World's Greatest...

There is this trainer, who for all intents and purposes I am basically infatuated with. Her name is Chalene Johnson, and is the creator of Turbo Jam, Turbo Fire, ChaLEAN Extreme, turbokick.com and many other fitness programs. I have this unnatural sort of obsession with her because I feel like she is largely responsible for the success of my weight loss journey. Fifteen months ago when I was still fresh into the whole weight loss thing, a friend suggested that I try Turbo Jam and I've been addicted to her workouts ever since, and have since also taken an interest in her as a person...now I know I might be starting to sound like a stalker here, but really as far as it goes is reading her blog and being a fan of her on Facebook. I don't get her tweet's sent to my phone or anything...I'm not that crazy. Anyway, she (or some assistant of hers) posts pretty regularly on Facebook and a lot of the time the stuff she posts is cheesy motivational stuff that makes me start to question why I like her so much, but last week she posed the question:

"If you could be known as the World's Greatest __________, what would you want to be known as?"

I'd been thinking about it a lot, and there are a couple answers that came to mind very quickly, but I didn't feel like I could sum it up into a one or two word answer. Maybe I expect too much from myself, maybe I hold my abilities as more highly attainable than they actually are, or maybe the once quoted, "I'd rather shoot for the stars and miss than aim for a pile of doggy do and hit" has just stuck with me. At any rate, I was thinking how much I want to be just like Chalene. In her quasi-celebrity standing, she really seems like she's got it all together. She's positive, fit, successful, publicly she is an outstanding mom and wife, she's very motivated and energetic, almost everything I hope to be myself. I say, almost, because she's not a follower of Christ, or I've at least not seen any indication of that in anything I've known of her. So, I look at her and I think, I want to be just like you, but BETTER. I want to be a personal trainer, and when I look at the way she's done it and the cult following she has, I feel like she's an awesome person to emulate, I see her energy and positive attitude--and while it very well maybe speed--I desire that for myself too (the positive attitude, not the drugs!) So, I look at her and she's got all of the professional success stuff down, and she bridges into the personal success with her public parenting being top notch, but I think that there's an even better example of relational and faith based success and that's the Proverbs 31 woman.

I feel like it's important to note that I don't assume that there is qualitative or quantitative measure of success or failure in the Christian walk--except by the measure of professing to be a follower of Christ and living in a way that would taint the message whereas actually preventing people from establishing a relationship with Him--but I do feel like there are certain characteristics of individuals that we can look at and think, that's how it should be done. Much like my obsession with Chalene, I am completely consumed by my desire to be like the woman described in Proverbs 31. After completing a Bible study a few months ago on 'Biblical Beauty' where she was referred to as the "ideal woman," I can't think of anything I'd rather be more. Looking strictly at the language element of that title...ideal, what is better than that? She really is the BEST mom and wife, not just portrayed that way in the little 5 minute vignette after the workout where you "get to know your trainer" and it creates the dynamic of look at my perfect life and family and home and if you do this workout you'll be just like me, perfect, thin, beautiful, successful, with perfect children, a perfect husband, and a perfect multimillion dollar home in southern California with his and hers gas guzzling SUVs and millions of friends. The BIG difference here is that the ideal woman didn't write Proverbs 31 about herself, her money didn't go to the production company to script, film, edit and produce the perfect glimpse into her life. She didn't go around looking for fame, but she got it just by being an amazing woman. It says that her kids talked about what a great mom she was, her husband was successful because of her support, even this chapter is King Lemuel conveying the message that his mother taught him about what to look for in a wife. This woman's reputation is remarkable! AND SHE LOVES THE LORD!! No matter how many days or weeks or even months have gone by since I completed that study, I literally every day think about how I can be more like that woman, which makes it even more frustrating when I see all of the popular negative representations of women and the marriage dynamic.

