Very busy week

Good evening,
I am at peace this evening, not that everything is easy or settled in my life, not at all but I'm very happy.  PG&E had said that they would have our power off from 9 to 2 today, the 28th.  Well they never turned it off after all.  But I planned my day as if they would.  So I saw 5 properties from Antioch, Hercules, Richmond and Pittsburg.  All were small homes with the largest being only about 2500 sf.  After the big ones I've seen this week today seemed easy.  I finished up an excellent book called the Shack.  I can urge anyone to listen to or read this book.  It has some of the best ways of explaining how God works, How He thinks and what is our way back to Him.  Its a moving story and a real library find.  It has touched my life and given me help in a relationship I'm in.  I don't think I will ever forget the story it told.  The author living near Portland and was nearly broke having lost his home, his cars and gradually his wife urged him to write a story that his kids could read, out of the humble beginnings came this outstanding book that has had a big effect on readers around the world.

But as books tend to do this one came to an end and now I'm listening to one about 15th century England and the court intrigues.  Not as meaningful but still interesting.

I would like to ask the readers of this blog to ask Jesus to guide in my life.  My life has changed so much over the last four months.  This is the first morning I've not walked or done the treadmill for the last 4 months but this morning as I thought the power was going off at 9 I had many things to do.  I'm down 36.5 pounds and will soon be in the 180s instead of the 226 range.  People at Starbucks look up and say, what happened to you, you look so much younger now and I explain my 4 rules, no eating at night period after dinner, walk 3 miles a day, drink water all the time and when you do eat eat carefully, just use your brain, if you are going to eat enough to be satisfied then you've had too much.  Use salads where ever you are, McDonalds, Burger King both have cheap salads, don't drink soft drinks at all, drink only decaf coffee, if you find something that works just keep eating the same thing, I have oats every morning, they cook 3 minutes in the microwave oven, 1/2 cup with 1 cup water.  I have one piece of toast, double fiber, I use avocado as my butter but I keep it spread thin, I have one banana or some berries and that is the meal for breakfast.  I don't get tired of it because I know how to prepare it quickly, it always tastes good, I'm starved from the walk on a very empty tummy.  I now have new habits formed so the same urge to back slide is less.  When the relationship is going tough then it would be easy to snack in the evening but I stop as I don't want to go back to the former me.

I have energy to write reports, I have energy to carry my ladder and climb stairs, I am bright, alert, no cough, no chest pains.  Biggest problems are these, my shirts and slacks just look funny, way too big and my friend is helping me with getting some better looking clothes, I now care about how I look because my friend is much younger and looking like her father is not much fun or helpful.  As I write reports better I'm getting more work, God has so blessed me with lots of work to do and I'm getting it done in less time because my evenings are full with my personal life.

My friend is very blunt with me which was shocking at first but now I'm really appreciating it. This is the first time in a very long time that what I think, how I act and how much I tend to run off at the mouth is being challenged.  I'm learning new things daily about me and while painful I'm becoming a better and more focused person, I'm very grateful even though sometimes it hurts to see just how thoughtless I have been in dominating conversations, perhaps even losing friendships in the process.  Whether my relationship ends up positive or it ends up gradually unraveling I'm grateful to God for His leading me to this special person and for what I've been urged to face and for the gentle push into a better, more healthy life.  All of the numbers in the latest blood work were vastly improved.  When triglycerides  move from 236 to 75 that is positive, other numbers changed in the same dramatic fashion.

Something else has changed as well.  For so many years since losing Nan I've been sort of on a life path that had little direction.  I just didn't care about anything enough other than the family but even there when the kiddos were here I just let them do their thing without any leadership.  Now I find it very easy to determine who is in charge, I've taken control of my life again as it should be.  My depression is gone.  I love life and I intend to live it well.  I'm renting the motorhome again which pays its monthly payment and insurance, I've got my house cleaned up a lot with clutter gone and I'm on my way to do more and more, I'm much more organized, on time to appointments, better at getting reports written and back on time.

No one should ever discount the effect of a good woman in a guy's life, not a push over woman but one with spirit, backbone, integrity and hard questions.  I've squirmed under the questions, been a jerk with fits and selfish retorts but mostly I've learned lessons that I could not have learned anywhere else.  For that experience I'm very grateful.

The Sabbath is here and I hope that during these hours you will take time to tell those you care about why, give hugs, flowers, hold hands and thank God you are not alone.  Alone is no fun.

Sending love to all,

Tim