How Did You Spend Your "Extra Day"?

It happens once every four years and today was the day - we all had 24 extra hours for the year 2012!  I wish I had prepared more for this day and really made the most of it.  It is an "extra day" and I think that it should be celebrated by doing something out of the ordinary, being extra productive, or just having a party!  (Leap year drinks anyone?)  I say in 2016, we make the most of February 29th, take the day off from work, and do something great - who's with me!

Warning:  History Lesson Today!

I have to admit that I have never educated myself on the reason there is a leap year and how it came about.  Today I read an article in USA Today that explained how this originated in 46 B.C. when the Roman ruler Caesar added a leap day to the calendar every four years.  This wasn't done just for fun.  Astronomers came to the conclusion that the Earth does not circle the sun in exactly 365 days.  By adding this extra day every four years it kept the season more in line.  (Hang on, I'm almost done - don't run away!)  This worked until the 1500s when the seasons began getting out of sync again so in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII created the newest calendar that we still use today and began leap year again in 1584.  Without leap year, over time the seasons would not line up correctly with the year and everything would get very confusing!  So a big "thank-you" to Caesar and Pope Gregory XIII for keeping our lives from getting too crazy!

Yes, you are very welcome for that very informative history lesson today.

About 5 million people worldwide share this special day as their birthday.  I know one of those - my sister, Christy!  She, along with 5 million other people, actually has a REAL birthday today.  I remember when she was younger, we would tease her and say that if it was not a leap year we did not have to get her a birthday present because she did not really have a birthday (we laughed about it- she cried).  Today, I am wishing my sister an extra special Happy Birthday!  She turns "8" today - you can do the math.  Christy is one of those special people that makes the world a better place for all of those who know her.  She is very talented, intelligent, organized, a peacemaker, enjoys life, and although she knows what her purpose is in the world - she does not realize how much of a positive impact she makes on so many people!  She is a supportive and encouraging wife, an amazing mother to my two favorite little people, a genuine friend to many, and I love the fact that I call her my sister! Happy Birthday Christy!


Christy and I back in the day - please notice Christy's hair style and my clothing choice! 
And yes, that is a camera hanging from my neck!

Tomorrow is my next GIVE-A-WAY!!  If you love to cook, you will love the Rachael Ray cookbook I am giving to one lucky reader!  All that is required is that you are a "follower" of the blog, so if you are not simply click on the link to the right and I will announce the winner tomorrow!  I am also posting a hilarious video that Oprah made with Jimmy Kimmel.  It is Oprah like you have never seen her before!

Hope you all enjoy this "extra day"!!!

A Little Off Kilter, Out Of Whack, And Not Balanced

After writing yesterday's post about life being silent, I began to think about other reasons that might cause life to not seem as in sync as it could.  (Did anyone else just think *NSYNC?  Just me?  Ok - moving on then).  Today was a beautiful day here in Nashville and I decided to leave work a couple of hours early so that I could go for a run and enjoy being outside.  As soon as I got home, I changed into my running clothes, laced up my sneakers, pressed "play" on my iPod and took off!  After a few minutes I remembered how much I enjoy running and how it is not only a way to stay healthy, but also a way to relieve stress and free my mind.  Running is one of the very few times in my life where I experience a time to clear my thoughts.  Most of the time, my brain is working overtime with all kinds of random thoughts (it is crazy in my head sometimes - not psycho killer crazy, just random crazy) but when I run, I can usually get to a place where I zone out and just simply run.  As Katy Perry was singing in my ear (love her new song!), all the frustrations and doubts faded away and I really began to focus more on what is good in my life and what is needed to overcome any obstacles in my way.  Running is when a majority of my ideas are formed - because that is when I am thinking very clearly. 

What I realized tonight as I ran was that my life had been somewhat out of balance the last few weeks.  Yesterday I mentioned that it had been a few weeks since I had been to church.  It had also been a couple of weeks since I had been running.  I have not spent much time working on my new book either.  I had not been as focused on what is important to me and that was causing me to get a little crazy (hence, the painting above).  Yes, there are times that life happens and twenty four hours is simply not enough time to get it all done.  Other people need us, situations come up, and life does not always follow our schedule.  We cannot beat ourselves us when that happens but we also have to know what is needed in our lives to try and stay balanced.  For me, running is a great way for me to stay balanced.  Going to church helps to feed what is needed on the inside and to remind me of what life is truly about.  Writing is a way for me to express what is going on in my head and exercise a talent I believe God has given me.  These things along with others help promote a healthy, much needed balance in my life and out of that comes postive growth. 

