Daily Bread

Happy Memorial Day, everybody. I'm one of the fortunate ones whose son came home from war; but not a day goes by I'm not conscious of and sensitive to the families whose hero paid the ultimate price for our freedom. All the rights and privileges we enjoy today are the result of our soldiers' loyalty, valor, commitment and sacrifice.

Yesterday's meals were less artistic than others we have enjoyed on this trip, but were more representative of the historical traditions of the area. At French colonial Ft. Saint John Baptiste, we sampled a one-pot meat and corn stew cooked over an open fire, started by using "char cloth" to catch a spark from flint rock and cedar shavings.



An oven made from bousillage (pronounced BOO-see-yahzh) - a mixture of clay, Spanish moss and animal hair (usually deer or horse) - takes several hours to heat, then about 45 minutes to cook bread, which the costumed historical interpreter offered for tasting.

Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed a picnic on the grounds of Oakland Plantation, one of only two National Bicentennial Farms (owned by the same family for 200 years) west of the Mississippi River. Shaded by centuries-old live oaks and surrounded by the most complete set of plantation buildings in the South, it was easy to get lost in the romance of plantation life - until we remembered how much hard work it really was. Thank GOD for air conditioning!

Plenty of walking, plus nibbling on the fruit and protein bars in my camera bag helped to keep me on course with healthy eating, despite limited food choices during the day.

Have you had similar experiences where advance planning has helped you eat right?

Evangelists and Ambassadors

As a young mother, I homeschooled my son - an only child - as well as six other preschoolers. When the other children grew into kindergarten age, they left and were replaced by new preschoolers; however, we continued to homeschool Wayne until the sixth grade.

As teaching parents, one of the first lessons we learned was how much a child's behavior is influenced by the early training he receives at home. We found that most parents innocently waited too late to begin disciplining their precious ones - thinking that "until they can understand words," the process is premature.

Can I brag for a minute? Having had our 14-month old grandson in the house all week for his first stay-alone visit, we could tell within the first few hours how well he has already been trained by his parents, Lauren and Wayne. One quiet command, "Hands off, please," and Trey obeys, period. Each time he finishes eating, he makes sounds (not words) similar to the inflection of 'thank you.' When it's to go to sleep, he lies down without a fuss. Every time.

My housekeeper was truly amazed, saying, "I can't wait to tell my daughter about this. She's been hesitant to have children because the only ones she's ever been around are curtain climbers."

How spectacular will it be when we see a generation of children who are not obese, but are genuinely healthy because parents and educators cooperate to train young children to prefer wholesome foods over fast food, and who prefer to be active over sitting around watching television?!

We who were once couch potato converts are now evangelists for active lifestyles, ambassadors for healthy living. Who is watching you?

A Healthy LIfestyle Loves Company

Before I quit smoking in 2000, it was uncomfortable to be around friends who had quit. Truthfully, they probably didn't like being around me as much anymore, either.

Dr. Phil says if we hope to keep our weight off, we have to live the motto that "a healthy lifestyle loves company." My company this week is my 14-month old grandson - a precious example of a healthy lifestyle. Hats off to all you moms who are still chasing youngsters! But, wow! It's SO much more fun when I'm not out of breath every few minutes.

As we transform our lives (which is a lot different than "going on a diet"), there is a noticeable difference in how we engage the world. We have changed our momentum to create a life of energy, meaning and purpose - according to Dr. Phil.

"There really are no limits to what we can now achieve, nothing to push us down, because we look better, and live better," he says. "Continue to press on with an optimistic spirit."

Have a great week, everybody, and thanks for all your comments yesterday. I was overwhelmed!

Quotes from The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom

Tuesday Weigh-In

Part of the joy of this journey is sharing good news.

Today, I'm pleased to report another successful week on the BestLife program - subtracting another two pounds and 1.75 inches - bringing the totals since January 15 to 40 pounds and 36 inches lost!

Thanks to all the other HYC Challenge bloggers, who have continued to be such awesome support! Here's a video to inspire us this week.

P.S. I've got a 14-month old baby grandson in the house this week, so posts will probably be short and sweet!

Inspiration: Christina Gray - Monroe, La.

When we moved to Hot Springs, Ark., six years ago, I bought this piece to hang over the mantle in our living room. Painted by Christina Gray of Monroe, La., her art has continued to inspire me - not only because of the subject matter, but also because of the courageous person she is.

Christina was born in Europe during the time her father served in the military. Struck with polio by age five, she spent several years in a body cast in an attempt to straighten her spine. Despite medical intervention, she lost the use of her left shoulder, arm and hand.

