What's In Your Tool Bag?

There is so much information out there when it comes to fitness and health. It's hard to know where to start. I get overwhelmed when I try to wrap my hear around everything. I realized that I don't have to know everything, I just need to find what works for me and stick with it. One of the things that is working with me is using the Nike+ app on my phone. It tracks how far and how long I run. It also gives me my pace per mile and my calories burned. This app also syncs up with Facebook and when friends like your status it sends cheers to your phone. It's encouraging to get a cheer when I'm running. If you have an iPhone, adding this app might be a great tool to have!

Happy Running!

Nike+ available on iTunes

Run Your Butt Off - Week 1

So I am two days into Week 1 of RYBO, and so far I have picked up on two things that I am going to make a priority when it comes to working out/walking/running.

1) I have a busy and sometimes crazy schedule and so I have to "pencil" in when I am going to workout. I have made the time right after I get out of class to do it. And so far I am sticking to my goal! I have to schedule my times to workout. If I don't, then I can easily go without it. But if I schedule it, then it helps me stay on track. So, schedule your workouts!

2). bring friends along! Walking/running is always more enjoyable and more motivating when done with friends. I posted on my cohort page that I would be walking after class. I had three people join me tonight! Ask friends, coworkers, or family members to join you.

Wanna-Be-Runner,
Kiana

Peachtree Road Race 2011

On Monday, July 4, 2011, I walked/jogged with about 60,000 other people to complete my first Peachtree Road Race. The PRR is a 10k that begins in Buckhead, runs through midtown and ends in Piedmont Park. After the race, my feet and legs were so sore and I felt exhausted. But simultaneously, I felt exhilarated! I pushed myself to keep going and I accomplished my goal (to finish)!

After the race and in the days that have followed, I have done some thinking about running. I am not a runner. I don't look like a runner and I don't have the stamina of a runner. However, I know that this can change. I feel like I did a great job on Monday, considering this was my first race in about 10 years and that I am not a "runner." But I know that I can push myself to become better.

My goal is to train and work hard to become a "runner." No so that I can run a 10k in under 30 minutes,* but so that I can push myself physically to another level. I want to be able to have the physical strength and stamina to be able to jog/run longer distances than I am today. I have a year to do it and I plan on pushing so that I can run the whole Peachtree race next year!

My plan is to follow the Run Your Butt Off plan laid out in the book. Starting on Monday, July 11, I'll start the 12 week plan to becoming a runner. I am not looking to become a fast runner, just someone who has the stamina to run.

The Plan: The RYBO plan is a 12 week plan moves people from being walkers to being runners. Each workout is 30 minutes long and it gives direction to slowly increase running time and decrease walking time.

Week 1: Walk for 30 minutes four times a week. I am walking on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The way my schedule is right now, these are the days that work best for me.

Please feel free to join the journey with me!

Kiana

{Definition}

def·i·ni·tion

-noun

1. the act of defining or making definite, distinct, or clear.

2. the formal statement of the meaning or significance of a word, phrase, etc.

3. the condition of being definite, distinct, or clearly outlined.

One thing God has been teaching me is that a definition is very important. It is important to have definition in our lives and for our lives. The heart of the lesson is to learn WHO and WHAT are giving the definition.

We look in so many places to find the WHO'S and WHAT'S to define us. We look for people to define us or we allow others opinions to define us. We look at what we own {and don't own} as a form of definition. We use our accomplishments in school, sports, or work to give our lives definition. The problem with these things...they don't last and they don't have any validity.

I am learning that the only WHO and WHAT who can give me true and perfect definition is Jesus Christ. He is my WHO. His opinion and the way He sees me is what gives my life definition. His love covers every imperfection. His patience sweeps over my impatience. His wisdom surpasses my foolishness. His grace overflows and is enough.

He is also my WHAT. His death on the cross is the act that gave my life definition. Because of the blood he shed for me, my life is distinct and my purpose if clearly outlined. Because of WHAT He did for me, I can live a life that doesn't depend on someone's ever changing emotions or decisions. My life is in the steady, unchanging hands of my Savior.

Questions to think about:

• Who am I looking to for definition?
• Who am I allowing to give my life definition?
• Is there someone I am relying on to give me definition?
• What objects do I focus on to give me definition?
• What do I feel like I need to have or want to have to give better definition to my life?
• What and who are standing in the way of allowing God to be my definition?

Ciao :)

Yes! I am counting down!

