Today finds me sniffling, sneezing, coughing with running eyes and nose! YUCK! I am a posterchild for an allergy medication advertisment! I know I'll get better, but it feels like it's going to be a long week!
On a more positive note - tonight is the potluck at my house where all the ladies who have played the 2nd round of Game On will find out which team won! Yea! In reality - we ALL won. I can't wait to find out how much weight we lost collectively. I already have my mind made up that I'm going to play round 3. Why not? It's doable and it's working.
My daughters and I are continuing on in our study of Esther. We have made it through chapter 4. It is interesting to watch her struggle with her pride, with fear, with denial - and then to see her take a deep breath and place everything in God's hands. It's easy for us to brush this off - we know how the story turns out. However, I'm certain it was NOT easy at all for Esther. Her statement about "if I die, then I die" just about broke my heart. I don't know if I could have done it. After all, we already know what a foolish and fickle man the king was! I'm sure by this time she had realized this character flaw, also. As much as we like to romanticize about how much he was smitten by her beauty and LOVED her SOOOO much, at this point in the story she had not even seen the king in 30 days. Can you imaging being married to someone, living in the same house with them, and not seeing or hearing from them in 30 days? He was not off fighting some war or wandering around to various lands under his rule trying to maintain order. He was at home - living life day to day and not being bothered about where his Queen was or what she was doing. I'm sure that he probably had chamberlains who kept him apprised of her comings and goings - but still - you would think that he would like to see her with his own eyes - touch her, talk to her, spend time with her. Again - what a man!
In all of this, Esther loved him. With all of her heart, she loved him. Only God would come before her husband. Even after she realized that her people would perish, she did not want to bother her king. It wasn't until she was made to realize that she, too, would perish and Mordecai chastised her with the fact that God put her as Queen for "such a time as this", that she mustered up the courage and backbone needed to go against the law of her husband and honor the law of her God. That's really the way it should be. I believe more women need to learn to love their husbands second only to God. We need to learn to submit ourselves to them, to love them, encourage them, to obey them. This is not an easy task. It is much easier to say this (or to write this in a blog) than to actually act upon this. But it is what God commands of us. He is the head over us. Our husbands should answer only to God. We must answer to both God and our husbands. If we are disobedient in this act, then we are violating God's commandment to us. Is it not true that if we believe in one part of the Bible, then we should believe in EVERY part of the Bible? We were not given the option to pick and choose which scriptures we wanted to follow. We were given His Word to follow ALL of it! Lord, help me to remember this and to instill this in my daughters that they will be found worthy wives. Worthy of the love of their husbands and of God.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
Friday mish-mash
Why is it that when we are the recipient of such beautiful weather several days in a row our bodies think we need to be punished and allergies take over? I am MISERABLE! Yuck. Blah. Ugh! Anyone feel the same way? I didn't want to get out of bed, didn't want to go to work, and I don't want to do anything else today. Sad state of affairs, huh? Poor lil' ol' me!
On the bright side of things, it is FRIDAY! Yay! And it's payday! Yay! Woo-Hoo! I know things are going to get better! I know I'm going to lose that 1 last pound before Monday that's keeping me from my bonus points!!!
Last night was a lazy night in our house. I was not up to cooking, so Malissia had PB&J while I had grilled cheese - low fat cheese on whole wheat bread with the tiniest amount of Shedd's Spread. It was a nice change of pace. I finished the last of the Shiver books, Forever, and was not satisfied with the ending, of course! Oh well - if I don't like the way books end I'll need to either stop reading or start writing, and it doesn't look like either of those are prospects right now!
Our Bible Study last night was short & sweet. Malissia chose to read from the book of Esther. I LOVE Esther. We only read the first chapter, which, of course, doesn't mention Esther. It gave us a chance to look at King Ahasuerus & Queen Vashti. (Ask Malissia how to pronounce Vashti! It's quite hilarious!) I would not have wanted to be Queen Vashti - or Esther, for that matter! The King was such a self centered, silly fool. Changing Queen's on whims and emotions - what a man! To be so powerful - to have such rule, but to have such little sense! I realize that this was all part of God's plan, but still - the man was weak, weak, weak. To put your Queen away because she was too modest to be flaunted around in front of your minions like this weeks K-Mart special! What was he thinking, anyway - trying to show her off - wanting to tempt others, perhaps? See what I have that you can't? Really? Grrr.... And what about those chamberlains? Ridiculous! Jealous men - "put her away because if you don't then our wives will be just like her!" As if! Who ruled their homes? You've just got to wonder about it all! Makes me glad I'm not God! I'd hate to know that's all I had to work with. A bunch of silly men. Oh, well. It all works out in the end.
