F-words

BE STILL!!

Everytime I hear those words I start squirming….kind of a ‘you talking to ME?!” response…

Even though God says, “Be still and know that I am God.”  I’ve always sorta thought:  Hmmmm, well….God, you made ME, you made me super wiggly and since I know you are God…maybe I don’t really have to be still. (I have probably written about this before…it’s a lesson that comes around my life again and again.)  

How awful, huh?  To try and find a loophole around a biblical directive.  Last week I had a verse to focus on.  I was actually mapping it, which is just focusing on the verse and seeking different aspects of it throughout the week.  **google verse mapping

Here’s mine:

Well, i DO know better than to look for biblical loopholes….but to really emphasize the lesson I had it shoved in my face AGAIN…in less than 12 hours from my bible-verse-study-start. 

We were at the gym working on Snatches.  Snatches are a techinical lift.  (or should that say:  The snatch IS a technical lift?!)  If they are done well- they are a symphony of physics.  You simply don’t get better at them without practice.  

Watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=106ChFbz5_U

***That’s our son, he’s trained for years.  He’s worked with former Olympic lifter (Chad Vaughn).  I used HIM in the video cause when I do it, it looks NOTHING like this.  I’m slowlllly getting better at this lift.  And it probably won’t surprise you that at the point where it’s most uncomfortable to be still, it’s also pretty necessary to learn to be able to allow things to settle.  (Are you seeing the analogy here?)

How about you?  Are you any good at ‘Being Still’, at quieting your mind, shutting out the chaos and drama of the world?  THIS-is where TRUE strength comes from.

Sugar Free ME!

I ate my way through the holidays, like I normally do.  I whined about how I couldn’t wait until January 1 so I could start eating healthy again.  Then I decided that waiting was ridiculous.  On Saturday, December 29th I couldn’t stand it, I cleaned up my eating.   I had been challenged to ‘do something I hadn’t done before.’  I had done 21 days without sugar, Whole 30’s, 30 days Paleo, etc., etc., etc.  But I always come back to eating crappy…granted-over the years my definition of crappy has changed, but one constant has been SUGAR.  I may start with ‘just a taste’ but I end up eating myself sick.  

In October I had a chat with a gal who asked me why I go back to sugar.  I said, ‘because you CAN’T go without sugar!”  (it was said with plenty of attitude) BUT it sure got me to thinking.  Alcoholics give up alcohol if they don’t make good choices with it.  I don’t make good choices with sugar.  Isn’t it the same thing?  

Heck with that.  I’ll just do at least FORTY days without….and then?  See what happens.  Forty days was new, a unconfirmed ending date-that was new, too.  I can NOT tell you what a difference not having an end made.  Instead of thinking, “I’m halfway!  Only 10 more days, only 5 more days, etc.” I just went along-NOT thinking about ‘how much longer.’  

Somewhere along the way I signed up for a team competition, that happened approx. 45 days into my No Sugar Life.  Well, I couldn’t very well eat sugar with a competition coming up!  After the competition, I took a week to have some products with honey and agave (they made my heart race) and then?  Got right back to Clean Eating.  

Define Clean Eating?  one piece of fruit a day, no artificial sweetners (no starbucks!?  no Diet sodas?!)  no bread, no pasta, no wheat/gluten.  

Well, now The Open is coming.  Can’t go off my food plan NOW!!!!  So…

and it just kept happening….the reasons to stay clean kept adding up and the next thing ya know?  

I’m at 100 days without sugar.  I don’t quite know what to do with myself, but be glad.  I’m not sure I’m going back.  I seriously don’t miss it!  I have survived New Years, Valentine’s, Easter, family gatherings, birthdays, and a vacation without breaking.  

What have I had?  Some chocolate, with 85% cacao, some honey covered nuts.  When I wasn’t being super strict I ate fruit twice SOMETIMES three times a day!  I don’t want to give the impression that I ate beautifully, I overate plenty of healthy foods, but I do want to try and plant a seed out there for some of you.  

Breaking the sugar cycle IS possible.   I don’t know when/if I’ll have it again.  I know I like how I feel.  I know eating sugar makes me feel bad.  I still have some ideas on how to further clean up my diet, I’m still an overeater, over salt-er, who eats way too many nuts/fruit when I’ve not planned my meals well.  

MAYBE I’ll be the person who gets YOU to consider the possibilities of Life…Without Sugar.  

**Who are the two people who got me to even consider trying this?  The Hubs, Damon Phillips, and Azadeh Boroumund.  THANKS guys!  I truly appreciate it.  

Life Lessons from The CrossFit Open

Going into the Open I declared that I wanted to finish in the top half of my age group.  Why?  I don’t know.  Looking back, that’s ridiculous.  How smart is it to decide where you will finish when you have NO idea what the workouts are nor who you are competing with?

