What an amazing experience it was to be a guest on the World Hope Cast with Dr. Paul Jenkins and Don Hudson. I hope you will all have the opportunity to listen to the interview. My tips on hope: practice smiling, don't live in the what if's or if I'd only mindset, and be happy now! -GMC‪   

Audio of World Hope Cast Interview

#WorldHopeCast

My World Hopecast Interview

 

Many of you have heard of motivational speaker Dr. Paul Jenkins, well I am being interviewed by him on the WORLD HOPECAST next week, so please sign up now to listen!

This is a record breaking internet podcast with interviews of experts from around the globe in a record attempt (certified by Guinness) for the longest live-streamed audio webcast, while providing powerful messages of hope to the world, from around the world.

Registration is Open! Please take a moment to register yourself, and then invite your friends to do the same. Once you register, you will receive a unique link and instructions that allow you to follow the live stream. I will be interviewed on Friday at 12am Mountain Standard Time. Tune in online, Thursday night just before midnight to hear my Friday 12am interview podcast live. Let me know if you can't listen to the even that night. I will have a direct link to my interview after the entire podcast for World Hopecast is over.

The link you receive will work for the entire event, not just my interview. You will also have access to the schedule and can share the event with others. This is the direct link to the registration page:

http://WorldHopecast.com/registration

World Hopecast does not sell or share your e-mail information. Even if you can't listen to mine, register and listen to other podcasts or mine at a later date :)

Grace Marie Chumley

"Put on your natural make-up, SMILE"

Author of:

"Grace Under Pressure - Smiling Through Adversity"

One of the Quickest Ways to Start to Heal is Through Forgiveness (Healthy Habits #6)

One of the hardest things in the world to do is forgive, especially when you didn’t do anything wrong. Our mind and even the world communicates to us there is no need to forgive. I was right or I was the victim. When we hang on to what someone has done to us, it causes bitterness, anger, and resentment in our hearts. When we don’t let go our heart becomes darker. Here are three personal examples that I hope will explain what I mean.

When I was a young mom, there were two men at my church that held leadership positions that I had a difficult time with. They had said several things that really hurt my feelings. One day I walked into the church and one of the men said, “Hey you pregnant again or just getting fatter.” Now I don’t know how you would feel, but for me not being pregnant, that was a huge insult. I could go on and on and list the things that were said over the course of a few years that were so out of line. It made me angry. I had such feelings of bitterness and hatred towards these two men. What were they thinking?

Did they treat me like that every time I saw them? No. But the bitterness was already in me and it festered. I went on hating them for almost five years. Every time I was around them my mind and heart were filled with animosity. One day I noticed that they really had no idea I was angry at them. They were clueless and I was filled with bitterness. That is one of the first times I realized how this principle works. It is like I was drinking poison and expecting them to die. One day I saw them alone in a room together. I went in and told them I wanted to apologize to them for having negative thoughts toward them. They both looked surprised and asked me what they had done. I told them it didn’t matter and that I was sorry. It was like someone took a weight and lifted it off my back. This is a simple example that I allowed to last much longer than necessary and in the end it really only damage me.

Another example is when my daughter had a boyfriend who turned into a stalker. It put our family in an upheaval when I had to have her in hiding for seven weeks in another state. During that time I was angry at him for what he did and I did everything I could to protect my daughter, but I also prayed for him. He was messed up and really needed help from somewhere. Although I hated his actions, I tried to remember he was also a child of God. A messed up one, but one none the less. It took a lot of work, but it kept my heart from becoming bitter with hatred toward him.

Finally, after my mother died at 85, I went to her home to collect her belongs. She had been living with her elderly boyfriend for the last 13 years of her life. I knew him well and I had stayed at their home on several occasions with my children. He would dote over my mother and loved her very much but was very distraught at her death. That night I woke up to the horror of him naked in my bed. I won’t go into detail about what all happened and how things ended, but I was angry, violated, and disgusted. I drove the moving van the five hours home breaking down in tears and anguish as to why he would attempt to do what he did. I had always felt safe there or I would never had gone alone.

