Beautiful by MercyMe (Lyrics)

This song touched me so much that I thought it was perfect to post on my blog. It was shared on my brother, Paul's Facebook page. I need to remember this every time I fall short. I hope it inspires you!

It’s Not a Diet, But Rather a Lifestyle Change

I had made my mind up in November of 2010 that I wanted to have bariatric surgery. But before I follow through with a commitment like that, I wanted to make sure I was in the right frame of mind on many levels. I had started to lose some weight in December, where I actually did lose 7 lbs., which was over the holiday. For me, that is a defeat in itself! I mean, not only was I dealing with the holidays, but a ton of birthdays too including Jake and me. Somehow, I did manage to lose 7 lbs which the surgeon was impressed with. Heck, I was impressed! Well, that all went out the window within a few weeks. I don’t know why, but I noticed that I was eating more, especially at night. I quickly started putting those 7 lbs. back on. I was so excited about my decision to have the surgery that I had all my pre-op done within 1 month of my decision. If I were allowed, I would have had the surgery the day I made my decision. But something held me back. I knew I was not ready for this surgery, mostly because I was not mentally prepared. If I can’t follow a food plan now, why would it be any different when I have the surgery?

Most of you are aware of my brother, Paul’s condition. He is morbidly obese due to his addiction to food. He is 28 years old and currently weighs over 800 lbs. I am scared to death for him. His weight will not let him live another 28 years if something isn’t done soon. My brother is a great guy and has a lot going for him. I think seeing his condition has given me that much more motivation to lose weight. How can I lecture him about his weight when I am obese myself? Wouldn’t that be hypocritical of me? I realize that I’m not nearly has heavy as him, but I’m still overweight and considered morbidly obese as well. If I don’t do something about my weight now and get my eating under control, I could potentially struggle with the same health risks that are plaguing my brother. Simple things that we take for granted, like going to the bathroom, is a chore for my brother. He needs assistance in cleaning himself. This saddens me deeply. I just wish I knew how to help him.

I realize that before I can even consider the surgery further, I need to get to the root of why I eat. I mean, who doesn’t love to eat, right? But I do know that I tend to eat more when my emotions are out of control. I know that January and February were not great months for me, which was due in part, to a medication I was taking to help me feel more awake during the day. But regardless, I know my eating habits tend to depend on how my emotions are going. I don’t know what happened three weeks ago, but it finally hit me that I need to get control of my life again. I need to get control of my eating habits. I was starting to feel the weight in my knees, which hurt when I would go up and down steps. I also figured it could have a lot to do with why I’m constantly tired and why my fibromyalgia is flaring up. I am going to be 40 years old this year (I know, that’s crazy, right?!) and losing weight is going to be much harder if I don’t start now.

I am currently seeking mental health on a weekly basis. I still can’t tell you why I overeat or why I use food to comfort my emotions, but just talking to someone about life has helped me tremendously. I have started Weight Watchers about 3 weeks ago, and so far, from my heaviest weight, I am down 16.6 lbs. I love the new program with fruits and vegetables being zero points. But just like anything, you can’t over eat fruits and veggies either! Now, I know this kind of weight loss will be slowing down, because it’s not healthy to keep losing 3-5 lbs a week, but it feels great to have a great start! I started exercising 2x a week including weights, but plan to get to at least 3 times a week! This is huge for me! I don’t like to exercise…I really don’t. I wish I could love it. Maybe I will grow to love it, but I hate it right now. I would love to find an activity that I love which would give me the exercise I need. I’m searching. I thought I might like tennis, but I can’t afford lessons. Does anyone know how to play and would be willing to teach me? I’m a quicker learner!

What I need from you, my family, friends, acquaintances, I need prayer and support. I need words of encouragement and cheers when I lose. I need people to call and ask to me exercise with them or even just go for a walk. I need you to pray for my brother that he will have the strength and courage to change his life. I want him to rely on God and relinquish his addiction. I want God to use me to help him. I don’t know how right now other than to be an example, but if there is something else, I hope God will open the door and walk me through. I love my brother and I want him to be around for a long time!

As for the surgery, I have not made a firm decision yet. Maybe I can continue to do this journey without the help of surgery. My friends, who I love dearly, are rooting for me and are encouraging me to do it on my own without the surgery. I’m praying that God will continue to give me the strength to keep moving forward and that He will help me think twice before putting anything into my mouth.

Thank you for the support and encouragement I have been receiving, which is invaluable to me. Talking about my weight and weaknesses is no easy task!

More Awesome News!

