14 Days till 2015

I know i started my last post like this but guess what?... I looked at my last post and was wowed out by how long ago it all seemed! *giggle*

1. Newton and I broke up! I felt betrayed, mistreated, battered and bruised and most importantly i felt as though he had really wasted my time!! But when i took the time to reflect, I realised that it wasn't a total waste of time, he just really taught me what I don't want in a relationship, I just wish I had left sooner because even when I was writing the last post i knew that i should leave but I convinced myself repeatedly that I had to give him a little more time to dig his own grave! I'm never going into a relationship where I have to compromise more than half of my personal values, real WASTE I tell you.

2. I passed second semester!! WHOOP WHOOP!! Super weird how I almost failed on of the subjects!! Just super super sucks because I believe I invested so much more time this semester than last but my marks this semester were lower... I forgive myself though because this year was just a lot to swallow and I've had to just carry on and I'm alright with that. Under the circumstances i did well. I'm going to do better next time. 

3. I did my license in October and I passed!!!! YAY!!! Another item to tick of my to do list!! Funny thing about driving is that even after you have the license you're learning something new every time you drive. Concentration is key!

This year has been quite weird it's all going to be over in 14 short days and then we'll count this year as history. I've looked over my new years resolutions and i think I've done pretty well. I didn't complete everything but I'm quite impressed with the determination that was prevalent throughout the year. I do have quite a bit to work on and top of the list is SELF-DISCIPLINE, that's going to be my constant theme throughout the course of next year!! I've come to realise that when all is said and done it's all about what you make this body do or not do (this theory is totally in line with my beliefs and values and so I aim to live by it).

Just 14 more days to go!!

8 Months in!!

I looked at my last post and was wowed out by how long ago it all seemed!

1. Newton and I will have been dating for 6 months on the 17th of this month (I've learned quite a lot about myself, relationships, my boyfriend and the world around in this time). Lessons that are quite interesting and perhaps quite important to share: FIRSTLY: relationships in real life are nothing like the ones on tv and movies, real ones require more than just a dramatic first meeting. SECONDLY: you cannot expect more in a relationship than you are willing to sacrifice, this is a real recipe for disaster. THIRDLY: all relationships are different I can't measure mine and what's going on in mine to anyone else's all I can do is pray for my partner and enjoy the ride.

2. I graduated on 16 May (I'm so glad I went to the actual ceremony!! Although there was tears in my eyes that I wasn't able to share that day with the people I had been on school with, and that it was only happening 3 years later, on that day I celebrated personal victory and geared myself up for first semester exams for my second qualification).

3. I passed first semester!! Whoop whoop!! Not as well as I would've liked to but that's ok, I have semester two to sort myself out and make sure that I make time each and every week to study and work on each subject so that when exam season comes I'm not pressed for time like last time! Get thee behind me procrastination!!

4. I did my license test sometime in June.. And I failed :-( but I got another date and I have another chance to try so chin up and here we go again!!

This year so far has been quite the roller coaster but guess what??... It's really not as bad as it seems! I was talking to this lady this afternoon and I've come to realise and acknowledge what a spoiled brat I've been lately just because things haven't been going entirely my way... I have decided to surrender my will to God and allow Him to take the lead and whatever he decides will be fine with me.

Help me Lord to believe and know that you have my best interests at heart.

It is well with my soul 

APRIL ALREADY

It's the last day of March and I can't help but note HOW fast this year is going by. I'm reminded of some resolutions I made at the beginning of the year and I look now at the list and can't help but be SUPER amazed at how fast this year is flying by... before i know it the semester will be over and I'll be writing mid year exams.

Some points that I have to note is that:

1. I have a boyfriend now. His name is Newton, and he's super amazing (I'd been single for almost 4 years before him so it's going to take some patience to now start sharing my life with someone else. Where I was able to stay up doing my own work at my own pace I now spend a lot of my time replying to mails, replying texts, calling and chilling with a new person in my life).

2. I started a BBA course almost at the end of February (I haven't really studied or applied my mind and intellect to anything in a while and so this comes as quite the challenge but I'm so glad to be taking this step as it gives me opportunity to, with no excuses apply my mind to studying something that I have chosen myself and excel at it, not to prove anything to anyone but to strut at the knowledge that I have obeyed my parents and now I'm doing what I've chosen).

3. I'm graduating in May (after completing my course I was unable to graduate as my parents were unable to pay the rest of my school fees so I had to make an arrangement with the university to make small payments until I get a decent job, to pay them off properly, and that's exactly what I did, even when times were tough I made monthly payments of R200 a month, this I did faithfully from January 2011 till November 2012 when I finally got a job that payed me decently enough to make bigger payments. Finally, last year I made my last payment and applied to graduate in the first graduation for the year and last month I got a letter saying CONGRATULATIONS!! At first I didn't want to walk up the isle and experience graduation, but now, even though it'll be quite an expensive exercise, I believe I owe it to too many people, i.e. My God, My family and MYSELF).

4. I'm working towards getting my license by the end of this year (unlike other years, this year I am taking the bull by the horns literally and taming it's bully ASS!! I'm going to apply to test and test until I get it. I truly hope that I get it fist time because it's quite an expensive beast to conquer but THIS year I'm doing what I've been putting off for just WAY too long).

There's alot of things that I wanted to do this year, that I even put on my news year's resolutions, that I haven't got around to doing but, judging by the things I have achieved this year, I'm not complaining, instead I'm celebrating and re-looking, re-strategising... so that when the year is over I'll say I did exactly what I had planned to do and SO much more!

Welcome April...
You're here way sooner than I anticipated, but at least you haven't caught me inactive, I'm ready for whatever it is you have up your sleeve!!

