Blessings for Halloween Evening

Compiled by Father Peter John Cameron, o.p. from the Magnificat October 2006

“It is not merely by the title of example that we cherish the memory of those in heaven; we seek, rather, that by this devotion to the exercise of fraternal charity the union of the whole Church in the Spirit may be strengthened. Exactly as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself.” (CCC 957)

We do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of [God’s] will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding to live in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with every power, in accord with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light. ~ Colossians 1:9-12

This litany is a meditation on what some of the saints have spoken or written. As we listen to these saints, we pray for a deeper personal participation in their sanctity. This litany represents only a small sampling of the vast communion of saints (the selection is limited due to space constraints). Feel free to add your favorites to it. One option is to sing the litany and its response.

Response: (Saint’s name), pray for us.

Holy Mary Mother of God “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word”
Saint Gabriel the Archangel “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
Saint Joseph [pause in reverent silence]
Saint John the Baptist “Jesus must increase; I must decrease”
Saint Peter “Lord, you know that I love you.”
Saint Paul “We had accepted within ourselves the sentence of death, that we might trust not in ourselves but in God who raises the dead?”
Saint Mary Magdalene “I have seen the Lord!”
Saint Ignatius of Antioch “There is water living and speaking in me, saying from within me, ‘Come to the Father?’”
Saint Justin Martyr “The greatest grace God can give someone is to send him a trial he cannot bear with his own powers — and then sustain him with his grace so he may endure to the end and be saved”
Saint Irenaeus of Lyons “The glory of God is man fully alive?”
Saint Agatha “Lord Jesus Christ, you created me, you have watched over me from infancy, kept my body from defilement, preserved me from love of the world, made me able to withstand torture, and granted me the virtue of patience in the midst of torments.”
Saint Cyprian “Our union with Christ unifies affections and wills.”
Saint Athanasius “It is the Father’s glory that man, made and then lost, should be found again; and, when done to death, that he should be made alive, and should become God’s temple”
Saint Ephrem of Syrian “0 Jesus, in that hour when darkness like a cloak shall be spread over all things, may your grace shine on us in place of the earthly sun.”
Saint Cecilia “To die for Christ is not to sacrifice one’s youth, but to renew it. Jesus Christ returns a hundredfold for all offered him, and adds to it eternal life.”
Saint Basil “Through the Holy Spirit paradise is restored. We can address God as our Father with confidence; we can share in the grace of Christ.”
Saint Gregory Nazianzen “Each of us can say to the tempter, ‘Unlike you, I have not yet become an outcast from heaven through my pride. By my baptism I have become one with him. It is you that should fall prostrate before me.’”
Saint Gregory of Nyssa “Ideas create idols; only wonder leads to knowing.”
Saint Ambrose “Every soul who has believed both conceives and generates the Word of God and recognizes his works. Let the soul of Mary be in each one of you to magnify the Lord.”
Saint John Chrysostom “Jesus Christ gave you all; he left nothing for himself.”
Saint Augustine “We have been promised something we do not yet possess. It is good for us to persevere in longing until we receive what was promised, and yearning is over.”
Saint Peter Chrysologus “Peace is the plenitude that fulfills our desires. As Christ left the world, he wished to leave the gift he wanted to find when he returned.”
Saint Leo the Great “Let us be raised to the one who made the dust of our lowliness into the body of his glory.”
Saint Patrick “I arise today through the strength of Christ with his baptism, through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial, through the strength of his Resurrection with his Ascension.”
Saint Benedict “What is more delightful than this voice of the Lord calling to us? See how the Lord in his love shows us the way of life.”
Saint Columba “Loving Savior, inspire in us the depth of love that is fitting for you to receive as God.”
Saint Gregory the Great “We have been truly set free from subjection to sin because we are united to him who is truly free”
Saint Maximos the Confessor “God made us so that we might become partakers of the divine nature and sharers in his eternity, and so that we might come to be like him through deification by grace.”
Saint Bede the Venerable “We should rejoice that the Lord deigns to visit our hearts, and that he deigns to illumine this Passover of our good actions by his benevolent presence.”
Saint Anselm “God who made all things made himself of Mary, and thus he refashioned everything he had made.”
Saint Bernard “In the measure that grace’s kingdom is extended, sin’s power is weakened.”
Saint Dominic “I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you more effectively than during my life.”
Saint Francis of Assisi “May I feel in my heart, as far as possible, that abundance of love with which you, Son of God, were inflamed.”
Saint Anthony of Padua “Let us pray that the Lord Jesus Christ pour his grace into us by means of which we ask for and receive the fullness of true joy.”
Saint Claire “Live and hope in the Lord, and let your service be according to reason.”
Saint Thomas Aquinas “The life of man consists in the love that principally sustains him and in which he finds his greatest satisfaction.”
Saint Gertrude the Great ”Once again I give you thanks for your merciful love, kindest Lord, for having found another way of arousing me from my inertia.”
Saint Bonaventure “God created all things not to increase his glory, but to show it forth and to communicate it.”
Saint Catherine of Siena “When we love something we don’t care what sort of abuse or injury or pain we might have to endure to get it; we are concerned only with satisfying our desire for the thing we love.”
