We go from day to day sometimes feeling as though we've got it all together. Then there are those days when it seems like everything just falls apart and no matter how hard we try we cannot succeed. It is on these days that we must stop and realize that we are not in control, but God is. Our failures, our successes, they all have a place somewhere within God's ultimate plan. We succeed when we give the battle over to God and stop trying to control our own destiny. God knows what He is doing, but do you trust Him enough to let Him have the control? Everything that happens in our lives is not by accident.
Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
God has given us all a purpose in our lives and it is our duty to fulfill this purpose to the best of our ability and pray that His will be done in all things. Anything that hinders you or keeps you from acting in God's will is something that needs to be pruned from your life. Just as a garden with weeds cannot grow to its full potential, neither can a person with hindrances in their life. My personal hindrance is my weight. This is one battle that I know I have not 100% given over to God. This is my earnest prayer now; That I am able to fully hand this one over to God. What is your hindrance and are you ready to hand it over to God's control?
Psalm 55:18 He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Monday Motivation - Faith
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
As I write today's message I am writing with a broken heart. A very special, dear friend of mine passed away this morning at a very young age. It is because of her faith and trust in the Lord that I find comfort and some peace right now. My heart and my flesh miss her presence but it is by faith that I can trust that she is in the hands of a merciful and loving God right now. When she was in the hospital I wanted to bring something to her. A little token or something so that just in case she did come around she would know that she was in our prayers. I found this little angel that said "Faith is not knowing God can, but believing that He will!" I know that she believed this with all of her heart and I too know that God is in control of all things. We cannot possibly fathom why God chooses such things for our lives but we just have to trust in faith that He knows what He is doing. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
God can help us through all things. God can heal us. God can give us peace. God can perform miracles beyond our wildest dreams, but what He does not do is give us faith. It is by faith that we believe that He will deliver us from all trials whether it be on this earth or in our heavenly home. And it is by faith that we know that He is the Everlasting Father, the Mighty God, the King of Kings and the Prince of Peace.
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
In Loving Memory of Sister Eva.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
As I write today's message I am writing with a broken heart. A very special, dear friend of mine passed away this morning at a very young age. It is because of her faith and trust in the Lord that I find comfort and some peace right now. My heart and my flesh miss her presence but it is by faith that I can trust that she is in the hands of a merciful and loving God right now. When she was in the hospital I wanted to bring something to her. A little token or something so that just in case she did come around she would know that she was in our prayers. I found this little angel that said "Faith is not knowing God can, but believing that He will!" I know that she believed this with all of her heart and I too know that God is in control of all things. We cannot possibly fathom why God chooses such things for our lives but we just have to trust in faith that He knows what He is doing. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
God can help us through all things. God can heal us. God can give us peace. God can perform miracles beyond our wildest dreams, but what He does not do is give us faith. It is by faith that we believe that He will deliver us from all trials whether it be on this earth or in our heavenly home. And it is by faith that we know that He is the Everlasting Father, the Mighty God, the King of Kings and the Prince of Peace.
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
In Loving Memory of Sister Eva.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Friday Find - Calorie Count Toolbar & Site
I have decided to change the Friday Food Review to the Friday Find. From now on I will be reviewing all things diet related including new foods, products, programs, and exercise equipment instead of just foods. I decided to do this because I really don't sample new foods all that often and I didn't think that you would be interested in reading about my boring daily diet of egg whites, salad and veggie burgers lol.
Today's find comes to us from a site that I just discovered this morning. I know this is pretty soon to be reviewing this site, after only surfing it for a couple hours, but I think I may have found a little gem on the net and I would like to share.
http://caloriecount.about.com
Rating: 4 out of 5 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Pros:
Many diet tools available.
Free of charge.
Forums, groups and message boards offer support at no cost.
A nutritionist is available for questions as well as an advice column, Q&A, a health blog and videos.
A large list of available foods, recipes and the ability to suggest new food items not listed.
Your own blog or journal to track your thoughts as you diet.
A grading system that tells you if your diet (or food choice) deserves an A+ or if you are failing.
And my favorite feature: The calorie count tool bar for your browser.
Cons:
Diet tools are not more customizable to your own personal goal choices.
