Tag: #life

Run at your Pace

Posted on by Crystal King

Today was my second day running in Destin, FL.

Yes, I am one of those who runs on vacation. Running is my addiction away from everything.

As I was running today I noticed a lot more people out on the same path as me. They were just going on about their run and trying to get to their own personal goal.

I myself had a personal goal of 4 miles. I’m currently running 100 miles this month for a good cause called Stop Soldier Suicide.

I’m trying to get faster and run farther so I’m doing intervals while other walk and run.

I wondered, how many miles is she doing? How many miles had he ran?

Then I thought, that’s really none of my business. My purpose out here is for me.

Whether I run or walk , I have my own pace to do. Same as life, you don’t have to go anyone else’s pace. Go your own pace and finish your own race.

You’re here for your purpose and no one else’s. So whether it takes you 10 minutes or 1 hour, go at your pace!

How are you ending the year?

Posted on by Crystal King

Are you focused on the good or the bad? Make it appoint to focus on the good.

Although for some it may be hard, encourage others, share your experience. When you focus on the good, the bad will become non- existent to you.

Remember this is your journey and no one else is on the same path with you.

So as the year comes to an end, focus on all the good God has blessed you with. Change your way of thinking and watch how you recognize your blessings.

Have a great day!

Sunday Blessings

Posted on by Crystal King

Today take a moment to look at where you are right now. Know that this is where you are suppose to be. God has put your here for a reason. Trust his process for you. Thank God for the blessings you have. Someone has it worse than you do.

For those who are at a tough spot, know that God is with you and he will never leave you. Where you are is not forever. This too shall pass.

I hope you all have an amazing day!

5 Reasons to set Goals for 2019

Posted on by Crystal King

If you know me, you know that I am a planner. I plan for everything. I am also a very scheduled person as well. So I try to stick with it all.

I have spreadsheets for my budget. I set money aside for things, I have an emergency savings. I even have a budget of where I should be saving.

From groceries to school supplies to big purchases to gas, I plan and budget.

My budget is what keeps my family organized. I went from a single mom of 1 son and a dog to in a relationship with a boyfriend and 3 more sons. That’s right, family of 6 with a pup. We need to plan and budget.

My budget is so extreme my oldest son has this joke about when he wants something that cost a little more he says “Mom, put it on the budget.” LOL

Oh the possibilities!

With 2019 right around the corner, I have already started planning my new year. I set goals for myself and I do my best to crush them.

Reasons you should be setting goals for 2019

1. Goals help you stay on track.

When setting goals for yourself make them realistic. If your goal is outrageous you won’t be able to accomplish it. If there is no drive to do it then you won’t get it done.

I can hear you say “Crystal, I set goals to challenge myself and push myself.” That’s true but if your goal isn’t realistic you’ll get bored and then the goal will be a memory. You want goals that are a little far away but close.

2. Know your goals – have a plan of action

Sit down with yourself and really think about what you would like to accomplish in 2019.

Not a New Year, New You but more of what do I want for myself, what do I want to accomplish. Create a vision board for yourself. Keep your eye on the prize!

When you have your goals in front of you, you are less likely to forget why you are working so hard.

Keep track of where you are with your goals. (Next post I will share how I do these things myself) One of my goals for 2019 is to lose 40lbs. I have a notebook to track my progress.

You don’t want to get discouraged and throw the whole goal away.

3. Accountability

When you set your goals, this means you’re holding yourself accountable. You have this in line with your life and you are going for it.

Remember a little progress everyday will eventually get you to that goal. Progress not perfection.

4. Feeling of Accomplishment

When I crush my goals, I really like looking back at where I was, how far I have come and the joy of accomplishing it. I create my own happiness by minding my business and accomplishing my goals.

I can tell you from experiencing I have never accomplished a goal by minding someone else’s business. You lose focus that way.

You are your only comparison so there is not a need to not mind your own business.

5. Preparing helps in the long run

Have you ever done something at the last minute? How did that turn out? I plan so I can enjoy. I plan vacations ahead of time, I plan for our date nights, I plan when I shop. This helps me stay in alignment with my goals. When preparing you set the tone for what you want.

Book that trip, set your goal and plan for it. Have that wedding, move to that city, buy what you want.

All these things are very attainable and you can have them. You just have to set goals to get there and a plan a long the way.

