GAIN THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART!

Psalm 37:4  "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."  

Let me take a night to pause from our 10 Tips for Healthier Eating (I promise I will give you all 10!  lol)...I must share this amazing testimony of my sweet friend, Angela.   I stood in my bathroom reading this message from her this morning as I was about to get ready for church, with tears running down my cheeks.     Angela has desired to lose weight, and now, with only the strength from the Lord, encouragement from others, and not giving up, she is a changed woman!!!!  Inside and out!

Such an amazing testimony of how giving God our every care, every struggle can make all the difference in the world!!  

I praise you heavenly Father, for Angela, and the victory YOU have given her over the chains that weight has had over her for years!!!  YOU ARE MIGHTY AND POWERFUL AGAINST EVERYTHING THAT COMES AGAINST US!!!  We declare in the name of Jesus, that Satan is a liar, who comes to kill, steal, and destroy!!   I pray that all who read this, will praise your name with me for the what he has done in Angela's life, and if anyone is under bondage of any type, they will give it to you TODAY!!  I am truly blessed to be a vessel for you Lord, to encourage women in this way to lean on you, even when it is as simple as what we eat!!  In the mighty name of Jesus, AMEN!!!!!

From Angela:

Only with God at my side:
Starting at 310 lbs on January 1, 2011 I began a journey that I knew would not be easy. Because of a blessing from a friend I started working out at Brown Eyed Girls on January 5th and began to eat right again. I have been down this road before but this time things were different. I put God in control and through lots of praying, sweating and eating right (oh I forgot about the tears shed) I finally made it to the 220's this week. When I got on the scales Friday morning I was humbled to see 228.4! I was so excited! I have only been in the 220's one other time in my life (that I can remember.) I hear people say they want to weigh what they did in high school but for me, I never want to weigh what I did in high school. Graduating the largest person in my class is not something I ever want to remember but by God's strength I know now that I don't have to. I have lost 82 lbs in the last year. Yes I fell off in August when school started and gained 38 of the 70 I lost last year but I jumped right back on in January and lost those 38 lbs plus 10+ more. I know now that it is ok to have a bad day every once in a while but with the encouragement from you and so many other I know I will reach my 100lb goal. My goal right now is to wear a size 16 dress to my son's graduation on May 25th.... (I was a size 28) But now I must change that goal because I went to buy a dress yesterday and lo and behold it is a size 16. YEAH! I will wear that dress today to meet my God in his house and it will be so amazing! My God is so good and he is the great Healer. He is still working on me but I do know that nothing is Impossible with Him.

Thank you Keitha so much for helping me to remember to never let my light burn out. You are truly an inspiration. Without you and Linda I never would have gone to my Heavenly Father to draw strength from. You two helped me to see that I want to be healthy to live out his calling in my life.
Thank you so much for being his vessel! I know I can gain today, gain health, gain strength, gain energy but above all else gain a stronger and closer relationship with my Heavenly Father.

My prayer today is this.....
Use me Lord to be an inspiration to others. I want to make a difference in someone's life. I thank you for Keitha and Linda. Thank you for giving me great friends to encourage me.
Thank you for putting Riki in my life. She always listens to me and encourages me daily to keep going.
Your blessing are so great!
Amen!

 

 WHAT A GORGEOUS DAUGHTER OF A THE KING!!!

 PS:  Angela has also started drinking Shakeology...let me know if you are interested in trying it!!  www.beachbodycoach.com/coachkeitha

3 D'S TO LOSE

DRIZZLE, DON'T DRENCH!

Tip 6) for healthier living is to DRIZZLE SALAD DRESSING, NOT DRENCH IT! 

 Become more aware of how much salad dressing you are putting on a wonderful, healthy, big bowl of vitamin-rich veggies!!!  I hear lots of people say they eat salads daily, yet can't lose weight.  Or I have observed at salad bars,  someone totally ruin a low-fat/low-calorie meal by coating it in dressing.   If you are trying to lose weight, I highly recommend you use a vinaigrette dressing (my favorite is raspberry walnut vinaigrette).   And go sparingly!!!!  The other day, I saw something where a nutritionist recommended you dip your fork in dressing, then pick up the salad.   This is a great way to retrain your taste buds to not depend on the dressing as the meal, rather than the green, leafy veggies!!  

