The Right Fit

This post is all about the process of getting properly fitted for running shoes. It's not going to be interesting for everyone, but I wanted to detail the process for me and for anyone who wants to do this in the future.

I've heard many runners say that one of the most important things you can do for your running is to get properly fitted for running shoes by a professional. And since I know I have weird arches and I'm doing something wrong when I run, I thought it would be a good idea for me to take the plunge and get fitted.

I can't even express how happy I am that I did this. I learned so much about the dynamics of the foot, and what my foot strike looks like.

I learned of the running superstore, Fit2Run, when we had to go there to pick up our IronGirl swag in April. I was instantly in love. This store is Heaven for any runner. It is jam-packed with an indoor track, treadmills, shoes, Garmins and watches, socks, energy packets and bars, clothing, and basically everything you could ever think you would ever need for running. It also has Videotaped Gait Analysis, where employees work with you to figure out the perfect shoe for your type of foot.

I should admit now that I was a bad blogger and didn't take any picture during this experience. Nonetheless, here's the breakdown:

Step 1: A short talk
When my mom and I got to the store, we were immediately greeted by a man named Keith who was more than willing to help us. He first just talked to us about our running and problems we're having. I mentioned the numbness and arch pain, as well as the occasional shin splints.

Step 2: Foot Mapping

I stepped onto the "Foot Mapping" machine in my socks to see what my foot looked like and where my pressure points where. The verdict? I place most of my weight on my heels. While my right foot looked mostly like the outline of a foot, my left one looked more like two little islands, with no arch to speak of.

Keith also had us step off the machine and bend down in a semi-squat without letting our heels touch the ground. It was there he could see that my ankles were turning in (i.e., overpronating).

Step 3: Videotaped Running
We ran on the treadmill for about 20 seconds at a 4.5 speed. A video camera was positioned from calf down, which perfectly captured our foot strike.

Keith would rewind the tape and stop it when one of our legs hit the treadmill. He was looking for two things with this: a straight line from calf down, and for our heel to hit the treadmill.

My left leg was looked at first, which showed a severe overpronation. It was so eye-opening for me to see how much my ankle curved inward when I was running! I had no idea! No wonder my arch would kill me and my foot would turn numb!

My right leg wasn't so bad, but did show that my heel wasn't hitting the treadmill in the way it should.

Step 4: Trying on shoes

I had many eye-opening experiences during this analysis, and one such experience was finding out that shoe companies actually make shoes for overpronaters. As in, they make the same style of shoe for people who have a neutral foot (my mom) and overpronators. The trick lies in the gray shading around the arch. That signals extra support and stability that overpronators need.

I tried on a bunch of different brands: Asics, Mizuno, Brooks, and one other brand that I can't remember. My favorites were probably the Asics, because I'm particularly fond of the brand. After running around the track with the different shoes, we settled on the Asics and Brooks as the two final possibilities.

Step 5: Personalized arch support insoles
Our next step of the process was getting a personalized arch support insoles. This was a pretty neat experience and shows just how far running technology has come! First, Keith took a picture of my feet at three different angles (just standing, standing in a semi-squat, and with my toes lifted up). Then he put the insoles on a foam block, had me stand with all my weight on it and then do a little see-saw motion of putting weight on my heel and then my toes, heel, then toes, for a few times. We did the same on the other foot.

Step 6: Testing out the shoe
The last step of the process was trying out the shoe with the insoles in it. At this point, I was pretty much certain I was going to get the Asics. They felt good, they looked good, and they weren't as expensive as I imagined. So we tried them out on the treadmill. They did correct my overpronation quite a bit. It wasn't perfect but it was so much better than before.

But Keith wasn't happy. See, Keith is a self-confessed perfectionist. And he wanted my ankle to look as straight as possible. He brought back the Brooks shoes. I wasn't too keen on them since I felt like my foot was sliding out of it but he promised me that it offered better stability for my foot. Since I know he's a little more knowledgeable about feet and shoes, I put my foot fate in his hands.

The Brooks shoe made it a little bit better than the Asics did, and he got me a smaller size which I think was the whole problem.

