Ok, so Los has pimped me. Now I will return the favor, as well as get on board with his “Fat Ragamuffin” club. Los has lost like 30 pounds, probably more…doing Weight Watchers but most importantly, he has gotten healthy. Seeing his before and after pictures and videos, you can see that even a lazy worship leader can lose weight. (I am kidding on the lazy part, the guy is a crazy mad-man).

So I too, join hands with the Fat Ragamuffins. Although I wouldn’t consider myself obese, I am going to publicly display my lowest, wedding day, highest, current, and goal weights here - and what I am doing to get there. As a female - this is scary! But I want to be healthy and FEEL healthy too. I DARE YOU to do the same. Yup, that’s a dare.

• Lowest = 128 in 2002. This was NOT healthy for me. I am almost 5′6″, and athletic (well, was). I was really bony and this was during a stressful time in my life. I was not eating properly at all.
• Wedding Day = 140 in 2003. This was and is my ideal weight. I felt great, looked great. Then we were married and made brownies every week…that led to…
• Highest = 167 in 2006. This was right before Scotland in September. YIKES. I was not feeling good, my gallbladder was acting up, and I certainly was not eating healthy.
• Current = 154
• Healthy & Goal = 140-145. Weight fluctuates you know.

I lost some of the weight after having my gallbladder surgery - not eating very much for a couple of weeks helps. But once my appetite came back, and then the holidays, I gained 8 pounds BACK (thank you stupid snowman cookies), putting me around 162 for New Years.

So, I started this “water diet” - which isn’t much of a diet at all. You drink a full glass of water before, during, and after each meal and supposedly the weight comes off. I have changed my eating habits and have started exercising too, so in the last few weeks I am 8 pounds lighter and back down to 154. I figure a couple pounds a week and in a few months I’ll be back down at 140-145ish. I haven’t seen a number in the 140’s in over a year!

I’ll post updates every Tuesday.
Do you wanna join in?

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so, when you pray for your spirit to be broken, and expect it to happen. it does. it is the whole “sorrow without despair” thing i mentioned last week. my heart has been put through the wringer lately in many aspects:

• my gifts [how and where and when am i using them? do i even know what they are or am i wishing?]
• my creativity [i am feeling extremely lacking in this area]
• my work [lots of projects, no time, desiring to get ahead of myself]
• my freelance [i want to do some volunteer work, but i have so many bills to pay...]
• my estrogen [why do girls feel they must compete? not just in the looks area, but in all areas of life? and maybe it is not girls in general, but just me? why must i compete? it's stupid. i feel like a dog that wants to piss everywhere to claim my territory and get all offended when someone crosses over]
• our finances [we are paying our bills, all on time, but are left with practically nothing at the end of it all. our needs are met, but it gets scary, and there never seems to be an end in sight]

So all of these areas that have been pressing on my heart lately. Squeezing out every last bit of integrity I can muster just to ask myself:

“do you mean what you say…when you say you’re committed? can you be patient? humble? can you trust? really?”

I have been reading 1st Timothy lately. Probably four times in the last week, hoping to pull some encouragement and insight from Paul’s letter. Absorbing it. And trying to remember it.

On another note, I had a nice surprise on my door frame after our staff meeting. It was one of those little Dove chocolate wrappers and someone had taped it up for when I returned. It said:

Make a list of your dreams

I’m sure this person meant this as an encouragement, and it was - as much as it is funny, as I am the queen of list makers (color-coded, mind you). But what stood out more than the quotation was the trademark:

Promises Message

It was just another reminder that I am promised a future, that He will take care of me, all my anxieties listed above, and whatever dreams I may or may not list. I am promised a unique gifting. I am promised so much - even when I can’t make sense of any of it. Even when it hurts as I am trying to figure it out.

What are you promised?

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Ever had an imaginary friend? Ever wanted one? Go read my new article on Relevant…
You can do so by clicking the image below:

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Happy Monday!

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you are so fragile these days, my dear.
like a sickly woman, frail
your skin
paper-thin
bleeds easier than it should

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when you are slighted, you grasp zealously to my heart
and weave your spindly fingers through and through.

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i have learned today:

slow down, and be sensitive

in more detail… you never know what someone may be going through at any time, no matter how well you know them, or how often you see them. i bumped into a friend this morning and razzed him about his indecision on attending my birthday party next month. then he shared a very serious prayer request with me. and although this person knows me well enough to know i intended no harm in my incessant probing, if i would have taken the time to say, “hey, what’s up. how are you anyway?” i bet you a little more of the Spirit would have shown, and a little less of me.

so…i am going to continue to work on being less cynical. less sarcastic. and a little more sensitive.

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