Come what may

You know how women talk about their "pre-pregnancy" jeans? Well, I have my "before-nursing-school" jeans. Actually, I have a whole list of "before-nursing-school" things! Yet, the only thing I miss are my jeans. . .

Here is a picture of my husband and I about a month before we started dating. We were just friends (no really. I wasn't the least bit interested in dating him. Or so I kept telling myself.) and I asked him to accompany Thomas and I to a Braves game. Single mom and all, I thought it would be wise to bring someone along, and since he got along so well with Thomas, I thought it would be fun.

 Here is another picture of my friend Kimmie and I. 

Those jeans are a size 12 and that belt? Yeah. It was the only thing keeping them on myself. If I didn't wear a belt, they didn't stay up.

I was in the gym 5 to 6 days a week, doing cardio in the morning (I lived with my brother and his wife, so I wasn't leaving my son home alone. No need to call DFCS.) and weight lifted in the evenings with a great friend and personal trainer, Greg. It was a small gym, and my son would come along, do some schoolwork or watch a movie on a portable DVD player I got on Black Friday. When he got bored, Greg and a couple of the guys would do "push offs" with him. He would drink a chocolate milk while I chugged a Muscle Milk Light afterwards and say, "Yeah, Mommy - we need our protein!" I was in the best shape of my life! However, despite Greg's humble heart keeping me focused on my health, I became a victim of my vanity. Life got tough. I got arrogant. I slipped on my physical and nutritional discipline for silly reasons and expected my body to withstand it. Fast forward 6 months from this picture (taken April of 2010) to mid-terms last fall - my first semester of nursing school. I hadn't worn those jeans in almost two months. 

 By Christmas, I had to buy new pairs of jeans - two sizes larger. I was devastated. The toll of nursing school - mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually - had amounted to a 30lb weight gain. Dude, I'm short. That is A LOT of weight. Here is us this Easter. 

 Once I saw this picture, I knew it was time to get a hold of my health. Stephen and I are working together this May on getting our health back on track. His family history of severe high blood pressure looms overhead, and he also feels the effects of the weight he's gained. While searching the internet for something we can do together, I found two websites: Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans and their May Your Way Challenge and The Couch to 5K Running Plan. I also found The One Hundred Push Up Challenge which he is super excited about. Me? Not so much. But a little healthy competition never hurt anyone, right? Yikes. 100 push ups. He's lucky I love him so much. ;-)

Day One: I did the C25K (Couch to 5K) week one this morning. Very humbling. A year ago, I would have been halfway through it before I started even sweating. By the end of the first 60 seconds, my lungs were screaming "STOP!" which fortunately was at just the right time for the 90 second walk phase. It was tough, but not too tough. Just tough enough to keep going. The little track I was on is surrounded by trees and honeysuckle and is actually quite pretty. No one else was on it, so I found myself praying out loud during my "recovery" walks, praying God's word back to Him, repeating Scripture to myself, reinforcing the Truth of His word with every step. By the time I finished, I must say, I was thrilled. But the best part was what happened when I finished. At the exact point I finished was a tree with the most beautifully fragrant, teeny white blossoms shaped like stars. As I took my final step, a gust of wind blew and I was showered with white stars. I couldn't help but close my eyes and look up and savor the feel of the delicious-smelling confetti from God fall on my cheeks. My Heavenly Father was cheering me on, and celebrated my finish with me. 

Come what may, I'm getting healthy again. Not for my vanity, but to honor God with taking care of the only body He gave me; and not my way or in my own strength, but His way - strengthened, encouraged, and under-girded by the power of the Cross of Jesus Christ. 'Cause really, Jesus is all I need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)