TOO MANY ROOMS

Last week in the middle of the night I woke up with this thought on my heart and have decided to share it with you now. I became aware that my body (God's Temple) had too many rooms. It was as if God whispered in my ear. You need to strive harder to rid your body of all this excess space that has been created by the sin of over eating and lack of exercise. I added a wrap around porch with an overhang in the front. It really needs to go. The place is starting to look run down with age. It needs to be freshened up. I must never forget that my body is God's dwelling place

I Corinthians 6:19 & 20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. I know I have shared this verse with you before, but I needed to be reminded of it myself. God must be tired of being crowded out of His space by sin. Yes, I am trying to remodel this temple, but every once in a while I get off track. The whole problem appeasing myself with the thought that it's only once in a while, is that sometimes those every once in a whiles come too close together. Making it a habit. I figured out this morning that I am seven pounds off my goal of losing one pound a week in a year. It is because of those "its okay once in a while." The good news is that God stands ready to forgive me from my failings. As He will you too upon the asking. He will pick us up and we can start fresh. Not tomorrow but NOW!!!

What I want to hear when I reach my final goal is that God will whisper in my ear again and say "I love what you've done with the place."

More good news for me is that I am now just 1/2 pound away from losing 20 pounds.

TIP: Healthy choices need to become just as natural as brushing your teeth. Build those good habits one at a time. Don't forget to drink at least 4 to 6, 8 ounce glasses of water a day. Eat foods that rid your body of water naturally (see previous blog tips) . Exercise on a regular basis and above all don't give up!!!

Please let me know how you are doing.

Visit my daughter Susan's blog as well, www.thewhatsfordinnermom.blogspot.com she has some wonderful inspirational entries and great recipes along with some neat projects.

BERRY CRUMBLE

Fast and Easy to prepare making it a great summer dessert.

2 cups of fresh strawberries

2 cups of fresh raspberries

1 cup quick oatmeal

2 tablespoons of Smart Balance

2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup sugar

Spray a 9x12" pan with Pam

Cut strawberries in quarters

Mix in raspberries

Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar from the 1/4 cup

Mix oats, smart balance , rest of the sugar and vanilla together

Sprinkle on berries

Bake in a 350 oven for 35 minutes

This makes 12 servings with only 96 calories a serving and 2 fibers, 8 grams of sugar and no sodium.

You can vary it by using blueberries, peaches or rhubarb

Another Bird Lesson

A few weeks ago Bob came into the house and told me there was a bird trapped in our garage. I could hear it frantically chirping and flying around. When I went out to investigate the problem. I just couldn't understand how this little bird could not see a way to freedom with a huge garage door opening clearly in view. Here was the fresh outdoors and blue sky just a few feet away and the little bird could not find it. He just kept flying up in an attempt to get out. He was depending on what came natural to him. When I checked in my bird book I recognized this bird as a little Chickadee. The bird book said that the Chickadee is very friendly and some have been known to actually eat from a persons hand. Bob got on a ladder with some seed in one hand and a butterfly net in the other hand. The little Chickadee came closer and closer to Bob, but when he tried to snare it in the net so he could set it free, the frightened bird would just fly away. After several attempts at this we decided if we just left it alone it would find its own way out. We came back into the house for about 15 minutes but it remained trapped. We tried the same tactics as before without success. I kept trying to think of a way for the bird to see the opening and a way out. Finally I thought of a broom. If we could get the bird to land on the broom and bring it down a foot or two he would be able to see the blue sky and the way out of its problem. Finally it worked! The little Chickadee landed on the straw end of the broom . Bob carefully lowered it until the chickadee saw the natural light and flew towards it, releasing itself from the prison of our garage. I tucked this little story into my memory bank and God just brought it back to me. He reminded me of how much we as a people are just like that little bird. We feel trapped and don't know how to get out of our mess. God has provided a way for us, but we are too caught up in our problem, and our own inadequate solutions, that we don't see the blue sky waiting for us. We keep doing the same thing over and over looking for a way out. If God had hair surely I must sometimes make Him want to pull it out. However, he doesn't get impatient with me or you. He just waits patiently for us to see the blue sky and smell the fresh outdoors and move towards it and be released from our prison. Sometimes we make our own prison by trapping ourselves in an unfit body making the same foolish mistakes and expecting different results. Sometimes we get trapped just because we live in a sinful world. Either way we get trapped but you know what? We don't have to stay there. God always has a way out.

Isaiah 48:17 This is what the Lord says- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. Friends we should not get trapped in a prison, be it one of our own making or one that it caused by living in a sinful world. God's desire is for us to be free. He knows the way out. We just have to ask him and then open our eyes to see His way to freedom.

TIP: Did you know there are many foods that are natural diuretics? Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, asparagus, celery, artichoke, tomato, cucumber, parsley and tea are just a few of them. Excess water in the body can cause bloating and added pounds. Eat these sources of natural diuretics and not only will you lose that excess water you will be eating more healthy and your whole body will function better. On a side note I am now at an 18 pound loss and going for 20. Please let me know how you are doing. One of my followers has informed me of a 9 pound loss and she has only been at it for two a months. Go girl!!!