November 3, 2008 - Day 2

My, my. How time flies. On this date 35 years ago, I met Harold. It was one of those flukey meetings where each of us was in a place we normally wouldn't have been - at least at that time. But isn't that how life goes most of the time?

Today is Day 2 of the Eleven Day Diet. This day is going to be tough because for 3 meals of the day, we have fruit. And then for one meal, a deli sandwich. It really does help me to know that I have company - even if we aren't talking about it. LOL!

The scale is up today. Yesterdays menu included cashew, and I forgot to take one of my meds so the water is making it presence knows.

Tomorrow is voting day. I am so tired of this election. Probably because the campaigning began early. I'm just sick of it. I am going to the polls tomorrow and trust that God is in charge - because he is.

I am heading out to burn trash and go for my first walk in a while. Never made it out yesterday. Will update when I get back.

Daily stats:
Type: Walk/jog
Route: Deadend/back
Time: Minutes
Average heart rate: 114
Maximum heart rate: 133
Up . 8 last Monday

The path was covered with deer tracks this morning. That means drivers need to be extra careful - the deer are on the run.

Word of the day:
Monday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel
Lk 14:12-14

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.
He said to the host who invited him,
“When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:
Quid pro quo. Isn't that what often drives us - this need to receive a return on our "investments?" That is all well and good in the banking world, but when dealing with our brothers and sisters, it can be a source for a lot of headache, heartache, and just plain bad feelings. When God gives us laws, it is not to restrict us, it is for our benefit. If we change the motivation of why we do what we do, we experience a paradigm shift. If we give out of guilt or obligation, you can bet we are going to be looking for reasons not to give. If the giver is reluctant, then he perceives the receiver as unworthy. This causes resentment - on both sides. But when love, not obligation, is the motivation, there is blessing for both the giver and receiver. The older I get, the more I find this to be true.
"So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7).



God bless our troops!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Dontcha hate it when you oversleep? Or better yet, when you wake up on time, but then decide to catch a few more winks? I have weird dreams when I do that - and they're never good. They're the kind of dreams that stay with you for the day with that nagging feeling that all is not well. Even though you know it's a dream, you wonder where it came from and if there is something in your life that you are overlooking.

Anyway, my schedule for the day is off a little. My blog update will be a little late, but fear not - I will get my workout in. I will not get the dishes done before work. No fear, they'll be here when I get home.

There are some things in my morning routine that are non-negotiable; blogging is one and a scheduled workout is the other. Blogging keeps me grounded. It was my habit when running to pray the rosary on my warm-up. I still do that, although not all the time. Starting the morning with the reading of the gospel of the day has grounded me and has made a huge difference in my life. Praying the rosary is one of my favorite ways to pray, but of late I have found my mind wandering. When I blog, I have to pay attention to what I am doing.
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Last night I made the first batch of fudge of the season - plain chocolate. Harold is allowed to lick the beaters and the pan, but he has to give the fudge a rating. He gave it a 9. It would have been a 10 but I didn't leave enough in the pan for him to "properly" test it. A few years ago he tested a batch by sticking his fingers in it. Then he blamed it on the cat. (We have no cats.) Amazingly, the man survives. Tonight I will be making peanut butter fudge which I will hide because Harold (the cat) really likes that kind. I may leave a bit more in the pan for him, though, since he was a good boy and stayed out of last night's batch. But then again, there is the matter of that "9" rating. Hmmmmm, we will see.

Tonight is the season opener of Biggest Loser. The VCR is set! Ironically, I will be making fudge while it is on.

Well, I'm off to walk on this gorgeous September morning. Some things are definitely non-negotiable. Updates later.
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My stats for today:
Type: Treadmill
Route: Custom 2
Time: 18
Average heart rate: 113
Maximum heart rate: 129
Calories burned: 130
Down 2.2 from last Tuesday

Well, I ended up on the treadmill because of the time crunch. It wasn't as long a workout as I would have liked, but I did it. More and more, I am finding that consistency is the more important factor in this whole thing. In the past I would have abandoned the workout in favor of something less important; and all because it would not be a perfect workout. Duh - any workout is better than no workout. It's all about momentum. Leslie Sansone (Walk Away the Pounds) says on one of her tapes, "the more you sit, the more you want to sit; the more you move, the more you want to move."

