Fun Friday: Weight Loss Breakthrough

Folks I need a laugh. This has been a week full of life: good, bad and ugly. I can handle some rip roaring laughter.

My junk mail has begun to include some beautiful tropical island resort pictures luring me to relax in an ocean breeze beach paradise. The minute I think of sea breeze and sand I get an image of the ever flowing ripples of cellulite on my thighs. Bathing suit blues is hitting me again. This year I've gained enough weight I can help out the waiters. There's no need to place a snack table by my lounge chair. I've grown my own ice tea ledge around my middle. When I sit down I can house a book and glass right in front of me for ultimate convenience.

Well my friend Laura sent me this little wonder this week:

I grabbed my weight scale and tried this out immediately. It has helped me achieve one of my 2009 goals:

lower the weight number on the scale. But somebody has to come by here and help me get these darn scales off my feet. Please help me get up off the floor. All the blood has left my feet and legs and I'm a mess!!!

Delight in the Lord and Live in His Joy!!! Astonish the world how alive you are in the winter of 09!!!

People I Need: Christianity Has No Solo Champs

People Matter: The New Testament reveals NO SOLO SUPERSTARS. Even great Apostle Paul is shown with someone beside him in ministry wherever he writes to churches and believers. Being an only child, I have a tendency to do much on my own. But God is convicting me of my need to partner with Christians in all He calls me to do. I am coming to embrace the meaning of the "Body" of Christ. As I am making some major changes in the way I live and work I need to look to some role models that live out what I am seeking. Some of them demonstrate the best living in answer to my questions below:

62. Have I blocked out sections of time where I can focus, concentrate on and pray over a high priority item?

64. Am I committed to not wasting the time of others?

65. Do I handle each piece of paper only once? (I love my papers: handle once...I have a long way to go..Help!!!)

66. Do I have a place for everything so I spend as little time as possible looking for things? No...help!

67. Do I know when to leave well enough alone? Oh, please ... would I be going through this questioning if I had this knocked out?

68. What productive and time conscience people can I associate with?

69. Have I mastered the telephone, Internet, social media, email as time saving devices or am I their slave?

70. Is my desk organized for maximum effectiveness with the least distraction?

God made us different and I know some of you readers have great wisdom for me. I am keeping your comments and using them in my planning for the year(s) ahead. I'm fascinated by your viewpoints. You are pressing me beyond my initial reactions to these questions. Navpress' Jerry Jones initial work is profound and I thank God for a man who developed this excellent tool to help me dig deep in my heart to see where I am and where I need to be in Christ. This is your showcase for all you know that I am ready to learn.

Book specifics: Publisher: Navpress (June 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1576831469
ISBN-13: 978-1576831465

This concludes this series of questions to help me define my focus on keeping the main thing, the main thing. Check in tomorrow I have a new woman in my life that is answering some BIG questions I have had on my call to write and who I am in Christ. By showing up with raw faith God blew all my expectations and blessed me immeasurably. As Paul Harvey says, "come back for the rest of the story."

*Most questions in this section adapted from "201 Great Questions that Help Simplify Your Life” by Jerry Jones. Navpress.
ISBN-10: 1576831469 ISBN-13: 978-1576831465

Focus: Eliminate Time Wasters NOW!!!

Time is precious to me and I am committed to eliminating time wasters. If this is your first time at Thrive Christians let me explain that this week is a continuation of questioning to uncover the best way to plan for thriving abundant living. Your comments are treasured; please jump in and give your two cents worth. Yesteday's comments are terrific....keeep them coming.

I am questioning myself to probe to see what's in my way of time and life management as I begin some new writing projects. I truly hope you give me your ideas and I can gain from your wisdom.

49. Where am I most likely to waste time today?

50. Am I choosing the most profitable form of recreation, relaxation, entertainment? Am I even planning for the best ways to relax and re-create? No....help!

51.. How do I want my children to remember me?

52. If I keep doing what I've always done, will I achieve my full potential?

53. Am I willing to do whatever it takes to get God's best?

54. How can I do what I did today even better tomorrow?

55. How can I go today beyond what I have already mastered?

56. Which of today's tasks can be batched together for faster accomplishment?

57. Instead of saying "Look at what I've accomplished" may I ask, “What could I have accomplished with what I was given?”

58. Will this help me or anyone else make it to heaven?

59. Will this activity promote personal holiness?

60. Am I leaving myself sufficient "open time" in my schedule to stay flexible enough for God to use me?

61. Would anything terrible happen if I didn't do this priority?

Focus: Contentment*Satisfaction*Fullfillment

Your wisdom is sought on this blog this week. I want to know your best answers to these questions I am using to plan the upcoming months in new writing ministry.

