Friday, March 30, 2012
WHERE ART THOU?
I think I probably have lost my single few followers. I kept meaning to blog but the whole moving 450 miles thing overwhelmed me. Good grief, we have a bunch of junk stuff.
We're staying at my parents house in Flower Mound until we get our Memphis house squared away. We *may* have found a renter - a local discipleship ministry in the Memphis area, prayers going out!
So the weight thing. Up & down, up & down. But the last two weeks I've been sticking to it. YEP. I have. For real.
A few years ago (around 10) my Dad did "Body For Life" hard core and lost a ton of weight and built a ton of muscle. He kept it off for several byears and then after some surgery and some intense chemo type therapy, gained some back. After his rounds of meds were over he found himself tired, physically wiped, and struggling with his weight again. Anyway, he started a workout regimen again and changed his eating back to 5-6 small meals per day. He's cut his body fat % in 1/2. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Why? Because it's easier to be on the same program. For accountability, for help, for ease. Because I always start and then stop, start and then stop, start & stop. Also because someone is going to want to swim at some point this summer and that will require me to put on a bathing suit. I know...DANGIT!
Do you know my Dad? NEVER ask him to help you / hold you accountable unless you mean it. Because he does. For real. He even calls me when we're not together to make sure I'm eating at my scheduled time. He's THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO THIS YO YO DIETER.
So last week was my first week. I ate by the clock but I have to say, very modest "meals". I used to think I would never do this because I wouldn't want to figure out what to eat that often. I was wrong, it's not a big deal at all. I got up & went to the gym and did my weight lifting & cardio routines. I lost 3.2 pounds. I had a "free day" on Sunday and I ate cake and mexican food - YUMMY! I've done it all again this week and even included some "extra" classes & walks. Weigh in day is Sunday. EEK! I'm hoping to see great results from all my hard work.
I'm so proud of myself! I actually LIKE it. I eat small enough portions of a protein and a carb each time to be hungry again by the next 3 hour mark. The best part is that (so far) I NEVER get so hungry that I cheat and just eat whatever I can get my hands on. When I think (like tonight) that I really want something (ice cream) I know I can look forward to Sunday and have it then.
So...it's the best of all that I've done in the past. A consistent workout routine that includes weight training. Well balanced meals, all food groups, small portions, limited sugar, and a day to "splurge".
On a side note - I took my first Zumba class this week. It was umm... interesting. Fun? Maybe. Weird? Definitely. Hard? Absolutely! I wonder what someone would do if you busted those moves out in a club? Do you think chicks do? I think they do. HAHA! That's making me LOL.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Friday - 1/27
Oh yeah I did! I finally got a run in. Or a jog. Or a walk / jog combo. Who cares? I did it!
Breakfast - 2 eggs with 1/2 cup taco meat mixed in
Lunch - a light cheese stick, 3 slices turkey deli meat (1 oz.), apple
early dinner before helping Amanda with a wedding rehearsal - 1/2 order of Japanese hibachi beef & veggies w/ rice
Got home around 9:15 and was STARVING. Ate 1 cup of mexican pile up (ground turkey w/ tomato & bean mixture)
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Our views of beauty
shame, guilt, accountability, or whatever you want to call it
Well friends, it's been SO CRAZY BUSY. I don't mean like the kind of busy that means you really don't have much going on, except your favorite TV Shows but you like to walk around talking about how busy you are. Oh no no, I mean like the "I'm so busy I wonder if I remembered to brush my teeth today" kind of busy! Of course I did though, y'all know my obsession with dental hygeine and flossing.
Casey lost his job at the beginning of the month and we kicked up my show schedule hoping that would help float us some. I had a show Friday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, Bible study kick off Wednesday, a cancellation for tonight (thank you Jesus), have a wedding rehearsal dinner that I'm helping with Friday & a show Saturday. WHEW! And somewhere in there my children need to be educated and for some reason they insist on eating.
SO! Exercise has been sparse. LAST week we hiked three HARD miles, walked a 3 mile trail, did circuit training & and ran. This week? Nada. I got nothin!
What's a girl to do? Step up the accountability of course! So I'm going to post my food & exerciseI must be smoking some whacky cracky on here everyday. I just need to know that I'll feel guilty if I go a bunch of days without being active or eating well.
