It's here already? {CMA}

Well, it's Thursday again. I am happy to announce that I am back to 172. :) If you remember last week, my weigh in wasn't all that great due to some unexpected stress.



The goal for this week:

1. Eat clean-Beginning today I will be striving to get back to the Paleo lifestyle of eating. Which means no processed food, no added sugars, and no bread/grain.
     2. Move more-My goal is to walk at least 3 times a week. I started pretty well yesterday, walking 3.8 miles in 50 minutes. Honestly, I don't know how that one happened...but it did.
     3. Refresh Daily-This past Sunday I finished one study of the bible on the one year format, only to pick another one up to do with the hubs (happy dance). As well as doing a few other studies both on my own and with friends.

I'm linking up over here today. Won't you join us in our journey to get healthy?

Five Minute Friday: Loud

It's that time of week again. The time where I join up with Lisa-Jo with the weekly word to just write:



1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Meet & encourage someone who linked up before you.

My five minutes starts....

NOW

Loud. A word that many would use to describe me. At least those who know me. However, I am a natural introvert. So, unless we know each other well, it takes an extensive amount of energy, stress, and nerves to be loud.

To live out my faith loudly is my goal. What does loud faith look like? To live loud, to be bold in what I believe. To be sure in what I live for. To not be timid about what I believe.

To live life loudly. To proclaim who I am and what I believe without fear. Without fear of being criticsized by those who are louder than I.

When I hear my Savior speak into my soul, it is a loud impression upon my heart. His voice is often described as a still small voice, and indeed it is. However, in my heart, I hear it loud and clear. However, it's taken years for it to become loud and clear in the midst of the loudness of the world around.

STOP

Will you join us in sharing five minutes on loud?

It's been too long

Sad to say, it's been almost a month (to the day) since I've check in with my weight. If you remember, last month, I wrote Five Minute February. Since that series, unfortunately I have had a lot of life happen and because  of those circumstances, I allowed my healthy eating to take a back seat.

Although I didn't gain more than four pounds (which in and of itself is a miracle) I haven't been able to get back down to where I was before, just yet. Not without the help of this community. Without the help of my friends whom I've come to cherish.

Last time I checked in, I weighed 172. Today, I have to admit, I'm at 173.5. Which means I've lost 2.5 pounds from my highest weight since the last time I checked in, which is a start. A good start.

Today, I'm over here talking about how life can easily complicate our commitment and ways to overcome said challenges. Would you join in our conversation there? Take the challenge to get serious about living a healthy life with us?

Guess what, friends?

Guess who's over here today:

You guessed it! Me!

Join me for my thoughts.

Life without bread.

Have a blessed weekend!

FMF: Brave

Here we are once again friends, time for that five minutes every week, where I join with other bloggers on a quest to write without worrying if it's just right for a short period of time.



My hopes, is that this type of writing becomes more than just on Fridays. That I would seek to write untamed each day that He lays something on my heart.

BRAVE

To be brave, to me, is to face everything that life throws at you with an attitude of grace. Grace to those around you who may not understand. Grace to yourself for those times when you fall (because, let's be honest, as long as we're human, we're bound to fall every now and then). Grace to God.

Yes, extending grace to God sounds weird, but what is more brave? Hardening your heart when God has seemed to let you down, or allowing your heart to extend grace, hopeful in what He has planned through this season in your life? God doesn't need grace the same way we do, rather we need to learn to extend Him grace in efforts of letting go of the areas in where we feel He's let us down. If we don't, it is likely to turn into bitterness, and bitterness isn't brave.

To be brave, to say "it is well" in every area of life. So long as our soul can continue to say it is well, there will be hope. In hope we'll find the confidence to be brave, to face each day despite what's going on in the world around us.

Being brave takes courage. Courage to go against the flow. To believe in something contrary to what those around you belief. Not only believe such things, but to live them out. To allow it to change you. There is none more brave than those who live God's calling in the face of persecution and disdain.

STOP

Will you join us over at Lisa-Jo's place? Link your five minutes worth of two cents on the subject of brave? We'd love to have you.

Limitless Search

Thank you so much for being patient these past few weeks! It's been a whirlwind time.

How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken. But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:1-6

Oh, how this verse fits with all that's been going on. Can I tell you the story? The whole story? With God's line through this and all? Pretty please hang with me through this? It's amazing to watch Him work his magic through this.