As an adult, Christina reared three children on her own, after having been abandoned by her husband. Instead of whining and pouting, she made up her mind to go back to school and work her way through college. Not only did she complete her undergraduate degree, but she also obtained her Masters of Fine Arts with honors.

Christina painted this piece during her last year in school, when the idea of getting a degree had lost some of its glamour. Although I'm not sure she ever gave the painting a formal name, we always referred to the women as the Biblical characters Ruth, Naomi and Orpah.

Every time I look at the painting I'm energized. All of us have choices. We can turn back. We can tolerate our circumstances. Or we can look for hope in all situations, bringing life to all those around us.

Thanks for inspiring me, Christina. One day, I hope to buy the other paintings in this series!

Inspiration: Our Gym Hero, Part II

A few days ago, I mentioned an interview with David Elmore, a Marine veteran wounded in Vietnam, who inspires many of us to work out, even when we don't feel like it.

I finally wrote the story yesterday for publication in the May issue of a local magazine. You can read it now by clicking here.

***In other news, it's weigh-in day for 2008 Healthy You Challenge participants. I am happy to report that after having lost only one pound each of the past two weeks, I dropped FIVE pounds and an additional 1.75 inches this week - bringing the totals since January 15 to 32 pounds and 28 inches lost.

Do I have an explanation? Not really. Calorie count still averaged right at 1300 a day, but I was able to put in more strength training this week, once I got off the road and back into my home gym.

A special thanks (which takes a few seconds to load) to everybody who encouraged me during the "slow weeks."

Reporting to you live from Happy Dance Hall...

Inspiration: A Taste of Spring

Azaleas are decked out like flocks of pink flamingos outside my office window. Tulips, irises, dogwoods and wisteria accent the canopy of delicate greens at Garvan Woodland Gardens, where I have spent most of the weekend officiating wedding ceremonies.

Martin Luther once said, "God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.”

This morning, I put together a "gratitude video" to help me remember the beautiful flowers I have seen during the past year.
In fact, I think I'll take a long walk outside this afternoon, just to enjoy the beauty and fragrance of the season.

Music on the video is "Credo III" from the Solitudes collection,
"Illumination:Peaceful Gregorian Chants." Enjoy!

(To view Full Screen - which is really prettier - click here . After the video opens, click on the icon in the bottom right corner of the viewing screen.)

More Choices, More Rewards

Yesterday, a group of my friends surprised me with a birthday luncheon at the country club. Because I'm out of town a lot, I don't socialize so much as they do, especially those who are retired or semi-retired. For that reason, I especially appreciated their time and effort to gather us together.

We all enjoyed a delicious salad buffet; but right in the center of our table sat a gorgeous Italian cream cake - my absolute favorite - as a gift from one of my best friends.

"Surely you're going to have a piece," they chimed.

"Well, I certainly am going to make a wish, blow out my candles and take a picture of that beautiful thing!" I said with a big huge smile.

As soon as the luncheon was over, I drove straight to Garvan Woodland Gardens to perform a wedding ceremony - one of four I officiated this weekend. When I got home, lo and behold, the remaining half of that cake PLUS a dozen cookies was sitting in my kitchen! I declare, the sugary concoction developed a voice, and has been calling me ever since.

This is the first time since January 15 I've had "unhealthy choices" in my kitchen, and I can tell I'm not ready. So, I've made up my mind: Tomorrow, when I go to the gym, I'm taking the desserts with me and giving them to the staff. Why not? After all, I'm miserable knowing they're in the fridge; but I'll feel worse if I eat all that sugar. Right? Right.

Maybe Garland Mitchell, the man in the picture, will be there. Next Friday, he'll be 94!! And the gym staff tells me he comes to work out five days a week. THAT'S inspiration!

Here's a little more inspiration. The past two weeks, I've plodded along with one-pound losses each weigh-in. This morning, I stepped on the scale, and knocked down three more pounds - jumping past the big 3-0! Bling, bling!

Inspiration: Our Gym Hero

Whew, it feels good to be home - sleeping in my own bed, cooking in my own kitchen, sitting at my own desk, working out in my home gym. On my birthday!

Tomorrow morning, I'm scheduled to interview a man who, without knowing it, has inspired me to train consistently, even when I don't feel like it. Each time he walks into the gym, he yells, "Mornin', everybody! (Waits for response.) How's everybody doin' today? (Waits for second response.)" For the next few minutes, he strolls around the gym, pumping handshakes like a seasoned politician.

I watch as he unzips his gym bag to retrieve an unwieldy contraption which he slings over his shoulder. With one hand, he buckles a strap around his chest. Next, he wraps a towel around one handle of a spin bike. Finally, he locks his prosthetic hand over the towel and begins his workout.

Folks who've been around a while tell me he was injured in the war. I'm not yet sure which one. I'll find out in the morning.

