Another Chapter

My title today is "Another Chapter". I was going to use 'a new me' or 'day 1' but good grief, how many times can I start over again.... well the answer is ALOT. So why 'another chapter'? Because it gives the feeling of another beginning... but without forgetting or erasing the last chapter (or 50). In the last chapter I strayed from my healthy eating and daily exorcise and gained the weight back +1. Now, I can use me excuses of.. I got a new job, I work nights, I'm stressed out, we have money trouble... but when I look at all of those things I think "Well, when are those EVER going to go away?" NEVER!! I am going to have to live with the truth that I am going to be stressed out... I am going to work odd hours... I am always going to have money trouble. I cant let those things get in the way of my dream of being healthy. I just need to find a way of dealing with them... and NOT WITH FOOD! Yesterday was my first day working out in weeks. It felt great... but did not give me that little umph of energy that I usually got. So today I did it again. I jumped on the treadmill and did some speed walking. When I got off I felt better.. but still felt frumpy. Obviously I am back up to my high weight, and am going to feel frumpy... I just have to keep going.

My idea of joining WW is out the window. No money = no WW. So I went thru my library of weight loss books that I have collected over the years. I came a cross a book that called 'The Fat Smash Diet' by Ian K Smith, MD. You might recognize the name from Celebrity Fit Club. Hubby and I have started watching the show again because this season has Cledus T. Judd on it.. and he is one of Hubbys favorites. Anyway... the point is.. after their first week on this diet, each one of the members had lost 9 lbs or more. So I thought... heck.. if Cledus T. Judd can follow this diet then so can I! So I am on the 'detox' part of this diet. All you can eat fruits, vegetables, oatmeal and egg whites for the next 9 days! Lets see what my weight will be on day 10!! Oh yeah... what did I tell ya?... I just looked at the calender and day 10 falls on our 3rd day in Disneyland! HA! Ok.. so I will focus on eating salads.. lots and lots of salads! LOL

I am also doing a little catch up... yesterday was devotional day.. and I didn't get a chance to put one up. This one is a good one so I HAD to add it to today's blog:

DESERT WIND

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind. -Job 38:1

On the desert where I grew up, the tall saguaro cactus lift their arms as if praising God, and the warm, dry air creates little whirlwinds of dust everywhere. After my Sunday School teacher introduced me to the Book Of Job-- I was about ten-- I started chasing those "dust devils" to see if I could hear God talking. I never did, although once while running after the whirlwind I stumbled over a young fox, who yipped as we collided.
We all chase whirlwinds or look for handwriting on the walls. Even after asking God for guidance, we aren't willing to believe that casual words spoken by a friend could be that guidance. The signs are present, but unless they come from the hot desert wind or the mouth of a donkey, we don't want to believe them.
I don't have to be a storm chaser to hear God's voice. In fact, God could be speaking through my little dog, who is whining right this minute to go for a long walk. Maybe a stroll through the hills would be better than staying home with my nachos.

For Further Reflection

Think about the ways God may speak to you and guide you: first through the Bible, then through other spiritual reading, sermons, and the words of friends. What is the massage God is sending you today?

Prayer
Grant me, gracious Lord, the ability to hear You when You speak. Amen


I work tonight, so it is time to have a nice big bowl of veggies and get the girls down for a nap so I can do the same! Have a Blessed Friday!