Progress

One of the things I have decided is to say to hell with the damned scale. I've been using my weight as a crutch. If I wasn't doing "good" (ie losing weight,) I would work hard that day. But as soon as I lost a pound or two, I would say "Awesome! Now I can do whatever I want! " Um... not quite a recipe for improvement. Instead I just constantly assess myself. "What did I do for my health today?" It helps me stay on track a bit more.

I've made some advances. I've started some small amounts of at-home strength exercises with the help of the Back on Pointe tumblr. I want to use this blog as a sort of workout journal so that I can look back on my progress and what I've been doing.

Monday, I walked to and from work (1.4 miles,) and then went for a walk with the kids and my mother to DD for an iced coffee, (1.2 miles.)

Tuesday the kids and I walked to the grocery store, (1.8 miles), and then even went for a jog later that night with my daughter, (just a mile.)

Yesterday I did the "Wednesday" work out from the daily exercise plan on Back on Pointe, walked to work, and walked to a local convenience store for milk (.8 mile.)

Today I did the "Thursday" work out from the daily exercise plan again... Hoping to walk somewhere with the kids this afternoon and go for a run again this evening.

It seems crazy but really my change in focus has helped so much. Once you start making a few adjustments you want to continue to change. Maybe this whole time I had been asking myself the wrong questions... Looking at the wrong goal (to lose weight) instead of the right one (to be healthy.) I don't know if I'll really look at the scale for a long time... but I do know this: what I am doing is actually making a positive difference in my life.

It takes a few steps...

Here is the public announcement of (hopefully) an inner change and resolve.

I have to get fit, and hopefully look better too.

I recently had my daughter, so I'm currently in post-baby phase. Post-baby phase also means that for a long few months I let myself eat whatever I wanted. With this being the last (planned) pregnancy, I said "this is the last time in my life that it will ever be socially acceptable to gain weight." Well, that time has passed and now I need to get serious.

Especially because my brother in law's wedding is going to be in less than a month. Challenge accepted.

There are a few things you should know about my food-eating habits, and just myself in general. I am impulsive. I am also a very impulsive eater. I can start things easily... the follow through is where it gets difficult. You've heard the phrase "the journey of a thousand steps starts with walking out the front door," or something to that effect, thus emphasizing that if you just start your journey at least you'll be on your way. I constantly poop out at step 30 or so... Only to walk back to the beginning.

So this part is easy. I'm focused. I actually woke up before my kids. I did my first work out. My challenge is that I need to stay focused so the tempting bite of warmy, gooey, sugar-filled granola bars that I make for my husband this afternoon can be refused. I need to stay focused so that I continue to wake up early on day 3, 4, & 5.

I'll clue you in on some of my focuses as the days go on. But for now, rejoice with me that I have found this lovely woman's tumblr page:

backonpointe.tumblr.com

That includes this workout, "An easy Strength and Cardio Workout that Works the Entire Body," that I did this morning:
http://backonpointe.tumblr.com/post/28843984456/an-easy-strength-and-cardio-workout-that-works-the

Now, off to the rest of my day... and that joyous, ever-so-delightful, and always truly earned... post-workout shower. Delicious!!!

Why Christians Should Be More Like Gays

Yes, that’s exactly what I said.

Before I begin, I would like to share a story with you. My wonderful husband, a true man in that he has character, integrity, innate diligence... works in the fashion industry. And not just as an accountant. He designs and implements visual merchandising for one of the most well known international designers, at their top accounts in the country. He recently tweeted a picture of an amazing pair of women's leather shorts, noting what an awesome piece of clothing they were. Friends of ours were entirely creeped out by this.

They inwardly cringed as they thought about (inhale of all inhales!) a man whom actually has an eye for fashion. 

And my husband quickly caught on to their inner shudderings, and was left feeling awkward and judged... even down right less of a man. He felt like society, and even more so our Christian brothers and sisters, had put pressure on him to be a certain type of man that he simply could not be: a slovenly, beer-drinking sports fanatic.

And why?

Because he cares about how he looks.

This led me to believe that Christians over and over fail at loving mankind just as they are, no matter who they are, what they look like, or what they are good at. You know what we do instead? We allow gender stereotypes and pharasitical rules to elevate us to think that we should look down our nose and shake our head at people who are outside of our comfort range.

Contrast that with the overwhelmingly loving and accepting gay community. You want to dress up in full on feathers and put on make up and have a great time being someone else? You are celebrated. You want to go and wear clothes normally associated with another gender? You are accepted. You want to publicly announce your intimacy with a same-sex individual at the risk of losing your family? They welcome you with their own family.

You know what Christ called each of his followers to do?

LOVE.

Why?

Because he first loved us when we were and WHILE WE STILL ARE messy, imperfect creatures.

Because I have a little secret for you Christians, just because you believe in the Lord does not mean you are perfect. Nor will you ever be perfect until we are fully washed, cleansed and perfected by the good Lord in HEAVEN. Meaning… NOT ON THIS EARTH!

Translation Christians: You are not perfect, and you never will be perfect, this side of heaven.

What are we called to do while we ARE on this earth?

Love unconditionally.

Meaning you don’t love someone because they’ve earned it. You don’t love someone because they are holy. You don’t love them because they are like you or because you like them.

You love them simply because they are an extremely valuable image of the Lord. Because they are simply human.

The point of this post is that I think it's disgraceful that most of Christian society is known for their staunch hatred or disgust of societal outcasts whereas so many gays are accepting and loving of the people around them. (This statement is of course not without appropriate outliers, there are gays who are extremely judgmental even of each other, and there are grace-loving Christians.)

I think some people need to know just how to love others that are not like them. What do you do? More on that, because I believe this should be defined for many people. Sometimes we truly act like the idiots we are because of ignorance. Often times my husband and I tell other Christians that we love gays. (We really do.) But then the next question is, how? How do you love gays? How do you reach out to them?


More on that later. But now let's all think: how do we let our own expectations and personal views limit who we love abundantly?