Work Out Essentials

As I've mentioned in a couple of posts, I have started the journey of getting healthier by eating right and exercising. 

For me, this is not just about losing weight and being healthy, but about glorifying God with everything He has given me. Which most definitely includes my body, which the Bible calls our temple. 

(You can read this here and here.)

To give an update on how the journey has been going, there have been some up and down weeks here and there. 

It seems that some weeks I would eat just right, but not exercise. 

Then, others it would seem that I would exercise, but not eat right.

Very little weeks have seemed to include both and of the amount that I have set for myself. 

I have lost a little weight, but because of my unbalanced weeks, I have stayed at my present weight for the past few weeks. I'm just delighting and thankful that I haven't gained weight. 

Even though I haven't lost much, I have noticed other good changes, mostly more energy throughout the day.

Now, I know that having the best stuff will not make my weight magically fall off, but these few things have encouraged and helped me through my journey so far. 

Workout Clothes! 

I used to workout in just athletic shorts and old t-shirts, but for me this wasn't very comfortable. I would be working out and having to adjust my shirt constantly to make it feel like I wasn't choking! And my shorts would get old, because I just wasn't comfortable in them. 

So, I invested in some very awesome and comfortable running pants. They seriously are the best things for me. Also, I bought a couple of tanks that are loose and don't feel like they are choking me. The materials are very airy and help me to stay cool. Which definitely helps when walking outside in Alabama heat! 

Good Shoes!

I recently switched to the Nike brand for my shoes, not because of it's name, but definitely for its quality. I really like my shoes, they are especially good for walking which is mostly all I do. If I ever step up to running and doing it often, I might invest in a good pair of running shoes. A good shoe really does make all the difference, especially while working out. 

Water Bottles!

I have a major collection of water bottles. It is sort of like my book collection, constantly growing. Although, I only use two or three of my water bottles regularly. When it comes to water bottles, you can go pretty generic and get about anything you want. But, I really like the brand Camelbak. But, what I love about the Camelbak's is that most of them have a straw. Which for me, means I will constantly drink water through that thing and definitely get what I need daily. I recently got two new water bottles from them (there was a sale at a local store). One has a taste filter included and the other is insulated and will keep your water cold literally all day. A friend of mine told me about it and said she has two and always carries one with her to class, because she knows her water is going to be cold. They are great bottles especially when being active and exercising, because all you do is bite, sip, drink. No need to stop and unscrew a cap. And they are spill-proof! 

Watch 

I don't normally wear a watch, but summer jobs at camps and day cares have required them. So, it has gotten me in the habit of wearing one. I recently bought a new watch. It wasn't terribly expensive and I needed a new one anyways. So, I went for an Ironman watch. It has a lot of good features on it and different modes. You can get most on any type watch, but this is a good brand that will last. The features include alarm setting, timer setting, 12 or 24 hour time, can set the time for two different time zones, and can log your  times for up to 10 laps, as well as being water resistant. 

iPod Touch

I have not entered the generation of the iPhone yet, but I do have an iTouch that I bought a couple of years ago. I was running out of room on my iPod and upgraded so I would have more room for music. Whenever exercising, I have to be listening to something. Whether I'm inside listening to music or watching a TV show or outside listening to music, it just helps me focus a little bit better. I have the variety that I want and can choose what I listen to. Like today, instead of listening to music while I walked, I turned on a podcast and listened to a sermon. 

What do you like to do while you work out? 

What are some products that you love to use?

Words from My Utmost for His Highest

Oswald Chambers is becoming more and more one of my favorite authors. He writes the truth in a way that makes me think. I literally have to re-read his sentences more than once and then I have that moment: Whoa! How true are those words! 

Today's reading in My Utmost for His Highest goes right along with my blog header: "Reckless abandonment for an audience of One." 

Here is a little bit from what I read today. 

If you debate for even one second when God has spoken, it is all over for you. Never start to say,"Well, I wonder if He really did speak to me?" Be reckless immediately -- totally unrestrained and willing to risk everything -- by casting your all upon Him. You do not know when His voice will come to you, but whenever the realization of God comes, even in the faintest way imaginable, be determined to recklessly abandon yourself, surrendering everything to Him. it is only through abandonment of yourself and your circumstances that you will recognize Him. You will only recognize His voice more clearly through recklessness -- being willing to risk your all.

I hope we all live lives of reckless abandonment today. 

Father's Day 2012

I didn't have a chance to post this earlier, but I was able to go home this weekend and spend time with my parents. 

It was a great weekend to celebrate Dad. 

We relaxed and just enjoyed each other, something that I definitely needed. 

Happy Father's Day, Papa!! I'm proud and blessed to call you my Daddy. 

I love you so very much.

Thank you for being one of my best friends.

:-) 

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

Two years ago I was doing an internship in Mobile, Alabama.

Last summer, I was a summer missionary with NAMB in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

This summer?

Resting, relaxing, and spending time with friends. 

Oh, and there is work. 

This summer I am graduated, done with classes, and not out in the mission field. 

(Well, besides Tuscaloosa being my summer mission field, I mean me not out in another state or city.) 

The only things I have done have been spending time with friends, going to the lake, sleeping, reading, watching Netflix, sleeping, working out (another post for another time), and working 3 hours a day at my part-time job. 

Seeing as I'm a big advocate for using my summers for the Lord, it is weird not being anywhere doing that. 

However, I really feel like this moratorium is going to be good for me. 

