Hi, Trish.
Bless your heart. I'm praying. Maybe you can join forces with the other grandmother, pack a diaper bag, pick up granddaughter even while she's in her jammies, get picked up by other grandmother, dress granddaughter elsewhere, and go to a park or the zoo, somewhere where you all can be gone for several hours. That way, your daughter can sleep, your granddaughter will see you as another grandmother (which you are), and you can get out of the house, too. Something to think about.
Blessings,
Mary

Hi, Karyn.
What we think colors any situation, positively or negatively. The Word says [my summary], "Whatever you do, do it unto God, not unto man." Pretend Jesus is your employer and your coworker, and in the very difficult moments of "reality," draw on His strength. Offer it all up to Him. Yes, I'm praying.
(((Prayers))),
Mary

Have a great day, everyone. :)

Life Plan Devotion #133 [What's God Thinking/Doing?]

Isaiah 55:8 "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,' says the LORD" (KJV).

     Isaiah 55:8 is a verse that's often quoted when people don't understand why something happened the way it did, especially when the subject is sickness. I confess that I used to turn to that verse, too, when I just couldn't figure out why life didn't go as planned. One day, however, when I was reading the entire chapter of Isaiah 55, the Holy Spirit gave me a lesson on God's thoughts and ways.
     The entire chapter of Isaiah 55 is written to the nonbeliever, the "thirsty" ones. It opens with an invitation to "Come" (verse 1), to "Listen" (verse 2), to "hear, that your soul may live" (verse 3). God says that if people will do those three things, "[He] will make an everlasting covenant with [them] " (verse 3).
     Isaiah 55:6 has a more urgent tone to it, admonishing the unbeliever to "Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near." Then verse 7 begins the topic of God's thoughts and ways.
     Isaiah 55:7 says, "Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts...," so when God says in verse 8, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," He is talking to the unbeliever, not the believer! God is saying that His thoughts are not the same as the thoughts of the "wicked," and the ways of the wicked are not His ways.
     We believers can know God's thoughts and God's ways, and we'd better know them, if we expect to experience an abundant life here on earth. Sure, God is Infinite God and we are finite man, but we have all the God Thoughts we need--called the God-breathed Word! God's ways are written there, too, and when we pay attention to them, we will know how the Kingdom of God works, and we'll experience that right here on earth.

What this has to do with weight loss: When you encounter a "question mark" on your weight-loss journey, the answer can be found either in God's Word or in prayer. Seek the answer, no matter how long it takes.

Confession:
Now I know that God's thoughts and ways are contained in His Word, I'm excited to learn all that He has to say so that I realize the abundant life that Jesus came to bring to me. It is my desire that my thoughts and ways mirror God's thoughts and ways.

Blessings,
Mary

Hi, Everyone.
I don't know about you, but it is hard for me to envision myself at goal weight, and I'm realizing that it is a barrier to my progress. I'm working on putting this devotion and scripture into practice in my life. Yes, the writer of this devotion has feet of clay and needs your prayers.

Life Plan Devotion #132 [Forward-looking Faith]

Scripture woven within devotional.

     We know that "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrews 11:6, NIV). We have an excellent example of what it is like to live by faith in Abraham, the Old Testament patriarch.
     Abraham was not perfect, though. He had times when his faith faltered. It was hard to wait 25 years for the fulfillment of God's promise, that he would be a father and the father of many nations. Yet, "Abram believed in the LORD; and he credited it to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6, NIV). The Amplified Version for Genesis 15:6 says, "He [Abram] believed in (trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness (right standing with God)."
     This endorsement of Abraham is reiterated in the New Testament. "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness" (Galatians 3:6, NIV). Consider the Amplified Version of Galatians 3:6, "Abraham believed in and adhered to and trusted in and relied on God, and it was reckoned and placed to his account and credited as righteousness (as conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action)."
     Believing God is so much more than saying, "I believe in God." It's even more than saying, "I believe God." Believing God means trusting Him, relying on Him, remaining steadfast in Him (no matter what's going on). Believing God is sticking to Him like glue!
     Abraham had forward-looking faith. He could envision the promises of God long before he saw them come to pass. Abraham had God Thoughts and God Ways. I know this because of what it says about God in Romans 4:17, "...God who gives life to the dead and calls those things that are not as though they were" (NIV).

What this has to do with weight loss: It's hard to see yourself at goal weight, to envision that until it's so strong a picture that you can almost feel it, but that's what we should do. If God "calls those things that are not as though they were," we can do that too. Call yourself whole, envision yourself whole, and allow it to come to pass. It's not something to fear.

Confession:
God is pleased when I envision myself as whole (nothing missing, nothing broken), because that is how He sees me. God calls me blessed, and I call myself "Blessed of the Lord!"

Blessings,
Mary

Hi, Trish.
I love that I'm a member of the Body of Christ--of the Church Triumphant. Heaven's going to be a blast!
I love that when I meet another believer (even right here on OH), there's an instant connection.
You talked about responsibilities, and that's true. Too many of us are just pew sitters, in our church (the local dwelling place for the Body of Christ). We go once a week, soak up the good stuff, and then go on our way. We need to be involved, to give back. We need to serve and teach and love others, and, especially, carry the Good News to those who don't know Jesus.
The Bible says the disciples went from house to house. They had communion (literally and figuratively) on a daily basis. How much contact do we believers have with one another these days? I know we're all busy, but we really do need each other.
If, as a believer, you (and I'm talking to all believers) are not either being discipled or discipling someone, I believe your walk with the Lord will (eventually) suffer. That's an "iron sharpeneth iron" statement, I realize, but it's food for thought. :)
Blessings,
Mary