One look at my home page and anyone can tell that there have been changes made. Instead of a single column page, there are now three columns. The length of the page has been shortened by utilizing another new learned technic.

Change is something that many dread. Change can mean learning a whole new set of rules; it can mean substituting old habits and ways for new ones; it can mean altering the way one thinks. Learning to write in "HTML" language made it necessary for me to use a different program for writing, one that did not have the capability catching typographical errors (I think I have five thumbs on each hand when it comes to typing on a keyboard) as does most other word processing programs. In all honesty, I worried about producing a page of garbled text with nothing but typos when I wrote my very first page of HTML. What a surprise I had when I finally looked at the page for the first time on my browser. With the exception of a couple of errors, the page looked pretty good for a first attempt, even if I have to say so myself. Only two others were allowed to know the url for that first site until I had developed some confidence in using HTML. Only then did I allow it to be viewed more openedly.

Sometimes change is a necessity for essential benefits: a person who learns that he or she has become diabetic may well have to alter her or his eating habits, as I have had to do over the past two and a half years. After years of eating pounds of sweets and tons of those terrible carbohydrates, I have had to start eating more veggies, drinking more water and less carbonated drinks, and learning to stick myself twice a day in order to track my blood suger levels. Now I hate needles, especially when they are being stuck in me! The first time I had to use that lancing device (I have no idea why they call it a "lancing" device, it's really a "stabbing" device), I hesitated for what seemed a very long time before I pushed that little button which allowed the spring loaded lancer to spring forward and prick my finger. As I expected, it hurt. Some five months later, it still hurts every time I do it. But I no longer hesitate, nor do I flinch like I did that first time. I cannot say the same thing about "sticking" to the dietary changes. I can go for days following an approved plan, but sometimes that desire for the "forbidden" gets mighty strong. Most of the time I can satisfy that desire by eating just a bite of the forbidden food; but sometimes, ah, shall I say, I end up "eating the whole thing."

In spite of the occasional "slip up," I have learned to eat more healthily, and it shows. I am losing weight, after many failed attempts to do so. I look and feel better physically, and am not as tired as I had been for a lengthy period of time. And I am better able to deal with changing my old habits and remaining free of symptoms that uncontrolled diabetes can bring on.

Changing our lives, how we live and work and play with those around us, may not be easy, especially when it may mean that we are not always going to be the most important person in every situation. It may mean being "friendly" toward an individual whom we really have a difficult time being around. It may call for reaching out and giving of oursleves for someone whose very actions or beliefs we detest. But that is what we are called to do when we accept Christ ZJesus as our Savior. No longer can we put ourselves first, for Christ has become the "first" in our lives. It is learning to "be like God," but not trying to "be God." It is learning to allow the spirit of the Christ to take charge of our lives, changing every bad habit, utilizing ever skill and talent which has been given to us, to live the life of Christ in word, thought, and deed. Yes, change can happen, when we really care beyond oursleves.