Brokenness to RESTORATION / / Fitness Challenge Info

Yesterday I saw something that really affected me the whole day. I could not stop thinking about it.

This whole thing reminded me of how I once was...

We have some friends who owned a home that had been in the wife's family for decades. It was beautiful inside and out. The grounds were magnificently groomed, they were park like, with cement picnic benches, bird baths, exquisite florals in all colors and varieties and the most lovely trees. This property also had a pool, which I coveted and it had the most magnificent view of the valley below. It truly was breath taking!! A place where you knew God's hand was right there sculpting it and loving it to perfection. It kind of looked like this on the outside..... 

On the inside this couple put around $70,000 of upgrades that included granite counter tops, plush carpeting, rich paint and beautiful fixtures. It truly was a gorgeous home.

Unfortunately, this couple who were also beautiful on the outside, had a lot of problems, on the inside ~ within themselves and their marriage. And after a few short years, they were divorced and needed to sell the property. Due to the depressed real estate market this property, has been on the market for a couple of years, in fact it's still for sale to this day. 

Yesterday we drove by and got a glimpse of what poor choices, brokenness and neglect can do to things and to people.....

Today this is what the house looks like... (this is not the home, but it looks like this)....

Can I say.... devastating! As we were driving to the property we almost missed it....there was nothing left that reminded me of the once beautiful home except for the swimming pool. If that had not been there, there would have been nothing to remind me of what it once was.

The worse part is the wife has left the state and no one has heard from her and the husband turned back to his old ways and is using drugs again.

This is what going your own way ~ off the path, brokenness and neglect can do....

This is how I ended up a year and a half ago. Broken, lost, fat ~~ not just fat, but morbidly obese, out of control and losing my life.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.....

I was created lovingly by my creator and was once lovely and perfect in His eyes and of course in my parents eyes. As life battered on and the waves of situations and circumstances hit me, my beautiful exterior began to fade and as I allowed this to happened to me and being most neglectful, I soon began to look unlike the once beautiful person I was meant to be. I'm not talking talking just about outward beauty, but also the inside part of how I thought about myself and lived my life. I was not living like someone who was taking care of herself.....I was more like on a crash course to destroying myself. Most positive that was not God's plan for my life!

I was slovenly, disrespectful, negligent, abusive, hateful and just plan ugly to myself. I did not care what happened to me or my body. I allowed it to become dilapidated, broken, stretched out and almost unusable. And how I thought about myself....well I almost imploded on myself.

Thank goodness there is hope!! And restoration!!!! And a way out!!!! The Lord finally opened my eyes before it was too late and I began a journey that has changed my life! 

With some simple changes (some not so simple - but doable), focus and time I am being transformed from a broken down mess into the woman that God had in mind. I am rising up! I am living life!! I am being restored!!

How about you...Where are you on this journey?


Now on to the Fitness Challenge....

Fitness Challenge ~ ~ I am quite sure that Jessica will kick my butt this week again!!!!!.....

Workout Summary:

Monday: Total 45 minutes ~ Weights
                      30 minutes - Stretching


Tuesday: Total 20 minutes - Stretching

Wednesday: Total 20 minutes - Stretching

Thursday: Total 40 minutes - Treadmill
                         20 minutes - Stretching


Friday: Total 46 minutes - Treadmill
                     20 minutes - Stretching
Saturday: Total 0 minutes


Sunday: Total 20 minutes - Stretching




Weekly Total: 4 Hr 21 minutes   (261 mins)


Work Out Reflection
Getting better every day. My back is healing and I'm able to do more - Yeah!!!

Work Out Goals for This Week
Continue on with physical therapy and stretching and get back to my normal classes.

Keep focused!