I'm sorry...so sorry...

So I'm sorry. It turns out I'm bad at certain things. Certain things that would include running and blogging. But in learning that I'm bad at running and blogging I've also re-learned other things, things that I would consider to be more important in the long run. So let's go:
1. It's okay to be bad at certain things. For example, running is boring. I'm sorry to all you runaholics out there, but I don't like it. It puts pressure on my knees and ankles that I don't like, and there's only so many times I can listen to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" without wanting to tell her to buy herself a stinking ring and be done with it. If I'm bored with running, I'm not going to stick with it for the long haul. Sorry!! And since I stopped running I stopped blogging. But now I'm back. And if I'm not the most dedicated blogger I'm going to give myself some grace on that one, too. Because grace abounds even for the worst of us. :)
2. I might have been wrong about John Mayer. I'm still working on this one, but hear me out. Yes, he's annoying and his music's really not good. Yes, his tattoos are absolutely awful. Yes, he looks as if he could stand to bathe much more frequently than he does, but I may have been far too harsh when it comes to the song "Say." For those of you not familiar with said song, the lyrics go something like this:
"Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Have no fear for givin' in
Have no fear for givin' over
You better know that in the end
It's better to say too much
Than to never to say what you need to say again."

Okay, so the lyrics aren't good. The song's not good. But here's my point: You never know how long you have with someone. You never know when people are going to die or when life is going to change, so you better tell the people you care about how much you love them every chance you get. Otherwise you might miss the opportunity.

My grandmother died a couple of weeks ago, and I miss her so very much. She died quite suddenly, and I give thanks that it was peaceful. I know she loved me. She didn't have to say it because she lived it. And I know that she knew how much I loved her. But it would have been nice if I could have said it one more time. That's really all I wanted to say.
3. The Dixie Chicks were right: "Some Days You Gotta Dance." So get out there and dance. I plan on it. :)

Talk to you later.

from Uganda--March 18, 2010

There's the belief in Uganda that if you are doing something or having an event and it rains, your undertaking will be blessed by God. As we drove away from the Lulwanda Childrens Home today on our final visit for this trip, it began to rain. I just knew that it was God reaffirming all that we saw and experienced. And the smell of rain on a warm summer afternoon is my favorite smell in the world. God is good.

This is my final email from Uganda for this trip (yes, I'm planning on returning next year), and I'm overwhelmed. There is no way for me to process everything this quickly, so this will be a short note. We leave tomorrow on the van to Entebee where we'll get on the plane at around midnight tomorrow night. Then it's plane to plane to plane before I land in New Orleans.

This trip has been such an amazing experience, and I am grateful that I was able to be here. I'm grateful for smiling children who are always willing to give hugs. I'm grateful that I have food and clothing and shelter waiting for me at home. I'm grateful that I am in a position to be able to help others. I am grateful for the joy that the people I met have shown me. I'm grateful for delicious bananas. I'm grateful for the best pineapple I have ever eaten. I'm grateful that I will be able to drink plain water from the tap when I get home. But most of all, I'm grateful that my family continues to grow. These beloved children I spent the week with are mainly orphans, but they have a family in their teachers, their house mothers, and their peers at the school. I began this adventure hardly knowing anyone else on the team and not knowing the people of Uganda at all, but now I consider them all a part of my extended family. I thank God for claiming us all as his children.

It's time for me to sign off. I need to finish packing and get some sleep; tomorrow's a busy day. On a lighter note: we went to the market in town today where a man offered 8 cows to buy one of the ladies on our trip. We told him we wouldn't take anything less than 10 cows and 1 chicken for her, but he thought that was too high. True story.

Pray for safe journeys. Pray for the 150 children who became orphans because of the mudslides in Uganda last week. Pray for those teachers who live and work with these beautiful children making between $25-$60 a month. Pray that God will show me what to do with the knowledge I have gained and the blessing this trip has been.