When graduation first ended, I really didn't know what I was going to do with myself. I hadn't planned on going anywhere and I didn't feel the Lord calling me to go anywhere. I just took it a day at a time. 

Then, a few days after graduation, I just became tired. All of a sudden it seemed like the past five years caught up with me and I just became overwhelmed with this feeling of tiredness, both physically and spiritually. 

A lot has happened to me during my five years in college. 

New friends. Classes. Tests and Finals. Mission Trips. New Church. Bible Study. Work. No Work. Changing Majors. Summer Internships. Weddings. Birthdays. Car Wreck. Fights. Lost Friendships. Restored Friendships. Late Nights. Tornado. Summer Missionary Job. Road Trips. 

More School. More Work. 

Graduation. 

So when friends and family asked me what I was going to do now that I was graduated and I answered with "sleep", I really was not kidding. 

The weight of five years was lifted and I just collapsed. 

I loved college. Absolutely LOVED it. These past five years were definitely the best years I have had so far and contain memories that I will always remember and treasure! 

I want this summer to be a continuation of that and I want to keep adding to that memory box, but I also want this summer to be about the Lord restoring me. I want to rest in the Lord and seek Him daily as He leads me on the next step in my journey. I learned so much in college and now I want to reflect on the things I learned and apply them more than ever. Now is the time that I need this wisdom the most! Life is going to change so very drastically in the "real" world and coming years. 

It's both thrilling and scary at the same time. For as much as I want to know the future and what is going to happen, I know there is no way for me to know. All I can do is wait and trust in the Lord as He reveals His plan to me. As hard as it is some days, I am more than willing to just wait right now. 

There are days when I terribly miss NOLA and Mobile and the people and kids that I met in those places, but I very thankful for the time that I had with them and the things that the Lord showed and taught me there.  Those places ministered and blessed me in more ways than I could have ever done for them. 

I am very thankful to the Lord for that. That He saw it as good to have me there. 

I am also thankful for this "free" time that I have. Knowing that the Lord has planned to keep me here in Tuscaloosa this summer is exciting in its own way. I am thankful for the next two months that I get to be with my church family here, because I know that I am not done learning from them.  I feel the Lord has something good planned. I feel He knows that I need these next two months to prepare for the months that come after. 

Because starting August, the "free" time is over. 

A new journey is starting. 

A journey that definitely takes me far from Alabama, farther than I have been before.

(Still in the United States though.) 

Stay tuned, because I'm excited to see what the Lord is going to do

and I can't wait to share with you guys. 

:-) 

The Graduate

After 5 years and 4 different majors, the time finally came. 

The time to graduate.

On May 4th, 2012, 

I became an alumna of The University of Alabama 

and 

graduated with a 

Bachelor of Science  

in 

Human Development and Family Studies. 

It was a wonderful weekend and I was very thankful to have my mom, dad, sisters, and other family members and friends present to celebrate with me. It meant so much to me to have them there. 

The week before graduation, it didn't really seem like it was happening. I was still in the mode of taking finals and working at my job, so I didn't have much time to think about it. However, when it kept getting closer and my family started coming into town, I was like, "Wait! This is really happening. I'm graduating...from college!"

I told my friends that while we were waiting to walk in, I felt like someone was going to come up and be like, "Just kidding. You aren't really graduating today." 

But, there we were, surrounded by fellow students, most of whom I had never seen before, graduating.
Everyone in their cap and gown, holding our name cards.

As we walked into the Coliseum, I started looking for my family and surprisingly found them pretty quickly. I waved and smiled as they took pictures and looked around at everyone doing the same. 

Then, the ceremony began. 

The different colleges were announced and we turned our tassels, then waited for our time to cross the stage. 

Of course, my college was the last to be presented and I am a "U", so I had to wait anxiously until my row stood up to go to the stage. 

I walked around, looking in the crowd to see if I saw anyone I knew, still not really believing what I was doing. 

Then, I was a few steps from the stairs and before I knew it I was handing my card to the name reader. 

I smiled, one because he pronounced my name right and two, well I was walking across a stage to get a diploma...from college! And three, because I could hear my family section screaming.

I shook hands with the important people and then found my way in the tunnel to get my picture taken. 

Then, I went back to my seat, finding my family again so they could snap more pictures.

And then, the cheers began from the graduates. 

Our last classmate had stepped across the stage. 

It was over. 

We had done it. 

The Alma Mater was sang and we were dismissed.

I waited in the tunnel for my friend that was near me and we walked out together, arms linked and laughing because it was all so surreal that we just graduated college. 

Later that night, my family came to my apartment and we celebrated. 

The next night, we had a Graduation Dinner at my church and then I celebrated with friends after. 

It was the last time that many of us would be together for awhile. 

We ate, we laughed, we danced, we cried, we hugged, 

and 

we said goodbye. 

Underneath a sky lit by a Super Moon, I drove away from a house full of amazing friends, with more memories than I could have ever asked for. 

My sisters and I in our old spots in the back of Dad's truck. 

The Gang at Cracker Barrel for lunch! 

Fellow Graduates! 

:-) 

My Last Semester of College

Here are some highlights from my last semester of College!

:-) 

National Championship Celebration 

Winter Road Trip 2012

30 Hour Famine!

Trips to places around Tuscaloosa

Blue Angels Show

Thrift Store Formal 

FBC Hamilton D-Now 

Reuniting with my best friend and hammocking! :-) 

And of course, all of the amazing random times with amazing friends! 

Stay tuned for my next post about GRADUATION!!

:-)