This Journey, Day 43......

I may not look like a new women, but I feel it inside. Praise God for helping me along. I know that I still have a long ways to go to be where I need to be, where God wants me to be, and I know with His grace I will continue on. I know that only I can purpose to stay in the word and abiding in Him. It is a struggle as you all well know. I am just so thankful for the past 43 days.

I have three more days on the diet I am on, and then there is a maintenance time and then I will begin it again. I am so thankful for the encouragement from my Husband, my daughters and my best friend and other friends and family, thank you, and I love you so much.

Till Next Time, God Bless

Jackie

Click on the plate of cookies to get the recipe

This Journey.......Day 34

Each day is better than the day before.

I feel better, therefore I think better, I have more energy.

God is just working in every part of my life. That doesn't mean

I still don't have to purpose to be positive and push myself. But it is not such hard battle. With most of the "junk" turned over to God, I am free to focus on Him and whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—Philippians 4:8, and that leaves no time for the devil to steel my thoughts. I have moments of struggles but nothing like I used to, all because of where my focus is.

I hope you are having a great weekend. Todd is tearing up the old tile in the laundry to replace it with the new that is in the rest of the house. Also my 23 year old washing machine final had done it time and we have a new one coming on the 28th so Todd wanted to have all new flooring down before it gets here. You never know how much you will miss your washing machine, or any appliance, till they decide to check out. I packed all our laundry down to our youngest daughters and did laundry there all day yesterday. I am so thankful that she is close. I will be checking in again soon.

Till Next Time, God's Blessings

Jackie

This Journey, Day 30

So far this journey has taught me alot. Each day brought me something to Praise or something to battle, either way I have kept my focus on the Lord. I have spent more time in the word, on my knees and some times on my face before my guide. I am thankful that through it all I have been held up in prayer by friends and family. At the beginning of this journey I pledged to give this entire year to becoming healthier- spiritually and physically. The past 30 days have showed me that my guide has and will never leave me, but it is I that may choose to step away. I pray that I will cling to His word and His promise to take me through the rest of my journey, if I focus on my guide there is no way that I will fail.

Till Next Time, God's Blessings

Jackie

This Journey, Day 23

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

I John 4:18

Just twenty-three short days ago, :)

I started this journey to become healthier, Spiritually, Mentally, and Physically. I will not even pretend that is has been easy or that it is zooming by. Each day has been a battle but for each day and each battle I am truly thankful. I continue on moment by moment trusting my Guide to keep me on track, for this is something no one can do alone, and be so very thankful for my husband who is my greatest blessing.

I want to share something......I was afraid to start this journey for many reasons, but the biggest reason was that I was afraid of being a failure, to my girls, my grandbabies, my husband and my self. I had to get to the place where I put the whole thing in God's hands and that I would do it to Glorify Him, that is when I knew that if I kept my focus on Him, He would not allow me to fail, even during the dark, stinken thinken, I'm gonna rip someones head off days. I asked for forgiveness, thanked God for His mercy and pressed on. That is how I have arrived at day number 23, and that is how I know I will finish.

Till Next Time, God's Blessings

Jackie

This awesome Journey, Day 18

Have you ever watched the movie "The perfect storm?"

That was and still is a good movie.
I have been really meditating on God and the storms that I have been going through, and in my mind the "Perfect Storm" is the one where I, at the beginning of the storm, call on God and He gives me His grace and then I become still, calming my mind and thoughts. Then I am in the middle of the storm and I am, moment by moment, clinging to the Savior to continue to be my strong hold, my corner stone. Then at the end when all the raging, angry waves of doubt and fear sent by Satan have passed, I am resting, His calmness and peace flow over me like a fresh breeze and I am still. I have learned so much in the past week and the only thing I know is that God has never left me. His mercies are new every day. These storms are necessary to purifying me to become what He wants me to be. Sin causes these storms and His grace brings me through it and there is always the growth and maturing from it and that is why I am so thankful for "These Perfect Storms".

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.

Till Next Time, God's Blessings

Jackie

The Journey, Day 15

Under attack, but trying to press on. Would appreciate your prayers.

This Journey, Day 13

One thing that I wanted to instill in my girls while they we're growing up was to always tell the truth. One thing I despise is a liar.

I have a confession.........I feel like I have to be truthful. I had such a stinking rotten day I was just about to not only not write a post tonight but stop this journey altogether, yup, I was ready to pull it over to the side of the road, throw the keys out the window, get out and walk away. Satan attacked me from every side, I couldn't believe it. It started as soon as I walked into my office. I had people needing this and that, and did you forget this and what about these people did you add them to the distribution, my computer isn't working can you get someone over here? Can you whip up my org chart with these changes? I'll just stand here and wait. Then a very sweet guy I work with brought me a bowl of caramel corn, yeah that's right caramel corn. I told him I couldn't and that he could take it back or I would bring the bowl home for Todd. Then there was the can you email me this? can you mail this? did you mail this? Can you create this? Can you have this Data Board Made by printing? Did my new cpu come in? Will you order these supplies? I need a shoe voucher, do we have more paper? on and on and one till I thought I was going to go crazy. Then the final straw Why isn't my title, Quality Engineer, by my name on the org. chart? I thought I was going to blow, but I walked away. I went back to my desk and told God, " I need you Lord, I need you to help me not punch that lady" I had bad thoughts, I fought them back went back and told her that the org. chart was the way the Director wanted it, and that as soon as I could talk with him I would tell him you concern. Anger is a hard thing for me and I was and am ashamed of myself for letting her junk effect me the way it did.

I shared this with my awesome husband and he told me to continue on the battle of abiding and taking every evil thought captive and turning it over to him. Our bible study centered on abiding in him, and how the Holy Spirit comes to our aid.

It was just what I needed to get me back on the road, pressing forward and keeping my eyes on my guide.

Till Next Time, God's Blessings

Jackie

This Journey, Day 12

All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil by anxious

thoughts and feelings, but he who has a glad heart

has a continual feast, regardless the circumstances.

Proverbs 15:15

Evil forebodings, negative thoughts that will poison my outlook and rob my ability to enjoy life. These Evil forebodings come from difficult circumstances, trials and hard times and if we focus on and allow these thoughts to become our standard then all we will have are ornery, cranky, stinken thinken. Now with that said, I have to tell you, I had a real good day, this 12th day of my journey, I feel good, I fought the evil forebodings. I focused on my guide and the heaping helpings of the Holy Spirit.

Till Next Time, God's Blessings

Jackie

This Journey, Day 11

Each day I stay focused on God.... this is a good day.

Each day I focus of myself...it becomes a trial.

When the girls would back into the box to rope, I could almost read their faces and tell you how they were going to rope. Most of the time they would back into the box and have a look of confidence, not the "oh yeah, I'm good" look, but the look of I have a great God, I have been practicing and I know with His strength I will rope this calf......then there was the "Gelled over Look" that said, if you ask me my name....I may not give you the right answer. I'm scared and I can't remember what I am doing, and have you seen my momma? That would happen when they had been roping real tough for awhile, or they were not being as respectful to their parents or each other as they should of been. Taking our focus off God will do that to me every time. Focusing on God doesn't mean there won't be trials, it just means, He will lead you through them Victorious.

We must suffer to grow, we must lean on Him for direction He is our guide.

But only if He is at the top of our thinking.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

1 Peter 5:10

Till Next Time, God's Blessings

Jackie