Peace to you all-

elizabeth

from Uganda--March 15, 2010

Hi everyone! it was another beautiful day here in Mbale. I hope things are going well for you all at home. I cannot believe that it's almost time to come home! It seems like we just got here, but we have to leave in 4 days. So let me tell you some about the past two days:

On Sunday we worshiped at Covenant Presbyterian, and boy was it terrific! The joy that was on all the faces was glorious. To hear the choir begin singing and watch the children dancing in as they heard them just left me speechless. The singing was full of praise and delight and a little bit of dancing; we did what we could to join in, but we were sadly lacking. The kids crowded in everywhere they could sit or stand--even on our laps. There was a little boy of about 5 named David, and he wanted to sit on my lap, so I picked him up. He was asleep in under 10 minutes. He woke up once when the kids were dismissed; he watched them run tot he playground and start their games; he pondered going out there, but in the end sleep claimed him until the end of the service.

They made a delicious lunch for us (all of the food has been terrific including an omelet bar at the hotel for breakfast) at the church, and we got to eat with everyone. I had a good conversation with a man named Mike who is going to graduate from theological school here in May before he goes to work at a church plant in Kenya. He asked me what I do, and when I told him he said, "you? Really?" It's the common response here, but it led to some great theological conversation about Paul's writings and the role of women in the church. I know he doesn't agree with me, but the fact that we had the conversation was enough.

So we went back to the hotel for an afternoon of relaxation which turned into sorting out boxes and boxes and boxes of stuff to take to the Lulwanda Children's Home today. We had teaching stuff; we had clothes; we had craft projects thanks to you JJ Whiters! And it all had to go. But when we got there today and began seeing the school and the children, it was all worth it. This place is amazing. You have no idea how overwhelming it was to see such wonderful facilities and teachers. The library alone (including McComb school system books!) brought tears to several of us. This home is specifically intended to house and educate orphans, giving them the opportunity to continue their study at secondary school and university. But more than that, they teach the children about God and let them know that they are loved and important. They teach the kids about discipline, as everyone has their chores to do. The older kids help out with the farm animals and garden that supplies some of their food. The school is really working on sustainability, and to that end they are installing solar panels later this summer. They also began accepting students from families in the village, and their tuition money allows the home to take in more orphans. I got to observe the P-3 class, and the kids are incredibly smart and well-behaved. I was amazed at all they were learning, and their teacher just kept going and going, blending language to math to science without the aid of textbooks. What they do with the little they have puts us to shame.

After lunch I led the chapel service where we all sang some songs together, and then we talked about Jesus. After that, it was onto the crafts! And they loved them. Seriously, I have never seen kids so happy to make butterflies and decorate paper bags. It just warms your heart. And after that, some of the women from our group who are school administrators did some training for the teachers, so we had the kids! A group of people went outside and gathered around a tree. Picture 75 kids sitting around 2 adults listening to 5 books being read to them. They were quiet and attentive the whole time.

I was inside with two other ladies getting crafts ready for tomorrow, and some of the kids asked me for coloring sheets (that's what the 3, 4, & 5 year olds did during craft time), and the next thing I knew, there was a deluge of children wanting to color. And when they would finish, they would come show us what they had done. One boy even gave his picture to me. I remarked to one woman with us that I have never seen kids so excited about coloring sheets before, and she reminded me that they don't have disposable resources like we do. Some of these kids didn't know what a coloring sheet was before today. The things we take for granted.

Well it's time to get ready for dinner. I have seen and heard so much, and I cannot wait to come home and talk with everyone about it and show pictures. You'll probably get sick of hearing about Uganda, but I don't care. God has put a love for this place and these people in my heart, and I know that we can help and learn from each other.

Hope everyone is well. Talk to you later.

elizabeth

from Uganda--March 13, 2010

Here are the emails I sent home from Uganda. I'll get pictures up here soon!

