Catching up

Hi all.

I'm catching up on stuff. Today I just decided to go ahead and take the day off although I knew full well I'd be busy if I went into the store. I had an appointment at our new gym at 10 this morning for my "quick fit". This is basically the moment of truth when you are weighed, measured, body fat percentage checked, strength, heart rate and blood pressure checked. I checked out quite well in weight, strength, heart rate, and blood pressure. Body fat percentage? GOODNESS. 37% of me is F.A.T. Yikes. But we also did a goal assessment and sort of a fitness plan. The trainer liked the path I'm on, and gave me some great tips. I explained to her that I'd just taken off 15 pounds and am still on the Isagenix program. She got all excited because she has also purchased the Isagenix program but hasn't started on it yet. We talked about that for a while. Yes, it takes a bit of discipline to accomplish the goals of the program, but it's EASY and practically a no-brainer.

This is something awesome. Today I weighed in at 143.5 pounds. On August 2nd I was 160. My pants were loose. OH MAN and my bathing suit was loose.

On Friday I felt a tightness in my left calf muscle but didn't really do anything about it. At about 3 in the afternoon I decided to get Kirby a Starbucks mocha frap and myself an iced green tea with Splenda. I walked across all 4 lanes of Lake City Way, HOPPING over the median barrier. WRONG ANSWER. I felt, and could almost swear I HEARD, a snap in my calf. Like a rubber band breaking or a balloon popping. Hot, searing pain went up my leg and I suddenly became unable to use that leg... oh man I was a hurtin' unit. But I hobbled the rest of the way, got the Starbucks, invoking much sympathy from the young staff, and then walked (the LONG way, not back across the 4 lanes) back to our store. Pain, pain pain. I was shuffling along like a 90 year old grandma. Even I found that funny. Anyway, I figured I'd torn something, so I applied heat, then cold, and took Ibuprophen like a good self-diagnosing smarty.

Today at the gym, the trainer agreed with my diagnosis and showed me the stretch which would help me. It DID. So much so that after I left the gym today I spent all afternoon working HARD in the yard. I clipped, weeded, pulled, trimmed, hauled away, hula-hoed, and had a grand old time. I climbed up on the upper hill thing and everything. NO leg pain, except once in a while if I landed wrong. No more swelling tonight, either, really. A little, but not bad. The discoloration is just developing, and should be pretty by tomorrow.

In the gym we go to there are two saunas. I decided to sit in there for 10 minutes to help the old calf muscle relax. The sign on the door clearly says "no nudity", but the senior citizen inside paid no attention to that. So there I was, deep in conversation with this saggy, baggy, old thing. It was quite amusing, really. But I was just happy that my bathing suit was baggy too. I did stretches, crunches, and some weight training, then left for the yard work marathon.

Tomorrow it's back to business as usual. But today has been fun.

With the Isagenix 30 day program, you have a fat flush or cleanse 4 times during the month. I've chosen Mondays. On the 9 day program you cleanse 2 days, have two meal replacement shakes and one meal for 5 days, then cleanse again for 2. On the month long program you have the two shakes one meal day all but 4 days of the month. I think at this rate I may reach my ultimate goal of 138 which is 10 pounds heavier than I was in high school, by the middle to end of September. That may end up being TOO thin at my age. What my real goal is is to forget the whole poundage thing and just feel good and wear size 10 and some size 8.

SPEAKING OF THAT!!!! David took me shopping tonight and we went to the Eddie Bower outlet in Woodinville. I bought a new sweater and a camisol to go under it. Read 'em and weep, baby - I bought MEDIUM. Yes, yes it's true! And it's properly tight, and by howdy, it looks GOOD! SHAZAM.

I am SO happy. I was feeling hungry (still am actually!) and a wee bit weary of not eating (woo, one day of not eating!) but the look of that pretty brown sweater and then the reading on the scale cheered me right up!

I'm tellin' ya, I LOVE Isagenix. I want to grab overweight people in the store and say - "it doesn't have to be this way, honey! You've GOT to try this amazing product." It may come to that one day. I'm getting pretty fanatical.

