Lost, but now I'm found!

I took my focus off my goal...I stumbled.  Gained this week. 188.2.
I wasn't happy.  I do take the blame-don't want to blame others or my circumstances.

Life happens. My son, DIL & granddaughter was visiting.  My eating and exercising routine changed. I ate stuff that is not on my eating plan.

I did learn some lessons the past 2 weeks.  I eat when I'm bored.  Wow! What an eye opener!!
Work has been a little slow & I've had extra time.  My mind immediately turned to "what can I eat"
I ate what I had extra-peanuts, turkey pepperoni, cheese blocks.  If eaten in SMALL portions-these are OK on my diet plan-but when eaten  till gone-it spells disaster!

Some of my old habits crept back in. Oh no!

Then my family was eating food that's unhealthy for them and certainly unhealthy for me.  I joined in. Just a little wouldn't hurt-or did it?

I'm reminded of the story in the bible:

"'Yes, come,' Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. 'Save me, Lord!' he shouted." Matthew 14:29-30 (NLT)

I started to sink when I had my weigh in on Monday.  I've cried out to God to help me! I don't want to gain back the weight. I don't want to feel bad and tired. I don't want to be unhealthy!

This is my saving verse:

Proverbs 4:25-27, "Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil." (NLT)

I am NOT alone! Yeah!! God is with me. Every day-every step of the way.  I'm going to keep my focus on HIM!  

Thank you Lord.  You were with me all the time-I just lost my focus on you. Thank you for reminding me where my strength comes from!!

We all have weak moments.  It's OK. Shake it off, get back in the saddle and refocus on the Lord.

Have a blessed day!!   

Repost Joyce Meyers Devotional

Loving One Another

by Joyce Meyer - posted July 07, 2013

Whoever says he is in the Light and [yet] hates his brother [Christian, born-again child of God his Father] is in dark­ness even until now. Whoever loves his brother [believer] abides (lives) in the Light, and in It or in him there is no occasion for stumbling or cause for error or sin. But he who hates (detests, despises) his brother [in Christ] is in darkness and walking ­(living) in the dark; he is straying and does not perceive or know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. —1 John 2:9–11

Hate is an extremely strong and harsh word. Any discussion among believers about hating other Christians would lead most of them to say, “I don’t believe I have ever hated anyone.” If we think about these words of John, however, perhaps he didn’t mean hate as we think of it—feeling great hostility or animosity toward someone. Perhaps our form of hatred today is more like indifference. We don’t really dislike people, but we don’t care enough to help them when they have troubles and problems.
“Most of the loving I see today in the church is based on convenience,” someone told me recently. He went on to say that we will reach out to others as long as it’s convenient or doesn’t demand too much time or effort.
This opens a wide door of opportunity for Satan to separate us from those who most need our love. Jesus commanded us to love each other. In John 13:34–35, He said that people would recognize us as His disciples by our expressions of love toward one another. Perhaps one reason they don’t say that about many of today’s Christians is because too often we’re unwilling to go out of our way to meet the needs of others.
Love is an action verb. If you love others, you do things for them. To hate (in the biblical sense) is to do nothing or to turn away. To make it worse, you judge and criticize others and think, If they really loved God, they wouldn’t be in such a predicament.
You need to see that if you practice God’s “love walk,” you not only grow yourself, but you enable others to grow. The devil can’t do you much harm if you truly walk in loving relationship with others.
In my book Battlefield of the Mind, I shared the story of how I was extremely sick during my fourth pregnancy. When I prayed for healing, God reminded me that I had criticized another woman in our church who was always tired and sick during her pregnancy. Now, here I was in the same circumstances. I realized how wrong I had been and repented. But it took more than repenting—it also became a time of learning for me. God forced me to realize how often I had judged or criticized others because they didn’t measure up to the standards I thought they ought to live by.
All of us make mistakes. All of us have weaknesses. God didn’t call us to point out those weaknesses to the person (or worse, to someone else), but He did call us to care—to show Christ’s love in any way we can. The Bible tells us to be tenderhearted, understanding, and forgiving. That’s how we can win over satanic attacks. Paul says it this way: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin). Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind). And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:30–32).
God used these verses to help me see that being Jesus’ disciple means being kind to others, tenderhearted, and forgiving. I also realized it meant overlooking their weaknesses and shortcomings. If we truly love others as Christ loves us, it isn’t difficult at all.

