First Place 4 Health

New Site Launches!

2009-09-19T12:04:00.002-05:00

The new site has launched! We are so excited and would love to hear your thoughts about the new site. Please send your comments/suggestions (and your kudos!) to Lisa at lisa.lewis@firstplace4health.com.

Sneak Peak at New Website

2009-08-30T16:16:00.002-05:00

The new FP4H website launches the week of September 7th!! If you would like a sneak peak, go to http://beta.fp4h.com. You can register your group, shop in the store and more. You can even get 25% off your total order PLUS free shipping! Just enter the promo code FP4H25. The promo codes only works on http://beta.fp4h.com and is good until September 8th.

Celebrating 50 years together!

2009-07-10T08:30:00.006-05:00

Carole and Johnny Lewis celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 26th. Two people that have shown that "for better or worse, richer or poorer, through sickness and in health" are not just words but lived out for 50 years with grace and character.

To celebrate this wonderful occasion, Carole & Johnny along with their son John and his wife Lisa (me!) and daughter Lisa and her husband Kent went on an Hawaiian cruise. We had a wonderful time. We exercised on the deck while looking at a beautiful island, snorkeled with Nemo, explored a lava tube and hiked a mountain (John & Kent saved a woman's life that had slipped off the side of the mountain!). We enjoyed some great shows onboard ship, ate great food (although when we came back we vowed never to step foot in front of another buffet!), relaxed by the pool, played basketball on the top deck and even spent some time in the fitness center. We drove the road to Hana (if you've been on this road, you probably felt a little queasy when you read that), ate lunch at a wonderful health food restaurant in Henepapa (home of Lilo & Stitch!) and walked around an active volcano (surprisingly breezy and cool). A cruise is a wonderful way to see the islands. You never have to unpack!

We had such a great time together. We laughed so much. I am so blessed to be a part of this family. Carole calls me her daughter-in-love and I feel the same way about her and the rest of the family.

Congratulations Carole and Johnny. You inspire me by your commitment and love for each other. Wishing you many more years together.

Pictured: Kent, Lisa, Johnny, Carole, John, Lisa

The Vows

2009-06-10T08:25:00.001-05:00

Dear Ones,

On June 26th, Johnny and I will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. As I look back over fifty years together, I can see such a correlation between our earthly marriage and the marriage with Jesus Christ when we become believers.

The Vows

Taking our marriage vows was just the beginning of our marriage and when we accept Jesus, it is just the starting point of a lifetime together. The early years of most marriages are difficult, because two very different people with different backgrounds and personalities are now living together under one roof. I am so glad we both believed that our marriage vows were binding and permanent and I can honestly say that divorce was never an option for either of us--murder maybe, but never divorce! In the same way, when we become the bride of Christ, it is a permanent relationship that can never be severed. As in earthly marriages, we all make mistakes and sin grievously, but Jesus will never divorce us or even consider a trial separation.

Walking Together

Johnny and I thought we were deeply in love when we married. Fifty years later we both know that we were deeply in “like” and didn’t have a clue about having a love that lasts forever. It takes time for a deep, abiding love to develop and in the same way, it takes time to truly fall in love with Jesus Christ. Our love has grown more as we have gone through the hard periods of our marriage because we went through those times together. In these fifty years we experienced the joy of parenthood and the sorrow of losing our precious daughter Shari at the young age of 39. We have walked together through hard financial times, Johnny’s stage 4 cancer, a real fire and a flood. Losing our home and all our earthly possessions in Hurricane Ike was a great loss, but we have weathered that storm because our love is deep and lasting. In the same way, I have found that I have gone deeper in my relationship with Jesus through the tough times of life. He has proven Himself to me over and over again that He is able to keep me safe from the storms of life if I will only love and trust Him.

Things I Love

There are so many things I love about Johnny. He has a great sense of humor that keeps our life from ever being dull. After fifty years I still laugh at his funny stories even though I’ve heard some of them many times. Johnny never takes anything seriously and this has been a great asset as he has fought stage 4 prostate cancer over the last eleven years. Another thing I love about Johnny is that he is still full of surprises. I know him so well that I know how he thinks on any given subject. Most of the time I know how he will react, but he is still full of surprises. Just last weekend our grandson Tal was getting ready to go on a month-long trip to Europe. Tal has spent the last semester in a program at the University of Texas studying World War II. This program culminates with a trip to visit all the sites of that war. I was in Eastland, TX, with some of the family for my grandson-in-law Michael’s college graduation and Johnny was at home. On Monday, when I was back at work, Lisa casually mentioned how nice it was that Johnny came over to see Tal before he left for Europe. She went on to say that Johnny brought Tal four books and eight index cards with handwritten jokes and funny advice for the trip. Lisa could see my surprise and astonishment so she said, “I guess you didn’t know that he also gave Tal some spending money for the trip.”

When I got home that day, I looked at Johnny and said, “You know what I love most about you? It’s the way you still surprise me after all these years. You obviously had to plan that little trip and you spent time doing it because you love our family.”

