3 percent worth of 1% changes

No frills, no fuss! Let's get into it. 
the bottom line: we're sharing 1% changes that lead to a healthier life and I want YOU to join. 
I'm feeling vulnerable so I'm going to give you three 1% changes that I'm trying super hard to make right now! They're not all totally food/exercise related, but they're making a difference for me this week and they're WEIGHTY and SMALL all at once. 


1. get back on the wagon. 
I'm not proud of this, but it happened. Nick was preaching at a church in small town in South Carolina on Sunday night, so we made a datenight out of it. I planned to just eat when we got home, but I didn't think it through and found myself in a small town at 8pm on a Sunday night, quite hungry. McDonalds happened. 

Immediately my stomach started rumbling and gurgling and my body rebelled and began to reject it. I don't totally regret it, but I do regret what happened the next day. And the next. And the next. It seems stupid to work out with unnatural nasty beef still sweating out your pores and gluten clogging up your intestines, so now it's two days later - I haven't eaten as bad, but not as good as normal. I haven't given exercise my all and I've just sort of lulled. 


So, tomorrow. I'm jumping back on the wagon. Not for weight loss or vanity reasons, just to regain my focus on eating as healthfully and living as healthfully as possibly. Miss a workout? Eat too much ice cream? Never so much as walk around the block? Make a 1% change and jump back on the wagon, or maybe climb on for the first time. 


2. bless 'em when you want to curse 'em. 
For your spiritual/emotional/mental health. Imagine the most hectic part of your day. Getting cut off in traffic, toddler throwing a tantrum, husband waking up late, babysitter canceling, boss being a pain, baby crying it's head off in the middle of the night. Maybe you don't actually want to CURSE them, but you do want to at least think about how it affects you, how it's hard on you. Here is my challenge: when the hard moments come, choose to actually, REALLY bless the people in your life rather that count how much they cost you. I don't mean fake it, I mean, dig down deep, remember why you should love others - and bless them. Shake your head till you see how handsome and wonderful that husband really is and give him a kiss on the lips. Go cuddle your toddler in the middle of her tantrum and show her how to lighten up. Pray for the stranger in the car and buy your boss some coffee or a latte or something. 

From the bottom of your heart, 

as much as you can muster - bless em'. 

3. go get your hair did, girl. 
Ok, ok. I know everyone can't go get their hair done like, today. Lord knows I waited long enough. It's been OVER A YEAR since my last legit haircut. I've debated with the bangs, but really - I've had my eyes on the ombre (ombre is a coloring technique that sort of play off the look of "roots" - I know not everyone loves it. I do!). And I finally did it. I went to the best stylist in a 100 mile radius, got a few inches cut off, got it all shaped up and thinned out and smoothed down. My hair-stylist-miracle-worker-sweet-friend Kristin worked the ombre magic, extended my nasty looking roots with some beautiful deep lavender toned browns and lightened my ends from their shabby existence. I feel fresh and better and even if you can't go get a haircut THIS MINUTE, I've got some tips for you. 

- If you're in a 100 mile radius, book an appointment with Kristin. From now on, she'll be a sponsor on my blog and I'm gonna keep on talking about her. You can find her at Cline's in Columbia and she is THE BEST. 

- If you're too far away to go to Kristin and it's not feasible for you to come stay at my house and get your hair done while you're on vacay in Columbia, book a haircut. A trim. A freshener. Spring is coming. Lighten up, shake it up, get excited! 

- If a haircut is out of the question, just start browsing. It took me a year of looking at ombre pictures on google to feel sure about a new style and even then it took Kristin just telling me "Today, we're going to enhance the natural ombre you've started!". Start picking a look for your next cut and saving your pennies to fly and get sweet K to do your doo. It's worth it, I promise. 
You'll feel better already.


Ok, a little different from roasted carrots. 
But fun nonetheless. And now! I'm ready! Let's hear yours! 

(I won't do the link up till we get more people joined on, 

but post your link in the comments!)

One percent changes worldwide, ya'll. 

kelly's back, hurray!

I have another guest post by the wonderful Kelly Bollman.
I'm not going to say much more, because it will start to sound trite - but Kelly really is wonderful.
I love this post for many reasons, but mostly because she really lives this out. Enjoy, friends and get excited to see much more of Kelly Bollman around naptime diaries. And here is a picture of her & her beautiful kiddos.
..................

