Before I get really deep into this week's blog, I want to give credit to a former classmate who started this conversation on facebook about moving out of your comfort zone in order to get what you want out of life. I had been thinking about this topic for a while. After all, this whole journey has really been about me moving out of a detrimental comfort zone I had been in for a while now. So, Sed Ehi, this blog is for you(and also for CJ,one of my wonderful followers, I read your blog,too).
Thinking back, I have always had to force myself or be forced to move out of a place that was comfortable for me. If there is any truth to zodiac signs, I am definitely a true Cancer. I like to retreat into my shell if I feel out of my element. If you challenge me, I am bound to either close myself up, or get really moody for reasons you could not possibly (or even want to understand). As a child, I was very shy. Unlike my gregarious parents and sister, it was very hard for me to make friends. When I did make a friend, you were my friend for life (or at least for a very long time). So as you can imagine, my circle was(and still is in some ways) very small. I had a wonderful teacher, Ms. Dobbs, who did manage to draw me out of my shell by introducing me to public speaking. I could speak (and later on, sing) very well in front of large crowds. Yet, when it came to one on one encounters, I was very uncomfortable. I even had to train myself to look people in the eyes when I speak to them. Even now, if I feel awkward, it is still hard for me to project my voice and look a person in the eyes. This part of my life is still a work in progress.
Quite often I have tried to purposely put myself in uncomfortable situations to help me overcome my fears. I alway picked some of the more challenging teachers in high school and college. I dated (and eventually married) a man who is soooo not like me, which has been a beautiful journey in itself. Something else funny about zodiac signs: my husband is a Leo, which supposedly the characteristics are completely opposite of Cancers. How we have made it this far is the by the grace of God,lol. So HE really does have a sense of humor! I moved away from the city and people I know in order to start a life on my own. It's been six years and I haven't had to move back home, knock on wood! Currently, I am moving away from the comforts that food has brought me, and towards the comforts of having a wonderful quality of life. Of course, food is apart of the process but food doesn't fuel the process. I am learning to seek satisfaction in other things. I am finding that these other "things" give me great joy, a joy that food could not give me. I am learning to run(I really hated running, but I am starting to grow fond of it after completing my first 5K). I am reading books I would have never thought about reading, and they are opening my mind. I went over seas for the first time, which terrified me. I have found "a peace that transcends all understanding" (this isn't my quote, see 1 Philipians 4:6-7). I am becoming more comfortable moving out of my comfort zone.
Recently, a friend and I went to a wonderful concert featuring one of my favorite singers, Ledisi (if you don't know about her, you really need to check her out). While she was giving a bit of her testimony she said, "There's a door called fear, but if you open it behind it a blessing is waiting on the other side". Even though I have forced myself into uncomfortable situations, I have never fully had faith that the outcomes would be favorable. I would cry, worry, and fret over whether I made a huge mistake. The bulk of my 30 year existence was spent fearing the unknown instead of embracing it and going with the flow. Life is all about transitions. Some transitions are wonderful. Some transitions will tear you down into nothing. Yet, the wonderful aspect about being in transition is that you are always moving. The real questions are: Will you chose to move forward into the great, magnificent unknown? Or will you chose to move in a circle, where things will most likely remain stagnant and unremarkable?
I challenge everyone to move forward with me!
WEIGHT LOSS TO DATE: 58 pounds! I've got 17 more to go!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Running The Race
I did it!. I participated in the Hopebuilders 5K for Levine Children Hospital in Charlotte yesterday with a group of co-workers and some of their families. It was my goal to run the entire race without stopping, and I was able to do it in 38 minutes, which is my best time for running over 3 miles. I was a little nervous the night before, because 1. I didn't want to make a fool of myself. I had told everyone that I was going to run the entire time. If I didn't, I would have been very embarrassed. 2. I ran 3.5 miles the night before with BGR (Black Girls Run), I was fairly tired and so sore. So the night before, I packed my Race Recovery Kit which included a bottle of water, a towel, some pain reliever, and peanut butter and cheese crackers. I woke up at 5:30 the next morning, ate my healthy multigrain slice of bread with nutella and banana spread on top, put on my race t-shirt, packed my headphones for my Pandora app on my phone, and headed out the door. I wasn't sure if I was completely ready, but I went to the race on a mission. I was determined not to fail.
