Friday, September 25, 2009
Well, it's another Friday evening at home and no big plans. I did go to dinner (at Mexican, not the best choice) with Jeff and ate too much. However, anyone that knows about El Som knows you almost always eat more than you should but it's too good not to do so.
This week was a very long week for me. I subbed half a day on Monday and then full days every day of the rest of the week. I subbed in Music classes 3 1/2 days and in a 1st grade the 4th day. The 1st grade classroom where I subbed was at the school where there was a tranformer that blew out and some damage was done to computers and such. Along with the damage to the computers, evidently the air conditioning unit in the class where I subbed was also blown out. So, we had a fan on, the door to the hallway open and kept the lights off most of the day. Overall that made it mostly tolerable in the room but sometimes (like after recess) it got pretty hot.
Also this week I had an interview for a 5th grade language arts job in Metter. Initially the position that was posted was a 3rd grade math position but they ended up transferring a 5th grade LA teacher (that had previously taught 3rd grade) to that 3rd grade position and so the 5th grade LA position was open. I had a really good interview and was with them for around an hour. Unfortunately, they decided to pick someone else for the job so I'm still plugging along as a substitute teacher in elementary schools in Bulloch County.
Honestly, I'm BUMMED. I want a full time job teaching elementary school students. I love working with them and want my own class, my own paycheck (with benefits) and the same group of kids day in and day out. Don't get me wrong, I am beyond blessed. I know I'm fortunate to be making any money and the sub jobs are coming in regularly, almost daily now. I'm not complaining about that. I just want stability. However, I am a firm believer that I would much rather be subbing than in a job that I hated, just to have a job. I've been there before and don't want to go that route again. It's truly not worth it.
So, please pray for me as I seek other jobs that may be out there in education. I just hope the job for me is out there sooner rather than later. I'm trying not to be discouraged and to totally trust God and His plan. All prayers are appreciated.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Weight Loss Update and General Feelings On Life
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Today was my weigh in at Weight Watchers. I lost another 0.4 and am now at a total of 40.2. I'm at my lowest weight in about 3 months and I'm so excited that I'm back on track after a few months of struggling. I'm really proud of my weight loss journey so far. I've been on Weight Watchers for over a year and have managed to keep well over 30 pounds off for 8 months. There have been good times and bad times and REALLY bad times but through it all, I've managed to keep my focus and get back on track very quickly. For those of you that might read this that haven't ever had a problem with being overweight and struggle with food, you truly cannot imagine how hard it can be sometimes. Those of us that struggle with weight aren't like other addicts. We HAVE to still eat food, the thing we have problems with. Other types of addicts can go the rest of their lives without drinking alcohol or taking drugs so they can totally avoid their addictions but those of us with food addictions, we don't have that option. Now, I'm not making excuses for my behavior. I'm just saying that it's not as easy as some people think. It's not like we can totally quit with our food intake. We have to eat.
Then there are the emotional issues that trigger an emotional eater's binges. I know for me, I think the main triggers are stress and boredom. Fortunately, I'm more aware of those and so I am learning to take steps to keep those things in control. However, I think that part of my problem is that many times in my life when I was thinner, I had relationships in my life that ended up hurting me greatly. I think part of my holding on to weight is a way for me to keep men away. After all, most men don't want to be with a fat girl. So, I'm trying to work through those issues and am even considering getting some counseling to help work through those issues. I don't want emotional baggage to keep me from being able to lose weight and become more healthy. So, if you are a praying person, please say some prayers that I can work out these issues so that they are no longer strongholds in my life. I am certain, without a shadow of a doubt, that God can deliver me from my demons (not literal demons but you hopefully know what I mean) so that I can move on with my life in a more healthy life, both mentally and physically. Fortunately there's a great song out right now by the Contemporary Christian singer Mandisa (and a former American Idol contestant) and here's the link to the video on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xYvBTd58xw. It has really helped me to keep focus and know in whom I place my trust. :-)
On to other topics, this week was a rather controversal week in politics. President Obama gave a speech to school children and then addressed Congress and the public as a whole about health care. Regardless if your political leanings, the address to school children was a very good one. He had some great points to make and hopefully some kids truly heard what he said and want to work on their goals and attitudes regarding education. At this point I'm trying to figure out what was so offensive in his speech to kids that made parents think they should prevent their kids from hearing it. It's just crazy and honestly, I don't even like the President or most of his political beliefs but I do think what he said was a good message. And it wasn't political in nature so it wasn't offensive or inappropriate.