Week 1-Hello 75 lb. snatch!  THAT was not what I expected.  That’s darn near my max and this WOD confirmed what I already knew:  I HAVE TO LEARN TO DROP UNDER the bar.  What IS a BIG revelation for me?  My Mind is BY far my weakest muscle.  

Week 2-I really upped the amount of times I began checking the leaderboards…obsessively.  Last year I was in THE Open with THOUSANDS of others.  This year I jumped up TWO Master’s groups and found my region to have just 300 ladies in it…after the first week we narrowed down to about 160.  If I’m completely honest, I will say that I am shocked to find myself in the lower half.  

Week 3-Let’s call that one Ego Week…Ego Week coincides whenever my “non Home Girl” Karen shows up.   I have faced that chick 4 times in the past year and quite literally gotten worse each time.  What’s up with that?  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I go around saying:  ”I HATE Wall Balls!  I suck at Wall Balls.  Gawwwww, I HATE Wall! Balls!!” Negativity can NOT be good for the old mental muscle, now, can it?  I never even finished the wall balls.  As soon as I realized that I wasn’t gonna finish them?  I let alllll the Mental Demons in…and hang out….for several days.  

Week 4-Don’t underestimate one’s ability to rise to an occasion!  My one rep max clean and jerk was 95 lbs.  I had determined that at 5 a.m. Wednesday…literally 14 hours before the workout was announced.  Did I try to get 100 lbs. up?  Yes, I successfully cleaned it, but Could.  Not.  Jerk.  it!!  When Wod time came, I literally had no idea what to expect, I knew I wouldn’t get a zero, but had no idea how to plan beyond that.  My score:  38.  Um, yeah, that means I clean and jerked my 14-hour-old one rep max 20 times.  We call that a good day!  

Week 5-FINALLY movements that I am sure I can do with confidence.  This week I began stringing 65 lb. thrusters together in groups of 3 and the occasional 4.  Chest to bar?  I can do ‘em. I don’t do them consecutively, but I can do them.  This week I went in with a plan, I even gave myself a back up plan in case things didn’t work out.  I stuck to the plan.  I walked away with a feeling of complete success cause I did what I set out to do.  My plan wasn’t based on a score.  It wasn’t based on someone else’s score.  

Just like many others, I walk away with a list of “things I need to work on.” I can walk away from the Open with my list….which really is just a Wish List unless I actually do something with it.  Time to set goals and go attack ‘em….

PR’s and scoring well is fun, but none of that happens without steady work throughout the year.  

Were there times where I seriously questioned doing the Open?!  Yes!  Times I even said that I was sorry I did it?  Yes, but it was only when i was focusing on OTHER people’s scores…and not my own.  So…I hereby declare the 2013 Open Officially over for me.  I call it a success because I walk away strongER both mentally and physically.  Thanks CrossFit!   Time to be a spectator and a fan.  I’ll be back next year!!

Got Plans?

  “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” ~ Proverbs 19:21 

Tuesday I had the day off from coaching.  Plans were to work out, run errands, and do some work at home.

I have to be really careful when I have a PLAN for a day.  I’m not a good ‘roll with the punches’ kinda gal.  I can wig out if my plan gets altered.  I’m not proud of it

This week I have a memory verse that I’m truly hoping to instill…in my mind/heart/soul.  So…I have some ladies in my life who are purposing alongside me.  Our assignment today was to write the above verse on a card and every hour on the hour pull it out (focus on it, think about it, memorize it)  

Okay, actually that was my Monday assignment but i totally failed so I busted out the old digital watch.  I set the hourly chime (gah, I used to teach and every hour on the hour when the students’ watches would beep NOT in synchronization!! it would drive me nuts!).  Every hour, I pulled my card out, and read the verse, again. 

I know it’s backwards, it wasn’t when I wrote it!  

So my day is cruising along.  I plan to make a quick stop into our local Natural Grocer to pick up a few items.  It faces the interstate.  As I got closer and closer it was obvious something was up.  Emergency vehicles EVERYwhere, lights on, traffic backed up, etc.  

As I get closer and closer I realize that I have come up onto the funeral procession for Chris Kyle.  People are lined up on the overpass, and everywhere else, the intersection is full of people and cars are pulled into every possible place.  Flags are flying, tears are streaming, and the silence is profound.   I literally pulled into a parking spot and walked to the access road (easy to do, cars were barely moving).  

How grateful am I that THIS day my eyes were open to a change in MY plans?  What a privilege that I was able to witness this beautiful moment.  I was overwhelmed by the collective respect and unity of so many!   I am in awe that ONE person could stir the hearts of people all around the state country.  

These are my phone snapshots….two of many.  I couldn’t seem to capture these moments enough times. 

This one, because the line of Emergency vehicles who joined in to pay their respects was SO long.  

