Miracles of Each Moment

"Miracle of the Moment" is my theme song this year. I want to see God's miracles in each moment of my life.


Memory Verse Mondays - Our Ladies' LIFE Group Study - "Loving God With All Your Mind" is really helping me to not dwell on the "What ifs" or "If onlys". To focus on the TRUTH as it aligns with God's Word. I'm "thinking on these things" and "the peace of God that passes all understanding" is guarding my heart and mind. Life is good as I love God with all my mind! That is a miracle!
Training Tuesdays - Training is going well. I've logged in 70 miles on my treadmill in 2012. Add to that, outdoor miles during this balmy Michigan Winter, and I'm nearing 100 Miles!! WOW - I can barely believe it. This morning I completed a 5 K run in under 39 minutes! WOOHOO! I registered for the Lake Ann Trail 5K and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure scheduled on back to back weekends in May. I would like to run the half marathon in Ann Arbor in June, but I'm waiting on that one...
Weight Watch Wednesdays - Down 10 pounds since Christmas. YAY! It still seems like a long haul. Even with all the "sweet holidays" (my 50th birthday, Valentine's Day, and Cristin's birthday all in the same week) I was able to enjoy the special days while choosing wisely and losing - ever so slowly.
Thankful Thursdays - So much to be thankful for, where to start? ...
1) I was shown appreciation for my work by my boss this week, both verbally and tangibly. I was shocked! What a huge encouragement, that was especially since I feel so inadequate in my job.
2) I'm thankful for my job, and the people who encourage me in my workplace.
3) I'm thankful for weekends with my gal, sharing her life again as she seeks God's will for her future. How do I describe the joy I have now, after 4 years of strained long distance mothering?
4) I'm thankful for my husband seeing and meeting my needs. He offered to play "Scrabble" with me. It was a close game that I eventually I lost, but a blessing to do something different together in the evening.
Fun Fridays - Bowling with the our co-workers last Friday was a blast. I bowled horribly, but that was overshadowed by the opportunity to get to know my co-workers outside of the work environment. This was a "Team Building" event supported by our supervisors. How many people get to bowl and be crazy with their bosses while still on company time? Can anyone say, "Workplace of Choice"?
Songspiration Saturdays and Sundays - There are so many songs that play as I run/walk/drive. They minister to my heart and soul. I had to laugh as I realized how many of the songs have lyrics that include: race, walk, run, breathe...Hahahahaha! They help me to continue on...racing, running, walking, breathing when my body just screams "QUIT!" (Not only in my physical training, but also in my spiritual and emotional training.)  "...But one thing I do: ... straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14 ESV)

"And he has given us
A treasure called right now
And this is the only moment
we can do anything about..." Miracle of the Moment by Steven Curtis Chapman

He's always at work and I believe He is perfect in every way. Every day of my life is written in His book before even one of them come to be. He is not surprised by the events of my life. He is at work in every circumstance and every trial, in the good times and the sad times.He has works prepared in advance that I should walk in them.  I trust that He is working everything together for my good and His glory.

Lord, help me see your miracles in this moment.

Content In My Weaknesses?

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

(2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV)

No, I'm not content with my weight - the "thorn in the flesh" I have wrestled with all of my life. It is the weakness that continues to humble me, daily. I AM working to be content in the journey as I struggle on, in His strength. Any success I achieve is only by His grace and ALL the glory is His alone - that is worth boasting about!

Strengthening exercises - The Journey through the Chronological Bible:
It's been encouraging to read through the lives of the patriarchs of our faith. Their lives were filled with trials, failures, and unanswered questions. They were faced with decisions that required they step out in faith without much detail. I've read it before, but this time around, it is more real to me. I am identifying. It's helping me put my life into perspective and strengthens my trust in God's plan for me and my family.

Jumping out at me...the sins and mistakes repeated in successive generations. It's challenging me as a parent. How am I living my life before my children. Do my choices honor God? How about my attitudes. So much more is caught than taught.

Lord, I want to be a light reflecting you to the world, but even more, I want to leave Godly footprints for my children to follow.

5 Weeks In - I'm NOT Quitting!

I've put in over 60 miles on the treadmill, and more on the road, but the results are so slow in showing up.  I'm still showing up - I'm not quitting!

Memory Verse Monday:

It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.
(Psalm 127:2 ESV)

I haven't slept all that well these past two weeks; there is so much on my mind for my work.  Then there's things going on with family and friends.  I came upon this verse and it gripped me. My sleep has improved this week as I've worked  on memorizing it, applied what I'm learning in my Bible Study - to rest in the TRUTH of His Word -

• Ephesians 2:10
• Psalm 139:16
• Proverbs 16:1, 9
• Romans 8:28

and PRACTICED Philippians 4:6-7.

Training Tuesday: I've been "run/walking" a 5K every other day. I've taken 2 minutes off my time for my favorite close to home run. YAY! Progress. Alternating running through a song then walking through a song has really helped. Oh, and one more thing - I figured out that my treadmill was starting on an incline. My assembler decided that since I didn't need to store it away, he would not finish assembling the storage leg. It turns out that there were 4.5 inch feet that also needed to attach to the end of the belt-bed, raising the back by 4.5 inches. If you do the geometry, I was starting at a 3.6 degree incline! No wonder it seemed so hard. LOL!

Weight Watch Wednesday - I've done well with points, but the numbers on my scale don't seem to want to fall...it's a battle of wills! I'm stubborn and I'm on this!