However, the whole health care issue is a totally different topic all together. As someone that is currently uninsured, I think that the biggest areas where our health care system need work are topics such as how crazy the litigation against doctors has become. I'm not saying that if doctors do wrong things in treatment (horribly wrong like leaving medical equipment inside a person during surgery, cut off the wrong limb, etc.) they should be held accountable but people are suing for things the doctors have no control over and cannot predict. It's ridiculous to think of all the lawsuits people have won in this area and it's disgusting to know that there are some areas of the country (some in Georgia even) where there are no ob/gyns to be found for 60 or so miles around due to the high costs of medical malpractice insurance. It's terrible that people that want to help sick people can't afford to do their jobs without fear of being sued. Another area of concern for me is that there are tons of uninsured people that are being treated (including a multitude of illegal immigrants) that never pay for their care. This means that those that have coverage are being charged more than they should for care so that doctors can recoup at least some of the money that they aren't getting from the uninsured that don't pay. I know when I was pregnant with Andrew and had really good insurance, they gave me an ultrasound almost every time I went to the doctor since I was going to be over 35 when I had him. I was considered "high risk" and so they could get away with all the ultrasounds even though I really didn't need them. I think if medical malpractice costs would go down then fees for services would go down as well. Andrew went to see a dermatologist and we were in her office for about 20 minutes. She looked at his problem, treated it with some stuff that smelled a lot like Compound W and then charged us around $300 for the treatment and visit! That's INSANE. No wonder people can't afford healthcare.
Given the status of other governmental run programs (US Postal Service, Medicare, etc.) I'm certain that the health care industry doesn't need the government to run it into the ground too. It's not a good idea. Whether Obama and those that back him want to admit it or not, their health care plan is going to cost MONEY. We cannot expect the government to run a program and not expect us to pay for it. It just cannot happen without funds to support it.
I'm not saying I have all the answers but at this point I don't think anyone does. Canada and other countries that have governmental run medical programs have horrible systems. Nationalized health care is NOT the answer. I'm very worried that the plan Obama has is going to be rushed through and people aren't thinking through the long term implications. Yes, we do need the medical system to be overhauled but we don't need it overhauled into a bigger mess and even more poorly run system than it already is. We cannot afford to rush this one!!!
Well, I've rambled enough about political things and want to stop now. I hope my thoughts are somewhat understandable.
Today was my weigh in at Weight Watchers. I lost another 0.4 and am now at a total of 40.2. I'm at my lowest weight in about 3 months and I'm so excited that I'm back on track after a few months of struggling. I'm really proud of my weight loss journey so far. I've been on Weight Watchers for over a year and have managed to keep well over 30 pounds off for 8 months. There have been good times and bad times and REALLY bad times but through it all, I've managed to keep my focus and get back on track very quickly. For those of you that might read this that haven't ever had a problem with being overweight and struggle with food, you truly cannot imagine how hard it can be sometimes. Those of us that struggle with weight aren't like other addicts. We HAVE to still eat food, the thing we have problems with. Other types of addicts can go the rest of their lives without drinking alcohol or taking drugs so they can totally avoid their addictions but those of us with food addictions, we don't have that option. Now, I'm not making excuses for my behavior. I'm just saying that it's not as easy as some people think. It's not like we can totally quit with our food intake. We have to eat.
