[#1.] October Fitness Update

To say that I have been dreading this post would be an understatement. 

My weight has been fluctuating all last month because I've been inconsistent. I'm still back to where I started and still want to lose 20 lbs this month. Rather than having that beast of a goal looming over my head, I want to just take it one day at a time. I need to be active every day and get a handle on what I'm eating. The struggle is real. So far I've been doing well this month. I know, I know. It's only been two days, but I'm 2-for-2 :).

It is really important to me that I don't carry this weight with me into the new year. I have exactly 3 months left. Twelve weeks. That's the normal amount of time it takes to see a change if you are consistent. I've been carrying this weight around for years. I've been thinking a lot about what I would do once I meet the goal. I think that I'll treat myself to a shopping spree. I'll definitely need a change in wardrobe if I meet the goals I'd like to. Three months will also give me enough time to save up for it. Maybe this will motivate me to make some lasting changes.

In other news, there are some changes coming to the blog shortly. I'm still figuring out the commenting thing, but I have added a feature on the right that will allow you to follow along by email. That way, you don't miss a post. :) Please let me know if you have any trouble with this. During this period of transition, I want to make sure that everything works.

Anyway, knowing that there are 3 months left in the year, any plans for your own weight loss? What steps do you have in place to make sure you are consistent. Aside from a recommitment to post everyday, I'm writing down my mileage on my calendar. What kind of health goals have you set? What are you using as a reward for when your goals are met?

P.S. I think the watermark is kind of growing on me...

#25. Rock a job interview

Hello October!

This year is RACING by, but I'm glad the season of change is here. It's my favorite time of year.


And we're circling back to the topic at hand...

So I'm not looking for employment any time soon, but I realize that being able to rock an interview is just a good life skill to have. I think a woman who is in her 30's should have the ability to handle herself in an interview and to walk out feeling confident about the experience.

I cringe as I look back to my previous interviews. When I interviewed for my current position, I was physically shaking. As I waited for our meeting to begin, I couldn't think of one reason that I should be qualified for the job. It's funny because I had already put in a year in another department at the same company and the nature of the work would be similar. However, my confidence in my likelihood in being offered the position was so low that I left the interview thinking there was no chance that I would be hired. 

So long story short, I ended up getting the job, but I knew for sure I needed to change the way I prepare for interviews. My school has a great resource to help with this. Any of you who struggle with the same thing should look into this for your school as well! Our Career Center reviews resumes and offers mock interviews with feedback for free. I don't know why I didn't use this resource sooner!

Interviewing well is going to be a good long-term skill to build for when I need to job hunt in 2016 ;) but I also have to complete a practicum and internship for my program, so I need to be able to handle myself in interviews over the next year. Speaking of which, pray for me please. I am trying to muscle through this degree, but it is not easy. I looked at my degree completion plan yesterday. After this coming spring semester, I will have 3 classes left, including my internship. Graduation is so close I can taste it! BUT I definitely need to be a good steward of my time and remember that everything I do should be to the glory of God. It's so easy to want to slack off and just do enough to get by, but I need to put my best effort into this thing. My goal is to graduate with at least a 3.25 GPA, but I have got to stay focused.

How about you? Where are you in completing your degrees? How do you fight discouragement?



P.S. A few of you have mentioned an issue with the commenting feature. I am still checking into this to figure it out. Please bear with me. 

Lynchburgers List

I'm a list girl, can't you tell? :) After the announcement yesterday, I've been thinking a lot about the things that I want to see or do before leaving Virginia. I know, I know. I just got through hammering in the fact that nothing is set in stone. What can I say? I'm a planner.

With so many people committing to "be local", I've started thinking about making the most of our time here in Virginia. I have lived here for 8 years and there is still so much of Lynchburg I haven't seen! How terrible is that? Part of the goal of this list is to get my hubby out of that apartment more. He is such a homebody that he would totally be a hermit if he could {LOVE YOU, B!}

• Visit Smith Mountain Lake
• Take a picture with the LOVE sign downtown
• Photograph the Lynchburg sign on Wards Road
• Purchase goods from the Lynchburg Community Market
• Walk through Old City Cemetery
• Visit the Peaks of Otter
• Be photographed in front of Downtown Lynchburg graffiti art
• Photograph a model on a downtown photoshoot
• Document Liberty's growth and changes
• Hike up to Sharp Top

I'm sure this list is bound to have some changes and additions, but I can't think of anything else right now. Any suggestions from other Lynchburgers? Yes, that's a thing now. You're welcome. 

Figuring Out What is Next

So the hubby and I followed this guy around last week. 

