You Must Not Eat Bread or Drink Water or Return By the Way You Came

"For I was commanded by the word of the LORD : 'You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.'"1 Kings 13:9

When I read this story from 1 Kings 13, I was struck by what happened to the man of God. For you to really understand my awe, please read this chapter in its entirety first.

1 Kings 13

The Man of God From Judah

 ¹ By the word of the LORD a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering. ² He cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD : "O altar, altar! This is what the LORD says: 'A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.' " ³ That same day the man of God gave a sign: "This is the sign the LORD has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out."  ⁴ When King Jeroboam heard what the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel, he stretched out his hand from the altar and said, "Seize him!" But the hand he stretched out toward the man shriveled up, so that he could not pull it back. ⁵ Also, the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given by the man of God by the word of the LORD.

 ⁶ Then the king said to the man of God, "Intercede with the LORD your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored." So the man of God interceded with the LORD, and the king's hand was restored and became as it was before.

 ⁷ The king said to the man of God, "Come home with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift."

 ⁸ But the man of God answered the king, "Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. ⁹ For I was commanded by the word of the LORD : 'You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.' " ¹⁰ So he took another road and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel.

 ¹¹ Now there was a certain old prophet living in Bethel, whose sons came and told him all that the man of God had done there that day. They also told their father what he had said to the king. ¹² Their father asked them, "Which way did he go?" And his sons showed him which road the man of God from Judah had taken. ¹³ So he said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." And when they had saddled the donkey for him, he mounted it ¹⁴ and rode after the man of God. He found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?"

      "I am," he replied.

 ¹⁵ So the prophet said to him, "Come home with me and eat."

 ¹⁶ The man of God said, "I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. ¹⁷ I have been told by the word of the LORD : 'You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.' "

 ¹⁸ The old prophet answered, "I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the LORD : 'Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.' " (But he was lying to him.) ¹⁹ So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house.

 ²⁰ While they were sitting at the table, the word of the LORD came to the old prophet who had brought him back. ²¹ He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, "This is what the LORD says: 'You have defied the word of the LORD and have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. ²² You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.' "

 ²³ When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him. ²⁴ As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was thrown down on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it. ²⁵ Some people who passed by saw the body thrown down there, with the lion standing beside the body, and they went and reported it in the city where the old prophet lived.

 ²⁶ When the prophet who had brought him back from his journey heard of it, he said, "It is the man of God who defied the word of the LORD. The LORD has given him over to the lion, which has mauled him and killed him, as the word of the LORD had warned him."

 ²⁷ The prophet said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me," and they did so. ²⁸ Then he went out and found the body thrown down on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. The lion had neither eaten the body nor mauled the donkey. ²⁹ So the prophet picked up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back to his own city to mourn for him and bury him. ³⁰ Then he laid the body in his own tomb, and they mourned over him and said, "Oh, my brother!"

 ³¹ After burying him, he said to his sons, "When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. ³² For the message he declared by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true."

 ³³ Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places. ³⁴ This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth.

The man of God was duped, wouldn't you think? In verses 18-19, we see that the other prophet lied to him and said that an angel told the man to come back and eat & drink with him. So, the man of God who had prophesied the truth went ahead and did just that. However, we see twice (in verses 9 and 17) that he knew that he wasn't supposed to eat or drink or return by the way he came. When he chose to listen to the falsehood of a fellow sojourner over the Lord, the Lord told him that he had not obeyed His commands and therefore would not be buried with his fathers. Not only that, but it all happened on his way home! There was an immediate response to his sin. And what was his sin? Eating, drinking and returning by the way he had came. Not even the king who never changed his evil ways was treated so harshly...

But, it spoke to me (as Scripture does, praise God!). When we know better, there are harsher consequences here on earth, I think. God has told us how to treat our bodies, He has given us insight into what He requires, and in two verses in this chapter in the Bible, we see the phrases you must not eat, drink or return by the way you came. Now can we eat bread? Yes, I think so (unless God tells us not to!). And can we drink water? By all means! But, I think these verses jumped out to me because they were about eating and drinking. The real message to me was "don't go back where you came from." Don't go back to the life of sin where you ate what you wanted where you wanted. Don't go back to overeating, becoming trapped by our indulgences and gaining weight.

Over the holidays, I haven't been allowed to exercise because of my gall bladder surgery. But, I've also chosen to eat things I know that are wrong. My pants are tight even though the scale says I've only gained a couple pounds. But, the whole idea is to lose weight! I'm not to eat or drink whatever I want to - I am to follow the Lord's instructions for my body and His promptings on what's proper for me. And I'm surely not supposed to return to where I came from... I can't go back to being obese!!! And it's so easy to yo-yo back to where we've been. But, God says no. And He says no so 'violently' that these verses show His immediate discipline for those who do. I believe the Lord wanted me to take this passage very seriously. While the enemy is prowling around like a lion, we have the Savior on our side. We just need to obey His instructions and glorify Him in all we do. Be careful to listen to the Holy Spirit and not others who say "hey, what can eating this hurt, just this once..."

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You that Your Word is living and breathing, sharper than any two-edged sword. God, I confess I've made poor choices like this prophet. Father, please forgive me. Please don't let the lion in to devour my life and the plans You have for me. Please help me reach my goal of being healthy and thin for Your glory. Please help us all not to return by the way we came. Help us make better choices and listen to Your promptings. And speak clearly and loudly to us, God! May we follow You all the days of our lives. In Jesus' precious and holy name, AMEN!

A Wife of Noble Character...Gets Up While It's Still Dark

^{10 [c]} A wife of noble character who can find?
       She is worth far more than rubies.

 ¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
       and lacks nothing of value.

 ¹² She brings him good, not harm,
       all the days of her life.

 ¹³ She selects wool and flax
       and works with eager hands.

 ¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
       bringing her food from afar.

 ¹⁵ She gets up while it is still dark;
       she provides food for her family
       and portions for her servant girls.

 ¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
       out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

 ¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
       her arms are strong for her tasks.

 ¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
       and her lamp does not go out at night.

 ¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
       and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

 ²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
       and extends her hands to the needy.

 ²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
       for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

 ²² She makes coverings for her bed;
       she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

 ²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
       where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

 ²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
       and supplies the merchants with sashes.

 ²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
       she can laugh at the days to come.

 ²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
       and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

 ²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
       and does not eat the bread of idleness.

 ²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
       her husband also, and he praises her:

 ²⁹ "Many women do noble things,
       but you surpass them all."

 ³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
       but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

 ³¹ Give her the reward she has earned,
       and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Proverbs 31:10-31

Again, these verses are an acrostic poem in the original language, meaning each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. I love that!

I was telling my mom how I struggle to get up early to exercise. I know it's the best time of the day to do so, especially since I'm raising two little boys that need me during the day. When I take their nap time to exercise, I'm missing my opportunity to write, study, or do housework. My mom reminded me of these verses where noble women get up while it is still dark (verse 15). I also noticed that the wives noted in these verses work vigorously at their tasks and their arms are strong (verse 16). This is the type of person I want to be... may God bring glory to Himself and strengthen our family, I humbly ask.

