fragments: F250, toxic levels of NO!, lunchbox, photo that never dies, business distraction, thinking chair, strep, grilled cheese & the learning curve of a cat.

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

August 29, 2011
(FirstHusband was out of town and my car needed to go into the shop.)

“I’ll be driving the Ford F250 this week, but in addition to the water it needs to be fed every day, FirstHubs says it needs oil. I’ll be dragging a step ladder out to do that because there is NO WAY I can reach while standing on the ground.”

(didn’t drive the F250. Called dibs on FavoriteSon’s car instead. I can just see it, a Ford F250 with the hood up, next to an empty stepladder – and my legs hanging out of the engine because I fell in)

__________

August 30, 2011
Dear Tuesday, August 30th: you have exceeded your daily limit of the word “no.”

__________

Did some new hire computer training today – I LOVE it when I can show someone how to make their job easier and their work more efficient – at the SAME time! Ultimately, it helps to lower their stress level, increase their job satisfaction and build their confidence. And I LOVE it when I train someone who’s enthusiastic about learning!

__________

August 31, 2011
I spy . . . a forgotten lunch box on the kitchen counter. dang it.

__________

I was supposed to get a new driver’s license Tuesday morning.
Text from FirstHusband in Utah: “Any luck on the driver’s license front?”
Me: “you. are. a. nag.”
1stHubs: “I waited more than 24 hours after you said you would be there. Besides, I’m waiting on something. I’m bored.”
Me: “Had to get PinkGirl to school 45 minutes early because we only had one car. This photo will follow me for 10 years.”
1stHubs: “What? I’m confident your natural beauty will shine through. You are being too modest.”
pshhh. He IS bored.

__________

Trying to write. I knew avoidance was imminent.
random word search on youtube: “business”

__________

I’m confident there is an answer to this problem. Just haven’t figured it out yet. If only I had $199. What? I said I was avoiding. I just shifted from youtube to ebay. (click HERE for the Thinking Chair eBay auction)

__________

September 1, 2011
FavoriteSon home from school today. His self-diagnosis? Strep. 11:30 appointment at the doctor to confirm.

FavoriteSon’s self-diagnosis is confirmed. He is “strep throat boy.” Now we try and prevent him from morphing into “CONTAGIOUS strep throat boy”

FavoriteSon: “Mom, will you make me a grilled cheese sandwich?”
Me: “It’s 9 o’clock at night. I bought you soup.”
FavSon: “You can’t eat soup without grilled cheese.”
Me: “yes you can. I’ve seen it done.”
FirstHusband, overhearing all this over the phone: “you don’t love your son enough to make him a grilled cheese sandwich?”
It’s a grilled cheese conspiracy.

10:21pm – I caved. he really is pitiful when he’s sick.

__________

September 2, 2011 at 1:07pm
Bob the Cat is dumber than dirt. I must have thrown him (gently) off my desk 30 times in the last hour and a half. Trying to get some work done and he’s seriously throwing off my groove!

1:16pm – 31

1:17pm – 32

facebook fragments: can’t. lazy bum. oil. p. muscle cars. tornadic activity. good times. intentional choices.

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

Here’s a few fragments of my week:

FavoriteSon vs. AP Lit.
FavSon: “I can’t.”
Me: “can’t is a four letter word.”
FavSon with a formal tone of voice and his signature grin: “I cannot.”
I have no idea where he gets it.

__________

Headed back to BodyInUnity yoga Monday morning (M-W-F at 9:15 am at First United Methodist Church of Oviedo in the youth room if you’re so inclined to join us)! I’m stiff and weak and flabby and reeking of lazy bum – all with no excuse! If I want do more than pay lip service to my commitment to be a good steward of this body God has blessed me with – it’s time to GET BACK TO WORK.