Oh, and I got my dishes done, too!
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Word of the day:
Memorial of Saint Cornelius, pope and martyr
Saint Cyprian, bishop and martyr
Gospel
Lk 7:11-17

Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,
and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.
As he drew near to the gate of the city,
a man who had died was being carried out,
the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
A large crowd from the city was with her.
When the Lord saw her,
he was moved with pity for her and said to her,
“Do not weep.”
He stepped forward and touched the coffin;
at this the bearers halted,
and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming,
“A great prophet has arisen in our midst,”
and “God has visited his people.”
This report about him spread through the whole of Judea
and in all the surrounding region.

Word of the day:
Today's reading recounts one of many intances of resuscitation that occur in the Scriptures, both Old Testament and New. The widow’s son raised by Elisha in 2 Kings 4:32-35, Jairus’ daughter in Luke 8, Lazarus in John 11 are also accounts of resuscitation. This does not mean that these people were not dead, they clearly were; Lazarus had been in the tomb 3 days. There occurs, however, only one resurrection and that is the resurrection of Jesus. Those who were resuscitated would die again. Man may resuscitate, but only God resurrects. Jesus lives and through him, even though we die, we will live again. Thanks be to God!


God bless the troops!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Here are my stats for this morning:
Time: 30 minutes
Route: Treadmill
Average heart rate: 114
Maximum heat rate: 131
Calories burned: 202
I am using a different heart rate monitor. I don't like it as well as my PS15, but until I find that, I guess this will do. I have to cut the calorie total in half for this one because it credits me far too many for the work out - like two times too many.

I was reading the "Habits" book on the treadmill this morning. I need to go back and read again with my highlighter in hand. There is one section in the intro that says to read the book as if you were going to teach the principles to someone. Ironically enough, I skipped right over that - never saw it. In last night's reading Covey talks about setting goals. My goal for today - and only for today - is to stay in value rather than personality mode (hmmmm, kind of like my inner brat - Mary Ann) - to stick with my food program and not let "Mary Ann" sabatog me. This, to me, is the most important message in the book. Our values are the source from which personality flows, and if we are stifling or ignoring those values, we are not living authentically. We know when we violate our values - or we should, if our consciences are in working order.

I just visited the Biggest Loser site. The new season premiers on September 16. Can't wait! I just hope that there is another "Bette-Sue" type character. I just loved her!

On the home front:
I have a meeting this afternoon and then more inventory. Inventory is bearable because I use a laptop to take it and I can listen to internet radio while I am doing it.

I finally finished the choir letter I have been working on. Our choir is going to do a CD in memory of our friend John who died suddenly last October. I don't know why I have procrastinated with it. Today, I put my procrastinating personality aside and got it done. Writing the letter was the hard part. Now that it's done, I can enjoy the rest of the day.

Word of the day:
Matthew 24:42-46
Jesus said to his disciples, "Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives."

Thoughts from the cornfield:
A friend of mine has a shirt that says, "Jesus is coming, look busy." This would be hilariously funny if it weren't so true. Many of us, including me, go through life "looking busy." And what are we doing when we aren't looking busy? Often we're worrying about how busy our neighbor is and whether he is just looking busy.

This all gets back to authenticity and it ties in so well with what I am reading in the "Habits" book. If we are operating from a Character (or Value) ethic, there is no need to "look busy." We ARE busy. We are doing what we need to do. And we are doing it because there is nothing else we would rather be doing. How wonderful if we lived as if we wanted to get caught doing what we should be doing.


God bless the troops!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Here are my stats for this morning:
Time: 30 minutes
Route: Treadmill
Average heart rate: Don't know, can't find my PS15
Maximum heat rate: Don't know, can't find my PS15
Calories burned: 208

I had to use a different HRM watch this morning because I can't find my other one. I need to stop today and get a tiny screwdriver so that I can change the batteries in my defunct one. My good one is hiding somewhere since coming back from vacation where I remember using it for one of our hikes. (No, Nina, I did not leave it in the bathroom at Bond Falls).

It felt good to get on the treadmill again. I watched Biggest Loser - my favorite season(3) and read the 7 Habits book. I can't wait for the new Biggest Loser season to start. I need to know that I am not on this journey alone.
In the "Habits" book, I am beginning the chapter on Habit 1 - Being proactive.

On the home front:
A few years back, this would have been the first day of school. Now we wait until after Labor Day. But still, it feels like the summer is officially over. It went by way too fast. At the beginning of the summer I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish. Most of them went by the wayside. But I did get stuff done. The girls and I have over 150 stockings waiting to be personalized and sent to their new homes. I streamlined my soap and candle making process. Worked out some bugs in both areas. Made a dent in organizing the work dungeon. Got a lot of Grandma time in. So all in all, it's been a pretty productive summer - still, it went too fast.

