These shoes were made for running

A few weeks ago I somehow ended up with an injury to my left foot. I don't recall doing anything or even feeling anything abnormal after working out that Friday but by the end of the day my foot was killing me and I couldn't stand on it long.

I could walk and it only hurt on the bottom but it was really uncomfortable. I decided to wait it out for a little while to see if it felt better on it's on, they go to the doctor's if necessary. I'd cancelled my Monday training class but still went to the gym, doing low impact things but found it to help my foot a little. Decided to do my Tuesday session but asked that the trainer keep it low impact as well which she did. She'd mentioned to me once before about getting some better sneakers to work out in. I had some cute tigers that were meant to be just that, cute. Had some better puma's at home but again not meant for working out. At the time I was in just do it mode so I went to the gym, picking up little things here and there as they came to mind to get and my body just let me know now is the time to invest in those sneakers.

So one day on my lunch break I stopped at a store called Philadelphia Runner philly runner is a store for runners obviously, but good for those that workout period, also obvious. What's different about this store is you go in and they watch you walk in order to recommend a shoe to you based on your foot specific. The lady that helped me mentioned that my arch wasn't that high (or deep forgetting:)) so she suggested a type of shoe that I of course don't recall the lingo but that would function correctly for me. She then measured my foot to my surprise I'm up a size to 11!!! Shocked lol I asked doesn't your feet stop growing at a certain age? In which she responded never because as you age the arch begins to flatten. Oh fun:)

So I tried on three pairs of sneaks and ended up with a pair of asics which were most comfortable and thankfully most affordable. These sneaks were not cheap however I felt the price I paid was worth it in the end so didn't look around and compare shop. Now that I'm typing this I probably should have:) But the extra service given was a factor too so no regrets.

I've worked out in my new sneaks for a week now and they feel so good on my feet, I'm tempted to wear them daily but am reminded of the fact that I want to make these last for as long as I can, letting only workouts wear them down.

Getting ready to go to work so will post an image of them at a later date:)

Getting it together

I prayed that I'd focus on my weight not for vanity reasons but health and oh is that prayer being answered. I posted last about my kidney situation, I'm also dealing with high blood pressure and migraines which I believe I mentioned those in other posts also.

I've never been a sickly person and always been overweight yet now it's beginning to have an effect on my body to where it's necessary to get this stuff off. I'm grateful because I've been struggling with losing for the past couple of years and I concluded that's partly due to the fact that I'm not focused on outer as much. Not frontin like I don't find it important or still like clothes and things. But there was a time when all I needed was for a pair of shoes not to fit me right for me to get going with weight loss. Being a believer and I'm sure growing older plays a part as well, that's no longer my focus.

Also my prayer is to glorify God in my body, it's where He dwells it's how I carry out His work and being drained, tired and sickly won't render me effective in doing so. So I'm grateful for the suffering I'm having to endure because it's pushing me to get er done.

I'm doing well in my training I'm so happy about that. As mentioned I keep getting migraines so I had to cancel a session once, the second session I decided to take it on but work lightly and found the exercise helped to alleviate it. Also looked into foods that can trigger migraines and of course many of them are foods I love yet if I don't want a migraine I'll give them up which will also help with the weight lost. Not sure exactly if any of the foods listed triggers them but I'm being mindful. Did notice when I missed drinking my water I had one for two days straight, helps to get in all my water I tell u that much:)

I have 4 more sessions with the trainer then it's off on my own again, I'm grateful that I did it, I'm losing inches I think I'll have my trainer take measurements at my last session. She'd done so before we trained so I'll see the results afterwards but I learned a lot of techniques and that fatigue is a good warning that it's time to stop. She also did full body work outs with a mix of cardio and weight training. The variety helps to stick to it because you know that tedious thing she has you doing is going to end quickly and on to the next. Find I hate just about all floor exercises but I'm getting stronger so I'm getting through them better.

I'm so excited to be enjoying working out, getting over hurdles with my health that would have been my reason for throwing in the towel in the past and God being faithful in allowing hardships to grow me up.

Oh and I'm not going to weight in today, every now and again I have to walk away from the scale because although I'm seeking to lose weight I don't want to be focused as if I'm on a diet but a change of lifestyle so at least this week I won't weight thinking maybe three and it will be a nice surprise to see how much I've lost once I do.

Jehovah-Rapha -God my healer

A few months ago a friend of mines sent me this email about fruits and veggies and how they can impact health. I was hesitant to read it as first, as I am those types of emails because often times it's some bogus claim seeking to sound godly that says at the end pass it on to x amount of people to be blessed in some kind of way.

Yet being over the health ministry at my church, I decided to check it out and read further into it. Basically the article showed how these different fruits and veggies connected to a part of the body in which it would serve. For example a carrot is good for the eyes, would help to post it just as it's written but I'd have to dig into my inbox to find it, will post a separate day.

Anyway so it showed how the carrot resembles different parts of the eye. Hard to picture but if you cut the carrot it's seen better. Or the kidney bean, which helps with the function of the kidneys etc.

Thought it was cool after I'd read it but left it at that. A few weeks later I had a check up at my doctor's office and she ran some tests. She gave me a call a few days later stating she'd seen some things going on with my Kidney's and wanted me to get a test done. First thing I did was begin doing some research on the kidney. I'm not use to being very sickly so although I man know of different things to be on the look out for, not something that I think about too much so to familiarize myself more with what could be, began to do some searching on line.

I came across one article and it showed a picture of a kidney and I immediately thought of the article my friend sent me. How much this kidney looked like an actual kidney bean. I was then reminded of how I'd been craving these foods with kidney beans in it. Literally ate chili and rice and beans for about a month. Not daily but couldn't get enough of either!!

