Thoughts on the 2020 Pandemic

By Andrea Erickson Lindsey

I have had some thoughts rattling around in my head and I am sharing them not to shine a light on my circumstances and me but rather show how the Lord is changing me to receive His light that perhaps it may be helpful in some way to someone. I am aware that while my experience with Covid-19 is very individual I also have a connection with everyone in the world right now. That is the amazing thing! We are all connected by a common commotion, though our individual circumstances very e the whole world experiencing this together. It is also my hope that as you read my individual experience and feel so inspired to share your unique story of how you have also seen the hand of the Lord during in your life and the life of your family in this difficult time.

This pandemic’s breadth and duration has tested more and more of the family of God. Many are experiencing shortages in food, cleaning supplies, and much needed medical supplies. Yet lack of preparations of a physical nature is only part of the shortages we are experiencing. Many have been pushed emotionally, mentally and spiritually to the edge of their abilities while seeking to protect their families while homeschooling their children and working from home. Vital truthful information is difficult to detect because of faulty test kits, and skewed test results. Some in positions of power seek to improve their personal reputation, monetary advantage instead of seeking to truly benefit those who have been hit hardest by this crisis.

Perhaps we have even been brave enough to see that our own personal preparations are not enough. I know I have. We are not alone in this struggle and we can discern what is right for our families and how to move forward in this global pandemic. Amidst all the confusion I know there is a steady and unyielding voice of the Spirit of the Lord reaching for us to listen. This kind and loving voice is the voice of God speaking to His children. His is the voice of relief, kindness, and patience endurance. The main condition required by us to hear Him is our own willingness to keep His commandments and be true to the truths we know by His Spirit. Whether we are aware of it or not we are all children of that loving Heavenly Father. He is full of grace and has all wisdom. While we may call him by different names it really doesn’t matter, He is God and He is in charge. He is not at all stingy or impatient with his guidance nor does he get angry when we are lost and ask for help. He is a perfect and loving God that doesn’t micromanage us and he expects us to choose Him because we want to. He requires our participation in listening and if we meet those requirements there are no shortages, illnesses or disadvantages that cannot be turned to our growth.

If we can accept the reality of there be a God then perhaps it won’t be as too far fetched to believe that there is also a Satan that breeds contention, distraction and discontent, despair and oh how he loves to lie and get us to believe that we are all victims of our circumstances and doomed to live in misery. I can imagine God has had his fill us fighting amongst ourselves and quite frankly acting in completely offensive ways. …and like all good Father’s he desires to teach us. I have laughed at the memes that plead with God to let us out of timeout because we have learned our lesson and then thought, “Have we? Have I?” I am not to old that I can’t remember grade school when we all were punished for a few people that were not willing to unify with the class for the purpose of instruction.  I remember thinking oh if they would just get their act together we could all move on…but what happens when we are brave enough to admit that perhaps we can also at times be that person who others depending on to make those essential changes so that we as a people can again move forward?

Now in saying this I don’t want to say that those with very little challenge in keeping the commandments of God are responsible for the earth’s calamities, I am asking if we are brave enough to look inside of ourselves and see perhaps the parts of us we don’t want the rest of the world to know? Perhaps clinging to those faults are keeping us from having true joy, peace and seeing God’s power and how he is leading way out of this present dark time of uncertainty.

To explain my views on this present challenge I have to go back in time. It is a time I can remember vividly. It was the moment that I realized that everything that I was choosing in my life was not going well. Goals and hopes were falling flat, even the good things in my life were quite frankly unsatisfactory. I was not a bad person but I was a flawed person and I was beginning to view myself in a way that helped me realize that reaching my full-potential would require more than my own effort to obtain. At that moment I decided that I would do my best to trust a higher power. I knew that the higher power was my Heavenly Father and He could guide me in my decisions. I also had to still have the courage to make decisions without being told what to do because God would expect that of me if I truly was ready to receive his help…You might see this principle of receiving guidance from God being contingent with our willingness to act and make choices as ironic. Thinking, “How can you make decisions, yet give your will to a higher power?”

