Fruits of the Lori

Progress Report time again. Boy, I missed last month's reminder for focus re-alignment :) Hope I didn't get too off track.

Health. So, I was pretty tired of my lacidasical attitude towards food, giving myself way too much leeway and letting my 'hunger' pangs rule the roost. As you read in my One-oh-One post I went on a 5 day protein-shake bender, lol, which I hoped would help whip my self-restraint into shape, as well as train my stomach to be satisfied with a certain amount of calories/food. I think it was a great success! Having neglected to weigh myself before this started I'm not entirely sure how much I lost because I was anywhere between 2-6 lbs heavier than I am today, and most of that was from my stomach area (YES! *fist pump*) but the most important part is that I haven't found myself hungry in the evenings like I was, and even if I am I now have the restraint to stick to a schedule of calories.
Also, I've done some looking into the best foods to keep my energy up while also being key in reducing actual fat not just weight. I bought a new scale that has a fat % calculator and I did not like what I saw after the weight flashed by! Part of that is due to my exercise, I've been considering being 'active' (like gardening) as exercise and I need to be both, so more aerobics and weights for me! Good news is the changes in my nutrition have really boosted my energy to do that! I've been able to find the energy and motivation to workout more, and ended up gaining 2 lbs back...IN MUSCLE. How do I know that? Because my fat % went down 4 %! YAY!

Self Discovery. In the last 2 months I have done a lot of self-discovery, mostly NOT through journalling. I've had a revelation that I will not be a natural mother, but I can still be a supernatural mother! I've taken a course on spiritual gifts and discovered SO much about how God has created me and all the seemingly random wiring has all been for a reason! It's been really good to see myself more as God sees me and it makes we wish this kind of clarity for everyone.
Some of my SD journalling has come through my new 101 list, especially having gone through life avoiding things or being afraid to try things, and now it's exciting to think of all the things I might LOVE but have been missing out on because I thought I was NTKOG. I also finally finished that huge entry in my creative journal, it was a manifesto of sorts, laying out exactly what I believe about God and why. Man was it long! :) 4 pages typed! But it was affirming to see it all in writing and to know I have no doubts how awesome my God is.

Self Discipline. Still making ok progress on my daily Bible reading, I'm also now finished Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua and half way through Psalms, Proverbs, Luke, and just starting Judges.
SD with food and sugar, well, kinda covered that already, so thumbs up! SD with prayer is something I've been needing more of though. Seems when things are going well my thoughts are consumed with things I like to do (my zillions of hobbies!), and when things are not going well my thoughts are consumed with the struggles so I pray out of that consumption. I really need to discipline myself to pray even during the good times. Good times afterall are not perfect times, there are still people who are struggling, usually it's with complacency which is a bit less thought provoking than negativity. I have a few prayers in particular that are weighing on me and I would love to be that pesky woman knocking on that judges door and who gets an answer just because of her persistance....and faith. I want to start a prayer journal again I just need to step up the SD and just do it!

Consideration. I did get to perform a random act of consideration in May, my cuz needed a pick-me-up so I brought her some homemade goodies :) I've had a few people who've really needed a listening ear and some insightful words of encouragement lately, which I'm not sure was my intuition picking up on it or they are just that open with me, but it felt good to make them feel heard and understood and valued. Turns out I've actually been on the receiving end of some insightful consideration myself lately and thanks to all the wonderful ladies in my life who know when I need some words of love and encouragement, you inspire me to be that for others!