For you, it could be many other things.  You know what they are.  I almost feel guilty sometimes saying that my life is too busy because I am single with no kids and many of you have much more on your plate than I do.  However, I believe that we can all relate to that feeling when things just seem to not be in alignment.  My guess would be that when we feel that way, we need to stop and think about what is missing that causes us to be out of balance.  It is not selfish to take a little time for yourself - whether it's five minutes or an entire day.  Make sure that you are allowing yourself the opportunity to recharge and refocus so that we can be used to make a difference in the world around us. 

Find the balance. 


This Thursday, March 1st is the next GIVE-A-WAY!!!!!!  One lucky reader will win one of my favorite cookbooks - Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals!  Make sure you are a follower and I will announce the winner in 2 days!!!  I am also going to share a video from the Jimmy Kimmel show this past Sunday - if you didn't see it and you love Oprah like I do, you will want to watch!

When Life Is Silent

After missing church for three weeks, I had been looking forward to going back yesterday.  I love my church and it is a highlight of my week to learn, to worship, to feed my soul, and to be challenged.  Yesterday was no exception.  Pastor Pete spoke on the topic of God being silent in our lives.  It was a great message and I encourage all of you to check it out at www.crosspoint.tv 

I wanted to talk about it today because it is something I am going through myself.  When I look back at my life thus far, I can see times where life was moving forward, goals were being accomplished, prayers were being answered, and I was taking in each moment and savoring its worth.  There have been other times where I felt very disconnected from others, unsure about the future, very challenged with life, and as if my prayers were just being tossed around in the wind.  I have to be honest and say that right now in my life I feel as though I am a mixture of all of this.  There are many great things going on in my life and I do believe that I know my life's purpose and the direction it should be going.  There are also areas in my life that I feel very frustrated and that no matter how much I pray, God is simply silent on any kind of an answer.  It is in those moments that it is very easy for me to struggle with thoughts of self-pity and frustration and desperately hoping for a change. 

As Pastor Pete spoke yesterday on this very topic, I was reminded that it is in the silence where our faith, our hope, and our trust is tested.  I do not believe that God causes bad things to happen in our lives, but I do believe that He allows certain things to happen so that He can work out the bigger picture in our journey.  It is very easy for me to confidently rely on God's plan for my life when things are great and I am thriving, but what about when there are struggles and frustrations that appear to have no answer?  Is God ignoring me?  Am I left alone to figure everything out?  The answer is no - His love and plan for us are the same whether things are good or when life seems to be silent. 

As someone who wants so much out of life, who always dreams big, and does not always possess the virtue of patience - it is sometimes hard for me to trust when life is silent.  There are certain things in my life that I want to improve now and for whatever reason, I need to wait a little longer.  I know that probably all of you have dealt with this at one time or another.  My encouragement to all of us is that we would continue to hope and believe that the One who is greater will continue to guide us even in times of silence.  One of my friends posted this on facebook a few days ago and I was reminded of it yesterday: 

If we really believe that God is sovereign, infinitely good and loves us beyond compare, then why do we worry and stress over delays in our plans. So today trust and know His ways are best.

My Least Favorite Word

Just a couple of things before we get started...

1.  Next Thursday, March 1st is our next give-a-way!!  I will be giving one of Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Cookbooks to one of my followers of the blog.  I have tried many of the recipes and they really are quick, easy, and delicious!  Being a lover of food, I found it fitting to share great recipes with one of you!  So make sure you are a follower by clicking on the link to the right and I will announce the winner on March 1st!

2.  Thanks to those of you who have responded to the new idea on my blog - What's Your Story.  It is something I am trying where I will share other people's stories so that we can learn, be encouraged, and lets' face it - hear about someone else's life besides mine all the time (so says one of my best friends)!  If you would like to participate, simply send an email to livingoutmyjourney@gmail.com and I will send you a simple questionairre to fill out and return to me.  I plan to begin posting them next month!

So what would you say is one of your least favorite words?  There are certain words that I do not like for various reasons such as - belly (it just sounds weird to me), buddy (never call me that - I use that word for little kids and dogs), tore my stomach up (I HATE it when people say that).  I know there are others but those are the first ones that came to mind. 

