Time and time again, the question comes: "how on earth do you manage a full course load on top of a full time job????" Well, the main answer is - God carries me through. He always has, and I have no doubt that He always will. Along with the strength that God provides each new morning, my mama bear instilled an intense amount of organization skills in me at a young age, and I am SO thankful that I have learned to be organized and plan ahead (even though some people may call it obsessive). There are a couple of main things that I do to keep myself organized (and sane) with so much going on! 1) My handy dandy planner. I LIVE by this thing! I never can seem to find an agenda big enough to actually fit everything I have going on in one day or week though! Those pocket agendas - forget about it! Shout out to Target (surprise surprise) for this cute agenda below that has a cute little space in each day to reflect on a daily gratitude. As you can see, I literally write down EVERYTHING. Due dates, work events, church functions, volunteer trainings, birthdays, bill due dates, the list goes on and on. But honestly, if it's not written down, it's not getting done! I also love to highlight each task as it is completed, because it gives me a sense of accomplishment - that I'm actually making a slight dent in my never-ending to-do list, but also, I can go back days or weeks later and actually see how much I've accomplished! 2) Freezer Meals Now, I know what you're thinking - don't only pregnant mamas-to-be do this kind of thing? Maybe, but let me tell you, meal planning and freezer meals have become my go-to! A few weeks before classes started up again, I sat down one Friday night, perused Pinterest, and wrote out a grocery list for ten meals that I could make ahead, freeze, and then just thaw and throw in the crock pot when I was ready and didn't have time to cook with class and work competing for my time. I was able to prep these meals in two Saturday afternoons. I could've spent an entire day in the kitchen and probably cranked out all ten meals, but for me it was better to divide it up a bit. In two Saturday afternoons, I was able to prep enough meals to last me 7.5 weeks - the entire duration of my classes for this semester! Now, I am a single person, so I usually only cook 2-3 full sized recipes a week, which carry me through for lunches and dinners. Plus, with my restricted diet (gluten free & dairy free), I've found these homemade freezer meals to be far more cost-effective than buying TV dinners or other quick prepared meals. For my fall semester of classes I prepped: 1) Turkey white bean & kale soup 2) Sausage spinach tomato soup 3) Chicken teriyaki bowls 4) Black bean & chorizo soup 5) Honey chicken 6) Brown sugar balsamic glazed pork 7)Mongolian beef 8) Zuppa Toscana (modified to be df) 9) Lemon chicken soup 10) Stuffed pepper soup Comment below or send me a message if you'd like these recipes (or let me know if I should link them) or if you have questions on doing freezer meal prep or getting (and staying) organized.
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People always tell teens that they'll grow out of their awkward phase, that all their acne will clear up once they hit their twenties - right? FALSE. Unfortunately, I am living proof of this, and I have to say, never in my life did I think I would be most self-conscious at twenty-two years old. While others are finally hitting their stride and strutting their stuff, for the past year, I feel like I've been hiding out and hunkering down. When I moved to New York, my poor body didn't know what to do with the drastic change in climate and the immense stress I was experiencing moving across the country, starting a new job with a slew of additional responsibilities, and just starting my grad program at the same time. It felt like every day, I woke up with another breakout, and each night as I said my prayers, I would plead to God to heal my skin. I felt so pathetic praying for something so menial as clear skin, but with my past history of MRSA, any skin irritation or inflammation becomes immensely worse, intensified, and painful. I'm sure any teenager can share that acne plays a huge toll on their psyche as well. And it's true. As if starting a new job in a new town wasn't challenging enough, throw in self-consciousness that is severe enough to make a person reject every opportunity to be social, because it takes every ounce of courage just to leave the house for work. The first six months of living here were incredibly rough. I was desperate to find something, anything that would work to clear up my skin and give me a little bit of confidence back again. I cut out gluten and dairy out of my diet in hopes that maybe a cleanse would help the breakouts. After months of cutting more and more things out of my diet, and still no improvements, I finally made an appointment with a dermatologist. The first words out of his mouth were "your acne is severe, and you're a candidate for Accutane". I started crying on the spot, because I have heard horror stories of individuals who have used Accutane, and had crazy terrible side effects. Part of the reason I put off going to the dermatologist was because I had a feeling this would be his recommendation. Not willing to chance other aspects of my health, I asked for an alternative. He prescribed some creams (some specific to acne, and others to kick any MRSA bacteria that may be lurking around). That infection is a booger, and nearly ten years after my first bout of MRSA, that sucker keeps making things difficult! Finally, I was starting to get some relief, but I wasn't necessarily seeing results as quickly as I had hoped. [Enter Rodan & Fields]. I had contemplated trying the UNBLEMISH regimen from Rodan & Fields for awhile, but was hesitant because of the cost (let's remember, I'm a grad student working at a nonprofit here). BUT, with a 60 day money back guarantee, I thought, why not? It can't hurt to try. And boy, am I glad I did! Just look at my progress in four months already! Today I had my six month follow up with my dermatologist and to hear him say "keep doing whatever you're doing because it's working!" was such an encouragement. I've never felt beautiful before, and have always been more self-conscious of my outward appearance, because I know God calls us to focus on inward beauty instead, but I think that for so long, I felt so ugly that I was tearing apart myself, something that God created. And that is not okay. So my friend, if you are reading this, and you too are embarrassed, or feel self-conscious, it's okay. You're not alone. But please, please remember that you are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalms 139:14).
