What brings me joy (Plus a granola recipe worth rejoicing over)

Grilling out for lunch on a snow day...
The warm sunshine spilling out from between the blinds after a week of snow...
An encouraging conversation with a friend that lasts two hours...
Watching a client's eyes light up with realization during a coaching session...
The taste of sweet-n-saltiness in my morning granola (see recipe below)...
All these things and more bring me joy.

I experience joy in the small, unexpected graces of every day and also in the big realizations when I am fully living into who I was created to be.

Yet it's not necessarily these things in and of themselves that bring joy but rather the recognizing and paying attention to them.

When I go about my day and eat that same cereal as a means to end... 
When I ask the same coaching questions as a sense of responsibility not opportunity...
When a date with a friend runs long and I view it as throwing off my schedule... 
These prevent joy. 

Instead, it's the change in perspective that brings the joy. 

As author Ann Voskamp says, the height of our joy depends on the depths of our thanks. "As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible." 

Yet so often I start the day with expectations and standards, and then I'm only thankful or joyful when those are met. 

What if we stepped forward into our day expecting nothing but uncovering joyful moments? What if the only expectation that we had was the expectant hope found in Christ?

"I always pray with joy... being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:3-6). 

As the footnote in my Crossway ESV Bible says, "The joy that Paul calls for is not a happiness that depends on circumstances but a deep contentment that is in the Lord, based on trust in the sovereign, living God, and that therefore is available always, even in difficult times." 

There is deep joy found in living out the mission that God has called you to and abiding in His every day graces.

To celebrate the every day small joys, here's some pictures of the snow day last week and a delicious new recipe for granola. (Despite John initially joking that the granola was "birdseed," he actually loved it and ate it for a snack every day.)

Grilling out on snow day last week

The parking lot to the zoo by our house.
I wasn't overly joyful about the snow itself, but John being home this time
and taking an evening walk in the snow together were reasons to be joyful.

Sweet and Salty Granola

I based this recipes off of Bon Appetit's granola but then made it my own.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 cups oats
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (I did a mix of walnuts, cashews, and almonds)
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp. flax seeds
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
2 Tbsp. black sesame seeds
1 egg white, beaten
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup warmed coconut oil
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup mix of raisins and golden raisins

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Combine oats through sesame seeds in a large bowl. Add in egg white, honey, coconut oil, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Toss to combine.
3. Spread out evenly on a rimmed baking sheet, sprayed with cooking spray.
4. Bake granola, stirring every 10 minutes, for 30 minutes or until granola is golden brown. 
5. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes.
6. Stir in raisins and store in an airtight container.

Today I'm linking up with Holley Gerth's Coffee for Your Heart

Encouraging words for a hard day

The snow in my backyard melted in patches, the greenish brown turf poking through snowy footprints. I was amazed at how little snow had actually melted until I looked to the far right of our yard. Green grass with only remnants of yesterday's snowflakes spread across the yard.

This shift in perspective is similar to our development: In bits and pieces, part of the new you shines through the patches. If you only look at the covering - the parts of you that haven't changed into fertile ground for growth - your perspective would be wrong. You'd fail to see all of the new developments and areas of growth that have taken place inside of you.

Without looking at the whole picture, you limit your understanding of the truth.

When I am having a hard day, it's often because I'm only looking at snippets of a situation. I make blanket statements, like the snow blanketing the ground, about my lack of growth or how unfair a situation is or all the reasons something isn't right.

At these moments, I need someone to remind me to step back and get the whole perspective. Where are the green patches, the opportunities, the things that are going right?

Sometimes others can see growth in you before you recognize it yourself. But other times people will make blanket statements or assumptions about you that don't take the whole you into account. 

Remember: you are not others' perceptions of you. But you're not your own perception of yourself either. 

Only our Maker, the one who is able to see the entire picture, the Alpha and the Omega, only He has the correct perception of you: Daughter or Son of King. Redeemed. You can see this whole picture when you realize you are made whole in Him.

As a She Reads Truth devotional states, "It means I am a new creation, renewed daily by His grace and mercy." We're already a new creation yet we're also continually being made new. Keep this encouraging picture in mind next time you're having trouble seeing the bright patches in your life.

