One day down...139 days to go until I reach my goal weight, which is 145. My goal is to lose two pounds a week for 20 weeks in order to reach my goal weight. (if you do the math I am currently 185 pounds...which is not where I want to be.) I admit this publicly, as humbled as humanly possible. I have no idea how I got this heavy...oh wait yes I do...I like to eat ALOT and since I hurt my knee I have used that as an excuse to not work out, but no longer!!
There are plenty of exercises that are low impact, like the cycling class I just started and that I am going to continue taking. Although my butt hurts from sitting on that little seat, which was clearly invented by a tiny person, I will keep going. My sister, Shelby, is a great inspiration for me. When she began her lifestyle change two years ago she weighed 250 and now she is in shape and healthy. If she could do it then so can I!
By lifestyle change I am not going on some crazy diet. I will exercise for 30 minutes a day, everyday, but give myself two days a week where I will just do yoga and meditation for relaxation, instead of a high impact cardio workout. As far as eating goes I am going to eat healthy and eat the correct proportions. This means that if I go out to eat I will eat a kids meal or only half of an adult meal ( and save the rest for later).
Besides wanting to do this for the obvious reasons...I want to look good when I go on vacation in July...I am also doing this to glorify God. His strength is the only thing that will get me through this lifestyle change. Right now I am not glorifying Him with my body because I am not healthy.
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. I don't want the Lord to live in an unhealthy place and right now as He lives in me He is living in an unhealthy place.
My hope is that as I lose weight I will turn to the Lord for strength and through that our relationship will grow even stronger then it already is. I love Jesus and have dedicated my life and body to Him...now its time to start showing it!
YAAAAY for lifestyle changes!!!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Soo its been a while...sorry!
It is currently 10:35pm on January 25th...this may not be significant to you BUT in 1 hour and 25 mins my fast ends. I have fasted for 21 days and can say with full confidence that it has changed my life and my walk with Christ forever!
21 days ago I started this journey and was at one of the lowest places I have ever been in my life. I was battling depression and it was winning. So in the midst of my depression I went to church and that's when I was challenged to a fast. Never one to back down from a challenge I decided that I would do the fast. Its called the Daniel fast, which means I couldn't eat meat, dairy, deep fried foods, or anything with white flour in it.
During the fast I met some of the worst spiritual attack I have ever encountered but I accepted it because Satan only attacks when you are getting closer to the Lord. I began having two quiet times a day- so that Jesus is the first person I talk to in the morning and the last person I talk to before I fall asleep. I continued the fast through the attacks and made it to the other side.
My relationship with Christ is so much stronger now. I feel like I know Him better but I know that this growth will not end with the end of my fast. I recommend fasting for anyone who is struggling. I now recognize my struggles as Satan's attack and I know that if Satan feels as strong as he does then the strength of God is a million trillion times stronger.
Remember that in our weakness he is strong!
21 days ago I started this journey and was at one of the lowest places I have ever been in my life. I was battling depression and it was winning. So in the midst of my depression I went to church and that's when I was challenged to a fast. Never one to back down from a challenge I decided that I would do the fast. Its called the Daniel fast, which means I couldn't eat meat, dairy, deep fried foods, or anything with white flour in it.
During the fast I met some of the worst spiritual attack I have ever encountered but I accepted it because Satan only attacks when you are getting closer to the Lord. I began having two quiet times a day- so that Jesus is the first person I talk to in the morning and the last person I talk to before I fall asleep. I continued the fast through the attacks and made it to the other side.
My relationship with Christ is so much stronger now. I feel like I know Him better but I know that this growth will not end with the end of my fast. I recommend fasting for anyone who is struggling. I now recognize my struggles as Satan's attack and I know that if Satan feels as strong as he does then the strength of God is a million trillion times stronger.
Remember that in our weakness he is strong!
Monday, November 22, 2010
I have a cruuush!!!
BAAAAHHHH!!! I officially have a crush on someone and his name is...(drumroll please)...Adam Young (the lead singer of Owl City).