Step 7: Trying not to cry at the price

I bought the shoes (Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10), as well as the personalized arch support insoles. I was also suckered into joining their membership club, which cost me about $10 more. (It's $30/year, but a lot of that was figured into the shoe price) But this gives me 10% off all future purchases, plus I can return my shoes within 30 days and they'll let me exchange them. (Otherwise, they would have to look unused.)

I spent more than I expected, but I'm really happy with my purchase. I ran/walked 5 miles in them on Sunday and my arch didn't hurt at all! My feet also didn't get numb, which it's been doing more lately. Getting used to them is a process, but it always is.

I cannot even stress how important it is to get your foot properly fitted for running shoes, if you're serious about running. It was such an eye-opening experience to see how I was landing on my foot and how much I was harming it by not supporting it properly.

Have you ever gotten fitted for running shoes? What did you learn during your fitting? If not, would you ever get fitted for running shoes?

Weekend Recap

This weekend was jam-packed with shopping, family time, and new experiences. It was a busy one, but one of those weekends that you need every once in a while. I love my weekends where I don’t do much but catch up on sleep and laze around the house, but it’s also nice to actually do something on the weekend!

In bullet format:

• I started my weekend at 10:30am on Friday, which is earlier than I normally get off work. But I was happy, since it meant I could go home and start on a paper I have due on Wednesday. (Of course, I spent the majority of the time online window shopping, but we just won't talk about that.)
  
• Since my poor dog, Dutch, hadn't been feeling well for the past few days, we scheduled a vet appointment at 2 p.m. on Friday. On Wednesday night, he started acting real funny. He didn't eat, didn't want to be around anyone, and would whimper when we picked him up. He started feeling better towards the latter part of the week, but we took him in anyway to make sure it wasn't something serious. And we found out he had a slight fever! Poor thing, it was 103.6 and a normal temperature for a dog is 102, so he was sent home with antibiotics to bring it down. He did get a regular check-up and blood work done, all which turned out fine. We'll be going back next week to get his shots done, but he has had lots of cuddle time this weekend! It's just so sad when your pet is sick.
  
• On Saturday morning, my mom and I made a trip to International Mall in Tampa to get new running shoes! I was extremely happy with my purchase and I have a post to write on my experience with that. Because it was an experience!
  
• The afternoon and evening was spent celebrating my nephew's 2nd birthday! I cannot even believe this little bug is already two. Where did the years go? I still remember him as this sleepy newborn...and now he's a rambunctious, hilarious two-year-old. It was a blast hanging out with him and being silly for a day. He's the funnest kid you could ever hang out with.
  
• On Sunday morning, my mom and I woke up bright and early to join a running group for a run in Tampa. The place we ran was unbelievably beautiful and filled with runners, walkers, bikers, and roller-bladers. I really wish we had a place like that near us. It was also my mom's first time running since her accident and she did pretty good! I can't wait until she gets into the swing of things again, since it's her absolute favorite thing to do. It's going to take a while, especially being away for over 6 weeks and dealing with a broken elbow, but she's a trooper! She is still planning on running the Disney Marathon in January, although she will have to adjust her training schedule a lot to account for this.
  
• Sunday afternoon and evening was spent watching football and finishing up a novel I've been reading for weeks. (It took forever for this book to get interesting!)
  
• I disconnected this weekend. Not as crazy as I did during my week-long media fast earlier this year, but I wasn't as connected as I usually am. It felt refreshing to not need to be so attached, even if it did feel a little weird to open up Twitter and see all these conversations that I had no idea about. Still, it's definitely something I want to keep doing.
  
• The week ahead is going to be busy with two very long days on Wednesday and Thursday, but I'm prepared for it. Somewhat.

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind, Part 4

Before I began Part 4 of this series, I want to talk about an exciting opportunity that has come my way involving CSN Stores! I've been given the chance to review a product for them, but can't tell you much more yet - so keep your eyes peeled! In case you're wondering what CSN Stores is, they are a online retailer with over 200 stores. (That's one giant shopping mall, if I do say so myself!) Redoing your bedroom? They have everything from nightstands to shoe racks! I would definitely take a peek over there, but beware: it's a little addicting!

Onto the questions! Check out previous installments here.