Saint Joan of Arc “About Jesus Christ and the Church, I simply know they’re just one thing, and we shouldn’t complicate the matter.”
Saint Bernardine of Siena “If we but recollect the name of Jesus, it is to fight with confidence — for this name subjects all the fury of our enemies to us.”
Saint Catherine of Genoa “God lets the soul share his goodness so that it becomes one with him. The nearer the soul comes to him, the more it partakes of what is his”
Saint Thomas More “The brothers of the patriarch Joseph could never have done him so much good with their love and favor as they did him with their malice and hatred.”
Saint Angela of Merici “Strengthen, 0 Lord, my senses and my affections that they may not stray into any betrayal of trust.”
Saint Francis Xavier “God our Lord knows the intentions which he in his mercy has wished to place in us, and the great hope and confidence which he in his goodness has wished that we should have in him.”
Saint Ignatius of Loyola “As long as obedience is flourishing, all the other virtues will be seen to flourish and to bear fruit.”
Saint Teresa of Avila “Be joyful for there is someone who loves your God as he deserves, who knows him as her only Son.”
Saint Charles Borromeo “The candle that gives light to others must itself be consumed. Thus we also have to act. We ourselves are consumed to give a good example to others.”
Saint Catherine De’ Ricci “You have been reborn with him through a holy desire to live a new life, looking at yourselves as reflected in his life.”
Saint John of the Cross “You considered that one hair fluttering at my neck; You gazed at it upon my neck And it captivated You.”
Saint Aloysius Gonzaga “As God is above all created things, honors, possessions, so should our internal esteem of his Divine Majesty surpass our esteem or idea of anything whatever.”
Saint Philip Neri “My Jesus, if you want me, cut the fetters that keep me from you.”
Saint Robert Southwell “Jesus, possess my mind with your presence and ravish it with your love, that my delight may be to be embraced in the arms of your protection.”
Saint Maria Maddalena de’ Pazzi “Who doesn’t know what God is, should apply to Mary. Who doesn’t find mercy in God, should apply to Mary. Who doesn’t have conformity of will, should apply to Mary”
Saint Francis de Sales “We must fight our battle between fear and hope in the knowledge that hope is always the stronger because he who comes to our help is almighty.”
Saint Jane Frances de Chantall “Oh, how happy is the soul that freely lets herself be molded to the liking of this divine Savior!”
Saint Isaac Jogues “My hope is in God, who needs not us to accomplish his designs. We must endeavor to be faithful to him.”
Saint Peter Claver “Man’s salvation and perfection consists in doing the will of God, which he must have in view in all things, and at every moment of his life.”
Saint Vincent de Paul “But for divine grace I would be in temper hard and repellant, rough and crabbed.”
Saint John Eudes “With his own hand God the Father has impressed on Mary’s heart a perfect semblance of the divine qualities of his love.”
Saint Claude de la Colombiere “My Jesus, let me live in your heart and pour all my bitterness into it where it will be utterly consumed.”
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque “All my pleasure in this land of exile is that of having every kind of suffering found on the cross, deprived of every other consolation except that of the Sacred Heart.”
Saint Louis de Montfort “In Mary alone, by the grace of Jesus Christ, man is made godlike as far as human nature is capable of it.”
Saint Paul of the Cross “The soul whom God wants to draw to deepest union with him by means of holy prayer must pass through the way of suffering during prayer.”
Saint Alphonsus Liguori “We must love God in the way that pleases him, and just not in a way that suits ourselves. God wishes people to empty themselves of everything and to be filled with his divine love.”
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton “O Jesus, sure joy of my soul, give me but a true love of you. Let me seek you as my only good.”
Saint John Vianney “The soul can feed only on God; only God can suffice it; only God can fill it; only God can satiate its hunger. Its God is absolutely necessary to it.”
Saint John Neumann “Though God hates sin more than any other thing, he loves us poor miserable sinners. He ardently desires the welfare of our souls as if his own happiness depended on it.”
Saint Peter Julian Eymard “Abide in the home of the divine and fatherly goodness of God like his child who knows nothing, does nothing, makes a mess of everything, but nevertheless lives in his goodness.”
Saint John Bosco “What tenderness there is in Jesus’ love for man! In his infinite goodness, he established, with each of us, bonds of sublime love! His love has no limits.”
Saint Therese of Lisieux “You alone, 0 Jesus, could satisfy a soul that needed to love even to the infinite.”
Saint Bernadette Soubirous “O Mary, Mother of Sorrows, I am the child of your sorrows. My tender Mother, here is your child, who can do no more. Have pity on me.”
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini “Stretch every fiber of my being, dear Lord, that I may more easily fly towards you. May your Spirit which once breathed over the chaos of the earth give life to all the powers of my soul.”
Saint Maximilian Kolbe “Shall the urge for complete and total happiness, inherent to human nature, be the only need to remain unfulfilled and unsatisfied? No, even this longing can be fulfilled by the infinite and eternal God.”
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross “Holy realism has a certain affinity with the realism of the child who receives and responds to impressions with unimpaired vigor and vitality, and with uninhibited simplicity.”
Saint Katharine Drexel “May your faith be increased so as to realize the fact that you are never alone, wheresoever you may be, that the great God is with you, in you.”
Saint Faustina “Jesus, I trust in you.”
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina “If the soul longs for nothing else than to love its God, then don’t worry and be quite sure that this soul possesses everything, that it possesses God himself.”

