Happy New Year!!🎉🎈🎊

I’ll admit this year has not been the easiest. There have been some grave challenges. At the same time, I have overcome them and have come out on top. I have also lost all the weight I needed to. It feels great now that some of my clothes are baggier. I worked really hard and started at the beginning of November by limiting myself to a 1,200-1,300 calorie per day restriction. I also followed a Mediterranean Plan. At times I was hungry and it was difficult. It took some self discipline. I specifically picked out healthy snacks that allowed me to get in all my major food groups. They were also low calorie ones. One thing I’ve learned about dieting is that so much of it is about portion control.

I recieved my second vaccine and am now fully vaccinated as of November also. I didn’t feel good with the second shot, but I was only feeling a little under the weather for a day or so. I definitely don’t regret getting it!

I’ve maintained teaching students online all year, and I also accomplished finishing my second book, “Not Without God: Hope In the Storm.” It was a work in progress for years. This morning I started to give it a final proofread right in Kindle, and it is up for pre-order. It will be released on Jan 24, 2022! https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3K2PQ4PYPUQ58&keywords=not+without+god+hope+in+the+storm&qid=1640981382&sprefix=not+without+god+hope+in+the+storm%2Caps%2C450&sr=8-1

I’ve been blogging once a day since April (on Easter), and I have only skipped a day of writing once in a while. I am almost up to 100k views on here! I plan to continue blogging and taking care of my health by watching what I eat and getting in enough exercise. I have always loved to cook and bake, and now I am cooking the way I should be. A lot of lean meat, fish, vegetables, (brown) rice and wheat or whole grain bread. I overall feel better!

I look foward to what 2022 brings and hope for more success. I hope for lots of positive feedback on my book, Hope In the Storm. I hope to plan more vacations/adventures associated with it. I have been lucky to have had some nice business trips around the time and even after I had published my first book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival.

I will leave you with this thought: Life does not always turn out how we would like. But when we keep the faith in God we can still experience many blessings. He will restore us to health and replace what we’ve lost. The Lord continually heals us. Healing is not a one time thing or event. God knew we would need to be healed more than once.

My point is, no matter how bad it gets–keep the faith in the Lord. Continue to ask him for direction. God does not want you to “give it all to him” and be idle. What is he asking you to do today? Reach out. Succeeed. Live through the pain. At the end there is a rainbow. I have called my latest book, “Not Without God: Hope In the Storm” for a reason.

Happy New Year to you and yours!! #mayGodbless #you #in #2022

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. Recently she was featured on ESPN’s ‘Solutions from the Huddle’ broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World. Zina’s written hundreds of articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world spanning many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She is also a major foodie and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm will soon be released on Jan 24!

P.S. Below are a few dishes I had made this year!

These are beef potato chops (and of course I made them before I started dieting :-).

Pictured above here are Southwestern Chicken and Cheese Egg rolls with black beans, spices, and a few vegetables! The Mediterranean Diet encourages you to avoid carbs and potatoes (needless to say, I cooked these before I started the diet also!). I mean, it’s not keto so you can have carbs and potatoes but within limits.

Finally, here is a pic of a New Year’s cake (vanilla w/chocolate frosting)!🎂Baking has been a long time love. Well, I just wanted to show off some of my dishes and hope I didn’t make anyone too hungry.