Choose to Be Thankful

Colossians 3:15 says, "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were indeed called in one body: and be thankful." As I read this verse, I saw 2 commands: I should let the peace of God rule in my heart and I should be thankful. How do I let the peace of God rule in my heart? I obey Him...in ALL things. I seek Him and His will. I do what I know pleases Him and what He tells me to do. I TRUST Him no matter what is happening. Having peace and being thankful are not dependent on my circumstances. I CHOOSE to be thankful if things are going well, and I CHOOSE to be thankful when times are hard. I know God is faithful. He is with me. He will provide. He loves me. And I am thankful. As I am thankful, I reaffirm my trust in Him and that brings me peace. Whatever you are dealing with, thank God for His faithfulness to you in the past. Thank Him for His love. Thank Him that He is with you and will help you. Express out loud that you trust Him, and then thank Him for His peace.

https://youtu.be/kcKiAKJ6uN8 is my video regarding this verse. I included a story that I was reminded of this morning that went along perfectly with what I got out of this verse.

I'm on You Tube Now!

I know it has been a LONG time since I last posted on here! I started posting devotionals on my Facebook page, but God prompted me about a month and a half ago to start posting my devotionals on You Tube. I was very hesitant as I don't like doing videos, but I obeyed His prompting and started to do videos. I also felt led to share my weight loss journey on my channel. It took a few videos since I had so much to say. I'll be doing a 2023 Challenge with some people from my church, and I decided I'd do videos each day letting people know the activities for that day. There will be 3 activities to choose from and you can do 1, 2, or all 3 of them. It won't take long and I think it is a great way to get people motivated to do SOMETHING each day. Anyway, my daily devotional is usually only a few minutes long. If you'd like to subscribe to my page and watch my videos, I'll include the link so you can do that. 

Link to my You Tube channel: Tammy's Daily Encouragement - YouTube

Direct link to Playlist including videos about my Weight Loss Journey and some tips to help you lose weight too if interested: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAZMBpB9Xfas9YFmvo-vxigf5bNlZfrfr 

Continuing On My Journey

It's been awhile since I last wrote on my blog. Sorry about that to those of you who enjoyed what I wrote. So much has happened since I last wrote that I couldn't possibly tell you everything, but I can tell you I am still exercising six days a week and trying my best to eat properly. I always strive to be honest so I will admit that I did gain about 20 lbs from the lowest weight I reached (140 lbs). Some of that can be attributed to the fact that I became more diligent about doing strength training twice a week. I have worked myself up to being able to use 20 lb weights for most of the moves I do, but there are a few (like overhead presses) that I use 10 lbs for. I do know I still struggle with snacking a little too much because I have a real sweet tooth, but I knew when I began losing weight in 2013 that this was going to be a lifestyle change. When I was aiming to lose 100 lbs, I got stuck around the 150 lb mark for awhile before I finally broke through that plateau and hit my goal of 145 lbs. I was thrilled to lose another 5 lbs, but I gained the first few pounds quite quickly when I began doing strength training that I just attributed it at first to building muscle. I wasn't surprised to hit 150 quickly and fluctuate in the 150-155 range because I figured "maybe my body really is most comfortable there". When my weight slowly got closer to 160, I realized I did NOT want to gain much more weight and started to be more careful. So I'm currently trying to get back to the low 150s and maybe try to get back to 145, but I really do like the way I look now so I'm not going to be upset if I stay in the 150s because my body may just be telling me this may be where it is easiest to maintain my weight and I'm ok with that!

The biggest accomplishment since I last posted was I completed my first official half marathon in Nov. 2016! I had never entered a half marathon before because they cost way too much money. The only race I ever do is one in our town and they don't hand out medals to the finishers. I started to have a desire to do ONE half marathon just to get a medal, to PROVE to others that I really could do the distance. I had done 13.1 miles on my own a few times. I had mapped out a route in town that equaled that distance and had done it a few times over the last few years, but I just couldn't see paying $75 to run the distance just to get a medal. Well, one day in 2016 I decided to share my story about my weight loss journey on a website for runners. I mentioned in it that I hadn't done an official half marathon yet because we just couldn't afford it, but that I had done the distance on my own. I was shocked a few days later when someone from the website told me they were going to print my story AND they wanted to pay for me to run in the half marathon of my choice!! I posted about it on Facebook and asked if anyone wanted to join me, and I tagged a friend of mine who has been running a lot longer than I have been. She said she had been thinking of doing a half marathon (she had never done one either!) and she said she'd be glad to do it with me! I had a goal in mind to finish in 2 hrs. 30 min., but I set my estimated time to finish at 2 hours 45 min. when I registered because I normally quit running outside in early October when it begins to get too cold here in PA. My lungs don't like breathing in that cold air! So I wasn't sure how fast I'd be able to run and wanted to give myself some extra time. My husband didn't help when he kept reminding me that there could be snow on the ground by the day of the race. I kept telling him it was NOT going to snow, and I was right! Thank the Lord!! I didn't sleep well for 2-3 days before the race. Pre-race jitters I guess. LOL! The weather the day of the race was gorgeous! It wasn't windy, although it did get breezy a few times during the race, and the weather got up to 50 degrees! That morning, I wrote names of people who had encouraged me during my weight loss journey on a piece of paper and I place that paper in my fanny pack so they would all be "with" me. I had enough names on that list that I knew I could think of 2 or 3 each mile and say a prayer of thanks for them. I wanted to run the entire half marathon, but my tired legs had other plans. There was only one hill on the entire course and it came at mile one. I was able to run up the long hill and I was proud of myself for that! I saw the 2:30 pacer go by me between mile 3 and 4 and somehow I knew I wasn't going to finish in the time I had hoped, but I didn't let that bother me or deter me. I just kept running and being thankful I was out there! As I neared the 10th mile, I knew for certain I wouldn't finish in 2 1/2 hours, but I literally said to myself "at least it doesn't have to be my worst time!" Within seconds of thinking that, my right calf muscle cramped up. I have never had it do that before, and I hope it never does because IT HURT! I had to walk for a little bit and then I tried running again. Every time I ran, my calf would cramp and it felt like it would go into a spasm too. I took a deep breath and realized satan was trying to discourage me, and I wasn't about to let that happen! I had been praying and thanking God the entire time up to this point for people who had encouraged me when I was losing weight and for the change that had taken place in me during the last few years. The thought came to my mind, "You started out your journey walking, and it's ok if you can finish it the same way!" I told satan I was NOT going to quit so he could leave me alone, and I continued to pray and be thankful and walk as fast as I could. As I started the 11th mile, my left calf decided to join my right calf in cramping up whenever I tried to run. Yes, I was still trying to run whenever the pain let up, but I was running less and less because I knew it just wasn't working and I didn't want to cause a severe injury by being stupid. In the 12th mile, satan was still trying to discourage me by telling me I was a failure because I was walking and couldn't run the whole thing. That's when I began to think of my older sister Wendy and my grandma, both of whom are in heaven. I had this thought of "I can almost hear them...'Come on, Tammy! You can do it! We are SO proud of you!'" I glanced up into the sky and there in front of me was a heart shaped cloud!! I had to fight back those tears that formed in my eyes because I didn't want to trip over something because I was crying! LOL! As I reached the homestretch and started to hear the music playing, I prayed, "God, I want to run! I want to finish this race running." I felt this gentle voice say "Go ahead." I started doing a slow and very gentle jog/run because I didn't know whether my calves would allow me to run and I sure didn't want to fall this close to the finish line! I couldn't help but smile as I was able to run the rest of the way and cross that finish line without having any pain! After I finished, my legs were killing me and they hurt for the next 2 or 3 days; but it didn't matter because I had finished a half marathon! My time? 2 hours 43 min.!! I smiled when I saw it because I realized that I had "beat" the time I estimated I'd finish the race in when I registered. No, it wasn't my best time. Yes, I think it probably was my worst time for a half marathon distance. No, it didn't bother me because I hadn't quit. I had kept going and I finished in spite of the pain!

