Consider ~ Unconditioning

I don't know about you, but I've been conditioned by society to buy products that I now believe might be making me sick. I'm so conditioned that I recently spent about $50 on 'health care and beauty' products that just don't work.

When I got my hair cut last month I bought the shampoo they used. I'm not exactly sure why I bought it, other than I thought it smelled good. But what I found was that after two weeks of using it my hair felt like it was coated with wax. I stopped using it and went back to my cheap shampoo, but even it couldn't get that waxy residue out of my hair.

A few days after I bought the shampoo I, ashamedly, was watching some daytime show where they said that Oil of Olay Regenerous was the best thing they had ever used. I tried it, and for a couple of days it really did work, at least I thought. There were two problems with it, though. The first is that if I missed a day my wrinkles returned. The second was that it turned my face bright red.

Since then I've tried a couple of new things. I decided since washing my hair wasn't making it clean, I was going to stop washing it. You heard me right! I stopped washing my hair.

Instead I now do the following, referred to as No-poo in this article.

• I get into the shower and get my hair soaked, dripping wet.
• I take about 1-2 Tbs. of baking soda and dissolve it into 1-2 cups of warm water.
• I then lean over upside down and pour half of the solution into the underside of my hair, and work it in really good, then stand up and pour the rest on my scalp.
• I work this solution into my hair very, very good, then lightly rinse it with warm water.
• Then I take about 1/2 c of APPLE CIDER (very important) vingar and add it to 1 cup of warm water.
• I pour the vinegar water on my hair and let it set for a few, using my fingers to work through it very well. If it doesn't get all the way to the underside of my hair, I mix up another cup and bend over and rinse it from the back of my neck to my scalp.
• Finally I rinse first with a bit of warm (never hot) water, and finish it with cold rinse.

This has made my hair so healthy I can't even tell you how much it has helped my attitude, and my hair dries quickly without drying out and my flat iron has gotten cleaner rather than coated with oils.  

If I want to add fragrance, I can use one drop of essential oil, rubbed between my palms and then use my hands to finger comb my dry hair.  It smells GOOD!

I've gone back to using baking soda to washing my face with baking soda and occasionally adding either grapefruit seed extract or a citrus essential oil to help deep clean.  I'm going to try using coconut oil as a moisturizer.  I'll let you know how that goes.

It's funny, the more little changes I make the less I feel conformed to the patterns of this earth.  I feel free!  

I will continue my unconditioning.  I want to start making my own laundry detergent, try cleaning with my essential oils and just see how fresh my house can be!  I also want to move more and more away from watching TV, especially the daytime talk shows that are quickly turning into infomercials.   

The Bible says we can't serve to masters.  This means we can't try to live like the world and still be the full person God created us to be.  The less time I spend "in the world" and the more time I spend "in the Word" the easier I find change to be.

