GOODBYE!! AND THANK YOU!! TO ALL!!

So He will come and take your sorrow

Allowing peace and hope to follow…

So He may show His tender love

Sprinkle mercy from heaven above

So He may hold onto your hands

And you will know He understands!

Pray like you never have before

And when you’re done, pray some more

I will be praying for you too

Until He stands there right by you!

You feel the breeze of His holy cloak

As He lifts His hand with a gentle stroke

With one hand placed upon your heart

And His other upon your head…..

What have you now to fear?

What have you now to dread?

Although your body may be weak

Your soul will be strengthened instead! 

My dear friend Jane I say to you

I do know now what I need to do

To truly be of help to you…..

So I will raise my arms and chant

To the heavens up above……..

So you may feel His comfort and His love  

Love, your friend, Linda

Still tired from the jet lag so please forgive my Frenenglish ( I am bilingual, French and English), so sometimes they both come out at once, lol! It was a 14 hour trip back from Louisiana only, everything that could wrong did. It tried by faith, my patience and most of all my nerves. Oh! well! so much for loving flying. I do still love the peace that I have however when I look out the aircraft window at those clouds and talk to Him, in His home.

Speaking of talking to Him I am still doing all the “prayer pleas” so if I have not received yours yet just send it along to me okay? Reading many blogs yesterday, trying to catch up, I realized there are some scenarios here that require my prayers so I have written them down and added them to my list. Some being more serious than others but all requiring a little faith to overcome.

By the same token, I myself need your prayers for issues in my own life that I need to deal with. They are not serious matters but they do require His/my attention to resolve. Inspiration from Him about how to deal with all the world’s problems, the One who knows all the answers and even all the outcomes, is of tremendous importance to me, it is so Uplifting! 

Without Him on this weight loss journey I would not be so diligent to get healthy for myself and everyone I love and who loves me. To do it alone is not an option for me, I am too weak. He is my “footing” and without Him I would fall. Without Him I would have been unkind this week-end to the many people I encountered at the airports who did not know their jobs and consequently gave me many problems, made my trip so much longer than it should have been.

Without Him there would be no Me therefore no life to enjoy, no purpose. I have so much to be grateful for that it would be unkind and selfish of me not to remember always, Who is responsible for all of my happiness. To remember my failings are a direct result of the “free will” He gives me that I do not always use wisely creating havoc for myself. To remember Who is always there to pick me up when I am about to fall, Who is my footing.

Well, it’s off to the mall for my 3-4 mile walk, not sure what my still tired body will endure today, lol! Then it’s the grocery store for healthy food. Sorry Donald, I’m back no more Bismarks for you honey! He needs much faith also to eat the staples I make him eat and not be upset with me, lol! Actually, he has much motivation given his past health issues. He inspires and motivates me most times. It is nice to be home again and getting serious once more about this weight loss journey. Have a blessed day everyone!

How often have we said to ourselves I wish there were more hours in a day, days in a week, weeks in a month etc. etc. If there were I could accomplish so much more. I would be a lot more productive. What if we took what we do have for time and made every minute count? What if we actually practiced “one day at a time” instead of just saying it? What if we really took the time to stop and pick up the rose to smell it? What if we admired that rose in our hands and started counting its petals? For many this seems to be an impossible feat given everything that is on their daily agenda. They are merely existing, not living. You might say that they are in the inside arena oblivious to all of the peace, tranquility and beauty that exist on the outside. They seem to be role playing and not really performing to the best of their abilities. It just isn’t there, and nor are they.