Lord Jesus, I want to love others, and I want to be kind and caring. I also know that I fail at times. In Your name, I ask You to forgive me, and enable me to forgive others who hurt me or don’t live up to my standards. Amen.

You Matter!

Yes, you.

I know that it’s sometimes hard to hold to, this truth that you are important.
But it is true.  You have been chosen by God for this place and this time in this world.
Your heart matters to Him, so much that He would not allow sin to hold power over you and keep you from His presence.  He sent Jesus to redeem you, because He loved you and He wanted your heart for His own.  Your heart, created by His non-erring hand, is valuable to Him…

..and you are valuable to the rest of us, to your brothers and sisters in Christ, and to the people in your life who don’t know Him.

You have a story to tell. 

Whether it’s through your actions or through your words… maybe through music or painting… maybe through the food you take to those who are hurt or hungry… perhaps in the phone call you make when someone crosses your mind… perhaps in the faithful way you do your job and speak kindly to those around you… however you tell it, your story is important because it is the truth of a God who loves us, who reaches into our lives and sets us free.  This is a treasure in your hands, my friend… the fact that He has made you new, has called you Son or Daughter, has filled you with His Spirit. We bear witness to His grace… and when we all tell our piece of the Great Story, His Good News, we reveal Him to the people around us.

When we all tell our stories, I believe He is revealed to the entire world.

But here’s what can happen ~ Satan, our enemy who seeks to destroy and to devour any image-bearer of God, sneaks in and tells you that no one notices you.  You might as well be invisible, whether you’re sitting at home or on a church pew or walking around at work.  You don’t have anything to offer… everybody else says it better.  Everybody else knows more.  Everybody else… well, they have it covered.  Who needs you?

If he can persuade you to believe that you are insignificant, he silences your testimony.  He silences your story… because he wants to silence the Gospel.

Do not believe his lies.  Do not be silenced.

God has chosen you.  He has called you to be a witness of His mercy.  He has created you with all of those gifts and personality-quirks that make you you…

and we need you.


See the whole article at  Christian Women Online

“We are God’s masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” ~Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.  Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.”~Ephesians 1:11

 

8 mths & going strong

Since starting my Take Shape For Life program in Oct 2012, I've lost a total of 74 pounds. 
The last few weeks have been tougher.  My focus has been wavering.
I've had to remind myself why I'm on this journey.

Wearing a size 12-14 is definitely a major prize!
But more importantly, I'm able to play with my extremely active 18 mth old granddaughter.
I've been able to come off of one of my high blood pressure pills, decreased my depression med from 225mg to 75 mg. Deleted my sleeping pill.

My doctors are ecstatic! 

I'm exercising daily and loving every minute! 

Since I've gotten rid of all my "bigger" clothes-there will be NO turning back!

Healthy life-I'm here to stay!!

Wow God Moment

I had a WOW God moment this morning! 
I just had to share.

My growth group has been doing a bible study by Beth Moore-
How the tabernacle in the old testiment relates to Jesus which relates to us! He lives in us!

One of the main things we've read over and over is how God's glory would fill the tabernacle.
The people couldn't even go near it because His glory settled as a cloud over the tabernacle.

This morning I was listening to The Message on my way to work.

Heard the song by Matthew West: Hello, my name is.  Started praising God, lifting my hands, singing along

Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I've been saved, I've been changed,
And I have been set free
“Amazing Grace” is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true King

Right after I crossed the Franklin County line, the fog was so thick I could hardly see.  It struck me like a brick wall-this is what the Israelites had experienced-God's glory so thick they couldn't see-His glory surrounded every inch of the tabernacle-just like the fog did this morning.

I felt God's presence as if he were standing in front of me! 

Praise the Lord! Yahweh reigns!

I am loved more than I will ever understand!
You are loved more than you will ever understand!

Have a blessed day-I know I will!

LOVE IN CHRIST!
Karen

One-derland!!