A little after 8 am, the whole group, which made up several hundred people, took off. I had trained myself to pace myself, keep my arms close to the sides, and to pay close attention to my breathing. About half a mile in, I stopped only to tie my shoe. At about 2 miles in, I began to get delirious. The path was fairly simple, through a beautiful neighborhood in the Dilworth area. It was a gorgeous morning but cool. There were some slight inclines that just about killed me, but I kept going. I remember the first song that got me pumped was Martha Munizzi's "Glorious". Some people might have thought I was crazy singing this song out loud, but the beat got me going just a little further. As I was nearing the 3rd mile, I slowed down a bit because I noticed my other shoe became untied and I seriously was not about to stop to tie it. I was so friggin close to finishing. Thank God for Israel's "I am a Friend of God" because at that moment I needed to know God was my friend and he was going to help me make it to the end of this race. I got to the finish line and I saw some of my co-workers cheering me on. I looked up at the clock and it said 38 min and some seconds which I really didn't pay attention to. I just knew I finished!
True to my emotional self, I broke down in tears. One of my co-worker's husband probably thought I had lost my mind. I knew he didn't know about the journey It took to get to this point. He didn't know that 2 months ago I could not run a mile. Nine months ago, I was well over 200 pounds. Nine months ago, I was also crying like a baby because I so desperately wanted to change from the inside out. So all of these emotions just poured out of me because at that moment, I reached a huge goal. I really didn't care about how silly I looked, because I was able to achieve what I set out to do. Later on, I went to church which was the perfect end to my day. It is always good to hear an encouraging word. Today, I spent most of the day in bed recovering, which is what I deserved to do....
WEIGHT LOSS TO DATE: This week was a big shocker, I lost 6 pounds guys! I am 19 pounds from my goal!
A little after 8 am, the whole group, which made up several hundred people, took off. I had trained myself to pace myself, keep my arms close to the sides, and to pay close attention to my breathing. About half a mile in, I stopped only to tie my shoe. At about 2 miles in, I began to get delirious. The path was fairly simple, through a beautiful neighborhood in the Dilworth area. It was a gorgeous morning but cool. There were some slight inclines that just about killed me, but I kept going. I remember the first song that got me pumped was Martha Munizzi's "Glorious". Some people might have thought I was crazy singing this song out loud, but the beat got me going just a little further. As I was nearing the 3rd mile, I slowed down a bit because I noticed my other shoe became untied and I seriously was not about to stop to tie it. I was so friggin close to finishing. Thank God for Israel's "I am a Friend of God" because at that moment I needed to know God was my friend and he was going to help me make it to the end of this race. I got to the finish line and I saw some of my co-workers cheering me on. I looked up at the clock and it said 38 min and some seconds which I really didn't pay attention to. I just knew I finished!
True to my emotional self, I broke down in tears. One of my co-worker's husband probably thought I had lost my mind. I knew he didn't know about the journey It took to get to this point. He didn't know that 2 months ago I could not run a mile. Nine months ago, I was well over 200 pounds. Nine months ago, I was also crying like a baby because I so desperately wanted to change from the inside out. So all of these emotions just poured out of me because at that moment, I reached a huge goal. I really didn't care about how silly I looked, because I was able to achieve what I set out to do. Later on, I went to church which was the perfect end to my day. It is always good to hear an encouraging word. Today, I spent most of the day in bed recovering, which is what I deserved to do....
WEIGHT LOSS TO DATE: This week was a big shocker, I lost 6 pounds guys! I am 19 pounds from my goal!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Who Run The World? GIRLS!
