Month: January 2012

Ahhhh Mrs. Miles lovely to see you again, will you be staying long with us this time???

On By auntyamoIn Getting to grips with God stuff, Health, weight & wellbeing1 Comment

 A few weeks ago that familiar and hateful voice started to poke me in the ear with it’s verbal pencil…  “Amo… it’s time to… “pack up your sugars in your old kit bag and diet, diet diet…..” What a dismal thought. What was even more dismal was that this would be attempt #20 probably and here I am nearly 40 battling the same old (excuse my swedish… ) shite! As usual I ignored it for a while, smiled at family and friends who are ‘in the zone’ and kept my head down.

But I knew I’d have to do something. So I prayed. I pray quite a bit about a lots of things. (Mostly to do with myself if I’m honest.) But I prayed that God would help me. That he would inspire me and forgive me for being so rubbish at looking after myself. I thought maybe I wouldn’t write this in the blog and I’d start with my usual positive…. ‘here we go again… haha… aren’t me and me big bum just hilarious….’ But then I thought well if I’m going to talk about it I might as well be honest from the start.

So this is where I started… sighing… dreading talking about it and FACING it…! But as usual, God being the merciful One that He is made it a bit easier for me. First thing that happened was when I was researching books for work. Minding my own business I stumbled across a book by Lisa Terkeurst called ‘Made to Crave’ I laughed at the thought of it.  Then I saw the subtitle…  Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food.  I literally felt pain when I read that, and thought to myself… imagine if that were possible! I really didn’t want to read a book, but I spotted a 60 Day Devotional based on the book, so I ordered it.

The next thing was being introduced to ‘myfitnesspal.com’ One of my family, currently ‘in the zone’ showed me the iphone app. An iphone app about pretty much anything will get my attention! But it’s actually very helpful.

So on Monday I did what I’ve been promising to do every Monday since I was about 14. I started again…. I’m quietly and cautiously optimistic. Glad to have started again, at least it swats the ‘guilt bugs’! But I’m not kidding myself. I blogged for a year about weight loss and actually in one post declared myself to have conquered ‘this whole eating thing’ There’s a death knell if ever I heard one! Not long after I stopped blogging about food, and around the same time I stopped addressing the issue. That was more than 2 years ago!

This subject haunts me I don’t deny it. But as I checked-in to the all too familiar ‘Hotel Flabylon’ the devil, dressed in his best concierge outfit, with his smart ass smile said with his usual cynicism… “Ahhhh Mrs. Miles lovely to see you again, will you be staying long with us this time???”

I smiled right back at him, signing in with more flourish than necessary and said… Let’s just see shall we!?

Saint Bernard remembered

On By auntyamoIn Family, Getting to grips with God stuff1 Comment

Yesterday it was 10 years since my father in law Bernard Miles, went to be with the Lord. I have such great memories of him and still miss him. I loved him loads and loads. 🙂 I only knew him for 3 years, but I have some great memories…

 He loved me. He used to greet me by clapping his hands together and rubbing them, saying with a big smile (in his terrible Irish accent) “ahhh sure ‘tis yerself.” And I’d get a big hug. I always smile when I think of it. If ever we were on our own together he’d make a cup of tea or coffee and we’d have a chat. He used to say that he was delighted that Rich found someone who shared his two great loves…. God and music.

He loved Sundays. Before me and Rich were married we often stayed in their house. I’d come down stairs for breakfast with only minutes to spare and he’d be smiling brightly. “It’s the Lord’s Day Annmarie. We’re going to praise the Lord together. Isn’t this the best day!” I would grunt as positive an answer as I could muster and try to butter my toast with my eyes closed.

He loved to work. Very often you’d find him in his overalls attending to one little job or other that needed doing in the house or the garden. He had a garage/workshop that was cleaner than my kitchen. Everything was neatly arranged and in little individual pots or containers. If ever you said, “Dad, have you got one of those nails  shaped like an elephant?” He’d say, “oh I think I have hang on…” Into the garage he’d go; and lo and behold… he’d find one.

He knew I was lazy but he was very gracious. He was building a wall in the garden one time and one day I said, ‘Hey Nehemiah, lunch is ready’ and with a big smile said “the Bible says that Nehemiah had a mind to work Annmarie… and so did his family!”

He loved the Bible. He had such a great love for Scripture. I never heard him preach or lead a Bible study, but we came across some notes he’d made over the years. It’s obvious he had a great love and understanding of God’s Word. And any time I stayed in his house, at some stage during the day, I’d find him in the conservatory reading his Bible.

He loved God. Of all the things I remember about him, his love for Jesus is my most abiding memory of him. He had been sick, but he had an amazing attitude to his illness. He told me once that if he got to stay with us that would be great. But if he didn’t he’d get to be with Jesus. So from his point of view, he couldn’t lose.

“No Dad”, I thought to myself, “we’ll be the ones who lose”

He was and wonderful and had a wonderful witness. I will never forget him and thank God for every memory I have of him.

Taking a whole year one day at a time…

On By auntyamoIn Getting to grips with God stuffLeave a comment

Well well, it’s been a while I know. But I haven’t been totally silent. My ponderings have mainly turned up on the joint blog with my hubby www.ajourneyof2miles.wordpress.com as we have been on a bit of an advernture lately.

2011 has indeed been an adventure! I did things and went places and met people I never imagined I would in my whole life!

Highlights include….

I was contacted by the family of my cornea donor, from Indiana of all places. Now I’m in regular contact with his mum and planning to meet the family later this year. Subsequent to that I was asked to submit a photo for the exhibition called ‘Circle of Light’ which is run by the eye bank in the US. My photo was published as part of the exhibition. What a privilege!

I’ve continued my contributions to UCB Ireland Radio and now also do a weekly little spot on Spirit Radio with RoJo in the Mornings. Two very different types of input but I’m delighted to be involved in Christian Radio and look forward to developing that over the years, God willing.

I went to Cyprus! Oh boy did I go to Cyprus 🙂 First for 3 weeks then I came home for 4 weeks and went back for 6. It was an amazing experience that, when I get my head around it I will talk more about. But I got an insight in to the Middle East and the Arab people that has changed me forever. I cried my eyes out saying goodbye to people I was just getting to know, and they’ll always stay in my heart.

And I moved… more than once 🙂 I’m now a resident of the lovely village on Kilcullen in Co. Kildare and we’re going to Brannockstown Baptist Church.

It was an exciting year. And probably the best year I’ve had for a while. And it was the last year of my 30s. I’ve only a couple of months left before I enter a new decade and only God knows what is ahead.

There have been many times that I’ve said “Can’t wait to see the back of this year!” ” Can’t wait for the new year and a new start” etc. But I don’t say that any more. And when I heard some really sad news on New Years Day, that an old friend had taken his own life that day, I couldn’t help thinking that his poor family, only hours into the New Year would already want to see the back of 2012. I pray that they will know God’s compassion, faithfulness and mercy every day. I thank God that with him we can have a new start everyday. Lamentations 3 says

 22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
   for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; 
   great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
   therefore I will wait for him.”

I’m excited for 2012, my 40th birthday and all the potential and opportunities there are. But as the old song says, “One day at a time sweet Jesus….”