W3 (Women Who Worship)

Well, Our Winter Bible Study, “A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place” by Beth Moore began last night and the Thursday morning group began today!

Last night there were 50 women in attendance! Plus, 6 more women who couldn’t come for one reason or another. The morning group had 11 people sign up. Not sure who all showed up, but we will still praise God. He is so faithful. He knew every women who would be there last night and as Beth pointed out, “He pursued you!” He brought you there for a reason and one is to have you get to know Him better!!

The night was not without minor flaws, but I would have to say it was a success! Women were visiting with each other, we worshiped God with our songs of praise, we read out of our Bibles, we made God-honoring commitments to spend time with Him in His Word and influence the women around us.

The room got a little cold after a while, and I think it was because the exit door was open for most of the night. If any of you see this happen after 7:00pm on the coming Wednesdays, please shut it and hopefully we will have a good temperature throughout. With as many women that were there, I was worried it would get too WARM! HA!

The small group time will begin next week. The facilitators are and have been praying over your names and will let God tell us where to place you. We will consider your special requests. Next week when you come in, we will let you know which table you will be at. Hopefully we can make it fun for you…. We will see!

Start your homework! Get 5 days of homework done and return next week. Remember, the doors open at 6:15, so come early to chat with your friends, and be ready to start your table group at 6:30pm. It will begin on time!!!

If you have and questions or comments, please leave them here. We would love to use the blog to discuss different issues or thoughts. If you have a personal question, you may email me at srplato@yahoo.com.

See you at 6:15pm on Wednesday!

Sunshine

So I feel kinda silly writing about my weight watchers experience while these other ladies are writing about organic and cooking, and no sugar, OR no sugar substitutes. I personally am not ok with cooking everything. I like my food convenient and easy to do. I don’t have time to do all the cooking, not to mention learn HOW to cook. I drink water, but I WILL not drink juice. I think it is TOO much sugar and carbohydrates.

Anyway, I will continue to let you know my progress since I have already begun. This week makes the beginning of the 4th week of WW. I have lost a total of 6 pounds!!! YEAH! That is great! I lost 2 pounds from last week! And I went down a pants size!!

I think I can stick this out. I love food, but this feeling of accomplishment is so good. I ate a reese’s peanut butter cup tonight. It was good and it fit into my budget!!

Tell me how your quest for health is. If you are doing WW, let me know and we can be accountable for one another.

Sunshine

Hi,

Did you know that the average American consumes 150 lbs of sugar a year (M.D. Don Colbert).  Here is another interesting fact 1 soft drink contains 10 teaspoons of sugar and most kids drink at least 3 cans a day.

10 Reasons to decreese your childs sugar intake

  1. Sugar can suppress your immune system and impair your defenses against infectious disease.

2. Sugar can cause can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.

3. Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder and stomach.

4. Sugar contributes to obesity.

5. Sugar can cause a decrease in your insulin sensitivity thereby causing an abnormally high insulin levels and eventually diabetes.

6. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.

7. Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit  hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

8. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.

9. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.

10.  Sugar can reduce the learning capacity, adversely affect school children’s grades and cause learning disorders.

The next time your child asks for candy instead of giving it to them offer then a variety of fruit to chose from.

Every parent wants to give their children the best they can.  I believe as parents we can give them a good start to life by the food choices we make for them.    Like always if you have any questions or would just like to make a comment please do.

Christie

Proverbs 28:26  He who trusts in himself is a fool but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.                           

Girls,

It’s time for the launch of “A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place”!! This study begins this week at Crossroads.

The Wednesday Night group will meet this Wednesday, January 30th at 6:30pm-8:30pm in Founder’s Hall of the Christian Family Center. If you have signed up, we are excited to see you there. If you have not signed up but would still like to come, show up and we will get you registered and you can purchase a book for $16! REMEMBER, Doors will open at 6:15pm, so come early, get registered and begin hanging out right away. We have a fun evening planned with worship, prayer, orientation and an introductory video with Beth Moore! Don’t be late….

Our Thursday morning group begins this week too! Thursday, January 31 at 9:30am-11:30am at Vicky P.’s home in Onsted. If you have signed up for this time, great! If you haven’t and need the address and directions, please email me at srplato@yahoo.com. Books will be available for those who still have to purchase books.

Don’t miss out on this awesome opportunity to grow closer to God, draw closer to other women and make new or renew relationships!! In the words of Beth Moore from her promotional video, “This is gonna be so fun, this is gonna be so fun, this is gonna be so fun!”

See you there!!