Next week, I am going to attempt, no I am going to run my first 5K. Now, I have really been trying to push myself to get a run in at least three times a week in addition to my regular strength training. My personal life and work schedule make it difficult to be committed to running everyday. I acquired this 5K Training Schedule, which I have been able to follow roughly the past 8 weeks, and by this week, I should be up to 3 miles (currently I am at 2.5), and theoretically should be able to run the full 3.2 miles by next Saturday. Now let me let you all in on a little secret: I don't really like to run. From the moment I start until the time I finish, all I can think about is finishing. The only thing that keeps me going is the Pandora line up of one of my favorite worship leaders, Israel Houghton, and a lot of prayer. There have been times when I just broke down and cried after running, because it takes everything I have to get to the finish line.
Well, now I am even more encouraged. Recently, a fellow facebook friend turned me on to a movement called Black Girls Run. There are literally groups of black girls running regularly all over the country, and participate in various runs as a group. I was fortunate to find a group here in Charlotte. The skeptic in me said, "Really, there are black girls all over the country running? Get the heck out of here!". I mean, I love my sisters, but honestly, I have never seen a whole group of girls who look just like me, running. It has been assumed by society that in a lot of African American communities "Black women don't like to exercise because they don't want to sweat, or get their hair messed up". And while this may be true for some of us(which I have posed the question before, is it really worth losing your quality of life just to look pretty on the surface?), there are actually beautiful women of color out there who are not afraid to get sweaty, not afraid of their hair getting "nappy" all for the sake of good ol' fashioned physical activity. I met women of all different sizes, backgrounds, and levels of activity who were committing to being healthy. Running with these ladies helped me to push myself a little bit further. Though I wasn't the fastest, I wasn't the slowest. I was able to run non-stop. I also respect the group's motto, "No woman left behind", so even the one's who were slower were assured of their ability to get to the finish line, and the leader stayed in the middle so we all stayed together.
Even though running is my least favorite thing to do, I know that it is just another challenge that I will conquer. Hopefully I will began to really enjoy running now that I know there are other ladies out there who look like me and are running with purpose. Although I may not be able to make all the runs, my goal is to participate in at least one group run a week, and one organized run every 3 months to keep my skills up. One of my life goals is to be able to run a full marathon by the time I am 40. I might be ahead of schedule....
WEIGHT LOSS TO DATE: Still holding fine at 50 lbs lost. I have loss some inches however! I am still encouraged!
Well, now I am even more encouraged. Recently, a fellow facebook friend turned me on to a movement called Black Girls Run. There are literally groups of black girls running regularly all over the country, and participate in various runs as a group. I was fortunate to find a group here in Charlotte. The skeptic in me said, "Really, there are black girls all over the country running? Get the heck out of here!". I mean, I love my sisters, but honestly, I have never seen a whole group of girls who look just like me, running. It has been assumed by society that in a lot of African American communities "Black women don't like to exercise because they don't want to sweat, or get their hair messed up". And while this may be true for some of us(which I have posed the question before, is it really worth losing your quality of life just to look pretty on the surface?), there are actually beautiful women of color out there who are not afraid to get sweaty, not afraid of their hair getting "nappy" all for the sake of good ol' fashioned physical activity. I met women of all different sizes, backgrounds, and levels of activity who were committing to being healthy. Running with these ladies helped me to push myself a little bit further. Though I wasn't the fastest, I wasn't the slowest. I was able to run non-stop. I also respect the group's motto, "No woman left behind", so even the one's who were slower were assured of their ability to get to the finish line, and the leader stayed in the middle so we all stayed together.
Even though running is my least favorite thing to do, I know that it is just another challenge that I will conquer. Hopefully I will began to really enjoy running now that I know there are other ladies out there who look like me and are running with purpose. Although I may not be able to make all the runs, my goal is to participate in at least one group run a week, and one organized run every 3 months to keep my skills up. One of my life goals is to be able to run a full marathon by the time I am 40. I might be ahead of schedule....
WEIGHT LOSS TO DATE: Still holding fine at 50 lbs lost. I have loss some inches however! I am still encouraged!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
50!