Last Saturday, I went for a jog with two of my favorite people, Jessi (yeah! Naptime Dairies Jessi) and her sister, my BF, Katie. Really, the running part wasn’t the hook – at all. Any given activity which involved listening and talking and being with these two had me there. If Jessi had said, “Want to scrub my bathtub with me and Katie on Saturday?” Answer would have been “Yes and yes!” But running was the plan.


You guys know about Jessi, the runner. She just finished her first half marathon. Katie, the much more athletic than me, dancer, had been faithfully training for the Bridge Run in Charleston. I… uh well, I had jumped on the trampoline with my kids a few times a week, maybe. Jessi mentioned jogging for a “few miles.” Few miles to a non-runner sounds like a FEEEWWW MIIIIILESSSSSSS. (eek.) But there’s this stubborn girl in me. She’s a lot of me, actually, and she kinda likes a challenge.


So. I drank up some water. Strapped on a borrowed pair of tennies, got a bit nervous-excited, fed off of the adrenaline of just being with my girls, and followed Jessi’s lead. We were off! At a startling speed of 1 mile every 12 minutes. Whoosh! We trotted and talked. I mostly listened. Not because I’m a good listener, but because I couldn’t breathe and talk well at the same time, even at our not-so-crushing speed. And kept on jogging. One mile, not bad. And still going… arms trying to sort of dangle in a way that didn’t put too much tension in my shoulders… trying to do what Jess said… looking at the canal and the other people. Squinting to see the next ¼ mile marker, hoping that it was maybe even the ½ mile marker and I’d just somehow overlooked another one. Their legs kept moving, so mine did too. Another mile, done. Huh. 2 miles without stopping. Yay us. Felt every bit of the 86 degree mid-day heat. Wished for shade. Not much to be found. Got excited about every breeze. Listened to my friends, dabbed at the sweat dripping down my on-fire-face. 


Their legs kept moving, so mine did too.  


And then at 2.5 miles, we arrived at the wonderful bathroom hut, complete with water fountain. Thankful for both! Legs felt flimsy. My hip flexers were like, “Whoa, you used us way more than ever… ouch!” Quick break. Stretch. And head back the way we came. That next mile felt like a long one. “Keep going, (hufffff, puffff) they are… keep going,” I told myself, and because their legs kept moving, mine did too for another mile. 3.5 so far. Whatda ya know!? We walked some, jogged some for the rest of the way. And talked. And at the end of it, our bodies had moved 5 miles, and jogged about 4 of those. And I was so glad.  


Why this jog tale matters, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8):  


1) TOGETHER It immediately occurred to me that never ever ever, would I have gone further than 1 ½ miles max without walking unless my girls had been with me. TOGETHER was crucial.  


2) Some challenges NEED A LEADER Of course we always need God-Almighty’s leadership and Lordship. 
But He also gifts us leaders with flesh. The kind that can walk and talk and show us how to do this thing in a way that us beginners, go “ohhhh… maybe I can do that.” Us churchy people call them “mentors” or say “he/she is discipling me.” Call it what you will; we need them. God sends them on purpose; He’s been sending them out all along. It’s part of His plan, doing life together. Both were leading me down this hard (hard for me) path. I knew I could trust Jessi’s advice. I needed to know she’d done this before and had gone even farther.


----------------------------------------------------------------- 


Right now I’m on a long life jog, marathon-style. I’m praying for reconciliation with my ex-husband and the father of my precious children. There’s about a trillion things I don’t ENJOY about this jog. But I know that A) I’ve been called by my God down this road. B) There are some precious, precious people in my life that are running along side me, and because they don’t stop believing, praying, and even fasting for this miracle, I keep going. And C) of these people, I have leaders, those that have more wisdom, who have prayed for something crazy before. Like heroes of the faith: like Abraham. A man, human, just like us, who believed and acted in obedience without any proof other than God’s own Word, that there would be any reward. Like Paul, who just kept running a race. A race that was pure craziness, without absolute faith in heaven. I’ve discovered that the Lord can redeem a stubborn, non-jogger who is prone to a hard, wandering heart, and make her look a little something like a woman, choosing perseverance, in spite of herself. What has He called you to do? That you’re just tired of. It seems too hard, doesn’t it? Come on, sweet girl. You can do it. Grab a partner and a leader for your path. 
Strap on those shoes and start moving those feet. 
You’ll never regret it.

my long walk

Today it's cold and rainy and Columbia is doing a good impression of Seattle. 
But Friday, oh Friday. It was sunny and warm and we woke up and went straight outside. 
Literally. 
And I made this walk about a zillion times. 