The feelings of anger, violation, and disgust did not last long this time. I went to an ecclesiastical leader of my church the next day and we talked and I cried. He assured me that it was not my fault and I did nothing wrong. Then he gave me a blessing and told me everything would be alright and to find forgiveness in my heart. It was easier this time. I was not asked to forget or to let him back into my life, I was asked to forgive him for his sins. When we forgive, we aren’t expected to forget. We often need to remember to keep ourselves safe from the situation repeating itself.

The lesson here is that when we are the victim, we are continuing to allow them to win when we become bitter and angry. We are giving them power over us. When we forgive, our hearts are softened and our healing can begin.

Author’s Note: If you are in a violent abusive relationship. Don’t remain in it. Get to a safe place. Even if you forgive a hundred times, the abuser will continue their abuse unless they get help and learn to truly change. Remember forgiveness is to help in your healing. It does not mean to continue to allow the abusive behavior of others to hurt you. (GMC)

Healthy Habits #5 Taking Control of My Life...Again

 Degenerative or Osteoarthritis

I have now been to three doctors in the last few weeks and have one more appointment in June. Things are progressing forward as I work to take my life back from pain. My family doctor diagnosed me with Osteoarthritis. Yesterday, I saw the orthopedic doctor who gave me an arthritis steroid shot in my hip. I have had cortisone shots in my hip for bursitis, but not steroid shots for arthritis. The pain was easily cut in half, but some still exists. According to the physical therapist  today, the pain that is left is being caused by the bursitis.

These shots are band-aids that can last for months or a year. They do not fix the problem. Degenerative or Osteoarthritis is a condition that involves the chronic breakdown of cartilage in the joints leading to painful joint inflammation. It is common with old age, but even more common if you have had issues caused from car accidents, improper cheer leading, and some of my other falls and injuries. 

The bursa is a fluid-filled sac that functions as a gliding surface to reduce friction between moving tissues of the body. There are two major bursae in the hip. Bursitis, or inflammation of a bursa, is usually not infectious, but the bursa can become infected. Unfortunately, both of my hip bursae are inflamed.

I was given the all clear to go do my 5K walks. The first one is tomorrow. I am not doing any permanent damage to the bursa or the arthritis by working it, but I am making it really mad so that it inflames or causes pain. The physical therapist said that cold or hot compresses are fine. So use what feels the best. They would like to see me do some swimming since that is the least impact on the area, but my elliptical and bike are also fine. 


Although the actual cause of osteoarthritis and bursitis are unknown and incurable, there are a lot of things you can do to ease the pain. The low impact exercise is one area to focus on. Another is to strengthen the core and the muscles around the area. Finally lose weight and take omega 3's. These will all help, but in the end when the pain gets too unbearable it will be hip replacement time. 

At least I know I am not causing more damage when I down the ibuprofen and push through the pain. So now I have 1 stretch and 3 exercises to do at home until my appointment next week. I am also going to see someone that is a Certified Bowenwork Practitioner. It is a unique form of neuromuscular re-patterning. It works primarily through the nervous system on both structural and energetic levels.

By taking control I am hoping to be able to alleviate some of the pain I have.  Especially the pain at night that causes havoc and keeps me awake. My advice to the younger generation: take care of yourself now so you don't have to go through what I am!

Sometimes Life Happens!

I have know Corinne since I was 3 years old!

I appoligize for not posting in a very long time, but sometimes life happens and we get very busy. I don't blog for money so the need to post often isn't a high priority. What is a high priority is the fan requests :) I get from my friends!

Life has been busy since last September. I have had one daughter's family move out of the basement to Oregon and another daughter's family move in the basement. At lease now I get to see the 6 month old twins more often!  I love being a grandmother and seeing the next generation grow and develop. I am so proud of the way my children are raising my grandchildren. I am actually working on my third book that will be interesting to all so being watching for future updates.

Iguazu Falls, Argentina

So what has happened in the last seven months? Well, I put on a mega reunion for my high school in California, traveled with my childhood best friend to LA and Vegas, the grand twins Boston and Lyla were born, I traveled with my travel buddy to Antarctica, Argentina, and Chile, and lost 5 pounds then gained 15! Life is so fun and full of changes.