I know that most of it is portrayed in ways that are intended to be joking and is simply an effort to poke fun at the hormonal state of women and make light of the monthly mood swings, but it's frustrating and potentially even damaging to the marriage relationship when these attitudes and states are portrayed as normal. I recently read something that said something along the lines of "In a marriage there is the wrong way to do things, and then there is the wife's way" and the, "I'm king of the castle when she's not around" "Happy wife, happy life" all of these things which paint the role of a wife to be this horrible manipulating dictator. Then I watch shows like "Everybody Loves Raymond" or "King of Queens" and see the role that the wives on these shows play as nagging and pushy and crabby and complaining and the men are made out to be the bad guy because they are causing her to be this way!?! It makes me angry, because this isn't normal, this isn't the role we were intended to fill as wives, or mothers, this isn't even the good enough role, this is bordering on the barely passable as acting wife and/or mother. Just because you exchange vows and rings doesn't make you a good wife, and the carrying of a life in your womb makes you no more of an adequate mother and caregiver than picking up a stray puppy off the side of the road. These are roles that require effort, training and constant determination to do better, just like aiming for constant promotions in the work place. This is the reason why there are millions of books out there like "The Power of a Praying Wife/Mother" "Nurturing the Leader Within Your Child" "Fall In Love, Stay In Love" "For Women Only" All of these training manuals per se on how to keep getting better at what you do. I want to do that!! I want to fill that role!! I want to be just like that woman that King Lemuel's mother described, I want to fulfill the roles that God has appointed to me so well that others take note and say, I want to be like HER! This is not because I'm vain, or I want to be a celebrity, fame is by all means the very last thing that I desire for my life. I like to keep my personal affairs private and that's not possible in the case of celebrity, I want to be like the woman in my life whom I feel exemplifies all of these properties, the woman whom I hope to someday be like, I want to be that woman for some other woman, or even more importantly for my daughters.

The band Everclear has a song called "Everything to Everyone" which talks about a woman whom they ridicule because she tries to be everything to everyone, but I don't think that's a bad thing, per se. I want to be everything to everyone who I have a duty to, to my husband, I want to be EVERYTHING that a wife can be, to my children I want to be EVERYTHING that a mother can be, to the students I help to lead in youth ministry, I want to be EVERYTHING that a youth leader can be, to the individuals that I will someday train, I want to be EVERYTHING that personal trainer can be, the same goes as a daughter, sister, friend and most importantly follower of Christ. Even Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:22 "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." You see, if I am not in the practice of putting my everything into all things, I will not put my everything into the things that mean the most. I will not put my everything into reaching others for the sake of the gospel. Christ deserves our very best for the sake of all that He has given for us, and what better way to honor and celebrate the blessings of the roles that He has placed me in than to give them my very best?!

So, I guess it comes back around to this. When I think about what "World's Greatest" I want to be, I can't give it a simple answer, but I suppose I could sum it up like this...I want to be the World's Greatest Christ-Fearing Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Friend and Motivating Personal Trainer guided by the gentle instruction of Proverbs 31, sharing the gospel and spreading the message of Christ's love to ALL people by fulfilling all of my roles to the very best of my ability, so that when my time comes the Lord might lovingly look upon me and say, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

Waging War on Weekend Weight Gain

With the weekend looming merely hours away, I am wrought with fear that I'll remake all of the same mistakes that I've made the last 6 or so weekends, sending my weight back on the upswing. Having accomplished a major weight loss goal this week, I am determined to keep it together food wise, and was thinking that some of my health conscious friends might benefit from the encouragement and suggestions that I have to offer.

DISCLAIMER: Any suggestions that I may offer are simply my own. I am not a health care professional, nutritionist or personal trainer (yet ;) ), just a girl whose been on this journey for almost 2 years now and has picked up a few things along the way that seem to work. Take it or leave it :)

So, as I was making my breakfast this morning and whipping up a little concoction that has become one of my favorite healthy morning treats, I got to thinking that others might like it too...I know my family does. You see, I have this passion for all things crunchy and in my journey that has been a major struggle, while there is crunch in a fresh apple, or celery or baby carrots, it simply does not satisfy the same way as those pearly whites crashing through a potato chip or nice hard pretzel rod or even the crispy coating on a freshly fried chicken tender. Beyond that, I am a carb freak, I mean honestly, what woman isn't? What I'm getting at by telling you this is that several months ago I had a devastating craving for a crispy fried potato pancake...which of course is DEFINITELY NOT on my meal plan. So, I got to thinking about what I might do and came up with this delectable little treat.