Now let me set some things straight: I am not the kind of girl who has crushes on celebrities. period. I find it very silly BUT everything changed when I read the Owl City blog. OOOHEEEMGEEE!!!In one of his posts titled, "The Great Regret," he talks about how he prays for the woman he will marry someday and that the desires of her heart are being heard by God...blah, blah, blah...and all I am thinking is PICK MEEEE!!!! Isn't that so sweet?! So I ask you, how could I not have a crush on him?
I understand that the chances of me ever even meeting this man are very slim but still, I can dream right? So as soon as I read his blog then I looked for tickets because I knew that I just needed to be front row and then he would see me and he would know that we were meant to be and... then I slapped myself, well mentally.
It hit me all at once, God has a man out there who is praying for me at this very second and someday, when my heart is healed and I am so lost in the Lord that I don't feel that aching loneliness anymore, we will meet. Until then I have decided to go with the idea that this future husband of mine is on his way but his flight is just very delayed.
Why do we do that to ourselves? If I look/ act like this then he will really love me/want me. But the man you are meant to be with will love you for your interior beauty because, after all, that is all that matters. My favorite quote peratining to relationships is, "A girl's heart should be so lost in the Lord, that a man need seek Him to find her."
I decided about a year ago that I did not need/want another relationship until my relationship with the Lord was where I wanted it to be. I now depend on the Lord for love and acceptance instead of the opposite sex and it has made all of the difference. I no longer get jealous when my friends are dating these wonderful guys because I know that mine is out there and when I am ready we will begin our lives together. Don't get me wrong, sometimes Satan tries to attack me with idea that I will be single for the rest of my life. I feel strongly that the Lord would not have put the desire for marriage on my heart if it were not in His plan for my life.
Now, it is time to start praying for my husband...wish me luck!
Now let me set some things straight: I am not the kind of girl who has crushes on celebrities. period. I find it very silly BUT everything changed when I read the Owl City blog. OOOHEEEMGEEE!!!In one of his posts titled, "The Great Regret," he talks about how he prays for the woman he will marry someday and that the desires of her heart are being heard by God...blah, blah, blah...and all I am thinking is PICK MEEEE!!!! Isn't that so sweet?! So I ask you, how could I not have a crush on him?
I understand that the chances of me ever even meeting this man are very slim but still, I can dream right? So as soon as I read his blog then I looked for tickets because I knew that I just needed to be front row and then he would see me and he would know that we were meant to be and... then I slapped myself, well mentally.
It hit me all at once, God has a man out there who is praying for me at this very second and someday, when my heart is healed and I am so lost in the Lord that I don't feel that aching loneliness anymore, we will meet. Until then I have decided to go with the idea that this future husband of mine is on his way but his flight is just very delayed.
Why do we do that to ourselves? If I look/ act like this then he will really love me/want me. But the man you are meant to be with will love you for your interior beauty because, after all, that is all that matters. My favorite quote peratining to relationships is, "A girl's heart should be so lost in the Lord, that a man need seek Him to find her."
I decided about a year ago that I did not need/want another relationship until my relationship with the Lord was where I wanted it to be. I now depend on the Lord for love and acceptance instead of the opposite sex and it has made all of the difference. I no longer get jealous when my friends are dating these wonderful guys because I know that mine is out there and when I am ready we will begin our lives together. Don't get me wrong, sometimes Satan tries to attack me with idea that I will be single for the rest of my life. I feel strongly that the Lord would not have put the desire for marriage on my heart if it were not in His plan for my life.
Now, it is time to start praying for my husband...wish me luck!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Misleading
Today has been an excellent day overall. I woke up early enough today so that I could actually look like a girl...ie brush my hair/plucked my eyebrows/popped in the contacts. I was walking to class and I just felt good, ya know? I felt beautiful because I actually tried. Then I started thinking about a verse that I heard once...
1 Peter 3:3-4 Message Version: "3 What matters is not your outer appearance-the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, or the cut of your clothes-4 but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in."
Jesus is not impressed when I am rockin my designer jacket and earrings. These outward things are not what should define how I feel about myself. In the world that we live in beauty is all external and so that makes us Christian ladies second guess ourselves. BUT DO NOT FORGET...We have the assurance that we are truly beautiful because Jesus resides within us. Because of this promise I know that next week, when I wake up ten minutes before class and I throw on some sweat pants and swig some listerine, I will be just as beautiful in the eyes of the only man who really matters...JESUS!!
