How to Teach Children About Social Media

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Online safety for children is a high priority for parents, but at the same time, you don’t want to control them or make them feel as though you’re snooping, especially if they're a teenager. Instead, educate them in the right way and give them the tools they need, show them respect but make sure they are responsible.

Make Them Aware

When your child grows up and goes to school, they are likely to encounter mean behavior. They might encounter bullying themselves or see the results of bullying on one of their classmates. It’s important to have conversations with them about this so they understand what bullying is and why it is wrong. 

Bullying has changed since the advent of social media, as the Family Orbit blog points out; young people need to be savvy about the online behavior that qualifies as bullying. Posting hurtful things about people or embarrassing photos is online bullying and needs to be reported and dealt with. It really is important to understand that bullying is about how the action is felt by the person it is targeted at and not about the person causing the pain. Their intentions may be good but if their language or behaviour is taken as hurtful, they need to know this and be able to make changes.

Consider the Consequences

Social media opens up some excellent possibilities, but at the same time, it has consequences that can affect a person’s reputation and quality of life. Depending on what you post, it can also lead to criminal activity such as burglary, so young people must learn to post carefully online. 

Since social media posts have the power to influence your reputation and life quality, you need to spend some time reflecting on a post before you hit the share button. Ask yourself whether the post is responsible and consider how it will be received by the community - never post spontaneously. 

Exercise Whilst You Work - Review of the V9 Pro Desk Bike from FlexiSpot

{I was gifted this Desk Bike for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, any affiliate links will be marked with #ad}

V9 Pro Desk Bike

We all know it is important not to be sedentary for too many hours in the day but when you work online it can be hard to fit everything in. I have to admit that exercise is often the activity that falls to the wayside as working to pay the bills or looking after the kids tends to take priority. A couple of weeks ago I was presented with a fantastic solution, by way of the V9 Pro Desk Bike. 

If I'm honest it's a funny looking squarish bike that you can use with your desk (or a modern sit/ stand desk) and you cycle as you work. As I tend to work with my computer on my lap, whilst sitting on the sofa I don't actually have a desk any longer so I wondered if this bike would suit me, but they have a solution for my problem. You can purchase the V9 Pro Desk Bike with a desktop attached and it is a really large and sturdy desktop.

I hadn't held out much hope that this bike would be any good for me as I'm a very large lady and that obviously means I'm heavy. In the past, home exercise bikes have always felt too flimsy and they've made me feel uncomfortable to ride them. However, this bike is truly sturdy with a nice big seat and I'm totally happy using it. 

One of my daughters has already commandeered the bike into her bedroom and that's OK as she has a good amount of space and when I want to use it is when she is at school anyway. My son has also been using it a bit as well, so it is great that it is encouraging many of us in the family to be more active. 

I've made a video of me setting the bike up and starting to use it, so take a look at that but basically, it's a great bike and it was super easy to get working. The V9 Pro retails for £399.99 as just the bike to use with your own desk. Or the version with the removable desktop is £439.99 but at the moment there is an extra £40 off with a voucher code that is publicised on the website until 10th Feb. After that, they are having a 'Say goodbye to sedentary lifestyle' sale from 11th to 28th February 2022, so it will be interesting to see what discount that provides!

Obviously, it is not cheap but I think it is good value at that price as it should last for years and make a difference to your lifestyle. 

How To Perform The Perfect Nappy Change

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Until you become a parent, changing nappies is usually only something that you see other people doing. However, once the baby is born, it dawns on you that you’re also going to have to take up this responsibility, and often!

In this post, we take a look at how to perform the perfect nappy change. Check out our tips and tricks below: 

Choose The Right Nappy For You

The type of nappy you choose will have a big impact on your nappy changing experience. Until recently, most modern parents used disposable nappies as these are thought to be easy to change and dispose of.  However, environmental concerns now mean that many parents are moving over to cloth nappies as they are better for our earth, as they are reusable, reducing families’ impact on the environment. 

Some parents choose to adopt a hybrid approach to nappies: disposable for the first couple of months as their baby is settling in, and then cloth after that. Or maybe disposables when travelling or on holiday/ in daycare and cloth when at home. The choice is, of course, yours.