Check out that smile on my face as I was running toward the finish line!

The two friends from church who decided to run the half marathon with me. They actually finished in 2 hours 7 min, but they stayed at the finish line to see me finish!

My family. I was so thankful they were at the finish line. They all encouraged me all along my journey, so it was very fitting for them to be there!

Showing off my one and only medal. I wore it the entire rest of the day! LOL!

Close up of my bling. LOL!

The sticker I bought for the back of my car! LOL!

The official photograph of me crossing the finish line!

Be Noticed

     I can't believe it's been a year since I've written on my blog! I can update you that I've continued to exercise 6 days a week. Through the summer, I run and walk at least 6 miles a day. The kids do the distance with me Monday - Friday and I do it alone on Saturdays. I enjoy my new lifestyle. It feels great to be healthier! I had lost 105 lbs, but did put on 10 lbs. I think most of that is related to becoming more consistent with strength training twice a week, although that went by the wayside over the summer since I absolutely love going outside to run (which I can't do during the fall and winter since it gets too cold). I still try to do some strength training once a week, but it usually is about 15 min. instead of 45-60 min. I think a lot of that 10 lbs is lean muscle and not fat, but I also know that my body seemed to hold steady around 150 lbs for a long time last year before I finally was able to start losing and got down to 140 lbs. So, my body may just be comfortable at 150 lbs and it may not be possible for me to maintain my weight at 140 lbs or less. I'm actually ok with that and am quite content where I'm at! Now that I updated you on that, I'll get to the real reason why I decided it was time for me to write on my blog again.
     I was reading my Bible during devotions today and read Mark 7:24 which says "Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice." As soon as I read that, I heard within me "You should be the same way." I'm more of a quiet person and don't like to be the center of attention. Why would I want to be noticed wherever I went? Then I thought of that fact that since I'm a Christian, Jesus lives within me. He is the one who should still be noticed! That means wherever I go and whatever I do, people should see Him within me. The hard question then to ask is "Do people see Jesus within me?" I know that even though I'm human and fail at times to act in a way that is pleasing to Him, my desire is that I will not escape notice wherever I go because others will see Jesus within me. To all Christians out there, let's make sure Jesus continues to "not escape notice" because He is always being seen in us!

Still Striving to Reach My Goal

I see it's been awhile (again) since I last posted on my blog. Someone asked me today if I had blogged about my weight loss journey, and it was then that I realized I hadn't blogged in a few months. The last time I had blogged, I had updated you on my weight loss success; but I hadn't said anything since so I figured it was time for another update!

I don't walk outside during the colder fall and winter months. Yeah, I know, I'm a big sissy! LOL! I did continue to do the Walk Away the Pounds workouts though and I added some Billy Blanks' Tae Bo workouts too. I haven't done Tae Bo in a while though because I truly love the Walk Away the Pounds workouts, but Tae Bo is good for days when I just feel like switching things up a little and doing something different.

In January, I decided to increase the amount of time I was working out in order to try and hit my goal of losing 100 lbs by birthday, which happens to be in April. For about 2 months, I worked out for at least 90 min. six days a week. Some days I did closer to 2 hours. I increased my calories as needed as well and for a little while I was having success, but then I hit another dang plateau. I have not been able to break this plateau, so I decided I could go back to doing a 5 mile WATP workout which is usually just over 60 min. a day, though I do have one workout that is closer to 90 min. and I do still enjoy doing that workout. Since the weather got warmer a week ago, I haven't been doing those WATP workouts though. I've been able to start going out to take my walks....which have turned into jogs most of the time now!

There have been a few times when my workouts were under 45 min., but I have decided that I am perfectly happy with that since I can now jog for 3 miles straight (no walking!!) in less than 45 min. I believe I mentioned that I participated in my first 5K (3.1 miles) last May and finished in 43 minutes. I walked and jogged during that race. This year, my goal is to jog/run the entire thing. I set a goal of finishing in 30 min., but I'm not sure if that is going to happen. I do know that I have improved and that is all that truly matters! About a week and a half ago, I decided to do the 5K route just to see how fast I could do it in. This was the FIRST day I was able to go outside and run in over 5 months, but I gave it all I had. I finished in 34:25 and was THRILLED that I was that much faster than I was last year! I believe sometime this year, I will be able to run 3.1 miles in 30 min.; so I'm ok if I can't do it on May 10th when I participate in my second 5K. I am not giving up my goal though of running the entire 5K on May 10th in 30 min.!