Thankful Thursday:
1) I'm thankful for Craig's encouragement in my efforts. He reminded me that even if the weight doesn't come off, I'm still helping my heart and lungs. Thanks, honey!
2) I'm thankful for the flexibility of my job. Most days, I am able to take the time to work out and juice my vegetables before I go to work.
3) I'm thankful that both my husband and I are low maintenance. Leftovers two days during the week is fine - even appreciated.
4) I'm thankful neither of us like to go out to eat. It makes eating healthy so much easier!
5) I'm thankful that both of my kids initiate calls home - not for anything in particular - just to chat. I love talking to them. I am thankful for the people God is growing them into.

Fun Friday: We spent an evening with two couples from our first "Home Group". The plan was to get pizza and watch "Courageous" together. When we arrived, we found the menu had changed to an elaborate pasta meal around the dining room table and we never made it to the movie. It was a delightful evening full of catching up conversation with very good friends.

Songspiration Saturday/Sunday: Several people I know are going through rough times. It's really been a year filled with trials. The truths that I've been focusing on have helped me come to a place of peace. I heard this song for the first time this week, and it ministered to me.



I'm in this great adventure with you, Lord...help me travel the long way home.

Catching Up

It's been quite busy these past couple of weeks. I'll try to summarize:

I've been working hard at keeping first things first...doing what's important; focusing on what really matters.

I started reading through the Bible in a year using "The Chronological Bible" with Cristin. It always amazes me how "new" things catch my attention every time I read the Scriptures. Even though we don't regularly talk about our reading, it's just fun to know we're on this journey together. 

Memory Verse Monday...Our Ladies' LIFE Group started a new study, "Loving God with All Your Mind" by Elizabeth George. From the start, I can tell it's what I need. Our first Scripture memory is Philippians 4:8. I wrote it out in 5 translations and am working diligently to think about - no - dwell on  whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, excellent, or worthy of praise.

One of my coworkers said he is in a series about getting "unstuck". I like that. I need to get "unstuck" this year, starting with my thought life. Thankful for my "brothers and sisters" in Christ at my workplace. They are a source of joy.

Training Tuesdays...well, I've kept up with my exercise. I've only missed 5 days of working out, and some days I actually get two workouts in. I am finding that I prefer to walk/run outside, but in these brutal temperatures, I'm thankful for the treadmill. My colleagues and I even met by 6 a.m. to work out before our full days of meetings and tours in San Antonio. It was great to have that peer pressure and accountability.

Weight Watch Wednesdays...I am down one whole pound. Focusing on the positive - it's the right direction. I try not to feel discouraged about the progress with all the working out and watching what I eat. I re-joined Weight Watchers Online. This is another thing that takes up my time, but my friend, Kelly encouraged me that keeping track of everything that goes in the mouth was the only thing that helped her. It is really eye-opening and is giving me a new awareness of how much I really eat. Thankful for wisdom from other warriors fighting the same battles.

Thankful Thursdays...Thankful for a productive business trip and safe travels last week and a very encouraging performance review and group meetings with my boss this week. I have a new appreciation for his leadership. I'm also thankful for the means to take a vacation - 2 of them planned this week; one to Arizona to visit Nonna, Gramps, Aunt Rita, and Uncle Randy and the other to Charleston for Cristin's graduation in May. Six round trip plane tickets for a grand total of $105 (I ran out of frequent flier miles - temporarily). Now to start planning those trips: sightseeing trips, hotels, parties...

Fun Fridays...This still needs some work! I started playing Scrabble with Chad on Facebook. Does that count? Craig and I enjoyed a "date" on Sunday. Perhaps that should count! I was supposed to go out with a girlfriend last night, but with the threat of snowstorm we postponed our fun to this afternoon. I'm looking forward to meeting up with her at GLC.

Busy...but good. Finding joy in the journey this year.

God Sightings This Week

1) We're getting ready to start a new Ladies' LIFE Group Study, "Loving God with All Your Mind" and were praying the order would arrive in Saturday's mail so the gals could get their copy Monday night while I am away on business. When I checked FedEx tracking on Saturday around 11 a.m. it said it had arrived at the post office at 10 a.m. and not to expect delivery for 1-2 days...My mail lady delivered it to my doorstep at 1PM - 2 hours later! YAY God!

Thankful Thursday

On the way to work this morning, there was news of a horrific accident on I-696 involving a pedestrian. It turns out that a man was hit during rush hour traffic as he tried to change his flat tire...

Life is a vapor...everything we know can change in a tragic instant. It's good to take time every day to acknowledge all that is good:

Having both "kids" home for the last three weeks, and safe travels for them back to their school and jobs.

A very good job that I (mostly) enjoy, which abundantly provides to overflowing.

Health to be able to work out on my treadmill.

Beautiful weather for January in Michigan. - blue skies and sunshine to make me smile.

Spending the day at work and in meetings alongside my hubby.

An hour walk with my hubby in the brisk winter afternoon after work.

Hubby helping me clean up Christmas.

A "thank you" appreciation call from Cristin for her repaired power steering and new tire.

A "happy birthday" call to Gramps and hearing laughter and gladness in his voice. 

So thankful for my wonderful family - God has truly blessed me.

Weight Watch Wednesday - The Embarrassing Start

So, this is the humiliating start of my long road to health and fitness. It's hard to believe that just two years ago I had completed a mini sprint triathlon, and several 5Ks. 

The first 10 days of working out and making good food choices were discouraging. It seemed that the harder I worked and more diligent I was, the worse the results. The scale kept climbing each day. I wanted to "throw in the towel". I've heard it all before: "you're building muscle which weighs more than fat" & "it takes consistency over time to get your metabolism working right" ...blah, blah, blah. 

:-P 

I am sticking with it, regardless.

After 10 days of working this plan, I am down 3 pounds - just 57 more to go.  :-(