Every year I make the New Year’s Resolution to lose weight. I have learned never to pick a number, because it makes me feel like a failure if I didn’t achieve it (even if it’s two pounds because I think “how hard was two pounds”). I have learned in almost 40 years (yes! I am going to be 40 and I don’t mind saying it!!) that I shouldn’t do things to make myself hate me.
Do you remember last summer? I donated my clothes that were not within one size of what I was currently not wearing. I would look in my closet at my rainbow of sizes and hate myself because I couldn’t believe that I had gained weight. I’ve even eliminated friends who made me feel bad about myself because they would send me pictures of “success stories” in People magazine (who does that?!?) to motivate me. I went to the doctor’s office a month or so ago… and I lost 10 pounds since April. I was like “that’s not that much” but the doctor said “how would you feel if you GAINED 10 pounds?” so true! 10 pound loss is good. Perspective :)
I can say as this year closes, I weigh less than I did last year. That’s good. It might not be 50 pounds, but I lost weight and I have made better choices a little at a time. I know that it can’t be some crazy “throw the baby out with the bath water” changes, they need to be changes that can be kept long term.
There are so many things that making small changes in my life that have paid off! I decided to read the bible in a year. I have always failed at this in the past. I have NEVER finished! I’m happy to report that I will finish! I am actually a couple days behind at this very moment, but I will have it completed by the year’s end! A small change, which was for my benefit! I have learned so many great things that are in the bible, I have even been almost knocked off my chair at moments by the Word of God. It’s been so amazing completing this task. I had even taken on separate challenges with this by reading other books in addition to my “scheduled” reading. It’s been pretty cool to accomplish not just to check the box of completing this task but of how much I’ve learned!
As the year closes, I look back and think that this has been a year well lived, not easy, not always the perfect choices, but I have learned to love myself more, to love others bigger, and to love Jesus greater!
I loved loving...
2 John 1:4-6 4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
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