Vine Life

Last night I spoke to a women’s Bible study group called Vine Life at my church.  I was asked by my friend Aliene, who teaches the class (and also wrote the study!) to share my testimony. She had been my small group leader for the first teaching of her study and boy, did her study and the all of the women in the group help me in my time of need! It was an honor to be  asked to speak to this large group last night. It is the second time I have shared  my story for her teachings, and both times I have felt so blessed to be there.

It is almost comical to me that I was up on stage last night, with a mic in my hand, sharing my story. I mean, really, its me. Super shy. Hyper emotional when feeling “on the spot.” Certainly not a fan of public speaking. At all. Yet there I was, spilling details of my life that would normally be reserved for close friends and family. And you know what? It felt great! The things I was speaking about- teen pregnancies, marriage trouble- have brought me a lot of pain, but it was so amazing to speak of God’s grace in my life. To share how He has used the pain to bring even greater joy. And to spread that good news, I would stand on the rooftops and shout!

Aliene has shared with me that my courage in sharing my story has helped many others also tear down the walls they have built, letting others in and beginning the healing process. It is not an easy thing to do, to pull away the facade and share your heartache. Especially if it means shedding light on someone else’s wrongdoings in the process. I know that I had been protecting others with my walls, and it wasn’t until I let others in, and stopped covering it all up, that I was able to let it go and heal. My goal last night was simply to share my story in hopes that it would touch others. And judging by the numerous emails I have already received today from some of the women in attendance,  I would say that I have accomplished that goal.  So thank you, Aliene, for a wonderful study, an opportunity to share, and the gift of your friendship.

Life…..

It is so easy to get distracted by life. Although I have been distracted form my blogging, I am happy to say, I have not been distracted form working towards my goals. In my previous post, I mentioned the program I had been chosen for at my gym. This year I am participating in the Make A Difference program, which gives me group personal training 3 times per week  and nutrition classes for for a year. They have also included testing to determine my resting metabolic rate ( how many calories my body burns each day at complete rest) and they determined where my heart rate needs to be to give me the most effective fat burning workout. I’m in week 8 of the program now and can already see and feel major differences!

In first 8 weeks of our program, we have been working out hard, getting to know they trainers and the other members in our group. I am so lucky to have the most incredible group of people on my team! We bonded right from the beginning. The support we all show each other is incredible, especially since we all just met a few short weeks ago. And this is a really big opportunity for me. I have been struggling with my weight since I had my oldest daughter 14 years ago.  This program will allow me to have accountability and build friendships with others who are on the same journey, as well as building friendships with those who aspire to help us all change our lives from the inside out.

It has definitely been an adjustment for my whole family, as I am now in class 3 evenings a week. We have all had to make sacrifices and changes in what had been our normal day to day activities. Our meals have changed, our family time has changed, but I think overall it has been a good thing so far. We are all eating far better than we ever have. We are all learning to try new things and to step out of our comfort zones. My husband and kids are all pitching in to do what I had been doing in the evenings, and everyone is helping to cook our new, healthier meals.  I’m glad that the weather is starting to get a bit warmer, so we can all be outside more often, and hopefully get some more of the family runs in on the greenways.

In closing, I will try to update more often, and share my triumphs throughout this program and beyond!