Dear Father, thank You for Your Word. Please help us be wives of noble character, waking up before the light of dawn to get our work done and to work vigorously at what You've given us to do. Strengthen our bodies, making us healthy and thin for Your glory, and help our families in the process. We love You and long to glorify You. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Go & Sin No More

"Jesus straightened up and asked her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' 'No one, sir,' she said. 'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.'" John 8:10-11

Recently I heard a remarkable message on this passage from John 8:1-11. Talking about the Scripture in its entirety first, let's go back a bit. If you remember, teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought this woman who was caught in the act of adultery to the temple courts. Making her stand in front of the entire group (probably as embarrassed as a person could be! and scared!), they questioned Jesus, reminding him that the law of Moses said that the woman should be stoned. They asked Him what He had to say on the subject, trying to trap Him by His answer. Verse 6 notes "But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger." I never noticed this point before, but as we were reading the passage together, I wondered to myself "what was He writing."

Beth Moore obviously wondered the same thing (I was watching the very last video from her "When Godly People Do Ungodly Things" session). In her speaking, she went back to Exodus 31:18, which says "When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God." When God gave Moses the "Law," He inscribed it with His own finger. Now we see Jesus, God Himself in the body of man, again writing with His finger. While we'll never know for sure exactly what He was writing, she said there were feasibly two audiences: either the woman or the accusers, and most likely the woman couldn't read because of the times. She said wouldn't it  be interesting if Jesus were again writing the law on the ground: You shall have no other gods before me; You shall not make for yourself an idol; You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God; Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy; Honor your father and mother; You shall not commit murder; You shall not steal; You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor; You shall not covet. John 8 continues in verse 7 by saying "When they kept on questioning Him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." And again in verse 8 we see "Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground." Beth Moore noted that Jesus knew these men, as He knows us. Wouldn't it be ironic if the very same law that these men were using to condemn these women was condemning them? None of us are without sin... and slowly but surely (the older ones first), each one began to go away one at a time until only Jesus was left.

Here's where these verses struck me. Jesus was without sin. But, He didn't condemn the woman who was caught in the act of sinning. However, just as Beth Moore also noted, He didn't excuse her behavior. He didn't make rationalizations. He didn't say "that's okay." He said He didn't condemn her, but He told her to "Go and leave your life of sin." Wow! What freedom!

As I was thinking of the sin of overeating and obesity, I thought about the feelings that woman would have had standing in front of the group. I've felt some of those same feelings as I'm in a group of thinner folks, especially. Picture being in a bathing suit with all skinny people around you. You feel embarrassed, ashamed, caught in your sin. You may not be as scared as the woman was, but I think I have been close as I've thought about the repercussions of obesity. My dad has diabetes, can't see very well, and the doctors told him that if he's not careful with his back and weight, he may lose his ability to walk. Since I'm very much like him, I've been scared of similar things happening to me. Scared enough to get on my knees and beg Jesus for mercy. I'm a sinner. I've done things I know are not right. I've eaten when I'm not hungry just because it tastes good. I've chosen bad things for my body. I've stood in front of the crowd and felt condemned.

But Jesus, the only One who will be left standing with us when it truly counts, tells us He doesn't condemn us. He doesn't tell us what we're doing is okay; instead He encourages us to go and leave our lives of sin. That's what I want today, more than anything. I want to walk away from the life of sin I've known and head a complete different direction with His help. Let's pray!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for revealing new things to us every day in your holy Bible. I appreciate Your kindness and the way You show us grace. Father, thank You for not condemning the woman. Help us as Christians not condemn others who are caught in sin, but rather lead them to You so that they can go and leave their life of sin. God, I also ask in Your precious grace that You would help us leave our lives of sin. I confess that I've been an over-eater and lazy most of my life. Help me go in a different direction all for Your glory. May You not regret not condemning me. Please allow me and those reading this to be instruments used for Your holy purposes. We praise You and thank You! In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Do Not Dwell On the Past

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19

Yesterday I was shopping at a used furniture store with my Dad. I was sitting in various chairs and telling him which ones I thought were better looking than others. An older woman came up to me and said "oh, if the skinny one sinks into it too far, then I'm not going to even try it." Looking at my Dad, she said "at this age, it matters more how you get in and out of it then it does how it looks. My Dad laughed and said "that's the truth!" I quipped "you must need your eyes examined, too, calling me skinny." We continued to joke, but I realized that I didn't picture myself thin at all - but God is doing a new thing. Right in the middle of the store, I told her how I prayed about my weight, I asked God to help me, I started reading my Bible searching for verses that would give me direction, and God has given me the motivation. He deserves all the credit and glory.

As I was looking through my Bible for another verse, I saw this verse highlighted and thought it was fitting. I need to forget always feeling like the obese one in the crowd. GOD is doing a new thing! I need to grasp hold of it and get on board! I can't dwell on the past if God has a new hope and future for me. If God is changing your life and looks, give Him the praise! And focus on what He's doing, not the sin of your past. Praise You, Jesus, for Your mercy and grace!

Dear Heavenly Father, please help us not dwell on being the fat one. Instead, make our focus on You and what You're doing in our lives. Lord, if You are calling us to be thin, help us perceive the new thing You are doing. And, we bow humbly before You to accept Your gracious gift. Thank You for Your mercy, Your grace, Your forgiveness, and Your amazing healing. We love You, Abba Father. In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN!

Sorry for the Hiatus

I'm back to the blogging world! The last few months I've been busy grading papers, getting my gall bladder out (UGH!) and preparing for Christmas. But, I want to keep my commitment to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind, body and strength (and blogging abilities!). To Him be the glory forever. If you're journeying on losing weight, may the Lord bless You as You seek Him and His word regarding the subject at hand. May You find Him along your journey!

A Wife's Body Belongs to Her Husband

^"The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife." 1 Corinthians 7:4

When I read this verse today, it made me reflect on all the reasons why I'm trying to lose weight. And I thought about how my husband deserves a sexy wife - something I never really felt I was able to give him.

Yesterday my husband gave me a $1,000 American Express gift card and told me to go shop for myself. I looked at him like he had grown another head on his body... what was he thinking? With the holidays coming, we don't have an extra thousand dollars for me to selfishly spend money on just me. And then he proceeded to tell me that he understands I need new clothes now that I've lost weight and he doesn't have a clue what to buy. But, mostly he told me how proud he was of me for losing 'big' and thought I needed a 'big' reward. I cried. I have tears in my eyes thinking about it now. I'm humbled. I don't deserve a reward - in fact, I never should have let myself get to the point I was at. And it's really God who deserves all the credit for the pounds I have lost. But, he told me that it took real work and real motivation for me to get started. He knew it wasn't easy. I couldn't believe my ears.

My husband isn't a man of many words. (It's one thing I love about him and yet can drive me crazy.) But, he is a man of action, which I think is more important. He has given me time to work out and encouraged me along the way. I've never really understood his love for me. God has truly given me a gift in that man! I was so encouraged by his being proud of me - I didn't need the gift card besides but it really put emphasis on his words. Now, I have no intention of spending that money on myself this time of year. But, the thought behind it still blows me away.

Now that I read that verse, I understand that this body is half his. I've been mistreating something that belongs to my husband, which makes me a little sad.

