Daily grace

What Jesus looks like

I've been thinking a lot about the name....
the name {or theme, if you will} of this still fresh year.
A name that will embody the way I move, the way I respond, the way I think about, the way I treat....
my children, my husband, my friends, strangers the Lord unexpectedly places in my path, myself.
I've been pondering what it looks like to be like Christ.
Would those around me say, "I could never do that.  That's what Jesus would do."

"{Jesus} is patient,

{Jesus} is kind,

{Jesus} is not jealous,

{Jesus} does not brag and is not arrogant,

{Jesus} does not act unbecomingly,

{Jesus} does not seek His own,"

{Jesus} is not provoked,

{Jesus} does not take into account a wrong suffered,

{Jesus} does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth,

{Jesus} bears all things,

{Jesus} believes all things,

{Jesus} hopes all things,

{Jesus} endures all things."

~1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

I want, not only complete strangers, but my HUSBAND, my BABIES to see a difference in me.

Like the Israelites saw in Moses after he came down from the mountain after spending 40 days with Jehovah.

"And it came to pass,

when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables

of testimony in Moses' hand,

when he came down from the mount,

that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone

because of his speaking with Him {Jehovah}.

And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses,

behold,

the skin of his face shone;

and they were afraid to come near him."

~Exodus 34: 29,30

Of course, I don't want my family to {be afraid} of me, but I do want them to know I've spent time with Him.

That what I am and how I respond to them looks {like Jehovah.}

This last year I learned something incredible to me.

It has revolutionized me.

And I'm ashamed to admit that I never understood this before now.....my FORTIETH year of life.

40 YEARS....and I never got it.

Don't think I had ever seen it.

Knew a whole LOT of what it looked like without it.

Couldn't figure out why it was so {amazing}....so {wonderful}.....so {matchless}.

When you've never seen something displayed and had a name put to it, it's hard to visualize.

I don't want my children to miss it like I did.

I don't want my husband to feel strangled by the lack of it.

I want my family to experience the freedom it results in.

"Freedom is not doing what you want,

but the ability to do what you should."

This year I want to develop the habit of extending, of growing in, of living in the freedom of......

Grace.

Now that I know what it looks like.....I want to show it.

I want to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

2011

The Year of Grace

The Journey: Making a plan ("Plan-of-a-snack")

One thing that was terrific for me in learning how to manage my weight and eating habits was to PLAN out ahead of time the snacks that would fit into my daily calorie budget.
Let me tell ya, I was almost always ready for a little something half-way between breakfast and lunch, and between lunch and dinner.
Those were my two "tricky" times.
Especially after lunch.....about 3 pm!!
If I wasn't careful, I would start vacuuming up whatever I saw laying around the house.
And those aren't "free" calories!!

So it made sense to me to make a list of snacks that I knew I loved that had a label on it so I knew exactly how many calories were in it.
Here are some of my favorites:

A mini bag of microwave popcorn (100 calories each)

with a diet 7-up

This is super satisfying and fills you up!!

A tube of "go-gurt" yogurt....frozen!!!

Yummy and only like 70 calories

(I did stop buying these though when I realized they are LACED with high fructose corn syrup.
In their defense though, I do believe they have begun marketing these gogurt tubes without the HFCS under the name of "Gogurt Simple".  Check them out!)

Remember that a serving of fruit is always a great way to boost your vitamin and mineral intake,

as well as fluid and fiber.

A cold crispy apple is delicious, as well as one banana (already pre-packaged for you!),

or those cutie little clementine oranges.

If I was starving though, these weren't the best at satisfying and could even make you want to eat more...

like a teaser somehow!!

A bowl of fresh strawberries with a dollop of whipped topping is fabulous though!!

Very satisfying and packed with vitamin C and fiber.

The prettier I made it look, the more satisfying it was to me.

Who doesn't want to try something like this:

I learned that protein is a GREAT hunger buster, so I tried to add more protein into my mealtimes to curb that hunger longer.

