At this point, we aren’t going to discuss how I tend to start bloggy things [i.e- Smile Wednesday] and then never follow through with them because dear blog reader, I don’t need any lip today. I haven’t had ice cream in a MONTH.

A MONTH.

And I don’t know if I’ve said, but I love ice cream. It’s just delicious and though I am really glad to be in the Get Fit Challenge it does not change the fact that ice cream is one of my favorite things and I think when we get to heaven it will be on every table and it will not melt and God loves me no matter what so He’s going to let me have as much ice cream as I want.

Ahem.

My apologies for that thing that just happened up there.

Anyways.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the last few months.

I think Jeremy and Skip would be really proud of this. Because I took this photo through my sunglasses. Ooohhh….. very artsy.

Something about this moment captured me on the train ride to Midway Airport in Chicago. The sleeping homeless man. The couple in love- the man worked at the airport and it seemed his lady just rode the train with him to drop him off at work. This photograph says a lot.

A happy night of feet. Singing. Laughing. Making up new bands. One of my favorite Nashville nights.

Seriously. That’s gotta make you want to live in Nashville. Even if just a little bit.

While I’m hanging out with my peeps at home, I wanted to let you know about a couple of things.

• I have a new article up at (in)courage. It’s all about the song “There’s A Hole In My Bucket.” Obviously.

• I wrote a new post on the ole Annie Gets Fit blog.

• There is a new video on the Get Fit page- my friend Annie and I are making a bean salsa medley thingy. Very healthy and very tasty. Watch the video HERE and then the recipe is RIGHT HERE. And though there is no cheese in the recipe, there is much talk of cheese. Per usual.

[The other option is to watch the video right here. It's larger and easier to see and I really do want you to try this recipe.]

• Thanks thanks THANKS for your prayers about my foot. It has healed well and I am back to exercising on it. [Not that I HATED having a day off or anything, but I am glad to be back to my workout regime.]

[Things I never planned to say: "glad to be back to my workout regime."]

See y’all tomorrow.

Psalm 91 (New International Version)

¹ He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

² I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

³ Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.

⁴ He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

⁵ You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

⁸ You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge-¹⁰ then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

¹¹ For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;¹² they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

¹³ You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.¹⁵ He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.¹⁶ With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

I don’t usually post on the weekends. It’s a boundary thing. It’s a give-the-people-a-break-from-Annie thing.

But I’m gonna today.

Because I think I need your prayers.

For some of you long-suffering bloggites, you may remember Fall 08 when THE CANKLE happened.

[And can I have a moment to rabbit trail here? As I found this post to link to it, I re-read some of the comments and realized that some of you have been putting up with my crazy for a long time. It kinda moved my heart. Thanks for still being here. I heart all of you readers out there. For realz.]

About a week before THE CANKLE happened, I wrote this post about how clumsy I had become as of late. Little did I know that I was about to fall off my porch and tear every ligament in my left ankle.

Which brings us to today. Or, actually, yesterday.

I was helping assemble a desk and dropped the drawer of the desk onto my right foot from approximately 3 feet up. Directly onto the top of my foot. [And I did not say one ungodly word, thank you very much.] Because I am a wimp, I complained about it all day Friday. But to be fair, it hurt a whole whole lot.

And today it is swollen and red with a bruise-ish outline. Not good.

DOUBLE not good since I’m supposed to workout EVERY DAY.

I’m gonna shoot you straight, bloggite. I’m not surprised. Because I know deep in my knower that this whole Get Fit Challenge thing is a big deal- for me personally and for those of you out there who need to watch this journey. I’m not ignorant of that fact. It’s not like I forget that people are watching. This isn’t a private Annie thing.

This is a God thing.

And so freak injuries, frustrations, lies running through my head like the Polar Express? They have a source. And according to John 10:10, that source is an enemy (Satan) who wants to steal, kill, and destroy.

I heard whispered encouragement to quit after my weigh-in. But I didn’t.

