I am a big loser.

In fact, I am the biggest loser of Start Caring Wellness bootcamp #29! Meaning the pain and suffering paid off nicely.

The scale is not my friend -- never has been. So when I had my official end of bootcamp weigh & measure, I wasn't too surprised to find out I'd only lost 5 lbs. Besides, I set a goal to lose 5 lbs. and met it so that was awesome. But then on the last day of camp, I found out I had the highest body fat % loss -- I lost 6% body fat in five weeks!

Yay me! ♥

Bootcamp was so much fun that I'm doing it again. The schedule has changed a little -- its MWF mornings at 5:15 because there's a yoga class on TTH now. Which I signed up for. So now I get up every morning at 4:45 to go exercise!

It's fun...no really...it is. Not only that but Lindsey is doing the yoga class,too. So that makes it even more fun. The yoga class is outside and the field is dark when we start but the sun comes up during class. That's cool.

O, Misery!

O, Misery, thy name is Shin Splints!

Shin splints? I'm 48 for goodness sakes! What have I gotten myself into?

The back story to my latest adventure is related to donuts. About three years ago I was standing in line at the local donut shop early one Saturday morning. There beside me was a gal in a "Only the Strong Will Survive" bootcamp t-shirt. "Huh?" I thought. Donuts / bootcamp; donuts / bootcamp. What? She confided that the Start Caring bootcamp was awesome and that her fitness instructor would not approve of the donuts. Bummer, I thought.

Fast forward to March 25, 2008, 5:05 am. As I walk across the football field to my first day at bootcamp, scenes of high school drill team fill my mind and I scan the field for those wenches making my life miserable. Wait a second, that was 30 years ago! Ha! I am no longer vulnerable to the cruelty of thinner, trimmer, more coordinated girls wearing pony tails and headbands while doing high kicks and splits.

I am an accomplished woman; a wife, mother and business owner. I can do bootcamp!

Let me just say now that after the first week, the flu-like symptoms have gone away. And while I was convinced only an appendectomy would bring relief from the abdominal pain, that, too has gotten better. Turns out there are muscles in there somewhere! Who knew?

And the more coordinated girls in pony tails and headbands look a lot more like me these days. Sure some of them are thinner and trimmer. Most of them run faster and carry fire hoses further than me. But here's what I've learned after 30 years ... I'm OK. I can do some things and I can't do some things but a limp jog is slightly better than a walk which is significantly better than lying on the couch.

So, for now at least, three days a week I'm off to bootcamp -- which is right past the donut shop.

How Should I Love?

The following is a poem Andy wrote for me. He gave me permission to publish it here. I think it is wonderful!

How should I love Thee?

As Christ loved the Church –

Freely – with abandon

Of all that does not belong

In “I Love You”

How should I love thee?

As Christ loved the Church –

Completely – and in

That universe contains all

Love.

How should I love thee?

As Christ loved the Church –

So sweetly – and in

The few hours remaining

Wash Thy feet

– My Beloved.

God is good all the time

It has been a while since I've posted. I have a nice life that occasionally goes haywire and the older I get the longer it takes me to recover!

What's been going on lately? The holidays were nice. It was a special treat to have our sweet Tristan with us for Thanksgiving and Christmas 2007. I found it interesting that last holiday season we didn't even know we'd have a darling addition to our family. She is a joy. I'll add new pictures soon.

Thomas is out of the Marines. He worked for us for a couple of months and has recently started a new job that seems like a good fit. He is away from home a lot while he is training but will settle in nicely once his routine is established. Liz is staying at home with Tristan and taking classes.

Emily is working for a non-profit organization involved in community development. The project she is currently involved with is the Jubilee Project in Dallas. It is a perfect fit for Emily.

Lindsey has moved back home for a time. She works as a server at Jasper's. It is nice to spend time with her.

Alex is finishing up his studies at UTD and working for us. It's fun to see Alex more often.

Jane is living in Carrollton and working at Williams Sonoma at the Galleria. Perfect place for Jane to work!

Jordan is a freshman at Lake Dallas High School and waiting patiently to start Driver's Ed. Wow!

Andy and I will celebrate our thirteenth wedding anniversary this year and our eleventh year in business together. That's an accomplishment!

My journey with Weight Watchers has been successful. So far I've lost 30lbs and I'm feeling so much better. The best part is -- I think I might stick with it this time for a true lifestyle change...there I've said it in cyberland...now the whole world can keep me accountable!

I've been attending BTCL classes taught by Janis Saville. It has been such a blessing. God is faithful and good and loving and just.

A Lady at Last!

Oh, what a difference a day makes! On 11-07-2007, at 9:37 pm, Tristan Layne Allen made her appearance. Weighing 6 lbs. 3 oz. and 18 inches long, she's a tiny little thing. And so pretty...what a joy! I find myself thinking about her all day. I am so blessed to be a part of her life. Like Timothy's grandmother, Lois, and his mother Eunice, I pray God will help me pass down to Tristan a heritage of faith.

Worm composting and me

Leslie said I should write about worm composting...so here goes. I SUCK! I am a terrible worm composter and maybe a terrible person -- you decide.

So my sweet Thomas drove all the way to Grand Prairie to pick up two starter kits -- one for me and one for Lindsey consisting of plastic bin with holes; coconut fiber; 4 oz. of worm castings and 1/2 lbs of red wiggler worms. The plan was for me to get the bins started and Lindsey would take hers back to Austin...I was sort of the foster parent or worm grandmother, if you will.

Thomas set up the bins for me -- at the office. I carried the bins home and put them in our garage apartment, turned the air conditioner to 75 and made my new little borders all nice and cozy. Although I could hardly wait to see the little fellers, I didn't disturb them for a whole day -- wanted them to get settled in, of course. I even waited a couple of days before I started feeding them.