Consider ~ Transformation

The last couple of weeks have been a wild ride. In all honesty somewhere along the way I sort of fell off the wagon. I went to Wyoming for the first time in six years to visit with family and mostly to celebrate my Granny's 106th birthday. In some ways this was an extremely good trip. I seemed to be able to stay in the car without my ankles swelling and made the whole round trip with no serious pain issues, so I do think the Diatomaceous Earth (DE) has helped with the inflammation. Emotionally I did pretty well, with the exception of the occasional tearing up and realizing this in all likelihood will be the last time I ever see my Granny, and the fact she no longer knows who I am. I was mentally prepared for that possibility, but not really expecting the wide range of emotions that came with the whole visit. One thing I did realized is exactly how much I have changed over the last six years. I think back to my Granny's 100th birthday party where I was constantly on the verge of tears for no apparent reason, as she was still healthy as a horse and I figured I'd see her dozens of times before she passed. The tears came from a lifetime of suppressed emotions that were just starting to surface with the recovery process. I remember for the first time in my life allowing myself to feel a broad set of emotions like anger, frustration, joy, fear, etc. But it was so overwhelming and I still had the guilt for feeling the way I was feeling and the shame that seemed to come along with it. This visit was different. I had such a peace and quiet confidence. I could look at my family like an outsider, but still felt connected. I could see their pain, fears, anger, frustration and confusion. I could understand it and have empathy, but I didn't take it on. And yet there was a part of me that pained, because I know most of their suffering, whether they realize it or not, is self inflicted. They have been trained to pain. I have been transformed to peace. I still have so far to go in my recovery. Although I've worked through many of the ACA issues, there are still a couple that still haunt me. One is the tendency to self-sabotage, which for some reason I did the week I came back, or at least I thought that is what I was doing. I started eating white breads again and craving candy and soda. I thought at first it really had something to do with the stress, but then I realized it has more to do with addiction. You see, I had to drive 17 straight hours there, stayed two days and then drove 17 straight hours home. I had less that 12 hours total sleep for the three nights I was there (although the quality of the sleep was very good). To keep we away I turned to my old friend, Dr. Pepper. Although I didn't drink any pop while there, I did drink a few glasses on the trip both ways. And that kicked in my extreme sugar and caffeine cravings again. So I realized something about transformation. It has to be complete. You can't have the occasional indulgence of some things and expect to continue to move forward. It's not really about denying yourself in the sense of saying you can never indulge. Rather it's the considering before you indulge of how it will effect your short term progress. I didn't really consider that just a few glasses of pop would make me crave sugar so badly. It's like a drug to me. Which makes me go back to why it was so hard for me to transform my life when I lived close to my family. I tried a few times, but then I would get around my family and go right back into the same co-dependent patterns. For me to transform I needed to move away and even isolate completely from my family for a short period of time so I could transform my mind into a new way of thinking. I truly am not who I was in 2006. And I hope in 2018 I will be even closer to who God created me to be! I'm praying today that God will transform my mind, my body and my spirit to conform to His will. I know my family saw change in me as far as attitude. I still messed up a bit, but I'm so much better than I used to be. The next time I visit my family I want my body and spirit to be so transformed that they will want the change, too. Dear God, please show me what to do now. please open up my heart, mind and soul to absorb your Word. I pray this in Jesus name, amen.

Consider ~ Calories

Considering has been the most helpful tool in my weight loss journey thus far.  Just think about what it means for a moment (from Dictionary.com, a great resource):

con·sid·er

verb (used with object)

1. to think carefully about, especially in order to make a decision; contemplate; reflect on: He considered the cost before buying the new car.
2. to regard as or deem to be:  I consider the story improbable.
3. to think, believe, or suppose:  We consider his reply unsatisfactory.
4. to bear in mind; make allowance for:  The arrest was justified if you consider his disorderly behavior.
5. to pay attention to; regard:  He considered the man for sometime before speaking to him.

I eat healthy for the most part. I love fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and fish. Supplements don't frighten me. I'm a smoothie expert. I can handle ordering a baked potato or salad over fries. Even giving up Dr. Pepper wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. So, if I just eat the right things, why do I need to consider calories?


It is true that choosing foods that nourish my body is important, but it is also true that the ONLY way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you take in.  That means that calories is something I will have to consider if I plan on making it to my goal of 150 pounds by next May.  It is an attainable goal, but only if I consider.


To consider my calories I had to find a way to track them.  There are two excellent totally free calorie trackers online and on iPhone.  The first is one I used for years, SparkPeople. It has been an excellent resource for information on exercise and wellness, with awesome support groups and a point system that can be motivating. But I needed something that I could put on my iPhone so that I never had an excuse not to track my calories.  For this I use MyFitnessPal, which allows me not only to track my calories, but has a few neat features that helps me to plan, even on the go.  It also allows me to track my calories burned.  I can access this from my computer, also, and enter my recipes with my actual portion sizes for an easier and more accurate calorie count.  So, I read the SparkPeople articles for information and motivation, but use MyFitnessPal to track.


I've been tracking for almost a month now.  What I've discovered shocked me, and just reinforces the fact that calories HAVE to be considered to become obedient to God in a weight loss journey.  I discovered that some of the choices I was making because I thought they were healthier choices were actually not the best option for me.