Taking your own advice isn't as much fun

I have posted rantings on this forum before, and then I rant about someone ranting about someone on a forum such as this. Hippo wha?

I don't "name names" but the involved party, if they happen to read the blog, would most certainly recognize themselves.

I had that happen once, actually, with an un-involved party recognizing my reference to the involved party and alerting them. But that resulted in a phone call which is cool.

That hasn't happened lately.

But I do feel badly ranting about someone ranting about someone in a blog in a blog.

So enough of that.

Then there's forgiveness.

I said that we have basically no "rights" as human beings. We get to take a breath following the last because of the grace of God alone. I don't always live this way, however, and I would like to be able to demand
Honesty
Fairness
Understanding

I don't get to demand.

I have the command to forgive, however. It's one of those "if" clauses we all like to ignore. I want to know God has forgiven me, but I want the one who has wronged me to plead for and somehow earn MY forgiveness. And yet He clearly states that we have to open up our hearts to give and not expect anything in return.

So shall I forgive the one who has harmed me, or harmed my child, or shall I refuse to forgive until there is an apology and an admission of wrongdoing?

The answer to that one I figure I really know; having it written on my little heart when I was three. It's still there. Hard as it is, it's the thing I have to do in order to be obedient. Hear little Greggy singing "O B E D I E ansuh E" (at 3 he didn't realize he was spelling something) "Obedience is the very bes way, to show dat you believe"

But what of the one who hurts themselves by walking away from God's way, and acts like all is well? That's where I'm stuck.

I don't know what to do with chair #3. You'd have to have been there for the very powerful sermon which left a number of us literally on our faces or knees. Chairs were used to represent peoples' places spritually. Chair 4 was the unbeliever. Chair 3 was the unfortunate soul who fancied himself/herself to be a Christian (Perhaps "Christian/other" as I have ranted about regarding MySpace before!) and yet have NO idea about giving their heart and motives over to the control of God Himself. They are more "club members" who feel they have, somewhere in the dust under their bed, a ticket to heaven. These are the ones who will be utterly shocked and dismayed when faced with the horrible truth on Judgement Day when God Himself booms "Depart from me. I never knew you."

So you talk to them, and they happily nod their agreement to being that Christian/other and yet you know... No way. You see the plumb line; the Bible. You see their lives; the world. They don't line up, or even remotely look alike. WHAT DO YOU DO?

Gotta try.

If I knew that they were eating little bits of poison each day which would eventually kill them, would I stay silent????


Arrrgh.

I'm glad I'm reading Romans right now because I SO identify with that book.

Tonight we went to a Warren Barfield concert at Canyon Hills. AWESOME.

Now I just feel defeated and weary and wonder if I will ever be bold enough to confront and hopefully rescue.

Eye Dunno.

I'm gonna try to post a picture. It's me and Laura on our girls only outing day Monday. She makes me laugh. A lot. That's happy.

Ok, bye then.

Hey, I have an idea!!!

Next time we have a problem with a good friend, let's get online, go to our favorite blog forum, write some facts, lots of color, some wild imaginations, and some liberally thought up opinion, mix this with the discretion of a substantial amount of alcohol, and just type away. Let's use names! Let's leave nothing to the imagination of anyone! That way, when the friend finds what we've written, and knows how many mutual friends will have access to the information IN WRITING, they will be emotionally and maybe even physically wounded very, very effectively. Once it's in writing, of course, especially on the Internet, it never goes away. Wow, what an efficient use of just a small half hour of time.

What will this accomplish, you might ask? Well, as I said, the friend will be deeply wounded and embarrassed. They might even cry or lose sleep. They may face the shunning or criticism of mutual friends who do not know enough to separate fact from wild fiction. This is how I want to always treat my friends, don't you? It shows maturity, thoughtfulness, kindness, and a higher than average intellegence.