Stock Up

Before the baby arrives, it’s a good idea to stock up on all the nappies that you need. Many infants need to go to the toilet frequently, maybe once every three hours or so, meaning that you could need as many as eight nappies per day. There is nothing worse than leaving your baby in a wet nappy as they can suffer from nappy rash in even the most modern and absorbent of nappies.

Buying nappies in bulk can save you money, whether you have opted for disposable or cloth nappies. If you’re using cloth, you’ll want at least 30 on standby so that you can keep a regular rotation going and never run out. An efficient rinse and washing system for all the dirty cloth nappies is also essential.

6 Ways You Can Lead a Healthier Life

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It is no secret that a healthy lifestyle can lead to a longer and happier life. However, it can be challenging for many people to make the necessary changes to achieve this goal. If you are looking for ways to improve your health, this blog post is for you! In today's post, we will discuss six ways that you can lead a healthier life. Follow these tips, and you will be on your way to better health in no time!

1. Commit to leading a healthy lifestyle.

The first step in leading a healthier life is committing to do so. This means setting goals and sticking to them, no matter what obstacles you face. It also means being honest with yourself about your current health and fitness level and accepting that there is always room for improvement.

If you are not sure where to start, try creating a list of reasons why you want to lead a healthier life. Some common causes include wanting to feel better mentally and physically, having more energy, or setting an excellent example for your children. Once you have identified your motivation, focus on keeping it in mind as you make changes in your lifestyle. It won't always be easy but it will be worth it.

2. Eat healthy foods.

One of the most critical aspects of leading a healthier life is eating healthy foods. This means filling your diet with nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. It also means limiting processed foods, sugary drinks, and unhealthy snacks.

If you are not used to eating healthy foods, adjusting your diet may take some time. Start by slowly incorporating more nutritious items into your diet and cutting back on unhealthy choices. For example, if you typically eat fast food for lunch every day, try packing a healthier lunch from home one or two days per week. Over time, you can continue to increase the number of meals you eat at home and reduce the number of unhealthy choices you make. Even small changes will start to add up and you'll see the difference.

5 Ways To Make Holidaying Abroad More Ethical

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It’s become increasingly common to set aside international travel in recent years, as the cost of living, the risks of Covid and the environmental toll have all become starkly obvious. Make no mistake, these are all perfectly good reasons to focus more on a staycation or a local holiday and a lesson we can all learn is that there is beauty and interest on our doorstep. From now on, hopefully, the dial will be turned in favour of more domestic travel, but it would, however, be a shame to become totally insular and miss out on the delights that can be experienced in other countries. A good way forward could be to focus on more ethical ways to see the world and contribute to tourist economies.

Can you travel internationally without compromising on your principles? Yes, but it will take a little more effort. Is it worth it? Yes, it certainly is. Below, we’ll go into some of the ways you can satisfy the more ambitious parts of your wanderlust without having to silence the ethical voice that keeps you on the straight and narrow, as well as recommending some places you can see while doing so. Safe travels (for you and the planet)!

Focus on the local

Just as you can favour local economies at home and keep your carbon footprint to a minimum, overseas travel can offer you opportunities to do likewise. The best way of doing this is to visit destinations outside of the tourist season and keep your focus on the local area. If you go to France, it doesn’t have to be all about heading to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower. There are innumerable delightful French villages that you can reach without even stepping on a plane - and while there you can eat at independent local restaurants, travel by public transport and stay in family-owned accommodation such as B&Bs.

This way, you contribute to the local economy of these areas, conserve the natural character of the communities and experience the genuine uniqueness of your destination - and all without having to queue for hours to see something you’ve seen thousands of times on TV!

5 Tips to Teach Your Children About Personal Hygiene

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It is essential to teach your children about good personal hygiene at a young age. Teaching them how to keep themselves clean and hygienic will help them stay healthy as they grow older. Here are five tips for teaching your children about personal hygiene:

Explain the Meaning of Good Personal Hygiene to Them

From a young age, you can be having conversations with your child about how important it is to keep ourselves clean and to practise good hygiene. Explain to your children what it meant by personal hygiene, it is, of course, more than just having a bath. Talk about how personal hygiene is the practice of keeping their body clean and healthy, as well as their hair, face, hands, feet, nails and teeth too.