Well, it's 10 am on Saturday where you are, but it's 7 pm here this lovely Saturday evening. And the weather is absolutely beautiful. Everything is green and lush, and the trees are beautiful. We're spending our second evening in the Mt. Eglon Hotel in Mbale. It took us a long time to get here yesterday by van, but there were a few unexpected stops, like the grocery store for Diet Coke (not just or me!), a fantastic lunch at a Chinese restaurant in the middle of nowhere, and a few traffic incidents that we drove past. From what I can tell, traffic laws are regarded more like suggestions that no one follows; it's a bit terrifying at times.

But we spent all day today at Covenant Presbyterian Church of Mbale painting the classrooms at their primary school. They picked pretty cream and green colors, and we went to town! We ended up finishing 7 rooms, and the guys will go back Monday morning to finish room 8 while the women begin at the orphanage. Needless to say, we are all exhausted. But it's a good tired; some of the teachers came out to help us and by the end of the day, the place was swarming with kids! Several of them wanted paint in their classrooms, and we were more than happy to share the brushes for a few minutes! The kids are absolutely beautiful with these gleaming smiles that will melt your heart. By he time we left there at 6 pm, the playground was full of kids playing soccer together with the new ball we picked up at the store. It was wonderful.

Tomorrow we are going to worship at Covenant Presbyterian which I am very excited about. I and another lady in our group am going to teach the womens Sunday School class, but they really want to hear about us and our faith. I hope there's time to hear from them, too.

I will say that the poverty is absolutely astounding. There are some absolutely beautiful homes that we have driven past, but there's not really a middle class. It's starting to emerge, but it's not really there yet. So the options are basically huge mansions or shacks with dirt floors. It's hard to look at; Americans for the most part don't really know what poor is. We are so blessed.

My roommate here is Cassie who is an operating room nurse from Austin. She is great fun, and we get along swimmingly; after all, we both love Jane Austen.

Okay. I need to get ready for dinner now.

Miss you all and talk to you soon.

Love, elizabeth

Unconscious Mutterings

From Unconscious Mutterings through the knittinpreacher. Some thoughts...

1. Bow out :: exit at the top of my game
   
2. Relationships :: harder than anticipated
   
3. Facebook :: helpful or hindrance?
   
4. Items :: too many
   
5. Ours :: wishing
   
6. Sting :: you want more blood?
   
7. Hangover :: nope!
   
8. Contacts :: I'm afraid to touch my eyeball
   
9. Lonely :: tired
   
10. Seven days :: Holy Week

What are you thinking today?

My bags are packed, and I'm ready to go...

So I'm mostly packed and ready to go, but I'm heading off to Uganda on a mission trip on Wednesday! I'll be gone from March 10-20, and I hope I can count on you for prayers and good thoughts. I'm really excited about going, but I'm getting a bit anxious; there's always more to do than there's time for before a big trip, isn't there?

The leader of our mission trip team, Mike Thrasher, has set up a blog to write and post pictures while we're abroad. Please check it out at: www.uganda2010missiontrip.blogspot.com

Talk to you guys later!

"I'm so excited. I'm so scared," warbled Jessie.

So I'm hitting a wall. Turns out wogging in a circle is kinda boring. Even with music and the pretty trees, still boring to go around the same track over and over and over again day after day. So I have not been as diligent as I should be with my wogging, and I decided to do something different for a little while to make sure I keep moving. I got an email for a free week at Curves, and I went this morning. Granted, it's me and some ladies in their 60s, but it was pretty fun. You don't do anything for too long so I didn't get bored. I think I'll go back tomorrow morning. More good news: 4 pounds down. Yea!!

On another note, let's talk about the gang at Bayside High. If you haven't been introduced to Saved By The Bell, I am going to say that you're missing out. It came on when I was in elementary school for 4 glorious years on Saturday mornings. I honestly hoped that high school would be that way; there's the six cool kids (well, 5 cool kids and the token dork) who get into all kinds of schennanigans but never get in trouble. And everyone loved them. Oh how my dreams came atumbling down when I got to high school myself. Does anyone remember the poignant episode where Jessie got addicted to OTC no-doz pills? That was awesome. Especially her break-down scene as she sang/cried onto Zach's shoulder. Ah, sweet memories.

