How to be Fit after Flu

Oh my goodness, we have had our sickest week yet here in the Troja household. I already mentioned my terrible food poisoning last week, followed by my poor husband suffering a horrendous migraine, the symptoms of which lasted several days. Just as he was feeling 100% again, our sweet little L spiked a 102* fever for no discernible reason, turning me into a total Mombie on Friday. By Friday night, I spiked a 103* fever myself and could barely move, let alone care for my precious L. Thankfully, my husband took over and really proved his mettle as the best Daddy ever! My fever broke, but the past two days have been spent clutching a roll of toilet paper (I'd already cleaned us out of Kleenex) and nursing a terrible sore throat and pounding headache. I can only pray that my husband doesn't come down with whatever bug invaded us this week! Yikes!

Despite all the nasty germs floating around our household, I thought this might be a good time to update you on my journey to "healthy wife, happy life." I just started another round of 21 Day Fix with the most fantastic group we've had so far. They are so encouraging, inspiring, and creative when it comes to recipes and on-the-go fitness! Even as I travelled (prior to the food poisoning incident), I was inspired by some of the other ladies to fit in workouts in creative ways. I probably looked like a fool in the supermarket parking lot as I knocked out my "parking lot push-ups" (actually done on the sideboards of my van because parking lots = EW) and "street side step-ups" (also done on the side boards). I called it my "minivan mash-up," and I was pretty proud of it as I posted the video, despite the pink baby doll that goes flying by my head twice as my daughter made infant attempts to communicate "STOP Mommy, you're embarrassing me!"

Little did I know that the night that followed would launch a week of such workouts. Our traveling completely threw off my daughter's schedule, which meant that naps were almost non-existent. Then she got sick, so any sleep at all meant sleeping on Mommy's chest. We had doctor's appointments, Bible studies, and other myriad things to tend to because life doesn't stop for tired Mommies. So I found myself doing wall-sits while I washed my face in the shower, calf raises while I washed/rinsed my hair, squats while I brushed my teeth, and triceps push-ups whenever I went in the bathroom. I did step-ups going up the stairs, I even used L as a makeshift kettle bell once (she LOVED it).

Through all of this, I learned an important lesson that I think really speaks to the spirit of my fitness goals. It's this:

I don't need fancy workouts, cute gym clothes, nutritional supplements or expensive equipment to be healthy. All I really need is a healthy mindset and sheer determination to make it happen. All those other things are fun and good, but they don't define my health, habits, or choices. Only my attitude can do that. 

As part of this lesson, I'm trying to also learn to see myself as God does. This has always been a battleground for me, and one Satan claws at viciously every chance he gets. Sadly, I think this is true for so many women because we are emotionally vulnerable by nature. But a large part of changing our attitudes is changing how we view ourselves. We have to "take captive every thought" (2 Cor 10:5). Dr. Caroline Leaf, a renowned cognitive neuroscientist who just so happens to also be a Christian, has proven through years of intensive research that if we develop the habit of thinking positively, through prayer and other means, we can literally change the physical composition of our brains. It's true! Look it up on her website: www.drleaf.com She's even spoken at TEDx, so you KNOW she's cool (joking, but I do enjoy watching TED videos sometimes...). This is also a crucial part of my Bible study last week on the helmet of salvation. Salvation is not just a one-time thing; it's a piece of armor that is used to actively protect our minds and thoughts from the lies of the Devil. But more on that later! 

So this month in my fitness journey has been about not letting circumstances get me down. Heck, all this sickness helped me lose another 4 pounds! That'll all come back once I can stomach more than buttered toast and tea, but still...I've learned that I have to keep a positive attitude. I'm starting over a week later than everyone else in my 21 Day Fix group, and that's OKAY. Life happens. Sickness happens. Sometimes you eat a bad salad. But you learn to endure, and pick up where you left off afterward. One week of illness doesn't have to spell the end of your efforts. Instead, it can be a clean slate! Maybe you can even keep off those 4 pounds if you eat healthy enough, assuming it wasn't all water weight and/or muscle tone...

How about you? Do you battle negative thoughts too? What is your biggest battle in trying to live a healthy life?

