Happy Pumpkin Day!!!

Food today: skim milk/cereal, apple, protein shake, grilled chicken, steamed veggies

NO HALLOWEEN CANDY
NO BROWNIES, APPLE CAKE OR PEANUT BRITTLE AT HOME GROUP!!!

Exercise: My hill at work (didn't time it--wanted to enjoy the leaves instead of concentrating on my time--it was gorgeous!!)

Here are a couple of sugar-free pumpkin recipes a sweet woman from First Place sent me. I'm going to take one or both of these to the Thanksgiving dinner at church. We have several diabetics in our church.

My son-in-law is cooking our entire Thanksgiving dinner! (Well, with Ginger's help, but he's the enthusiastic one.) I'm glad she married someone who likes to watch cooking shows and cook!


Pumpkin Chiffon
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 (4-serving) sugar free instant pudding (vanilla)
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup evap. skim milk
1 1/2 cups sugar-free cool whip

Combine pumpkin, pudding, pumpkin pie spice and evap. milk.
Stir well to blend.
Mix 1 cup of cool whip in pumpkin mix.
Pour into crust and chill 2 hours.
Lightly spread remaining cool whip over filling.
Sprinkle pecans on top.

Pumpkin Souffle
6 oz. Sugar free Jello Instant Pudding
16 oz canned pumpkin
1 cup lowfat milk
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup Dream Whip Topping, prepared

In a large bowl, combine pudding, pumpkin, milk, and spices.
Mix well.
Fold in whipped topping.
Divide into 8 portions.
May be frozen if desired.

The Blouse

About a month ago I bought a purple blouse in the biggest size I've EVER bought (we're wearing purple for our Night of Worship). I had tried on a size smaller and it didn't fit.

Then I decided I WOULD wear the smaller one by Nov. 18, so I went back to Stage and got it, too!

Yesterday I tried on the smaller one and IT LOOKED GOOD!! I gave the larger one away!

Food today--Skim milk/cereal, apple, protein shake, Arby's salad, 100-calorie baked Cheetos

Exercise--TWICE!! I did my hill at work (forgot to time it) AND went to Curves!!

Scripture I liked today from Lam. 2: "The Lord has done what he pleased; he has fulfilled his word." God promised me on July 5 that he would carry the burden of this and that I could step out of the struggle and soar on wings like eagles. I wish I'd taken him up on that sooner!

Only 6 more Mondays of work! Woohoo!!!

I'm still losing!

Sunday is when I weigh, and I lost another 1.4 lbs., which makes

5 pounds in two weeks!

Well, bless God, amen! I really DO have to give the glory to God, because it's pretty much a miracle that he has given me the grace to do this.

Food today: Skim milk/cereal, popcorn during church (to go along with the movie theme!), protein shake, part of an apple, a little turkey, and more milk/cereal for supper.

Thought for today: I heard a song I love on the radio today--it says "This is how it feels to be free!" I feel very free!

A Nice Saturday

Nice sunshiny day today! I had planned to ride the Van Buren train with the Edingtons, but my sister was in Little Rock and wanted me to come and work with her and Mother unstuffing Mother's house, so that next time Heritage gets an opening, she'll be ready to move. It's always a nice day when I get to see Ginger and Todd, though, and Todd worked his magic and fixed my computer in no time!

We went to Colton's for lunch as usual, but I didn't eat like usual!

Usual--3-4 yeast rolls and a sweet potato with brown sugar, lots of butter on everything

Today--chicken breast on rice, steamed veggies

Other food today--protein shake, 4 small sugar-free cookies, peach, grapes, 6 saltines, 1 1/2 slices of cheese.

Exercise--My road at home early (started before it was even light!)--51:39, ran quite a bit (downhill, of course). I love that "runner's high," and you just don't get it when you walk.

I'm redefining my life. I'll let you know what that means as it unfolds!

Just saying NO

This is Dr. Nick when he was surrounded by food but never ate the first bite of it!

He learned to say "no" to temptations, and so am I! I passed up all kinds of pastries and desserts in my meeting today!

My Bible reading this morning included this thought from Titus: The grace of God teaches us to say 'no' to worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives.