A Missed Quiet Time is Not Good

I started off the weekend great. I was 100% on my habits Friday and then had most all my habits in Saturday before we met the realtor to look at a house.

I had planned on having soup at home after that, but we went to Jason's Deli instead. I had some of their toasted bread (Yum!) with my chili. Then I planned on having my nuts as a snack at church (I was running video), but I forgot about them. We went to out to eat Italian food for our anniversary. I ate SO much and was so stuffed when we got home. But it was SO good.

Sunday I didn't get up early enough to have my quiet time before church and I think that threw me off for the entire day. I didn't get hardly any of my habits all day. I think it is because I didn't have my quiet time. I realize now how important it is for me to have that time. I can't even recall the last time I didn't have it to know what kind of day that was. So, now I know and the next time I am running video at church, I will just get up at my regular workday time.

I think this is probably why I struggle when I am away from home. I don't get to have my normal quiet time then either and it causes me to try to fill myself with food because I didn't fill myself with the living Word of God. We will be going out of town at least once in November (and probably twice), so it will be important that I spend some quiet time with God while we are gone.

Food is Not the Answer

From Lose it for Life Day by Day:

Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God's blessing--but by then it was too late, tears or no tears. ~ Hebrews 12:16-17 (The Message)

Esau was a short-term, concrete thinker. He was so focused on his present need and hunger that he was willing to sacrifice his future life and needs, unable to see the value of a lifelong gift because it was yet to be.

How many times have we done this with our dependence on food? We've reached for a bite in the moment, giving away our inheritance of a healthy vital body in the future. We've impulsively consumed foods and quantities in the present that have significantly diminished our quality of life to come. We've put ourselves at risk for heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and joint replacements. The short-term fixes have overshadowed our long-term health and usefulness to God.

And afterward, we have all cried bitter tears, like Esau. Yet God's grace is abundant! We can start today, this afternoon, this evening! By focusing our eyes on the Lord and reaching out for help in times of temptation, we can be filled by Him and His people--even in our hungriest moments. Our future and hope is in Him.

Today, Lord, strengthen me in the intensely hungry moments when food looks like the answer. I entrust You with my future.

