One Hundred Verses

For a while now I've wanted to create a perpetual flip calendar of Bible verses to display on my desk at work. After a few fruitless searches for spiral bound index cards that weren't neon-colored, I finally found some tonight, so I can work on the calendar this weekend.

There are fifty cards, and I'm planning to write two verses per card (one per side), so that means I need a total of one hundred Bible verses. There are certainly a lot of verses that have been helpful to me at various times in my life so I don't think it will take long to fill up all the cards.

Here's where you come in. I'd love to include some of your favorite Scripture as well. What verses encourage you, challenge you, strengthen you, comfort you? Please list one (or more) of your favorite verses that I can include in my calendar.

It's always interesting to see how different verses impact different people. I'd also love to hear why that particular Scripture is so meaningful to you. Thank you in advance for your input!

And the Result Is...

a 2.6 pound weight loss at yesterday's weigh-in!

Gotta keep the momentum going...

Results

A couple of weeks ago we began an in-office Weight Watchers program. We first tried the program a few years ago and had great success with it. However, the last couple of years we have slacked off on our weight loss and the pounds have crept back on. With the holidays firmly behind us, we figured that January would be the best time to restart our Weight Watchers program.

For the past couple of weeks I've upped my amount of workout time while scaling down the calories. I've diligently kept track of my Weight Watchers points. I've done pretty much everything I'm supposed to do.

Last week we had our first weigh-in since the program began. How much did I lose, you ask?

.2 pounds. That's not TWO pounds--that's ZERO POINT TWO pounds. Not even half a pound. A certain hamburger at McDonald's weighs more than I lost.

Needless to say, I was a bit discouraged. I'd eaten well. I'd exercised more. I'd kept track of my points. And all I had to show for it was a lousy 0.2 pounds?

I did remember that the night before weigh-in I'd eaten a frozen entree that, while low in fat and calories, typically has a high sodium content. So I suspect that some water retention from too much salt the night before was to blame for not losing more, at least in part.

At any rate, over the past week I've had to remind myself that results aren't always reflected on the scale. Even though I didn't have a big pound loss to show, I have been able to tell a difference in muscle tone and in how my clothes fit. I'm building endurance and strength. My heart and lungs are probably a bit healthier than they were a couple of weeks ago.

So I'm trying not to be so focused on what the scale says and instead focus on keeping with the program. I know there will be weeks where I may not lose much (or any) or may even (Heaven forbid) gain a bit. I've been good this week but it may not show on the scale right away. I have to remember that if I keep on keeping on, eventually I'll be able to see some greater results.

Today I've been thinking of Paul's words in Galatians 6:9: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

That's an important reminder I need not just in trying to stick to my diet and exercise regimen, but for life in general. There are going to be times in life where I'm doing all the right things but not seeing results. A harvest WILL come in due time. I need to just keep on keeping on.

Book Review: The Liturgical Year

My latest Booksneeze book review is of The Liturgical Year by Joan Chittister. The book explores the historical and spiritual significance of the various components to the liturgical calendar, beginning with Advent.

Although I grew up going to church, my particular denomination does not practice the various feasts and celebrations of the liturgical year (aside from Christmas and Easter), so a lot of the information in the book was new to me. The author does a good job of tying each celebration and event together and helped me see that the year is not composed of individual events, but rather they all revolve around Christ and are designed to help bring us closer to Him.

The Liturgical Year is one book in a seven-part series called The Ancient Practices, and it was the third book in this series that I've read so far. I'd have to say that of the three I've read, this one was my least favorite. I found the author's writing style a bit heavy-handed and had a hard time really getting into it; I'm not sure if that's because a lot of the material was new to me or if the other books were just easier to read.

While this was not my favorite book of the Ancient Practices series, I did learn a good deal about the liturgical calendar, and am challenged to be more proactive in practicing it throughout the year.

Weekend Guilt

I started my weekend with a nice lengthy to-do list in my head. I had the best of intentions.

And yet here it is, Monday morning, and I'm embarrassed to admit that most of my to-do list is left undone. I didn't balance my checkbook like I intended. I didn't write the book review or send an email to an old friend like I meant to do. And while I did a good job of eating well and keeping track of my points, I did not exercise. Unless you count power shopping at Target as exercise. (Do you?)

Instead, I spent a good deal of time lounging on the couch, catching up on my magazine reading and indulging in too many episodes of "The Real Housewives". I had ample opportunity to get more done but I was lazy instead.

It is so easy for me to beat myself up over the things that I should have done. Not just from this past weekend, but from weeks and months and even years long past. And if I stay mired down in guilt from not following through on my plans, I can stay bogged down in a place of guilt and paralysis indefinitely.

I'm thankful that God's mercies are new every morning, and I can have a fresh start. Instead of continuing to beat myself up over what might have been accomplished, I'm going to remember that this is a new day, with new opportunities to make good on the promises to myself. Weekend guilt, be gone. It's a new day.

Offerings

Our office participates in several fundraisers and service projects for various charitable organizations throughout the year. This past Christmas I helped organize a service project in which we collected new pajamas and new and gently used books.

I'd been told about a local charity that might benefit from our project, so I sent the director an email. After a few days and no response, I sent her another email in case the first one was lost in cyberspace. Still no answer.

I then called and left a voice mail for her. No response. I grew more and more frustrated. I made one final attempt to call her--got voice mail again and left another message--but she never responded.

Here we were trying to donate several hundred dollars' worth of items to this organization, and we got no response. We ended up finding another worthy local organization who was extremely thankful for our donation, so we were glad to see that these items were put to good use. Still, I couldn't understand why the original charity wouldn't at least return a call or email. Even if they didn't want what we were offering, they could have politely turned us down instead of ignoring repeated attempts to get in touch.

It's now a month later, and the life lesson finally hit me: How often do I turn down or even ignore what God is offering to me? Does He ever feel frustration that He is trying to provide for me and I don't even take the time to investigate His offer, let alone take Him up on it?

I wonder...

Do you ever get the feeling...

that your most meaningful spiritual moments and interactions with God happen outside the church building?

'Cause I do. And I'm thinking that's okay.

E100 Challenge

Last week our church began participating in the E100 Challenge. The E100 Challenge is a nationwide campaign to encourage people to have consistent Bible reading time. The Challenge consists of 100 short Biblical passages, 50 from the Old Testament and 50 from the New Testament.

Although I've read these passages before, I've been surprised at how much I'm enjoying re-reading them. I'm noticing some details that I hadn't noticed before. For instance, yesterday I read about God's covenant with Noah in Genesis 9 to never again destroy the earth with a flood. Did you know that God not only made that covenant with Noah and his descendants, but with every living creature--including all of the animals--too? I'd never realized that until I read it yesterday.

These stories are giving me a lot to think and wonder about, which is always a sign of a good study, in my book. If I continue to read a story a day, I should finish in a little over 3 months. Not a bad way to start the year.

You can read more about the E100 Challenge and download a reading plan here. Has anyone else done or is currently doing the E100 Challenge? Are there any other reading plans that you'd recommend?

Love This Quote

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."

— Neale Donald Walsch