The Lord Jesus still surprises me after all these years. I think I know everything there is to know about Him but there are so many things I will never know. He surprises me in the way He chooses to solve problems. Even though I offer suggestions constantly, He always has a solution that I would never think of in my own mind. He must have a great sense of humor because He keeps on loving me in spite of my self. He never stops blessing me with His presence or His power. Jesus and I have now been married for 55 years and the time together has been anything but boring.

Our earthly marriage will come to an end one day. One of us will die and our marriage on this earth will be over. Praise God, our marriage to Jesus will never come to an end. When we accepted Christ, he promised to stick closer than a brother and to be a husband to the widows so we need have no fear of the future. With Christ, our future is secure and eternal because we are His bride.

Let me close with a verse I love, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Isaiah 46:4

2009-06-08T08:57:00.003-05:00

Dear Ones,

Johnny and I leave for Hawaii on June 27th. Our 50th Wedding Anniversary is June 26 and we are taking our two kids, John & Lisa and their spouses, Lisa & Kent to Hawaii with us. We can hardly wait. We chose a cruise so in case Johnny has a day where he’s not feeling well, I can stay on ship with him and the kids can go see the sights. We love the water so much that this will be the perfect celebration for us.

We drove to our property at the bay on Saturday and it was so wonderful. We had a peach double Hibiscus right by our gate and when we drove up there it was in full bloom! I thought it was dead like all the other plants but it came back in all its glory! The fig tree which was uprooted and laying on its side after the storm is in full bloom with figs on it (still laying on its side, I might add). We’re going to have to reward it by tying it upright again. We were so encouraged that we might consider building a garage apartment for now over our garage and see what happens from there. That would give us a place to stay when we want to go down there and a place for Johnny when I am out of town.

Yesterday, I was sitting having my second cup of coffee at 7:45 when the phone rang. It was Nancy Taylor, who used to work with us in First Place and who now teaches a ladies Sunday School class here at First Baptist. She woke up with a severe bladder infection and wanted to know if I could teach her class at 9:10 a.m.? Mind you, I was sitting there mulling over whether I would even go to the morning service, thinking I might just rest and go at 6:30 p.m. I flew into high gear and made it just fine. I just love it when God surprises me with opportunities to bring Him glory. You know, learning that it’s not about me at all has been so freeing.

How are all of you doing in the area of your weight? Summer is a great time to eat healthy since there are so many wonderful fruits and vegetables available. I’m already planning to eat lots of pineapple on our cruise and to work out with the Lisa’s every day. I’m praying for all of you and can’t wait to see you at one of our FP4H events. The Leadership Summit is July 24-25 so hope many of will come.

Lots of love,

Carole

Conga Line at the Summit?!

2009-06-02T08:17:00.001-05:00

Hey gang! This is my first time to write on the FP4H blog. I’m Lisa, the FP4H Events and Special Projects Manager. We are full-speed ahead preparing for the First Place 4 Health Leadership Summit in July. I’m so excited about all we have planned, I wanted to write and tell you guys about it. We had a planning meeting last Saturday with leaders from around the Houston area and boy is it going to be great! Conga line and all! Okay maybe we won’t have a conga line -- although that was suggested and I was all for it… :). We will have seminars like Leading on a Shoestring, The Ten Things Every Leader Should Know, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Live It Food Plan and so much more. We added lots of Q&A time with the staff during our coffee and dessert bar on Saturday afternoon, too! You’ll have plenty of time to get all your questions answered and wait until you try some of these desserts. They are yummy. We’ll give you the recipes to take home with you.

Our theme this year is Leading Out Loud. The theme is based around the idea that as FP4H leaders we should lead with confidence and kick it up a notch! We have a message all the world needs to hear in the area of health and wellness so we should “Lead Loud!" It won’t just be an idea, we’ll have practical Lead Loud tips in our seminars and throughout the summit.

We’re also making some big changes to our website and they will debut during the summit. We’ll have one of the designers here to tell you all about it. There is just so much going on, I know you will want to be a part of it. Grab a couple of your class members and y’all head this way. We would love to see you!

For more information about the summit, click here.

~ Lisa Lewis

Erin & Matt DuBroc have a baby boy

2009-05-21T13:23:00.002-05:00

Everett Stewart DuBroc was born Tuesday, May 19th and weighed 7 lbs. 14 ozs. He is beautiful and they are all doing well. If you want to send congratulations you may send them to our office and we will forward them to Erin. Our address is 7401 Katy Freeway, Suite 337, Houston, Texas 77024.

Day 5 Media Tour

2009-04-30T16:41:00.002-05:00

Today was a great day. Me and my luggage are together again and all is well. I had a fun experience today with my taxi driver. The driver that came this morning at 6:30 to take me to the studio was a believer who has been driving a cab for 41 years. He is really hurting financially because he doesn't get a lot of calls in Gwinnet county where I was staying. I just contracted to keep him all day and he was wonderful. We shared about the Lord and his good ness and he blessed me and I pray that I blessed him too. He ended up taking me to the airport so today was a good one for him. I really believe God sent him to me so he could make some money today.!