How would you answer these questions?

34. If I spent every day like I did yesterday would I be satisfied at the end of my life?



35. Is there a vision God has given me in the past which I have not yet seen come to pass? Is this still applicable in my life?



36. What is the worst thing I have to do today so I can get it done first?



37. What have I seen the best results from in the past?



38. What is my greatest obstacle to completing my goals?



39. Why have my previous efforts not been successful?



40. What great thing would I attempt for God if I knew I could not fail?



41. What skills or knowledge must I gain in order to reach my goals?



42. Goals: have I clearly defined them? No. Have I set deadlines for completion: Not all of them. What do I need to do to be more active in my planning?



43. Action is what I need to improve in all areas. Grief has held me down long enough. Rev up tips:__________________.



44. Is there technology available to help me which I am not currently using?



45. What can I learn from the mistakes of others who have tried similar goals but have failed?



46. What are others who have become successful in my field doing that makes them successful?



47. Can I barter with someone for what I need?



48. What would Jesus do?

Controlled Drip Writer

Words come easy for me, but I write with much struggle. As an avid reader I love great writing that is alive. When I am reading Christian works I feel robbed with "dead" words just lying on the paper or computer screen. Technical matters matter, but as a reader, I can manage poor technique over Holy Spirit void writing. So, I am hard on myself, the writer, to weave words for readers; and emptying myself to open up to God's words is still a longing for me.

I agree with "Writing is easy; all you do is sit staring in front of your keyboard or a blank sheet of paper until little drops of blood form on your forehead."
attributed to both Gene Fowler and Red Smith

For several days I've been sharing with you the questioning I am processing to make way for my streamlined living of excellence. Since God called me to write I am feeling frustrated with my clutter in my home, my schedule and my overall life.

I see myself, the writer, as a fountain pen. God's Hands write with Holy Spirit ink coming through me, His vessel. I am processing ways to clear out my life of clutter to be a clean, clear flowing fountain pen.

"Controlled drip" is a term I discovered in researching how fountain pens operate. I'm holding onto this term to keep me in good disciplined habits as I move forward in my new writing assignments. The questions I have offered on the blog this past week are my "cleaning out my chamber" tools as I am doing all I can to be a smooth flowing controlled drip in the Kingdom of God.

I read today that the heart of a fountain pen is the nib, the point through which the ink flows. If the nib is no good, it doesn't matter how fancy the rest of it is, it's not a good pen. Nibs can be scratchy if they're worn or misaligned. Saturday I drove two hours one way to a writers' workshop for some "nib" adjustment and polishing. What a wonderful surprise to discover the clear, workable, Biblical Christian enlightenment of Teresa Johnson's "Scribal Anointing."

I will elaborate on this great writer, teacher and spiritual mentor in days to follow. I have interrupted my focus series to explain why I am so intense on making adjustments immediately in my life. This workshop helped me to understand the urgency in terms of the Kingdom of God timing. Hang in here with me as I conclude my soul searching questions over the next few days. I will share some of my answers, but I truly am pulling on you readers to comment.

This fountain pen-Christian writer wants help in staying clean and clear with a polished aligned "nib." I desire to be God's controlled drip!!!

Focus: Procrastination Does Not Work

Focus: Procrastination is like fungus in my life at different times. I'm looking for the Supernatural Bleach to end this in my life with many wonderful windows of opportunity opening up in my life. You diligent-never-stalling saints give it up: all your great working techiniques:

28. With each activity in my life where I procrastinate: What will happen if I continue to procrastinate on this?



29 What is the one thing that I and only I can do, that if done well, would have tremendous benefit to the Kingdom of God?



30. What resources are available to help which I haven't tried yet?



31. What am I going to produce today?



32. If I knew that I would die six months from today what would be the highest priority for my use of time between now and the day I die?

33. Will I obey God right now, yes or no? (No other option)

Opportunity Cost When Focus is Lacking

Time is valuable and misusing it is wasting my life. What is the cost in my failure to focus my all; especially my activity on less than the best? This a series on focus. Join in and help me get to keen focus and thriving life in Christ. Your advise is important and I promise I'll consider any help presented.

22. What does it cost me to skip over items on my to do list? Why do I keep doing this? How I can I get myself to be more diligent?

23. What is the full cost of each activity in my life; not just in money but in time?

24. What is the opportunity cost of doing this activity: this evaluation needs to be done with most of my activies while I work this new plan out....right?

25. Is there anything else I could be doing right now that would have better results?

26. How can I do it faster? What are some principles that will increase my speed in activities without taking away from the excellence in performance?

27. Is all of my reading done with some purpose in mind and some action step resulting?