Thinking about it more, I want him to treat his body well because I want him to enjoy life. I want to be able to do things as a family and as a couple. I also want him to be around for the next 70 years (well... we might be defying the odds at that age, but you get the point!) to spend time with me. He told me that he feels the same way - he wants me to treat my body right so that we can enjoy life to the fullest together and be together for as long as possible. And, after reading this verse, I think it's okay to share all of this with you. It gave me new-found motivation to work out yesterday when I wanted to nap instead. And, I'm hoping that when you think of your spouse (or if you're not married, the thought of being with someone a long time) you'll have a new motivation to do the right things for your body.

Dear Heavenly Father, first I must thank You for my dear husband. You have once again astounded me with Your love for me that You would give me such a gift in my life partner. I'm grateful from the very depths of my heart. And, Lord, I thank You for our marriage. Father, thank You for binding us together. Lord, help me remember that my body also belongs to Him. Help me in treating it right so that we can enjoy each other more. And God, may You only receive honor, glory and praise for my weight loss. It has truly been the work of Your hands that I've been able to lose weight. May I continue to walk humbly with You as I continue on this journey to lose more and become healthy and thin for Your glory. I love You and long to honor You with all of me, including my body. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Dead to Sin

"In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." Romans 6:11-14

I love these verses because they tell us to rid our mortal bodies of sin and evil desires. Instead, we need to offer the parts of our body to God as instruments of righteousness. For, sin shall not be our master for we are under grace. Jesus has saved us from our past sins. Therefore, we no longer need to be a slave to our evil desires. I was talking to my overweight sister-in-law. And she said "I'm not going to NOT eat good food if it's in front of me." I thought about it for a long time. Do we have to give up things we find to taste good? Or can we have all things in moderation? What's the middle ground? Most of all, what does God tell us to do? After all, His opinion is the only one that matters to me.

I think God tells us that we can't be a slave to anything. If we can take food or leave it, it no longer has a grip on us. If we can go to a feast and be tempted and still say 'no, thank you' then we don't necessarily have to worry about can we eat this or that. But, if we are being mastered by our cravings, if we feel like we can't say no if there is something delicious near us (even if we're full, for example), if we are so caught up in the sin of overeating that we can't seem to lose weight or honor God with our bodies, then I think a change is necessary. I'm not saying what that change is... but I think the Holy Spirit will guide what needs to happen if we are pursuing righteousness through the Word of God. In the meantime, offer the parts of your body to the Lord as instruments of righteousness instead of sin. Do something healthy, do something for someone else, do whatever God calls You to do as His instrument. We no longer have to be slaves to meal time but can enjoy life and what God is calling us to do.

My prayer for each reader is that you no longer feel defeated or a slave to your past habits but that you truly sense the grace of God taking you on a new journey, one where you learn what is good for your body and what to do to be more like Jesus Himself.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your Word tells us that we're not under the law, we're not slaves to sin and instead we're under Your almighty grace. God, we confess that we've screwed up and let sin rule us, and we're so thankful for Your forgiveness and continued grace on this journey. Help us not give up. Let us know EXACT steps to take to offer our bodies to You as instruments of righteousness. May You use us for Your heavenly purposes here on earth. What a humbling thought! May we glorify and honor You with our bodies... please make us healthy, thin and beautiful and may we praise You every step of the way. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Perfecting Holiness

"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." 2 Corinthians 7:1

What is it that contaminates your body? I'm afraid my list would be too long to share here. But, this verse tells us to 'perfect holiness' out of reverence for God. I love that phrase - for we can't ever expect to be 100% perfect on earth but we can strive to perfect holiness. What an awesome thought! Likewise, out of our fear and honor for God Himself, we should be purifying ourselves from everything that taints or infects our bodies (and spirits!) and makes us ineffective. If we're looking for reasons to lose weight, these Bible verses give us clear direction and purpose. Let's live for the glory of God!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for this Bible verse. Please help us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates our bodies. Please help us perfect holiness since we do revere You, oh Lord. Help us honor and glorify You with our bodies, thoughts, actions and speech. We love You! In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Do Not Taste!

"Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 'Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!'? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence." Colossians 2:20-23

When I saw this verse, I immediately thought of various diets that we try when we're trying to lose weight. It strikes me as odd that the South Beach Diet and Weight Watchers both work and yet have very different principles. In one, you watch only your carbs in the other you're counting calories and especially fat for points. I've noticed that things that I consider tasty are either high in carbs or high in fat - if something is advertised as 'low-fat' the carbs are usually horrendous and vice versa. Not always true, but in many cases I would laugh in seeing this.

My point with saying all that is that I think sometimes we take a godly principle like treating our temples as holy and therefore trying to lose weight and then turn it into self-worship. I think that this can be accidental (oh, Lord, take away our pride!), but it's something we should be aware of and change. Why do we submit to the world's rules of what we can and cannot have and eat rather than to the Holy Spirit's? Why have we read more weight loss theory than books of the Bible?

As if God were writing to us (oh, yeah, He is!), my favorite verse was "Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their HARSH TREATMENT OF THE BODY BUT THEY LACK ANY VALUE IN RESTRAINING SENSUAL INDULGENCE." If you remember back to my entry on Esau selling his birthright for food and how he gave up something so important for sensual indulgence, like food, then this should really hit home.

The bottom line is that God's Word is the ONLY thing that can change our bodies. Moreover, He alone is the only One who should be worshipped because of our weight loss. Sometimes I fear that I get so caught up in thinking about calories or have I exercised that I forget that God alone is worthy of my time, thoughts and concentrated efforts. Does that mean I keep on sinning and overeating or doing whatever I want? By no means! (To quote Paul from the Bible.) That simply means that my focus has to be on Christ, who was my original motivation anyway. I came to the end of myself on this journey when I really started to lose weight. I'd tried going about it the world's way, and I only ended up heavier, more hopeless and well on my way to being morbidly obese. When I finally had enough of 'me' and put my faith, hope, trust and love in God, the pounds started melting off my body.

Case in point, last week my kids were sick. Then my husband got sick. I didn't exercise. I didn't eat well - I didn't even think about what I was eating. I became solely caregiver and slept instead of working out in hopes of giving my body the energy it needed to fight off whatever was going around. And you know what? I didn't gain weight. I'm not saying that I can go on like that, but God didn't call me to work out that week. I was trying to listen to Him. So, I rested. Then, even when I didn't feel like it, I've had to get back to business in treating my temple well, which includes eating right, exercising and rest. Normally, I think I would have started to see the scale climb, but I feel like God was for me. And, He gave me the motivation I needed to start back to work (even after being 'lazy' for a week). He alone gets credit for how much I weigh right now and I'll praise Him alone when I lose even more. My journey isn't over, but I must keep my focus not on the gift that I've received but on the Giver Himself. God alone deserves to be worshipped.

Some day I'll get a new heavenly body. If I've only focused on the one I've got now, my journey will have been in vain. But, if I try my best to follow God's commands for this current body while focusing on getting to know the Lord more and more, I'll get more out of this life and the one to come.

So, my advice would be to read the Bible and take it easy on this or that diet. It's not bad to know what's healthy for you, but allow God to be your focus rather than things of this world. He'll reward you... and isn't that what we're looking for?