I've finally reached a major marker-I was under 200 today!!  199.6 to be exact.

I've lost a total of 62.2 pounds since starting Take Shape For Life.

I still can't believe it!

Had to go shopping AGAIN!  For clothes-not food! LOL

It's gotten warmer here-I need summer clothes.  Wearing 14-14W, 16 pants.  XLarge in a lot of shirts.
Goodwill has become my go-to store. I don't want to pay a lot of my sizes until I reach my goal and know what size I'll finish in.

This journey is still fun and exciting. I feel like a new person!

The Umbrella

THE UMBRELLA

During a particularly hot summer, a group of farmers gathered in their church to pray for rain. The dry weather threatened their livelihood, and their situation was desperate. After the service, one little girl asked her father if the people truly expected that it would rain. "Of course," replied the dad. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be here." "But Daddy," protested the little girl, "how come no one came to church with an umbrella?"

In the very first prayer recorded in the Bible (Genesis 15:1-6), we catch a glimpse of Abraham's faith. It is a faith that goes beyond human understanding. When Abraham was old and bent with years, he complained to God that he had no heir. God promised Abraham that he would be blessed with a son, and Abraham believed in spite of his old age. From that moment on, he lived with expectation that God would give him a son. In essence, Abraham started carrying the umbrella of faith in this first prayer.

There were times when Abraham doubted, but over all, he lived a life of faith. What seemed impossible to Abraham became a reality because he believed God. God always honors the faith of His followers. James reminds us: But let him ask in faith, with no doubting (James 1:6). Our pleas married to faith give birth to answered prayer. When we pray, let us believe.

Romans 4:3

Romans 4:3 NIV

3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

It's hard putting all our faith in God some days.  We want to try and work our life out our way. We get so frustrated when we can't.  We wonder why God's not blessing us.

Have you considered waiting on God to answer your prayer? Boy-when I do-my answer is always 10 times better than the anwer I could have gotten on my own.

We are children of the KING!  He wants nothing more than our happiness.  Trust him. Today.

Love & hugs!

Karen

5mths on Take Shape For Life

 I'm still in it to win it!!  Still following TSFL plan and eating my Medifast food. Still loving the hot chocolate, cream of chicken soup, bars, shakes, chips.  Easiest and most convenient way I've every done!  It's totally working for me.

This week I'm down from 261.8 to 202.6.  It's still so amazing to me! 
I have so much more energy.  When my granddaughter came to visit for Easter-she had to keep up with me! LOL
I can crawl, chase, dance and roll right with her!

Wanted to share my tuna recipe that my health coach told me about.  I don't normally like nor eat tuna.  So if you're like me-try this recipe!

2 tablespoons LF cream cheese
2 tablespoons greek plain yogurt
3 oz tuna, drained
1 boiled egg
2 small dill pickles, finely chopped
2 teaspoons onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
salt and pepper
garlic powder
smoked paprika

I mash the cream cheese up with the yogurt using a fork, then stir in each remaining ingredient .  Serve on one cup of lettuce, 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes and jalapenos.

Very tasty-very healthy.  Counts as my lean and green.

Lemon Chicken Crock Pot Style

• 6 bone-in chicken breast halves, skin removed
• 1 teas dried oregano
• 1/2 teas seasoned salt
• 1/4 teas pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teas chicken bouillon granules
• 2 teas minced fresh parsley

Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. In a bowl, mix the salt, pepper and oregano in to a rub. Apply the rub to the chicken. Put the oil In a skillet and brown the chicken over medium heat.
Now it’s time to move it all to the crockpot. Put the water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon into the skillet and turn up the heat. Bring it a boil. Pour the mixture into the crockpot over the chicken. Cover and cook for 3-4 hours on low. Baste chicken. Add parsley. Cover and cook 30 minutes longer.

Integrity Quote

Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.

                                                        ~ W. Clement Stone

 

I saw this quote on Teresa Cline's blog.  Just had to print it to remind myself-it's OK to say no.

 

I think as women we have a problem with saying no.  It's our motherly nature to help others. Solving problems, filling in the gaps, saying yes to whatever is asked of us.

