I. Just. Did. That.

I realized today that I never told you beautiful readers that I "ran" a 5k.  I use quotations because I technically didn't run the whole thing because that would have caused my heart to explode...haha.

I ran about half and finished in my best time ever. It was quite literally one of the most surreal experiences of my life. As I came around the corner of the field (yeah, it ended on Faurot Field :o)), I saw about 30 cheerleaders and Truman the Tiger cheering me on. All I could think of was, "I just did that."

This time last year, I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without breathing very, very hard. The idea of walking even a mile exhausted me. Grant it, when I crossed that finish line after hustling 3.1 miles, I was exhausted, but I was also astonished.

It's truly amazing what hard work and persistence does. I mean, think about it. Last fall I had the depressing moment of buying a size 24 pants. I'm now in a loose-needs-to-be-belted size 18. I've lost 43 pounds. Who does that?

Apparently, I do.

It was like a penacle moment as my Momma cheered me on. I've felt so weird lately, like exposed to the world because I feel so different. Like, it's almost as if I'm walking around naked, like everyone can see me in such a raw way. I know that's very odd, but I just don't feel comfortable in my own skin...in a really, really  good way.

It's not just spiritually, like I mentioned in my last post. It's totally physically, too. My face has thinned dramatically. I have muscles...like, leg muscles that look really good. My feet, too. My stupid feet are smaller and none of my flats fit the way they used to. I have this stuff under my arms that's not flab - it's skin. Ok, yes, they are still a little wing-like, but at the bottom of that there's skin!

Craziness, I tell you. Craziness.

So, I don't know what my true goal is as far as weight goes. It's hard to measure  because I went from the size 20 to the size 18 by losing a whopping three pounds. Which, my physical activity haters, is proof that exercise and diet together is the best way to get in shape.

So, what is next? I feel like the whole "5k by 'almost' Labor Day" thing is over, so I need to set a new goal, right? I mean, once you achieve your goals, shouldn't you set more? #complacencymuch?

Yes. The answer is Yes.

Obviously, being able to run the entire 5k is next. I'm looking at races in March or April to participate in. But, I think I want something closer. I'm hesitant to set a weight loss goal because of how weird my body is right now. So, I think a good, comfy, nice looking size 16 by Christmas is the new goal.

Yep. Just said/typed it. "Sweet 16 by Christmastime" is the new goal.

Doable.

I think that's all for now. I'm working on a longer more "inspiring" piece about the whole "naked" thing, haha. I'm actually doing a word study in the Bible on the word naked. It's used a lot in  a lot of different ways, but it all boils down to being exposed - whether good or bad.

But that's another blog, my friends.

Peace Out, Home Fries.

Missy ;o)

P.S. Please enjoy the pics from the 5k race day!

Warming up with Jazzercise before the race.
This one was to LMFAO's I'm Sexy and I Know It, lol.

Home stretch...AKA "Praise the Lord, Hallelujah I survived!"

 Me, Kim and Truman at the finish line! 

                                         

Comfort Zone

"I think it's like a right of passage," she said, hitting the nail right on the head. "At some point in every woman's walk with Jesus, He asks them to go farther. It's more than just loving and serving Him, it's about literally giving all of yourself to Him."

My friend Missi shared that with me the other night over an excellent Burrito Bowl from Chipotle. We were talking about the change I wrote of in my last post. I was updating her on all the fun things that have really transformed me this Summer. I walk by a mirror and I don't recognize myself...both physically and figuratively.

When I felt God really pulling on my heart in March to start letting things come to the surface, I had no idea what to expect. Like Missi said, I loved God and I was serving Him, but there was something missing. There was a next step that my heart was being pulled toward, and I knew I had a choice to make. Without hesitation I made the step.

The following months were a whirlwind of deep study of scripture, filling countless pages in my journal, and reading everything about God I could. I wanted to know the Creator who made me on an intimate level. I wanted to take breathes of His Spirit. I wanted to walk in His presence. I wanted to feel Him molding me.