Press Through

Today's Scripture
“Keep on asking and it will be given to you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7 AMP).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
In Mark, chapter five, there was a woman who had been sick for twelve years. The doctors gave her no hope. But she heard that Jesus was coming through her town. Something deep on the inside said to her, “This is your season. This is your time to get well.” In the natural, when she saw all the people around Him, she thought, “I’ll never get to Him. It’s so crowded and I’m weak. I just don’t think I can do this.” She almost missed her season. But instead of dwelling on those negative thoughts, she started reminding herself, “If I can just get to Jesus, I will be whole.” She made the choice to turn her thoughts in the right direction. She kept pressing her way through the crowd until she got just close enough to Jesus to reach out and touch the edge of His robe. Instantly, she was made whole. Jesus said to her, in Mark 5:34, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.” Notice it’s our faith that activates God’s power. What have you been believing God for? Don’t give up! Press through! Keep praying! Keep asking! Keep seeking! God is faithful! As you press through, He’ll meet your faith with His miraculous power, and you’ll step forward in the victory He has planned for you!
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, I come to You today with an open and humble heart. I ask You to fill me with Your strength, peace, and joy so that I can press through to victory today. Show me the good plan You have for me and fill me with Your spirit of faith. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Happy Anniversary

People/Spirits would love to ruin my 9 year wedding anniversary.

Today is our 9th Wedding Anniversary. It has been an awful day. Commotion at the office because the girl across the hall from me had to move stuff out of her "second" office because of a new employee. Then someone quit/got fired. Too bad that didn't happen in the morning, because then the moving wouldn't have had to occur. Sugar Pop had equally annoying things at his work today.

Of course, it is Wednesday which means Honey is coming over for supper. This does not bother me at all. As I do not expect that we HAVE to celebrate our anniverary ON our anniversary. So, the plan is too have supper with Honey and then Sugar Pop will have to go to praise team practice at 7:30. No big deal.

I get home from work and we go for a walk. Sugar Pop got to work the early shift today so he was already home. When we get home there is a message from Honey (left at 5:24) that she is NOT coming over (because her step-sister is in town). She is supposed to be here at 6:00, that is only 36 minutes before her scheduled arrival. HELLO?!?!?! We had plans. She is supposed to be here every Wednesday night. A little notice would be nice! We could have actually gone out to eat for our anniversary. I might have not made so much for dinner if I had known she wasn't going to be here. It just FLEW ALL OVER ME!

Now, if you have been reading my blog for any time, I am sure you have never seen me vent like this! It is not my nature to get so MAD about something.

However, this has been getting more and more common. Yes, this is the consequence of divorce and some of the things that have to be dealt with and suffered through. But, I am quite positive that Sugar Pop's Ex knew about this before 5:24 tonight. She has probably known all day if not for several days or even a week and didn't bother to make arrangements beforehand.

ARGH!!!!

Scriptures before Bingeing

This is a list of scripture for me to review any time I feel the urge to binge. If you have any suggestions for this list, please share them.

Everything is permissible for me - but not everything is beneficial. ~ 1 Corinthians 6:12

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak. ~ Matthew 26:41

Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. ~ Isaiah 55:2

Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take you stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you! ~ Galatians 5:1

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. ~ Hebrews 10:36

I discipline my body...training it to do what it should. ~ 1 Corinthians 9:27

Oh listen, dear child—become wise; point your life in the right direction. Don't drink too much wine and get drunk; don't eat too much food and get fat. Drunks and gluttons will end up on skid row, in a stupor and dressed in rags. ~ Proverbs 23:19

The New Era has Begun

Yesterday we had our last sermon from our interim preacher. He told us that it was officially the end of our transition and that our New Era was beginning as soon as he finished. It was a great sermon for him to leave us with.

Our new pastor won't be here for a couple of more weeks and I'm not sure when his first sermon will be yet. But we also have a new associate pastor in place, so I suppose he will be preaching until then. I am ready for us to begin this new time in our church. I am very excited about it and looking forward to the things God will teach us through our new pastors and seeing the people who will come and join our congregation that do not yet know the Lord. God is going to do wonderful things and it will be fun to watch and to be used by Him.

I bought a new spiral on Friday because I wanted to start with a fresh one when our new preacher arrived. I will start using this coming weekend!

Impulsiveness or Discipleship?

