keep going baby.

Maybe it's because the windows are open when I rise and when I rest.  Maybe it's because each day becomes a little more colorful.  Or maybe it's because Nick comes home each Saturday morning dressed in filthy camo and kisses me on the cheek with his overgrown beard.  Whatever it is.  I absolutely love Autumn.

Almost as if it's been hiding all year, this inner happiness comes out of the wandering sidewalk strollers and grocery shop go-ers and it radiates like the vibrant colors of each and every neighborhood tree branch. 

Happy people make me happy.

And so do leaves.

My weekend started here, chasing these little peaches around the front yard trying to remind myself that they will not stay this small (and slow) forever.  But my goodness do they make me smile.

I heard a message this weekend that I would like to share.  It was about building and restoring a relationship with yourself and I gotta say, in less than 90 minutes I was reminded of how important the love, respect, and kind gestures you give yourself are.  If you're anything like me, routine might be your favorite word in the dictionary.  Your day from 7 AM to 7 PM often look alike, and you find yourself being happy and being on edge about the same things each day.  You want to change.  You want to be more open.  You compare your life to the tumblr and instagram photos of others that you see over and over and over, and then it starts.  Those same negative thoughts find their way back into your mind and make you feel less capable than you are.  You feel like you can't meet this goal, get that job, look and act a certain way, or just enjoy the day that you're in.  We become 'stuck' in these thoughts and these high expectations we set for ourselves become even more unattainable.    And then He leads you here.
                 
 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
                                                                                                                                Hebrews 10:35-36

Whoever it is we 'were' that has made us who we 'are' and that we inevitably want to now change creates this cycle of character confusion and we find that the person we want to 'become' causes anxiety only because we are in a state of constant comparison with not only others, but ourselves as well.  "Remember when my life was like this..."  "Remember what I looked like then..."  "Remember how easy this used to be..."    "I just need to be like this again..."

Comparisons.  Expectations.  Yuck.

What I learned from this message was far more simple than the who's and what's and remembering when's.  I learned that the only thing we need to 'expect' is His blessing.  Do not give up on your forward pursuit (confidence) and do not throw away in what you believe (memories), but do not expect anything from them either.  When we have met the correct expectations (the will of God), and those expectations only, we will receive His blessing (promises)

The rest of the weekend looked like this.

I tried Bodypump with a friend and my body seriously feels like it got run over by a semi truck.  I don't know if I'll be taking that class again  but I hear it's fantastic for strength training yeeeoww!

I made this easy peasy green drink three times this weekend.  I just put 1/2 cup of water, a large handful of spinach, and an apple (cut up into small chunks) in a blender (I used the single serve blender on my Ninja Blender), and mixed it up for about 30 seconds.  If it's too thick just keep adding water.  Throw in a packet of Stevia for extra sweetness and you have a super healthy drink that tastes like apple sauce!

 

Nick and I ran a bunch of errands on Saturday and Whole Foods was definitely the highlight.  I love it there and could probably spend a whole afternoon grocery shopping if I wanted too.  I needed to go there for one specific item and ended up buying a whole basket full of goods.  How can you resist the bulk aisle of cashews and trail mixes, seriously...

Anyways, more to come on my primary purchase later.

Lastly, we went over to my parents for a little taste of Halloween.  We carved pumpkins, ate chili, tossed around the football, and ate apple pie from an orchard!  Overall, my weekend was wonderful and I'm so blessed to have such beautiful people in my life.  

Remember, keep your expectations only those of His.  Ask him to guide you, comfort you, motivate you, and help you narrow your dreams to those that open doors for your life.

elizabeth.