Sunshine

Hi, bloggers

There is a lot I could say about all of these artifical sweeteners and it’s not good.  But I don’t expect you to take my word for it so I am including wed sites that you should look at and pass along to anyone you know who drinks diet soda.

I will tell you a little just to give you a little info.   Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, saccharine, Splenda, ect….)   have shown to lead to  health complications.  Research show it’s linked to several types of cancer.  Aspartame is 10% methanol alcohol with used as a paint thinner.  Most people drink diet pop to lose weight but in fact they actually gain weight and increase there chances of diabetes and obesity.  Artifical Sweeteners are BIG business that pads someones pocket at the expense of peoples health.  Unfortunately people in the industry  are to often motivated by greed.

Please visit these sites:

Mercola.com  more specific:  www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/deadly_deception.htm

www.womentowomen.com/nutritionandweightloss/dietsoda.aspx

www.thetruthaboutsplenda.com

I hope and pray that the information I give you will help lead you and your family to better health. 

Christie

Proverbs 20:17  Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel.  

Hi,  Bloggers

For those of you who are waiting for the diet pop blog I will post that on Wednesday.

What is the best food to feed our children and ourselves for that matter.   Jordan Rubin says we should serve food that God has created.  If you think about that, it makes sense.  If God created it for us to eat  than we should eat it and eat it in its most natural form. 

Babies 8-18 months: They are developing and growing and need easily digestable and nurishing foods.  That is why God created breast milk so our babies can get exactly what they need and easily digest it.  To many babies are developing GERD or acid reflux mostly becasue they are eating the wrong food or eating certian foods to early.  Good foods for this age is avacado mashed, apple sauce, yogurt, ect.. you get the idea.  French fries and cookies and things like that are very hard on a babies digestive system and don’t provide any nutrients.  The best choice would be to give our growing babies living food that will nurish their growing bodies.   

Pre-K to elementry: For this age I would say breakfast is very important espescially one that is high in protein.  When children go to school they need the protein to get them through the day and help them focus on school work.  I have talked to teachers who have told me they know if a child has ate breakfast or not by their behavior.  Pop tarts and store bought granola bars are not really a good choice, it is loaded with sugar and very little if any protien.  Some kids they are on a sugar roller coster from the time they get up until the time they go to bed. What I mean is they ate high sugar food spiking glucose level and them drops off quickly, which set them up for all kind of problems.   I know most parents have the best intentions for their children and we are easily decieved by the advertising companies, they spend billions of dollars every year to get our business.   Like fruttie pebbles has 12 essentail vitamin and minerals but they fail to tell you they are man made in a labatory somewhere and the fact that it is loaded with sugar.  ( this is an example)

Well I know I have given you a lot to think about so know let discuss what we can do about it.  Here are some ideas for healthy breakfast and lunches.  Lets remember to eat food God has created and a varity of it.

Breakfast:  1) Ezekiel bread (sprouted whole grain bread) they have several different knids (sold at meijer & county market in the freezer section) I lightly toast it and put organic butter & sunbutter or almond butter (in place of peanut butter) 2) Protein smoothie put plain yogurt, protein powder, frozen berries, banana, and a little apple juice.  I would highly recommned adding GPRX fiber greens.  3) Free range eggs and fruit.

Lunch: This is a good time to think varity.  When I pack my kids lunch  I always make sure my they have a fruit, vegetable, and protein, and a healthy goodie.   White bread really has no nutritional value so if you make a sandwich Ezekiel bread is good choice.  1) Instead of peanut butter and jelly try sunbutter and fruit spread.  2)I like to make ants on a log its fun and healthy. Put sunbutter on a celery stick and add some rasins or cranberries 3) Give your kids choices like carrot sticks, sliced green or yellow pepper, cucumbers, broccoli.  4) Give them some choices of fresh fruit (not fruit cups) and make some homemade fruit dip with your kids like plain yogurt and honey or sunbutter, be creative.  5) A good alternative to cookies & candy is fruit leathers, date bars (health food store), dried fruit, or Panda’s raspberry bars (health food stores).

Habits are hard to break so we should try our hardest to create healthy habits for our children.  It isn’t easy being a parent in this world but God has overcome this world and he can give us the strenght to do our job as parnets. 

Please feel free to ask questions and share this website with someone.

Thanks Christie

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Hello Readers,

I told you the last time I blogged how sad I was that the new diet left me without cheese and ice cream. It makes me sad. Actually though, I have broke down and officially joined the online WW, so I can get some better information and correct planning. It is not REALLY a diet, but a plan for a lifestyle change and I like it.