"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith." Jude 20
There was nothing either of the nature of impulsiveness or thoughtless action about Our Lord, but only a calm strength that never got into a panic. Most of us develop our Christianity along the lines of our own nature, not along the lines of God nature. Impulsiveness is a trait of the natural life, and our Lord always ignores it, because it hinders the development of the life of a disciple. Watch how the Spirit of God gives a sense of restraint to impulsiveness, suddenly bringing us a feeling of self-conscious foolishness, which makes us instantly want to vindicate ourselves. Impulsiveness is all right in a child, but is disastrous in a man or woman -- an impulsive adult is always a spoiled person. Impulsiveness needs to be trained into intuition by discipline.
Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on water is easy to someone with impulsive boldness, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is a something altogether different. Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, but he "followed Him at a distance" on dry land. (Mark 14:54) We do not need the grace of God to withstand crises -- human nature and pride are sufficient for us to face the stress and strain magnificently. But it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours of every day as a saint, going through drudgery, and living an ordinary, unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God -- but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people -- and this is not learned in five minutes.

Appointed Favor

Today's Scripture
“For we are God's handiwork, recreated in Christ Jesus, that we may do those good works which God predestined for us, taking paths which He prepared ahead of time, that we should walk in them, living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live” (Ephesians 2:10).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
God has already prepared paths for you to take in your future! When God laid out the plan for your life, He lined up the right people, the right circumstances, and the right breaks. In your future, He’s already released favor, supernatural opportunities, and divine connections. The breaks you need in life have already been preordained to come across your path. If you will stay in faith and go out each day and be a person of excellence, you’ll walk into these appointments of favor. It will be just as if you stumbled into God’s blessings! When you really understand this principal, you’ll begin to get excited about every single day! You’ll have a spring in your step as you think about what blessing is coming next! It could be today. It could be tomorrow. It could be next week. Keep expecting. Keep believing. Stay focused on the fact that God has already released into your future everything you need to fulfill your destiny. Start declaring seasons of increase over your life. Declare that the favor is on you and opportunities are coming. As you do, you’ll move forward into the favor and blessing God has ordered for you!
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for setting up a good life for me. Thank You for ordering good things for my future. Help me to understand Your goodness more so that I can trust You and follow Your path for me all the days of my life. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Whoa!

This morning in my Beth Moore bible study I read this scripture:

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. ~ Psalm 40:2 (NIV)

That was one of scriptures in list and then she asked us "Which of the Scriptures in the activity above most nearly addresses your circumstances right now and why?"

I wrote, "Hopefully Psalm 40:2 as I wait for God to provide my new job that reflects Psalm 127:1." (Psalm 127:1 says, "Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.")

So then I took a bathroom break, had my 5 minutes of silence, and then read the Lose it for Life Devotional for January 24th. It started with this scripture:

I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened. He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn't slip. ~ Psalm 40:1-2 (The Message)

Whoa! The same verse in two different places on the same day?!? Only God could orchestrate that. To have me sign up for the bible study, have it start on the day it did, have me be one day behind in my homework while at the same time for me be struggling with binging and have me decide to start reading through the Lose it for Life devotional and to make sure I started it on the day necessary so that I would read this same scripture in both places on the same day. Whoa! That can not be an accident.

One Man’s Tale of Tribulation

From C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain:

My own experience is something like this. I am progressing along the path of life in my ordinary contentedly fallen and godless condition, absorbed in a merry meeting with my friends for the morrow or a bit of work that tickles my vanity today, a holiday or a new book, when suddenly a stab of abdominal pain that threatens serious disease, or a headline in the newspapers that threatens us all with destruction, sends this whole pack of cards tumbling down. At first I am overwhelmed, and all my little happinesses look like broken toys. Then, slowly and reluctantly, bit by bit, I try to bring myself into the frame of mind that I should be in at all times. I remind myself that all these toys were never intended to possess my heart, that my true good is in another world and my only real treasure is Christ. And perhaps, by God’s grace, I succeed, and for a day or two become a creature consciously dependent on God and drawing its strength from the right sources. But the moment the threat is withdrawn, my whole nature leaps back to the toys: I am even anxious, God forgive me, to banish from my mind the only thing that supported me under the threat because it is now associated with the misery of those few days. Thus the terrible necessity of tribulation is only too clear. God has had me for but forty-eight hours and then only by dint of taking everything else away from me. Let Him but sheathe that sword for a moment and I behave like a puppy when the hated bath is over—I shake myself as dry as I can and race off to reacquire my comfortable dirtiness, if not in the nearest manure heap, at least in the nearest flower bed. And that is why tribulations cannot cease until God either sees us remade or sees that our remaking is now hopeless.