I have a lot to do today. I need to get a load of laundry done, and then I am meeting 2 friends for lunch. Despite the pile of other stuff that I need to do, this is a priority because last year it kept getting put off and then never happened.

After that I have to go in and do some more inventory at the school. Then I need to get some stockings done - September 1 is looming ever closer.

On the lowcarb front:
Today is the day I start get my tush back in gear regarding workouts.
As far as lowcarb plan goes, I am still finalizing a program that I can stick to. I picked up a free book at a garage sale the other day. "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." I never paid much attention to this book because I thought it was about being a great CEO. Since it was free, I brought it home. I was wrong. It's basically about getting out of your own way - about the effectiveness of the Character Ethic vs. the Personality Ethic. The substance vs. the veneer. It's about authenticity. It's about our perspective on life and how it affects every aspect of our lives. It's about affecting change from the inside out. It's about being more than a whitewashed tomb. It's a very good book.

Word of the day:
Matthew 23:13-15
Jesus said to the Pharisees, , ‘Woe to you, blind guides, who say, “Whoever swears by the sanctuary is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by the oath.” You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold sacred? And you say, “Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar is bound by the oath.” How blind you are! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it; and whoever swears by the sanctuary, swears by it and by the one who dwells in it; and whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it.

Thoughts from the cornfield:
Symbolism over substance. With God, all is sacred - without Him - nothing is.
Let those who have ears hear.


God bless the troops!

On the lowcarb front:
My stats for today:
Type: treadmill
Route: workout room while watching Biggest Loser
Time: 32 minutes
Average heart rate: 112
Maximum heart rate: 129
Calories burned: 208
I’m up 2 pounds from last Monday
What a difference a day makes. Today I feel great and rarin' to go. I was reading my DANDR on the treadmill today and the chapter on temptation and what to do about it is one that I am going to run off and put in my notebook. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I have a notebook. I keep my stats and routines etc in it. I was also watching last season's Biggest Loser. I can't wait until September and a new one begins.

On the home/business front:
I made Candy Apple soap yesterday. I use a process which allows me to test a bar the day after I make it. I let it cure and harden for several weeks, but I just have to try a piece of each batch I make. I have recently altered my main recipe with the addition of goat's milk. Omigosh!

People who don't use handmade soap just do not know what they are missing. I use a lot of oils in my soap so about once a month I measure all of my oils out into plastic Christmas pails that I bought on clearance. Measuring the oils is the least favorite part of soapmaking and it would be easier if I didn't use so many oils, but my recipe is my reputation and I am not about to change it.

I use coconut, avocado, cottonseed, soybean, sweet almond, cocoa butter, olive, castor, and palm oils. Measuring them out is messy so I measure out as many batches as I can at one time - usually about 10 or so before I run out of one oil or another. Each oil in our soap is there for a specific reason.

Then I measure out my lye crystals into jars. I line my two slab molds and then I'm ready for soapmaking days. When I first started making soap, it would take me several hours to do a batch. Since then I have streamlined my method and if everything is ready to go, it takes me less than an hour from mixing to pouring in the mold to cleanup For those of you who are interested, here is my soaping routine.

Monthly - measure out oils and lye
Mondays:
Grab soap bucket and lye jar
Measure out distilled water into glass pitcher
Take upstairs to kitchen.
Put on gloves and goggles
Mix lye and water on stovetop with fan running to keep fumes away.
Cover lye pitcher with soap bucket lid and move to safe place
Melt oils on stovetop
Leave oils and lye water to cool for 2 hours - in the mean time:
Line both slab molds and keep one in reserve for Wednesday
Measure out fragrance oils and colorant into containers and have ready
After 2 hours:
Put on gloves and goggles. Place lined mold on stovetop (I have a smooth top range)
Pour melted oils into soap pot and add goat's milk - blend with stick blender
Add lye water
Blend with stick blender until mixture looks like thin pudding
Pull out about 3/4 cup of raw soap mixture and add to color pitcher. Stir until blended.
Go back to soap pot and stick blend until very light trace. Then I add the fragrance oil to the main batch and stick blend until well mixed.
Drizzle colored soap into soap pot and stir ONCE.
Pour into slab mold and cover.
I then put my soap into a 170 degree oven for 2 hours. This forces it to gel and lets me test a bar right away. If I am soaping late in the evening, I just set the oven to shut off in 2 hours and leave it until morning. Usually, though I take it out after 2 hours and cut into bars the next morning.