There really is not much wrong I could say about this site. The only problem I have found with the site so far (and I should note that you cannot blame them for this) is that you cannot customize the calorie range and diet goal to your own personal preference. The site is set to only allow you to stay within what they deem is a healthy calorie range & time limit. Aka you can't set a goal to lose 100 pounds in 3 months eating only 500 calories a day. This is fine, and they are probably right to advise someone to stay within a healthy 1-2 pounds a week. My complaint with it though is that I feel it should be personal preference and because it is automatically set you cannot customize a true goal date. Other than this minor fault I think the site is fantastic.
All of the tools available are over and above my expectations for this free of charge diet site and community. From the calorie tracking to the diet analysis tools you really cannot beat this site.
The best feature of all though is the calorie count tool bar for your browser. You download and install the very small program and it runs continuously at the top of your browser giving you a constant look at where you stand in your diet. It also has one click access, through this tool bar, to your account features like your food journal, diet journal, your mail and the forums and other tools. The best part of the calorie count toolbar? The Eat Meter for sure. There is a small bar, or meter, that shows you how close you are to your max daily calorie range. It is a constant reminder at the top of your screen reminding you to stay within your goals. This was a smart, but simple concept and whoever came up with this is brilliant!
Here you can see a screen shot of the tool bar at the top of my screen (click on the pic for full view):
Overall I gave this site a 4 out of 5 only because of the non customizable goals. I have tried many other free diet sites and this one so far I think I could safely say is my favorite. There really is so much to this site that I could do an entire week's worth of posts just on the features, but go check the site out for yourself and tell me what you think.
Today's find comes to us from a site that I just discovered this morning. I know this is pretty soon to be reviewing this site, after only surfing it for a couple hours, but I think I may have found a little gem on the net and I would like to share.
http://caloriecount.about.com
Rating: 4 out of 5 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Pros:
Many diet tools available.
Free of charge.
Forums, groups and message boards offer support at no cost.
A nutritionist is available for questions as well as an advice column, Q&A, a health blog and videos.
A large list of available foods, recipes and the ability to suggest new food items not listed.
Your own blog or journal to track your thoughts as you diet.
A grading system that tells you if your diet (or food choice) deserves an A+ or if you are failing.
And my favorite feature: The calorie count tool bar for your browser.
Cons:
Diet tools are not more customizable to your own personal goal choices.
There really is not much wrong I could say about this site. The only problem I have found with the site so far (and I should note that you cannot blame them for this) is that you cannot customize the calorie range and diet goal to your own personal preference. The site is set to only allow you to stay within what they deem is a healthy calorie range & time limit. Aka you can't set a goal to lose 100 pounds in 3 months eating only 500 calories a day. This is fine, and they are probably right to advise someone to stay within a healthy 1-2 pounds a week. My complaint with it though is that I feel it should be personal preference and because it is automatically set you cannot customize a true goal date. Other than this minor fault I think the site is fantastic.
All of the tools available are over and above my expectations for this free of charge diet site and community. From the calorie tracking to the diet analysis tools you really cannot beat this site.
The best feature of all though is the calorie count tool bar for your browser. You download and install the very small program and it runs continuously at the top of your browser giving you a constant look at where you stand in your diet. It also has one click access, through this tool bar, to your account features like your food journal, diet journal, your mail and the forums and other tools. The best part of the calorie count toolbar? The Eat Meter for sure. There is a small bar, or meter, that shows you how close you are to your max daily calorie range. It is a constant reminder at the top of your screen reminding you to stay within your goals. This was a smart, but simple concept and whoever came up with this is brilliant!
Here you can see a screen shot of the tool bar at the top of my screen (click on the pic for full view):
Overall I gave this site a 4 out of 5 only because of the non customizable goals. I have tried many other free diet sites and this one so far I think I could safely say is my favorite. There really is so much to this site that I could do an entire week's worth of posts just on the features, but go check the site out for yourself and tell me what you think.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Wordless Wednesday - A Psalm
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David. Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST
Please be praying for a dear friend of mine, member of the JOY group and a sister of my church. She is at this moment in the hospital dying of lung cancer. I just received a call from her family that they had to rush her to the hospital where they found out she has pneumonia and needed to be put on a ventilator. She is still so young and she has children, a husband and a grand-daughter that need her. I know that the Lord is able. The doctors may have given up but it does not mean that we have to give up.