I was so excited I began to pray and thank God for His provisions and that whatever it was she saw, He'd graciously showed me He's got it taken care of.

I went to get the test done last week and the technician told me she didn't see anything there. At first she kept asking me questions like are you getting fevers, ever have problems as a child etc. And I'm worried a bit like oh she must see something. But reminded of His provisions, just began to pray. She told me that my doctor must have requested the test due to my having high blood pressure and that she saw nothing there. I recall her saying specifically that she saw something so all I say is praise God and thank you Lord!!

Believin Stephen- The Perseverance Mixtape

Check out Believin Stephen's latest Mixtape over at 317media or rapzilla .....100% for free! I've only got a chance to peep a few tracks thus far but from what I've heard it's a blessing. God is so gracious I know I often find myself missing out on some music or have this long list of stuff I want to buy because there is so much bangin music out there within the body and I want to support them all. Yet it's a blessing when God lays it on one's heart to labor for free!

Be sure to take advantage of this offering and peep one of the two websites for your free download.

V-day

This use to be a really hard day for me as an unbeliever. The closest I'd come to having a valentine during those days was telling my daughter's dad I was pregnant. And I purposely did it on that day to enhance my pity party I was throwing for myself and reminding myself yet again I was solo on Valentine's day to top it off I'll tell the ex I'm with child.

Actually I stand corrected, another time I was down about not having a Valentine and actually as a believer, I was on the train going home from work and just thinking about it. A guy on the train selling roses walked up to me and gave me a rose. It was so pretty it was yellow and pink with glitter on it. The glitter wasn't as tacky as it may sound:) But I remember thinking wow that was the Lord, no way someone hustling flowers is going to just walk up and give one to someone and walk away, then proceed to sell the rest of them. Wasn't visibly down either as I try not to be ever.

Today I'm in a place where it's like eh. I'd love someday to say Happy Valentine's day to someone, specifically the individual I'm married to. And I now view it as nice to have that as something I haven't shared with someone else that I can share with a lifelong mate. But even if that doesn't happen I'm good. The rose that day reminded me of His love and how He'll always be the one who loves me unconditionally and at all times. That He's always giving me good gifts so what is a mere rose really. And apart from Him, no other love is truly worth anything nor can any other compare.

Don't say this as a cliche-esque thing either but as a witness of how He's come through for me in those times I'm down, rather as husband father mother brother, you name it He's true to His word if you're His, He has you and is sympathetic to all pain you go through so don't beat yourself up if you find you are down in the dumps, let the Holy Spirit minister to you and love on Him, realizing how fully satisfying He is and that you'll be alright with or without a mate rather you are male or female reading this.

Now I'm not saying don't pray for a mate, be fully satisfied in Christ alone, we're wired to be communal so nothing wrong with having a desire for folks and yes marriage too peep what God did in the beginning. But I am saying that, and because of sin, we don't always have the sort of relationships that would have flowed naturally apart from the sin nature battling to take rule in us. Therefore you may have all sorts of people forsake you yet God never will and contentment can be found in Him even when the relationships that should be just are not.

Right now I'm waiting for my daughter to finish getting dressed and we're going to hit the mall for a few and head back home, probably watch a dvd or two. And I'm grateful not to have a poked out lip about what I'm lacking but rather able to rejoice in all that I've gained and that I can fully enjoy those things on this day.

Have u see it yet? Trip Lee Real Vision

The Love walk---again:)

During my hang out time on Saturday, somehow the topic of love came up. I did 50 things that day so let me clarify LOL while riding in the car with my friend. She'd asked me what did I think about the phrase I love you but I don't like you. It use to be an often used phrase by me as we aren't called to like folks and will not like much of what they do due to the sin nature.

However as I've stated in a past blog, we're discussing love in Sunday School and when this comment came up the same question was posed what does everyone think concerning this and long story short the teacher looked up the word and found that it wasn't in the bible nor could there be found a biblical translation for it. Now I'm like okay that doesn't keep me from using it because when someone says "God is a beast" you're not going to find that in the bible either LOL yet if understanding of the term it's speaking of his awesomeness not used as an insult towards Him.

So okay so far I'm still with I love you but don't like you, until another sister brought up the fact that there shouldn't be reason for that thought to come up. As in if we are to love, what reason would my not liking a person play a part in any conversation or reaction to the person? Then it was concluded that we may not prefer a person rather than stating we don't like them.

Which makes sense, I may not be the best of friends with everyone, but if I love them I will give them the gospel. If we're talking a fellow believer, I'll respond to them as the Father responds to me. There are some things and unfortunately not one specific comes to mind (and that may be a good thing:)) but some things that I may have done and thought God was okay with them, to find out that He'd simply had mercy on me and one day out of the clear blue He'd make me aware of the fault whatever it was so that I could repent of it. Where as, as soon as I'd see someone in a sin I'd be all over them and not in a way that they could hear what was being said to them which of course was written off as their own hard heartedness not a lack of love on my part.

Yet in His response to me I've learned/am learning how to respond to others. And in cases where I find myself not meshing with a person rather it's sin in their life or a personality trait that clashes with my own. I'm learning to pray more speak less or being slower to do so. And being accepting when it comes to non sinful issues but personality traits. For instance a person may be on the quiet side and so what seems like disrespect may be their own discomfort in communicating with someone they don't know. And I can relate to this one for sure to a degree so pray I'm not being an agitant to someone:) But learning who my brother and sister is and loving them accordingly not based on how I want them to be or what I feel they need more of.

Quite a rewarding effort I must say and it's my prayer that the Lord would continue to grow me in this area and get His glory.