In His Time...Part 2

This is a ditto to "In His Time."  Today was another appointed meeting that has been being arranged for several weeks, but today was the right day.  Thank you God!  Thank you for openness on both our parts so that the right encouragement could be given.  Psalm 10:17

In His Time

I LOVE how God appoints exact people and exact minutes, down to the second into our lives!  I went to a potluck at the park today and sat with the same couple of people the whole time and NEVER would I have known that the last 15 minutes of the day (when I finally didn't rush out of there, but relaxed)...would be exactly the time and one-on-one listening a lady needed!  Thank you God for relaxing me and teaching me how to listen.  Thank you for her honesty and open heart to seek you in this difficult time.  It is a time like this that makes me so excited that I do this blog because I forget what a passion and joy it stirs in me to encourage a marriage!  Thank you God for today...every day is a gift that you've been given, live the most of your life every minute you're in it...Lord, I lift her up to you and thank you for my forwardness to lift her up to you in prayer because YOU are the provider and the constant in our lives.  I love you Lord!!!!!  John 15:16

Temple of the Holy Spirit

I've had a hard time controlling my weight all my life.  I've known for quite some time that it's more controlling what enters my mouth than controlling my weight.  I've always exercised and kept moving nearly daily ever since I can remember, I love activities so that part isn't hard for me.  What I have realized is that as positive as I am to the outside world and all those I speak with and see on a daily basis, I am not that positive to myself.  I didn't ever realize I was doing this until it was brought to my attention by my Health Coach (I'll explain more about him later).  I set some goals for the year and at the end my coach asked me what my confidence level was in achieving those goals...after hearing my response, he encouraged me to never look back only look forward at the now and the future.  There is no need to be regretful or to beat yourself up for something you messed up on, just forget about it and try hard again the next day!  My coach was referring to food and eating habits, but I have since then applied these thoughts to my exercise and mental well being to result in the easiest time I've ever had trying to lose weight.  I'm not feeling guilty about what I eat like I always did, I feel excited about getting healthy not just trying to lose weight and I'm not being negative to myself.  All of this has made my relationship with God so much deeper and exciting.  I believe when we read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we should honor our God with our bodies in more ways than one and health is one of those ways.

Some resources and ideas that have helped me along the way include:

I found a couple exercise buddies that I meet with at regularly scheduled times and I have scheduled what I will do on the other days where I don't have anyone holding me accountable.

Christian Care Ministry is a health alternative to insurance that I highly recommend you looking into if you don't receive wonderful benefits from an employer or other source of benefits.  We did lots of research for nearly a year on this whole concept as well as the main companies providing the service and Christian Care Ministry was our #1 pick.  This is where I am currently receiving my Health Coach services from as well, it's part of my program to get healthy and SO worth it to have a Christian Health Coach that has been a personal trainer, educator and is committed to holding me accountable through prayer and phone calls.  Their website is like a personal trainer too, with so many more resources than I have EVER gotten from any health insurance company!

Organic Liaison is a fun website with an AWESOME Recipe Book - that's my main resource for using this site, but there are some other fun things about it too like the 100 Days to Dance.

Hungry Girl is a tips and tricks and recipes guide to eating low calorie and I signed up for the email newsletter and use that as my resource more than the website.  Sometimes I get a great recipe from the email and sometimes I don't get anything, but the colors and the fun attitude are part of what keep me going, happy and enjoying this journey!

Health Initiatives Exercise videos and Engine 2 Exercise videos are a FREE way to get exercise ideas for strength training because no equipment is necessary.  I don't like paying gyms, I don't like paying boot camps, I don't like paying anybody really, but I have paid them all at some point along the way...but now I have educated myself so much and armed myself with so much ammunition in exercise ideas that I don't need to spend any money to do it!!!

Free groups that are self help or 12 step programs might be something you need as well and don't even realize it.  There is a way to keep Jesus as your center in these meetings so don't let their "higher power" talk deter you.

I pray that this blog has inspired you and given you some new ideas and resources to help your weight loss journey be successful because I know how important it is to you and your walk with God...one of my favorite lines from a song lately is, "I can do it, I can do it, oh God I need your help"

Be Glad You Did

The most common thing I say is: Live your life as a Bride to both your husband and Jesus Christ, you'll be glad you did!  But when things actually happen and remind me that this is true, WOW, I still get blown away. I am so thankful for how the Lord works (Isaiah 55:8-9).  I live my life striving to be a Proverbs 31 woman and it is such a precious feeling to learn that it is possible, little by little.  I used to think no woman could be all that, but if you just keep trying and keep relying on your faith in God and keep trying to live like Jesus, you TOO will begin feeling that you are fulfilling your calling in life as a wife!

What joy it brings me to encourage my husband, talk wonderfully of him (Proverbs 31:23), treat him well and serve him generously rather than being selfish with my time, mind and body to get what I want in life...it's not easy, but if you make it a habit then on those hard days it just happens because you only know how to treat him with love and respect.  I'm still a major work in progress, but I am already receiving the benefits from this unselfish living.  My husband now wants to please ME, encourage ME, talk wonderfully to ME, treat ME well and serve ME generously for what have long been the desires of my heart.  I just had to wait according to God's timing.