Dear Heavenly Father, please take these words and make them what You desire to be read. God, it's only Your Word that is life changing. May we not be focused on 'self-worship' or things that seem to have some form of wisdom but rather on Your Word, which can save us from sensual indulgence and make us more like You. Father, please forgive us and rid us of pride and sin. Make this journey about more than just weight loss. May we be more like You and glorify You with our bodies, where Your Holy Spirit dwells. We love You and worship You alone. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Living According to the Word

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You." Psalm 119:9-11

The key to my weight loss has been God's Word. Nothing else has the power to save. If you believe that overeating is sin, then these verses show you how to keep from doing just that - the answer is hiding God's Word in our heart. How can we keep our way pure? How can we make sure we're the best we can be? By living according to God's Word. And, it's difficult to align our lives with God's Word if we don't really know it, read it, study it and digest it. My journey really only started when I began seeking God daily by reading His Bible and crying out to Him. There have been ups and downs along the way, but He has helped me continue on this path and I weigh less than I've weighed in a decade. I hope that these words will be inspirational for you, too. The way to lose weight and have a pure life is to seek God and live according to His Word.

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise You that You offer us hope and inspiration in the Bible. We thank You that Your Word tells us of Your love for us. Thank You that it offers us direction for living according to Your good and perfect will. Please forgive us when we go astray and help us keep our way pure. May we hide Your Word in our heart so we don't sin against You. Please keep us from overeating and becoming complacent in our journey. We love You and long to glorify You. And, may we not become overly focused on ourselves and the resutls or the gift, but rather the Giver and Lifesaver. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Ask, Seek & Knock

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:7-11

Dear God, there's nothing I can say to 'enhance' this Scripture. Not that I ever really can. Your Word is more powerful than a double-edged sword. Instead, I'd like to simply ask You to make us (myself and those reading this) thin, healthy and beautiful. Lord, we're seeking You and asking for a gift. And we're thankful that You know how to give good gifts to those who ask You! So, we're expecting a miracle. And we're so thankful for the work You're doing in us. Thank You for Your gifts and promising to give to those who ask. We love You. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Don't Set Aside the Grace of God

"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galations 2:21

I smiled as I read this verse today. I thought "haaaa!!! I knew it!" as I read it (although, please keep my heart pure and without pride, Lord!). What I'm going to tell you might strike you as odd, but it is 100% the truth. The weight I've lost has been the Lord's doing. He receives all the glory. When people tell me that I look good, I feel compelled to tell them that it has been an answer to prayer. That may sound like a trivial answer to some, but it is immensely important to me. I felt hopeless. I like to eat. I didn't even think I had time to exercise, let alone the energy or motivation to do so. I had bad genes, I reasoned. I had been heavy my whole life. I told myself that I was born to be the fat girl. I joked about it. I didn't care...but I really did care. I wanted to be thin, I've read enough to know that thinness comes from diet and exercise, but I wasn't able to put the two together. Nor did I feel like I even could. I felt trapped. And, I ate to make myself feel better about it. I ate when I was bored, I ate when I was happy, I ate when I was angry and I ate most moments in between. I didn't feel like it was wrong. I didn't realize it was sin. I didn't realize how much I was in bondage.

That said, I prayed. And I prayed. And then I prayed some more. In almost every prayer I would ask God for His help. I asked to be healthy and thin. In fact I still do. My three year old has heard it so much, I often hear him praying it (and he's actually underweight for his age!). All I heard from other people is "you reap what you sow." That is Biblical (in fact, I read the verse today). But, something in me also told me that God has come to heal the sick, not the well. I sensed that He was my only saving grace. So, I began to go to Bible study. And I continued to pray. And I began to re-wallpaper my heart with Scripture. And I prayed and asked.

And soon the weight started to come off. I'm not sure how. But, I do know this: Christ died for my sin. Christ died for our sin, I should say. His victory on the cross wasn't just for the 'big' sins. It was all sin. If Jesus could heal me and forgive me for my sin and teach me a new way of life, I believed I could be healed. I started trusting Him and putting my faith in Him. I hadn't changed my habits yet, I simply asked Him to make me thin. And I would hear over and over again that God helps those who helped themselves. I wish I would have had this verse at the time. "...if righteousness could be gained by the law, then Christ died for nothing." We simply can't set aside the grace of God.

I don't deserve God's grace. I'm a sinner. I got myself into this mess of looking the way I do through my own actions and sin. I needed to repent. I didn't think I could change. But, I realize now that Christ won the victory on Calvary...and by God's grace, He can change us. He can make us new. He can heal our hearts, change our minds and transform our bodies. And He's God. He can choose to heal us even when we don't deserve it. After all, it's His grace to give. I'm so thankful for His grace I could cry. Instead, I think I'll praise. I happened to turn on a song about Christmas today (which I normally don't do this early in the season) but the song was upbeat (not a typical Christmas tune) and it talked about the hope that Jesus gives. What joy came from His birth, knowing that men could find peace and be reconciled to God. Once again, the awe that surrounds Jesus struck me. I am so thankful. There's nothing else I can do but worship and praise.

And, I can testify that His saving grace works. He came to heal the sick. He didn't die for nothing...He died to heal you and me. If you're feeling hopeless, let Him take on the battle for you. Simply take your cares to an all-knowing and all-loving God. May you be freed by His grace!

Dear Jesus, once again I must thank You for the cross. Once again I'm humbled at the thought of You coming to earth in human form to die for my sin. Once again I bow down and worship You for the work You did to save a wretch like me. Lord, I'm inspired. I'm awestruck. I don't even know what to say. But, I thank You that it's by Your grace and not the law that we're saved. I thank You that You made a way to save people who can't save themselves. I thank You that when You were raised from the dead, You showed that You have the authority to set us free. And, I thank You that You love us enough to forgive our sin and change our lives. Lord, I humbly ask once again for Your grace... please save me from this sin, please help me change my ways, please make me healthy and thin for Your ultimate glory and use me in Your kingdom plan. I love You, Lord Jesus. Make me more like You. In Your name we pray, AMEN!

Free Indeed

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36

I had an 'ah-hah' moment yesterday morning that I thought I would share with you. To give you a little background, since I've lost so much weight, my wedding rings have become loose. Really loose. Sometimes falling off loose. While I know this is a 'good' problem to have, it's a problem nonetheless. I called a couple jewelery stores to get a price on how much it would be to resize them. I couldn't believe the cheapest was an estimated $75! Now, God has provided for all our needs (glory to Him alone!) but $75 feels like a lot of money in our budget right now. I told my husband that maybe I should wait. In fact, I thought out loud on the phone with him, "after all, what if I gain weight back and have to do it again?"

Then it hit me. I have been set free by the Son. Thinking out loud made me realize how dumb the idea sounded, and yet it voiced a concern I'd really been thinking in the pit of my heart. What if I go back? WHY would I go back!?!?! was my next thought. This verse came to mind immediately (glory to the Lord for His Word). If Jesus has set me free from my addiction to food and caused this weight loss - which it truly has been the Lord's victory - then I am free...INDEED!

I then continued out loud with my thoughts and sheepishly relayed over the phone, "Or am I going to try and be thin for the rest of my life." My very loving, extremely supportive and faithful husband smiled (I'm sure) as he answered, "I think that's the point." Yes, indeed.