But there is a word that is used every day by many people that I really do not like.  It is a boring, overused word that really has no meaning and does not give me any more information about a person than when we started.  That word is fine.  How are you doing?  I'm fine (ugh -so boring!)  How was your day?  It was fine (that tells me nothing!)  How was your 14 day, perfect weather, all expenses paid Hawaiian vacation?  It was fine (just shoot me now!).  The word fine could be good or bad - we really do not know.  What about when you make someone mad and then try to make it better and they say - "Don't worry about it, it's fine" in that very condescending way.  So annoying! 

I wish that this very bland word could be taken out of our vocabulary.  I think it has become such a habit for people to respond with I am fine that they do not even hear what they are saying.  Yes, I know that even saying how are you is just a figure of speech sometimes because we really do not care - it is just something you say after hello.  Just please give me something other than fine.  I'm good, I'm great, I'm wondeful, I'm not so good, I'm mad, I'm annoyed  - anything to me is better than fine.  Let's try to break the pattern of how are you - I'm fine.  The next time someone asks you - give them a more descriptive word!  I can promise that if you ask me - you will not hear the F word coming out of my mouth!

So today is the day to get rid of the F word (and belly, buddy, and that other phrase)!  No more boring, repetitive, mediocre answers!  We are anything but fine!

Have a great weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!!!!!

It's That Time Of The Month

No, not THAT time of the month (although they do say that guys have them too)!  But I am definitely not talking about that.  What I am talking about is - Kevin's Time of the Month (sounds a little awkward?).  It's Kevin's Monthly Review (just sounds a little boring).  It's Kevin's Pick of the Month (I kinda like that a little better).  Maybe one day I will decide on something good - until then, feel free to leave any good suggestions in the comments below!

Each month, I like to recommend something that I want everyone to know about - a good book, movie, restaurant, website, etc.  This month it is going to be music.  My pick is not anything new really.  Unless you live under a rock, you have definitely heard of this girl, but due to all of her recent Grammy awards I just wanted to make sure that everyone is listening to her!  My pick this month is the CD - "21" by Adele.

I remember first hearing Adele on the radio in the early part of last year.  Her voice was mesmerizing, her sound was unique and refreshing, and the lyrics were real and relatable.  I quickly purchased her CD and did not stop listening to it for weeks on end.  Seriously - I played it nonstop in my car until I knew every word to every song!  There are very few CD's that I own where I could say that I love every song.  Normally, there are a lot of good songs, but there are always a few that you skip over.  That is not true with Adele.  Every song is one that you will listen to over and over!

Her album "21" is all about a breakup with a guy and her reflections on that experience.  I do not know who the guy was but her relationship and breakup with him made for some incredible songs.  I wonder what her ex thinks about all of this?  The connection throughout her music is that we can all relate to what she went through.  These songs on "21" deal with the anger, sadness, self-examination, and forgiveness that come from ending a relationship.  If you are going through a break up and play this CD - you will feel the need to turn it up and give your ex a "take that" attitude but then you will also want to sit in the dark and cry your eyes out on the next song (not me, but I have heard some people have reacted this way).  Some of my favorites include Rumor Has It (track 2), Turning Tables (track 3), and Someone Like You (track 11).  I am listening to the CD now as I write this and have it turned up loud - it's so good!

Adele's full name is Adele Laurie Blue Adkins and she is from London.  I recently learned that she was discovered when a friend of hers posted a demo Adele had recorded onto Myspace (remember Myspace?).  Her career has skyrocketed in the last few years and last week at the Grammys she won 6 awards including album of the year.  She is one of those truly talented singers that does not need a lot of "extra" to make her live performance great.  Her vocals are enough and when set to emotional music - it makes for a truly remarkable experience.  One of my goals is to see her perform live! 

If you have not purchased her album, "21", please get it today!  You will not be disappointed!  I have included a video from the Grammys last week of her performance to Rolling in the Deep - it's a great song and performance!

I Want To Walk On Fire!!

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope you all had a great weekend!  I have to admit that mine was sort of a roller coaster because there were many good moments but also some frustrating moments.  Many times when I get frustrated, I take a minute to refocus myself and will work through it.  Then there are those times that I let it get the best of me and I go into a "Kevin mood" that is never fun to be around!  By late Sunday afternoon, I was in a full blown "Kevin mood" and just felt overwhelmed with certain frustrating issues in my life. 