Lord, please don't let my daughters fall for silly men. Let them fall head over heels with men who are totally dedicated to you - first and foremost. Real men. Manly men. Men who are sure of themselves and their walk with you. Now, I'm not talking conceited men - just men who are comfortable serving God and proud of a godly wife and who are not afraid to be the husband/father that God intended them to be. I know they are out there - somewhere! Lord, please let my daughters have enough sense to seek your will for this decision! After all, that's what these Bible Studies are all about, right? Help keep us on track and following Your will! Thank you in advance for the blessing I know you have ready to pour out on them. Amen!
On the bright side of things, it is FRIDAY! Yay! And it's payday! Yay! Woo-Hoo! I know things are going to get better! I know I'm going to lose that 1 last pound before Monday that's keeping me from my bonus points!!!
Last night was a lazy night in our house. I was not up to cooking, so Malissia had PB&J while I had grilled cheese - low fat cheese on whole wheat bread with the tiniest amount of Shedd's Spread. It was a nice change of pace. I finished the last of the Shiver books, Forever, and was not satisfied with the ending, of course! Oh well - if I don't like the way books end I'll need to either stop reading or start writing, and it doesn't look like either of those are prospects right now!
Our Bible Study last night was short & sweet. Malissia chose to read from the book of Esther. I LOVE Esther. We only read the first chapter, which, of course, doesn't mention Esther. It gave us a chance to look at King Ahasuerus & Queen Vashti. (Ask Malissia how to pronounce Vashti! It's quite hilarious!) I would not have wanted to be Queen Vashti - or Esther, for that matter! The King was such a self centered, silly fool. Changing Queen's on whims and emotions - what a man! To be so powerful - to have such rule, but to have such little sense! I realize that this was all part of God's plan, but still - the man was weak, weak, weak. To put your Queen away because she was too modest to be flaunted around in front of your minions like this weeks K-Mart special! What was he thinking, anyway - trying to show her off - wanting to tempt others, perhaps? See what I have that you can't? Really? Grrr.... And what about those chamberlains? Ridiculous! Jealous men - "put her away because if you don't then our wives will be just like her!" As if! Who ruled their homes? You've just got to wonder about it all! Makes me glad I'm not God! I'd hate to know that's all I had to work with. A bunch of silly men. Oh, well. It all works out in the end.
Lord, please don't let my daughters fall for silly men. Let them fall head over heels with men who are totally dedicated to you - first and foremost. Real men. Manly men. Men who are sure of themselves and their walk with you. Now, I'm not talking conceited men - just men who are comfortable serving God and proud of a godly wife and who are not afraid to be the husband/father that God intended them to be. I know they are out there - somewhere! Lord, please let my daughters have enough sense to seek your will for this decision! After all, that's what these Bible Studies are all about, right? Help keep us on track and following Your will! Thank you in advance for the blessing I know you have ready to pour out on them. Amen!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
One small step
Today I have VERY good news. I have been taking small steps towards weight loss and have finally reached the 10 lb loss goal! Woo-hoo! It has not been easy, it's actually been frustrating at times! Just when you think you have a handle on it, BOOM - your weight shifts and you can't figure out why. Nevertheless, I am determined to plod along at a steady pace and continue to take better care of my body. I'm trying to pay more attention to what I put in it and keeping it moving.
This all began about 9 weeks ago when a friend of mine found a book, The Game On Diet, and read it. She shared it with several of us and we decided to play this new "diet" game. It has really been inspirational for all of us. This game places partial emphasis on the diet and the rest on life changing habits. You take everything one day at a time. One step at a time. The rewards are self evident - the first 4 weeks 6 of us lost a combined 45 lbs! Amazing, no? YES!
