Full Armor of God Diet

total dedication to the truth

2011-01-17T07:03:00.000-08:00

I am re-reading Scott Peck's book The Road Less Traveled and am reminded of an important tool for discipline. It's being totally dedicated to the truth. I have a tendency to stop tracking daily calories on days I eat too much junk food, which is a way to avoid the truth. So dedicating myself to the truth, I'm back on Livestrong.com logging my daily calories. Being dedicated to the truth is completely supported in the Bible. We are told to put on the belt of truth as part of God's armor to resist temptation. It is a necessary and powerful part of the armor of God. If we have the discipline to be dedicated to the truth, in other words to wear the belt of truth, we will have a powerful tool, part of God's armor, to help us make good decisions. This applies to all areas of life, not just a quest for health and fitness. Being dedicated to the truth is a goal I want to focus on this year.

With All Your Heart

2010-09-20T12:38:00.000-07:00

Great Bible verse for today: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. (Colossians 3:23)

My husband and I are close to the end of our 90 days of the popular P90 work-outs. We have 10 days left. Over the past few months while working out and eating better (not always as good as I could) I have found that my motivation goes back and forth between vanity/pride to a humble spirit of honoring God with health. I want my motivation to be focused on God and His glory, not my personal vanity. But vanity slips in. This is a great Bible verse for me to remember during this last 10 days of September as we finish the P90 work outs and get ready to move to the next level, to keep my motivation focused on God. Not just with health, but with everything I do. Work at it with all my heart, and remember I'm doing it for the Lord.

Praising Him

2009-09-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

I'm getting ready to download a song by Avalon called "Testify to Love." I'm getting it free, too. It's so exciting. My son talked me into buying Pop-tarts. Pop-tarts of all things! Not exactly your nutritious breakfast. I told him it would be a treat, like having a cookie, and not to just eat a pop-tart for breakfast, that would be like eating a cookie for breakfast! So, guess what? There's a free prize inside my poptart box. I picked a box with a free $15 iTunes gift card. So I have my gift card and I heard this great song by Avalon. I had heard it many times before, but this time it really sunk in. "For as long as I shall live I will testify to love...With every breath I take I will give thanks to God above." I want this to by my approach to live.

Giving thanks to God. I've been thinking a lot about my purpose here on earth, the talents God has given me, His plan for my life, what it is He really wants me to accomplish for Him while I'm here on this earth before He comes again. I've been thinking about this more because this came up in a conversation with my son last night. "God has a plan for your life," I told him, just like Elisha. We were reading about how Elisha was faithful in small ways and because of this, he was able to be faithful in big ways. So I'm thinking about the small ways I can be faithful to God, and I'm getting ready to download my Avalon song and it just occured to me...Wouldn't it be great if God's plan for my life was as simply to praise Him. He tells us "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." But I get all stressed out with so many things, keeping up with caring for my family (taxi driver, meal planner, house clutter buster), making time to exercise, work work work at my job, use my talents for Him by helping the church and my kids church school, on and on and on. I get stressed, but Jesus has said "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."

You know, I want my main job to be simply to praise Him. That would be the greatest job, the easiet job He could ever give me. If Jesus said to me, "Hey, here is your job on earth, my purpose for you, I will bless you and I want you to use your talents to praise Me and tell others about these blessings." Wow, what a great job! What a great and easy purpose for me on earth. I like that job. I want that job. Give me that job!

So, let's start today with a praise. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made! I want to let go of all the old bad health habits and be a walking, living, breathing example of how God's ways are better than my ways. I want to follow his plan for health by eating all the great foods he made to lift up our health and avoiding all the junk food that tears our health down. I want to be an example of the blessings that come from following His ways. And then guess what? I want to do nothing else but praise Him for it!

That's my passion today. I'm getting ready to go for a walk before it's time to taxi my kids around to piano lessons. I'm going to get that song by Avalon to remind me to give thanks to God above with every breath I take.

That's my purpose here on earth. I just want to fulfill it!

This heart of mine

2008-10-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

Have you heard the saying "Follow your heart?" Sounds like good advice, and sometimes it is. But what if your heart deceives you? It could happen, you know. Jeremiah recognized this when he wrote

"The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)

I've been pondering times when my heart might deceive me and get in the way of my quest for good health. It happens when I crave things that aren't good for me. How long has it been since you craved something that wasn't good for you? And you knew it? For me, oh I would say, pretty much always! I'm tempted by junk food at least daily. This is an example of my heart and mind in conflict. My emotions tell me one thing, but my head is telling me something else. The thing about this is, my heart wins this battle when I rely on my own strength. My heart doesn't always want what's best for me and it can be pretty demanding when I'm facing chocolate ice cream!

