It's summer. And summer means heat. When the heat builds, clouds form. A cloud is defined as a visible mass or collection (of vapor or water). Interconnecting with the elements from the earth's surface, land and water, clouds are formed when water droplets are drawn upward and stick together with tiny particles of salt or dust in the environment. 

Cloud droplets are very tiny and weigh very little. In a cloud, water droplets are so light that they are suspended in the air. Supported by updrafts they float with the wind. 

It takes millions of cloud droplets to produce a single raindrop. As the collection of raindrops pull together, they become visible. Accomplishing what they can never do alone, clouds are a part of the cycle of life. Drawn by the sun's heat, they unite to refresh and replenish the earth—providing shade, regulating the earth's temperature and suppling life-giving water to the earth.

Clouds remind me of support teams. A visible witness to the power of unity. Just like clouds, support teams are an important part of our weight loss success. Drawn together by a commonalities, we can also be drawn toward each other—together we can form something greater than ourselves. Accomplishing things we can never do alone. Part of a life-giving unit, support teams can provide much needed shelter for those who have become overwhelmed by past failures. Many of us have been tossed around by our circumstances, blown off guard by the wind of change or overcome by the heat of our stressful lives. We don't have to drift aimless along on our own. Together we can form a visible lifeline. Supported by others, we are able to drop many of the things that entangle us and hinder our success. United, and with a lighter load to carry) we can float right through our difficulties, allowing us to offer refreshment and hope to others. 

I encourage you to find a cloud of support members, small or large—a place where you can connect, grow—give and receive encouragement. A place where we, together, can overcome our greatest challenges and discover our highest potential.

Yes, we can. We have many more miles to go! 

Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us...(Hebrews 12:1) AMP