Sooo ladies just in case you missed it the first time please read Psalm 139:14 which says, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Emphasis on the whole WONDERFULLY MADE!
Have you ever made something for someone and you were super excited about but when you give it to them all they can do is complain about it?! Pretty frustrating wasn't it?
HELLOOOO!! This is what we do to God every time we look in the mirror and say, "I have gained so much weight" or "OMG my face is ALWAYS broken out."(don't worry I am super guilty of this as well) He created each of us the exact way that He wants us and He thinks that we are B-E-A-UTIFUL! Like the mom rabbit off of Bambi- "if you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all!" Think about it this way...each time you pick your appearance apart you hurt God's feelings because you are his creation who is "fearfully and wonderfully made". Now do you really want to be THAT GUY that hurts God's feelings?? I think not:)
Are you up for a challenge?
From now on when you look into the mirror pick out something you like about your appearance and then thank God for blessing you with what ever that may be.
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL INSIDE & OUT!!!
1 Peter 3:3-4 Message Version: "3 What matters is not your outer appearance-the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, or the cut of your clothes-4 but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in."
Jesus is not impressed when I am rockin my designer jacket and earrings. These outward things are not what should define how I feel about myself. In the world that we live in beauty is all external and so that makes us Christian ladies second guess ourselves. BUT DO NOT FORGET...We have the assurance that we are truly beautiful because Jesus resides within us. Because of this promise I know that next week, when I wake up ten minutes before class and I throw on some sweat pants and swig some listerine, I will be just as beautiful in the eyes of the only man who really matters...JESUS!!
Sooo ladies just in case you missed it the first time please read Psalm 139:14 which says, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Emphasis on the whole WONDERFULLY MADE!
Have you ever made something for someone and you were super excited about but when you give it to them all they can do is complain about it?! Pretty frustrating wasn't it?
HELLOOOO!! This is what we do to God every time we look in the mirror and say, "I have gained so much weight" or "OMG my face is ALWAYS broken out."(don't worry I am super guilty of this as well) He created each of us the exact way that He wants us and He thinks that we are B-E-A-UTIFUL! Like the mom rabbit off of Bambi- "if you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all!" Think about it this way...each time you pick your appearance apart you hurt God's feelings because you are his creation who is "fearfully and wonderfully made". Now do you really want to be THAT GUY that hurts God's feelings?? I think not:)
Are you up for a challenge?
From now on when you look into the mirror pick out something you like about your appearance and then thank God for blessing you with what ever that may be.
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL INSIDE & OUT!!!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
What is my passion?
My goal in life is to be 98 years old and for someone to say, "wow! she really did something with her life."
I am happy to say that I have found a way to merge my two passions in life: Jesus and college kids! Originally I was going to go into student affairs and work with college students that, but I didn't feel a total peace about it. So I started praying...key word here: PRAYING!
I feel like God is calling me to go into college ministry. I am totally pumped about it and really want to start like yesterday BUT I have to remember everything happens in His timing, not mine.
College(or that age) is the beginning of the rest of your life. You are no longer living under the watchful eye of your parents. College is your opportunity to redefine yourself on your own terms. It doesn't matter what anyone thought of you, or the mistakes you might have made, in high school. Are you going to define yourself with earthly things OR with the timeless promise of Jesus? I want to be a guide to these little baby adults and help them as they redefine themselves.
I feel that the European church has missed my generation which is why atheism is so prevalent over there. The church is so traditional and more geared towards my parents or grandparents generation. I heard about Hillsong via the radio and realized that there was a 'generation now' church in Europe, which is sooo awesome! So then I thought, well I will just work for them when I graduate from seminary. I went onto their website...THIS IS WHEN THE CURVE BALL WAS THROWN!!
At the top of the website a link for 'college' was staring at me. My first thought was, "they have a link just for their college age ministry, how awesome!" I clicked on it and it wasn't a link to their ministry, it was a link to the HILLSONG COLLEGE!!! At this point I was just like...OOOOH EEEEEM GEEEEE!!!!
