Holy Whole 30 Day REVival

Today was one of those "I'm having an epiphany and I'm crying in church and good thing my hair is down so no one can see me" days where I think the pastor is talking directly to me. It's as if God knew exactly what I needed to hear and sent it spewing from the mouth of the man on stage. Today's message made me think of some things that have been weighing heavily on my mind. And now is the time to do something about them.

Cheers to New Beginnings

I'm embarking on what I'm calling the Holy Whole 30 Day REVival for the Mind, Body, and Soul. Say that 3x fast. Serving up a few slices of my humble Easter pie...

REVive the mind

Pura Vida

My mind is a funny place. There are some days where I feel I am constantly battling with it. Talking to it. Praying to it. Yelling at it. Loving it. There are certain factors that affect my mind more than others. During my day, I use my mind a lot. I teach fifth graders how to divide fractions on a number line (ugh - Common Core), how long the small intestine is (approx. 20 feet long in case you were wondering), or how the American Revolution shaped America (tea anyone?). I have to train my mind to get inside the minds of 11 year olds - Jesus help me. And I'm proud of my mind in those triumphant moments.

What I'm not proud of is the amount of mindless activity that takes place once I'm home. "I'll just log into Facebook for a few minutes," I say. A few minutes turns into an hour (or sometimes more if we are really putting it out on the table) and I've barely said three words to my husband. All of the sudden I'm on my best friend's friend's cousin's page. Like what?? I don't even know this girl and I'm practically stalking her life because she has super cute clothes and I want my living room to look like her recent remodel. Oh. Dear. Gawd... how did I even get here?

Get it together, lady! Facebook has given me amazing connections with people (my husband for one), but it's also stirred up jealousy and envy. Ohhhhh jeez. There I said it. Em-bar-a-ssing! Am I alone here? I'm in no way bashing the site. But for me, I need a break. A short break. 30 days. To see what can happen to my mind with only the information that I choose to see and hear.

Seriously, Ellise - what will you DO? How will you keep in touch with people? Seriously, world - it's called the phone? A card? Something a little more, let's get a little crazy and say, personal? My really close friends and family don't clue me in on momentous events in their lives through social media. They call me. And we talk. Get emotional. We cry, laugh, scream. We do lunch. We do coffee. We walk. We run. And I want that mindful connection back. I'm hungry for it.


REVive the body

Garden Glory and Summer Bugs

So something I wish I wasn't so hungry for is "junk in the trunk and on hips and on thighs" food.

I've researched a program called Whole 30. You can find more information here: http://whole30.com.

It's a program focused on food. Whole Food. Real Food. No sugars. No cheats. No stepping on a scale. No excuses. For 30 days.

This is not some crazy diet where I'm trying to lose tons of weight. I want more energy, more glow, and better health. I know it starts with food. You know it starts with food. I can't go to the gym twice a day and eat junk and expect results. I can't run for 30 minutes then come home and have a glass of wine and maybe some ice cream and expect to be all Victoria Secret at the beach. I love exercise. Exercise is not my weak point. Food is. Nutrition-void carbs are. Sweets are. I want to be hungry for the good stuff. The stuff God intended for me to eat in order to nourish and strengthen my body.


REVive the soul

Wise Words

Hi, my name is Ellise and I think avocado toast is more important than God.

I used to spend time with God in the mornings before work. And then I got lazy. Snooze button 1: Jesus 0. Which then left me only time for breakfast or Bible. So, I'd leave the house all proud that my belly was full, but my soul was empty. (Okay Ellise. A little dramatic, don't you think?) Well maybe so, but honestly I knew that I was beginning my day unfulfilled and on my own. I need God every single day. I need him every morning. How dare I think I can face a day without him in my heart and on my mind. Do you have any idea the temptations that the devil has in store for you everyday? And here I was all proud of my sprouts that I had added to my toast while totally ignoring the man who made those stinkin' sprouts possible.

Where is that fire in my soul? Where is that intense pull towards the man who makes everything possible? I lost it and I want it back. I want to rev up that fire that I know is inside me. The way I feel when my mind, body, and soul are all on the same page. Where I reduce the amount of people and things that can affect the brightness of my light. He can help with all of that. Miracles may or may not happen in these upcoming 30 days. But I'm excited to see how much happier I will be. How happy He will be if I wake up just a few minutes earlier, sit down, with his book, study, and pray.

I'll be documenting my progress, if anyone cares -ha!, via Instagram and more updates will be posted on the blog. Duh - since I won't be spending an hour on the Face each night. So check-in with me or if you're feeling all inspired - join me. There is no shame in this game we call life. Looking forward to loving on myself, on you, and on God.

*My REV-up date is Friday, April 10th. TGIF, right?