The way we can both surrender our will and maintain our agency happens because God is gracious leader who dispenses knowledge necessary to make right choices wholeheartedly. He knows only decisions we make using our moral agency truly have power to initiate permanent personal growth and eternal change. He has no desire to strip away our freedoms rather he needs us to be free to make these choices for ourselves. He is willing to walk along side us in our decision-making inspiring us and at the same time not micromanage our growth. He knows we will have to choose, make mistake, repent and rely on the arm of the Lord, His beloved Son, to fulfill our life’s purpose.  Yet we do not have to make many willful wrong choices to determine our path. A Loving Father would never leave us to go about trying to figure the rules out by ourselves. He has given us His commandments, His words in scripture and plenty of other inspired guidance through men and women called by His Spirit to raise our sight upward towards Heavenly goals.

With His help we can be better than what we are now and we can accomplish more…I know these things not just because I read them--I lived them. At the point in my life when I was willing to trust God and His guidance I had graduated from a junior college and had ZERO desire to continue my education. I knew there was something wrong with my ability to give and receive love. I felt broken and so I had partially I turned my will over to God I chose to serve as a full-time missionary. I served my mission in upstate New York and Vermont. It was while I was serving there I started to be more willing to bravely follow and trust promptings from His Holy Spirit while ignoring promptings from the adversary my life changed forever.

Those who knew me as a youth knew that I was never popular, sought after and most times I just wanted to avoid all social gatherings. I dealt with crippling anxiety and chronic illness and all the while in my heart I wanted to make a positive difference in the world. After making my decision to turn my life over to God I wasn’t left without friends in that effort. With God-sent help from others I made major changes socially, and educationally which led to many more improvements in my life. I am grateful for the friends who had also accepted the call to be true disciples and it was because of them I was admitted to BYU and hired to teach and train missionaries at the Provo MTC.

When I graduated I was guided by the Spirit to train to become a seminary teacher. The training was strenuous to say the least. I don't think it was any accident that I had worked with missionaries for 2 1/2 years and began training to teach Seminary the year that the Seminary program began to shift their teaching style to better prepare missionaries for their experience. Even with all my preparation it took all the faith I could muster and excellent help. I was hired to become a full-time Religious Educator for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2002. At the time I was hired the females in this career did not even equal 1% of the workforce.  I was the first woman ever to be hired full-time in Idaho and I was disillusioned from any thought that it was because of the women that was happening. False ideas of the role of women in the work of God were plentiful in the youth and adults at the school I completed my student teaching. After I was hired I was told by the Area Director that I had to overcome a lot of inertia to get my position. Quite frankly I didn’t know what he was talking about so I had to look up the word…after looking up the word I now had context for the difficulty I experienced in the hiring process. Thankfully there were others inspired by God who helped me or I wouldn’t have made it at all.

The promptings and counsel from the Lord continued and I received with gratitude and some reluctance the message told me to give my whole heart to God’s work and everything would be made up to me. In other words I would not get what I wanted for some time. So I did give my whole heart to the study and teaching of the gospel. In the next ten years I was graciously allowed to teach at UVU Institute after my first year, called an apprentice year, as a full-time Seminary teacher was completed.  I was later accepted into the Religious Education Masters Program becoming the second woman ever to do so. During my thesis work I worked with the General Young Women Department, Church Curriculum Department, Brigham Young University as well as the Seminary and Institute Program on the first correlated effort to provide research that I hoped would help in the goal The Church had to improve the curriculum for the young women. Upon completing my thesis I was called into to speak with a member of the General Young Women’s presidency about my work she asked me how I knew what was needed….I responded I didn’t know I just followed a prompting.