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16. How come the things that make you happy don't make everyone happy?

Simple - because we are all different. What makes me happy doesn't make everyone happy. Spending an entire Sunday watching football makes me happy - for others, this is torture. Reading, writing, and playing board games make me happy but for you it might be golfing, fishing, and going to bars. We all have our own likes and dislikes and the trick is surrounding ourselves with people who have some of the same hobbies as us, but also make us broaden our horizons and find new hobbies through them.

17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What's holding you back?

I really want to be able to run a 5K in under 30 minutes. I think this is one of my biggest goals right now, especially since it means I would cut 15 minutes off my time. And that would be an incredible feat. I would feel amazing! What's holding me back? Not having proper running shoes (remedying that this weekend!), not being consistent at exercise, and not believing in myself. When I tell myself it's too hard, I'm losing the mental game - and we all know running is 90% a mental game. The day I cross the finish line and the clock hasn't hit 30 minutes will be the best day of my life.

18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?

I'm holding onto a lot of things I need to let go of. Insecurity, weight, past experiences, doubt. I want to be able to let go of the past and start trusting in myself. I let things my dad has said and done to me affect me and really, pave my path. I believe in the lies he said about me and it causes me to doubt that anyone could ever like me or that I'm meaningful. While I know he's wrong, it's hard to let go of it when you hear lies again and again during your formative years by the one man you should be able to trust.

If I could afford it, I would see a therapist because there are issues that I haven't dealt with, mainly because I don't want to and because they are ingrained so deeply in my core that it's going to take some work to get them out. I'm beginning to realize what I'm doing to myself, but it's definitely a work in progress.

(And wow, didn't mean to make this so deep and personal. But there it is.)

19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?

Gosh, I have no idea. I know I wouldn't like a fast-paced city life like NYC or Chicago. I'm not afraid to say that I like the suburbs and I like the calmness of small-town life! I absolutely adore the city I live in and would gladly live here forever. But if I had to choose somewhere else, I would probably choose Georgia. Mainly, because I could raise my kids there and they would have the cutest Southern accents.

20. Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?

I only press it once. Although I'll usually press it multiple times if the light isn't lit. But no, it doesn't make the elevator go faster, just makes you look impatient.

4 Simple Goals

I am so late to the "4 Simple Goals" party but thought I would just jump on the bandwagon because I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about my life and the results haven't been pretty. I need something to add some "oomph" to my life. I think the idea of just giving four easy goals to end the year is perfect. Onto my goals:

1. Figure out my finances.
I suck at finances. I suck at money and saving and budgeting. I don't make much to begin with and it's really hard to figure out a budget when my paycheck varies every time. I've made a few budgets but then they just sit on my computer, never to be thought of again. So I'm making this a priority. I need to figure out my budget, see where my money has been going, and take control of my finances.

2. Disconnect on the weekends.
I've been thinking about taking a technology break for the past few days, but due to one of my classes, I can't totally disconnect from social media. Instead, I'm going to disconnect from all technology on the weekends. This means I won't be spending hours tied to my computer to catch up on blogs I failed to get to through the week. It means no Twitter and Facebook. It means taking time away from my computer to recharge. I think it's also going to help me in the homework department to catch up and focus on school and family time. I'm being too attached to technology and finding self-worth in blog comments and Twitter replies. It's time to take a step back.

3. Pitch 3 stories to a newspaper/magazine.

This semester I'm taking a few courses where I'll be writing stories that have the potential to be published - if I write them well enough. I want to put a lot of work into interviewing, researching, and writing these stories so they can be publishable and hopefully end up in a local newspaper or magazine! At the very least, I want to pitch them somewhere just so I get the experience.

4. Value myself.

I've been really down on myself lately. This is due in part to my unhealthy ways of the past month (and past years), school issues, rejection, and so on. My heart has taken a beating and I'm getting really sick of letting how others think of me define my worth. I want to be able to look myself in the eye and say, "You are beautiful and you are worth it." It would feel like a bald-faced lie if I did that now.

