Actually, for the purpose of this entry, I'd need to change the lyrics to "and I would raise 500 meals."
Below is a letter that I sent out to some of my friends and family, and I also wanted to add it here. If you're reading and you're interested in helping, I would be so grateful!!
Dear Friends and Family-
I hope that this letter finds you all well and enjoying your summer! I am writing to you to let you know about a project I am taking on over the next few months.
Starting on August 7th, I will be participating in the 90-Day Weight Loss Challenge sponsored by Lifetime Fitness. This program will continue through November 4th, and the male, female, couple, and youth with the highest weight loss will be declared the winners. I am really excited but nervous about participating in this program! I know that my family and I will get a lot out of my efforts, but I decided that the benefits of this experience shouldn’t stop there. That’s where you come in…but first, a little more background.
David Stupay, the Chairman of Global Family Rescue and a friend of mine on Facebook, posted a link this weekend that captured my attention. Table for Two, a non-profit organization, was started because of a grave imbalance in our world. According to the website, “In our world of 6 billion, 1 billion suffer from hunger, while another 1 billion suffer from obesity and other life-style related diseases.” My reaction to finding out that I am part of the 1 billion causing the imbalance is indescribable. For too long I’ve been living out of balance, in excess. It not only affects my immediate life (my family, my career, my life) but it affects the world.
For every pound that I lose during the 90-Day Challenge, I will be donating two dollars to Table for Two, or an equivalent organization. According to their website, as well as many other sites I’ve researched, it takes about 20 cents to provide a meal for a hungry child. So, for every pound I can shed, 10 people will be fed. My goal, by the end of the challenge, is to have raised enough to provide for 500 meals. I won’t be able to do this alone…remember when I said that’s where you would come in?
I would be so honored if you would choose to partner with me in this challenge! You can do this in a number of ways. You can:
· Sponsor me by pledging an additional amount for each pound I lose.
· Join me and participate in the 90-Day Challenge, pledging your own weight and dollar
amount. Please let me know before August 7th.
· Pray for me as I begin this process of changing myself and helping others.
Please let me know if you have any questions or are willing to join me in this challenge. Thank you so much in advance for your time, your thoughts, and your help!
Jennifer
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
This Little Light of Mine...
Today I headed to Chicago, about an hour drive from my house, for my bi-weekly voice lesson. This time, I got to brave some not-so-hot weather, closed roads, and occasional flooding. Making it safely to my teacher's house, one of my favorite places to be, I headed straight into my lesson.
The lesson wasn't without its challenges. I've been dealing with symptoms of TMJ for a while, which have become more severe this past month. After singing for a while, or singing a lot of higher notes, my jaw muscles begin to flare up. I've been working on the same song pretty much all summer, and while it's slowly been improving, it's been a frustrating process. Today's lesson was my best performance of that aria to date: not anywhere near done, but a marked improvement!
I left my lesson tired, sore, but with a great sense of accomplishment. I had made some progress! This work I've been doing is starting to pay off! And if I buckle down, get more regular with my practicing, and work harder, I can push through these obstacles and make something of this voice.
As I drove back through the city around Lake Shore Drive, happily admiring the cityscape, I was filled with this amazing sense of peace. Flooded with it. I LOVE that feeling of happiness, of satisfaction, of being right with the world. It seems to flow down into every corner of my being. It reaffirms that, as far as my music goes, this is what I am meant to do and who I am meant to be...
I have been going through such a crisis of identity, probably for a very long time. In part, I've not felt that I was good or worthy enough to have my own opinion, my own identity. As I have (very) slowly started to accept the fact that I AM worthy, the issue then becomes a lot bigger:
Who AM I, really?? What am I meant to do? Who am I really meant to be?
Driving into the city today, I remembered to bring my new glasses, finally back from the optometrist (big old thanks to my dog for that). I am simply in love with my glasses-they are the nicest pair I have ever owned, and I've worn glasses since I was 4 years old. I looked at myself in my teacher's bathroom mirror, and in my awesome glasses, favorite grey t-shirt, and dark jeans, I felt like an accurate version of myself. There's more than one: I also feel most myself snazzed up at Lyric Opera, sporting my lorgnette opera glasses and chatting with my sister. I feel myself singing on stage, whether in costume or just nicely pulled together. I feel myself when I'm cuddling with my kids.
I'm trying to remember some of the things that people tell me I'm good at or what they appreciate about me, to help me in this whole search for identity. I'm classy, I work hard, I have high standards. I love researching, reading, organizing, singing. I'm a good listener. I'm trying to run through words in my mind that I would like to say are descriptive of me: sophisticated, fine, pulled together, responsible, honest, smart, friendly. Diva, divine -- and yes, BOTH of those are actually good qualities.
I'm entitled to have my own opinion. I'm allowed to pursue my dreams. I am worthy of discovering my identity, and not only embracing it, but not worrying about being outcast because of it. I may be weird, I may be quirky, but that's part of what makes me ME. And it's time to stop running away from that, time to make the choice to let that shine.
The lesson wasn't without its challenges. I've been dealing with symptoms of TMJ for a while, which have become more severe this past month. After singing for a while, or singing a lot of higher notes, my jaw muscles begin to flare up. I've been working on the same song pretty much all summer, and while it's slowly been improving, it's been a frustrating process. Today's lesson was my best performance of that aria to date: not anywhere near done, but a marked improvement!
I left my lesson tired, sore, but with a great sense of accomplishment. I had made some progress! This work I've been doing is starting to pay off! And if I buckle down, get more regular with my practicing, and work harder, I can push through these obstacles and make something of this voice.
As I drove back through the city around Lake Shore Drive, happily admiring the cityscape, I was filled with this amazing sense of peace. Flooded with it. I LOVE that feeling of happiness, of satisfaction, of being right with the world. It seems to flow down into every corner of my being. It reaffirms that, as far as my music goes, this is what I am meant to do and who I am meant to be...
I have been going through such a crisis of identity, probably for a very long time. In part, I've not felt that I was good or worthy enough to have my own opinion, my own identity. As I have (very) slowly started to accept the fact that I AM worthy, the issue then becomes a lot bigger:
Who AM I, really?? What am I meant to do? Who am I really meant to be?
Driving into the city today, I remembered to bring my new glasses, finally back from the optometrist (big old thanks to my dog for that). I am simply in love with my glasses-they are the nicest pair I have ever owned, and I've worn glasses since I was 4 years old. I looked at myself in my teacher's bathroom mirror, and in my awesome glasses, favorite grey t-shirt, and dark jeans, I felt like an accurate version of myself. There's more than one: I also feel most myself snazzed up at Lyric Opera, sporting my lorgnette opera glasses and chatting with my sister. I feel myself singing on stage, whether in costume or just nicely pulled together. I feel myself when I'm cuddling with my kids.
I'm trying to remember some of the things that people tell me I'm good at or what they appreciate about me, to help me in this whole search for identity. I'm classy, I work hard, I have high standards. I love researching, reading, organizing, singing. I'm a good listener. I'm trying to run through words in my mind that I would like to say are descriptive of me: sophisticated, fine, pulled together, responsible, honest, smart, friendly. Diva, divine -- and yes, BOTH of those are actually good qualities.
I'm entitled to have my own opinion. I'm allowed to pursue my dreams. I am worthy of discovering my identity, and not only embracing it, but not worrying about being outcast because of it. I may be weird, I may be quirky, but that's part of what makes me ME. And it's time to stop running away from that, time to make the choice to let that shine.
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