as far as I have control.
Well, the list could go on. We've always taken walks, but I've noticed the more I exercise, the more I eat, so I needed to change what I ate. We've tired a few things and for some reason, cutting our meat intake has been really helpful. We're not vegetarians, but days can go by before we eat meat. We were inspired by Graham Hill's TED talk.
Here are come thoughts on that:
1) It costs less to buy more veggies and less meet. (We're trying to learn to live on his income alone.)
2) My rice cooker is awesome at cooking rices, barley, quinoa, etc. which has increased our eating less-processed grains that go great with all the veggies!
3) Casey's not a huge fan of potatoes, so I'm also getting less starch.
4) Did I mention that food costs less without meat or less meat?
5) We both lost weight in the past month, especially around our middles.
6) Both of our digestions are working better and we can tell when we've have meat 2 meals in a row!
7) When we eat meat, we enjoy it, but need less of it to be satisfied.
8) We're discovering new, easy ways to prep food as well as new foods (like, quinoa!).
We're hardly doing a scientific test or anything. We're just trying to be more mindful and see how we can do less. We already took vitamins, and I eat more meat and dairy then him (because I want it more), but that's probably okay since I'm trying to get pregnant and I'm still loosing weight.
I will let you know how things progress.
Then, after our wedding, we gained a little more together. Not much, but just enough to remind me of the newly-wed weight that so many people develop, but I could not afford. It was no longer a matter of vanity. As we talked about our hopes and dreams of children, we realized that we're getting a late start and we need to take our health seriously. Because:
1) We want to have a chance of keeping up with the energy of our children.
2) I want to decrease the amount of joint and back pain I deal with so I can play with my kids.
3) We want to live to play with our grandchildren and hold our great-grand children.
4) We don't want to look like the old tired parents at play group and birthday parties!
5) I don't want to be a high risk pregnancy.
6) I want my babies to be healthy as far as I have control.
Well, the list could go on. We've always taken walks, but I've noticed the more I exercise, the more I eat, so I needed to change what I ate. We've tired a few things and for some reason, cutting our meat intake has been really helpful. We're not vegetarians, but days can go by before we eat meat. We were inspired by Graham Hill's TED talk.
Here are come thoughts on that:
1) It costs less to buy more veggies and less meet. (We're trying to learn to live on his income alone.)
2) My rice cooker is awesome at cooking rices, barley, quinoa, etc. which has increased our eating less-processed grains that go great with all the veggies!
3) Casey's not a huge fan of potatoes, so I'm also getting less starch.
4) Did I mention that food costs less without meat or less meat?
5) We both lost weight in the past month, especially around our middles.
6) Both of our digestions are working better and we can tell when we've have meat 2 meals in a row!
7) When we eat meat, we enjoy it, but need less of it to be satisfied.
8) We're discovering new, easy ways to prep food as well as new foods (like, quinoa!).
We're hardly doing a scientific test or anything. We're just trying to be more mindful and see how we can do less. We already took vitamins, and I eat more meat and dairy then him (because I want it more), but that's probably okay since I'm trying to get pregnant and I'm still loosing weight.
I will let you know how things progress.
10 April 2013
Domesticity as Procrastination
Today I have no classes. Wednesdays are usually a get-papers-written day, but not today. Instead, I went out for my weekly breakfast with a friend from church. I went by the Tarrant Baptist Association to fail to pay for an upcoming training event (technical difficulties of changing ones name...) I called the landscaping people to inform school housing they cracked my rosemary bush's pot (yes, our "love plant" is in danger) when they mowed this morning. They were so nice I decided to bake them cookies. Well, they haven't shown up, but the guy on the phone was nice all the same. Nevertheless, I've baked cookies, and posted on instagram. I cleaned the kitchen; cleaned more the mold out of - things. We have the moldiest place in North Texas. I also rearranged the pantry and labeled things. Again.
And now I'm sitting in front of the computer . . . faithful, dear thing.
Ugh. So.
Do I really need to outline this book for my presentation next week today?
Oh, right. Blogging counts as production: Ta dah! A post!
. . . So these papers . . .
And now I'm sitting in front of the computer . . . faithful, dear thing.
Ugh. So.
Do I really need to outline this book for my presentation next week today?
Oh, right. Blogging counts as production: Ta dah! A post!
. . . So these papers . . .
08 April 2013
Your Basic Update, Restart
I've realized that after many attempted blog posts that never got past my head that I need to just write more bad posts until I can get in the habit of sitting and writing for something with no deadline.
So, what am I up to: Basic Update
1. I'm learning what life is like married to my best friend who accepts and loves in me in a way I have never known. There is so much comfort and excitement each new day. I love the honeymoon period and I hope we can always find ways to hold on to this kind of hope and faith in each other through the grace of Christ.
2. I'm still learning how to be a seminar level student in the PhD program. There's a lot of freedom and I'm so enjoying reading and studying. There's so just enough freedom to hang myself. Fortunately, my professors are gracious. I'm starting to get a picture in my head of what my dissertation may be on and that's exciting and helpful in focusing my studies. I will be posting things on this theme on my other blog.
3. I'm in a new phase of house keeping. I'm not working right now so I'm trying to save money for us rather than earn money. I'm doing poorly on this part so far, but I remind myself I'm new at this. Because housekeeping and mom blogs are something I actually read, this blog could reflect that more in the future.
4. We're praying and thinking about future opportunities of life together. C and I do a lot of dreaming and what ifs. This theme could also end up here occasionally. Among many other things, I'm trying to get together a "Travis on Mission" group that will be a prayer and mission support group connected with the WMU (women's missionary union) at my church. This theme will definitely show up here!
Okay. I'm sure that's all I can think of at the moment.
Thanks for checking in.
So, what am I up to: Basic Update
1. I'm learning what life is like married to my best friend who accepts and loves in me in a way I have never known. There is so much comfort and excitement each new day. I love the honeymoon period and I hope we can always find ways to hold on to this kind of hope and faith in each other through the grace of Christ.
2. I'm still learning how to be a seminar level student in the PhD program. There's a lot of freedom and I'm so enjoying reading and studying. There's so just enough freedom to hang myself. Fortunately, my professors are gracious. I'm starting to get a picture in my head of what my dissertation may be on and that's exciting and helpful in focusing my studies. I will be posting things on this theme on my other blog.
3. I'm in a new phase of house keeping. I'm not working right now so I'm trying to save money for us rather than earn money. I'm doing poorly on this part so far, but I remind myself I'm new at this. Because housekeeping and mom blogs are something I actually read, this blog could reflect that more in the future.
4. We're praying and thinking about future opportunities of life together. C and I do a lot of dreaming and what ifs. This theme could also end up here occasionally. Among many other things, I'm trying to get together a "Travis on Mission" group that will be a prayer and mission support group connected with the WMU (women's missionary union) at my church. This theme will definitely show up here!
Okay. I'm sure that's all I can think of at the moment.
Thanks for checking in.
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