I’m so excited for Jake! He has made the baseball team with his middle school. Our school district only has one team which is composed of both 7th and 8th graders. Not sure why this is the case since most districts do have a separate team for both…I think anyway. Apparently they said there just isn’t enough interest, but I find that hard to believe since over forty 7th graders tried out for the team this year! The first cut was made after the first week of practice and only ten boys were chosen and of course, Jake was one of them. The ten had to endure yet another week of practice before the final seven 7th graders were chosen. Jake found out yesterday morning that he was one of the seven! We are totally psyched for him. He really doesn’t think he deserved to make the team. I wish I knew why he sells himself short all the time. He has so much natural ability and a huge amount of potential. Obviously the coach saw those attributes too! You go Jake! We know you will do awesome and we know that you will make us and your team proud.

Another milestone for Jake this past weekend is that he got contacts! Honestly, I don’t know how this kid played sports and did well in school because his eyes have deteriorated horribly over the last year and a half since his last eye exam. He went from a -1.75 to -2.25 and -2.50! The eye doctor couldn’t believe he was dealing with this for so long. I don’t think Jake realized how blind he was! When we left the eye doctor on Saturday, he couldn’t believe the crispness and sharpness of everything around him. He called me upon his return home from school yesterday and said “I didn’t realize how big the clock was at school and I can see the numbers on it!” I wish I had known he was struggling! He NEVER wore his glasses in school because it’s just “not cool!” Maybe if he had worn them, his eyes wouldn’t have deteriorated the way they had. Anyway, I think the contacts are going to give him more confidence in all he does. The doctor said we will probably see a huge difference in all he does including school and sports.

Yesterday was a big day for Dave and me! We are the proud owners of a 2008 Nissan Altima. We are not the type to turnover cars every few years. In fact, both of our cars were 14 years old! We traded our 1998 Chevrolet Malibu in for a 2008 Nissan Quest minivan which we absolutely love! The spacious room is exactly what we need, especially for traveling and whatnot. Dave and I constantly battled over whose turn it was to drive it! I knew that my 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier’s time was up, because poor Jake had no room in the back seat. At 13 years old, he’s already just about at 5’10” tall and probably still growing. His knees were pretty much in his chest whenever he road in the backseat of the Cavalier. It is so nice not having car payments, but it’s so nice driving a newer model car. Heck, I’m excited that I have a CD player! I’ve had a cassette player all this time. I don’t even think you can buy cassette tapes anymore! LOL. Anyway, we are excited and blessed that we are able to afford a “new” car and hope that we get 14 years out this one! The Altima is very nice! It’s white with a moon roof. It’s definitely not top of the line, but it has some fun features like a “push” start button. You don’t need a key to start the engine or unlock the doors! As long as the remote is in your pocket or purse, you can open the car or start the engine. It rides so smoothly compared to the Cavalier. We feel so blessed that God has blessed our finances that have allowed us to make this investment! If things go right, I’m praying that we can outright purchase our next car and not finance!

A Proud Moment – March 12, 2011

We celebrated the end of basketball season for Upward on Saturday with a ceremony held at church for all 450+ students. Each child is recognized by name and asked to cross the stage to receive an award. This year a “sport” bag was given to each player which was a great gift, because they are perfect for summer camps. There is always some type of program planned and this year was an awesome juggler and unicyclist. He was quite funny too! He did a great job capturing the attention of all the kids and parents. Each year, each head coach from each team is asked to nominate one player who is deserving of the “Christ-Like Award.” This player doesn’t just display athleticism, but rather more important qualities like character, good sportsmanship, a positive role model, honorable behavior, etc. One boy and one girl is chose for this award each year and this year, our son, Jake, was awarded the “Christ-Like” award. I can’t begin to put into words how proud and elated we are that Jake received this honorable award this year. As parents, we work hard to instill positive attributes and morals in our children hoping and praying that they grow up to be the kind of child and adult you would want them to be, but rather yet, a Christian that God asks us to be.

As Jake’s parents, we truly believe Jake is very deserving of this award. Upward is a different caliber of basketball than the competitive leagues Jake was getting used to this year. The teams are made up of an array of kids from athletic to not so athletic and even children with special needs. Upward does a great job in teaching our children that “all kids are winners.” Jake was blessed with great athletic ability and he was able to pull back and remember that he is not the only kid on his team, the Stings. Being one of the tallest on the team was a huge advantage for getting most of the rebounds. Most times you would just go up for a shot, but Jake held back and passed the ball consistently to other players, even though the shot would have been easy for him to make. He did such a great job involving his team and being a great role model. It was a pleasure watching him and just witnessing the character Jake displayed on the court each week. We are incredibly proud of our son. I pray that God continues to work in his heart and follows him through his life and leads him in all is decision-making.