If you are a facebook friend of mine, then you should know by now that I have reached my 50 pound weight loss goal as of today! I am extremely excited and terrified at the same time. It's taken long enough, and I am certainly glad to be at this point. Yet, now I know that the bar has to be raised. I still have 25 more pounds to go to make my "ideal" weight. Doesn't sound like much compared to 50, but many of you may be able to identify how hard it is to lose those last few pounds. I know that temptation is going to come at me hard these next few weeks, especially with the holidays rolling around. Why is it that they are all back to back anyway? Truly a dieter's curse!
It seems like it has taken me an awfully long time to get to this point. I've known a lot of people who have lost the same amount of weight or more in a shorter period of time. I was glad (and maybe a little envious)for them. However, now I know that the course I am taking is the one I need to take. I needed the extra time to discover the stuff that has been holding me back. I needed extra time to reflect on the person that I am, which I have come to find out is a pretty decent person. If I had been able to get to this point quicker, I would have missed out on how therapeutic this journey has been for my spirit, and I probably would have bounced back into old habits because I would not have fully appreciated the process.
I have just got to give my pastor, Steven Furtick of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC a huge shout out(he may not even read this, but this is a testimony to all of my friends and family). Every week he comes with the word of course, but I don't know how God manages to line Pastor Furtick's word with the situations I am going through at that moment. We have begun a new study series on Hebrews 12. Today his focus was on the first 3 scriptures, but I scrolled down to Hebrews 12:11 which reads, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." I can't wait until we touch on this one. I just want to put it on a t-shirt and sell it! This applies to every area of my life, most specifically to weight loss. If anything takes discipline, it is sticking to a life long weight loss and management plan. Every step of the way has been painful, not just physically, but emotionally.
The other day, I was just having such a strong attack on my spirit. I was being snappy with my son and my husband. I left the house and went to work out. I then stopped by Wal-mart to look for something, but then I saw it...McDonald's! Now, I am not a big fan of McDonald's. But as a parent (and a busy one at that), I find myself frequenting this establishment on the days I don't have time to cook. The kid is happy,and I am relieved(and, just in case you are wondering, I do chose the healthier options for my child). On this fateful night, I really wanted something that was not so healthy. Torn, I walked through the store for about 30 minutes, trying to clear my head and think rationally about the bad decision I was about to make. I did go to McDonald's, but I got a small cup of low fat yogurt, and not the greasy chicken sandwich that I really wanted. A small victory in my eyes!
Pastor Steven hit on 4 points on why people just stop trying based on the scriptures. The last one, "We never realize how close we are to victory", hit me the hardest. I am definitely closer to victory than I was 8 months ago when I was sitting around feeling sorry for myself. My visions for myself: spiritual, mental and physical, are so much clearer now that I have gotten rid of the "weight". I bought a shirt at church today with a lyric from the song we sing which will always remind me of my struggles, but also remind me that there is hope. It reads, "I may be weak, but your spirit's strong in me." The next line goes "My flesh may fail, but my God you never will."
Here's to brand new victories over the flesh everyday!
WEIGHT LOSS TO DATE: 50, yes five-zero baby!
It seems like it has taken me an awfully long time to get to this point. I've known a lot of people who have lost the same amount of weight or more in a shorter period of time. I was glad (and maybe a little envious)for them. However, now I know that the course I am taking is the one I need to take. I needed the extra time to discover the stuff that has been holding me back. I needed extra time to reflect on the person that I am, which I have come to find out is a pretty decent person. If I had been able to get to this point quicker, I would have missed out on how therapeutic this journey has been for my spirit, and I probably would have bounced back into old habits because I would not have fully appreciated the process.
I have just got to give my pastor, Steven Furtick of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC a huge shout out(he may not even read this, but this is a testimony to all of my friends and family). Every week he comes with the word of course, but I don't know how God manages to line Pastor Furtick's word with the situations I am going through at that moment. We have begun a new study series on Hebrews 12. Today his focus was on the first 3 scriptures, but I scrolled down to Hebrews 12:11 which reads, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." I can't wait until we touch on this one. I just want to put it on a t-shirt and sell it! This applies to every area of my life, most specifically to weight loss. If anything takes discipline, it is sticking to a life long weight loss and management plan. Every step of the way has been painful, not just physically, but emotionally.
