Tuesday Topics - Favorite Quotes { Link Up }

Hello everyone and Happy Tuesday! I love Tuesdays because it is of course Tuesday Topics with Lauren @ LiveLoveLauren. This week's topic is 3 favorite quotes which is such a small number because there is so many amazing quotes that really tug at my heart. So I have narrowed it down and if you ask me tomorrow, I would probably have 3 different favorite quotes..But here ya go!

(Oh and Thanks to Pinterest for displaying my fav quotes on beautiful backgrounds)

1 // You find out what is really important in this world when you see others that have less than you! My integrity to help others has sky-rocketed in the last few years because of the work I do at the hospital, pregnancy center, Moore OK and my time in Tanzania, Africa. You find out your true morals and values when lending a hand to others. You make the choice when you want to help and how far you will go to help! 

2// This verse explains the promise Our Lord has for us no matter what our circumstances on this earth are! He will care for you, He will fight for you and He will provide. The struggles of this world are just of this world and our True Treasure is in Heaven!!!

3 // This verse has so much in just 14 words! It embraces Feminism, Optimism, Strength, Faith, and Perseverance. When I see this verse I am reminded to hold my head tall because I am a Daughter of a King and my worries of the future can be lost in the Grace of God he has provided me with!

Paleo Here we Go! & Tuesday Topics {Link Up}

 

Here I am at 3 am finally getting my second wind at work! The lovely Theresa made some fresh Folgers coffee so I'm ready for the remaining 4 hours of work!

Some of you may remember that I was doing a low carb diet. I heard about it from a co-worker and thought I would give it a shot. It did teach me some self control but I found myself tired a lot of the time and honestly really missed fruit! I have always been interested in "clean eating" and have heard a lot about the Paleo or Caveman diet. It honestly makes a lot of sense and I always wondered about the fat content when I was doing the low-carb diet and eating endless amounts of cheese.

2013 must be the year to try all different diet fads because I gave up chocolate during Lent, tried the low carb for about 6 weeks and no am on to the Paleo diet for 30 days (and if I like it and see some results then I will try to stick with it) But I guess this just means 2013 will be the year I find out what works for me :)

 

So here's the deal...I've done my research. And after stupidly questioning what "legumes" were (they are beans if you didn't know) I feel like I'm educated enough on this eating lifestyle and have prepped plenty of boiled eggs and frozen fruit but I think I will end up going back to the store in the morning for some almond flour, ground flax seed and almond butter. The biggest goal of this challenge is to do the Whole30 thing, which is 30 days with unprocessed foods. The first 5-7 days are the hardest but once you get over that hill and your body no longer "craves" junkfood then it gets much easier. Here is the website I am following. I love this paragraph on the site....

[[ It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard. You won’t get any coddling, and you won’t get any sympathy for your “struggles”. YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE not to complete the program as written. It’s only thirty days, and it’s for the most important health cause on earth – the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime. ]]

And that is the mentality that I will have for these 30 days. I will think of my dear loves in Africa that do not have the luxury of "choosing" a diet plan that is right for them. I will think of the terminal cancer patients that I take care of that can't bear to keep down any type of food because the chemo is just so strong. If they can do it, I surely CAN!! So follow me as a drink my weight in water, eat more lettuce than Peter Cottontail and oh yeah..add yet another pinterest board entitled Paleo // Whole 30.

 

- Disclaimer - My Cheats -

1. Dash of milk in my coffee 2. Gum (the program states that gum confuses your brain and also has processed stuff) 3. Salad Dressing (I use the slightest bit on my salad and if I'm going to be consuming a ton of lettuce I'm going to need to spice it up a little) 4. Saltine crackers occasionally while I am at work...sometimes I feel like passing out if I can't sit down to eat and instead only have time for a 2 pack of crackers while I'm passing meds.

1 // I believe in a Thing called Love by The Darkness - One of my favorite songs to workout to and always reminds me of high school when I was obsessed with this song and would always request it at school dances. The middle of the song has a killer guitar solo which I would rock the air guitar during!