Fortunately, I never have cared for ranch, Italian, or any creamy dressings.    Before honey mustard dressing came around in the 90's, I would just eat a salad dry, when I did force a salad down!  But I soon discovered balsamic vinaigrette dressing and lately the raspberry walnut vinaigrette (which I know adds a few calories, but I personally don't like soggy, dressing-drenched salad).   If you are ordering a salad at a restaurant, ALWAYS ask for the dressing on the side.  That way you can control how much goes on your salad.   

Here is my favorite salad that is a great lunch or dinner meal:

2 cups romaine lettuce and fresh spinach mixed

1/4 cup sliced almonds or walnuts

1/4 cup of dried cranberries

4 oz diced grilled chicken breast

1 Tbsp Raspberry Ving dressing

This salad is easy to throw together to take to work, and takes little time to prepare if you buy the box salad mix at United or Sam's.  I also buy the chicken breasts at Sam's that are already grilled (whole breasts, not diced).   I will cook several chicken breasts for the family, add some steamed veggies and roll for the family but I put my chicken on salad.  EASY!!!!!  

I apologize that it is taking me over 2 weeks to give you 10 tips for healthier living!!  Life gets crazy,  and the day gets away from me.   I try to type it during the day, but seems like every time I sit down to the computer, hear comes Little Miss Harbor, wanting to play on the "pewtah" as she calls it!  LOL!!!   But I hope these tips are helpful.  Be sure to share my blog with your friends!!  AND I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!!!!  

Here is part of my devotional today by David Wilkerson, that talks about the "sprinkling of the blood of Jesus"...I felt this went along with my tip, since 'Sprinkling" and "Drizzling" could be used interchangeably.  

"If Christ is Lord of your life, then your doorposts have been sprinkled by His
blood. This sprinkling is not for forgiveness only but also for protection
against all the destroying powers of Satan. Jesus' blood has not been left in
the basin but has been lifted out and sprinkled on your heart."

I pray that your home is sprinkled by the blood of Jesus, and that you pour out your heart to him daily.   Thank him and praise him for all the blessings and plans he has for you, and ask Him to guide you as you are striving to take care of your body, His temple.  

Keitha Beth

Bring It To Lose It!!!!

Short and sweet tonight...laying in bed and alarm going off at 5am for TGIF WORKOUT!! To avoid eating junk when you find yourself starving while running errands or at work about 4pm, keep healthy snacks with you!!! My favorite is snack size ziplock bag with 10 almonds, 1/4 cup dried cranberries, and 10 walnuts. Feels my tank and the protein in nuts keeps me satisfied til supper. Also, keep a shake in freezer ready to grab and take with you so you have it in car. Tip 5) for Healthier Living: BE PREPARED!!!! This is so important, whether. you are packing lunch and/or snacks! This is key to changing your eating habits into a lifestyle behavior! I can't stress importance of planning ahead. It takes time and isn't always convenient, but when those jeans fit looser in the waist or hips, IT WILL BE WORTH IT!! Thanks for reading today...hope this helps you:)

MOVE TO LOSE OR GAIN!!!

Move to lose OR gain??  Having dealt with rheumatoid arthritis for almost 14 years now, I can view exercise in both ways:  to lose weight or to gain strength/mobility.   I want to share my devotional from yesterday, and then we will discuss our tip of the day:  EXERCISE!

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STONE
by Gary Wilkerson

“Joseph took the body . . . and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut
out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and
went away" (Matthew 27:59–60, NIV).

Jesus had just been crucified and was now lying in a tomb. As a massive stone
was rolled to seal the doorway, everyone had a sad sense of finality. Scripture
says a group of women, including Mary Magdalene, was sitting opposite the tomb.
Those women must have been heartbroken. I can almost hear the despair in their
voices: "What will happen now that Jesus is gone? How do we go on?"

Today we know the end of the story. We know that when Jesus said from the
cross, "It is finished," He had conquered sin. We know that with His
resurrection He had conquered death. And we know that He did it all for us.

But what if we did not know the end of the story, as those women at the tomb?
What were the eleven disciples thinking as they hid at a distance behind locked
doors (see John 20:19)?