Jake, your dad and I are immensely proud of you. You are turning into the young man we have prayed about. Watching you morph into the young man you are becoming has been such an honor and privilege. I know you think we are tough on you and you may think we are unfair and unwavering, but everything we do is because we love and care for you more than words will ever convey. I hope that you will always have “Christ” in your heart and that you allow him to lead you in life and all your decisions. Without God, we are empty and worthless. Let the award given to you on Saturday be a reminder of how special you are and that all things are possible through Him. We love you, Jake and we are truly honored to be your parents. We thank God everyday for you!

Jacob Crist – Most Christ-like Player

2011 Upward Basketball

Upward Basketball is about helping children to grow in Christ as they learn the game. Some young people come in as complete novices in both areas and others are well on their way spiritually and physically.

In describing the Christ-likeness, I think that you always have to examine lives in terms of where thy have come from and the possibilities of where they can go.

We had a young man on our team who had to model Christ in a very tangible way. Christ is the model of power under control; of submission when he could be an authority; and in the same way, Jacob Crist is in the process of learning what it means to relinquish using his God-given talent in order for his team to be successful and for the other teams not be overwhelmed. For any young person who is learning how to be what it means to be a Christian while playing competitive sport, there are real life lessons that have to be learned that are reflected in the stars that Upward awards.

The Blue Star – Effort: Jake never lacked effort on either end of the court. He was the first down on offense and defense. In practice, he asked for more suicides.

 The Red Star – Defense: Jake’s defense originally was taking out frustrations for what he perceived as unfair treatment out on the other team. This shifted by the end of the season by getting his team mates more involved.

The Gray Star – Offense: Jake started to actively suggest ways to improve the team by sharing what he was learning from playing on other teams.

The Gold Star – Sportsmanship: Jake never lashed out after hard fouls or calls that didn’t go his way.

I believe that in the process of maturing from a babe in Christ to maturity, one has to work out the details of his own salvation. Jake is well along in that process.

He has the physical attributes that will make him a stand-out athlete but he is also developing the Christian attitude that will make him an asset to his team.

Arthur Mitchell

Sting Coach

March, 2011

This is a shot of Jake on the big screen!  I don't think he knew what to think right away!

This is a picture of Jake taken by the technical crew!  So cool!

This was Jake, Dave, Rachel & I on stage where Jake was received his award.  Such an awesome moment for parents!

Just a Couple Quick Thoughts

I can’t believe that we are already a week into March. I love that we are already seeing glimpses of spring every now and then too. I do love the snow, but by this time, I’m ready for the reprieve from the wind and snow. There was a day where I even opened all my windows because it was warm enough. The house definitely needs fresh air after being closed up for the last 4 months. I can’t wait to hang my laundry outside too. I know, how crazy is that? I love hanging my clothes outside. Do you know how much you save in electricity?! And your clothes will last longer too if they aren’t put in the dryer. You want to hang them inside out though, because if not, they will fade in the sun. Try it! They smell wonderful.

Dave just called me on Monday, March 07, 2011 to tell me two little cute comments Rachel shared with him on their way home from school today. My girl just melts my heart sometimes. Rachel was telling her daddy that a boy in her class doesn’t like her and she says “it hurts my heart.” I love it! And then after going through the drive-thru at the bank, the teller gave Rachel a lollipop. Well, it wasn’t long before she dropped it on the floor of the car and daddy says, “We can’t eat it now.” Rachel responds with “daddy, but a little dirt won’t hurt.” LOL. She probably said that because so many times she has dropped something and before I could get to her fast enough, she sticks whatever it was in her mouth. I then usually say “well, I guess a little dirt won’t hurt.” It just shows you how much our kids pick up and that they hear everything we say. Even the things you don’t want them to repeat!

We are excited for Jake because based on a coach recommendation, Jake is going to play for an AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball team. This is a great opportunity for Jake, because he will learn so much more about basketball. He’s come a long way and hopefully this will teach him more of the fundamentals he needs to know to grow in his game. So, it looks like basketball will be the sport for this spring and no recreational baseball. He is going to tryout for his middle school! I’m nervous for him, because this is a big deal. There is only one team that consists of both 7th and 8th graders. Tryouts start tomorrow, so please pray for him. He really is good at baseball, but after not playing all winter, he may be a bit rusty. Hopefully he wears his glasses like he’s supposed too! He needs them regardless of whether or not he thinks they are cool. When he can put drops in his eyes without prying his eyes open to do it, we can get him contacts, but in the meantime, he needs to wear his glasses!