You know sometimes you just have to acknowledge divine intervention.
Five and a half months ago, frustrated that I had gained 15 pounds of my hard earned weight loss back, I googled "Nutrition Tracker" thinking maybe if I started keeping track of my daily food intake, I'd discover where I was failing. Ever fearful that I'd slip back into old habits that I thought I'd abandoned for good, I wanted to halt any of those habits from creeping back into my life. I even prayed about it. Yes, God can work through Google. He keeps up with the times...

First thing that popped up on Google: SparkPeople.com

What the heck? What is SparkPeople?

The question really should have been - Who are SparkPeople? Because that's exactly what this website is all about. THE PEOPLE. The many motivating, inspirational friends that root for each other, send encouragements, offer advice as to what works for them, shares recipes, shares laughs. A lifeline out of that River of Denial that I was treading water in.

A gift from God.

Oh, and the nutrition tracker IS awesome...

I've had a terrible time with my asthma this week. One little cold can throw me into wheezing AND panic. What should have been rest and fluids for a few days has turned into steroids, nebulizer treatments, antibiotics, and almost daily contact with my dear family doctors.

That being said, here are a few random thoughts I'll ask you to take to heart:

1. It's true that we take for granted the things we CAN do until we CAN'T do them:
I'd give anything to be on a treadmill right now breathing with ease running two
miles...

2. While I was in the waiting room at the urgent care struggling to take a breath,
this thought popped into my mind: Why did I EVER think that passing up the
doughnut in the breakroom at work was SUCH a big challenge?

3. True friends love you not "because of" -- but "In spite of". I've made many
TRUE friends here on SparkPeople --

Yep -- you are a gift from God!

---Joanne