So here's today:
Exercise - none
Food -
Breakfast - coffee with cream and then I got busy and forgot to eat
1:00 Lunch - Greek salad w/ homemade italian dressing
3:30 Snack - light cheese stick & an apple
6:30 Dinner - taco salad w/ turkey taco meat, cheese, & salsa for the dressing
Water w/ lemon
A huge amount of unsweet tea
Coffee
There it is. I'm planning on getting up at a decent time and exercising tomorrow. I hope it's pretty outside so I can get some fresh air. Outside = THE BEST
Just a little side note...Casey has an interview Monday & a phone interview Tuesday. Will you pray for favor? Like right now while you're reading this? Because you know what? Most of the time when people say "oh, I'll pray for you" they really don't. I know, that's shocking, huh? I never really thought about it until my BFF said it and then I was like "HEY!"
Casey lost his job at the beginning of the month and we kicked up my show schedule hoping that would help float us some. I had a show Friday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, Bible study kick off Wednesday, a cancellation for tonight (thank you Jesus), have a wedding rehearsal dinner that I'm helping with Friday & a show Saturday. WHEW! And somewhere in there my children need to be educated and for some reason they insist on eating.
SO! Exercise has been sparse. LAST week we hiked three HARD miles, walked a 3 mile trail, did circuit training & and ran. This week? Nada. I got nothin!
What's a girl to do? Step up the accountability of course! So I'm going to post my food & exercise
So here's today:
Exercise - none
Food -
Breakfast - coffee with cream and then I got busy and forgot to eat
1:00 Lunch - Greek salad w/ homemade italian dressing
3:30 Snack - light cheese stick & an apple
6:30 Dinner - taco salad w/ turkey taco meat, cheese, & salsa for the dressing
Water w/ lemon
A huge amount of unsweet tea
Coffee
There it is. I'm planning on getting up at a decent time and exercising tomorrow. I hope it's pretty outside so I can get some fresh air. Outside = THE BEST
Just a little side note...Casey has an interview Monday & a phone interview Tuesday. Will you pray for favor? Like right now while you're reading this? Because you know what? Most of the time when people say "oh, I'll pray for you" they really don't. I know, that's shocking, huh? I never really thought about it until my BFF said it and then I was like "HEY!"
Thursday, January 19, 2012
This girl be CUH-RAZY...crazy!
Do you think people can become neurotic (definition: a person who is afflicted with a neurosis or who tends to be emotionally unstable or unusually anxious) as they age? Like, they weren't crazy before but now they just get crazier all the time? Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's me then.
Let me give you an example. I have never been a great flosser. I'll floss here or there but never consistently. THEN, while teaching science to the boys, I read that the germs that live in the dark, moist, tight spaces between your teeth are actually using the bathroom and it's hanging out in your mouth. Yeah, the stuff that is between your teeth right now has fecal matter in it. UMM... ok, that's the most disgusting thing I've ever learned. So I became neurotic or unusually anxious about flossing. And so I did. Floss that is. About 100 times a day. Until I hurt my mouth and had to reign myself in. You'll all be glad to know that I now restrain myself and only floss at night. Most of the time. I know, you want to run and floss now too don't ya?
So, I've realized lately that I'm sort of obsessed with this weight thing and I want to have only God honoring thoughts about this issue. I know the goal should be health but I'm easily swayed by weight. UGH! IT'S REALLY HARD. But I'm willing to do the work because I know that I want every area of my life to be an imitation of Christ. Because I'm grateful for his love and grace and mercy, how can I respond any other way?
I just read this GREAT book Love to Eat Hate to Eat, Breaking the Bondage of Destructive Eating Habits, by Elyse Fitzpatrick. It is hands down the best book I've ever read for those who struggle with the issue of bondage to food and weight. She's a biblical counselor and has some great wisdom & insight, grounded in God's word. I can't summarize all of the truth in this book here on this blog but I do want to share a couple of amazing points:
Most people who are entrapped by this issue (or any issue) never planned to be. It's a pattern of destructive thoughts that lead to destructive behaviors.
Bear with me...this is sort of long but SO WORTH IT - KEEP READING.
