For my sunday school class I'm doing the Geneology of Jesus which means I'm learning things and re-learning things I haven't thought about since I was in sunday school. My class is a mixed one and I was worried at first because they are all so different that I didn't know how I could make it new and exciting for some and at the same time, not repeat everything that everyone has ever heard before.

my sunday schoool consists of H, B, J and A. H is a socially awkward 16 year old and is at her age not at all interested in what most 16 year olds are interested in at that age. She would much rather be watching Barbie and Tinkerbell movies than hang out with boys and get her licence. B, my only boy is H's brother and is challenging me. He often asks me things that I in my 25 years as a Christian have never thought about. & he makes me think more theologically. did I mention he's 14? Both B and H are Pastor's kids which means they have been raised to think like their father who I don't always agree with, but I do respect.

J is from a mixed religion family. While her mother is a Christian, her father is not. She's 11-12 and is far too grown up for her age but she's in that 'daddy's girl' stage of asking 'why do I have to go to church if dad doesn't?' which doesn't make it easier on me at all.

finally we have A who has been a Christian now for exactly 3 and a half weeks as I write this. She doesn't know much about the word except for the fact that she read it at camp when she was 13 and she is now 16.

so I have to dumb it down for A, make it interesting enough for J to want to come back every week and challenging for H and B who have heard it all before ad nausium.

Like I said, after much prayer and a list of 8-10 things I could speak on, I chose to do the Geneology of Jesus. This basically means that I learn something, get excited, come into class excited, share my excitement and hear things like 'this is the most fun class I have ever been in' (A) or 'that's so cool, I have to go tell my Dad!' (B)

Right now I'm in Noah. Mostly what the kids have learned from the beginning is that God has had a plan for them, and He has a plan for us. which admittedly is pretty cool. but Noah has so much long boring drawn out stuff no wonder it's been simplified in children's songs and story books. (get those animals, up on the arky arky)

but these are teens, they don't care about the two by two, but as I learn that God's plan was repeated in the tabernacle and temple and that God is always thinking one step ahead. I mean. who knew that the Ark was designed in such a way that it was impossible to capsize? who knew that God designed it inside and out to be perfect missing one major thing: steering! so Noah, Mrs Noah, and three kids plus wives had to depend on God to get anywhere. they didn't have a choice!

this is what God is teaching me, this is what I'm teaching them.
God is so good!
Steve

well, I don't know how well I've been doing in the weightloss department seeing as I'm up. but i learned something; I learned what the worst sound in the world is. I've joined a TOPS group, that's "Taking Off Pounds Sensably" (or however you spell that) and when we go through the gains and losses if there's a loss we applaud and if there's a gain we all say "We're glad you're here" that. is. the. worst. sound. in. the. world.

there is nothing like hearing applause for something you did right, but when you mess up and there's so much sympathy out of everyone it's just awful!

part of the TOPS pledge is "even tho I overeat in private, my excess pounds are there for all the world to see" (some poetic licence has been taken) and it's true! it's a scary thought that even tho you thought you were doing all this "sneaky eating" people still see you for who/what you are. I hate that. it's a scary thought for me.

DH is working weekends now which is both good and bad for me, but I have decided that I am going to do other things in secret. there's no judgement, there's no one to look down their noses at me so I am going to exersize in secret. why not? if my excess poundage is there for everyone to see, why couldn't the loss be there too? I'm going scrapbooking tonight so I won't have time to do it later, so I'm not going to put off until later what I can do right now.

after Lunch I'm going to shovel the driveway. it's a great way to get exersize and seeing as we have never seen our driveway it might be nice :D that's my plan so far. I'll add more next week if I actually go through with it :D

not that you can tell by my beautiful highschool grad picture, but I'm overweight. very infact. I'm not even boarderline Obese anymore, I'm just plain obese. but I'm planning on rectifying that. yes I've been trying new things that haven't worked (big surprise) I cut out sugar, but I ate a lot of salt and I gained. so i'm going to try this new 90/10 thing again. it worked the first time I was on it (woo hoo) and i'm going to do my darndest to stick to it.

my hubby is going to buy me Carmen electra's strip yourself thin or something like that, and I'm determined that I'm going to stick to it. it's the 10th today so I should be starting in 8-9 days. i'm so excited! here's the thing: I'm going to exercise more, eat right and hopefully lose the weight. i'd be no good at the x-weighted thing (that i've been watching) because it's too hard core. I mean no sugar, no salt, no 'non food' when I can barely do what I'm doing now?!? keep dreaming!

