The Stare Down

Written by Ivy | 13 January 2012

This morning, I went to weather.com, to see whether or not I'm taking a small road trip today (jury is still out), when I found this video.

It caught my attention because I've developed a strange new obsession with lions. The obsession started with my new iMac. You see, I have a strange rule that the desktop image must represent my operating system. On my MacBook the OS was called Tiger (my favorite animal), now the OS is called Lion. In case you're wondering, I named the lion that runs my computer King Arthur. My desktop is on a rotation of lion images. The constant view of regal lion images has made me really appreciate the beauty of this animal.

When I saw an image of a little girl staring down a lion at a zoo, I had to watch. The mom in me and the new lion enthusiast in me couldn't turn away.

It has cute moments and there is some laughter. But if you think of this video from the lion's perspective, it's quite horrifying. I don't know what you think, but I think the lion wanted her for lunch.

Finding Your True Shape

Written by Ivy | 11 January 2012

One of my goals in 2012 is to finally reach my goal weight. I lost 39 pounds last year, and I WILL lose the last 30 this year. So I've been searching for inspiration to keep me focused. I've got a whole lot of photos of skinny women, outfits I want to wear, shoes I want to buy to reward myself, even bikinis I've longed to be in.

With each image I saved, I seemed to be less motivated. Then I found this:

This image was originally posted in Oprah magazine. It shows what a woman would have to have "altered" to look like Barbie.

It's crazy, right?

But it is just crazy enough to inspire me to stop beating myself up. Here is a very attractive woman who would have to have over half her body cut off to be "perfect." 

Yeah... this is just what I needed! 

One Word, 365 Days

Written by Ivy | 06 January 2012

The new year is in full swing, and that means a whole lot of resolutions, goals, promises and even a little re-evaluating.

I really love the start of a new year. That's the biggest reason Sweet-D and I got married on New Year's Eve. Every time we celebrate an anniversary, it's a new beginning in every sense of the word.

I've made my fair share of resolutions. I've kept my fair share of resolutions. Of course, I've even completely failed on my fair share of resolutions.

Last year I committed myself to one resolution, actually one word to frame my year - FOLLOW. I vowed to follow God, aiming to do so blindly.

It made for an interesting year.

Following God meant making some hard decisions, cutting some ties, and doing a whole lot of self-evaluating. It sounds like it was a terrible year, but following God also meant a year filled with a lot of joy and self-discovery.

I wish I could say I stuck to my resolution 100 percent, but more often than not I fell short. In fact, one of the biggest lessons I learned in 2011 came from falling short. You know what, I'm happy that I did. Without these lessons, I feel like I would be in the same place with my faith as I was a year ago.

I do actually have a few resolutions this year, which I will share in a future post, but I've framed them under one overwhelming theme - LISTEN.

In 2012, I want to listen. Overwhelmingly, I want to listen to God, seek out his voice and direction in my life. I want to listen to my body and do what is best for my health. I want to listen to my family more, letting their voices and desires ring through the house. And I want to keep myself open to listen to the world around me.

I may be a dreamer in all this, but I really feel like a lot of good is going to come out of keeping my ears and eyes open to everything happening around me.

It's 2012, and I can't wait to see what's in store!

What are you doing this year?

2012 - Best Year Ever!

Written by Ivy | 01 January 2012

“For last year's words belong to last year's language
and next year's words await another voice.”
~ T.S. Elliot

There is something magical about the start of a new year! It's like a giant reset button on the world. A new year means wiping off the dust that settled from last year's problems and starting fresh.

I've been thinking long and hard about what I want to accomplish in 2012. I really want this year to be a defining year in my life. I feel more inspired than ever. I know that's a feat in itself, right? Ivy can actually get more inspired? Well... apparently I can.

We all need new beginnings. Before I go on, I have to say 2011 wasn't all that bad. It had it's challenges. God really used this year to reposition me. I was told to step down as worship leader of the church I was attending. I was given new priorities of my time. I was shown, through a few disappointments, that God's way is sometimes different than we expect.

But, overall, this year was filled with many blessings for the Unscripted family. Blessings far to numerous to count. For that, I am eternally grateful!

I've decided, through prayer, to really focus on building parts of my life this year. I need to train my voice more, practice piano more, build a healthier foundation in my life. I need to slow down a bit and enjoy the journey of all these things. And, more than anything, I need to seek out God's still, soft voice.

I want to 2012 to be the best year of my life (and of my family's lives). My biggest goal is to be the type of friend I want to have, the type of person I want to meet, and the type of worshipper God desires.

2012 is going to truly rock! I pray that this year is filled with more blessings that you could ever dream of! I can't wait to see where the heights you'll reach this year!

2012 here we come!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!