Let's take Taco Bell for example.  For years I would order the 7-layer burrito, even thought I liked chicken soft tacos better.  However, a 7-layer burrito has about 500 calories.  Two chicken soft tacos have a total of 360 calories.  Even two chicken soft taco supremes beat out the 7-layer burrito with only 420 calories for both!  But an even better better choice is two fresco style chicken soft tacos with a total of  300 calories.  The funny thing is, now one fresco chicken soft taco is satisfying!


So, let's compare my old order to my new order, and consider what a difference that will make if I ate at Taco Bell twice a week for a year.
Old:
7-Layer burrito and a 20 oz. Dr. Pepper 750 calories
New:
2 Fresco style chicken soft tacos 300 calories
Difference:
450 calories


 (450 x 2 x 52)/3500=13.37 pounds a year, with just that ONE change.


But, this is the kicker, I actually started gaining weight when I tried to make healthier choices.  I would have always opted for the chicken soft taco before I started trying to lose weight, but I wanted to be healthy.  And yet, I didn't want to give up Dr. Pepper, or even acknowledge that I was drinking myself to obesity!  I mean, a medium Dr. Pepper at Taco Bell has more calories than a supreme chicken soft taco!


My point is, you have to consider calories as part of your choice when planning your menu.


One thing I like about both SparkPeople and MyFitnessPal is that they allow you to enter your information and healthy goals and how much you want to exercise, and then they will tell you how many calories you have to eat and how long it will take for you to reach your goals.


I have to stay as close to 1290 calories a day as I can to lose weight without exercise.  If I exercise I can either still eat my 1290 calories and lose more weight, or I might opt to eat a bit more.  On MyFitnessPal, if you exceed your calories, the number changes from green to red.  Also, at the end of the day you can complete your entry and it will tell you about how much you will weigh in 5 weeks if you keep eating the way you did on that day.  I sometimes use this as a motivator.  If I want to eat a Big Mac, for instance, I put it in my diary and then hit complete my entry, and inevitably I will decide to delete the Big Mac and opt for a salad or something because I will see that the Big Mac will move me away from my goals, not toward them. This is how I ditched the Dr. Pepper.  Water has no calories.  For the first two weeks I drank either plain seltzer water, or seltzer with a spritz of fresh lime.  That helped me break the soda habit.  Now I can drink water with lemon, lime or cranberry juice (sweetened slightly with SweetLeaf Stevia Liquid).  If I want fizz I add a packet of EmergenC, which will add about 20 calories, but also adds vitamins.  My skin is getting much younger!


I thought at first using a calorie calculator would be stressful, but it actually has been freeing.  I now let it decide.  If I can't eat it without going into the red, I made a different choice.  If I want it and it will put me in the red, it will motivate me to exercise and earn it.  But often times after 20 minutes of exercise I don't want it anymore.  Probably because I drank a huge glass of water to rehydrate myself and realized that was all I really needed anyway.


The funny thing is I'm eating things I didn't think I would be able to.  I eat eggs, bread, chocolate, fries, hamburgers, etc.  What is changing is the frequency and quantity, or quality.  Instead of eating bagels I now eat 100% whole wheat sandwich thins, which don't give me gas or make me bloat.  I accidentally forgot to put milk on my oatmeal one day and realized I liked it better and felt better, so now I am limiting my milk/dairy and it is helping.  I eat dark chocolate covered fruit or nuts when I get a craving for chocolate, and just make sure that the serving size is less than 200 calories.  I also keep these handy, just knowing I can have chocolate when I want it makes me less apt to binge.  We raise our own chickens, so I get FRESH eggs, and eat them almost daily, which is very, very good for me.  And if Phil takes me out on a date, I just make sure to check that the burger I get doesn't have fries and that the portion will be less than 500 calories for the meal, which is usually what I allow for supper.