I was extremely sore the day after I ran the 5K route, so I was glad it was Sunday, my rest day! On Monday, I wound up hurting my hip during my workout and needed to take it easy for a few days. The weather was warmer the next few days so I walked SLOWLY with my two kids on Tuesday and just went a little over a mile. On Wed., I walked and did over 3 miles. On Thursday, I tried slow jogging and finished 3.26 miles in just over 40 min. On Saturday, I decided to do 5 miles. Last year, I had a goal of being able to finish 5 miles in under an hour. I was never able to meet that goal. The closest I came was finishing in 61 min. I began with slow jogging and just tried to go as far as I could. I jogged for over 3 miles and thought of quitting, until I saw my time. I realized IF I could continue the pace I was on, I should be able to finish in under an hour. I honestly wasn't sure if I could continue to jog at the pace I was on, but I knew I had to try! I jogged the entire 5 miles (I avoided hills on this 5 mile route since I wasn't sure my hip could handle them) and refused to allow any walking. I was SO excited when I saw the time I finished in was 56 min. 14 sec.!! I blew away my goal! Yesterday I decided my hip was feeling well enough to try jogging up some hills. I plotted out a 3.26 mile course that had hills near the end, like the 5K route has. I jogged the entire time and finished in 37:54 min.

What an amazing feeling to realize that I can jog 3-5 miles without stopping now!! I have NEVER been a runner in my entire life! For over 10 years, I could only walk slowly and would get winded/out of breath just walking up a hill. Now, I'm able to jog up those hills! I'll be turning 45 years old next week, and I can confidently say I am in better shape now than I have ever been in my life! I LOVE the fact that I have currently lost 95 lbs without any diet aids (like pills), surgery, or crash diets. I may not have lost 100 lbs by my birthday, but I am content in knowing I have a healthier, stronger body that I can be proud of!

As of today, I weigh 145 lbs and have accepted the fact that it may take a really long time to get to 140 lbs, but I will not stop trying. I don't need to get down to 120 lbs like I originally thought would be neat. I am at peace even if I can't get below 145 lbs. I am more than the number on the scale. What matters the most is that I've reached a healthy weight for someone my size and I did it the right way! I've learned how to eat so that I can keep this weight off for the rest of my life. I know the importance of exercise and I enjoy taking walks or jogs! I've also taught my kids the importance of daily exercise and eating right because they have seen the transformation that occurred in me as a result of them being applied to my life.

If you need to lose weight, set goals! Make them attainable. Don't say "I'll lose 100 lbs in a month!" Make it 5-10 lbs. Set additional goals that will help you reach that main goal. Exercise and eating right (cutting your caloric intake by just 500 calories a day will help you lose weight!) need to be a part of your life. Drinking more water and less soda will also help a lot! I now go 3 months before I allow myself one glass of soda. That is a HUGE accomplishment considering I use to drink 2-3 cans of soda A DAY! I use to drink barely any water. I now drink 80-100 oz a day. You don't need to deprive yourself in order to lose weight. I still eat candy or go to McDonald's, but I've learned "everything in moderation" is the key to success. I can choose healthier options at McDonald's: like ordering a yogurt parfait instead of fries with my meal and grilled chicken instead of crispy (fried). You can do this too! If you want/need help, feel free to ask me! I'm always willing to help in any way that I can. Strive to reach your goals and NEVER give up!

Before and After

A few days before Thanksgiving, my kids asked me if I had a picture from last Thanksgiving. As I looked back at pictures on my computer, I came across one that was taken on Thanksgiving 2012. The change from last year to this year was astounding. My kids both said "WOW!" The next day, I decided to recreate the picture from last year. I mistakenly put the kids on the wrong sides, but it didn't matter. When I put the two pictures side by side, it made me want to cry to see that all my hard work has truly paid off. Here's the picture:

My Lifestyle Transformation

Hi! It's me! No, I didn't die. I just got sidetracked by a lot of other things and forgot about my blog. I've been keeping everyone on Facebook updated to the changes that have been occurring in my life this year, but I totally forgot about posting it here. Sorry about that!

Back in September 2012, I began walking with my kids as part of their physical education class. I use a cyber school to homeschool my kids, and that was the first year they sent a curriculum for gym. Each of my kids got a pedometer and the first thing they wanted the kids to do was see how many steps they could take in 20 min. From there, it was how long does it take to walk a mile. The goal I believe was to do a mile in 20 min. At the time, I was 240 lbs and was disgusted by my weight. I wanted to lose weight, but I never stayed motivated long enough to do anything about it. I figured "I can walk!" and I began walking with the kids every day. It was exciting to try and beat the time we had had the day before, but September and October quickly passed and it became too cold to continue walking outside. We stopped walking, but I was happy that I had lost 9 lbs and I was able to maintain that weight loss through the holidays. The last Sunday in December, our pastor gave a sermon on setting goals. I came home and immediately knew what my goal was going to be. I was 231 lbs on Jan. 1, 2013, but I decided I wanted to lose 100 lbs from my starting point of 240 lbs. I didn't want to set myself up to fail and I had no idea how quickly the weight would come off, so my long range goal was to lose 100 lbs and my short term goal for 2013 was to lose 50 lbs. I also included other goals to help me reach that goal.

One goal was to increase my water intake. I was NOT a water drinker. I was a soda drinker. I would drink 2-3 cans of soda a day. I knew I was suppose to drink eight 8 oz glasses of water a day, so my initial goal was to drink 5 glasses of water a day. I used a glass that held about 10 oz, so I wasn't too far off from the 64 oz I should be drinking. I later learned that you should drink half of your body weight in ounces of water every day! I should have been drinking almost 120 oz of water a day....TWICE what I was drinking! I'm actually glad I didn't know that at the time because I know it would have been overwhelming for me. I celebrated each day that I was able to drink 5 glasses of water because I knew it was a small, but necessary victory for me in my journey to become healthier. A few months ago, in order for me to make sure I drink all my water, I decided to fill an 80 oz pitcher and a 20 oz glass with water each night. When all that water was gone, I knew I had drank all my water for the day. I always made sure to fill those up each night so I could start each day with cold water.

