Tuesday, Februray 10, 2009

Sometimes blessings come disguised as bad news. I went to the doctor yesterday, and as I surmised from my conversation with the nurse when I set up the appointment, I am pre-diabetic. I wrote about this in my "Loser" blog, but I am also writing about it here. For years I have been hypoglycemic and, one day at a time, I put off doing what I needed to do. I would start the day with the best of intentions, but by evening I would convince myself that at my age it didn't matter if I was fat. (Of course during the day, when I was around people, it mattered a lot.) But I guess vanity isn't enough of a motivator for me. I guess I have to be staring disease in the face to get my act together. When the nurse called to tell me to set up an appointment, I decided then and there to get started and not wait for the doctor to make it official. I immediately went back to Atkins. It is always what I felt best on. And even when I switched to other plans, they were always pretty much like Atkins maintenance. I have been back on plan since last Thursday and except for moments of panic where I want to jump ship, I have felt really good. The thing about this diagnosis is that it gives me the strength to ride out the times when I'm tempted to let a slip turn into and all out binge (and there never was any middle ground there.)

So yes, I am greatful for this second chance to get it together. I thank God that if I have to have health issues, they are ones that can be managed by diet and exercise.
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Today we find out if Sam and Kelli are having a girl or a boy. I will not post the results here until given permission to do so. :)

Word of the day:
Memorial of Saint Scholastica, virgin
Gospel
Mk 7:1-13

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace
they do not eat without purifying themselves.
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
"Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?"
He responded,
"Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,
as it is written:

This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.

You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition."
He went on to say,
"How well you have set aside the commandment of God
in order to uphold your tradition!
For Moses said,
Honor your father and your mother,
and Whoever curses father or mother shall die.
Yet you say,
'If someone says to father or mother,
"Any support you might have had from me is qorban"'
(meaning, dedicated to God),
you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
You nullify the word of God
in favor of your tradition that you have handed on.
And you do many such things."

God bless our troops!

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