My first interview was at the In Touch Ministry headquarters and I was on Family Net. The interview went really well and instead of 12 minutes they gave me an additional 5 minutes. We had a couple of call ins so that was fun. After the interview, the taxi took me back to the hotel where I had breakfast and waited for the 2 p.m. interview.

The second interview was taped and will be shown at a later date so it was over in 20 minutes and I set off for the airport where I am right now waiting to board the plane for Tampa. I have one more show in the morning at 10 a.m. and then catch a plane back to Houston at 2:25. I can hardly wait! I miss Johnny, my office and my bed.

I'm still glad I did it this way but it has been a hard trip. I counted up and I have been on 9 planes this trip. If I don't get swine flu it will be a miracle! People in the airport here in Atlanta are wearing masks; don't know if they already have it or if they are afraid they'll get it.

Johnny used to wear a mask on the plane to California because it scared people and they would give us the entire row! Wish I had a mask today; I could lay down and take a nap on the plane.

Thank you all for praying. I wouldn't have made it without your prayers.

Day 4 Media Tour

2009-04-29T23:25:00.002-05:00

It's 12:20 a.m. and I'm so full of joy and thanksgiving to God that I can't sleep! I was sound asleep and got a call on my hotel room phone. When I answered the phone a lady said "We have your suitcase and I'm sending it up to you right now". I jumped up and put on my dirty jeans I've been wearing since Monday and when I opened the door it was as though an angel was standing there with my suitcase. Nothing has ever looked so beautiful. I immediately opened it and put on my gown. I've never thought to be thankful for my gown till I went two nights without it! I arrived at the hotel today feeling like I was getting a cold; nose running and stuffy feeling. Well, now I have my suitcase and it has airborne in it so I'm drinking some right now. God and I have been walking together since Monday but it has felt so weird not having anything at all that I brought with me. Kind of reminds me of last September after Hurricane Ike hit. Do you think God wants me to travel light or what???? I've proven that I can do it the last three days but It's still not fun!!

Today was great. I got up early and made the two hour drive to South Bend, Indiana to appear on the Harvest Show. After my 10 minute interview, I left immediately to make the two hour drive back to Chicago to catch a 1 p.m. plane to Atlanta. I thought about renting a car for Atlanta and even reserved one but when I arrived in Atlanta I was too exhausted to drive so I took a taxi to the hotel.

When I saw that I was staying in a Holiday Inn I was a little anxious because I've stayed in some really bad Holiday Inns. What a nice surprise when I walked in my room and saw that it was spotless. I went down to the dining room and outside the dining room was a table set up with appetizers of cheese & crackers and a beautiful plate of cut up fruit; pineapple, oranges, apples, pears. etc. I had the most delicious hamburger for dinner and the hotel staff has been so helpful. What a delightful gift from the Lord; a Holiday Inn that looks and feels like a Westin! My bed is so comfortable and my room is lovely. God loves His kids and I'm trusting Him for my total healing of this cold bug by morning.

I better try to go back to sleep as I need to be at the first interview at 6:55 a.m. this morning. Thanks you so much for your prayers for me. I love you all and thank God for your friendship, love and prayers. I have two interviews on Thursday and then fly to Tampa for the last day on the road. After a 10 a.m. interview on Friday in Tampa I fly back to Houston. I can hardly wait!

Good night, sweet First Place 4 Health family!!!

Day 3 Media Tour

2009-04-28T21:09:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, when I left Marion, Illinois, I was the only person on the 19 passenger plane. Two pilots and me! I sat in the very back that had 3 seats across the back and knew how people must feel that have their own private plane. What fun, but alas, my fun was short lived. I flew from Marion, Illinois to Cincinnati, Ohio. I went directly to my plane in Cincinnati and when I walked up to the gate the lady said, "Are you Carole Lewis"? I was the last person to get on the plane going to Toronto and my suitcase didn't make the short connection.

The last 24 hours have been wild! When I landed in Toronto last night at 9:30 my suitcase was not on the plane. After filling out all the forms and going through customs I arrived at the hotel and got in bed at midnite. I set the alarm on my phone for 5 a.m. This morning I kept waking up and when I finally realized that the alarm had not gone off I looked at the clock and it was 6:45 a.m. My cell phone was dead and the charger is in my lost suitcase so it was weird going an entire day with no cell connection to the outside world. I was to be picked up at 7:15 so I went into high gear. Actually all I had to do was shower, wash my hair and dry it, brush my teeth and go. Since I had no fresh clothes or make up I just put on my yesterday clothes that I flew in and went to the studio. Everyone was so gracious and kind and it went well. The make up lady was wonderful so that helped a lot. After the program, 100 Huntley Street was over, I got to visit with ladies from 3 FP4H groups in the Toronto area. One of the ladies, Carol Dorr, found Christ through First Place in 1981. What a blessing visiting with these ladies today. When I got to the Toronto Airport to fly to Chicago there was still no bag. In fact the bag has not yet been found so I don't know when we'll meet again.