Breakfast--Raisin Bran
Snack--a little bit of an apple (I dropped it and decided maybe I wasn't supposed to eat it!)
Lunch--Healthy Choice frozen dinner
Snack--a few baby carrots
Supper--spaghetti (plenty)

Sure wanted some chocolate tonight! I'm so sad! MY LAPTOP DIED!!!! I can't even get it to turn on!! (Luckily I've got a back-up of sorts.)

My Kids

I thought I'd post this picture of Ginger, Jody, and Shannon. I always thought Ginger would have the next baby, but I'm real happy for Jody and Shannon.

I guess 3 dogs and a bunch of 9th-graders are enough kids for Ginger right now, and Italy in June WILL be nice.

Food today:

Raisin Bran

Apple

Philly steak sandwich (not a good choice)

Grapes

Healthy Choice dinner

Exercise: Curves with Lisa (thanks, Mark!)

TGIF tomorrow! I'll get to see Ginger and Todd Saturday in Little Rock before they go to the Hogs game!

Mt. Magazine Hike

I read Psalm 95:4 this morning: "In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him."

Lisa took this picture and I kinda nagged Mark to send it to me (sorry about that, Mark) , but isn't it GREAT? We hiked up to a "mountain peak" and looked down to "the depths of the earth."

Now I know why people like to hike! (It was a new experience for me, and one I hope to repeat many times!)

"If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong but too weak. We are halfhearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mudpies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." (C.S. Lewis)

I may have been too easily pleased the past 50-plus years! Hiking felt like leaving mudpie-making!

From the sublime to the mundane:
Breakfast--protein shake
Lunch--Arby's salad
Snack--Apple
Supper--grilled lean hamburger and steamed veggies

Exercise: One hour walk at church track (rainy day)

Hummm, I just read this by Charles Stanley, and maybe my eating and exercise notes aren't so mundane, after all.

The world’s primary interest in the body is how it looks on the outside: How can it be shaped differently? How can it become more attractive or gain more attention? Regrettably, by worldly standards, success is often dependent on the condition of our bodies.
In contrast, how do you think God views the human body? Do you believe that He is interested only in the soul and spirit, or would you expect Him to be concerned about our physical bodies as well?
Despite many popular misconceptions, the Lord is intimately concerned with our human bodies. The apostle Paul confirms this in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, in which He declares that “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you.” He essentially cries out, "The body is not a tomb—it is a temple!” It merits our respect and esteem in the same way that the most holy place of worship deserves upkeep.

Happy note: I get to put Emily and Samantha to bed tonight!

My grandbaby

My new grandbaby has a name now--CHARLIE! Isn't that cute? (It'll be January before we know whether it's a boy or a girl, but its name will be Charlie either way!)

Jody and Shannon got to see the baby's little heart beating on an ultrasound today. Everything looked great!

It seems trivial to recite the details of my day after such big news, but I will nonetheless. I got a new stopwatch and started timing my hill work today. It was 56:11. I felt strong running.

I haven't eaten much: Raisin Bran for breakfast, tuna and crackers for lunch. I'll have a little stew for supper, and probably nothing at the home group unless they have fruit. The high point of my day, besides the baby news, was hearing the plans for church Sunday from Mark! Better not say anything because maybe it's a surprise, but it's actually gonna top last week's "Camp Meeting!" I can't wait!

Update at bedtime: I did eat stew and saltines. At the home group I ate a sausage ball but really wanted the brownies sitting next to it. I figured out something: I don't want ONE of ANYTHING, so I might as well not even start.

Thanks, bloggerbuddies, for reading and caring! I love you!

Just a Quick Hello Tonight

Joe hasn't said anything, but I've been working on something else on my computer for 3 hours, so I think I'll take a break from blogging tonight! Had a great day, though. Walked an hour at the church track early (watched the sun come up from the big windows--wow!!!), didn't eat much. Went to Fayetteville for a meeting--the leaves were gorgeous!! More tomorrow, I'm sure!!

Overdosing on Chicken

Joe and I LOVED the "camp meeting" church service this morning! We went at 8:00 and then went to Waffle House. I ate MOST of a pecan waffle with sugar-free syrup and MOST of 2 pieces of bacon (I have a policy to leave a little), and I wasn't hungry until 3 p.m! I ate some rotisserie chicken I had picked up earlier at Wal-Mart with some leftover peas, and ate more chicken for supper by itself. It may be awhile before I want chicken again...