They are pre-occupied with every little detail of every task that they must accomplish on a daily basis. They regard interruptions in their routine as stressful setbacks that consequently hinder their morales and take a toll on their health. Relaxing for them is only an option when one is on vacation. We are a nation of workaholics so we may compete with the Jonses’ and everyone else who intimidates us to behave that way by seemingly “having it all”. That is an interesting statement “having it all”! What exactly is” having it all”? And furthermore do we truly need it all? whatever ” having it all” is? Shouldn’t our “alls” all be different according to our lifestyles our needs.? Why are we killing ourselves to get someone else’s “all”? that isn’t even meant for us most times? a true need for us? Why do we let our pride govern our lives to that point? Is it that rewarding to us? I, personally find more is corrupting and less is truly appreciated. My “all” is based on me and who I am, my aspirations are not founded on someone else’s dreams, their “all”. My “all” defines me it is not defined by someone else’s “all”.

In fact from this day forward I shall strive to have ”nothing” therefore I will not take time from my valuable day seeking it “all”. In the mind set of “nothing” I will accomplish much and have much because I will be me, I will not be role playing, stress will not control me and play havoc with my health. What I do cultivate will be rich in meaning for it will grow from “nothing” which will obligate me to tend to my garden relentlessly thusly truly appreciating my harvest. It will constantly make me aware of what my needs should be and not what I desire them to be.  I will then be able to determine who I am and not allow others to do that for me. I will now be able to reach more people with my heart then I ever could before, using any other part of my being.  Although you risk rejection when you open up your heart to others, the love that is returned to you , your “all” is far better than the emptiness inside you where more love could be. I must go now there are people I must touch and roses I must hold, smell and simply admire so I may accomplish “nothing” today and be successful in His eyes.

I wish for all of you a day filled with healthy foods, healthy attitudes, much physical activity and “nothing” else. May today be the “nothing” day that you reach all of your weight loss goals, all of your goals by reaching others with your hearts. Luv Ya! sistas! and mistas!

Visiting loved ones is so much fun especially when that is your daughter and her beautiful family. Seems like you just got there however and in a flash it’s time to go home again. The love, the caring, the sharing all awesome! especially the bonding. Your daily routine is interrupted however and it is difficult to stay on track, on top of everything. Your physical activity is not always maintained and your normal eating habits are somewhat compromised. I crossed the line more than once with food when it came to eating out and I drank a “Grasshopper” (it’s a drink of liquors) it was too hard to resist. True I only drank one now and again in the past and none at all since this new healthy food regimen I am now following until a couple of days ago.

The granbabies are so unbelievably adorable. There are four of them ages 4 (twins), 8 and ten. You can only imagine how much fun I am having with all of them. It will be hard to leave come Sunday morning. Bonding with Estel once again! priceless! This is fun part now for the fitness once I am home and back into my routine I will surely have to step it up. It will be back to the motivational cards, and all my physical activity increased as well. In fact I will need to do that for quite some time until my stamina has returned. No breaks for me anymore for a while, lol! I am looking forward to it however because I am a far happier person when their is lots of structure in my life. I am truly dependent on it. I wish I was wealthy like the movie stars, wealthy period!, I would go to a boot camp and shed this blubber in no time, lol! I would also have a personal dietician fixing all of my meals. I guess I would be Oprah! LMHO.

On to the friendship! that is where all of you come in SUPPORT! SUPPORT! SUPPORT! I will be needing plenty of it to get back on track and stay there. So rest up this week-end because come Monday I will need you here for me with your pep talks, motivational and inspirational blogs and anything else you have in mind to put the spark under my butt, lol! Seriously! you will be needing to crack the whip but once I get going I am usually pretty good for a couple of hours (just kidding!) a couple of weeks until I need more motivation. April has already jump started my routine when I get back with her recipe for tomato soup I am very anxious to try it. Debra has also shared her successful weight loss tips with me. Anything else you have, bring it on sistas! and mistas! It will be greatly appreciated. Have a very blessed week-end filled with many happy memories. Say a little prayer for me also, I truly love flying but just never know what can happen when you are up there, lol! Thank You!

Love you girl. so glad you had a good time with your kiddos. Now get back to work being a healthier you. Be safe on your travels. Lots of time to talk to our Father while you’re in the air. Take care.