 

There is a balance in life that we need to maintain if we are to be the best we can be. We have to take time for ourself. Our quiet time with the Lord, time to relax & wind down in our craft rooms (smile)-is a must if we're going to be wives, mothers, employees, etc.

 

Take a few minutes for yourself today.

 

 

Habits of Health

Want to share with you the basics I'm following on Take Shape For Life.  I want to always remember them myself. 

I want to remember I'm changing for the rest of my life!  It's taken years and years of bad habits to get in poor health, high weight, lack of energy & poor self esteem.

I've started all over -from my foundation up!

Psalm 103:2

Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.

 

 

Six of these beginning Habits of Health spell out the acronym BeSlimTM - a tool I created at Take Shape for LifeTM - to help you understand the behaviors essential to maintaining a healthy weight.

"BeSlim"

• Breakfast
• Exercise
• Support
• Low-fat meals every three hours
• Individual plan
• Monitor

Breakfast: By now, you should be working on beginning each day with a healthy breakfast - an important routine that's critical for long-term weight loss, according to the National Weight Control Registry.

Exercise: As your weight has decreased, perhaps you've started adding more activity, like using the stairs or taking the dog for a walk. If you haven't, you should at least be taking the stairs as one of your Weekly Habits of Health. We'll learn more about exercise later.

Support: I'm a big believer in seeking help on your journey to optimal health. While I can serve as your immediate mentor, having a live coach such as a health care professional or a trained health coach can add tremendous value.   Contact me for help finding one near you.

Low-fat meals every three hours: You're now working your way into the habit of eating smaller meals every three hours - a very powerful Habit of Health. And low-fat, low-glycemic eating has been shown to be a key factor in long-term maintenance of weight-loss.  Your permanent eating strategy includes meals that:

• Are low-glycemic
• Satisfy your hunger
• Control your caloric intake
• Contain low amounts of healthy fats
• Keep to a three-hour eating schedule

Individual plan: We spent much of the 30-Day Challenge building a customized plan for you, and when you are past the initial weight-loss stage, you will build a permanent plan that gives you control over your energy intake and provides you with long-term strategies for life.

Monitor:  Check your weight weekly. Keeping an eye on your energy balance - with journal in hand - helps you make sure you're not loading fat.

Remember, stick to your habits, and don't be afraid to Stop-Challenge-Choose if you feel yourself tempted by a Habit of Disease. Every little victory counts.

In health,

The numbers are in!

Hello everyone in the blogging world!

I've been on Take Shape For Life 17 weeks.  Started 10/22/12. 

My starting weight was 261.8 and as of 2/18/13  it was 215.  That's a total of 46.8 pounds!! Woohoo

Even better are my measurements.

                     Start                    as of 2/18/13      Total inches lost

Bust               48.5                    45                       3.5
Upper stom     44                      38                        6
Waist              43.5                   37.5                     7
Hip                  53                     47                        6
Thigh              29.5                   25                        4.5
Calf                17                      15.5                     1.5
Arm                16.5                   15                        1.5

TOTAL INCHES 30 INCHES!!!!

I simply cannot believe it.  God is so good!  He lead me right to this program. He's given me the will power and strength to endure.  I feel like I'm going to make to the end!

There are so many little things I'm starting to notice. I can feel my collar bones starting to emerge!
I can cross my legs a lot more comfortably.  I can go up and down the stairs at work and not even be short of breath.

And EXERCISE!
Walking is of course, the easiest to do.  We have a couple of walking tracks near where I live and when it wasn't freezing cold-I've walked laps.
I've started a zumba class! That's definitely something I could have never done at my starting weight! 
We've been painting our den, kitchen and spare bath. We've sanded the floor boards. Now THAT was lots of exercise! Climbing up and down step ladder, bending, squating, sitting in floor, brush strokes-boy-it adds up!

It's all about moving more and I'm doing that.

Here's my new photos of myself:

Week 13-reached 40 pds lost!

Here are my pictures from week 12. Wearing size 18 pants and 1X shirt (fit like a XL)

I haven't been blogging well lately. Wanted to track weekly on here.  The pics are from week 12. My weigh ins are on Mondays.  January 21st I was at 223.4.  Yesterday at 222.4!!  That was right at 40 pounds so far!  