What GRACE can do!

I've lost 3.6 lbs. since last Sunday!

I have to echo what a pastor on my Greek forum who has lost 180 lbs. says: "The two most important things to me are my spiritual and my physical freedom, and I didn't pay for either one."

To God be the glory!

Pumpkin Souffle Recipe for Annette

1 1-1/2 box sugar-free instant vanilla pudding
1 cup nonfat Milk
1 16-oz. can pumpkin
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar-free Cool Whip

Combine pudding mix and milk in medium bowl, stir well. Add pumpkin, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon; stir. Gently fold in whipped topping; pour into pudding cups. Refrigerate 1 hour or until set. Serves 8


Thanks for sending me the recipe, Irene, and I'm so happy to know you're reading my blog. It makes me feel more connected to you. Soon your youngest will graduate and we'll have more time to spend together! I miss our running days together. Ginger is running now, and she won her first trophy yesterday!

My AWESOME Saturday

Most days I feel like I just WRITE about my life (in tedious detail) instead of really LIVING LIFE. Well, today I got to live life, and it seems strangely unnecessary to write, so this will be brief.

Food: irrelevant

Exercise: hiking

God-thoughts: everywhere

Mark called this morning and said, "Just say YES, and then I'll tell you what it is." I was bored and sad because it was a beautiful day and I had nothing to do, so I said yes!

"It" turned out to be a wonderful picnic and hike on Mt. Mazagine with his family. At first I thought maybe they just felt sorry for me because I'm a golf widow on Saturdays, but he said they really wanted me to go.

It was the most fun I've had in a long time! The scenery was beautiful, the leaves were incredible, the weather was perfect, and the company was delightful. On the way home we even stopped at Subiaco Abbey and looked at the church, which is something I've always wanted to do.

I love building memories with my "almost family," and this is a day I'll remember for a long time.

Food Today

Breakfast--Raisin Bran (funny how you can eat the same breakfast food every day, isn't it?)

Lunch--Cottage cheese and pineapple (plenty)

Supper--Huge barbecue beef sandwich from Rivertowne (won't need a snack tonight!)

Thoughts

My thoughts today have been on the account of King David wanting to buy a field, and the owner wanting to just give it to him. He insisted on paying for it, because he said he would not give a sacrifice to the Lord that cost him nothing. I know by not eating willy-nilly I'm not sacrificing a LOT, but it IS a sacrifice nonetheless.

Also, Scott, a guy on my Greek forum who has lost 117 lbs. said today, "I am a glutton, and all of the positive thinking in the world isn’t going to change that. So, the only real option is to place my appetite in its proper perspective; in submission to Christ." Cool, huh? (He's a real John Piper guy, by the way, and gave us a link to some of Piper's sermons we can download.)

Exercise today

I love this picture of a jogger and her shadow. I started off my hill today very very slowly. I was still stiff and sore. Finally I loosened up enough to jog and it felt great! I jogged much more than last time, but because I walked so slowly warming up, my time was the same. I've got running in my blood and I love to do it, but my body keeps notifying me I'm not who I was. But I'll get her back! I will not be denied!

A LOVE AFFAIR GONE BAD

HE WAS ONLY A CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE...but I loved him.

I met him at a party. There he was at the end of the buffet....a loner; the last one on the plate. He had a certain something...a sweetness, a sensuality. He was one hot cookie. I felt as if I'd always known him. I hungered for him.

When he looked at me with those warm brown eyes, I melted. Before I knew it, I had my hands on him, my mouth on him...in public. After that night, we were inseparable. With him I could be myself He didn't seem to care what mood I was in, how I looked or even if I gained weight. Together we had the recipe for happiness. No one satisfied me like Chip.

THEN THINGS CHANGED.

My friends said he was no good for me. He started to give me heartburn. I felt crummy, but it had to end. Now we've gone our separate ways. I hardly think of him anymore. Oh, if I see a certain TV commercial, a particular magazine ad, a coupon for cents off...that old longing returns. And when we run into each other in the supermarket, we nod. We're friendly. But it's OVER!

Thursday Thoughts and Progress Report

Scripture for today (from Col. 1) : "To this end I labor, struggling with all HIS energy, which so powerfully works in me."

