Reading Paul...

Hello all, I'm surprised and a little ashamed to say it's been almost two months since I've posted here. Life has been busy with some "good" and "not so good". First the good, and that is that last month I had a wonderful time with two wonderful gals that are blogging friends. God totally put together an opportunity to meet a dear friend that I've been talking to on the phone with for almost 3 years (since we started blogging), and another that I had met previously only briefly, but have now had a chance to get to know and love. We spent some amazing quality time together and I hope and believe we have cemented friendships that will last.

Also, I'm still on the lifestyle change "path" that I started back in March. My husband and I have had to totally rethink our eating habits and food preparation. He has for the last few years, suffered with occasional bouts of "Benign Positional Vertigo" which is an inner ear problem that causes vertigo, but has since the first of the year increased dramatically and has sort of taken over his daily life. Doctor visits, tests, etc. have labeled it, but treatment is elusive and not particularly effective. We've prayed for wisdom and guidance, and feel like God is narrowing down the triggers for these "spells" that leave him feeling sick and weak and disoriented. He's never been "sick" so this has been a real trial for him, (and me). Food allergies which have been detected such as Soy and all soy products have been eliminated (you may not know it, but soy is in almost all packaged foods, such as boxed crackers, protein bars, cake mixes, cookies, breads etc. literally everywhere!) and now we are going to a low low sodium diet, because we think salt may be a trigger. I've had to start cooking with just the basic foods, fresh produce, and lean cuts of meat. I can't complain on these food changes, since it will also benefit me with my cardiovascular issues and overall health. We're believing that God's wisdom in this will prove to be the deciding factor on how my husband feels, and we know that God has a good plan for our life and health, so we're going to stick with it.

Also, I am down 18 lbs. since March, not an enormous amount, but since I'm not trying to break records here; just lifestyle change, I feel good about it, and continue to feel better physically AND mentally. (Eating low carb, low fat) One of the best things is that I'm down 2 to 3 dress sizes and don't feel self conscious about my appearance. (I'm a small boned 5 foot nothing, so really 18 pounds on me is alot.) So if you think you can't lose weight like I did, ask God for His plan for you, and His anointing to do it, and things will start to change.

My husband and I have both questioned God about why we've had to go through these health issues that have caused us so much grief and upset. Things that can suck the joy out of daily life. I know that many of you have health concerns and issues, and other situations in our families, work, etc. that seem to press us down and make life harder than we think it should be.

I've been reading Paul's books of the New Testament, and I'm now in 2 Corinthians. I can't help but believe that by getting to know him, we can all gain a fresh perspective on our own trials and life in general. God doesn't promise us that our lives will be easy, but we can know that He is always with us, leading and guiding us. And yes, He allows us to walk through these tough times. What we learn from them is up to us. Do we give up and wallow in self pity or turn into an unhappy, unproductive person? I hope not. Sometimes I have to make a daily verbal statement that I know that God is here, and that He has a good plan. That I believe that things WILL get better, and that I'm not going to allow circumstances to dictate my Joy in life. I guess that's called Trust and Faith. Believing God is at work in our lives and He is Faithful.

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2 Corinthians 4:7-10

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."


Whatever you may be going through, just know that you're not alone, God is there with you, and He sees the outcome. AND He will guide you through the hard times, to bring you to the other side.

much love in Jesus,