About 10 years ago

A decade ago, I was in a very different place. I was out of work, and looking for work. I had returned home, because, obviously, I didn't have money for rent.

It was a time period a bit like it is now. It was a time for great introspection on my part. The difference then, of course, was years. I was 25, had very little responsibility, and really didn't know what the world held in store for me. I was just wanting to get a job in journalism so I could move out on my own and not have to worry about others doing things for me.

I was in the midst of a weight-loss regimen. I worked out like five days a week, without fail. Eventually, I was able to shed about 70 pounds from my frame. People I knew said that's why I was able to do things socially, because I had lost weight.

By the end of the summer, I was on my way to getting a great job, looking and feeling good. By November of that year, I scored the job, and within the next month, my future wife. The end of the year was a lot better than the first part of the year. I think it was because I became determined to do the things I had to do at the time to make me happy.

This time is no different, although the responsibilities are greater and the stakes are certainly much higher. I am going to start working out tomorrow, and I will continue to find ways to get closer to my family. That's what I want. Everything else is basically a waste of time. If I'm not moving forward, I'm moving backward.

This time, however, I have more people rooting for me than I did all those years ago. I also have the Lord on my side. And I feel confident, that with the Lord next to me, anything is possible.