It's wonderful to be doing this on God's power instead of mine, which is ZIP. The only time I've felt deprived was when I had to pass up Rutha's peanut brittle, and to me that was turkish delight anyway. Remember in "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" when Edmund's craving for turkish delight was so strong that he betrayed his siblings for it? Well, rather than giving me satisfaction like real food does, all Rutha's peanut brittle does is make me want more! In fact, ALL sugar does that for me. So I'm off sugar for at least 40 days, maybe longer. I already know what kind of sugar-free pumpkin dessert I'll have for Thanksgiving, and I'll bring it with me, Ginger. There will be other Thanksgivings. In fact, at my age they roll around quite frequently.

Food:

Breakfast--Curves protein shake

Lunch--Healthy Choice frozen dinner

Snack--a few baby carrots

Supper--grilled chicken, 2 steamed veggies

Exercise--Had to take a day off due to overdoing it the last 3 days. My body is very sore, especially my legs. I forget I'm not as young as I used to be.

Dr. Nick BEFORE

Isn't it amazing how much he has changed? That was the first day of his diet, when he weighed 467 lbs. He didn't eat for several months, just drank protein shakes. His story really encourages a lot of very large people who are members of his website forum. I was just reading about Mary, who lost 151 lbs.

He posts his progress report every week just like the other members. He's very honest and humble and godly. He reminds me of Mark in that way. Hmm, I wonder what Mark would be like at 467 lbs? He probably couldn't get off the ground to do that little Holy Spirit hop he does, and that would be a shame! Mark, stay where you are, sweetie!

Dr. Nick on the subject of diets

OK, this isn't a pin-up picture, HONEST! I just wanted everyone to see what Dr. Nick Yphantides looks like now that he has lost 270 pounds.

He doesn't really promote any diet. He says:

LOSING WEIGHT IS NOT ABOUT THE FOOD. Eliminating certain foods or constantly depriving yourself of something you enjoy will cause more harm than good.

So I say, pick a diet. Any diet. Just do it and stick to it.

I limit certain carbohydrates and sugars. I stay away from sandwiches, pastas, rice, and potatoes because they have a high glycemic index.

Naturally, it's better to eat foods with a low glycemic index. This would be certain fruits, vegetales, salads, and whole wheat products. A book I enjoyed, Sugarbusters, provides a very detailed summary on this issue.

Fast food, cheap food, ill-prepared food, or canned food no longer tastes as good to me. What gets my mouth watering these days is what some people call the Mediterranean diet, which is built around seafood, olive oil, feta cheese, nuts, and vegetables.

A Beautiful Wednesday!!

This was a beautiful day! I was at Lamar working, so when I finished I went to Russellville and walked 65 minutes at Bona Dea (the longest trail, the Serendipity). The bad news is that I've developed two blisters, but I've got something called "Tuff-Skin" to spray on,and they'll be ok in a day or two. I'll just do Curves tomorrow and try walking again Friday.


Food: Raisin Bran, apple, small hamburger, banana, reasonable amount of spaghetti. And of course, mucho water, which is a given.

Spring, I really think I'm eating enough. I don't feel deprived. I think a lot of my eating in the past was totally mindless, and now I think about it to determine if I'm really hungry or not.

Here's a scripture I read and liked today: "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" Losing 33 pounds will be hard for me, but not for God, and I've known since July that he was offering to carry the burden for me. So, "Well, bless God, Amen." (Remember that, Spring and Annette? Hey, you two are probably the only ones who care about this adventure, so I really appreciate you.)

Correction: I heard from Julie, and I think Ginger is probably reading this, but I'm sure there aren't MANY people interested. Ginger, I'm going to start blogging about the high points of the Big Fat Greek Diet book soon, and I'll find what he said about various plans like South Beach.

Daily Report for Tuesday

FOOD:

Skim milk, banana
Apple

Healthy Choice meal

Martha's Vineyard Salad (in honor of Cheerleader Spring!)
Banana

Mucho water

I RESISTED RUTHA FREEMAN'S FAMOUS PEANUT BRITTLE AT THE HOME GROUP TONIGHT, AND I REALLY LOVE THAT STUFF!