__________

Got a flashing oil light in the van today and drove straight to Auto Mech & Muffler. Turns out, that light is supposed to flash when you’re 6 months and 10,000 miles past your last oil change. oops.
(Since I’ve somehow become oblivious to the little reminder sticker they put on the top of the windshield, I just entered it in my phone calendar with an alarm.)

__________

FavoriteSon, doing pre-calc: “Dad, I know how to get ‘Q’ but can you help me get ‘P’?
Both FirstHusband and I answered: “drink water.”
FavSon groaned.
Me: “What? Did you not see that coming?”
FavSon: “I thought you were more mature than that.”
nope.

__________

FirstHusband texting me while on travel in Detroit: “I’m driving a Dodge Charger.”
Me: “Oh no you DID NOT just tell me that!”
(Those of you who are aware of my affinity for muscle cars: Dodge Charger = Dream Car.)

__________

10 year old PinkGirl: “Mom, there may be some tornadic activity on Friday.”
(She knows who Jim Cantore is too.)

__________

Target snack bar. PinkGirl talking about her day, seemingly without taking a breath while devouring breadsticks. Good times.

__________

Thursday night. 10:30pm. Too quiet downstairs. Called down to FavoriteSon and FirstHusband:
“Are both of you on task and making intentional choices?”
At the same time, I hear:
FirstHusband, (playing a videogame): “He is.”
FavoriteSon, (on the internet): “no.”
Do I know them or what?

fight the frump: August fitness goals

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

In my continuing quest to be a good steward of this body God has blessed me with, I’ve set my August fitness goals.

How did I do in July? shhhhhh. Let’s not talk about it. July was pitiful.

pit. i. ful.

no excuses. wasn’t sick, not overwhelmingly busy, just easily found other things to do.

But I MISS sweating, believe it or not. And I miss the sore muscles that come with the knowledge and satisfaction of working them to failure. The way I see it, strength training that doesn’t fail the muscle is a waste of time – and if I’m going to take the time to do strength training, I want the time to be well spent.

But I digress.

It’s the fourth day of August and I’m back on track with my fitness goals. Here’s what I’m shooting for this month:

In addition to averaging two 6.5 incline miles & one 2 minute forearm plank EVERY day,

I’m trying a three day rotation this month:

1st Day – Work Upper Body
(20 BOSU push-ups, 20 shrugs (holding a 12 lb dumbbell in each hand), 30 tricep dips, 3 sets of “21s”)

2nd Day – Work Lower Body
(20 Lunge Walking Steps, 20 one leg chair squats, 40 Abductor Leg Lifts, 40 Adductor Leg Lifts (ALL each leg), (2) 30 second wall squats)

3rd Day – Work Core
(20 balance ball back extensions, 15 (each arm) bent rows, 20 balance ball oblique crunches each side, 20 Jackknife Sit-ups), 10 balance ball leg lifts

sweat and repeat.

And my FAVORITE yoga classes start up again the week of August 22nd!

So far, so good. To check my progress, CLICK HERE to see my fitness log.

song? or seed?

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

I recorded my version of “Waiting Here for You” last month. Here’s what I wrote on my facebook page earlier that same day:

“Praying that God would use the music & the lyrics to draw the “sound guys” closer to Him. That the Lord would bless my voice & the session. That the people who will be listening to & working on the recording over the next few weeks will come to an undeniable awareness of the the presence of the Holy Spirit.”

I’ve been recording once a month for almost two years and due to multiple obstacles (professional mixing, funds for licensing, duplication and distribution), I haven’t been able to do anything with the music. It appears that God is teaching me patience.

Again.

But it’s also possible that the ministry of this music is centered on the recording sessions themselves.

Every session – every MONTH, I’m blessed with a rare opportunity: To sing powerful Christian lyrics in the willing presence of 4 to 7 non-Christians – for nearly FOUR hours! The sessions are totally vocal – no band, no other vocalists, just me, singing the lyrics to the same song over and over and over again. They usually need three or four complete melody tracks and three or four tracks of each harmony. I always prepare at least two harmonies, usually more. And you can bet I don’t ever get it right the first time around, so there are lots of “punch-ins” where I have to fix a line or a word here and there. This means I sing those lyrics so many times during the session that the sound guys can pretty much memorize them. Then, they listen to the music again and again over a number of weeks as they work on mixing the song. Then the next month, I get to do it all over again, with an entirely new group of people.

