Need Suspenders?

I pray your week has gone nothing short of spectacular! Got big weekend plans? I've got another FULL weekend, but it's mostly from the comforts of my own home. I'm planning to catch up on some things that have been on the backburner for awhile, and we're also hosting my daughter's birthday party tomorrow evening. She's actually having a double-party with a sweet friend of hers. They are only two weeks apart, and this is the weekend between both birthdays! We'll have a house full of 13 and 14-year-olds. I love it! Really...I do. I've always loved this age group of girls. Some may call me crazy, but...it's true (not the crazy part - ha!)!

Anyway...I've been somewhat fretting the fact that there will be pizza and cake/ice cream at the party. As you know, I've been on a weight loss journey for a little over a month, I've also been reading, studying, chewing on (no pun intended) Lysa TerKeurst's newest, best-selling book, Made to Crave with a fun group of gals for almost three weeks now. Hands down...the book has radically changed my thinking towards food. No doubt about it. So, why the fretting you ask?

Well, I'm still living in this sinful skin of mine, and I've been afraid that one day I just might "mess up". I'm not saying that pizza and cake are eliminated from my eating plan forever. But right now...I'm learning to crave God more than food. So, I'm deliberately choosing to stay away from those foods that might cause a little more temptation than I can handle right now. That said, I've still been slightly afraid that I'll blow it this weekend...well, that is until yesterday and today.

One of my co-workers came up to me and said, "Girl, do you need me to bring you some suspenders?" What did she say? She started chuckling and then began to comment about how she could SEE that I've been losing weight and that my pants were starting to reflect a bit of a...well...need for some assistance. :-) Soon after, another lady came up to me and commented that she could notice my weight falling off. Today, someone told me I would be needing a belt soon. Blog friends...let me just say...cake? pizza? tomorrow night? NOT A CHANCE!!!!!!! That's all it took friends. Just a little encouragment. Actually, a lot of encouragement. Sometimes, just a dose of "good job" or "you look great" or "need suspenders?" is enough to keep a gal motivated. At least it was for me. I'm getting into the nitty gritty now. The water weight fell off, but now I'm slowly burning fat. I say slow, because I'd rather be losing it Biggest Loser style (5-30 pounds a week), but I also know that 1-2 pounds a week is average. So, weigh in day is tomorrow. I guess I'll get to see if I'm average.

As for encouragement...yes, we need it from friends and family (at least I do), but faithful, steadfast, true, lasting source of encouragement comes from my sweet Abba Father. And, this is what He told me today...

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers (or daughters), whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4