I'm working on giving up sugar. I have started giving up OBVIOUS sugar sources. SWEET TEA, desserts, colas, etc. The hardest has been my Nestle Quick in my milk every morning because I dislike white milk. However, I have been successful with the sweet tea. I started out half & half then went to 3/4 unsweet/ 1/4 sweet in restaurants...and as of today, I'm drinking unsweet tea and didn't miss the sugar. I also didn't drink the Nestle Quick either today.
Last week, a vendor brought choc. chip cookies to the office and my employer brought some chocolate cake. I told him that unless it was homemade, it wasn't worth it. They weren't homemade, so it was easier to resist. But then came Ladies Retreat filled with tons of homemade goodies, two of which I made myself. However, I discovered very quickly that when you have gone without a good bit of sugar for a while, you find that things seem too sweet and even a couple of bites start your head to spinning very quickly. I discovered that after a few bites of sweet, that the effects aren't worth it. If I had a cracker, it had cheese on it. (crackers have sugar in them) and some spinach dip. I did drink some orange juice along with the breakfast because that was the only thing available, but I paid for it.
Now I'm home and determined to stop as much sugar as possible. I do not like artificial sweetener so I have no interest in using them. My best course is to reduce sugar intake, not replace it with chemicals or even other "natural" sugars. Of course, I would love the weight loss, but frankly I'm more interested in feeling better so I can feel like writing church material and travel on Mission Trips, and paint my house and...and....
So I've specifically prayed that God will deliver me from my sugar-addiction...because it really is an addiction. Next I'll give up salt. As for caffiene, I only drink it in tea form and am also drinking water. My only regret is not trying to find something to drink Apple Cider Vinegar in since I'm giving up apple juice.
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Ladies Retreat was great! Thank you Sis. Horne for all your hard work and planning. I'm warming up to the whole Ladies Retreat thing. hahahahahahaha!
Loved Sis. Shelton's preaching. She is a great lady. If I could sing and play a guitar like her, God knows I would be terribly prideful so he didn't give me that talent, but she is so humble.....and funny and fun to be around. If I hadn't "hit the wall" during free time, I would have liked to spend more time with her and Heather "Red" Lawson, whom I have attended 3 years of BTI with.
However, "hit the wall" I did. Every since before the Assembly, we have high stress around my house and Ladies Retreat was the first almost "free" time I've had in weeks. So I did my quiet time studies and then crawled into my bunk and crashed. I know you're supposed to fellowship during the day and sleep at night, but my body wouldn't cooperate. Hopefully, our high stress times are slowing down some.
Also super enjoyed Sis. Smith and Sis. Horne's classes as did everyone else. Timely, thoughtful, purifying. So what I needed. Enjoyed the fellowship I did participate in with all the Ladies and looking forward to next year.
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I'm caught! I'll admit it right here before God and everybody...I..Tammy Washburn...unconciously committed her first act of Audience Participation Symbolism!!!
THE VERY EVENING AFTER LADIES RETREAT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT AT RETREAT!!! Sis. Horne called my hand on it and she was right. I'm in SHOCK!! Okay....I dislike (I'm not the only one...ahem Sis. Horne) preachers or teachers asking us to do "audience participation acts" or "symbolic acts" like "turn to your neighbor and say..sing"... OR "write something on this paper and bring it to this basket"....OR "march around the room, hopping on one foot and singing"...(ok, I'm being silly). I had to preach at our local church Sunday night after we left retreat so I kind of went over my devotions that I did at retreat. The only prop I used were the "lines in the sand". At the end, I asked everyone to think about their "lines in the sand" asking them to come through the center aisle and WALK OVER THE LINES that I had taped to the floor AND to make sure they walked over all the lines as they made their way to the altar. Boy, Sis. Horne and Sis. Tennie really razzed me and I deserved it! Sis. Horne has threatened to share it at the TN State Retreat to shame me, so I'll admit it here first! I didn't even realize that I did it!!! God is trying to humble me....because he is more concerned about my perfection than my happiness. LOL!
5 comments:
HAHAHA! That is hilarious! You have caved to the pressure of conforming to the other preachers who demand audience participation! HAHAHAHA! I don't dislike those things nearly as much as you and Becki,so I woulnd't be devastated to discover I'd been guilty of asking for audience participation. :-)
ALL of your food was DELICIOUS! Thank you for all your contributions. I've been thinking lately about cutting back on sugar, for health's sake. I just haven't made the commitment yet. But at least I've been CONSIDERING it. That's the first step. ;-)
So glad to see a new post from you, Sister Tammy. I was just thinking about you this morning...it's been a long time since you've posted (not that I have much room to talk...ha!). Glad you enjoyed retreat. Wish I could have been there with you. :-)
Sis. Smith, I am blaming it on exhaustion. Yeah, that's it. :-) After 4 doing devotionals, very little sleep, and then preaching again at our church, I'm sure that I was a little delirious there at the end. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! LOL!
I really couldn't imagine going without SWEET TEA, but really that part of was easier than I expected. I thot of another regret: Chocolate and pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving, but I could still eat a sliver if I decide the "sugar headache" is worth it. I know I had "hidden sugars" today (it's almost impossible to avoid them) but I'm just dealing with the obvious ones for now and will work on the others later.
When avoiding sugar foods, it's amazing how little of a grocery store you walk through!
Thanks Sis. Emilee. I took a little break to deal with some high stress situations, distressing family situations, bad health, Church events, and my Mother-in-Law breaking her hip and then passing away. This hasn't been a very good year exactly, but God has been good to us and has proven that he is with us in the midst of our trials. He's taught me to rely on him more. I was thinking about you this past week too and your Ladies Retreat and how much fun and blessings I had with ya'll. Wish you could have been here too. Missed you at the Assembly. Congratulations regarding your good news!
I enjoyed this entire post, but the best part BY FAR is the confession at the end! Hahahahaha! Tammy Washburn, Audience Participation Advocate. I love it. Does this mean I'm next??? I'll have to come up with something grand for my next VLB service. Be sure to be there, okay?! ;-)
You already did your AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION thing. You had us all walk through your house and pray in every room. All I asked you to do was walk over a few lines of masking tape on the floor! hahahahahahahahahahahaha!
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