Another goal was to decrease the amount of soda I was drinking. I aimed for drinking just one can of soda a day. I then said that maybe I could reduce that to one a week and possibly one a month. I was afraid of getting headaches, which is what usually happened whenever I cut back on soda before. The Lord blessed me and I had NO headaches at all when I cut back on the soda. Eventually, I cut so far back on soda that I can easily go a month without drinking any soda. It actually seems too sweet for me so I usually only have 1/2 a can when I do decide to drink some.

A third goal was to exercise at least 30 min. every day. A friend of mine who I reconnected with on Facebook had just lost 100 lbs and when I posted my goals for this year, she graciously offered to send me some DVDs that I could use to workout with during the winter months when it was too cold to walk outside. A few days later, I received 3 Walk Away the Pounds DVDs in the mail: 1 mile, 2 miles, and 3 miles. I decided I would do the 1 mile workout for the entire month of January, then move to the 2 miles for February, and 3 miles in March. Yes, my kids did the workouts with me during the week. They took the weekends off, but I did my workout 7 days a week. I continued to work out 7 days a week for the first 6 months. Then I decided that I probably had developed a strong enough habit of knowing that I needed to exercise and could take 1 day off a week. I chose to take Sundays off from exercising. When I first began, it took everything within me to complete that 15 min. 1 mile workout. I had to keep telling myself "I can do this! I won't quit! Keep going!". My face would get bright red and my kids constantly kept asking me if I was ok. In order to get my goal of 30 min. of exercise in a day, I had to do an additional 15 min. of exercise, so I did push ups, crunches, lunges, squats, jumping jacks, etc. Once I moved on to the 2 mile workout, that was 30 min. in length so I didn't need to do those additional exercises; although I do still do them since I need to work on tightening my abdominals! By March, I moved on to the 45 min. 3 mile workout. When the weather got warmer, I started walking outside. I slowly increased the distance I walked and I also worked on increasing my speed. As people took notice to the changes in my body and asked what I was doing, they couldn't believe that it was due to walking.....and eating differently.

I never wanted to be one of those people who counted calories, but I realized I needed to change my eating habits and not just start exercising if I truly wanted to lose weight and be able to maintain it. I needed a lifestyle change, not a diet. I joined http://www.myfitnesspal.com because it made it so easy to keep track of the calories I was eating. I initially cut my caloric intake to 1200 plus whatever I burned off doing exercise. It is important to eat the calories you turn because you can easily put your body into starvation mode if you don't. Since 1200 is the fewest number of calories you should be taking in on a daily basis, it was very important for me to eat whatever I burned off doing exercise in order to ensure that I lost weight. Recently, I have increased my daily calorie intake to 1600 plus whatever I burn doing exercise. I did this after realizing that my metabolism was probably faster now and my body wanted more food and could handle having more. It was actually an accident that I realized this. I had been on a plateau for about 2 months. I was frustrated and was wondering why I wasn't losing when I was eating right and exercising. I remember the day was a Sunday, my day off from exercising. We went over to my parents' house for dinner like we usually do. We had pizza and I felt guilty because I ate more than I usually do, and then I ate ice cream for dessert. The next day, the scale went down for the first time in 2 months! That night, we went out to eat and I chose what I thought was a healthy choice...a salad. I just about fell over when I came home and looked it up and discovered my salad was 1300 calories!!! ACK! I had again went over my 1200 calorie/day goal in just one meal! The next morning, the scale went down again! That's when I realized my body was telling me to feed it more because it could handle it! LOL!

I know a lot of people will cut things like flour, sugar, carbs, etc. when they are trying to lose weight. I knew that if I told myself I couldn't have any chocolate, I would not want to stick to the program. I also saw a problem with cutting things out of my diet other than running the risk of overindulging if you do allow yourself to eat it once. If my body wasn't use to eating something for months, it might not be able to digest it properly once I add it back in and I could gain weight quickly. I decided what was most important for me to learn was portion control. I didn't cut out anything from my diet. I cut back on sodas and the amount of chocolate and other sweets I was eating, but I still allowed myself to have them...in correct portions! "Everything in moderation" was a motto I tried to follow. When people ask what I am doing to lose weight, they are shocked when I tell them "walking, and eating proper portions". I love when someone says "You lost weight walking??! I can do that!" Yes! You can!! If I can do it, then anyone can do it!

There's no magic pill to lose weight. Dedication and hard work is what it takes! Yes, exercise can be hard work, but you can also make it fun! I love trying to beat my time each time I go out for a walk. Back in June, I decided to see if I could jog one block. I was THRILLED when I reached the end of that block! I started jogging one block every mile. Later, I increased it to jogging every other block. Finally, I started jogging as much as I could before walking and I try to only walk a block at the most before jogging more. I have been able to jog over a mile straight before walking, and it feels AWESOME to know I am probably more fit now at 44 than I have ever been. I say that because even though I weigh more than I did many years ago, I am exercising 6 days a week most of the time and that is something I have never done!

So, you may be wondering how I have done with my goals and how much I have lost so far. I now exercise at least an hour a day. My kids didn't walk with me during the summer, so I had to cut back to walking 3 miles when they started to walk with me again in September. I tried to get them to jog every so often, but they can't keep up with me when I jog. They have a hard time keeping up with me when I am walking! I easily have left them in the dust when I went full out, but I decided it was more important to instill in them the importance of daily exercise than wearing them out trying to force them to go faster than they were ready for. I slowly increased the distance they were walking to 4 miles. Eventually I hope they will be willing to do 5 miles. I usually walk 5 miles a day, but about 2 weeks ago I decided to see if I could do 10 miles. It took me 2 hours 9 min., but I finished 10 miles of jogging and walking! AMAZING!! I increased my daily water intake to 1/2 of my body weight. The amount I have to drink each day has decreased as the weight came off, but I almost always have all my water finished by the end of the day. Yes, there are still times I don't get it all in, but I do my best to make sure I am drinking even when I don't feel thirsty. As of this morning, I am 160 lbs. That means I have lost a total of 80 lbs (71 of which have been lost since Jan. 1, 2013). I am 20 lbs away from my initial long term goal of losing 100 lbs! I will NOT give up until I reach this goal! I have since decided that I will probably try to lose an additional 10 - 20 lbs. I would love to be able to reach 120 lbs and be able to say I am officially half the person I use to be. Here are some pictures to show you my progress: The first is from Sept. 2012, when I was at my heaviest. I am on the left and my cousin is on the right. The next two pictures are of me on Jan. 1, 2013, the first official day of my lifestyle transformation. The last two pictures were taken last month on October 20, 2013.