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NEW BEGINNINGS!

What a sad existence this would be if we were not ever given the opportunity to make amends for our shortcomings, our mistakes. If everyone judged us by those mistakes and they formulated their opinions of us based on our human frailties. If they could not identify with us to try to understand why we failed them. If they gave up on us without even trying to reconcile our differences. If their feelings for us after we erred remained negative to the point of rejection and even hostility. To be told that because you erred and do not necessarily agree with another’s opinion that there was something seriously wrong with you

What a sad existence this would be if we all chose to practice the aforementioned. If we looked at those who err as individuals who now have to answer to a higher power and even stating that we are grateful that we are not them. Consequently judging others and being convinced that erring cannot be forgiven only by Him who asks us to do so. Therefore sending a message that we obviously are always acting in a pleasing manner to Him because we ourselves do not need forgiveness without conditions or worst rejection because we are mot willing to give that to others.

What a sad existence this would be if all of the above was true of everyone . There would be no tolerance in this world for erring, no true forgiveness for anyone that which goes far beyond words. That which is manifested into actions and allows the sorrowful person who erred to maintain a sense of decency and self-respect for themselves. The kind of forgiveness that incorporates empathy for others therefore is ongoing without judging or placing conditions on it. The true forgiveness that forgets not the person who erred but rather their actions.

Fortunately in this world there are people who understand all of the above scenarios and they practice them daily. If that were not so and everyone gave up so easily on each other withholding true forgiveness and being judgmental about the spiritual outcome of the person (s) who erred (when we are not in their hearts) there would be no genuine love in the world. There would be no honest loving relationships , no relationships at all between us as human beings because we all err and we all deserve true forgiveness that which goes far beyond words. As harsh as this may sound suicide is often a result of rejection and deep rooted negativity that one person harbors for another leaving the person who erred helpless and feeling unloved.

Praise God for those who truly “Walk the talk”. My dearest and closest friends here at Buddyslim. Thank God for those who do not judge others for erring and consequently forsake them without exercising empathy for them , for their mistakes not taking the time to understand them, reconciling with them instead considering them unworthy of their friendship or love. Praise God for those who acknowledge their own frailties and are therefore able to offer true forgiveness and true love “that is only love when it is given “freely” “ to everyone! Thanks to all of you I have renewed confidence in myself today as a faithful servant to Him and to everyone acknowledging I have erred and will again because I am always and ever a “work in progress”. I have learned through you to forgive myself for erring and to walk proud for all of my many strides to be a follower of Him although I am weak and He will need to pick me up from time to time. I truly appreciate your friendship, caring, understanding and most of all acceptance for who I truly am with all of my faults. God Bless you every one! You have allowed me a New Beginning! He must be so incredibly proud of you! I know I am! Love, Linda

What do you do when you mess up and you openly admit it to Everyone that you were wrong but they want no part of that? You blog the most sincere apology you know how and your sincere apology (the purpose for that blog) gets refused and by those you thought shared a belief in God, (Who is all about forgivenss), with you? What do you do when individuals congregate in one place to judge you for judging them? When those same individuals make very hurtful comments about your Personality because you do not share the same views about certain things and you let your extreme passion for God control you? You behaved in a way that is not even acceptable to you? The very reason for your sincere apology, your blog?What do you do when someone befriends you because they really know you and forgive you even though they are not even involved in the situation and that person, those people are also judged and their supportive comments on your behalf are removed from the nightmare blog that only serves to condem you? What do you do when the nightmare is reoccuring no matter what you do? The bashing blogs don’t stop? 

