DutchBeingMe

#PrimeParentsClub: Do you have a Social Media Will?

Written on May 9, 2012

I have my first post up over at Prime Parents Club. Would love if you would take a look…

Have you ever thought about what would happen to your FaceBook page, Twitter account, email, or even your blog if you would pass away, become ill or incapacitated? Do you have a plan in place should something happen to you? Does your family know what you would like to do? Do you have friends or family that would contact your social media connections to let them know?

Read more about this over at Prime Parents Club…

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Prime Parents Club

Why summer camp is important…

Written on May 3, 2012

Camping has been a part of my family since before I was born. Going out and enjoying the great outdoors, sleeping in close quarters and just being able to enjoy the campfires and community with each other is something that happened each and every summer. But another thing that I did in elementary school was go to summer camp for a week. I remember sleeping in the bunks, jumping in the pool, singing songs around the campfire and just getting to know the kids that were around me.

In high school the closest thing I had to summer camp were my youth group experiences at Colorado Challenge. And I can honestly say, going out to Colorado those two summers was a pure highlight and showed me that I was blessed with some of the best friends a girl could have. Without those summers, I don’t know where I would be right now.

My brother, Mike, has first hand knowledge of summer camp. He worked at a camp in Michigan for 8 years – 4 as summer staff and 4 years on-site full time. You don’t have to look far to see how much the camp experience changed my brother’s life – and especially the passion he still has about how lives are changed when kids are there.

I’ll let him tell you…

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#iWillRockThis: Starting Out…

Written on May 1, 2012

I cried this morning as I got ready for work. I don’t often do that. But I also don’t often weigh myself either.

But I’m starting a new journey… or rather, continuing my journey. I’ve shared my weight loss journey before – especially the highs when I reached goal weight and maintained it for nearly 18 months.

Then the voices in my head became louder and more pronounced, telling me that I am not worth it. Telling me that I am not beautiful and that no one will ever love me. Telling me lies day after day. And I started to believe these lies.

I started to not feel like myself. I started to gain weight and recommit each Monday to a new weight loss plan or idea or book that might help me.

But nothing every seemed to change. Really I did nothing to change the addiction that held me. The addiction to fast food. The addiction to diet soda. And the addiction to over-eating in private.

So now I’m getting honest. Honest with myself and with you. (As you will see in a moment… REALLY honest.)

Over the last nearly 2 years, I’ve been to countless (well, I *could* probably count them, but I won’t) therapy appointments. I’ve been to numerous doctors appointments.

My goal weight is approximately 160 pounds.

Which means I’ve gained more than 115 pounds in about 2 years.

This brings the shame that I spoke about before.

This brings fear. This bring tears. This brings sadness.

I don’t want to be like this. I’ve said it a million and one times here before, and I’ll probably say it a million and one times again.

But I want to be wearing my size 8 jeans comfortably again. Not squeezing into size (maybe) 20 jeans.

I want to shop in the stores where I have multitudes of choices. Not limited to a few stores where I feel horrible each time walking in.

And one of my biggest fears is seeing the “300″ number on the scale again.

So I’m starting on a journey today – a two-month journey – where I’ve put my money where my mouth is and signed up for the #iWillRockThis weight loss challenge with Wendy.

If I win – I get multitudes of awesome prizes. If I don’t officially win… well, then I win just by losing weight I hadn’t worked at losing before. So really… it’s a win/win situation for me.

I need support. If you live near me, ask me to take a walk with you. If you don’t, maybe we can go on a virtual walk together. Maybe you have some great recipe or cooking ideas for this (seriously!) ever so picky eater. I’m going to work to get back to eating whole, real foods as my priority. But that means I have to go grocery shopping too.

If you are on My Fitness Pal or MapMyRun… be sure to find me there. I’d love for some support as I’m tracking my food each day.

I’m hoping that this “funk” I’m feeling after this morning’s weigh in will wear off soon… because I’m anxious to lose some weight and get back to a healthy life.

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weight loss

Some #inRL thoughts…

Written on April 30, 2012

Over the past couple of years I’ve been an (in)Courage stalker. Periodically reading a post here and there… finding nuggets of wisdom, being humbled and/or encouraged, as well as learning about myself – and that I’m not alone – along the way.

And then I heard about the (in)RL “conference” that would be held locally all over the world. That anyone could join in no matter where you lived. And then my friend Jen said that she would be hosting one in nearby Grand Rapids.

I was in. Even though I was skeptical about what I was going to learn and wondering who I was going to meet while there. And especially with how I’ve been feeling about my faith lately. {But that’s a whole other story for another time.}

Words cannot begin to express the gratitude that I did. Not only did I cry on Friday night… I felt a leading to do something and take a chance like I haven’t felt in a long time. On Saturday, I met new friends, reconnected with those I’ve known and felt a peace throughout it all.

There were wonderful words spoken by so many gifted women. There were stories of community, stories that brought hope and stories that brought tears. And there was chocolate. {An essential for any gathering of this type!}

The one big thing that I walked away from this all is that I need community. I need people surrounding me. Whether this is family, “in real life” friends or “online buddies”… I need people that know me and know my heart. People that understand when I say that I’m “fine” or “ok” that my world is silently falling apart around me and that confusion is reigning supreme. People that will rejoice with me in where I go next and cry with me about how scared I am. People that will assure me that all will be ok.

I don’t know where I’ll be a year from now. I may be here in Holland… in Grand Rapids… or maybe in another place somewhere around the world.

But I do know one thing.

I will always have my local community. My blogging friends. And the (in)courage community.

And I will be at {in}RL in 2013. I’m already looking forward to it.

A very special thank you to the team of authors and everyone behind the scenes at (in)courage and Dayspring for putting this together. And especially to Lisa-Jo for being on twitter Friday night, and for what seemed like the ENTIRE day on Saturday (and most of Sunday too)… the inspirational messages and tweets that she shared throughout the time online was uplifting to so many and each of us was blessed by the work that she did.

Did you attend an (in)RL gathering? What were your thoughts?

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Conferences