The other day, I was just having such a strong attack on my spirit. I was being snappy with my son and my husband. I left the house and went to work out. I then stopped by Wal-mart to look for something, but then I saw it...McDonald's! Now, I am not a big fan of McDonald's. But as a parent (and a busy one at that), I find myself frequenting this establishment on the days I don't have time to cook. The kid is happy,and I am relieved(and, just in case you are wondering, I do chose the healthier options for my child). On this fateful night, I really wanted something that was not so healthy. Torn, I walked through the store for about 30 minutes, trying to clear my head and think rationally about the bad decision I was about to make. I did go to McDonald's, but I got a small cup of low fat yogurt, and not the greasy chicken sandwich that I really wanted. A small victory in my eyes!
Pastor Steven hit on 4 points on why people just stop trying based on the scriptures. The last one, "We never realize how close we are to victory", hit me the hardest. I am definitely closer to victory than I was 8 months ago when I was sitting around feeling sorry for myself. My visions for myself: spiritual, mental and physical, are so much clearer now that I have gotten rid of the "weight". I bought a shirt at church today with a lyric from the song we sing which will always remind me of my struggles, but also remind me that there is hope. It reads, "I may be weak, but your spirit's strong in me." The next line goes "My flesh may fail, but my God you never will."
Here's to brand new victories over the flesh everyday!
WEIGHT LOSS TO DATE: 50, yes five-zero baby!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
When Everyone Is Okay With You but You
Me, Sept 2011
The last couple of weeks, I have been working hard to meet my 50 pound weight loss mark. It has been very difficult, coming off slowly, but physically I feel strong. Along with the weight loss comes the wonderful compliments from friends, coworkers and family. Believe me, I appreciate them all. At times, however, I feel a little awkward receiving them and I am at a lost as to how to respond. I have come a long way, but I am not yet where I need or want to be. Many have said I look great at the current weight I am at. My husband even jokingly (but,I think he was a little serious) said that he only wanted me to lose seven more pounds. He thinks I am beautiful just as I am at this moment in time. I have tried to explain to him that I have to lose what I feel is necessary to lose in order to feel like I really accomplished what I set out to do, which is to be at a healthy weight for life. I know how easy it is for people in my family to gain weight. I don't want to get to a point where I am too comfortable with myself thinking that the weight cannot creep on up again.
I think about the possibility of us having another child. I hope that this time around I will be at a better mental and physical state to lose the baby weight more easily if I get pregnant at a healthy weight. I just don't want to get into that cycle again. I know how easily stressed and frustrated I get at life when things don't go as I plan them. It is very hard for me to "go with the flow", which places me at a higher risk to be an emotional eater. I have felt at times as if I was a drug addict who hit rock bottom. Only a person who knows what it means to hit rock bottom, knows that it is at that point you start recognizing something in your life has to drastically change. Yet the demons, the temptations are always there in the midst of your triumphs. For a person who is fragile and new to recovery, the self doubt sets in, which begins the cycle.
I love that everyone is okay with the "new me". However, I want to be able to feel okay deep down in my soul. I don't want to feel like my confidence or body image is superficial. But I guess sometimes one has to create a facade in order to get through life, until that feeling of unwavering confidence completely shines through. With all that being said, I hope this didn't sound too depressing. This is just what I am feeling at the moment. Pray for me that I remember what God sees in me is so much greater than what I see, and he is never wrong!
Me, July 2010
WEIGHT LOSS TO DATE: 49 lbs! Almost there....
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Something to Look Forward To...
I've come to the realization that in order for me to be satisfied with my life in every area, I need to have something to look forward to all the time. I discovered this some years back when I was planning my wedding.Planning was stressful because I am not a very detail oriented person, and I had some problems visualizing what I wanted my wedding to be like. As tedious as the whole planning process was, after the event was over, I felt like I was in "wedding withdrawal". My saturday would no longer be filled with trips to Garden Ridge for decorations, planning the food and guests list. I felt a bit of a void until my next adventure, motherhood , came along. For nine months I planned for this little person that would change my entire life. I imagined what he or she would look like. I even looked forward to the monthly then weekly doctor's appointments. When he finally arrived, I was in awe of his presence. The anticipation was over. I remember feeling a void as my identity shifted from being Sanpri, to Jason's wife, and now David's mother.