And this one because our little community united to present this display.  

The whole scenario got me to thinking……

• keep your eyes and heart open, Sally!  
• don’t be so rigid in ‘planning’!
• have I missed events/people/opportunities because I wasn’t so busy making MY plans that I forgot to notice what God might have for me?
• look how fabulous we ARE, people, when we put aside our differences.
• will MY life inspire others?

Eyes Wide Open.

It may be Christmas tree time…but what about Oak Trees!?!

Several years ago we were house shopping.  I saw THIS house with a for sale sign in front of it.  I called the Husband and said, “I found our house!”  His reply, “How much?”  Me:  I don’t know.  Him:  What’s it like?  Me:  Well, I don’t know…I’m just looking AT it…..and it has the most beautiful trees AND a wrap around porch!!    The details all fell into place.  THIS is my home.  (and that’s my female lab happily chasing her tennis ball!) 

We recently called a professional tree guy to come bid on trimming our trees.  They have loads of dead weight on them and are in severe need of pruning, shaping and whatever it is that tree guys do.  

The guy gave us a wealth of information….can you see that ONE big tree in the middle (in the picture above)?  It’s the matriarch of all the other trees around it, AND all those other trees along the right side of the driveway (in the picture below)!   The Momma tree is estimated to be more than 250 years old.  

All these trees are about to get their dead gunk cut away…which could probably be done by any old soul BUT…it takes a professional to know which branches need trimming in order to continue growth.  

As I’m listening to the breakdown of 1) the costs of this job, 2) the projected hours, 3) the details that will go into post trim clean up-I’m absolutely covered in goose bumps…yes, over trees.  

What lessons can we take from oak trees?  Clearly they are strong, long lasting, and deeply rooted.  But I’m stuck on the fact that THIS ONE tree is surrounded by so many others.  And it makes me wonder:  who are we surrounding ourselves with?  Do we have ‘dead weight’ that we need to get rid of?  to prune away?   If I were to be the Big Momma tree, what am I producing around me (teaching others)?  And if I’m NOT the Momma, but one of the others?  WHO/What am I anchored?

Check out this little gem from Isaiah 61:3

To all who mourn in Israel 
    he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
    festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks 
    that the Lord has planted for his own glory.

Oh how I long to make the best of this precious gift called life, to be called righteous, and to be planted for God’s glory.  I am currently reading GreatER by Steven Furtick.  I was drawn in by a quote on the back of the cover that says:  most of us aren’t in danger of ruining our lives.  We are in danger of wasting them.  

This life is to be valued…and not just when a friend battles cancer, we lose a loved one or we face trials.  I’m on a journey to GreatER.  I’m wholeheartedly seeking to live the life that God designed ME for….and quite honestly?  I’m sick of trying to be someone I’m not.  

Look around, people!  Find your purpose, find your fight.  Get rid of dead weight and plant yourselves FIRMLY!

Comfort Zone

Comfort zones don’t have to be comfortable…just familiar.  It’s where you feel like you belong.  And where you come to believe you belong is where you will stay.      

That is a small excerpt from the book Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst.  I have been doing an online bible study for the past several weeks and I can’t begin to tell you how much I have learned.  

I can’t quit thinking about that comfort zone quote…..and how we go to places repeatedly because they are comfortable…which isn’t always a good thing.   Not when it’s a bad behavior…or if it keeps us from moving forward.  

Easy example:  CrossFit with your red band on your pull-ups…even though you are strong enough to do some without…it’s so easy to stay with that assistance in a workout.  (I have a friend who calls her red band her ‘binky.’  Talk about comfort!)  

The day she pushed past the comfort of the band?  You should have heard her whooping and hollering as she repeatedly did pullup after pullup!

(this picture is just to show bands…yes, almost everyone is using a band for this workout, it’s cause they are chest to bar pull-ups)

Harder example:  reacting……in anger or panic.  NOT because it’s what you wanna do, but because it’s what you have always done….maybe it’s what your mom or dad did and it’s ‘all you know.’

This application of this lesson just keeps showing up for me….try a new eating plan?  EWW!  Grab the phone to text/instagram/facebook/check emails/etc. cause you got 10 seconds of ‘downtime’…..avoid a competition cause you might come in last place…….

I hope you are thinking….thinking about where you might be staying comfortable…and then consider a different way..a different reaction.

This quote is just ONE tasty nugget among the many thought provoking lessons I’m learning in this bible study.  I invite you to join me as we are getting ready to start a new study SOON!  Won’t you click on over to:

www.melissataylor.org

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!

I think this is my life motto….it pertains to things like:  eating bad stuff, wearing certain outfits, buying things, saying things, etc.  