One of my favorite Christian authors (EG White) wrote about this conflict and encourages us to rely on Jesus to fight these heart battles for us. Here is how she decscribes it:

"But you must remember that your will is the spring of all your actions. This will, that forms so imporant a factor in the character of man, was at the Fall given into the control of Satan; and he has ever since been working in man to will and to do of his own pleasure, but to the utter ruin and misery of man. But the infinite sacrifice of God in giving Jesus, His beloved Son, to become a sacrifice for sin, enables Him to say, without violating one principle of His government: 'Yield yourself up to Me; give Me that will; take it from the control of Satan, and I will take possession of it; then I can work in you to will and to do of My good pleasure.' When He gives you the mind of Christ, your will becomes as His will, and your character is transformed to be like Christ’s character. Is it your purpose to do God’s will? Do you wish to obey the Scripture? 'If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.' There is no such thing as following Christ unless you refuse to gratify inclination and determine to obey God. It is not your feelings, your emotions, that make you a child of God, but the doing of God’s will. A life of usefulness is before you if your will becomes God’s will. Then you may stand in your God-given manhood, an example of good works. You will then help to maintain rules of discipline instead of helping to break them down."

I like this passage because it reminds me to give up my own will (my own desires, the things this heart of mine craves) to the will of God. It’s amazing to me how a simple prayer at the time I’m facing temptation helps “Lord, please help me not to follow my will but your will. Please make the desires of my heart what you desire for me.” It’s the moment of decision, deciding to give up my will to Him, and it’s marvelous when His will becomes my will and the annoying temptation goes away.

I need to remember I can't always trust this heart of mine. I want to trust the Word of God. He does understand my heart, and He knows what's best for me. Instead of following my heart, I want to follow Jesus' heart. How about you?

PS: Shaun Groves sings a song about the heart, which I love and which also inspires me, called Welcome Home. He wrote the words and music. If you have never heard this song, you might want to track it down and listen to it.
Welcome Home lyrics

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Praise God for a New Year

2008-01-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

2008 is already starting to speed by, but I still feel the joy of a new beginning. I love a new start. I love that God gives us a new day every day to forget about the past (past mistakes, of course). And I love a new year to renew my commitment to God, to living for Him, and remembering this world is not my home, it's only a short time until Jesus comes. Have you been filling up your calendar for 2008 with all the many projects and meetings and commitments already building up for this year?

Did you know that Martin Luther said that “today” and “that Day” were the only days on his calendar?

In 2008, I want to focus on each new "today" as another gift from God and remember with all the priorities of "today" that what happens to our destiny on "that day" is the most important thing of all. I want to remember that what I do "today" can make a difference on "that day."

I thought about this a lot last month when my Grandpa Sorensen passed away. I started thinking about his first wife, Evelyn (my grandma), who passed away when I was very young. It got me thinking about that day when Jesus comes and we are reunited with family and friends.

When I was growing up, at church campouts all us kids would sit around the campfire and sing “Side by Side we Stand.” Some of the words were “meet me in heaven, we’ll sing songs together…” I remember the words to this song now and think about who might be looking for me in heaven. When I think back to all the friends who sang that song around campfires with me, I wonder “Are any of them thinking about seeing me again when they think about heaven?” I doubt it. I can’t think of a single one of them who today might be thinking about meeting ME in heaven. Oh, I know we’ll all be happy to see each other there, but I’m talking about people who will be looking specifically for me. There is only one person who comes to mind. When I think of who will be looking for me and wanting to meet me in heaven, it’s Grandma Sorensen, Grandpa’s first wife, Evelyn. My mom has a photo of me in Evelyn’s arms when I was 2 years old. She was holding me over a kitchen sink washing my feet under the faucet. I was wearing a diaper. She died before I ever had a chance to know here, and I miss not knowing her.

When I think about “that Day,” she is always the first person I think about. What an amazing impact she had on my life by keeping the faith and by teaching her children the faith, which my father (and mother, of course) taught to me, and which I’m teaching to my children. Maybe I think of her as looking for me because she is someone I’ll be looking for. It’s odd. But now that my Grandpa has passed away, I find myself missing her. I can’t wait to see her, in her vibrant healthy body, rejoicing because she is so happy to see me.

