Put Your Heart In It

One of the things I have been thinking about this morning is the choice to be a mother.  There are so many things out there that you COULD be doing, and doing very well at that.  There are personal dreams you never realized, career goals and personal goals you have seen put on the backburner time and time again.  There are welcome distractions you walk away from to walk towards your children and your home and your family.  The lists of sacrifices are endless, if you really think about them.  And I think there is a natural man tendency, if you will, TO think about them. 

But there is a greater tendency inside of us if we tap into it: that of having, living, breathing, creating, and loving your best job: Motherhood.  Think about what it means to have a Mother Heart, as I like to call it.  If you were being paid by someone to do your dream job, what would you be putting into that dream job to feel and be and be perceived as successful at it?  What would set you apart from the other employees that would make your boss leave you there, give you promotions, give you raises, etc.?  Now apply that to motherhood.  If Heavenly Father were your boss (and He is, so that's not really a hypothetical) - but if He were paying you in a two-week salary in the same way that your spouse gets a paycheck for his job, what would He expect from you in order to deem you worthy to have your job?  Take it a step further -- what would you need to do with that job in order to get raises and promotions?  Do you give that same attention and honest effort and focus to your children and your home that you would give to your dream job?

The MOST wonderful role in this world is that of mother and father.  And in the world today, the most stressed and fractured and questioned role is ironically that of mother and father -- particularly mother.  The world throws so many things in our faces to pull on our heartstrings and distract us from what is important, what is essential.  Our hearts are tested every day in our decisions.  Where you spend your time is where your heart is.  And there is where your reward will be also. 

My challenge for all of us today is to take 15 Mommy minutes to contemplate your role as a mother.  What are the things you love the MOST about that role?  What is the vision you have of fulfilling and consecrating yourself as a mother?  Where do you spend your time in creating and becoming that person?  Make today the first day of the rest of your best job's journey: Being a mother, with a Mother Heart, and Loving it!

Chicken Nuggets -- Minus the Chicken

One of my goals this year is to help my family eat healthier meals while still enjoying the food we're eating.  My children, as most others, LOVE -- and I mean L-O-V-E, LOVE -- chicken nuggets.  And if you make them at home and bake them or pop them in the microwave, they aren't THAT bad for you.  But they also have a hard time getting enough protein and vegetables in their diets.  So I came across a fantastic blog that is devoted to raising healthy kids and helping children eat and LOVE -- L-O-V-E, LOVE -- their VEGETABLES!!!  Here is a recipe for Vegetarian Chicken Nuggets.  Try it out and tell me what you think!

P.S. - This recipe is for 8 servings.  The nutrition information, according to Calorie Count's Recipe Analyzer is:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 87 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  367        Cal. from Fat 75

Total Fat: 6.3 g

Saturated Fat: .9 g

Cholesterol: 23 mg

Sodium:  413 mg

Total Carbohydrates: 43.2 g

Dietary Fiber: 10.1 g

Sugars: 6.9 g

Protein: 13 g

Vitamin A 8%          Vitamin C 13% Calcium 9%       Iron 25%

Fitness Challenge

I know I have been M.I.A. for a while now.  But I have had a surge of energy and new ideas for how to utilize this blog to help people, myself included, in our daily quest to meet our weight loss New Year's Resolutions and focus simultaneously on raising healthy, active, amazing kids.  So get ready and check back often - cuz I promise I will be here and will have something worth the precious time you take from your family to read it!

For today, let me tell you about a challenge I am taking and hope you will, too.

MapMyRun is a site I joined when I was training for a half-marathon last December.  And I LOVE it!  They just sent me an invitation to join in one of four 30-Day challenges to kick off the New Year and resolutions across the globe.  The four challenges are:
1) A Commit to Fit challenge (15 workouts in 30 days)
2) A Run challenge (30 miles in 30 days)
3) A Bike challenge (100 miles in 30 days)
4) A Walk challenge (26.2 miles - yes, a full marathon - in 30 days)

Whatever your resolutions or goals, you can easily participate in one of these challenges AND BE ENTERED TO WIN SOME GREAT PRIZES along the way.  In fact, I think most of these things, broken down into daily goals, could be accomplished in 15 minute increments throughout the day!  What a great way to start the new year.  Grab a friend or two, form a group, hook up the new Wii (or dust off the one you haven't used for a while) and get MOVING!!!  Include your children, your spouse, your sister, your mom, whoever. Then check off one resolution completed and get motivated for more.  Cuz 2011 is a year for MORE!