As part of my summer work I spoke to youth all over the United States to inspire them in their discipleship through the now largely retired EFY program and the disbanded BEST of EFY program. I taught for years at Education Week on BYU campus and later taught Institute for 2 1/2 years at Utah State University as a volunteer fulling a long time desire to teach all of the core religion classes that were added right before I left full-time employment with the Church.

I also was challenged in my personal life to seek for greater health. While doing so I was told I would never have children by a very highly recommended Dr. and Surgeon, yet I chose to trust the prompting to not accept that answer and do my best to seek the Lord’s help in healing my body while faithfully awaiting the day I could be a mother. This led me to a very talented Chinese Medical Doctor that healed me. Years later this same Chinese Medical Doctor lost his beloved wife to cancer and as a surprise to both of us we married.  I now am a mother of a very dynamic little 7 ½ year-old boy.  My life now resembles very little of the life I led as a single person.  Instead of helping people in public ways my work with others now for the most part quiet and unseen.  Even though it is very different I still feel great peace knowing that I am doing the work the Lord needs me at this time of my life. I know my responsibilities now are to educate my son while support my husband in his life’s work. I marvel at times knowing my inadequacies and personality that if I was left just to my own choices I know that I would have never had any of the experiences I now call blessings because they went against my nature. I know that God gives experience and opportunities and if we are brave enough to follow we can accomplish anything He needs done. Following Him will take effort that will stretch us in ways that we may feel like we will break, but he will never leave us and through his atoning grace he will make us into who we were truly meant to be. 

I give that LONG background to help you understand that when we hit the pandemic of 2020 I was aware of seeking guidance from God and I knew that I would have to continue with this pattern to deal with these challenges that were now a part of our lives. Just as the challenges I faced before were again above my skill level to handle I was again getting ready to be stretched beyond my comfort zone. The first decision my husband and I were faced with during this pandemic was what to do with my husband’s medical practice. We of course prayed daily to do what we should and one day direction came…It would no longer be possible to maintain both locations of the medical practice. We would need to make the full-time jump to our other office. While this had been the goal anyway it was still (in our minds) not feasible for months. We both had the same answer and while we were astonished at the direction we knew we needed to comply. We had learned through many experiences that following the Lord was the only way everything would work out the way they needed too. The more established clinic that had sustained our family for years was now the one which would temporarily and most likely prematurely close due to the pandemic.  We also knew that we would need to continue working everyday. No only would we be working during the pandemic but I would also need to tackle homeschooling while managing our business. Two things had prepared me for this moment.  I had taught on the elementary level for a school year and was quite comfortable teaching and I had followed a prompting years earlier to homeschool my son the year he was waiting to get into kindergarten having missed the cut off by 4 days. Even though it was difficult to manage the business, home, farm and homeschooling responsibilities the task would have seemed completely impossible without the preparation the spirit helped me to obtain years earlier. I was left with greater gratitude in the knowledge that God was leading me then He could continue to lead me now.

Our journey through the pandemic has not been without fearful moments. For example, “how do we protect our family while still serving and protecting our patients as well?” Everyday we have been required to trust God and move forward. We had made adaptions and changes to our clinic to meet the requirements of having a safe work environment and we have been abundantly blessed. For a time we experienced a significant decrease in business and yet have had enough. We feel so grateful to have a job and to continue to provide for our family while maintaining a safe environment for my son to continue his schooling.

We are also thankful that we have not been left without direction from a Living Prophet. We have appreciated his example during this time. After the first time we were asked to fast for the prophet I had a insight come that it may take more than one effort before we will have made the adaptions as a people to have God remove the plague. The second request by the prophet came as no surprise and again I was blessed with a gift that I had not anticipated…of course I wanted the pandemic to end, but instead the Lord gave me something different he completely took away my fears and I felt the determination to continue in the stressful yet needed course of working while homeschooling my son.

