Intentional Living

At church, there's a lot of talk on intentional relationships. These relationships function based on making specific time for each other. I have a few friends in which we have to be very intentional since our life stages are currently different; if we weren't, we'd never get to see each other.

This past weekend, I started photo food journaling with my trainer. Anything that goes in my mouth, he gets a picture of. It's called accountability, and it's made me very intentional about the way I eat. So I've contemplated this thought about being intentional and am branding a new phrase - "intentional living." I know some are thinking that once you've received Christ, your life begins a season of intentional living, but I see it more than that. Any and every action I do and have directly impacts me and the world around me. If I lose weight through nutrition and exercise, I'd be more comfortable doing mission. If the house is kept up with, I have no reason to procrastinate my dissertation. Do I really need a venti at Starbucks or would a tall or grande suffice? Or better yet, do I really need Starbucks after all?

If we can be intentional with our relationships, we definitely can be intentional with ourselves, our bodies, and our thoughts. I am starting my intentional life today!

First Sunday - Crazy, Hairy, Bold Prayer (Love)

Lord, I pray to you that I find the man that you have intended for me to marry and spend the rest of my life with. I pray that not only am I loved, but to love as your son loved. As I learned last night, I want to forget my past heartaches through forgiveness of those who have pretended to love me and have my best interests at hand. It is only through you and the strength that you give me that I can do this. I ask that you heal my heart and allow it to be open and vulnerable to those that I am close to. I ask that you strip me of all my fears. It is in your name that I pray. Amen.

Transformation

The first step on a new path is always the hardest.  My new path, though, is not necessarily new, but an old one that I had walked about six or seven years ago.  The past few days I reevaluated why I was so successful at weight loss then but not now and here's what I have noticed:

1)  I had time.  I've been stressing about my dissertation and about life that I have been paralyzed in fear of moving in any direction.  In essence, I've been wasting time just thinking about things and not doing things.  Once my degree is done, I'll have all the time in the world again.  Just get her done already!

2)  When I moved to Texas, I had no cable or internet at my apartment.  While I cannot do without the internet due to my dissertation, I can, however, get rid of the cable.  My contract is up very soon.  I actually worked out more because of this since if I wanted to watch a specific football game, I had to go to the gym to watch it.  I actually may unplug sooner just to unplug...

3)  I had cooking days in which I made all my meals for the week and stuck to a grocery budget.  These are things I can start with right off the bat.

4)  I had a support system.  I verbally announced my intentions during my bible study group this past Monday.

Movement forward, even if on an old path, is better than staying stagnant.  Look out world, the old me is on the verge of being present again!