This semester is almost over! The finish line is in sight! This semester has been my most challenging so far. Half of my classes are at night and the other half are in the morning. Being as school til 10 at night then having to be back 11 hours later can be a drag. But it's almost over!

I am totally counting down the days and assignments for each class!

Statistics: 3 more days of class left. No assignments.

Multi-Cultural Education: 2 more classes. Discussion project. Final Project due.

Algebra: 2 more class days. 1 more test.

Environmental Science: 3 class days. 3 article papers to turn in. Community Service project due.

Education Psychology: 2 class days. 1 more test.

Environmental Science Lab: 1 day of class = Field Trip!

Yoga: 1 class left! Turn in final.

This is what I have to do between now and a week from today! Then classes will be over...but then it's on to finals week! That's a whole other ball of wax!

Gifts

What is a gift? In the literal sense is it something given without expecting anything back. It is something that is given to express affection and love. It can be huge and extravagant. Or it can be a small token. What makes a gift special and meaningful is the reason and thought behind it. If it is given from the heart, then the gift can be priceless.

I believe each person on earth is given a gift. But this gift is different. It is given for a specific reason. But the giver does expect something back. Our Heavenly Father has gifted us with a special talent. He gave us these gifts to show us that we are significantly valuable to Him. It is one way He expresses his infinite love for us.

It is so easy to spot everyone else's gifts. It's easy to approach someone ad affirm or confirm their gifts. But it is quite difficult to know exactly what one's own gift is. It might hit you in the head and be bluntly obvious. Other times it takes a lot of digging and searching. It is hard to not get discouraged when you see everyone around you find and be confident in their gifts. I've learned that one can't give up or become discouraged. Pressing on and completing the journey to find the gift is also important.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Today is my sister, Kayla's 21st birthday! Love you babe!

God is Good

All the time! And all the time, God is good!

My Papa's surgery lasted about 3 hours. When he came out, the doctor said the surgery went smoothly and Papa did very well! He only had to stay in the hospital for three days. On Wednesday got to go home! He is recovering very well and he's excited to get back to normal!

Thank you for your prayers!

Prayer

Today at 11:30 eastern time, which is 5:30am in Hawaii, my Papa will be having surgery. He has had cancer in the past and for about a year he has been in remission. However, during a routine checkup they found more cancer cells. This surgery will be to remove the cancer from just below his heart.

Please pray for my Papa and Nana, that they will have complete peace as he enters the surgery. That they would feel God's presence constantly around both of them. That they would feel relaxed and the feeling of anxiety and stress would not surround them!

Thank you so much!

Me, my cousin Madison, and my Papa

A Forever Family

I want to share a story with you about a girl named Jana (Yanna). Take a minute and read it through. If you could pass it along to your friends and family that would be awesome! We are praying that God would work and that Jana would find a "forever" family! Please partner with us and pray for her!

Friends….

Here is a picture and a brief bio on a wonderful young lady named Jana (Yaana). We had the opportunity to meet her and spend time with her over this past Christmas during the Christmas hosting program. Jana is from Latvia but is very much like an American girl but living in Latvia. She is fun loving with a great sense of humor. She has a tender heart and very much wants a forever family. She is musically talented and can play piano. You will not find a warmer person once she gets to know you.

Here is our prayer for Jana…she needs to find a forever family.

She turns 16 in September…which means once she turns 16 she will no longer be eligible for adoption. She is available to be hosted this summer but for anyone who would be interested in adopting her…they would need to start the process soon!

Please take seven days and pray for Jana…that she would find her forever family. If you would like to know more information on Jana…please feel free to contact us and we will do all we can to help!

Jana: Great girl, turns 16 in September, very much wants her own forever family. Jana is a typical teen in many ways, she loves clothes and shoes and loves to look pretty. She is already beautiful though. She's tall and knows what she likes. She is in a foster family, so she is used to having a little more than the typical child who is in an orphanage. You'll find her to be very much like American teens. She's very nervous about going new places and social scenes make her nervous enough to not want to stay long. She just needs to become more comfortable in new surroundings. She's musical, likes piano, loves to act and thinks she'd like to be an actress. She would like to be an only child, or maybe have one sister. She likes watching dvds/movies and being at home.

If you are interested, or someone you know is, please contact Kevin Tuttle at Kevin@EverythingCoffee-Tea.com or Cindy Tuttle at ctuttle@stonecreekchurch.org. Also check out Kevin and Cindy's blog!

