breaking point

Oddly enough, this is a hard post for me to write.  But here goes....

Confession:  I weigh 326 pounds.

I'm not sure why that's hard to admit considering it's obvious to anyone looking that I'm overweight.  And I've been this way for the past 20 years of my life.  Throughout the years I've tried many diets and exercise plans.  I even tried out for NBC's The Biggest Loser a year ago. 

Four weeks ago I began a journey of life change.

Four weeks ago myself and many, many others started a 13 week weight loss challenge called Breaking Point.  I set a personal weight loss goal of 30-35 pounds.  This may sound low to some, but I wanted to be realistic and healthy in my weight loss.  Not to mention, my doctor advised that I only lose 1-2 pounds a week. 

My beginning weight was 336.

So, in the past four weeks I've lost 10 pounds.  I am 1/3rd of the way to my weight loss goal.

While I'm excited about my weight loss, I'm more excited about changing my life.  I'm challenging myself and doing things I've never done before (like taking a ZUMBA class!).  And the thing I'm most excited about is that I'm not alone.  I've got the most AMAZING friends who've been right beside me, encouraging me along the way!

There are nine weeks left of the Breaking Point challenge.  However, this is a lifelong journey.  My hope is to share from time to time about my journey not only to continue to challenge myself, but to encourage those of you who want to change your life.  Thanks for joining me along the way!

meet hayleigh

Me & my 'lil sis' Hayleigh

Last summer around this time I met Hayleigh, a 13 year old tomboy that lived next door to my father-in-law's grocery store.  Whenever I was in the store, she seemed to sense that I was there (or maybe she just saw my car & knew I was there....she's smart like that), so she'd come over and visit.  We developed a bond pretty quickly, and to this day people either think she's my little sister or my daughter (I prefer people to think she's my little sister.  I'm not old enough to have a teenager!).

Hayleigh is a beautiful, intelligent, funny, caring, artistic girl!  She's always doing something or saying something to make me laugh.  We spend a lot of time laughing together.  She's also very creative and artistic.  Hayleigh loves to draw and write.  Although her creativity has a tendency to get her in trouble (she draws what she feels, which is often anger), she has such talent.  With just a little bit of guidance, her artwork would flourish.  Hayleigh also has a heart to help care for poor, neglected children and animals.  One day she and I brainstormed about what she could do to make a difference in the world.  She wants to go to Africa someday and help kids there.  While she still thinks it's an impossibility, I know that with God all things are possible. 

There is no doubt in my mind that God brought Hayleigh into my world.  I love this kid!  I pray that she will one day realize that God loves her and has great plans for her life.  She's gone through so much in her short life, yet has so much to give.  Without a doubt, she has blessed me and truly enriched my life!

Has God brought a "little sister/brother" into your life??

stolen line

My hands are
          holding yours

As we gaze upon
          distant shores

A line drawn
          in the sand

Don't let go
          of my hand

Where do we go from here?

family means everything

Meet my family!

Top L-R: Josh (my husband), Matt (holding Noah), and Brandon
Bottom L-R: me, Chrissy (holding Hayden), Ashley (holding Hannah), Daisy, Amber (holding Isaiah), Tonya, and Stephanie

My family is big, crazy, and wonderful!  We're a mixed group, kinda like the Brady bunch.  My mom has three kids - me, Brandon, and Matt.  My step-dad has three kids - Chrissy, Ashley, and Stephanie.  My older brother, Brandon, and his girlfriend, Tonya, have Daisy.  My younger brother, Matt, and his wife, Amber, have two wonderful, wild little boys, Isaiah & Noah.  My oldest stepsister, Chrissy, has one little boy, Hayden, while Ashely, the middle stepsister, has Hannah.  WOW!  What a wild bunch!

Family means everything to me.  My siblings & I are actually friends and enjoy hanging out with each other.  Well, I enjoy hanging out with them...not so sure if they actually enjoy hanging out with me.  :)  But I love them.  And I know that I can call them at any time if I need anything, and they know they can do the same with me. 

My family hasn't always had an easy time of life.  But throughout the journey, we stay close to each other, embracing each other through the hard times.  We help each other out.  Even when it's probably better if we didn't.  That's what family does.  Family is there for it all. 

Now that you've met my family, introduce me to yours!

peace poem

Yesterday was a rough day.  To release some of what was going on in my head and heart, I wrote a poem.  Poetry is definitely not my thing, so it's not well written.  But I wanted to share it anyway:

Praying for peace in the middle east
And across the street
Will it ever end?
Keep trying to mend
The broken pieces keep slipping through my hand
Maybe I'll go bury my head in the sand

What do you do when you're having an emotionally rough day?

meet the parents

Last week I forgot to post my Friday's "person you should know."  Oopsie.  So this week it's the "people you should know."  :)

Let me introduce you to my mom and stepdad- Marsha and David Mitchell:

My mom is my hero and best friend.  She has always been there for me, teaching me and guiding me as a teenager and young adult.  She always takes time to listen to me and pray for me.  She laughs with me, cries with me, and loves me through it all. 

It is with my mom that I have most of my memories.  She was the one who taught me how to talk, to walk, to read, and tie my shoes (though technically it was my babysitter, Colleen, who taught me how to tie bows on my Raggedy Ann doll!)  She was the one who took me to dance lessons, tumbling classes, and baseball practice.  She was the one who held my hand at the doctor's office and fed me popscicles after getting my tonsils taken out.  She was the one who taught me how to drive, how to cook, and how to balance my checkbook.  She taught me how to be a strong and independent woman.  She taught me that no matter what life brings, life is still worth it.  She taught me about God.  Most importantly, she showed me God's love every day.  She still continues to show me God's love every single day.

My mom is my hero and my best friend.

David, my stepdad, has been one of the most wonderful additions to the family.  He and my mom met and married 12 years ago and our family hasn't been the same since!  Dave is a quiet, funny guy.  He loves Nascar, John Deere, his family, and Jesus.  He is the one person I know that I can call at any time of day with a need, and he'll be right there to help.  If I need prayer, he's just one phone call away.  He has a servant's heart like no other.  He has endured suffering and sickness, and yet still has joy.  He has been the one to show me the Father heart of God in ways that no one else has.

My parents are wonderful, and I thank God for them every day!!  My prayer is that I will one day be able to be the same kind of parent that these two have been for me.  May my life honor them, and bring joy to their hearts!

it just takes one

In John 4, Jesus and his disciples travel through Samaria in order to return to Galilee.  At the village of Sychar, Jesus and company stop to rest at the historic well built by Jacob and given to his son Joseph.

As his disciples venture off to find food, Jesus took a seat close to the well and watched as a Samaritan woman came to draw water.  Against the social norm of the time, Jesus strikes up a conversation with the woman.  He tells her things about her past and present that only she would know, revealing himself to be the Liberating King.  In that instant, her life was changed. 

But, the story doesn't end here.  The woman goes back to the village and tells people that she has met Jesus, the Liberating King.  Verse 39 tells us the impact this woman had: "...because one woman shared with her neighbors how Jesus exposed her past and present, the village of Sychar was transformed..."

It only takes one person to change things.  Because of the Samaritan woman an entire village was transformed.  Think about that.  It's an incredible, challenging thought.

YOU have the power to change things.

What kind of changes do you want to see take place in your life, in society, in the world?  What are you doing to see these changes come to pass?