Holy smokes! How has it been a year since I've moved to New York already??!! Words cannot even express how quickly this past year has FLOWN by! I guess the saying is true - time flies when you're having fun.
Honestly though, there were some days throughout this year that I didn't know if I was going to make it through a year of living in Syracuse. New York is definitely different than Arizona. Immensely different, actually. New York has a plethora of laws that you have to abide by (including getting an annual car inspection and finding out that window tint is currently now illegal to have on your car)... Although New York has its quirks, I definitely don't see myself living anywhere else anytime soon. I love experiencing the changing of seasons and looking forward to the activities that come along with each: Tulips blooming in spring. Boat rides on the lake in summer. Apple picking in fall. Cozy coats and baking Christmas cookies with the babes in winter. This year has certainly been one of learning, and I am not surprised by that at all. Here are a few of the things I have learned: I learned that sometimes, it's okay to express what you need to feel love and accepted (because people can't read your mind to know that). I learned that sometimes, it's okay (and necessary) to take a mental health day. Seasonal affective disorder is a very real thing, and Syracuse winters definitely don't make it any easier. Sleep and cozy blankets and snuggles with my baby nephew can fix just about anything. Flannel sheets are a real thing and they are WONDERFUL (shout out to Target for fueling my addiction). Friendships can be found at any time, age, or place. Some of the most genuine people I have met in my year here are decades older than me, but I feel as though we have such a fast bond and am so grateful for the wonderful wise mentors that God has put in my life. Cheers, my friends, to New York, to lessons learned, and to another year of learning ahead! Sometimes, when I'm overwhelmed and overcome by everything that's going on, I can do nothing else but turn off the lights, bury my head under a pillow, and cry myself to sleep. Writing this, I feel ridiculous. What 20-something year old girl admits to crying herself to sleep? It's not because I hate my life. Just the opposite. I have my dream job at an amazing organization. I'm almost done with my Master's program and will be graduating debt-free. I live in a cute little apartment and am surrounded by wonderful, genuine people who love me and look out for my well-being on a daily basis. But sometimes, amidst all these beautiful things, I focus on the things that are not in my life. The desires that I know have been planted in my heart by God, just as He planted my desire to live on the East Coast years ago. Knowing that God has brought those initial desires to fruition gives me hope for the future, but often times, it is so easy to become discouraged when comparing my life to those around me. When I see friends getting engaged, married, and having babies, my heart feels torn in two - so thrilled for the amazing things happening in their lives, and wonderfully amazed at the outpouring of blessings that God continues to bestow on His children, and yet sometimes, incredibly frustrated and impatient with myself at the same time. Wouldn't it be nice though, to have an "off" switch to stop thinking about those things until it was that right time and place and people in my life? Jeremiah 29:11 is hung on a canvas in my family room, and every time I walk through my door, God reminds me: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Patience is a hard lesson - it feels harder somehow as an adult than it ever did as a child. But in this time of waiting, I know God is growing me, and molding me, and that I still have many lessons to learn. I have this tendency of finding a new song, and then becoming completely enamored with it for months at a time, listening to it on repeat, day in and day out. It seems to be that each new song I become obsessed with holds a lesson in it, and I am positive that God knows I am able to hear His still, small voice, the clearest through lyrics of a song, and He has been speaking to me through this song recently. I don't think the lyrics of this song really hit me until I listened to the commentary following the YouTube video (see below), and one of the band members declared that "Christians are often so serious about everything! But, God has called us to be JOYFUL, and to see the world in color and wonder as He has designed!" If you and I, brothers and sisters in Christ, have seen the "wonder in the air of second life (through baptism)", then why are we not shouting to the mountain tops, proclaiming to the world of His great and marvelous love?! It is so easy to become burdened with the negativity surrounding this entire world, with political uncertainty, natural disasters, and the messiness of every day life. But instead of focusing on these things, let us rather marvel at the beauty in the simple things - a baby's giggle, a flower blooming, a sunset over the countryside. Let us "remember His marvelous works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;" (Psalms 105:5) and "declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people" (Psalms 96:3). Amen. Beauty is such a subjective thing, although I don't think many can argue the beauty of the leaves changing color, and the crispness in the air on a beautiful day, as summer fades to fall. Growing up in Arizona, I never experienced the changing of seasons, never looked forward to picking apples at the orchard, or going to the pumpkin patch, and bundling up for a tractor ride. I love that I get to experience these firsts with my niece and nephews, as their innocence and wonder truly bring to light the beauty of all these things. When one thinks about fall, it may seem sad to think that things are dying, preparing to go dormant during the winter months to come. But as was mentioned in church this morning, often times, things must die to bring new life. If I am being truly introspective, I have not been dying daily to myself, as Christ has called me to do. Each morning when I get up, when I should be laying my burdens at His feet, and filled with joy to serve Him another day, I have been less than enthusiastic in even dragging my feet out of bed. The days have been long and I am anxious about my fall classes starting for grad school and trying to maintain a balance between full time work, school, and a social life. God has brought me through three semesters of grad school so far, and I know He will bring me through these last two, but instead of focusing on all of the good that is around me, I have been bogged down by negativity instead. Today I was reminded to leave that negativity at the door, let it die, along with my selfish desires, and remember that death often brings about new life. And God can bring about the most beautiful life possible. |
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