Ramblings

1. For those of you trying to lose weight, beware of beverages you drink daily!!! This is what I read in Joy's Healthy Bite: (click this link to read more, I'm merely giving the excerpt)

Consider this: Trim 500 liquid calories from your daily diet and you'll save 3,500 calories a week. That's potentially one pound of fat lost per week and more than 50 pounds lost at the end of the year!

Soda

• Soda (20-oz. bottle) = 250 calories
• 7-Eleven Big Gulp (32 oz.) = 400 calories
• Large movie theatre soda (44 oz.) = 550 calories
• 7-Eleven Double Big Gulp (64 oz.) = 800 calories
  

2. A premarital counselor of my friends once said this: "Marriage shouldn't be a 50-50 establishment, but a 70-70 one."

The reason is that if you start marriage with a 50-50 "arrangement of give and take", then you'll definitely be keeping score cards. Once you feel you've done your parts, you'd expect your spouse to do his/her parts. If your spouse doesn't do one or two things on his/her "to-do list" and you end up doing those things, then you'll feel that your spouse "owes" you.

Ideally speaking, both partners should wish to give 70-70, since when your love tank is full (by receiving 70), then you'll naturally end up wanting to give more and more and your spouse's love tank will be filled more and more and he/she'll give back more to you and the cycle continues.

3. Sometimes when I go to Finland Forum and read the discussion, I get discouraged about my future here. Reality is harsh. However, every time I start thinking about reality, I stop myself and force myself to look UP and submit my worries to Him. Nothing is impossible for Him, though I'm still learning to believe, believe, believe.

As I said before, I tend to look too far ahead and try to "predict" any problems that may come so that I can prepare for plan B, C, D, etc. I know it can be futile, yet that's how I operate.

It's when I focus on the "problem predictions" and see no way out (no plan B, C or D), worry starts gnawing away my faith. I'm learning to believe, believe, believe. I'm learning to believe in HIS provision, grace, greatness. I'm learning to believe Him and lean on Him. I'm learning to let go and let God. It's NOT easy. I keep on stumbling and falling and rolling on the ground.

http://cards.heartlight.org

4. The other day the postman came to bring two packages for us. The first one is a package of Asian food and spices sent by my German friend. WHOOOPPPPPPEEEEEE!!! The second one is from Amazon UK. My two new novels have arrived!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! I can't wait to read them, but I'd better finish the book I'm reading now before I start reading them!!!