TODAY I CHOOSE GOD!!

I believe this is the smallest that I ever got to.  About 226; it felt GREAT!!  Imagine what 200 would feel like?  What about 180?  160?!

How did I do THIS in only a few short months?!

I started in June of 2011 at 271 pounds.  The lowest weight that I remember is 226, but right now, November, 2012, I am back up to that original start weight.  I let go.  I took my eyes off of the ball and I'm having trouble finding it again.

There is only one way for me to stay healthy and that is to stay focused on my God and his goals for me.

Last night I sat at our parenting meeting and listened as grown adults talked about all of the ways that they try to get healthy themselves or try to help their children get healthy.  It was all so very complicated.  In my head I was saying, "NO!!  It doesn't have to be that hard!"  

 In all of his wisdom, Ivan said that when someone calls him out to check their yard he tells them that all they need to do is water their grass.  That answer is not thorough enough for these folks who see that the problem is much more complicated than that, and so they call someone else to "solve their problem."  This next person sells them hundreds of dollars in fungus killers and then tells them to water it in.  It was the water that was needed all along!  Why do we look for complicated answers to our problems?  Depression, anger, (in my case) criticaleese (my word), laziness, poor health, poor mobility......  all of it can be helped by two very simple things.

1.  Get off of my butts (there is definitely more than one back their now) and move my body

2.  Plan my meals and eat a healthy balance of foods.

Done!

Health restored.

Easy peasy.

What keeps us from doing this?

Let's go to the number one thing that kept me going for those ten months that I worked out like a dog.

Matthew 4:1

The Temptation of Jesus

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’^[a]”
⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’^[b]”

⁷ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[c]”
⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’^[d]”
¹¹ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.    (emphasis added)

Do you see?  How could Satan say, "All this I will give you"?  How could he say that?  How was it his to give?  An amazing teacher taught me last year what this means.  You see, we give Satan our everything when we do not live in obedience to Christ.  When we choose to say "Yes" to Satan, we are giving him our everything and that is how he has it to "give" to Jesus.  When we choose sin over Christ we are saying "Yes" to Satan and turning away from all that God has for us.  

Everytime I choose chocolate chips, rich foods, sweets, salty snacks, drive thru goodies (no matter how nasty they really are), I am choosing Satan.  He is making the offer and I am turning away from God and all that he has for me.

I can only grow in my relationship with Christ and fully be who he calls me to be by learning from Jesus and the way that he handled satan during these temptations.  "Away from me, satan!  For it is written:  'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"

I choose to live as God's child and seek his face as I journey to health.  Satan will only lead me to death, destruction and pain.  I must rebuke him in Christ's name and choose to follow my Daddy.

Today's plan:

1.  I have already deactivated my fb account.

2.  Water by my side at all times.  4 - 33 oz. cups a day for now.

3.  Wake at 5:30 and get dressed in workout clothes

4.  Spend time with God - 30 minutes

(Use 5 step strategy)

5.  Feed my children

 6.  Start a load of laundry

7.  Unload the dishwasher

8.  Pray with the kids and start the day off well

9.  Take kids to school

10.  Come home and flip the laundry

11.  Go up to exercise - 1 hour minimum - include yoga for complete health

12.  Flip laundry

13.  Eat protein rich snack

14.  Shower

15.  Clean room of the day

16.  Fold dryer - leave washer dried out and empty

17.  Start dinner preparations

Living intentionally (OH HOW I LOVE THAT WORD!) will help me reach my goals.  I have been given the entire day to prepare for my family and I have been wasting it on satan.  I choose to prepare myself mentally, physically and prepare the house for my family's arrival.  I love my family, I love my God and I will do this for them.

Please, God, hear my prayer.  I need you.  I am lost and empty without you.  I do not desire to cave to satan's temptations.  I do not desire to give him my life and control over all that is rightfully yours.  I will, TODAY, live for you.

I will devote my life and my heart and my familiy to YOU!!

In Jesus' name,

Amen.