For the past two months I've felt the first few verses deep within my heart. Although, hadn't really "seen" these verses until a friend gave them to me Saturday night. I know I've read them before, but I didn't actually "see" them before.

You see, in February my benefits started up through work, before that, January contained a miscarriage and I hadn't been able to get checked to make sure everything was in the clear there. So I set up two appointments. One for the (as my sister calls it) awkward doctor, and the other for a regular physician. Little did I know the roller coaster that I had jumped on. The OB ran blood tests, for a few different reasons she wanted to check some things out. She asked me to come back in 2 weeks for the results. Okay, cool.

Little did I know that those two weeks were going to be major attack by Satan. I have been cursed blessed with an analytical mind. I think, re-think, and over-think everything, especially something big like this. So I began to prepare myself for the worst, like I typically do.

It's about this time that He introduces me to a true kindred spirit. We were fast friends, which never happens, for either of us. When we first started chatting, we would have never expected what it has come to. We are miles apart physically, but couldn't be closer together spiritually. I have already come to love her so.

Besides that friendship taking root, the two weeks between appointments was grueling. I was told by my regular physician that besides the extra weight, I was in perfect health...pending the results to the blood tests. Woo. So not only was I just waiting for the blood tests, those stinking tests had my "perfect" health (physically anyway) hanging with them too.

So that day comes. The hubs (he didn't understand why I wanted him there, but gracefully came with me just because I asked) and I go to get the results. The doctor comes in the room, she said everything looked good (it would have been great had she stopped there) but with the irregularity, it looks like we're looking into poly cystic ovarian syndrom (PCOS). She set up an ultra sound for the end of May to determine for sure.



But I don't need the ultra sound to tell me it's true. As soon as it was stated, my spirit testified to it's validity. So while some think I'm jumping the gun, I can firmly believe that I'm really not. The ultrasound in May? I'm looking at it as the tool to tell me the level/severity of it.

The doctor walked out of the room and tears rolled down my face. Kevin looked at me as I wiped one eye. I said the first thing that came to mind, "that is exactly what I expected to hear." It was honest. For a while now, i'd had my suspicions. To have them confirmed...was hard, needed, but hard.

The week proceeding was painful, but oh so beautiful at the same time.

The story of how He took me from the diagnosis 2 weeks ago, to the point of excitement that I am at today, coming later. For now, I need to think about getting some sleep. :)

Two Songs

Friends,

It's been a chaotic 2012 so far. After loss then an emotional roller coaster in January and a February filled with doctor's appointments, as well as a pending diagnosis that has lead to more emotional roller coasters, as well as the whole Five Minute February series, I am tired. Don't get me wrong, I loved the FMF series, truly I did. I know it was only five minutes a day, but it took a lot out of me.

There's a few things I need to completely process from the past couple months, and there's a few things upcoming that I need to take the time to think over, pray over, and wait for His direction. Between both of those things, I will probably be silent on here for a little bit. I plan to be back next Monday, but I can't make any for sure promises. I'll still be reachable on twitter (@AmyMcCollister) and through e-mail (godsbeloved110@yahoo.com) if you want to connect.

Friends, I want to leave you with a couple of songs that has brought some of this on. Here they are...





So until I return,

Blessings.

Five Minute Friday: Ache

I'm linking up, once again, with the wonderful Lisa-Jo for another five minutes of writing. Today's word is ache. Here are the "rules".



1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking

Simple huh? Well let's get...

started...

Ache, the feeling of deep pain within. The ache for a long awaited desire that stings when someone you know is getting your dream fulfilled in their life. We must be careful that when these aches arise that we promptly lay them at the foot of the cross. After all, there's no safer place for us to "lick our aching wounds" then in the shadow of the cross. So why not kill two birds with one stone? Sounds like a plan to me.

The aches in my life right now are many. The waiting on some things, the good possibility of them not happening, as well as the fears of all the "what ifs" that come to mind.

Aching is only soothed by the One who soothes His child. If we look to soothe those aches in any other way, shape, or form, we are only setting ourselves up for failure. Which in turn means more, and often, greater aching.

My heart aches for things right now, but resting in His plans has helped bring peace to such achings. News received this week wanted to take those aches and magnify them, but with the help of friends and prayer warriors, the aching has remained the same. Still there, but not so pronounced that it has kept me from living the life He gave me.

STOP

Won't you join us for five minutes on the word ache?