Day 1

I usually don't take a "lunch break" so I'm taking a few minutes today to blog - during what should be a lunch break to do my "official" first day journal entry.   This one year challenge, I presume will be filled with ups and downs, but isn't life full of ups and downs anyway?  Why accept a one year challenge to pursue God everyday in every way?

My reasoning came to me last night.  I was looking for a book to read while and I was thinking about my life and where I'm at right now.  Nothing significantly wrong, but I have a lot of things I'm "working" on.  I started a weight loss program about 2 1/2 months ago.  I did really well the first 6 weeks, but then we had a bunch of stuff come up, our schedule changed, I had a meeting with the "nutrition coach", I was happy that I lost some weight but she kept saying it was water weight and 'not to be discouraged' which, discouraged me. Then we were doing well with our budget and had a good savings etc and the van needed $2400 worth of repairs, wiping out our savings and putting us back on ground zero.  So, I reverted to old habits and stopped focusing on the weight loss and being healthier.  But it was nagging me, I didn't want to give up or completely quick the program, after all I had barely started it.  So, as I was dealing with the inner turmoil of not being able to flip a switch and do a lifestyle change over night with complete success, I prayed "God, direct me to a book that will help me accomplish this goal, I want to find something that will be a tool that will help me stay on task".  I immediately found a book by Carol Lewis.  I am familiar with her work because my sister Tina, my mom, and my daughter did some of the devotional studies a couple years ago together.  This book is her explaining how she hit a point in her life where she had started going back into old habits and this is how she "reset" her self.  Taking the One Year challenge.

I have a small list of things that are on my "God lsit". Stuff that I'm not going to be able to do or achieve without Him.  Then I have a list of everyday things I can do that will honor God and the life that He has blesssed me with.  Some of the things on my list are: keeping a daily food journal (which won't be blogged :)) blogging about my day and walking more.  Reading my Bible and praying are also on there.

Today I read in Matthew about Jesus's entry into the city on the donkey and the events that followed.  How fitting, giving that this Sunday is indeed Palm Sunday.  I love it when my Bible reading connects so well to life.  :)

As I close my journal today, I want to close in a prayer.  "God, thank you first for giving me another avenue to focus my pursuit of You.  Thank you for your Word.  How it comes alive when I read it and is salve to my soul.  Thank you for my friends, who may or may not be reading this.  As this is a personal journal in a public viewing, I pray that anyone reading this will be encouraged that You are not dead, You are alive.  We do indeed serve a risen savior.  Thank you for your blessings.  Bless my friends as they are in different places in the world, but still close to Your heart."  Amen.