IQ Question Answers

Here are the answers to the IQ questions from the previous post:

1. Some months have 30 days, some have 31 days. How many months have 28 days?

A. All of them. Every month has at least 28 days.

2. If a doctor gives you 3 pills and tells you to take one pill every half hour, how long would it be before all the pills had been taken?

A. It would take 1 hour. Take one pill at 2:00, then take one at 2:30, then at 3:00.

3. I went to bed at 8 o'clock in the evening and wound my clock and set the alarm to sound at 9 o'clock in the morning. How many hours of sleep would I get before being awoken by the alarm?

A. You would get one hour of sleep. A windup clock can't differentiate between A.M. and P.M.

4. Divide 30 by half and add 10. What do you get?

A. 70. When you divide 30 by .5 it's like multiplying it by 2 (60) then add 10 (70).

5. A farmer had 17 sheep. All but 9 died. How many live sheep were left?

A. All but 9 of them died, so there are 9 sheep left.

6. If you only had a match and entered a COLD and DARK room, where there was an oil heater, an oil lamp and a candle, which would you light first?

A. You light the match. You're in a DARK room, so you would light the match first do you can see.

7. A man builds a house with four sides of rectangular construction, each side having a southern exposure. A big bear comes along. What color is the bear?

A. The bear is white. His house is built in the Arctic.

8. Take 2 apples away from 3. What do you have?

A. 2 apples. If there are three apples in a bowl and you take two, then you have two.

9. How many animals of each species did Moses take with him in the Ark?

A. None, Moses didn't take any animals on an Ark.

10. If you drove a bus with 43 people on board from Chicago and stopped at Pittsburgh to pick up 7 more people and drop off 5 passengers and at Cleveland to drop off 8 passengers and pick up 4 more and eventually arrive in Philadelphia 20 hours later. What's the name of the driver?

A. Insert your own name. The sentence says "you" are the driver.

Hopefully you were entertained by this :)

Sample IQ Questions

Tonight in one of my education classes we were discussing "exceptional children" (children with special needs and abilities). One of the handouts was this list of sample IQ questions:

1. Some months have 30 days, some have 31 days. How many months have 28 days?

2. If a doctor gives you 3 pills and tells you to take one pill every half hour, how long would it be before all the pills had been taken?

3. I went to bed at 8 o'clock in the evening and wound my clock and set the alarm to sound at 9 o'clock in the morning. How many hours of sleep would I get before being awoken by the alarm?

4. Divide 30 by half and add 10. What do you get?

5. A farmer had 17 sheep. All but 9 died. How many live sheep were left?

6. If you only had a match and entered a COLD and DARK room, where there was an oil heater, an oil lamp and a candle, which would you light first?

7. A man builds a house with four sides of rectangular construction, each side having a southern exposure. A big bear comes along. What color is the bear?

8. Take 2 apples away from 3. What do you have?

9. How many animals of each species did Moses take with him in the Ark?

10. If you drove a bus with 43 people on board from Chicago and stopped at Pittsburgh to pick up 7 more people and drop off 5 passengers and at Cleveland to drop off 8 passengers and pick up 4 more and eventually arrive in Philadelphia 20 hours later. What's the name of the driver?

What's your IQ?

Super, amazing movie! Definitely a must see!

"Can you tell me, why is a raven like a writing desk?"

- Mad Hatter

"I think of 6 impossible things before breakfast."

- Alice

Sometimes...It's Hard

It is easy to...

Love people who return my love, Treat people kindly who do so to me, Open up to someone, who opens up to me, Forgive those who forgive me, Go the extra mile for someone who goes it for me, and Understand people who understand me.

When all of these things happen, it's so easy to see people as Christ sees them.

But when people...Don't return the love I give, Don't treat me kindly, When they won't open up to me, Don't forgive me, Won't go the extra mile, and Can't show me any understanding,

it is so hard to see them as Christ sees them!

God never said it would be easy to love people. But He did command us to Love! When we love like Christ does, means our love is accepting, affectionate, caring, compassionate, considerate, shows empathy, has forbearance, forgiveness, friendship, generosity, gentleness, interdependence, kindness, patience, sharing, sympathy, thoughtfulness, tolerance, and unselfishness.

Lord, help me to love the way you do!

Sick Day Movies

One advantage to being sick is being able to have time to watch movies. Here's what's been playing on my screen:

CSI

The Office

CSI: New York (personally, it's the best one out of the three!)