Oh, it's been a few minutes - I should check on them. 

"kiddossss! how are you doing?!"

still playin' in the dirt like you were three minutes, ago? Ok. 
(please note Benja's breakfast waffle. I'm telling you, we went out first thing)

good to know, I'll be back in a sec. 

but for now, back to the neverending laundry pile. 


Today isn't warm while I want to sit right where that laundry sat and stay snuggled all morning, a crazy busy weekend has led to a crazy long to-do list. There's a meeting here tonight and toddlers who are restless and need to learn their letters. I have a case of the Mondays that is as big as south carolina. I'm reading and praying Psalm 36:9, that the Lord would be our fountain of life and light that overcomes even the gloomiest Monday-ish Monday. Love to ya'll. 
What's your Monday like? 

more color, more spring.

I'm kicking off spring this week. I liked Michelle's list so much, I made a kick-off list and a to-do list is coming. But it's really not spring, I'm calling it summer. Two days in a row of high eighties is summer, amen? Here's how I'm starting it off with a bang. 
- candida diet/cleanse (don't be jeal)
- staying outside all day with my kiddos
- messy summer hair (but a fresh spring haircut next week)
- I might even make an iced coffee. 
- color EVERYWHERE. I want it EVERYWHERE. colorful food, home, clothes. 
- did I mention staying outside all day with the kids? 
- backyard walks at dusk. 
- showing you these pictures. 

in open fields of wild flowers. 

handsome. and MESSY.

my artiste. 

his plan for spring is pick a million flowers.

sweet boy.

picnics & library books. 

my superhero.

typical.

soak this up. it's the last tired mama on a spring/summer day pic you're getting from me. ha. yeah right. 

Don't forget yesterday's link-up! 
DO IT! I'm pressuring you! Make a one percent change & blog about it.

one percent changes, week one!

Hey ya'll! I'm so excited! It's finally here!
If you're new to naptime diaries, one percent changes is a new blog project to encourage and connect other women as they make one percent, baby changes, to slowly and surely walk towards a life of healthiness and walk away from unreasonable expectations of ourselves. The idea is, if we're making tiny and yet still costly changes daily (or weekly! or monthly!) that stick, sooner or later we'll find ourselves healthier women - able to live our lives a bit fuller and a lot less focused on how unhealthy we feel. 


For this first week I've got one semi-baby mostly-food related one percent change. 
I promise I've made it myself and I promise you'll be happy you did too. 
If you haven't already! 

1. Carrot fries
Or okra fries, parsnip fries, sweet potato fries, or yuca fries. The big deal is they're NOT fried - they're roasted. The second benefit is they're DELICIOUS. Thirdly - they're packed with tons of nutritional benefits. I promise if you start to swap out carrot fries for your chips, french fries, crackers, or un-super-nutritional side dish - you'll be glad you did.  They taste great, look beautiful, and your body will thank you. 


Some big benefits of carrots: 
- one serving of carrots per day can reduce the risk of heart attacks by 60%
- carrots naturally help our vision
- carrots are the best source of carotenoids which have been proven to reduce chances of post-menopausal breast cancer by 20% and up to a 50% decrease for our chances of bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, larynx, and esophagus cancer. 

Real food is actually super healing to our body, read much more here. 
I make my carrot fries like this: 
Peel them (or wash them well). Cut them in smaller sizes (or thicker sizes if they're for an adult who doesn't care so much about "fry shape"). Toss in a drizzle of olive oil, kosher salt, & pepper. 
Here's where you can go nuts! What's your favorite seasoning? 
Sometimes I go chili powder & cumin? Sometimes garlic & ginger. Lavendar salt & pepper? 
Have fun with it! And the same when it comes to dipping. 
Honey, high fructose corn syrup free ketchup, mustard, NOTHING? They're delicious alone. 
But back to cooking them. After tossing them in olive oil & spices - about 40 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees should do it. I like the tips to just be turning dark brown or black. 

Ok, I cannot wait to hear ya'lls one percent changes for the week! 
I really want to write about fifty today, but a) I'm kind of sick, b) I need to save some for the future and c) I want to hear what you guys have to say! 


your job: 
- If you have a blog & blog about a one percent change, enter it below into our little linky system so we can all share our changes!
- If you don't blog or don't have time, comment about your one percent change!
- Share the one percent changes button on your blog and get ready for next week. 