Iceberg in Antarctica

                                                                      Since I like to focus on healthy living, lets look at the weight issue first. I love food and have a few food items I cannot control myself around. One of them is chocolate milk with Nestle's Quick. It is the bane of my existence. I cannot have it in the house because I will drink 2-3 glasses a day. I cannot say it is the reason for all the weight gain, but I traveled for almost the entire month of January and didn't gain any weight! I was eating out for a month. After arriving home, I have downed two large containers of Nestle's Quick and a lot more milk than I usually drink so what else could it be? Maybe the fact my exercise has been sporadic? Maybe because I only get 4-5 hours of sleep a night?

Healthy Habits and Enjoying Exercise:
Whatever the cause this has to stop because I have what I call my pain threshold. It is a specific weight that if I go above all the pain intensives by triple. I have more hip issues, more numbness in my toes, more back issues, and need a new wardrobe! So how do you take the first step to change? I started by signing up for a 5K for every month starting this month. I have actually gone to bed twice this week before midnight, and I am back in the books studying nutrition. I am way behind in my college independent study course on nutrition. It saddens me when my friends look at themselves in the mirror and see fat when I look at them and see beauty. I guess I need to apply that to myself because all I see is fat right now. With the weather so nice a good walk outside is one of the best things to do. I don't want to be skinny, I want to be healthy.

Fun Food:
I am totalling enjoying the meal situation here. I buy the groceries and my daughter cooks the dinners. She is a great cook and is trying new and healthy foods all the time. I think she needs to start a food blog. She has a great blog on her adventures with the blessing of her twins. Look her up at: http://littleivielane.blogspot.com/

So be watching for weekly blogs, I hope, on healthy habits, enjoying exercise, and fun foods. Maybe my daughter will  even let me share a few of her recipes. Better yet follow her on Pinterest, she has a board on the recipes she tries. Have a great week and remember "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page"        St Augustine

My beautiful twin grand babies!

Healthy Habits #4 AND Enjoying Exersice #3

Since I am planning a major event in California in October, my time has been drawn away from writing. Hopefully I will get back to more frequent posts soon.

I have watched "Fed Up" three times this week. I still shake my head in disbelief and learn something from it each time. If you haven't seen it, it is a must see. Have you ever noticed that the FDA, who controls putting labels on food, has deliberately chosen to leave off the percentage of daily recommenced sugar intake? The government & other groups say to those of us over weight that we need more discipline and we need to exercise, while they continue to lie to the American people about what they are putting in our foods.

By the time you have had a bowl of most cereals, glass of juice, and a piece of fruit for breakfast, you have already surpassed your daily recommend percentage of sugar. The food industry surrounds us with unhealthy processed foods at the check out stands, in our school, and places of work and then tells us it is our own fault for gaining weight. The line of 'calorie in = calorie out' isn't so equal. The people who made this documentary are selling nothing and gain nothing, so why would they lie? The challenge?
For 10 days:
1.  don't eat any unnatural sugar (fruits & vegies are fine)
2. Don't eat any processed foods, you know things in a box, fast food, etc
3. COOK! Actually cook fresh foods.

Personally, I am trying to avoid high fructose corn syrup, sodium nitrate, and anything I can't say on a label! Interesting fact, my weight gain corresponds with the years they started changing foods and adding crap, and entering the work world where cooking became a chore instead of a time to spend with family cooking.

Now on to the fun part of my week! I bought an elliptical and have actually used it 4 times in a week! I also talked my daughter into doing the 'Obsticles of Obesity' 5K. On this one we had to do the course in a blow up suit so the thinner people in the crowd could see how had some things were to do. This was my 6th 5K this summer and I have two more I want to do! It has been a lot of fun doing these crazy 5Ks. I am not a runner, so this has been great. Find something you enjoy doing and go do it!

