Melanie's Job this week

Well, this week Melanie is taking care of some chickens for our friends. At first, I really did not think she would be able to do it. And at first she really did struggle with it.










But now, she love the chickens. She can not wait to get out there and take care of them. She even wants one. I do not think so. But she thinks that they are really cool.

And she is taking good care of the chickens. They are really good. Except the day that one grabbed my finger. They are good chickens and Melanie and I are having a blast taking care of them.

Melanie

I have to tell you about my last couple of weeks and the word Grace. There has been a couple of actions that I seen some friends not extend grace and I thought that maybe grace should of been extended. I have also seen this article about this teen who was suspended because he wore a rosary to school. I have also seen my child not extend grace to each other. This has had me sit back an wonder to myself, have I been extending grace lately. I would have to be real honest here and the answer would have to be NO. How can I even judge some one else for not doing the same thing that I have not been willing to do. It is not my place to judge others, but it is my place to examine myself. I have to remind myself here that if Jesus felt the same way that I have been acting, would he have died on the cross for me? I mean after all, we are created after their image. Are we not suppose to act like them. I got their feeling, emotions, my form is the same as theirs. I am created in their image, you can find this all through out the first nine chapters of Genesis, and I am sure it is quoted more in the bible. Then we were given dominion over the whole earth. This important, we are to have grace, mercy and love towards each other. This especially means me, I can not expect this from others if I am not willing to do it myself. So, here it goes, I am going to take the first step and forgive those who have done things to me, or that I have not agreed with and I am moving on. How are we to reach the lost, if we do not extend grace? I need to extend grace, I love my Lord enough to do His will. Thank you Lord, for the grace you extended me. Tanya

What if?

This is me on my graduation day in 1989. I was thinking about this as my niece was graduating from her High School. Have you ever sat back and thought about what you would do if you were given another chance to go right back here on your graduation day? And all of your future was wiped out, you knew nothing about it. Would you make the same choices, would you do the same thing you did after High School? See, it would be impossible to do the exact same thing. Something would be changed and your future may change with it. See, there would be no way that I personally could go back. God had changed my path at least three different times in order for me to be in Germany on the day I was to meet Jeff. If one thing was changed or I had decided to not go into the Army, I would of never met Jeff. It is weird, I believe God had my life completely planned out for me, I just did not know it. And half the time I did not even realize it until I was sitting down at someone else's graduation or wedding thinking about it. God had His hand in my life from the day I was born. Interesting, I am so amazed by this journey that I thought that I was making and I have realized that God has made it with me. He has orchestrated it on so many levels. I am sure that if for some reason I did go back, God would again set everything up for me to meet Jeff. But it would all be different and it may change my future. But of course I would not know that it changed, because I did not know that I had a life already. I think that I would of changed or hope that I would of changed somethings. But all in all, I would not want to go back. I love the life that I am living right now so, I have decided that the "What ifs" do not count any more. Because it will always be the "God did"!! Love ya, from Tanya

Forgiveness is a must.

I have been sitting back and just basking in Jesus arms through this time of weight loss. He has shown me that I have forgiven everyone in my life but me. I have spent so many years on the yo yo machine of dieting and I have never forgiven my bad actions or falling off the wagon. So, lately I have been asking God to show me what part of my life I have not forgiven and so much has surfaced. I have realized that I have held on to so much about me and that is what keeps me running to the fridge. It is not my past or people in my life. It has been me and how I react to my actions it. I have also realized that in order to loose weight and keep it off, I have to not diet but to have a new life style change. I do not want the weight to come off really fast, I need to be slow at it. If I get to impatient I will gain it all back plus some. I am so close to being under my 300, I just want to see more loss, I do not want self destruction to get in my way. It is time to forgive myself and take it all to God. I have also realized that I am not a positive person. I can get really negative really quickly. This is also an area that I really believe I need to take to God and ask Him to help me with my unbelief. So it is time to move forward, will I fall, yes, but I will forgive myself and move on. Moving towards the mark, Jesus Christ and freedom. Victory is on the horizon. Tanya