Intentional Health

     My word for 2019 is intentional.  As always with my word, I try to see how it can be applied to all areas of my life.  Right now, I have been very intentional about not only my health, but that of my family as well.  Jim and D are on board with my plans...they have actually been very supportive of what we are doing for our health.  It is much easier when we are working as team instead of fighting each other.

     Jim and I have both recently had colonoscopies to celebrate our fifth decade of life, and yes we are late, but better late than never.  We both received a clean bill of health.  I was worried.  I know that I was overdue for this painless procedure, but I kept putting it off.  Recently a good friend of our family was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer.  She is huge advocate for this screening and she is the reason that I felt compelled to make sure that we finally got it done.  Please hold our friend in your prayers during this season of her life.  And if you are 45 or older, go get a colonoscopy.  The prep is nasty, but there are worse things.

     D and I both have dentist appointments next month.  I need to get Jim there as well, but he needs to work sometime!  I need to get a physical scheduled for both D and myself.  Our insurance covers one per year so it's silly not to take advantage of the benefit.  My eye exam is recent, as is D's.  Jim has an appointment tomorrow.  Jim is having a procedure done tomorrow for trigger finger, out-patient and little recovery time.  Hopefully we are getting everything out of the way early in the year.

     We are strong believers in chiropractic care, but we are all overdue for adjustments.  Insurance doesn't cover care, so it has to fit in the family budget somewhere.   I have also found a wonderful massage therapist who helps with my aches and pains so much.  Again, not covered by insurance, so it is a luxury for me.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if insurance covered things that allowed us to be proactive?  A girl can dream....

     We are going to attempt to follow the Whole30 diet plan.  For thirty days, lots of veggies, fruit, meats, no added sugars, no dairy, grains, carbs....it doesn't sound fun, but I think that it will be a life changing thirty days for our family.  I have felt for a long time that Jim and D have some sensitivities to certain foods.  Seriously, you don't want to be around them after they have ice cream.  After thirty days of eliminating foods, they are gradually added back in to our diet.  We will need to listen to our bodies as we add foods back in.  If we are bloated or gassy after something we eat, that might be a food to limit.  We were going to start this month, but I wasn't mentally or physically prepared to do the prep.  Our new plan is March 3.  I will let you know how that goes.

     We are all three falling short of getting enough sleep.  I have grand intentions of early bedtime but I get lost in a book, a game, or a tv show and the next thing I know it's after 11.  I wore a Fitbit for a while to watch my sleep patterns.  The only apparent pattern is that I don't go to bed early enough.  Jim and D both have issues with sleep.  When did it become so hard to sleep?

     Intentional health...Jim and I want to be around to see our kids and grandkids grow.  We want D to be healthy and happy.  We all want to be the best version of ourselves, so we are taking steps now to be better and feel better each day.

Craving Quiet

     I know that I am not alone in my craving quiet time.  I have written before about needing to have time alone with myself.  I live in a three generation home with a dog...there aren't a lot of times that the house is quiet.  I am a better person, both mentally and physically when I have time alone.  Jim and I often laugh, although there is much truth in that laughter, that we live in the loudest house around.

     Jim and Delainey both like background noise.  They want noise, whether it's music or the tv, playing while they fall asleep.  D wants noise when she is studying.  D hums and sings when she does almost everything.  Jim likes the tv going while he is relaxing or reading.  Jim's dad is hard of hearing (sometimes), so he is loud when he talks.  He also has his tv on a high volume when he watches.  My mother in law is the only other person who likes to sit in the quiet.  The dog is a whole different story...she is calm when she wants to be, but she is only a year old, so there is lots of puppy left.  She isn't a big barker most of the time, but when she does...beagle/hound dog mixes have a loud, long bark!   I truly could be silent for an entire weekend and not miss the noise.

     I love my family and wouldn't change them, so I have had to change some of my habits.  That means some nights I stay up late to read, clean, or just enjoy the quiet.  Other days, like today, I wake up at 4:30 on a Saturday to get things started.  I have a list today, but first on my list is a cup of coffee while I listen to the rain.  I hope that you are able to find the quiet time that you crave this weekend as well.

Intentional

     My word of the year for 2019 is Intentional.  This year it didn't come easily for me, some years are like that.  I had a short list of words:  focus, courage, intentional and balance (a repeat word).  I really thought that focus was going to be my word, but as midnight got closer, intentional started becoming clear to me.  I could see how intentional could apply to my life in many areas.  I did my handy dandy search on Pinterest and found things that speak to me about being intentional throughout the year.  I am looking forward to putting all my intentional thoughts and goals into a binder today.  Yes, I know what a geeky statement that is, but I love binders, page protectors, and the thought of being organized with my word of the year! It gives me a way to reflect on how my word influences me throughout the year.

     What does intentional look like for me?  I want to be more intentional with my faith, my health, my family, my finances, my fun, my writing.  I am sure that as the year goes on, I will find more things to be intentional about.  There are a million ways to be intentional.  If you search the web, you can find 30 day challenges for almost anything!  I need to start slow with that, because I can totally overwhelm myself.  I have already committed to a 21 day Oola plan, starting Thursday (I need to finish the book quickly today).  If you want a book to help clarify your goals, I highly recommend "Oola for Women: Finding Balance in a Unbalanced World".  It has really been speaking to me.  Jim and I are also doing Whole30 starting January 21.  We want less medicine, more healthy living, so this will be our starting point.

     My first focus on being intentional will be with my faith.  Jim and I became members of a new church last year.  We have been attending Wednesday night classes while D goes to youth group, but we haven't started a Sunday School class. We both would really like to start that this year.  I have also grown very lazy about reading my Bible and doing any type of devotional.  My plan is start getting up at 4:45 (that's only 15 minutes early) and read to start my day.  And yes, I have downloaded something to help with that.  I would like to add a family devotional at bedtime, but I need to get the family on board with that on!  

     I am looking forward to 2019 for so many reasons.  I hope that I am able to allow my word to guide me as the year goes on.  Happy New Year to all.  I hope that the year brings enough for all of us!