Cinnamon Bread Delight

Last weekend, I attempted to bake bread. My first try was terrible. My yeast never rose but I still attempted to bake it, which wasn’t my best idea. After just 45 minutes, the bread was burnt on the outside and completely raw in the middle. I can’t get that image out of my head. Yuck, yuck, yuck.

So then I attempted to bake bread again. Without yeast. Just a simple mix everything together, pour it in a bread pan, and bake it. This bread? Came out so much better! It was perfectly browned and perfectly yummy.

I had to share the recipe with you, because it was just so good. And this should be a Very Big Deal because I’m not one to share recipes, simply because I never attempt to bake anything harder than Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies or Duncan Hines box brownies.

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour (3 cups)
Granulated sugar (1 cup)
Brown sugar (1 cup)
Instant vanilla pudding mix (1 package)
Baking soda (1/2 teaspoon)
Baking powder (1 1/2 teaspoon)
Salt (1/2 teaspoon)
Ground cinnamon (2 teaspoons)
Milk (1 1/2 cups)
Canola oil (1/2 cup)
Cinnamon applesauce (1/2 cup)
Eggs (2)
Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
Cinnamon sugar (2 tablespoons)

I got this recipe from All Recipes.com and tweaked it a little after looking at suggestions in the comments. For example, her recipe called for 2 cups of sugar but commenters said they substituted 1 cup of sugar for 1 cup of brown sugar to make the bread look darker and more authentic. They also said to use cinnamon applesauce, since it is cinnamon bread.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two 5x9 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, pudding mix, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla.
4. Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture until smooth.

5. Sprinkle the bottoms of the loaf pans with cinnamon sugar, and divide the batter between the 2 pans.

6. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. About 15 minutes before the bread is finished cooking, sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the top of each loaf.

Some comments:
1. These directions are taking word-for-word from her recipe, aside from my last sentence which was advice given by a commenter.
2. I found that the bread was pretty much done within 45 minutes, so I couldn’t complete the last step. It’s supposed to make the bread more crunchy.
3. The calories aren’t too friendly, so it’s definitely something to make every once in a while as a dessert.
4. I used a smaller package of vanilla pudding, even though the recipe calls for the bigger package. It didn’t seem to make that much of a difference.

Tell me, bloggers, have you ever tried to make bread? (The real stuff with rising yeast & everything!) How did it turn out?

Odds and Ends: Cancer Free!

• First and foremost, as you can probably read from my title today, my grandma is cancer-free! Her colonoscopy came back completely clean and healthy, not even a polyp! I was at work when my mom texted me and had just taken a bite of breakfast when I looked down at my phone and saw, "Grandma is cancer free." You guys, I can't even begin to tell you the amount of emotion I was feeling at that moment. Utter elation and ecstasy. I cried tears of joy and I'm still pretty emotional about it. She will have to have more PET scans, just to be sure the cancer doesn't come back. I'm not sure how long, but I want to say 6 months. Don't quote me on it. She's also taking a pill that is supposed to help with keeping the cancer away. I have never felt a pressing need to find a cure for cancer more than I have during these past few years.
  
  
• I got my hospital bill. It's not pretty. I almost cried about it. In case you're wondering, the price of an ER visit, 3 x-rays of your thumb, and a doctor giving you 3 stitches comes to $2,400. I'm going to punch the next person whoever complains about insurance. Be happy you have it. Because many people don't, and live in constant fear that they're going to get sick. I couldn't imagine what a overnight stay or actual surgery would cost!
  
  
• Tomorrow, I'm covering a 5K event. One of the courses I'm taking is Sports Journalism and to be quite honest, it's not my favorite. I contemplate dropping it multiple times a week. But I'm sticking through it. I had no idea what to do for my first assignment. The last thing I wanted to do was hang out at a high school football game and interview the players. Intimidation, much? (Sure, I'm 4-6 years older than them, but I'm smaller than them and look like I'm 15.) I found this 5K through active.com and it's raising awareness for ovarian cancer. I have been in touch with the race organizers and an ovarian cancer survivor who is competing in the race. I'm actually really excited about this opportunity and will be waking up super early tomorrow to attend the race, talk to some of the runners, and get an overall feel of the people.
  