Some yummy protein snacks are:

Cheese sticks and a few crackers.

(Beware though:  Cheese and peanut butter are calorie DENSE!!

They have a LOT of calories in just a mouthful.

Self-control is key here!  That's why I liked the pre-packaged cheese sticks because one serving is one package...it's all figured out for you.  Stop with one.)

My new favorite secret weapon is a little treat I discovered when looking for a higher protein snack.

These protein bars are delicious, easy to toss in your purse for those morning or afternoon shopping trips,

and always satisfied my craving for chocolate.  They became a staple snack item for me.

They are a little pricey though at about $1 a bar.

I bought mine at Costco in a 3-box package, but I also found them at Wal-Mart in single boxes.

They come in different flavors with the Chocolate Peanut Butter being my favorite with the

 Chewy Chocolate Chip coming in a close second!!

These bars are packed with 20 grams of protein and very little carbs, so they really curb your appetite!

Another great protein snack is a simple hard-boiled egg.

This is a great snack for my diabetic daughter too, because it has no carbs in it, she doesn't have to take insulin to eat it!!

One large hard boiled egg has only 70 calories!!

You don't want to be poppin' five of these babies in your mouth though.....watch the cholesterol!!

Again....moderation and self-control!!

Finally, another thing I learned about myself that was an "a-HA" moment

was that sometimes when I felt hungry.....my body was trying to tell me that I was just thirsty.

So I learned to use that hungry feeling as a cue for a drink.

I started trying some water (which I HATE),

or a diet 7-up or sprite, 

or a cup of hot tea or decaf coffee.

When I learned to slow down for a minute and incorporate a "coffee" break into my day,

it gave me a definite stopping point where I could catch my breath,

regroup,

refresh, 

and then go on with a little more energy.

Making time for a little refreshment in my afternoon was another lovely

routine that I've learned to love about a healthier lifestyle.

The Journey: Taking exercise to a new level

This time last year, I was just a couple weeks into my journey of learning a healthier lifestyle and working towards my goal of losing 45 pounds.  I was closely following the program on CalorieKing.com, and was seeing success.  Of course, I knew that weight loss involved not only monitoring your calorie intake (which was a lot of fun with the online journals and charts and little topics to read), but it involved using up the calories you consumed.

It was like an "a-ha" moment for me to put together that our bodies were intelligently designed to run like machines.  To be alive and simply function, your body has to have energy.  To have energy, your body was intelligently designed to have to consume food, which it converts into that energy.  Take in less fuel (food) than your body uses and you lose weight; take in more fuel (food) than your body needs and it just stores it all and you gain weight. 

 Simple, easy principle.

I learned that you can lose weight even if you don't exercise by following that principle.

But when you're trying to take in less calories than you're using,

it can be difficult to stay within your daily calorie target.

The easy way to "earn" more calories was to exercise.

Basically, however many calories you burn off, you need to consume.

So, say, I walked for 30 minutes and worked off 200 calories,

I needed to eat that many more calories so I didn't go too far below my calorie target.

If you go too low, then your body wants to go into "famine" mode and hang on to 

fat so you don't starve yourself.

Remember that you 're already working at a "reduced calorie" intake,

and not the calorie intake that you normally need to eat just to maintain.

So you should already be taking in 400 less calories per day to lose weight.

If you add an addition 200 calories (from the exercise) then you're going to be taking in too few calories and your body is designed to protect you from starvation!!

I was constantly reminded at how wonderfully we were created, and how loving our Heavenly Father is to think of all these things for us and to care for us!!

I learned that balance is the key!!

So I started exercising whenever I could.

It wasn't much at first.

It was still winter.

Remember I was struggling with being able to keep warm, so I wasn't inclined to go out on cold days.

I looked into a gym,

but couldn't afford it.

I wasn't terribly interested in going somewhere else to work out either.

Plus, there was the child care to think about.

So I simply started walking.....around the neighborhood.

For about 20-30 minutes 3 times a week.