I clean everything up while my gloves are still on because raw soap is caustic and I don't want anyone getting hurt. Everything is washed and in the dishwasher before I call it a day.

Then comes the fun. After the slab is cut into bars, one bar is designated for testing and I cut that into several pieces and distribute to others for testing. After several weeks I package the soap and put into boxes to await a craft show or a website sale.

We have a show with an apple theme coming up so I am concentrating on my apple scents. After that I will move on to pumpkin and the Christmas Holiday scents. All of this has to be done a little earlier this year because we have no idea what to expect from our Christmas stocking ad in Country Sampler.

I love what I do, can you tell?

Word of the day:
Matthew 12:46-50
While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" And pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

God bless the troops!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

On the lowcarb front:
My stats for today:
Type: walk/jog
Route: Deadend/back/tree in Brown's field/back
Time: 31 minutes
Average heart rate: 124
Maximum heart rate: 144
Calories burned: 243
I’m down .8 from last Tuesday
I got out on the road at about 8:45 this morning. I am pleased at how consistent I have been on getting that in. What I am not happy about is my constant straying from my food plan. I will go along, doing well, feeling great and then these niggling voices creep in. The smart thing to do would be to ignore them, but I don't. I start bargaining, thinking I can have it both ways with food and before I know it I am back in the dirt. I don't know what I would do without the lowcarb bloggers and other online support because they at least inspire me to get back up and try yet again. There are days I wish I could just get up and not have to fight this constant battle. But then I think about people who health issues over which they have no control and I feel like a whiney baby. So I am going to stop whining and do what needs to be done. (I am typing all of this for the second time because the page crashed and none of it had been saved.)

On the home/business front:
Got absolutely nothing done today. I have to do another batch of tarts, but I have to wait for the pour pot to come out of the dishwasher.

The soap I made last night was vanilla. Vanilla fragrance oil, depending on how much is in a blend, turns soap brown. Straight vanilla turns soap a dark chocolate brown. It's interesting because the raw soap goes into the mold a lovely beige and over time turns darker. When I cut a cured bar, it is light on the inside but as the air gets to it it turns dark again. It's funny to watch people pick it up expecting it to smell like chocolate. My newest batch isn't quite as dark as the one in the picture, but it will be soon.


I had a funeral to play for this morning. Then I watched grandkids which really meant I played with grandkids because that's much more fun that doing anything else. Then our financial guy came over so now here it is after 7 pm and I have no stockings done or tarts made so I am going to get my tush downstairs and get those tarts made.

Word of the day:
Matthew 11:20-24
Then Jesus began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you."

Thoughts from the cornfield:
To whom much is given, much is expected. Let those who have ears, hear.


God bless the troops!

Monday, July 14, 2008

On the lowcarb front:
My stats for today:
Type: walk/jog - more walk than jog today
Route: Deadend/loop/back
Time: 35 minutes
Average heart rate: 123
Maximum heart rate: 1146
Calories burned: 2276
I’m down 2 lbs. from last Monday
I got out on the road a little after nine this morning. It's a mild day and the workout was great. My knees are a little sore so I took it easier this morning. The hay bales are gone from my route. The corn is a green wall in which the deer are hiding. I can hear them in there - I really can.

On the home front/business:
We didn't find a canopy/tent yesterday in Mt. Pleasant so the search continues. I have several stockings to mail out today and 5 more to make. I have an order of tarts to fill also. And - since today is Monday, I will be making soap. I have a lot of packaging to do. Anna was gone for a week and just finished some labels that I needed. She and Kelli are testing some jar candles for me.

The guys have the poles up for our new building. I have mixed feelings about this. It's exciting to be building, but I miss the old barn. You can't see it in the picture, but back when Harold inherited the family farm, he had Anna make a sign with his name on it. (ooops, I just noticed that if you click on the picture, you can see Anna's sign.)It's a bit of a rite of passage for a farmer to put his name on his barn. The kids raised their fair pigs in that barn. Cousins told me they used play hide and seek in that barn. Back before we were married, the barn held dairy cows - then later, beef cattle. On windy days I remember listening to the big old barn door slap against building. I remember putting straw up in the mow on hot summer days.

