What Will My Legacy Be?

As I shared here, there's a lot of junk in my past that I'm not proud of.

But when I walk in the grace of God's forgiveness

I'm free to dream about wonderful things:

like the fact that I will be a Grandma for the first time

around Mother's Day next year.

And I've begun to wonder

what kind of legacy will I leave for my children?

And now, my grandbaby?

The Holy Spirit reminds me that He is still at work in me,

that I am His beloved work-in-progress.

And He gives me this word of encouragement:

"Remember the faith of Timothy's mother and grandmother.

You, Karen, have that faith in Me.

Fan it to flame by spending time with Me."

I'm weak Lord!

He continues patiently,

"I did not give you a spirit of timidity, 

but a spirit of power,

of love

and of self-discipline."

[2 Timothy 1:5-7]

I want to be that kind of woman!

I want it to be said of me,

"She had faith in the Lord no matter what." 

Nichole Nordeman's lyrics brought these thoughts to mind today:

I wanna leave a legacy.

How will they remember me?

Did I choose to love? 

Did I point to You

enough to make a mark on things? 

Wanna leave an offering.

Child of mercy and grace 

who blessed Your name unapologetically

  and leave that kind of legacy.

Just wanna hear, "Good and faithful servant!"

[the video is at the end of the post]

Thank You, Jesus, that You continue to draw me to Yourself.

Give me grace to grow in my faith today.

Grace and peace to you, friends!

Love, Karen

Linking up with Iris & friends @ Thankful Thursday.

Fruits, Vegetables, and Accountability-Part 1

 My goal for this week is to eat my way through this yummy assortment of fruits and veggies.   

 

It was so fun picking them out at the grocery store on Saturday.  You know the scene:  a vast array of colors and textures, shapes and sizes that bedazzles the eyes.  Would have been even more fun at my local farmer's market.  Truth is, I didn't want to be rushed through my quiet time outside.  Something tells me it was one of the last warm-enough mornings of the year to enjoy myself there.  

It is with a great deal of trepidation-that's a five-dollar word for fear-that I post this.  I'm on my own in this quest, for the love of my life is not a fan of this part of the food pyramid.  He is my mostly-red-meat-and-potatoes-man. 
A few (many?) of you are nodding knowingly. 

Now I'm accountable to you.

You will be rooting for me on the sidelines, I know.

Don't hesitate to let me know that, 'kay?

What if I fail?

NO!  Don't go there, Karen!

 

It's been so long since I challenged myself to set any meaningful goals.  

You know (don't you?), actually planned to achieve something for me.

Using the words goal, achieve, plan, and challenge in a sentence about me is scary.

Seriously.

I've let some of my circumstances distract me from

dreaming

about what

I could achieve

for me.

And quite honestly, I've been plain ol' lazy. 

**Cleansing breath**

Begin to think of yourself as the person you are beginning to become. 

How about that word:  Beginning.

I can let myself begin.

I won't achieve my goal in one day. 

But I can achieve my goal, one meal at a time.

My ultimate goal is to fit into these jeans again by summer. 

Let's just say I'm a few sizes north of this.

 Here's what I've achieved since Saturday: 

Conquered nearly all of the strawberries. 

Used the corn and 1 onion in a recipe I'll post later.  

My DH (dear husband) liked the meat and a few of the veggies in it.  That is a big deal, folks.

Ate a banana with my Life cereal this morning. 

Steamed the cauliflower and plan to enjoy some of it at lunch.

Tonight, I stir-fried a broccoli crown, some mushrooms, a few baby carrots, 

and an onion that aren't pictured above.  

Cubed the cantelope and served it for dinner, too. 

By prepping the fruit and veggies ahead of time I've planned to have healthy food on hand for my lunches and for snacking.

Oh, I feel so good about that!

Good night.  Sleep tight. 

And don't let the zimperumpazoos bite!

(From Mercer Mayer's Just Go To Bed)

I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for You alone, O LORD,

make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8

Love, Karen

 
*p.s.  My friend, Tiffany, over at Become Shoppertunistic, says she has
fresh fruits and veggies delivered to her home by a Community Supported Agriculture program.  That's a great way to ensure we have healthy food on hand every week and support local farmers.  (You can Google CSA to find a farm close to you.)  She also teaches classes about how to save money as you shop for items you need so you can spend it on things you want-as your budget allows.
You can also check out Watch My Weight Wednesday, Living A Changed Life, and The Year of Living Healthfully
for support in dealing with weight loss.  I do.

Linking with Roz at La Bella Vita for