noBOLOGNA

Books That Have Changed My Life

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I haven’t been reading as much as I would like lately.  I love what a good book can do though.  It can encourage, it can INSPIRE, it can empower, it can educate, & it can do so much more!  I wanted to share with you some of the most inspirational books I’ve read lately.  If you get a chance to read one of these books, you really should!

{Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul}
I can’t even keep count of how many times I’ve read this book.  It’s the best book for women.  When I find myself stressing over my own personal inadequacies or when I don’t feel beautiful – I read this book.  It puts my beauty back into perspective.  My beauty is not judged by the world – it’s judged by God.  He finds me beautiful and captivating and worthy.  There will come days when Nick cannot be everything I need/want him to be.  He’s human.  There will come days when I cannot possibly be everything Nick needs or wants.  I’m human.  Instead of getting depressed over this fact though, I’m reminded of God’s love and although undeserving, it’s full of grace and mercy!  He finds me completely captivating.  He desires to be my best friend, the love of my life, my one & only!

{Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead}
I have definitely struggled finding my place in the professional work force over the past couple of years. Sheryl Sandberg does a wonderful job of explaining why you should never let the fact that you’re a woman keep you from excelling and doing just as much as a man.  We should lean in to opportunities instead of stepping back because we fear what others may think since we’re a woman or we fear our own failure because we may not be “good enough”.  Take the plunge and allow yourself to become a woman in leadership.  This book did my professional soul a whole lot of good!  I’m about to re-read it for a refresher.  If I loved a book so much that I would re-read it, then it’s worth mentioning!

{Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God}
Here’s the thing – If I’m being completely honest with you… I struggle to love others at times.  I can be judgmental, I can be harsh, I can be unforgiving.  You know what else is true though?  I’m the least deserving of love and the most deserving of judgement and harshness and unforgiveness, yet God loves me!  Why is it so hard for me to love others in return?  This book helped me figure out my own soul when it comes to loving others and forgiving others.  It helped me realize the depth of God’s love for me and what he calls me to do.  It was a beautiful and challenging book to read.  There will be days when you feel so challenged by the words you read, you have to put the book down for a few days.  There will be days when you’re so moved by the words you read, that tears are flowing for the desire within you to be the person God has called you to be.  This book is worth a read!  If you can get a biblestudy together to read a chapter each week and discuss – that’d be even better!

{Blog, Inc.: Blogging for Passion, Profit, and to Create Community}
I haven’t finished this book yet, unfortunately.  From what I have read so far though, it’s excellent.  I then packed it up when I left Starkville and I haven’t been able to find it since.  I know it’s in a box somewhere, I’m just not sure where at this point.  I do intend to finish it completely one of these days.  If you want to improve your blog, grow your blog, make money blogging, or anything else that deals with blogging – then you should read this book!

Here are some books on my “too read” list!  I love having a strong list of books that will challenge, motivate, empower, encourage, & guide me.  I just started Steve Jobs & I’ve started Forgotten God before, but I don’t think I’ve finished it so I’d like to go back.

Steve Jobs
Bossypants
Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to Be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet
Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit

What books have inspired you lately?  I’d love to read your suggestions!

When blogging hurts!

Good morning!  I’m blogging on a Saturday.  Crazy, I know! I don’t remember the last time I blogged on a Saturday.  I really wanted to sleep in this morning.  I enjoyed not setting an alarm clock, but of course, I didn’t sleep much past my usual time.  I woke up around the time I’d be heading off to work.  I started having a lot of back pain – I know that I really need a new mattress.  Any suggestions, friends?

I have my vegetarian sausage biscuits in the oven and my coffee brewing.  I have a lot of things I want to work on today before Nick gets in town – I need to clean my room.  I need to write a lot of blog posts for this inspired idea I have for April.  I need to go on a long bike ride to get ready for my Tour de Cure.  There are probably a few other things I’d like to get done.  Right now though, I’d like to talk about when we get our feelings hurt and what that means for us and how we can respond.  The truth is, there is something I’ve been struggling with in blogging specifically.  I’m not going to provide a lot of details because I, in turn, wouldn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable or hurt anyone’s feelings, but the truth is…. I’m hurt.  I’m not hurt by just one blogger, I’m hurt by a few bloggers.  They probably don’t even know that my feelings are hurt and that’s okay.  It wouldn’t resolve any issues if they did.

But how do I move past this and continue to enjoy blogging?

First of all, I know the truth is that I’ve hurt a blogger at some point or another.  I’m sure I’ve said something that rubbed someone the wrong way or I didn’t include them when I should have.  Whatever the reason may be, I know I’ve been the one to hurt another person before.  This fact doesn’t make my hurt go away though.

One thing I need to realize is WHY I blog.  Do I blog for others or do I blog for myself?  I like to believe that I blog for myself, but we, as bloggers, all know that somewhere down the road that’s not the case.  We end up blogging for others.  That’s not a terrible thing, but it puts our emotions more at risk.  When we’re concerned about others involvement and we don’t get the response we would like, then we get hurt.  In my case, I feel that others are not being conscious of blogging etiquette.  Blogging etiquette is important and it’s what keeps blogging fun and enjoyable for all those we blog with.  I found this post from Jennifer @ Dancing in the Rain that I thought was spot on.  Confessions of a Blogger: The Etiquette Edition.  There are just things that I find to be common courtesy and it baffles me that others wouldn’t think the same thing.  We’re all different though and our minds work differently.

