Halfway through!

Well, it's the halfway checkpoint.  Here's a breakdown of where I am right now. 

Things that have been going well:

• Daily devotions
• Prayer journal
• Scripture memorization

God has continued working on me.  I am more committed now than ever before to giving my life... all of it... to Him.  I want every fiber of my being, every thought, every word, every deed to bring glory to Him.  That said, I am still struggling making this a reality... actually bringing every area of my life into submission.  I know that sanctification is a lifelong process, but I am hasty and want my strongholds to be overcome in MY time, which means yesterday!  I am learning that giving my life to God is a daily, hourly, minute-by minute obedience.  It's really easy to fall back into old patterns and behaviors.  I am standing on the promise that God will not fail or forsake us and He will complete the work that He has begun in us. 

Things that I want to improve on:

• Get back on track with regular exercise.
• Be stricter about my eating habits.
• Get back on track with food journal.

I have not lost any weight the past five weeks (total loss remains 44lbs), but according to my measurements I have continued to lose body mass.  I'm not surprised that there isn't any weight loss.  In fact, before I weighed in I was worried that I might have gained.  My eating and exercise habits have been fluctuating a lot the last five weeks.  I found that the busier I got the less motivation I had to stay on track.  I am surprised that I have continued to lose body mass.  I had to double check the measurements to see if they were accurate.  I guess the new muscle that I have developed with exercise has continued to work even when I've slacked.  Now what I need to remember is that taking care of my physical body is one way I can bring God glory.  I have given the rest of my 20 week challenge to Him.  I no longer want to do it for me, I want to do it to honor Him.  I'm wondering what took me so long to realize how important that is.  I went to the gym today... first time in a couple of weeks.  It felt good, especially in the moments when the Holy Spirit reminded me that I was honoring God by rebuilding the temple he has given me. 

New additions to the challenge:

• Forming weekly plans for meals and snacks.
• Cleaning for 15 minutes before eating. 

My sister asked me today why I want to clean for fifteen minutes before eating.  "Does it have to be before?  Couldn't it be after?"  That's an excellent question, and I thought I'd share my answer...
By cleaning for 15 minutes before eating, I want to accomplish three things...

1. Remind myself that my true hunger is for the Lord, not for food.
2. Remind myself that food is not where I will find satisfaction. 
3. Learn to make food a reward for obedience not my whims. 
4. (Edit:  there is a fourth thing I want to accomplish... I want to combat my tendency to be lazy)

I honestly am very nervous about these two new challenges.  I recognize that they will help me grow, but they are not in my range of experience or comfort.  Especially after having been slack about other areas of my challenge in the last five weeks. 

Do any of you have any experience with meal planning?  I need advice.  I don't know where to begin.  First of all, I'm not very good in the kitchen.  In the past I would go for quick, easy, and convenient over health almost every time.  That means I have very little experience cooking or baking and NO experience planning ahead. 

As always, your prayer and encouragement have meant so much to me!  I met a young lady yesterday who said that she has read my blog and was very encouraged by my challenge.  She said she will be starting her own 20 week challenge soon.  Praise God!  One more example of how He can use my weaknesses for His glory.