Savory Oatmeal Pancake. Now I know that doesn't sound very tasty when you think of the gummy blob in your breakfast bowl that honestly only tastes good if it's loaded down with butter and brown sugar, but trust me and keep reading. This went through several experimental phases and lots of modifications and didn't wind up coming out much like a potato pancake but it sure is tasty. Anyway, this is what it boils down to. For quite some time I've been using oatmeal as a healthy replacement for breadcrumbs in things like meatballs or meatloaf and go the idea to grind and season it so that it took on the same general consistency as bread crumbs...it worked. So busting out my trusty Magic Bullet, I dumped in some oats and a good few shakes of the Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Garlic seasoning and pulsed away. Still slightly suspect, I decided to throw caution to the wind and follow through with my original concept. I sauteed up onions, and green peppers and set them aside. Then I took 2 egg whites, scrambled them up with some of the oatmeal "bread crumbs," mixed in the veggies and dumped it back into the skillet with some cooking spray. About a minute on each side and it forms together like a delicious savory pancake, which I like to top with some fresh salsa or diced tomatoes. It doesn't come out particularly crispy but it is hearty and filling and healthy! The one that I made for myself this morning with turkey bacon, onions and mushrooms and topped with salsa was right at 120 calories! Eat that with some fresh fruit or toss in some shredded cheese and you've got a seriously delicious and healthy meal, that will not leave you feeling like you're starving in 20 minutes! Plus, you can put practically anything in it!

Anyway, I threw out that story and "recipe" if you will, to get at a certain point. There are plenty of foods that with a simple modification can chop your calories and especially your sodium content by more than 1/2.

Suggestion 1: Always be thinking of simple modifications to make your foods healthier. Swap oatmeal for breadcrumbs or other binding agent in some of your more caloric dense foods. Use a low fat or fat free ranch dressing in place of mayo for an even healthier tuna or chicken salad.

Suggestion 2: Always be prepared! The weekend is the worst time for spontaneous restaurant stops or meals on the go, but if you have the opportunity to know where you are going to eat before you pull into the parking lot, do your research. Take some time to look up the menu and nutrition information online before you go the restaurant. Have in mind exactly what you are going to order and stick to it.

Suggestion 3: When eating out, avoid the extras. Ask the server not to bring bread rolls, or chips and salsa so that you don't take in all of those extra calories! Not even having them on the table keeps you from having to resist the temptation.

Suggestion 4: Don't be afraid to ask for modifications to your meal. Ask for your protein to be grilled without butter or oil, for no salt to be added. Ask for your vegetables to be steamed rather than cooked in a butter bath...ACTUALLY EAT YOUR VEGETABLES! Ask for the dressing on your salad to be served on the side, that way you control the calories, not the sauce happy server.

Suggestion 5: When out and about on the weekend bring healthy snacks with you. This will keep your metabolism high and will keep you from being so hungry that when you pop in at a random restaurant you over eat.

Suggestion 6: Avoid eating in front of the television or at the movie theatre. When you are preoccupied you aren't aware of how much you are eating and are more prone to over eat. When watching a movie at home, if you must snack, make it a healthy one and only take the portion that you intend to eat out of the kitchen.

Suggestion 7: This is perhaps the most important suggestion that I can offer you, for the weekend or any other day of the week, especially if you are actively trying to lose weight. WRITE IT DOWN! Everything that you eat keep in a food journal, there are ones that you can use online or do the pen and paper method. My personal choice is the lovely LoseIT app on my iPhone which keeps it all together for me, and I ALWAYS have it with me. It may seem tedious, and in a great many ways, it is, but the fact of the matter is this, if you aren't writing it down it's easy to develop that food amnesia where you forget about that bite of pizza or handful of cereal, the M&Ms here or cookie there.

Set realistic goals for yourself and strive hard to achieve them. Make them realistic and regularly check your progress on achieving them. If you aren't on track to meet them by your deadline consider pushing your deadline back, but work hard to achieve the goal and don't beat yourself up over not meeting the goal or having a bad day, or even a bad meal, just start fresh the next meal or next day, don't wait for a new week or use one mistake to sabotage yourself further.

My goal is to be healthy and inspire those around me to become more healthy as well.

"Oh How God Loves Us"

Feeling very worshipful on this gorgeous fall morning, I was in the kitchen preparing breakfast and loudly singing my new favorite worship song, "How He Loves Us" by David Crowder. Michaela was singing along with me when all of a sudden she stopped and looked at me and said, "Mommy, who loves us?" To which I of course responded "God" She then resumed her singing at the top of her lungs "OH, HOW GOD LOVES US, OH...HOW GOD LOVES US!" Even in my own worship and with my heart attuned to the Lord, it brought fresh perspective to my anthem. I think that when we replace the name of the Lord with a pronoun that sometimes removes the significance of the message, not that the message is diluted but sometimes the application is.

GOD LOVES ME!

Sometimes I have to take a moment to stop and fully acknowledge that. It was especially profound this morning that Michaela would make that lyrical swap since I had just read the following devotion:

Who Is Your Looking-Glass Self?