Let me back up because that just sounds creepy. Josh, the guy in the picture above, is a tour guide. Some of you are aware that for the past few months, B and I have been considering a move. It wouldn't be anytime soon! We are talking 2 years down the road about May/June 2016. [Eek! That's actually more like a year and a half now. Can you believe it's almost October?!] My hubby is working on his Master of Divinity right now -- 94 loooong credit hours, but he's over halfway done. Realizing this, he started looking into what his next steps would be. A lot of people assume that he is studying to be a pastor by default. Although he definitely is the shepherd of this family, his goal is to become a teacher, preferably in a college/university setting. 

The issue is that a lot of jobs in this area require a Ph.D. Typically, you need to at least have one degree higher than what you want to teach. Makes sense. So, B started looking into schools and stumbled across Southeastern in Wake Forest, North Carolina. 

I should have warned you that this post would pretty much turn into a photo dump. [Also, don't mind the watermark. I'm experimenting with it and I'm def not sold on this one] I promise we did more than take pictures, but my hubby was kind enough to let me take some photos of him [rare occasion!!], so I had to take advantage of it. I need all the practice I can get!

Too. Much. Schwag. 

Anyway, we loved the campus and the professors were incredibly friendly. B was able to make a few contacts and check out what this might look like financially. We both had such a peace that this is the next step in the journey for us. 

As I mentioned earlier, this is something we have been talking about/praying about for months. Until now, we've kept it relatively hush-hush. So why the announcement now -- over a year from the time these changes will be made? Well, we covet your prayers. I am the type of person who can be happy anywhere. Until we started thinking in this direction, we were perfectly content to live out our days here in Virginia. Now, we both feel like this is the direction to which God has called us. Even though the peace is there, there are a ton of things that need to fall into place, in order to make this change happen. 

First, we need to graduate. It would be much more difficult for me to get a job in my field with half of a degree. B can't get accepted to the Ph.D. program without his completed Master of Divinity. That brings me to the next thing. B would have to be accepted to the program. There isn't really a reason why he wouldn't be accepted once his degree is complete, but this part is pretty much completely out of his hands. That can be such a nerve-racking thought. BUT then you have to come to the conclusion that, really, everything is out of our hands. If B is accepted, we would still need to get jobs. We would also like to purchase our first home right out of the gate so we don't need to worry about moving twice. From what we've seen, the price to rent an apartment is not much more than an average mortgage payment would be in some areas. However, all of this hinges on us relocating and finding jobs...which hinges on whether or not B gets accepted. He can't even apply until next fall! The next two years are going to be such a time of transition.

Aside from a request for prayer, I also wanted to post this on the blog because I have been feeling more motivated to make some changes, in light of the time we've spent there. There is a great emphasis all throughout the campus on making disciples and bringing the gospel to everyone around us. This is such a great reminder, but it's so easy to get caught up in self. I'll speak for myself, but it is so easy to be caught up in what I want to do in my life. There is not enough of an emphasis in pouring into others. What good is it to be moving up if you're not bringing others with you? What good is it to hold tightly to the gospel if you aren't sharing it with other people? We were so challenged in the small amount of time we visited. We could tell that there is definitely an environment that has an emphasis on accountability and growth.

Although there won't be any tangible adjustments to be made until 2016, it becomes more important to me now to hone my photography skills and develop some DIY/crafting skills. I figure that I might not be able to just walk into a job in my field. So, if I can use these skills for a part time hustle in the meantime, that would be amazing. I'll be showing you my first rehab project later this week. 

I know I have kind of been all over the place with this post, but there's a ton going on. So many changes. Pray for us as we work and pray through this thing. We know that if nothing else, God will be teaching us to trust in Him all the more. What about you? Was there a time you can recall where you made a move on faith, looked back, and realized that it was no one but God. I'm sure your story is encouraging, and I'd love to hear it!

Guest Post: The Hubby

I thought it was only right that the first guest blog post was from my husband. I know this isn't really in line with the main thrust of this blog, but I wanted to do something a little different. I mentioned my stud of a husband earlier in the blog. 

He wrote this during the engagement stage of our relationship, and I figured I would share it with you. A few of you may have read this a few years ago, but it is certainly a good reminder for me, too!

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I don't normally use writing as an outlet as much as My does, but I felt the need to do a post on what we believe and what we're learning about marriage.

Those who are close to me know I am not a fan of clichés. I like going against the grain and looking at things from a different perspective. This is especially true in regards to marriage. The popular teachings on marriage either come from Genesis 2:24 or Ephesians 5:22-33. Though these are great passages and wonderful truths are found in them, they tend to be overused. I believe the Bible has a lot more to say about marriage in passages that are not easily found in the concordance. Admittedly, they may not deal directly with marriage, but there are principles that can be applied to marriage.