I weighed in tonight after 3 weeks of this plan and I have lost 4 pounds! YEAH! That is about 30% of my goal and I am ecstatic. I haven’t yet done well on the exercise. My goal is to exercise 3-4 times a week and so far it has been once a week. Looks like I have something more to work on.

I have asked my husband to consider buying us an elliptical machine. He is considering. We haven’t come to a firm conclusion, but I would say that he is leaning heavily in favor for it.

One more thing before I go… Just a reminder to our Crossroaders: Night of Praise is this Wednesday at 6:30pm in the Auditorium. Hope you will consider attending and spending a couple hours devoted to praising God and being fed the Word of God. I will save you a seat if you leave a reply for me to. Come hear what He has to say to you!!!

Sunshine

Hi,

There is a saying that I have taken to heart and applied to my life by Doug Kaufman “IF you always do what you have always done you will always get what you have always got”  Change can make a huge difference and its never to late.

Soft drinks (soda’s) are Americans # 1 drink of choice.  Teen boys avgerage  3+ cans a day, girls 2 + cans a day.

Soda pop Facts:  Harmful ingredients

Saccharin:  likely to be linked with MS & neurological problems .       Phosphoric Acid:  Blocks absorption of calcium & magnesium.  It’s a major  cause of kidney stones and interferes with digestion.                                      Caffeine: causes jitters, insomnia, high blood pressure, irregular heart beat, vitamin & mineral   depletion ect…..                                               Artifical coloring: common to soda is red, brown, yellow and scarlet all very unsafe.   Yellow dye #6 found in candy & soda has high rate of kidney & adrenal gland tumors in rates.  These dyes are banned in Sweden and Norway.  Some children have bad reactions to some of these color that demenstrate themselves in behavioral issues.     

For some to say we will never have pop again isn’t realistic so you can make small changes that can have a huge impact.                                                       

Small changes I would recommned:                                                                  1.Cut your childs pop consumption in 1/2.                                                              2. Encourage them to drink water.  Squeeze a lemon, lime, orange, ect… in it.                                                                                                                                    3.Try some of the natural brew soda Meijer & Country Market carries them. 4. If you have an infant don’t give them pop even as they get older get them use to water, teas, and limited juices.  You can’t miss what you haven’t had. 5. Pray ask God for wisdom.  God cares about every aspect of our life he will give you the wisdom you seek out.                                                                              6. Be an example and do what you are asking your child to do so you too may walk in good health.                                                                                                7. Stay clear of diet pop.  It is very bad.  If you want more info. about this ask and I will post it.

Remember it is never too late to make a change that could impact the rest of someones life.  Pray and God will give you the answers, wisdom and strength you are looking for.

Ephesians 3:20  Now to him who is able to do immeasuralble more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.

Christie

I have been unable to blog about much because of the new year, preparing for the new study and just plain lazy.   Well, not really.

I started a quest for better eating and exercise habits, so I began the weight watchers diet.  And not OFFICIALLY.  I just borrowed grandma’s old copies of the first week of materials and am trying it out.  My goal is to lose 10-15 pounds and exercise 3-4 times a week.

Man, this diet is hard!!  I eat pretty decent, normally.  Before the diet, I typically avoided unnecessary carbohydrates, drink fat free milk, I buy only whole grain LIGHT bread and crackers, eat fruits and vegetables,  and control (for the most part) portion sizes.  But, for the last year or so, I have teetered back and forth between 4 pounds.  So, I decided to really give a diet a try.

IT IS NOT EASY!!!  I LOVE cheese… I put it on everything.  But, WW is not fond of cheese.  It seems that if I choose cheese, then I have to skip breakfast or miss that piece of fruit for lunch.  So, I reeeeeaaaaally miss cheese.  And it has only been a week.  Another thing is ice cream.  I am usually really good about portion size for ice cream.  1/2 cup is the right size and on my previous plan (when I was pregnant with gestational diabetes), I was allowed to eat this amount of ice cream and I did probably 4 times a week for my snack.  But, WW thinks this is too much fat, so I had it one time and I was starving the rest of the night because I used up my points.

I am going to try real hard to stick with this plan and so far after one week I have lost 1.5 pounds.  YEA!  But, tonight is date night for me and the hubby and I just don’t know how I am going to eat small portions at Red Lobster !

Oh well, I guess this is a female thing and even though I don’t necessarily HAVE to lose this weight (I am not technically overweight if you consider BMI), I just want to make my jeans fit better, they have become too snug.

Here’s to the age old New Year’s Resolution to “lose weight and exercise more”!!!!

Sunshine