God is Good

Hi,

I am feeling much better today. I have been exercising on my Aerofit for the last few days and intend to do that when I get done here today. I have been eating the right things and am grateful to the Lord.

In the letter/Bible study yesterday I mentioned the letter that my friend had written to me. She and I talked about it on the phone and in person and she gave me another piece of very good advice and that is to call someone every day to see how they are doing. That will keep you in touch with people. She told me that her mentor had told her to do that and I recalled how she would call me from time to time in the past and how much our friendship grew because of it. So I did that today.

I just got off the phone with an old friend I had not spoken to for a long time. She said it was a nice surprise and I am glad I called. We need to keep in touch a little better because she has been going through a lot of struggles with illness. I have prayed for her from time to time, but will do more of that for her now. She is a wonderful woman and a very good friend.

Last night at Sweet Fellowship the leader asked me if I would like to teach there again, and I jumped at the chance so I shall resume my old teaching position, which I had missed very much, and we shall continue the fellowship and supporting one another. We had been facing whether we wanted to continue the fellowship or not. We have gotten smaller, only about 5 active members after I stopped teaching. Life happens. One lady had bought a new house and it was too far to travel so she found a fellowship closer to home. Another lady has a very full life taking care of her elderly mother and cannot get out of the house so much any more. Others just got busy. But we talked and no one wants to entirely abandon what we have been doing. I am glad we are going to continue. We may begin meeting once a month instead of twice but even so, we will stay in contact. We love the get together for a small meal and a lesson about God and praying for one another. We have had many many answered prayers.

As to the healthy eating and exercise. One of the ladies in the fellowship is going to borrow my book. She is a diabetic and I think this will give her a good "food education." She is an intelligent lady, a school teacher with a doctorate, so she just needs to have what the book offers, I think, to make better choices and give her body healing style. If we continue to eat in the Standard American Style we will continue to have the Standard American Diabetes. But if we change the style of eating we can do better for our bodies.  She is a slender person so does not need to lose weight, but her blood sugars are very high and I think changing what she eats will really bring those down.

I think she has read a few of my blog entries and wants more information but does not want to buy the book. But the book is the place that has all the information. I am loaning her mine because she is a good friend and has been very good to me. I love her deeply and hope that she takes it to heart. I will miss having the book a little because I still need to refer to it for a few items. Especially the supplements and additional things that help stabilize blood sugar.

I am continuing to eat healthy and went shopping last night to replenish the veggie larder. Eating a lot of fresh raw vegetables seems to be cheaper than buying a lot of high priced processed food, too. My grocery check out bills have come down from what they used to be.

I had the odd sensation yesterday when I was making some chicken soup that I did not like the smell of the cooking chicken. I think the vegetarian smeller is kicking in even more now. For a few days I ate my salads without any chicken and used only cheese and tuna and nuts for my protein and now the chicken cooking has started to smell bad to me. Just like walking past the meat department still smells bad. But I believe I need to eat some good animal protein so continue to, but in much smaller amounts. The vegetables are taking the larger section of the plate or bowl, now.

And I am eating beans again. I had not had any for about a week, but made a batch a day or so ago. I like my beans to be cooked with some kind of animal protein because without it, they taste pretty bland to me. I put lots of herbs and spices in but the chicken or hamburger really adds a good flavor. The cooked meats don't smell bad to me only the uncooked ones smell bad. But I have not actually bought hamburger for a couple of months now and don't really miss it, except in the beans, but I have found that chicken in the beans is a good substitute.

Last night at Sweet Fellowship one of the ladies brought some red beans and rice made with smoked sausage. I did not partake of the rice but the beans and sausage where spicy hot and very good. I was allowed to take some home to add to my beans and it really pumped up the flavor. But I got to thinking about that sausage and wondered what it was made with. Perhaps there is some healthy sausage that I can find. I hope it does not cost an arm and a leg. (ha)

God really is good to me. He is helping me. His word (yesterday's post) is helping me to look at things a little different. If I begin to dwell on my "not losing weight" all I have to do is remember that I am still doing what I am supposed to be doing and I can ask myself the question that God asked Adam and Eve: "Who told thee that thou wast naked?" -- and be reminded that it is not important what the world, or even I, think about fat people or me being fat among them, what matters is am I hearing God's love for me? Am I remembering how completely good He is? It does not say in the Bible that he does not love fat people, or does not love skinny people, or rich people, or that His love is reserved only for the physically beautiful.  No. His word says this:

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

And it also says:

Romans 5:8  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Amen!!  It does not matter what you look like -- God loves you. God loves fat people, too. We cannot make Him love us any more than He already does!  We can never make Him love us any less than he has ever loved us! He never changes. His love is not based on who we are or what we do. His love is based on WHO HE IS!!  He is the God of love and therefore, we are loved.

You do not have to clean yourself up to come to Christ. You cannot fix yourself until you are good enough to talk to Him. Ain't none of us good enough. But Jesus Christ will change all that. When we put our faith in Jesus we are made whole. That is what He does. He cleans us up and fills us up with His own Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:1-2  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

My faith is in Jesus Christ, my Savior! Even about my obesity, and my diet, and my exercise, and in all things. I trust that He will heal me and guide me and make me as He wants me to be. I no longer need to concern myself about how I look. I shall just remember that I am loved and I am worthwhile because He said so.

Keep the faith, my friend. You are not alone. Give someone a call today. Encourage someone else. Ask after how they are doing. Pray for them and with them. Connect. It will do you as much good as them.

Be back soon

--Marcia