  
• Tonight, my nephew is coming over. He's turning two next week. WHEN did that happen? I feel like it was yesterday that Mark was telling me Jenny was pregnant. And now he's this walking, talking, bilingual, funny, adorable toddler. He's absolutely scrumptious.
  
  
• I've been doing a lot of thinking (and doing) about healthy living. I think I'm realizing that I don't want my life to be measured by points or calories. I want it to be measured by feeling good. It's a work in progress and I have a post coming about it, but I find it's helping me not to give up so easily. I bounce back quicker onto the healthy living bandwagon. But I would love some motivation buddies, someone to talk to about what I'm eating and challenges I'm facing and someone who will do the same. Maybe someone who's also on the same journey or someone who has been through this and could give me advice. Any takers?
  
  
• I've decided, after talking about how I need to run more consistently, that I have to give up running until I can purchase new shoes. On my last few runs, they've been killing my feet. I've been dealing with a pulled muscle in my calf all week from my 5K on Sunday. And my left feet/left ankle have gotten numb from running. I've never experienced this and I have to think it has to deal with my shoes. They are literally falling apart. I wear them for work and exercise and I've had them for over a year, so yeah, I definitely need new ones! I'm planning on writing a story on why you need proper running shoes, and also going to a running store to get fitted properly for one as part of "research". I can't wait!
  
  
• Can we just talk about Big Brother for a second? First of all, I wanted Lane to win but I wasn't too sad Hayden did. I just didn't want Enzo to win! But forget that, let's talk about the dresses the Jury House girls wore. Britney, of course, looked absolutely gorgeous. I loved her dress, a little on the modest side on top (which I loved) yet still short enough to be sexy! I want! Kathy's dress did nothing for her. I'm sorry but there comes a time when you're too old to wear a dress with your boobs hanging out. (But maybe that's just me.) And Rachel's dress? She looked like freaking Ariel from The Little Mermaid! And was just as skanky as I suspected her to wear. She disgusts me. (Oh! And Britney and Lane together? Almost as perfect as Jordan and Jeff. There's just that little problem of a fiance. Lane could take him, though.)
  
  
• And Whitney won Master Chef! She's the sweetest, most humble, most adorable cook ever. I'm so happy she won. This little 22-year-old spitfire took down all the cocky chefs. I'm totally going to buy her cookbook when it comes out. And I watch way too much reality TV.

24 Facts

Today, my brother turns 24 years old. I'll be 23 in November. I think this means we're bona fide adults now, which just feels weird and strange. I think I'll always picture him as a gawky, skinny twelve-year-old in my mind. Being that we are just 14 months apart, we have our fair share of inside jokes and old memories. For his birthday, you get 24 facts about him.

1. His favorite football teams are the Florida State Seminoles and the San Fransisco 49ers. No matter how hard either team sucks, he's faithful to them.

2. He knows more football facts than anybody I've ever met. Talk to him about any player and he can give you their latest game stats, what teams they've ever played on, and the score of the last game they played. Even if it was two years ago.

3. He's tall, compared to the rest of our family at 6 foot. I come up to his shoulder.

4. He has big muscles, and gets offended if anyone criticizes them.

5. He's been working since he was 15 years old and has never been out of a job.

6. His son is the spitting image of him.

7. His favorite movie is Tommy Boy and both of us can quote that movie, start to finish.

8. He delivers furniture and electronics for a living. He can actually lift a couch by himself.

9. He can't stand baseball and thinks it's one of the worst sports ever invented.

10. He always wanted to drive a Nissan truck, and now he has one. It's black and absolutely gorgeous.

11. His best friend growing up was Tyler. And they fought more than they got along.

12. When he was about 12 or 13, he drank a whole 6-pack of Mountain Dew 20-ouncers. Needless to say, he was up the entire night.

13. He can't stand heat, and loves cold weather.

14. We communicate a lot in movie quotes.

15. He's been with his high school girlfriend 8 years.

16. He never wears sandals or flip-flops. I don't even think he owns a pair.

17. He keeps his hair short and gets annoyed when his hair starts growing. He probably gets it cut every 3 weeks.

18. Steve Young is his favorite football player of all time.

19. He just joined Facebook in July. He's barely ever on it.

20. He has never asked for a handout, or complained about the way his life has turned out. He takes on every setback and uses it as an opportunity to grow and learn.