My husband and I have also began to have our minds open to and idea that perhaps this pandemic has given us a great opportunity so that we as a world could slow down for a time and actually evaluate the lives we are living. Since this all began I have been inspired by the goodness in people around the world and how they have continued to serve and reach out to others. Many have lightened my heart with their comedic memes and pandemic parodies. I have felt more united with the people of the world knowing that we are sharing this same experience. I want to help in whatever way I can to end the suffering that is afflicting all of us. God has all power and He always answers our prayers that accomplish His goals. I have also noticed that answered prayers are often accompanied by surprising shifts in our thinking changes in how we choose to live our lives.  

Change is required if we want to be involved in complete the work in which this life is all about. Yet how can we as imperfect beings comprehend God without making changes in our lives? It is impossible!  We must change. To come to know God is the greatest quest any person can achieve, and it quite possible will take my entire life and then some…but I am willing to give it because he has done so much for me. We have shifted; our priorities have dramatically reduced to a home centered gospel instruction, family and our service to the community. I have seen life’s pace like a rushing train that couldn’t be stopped. It was filled with social pressures, economic demands, family needs, religious and community needs. Yet God in his goodness has stopped it all. He has given us time to change. I am so grateful to have the train stop for just a moment during this pandemic so I can with my family reevaluate life goals, ambitions, and make the necessary adjustments so that when this pandemic is mitigated, because I have complete faith that it will be!! It is also my hope that my family and I will be different in happy ways. I feel more determined that when entertainments come back that I partake of the wholesome and I am not guilty of entertaining myself to spiritual death as a wise Religious Leader, President Oaks once said. I know that things will improve and because of the Spirit of the Lord they are already improving in me. I believe in God …I believe that He is…and I desire to go on this great cause. I truly believe that the Book of Mormon’s phrase “it is by small and simple things great things are brought to pass” is true.

Symbols of Christ in the Christmas Tree

May all of you have a Merry of Christmas

#LightTheWorld
In efforts to make a more Christ centered Christmas we talked about the symbols of Christ used with the Christmas tree. Moses 6:63 "all things bear record of me."


The Lights-He is the light of the world. St. John 8:12

The Evergreen-His eternal life and sacrifice. St John 4:14

The Tree with it's ornaments-He gave his life and hung on a tree. Acts 5:30

The Candy-cane- The Shepherd's Staff. He is the Good Shepherd and the Shepherd that were told by and angel of Jesus' Birth. St John 10:11

The Color Red- The Blood that he spilt for us. Luke 2:8-12

The Color White-The purity of his life and love for all of us.Bible Dictionary Christ is "sinless".

Gold-He is the refiner of Gold. When heat is added to gold the dross or impurity rise to the surface and the refiner pulls them out. He continues to add heat and pull out the impurities until it reaches the desired state of purity. Malachi 3:3

Silver-He is the refiner of Silver. When silver is finished with it's refining process the refiner can see his reflection in it. Malachi 3:3

Presents- Heavenly Father gave us the gift of His Only Begotten Son. As well as the gifts the wisemen presented to the baby Jesus . St John 3:16

Pearl of Great Price-(We hang a string of pearl garland) We must give are all to know Him and He gave his all to save us. Matthew 13:46

Star on top of the tree-The New Star that appeared in the heaven as a sign of his birth. Heleman 14:5
Angels on top of the tree or ornaments-Angels that came to the Shepherds. Luke 2:9-14

Dear Disney (an open letter in regards to the controversy of the first Gay character in the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast)

Dear Disney,

First of all I would like to thank you for the years of happiness that you have provided to me as a child and which continues now to my young family. You helped me believe more in myself. You helped me believe that I could accomplish great things even though I was a girl. Your heroines helped me find the hero inside me, and I have tried to live true to that. I have sung your songs and lived with Disney “fanatics” and enjoyed every minute of it. I think one roommate watched Enchanted, in the theaters, about eight times.

I understand that there is quite a lot of controversy with the upcoming Beauty and the Beast live action film and I want you to know that I have felt the pain of that controversy in a deep and personal way. I have dear friends and family who are part of the LGTB community. I love them and I have wept over the loss of those who committed suicide rather than allowing their beauty to continue bless this world. Is it possible that those who struggle with being gay could find hope in this character? I would certainly hope so! Everyone deserves to be treated well and be loved.