Like me, is there someone you are anxious to see on "that day" who will also be looking for you? Let's live 2008 with today and that day in mind, so we'll be ready for that day when we can embrace our family and friends from previous generations and praise God that our journeys through life on earth are over, ready to be with Jesus and praise Him for eternity in Heaven.

Psalm 107

2007-10-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite Psalm. Read the whole thing in NIV. It's all about God saving us from distress. When you're hungry and thirsty, when you sit in the darkness in the deepest gloom, when there is no one to help, if you're in chains, when you feel like you're near the gates of death, when you're courage is melted away, when you're at your wits end, you can cry out to the Lord and He will deliver you from your distress.

When you're in the middle of a raging storm, listen to verses 29 and 30.
29 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.

30 They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.

And here is verse 43. When things aren't going well. I mean when things are bad and completely hopeless, remember God's love. He will lift you out of your distress if you call to Him.

Whoever is wise, let him heed these things
and consider the great love of the LORD.

And since this is a blog about God's armor and choosing health, remember not to use food as a cruch when you're sad, mad, frustrated, betrayed. Turn to God for deliverance from life's problems. Here is verse 9
for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.

He is such an awesome God and He loves you so much. Cling to Psalm 107 when life gets rough. Remember God's amazing love.

World's Greatest Wobbler

2007-08-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

I know I'm not the world's greatest at any sport, but I just might be one of the world's greatest wobblers. Let me explain.

On the USAT USA triathlon Web site (usatriathlon.org), author Alan Ley explains wobbling as a personal discipline trait. I can go for days, weeks, or sometimes even months running, walking, riding my bike, exercising for about 60 minutes for at least 6 days a week, feeling great, eating right. It feels so good. Then something (and it does always seem mysterious in hindsight) gets me off track. Before you know it, I feel like a blob. I'm feasting on desserts. I can barely run a mile. Finding time to exercise seems like a chore. My clothes get tighter. Then, I get re-motivated. I start back on my quest for good health. I get my muscles in motion and find that I can run a 5K once again. I'm exercising daily. I'm eating right. My clothese fit better. But I better look out, because the blob days are likely to find me again. It's a cycle I've repeated over and over. People ask me "Are you a runner" and I explain how I go in spurts, telling them that sometimes I do really well and stick with running and other times I don't. Sometimes runners look at me like they don't understand this, like it's sort of odd. But after reading Alan Ley's article I now have a name for this sport -- it's wobbling!

Being the world's greatest wobbler isn't something I necessarily strive for, and Alan suggests to break this cycle, I should use a journal. He suggests I write down all of my goals and then write down every day how I'm doing in meeting those goals.

This makes such great sense, and of course, I'll try it. I've found that when I blog I stick to my goals better. Blogging includes writing but also putting the words where other eyes can see them.

Do you know, God too knows the importance of writing things down? He has a very special place to write the most important things. God describes this in Jeremiah 31:31-33 while describing the new covenant He would make with His people. Notice the very cool place where God chooses to write what He considers most important.

31 "The time is coming," declares the LORD,
"when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.

32 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,"
declares the LORD.

33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD.
"I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.

God originally wrote His 10 commandments in stone when He gave them to Moses. But now God's special place to write is in our hearts. True, God's laws are written in our Bibles. We can go to them, just like a fitness journal, and see the goal God has for our lives. But isn't it the most awesome thing that God wrote them in our hearts?

God writes His law in our hearts so we will learn to love His law just like He does, so we will recognize His law is a law of love, so we will see that following His laws bring us happiness and prepare us to live in His kingdom of love, so we will want to follow His laws because we love Him.

I think Alan Ley is on to something when he says we should write down our fitness goals in a journal. He says there is something magical when we write it down. We pay more attention to it. We follow the plan.

God must have known this. Do you think God wrote His laws (first in stone and then with the new coventant in our hearts) to keep us from wobbling?

I'm ready to get down to the business of writing to keep my fitness goals in focus and reach them. While I might be one of the world's greatest wobblers when it comes to my fitness goals, I sure don't want to be the world's greatest wobbler when it comes to following God's laws.

Let's pay attention to what God has written and stay on track, following His lead, and if you happen to be a wobbler like me, let's not be wobblers any more!

