New Year, New You a.k.a. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know, I know...it has all been said before.  This is the year that I change.  This is the year that I save more money, or I become a better husband/wife, or I will study harder.  Of course, the most popular of all sayings...this is the year I will lose the weight.  I will become a healthier person.  By God, I am going to exercise every day and eat broccoli and give up chocolate and...are you starting to see a pattern?  I know I am, because I am guilty of every single one of these sayings.  (Another one is that I will blog more...we will see how that goes too.)

What is it about New Years that makes us want to change our lives?  Is it just the date?  The fact that ringing in a new year with resolutions is about as random as anything else.  I could just as well make all my resolutions on my birthday.  I could make them every Easter, at least then I would have the pleasure of knowing it falls on a different date each year.  Of course, then I am always making resolutions on a Sunday, and that is when most of us make a lot of resolutions based on what the preacher says during any given sermon.  It seems to me that resolutions are made at the beginning of the year are about something deeper than just about raising the balance in our checking accounts or lowering the size of our pants. 

It is about the expectation.  Let's face it, so many of us have made New Years resolutions time after time only to see another year pass without much of a change.  It has gotten to a point where maybe we make resolutions on January 1st because we know people will never think less of us if we break them.  Of course, the reason for that is because they are all busy breaking theirs as well.  Don't get me wrong, I think we all make these resolutions with the best of intentions.  But, I think when we buy the cabbage and boneless, skinless chicken breast, and when we pay for the gym membership we forget to do the one thing that will help ensure we at least stay on track longer than a week.  I think we forget to involve our family and friends. 

Accountability!!!  Not a word I terribly enjoy mind you, but one that I am quickly learning is important.  How important?  This year, I am taking my struggle with weight loss to a group of people very close to me, my church family.  Nomad Community Church (www.nomadcommunitychurch.com) is hosting a Biggest Loser style competition and I am leading one of the two teams.  Why?  Because I believe that together we are stronger than alone.  I believe that together we can be pushed harder and farther than our expectations allow.  I believe that together we have an infinitely greater chance for success.  Will it be easy?  NOPE!!!  If it was easy, everyone of us would be within the ideal weight range and a lot of weight loss companies will be out of business.  Will it be fun?  YES, but probably not all the time.  We didn't gain the weight overnight and we won't lose it overnight either. There will be sweat, there will be tears and there will probably be some sore muscles too, but IT WILL BE WORTH THE WORK. 

Let me end with this.  In 2001 when I weighed exactly the same as I do today, I decided to join the Army.  With the help of my wife, we both lost enough weight and became Soldiers.  During that time, I remembered the words in Philippians 4:13 which say, "I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength."  The truth of those words when it relates to weight loss are this.  We can run mile after mile and build up the endurance to run marathons but it will not let us achieve everything.  We can lift thousands and thousands of lbs of weights, enough to build the body of Atlas, but it will not let us achieve everything.  We can eat healthy veggies and low calorie fruits everyday until our body is a well running machine, yet that still will not allow us to do everything.  It is only through the strength, endurance and life Christ gives that we able to accomplish it all.  I pray that together, we look to Christ and Him alone as we work to achieve our resolutions in 2012.  I know that together we can do it.  I am counting on it.