As well as explaining you'll want to demonstrate to your child how to clean themselves well and help them understand that they must thoroughly wash their genitals too as this can be an area where bacteria easily breeds. By explaining personal hygiene to your children in a way that is age-appropriate and easy for them to understand, they will be more likely to remember and practice it as they grow older.

Show Them How to Clean Their Teeth

Another vital part of personal hygiene is oral health. Teach your children how to brush their teeth twice a day for a full two minutes each time. Make sure they are using a toothbrush that is the correct size for their age and using toothpaste with fluoride. If your child is old enough, you can also teach them how to floss their teeth, wrapping the floss around their fingers and gently inserting it between their teeth, using a clean piece for each new tooth. Remember to help them understand that they need to be gentle when flossing so that they don’t hurt their gums.

Making the best of the teeth you have is so important but it won't always be enough to give you the smile of your dreams, so as your child grows they may need help from an orthodontist or once they are adults maybe even visit cosmetic dentists Glasgow.

7 Ways to Help Your Children Learn About Good Money Management

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Teaching your kids about money is one of the most important jobs you’ll ever have to do as a parent and it is incredibly important to tackle this topic from an early age as they'll begin building attitudes and habits towards money from as early as five years old. I still smile when my kids talk about being a pre-schooler and not being allowed a specific item of food as it wasn't a good price! All those shopping trips with me where I'd only buy cheese strings or yoghurt pouches if they were on special price obviously had an impact.

Getting used to talking about money and personal finance early on can prevent your children from encountering financial issues in the future. Many people start seeking the benefits of Debt Arrangement Schemes because of debt issues that may have been avoided if they had learned valuable financial skills early on in their childhood.

Here are 10 tips to help your children learn about money -

1. Make Saving and Giving a Family Value

Saving and giving should be part of every conversation with your children, including how to save and where to give when appropriate. Too many families encourage their children to spend and not to save and give. A nice idea is to let them start to responsibly manage their pocket money from an early age. For example, if they are given £5 a month, you might encourage them to save half of it, give a small percentage to a cause they feel passionate about and then enjoy spending the rest if they'd like.

Our family have always sponsored a couple of children in developing countries via Compassion and this has worked so well to help our children see how important it is to give to those less fortunate. 

2. Help Kids Create a Budget

As your child gets a little older you can help them to create a weekly or monthly budget. It can include a contribution from their part-time job or allowance and then help your child to track their spending in a notebook or on an app. This visual reminder of what they are spending can help them to realise how quickly money can be wasted away or alternatively it can motivate them to save towards a larger purchase such as a phone or coveted trainers. 

3. Model Saving and Spending Appropriately

Don’t assume your children know the basics about how to manage money. They need guidance to delay gratification and understand the difference between wants and needs at every age. It is clear by the level of debt today that many adults still don't have a clue how to manage their money and a realisation that it is better to save up and buy an item outright instead of constantly taking credit that you may not be able to repay.  It's good to model this to your children and they can see the excitement of buying a large item once you have saved up and have the sense of achievement of being able to buy outright the new car, sofa or whatever it is you need. 

How to Take Care of Yourself In Pregnancy

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Finding out that you're pregnant is a special time in any woman's life. Ensuring that you're taking care of yourself is the most important thing you can do to ensure that you deliver a healthy baby. 

You also want to make sure that you are in the best shape possible during your pregnancy. This will not only be beneficial to you but your child as well. However, taking care of yourself during pregnancy can be challenging as your body is changing dramatically. If it's your first pregnancy you may not be aware of some of the things that you need to do to take care of yourself. 

Even if you have been pregnant before it is still worth reminding yourself of all the things you need to do to keep you and your baby healthy. Here are some of the most important things you need to do and know about to care for yourself during pregnancy.

Your Diet

When you are pregnant, having the proper diet becomes even more important than ever. Whilst there may be several cravings that you encounter throughout your pregnancy, ensuring that you eat the right things is essential. You need to ensure that you are getting enough of all the proper nutrients, as a lack of any one can cause problems with the growth and development of your baby. 

Try to eat healthily, using the healthy plate model, with a good balance from all the food groups and particularly a lot of vegetables and fruits. Rich sources of protein are also really important as these are the building blocks of our bodies.