When I got to Chicago I rented a car and found a mall where I could buy a cell phone charger and an outfit to wear tomorrow in South Bend, Indiana on the Harvest Show. The Mall door I walked in had a cell phone store at the entrance and the first store I saw when I walked into the mall was a Coldwater Creek, which I love. Within 20 minutes I had an outfit and was off to Target to buy toiletries and a curling iron. If I can keep the one outfit clean I'll wear it the rest of the week if my suitcase doesn't show up.

I'm staying at the airport Sheraton and will leave at 6 a.m. in the morning to drive to South Bend. I sure love the GPS in the car. It's like having my own personal guide. Actually, we all do have our own personal guide, the Lord Jesus. He has kept me calm and sane this entire day and it was really sweet of Him to help me get what I needed with so little stress.

Well off to bed. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Devil, you didn't win today and you sure gave it your best shot!!!

Media Tour - Day 2

2009-04-27T14:04:00.003-05:00

What a blessing I had today being interviewed on the Rejoice program on Total Christian Television. You can watch the show on their website, www.tct.tv. It also airs four times today. This morning's show at 10:30 was live, then it will re-air at 4 p.m., 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. tomorrow on the TCT channel. This show has the potential to reach 125 million households all over the world so pray that the people needing it will be tuned in.

The Rejoice program is filmed five days a week and the personalities on Rejoice are 3 couples, Myles & Valerie Holmes, Cathy (who interviewed me) and Eddie Williams and Judge and Lorie Brown. They have a great chemistry and I was amazed at how well the show moves from one segment to the next.

Cathy took me to lunch after the show and it was great getting to know her better. Cathy and her husband are from Detroit and have two daughters still in Detroit. They have a granddaughter who only weighed 1 lb. 3 oz. when she came into the world. She is perfectly fine today; what a miracle of God.

I am at the Marion, Illinois airport waiting for my flight at 3:45 p.m. I fly from Marion to St. Louis, then to Cincinnati, then to Toronto, arriving in Toronto at 9:45 p.m. tonight. I'm sure I'll have some great naps on all those planes.

Pray with me that God uses these programs for His glory and that He adds those to our FP4H family that He hand picks for us. After all, we have the most wonderful family in the world. There are no greater folks that our FP4H folks.

Media Tour Day 1

2009-04-26T19:06:00.004-05:00

Well I'm on the first day of my media tour and it has been a doozey! I left Houston at 10:30 this morning and flew to St. Louis. Since I had a 3 hour layover I did a good bit of walking before I caught my flight to Marion, Illinois at 3 p.m. Now I have flown a lot but this is the first time that one of the pilots doubled as the gate person and flight attendant! The plane was small with only four passengers on board and it was so noisy that I conked out for the entire 30 minute flight to Marion. Cathy, the lady who will be interviewing me tomorrow picked me up at the airport and deposited me at the hotel. It is a beautiful. sunny, windy day here in Marion so I quickly changed clothes to go for a walk to see the sights.

I found a Sally's Beauty Supply where I stopped in a bought a new brush and a Dollar Tree where I bought some cards. Actually, I bought 6 thank you cards I was going to send to the TV shows, 2 Administrative Assistant cards (which I missed acknowledging last week) and a College graduation card for my Grandson-in-law Michael.

I left the Dollar Tree and was heading over to walk around in Wal Mart when I had the bright idea to combine my two sacks. The wind was blowing so hard that when I opened one of the sacks the other one fell out of my hand and every one of my greeting cards and envelopes went flying all over the street and parking lot. I hadn't brought my purse so my hotel card key, two credit cards, a twenty dollar bill and 14 dollars in bills from the Dollar Tree flew out of the sack and into the street. I didn't know what to pick up first so I left my credit cards and room key in the street while I ran and retrieved what I thought were all the cards and money.
After I got back to my hotel room I found that I was minus 2 cards, 4 envelopes and the cards I saved looked like they had been through a hurricane! A couple of the cards had tire tracks from being run over by passing cars. My $20 bill was missing as was the quarter I had found on the street while walking. This was an expensive little walk.

After retrieving my stuff I sat on the curb putting everything into one sack and now my arms and legs are itching. Sure hope there weren't chiggers in the field I walked across. It's only 7 p.m. but I think I'll shower and turn in. Day 2 will have a hard time topping day 1.

Prayer & Praise from Carole

2009-04-22T13:14:00.002-05:00

Prayer: I leave Sunday, April 26, for 6 TV interviews in five cities in 6 days! I must have been crazy but it seemed like a good idea at the time instead of stretching it out for 3 weeks or more. I am traveling alone so please pray for no flight delays, traveling mercies from Chicago to Indiana and then back to Chicago in a rent car (for the Harvest show). I will be in Indiana, Toronto, Indiana again, Atlanta for 2 shows and Tampa on Friday. Friday afternoon I finally fly home.

