I’m finally getting around to posting this. Not because the results were really crappy (they were), but because I’ve been running all over the place today and am finally getting time to sit down at my computer. So I didn’t go to the gym at all this week. Yeah. I know. You heard me right. I can’t really believe it either. I either didn’t feel like going, or I was too busy..or a combination of the two. I did run a few times outside and I did a kettle bell workout at home, but even then, I never feel like I get a complete workout unless I’m at the gym. I also didn’t eat exactly how I’ve been eating for the last 2 months, so I think it just threw my whole body out of whack. I guess that’s what happens. So…here’s hoping next week will be better..Thanksgiving and all.

This week’s lesson: there are consequences for our actions…or inactions. And i think that can be applied to all of life.

Here are this week’s results…

Andy:
Starting weight: 237.6
Last week’s weight: 217.0
This week’s loss: -4
This week’s percentage loss: -1.8
Total percentage loss: -10.3%
Total weight loss: -24.6
Current Weight: 213.0

Angie:
Starting weight: 170.6
Last week’s weight: 153.2
This week’s loss: -0
This week’s percentage loss: -0
Total percentage loss: -10.2%
Total weight loss: -17.4
Current Weight: 153.2

I won’t lie. Today was a hard day. Things went down that really made my heart heavy and kept my mind wandering. Tonight I happened to run across a friend’s blog who spoke about the same situation, and she mentioned the song “Trust His Heart.” It took me back to my good ole elementary days. I had this song memorized by heart and I would stand on my bed with my hairbrush and belt it out like Celene Dion. How could I have forgotten this song that speaks so much truth? I read through her post and through the lyrics of the song. I raced to youtube to find the song online and hit play.

And I sat down on the floor at the foot of my bed…and cried.

How many of us have thought God has forgotten us? Maybe God has made a mistake in our lives. Maybe He simply is just not around or paying any attention to us. How can God be real, and yet this is my life?

I know I’ve been there.

And I know some of my friends are there right now as well.

Today I was working on some promotion for our next message series at PV called “Interrupted.” It couldn’t have been more timely for me today. It was all about how God interrupted lives, spiritual journeys, plans–and ultimately–HISTORY, by sending down Christ as our Savior. What seemed like a major interruption was (pardon the cliche) the best blessing in disguise known to man.

May I never forget that God is good…he always has been and he always will be and he can’t be anything but. May I never forget that God wants the best for me, and that He really does see me and know me and is very active and intentional in every detail of my life. May I never forget that when those interruptions and trials and desert times come that God has a purpose for the pain…whether we see that purpose on this side of heaven or not. And may I never forget that when all is stripped away, when all is lost, and when all is hurting…God is there. God is here.

We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. (2 Cor 4:8 MSG)

So, yet again, i’m pretty stoked about this week. I’m really having a hard time believing it. I stood on the scale two or three times and it kept reading the same thing. Although, I tried again a little later and it read something different. So I’m putting out a disclaimer right now that if I “gain” weight next week, maybe today was a fluke. But I really dont think it was..cuz i tried again even later, and it was pretty much what the first reading was. Crazy. I always put a 10 pound weight on the scale before weighing myself to make sure the scale is accurate, and it is..so there ya go. Ok, so about this week. I have to say I’m shocked because I really, really was not feelin’ it this week. I only went to the gym 4 times, and didn’t even feel like I pushed myself as hard as I should. And I didnt really see the scale budge much until the end of the weekend. So I was expecting to not lose any this week. BUT, even if that would have been the case, it was a great week because for the first time since…oh..my junior year in high school…i put on size 10 jeans! It was the highlight of my week! And not just one pair, but SEVERAL pairs!! I definitely filled them out, but i wasn’t uncomfortable or squeezed into them at all. Awesome!! A few people asked to see pictures..so I’ll put some at the end.

This upcoming week is going to be fabulous and loads of fun…but that means the chance of some amazing (and fatty) foods! Yikes! One work holiday party, and a young adult game night. I can’t wait! Hope I can avoid those carbs!