Here's an excerpt:
Marlene was a 24 year old married Christian mother of two when I first met her. She had practiced habits of bulimia since high school. As I got to know her it became apparent that one of the main goals of her life was to be thinner than her sisters. She had first embraced this thought in junior high and had never really grown past it. "I must be thinner than my sisters" was so strong in her desires that it actually functioned as a god to her, even though she wasn't always fully aware of it. Her obsession dictated the focus of her thoughts and actions. It ruled over her, demanding enslaving obedience. It was a ruthless taskmaster.
The worship of her god, "I must be thinner than my sisters," had a number of different nuances. For instance, her identity and worth as a woman were tied up in what size she wore. Her daily experience of peace and joy was determined by whether she was "good" or "bad" in her eating. Her emotions alternated between anger and frustration because she spent her life in such futility; she felt depressed and fearful that she would never change, and she was filled with self-loathing and self-indulgence. These emotions gave rise to more despair, disgust, and bitterness, leading her to eat everything in sight. Marlene wanted to serve the Lord and after each binge, she would resolve again to live her life for Christ. But she continually found her thoughts focused on the questions, What do I look like? Am I gaining weight? Am I as good as they are? As a result, her relationships with her family were affected. Every family gathering was ruined by fear. When Marlene saw her sisters she immediately compared herself with them - had they gained weight? Was she more in control than they? Did they compliment her on her figure? Would they criticize her for being too thin or too fat? Her god perverted every joyful occasion, leeching out the pleasure of family, creating an atmosphere of competition, fear, and ambition in her own heart. Would they eat two helpings of turkey? She would have only one...did they notice?
Life-Dominating Demands
As we look at Marlene's struggles, we learn that every god demands worship and service. Marlene's god, "I must be thinner than my sisters," demanded that Marlene constantly think about how she looked, and how her clothing fit - no matter whether she had eaten any sugar the day before. What the scale said to her about her weight determined whether she had peace or anxiety. She worshiped the thought of wearing a size 5; she spent far too much time and money on her appearance. Her treasure and her heart were tied up in her bodily image. Functionally, she believed that if she could just serve her god perfectly enough she would have abundant life - she would know true peace and joy. She was utterly and tragically consumed by her god's demands.
Self-Centered Laws
Marlene's god, "I must be thinner than my sisters," had also created commandments that she had to follow. These laws were: "Thou shalt not eat sugar," "Thou shalt not eat potato chips," "Thou shalt burn off at least 500 calories in exercise every day." She felt more peaceful, more in control when she followed these laws. The problem was that she could never perfectly satisfy her god's demands because idols are never satisfied with your version of perfection. No, idols create laws that multiply exponentially. At one time it had been all right for her to eat some sugar, just as long as it wasn't in chocolate. Eventually, all sugar became unlawful. When Marlene didn't obey these laws, she experienced a greater sense of futility, anger, and desperation. Let me illustrate Marlene's problem this way:
Her god:
"I must be thinner than my sisters"
created
Her god's laws (which had to be perfectly obeyed):
THOU SHALT NOT EAT SUGAR
THOU SHALT NOT EAT POTATO CHIPS
THOU SHALT EXERCISE OFF 500 CALORIES PER DAY
When Marlene "sinned" and violated the laws she had devised in her heart, she would usually respond by feeling angry and, in despair, giving in to her self-indulgence. However, there were some days when she would "regain control" and would respond by rededicating her efforts to be "perfect" for the rest of the day, by exercising more than usual to make up for her mistake, and by promising to be very careful for the rest of the week.
On the days when Marlene gave in to self-indulgence and despair, she would stop on the way home from work and buy food to consume while driving home. Upon arriving home, she would raid the pantry. She would eat everything in sight - very rapidly, very secretly. Then, she would seek to atone for her transgressions by throwing up in the kitchen sink - all this before her husband got home. We could diagram her behavior this way:
Her god:
"I must be thinner than my sisters"
created
Her god's laws (which had to be perfectly obeyed):
THOU SHALT NOT EAT SUGAR
THOU SHALT NOT EAT POTATO CHIPS
THOU SHALT EXERCISE OFF 500 CALORIES PER DAY
Marlene transgresses her god's law (sins)
by eating a cookie, so she...
Realizes that she won't attain her goal of
perfection that day, so she...
is worried, angry, and fearful because
she has failed again, so she...
