Responsibility.

Blog time.

First week of school... DOWN... only a million to go.

Even though I've only been to a few classes once, most classes only 1 time, I find myself completely submerged and drowning in my schoolwork.

Okay, it's really not all that bad, but I MUST stay on top of my school work and not get behind.

This task is going to be a little difficult because there are so many other fun things that I would rather be doing. Playing with my favorite little ray of sunshine (my mini sewing machine) instead of reading about the British Empire for example...

But my schoolwork isn't the only thing thats jumped onto the Responsibility Train.

Not only am I pushing for being responsible in my relationship with the Lord, but responsible in other areas such as my relationships, my schoolwork, and my eating habits.

I started reading Exodus a few days ago.

Again, I am reading the Old Testament 1. because I am super obsessed with historical backgrounds and old stories and 2. because I want to find things within in the children's church Bible stories that I've heard for years that I have never known before.

The Word is filled with so many details that we leave out and some aspects of the old stories aren't as popular as some.

For example Moses' mother making him a basket to hide him and save his life is not near as exciting as a burning bush.

But that's what stuck out to me.

Moses' mother making a basket. Not just a thrown together basket to keep food or something random in, but a basket to shelter her son so he could live.

This story plays out in Exodus chapter 2.

The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.

Background info: The Hebrews were living and thriving in Egypt; therefore the Egyptians were jealous of their prosperity and eventually made the Hebrew people slaves (Ex 1:8-14). The Hebrews were multiplying like crazy and Pharaoh decreed that every Hebrew male child born would be put to death (Ex 1:22)

³When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank.

So.... how I am relating this to Relationship Responsibility is that Moses' mother was prepared to save her son. She knew how to make a basket out of bulrushes. I don't know how to do that.

Anyways... She knew what to do and she did it.

A lot of times in our spiritual lives we know what to do, but we don't do it.

I am not going to harp on this, because I already have.

But the encouragement nugget here is to be responsible and grow up in your relationship with the Lord.

Get off the milk and get on the meat.

Well, to finish the story... Pharaoh's daughter found the basket in the river when she was bathing. Moses' sister was standing close by to see the story play out. Pharaoh's daughter recognized the baby as a Hebrew and Moses' sister offered to find a Hebrew woman to nurse him.

Moses got to go home to his mother.

Eventually when he was older he came back to Pharaoh's house and lived like a prince.

Then he led the Exodus out of Egypt.

He was kind of important.

Something else really quick:

I have joined weight watchers.

Just call me Jennifer Hudson.

Even though I have only been on the program for a week now, I can already see how my mindset has changed.

I am now so aware what I am eating.

Here are a few things that I am doing:

I replaced Ranch dressing with vinaigrettes... and they are delicious

When I go to Chick-fil-a, which is often, I don't order a #1. I order a grilled and yogurt or fruit

I measure everything

I follow serving sizes. I'm aware of portions

When I get a box of Cheez-its or Smartpop or Special K, I get ziplock bags and put the portions into bags. So now when I go for a snack, the portion is already counted out.

I cut out carbonation

I have never been so committed to a diet before.

Well... its not really a diet. Its a lifestyle change.

Keep me accountable.