EXERCISE:

I did my hill at work in 65 minutes. My goal is to cut a little time off every time. I actually ran a little of it, but only downhill, of course! The temperature was perfect, the sun beamed through the trees, and autumn leaves crunched under my feet. I greeted a dalmatian and a turtle along the way, and THEN Revelation Song came on my Nano, and I just had to break out and run!

Back in the day when I had running buddies, we had 2 mottos: "I love hills--I get to see God work." And also, "Lord, if you'll pick them up, I'll put them down." There's nothing like my Monster/Friend Hill. I'll miss it when I leave...

GOD-THOUGHTS:

This is where I'll record random thoughts/scriptures/music lyrics that speak to me each day--

*Promise from God: "I will bring you back from captivity!"

*"Bring glory to your name." I'm changing my life FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!

*My prayers this morning: "Grant your strength to your servant." "I call to you all day long."

*Referring to stress-eating, Dr. Nick says, "Food was never intended to be Valium on a plate!" He recommends exercise for stress relief.

WATER!!!

Oh, one more thing! Spring, I drank 4 or 5 bottles of water today!

NIGHTLY REPORT

Yesterday I just drank 4 protein shakes. Nothing to talk about. Rain, no exercise.

Today I had:
Raisin Bran
Apple
Lean Cuisine
Chicken and steamed cauliflower
Milk

I exercised TWICE today! I had already determined to walk every day (until I can run), and it kept raining, so I finally walked 35 min. in the rain with an umbrella. Then Lisa and I went to Curves!

About the book

OK, I think I'll start this with a book review and a book description, some of which will be repetitive.



From Publishers Weekly--

For years, "Dr. Nick" told his patients: "do as I say, not as I do." As a morbidly obese physician who cared for the poor, he was known as the big man with the big heart. Inside, however, he was dying.

He knew he needed to make a major change if he wanted to experience a long and happy life, free from humiliation and discomfort. But being more than 200 pounds overweight was a huge challenge.

That’s why Yphantides decided he had to get away from his normal life (and normal eating habits) and do something completely out of the ordinary. For eight months, he drove a Chevy conversion van across the United States, visiting every Major League baseball park while living off protein shakes and no-cal diet drinks alone. Yphantides, a huge baseball fan, saw this as the pilgrimage of a lifetime—and the only bearable way to make it months on end without eating any food.

This account of his soul-searching trip is glowingly inspirational, and the book’s "7 Pillars of Weight Loss" provide a fresh perspective to the turbulent, confusing world of dieting. Dieting alone will never keep the weight off, he argues. It’s an entire mindset—a way of life—that must be put into practice permanently.

Even without his formidable 467 pounds, Yphantides comes off as a big, loveable guy; he feels like a friend from the moment the book begins, and anyone who’s ever struggled with weight will relate to him immediately. His humble, honest story brings hope that losing weight is possible for anyone, even without risky major surgery or unsafe, appetite-suppressing drugs.


Book Description from Amazon.com--

As a medical doctor who has personally struggled with his weight, Dr. Nick Yphantides can empathize with the plight of the overweight and offer a proven, medically safe plan for losing weight. In My Big Fat Greek Diet, he teaches readers the powerful 7 Pillars of Weight Loss. His program features practical how-tos anyone can apply, whether they need to lose 10 or 300 pounds. Analyzing components of a variety of well-known diets, Dr. Nick assists readers in customizing a weight-loss program that will handle their specific needs and fit their lifestyles.

The son of a Greek immigrant, Dr. Nick was known in San Diego as a big man with a big heart. Topping out at 467 pounds, he was a thirty-something, larger-than-life advocate for the poor who seemed like a jolly fat man. But when a battle with cancer inspired him to focus on his own health, he embarked on a lifestyle change that would drop him to a svelte 200 pounds. His book will inspire and equip readers to design their own weight-loss program around an "odyssey" that makes their heart sing and allows them to experience their own weight-loss miracle!



Bloggerbuddies,

This morning I read and embraced Psalm 84:5, which says, "Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage."


I have set my heart on pilgrimage, and I will not be denied!

My Big Fat Greek Diet Guy

OK, friends, here we go!
If you aren't interested in a

weight loss adventure, you are excused from reading this blog, possibly ever again.

If you are, stay tuned for this guy's story. (Yes, it's the same guy!) My goal is to have my own weight loss adventure like he did, and he is actually personally helping me via email! So stay tuned or drop out, whichever you wish to do!