No biggie.

Not stressful.

And I lost weight because of it.

After awhile though, it got kinda boring.

I wanted to do something with my mind during that time.

Then an opportunity came up at church for me to perform in a drama about the life of Fanny Crosby.

It was going to take a LOT of memorization.

I was intrigued by the challenge because I wasn't sure if my memory was as sharp as it had once been.

I was just starting the treatment for my thyroid, so my mind was still covered in a fog.

But I used that exercise time to memorize my lines.

We were performing this drama at Mother's Day in May.

As we got closer to Easter, I started thinking I needed more time to memorize.

So I started walking more.

I bumped up to 45 minutes of walking 3 times a week.

The weight started coming off steadily, but very gradually.

By the time Mother's Day rolled around,

I had all my lines memorized and had lost 20 pounds!!

What a feeling of accomplishment!

But then what.

After that was all over, I needed to keep going.

I had been telling my friend about my goals, and she was noticing the weight-loss.

I needed to add more time in because my calorie intake had been adjusted down because I was at a smaller body size now.

So I started setting my alarm for 6 am,

and would go out to the walking track that was about 5 minutes from my house.

I started by walking around the track 3 times which took me about 30 minutes.

Gradually, I added a lap as I could tolerate it.

Pretty soon I was doing 5 laps (which is exactly 4 miles) in about 65 minutes.

Then my friend asked if she could join me.

LOVED THAT!!!

I could only go on the days my husband wasn't working (since he leaves the house at 4:30 am),

so that was about 3-4 days a week.

When my friend couldn't go along,

I needed something else to occupy my mind.

I was so encouraged by memorizing the story of Fanny Crosby,

that I wondered why I hadn't thought of memorizing scripture while walking!!

It was then that I caught a radio broadcast of a lady who was accustomed to memorizing

entire BOOKS of the Bible.

And entire book??

Why not, I thought.

My favorite book of the Bible is Philippians, and through the years I've memorized large portions of every chapter, but never put the whole thing together.

So that was the starting point for me.

I began in the fall.

It has been slow going, and I've gotten distracted.

The weather has changed again, and it has gotten colder in the mornings.

I'm only up to the middle of the 3rd chapter.

But it's my goal to get back to that and finish the entire book by the end of February.

Yikes, I can't believe I just put that out there!!

But there it is.

And after that?

Who knows?

Maybe Ruth or Esther or another "Prison Epistle."

Would you like to join me?

Leave me a comment if you're interested.

Maybe a few verses a week?

I like to take a half a chapter a week, but that's just me.

Maybe you like to do more?

Exercising the mind is just as important as exercising the body!!

The drama continues.....

Yesterday afternoon, Ashlyn comes to me and says,

"Mom, either I have the chicken pox or a really bad rash."

I ask her to show it to me.

When she lifts her shirt, this is what I find....

I follow it around her middle and down her thighs.

Out of nowhere.

Nothing new to eat or drink or lotions or balms or salves.

Nothing.

She has been over "the monster" for 5 days now,

but I know that with an autoimmune disease like Type 1 Diabetes,

her body can react like this to a virus.

But then, I know of other children who are perfectly healthy who end up with rashes after viruses.

So who knows.

Maybe it's the virus.

Maybe it's the new shower gel she got 2 weeks ago at Christmas that she used only once 3 days ago.

Nevertheless....

it woke her up last night itching her,

and this morning it has spread it's tendrils up her neck and cheeks,

and down her legs to her ankles.

It's uncomfortable today, and the benedryl doesn't seem to be offering much relief.

So I'm home from church again for the second consecutive Sunday.

I enjoy the quiet bonding time with my sweet, brave girl,

but I miss the corporate worship time with my lovely church family.

I'm still praying about the goals I have in my mind for this year,

and intend to get back on track with those this week.

It seems we're being tested about how serious we really are in being more

intentional

this year.

Purposeful in our

finances,

our relationships with our children,

the use of our time,

our surrender to God's work in our hearts,

and His leading in our lives.