I haven't had any surgery. I haven't taken any pills. In June, I was taken off all my blood pressure medication that I was on for 2 years because I no longer have high blood pressure. My ankles use to swell every day, but I don't deal with that at all anymore. The changes you see are from me walking (and now jogging) every day and eating proper portion sizes. When I was writing down my goals back on Jan. 1, I also said that if I could inspire just ONE person, this would all be worth it. God has blessed me ABUNDANTLY because I can not count the number of people who have said to me "You are an inspiration!" or "You've inspired me!" Since it is now November and the weather has gotten colder, I have again begun doing the Walk Away the Pounds workouts by Leslie Sansone. I put on a 5 mile workout and do the whole thing, but my kids stop after mile 4. You can find these workouts at Wal-Mart as well as on youtube. I find it easiest to workout first thing in the morning. I get up, put on my workout clothes, do my workout, then take my shower and get ready for the day. If you are tired of being overweight and want to make a lifestyle change, write down your goals. Be determined that NOTHING will stop you from doing this! You can do this! Never give up! Keep pressing on! You may have a bad day here and there, but don't let it stop you! Every day is a new day, a new beginning, and a fresh start. Don't think about yesterday. Focus on today. The change in the way you look and feel is worth it! If I can do this, anyone can do this!

Balaam and His Donkey

In Numbers 22, we read about Balaam. Moabite princes came to him with a message from Balak, the king of Moab. He wanted Balaam to put a curse on a group of people that came from out of Egypt. Balaam asked God what he should do, and God told him not to go with the messengers and not to put a curse on the people because they were blessed. Balaam told the princes "Go back to you own country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you." (verse 13). Balak didn't take no for an answer. He sent more princes to Balaam. This time the message from Balak included these words: "I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say." (verse 17). Balaam's response to the princes in verse 18 sounded commendable. Balaam said "Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God." He then told the princes to stay the night so that he could find out what else the Lord would tell him. That night, God told Balaam to go with them, but only do what He tells him.

The next morning, Balaam left to go with the princes, and God was very angry when he went. Why was God angry with Balaam? God had told Balaam to go, and now He was angry with him? It doesn't make sense, does it? Yes, it does. Balaam had been told once that he was not to go and put a curse on these people because they were blessed. When more money and prestige was offered to him the second time, Balaam got greedy. He decided to ask God again what he should do because he was hoping God had changed His mind. God knew what was in Balaam's heart: greed. That is what made Him angry! When God gives you an answer, don't keep asking the same question trying to see if He'll change His mind. Do what God tells you to do the first time.

The angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose Balaam. Balaam could not see him, but his donkey could! When Balaam's donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn, he turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat her to get her back onto the road. Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides. Balaam's donkey again saw the angel and pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. Again, Balaam beat his donkey. Finally, the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn. When Balaam's donkey saw the angel, she laid down. Balaam was angry and beat her with his staff. Why was Balaam so angry with his donkey? She was hindering his progress! He was blinded by his greed and wanted to get where he was going as soon as possible. He couldn't see what was blocking his way and he didn't realize he would have died if his donkey had kept going. All he cared about was his donkey wasn't doing what he wanted her to do. Are we ever so blinded by what we want that we don't see that there are warning signs letting us know we are headed down a wrong road? Make sure your eyes are always focused on following God so that you can see where you are going and what is ahead.

Stop Being Idle

Paul had some strong words in 2 Thessalonians 3 about idleness. In verse 6, he told people to stay away from every brother who is idle. In verse 10, he reminded them of his rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." In verse 11, he urged those who were idle to settle down and earn the bread they eat. In verse 14, Paul said "If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed." To those who were not idle, Paul told them to "never tire of doing what is right" (verse 13).

I wonder what Paul would think of all the people in America who have chosen to live off the system. There are many people who are on Welfare and do nothing to try to get a job. They continue to have kids in order to get more money. I know there are people who deserve to be on Welfare or need the assistance they get from WIC. I'm not talking about people who work but don't bring home enough money so they seek some assistance in buying food their family needs. I'm not slamming people who are on Welfare because they lost their job and need help until they can find another one, or those who have some sort of medical condition that prevents them from working. I'm talking about the ones who are perfectly capable of working, but choose to not work because they are lazy and know the government will give them money to live off of. There are many people who work hard and yet are struggling to make ends meet, but they can't get assistance because they have a job and "earn too much". People need to take responsibility and get a job! I'm aware that jobs are scarce, but there are jobs out there. If you don't have a job, you shouldn't be concerned about earning minimum wage. It's still a job and money coming in to help pay the bills! If someone has a minimum wage job and still needs to be on Welfare, I don't have a problem with that. I think most people wouldn't look down on anyone who needs the extra help. I don't want to be judging all those who are on Welfare because I don't know everyone's story. It's hard though when you do know the story and can see that people are milking the system to not feel like something needs to be said and done to revamp the system. We need to stop helping those who are just being idle. We need to get them off the free ride they've been on for so long and make them get out there and earn the bread they eat. If you are one of the millions of hardworking people in our world, good for you! Never tire of doing good! You will be rewarded one day for all your work, and it will be well worth it!

Lead By Serving

2 Thessalonians 2:8 says "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of His mouth  and destroy by the splendor of His coming." When I read that this morning, I was amazed again at how awesome the power of our God is. I can just picture Jesus giving one breath, sort of like the way you blow out a candle, and the lawless one is overthrown. When He returns, just the splendor of seeing Jesus coming in the clouds will be enough to overthrow the lawless one. We serve an awesome and powerful God! Make sure you are on the winning side.