That Day

2007-08-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

Last week I set a goal to do a biking event in Kansas City called the Route of Champions, a 36-mile charity ride in association with the Tour of Missouri. The very day my friends and I set this goal, I made my way over the health club. I knew I had to get ready. There is nothing like a goal to set me in motion. If I didn't have the goal, I wouldn't take the necessary steps to meet it.

This reminds me of another goal. An event of all events. A one-time event coming our way soon. It's the day Jesus comes again to take us to heaven. I have a goal to be ready for that day. When I plan my day, I want to do whatever I can today to be ready when Jesus comes.

Martin Luther said he only had 2 days on his calendar -- this day and that day. That day being the day Jesus comes to take us home with Him.

I love that focus. These are the two days that matter most.

Do you want to be ready when Jesus comes again? What are you doing this day to be ready for that day? Stephen Covey wrote the popular book "7 Habits of Highly Effective People." One of the habits is "Begin with the End in Mind."

Let's live this and every day with that day in mind. Are we keeping and building our faith? Are we reading God's word? Are we praying? Do we accept Jesus death on the cross as our salvation and accept the Holy Spirit into our hearts to transform our lives?

Let's plan today to be ready for that day!

Famous in heaven?

2007-08-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

I was just reading along in Daniel one day when all of a sudden I read something that made me stop and think. Daniel 9:23 tells us how Daniel was viewed in heaven.

“As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed..." (Daniel 9:23).

An angel came to talk to Daniel. The angel told him he was highly esteemed. Now think about this for a minute. Can you imagine an angel coming to you and telling you that (in heaven) “you are highly esteemed!” Wow. How cool that would be. I so often feel like such a failure. Of course, that is Satan talking. In heaven, we are not considered failures. In heaven, we are all loved. Jesus came to die for all of us human beings to save us from our sins. But Daniel was highly esteemed. To me, this sounds like he was famous in heaven – not like Hanna Montana who is famous here on earth to my daughter and her friends! I’d much rather be famous in heaven, just like Daniel, than famous here on earth. How about you? Let's live our lives doing great things for the Lord so we can be famous in heaven!

Songs of Praise

2007-04-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

I love the way David praises God and gives God credit for all he can do, all his strength. It's a great reminder to me to always praise God for everything He helps me accomplish. It's also a good reminder that God is there, ready to help me with life's battles. God wants to help me with my quest for good health, too. If only I would call on God and accept His help to make wise choices for my health 100% of the time! Here is one of David's praises to God:

2 Samuel 22:33

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect."

This is only one verse from the whole chapter of 2 Samuel 22. Read the whole chapter and see if you like it, too. I love the whole chapter. It's a wonderful passage of praise and encouragement to me to let God be my strength.

Inertia

2007-04-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about inertia this week. Inertia is a scientific term that describes the way things naturally retain their current state (either a state of rest or a state of movement) until acted upon by some force. Inertia is what makes your body lurch forward in the car when someone steps on the brakes. Since you're body is moving, it tends to want to keep moving. Inertia has been described as resistance to change.

Someone at church this past weekend noted that God's law may be easier to keep if its always been kept -- that when we stray from God's law and then get back on the path of following Him again, the path is then a more difficult one. I've been studying this and pondering this. Could it have something to do with inerita (resistance to change)?

When it comes to my health, the law of inertia can work for me or against me, too. When I'm eating well and exercising, I want to keep it up. If I eat a cookie, my momentum is interupted and all of a sudden I don't have inertia working for me anymore. Instead it works against me and I want to keep eating cookies! It's also harder once I've chosen a different path (unhealthy habits) to get back on the path. It takes effort to change my habits.

I decided this week to see if I can make inertia work for me. If I keep on the path of good health, it'll be easier to stick to the path. Whenever I take a step off of it, even a little step, it takes effort to get back on it. So, why don't I just stay on it, in the first place?!

Here'a a Bible verse to remind us that God created all of His laws for our own good. He created them to bless us, and this includes His natural laws of health.

And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? (Deuteronomy 10:12, 13, NIV)

Isn't it wonderful that God revealed to us through His laws how to live a happy life and receive His blessings? For our own good, let's keep God's laws. I want to stay on the path toward good health and let inertia work for me.

What you do is more important than what you say

2007-03-05T20:31:00.000-08:00

Remember the story Jesus told about the son who when asked to do something by his father immediately said "Yes, I will do it," but didn't follow through and do the task? The other son told his father he would not do it, but then did.