This game also encourages us to give up a bad habit and develop a good habit. It has been enlightening talking with the other players about these habits and how they overcome/achieve them each day. It gives me more goals to strive for as I continue along. I think it works because it's doable, liveable, and we are held accountable to not only ourselves, but each other on a team. The changing of habits has given me pause for thought - making me stop and think about the little things I need to change. My first bad habit to give up was laying my clothes over my recliner in my room instead of hanging them or folding them and putting them away. Here I am 9 weeks later and my recliner is still clothes free! This time around has been keeping my car cleaned out - and so far, so good! I know, I know - most of you would say - shouldn't you do this anyway? For me, I know I should keep these areas clean and tidy, but time is a precious commodity for me and sometimes it's easier to let it go. Then it builds up and gets out of control and makes me feel like I have even less time.
The good habits I chose to work on took some thought, too. The first game I chose to sew 20 minutes each day for ME. Those who know me know I LOVE to sew! However, I always sew for someone else, never for me. By the end of game #1, I had completed a pretty, white blouse - FOR ME. I can't wait to wear it! This time around, I have chosen to have a Bible Study each night with my daughters. I can already see some of the benefits of this. I can't wait to see where it takes us as a family. The changing of habits has probably been my favorite part of the game. It teaches me to think about these little things each day - work a little each day on making a change for the better. At the end of the day - I feel good!
I can't wait to see where this takes me! My long term goal is to lose 50 lbs. I hope to have lost 1/2 that by Christmas - and I know I can do that based on what I've done over the last 9 weeks. After all, I'm already 10 lbs closer to that goal! I'm gonna make it!
This all began about 9 weeks ago when a friend of mine found a book, The Game On Diet, and read it. She shared it with several of us and we decided to play this new "diet" game. It has really been inspirational for all of us. This game places partial emphasis on the diet and the rest on life changing habits. You take everything one day at a time. One step at a time. The rewards are self evident - the first 4 weeks 6 of us lost a combined 45 lbs! Amazing, no? YES!
This game also encourages us to give up a bad habit and develop a good habit. It has been enlightening talking with the other players about these habits and how they overcome/achieve them each day. It gives me more goals to strive for as I continue along. I think it works because it's doable, liveable, and we are held accountable to not only ourselves, but each other on a team. The changing of habits has given me pause for thought - making me stop and think about the little things I need to change. My first bad habit to give up was laying my clothes over my recliner in my room instead of hanging them or folding them and putting them away. Here I am 9 weeks later and my recliner is still clothes free! This time around has been keeping my car cleaned out - and so far, so good! I know, I know - most of you would say - shouldn't you do this anyway? For me, I know I should keep these areas clean and tidy, but time is a precious commodity for me and sometimes it's easier to let it go. Then it builds up and gets out of control and makes me feel like I have even less time.
The good habits I chose to work on took some thought, too. The first game I chose to sew 20 minutes each day for ME. Those who know me know I LOVE to sew! However, I always sew for someone else, never for me. By the end of game #1, I had completed a pretty, white blouse - FOR ME. I can't wait to wear it! This time around, I have chosen to have a Bible Study each night with my daughters. I can already see some of the benefits of this. I can't wait to see where it takes us as a family. The changing of habits has probably been my favorite part of the game. It teaches me to think about these little things each day - work a little each day on making a change for the better. At the end of the day - I feel good!
I can't wait to see where this takes me! My long term goal is to lose 50 lbs. I hope to have lost 1/2 that by Christmas - and I know I can do that based on what I've done over the last 9 weeks. After all, I'm already 10 lbs closer to that goal! I'm gonna make it!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Women of Courage
Why, oh why did I have to get up and out of bed this morning? It's so beautiful and crisp outside, I just wanted to stay in bed a few extra minutes and enjoy the luxury of snuggling down under layers of sheets and blankets, with a tiny, soft, warm dog laying next to me! Sigh - work. Sigh - school. Sigh - life. That's why! It took me so long to remember why I had to get up that I had to scramble to catch up with all I needed to do before I ever left the house! Put dinner in the crock pot. Water the animals. Finish the laundry I washed last night. Busy, busy morning.
