Changes Are Happening

About 6 months ago David and I sat down and had a talk about our lives. There are 3 main areas that we have struggled with over the past few years that we really hoped to focus on making better this year. The first is our spiritual well being. David and I get so busy with life and church and work and being parents that we sometimes don't take the moments to just stop and really spend some quality time with our Savior. I've needed more of HIM. David's needed more of HIM. And since our son is with HIM...it really makes us want to know HIM even more.

The second area that David and I have struggled in is our finances. When we moved here to start Discover Point Church just 5 years ago, we were debt free (except our house and a student loan). After we had Ethan and I was a stay-at-home mom for a year and David's business was not doing so great, things got really bad. I went back to work and David got a better job and things started to turn around, but I will admit...when we lost Noah, everything changed. We spent money carelessly. More than anything it was on eating out because I didn't feel like cooking dinner...I didn't feel like doing anything - which brings us to that third area that we have struggled with...our health. Eating out will definitely pack on the pounds and will just make you feel miserable. Our bodies have taken a beating because of our emotional state.

All three of these things combined have made for 2 really depressed people! As we approach Noah's 1st Birthday, David and I both want CHANGE. I am currently in a Women's Bible Study at my church. It's a study by Beth Moore called "Breaking Free" (the new updated version). It is some powerful, powerful stuff and it couldn't have come at a more perfect time because of all that we hope to "break free" from.

David and I have also become very close to a couple at our church. Jeremy and Trista came to our church a little over a year ago and have become such great friends to us. Recently David and Jeremy started meeting weekly to just talk about life and encourage one another. Trista and I are also meeting weekly for the same purpose and it has definitely been something we have both needed.

As for our finances, David and I are on the path to become debt free (thank you Dave Ramsey!). It's going to be a long road, but we are determined and we hope to never get ourselves in this kind of mess again. We desire to be better stewards of all that God has provided for us.

And as for our health, we are working on that too. My dear friend, Brandi Dorsey, was so encouraging to me over Memorial Day weekend. She helped me to understand that I'm beautiful just the way I am and that it's a wonderful feeling to be healthy and to be kind to your body. I've been taking spin/cycling classes at the gym for a while now and with Brandi's help, I've started running. I've been running a few miles a day and then doing 30 minutes of Pilates each night. In the last 3 weeks I've lost 6 pounds and hope to keep up the momentum. I still have about 21 pounds to lose to reach my goal...but I'm trying not to concentrate too much on a number. If I can just be consistent and really have a healthy body, that will be such a great thing!

And something that I feel like God has orchestrated....

Yesterday I was on my way home from running and I was thinking about how much I have been inspired by the Lawrenson family. I thought about Tricia and about Cystic Fibrosis and how I just really wanted to do something to benefit the CF Foundation. Then today out of NOWHERE my friend Nanci emailed me and said, "Hey let's run this 1/2 marathon in September". I thought she was out of her mind. After all, the most I have run without stopping (which was TODAY by the way) is 1.6 miles. How on earth am I going to run 13.1 miles???? My first response was "no way", but then I read the website and what the race was for and I knew I had to say "yes". Well, it's going to take a LOT of hard work and lot of training, but it's a great way to keep up my momentum with losing weight and getting my body into shape. And the best part? The race is put on by Miles for Cystic Fibrosis and Team 65ROSES....

From the website about the race...

Who is Miles for Cystic Fibrosis and Team 65ROSES?

Staying healthy with cystic fibrosis requires the stamina and determination of an endurance athlete. No one knows that better than 65ROSES co-founders, two pediatric CF physicians from Atlanta, who are also marathon runners.

Team 65ROSES became their vehicle to honor such dedication. It was designed for people who walk or run a half marathon or marathon while also raising awareness and funds to support the Cystic Fibrosis community.

Visit us at www.MilesForCysticFibrosis.org

In its fourth year, 65ROSES runners have participated in the four ING Georgia Marathons and two ING Miami Marathons, fielding a total of 687 team members and raising over $214,000.

An outstanding component of this organization is their pledge that through its team members, volunteers and supporters are distributed to CF-related charities, including: 100% of donations raisedCystic Fibrosis Foundation, a nonprofit, donor-supported organization, that assures the development of the means to cure and control cystic fibrosis and to improve the quality of life for those with the disease (www.cff.org); and CF-Reaching Out Foundation, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization that provides financial support to CF families struggling with the cost of medications, nutritional supplements, utility bills, or other necessities, to live well and stay healthy. Check out their website at www.ReachingOutFoundation.org.

I have a lot of hard work ahead of me before the race on September 19th, but I am determined!

And please keep David and I in your prayers as we make a lot of changes in our lives to become all that God wants us to be and to live the abundant life he intended us to live.