Thank God for FRIENDS!

There's a saying that a friend is someone who helps you find your song when you've lost it. Thank you, friends, for helping me find my song again!

I temporarily lost it when I found out I had a teensy-tiny grandbaby. I knew it would be a high-risk pregnancy, and I was so scared! I went straight to an excellent counselor on staff at FBC (Mark!), and he spoke wise words and prayed with me, pouring all kinds of hope and peace into me.

Also Annette emailed and reminded me of my experience in the Garden of Gethsemene when we were in Israel in March. I really felt like God promised me that I had experienced 7 hard years (like the famine in the Joseph story), but now I was going to have 7 good years.

Then Spring came along and reminded me of a scripture from 2 Kings which seemed to be confirmed in a prophecy session at the Worship Institute in July: "About this time next year you will hold a son in your arms." (Yeah, I know that's freaky. It freaks me out--in a GOOD way--every time I think about it!)

Then I remembered at the Beth Moore Conference in June how Beth and also two friends, Sandy Burkett and Margaret Griggs, prayed this blessing over me: "May the Lord make you increase, both you and your children" (from Psa. 115).

Coincidence? I don't think so. Will I be crushed if I'm wrong? Probably. Will I still love God? Of course! But I digress.

There's a children's book about a little girl whose grandmother has Alzheimer's, and the name of it is, "If I Forget, You Remember." Tonight I'm grateful for friends who remember things I forget!

Revised Information!!!

My grandbaby is TWO MONTHS along! After Thanksgiving holiday they will be starting on their second trimester! Shannon does have risks, but they feel very optimistic.

They have an ob/gyn specialist whose expertise is in high risk pregnancies, and Dr. Volin will keep a very close eye on them. In fact, they have already gone through lab work to confirm a normal pregnancy (they passed with flying colors) which has put their minds at ease. So far this baby is truly a "MIRACLE" (Dr. Volin’s exact words). They also have an ultrasound scheduled on October 24. At this time they’ll be able to see the baby and his/her tiny beating heart! WooHoo!!

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

Last night I listened to two songs over and over: All You Need Is Love and Tears of the Saints (thanks, Mark!), so I really have love on my mind today! Then this morning I read this in a Key Life magazine--

LOVE TRUMPS EVERYTHING ELSE--ALWAYS.

Love sees things the mind can miss. It took me a long time to discover that love is a lot stronger than I thought it was. I was so busy practicing my religion, getting my theology right, teaching the truth, and working for God that I almost missed love.

I once saw love in a prostitute's weeping for another prostitute who had been abused by a client.

I watched love as a gay man nursed his partner, who was dying of AIDS.

A friend of mine told me about love when he went to bars because that's where his friends were, and he felt more comfortable there than in church.

You can find love in a cult where doctrines are are wrong, and at a party where drunks are cursing.

You can find love in a racist as he watches his child being born.

You can find love in a Muslim mosque where a father weeps for his son, who just blew himself up thinking he was doing it for God.

I've seen love in a liberal church that was feeding the poor and in a fundamentalist church that forgave and restored a sinful preacher.

Sometimes love is masked by harshness, lust, and booze; but if you know where to look, you can find it.

Love hangs out in brothels, churches, bars, and missions.

Love is in the homes of the rich and of the poor, in the smoke-filled back rooms of the powerful as well as the smoke-filled back rooms of the unpowerful.

Love is sometimes emotional and sometimes unemotional.

Love is sometimes harsh and sometimes gentle.

Love can be a mighty river or a gentle stream; but mostly, love hangs out in the "wrong" places...or else it isn't love.

What matters isn't WHERE you go to find love; it's what you're looking for. It's not really the wrong PLACE that causes you to miss love but the wrong DEFINITION.

It's not what's in your HEAD but what's in your HEART.

If you can't define it with the EXPERIENCE OF YOUR HEART, you can miss love.

I watch very little TV, but the other night I was halfway watching "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (probably while blogging!), and the ex-husband and his girlfriend told Christine that they had taken her son to church. Her reaction was, "I don't want him to go to church. Church people are mean and judgmental."

Is that how the world sees Christians? How sad, especially since Jesus said that the world would know we are his disciples by our LOVE!!