Here are this week’s results…

Andy:
Starting weight: 237.6
Last week’s weight: 217.4
This week’s loss: -.4
This week’s percentage loss: -0
Total percentage loss: -8.50%
Total weight loss: -20.6
Current Weight: 217.0

Angie:
Starting weight: 170.6
Last week’s weight: 156.0
This week’s loss: -2.8
This week’s percentage loss: -1.8
Total percentage loss: -10.2%
Total weight loss: -17.4
Current Weight: 153.2

The Right Side.

The thought of going to the Right Ride makes me timid.

The Left is just so much safer. Regulations, stipulations, obligations, expectations…so many ‘tions.

On the left side, there are rules and boundaries and do’s and don’ts. You don’t have to think much on the Left Side. You’re told what to do and following it to a T will get you to where you want to go.

But not on the Right Side.

The right side is wild. It is exhilarating, but terrifying. The right side is exhausting, yet soothing. It’s colorful and musical and free. Wide open spaces and free. No restrictions. No boundaries. Limitless.

Which means danger.

Danger of the unknown. Danger of where those wide open spaces and long winding paths may take you. What you might find around the corner or beyond the horizon.

You may find bliss. You may find agony. It’s a risk you must take when you trek into the Right Side.

I find myself longing to go there so often..a place of imagination and creation and endless possibilities. But when I dare to open the door into the world of the Right Side, I pause. I hesitate. What might I find behind this door? Beyond the thresh hold? Will I find a wind that will sweep me off my feet? A river that will carry me further than I want to go? Will I be kissed by the sun and showered with color? Will I find myself in a dark and unsettling place?

I don’t know what I might find when I go to the Right Side.  And it scares me.

But I know I must go. Because I was born on the Right Side.

Some are born to live on the Left Side, and others, to live on the Right Side. Some are born on the Right Side, only to cross the border and live as an estranged alien, forced to perform rituals and routines that are against their nature. Some learn to adapt, others do not. Some are native Left Siders. When they find themselves in the Land of the Right Side, they are confused, clueless, lost, and nervous. They don’t know what to do without rules, with wide open spaces, with endless possibilities…and so they do their best to find their way back to the Left Side.

I was born to live on the Right Side. And while I am able to adapt to the Left Side, I become alive when I’m in the right place. But to go back to where I came from…to the Land of the Right side…means re-exploring all that I’ve forgotten about. It means remembering the highs and lows of the vast topography of the Right Side. The mountains and valleys. The rushing streams and wide open skies. The deserts and flowers. The storms, the morning dew, the rainbow, the vibrant fall leaves. The joys and sorrows. The light and shadows. The smooth and the rough. The laughter and tears. The glee and the agony. This is what you find on the Right Side.

The compass of logic is lost on the Right Side. Feelings and emotions point the way here. And that, well, THAT is what is so terrifying about the Right Side. Feelings have a way of magnifying life…to the point of ecstasy or to the point of utter despair. And that is the risk you take when walking into the Right Side.

But it is a risk I must take to find my way back home. I wasn’t born to live for tedious, mundane routine…even though the safety and security of that way is so tempting and appealing. No. I must journey back to the Right Side. The side where things are uncertain but fascinating. Scary, thrilling, and adventurous. Beautiful and horrifying and pure.

I long for the land of the Right Side.

I’m pretty pumped up about this week. I’m learning that sometimes you just have to be patient while your body does its thing. There are going to be weeks where your body just naturally stores more water, and there are other weeks where it will function in top condition. I can’t beat myself up for a low number, because sometimes my body is just having an “off week” even if I’ve been working just as hard. That what I’ve learned this week…cuz I’m pretty excited about my progress so far. Actually, I’m stoked…and quite honestly, I still have to step on the scale like 5 times to believe it is actually reading what it says. Another little exciting thing this week is that sometimes I weigh myself on the gym scales just to make sure our one at home is pretty accurate, and this week I got to move the weight thing down an entire notch from the “160″ to the “140″ …and then just move the little weight marker up from there. Since now I’m officially under 160. BOOYAH!! Andy did pretty good too. We are literally hundreds of a percent away from each other in the total race. Crazy. Never thought that would happen.