Then there are the emotional issues that trigger an emotional eater's binges. I know for me, I think the main triggers are stress and boredom. Fortunately, I'm more aware of those and so I am learning to take steps to keep those things in control. However, I think that part of my problem is that many times in my life when I was thinner, I had relationships in my life that ended up hurting me greatly. I think part of my holding on to weight is a way for me to keep men away. After all, most men don't want to be with a fat girl. So, I'm trying to work through those issues and am even considering getting some counseling to help work through those issues. I don't want emotional baggage to keep me from being able to lose weight and become more healthy. So, if you are a praying person, please say some prayers that I can work out these issues so that they are no longer strongholds in my life. I am certain, without a shadow of a doubt, that God can deliver me from my demons (not literal demons but you hopefully know what I mean) so that I can move on with my life in a more healthy life, both mentally and physically. Fortunately there's a great song out right now by the Contemporary Christian singer Mandisa (and a former American Idol contestant) and here's the link to the video on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xYvBTd58xw. It has really helped me to keep focus and know in whom I place my trust. :-)
On to other topics, this week was a rather controversal week in politics. President Obama gave a speech to school children and then addressed Congress and the public as a whole about health care. Regardless if your political leanings, the address to school children was a very good one. He had some great points to make and hopefully some kids truly heard what he said and want to work on their goals and attitudes regarding education. At this point I'm trying to figure out what was so offensive in his speech to kids that made parents think they should prevent their kids from hearing it. It's just crazy and honestly, I don't even like the President or most of his political beliefs but I do think what he said was a good message. And it wasn't political in nature so it wasn't offensive or inappropriate.
However, the whole health care issue is a totally different topic all together. As someone that is currently uninsured, I think that the biggest areas where our health care system need work are topics such as how crazy the litigation against doctors has become. I'm not saying that if doctors do wrong things in treatment (horribly wrong like leaving medical equipment inside a person during surgery, cut off the wrong limb, etc.) they should be held accountable but people are suing for things the doctors have no control over and cannot predict. It's ridiculous to think of all the lawsuits people have won in this area and it's disgusting to know that there are some areas of the country (some in Georgia even) where there are no ob/gyns to be found for 60 or so miles around due to the high costs of medical malpractice insurance. It's terrible that people that want to help sick people can't afford to do their jobs without fear of being sued. Another area of concern for me is that there are tons of uninsured people that are being treated (including a multitude of illegal immigrants) that never pay for their care. This means that those that have coverage are being charged more than they should for care so that doctors can recoup at least some of the money that they aren't getting from the uninsured that don't pay. I know when I was pregnant with Andrew and had really good insurance, they gave me an ultrasound almost every time I went to the doctor since I was going to be over 35 when I had him. I was considered "high risk" and so they could get away with all the ultrasounds even though I really didn't need them. I think if medical malpractice costs would go down then fees for services would go down as well. Andrew went to see a dermatologist and we were in her office for about 20 minutes. She looked at his problem, treated it with some stuff that smelled a lot like Compound W and then charged us around $300 for the treatment and visit! That's INSANE. No wonder people can't afford healthcare.
Given the status of other governmental run programs (US Postal Service, Medicare, etc.) I'm certain that the health care industry doesn't need the government to run it into the ground too. It's not a good idea. Whether Obama and those that back him want to admit it or not, their health care plan is going to cost MONEY. We cannot expect the government to run a program and not expect us to pay for it. It just cannot happen without funds to support it.
I'm not saying I have all the answers but at this point I don't think anyone does. Canada and other countries that have governmental run medical programs have horrible systems. Nationalized health care is NOT the answer. I'm very worried that the plan Obama has is going to be rushed through and people aren't thinking through the long term implications. Yes, we do need the medical system to be overhauled but we don't need it overhauled into a bigger mess and even more poorly run system than it already is. We cannot afford to rush this one!!!
Well, I've rambled enough about political things and want to stop now. I hope my thoughts are somewhat understandable.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Women of Faith 2009- Atlanta
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Yesterday I drove to Atlanta to attend the 2009 Women of Faith Conference at Philips Arena. It was SUPER!
I got to the Arena around 11AM and made it into the conference area about an hour later. I got to hear Steve Arterburn (Creator of Women of Faith), Sandy Patti speak and sing, and Marilyn Meberg speak. That was all part of the Friday Feature (programming that goes on during Friday morning and afternoon before the actual conference begins that evening). I really wish I could have heard Steve speak more.