I no more than hung up the phone, and I turned on the local Christian radio station as I was making lunch for my kiddos. The broadcast was in the middle of the news... a ring had been dropped in a Walmart and a woman had picked it up and made off with it and authorities were looking for her. Wow! What a reminder that I needed to get my rings resized. I would be devastated to lose them...not necessarily because of their earthly value but because of the symbolism - they represent my husband loving me enough to spend more money than he had ever spent on anything before in his life (including his cars at the time) to tell me he loved me and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me.

More than that, though, I think this news broadcast shows God's timing (is there such thing as coincidence?). I believe He was telling me to go ahead and get my rings resized because this is a permanent change. He has set me free. I am free indeed!

Have you been freed from your addiction? Have you been set free by the Son, Jesus? If so, live it! Don't think, "What if I go back?" Why go back? You're FREEEEE!!!!

Dear Heavenly Father, all I can say is thank You. I hear in my head the sound from the movie 'Braveheart' that Dave Ramsey plays on his shows when people become debt free. There is a roar of "FREEEEDOOOM!" May that ring in our hearts today. May we realize the grace that has set us free. May we realize that this freedom came at a very real cost to You. May we never take it for granted. Lord, help us walk and live within that freedom. Help us never turn back to our old way of thinking or our old habits. May we be healthy and thin our entire lives, from this moment forward. Thank You for setting us free. And thank You for reminding us that we're free. You are amazing! In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Zeal for Your House

Jesus Clears the Temple "After this He went down to Capernaum with His mother and brothers and His disciples. There they stayed for a few days. When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So He made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves He said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."^{[Psalm 69:9]} Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After He was raised from the dead, His disciples recalled what He had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken." John 2:12-22

A friend invited me to visit her church, and this was the Scripture passage from the sermon. Once again, I felt like God was speaking directly to me. Now, I've read these verses several times - more times than I could count or remember and this is the first time that the Holy Spirit nudged me to view them in a different light. (Don't you just LOVE God's Word?) Now, I will admit to you that the pastor spoke on Jesus' zeal for His church. And I agree that God is zealous for His church; I don't disagree with the direction the sermon went. That said, that morning I felt like God was saying the following about these verses.

First, I will discuss the points the pastor highlighted because I thought they were extremely relevant. For one, we often think of Jesus as He welcomed children, viewing Him as peaceful and loving, gentle and almost cuddly and soft. This passage, however, depicts Him in a far different light. He was ANGRY! He drove animals away, overturned tables and questioned people "how dare you turn my Father's house into a market!?!?" The leaders of the time questioned His authority and we were asked to picture the scene. Jesus took charge of the scene and made a scene. His disciples remembered Psalm 69:9 "Zeal for Your house will consume me."

Just like 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us, our body is "a temple of the Holy Spirit." It immediately stood out to me when Jesus answered the question of His authority by saying "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days" (John 2:19) that "the temple He had spoken of was His body" (John 2:21). Now picture God cleaning house... YOUR house! 'Zeal for Your house will consume me' takes on a whole new meaning.

In examining your own life, are there unholy practices taking place in your holy temple? As the pastor noted, buying & selling animals isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the people of that day were turning a holy temple into a common marketplace, which was contrary to God's instructions. So, again, examining the story in a different light, what's going on with your temple? Would Jesus find 'commonplace' things happening where holiness should be? I shudder at the thought of my holy God being angry with me - shouting "how dare you!?!?" and overturning and driving out what doesn't belong. But, if it needs to happen, there is no one else who has the authority than Jesus. Indeed, as He answered above, He rose again from the cross in three days, giving Him the authority to do with God's temple as He sees fit.

If Jesus is our one true example of how we are to live on earth (which I fully believe) then "Zeal for God's House" should be part of our mentality. Do we have a zeal for making sure our bodies (the temple of God) are holy and being used for holy purposes? If not, it's time to repent, ask for forgiveness, and change our lives with Jesus' help. To God be the glory!

Dear God, we thank You for Your example. God, it's amazing to see Your zeal for Your house and recognize the metaphor You use to describe our bodies as well. In fact, just in case we missed it, I love that Jesus Himself used the same expression in talking about His temple, or body. I see that You wanted to be clear with Your message. Please help us drive out everything that is unholy in our lives - including overeating and laziness - and replace it with what You have for us in Your Word. Jesus we ask for forgiveness and a renewed zeal for our temples - please change our lives, overturn what needs to be overturned and 'whip' us into shape. We need You, oh God. We can't do this on our own. But, we trust in Your authority and power that You can. We give You the keys to our lives. Transform us to be more like You. In Jesus name, AMEN!

Such a Time as This

"Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This girl, who was also known as Esther, was lovely in form and features, and Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died." Esther 2:7


As I've been reading the Old Testament, I've taken notice of how many times the Bible talks about the beauty of women. Abraham's wife Sarah was depicted as beautiful (Genesis 12:11, 14), Isaac's wife Rebekah was also 'beautiful' (Genesis 26:7), and Jacob's wife Rachel was described as "lovely in form, and beautiful" (Genesis 29:17).
 
As I did more research and I came to Esther, I thought of the importance of her looks. She was described above as "lovely in form and features" meaning that she obviously had a nice body to go along with her pretty face. Most of you know the story of Esther, but in case you need a quick review - when the Babylonian King of the time decided to look for a new wife to replace the one who dishonored him, a search was formed to find the most beautiful young virgins; after 12 months of beauty treatments (Esther 1:12) , these women were allowed to approach the King; and the King was most attracted to the Jewish Hadassah (Esther 1:17), who had become known as Esther. When the King's 'chief of staff' (my term, not the Bible's) Haman plotted to kill all the Jews, Mordecai, the girl's cousin and caretaker (see verse above), said to Esther "And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Esther saved her people and the day by using her position as Queen to convince the King (in a nutshell).
 
Now, I will preface this entry by saying that we as a society can get too caught up in looks. I also believe that beauty comes from the inside out. That said, God never once said there was anything wrong with being beautiful. Some of the first wives in the Bible were described as such. Asking God to make you beautiful both on the inside (your heart) and the outside (your looks) wouldn't provoke His wrath, I don't think. In fact, I think there are times that God can use our looks for His benefit (after all, He created us!!!).
 
Hadassah was lovely in form. She didn't have a problem with obesity or laziness, evidently. She was also lovely in features and had 12 months (that would translate to one year for us) of beauty treatments before seeing the King. Can we commit to a healthier lifestyle for 12 months? Can we prepare ourselves for meeting our King, the one true God? If we were going to meet someone very important, I bet we would do what we could to make ourselves presentable from brushing our hair to putting on some make-up and a nice, clean and attractive outfit. How much more should we prepare to see our God? We are, after all, the bride of Christ! Or, for that matter, what about our earthly husbands? There are times that I think "wow...he means so much to me and yet he's seeing me at my very worst." I think 12-months of beauty treatments seems like a lot when you see what it was Esther and the others were going through - yet I think losing weight doesn't happen overnight. I think a year to lose some serious pounds sounds like a good start. And who knows what our reward will be?
 
