Leaving on a jet plane...

Just wanted to let my readers know that I will be away from the blog for a few days. :) I'm leaving this evening to go to Michigan with my boyfriend to visit his family and go to his cousin's wedding. Definitely excited to see his parent's again and finally meet his brother and sister. :) The only disappointment is that this trip is so short! We're only there for the weekend before coming back to Maryland Sunday night. Then, next Wednesday, I will be flying to Colorado for our 2nd Focus on the Family Institute (now known as the Focus Leadership Institute) reunion!!! :) So excited to see everyone out there. I'll be staying with my former roommate, Bethany, who stayed in Denver after we graduated. She is such a wonderful influence in my life and I'm so glad we had that semester together as roommates. Can't wait to see her again! Unfortunately, our other two roommates won't be able to make it. We'll miss you Danielle and Alisha! But they're both moving closer to the East Coast so I'll get to see them more often. Right, girls? ;) Prayers for safe travel would be greatly appreciated! Hope everyone has a great weekend! Soli Deo Gloria, Meg

\kə-'mit-mənt\

Commitment: a: an agreement or pledge to do something in the future ; especially an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date b: something pledged c: the state or an instance of being obligated or emotionally impelled

About 2 months ago, I made a commitment. I made a commitment to change. I knew I needed to do something and now an opportunity was before me.

Almost 2 months ago, I joined Weight Watchers at Work. Basically, it's regular Weight Watchers but we meet during the lunch hour at work and my company covers half the cost of the sessions. That was what tipped me over the edge I think. I knew all the health and other reasons why I needed to lose weight, but I've known them for awhile and it didn't seem to change anything before. So I decided that I needed to do something differently. Our group meets every Thursday. A consultant with Weight Watchers sets up shop in a conference room at our office. We come, weigh in, and then have our meeting. All told, it's a little over an hour each week. We also have access to their e-tools on the website. Besides having my money behind it, I figured the group accountability would help keep me coming. And it has.

The complete session will be 17 weeks. Today was week 8. Which means it was the 8th weigh in. And for the 8th week in a row...I lost weight! In fact, since the first weigh in back on June 4th, I have lost over 5% of my starting body weight! (Total of 13.8 lbs as of today!)

Because of that, I decided to look up some facts. I found this article (http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/lose-weight-gain-tons-of-benefits) which had this quote: "...when patients lose 5%-10% of their body weight, they lower blood pressure, reduce LDL ["bad"] cholesterol, improve glucose tolerance, and in general, lower the risk for cardiovascular disease." (stuff I'm at risk for) I've also found articles mentioning the lower risk for Type 2 diabetes (which I'm at risk for as well). But you know what else I found? Even modest weight loss (like my 5%) can increase my life expectancy! What better way to honor God with my body than to take good care of it? In my case, that just happens to mean weight loss.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "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 think much of it comes down to stewardship. I wasn't being a good steward of the blessings that God had given me and now I have to learn how. That could be the case in many different places in our lives. For some it's their money, for others time, and for those like me our bodies.

After monitoring what I eat and getting out and walking more (Thanks Dan!), the journey has been well worth it so far. Hard, yes, but in my weakness He is glorified and gives me strength. With 9 more weeks left to go, I can't wait to see where God leads and blesses. :)

Technology Blues

Are face-to-face business meetings really necessary in this age of technology? With the advent of teleconferencing and video conferencing, distance is no longer a barrier for teams located in multiple locations. Just pick up a phone, turn on a computer, and presto! Instant connection! Now, there is something to be said for talking to people in person. Nonverbal communication is an important component in any kind of conversation. So in person meetings are great…for groups located in the same geography. But that’s the point. If you’re all in the same building, the same county even, then there’s no issue. But why make someone drive 1.5 hours one way for a maximum 2 hour meeting then have to drive 1.5 hours back? Especially with all the technological advances of our day! I guess I’m just venting. I had a meeting at the Navy Yard in DC today that could have very well been accomplished via teleconference. In fact, besides putting faces with names, there wasn’t much point in my attendance. But putting faces with names and getting away from my desk was kind of nice. It was also good to see a co-worker that I had worked with until he got transferred to the team out in Annapolis. He and I worked as a team in the field a lot before the decision was made to move him. Before that, his daughter had given birth to twins, one boy and one girl. However, the twins were born with a rare genetic disorder called Zellweger syndrome. They were told it was very rare for children with this to live even one year. But God provided for their birth in the midst of this, allowing them to be born at the only hospital in the country doing research on Zellweger’s. But sometimes God’s plans are not our own. About two months ago, the little girl, Ashley, passed away after only a few months of life. By God’s grace, He allowed her birth and the short time she had with her family. And by His mercy, He brought her back to His side and ended her suffering. But for some reason beyond our simple understanding and reasoning, her brother, Thomas (Tommy), is still with his family. I got to talk with John some today and because of the uncertainty of Tommy’s life their family is celebrating Christmas in July, complete with a tree and decorations. He also talked about how his grandson loves different tastes. He said that they’ll touch a lollipop to his tongue and he loves it! John says that this is the one joy in his young grandson’s life because of the disorder; the boy loves tastes! It seems so often that we overlook the simple pleasures that God has given us in life. I read a line in a book today that stated “Nature is not primarily functional. It is primarily beautiful.” Yet how often do we miss that beauty? If “the heavens declare the glory of God…” (Ps. 19:1a), then how often do we miss God? When’s the last time you slowed down enough to smell the flowers around you? Ate a meal slow enough to savor each taste? Played with a baby and caught their infectious laughter? Took time to hold hands with your sweetheart and just enjoy their presence (one of my personal favorites)? So in retrospect, maybe the meeting wasn’t all that important. Maybe it could have been done by teleconference. But who cares? Tommy’s story puts things in perspective for me. Maybe, just maybe, I’ve been too busy to notice. Maybe you have as well. “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matt. 6:27) Take some time to slow down and enjoy life and fellowship with God. Don’t miss out on His presence just because there is a to-do list. Maybe I should pay more attention to my own musings…