How many of us make a heart felt list of New Year's resolutions only to see that list long forgotten after only a few short weeks?
I belong to a mentoring group called Titus Two. This group corresponds via e-mail and we have a group get-togther every couple of months. So many wise words have been shared in this group and I am so thankful for the wisdom gained through it. One of the recent discussions lately have been on resolutions. I am not one to usually make them but one resolution stuck with me. It was simply "listening to the Lord." How many times I am looking for the neon sign or loud shout from the Lord. I often miss that still small voice telling me which way to go.
Since our children have come into our family this has been more of a challange for me. Everything about my life looks different and that includes my "quite times" with the Lord. We try and have a family devotion together every morning where we read Scripture, pray, and memorize a verse which is wonderful but "my" alone times are few and far between. I am often praying on the go now. Is that any less spiritual? We are to pray without ceasing and this has shown me that I can still commune with the Lord while taking my children on a walk, while washing the dishes, and while cooking meals to bless my family. I think the Lord has been on my mind more since communing this way because now I don't see my prayer time as one to check off the to-do list for the day.
I do however need to get in the Word more for 2008. With children comes much business. I seem to take every free moment while the children are napping to get one more load of laundry in or vaccum the floor or get dinner prepared. Need I ask myself..."Can't these things wait?"
I know the Lord is longing for us to just sit at his feet. I am unfortunatley much more of a "Martha" than a "Mary." My hearts desire for 2008 is to take the steps in obedience of becoming a "Mary."
I remember what my dear friend Virginia Booze, who has now gone on to be with Jesus, used to say to moms, "Just start with seven minutes in his Word." That's it...seven minutes.
The other area I would love to chat about is weight loss...
How many Americans have that one on their resolution list EVERY year?
Last year I learned about a new kind of eating. I did not commit to it myself until September. I wondered if I had what it took to do it but I am so glad I tried!! Now that I do it I can truly say...it is so simple! Getting back to how God created food...without all the preservatives and processing.
It is called EATING CLEAN.
I first learned about it when I had a fitness trainer after the birth of Caitlyn. She was always telling me to "eat clean." I did not fully get the gist of it until this past year. I subscribe to a women's fitness magazine called Oxygen and in there a woman named Tosca Reno writes a column. She came out with a book called "The Eat Clean Diet." I wish it did not have "diet" in the title because it is not a diet at all; it is a lifestyle and new way of thinking about food. "Eating to live instead of living to eat!" There are no pills you have to take and no food groups that are off limits...you just eat food in its most natural state. Back to the basics. She came out with a cookbook to go along with her first book and of course it is simply called, "The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook." It is fabulous and the recipes are packed full of flavor! No stale cardboard health food here!!!
Some of the basic componets of eating clean are eating 5-6 small meals a day, eat every 2-3 hours, always combine a lean protein and complex carb together in the meal, drink at least 2 liters of water each day, avoid all over-porcessed, refined foods, avoid sugar loaded foods/juices, eat tons of fresh fruits/veggies/lean proteins/complex carbs!
The amazing thing about Eating Clean is you can lose fat forever because you are eating all "clean food." Your metabolism revs up and you never go hungry. The food you eat is so nutritious and loaded with good stuff that your body begins to run so efficiently and is able to then shed the unnessesary fat it is holding on to.
No more "food with fluff" as I like to call it. We in American seems to like to eat big protions of food lacking nutrition instead of small portions of food packed with nutrition.
Once you rid your body of the sugar and salt craving you get from eating processed foods your taste buds will change and you will taste the REAL flavor in unprocessed foods.
Phil is a living testimony that men will like this too! He is really enjoying all the new recipes I have been making. I think I need to feed him more though as his pants are starting to hang and Lord knows we don't need him any skinnier!!!
I have lost all the extra baby weight and now am working on the few pounds I have gained since being married. To date I have lost 19 pounds on the Eat Clean. Love it!!
OK, so you can see I am very passionate about these two things. Surrendering your life to Jesus & living a healthy lifestyle. I think they go together. We were created BY Him and For Him. As the Lord says our body is a temple to be used for Him...right??
Thank you for listening. My husband always says "My wife is an evangelist." I guess that is true, I like to share the "Good News" and sometimes that includes more than just God's word. Good news for life!
We hope each of you has a very blessed and healthy 2008!