Being less entangled and weighed down

by things,

and having more freedom to respond immediately to the Lord's promptings.

To gain a deeper understanding of simply resting in Him.

"Come unto me,

all ye that labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you,

and learn of me;"

Learn WHAT?

That

"I am meek and lowly in heart:"

That

"You shall find rest unto your souls"

That

"My yoke is easy,

and my burden is light."

~Matthew 11: 28-30

"The MONSTER of 2011"

That's what I'm calling it.
This stomach virus that crept into our home unawares on the very 2nd day of this new decade.
This horrible thing that has wreaked havoc on our bodies and minds.
It began it's strangle hold on Ashlyn and I.
About 2 hours apart nearly smack in the middle of the night.
Why does that happen?
Why can't the misery begin during the day when others are up, and you have others around to keep you company, or to check on you, or the noises of the house to distract you from the pain and to entertain you?
Why, oh why, in the night does the child come running to you from their bed, past the bathroom (mind you), to jolt you from your sound sleep to alert you to the fact that they are going to throw up.....which upon this said announcement....they promptly do.
On your carpet.
Splashing the side of your bed?
Why, in the 21st century, when scientists have enough information and knowledge available to them to sustain human life ON THE MOON......is there not one doctor who can explain to me why this phenomenon occurs???
And why can't they explain to you how to prevent it from spreading to every. single. member. of the family.
Washing hands does not work.
Washing every piece of fabric in boiling water does not work.
Cleaning every. single. surface that the sick ones have touched, licked, drank out of, peed on, thrown up on, slept on, walked on, or breathed on with disinfecting wipes and lysol spray does not work.
Quarantining the ill ones to one room in the house does not work.
Sanitizing all the tooth brushes does not work.
Come ON!
What's the big mystery here PEOPLE???
It's enough to send me racing to the brink of insanity.
And just when the first group is feeling better, getting back into the swing of things, and you've got the floors bleached and all the linens washed, folded, and put away.....
the next group starts up.....at bedtime, of course.

Out of the 8 of us, 5 have surrendered to its tortures.
All girls.
The boys have stood strong.
My husband was on the cusp of being broken by it's grip.
The evening following the attack on Ashlyn and I, he started feeling nauseous and had the cold sweats.
But fortunately for all of us, he held strong and didn't give in.
Last night, it turned it's cold fingers to our oldest son.
He did throw up once and has been slightly feverish and achy today, but that's it.
The only one who has gone completely unphased and has enjoyed the unusual routines of the last week is our youngest son.
We'll see.
I have no idea if we'll make it to church on Sunday.
This monster strikes unexpectedly.
Your stomach starts hurting just all-of-a-sudden.
You throw up once and feel better.
You can walk around and have conversation and feel like your out of the woods.
But as time goes on....the pain and nausea intensifies.
It peaks and comes to a head after about 12 hours wherewith you finally can collapse into sleep.
My youngest son wouldn't do well by that.
He can't even wake up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, much less be aware that he needs to get to the toilet to throw up!!
So I would have to have him on a sheet on the floor next to me all night long.
I would have to be able to hear him getting sick in time to roll him over to a pan or something before it goes all over him and the floor!!
It's exhausting.
I have been an emotional wreck all week.
I hate to hear my girls crying for me to make it stop.
Begging me for some medicine to make it better......or to make them throw up.
Listening to them gasping for air.
Ashlyn has had the hardest time with her Diabetes.
But that is for another post.
When I'm not so tired.
When I can see the humor in it all.
Right now, I'm just pondering why on earth this week?
We have laid plans for this year.
Good plans.
We're excited about what lies ahead.
Just as we open the door and step into some new beginnings....
SLAM!
Right on our faces!!
So, now we feel a few steps behind.....and it's just the first week.

"Where there is no vision.....

.......the people perish."

~ Proverbs 29:18

I like to insert the word {family} in place of people sometimes.