Love ya'll, Happy Wednesday and carrot-fry eating!

good community hospitality hangover

Last Tuesday, our hundred and something boxes arrived from Seattle. 

Last night, we had a church meeting at our house. 

I really work best with a deadline, don't most people? Want to get those boxes unpacked? The best way is to have fifteen or twenty new friends over to your house. 

The meeting went great. The massive, big community project we're taking on feels less big and overwhelming and the burden for the hearts behind it feels biggest. And sweetly, my little hospitality/community loving heart was overjoyed to have people in my home and eating my food and staying past my normal bedtime. Talking about Jesus and family and giving all your stuff away and protein powder. MMMM, I love community. 

But after a few nights of seeing midnight and unpacking boxes/painting/organizing/decorating - I plan to do nothing but cuddle with kids, drink coffee, play outside, and read library books all day long. And I'll just forget about those fifteen or so boxes packed around my bed, that I have to crawl over to get to sleep. 

Another day. 

Plus, I need to rest up for 

ONE PERCENT CHANGES tomorrow!

If you're into it, stop by, grab a button and blog along if you like!

See here for more info! 

love you guys. 

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a testimony via music videos

There was a time when I was ugly crying in the driveway because of The Civil Wars. 

I called "poison and wine" my christian-struggling-with-depression-theme-song. 

There was a time when I'd listen to it and cover my head with a blanket and cry like a baby. 
Or cook dinner and listen to it and cry like a baby.
Or hide in the bathroom and cry like a baby. 

I can barely remember what it felt like to do that, but I know it was for real. 

These days, I wake up early, with everyone still asleep,  to put my headphones on, and dance to "the dog days are over". I even hid in the bathroom and danced to it the other day because I could tell my jumping around was freaking Nick out. So there is my non-super-spiritual/non-super-wise, real life, music video testimony of how Jesus heals. Because that's all that happened. He healed me. And the dog days are over. So, hold fast if you've got a blanket over your head while you're crying to the civil wars, or any other emotional song that brings up feelings you might not want to deal with. 

Joy comes in the morning. 
He heals. 
He brings light to darkness & rest to the weary. 

Promise. 

friday favorites

It's been a good week, huh? 
The Connolly's are still buried under boxes so the best I can give you today is some lists. 
My favorites of this whole sweet/hard week. 


favorite family moments:
- Gloriana Eloise Connolly turned three. When she ran out here on her birthday morning and I grabbed her up and told her Happy Birthday, she said, "Oh! Happy Birthday to you, too, Mom!". Then by like 8am, she was over her birthday. She kept telling us her birthday was over & it was Benja's turn. 
- This week, Benja began saying "I'm sorry" and "yes ma'am". Woosh. Those come in handy. 
- Last night, we had a little family fun night out and Elias kept telling us he had a new "hypothesis". Thank you, Dinosaur Train on PBS. Thank you. 
- After our family dinner date - Nick pointed out, "hey - we just went to dinner & coffee with our kids. there was a long time where we never thought that would be possible." He was totally right. In the first few months of having three so close together, I would have laughed at you if you'd told me we'd be able to walk our children four blocks to a restaurant and back and then stop for coffee on the way home. God is good! Children grow!
- Our "dinner date" was a fundraising dinner to help fund getting Leigh & Gray Ladd's son home from Ethiopia. I got to see some sweet pictures of him & it's just such a blessing to be able to support them in any way we can. 


favorite pictures: 

i found my coffee mugs

bday girl & me

favorite things I've found in our seattle boxes:
- jeans from many moons ago that fit. 
- a ticket stub from going to see a Twilight movie with my lady peeps. 
- some lipgloss one of my bffs Annie gave me. 
- yoga mat! yoga mat! yoga mat! My sweet friend, Marisa, gave me a beautiful new yoga mat right before I moved and I have missed it so much. I pulled it out of the boxes before the movers even left and carried it around the house with me. 
- the coffee cups, of course. 
- our throw pillows. I didn't realize how un-at-home I felt without my throw pillows. 


favorite verses that have been messing me up this week: 
- Mark 6:7-13  Made me feel so weighty about all of our calls as disciples of Jesus, but specifically for those of us in vocational ministry. I started work on some scripture/word/art to frame in our house of this verse because I don't want to forget it for one day. 

