The Author & The Challenge

Hi There! My name is Mandy and I’m the author of Encouragement 100.

I have decided to take the 100 day challenge and make a commitment to losing weight. This has been an on going battle that will take perseverance and determination. I have tried professional weight loss programs, and could practically teach a class on it, but this time I have decided to work at it for the full 100 days. The goal is to change my lifestyle and eating habits permanently. The longer I stay with the program, the more the mind retrains.

My goal is to take 10-day segments and stay with it. Each 10 days will be a milestone.  I understand that a long-term goal has to comprise of many smaller goals to get to the desired victory. This involves having a plan.

Planning is crucial, and commitment to follow the plans will yield results. There is no secret to loosing weight. It is all about what you eat. My plan is to follow a professional weight loss plan that I have previously been on.  I will be posting a very simple menu planner that indicates how many of each food group I can have each day.

As for exercise, I have a little dog that I take for a brisk walk each day, and also have a treadmill that I plan to make good use of.

A little bit about me; I have a degree in psychology and most of a master’s degree in the same field of study. My sons are now grown up, and I now have some time for me. 

I have taken the 100-day challenge in other areas not related to weight loss and found that with a little faith and commitment, that a 100-day challenge can be successful.

Please feel free to follow along daily, join in, offer encouragement, and be sure to let your friends and family know about this blog.

The 100 Day Challenge – Step 1: Make a Descision to Start

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. I have finally made a decision to go forward with a 100-day healthy eating and exercise plan.  Small steps work best, and therefore will do this in 10 segments of 10 days each.

This week I will build my motivation to get started March 15, 2010.  The food planner has been posted. I walk my dog every day and will walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes – 3 times per week.  I will post every day on my progress. 100 days is quite a challenge, but CAN BE DONE.

I look forward to hearing from everyone. Whether you join in or follow along, please be encouraging and send in posts. Everyone can use the uplift and strength that we all have and share with one another.

Daily Encouragement: Something for God to Take Care Of

We can sometimes get so caught up in repeatedly asking God for help with our problems that we forget to listen to what he has to say to us. His message could go like this:

This is God. Today I will be handling all of your problems for you. I do not need your help.  So, have a nice day. I love you.

P.S.  And, remember…..

If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do Not attempt to resolve it on your own.  Kindly put it in the SFGTTCO (something for God to take care of) box. I will get to it when I know that the time is just right, and in your best interest. All situations will be resolved, but in my time.

Now, you have a nice day.

God

Journal Entry: Managing Indecision and Frustration

What to do when you don’t know what direction in which to turn?

Indecision triggers fear and can be paralyzing. It also tends to be very draining emotionally. The solution is to tell God that you need Him to open only the right path, and block the wrong path.

Make a decision, even if you are uncertain it is the right one. Look at what is in front of you and determine a plan. Boldly take a step forward and watch how your pathway twists and turns to get you to where you are meant to be.  Keep going forward, even if the way seems unclear, slow moving, and overwhelmingly frustrating. There are invisible powers that exist to protect you and will manifest in the journey. The unique treasure of experience will unfold into a personal revelation of God in your life.   

No one ever said it was going to be easy. Never the less, there is always a solution. Keep on believing and going forward. 

Poem: Never Give Up

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all up-hill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have a sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When we might have won had we stuck it out;

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow…

You may succeed with another blow,

Success is failure turned inside out…

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit…

It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit        Author Unknown

Daily Encouragement: A Little Hope Can Go A Long Way

Everyone has something that they are going through. Just remember that everything is going to be OK. May you be encouraged that God always provides a ray of hope if you watch for it. This may come from an external or internal source. If you are having a hard time finding a source of hope and inspiration, look into your past. Each of us has a time that God answered prayer. Hold on to the experience of that special time in your life, knowing for certain that the sun will shine again. 

You get better mileage on the road of life when you run on hope than despair.

Daily Encouragement: Be Thankful, Be Happy, Someone Cares

We’ve all heard the cliche, “It’s one of those days.” On “one of those days” , our troubles overwhelm us, God seems so ever faraway, and the Light that we should exude wanes. But there is a solution, but it’s not intuitive. Be thankful, and be happy. Before, you brush this very obvious statement aside, let’s go a little deeper. To illustrate, let me tell you about my friend, Jake.

Jake does not like to give gifts… not at Christmas, birthdays, etc…; however, he also doesn’t ask for anything as he doesn’t like getting gifts either. He can be sort of a Grinch really. But, when someone does give him a gift, an unmistakingly genuine smile grows on his face. It’s a smile of thankfulness. But why does he smile if he doesn’t like receiving gifts?