Today I'm linking up with Holley Gerth's Coffee for Your Heart

My 2 Themes for 2014

Last January, I chose the words Grace and Courage to guide my year. Those words were nudged towards me until I took notice and embraced them as a defining narrative for my life. Throughout ups and downs of 2013, it was humbling to continue going back to those two words until they steeped inside of me. Little did I know how much I would rely on the encouragement and truth that they offered, especially as John and I battled through his health issues last year.

As I was reading an Advent devotional last month, I felt the Spirit prompting me toward two new themes for 2014. Remembering how much I relied on my Grace and Courage words from last year, I was hesitant to entirely jump on board with two new lessons. And yet, here I am declaring 2014 as the year to “Pray Big” and “Dare Greatly.”

Dare Greatly

The theme to "Dare Greatly" is influenced by my favorite book of last year, Daring Greatly. And ironically it is very connected to my word "Courage" from last year. As author Brene Brown says, "Daring greatly is not about winning or losing. It's about courage." 

Then when I read Holley Gerth's first Coffee for Your Heart prompt, I knew these were the encouraging words that I wanted the people I care about (you!) to hear as they begin a new year. 

I'm linking up with Holley Gerth's Coffee for Your Heart

Daring greatly in this new year doesn’t mean that I have to embark on a grand adventure in the world’s eyes. Instead, by intentionally seeking more of what God already has planned for me day-by-day, I will live His great adventure. As Holley Gerth says in her book You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream, “It’s not about what you do as much as how you do it. It’s about pursuing life with passion and purpose and going with God wherever he leads.”

What about you? Do you dare to grow in your desire for the daily adventures that God is calling you to? 

I want to encourage you today that wherever you are in life and wherever you spend your day, you can dare greatly right where you are. Join me in pursuing vulnerability over fear. In knowing your worth. In believing that you are enough. If we truly showed up everyday believing that we are enough, we could be excited about our daily opportunity to dare greatly. The journey would become a daily destination in and of itself in pursuit of ways to love others boldly and follow where the Spirit leads right where you are.

I'm starting to decorate my nook space upstairs. Welcome to my little writing area.

Above my writing desk, I've hung these quotes to reinforce my two themes.
Part of praying big will be memorizing Scripture with Ann Voskamp's project.
The other quotes are from Holley Gerth.

Pray Big

For me, I know that I can’t dare to follow the dreams God has for me without lifting up big prayers. I can't dare to love my neighbors, seek mercy and justice for the city of Atlanta, and joyfully work every day without praying big. Consider joining me in this too? And we can watch the powerful results when we take steps of faith, dare to believe we're already enough, and step out on this incredible journey.

What is your theme for this year? 

For a step-by-step process on how to turn your themes into goals and your goals into daily actionable habits, read my Student Launch Pad blog post here. 

Best Books of 2013: Spiritual

My favorite spiritual themed books of 2013 are not what you may typically think of when it comes to this category. Instead, all three authors weave in spiritual themes throughout engaging stories or powerful premises. So even if you don't normally read books in this genre, I highly recommend these:

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life by Donald Miller

All of my tabs show how great this book is!

If you read Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz then you'll know he's not your typical "spiritual" writer. In fact this book is about the depression he faced after Blue Like Jazz's wild success. When movie producers approach him about turning that book into a movie, he has the chance to reexamine his life and learn what makes a story compelling. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years is about him writing a new story for himself that is filled with risk and adventure.

To read my thoughts on how this book applies to John and I seeking to live adventurously in our marriage, read my post Living An Adventure. If you want to live an adventurous 2014, this book is a must read.

"People fear change, she said. Though their situations may be terrible, at least they have a sense of control; at least they know what to expect. Change presents a world of variables that are largely out of their control." 

"A good storyteller speaks something into nothing. Where there is an absence of a story, or perhaps a bad story, a good storyteller walks in and changes reality. He doesn't critique the existing story, or lament about his boredom, like a critic. He just tells something different and invites other people into the new story he is telling."

Bread & Wine: A Love Letter to Life around the Table with Recipes by Shauna Niequist

I flagged about every recipe!

I couldn't put this book down. Shauna Niequist tells honest, vulnerable stories while being hilarious and thoughtful. Plus at the end of every chapter is a recipe, and as you can see from the all of the corners that I tabbed, I want to make almost all of them.

This book is about the connection with others when we gather around the table and enjoy "bread and wine" together. It is not overly religious; instead she discusses the profound meaning, restoration, and connection that results from a life spent around the table with others.