I'm feeling GREAT and still following plan.  I can't keep up with the inches yet. I have little pieces of paper at work & home with measurements and dates!  I'll gather them together soon and try to get a tally recorded here.

I've been walking 3-5 days per week at our local Jack Dalton Park.  My hubby has gone with me a few times, my furbabies, and my BFF.  Sometimes it's just me. It's a great way to clear my thoughts and be with God.  

I've read chapter 11 in our workbook.  It's about moving more.  Learning to incorporate any movement in every day life.
I'm adding:  squats while I'm waiting 2 minutes for my medifast to cook in the microwave, side to side wiggling while I'm blow drying my hair, more stair climbing at work to get my water, walking around while I'm on the phone (headset).

My health coach has tracked my losses and says I'm averaging 2 - 2.4 pds per week.  Totally awesome!  I'm looking forward to being at goal (148)

I can't close without telling you all the credit for my weight loss goes to my Lord and Saviour!  He's giving me the strength and grace and wisdom to pursue this lifelong goal.  Without him I am nothing.

I praise God with all that I am!  I thank him for leading me to my health coach-Alisha Reynolds.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5 NIV

Have a blessed and happy day! Stay warm!

Survived Birthday Party!

My husband and I traveled to Richmond for my granddaughter's 1st birthday.  I'm always concerned when I am out of my daily routine that I won't eat like I should and make poor choices.

It was such a joy to see Brianna and play with her! She is one of the many reasons I started this life journey.  I want to be able to get in the floor, get back up, pick her up, dance with her in my arms, be silly and still be able to move! LOL

SUCCESS!!  We had a great time. She enjoyed her day so much and around 5pm, she laid her head on my shoulder and went limp!  Asleep with no fuss, no runting for a good position.  She was tuckered out.

I still had energy and was able to continue to my -including the drive home-till 11:30 last night!

My son fixed me a New York strip steak, I had brought my frozen broccili to microwave and had my lean and green meal while everyone else was eating hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad and cupcakes.  I played with Brianna while they all got their plates full. He had two different areas to eat, so the "young" people ate in the front of the townhouse and the grand parents and baby ate in the back. Worked out well.

Enjoyed seeing Brianna shove the cake in and lick her hands until her Dad said ENOUGH!  She's never had sugar and I don't like her eating it now!  Good boy!  He doesn't want her to be overweight and addicted to sugar and I don't blame him.

Here are some pics from our day.

Psalm 118:24
This is the day the Lord has made.
    We will rejoice and be glad in it.

What a perfect verse to start my first week of graditude.  I am thankful for my son, daughter in law and granddaughter!

Weigh in was today:  226-own another 2 pds.  Total lost 36 pds!  Woohoo!!

Love & hugs!
Karen 

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away; behold all things have
become new.

~2 Corinthians 5:17

It's a new year~have you made the decision to accept Christ in your heart~in your life?

When you do~just like the scripture says~you become a new creation!

You are no longer in control~you'll allow God to be in control.

I hope you'll consider receiving the free gift of life today!

The Pencil Parable

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A PENCIL MAKER TOLD THE PENCIL FIVE IMPORTANT LESSONS JUST BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE BOX :

1. EVERYTHING YOU DO WILL ALWAYS LEAVE A MARK .

2. YOU CAN ALWAYS CORRECT THE MISTAKES YOU MAKE.

3. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS INSIDE OF YOU.

4. IN LIFE , YOU WILL UNDERGO PAINFUL SHARPENINGS, WHICH WILL ONLY MAKE YOU BETTER.

5. TO BE THE BEST PENCIL, YOU MUST ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE HELD AND GUIDED BY THE HAND THAT HOLDS YOU.

We all need to be constantly sharpened.  This parable may encourage you to know that you are a special person, with unique God-given talents and abilities.  Only you can fulfill the purpose which you were born to accomplish.  Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot be changed and, like the pencil, always remember that the most important part of who you are, is what's inside of you and then allow yourself to be guided by the hand of God.

I thought this parable was so inciteful, I wanted to share it with you.