Happy Monday!

Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

There is a little chorus I learned from my Women of Faith drive time devotions that goes like this’ “Jesus, You are, You are everything I’m not and everything that I hope to be. Jesus, You are, You are, the maker of my heart. Finish what you started in me.”

About three years ago this month I weighed about 80 pounds more than I do now. I researched and decided to have lapband surgery. When I began this journey of weight loss I prayed that God would allow me this gift and if He did I would be His strong voice for this procedure and the life saving results it can produce. Anyone who has ever attempted any type of weight loss knows that if the intentional act of losing weight does not take priority in your life then you will lose weight , but when you slack off you will gain weight back and sometimes more than you lost than when you began. The last year losing weight has not been a top priority and I have gained 10 pounds.

Today I went to see my surgeon to have the band adjusted once again to help me eat less. I have also begun to regularly attend water aerobics again. I have also not allowed popcorn back into my house, because I tend to not be able to stop eating it once I start. (However, if we get to see Harry Potter before we leave on our cruise, I will eat some movie popcorn.)

A couple of weeks ago when I heard this little chorus and the lyric “finish what You started in me,” it struck me really hard. Here God had kept His faithfulness and I had put weight loss on a back burner until I had time to think about it and really concentrate on “finishing.”

I was nervous about going in today knowing I had gained a few pounds. And instead of being chided or reminded about the gain in weight, I was greeted with hugs and loving support. There was no chastising over “falling off the weight loss wagon.” There was only kindness and a welcome back into the fold.

I began to think that this is exactly how God treats us when we are not faithful and we fall short of the glory of God. If I believe that God brought me to this place then I must also believe that He will not abandon me when I walk off of the path. He will keep me in the way I should go when I ask forgiveness and surrender my weaknesses over to Him. God’s promise is that He will complete every task committed to Him and we are to believe and trust in Him for He is God and He is faithful no matter what.

It is my plan to lose thirty more pounds. I have committed these pounds to God. Am I going to wake up 30 pounds lighter by Thursday morning? No! (Wouldn’t that be cool, though!) But I believe God is faithful and when I call upon Him as I walk, or do water aerobics, or elliptical or just eat popcorn at the movies I believe God will either spur me on to help me stop when the temptations come before me.

God loves us so much that He welcomes us back into the fold of His love no matter what. Even though it is hard to admit when we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, we should never be afraid because He is there to welcome us back with His loving and open arms never remembering our failings and giving us a fresh start once again. Pray for me.

Take joy in the journey and stay in the shade. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.