In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
John 1:1-5

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 Devotional for A New Year!
by Janice LaQuiere

New Years Day! The time to look back at life and create resolutions based upon what you see in the mirror, and don’t see in your pocket. Across the country people are determining to eat less, save more, and once again re-create their body into the person they want to be.  In America the top seven New Year's resolutions are:

1. Lose weight
2. Stop smoking 
3. Stick to a budget 
4. Save or earn more money 
5. Find a better job 
6. Become more organized 
7. Exercise

But what is important? Is it all about me, as illustrated in the above resolutions or is it about God? In Ecc. 12:13 Solomon informs us, “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” 365 days a year, for the lifespan of man, our duty is to fear God.

In 1976, long before homeschooling became a way of life for many Christian families, my parents decided to keep my brother and me at home. Thirty percent of the public school class came from divorced homes, prayer in school was outlawed, and students were being taught to devalue the life of a human by the acceptance of evolution, abortion, and pre-marital sex. It would get worse. Where did the fear of the Lord fit in this mix? It was as passé as Santa Claus, an archaic concern that imprisoned our grandparents.

My parents didn’t decide to keep us home because they were interested in giving us a better education, but rather because they desired  to instill and preserve the fear of the Lord in our hearts. Ps 111:10 says: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.” By teaching us to fear the Lord they were trusting that He would take care of our earthly needs as well.

The new year is a great time to look at life, to look forward to our goals, and make our plans, but let's remember that our primary resolution is to fear the Lord. It is only through Him that we will find true peace, and happiness, and satisfaction.

May God bless you, and may the Peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you, now and throughout the year.

Ps 19:6-11, Ps 25:12, Micah 6:8


Dieting Tips for 2005:

  • If you eat more, you gain weight.
  • If you eat less, you lose weight.
  • If you exercise you can eat more.
  • Exercise by itself will not help you lose weight.
  • In every diet there are those times where you stop eating and still can't lose weight. Exercise and start eating.
  • I've never seen a fat person die of starvation.
  • You can over eat on the Atkins diet.
  • On a 5'3" woman, her clothes weigh approx. 1lb., her shoes weigh 1 lb. and she'll lose 1 lb as she sleeps.
  • You can lose more weight by sleeping and not eating than you can by eating and exercising. Think about it.
  • A Creamsicle® weighs .25lb.
  • There are calories in juice and milk.
  • If you lose weight on a diet, and then revert back to your previous eating habits you will also revert back to your previous weight.
  • Eating junk food is more satisfactory (though less healthy) then eating good food. Sometimes you should skip the chicken and eat the cookie.
  • You can't eat both the chicken AND the cookie.
  • Starting a diet each evening doesn't work.
  • It's easier to start a diet after a good meal. It's hardest to stick to it when you're hungry.
  • It's all a matter of self-discipline.
  • Dieting is a continual process of telling one’s self "no".
  • I'm convinced that the small process of saying "no" and showing self-discipline in eating will strengthen your self-discipline and ability to control yourself in more important situations.
  • It takes one day to gain 3 pounds and three weeks to lose it.
  • Healthy foods are more expensive than regular foods, but still cheaper and less painful than heart surgery, gall bladder attacks, kidney malfunction, or other physical disorders.
  • Loosing weight is a mindset, not a program.
  • You have to take responsibility for the food you eat.

The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year.  It is that we should have a new soul.
G.K. Chesterton

 

 

 

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Dieting tips

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