-Mark 8:21. Jesus asks the disciples, "Do you not yet understand?" and I just identified so much with their lack of understanding. I want the Lord to point out all the things I still don't understand!
- and still in Mark, Mark 8:22-26. The account of Jesus healing the blind man. I just don't want to forget how beautiful it is that Jesus heals and did heal. I felt convicted reading this, that I'm not sure I've ever told the kids (not read to them, just told them) about Jesus' healing. I want them to hear that (and so many other things about Him) directly from me. 


favorite blog things: 
- I got so many emails from people wanting to help out with/excited about the one percent changes project. I'm so pumped to see what the Lord is doing there! I was browsing blogs last night and saw someone I didn't know had put the button up and I almost cried a little.
- Wasn't Glor the cutest on that vlog? I may need to do another one because honestly, I'm not that snarky in person. It just turned on for some reason. And I was, for real, bloated:). Please email/facebook/twitter my husband and pressure him into doing one with me. Or my sister. I'm no solo artist. 
- So encouraged that ya'll were encouraged by yesterday's post. I'll keep keeping it real, if we can all promise to keep looking to Him for goodness and grace. 
- Have you checked out all the sponsors over there to the right? ----------> I'm going to start talking about them more often, but here is one suggestion for today. Check out my the Twenty Six Vintage Etsy shop over there for some amazing vintage clothes this weekend. Just don't buy this dress that I'm saving up for. No, it's ok - buy it if you want to, but can I borrow it sometime? 
- And lastly (but not leastly) I know a lot of people were blessed by Kelly's post last Saturday. I think she has some more coming for us this week. And I think I might get to see Kelly in person this weekend! Don't be jeal, do read her new post. 


Happy Weekend ya'll. 
Love you! 
(too soon? meh... who cares)

i don't have it all together.

this post is decorated with pictures of me keeping it real. what our house looks like in the midst of unpacking all our seattle boxes. i'm up to my eyes in boxes, so the kids are doing a LOT of playing. 

This past weekend, someone gave me one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever been given. I’m not a good compliment taker, probably like the other 93% of womankind, but this one I rubbed in and I immediately said thank you.

Let me back up.

What do you look like at church? Let me tell you, I’ve looked all different kinds of ways. There was a time, a majillion years ago, when I had no kids and no husband, and I was on staff at a church – I’d get meticulously dressed, take my purposely worn Bible with my purposely worn clothes, and march myself into the church I was on staff at. I loved Jesus, but I loved being who I was too. Maybe too much. No, definitely too much. I liked being on staff, being respected, and having my hair done. I liked thinking I had it all together, because I believed that it caused God to get more glory.

Fast forward a few years and a few years later and a woman once told me, “you look different to me {I know I’ve gained weight, lady}, but I knew it was you because you look so frazzled!”. That was not the best compliment I’ve ever received. I did look frazzled. I was frazzled. I had three kids under three and I mostly came to church only to escape to the nursing room, for the one time a week that I only had one child in my arms. I was a sweaty, frazzled mess. 

Rewind a few months ago from today, in the very beginning of my admittance of “the D word”, and I laid out in the back row at church and cried my eyes out by myself. I was exhausted, confused, depressed, anxious, and desperate to feel the Lord’s presence. I didn't even care that I was laid out prostrate on some pews. A few older women came and prayed over me and asked me if I was having “man problems”. I chuckled.  And then cried some more. Then Nick came back from the bathroom and I think he was understandably terrified to find a blubbering wife with some well-meaning lady saints trying to counsel me to break up with anyone that would make me feel that way - since I couldn't stop crying long enough to tell them I didn't have "man problems". 

But there has been healing recently and I’ve been so interested to see what going to church is like during healing. Because being around the body is such a good litmus test to see how we’re doing, you know? I certainly don’t have it all together, but I’m not collapsed on the back aisle anymore. I still need to be ministered to, to hear the preaching of the Word, to be held accountable – I’m not above any of those ministries and I really hope that pride in my heart never causes me to feel so. But at the same time, the Lord is burdening my heart to minister to others. To share the gospel again. On the internet, through muffins for friends, by cleaning my house before Nick gets home, with words, and of course - directly with my children and the small sphere of people I get to do life with. So presently - I’ve felt the tension of the two worlds I’ve lived in, in the past. Above being ministered to, having it all together OR being a big weapy mess on the back row. I think this is such a tension for me because I know the pressure that’s coming as a pastor’s wife, and here is what the Lord has kind of been pre-teaching me.