CSI: Miami

NCIS - Pretty much my favorite show right now!

Other shows are White Collar, The Time Traveler's Wife, Lost, and She's the Man.

Day 3 of yicky cold! This cold has been sponsored by: NyQuil - thank you for helping me sleep easier at night!

Vitamin C - Even though you are chewable, I thank you anyways!

Ginger Ale - You make drinking EmergenC so much more enjoyable!

EmergenC: Thank you for the boost in vitamins and antioxidants!

Dear Mr. Cold,

You have overstayed your welcome! Please pack up and get out!

Sincerely,

Kiana

Blogging Tips

Are you looking for a way to liven up your blog space? After all, a blog is like your home. And it says something about you. Why not customize your blog so it expresses who you are!

Here is a link for a website that will help you edit the HTML on your blog so you can put in a customized background!

Also check out The Cutest Blog on the Block for some super cute templates!

Happy Creating!

Don't Ever Say Never!

We all have "nevers". It's those things we say we will "never" do, wear, say, feel, or have! But there's something I've learned and that with God, the word "never" is a chance for Him to work in us!

Here are a few of my "nevers":

*I will never go to college anywhere except Hawaii (that didn't happen!)

*I won't ever wear yellow (I now own three different shirts that are yellow)

*I never want to live where it's cold (we've had a lot of snow in GA this year!)

*I will never understand or like politics (and yet I interned for a ministry that was all about politics!)

*I will never be interested in a guy who was younger than me (turns out the only guy I'm interested in is younger than me)

And the last one: *I will never be a teacher...

For as long as I can remember I have been surrounded my incredible teachers! Some of whom were trained to be teachers and some just had a heart to teach. When I started thinking about what I wanted to be when I grew up, I knew one thing: I didn't want to be a teacher. I just never thought I would be a good it. I had seen what it took to become an exceptional teacher and I wasn't sure I had what it took to be a good teacher. I liked helping other people teach, but I didn't think I could do it.

Last fall, things began to change. I was given more opportunities to be in a position to teach and work with children. I started to really enjoy it and I found myself becoming excited about teaching. I started to question what I was doing with my life. I knew I wanted to work with children and I felt like God was saying it would be either in the medical field or as a psychologist/speech pathologist, but not as a teacher. Because this is what I believed I was supposed to be doing, that is what I was pursuing. During the fall semester I registered for and was only 2 classes away from completing an associates in psychology. Since I was feeling uncertain, I sat with God and began to ask Him what I should do. I asked Him so give me clarity and to give me a specific direction for my life.

I taught a government class to a group of 7th and 8th graders. Government isn't the most exciting subject in the whole world, especially if you have to sit for a total of 8 hours in a small room for the class. I knew I had to do my best in order to make it interesting and exciting. At the end of the class I thought the kids would be glad to have the class finished. But it was the complete opposite. Each one of them complained they didn't want the class to be over! It was in that moment that I felt God clearly telling me He wanted me to be a teacher. I shared my decision with the people in my life whose wisdom and opinion matters the most. I received confirmation from each one of them and continued to feel God's peace.

I started the process of changing majors and adjusting my school schedule. This semester has been my most difficult one so far and on many different levels. But through it all, I feel God's peace and I find my strength and drive in Him. I love the peace and fulfillment that comes from walking where God wants me to walk. I look forward to what He has in store for me!

I guess the moral of the story is: When we say "never" it gives God a chance to work in us! So be prepared and never say "never"!

Me and my biggest inspiration, cheerleader, and mentor in my journey to become a teacher. She's my mom!

Best Friends

I am so grateful for my best friend.

"Life is nothing without friendship. Love is friendship set on fire."

-unknown

Better Late Than Never

For the last couple of months I've been entertaining the idea of cutting my hair. Upon recommendation from Katie, http://quietworldcreative.blogspot.com, I did some research on what haircuts and styles work for my face shape. Then one night my sister and I were talking and she mentioned she was having her hair done the following day. I got the urge and decided it was time to take action! The next morning I called the salon and made an appointment. The only person who knew about this venture was my partner in crime, Kayla!

Here we go! New haircut! It's really short and really different, but I'm really liking it! This new do is super easy and I love how easy it is to do in the morning. If I go curly, I can have my hair done in 10 minutes! Going straight is another story. I still haven't quite figured out how everything is supposed to lay. It's definitely a work in progress. But I'm loving it!