Self-indulges (the binge) in a feeble attempt
to demonstrate her disgust, assuage her guilty
conscience, bring pleasure to herself by
throwing off restraint, resulting in...
The need for a savior from her "sin" and it's results
(stomach discomfort/weight gain), so she...
Embraces her "savior", the "purge" (vomiting, laxatives,
overexercising, fasting), and then she...
Recommits to renewed measures to maintain her
self-righteousness and please her god: "I'll never
do this again" and "I'll do better tomorrow"
were her mantras, which seemed to work until she
violated her conscience again by breaking a law or
was frustrated by some circumstance in her life,
at which time the cycle would start over again.
Do you see what I mean when I say these behaviors are life-dominating? Almost every waking moment was tyrannized by thoughts, emotions, and actions - all relating to her false god.
If in some way I've just described you, please don't despair. Your loving Father in heaven is able to break sin's power and lead you on to victory - to help you become a person whose life and love is solely focused on pleasing Him.
It's a message I've been trying to hammer into my head for months. Don't worship the idol of body image perfection! Desire to be healthy to honor God. To make the most of this body that He's given me. This precious amazing life that is a gift.
To do that I must eat foods that are nourishing, good for me. I must get exercise and fresh air and lots of water. And I must not obsess with the idol of "My value and worth are in the way I look"
How about you? You may not have an issue with food or body image but do you struggle with idol worship in other areas? Money? Sex? Status? I don't want to live my life in a constant cycle like Marlene above!
"For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life." Romans 6:20-22
Let me give you an example. I have never been a great flosser. I'll floss here or there but never consistently. THEN, while teaching science to the boys, I read that the germs that live in the dark, moist, tight spaces between your teeth are actually using the bathroom and it's hanging out in your mouth. Yeah, the stuff that is between your teeth right now has fecal matter in it. UMM... ok, that's the most disgusting thing I've ever learned. So I became neurotic or unusually anxious about flossing. And so I did. Floss that is. About 100 times a day. Until I hurt my mouth and had to reign myself in. You'll all be glad to know that I now restrain myself and only floss at night. Most of the time. I know, you want to run and floss now too don't ya?
So, I've realized lately that I'm sort of obsessed with this weight thing and I want to have only God honoring thoughts about this issue. I know the goal should be health but I'm easily swayed by weight. UGH! IT'S REALLY HARD. But I'm willing to do the work because I know that I want every area of my life to be an imitation of Christ. Because I'm grateful for his love and grace and mercy, how can I respond any other way?
I just read this GREAT book Love to Eat Hate to Eat, Breaking the Bondage of Destructive Eating Habits, by Elyse Fitzpatrick. It is hands down the best book I've ever read for those who struggle with the issue of bondage to food and weight. She's a biblical counselor and has some great wisdom & insight, grounded in God's word. I can't summarize all of the truth in this book here on this blog but I do want to share a couple of amazing points:
Most people who are entrapped by this issue (or any issue) never planned to be. It's a pattern of destructive thoughts that lead to destructive behaviors.
Bear with me...this is sort of long but SO WORTH IT - KEEP READING.
Here's an excerpt:
Marlene was a 24 year old married Christian mother of two when I first met her. She had practiced habits of bulimia since high school. As I got to know her it became apparent that one of the main goals of her life was to be thinner than her sisters. She had first embraced this thought in junior high and had never really grown past it. "I must be thinner than my sisters" was so strong in her desires that it actually functioned as a god to her, even though she wasn't always fully aware of it. Her obsession dictated the focus of her thoughts and actions. It ruled over her, demanding enslaving obedience. It was a ruthless taskmaster.
The worship of her god, "I must be thinner than my sisters," had a number of different nuances. For instance, her identity and worth as a woman were tied up in what size she wore. Her daily experience of peace and joy was determined by whether she was "good" or "bad" in her eating. Her emotions alternated between anger and frustration because she spent her life in such futility; she felt depressed and fearful that she would never change, and she was filled with self-loathing and self-indulgence. These emotions gave rise to more despair, disgust, and bitterness, leading her to eat everything in sight. Marlene wanted to serve the Lord and after each binge, she would resolve again to live her life for Christ. But she continually found her thoughts focused on the questions, What do I look like? Am I gaining weight? Am I as good as they are? As a result, her relationships with her family were affected. Every family gathering was ruined by fear. When Marlene saw her sisters she immediately compared herself with them - had they gained weight? Was she more in control than they? Did they compliment her on her figure? Would they criticize her for being too thin or too fat? Her god perverted every joyful occasion, leeching out the pleasure of family, creating an atmosphere of competition, fear, and ambition in her own heart. Would they eat two helpings of turkey? She would have only one...did they notice?