"Some of my most sacred meals have been eaten out of travel mugs on camping trips or on benches on the street in Europe. Many of them have been at our own table or around our coffee table, leaning back against the couch. They've been high food and low food, fresh and frozen, extravagant and right out of the pizza box. It's about the table, and about all the other places we find ourselves eating. It's about a spirit or quality of living that rises up when we offer one another life itself, in the form of dinner or soup or breakfast, or bread and wine."

Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work by Timothy Keller 

Tim Keller wrote two of my favorite spiritual books from last year, and he's back with another home run. Every Good Endeavor explores the design and dignity of work and how we can begin to write a new story for work in our lives. Keller shows how the Christian view of work is used to serve others and is an act of worship when done with excellence, integrity, passion, discipline, and creativity. Many churches neglect talking about work even though we spend the majority of week there, and it's often seen as a necessary function to support those doing "God's work." Instead, Keller shows that your job is and of itself God's work and an opportunity to bring God glory.

If you struggle with finding passion in your work, not knowing how to find meaning in your job, or how to reconcile advancing in your career with your faith or values, then this book is for you.

"The book of Genesis leaves us with a striking truth - work was a part of paradise. One biblical scholar summed it up: 'It is perfectly clear that God's good plan always included human beings working, or, more specifically, living in the constant cycle of work and rest.'"

People are more important than change

During one of my runs last week, I passed by one my favorite views of downtown Atlanta, and I stopped to snap a quick picture.

Atlanta skyline through the haze and Fall leaves

As I approach this view on each run, I look forward to seeing the beauty in every season.

Seeing the city skyline and fall trees brought to mind a training that John and I attended last weekend. The training was called Dignity Serves, and it teaches you how to give and receive with dignity, especially in the context of the inner-city.

Throughout the remainder of my run, I meditated on one of the key principles of Dignity Serves: People are more important than change.

We often long for change: "When are the leaves going to change color?" or "When is she ever going to change?" or "When will changes start happening in our city?"

Yet at the same time, we are so resistant to it. We like the comfortable. We live in the status quo. We often don't change until it's too uncomfortable not to.

What do these opposing views mean for my life? What do they mean for yours?

As a resident of Atlanta, it's tempting to give up on change with so many systemic problems that cloud progress. But usually when we give up on change, we give up on people too.

This can also be true for family members. Is loving them more important to you than seeing them change? This doesn't mean that love doesn't call people to change. But you must remember that you are not the one responsible for their change.

And what about for yourself? Just as it's tempting to give up on others changing or on the inner-city being renewed, we can lean toward self-contempt when personal change is slow. Instead, we must remember what our identity is in and who brings the change.

David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
“Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

   

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand... I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you." 1 Chronicles 29

   

When our primary focus is on the One Who Blesses, we are free to give and receive love. He is the one who will bring the change - in ourselves, in others, and in the city.

Gathering Hope: A poem

I wrote this poem as a response to our church's call for poets/musicians/artists to create a piece that reflects our four themes for this ministry year: Deepening, Gathering, Sending, and Resting. On Sunday, I was invited to read my poem at both of our services. I haven't read many of my poems aloud and so I was a little nervous, but I appreciated the opportunity to speak these words from my heart and hopefully encourage others in their journey.

I wrote this piece as a reflection of how oftentimes we put our hope in temporal things, whether work, relationships, or in other ways that we define our identity. Yet when we step back, what we put our hope in seems as meaningless as wishing on birthday candles or blowing a fallen eyelash from your fingertip. Though these temporal things are often good, they shouldn't be our ultimate. Gathering in community instead points to a greater hope, one that will not disappoint.

Me as a little girl

Gathering Hope

Stephanie Shackelford

How do you capture the smoke

from a blown out candle,


or grasp an eyelash floating to the ground -


wishes rising up and drifting down?

With one puff, a sigh of hope, 


we breathe dreams into dead air,


whether dripping wax or fallen hair.

Because empty hopes cannot satisfy empty souls, 


You require no smoke offering and already know 


when one hair falls and another one grows.

There is hope unending;


just look around,


where people gather it is found.

The hollow sound of our brokenness, 


the laughter or the sorrow,


rings with Your redemption,

freely given, not bartered or borrowed.

And we share in the glory 


of Your perfect story;

our hope in an ending already written,

and our joy in a plot to be revealed.

We gather together on this journey 


to grow into characters unworthy,


but desiring to live out Your story.