Huge Praise: Last night I was talking to Becky and she reminded me to take my passport for Canada. I panicked because I hadn't even given a thought to my passport since Ike and didn't remember seeing it. We hung up and I went downstairs to look through the small amount of valuables that I took from the house before Ike (our 2 wills, 3 love letters from Johnny when I was 16 and our insurance policies) and alas, the passport was not there. This morning at 6 a.m, I was at my office on the internet seeing if it might be possible to get a passport before I leave on Sunday. Yes it is Tuesday!!! I filled out the application online and was at the drug store by 8:30 to have my picture taken and at the post office by 9 a.m. when they opened. I had signed up online for an expediting service so the lady called me and I didn't have half of what I needed so back to the office to complete everything. I was back at the post office at 10:30 and found out that my original birth certificate from 1942 wasn't going to cut it; they need a certified copy and of course I was born in Oklahoma City so that was going to be a stretch. They suggested that I go to the Federal bldg. downtown and see if they could help me. I told Pat it was going to take a miracle for me to pull this one off but a miracle is exactly what I got. I had two wonderful workers help me. The first told me that I could either fly to Ok. City to get the certified copy or pay $60 to research it on line. Of course you know what I chose. $220 later I found out that I could return at 2:30 today and pick up my actual new passport! I got it and the real miracle of all this is that if I had found my old passport I would not have even opened it because I was absolutely sure I had gotten a new on in 2006 when we went to Israel. NOT!!! My passport expired in 2007 and I would have had that old passport and not been able to travel into Canada next week. God is so good to me and I'll owe Becky for years to come on this one!!

update: turning resolutions into realities

2009-04-01T14:49:00.002-05:00

hello there! i've been so encouraged by your sweet comments about my decision to become a fitness trainer/instructor. and i'm so glad that my sharing this decision has encouraged some of you to do the same - that's awesome! to give you an update, i'm a little more than half way through the curriculum. i'm reading the textbook cover to cover, as i've been encouraged to do by others who've taken this exam, highlighting and taking notes as i go. the first half was much tougher to get through as it was full of detailed anatomy and physiology information. luckily, most of it is coming back clearly as i took those classes in high school and college, but it's still working mental muscles, if you will, that have been dormant for a while! the latter half is proving to be much easier to get through, so i'm hoping i can finish up pretty soon. from there, i'll go over key points again, study flashcards, take a practice test online, and then (drum roll....) sign up for the exam. my goal is still to have it behind me before baby comes, but i'm trying to be flexible, too. there is no sense in paying for an exam when i don't feel as prepared as i want to just because it's the date i set months ago. so, we'll see...but i'm on track to potentially make it happen.

here are some of the sustainable motivations for this resolution of mine.

- i'd get to check something off my "i've always wanted to do this" list which would be deeply gratifying
- it's mutually beneficial as i get to help others and stay fit myself!
- i really enjoy motivating people to reach new heights
- it could provide additional income for my family that is flexible and at my discretion
- it would be an enjoyable challenge that would stretch and refine me

what are your sustainable motivations for goals you've taken on recently?

Calling all FP4H Health Professionals!

2009-02-16T10:48:00.004-06:00

If you are a registered dietitian, nurse, physician or other allied health professional and lead a FP4H class, would you please contact me and let me know? Or if you know someone who is, would you pass this message along to them? We are trying to get a network of FP4H health professionals, and we'd hate to miss anyone! Email me at erin.dubroc@firstplace4health.com

Thanks!

Last Weekend in Brandon Mississippi!

2009-01-13T10:22:00.003-06:00

We had the most wonderful time in Brandon, MS last weekend at the Change Your Life Event. There were over 200 men and women from Alabama, South Carolina, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana and Georgia. Joyce Ainsworth and her awesome team thought of every detail to make the weekend a weekend of excellence. We were able to tape Becky Turner and hope to have her two talks on our website soon so you can listen. If you haven’t attended one of the CYLE's, make your plans now to attend the one in Shreveport, January 31st. I would love to see you. Dr. Couey, Erin DuBroc and I will be in Shreveport. There is also a CYLE in Kernersville, N.C. on February 21st and Vicki Heath and I will be at that one. Every time I am with First Place 4 Health people I know a little more of what heaven will be like; eternity to hear the rest of your stories! We had five women in Mississippi who had lost over 100 lbs. and many who had lost over 50 lbs. You will be inspired to hear the wonderful stories of God’s faithfulness if you come to a CYLE. The pictures were taken by Lisa Lewis of Becky Turner and me at the airport after the event. Look for more pictures from the event at http://www.firstplacephotos.phanfare.com/. We hope to have them up soon. I was blessed to be able to talk with two ladies who had lost children recently. One’s son died Oct. 31st and the other one’s daughter died December 11th. Please pray for these precious moms and for all the extended family grieving these deaths. What a privilege to be able to comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Too tired to even hold the phone to her ear!