After I learned his name, I called our gym hero this afternoon to schedule the interview. He agreed, but said he needed to be finished by 10:30.

"A group of us meet over at the St. Joseph Chapel to pray for our service personnel serving in Iraq and other areas of the world," he explained.

This is going to be a good story. I'll keep you posted.

P.S. Thanks to everybody who sent get-well wishes to DH. He's recovering nicely!

Inspiration: Where We Sit

Count me in with the crowd who is responding to Felicia's request for us to post a picture of "Where We Sit." Well, here it is - my home office. My computer faces a large window that looks over our front yard, then across the street to a wooded area that lines the backside of a country club golf course. It's a lovely place to observe the changing seasons.

"Being seated" is actually an ancient concept with a wide range of meanings - including responsiveness, authority and rest. Etiquette dictates where guests of honor are seated at a dinner table, a wedding and other important events. The Buddha is typically pictured seated on a lotus flower. The Bible says that we are seated with Christ in heavenly places.

For us, "where we sit" mentally either augments or undermines our efforts to lose weight and become fit. If we passionately believe and say NOW, "I am a Divinely healthy and fit human being," we activate a whole set of desires in line with that expressed belief. By choosing thoughts in line with our originating Spirit, we leave no room for unhealthy habits.

"It may happen gradually, but there it is," says Wayne Dyer. "You see yourself not living in fear or overly focused on your appearance. This wonderful awareness of self-acceptance combines with a strong desire to treat your body with respect...You've found a better way to balance and enjoy your life by trusting your thoughts to attract the health you desire."

By choosing to be seated as a guest of honor with Spirit - which has no excess fat, indigestion, hunger pangs or overeating habits - you relegate your ego (which identifies with body) to a place way down the table.

"Truly, you are not what you eat or how much you exercise," Dyer concludes," but rather what you believe about the you that you're presently birthing in your thoughts."

Quotes from Being In Balance: 9 Principles for Creating Habits to Match Your Desires

Inspiration: Family and Friends

Holidays at my mom's house are always a treat, and today was no exception. After church, we enjoyed a healthy lunch and a couple hours of pleasant conversation.

Yesterday, I received an email from long-time friend, Mary Weeks-Ayala. Having fought a courageous two-year battle with liver cancer, she and her husband left Dallas today, headed back to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for what is scheduled to be the final operation to rid her body of that tortuous disease!

Whenever I hesitate the slightest bit on my exercise regimen, I consider Mary, who, for the past two years, would give anything to feel well enough to go to the gym.

Mary's perspective on Easter is better than any I could write. I invite you to read the inspirational words from her own blog. And while you're there, feel free to leave a note of encouragement.
(Click here to meet Mary.)

Inspiration: Meet Dr. George Monta

"I think I've become sort of like an ancient teddy bear to a lot of folks," George told me on the phone last week, speaking of his busy counseling schedule. It's been a tough year since his wife of 64 years, Adaire, passed away last summer.

Dr. George Monta is the sort of mentor everybody wishes for. I met him at a conference in Little Rock, Ark., nearly 15 years ago. In 2006, he ordained me to Christian ministry. Ironically, the book he and Adaire gave me to commemorate that event is Eckhart Tolle's
"A New Earth," the subject of Oprah's current 10-week webinar.

Dr. Monta, 83, is uniquely spiritual, but almost entirely non-religious. His counsel, while simple, is profoundly thought-provoking. Here's one of his classics: “When WATER is written on paper, it has an intellectual meaning, but is not useful in and of itself. All written truth becomes real only when lived out by experience.”

For today's inspiration, I hope you'll enjoy "meeting" one of the most important voices in my life. (Please excuse the short, but rather awkward introduction, which probably should have been edited out. The doting female voice is not mine, by the way.)

[Click the green arrow below to begin. After that, you can use your cursor to slide the green bar to the right to :59, where George begins talking.]

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Inspiration: Love Not Expressed is Love Not Received

Does your gratitude level need a boost?

Watch this short video about the power of saying thank you.

A written note can be enduring, poignant, personal and timeless. Too often today, it's easy to forget the value of a heartfelt, handwritten note or card. Several times on this blog, I've mentioned how prolifically my mother writes thank-you notes.

Years ago, when I was a stay-at-home mom, I had a travel-agent friend who sent me postcards from exotic destinations. Terry Seale's cards postmarked my dreams. Now, I pay her gesture forward by sending nearly 80 post cards from each place I visit. It’s a great tradition, and in many ways, a lost art.

HBO and the U.S. Postal Service have joined forces for a retail and online campaign to encourage consumers to send a handwritten card to someone they care about.