Wait, wait. Skip back to the compliment. Long story short, the woman I met this weekend told me that she’d seen me at church and she was really encouraged. That at first, she thought I had it all together and was frustrated and then saw me in action, saw me with my kids and saw how crazy they can be. She saw me get flustered and lived through me forgetting meeting her because of the flusterization. She saw me try to lead a meeting at a church, and stop mid-sentence a few times because Glory was tackling someone. And she was encouraged. Because I didn’t have it all together, and she could see God’s grace. Not mine, not my elegance or my cleverness, just God’s grace making something sweet of an unprofessional mom trying to relinquish control.

When you get a compliment like that, how do you deflect it? “Oh no – ma’am – God’s grace isn’t good! You’re mistaken! That’s all me, pulling myself up by the bootstraps!” (um, lies. False gospel, gross!) Or do you go the opposite way and get offended that she just said you didn’t have it all together? Heck no, you don’t! You don’t do either. You rub that compliment in and praise God for His grace. Praise God for progress. Praise God for confidence in Christ.

Because that’s the answer I feel like He’s teaching me as a woman and a mom, and a wife of someone signing up for lifelong vocational ministry. It isn’t extra godliness or extra righteousness that qualifies you for ministering to anyone. Please reread that sentence if you’re anything like me. (I know a few friends who are sighing deeply that I finally understand that sentence.) It isn’t extra godliness or extra righteousness that qualifies you for ministering to anyone. It’s grace that sustains. Grace that awakes you. Grace that enables you. Grace that saves you. Grace that equips and calls you. And confidence in Christ alone that moves you forward, by grace through faith, to ever minister to anyone. And if you’ve been broken before, or are now – there is no shame. No condemnation. If you’ll be broken again (me!), there is no shame. There’s only grace that comes from relationship with Christ crucified, raised again, welcoming us into God’s family.

This morning I was reading a Francis Chan book and he was telling story after story of people who just wasted their life on the gospel. Gave it ALL AWAY to know, love, and share Christ with others. And I was flabbergasted at the confident brokenness that was running out my eyes in the forms of sobs. Because maybe for the first time, I read stories like that – and wasn’t stuck in the shame of feeling not enough to live extravagantly for Him. All I could do was praise Him and thank Him for this high-calling of grace. To know my own sin (in part), and to find confidence in Christ (in full). To know we are called to Boston, I am called to the women on the internet who read my blog, and most essentially – we’re called to this family, to minister to them, speak truth to them, encourage them, walk in humility before them. And He’s equipped us.

We don’t have it all together.

Praise God. 

beyond pumped, one percent changes.

Ya'll. I can't help it.
I'm just plain excited. 
I've been having a very low-grade happy panic attack for a few days just thinking about this. 
I've got a new semi-permanent segment on Naptime Diaries to debut, and I feel like, I HOPE, it is going to be a blessing to women like me.
I pray that it is an encouragement that only grows. 

It started with my guest post awhile back for A Foodie Stays Fit. One thing I wrote about was my desire to make a 1% change in my health daily. I wanted to erase the burden on myself to become completely natural, completely fit, and completely awesome (hm....) overnight. Instead, I set out to walk towards an end goal of being as physically healthy as possible - one 1% change at a time. Today, more water. Tomorrow, throw out the high-fructose-corn-syrup laden ketchup. The next day, read about WHY I just threw out the ketchup. The reason I wanted to do that was because I've found that I'm just like the rest of the world, in that - if I really want to make a change, making massive bold-life-altering pronouncements do me no good. Little, costly-yet-still-easy, baby steps lead to life change. 


Fast-forward to present day and I struggle to figure out how I want health,fitness, and food to fit in this blog. I'm not a recipe creator. I am seriously a new cook. I love cooking, but it's not my thing. I love exercise, I love what I've learned about exercise, but I'm not tiny instructor who can tell you the ins and outs of bicep reduction and thigh tightenation. I'm more of a mom, eeking it out doing 30 Day Shred while my kids pretend to nap. I don't know a ton about vitamins (yet) and I'm still learning about growing your own vegetables (we'll see). 


I'm just a novice. Just a mom, trying to make 1% changes. 
But maybe you are too? Maybe you've made 231 1% changes and you have more to offer! 
Maybe you've only made a .5% change, but you're ready to make a small(big) commitment. 


