Over the last few weeks I have NOT been working out.   This week that is all going to change.  I am re-focused and ready to go.  Today Tommy and I plan to do a full circit, Tuesday I plan to do Yoga, Wednesday I plan to ride my bike, Thursday bike again, Friday an upper body circut and maybe some more yoga, and then Saturday stairs and maybe bike too.   I feel better already!    Tommy and I are going to make some many goals.   I plan to be at -72/-73 by my one year aniversary for my weight loss.  It isn't 80lbs but it is darn close!   What do you do to re-focus?  

main·tain verb \mān-ˈtān, mən-\ Definition of MAINTAIN transitive verb 1 : to keep in an existing state (as of repair, efficiency, or validity) : preserve from failure or decline <maintain machinery>

The name of the game this week has been MAINTAIN.   No I did not lose any weight this week but I did not gain any either.   This might be the key to making it though stress and holidays.   Losing weight is wonderful but sometimes maintaining is a victory in itself.   What do you do to maintain durring stress and the holidays?

Christmas always makes me a little nostolgic about my faith.   I think it's becasue you see the wonderment of child like faith and Christmas also tends to bring out the best of people's giving spirit.   I have been thinking a lot about a few of my favorite lines about faith.  

"Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see.  They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds.  All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little.   In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.  Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world........You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding."

 "God dwells within you...as you.  God's not interested in watching a performance of how a spiritual person looks and behaves. The quiet girl who glides silently through the place with a gentle, ethereal smile...who is that person? It's Ingrid Bergman in "The Bells of St. Mary's" – not me. God dwells within me...as me."

As an adult having Faith and being Spiritual is hard.   It isn't as easy as when you were a child and things fit so nice into a little packages.   Faith is confusing.   Faith tests your reason and your logic as an adult.   But every time I go back.  Far back... to when my Mamaw was alive.   To something that was her mantra.   "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."  Thank you Mamaw for helping me keep my faith.  

Yesterday I posted on Facebook that I was going to an Art Show with Tommy.   Someone who I don't know very well said, "Your life seems like an endless adventure."  That comment has stuck with me over the past 24 hours so I decided to blog about it.   A very wise Mother Teresa once said, "Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is bliss, taste it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it."  Life is way too short not to make it an endless adventure.   In my foster parent training I have to often remind people to take time for themselves and to have fun.   Really?  Yes!!!! For whatever reason it's the one thing people don't think they have time for.  Take the time!   There are so many adventures out there just waiting for you.   Life is waiting for you!!! Enjoy it!!!!

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

From time to time I have posted some of my favorite things in my blogs.  So I thought I would do a my fovorite things Winter Addition.  Here are a few...

This week I weighed in one day early due to travel and work tomarrow.   Exercise has been neglected due to a crazy week but I have kept down my calories.   I did not stress eat.   I am so proud of myself in the face of a vacation and COA I still lost a pound and that ain't bad!   I am down a total of 67lbs.   Watch out 70lbs here I come.   I tried on some clothes today and found myself having to get a size smaller.   It feels so good to do this.  I even bought a size medium today!!!!!  WOO HOO!!!!