The new building will go up, and the guys will have a place to keep their equipment, and probably a new "Harold Moeggenborg" sign will be put in place, but it won't be the same. Things never stay the same. It's the nature of life, I guess.




Old barn












new building





Word of the day:
Feast day Saint Camillus of Lellis

Matthew 10:34-11:1
Jesus said, 'Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's foes will be members of one's own household.Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
'Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple-truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.'
Now when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and proclaim his message in their cities.

Thoughts from the cornfield:
I was thinking about today's readings and wondering why Jesus would want to set family members against each other. My thinking is that in this passage, Jesus is giving us a bit of a slap upside the head. Of course warring families is not his desire. The point he is making is that seeking the kingdom should be our very first priority, because without that, everything else is meaningless. Sometimes our words of evangelization are going to cause disharmony - even in families. Denominations fight against demonination - each one thinking that its way is the only way. Here is my humble opinion, for what it's worth. There is only one path to God for Christians, and that is, of course, through Jesus Christ. But . . . there are many paths to Jesus.

One of the misconceptions about people in the Roman Catholic church is that we "pray to saints." Actually, this is not what is happening. We ask the saints to pray for us - as part of the communion of saints - the way we pray for each other. We look to the saints, not as examples of perfection, but as examples of how God works in our lives, imperfect though they are. The Catholic Church has a process called canonization in which she formally recognizes the spirtual conversions of pilgrims on the path. That would be our "disciples hall of fame" as it were. The misunderstanding of how we view saints comes through some overzealousness on the part of some believers in which they attribute intervention rather than petition to some in the communion of saints. Icons, pictures, statues - these are only reminders; not unlike family photographs that we put out in our homes. They should be just that, though, reminders. They are not vested with any special powers other than to help us to remember who we are. Through our baptism we are all called to holiness.

I did a search on St. Camillus of Lellis and found this online:

From SACRED HEART PARISH Waterlooville
"A SAINT for the WEEK
July 14th. St. Camillus of Lellis.
He was born in 1550 in the remote Abruzzi region, high in the central Italian Apennines. Strong, violent, and addicted to gambling, he served as a soldier in the army of Venice, until brought low by disease and by the loss of all his fortune at the gambling table. In 1575 he underwent a spiritual conversion; he wanted to join the Franciscans, but his health prevented it, and he was to become Bursar of the San Giacomo Hospital in Rome. Encouraged by St. Philip Neri, he was to be ordained, and in 1585 dedicated himself with a group of others to the service of the sick, of prisoners, and especially of plague victims. This nucleus of workers formed the basis of his Order of Ministers of the Sick. Some members of this Order went with the armies to Hungary and to Croatia as the first recorded field ambulance service; others founded hospitals, in Rome, Naples and elsewhere. Many died of the plague caught from those they tended. St. Camillus died in Genoa in 1614 and was canonised in 1746. "

Here is an example of one who saved his life by spending it. Love increases only when it is spent. That is the nature of love, is it not?



God bless the troops!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

On the lowcarb front:
My stats for today:
Type: walk/jog
Route: Deadend/back/far edge of the woods/back
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 126
Maximum heart rate: 139
Calories burned: 239
Yesterday's Carb count: 30
I’m down 1 pound from last Thursday
Got out on the road at about 8:05. It is still very hard work. I have done well on the food front - sometimes it is so easy. Other times, not. I am trying for an average heart rate of 126. That's a decent workout. So far I am having to walk more than jog, but as I get in better shape, I will have to do more running to keep my heart rate up.

On the home/business front:
I made Raspberry Jasmine Spice soap last night. I am pouring at a thinner trace and it is making for a smoother topped soap. The house is filled with the fragrance right now. Soon it will be moved downstairs to the curing rack. We got our confirmation letter for the Zonta Club show. I bought some canning jars today and I will be making my Apple Pie candles tonight.
I had a funeral to play for this morning. The family was very quiet. It's hard to read people when they are so quiet. Most of the mourners have not attended church in a long while. It's sad to see the traditions of the parents go by the wayside.

Word of the day:
Matthew 10:7-15
Jesus said, 'As you go, proclaim the good news, "The kingdom of heaven has come near." Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for labourers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for that town.