I do also allow for exceptions.  The following days I will not track my calories and will allow myself to  indulge free of guilt: Valentine's Day, Our Wedding Anniversary, Thanksgiving, Christmas and up to two Pot Luck Socials a year.  I did this on Valentine's Day and we went to a buffet.  I know I overate a bit, but was very uncomfortable, and made note of that.  I could have stopped with the first plate, and did stop with the second plate.  Neither plate was totally full.  I chose healthy foods for the most part, and passed on dessert. I only gained 1/2 pound, and lost it again the next day, probably mostly water retention from all of the sodium.  The reason I allow this isn't for me as much as it is for Phil and my family.  It's hard to take your wife out when she is about to break down in tears because there is nothing on the menu she can eat! And potlucks are almost impossible to track. Four to six times a year will NOT make me overweight nor will it sabotage my weight loss efforts.  Besides, the more I lose, the better I feel and the better choices I seem to be making.


My calorie counter is my best accountability partner.  It doesn't try to fix me or even tell me what to eat, it just lets me know what my choices are costing me.  It also tells me when I'm not eating enough, and how that will also sabotage my efforts.


God is using these tools to help me relearn how to eat.  Healthier choices usually have less calories and fill you up more.  It is helping balance what I eat.  It is helping me make wiser choices.  It is also giving me that pause I need to discuss it over with God rather than just diving in. It is revealing the false guilt in my life and helping me to trust my natural cravings just a bit more, with restraint. But most importantly, considering calories has helped me take off 16 pounds in less than two months.

Consider ~ Bread

Bread.  It gets me every time.  Whether it's bagels, pizza, cinnamon rolls or just good home baked fresh out of the oven bread, I just can't seem to resist.  Up until about two weeks ago, I would usually have some form of white bread daily, sometimes multiple times daily.


I think this is where considering has really caused me to stop and think.  Because white bread has a lot of empty calories.  Bread, in and of itself, isn't bad for me.  I don't have to be afraid of it, but I do have to be cautious and really consider what types of bread I'm going to eat.


Just to give you an idea, I used to make breakfast sandwiches with a bagel.  A regular sized bagel has about 300 calories.  So I started changing to two whole wheat mini bagels, which were about 100 calories each, and gave me the illusion I was eating more.  Then I found whole grain mini sandwich thins, which have only 50 calories each.  They also have a lot more flavor and don't make my stomach hurt like bagels do.  My original bagel sandwich, which I made with two slices of american cheese and two eggs and two slices of ham had about 650 calories and was never satisfying has now be replaces with two mini bagel sandwiches made with sandwich thins, one large egg, one slice of white american or swiss cheese, 1 T. bacon bits and 1 T. chopped onion is only 260 calories and is very satisfying.


So it really wasn't the bread itself that was a bad choice, but they type of bread I was choosing.  It was also what I was choosing to put on the bread.  Grains are the same way.  I've noticed that I like oatmeal with just a 1 tsp. of sugar and cinnamon just as much if not more than oatmeal with 3 tsp. of sugar, cinnamon and milk.  It was also MORE satisfying.


But then I have to consider why it has been more satisfying.  Is it really just the food choices I'm making, or is it something more?  Maybe it is because I'm considering, not what I want, but what God wants for me.


Consider this passage of scripture:

Deuteronomy 8

New International Version (NIV)

Do Not Forget the LORD

 ¹ Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the LORD promised on oath to your ancestors. ² Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. ³ He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. ⁴ Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. ⁵ Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

 ⁶ Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. ⁷ For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; ⁸ a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; ⁹ a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.


 ¹⁰ When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. ¹¹ Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. ¹² Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, ¹³ and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, ¹⁴ then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. ¹⁵ He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. ¹⁶ He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. ¹⁷ You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” ¹⁸ But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.


 ¹⁹ If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. ²⁰ Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God.

I think the core of why I was overeating was because I had forgotten God and His promises.  The gods I had begun to worship were food, the opinions of others, entertainment and quite frankly myself.  And if you really think about it, why does God destroy nations that forget get Him?  Is it truly because He is unjust?  I think it is because He is merciful, because when you forget God you slowly start to destroy yourself.  


