A bridge believer: VICTORY!

What an incredible morning with a glorious God and incredible friend. Stephanie and I got up incredibly early (much to my shagrin if you know me AT ALL). What an incredible way to start your day. It was incredible weather, the sun was absolutely amazing on the cooper river bridge. It was one of those moments that I was running and I stopped in thankfulness and thought "wow, I GET to live HERE!" Of all places I could be, in all the bondages that people are in... I get to live in a beautiful city like Charleston and in a country where I am Free. I am incredibly thankful to all who fought, are fighting or have family/friends fighting. Your sacrifice is incredibly appreciated and I do not take it lightly. Thankful for all of you and to a God who is truly the one who sets us free. Stephanie had never run the bridge before and I was so honored to be the friend to run it with her and make her a believer: A BELIEVER OF HERSELF. People doubt themselves way too much! "If you would believe as much as you doubt, your whole world would change." That right there is straight up truth! She now confidently knows that her body is absolutely incredible and is way more capable of enduring things. She is strong, relentless & to see her finish that bridge with that look of victory in her eyes was awesome. I love it! The best part for me was that we ran a total of 6 miles in an hour. AN HOUR! Please don't get me wrong. I know this does not exactly make me Asapha Powell or anything like that. (He is the fastest man in the world for those who don't know who he is... ps: he takes Double X vitamins! I take and represent the vitamins of a champion! Whats up!) So even though I fall way short of the standard that he has set for the world, I am so stinkin' excited! When i first started working out, weighing 281.8 pounds, I could not even run a straight away around the gym (several feet) and I just ran 6 miles averaging 10 minute miles and I could've kept going but we ran out of bridge. It was amazing because it dawned on me as I was coming down the slope that if I truly pushed myself and tested my limits that I could complete the 6 miles in less than an hour (and I was 2 minutes under!). That sprinting and that personal growth and victory sent a fire and passion through me that I think will be key in accomplishing losing these last 43 pounds to hit my 150 goal. "I'm baaaaacckkk!" God is so good and faithful. He makes me stronger and strengthens me daily in every area of my life. Thankful for a beautiful morning! It was followed up with a Praise and Worship service at church where we pretty much just sang the whole time. I seriously wept. I can honestly say that I have NEVER done that. This last month in my life I have truly learned that though people mean well, they disappoint you because they are humans... just as I dissapoint many people. Many times. Many days but God never fails us! He truly loves us so very much. As I have been journeying to love HIM and seek His face my heart has been so radically changed and I am starting to just minimally grasp it because let's be real, I am not sure my simple human mind could ever even begin to comprehend His ultimate, never failing, unconditional LOVE. AGAPE love. It's beautiful and it moved me to tears. I couldn't help but my heart to be completely and utterly overwhelmed by his love. If I am never to marry, His love is completely enough for me. [ok, those of you who truly know me and my true hearts desires are probably either 1) freaking out right now that I have grown enough to even make that bold of a statement or 2) accusing me of lying. ha!] It truly has come to a place where it is satisfying me... it's filling me...because I am letting it. I still struggle for sure. It's a daily battle to take up that cross but He is my ultimate love (and I was reminded of that on the bridge by some chalked up awesomeness that someone put there as a beautiful reminder).

Becoming Blair...