I have my magic bullet (woot) and i'm going to be having more water, more drinks in general and of course, my fun food may just be something i make in my blender :D I am so focused right now, it's hard to think about anything else! 9 more days max is going to drive me nutso!

I'll see you in october and give you the scoop so far
call me steve

[ps: I plan on getting Joy Bauer's cookbook so I can have a little more creativity in the kitchen]
Rs

well, I have finally decided I am going whole hog on this 90/10 diet thing. I've never been able to before (well I did for a while before I went to mexico) but it's going to be better now. with or without Hubby's help, I am going to lose weight.
I'm about to go for a walk to pick me up a "fun food" yes! the highlight of this diet is now you get to eat low calories but then you get a fun food from the list and yes it is a 4 page list of fun foods or if you're really hardcore, you can ditch the fun food and get a healthy exchange. :D good news all around huh?
it's odd to eat things that are good for me. and I'm really excited to be eating things that are good for me as a diabetic (so I'm doing like 6 dieting books at once) it's wild huh? I love this diet for a couple of reasons: first of all, I'm allowed to make brief substitutions for foods I don't like asperagus instead of zucchini or brocoli sounds like a fair trade and apples and oranges instead of bananas :D and as long as I don't go over my 1200 cals per, I'm good to go :D
plus I found out that walking at a good pace for half an hour can burn like 200 cals!! wow huh??
okay, so i'm eating 1200 cals and burning close to 200 (maybe a little more depending on where I walk) and I'm okay with walking to the corner store now because I can eat things from there without feeling guilty! I am so stoked!
I am going to do well on this diet so help me!
weight: 208
soon to be less
Steve

sigh. well, I don't know if my weight went up but it certainly didn't go down. hubby and I have started working on this new 90-10 diet (I totally recommend it) and we WERE starting to do it together, but the problem with doing it together is, well, you blow it together. so we hit the hut yesterday and I practically had to drag him out walking (kicking and screaming) so that was almost a bust. it's frustrating to work so hard on trying to lose weight and then blowing it. i think I should just start walking more. the problem is with living where i'm living there is literally a corner store, on every corner! and even when we try to walk to a further one, it's not that much farther than the proverbial close one. so I'm doomed to walk forever to look for one that's worth walking to. it makes chocolate way too much of a convenience and other such things that are bad for me. sigh again. I'm playing online less, or I'm trying too and walking more when I can. the rain is putting a damper on it (pun intended) and making things more frustrating when i need to walk and can't I need an umbrella or a dog to get me more motivated (spooty hubby won't let me get a puppy) not that we have room in our garage appartment to keep him/her sigh squared I should go and do some work. kissies Steve

So on the weightwatchers board, they asked me When do you feel Sexiest? I feel my sexiest when I'm at the mall and I see someone bigger than me. does that seem mean? I know it's not their fault and for all I know they've been losing really good, but when I see someone bigger than me it makes me feel good. like even tho I'm bad they're a lot worse for the wear you know? and it's good to look at skinny people too because I know that one day I'll be like them :D
It's weird to think about because i know that I shouldn't be comparing myself to other people but I'm incredibly competitive by nature. and I'm thinking by saying, i can be thinner than that I am losing weight by merely comparing myself to other people and losing the weight :D
how many times have I heard "you shouldn't try to compare yourself to other people because it's discouraging." and it can be. but my discouragement comes more from when my family isn't losing weight because then I lose my drive. the thought becomes if they aren't losing weight, I don't have to either and that's terrible too because then I put it all back on! my sisters have this problem in droves Phillys (not her real name) has lost it all and put it all back on plus but Shelly (not her real name either) has lost and looks like a frickin' amazon! the long blond hair and the tan and the skinny she looks fantastic! and she's going to the gym and eating better (not oranges and yoghurt) but she looks wonderful! I mean there's no reason why she wouldn't! my mom's lost 10lbs and she's looking and feeling better (dispite her depression making her want to eat more) as for me. I'm working on it. I love losing weight and I want to keep losing weight and now that I'm getting tips from mom's nutritionist I'm able to drink more water and exersize more without killing myself and I feel sexy and I'm losing weight (I hope) I'm hoping the weather gets a little better so I can start using my new skipping rope. :D
My period isn't helping matters. I want to be able to work our and run and my body is going 'we need chocolate' and i'm fighting that for all it's worth trying to feed my body other things that are good for me and I can't. :( it's not helping either that mom wants me to make brownies and other things that aren't good for me. but I'm holding off. in about 20 minutes i can endulge a bit and then in another 2 hours I'll be able to eat something else :D in the good for me department
I got to tell you I feel like all I've done for the past two days is eat and pee.but at least it's good for me right?
i gotta go
*poof*