But I was incredibly happy when Zach and Kelly ran off to Vegas to elope; that was just the perfect way for the series to end. Now, Chuck Klosterman writes in Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs about this tv show, and he focuses on what he has termed "the Tori Paradox." Does anyone remember Tori? She showed up for a few months their senior year of high school just as Kelly and Jessie took a break from the show. Nothing explained, nothing said, just Kelly & Jessie out, Tori in. Now, the issue of the Tori paradox is that I buy into it. Essentially Chuck says that when you spend so much time with a group of people in school or whatever, you just assume that in your memories everyone was always there. Not true. You know how friendships shift and people get mad and make up and all that stuff? Well, looking back our minds seem to forget those details and it's like in my mind all of my friends were there all of the time during all these crazy events. But that's not really how it happened. This has caused me to question something: if the people we hang out with can change in my mind's version of history, was it really crucial for them to be there in the first place? Or the actual question: how important is my attendance at social functions? Am I noted? Would anyone really miss me if I didn't show up for stuff? These are the questions of my days.

Now, Chuck doesn't end his book here, but rather throws in a commentary regarding the Left Behind series of books. If you know me, you know that I cannot stand these books ("books" is a term used loosely here) and not only for the poor quality of writing. So to find someone who is sarcastic and witty that spends pages discussing them does good things for my soul.

All right. Work to do. People to call. Places to visit. Let's hope it matters. :)

Today I can only be...
a broken cup, a cracked vase.
I know my need, for I am needy.
Too tired to acknowledge my thirst, still I know it's there.
Come, Holy Spirit, and fill this shattered vessel
with your life, love, and energy
That I may do your will.
Today I can only be.

--Mrs. Gretchen Olheiser

Oh Jane, what have you done?

So first, a few responses to some comments (and how lovely to have you read and respond. Thank you!):
1. Hana, after reading your comment, I was struck that by the overwhelming irony that Mr. Klosterman uses a great amount of generalizations to try to criticize the generalizations of The Real World generation. You're right--he's not entirely accurate, but he makes a point worth pondering. Do we become the people we think that others want us to be or do we strive to be our own people? But that also opens up a third option--do we fight the stereotypes and try to be the opposite thereby creating another stereotypical personality?
2. Chris, I'd love to walk! I've been sick this week so exercise hasn't been happening, but I'll give you a call next week. I love Christmas in February. :)
3. Julie, you do need to read this book. It's quality. Chuck thinks we become the people that MTV has already put on tv. After all, this is a time when you can be famous for being famous. You don't need any skill or talent or even intellect. It's much easier to be who you think people want. Because what part of reality tv is real?

In my next post, we will be taking a trip down memory lane with the gang from Bayside High. But now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

I remember the day so very clearly. I was in the 8th grade English class with Mrs. Neufell at Trinity Junior High. She gave us a list of approved book, and told us to pick one. After we read it, we were going to have a test. And the book that I picked changed my life. That afternoon was the first time I read any of the words of Jane Austen. My flute needed something done to it, so mom drove us out to Barling to see the guy who fixes instruments and I read the whole way there and back (and my mom doesn't drive fast, so I got a bit of reading done--"just because the speed limit says 35 doesn't mean you have to go 35"). And by the time I was back home, I was hooked. There was this whole other world out there that I could learn about. A different time, a different place, a different culture. It was beautiful. And then later that year the BBC aired their 6 hour Pride and Prejudice for the first time. I met Colin Firth (be still my heart) and Mr. Darcy's role as my hero had been cemented in my heart.

But I've been sick this past week (yes, I feel much better now that the drugs have had time to work), and when I'm sick I go for comfort and familiarity. Which means I watch P&P. All glorious 6 hours of it. But I was struck this time by something: Mr. Darcy really is a jerk at the beginning. And then the next time Elizabeth sees him, he acts completely different. Why does she fall for that? It strikes me as odd actually. And then I asked myself the question: why am I in love with Mr. Darcy? Is it because he's brooding and handsome? Because that's great in fiction but not in real life. I don't want the emotionally distant and arrogant type that he is, but something keeps me coming back for more. I'm like a junkie--I can't stay away from all things Jane.

