Life's Pathway . . .

Source: flickr.com via Marie on Pinterest

I received a card in the post from my mother earlier this week. I was very touched by it. It has a beautiful verse on it by Emily Matthews . . .

At times, life's path
seems filled with things
that make the going rough,
And we wish there were
a smoother road,
for we feel we've had enough . . .

But, if we pause a moment
and remember Who's in charge,
The hills that loom ahead of us
no longer seem so large,
And every rock before us,
when we know we're not along,
Becomes, not just a stumbing block,
but one more stepping stone.
~Emily Matthews

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Inside there is another verse . . .

You've overcome so many things,
and, every time, you've grown
Through sheer determination
and the wisdom that you've shown.
So, as you face this journey,
from the moment you begin,
Know that God will guide you,
and you'll have the strength to win.

Then of course, she added a written message, which I don't mind sharing with you as well . . .

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I thought this card might inspire you to reach your goals. You have faced many hurdles in life and you can do it again. You've had many accomplishments that once were only your dreams.
much love always,
Mom

As I read the verse on the card and the special message inside, and then my mother's personal message, I was so very touched by her faith in me . . . and I thought yes, I can do it. I have waged a personal battle with my weight for the past 23 years. It has slowly crept on and gotten worse with every diet that I have tried to follow. The problem with diets is . . . they don't really work in the long term . . . especially not for me. Oh, I do have a limited success with them. I do lose weight following them . . . but I can't stick to them. I always end up feeling deprived. The weight always creeps back on . . . and I end up feeling like a failure . . . again.

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Recently I have been trying once again to lose weight. I have a lot to lose . . . AGAIN! I had lost those three stone a few years back, but then I lost my job, and everything that went along with it. We lost our Jess . . . And then, because we had not heeded our prophet's advice and were in debt for a new car we just could not afford . . . we lost our car. With no employment, there was no way we could pay for it. My arthritis got worse and worse . . . some days, I am not able to get around very well, and my days of going for long walks seem to have gone forever . . . this is something that Todd and I have always enjoyed doing together. The three stone lost . . . crept back on, and then some. (Why oh why does that always happen!! It's bad enough to gain back the weight you have lost, but why does there always have to be that little bit extra?? It's like adding insult to injury.)

In any case . . . my mother knows my struggles . . . all that extra weight means that my mobility is even more compromised. That because of extra weight . . . I can't do a lot of things that I used to do . . . that the effects of my arthritis are even worse. I know she worries about my health . . . my heart, my blood pressure . . . diabetes, which thankfully I don't have at the moment, but . . . being overweight it is a real risk.

Source: flickr.com via Marie on Pinterest

I do want to be healthier and I have been trying lately to eat a little differently, and to get some more exercise. I am not dieting . . . just doing things in a different way . . . using a smaller plate, cutting out some things, eating more fruit, etc. I'm a trained Chef . . . I know everything there is to know about what's bad for you . . . and all the things I should be doing and could be doing differently. It is a battle I will probably always have to wage.

Will I ever be truly thin again??? Skinny even??? I seriously doubt it, but I can be thinner and I can be healthier and that is my goal. It is time to take back control. I have let this problem steal enough of my life . . . dare I say . . . no more???

Sure . . . I say no more. I can make this work. With the Lord's help . . . I can do anything.

Do you have struggles in your life that you are trying hard to overcome? I have always read that sharing a problem with someone else, cut's the problem in half. Perhaps we can overcome these things together? We'll never know if we don't at least try. ☺ I'm in, if you're in.

WE CAN DO IT TOGETHER!

“Never give up on anyone. And that includes not giving up on yourself.”
― Dieter F. Uchtdorf



In The English Kitchen today, an oldie but a goodie, Cheesy Chicken Rarebits. (you can make them healthier by using milk instead of cream, and lower fat cheese, and less cheese. Meh . . . you do what you have to do in life, don't you?)