Stupid scale! Go away!

I'm gonna try something new for the month of Sept... I'm putting the scale away in a closet and burying it.  Not to be seen again until Oct 1!  I'm obsessed, I 'peek' everyday, and sometimes a few times a day.  I know better, water weight makes it go up and down every time.  So, I'll be at 34lbs lost for the next 4 weeks, and that's OK!  I will measure up tonight with a much more accurate scale - a tape measure! :)

September already?

August was an interesting month, I think.  Mostly because of a mission trip to Denver and witnessing all that God did.  I'm part of a denomination called Foursquare and we planted 4 new churches in Denver.  To help kick them off, we did outreaches on a Friday and Saturday.  Since I now consider myself a missionary and want to do more and more, this seemed like a wonderful opportunity that was much closer, much cheaper and much shorter than Scotland, or any of the other countries on my 'wish list'.  Most of the group (40ish) left Thursday morning, but I had to work (short on vacation time b/c of Scotland) so I flew out in the afternoon.  There was some miscommunication and my pastor thought I was coming out Friday.  I sent him a message to let him know that the flight was delayed 40 minutes, and he was thinking I was a day early.  The flight ended up being about an hour late, but in God's amazing timing, after we got off the plane, took the tram to baggage, got baggage and went potty, I only had to wait about 10 minutes for one the vans to come pick me up!  How cool is that?

The outreaches were, well, chaos! But I really think God's will thrives in the midst of our chaos sometimes.  He works things out so well, that you have to just stand back and thank Him for putting it all together.  Anyway, well over 100 people committed or recommitted their lives to Christ :)

I spent the majority of the time doing photography.  I have a new passion!!!  And apparently a natural gifting in it!  I also worked as an alter worker, praying with people when they came forward, giving them Bibles and encouraging them.  Pretty cool stuff!  I did learn something about myself in the middle of it all, I've never prayed with someone to receive Christ.  I was with a group of ladies praying with a girl who was wanting salvation, she said she didn't think she had done it right, so I was just going to have her repeat after me (not that there's really any 'correct' formal prayer to pray, but sometimes we just need a little direction)  Anyway, my mind went completely blank.  I felt so stupid.  I asked one of the other ladies to pray with her.  Now I'm past it and know I just freaked out.  All the 'formulas' I've read about or learned in church or school just didn't seem to fit.  There is no formula, just believe that Jesus was crucified and died for your sins, that He rose from the dead to give you new life, choose to live for Him for the rest of your life and thank Him for it.  We really make this salvation thing way too hard ;)

So, I'm a little over 8 months into the weight loss... August kinda stunk for that.  Overall, I only lost 0.6 from Aug 1 to Sept 1.  I did, however, start strength training and am going a lot longer on the treadmill.  So, I'm building muscle :)

September looks to be really busy!  I start leading a small group/Bible study next Tuesday, we're having a fasting and prayer meeting every Wednesday this month (starting next week), I'm going to Denver for a retreat, training for the 10k in October, getting outside to enjoy the cooler temps, hiring someone at work to take over part of my job so I can get my promotion and I'm sure there will be more :)

8 months!

OK, this is just amazing to me and I am soooo excited!!  I have been tracking calories for 8 months as of today!  And in those 8 months, I've lost a little over a pound a week!!  All this with MS and PCOS working against me!  Not to mention the depression.  Wow!  OK, seriously, if I can do this, anyone can!  :) :) :)

ps - I give God the glory, because I couldn't do this in my own strength!

books

Just signed up with BookSneeze - they send you books for free in return for reviews on your blog.  Excited to get free books :)

Crazy person

New verse to add to my favorites category: Proverb 12:10 "The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel."  I'm pretty sure I've read that a bunch of times, yet never noticed it.  I love my cat, he's my baby.  At least I'm not so 'crazy cat lady' that I have a bunch, right? I actually can't watch any of those commercials about supporting ASPCA or how Purina (I think) supports shelter dogs w/your purchase w/o crying!  I see a dead domesticated animal on the side of the road and my heart breaks.  Crazy?  Maybe a little, but I'm OK with that :D

I recently found some old pictures of myself, compared to a current one, and actually saw that I've lost weight (pictures are at the end of this blog).  I seriously have a hard time realizing that I've lost weight.  I know the scale says it (30+ lost so far) and people tell me I look better, and that my pants are bigger, but still don't get it.  Pants stretch, people are nice and I have more than 30 still to lose.  I think I can emphasize w/anorexics now.  All I see is what I have left to lose, or how horribly I went over my calorie 'budget' last night and didn't exercise.  I did 100 squats yesterday, just to see how many I could do.  I should be excited about that and consider it exercise, but I don't!!  This is why it means so much to me when people point out that I've lost weight.  I don't see it as a ego/pride boost, it reminds me that I am accomplishing something.

Yep, I'm messed up in the head.  At least I'm honest about it, right?!?! 
 

bad couple days...

So I just haven't been feeling it.  It being working out, eating healthy, reading my Bible or praying.  It has also been reading any book or even cleaning the house.  Grrr.  Blame it on PMS, depression or MS, but I'm thinking a combo of all the above.  So, yeah, having one of those weeks.

Been there haven't ya?  Haven't we all?  Still pushing forward.  Dishes are now clean, so is the bathroom.  Trying to download some stuff for my running program and have a date with Jillian later tonight.  We'll see what happens.  But I do have to say just blogging this out helps.  Helps me be honest with myself, to face what's going on and get ready to fight again!  

Thank You Lord, for Your grace and mercy :)

why cause myself any more stress???

So, I'm starting to think that the whole Bible in 90 days thing is a little bit crazy.  I don't feel like I'm really getting anything out of having to read that much in one day.  So, instead of stressing myself out, anymore that I already do!, I'm scrapping the '90 days' part.  I am planning on reading as much as possible everyday and blogging whatever I sense the Holy Spirit speaking to me, or things I just find interesting... but if I get it done in 90 or 100 or 180 days, THAT'S OK!  (repeating that to myself 10x.......) ;) 


So, stayed tuned for my adventure through the Bible, in ??? days!


PS - also starting a jogging program last week called Couch to 5k, or c25k for short.  on workout 3 tonight, but I'm so excited to say I can run!  While, jog, and for only 1 minute intervals, but that's amazing considering where I started 8 months ago...  also, my crazy butt started Jillian Micheal's 30-day Shred today too.    Geez!

Watch out world, I'm going to be able to kick some booty!  Physically and spiritually :)  ahhh, dicsicple, I hate you but love your fruit!!