This song has been on my radar for a few months. Many of you have probably heard it, but if you haven’t, it’s Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap. Perhaps as I inch closer to 30 I am drawn to songs capturing the innocence of youth. Perhaps I over-analyze things too…perhaps.

The last few months were filled with many things that contributed to my writing halt. Increased roles at my church, job stress/craziness, personal and family obligations, etc. I’m hoping I’ll have plenty to talk about (I sure do have plenty on my mind) and hope you’ll find it enjoyable.

See you soon…

Sorry for the lack of updates! This week I weighed in and lost another 2 pounds. That puts my total loss at 12 pounds total. I’m pretty happy with Weight Watchers so far and am hoping my progress continues. Something I learned this week: Chipotle is deceiving. I got a burrito bowl, hoping it would be healthier. The whole thing was 19 points! I had chicken, black beans, tomato salsa, lettuce, cheese, quac and sour cream. Now, Obviously the points are in the last three right? I had it again and took out the quac and cheese and it became 13 points. That’s still a lot of points! The rice and beans pack quite a bit of calories. Chipotle always seems healthy, but it’s quite dangerous as you can see.

Anyway, here’s the breakdown of weekly progress.

1/26/10     5 lbs
2/2/10        2 lbs
2/9/10        1 lb
2/16/10     2 lbs
2/23/10     2 lbs

Total Loss  12 lbs

I should have blogged last week, but didn’t. Oops. As you might remember, I have a current goal to lose 30 lbs before my 30th birthday. I’m using weight watchers with coworkers as my catalyst. I’m happy to let all of you know that last week I lost 5 lbs after my first full week with weight watchers! Today was my second weigh-in and I lost an additional 2 lbs.

I’m pretty happy with the results so far. Weight Watchers, to be honest, isn’t terribly difficult. I have just found that I’m more deliberate about my eating, the time I eat and definitely what I eat.

As a “diet,” I certainly don’t feel hungry or even like I’m on a diet.If you’re thinking about Weight Watchers as an option, give it a whirl.

1/26/10     5 lbs

2/2/10        2 lbs

Total Loss  7 lbs

I wrestled with whether or not I would write about this. Ultimately, I feel it might help me hold myself accountable. So here goes. I joined weight watchers (OMG I said it). A few people from work wanted to do it and I promised I’d join in the fun if they did. Well they did. If you know me personally, you’ll know that I’ve gained a little weight since I quit smoking almost 3 years ago. It’s been extremely gradual, so most have barely noticed. However, I have gained 30 pounds in the last 3 years. No joke.

As I look the ripe age of 30 in the eye, I can’t think of a better time to get back in shape and stay healthy. So my goal is to lose 30 lbs, before I turn 30 years old. It’s a very achievable goal, as I have 6 months to do it. I weigh in every Tuesday (doing it online and not going to meetings) so I’ll update on here every week. I’ll try not to go to overboard with the weight loss talk, but I’m kind of excited.

“It is not so much that “prayer changes things as that prayer changes me and I change things. God has so constituted things that prayer on the basis of redemption alters the way in which a man looks at things. Prayer is not a question of altering things externally, but of working wonders in a man’s disposition.” – Oswald Chambers

Prayer is one of those funny things that in my life I’ve always had trouble grasping. Catholics pray about everything and to anyone who will listen. As a child I can remember there seemed to be a special prayer for everything in life. It it wasn’t a novena prayed to a saint for a series of days it was a prayer to Mary. If you grew up a Protestant or Catholic, you probably heard the argument that Catholics only prayed to the Saints and to Mary, but never actually to God. If you were a Catholic your answer would be that you prayed through the Saints and Mary and asked them for guidance and prayer but also prayed to Jesus. There seems to be a lot of little disagreements like this when it comes to discussions about the aforementioned sects of Christianity. Regardless, I’m not sure it was until later in my life that I understood prayer and its effect on my life. It was also much later in my life when I actually started praying in a way that made sense. 

The quote above by Oswald Chambers, really sums up how I think prayer should be used. Prayer often gets a bad reputation because many Christians are seen using it as the answer for everything. This may or may not be an accurate depiction, but there are many that fall to prayer the minute something goes wrong in their life. Perhaps that prayer is not really a call for God to change the events of this world, but to help ones soul. I’m not saying you won’t see me on my knees saying “Please Jesus” if the Michigan Wolverines are trailing late in a game but I try to be a bit more realistic about the use of prayer. I use prayer mainly to search for answers and to maintain focus on the things that are most important in my life. The reality is that God does not change things as easily as one would want, but by demonstrating his love I can change things. 

I chose this hymn, O Love That Will Not Let Me Go, for a few reasons. First, it’s probably one of the most beautiful hymns I have ever heard and the incomparable David Phelps truly delivers. Additionally, when looking up the origins of the hymn, it has quite a unique story. The writer, George Matheson, was suffering a supposed mental breakdown when he wrote this. He stated later that he felt that the song was coming from some inward voice rather than himself. It reminds me of all those times that I’ve felt completely down and looked to God for answers. It’s in those times that God has a tendency to hold a mirror up and remind me that most of it is on me.