"Where there is no vision, the {family) perishes."

I'm not trying to change the Word of God, but trying to apply it right where I am.

These last few days I've been trying to wrap my mind around beginning a brand new year.

"Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it."

~ Anne Shurley (of Green Gables) 

And for that I am truly thankful.

One of the many graces of God.

This last year has seen tremendous victories in our family.

From my reaching my goal of 45 pounds of weight loss.....to the tremendous way our son

has blossomed through his struggles with his ADHD.

But of course, there is still room for growth.

Our children have many hurdles to overcome.

We've struggled in the last several months to keep Ashlyn's blood sugar under control.

Her BG numbers have been sky high, and we face the giants of complacency

and the hormonal changes of puberty before we can claim victory in this struggle.

Although by God's grace alone,  we are winning the war over a lifestyle of debt and greed,

we still struggle in daily decisions over our finances and how best to handle what money

the Lord HAS entrusted us.
We want to give more.
We know we can do better and are thinking about how to best accomplish this.

We are praying for more space this year.

Many days, I feel strangled by trying to do multiple tasks in one space.

My hair is falling out.
Yes, you read that right.
Maybe "thinning" is the more accurate word to use here, but I need to resolve that.
It's starting to bother me.

We need to get a better handle on how much media flows through our house on any given day.
It's also becoming a giant that needs to be addressed.

Spiritually, I need more of God.
I learned that more deeply than ever this last year.
I learned that a quick 15 minute read-through a "Proverb-a-Day" is NOT enough.
20 minutes is not enough.
30 minutes is not enough.
I discovered it takes me nearly 30 minutes just to warm up and keep my mind focused on what I'm reading.
I need at least one full hour of time to read God's Word, think about how that nourishes my heart and mind,
to ponder how it applies to right where I am.
I'm not even sure that's enough time.
I discovered that I do indeed have that time in my daily routine very early in the morning.
Before the children are even gaining consciousness.
When the house is still, and quiet, and dark.
I learned that His burden is indeed light;
His yoke really and truly is easy!

This coming year, I want to have a vision of things we can accomplish in our family this year...
physically, emotionally, spiritually, socially.

My husband and I have been hammering a new budget we are committed to following!
I highly recommend the resources found at Crown Financial Ministries.
In fact, they have a FREE resource kit available right now for you to download and get started with.
 I encourage you to check it out, and use it.
Follow it!
Their "mvelopes" program has been invaluable to us, and I highly recommend that also.

I want to stay on track and maintain the weight I lost last year,
and keep working towards healthy habits!
Check out "Calorie King" or "My Fitness Pal."

Spiritually, I want to keep up those early mornings with hot coffee and the Word of God.
I also want to finish off memorizing the book of Philippians.
I've gotten sidetracked by life again.

I want to be more deliberate about teaching my children spiritual patterns and habits.
My oldest daughter is 13 now.
That means I may potentially only have about 5 more years of close discipleship with her.
That's not much time, and so many things I want her to own for herself.

In thinking about being more purposeful, more deliberate in my life, I came upon this:
Giving this year a name.
Read more about that here and here.

"The Year of......"


I'm praying about this.
About clarity, and having a deliberate purpose for my life this year.
What I want to accomplish so that my life is a fragrance, like incense, an act of worship for the Lord.


"Feel within deep latent urges to get things done,
to be rising above this slough of unconscious mediocrity that seems to characterize my days.
Father, if these strong currents be flesh driven,
I pray thee staunch and slay them,
but if sublimated, channeled into courses which will do Thy service,
then intensify them,
mobilize them,
give them direction, 
for I long--Thou knowest how earnestly--
that the bride of Thine own dear Son be made perfect and entire in my day.
Yea, Lord, if it cost me my bride in this life,
let me have They grace and power to bring to the Lamb the reward of His sufferings."

~~ 21 year old Jim Elliot
December 22, 1948
7 years before his slaughter on the mission field at the hand of the savages he committed to sharing the gospel with