turning resolutions into realities

2009-01-08T15:40:00.001-06:00

i recently gave a talk at a MOPS group about turning New Year's resolutions into realities. last year i came and talked about toddler nutrition and how to "sneak" fruits and veggies into meals, and though i bet they expected me to lecture on what to eat, what not to eat - i much prefer this topic, especially at the start of a new year. behavior change theory fascinates me (what i did my master's in, essentially) and this was chock full of that.

anyways...i asked the group to name some resolutions and give me the reasons WHY they even wanted to achieve them. the point was to get them to name some sustainable motivations...reasons that wouldn't fade in 2 weeks and ones that truly get them excited at the possibility of achieving the goal. all of these written down are what a popular cognitive behavioral therapist (Dr. Judith Beck) calls an advantages list. again, it's a motivator...when you keep it with you it is a tool to remind you why you want what you want and why you don't want the alternative (i.e. losing weight vs. the cheesecake at lunch). then we moved onto some problem solving with regards to how to best prepare their home, calendar, pantry, office, etc. to contribute to, not detract from, their success. lastly, i gave some basic tips on how to get the ball rolling and stay accountable.

accountability, now that's a fun topic, isn't it?! one of the ways we can set up ourselves up for success is to make our goals public by sharing them with a friend, spouse, group of people, etc. it's a lot harder to abandon a goal when you know people know about it.with all this talk about goals, sustainable motivations, advantages lists, and accountability I got to feeling like I should make one of my New Years resolutions public. truly, it's a decision that makes you think twice - once it's out, it's out! after thinking about it the last couple days, i've decided it's worth it and something i want accountability for!

my resolution (among others, of course) is to get certified as a personal trainer/fitness instructor. it's something i've wanted to do since college, but have always been chicken to go after. you see, when i was in jr. high/high school i was a band kid. yup...band. i tried out for volleyball and basketball, but seriously...who was i kidding. i had never taken any kind of clinic for either and all i knew was what i watched on tv. i wasn't terrible, but i wasn't very good either. swimming, on the other hand, a non-team (so to speak) sport, was just my thing. i didn't have tons of pressure to perform for others, i just tried to do my "personal best" each time. i loved it. no one to let down. this, for me, translated into me thinking that i was just cut out for individual exercise and things that were somewhat behind the scenes. and of course, artistic stuff like music.

then i got to college and started working out a lot more. i took kickboxing and step aerobics 2-3 times per week and loved it. anything with fun music was better than running a track, so i took advantage of all the free classes at the rec (oh, how i miss it!). my sophomore year, i think, i heard the rec was hosting trainings for those who wanted to get certified to teach fitness classes. i mulled it over for days, but in the end i totally chickened out. i had totally pigeon-holed myself as a "non-fitness" person...even though i was good at the classes, had rhthym, good form, loved it, etc. and of course, there was the stupid thought of "i'm not skinny enough to teach aerobics" despite the fact that my instructor in college was totally normal looking - nothing extreme at all. oh how the dumb the lies we tell ourselves, ladies!

so, i blew it off and considered it "not for me". years later, it's still something i want to do, and i've been blessed to have two sweet friends (with whom I work) tell me that i should go for it. they've watched me take their classes and they both were sweet enough to encourage me with the statement "why are you not an instructor?!" so...with 5 months before baby arrives, i'm going after it.

i've decided to get certified through ACSM because they are very credible AND i can get a beaucoup of continuing education hours for my RD if I get certified through them. i'm ordering the study materials tonight, and I plan to study for 3 months before I take the exam. sometimes i wonder if i'm insane - as if i'm not busy enough - but i'll have even more opporuntunities for excuses if i wait until after i have the baby.i'm working on my advantages list...i'll post at another time. this blog is already too long!

2008-12-15T08:30:00.002-06:00

Dear Friends,

Our Christmas picture this year might look a little odd, but it has great significance for Johnny and me. The picture was taken on the day the demolition company began tearing down our home on Galveston Bay. We thought a picture of us on the equipment might be better than a picture of the debris stacked roof high on the street. Most of you know that our home was destroyed by Hurricane Ike on September 13, of this year. God has been faithful, as He always is, every step of the way in this new chapter of our lives.

The morning we evacuated I received a voice mail from our good friends, Euphanel & Nick Goad, inviting us to come to Round Top Retreat. Johnny thought this was a good idea so we packed up the dog, bird, and one cat (the other one got away) and drove to Round Top for what we thought would be a few days stay. After the storm was over and we found out that we had lost everything, the Goad’s were gracious and insisted that we stay until we were ready to leave. We probably would never have felt ready to leave, but after five weeks it seemed best to make some decisions for the immediate future. Johnny and I both had such peace at Round Top, like being wrapped up in a cocoon of love.

Our next door neighbors, Greg & Melissa Jones, offered their home when we came back to the bay. Amazingly, they had just moved back to Houston three weeks before the storm. We moved into their completely furnished home October 17, and have been there since then. I can truly say that I have not looked for one thing that was not there. Isn’t our God good?