Well, we can't do anything about Hollywood, but we can show Johnson County our love. I'm praying that we'll do that magnificently during our 40 Days of Community, and then just keep it going.

Of course, the dilemma was expressed well by Charlie Brown when he said, "I love humanity. It's people I can't stand."

I guess our first challenge will be Teresa Mans. She just got kicked out of Teen Challenge and wants to come home. She called me from a bus station today and needed bus fare. I honestly didn't have it, so she was going to call Dan Leeds next. He worked long and hard to get her in that rehab. Pray for God's grace to be on him and that God will give him wisdom on how we should respond to her.

OK this is bad--but funny!!

She spent the first day packing her belongings into boxes, crates and suitcases. On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things. On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining room table by candlelight, put on some soft background music and feasted on a pound of shrimp and a jar of caviar.

When she had finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a few half-eaten shrimp dipped in caviar, into the hollow of the curtain rods. She then cleaned up the kitchen and left. When the husband returned with his new girlfriend, all was bliss for the first few days. Then slowly, the house began to stink.

They tried everything; cleaning, mopping and airing the place out. Vents were checked for dead rodents and carpets were steam cleaned. Air fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters, during which they had to move out for a few days, and in the end they even paid to replace the expensive wool carpeting.

Nothing worked. People stopped coming over to visit. Repairmen refused to work in the house. The maid quit. Finally, they could not take the stench any longer and decided to move.

A month later, even though they had cut their price in half, they could not find a buyer for their stinky house. Word got out and eventually even the local realtors refused to return their calls.
Finally, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place.

The ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going. He told her the saga of the rotting house. She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly, and would he be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for getting the house back.

Knowing his ex-wife had no idea how bad the smell was, he agreed on a price that was about 1/10th of what the house had been worth, but only if she were to sign the papers that very day. She agreed and within the hour his lawyers delivered the paperwork.

A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home....including the curtain rods.

I LOVE A HAPPY ENDING, DON'T YOU?

Emily is FOUR!

It's been a lotta years since I had a 4-year-old in my life! (26 years, to be exact--Ginger is 30 now!) I'm looking forward to experiencing Year 4 with Emily!

God is good!

Amazing News

I found out today that I have a teensy-tiny grandbaby in Denver! Very tiny, like 2 or 3 weeks along. The mommy has had miscarriages before and that scares me a lot. Please pray, friends! My emotions are all over the place!
Correction! I just found out the baby is 2 MONTHS along! Woohoo!

Obsessive Thinking

Note to my friend Annette: This cartoon doesn't have anything to do with you! It doesn't even have anything to do with email, just addictive/obsessive thinking.

A very good friend of mine said to me Saturday, "You're obsessing again."

I was floored!

I was shocked!

I was CAUGHT!

They say you're only as sick as your secrets, so I guess I'm healthier now!

The really cool thing about it was knowing that it didn't really matter because this friend loves me, warts and all!

Thanks, sweetie!

All Is Well

I think I fixed my blog problem! (Just lucky!)

Hey, I found something to blame my overweight on! This from the national media! (As Dave Barry says, I am NOT making this up!)

Religious media makes you fat

Almost two weeks ago, the Chicago Sun-Times looked at a study in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion that suggests religion makes people fat. This week, The Indianapolis Star followed up with an important nuance: It's not really religion that makes people fat. In fact, churchgoers are less likely to be obese. But consuming religious media does have a high correlation factor with obesity. Fortunately, the study only seems to have asked about religious television, radio, and books, so you'll probably be safe reading this blog.

Philip Yancey on Prayer

One of my very favorite authors, Philip Yancey, has a new book out entitled Prayer (subtitled Does It Make Any Difference?) I have a bad habit of reading books too fast, but I'm determined to read this one slowly and really ponder it. Since it will be on my mind so much, you will probably hear a lot about it!

I've been struggling with the reality that when I retire in December, I won't have money (either to blow or to give) anymore. It's true, like Proverbs says, that money sprouts wings and flies away, but up until now I always had more flying in. Not after December.

Last time I quit work for a few years (to raise my kids) it was really good for me because the lack of money made me more dependent on God. I'm hoping for the same result this time. Anyway, here's what Yancey said about the matter:

Prosperity may dilute prayer. The wealthy rely on talent and resources to solve immediate problems, and insurance policies and retirement plans to secure the future. We can hardly pray with sincerity, "Give us this day our daily bread" when the pantry is stocked with a month's supply of provisions.