I heard whispered reminders that I’m too weak to do this. But I’m not.

I heard whispered threats that I’m going to fail in front of God and everybody. But I don’t think I will.

I heard whispered ideas that I should quit if it hurts, if I don’t see a change in the scale, if I don’t feel good. But I won’t quit.

So the fact that an injury was next in line? I. Still. Won’t. Quit.

And I’m telling you today because I need you to pray for me- for protection (physical, emotional, spiritual), endurance, wisdom, determination. All that jazz.

I’m not scared. But I am aware. And as this journey deepens and more people begin to understand the JOY of living your story in the light, the more I need to be covered.

So please pray.

But don’t worry. I’m not quitting. Cause I think the end of this story may be really really good. And I don’t want any of us to miss it.

[I'll be meditating on Psalm 91, a family favorite, this weekend. I invite you to do the same.]

Confessions of a Get Fit Challenge Star: I cheated.

A few days ago, I was at Lyndsay and Lauren’s house. Strangely enough, someone had delivered a King Cake to their place. Now, these girls are from Chicago, so they really haven’t experienced a true Southern Lent Season Kickoff [also known as Mardi Gras]. The basics, like what a King Cake is and what is inside the King Cake [small plastic baby] were things that the girls didn’t know.

Me being faithful to the Get Fit Challenge and all, I was not intending to have even a bite of the King Cake. Because hello CHEATERS NEVER WIN. And I want to win.

But then, the girls left me alone in the kitchen. With the forks. With the King Cake. A talking King Cake that says things like, “You are so pretty. Eat one bite.” and “No big deal, Annie, you exercised today.” and “Look me in the face and say you aren’t in love with me.”

What’s a girl to do, I ask you. I’m not superwoman. I can’t be expected to be stronger than a PASTRY COVERED IN ICING!

I pulled out a fork, and making a solemn vow to never mention this cheating moment, I scooped out a little cake and a LOT bit of icing.

[I'm betting you can guess what happened next....]

I put the fork in my mouth, savoring every high calorie moment, quickly and quietly so the girls don’t know. Until I bit down. On something hard.

THE. BABY.

I mean, seriously, y’all. What are the chances that I sneak ONE BITE and it is the ONE BITE containing the baby?!?

I had some options:

1. I could rinse the baby off and return it to the cake, no harm no foul.
2. I could throw the baby in the trash can [or maybe swallow it because shame knows no boundaries]. The girls don’t know anyways.
3. I could confess to my friends, have to not only explain WHY there is a plastic baby in my mouth but also what that means and how I now have to purchase the 2011 King Cake.

You know me well enough to know that I would THROW UP if I tried to swallow that plastic baby with its legs and arms all flailed about. So I confessed.

And they laughed. A lot.

Then took a picture.

[My face in this picture says, "I'll take this picture because it's funny. But more than funny, I'm mortified. Amen."]

Y’all have a great weekend. And please. Be strong against high pressure pastries. Or this could be you.

Because I don’t know if you know this, but Nashville has been covered in snow for a few months weeks days now.

Honestly, on and off for January and February, we have seen a ton of snow. [Which is a relative statement, I agree. By "ton," I mean "max 6 inches at a time."]

Not DC kind of snow. That junk is insane. 30+ inches? Man, if I lived up there, I would have put on my winter gear, opened a second story window, and jumped out it and right into a snow drift.

[Disclaimer: I have no idea if that would even be possible or wise, I'm just saying that it sounds like fun.]

I’ve discovered in the last few weeks that I was meant to be a Southerner. Now, y’all know good and well that I don’t like getting all hot and sweaty like what happens in South Georgia round about August.

[Most hillbilly sentence of my life? Done.]

But for as much as I dislike being outside on an August afternoon, I’m figuring out that I don’t much prefer the freezing temps that Nashville has been experiencing. I miss going outside. I miss the option to walk places. I’m tired of wearing the same five heavy sweaters over and over and over again.