Join us. 
Every week. 
I'll tell you about one of my 1% changes and I'll hope, hope, hope that you'll tell us about yours. In my wildest dreams, you blog about it and post the link back in the comments. If you want to make me actually squeal with delight, you'll grab a button so that other ladies can come right back here and read all about other peoples 1% changes and we're all making 1% changes and feeling better and serving our families/communities/churches/friends better because we're not SO focused on how unhealthy we feel. 
God gets glory, we feel better. 
win-win. 








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And I'll tell you what else. 
My vision-casting hot husband is all over this. I'd say it was 61% his idea (apparently the percentages are very important to me) and I feel really encouraged that he buys into me feeding us meals without hormones and going running on date nights in an effort to be around as long as possible to serve the Lord together. I also feel really encouraged that he felt it necessary to snag up www.onepercentchanges.com. So not to leave you in suspense, but come back next WEDNESDAY - ready to hear about my change, share yours, and see what else we might have up our sleeves for this little project. 


love you friends. 
amen. (it just felt right)


sidebar: I'm praying for other women in all walks of life who are interested in this idea and might want to serve women through this site. If that's you - email me. Jessi Connolly at gmail. 

b,b,b,b, boston.

Last week, I got a formspring question (to the right, to the right, look over there in the box to the right) about our church plant. How much we needed to fundraise, if we were going through a denomination, etc. Friends also sometimes ask what is going on with our church, our hearts concerning Boston, our future plans, etc... so I figured, no time like the present. 

frozen charles river

If you're new around here, the backstory is: the Lord called my husband to plant a church in Boston about three years ago. We postponed once for him to pursue a once in a lifetime opportunity to get his Master's in Missional Leadership, see here, and we postponed once again this past fall due to the Lord really putting some big hold on our plans and my struggle with the d-word. Around Christmas 2010, I'd say our hearts were pretty fragile about Boston. I could expound there, but I don't even know where to start. We both were feeling a million different things, and in general - just fragile. 

streets of charlestown, our future neighborhood in boston

Our trip mid-February changed all that. You can read about that here. We asked that the Lord would put our hearts on the same page and give us some clarity. He answered that prayer 1,000 percent. For the first time ever, the idea of planting a church in Boston did not seem big, scary, impossible, or even doubtful. And the Lord has slowly changed our hearts so that while we're still passionate about the church, it seems like our actual calling is to just move to the city and love people the way we should no matter where we are. We don't feel like we need to go with a majillion dollars or a team of thirty people. We need enough money to support our family and be generous to the community, and we'd love another family to do life with and grow into a church with. 


For once, there are kind of many little open doors. Church planting networks, possible funding, possible jobs, etc., but we're really just waiting to hear from the Lord with some clarity about when He'd have us go and HOW he'd have us go. We can jump back into fundraising and go that way if the Lord calls, or we can start working on Nick securing a job/transferring his current job there if that's what the Lord wants. We're just waiting to know one way or the other. And it may be, that He wants us in Columbia for longer. If so, we're great with that too. The calling is secure and firm, the timing is just not so clear to us yet. 


But to answer the specific question: We know a lot of churches have planting budgets of hundreds of thousands of dollars. And don't get us wrong, if someone is passing out the G's to further the gospel, we'll put it to use. However, our current plan is to grow the church budget as it needs it, as our body grows. We won't need five people on staff immediately, we may not even need one full time person on staff immediately. We won't be having a big launch with thousands of dollars with of advertising or renting space for quite a while. Because of the nature of the city and the people, it will look much more like our family and a few other families, settling in, loving our neighbors, and moving outward from there. And as far as denominations (this was in the question as well), we'll be non-denominational but we will for sure be under some sort of authority and accountability, most likely in the form of a church planting network. 


So, some things you can pray with us for: 
- clarity about what else the Lord would have us do/work on during this season
- confirmation and provision about when is best to head to Boston
- at least one other family to follow Jesus' call in Mark 6:7-13 
& help spread the gospel with us
- when the time comes, fruitful fundraising
- continued peace, contentment, joy, and gospel-based community while we wait


So. That's what I got. 
I can't wait. I think we're all called to the great commission, to spreading the fame of Jesus where we can. I feel really, really, really thankful He's called and equipped my husband for pastoring in Boston, specifically. I love that place & those peeps.
Until then, loving practicing in Columbia. 

first vlog and GLORY'S BIRTHDAY

I've needed a good reason to make a vlog for awhile now.
I can't think of a better one in the world than my sweet Glor turning three today. 
Sadly, it cuts off with a few minutes to go, but you get the picture.
She's awesome. 