Then there is the other side of the debate. I also have friends and family who I would say are deeply religious and committed to God. They are a strength and backbone to their communities. I know those in both groups that selflessly seek to help the next generation to have those principles inside to bless the world. One problem…everyone feels strongly about their beliefs and no one agrees. So what do you do? Quite frankly I feel like if Disney cares enough to get involved in political issues then perhaps they might be interested in a peace offering for those who are rejecting the movie.  I still believe you who have something good to offer, but I am not sure that without my proposal I will feel good about having Disney continue as part of the upbringing of the rising generation.

There is no question that this film will be successful with or without those that refuse to buy tickets because they have felt discomfort in the introduction of a Gay character. Yet it could be the greatest movie of all time!!! It could be the movie that changes everything about movies!!! Quite frankly your Actors and company deserve this opportunity. Your Actors have greatness in them as well as everyone behind the scenes that make movie magic possible. 

Often I see movies that are theatrical versions, extended versions and previous to all the lawsuits, successfully won by your company, there were edited versions. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that there is a market for family friendly versions of your movies. Family friendly movies, for this letter's purpose, would avoid cursing, drugs, violence is very limited (appropriate controversy involving the protection of self and others who seek to uphold fair laws etc.) heterosexual relationships that are not chaste in their conduct, and no LGTB behavior. Why not offer both the director’s cut and a family friendly version?

Quite simply by adjusting a few scenes you release two movies instead of one. It also doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the potential for having this be one of the biggest movies ever released, instead of its sacrificial lamb position.  Both parties could be happy if they are willing to accept the fact that people view movies and the world differently. Religious people who are offended by the addition of an adult political stance in a children’s movie like to watch and buy movies just as much as the rest of the world. Shouldn't they be considered as part of the market too? Just because they don't want to constantly be watching things that are against their core principles doesn't mean they won't do the right thing when working with those in any area for which they disagree.

I personally know several that would be elated by introducing a family friendly version to all of your movies, both previously released as well as future collaborations. There are also many who would disagree on what family friendly means but by providing an alternative edited version you now give Americans and lets face most humans what they love...THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE!  It's important to allow them to choose for themselves. Are you brave enough to give them the opportunity? As things stands this will take place anyway.  You will just loose that portion of the market who has had it with compromising what they believe in to be able to enjoy a movie. My suggestion is to make movies more pleasant for everyone. 

Wait it is the day of  the release?!!!! I also understand how much work and effort goes into making a movie, my brother is part of the crews that take months to edit movies to get them to the screen, but if you could just say that there will be a future release to appease the family audience you win again.  Look if Mel Gibson can release two versions of Passion of the Christ to appease those who felt it against their principles to attend “R” rated movies then you can release a different cut too. This is a win-win situation!

So there is my advice that quite frankly I could charge you millions for, but it’s free because I love you and I want you and everyone you work with to feel the appreciation for a lot of hard work and a job well done instead of conflict.

Love,

Andrea a mom who sincerely hopes you will take me up on this.
P.S. If anyone know Ellen Degeneres she might be even better to send this to than Disney! 

It’s time to pray for a miracle and walk away from the pull of popularity!

Growing up I learned quickly that there are those that are popular and there are those that are not. I was not! I was always a little envious of those who were just liked without what seemed to be any effort on their part. One day I was sent by a school publication committee to interview a polished young man with all the privileges of society that could be offered in high school life. He was well dressed and well liked but what surprised me was that he was very nervous and worried about what people would think of him. I found myself reassuring him that what he had to say mattered. All of a sudden I experienced something I had never recognized I had power over popularity and it felt great. It felt great to support an upperclassman in his hour of anxiety. I walked away with a feeling that that young man was important and not at all unlike me. We both were nervous about things and had vulnerabilities and we needed each other to make a difference in our school.