The Power of the Letter campaign promotes HBO's epic miniseries John Adams, which explores American history through one of its greatest founding fathers, a fiercely independent spirit whose unwavering vision steered America through a tumultuous period. Adams was a prolific letter-writer: He and his wife Abigail exchanged over 1,100 letters over the course of their courtship and marriage.

Starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney, and produced by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, the John Adams film premieres on HBO
March 16.

I'm especially grateful to my new HYC friends who have so faithfully encouraged me to live a healthy life.

Who deserves your gratitude today?

"Let us dare to read, think, speak and write." (John Adams)

You Inspire Me: A Song of Gratitude for HYC

My mom is a great thank-you note writer. When we kids were still at home, she often served us breakfast in bed on Sunday mornings. Each tray - carefully adorned with a pansy or other fresh flower in a small crystal vase - was laden with the labors of her love. Between the linen napkin and the china plate, she often tucked a love-note of affirmation, telling us kids how special we are, and how much she enjoys being our mom. She is still one of the strongest influences in my life.

This morning, I want to thank each of you for supporting me on my BestLife journey. Listen as Skye Dyer sings words of affirmation, encouraging each of us to be the best we can be. (And since I play the cello, be sure to enjoy the tender musical conversation between this talented cellist and Skye.)

Lynn Berring Wins by Losing 168 Pounds

Lynn Bering is half the woman she used to be. CNN reports she has lost 168 pounds and is blogging to inspire others.

I first read the story on Scale Junkie's blog, home of the
2008 Healthy You Challenge.

Lynn's practical advice has already found a home in my heart:

"I still write down everything I eat. I still ask myself, 'How will I feel five minutes after I eat this?'
If the answer is anything other than, 'I will feel good having made this food choice,' then I don't eat it. Or, at least most of the time, I don't. Sometimes, that whiney voice wins. But the point is, I think about it. Am I eating because I want to, or because I need to? Am I feeding some emotion I'm afraid to examine?"

Congratulations, Lynn, and thanks to Diana for sharing the good news.

Watch Lynn's interview from The Today Show.

Inspiration: Randy Pausch

Everybody has their own version of inspiration – usually tailored to a particular time in their lives.

Last week, two people sent me links to a
You Tube video with accompanying accolades for “the most amazing video ever” or something similar. I made a note on my calendar to watch the video over coffee Saturday morning, but, you guessed it, got busy and blew it off. Yesterday morning, another email arrived with the same link. Yesterday afternoon, I brewed a pot of green tea and pulled up a chair to watch it while Myron was on the golf course.

Randy Pausch, a young professor at Carnegie Mellon University, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His doctors gave him only a few months to live…last September.

Regardless how “amazing” you consider the video, Randy Pausch has a message for everybody. Here’s the short version, about 15 minutes, from a recent Oprah show.

Here’s the original version, his final lecture to students, fellow faculty and friends, about 76 minutes.

If you can’t squeeze it in today, please bookmark it for later.

A New Earth - An Oprahtunity to Grow

When I was formally ordained to ministry in 2006, my mentor, Dr. George Monta, gave me Eckhart Tolle's book, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose.


This month, the book soared to new heights as Oprah's Book of the Month Club recommendation No. 61.

Beginning March 3, Winfrey and Tolle are teaming up to present a 10-week webinar to explore the tenets of the book.

"We will be studying A New Earth, but not as an academic subject or in order to acquire new theories or beliefs," says Tolle. "Our aim is to explore through the teachings of the book the most important question you can ask: What is the purpose of my life and how do I fulfill that purpose? It will be a course in self-exploration and awakening. It will help you see what the dysfunctional patterns are within yourself that create unnecessary conflict and suffering and prevent you from finding true fulfillment. Hopefully, it will also help you access a dimension within yourself that perhaps you didn't know existed or only caught glimpses of on rare occasions. Don't be trapped for the rest of your life within the narrow confines of your personal history and your conditioned personality and allow your life to be transformed from within, through the power of consciousness itself."

Want to join us?

Hold That Thought

Dr. Wayne Dyer asserts, "There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you keep and you hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking."

Furthermore, "the imbalance between your desire for a healthy body that feels great and persistently unhealthy habits is not remedied by simply changing those habits. You must have a firm determination to learn the art of passionately believing in something that doesn't yet exist, and refuse to allow that picture to be distorted by you or anyone else. Truly, you are not what you eat or how much you exercise, but rather what you believe about the you that you're presently birthing in your thoughts."

"Keep reminding yourself, I get what I think about, whether I want it or not."

From Being In Balance: 9 Principles for Creating Habits to Match Your Desires.

I Just Don't Look Good Naked Anymore

Don't know how long this video will stay posted, so watch it now!