Life-Dominating Demands
As we look at Marlene's struggles, we learn that every god demands worship and service. Marlene's god, "I must be thinner than my sisters," demanded that Marlene constantly think about how she looked, and how her clothing fit - no matter whether she had eaten any sugar the day before. What the scale said to her about her weight determined whether she had peace or anxiety. She worshiped the thought of wearing a size 5; she spent far too much time and money on her appearance. Her treasure and her heart were tied up in her bodily image. Functionally, she believed that if she could just serve her god perfectly enough she would have abundant life - she would know true peace and joy. She was utterly and tragically consumed by her god's demands.
Self-Centered Laws
Marlene's god, "I must be thinner than my sisters," had also created commandments that she had to follow. These laws were: "Thou shalt not eat sugar," "Thou shalt not eat potato chips," "Thou shalt burn off at least 500 calories in exercise every day." She felt more peaceful, more in control when she followed these laws. The problem was that she could never perfectly satisfy her god's demands because idols are never satisfied with your version of perfection. No, idols create laws that multiply exponentially. At one time it had been all right for her to eat some sugar, just as long as it wasn't in chocolate. Eventually, all sugar became unlawful. When Marlene didn't obey these laws, she experienced a greater sense of futility, anger, and desperation. Let me illustrate Marlene's problem this way:
Her god:
"I must be thinner than my sisters"
created
Her god's laws (which had to be perfectly obeyed):
THOU SHALT NOT EAT SUGAR
THOU SHALT NOT EAT POTATO CHIPS
THOU SHALT EXERCISE OFF 500 CALORIES PER DAY
When Marlene "sinned" and violated the laws she had devised in her heart, she would usually respond by feeling angry and, in despair, giving in to her self-indulgence. However, there were some days when she would "regain control" and would respond by rededicating her efforts to be "perfect" for the rest of the day, by exercising more than usual to make up for her mistake, and by promising to be very careful for the rest of the week.
On the days when Marlene gave in to self-indulgence and despair, she would stop on the way home from work and buy food to consume while driving home. Upon arriving home, she would raid the pantry. She would eat everything in sight - very rapidly, very secretly. Then, she would seek to atone for her transgressions by throwing up in the kitchen sink - all this before her husband got home. We could diagram her behavior this way:
Her god:
"I must be thinner than my sisters"
created
Her god's laws (which had to be perfectly obeyed):
THOU SHALT NOT EAT SUGAR
THOU SHALT NOT EAT POTATO CHIPS
THOU SHALT EXERCISE OFF 500 CALORIES PER DAY
Marlene transgresses her god's law (sins)
by eating a cookie, so she...
Realizes that she won't attain her goal of
perfection that day, so she...
is worried, angry, and fearful because
she has failed again, so she...
Self-indulges (the binge) in a feeble attempt
to demonstrate her disgust, assuage her guilty
conscience, bring pleasure to herself by
throwing off restraint, resulting in...
The need for a savior from her "sin" and it's results
(stomach discomfort/weight gain), so she...
Embraces her "savior", the "purge" (vomiting, laxatives,
overexercising, fasting), and then she...
Recommits to renewed measures to maintain her
self-righteousness and please her god: "I'll never
do this again" and "I'll do better tomorrow"
were her mantras, which seemed to work until she
violated her conscience again by breaking a law or
was frustrated by some circumstance in her life,
at which time the cycle would start over again.
Do you see what I mean when I say these behaviors are life-dominating? Almost every waking moment was tyrannized by thoughts, emotions, and actions - all relating to her false god.
If in some way I've just described you, please don't despair. Your loving Father in heaven is able to break sin's power and lead you on to victory - to help you become a person whose life and love is solely focused on pleasing Him.
It's a message I've been trying to hammer into my head for months. Don't worship the idol of body image perfection! Desire to be healthy to honor God. To make the most of this body that He's given me. This precious amazing life that is a gift.