This is a parable for me. I love to read books about health. I read recipe books, analyze all the healthy ingredients, look at all the pictures of good food. It's great fun to make plans for healthier living and imagine how great it will feel to lose weight, have clothes that fit, and have more energy. I'm like son who told the father he would do the task, but then didn't follow through.

If you're like me, all this talk and planning and reading isn't going to get us anywhere. Let's remember the son who followed through. Really, don't you think if we have more action than talk, we'll see more results!

Don't Deny God's Power

2007-02-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

A passage in 2nd Timothy describes what people will be like in the last days, just before Jesus comes again. It's not a very pretty picture. Read on...

2 Timothy 3:1-5
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power."

I read this and asked myself...Hmmmm, do I love myself? Do I love money? Sometimes I boast and get proud of myself. Do I ever use abusive language with my children? Do I honor my parents? Do I take things for granted? Am I holy? I know I need more love in my heart. Do I ever say things that harm another person's reputation? I have self control one day, but not the next. Do I say brutal things to my husband when I'm angry? Do I love good? Am I treacherous and rash when my hormones get out of whack? Do I think I'm better than other people? Do I love pleasure more than God?

And the one that just hits me right in the heart...Do I have a form of godliness but deny God's power in my life? I am always happy when I'm letting God's power work in my life, but I hit the bottom when I don't.

I don't know about you...but I don't want to have a form of godliness while denying God's power.

God has the power to help me overcome any sin or problem area in my life. I need to stop denying His power.

How about you?

Without Him

2007-01-26T08:07:00.000-08:00

We're getting close to the end of January, and it makes me wonder about everyone's New Year's resolutions. What goals did you set for 2007? Have you asked Jesus to help you meet your goals?

If your goals are for His glory, then He will help you. If they're not for His glory, then are they even worthwhile?

Remember, if we set goals to get closer to Jesus, to more closely reflect His ideal for our lives, to overcome any sin or temptation, we can't do it alone. If you set a goal to achieve your very best possible condition of health and if you're working on this goal to give glory to God, don't attempt to do it alone. Take Jesus with you on the journey toward good health. Without Him, you're likely to fail.

Jesus Himself said,
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5, KJV)

Remember, without Him, we are destined to fail, but with Him, all things are possible.

God's Ways Are Better Than Chocolate

2007-01-14T06:03:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed when you crave some type of treat that after you eat it you still don't feel satisfied?

Isaiah explains in Isaiah 55 how to experience true satisfaction. And guess what? It doesn't come from chocolate! You can read the whole chapter here:

Isaiah 55

Notice the Lord asks why we focus on things that don't satisfy us. If you're like me, you've tried chocolate many times. But for real satisfaction that lasts, we need to follow God's ways.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8 & 9, NIV).

Let's trust God when He says His ways are better than our ways. Let's follow Him to joy and peace.

Self Control Muscles

2007-01-05T17:34:00.000-08:00

If you're like many Americans, for the new year, you resolved to make better choices for your health. Perhaps you've been walking, jogging, or lifting weights. If you're like me, life gets so busy it's hard to make the time to exercise. But I notice when I exercise every day, even a little, like walk 1 mile and do 10 minutes of weights for arm muscles, it really makes a difference. It feels good when you notice the sit ups don't hurt quite as bad as they used to and maybe you can do 20 instead of 10.

Self control is like a muscle. God helps us build up stronger self control muscles over time with practice when we call on Him and follow His will. I have noticed that when I practice self control around food I control my temper better. The self control muscles can be used in multiple areas of our lives. What a wonderful additional benefit from practicing self control and sticking to our healthy new year's resolutions.

So as you're out building physical muscles, like in your arms, remember to practice self control around food, around spending, around use of your time, around all areas of life. Just like those arm muscles feel good from all those push-ups, self control muscles feel terrific, too.

Resolve to Remain Humble

2007-01-01T10:49:00.000-08:00

You've heard pride goeth before a fall. These words of wisdom come from the Bible. "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall" Proverbs 16:18 (NIV). This happened to me right before Christmas.

My family returned home from our ski trip and I had lost about 5 pounds. I put on my size 10 jeans and they fit. It felt so great, I immediately gave in to feelings of pride. I became self confident and full of myself, focused on completely wrong motives (glory to me instead of glory to God). I totally ate whatever I wanted over Christmas including chocolate and cookies and ice cream (all those unhealthy treats I had used God's strength to resist all year) and gained the 5 pounds back.

