This is the year!

This is our year for improvement. Mike and I have set some goals for ourselves. Some things were suggested by others, some are life changing, and some are strictly to try and enjoy life more!

1. We are both going to make the life change to be healthy. Not only to lose weight and to make our bodies look better, but to feel better. We have changed our diet (one main thing is to eat out less), we have implemented going to the gym, and having a better outlook on the whole plan in general. I have started going to the Y each morning (getting up at 5:20 yikes). Yes, am way more tired at the end of the day, but I seem to do better the rest of the day when I start my morning by being active. Mike plays ball 3 times a week and has been lifting everyday (he loves working out). We have a heavy bag we've been training on when it is warm outside. And how do we feel??? BETTER! We've both lost or kept off some pounds.

2. Suffering. Our home team (bible study) was challenged to find something we can do as a suffering for Christ or someone else as Christ would have done. I picked something that has always been a challenge for me...praying. I am pretty consistent in praying, but not always selflessly. I am trying to pray for others more than for myself. It has been more than a year since we started trying to get pregnant and almost a year since our miscarriage. For the last year I have prayed about and for this daily with no miss. Did I consistently pray for anything else? Anyone else? No. So my suffering is to make a consious effort to put others into my prayer life. Another way I want to change my prayers is to LISTEN! I tend to forget that you pray to talk with God, not to talk at Him! Mike decided on his suffering(s) and I am excited to cheer him on and be there for him when things get tough.

3. Read more. I really enjoy a good book, do I read very often? Not so much. I want to read more, it can't hurt! I've read a two part book by Francine Rivers over the last couple months, I loved it! I started two books recently that are not fiction, but somewhat self help books. One is on changing our soul when it comes to "dieting" (hate that word) and the other is things that you wished you would have known before you were married. I want to read these books and then review them on here so that the world can see that I'm reaching this goal.

4. Admire not critisize. I am hateful sometimes in what I think of others (and myself). I am so quick to judge it is pretty gross. I don't want to be jealous of others' success, but find joy in it and learn from it.
(Speaking of...I read Jess's blog about her March goals and I thought good for her! She is really living her life to the fullest and working hard to be happy! I admire that she wants the world to know what she is working on so that she can be held accountable.)

More to come...my break at work is over...