Let's imagine for a moment that Someone very powerful offered to give you the deepest desire of your heart. What would that be? Not the first things to pop into your head - you know those are shallow and ultimately not fulfilling. Dig down, search deep into your truest self; to the very core and essence of who you are. What then?
I will tell you mine. The deepest desire of my heart is to know God (as fully and thoroughly as is humanly possible) and to share that knowing with the world. With all those poor, lost souls out there. With you.
I heard something last night. It goes something like this: God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, beyond anything I could hope for or imagine. My imagination can take me pretty far. I think of writers like Tolkien and C.S. Lewis; like J.K. Rowlings and Stephanie Meyer. Or how about songwriters like Anne Murray, Gordon Lightfoot, Elvis - dare I believe in exceedingly, abundantly beyond?
I do. Yes, I really do. Because I know the power of words. One of the greatest lies we've ever told ourselves goes like this: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me". Words have tremendous power to hurt. Or heal. To make us laugh or cry; to tear us down or build us up. I know the passion of my God to reach out to us through those healing, encouraging, life-giving words. To tell us of His love for us. To speak to us about our futures (which He designs as good, by the way).
So, I believe that Someone powerful has offered to give me the deepest desires of my heart; and I believe that the fulfillment of those desires will exceed my greatest expectations and go beyond my wildest imaginings.
Here I am, Lord, send me.
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I thought I was done, but then I remembered the title of this little blog (Being Stretched) and I forgot to mention that my dear brother Lawrence has told me that he wants me to "lead worship" for two songs tomorrow night and I am trying desperately to not freak out and to remember that it's all about God and not about me and that everyone around me loves me and accepts me even if I screw up completely which I won't as long as I stay away from "F"s and all bar chords. (and for all you would-be editors out there... yes, I know that was one long run-on sentence. You are supposed to read it that way, breathlessly, so you get the full impact of my consternation).
You know, folks, it's one thing to say "yes" to God. It's another thing when you realize He's actually taking you up on your offer. Tomorrow is a small beginning and it doesn't frighten me for its own sake. But I can see where this is leading and that scares the socks off me! Scares me at the same time it thrills me because this first step is taking me towards the fulfillment of my heart's desire!
So... I say "Yes" again and "bring it on!" Here we go, God, woo hoo!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The End of Atkins
Well, I guess it's official. I am a quitter. There has got to be a better way, and I will keep searching until I find it. Because even though I am a "meat-atarian", I just can't take another steak! No, really, I just can't.
Here's the score after 11 1/2 days: minus 6 pounds and 4 inches. Not bad.
Stayed tuned for my next endeavor (whatever that will be).
Here's the score after 11 1/2 days: minus 6 pounds and 4 inches. Not bad.
Stayed tuned for my next endeavor (whatever that will be).
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Atkins - Days 7, 8, & 9
Report on Friday: still feel about the same; kinda tired and nauseas in the afternoon. I think eating the apple does help, though. Friday night we had company for supper. I "cheated" a little because Dean put raspberries in the salad and I didn't pick them out. But the biggest challenge was NOT eating any of the dessert. I actually amazed myself with my self-control - I did not eat Chocolate Chunk Buttercream Bars, I did not eat Belgian Fruit (chocolate covered). Yeah! me.
Report on Saturday: I worked all day and we had a BBQ. I sampled the new burgers which do contain wheat (oh well) and I also ate some pork with wheat. It's so hard to find pure meat in "convenience" foods. Other than that, I did great.
Sunday. Father's Day. (Happy Father's Day to all the great dads out there, by the way!) I planned to cheat. I knew we'd be going out to eat and so I gave myself permission to eat whatever I wanted. So don't even ask. The good news is that I weighed myself this morning and I've lost 5 pounds in the past 6 days. I just hope I don't gain it all back the minute this diet is over!
Report on Saturday: I worked all day and we had a BBQ. I sampled the new burgers which do contain wheat (oh well) and I also ate some pork with wheat. It's so hard to find pure meat in "convenience" foods. Other than that, I did great.
Sunday. Father's Day. (Happy Father's Day to all the great dads out there, by the way!) I planned to cheat. I knew we'd be going out to eat and so I gave myself permission to eat whatever I wanted. So don't even ask. The good news is that I weighed myself this morning and I've lost 5 pounds in the past 6 days. I just hope I don't gain it all back the minute this diet is over!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Atkins - Day 6
Today is still Thursday, June 17th, but it's 9 pm so it's okay to report on my day. I did really well until mid-afternoon. No severe cravings for anything and I felt fine. But around 3 o'clock, I started feeling nauseous again. So I've decided to "cheat" a little (maybe "modify" would be a better word) and I'm going to eat an apple in the afternoons. We'll see how that works tomorrow. Stay tuned....
