Happy Monday Everyone! Hoping you all had a blessed week! Here is another Motivation Monday, giving you some encouragement and reminding you to count your blessings. Now that I am back at work, it is so difficult keeping up with my posts, but the Motivation Mondays MUST stay consistent! As always, please share some of the awesome things that happened to you this week. Remember, there’s a blessing even in the little things!!!
Let Your World Be Shaken!
As I write this post, I am attempting to keep up with the schedule that I was maintaining during my time away from work…but it’s hard! I’m back to waking up early and actually getting ready for work. My mornings are still a bit slow and I have to just jump right into my routine–ready or not! I’m back to feeling as if there aren’t enough hours in the day, but I need more hours because especially on a day like yesterday, there’s just so much to do! I’m forcefully reminded of the status of my health, yet again, and trying to maintain all positivity in order to make it through the day.
5 Things That Made Me Smile This Week #5
Now that I’m back at work, I have to get readjusted to my schedule. I didn’t get a chance to post yesterday, but hey, it’s never too late! I I hope you all are keeping up and continuing to reflect on your blessing daily! One thing that I noticed this week is that my 5 things have nothing to do with my Lupus…that’s because this week was one of the most normal weeks that I’ve had in a long time! Praise God! Now, I did have a doctor appointment and a pulmonary function exam on Tuesday, but they both went great! While I am so grateful for improved health, there were so many other awesome things happening this week too–I didn’t know where to fit health news! I guess it doesn’t matter since I found a lovely spot here:D Comment below and let me know of some amazing things that happened to you this week!
More Chicken Parm Please!
Meal prepping this weekend could be a challenge due to the holidays…but not with this extremely simple recipe that I found! This is such an easy way to ensure lunch and dinner for the week! Don’t forget to modify ingredients based on your specific health needs and taste preferences! For those of you who are gluten-free, you can substitute the panko breadcrumbs with a gluten-free option (Ian’s are pretty good)! Comment below letting me know if you try it as well as whether or not it worked out for you! I hope you enjoy!
Be Bold!
Prior to purchasing Ruby (my car), I decided to pay for lessons to learn how to drive. Now, anyone who knows me knows how intensely terrified I was of driving–this is no exaggeration! Why was I so afraid of driving you ask? A seed had been planted in my head years ago, that drove me to believe that I’d be a terrible driver. While helping my father work on his car, I’d made a small error and rather than simply teaching me the correct way, he yelled at me and told me that I should never get behind the wheel of a car because I’d “kill everyone by stepping on the gas like that!” This may seem silly…clearly my father was irritated and said those words out of anger–why would I internalize them so much? Whether it was intentional or not, those words resonated with me for years! For years I was terrified of learning how to drive and allowed this fear to prevent me from even trying…
I Just Need A Nap!
Yesterday was one of the most beautiful days New York City has seen in a while! The sun was shining, there was a light breeze in the air, it was between 75° and 80° for the majority of the day, everyone that I encountered was in such a positive mood–just beautiful! I woke up early and headed straight to the hospital for another follow-up appointment with my rheumatologist and a pulmonary functions exam. Thank God, things are beginning to come back normal (back to how they were prior to my hospitalization) and I’m able to do more and more each day! Following my doctor appointment, I had plans to visit an old co-teacher that I hadn’t spent time with in a while, but first, I had to run an errand with my mom. By the time I made it to the upper west side, I was bit tired! Ironically, when I got to my friend’s apartment, both of her kids were taking their naps…the life right?! This got me thinking…why don’t adults get to take naps during the day?! Especially people like me with Lupus. I’m sure napping during the day has its benefits…
Put It All Into Perspective…(Dos and Don’ts for Supporting Lupus Patients)
Being diagnosed with Lupus, or other autoimmune diseases, doesn’t only affect the patient, but the people in their lives as well. One of the most challenging yet necessary tasks that is given to friends and family members, is the task of giving support. When you love someone dearly, it is only natural for you to want to do all that you can to help them feel love and encouragement. To some, this may come naturally, and to others…not so much. Take my mom for instance, from my perspective, my mom handled my diagnosis so well! She never shed a tear (or so I thought), she was always there when I needed her (and still is), and was always prepared with a word from her heart to provide me with encouragement. This post is less for patients and more for friends and family members of them. What are some “Dos and Don’ts” for supporting someone with Lupus?
Continue reading Put It All Into Perspective…(Dos and Don’ts for Supporting Lupus Patients)
5 Things That Made Me Smile This Week #4
Hi Everyone! I’m checking in with another Motivation Monday–challenging you to reflect on your week and count your blessings! Here are some of the impactful things that happened to me this week and put a smile on my face! I’d love to hear of some of the amazing things that happened to you in the comments section as well! Have a blessed week:D
Is He For Real?
For my birthday last year, I didn’t want to do anything big. I made plans to visit Six Flags Great Adventure with some of my closest friends and was content with that. The day of my birthday, Sean suggested that we at least go out for a small dinner, just the two of us, and I agreed. When we arrived at Piquant (amazing American-Latin infused cuisine), I asked for a table for two, and the maitre d immediately began to seat us–however I was stopped in my tracks. While we were walking to our table, I saw one of my best friends coming from what I assumed was the bathroom. “Marva???? What are you doing here?!” She didn’t get an opportunity to derive a story, because just then, two other close friends of mine appeared next to her–“surprise!” I literally couldn’t believe it! I don’t handle surprises well, so it took a really long time for me to internalize that these people who I loved took time to plan a get together that they knew would be very special to me. Even though they were clearly right in front of my face, I’d questioned whether or not they’d actually done this. Continue reading Is He For Real?
Pile On The Sausages!
I hope meal planning has been going as well for you guys as it’s been for me! I really appreciate the time spent prepping on the weekends when I’m absolutely exhausted mid-week and the last thing I want to do is cook! As mentioned before, I really want to focus on being consistent and making this a lifestyle change rather than a fad. Therefore, I’m continuing to focus on super easy recipes that can be executed with minimal effort and time. This week’s recipe that I found is another “one pan”–I absolutely loved the chicken and veggie recipe from last week and thought to mix it up again! This is also a great gluten-free option. Try it out and as always, please let me know how it goes for you!
Joezette's Journey: My Everyday Walk With Lupus 