Could God use our looks for His glory? YES! The King was attracted to Esther, he took her as his wife, and God used the appointment to save His people... she looked her best for 'such a time as this.' I think there is something in society that allows more attractive people to have more influence. I think better-looking folks get better jobs. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying it happens. God can use our obedience to be the best we can be to give us appointments that He can ultimately use.
 
The Lord gave us the "lovely features" - we're each a unique and beautiful person the way we were created. Now it's time for our beauty treatments. It's time for us to step up to the plate and try to be 'lovely in form.' I think it's time that we are the best we can be so that we can be used in a mighty and powerful way. And, when we are beautiful, it's not for our glory. All the praise and honor belong to God alone. He alone can transform us and use us - we are simply His vessels waiting to be used for His purposes. May we be His beautiful bride!
 
Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that You would take the above passage and bring it to life and say what You want revealed. God, we long to be beautiful like the wives of long ago. We desire to be 'lovely in form and features.' God, we don't want to ask for things that are wordly or selfish; but, we ask that you cleanse our heart, purify our mind and give us holy desires, that we would be set apart for Your glory. Lord, we want to be Your beautiful bride. We want to be used for such a time as this. Please take our lives over these next 12 months and transform us with your beauty treatments - inside and out. Please penetrate our lives with Your holy Word. May we be living sacrifices, beautiful, and used for Kingdom purposes in such a time as this. In Jesus' powerful and precious name, AMEN!

Eating Enough

At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar." When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, "Even if she gathers among the sheaves, don't embarrass her. Rather, pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don't rebuke her."So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough. Ruth 2:14-18

I love little reminders in God's Word where He tells us He remembers us and our struggles. I've been reading the Old Testament, and in Ruth, a couple of these verses stood out to me as reminders from God. First, verse 14 tells us that Ruth ate all she wanted and had some left over. So, it's not a 'sin' to not eat everything put in front of you. Unlike the generation of cleaning your plate, it's okay to eat and have some left over. Then we see in verse 18 that Ruth was able to bless her mother-in-law and give her 'what she had left over after she had eaten enough.' We are to eat 'enough'... no more, no less. The Holy Spirit will teach us what 'enough' is and we need to listen to His promptings. Hopefully we will be able to bless those we love when we listen to Him. May our 'left-overs' be blessings to us and our family!

Dear God, thank You for Your Word and the constant reminders that You know our struggles and love us amidst them. God, You are amazing. I'm enthralled by Your Word and Your love. May we come to know You more deeply and learn how You would like us to behave. May we have 'left-overs' and bless others by eating just enough. Please help us! Please make us thin, beautiful and self-controlled for Your glory. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Blessed Are You Who Hunger Now

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh." Luke 6:21

I remember going out to lunch with skinny friends or my mom, and I would be all-but appalled when they would cut their sandwich in half and not eat very much (in my eyes). I, in the meantime, could have eaten my entire foot-long sub, the entire bag of chips, all three cookies and downed my drink and still had a snack later that afternoon if offered. I didn't understand how they could eat so little and not be starving. I didn't really grasp the concept that eventually your body gets used to eating less and you become satisfied with what you've eaten.

In fact, I read somewhere that our stomachs are only supposed to be about the size of our fists. People can eat small portions and feel completely full when they've treated their bodies correctly. It takes the rest of us some getting used to, though. I also remember hearing a girl say that when we're full, our bodies naturally let out a big sigh. So many of us eat beyond that point (where our bodies have let out air to try and make room for what's coming in). I've eaten to the point of physically not feeling well just because something tasted good. I'm having to re-train my thinking into realizing that if the food goes to waste, it at least isn't going to my waist. I have to get out of the 'clean-your-plate' mentality and think in smaller portions, taking less when at home or taking some home when possible to share with others or allowing it to be tossed, realizing that it will be 'waste' either way at that point.

If you're accustomed to overeating, though, when you first say no to that extra, you feel hungry. It's half mental and the other half is physical. Your body is used to consuming a lot of calories and has become used to that lifestyle. But, God tells us we're blessed when we're hungry, for we will be satisfied. I think we'll eventually be satisfied with what little we're eating, I think we'll be satisfied with our bodies and how they look, and most of all we will be satisfied with God and not need to get our satisfaction from earthly food. Get ready to be satisfied and laugh! :)

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for teaching us how to eat. Thank You that You realize it's not fun to be hungry, but thank You for promising blessings along the way. Please help us to be satisfied. We love You and long to glorify You in all we say and do. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

With God ALL Things Are Possible

^"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" Matthew 19:26

Jesus' disciples had asked Him who can be saved, and He noted that with God ALL things are possible. There are so many times that I feel like losing weight is impossible - it's not in my genes, I haven't developed good habits, it's difficult to take off weight, etc. But, I need to rid myself of this thinking. In fact, I was just talking to my husband about this very thing this morning before reading this verse. I talked about a series of pictures I had seen on Facebook of a woman who had some sort of surgery to help her lose weight and she was standing there in a size 4 jean and looked amazing. I told him that I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to wear a size 4 anything. He told me that I won't with that kind of thinking, which is true. I need to focus on this being the Lord's battle. With God, ALL things are possible. If it were just me on my own, I wouldn't have lost this much weight already. Instead, it's been Christ in me and God's Word that's been transforming my mind and body for His glory. With Him, ALL things are possible, including a new healthy, thin me. AND YOU!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for this reminder that with You, God, ALL things are possible. Lord, please save us! Please help us! Please make us thin and healthy for Your glory. We love You, Lord Jesus. In Your name we pray, AMEN!

Drink from the river of life

"Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart." Psalm 36:5-10

These verses were part of my Bible study the other day. Of course, "they feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights" jumped off the page at me. The basic premise for the inclusion of these verses was that we, as Christians, may know God and yet still long to do worldly things because they seem more fun, fulfilling or satisfying. I remember the analogy of doing the Christian-thing because it's good for us like bran but we desire the chocolate malt of what we mistakingly perceive people have who are not living according to Biblical principles.

How far that thinking is from the truth! God wants us to feast from His abundance and drink from the river of His delights. Beth Moore noted that in Christian circles, there are times that we're just simply doing what our parents did or what our church has taught us rather than trying to intimately discover who the Lord is and what He has for us. She discussed the Garden of Eden where God told Adam & Eve that they could eat of any tree except for one, and He had created an abundance for them to enjoy. Beth Moore said we've been living on apples & bananas and we're getting bored, but God has created all sorts of other things for us to consume and enjoy like mangos, papayas and pineapples. We're living off of sermons we hear and a strict diet of the same ol' thing when there's so much more that God has for us if we'd wholeheartedly follow Him! Within the confines of His authority, there are the greatest pleasures we could know! And, He doesn't withold good things from His children. He wants the best for us! He created love, marriage, family, and all sorts of other things for our enjoyment because He loves us.

God's love is unfailing. He will satisfy our deepest cravings. I'm learning that eating - while it may feel satisfying at the moment - does not really get to my deepest longings. I remember the feeling of being absolutely full and yet craving something to eat or munch on. Boredom or dissatisfaction was one of my biggest challenges. It's not certain types of food that will bring me delight - it's a relationship with the Creator of all sorts of delights. A river of them, in fact!  He encourages us to drink! He is the living water! And He is the giver of life. May you be encouraged to fall more deeply in love with Him today and feast and drink on what He has for you, which will make you healthier and thinner.

