A new year~2013!

I always look forward to this time of year, for renewal, a sense of order, and because things seem a little simpler and clearer in January.  This new year is different though, because it *really* is a new beginning for us.  Because of our move in December, we are still getting settled.  It's hard to believe we have already lived here for a whole month.  We spent our first night in this home on December 5th (with no furniture!) and now it's already January 9th.  We are still trying to get used to the changes.  There are so many things that I miss from Independence, especially our church family and our friends.  We have started going to a church here that we are enjoying, but sometimes on Sunday mornings my heart aches to hear Miss Erin's beautiful voice leading worship and Pastor Darren's words of wisdom and encouragement from Indy Nazarene.  I know this is silly, but I miss the muffins from our local coffee shop, Ane Mae's, and I desperately miss "coffee days" on Thursdays with my close girlfriends.  I know that God has a plan for this move here, though, and I know that it's a good plan, it's the ONLY plan that I want for our lives...so here we are...and it will be ok.

Speaking of plans...and changes...I have decided to JUMP back on my health wagon.  I have to confess that since my surgery in August I have gained all of my weight back plus 6 additional pounds.  I would love to blame it on the surgery, or the stress of the move, or the holidays, but honestly, it's because I have been eating a lot of bad food and not exercising.  I am one of those people who just has to be really intentional about things or I really slip.  It seems like as a Christian wife and mother of three, there are just SO many things to concentrate on that I feel like sometimes I need to let things go in order to be successful in other areas.  I know that if I am intentional about my health, however, that I will have more energy and JOY to put toward everything else.  I need to just really focus on this truth:  I feel better, am more joyful, and am a better wife and mother when I am healthy (exercising every day and not using my body as a garbage can).  I just need to get back to putting that 45 minutes aside for my exercise every day, and being intentional about the foods that I put into my body and into the bodies of the four people who I love more than anything else in this world.  I need to pray about it, I need to think about it, and ALLOW the Holy Spirit change me from the inside out.