Christian Encouragers is a Group of wonderful people who are here to encourage each other through prayer and support. Everyone is WELCOME!

Blessing this Blessed day!
It is feeling like Christmas at work for sure! I worked 12 hrs straight last night (didn't get home until 4am) I do the schedule for the 244 people and most of the time it goes smoothy but next week we have a diffrent things going on so I almost had to hand key everyones schedule! We have had rain here No snow and I am trying not to complain because I got my electric bill yesterday and it is over 100.00 less than normal at this time of year!

Wilma-I think it is wonderful that you are strong and don't eat your goodies. I know I wouldn't be so strong! When reading your post about baking them I wanted to come over and eat them! LOL.....

Ginny-I think of the passage This to shall pass when dealing with the stress on home life. I want you to know that you really helped me while going through all that last year with DD. The guy she is with now treats her so good! I know it was all the prayers that made the diffrence! God says blessed are the peace makers so keep up the positive side and it will (slowly) get better and I will lift your family up in prayer daily! Way to go on losing! You are keeping me encouraged!

We really miss all of our MIA's please come back!
Sami

Good Morning

It's a nice lovely crisp, clear day today. (I had to look out the window to find that out. It's still dark out when I leave for work!!)

Come on over for goodies anytime, Sami! I'll share. I'm almost finished with my baking. Hopefully everyone will eat them on Sunday. I still have to bake a batch of orange buns to take with us at Christmas. They're a favorite and go over really well.

Sami: Isn't it nice when expenses are lower than expected? We're in a new place for the winter and don't know what our electric bill will be like when it gets really cold. So far it's been not too bad. I'm glad to hear that you're getting more hours. Just don't overdo it. We don't want you burning out!!

Have a great day! Waiting to hear from you Ginny and the rest of you out there!!

Hi!
Ok, you did not have to wait too long to hear from me. Thanks, Sami for starting the new thread. I still check in at the SAHM's thread and seem to be the only one there to start a new one. I was hesitant to begin a new one here, because I just started posting again. It is wonderful that you have been so busy at work. (was it you who was wondering when the Christmas rush would begin?). And great news that your electric bill was low- a unsolicited blessing! BTW, I usually say that I am practicing becoming a child of God during times like this I think the verse goes "blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be children of God". I am practicing really hard!!!!!!!!! I am glad that I was a blessing to you last year.
Wilma, thanks for directing me over here. I would still be posting at the old thread. I confuse easily, you know! Ds's Christmas concert was beautiful. Mushy me, I got choked up during it- last year he was in a public school and wanted back into a Christian school. It really moved me to see him with his classmates singing praises for our Lord once again! Thank you Lord! Dh came home from work (and then the concert) in a monster of a mood. He explained some of it to me- some totally unreasonable demands have been made on him and a few others to make up for the inept. I feel so bad for him, but know that the Lord is in control of this and Dh's would be best to leave it in His hands. Guess I will have to do that for him!

Gee it is late. Have a restful night.
Ginny

Good Morning! You should be here to see what it's like outside today. There is hoar frost on everything. We had fog last night and it has made our world gorgeous. Everything is white and the beautiful sunrise this am made it even more beautiful. Just like a Christmas card.

I had a pretty good WOE yesterday. I need to get in more water though. I drink too much coffee in the am and that dehydrates me. We had a meeting at church last night so the temptation to eat wasn't there.

Ginny: It sounds like you had a great Christmas program. Our Sunday School one is on Sunday morning and our school one is on the 20th. I'm looking forward to both. Both of our kids have gone to a Christian school their whole lives and I am very thankful they have been able to go. We have also been blessed! Please know that I am praying for you and your dh. This must be incredibly stressful for him and it's so good that he has you at home to support him.

Sami: I hope your day is going well and that you're not working too hard.

Have a great day!!