So it begs the question: Jane, what have you done to me? Have you turned me into a girl who is always looking for the unattainable? Have I become that girl who always wants what I can't possibly have? Is it wrong to be in love with a fictional character? Jane, Jane, Jane...have you ruined my life?

There's actually a whole new genre of literature that addresses this basic question; last year I read the book Jane Austen Ruined My Life. It's fiction, but in it the leading lady (much like myself) has spent her life loving Mr. Darcy, and she thinks she's found him only to have her heart stomped on. So she goes out into the world blaming Jane for thinking that she could have ever had it all in the first place. And later on, when she does find someone who genuinely cares about her, she doesn't trust it because she's been so hurt in the past. So can Jane ruin lives?

I think that part of the lasting appeal of Jane's books are that they're basically fairy tales. In the end, the good people are rewarded and the bad people are outed and punished in some form or fashion. And wouldn't it be nice if the real world were like that? I wish I could know within a few chapters of conversation if people have good intentions or bad. And I think it's not such a bad thing to want the world to be a little bit simpler. Maybe I read Jane because she always has hope in the end; her books in with weddings, and that's a beginning. Maybe it's about the possibility. Jane can only take us so far and then we have to figure it out on our own. But she surely does leave us with the hope that things will work out in the end, that happiness is within our grasp.

And now for something completely different...

So I am taking the advice of Julie, the knitting preacher, and I have put away the scale for a little while. It was just depressing me, so this week I'm going to keep chugging away but not talk about it here. Putting too much emphasis on it is really kinda making me nuts. So here's something different: I started reading a new book yesterday entitled Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman. It is actually quite good! He's doing some social commentary, but it's incredibly witty. So far he's talked about Billy Joel, the fake relationships we also strive to have, and the effect of The Real World on the youth of America. I would like to say that I do love Billy Joel, and it's precisely because he isn't cool. Chuck is so right on that one. Billy seems to live outside the bounds of "coolness" at least from a musical perspective. His songs are incorrectly classified as "light rock" when they deal with some very real issues, namely loneliness. A tip of the hat to you, Mr. Joel.

And as to The Real World, I agree that the heyday of the show has passed. The characters are not "real" in any sense of the world, but sterotypes that need not be represented. But I must say that I do remember lyme disease-ridden Irene getting slapped in the face by the token black guy as she was sitting in the taxi waiting to go home. There's always the goodie-goodie, the race-obsessed one, the gay one, the mean one, and a few others like that. It's not about what people are like when they're real, because not one of these people are actually real. They have molded themselves into what they think MTV wants them to be. Klosterman posits that a whole generation has become these sterotypes in response to the tv show. What do you think? True or not? I'm still trying to decide.

But I cannot wait to see what Chuck has to say about Saved by the Bell.

Let them eat cake...if they can pay...

So I'm wondering if I'm in the wrong profession. Maybe I should make cakes. I've been watching Ace of Cakes lately on the food network, and I thought I'd look at the company's website. It's charmcitycakes.com and they have their gallery of cakes (beautiful!) and a blog and all kinds of fun stuff. And then I thought to myself, "Self, how much do these cakes cost?" So I looked on there. They start at $1000. That's their minimum. It's a cake. Except when it's that expensive is it really just a cake anymore? I am in the wrong profession.

I'm Whelmed

Have you seen the movie "Ten Things I Hate About You"? One of the characters says to another, "I know you can be overwhelmed and I know you can be underwhelmed, but can you be just whelmed?" I under "whelmed" to be the place in the middle, where everything's a big flipping mush. I feel whelmed today; my highs and my lows are mashed up together to give me a big BLECH in the middle. Here's a few reasons why:
1. Grandpa is home! They released him from the hospital today, and he's on his way home. Miracles do happen.
2. Speaking of miracles (maybe of a more minor variety), did anyone else see the absolutely amazing game last night? The Saints pulled it out and it rocked.
3. I broke one of the cardinal rules for female ministers: never wear brand new heels on a Sunday morning. I knew it was a bad plan when I put the shoes on, but they're so stinking cute that I did it anyway. Anyway, I didn't break them in before I wore them and they are about an inch taller than my normal heel height, so it was not a good plan.
4. As a result of yesterday's heel fiasco, my legs hurt more today than they should. The shoes worked my calves and today I pushed them further. My body is not all that happy at the moment.
5. I'm not so much in the Valentines spirit. In fact, I wish it would just go away.