Hapless but hopeful,

Cassie

A Nursery for L

When we first moved to our current home, I was almost exactly a week out from my due date. I was in emergency nesting mode, but our house was full of boxes and I could barely walk up the basement stairs without having to pause to catch my breath. Through help and patient encouragement from my Mommy (yes, I still call her that), my husband, and my mother-in-law, I realized it would be better to take my time and enjoy this project rather than rushing into it just because of a natural impulse to nest. It was a good thing I waited as L came ON her due date! And now she's almost a year old...WOW.

Almost a year old?! Almost walking?! Where did the time go?! Why am I using so many interrobangs?!

This is probably going to be an ongoing project as she grows, but here is my first attempt at a girlie nursery for our sweet L. I know that I won't necessarily be able to do this for all of our children, but I wanted to have fun with this and savor it. I also used it as an opportunity to learn a few things, especially about sewing. It's only taken almost a year, and there are still a few things to be fixed, but I'm pleased with the overall result.

A zoomed-out view of the room. I apologize for the poor lighting; the walls are NOT the lime green color they appear in this photo. They're more of a mint color. It was overcast outside so I had to improvise.

Her monogram. I obviously have to fix the alignment of the letters, but I'm in love with the fabric dots and porcelain flowers!

I crocheted this blanket for L while I was pregnant. I used this as the basis for the color scheme of the room.

I sewed the crib skirt with a LOT of help from my MIL on those ruffles. It will be a while before I try to do ruffles again...yikes!

Sorry, again, for the poor lighting. I sewed this on my own! Despite being a little wonky, I'm happy with it.

We're trying to teach her to love books!

The adorable wooden elephant puzzle is from my childhood. We use a little bit of "Gentle Baby" from Young Living Essential Oils to help her sleep. 

I sewed her a little pillow for when she's older. And I love my Target glider. I fall asleep in it at least once a week...The lamp shade is only temporary.

This beautiful piece of art was made by my sister just for L. It says "Let the king be enthralled by your beauty." It's a quote from my favorite verse, Psalm 45:10-11.

I put Hobby Lobby acrylic gemstone knobs on a Target dresser, and L promptly broke the top two. She loves to look at herself in the mirror and play while we're changing and/or dressing her. I love the Hobby Lobby frame too, which says "I never knew how much I loved your Father until I saw how much he loved you." It's true, I fall in love with him all over again every time I get to watch him just be Daddy.

This was made for me by my aunt and updated for L by my Mommy. Isn't it sweet?!

I love organization and baskets and bins and color coordination...we do cloth and disposable diapers depending on what we're doing that day, so we have to have two giant trashcans hidden away in the closet. I take extra precautions to ward off yucky diaper funk!

I had so much fun sewing, coordinating, hunting, and decorating! I apologize for the poor lighting as it really doesn't do the cute colors justice. Green is my favorite color, but I know it's not the most girlie of colors so I thought it would be cute to add touches of pink. Most of the things I used were found on sale at stores like Target, Hobby Lobby, and Babies 'R' Us. A couple of things are from Amazon, my hubby found the crib on Craigslist, and the rest we already owned. I owe a HUGE thank you to my sweet hubby who loathes painting, but loves us so much that he was willing to paint the room and crib! I hope this is a room that L will enjoy for at least the next several years.

My next project will be to organize my sewing and crafts room. I need to get a head start on that because if we have any more children, I may lose some of that space! I love sewing, crocheting, and now I'm learning to knit too. What projects are you working on? Does it seem to take anyone else forever and a day to get each project done?! Later this week I'll share more about what's been going on with my health and my spiritual walk, so stay tuned!

