Day ONE.

I've had a lot of "day ones" lately. Not in order of importance...

Number one "day one" - I started a new job this past Monday. I'm Ungerboeck Software International's new online content copywriter, and dang proud of it. No, I didn't dislike my previous employer. I loved that place and I loved my coworkers. But, I was given the opportunity to work part-time under the leadership of my former employer's former VP of marketing, doing something I am nuts about, at a building that is less than three minutes from my house. It's a left turn out of my subdivision and a left turn down a single road to the parking lot. I leave my home at 7:56 a.m. and get there early for an 8:00 start time. I am able to pick up Hannah from daycare before I would have even gotten out of the building at InteliSpend. Needless to say, the fact that it's a hop (not even a skip or a jump) from my house is a bit of a perk.

Number two "day one" - Over the past several weeks I have been educating myself on the Paleo diet and the great things that can happen with clean eating habits. I talk a lot about what a lemon I am, yes? It would be nice not to talk like that anymore. While it's become somewhat of a hobby of mine, I really do hate being sick. I feel sluggish, I have headaches, and I struggle with peaks and valleys of mental well-being on a daily basis. A few women at my old company started a "30 day cleanse" that involved removing anything processed from the diet for 30 days, including grain, sugar, dairy, and alcohol. Honestly, I thought it was probably a fad or an unrealistic approach at weight loss, but I went online to whole9life.com and read about the Whole 30 program. The more I read, the more it made sense. Then I bought the book authored by the site owners, It Starts with Food, and I read it in a little over a week. That's not something I do, but I found it all really practical and interesting. All the same, I was very fearful about starting this because I didn't want to "detox" from food and feel all sorts of crabby while starting a new job. And then I was fearful about missing out on drinking occasions because mama likes wine. And then I was fearful of not indulging on Valentine's Day. And then I was fearful about never starting. So, last night I decided I would start today. I did. I can't say I wasn't hyper-aware of what I couldn't eat today, but I got through it and now that the day is done I feel good about it. I ate very well. Natural. It was kind of neat to get out of my comfort zone. Plus, I realized that the new job would likely be a good distraction from my desire to eat, so I am talking myself into it. After the 30 days, the next step in the program is to reintroduce the eliminated foods one at a time for a few days each to see how my body reacts. I'm led to believe via book and website that I will feel so good and have so much energy after my body adjusts to this natural way of eating that I won't crave or miss the unnatural stuff. Except wine. I mean, that's nothing more than grapes that sat out and got pressed, right? Oh, and hopefully I'll lose some weight. I would like to fit back into the old jeans that I refuse to trash. Wish me luck.

Number three "day one" - I started a bible study last night at my church. I've been wanting to enlist since joining Calvary several years ago but for whatever reason - I was in school, I was pregnant and lazy, I had a baby - I just haven't done it. The study is weekly, women only, and this particular session is focused on the book What Happens When Women Say Yes to God. I selected this study because I sometimes get the sense that God is calling me to something I don't necessarily want to do. I think I've spent a fair amount of time in my life saying "no" when I should have said "yes" and vice versa. With all of the trials my family and I have faced over the past year, I have also found myself asking God "WHY?" I want to feel more comfortable identifying the call and answering it affirmatively.

Here's to day one and beyond..............