You may wonder what the point to this little story is, I will just tell you. I am confident that if we are so worried about popularity in this presidential race in the United States we have missed the point completely. The best president isn’t the one that can argue the best, or that has the most financial support. The best president isn’t good just because they are a man or a woman. The best president isn’t the one that is a gifted orator with slick promises that are quite frankly out of their control.  The best president is not the one that has the best chance in the polls for beating out the competitor. If we haven’t figured out by now that the media is not an accurate source for information regarding who is best to run our country then I invite you to consider the fact that they could be more interested in what’s popular and exciting verses what is moral and right.  The best president is a president that is willing to stand for the principles upon which this nation was founded; end of story! You may think that is too simple, but let me reassure you that it is by small and simple things that great things are brought to pass.

It seems to me as I have listened to people’s reasons for choosing one politician over another that we as Americans have forgotten that loyalty and fidelity matter. That honesty and integrity are the basis of trust. Trust is the very essence of what a candidate must have in order to pull off being a good president. I am tired of presidents that care so much about their own self-interests that they ignore the counsel of the wise people in this nation. I am exhausted with all the lies and the threats that if I don’t vote for one "popular" candidate that I am throwing away my vote. I am not throwing away my vote if I select someone I can pledge my support too. I am electing to use my constitutional rite that was made possible by small and simply good people who wanted to ensure I could. I am not a threat to any candidate that is selected for president because I believe in upholding that individual with my prayers and support for their efforts made for the overall good of the people. I am not afraid of being unpopular in my decisions; I only seek to be ethical and honest and to support those of that same character.  I believe in the Abraham Lincolns of the world. Oh where would we be without the traits of nobility that rise up in time of struggle and great need? That is why I am voting for Evan McMullin and Mindy Finn. See https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GRQdUHI-tFA

Check out this video for an opportunity to get to know him and where he stands on the issues.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FebNU_o4yI8&sns=em

I remember as a grade-schooler saying the pledge of allegiance and my heart soaring with national pride. I believed that America was something greater than just a government, because we were a nation under God. Now it seems that if God is mentioned he has become some kind of insult. What have we allowed to happen to our nation? We do not need to apologize for believing the heritage of our nation. There is no way we would have ever survived as a country without the miracles that made this nation possible. I am not offended if you don’t believe in God, but I would ask that you respect the fact that the founding fathers did believe.

I still believe that miracles happen! I believe in part due to good people who are willing to share positive media where the generosity of strangers comes in and saves another from awful circumstances.  It is in honor of their goodness that I cannot remain silent. I believe that we as American’s have a moral responsibility to uphold men and women of strong moral character to lead this nation. I have been unwilling to choose a candidate until I have seen one that fits these standards. I want to have faith in the American people that they will do what is necessary to vote their conscience.

I strongly desire and pray that citizens, law enforcement, as well as government officials will ensure that the election process is fair and honest. I believe that there are more Americans that are good and honest and want the best for their fellow citizens. I also believe that goodness in people has power over popularity. I know that goodness defeats evil if we are brave enough to stand up for it! I want to believe that we will not just trust our own intellect but we wisdom will pray as the bible says in James 1:5 for the guidance of heaven in assisting us to know if the decisions we have made are in accordance with the will of God, because we are a nation under Him. We owe this nation our allegiance and support, not the nation portrayed through the "popular" media but the true identity of our nation. The nation that is United for the good of the people. I am not naive enough to believe we don’t need a miracle to occur for the sake of our nation. I am also not too proud to ask for your help! Please believe in and pray for miracles!  Join with me and believe that miracles have not ceased! I invite all people and ask that any who read this will assist us with your faith in God to pray for our fellow countrymen, and if this is not your country that you pray for America to be able to see through the mists of lies and vote for people of moral character in this election.