How cool is that!?

I pray about every song selection, that God would lead me to choose a song that at least ONE of those people NEEDS to hear at that time in their life. I pray for the people who will be at the session, that my offering can be of some use to God as He moves in their lives.

Last month, the Lord allowed me to see (or actually, hear) that I planted a seed.

It was a late night session, from 9pm to 1am and midway through, my voice was showing signs of fatigue. We broke for 30 minutes and I drove across the street to 7-11 for some warm coffee. As I was getting out of my van, I looked two cars over and saw four of the sound guys getting out of another vehicle. One started singing my song and the others joined in.

They had the song stuck in their head and the month of mixing hadn’t even begun!

That’s a seed.

I’ve been praying that it grows.

Now I’m also praying – even if I don’t get to see any evidence of it – that my session this Friday night will result in more seeds being planted.

even a princess tapestry needs dark threads.

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

A few months ago, 10 year old PinkGirl and a friend were talking about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

PinkGirl: “Mom, why does God make bad things happen?”

(Lord, I’m gonna need your help with this one.)

Me: “I don’t necessarily believe God makes bad things happen. I believe God allows bad things to happen. Sometimes we get to know why, sometimes we don’t. You remember the Bible verse about now I see in a mirror, dimly, then I shall see face to face?”

PinkGirl: “uh huh.”

Me: “It means that we don’t always see things clearly or understand why things happen while we are here in this life, but when we get to heaven, we will understand.

I looked up at a tapestry of Disney princesses hanging on her wall. (thank you Lord)

Me: “You see that tapestry? How beautiful it is? That’s because we can see all of it – from the front. This is like what God sees when he looks at the earth.

But look at this.”

I turned the corner of the tapestry and blocked out a small piece in my hand.

Me: “This is what we see. Just this little bit. We can’t see all of the tapestry because each part of our life is just a thread. We’re so small, and our vision is so limited, that all we can see are our own threads and the threads near us. Sometimes, it’s not very pretty. What does this look like to you?”

PinkGirl: “I dunno, it’s too small, it just looks like little blobs.”

Me: “It doesn’t look like little blobs to God. His vision is unlimited, so he can see the whole thing at the same time. And, since he’s the one who’s weaving the design, he knows exactly where each thread is supposed to go. Even if we could see the whole thing, it would still look like a mess.”

I pulled the tapestry back as far as it would go.

Me: “Can you tell what it is now?”

Both PinkGirl and her friend: “no.”

Me: “And see how there are all different colors here? Some are bright colors, some are dark. I think of the dark colors as being the trials in our life. We all want our life to be wonderful – to be light colored threads. But what would the front of this tapestry look like if all the threads were light colored? Would it be as beautiful?”

I turned the tapestry back over, showing the front side again.

PinkGirl: “It’s a flower!”

Me: “Yep. God knew it would be. His job is to weave the tapestry. Our job is to trust that he knows what he’s doing and that in the end, it will be beautiful.”

Thank you Lord, for helping Herb Lockyer write a book (Dark Threads the Weaver Needs) in the middle of his grief and for leading me to read it a few years ago.

“My Life is but a weaving between my Lord and me;
I cannot choose the colors, He worketh steadily.

Ofttimes He weaveth sorrow and I in foolish pride,
forget that He seeth the upper, and I the underside.

Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly,
shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful in the Weaver’s skillful hand,
as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.”
Author Unknown

Cheddar Jack Cheez-its, you have no power over me. today.

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

Problem: I want a fistful of Cheddar Jack Cheez-its.