Clothe Yourself

Today's Scripture
“Clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for indulging the flesh. Put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of your physical nature” (Romans 13:14 AMP).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
Is there something in your life that you would like to put a stop to today? Maybe it’s a certain behavior, addiction, or bad attitude that isn’t pleasing to God? Just as Adam and Eve were exposed in their sin and needed to be clothed in the Garden, we need to clothe ourselves to protect us from sin. When you “clothe yourself” with the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be strong against temptation. How do you clothe yourself with Jesus Christ? In the same way you cover yourself in the natural with clothing. When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are covered and cleansed by His blood. You are restored and renewed. Then, cover your mind with the Word of God. Cover your ears by listening to the Word. Cover your eyes by watching only what is pleasing to the Lord. Cover your mouth by speaking the Word and encouraging those around you. As you cover yourself with Christ, you will be strong against temptation, and you will walk in the victory the Lord has planned for you!
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to pay the penalty for my sins. Thank You for providing a way out of temptation so that I can stand clean before You. Help me stand strong as I submit every area of my life to You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Live in Peace

Today's Scripture
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18 NIV)
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
Did you know there is strength in living at peace? That’s why the Lord commands that we live at peace with those around us. When there’s strife and contention, then the enemy has an open door to move in your life. But when we are at peace with those around us, we are in a position of strength. Being at peace with those around you doesn’t mean you have to agree with everyone. It simply means you are walking in love. It means you are patient and kind, not envious, not boastful. It means you are considerate, kind, and gracious because of what the Lord has done in your heart. If you need peace today, ask the Lord to fill your heart so that you can extend peace to those around you. As you do, you’ll live in a position of strength and walk in the daily blessing the Lord has in store for you!
A Prayer for Today
Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of peace which is strength. Today, I choose to release any strife or contention in my heart. I ask You to fill me with Your peace so that I can be an instrument of Your glory in the earth. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Joy

You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You cannot see him now, but you believe in him. So you are filled with a joy that cannot be explained, a joy full of glory. ~ 1 Peter 1:8

Amen. Yesterday was one of those days where I felt joyous. It was a joy that comes from knowing God and feeling His presence with me. I was trying to think about how I could describe that joy to someone, but I couldn't. This morning I read this verse and it says "you are filled with a joy that cannot be explained." That is true. I can not explain it, but I love it. I pray that you know this same joy.

Fitness Friday

Last Friday I mentioned how tired I was from having my period. That lasted through the weekend. I did not get ANY exercise on Saturday or Sunday. Monday I felt much more rested and back to my normal self. Nothing exciting to report on the exercise front this week. We've been busy, so I have basically just done my minimum exercise (10 minute treadmill at lunch, 10 minute treadmill after work, 5 minutes of abs, 10 minutes of strength, and 5 minutes of stretching). We did make it to the gym last night for 20 minutes. I did the Precor Elliptical (love that machine!) and used the heart rate workout. You chose what heart rate you want to work out at (I did 140) and it adjusts the resistance to keep you there. It was tough, but I needed a good workout.

Yesterday was the last Weight Watchers meeting at work. We only had 1 person make their goal weight (and she made lifetime yesterday). I'm really surprised there were not more who did because there were several people who really didn't have that much to lose. Several people made 10%. The office had prizes for the people who lost the most weight (by body fat %). It was a good thing for them to do and even though I couldn't win anything (because I'm already at my goal weight), I benefited because there has been less tempting food around. Except for those blasted WW snacks, which I binged on THREE times. They are now banned from my diet and I'm sure that once the current stock is gone, we probably won't be getting more.

Clinging to Our Own Lives

If the first and lowest operation of pain shatters the illusion that all is well, the second shatters the illusion that what we have, whether good or bad in itself, is our own and enough for us. Everyone has noticed how hard it is to turn our thoughts to God when everything is going well with us. We ‘have all we want’ is a terrible saying when ‘all’ does not include God. We find God an interruption. As St Augustine says somewhere, ‘God wants to give us something, but cannot, because our hands are full—there’s nowhere for Him to put it.’ Or as a friend of mine said, ‘We regard God as an airman regards his parachute; it’s there for emergencies but he hopes he’ll never have to use it.’ Now God, who has made us, knows what we are and that our happiness lies in Him. Yet we will not seek it in Him as long as he leaves us any other resort where it can even plausibly be looked for. While what we call ‘our own life’ remains agreeable we will not surrender it to Him. What then can God do in our interests but make ‘our own life’ less agreeable to us, and take away the plausible source of false happiness? — C.S. Lewis from The Problem of Pain via A Year with C.S. Lewis