No, I am not a boring person and yes, at first it’s hard. You have to train your brain and this does impact the lives of others around you. Not in bad way but if the people in your life aren’t encouraging you or trying to help you, this could be difficult.

Remember this is your vision, not theirs. People only see at their level not yours. This is for you, not them.

Pray about your goals

You know before I start anything I pray about it. I ask God to help me with clarity. It took me a while to get everything together but I never prayed about it, I just did.

Without prayer and direction from God, you could be spinning your wheels and going absolutely no where.

So remember to talk to God about your goals. Make sure those prayers are in aligned with your goals and ask God for his continued guidance a long the way.

2019 is your year to shine!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~Blessings

Forgiving Yourself is OK!

Posted on by Crystal King

Have you ever done something that you are still holding on to?

Do you keep replaying it over and over in your mind, and keep asking yourself why?

Why did I do that? or How could I have done that? fullsizeoutput_9be

My favorite one was, “I can not believe I did that.”

We are make mistakes. No one is perfect.

I have said and done some really mean and horrible things, but thank you Lord for helping me to change and to see things in a different light.

One of the best things about a mistake is that it helps you change and learn from it. Without mistakes, you wouldn’t know what works and what doesn’t. You wouldn’t see the growth in yourself without mistakes. Trial and error, you are learning constantly.

We grow as individuals from mistakes. The hardest part about a mistake is we tend to let them dwell and fester until it takes over our thought process and sits on our hearts. We have to teach our minds to think of a mistake as just that, a mistake, learn from it, forgive yourself, and move on.

I  wonder why we forgive others so easily, but we don’t forgive ourselves as fast. It’s a mistake not a life sentence.

I didn’t always use to be a forgiver. I would hold grudges and quit speaking to people.  Then I realized something, I could have been hurting someone else by doing these things and also, I am taking away what God has for me. I’m going to miss my blessing focusing on hurt feelings and grudges.

I missed my best friend Misty’s wedding due to hurt feelings and holding a grudge. Thank you God we are still friends today. Throwing away 30 plus years of friendship would have been worse and I thank God everyday for her continued loyal friendship.

We tend to miss our blessings when we hold grudges. We are so focused on the grudge or trying to figure out how to get even, we can’t see what God has for us.

When we as humans operate on feelings, we tend to make it extremely worse than it actually is. When we put feelings in the way of the actual offense, we will think something and automatically think this is right, let me continue to act this way. I can not stress enough, we as humans can not operate on hurt feelings. IMG_1127

Forgiving someone can be a challenge, but remember that forgiveness is for you not for the other person. When we don’t forgive and keep holding on to the hurt, we are holding ourselves hostage to the pain and hurt and this is what holds back all your blessings and growth.

God wants to see you happy and living life to the fullest, not hurt or upset or dwelling on grudges.

We have to train our minds that a mistake is not a prison sentence. We are to learn from them and move on. If we hurt someone, apologize and move forward. You can not change the past, but you can learn from it an grow.

Forgiving yourself and others is also part of self care. Forgiving breaks any negative thoughts you may have or negative feelings you may be holding onto.

REMEMBER, A NEGATIVE MIND WILL NOT PRODUCE A POSITIVE LIFE! 

I encourage everyone to commit 14 days to forgiveness. Whether is be forgiving yourself or forgiving someone else. Read the Bible and find 14 scriptures on forgiveness and study each one daily. Keep a daily journal of your progress and see how much your life and attitude changes when you truly forgive yourself and others and move on to the life God has for you.

Blessings.

Prepping for the Week

Posted on by Crystal King

**This post may include affiliate links and I could possibly make some commission from a purchase. You are in no way obligated to buy anything.**

How do you get ready for your week? Do you dread it? Do you look forward to it?

What’s your Sunday routine?

Over the last few months I have been focused on a routine. Every morning I would wake up, thank God for another day, read a bible devotion and get moving. However I would find myself out of whack in the middle of the week because I now have other things that have been added to my week, and I would forget what I have been planning for at the beginning of the week.

I have goals for the day, the week, and the month.

I am constantly focused on family, work and my blog. Oh I forgot, I am also going to be training for a half marathon, along with meal prepping and workout planning.

Trying to find a routine to fit all this in has been TOUGH!

However, after constant prayer about this and asking God, “what should I do?” I finally have an answer.

GIVE UP!

Nope just joking, lol!