So all of this stuff is going on inside of my mind and I stepped on the scale this morning: I'm back to my original weight. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? I am not the happiest of campers. Now, I know I've lost weight and gained some muscle. My clothes are looser. I feel good. I can wog with the best of them. But still...I am whelmed in the face of the numbers...

I'm back!

Hey all. Sorry it's been so long since I last wrote, but things have been absolutely nuts lately! I spent a week in Arkansas/Oklahoma with my family; grandpa had 4 surgeries over the past couple of weeks, and I just needed to be there for part of it. But the good news is that he's doing fantastic now! The doctor is really pleased with how he came through, and I am glad I was there. Even though we got iced/snowed into my aunt's house for three days. That was super fun. :)

And other good news: I lost 2 more pounds. I don't completely understand that since I didn't exercise while I was gone. But I'm back on track here. Instead of wogging this morning (it was rainy) I did some salsa dancing with a DVD in my living room. It's another reason I'm glad I live alone.

So how are you guys doing? I'd like to welcome some new followers from Georgia! Hey guys. Where are your blogs? It strikes me that I have followers that don't know each other so here's a brief rundown:
Heidi--sweet lady from Vicksburg, Mississippi. A great Cursillo pal!
Lauren--my cousin. Known her all her life. Hails from New Mexico
Paul--my college religion professor located in Arkansas
Melissa--we went to junior high & high school together in the Fort. Lots of stories there!
Tommy--a member of my McComb family :)
Jamison, Will, and Jon--some of my favorite guys from Georgia! Have you guys set up your blogs yet? Send me links!

I think that's it for now! Hope everyone's doing well. I look forward to your comments.
PS--Heidi, I need your address for a special Vday surprise!

Everybody have a great day!

Hello my adoring public! I'm so sorry that I haven't written in a week, but there's a whole lot going on! Let's get to it:

1. I am back on track with my exercising. Yea me! It feels good.
2. The retreat I led this past weekend went pretty well if I do say so myself. :)
3. I peeled an orange by myself for the first time ever. Seriously. It only took me 28 years, but I did it.
4. My grandfather had his second surgery this past Friday, and they've scheduled the next one for this coming Wednesday. So I'm headed to Oklahoma. Please keep my family in your prayers.

Okay. Gotta go rescue my washing machine; it sounds like it's about to take flight. Talk to you guys later!
love, eg

Update: Week 2

Okay. Honesty time. This past week wasn't the best for my resolutions. I didn't exercise due to illness and laziness. Very sad. But it is in the past, and it can be changed.
So weight update: I gained 2.4 pounds, but overall have lost .6 pounds. Sigh, sigh.
I will do better this week! I found that I missed the extra energy that I got when I exercised regularly. If that's not incentive, I don't know what is.

But on a completely unrelated note, I've learned to crochet and last night I started my first baby cap. It's cute! Although right now it just looks like a circle, I have faith that it will come to resemble something cap-ish.

But today I'm working on the Presbyterian Women retreat that I'm co-leading this weekend. No rest for the weary...hope everyone is doing well!