Another problem I've had with prayer is lack of time. Since I have to leave the house at 7 a.m. to go to work, my quiet time is much shorter than I'd like. Here's what Yancey said about that:

Increasingly, time pressures crowd out the leisurely pace that prayer seems to require. Communication with other people keeps getting shorter and more cryptic: text messages, email, instant messaging. We have the constant sensation of not enough. Not enough time, not enough rest, not enough exercise, not enough leisure. Where does God fit into a life that already seems behind schedule?

The third thing he said that convicted me was this:

If we DO choose to look inward and bare our souls, support groups now offer outlets that were once reserved for God alone. Praying to an invisible God does not bring forth the same feedback you would get from friends who at least nod their heads in sympathy. Is anyone really listening? As Ernestine, the nasal-voiced telephone operator (Lily Tomlin) used to ask, "Have I reached the party to whom I am speaking?"

I need to lose some weight. Ok, a LOT of weight. Not for my appearance (Joe doesn't seem to care) but for my HEALTH. So my first instinct is, "What group can I join? Whose plan can I go on? " This after the Holy Spirit clearly spoke to me at the Worship Institute last July and told me he wanted to carry that burden for me, and if I would just PRAY, he would tell me what to do moment-by-moment. So my next challenge is to learn to stay in prayer and listen.

One final quote for today:

Prayer, and only prayer, restores my vision to one that more resembles God's. I awake from blindness to see that:

* wealth lurks as a terrible danger, not a goal worth striving for

*value depends not on race or status but on the image of God every person bears

*no amount of effort to improve physical beauty has much relevance for the world beyond.

Good stuff, huh? And that's all from the first few pages! Thanks for reading, bloggerbuddies! See you for worship tomorrow!! Can't wait!

Fat Woman Minus Dog

I feel like this fat woman, except for the dog.

A dumb blond story by and about ME

This story is something I wrote awhile back for a vocabulary training. Some of my co-workers have asked for it, so I decided to post it here instead of emailing it to them. Blogs are really handy for a lot of things!

Kathy’s Blond Story About the Word “GAPE”

I have always considered myself a wordsmith, but somehow I muddled into my mid-50s with an incomplete understanding of the word “gape.”

When we were writing this training and I noticed that our text (Bringing Words To Life) defined “gape” as “staring with mouth wide open,” I was skeptical. I asked Mava and Melissa, “Do you REALLY have to open your mouth to gape?” They assured me that, yes, your mouth must be open. I was unconvinced. After we consulted several dictionaries, all of which agreed with them, I surrendered.

And then word consciousness kicked in, and now I notice that word in every single book I read!

The first book I read after that day of enlightenment was a novel by Angela Hunt, one of my favorite chick-lit authors. (Yes, chick-lit is a genre.) That word just jumped out at me, and I remember feeling slightly smug that now I had a DEEP understanding of it.

Then I read The Teacher’s Funeral by Richard Peck. The main character considers it a wonderful miracle that the teacher of Hominy Ridge School has died in August, just as he is dreading going back to school.

That night as he’s camping out with a friend, his older sister decides to scare him by appearing out of the darkness impersonating the teacher.

The text says, “Her head was tied up with a rag to keep her dead jaw from dropping in one final gape.” Sheesh! If I’d heard the word with THAT much great context before, I would have figured it out long before now! (I DID know what a gaping hole looked like, though, so I really had no excuse.)

The third book was simply entitled “David.” As David looks across the valley at Goliath, the text says, “I wonder if he stood and stared with his mouth open.” I speak to the author. “Oh, Swindoll, Swindoll! You could have said gape!” I would’ve known.” At that point I realized that my understanding is now SO deep that I can recognize the definition without even seeing the word itself!

As to my earlier ignorance, I blame my childhood. I was never allowed to gape as a child, so I had no prior experience with gaping. My Mama always said (and I quote): “Don’t let your mouth hang open so you won’t look retarded!” I never did.

Not only have I never gaped, but I can’t imagine my biblical hero David allowing himself to do such a thing, Goliath or no Goliath. The teacher? OK, I’ll buy that—but only because she was dead!

From the sublime to the mundane