It’s easy for me to say “just be thankful and you will be happy.” But that’s overdone, and frankly kind of shallow. One should ask themselves, “Why does being thankful, generate happiness?” I will conjecture that it is because the thankfulness extends well beyond the gift or gifts. The root of thankfulness lies in the purpose of gifting. If someone doesn’t like you, are they likely to give you a gift? Probably not. Quite the opposite, people give gifts to convey a message: a message of caring, love, appreciation, acceptance, and so on. Thankfulness is realization that what you have is an expression of someones positive connection with you.

Gift = Caring = Thankfulness = Happy    —> Pretty simple math, right?

Now, hears how it works. We don’t need to just think of something we are thankful for, but also who or what is the source of what we are thankful for. At the very basic level, it’s thankfulness for God’s provision, but it’s not just limited to that. Your thankfulness can extend to your family, your friends, your spouse, your children, your co-workers, and yes, even your boss. I’m sure that you could build a list as high as the mountains.

We should certainly be thankful for the freedom bought and paid for by our soldiers who care deeply for their countrymen.

I challenge you. Find something to say thank you for, and when you do, let it remind you of the gifter and how much they care about you. When you think of it, please feel free post it here as a comment, as others could use the encouragement.

Daily Encouragement: Live Out Your Dreams

May you trust that each day you are where you are meant to be.  Allow creative energy to come to and flow through you as you step out in faith. May each new step in your journey bring you closer to living out your dreams.  It is here that you learn to walk on the waters of life. Hold on to your faith and keep going forward.

Story: Angel for a Phone Operator

Some situations in life drive us to our knees in prayer for divine assistance and intervention. Then, sometimes we look back on a situation that God intervened on, and we see that he was one step ahead of us. Thank God!

Several years ago an amazing miracle came my way… I had not even considered asking for it, and at the time, I didn’t even realize I needed it.

At the time I was still working in financials and education savings programs for young children, and there was a family that had started some fairly substantial savings programs for their children. One day, I received a call from the client, and she informed me about their plans to work outside of the country for a few years. I explained everything that they needed to do to secure their savings plans for their children. A number of months went by, and that gnawing inner voice initiated my concern for this family’s investment. 

One day, an information package came from head office indicating there was an issue with the account that needed to be addressed. I became very concerned, as I was not sure if I would be able to contact the family. I knew they had planned to move to another country, and I did not have any way to contact them. I looked up their initial contact information in their file and decided to call their home phone number. I dialled the number and got an automated voice message and thought perhaps they had not moved yet or they had left a forwarding voice mail to their new address. As I was not certain about the messaging service, I left a cautious, but explanatory message emphasising the importance of the call.  A few hours later, a lady returned my call. She said the family had moved a few months prior, but she was their best friend and had their new phone number. She indicated that she was late for an appointment and would call me back in the evening.

That evening she did not call back. I was concerned, so I took out their file and dialled the same home phone number as I had during the day. To my surprise, I got an automated message that said the number was no longer in service. I thought maybe I had dialled the number wrong, so I dialled it three more times. Each time the message stated that the number was disconnected. I checked the call display, but somehow the number the lady called me back from had been erased. At that point I realized that there wasn’t anything I could do about it, so I decided to let it go into higher hands.

The next day I was shocked when the lady called me back. She said that she had been too busy to call the evening before. When I explained that I tried to call her back but was informed the number was disconnected, she confirmed that, yes, the number had been disconnected for a few months. In disbelief, I asked if they had forwarded their voice mail to her number. She stated they had not. I asked what her number was so I could compare it to the number I had been dialling. The numbers were not even remotely similar. She said, “It’s a miracle! I’m the only person they left their new number with. How could you have possibly been connected to my number?” We marvelled at the impossibility of this happening and how someone up there must really be looking after this situation. She provided me with their new contact information and I was able to reach the family. When I finally reached the client and recounted the story to her, she could hardly believe it. She said, “It’s a miracle!”

Had I not been able to contact them, the couple would have been in a position to lose a substancial investment for their children. Fortunately, I had kept good records of all calls and this miracle saved their accounts. I was very thankful for God’s intervention, even though I did not realize that the clients and I needed it at the time.

It is truly incredible to look back on situations and how God is always one step ahead of us, preparing the way for our best interest. He is always encouraging us to trust that his Love reigns and to keep going forward.

Journal Entry: September

If you gaze at the Northern Lights in Alaska, you will be fascinated at the streaks of colourful light that dance across the sky in unique patterns. This is all a reminder to put our faith in an all powerful and loving God who is far greater than humanity. Who on earth could create with such magnificence and power?

Continue to encourage one another and keep going forward…