To do that I must eat foods that are nourishing, good for me. I must get exercise and fresh air and lots of water. And I must not obsess with the idol of "My value and worth are in the way I look"
How about you? You may not have an issue with food or body image but do you struggle with idol worship in other areas? Money? Sex? Status? I don't want to live my life in a constant cycle like Marlene above!
"For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life." Romans 6:20-22
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The List
This is all from Super Skinny Me... just condensed and hanging on my fridge. and mirror. and forehead. and maybe should be taped to the couch so that when I want to sit, I move instead. But I thought you might like it:
Basics:
Create a calorie deficit
Zig-zag calorie intake
Eat 5-6 meals per day
Cardio
Resistance training
Run
How to:
1. Don’t starve yourself
2. Quality NOT Quantity – nutrients vs. calories
a. High fiber
b. Rich in protein
c. Low energy density – fruits & veggies
d. High nutrient density – fruits & veggies
e. Supplement
3. Reduce calories slowly –don’t go the lowest extreme 1st or you’ll get stuck
4. Don’t eat too much – distinguish between hunger, greed or boredom
5. Adapt based on feedback from your body – if it doesn’t work, change it
6. Minimize muscle loss with weight training
7. Drink WATER and forget about everything else
8. Opt for non-fat food choices
9. Swap regular cheese for goats cheese
10. Tweak your favorite foods for a lower calorie option
11. If you can’t understand or pronounce what’s on the label, don’t eat it
12. Eat more protein
13. Egg whites for breakfast
14. Don’t fill up – eat until you don’t feel hungry
15. Eat only from a plate – NO fast food in the car
16. No to alcohol
17. Go Mediterranean – evoo, avocado, nuts
18. Use spray oil – don’t pour
19. Supplement with fish oils, vitamin d, & vitamin c
20. Try CLA
21. GREEN TEA – 5 cups per day
22. Get rid of high calorie foods laying around your house
23. 1 tsp of turmeric per day
24. Cinnamon before every meal - this is from another blog but I added it
25. Chew thoroughly
26. Don’t banish sweets, instead have dark chocolate
27. Vegetable soup BEFORE meals - weight watchers tip
Basics:
Create a calorie deficit
Zig-zag calorie intake
Eat 5-6 meals per day
Cardio
Resistance training
Run
How to:
1. Don’t starve yourself
2. Quality NOT Quantity – nutrients vs. calories
a. High fiber
b. Rich in protein
c. Low energy density – fruits & veggies
d. High nutrient density – fruits & veggies
e. Supplement
3. Reduce calories slowly –don’t go the lowest extreme 1st or you’ll get stuck
4. Don’t eat too much – distinguish between hunger, greed or boredom
5. Adapt based on feedback from your body – if it doesn’t work, change it
6. Minimize muscle loss with weight training
7. Drink WATER and forget about everything else
8. Opt for non-fat food choices
9. Swap regular cheese for goats cheese
10. Tweak your favorite foods for a lower calorie option
11. If you can’t understand or pronounce what’s on the label, don’t eat it
12. Eat more protein
13. Egg whites for breakfast
14. Don’t fill up – eat until you don’t feel hungry
15. Eat only from a plate – NO fast food in the car
16. No to alcohol
17. Go Mediterranean – evoo, avocado, nuts
18. Use spray oil – don’t pour
19. Supplement with fish oils, vitamin d, & vitamin c
20. Try CLA
21. GREEN TEA – 5 cups per day
22. Get rid of high calorie foods laying around your house
23. 1 tsp of turmeric per day
24. Cinnamon before every meal - this is from another blog but I added it
25. Chew thoroughly
26. Don’t banish sweets, instead have dark chocolate
27. Vegetable soup BEFORE meals - weight watchers tip
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Media fasting & slow starts
Good morning! I'm FINALLY blogging again. We decided to take a media break for a couple of weeks at the first of the year and it's been the longest 14 days of my life! Who knew how much I feel connected to the world by our social media outlets? Do we remember life before? I probably got a lot more done.
In other news...I've had a slow start to the whole it's 2012 - make a new you. I could give you my laundry list of excuses but the bottom line is... IT'S NOT EASY OR CONVENIENT. There, I said it. It takes a lot of work & effort. But I've also come to a conclusion, NOTHING from the Lord has ever been easy or convenient.
