Christian Weight Loss

I have been busy and not managing my time as wisely as I should but I know that I have a lot to say so if you are ready here we go!

My brother is married, he got married on November, 14 and it was SO crazy. Friday was the rehearsal and my parents did a great job with the food and stuff. However, we had a lot of potatoes, and I am being serious. We had French fries, baked potatoes, potato chips, and potato salad.  Then we had hamburgers and hot dogs. Well for someone who is trying to be healthy, I said no and got myself a salad. Granted I did eat a piece of cake, but it had the cool whip icing, so it is better that the other I guess.

The wedding day was filled with mass chaos. It was not bad but there was a lot that had to be done in a short amount of time. We had to get our hair done, which was fun. I am a girly girl so I love getting all prettied up for something. However, eating was not something we planned on doing.  I can’t tell you what was going through my mind, other than, got to look nice for my brother’s wedding. Well, one of the bridesmaids went to get something to drink and so she going me a hamburger yes a not good hamburger. I ate it because I knew it would be along time before I could eat anything else. We then started pictures, and well that was fun. I won’t lie, but the shoes + pictures= hurting feet.  30 mins before the wedding I got to take the shoes off, but I ended up back in the to get some of the last minute things done and to tlak to my cousin and a friend.

Then it was show time, time to get myself down that isle without falling. Watching my brother was so much fun. I can’t believe it happened, you plan something for so long you think it is never going  to get here but it did. The reception was great. And yes I did what I told them I was going to do. I got the bouquet.  I scared all of the women and the lil girls I told them if they would let me get the bouquet I would give them each a rose. I really don’t care about the man part (yes it would be nice) but I really wanted the roses. Then the next exciting this is the fact that my brother and I have a great friend named Casey who has this AWESOME camera.  Well my trainer, Judy was my date to the wedding. She has a SHINNY AWESOME BMW, and it is red. So was my dress. So Casey took my picture for me. Bless his heart!!!

This week I have tried to get back on my eat and to try to work out. I rolled my ankle and it swelled up some. Not fun. But I am still trying to work out and to get the weight off.

I had the day off from school for Veteran’s day which was nice. I can’t complain about having a day off. But I had a lot of things to do.  However, I did not do much of anything, which is bad I know but it was nice to just hang out with my friends. I did go work out which was SO HARD. I sweated so much today, I am praying that I lost a few pounds today (granted I know that is not the chase).

Any ways I was informed tonight that a guy I know is having a hard time with some stuff, it really made me sad. I hate that a brother in Christ is having a hard time. Yet there is not a lot I can do but something that I can do is to pray for him.  But I found this song that I listened to called “The great story ever told” By Avalon.

Your life woven day by day
is a new design of the glory God displays
on the canvas of creation
Through the poem of history
in the pattern of redemption
running through the tapestry
Your life in christ can be
the greatest story ever told

You cannot see the hands of God
or feel the grace that flows
from Him through you to those you touch
In ways you’ll never know
you cannot measure worth by human standards
That’s always a lie
oh, you have to see through heaven’s eyes how…

Its not easy being on this side of Heaven, I personally do have a hard time trusting God. I don’t think that I am the only one who has this problem but it does happen. It is so easy to turn to the things of the world than to trust God. While I know this is not a reason but for me stress is  hard on me and I want to turn to the sinful things instead of turning to God.

I encourage you to trust God instead of your flesh, I know that I have to tell that to myself everyday but turn to God.

To my FX people, know I am praying for you guys as you travel, can’t wait to hear stories about the trip!!

It sucks when Satan puts thought into your head about your weight. I am having a hard time with confidence. Granted yes I have almost lost 50lbs but Satan uses things like my picture to tell me I am still fat. And that is the hard part. It is not easy trying to lose the weight. Yet, I knew this journey would be a hard one because I am doing what God wants me to do and the more I do for the Lord the harder and harder Satan is going to try to bring me down.

Yet, it is not easy dealing with my weight and everything. Its just plain hard. But I found encouragement from a song. One of my favorite songs, “You said” I love the Shane and Shane version but this version is awesome as well.

You said, Ask and you will receive
Whatever you need
You said, Pray and I’ll hear from heaven
And I’ll heal your land

You said Your glory will fill the earth
Oh, Like water the seas
You said, Lift up your eyes
The harvest is here, the kingdom is near

You said, Ask and I’ll give the nations to you
O Lord, that’s the cry of my heart
Distant shores and the islands will see
Your light, as it rises on us

Some awesome lyrics, and it makes me want to cry tonight as I struggle with those. It just helps me to remember to turn to the cross and not food or anything else. To GOD!!!!!

I find myself having a hard time with trusting the Lord. Here is my question, WHY? The only reason is because of the fact that I am a sinner. I should not doubt but I do and like so many of us, I fail God on a daily bases. Yet here is the awesome thing, he still wants me and loves me unconditionally.