I then read Mark 10:35-45, which begins with James and John telling Jesus that they want Him to do for them whatever they ask. Every time I have read this, the first thing that comes to my mind is "Wow! That was very bold of them to TELL Jesus that they wanted Him to do whatever they asked. Who do they think they are?" Yet, Jesus didn't condemn them for saying that to Him. He asked them, "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus wants us to come to Him with our requests! I'm equally amazed at the gall of James and John when they tell Jesus that they want to sit at His left and right when He was in His glory (ruling His kingdom). Did they really think they deserved to hold those high positions?! Apparently they did! You'd think that Jesus would have really told them that they had a big problem with their egos or something, but He didn't condemn them at all. He simply told them that He could not grant their request. When the rest of the disciples heard about this, it wasn't surprising to hear that they were indignant with James and John. This is when Jesus says "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:43b-45)

We need to live our lives the way Jesus did. If anyone deserved to have people serving Him, it was Jesus! He is the King of Kings after all! Yet, He came to earth to serve others, and to die for our sins!  Some people get wrapped up in wanting the power and prestige that comes with being a leader. To be a good leader, you need to be willing to serve others. Pray for those who serve under you, that they will have a servant's heart and be willing to help you do your job. Pray for God's guidance and admit that you can't do it on your own. Listen to ideas that others may have and bring those ideas to the Lord as well. Follow Jesus' example and you will succeed at being a leader.

Pay Back

2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 says "God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels." I love these two verses! It is a comfort to see that God will not only pay back those who caused us trouble, but He will also give us relief. It would be nice to stop the verse at the beginning of verse 7 and not include that last sentence. To know that this will happen when Jesus returns may be a bit of a disappointment to some people who really want God to handle the situation right away. I think that is what makes God so just! He gives people time to repent. I know it may seem unfair to think that someone can live a horrible life, but they can still go to heaven if they confess their sins and ask Jesus into their heart before they die. For those who may have caused people a lot of trouble, they may have to deal with a lot of guilt after becoming a Christian. Yes, God forgives them for their sins; but that doesn't mean it is easy to forget them. If you've been hurt by someone who later becomes a Christian, you can help that person tremendously by forgiving them for what they did to you and forgetting about it. It's important to remember that you weren't perfect either before you became a Christian, and you still aren't! Wouldn't you want someone to forgive you when you mess up? When going through trouble, I try to keep my eyes on Jesus and know that He will see me through it. When we persevere, we earn rewards up in heaven. Instead of wishing harm on your enemies, pray for them to come to know the Lord too. Don't try to retaliate against those who harm you or give you trouble. If they don't repent, they have the worse punishment imaginable coming: separation from God for all eternity. All you need to worry about is that you are doing all you can to live the life God wants you to live.

Words to Live By

I Thessalonians 5 is full of verses that give great advice for Christians to follow. Some of them can be difficult to do, but what an impact we could make in our world if all Christians chose to live by these verses and do what they say. Here's what Paul had to say regarding how Christians should live:

1. Encourage one another and build each other up (verse 11)
2. Respect those who work hard, who are over you in the Lord, and who admonish you (verse 12)
3. Live in peace with each other (verse 13)
4. Warn those who are idle (verse 14)
5. Encourage the timid (verse 14)
6. Help the weak (verse 14)
7. Be patient with everyone (verse 14)
8. Make sure nobody pays back wrong for wrong (verse 15)
9. Always try to be kind to everyone (verse 15)
10. Be joyful always (verse 16)
11. Pray continually (verse 17)
12. Give thanks in all circumstances (verse 18)
13. Do not put out the Spirit's fire (verse 19)
14. Do not treat prophecies with contempt (verse 20)
15. Test everything. Hold onto the good. (verse 21)
16. Avoid every kind of evil (verse 22)

The last two verses are the ones I really noticed today: Test everything. Hold onto the good. Avoid every kind of evil. We could avoid a lot of heartache if we learned to test everything. Just because something sounds good, doesn't mean we should do it. We need to learn to bring everything to God in prayer. Listen to what He says. If He gives you affirmation, then go ahead and do it. If He says no or wait, then don't do it! If you stay away from things that you know are not right, you'll save yourself a lot of trouble. Let's all strive to do the things on this list. These are amazing words to live by!

Death and Life

I Thessalonians 4:13-14 says "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him." I have often wondered how people who don't believe in God or heaven and hell are able to handle it when someone they love dies. It's always hard when someone you love passes away, but it makes it a little easier for a Christian who knows their loved one was also a Christian. We don't need to grieve as those who have no hope. We can celebrate the fact that our loved one is now in heaven with God. I hold onto the hope that I will see my loved ones again either when I die or when the Lord returns. It's too late once you die to make things right with God. It's sad when someone waits too long and dies without knowing the Lord. Don't let that happen to you! Ask God into your heart and accept His gift of eternal life in heaven! Then tell everyone you know and love so that you all have the promise of being together again one day.

I John 2:6 says "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." It can be intimidating to think we need to walk as Jesus did if we claim to be a Christian. Jesus was perfect. How can we be perfect? It's impossible! The thing to look at though is this: Jesus lived as a human here on earth. He experienced everything we do. He understands everything we are going through, and He is willing to help us! You don't need to do things on your own. You CAN walk as Jesus did because He will help you!

Give It to the Lord

I Thessalonians 3 tells about how Paul longed to return to the people of Thessalonica. He was afraid that they had been tempted and fallen away from their faith and serving the Lord, making his efforts "useless" (verse 5). Have you ever felt that what you were doing was useless because you weren't getting the results you wanted? Some Christians get discouraged when it seems their prayers aren't being answered. They think it is useless to continue praying. Paul sent Timothy to see how the Thessalonians were doing, and he was thrilled when he received Timothy's report. It made him pray even more for them and increased his desire to see them again. If you are struggling with the feeling that your prayers are useless because they aren't being answered or you are trying to win someone to the Lord and are frustrated that they aren't changing, give it all to God and leave it in His hands. Continue praying and doing what you can, but have faith that God is at work.