I have been writing down everything, and I mean everything. I have a calendar that on my desk with the weekly to do’s, as well as my work calendar with things that have to be done. (for work only)  I also keep my goals in front of me. Yes, I keep a list of my GOALS on my desk so that I can see them. I will tell you, I have not been writing my goals down like I used to, however I am back and will be doing a lot of goal accomplishing.

(I will be sharing my goals on my IG account @jesus_and_coffee_so please follow. I love being held accountable, and what better people to keep you accountable are you social media friends and family. You follow and I will follow back)

When setting goals for the week, I look at what I wanting to accomplish. If it’s more followers, I want more traffic to my blog, if I am wanting to lose weight,inches, etc., how many bible scriptures to read and memorize. Whatever it is, put a number to it, post it and check in every other day to see how close you are to your weekly goals. Doesn’t matter the accomplishment, an accomplishment is an accomplishment, big or small. Remember small accomplishments turn into big accomplishments!

So here goes an example of how I plan for my week:

Sunday: Set my goals for the week, meal prep (just added this due to my half marathon training, plus I need to drop some weight too), I plan what I will be making for dinner each day, workout schedule, reading schedule, blog schedule, social media interaction schedule

Monday: bible study, workout, post to social medias, send out an old blog post, IMG_0881

Tuesday: bible study, workout, social media interaction, start new blog post, Inbox Surveys

Wednesday: bible study, social media exchange and interaction, post a blog, promote blog post

Thursday: bible study, workout, post on social media, promote blog post, Inbox surveys

Friday: bible study, workout, WordPress interaction, (follow my blog and I will follow back) promote blog post, send out an older blog post

Saturday: bible study, read other blogs, share other blogs

Now this schedule is a rough draft, I have to take into consideration the time I spend on each tasks as well. For instance, my bible study is usually 30 minutes. I also work 8am to 5pm Monday – Friday, so time is very important and staying in those time frame parameters I have set for myself. I have a significant other  who has 3 sons, I myself have a son, so I have to make sure I keep my time frames in order to complete a lot of these tasks and still have time for my family. Family is so important to me.

Although this list may seem exhausting, notice I didn’t put clean or cook or run errands, yep I do all those things too, however this is the reason why it is so important I stick to my time frames. I will also add, I do have help with everyday chores. My boyfriend and son are both amazing helpers.

Below is a list of the materials I use to keep me in order, (I love amazon, it always has my stuff at the best price, oh and I coupon too and I use Ibotta – get $10 back when you down load and purchase your first item. Just click the link, we all love free money)

fullsizeoutput_967I have a weekly calendar I use at the beginning of the week to keep my ideas in order. I use a monthly calendar to look at the month at a glance so that I can see exactly where I am with my assignments, when future dates need my attention or just what I have coming up. I use the monthly calendar also to plan ahead when needed. I love mechanical pencils just because I don’t have a sharpener on hand, but I can just throw it away once I am done. I like pencils also to erase, things change and erasing is always a must. I use highlighters to highlight the important days and also if something needs to be addressed or if I have forgotten something. Highlighters help to make things bold. These supplies will cost you less than $30.00 and they will help with keeping your busy life in order. If calendars aren’t your thing, keep a daily journal  with your daily activities and check them off once you have them done.

This routine may seem like a lot, however once you get the times set in place for each task, and stick to them, it will be a breeze to follow and this will help with your everyday life. Find a schedule that fits your goals and crush them!

Please tag me in all your goal posts, I would love to see your accomplishments too.

GOALS! GOALS! GOALS!

Blessings to all.

Go to Your Room

Posted on by Crystal King

As a child, we were punished and sent to our room, and don’t come out until you’re told to.

Now that I am older, I realized that maybe going to my room isn’t a bad thing at all.

When I “go to my room” it’s to spend time with the Lord. I use the alone time to get back in communication with God and to recharge my spirit.

The world has so many ups and downs. Life pulls us in all directions. From family to work to friends, financial problems and maybe bad relationships, spending alone time in your rom with God can make all the difference.

I am currently working on a bible study to share with the world and I use this time to get my thoughts together. I need direction, and who better to go to than to God.

I think the alone time you spend with God makes life a lot easier to deal with. Having God constantly on your side makes life easier.

Life is hard, but with God you’re never alone and you don’t have to go through life alone.

Try it, take time out each day to “go to your room” and read God’s word. It will refresh and renew your mind.

Blessings.