God is so good and faithful. I truly every single day am falling more and more in love with HIM and who He is. Truly. I find myself longing to be with Him, longing to read books about Him, longing for His comfort. What an incredible place that is. This has been quite an incredible journey that I have ventured on in the past 2.5 years. I have lost 107 pounds with 43 to go as far as my health/weight loss is concerned. I've gone from a size 26 to a 12 (and some 10's in dresses! eek!!). I used to take a mess of health medications as well as anti-depressants. I used to struggle with depression & thoughts that were un-godly and not of the Lord. I didn't want to live. I truly hated Blair Christie. I give Him 100% all of the Glory in my life and for the things that I have overcome. My determination, dedication, self-control, will to win... whatever you want to call it... it ALL came from Christ. He was my strength & I will praise Him for it ever more. Thanks for being my everything when I feel so empty & small. God really can do whatever He wants. He is so powerful & so good to us because He loves us. I went from pure hatred to actually loving me. I'm truly finding out who I want to be... more than that, who HE created me to be. His perfect plan for me. His perfect purpose for me and every detail that gets refined as I seek His face just blows me away. He really loves me and cares for me and I am perfectly created by Him. For most of my life I felt so unworthy of love. I felt like I was going to be this lonely, ugly, no good single woman who was never good enough for anything she strived for. Excuse my language but: What a LIE from the PIT OF HELL! Truly! It's my prayer that women, especially single ladies my age, will be released from the bondage of Satan and his lies and deceit. You are worthy. You are beautiful. You are loved. You have something to offer. Stop wallowing in your lack. Your lack of certain looks. Your lack of money for certain clothes. Your lack of a boyfriend, fiance or husband. Your lack of children. Your lack of personality traits. JUST STOP. STOP SCRUTINIZING WHERE YOU LACK! STOP STARING AT YOUR WEAKNESSES! STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHER PEOPLE, OTHER WOMEN. STOP FOCUSING ON YOU! Truly it's not about US! [ps: the yelling/intensity is because I have been there and still am there most days. It is a daily struggle and battle to WIN MY MIND; to commit to the Lord.] I focus on ME, ME, ME and a little more of ME [and a side order of Me] and that is what binds us. It completely binds us up! We are so selfishly looking in at ourselves and what we lack and we aren't focusing on Christ. We are here for HIS Glory- not ours! He is made perfect in our weaknesses! Don't doubt you- He made you. Start becoming you. Don't become who your boyfriend wants you to be or the cute waiter from Mellow Mushroom. Don't become who your best friend is or the girls who are getting the attention. Don't even become the most admirable person you know or someone who mentors you and you're so thankful for. BECOME YOU. I'm becoming..BLAIR... and I kinda like it. :)

Fighting for 50!

Well here I am. It's a brand new year and I thought I would have hit my goal of 150 pounds by now. I have not and I am completely 100% ok with that. God is so good in teaching me that this is a journey. Weight loss definitely does not happen over night and He has molded me so much during this process. He truly is refining me and shaping me into something that only He could've pictured, imagined or created.... actually, for the first time in my life... I believe this statement: I am becoming something quite lovely and beautiful. Not because of my looks or because I weigh less but because I like me. I never have liked me during my entire lifetime...but I finally really like me. There are things that I definitely still need to work on and improve but it's nice to not hate who you are. I praise God for His mighty goodness and strength in getting me through this so far and I know that this year will be the year of victory in his goal. It's not over though once I hit my 150 pounds lost. I am excited about spending the reest of my life in health and praising God for his gracious mercies that renew me each and every day.

So if you read back my last couple post I keep saying... Ok, for real. FOR REAL THIS TIME. ok, seriously.. I am going to blog. Well my life is busy. I am a roomate. I am a friend. I own an Amway Business that is growing like crazy. I am a full time special education teacher. I am an avid exerciser. I am a student (both for work and because I choose to study Gods word and books that make me grow as a person). I am a daughter. i am a Christian and seeker of Christ. I could go on. My life is definitely busy! Its amazing what opportunities have opened up to me since I have lost the weight and really started liking who I was. Which is why I am busy! So bare with me.... I am on the last stretch. I finally broke my crazy plateu and am moving forward in a big way. I have 50 pounds to go and it will not be long. My new goal is to reach the last 50 by June 2011. We shall see. :) This stretch is definitely interseting because as of the last month I have really had to start implementing more strength training because of where I am in my weight loss. The more muscle I have the better. I am actually starting to get a little bit of Guns!! it's awesome...sometime I find myself staring at my arms in unbelief. I cannot believe just a litle over a year ago I weighed 281.8 pounds! I forget what it's like to be that big. Man, God is good and He strengthens me daily!

By the way--- if you make a goal and don't hit it. GET UP! SHAKE IT OFF! DONT GET DISCOURAGED! RESET YOUR GOAL AND CONTINUE RUNNING! :)


Love you guys! :) Fighting for 50!