Ephesians 4:26-27 says "In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." This verse made me see that we are human and we will get angry, but we need to be careful how we react when we get angry. We should not sin because we are angry. We need to watch what we say and how we say it. We should not let the sun go down while we are still angry. We need to do everything we can to resolve the problem before we go to bed. That may mean staying up way past the time you normally go to bed in order to work through the problem. Sometimes it may not be possible to solve the problem, but you need to do everything you can to not go to bed while you are still angry. When you remain angry, it gives the devil a foothold. He wants us to hold onto our anger because that will lead to resentment, bitterness, and hatred. We need to make sure we get rid of that anger as quickly as possible. Sometimes all you can do is give it to the Lord and let Him work in your heart and in the heart of the other person, but you need to be willing to forgive that person and trust that God will heal the hurt. Don't hold onto your hurt and anger. Let it go, and God will do the rest.

Who or What is First in Your Life?

I Thessalonians 2:8 says "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." Do you reach out of your comfort zone and really get to know others? Do you allow others to get to really know you? As Christians, we should be reaching out to others. They should be able to see the real us, and we should be be thrilled to share the gospel with them. How we live our lives will greatly determine whether or not we are effective witnesses. We need to truly love others, regardless of how they live their lives. We can't tell others about how much God loves them if WE don't show them that same kind of love! When God is first in our life, we should want others to know Him too. When God is first, we will be effective witnesses because we will be living our life in a way that is pleasing to God and others will see that there is something different about us.

Joshua 24:15 "....choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve....But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." People choose all sorts of things to be their "god". TV, internet, money, food, drugs, and alcohol are just a few of the things some people put first in their lives. What is first in your life? What do you spend the most time with? God needs to be first in our lives. That may seem strange for some people because they think our spouse or our kids should be #1. For Christians, as harsh as it may seem, our family and kids shouldn't be first. God alone needs to hold that place. We should give Him the first of our day. When you wake up, spend time with Him by reading your Bible and praying. That sets the tone for the rest of the day. Other things fall into place and things go just a bit smoother when we put God first. If you haven't already done so, choose to put God first in your life and see what a difference it makes in your life!

Faith, Hope, and Love

I Thessalonians 1:3 "We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in the Lord Jesus Christ." What an inspiration the people of Thessalonica are. Paul says in verse 8a that "The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia - your faith in God has become known everywhere." Oh to have that kind of faith! I would love to be known and remembered by many people solely because of my faith! How did the people of Thessalonica accomplish such an amazing accomplishment that they were known EVERYWHERE because of their faith in God? This is where we go back to looking at verse 3. Their work came about and was accomplished because of their faith. They did things because they were prompted to because of their love. They endured through difficulties and kept pressing on because of their hope in the Lord. Did you see it? Everything they did was because of their faith, hope, and love. Our life will have a huge impact on those around us when we make sure everything we say and do is said and done out of faith, hope, and love.

Luke 15:11-24 tells the parable of the lost son and his father's reaction to him when he returned home. When the son finally came to his senses, he hoped his dad would make him like one of the hired men. He didn't have enough faith that his father would embrace him again as a son, but he did realize he needed to go back home and apologize. The father hoped his son would one day return home. The father had faith that his son would apologize and ask to come back home. The father loved his son so much that he ran to him, embraced and kissed him, and threw a party when his son returned home. The father displayed faith, hope, and love. When someone hurts you, do have faith that God can work on their heart and cause them to change? Do you also turn to the Lord to ensure that your heart isn't hardened by the pain? Do you hope that they will come to apologize? Do you show them love and quickly forgive them? We need to make sure that no matter what happens in our life, we always display faith, hope, and love.

Seasoned with Salt

To those who may be following my blog daily, I apologize for not writing yesterday. I had to sing on worship team at church and had to leave at 8 am, so I didn't have time to write it before I left. I simply forgot when I got home that I hadn't written on my blog. So I will post two today, this is the one from yesterday.

Colossians 4:6 says "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." I always feel that sinking feeling of guilt when I see verses with the word "always" in them. That is such a hard thing to live up to! This verse says our conversations should always be full of grace. Well, it wasn't hard for me to admit that I do not succeed at this! It certainly gave me a huge goal to strive toward! As I thought about this verse, I thought about the phrase "seasoned with salt" and what that had to do with my conversations. Salt adds flavor to your food. It is also used in preservation of food. People often talk about what we say is "food for thought". So, my words should leave a good taste in the mouths of those who hear what I am saying. If my words are going to have a lasting impact, then I want what I say to be full of grace! I don't want to say nasty things and have them being remembered for years. This verse really helped to put things into perspective and have given me a new desire to watch what I say and how I say it. I want everything that comes out of my mouth to be full of grace and seasoned with salt. Before you say something, remember that your words will be remembered. Make sure your words are full of grace and leave a good taste in the mouth of the person you are saying them to. Don't let words come out of your mouth that you will regret later.

It's For the Lord

There are two verses in Colossians 3 that are very similar, yet they are a little different. They both caught my attention this morning when I was doing devotions. Verse 17 says "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Verse 23 says "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men".

The first thing that caught my attention in verse 17 was the words "whether in word or deed". If you've been following my blog, you know that God has been dealing with me and I have been working on watching what I say and how I say it, especially when I'm frustrated or upset. I thought of the fact that my words are suppose to be said "in the name of the Lord Jesus" and they should "give thanks to God the Father". Well, I know God wouldn't choose to say the things I do and they certainly don't give thanks to Him. So why should I allow myself to say things that don't please Him? This verse obviously was God's way of showing me yet again that my words don't only have the power to build up or tear down people here on earth, but they also are heard by God and can cause Him to be pleased or displeased. I don't want to displease the Lord, so I will watch what I say as well as what I do in order that everything I say and do pleases Him.

Verse 23 doesn't talk about our words, but it did deal with what we do and how it should be done. It reminds us to remember that everything we do should be done wholeheartedly. We should always give 100% and strive to do the job to the very best of our ability. We shouldn't do this to please the person who we are doing the job for, and it doesn't matter whether we are going to be paid for the job or whether we are just doing it as a favor for another person. We should do everything with all our heart because we are doing it for God and want to please Him.

