Hi, Karyn.
Thanks for reading and replying. I'm so happy that "things are getting better." Notice each and every improvement, no matter how small, and rejoice in and focus on each one. They will increase. :)
Blessings,
Mary

Hi, Everyone.
I'm not free to give details, but I just want to say that God performed a miracle yesterday and one today, for two dear friends. I give Him all the praise, honor, and glory!
Yesterday, my 7th grandbaby was born. His name is Solomon Michael, and he weighed in at 7 lbs. 11 oz. and 19 inches long. My daughter-in-love, baby, daddy, and 3 other brothers are all doing well. :)
How has God blessed you lately? I'd love to hear from you.

Life Plan Devotion #114 [Get prayers answered, 5th condition, Part I]

Mark 11:24 "...Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]" (Amplified).

     Of the 7 basic conditions to answered prayer, we have looked at the first four:
1) Pray in the Name of Jesus.
2) Pray with praise and thanksgiving.
3) Pray without known (unconfessed) sin in your life.
4) Pray with the right motive, which is God's glory.
     Today and tomorrow, we will look at the 5th condition: 5) Pray from the place of right relationship. Take some time to examine your relationship with your spouse, child(ren), parent(s), close friend(s), coworker(s), boss, church family, etc.
     In thinking about each of those people and your relationship with them, did you feel a "check" in your spirit? Don't be surprised, because "the heart knows its own bitterness..." (Proverbs 14:10, NKJV).
     If nothing comes up for you, just to be sure all your relationships are "right," ask a trusted friend or your spouse to help you discern any relationship that needs tending. In the story of the conversion of Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8:9-25), Peter confronts Simon and with discernment says, "...your heart is not right in the sight of God. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness, and bound by iniquity" (Acts 8:21, 23, NKJV).
     One cannot discuss the importance of right relationships to answered prayer without broaching the topic of forgiveness.
     Did you know you can grieve the Holy Spirit? Ephesians 4:30 admonishes the believer with, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God's own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin)" (Amplified).
     Instead of grieving the Holy Spirit, we are to "Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind). And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:31-32).
     Read our key verse (at the top) once again. The verse that follows (Mark 11:25) says, "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop" (Amplified). The implication is that if you choose to continue praying rather than forgive, your prayer will be ineffective.

What this has to do with weight loss: The weight-loss journey brings up much more than the need to release weight. After weight-loss surgery, especially, emotions are on edge, and if there are relationship issues pre-op, they will be magnified post-op. Seek help, and learn to forgive. If you don't, you will struggle, eventually, to release the weight or maintain the weight loss.

Confession:
I want to be confident that my prayers are heard and my requests granted, so I tend to my relationship with others. I want God's forgiveness for myself, so I am quick to forgive others.

Blessings,
Mary

That is GREAT news! I'm so happy for you. The next few weeks will fly by. :)  As far as protein drinks, I would just buy individual samples, because even if you found one you "love" now, tastes change so much post-op, that you might end up not liking "the one" and having a big tub of it go to waste.
Check out the chewable vitamins at www.celebratevitamins.com. The multivitamins are pretty good, and the Iron +C is yummy! The Calcium chewables are pretty good, although I really like the Cinnamon lozenges at www.bariatricadvantage.com, because they're a hot cinnamon. Actually, my favorites are their new Calcium Chewy Bites (both chocolate and lemon). The chocolate is a bit gritty, but it reminds me of licking the bowl of brownie mix. The lemon chews taste close to the taste of a Starburst. I know some say you can use regular vitamins, etc., but I have compared, and the bariatric vitamins and supplements have more of what we need, which means we don't have to take as many (on the whole).
Do you have an informational notebook from your doctor, with post-op instructions (diet, etc.)? If not, and you need a pdf of something to look at, just let me know. I'll find a link for you. Let me know which surgery you're having, so I get the right one for you. :)
You are in my prayers. I praise God for how He is leading and guiding you.
Blessings,
Mary

Grace and peace OH family! I'm so excited to share my good news with all of you. I saw my surgeon today and we've scheduled my surgery! The date is Monday, August 10th! I'm thrilled and nervous and excited. I know in my heart of hearts that this is the Lord's doing and it's marvelous! My surgeon, Dr. Edward Yatco is such a warm, wonderful person. We had a great time during our consultation. He makes me so comfortable and I was able to chat with him for an hour with questions that he graciously answered. Now I have to take on the task of starting to watch my food intake, check out some protein drinks, look for chewable vitamins and begin a bit of exercising. Thanks again for the words of encouragement and let's remember to pray one for another. God bless!