Thank you,

Andrea

The "Ladder Approach" to New Years Resolutions of Fitness

I recognize that I haven’t posted a blog for some time. I have been really busy with other projects. The other day I had the burning desire to get writing again.  I really love being able to talk to adults even though I may not be able to see their faces or hear their reaction. I recognize that some of my followers may be expecting a gospel lesson, and while this blog is different getting healthy is still very important for a healthy spiritual life.

I am quite proud of my progress in tackling my New Years resolutions this year. I really want to keep mine and continue to regain my strength after batting chronic illness for years. I recognize there are many sides to consider for the best approach in fitness. Yet the only sides I am really worried about are the ones that don’t fit as well as I would like them to in my pants. I also want the confidence back that comes from being in shape. I did not want to waste considerable energy having to consider the shape I am in and using my kung Fu skills on anyone that has a derogatory comment. I have worked hard at correcting the problems that don’t get better by loosing a few pounds and now I am ready to do the rest.

My new years resolution consists of a progressive goals concerning fitness. I decided that I wouldn’t overwhelm myself with everything I needed to change I would just do one part of my goal at a time until I felt confident in it and then I would add to that goal the next challenge. I know the level that I need to get to. I have been at the level I am reaching for before, but I was extremely ill and so no matter how skinny I was I felt horrible. Also it was a level that was quite easy to maintain when I was single and not living with those whose diet includes cheese, and cookies as their own food groups.

So what was my first step? CONQUER SUGAR! That means no refined sugar. Of course this ended ice cream, cookies and candy. It also included disappointing my husband who loved to see me get all-hyper after eating something chocolate. Oh yes I said it…Chocolate was also out for more reasons that sugar. I am starting to feel that sense of accomplishment I used to feel in school when I just finished a project that consumed my life for weeks.

Sugar is not my only vice. There are three other foods that send my body into a fat packing revolt. Those are bread, high fat dairy, and red meat. I would include processed meats but I have never really liked those so it is not really a sacrifice to give them up. While I am already limiting these foods, by the first week on February I plan have all of these fat packing foods gone from my daily life.  If I wasn’t taking care of my little boy and a million other things right now I think I would be able to tackle these challenges faster, but right now I am going to rejoice in the fact that I am doing awesome in not eating sugar and chocolate. Besides stress is hard on my health too. I have learned that balance is everything.

The next on the list starting this week, NO HIGH FAT DAIRY and for me that means CHEESE. For some reason my body has a love/hate relationship with cheese. More clearly my taste buds love cheese, but my body almost stops working when I eat it. My metabolism slows to barely alive and I watch the scale numbers increase daily.  There you have it my next goliath the fitness challenge.  Because I know this is the next challenge I am starting to adjust my thinking and cut back to prepare for the inevitable.  As for right now I am headed upstairs to have a broccoli and cheese potato for the last time in probably a year.

After cheese is taken out there is really no reason for bread. At least that is how I plan to console myself. BREAD! With all of the carbohydrate deliciousness, even without sugar bread is still nice. I mean what is eggs and toast without toast? I will tell you…eggs. That’s what I had for breakfast these last few days... just eggs. I am trying to get myself ready for the next task on my new year to do list.  Once I get into the groove of things it is not so bad. All I have to remember is I am extremely blessed to have access to a variety of foods. I recognize not everyone in the world is. I know that if I am in better health physically maybe there is more I can do about that dilemma.

Lastly I will give up the beloved red meat. I vaguely remember life before marrying a cowboy – when I hardly ever saw red meat. Now getting a ½ a beef is as normal as the sun rising and setting. I love chicken and fish and never felt deprived, but now I have others to consider. I am also very used to making all my families favorite dishes – most of which call for beef. I love to see that beefy dinner bring a big smile to my husband’s face and hear comments like these from my son, “I like brown chicken.” It looks like it is two against one right now.  I would have gladly chosen this one as the first food to give up, but starting with the hardest to give up seemed like the way to make sure that I would succeed and just keep me feeling good as I climbed the fitness ladder.