ENCOURAGED IN HEART

Overwhelmingly encouraged by girlfriends…(that are much smarter than me!)

Uncertain about the process…

And, hesitantly I entered.

I’m excited to report that I just completely my first trial month of the The Grocery Game at http:www.thegrocerygame.com

I am proud to report that this past first month, I stocked up on some non-perishable groceries and saved about 12% off our monthly food/household budget.

And, this month is looking pretty good too!  Since I have a compulsion to share my economic victories, here I go…

CVS:

Spent: $45.41

Saved: $63.79

Harris Teeter:

Spent: $136.16

Saved: $94.93

Giant:

Spent: $43.55

Saved: $32.89

TOTAL:

Spent: $225.12

Saved: $91.55

So far, I’m saving about 29%.  And according to my www.grocerygame.com coach, Jenn, she said most don’t start saving until after the 3rd month (because you’re building your stockpile up!)…which encouraged my heart even more!

So I’m dying to know, how is your “game” looking in the grocery game and family budget savings???

Today was no ordinary morning…today was the day Jess and I faced “The Challenge”.

The weather: cloudy with a chance of meatballs.  No, that’s not right…it was light rain and 44 degrees.  Both my legs and www.weather.com said it felt like 38 degrees, and who am I to argue?

I exited our home this Saturday morning at 6:45 AM.  It was dark, cold and rainy. AKA: NOT encouraging.

We arrived at Boot Camp and WOW, SO many showed up to class – AKA: COMPLETELY ENCOURAGING.  No complaining, just folks that are interested in true health!  And, thanks to our amazing instructor Kelley, she’d have it no other way!

After we warmed up our limbs and hearts, we broke up into five different groups and ran a one mile loop doing Indian runs. (An Indian run is when you run in a line and the last person sprints up to front and you continue that pattern until the running is all done!)  At the end of the run, Kelly asked who ran a mile for the first time in their life – three or four hands raised – AWE-SOME!

At the end of Boot Camp, we were sweaty and tired but not backing down from, “The Challenge”! (Thanks for the photo and hug Linda!)

(And yes, it was my idea to flex, I got the “cheese ball gene” from my mother!)

We went home, quickly changed out of our wet clothes into dry ones, rehydrated and refueled and headed to the 5K.

The race started at 9 AM.  I’m very proud to report that 1,450 calories later…(Jess has a spiffy watch that counts) we crossed the finished line!

We came, we saw, we got rained on and we kicked “The Challenge’s” be-hind! WOO-HOO!

If you asked me seven years ago if I’d run a 5K again, let alone do a Boot Camp class with a 5K “chaser”, I’d tell you no way. And honestly, I physically couldn’t have done it.

But God…

My fellow sisters in the pursuit of health and true life, don’t quit!  Run the race laid out for you with passion, courage and with your eyes, ears and hearts focused on Him.

So what if I’m not at my goal weight, I’ll get there if I choose to not quit!

Whatever “challenge” you face today – maybe it’s the challenge of disciplined private times, or the challenge of modest portion control, or the challenge of facing and dealing with your emotions – or the challenge of beginning to exercise – remember that Christ is on your side and you/we will make it through!  Let’s make it to our finish line with no regrets!

Hebrews 12:1-3 (Message)

Discipline in a Long-Distance Race

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

Do you have a challenge facing you today? What choice will you make?

I don’t know what the deal is with my regular pothole references, but once again here I go…

This won’t be long cause I need to rest up for “The Challenge” which I’ll write more about a little later!

Why do I bring this up?

Cause last week I fell into a pothole named Halloween candy. I tripped into the pothole by storing candy in my home.  This remains a no-can-do, for yet another year. The Bible even covers the suburbanite woman who is a recovering eating addict that tries to store Halloween candy…

He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made. Psalm 7:15 (NIV)

Okay, that lesson was learned…the hard way!

Thanks to the grocery game (I DO need to write more about this another day!), I found Halloween candy that was on sale and coupon-able too – so I stocked up.  Everything was all fine and dandy for the better part of three weeks, then one afternoon…they started calling my name.  Needless to say, I fell into the snack-sized chocolate Hershey bar pothole, waddled my way back up and out and paved that sucker up by passing the treats over to Dave to stash away somewhere until Halloween.

But I’m not just falling into potholes these days!  I even paved one before I tripped in it.  That pothole’s name was, “I’m 35 and not up for a physical challenge”.   And even though the paving occurred more by accident, I’m taking some credit because, well…I’m just that pathetic!

PAVED = “The Challenge”.

I’ve written to you before about my new exercise gig, Boot Camp.  Well, my friend/running partner/neighbor/fellow Boot Camper, Jess and I decided to run in a 5K race which is this Saturday.  I figured I’d blow off my Boot Camp class in lieu of the 5K.  That is until Kelly, our rocking trainer suggested we do the early Boot Camp class and head to the 5K immediately after.  I was all like, “Huh? Watchu talkin’ bout Willis?”

So Jess and I talked, logisticated, calculated and deliberated…we’re in and UP FOR “THE CHALLENGE”!   I do believe I will keep using the caps and quotes when I speak of, “The Challenge” because it does seem a tad more serious, no?

Well, that and it’s absolutely driving Dave NUTS-O!  It appears near Pavlovian that when I reference, “The Challenge” as “The Challenge” that Dave’s eyes begin to uncontrollably roll complete with a disgruntled exhale…DON’T JUDGE ME – a gal’s gotta do what a gal’s gotta do to keep herself entertained!

Then he reminds me that the weather is predicted to be 38 degrees and rainy this Saturday.  Will we meet “The Challenge” face to face?

I’ll be sure to fill you in next week!