Johnny and I feel that we need to move into Houston for the winter so that I don’t have to make the long drive each day. During this time of year, it is dark when I leave and dark when I return home, so this seems like the best plan for now. Our good friend, Linda Wadsworth is moving from her townhome and has agreed to leave it furnished while she has it for sale. We will be moving in around the middle of December and stay while we seek the Lord on the next step to take.

We so appreciate your prayers for us during the months ahead as we see what God is going to write in this new chapter of our lives. We will celebrate, the Lord willing, our 50th Wedding Anniversary June 26, 2009, and we have so much to be thankful for today. We’re learning a lot, which I will probably share in a book along the way, but one thing we know: God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good!

Blessings to you and yours this Christmas,

Carole & Johnny

sweet and sour chicken to the rescue!

2008-12-10T14:06:00.001-06:00

my husband and i took a meal over to a couple who just had a baby last night. it was quite interesting because i was planning on making chicken enchilada casserole - sans onions and tomatoes as the family is either allergic or the baby is intolerant of them. but then, when calling to set the time for when we'd come by yesterday afternoon, the mom let me know that she now thought that the baby may be lactose intolerant, so she was excluding all things dairy.

woops...that's a problem for chicken enchilada casserole - can't imagine it would be that good minus the cheese, cream of chicken, and sour cream. so, back to the drawing board. what is kid-friendly (they have a 7 year old, too), easy to reheat, easy to make (i only had 2 hours after work to do it), and made without tomatoes, onions or dairy products.after a quick search at CL, i decided on sweet and sour chicken. rice? easy. chicken? already had it thawed. sweet and sour sauce? no biggie. healthy? i added lots of veggies and modified the original recipe to be a bit more exciting.

my take on it:

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
Serve with 1/2 cup of white jasmin rice or short-grain brown rice - whichever you like

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast or tenders, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 small bag of prewashed snowpeas
1/2 can baby corn
1 small can of water chesnuts
1/2 cup matchstick carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, undrained
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons marsala wine or dry sherry
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 cup dry-roasted chopped cashews

Preparation

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, red pepper, and chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken mixture from pan; set aside.Add vegetables and sauté 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Add 1 cup pineapple chunks to pan; cook 30 seconds. Reserve remaining pineapple for another use. Combine the reserved 1/2 cup juice, soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, and sugar in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Return chicken mixture to pan. Stir in juice mixture; bring to boil. Cook 1 minute. Sprinkle with cashews.

is stevia a go?

2008-12-04T11:56:00.002-06:00

Announced this week, the word on the street is that the FDA is nearing approval of Stevia, the natural sweetener derived from the chysanthemum plant which has recently garnered much support from the organic/naturalist community. Stevia has become a mighty trendy alternative to artificial sweeteners because of one word: natural. Yes, stevia is natural, but that does not seal it's safety. It has been used for hundreds of years in Paraguay and Japan, and yes, it does not seem as though it has been linked to any negative health outcomes in those communities. However, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are poised to begin mass producing beverages made with Stevia. This concerns me for several reasons.

1. I'm pretty sure the amount of Stevia consumed in tribal groups and East Asia was miniscule compared to what would be consumed here given the number of sodas the typical American consumes in a day. Furthermore, there have not been enough studies conducted to investigate a tolerable upper limit for Stevia - how much is potentially too much and what would this mean?

2. The Center for Science in the Public Interest is still concerned. This is the group that helped to nail trans fats/hydrogenated oils back in the 90's. They are a consumer-watchdog group that has no ties to the food industry whatsoever. The fact that they still feel more studies should be conducted speaks volumes to me, especially since some animal studies have yieled disconcerting results.

http://www.cspinet.org/new/200808281.html

3. Compared to the hundreds of studies conducted "unnatural" sweeteners, Stevia doesn't pass muster. Being a scientist of sorts, I just can't trust that because it came from a plant and some people (with completely different lifestyles than ours) consume it without issue that it should be GRAS (generally recognized as safe) - especially not for mass production!

thoughts?

end-of-session celebrations

2008-11-25T10:39:00.004-06:00

to our 5.5 readers (a number i hope will increase soon :),

I wanted to share something with you that I recently did in my class that worked very well. I think it could be a great "end-of-session" activity, as well. My class meets in the evening, so instead of having a regular meeting one night because of the church being booked for another event, we met off-site at a nearby Mexican restaurant. Yes, that's right - a Mexican restaurant. We just covered the "Eating Healthy When Eating Out" section of the Member's Guide, so I felt it was only fitting to test out not only their knowledge but ability to put that knowledge into practice. And for Texans, giving up Mexican food is, well, it just "ain't gonna happen." So, they need to know how to maneuver that menu - it's practically an essential life skill for weight-conscious southerners.

Now listen, I didn't just throw them out to the proverbial wolves. I prepared them for what they'd be faced with and talked them through some scenarios.

- instead of chips, we could ask for corn tortillas instead. delicious, filling, not fried, and a perfect substitute for dipping.

- OR we could just put a few chips on our little plates and enjoy them slowly - focusing more on the conversation than the food.