So much more is expected...

There's been a 2 week crusade at our church that started last friday and will end next sabbath. Last night's sermon has really put the tone on the rest of the year. I felt spoken to directly. The pastor is Pastor Randy Skeet, and that man is anointed of God, he has probably read the Bible like 50 times over because he recites it and other good literature as if it is imprinted in his mind. Yesterday the title of the sermons was, "why is the first commandment first?"and the scripture reading was from Gen 25:29-34 (the story of Esau selling his birthright to his younger brother Jacob)

Some lessons that I gathered from the sermon last night are:

• Do not allow temporal "needs" come between  those things that are supposed to be 
• your most valuable possession
• Do not take advantage of others. God takes this personally.
• DO NOT HELP GOD! Just trust Him to do what's best for you.
• Whomever/ whatever directs your life & choices becomes your god/ God (you need to decide carefully)
• When God commissions you to do something, don't give excuses, just DO IT, He will enable you. Ex 4:10-17
• You must not fear that you'll lose something from being obedient to God, if you do lose it, then that thing was not worth having to even begin with.
• The tendencies of the natural heart of the natural heart are downward so you have to make a conscious decision to choose God.
• You need to determine in your heart who your God is , because it is that God that will help you in the time of the end. 

At some point he was speaking of education as he was talk ing about the events of Daniel 1 and the determination of the 4 hebrew boys to hold firm to the teachings of their parents and how much more is expected of me as a child of God, i cannot be mediocre simply because I'm a child of God, there's a certain level of excellence that God EXPECTS.

And so the tone was set.

God will help me. As I remember why the first commandment was made first.

Running vs LIFE

I did my first half marathon yesterday, didn't do it in "marvellous" time but what counts for now is that I finished. 

There are so many lessons that I picked up while running, and as I'd learn, I'd smile to myself and continue running. We started off by arriving somewhat late, if there was nothing we need to do before the starting time it would've been fine but some team members of ours needed to get race numbers from another team members so the task was to help each other find the missing race numbers even after the gun had gone off. About 5 minutes into the race while floating amongst hundreds of people it dawned on me that we're all living life, all on a stairway to one of two places, heaven or hell. We're striving we're all fighting in one way or the other to achieve what we perceive to success. Another very important point that dawned on me is that Jesus knows each of us by name and know everyone of our businesses, to the last detail as if you were the only on the road. 

While running I came across some interesting characters, some of which I had seen at races before this one. The one that caught my attention quite intensely is this white old lady who walks. Now, when I say walks, I don't mean a slow, lazy pace but a very brisk and fast pace, if I'd estimate i'd say she walks at about 6,8 - 7km/hour and she keeps that pace throughout... She doesn't slow down at all... In fact for a while she was ahead of me, then when I regained my energy I zoomed past her, but she made me think of how important it is to be consistent in the good things you decide to do. 

Then there was was this black couple, I'm not sure what their names were, I didn't really ask... All I know is that we were with each other throughout the race, they'd go ahead of me and rest and vice versa... The guy was mostly encouraging the lady. They both taught me how important it is to have an accountability partner or a companion that you can walk this life with, for the benefit of both of you. (They ended up finishing a little ahead of me)

Then finally there was this random guy who just started running with me, as we ran he would tell me bout the people he was running with before he got to me, we kept a good pace but after a while I felt a bit sapped and soaked out having to encourage while I was struggling myself so I left him for the sake of my sanity. He wasn't a bad partner for a while but when he started feeling heavy I had to cut him off. He ended up beating me at the end but that's not the point. I just learned this important unwritten rule that if it's too heavy for you to carry, weigh your options, if it's worth keeping then carry your cross with patience, but if not... Do not hesitate to cut all ties!! It'll do you the world of good, even if it turns out that you made a bad choice... Don't regret! You did what you thought was good for you at the time... So it's fine!!

Here's to remembering the first 21,1km I ever ran!!

Another year!!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!

24 YEARS OLD, AND NOT EVEN ASHAMED!

Another year has gone by and all I can do is give thanks and celebrate life that I've been gifted with! God has been super gracious to me. 

I believe I've done really well! Looking at my past achievements and the things I've challenged myself to do, just for today I can look at everything and say well done ME!! Tomorrow I'll look at what I can better but today's just time set aside to give myself a pat on the back and just smile about it :-)

THANK YOU GOOGLE!! 

You're definitely making some kind of progress!

I've been trying to lose weight for the longest time but for the first time last year some weight started shedding off but that was purely because i actually put my back into it. Started exercising regularly, eating as clean as I could, in winter i even started running (as in road running and doing some road running races). It was really cool. I was getting so excited, by october I had lost an incredible 16 Kg's.

I believe I started getting somewhat big headed or something but I gained 3 kg's by December and I've been on this same weight since. My goal is to shed 25Kg's this year. I need to finally reach my GOAL weight. I've been seeing so many people I know or people I knew looking great in their "new bodies" and I'm not jealous but i can't help looking at my own body and thinking WHY ME!?!?! I know I have to work a bit harder especially where food is concerned because apparently weight loss is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise so i can't slack not even one bit in that regard!

Just when I was starting to think I'm not getting anywhere with this weight loss thing someone I met in November, at the time of my supposed weight gain told me that she's noticing that I've lost quite a lot of weight since she first met me which was late last year.

This made me think of a very crucial life lesson, and that is: if you're putting in the time and effort, you're definitely making some kind of progress, no matter how small. I remember blogging about the fact that it is all the small victories that make up the big victory, and this theory is so important and true especially if you're as hard on yourself as I tend to be and I just keep having to remind myself that no matter how small the progress is, it still counts as progress!

Here's to making progress!!

getting really close to the mark!