Healthy Habits #2

Today at my church a great lesson was taught based on a talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf entitled "Grateful in Any Circumstance." It is a favorite of mine. He talks about knowing how to comfort and support people in their trials. He teaches that if we choose to develop a spirit of gratitude, it will bring us true joy and great happiness. Many times we wonder what we have to be grateful for when our world is falling apart.

I felt that way 6 years ago when my husband took his life. Where do you find the good and happiness in a situation like that? This week was the 6 year anniversary of that loss and I felt more sadness this year than in some of the past years. Sadness that a man with so much to offer couldn't see the good he was providing the people around him. For the most part, I have done very well after such a devastating loss. Many people have wonder how I have bounced back and how I have done so well, so I am going to let you in on a few of my successes with this tragedy.

First, it was not my fault and there was nothing I could do to stop what happened or change it. So I chose not to take the blame for his decision. No going to the 'what ifs' or 'if I'd only."
Second, I focused on the good he did in this world and the stories other shared about how he helped them.
Third, I wrote. I wrote my feelings of sadness, happiness, trials, pain, joy, and loss. As I wrote, I tried to find humor and peace in the crazy things life was throwing at me.
Fourth, and this one took awhile longer, I realized the good I could do because he left me well taken care of.
Fifth, and most important, I made the decision to be happy. Happy with what I had in the past and with what I still had.

Was life easy, no. Was I always happy, no. But it was my choice and I believe it was what carried me through to a healthy state of mind so quickly. I never needed counseling, but I did need my friends and their support and understanding.

So what is the point of writing this entry? Hopefully to help other see that life is tough and we have many things thrown our way to knock us off track, but most of us hold the key to being happy. Our health depends on it. With a smile and a happy heart, I believe we can help our bodies stay healthy too.

Enjoying Exercise #1 - First 5K of the Summer Done!

I can walk but I can't run. Jogging is even pushing it for me. It doesn't help when you're top heavy and try to jog either, if you get the picture. So to have fun with exercising and get my family involved, I started doing 5K Walks.

My daughter, six year old grandson, and I just finished the Electro Dash. It is a fun night run with lots of lights and music. We were a bit out of shape for the first one this season, but we did it! It took my daughter and grandson about an hour and 15 minutes. I did it in about 55 minutes. We were thankful that her husband came alone for the ride and to cheer us on. When we got to the half-way point, they were out of water. So we texted my son-in-law to meet us with water bottles. He was a life savor!

We had a good time with all our glow sticks and the positive atmosphere around us. Walking is one of the best exercises you can do. It only takes 1/2 hour 3-4 times a week. Start slow but walk!

Now it is time to get ready for our next 5K The Dirty Dash. This one is going to wipe me out.

Healthy Habits #1 - Happiness Is A Choice

I have always believed that happiness is a choice. It bothers me when people say, "I will be happy when...." You can fill in the black with: when I get a job, when I get married, when I loose weight, etc. Life is tough, but most of us can choose to be happy while going though the tough times.

I get it, there are people that suffer from depression that cannot make that choice all the time. My late husband couldn't choose to be happy and after battling extremely bad clinical depression for 27 years, he took his life. One of my daughters will always deal with clinical depression and there are some days the demons of that brain disease, steal her happiness from her. But do not have depression.

I suffer from being overweight, chronic pain, bursitis, a lack of nutritious eating, and just bad habits! So I am taking control of my life. This blog will be about my journey to lose weight so the pain will stop. It will be about finding recipes that help you eat healthy and foods that taste great while promoting good eating habits, as well as exercising and a happy attitude. Basically as a school teacher, I know when you learn a concept, you will retain it better if you teach it to someone else. So this is my way of sharing what I learn and teaching it so I can grasp it even better.

Welcome to my journey!


Areas of concern: Large flabby upper arms, flexibility, large thighs, fat rolls around the middle!
Weight: 222 (can't believe I am actually posting that) was at 210 before I moved to a different state.
Eating: Don't get enough fruits or veggies, I eat mostly starches.
Exercise: try to walk a few days a week, I like to do 5K walks every summer
Mood:  HAPPY and loving life!