This video is brought to you by hormonal face bloat, 4 year old brothers,  & 

the chocolate chips that kept Glory going.

In all seriousness, I can't believe Glory is three. 

We celebrated all weekend with our girl cousins, and I can't believe that I have a lady baby I can take to get manicures now, and out to lunch. And I can't believe that now that the TWOS are over, she'll probably just wake up tomorrow and never throw another tantrum, right? right!? 

Gloriana Eloise Connolly:

You are a delight. I can't think of one person who has met you, spent time with you, and not commented on how incredibly special you are. There is just something amazing about you. You love your brothers passionately and are always taking care of them. You love your mama & Daddy so well and brighten any dark spot on any hard day. You are funny and super, super smart. Smarter than either of us for sure. You are a great growler and dancer and an INCREDIBLE singer. You might know more scripture than I do, and you DEFINITELY know more songs than I do and I pray that keeps on going, the you knowing more and teaching me part. I pray that one day soon, you'd hand your "something super special" back to the Lord who gave it to you, for His use and for His glory. 

I love your guts you sweet three year old. 

Your mama. 

deceitful hearts, guest post by Kelly

Below is a guest post by my sweet friend Kelly. My sister has been bff with Kelly since their freshman year in college and we can both attest that her outward beauty is only rivaled by the beauty of her wisdom. She's an incredible mother to two sweet kiddos, and an amazing artist. Find her art, here - at www.kellybollman.com. Enjoy. 

“Ma'am, is there anything the courts of Richland County in the state of South Carolina can do to save your marriage?” 

My thoughts shot into over-drive: “What did you just ask!?”  “Maybe?!”  “I…I don’t know!  …Like what would that be?”  “How come this is the last question and not the first?”

 And then the lie that became my truth resettled.  I remembered the new man.  I remembered my new future.  My new plans. 

“No.”  A stoic reply.

And in October of 2005, in slick brown heels, in that wood-paneled room, with strangers and the dearest in our midst, I walked away from my marriage and said “No more” to my covenant.  The judge pounded out our finality and my attorney gave me her congratulations.  It was a horrific scene.

I couldn’t wait to get out of there.

In January of 2001, I knew I’d be married forever.  Four and ¾ years later, I was done.  Betrayed.  Not by my beloved, nor by a friend, or any other human for that matter, rather by my own heart.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Wellspring of life.  Deceitful beyond cure.  (see Proverbs 4:23 & Jeremiah 17:9) 

Our hearts.

My heart.  Your heart.   

Lies are thrust upon us regarding our soul organ.  They say, “Trust in your heart.  Find it within your heart.  Go for what your heart desires.  Follow your heart.”

No…. No.  Don’t do it.

I won’t for a second pretend to understand the complexity, the absolute intricacy of the human heart.  How our Creator God placed an organ within us that not only physically beats life within and throughout our bodies, but also houses our souls, our utmost longings, our aches, our joys, so much so that we concretely feel them, right there in our upper-left chests, is beyond my earthly comprehension.  Fear this mystery. 

If I could hold each face skimming this post, I’d place trembling hands on your cheeks, and with every ounce of sincerity, breathe these words: “Friend, believer even, you are absolutely capable of performing your day, your week, your year or decade, driven by a deceived heart.”

We can all go there and not even know it.   Are you?  

What is our heart’s defense?  Cages?  Lock and key?

Fleshier forms --“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.  I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh,” (Ezekiel 36:26) -- that beat like His.  The kind that only He can devise, that put up walls against bitterness, lies, selfish wants, that thing you can’t stop thinking about, even the stuff they say “we deserve.”  A fleshy heart, like His, brings us to the place where we love those that hate us.  A fleshy heart loves when the pain is nauseating.  A fleshy heart forgives, when forgiveness is excruciating.  A fleshy heart sees and is blessed. (Matt. 5:8) 

Guard such a heart, with more of His blood. 

A heart of flesh, red, raw, gorgeous, pulsing at the rate of God’s, oh Lord, make it so!  For only You can place such matter into our bodies, breathe life, true life, from within and make it good. 

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Our family’s story is not over.  Not even close!

Because of His grace, there will be more to tell.  And better yet, if this little fragment of our tale awakens one deceived heart, it will be worth it and so like our God to make glory rise from ashes.