Hi, Everyone.
So far, we've looked at these 4 (of the 7) basic conditions to answered prayer:
1) Pray in the Name of Jesus
2) Pray with praise and thanksgiving
3) Pray without known (unconfessed) sin in your life
4) Pray with the right motive, which is God's glory
We will complete the 4th condition to answered prayer today. I pray this series is blessing you.

Life Plan Devotion #113 [Get prayers answered, 4th condition, Part II]

     Perhaps you've thought or said, in the past, "I prayed and asked God for [such and such], but I didn't get it." While there may be a different reason why God did not answer your prayer in the way or timing you wanted, one soul-searching reason is given in James 4:3, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (NIV). For example, if you are apt to be a spendthrift, if money tends to "burn a hole in your pocket," God may choose to postpone a "yes" answer to your prayer of additional money, until you get your spending habits under control. When God blesses us with wealth, He expects that a portion of the money be tithed and offerings given for His kingdom work.
     One of the best stories in the Bible about praying with the right motive is one we wouldn't think of in that way, at first. It's the story of the raising of Lazarus, one of Jesus' dearest friends. While I encourage you to read the entire story found in John 11:1-44, I'll focus on selected verses.
     Some people say that one should not pray to be healed of a sickness, citing part of John 11:4, "...it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it" (NIV). Let's look at the entire verse (and in context). "When He heard [that Lazarus was sick], Jesus said, 'This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it.'" Was Jesus confused? Lazarus died, after all. No, He wasn't confused. He knew that Lazarus would die, and He what He was going to do. He waited two more days, after hearing that Lazarus was sick, just so no one would be able to say that Lazarus wasn't really dead. The sickness was not for God's glory, for sickness is a tool of Satan. The raising of Lazarus, the power that Jesus Christ demonstrated, to show that He has power over sin, sickness, and death--that was for God's glory.
     I love how Jesus, once again, mentions the importance of faith, of believing Him. Martha, Lazarus' sister, reacts to Jesus' command to "Take away the stone" (verse 39) by stating the obvious, "But, Lord,...by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Jesus says to Martha something He says to each of us today, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
     When the stone to Lazarus' tomb is rolled away, "Jesus looked up and said, 'Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent Me'" (verses 41-42). Then "Jesus called in a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out!'" (verse 43). Did you ever wonder why Jesus used Lazarus' name? Jesus' words are so powerful that had He said, "Come out!" every dead body would have been resurrected!
     What was Jesus' motive in praying for the resurrection of Lazarus? Was it because He loved Lazarus? We know He loved Lazarus, because verse 3 tells us that "the sisters sent word to Jesus, 'Lord, the one you love is sick.'" Yes, Jesus loved Lazarus, but that wasn't His motive for raising him from the dead.
     Was Jesus' motive for raising Lazarus a response to Martha saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (verse 21)? No, that was not His motive, for Jesus even tells Martha, "Your brother will rise again" (verse 23).
     Perhaps Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead because He was moved by Mary, who "fell at His feet...weeping" (verses 32-33). Verses 33 and 35 tell us that "He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled" and "Jesus wept." Jesus was moved with compassion, yes, but that was not His motive for raising Lazarus.
     Jesus' motive for raising Lazarus was so that those who were present "would see the glory of God" (verse 40). That must be our motive when we pray, also. If our motive is greed, God will not hear and answer. If our motive is to try to manipulate God's provision, God will not hear and answer. If our motive is to try to merely find relief in our cir****tances (for the sake of relief), God will not hear and answer. Our motive must be to bring honor and glory to His name.
     When you pray, asking in faith and with the right motive, you "ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name" (I Chronicles 16:29, NIV), and you'll be able to echo the words of II Corinthians 1:20, "...Through [Christ] the 'Amen' is spoken by [me] to the glory of God" [Note: words in brackets added by author, to clarify meaning]. Pray with the right motive, for the glory of God, for His name's sake, and your "Amen" ("so be it") will get an "Amen" answer from God ("So be it!").

What this has to do with weight loss: What is your motive for losing weight? Perhaps you want to live longer, have a better quality of life, be more active, alleviate pain in your body. Those are all valid motivations, but just think of the extra power and motivation if your number one motive would be to lose weight to bring honor and glory to God, and praying to that end. It's something to think about.

Confession:
I pray with praise and thanksgiving, in the Name of Jesus, and with the right motive--God's glory. When God answers my prayer, I tell others, giving Him all the glory.

Blessings,
Mary