Heart Choices: 2013-02-10 -->

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The Greatest Love of All


Happy Valentine's Day!  Now before you think I'm going to belt out Whitney Houston's popular song "The Greatest Love of All" calm down ...I'm not.  It seems that only the little children in our Pre-K 3 class don't mind my singing.  :)


Maybe you thought I would write about my special Valentine, my husband Greg.  We've been married 28 years now.  And yes I love him very much.  Just the other day he held me and told me that he was so glad he gets to share his life journey with me.  That totally melted my  heart.  It was much better than a box of chocolates. Happy Valentine's Day Greg!

For those of you who are newly married or about to get married, I want to tell you something that is the truth.  Marriage is hard!  I hear people say they are best friends with their spouse and they never argue.  I have a hard time believing that.  Marriage has its ups and downs.  There are moments when I feel so 'in love' with my hubby and other times when I choose to love him.  Do you know what I mean?  So let's get real here.

Maybe you thought I'd write about the three and four year old children I get to spend my days with at school.  Yes, I love each one of them.  And I feel very fortunate to spend this season of my life in a job I never imagined I'd be doing.  I love the kids and my co-workers.

But the greatest love of all is ...Jesus.  

  • He gives me strength when I haven't any
  • He gives me love like I've never known before
  • He gives me hope even when all seems so bleak
  • He gives me joy as He provides me with a new perspective
  • He gives me love for others as His love overflows from within me
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 NIV

I pray that each one of you who read Heart Choices knows Jesus personally.  He loves you so much.  You can always click on the red READY button if you scroll down on the left sidebar to find out more.

I'm linking up with Bonnie for this Faith Barista Jam on LOVE.



Blessings and love,

QuickEdit

Weigh-In Wednesday ~ Refocus


It's Weigh-In Wednesday.  I would love to share how I lost another couple of pounds and that I exercised every day but ...it just wasn't one of those weeks.  I've been fighting allergies and a sinus infection that's left me fatigued.  Many of the children in our Pre-K 3 class have had colds so along with that comes lots of runny noses and coughing.  Although we teach them about covering their coughs with their elbow and using tissues to wipe their little noses, they sometimes forget.  So it's been one of those weeks.

Keep Your Eyes on the Goal

However, I'm keeping my eyes on the goal of living a healthy lifestyle.  For me this means one I can live with long term; not a short term diet to lose a few pounds.  There will be those days or weeks in life. It's important to not lose sight of my goal.

Can you can identify with this picture?  I certainly can.  The little birthday girl is still wearing her crown.  But she is so tired.  But don't give in and give up!  This is not the time to reach for that bag of chips.  Yes I'll admit I did indulge and eat too may Girl Scout cookies. :)

This is the time when it can be a temptation to give up and scrap the whole plan.  But don't do it!

Refocus

This is the time to refocus.  Maybe losing 10 pounds in two weeks was a bit unrealistic after all.  Why not work on planning healthier meals and writing them down once a week.  I started to put together a huge salad of assorted lettuce and veggies each Sunday evening. When I pack my lunch for work, I simply grab a healthy salad with a bit of low calorie dressing.  I add a few pieces of fruit and I'm all set. I've also been using my crock pot so dinner is easy when I come home in the evening.  A little planning makes a huge difference and doesn't allow me time to get so hungry I reach for whatever is available.


I've found Pinterest to be a great source for many  healthy recipes. I know it can be easy to get distracted by all the yummy high calorie foods you see there.  But there are many low calorie ideas on Pinterest too.  This black bean salad is one I've made and it's good. You can click through on the photo to get the recipe.

So don't give up when you've had one of those weeks.  It's time to refocus on the long term goal; healthy living.

I'm linking up with Kim of At Home with Kim for Weigh-In Wednesdays.


Blessings and love,

QuickEdit

The Blessings of Fun Days


Pajamas and pancakes at school?  You betcha!  And what fun we all had including the teachers.  I don't remember days like this when I was a kid in school but I'm not complaining.


The children were adorable in their favorite pajamas.

Even the teachers got to wear their pj's and eat pancakes.  Greg laughed and asked me if I had enough gas in our car.  He didn't want me to stop for gas on the way to work in my pajamas after all.

Five years ago I would have laughed if someone told me I'd be working in a classroom with three and four year old children.  But the events in my life changed almost overnight and so I returned to the work force full time.  

Only God could have orchestrated a job like this for me.  A woman who always wanted children but couldn't have them.  A woman who figured that part of her life was over.  

But God never forgot my desire and He met my need just when I least expected it.  

As I relish the fun days with the children and Heidi, I quietly thank God.  I couldn't have predicted this. 

I think of Psalm 37:4-5 (NIV)
Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him and He will do this.

How thankful I am to trust in Him.

I continue to count those every day blessings.

#675 A fun day in our Pre-K 3 classroom
#676 The sound of laughter
#677 Eating pancakes with children
#678 Getting to wear pajamas to work
#679 Learning to trust the Lord
#680 Thanking Him for remembering my heart's desire
#681 Thankful for His provision
#682 Believing His promises
#683 Answers to prayer
#684 Hearing my dad's excitement that he is now online
#685 Thankful that my 84 year old dad is willing to learn new things
#686 Beautiful days in Phoenix
#687 Beautiful red geraniums that brighten my outside entryway

I'm linking up with Ann of A Holy Experience as I count my blessings for Multitudes on Mondays.



Blessings and love,

QuickEdit
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