Dreaming Small for Big Diet Wins

As the holiday season slowly draws to a close, some of us are thinking about all the food boo-boos of the past few weeks. But before we rush into January with arm loads of good intentions, let's formulate a realistic plan. Think of our diet reorientation as a ladder and we are obviously starting at the bottom rung on week one. Goals should be SMALL to begin with. They should also be specigic and measurable, or we should know when we have achieved the objective. 2nd  week add another small goal to the first week's goal and stick with both for week two. Repeat this pattern over the succeeding weeks .

Why do we need to dream small initially? Building in small wins provide encouragement to continue. And by working incrementally, we allow ourselves time to adjust to the change in eating pattern. Once again we are setting the stage to increase the chances of success.

January is also when many of us think about fasting for 21 or 30 days. Without a doubt there are many physical and spiritual benefits. Please stay tuned in January as I talk about this subject and provide resources for our journey into faith and fitness.

May the LORD bless you, and keep you, make his face shine upon you ... today and all through the coming year.

PS. Today I walked in the rain (with my umbrella) so there is no sunrise to share. But guess what, the Presence of the LORD was every bit as real. Hmmm, there's a message in that. 

Memories of Christmases Past

Weekly Word from the Wisdom Walk

Yesterday I did not feel like I had anything specific to say so I held off posting. While Mom and I were out shopping, we started talking about Christmas memories. This morning, without knowing about yesterday's conversation, my husband, pulled out a list he had made and started talking about memories of Christmas.
So here are a few things. To some this will be new but a few will doubtless identify.
We remember Christmas as the time for road work - clearing the drains and cutting back the trees. This meant quick cash for those who would have had very little Christmas money otherwise. It meant weeding the yard, whitewashing the house, the gate, and everything that can possibly hold " white lime." It meant filling the mattress with new grass,  music everywhere, radio competitions for various prizes, doing the walkabout and eating at the neighbors (not allowed at other times). Its the Christmas breeze, sweet-potato pudding, duck-bread, grandmarket, johncanoo dancers, blossoming sugarcane fields (called cane flags) and the absence of fear as we simply had a great time.

We missed nothing because of not knowing we  should have had more. Most of us had no idea we were poor! Truth be told,  then, we were a lot closer to peace on earth and goodwill to all men/ people than we are today.  Christmas Sunday we would show up to church in our finery, the new clothes we received as Christmas gifts. How far we have come!

 As many of us celebrate our abundance and the excitement of giving and receiving, let's also remember our past with a deep sense of gratitude. Most of all,  let us treasure the Greatest Gift: Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!

Joy's of the Season

Weekly Word from the Wisdom Walk
The crunch is on! Shopping,  packing, and shipping, each person trying to get ahead of the crowd. Let's not forget courtesy and giving grace when we are "run over" in the stores.
We say Jesus is the reason for the season and the best way to acknowledge this is to act as he would.
May you find joy in all your preparations and sense the closeness of Jesus as we honor the season of his incarnation .
His Name shall be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, and the prince of peace.

Take a Breather

Weekly Word from the Wisdom Walk
As we dive headlong into the holiday season it is easy to cover the symptoms of being overwhelmed by staying busy. We mistakenly reason if we push just a little harder, we'll feel better. In effect we attempt to solve an inner problem with outside activities.
Though it may seem hard, the thing to do is to take a step back...
We may be feeling out of it because of physical problems, common sleeplessness and exhaustion,  or because of the unrealistic expectations we have set for ourselves.
Get to the root cause and attempt a solution. Don't just continue to push. The difficulty with this approach is, it forces us to be bare-naked, honest with ourselves. Hard, but a whole lot better than allowing the negativity of our insides to make an unscheduled appearance on the outside.
Peace and may God's favor rest upon you this season.