Reflections from the cornfield:
This scripture passage deals with the commissioning of the twelve to spread the the good news. What they do, they are to do without thought of payment or reward. They are to rely on the faithful for their physical sustenance. This is quite a challenge. Especially in this day and age. We are hesitant to trust God to take care of our needs, much less other people. However, I firmly believe that what you seek, you find. If you seek ill will and malice in others, you will find it. But if you seek the good, you will find that too. Material goods can often get in the way of what we are supposed to be doing as Christians. When the maintenance and pursuit of our stuff takes up more time than we spend giving thanks and sharing our bounty, we are sorely out of balance.

There was a study done recently that I heard about on the radio. It said that giving can release the same endorphins as receiving. But that is probably only true if the giving is done for the right reasons. I would bet that a gift given out of obligation would be less likely to bless the donor than one given out of love. When love is the motive, there is no sacrifice so to speak. The older I get, the more I find this to be true.

God bless the troops!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

On the lowcarb front:
My stats for today:
Type: walk/jog
Route: Deadend/back/far edge of the woods/back
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 121
Maximum heart rate: 138
Calories burned: 218
Yesterday's Carb count: 55
I’m down .4 pounds from last Wednesday

I got out on the road at 7:45 this morning because I had a dentist appointment. I haven't been out that early in a long time. I feel like I am getting back into the groove.
My muscles have that good kind of ache that tells you that you have worked them. Last week I would have blown off the workout because of the dentist appt. but I didn't and I feel really good. My little running gal at the top of the post is really motivating. Funny how little things like that keep you on track. I had issues with my connection earlier so I don't have a Word of the Day for today.

On the home/business front:
Today is Wednesday so I have lye water mixed up and oils melted. As soon as DH leaves I will be making some soap. Today's flavor is going to be Raspberry Jasmine Spice since I am very low on that.

I finished up some stocking orders and sent one out today. The other will go out tomorrow. I am going to have to ramp up my stocking production to 5 per day instead of 3 in order to make the Country Sampler ad pay off.

I have a funeral tomorrow so I've been doing to paperwork for that. Paperwork is a challenge for me. We have another funeral on Tuesday. They do seem to come in streaks.

Good news in the bat department. Our parish manager found a hole where they have been getting in. Apparently a cat also got in the hole. Nice.

I don't have a Word of the Day for today due to internet issues earlier.

God bless the troops!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

On the lowcarb front:
As I predicted yesterday, today's weigh-in is a disaster. I am up 5.2 pounds from last Sunday. Now I know that some of that is water weight, but I can't blame it all on that. I don't know what it is with me that I can do so well for a while and then completely land in the mud. I was tempted to not even post the results for today, but I think every struggle and stumble needs to be recorded so that I can see what the patterns are in this journey.

Yesterday I did well. We went to a wedding reception - I stuck with veggies and chicken. Drank 1 diet coke and then water the rest of the evening. So that is a non-scale victory - I focused just on yesterday. Today I will do the same. Hopefully, the news next week will be better. I am trying not to be discouraged, but I keep sabatoging myself and I can't seem to get a handle on this food thing.

But I'm going to keep plugging along anyway.

Here are my stats for today:
Workout: Treadmill
Time: 30 minutes
Ave. Hrt rate: 119
Max. Hrt rate: 150
Calories burned: 210
comparison from last Sunday: up 5.2

Word of the day:
Matthew 11:25-30
Jesus said, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.'

Reflections from the cornfield:
We are called to enter the Kingdom of God as little children. Children trust - they don't analyze, they take things at face value. A visiting missionary once put it this way. "Little children trust because they have more recently been in the company of God." It's true, you know. As we journey on this earth, we accumulate things - not just material things, but spiritual baggage. A child does not know how to discriminate. He will notice differences, but not in a judgemental way. Bigotry is a learned trait - not something we are born with.

A child trusts that his needs will be taken care of. He doesn't sit around worrying about where his next meal is coming from. He just trusts that when he cries out, he will be given food, or warmth, or clothing, or shelter. But as we grow older, we see things differently. We see that there are people who don't have enough shelter, or enough to eat, or clothes to wear. We grow cynical. Often, we blame God for allowing such things to happen. But who is the body of Christ? We are given that charge to take care of our brothers and sisters. This is not a heavy burden - this yoke is easy - if we act out of love. I never hear this passage from Matthew without thinking of the air from "Messiah" entitled "He Shall Feed His Flock." And he does - at Eucharist through his body and blood and in the world through us. At the end of the Mass the words in latin used to be "Ita Missa Est. " "It is the mission." In English the words now are "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord and each other." First comes the love - that is what makes the yoke easy and the burden light. No?




God bless the troops!