IMHO

Women could never be accused of being opinionated.

Co-sleeping or crib sleeping? Cry it out, or soothe to sleep? Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding?  Cloth or disposable? Shots or no shots? Home, public, or private school? Lots of kids, or no kids? Stay-at-home mom or work-away-from-home mom? TV or no TV? Skirts only, or pants too? Sugar or no sugar? PTA or no PTA? Makeup or no makeup? Band or athletics? Too much Facebook, not enough Facebook, or no Facebook? Long hair or short hair? Courtship or dating? Kids should have phones, or kids shouldn’t have phones? Vegan, vegetarian or carnivore? Organic or inorganic? College or trade school? Be fit and exercise, or embrace the body you have? 

Okay, so maybe we DO have a lot of opinions. Like Lady Violet, we think we are never wrong. And IMHO (in my humble opinion) that means a lot of different ways for us to feel superior – or inferior – to one another. I know I’ve been on both the giving and receiving end of this – and I’m trying to remind myself that in matters of opinion, I need to be more careful with my attitude. (And even in matters that aren’t opinions, but doctrine, I still need to be careful with my attitude toward others!)

We shouldn’t quarrel over opinions (Rom. 14:1). We should put on “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another…forgiving each other,” ( Col. 3:12-17). And we should be “of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves…” (Phil. 2:2-4).

We women need each other. We need to lean on one another, to cry on each other’s shoulders, to laugh together, and to know we aren’t being scrutinized or criticized when our backs are turned. We need to build one another up instead of tearing one another down. We need to be more gentle and less harsh and assertive about our views.

But that’s just my opinion. 🙂

YOU Change

“We spend so much of our lives repeating destructive patterns and the reason we do is we keep waiting for a different outcome. Here’s the thing: it doesn’t change. YOU change.”

Jillian, on Biggest Loser

Come On, People!

Monday night, we went to a 7th grade girls basketball game. It was held in a gym where Jordan and Jacob played in high school. I wonder what it is about the squeaky floors, uncomfortable wooden bleachers and sweaty, basketbally smell of a familiar gym that can send you spinning into nostalgic overload? Those years of watching basketball in that gym were fun. And cute little Micah with his chili-bowl haircut would shoot baskets during halftime at his brothers’ games.

Watching the boys (especially Jordan – yes I did just say that – sorry, Jake and Micah) play basketball ranks right at the very top of my list of favorite things to do. (I enjoy watching their football games too, but spent most of my time cringing behind my hands.)

But I digress.

Back to Monday night. We sat near a man we did not know, and he was quite vocal during the game.  He did not hesitate to voice his loud irritation with his daughter when she did not perform as well as he thought she should. Over the years, we’ve heard a lot of parents complain and yell and gripe. They got mad at their kids. They were furious with the coaches. They yelled at the refs. (Sometimes I had to tell John to pipe down. Sometimes he had to tell ME to pipe down. Sometimes I had to pinch him.) I remember one man who was thrown out of basketball games with regularity because he was so obnoxious. I’ll never forget the near-brawl that took place at one of Jordan’s 5th grade little league football games. 

Get a grip.

It’s a game.

They’re just kids.

I think we need to remember why we want our kids involved with youth sports. Is it because we want them to win at all costs? Is it because we want our son or daughter to be athletically superior to the next kid? Even if we have hopes for a college scholarship, does that justify rude behavior, angry outbursts and the stress we put on our kids?

Here are the good things about youth sports: our kids learn teamwork and responsibility. They learn that hard work and practice pays off. They learn that life isn’t always fair. They learn that not everyone is easy to work with. They (hopefully) learn how to lose gracefully. They learn self-discipline. And if we do our parenting job right, they learn to put God before all other activities, even when it’s tough.

Come on, people. Remember what’s important.

Wanna Watch your Weight – or Lose It?

I’ve been using the Weight Watchers app for two years now. I KNOW it works. Weight Watchers teaches you to make better choices than most programs. But – I’ve tried the Lose It app also, and in some ways I like the app (though not necessarily the program) more. It’s easier to use, and the bar code scanner is far better than the one Weight Watchers provides. And it’s free! HOWEVER, when I am using the Lose It app, I find it harder to lose weight. I’ve been trying to figure out why!

Yesterday, I tracked my food in both the Lose It app (top photo) and the Weight Watchers app (bottom photo.) In the Lose It app, I was 461 calories *under* for the day. But in the WW app, I was seven points OVER my allotted 27 points for the day – with the same food and exercise choices.

The obvious answer is that not all calories are “created equal.” Which is pretty sad to me, because I would like for the 136 calories from pasta to be the same as 136 calories worth of broccoli.  But alas, it is not. Pasta calories might as well be rubbed right onto the thighs and broccoli calories likely head straight for your biceps.

One piece of Oroweat Oat Nut bread (which I love) is three whole points. But it’s only 100 calories in Lose It. One ounce of my favorite cocoa roast almonds is FIVE WW points. But only 156 calories in Lose It. When I’m using the Weight Watchers app, I think twice before I eat that bread, because it “costs” more.  (I usually eat the almonds regardless, because I love them that much.)

Long story short, I still believe the Weight Watchers program works the best because it teaches you a better way to eat. Fruits, vegetables, proteins, fibers…things that will keep you feeling full and not just empty calories. Lose It will work, too, but you have to be careful when considering how to spend your calories.

That’s just my two cents worth!