Less of Me in 2014

Hello everyone! It has been a rough start to the new year for me. First, we got snowed in at a hotel in Michigan, turning an overnight trip into a 3 day excursion. My husband came home sick and I quickly followed suit. It has been 10 days since I woke up with a sore throat, and I am still not completely well. I thought I would post today with an update and a little encouragement for the new year.

My theme today "Less of Me in 2014" is two-pronged. For starters, I have mentioned before about trying to change my diet to see if there was any way to help ease my physical issues. When I started this journey at the end of 2012, I weighed 163 lbs (my heaviest) and suffered from high cholesterol, climbing blood pressure and hypoglycemia. These added health issues on top of all my autoimmune issues had me fed up. I did a little research and decided to adopt a paleo diet, not sure it would help but figured that worst case scenario I would just be deprived of carbs for a while.

2013 brought new health challenges and I fell off the paleo wagon briefly while going through treatment for the new condition, which involved prednisone usage. I won't go in to all the details, as they can easily be found in previous posts, but suffice it to say, the health crisis that followed was enough to keep me on the straight and narrow. June 2013, was the beginning of getting more seriously committed to the paleo lifestyle, including changing the way I exercise. I also adopted the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) in addition to the paleo guidelines I was following. (If you are interested, you can see what foods are on this program here)While, it is a lot of work, it has been well worth it. I am sure that this doesn't work the same for everyone, and am not suggesting you try it. Each person should talk to their doctors and do their own research before changing diet and exercise routines in their own lives.

Starting out my weight was 163 pounds; today it is 122.5. My blood pressure was running commonly in the 165/95 range and I was told I would need to start BP meds immediately. Now my pressure averages around 110/70. My cholesterol has gone down, and I have stopped taking the statin I had been on for almost 10 years. I still deal with some pain issues, and numbness, but overall I feel much better, sleep more soundly and have less bad days. So for me it was a success, for which I am truly grateful.

While there is literally less of me starting this new year, I am also reminded that there continually needs to be less of ME. In John 3:30, John the baptist says, speaking about Jesus, "He must increase, but I must decrease." As I begin this year, I make this my prayer. I pray that I would be continually reminded of my need to live less for myself and my own selfish desires, and strive to live more for Him, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. May we all be humbled under His mighty hand, that we would all recognize our complete and utter dependency upon His Spirit.

My body isn't big enough for both of us. It is either Him or me; it can't be both of us in control. May God grant that I would more and more die to myself and live for Him. I hope there is less of all of you in 2014 as well.