Serve

I have to share this and I do not want to to put it directly on facebook.  

At age 15, I was trusted to take up the weekly Meals for Missions money at our church.  

At age 17, I was trusted with the little hearts that made up my first Sunday School class.  

Those two appointments were the seeds that grew into a love, no, a passion for service. 

 I had wonderful examples of people who served joyfully.  

I was just telling Larry a few weeks ago that I am happiest when I am doing something for the Lord.  

Well, my family will tell you it is not just some"thing".  I like to do lot of things to serve the Lord!  

The last few years has been hard on me.  

I had to give up my positions at church for health reasons and now I am not doing anything.  

But, I do not intend to keep it that way.

 I have to do something.  

In order for me to be happy, truly happy, I have to actively serve my Lord.

We trained our children to serve.  

Through the years I remember as I prayed for them I would tell the Lord I would rather they serve Him in full time service than for them to not know Him and be wealthy by the world's standards.  

I still feel that way.  

And if not full time, then I pray(ed ) for great lay leaders.  

When Rachel was a teenager we were talking about what she planned to do with her life.  

She said, "I just want to do what you do."  

Shocked, I said, "And what's that?"  

She said, "Nothing. But everything." 

 No, I didn't have a job outside our home.... that was the nothing part.  

"But everything."  I saw then that the training we were doing was not going unnoticed.  

That was one of the highest compliments I could have gotten. 

Serving. 

And last night, Ryan came home late.   

Some friends had got together after church, but he came home with youth service still on his mind.  

He gave the lesson last night. It was his first lesson for Wednesday night that he put together himself. 

(He had filled in for me in Sunday School a time or two.) 

He shared with me his lesson on Jeremiah 29:11 and how it is important for us to make plans 

but it is more important for us to consider God first in those plans 

and know that He may have other plans that are better than ours.  

Then he shared that he had put together another thought on service, but didn't use it this time.  

And then he said, "I never understood growing up why you had to do all you did in the church.  

But now, I get it. I can't just go and not do anything.  

I have to show them Christ."  

Serving.

Right now, I have two children who are serving in their churches.  

I am waiting and praying for the other to stop "something" so  "nothing, but everything"  can be done.

Obviously, I cannot, we cannot brag on anything we have done. 

Yes, we tried to train them, but we failed so many times.  

It is only by God's grace we can rejoice in their service. 

no greater joy...

Food... Fabulous Food

So, I headed to the farmer's market this morning.  It is early in the season so I ended up only getting cabbage, spinach and lemon garlic gnocchi style pasta that my friend, Kathy makes. (Her business, Rolling in the Dough,  is growing and she will be opening in "downtown" Speedway in a few weeks.)  Every week the market will have more things. Not sure I will make it next week since Kristi and the girls will be here... maybe that would be a good outing for Kenzi and me, though.

This week's menu will be:

Tonight:  baked cod and salad
Sunday:  eye of round roast, baked potato for Ryan, roasted cabbage for me, carrots
Monday:  cider bbq chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, cauliflower
Tuesday:  pork tenderloin on the grill, Kathy's pasta, broccoli
Wednesday:  spaghetti
Thursday:  lemon herb chicken, slim potato casserole, roasted green beans

Since I am doing Weight Watchers, I am going to work on the points plus for each dinner menu as I make the menu.... not today, maybe not next week since the kids will be here, but soon!

Choices

Oh, it would have been so nice to have been born with great genes that made it possible to eat whatever I wanted and still be thin.  But, it just isn't the case for me.  All my life I have struggled with my weight. I love to cook, I love butter, and I love Mt. Dew.  yep. That just about sums it up.

A few years ago my weight hit the all time high and so I knew I had to do something.  I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes so, I lost 20 lbs. on my own and then hit a plateau. So, at the encouragement of my daughter, we went to a weight loss doctor.  The blood tests then showed my A1C to be well below the diabetes level.  I was able to lose another 20 lbs. there.  Mr. Fye was happy with that.... I wanted to lose another 10 lbs. Well, that time in life hit came calling and I gained 10 lbs. in one month....  one month!! and it was all "up scale' from there! I had gained it all back plus 4 lbs. The last blood work I had showed my blood sugar levels to be fine, but that was 20 lbs. ago.

Knowing I had to do something I started the weight loss process with my regular doctor.  It did not help. At all. I think manufacturers do make a difference, but I don't want to pay for the weight loss doctor. Also, I noticed that this time I noticed that the  meds were definitely an upper.  It is a controlled substance, but I had never had "problems" with it. The "problems" were up early and on the go and getting things done!  Yeah, "problems." But I knew that taking that was not rally what I wanted to do.... family history and all being what it is.  I have been taking my It Works Greens for over a year.  They balance, detoxify and alkalize my system and are a probiotic.  So, my digestive system is so much healthier than it was in the past, so that is why I think my body responded different to it.  Everyone in the world needs to be on Greens.  Just ask me, I will tell you why!! but I won't go into that now...

So, since that didn't work I decided to give Weight Watchers another try.  I have tried it in the past, but if you know me, you know going to that weekly meeting was a chore.  So, this time I joined online.  I love all the etools, the Community and surprisingly, this 'paperless' version.  I joined last Friday and at my weigh in this week I was down 5.6 lbs!  And that is without all healthy options at home!  Tomorrow I head to the farmer's market and cannot wait to see what goodies they have there! I will be working toward another great week next week as I eat better, track more consistently, and maybe throw in some exercise in there other than chasing a 2 year old!  I think I am more excited about weight loss than I have ever been! When I lost before the meds kept hunger in check and I ate whatever I wanted.  This time I will learn to keep hunger in check by eating healthier and enjoying treats of those things I enjoy so much!  

I have chosen to be healthy, not just lose weight.

So, this week I have lost 5.6 lbs. of the 44 lbs. I want to lose.

I will post my week's menu tomorrow evening after I go to the grocery and farmer's market.  The market is only on Saturday and Wednesday.  Wednesday is impossible for me to get there with Braelyn's nap time and Saturday is a struggle, too.  I will try to do the Saturday market,because it is local. BUT, Fresh Thyme Farmer's Market is coming to the area and I am anxious to go there!

"There are two primary choices in life: 

to accept conditions as they exist, 

or accept the responsibility for changing them."

Dr. Denis Waitley