(Regular Cheez-its pose no threat to me. But . . . these are CHEDDAR JACK Cheez-its. They have Cheez-it SUPERPOWERS.)

Strategy: I’m going to get a nectarine. and if I still have room for Cheez-its, I’m getting a fistful of cherries.

(I may still want Cheez-its after that, but there won’t be room. That’s my theory anyway.)

Today, I’m going to be a good steward of this body God has blessed me with.

And I will not whine about it.

much.

nectarine gone. going to get a fistful of cherries now.

decision time. a loving mother’s straight-arm? or trust in God?

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked. Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.”
Genesis 33:5

Every night, when my kids were infants, I would slip quietly into their room and lay my hand on their backs to make sure they were still breathing. Sometimes, when they were fussy and I was afraid my touch would wake them, I would silently position my finger in front of their nose to feel their breath.

Infants. Who am I kidding? I did it for years. I just needed the assurance that they were breathing before I could sleep.

Tell me I’m not the only parent who’s done this.

I realize that my actions had nothing to do with whether or not they took their next breath. I was just checking for my own peace of mind. Laying my hand on their back was not what prevented them from dying of SIDS or some other freakish undetected “one minute they’re breathing and another minute they’re not” disease.

The Lord, in His mercy and grace, allowed my children take each tiny breath. By His mercy and grace, he still allows them to take their next breath.

Why am I thinking about this now? My kids aren’t at risk for SIDS anymore. My daughter will be 11 years old this year. My son just turned 16.

16. Two weeks ago, my son got his driver’s license.

And there it is.

Am I ready for this change? Of course not. and YES. YES I AM!

The two weeks before he got his license were particularly challenging chauffeur weeks for me. My daughter had drama camp from 9am to noon every day and my son got a summer job with flexible hours. My husband’s travel and work schedule made me the “go-to” guy with the car keys. I was spending hours and hours each day in FavoriteSon’s car with only 20 to 30 minute breaks in between drop-offs and pick-ups. By Thursday of the 2nd week, I was DREADING the thought of sitting in a vehicle.

Thursday was also the day FavoriteSon got his driver’s license.

Friday morning, I got up and drove PinkGirl to drama camp. I arrived back home about 20 minutes before FavoriteSon had to leave for work.

Decision time. Do I ride shotgun with him, drive home, drive back to pick him up and ride shotgun while he drives home? Or do I let him make the single round trip all by himself?

but…

If I was WITH him he would be safe. If he drove by himself, he might get into an accident.

I know. I KNOW.

What was I going to do? Make him drive to work with my left arm stretched across the driver’s seat to protect him? Because THAT’S effective. Ummm hmmm. A loving mother’s straight-arm. More effective than a seat belt.

Just like a hand on his back.

I let him go. Literally. I didn’t even watch him drive away. Yes, I was ready for the break from driving, but more importantly, I was saturated with the knowledge that my presence in the vehicle with him had nothing to do with his safety. Not anymore. Our instruction and advice over the last year helped to prepare him, as did the two driver education courses he took. He was equipped for the responsibility. The State of Florida confirmed it by giving him legal permission to drive. All. by. himself.

His father and I still have so much more to prepare him for. But this? This we’ve prepared him for. This he’s ready for. Now, just like when he was a baby, his life is in God’s powerful and loving hands.

As hard as it is for me to comprehend, God loves my son more than I do.

Making safety the priority tells our children that we think God is incapable
of doing what He said He would do for His children . . . But when we put our confidence in God’s power
rather than the safety nets we place around our children we find that even children can learn to rely on God’s overwhelming presence to protect them as well as to enable them to flourish in the world system.
Tim Kimmel
Grace-Based Parenting

June Fitness: progress, not perfection.

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

exercise-log

If you’ve been around Compendium before, you know my goal: To be a good steward of this body God has blessed me with.

Because my personal fitness history shows I can’t be trusted and that I desperately need the motivation of accountability, I put my June fitness goals out here on the internet and have been blogging, facebooking and tweeting my progress.

