It is well with my soul

Today at church I heard a song that I have heard dozens of times before: It Is Well with My Soul. I have always loved this song because of the words and the story behind it.

Most people know song's history but many others haven't so I'll give the Readers' Digest version of the story.


In the 1870's, Horatio Spafford wrote the hymn after 3 major life tragedies (in this order): His only son died, the Great Chicago fire ruined him financially and  his 4 daughters died at sea (only his wife survived). He was inspired to write the words to It Is Well with My Soul as the ship he was on (to go to be with his wife who was in Europe) reached the area where his daughters died.


When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Typically, I hear the song at church, sing it and then go on my way but today, it caused me to do some (forgive me) "soul searching".

  You hear people talk about working on their overall being: Mind, Body & Soul. You hear a lot of talk of people saying the believe in something with all their heart & soul. And, you hear of people looking to save lost souls. So, I have to ask. What exactly is a soul?

Here's one definition: the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part.

Huh?

Okay, so maybe I'm getting off on a bunny trail here.

My  point is, the soul is a very important part of who each and every one of us are and to be successful at anything, you have to believe  and commit to it with your MIND, BODY, SOUL!!!.

History lesson aside, this has been a week of soul searching and figuring out what I do and don't want out of life.

On Monday, I had my first meeting with a Dietitian at Covenant Weight Management Center. It was the first time I had been weighed since our initial meeting. It was fun seeing all the numbers go down (Weight, BMI, etc). In our meeting, we discussed what I am doing right (which is always nice to hear) and what I am not doing right. I don't drink enough water (never have) and I have way too much caffeine (but that bunny trail I took earlier is a clear example of that). I learned about carbs and proteins and the dangers of sugar/fat  and salt/fat combinations. Tasty yet dangerous combinations.  You can read all about Covenant Weight Management here.


I also got to catch up with one of the nicest and certainly most inspiring ladies I know: Sherry from Season 9 of the Biggest Loser. Since this season's finale is coming up, we went to check in with her for a story that will air on Live at Five at 4.  She admits that she's up a bit in her weight (which I don't really believe because I thought she looked INCREDIBLE). We talked a lot about my weight loss adventure and she reminded me of something she said to her daughter on their first episode of the show. Ashley had told her mother that she didn't think she could do everything that was expected of her while they were on the show and Sherry looked at her and said to her, "But what if you can?". I love that--she's such a great mom!! That was a game changer for both of them and they went on to be two of the most successful contestants that season. I left with renewed interest in my task at hand: Exercising and losing weight.
 
Tuesday, we met with Chris, our trainer and life coach and talked about setting goals.  Okay, this is where I'm really going to have to do a LOT of soul searching. To be perfectly honest, other than graduating college, getting a job and buying a house, I have never really thought about goals. There's something scary and overwhelming about putting down on paper dreams you want to make a reality.  I came out of there thinking about life and what I really want to achieve in it. For you "Nosey Nellies" who are wondering, the very first thing I wrote on my goal list was: Change my life for the better. There, I put it out there, I don't want to just lose weight, I want to make myself better in every way: Mind, Body & Soul.
You can learn more about Chris' Strong Within life coaching by visiting his website.

On Saturday morning, we met for more training. This time, we walked a greenway in Knoxville that I had never knew existed...4.5 miles in all (behind Sam's & Walmart on Walker Springs).  Missy & Amanda were my walking buddies and we had great talks about life, weight, walking, Christmas and Carrie Underwood (don't ask).  It's fun getting to know the members of the Weightloss Challenge group. Many of them have their own personal blogs that are worth checking out. You can by visiting this Facebook Page or going to the Offical home page.

So there you have it: A very looooong look at an even longer week full of socializing and soul searching. I'm working on my body...and my soul (I gave up on my mind a long time ago ;).

Have a blessed week!
Philippians 4:13