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[sylvar]

Wow, that was a surprise -- I've lost 25 pounds so far! As a reward, I went on a 2-mile hike at Alderman's Ford (I really must bring a large bottle of water so I can hike the unpaved trails) and a trip to the produce stand for blueberries, cherries, limes, asparagus, pineapples, tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes and green beans. (I meant to buy okra, but it wasn't looking too good.)

I got a couple of good photos of a spider at Alderman's Ford, I think, but next time I'm definitely leaving the camera bag behind.

The pastor wants to talk to me about the church library. She suggests we could get "The Gospel According to Harry Potter" as well as the novels, and I'm hoping to get someone to donate the Cotton Patch Versions and the other "Gospel according to..." books, including The Simpsons.

I'm listening to Jacob Have I Loved on tape, and although the novel is really interesting, the verse in the book's title is really disturbing. It seems like God just plain hates Esau, and actually goes as far as to say so. "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." What did Esau ever do to deserve that?

I think that most people on Earth would identify more with Esau than with his twin brother Jacob (later called Israel) -- Esau who is not privy to God's thoughts, who is cheated by his own family, who has to go do the best he can for himself because nobody else is on his side.

And yet Esau, I think, is one of God's best servants. He is despised and mistreated by his family, and God is quoted as saying "I have hated" Esau. And yet when his brother returns, Esau inundates Jacob with kisses. He is content with the life he has made for himself, and when he sees the twin who has tricked and cheated him with God's blessing, Esau just wants to love his brother.

As examples go, I think we could do a lot worse. Esau reminds me of my favorite "Jesus moment", when the cops come to arrest him. His friend attacks one of the cops, taking his ear clean off, but Jesus says "No, it's okay," and heals the cop's ear. Jesus was way cool.

Comments

diet stuff

[gardenwaltz.livejournal.com]

congrats! i'm impressed. it doesn't seem like you started the diet that long ago. how much more are you intending to lose?

Re: diet stuff

[sylvar.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I don't have a weight in mind, but I'd like to be able to wear XL shirts and 40-42" pants. Whatever the scale says at that point will be okay with me. Right now I wear 2XL (and 3XL doesn't look ridiculous on me) and 48-50".

Re: diet stuff

[fizzgig-bites.livejournal.com]

Ed is leaving that range. Since Ed and you are about the same height, you're a little taller, you will probably aim for 240-250lbs.

[sylvar.livejournal.com]

Ed is leaving which range? I'll gladly accept hand-me-downs. :)