Poor Malissia - she wanted coffee this morning to "wake her up". She had to settle for what the school had because she, too, had the iwanttostayinbed virus.
Last night after church we finished reading the book of Ruth. I have decided to begin studying the women in the bible over the next few weeks. The girls and I have been studying modesty, pride, kindness, being a homemaker, and how to be a good wife. I felt like this was the direction we needed to go. Reading Ruth again gave me another chance to look at the details of a familiar story. Naomi's subjection to her husband - no matter what the cost - and it was a great cost! To leave her home land, her family, to go live in a foreign land full of strangers who worshipped a dead god. The death of her husband. Watching her sons marry women from this foreign land. The death of her sons. Still, she never spoke ill of her husband or her sons. She treated her daughters-in-law with love and respect - showing them God's love. The only bright spot in Naomi's life, the only redemption for her obedience, came in the form of a loving daughter-in-law, Ruth. Thank God for Ruth! God gave Ruth to Naomi, of that I have no doubt. It reminds me of something I've always heard - when you stray from the Divine Will of God, there is hope - He can make things right. That doesn't mean that there won't be scars, tears, heartache - but there can be joy, nonetheless! Keep your eyes on Him!
Speaking of Ruth - what courage! What faith and trust she had! To leave her people and her god, to forsake the opportunity to go back to her parents and start a new life with a new husband - instead following her mother-in-law back to a land devastated by famine, to a life of poverty, back breaking work, lowliness and loneliness. What love! To learn to worship and love a new God - the One true, living God. I am amazed at her trust in Naomi. I asked Malissia last night what she would have done if she had been in Ruth's place and I told her to go lay next to Boaz, uncover his feet and wait for him to wake up. At first she said she would because she knew she loved Boaz already. However, when I reminded her that she did not know that Boaz loved her back, she changed her mind. She said it would have been embarassing and humiliating - especially if Boaz woke up and was angry, or told her to leave. Thank goodness Ruth was obedient and selfless. What a blessing to have a loving mother-in-law, a man who loves you and can take care of you and cherish you, to know God and have His blessing in your life, to become the great-grandmother to one of the greatest earthly kings ever - David - and a direct decendent of our Savior! WOW! It's such a wonderful story. Two amazing women! Two shining examples of the type of women we can strive to become!
Poor Malissia - she wanted coffee this morning to "wake her up". She had to settle for what the school had because she, too, had the iwanttostayinbed virus.
Last night after church we finished reading the book of Ruth. I have decided to begin studying the women in the bible over the next few weeks. The girls and I have been studying modesty, pride, kindness, being a homemaker, and how to be a good wife. I felt like this was the direction we needed to go. Reading Ruth again gave me another chance to look at the details of a familiar story. Naomi's subjection to her husband - no matter what the cost - and it was a great cost! To leave her home land, her family, to go live in a foreign land full of strangers who worshipped a dead god. The death of her husband. Watching her sons marry women from this foreign land. The death of her sons. Still, she never spoke ill of her husband or her sons. She treated her daughters-in-law with love and respect - showing them God's love. The only bright spot in Naomi's life, the only redemption for her obedience, came in the form of a loving daughter-in-law, Ruth. Thank God for Ruth! God gave Ruth to Naomi, of that I have no doubt. It reminds me of something I've always heard - when you stray from the Divine Will of God, there is hope - He can make things right. That doesn't mean that there won't be scars, tears, heartache - but there can be joy, nonetheless! Keep your eyes on Him!
