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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Its over....

She looks over at her child, full of sadness.  There is nothing left that she can do.  Its all over.  She has reached the end of herself.  All of her resources have been exhausted.  Every card in her hand...played.  She reaches over with the resoluteness that its done.  Nothing left to hang on to, nothing left to look forward to, just NOTHING on every side. 

The last bit of flour and bit of oil will together make the last cake that she and her child will consume.  Nary enough to sustain either of them, but that's ok.  Its over anyway.  She would be the last to even fathom that she was intended to be the sustainer for another.  The thought never even crossed her mind.  Who could imagine that it would be possible to take what isn't even enough to keep the widow and her child alive would actually become provision for not only her and her son but also the great prophet Elijah?

It was not her flour and oil that became her provision, but her obedience that saved her.  Doing what God commands even when it seems impossible.  Getting to the end of herself and even in her giving up on her own provision, she, through obedience to the prophet, found for herself 'life' and not the 'death' that she saw all around her. (1 Kings 17 rephrased).

We have to learn to look past our current condition and trust God.  Its ok to be honest with God.  He wants it.  Tell Him how tired you are of your situation.  Remind Him that you are right where He left you.  I have even found myself, 'giving up'.  A horrible thing at first, but even in my giving up, He's right there...stronger, better, wiser than ever before.  Holding fast to me when I have all but let God.  Trust God with your progress.  Trust God with your prayers.  We can't feed our way into wholeness.  But we can 'pray' our way through.

Counting it down to your healthy bodies.  Getting in shape for the warmer weather.  Staying on target with all those new year's resolutions.

Upcoming Activities:  (Charlotte, NC)
Boot Camp - Weekly on Saturday's @ 8-9am.  1337 Samuel Street (New Life Fellowship) Starting 2/12/11. 
Boot camp will be facilitated by Sis. Tish of Uneek Fitness and the cost is $5/week.  All proceeds will be going toward the Fellowship Center. 

1Q11 Back2Eden RETREAT
Trying to work out the details now.  Dates are looking like March 2011.  Details and costs will be provided.

Don's and Diva's Day out - Feb 26th, 2011 2pm-7pm
Area 15 NODA

512 E 15th St
Professional Photo Shoot, Make-up Artist, Pedicures, Manicures, Ardyss, Personal Trainer, Jewerly, Massages and more.......stay tuned for ticket info.  Back2Eden is one of the vendor's at this event!!

Congratulations Time:
Roz D. Charlotte, NC - You got a 33 inch waist GURL!!  She's a BRICK HOUSE!!  Do it.  Now let stay focused and keep reaching your goals!

Porshe Charlotte, NC - I'm sick of you:)  Not a 31 inch waist OMG.  Keep on walking in it.  I see you!

Tasha M.  - Do what it do!!  AT GOAL!! and decided to keep going to give your self a little wiggle room.  U got this!!


Prayer changes things!  We have to stay focused, trust God, do our plans, exercise and PRAY!  Consistency is the key. 

Prayer:  Lord, continue to revitalize us in our daily regimens.  Its not easy to stay consistent.  Help us to make healthy choices, choices that honor you not only in our eating but in our every deed.  We turn over to you our every situation and ask you to give us the faith and the hope to be able to trust you to handle our issues.  Help us to bind up worry and anxiety and fear.  All the things that compell us to eat mindlessly.  We desire to have our minds regulated and our hearts fixed on you.  In Jesus name.  Amen!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Release me, enlarge my territory.  Come in Lord and bless me in the midst of my circumstance.  Are you faithful?  Are you consistent?  Do you serve me with gladness or is it with lipservice?  Is this but a quick fix or a long term solution.  My word says 'die daily' are you willing to die for me?

As my prayer unfolds my heart unravels.  So much to do, so many desires...but where is the consistency?  Am I willing to be consistent in the 'work' that it takes to not only 'get' the things that I desire of God but to also keep them?  Lord, am I flighty?  Am I easily swayed to and fro led astray by every little shiny distraction?  For me, the answer is 'yes'.  Its so hard to focus or put energy into one thing or another because I'm pushed and pulled on every side by a mind that is always racing and never satisfied.  Help me God to find focus and to be still. Even in that, I race about....trying to hurry up and 'get to the goal, get to the goal', so often forgetting all the lessons that are entwined in the process that will show me how to 'keep' and not just 'get' to my goal.  Wow, thank you Holy Ghost. 

One of my problems is I'm results driven.  If 'it' (whatever it is) is not producing 'visible, measureable' results very early on and consistently - I lose momentum.  I realize that. 
The other issue is that I'm emotionally driven.  If I 'feel' a certain way, I'm more or less likely to 'gain or lose moementum.  I realize that.
When I'm overwhelmed with an emotion or a feeling (happy, sad, anxious, afraid) I go to food.  I try to go to 'healthy' food but when it doesn't satisfy, I go to 'feel good' foods. 
I am competitive.  I do much better in tandem with someone else rather than just against myself. 
I am nurturing.  Because I care about 'you' I am more likely to do better for me.  I believe in being an example.

I do best when I'm in my momentum.  On a roll as they say.  When I'm going, I'm all in..on everything.  I have to keep my momementum.
I also have a comfort zone - a fake one and a real one...whoooooo....the 'fake comfort zone'  is a dangerous DANGEROUS place.  Its the place I go that I just 'let go'.  Where I say, "I'm beautiful.   Everyone is not meant to be skinny.  I deserve this (cake/bread/cookie).  I feel like exercising.  I deserve to just 'chill' for a while.  Now, some people (even myself sometimes) may look at this 'fake comfort zone' and say, 'That's not so bad, everyone needs a break sometimes.'  But getting to know ME means really being honest with myself.  Listening to my 'self talk' and learning how to interpret it. 