Living Viruses

The Big Yuck. That's what this first half of the week has been. Have I exercised? No. Do I feel guilty about it? A bit, but I'm trying to squash it because it's really not my fault (how many 5 year olds do I sound like right now?). Monday is one of my "rest days" and I didn't think that Tuesday would bother me. But it did. Here's how:
I didn't walk yesterday morning because I was supposed to go to yoga last night. What I didn't think about was the shots I was going to get yesterday afternoon. I went to Hattiesburg yesterday for an appointment, and afterwards I stopped by the Forrest County Health Department. You see, I'm going to Uganda in March on a mission trip, and there are a few immunizations one must get before visiting Uganda. So I went to the Health Department and told them what I needed: Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Tetanus, and Polio. (I have to take malaria pills while I'm there) As it turns out, they don't keep Yellow Fever in stock so I will have to make a trip elsewhere in the state for that one. But I got the other four. Yup. Live viruses coursing through my body. Needless to say, I didn't make it to yoga last night. By the time I had gone to Target (on my death bed I woulnd't pass up a trip to Target) and driven back to McComb, I couldn't lift my arms over my shoulders. Those shots sting!! And this morning did I walk? Nope. Running a low-grade fever. It's gone now, but the big yuck sums it up nicely. Tomorrow is a new day, hopefully without temperatures and aches.

Update: Week 1

Okay. Week 1 is now completed. I've changed a few songs in my iPod playlist to keep the temp upbeat. I've stuck to my diet (for the most part), and I've pushed myself in terms of exercise, so here we go:
Weight--down 3 pounds (you didn't think I'd tell you my actual weight, did you?)
Exercised--5 times
To Work On--figuring out the scheduling.
Really Proud About--the fact that I pushed myself to jog 4 times yesterday for longer spurts than my previous ones.

And there you have it.
Tommy & Melissa--thanks for becoming followers!
And Heidi--I think I may be a "wogger" now.

Good Habits

So I'm finding that one good habit tends to encourage others. For instance, my newfound dedication to exercise leads to better eating and drinking more water. Also, it gets me up earlier in the morning forcing me to go to bed at a more decent hour each evening. But there are other good habits. Like making it to work earlier than I would normally. And last night I started to crochet. After talking about it for quite a while (several years in fact), I did it last night. A friend lent me some yarn and a hook and an illustrated instruction book. It was actually pretty fun although I do need a teacher to help me now. I'll get with her later this week.
But now, I have 45 minutes to go before prayer service at church and I'm going to enjoy some Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! Ciao.

I am a Rock Star

Okay. It needed to be said, so here it is: I'm a freaking rock star. I just went to the walking track (the one outside because the Baptists won't let you run/jog inside), and I jogged. That's right. It was only three short spurts, but that's better than nothing. And I have a confession: I smiled. I actually laughed outside out loud while I jogged. I am so proud of myself. This is awesome!

Grandpa update

So Grandpa's surgery went really well yesterday. The surgeons got all of the cancer from his head, and it wasn't in the bone. But they did shave 1/16 of an inch off his skull. He's going to stay in the hospital for the next couple of days, but everything's great. Praise the Lord!

The Embarassment Factor

There may be something I forgot to think about when I decided to run a half-marathon. I thought about the lifestyle changes--getting up earlier to work out, making sure I drink tons of water, watching what I eat with more diligence. I thought about the possibility (and certainty) of pain that would come from pushing my body past its comfort zone. I thought about the runner's high that I would hopefully get one day to help me push through. I thought about a lot of things. The one that I left out happens to be a big one: the embarassment factor. Now, I know that my "running form" as it is as the moment is awful, but I expect that form to improve with time. And I know that the short, teeny, tiny distance I can run right now is a bit embarassing, but once again--will improve with time. What might not improve is my ability to fall down at any given time.



For the full effect, I think we need to go back about 15 years. Here's a brief history of my more momentous falls:

1995--8th grade--fell down a flight of stairs at school in front of all the cool kids

I've blocked out high school as a whole, so nothing from then...

I seem to have stayed on my feet pretty well in college (unless you count the time I fell off a horse and hurt my rear end so badly I couldn't sleep on my back for a week), so that leaves seminary to now:

2004--the Haunted House incident. I went to a haunted house in Atlanta with seminary friends, and one second I was walking. The next second I was flat on the ground. It was not enjoyable. I fell in front of a TON of people waiting to get into the house, and when I rolled over onto my back a person dressed like a ghostly something was standing over me waving his arms and tattered sleeves in my face. I almost hit him. My friends were doubled over with laughter. I think it still makes them laugh to think about it.