21. He's an amazing father. One of the best I've ever known.

22. He's the most selfless person I've ever come in contact with. He would give you the shirt off his back.

23. With everything we have gone through regarding my dad, he's been the one I turn to the most for advice. And he gives the best advice, cheers me up, and

makes me believe in myself.

24. He's the single most important male figure in my life. I would be lost without him.

Sidenote: Today is also my grandparents 51st wedding anniversary. To celebrate, my grandma is having a colonoscopy! At her last PET scan, they found something on her colon and aren't sure if it's cancerous or not. She just finished her second set of chemo treatments in August and has said she won't go through chemo again. It takes absolutely everything out of her and makes her quality life absolutely nil for most days out of the week. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers today, as I'm just praying the colonscopy comes back clean. I can't imagine my life without her.

Race Recap: Ace of Clubs 5K

Earlier last week, my mom approached me with the idea of participating in a 5K over the weekend. I wasn't too enthused about it, but I figured, "Why not?" The worst that could happen was a horrible finishing time. I haven't really been running (or exercising, for that matter) since my mom's accident. I've been a busy little bee between school, work, and cleaning this place. (It still amazes me how messy our tiny apartment can get in a matter of hours. And I want to marry the person who invented the dishwasher.)

Anyway, I ended up trying to run on Tuesday but it was a pretty awful attempt. I made it half a mile before my calves began screaming at me to STOP, STOP, STOP! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, STOP RUNNING! I wasn't expecting much this time. I was just hoping to be able to do my usual run a mile, walk a mile, run a mile.

Well, that didn't happen. First of all, I never saw a Mile 1 marker. Second of all, this was the hilliest course I have ever run on. The places I've been running on have been pretty even with a few slight inclines now and then, but nothing like this. And just when you thought you had climbed the mountain, there looms another hill. Hills are not my friend.

When I saw the Mile 2 marker when I figured I was almost finished, I knew I had no chance of beating my time in April. (I hesitate to say PR because I haven't yet ran a 5K in a time I'm proud of. This probably isn't the best way to look at things, but whatever.) I was just hoping to be a little close to my time.

I ended up walking most of the race, which I'm not happy about. But I also told myself that I haven't been exercising or eating properly for the past month. I'm not in the shape I was even a month ago. And I need to stop taking these long breaks from running. I look back on my post in April, and cringe at how hopeful I sounded to be able to run a 5K by now. I'm disappointed in myself. For once, I want to stick to an exercise plan. I should be able to run a 5K by now, but I'm still struggling to even hit half a mile.

My official time was 46:40, which gives me a 15:20 pace which I guess isn't so bad since I walked most of it. I just know I can do better.

My plan is to sign up for a race every month. At this point, I think I'm going to stick with 5K's until I feel comfortable running 3 miles. I think it will keep me honest about training for them, if I know I have one coming up in just a few short weeks. And who knows? Maybe I'll come in under 40 minutes. That's a time I could call a PR.

Book Review: Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

The tagline for this book is "You were made to make a difference." Honestly, it's not a new concept and there was no ground-breaking information in the book. The book talks about how we can make a difference, be it on a grand-scale in other countries or a smaller scale right in our home. The book is chock full of biblical and modern-day examples of how powerful our actions can be if we just take a step out of our comfort zones and show love to the world.

I was a little wary about the book because I've read books with the same type of message before and am always left feeling like I don't have enough money, time, or resources to truly make a difference. Max Lucado does something totally different with this book. He gives big examples and small examples, biblical and modern day. Things that can help a tiny village in Africa and things that can help a single woman, alone in a brand-new city. Instead of feeling like the problems are too insurmountable for me to fix, I am left feeling like there are numerous ways I can make a difference that don't include shoveling what little money I have at an aid organization.

Instead, I can pray. I can volunteer. I can invite a friend to coffee and let her have a listening ear if they need it. I can make people feel valuable and loved. I can pool all my talents and resources that I already have (such as, compassion and a big heart) to make a difference. Maybe it's not on a large-scale and maybe I'll only affect a small minority of people. Maybe I'll only affect one person. But it's still making a difference because that one person is just as important to God as an entire village.