My marriage is a precious gift from Him and, oh dear, it's not easy. I love my man like crazy but I don't like his dirty socks in the floor. I think he's about the cutest thing ever, but I don't always think his decisions are cute. I have to choose to die to myself EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. and let go of the things that don't matter. Then I have to die to myself and choose to not be selfish in the things that do matter. We're people, we have different views and thoughts on everything. This marriage has molded and shaped me in my walk with the Lord. It's caused me to be stretched and grown unlike anything else. It's shown me how selfish I really am and how childish I can behave. Here we are though, celebrating seventeen amazing years this month. We've stayed the course, done the work, struggled through the hard stuff and WE LOVE EACH OTHER EVEN MORE. See how that works? We value the things that require all our effort.
Parenting is the same. Need I say more? You all were like "uh-huh, I love those little raggedy people but I could hurt them at any moment." Don't worry, I wouldn't REALLY hurt them because,in spite of their selfishness, I adore them! They are WORK though. When they're babies you are solely responsible for their very lives, without you they would starve. As they grow, you are responsible for their character, their behavior, their needs, their desires, all of it. And don't think that every single second they're not watching you so you have that added pressure. WHEW!Mostly, they're watching to see if you are who you say you are. Do you actually depend on the Lord? Are you the same person in public and private? How you treat and respond to other people. Talk about growing me up in the Lord! I have had to cry out to Him to be filled with the Holy Spirit! "Oh Lord, mold me, use me, teach me. I want to be so dependent on you that they know you."
You know what? I wouldn't trade a single second of either. They are both precious gifts from the Lord and bothmake me want to hurt myself stretch my faith and dependency on HIM. They enrich my life. They make me want to be a woman after God's own heart. They spur me on.
So, how does that relate to this weight thing? MOST GOOD THINGS ARE NOT EASY AND REQUIRE MUCH FROM ME BUT THE REWARD IS GREAT. Stay tuned for how He is using this part of my life to draw me near to Him. But that will be a post for tomorrow because I'm going for a run. RIGHT NOW! You go too.
In other news...I've had a slow start to the whole it's 2012 - make a new you. I could give you my laundry list of excuses but the bottom line is... IT'S NOT EASY OR CONVENIENT. There, I said it. It takes a lot of work & effort. But I've also come to a conclusion, NOTHING from the Lord has ever been easy or convenient.
My marriage is a precious gift from Him and, oh dear, it's not easy. I love my man like crazy but I don't like his dirty socks in the floor. I think he's about the cutest thing ever, but I don't always think his decisions are cute. I have to choose to die to myself EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. and let go of the things that don't matter. Then I have to die to myself and choose to not be selfish in the things that do matter. We're people, we have different views and thoughts on everything. This marriage has molded and shaped me in my walk with the Lord. It's caused me to be stretched and grown unlike anything else. It's shown me how selfish I really am and how childish I can behave. Here we are though, celebrating seventeen amazing years this month. We've stayed the course, done the work, struggled through the hard stuff and WE LOVE EACH OTHER EVEN MORE. See how that works? We value the things that require all our effort.
Parenting is the same. Need I say more? You all were like "uh-huh, I love those little raggedy people but I could hurt them at any moment." Don't worry, I wouldn't REALLY hurt them because,in spite of their selfishness, I adore them! They are WORK though. When they're babies you are solely responsible for their very lives, without you they would starve. As they grow, you are responsible for their character, their behavior, their needs, their desires, all of it. And don't think that every single second they're not watching you so you have that added pressure. WHEW!Mostly, they're watching to see if you are who you say you are. Do you actually depend on the Lord? Are you the same person in public and private? How you treat and respond to other people. Talk about growing me up in the Lord! I have had to cry out to Him to be filled with the Holy Spirit! "Oh Lord, mold me, use me, teach me. I want to be so dependent on you that they know you."
You know what? I wouldn't trade a single second of either. They are both precious gifts from the Lord and both
So, how does that relate to this weight thing? MOST GOOD THINGS ARE NOT EASY AND REQUIRE MUCH FROM ME BUT THE REWARD IS GREAT. Stay tuned for how He is using this part of my life to draw me near to Him. But that will be a post for tomorrow because I'm going for a run. RIGHT NOW! You go too.
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