Thankful Tuesday!

I missed out on the post last week, but that is okay.  I am always thankful and gracious for the blessings that I receive from our LORD and SAVIOR!

*I am thankful for the rain and the storms b/c they remind me how powerful our LORD is!

*I am thankful that I received confirmation that all is good with my Associate's Degree application, it has been processed, and I will have my degree in hand in a couple of weeks!

*I am thankful for the weight and inches that I have lost, and for the knowledge, strength, endurance, and health benefits that I have gained through this new journey in my life.

Thankful Tuesday!

It's back!  I cannot believe it has been a week, it has gone by so fast.  I am super excited, though, to list more blessings that I have to be thankful for.  The Lord is always there for me, even when I am not there for myself.  So, I am still thankful for all the things that were listed in my last Thankful Tuesday post, which can be found here.  In addition to these blessings, I have many more this week, including:

* I have now lost a total of 12.4 lbs.  Thank you, Lord! (To read about my recent weight loss, click here.)

* I live in a country where I am free to be me, free to serve and worship the Lord, and free to go to church, say pretty much what I want, and free to live.

* I have recently finished (on Sunday) my last two classes for my Associate's Degree in Elementary Education.  I am just waiting on my final grades, so that I can apply for my degree.

These three items are the main blessings I am thankful for today, but there are many, many more, and I will probably update this post to include those as the day goes on!

Thank you Lord for all your blessings, even those I do not recognize at first!

National Day of Prayer 2011

Today, May 5th, is the National Day of Prayer.  It always occurs on the first Thursday in May, which happens to be Cinco de Mayo.  I thought about today and how so many people will be celebrating by going to bars and drinking, even if they are not of Hispanic origin or from Mexico.  Well, I just found out that today is National Day of Prayer, and this is a much better way to celebrate today.

The link to the website is under National Day of Prayer.  Through this website, you can learn the history behind the day, the mission, and how you can get involved.

Today, I will be praying for many items, including the nation, the government, the current education system, and many other personal requests that I know about.  Please join me today & PRAY!

Ash Wednesday - Lent

As far as I can remember, I have never participated in Lent and the process of giving up something for the time between Ash Wednesday & Easter Sunday!  But, this year will be different.  This year I plan to give up sodas, and I am going to try to quit smoking.  I do not like the word "quit" though.  So, I am going to try to stop smoking, indefinitely!

The reason I chose the two things are because I feel they are weighing me down and holding me back from Jesus.  Instead of relying on the Lord, I have become addicted to items that are bad for my health and my religion.

I want to become a stronger person, individual, and Christian.  I want to crave the Lord not sodas or cigarettes.  I want to live my life to the fullest, without anything holding me down.  Cigarettes and soda are ruining my health, which is ruining my progress to become a stronger person and Christian.

Lent is the time to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus!  It is a time to pray, as Jesus did, while removing items from your life that are holding you back.  During this time, I will try to pray and read the Bible several times throughout the day, while giving up items that are holding me back in my life.  In addition, I plan to clean and get rid of items that are old and not needed anymore.  I believe that by committing to Lent and sacrificing items, I will become more in tune with the Lord and His will in my life.