Time for a change!

Hello Lovelies! As you can see, I've updated my tired old blog template. I don't yet possess the clever skills to properly create or re-create a new look, so I've found a lovely one from Candy's Templates.
Sorry all of my lovely favourite blog lists etc have disappeared with the reno. Promise I'll get them back up soon. It's late, but I just had to get a little post up after all my tinkering- if for no greater reason than to get rid of the bright green pic which was at the top of my previous post... can't have that- it doesn't match the new colour scheme!!
So here's a more appropriate match. As this post doesn't really have a theme today, I can really put any pic I like, can't I!OK, it's a car. What's a nice girl like me doing putting car pictures on her blog?? Hmm. Well it matches, and it's HOT too. And you can blame my darling hubby for the influence!!
So anyway, it's definitely time for a more serious post, so I'll be back tomorrow hopefully- If I get the house in order!!
Catch you soon!
Blessings,

Yaaaaaaayyyyyyy!!!

Yes, I'm finally through accreditation- we've come out the other end, and in general, the clinic has come out fairly well! There are some small changes we need to implement, but I'm a happy camper!!
The clinic accreditation visit was today. This was me, most nights last week and early this week. (except, a girl version, and my desk was covered, rather than stacked!!) I put in so many looooong days, working into the wee hours on things like computer security policies, new staff induction information, and triage guides for non-clinical staff. I'm glad it's over! There's still plenty more to develop, but I told my boss very nicely but clearly, that I won't be taking any more work home, at least not for another 3 years. But in reality, if we haven't got everything running smoothly by the next accreditation, I probably won't still be there- that would generate some serious deficit in my job satisfaction levels!!!

Anyway, what am I doing, still rambling on about work! Let's change the subject, shall we?
On the health front, I am much improved, thank-you! That cold lurked around for far too long... got into my chest, and I had to go on antibiotics even! Well, I'm still putting up with the remainders of it, but will be safely back at the gym in the next day or so... I had 1.5 weeks off- will I even be able to use my muscles again???

I have been so blessed with comments from lots of bloggy friends lately. Thanks everyone! It's late, and I've had enough of pulling late nights on the computer, so i'm gonna go. Promise I'll be back to talk about something more substantial soon. In the mean-time, Live Well everyone. And don't eat too many sugar-free sweets- I hear they produce certain unsavoury side effects!!!!?!

Blessings,

Coughing and sniffling!

Hi everyone, I've been gone for a while- sorry! A few of you have left comments to make sure I'm OK. Thanks, I appreciate your concern. Right now I have a cold, so I'm coughing and spluttering my way through the day- Lovely! Feeling a bit under the weather!
But generally, I have been good. Just life & work have been getting busier. Even today, my day off, will be mostly spent on work stuff, so please excuse the short post- I'm really just wanting to let everyone know I haven't dropped off the face of the earth!!!

But I do have to tell you all about the Making Marriage Better course I mentioned last time! We had our first night last Sunday, and it went really well! I am so excited and expectant of improvement and health for these marriages, and I'm also expecting we'll have some great growth in our own marriage as we lead the other couples through the course! In the course, we watch teaching videos covering one aspect of marriage (eg communication, family of origin, etc.) per week, and then follow with small group discussion looking at our own lives and learning how to apply skills and truths into our relationships on a daily basis. The teaching is really well communicated, and full of truths that will set people free! I'm excited!

Gotta go already- get back to working on my "work stuff". By this time next week, I should not be needing to bring any more work home. Phew! Catch you then!
Blessings,


P.S. Hopefully next week I will put up a cast of characters, so you can see who we all are! Stay tuned for that one!

New Insights!

