Kathi Lipp's Blog, page 143

How to Rebuild a Life – Planning a Garden

It has been a busy couple of years. Panic-inducing, crazy-making busy.

But this year (my just keep swimming year…) I am trying to figure out how to love my God more, love my husband better, be more present for my kids, live a nourishing life, and grow my business/ministry in  healthy and God-reliant ways.

And that is where my garden comes in.

You see, I was challenged by someone important in my life that I need to have something outside of ministry and family in my life. I spend a lot of time trying to do for other people, and have not set up healthy ways of replenishing. (And watching a steady stream of Bravo TV doesn't seem to be doing the trick.)

So when said person asked me what my hobbies are, I just stared back blankly.

"You know, what do you do for fun?"

Blank stare.

So this week, I'm trying to incorporate some fun into my life – the only problem? I kinda forgot what it looked like.  So I started to think and dream and consider what I really loved to do that had nothing to do with writing or speaking.

And then that is when I saw the gardening magazine at Safeway. Score.

It has been a long time since I took a day off. But today I did. I spent some time with my magazine, and started to plan for my container garden this spring. Can I tell you how restoring it was to read about dirt, and tomatoes, and to take a pad of paper and just dream a little bit.

I would love to know what you do to have a little fun in your life. It scared me a bit that it took me so long to figure out what I needed. My question is this: As a grown woman with a family or a career or both, what do you do for fun?

Unique Ways to Say I Love You on Valentines Day

In Celebrations of Valentines Day, here is one of my most requested articles:

Unique Ways to Say I Love You on Valentines Day

Today – I want you to leave a Valentine in the comments – Tell me why you love that special person in your life – Declare your love to the world! And then give them the link! (Everyone love knowing they have been bragged on in public!)

And to each of you – Thanks for sharing your love and wisdom here. You each are a blessing to me.

Making sure your Valentines Day doesn't stink

Birthdays, Mother's Day, and Valentines Day – the Holy Trinity of potential dooms days…

Every other commercial is setting up half the planet's population for a disappointment in less than a week. The overriding theme? If someone doesn't get you bling next Monday, you must not be loved.

Most men are not great at the whole "Huge expectations without any guidance" kind of days. (This is not to dis Roger, but I will say there have been a couple of times where I have just gone to bed until the day is over.")

I want to make sure that you – and I – have a great day next Monday. Whether or not you have a grand love in your life. Whether or not that person pulls through this holiday.

Keep your Expectations Realistic – If your husband didn't know how to shop last week, he didn't figure it out this week. Know the people in your life and keep your expectation down to earth.
Ask for What You Need – If what you really what for Valentines Day is just some movie time with the one you love (husband, kid, friend) ask them in advance and don't expect them to read your mind.
Plan your Own Valentines So what if after being direct and asking for what you need, you still don't get the couple of totally reasonable things that you had hoped for.  My advice? Plan on it.

Even the best of husbands can have a really hard time in the holiday department – and for many of the best women in the world there is no husband by their side to celebrate them.

Married or single, make sure you make some of your own plans for the day.  Here are just a few of the ways you can celebrate you on this very special day.

Stock the fridge with the specialty tea that is too expensive for everyday.
Plan a girl's day with someone else and celebrate each other.
Ask the man in your life (husband, boyfriend, brother, dad) to take your kids so you and your mom can have some time.
Buy your own expensive chocolate
Celebrate someone else you love (but not just your kids – a friend or a mentor)

Featured Author Arlene Pellicane

31 Days to a Younger You: No Surgery, No Diets, No Kidding (Harvest House)

In the next 31 days, how would you like to:

• Be thinner and more attractive

• Wake up with excitement for life

• Have more energy to do what you want

• Update your wardrobe without looking like you're trying too hard

• Improve your relationship with your spouse, children, family, and friends

• Master daily habits that improve the quantity and quality of your days

I was at SeaWorld with my children and I had to laugh at something my daughter Noelle did when she was two in the bathroom. As we were leaving, she stopped right in front of the full length mirror. Looking at herself intently from head to toe, she exclaimed with attitude, "Good!" Not sure of what I heard, I asked her, "Noelle, did you just say that you look good?" With a broad smile on her face, she said "Yes!"

What a crack up! I'm glad my 2-year-old has a positive self image! I wondered if the women I knew could say the same thing. Friend, when you look in a full length mirror and see yourself from head to toe, do you think "good"? Looking and feeling younger is about accepting your appearance, embracing your God given age, and doing your best to improve your assets. After all, when the Heavenly Father looks at you, His daughter, He proclaims "Good!"

So the next time you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, don't forget to smile. You are a luminous work in progress. Beauty has no age limit or expiration date.

An energetic speaker and author, Arlene Pellicane has been featured on The Hour of Power, The 700 Club, and Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah. Her book, 31 Days to a Younger You: No Surgery, No Diets, No Kidding helps women become more beautiful from the inside out.