As I am embracing a new, healthier me, I have rediscovered that joy I once had looking for the next great thing to happen in my life. This "thing" can even be on a small scale(i.e painting my wall, "what will my picture look like on that freshly painted wall?") For the last few weeks, I have been training to run a charity marathon. Okay, so it's only a 5K. But then I think of how far I have come. I couldn't even walk a mile, and now I can run one. I look forward to everyday that I can work out to attain a new distance or improved time. I haven't felt this great physically in a long time.
The change in my physical appearance has given me a boost mentally as I start to feel more confident about who I am. I actually like to shop for myself now! I am grateful everyday I can wake up and make health-conscience decisions about my diet("pancakes or grapefruit and yogurt?"), my mental health ("I will not let that patient's family get to me today!"), and my physical health ("I think I can do the jump rope twice as fast today!"). At times, I have found my self worrying about what I will have to look forward to once I meet my goal weight. So, I made myself a big promise. Every January that comes around and I am five pounds within my goal weight, I am going to celebrate in a big way!
Everyday is a new challenge, a new beginning, a new journey. Everyday I look back over my mistakes(but don't dwell on them), and look forward to my victories!
WEIGHT LOSS TO DATE: 47 lbs ya'll! 3 lbs from reaching the next short term goal, 28 lbs from my goal weight!
As I am embracing a new, healthier me, I have rediscovered that joy I once had looking for the next great thing to happen in my life. This "thing" can even be on a small scale(i.e painting my wall, "what will my picture look like on that freshly painted wall?") For the last few weeks, I have been training to run a charity marathon. Okay, so it's only a 5K. But then I think of how far I have come. I couldn't even walk a mile, and now I can run one. I look forward to everyday that I can work out to attain a new distance or improved time. I haven't felt this great physically in a long time.
The change in my physical appearance has given me a boost mentally as I start to feel more confident about who I am. I actually like to shop for myself now! I am grateful everyday I can wake up and make health-conscience decisions about my diet("pancakes or grapefruit and yogurt?"), my mental health ("I will not let that patient's family get to me today!"), and my physical health ("I think I can do the jump rope twice as fast today!"). At times, I have found my self worrying about what I will have to look forward to once I meet my goal weight. So, I made myself a big promise. Every January that comes around and I am five pounds within my goal weight, I am going to celebrate in a big way!
Everyday is a new challenge, a new beginning, a new journey. Everyday I look back over my mistakes(but don't dwell on them), and look forward to my victories!
WEIGHT LOSS TO DATE: 47 lbs ya'll! 3 lbs from reaching the next short term goal, 28 lbs from my goal weight!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
What I Learned On the Other Side of the World
Well, it has been about 3 weeks since my last blog. During this time, I lost a couple pounds, gained them back, and I have been pretty steady at the same weight since the last time I shared with you all. While normally I would throw myself into a pretty big funk over not losing weight, I feel pretty good at where I am right now. I am not saying that I still don't want to meet my goal. I set off on this journey to finish what I started, and if it takes me 5, 10 years to get to where I ideally should be, then so be it. As long as I am making progress.
Anyhoo,while I was in Rome, I gained a new appreciation for life overall. A few observations of the city/country: 1. No one was particularly friendly. While there were some people who were helpful, no one really went out of his/her way to be extra courteous. 2. Central air:non-existent. Okay, it's pretty bad when only a few restaurants have air, and those that do make it a point to display this on their windows. Our hotel room, though cozy, was hot at times. 3. They do not give or receive money in their hands. Funny how I noticed this right away. I even think it may be an offense for your hands to touch during the exchange. 4. No one was particularly overweight. While Italians do enjoy their food and wine, they do a considerable amount of walking, which was to my benefit during my stay. 5. Italians think very highly of themselves. Now I hope I don't offend anyone by saying this. In fact, I admire this quality. The majority of the locals were very fashion forward. The artists and sculptors from medieval times paid very close attention to detail, and worked endlessly on their masterpieces until it was perfect.