Blessings in Sleep

Today's Scripture
“He gives blessing to His beloved in sleep” (Psalm 127:2 AMP).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
The Lord longs to pour out blessings on you constantly—even when you sleep! Many people today struggle with sleeping at night. They stay awake or get poor sleep because they are constantly focused on their problems and worrying about tomorrow. But that’s not God’s plan for you! He wants you to enjoy your sleep as a time of blessing and refreshing. Understand that God has His hand on your life even in the midnight hour. He wants to speak to your heart and restore your dreams. He is taking care of those things that concern you. When you cast your cares on Him and trust Him to work out every detail of your life, you’ll be able to enjoy that sweet sleep that He has promised. Make the decision today to enjoy the blessing of the Lord as you sleep tonight. Say a prayer before you go to bed and cast your cares on Him. As you allow the Lord to bless and refresh you in sleep, you’ll see a tremendous change in your waking hours. You’ll be more invigorated, more alert, and full of the blessing of the Lord in every area of your life!
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promise of blessing. I ask that You teach me to receive that blessing even while I sleep. I cast my cares on You and trust that You are working behind the scenes in my life. Thank You for watching over me and protecting me. Thank You for refreshing me as I sleep tonight. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

I seldom have problems sleeping, but I am posting this just in case you do and in case I do sometime and need to re-read these words.

"Foods" I Don't Miss

There are some foods I have given up that I don't miss any more. It is now a habit to NOT have them, where as it used to be a habit to have them.

Soda
Gum
Cheezits (The break room at work used to be stocked with these and I would eat cupful after cupful. I finally had to quit eating them completely)
Extra caffeinated coffee (I have one cup of regular coffee in the morning, after that I drink decaf, if I have any more)
Donuts
Fudgesicles
Hot Chocolate packets (I put real cocoa in my coffee in the morning, so it is like have a mocha everyday. If I really wanted a Hot Chocolate I would make it with real cocoa instead of the processed packets - those contain transfats!)
Coffee Creamer (I use powdered milk)
Popcorn (Did you know those bags of microwave popcorn contain transfats?)

How 'bout them Cowboys?

Fed by God

From Lose it for Life Day by Day:

When struck with the kind of overwhelming hunger that grabs all our attention, we may think we'll simply die between meals. This unrealistic fear puts us in danger of making a food choice that is not in our plan or best interest. But there is a spiritual sustenance that will get us through this hunger and fear.

We can ask God to "feed" us between meals. Seeking the "bread" humans know nothing about is a spiritual task. It means resting in the knowledge that He is our true sustenance. It means resting in faith that we will not die between meals; we are merely uncomfortable. It means calming our spirit by drawing closer to Him and humbly letting go of our will when we're around food, even when others urge us to eat. Like the disciples did to Jesus, those around us may urge us to eat things that are not in our plan, but we can remain steady and committed by drawing on spiritual food.

I needed to read this today. The weekends can be difficult for me because I don't always eat like I do on the weekdays and because I am at home where there is a pantry full of food, it is easy to seek after snacks all day. What I need to do instead is seek after Him who fills me with His spirit.

Rhythm by Mercy Me

Even though the world doesn't know each other, we walk in the same direction
Like those lemmings that march off a cliff into the ocean for no apparent reason and no objection
You know that direction, I call it the direction of "me"
My goals, my stuff, how do I get first place, and could somebody up there cut me a break so I can win the lottery?

Then all of a sudden somebody shows up who's totally set apart from the rest.
Well he's heading in the other direction for one and there's a peace in His eyes and a rhythm to His step.

It's as if he has found the answer to life, and come to find out the answer's not me, myself or I.
I think I'm sticking with that guy.

My heart will beat as one
To the beat of a different drum
The rhythm of Your love

My heart is dancing now
In time with what I've found
The rhythm of Your love

As if I didn't say enough in the first verse, there's something else that's bugging me
How can I have just one heart that beats for so many things at the same time continually?
It just doesn't make sense. I mean technically I've only got one heartbeat in there
But I dance with so many things, do so many jigs you'd think I was Fred Astaire

I'm no rocket scientist, but it seems that every time you give a piece of your heart away
It can not be healthy nor can it be as strong as well let's say
When the whole heart is beating as one for one thing one rhythm in unison
Now that my friend is good advice for anyone

I love this song. You may have never heard it because it was only a bonus track on their Coming Up to Breathe album if you bought it at Family Christian.

