Another Year Wiser

So I celebrated yet another birthday!!! Like it was MY LAST!!

Went to dinner with my girls at Eatonville restaurant!! Despite people not understanding the term "reservation" we still managed to have a good time!!! I was even surprised by a friend from NY!!

Then we went out... MORE FUN!!! WAY MORE FUN!!!! "DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE!!!"

(Thank you Big Sean)

Then I went to brunch... That was the most interesting brunch ever. Mainly because I am an entertaining junkie and the host was entertaining ALL WRONG! Then I was stuck like "do I offer all of my advice and potentially make them look foolish or do I just stand here and go hungry in this room full of people and food cooked out of order" It was also odd because I felt like one of the guys... whatever!

Then another dinner... followed by another brunch!!

But in the midst of all of the celebrations and everything I had to stop and say "Look how far God has brought me" and not just with like how many miles I am from NY! Or how I am handling this life" But like 2 Sam 7:18 "Who am I and what is my family that you have brought me this far"

Well I will allow God to answer that question this year as we continue our journey!

Epiphany

"And then it hit me standing outside of heaven waiting for God to come and get me..." -Lupe

So I guess I can admit to everyone who reads this (myself) that I do not have the most positive image of myself. Apparently this is displayed in the way I speak about myself.

"Oh hush Shaderi, you talk like you are obese!" said a fellow volleyball coach. All I talk about is losing weight and things like that. I think I'm obsessed with getting in shape.

It gets worse. I also have a bad habit of saying things like "I don't feel human unless my hair is done, my eyebrows are done, and I have on a new outfit" If those 3 aren't done at the same time then there is NO WAY you can make me think that I am the least bit human.

If you did not break out into the song "human again" from the remake of beauty and the beast then I don't even know why we are friends lol

Well I have been keeping up with my running program and I am getting into shape. People have been noticing. One of my co-workers swears that she can see that I am losing weight. (My scale says no such thing) Every store I walk into a dude is trying to get my number. I mean this has been happening only the last few weeks it's crazy. I have never received this much attention EVER!

I used to believe that people wouldn't talk to me because they just knew that I wasn't about what they were about. Well that is NOT true at all.

Then I realized suddenly that although I shouldn't care about what others think of me, it helps keep my esteem high! I have never been haughty or anything like that but now I walk around with my head up high because I can truly believe the words that the scripture says

"Your fame soon spread throughout the world because of your beauty. I dressed you in my splendor and perfected your beauty, says the Sovereign LORD." -Ezekiel 16:14