Note from Kat: Today’s post is from #HelloExercise contributor Amanda Holland.

I started working out again recently. I’ve been unhappy with my weight since I graduated from college in May, and I promised myself I would do something about it. Eventually. After this week, or after that event, or after vacation. I finally ran out of excuses, so I downloaded a Couch Potato to 5K app, got my workout clothes ready, shopped for new running shoes, and hit the local high school track one Monday after work to get started.

It was sad. Beyond sad, really. I shared the track with a senior lady. She outpaced me – and she probably thought a psycho stalker was coming up behind her, the way I gasped for breath as I ran. Which wasn’t for long. I’m in the “run 60 seconds/walk 90″ portion of my training, running a whopping non-stop 1/8 of a mile. I’m going to be in the “couch potato” portion of this plan for a while…

At first, I was discouraged. Before returning to college at 30, I spent 4 1/2 years as a trainer and manager at a women’s gym – how did I get to this point? My discouragement was short lived, though, because I reminded myself of an important fact.

 Note from Kat : This post is from my friend and monthly contributor Liz Griffin.

The older I get the more thankful I am for my parents. They taught me from an early age about Jesus and were very active in helping me develop my relationship with Him. In addition to that, my parents were very intentional about developing my worldview – especially as it relates to issues of social justice.

 Note from Kat: This is a post from my friend and monthly contributor, Liz Griffin.

Meetings on the Hill with Jady

A few weeks ago I packed up my bags, took my husband Jady and boarded a plane to Washington DC. This sounds so posh to say, but I had some meetings with Congressional offices to talk about human trafficking and ways to combat it here in the United States. Perhaps at this point you are totally bewildered about who I am and why in the world I would be doing this? You can get filled in here where I talk about being a Naptime Abolitionist.

The first thing that struck me when we entered into the various congressional buildings was how shiny the floors were. Seriously, they were gleaming. I’d pay money to know what they use on those suckers because I need to buy it. Only a mom would notice things like that.

“Mama…I want to get a ribbon in the Turkey Trot.”

We were on an afternoon walk, just the two of us, and we were talking about our goals for the year.

The Turkey Trot is a yearly 5k race at her school for all the students from 1st grade through 8th grade. Being that she’s only in the 4th grade, it was an ambitious goal, but I was so proud of her for believing in herself and being brave enough to tell me.

After all, if we aren’t brave enough to speak our dreams, how can we ever accomplish them? (Click to tweet!)

This year, the day of the race was COLD and rainy. Texans aren’t familiar with this sort of weather. So, instead of canceling it, the school moved it inside.

Yep. An indoor 5k through the hallways of the school.

It was as crazy as you’d imagine.

I loathed meal planning.

On a particularly low day during my first pregnancy, I sat at dining room table staring at dozens of takeout menus. With all the despair of Anne Shirley, I laid my head down and cried, “I Just. Don’t. Know. what to have for dinner!”

I was overwhelmed by meal planning, and…I wasn’t even COOKING!!

It doesn’t get more pathetic than that. I couldn’t meal plan…even when I was just ordering take out.

Like I said, I loathed meal planning.

But then, a couple years ago I found a site called Plan To Eat. I fell in love and told everyone I knew about it.

Why I Turned Down A Free Offer

Well, not long after, the nice folks at PTE appreciated all my referrals and offered to give me a free lifetime subscription to their service.

Thank You…

I’ll be spending this week mostly offline with my family. But I want to take a minute to say thank you.

Thank you for being a part of this community. Thank you for your encouraging emails.

Thank you to being the kind of mom who wants to learn and grow.

Thank you for all the sacrifices you’ve made, are making and will make.

Thank you for doing laundry, washing dishes and wiping down the counters.

Thank you for packing lunches and brushing hair.

3:00pm – 3:10pm. I call it The Gauntlet.

The 10 minutes after I pick my kids up from school are some of the craziest minutes of the day.

They all have the verbal stomach flu. The words don’t stay down. All their weariness and emotion from the day comes bursting out the moment they get into the car. Everyone has something to say, right now, and it’s really, really, really, really, really, really important.

I have to somehow decide who was talking first, help them take turns and try to prevent WWIII from breaking out before the minivan door slides closed, shielding the rest of the world from the shrapnel of emotional overload.

Now, it’s not like this every day. Most days are simple and fun and easy, but I never know when a Gauntlet Day will hit, so I want to arrive fully prepared.

I’ve started the habit of praying as I sit and wait in the school pickup line. Something like this: