Falling Down & Getting Up!

So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too.  For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.  You won't spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.  You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy-- their immortality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parities, and their terrible worship of idols.-- 1 Peter 4:1-3

I can breath again!  Oh the joy of clearing my plate so I can enjoy life to the fullest.  I broke many of my own rules the last several weeks.  

I have a plate analogy:

When you're full nothing tastes good.  

I learned this after going to the all-you-can-eat buffet with my family.  We had gone back more than we should have (dramatically rolling my eyes) and so when I sat down to have dessert with my boys I realized I was so full I couldn't even taste what I was eating.  

The Lord showed me that this is true of busyness as well.  When I get too busy nothing tastes good.  I am not able to enjoy anything we're doing, no matter how wonderful it is.


Knowing and owning this are two different things.  I had been so good, so careful the last few years at keeping an eye on my plate that I pridefully forgot to remember and heaped WAY TOO MUCH on my plate of responsibility!


Praise the Lord for Phil 3:13..., "Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead":

I am officially done with my PPEA board duties, officially done with convention, officially done with Classical Conversations practicum, officially done with our school year and I want to run singing through the sprinklers with my hands up in the air. (Okay, maybe I've just had a little too much coffee?)

Seriously though, in the midst of completing those big projects on my plate I got off track with a few things that are BIG and GOOD in my life:

1-  Weight Watchers!  Yes, I've been going to the meeting and I've been maintaining or losing and gaining the same two pounds since May.  But I lost my first love, my vision, my strong commitment in the midst of busyness.

2-  Walking!  I had a great system in place where I was walking with my husband or friends consistently.  Not only did this help me be accountable it also gave purpose.  I miss how good I felt when I walk walking.

3-  Daily e-mails with Bonni!  Bonni, is a new friend I met at weight watchers this year.  She has lost 80 pounds and is a beautiful christian.  We had started every morning with a daily e-mail talking about our weight watcher goals for the day.  The one thing helped me to be a planner, so I could practically prepare myself for the day eating wise.  She and I have talked and I am very much looking forward to getting back on track.

As I have been praying and asking God to help me get back on track I have been reminded that I am going to have to do things I don't want to do.  I am going to have keep a better eye on my plate so that the things of this world do not sneak in and steal my heart.

For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.-- 1 John 2:16