I had almost decided to go to bed early last night (I didn't even want to be around myself anymore) but then I remembered a show on Oprah's network (OWN) called Oprah's Next Chapter that was coming on.  Most of the time I will just let the DVR record it and watch it later, but I knew the preview showed Oprah walking across fire and I thought I might like to see that and it would probably help get me out of my mood!  I am so glad that I stayed up because it was exactly the motivation and slap in the face that I needed last night!

Oprah attended one of Tony Robbins' seminars called - Unleashing the Power Within.  I knew a little about Tony Robbins' but mainly thought of him as just another motivational speaker or someone who did a lot of late night infomercials back in the day.  This particular seminar is twelve hours a day for four days - which at first simply sounds exhausting!  The show featured highlights from the seminar.  It only covered the first day because that was all that Oprah was there for but it was enough to make me want to attend one of these conferences if I ever get the chance (although they said that the cheap seats are around $800 so it probably will not be anytime soon!).  Tony Robbins' does not like to be called a motivational speaker.  Rather, he is better known as a life coach.  He is energetic, loud, tall (he's 6'7") and very focused on helping people realize their fullest potential as human beings.  There were many take-a-ways from the show that I am sure I will share in later blogs, but the big build up was the firewalk that would happen that night.  Oprah said that when she arrived at the conference, she had no intention of walking across fire, but after being there for twelve hours, she wanted to conquer her fears and do it! 

Tony's intention for having every participant (there were 4,000 at this particular conference) walk across fire that night was to help them conquer their fear and experience a breakthrough moment.  If you can walk across fire, then what else can you do with your life?  I have to say that as the program built up to the big finale, I found myself nervous - not only for Oprah - but wondering if I would have what it took to walk across fire.  Having watched the show, I am convinced that I want to do it!  My mood was changed last night and I saw my frustrations for what they really were.  Yes, they are problems that I will work through, but they are not the end of the world like I led myself to believe earlier in the day.  I see the problem, I know what I need to do to resolve it, and I get off my butt and do it!  Working towards the resolution produces much more progress than sitting around in my own little pity party of one! 

I have included the video below from the show last night.  It is exciting and funny.  It convinced me that I want to walk across fire when I get the opportunity!  As I went to bed last night, I was reminded of my own purpose in life and what the possibilities are.  Maybe this will motivate you to do the same!



My (Almost) World Famous Salsa!

So I have decided what my give-a-way will be for March 1st.  The idea came from my sister, Christy, so I have to give her credit for this one.  I love food and I enjoy cooking so I am going to give away one of my favorite cookbooks!  It is one of Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Cook Books!  It is full of great recipes that are easy and quick to make (hence the name).  I have tried many of them and it has always been an "oh wow this is delicious!" food experience - and who doesn't like great food?  So if you are reading this and you love Rachael Ray - just make sure you are a follower on my blog and I will announce the winner March 1st!

In the spirit of great food - I wanted to share one of my own recipes.  I love salsa and started making my own and it seems to get a lot of praise!  Some have even said that it's like crack because it is so addicting - and there really is no higher compliment than that!  It is basic salsa really but there are just a couple of twists with mine that I believe helps with great flavor! 

I hope you all have a great weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!  Here's the recipe for the salsa (otherwise known as crack salsa!)

Ingredients

3 Tomatoes – chopped

1 Green Pepper – seeded and diced

1 Red Pepper – seeded and diced

1 White Onion – chopped

1 Jalapeno – chopped, diced, leave as many seeds in as you dare

Cilantro – chopped

2 Limes – use the zest and juice from the lime

Salt – to taste

Cinnamon – it’s the secret ingredient!  All you need is a pinch

Combine tomatoes, green pepper, red pepper, white onion, jalapeno, and cilantro together.  Add lime zest and juice from both limes.  (The best way to get all the juice is to use your teeth to squeeze the limes – something I learned from Oprah!)  Add salt to taste and a pinch of cinnamon. 

Here is the other secret part to the recipe.  Pour half of the combined ingredients into a blender and pulse a few times until well blended.  Mix blended and chopped ingredients together and refrigerate for about an hour (if possible) before serving.

Enjoy!

Serves 5 – unless you are my sisters – in that case, it serves only one J