Morning Coffee

Posted on by Crystal King

Every morning I wake up, I have a routine that I follow:

  • Thank God for waking me – it’s always a blessing
  • Of course stretch, who doesn’t
  • Bathroom
  • Make coffee

As I sit here writing, I can smell my coffee being brewed. That has to be one of the most amazing smells in the morning. Well, right until my son decides to put on every last drop of his cologne. LOL

The first sip of coffee instantly puts me in a fantastic mood. Coffee and French Vanilla.

As I am drinking my coffee, I open my morning devotional, Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer. I absolutely love this devotional, it sets the tone for the entire day. I believe your first thoughts of the day will determine how you will spend your day. I spend my first thoughts with my coffee and Jesus. fullsizeoutput_80f

As I read today’s entry, I can’t help but think how truly blessed I am to have this life. How although things were hard at one point, I did make it and kept going.

I tend to think clearer and I focus on what God has blessed me with, rather than what I don’t have or what I wished I had. I try to leave no room for negativity.

During my morning coffee, I also reflect on what I need to be doing rather than what I have failed to not complete. You see I am a huge planner, I have to have things in order and know what my goals are. I keep those goals posted so that I can continue to focus and remember why I do what I do each day.

Everything isn’t always easy and you have to make time for what you want and work hard for it as well.

My morning coffee is a constant reminder that God allowed me to wake up in the morning, so he has a purpose for me.

Blessings!

You are enough…

Posted on by Crystal King

You are enough! Tell yourself that daily. Look in the mirror and say that 3 times.

Too often we get lost on what the world wants for us and lose sight of what God wants for us.

We try to find outlets in food, sex, money or even alcohol. Those things are truly only temporary and bring you false hope or give you a moment of satisfaction.

God wants the best for you and he wants you to know him and know how much he loves you.

I dreaded sharing my story for fear of what others thought. I know my life decisions have not been the best, I use to use the excuse of well God will forgive me so why not? Yeah I know, pretty crazy right?? IMG_0437

The truth is, your past does not define you as the person you are today. NO decision you have made before this moment matters. You have the choice to change everything you were used to doing. You can say right now, my past is over and I choose to live life with a different outlook.

I have learned a few things along the way of making my mistakes:

  • there will never be another you
  • you are different; thats perfectly fine
  • only you can offer what you have
  • you do matter no matter what someone else thinks of you
  • time heals only if you decide not to dwell in your past
  • WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES
  • learn from what you’ve done
  • never allow your emotions to cloud your judgement

Tell yourself today that you are no longer the person you were and you will step into today with a positive mind set, focusing on your blessings and giving no attention to the negativity. Tell yourself you are more than enough and can conquer anything with God right there with you.

I encourage everyone to share their story, someone needs to hear it.

Blessings.

My Jar of Blessings

Posted on by Crystal King

For the last few years, I have made a jar of blessings. This jar is very special to me, because it helps me recognize my blessings.

Not just any blessings, the blessings of that day.

Good times and bad, I date them and put them in my jar. Through out the year, I can go back and reflect on these thoughts and then remember how good my life is and how blessed I am. As I have always said, positive or negative, blessings over burdens.

I also use this to reflect on how many times God has come through for me, when I have a hard time trying to figure things out. Trust in him!

Supplies Needed:

  1. a jar or box – I recommend you decorate the jar or box how you want it; something that will always catch your attention and remind you of your blessings IMG_2984
  2. pen and paper – use your favorite color pens, but black or blue work just as well, post-its work but I have a small pad I use to add my messages, something easy to tear away
  3. a positive outlook to recognize your blessings and more blessings

What I do is on the top of each paper, I will put the date and then write down the blessing for that day. I don’t do this everyday, but when something really stands out to me, believe me, I’m jotting it down.

For instance, my son and I go on vacation every June. When I get back, I always write a blessing and a thank you to God for allowing my son and me to travel and return safely.

I add the date, so that I keep in mind that on that date this great blessing happened. I will continue this because sometimes I do fall short, and I need a reminder of how great my life is, and what a blessing it is to be alive.

My first thank you to God looks like this:

  • Date: January 2, 2018
  • Traveling grace to and from Georgia for the New Year
  • allowing me to see 2018
  • family and friends

I sign all blessing with an “AMEN” and “THANK YOU”

Give it a try, if you don’t want to do the entire year, try it for 3 months. See how many blessings you recognize for yourself and family. At the end of the three months, read your blessings and see how much God has blessed you and you also recognize how much you have to be thankful for.

God bless!