Atkins - Day 5
Today is actually Day 6, but it's only 9am, so I'm reporting on yesterday.
I was SO ready to quit! It's actually not that terrible. I know those two sentences don't really go together, but the sugar cravings are pretty bad. And the worst thing was around 4:30 / 5:00, when I was thinking about supper. My 3-day menu plan said to have steak and a small salad with cucumbers. Sounds good, right? Wrong. I was actually nauseated by the thought of eating a steak! Pizza sounded sooo much better. I started wondering about adding in fruits and maybe the occasional pasta... but then I went and weighed myself, and I've lost 2 pounds in 2 days! (Wow - now that's motivation!)
Also, I did NOT eat the carrot cake that was served at HTVOG last night, and when my friend (who didn't know about this diet) handed me some wine gums, I gave them right back! "Good job, Cherie!"
So, I will keep going for one more day and we'll see about tomorrow!
I was SO ready to quit! It's actually not that terrible. I know those two sentences don't really go together, but the sugar cravings are pretty bad. And the worst thing was around 4:30 / 5:00, when I was thinking about supper. My 3-day menu plan said to have steak and a small salad with cucumbers. Sounds good, right? Wrong. I was actually nauseated by the thought of eating a steak! Pizza sounded sooo much better. I started wondering about adding in fruits and maybe the occasional pasta... but then I went and weighed myself, and I've lost 2 pounds in 2 days! (Wow - now that's motivation!)
Also, I did NOT eat the carrot cake that was served at HTVOG last night, and when my friend (who didn't know about this diet) handed me some wine gums, I gave them right back! "Good job, Cherie!"
So, I will keep going for one more day and we'll see about tomorrow!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Atkins - Day 4
Today is Tuesday, June 15th - 6:15pm.
Yesterday, after writing that very eloquent blog, and then going to work for 2 whole hours, I went camping. Just me. I was planning on 2 nights, but due to circumstances that I won't discuss here, I came home early. I'm trying to remember what all day yesterday was like, and then today. Mostly it's all about peeing. I cannot believe how much urine I'm producing! Like every hour just about. And not little piddling amounts either (pun intended)! I am also craving sweets! Anything sweet - ice cream, candy, fruit, even gum!
That's about it. I guess these blogs are going to be pretty short. I'm off to eat a chicken now (just the breast, sigh).
Yesterday, after writing that very eloquent blog, and then going to work for 2 whole hours, I went camping. Just me. I was planning on 2 nights, but due to circumstances that I won't discuss here, I came home early. I'm trying to remember what all day yesterday was like, and then today. Mostly it's all about peeing. I cannot believe how much urine I'm producing! Like every hour just about. And not little piddling amounts either (pun intended)! I am also craving sweets! Anything sweet - ice cream, candy, fruit, even gum!
That's about it. I guess these blogs are going to be pretty short. I'm off to eat a chicken now (just the breast, sigh).
Monday, June 14, 2010
ATKINS - DAY 3
Regardless of the time stamped on the bottom of this post, in reality it is 3:39 am. I woke up at 1 and fought my way back to sleep. Then I woke up at 3:15 and here we are!
I started the "Induction Phase" of the Atkins Diet on Saturday (June 12, 2010 for those of you who like to be precise). Why did I do this you may ask? Because I jokingly said to a friend, "Is it possible to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks?" And she said yes! (Dr. Atkins makes no such promises, I'm afraid to say - his cautiously worded estimate is 3 - 9 pounds, depending on how metabolically resistant I am. But I'm an optimist, so I'm hoping for at least twice that.
And for those of you who have never heard of the Atkins Diet and don't know what an "Induction Phase" is - I will tell you! Meat, meat, and more meat. A few (a very few) veggies - and only certain ones. Eggs. Cheese (but only 3-4 ounces per day). And that's IT, folks! He wants you to give up caffeine altogether, but I've mixed my regular coffee half and half with decaf. I need some sanity, after all. And you can have diet pop - but only if it's sweetened with sucralose (Splenda), not aspartame. Fortunately, both Crush and Schweppes make diet pops with sucralose. So, basically, the Induction Phase is high protein / low carb; and the premise is that if I follow this diet, my body will start burning all the fat it's been storing for such a rainy day as this.
Before I started on this diet, I made a menu plan for myself that ensured some variety while still sticking to the "rules". It gives me a 3-day cycle. I knew I wouldn't be able to stick to the diet without seeing on paper what my options were - otherwise, I would open the fridge door and declare "there is nothing to eat", and then find something proscribed - like donuts!