Fitness Friday

I started the new month off great. I was 100% on my healthy habits on Monday, Tuesday AND Wednesday. Then that time of the month arrived. I didn't do as well on Thursday. My eating habits were fine, but I was so tired. I did make it to the gym for 20 minutes, but by the time we made supper, ran a couple errands and got home I was exhausted and ended up laying on the couch about 9:15 and going to sleep. I'm still very tired today.

I did something new today. Every week when I get gas I drive by this salon that has a sign "Foot Detox Spa $20." I've been wanting to get one for a few months now and I finally went today at lunch. You stick your feet in a tub of water that has an ionizer or something in it that helps pull toxins from your system. You don't feel anything while you sit there (30 minutes), but the water gets all gross looking - change colors and looks like it has sand floating in it. Weird! Anyway, I can't tell a big difference in how I feel although I don't feel as tired as I was this morning.

Food Rewards

What do you think of food rewards? After my post yesterday about my licorice reward, I was wondering what you might think of it.

I think we need to be careful with food rewards. They should not be a daily thing, as in, "I went for a walk today so I will reward myself with a double scoop peanut butter hot fudge sundae."

However, having a food reward can be an incentive to meet goals and give you an opportunity to "earn" a treat you wouldn't normal have and prevent you from feeling deprived. For example, my Monday weight is almost always higher than my Friday weight. We usually go out to eat once or twice on the weekend or I splurge a little. Well, when my Monday weight is less than Friday, then I treat myself to a fast food lunch that week. This only happens once every few months. Because I have a reward system in place I don't feel deprived of my Taco Villa Burrito since I will eventually earn one and since I have to cut back on my normal weekend eating routine, the calories all even out in the long run.

A Treat to Look Forward To

I have a goal this month to NOT eat any of the Weight Watchers snacks at my office. They are full of nasty high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils and they are a trigger food for me. Once I start, I can't stop.

So, my reward for not having any this month will be a yummy Panda licorice bar. Only 100 calories and 0 fat. No HFCS or PHO. Only molasses, wheat flour, licorice extract, and aniseed oil. I already have my bar, now I am just waiting for Halloween to arrive.

News

From 30 Happiness Tips:

Stop watching and reading depressing news. In the beginning you may worry that you’ll miss something, but think about it – when was the last time you truly needed to know the things covered in the daily news. Being selective about the information you expose yourself to can have an incredible impact on your level of personal happiness.

I gave up watching the national news over a year ago. I don't miss it. I always hear the top news stories on the radio or on our local news without having to hear the national news coverage that goes on and on and on and on.

I also don't watch those "news" shows about celebrities. The public's fascination with them is ridiculous. Well, maybe it is not the "public," but just the media. The media puts it all out there for people to consume because they are interested in making money. However, if they quit publishing it, I don't think anyone would really miss it. What do you think?

Most of what is sold as "news" is actually just gossip. A lot of what is on television is talked about here:

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ~ Romans 1:28-31

Well, maybe that is a little harsh. There are probably some decent things on television. But I do try to avoid most tv. However, I love watching tv shows on DVD because at least I don't have to watch all the commercials trying to sell me something.

October Habits & Goals

October Healthy Habits
Journal Food & Fitness
Blog
5 Min of Quiet
Read Lose It For Life Devotional
Keep in Touch
Ready in less than 50 min
Lunchtime Treadmill
Cardio
Core
Strength
Stretch/Yoga
Produce - 5 servings
Dairy - 2 servings
Healthy Oil
Nuts
Fiber One
Whole Grain
1 Coffee+1 Tea
Alcohol~0-1
No Sugar
No Flour
No Junk Food
No Looking for Houses (except on Sunday)
No Food after 9
Organize something - a drawer, shelf, area
Enter Receipts
Tomorrow's Clothes
Photos - Work on moving photos from albums to boxes
Bedtime Routine
Bed before 11

October Goals
Be 100% on 10 habits
Miss less than 100 healthy habits total
4.5 Hours of Weight Training
Run at least 4 times for at least 10 minutes
Go to the gym at least 4 times
Do yoga at least once
Do Turbo Sculpt at least twice
Do Turbo Jam at least twice
Get the hair removed on my lip (Advice on this? I've never done it before)
Deep Pore Cleansing mask once a week
Buy a navy blue Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt (Go Cowboys!)