Hapless but hopeful,

Cassie

Faith and food poisoning

Have you ever had one of those weekends when you actually long for Monday so that maybe your life will return to normal? This weekend was a doozy. First I drove down to Oklahoma to meet up with my husband so we could drive to Dallas to visit some friends. Before we could make it all the way to Dallas, I got food poisoning. After eating my favorite meal (chicken cobb salad) at my favorite fast-food place. And it was actually a healthy(ish) meal! I did some push-ups and step-ups on the floorboards of my van, and I was feeling motivated for a healthy weekend. Nope. It's always a great first impression to meet someone and almost immediately ask for the bathroom...and then disappear for 30 minutes. Only to reappear just long enough to get some water and disappear again. So went the first 8 or so hours of our visit in Dallas. They were such sweet friends to help take care of me, even though they'd really only just met me other than a brief conversation at my wedding. I recovered, we had a nice visit, and we drove back to Oklahoma for a few hours of family time. Until my husband got sick. Yikes! Needless to say, I can't wait to collapse into my own bed. I meant to blog this weekend...I'm sorry, that just wasn't happening.

So this is late, but worth it I promise! God has really been moving in the most wonderful ways in my life. Remember in our last talk, I mentioned having to give L's growth and appetite to God? He came through, as He always does. I mixed together some PediaSure one day and determined I was just going to hand it to L and let God handle the rest. I could hear the doubts and lies starting to whirl around in my mind, so I started saying aloud "I have faith. I have faith. I have faith." Over and over like a broken record, I said it to drown out any other thoughts. She took the cup, looked it over, and started gulping it down. At this point I was all but screaming "I have faith! I have faith!" I was clapping my hands like a seal and tears started pouring down my cheeks. I should mention at this point that I was in the Post Office parking lot. I'm pretty sure the other postal patrons were mildly terrified by my odd behavior.

This might seem ridiculously silly to you, but it proved a point to me. Sometimes we just have to take the leap, even when we still have doubts or fears, and trust that God will help us fly. There's a huge difference between belief and faith that is crucial here: to believe is to say, "I acknowledge that there is a God," to have faith is to say, "I trust that God is who He says He is." Let me explain a little more. I can believe that God exists and that He is powerful, but until I trust in His power and the promises He's made, I am a dormant, ineffective believer. Faith gives belief potency, power, action. "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see," (Heb 11:1). I also believe that sometimes our faith is the proof, especially when it demonstrates to the world that even in the worst circumstances, we are able to stand strong in our faith. Learning to have that solid faith in the hurricanes of life starts with the faith of a mustard seed (Matt 17:20) in the tiniest tempests such as L's growth issues.

It's important to point out that faith is not an ultimatum. Stating my faith aloud like a broken record wasn't a call to action to God. I can't make God do anything. But I can have faith that He has my best interests in mind, that He wants to bless me beyond measure, and that He is always in control. Things may not always work out exactly as I want them to, or in the immediate time frame that I want. God's plan is always so much better than mine, and His timing is perfect. Sometimes His timing seems to immediately validate our faith and assuage our fears; sometimes, He may require patience and an extra ounce of trust. No matter what, "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose," (Rom 8:28). My new favorite quote is from Dr. Tony Evans (Priscilla Shirer's father!):

Faith is acting as if God is telling the truth. It is acting as if something is true even when it doesn't appear to be true in order that it might be shown to be true simply because God said it's true.

More simply put, "faith is acting like it is so, even when it is not so, so that it might be so, simply because God said so," (Priscilla Shirer, The Armor of God).

One last note here - although peace and faith are inextricably linked, it is important to understand that they will not always go in a certain order. You won't always have peace when you act in faith; sometimes peace follows after we have trusted God. Or sometimes you may have peace before you act. Even if you don't have peace yet, you can act in faith and know that it is not foolishness if you are following God's guidance (found in the Bible, prayer, advice from mentors/friends, etc.).

I pray that this week you are encouraged and find new ways to flex your faith. I'm going to be sharing a bit more later this week about God's work in my life, and sharing some "home stuff" as well. How have you recently had to step out in faith? Maybe grab a hot beverage (I hate coffee, hence the generic verbiage) with a friend and bravely share how your faith has been tested recently. I would love to hear what God is teaching you! Just don't invite me to share conversation over a chicken salad any time soon...