That is a hope we cannot capture


and a joy we cannot grasp


except through faith 


in a love that will last.

Leaves changing, Lives changing

On Saturday, I reclined in the wicker chair on our porch, enjoying the sunny, beautiful, Atlanta Fall weather and reading a good book. Yet do you ever feel like it's hard to fully enjoy these moments? Your mind keeps running to things that you should be doing or what you need to get done today. I often feel like I'm "wasting time" when I am not fully productive. 

Then the One Thousand Gifts Devotional that I read that morning hits me: 

"Through all that haste I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away... Life is so urgent it necessitates living slow... Time to laugh long, time to give God glory and to rest deep and to sing joy." 

Every day this past week I have been watching how the leaves outside of our kitchen window change. Every day a little more green becomes red. It's stunning to awaken each morning to a noticeable difference from the day before. 

The view out of our kitchen window

This color change is continual, yet I don't notice the change throughout the day. It's only when I've stepped away and return to the window after overnight hours do I see the difference. 

How true this is for our lives. During a season we're in, it's hard to see the ongoing growth. It's only after you step back and examine the whole do you begin to notice the different shades appearing in your life. 

It's only in intervals of repose that we notice. 

The definition is telling: "Repose. Temporary rest from activity, excitement, or exertion; a state of peace; in art, a harmonious arrangement of colors and forms, providing a restful visual effect."

In intervals of temporary rest from excitement, we enter a peaceful state and are able to appreciate the arrangements of colors and forms in our own lives. 

What shades of your life are taking on new colors and forms that you can't recognize in your busyness? Are these transformations that you want but haven't taken the time to appreciate? Or are they changes toward an undesirable direction that have happened unintentionally? 

Take deliberate rest today to examine, notice, correct, and give gratitude for the beautiful colors in your life. 

The Quiet Adventure of a Rhythm of Rest

Being embraced by the journey doesn't necessarily mean that all of life is going to be an exciting adventure. I believe in living an adventurous life, but that doesn't make every day unusual and new.

Instead, living an adventurous journey oftentimes means persevering and engaging in the quiet. Yet, this description isn't the escapade that the world wants us to pursue.

During a time of prayer with our community group last night, we discussed how instead of giving attention to our emotions, we run ragged, filling days with more to-do's as an escape. Because if we're too busy to think then our lives must have meaning, right?

Of course the other side of this extreme is a society that also tells us to only give credence to our emotions. If it's uncomfortable, it must be wrong. If it feels good, do it.

Yet somewhere between these two extremes is a journey into the quiet, the stillness. It's uncomfortable. It's necessary.

I know I would rather ride waves of a thrilling adventure that others can visibly detect. Yet, sometimes we're called into the calm waters, which can feel more disruptive than the waves. It's here where you discover a different adventure. One that requires you to wrestle with your identity and search for the quiet answers to those questions that bubble up when you're still: What is my identity in? What is my main purpose in life?

When we let them, the quiet times in life yield an adventurous journey into trust. Do I trust that I am a daughter of The King? Do I know that He has a purpose for me?

“He does have surprising, secret purposes. I open a Bible, and His plans, startling, lie there barefaced. It’s hard to believe it, when I read it, and I have to come back to it many times, feel long across those words, make sure they are real. His love letter forever silences any doubts: “His secret purpose framed from the very beginning [is] to bring us to our full glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7 NEB).” ― Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

Are we willing to be still enough - am I willing to sit in the quiet - and let this truth sink in? Am I still enough to hear the whisper of this secret purpose?


It was such a blessing this past weekend for John and I to have a weekend getaway in the North Carolina mountains. Rain all day on Saturday "forced" us to spend a wonderful, relaxing day inside, embracing the quiet except for the crackle of the fire. This stillness allowed us to spend time in the Word, relaxing by the fire (in cozy PJ's and fuzzy socks!), reading (I am currently reading the 900-page yet awesome book Team of Rivals about Lincoln), and cooking together.

Sunday ushered in beautiful sunshine that we took full advantage of with a game of tennis and an afternoon hike. We were the only ones on the trail ...probably because the first 30 minutes we accidentally got off the trail and were scaling through thorny vines, fallen tree trunks, and mud until we finally decided to turn around. Somehow we'd missed the initial turn for the actual trail, which was much easier to hike once we found it! By that time everyone else we'd seen had finished the hike, so we enjoyed the quiet of the canopy of trees around us. However, by the time we found the correct trail, we had to book it up the mountain so we could make it back to Atlanta in time to pick up my car from getting worked on.