My dad recently had surgery on his back, and my mom has a lot of health issues of her own. It is hard for them to ask for help; so when my dad called yesterday and asked if I would pick up a few things, I was glad to help. I went to the one store to pick up the sodas they wanted which were on sale. I then ran to Wal-mart to get the other items. I forgot my cell phone and was only able to buy a few of the items on their list because I needed to make sure some of the things would be ok and other things they didn't have there. This morning, I wound up going to 4 more stores because I was trying to buy them all the items they asked for. The one place was out of my way, but I knew my mom had told me that is where they normally get two of the items. Since I couldn't find those two items in any of the other places I went, I thought about just telling them I couldn't find those items and maybe someone who lives out that way could pick those two items up for them. Instead, I drove past the road that led to my parents and went to the next town to try and get those items. I found the one, but they were out of the other. I spoke with the pharmacist and he said he'd order it and they'd get it in on Monday. I'm not sure if I'll run all the way over there to get it on Monday or whether someone else will get it, but I was pleased that I was able to find everything on the list and have the other item ordered so it can be bought in a few days. I then went to Subway to buy lunch for my parents as well as my kids and I, and we took everything over to my parents house and ate lunch with them. My kids and I then helped do a few chores that needed to be done. I could have chosen to not go out of my way to buy everything. I could have chosen to drop the items off and leave. I could have grumbled and complained about driving to all those different stores trying to find the items they needed. I could have, but I didn't. I chose to go out of my way and I chose to have a good attitude about it not just because they are my parents, but because I had a job to do and I wanted to give it 100% so that God would be pleased. It felt good to give 100% for another reason too: I was being an example to my kids. They didn't complain about doing a few chores for grandma and pappy. They did their jobs with a good attitude too, and I was proud of them.

The next time you have a job to do, whether or not you are being paid, do it with your whole heart. Don't grumble or complain. Don't try to find shortcuts. Do it to the very best of your ability and be thankful. God will reward us all one day for everything we do. Remember that our words and our deeds need to be done as unto the Lord.

Have Faith in God and in Where He Puts You

Colossians 2:6-7 says "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." When you receive Jesus into your heart, you do so by faith. You have faith that He is real. You have faith that He has saved you from your sins and you will go to heaven when you die. We continue to have faith throughout our Christian walk. We have faith that what the Bible says is true. When we take the Bible as fact, we become more rooted in Christ and our faith continues to grow. I am thankful that I was raised in a Christian home. It made it easy for me to believe and have faith in God and the Bible. I saw how my family was different from other families who didn't believe. I can see how it might be harder for someone who wasn't raised in a Christian home to have faith in God and the Bible, especially if they were raised hearing that God and the Bible are made up, a fairy tale, or total fiction. As Christians, we have every reason to be overflowing with thankfulness that a simple thing like having faith can help us so much in life and has eternal rewards.

I have read I Corinthians 12:12-31 many times in my life. I have heard a few sermons preached on it too. Today, I was immediately attracted to I Corinthians 12:18 when I read it. It says, "But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be." I knew that we are all given gifts and one person's gift is not more important than anyone else's gift. When I read this verse today, it was a neat reminder that God puts each and every one of us in the place where He wants us. I used my gifts and talents at a church for many years. I grew up in that church and attended there for most of my life. Ten years ago, my husband and I felt that it was time to find a different church. This verse made me realize anew that God knew the work He was doing in the church we now attend and He decided that my gifts and talents were needed in this church. I am so very thankful that God led us to the church we now attend! When you feel God calling you to a new job or a new church, don't be afraid. Be excited and have faith because God is putting you exactly in the place where He wants you to be.

Live Your Life to Please God

Colossians 1:10-12 says "And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." What an amazing prayer Paul had for the Colossians! Oh to live a life worthy of the Lord! Oh to please Him in every way! I think that is the desire of every Christian, but we don't always feel like we measure up to doing that. Paul listed the things we should do in order to achieve this.

1) Bear fruit in every good work. If we have a bad attitude while doing something, then there is a good chance we won't bear fruit. If we are doing good works for all the wrong reasons (to be noticed, to be praised) or if we expect to be rewarded for the good we do, then we won't be bearing good fruit. We should do whatever God tells us to do and have a good attitude about it. We shouldn't expect a reward here on earth. We should do things simply so that others can see Christ in us.

2) Grow in the knowledge of God. Daily devotions are vital! God is pleased when we read our Bible and pray each day. Why? He enjoys when we spend time with Him! He wants to be able to teach us new things, but He needs us to read our Bible so that He can speak to us through it. He wants to talk to us on a daily basis, but He can't do that if we aren't willing to talk to Him and listen to Him.

3) Be strengthened by God's power. We are so much stronger when we turn to God and seek to do things in His power than when we try to do things on our own. It's amazing how much more we can accomplish when we know He is with us and will help us do whatever it is we are called to do.

4) Have great endurance and patience. When we know God is with us, we should know there is nothing we can't do. Life gets difficult at times, but we need to keep our eyes on the finish line and press on! We should never give up when life gets hard or we feel that God isn't answering our prayers. We need to have endurance and just keep going because we have the assurance that God is with us and helping us. We need to have patience when God doesn't answer our prayers right away because we know that He will answer them in His time and in His perfect will. He knows what is best and we just need to keep having faith in Him and trust Him.

5) Joyfully give thanks God always. Yes, life can be hard; but we always have a reason to be joyful and give thanks to God. We have been promised eternal life! We have an inheritance waiting for us! We will see Christ one glorious day! It may be hard to be thankful when you are struggling with an illness or loss of a loved one, but you need to remember that this world is not your home! When you focus on all that God has done for you as well as the promises of all that awaits you, you won't be able to help being joyful and finding reasons to give thanks to God.

In John 16:33 Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Jesus didn't say we might have trouble. He said we WILL have trouble. There is sin in this world and satan is very real. Satan is always trying to discourage people and draw them away from Christ. Christians aren't promised never to go through difficult times. Immediately after Jesus told the disciples that they would have trouble, He said "But take heart!" Nowadays people would probably say "Cheer up!" or "Don't worry!" Why? Because Jesus has overcome the world! Jesus is always with us, in the good times and the bad. We know when our life here on earth is over, we have the promise of heaven waiting for us because of what He did on the cross. We have no reason to be afraid of the difficult times because we know God will always be there and will never leaves us or forsake us.