Hapless but hopeful,
Cassie

Empowered by Peace

My heart has been so full this week. If I'm completely honest and transparent with you, I'll admit that this week has been an emotional and spiritual challenge for me. On Monday, I took our sweet baby L to a gastroenterologist. She hasn't been growing like they think she should, so I packed her up and took her in with no clue as to what to expect. If you're a new mother, like me, you know that some of the most feared words for us these days are "FAILURE TO THRIVE." The implications are frightening. I have been doing my best to avoid that label for my precious L, and so far we've steered clear. But this last doctor's appointment left me discouraged, anxious, and even feeling guilty. L is thriving, everyone who meets her can see that instantly. She babbles, giggles, crawls, and even tries to walk. In so many ways she's supposedly fairly advanced in her "milestones."

So why am I so worried? Some might say it's every mother's prerogative to worry about their children nonstop. But somewhere in the back of my mind is a nagging little voice that eats away at my worrisome world, slowly exchanging anxiety for conviction. That voice has a name: the Holy Spirit. He likes to chime in just when I'm at my most comfortable in my comically fretful cocoon. I say comical because I worry about so many things, stupid things, things over which I have absolutely zero influence or control. And I do get comfortable in that little cocoon, because if I'm worrying about it I haven't given it to God. And if I haven't given it to God that means it's still in my hands, which surely means I still have some degree of control. Ha! These are the moments I imagine God frustrated but chuckling at how ridiculous I am.

That's the beauty of God's loving grace, which I know I've mentioned before. He's so patient with me, and He convicts me to prove how much He loves me. Priscilla Shirer says it like this:

"God will never convict unless He fully intends to empower." - Priscilla Shirer

So what does that mean? That means that when the Holy Spirit swoops in and smacks you with conviction, He'll also leave you with the peace to move forward, empowered and reconciled and ready for battle. This really hit me as I struggled with how to be the best Mama I can possibly be. If I'm brutally honest, the selfish side of me doesn't want to surrender my sweet, beautiful baby to God. What if He sees fit to take her away? What if her struggles get worse? What if I can't protect her?

BREATHE.

"This is how we put on the shoes of peace - we trust and express gratitude. Then, we experience the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. Starting today, any time you feel worry or anxiety creeping into your heart, take it as your cue to turn your attention to God. Pray. Trust Him. Be grateful. And watch His peace - a peace you cannot even begin to explain - swell in your experience." - Priscilla Shirer

I swear, Priscilla Shirer wrote this and God was saying, "say [insert mind-blowing wisdom here], because Cassie Troja is a worrisome woman who desperately needs to hear these things." I'm not ashamed to say I shed many tears over this. It may seem like a small issue to you, but I really struggle with surrendering my life to God in so many ways. If you ask my husband (or anyone that knows me well), I have a need to plan and control things down to the last minute. I plan, I control, I lead, I organize. It's what made me a good military officer (I think...). 

So this past week I worked on giving every little thing about L to God. I pray over her every night from head to toe. "God protect her head from bumps and bruises, make it strong and hard to protect her brain..." all the way through her little body (don't worry, I lump most of the organs together or I would never sleep). I pray for her personality to blossom, for her will to match His, for her life to be long and blessed. But most of all, I give her to God and pray that, no matter what, she know that she is completely and unconditionally loved and is a beloved child of God. This simple prayer time with her, every night, has given me so much peace. I've started trying to do this in other areas as well, and any time I feel anxiety creeping in. My God is so much bigger than my worries! 

I can't control every little detail of every passing second of my life. I just don't have the power. But I know someone who does. I have to give God the reins in every situation and allow His peace to empower me every single day. Only then will I live the fullest, most intensely blessed and wonderful life God wants to give me. A life as a woman empowered by peace. Only then will I discover that with peace comes faith, but we'll save that for next time...

Hapless but hopeful,

Cassie

The Man Brag Blog

Ok, so I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it before, and maybe you're even tired of hearing it. Just in case you didn't catch it:

I married an incredibly talented, handsome, loving, patient man of God.

I know what some of you are thinking, and no, he's not paying me to say that. It just so happens to be true. Some of you may be thinking, "Where can I find a man like that?" I'm afraid I have bad news for you, there are none like him. He's one of a kind. But you're probably tired of the sappy stuff, so without further ado, let's launch into the real reason we're here: this is my inaugural "Man Brag Blog." Every once in a while, I would like to take some time to brag on my husband and the things he's been doing, whether it's in our marriage, with our kid(s), or around our home. This first post focuses on several projects he's completed recently. Prepare to be impressed!

