SRKindredSpirits

To be honest, I don't really know how I feel about body positive bloggers and instagramers.... I'm all for loving ourselves at any size/look, but at the same time, we could all use some work.... some maybe more than others... or is that just me?!?!? Is it okay to flaunt the fact that someone is obese and loves themselves? Especially when being overweight is unhealthy? But then again, thin people can be just as unhealthy, so why is it ok for them to flaunt it? Why is it that we view skinny girls as pretty? Doesn't God love us all at any size? Aren't we supposed to take care of our bodies? I don't know the answers, but a few weeks ago I absolutely fell in love with a post I came across on Instagram.... The following is my version, edited from @clothesandcurves - you can read the original here . I have been married for 15 years..... and it dawned on me how many days of those years I was completely in my head about my body and my appearance.  I

"Whenever you want to add to your life.... take away something instead.  You'll find that the more you take away, the more you have. And even better, you'll find yourself buried down there at the bottom somewhere." - Rhoda A Kindred

I have cancer. Its non curable  It's slow growing. But its cancer . Hubby and I finally finished finalizing our will. Complete with funeral arrangements. If that doesn't sober you up, I'm not sure what will. It's been something we've been trying to finalize for years, but never got it done until now.  (No, your not getting anything, and don't bother contesting it, cause we put in a no contest clause.) To make a long story short, I don't want a viewing with an open casket with people filing by to look at my dead cold body, or a traditional funeral. And I want something odd on my tombstone. Something quirky, but out there, just like me. Something that make people stop and laugh and say I can't believe they put 'that' on a headstone! But anyway, back to this post.... Most of the people I know who have died, have died from cancer. Not all, but a very high percentage. Today, Beth Chapman died. I've been reading all the g

In today's time, we often overlook the importance of dressing up... just look around you the next time to go to the doctors office, grocery store, or even a church activity. I mean, I'm all for being comfortable, but people often take it too far. Think about it, most people dress like bedraggled slobs. Have you looked around? Men might be in T-shirts with coffee stains, holes, or in ratty, baggy jeans, ugly shorts, and showing off their britches. Women are wearing stretch leggins, sweats, halter tops, super short shorts, and, yes, underwear in public. If our clothes are a means of self-expression, we clearly loathe ourselves. How does it make you feel, when you see someone at the checkout with uncombed hair, baggy sweatpants, slippers, and an unpleasant smell? My guess is you probably don't think very highly of them. Let me insert here, if that's truly all someone can afford, I'm OK with that, but seriously, if you have money to get your nails don

The Theft of America's Soul Blowing the Lid Off the Lies That Are Destroying Our Country By: Phil Robertson  Our family has always loved the A&E show Dusk Dynasty and the whole Duck Commander Family (although Phil and Jase have always been my favorite!). So, when I when I had the chance to review this book, I thought -a little wisdom from Phil Robertson himself wouldn't hurt! And I was Right! Phil is the real deal, I like how he is not ashamed of his past or the mistakes he made, but rather how he has learned from them and uses it to help others. I love the simple down to earth, easy to talk to way of Phil Robertson. At a ripe age and more money than he will ever spend, the question could be asked, "Why would he subject himself to persecution and ridicule?" The answer is simple, He truly knows and believes Jesus is the son of God. He knows that those who open their hearts can be changed. Phil makes a compelling point: Without God, America ha

A few days ago, I stopped by my kids elementary school. While waiting, I was seated beside a kid in my son's special needs class. When a staff member asked the kid a question, he simply screamed, then turned to me and smiled. I'm sorry - (not sorry), but what that kid needs is a good slap on the mouth.... I don't care if your kid is Autistic, has ADHD, has Aspergers, is slow, hyper, or any other thing. Kids need to learn how to act. They need to realize they really are not that great. The world DOES NOT revolve around them! I have a special needs kid and I know that life is difficult for him, its hard for him to understand simple things, and to communicate, but we have taught him to use his words, to respond to people, and to simply be a good kid. And you know what?!?!? We get compliments almost everywhere we go with him. Just this week, his Endo Doctor told him that out of all the kids she sees in her practice, no other kid has ever been so polite and well behave

  Dressing Your Truth is a makeover and beauty system that is about expressing and honoring your authentic nature. Dressing your truth is based on the idea that our personality, features, energy and strengths or weaknesses can all be used to categorize each of us into one of four types. Type 1: The Bright and Animated – Extroverted, ideas-person. Fun. Type 2: The Subtle and Soft – Introverted, nurturing. Blended. Type 3: The Rich and Dynamic –  Extroverted, entrepreneurial. Loud. Type 4: The Bold and Striking –  Introverted, perfection-oriented. Direct. Each type is associated with a specific energy pattern and certain traits about how they move through their world. The overall theory is that by coordinating how you dress with your energy type, you can look your very best. Each energy type is reflected in nature. Type 1: Nitrogen Think of the energy of air (upward, light). The type 1 person is bright, animated and has a gift for new ideas and possibilit