I will readily admit that the first time I said it, it was done in quite a judgmental way.  (I’m not proud!)  Good news is that thought has been turned around on me quite often.  Dadgum, the other day my own daughter used it on me.  Here’s how:

I’ve recently been injured…my achilles on both feet are flared and I topped it off with rolling my ankle.  Wanna make me mad?!  Tell me I can’t do something.  Or maybe it’s more of a ‘tell me I shouldn’t be able to do something!’ That can be a good quality or a bad quality.  I had decided that I would give my achilles full recovery effort…not part recovery effort like I have been doing and hasn’t worked out so well for me.  I think I’m just prolonging the healing and making it worse.   So..I was already altering several areas of my workout (no jump roping, no running, no box jumping), when I rolled my ankle.  AS it was healing, it would swell, but not hurt.  so the battle began, should i workout or not? NOW?  It’s back to not hurting or swelling….still have my normal achiless ache, but we’re gonna call that progress.  YahoO! 

At the heart of me is a desire to be obedient…follow rules and guidelines.  If you draw a line in the sand, I will NOT cross it.  BUT also at the heart of me is a desire to dance all over that line……..Hmmm, I probably shouldn’t admit that.  

Here’s what I found you CAN do with hurt feet:

It feels so good to say:  I can still workout, I just won’t have any pounding motions.  I was able to pull up, too, but had to modify the jumpropes that were also a part of this workout.  

Check this out:

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Fran….you will NOT defeat me (with bonus lessons in FAITH! COOL!)

I will never forget the first time I walked into a Crossfit and saw women doing multiple pull ups I declared in my head:

Even IF i could do this crazy CrossFit thing, I will NEVER be able to do that!

Fast forward a few years, an over zealous shoulder injury, a shoulder rehab and a whole lotta Life Lessons and I eventually got there…am getting there. 

My first Rx Fran (5/12) was 21 plus minutes.  Yes, 21 minutes.  That means I spent approx. 30 seconds on each rep.  That doesn’t even sound like I tried, but believe me, I did.  My pull ups at the end were One. At. A. Time…..and a whole lotta standing around breathing.  Like this:  

(Ii don’t like this picture, but i felt like it showed my true pain/struggle.  gross) 

6 weeks later we retested Fran.  Then?  It was way cool to declare I cut 6 minutes off my time….I got it down to 15:21.  I’ll take it…..

Saturday it rained which meant the WOD we had planned to do OUTSIDE wasn’t happening.  Quick switch to:  Fran.  Sometimes I HATE knowing what we are doing ahead of time.  The hubs does the programming and he had been toying around with bringing Fran back.  Friday night we watched the weather channel and there was 100% chance of rain.  100!! Really?!  I didn’t know that was possible.  100% chance of rain meant 100% chance of Fran.  Instantly I felt nauseous.  

How can ONE word have such control over me?  I was pretty confident I could cut the time down, but I didn’t even want to do it.  I begged to go in the first round cause my legs were shaking….literally.  I thought about puking….

Once I got going, it stunk, but it was possible and I KNEW it.  (yay!)   I still had to break up EVERYthing, but What Do Ya Know?  I cut 4:31 off my time. I am now down to a 10:51.  

 

(in my mind I hope my sweet pink shoe wearing counter buddy is saying “only ONE more rep, Sally!!”)

What I love about CrossFit:  It makes me wonder what IS possible….I have eliminated the words:  ’I won’t EVER be able to do that’ from my vocabulary.  I honestly believe that anything can be learned.  I no longer put limits on my dreams or abilities.  

It moves to other areas of life, too.  And that?  Is pretty darn cool.  

Fear is not my friend.  I don’t like it, I don’t want it and I sure don’t need it.  I don’t know why I let Fran bother me so….Heck, I don’t know why I let anything bother me.  In my faith journey maybe the lesson is that:  

                                        it is ME, LETTING things bother me.  

This week I had a memory verse I was working on…“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”   2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV84

The take away is this:

                                      

I can LET my mind run crazy and out of control, OR I can stop that negativity and Make It Behave.  There are quite a few things in life that cause me anxiety.  Yet, once I actually do them, they seem to be no big deal.  (TIME WASTER!) What IF I applied this verse to my anxieties?  What IF I was obedient in the area of fear…and took my fear and measured it up against what I know God says?   I KNOW God doesn’t say anything about Fran in the bible!!  But the opportunity for Lessons Learned is right THERE!!  

And I’m gonna be happy that God would use the things I love (CROSSFIT!) to help with the things He is teaching me (quit worrying!  don’t live in fear!  quit letting that mind run rampant!!) 

Want to study with me?  Are you familiar with :   www.melissataylor.org

mypaleokitchen asked: Thanks for your comment a few weeks ago. I just read it. I wish Tumblr would make replying to comments easier, I still don't know the correct way to do it. But, I did reply as a post on my blog :)

geez, and I’m just now seeing THIS…..yeah, they need to up do something!

thank YOU!