Health: Mind, Body, and Soul

Everyone makes New Year’s resolution and mine was to weigh 125 by my birthday, April 28. I started off well, waking up early, working out every day, and eating healthier, but then I got sick. A sinus infection, bronchitis and pneumonia did not make working out worth my time, so I took a break. However by taking this break I got out of the habit of going and am now in the processing of figuring out a good time to hit the gym. With 19 hours this semester, this task seems almost impossible, but I will figure it out because it is important to me to get in shape. Also in PE we have to keep a behavioral journal. I have decided to evaluate and change my habit of mindless eating. Whether watching TV, studying or just being bored I have noticed that I eat when I have nothing to do. This is not a good habit if I’m trying to lose weight, so I’m going to stop. Last night was hard, but I decided that instead of doing homework at my desk, I would work on my bed. This took away my easy access to the food and helped me focus on my studies. I love eating healthier, and cannot wait to start enjoying my healthier lifestyle of eating moderate proportion, working out more, balancing my social life, and keeping up with my studies.

1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Relax

So this Saturday I went with my friend Cameron to take a photo shoot. We both love photography and are always the ones taking pictures so we decided it would be nice for once to get our pictures taken. We grabbed a camera and put our creative minds to work. It was awkward at first since we are never the subject of the photos but eventually we just cut loose and had fun. Goofing around on railroad tracks, in the woods, and just odd spots around the house proved very beneficially to our artwork, and allowed us to get to know each other better as friends. Our friend Margaret joined us when we went to the tracks, and helped inspire our now fading inspiration. After hours of photographs and full memory cards the sunlight began to fade and we called it a day. Back at the house, I cracked my Psychology book and began to do homework. WAIT! I HAVE AN ESSAY DUE IN ENGLISH THAT I WAS SUPPOSE TO OBSERVE FOR! The plan had been for all of us to go Contradancing, but I didn’t have time. I had to go spend time observing Starbucks. So I told them while they went and enjoyed a night of dancing I would have to sit it out and stop for coffee. I never would have predicted my findings. I walked in with my laptop and just began to observe. Couples, friends, co-workers all shared one common theme…exhaustion. I guess I’m not the only one who had a long week and needed a cup of coffee. As I sat and enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere, I began to notice how tired people really were. People only half listened to their friends, stared off into space, and struggled making decisions about the rest of the nights plans. Decisions and actions that required energy, something no one had. One kid put it perfectly in his call to his mom “Mayfair is dead right now.” I guess the long week had caught up with everyone, and we all just need time to relax.

Genesis 2:2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

Come on people, God lead by example. REST! Lets stop running ourselves ragged and just enjoy living life instead of always rushing and wishing our lives away.

Entertainment

Today in class we talked about Free-writing. I thought it might be cool if I started doing that for my blog. Ha. Yeah so that was a joke. I decided no one needed an unfiltered me, plenty of my friends suffered through that for months when I broke my arm in March and was on Vicodin and Percocet. That story is for another day I’m sure. Either way, just not a good idea for public viewing, however it is a good idea for coming up with topics to write about or ideas for an outline to an essay. One like I am supposed to write next week. Description. Shouldn’t be too hard right? But then what is a description, a good description? It’s when a writer makes you feel as if you’re actually there: seeing, tasting, smelling, hearing, feeling the environment. Well today after class I went with a friend to grab some coffee at a local coffee shop, Port City Java. We noticed these two guys just sitting in their car. I made a comment about how maybe they were people watching like we both liked to do, and how it would be funny if that’s what I did. However, I would like to keep my dignity. Ok, so for some of you who know me, that statement was ironically funny knowing that I don’t have a problem taking a Spruce Terrain jump at Snowshoe and breaking my arm or wearing Depends over a onezy at a tacky Christmas party. Although the more I think about it, it does sound original and entertaining, but I’m not too sure how profitable it would be for this assignment. So despite the entertainment value in the Harris Teeter parking lot I decided I love coffee, and I love to people watch so why not take my wonderful laptop to a coffee shop and record what I see, then convert that into an essay. One that should hopefully let you know what happens in Starbucks on Saturday.

Although I will not post my essay, I will let you know what I learn from this wonderful activity. Lesson 1. People are entertaining. Don't you wonder what God thinks when we do some of the stupid things we do? I know I wonder about some of the intelligent human beings running around this planet. Ha. I'm one of them. Through how many people did God tell me I was going to break my arm the morning I strapped on my snowboard and headed down the mountain? Over five. What is God trying to tell you? Are you listening?

Proverbs 19:20-21 Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Why I'm Writting

When I first heard that we were going to have to be blogging for my English homework I was like, "Really?" But the more I thought about it and the more I learned what a blog really was, I decided, "Why not?" I am someone who looks at everything and tries to learn something from it so that is how I'm going to approach this class as well. I will read articles and respond or sometimes just write about what I'm learning in my own life in my journey to “A BETTER ME.”

We were supposed to research two articles to find out more about what a blog actually was. Well I was on facebook with my friend and she told me she had one so I read hers. Now my job is to evaluate it. Well...I love Katie. She challenges me more than she knows. We go to church together, and reading her blog was so encouraging. She is very open about her relationship with Christ as well as struggles she faces, causing me to question my vulnerability with people. Do I constantly put on a front and act like I always have it together or do I let people know that I’m human: I don’t always have joy and laughter but instead sometimes possess hurt and pain, stress and loneliness? Katie showed me it is okay to write about those times too. My friend Stephie is very similar. She also writes about whatever she is going through that day. If it’s just a picture to describe a mood, song lyrics to describe a feeling, or a list of things to vent about, she’s real about what she's going through. She’s a girl just like me who is trying to grow in her walk with God and encourage her friends and followers to do the same.

Psalm 51:10-12 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your prescence or take your Holy Spirit from me, Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.