Good morning!
Just a quick check in from work.
Wilma, your winter wonderland sounds beautiful! What a blessing that you can see its beauty and enjoy it! (a lot of folks do not really like winter- Dh is one of them).
I am having a really hectic day, but am looking foward to the live Nativity scene at church tonite. I love to take a car load of kids in their pj's to drive thru and share the miracle of Jesus's birth!
Glad that you had a good day yesterday. Stay diligent, you are doing well at a time of year that it is hard to keep from eating junk! Thanks too for your prayers and encouragment.
GTG. Have a great day.
Ginny

Blessing this wonderful morning!
Sorry I have been AOL but we were changing our AOL accounts and had problems I still need to call today and make sure I Fix the problem. I is Christmas at Work! I worked overnight Fri and Sat because they were short handed and I know the job. It was very physical! And I could feel it! I going to use this as my kick start to exercising! A blessing in all of this was when I got home I felt like I had the workout of my life but NO back or hip pain! Two months ago I could never had done this! And when you workout like that you are not hungry! My kids had thier Christmas program last night and it was nice that my Mom came and so did my DD's boyfriend.

Wilma-We had frost one day but it has been rainy here YUCK! I need to work on the water today and get back in that frame of mind. I really need to lose this weight before my DD gets married her boyfriend has hinted that it is comming! And of course his Mom is 5'2" and 99 lbs!

ECmom-I will keep DH in my prayers I know have been through what he is going through and it is so hard to make yourself snap out of it and give it to God. I didn't like the person I was becoming until I gave it to God. Sat I went in and on of the Exc made a comment to me that I didn't have enough help on thur. I really upset me because I worked on that schedule until 4am! I worked 10hrs straight that night and all I hear is complaining!

Blessing to all this day!
Sami

Hi! I'm sitting here trying to keep my eyes open! I couldn't gall asleep last night and now I'm paying for it. Hopefully my coffee will kick in soon.

Did you have a good weekend? It sounds like you were run off your feet Sami and also frustrated. I hope you took some time for yourself. I'm glad to hear that you weren't sore after working that hard. That's progress!

We had some friends over last night and had a great time of visiting and eating. We had our Sunday School Christmas concert in the morning. It was great! Those little ones are so cute and uninhibited. It was a nice relaxing day!

I ate too much yesterday but have packed a nutritious lunch for today. I need to get those veggies in. I can feel it when I don't eat them. Romaine lettuce is on sale this week and I'm back at salads again.

Have a super Day!!

Good evening!
There has to be a better way of doing this (and someday I am going to find it!!!!!!!!). This week is so busy- a real emotional rollercoaster. I am contemplating actually buying a cold cut platter for Christmas dinner and making it a super easy meal. (my mother will go berserk upon hearing this and I have not bounced the idea off of Dh). I am stressed out, plain an simple.
Dd's 6th birthday is tomorrow, oldest Dd's concert is tomorrow nite, rehearsals for the Christmas Eve service, Dd's (the soon to be 6 yr old) program is Friday, my birthday is Sunday and we are spending Christmas Eve day with inlaws who are following us to church that nite. I still have some shopping to do (but am getting to the end of it). And I am just looking at the prospect of making a meal Christmas and realizing that I will be about as far as possible from the Christmas spirit if I have another big thing to handle, like Christmas dinner. (please forgive my bellyaching).
So, my question is, am I really being a creep if I go easy on dinner for Christmas? Your opinions, please!

I have gotten my walks in, but my eating has been sporadic (some good and some bad).

I am going to sign off and get some sleep. Hopefully, I will get a chance to post tomorrow. Have a great nite.
Ginny

Blessing this wonderful day!
This sure is a busy time I have a full plate until chrisstmas! I do alot of things with the school and I am teaching or doing other things at the school everyday but thur this week on top of working 40+hrs! And everyone is comming to my house for Christmas and with me gone so much the house is starting to show it!
CEmom-I feel you should be honest with both your husband and mother about how stressed you are there is nothing wrong with having a easy and enjoyable meal. That is what we are doing. Most of our family is eating at two diffrent places so we are planning a simple feast I am doing a ham and cheese platter and we are having veggies ect.... I am asking the others to bring pretty much what they want to eat. If your Mom is unhappy about it maybe she will provide most of the meal? Remember this should be a day to enjoy!
Wilma-You must be a great cook. Your family is so blessed to have someone who can cook. I cook from a box and my kids make fun of me when I try to do the from scrach thing. My husband is the cook in our house. I have worked evening forever so that one of us were at home with the kids. So he does all the meal making and even when I am home and I start to make something he take over so I let him!