For example, 1 Peter 2:18-25 gives us a great insight on how servants should respond to their masters. Peter says that servants should be subject to their masters with all respect -- not just to the ones who are good and gentle, but also to the ones who are unjust (1 Peter 2:18). Peter explains that this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly (1Peter 2:19). I like to call this the principle of being a living sacrifice.

In Romans, Paul appeals to Christians to present their bodies as living sacrifices. In his letter, Peter seems to be giving a practical example of how to do this. Naturally, a servant is willing to serve a master, who is good and gentle. Likewise, it is natural for a servant to be unwilling to serve a master who is unjust. However, Peter commands believers to become living sacrifices by being subject to their masters, despite them being unjust.

This goes completely contrary to man’s sinful nature. Why would Peter and Paul command believers to serve and obey someone who is unjust to them? Should not these masters be punished for their injustice? Peter goes on to explain that obeying unjust masters is a gracious thing in the sight of God because of what Christ did. Christ committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to God who judges justly (1 Peter 2:23).

If anyone should have been punished it would be those who reviled and abused Jesus. He had every right and the power to do so, if He pleased. However, had He immediately punished those who were unjust to Him, His ultimate goal of redemption would not have been accomplished. Therefore, in Jesus’ suffering, God the Father was glorified. In the same way, God is glorified when we suffer unjustly for His sake.

Now, you may be wondering how this relates to marriage. I would reply that one of God’s purposes in His planq for believers is for them to be conformed to Jesus Christ. One of the main ways God does this is through relationships. Peter gave the example of the relationship between a master and servant. However, the relationship between the husband and wife may be the relationship that most effectively accomplishes this.

Interestingly enough, this is the relationship Peter speaks on in the next chapter. He tells husbands to live with their wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel since they are heirs with them in the grace of life, so that prayers may not be hindered (1 Peter 3:7). Peter’s command demonstrates the distinct roles, yet the equality of the husband and the wife. The husband’s role as the leader is not to be one of dictatorship. An example of dictatorship would be where the husband does what he pleases with the family’s finances. Servant leadership – the ideal role – would be where the husband listens and strives to understand the ideas of his wife and then makes a decision that is beneficial to them as a whole. The husband in the first example treats his wife as a second class citizen, while the second husband values his wife’s opinion and consults with her.

Though I and my very beautiful, smart, kind, and awesome fiancée are not yet married I do admit I struggle in the area of understanding her. She may have a thought or idea and I tend to reject it, without considering her feelings or seeing things from her perspective. This is usually due to my own personal opinion or feeling. However, as a husband in training I need to seek to understand her feelings and opinions before my own. Though naturally my sinful nature will want to say “what?”, “NO”, “that’s crazy”, “why would you do that?” or any other condescending phase or tone that belittles or discourages any idea she may have.

This principle even extends to times where I may feel I have been treated unjustly by her. Again, naturally, I would want to get angry and take it out on her; but, I must remember our relationship is meant to conform me to Christ. One way to do that is by being a living sacrifice. Even if I am wronged by My, I am called to love and understand her (though that may be exactly what I do not want to do). This is what the principle of being a living sacrifice looks like. I am to do this, not because I love My, but because it was what Christ did for me. I have wronged and rebelled against him, yet He died in my place. He suffered the wrath that I earned. Now that I have Christ as the perfect example of love, I should model it towards My.

I should seek to understand her, despite our differing opinions; and I should love her, even if she has wronged me. Though there are differences between the marital relationship and the servant/master relationship, the principle of being a living sacrifice is clearly shown. This is a principle that I will earnestly strive to apply to all areas of my life, especially to my future wife. By this, I honor my wife and glorify God.

Photo Credit: Tom Butler of Seven Hills Photography

Unexpected Hiatus

WARNING: This is going to be a wordy post to get you up to date. If you're new here and want to start from the beginning, click here!

Hey, I'm still here! Sorry for the unexpected hiatus. I've been feeling under the weather and needed to get caught up with homework before I got caught up here. Man, starting over is hard to do! I fell off in a major way!

Of course, once I got sick, all I wanted was comfort food aaand, really, who wants to work out when they're sick??? [...Actually I knew this one guy in undergrad who would go for a run whenever he got a cold. Seemed to work okay for him!]

While I have been away, I have had several people text, email, or just ask me in person about my hiatus from blogging. Thanks for keeping me on track. I gotta stay committed to the mission. 