But I was so excited that I saved all the best of our scraps and even added a few morsels of "not scraps" into my "worm food" bowl...waiting, waiting, waiting until just the right moment to start feeding the little ones.

Finally the big day arrived and I popped open the bins to find a few of the little sweeties trying to leave! So I rescued them from the inside top of the bins and gently set them back on their "bedding". Then I made a small hole in the nice clean bedding and added some food scraps to both bins. And then I stirred.

Next day when I checked on the little darlings it was a little smelly -- I'm not gonna lie. And I added a little more food. And I stirred.

The next day the aroma of the cozy environment I had created for the little ones was so rank I had to move it outside and I fed them some more and I stirred it more.

After that I fed them some more and I stirred it some more. Outside.

So now I've had the little monsters and all their little creepy crawly friends for about four weeks and I think I've managed to overfeed and over attend one bin of them to death but one bin lives on. And the creepy crawly friends live on too.

Lessons learned...over feeding is a bad thing; stirring is a bad thing...leave your worms to themselves, bury their food, only feed them once or so a week after they have established good bedding.

Like Thomas did it -- but hey, what does that kid know about worm composting??

My Life as a Dog -- Revisited

We have a dog -- Sierra. She has been part of our family for a long time now. She was a rescue pup and must've had a tough time of it before becoming one of ours. But since then she is an outright member of the family -- unconditionally accepted as one of our own. While it is nice when she contributes to the family, there are no expectations on our part that she will work for acceptance. Anyway, when she does contribute, she only does what is in her nature to do -- nothing extraordinary -- just routine dog things. We love her because she is ours not for what she does for us.

However, after all these years of caring for her, loving her, protecting her, providing for her -- she still doesn't trust us completely. Most likely she was abused as a pup. Somehow this abuse must've involved treats. Because Sierra will not accept treats from us -- in fact, she runs from treats. No matter how much we reassure her, no matter how many times we don't hurt her -- she still won't accept treats from us...she doesn't trust us to love her unconditionally.

Who ever heard of a dog who won't take a treat from her master's hand?

How my life resembles Sierra's. I, too was a rescue pup -- welcomed into the family of believers at an early age. Unlike Sierra, I was always well-loved -- never abused. Even so, I still don't always trust my heavenly Father to love me unconditionally. I still don't always receive blessings without considering what might be asked of me in return. As if there is anything in the world I could do that would make me worthy of God's blessings! I see myself in the following verses:

Romans 7:21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

And I find hope in these:

Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

It is my desire to live according to the Spirit -- filled today and tomorrow and tomorrow's tomorrow in order to be pleasing to God.

Romans 8:5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

Random thoughts about how I spend my time

I like to crochet but I do it for hours and hours -- leaving other things left undone
I like to read but I fall asleep -- often because I've stayed up too late crocheting
I like to cook -- but I hate to clean up and I don't like going to the grocery store either...a local fresh market would be nice
I like to work in the yard/garden -- but its too hot outside and the air in and around our house is filled with cement dust these days
I like to visit with family and friends -- and I don't know why I don't do it more often

Other things I'm doing:
Moms In Touch -- praying for the children, teachers, staff and administrators at Lake Dallas ISD
Weight Watchers -- again...this time I'm gonna "be an after and stay an after" LOL!
Worm composting -- thanks Lindsey and Thomas!
BTCL -- can't think of any better way to spend my Thursday nights other than in the company of Godly women seeking the Lord
Spending time with Jordy -- my last little chick at home
Working with my "boys" -- Andy, Thomas and Alex
Waiting on my first grandchild -- thanks Liz!

Look! What is new has come!

So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come! 2 Co. 5:16-17

Isn't it wonderful? A new creation -- a "do over". God is good. I am prone to wander yet He is gracious and remembers me even when I set Him aside and seek my own way. And then just when I need it the most the truth is there -- right in His own words "...what is old has passed away -- look, what is new has come!"

I don't have to be the same old me in the same old way -- I am a new creation -- set apart for holy living. I died to sin -- how can I live in it any longer? Living by the Spirit is what I desire for God called me into holiness. I pray that the Holy Spirit will give me the strength to put off all such things as anger, bitterness, envy, jealousy and selfish ambition. I rejoice that I am being being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the One who created me.

Praise Him for what is new has come!

Turning Tides

It has been a while since my last post...over a year! It seems like accomplishing the tasks on my "To Do" list keeps getting in the way of living my life. This blog being the perfect microcosm of my existence...I look up and a year has passed -- what did I do with all those minutes, hours and days? Did I love my family enough? Did I hugs my kids at all? Did I pet my dog? Did I spend time in the company of my Creator? I know I stressed about money and juggled inflows and outflows and I know my credit report looks good and my creditors are satisfied...for the moment.

But what about my relationships?

God is good to me -- tender and merciful when I waste this gift of my life He has given me by falling victim to stress.

It was sweet Jordan who said it best when she reminded me, "Mom, when you are anxious and stressed out it is a sign that you are not trusting God completely." Outta the mouth of babes.

I am going to do better. I am going to spend more time listening than talking; more time reading than watching TV; more time with people I love than alone; more time alone than with people who are toxic.

I am going to eat better and exercise more; I am going to crochet and knit for my family and friends and maybe for me.

I am seeking love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Pray for me.

Good morning, Argentina! How are ya?

Got a call from from the mission front this morning. All is well with Team Argentina. God is good...all the time.

First Things

So here goes...

I love the Lord --
And Andy.
I love the kids --
Thomas & Liz,
Emily,
Lindsey,
Alex,
Jane, &
Jordy.

My life is defined by the blessings He brings --

Husband
Children
Family
Home

Church

Friends

Work