"I will reap what I sow"

So I have chosen a word for the year 2011, to guide me to becoming a better person, and it is "COMPASSION."  I want to have compassion as Jesus did, and I want to help others that are in need.  I want to give my heart and soul to the Lord and know that He will provide for me.  I want to not worry about me anymore, know that I am taken care of by the Lord, and help others without thoughts that it will hurt me.

Proverbs 19:17
"He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again."

*I know that as long as I am doing the Lord's will, He will take care of me financially, physically, mentally, and emotionally.*

2 Corinthians 9:6
"But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."

*I know that if I have compassion in my heart and use it for the Lord's will, he will return all that I have used to me.*

This leads me to my phrase for the year, "I will reap what I sow."  I can use this phrase in every aspect of my life.  If I workout, I will lose weight and tone up.  If I work, I will be paid.  If I give unto the Lord, he will give me everything back.  I know that through the Lord all things are possible, and I have faith that this will be my year for success in every area of my life.

Never give up!

Today, I did not feel well at all.  I woke up at 5:30 AM sneezing, and my nose was running like crazy.  Then, I ended up with a sinus headache and not being able to breath.  Needless to say, my allergies and sinuses were trying to ruin my day, but I was not going to let them.

I did complete a successful workout today, even though I did not feel like doing it at first, I felt absolutely great afterwards.  My legs have been on fire since my workout Thursday, and it felt so great to work through it and know that I was committing myself to my goals.

My workout for the day was:

Warm-up:  5 minute march in place with 3 lb dumbbells

CIRCUIT (8 lb kettlebell workouts)

- 1 arm swing (2 sets of 10 for each arm)

- Kettlebell clean & press (2 sets of 10 for each arm)

- 2 arm swing (2 sets of 10)

- 1 arm squat press ( 1 set of 10 for each arm)

- 1 arm swing (2 sets of 10 for each arm)

- Halos (2 sets of 10)

- 2 arm swing (1 set of 10)

- Tactical lunges (1 set of 10 for each leg)

Cool down:  5 minute walk outside

Total time:  27 minutes, 25 seconds

Calories burned:  423

I did not complete 2 sets of each exercise because I was having trouble breathing with my allergies, but I am happy that I did not let my allergies keep me from working out at all today.

After my workout, I had an 8 oz. glass of 2% milk with a scoop of whey protein.  I try to include whey protein shakes after all of my workouts.

Overall, today has been a fairly nice day.  I feel accomplished and happy that I continued with my plan even though I did not feel good today.  So, my quote for the day is, "NEVER GIVE UP!"

All about me

This post is my first, so I figured I would start with who I am, including random details about my life and journey.

I live in North Carolina, in a very small town.  I am a student, attending the University of Phoenix online.  I am pursuing my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education.  I will receive my Associates in May, then continue my schooling so that I can reach my dreams and goals of becoming a teacher and helping children learn and grow as individuals.

I am a Christian, and without God, I know I would not be where I am today.  The Lord has truly blessed me in all aspects of my life, and He shows me that when trouble comes, he can help me through it all.  I just need to have faith and remember that no matter how big the storm may be, God is always bigger and better.

One thing that is also bigger in my life is me.  I am at my heaviest weight that I have ever been, which is 196.4 lbs.  My body fat is 42.8%, and my BMI is 32.3.  In addition, my other measurements are:
Waist:  43.5 inches
Thighs:  25 inches
Butt:  45 inches
Chest:  41 inches
Hips:  43.5 inches
At my weight and body fat percentage, I have 84.1 lbs of body fat.  This is almost half of my total weight.

My goals include losing around 63.4 lbs, which would put me at a healthy weight of 133 lbs.  This would also put my body fat around 22%, which is also very healthy.  I have started exercising, which is one of my New Year's Revolutions, and eating healthier.  Also included in my goals for this year are to decrease the amount of debt I have, go to church more often, read the Bible more, and learn to crave GOD instead unhealthy foods and cigarettes.  Yes, I am a smoker, but I am trying to stop.

My intentions behind this blog are to make my information public.  I know that when others know your goals and dreams, it is harder for you to give up on them, especially if you are held accountable by others.  So, this is who I am, and who I want to become.  I want to be happy, healthy, and live everyday to the fullest.  I know that I can reach my dreams, as long as I continue to push forward, stay determined, and stay motivated.