So, no. The message isn't any different than others I've read. I don't have a bigger itch to do missionary work, or even to start volunteering at a soup kitchen. But I do realize that I can make a difference now. It can be as small as praying for a lost friend, or as big (to them) as inviting them over for dinner. And I will make a difference. I was made to.

I would recommend this book for anyone seeking to learn more about the message of Jesus, what He stands for, and seeking opportunities to make a difference. The examples will amaze you, and sometimes may bring tears to your eyes. It's proof that there are still good people in this world and we have plenty of opportunities to show those less fortunate what it means to be love.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am diclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising".

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind, Part 3

Check out Part 1 and Part 2.

11. You're having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do?

Most likely, I would get very quiet and not say anything. I am the quintessential non-confrontational person and I just know I would let these people badmouth my friend without saying anything. I probably wouldn't enter into the conversation and I think they would know, unless they're totally clueless, that I don't feel the same way but I wouldn't voice my opinion. I really wish I had it in me to be more confrontational and really say what I feel, but it just isn't a part of my personality.

12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?

I find this to be an odd question because said newborn wouldn't have a clue what I was saying, nor any memory of it. But let's say I write this down for the child to read when they're older. My best piece of advice is to always follow your heart. Yes, it's cheesy and quite a cliche, but I also see so many people in jobs they don't like or relationships that hurt them because they think that's where their supposed to be, or with whom they're supposed to be with. Trust in what your heart is telling you and I think you can live a happier life.

13. Would you break the law to save a loved one?

Tough question. It really depends on the situation. Like, I would never rob a bank or kill someone to save them. (Unless, of course, it's in self-defense.) There are situations where I might be persuaded into helping someone if their life depended on it. But the fact remains that the thought of jail fills me with the heebie-jeebies so, probably not.

14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?

Probably so. I can't think of any instances at the moment, but I believe so.

15. What's something you know you do differently than most people?

Eat, especially when I'm eating with a TV show or football game on. And most definitely when it comes to popcorn at the movie theater. I won't eat during commercials and won't even touch the popcorn until the movie is in full swing, not even during the first few minutes when the credits are running. I buy my movie popcorn for the movie, not for the previews. My brother is the exact same way, but probably more anal about it.

September

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I am so ready to wave good-bye to August and prepare my mind for a new month. I feel like September is more like a new beginning for me than January. In January, we are so filled with hope for a year unlike any other. We have big plans, big ideas, big dreams. By September, we simmer down a little and while maybe all of our big plans, big ideas, and big dreams seem to fall to the wayside as real life sets in, we still realize we have 4 months left of the year to change our life.

August wasn't a good month. It was rife with hurting, accidents, hospital visits, and setbacks. I've had to grow up in just a few short weeks and realize that my mom isn't going to be around forever. My grandma isn't going to be around forever. That I need to get down on my knees every night and pray for those cousins of mine, who are on a collision course of destruction. That it's times like these that I need to cling that much closer to the cross to give me strength, guidance, and hope.

I'm embracing September. I think we're going to get along just fine. A few small goals to get me through these next 27 days:

Heal. This has been a month of injuries, from my mom to me. I want to focus on healing this September. My mom is still dealing with a broken elbow, a sprained thumb, and thoughts of regret and anxiety. We have more orthopedic appointments and x-rays to see how her elbow is healing and hopefully getting the OK to do some exercise. I want to leave August in the past where it belongs and focus on new beginnings in the following months. We both need some happiness after both of our hospital visits.

Overhaul my diet. Over this past month, I haven't been counting points or calories. I've been trying to eat smarter, although I haven't been totally successful with this. I feel happier, though, and a little more free. I've been thinking of a different way to view my eating habits, less about what keeps me at 1200 calories a day or 21 points a day and more on what fuels me throughout the whole day. I'm starting small and I have a whole blog post formulating in my mind about this new way of thinking. I want to first think about breakfast and eating smarter during breakfast, which will help me eat less throughout the entire day and feel energized.

