Reminders From God Strength for the Journey: "Put the old mistakes away. Take courage. I give you a fresh start today. "

My niece and nephew have been in Paris, France this past week.  How fun is that?!  I have been keeping their children Aidan and Spencer in Frisco.  It has been a joy!  Those are the best kids ever!  They are seven and nine and helped me tremendously.  Their Mom has their routine down for lunches and dinner was a breeze.  They are healthy, happy children.  What a blessing this whole family is!

While in Frisco I went clothes shopping at Stonebriar Mall and surrounding stores. Love it!  I went down 2 sizes from spring shopping for jeans! Yay!  I am officially in a size 12.  Same brand and type of jean.  I have gone down one size in tops.  Due to the belly fat two sizes down are a little "funky" looking on me!  I am working on that see the plan......

A friend of mine turned me on to "The Fat Flush Plan" by Ann Louise Gittleman, M.S., C.N.S.  "Melts fat from hips, waist, and thighs in just two weeks and reshapes your body while detoxifying your system." This is a two week plan and can lose up to 15 lbs.  You can go back on it for a few days or week whenever you want to lose a few lbs and detoxify your liver.  It isn't a "miracle or fad" diet.  At this point in my life,  I want to improve my quality of life.  This plan boosts the liver's ability to function at its highest level, accelerating weight loss while improving my health.   I was on it for 3 days before going to Frisco.  I lost 5 lbs!   My friend lost "after baby" 45 lbs on this plan.   I didn't realize how much your liver function has to do with weight loss?!   I am educating myself by reading the book and thankful it is easy for me to do.

My health/hearing issues have stabilized, praise the Lord.  I went to my E.N.T. doctor, and hearing tests are the same from last month. Then went to the Rheumatologist for blood tests that have to be done every 4 weeks.  He is such a thorough doctor!  He is still in amazement about the meningioma: 1) being surgically removed as most aren't and 2) the results of the biopsy report.  He calls me his "meningioma patient".   Funny guy!  Blood tests were good with the exception of needing to work on potassium levels...eat more food with it. Berries, vegetables etc...yummy!!! :)

Short post this time.  Going shopping for fresh vegetables/fruits.  They are wonderful!  I could very easily be a vegetarian.  Funny how things flip/flop as we grow older.  Growing up all I wanted was meat, because we were vegetarians.  These days I can go without the meat very easily, however, you can have 8 oz daily on this diet    This plan also calls for no caffeine, no salt and pepper and only certain spices, etc.  I can do all that for those two weeks since they are on my low sodium and no caffeine diet for hearing issues anyway.

So, bought my weight scales today.  Oh joy, I am getting serious!  I have not been weighing in on a regular basis except when I go to the doctor's office every 4 weeks.  JT & I both got on them today.  I will weigh in the morning from now on.....Like my doctor's scales better thus far.

Hope everyone has a blessed evening and weekend!

Is not the LORD your God with you? And has He not granted you rest on every side? . . . Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. 1 Chronicles 22:18–19

David wanted to build a house for the Lord.  God told him, no, he had blood on his hands.  David was a warrior.  David did prepare the materials for it.  His son, Solomon,  was to build it.  David said a wonderful blessing over his son.  The above scripture is David commanding the leaders of Israel to help Solomon.  Solomon was considered one of the wisest men in the Bible.   I read Proverbs daily.  It is full of wisdom, however,  he did have a lot of wives!  If I remember right, it was over 900.  Again, we aren't perfect.  We are human.

David was "a man after God's own heart", but he sinned just like any man.  He had just recovered from three years of famine by the hand of God. He had decided to have a census that displeased God.  He was given a choice of falling into the hands of man for three months or going through the famine for three years.   David chose the famine.  He said God was more merciful than man.  How true!  Mercy is undeserved love.

The world looks at us imperfect human beings and uses it as an excuse to not come to the light of Jesus.  They choose to stay in the darkness.  They call Christians (They that believe that Jesus died for their sins.) hypocrites when they speak the truth in love or act differently than they do.  We are politically incorrect, prejudice, racist, ignorant, judging,  etc.    We get the right to speak the truth in love.  We get to say "no"  I'm not going to stand in this darkness anymore.  I choose to walk in the light of God's Word in any given situation I find myself and verbalize what God's way is. 

The Holy Spirit has been saying to my heart,  if I am going to apply His Word in one area of my life, then I have to learn to apply it in all areas of my life.  As I renew my mind with His Word,  His light is shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit.  Mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, family, financially, politically, church...every area of my life if given over to Him.  I am not perfect. I make mistakes, make the wrong decisions, say the wrong things at times.  BUT it is a walk for life and I choose to take it in the Light of God's Word on a minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day decision.  There are times I fail to make that decision because of complacency or laziness, but as David said God is merciful!  Thank you, Jesus!

So,  the battle is not mine it is the Lord's. The gate's of Hell shall not prevail against me as part of the Church of Christ and the body of believers. Today He has granted me rest on every side, because I seek the Lord with all my heart and soul (mind, will, and emotions).  I choose today to do so. 

Have a blessed day!