Notes from Jan

Welcoming a New Year with God, Groups and Grapes

January 3, 2020

Looking back, it was a year of loss, twenty pounds lost.  Hadn’t made a New Year’s resolution to “lose weight” in 2019, since lost weight always found me before I could celebrate with a small hot fudge sundae.

My goals, resolutions and  lists tend to need constant revisions.  Well into March and  “doing” Lent, I remained clueless on what to give up, give to or focus on until lunching with Shirley.

Over  hearty lunches, not nibbling on  bowls of naked kale, Shirley dropped the”W” word (Weight Watchers)and her affection for the program.  I thought, “She looks great and eats real food,”then tucked it away for another time.  That’s one of the problems with Lent, stillness untucks stuff. Over the following days, I sensed God whispering.

In early April, I looked up the nearest Weight Watcher’s program.  Behold, one happened just down the road every Tuesday. Before I could find an excuse, I hauled myself to the 10:00 meeting, signed up, weighed-in and took my seat among losers and hope-ers.

It’s become a spiritual discipline wrapped in a prescribed program. Each week,  when I’m in town, I look forward to checking my progress, learning and finding encouragement among a group who’ve experienced life’s ups and downs.

One day,  a new member questioned how many grapes she could eat without crossing the line into too much.  The woman next to me leaned over and said, “Face it honey, none of us got here because we overdosed on grapes.”

Then again, that may be a part of why I showed up at Weight Watchers.  All those Sundays, drinking the wine of the Eucharist,  embracing the seasons of Advent and Lent left me tender towards a holy nudge that said, “do this in remembrance of Me.”

So I did.

And do, for Christ’s sake and mine.

 

 

 

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10 Comments

  • Reply wendy lane January 3, 2020 at 7:54 pm

    Hooray!!!! So proud of you! <3

  • Reply Linda Coonrod January 3, 2020 at 11:43 pm

    Hi beautiful lady! You know I share your struggle, not an easy task. So proud of you. Congratulations!

    • Reply Jan Carlberg January 4, 2020 at 3:54 pm

      Thanks, Linda. Got lots of company of this journey.

  • Reply Ann Menzie January 4, 2020 at 5:55 am

    Jan so proud of you from July 2018 to July 2019 I lost 42 pounds on WW. For me it made a difference in my health as well as my appearance. So much so that friends who have not seen me for awhile don’t recognize me. As I struggle to maintain I remember that my body is a temple for God to use. I need to be healthy so He can. Thank you for your encouraging words thru the year. May God grant you a happy and healthy New year

    • Reply Jan Carlberg January 4, 2020 at 3:54 pm

      Well, way to go, Ann! Proud of you, too.

  • Reply Sharon January 4, 2020 at 9:44 am

    When Ken and I enrolled in WW some years ago, our leader was raised in South Africa and had a delightful British accent. When we raised our hands in answer to an ordinary question she would reply Brilliant or Stunning! We looked forward to our weekly meetings and eventually several of our friend joined too. It’s always good to be called Brilliant!

  • Reply Jan Carlberg January 4, 2020 at 3:58 pm

    Well, that’s a word I probably won’t hear from my leader in “Glosta” but I look forward to inching along, picking up a charm now and then, along with learning from a lot of lovable losers. Always good to hear from you and Ken.

  • Reply RUSS BISHOP January 4, 2020 at 4:33 pm

    “He must increase but I must decrease”. Hezekiah 3:10.

  • Reply Dale January 4, 2020 at 7:14 pm

    Happy New Year Jan,

    I just read that about 8% of resolutions make it. It is good to know one of the 8% personally and to be encouraged by her.

    Blessings, Dale

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