The best part is there is a 'pathway' under the broad pastoral leadership segment that is labeled: Young adults: For students with a passion for young adults- from college-age to "thirtysomething" - and want to build them to a vibrant community in the life of the church - building and extending the kingdom. My life goal in this one sentence!!!
Now I am just praying because I so desperately want to go and there are so many factors that should stop me, ie cash money, leaving my family and friends BUT I have given this dream to the Lord because if it is His will for my life then it will happen, no matter the cost. Gotta keep my chin up.
Like my good friend, The Bible, says:
Matthew 18-22
18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
I am happy to say that I have found a way to merge my two passions in life: Jesus and college kids! Originally I was going to go into student affairs and work with college students that, but I didn't feel a total peace about it. So I started praying...key word here: PRAYING!
I feel like God is calling me to go into college ministry. I am totally pumped about it and really want to start like yesterday BUT I have to remember everything happens in His timing, not mine.
College(or that age) is the beginning of the rest of your life. You are no longer living under the watchful eye of your parents. College is your opportunity to redefine yourself on your own terms. It doesn't matter what anyone thought of you, or the mistakes you might have made, in high school. Are you going to define yourself with earthly things OR with the timeless promise of Jesus? I want to be a guide to these little baby adults and help them as they redefine themselves.
I feel that the European church has missed my generation which is why atheism is so prevalent over there. The church is so traditional and more geared towards my parents or grandparents generation. I heard about Hillsong via the radio and realized that there was a 'generation now' church in Europe, which is sooo awesome! So then I thought, well I will just work for them when I graduate from seminary. I went onto their website...THIS IS WHEN THE CURVE BALL WAS THROWN!!
At the top of the website a link for 'college' was staring at me. My first thought was, "they have a link just for their college age ministry, how awesome!" I clicked on it and it wasn't a link to their ministry, it was a link to the HILLSONG COLLEGE!!! At this point I was just like...OOOOH EEEEEM GEEEEE!!!!
The best part is there is a 'pathway' under the broad pastoral leadership segment that is labeled: Young adults: For students with a passion for young adults- from college-age to "thirtysomething" - and want to build them to a vibrant community in the life of the church - building and extending the kingdom. My life goal in this one sentence!!!
Now I am just praying because I so desperately want to go and there are so many factors that should stop me, ie cash money, leaving my family and friends BUT I have given this dream to the Lord because if it is His will for my life then it will happen, no matter the cost. Gotta keep my chin up.
Like my good friend, The Bible, says:
Matthew 18-22
18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,
22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Question of the Day: Am I willing to drop everything I am doing and follow the Lord's plan for my life? I want to be a fisher of men...talk about an adventure!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Wake Up Call!!!
I have been hoping that I could figure out what I was supposed to do with my life since my freshman year. I have had twelve majors at OSU, if that tells you anything. Once I realized that I couldn't choose my life plan alone I decided to give it to Jesus...what an idea, right?
I only wish I would have given my life plan to Him MUCH sooner. I most def would have saved myself a lot of money on the whole student loan thing.
This is how it happened...I was at Overflow, which is this awesome worship night for college students. I have the attention span of a squirrel so when I worship I have to keep my eyes closed or I cannot focus. I was just doing my thing when the band played this song about giving your life to the Lord, not as in like being saved but as in working to better His kingdom. I got chill bumps from head to foot, which is odd because I am always that awkward sweaty girl. I immediately started praying: "Lord if you will show me what you want me to do with my life, I will do it. No questions asked."
As I said amen Jesus showed me that he wants me to go help with the modernization of Christianity and the church in Europe. As soon as He showed me this I immediately thought, "HOLD IT!!! Are yooouuu suuure?!?!" Then I remembered that I had told Him "no questions asked" and reminded myself that fear is not of the Lord and that if this is His plan then it will be awesome, maybe not a walk in the park but hey those are pretty boring anyways:)
So now, here I am, in the beginning stages of a life long adventure. Am I scared? Yes, but at the end of the day I realize that Jesus has it all figured out and just because I don't know whats up ahead doesn't mean that He doesn't.
Like my good friend, Martin Luther King Jr. said, "faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase."
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