Dear Heavenly Father, first I must say how grateful I am that Your love reaches to the heavens and Your faithfulness stretches to the skies. Thank You for giving us refuge beneath Your wings and allowing us to feast on the abundance of Your house and drink from Your river of delights. Lord, I ask that You would take our breath away (well, not literally, but You know what I mean). Make us yearn for more of You. May we be satisfied in our relationship with the Creator of every good and perfect gift and not try to find some would-be-satisfaction from worldly pleasures that only make us feel more empty inside and fatter on the outside. Keep us in step with You and focused on You - show us the treasures You have for us. And, Lord, please make us healthy and thin for Your glory. We love You! In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Present Your Requests to God

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Are you anxious about losing weight? I admit that I have been. It's easy to see the holidays around the corner and start to worry about losing more now to make up for the times we'll be eating more or think we won't make it through this next season. But, God tells us not to be anxious about anything. In EVERYTHING - which includes weight loss! - by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, we are supposed to present our requests to God. So, we need to be praying... and we need to be thanking.

The other night as I was tucking my son into bed, he was thanking Jesus for everything, from triangles to trains to people. At first I was blessed, and then I was hoping to rush him along since it was time for lights out. But, God doesn't tire of our prayers, especially when we're thanking Him for His blessings. I think being thankful keeps us focused on the things that are noble, pure, just, etc.

What else I find special about these verses is that God promises to guard our hearts and minds with His peace. What an amazing thought! If it's true that the war will be won in the battle ground of our minds, we've found a key in guarding that area of our lives. God's peace, which is a result of bringing our petitions to Him. So, let's do that now!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for helping us lose weight. Thank You for each and every pound that has been shed. Lord God, help us not be anxious about this journey or the weight we need to lose or the time of year. Jesus, with thanksgiving, we come to you with the following petition: make each one of us healthy and thin. May we be transformed with new physical bodies for Your glory, prepared to do the good work that You've called us to do. We also ask that You guard our hearts and minds with Your peace. And, we thank You for it! In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Challenge

We've had 56 days together on this journey of losing weight. I'm not sure how many people even read this blog, but I'm enjoying writing it. Writing is a passion of mine, and I love to journal, so this is just a public diary where I'm trying to put to practice Scriptures that I feel the Lord has given me in this weight loss journey. But, each person is on their own individual journey, I realize. And, if I've learned nothing else, it's that it's God's Word that is really going to transform us from the inside out.

So, my challenge to you is this, has God given you any Scripture verses along the way that you would like to share? You've listened to me, and I'd like to listen to you. Feel free to post a comment with one! If you're not actively searching the Lord in His Word for Scriptures to help you along your path, then I'd like to encourage you to start today! There's nothing like it... when you're reading the Bible and seeking God's direction for your life and lo and behold, there is a verse that God wrote directly to you to motivate and strengthen you for that day and the coming weeks. If you ask God to give you something, He is gracious and generous with His portions! So, don't wait. Start reading the Bible and seeing what God says about weight loss and healthy living in there. Then comment here. I'd love to hear from you.

May you be blessed in this journey beyond measure!!!

Transformed With Ever-Increasing Glory

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18

I actually read the Amplified Bible version of this verse today in my devotions, which words the verse as follows: "And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18 (Amplified Bible)

I immediately was humbled at the thought. I read several versions, and some noted that when God removes the veils from our faces, we see God with nothing in between us; and like a mirror, we radiate His awesome beauty. But, what was a distinction for me in the Amplified Bible version was that we are reflecting on (or contemplating) God's glory through His Word. I believe there is a distinct value that comes from meditating on God's Word every day and applying it to our lives. If we want to be transformed into His likeness, display His splendor and radiate with His beauty, we need to spend time with Him, learn from Him and have a 'real' relationship.

I believe God's holy Word is the only thing that can change my life and make me thin. I've tried other things that don't work. I need Him for my strength, my motivation and my saving grace. Without God's Word grounding my life, I'm left open to temptation, I'm left hopeless thinking there's no way that I can beat this struggle, and I'm left feeling alone in an uphill battle.

But, when I contemplate God's glory in His word, when I leave nothing untouched by my Savior or closed off from Him, when the veil is removed in this life (after all, the verse says with 'ever-increasing glory' and 'being transformed' as though it's a process here on earth rather than an instantaneous thing like when we die) and we are able to mirror our Savior's radiance, I believe the end result is true beauty and nothing less. May my life be a true reflection of God's glory and may He receive all the honor and praise for it.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word, which says that we are being transformed into Your likeness with ever-increasing glory. God, I want my life to mirror You. I give you the key to every area of my life and offer You the veil that comes between us. May we reflect Your glory. God I pray for each person reading this... may they come to know You in a mighty way through Your Word. And, Lord, I pray that we would all become thin and beautiful for Your utmost glory. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Prepared to Do Any Good Work

"In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work." 2 Timothy 2:20-21

More and more I see how being overweight can inhibit your activities. From not being physically capable of doing whatever it may be that we're called to do to not having the burning desire or motivation to keep going, there's just something about obesity that can weigh us down from doing the work we're called to do at times. My desire is to be an 'instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.'

Therefore, I should follow the instructions in these verses to cleanse myself from ignoble purposes. When I looked up the word 'ignoble' I found the following synonyms: "dishonorable, shameful, immoral, base, low, reprehensible, dastardly." Are we doing anything with our bodies that could be classified in one of these categories? If so, we need to be sanctified through the forgiveness and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I decided also to look up 'noble' and found synonyms including "righteous, good, splendid, decent, dignified, gracious, gallant, upper-class and...self-sacrificing!" Are we dignified, gracious, upper-class and self-sacrificing? Um... I think I could use a good refining like the gold mentioned above.

I'm asking God to make me His instrument, holy like Him, used for noble purposes, useful to the Master (which I would take as a HUGE compliment!) and prepared to do any good work. If we're going to be prepared to do good work, I think we're going to have to have the physical bodies and stamina for what God calls us to do. May this weight loss journey have a higher purpose in your life than you even recognized when you first started. May you be called useful to the master and ready to do ANY good work!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for these verses. Thank You that You can cleanse us from ignoble things. Please refine us like gold and make us Your instrument for noble purposes, holy, useful to You, and may we be ready to do ANY good work. Father, please make us healthy and thin for Your glory and Your kingdom purposes. We love You and long to be useful to You. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Think On These Things

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8

This is one of my favorite verses. I remember writing it on an index card and hanging it in my room when I was in high school, along with many other favorites that I didn't want to forget. And, while you may think it has nothing to do with weight loss, I'm learning that it has a lot to do with every temptation in our lives.

I've personally discovered throughout this journey that if I focus on food and I start thinking about it non-stop, I ultimately give way to overindulging in something that is not necessarily good for my body. (After all, it's not often that vegetables overtake my thoughts!) On the other hand, I've found the same to be true on the opposite end of the spectrum. If I think about healthy things I can have and plan out my meals, I can usually stick with them. I somehow convince myself to be in the mood for them. For example, one day I decided I was going to eat veggies for lunch. Now, these are veggies I like, mind you (in fact, on a side note, I would highly recommend the 'immunity blend' frozen steamer veggies at Giant). But, steamed vegetables was what I decided I wanted for lunch in the morning and when I ate them that day, they were extremely satisfying.

