Who Is This Person?

Have you ever made some changes in your life? Nothing major, just minor improvements of stepping out of your comfort zone, listening to the Lord, taking better care of your health, putting your health and wellness as a priority? A lot has changed in the last year or so and I think it took me until this moment standing in my kitchen (yes... I am standing in my kitchen with my laptop on the counter typing at the moment while I wait for the oven) to realize I don't completely recognize this person.

Now I don't think that is a bad thing and I don't think I am a completely different person, but I can see that these small changes I have made in my life are really making a difference in my attitude, my relationships, and my well being. 

I've been nothing some changes for a little while now and like I said, these changes have been progressive. It started a little over a year ago when I finally got involved in church. I joined a sisterhood group (see my previous post), then joined a community group. I took the foundations class and actually became a "member" (aka partner) at a church that I chose for myself for the first time in my adult life. Around that time I started serving and getting involved and I finally started to meet people and get connected. I recently became a sisterhood group leader and am helping with our big Fashioned event coming up March 3rd and 4th (it's going to be amazing... you should all come...). I played my guitar and sang for our two masses on one of our student retreats two weeks ago. I even sent in a recording of me singing to maybe join the worship team... I haven't heard back yet and they might not even want or need me. But I knew that it was on my heart to do it so I did it. 

In my personal life I joined a couple of online dating sites, which turns out were definitely not for me, but it was a step in the right direction acknowledging that I couldn't sit on my butt and wait around for the Fedex guy to magically become my husband. I became more confident in who I was (which definitely took some hard core melt downs and wrestling sessions with my insecurities and self-worth... which are not totally fixed but on the mend) and what I have to offer. More importantly, I am constantly be reminded of who I am in Christ and who He has created me to be. I really do believe that He has great plans for me and I can't wait to see them come to pass. But back to my personal life... I'm taking more risks. Last night I went to the movies by myself. I saw Hidden Figures and totally nerded out over the math problems and things in the movie (it was glorious). I signed up for a kickball league in downtown Sac (it was supposed to start last week but the last two weeks were canceled because of the rain) where I don't know a single person on the team or even in the league. 

Health-wise, I am back in the gym lifting again. I finally found someone to train with. She pushes me out of my comfort zone with training and kicks my butt most days. I finished my second round of Whole 30 and just have a different relationship with food than I ever had before. I care about what I put in my body and how it makes me feel. I have lost over 20 pounds since august and went down a jean size. I am almost two months into my year of no gluten and I can safely say I haven't had any major migraines yet (a few headaches here and there but nothing crazy). I've somehow become the expert on Whole 30 and have been encouraging friends, family, and even students to be successful on Whole 30. 

Even now, as I finish typing this post, I find myself not totally recognizing the person standing in my kitchen. Leggings, trucker hat, nikes, and my apron... drinking my gluten free beer (which is delicious btw) and typing away while I wait for my Paleo Butternut squash soap to be done (side-note: I just got off the phone with my friend who said that should be my Tinder profile... Or at least there should be a dating website that works a little like the Nordstrom website where people can see the person for who they really are and add them to their cart or not... Anyone know of a dating website like that? Let me know...). And as I stand here and wait, I can honestly say, I don't totally recognize myself, but I'm not mad about it...

Fashioned in Strength

Growing up in church and working at a Christian camp and conference center,I remember seeing the women’s groups and thinking that I would never be a part of something like that when I grew up. At camp, I saw women’s groups come in and out, running their events, and never had a desire to be a part it. I was too much of an introvert and didn’t think that socializing with a group of women was something I wanted or needed. Oh my, how God has a sense of humor. I first joined a sisterhood group at Project Church because I felt like I needed to get involved. To be perfectly honest, I was trying to sign up for community groups to meet guys but it was in between sessions and there were no community groups at that time. So I figured, ok… why not… I’ll give this a shot.

After my first sisterhood meeting, I was hooked. We met for breakfast and I was amazed at the diversity of the women in our group and their interest in getting to know me. Not what I do or whether I am married or not; all they were interested in was getting to know the real me. To say that my sisterhood group has been a blessing to me is an understatement. To be surrounded by a group of women from different walks of life, with different experiences and stories has been incredible. Being able to share my life with other women who have had similar experiences, who constantly speak truth into my life and point me back to Jesus has meant more to me than I can express in words.

If you have ever been to the Redwood National forest, you have seen these beautiful, monstrous trees that grow to hundreds of feet tall. Yet you may have also noticed that their roots sometimes are popping up out of the ground. In reality, the roots of these trees only grow 6 to 12 feet deep. So how do these trees withstand the winds and storms? Their roots grow out wide a good 50+ feet and intertwine with the roots of their surrounding trees. Together, they help those around them withstand the storm. This is what my sisterhood groups is for me. They have helped me withstand the storms of life by keeping me rooted in Christ and have strengthened me to continue to grow tremendously over this last year and for that I am truly grateful.