Sunday Devotions

Hello everyone and Praise God you all are doing ok...Its so nice to come to the board after being gone for awhile...This new DSL is so nice...Its exciting to see all the new faces, and to know that all those new faces will be much more healthier this coming year...Rebuke Satan in your times of trouble, and pray to Jesus to find you comfort. That helps with your Weight loss journey... Brenda, Melissa, Vesta, and all my angels If had the pleasure in knowing this past couple of years. I want to say Iam so proud of you guys...I know you have to feel as good as I do...I've missed you guys, but promise now that I will keep in touch more with this new DSL... ----------------------------------------------- One of the most important things in my life of WLS is that I did it for my health. My health has improved dramatically over the last year...There is not one thing wrong with a person wanting to look good and feel good about themselves now that you have done the most important thing about getting your health back on track...For example, My sister told me a few weeks back she did this for her health only...and she didnt do it for vanity reasons...That is great and that is the way it should be...But, there is nothing wrong now,To feel good about yourself and looking good...You deserve it...I catch myself now being picky at what I wear...It seems after losing weight and not being this size for so long, your hygeine is much more better, the taste in clothing is much more better. Not only that, your attitude is so much more pleasant...Three months ago I was going through my clothes in the closet and I got this wave of emotions going over me and I cried...I felt so dumb, my friend asked me what was wrong...I told him, that when I was big I really didnt care what I wore as long as it covered me...NOW, nothing seems to fit at all and it hangs off me...It just became over whelming to me and every thing caught up with me all at once...Iam ok about it now. Wearing smaller clothes and shopping isnt so bad. "HeeHee". Now I hold up clothes and think, "Man that is so small, I dont think that would fit" Well, it does and still could have went with a smaller size.... I so now understand it when I was always told to pray, tell of Gods handy works and he will reward you back, Shake down, Pressed and running over...It gives it back in abundance...Your cup just runs over...When you stand before the mirror, you are looking at Gods Handy Work...Lets all pray for each other this new year. That we will pass along to others how much God has helped us in our times of need...God Bless...Craig Lee

Amen AMEN!!  Well said Craig Lee. I know that I did my surgery for health reasons and I maintain that thinking.  I do care about what I look like  - because my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and that means something too!!   I just have a healthy sense of all that, because my joy, happiness and sense of "self" doesn't come from outward appearances, but from my faith in Jesus.  From God.  So when I set my personal weight loss goal - I set it for normal BMI.  Not a certain size clothing, or an unrealistic number on the scale.  Just a normal BMI.  Now that does make me perhaps 20 lbs heavier than others my same height.  But I don't care.  I quite easily maintain where I'm at.  I've never had a bounce-back in weight.  I don't struggle with that at all.  I don't obsess with numbers on the scale or on the clothing tag.  So many times I've seen post-ops, who before surgery said they would give anything to be a size 16, 14 or whatever.  Then they reach that - and they aren't happy.  Then they get down to a size 12 or 10, and they still aren't happy.  Because happiness should not be found in your outward appearance.  It's something inside.  A contentment that surpasses all things. All cir****tances; and most certainly surpasses your appearance.  For me - that's found in my faith.  Others may find that in other things.  But I believe each person needs to find that steadfast peace and contentment or else they will be ever searching and never truly satisfied with where they are in life, or with their weight loss progress.  It's also one reason why I truly believe we all need to know why we got obese in the first place.  Were there emotional issues that were causing us to eat.  Until we deal with the root reason(s) why we became obese, we will never truly be free of those habits/issues/demons that hold us captive to those old habits and could draw us back and cause us to gain back weight.