tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39651050422663366062024-03-05T18:03:09.998-05:00Life Is Not A FormulaWebsite for Mary Graziano Scro * Speaker, Writer, Joyful Child of GodLife Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.comBlogger253125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-75687696015102764732022-09-19T21:58:00.003-04:002022-09-19T22:01:55.645-04:00New Site!Greetings, everyone!
I relocated my active blog to a new site, MaryGScro.com. Please visit me there for the latest blogs, book release, and speaking information.Of course, you're welcome to stay here and browse.Thank you for stopping by, and may God bless you!MaryLife Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-27474209322055800442020-08-31T18:03:00.003-04:002020-09-03T16:26:20.304-04:00Monday Motivation: Focus on EternityFor the past several weeks the Lord has been shifting my focus from things on this earth to things that last for eternity. I didn't realize how much time I spent thinking, doing, and talking about things with no eternal value!Easy to do in today's culture with so much turmoil going on - Covid, riots, and an upcoming election that has people polarized like I've never seen before! So much anger, Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-91108985769703741532020-08-28T14:04:00.000-04:002020-08-28T14:04:15.094-04:00Fitness Friday: The Bottom LineFrom a health perspective, we’re all the same in that we all
need to eat to live. But we’re different in the ways that will work best for us
to be healthy and reach weight goals.
One of the most popular schools of thought is to eat 5-6
small meals per day. For me, all that does is make me hungry all day. One of my
primary struggles is portion control, so I’ve found that if I eat 3 meals a day
Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-54473282616661366122020-08-24T14:28:00.002-04:002020-08-24T14:28:50.412-04:00Monday Motivation: Conquering FearLast week Don and I went to Cades Cove, Tennessee to camp
out and go hiking. We chose a hike that looked challenging but not
overwhelming.
What I didn’t know about the hike is that we had to cross a
stream by rock-stepping, right at the very beginning. Last time I attempted
that, my shoes slipped off the rocks and were soaked for the rest of the hike. So
I did what anyone else would do in my Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-83297476371700046142020-08-14T05:00:00.106-04:002020-08-14T05:00:01.833-04:00Fitness Friday: A Look BackThis Friday, sharing a few links from past blogs to encourage all of us on our food fitness journey. Sometimes in our walk forward it's helpful to look back and be reminded of where we've been, and what we know to be true.Seven Seconds of Pleasure Is tickling your taste buds worth the cost of the after effects to your body? Instant Results Are your expectations realistic?&Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-32133172886562674672020-08-10T23:01:00.011-04:002020-08-11T07:08:36.909-04:00Monday Motivation: Through Eyes of LoveWe live in turbulent and unsettled times. Hatred, offense, and anger spew at us from the news, social media, and sometimes those we know and see in person. It's so tempting to get offended and angry. It's really hard to avoid getting caught up in the emotional frenzy!But avoid it we must if we are to really make a difference for good. If we looked past the angry words and emotions Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-85473143118008651882020-08-07T09:34:00.000-04:002020-08-07T09:34:34.417-04:00Fitness Friday: Is the New Normal Worth the Cost?Over the past several weeks I've been blogging on Fitness Friday about lessons learned during our "new normal" eating habits. This week, it's all about the sugar.I picked fresh blackberries at a friend's house, and she gave me an awesome cobbler recipe. When she makes it she uses xylitol instead of sugar, but I can't use that so I was going to use coconut sugar.Then I noticed I had some organic Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-42108587148262190682020-08-03T19:45:00.000-04:002020-08-03T19:45:14.898-04:00Monday Motivation: PerseveranceYesterday Don and I went on a hike up to Mary's Rock in the Shenandoah Mountains. It's just under 2 miles up and 2 miles back. When I say, "up", yes, that means a climb to the top.Being an experienced hiker and in much better shape than I am, Don spent most of the time ahead of me. And that includes him stopping every 5-10 minutes to wait for me so I stayed in sight. I didn't stop moving but he'sLife Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-48921594083550666412020-07-31T13:07:00.005-04:002020-07-31T13:09:15.036-04:00Fitness Friday: Combat the CravingsDon and I passed the 4-week mark on our new eating plan. We've developed sustainable new habits, yet the lure of the old favorites is still strong at times. I'd like to share 4 ways to combat the cravings when they come, using the acronym f.o.o.d. (of