2 // Mambo #5 by Lou Bega - Senior dance finale song for my last recital! The costumes were great, I had a small solo part in it and the dance was tons of Latin fun! I still remember bits and pieces of the dance sequences

3 // Thriller by Michael Jackson - Halloween Halftime show in college where our dance team dressed up as zombies and perfected the exact choreography from the Thriller music video! The audience loved it and we always text each other whenever we hear the song because it brings backs so many great memories.

 

 

 

Zombies!!

 

4 // Streets Have No Name by U2 - Senior year of college Jazz routine where we got 2nd place at state and performed the routine at Nationals in Minneapolis. The choreography was amazing and intense. We cleaned this routine over and over and our hard work showed off!

 

5 // Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath - This song always reminds me of my trip to Tanzania. The lyrics describe my trip and how I was able to see through God's eyes and witness a group of people that were hurting. I often think of this song and remember how God uses us for specific works we are set out to do.

Give me Your love for humanity
Give me Your arms for the broken-hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me Your eyes so I can see

#1 Cause of Death in America & {Topic Tuesday Link Up}

I have to share something that has been on my heart a lot lately. Yesterday while at work at AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling I picked up a book that I noticed on one of the desks there. It was called "Unplanned" and tells a story of a women who worked at Planned Parenthood for 8 years before realizing what was happening right before her eyes! Right away I started reading the book because I was curious as to what she had to say about this unique change of heart experience she had. I couldn't put it down and was almost brought to tears by just the first few pages.  I will continue to read it and do a book review in the months to come!
We had a difficult case while I was working yesterday too. A woman came in that was pretty determined that she knew the outcome of her pregnancy would be an abortion. But by the will of God her heart opened up and she was willing to consider being a parent! I see things like this all the time at the center and am so over-joyed to be part of this great organization.

Last night I went for a little jog and did a HIT workout that lasted about 20 minutes. After that Alex and I watched Identity Thief which we both found to be pretty hilarious! I loved all of Melissa McCarthy's little comments like "Stop being a Vagina!" 

Then right before heading to bed I stumbled upon this blog post and found that yet again God was placing these poor women and helpless babies on my heart. H.R.1797 is a House Bill that, if passed, would ban abortions after 20 weeks due to the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. At 20 weeks if a woman is going to have in-utero surgery, the doctor would administer pain medication to the baby, however if an abortion is performed at the same week gestation, the baby would receive NO pain medication! Astonishing isn't it? Thankfully, Congressman Jeff Fortenberry who is the representative of my district and Congressman Steve King who is the representative of my hometown district both co-sponsor this House Bill so I know their stance on the issue! I had to do some research and it was interesting to see that on this site  you can follow the bill as it goes through legislature. I pray that these lawmakers defend these women and babies!

On a MUCH lighter note.... I am linking up again for Topic Tuesday! This week is 6 Favorite Products.

1 // Caribou Coffee - Just the best! Unfortunately the closest Caribou coffee shop is in Sioux City but luckily I can still buy the grounds at Hy-Vee

2 // Advocare Nutrition Bar - best tasting energy bar I have tried and I really do think it fuels me for a workout! (sometimes you wonder if it is just all mental) This is the Double-Chocolate flavor I got from my Mom for my birthday. Each bar has 140 calories and 10 grams of Protein 

3 // Mod Podge - A must have for me with all my DIY projects!

4 // Kindle - Great summer accessory poolside or long roadtrips. Currently reading "Gone Girl" 

5 // Soysationals Inspirations Candle - This was a gift from Alex. One of his co-workers makes these and I have to remember to get more! These candles actually smell continuously whether they are lit or not! They have a strong warm fragrance that fills up my basement bathroom.

6 // Psalm 51:10 Mosaic Decor -  Shameless plug for my Etsy Shop :) This honestly is one of my favorite products in my shop and if you want your very own feel free to contact me or comment below!

