Time to Change: Body, Mind, Soul

It's time for a change in my life.

For the past 5+ years I have been (almost completely) focused on my career. My first year of teaching was consumed with hard work, pain and a hope for survival. The next few years I slowly began to gain confidence and find my footing as a teacher. In the fall of 2011, I began graduate school for my Master's in Education and hopefully in May of 2014 I will graduate!! Now, in my sixth year of teaching, I finally feel like I have got this teaching thing down! Of course, there are challenges and I am learning new things every day. However, I don't feel lost and unsure of myself any more. I feel excited and hopeful for the future.

However....

I still don't feel happy. I don't know if happy is the right word, but it's the only one that I can think of at the moment. I am beyond blessed with family and friends who love and support me. I have a job I love and that challenges me. But I feel like at age 27, my life is not balanced. I feel stuck.

You see, since my focus has been on teaching these past few years, I feel like I have drifted away from improving other parts of my life. Specifically my health, my spiritual life and my writing life. 

With only a few months left of 2013, I'm determined to make a change and start making healthier choices for my life. I'm hoping to blog my progress each week focusing on my goals with eating healthier, working out more, seeking God and making more time to write.

I'll let you know how it goes....Thanks for reading! 

Healthy living....a'int so easy!

Well, I'm still plugging away at trying to lower my cholesterol. I go back in a few weeks to be re-tested so prayers would be appreciated!

On one hand, I have been doing really well. I have been exercising 4 times a week for the past couple of months. I have been running, weight lifting and even swimming some. I have really enjoyed being more active. I am hoping this will really help my numbers go down...I know it has to a little because before my physical I was going to the gym like once a month. :)

My eating habits have been harder to change. The first few weeks I was doing really well: cooking more at home, eating more fruits and veggies. These past few weeks though I have slipped a little: eating out more, getting ice cream A LOT. I am going to the grocery store today and I made a list of meals to make so I am hoping to get back on track. I have noticed a major difference in my ordering habits though. I am trying to make healthier choices like a side salad or fruit instead of french fries or brown rice instead of fried.

I do know that I need to work harder on eating better. Prayers in that area would be appreciate too. :)

It would be my honor, to be your maid of honor!

A few weeks ago my best friend got engaged. Her wedding will be next year and I get the privilege of being her maid of honor. We have always talked about being each other's maid of honors (I guess NOW she will be my matron of honor hah) but also joked about how we would never get married and become old spinsters. The time, however, has now come for my lovely friend, Sarah to tie the knot!

I could not be more happy for Sarah. She has found an amazing guy and I know they will be happy. It is a bittersweet time for me though because I have lived with Sarah since I was a freshman in college. (Technically I didn't junior year, but we were basically at each other's places every day so I still count it. tee hee) It will be incredibly weird to not live with her. I know the time has come to move on though....I have felt God preparing my heart for this. Doesn't make it any easier though.

I am incredibly excited about our last year together as roommates though. It will be awesome and I look forward to helping her plan the big day. I feel so blessed to get to be her maid of honor and I hope I serve the title well.

I love you Sarah! :)