- we could split items as the portions are always too large

- we could subsitute heavier sides (refried beans) for lighter ones (charro beans), and ask for things on the side (i.e. sour cream, guacamole, cheese, sauces, dressings, etc.)

Then I went online to the restaurant's website and printed off the menu. I went through each page, circled items that were "dietitan approved" and made notes by those that were okay, but with a few simple substitutions could be great. I made copies of the edited menu and handed them out to my group the week before we went.

I had only five come to dinner that next week. It was very rainy here, so I wasn't too surprised some chose to stay home. But we had a great time and found our meal to be very delicious and guilt-free. Here is what we ordered:

- 1 cup of chicken tortilla soup (broth based) with extras on the side (cheese, sour cream), a side salad
- 1 cup of chicken tortilla soup " ", and a soft chicken taco
- chicken and grilled vegetable fajitas for one split two-ways, with the extras on the side
- 1 chicken tomatillo enchilada with sauce on the side, charro beans, and a bean tostada (of which only half was eaten)

Two of my ladies were completely shocked that (1) their "light" food tasted so good, (2) that they were completely satified at the end of the meal, and (3) that it was so easy to choose well and still feel like they got to enjoy authentic mexican food. It was so neat to see the look of surprise come over their faces as they both agreed that truly, this was not that difficult to do (eat well at a place they normally wouldn't and still enjoy themselves). It was a great teaching moment!

Also, since you will be covering "Modifying Recipes" towards the end of your session, it would be great to have your celebration be a pot-luck dinner with "modified" (read: 'healthified') foods made by your group. I will be doing this with my group tonight, and I think it will be delicious!

What are some of your ideas?

Cold Weather Recipes

2008-11-10T15:37:00.005-06:00

It's beginning to get chilly down here in Texas - of course we think 60 degrees is cold, so that says it all. It's been very dreary out today, so I have a hankering for chili and cornbread. That's what I'm going to cook tonight. In one of my recent Cooking Light issues, there was a two bean and beef chili recipe that looked really yummy. I think I'm going to leave the jalepeno out, though - it's not that cold outside! :)

Another one of my favorites is "taco soup" - it's essentially a bunch of cans of vegetables (corn, two kinds of beans, tomatoes), onions, some very lean ground beef or ground turkey, and seasonings. I grew up with my mom making this, and I couldn't resist tasting samples from the big pot as it simmered. It's delicious with a bit of cheese, a few tortilla chips crumbled over top, and a dollop of low-fat sour cream. My husbands can literally eat it for days.

For any vegetarians out there, I've also made a Moroccan Chickpea Chili from Cooking Light that was delcious. For any ethnic-food lovers it's a must-try!

What cold-weather recipes do you enjoy? Do you have any that you've modified to be healthier over the years? We'd love for you to share your favorites!

Update on Carole & Johnny

2008-10-29T13:36:00.003-05:00

I'm happy to report that Carole & Johnny have moved back to Galveston Bay. As you may know, Carole and Johnny sold a piece of their property to a couple who built a new home on pilings according to Galveston County code. The upper part of that home was not damaged and the lower part was easily repaired. The couple moved back to Houston shortly before the hurricane and put their house on the market for sale. Since it has not sold, they rented it to Carole and Johnny so they can live right on their property while they rebuild. The house is fully furnished so they do not have to purchase contents. They moved in October 17 and are getting settled in. This is a great answer to prayer. Isn't God good!

The County Corps of Engineers did establish that their home was a Category 3 which means they cannot rebuild using any of the remaining structure. Carole returned to work on Monday, October 20, and it is great to have her back. I know she welcomes the return to routine.

Carole appreciates so much the cards, prayers and outpouring of love to them. Thank you so much. As you continue to pray for Carole and Johnny, Carole asked that you pray for wisdom as they take the next step. Do they actively begin rebuilding or wait for a while? They don't want to run ahead of God for a minute and are inclined to wait.

Hurricane Ike News

2008-09-23T15:00:00.007-05:00

Dear friends,

Many of you have asked about Carole & Johnny's home on Galveston Bay. As you may know, their house was totally devasted by the hurricane. The storm surge stripped just about everything out of their house including furniture, clothes, dishes, even carpeting and tile. To the left is a picture from the FP4H Leadership Summit. More pictures are below and I've included before pictures if I had them.

Kitchen:

Den:

Pier:

Please pray for Johnny & Carole and the many others affected by this storm.

ike aftermath

2008-09-17T15:21:00.003-05:00

All,

Please pray for us here in Houston and Galveston - especially Carole. Hurricane Ike made a direct hit on the gulf coast, and Carole and Johnny's home was destroyed by the storm. However, they are both safe and sound, and are staying a few hours west of here with friends.

We have not been in the office since last Friday, so please be patient as many here in the area are still without power, thus the church and ministries like ours are closed. We hope to be back on Monday of next week.

We hope you are well and are enjoying your Fall session. Please pray for our leaders as some of them have had to cancel their class two weeks in a row.

Thank you for praying!