Shift back into exercise. Once my mom got hurt, I had to take on a lot of responsibilities which meant exercise shifted to the back burner. And then school started and exercise was just thrown totally off the stove completely. I do want to wait until my thumb heals to really get too serious but I really want to amp up my running again. I'm planning on running a 10K in November and I want to be totally ready for that.

Writing. I only have two stories to write this month for my classes, which doesn't seem too bad and I know exactly what I'm going to write about for one of them. The second article scares me since it involves my Sports Journalism class, which I think is going to test me the most.

Bake bread from scratch. For my Feature Writing class, I'm writing an article about baking bread. And this means completely from scratch, something I've never done. It's going to be quite an interesting experience and I haven't even begun to get started! Have any of you baked bread from scratch? Leave me your tips/recipes in the comments, please! (Or you can e-mail me at stephanywrites[at]gmail[dot]com.)

Sliced

If I believed in it, I would think my family has been cursed. How so? About a week before my mom's accident, my 14-year-old cousin was in the hospital with road rash. Then my mom got hit by a car. Then my uncle (my cousin's dad, by the way) was admitted to the hospital with chest pains and a high pulse rate (they diagnosed him with stress, and put him on blood pressure medication). On Sunday night, my nephew was taken to the emergency room with a fever of 104. (He's fine, just has a bad virus.) And yesterday, it was my turn.

It all happened a little after 2pm. I was washing the dishes and while rinsing off a glass, it slipped and broke another glass in the sink. No biggie. I took all the pieces and just put it on the counter, to clean up later. Once I finished with the dishes, I took a kitchen towel, picked up the glass, and on my way to the garbage, it slipped and sliced me on the inside of my thumb. Ouch.

The cut was pretty deep and was bleeding pretty steadily. I grabbed a towel and started applying as much pressure as possible. I called my mom and was pretty calm about the whole thing. Just your average, "Hi, Mom. I'm at home. Everything is OK, but I cut my finger pretty bad. It's bleeding a lot and OH, MY GOD, I CAN'T GET IT TO STOP. ARE YOU THERE? MO-OOOM?!"

I'm pretty much a pro at panicking and thinking of the worst case scenario very quickly. I knew I would have to go to the ER. I was fairly sure I would be getting my first stitches I've ever had. The fact that I have no health insurance weighed on my mind a lot.

My mom had a friend drop her off at our apartment, and then my grandpa arrived. It was no less than 10 minutes after the initial call, but felt more like 30. My grandpa drove us to the hospital, since my mom is still in a sling and I'm, you know, still gushing blood from my thumb. On the ride there, I was thinking I probably burst a vein or a blood vessel and would require surgery. And that's why it was still bleeding. Yes. I jump to the worst conclusions rather quickly.

I didn't have to wait too long to be seen, 15 minutes tops. The doctor, we can call him Dr. McDreamy, although I would say he was 10x cuter than Patrick Dempsey, saw me and calmed me down. He said all it would take was a few stitches and that's it. Oh. Just a few stitches? I can handle stitches.

They did have to give an an x-ray to make sure I didn't have any remaining glass in my cut, which I didn't. And then he stitched me up. He numbed me up pretty good, which didn't hurt all too bad, and then stitching part was easy breezy. I didn't feel a thing.

So there you have it. My first ER visit since 1999, my first x-rays in a billion years, and my first stitches. I only got 3 stitches so, in essence, my mom wins. (She got 17.) I would show you my stitches but I have them wrapped up and really, it's not all that exciting. I would rather show you a picture of Dr. McDreamy and I, but alas, I did not take one.

I don't know what is going on with my family. We are not accident-prone at all. I've been in the hospital 3 times total: when I was born, to get my tonsils removed at 4, and to get a tetanus shot after I had been bit by a dog. I can only remember my mom being in the hospital twice: once for hurting her arm when I was in middle school and then for her thyroid surgery 2 years ago.

I'm very nervous to see how much the hospital bill is going to be, especially with the 3 x-rays. And I have to find a place to get my stitches out. We have no student health center at my campus, and the cheapest we've found is $150. So if you ever want to have a debate on why I think a country-wide health insurance plan is a good idea, I will win.

Tell me, have you ever had to get stitches? And/or, when was your last ER visit?