Pray in the name of Jesus!
Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Pray in the name of Jesus!
Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Tasty Tuesday - Spinach Salad
Amazing isn't it - you get two real posts in two weeks! This will become a habit I'm sure ;)
A reminder to the JOY women there is a meeting tomorrow night - not next week.
Today's recipe is for one of my favorite salads to whip up for myself when I'm running low on calories for the day but I'm still incredibly hungry. This is very filling, very low in calories and very high in good for you stuff.
Spinach Salad
2-3 cups baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
A sprinkle of sliced almonds - less than 1/4 cup
2 tbsp. Light balsamic dressing or olive oil drizzled on top
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Toss together in a large bowl. Enjoy!
This can be made with many variations and you can omit the cheese if you want this to be even lower in calories. Baby spinach leaves are a staple in my kitchen. I use them in omelettes, pasta dishes like lasagna, soups, and I even make this yummy dip using green onions, baby spinach leaves and FF cream cheese - I will post the recipe for this at a later date.
A reminder to the JOY women there is a meeting tomorrow night - not next week.
Today's recipe is for one of my favorite salads to whip up for myself when I'm running low on calories for the day but I'm still incredibly hungry. This is very filling, very low in calories and very high in good for you stuff.
2-3 cups baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
A sprinkle of sliced almonds - less than 1/4 cup
2 tbsp. Light balsamic dressing or olive oil drizzled on top
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Toss together in a large bowl. Enjoy!
This can be made with many variations and you can omit the cheese if you want this to be even lower in calories. Baby spinach leaves are a staple in my kitchen. I use them in omelettes, pasta dishes like lasagna, soups, and I even make this yummy dip using green onions, baby spinach leaves and FF cream cheese - I will post the recipe for this at a later date.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Some exciting news and a JOY recap
For those of you that missed last night you should know that you missed some exciting stuff. Don't worry though because we will be going back over it again next week. We are just starting some new challenges for the new year. I do want all of you to bring a picture of yourself with you to our meeting next week. Make sure it is something you don't mind having on display (only in the JOY room and maybe on here) and also make sure it is something that you won't be too upset over if it gets misplaced or holes poked in it (from the bulletin board pins.) If you do not want to use an original then bring your picture to church this weekend and I will take it and make a copy of it on my computer....or you guys can send me some online to print off. These pictures are part of a challenge we are doing so make sure you bring them!
Now for the exciting news. We now have our own group on the awesome social network site for Apostolics called Apostolics Connected. This way my virtual JOY members can keep in contact with the real life members :-). I will be using this online group in place of the forum on this blog. I might even take the forum down off of this site if it does not become more active this year. We'll just wait it out and see how everything goes.
Here's the link if you are interested in joining the group: http://apostolicsconnected.ning.com/group/thejoyfuldieter
For those of you visiting this blog via the AC group I just wanted to say welcome and feel free to look around. There are a lot of interesting past blog posts as well as some useful information on the right hand side of the blog.
God Bless All!
Now for the exciting news. We now have our own group on the awesome social network site for Apostolics called Apostolics Connected. This way my virtual JOY members can keep in contact with the real life members :-). I will be using this online group in place of the forum on this blog. I might even take the forum down off of this site if it does not become more active this year. We'll just wait it out and see how everything goes.
Here's the link if you are interested in joining the group: http://apostolicsconnected.ning.com/group/thejoyfuldieter
For those of you visiting this blog via the AC group I just wanted to say welcome and feel free to look around. There are a lot of interesting past blog posts as well as some useful information on the right hand side of the blog.
God Bless All!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Time to get back to business
Ok I have neglected this blog for far too long. Those of you that know me IRL know that the biggest reason was my internet. Well we subscribed to a new internet service and now I am able to get online again. With our previous internet I was only able to get online just to check email and that was pretty much it. Now I can blog again and all that fun stuff. We have also started our JOY meetings again so this blog will be hopefully be going strong in the future. Well just thought I would give you all a status update and let you know that this blog has not been abandoned, just neglected for a little while :-).
Note: There will be a JOY meeting this wednesday night at 6:30 and another one the following week at the same time. Hope to see you all there. God bless!
Note: There will be a JOY meeting this wednesday night at 6:30 and another one the following week at the same time. Hope to see you all there. God bless!
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