The Healthy reason why I didn't post for a week…

I'm trying to make some big hairy changes in my life.

If you've read this blog for any length of time, you know that weight is an issue for me. I go up, I go down. I struggle. But this is my "Just keep swimming" year. I have been seeing a counselor who is helping me get at some of the habits I have in life that are keeping me from living the way that God designed me to.

It sounds all healthy and empowering. But sometimes, it gets just plain overwhelming. So my counselor, Julie, has been having me focus on just a couple of things at a time. One of those things? Not being on the computer at all hours so I can get to bed at a decent time and wake up in the morning without an Internet hangover.

And it's been working. For the most part, I have been getting off the computer at 7 PM and it has helped a lot. Except in the area of blogging.

I'm so used to staying up late and blogging that I don't even think about it until around 8 PM when I think, "YIKES, I didn't blog again!!!" And then I would be super tempted to do it, just this once, and promise to start blogging during the day tomorrow. (Promise, really – just this one time.)

But I knew it wouln't be just this once. And I knew that if I did it one night, it would be so much easier to do it again the next night, and then instead of building a habit of turning off my computer at 7:00, I was building a habit of not taking great care of myself.

So I didn't blog. And I missed you.

But I started to build a habit. A good habit. Not a habit that all of you need to build. Just a habit that works for me. And today, I thought – I want to blog before I turn off my computer – not as a punishment, but because I missed you.

Totally worth it.

Are there any areas of your life where you're trying to build a new habit? I would love to hear how you are building health into your life.

And the Winner is… Everyone

OK. One of you won more than the others…

Heidi Jacobi says: January 23, 2011 at 9:55 pm

is the randomly drawn name from all of our WONDERFUL entries for the first every Dory Contest. (I'm so glad that the winner was not picked by who was trying the hardest. I would have had to buy a couple dozen Dorys…)

However, I want to make sure that all of you stay encouraged, so…

I just got my spiffy new bookmarks for my new book, THE ME PROJECT with the super spiffy Eleanor Roosevelt quote.

If you were one of the people who sent in a Dory submission this week, go ahead and email my assistant, Sunnie at Sunnie@kathilipp.com with your mailing address, and we will get one in the mail to you.

And if you didn't? Leave a comment below about how you just keep swimming this week – even when things get hard – and email Sunnie – we will get one in the mail to you, too.

Me and Max

Sorry – it's been a very Kathi-centric week. But this is just too good not to share.

You see that guy there, next to me, in the poster?

That would be Max Lucado.

Yeah. That Max Lucado. (How many Max Lucados do you know?)

So if you have ever been one of those moms in a MOPS group that has heard me speak, or bought one of my books, thank you.

It's because of you that I get to do something that I never would have dreamed about.

I love me some MOPS – and I love the groups. I feel so blessed…

Star in Your Own Commercial – Brought to You by Google…

One of the things I love about my publisher, Harvest House, is that I am their own personal lab rat.

And trust me, I say that with a lot of affection.

When Abby – Harvest's Queen of all Things Social Media – saw this new film maker from Google – creating your own snappy commercial – she decided to make me her guinea pig.

It's only 35 seconds, and at the end you can make your own commercial. If you do, be sure to link it here so I can see it.

Kathi Lipp – Google

Star in Your Own Google Commercial

One of the things I love about my publisher, Harvest House, is that I am their own personal lab rat.

And trust me, I say that with a lot of affection.Kathi Lipp – Google

The First Ever Dory Award

Ever since I posted about her a couple of weeks ago, I've had Dory on the brain.

I've been thinking about her motto, "Just Keep Swimming" when it comes to almost every aspect of my life.

My ministry.

My marriage.

My parenting.

My writing.

And it seems that some of you have Dory on the brain as well – I've heard from several of you that the motto, "Just keep swimming," has been a theme for you as well.

So it seemed natural that when I was at World of Disney on Saturday, I bought up all the stuffed Dorys they had.

(OK, it seemed natural to everyone except Darla from Oklahoma who was cashing me out, "What do you need with all those fish?!?)

Here is what I need with all those fish.

Once a month, I want you to tell me, in the comments, a time this month when you just kept swimming. A time when you were working towards something, a goal you have, a dream you want, and when something came up, you just kept swimming.

I will put all your names in a hat, pick one, and will send you one of my 13 stuffed Dorys.

I want to do this because it ties in so beautifully with my new book, THE ME PROJECT.

I want to do this because it's important to let the world know that you did something huge, (even if huge is walking 4 blocks instead of the 3 you walked last week.)

I want to do this because it's important that I get to cheer you on to be all that God created you to be.

So tell me – when did you keep swimming?

(I will pick a winner on Thursday at noon PST and announce it on Friday's blog post.)