Hiya, everyone!
It's pretty late tonight, but I just wanted to pop in and say hi to y'all.
Last week I really struggled with my thoughts, and was tempted to eat lots of naughty foods. I must admit, I gave in a couple of times, too. But I'm learning to encourage myself, and continue with the discipline of healthy eating. Where previously I would feel a strong sense of defeat, and be easily persuaded to give into temptations, now I find I can get back up, and keep on heading towards my goal- praise God!!!
Today at the gym I had my weigh and measure. It's been 2 months since I started there, and I've lost a total of 24.5cm (almost 10 inches!!) off various body parts, and about 3kg in weight! I'm so glad I haven't given up when I've struggled... I'm still on the road to victory!


My darling husband and I are about to start facilitating a fantastic marriage enrichment course called Making Marriage Better. (Click here to learn more about that!) We're really excited about it, and looking forward to ministering to many others through the course! But to facilitate (lead) the course, we first have to do the facilitator's course- naturally! My DH has already done it, and has been facilitating mens courses since last Feb., but I am in the midst of my training now.

The reason for all this chatter is to tell you about the wonderful insight I learned on Saturday, while watching the training videos. It was something I'd heard before, but on Saturday, the penny really dropped! I believe it's something that will really help me, and it may also be of help to you, so here goes...
The trainer, Helen Meyer, was discussing four areas of recovery: areas of a person's life which may need work in order for healing to take place. These areas are: spiritual area, cognitive area (thought life), behavioural area, and feelings or emotions.
Very often, pastors, counsellors, facilitators, etc. lean towards one particular area, and therefore they may try to help a person using only a narrow approach. (I hope you're following me!!) An example of this may be using cognitive techniques, but failing to address the spiritual roots of the issue, or conversely, using prayer and deliverance ministry, but not acknowledging the need to process emotions! "OK, OK," you say, "just get on with it and tell me the new insight you had!!"

Well, it was this: I realised that I too have a bent towards a particular area- namely the Behavioural one, and that my difficulties in conquering some of my lifelong issues (such as lateness and unhealthy living) may be due in part, to my lack of focus on the other areas of recovery! To explain what I mean a bit more, I'll detail what behavioural work consists of.

Behavioural work is:

• Taking responsibility for your behaviour
• Structuring your life for behavioural change
• Making it easy to do the right thing
• Making it hard to do the wrong thing!
• Putting off/putting on - taking action
• Support and accountability in a group or with a friend.

Wow, I hear bells ringing!! That is me to a T! Any of you who have been reading my blog for a while will agree, that's what I'm all about.. it's in just about every post I write! Sooooo, of course, the Holy Spirit was giving me a bit of a nudge, saying "What about the other 3 areas... perhaps it's time you looked at some of them a bit more seriously."

A challenge for all of us, perhaps, to move out of our comfort zone and explore a wholistic approach to our own change! How very strange for me, being confronted with this new truth! Even now, I'm trying to avoid a behavioural approach, such as putting in place a structure so I can address spiritual issues etc. Hee hee, isn't that funny!
So I will avoid it. I won't strategise, I'll just carry my course book around a bit, refer to it now and then, and wait for the Holy Spirit to speak some more. That was fairly loose, wasn't it??!?

I'm sure you want to know what the other three areas entail too. I've abridged them, because of course, they're under copywright, but at least you'll have the general idea!

Spiritual work includes:

• Conversion, Baptism in the Holy Spirit
• Forgiveness, Inner healing
• Deliverance, Spiritual warfare, and devotional life.

Cognitive work includes:

• Renewing the mind, Bible study and replacing negative self talk with Biblical truth
• Challenging faulty beliefs and lies
• Learning new truths about yourself (eg Who I am in Christ!)

Feelings work includes:

• Learning how to identify and express feelings
• Allowing yourself to experience feelings (eg suppressed feelings!)
• Expressing feelings responsibly

How do you work through things in your life? Do you focus on one of these areas in particular? I hope this new insight has been helpful for you! I'm off to bed now, but will continue to think and pray about these things in the days ahead. I'd love to hear your comments about this!

Have a great week everyone!



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