Tag: OgleOhio

Faith

What I Am Giving Up For Lent

Michele Kearns

For those of you who have followed this blog for sometime, you know I am not in favor of giving up something for Lent. The suffering endured by giving up coffee or chocolate is nothing compared to what Jesus went through during his beating and hanging on the cross.

Instead I am in favor of taking up something for Lent. Do something to increase  your faith and/or help others.

Bye Bye

However, this year I am giving something up – Facebook.

It is going to be tough because I follow some great pages – The Devoted Barn (feral and medical rescue and rehoming for dogs, cats, pigs, sheep, goats, and horses),  Golden Retriever’s In Need and Buckeye’s Missions and Sanctuary. I am also a member of great groups – Problogger Podcast Listeners, Cheerleaders for Christ, and Faithful Finish Lines.

With all the chaos in the world and online, and with people purposely showing only the good side of life in their news feed, I’ve decided to call it quits for Lent. I will still be blogging both here and at OgleOhio.com.

What I Will Do

Besides still blogging both here and at OgleOhio, I will work on living life to make memories for the news feed in my head. The memories will include helping others (not sure how yet), reading various materials to help increase my faith and continuing to pray for the Holy Spirit to work mightily in my job search. I need a miracle as I file for my last unemployment check this Sunday.

What I Am Hoping

I am hoping this Facebook fast will last long after Easter has come and gone. There is so much more to life to experience and enjoy than living life for Facebook.

What did you give up or take up for Lent?

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The “Tour de Parks”

Michele Kearns
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Monument Park, Canton, OH

I am still a part of the Faithful Finish Lines fitness program. The program is built on 4 pillars –  faith, eating, exercise and mission. It emphasizes taking small steps toward your goals instead of making drastic changes at once.

We get motivational emails from Sara Borgstede, fitness plans from Jill Csillag and have online chats via Facebook. The women in this group are wonderful faith-filled, grace-filled women. This past winter took a toll on everyone in at least one of the 4 areas.

My fitness goal was the Groundhog Day Marathon that would run from 2/2 to 2/28 and take place at the mall. I was to park in the same spot, at the same time every morning, put my parka in the same locker, and walk the mall the same way every day and take a selfie in the same spot.

Groundhog Tracks - 2/2/15
Groundhog Tracks – 2/2/15

Well February in Northeast Ohio was what I was afraid it was going to be – crappy and not safe for driving. Also, I started back at my seasonal call center job and between those two happenings the Groundhog Day Marathon was grounded (pun intended).

Round 3 Fitness Goal

Round 2 has come and gone and no need for looking back and dwelling on what did not happen instead it is time to move forward. For round 3, my fitness goal is the Tour de Parks where I will walk one park in Northeast Ohio every weekend.

Ground Rules

I pick:

  • the park,
  • the day,
  • the time,
  • the camera settings

One of the things I found when I walked the mall for Round one’s fitness goal, I walked too fast. This time I am bringing my camera and taking pictures for a weekly blog post. Taking pictures will slow me down, help me enjoy being in the moment and let you walk beside me.

The Tour de Parks ends on April 25th.

North Park, Brunswick, OH
North Park, Brunswick, OH

Weekend Wisdom

The posts for this weekend will feature pictures from one of the parks I visited last year during my 31 Days of Autumn in Ohio series that ran on OgleOhio.com. (Today’s pictures are also part of the ones taken for the series, but were not featured on OgleOhio.)

See you Saturday for Weekend Wisdom and next Wednesday for the first installment of Tour de Parks.

The best picture from my weekly park walk will be featured on my photography blog OgleOhio.com.

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31 Days of Joy: Day 12 – Joy in Rest.

Michele Kearns

Today is a day of rest after a 48 hour work week. It is 4:56 p.m. and my energy level is finally where I want it.  My job is seasonal and will end probably within a couple weeks, maybe sooner.

I attended church this morning, which is a rarity after working 6 days. Normally I stay snuggled under the covers a couple extra hours. After church I drove to Northpark and walked around the pond taking fall pictures for my other blog – OgleOhio.  

Then it was time for the zoo grocery store. (On a Sunday after church it really is more like a zoo.) Once I got home and ate a sandwich, it was off to bed for a 1 1/2 hour nap.  Rommie and I have been playing tennis ball and watching a movie since I got out of bed.

While there has been rest today, a load or two of laundry needs done as well as a manicure/pedicure before bed. But most importantly it is time to feed Rommie.

Hope everyone had a restful weekend.