So,... Recall of Day 1: ate a lot. I mean, a lot. Peed a lot. (I mean a lot). And felt hungry and tired all day. The worst part was actually the very first thing in the morning when I put cream in my coffee instead of 1% like I have been doing for the past year. Wow! does it ever change the flavour - and not for the better, in my opinion. Also, I went to Walmart, and right down the middle of the aisle was not one, not two, but three giant displays of sugary treats (marshmellow bananas, marshmellow strawberries, etc.)! Oh, it was nasty!
Went to bed a little bit early because I was feeling so tired. Slept okay until 4:25 am - I stretched in my sleep and my left calf muscle knotted up something fierce. I had to get out of bed and stand on it to release the knot. It really hurt! But this has happened to me before (not frequently) so I'm not sure if it's related to the diet or not.
Recall of Day 2: a lot less hungry. Food was not on my mind. My stomach felt a little out of sorts - and that's the best way I know how to describe it. Not really upset or sick feeling - just not quite normal. I went to Le Metro for some more meats and a package of mushrooms. I had to pass all the beautiful, colourful, delicious-looking fruits; then I had to pass the breads (actually that one was okay - no bread cravings so far); and then, oh then, I decided to buy a treat for Dean and Laura - a package of cinnamon donuts! I could hardly stand to touch the container! Throw it into the cart! Bury it under the grocery bag!
Slept poorly. Was defeated by wakefullness. Wrote blog. (It's 4:11 now).
Tune in later tonight (or possibly tomorrow morning) for a report on Day 3. :)
I started the "Induction Phase" of the Atkins Diet on Saturday (June 12, 2010 for those of you who like to be precise). Why did I do this you may ask? Because I jokingly said to a friend, "Is it possible to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks?" And she said yes! (Dr. Atkins makes no such promises, I'm afraid to say - his cautiously worded estimate is 3 - 9 pounds, depending on how metabolically resistant I am. But I'm an optimist, so I'm hoping for at least twice that.
And for those of you who have never heard of the Atkins Diet and don't know what an "Induction Phase" is - I will tell you! Meat, meat, and more meat. A few (a very few) veggies - and only certain ones. Eggs. Cheese (but only 3-4 ounces per day). And that's IT, folks! He wants you to give up caffeine altogether, but I've mixed my regular coffee half and half with decaf. I need some sanity, after all. And you can have diet pop - but only if it's sweetened with sucralose (Splenda), not aspartame. Fortunately, both Crush and Schweppes make diet pops with sucralose. So, basically, the Induction Phase is high protein / low carb; and the premise is that if I follow this diet, my body will start burning all the fat it's been storing for such a rainy day as this.
Before I started on this diet, I made a menu plan for myself that ensured some variety while still sticking to the "rules". It gives me a 3-day cycle. I knew I wouldn't be able to stick to the diet without seeing on paper what my options were - otherwise, I would open the fridge door and declare "there is nothing to eat", and then find something proscribed - like donuts!
So,... Recall of Day 1: ate a lot. I mean, a lot. Peed a lot. (I mean a lot). And felt hungry and tired all day. The worst part was actually the very first thing in the morning when I put cream in my coffee instead of 1% like I have been doing for the past year. Wow! does it ever change the flavour - and not for the better, in my opinion. Also, I went to Walmart, and right down the middle of the aisle was not one, not two, but three giant displays of sugary treats (marshmellow bananas, marshmellow strawberries, etc.)! Oh, it was nasty!
Went to bed a little bit early because I was feeling so tired. Slept okay until 4:25 am - I stretched in my sleep and my left calf muscle knotted up something fierce. I had to get out of bed and stand on it to release the knot. It really hurt! But this has happened to me before (not frequently) so I'm not sure if it's related to the diet or not.
Recall of Day 2: a lot less hungry. Food was not on my mind. My stomach felt a little out of sorts - and that's the best way I know how to describe it. Not really upset or sick feeling - just not quite normal. I went to Le Metro for some more meats and a package of mushrooms. I had to pass all the beautiful, colourful, delicious-looking fruits; then I had to pass the breads (actually that one was okay - no bread cravings so far); and then, oh then, I decided to buy a treat for Dean and Laura - a package of cinnamon donuts! I could hardly stand to touch the container! Throw it into the cart! Bury it under the grocery bag!
Slept poorly. Was defeated by wakefullness. Wrote blog. (It's 4:11 now).
Tune in later tonight (or possibly tomorrow morning) for a report on Day 3. :)
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Overhaul
Wow. I have a huge problem before I even start to write this thing: what to call it? "The Battle of the Bulge", "Fear of Man Otherwise Known as Identity Crisis", or "The Temple".
I'll make comments from all three perspectives and then maybe the winning title will present itself.