Here are this week’s results…

Andy:
Starting weight: 237.6
Last week’s weight: 220.8
This week’s loss: -3.4
This week’s percentage loss: -1.5
Total percentage loss: -8.50%
Total weight loss: -20.2
Current Weight: 217.4

Angie:
Starting weight: 170.6
Last week’s weight: 158.8
This week’s loss: -2.8
This week’s percentage loss: -1.7
Total percentage loss: -8.55%
Total weight loss: -14.6
Current Weight: 156.0

I’ve finally hit the point where I’m just really tired of working out…I’m going to try to go to more classes this week at the gym, because it seems that those keep me going when I don’t feel like pushing myself. I will have to say that I don’t mind the food I’m eating. In fact, if I were to credit anything for any success, it would be the way I’m eating. Lots of lean protein, complex carbs (whole wheats), fruits, veggies, and lots of water….not to mention some incredible encouragement from some incredible friends who have  been even more successful than me at this same challenge! I’ve been cooking a lot more, and I’m more educated about what I’m putting into my body. It’s amazing what just a few simple changes in a person’s diet will help substantially! Just replacing all white-flour foods with whole wheat foods is a great start. Lots of lean protein combined with excersize is also great. And drinking tons of water, and only diet pop (when you have a craving for pop…in moderation), keeps my body hydrated and working properly. I will have to say it’s becoming a “lifestyle” now….but I am lacking that motivation to push myself beyond a “7″ at the gym…I need to have a few “10″ workouts this next week or two.

I wouldn’t say I’m thrilled with this week’s numbers, again, but something is better than nothing…so i’m not complaining! Like I predicted, my brother came back to whoop some butt. Although, in the overall totals…we are NECK AND NECK. Here are this week’s numbers…

Andy:
Starting weight: 237.6
Last week’s weight: 226.8
This week’s loss: -6
This week’s percentage loss: -2.6
Total percentage loss: 7.1%
Total weight loss: -16.8
Current Weight: 220.8

Angie:
Starting weight: 170.6
Last week’s weight: 160.2
This week’s loss: -1.4
This week’s percentage loss: -.9%
Total percentage loss: 6.9%
Total weight loss: -11.8
Current Weight: 158.8

I talked to a girl the other day, and that talk gave me hope and encouragement for life. She was sitting on a couch, sipping some water, pouring over her journal as though she was writing her final goodbyes. Tears were streaming down her downcast face. Her countenance was broken, her eyes determined not to look up.

As I sat down next to her, she closed up her journal. She was soft spoken. Timid. I couldn’t find a trace of hope as I studied her expressions. I asked her what she was writing about…what was running through her mind.

She was silent.

The silence was saddening. It wasn’t a shy silence. It was more a silence of distrust.

I told her I understood.

She nodded.

Little did she know, there was something about her that was so familiar, yet I didn’t recognize her.

After what seemed like an eternity, she spoke.

“I thought I was invisible. Out of all of these people, what made you notice me?”

“There’s something special about you. You stood out to me.” I said, being completely honest. There was something about this girl that gave me the impression that there was mighty potential in her. If she only knew.

She went on.

“There’s nothing special about me. I’ve tried to do everything right, but it’s never been good enough. Someone has always been better, smarter, funnier, prettier, more outgoing, more talented, more progressive, more creative. I’m not good enough for anyone. No one wants me on their team. No one cheers for me. I’m not important to anyone.”

“Did someone tell this to you?” I asked.

“No. But you can see it in their eyes. In their actions. They don’t want me. They think I’m a burden. I’m the trouble child. I’m the girl next door. I’m the sidekick. The fact that you’re even talking to me is a rare thing. I’m not good enough to be talked to. Why don’t you go talk to that pretty girl over there…or that intelligent guy over there. I’m a nobody. Why are you wasting your time on me?“

My heart was breaking. If she only knew. She WAS beautiful. Not only inside, but outside as well. If she could only see what I saw. I continued to ask her about her reasonings for these responses.

