Jeff

Taken about five years ago on our 10th anniversary

I was going to blog about my family and our trip to St. Louis, but I decided that anything I would have said about it would probably be boring to everyone except my family members and would most likely bore them as well. I imagine that most of the things that I think are exceptional in my family are just that - exceptional WITHIN my family. There is nothing really worthy of anyone else's time or attention.

Don't get me wrong. These moments are precious to me and I am so thankful that the Lord has seen fit to allow me to care for my children and raise them up for this moment in time and no one will ever be able to convince me that my kids are just mediocre. They must be in my book the very best that is out there!

All that said, this post is about my husband.

He hates when I write about him but I may this time just have to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. And so as not to bore anyone, I will present him in a series of blogs. This is not really to pump him up or boast in anyway, but to just show him how deeply I appreciate HIM and all that he has done for me. And Easter is a good time to start since it is my Redeemer and Lord who has granted Jeff to me.

If you notice in this most picture and if you have any history with us at all, you can see that Jeff is looking quite fit and trim (as well as me). About three years ago (and 35 pounds heavier), Jeff came under deep conviction of how he was treating his body - in the food he ate, how much food he ate, how he exercised (in his case lack of any exercise) and how he rested and recuperated. From that point on, we have been on a journey of how to properly care for our bodies to keep them in the best shape possible, both for service for our King and also for our children. We have not gone crazy on organic foods and wheat germ (although I must say we are headed in that direction) but we are exercising regularly, making sure we rest our bodies and trying to eat moderately and naturally.

I always keep nice ideals of how my life should be in my head but to live them out on a consistent basis...well that is where Jeff has pushed me. He commits to it, he does it. I have been so impressed with his dedication to lifestyle changes and it has motivated me to change many of the habits in my life that were just causing me to function like I had sludge in my blood.

Today I feel healthier and fitter than I have in...well....a really, really long time. I truly do not think I would have made these changes on my own. I am not even sure I would continue if I did not have Jeff researching everything and regularly giving me articles to read. He has challenged me in ways that I didn't even think I needed challenged in (as I always assumed I was healthier than him :-0). He has also helped me see how I can help HIM in what I cook, how much I serve, etc....

So, this is today's entry. Why? Perhaps it was because I felt a freedom that I did not need to gorge on Easter dinner food or candy, and I am quite literally much stronger today because of Jeff. Thank you Jeff for helping me be a good stewart of my body and thanks for kicking me out of bed (in the most loving manner, of course) when I am too lazy to get out on my own to work out.