Something that I have thought about is the show Ruby. She is an awesome woman who is trying to lose weight but she talks a lot about a guy that she dated for 7 years. And she said on the show that Denny, the guy she dated, could not love her unconditionally. It hurts my heart that there are people who love with conditions. Some will love you if you are skinny, have money, or anything they want. It is so sad that the one person who I know without a shadow of doubt will always love me I have a hard time trusting. I found this quote and that it was AWESOME

 “It is a very easy thing for us to get into a desponding state of heart, and to

mistrust the promises and faithfulness of God, and yet, all the while, to

look upon ourselves as the subjects of a disease which we cannot help, and

even to claim pity at the hands of our fellow-men, and to think that they

should condole us, and try to cheer us. Perhaps they should; but, at any

rate, we must not think that they should. It will be far wiser for each one of

us to feel, ‘This unbelief of mine is a great wrong in the sight of God. He has

never given me any occasion for it, and I am doing him a cruel injustice by

thus doubting him.’” Charles Spurgeon

Take courage my friends and know that God loves you more than you will ever be able to understand, and he knows your heart. He is awesome and we should trust him. And know that he has the best plan for our life. While we must wait at times, just know his plan A is better than our plan B will ever be!!

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices! Psalm 37:7

This has nothing to do with weight loss, so if you are looking for something about weight loss this post is not it. I am writing more what it on my heart that about my weight stuff.

I was thinking about a few years ago when my best friend Cass and I came home for the weekend. It was fun because we were going to go see Derek Webb.  We ended going to this Café in the Old City of Knoxville, when we got there we got something to eat and then went to the café. I had order my tickets on line. Not sure where we were sitting, They said to go find our name. We ended up in the front row, I can remember my best friend look at me and say that I could not molest Derek Webb. I laughed so hard at what she had said. The night He played a song I will never forget. It was an amazing song.  Cass said I would want to play it at my wedding, and I agreed when I heard the lyrics.

Dealing with my singleness and everything like that has been hard these past few months. I would have to say that Satan is using my brother’s wedding to really try to get me down.  I honestly have the desire to be married and to have children, see the thing that I do not understand is if I am to have the gift of singleness, why do I have the desire? I read a great passage that really touched my heart and helped me

17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places. Habakkuk 3:17-19

While I do not know what the future holds, I am going to trust in God that he knows what he is doing!!! I am so glad I am not God, this world would be so much up if I where!!!

Grace and peace, lots of love, mary

Today was a great day that started very very early. I got up around 645am to go walking but gosh I felt so sick. So my cousin and I went walking around the subdivision next to my house. It was awesome. She was so encouraging about the things going on in my life. I have been having a hard time with moving back but I think I found a church that God wants me to be at. It is called Cornerstone church of Knoxville. ITS AMAZING.  There are so many different people that go to the church that I can relate to and I can form friendships with.

But back to my weight loss stuff. My friend Shanna and I met up at the mall. She told me that I needed to go with her to two different parties. I was like I don’t have anything to do so sure. First we went to a ladies house, and had dinner. I was amazed at the God glorifying conversation and everything that was discussed. However the thing that deals with my weight loss is the fact that I got into an 18-20 shirt. Now yes I know I still have a lot of work to go but that is something that I have not been able to do since HIGH SCHOOL. PRAISE GOD. I felt pretty in that shirt and it helped with the confidence.

At the other party we went to, there were a lot of people there and I really did not get to connect to many people, there were many people there and yes I tried to remember there names, but I failed. (that is a long sentence). But I feel very blessed to have met so many godly men and women.

Well back to Saturday, The gym launched the new bodyvive. It is the 12^th version that they have out, I think there might be one more not sure. Any ways, everytime they launch, the instructors get all dressed up for fun. This time the theme was for the breast cancer, since October was breast cancer month. Terri and Judy told me to wear my fight like a girl shirt so we could all match. The picture above is from the bodyvive and those are my wonderful trainers. I did and I really enjoyed the new bodyvive. It was really hard and I think it is going to help me to lose the weight that I want to lose. I am amazed at the progress and everything that has happened so far. Alas I still have a lot to go but I am better than I was compared to yesterday.

I hope you have a great week and that God blesses you with many different things. Please pray that tomorrow I can get into the dress that I have to wear for my brother’s wedding. Tomorrow I go to the lady who is going to take it up!!

Grace and Peace

The picture is to encourage you that even though fat weighs less that muscle, muscles does not take up as much space. I am trying to get in those jeans I have been missing!

It’s a Friday night and what am I doing? I am sitting on my bed listening to a sermon, while most people my age are out partying and doing stuff like that I am listening to a sermon.

Weight lossssssss!!!!!