2008--the Ski Trip--taking the youth group skiing was harder than I thought it would be. Turns out, you need to learn how to stop in ski school. I didn't actually grasp that. And when I got the top of bunny slope, I fell off the lift. I stood up and tried to go around the curve to get to the top of the hill, and I fell down about 58 times in the span of 20 feet. It was so bad that the most patient person I have ever met (Sara!) left me. I ended up taking off my skis and walking down the mountain (I use that term loosely here). But even then I wasn't safe--a snowboarder ran into me and I landed on my rear end once again.

2008--the Rock Climbing disaster--ended with my right leg fractured below my knee. Enough said.



Present Day--So with all of this, why did I think now would be different? Yet I remain hopeful. So I get up this morning, and I'm going to the Baptist Church to walk around their exercise room (it totally rocks that they have a free track/exercise room for the community!). I get out of my car. It's cold outside. Not just cold for Mississippi, but stinking cold. It's in the teens in the morning here--very cold for south MS. So I'm cold, and I start to do my little hippity hoppity jog inside to wait on my walking buddy. What I failed to notice was the ice on the sidewalk. So my feet do the Fred Flintstone for a while, and I knew it was coming. I just couldn't stop it. I landed on my right hip and right hand. And I must say that the first thought that crossed my mind was: "What will Laris say?" Laris is my new yoga instructor, and having been to my first class last night in I don't know how long, I'm wondering how my fall will harm the good spinal work I did last night. Or maybe that work actually helped me this morning. Yeah, I'll go with that one for now. Well, tomorrow's another day. Hopefully one where I'll stay on my feet.



And my grandfather should be in surgery right now. Please pray!

Talk to y'all later.

Thanks for reading & following & writing me messages. It means so much to me.

The Beginning

Okay. So it's a New Year, and I've made a decision: by this time next year, I will--I WILL--run a half-marathon. I can do it. I've made my mind up to do it. Yet the thought of running scares me to death. I'm not much of a runner; the last time I ran I think was in a kickball game in 4th grade. I'm not an "outdoor" girl either; I'm much more of a "sit inside and read a book" type of girl. But I'm going to do this. It's not just that I want to, but that I know I can. So here's where I'm going to talk about how it's going. So, let's get started...

I started this past Saturday when I cleaned my house for 4 hours straight (including rearranging the furniture 5 times). And if you think that isn't exercise, you'd be wrong. Because it is and my muscles hurt something fierce the next day or two. On Sunday afternoon I took a walk (I'm not quite to running yet). Monday was a "rest day." I've read a book entitled The Non-Running Marathon Guide for Women and the author encourages two rest days a week. Well, I'm much more comfortable with activity than inactivity so this will be a challenge for me. Ask any of my friends: Sabbath rest is hard work! Anyway, this morning I got up at 5:30--that's right--and walked for 30 minutes. My legs are a bit sore, but I think it was worth it.

So that's where I am. I guess I have just a few more details to share with you all including why I'm doing this project and why I'm writing this blog. I don't have any full-length mirrors in my own home, but when I was at my grandparents home over Christmas vacation I saw myself in a mirror. I saw all of myself in a mirror. Yuck. I was not pleased with what I saw. As a Christian (and as a minister) one of the things I need to work harder on is embodying my faith. And I'm going to take embodying seriously--my body needs to show my faith. So I'm going to make some changes. As to why I'm writing this blog--I think that telling people about my project will help keep me accountable. Because I know I will want to quit at times, but I really think this will be good for me. So if I haven't written anything in a while, ask me how it's going. Kick my rear end until I get it back in gear. This might be the only time I ever give someone else permission to tell me what to do, but if I fall off the wagon, tell me what to do to get back on it.

Just thinking about running makes me tired, but eventually I'll be tired from all the exercise. I can't wait!