Weight, Scales and Balance...

When I married my husband I weighed 125 pounds, I am 5'4" and I was a size "6". Did you know that a size "6" today is not the size "6" I grew up with. A size "6" of today is maybe a "size 8?" and when you fit in a size 10 of today you are very likely a size "12" of your past. Don't start hyperventilating...breathe!!!

This Post is not just about SIZE, Jeans, or scales. Although my thoughts have to do with all of them. I read a blog from time to time called "Single Dad Laughing"...if you click on this link it will take you to one of his many uncomfortably poignant posts. He is real, he is honest. He is LEARNING TO LOVE HIMSELF...something I want to address.

We all have failures in life. We all rock the scale. Some with outrageous numbers that make us want to cry and hide, and hate ourselves. Some with numbers so low, it is amazing they have the energy to breathe because there is literally not an ounce of meat on their bones...then some go back and forth between those two extremes. (You may not be any of the three...and bless you if this isn't your lot...but read on, maybe what you read will help you, help someone else).

My question is why? Why do we find it so difficult to STOP for a moment and love ourselves. That is right, LOVE OURSELVES...Right now, Right HERE! When one of my sisters came to live with us...

(My brother and I brought home siblings like some bring home kittens...the greatest difference is siblings can last forever, and we received so much more from their love and influence in our lives than we could imagine...plus big families ROCK.)

Anyway, when my sister came to our house to live she told mom that she didn't "have" any talents. It is a shame that God left her out (*wink*). She wasn't a violinist, she didn't play the flute. She didn't invent the TV. She didn't climb Everest. My sister had been taught by the media and some people around her that she was not valuable. What a surprise it was when our senior test scores came back and she rocked the charts with scores of Math 100%, Reading/Writing 100%...she beat out the Valedictorian in test scores. No talent? Yeah right. Now her talents don't end with her fabulous mind. She is generous. She is a giver. She serves. She loves deeply. She is creative...though she didn't know this at the time (but has since had crafts published in magazines). Although those worldly accolates might be validating...she was great before "they" recognized it. She said she couldn't sing...but I LOVE TO HEAR HER VOICE. I love to be able to sit next to her in church and hear her singing. WHY? Because I VALUE her and I VALUE the moments I get with her. My older sister was gifted with an angel's voice and I love to hear her too. I have sung with her in church on occasion. I used to compare my own average voice to hers and I fell short, with a pale face...But I am older and I have learned better...hopefully time has made me a little wiser. So now I am grateful for what I can offer, while I also am blessed to hear her! And I can hear...what a blessing, some can not hear. We need to LOOK to be grateful for what we can do, what we DO have.

You see we each have our own gifts, talents, abilities, strengths and YES even our own weaknesses. But why are we so good (most of us) at offering mercy to those around us. You know, the weights of the scales of the lady of justice: JUSTICE and MERCY. Why can we fill the scales of MERCY for so many others. BUT we ONLY fill the scales of "justice" for ourself. We only see the bottom line of a scale, whether we are weighing our bodies, our talents or our voice (both singing voice and the value people put on what we have to say)...

I say ENOUGH! The media doesn't come from God. Can you imagine heaven full of little "Twiggie" models. Yuck! I want some curves baby! And though I might have more curves today than I LOVE...I sure adore the 5 children that my beautiful body nourished, and helped get to earth.

Isn't it time we stop looking at what we aren't. Not a size 2, not a singer, not a millionaire...

And START looking at what we are:

A faithful daughter, granddaughter, wife, mother, sister, cousin, niece, friend...pick one....or two ...or more!

I am a builder. I might not be "perfect" in the world's eyes...but I can build everyday. I can build myself, I can build my husband, children, extended family, and the people around me. So STOP beating yourself up. I am not saying that I should stop trying to lose weight...I AM FAT right now...I am NOT a healthy weight! 184.5 pounds is not healthy for a 5'4" woman. But when I had child #5 I weighed 225 lbs at delivery. So I have come along way. I want to run, play, jump and sing with my children and some day grandchildren. So I am going to keep working at it. But I am not going to beat myself up any more. Single Dad Laughing has taught me just that! I thank him for being real. I am a real woman. I make mistakes. I learn. I grow. I stand and applaude all the real women and men all over the world. SO...stop looking at your weight on the scale and FIND SOME BALANCE in your life. Get out a journal, a notebook, a piece of paper and make a list of all the GOOD things YOU ARE! And when you get down and need something to POUR over, get out your list and start a new habit, a habit of building YOURSELF.

#289 Reason I see Heavenly Father's hand in my life...He has helped me to be a BUILDER. Be a builder too!

Make it a great day! ONLY YOU CAN!!!