Not long ago I received in the mail a postcard from a friend that had on it only six words, "I am the one Jesus loves." I smiled when I saw the return address, for my strange friend excels at these pious slogans. When I called him, though, he told me the slogan came from the author and speaker Brennan Manning. At a seminar, Manning referred to Jesus' closest friend on earth, the disciple named John, identified in the Gospels as "the one Jesus loved." Manning said, "If John were to be asked, 'What is your primary identity in life?' he would not reply, 'I am a disciple, an apostle, an evangelist, an author of one of the four Gospels,' but rather, 'I am the one Jesus loves.'" What would it mean, I ask myself, if I too came to the place where I saw my primary identity in life as "the one Jesus loves"? How differently would I view myself at the end of the day? Sociologists have a theory of the looking-glass self: you become what the most important person in your life (wife, father, boss, etc.) thinks you are. How would my life change if I truly believed the Bible's astounding words about God's love for me, if I looked in the mirror and saw what God sees? Brennan Manning tells the story of an Irish priest who, on a walking tour of a rural parish, sees an old peasant kneeling by the side of the road, praying. Impressed, the priest says to the man, "You must be very close to God." The peasant looks up from his prayers, thinks a moment, and then smiles, "Yes, he's very fond of me." -Philip Yancey, Grace (Visual Edition) Q: "How would my life change," Yancey says, "if I truly believed the Bible's astounding words about God's love for me, if I looked in the mirror and saw what God sees?"

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The fact is, God loves me. Period. He loves me, not some idea of me at my full potential. He doesn't love me for what I might become, for what I will do for His kingdom, for the amount I tithe, or the number of hours I spend praying, reading, worshiping, or scrubbing the toilets at church. He loves me simply because I am His creation. Some of the other lyrics to that song are, "He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane and I am a tree, bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy" and I think about the visual and physical implications of those lyrics. The force of a hurricane is unstoppable. There is nothing in the path of a hurricane that can avoid being touched by the force of it's wind and rain. God's love is that overwhelming force, I am overtaken by His love, overwhelmed by the "weight of his wind and mercy."

The last couple of weeks I've really be pondering the volume of Christ's love for me and my family. Alex hurt his back at work about 2 weeks ago now. He's been in and out of the chiropractor's, worker's comp doctor and physical therapists' offices while he's been on light duty at work. While the situation seems tragic, and in many ways it is, it's been a bit of a blessing in disguise. For the last 3 weeks, Alex has been working in the office, and has been able to see a lot of the "behind the scenes" elements of the job and develop an even greater respect and appreciation for doing quality work. He also has proven his professionalism and dependability with the supervisors and may potentially be a candidate for a promotion at some point in the future. In addition, he's been able to have the weekends off, which means that he's been able to spend some really important time with me and the girls, including our camping getaway this past weekend.

I think if you asked Alex or I individually we'd both agree that we think we are a pretty romantic couple and generally speaking are both always looking for ways to display our love to each other, but it becomes just how apparent how much romance and closeness has been lost, when you have the opportunity to be alone together for 3 days and reestablish that closeness and romance. Getting away from all of the busyness and chaos of our schedules, having a break from the responsibilities of the children and housekeeping, of working and home maintenance and simply marveling at the wonder of God's creation was just what we needed. When I think about the last time we went camping (5 years ago), acknowledging and praising God for His creation was the last thing on either of our minds, as we reached for another beer and worked on our tan as we floated down the river. Having a REAL relationship with Christ and having that as the center of our relationship made this camping trip so much more rewarding for us! We had the opportunity to take a bike ride on the most beautiful wooded path, I've ever experienced. The 2 of us being alone, winding through the woods and marveling at the fall colors popping up around us, taking in the aromas after the morning rain and celebrating this amazing marriage that God has given us, was rejuvenating. Probably the most profound expression and celebration of God's creation and His love for us was our hike.

We took a 4 mile, or so, hike through some of the most amazing wooded paths we've ever walked. Feeling the healthy exertion as we climbed higher, gave us praise for healthy bodies, reflecting on even the minute details of plant life, mushroom hunting, marveling at the grandiosity of the trees that towered over us, and then reaching the pinnacle...McAdams Peak. This is one of the highest points in the hills and an amazing look out point. From here we could see the winding of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, the vastness of the prairie and wetland surrounding the river valley, and even an eagle soaring over the river, all in the warm late afternoon sun. As we stood there holding each other, we praised God for His creation, brought to fruition by the utterance of a word and that He would love us so much to give this to us!

Oh, how God loves us! I am the one Jesus loves!