If your doctor has given you a specific dietary requirement for your pregnancy make sure that you are following their instructions as this will help to ensure that your pregnancy goes smoothly.

How To Be A Happy Mum

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Being a mum can be a hard job. We often feel as though we are being pulled in dozens of different directions all at once, and it can seem like, no matter what we do and what choices we make, someone is judging and telling us it was the wrong decision. This can lead to unhappiness, and that is a shame. Being a parent is such a wonderful thing that letting others dictate your happiness means you miss out on the enjoyment of being a mum. Therefore, it needs to stop, and here are some excellent ways you can be a happy mum, enjoy your children, and forget about everyone else.

Find The Right Balance 

Motherhood is a balancing act between being with your children and taking time for yourself, between working and staying at home, between being ‘you’ and being ‘mum’, and so much more. What works for one person in terms of balance might not work for another, which is why it is essential you work out what suits you. Then, of course, be willing to flex this in time if you need to. 

For example, you might choose to work full-time, part-time, or not at all. You might work from home or prefer to go to an office. No matter which you choose, you will have your reasons, and you will work out your happiness from it. Don’t listen to anyone else about this; you need to do what’s best for you and your family. As time goes on, you can easily make adjustments depending on where you feel you are needed most, so remember that nothing is set in stone, and you can change anything that needs to be changed. 

Personalise Your Dream Home Office Space

 

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Whether you need to set up a proper home office for yourself or your child, personalising the space is essential for your productivity and wellbeing. We can spend a major part of our life working at a desk, as a professional employee, a freelancer, or a student. Therefore, it is crucial to get the desk space right and make it a comfortable and unique environment. 

It goes without saying that every workstation requires proper equipment as a priority, and this means that you should focus on securing the right laptop and other devices in the first instance. Ultimately, you will need to decide what your workstation should include if you want to make it an efficient space and inject some personality into it! 

The typical home office equipment for students and professionals could include:

• A computer or laptop

• A headset

• A webcam (often already integrated into the computer)

• A microphone

• A printer/scanner 

• A bookshelf with the relevant literature 

• Stationery  

Once you've gathered everything you need to work, it's time to create an environment that inspires and motivates. It's time to get creative! 

A handmade leather gift

Leather adds a unique sense of luxury and elegance. There are many unique gift ideas for students, which you can learn to make yourself. A DIY bookmark can be a superb addition to the student kit, reminding them to enjoy reading and acquiring knowledge. 

You can also create a full leather set for the desk. Home office workers, especially, put their desks through a lot. As they spend a lot of time sitting at the desk, the surface can rapidly show signs of wear and tear where they put the mandatory teacup! A leather coaster can help protect the desk and make the whole setting feel more put together. Also, why not pair it with a leather mouse pad for a touch of elegance that keeps them motivated during the day! 

Things To Consider When Buying Your Child's First Laptop

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A 2019 Statista report says 93% of UK children already own tablets, smartphones or computers for their personal use. Undoubtedly, these gadgets were bought by their parents, family friends or other relatives. These gadgets come with a lot of responsibility on both sides. Parents and children are required to observe basic rules and directions to ensure that these personal devices are used appropriately. Therefore, if you are contemplating getting your child their first computer, here are some things you can consider first.

Set time limits

Setting time limits generally refer to the number of hours your child can use their computer. Apart from the hours, it is vital to set limits for the times of the day to access these devices. Over the years, research has proven that too many UK kids are abusing screen time, and unfortunately, parents are aware of it. For many households, the ownership of a computer may be to keep kids occupied at home while parents attend to other responsibilities at home or in the office.

However, too much screen time can be detrimental to your child’s eyesight. In other words, exposure to blue lights from computer screens can cause visual fatigue and pressure on the retina. To avoid these health effects, you can purchase a Blue Light filter to protect their young eyes. The best decision, though, is to set screen limits and to ensure that your restrictions are well communicated. Too much screen time also has its effects on cognitive development and their social life.

Getting Your Tools To Get Ready To Garden Again

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The true importance of a garden is that it’s much more than just a way to generate some curb appeal. They play an important role in shaping the environment that we live and spend our time in and, as such, keeping them maintained is crucial. With spring coming over the horizon, this might mean you need to take a closer look at your tools and make sure that they’re up to scratch for the year ahead.