So you all know that home organization is one of my goals this year. Well, my husband has been finding little ways to support that. Basically, I find an idea I like on Pinterest, I show it to him, and some time later I have a finished product that is even better than the original Pinterest concept! Here are a couple of examples:

My jewelry organizer. He's going to stain the wood on the bottom necklace holder, but I was too excited to wait! There's duck fabric in each of the frames, and he cut a simple decorative aluminum sheet for the earring frame. Aren't they adorable?!

My pot lid organizer. 

Notice that it's solid wood and curves to match the lazy-Susan cabinet!

Finally, I wanted something to organize my family photos, with the option to change them out regularly if I want. He came up with this. To give you an idea of scale, the middle photos are 8x10s and most of the surrounding photos are 5x7s. It's made of solid wood, and I LOVE it!

Impressive, right?! That's just the beginning. He also made my adorable front porch welcome post from scratch, again from solid wood. He made the top to perfectly fit inside the base of a cute lantern I already had, and there would usually be a small sign hanging off the decorative knob towards the top. 

And finally (for now!), he refinished an antique barley twist lamp I originally bought for five pounds sterling at a British "junk" auction. I've been hanging onto it, believing there was beauty under all the messy, ugly, slathered on finish. It should come as no surprise by now that my husband was able to coax that beauty out, and I LOVE it! It practically glows, although I was unable to take a photo that shows it properly. And I'm still working on a lamp shade...

So, there you have it. My husband spoils me with his talents and dotes on me with his creativity. It's fitting that one of his top love languages is "acts of service," and two of his top spiritual gifts are "helping acts" and "generosity." He's wonderful. Just in case you were wondering, I was nowhere near fully aware of these talents when I married him. I knew he was ridiculously smart and creative, but I had no idea how beautifully those things could manifest themselves if I put an idea in his head and left him alone in the garage with power tools. I mean, WOW. 

He's currently working on a fantastic quilt hanger for our wedding quilt, among other things. I hope to post more updates like this later. I'm so proud of him, and so grateful for everything he does for us! Do you have any ideas like this? I'm trying to find creative ways to organize all kinds of things, like baby gear and craft supplies. Do you have any fun solutions? 

Hapless but hopeful,

Cassie

The Big L

The past week's highlights included: 1) discovering our daughter's first new tooth and 2) Super Bowl 50. Or Super Bowl L. For some reason, no one wants to use the L. I get it, it looks awkward, but it is what it is. Actually, it was AMAZING.
I was born and raised a Denver Broncos fan. I remember watching them play when I was little, hoping that one day John Elway would lead the team to a Super Bowl victory. In the 1997-98 season, when I was 10, the Broncos seemed unstoppable. There was an annoying little boy at our church who taunted me weekly. He was a Green Bay Packers fan and he had this hideous Packers coat that he wore every week. Consequently, all I wanted for my 11th birthday was a big puffy Broncos coat. We lived in England at the time and the Internet was in its infancy. My parents, God bless them, patiently hunted through JCPenney Online to find my dream coat. All they had available was an adult Large.  It fit me like a sleeping bag, I mean I could literally curl up inside of it, but I did not care. The Broncos went on to beat the Packers 31-24 the DAY BEFORE my birthday. I wore that huge puffy coat proudly and as often as possible.
Fast forward almost 20 years...the Broncos fought their way to the top again and I still have that coat. The zipper is broken halfway up, there's a hole in the inside lining, and it's not quite the sleeping bag it used to be, but I still wear it like it's 1998. Thanks to my wonderful husband, I now have a matching Manning jersey, soccer scarf and pom-pom hat. I even have pajama sweats. I wore ALL of it yesterday, and L wore her tiny little Manning jersey. I made her cry several times as I screamed at the screen (seriously, Talib?! 3 flags in the first quarter?! C'mon SON!). Eventually she fell asleep on my chest and I had to temper my joy. But not before she bit me when I screeched after a particularly exciting play. It was such a great game. I have so much respect for Peyton Manning and Von Miller, I loved watching them play! With 2.5 sacks to his name, the world discovered yesterday that, "Superman's" kryptonite is Von Miller.
This is a short but exciting post for me. My Broncos are Super Bowl Champions for the THIRD time! I'm not ashamed to admit I may have shed tears. I'm still on cloud nine, and I expect I will be donning the same old coat as often as possible in the weeks to come before the weather warms up. Who were you rooting for and why? Did you enjoy the game, or just the snacks? Do you have a favorite team or pastime that holds a special place in your heart?
Over the next week, I will be revealing some of the projects that have been going on in the Troja household, as well as what God has been teaching me this week in my Bible study. Stay tuned for more! GO BRONCOS!

