100 pound challenge

2011 was a great year! One in which I had success losing weight. It was the first time I really put my mind to losing weight and for the first few months it was actually pretty easy and was on track to lose 100 pounds that year. Obviously that didn't continue and I didn't meet that goal... not even close. 

An entire year has gone by and I've not gained ALL the weight I lost in 2011, but I've come pretty close. I've gladly said goodbye to 2012 and am looking towards a successful 2013!

Today I started the 100 pound challenge! 

In 2013 I'm committing to losing 100 pounds!

How:

I've learned a lot about myself since 2011. A lot about why I failed before. A lot about God. I'm taking what I've learned and committing it to memory... I'm sure you'll hear more of this I'm sure. 

Weight Watchers. It's how I lost weight before so I know it works. They have the app which is awesome.

Keeping God and glorifying Him at the center of all this. Yes, my goal is to lose weight, but I will only do this by bring God glory. 

Having this ever before me...if you followed me during my Chicago Marathon training, you saw my chalkboard count down. This morning I was thinking of ways to keep this ever before me and a new count down began...

2012 Picture Review

Met my niece.

Sent a friend off

Traveled to Austin, TX where God changed how I saw community and mission.

Traveled to Memphis.

Learned about soccer and cheered for number 11.

Completed the Springfield, IL half marathon

Saw 6 friends get baptized.

turned 30

Completed the Indy Mini

Traveled to Haiti

Traveled to Chicago with great friends

Completed the Color Run in the midst of a 16 miler

Traveled to Hait again where the women of the church prayed I'd get married within the year.

Helped launch The Journey Southern Illinois

Completed the Chicago Marathon

Celebrated this guys' 90th Birthday!

Got my first tattoo

Celebrated this litte girl's 1st birthday

Even with all of these great things that happened, 2012 felt more like a year of struggle. Some years have been much worse when I think about all that has happened; nothing monumental or life shattering happened. However, the overall tone of my year was one of internal struggle, processing past issues and circumstances, and spiritual battle. I don't remember a year that I more looked forward to the New Year... a clean slate, a fresh start. Here's to God capturing and renewing my heart once again in 2013.

Meal Planning Stress

I'm not good at asking for help... for a couple of reasons. First, it means that I'm failing at something, which is unacceptable to me. And, second, it means "bothering" someone and asking them to take time from their schedule to help me. These are both horrible lies, one that I believe that I'm perfect and since God is the only being who is good, right and perfect, I'm believing that I am in fact God. As well as, I'm believing the lie that people don't love me enough to want to help; want to spend time refining me and making me closer to the person of Jesus.

With this in mind, my friend and I came up with a beautiful plan. She'd help me with meal planning and I'd run with her. I'm thinking she got the lesser end of this deal!

I HATE meal planning! I've tried to sit down and make one before and gave up after about 30 minutes of looking at recipes and writing a grocery list. But, goodness, I was spending WAY too much money on groceries and eating out. And, surely there's a better way!

So, a few weeks ago one Sunday morning, there I sat at my friend's dining room table, cute weekly meal plan/grocery list paper in hand. I sat there with nerves awreck as she gleefully exclaimed how much fun this was and talked about all the different weekly challenges we could do. I nervously smiled and exclaimed "I HAVE NOTHING FOR LUNCH! WHAT CAN I EAT FOR LUNCHES?!!!??!!"

I've accomplished four weeks now and let me tell you... it's getting less scary. Because of the holiday's this past week I was on my own and I DID IT!

Here's what I've learned:
1. check your schedule - on nights where you know you are going to be busy, plan simple meals and/or pre-cook the night before.
2. check the weather - no one wants to eat soup on a 70 degree day!
3. allow for flexibility - I have a general plan, but I'm okay with changing it up through out the week.
4. know what you need - Not only do you need to know what you need at the grocery store, but what you need to survive a week. This took a week for me to figure out, but I now know I really only need to cook two meals a week. The rest of the week I eat left overs or simple sandwiches.

What I am and am NOT doing...

Here comes another Holiday Season! According to most retailers it's been Christmas for nearly two months now, yet I have a feeling the worse is yet to come. Before this season gets the best of me, I wanted to sit down and decide what I am and am not going to do this year.

I AM... intentionally going to celebrate Advent.
This means I'm intentionally celebrating the birth of my Savior and not the birth of American greed. I bought an advent calendar and will anticipate with utter joy celebrating each day by reading the Divine Hours and that little piece of chocolate!

I AM NOT... filling my calendar with something to do every single night!
There are people to see and things to do, but unless I want to be unhealthy, stressed out, and frazzled for the next month, I will take time to clean my apartment, cook meals, read books, do laundry, etc.

I AM... putting up a Christmas tree.
I do this every year so I'm not sure where the thought came to my mind to not decorate. A beautifully decorated tree is one of the biggest joys of the Christmas season for me. Nothing is more peaceful than sitting in a treelite room with a book and a mug of hot chocolate. I will have that evening this year!

I AM NOT... waiting till the last minute to buy (and wrap) my presents.
Nothing saps the joy from me more than trying to figure out what to get my third cousin once removed (yes, I have to buy my third cousin, once removed a present) what to get on December 23. I've already begun stressing about what to get everyone and where that money is going to come from... this stops on Dec. 10!

Till I Collapse

'Cause sometimes you just feel tired,

Feel weak, and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up.

But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength

And just pull that shit out of you and get that motivation to not give up

And not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse.

Eminem - Till I Collapse

Happy 90th Birthday!

My grandpa turned 90 this past week! Everything that is awesome about myself is because of him. He's a fabulous man and I can't believe he is 90!

Every year for his birthday the whole famdamnly heads to the Illini homecoming game. This was a tradition dating back to my childhood; however, only recently have we tied this event to his birthday and getting request from more and more family members to join us.

We look forward to this game and time together and each year fear it will be the last. Actually, about 4 years ago, we all swore it would be our last, but Grandpa just keeps buying us tickets and we keep gathering in Champaign to celebrate him.

This year turned out to not be a good year for the Illini as we lost... horribly. However, we made the most of it together.

Goodbye Idols

God is in the process of ripping away my biggest idol. It's incredibly painful and I'm literally doing everything I can to hold onto it with all my strength. Seems a little opposite of what I'm really suppose to do...


And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:30 ESV)

The sad part of this is that I've been fighting this idol for years. I hate that I'm controlled by it. I want freedom from it; however, in my weakness my flesh takes over and I enslave myself constantly.

Oh may I know and live in the freedom found in serving Christ alone!