It's Not a Diet

I don't know if you have seen the movie Kindergarten Cop before, but it's so funny.  Arnold Schwarzenegger is a cop who impersonates a Kindergarten Teacher in order to catch a crook.  In the movie, there is this one kid who is a total fatalist and constantly says, "Maybe it's a tumor!"  Finally, in a moment of madness, Arnold's character yells "It's not a tumor!"  Only in Arnold's voice it sounds like, "It's not a tuma."

That story has nothing to do with this blog other than when I think of the title, "It's Not a Diet," I think of Arnold's voice saying it like his character in Kindergarten Cop saying "It's not a tuma!" 

Truthfully, I kind of feel the same frustration he must have felt in that moment, because I keep telling myself I need to go on a diet, but my other self says, "It's not a diet!"

In an effort to be open and transparent ( like some friends I so greatly respect) I am going to share with you, my blogger friends, about a struggle I have called weight. I have struggled with my weight since our youngest son was born, 12 years ago. Before then, I never struggled with my weight.  I ate what I wanted, when I wanted.  But not now. No way. Just looking at a piece of cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory makes me gain 5lbs!

My goal is to loose weight and be the healthiest mom I can be.  So today, I started a journey, (ok, i started it again, for the 100th time!)  My journey to good physical health.

In the past, I have consulted nutritionist, trainers, you name it!  I have gone to them for the quick fix on loosing weight. News flash, there is no quick fix. The thing is, I KNOW how to lose weight and get healthy!  I know that 80% of a weight issue is what we put in out mouths,  and 20% is from some sort of work out that gets your blood flowing. I know the right and wrong way, I know the foods, to eat, I know how to do interval training, and the list goes on.  

I just struggle to do it.  

I am asking each of you to pray for me as I start this journey for the FINAL time. Yes, I said final. I am taking all of the knowledge I have gleaned over the years and the encouragement of friends, and I have set goals to loose weight and get healthy. I am not using a trainer (been there done that).   I am not using a prepared meal plan (done that too). I am going to be eating clean, small portions, 5-7 times a day, no and I mean NO processed foods, and I am starting to train again for a little race in January. 

Feel free to message and ask me how this journey is going. I welcome the accountability. I will keep you all posted. 

From my side of the fence, I'm pretty darn excited to think about myself at this time next year.  I'm gonna be one smokin' hot mama!  (HA!  My friend Carol told me I had to say that!)

Cathy

Forgiveness

Sometimes, people you love and that love you, hurt you.  That's a reality of life.  Yet, it is our human nature to protect ourselves from ever being hurt again by holding a grudge against the person who hurt us.  It's not that we want to be bitter, angry people.  It's that we don't want to be hurt.  And by being vulnerable, trusting, . . . forgiving . . . we open ourselves up to further hurt. 

Why am I saying all of that?  It's because I have recently learned a very valuable lesson about bitterness and about forgivenss.

Recently, my family was hurt by someone, a hurt so deep that the bitterness from it consumed me.  Not only that, my bitterness affected my youngest son who had also been hurt.  It's as though my bitterness gave him permission to be bitter as well.

One day, a sweet, precious friend told me that I needed to be on my knees and to ask the Lord to set me free because the bitterenss was consuming me. That afternoon, I got down and begged the Lord to set me free and deliver me from my anger, bitterness, and resentment. The Lord saw my heart and knew I was crying out for His help.  I could not do this without Him.

Then I went downstairs to find my youngest son (who was home from school that day) so we could talk about what God was teaching me.  We talked about my bitterness and also about his bitterness.  We both asked the Lord to forgive us and to set us free from these feelings that were controlling our lives.

As I stand (ok sit) here today, I can tell you that the Lord lifted a weight from both of us that day. We are free from the weight of unforgiveness, and it feels amazing! There is a weight, a heaviness in your spirit that comes from holding a grudge, from being bitter.  I heard it said once that bitterness is like swallowing a poison and waiting for the other person to die.  So true.

I realized that by holding onto my resentment and bitterness towards the person who had hurt my family, my youngest son was following exactly what he saw me doing.  I was bitter and unforgiving, therefore he was bitter and unforgiving. (Great mom award, right? NOT!) The bitterness that was eating me alive was also eating him alive.

So, I am here to tell you, from personal experience, you will be wronged in your lifetime.  Someone is going to hurt you.  And when it happens, and it will happen, you have two choices; forgive or hold onto the hurt and anger.   

But I have learned this; when we hold onto the hurt and anger, it eats us alive, inside and out. It physically hurts our bodies.  And, if that's not enough, it also ages us on the outside too, YIKES!  And with all we, I do to try to stay looking younger,  (ok, I am vain, I admit) why would we age ourselves and live in bitterness and anger?  We lose!

It's good to be free, and forgiven.  And it's a great anti-aging RX!

From my side of the fence, I must constantly realize that Jesus offers me forgiveness every single day, many times a day. How can I do any less?