Ok so I am having a hard time with motivation, while I am not really all that motivated I am still trying to lose the weight. Like I have said before I have my brother’s wedding and a dress to get into and then there is a wedding in January I have to go to, actually 2 of them. But as of right now I am trying to figure out something to motivate me after the wedding blitz (not sure if I used that word correctly or not but I am I a football mood)

I goggled ‘how to keep yourself motivated to lose weight’ and it gave me many lots and lots of different websites to look at. The one I found the most help was 20 Ways To Keep Yourself Motivated. I looked over all of it and it was helpful but there is one thing that has helped me more than anything.

There was one verse that really hit home last night. Hearing and reading this verse really helped me to understand why I am doing this and why it is important for me to try to get healthy.

Romans 12:1-2

12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 

Like most of us, we have to daily remind ourselves that it is not about us, it is about him

He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30

I cannot stop praising God today, he has given me so much to praise him for. I need to praise him everyday for saving my soul and that is my fault that I don’t thank him each and every day. But today he answered a TWO BIG prayers.

The first one is dealing with my weight issues. My training sessions came to an end last week and we did not know how we were going to continue. Money was the issue and so my trainer and I were discussing how we could do it. One of the ideas that my trainer came up with was to work out with more than one person. It was be about ten dollars less. I have not talked to the lady that I would be working out with but I know her really well and I think she would be fine with it. So then Judy said that if could find someone else to work out with the two of us that it would be 10 dollars a session. I was like well I will try to find someone. The Lord blessed and answered the prayer for me. We found someone else to work out with. So it will be 30 dollars a week and I can do that. It took the cost from 300 a month to about 120 for 4 weeks. So I am super excited about that.

The next praise is that I think I found a church that I can go to.  My brother’s co-worker and friend of my family told me about his church. The fact that it had a single’s ministry was big for me. Tonight we had a service and I went. It was amazing how God really worked through me tonight. I enjoyed every minute and I hope that I can get involved with the church. It seems like a place where I can worship and minister to other.

Well the weekend is almost here, be safe and have fun

Psalms 33:1-5

33:1 Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

Today I honestly have not felt all that great. I wish and hope that I am not getting sick. But I am afraid I might be. But honestly I did not want to work out today. I was not looking forward to it nor did I really want to go. But I went.

It was fun actually. Judy and I talked about everything from my brother’s wedding to Christmas. The great thing about my trainers, Judy and Terri, is the fact that they encourage me. Not only about do they encourage me about weight loss but about other things as well. One of the thing that they have been an encouragement is about dating and marriage. I am not going to lie to you but it is a struggle watching everyone be happy. But are they just putting a happy smiling face out in public when behind the scenes they are having a hard time. They never really tell you the hard things in marriage, like money. When you are married you have double the income, but double the things you have to pay. For example, insurance if you or your husband do not  have jobs that have good health care. I do not want to sound like a downer but sometimes I feel as though girls only look at the happy go lucky part of marriage. Not sure what guys look at. But honestly, If I am supposed to be married someday I want to know what it is going to be like. Granted there is only so much I can do and plan for. But I really wish that people would share the hard stuff about being married. I LOVED, this sermon by a pastor at the church that I have been visiting.  He talks about courtship and marriage. It’s a wonderful sermon and I loved the second part where his wife comes out and talk to the girls about some of the issues that a woman faces in marriage.I know the last few post have not been about weight loss but God has put this on my heart and I wanted to share.  Here are the links to the sermon’s I hope that you have time to listen to them, for they are AWESOME and really open’s your eyes to biblical relationship and how God intended it to be done.

“ And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3

Sermon Part 1

Sermon Part 2

The next few weeks are going to be crazy with wedding, work and trying to work out. I realized just how hard it is this weekend. We had two bridal showers and I ended up not working out either day. So really it was not good. But I we had a good time and my sister in law to be got A LOT of stuff.Today in church I heard one of the best sermon’s ever. It was more of an Autobiographical sermon.  The pastor spoke about John Calvin and I do really like that man. If you do not know anything about him, John Calvin is a reformed Theological guy who really is awesome.  Any ways one  of the main points that he had, how God’s sovereignty  was place in his life. And I thought a lot about that today on the way home. Sometimes it makes me wonder if I will ever get married or have a family. But God has placed me in this chapter for a reason. Someday I might know why or I may never know why, but I trust that God is in control and knows all things. On top of that I have to trust that God will provide the money for me to keep working out with my trainers. I have the money for the first month. But after that I am not sure about it. See with the holidays coming and everything that goes into that I want to be on top of the working out. So I have praying for the resources to keep up the working out.Please be in prayer about the money for the training I really want to do it and I am praying that it is in God’s will.Proverbs 3:13-1713 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,and the one who gets understanding,14 for the gain from her is better than gain from silverand her profit better than gold.15 She is more precious than jewels,and nothing you desire can compare with her.16 Long life is in her right hand;in her left hand are riches and honor.17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,and all her paths are peace.