Ensure your tools are clean and ready

Hopefully, there shouldn’t be too much in the way of soil or other dirt actively sticking to your tools, but you should make sure that you’re checking them just in case, to prevent corrosion. For the majority of metal gardening tools, soaking them in warm water and then using a jet to clean them off is worth considering. If you have any tools you’re worried about, you can use an oil like the ones from this store to make sure that they’re coated against the external pressures that can cause corrosion.

Test out the motorised ones

For a lot of people, you might not have too many motorised tools, but any that you do have and you haven’t used for a while, you should give them a short test run after visually inspecting them for any faults. Check to ensure that your lawnmower is working as it should be after cleaning out any debris that might still be lingering in there. If there are any issues, then you should use your manufacturer’s guide to troubleshoot and you can get replacement parts from this site. The sooner you act on any issues with your motorised tools, even the seemingly minor ones, the less likely they are to be so costly.

Here’s how Exercise could Really Benefit your Mental Health

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If you want to try and improve or just support your mental health, then you are not alone. Many people in the world want to try and help their mental health to be the best it can be and why shouldn't we? Life is too short to feel sad, depressed and lethargic. Change won't just come with wishful thinking though, you need to take active steps to try and turn things around. If you want some help, then take a look below.

Anxiety

Exercise is a natural treatment for anxiety. It is ideal for relieving stress and believe it or not, it can also boost your mental energy. It releases a lot of endorphins, which are those feel-good hormones that we all love to experience. Anything that you can do to try and get moving will help you, but it does help to pay attention instead of zoning out. So, if you're running try and take note of the sensations you feel when your feet hit the ground, or even the rhythm of your breathing as you take a brisk walk. If you can do this, then you will soon find that you can take better note of your physical conditioning and that it is also possible for you to improve the thoughts that are running through your head. If you are keen on the idea of a cardio program, then you can take supplements to support that. Learn more now.

Stress

When you are under stress, have you ever taken note of how your body feels? You may feel as though your muscles are tense in your shoulders, your face and your neck. You may also find that you experience neck pain and headaches too. You could also experience a rapid pulse or cramps. The worry of being stressed can also cause more stress to your body, which is the last thing that you need.

Exercising is a very good way for you to try and break this cycle. It helps to release endorphins into your brain, and it also helps you to relax your muscles. This helps you to relieve tension in your body. The body and the mind are closely linked and if you can get to the point where your body feels great then your mind will too. Activities like yoga or pilates are gentle and you can start easily but they will make the world of difference to how you feel and also, in time, to your health, strength and flexibility.

Finally on the Path to being Fit and Free

I’ve been seeking fitness and freedom for quite some years now. Back at the beginning of 2015, I started to use the hashtag #FitandFree because that was my aim for the year. I thought I was finally going to conquer my weight demons and manage to lose lots of weight, however, it didn’t happen and yet again I became demotivated and remained unhappy in my body.

A 35 Year Journey

My issues with my weight started when I was about 13, or that was when I became aware that I had a problem that I felt needed solving. I remember going to the doctor for help and he told me to write a food diary and then halve it. That was the start of a very painful and prolonged journey of self-hate for the last 35 years. I look back now and I wasn’t even particularly big, yes, a little bigger than some classmates, but absolutely fine.

By the time I left secondary school, I had lost some weight (through attending Weight Watchers classes with my mum) and I was around a size 12/14 I thought I looked amazing and I felt amazing but soon some weight went back on and the first suit I bought at age 16 was a size 16. By the time I headed to University at 18, I was a size 18 and I can remember that I thought that was the most humongous and gross size there ever was, I even cut the labels out of my clothes as I was so ashamed and didn’t want my new friends to know. Little did I know what was to come.

How I'd love those 18-year-old curves again

Even at university when I should have been focusing on studying and enjoying my life as a young adult I can remember going to various weight lossfollowclubs to try and shift some weight, so I could feel ‘normal’, the same as everyone else. Counting calories, recording food, drinking grapefruit juice before I ate, stepping on the scales, checking out food plan points – it was like an obsession.

