Weight Loss Episode 10

It's Monday which means another weight loss episode. For the record, I did weigh in tonight, and for the record, I did lose 6.4 pounds. (That's over 2 weeks because I didn't go last week.) But I have no desire to blog about that tonight, but I do have a couple of things to say about weight loss, so here we go...

February of this year, a friend at work told me about the devotional, Jesus Calling. I have learned so much from it. One of the most eye opening concepts in it is the idea of gratitude. I used to view thankfulness as being grateful for the blessings, but my view is changing. I'm slowly learning that gratitude isn't only about the blessings. It's about being thankful for the lesson.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

It reminds me of the stories of Job, Habakkuk, David, Paul, and countless other Biblical figures who 'praised God through the storm.' They are each excellent examples of people who gave thanks in extremely trying circumstances.

So what does all of this have to do with weight loss? Excellent question, Internet. One of my biggest daily challenges is my weight. It's a burden that I've had for as long as I can remember. I've always been the chubby girl. I've never been able to wear whatever I wanted. I've always viewed it as a curse, but this week something changed. 

I am now choosing to be thankful for it. 

I'm choosing to thank God that He is allowing me to really learn about healthy eating. I'm thankful that I won't fear being fat, like so many women do, because I know what that feels like, and I know it's not the worst thing in the world. I'm thankful that I can relate to girls who don't feel like they fit in. I'm thankful that I developed a personality instead of a pretty figure. I'm thankful that I have an area of my life where I can depend on God. It keeps me humble which is always a good thing.

The hardships I go through tend to be minimal, and for that I am extremely grateful. But the truth is, we all have our burdens. Maybe it's singleness or fertility or finances or career or a relationship or weight or health. Whatever you carry around with you, I want to encourage you to look for reasons to be thankful for it. Even if the only thing you're thankful for is the chance to put more trust in the good Lord; it opens your heart to hope and takes the sting out of the adversity. We can rejoice because we are sitting in God's hands. He knows, and that is something to be thankful for.

:j

The Ultimate Thankful Thursday

I love when Thanksgiving & Thankful Thursday collide. I absolutely love Thanksgiving. It's one of my favorite days of the year. It is full of family, food, & fun. What's not to love? Plus it kicks off the holiday season! So here are a few things I'm thankful for today....

• Photographs - I take a lot of photos at family functions...but not as many as Momma would have me take. At the end of the year, I make a slideshow for my family of the photos I've taken, and I absolutely love being able to go back and relive the memories. I am thankful for photographs because of the way it captures life. I think I often take for granted that I can snap a photo on my phone and share it with the world within minutes. It's amazing.
• Extended Family - I am so lucky to have a wonderful family. Everyone should be so blessed to have aunts, uncles, and cousins like mine. When we're all at Gma's it can get extremely loud and quite competitive when Sour Punch Straws are on the line in BINGO, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
• God's Grace - Words don't do it justice. The Lord gives freedom when I find myself in bondage. He pours love over my sins. And all at the cost of His only son. Amazing.

There are so many other things I could list: each of my friends, my home, socks, my job, America, a dependable car, running water, heat, etc, etc, etc. I am blessed beyond measure. My cup runneth over.

:j 

Grilled Apple-Cheese Sandwich

Growing up my family used come home from church on Sunday nights and eat dinner while watching Nature on PBS. More often than not, Momma would make grilled cheese. Then one day, I decided that I didn't like grilled cheese. It's not that I didn't like it. It just didn't thrill me. I could take it, but I'd rather leave it. You know what I mean?

That lasted until last night. Last night I decided to try putting apples on my grilled cheese sandwich, and it was amazing. It's my new invention. I call it a Grilled Chapple Sandwich. Here's how you can make your own.

First slice a Granny Smith apple really thin. You might be able to try a different type of apple, but this is what I had. (Yes, my knife is pink.)

Butter your bread. Then layer your sandwich with cheese, apple slices, and another bit of cheese. Use whatever bread you want. Use whatever cheese you want. I used 12 grain bread, and sharp cheddar cheese.

Give your sandwich a hat. (That's what my nephew calls the top slice of sandwich bread.)

Grill it, just like you would normal grilled cheese. Medium heat, butter, flipping only once.

Eat & Enjoy!

Try it. You'll never go back. Plus it's a great way to get in a serving of fruit.

:j