"I'll have a de-caf, venti, two sweet & low, skinny, extra-hot, latte, please."  I haven't spoken those words in a over a month and my pocket book is noticing a pleasant difference.  I really was hooked on the expensive Starbucks habit.

While in Seattle, my family got to visit the very first Starbucks ever (well, all except for Anthony, who was still hanging out at the Experience Music Project Museum sponsored by one of Microsoft's founders.)  This is the very first store, and now there are a gazillion of them.  Why have I cut out Starbucks?  Not only coffee, but I have discontinued soft drinks, even the diet variety, because of a health and weight-loss challenge we have undertaken.

The Media Team at the Madison Church, along with pulpit minister, Phil Barnes, has undertaken a contest to lose 20 pounds in six weeks.  Wisely, councilman Gotto opted out, since he didn't have the extra poundage like some of the rest of us.  I really don't think Phil and Mark should have joined the challenge either.  This group has carried a lot of weight at our church for a long time but we hope you will be seeing less of us.