Within this year  I began a  journey to lose weight.  Not because I care what people think, but because I want to be spiritually, mentally and physically healthy for myself and for my family.   It has been almost a year now and as of today I am down seventeen pounds.

People have been incredibly supportive.   And I have had lots of opportunities to encourage and share with others on their journey.  However,  there have been moments when some one would say something that would stop me in my thoughts. Reminded that words can carry weight and if I was not careful I could easily pick up the weight of my own insecurity.  I would question. Why would they say that to me?  Was I really that overweight?   It was then that I quickly realized that I had a choice.  I could carry the weight of those words and let them feed into my own insecurity or  I could choose to  smile with complete sincerity and love in my heart.  Our identity is not in  the weight of words or in the weight of our own insecurity but our identity is in Christ alone and who He says we are.  Everyday we get to choose.   We can choose love, understanding, grace and kindness.  And then give it ALL away!

“Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil  but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres.”                1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 NIV