Dear Nashville fashionistas, forgive me.

I’m just ready to be able to be outside. I. Like. Sunshine.

And bizarrely enough, it seems that we keep getting snow on Sundays and Mondays. I don’t really know why that is. But alas. Tis true. I wanna be all, “Hey weather system, what’s up with hitting Nashville on Mondays?”

I talked to my Hawaiian sister Tatum on the phone yesterday and told her that having snow and ice like this does bad bad things for my motivation to be a productive member of society. See, on a normal snow-free week, I plan out my schedule, know when I’m expected to be at each job, know when Bible study is and when dinners with friends are planned. And I attend all those things without complaint.

But, when the weather is so unreliable, you wonder if everything is going to be canceled. And you silently hope that it is. And Lazy Annie starts planning all the things she’ll do around the house if she’s “snowed in.” Like, you know, watch TV.

So while I appreciate the seasons, and while I do think it’s fun to take pictures of the snow and mail them to my Compassion kid Fred, I am quite sure that this Southern girl is ready for spring.

Which is unfortunate. Because it’s mid-February.

Weather Whine-Fest 2010 shall now cease.

On another note, let’s talk for one little minute about THE BACHELOR. I am SO glad Jake kept Tenley, surprised actually. Though I fear Vienna is going to win. [I could write a whole post about my thoughts on The Bachelor, but I've just waxed less-than-poetically about the weather. That's all the torture I'm inflicting on you for today.]

Your thoughts on weather [yours, mine, or in general], The Bachelor, or life are always welcome.

Because literally, it’s midnight and I have no idea where this blog post is going.

I guess I’ll just explain some things about some things.

1. The girls Bible study that I attend is doing Beth Moore’s Breaking Free. So. You can imagine how it is tearing.my.life.apart. [If you've ever done this study, you know exactly what I mean.] This entire winter/spring, my spiritual life is actually being somewhat dissected and messed with in general. So forgive me if we miss a few bloggy days here or there. I’m possibly on my face praying and dealing with God about something.

Possibly.

2. Also, I finally finished moving and unpacking boxes. My room is cutey-patootie. I’ve found the real joy is this little area. [Forgive the un-hung painting. That's the final step to room completion.]

There are approximately 45 jokes I want to make about this picture above [something about the shoes, about the "Gospel-Centered Life" notebook, about the abundance of off-white], but I’ll spare you.

This was my grandmother’s bedside table and for the first time since I inherited it in 1999, I feel like it’s living up to its potential.

3. I never know whether to say “it’s” or “its” and I feel really bad about it. Don’t judge me.

4. I have a new video on the GET FIT website. [At some point, I am really going to HAVE to quit choosing humor over self-respect.]

5. I am super excited that I get to go to Marietta for a few days next week. It’s Molly’s birthday party AND my friend Jennifer will be having a baby AND my parents are there AND I’m speaking at a chapel service for a private school AND I’m seeing some friends from my former life when I had good insurance as a teacher AND I’m hoping Kathleen will let me come over and hang out with her family and maybe she’ll teach me how to cook something new.

Pretty much, I’m homesick.

6. Saturday morning is book club. My favorite day of the month.

7. Ben Rector’s album Into The Morning comes out today. His voice is like the ocean. You should get it. [Not his voice. Who do you think you are? Ursula? I meant you should get his album. Sheesh.]

8. Also, plan on attending the Help Haiti Live event. Even if you aren’t in Nashville or LA, you can watch online. Good music for a good cause? Don’t mind if I do.

9. Wanna see how some girls are meeting a unique ministry need here in Nashville? Check out Road Widows.

10. Thanks for being here today. Tell me something. I’m all ears.

[BONUS: Spell-check just corrected "patootie" from "patootey." There's your spelling lesson for today.]

I had to swing by the bank yesterday. I haven’t used this particular branch before, so I missed the turn.