What do you do when you spend months prior to your screwing up encouraging everyone to be the best thay can be and always making yourself an equal to them (because that is what you truly believe) and even raising them only to be told that you consider yourself superior to everyone and your faith is phony? What do you do when your shortcomings are perceived by others to be a crime and therefore the punishment must be ongoing? What do you do when others are not able to see beyond your faults and forgive you as you always forgive others and reject you instead? What do you when that happens and it is justified by faith, the same faith that mandates we always love and forgive one another as He always has and always will? What gives anyone the right to say “Leave me alone” without even making any attempt to forgive you or try to understand you? Who then becomes pompous in that scenario? What do you do when all you know is compassion but your lack of formal education gets in the way of your speaking, your writing and you are perceived as sarcastic and pompous because your passion for life, for everything! is so strong that you end up being bold sometimes, in relaying that passion to ours?  What do you do when you hear everyone saying there opinions, for the purpose of citicizing yours? When you want to defend yourself but your comments are deleted or never accepted whatever the case may be? How can that be justified?

What do you do when you try to make ammends (even if you truly feel it is only your difference of opinions that made them forsake you) with someone by making sincere commets on their blogs to go back and find them deleted, booster notes declined? Decline? ignore? reject? Are those not all negative words attached to negative feelings? I am at peace through all of this however because the Jesus I have and continue to learn about would never DECLINE my friendship, my love, IGNORE me for ANY reason or REJECT me. He is an all forgiving God that mandates I do the same, WWJD? REALLY?

Thank you to all my friends here who truly understand me, understand Him and walk the talk. I WILL NEVER FALTER FROM WHO I AM AND THAT IS AN EXTREME LOVER OF JESUS WHO CREATED ME AND TO WHOM I OWE MY LIFE, I OWE EVERYTHING! THEREFORE I MUST OBEY EVERYTHING HE HAS AND CONTINUES TO TEACH ME ABOUT LOVING AND FORGIVING OTHERS AND ASKING FOR THE SAME FORGIVENESS WHEN I MYSELF HAVE FAILED HIM, OTHERS! WHEN I FALTER AND I JUDGE I NEED TO BE REPENTENT, THAT IS WHAT THIS ENTIRE BLOG WAS ABOUT FOR ME TODAY AS MY BLOG WAS YESTERDAY! IF YOU ARE COMING FROM A DIFFERENT PLACE THAN I AND DISAGREE WITH ME NO PROBLEM! JUST WALK AWAY FROM MY PAGE. I WILL TRY VERY HARD NOT TO JUDGE YOU BUT PLEASE!!! YOU MUST AGREE NOT TO JUDGE ME EITHER. AS FAR AS THE COMMENT THAT WAS MADE ABOUT “MY POOR HUSBAND” REGARDING THE ISSUE OF NUDITY, I CAN ASSURE THAT HE GETS PLENTY AND IT IS ALL RESERVED FOR HIM AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN, HE IS NOT POOR IN ANY WAY! LUV YA! SISTAS! AND MISTAS!

WWJD? REALLY??

I come to you this morning with my faith on my sleeve (someone reminded me) of that yesterday. I was tempted to take offense over it but admitting to myself where my heart always is I knew she was right. I decided that I would take it as a compliment instead. Since my faith and my heart are one of the same for me! it is fitting that I wear them together. I must admit however that this past week I have not been the responsible individual I normally am when dealing with others. I’m afraid I allowed my sensitivity to get in the way of my good judgement. As some of you already know I have been struggling with unkindnesses done unto me at the hands of another member here.

That hurt has manifested in me abetting to my lack of tolerance and even consideration to a few others here who are of my perpetrator’s faith. I judged (normally not acceptable to me ever!) and I challenged another’s beliefs because someone of their faith hurt my daughter and I so badly. I was blinded by my sorrow and I found myself stereotyping (another huge “no”, “no” for me as a rule), I detested my own actions. This behavior is totally out of character for me and I myself do not tolerate it. I am ashamed of myself for allowing it to happen. I believe the tension of habitually hurtful people can annoy even the most patient of individuals. My daughter felt obligated to leave the sight because of all the tension and drama surrounding this hurtful individual and that is very sad. She is such a loving person with a huge heart and to have someone destroy her spirit in this way really tugs at my heart strings.