By age 21 I was down to a size 16 when I met my now-husband and between then and getting married at age 28, I headed upwards to a size 20/22. When you are young you think you have years ahead to ‘sort yourself out’ and I recall weight loss being fairly easy. Cut back and restrict calories and then I could drop 1/2 stone in a week. I look back now and wonder why I never carried through and got to a healthy weight, but I was carrying so much emotional baggage and every time it threatened to resurface, I’d eat and stuff it back down and that sense of shame would grow a little stronger.

Food – my False Idol

The rejection I felt as a child carried through and was reinforced by new situations that life threw at me and I had no resilience and no idea of how to deal with my emotions or these situations. So I ate, as food always comforted me, it never let me down and it was a wonderful smokescreen to stop me from looking too in-depth at where things were going wrong.

I can’t reveal too much as so much of what happened to me isn’t just my story and thus I can’t break confidence but I am so glad I found Jesus. That is what has saved me. Having a personal and loving relationship with God is what makes a difference in my everyday life. It is what sustains me and keeps me going. Reading that, you’d be forgiven for thinking that I have lost several stones of weight and that I am now considered a healthy weight, but no, alas I am still morbidly obese.

On my wedding day in my size 22 dress

However, I don’t have to be at my target weight (I don’t actually have a target weight) to be saved, to find success in my journey. Jesus has redeemed me and I have learnt to accept (moving the knowledge from my head to my heart) that He adores me and He won’t love me anymore when I am eight stone lighter. He also wouldn’t love me any less if I got eight stone heavier.

In the two decades that I have known Jesus and accepted Him as the Lord and Saviour of my life, He has been working on me and I have had a desire to work for Him. I had no clear picture of what that meant, but He has been revealing snippets to me as the years have gone past. When our family moved to East Sussex in the summer of 2013 I had a clear understanding that God wanted me to slow down and just be for a bitfollow. I heard the phrase ‘fit for purpose’ and I believe that it was from God. For quite some years I took that phrase to mean that I needed to lose weight to address health issues and then He could use me. I berated myself each time a diet failed or I got demotivated and stopped going to the gym. Since living here I have started Slimming World around five times and been a member of different gyms on at least six occasions. I’ve also attended a fitness club and tried to do the Couch to 5K. I’m not being a defeatist when I say that all of these attempts failed.

Only God can Work a Miracle

Why did they fail? I think, probably, because I was trying to win in my own steed. A few years back I realised I needed to submit my food and more importantly my fears to God, so He could work on me to help me. But then I continued to battle and kept taking back all the things I had left at the foot of the cross and I made them all my problem again. Fearful that I’d be hungry, fearful of the saggy skin I thought I’d be left with, fearful of intimacy issues, fearful of missing out and fearful of the opportunities that may come my way if I was slimmer and healthier and able to do anything I pleased as my body could take the strain.

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Isaiah 40:31

But fear can not enter where there is faith. So, I’ve been working on my relationship with Jesus and developing that faith. I’m very proud of the hard work I have put into this process. The determination and dedication I have shown to becoming a better person, to healing my emotional issues and to being available for God has been immense. It hasn’t always been easy but I am so happy to have been through the fiery furnace and to now see my character more in line with Jesus. Of course, there is work still to be done, we’re never quite the finished project but I feel as if I have made leaps and bounds forward and that is thanks to God.

Handing over my Fears & Relying on Him

So, now, at last, I feel able to be brave and to hand any final fears over to God as I exercise my faith and start to cut back on what I eat. I don’t need to overindulgence and overcompensate for unhappiness elsewhere in my life, I am ready to fully submit and to change; to be who Christ truly wants me to be.

I am very much looking forward to starting my new job in March at least 3kg lighter and then going on holiday in October with my family and being 25kg down. That means losing 2.5Kg each month for the next 10 months, which is about 5lb a month so hopefully attainable.

Earlier today I was thinking about hope, as well as faith and being reminded that I don’t have to despair of this weight loss journey that has taken 35 years so far. There is no need for me to be exasperated with myself and to assume I’ll give up or fail, just because I have before. I now have the hope of Jesus and I need to allow Him to sustain me. The only stiving I must do is in my pursuit of Him and my relationship with Him.

Jesus has restored and redeemed me. I learned on my bible study course this morning that Jesus moved women from shame to honour and that is what He has done for me. Thank you, Jesus, that by Your blood I am saved and I can live another day to serve You and love You. Amen.