It's easy to love your spouse when everything is going smooth, and you feel deep in love. But do you love your Spouse in the middle of a disagreement, or when there's conflict, and you think, how did we get here? What happened? My husband and I had our first big, and only major blow-up argument about one month after we got married, which ended in one of us calling the other a name, and not speaking to each other for 3 days straight... (which is not a good thing when you are remodeling your house and end up with a bathroom floor that neither of you like, but were both too stubborn to tell each other!) Looking back, our argument was really stupid and was over a piece of mail. It all happened because instead of talking to each other about what we expected from each other, we assumed the other person would just know.  Let me insert here, the first 6 months of married life was hard for us... (We were two very independent ppl with homes of our own, and used to doing ou

Sometimes you just have to say goodbye to toxic people. To detach. A family member, who is a toxic person, will take advantage of the fact that you are family – a bond that is supposed to be enduring, loving, and respectful – to manipulate and hurt you, because we are conditioned to believe that if we end relationships with them, that we are “bad” and no one wants to be or feel like they are an inherently bad person. Toxic extended family members cause a lot of stress. It is hard work just to be around them. Many times you are always on edge, cautious, trying to live up to their ideals, yet always failing. Their manipulation, drama, neediness, criticism, jealousy, and other negative traits drain you emotionally and make you feel bad about yourself. All of these things affect your health both directly and indirectly. We spend years sacrificing our mental and emotional health in abusive relationships under the notion that we “have to” because these people are our fam

“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.”  -Thomas Merton It seems so often in life, things get out of balance. Health, finances/money, relationships, work, play, decorating, time, church, social media, electronics, etc. Most of us live a life that is far out of balance – putting the things that are not as important first, or letting them tip the scales too far in one direction. And like I tell my kids, "Too much of a good thing is not a good thing!" Everything is good in moderation and balance. The definition of what balance means to each of us is different, but there are some universal truths. For instance: each us needs a healthy work and life balance to be truly healthy and happy, and our mind, and soul must be in balance to truly be at peace, and to live a life of harmony.  "Follow the laws of Nature and you’ll never go wrong"  - Dr. Forrest C. Shaklee  Living in Harmony with Nature means bringi

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! Another year has come and gone.... things change, and yet, some how, things stay the same.  We still live on our 7 acres of ' heaven here on earth' and still love our little peice of property, although this is the first year we have no animals... We have really enjoyed embracing simplicity and our own kind of minimalistic living the last few years. It's amazing what life has to offer when you realize enough is just that, enough ! Stephen is still the love of my life , my rock, protector, provider, and who I want to grow old with. He keeps busy at work, in his shop, and with his mustang. Working on my never ending honey to do list, and keeping our property and home looking nice. I, Rhoda, am still learning to choose joy , and say no to things that aren't important. I am learning to take care of my health . I keep up with our Shaklee business , and do all the mom things.... Faith is 17 yrs, and bough

No matter how often you see the movie, "It's A Wonderful Life", you will be entranced. It is flawless, and my all time favorite Christmas movie. It is the kind of experience movies were invented for...  A kind man, overwhelmed by life's trials, is visited by a heavenly messenger and gains a new lease on life. George Bailey dreams of seeing the world and having a grand impact on it. But small-town responsibilities strand him at home. The family business struggles to stay afloat, enduring constant attacks by a power-hungry tyrant. Pressures mount until George reaches the breaking point, convinced the world would be better off had he never existed. To show him what that world would've been like, a friendly angel (without wings) escorts George through that same town—now a dark place having never felt his virtuous influence. In the end, George embraces the wonderful life he nearly threw away. Here are some powerful quotes from "It's A Wonde

We are four years into our clutter free living journey and still going strong. We have litterily gotten rid of hundreds and thousands of items.... two four wheelers, my hubbys entire wood shop and tools, filing cabinets, chairs, benches, lamps, gun cabinet, dressers, and tons of household miscilanious stuff. I continue to go through cupboards, closets and drawers, and continue to remove the unnecessary. I still love this journey and the benefits that we are enjoying since living with less... We bought new bikes so our whole family of 5 can ride bike together. Getting rid of clutter has helped me reduce a tremendous amount of stress. We got rid of all of our animals, and as a result, we can travel more and enjoy weekend trips. It has given us more time to do things as a family. It keeps the house neat and tidy. I almost never have to pick up toys in the livingroom, and the counters stay open and clear. It makes us feel lighter and happy. The simple t

Have you ever wondered why people hang tinsel on Christmas trees, or how candy canes became synonymous with the winter holiday? While these holiday decorations may seem commonplace, most of these traditional decorations have a special meaning to us as Christians. The green evergreen or fir tree signifies the everlasting light and life. Romans decorated their houses with evergreen branches during the New Year, and the fir tree symbolized life during the winter. The branches of the fir tree points upward toward the heavens. Reminding us to reflect on everything God has given us and for the things to come. The Christmas star and twinkling lights symbolizes the star of Bethlehem, which according to the Biblical story, guided the three wise men to the baby Jesus. A star is also the heavenly sign of prophecy fulfilled long ago and the shining hope for humanity. We give gifts to loved ones in honor of the birth of Jesus, which inspired the concept of giving gifts durin