Run the race

Just over a week ago, I sent an email to my accountability team asking for prayer. JT and I were leaving for our anniversary trip in Cancun, and I was SCARED. I was fearful that I would revert to my old ways very easily...gluttony, laziness and poor choices. You see, for me, vacation = relaxation = do nothing = laziness! How easily I can choose and take that path EVERY day.

I am a quitter. I quit very well. I give up easily. I make choices that favor laziness. I choose the easy path. Those WERE my tendencies until God changed my heart, changed my preferences and changed my focus. Oh, I STILL want to quit...all the time. When I'm running I want to quite every 1/4 mile...seriously. Every time the Nike app voices notifies me that I've made another 1/4 mile, my mind says "Quit now!" Sometimes I give in and start walking. But most of the time, I hear the quiet voice of One who says, "I didn't design you to be a quitter. Press on. Run the race."

Back to the vacation of a lifetime. Let me begin by saying that this vacation was a gift to us...a precious gift from my brother and sister-in-law, Daniel and Amanda. She works for a great company called 31 Gifts where she is awarded trips occasionally. They graciously gave this trip to us...what a HUGE blessing! We have enjoyed EVERY moment...from snorkeling on the reef to riding jet skis to afternoon naps on the beach beds! What memories we are making and will never forget. God's beauty in creation has never been so clear as it is here...what uninhibited joy I am seeing each hour! Praise His name!

This resort is one of those all-inclusive shindigs where we can eat whatever we want whenever we want. You want Italian for breakfast...they'll make it happen. An omelet for lunch...done! Steak at 2:00 AM...got it! It's crazy! So we had to come in to this relaxation festival with a plan. Stick to what we already know and are doing at home. We have been able to find foods that we can eat EVERYWHERE! Plus, we can get bottled water whenever we want it...ha! Our eating has been right on target! Praise God for the discipline to say no to desserts and to choose wisely!

Exercise has been my demise but only in my mind. We have run every day but one (taking a rest day on Wednesday). It is HOT in the Caribbean, and the road where we have to run happens to carry every busload of employees on a one lane strip at the same time we like to exercise. So, now all of the workers holler at us to keep running and high five us along the way....how fun is that! My body wants to give up and my legs are screaming at me, but I press on for the cause of Christ alone!

Just this morning JT and I both stepped on the scale here for an update (we established it as accurate the first of the week when we both weighed the same here as at home). JT has now lost 85 lbs and I've lost 49....I'm SO close to 50! But that means the scale now says 159....I've come a long way for 208. But my goal is 140-145 so I have at least 14 more lbs to go. Weight loss has definitely slowed tremendously, but I will NOT go back. Pray that I will be patient and persistent in doing what God has commanded. I could do not this without all of you cheering us on!