Friday evening we got to hear Mandisa sing as well as Steven Curtis Chapman perform and speak. I was so excited to see/hear both of them. I have a very soft spot in my heart for Steven Curtis Chapman (as I was sharing with my friend Ginger that joined me in ATL for the conference) because his Great Adventure CD was the first CD I ever owned! I've loved him since that time and Andrew and I have been praying nightly for Steven Curtis, Mary Beth and their family since the loss of their youngest daughter, Maria Sue back in May 2008. I was so excited to hear SCC speak and he performed a song that will be on his next album. It's called Face of Heaven (or something along those lines). The song is basically how right now, his perspective of what Heaven is going to be like is based on memories from his daughter Maria Sue since she's now there waiting for them to join her one day. The song is so special in so many ways. As always, SCC has managed to verbalize his thoughts in such an amazing way. Needless to say, this crybaby was holding back SOBS as she listened to SCC sing.
Mandisa is also a top favorite of mine because I've been following her on TWITTER since I joined a few months ago. I've seen all her tweets about the Women of Faith Conference as well as her personal journey to become a healthier person. Since I'm struggling with becoming more healthy too, her personality and perspective has helped me want to do better in my journey. Plus, I love her music! :-)
Both Mandisa and Steven Curtis Chapman were wonderful and probably the highlights of the conference for me. God has done great things thru both of them dispite each of them having to deal with tremendous heartache.
We also got to experience Anita Renfroe and her humor. If you don't know her, she's sort of like the female, Christian version of Weird Al. She takes popular songs and makes spoofs of them about being a woman, mom, etc. She's also "featured comedian" on ABC's Good Morning America and you can probably find some great clips of her on YouTube. Several years ago she did a song called "Mom Sense" to the tune of the William Tell Overture and it's very entertaining. She's from Atlanta so she was performing for the home crowd.
Once Ginger and I made it to the hotel Friday night, we were exhausted. I must say that Ginger and I worked at summer camp together back in the early/mid 1990s and haven't really seen each other since that time. We have reconnected thru that great social networking website Facebook and so we picked right back up where we left off all those years ago. I LOVE friendships like that and appreciate Ginger so very much.
Anyway, once we finally got to sleep (around midnight or a little after) we were both sound asleep when all the sudden around 1:15AM these AWFUL sounds started and it sounded like someone was busting down the door or throwing furniture somewhere around us. It lasted for about 20 minutes and then stopped just as suddenly as it started. It was an interesting night and after that horrible interruption to our sleep, I turned the alarm off and didn't get up to go to the gym like I had initially planned.
Saturday we got to hear Shelia Walsh as well as Lisa Whelchel (yes, Blair from Facts of Life) and they both were amazing. They had great life stories to share and wonderful messages for us. Shelia talked about being able to "Let Go" when we have been wronged or are having to clean up someone else's messes, etc. And Blair talked about how we need to trust God to help protect us and for us to trust him.
Mandisa sang again and spoke about her time with American Idol (including the incident where she told Simon Cowell that she forgave him for calling her fat and explained she was forgiving him because Jesus Christ had forgiven her and the least she could do was extend that same forgiveness to Simon- and it was shown on the show as it happened) as well as her battles with being molested and raped and how food was a way to protect herself from further attacks.
We also got to hear Patsy Clairmont, Marilyn Meberg and Luci Swindoll speak through the conference and they are all great speakers with great stories (some funny and some serious) to help teach lessons about God and his love for us. I feel so very blessed to have been able to spend time this weekend with all these men and women of God. All of them had at least one little bit of information to share that I needed to hear.
The one big drawback to being at a conference like that is that it was almost impossible to make healthy food choices. I ate way more junk and drank more regular coke this weekend than I've ingested in probably a year or more. So much so that I feel sick now! Ick!
I'm so very thankful that I had the opportunity to attend Women of Faith so that I could learn some new things and spend some awesome time in praise and worship of our Heavenly Father who loves us all more than we could ever imagine. It's so very humbling to know that God loves us inspite of who and what we are.
Yesterday I drove to Atlanta to attend the 2009 Women of Faith Conference at Philips Arena. It was SUPER!