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Identity Theft

She looked in the mirror.  The image that stared back at her was definitely a familiar one.  The eyes, the nose, the hair...she knew it well.  She looked deeper.  She tried to look into her own soul.  But she turns away.  Its not what she wants to see...who she wants to see.  She is hit with a barrage of images she has seen over the past few weeks of perfect teeth, perfect hair, perfect hips.  All the imagery that has began to steal her own value, her own self worth away.  She is has allowed herself to become a victim of identity theft. 

The identity that she is supposed to carry in her soul.  The identity of a royal priesthood.  A holy generation.  Giving way to a superficial figment of her imagination.  Yes, there are some things that she can do to be more healthy, more beautiful, more whole.  But she can't allow them to steal her identity.  She is more than a number on the scale.  She is more than the whiteness of her teeth or the sashay of her hips.  She is more than the sum of all her parts.  Whether or not she has the man in her life or the job of her dreams or the ideal weight or even the best credit score...not one of those things is her IDENTITY. 

We are created in the image and likeness of God.  We must continue to strive to be more like Him every day.  Its not easy, no one said it would be.  But we can't get caught up in the quest for superficial 'perfection' so much so that we forget to seek the kingdom of God.  That is the focus of the Pray in Weigh in. 

We may continue to work diligently to reach our 'weight' goals but its only a small part of our goal.  It can only be a small part of our goals.  If it is the only focus then when we fall short in it, we will slip and fall away...usually about 8 days into our new 'regimen'.  So many 'resolutions' have already fallen by the wayside.  But the Word of God says only what you do for God will stand.  That may seem like an oxymoron - losing weight for God.  But we are not doing it 'FOR' God, we are doing it 'WITH' God.  For with God all things are possible.

Charlotte, NC Pray in Weigh in
Saturday Jan 15th, 2011
301 W. 24th Street
9am - Back to Eden breakfast to-go will be provided.
Please be on time.  We will need to be done by 9:30am. 

Prayer:  God, continue to use me as an instrument of your peace.  Continue to show us your will and your desire for our wholeness.  Help us to be resolute in our service to you.  Continue to unite us so that we can lean and depend on one another for strength and turn to you in every area of our lives.  We surrender ourselves to you Lord for our daily bread and for direction in our lives.  We know that without you we can do nothing but with you we can do ALL things

Special Prayer:  Lord, continue to bless Shelly in VA. Continue to show the prayer warriors that they are the righteous and their prayers are required daily.  Special prayer for CD that you bless her with the desire of her heart and that you answer her prayers for a husband Lord.  She is diligent and a mighty woman of God.  You said in your word that you would withhold from her no good thing.  In Jesus Name we pray...AMEN!

Thank you for all your birthday wishes and for your prayers for a speedy recovery for me.  I am so thankful that my sickness had and expiration date on it and that I have been delivered!! To God be the Glory!!  It is already alright. 

Reminder:  Text the word 'PRAY' to 704-493-2035 to received the conference call number for our weekday 6am prayer call.  God is truly setting the captives free on those calls.  Women from all over are joining and sharing and being delivered.  To God be the Glory!!!  It is ALREADY Alright!!!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The New Year

11 days in to a New Year.  Commercial after commercial of lose weight, exercise, eat this, do that and on and on and on.  So reminiscent of last year but with one big difference.  This is MY ANNIVERSARY!!  The anniversary of a new 'me'.  The anniversary of finally surrendering to God my issues and entanglements with food.  I can't even believe it.  I've never stayed the course this way.  To have lost weight and actually to have kept it off AND to top it off to have so many others working toward their own freedoms.

All the weight loss commercials did one thing for me in the past - AGGRAVATED the HECK out of me.  I felt so angry at the weight and then at the commercials themselves for selling me a dream.  But you know what, I realized that the commercials were all right.  Eat less, exercise more...period.  It works right?  Right?  RIGHT!  So why doesn't it work? Why didn't it work?  Because if I could have done that I WOULDN'T BE FAT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!! DUH!!!  So what works?  What works is getting the tools, learning the information, making a plan, putting it into action AND THEN SURRENDERING it all to God - daily. 

Back to Eden is so much more about turning to God in the midst of where I am than it is about what to eat, how to eat, and how much to exercise.  Most people don't admit to this...at first.  Like any other 'diet' we learn what foods to eat and how often and what exercises to do but unlike a 'diet' we then submit ourselves to God in prayer, turning over to Him the things that we have been burying in our foods. 

Some of us use food to make us happy and some of us use food to make other people happy.  You wouldn't believe how many 'cakes' and 'pies' I heard being made and eaten over the holidays.  We used the holiday's as an excuse to just throw it all in and 'live' I heard some say. 

Monday, January 3, 2011

Breakfast: Spinach, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Eggs

Delicious combination of yukon gold potatoes, sliced with spinach and onions & peppers.  Adorned with a fluffy side of scrambled egg beaters.  YUMMY!!


Exchanges:  1 carb A, 1 veggie A, 1 Protein A

Preheat skillet, spray with pam.  Add sliced potatoes, brown.  Add onions & peppers, brown.  Add spinach, lite salt, pepper, onion powder - cover.  Let cook on low for 15 mins.  Plate.

Spray and preheat pan.  scramble eggs.   Add to plate and enjoy!