I am saved, it doesn't mean necessarily that I'm living the way I should.  I should be in the promised land, full of peace and love and hope.  But often I choose to live in the desert and feel sorry for myself as I watch from the outside others prospering.  That is definitely food for thought.


What this speaks to my heart is the daily bread I should be craving is God's Word, then no matter what I eat, I can trust God to have it satisfy and it will.  But I have to trust Him that 1200 calories a day is enough, that water will quench my thirst, that those low calorie but high nutrition foods will fill me and bring me health.   If I do this, he will deliver me from this bondage I've put myself in.  

Consider ~ Water

Water covers over 70% of the Earth's surface.  The human body contains from 55% to 78% water depending on the body size.  The human body requires a minimum of 1 liter of water per day to avoid hydration.  Some of that water comes from foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables.  Some comes from what we drink.

So, I'm going to consider water.  

Question #1--Before I started considering, how often did I eat fresh fruits?

I have no excuses.  I've had this information since 1987, when I read Fit for Life by the Diamonds.  I know that fresh fruits are very important.  But honestly, in the summer I might eat two or three servings of fresh fruit a week, and less in the winter when it was less available and more expensive.  I had honestly gotten to the point where I pretty much didn't eat fruit, probably because of the lies about fruit adversely affecting blood sugar levels.  I need FRESH fruits, because they contain the most pure form of water, filtered by nature.  Fruits like oranges, berries, apples, lemons, limes, grapefruit, watermelon, cantaloupe, etc. NEED to become a daily part of my diet.

Question #2--Before I started considering, how often did I eat fresh vegetables?

I have all sorts of excuses for this, including our refrigerator being on the blink.  I often times buy spinach or carrots or celery only to open the refrigerator and find it frozen and ruined.  So, other than carrots I've pretty much stopped buying fresh vegetables.  However, I do usually opt for foods with fresh veggies when ordering out.  I enjoy a good salad, love the Fresco menu at Taco Bell and will not eat a burger without lettuce and tomato.  I think what I need to consider here is the importance of getting a new refrigerator, because if it keeps me from eating out so often, then it would probably pay for itself in a year.

Question #3--Before I started considering, how often did I drink water?

I had become totally addicted to Dr. Pepper.  Honestly, the three months before I started to consider I would drink approximately 70 oz. of Dr. Pepper a day and might drink one glass of water.  Now, Dr. Pepper has enough water in it to keep me alive, but enough other junk in it to keep me craving more, unsatisfied, unhealthy and overweight.  Since I've started considering I drink at least a liter of water, sometimes two. 

All of this considering makes me think about the story of Jesus' chat with the woman at the well.  This story is found in John 4:1-26.  The woman sees Jesus and offers to draw water for him.  But He offers her living water.

You really can't consider water without talking about the association of water in the Bible with spiritual renewal.  Miracles often involved water. Water was turned to blood. The only thing between the Egyptians and the Israelites was a body of water. Water was produced from a stone a couple of times. Jesus turned water to wine.  Jesus walked on the water. Baptism represents a new life in Christ. Water cleanses, hydrates, revives and restores. You can't survive without water.  

Survival reminds me of the movie 127 Days (which you don't want to watch if you are at all squeamish).  The character gets literally stuck between a rock and a hard place, and with less than a liter of water.  He wisely rations the water, but after the reality sets in that he didn't tell anyone where he was and the water was now gone, he began to store and drink his urine just to survive.  This may sound insane, but it actually is truly ingenious considering urine is 95% water, and although it is totally gross, it did keep him alive.

And I think about how gross it is, but then how gross is Dr. Pepper.  I mean, you are drinking chemicals and dyes that you wouldn't think of ingesting if they were given to you in their original form.  Plus the sugar.  Or worse, Aspartame, which when combined with caffeine is said to give your body the same responses as it would to meth!  Aspartame contains wood alcohol and a chemical form of phenylalanine that is created in a lab using e-coli.  I didn't know that before today.  Just found it while researching and considering it.  I do know that anything with Aspartame in it gives me severe headaches, so luckily I've had to avoid it.  Sugar, on the other hand, is all natural.  However, although Dr. Pepper can be found to be made with all natural sugar, most of the readily available Dr. Pepper is now made with high fructose corn syrup.  The point is, you really don't know what it contains unless you read the label.  And now that I have, I can more easily do without it.