“Don’t act like you know me.” She snapped.

I wanted to tell her that I knew her more than she thought.

“The more you knew me,” she continued, ”the more you’d probably realize why everyone else hates me, too. Why everyone leaves me. Why people abandon me. Why I’m all alone. Did you know that not one single guy has ever called me beautiful? Not one has ever told me a characteristic they liked about me. Not one. And my friends, they’ve always got better things to do. They never want me around. I’m such a burden for them. They just don’t….”

I stopped her mid-sentence. I reached for her chin, lifted it, and looked her straight in the eyes.

“YOU are the most beautiful person God has ever known. He made a masterpiece when he made you. I can tell that you are funny, caring, kind, compassionate, talented, creative, and you…listen to me….you are STUNNING. It doesn’t matter what guys have or haven’t said to you. It doesn’t matter what they have or haven’t done for you. And I guarantee your friends adore you. You are your own worst enemy. Don’t believe those lies. You ARE wanted, you ARE loved, you ARE beautiful, and you are SOOOOO valuable.”

She sniffed, and her eyes began to dry up. And then she whispered, in the softest audible voice possible, one of the most profound life questions ever….

“I am?”

“Yes,” I said, confidently, “you are.”

And in that split second, I faintly saw a glimmer of hope in her eye and joy in the crack of a smile. She nodded her head, as if she would finally allow this truth to sink in this time.

For the first time, in what was probably a long time, I think she finally trusted someone again. I think she trusted me. I think she trusted the truth that I spoke about God being the source of her value and hope and joy and security and love and comfort and affirmation.

And I knew in that moment that she was going to be okay. She was going to make it. Sure, her circumstances probably won’t change overnight, but her outlook had changed. Where there was sorrow and brokenness, there was hope and joy. Where there was doubt and hurt, there was confidence and beauty. And I know that someday, this girl will make a difference in somebody else’s life because today I reminded her of God’s truth.

God is cheering for that girl. I am cheering for that girl.

God believes in that girl. And I believe in that girl.

I am that girl.

There is a side of me that wants my life to look like this….

But deep down inside, I think I’d rather have it turn out like this…

So, I’m not sure how to feel about this week. I worked out an entire week straight, every day, between an hour or two each time..sometimes even twice a day. I even have multiple injuries, scrapes and bruises to prove it! haha. I guess this week’s number is still pretty good in the over all scheme of things, though. It’s totally like the Biggest Loser where they work their butt off, and then they gain a pound or something. Bodies function in really odd ways. I guess I’m just preparing myself for when I actually hit the “wall” and I don’t lose anything, which will probably be soon. So, I guess I’ll be happy for anything at this point. Also, poor Andy. I actually feel bad for him. He’s been working out and nothing. Totally Biggest Loser flashbacks. But I have a feeling he’ll come back with a vengeance next week.

Here’s this week’s results….

Andy:
Starting weight: 237.6
Last week’s weight: 226.8
This week’s loss: 0
This week’s percentage loss: 0
Total percentage loss: 4.55%
Total weight loss: -10.8
Current Weight: 226.8

Angie:
Starting weight: 170.6
Last week’s weight: 162.2
This week’s loss: -2
This week’s percentage loss: -1.23%
Total percentage loss: 6.09%
Total weight loss: -10.4
Current Weight: 160.2

We’ll see how next week goes. I already have a bad feeling about it. I think I’ve hit the point of the game where I’m worn out and I’d rather just eat a piece of cake. I gave Andy a pep talk over text messaging today and gave him full permission to beat me next week. We all need a little encouragement every once in a while. So for both me and Andy…here’s to better days…

(And here’s hopin’ to break into the 150’s soon…)

Enjoy this HILARIOUS video!!!!!!