Obedience is the KEY

I have learned that for me, obedience is the key. When I am not obedient to God, I sin, feel shame and lose my reborn closeness to Christ. I do not like this, it feels flat and like I'm really missing something wonderful about each moment. So what is sin for me? At this point in my life, my biggest sin is choosing to not follow a diet/exercise program.

Being overweight did not happen overnight, it started when I was nine as I crept up over the "normal" curve of one of those dratted growth charts. My weight issues in high school had to do with control or lack thereof, did I mention I was a teenager?!? In my 20's my weight issues came from beer/college. And my most recent weight gain came from a troubled marriage. I have not been "chubby" since I was nine. I have known God's Love before and looked my finest in Junior High School (I was a Cheerleader), at Lenoir-Rhyne (I was in the Dance Company and on the Homecoming Court) at East Carolina and most importantly, in 2000 when I met Drew. We used to joke with each other about each being a "Total Package."

I can tell you that now, or starting last week, the troubled marriage has been exposed and is being worked on. I don't know how long it will take us to work out our issues but I hope it is less than the year it is going to take me to lose this extra 60 pounds. I have struggled with my weight and dieting for what feels like forever and I can finally say that I am not enslaved anymore and this baggage will be shed. I can be better.

I am following Dr. Joel Furhman's Eat to Live Diet (basically Vegan), because it has worked for me twice in the past two years and came recommended to me by one of my favorite doctors and people, my brother, Dr. Brad. Chantel Hobbs is another person I will be following. It's funny, I thought I "got" her book. Giving your weight issues over to God. I even had a new theme song! I really thought I had let go of my food issues, but the scale kept climbing. I was so anxious recently because as long as the Girl Scout Cookies were in my house, my weight kept going up. I love my Daisy Girl Scouts but someone else will be the Cookie Manager next year! What Chantel says that really hit home with me is that "HE just loved ME." She also said, "I will be better" and that "God wants more for you." Her husband responded to her madness with "Do it then talk, babe." So she did, she lost more than two hundred pounds, and has written two really great books for those of us who struggle with our weight: Never Say Diet and the The One-Day Way. Now I am going back and reading them again - funny, now they make really do make sense!

I know that God won't do everything. I am going to have to do it the boring, old, tried and true hard way - diet and exercise. It's just that God has finally provided the motivation I have been lacking.

So OBEDIENCE is my key - what do I have to do to be obedient? Take care of myself, eat healthy, drink lots of water, drive safely, listen to HIS radio, read my devotional Daily Grace For Teachers book, love and pray for my kids, and be the best wife, mother, teacher, daughter and friend I can be, care for my coworkers, listen to Focus on the Family, read my Not Religion Devotions, do things I love to do each day, attend marital counseling, go to Overeater's Anonymous, find a sponsor, do the steps, surrender this whole eating thing to God, exercise each day, go to Church to get recharged, and live the best possible life I can, giving God the glory.

I also know that this weight is not going to just fall off. It's hard to lose weight at 40, especially compared to 9 or 15 or 20. Today I did 36 minutes on the treadmill that btw is in the middle of our living room floor! Poppy, I think I'm finally ready to hear about your diet - I already like Pomegranate Juice and 1 square of Dark Chocolate a day! So my toenails don't look perfect anymore and if I'm coming to your house, hide the cookies!


Here's an oldie but goodie from the last time I was the "right" size, December 2004. Because I must have a photo, right?!?! Alyssa was just a babe and we were all really happy. I can be better and I'm on my way.