The label for water--Water.  I drink either distilled or filtered water.  Sometimes I flavor it with unsweetened cranberry juice and stevia or just a squeeze of lemon or lime, but I'm learning to like it just plain, too.  And the more I drink it the more I crave it and the less I think about Dr. Pepper.

All of this has made me consider one other thing--the world.  The world offers things that are addictive and unhealthy, but that might look or taste appealing.  Jesus offered living water.  So why do I so often find myself returning to the well of the world rather than the feet of Jesus?

A lot of considering for today.

Consider ~ The Purpose of A Wholesome Life

Dear Blog Reading Friends,


I created this blog a couple of years ago.  I just finished reading the posts, and decided to scrap them and start over again.


I kept seeing a pattern in my blog posts of starting something then quitting.  This is a bad habit from childhood that I THOUGHT I had totally overcome in 2007, but it seemed to resurface in 2009 after a bought with illness, loss of our small business, life changes and the return of depression.


Since those blogs we have moved, recovered almost completely from our losses, I went to school to study web design, got a job, left a job and now am again, at least for a short while, a homemaker again.


I recently found a devotional that is really helping me pinpoint a trigger I didn't realize existed in my life.  The trigger is feeling like I've falling short.  If I feel unwholesome, unworthy or unwanted I revert back into a child and I try to fill the emptiness I feel with food.


But the Made To Crave Devotional asked me to consider.  One simple little word that I've never really taken into account what it really meant.  I mean, when I started this blog originally it was to follow me into a life of wholesome eating and hopefully weight loss.  But I didn't consider at the time that focusing on food, even healthy food, would just make me crave food more.


I have to eat.  I've done fasts, and that is okay, but temporary.  It's not a good way to lose weight but it is a good way to break that addictive cycle, but only if you consider.  The reason fasting worked so well for me in 2006 (see my other blog) was because I was considering what God needed to change in me, and considering the fact that I needed more of God and less of myself and realized fasting would help me put my full attention on God.  I prayed about it, prepared for it and stuck with it for 11 days.  But then I was faced with a quesidilla and I didn't consider at all what would happen if I ate that quesidilla.  I was hungry, I ate, and I regretted!


So, I was going to start a new blog, but the title of this blog just really stood out.  I want a wholesome life.   I want a life that is pure and pleasing to God.  I traced the fall of my health (I was very healthy in my 20's) to a choice I made to compromise my values to try to please someone else, and to do that I had to allow myself to endulge in sinful behavior.  This sinfulness made me fell unwholesome, unworthy and unwanted by God (although I know now that was a lie).  Mostly it made me feel empty and lonely and HUNGRY.  What I didn't realize is what I was craving was something only God could give.


I've gone through a lot of recovery and in a lot of areas of my life I've been healed and strengthened, but I am still obese.  And it's because I don't consider.  I just do.  I just regret.  I just enter into a cycle that is hard to stop because you do have to eat and it is easy to justify eating.  I've never struggled with drugs or even really alcohol, but food is my drug of choice.  I know what foods make me feel good and I sneak them and hide them and binge on them.  That is the truth that I fear to share because it almost always leads to judgement and unsolicited advice on how to drop pounds.


But all I need to do is consider.  For some reason that is working.  Consider what I feel like when I eat a candy bar.  Not just the physical sugar rush followed by the crash, but also consider the guilt.  


"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." ~ James 1:2-4


The purpose of this blog is consider.  Because considering leads to wholesomeness.  I want to be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  The purpose of this blog is to consider how my little choices can either lead me to obesity, despair and even death OR how they can glorify God.  But I have to consider if I want to make good choices.


What have you considered today?