The quick pace was worth it, though. When we got to the summit, the views were stunning. The cool breeze and visibility for miles was a picture of the peace and beauty that quiet can bring.

Today, quiet your heart if it's beating hard from the fast pace that you're running. Or if life is quieter for you right now, dig into why God has you here, rather than trying to distract yourself from the calm. Embrace the stillness and be willing to engage in it.

Wisdom from Narnia on Difficult Decisions

John and I are currently reading through the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. They were a childhood favorite of mine, but the stories are even more powerful reading them as an adult because of the spiritual imagery and analogies that you don't pick up on cognitively as a kid.

There's a scene that I love in the sixth book, The Silver Chair, that depicts difficult and scary decisions that we all face. (Warning: spoiler alert ahead.) 

Reading in the park together

The main characters Jill, Eustace, and Puddleglum find themselves alone with a Knight who is under an enchantment. They are told that he will turn into a dangerous serpent and must be bound every night, but as they watch, the Knight suddenly shouts, "Quick! I am sane now. Every night I am sane. If only I could get out of this enchanted chair it would last. I should be a man again. But every night they bind me, and so every night my chance is gone."

Jill, Eustace, and Puddleglum hold strong and refuse to believe the Knight's pleas until he says, "I adjure you to set me free... by the great Lion, by Aslan himself..." 

And then suddenly, they face the dilemma of who to believe. 

"What had been the use of promising one another that they would not on any account set the Knight free, if they were now to do so the first time he happened to call upon a name they really cared about? ...Yet could Aslan have really meant them to unbind anyone - even a lunatic - who asked it in his name?"

Finally Puddleglum comments that Aslan had told them what to do when his name was called upon, not what would happen. Whatever the result would be didn't matter: "That fellow will be the death of us once he's up, I shouldn't wonder. But that doesn't let us off following the sign."

I won't spoil what happens next, but isn't this the decision that all of us make? 

We want to know what the results will be and what will be required of us before we decide to act. But we are told to follow where God is calling us no matter the results. 

And so we must trust that the correct decision is the one with the right motive of truly seeking to follow what God has called you to do.

Yet it's often difficult to discern the right choice in situations that are very complicated, such as issues of homelessness, addictions, and co-dependency. Oftentimes it's easier to continually "wait and see" and therefore do nothing because it seems like no best choice can be made. The risk of making the wrong choice appears too great, as in the case with The Silver Chair. 

But God honors our intentions and gives us wisdom and discernment when we are truly seeking it. Yet so frequently we, myself included, look for the best decision for ourselves and our own comfort. We give money away because it's uncomfortable to say no, even if it will fuel another's addiction. Or we don't give money away because it will be financially uncomfortable for us.

These decisions can't be made in a vacuum, and each scenario requires intentional listening to God and dialogue with community. As in The Silver Chair, Jill, Eustace, and Puddleglum all discussed the situation and decided together what action they would take.

So in whatever difficult decisions you need to make this week, check your motives and truly be willing to listen to the direction that God has placed on your heart. Even when it's uncomfortable. 

Daily Labyrinths

Growing up, the summer days seemed to linger longer. My best friend Alex and I would spend weeks out of the summer at my grandmother's beach house for "Camp Nana," and we would often pause from collecting shells, biking to ice cream, and swimming in the sea to walk the labyrinth at the local church.

Somehow in the midst of soaking in the sun, we appreciated the stillness and inner solitude that walking the labyrinth welcomed.

Despite how the word "labyrinth" is often used, it actually is not designed as a maze, which has choices and complex paths. Instead a labyrinth has only a single, non-branching path that leads to the center. It is designed to be meditative not challenging.

Revisiting the labyrinth I used to walk during John's and my trip to St. Pete

Alex and I would often walk the labyrinth before or after watching the sunset over the Gulf. I'd contemplate the day and pray as I walked its course.

Blast from the past:
Alex and I visiting Aruba with my family the summer before starting high school

It amazes me that as children we appreciated the time for reflection even when there were dozens of other beach activities that could have taken our attention. How much more should I be craving this time as an adult?

A couple weekends ago, when John and I visited his parents in North Carolina, I had a similar experience to walking a labyrinth during our long hikes. Hiking always slows down time and helps me think, and there's nothing like looking out miles beyond you when you reach the mountaintop.