Hapless but hopeful,
Cassie

The One Where Lucy Learns A New Word

I know I've mentioned before that I attend a women's Bible study group, and right now we're studying  Priscilla Shirer's The Armor of God. I've heard all about the armor of God before, so I was a little skeptical that I would glean much from this study in the beginning. Boy, was I ever wrong! It really is a life-changing study. This week I even learned a new word.

This week was focused on the "breastplate of righteousness." Before this week, my thought process when I heard the word "righteousness" was some version or other of: "yeah, well, I try..." I think a lot of people would say the same thing. We try to do the right thing, we agonize over the minutiae and worry about people's feelings, and sometimes we compare ourselves to others. But are we really pursuing righteousness? Can we pursue righteousness? What does it mean to be righteous? According to that infallible source of all things grammar and vocabulary, Dictionary.com:

righteous adjective

1. characterized by uprightness or morality.

2. morally right or justifiable.

3. acting in an upright, moral way; virtuous.

4. slang absolutely genuine or wonderful.

In case you were wondering, that's not the word I learned this week. Priscilla Shirer explains that there are actually three forms of righteousness:

Perfect righteousness: can only be achieved by God (see Rom 3:23 and Rom 3:10).

Comparative righteousness: when we judge ourselves as compared to others, not God, which is contrary to the Bible (see Eph 5:1).

Imputed righteousness: that which is given to us by God when we believe in Him (see Rom 3:22-25 and 2 Cor 5:21).

And there's my new word: imputed. I pride myself on having a relatively extensive vocabulary, and I know I've heard it said before, but I've never paid any attention to it. Imputed. 

impute verb

1. to attribute or ascribe.

2. to attribute or ascribe (something discreditable), as to a person.

3. Law. to ascribe to or charge (a person) with an act or quality because of the conduct of another over whom one has control or for whose acts or conduct one is responsible.

4. Theology. to attribute (righteousness, guilt, etc.) to a person or persons vicariously; ascribe as derived from another.

5. Obsolete. to charge (a person) with fault.

Huh. So what Priscilla Shirer is trying to say is wrapped up in that fourth definition. God's perfect righteousness is attributed/ascribed/imputed to us through Calvary ("as derived from another" - that being Jesus). We don't have to do anything! All my life I've tried to be a good person, a faithful Christian, a dutiful daughter/wife/mother. Time and again, I've missed the mark, fallen short of the perfection I so badly want to attain. All that discouragement and frustration, and as it turns out, I don't have to do anything! There's so much freedom in that! It's not a blank check, and it's not to say I don't still need to dedicate myself to pursuing my relationship with God. However, through prayer and faith I have access to God's righteousness that has been imputed to me. 

Priscilla Shirer goes on to explain that our part comes in when we take that imputed righteousness and turn it into practical righteousness. This means that we apply it in our daily decisions and actions. My daily efforts turn from trying to attain righteousness to applying the righteousness I already have available to me. That's completely different! I don't know about you, but that's a huge weight off of my shoulders. 

Hopefully this has been an encouragement to you as much as it was to me. Next week's study is on peace and I'm already excited to eventually share with you what I'm learning. God is moving mountains in the Troja household! How about you? What is God doing in your life? Please feel free to share with me, I'd love to hear from you! Next time I will be sharing a big project reveal...stay tuned!

Hapless but hopeful,

Cassie