This morning the scale told me that my weight has remained the same for the week that has passed.

Dagnamit!!

 I was very diligent with my exercise this week. I even went for a walk yesterday morning. My Ashlynn, a.k.a The Energiser Bunny, came with me. OH MY WORD! That kid has too much energy, we ran most of the way, when I told her I was a tad tired, she looks at me with a dead straight face, and says "Oh come on Mom! You're not going to get fit walking so slowly!" LOL

Seriously now, I can feel that something is shifting, and it more than the weight.

At the start of this process I asked Jesus to help me, and would you believe, He is (^^,). He is showing me that my weight issue is really a symptom of something much deeper.

For the longest time I have been unhappy with myself. And when you focus on the negativity in your life, negativity then becomes your reality. It really becomes all that you see.

Gosh I am finding this so hard to put into words.

Self control is a fruit of the Spirit, so if the Spirit resides in me, why do I find it so hard to control my eating. I am starting to see that it is because I don't value myself.

Growing up I was the apple of my Daddy's eye. When I turned 13 it was like a switch flipped, and Daddy tuned out. He has told me, now recently, that he didn't really know how to communicate with me back then. And now having a daughter of my own about to turn 13, I can understand why he said what he did. But thank God that there is now so much more information available to parents today, that we can make better choices in raising our kids.
When I was 18, my Dad left our family and married someone else. The devastation was enormous.

This is how the enemy works, he takes something this that happened in our childhood, and then compounds on it. So for me, when Dad pulled away from me, I saw it as I was not good enough for his affection. (I know now, that it was never ever his intention). Then when he left us all, that feelling was re-enforced.

Gosh it has been 19 years since that all happened, I am now 37 years old. And now I am finally able to see that the enemy's sole purpose is to get us so wrapped up within ourselves, and our pain. So that we have a very limited relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Taking the steps to get healing....
The first this I have had to do, is to forgive my Dad. That's a biggy, then I have to ask God for forgiveness for believing the lie, that I am not worthy of His love. You see in believing that I was not worthy of my Dad's love, I inadvertently believed that I was not worthy of God's love. Our relationships with our dad's mirror our relationship with God.
Then I have to ask Father God what He says about me. And for that I can look to His Word, John 3.16 tell me that He SO loved the me that He sent Jesus to die for me, so that I could be in relationship with Him!

Jesus says in John 8.32 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free"

It is in the knowing of the truth where the freedom happens. And with freedom comes peace.

Today I feel like a weight has been lifted, and it is just a matter of time for the physical weight (around my thighs, LOL) to melt away.

Psalm 139.14 "I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well"

Today is a new day, one which the Lord has made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Niqui xx

I am learning that in order to have be successful in this journey, I am going to have to change some habits.

Healthy Habits lead to a healthy lifestyle!

This morning I opted for a healthy breakfast

This morning I had  Weet-Bix, honey, milk and a table spoon of seeds.

A few years ago, Jan introduced to to the Patrick Holford way of eating. He is an Australian nutritionist who has devoted his life on educating people on how to eat for optimum health.

I found this seed mix in his book. It is packed with all the good stuff, like omegas...

You'll need, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and ground linseed (flax seed)

Fill half the bottle with the linseed, then with the rest of the seeds.

Shake it up, and then store in the fridge. He recommends 1 table spoon serving for adults once a day and 2 teaspoons for kids.

I add it to all my cereals, smoothies and even french toast. (For the french toast I just grind it up first).

It's yummy, and best of all it is low GI, so it really keeps you fuller for longer!

Niqui xx

For as long as I can remember my weight has been an issue to me. I'm not too sure why, but it has. I suppose that when I was younger, my Dad would affirm me when I looked good, and having his affirmation was what I craved. Now that I am older, I still crave that affirmation, but now I have come to learn that my Heavenly Daddy is called to that role in my life. He affirms me and gives me my value.

Since the birth of my darling Kenz, this baby weight has been really hard to loose. I mean she is two years old already!!

Last week Monday was my tipping point! I got on my scale, and it showed me a number that I have not seen since I was pregnant! 73.1 kgs Oh My Word!!!

Surely there must be a malfunction, I got off, put it back on and then re-weighed myself. Yup! Nothing wrong with the scale.

So this is what I did, I did the only thing that I know what to do. Pray.

I found one of Mom's books:

I am very blessed to have grown up with Godly parents. My Mom is a mighty woman of God. I always remember her having her quiet times with her Bible and one of these books. She used the Prayers That Avail Much as well. Which I now do too (^^,).

So anyways I picked up the book, and it literally opened to a page on a prayer devoted to health and nutrition! Thank you Jesus! Talk about your steps being ordered by Him!!

This is the prayer I prayed:

Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word that shows the steps to health and healing for my body, soul, and spirit. When I cry out to you, you bring health to me, help me now to maintain my health by taking good care of my body that was bought by the Blood of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I realize that my body is the temple of your Holy Spirit and, therefore I want to honour you with the way I treat your temple. I want to profit through bodily exercise and good nutrition so that I will be able to serve you more fully.

A merry heart does good like a medicine, Father, and I thank you that you have given me so many reasons to be merry, joyful and happy. Help me keep my focus on those things at all times - to think on things that are honest, true, just, pure, lovely and of a good report. Let me apply your positive principles of health - mental, emotional and physical - to my daily life.

Help me walk in the Spirit, Father, so that I might be able to bear the fruit of your Spirit in all my responsibilities and relationships - love, peace, joy, patience, meekness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. May the fruit of self-control be may daily portion as I endeavor to practice positive principles of good health in my diet and physical exercise. I praise you for your promise to restore health to me, and I ask you to guide me in how to walk in the health you provide for me. Truly Lord, your joy is my strength, and your Word is life to me.

Thank you, Father, for giving me every herb, and every tree with it's fruit for my nourishment and health. Thank you for the blessing of healthy food. Give me wisdom to govern my eating and exercise habits, and help me make wise choices daily.

AMEN

I truly believe that prayer opens the door for God to move. After praying my prayer, and exercising self control I lost a bit of weight last week, 2kgs.

So this morning I decided to get started on the exercise part of this journey. As it is I get up at 5.15 to have my quiet time, because quite honestly it is the only time the house is quiet (^^,), this morning I donned my running shoes

Jesus and I had a special time, and I am happy to report that my heart didn't stop at the thought or even the reality of a morning run/walk. LOL

AND I even found a hundred bucks lying on the road. And as there was not another living soul on the road at 5.30, I'm guessing that it was my blessing (^^,) hehe

I must say that it has taken quite a bit of courage from me to put my thoughts about my weight on this blog. The Holy Spirit is showing me, that I need to take ownership of all of me, and I guess by me telling you about this journey I have embarked on, I now have someone to be accountable to, too.

3 John 2,

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Chat soon,

Niqui xx