Sadly it is not always the things that we choose to do or say sometimes that can destroy someone’s spirit it is also the things we neglect to say or do especially when we make it obvious to the person (s) we do not care about that we are neglecting or ignoring them purposely. For as long as I live I will never understand anyone who practices that kind of behavior. I myself cannot survive without empathy and acceptance of everyone which is the premise of this blog. I cannot live with myself unless I apologize to anyone who was hurt by my judgmental and childish behavior. I am truly sorry for my immaturity, I am sure you know who you are. I do not want to be part of any competition anymore I just want to be able to be me and you be you!. To Estel and I’s perpetrator please! admit to yourself your own faults also and stop the competition, please!

Buddyslim is supposed to be a relaxing place to come to discuss whatever! is happening on one’s weight loss journey positive or negative. It is not supposed to be a place where people get judged about their thoughts, their behaviors and consequently rejected. I do not understand any faith that tolerates that kind of behavior as acceptable behavior. I will not accept myself being anything but kind to everyone who crosses my path ever again. I will not allow anyone on this site to encourage me to be anything but that and once again I APOLOGIZE SINCERELY! to anyone and everyone on this iste who has ever been hurt by my actions or my words or made to feel uncomfortable about anything ! on my page (my home).

 Believe it when I say “if I had it within my power to bring everyone of every faith together as One to worship Him, it would be happening now”. I know this is a weight loss forum but I also know that a weight loss journey is very difficult and encouragement and boosting morale often comes from one’s faith, one’s beliefs. Lastly to my’our perpetrator please! stop the competition it is so negative and fruitless. You have admitted as I/we, Estel and I have many times that we all have only one wing so therefore we are all dependent on the other to fly freely. Omitting anyone from that scenario, that team is not charitable and very hurtful as we all know. I truly hope the people in question whom I have hurt as a result of succombing to my perpetrator will accept my sincere apology and lend me their wings once again! I love you sistas! and mistas! I do not ever want you to feel anything but love, acceptance, encouragement and sincerity upon entering my home, visiting my page. May you all have a blessed Sunday filled with many happy memories.

As I awakened to the Awesome! sunshine this morning I was reminded of how fortunate and blessed I am. Once again the trials of daily living are upon me and yet I am at peace with myself, with Him. I know that it will be very difficult to put only healthy foods in my mouth and let only kind words leave my lips. It will be a challenge also to get in all the physical activity I need to restore my health. It will be painful also not to inappropriately gesture the individual who will cut me off on the roadway today. The individual who will cut me in line at the bank or the individual who will say something to me that will hurt my feelings. The individual who will compete with and even belittle me to raise herself/himself. The individaul who will tell me falsehoods to manipulate me and have their way with me.

In spite of all these impending scenarios I am still eager to start a new day. I know that I will somehow meet my weight loss goals one step at a time and my spiritual goals one prayer at a time. I will be enlightened in so many ways in the course of this day and I will make lasting memories with everyone I love and everyone I meet if I walk with Him. I realize I do not have to perform unbelievable feats to make a difference in someone’s life that it is simply by my example that someone can change, better themselves if need be. If they see that I am happy following Him they may be encouraged to do the same. If they see that I am at peace with myself they may desire the same for themselves. Just as I must be a role model to the adolescent I must also be to everyone I encounter in my life

My spiritual behavior should not be flambouyant or boastful needing attention and recognition. He was always very modest about what He did for others , even His miracles were not always known to everyone. The quiet deeds that nobody sees or hears about except for the recipient (s) are those He admires the most. Those are the deeds that cultivate the seeds bearing the healthiest fruit of all. It always amazes me how certain individuals seek recognition for all their actions, they must boast of all their goodness leaving little time in their lives to see all the goodness in others. They are so pre-occupied with self that they are blindfolded to the existence of anyone else. The relationship is always one sided and they are always the recipients. How does the fruit of the Holy Spirit given to all of us (who believe and follow) in the form of grace survive that kind of relationship without the foundation cracking? We are all angels with one wing dependent on all the others to fly. To spread our wings and truly soar we must be willing to fly with everyone to be insync with all mankind. We must acknowledge that He envelops all of us under His wings and to be a true follower we must do the same.

