Interweb access YES: A Q&A from across the pond

The only time I have internet access I only have a phone so it is hard to blog on that little thing. For the past three hours I have holed myself up in a cafe near our B&B we are at and have been busy catching up on everything.
I was thinking I should get ahead of the queue and answer some questions that I think will be coming my way not that you can't ask them again that is totally cool just thought I should do a bit of prepping for you and I.

Q: How was your trip?
A: Most trying time of my life but also the best time I've ever had.
Depending on your response to this answer it will tell me if you want to hear more because I could talk you into a coma if you feign interest!! I WILL DO IT!

Q: Did you see any elephants?
A: I totally did! A plethora of elephants herds flocks and fleets of em. They are just running rampant it's crazy! But not really animals are not running rampant they like to stick to the huge game parks where they are safe they like to avoid the villages and cities. I saw plenty in the game parks they are magnificent.

Q: Did you see tigers?
A: Wrong area. But I did see a Leopard it was super cute.

Q: What did you eat?
A: What I made! Zambia taught  forced me to learn how cook. My roommate gave me an ultimatum; clean or cook. I chose to chef it. We ate what we wanted except if we were eating with nationals then we might eat 'nshima' a corn based hard porridge with a relish my sister thought it had the texture of skin when she tried it and shoved it on my plate. But I enjoyed it smothered in sauce.

Q: How was the temperature?
A: Hot. I am in the pit of despair with cold but a onsie snow suit and some moon boots will solve that in a sec. I am still on the hunt so until then I am wearing eight layers of clothing. My dad took a look at me and said "You look like a closet."
Thanks man.

Q:What will you miss most about Zambia?
A: My students, having a schedule that was never the same twice, fresh fruit and veg everyday, and the Village of Hope of course and everyone in it.

Q: Do you think you will be doing full time missions now or do you think you will be going back to Africa?
A: Unknown. I didn't hear God say yes or no so ill just wait and see what he has up his sleeve. Whatever it is I know it is going to make both of us happy if I am obedient.

Q: What are you going to do with yourself now that you are back home?
A: AHHH DON"T ASK ME THAT. The only thing I want to do is hang out and catch up with my family and friends and maybe eat a whole salmon to myself and finish it off with some Tim Tam slams. If you don't know what those are you need to ask someone and partake there-of. It is a form of communion amongst the cult of cookies.
I also am throwing around the idea of starting up my clothing line maybe online but I don't trust myself to make any major decisions right now as culture shock and jet lag will be in control for awhile.

Currently my parents and I are in Scotland we are doing the tour we have hit London met some cousins which was really fantastic and we are now in Aberdeen trying to meet up with some more cousins and my dads brother. My dad is a bit sick with a cold but so far this has been great trip we took a train up to Aberdeen and got to see a lot of the scenery which was cool... just rode by  a castle no big deal.. etc.

I head back to the cold country on the 23rd and I am getting excited! But I hope I prepped you well for questioning I will be seeing you soon!

And this is why,

Thank you so much Peggy

Sharing Time

Whenever I look down at my little love handles or my rolls (the pouch where I keep my extra cookies) I say to myself "Dang it, I am going to exercise tomorrow morning!" But most mornings I prefer to make myself a cup of Tim Hortons coffee and dip some biscotti in it. I like to have a nice quiet morning and do my devos so why ruin it with strenuous and exerting exercises??? I see no reason. And then I look at my pouch where I keep my chocolate chip cookies and say "Dang it I need to do some sit ups." 

I have taken to laying out my yoga mat on the floor at the foot of my bed so that when I get up in the morning and have to step over it, the guilt cometh. Thus forcing myself to resurrect those muscles from their zombie-like state and commence with the pain. The initial kick off to exercising is always the hardest part. But when you do it for a while you start to feel really good, you can start to feel how fit you are becoming and may even see it (for some this may take awhile and many kick offs like myself). You get a large satisfaction in being able to tell your body what to do instead of those Toffee Shortbread squares that are on your mind and on the counter.

Often times I procrastinate or procrastibake which contributes to my added parcels of love because I think that something is too difficult or simply just unattainable. I am definitely not one to give a lecture on health and fitness but this attitude we can have towards it can relate to many other things in our lives. Mundane tasks of the day, devotions, work, self-discipline, loving others, being generous with time and possessions, and a million other things we struggle to do even if we want the benefits. 

I am saying all of this not because I think this is easy or that I am a holy fit saint but that I am climbing over the mountains in my mind to reach the place of 'Dang, if i'd of known it was that easy...'

I've been told it takes about six weeks of constantly doing something in order for it to become a habit. I used to complain that I had the memory of a fish. I had a problem remembering everything I had to do on the daily and weekly basis and a friend of mine gave me a giant note pad and told me to write things down (thank you Vickie) but the problem was I would think of things and forget to write things down. So I tried six weeks of writing things down as soon as I think of them. Now after this time I am scrambling for a pen and my note book as soon as something comes to mind I write it down. I am also checking the paper nine times a day. It feels real good when you cross something off that list, you get a sense of satisfaction in being able to control your productiveness and your organizational skills.

I am learning that the barriers to our "unattainable" goals are mostly in our minds I know many of you do not have a problem with this and are just saying "Well when something has to be done just DO it." But for those of us who struggle with this I say to you there is a hump or mountain in all of our minds, overcoming it is the hardest part but anything worth getting is worth working hard for. Disciplining yourself to work for your goals will never ever ever be disappointing. Whether you are struggling with your prayer and devotional life, with your push-ups, or your Bananagram skills. Trust me you will feel so great when you get er done and then when the next mountain comes along you will feel more confident in tackling it. 

By the way the best diet is an African diet I lost over fifteen pounds here but that doesn't even matter because when someone calls you fat it is a compliment and you feel great because your body shape is in style! YES

Tonight I am going to lay out my yoga mat at the foot of my bed and in the morning do my devos and then get my crunchies and leg lifts on like a champ. Then I will reward myself with Timmy's coffee and biscotti.