Friends.

For some reason (grace!) God has uniquely blessed me with some incredible people in my life. I left Austin knowing I had an army of friends praying for me and loving me despite living thousands of miles away. The encouragement that I receive from my friends from home is not something that will ever go unnoticed. I am loved so so well!

My lack of community the first week (or two) of being in the City was KILLING my soul! Jesus is enough, but He also made us for community. He made us to connect with people, and to live in community amongst other believers. So after my fervant prayers, God has provided people in my life who love Jesus and who love me. I could not be more thankful.

Meet, Julianne Grace Park:
I wish that I could accurately describe what this girl means to me, but there just aren't words. Have you ever met a friend and instantly you just connect as if you've know each other forever? I guess that's the best way to describe our friendship. Julianne and I met the Apostles Women's Retreat about a month and a half ago and I thank God each day for this girl! She has stepped into my life and been my community, a great confidant, encourager, and just an overall outstanding friend. She brings a lot of joy and adventure to my life. She helps me think outside the box of living such an ordinary life. I love how passionate she is about so much. Julianne is an opera singer (and a very good one I might add) and grew up on a farm in Washington. Could we be any more different? Probably not. But our common ground is Jesus, and we always tell each other that Jesus knew exactly what He was doing when He made us friends. We laugh together... a lot. We run together. We eat cookies together. We are honest with each other. We challenge each other. This girl is amazing, and I can't thank the Lord enough for bringing such a stellar friend to my life. I love her so stinkin much!

Just to show how much trust I have in her, this past Tuesday I let her CUT my hair. I mentioned earlier that Julianne is an opera singer... not a hair stylist. But again, I trust her :)

Here is the finished product! I think she did a great job!

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13

New York Update

Hey friends! I'm sorry this blog has been uber lame. I had big intentions to keep it up to date with pictures and stories, but alas life happens! Life in the city is good yet very busy. Seminary is in full swing right now and last week was HARD! 3 papers and a midterm. Also I continue to love my job as an Admissions Assistant in the Graduate Admissions Office. Love my new church and my new community group! I am loving all the fun things, good food, and the cool places to go in the city! New York city is one really really awesome city. I am thankful for this season of my life. While not everyday has been easy, today almost two months in, I can say that I am so thankful to be here! Do I know how long I'll be here? Nope. But I know this is where I'm supposed to be for now. That peace is what sustains me, and that peace is what gets me through each day!

Here are a few pics from the past couple of months:

This is my ROOMS!!!! I love her. She is super! Truly a gem of a friend, and roomie. We get along great, are both from Texas, and have so much fun together. I am beyond thankful for God providing her. Sadly, it's only temporary as her permanent roomie is moving to the City in January. Sad day. Trusting that God will provide another great roomie and another great situation. Love this girl!

Brynn came to visit last weekend! We went everywhere in the city! I totally wore her out, but I wanted her to be able to see everything! I think she enjoyed herself and I didn't mind showing her around! Brynn has been my BFF since 8th grade and I'm so thankful that she was able to come and see a glimpse of what my life is like here in NYC!

This was us right before walking across the Brooklyn Bridge! I will admit that this was probably my FAVORITE thing we did. It was a beautiful day. So chill, so fun, and such an awesome view of the city!

















In three weeks from today I'll call for a car, head to LGA, and hop on an American Airlines airplane headed back to Austin, Texas. I'll be in the Great State for 11 days. Can't wait! :)

Happy Almost Halloween! All is well in the Empire State. Over and out.

One year.

10.19.09 - 10.19.10

"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," I Corinthians 6:19-20

One year ago today was the day that I began a life long journey of living a healthy lifestyle. A year ago today I set out on a journey to lose weight to gain back control of my life. I knew that this year would be a year of challenges, successes, and most of all a lot of hard work. A year ago today I never dreamed of being where I am today. I remember thinking how much work this was going to be and being fearful that reaching my goals might not ever happen. I remember feeling like I was standing at the bottom of a mountain and looking up at the top to realize I had to climb SO high. Despite these fears, and despite how far this journey seemed I remembered telling myself that I was worth it. My life and the body that God had blessed me with was worth it.

A few before pics:






























This morning when I stepped on the scale, I can say that I am 95 pounds lighter than the person I was just one year ago. I'm not necessarily proud of the fact that I needed to lose that much, but I'm proud of the fact that I actually did it! The number on the scale won't ever define me, but living a healthy lifestyle for the rest of my life was my overall goal and I think I've reached it! They say that hard work always pays off in the end, and I can honestly say that I know that to be true in my own life.

Many people have asked along the way how I did it and what kept me motivated, etc.

How I did it? That's simple. I followed three concepts each day:
1. I started counting calories, and eating healthy.
2. I started working out 5-6 days a week. (The first 7 months of this journey I worked out with a trainer twice a week! Spend the money. It's a HUGE motivator/accountability)
3. I stopped making excuses. period.

What kept me motivated?
1. Reminding myself that I was worth it.
2. The immense amount of support and challenge I had from my trainer, Albert.
3. The incredible support I had from a few of my closest friends.

A journey like this isn't easy. It takes hard work. It takes an immense amount of discipline. For me it took sacrifice. For once in my life I had to be selfish with my time. I had to put my needs above other people's at times. I still tried to maintain a healthy balance of life and this journey, but I knew that working out and staying on track of my eating had to be one of my top priorities over the course of the past year. Despite the frustrations I had at times, the feeling of accomplishment I had when I saw significant changes in my life was incredible! I feel so much more alive today than I did one year ago. When you are that overweight everyday is a battle. I remember feeling so tired all the time. My back hurt, my knees hurt, everything hurt. I realized that as a 25 year old this wasn't the way I should be living! Today I'm full of energy and rarely tired. I don't have issues with my back or knees anymore! I'm living the life that I should be living thanks to God's great grace in helping me accomplish these goals. I can do things today that I didn't think I'd ever be able to do. I can meet a friend to go running for miles, I can shop in normal stores, and overall just be a more confident person in who God says that I am.

If you need the motivation to get started, JUST DO IT! Remember, you are worth it. Your body is worth it. If I can do it, you can do it.

A few AFTER pics! I'm happy!