[please try to contain your shock]

And so I had to circle around a Taco Bell [no, I didn't purchase anything though I would SWEAR I heard the cinnamon twists calling my name, but I can't be sure]. As I did, I saw an African American dude walk out of the restaurant. He looked dirty, he looked homeless, and he looked tired.

I watched as he crossed in front of me. He opened a plastic cup of sliced oranges and poured it into his mouth. Then as he walked by, he looked right at me. He stared at my eyes and I couldn’t help but begin to wonder about his life. How did he get here? Where was his mama? Where will he sleep? When will he eat again?

And who was his 3rd grade teacher?

A weird question, I know. But I looked at him and I saw his little self. I looked in his face and saw what he looked like when he sat in a desk, turned in his spelling test, and ran around on the playground.

It brought me to tears. Because I taught over 150 students in five years. And I remember all of their names [I'm kinda a freak like that]. And I bet they remember mine, cause kids always remember their teachers.

My 3rd grade teacher was Mrs. Albers. She knows how I turned out- I had lunch with her about 2 years ago. But I wonder if somewhere, that young man’s teacher sits at home tonight and is curious about him. I wonder if she pulls out that class picture and looks at each face, remembers handwritten notes and Christmas gifts, and daydreams about who her students became as adults.

Because kids don’t forget their teachers. And teachers don’t forget their kids.

I prayed for that guy there in the Taco Bell parking lot. I also prayed for my students. I prayed that they would use their minds [in which I poured knowledge, and a few jokes] to keep getting an education. That at every turn they would look to make the wise choice. That somehow they would remember my name and in some weird mindmap connection, that would remind them that they can be anything they want to be.

I hope my kids are okay. I wonder about them.

Your teachers probably wonder about you too, you know.

Who was your favorite teacher?

[And if you can, maybe now is a good time to contact that teacher and say thanks. Send a picture. Teachers love sentimental junk like that.]

Have a great weekend.

I make jokes when I feel awkward and uncomfortable. Like now, in the blog title. Talking about the Subway Get Fit Challenge.

I’ve had more conversations, face to face, about my weight in the last 3 weeks than I ever dreamed. I’ve looked in the eyes of my friends, knowing they know THE NUMBER, and had to remind myself that they love me anyways.

But an old [Biblical] truth has again proved true: when light invades the dark, the dark is no longer so scary. So I can have these conversations and email exchanges, and watch as my weight is part of my title across the bottom of the screen, because something is slowly changing.

This private shame is becoming a public piece of art.

Or something like that. Whatever it is, I’m growing to be okay with it. Keep praying, friends. Your prayers are my courage oxygen.

Enough serious talk. Sheesh.

The best thing about being on TV [the list is long, my friends, because I don't know if you have heard, but hello I've always wanted to be on TV] is that in the same studio where we film our segments is the studio kitchen.

So.

You can imagine.

I made many recommendations to my friend Jenny (the producer) on how and why she should give me a cooking show. Or just any show in general.

Then I proceeded to take this photograph.

I think you AnnieBlogs local yokels know that look on my face. That look says “Give me time and I’ll be standing here for realz.”

That look also says, “I’ve got a plan a-brewin’.”

Be afraid, Channel 4 producer Jenny, be very afraid.

And since More at Midday is not online, I get really technical [yeah right] and flip-cammed my segment today. So enjoy.

Some thoughts:

1. I think Jennifer (the host) and I are going to be BFFs.

2. Why the drum-roll when they show my weight? Wrong sound effect, dudes. I would have preferred something like a “whah whah” or a tugboat horn or a slot machine. Or a crowd of gasps.

3. “I can walk just to walk”? I am nothing short of profound.

4. I like that she called me an author. Cause that makes me seem way more legit than “Annie has a lot of jobs.” Though, technically, both are true.

5. 4:37 = awkward lean in. I don’t know why I did it.

Check out the Annie Gets Fit blog today for a new post where I get possibly too honest about this whole journey.

Have a great day, y’all. I’m more grateful for you than you could ever know.

Much love.