course!)Focus on Results, Not FoodDo you let the fast food images from commercials replay in your mind, over and over? I've found that if I get Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-2470594881274691302020-07-27T16:31:00.002-04:002020-07-27T16:41:43.847-04:00Monday Motivation: Chase the Blues with Psalms and MusicDo you ever feel like you're in a funk? Can't get motivated to get your day started? That was me this morning - had the Monday blues. Nothing specific, just a bit of sadness and laziness.I made a pre-dawn trip to take a friend to the airport and stopped by the store on the way home. When I got home I didn't feel like doing much. I decided to sit in my prayer closet and talk to the Lord for aLife Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-28153199829676893402020-07-24T20:40:00.002-04:002020-07-24T20:42:34.442-04:00Fitness Friday: Stay on Course, Part 2Do you ever wonder why so many attempts at changing the way we eat fail? After last weekend, I realized that for me, it's because I've often used the wrong definition of success. In last week's blog (read here) I shared about wanting to get to Sunday night and say, "we did so well, no regrets!" But alas, we both ate/drank things on the list to avoid - things we've given up. For Don it was Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-58089853829748016352020-07-20T11:01:00.003-04:002020-07-20T14:04:13.899-04:00Monday Motivation: Encouragement in the PsalmsIn this challenging time in our nation, and our world, we need encouraging words to keep us going. What better place to look than the Psalms! Today's motivation comes directly from my morning reading.For the past several months I've been reading the Psalm-of-the-day and four other Psalms using the +30 method. For example, today I read Psalms 20, 50, 80, 110, and 140. Here are a few encouraging Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-48080745139135124432020-07-17T05:00:00.002-04:002020-07-20T14:26:59.359-04:00Fitness Friday: Stay on Course, Part 1This weekend Don and I are spending time with friends at the beach. It will be our first time travelling overnight since we started our new eating plan, and I'm a little nervous about the challenges we'll face. We are just starting our third week, so not quite to the point of new habits yet.So far we haven't been snacking or eating dessert. We've been faithful to avoid sugar, dairy, gluten. Don Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-41663895268943474792020-07-13T21:15:00.001-04:002020-07-13T21:15:24.079-04:00Monday Motivation: Second Guessing
As I sat on hold waiting to cancel my satellite internet, I
thought back to the tech that came out only a few weeks ago to troubleshoot and
fix the intermittent drop issues. I felt bad because he had to get up on the
roof, which is not easy on this house, and it really shook him up. He said ours
was his last roof.
And after all that, we cancelled.
I pondered why I felt guilty. After all,Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-36520565591760514882020-07-10T22:16:00.001-04:002020-07-10T22:22:12.236-04:00Fitness Friday: It's Not About PerfectionWe finished our first 10 days, and with great success! Of course, Don lost more weight than I did, and it's more noticeable on him. It's not fair...and any wives who have dieted with their husbands know exactly what I mean.
But, hey, we are gluten-free and sugar free, and our eating habits are changing. For me, I've stopped my daily snacking just to have something crunchy, and that's huge Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-66040789520262536412020-07-06T09:05:00.001-04:002020-07-06T09:05:39.364-04:00Monday Motivation: RememberThis year, Don and I will celebrate 20 years of marriage. In 2 Corinthians, Paul boasted about his trials.Last Saturday we celebrated the 244th anniversary of our Nation's birth.What do these events have in common? On these events, we remember.Don and I RememberDon and I married at an older age - in our 40's - and lugged a lot of the proverbial baggage into our marriage. We found ourselves Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-56440672242176987212020-07-03T21:21:00.002-04:002020-07-06T06:47:01.134-04:00Fitness Friday: Food is Not My FriendThis past Wednesday, Don and I started a detox regimen to clear our bodies of progressively worsening food habits. We're both tired of feeling tired and living in mental fog. I am sick of carrying this extra weight, and of clothes I wore last summer not fitting. Our love affair with food had to end! With resolve, we started our journey toward health on July 1st. I actually planned Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-57860550442309006712020-06-12T10:17:00.000-04:002020-06-12T10:17:35.314-04:00Bigger Than the BearThere he is AGAIN - the rogue bear that hogs the bird feeders. He came by a few weeks ago, and we had to take down the feeders for a few days so he'd move on. He did, so we put the feeders back up.