Have a great & blessed Tuesday everyone!

I know it's Not {Tuesday Topics}

Hey everyone, I know that I'm a little behind but I found this a few days late so I'm going back in time for a {Tuesday Topics} post on a Thursday night. I found this topic list from a fellow nurse blogger named Lauren also and really liked all the ideas :)

Ten: Things that make you happy

Well I can think of a lot more than ten but I will save you the long list and just tell you a few! 

1 // Jesus! My heart sings for Him and I know the creator of the Heavens has my life in His hands. I really don't know how people go through life without faith and I'm not about to try and find out!! I rely on God for so many things and pray to Him often during times of fear, anxiety, and blessings! If you have any questions about The Man Upstairs..feel free to ask me :)

2 // My Family Another easy one, they make me over filled with Joy! They have shaped me into the woman I am today and have given me the best morals, childhood, and foundation that a girl could ask for! 

Love them to Pieces!

3 // My Husband I brag about my husband often because he does just make me so happy! He is a strong, caring man that does remarkable work with 2 kids that are handicapped and his second job also shows his amazing heart because he works at Omaha Home for Boys which is a place that helps troubled teen boys. He is a wonderful role-model for those kids and I'm so glad that God picked him to be my partner in life! I find the little things he says to me to be the sweetest even if it is just telling me to drive safe to work!

4 // Kobe Ok this lil fur ball just makes me giddy! He is so stinking cute and makes me laugh everyday. I love his split personality between cuddling with me while I sleep and trying to attack my wrist when he wants to play. He is a Siamese cat that has a lot of energy and climbs on the counters far too often but I have a hard time disciplining him when he looks at me with those precious blue eyes. 

5 // Coffee This is a must for a night shift nurse and I really do have an addiction to coffee. I crave it even when I am the slightest bit tired and give other nurses a funny look if they tell me they don't like coffee! My "usual" from Starbucks is a Grande Skinny Hazelnut Latte but if I'm in the area of 114th and Blondo I love to go to Foxhollow Coffee Shop by our old apartment building because I love the atmosphere there!

Of course I had to get a Latte on my Wedding day! Thanks to my Sister!!

6 // Sweating yes this one seems odd but there is nothing better than getting a great sweat going from an intense workout. Whether it be a zumba class or a job outside, I enjoy sweating and don't feel like I have really gotten a decent workout until a sweat through my sports bra. 

7 // Ice Cream me being the chocoholic that I am (my mom ate WAY too many sweets while I was in the womb!) I love a good blizzard from DQ or a big bowl of Blue Bunny Cookies & Cream Ice Cream. Did you know that I grew up 19 miles from the ice cream capital of the world?!? Living that close to the Wells Blue Bunny plant probably has something to do with my love of ice cream!

8 // Country Music Again this one reminds me of home! I love my pandora station of Country Hits and even though I would call myself a true hick (Alex would disagree) I still love a good country concert or listening to country radio whenever I'm traveling back to the farm. 

My Favs - Carrie Underwood, SheDaisy, Lady A.

9 // The King of Queens Probably one of my favorite shows (behind Friends and Boy Meets World) Kevin James is so hilarious and everything about this show makes me laugh out loud! It gets me through my nights of insomnia and is full of funny topics! Alex has a friend that reminds us of "Doug" and we always bring up episodes  to talk about whenever he is around! 

10 // Crafting Yeah I liked it so much I even opened an Etsy Shop because of it! I have enjoyed scrapbooking and creating gifts since as long as I can remember! It comes in handy when I want something with a special meaning to give to a friend or family member and after I finish a Pinterest project I get very very excited and can't wait to show everyone ;) 

Follow me Here

10 + 1 // My Friends I have been blessed with some pretty amazing women in my life that have been through with ups and downs with me! They are always up for a good time, make me laugh, and are there for me when I just need a hug! My favorite ladies (you know who you are) will continue to be my lifelong friends even as we get wrinkles and can no longer find an excuse to wear our 80's costumes!