In closing I would like to say that the scripture I feel asleep reading last night told me to be aware of those who are “prayer ignorant” who use God as a gift giver and not as a healer of sin and a giver of grace. Those who bring the most attention to themselves to promote His word. Those who are quick to judge others and their beliefs and who shout His praises the loudest, the screamers of His word. I am reminded once again that the silent acts of kindness and quiet preaching of His word are those He admires the most and those He rewards the most. I shall live by His example and let my actions be His words so I may soar with all of mankind who are after all my second wing.

May you all have a wonderful week-end and seek Him when the twinkies are too hard to resist and the couch is just too comfy. He wants to help you every step of this long and tedious journey known as weight loss. Mesh your wings with others and He will mesh His with you. Luv Ya! sistas! and mistas!

“The meaning of life”

Last night I called my husband as usual to tell him how much I loved him and to hear the news of what was happening back home. We conversed for a while and enjoyed each other’s company then we discussed the mail we received so I could pay the bills we had, online while I was here. Hubby does not do the computer thing! He keeps very busy with much manual labor which is his fortay. I am pleased because that way he stays healthy and happy. Getting back to the issue of the mail, we received a letter from Reylin a child we are sponsoring, from the Philippines. My husband read the letter to me and I could hardly breathe, I was crying so much that I started shaking.

The faith, the love, the peace, the contentment and the gratitude that came from every word on the page of that letter astonished me. I do not have the letter in front of me of course but I will attempt to relay to you what was said in it that touched my heart so profoundly. To begin with she referred to me as Madame and Donald (my hubby) as Sir throughout the letter. She thanked us repeatedly for sponsoring her. She incorporated that gratitude in every sentence she wrote. She spoke of her interests saying dancing and acting were on the top of her list. She wished that she could do them more often but her family could not afford for her to do so. She stated that she especially liked dance but the days it was offered were the same days that she had to do more chores and babysit her siblings so her mother could go out and sell beauty products to the wealthy.

Her mother had to help her father with the household income which was so meager they could barely make ends meet. Her father, she said drove a jeep transporting everyone around the village to earn his living. She told us that his name was Fernando and that she and all of her siblings had a variation of that name in their names. She was so proud of that fact that I could actually see her beautiful young face jump off the page when my husband read that sentence to me. She finished her letter by telling us that she and her family have been thanking God every Sunday when they go to church services for my husband and I sponsoring them. She said that they considered themselves extremely blessed for our help and that we were the angels that God promised them and they were waiting for, for so long now. Again came an abundance of “thank you’s “and “God bless you’s” as well. I am still shaking this morning writing this blog to think that a ten year old girl with no running water in her house and very little electricity, grateful to have a wood stove to cook on can consider herself so blessed and be so incredibly grateful for $30.00 a month from us. I/we have come away from this experience renewed, this beautiful letter from a needy child so consumed by the Holy Spirit that she radiates all that is pure, healthy and most of all sacred in life.

Her existence in our lives is a reminder to all of us that food in poor nations is scarce and trying to get it is the obstacle, not trying to avoid it because of obesity. As they always say, God works in mysterious ways, Reylin for hubby and I is an awakening to appreciate our thoroughly blessed lives and be thankful for them every chance we get. As of that letter my/our complaining days that are fruitless have now transposed themselves into thankful days bearing fruit. From now on it is “What do I have?” versus What does my greed want? So next time I feel deprived because I allowed myself to be obese and now I cannot eat freely anymore I will remember Reylin who never knows where her next meal is coming from or if she will even get one. Luv Ya! sistas! and mistas! Have a blessed Friday and wonderful week-end.