I do not think we can fathom what Jesus' death meant to His passionate
followers. They had believed their Master was the hope of the world, the
salvation of Israel, the light to the Gentiles. He was the great healer,
raising the dead and setting captives free, preaching the good news to the
poor. He was the embodiment of the new kingdom He preached about. As they
thought back to His words, "It is finished," they must have thought He meant,
"It's over. This is the end of the story."

All too often, as Christians endure the trials of life, this is the message
they believe. They see no hope beyond their difficult situation. All they can
see is a stone permanently rolled into place separating them from hope. Yet
they are seeing things from this side of the stone. If only they knew what God
is doing for them on the other side of the stone.

Maybe life has presented you with a hard, impassable situation. As you read
this do you wonder, “Is God at work in my circumstance? Is Jesus really
triumphant — in me? Can He really save me from this situation? I just don’t
see a way forward.”

I tell you, God is on the move in your life at this very moment. The stone is
being rolled away. Light is breaking forth and your Hope stands there in the
doorway: Jesus! He has triumphed over all the powers of darkness and His
victory is yours by faith."

I  love how Mr. Wilkerson can share just one piece of scripture, and give me one of those, "Wow, does he know what I am going through?"  or "I can soooo relate to that" moments.  Even if it is a verse I have read over many times, it seems like there is always a fresh perspective that is applicable to me, when I read his daily devotional!  God is probably thinking, "Well it is about time, Keitha!"  haha

When I was first diagnosed with RA at age 29, I didn't think much of it.  But then the pain became more and more intense, and morning stiffness caused me to shuffle across the floor in agony.  At my "lowest" (most severe) flare, I could not dress myself, put my long hair in a ponytail, or even open a sippy cup!     And here I was, Miss Queen of Exercise!!  (I have been teaching for over 20 years now...GRATEFUL I can say I am still teaching!)  But I vividly remember falling in floor one morning after everyone was gone to school, and lying prostrate in the floor, crying and asking God why this was happening to me.   I even selfishly thought, "God, there are people out there who hate exercise....let them have RA.  They don't want to exercise so they won't mind!"  Praise the Lord that God pulled me out of that pit, and even that mind set of wanting to give this debilitating disease to someone else.  

Like the devotional above says about the disciples, they didn't know the end of the story with the death of Jesus.  I don't know the end of my story, but I do know the past and the present part:  God knew I was strong enough to handle RA, and he knew I needed to be humbled about the fact that He gave me the strength and talent to teach fitness classes, and even run a marathon.  And now, He wants me to share my testimony about how God is on the MOVE in my life today!     I can empathize/sympathize with those of you who find it difficult to exercise due to some sort of illness or inflammation in joints.  However, I am the BIGGEST ADVOCATE that exercise is the key to fighting most chronic illnesses, mental illness and stress, and especially autoimmune diseases that affect the joints.  I remember my doctor telling me shortly after my diagnosis that exercise would be a huge factor in how much joint mobility I maintained.    He was so right...although he has questioned a few of my "ideas" on exercise.  (Marathon with dislocated toe due to erosion of joint, boot camp, teaching 8-10 classes a week!  lol)   I would go so far as to say that I am stronger mentally, physically, and spiritually than I have ever been but only because of the GRACE OF GOD!!  

Whatever struggles you may be dealing with, please remember that God is right there, ready to MOVE in your life.    Just ask Him, spend time with Him, and He will lift you up!

TOP 10 TIPS FOR HEALTHIER LIVING:

4)  BE ON THE MOVE!!!  (As Chalene Johnson says, if you will exercise 80% of the time, you will be on track to a more fit and healthy you!)   It doesn't mean you have to be a member of a gym or attend classes 80% of time, but just be moving!!    Make it your goal to exercise 20-30 minutes 5 out of 7 days a week.  If you have longer, take advantage.  If time is short, take a 20 minute power walk ,and you will feel better!

*Attend fitness classes

*Go walk/jog since weather is gorgeous these days

*Jump on the trampoline with your kids

*Go bike riding with your family

*Swim and splash around with your kids in a pool

*Get that workout video out of the drawer, blow the dust off, and just push play!!  (Or visit my website @ www.beachbodycoach.com/coachkeitha for some of the most awesome workouts available!  Turbofire is my favorite!)