Speaking of Ruth - what courage! What faith and trust she had! To leave her people and her god, to forsake the opportunity to go back to her parents and start a new life with a new husband - instead following her mother-in-law back to a land devastated by famine, to a life of poverty, back breaking work, lowliness and loneliness. What love! To learn to worship and love a new God - the One true, living God. I am amazed at her trust in Naomi. I asked Malissia last night what she would have done if she had been in Ruth's place and I told her to go lay next to Boaz, uncover his feet and wait for him to wake up. At first she said she would because she knew she loved Boaz already. However, when I reminded her that she did not know that Boaz loved her back, she changed her mind. She said it would have been embarassing and humiliating - especially if Boaz woke up and was angry, or told her to leave. Thank goodness Ruth was obedient and selfless. What a blessing to have a loving mother-in-law, a man who loves you and can take care of you and cherish you, to know God and have His blessing in your life, to become the great-grandmother to one of the greatest earthly kings ever - David - and a direct decendent of our Savior! WOW! It's such a wonderful story. Two amazing women! Two shining examples of the type of women we can strive to become!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
It feels like Monday
Isn't it funny how something other than the calendar tells us what day it SHOULD be? Yesterday felt like a Saturday - no work, all play. Today feels like a Monday - after all, it's the first work day of the work week! It feels deliciously like fall. It makes me want to start working on crafts. The crisp, cool morning air, sunshine, blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds.... The rain we received this weekend was so welcomed! I wish we had another day or two of it. A soft pattering of rain drops all day and all night. Just fast enough, just hard enough to convince the earth to soak it all in. No run off! We needed it so bad. My flower bed is all withered up and turning brown. This rain saved it. God is so good. He knows just what we need just when we need it. I pray today that I can be a blessing in return to Him. Give Him back some of the goodness He has given to me.
For those of you who don't know me so well, I should start by saying that my life pretty much exists around my God and my church family. When I am not actively involved in a church function, I can be found at home in close proximity to my sewing machine or my oven! Those are my two favorite "tools"! Last week I looked up (after months of continuous sewing) and discovered I couldn't find my house! It was somewhere under a thick layer of dust and dirt. I told the girls that I refused to sew one stitch more until our home was completely scrubbed clean. So...we spent a whole week "Spring" cleaning just in time for the Fall! It's gloriously clean now! I can get back on the band wagon, so to speak!
Just to break it all in, I baked 2 Pig cakes, 1 banana nut bundt cake, a pot of homemade veggie beef soup, a crock pot full of black eyed peas & sausage, and a bowl of rice. Yesterday was full of yummy goodness! Life is worth living!
Someone testified at church the other night and it has stuck with me. They stated "What if we woke up tomorrow and all we had were the things we thanked God for today?". That really got me to thinking...I want to make sure I thank Him for everything. Without Him I would have nothing, would be nothing, and would have no hope. I owe it all to Him. When I die, if nothing else - let everyone remember that I gave Him credit for everything. He is great and greatly to be praised. I'm so lucky to know Him and to have a personal walk with Him. Another person in our church stated "He gave everything for us - died on the cross - the biggest sacrifice ever. No other sacrifice could come close. The biggest sacrifice we could ever make for Him is to choose to serve Him - completely and totally - unselfishly and wholly. To "lay down our life" for Him." That's the sacrifice I choose to make. God, please help me to make YOU my first commitment!
For those of you who don't know me so well, I should start by saying that my life pretty much exists around my God and my church family. When I am not actively involved in a church function, I can be found at home in close proximity to my sewing machine or my oven! Those are my two favorite "tools"! Last week I looked up (after months of continuous sewing) and discovered I couldn't find my house! It was somewhere under a thick layer of dust and dirt. I told the girls that I refused to sew one stitch more until our home was completely scrubbed clean. So...we spent a whole week "Spring" cleaning just in time for the Fall! It's gloriously clean now! I can get back on the band wagon, so to speak!
Just to break it all in, I baked 2 Pig cakes, 1 banana nut bundt cake, a pot of homemade veggie beef soup, a crock pot full of black eyed peas & sausage, and a bowl of rice. Yesterday was full of yummy goodness! Life is worth living!
Someone testified at church the other night and it has stuck with me. They stated "What if we woke up tomorrow and all we had were the things we thanked God for today?". That really got me to thinking...I want to make sure I thank Him for everything. Without Him I would have nothing, would be nothing, and would have no hope. I owe it all to Him. When I die, if nothing else - let everyone remember that I gave Him credit for everything. He is great and greatly to be praised. I'm so lucky to know Him and to have a personal walk with Him. Another person in our church stated "He gave everything for us - died on the cross - the biggest sacrifice ever. No other sacrifice could come close. The biggest sacrifice we could ever make for Him is to choose to serve Him - completely and totally - unselfishly and wholly. To "lay down our life" for Him." That's the sacrifice I choose to make. God, please help me to make YOU my first commitment!
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