There are a couple of things that I do want to make clear:

This is not a weight loss blog. Once this goal is met, I will move on to the next goal. This blog is more about learning about myself, building confidence, and following through on the things I've spent far too much time just talking about. I think a lot of women my age [and some guys too] have goals that they would like to meet or bad habits they would like to overcome. For a lot of the women I've talked to weight or confidence are big issues. Some people are just learning a new skill or hobby. This blog is about all of that. It's about learning, growing, and enjoying the journey. 

Right about now, it is time for an update. I mentioned earlier that I fell off in a major way. Yeah, I'm pretty much back where I started. I posted my starting weight here in case you missed it. I weigh much more than I should at my height [5'2"]. To put things in perspective, I now weigh what I should when I'm pregnant full term. Aaand because some of you will read into this what you want: I am not pregnant. Gotta make sure I make that clear.

Even though I started off strong this month, I got lazy and gained it back. This cycle is getting old. Can anyone out there relate to #thestruggle? I thought so. :) So, I am postponing my goal of losing 20 lbs this month. I'm gonna go ahead and make that the goal for October. For September, I just want to finish strong. I'll make a baby step of dropping 10 lbs. by September 30. I went running again for the first time in a while last night and it was rough. I did two miles, alternating walking with running. I used my handy dandy Couch To 5K app. If you haven't already checked it out, you definitely should!

Because this isn't a weight loss blog, we'll move on over to our other updates. I'm still working on updating the blog with a home tour [apartment tour?]. I've been compiling a list of projects I'd like to complete around the apartment so I can update you. I also need to update the pictures I took. For real, for real. ;)

The eyebrows are still looking decent. I've been plucking the stragglers and think I can get another two weeks out of my stylist's work. Yeah, I'll call her a stylist since I haven't been able to pull it off on my own yet. I heard about this NADS facial wand from a commercial. Have any of you tried that? It makes doing your own eyebrows look super easy...I'm suspicious. Anyway, I will be trying it once my eyebrows return to that unruly state. I'll post a review the results when I can!

What else? What else? Oh! Perhaps this isn't as exciting for you as it is for me, but one of my coworkers offered to create a banner and logo for me to use. This will be debuting on the blog as soon as I can figure out how to add them on here shortly :). I hope to have this done this weekend along with some decor projects I've been working on, so stay tuned!

#19. Give birth naturally [Become a mother]

I'm just going to go ahead and open with this. Brandon and I want to have a big family. To be specific, we are talking five on the conservative side, but we would like to have seven children. I've been telling people this for years, so most of you probably already know this. 

We know it will be expensive and a lot of work. If this is not what God has for us, then so be it, but children are definitely part of our long-term goals. Because we are both still in school and want to work to pay off as much debt as possible, we are being patient. It is definitely a struggle, but I am definitely learning to enjoy where I am now. I'm using this time to focus on fitness and try to hone some of the skills I mentioned on my list (sewing, photography, etc). If I can use these skills in the future to supplement our income, that would be great. One of my goals before I turn 30 though is to begin the journey of motherhood. I want to at least have our first child (hopefully, a boy) by the time I turn 30. 

I knew I wanted to be a mother long before I knew what career field interested me. I can thank my own amazing mother for this. I have definitely dropped the ball in appreciating her as much as I should have. My mother is a woman who has always cared. She cared enough about my sisters and I to discipline us but also to encourage us. She cared enough about my father to display loving submission, even when it meant she may have been disappointed at times. She humbly served the Lord for years before she was ever given appreciation or recognition for it in public. She is the kind of woman who, to this day, still rises before the sun to ensure she schedules time to worship the Lord in reading the Word and in prayer. She is strong in her spot, and clings tightly to the faith she holds. She is not perfect, but she seeks to honor God in any way that she can. I would be satisfied if I end up being half of the woman/mother that she was and is today.

My father is and has always been the strong, silent type. I love this about him. He is a rock, and he is unyielding. He has worked hard for years to ensure that my sisters and I had everything that we needed. My father has been a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on. He has managed finances in our home in a way that I hope I can figure out as well. He serves wherever he is needed. He has been a deacon, sound guy, youth leader, etc and is quick to step in if his skill set can be used. He has always emphasized education and pushed us to strive for the best we can. I used to be happy to know that I had a father who stayed, but he is so much more than that. He loves deeply, but reminds us not to be too sensitive to what other say or do. He taught me how to separate the actions from the person and learn to love unconditionally. There is so much of my father that I see in my husband, and this is what makes me so excited that I get to do life with B for the rest of my days. 

Well, now I have the urge to call my parents and remind them that their sacrifices didn't go unnoticed. Have you told your parents how much you appreciate them today?