Likewise, I met a friend for breakfast the other week who also is trying to lose weight. Breakfast is an easy meal at home for me but a tough one out at restaurants. She told me that she visualized her plate before getting to the buffet, sectioning out what part was going to be fruit, what part would be reserved for eggs, etc. I thought it was a wise move that kept her focused so she didn't overdo it. I think it's good to have a game plan of what you're going to eat for that day so that you're not starving or overindulging and so that you're getting enough good stuff to be healthy. After all, that's the point of this journey, right?

That said, we can't just focus on food or we would eat far more than we need. We should focus on that which is "noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable and praiseworthy" like the verse above says. When I think about God's goodness, when I'm thankful for what He's done in my life, when I listen to worship music, when I hear a testimony about His faithfulness to someone else, when I look around and see the beauty of His creation, when I choose to intentionally focus my thoughts on things from above, the battle seems easier. When I allow myself to start craving things I shouldn't have or think about negative things going on around me, it's instinctive for me to want to eat my sorrows away.

And while we think that it's okay to 'lick the plate clean' from chocolate cake in our mind so long as we're not doing it physically, I think that we are setting ourselves up for failure if we continue to focus on such things.

It's more than ironic that my devotions were on the same thing. I had written this entry out in my mind, and then the book I'm studying had the exact same focus. I'll give you bits and pieces that I found interesting from Beth Moore (2003) "When Godly People Do Ungodly Things":

• "Many of us may not be committing grievous sins with our bodies, but we are entertaining them in the recess of our minds..." Beth likened the mind to the most secret chamber of our temple (our body). We read Ezekial 8:1-12, which I would recommend you read, too. She notes "we kid ourselves in thinking that sin is safe in the secret places."
  
• The mind is the biggest battlefield we have on which our Spiritual battles are fought. [If you're losing this battle right now, I challenge you to search your heart and your mind...that seven pounds was a wake up call for me that something needed to change on the inside of my heart. And, thank God, the scale is starting to go the other direction!]
• My favorite quote: "The redeemed of God who are inhabited by the very Spirit of Jesus Christ weren't bought by His blood to be typical" (p. 70). Wow! If you think that you are 'normal' or 'typical' in what you're feeding your mind or thinking about, this is truly an OUCH moment. "Much too often we have adopted a relative standard based on the wickedness of the world rather than the holiness of God."
  
• If we don't allow God to sanctify our thoughts, our minds will taint our hearts and ultimately affect our actions. "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ" 2 Corinthians 11:3. This verse shows that even those who are sincere and pure in their devotion to Christ can be lead away through  the serpent's cunning their minds!
• Christ tells us the greatest commandment was to "Love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:28,30). We need to love God with our minds and make our thoughts obedient to Him.
• "We must apply the principle of feeding what we want to live and starving what we want to die. We need to start feeding the Spirit and starving the flesh." While these are Beth Moore's words and not Scripture, I'm amused by the analogy. She talks about what we're feeding our minds - is it junk on TV, R-rated movies, trashy magazines or books or are we conscious of the choices we're making to feed ourselves good things that make us focus on what is right, noble, pure, praiseworthy, etc.
• Romans 8:6 tells us that the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. If we practice not thinking about sinful things but rather on the good, Beth notes "then our feelings start changing and improving. We often feel better all over. We start feeling full and satisfied." Again, I love that God can use a simple workbook to let me know that He's thinking of our struggle to lose weight. After all, when we feel "full and satisfied" we're not as tempted to go over-indulge in something that will harm our goals!

This week, start empowering the Holy Spirit to allow you to focus on "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable...anything that is praiseworthy or excellent."  Practice controlling your thoughts, being intentional about your choices and allow God to make your life holy, pure and altogether thin and lovely!!!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for showing us the way to victory. It is only by Your Spirit and the work You've done on the cross that we have any hope for our future. We know that You want the best for our bodies, and we thank You that You've come right alongside us in this journey. Lord, please help us focus on that which is pure, noble, right, true, admirable, lovely, excellent or praiseworthy. Keep our thoughts high above and may we honor You with our choices. We love You, Lord Jesus. May our lives be a pure reflection of that... we live for Your glory. In Jesus' powerful and precious name, AMEN!

Strengthen Your Walls

"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control." Proverbs 25:28

My devotions this morning were on building up walls to protect ourselves from the attack of the enemy. First, Beth Moore (2003) talked about a fence that had fallen down between two properties due to tree roots, which seemed harmless when the trees were planted but had grown to the point of uprooting the soil and knocking down fences on both neighbors yards. One neighbor had exotic animals while the other raised miniature horses. Neither neighbor had noticed the fence coming down due to the acreage until one day, a property owner went out to see her favorite horse being torn apart by a hungry lion. To quote a paragraph from the study: "Tragically, we often don't realize part of our fence is down until Satan, the roaring lion, is devouring something precious to us right on our own property. Mind you, he has no right to be on our property, but all he needs for a written invitation is a weak spot in our fence" (Moore, 2003, p. 64).

Next, she recalled that God is a believer in walls, noting places in Scripture where God had placed walls or boundaries around his beloved things (like the Garden of Eden, the Old Testament tabernacle and the city of Jerusalem). We did an exercise where we drew a temple and then labeled it our bodies based on 1 Corinthians 6:19 (so cool that these Scriptures keep coming back as we seek God's direction!). Next, we looked at how the Holy Spirit is inside of us and that there is a wall that God has built with His seal of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13).

Finally, the above Scripture was referenced, and it stood out to me above all else in the lesson. For one, I must admit that I've read it dozens of times before (in fact, it's in one of my son's favorite books on being a godly boy) but I never really understood the analogy until today. Maybe I'm just thick-headed, but I didn't think about the seriousness of a broken-down wall to a city. City walls represented protection at the very least. All I keep picturing is a lion ripping to shreds something very loved like the little horse she described, and I want my walls to be fortified rather than broken down. Self-control is that important!

And I've been lacking it lately. Just like planting trees didn't seem like a big deal they day they went in, the tree roots continued to grow until they were a BIG problem (I can relate since we've gotten rid of two big trees since moving into this house and had to have some of our plumbing re-done because of the roots that had gotten into the pipes!). We sometimes think giving in here or there isn't a big deal, but we're tearing down the wall between us and the roaring lion when we don't practice self-control. Think of those fences and fortify your walls!

Dear Heavenly Father, first of all, we thank You that You have sealed us with Your Holy Spirit. Thank You that You are more powerful than any devouring lion. Lord, we don't want to do anything that opens the door to an attack or worse, lose something important to us. Please help us maintain the walls of safety and practice self-control. Help us! Remind us! Strengthen us! Motivate us! May we be ever focused and alert so we don't give into temptation. We love You and fear You alone. Thank You for protecting us and keeping us on the straight path. May our temples - our bodies where Your Holy Spirit dwells - be made pure, holy, healthy and thin for Your glory. In Jesus' name, AMEN!