And, that I did. And, still feel now.

I keep telling people that Belize was an "excellent trip." That it was fun, and I had an amazing time. Truth is, I haven't told many people the full story of what happened to me there. I feel like the change God was walking me through had a "crystalized moment." (Mr, Finley's advanced English II class, anyone?)


For the longest time, I truly felt like I was supposed to go on that trip. I just knew there was something God wanted to teach/show/reveal to me. But, here it was almost the last day, and I really hadn't felt much. I was a little disappointed because I wanted  to hear His voice. I was actually a little desperate to hear His voice.

As I asked for some direction, I felt Him say, "Just be patient. We've got time."


So, the next morning, I was standing in Central Assembly of God - a huge church in downtown Belize City. I was surrounded by a melting pot of cultures: Belizeans, Mexicans, Jamaicans, Americans, and so many more. We were singing worship songs I knew, but they all had a Caribbean flair. I was really listening for God because of my prayer time the night before.

"God, I just don't get it. We have very few hours left here in Belize, and other than You showing me I can shovel really well, I don't think I've learned anything." (Insert deep, long sigh here)

Then, as clear and gentle as I hear the leaves falling from the tree outside my window, He asked, "Missy, are You comfortable?"

Whaaaa??????? I kind of felt like that was a trick question. See, if you are "comfortable" in your walk with God, chances are you've grown complacent. And, chances are, that's code for "I don't wanna' grown."

(That'll preach.)

"Missy, are You comfortable?"

"Umm, well, yes, Lord, I really am. I mean physically speaking, there's a nice breeze, I feel rested, the worship is beautiful, and this week has been truly amazing. You're growing me daily, and I'm really beginning not to recognize myself."

"So, You're comfortable?"

"Yes, God. But, a little help?"

And then it all clicked. I'm thousands of miles from home. I'm in a country where "my skinned" people are vastly out numbered. I've been eating strange food and sleeping in a random hotel. I've been pouring into women on the trip twice my age, and literally seeing men transform as they shovel dirt.

And, I'm comfortable with it all.

Even though I was out of my comfort zone of talking to Mom every day, putting make up on, wearing cute shoes, facebooking friends, texting acquaintances, and sleeping in my own precious bed, I was comfortable.

It took leaving my comfort zone of life in Columbia, MO to realize just how comfortable I could really be.

God calls every person (although, I'm really speaking to young women right now) to choose Him. There's gonna' be a moment or a service or something that you can look back to and see "old self" and "new self." Mine is literally July 29, 2012. From that service in Central Assembly, I am a completely different woman. I will never be that Missy again. I may go through rough places where I pick up her old habits or have trouble dying to the old flesh, but I will never be the same.

I have no idea what's in store for me. I feel transformed every morning just by waking up to a new day. I'm prepared for awesomeness and expecting lots of people to come to know Jesus along the way. I'm ready for Africa, or SEMO, or 10 more years at Mizzou, or pastoring, or mentoring, or (wow, I'm a little shocked to say this) I think I'm even ready for marriage. I feel like if a man is looking for that Proverbs 31 woman, I'm getting close to the Missy version of her.* I don't know where or when or how my future looks, but I'm ready for it.

So, ladies (and gentlemen if you exist on this blog), do you hear Him calling? Are you ready to go from just serving Him to really  living in Him? Every spiritual woman in my life that I talk to about this says there was a specific time in their mid-twenties to early-thirties that God asked them to go all in. Do you hear Him calling?

Just listen if you don't.

Until next time, home fries.
Love ya.

Missy :o)
(Or, the girl formally known as Missy)


*Please note, I know I'm not the epitome of the Proverbs 31 woman. But, the fact that I feel "comfortable" enough to say that I have something to offer a true man of God is huge. It may be 10 more years before I get to offer it to him, but I feel more prepared than ever before. It's fun, really.