Ok, I'll admit it. There is one area of this experiment in which I am failing miserably. I'm indulging my flesh and making excuses and I can't seem to get the momentum I need to get out of the pit. So God sent me a catalyst.
People are constantly asking me how my experiment is going. "Good", I tell them. And it is. I am learning so much, drawing closer to my God, being used of Him. The problem is...good isn't good enough. I have one area in which I am failing miserably. I knew this would be the tough one for me. It's the area of diet and exercise. I'm not doing either one. My calendar is completely filled with seasonal activities; I'm quickly approaching the deadline for having the study I'm writing completed and it's half done; I'm still teaching two classes a week that I have to prepare for, and the list goes on. There's no time to go walking at the mall - so I stopped going. As for diet, I'm buying all the right things when I go grocery shopping, but who has time to cook a decent meal? It's so much easier to grab fast food on the way home. All my co-workers, vendors and clients are bringing in holiday treats. (I didn't even know Whitman's samplers came in a 2 lb box that's bigger than my laptop, but unfortunately I can now tell you exactly how many caramels, butter-creams and peanut clusters it used to hold.) Last week I stopped at my favorite thrift store to get a pair of pants for work and nothing in my size fit me. I had to go one size up. I was so disgusted, I left the store without buying anything. "After the holidays", I kept promising myself. "I'll start the New Year off right. It's too hard to do right now, and I'm doing so well with everything else. Don't be so hard on yourself", I heard myself saying. I had me convinced. Then God sent me Lori.
A catalyst is an agent that provokes significant change or action. My friend Lori is my catalyst. I am so proud of her. She is doing it right. In the last 8 months, Lori has lost 60 pounds. She goes to the gym faithfully. If she has to miss, she uses an aerobic step in her living room and walks up and down it while she is watching TV. When we went to the Star Glass movie night, she refused the popcorn and soda and got a bottle of water instead. Instead of meeting somewhere for dinner before the event at Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene, she had me over for dinner. She made chicken fajitas on low-carb tortillas. It was delicious. Afterward we stopped for gellato. I'd never had it before. Lori called it her "guilt-free treat". It, too, was delicious. Lori is just as slammed this holiday season as I am. She has all the same temptations, but she is doing it right. She inspired me. As I lay in bed this morning, I repented and promised to try to do better. I thank God for putting Lori in my life.
I try so hard to be a good example to others. That's what this blog is all about. I forget that sometimes I need examples too. Sometimes I need a catalyst.
People are constantly asking me how my experiment is going. "Good", I tell them. And it is. I am learning so much, drawing closer to my God, being used of Him. The problem is...good isn't good enough. I have one area in which I am failing miserably. I knew this would be the tough one for me. It's the area of diet and exercise. I'm not doing either one. My calendar is completely filled with seasonal activities; I'm quickly approaching the deadline for having the study I'm writing completed and it's half done; I'm still teaching two classes a week that I have to prepare for, and the list goes on. There's no time to go walking at the mall - so I stopped going. As for diet, I'm buying all the right things when I go grocery shopping, but who has time to cook a decent meal? It's so much easier to grab fast food on the way home. All my co-workers, vendors and clients are bringing in holiday treats. (I didn't even know Whitman's samplers came in a 2 lb box that's bigger than my laptop, but unfortunately I can now tell you exactly how many caramels, butter-creams and peanut clusters it used to hold.) Last week I stopped at my favorite thrift store to get a pair of pants for work and nothing in my size fit me. I had to go one size up. I was so disgusted, I left the store without buying anything. "After the holidays", I kept promising myself. "I'll start the New Year off right. It's too hard to do right now, and I'm doing so well with everything else. Don't be so hard on yourself", I heard myself saying. I had me convinced. Then God sent me Lori.
A catalyst is an agent that provokes significant change or action. My friend Lori is my catalyst. I am so proud of her. She is doing it right. In the last 8 months, Lori has lost 60 pounds. She goes to the gym faithfully. If she has to miss, she uses an aerobic step in her living room and walks up and down it while she is watching TV. When we went to the Star Glass movie night, she refused the popcorn and soda and got a bottle of water instead. Instead of meeting somewhere for dinner before the event at Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene, she had me over for dinner. She made chicken fajitas on low-carb tortillas. It was delicious. Afterward we stopped for gellato. I'd never had it before. Lori called it her "guilt-free treat". It, too, was delicious. Lori is just as slammed this holiday season as I am. She has all the same temptations, but she is doing it right. She inspired me. As I lay in bed this morning, I repented and promised to try to do better. I thank God for putting Lori in my life.
I try so hard to be a good example to others. That's what this blog is all about. I forget that sometimes I need examples too. Sometimes I need a catalyst.
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