Become Who I Am Looking For Is Looking For

For 2012 my main focus, my main goal, is: 

To become the person I am looking for is looking for. 

Last summer, my pastor, Andy Stanley, did a series entitled, "The New Rules of Love, Sex, and Dating."  For the entire nine years that I have been attending Buckhead Church, this is the first time a series has stuck with me for this long!

In the first part of the series, Andy states that he has never come across a married couple who has "a marriage problem". What it is instead is that people with problems get married. These people believe the "Right Person Myth"--When I marry or meet the right person, everything will be alright. Instead, their single people problems carry over into their marriage. 

(You can click on the link above to hear Andy's more eloquent description). 

Towards the end of the message, Andy challenges single people to fix their single people problems before they marry. Instead of trying to find the "right person" to fix your problems, he states, you need to become the right person! Become the Person who are looking for is looking for! Get out of debt! Quick your bad habits! Fix your "daddy/mommy issues"! 

So, in becoming the person I am looking for is looking for, here are my 2012 goals for the year! 

1. I am looking for a strong, godly, Christian man. 

I am going to work on a having a daily, stronger, more personal relationship with my Lord and Savior! 

If you have not read, Heaven is For Real, you need to add it to your list ASAP.

This, according to the Colton Burpo, is what Jesus looks like.

2. I am looking for someone who is wise with their money. 

I am going to find financial peace! I am going to get out of debt and I am going to live a life of financial margin!

3. I am looking for someone who is successful in their career and takes pride in their work. 

I am going to take and pass the Series 7 exam by the end of April!

4. I am looking for an educated, sophisticated man. 

I am going to read a list of classic novels that I was supposed to read in h.s. and college or that I have always wanted to read. The first few include Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma. 

5. I am looking for a person who takes care of their physical bodies and health. 

I am going to become more active, starting with the JFBC Polar Bear Run at the end of the month and possibly begin rowing this summer and I am going to make more of an effort in keeping up appearances.

Yes, Kate Middleton is my inspiration. I have no problem admitting this. 

6. I am looking for a man who is kind, generous, and loving. 

I am going to donate either my time or money more to charities around the community on a quarterly basis. 

7. I am looking for someone who is generally neat and tidy. 

Ok, so this one is more so for me personally, I just want to keep up a daily routine of keeping a clean house. Put my shoes away instead of kicking them off and leaving them on the floor, go through and throw away mail as it comes in; all of the small things that eventually add up. 

8. I am looking for a man who has strong relationships with their family and friends. 

 I am going to further strength my relationships with my close friends by getting together more often with them and showing my family and friends how much they mean to me!

These are my resolutions goals, what are some of yours? 

The butter stands alone

For the last few months now, I have been participating in a well known weight loss program. Not because I think I am overweight or because I want to look like a VS model, although that would be nice. It is just simply so that I can eat better and feel healthier. I feel that for the most part, I do relatively well. I eat whole wheat bread, I try to keep my meals balanced, I’ve given up most fast food chains, and I try to exercise on a regular basis.

Last night, I went to a meeting for said weight loss program and in this meeting, other members were talking about things that they enjoy eating. After talk of a steak filet wrapped in bacon which is then packaged in a thick, government-like plastic wrap, the most dreaded, unfathomable thing personally to me was brought up. SPRAY BUTTER. It was at this moment that I realized, I do, like my family likes to tease me about, LOVE butter. This is one thing that I cannot compromise on. You just can’t compare to hot bread, freshly out of the oven with melting sweet butter on it.

As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists. ~Joan Gussow

Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts! ~James Beard

The reference to the butter imposter lead me to start thinking on all food imitations. Why do people feel the need to substitute such basic and simple ingredients. (The same weight loss member who raved over her plastic wrapped steak, later admitted to being a gourmet chef who loves using fresh ingredients such as herbs.) Why do people also feel that in order to lose weight, they must substitute or even eliminate butter, chocolate, cheese and don’t forget about wine and in order to lose weight and eat healthy? Must I too, give up these things?! After a few panicked seconds, the answer was simple. No. I see no reason in giving up said diet no-no’s forever and ever, amen. I will instead make sacrifices in other places in my life—more time in the gym, smaller serving sizes, leaner cuts of meat. Those decisions, I feel, are more realistic in my life.

A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch. ~James Beard

This is not a retribution to those who do use imitation products, this is just a declaration to myself and Fabio that I cannot and will not give up these fundamental elements in my diet and a challenge to eat healthier, the way they did in the good ole days...with fresh ingredients!

We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons. ~Alfred E. Newman