Today is Brought to You by the Letters, T, F and NSV and the Number 5

I sometimes revert back to childhood and can't help the Sesame Street reference!  

Anyway, wow!  What a day to be thankful for!  Not that I'm not thankful most days, but there really is something about taking a day out of the year to truly think about all the blessings God has bestowed upon us.  So that's the T - Thankful.

F is for friends.  I have said it before, but I really do have the most amazing friends ever!  Though God is moving some of my closest friends to other parts of the country (oh, I'll be a blubbering idiot when they move!) he is bringing new people into my life.  People who have commonalities with me and the heart God has given me.

Such is the case of "C".  Long story short is that she and her husband signed up for a class that I was teaching at church...we just connected.  Quickly. God has wired us similarly and our friendship is blossoming.  She texted me yesterday and said, "Are you still running tomorrow?  It's suppose to be cold!  Do you want to borrow my warm gear?"  To which I replied, "What is warm gear???"  Seriously!  I'm not a runner - I have no clue!  

Which leads me to the letters NS and V (Non Scale Victory).  Do you know how lucky I am to have someone that I can borrow clothes from?!?  I've NEVER had that luxury before.  I've never had someone that can loan me something to wear.  But today?  Today I was warm and cozy in the 18 degree weather!  That is a HUGE NSV!  

The 5 - yes, you guessed it - the Turkey Day 5K.  Today's 5K was sponsored by Goodwill Industries and the proceeds were to benefit the homeless people in Evansville.  It. was. cold.  But can you imagine how the homeless feel during this time of the year?  It makes me reflect on how we take some things for granted - like a warm place to rest.  So thankful for the reminder.  My oldest daughter and I participated together and though it wasn't my best time (45 minutes 31 seconds), we walked/ran it together!  I'm hoping this becomes a new tradition for our family.  It's a healthy start to the day!  

Other Thanksgiving blessings... my youngest daughter and her husband decided to come into town.  That's always nice.  One of the international students joined us as well.  He misses his family and was glad to be able spend a celebration with an American family.  I was glad too!  One weird thing...I put WAY too much food on my plate.  WAY too much.  I didn't eat it... I couldn't (and didn't want to).  But that old habit happened.  I need to watch that!  Regardless, the food wasn't the main part of the day... Thank you God!

So yes, what a day God has given us! What a glorious day!

Oh...just hanging out with this turkey.

Before the race at the starting line.

We did it!

Love this little one!  I think she might like me a little too!

We're *that* family!  (Love that all my kids were together!)

My Family!  (minus Martin who totally missed the photo op!)

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"I praise you [God] because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~Psalm 139:14

Attitude of Gratitude

I haven't been to a support group for several months.  Either I've been out of town, or the boys have had something on the schedule, or I just didn't feel up to it.  I find that I need those meetings.  It may seem silly, but to be able to talk with others who are going through what I've gone through, well, it's just good.

Since it's November, the topic was "gratitude".  We took a few minutes to write out some things we're thankful for and then we shared with the group.  But before we did that, I took a quick video of the group saying hi to my friend "M" whom God connected me with through this blog.  She moved a few months back and well, she's still on our hearts and I texted her the video so she knew how much she's loved and missed!

Anyway, here are the things I listed in the quick few minutes we had to jot down our thoughts.

• I'm thankful that I am not defined by what the scale says...either at my highest or my lowest...but that my identity is that I am a child of God!
• I'm thankful for God giving me the courage for RNY.
• I'm thankful for the NSVs I've experienced along the way.
• I'm thankful for the staff at bariatric center who have been great from day one!
• I'm thankful that I can say no to food.
• I'm thankful for good health!
• I'm thankful for a job even when I'd rather not work.
• I'm thankful for my friends...both old and new.
• I'm thankful for a loving and supportive family.
• I'm thankful for the opportunity to share my story, either through speaking at informational meetings or through my blog.
• I'm thankful for technology to stay in contact with others (like M in OK!)
• I'm thankful for gloves...and coats.
• I'm thankful for PB2 and bananas.
• I'm thankful for CME!!!!!

Yes, the list is random and yes it is only a small glimpse of what I'm truly thankful for.  God is so good and faithful in His promises.  I'm thankful that He is the center of my life and that through Christ Jesus, I can do all things!

I hope that you have a support group that encourages you.  Maybe it's not an "official" group through your bariatric center, but at least a group of people who are in the same boat as you are - who are there to comfort you when you cry and rejoice with you when you're celebrating!