I hope these tips are helping you, and I pray that whatever you are bound up by, whether food, insecurity,or other lies of the devil, that YOU WILL LET GOD MOVE AND FREE YOU TODAY!!!  

Be Blessed!

Keitha Beth

SHARE TO LOSE!

SHARE TO LOSE!!

"Share with the Lord's people who are in need.  Practice hospitality."  Romans 12:13

Reading the title of this blog you are probably thinking, ok Keitha is losing it now.  LOL!!  But hang with me here...the Lord gave me a word to go with my healthy tip of the day!!    Have you ever noticed how God will put a scripture or verse in your path several times through sermons, devotionals, daily Bible reading, a song...and after about the 3rd time you hear the same Word, you are thinking, "are you trying to make a point God?"  That is how I have been feeling since we started the Beth Moore study of James...whew!!!! She is a mighty vessel for the Lord in bringing the scripture alive and helping me understand more about the Living Word!!  But I felt like several points she made from scripture have been re-stated or reinforced in our Sunday School lessons, sermons, songs, a book I'm reading.  One of those commands from Jesus is to share with the poor, the widowed, the orphaned. 

So as spring has sprung, I have been going through clothes for my girls, and sorting out what they can still wear and what is way too short.  Haven and Harbor both have grown so much in height since last August!!  Avery too, but she is old enough to go through her own clothes!!  (or at least she should be right? haha)   When we moved to Matador, we had to down-size drastically without all our extra storage space we had in a garage and huge shop at Seminole.  But I do believe less is more!!!!  And seriously, like I could open up a Girls' Boutique of gently used clothing!!!!  And that is after 2 garage sales last summer!  

Hoarding was mentioned in Beth's study of James, and she even talked about how much she loved shopping and that when writing this study, she was convicted by the Lord about her shopping habits for clothes.  So she has really become more aware of purchasing new clothes when she really doesn't need them.  Unfortunately, myself and all 3 of my girls love clothes and accessories like Beth!!  However, as I have been spring cleaning closets, I have decided to "share" as many of their clothes as I can with friends who have girls that would enjoy them.   It makes me so happy to see little girls wearing the outfits in which I have sweet memories of my girls wearing them.  Honestly, it brings tears to my eyes when Harbor outgrows an outfit that Avery and Haven both wore...I am thinking, "Oh, where did the time go!"   But not enough  tears to make me want to have another child....I know it would be a girl, and 4 proms and 3 weddings may break the bank at this point!!!!  LOL!!  I love my girls, and consider it a wonderful blessing, even in the midst of chaotic Sunday mornings when we are getting dresses, shoes, and hair done!!  

Now, back to my fitness info...sorry my ADHD kicking in this morning!!  LOL!

TOP 10 TIPS FOR HEALTHIER LIVING:

3)  SHARE A MEAL AT A RESTAURANT!!    Restaurant portions are HUGE, and many of us feel guilty to not "clean the plate" when there are all those precious babies starving in Africa!!  So if you are eating out with your husband or friend, share an entree.   It not only keeps you from eating too much, but it keeps you from spending too much!!!  Drink your water at restaurants when eating out, as well...most tea/soft drinks cost $2 at a restaurant, so if you ate out 3 times a week, that is $6 which is $24 a month!!  A family of 4 can spend $8 in drinks, which is $96 a month if you ate out 3 times a week with your family!!!!  (you are getting free financial advice here today too!! LOL!!)

What do you do if you are eating alone, or your hubby doesn't want to share an entree with you?  Ask server for to-go container when they first bring your entree to your table.  Place half of your meal in the to-go container, and you have lunch for tomorrow!!!  It is much easier to only eat half when that is ALL that is on the plate!  

Here is a great link to Beach Body Newsletter on tips for dining out:

http://www.teambeachbody.com/eat-smart/nutrition-tip/-/ntip/17274/all/2/5

I'm praying you have a wonderful day that the Lord has made!!!  

Keitha Beth

PS:  I tried the new strawberry shakeology this last Thursday, and absolutely love it!!!  Even my kids like it...which is $41 of fruits and veggies in ONE shake!!  Healthy eating made simple!

To learn more about Shakeology, visit my website at www.beachbodycoach.com/coachkeitha