I got to the Arena around 11AM and made it into the conference area about an hour later. I got to hear Steve Arterburn (Creator of Women of Faith), Sandy Patti speak and sing, and Marilyn Meberg speak. That was all part of the Friday Feature (programming that goes on during Friday morning and afternoon before the actual conference begins that evening). I really wish I could have heard Steve speak more.
Friday evening we got to hear Mandisa sing as well as Steven Curtis Chapman perform and speak. I was so excited to see/hear both of them. I have a very soft spot in my heart for Steven Curtis Chapman (as I was sharing with my friend Ginger that joined me in ATL for the conference) because his Great Adventure CD was the first CD I ever owned! I've loved him since that time and Andrew and I have been praying nightly for Steven Curtis, Mary Beth and their family since the loss of their youngest daughter, Maria Sue back in May 2008. I was so excited to hear SCC speak and he performed a song that will be on his next album. It's called Face of Heaven (or something along those lines). The song is basically how right now, his perspective of what Heaven is going to be like is based on memories from his daughter Maria Sue since she's now there waiting for them to join her one day. The song is so special in so many ways. As always, SCC has managed to verbalize his thoughts in such an amazing way. Needless to say, this crybaby was holding back SOBS as she listened to SCC sing.
Mandisa is also a top favorite of mine because I've been following her on TWITTER since I joined a few months ago. I've seen all her tweets about the Women of Faith Conference as well as her personal journey to become a healthier person. Since I'm struggling with becoming more healthy too, her personality and perspective has helped me want to do better in my journey. Plus, I love her music! :-)
Both Mandisa and Steven Curtis Chapman were wonderful and probably the highlights of the conference for me. God has done great things thru both of them dispite each of them having to deal with tremendous heartache.
We also got to experience Anita Renfroe and her humor. If you don't know her, she's sort of like the female, Christian version of Weird Al. She takes popular songs and makes spoofs of them about being a woman, mom, etc. She's also "featured comedian" on ABC's Good Morning America and you can probably find some great clips of her on YouTube. Several years ago she did a song called "Mom Sense" to the tune of the William Tell Overture and it's very entertaining. She's from Atlanta so she was performing for the home crowd.
Once Ginger and I made it to the hotel Friday night, we were exhausted. I must say that Ginger and I worked at summer camp together back in the early/mid 1990s and haven't really seen each other since that time. We have reconnected thru that great social networking website Facebook and so we picked right back up where we left off all those years ago. I LOVE friendships like that and appreciate Ginger so very much.
Anyway, once we finally got to sleep (around midnight or a little after) we were both sound asleep when all the sudden around 1:15AM these AWFUL sounds started and it sounded like someone was busting down the door or throwing furniture somewhere around us. It lasted for about 20 minutes and then stopped just as suddenly as it started. It was an interesting night and after that horrible interruption to our sleep, I turned the alarm off and didn't get up to go to the gym like I had initially planned.
Saturday we got to hear Shelia Walsh as well as Lisa Whelchel (yes, Blair from Facts of Life) and they both were amazing. They had great life stories to share and wonderful messages for us. Shelia talked about being able to "Let Go" when we have been wronged or are having to clean up someone else's messes, etc. And Blair talked about how we need to trust God to help protect us and for us to trust him.
Mandisa sang again and spoke about her time with American Idol (including the incident where she told Simon Cowell that she forgave him for calling her fat and explained she was forgiving him because Jesus Christ had forgiven her and the least she could do was extend that same forgiveness to Simon- and it was shown on the show as it happened) as well as her battles with being molested and raped and how food was a way to protect herself from further attacks.
We also got to hear Patsy Clairmont, Marilyn Meberg and Luci Swindoll speak through the conference and they are all great speakers with great stories (some funny and some serious) to help teach lessons about God and his love for us. I feel so very blessed to have been able to spend time this weekend with all these men and women of God. All of them had at least one little bit of information to share that I needed to hear.
The one big drawback to being at a conference like that is that it was almost impossible to make healthy food choices. I ate way more junk and drank more regular coke this weekend than I've ingested in probably a year or more. So much so that I feel sick now! Ick!