Less than a week later, he's baaaack!
OK, buddy, you've met your match. I opened the front door and waved my arms at him, yelling "Get outta here!"
He glanced over at me, "yeah, right, lady", Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-78949330671500714712020-06-01T09:33:00.000-04:002020-06-01T11:25:07.409-04:00Eat the CheeseburgerYesterday my nephew Griffin graduated from high school. Last week we enjoyed dinner with him to celebrate since there wasn't a formal graduation. Because he is the youngest of the nieces and nephews, his graduation brought in a flood of memories of times gone by.
As Don and I drove home, I felt a bittersweet sadness mixed with the joy of celebrating Griff's transition from high school to collegeLife Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-42633186272945654322020-05-17T13:45:00.000-04:002020-05-17T13:45:42.208-04:00Finish the Race
For the past several weeks I’ve been in a slump. Not sure
exactly how or when it started, just that it would not lift. This is the first
thing I’ve written in many weeks.
Can you relate? Do you ever have times in your life where
you just.can’t.seem.to.get.up?
Yesterday I talked to my husband Don about my sadness,
weariness, and frustration. Most of it centers around my writing and Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-89655913014790918422020-04-14T20:48:00.000-04:002020-04-14T20:49:30.110-04:00Revenge is Not SweetThis week I had a trying situation at work - aka, an opportunity to turn the other cheek and show kindness where it was not deserved.
I failed miserably. And for that I'm thankful.
A coworker told someone they'd send them two things. About an hour later, they pawned one of them off on me.
OK, fine, I'll do it.
And you all know what "fine" means in that context, right? Offense with a capital OLife Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-72069906010330837362020-04-07T19:53:00.000-04:002020-04-07T20:11:52.012-04:00To Stress or Not To StressLast week I drove home from Florida. Straight home, no stopping except for bio and fuel breaks. No hotel stay, no switching drivers - just me.
By the grace of God and covered by prayer, I made it home safely. Fifteen plus hours of driving. It was truly amazing. Cruise control all the way, hardly any traffic.
Hmmm, maybe that's why the drive was stress-free: no traffic, accidents, or Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-85393423344454002372020-03-31T11:12:00.003-04:002020-03-31T11:17:53.146-04:00SomehowWhen something happens that is just what we need, how often do we say, "Somehow that all came together?" We shake our heads in wonder at how that happened.
I had one of those moments a few days ago. My phone, plugged in next to the computer, rang only one time. "Somehow" I happened to be sitting there and saw my friend Robin's name flash up. Before I could answer, the phone stopped ringing.
Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-73093120237965632512020-03-22T08:19:00.001-04:002020-03-22T08:21:09.182-04:00The Toilet Paper (TP)Don and I have been on a mission these past few days. Goal: find toilet paper.
His parents live in Florida and we're going to visit them this week. They sent us a list of things they need and can't get, including the ridiculously hard-to-find toilet paper. Felt like we were on a scavenger hunt yesterday trying to get everything on the list.
Eight stores and four hours later, we had all but a Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965105042266336606.post-88577451483028009112020-03-09T21:12:00.000-04:002020-03-09T21:14:59.520-04:00My Time Was My Own
Welcome to Monday's Minute with Mary,
a nugget of encouragement to start your week.
Do you enjoy your leisure time? Me too! But my problem is that I began to protect and covet it...at the expense of investing in what God called me to do.
In fact, I didn't really ask God about my leisure time. I prayed, "God, what do you have for me today?" Meaning, what do you have between 8 and 5? I Life Is Not A Formulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221115826897701514noreply@blogger.com0