"The Battle of the Bulge". We've all been there. North America (and yes, that includes YOU, Canada) houses the (pronounced 'thee') most overweight, obese people on the planet. The diet industry is the number one industry in both Canada and the US. We're talking trillions. So what do I have to say that hasn't been said a million times before by at least a million people. Nothing really, except "this time, it's personal!" Yes, it is time for yours truly, to enter the ring and fight the good fight.
Okay. How about "Fear of Man, aka, Identity Crisis"? What's that all about? Well, it's simple - why am I trying to lose weight? So that I will look good to others? So that I can be that skinny girl we all hate when we see her walking down the sidewalk, fitting perfectly into her short shorts, sipping her extra large iced capp? Can I only feel good about myself if I fit into a size 8?
(Here is an interesting aside for you - did you know that clothing manufacturers have resized everything to reflect the "growing" market [pun intended!]. What used to be a size 10 is now an 8 or even a 6. Because no matter how big we grow, no one wants to wear a size 18!) So here I am, thick around the middle, carrying more extra weight than I did when I was 9 months pregnant, and I feel "not good". Is this who I am? Somewhere inside of me is that skinny girl of 19. Do I want to be her again? This really is an identity crisis!
And finally, we come to "The Temple". I'm referring, of course, to the Temple of the Holy Spirit. He resides in me, and the Bible makes it perfectly clear (I hate it when there is no wriggle room!) that my body, my physical body is the place He calls 'home'. What a simply horrid thought. The perfect and holy God of Everything is trying to get along in the mess that I call my body. How much space does He have? I'm going to say "hardly any". Because God certainly can't live in my muscles... they are underused and weak. And He certainly can't live in my stomach... it is too full of unhealthy junk. He probably has some room in my heart... I gave him permission to do an overhaul in there, and I must say, He's done an excellent job - I hardly recognize the place! God has tried to live in my feet. I know this because He wants to take me places.
I think I have answered the question I didn't even know I was asking. The answer is, ask God to overhaul my body the same way He fixed up my heart. He will do it once I've given Him permission. And, perhaps, a little cooperation!
So thank you for listening to this somewhat rambling blog. The title is "overhaul". (Which of course, you already know.... but remember, I wrote everything up to this point with the title screen blank!) BLESSINGS ON YOUR DAY, FOLKS!
I'll make comments from all three perspectives and then maybe the winning title will present itself.
"The Battle of the Bulge". We've all been there. North America (and yes, that includes YOU, Canada) houses the (pronounced 'thee') most overweight, obese people on the planet. The diet industry is the number one industry in both Canada and the US. We're talking trillions. So what do I have to say that hasn't been said a million times before by at least a million people. Nothing really, except "this time, it's personal!" Yes, it is time for yours truly, to enter the ring and fight the good fight.
Okay. How about "Fear of Man, aka, Identity Crisis"? What's that all about? Well, it's simple - why am I trying to lose weight? So that I will look good to others? So that I can be that skinny girl we all hate when we see her walking down the sidewalk, fitting perfectly into her short shorts, sipping her extra large iced capp? Can I only feel good about myself if I fit into a size 8?
(Here is an interesting aside for you - did you know that clothing manufacturers have resized everything to reflect the "growing" market [pun intended!]. What used to be a size 10 is now an 8 or even a 6. Because no matter how big we grow, no one wants to wear a size 18!) So here I am, thick around the middle, carrying more extra weight than I did when I was 9 months pregnant, and I feel "not good". Is this who I am? Somewhere inside of me is that skinny girl of 19. Do I want to be her again? This really is an identity crisis!
And finally, we come to "The Temple". I'm referring, of course, to the Temple of the Holy Spirit. He resides in me, and the Bible makes it perfectly clear (I hate it when there is no wriggle room!) that my body, my physical body is the place He calls 'home'. What a simply horrid thought. The perfect and holy God of Everything is trying to get along in the mess that I call my body. How much space does He have? I'm going to say "hardly any". Because God certainly can't live in my muscles... they are underused and weak. And He certainly can't live in my stomach... it is too full of unhealthy junk. He probably has some room in my heart... I gave him permission to do an overhaul in there, and I must say, He's done an excellent job - I hardly recognize the place! God has tried to live in my feet. I know this because He wants to take me places.
I think I have answered the question I didn't even know I was asking. The answer is, ask God to overhaul my body the same way He fixed up my heart. He will do it once I've given Him permission. And, perhaps, a little cooperation!
So thank you for listening to this somewhat rambling blog. The title is "overhaul". (Which of course, you already know.... but remember, I wrote everything up to this point with the title screen blank!) BLESSINGS ON YOUR DAY, FOLKS!
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