Monthly Archives: November 2008

Practical Atheist

The series at church right now is called Practical Atheist. So what does that mean? Jesus said this is Isa. 29:13: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” A saying I was taught growing up applies here too. Actions speak louder than words.

I think the purpose of this message is to get people fired up for Christ again. It’s working too. Last weekend over 800 people committed their lives to christ at LifeChurch.TV. 18 of those were from our campus in Hendersonville. It’s awesome and certainly a cause to celebrate!

God Bless!

work out diary Sunday & Monday

Sunday was the first day I was really worried about sticking to my Weight Watchers diet plan. I went to a baby shower, the food was all desserts except for the spinach dip (in a bread bowl) I took. There was nothing low cal about the dip either. I figured maybe I could balance out some of the calories if I walked a couple of miles on the treadmill. So that’s what I did in the morning, before the shower.

There really wasn’t a way to calculate the points of all the goodies at the shower, so I just guessed. But I was really proud of myself. Months ago I would have been back at that table several times, Sunday I just got one of everything, instead of several of everything, and tried to pick the smallest portions.  Even with all the goodies I only went over one point. Saturday I wasn’t able to use all my points and left 10, so I figured it was okay. And I still lost weight. It was really nice to experience that life style change and be okay with it. I was surprised that it really wasn’t that much of an effort to refrain from pigging out.

Yesterday was our LifeGroup. That’s always a tough one. We let the kids pick what they want to eat, it’s never healthy. They picked pumpkin pie and popcorn chicken. Plus we had left over chips and dip from last week, so that was out too. I did put out baby carrots to munch on. But who wants to munch on carrots when chips and dip are available? I was able to calculate the point values for all the food, so I managed to keep everything within my points for the day. I still felt like I had consumed a bit too much junk food, so after LifeGroup I made it back upstairs on the treadmill. It was getting late, so I only did 20 minutes, but it felt good and was better than nothing.

This afternoon is my Tuesday racquetball lesson with Dad. It will be nice to get a good work out for the fourth day in a row. That’s pretty unusual for me, but hopefully I can keep it up and continue to boost my weight loss. :)

We never ordered a screamer

I prayed for many things when I was pregnant with Reagan, just as I did when I was pregnant with Hannah and Anthony. None of those prayers EVER asked that they scream. I prayed for their health, that we would be successful nursing, that the labor and deliverly would go as quickly and painless as possible without complications. Once again, NEVER PRAYED OR EVEN HOPED, for a screamer.

My Grandmother likes to say that God doesn’t give us what we want, He gives us what we need. I’m not sure why we need a screamer, but apparently we do. Because the main way Reagan communicates is by SCREAMING. I don’t know if maybe she knows she’s the youngest and smallest, so she thinks she has to be louder than anything (except maybe breaking the sound barrier) to be heard. It’s this shrill piercing scream and quite honestly I’m surprised we still have windows. Every time she screams I expect one to shatter. I’m also surprised our ear drums are still intact.

I keep hoping this is a phase she will out grow. Maybe once she starts talking the screaming will stop. Maybe. It really gets bad when she starts screaming, then Hannah starts screaming, then I have to raise my voice enough for them to hear me over the screaming. I don’t like raising my voice or yelling at my kids. We’re usually a very peaceful family without a lot of yelling. Maybe that’s it, the house is too quiet for Reagan’s tastes and she feels she needs to liven things up again.

clarification

After my post about the IL lottery, I had a family member show a little concern that I had blogged about it. So I thought I’d try to clear something up. I’m not saying or claiming that Obama is the antichrist. I just thought it was a coinsidence worth mentioning.

Every day or so I send a Bible verse and sometimes my personal thoughts to some friends and family. Here’s what I sent last night, maybe this will give a better insight into my views.

from a King James Version – Amplified / Parallel Bible:

Revelation 2:3-5 & 10-11
“I know you are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name’s sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary. 4 But I have this (one charge to make) against you; that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first (you have deserted Me, your first love). 5 Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God’s will) and do the works you did previously (when first you knew the Lord), or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent.
10 Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. (Dismiss your dread and your fears!) Behold, the devil is indeed about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested and proved and critically appraised, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be loyally faithful unto death (even if you must die for it), and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). He who overcomes (is victorious) shall in no way be injured by the second death.”

I’ve been hearing a LOT about this being the end times. I’ve actually heard about this being the end times all my life. But it feels different now. So for the first time in a long time I got my Bible out and even in the midst of all the chaos with the girls, started reading Revelation again. Over the last year I’ve read the Left Behind series and John’s Story, by the same authors. Even though those were works of fiction, they brought an understanding to the book of Revelation I didn’t have the first time or two I read it.

Even if we don’t see the return of Christ in our life time, as believers we should still act as if He were coming tomorrow. Love Him first, love others around us, and live our lives in a way that will bring others to be fully devoted followers of Christ.

Love in Him,
Callie

work out diary, Saturday

This morning was another racquetball lesson with Dad. I’m hitting the ball a little better, but still not as well as I want to. I did seem to have a bit more control of the ball this time, I didn’t hit Dad a single time. Which can’t be said of the last lesson. I think that count was 3. Probably would have been more if he hadn’t ducked for cover.

It was fun though, I’m looking forward to playing again Tuesday!

official weigh in #7

Even though I’m not technically a member of Weight Watchers anymore, I’m still counting my weight on Saturday mornings as my official weigh in. And I’m using a Weight Watchers scale, which matches up with the scales at their center.

So, this morning I was down another 3.2 pounds, for a total weight loss so far of 15.8 pounds. Just 4.2 more to go to meet my first goal of being down 20 by Thanksgiving. AND, I’ve now lost all the pregnancy weight from Reagan. Of course I started out too heavy, but seeing the weight drop consistently is a huge relief. If I stick to it, which I plan to, I could be down to my goal weight before my birthday. That would just be amazing!

Now I must get ready to go have a racquetball lesson with Dad! :) Time to burn more calories!! :)

work out diary, Thursday

For the first time in a long time I went upstairs while Zale watched the kids and worked some of the dust off the treadmill and elliptical. My idea was to “practice” running in hopes of increasing my endurance for racquetball lessons. There’s a BIG difference between running in a racquetball court and running on a treadmill. I think it’s even harder. So that didn’t work out like I hoped it would. I did go 20 minutes on the treadmill and 10 minutes on the elliptical. I worked up a good sweat, it felt good to get back up there.

Of course another reason is to help increase my weight loss. I’m just a few pounds away of reaching my first goal, which was to lose 20 pounds by Thanksgiving. Yea! :)

not sure what to title this post….

During my racquetball lesson with Dad Tuesday, several titles came to mind. The first was “Don’t hit Daddy”, the second was “Duck for Cover”, and the third was “Serve again, Serve again, Serve again, Serve again…..”.

I guess all those are self explanatory. :)

I can say that I’m getting a little bit more comfortable with the whole thing and can see a tiny light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe by the first of the year I’ll be able to play a real game. I do look forward to when it’s just natural and I don’t have to think about everything that I’m doing when I’m doing it.