Now that you have a little background of my experience in Italy, I will get to my favorite part. I loved, loved, loved the food. The flavors, the texture, the freshness. Dinner was my favorite part of the day, and not just because I was inhaling large amounts of food.The best part was after a long day of walking and sightseeing, I could sit down and really enjoy my meal. The servers were not in a hurry for you to leave their establishments. I guess they figure after you've had a few glasses of wine, you will continue to be hungry and order more food. Just being able to have a long conversation with my girls over great food and wine was relaxing and made the trip worth every penny. For those moments, I forgot I was trying to lose weight. I was just taking in the shear ecstasy of being in new surroundings. I remember our tour guide for the Uffizi Gallery in Florence explained to us how many artists liked to depict religious scenes to display the beauty of God, and how God is love. The human figures were by no means perfect.The idea was that they were perfect in the eyes of God. Beauty was in the eye of the beholder, or the artist. The details that were captured in all the paintings, the subtle nuances, grabbed my attention.
I thought back to everything I have learned in my journey as a Christian trying to lose weight. I am not perfect, but I am a creation made out of love, the love of God. I have probably mentioned this before, but just knowing this makes me want to commit even more so to living healthy. I just feel so blessed that I was able to have this unforgettable adventure. Seeing the world from another view has definitely given me a wonderful new insight on how awesome God is, and the life he has given me!
WEIGHT LOSS: STILL HOLDING STRONG AT 44 lbs lost! If you have not, I recommend everyone visits somewhere out of the country, or even on the other side of the country. You will discover some amazing things!
Anyhoo,while I was in Rome, I gained a new appreciation for life overall. A few observations of the city/country: 1. No one was particularly friendly. While there were some people who were helpful, no one really went out of his/her way to be extra courteous. 2. Central air:non-existent. Okay, it's pretty bad when only a few restaurants have air, and those that do make it a point to display this on their windows. Our hotel room, though cozy, was hot at times. 3. They do not give or receive money in their hands. Funny how I noticed this right away. I even think it may be an offense for your hands to touch during the exchange. 4. No one was particularly overweight. While Italians do enjoy their food and wine, they do a considerable amount of walking, which was to my benefit during my stay. 5. Italians think very highly of themselves. Now I hope I don't offend anyone by saying this. In fact, I admire this quality. The majority of the locals were very fashion forward. The artists and sculptors from medieval times paid very close attention to detail, and worked endlessly on their masterpieces until it was perfect.
Now that you have a little background of my experience in Italy, I will get to my favorite part. I loved, loved, loved the food. The flavors, the texture, the freshness. Dinner was my favorite part of the day, and not just because I was inhaling large amounts of food.The best part was after a long day of walking and sightseeing, I could sit down and really enjoy my meal. The servers were not in a hurry for you to leave their establishments. I guess they figure after you've had a few glasses of wine, you will continue to be hungry and order more food. Just being able to have a long conversation with my girls over great food and wine was relaxing and made the trip worth every penny. For those moments, I forgot I was trying to lose weight. I was just taking in the shear ecstasy of being in new surroundings. I remember our tour guide for the Uffizi Gallery in Florence explained to us how many artists liked to depict religious scenes to display the beauty of God, and how God is love. The human figures were by no means perfect.The idea was that they were perfect in the eyes of God. Beauty was in the eye of the beholder, or the artist. The details that were captured in all the paintings, the subtle nuances, grabbed my attention.
I thought back to everything I have learned in my journey as a Christian trying to lose weight. I am not perfect, but I am a creation made out of love, the love of God. I have probably mentioned this before, but just knowing this makes me want to commit even more so to living healthy. I just feel so blessed that I was able to have this unforgettable adventure. Seeing the world from another view has definitely given me a wonderful new insight on how awesome God is, and the life he has given me!
WEIGHT LOSS: STILL HOLDING STRONG AT 44 lbs lost! If you have not, I recommend everyone visits somewhere out of the country, or even on the other side of the country. You will discover some amazing things!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)