As I battle with my emotions during this time because I’m not completely happy with how certain things have transpired, I searched for some verses to help me along the way.  I have no idea if any of you are experiencing some of the hurts I am when it comes to blogging, maybe you’re hurting in other areas of life, but hopefully these verses can be encouraging to you as they are to me.  The truth of the matter is: I can’t say anything to these bloggers – there would be no point in my opinion.  All I can do is be an adult about it, share my thoughts and opinions here on my own blog, and move on.  I cannot be defined by what others do.  I can continue to practice blogging etiquette myself because I know that’s how I would like to be treated.

Do you have any thoughts on this subject?  Anything you’re experiencing with blogging that deals with the hurt that can come along with it as well as the lack of blogging etiquette from other bloggers you see?

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-7

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”  – Colossians 3:13

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”  – Romans 5:3-5

I’m working on my own heart – letting it be free of the pain.  Finding peace and rest in the Lord.  I’m trying to direct myself off of the fact that others may be hurting me and try to respond with “What can I continue to do through blogging that will help, encourage, & inspire others?”  Just like everything else in life, blogging will never be perfect.  There will always be people who rub me the wrong way, there will always be people who hurt me, intentional or not.  That’s vice versa – I have no doubt, I will in turn affect some one else in this way too.  I hope that’s not the case, but I know I’m human and I have struggles of my own.

How do you choose to combat the hurt that can come with blogging?  How do you choose to approach situations where blogging etiquette is not being used?  I’d love your thoughts & opinions!

Have a wonderful Saturday and weekend, my friends!  Regardless of the pain, blogging will continue to be something that encourages and inspires me.  The friendships I’ve made are amazing and I wouldn’t give those up for anything!

 

I miss this girl, that hair, & some FROYO!

I’d consider myself pretty crazy to try and push out a blog post this morning.  I have about 5 minutes before I absolutely have to finish getting ready for work.  I’ve got my vegetarian sausage biscuit over here on my left though that I need to eat, so that’s my excuse for having the time to sit here right now.  It’s meal time, Obviously.  I also have my coffee.  By the way, I’ve been trying this new creamer that I’m seriously loving (should have mentioned that in myBliss post yesterday), but it’s a coconut milk French vanilla creamer.  Not only does it taste delicious, but it makes me happy because it’s vegan.  I continue to think that it’d be easier and easier to become a vegan when I find simple pleasures like this!
 
 
Because I’m pressed for time, you get an old picture that’s already been posted to this little ole’ blog.  It makes me miss a lot of things…. That girl right there.  I miss her.  I miss the days when me, Lacy, & Stedmond would leave work and have lunch together at McAlister’s and during the perfect summer, we’d have dessert at Local Culture (our FROYO place in town).  We may have taken longer than our typical hour lunch break, but the time we spent together was good, it was encouraging, it was refreshing.  I miss it.
 
I also miss that easy bun during the summer.  Wake up, throw your hair up and go.  Easy.  I miss Summer.  Oh summer… when will you finally make your beautiful grand presence into the South!? 
 
Other things I’m missing right now……
 
My early mornings.  I’ve been terrible about going to bed late and waking up late.  I give myself barely any time to get ready in the morning.  I miss the days when I could wake up at 5am – shower, do my quiet time, read some blogs, write my blog post, make a good breakfast, enjoy my coffee slowly, get in a run/workout if I wanted.  Yeah, there’s no way I could fit that in with the mornings I’ve been having lately. 
 
That Running High.  Last year when I completed the Wine & Dine Half-Marathon, I had the worst run of my life.  Ever since then, I’ve had a difficult time enjoying myself when I go run.  It’s more of a chore, not something I’m excited about doing.  Sure, working out will always be a “chore”, but I remember the days when I take a leisurely run and pray or listen to music or think through a difficult situation I was in.  My runs were motivating, they were life changing… and well, I just haven’t had one of those in a while.
 
My Disney Experience.  I know I’m a Disney freak and I talk about it a lot, but I’m not just missing Disney itself at the moment, I’m missing the entire experience I had.  I miss the cool breezy morning waiting on the bus for work (CA-RAZY!), I miss bringing a change of clothes to work so David and I could go straight to the park when we got off, I miss my roommates and the laughter they brought to my life, I miss pictures with the characters and getting excited about seeing them, I miss watching the Festival of the Lion King anytime I wanted, I miss the drive to the Y in the early morning hours before work, I miss my Disney College Program Experience and there are days I wish I could re-live them, but I can’t.  They’re in the past.  And even if I did go back and to DCP or even did a Professional Internship, it wouldn’t be exactly how it was.
 
Unemployment.  Except, I don’t miss this that much, I just miss some of the perks of freedom haha.  I miss being able to visit my cousin whenever I wanted and being able to stay in Starkville for an extra day at a time.  I miss having all the time in the world to get in a workout/run for the day.  I miss the time I had available to blog (not that I used that time wisely because clearly I would have done a lot more with this here blog).  I miss spending the day with my sweet pup.  In reality though, I love my job and I’m thankful I have a job.  I wouldn’t trade it for unemployment EVER, so I guess I don’t truly  miss it that much, but I do miss the freedom I had during the day because it’s been a struggle getting in a workout and finding time to blog.  How do those full-time working mama’s do it?!  No clue.  All I can say is, if I keep a full-time job when/if I become a mother, chances are, this blog will disappear into thin air.
 
In keeping with the theme that the entire world is missing spring/summer at this point in late March
What else are you missing right now?

 

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The views and statements expressed on No Bologna are my own. You are reading No Bologna at your own risk and I am not providing any type of professional advice. Unless otherwise noted, all material on No Bologna may not be used, reprinted, or published without my consent. I do occasionally have affiliated links on my blog - this does not raise the price of the product, I simply get a very small commission from the regular retail price if something is purchased using an affiliated link on my site. I appreciate any support by you in regards to affiliated links.