Hiking in Tullulah Gorge, GA and Cashiers, NC

This got me thinking to how I could recreate this experience in daily life. How can I intentionally spend time reenergizing my soul?

My challenge today is to pause and consider "labyrinths" in your life that allow space for solitude and meditation.

Dinner with the Shack's in NC

Motivation Monday

Monday's have been an early start for me during the past year because I do talent and culture development consulting on Monday mornings for an organization in the suburbs. This means that I have to wake up at 6am (at the latest), eat breakfast and get ready in 40 minutes, and head out the door.

Once the meeting that I lead ends at 9am (it starts at 7:15!), my Monday already feels like it's off to a productive start. This momentum typically carries throughout the day.

So to inspire your Monday and give you motivation for the week, here are some ways to be productive and efficient today:

1. Make your action plan. What do you want to accomplish this week? What does that mean for what you must get done today? Write it out and schedule it in your calendar.


2. Take a few minutes to remind yourself why you are working today (or why you are in school, at home, volunteering etc.). Last week I took some of my favorite quotes (found on Pinterest of course) and wrote out an inspirational Bible verse. I made it into a collage using the InstaCollage app and saved it as the background to my computer. This whole process probably took about 30 minutes, but the daily inspiration and reminders that it provides makes me more productive in the long run.

This is the collage I made that is now my computer background.

3. Plan out your meals for the week. Planning out your meals for the week takes a little investment on the front end, but it saves a lot of stress during the week. Knowing in advance what I need to buy from the grocery store also saves money (no wasted food) and time (not having to make multiple trips to the store). Plus, you can consciously make the decision to eat healthy. For quick, healthy meals that I've made lately, check out this post from last week.


4. Fit in some exercise. Working up a little bit of a sweat and getting your body moving actually makes you more energetic. Even if you get home from work and are feeling sluggish, getting active will reawaken you, meaning you don't need that cup of coffee mid-afternoon that will keep you up all night. And you don't have to spend a lot of time working out either. You can burn a lot of calories in 10 minutes. My favorite is FitSugar's 10-Minute Videos.

Or, try this at-home CrossFit circuit that I did recently. If you're unfamiliar with CrossFit you can read about it here and get some sample workouts that beginners can do. The circuit that I created was inspired by this one from Carrots 'N' Cake, but since it was a bit challenging for me I modified it below:

This link shows you how to complete each exercise, and the weights that I listed are what I used. If you're curious, I completed 4 rounds in 11:46. Try to beat me ;)

Happy Monday!

A Not So Hopeless Hope

On Friday I saw The Great Gatsby with my book club, and in preparation for our discussion I re-read the book because I hadn't read it since high school. (As a side note I did not really like the movie, but I didn't see it in 3D either which made the camera angels and zooms distracting.) 

What strikes me most about the plot is how it portrays hope of the future as meaningless. 

Gatsby's love for Daisy motivated him to attempt to achieve a different life for himself. The green light on her dock across the bay from Gatsby's mansion symbolized hope in the dark world, a tangible representation of his aspirations. 

Yet the famous ending to the book shows that Gatsby had “paid a high price for living too long with a single dream." The last words in the book state:

"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter - tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther... And one fine morning - 

So we beat on boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

Gatsby had traveled on a journey with no end, and his hope is cut off. There is no "one fine morning." He is stuck in his past by trying to re-create it. Waves metaphorically pushed Gatsby back from the green navigation light on Daisy’s dock, and the alliteration in the last sentence symbolizes the harsh truth that the past will always determine the future because you can't move beyond it. 

What is also shocking is the futility of his optimism, thinking that he will one day reach his hoped for future. 

So this story makes us question our own hope. Is it meaningless? 

Thankfully, no. We have a hope that is unshakeable: 

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23). 

We have hope because God follows through on his promises of the future. We do not have to be held back by our past ways:

"For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior" (1 Timothy 4:10).

In a talk I heard Donald Miller give, he stated, "It's not that life is meaningless. Maybe just your life is meaningless." He was referring to those living without hope, viewing the world as a meaningless place. He challenges them - and us - to examine, What am I living for? 

If you do not know to what end you toil and strive, then yes, your life would be meaningless. But as (surprising) Nietzsche said, "If you know the why, you can live any how." 

Do you know your why? 

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe" (Ephesians 1:18-19).

We have hope in a power far greater than we can imagine.