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"I praise you [God] because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~Psalm 139:14

Kansas City, Here I Come

Missouri, that is.  

In a couple of hours I'll be heading out of town with some of my dearest friends.  (I'll miss those who couldn't make it though!)  We're attending a conference in Kansas City and I cannot even begin to tell you how much I'm looking forward to it!!

Last year was the first time I had gone to this conference and its where I realized how much God was doing in my life; how I had more energy; how I was the errand runner; how I was doing something that I knew God wanted me to be doing.  This year, I hope to have some of those same revelations. But even more than that, I am praying for this time to be one that is refreshing and one that refuels me.  Life gets so busy sometimes that I don't stop to do the things that I enjoy.  Yes, I enjoy doing things with my family, please do not think otherwise.  But to learn more and more about God's heart for the Nations...yeah...THAT I enjoy!  I want to have the ears to hear how God plans to use this new healthy me!  

I am planning in advance on how to eat at the conference. I know we're going to stop at a grocery store (food at conference centers is UNHEALTHY and EXPENSIVE!) and I'll buy stuff for breakfasts and lunches so I'm not in that, "oh no!  what am I going to eat!?" panic.  Planning is essential for success.  Really. Eating one meal a day out won't be bad and there are plenty of healthy options on menus now.  It's all good! 

I've got to figure out some exercise while there as well.  The thighs are feeling better, but I've got another run on Thanksgiving and I don't want to be sore like I am this time!  And as I keep reminding myself...it is a must for long term success.  Like it or not.

And as always... thanks to CME (as well as my parents and daughter) for taking care of things here on the homefront.  I really am blessed by the support I get! 143 CME!!

So yeah... here's to the next few days!  May God be glorified and may He fill me up to overflowing!

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"I praise you [God] because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~Psalm 139:14

The Proof Is In The...

...Pain.

It's been two days since my 5k and I am still walking like someone kicked the living daylights out of me!  My legs, specifically outer thighs, are still horribly sore!  I stretched before running...here and at the race.  But I guess stretching isn't good enough when you've not run in almost a year!

That, my friends, is proof that I've not been as physically active as I need to be.  I mean, I knew I wasn't exercising much.  Heck, I've even blogged about it.  Even if I had been more consistently walking (at a decent pace) the pain wouldn't be here.  At least not as much as it is now. So, though I'm whining a bit about being in pain, I take it as a reminder that I need to keep moving!  I won't let it stop me.  If nothing else, it's another challenge that God's going to help me overcome!

The proof is in the pain, indeed!

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"I praise you [God] because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~Psalm 139:14

18 Month Celebration

Eighteen months ago today I underwent gastric bypass surgery.  It was the beginning of a new era of my life.  Today I celebrated. I ran/walked in the Toulouse-Lautrekkin 5K for the Evansville Museum.  It's been nearly a year since I participated in a 5K and to be honest, I didn't train at all.  As I mentioned in my last post, I decided to use these races as the motivation to get moving again.  Since I didn't prepare, I wasn't quite as ready as I wanted to be, and I didn't finish as fast I as I had hoped.  But you know what?  I finished!  I was off my fastest time by 20 seconds.  I finished the race in 43:26.5.  I could "blame" the strong wind (yes, really...it was WAY windy) for the time, but there's nothing to blame.  I did it and doggone it I'm proud of it! So that's how I spent my 18-month surgiversary!

In other celebrations, my 18-month post-op was good!  Some things, though, never change.  I even told nurse that the scale still intimidates me.  I still hate getting on the scale.  It's been so mean to me in the past, and though I weigh at home, to step on the scale in front of someone makes me nervous.  What if I had gained weight?  What if I failed?  What if....?  Yeah...ugly stinkin' thinkin' again!  But my fear was irrational (no surprise); though I'm "slightly" up from my lowest weight, I was still 2 pounds less than I was at my 12 month check up. My BP was 96/60 and all medically appears to be really good!  MD was very pleased and even said I was like the poster child for RNY!  I laughed.  Really.  I don't see me as a poster child.  I see that God has continued to bless me and that even though it's harder every day, He keeps me in line. To God be the glory for the success that I've had!  

The time has gone fast and 'm so thankful that God gave me the courage to go through this process 18 months ago!  I feel great and I can only hope and pray that God uses the healthier me in ways that I cannot even begin to imagine!

After the race with the daughter of a friend of mine.  She's absolutely precious!!!

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"I praise you [God] because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~Psalm 139:14