How did I do? I didn’t meet all my goals.

again.

But I’m STRONGER than I was a month ago!

June Totals
6.5% Incline Miles Walked: 52 – GOAL!
Strength Training/Yoga Days: 0 (FAIL. NOT. ONE. DAY. Sad and pitiful.)
2 Minute Planks: 30 – GOAL!
Back Extensions: 300 – GOAL!
BOSU Pushups: 300 – GOAL!
Tricep Reps: 315 – EXCEEDED GOAL BY 15!
Oblique Crunches: 205 (not on the goal list, just working on the love handles)
Days Supplements Taken: 16 (14 days short of goal)
Fruit Servings: 34 (26 short of goal)

(See the daily JUNE ENTRIES HERE)

I’ve just about decided on July’s goals and I’ve decided I need to shorten the window of accountability from a month to a week, so I’ve also decided to join Ragamuffin Soul (Carlos Whitaker) and An Idol Heart (Grant Jenkins) in their 12 week quest to “get their sexy back.”

They’re asking for WEEKLY check-ins. It appears I need that, or I may continue in my pattern of slacking an entire week and flippin KILLING myself to make it up. I’m slightly stubborn.

(“sexyback11?” I know. Guys can relate ANYthing to sex, even exercise and dieting) Kind of annoying that every post is supposed to have the “sexyback11” hashtag. I have to override my computer’s parental controls EVERY time I read someone’s sexyback11 update.)

eek! only two days left…

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

exercise-log

to meet my June fitness goals!

If you’ve been around Compendium before, you know my goal: To be a good steward of this body God has blessed me with.

Here’s
(1) where I am and
(2) what I need to do within the next two days if I have ANY hope of meeting my goals:

June Totals as of 6/28
Incline Miles Walked: 46 (need 6 more miles)
Strength Training/Yoga Days: 0 (need 8 – obviously not gonna happen)
2 Minute Planks: 26 (need 4 more)
Back Extensions: 265 (need 35 more)
BOSU Pushups: 250 (need 50 more)
Tricep Reps: 280 (need 20 more)
Oblique Crunches: 180 (not on the goal list, just working on the love handles)
Days Supplements Taken: 15 (didn’t make this goal, seriously, how hard is this?)
Fruit Servings: 28 (wanted to be at 60 for the month)

(See the daily JUNE ENTRIES HERE)

I’m already thinking about July’s goals and I’m thinking about joining Ragamuffin Soul (Carlos Whitaker) and An Idol Heart (Grant Jenkins) in their 12 week quest to “get their sexy back.”

(it would seem that guys can relate ANYthing to sex, even exercise and dieting) I have to override my computer’s parental controls every time I read someone’s update because they’re using the hashmark “sexyback11” on everything!

fitness update: 6/24/11

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

exercise-log

If you’ve been around Compendium before, you know my goal: To be a good steward of this body God has blessed me with.

I fell behind on my fitness goals this past week and woke up determined to devote much of my day to catching up a little. It wore me down, but with God’s help, I got through it.

Today (06/24/11)
Walked 7 miles in three separate stints of 2 miles, 3 miles and 2 miles,
3 two minute planks,
30 BOSU push-ups,
45 tricep reps,
45 back extensions,
45 oblique crunches
(See ALL JUNE ENTRIES HERE)

June Totals as of 6/24
Incline Miles Walked: 35 (should be at 42)
Flat Miles Walked: 2
Strength Training/Yoga Days: 0 (should be at 6)
2 Minute Planks: 18 (should be at 24)
Back Extensions: 215 (should be at 240)
BOSU Pushups: 170 (should be at 240)
Tricep Reps: 200 (should be at 240)
Oblique Crunches: 115 each side (not on the goal list, just working on the love handles)
Days Supplements Taken: 13 (should be at 16)
Fruit Servings: 28 (should be at 32)