1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the Earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise him. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
I really took note today because I really feel like we, me,-- I have So, so so much to be thankful for and it's often times too easy to just know I'm grateful and not express my thanks to the Lord.
I hope that you enjoy this special edition.. a Thanksgiving edition!
First of all, there are so many things in my life that I am genuinely thankful for it would be hard to name each individual one. However, there are some things that rank the top of the list!
1. Family- without my family, let's just be straight.. I wouldn't be here today. I have two of the absolute most considerate and selfless parents anyone could ever ask for. Being an only child however didn't mean I was the absolute center of the world. I knew the important things in life and was taught them very early on. Family was one of these values! If there was a family event, you were there- Good or Bad! And we always had each others backs. Growing up, my family always welcomed my friends with open arms as well. My mom loves to do for others and she always did, and continues to cater to each of my friends likings and genuinely care about them. I'm sure I've said before that we may not always get along... but my family is a huge part of my life. We've had some really rough times that have made us all hurt in our own ways, but it seems to somehow make us closer and allow us to be the best we can for each other.
2. Friends- Genuine friends! It's really rare that you run across many friends who can seriously be genuine friends.. those you can count on when you're crying over a stupid boy, need a good laugh, support you through achieving your goals and even going through your worst nightmare. I have to say that I'm lucky because I have found, though few and far between some of the best friends that I probably couldn't have even imagined meeting. You already know a lot about most of them, especially Heather, but they all hold a special place in my heart. I tend to carry my feelings on my shoulders at times and I genuinely want people to know how much they mean to me and matter.
3. My Family of Workout Friends/ Supporters and Motivators For a few years now I've been teaching Zumba at the Laurens Y and I frequented the place in order to do my job, but I was never what I would consider an active member. A year ago, a good friend and Zumba instructor, Leann Iaucone had started her own journey of getting fit with a new trainer and on Thanksgiving, she asked me to join her for the annual Turkey Trot sponsored by the Y in order to get in some cardio before the massive carb load for the day! I met her, we walked and talked and went about our ways. A few months later I committed to starting my own weight loss journey. In the 26 years of my life this would have to be the best decision I have ever made. Through this I found not only support, motivation, and friendship but quality people who care about me, will push me and never back down. I will eternally be grateful for the love and support from all you: Marie, Lauren, Samantha, Brie, David, Tracy, John, Libba, Christie, Valerie, Heather, Michael, Stephanie.... I know I'm leaving someone out and I apologize in advance but I hope you all know how much you've meant to me along this journey and made it amazing!
4. Making the choice- I'm not always sure why I finally decided I wanted to get this weight off. I struggled with it pretty much all my life. I won't say I was depressed, but I didn't know true happiness like I do now. I look forward to meeting up to work out, and yes sometimes even 4:30 am excites me! A lot of you have heard me talk about GRIT and it was surely a scary experience but one I won't forget. If you don't feel like you're dying... you're not doing it right!
My GRIT progress... day 1 to a few weeks ago!
This sweet girl Jenna has been bringing me apples for car duty, because she knows I enjoy healthy snacks... in turn, she has an apple as she walks to her car too!
This girl has been down many a road with me through weight loss... this is us, holding up our past and never to be seen again sized pants! I'll let you in on a secret... hers were 18s and mine were 24s.. yes once upon a time I wore that horendous number!
I just want to wrap up by telling you this- I seriously never thought I would be able to find happiness as I do now. I never imagined being able to look in the mirror and actually like the things I saw. And I sure never thought I'd lose 70 lbs. Never, ever say never! If you're reading this and struggling, you are not alone. I realize this is a life long battle, one I can't just "get over" in a day or even a few months. You have to start though, it won't happen for you and no one can make you want it, or do it for you.. YOU have to go after it yourself! I promise you this.... it's so worth it! Today... Thanksgiving day 2013 I ran that same Turkey Trot route this afternoon.. a little more actually and according to my runkeeper lady, one of my miles was right under 10:00 mins... Granted it was downhill..... but a 10:00 min mile on Thanksgiving... I'll take it!
Get out there, get started and make the first move! Find me, leave me a comment on here, facebook me, whatever you need to do I promise I will help you however I can, or at least point you in the right direction!
For now, it's time for bed... I have an exciting day tomorrow involving my couch and movies! And I just can't freaking wait!
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