Challenge 78 Write Down Negative Thoughts 30 Days

I hope I get this challenge right- "For the next 30 days during this challenge, your task is to write down 2-3 negative thoughts you have and then flip each one with 5 positive alternatives."  This is day 1- let me see how it goes. 

-Negative Thought:
I am mad that I don't have a cellphone or have much trust in the car.  I feel stuck and helpless.

+Positive Alternatives:
It gives me the opportunity to be brave- step out and make things happen for myself. 
I will learn to be better at saving money.
It gives others the opportunity to help me. 
I am unique because I don't have a cellphone.
I can feel okayish about staying at home plus I am never tempted to look at a phone I am always paying attention to others.  

-Negative Thought:
I am disappointed in myself for not teaching my girls more about their bodies and puberty. 

+Positive Alternatives:
Now it is wide open for me to teach them and for them to teach me. 
It is going to be a learning experience for all of us.
This is a sensitive topic- at least I am worried enough about it to know that it needs to be talked about- I think I am headed in the right direction. 
I have some books to guide me. 
Don't be too hard on yourself- you are correcting it and figuring out how to do it.  

Bookworms Blog Prompt

Grab the nearest book.  Open it and go to the tenth word.  Do a Google Image Search of the word.  Write about what the image brings to mind. 

Dear Reader, 

The book that was closest to me today was the ESV Gospel of John and the 10th word was- WAS if I skip the Introduction because I usually do.  If I don't skip the introduction the 10th word is- BIOGRAPHICAL.  And just to make this a little more interesting the 10th word in the book I am currently reading which is the 3rd book in the Left Behind series called Nicolae is- DISAPPEARANCES. 

Here is the picture I got for WAS.

I guess this picture brings to mind school and all the language classes I took.  I was a bit of a slow learner and not until my Senior year did I even understand what it meant to conjugate a verb.  I don't think my French teacher was a very good teacher, but he was a fun guy.  I learned how to conjugate in Latin class though.  This picture is funny though because I don't know exactly what is going on.  Is the boy with the basketball thinking about when he was young because he sees an old lady with a walker?  I don't know.  I am a little confused.  Moving on....

The first picture I got for BIOGRAPHICAL...

This image brings to mind- BORING.  This is a boring picture.  It isn't even a picture so much as just the word spelled out on a blue background.  So I am going to put my favorite picture from the first line of the image search.

I LOVE IT!  This is so narcissistic and the first thing that come to mind about this picture is me in college.  I was so self absorbed.  I was not a very good person or a good friend for that matter.  I wasn't straight up evil or anything just completely into myself.  I had a lot to learn about life and I am so glad for how I have grown and changed- at least I think and HOPE I have.  I still have trouble with conversations and asking questions but I think I have finally made some progress.

Lastly the word DISAPPEARANCES....

I guess the first thing that comes to mind is Criminal Minds and I miss watching that show.  I am waiting to see if the next season will be available on Netflix soon.  I don't know anyone personally who has gone "missing" but I use to like reading about mysterious missing people like Amelia Earhert and watching criminal investigation shows. 

Any way that was a fun little project....but I hope I have something more interesting to write about next time because right now I haven't been doing many interesting things.  It has been pretty normal around here- do laundry, watch tv, read a book, and wash dishes and then repeat with slight variation like maybe I will read a book first and then fold the laundry. 

Hopefully the next time I write it will be a small update on how my meditations are going or on how my apple cider comes out or if I don't write for awhile it might be something from The Happiness Challenge! 

Regards,
L.L.

Life Challenges

 Dearest Reader,

So back in July I got this great book and I have decided to tackle each challenge one month at a time when possible.  The first challenge was to Write Down 3 Things You Are Grateful For every day for 30 days.  I will try to be extending each challenge to 40 days because the number 40 is a very spiritual and meaningful number, but if I do not make it to 40 and at least make it to 30 I will not beat myself up over it.  But as you can see in my previous posts I made it to Day 36- good job me!  It was fun and I am so glad I did it- especially when this challenge is usually reserved for the month of November. 

Completed August 1, 2018

But when the month of August came around the challenge was to Meditate for 5-10 Minutes Every Day for 30 days.  It became VERY hard to do- much harder then I was anticipating.  I also ended up not liking "Christian guided meditation" as much as I thought I could get past the cheesiness and the annoying voice.  I got very distracted but was able to do it till Day 12 when I decided to just wait till school started up again and do 2 challenges for September. 

Meditation has been a little harder than I expected but after I found a few Christian video with just soothing piano music and the occasional Bible Verse I gave up on the guided ones and decided to just breath and stretch while reading the Bible verses.  Sometimes my mind wonders and it can turn into worries but I stop and take a deep breathe and keep going.  These are the two videos I have been currently using.  

 
The other challenge I am working on for September is Do at Least Ten Jumping Jacks every day for 30 days.  This is a piece of cake because it is quick and easy and you can do it any where.  Almost anyone can do this challenge and it is easy to combine with another one.

These may not be intense challenges but they are challenges and I love them!  Plus I get to pick out fun stickers!  I get to really focus my day and I get to praise God that my girls are in school and He gives me the peace of mind to do all of this for His glory.  I finished Day 8 of this challenge.  

What are the challenges you have taken on for the month of September?  I hope to hear from you. 

Love,
L.L.

*Bonus Day 36 Gratitude

• I am super super thankful that I finally got some decent reading time in and finished a book I have reading for almost a month.  
• I am thankful that there is no Sunday school this month so the girls can sleep in and I don't have to feel so guilty.
• I am thankful that my girls are making wise choices (for the most part). 

*Bonus Day 35 Gratitude

• I am thankful we got to go to the Saturday Market and buy some produce.
• I am thankful I had time to work on a couple book posts and order Hermione's gift.
• I am thankful that we got to see a couple skits/plays at Corban and support our wonderful middle schoolers wrapping up theater camp. 

*Bonus Day 34 Gratitude

• I am thankful for at least trying to eat a bit more healthy.
• I am thankful for the library.
• I am thankful we got to paint some pictures today.  

*Bonus Day 33 Gratitude

• I am thankful I got some grocery shopping done.
• I am thankful for ice cream sandwiches.
• I am thankful that I didn't have to make a big deal out of dinner and that I got to talk some things out.