Praying that today is an OP day!
Sami

Hi!
Sami, thanks for your input on my meal dilemma. For me I am just trying to be realistic and destress the day so that I can enjoy it for what it really is. If not, I will be cooking all weekend (and Sunday is my birthday- I love to cook but would like that day off), Monday we are at my inlaws and then church at nite. An easy meal would be great and allow me to really focus on my family and the joy of the day. And I hear you Sami- my house is definitely showing that I have not been home and have been too busy. I am trying to ignore it (getting small areas recovered at a time) knowing that I will have to do the major assault on clutter Saturday.
Your meal sounds great- something simple, not stressful for you and all can help. Being a great cook really does not matter, and I am sure that you do just fine with the basics.
I weighed in this am (tomorrow I have to go to work, so who knows what kind of day I will have) and I lost another pound (159.5). Praise the Lord! I weighed in because I was having a hard time starting my day off well- mentally I could feel the struggle to eat junk- and I thought that a weigh in might inspire me.
I hope that we all have a great day "op". Wilma, I look foward to your check in too!
Have a good day.
Ginny

Blessing this blessed day!
Remind me next time to watch what I wish for! We have been so busy at work and It will only get worse! And to top it off we got news that the big wigs from out of town were comming and boy do we look bad! So we were there unlil 3am and I felt bad when we left because It still looked bad. And today will be another late night because I didn't get my work done so I could help out. I pray I get a small nap in but today is my day to do my volunteer work so I will be at church all day! Tomorrow is my 21st anniversary so I will have a nice day off I hope!

CEmom-As you can tell my week is full and stressful! I will have to stay focused on the real real of the season to make all this hard work worth it. If I were not a christian I don't think I could stand christmas all the messy and grumpy people!

Wilma-Praying that you are having a blessed day!

Oh I most forgot I am down two lbs! All this extra hard work has a good side effect!
Sami

Hi!
Sami -WTG on the 2# loss!!!!!!!!! And I am glad that you are busy at work (the alternative is worse, I think) Just think of how many people the Lord has put you in a position to share His love with!
GTG. Have a great day.
Ginny

I've really missed you! I've been down with the flu bug the past couple of days and haven't felt like doing much at all. I am feeling better today even though I am home from work.

I too am feeling overwhelmed with what I have to do and found that if I break it down into small jobs it goes much smoother. We have also bowed out of a couple of evenings just so I can get some things done.

Both of you lost weight!!! YAAAYYYYY! I should weigh in on Monday but we'll be gone. I think I'll weigh in on Friday am and see how I do over the holidays. I haven't eaten much since noon yesterday but am keeping the fluids down at least.

Ginny: I hear you about meal stress. I agree with Sami about whether others could help by bringing food too. Do you have access to a deli or butcher that would sell you the meat cooked? Our butcher does beef this way and it's delicious! Just an idea!!

Have a great day! I'll check in again later!!

Blessing to all,
Wilma-We had the flu bug here after thanksgiving and my prayers go out to you! I have never had the flu shot because I never get it like others mine last 24 hrs and it is over. I hope today you are feeling better.
CEmom-How is your DH doing with his stress? My 14 yr old DD must have PMS this week and e she runs to her dad and anything I do like asking her to pick up her coat and cries to him that I'm picking on her! I just pray she has a DD just like her someday! And that I am around to tell her that her DD is just like her Very dramatic!

I am praying that everyone has an OP day and the Lord will be with you!
Sami