While we're on a roll writing about real and imagined hurts at the hand of this friend, no doubt some past history will come to our mind. No holds barred! Don't stick to the present, heck, toss in enough old history to color it up well! Opinionate! You don't have creative writing ability to just stick to the facts! Opinionate on things which have no effect on you whatsoever, as if they hurt you deeply! Come ON! It's really theraputic and fun. You just feel SO cleansed when you're done. What's that? It might permanantly damage the relationship? Well, yeah, but look how much you're getting in exchange! Your other friends think you are all that, and that the other friend is dog poop scum! People who were not aware of some hidden hurt or mistake of the other friend are now educated! And we all have a right to know, right? Of course we do. Because we are CONCERNED.

Later, if all becomes made right again between you, you can just take it all back, right? Right? And it will all be okie dokie, right? Huh? Wha? Honestly, I'm having trouble hearing you.

Oh, yeah, one little eensy piece of advice though. Make sure all of your readers have the same dictionary. Words need to mean the same to all of us to make sense. One big word jumps out at me. "Cheating". In the context of a marriage relationship, it generally means adultry. In a biblical dating relationship, it may mean something as seemingly innocent as a kiss, or a hand holding, or a walk on the beach. But if you are coming from your morally bankrupt point of view, and to you dating means who am I sleeping with at this time, you need to define "cheating" as you are reporting on it in another's life. We need to be suitably shocked, but we need to understand what we're being shocked at. I'd hate to think that someone might pass on your great work of fiction mixed with some facts and sprinkled with names, and incorrectly drag the subject of your story into a lifestyle which is of the same lack of biblical values yours is. I mean, really. Other than that, type your heart out! I think we all should. Our worlds would be SO much better if we all just acted on our impulses and published our every thought about each of our friends. Spare nothing! Once the words are defined, make sure you get that point across.

Have you thought about getting a billboard? Hey, now, that's another idea!!!!! I'm there, girlfriend! Watch out as you drive down Bothell Way. Right there. There on the right. Woo. Is that you? Could be.

Silent too long

But it's really the fault of MySpace. Really.

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, while I'm shrinking. (I've now lost about 12 pounds in a week and a half)

I've been thinking about priorities and all of the "I can'ts" that I say and that I hear. I say "I can't" spend time in the Word daily because
1:Too busy
2:Have to get to the office by 9

Yet, do I check email daily? Why yes, why yes I do.

So this morning I decided no anything else until I do Priority #1 which would be to spend time getting to know the ultimate life-skills book. A letter from the Creator. Priorities.

I have "no" time to go to the gym for the very same reason. And yet, whaddaya know, at the time I'd normally flip on the TV, I can get right down to the gym for an hour and feel MUCH better than i would if I had spent that hour channel surfing.

And on it goes. Can't go to church because? Can't live a holy life because? Can't reach my goals because? BECAUSE the priority is not there.

It's tough to change! Compromise is way, way easier.

But in the past week and a half I've learned to enjoy the feeling of hunger as a sign that excess me is being hauled off in the river of 80+ oz of water I'm drinking per day. And I can "CAN" do that because it's become a priority. I want to solve a (somewhat) small problem before it becomes a (literally) large problem. That's MY priority. I choose healthy rather than comfy, and that's my choice and my current priority as far as habits go. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, gets a huge box of choices dropped down to them every single day and even every single minute.

I remember when several co-workers joined Golds Gym in Wenatchee for the 12-week fitness challenge. I was so mad. I thought: "I CAN'T do that, and now they'll all get skinny and wonderful and I'll be all frumpy and lumpy." Well, in fact I "COULD" have done that if I made it a priority, and I could have had fun right along with them. However, they all abandoned the program and really didn't change much physically after all! Later I actually did join 'Curves' and had a great time with the 90-year-old women. I felt great, and it actually fit into my shift work days after all.

I can read books if I set aside time to do so.

I can give money to a poor person who comes to me in need if I stretch just a little.

I can pray while I drive.

Now I also can get to bed before it gets any later so that I can rise early enough to spend time in the Word! I'm not sure I have enough *OOMPH* to get up at 5 or 6 so I can go to the gym before our store opens. We have a Creation seminar Thurs and Fri nights, as well as all day Saturday. HOW are we going to find time to do THAT???? Priorities. It's important to me, so I "can" do it.

That is the way it is with SO many things, and I'm so old to finally be figuring this out.