I'm so very thankful that I had the opportunity to attend Women of Faith so that I could learn some new things and spend some awesome time in praise and worship of our Heavenly Father who loves us all more than we could ever imagine. It's so very humbling to know that God loves us inspite of who and what we are.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Introduction of me
Today it's Thursday, August 27, 2009. A little over a month ago I celebrated my 39th birthday. So, this year is the last year of my 30s. It's both exciting and scary at the same time.
My life right now consists of actively seeking a relationship with Christ, being a single mom to my son (Andrew), working out at the gym as I attempt to get in the best shape of my life and substitute teaching when I am called. Most of the time I'm very satisfied with my current life situation but as with everyone, there are days or even moments when I wonder how in the world I managed to end up at this place at this point in my life.
I'm fortunate enough to truly have a very blessed life even though I don't always acknowledge that fact. I'm actively involved in a great church where our pastor regularly challenges us to reexamine our faith walk and relationship with Jesus Christ. I help with the Children's Ministry (1st - 5th grades) and teach 4th and 5th graders once a month. I recently met a great new friend, Beth, and we've started meeting once a week for Bible Study. We have been meeting for 3 weeks now and I've come to truly enjoy our time together as we work on improving our personal walks with Christ. I'll be documenting the growth of my personal relationship with Christ on this blog.
For over a year now I've been working on improving my health. I started Weight Watchers again in August 2008 and joined a local gym in June 2009. Overall I have a long way to go but I'm certain that I can get there if I keep my eyes on the goal and don't let momentary weakness influence me into making poor choices that will derail me from my goal. As of today, I've lost 39 pounds and am very happy that I've come this far. I also recently started a program called Couch to 5K to help get me into a running program. I'll be documenting my weight loss and running program progress on this blog, too.
I find that being a parent is a great challenge. I love my son with all my heart and soul and he has added so much joy to my life. God has turned an extremely difficult situation into so much blessing for so many people and I'm so very thankful for that fact. I am blessed to have a really great relationship with Andrew's dad and stepmom. Andrew keeps us all entertained and challenged very frequently. I look forward to sharing some of my life as a single mom in the blog, too.
I'm looking forward to closing out my 30s with a truly great year this year and hope you enjoy sharing it with me.
My life right now consists of actively seeking a relationship with Christ, being a single mom to my son (Andrew), working out at the gym as I attempt to get in the best shape of my life and substitute teaching when I am called. Most of the time I'm very satisfied with my current life situation but as with everyone, there are days or even moments when I wonder how in the world I managed to end up at this place at this point in my life.
I'm fortunate enough to truly have a very blessed life even though I don't always acknowledge that fact. I'm actively involved in a great church where our pastor regularly challenges us to reexamine our faith walk and relationship with Jesus Christ. I help with the Children's Ministry (1st - 5th grades) and teach 4th and 5th graders once a month. I recently met a great new friend, Beth, and we've started meeting once a week for Bible Study. We have been meeting for 3 weeks now and I've come to truly enjoy our time together as we work on improving our personal walks with Christ. I'll be documenting the growth of my personal relationship with Christ on this blog.
For over a year now I've been working on improving my health. I started Weight Watchers again in August 2008 and joined a local gym in June 2009. Overall I have a long way to go but I'm certain that I can get there if I keep my eyes on the goal and don't let momentary weakness influence me into making poor choices that will derail me from my goal. As of today, I've lost 39 pounds and am very happy that I've come this far. I also recently started a program called Couch to 5K to help get me into a running program. I'll be documenting my weight loss and running program progress on this blog, too.
I find that being a parent is a great challenge. I love my son with all my heart and soul and he has added so much joy to my life. God has turned an extremely difficult situation into so much blessing for so many people and I'm so very thankful for that fact. I am blessed to have a really great relationship with Andrew's dad and stepmom. Andrew keeps us all entertained and challenged very frequently. I look forward to sharing some of my life as a single mom in the blog, too.
I'm looking forward to closing out my 30s with a truly great year this year and hope you enjoy sharing it with me.
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