That's why in 2007 my goal is to remain humble and really work on keeping the correct motive, giving glory to God. I love a new year, a new chance to serve God better, a chance to forget mistakes of the past year, a new chance to pray more and stay connected and grow closer to Him than ever before.

I hope you'll resolve to remain humble with me. And if I start talking about what a great job I'm doing at being humble, pray hard for me, really hard!

Look for the Open Door

2006-12-25T21:16:00.000-08:00

Have you had someone hold a door open for you lately? It sure feels nice, doesn't it? You probably walked right through while saying a polite 'thank you,' and maybe you even smiled. How would it feel if you held a door open for someone, but they just looked at you and said "no thanks, I'll take this other door." Maybe they don't even notice you holding a door open for them. Maybe they completely ignore you.

Did you know Jesus wants to hold the door open for you when you are facing any temptation, including the temptation to overindulge your appetite? Paul reminds us of this in Corinthians.

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV.

Jesus is ready to show us the way to resist the temptation. He can help us get away. He will open the door and show us the way out of temptation. I'm sad to say I didn't look for the door during our family gathering this Christmas. The spread of food before me included so many treats, cookies, candies, pies, I was mesmerized by it all and gave into the temptation to overindulge. Looking back, I know that Jesus was there ready to hold the door open for me, ready to show me the way out of the temptation. He held the door open, but I didn't look for it.

When faced with temptation, we must look for the open door Jesus is providing. He opens the door, but he does not shove us through it. He has given us the gift of choice, and He won't take that away.

As I head into the new year, I'm resolving to look more often for the door Jesus is holding open when I'm tempted to eat too much junk food, or lose my patience, or any other temptation. My prayer is that I will always look for and take the door He is holding open. His ways are so much better than my ways.

How about you? In 2007, will you look for the open door with me?

Add Length to Life

2006-12-14T12:03:00.000-08:00

In your quest for good health, to enjoy a long happy life, you might focus on eating well and exercising regularly. Proverbs tells us about another way you can prolong your life.

"The fear of the LORD adds length to life (Proverbs 10:27)."

I encourage you as you head into a new year to keep fearing the loving the Lord, following His ways, trusting in Him, worshiping Him, and acknowledging Him as your salvation. He will bring life and health to you as you continue to give Him the glory in all you do.

Instructions for Life on Earth

2006-12-01T05:42:00.000-08:00

As Christians, we look forward to heaven, but for a short time, we must live here on earth. We are citizens of God's kingdom, just passing through this world. No wonder I feel so odd, so different sometimes from the world around me. I'm an alien, a stranger in this world, living on this earth for a short while on my way to a heavenly destination. While here, our lives will not pattern the rest of the world. Instead, our lives should clearly reflect the will of God. In Titus, we find instructions for how to do this.

Titus 2:1-8

"Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.

Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."

Notice a theme of self control for all people. I have the "be busy at home" down. No problem there. But in all other areas I still need work. We can use the Armor of God to practice and gain more self control over appetite and all areas of our lives.

When Satan shoots arrows at me trying to get me to lose my self control, I will hold up my shield of faith. I will pray and call upon the Lord to help me be strong while living my short life here on earth.

A Way That Seems Right

2006-11-26T16:22:00.000-08:00

I am often struck and sometimes discouraged by the fact that so many people around me don't place a higher priority on following the laws of health. I set goals for eating healthy, but then get dismayed by those around me who seem oblivious. It's hard to be different. Our guest speaker at church this weekend read Proverbs 16:25, and it reminded me why I want to say no to too much junk food even if everyone else around me is diving into ice cream and cake and smores.

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death"(Proverbs 16:25, NIV).

If we do what feels right or what seems right to everyone around us, it may be dead wrong. It may lead to our destruction. This Bible verse reminds me not to follow the crowd. Just because a path seems right to the majority doesn't mean it's the correct path. If everyone around me is choosing a path that will ultimately destroy their health, why should I crave the same thing and desire to join them? If I don't want to share in the result, I must be different. Through prayer and Jesus' power, we can maintain self control even if we are the only ones turning down ice cream.

Be Strong and Thankful

2006-11-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

Have you stopped to count your blessings today? Thanksgiving week is a perfect time to carry thankfulness in our hearts. Satan is going to try to get me to lose self control and forget about my blessings on Thanksgiving. He'll try to get me to indulge in more sweets and high fat foods than my body can process. He'll try to benumb my brain with a sugar load. He'll try to get me to eat so much that all I can do is become a couch potato.

It's time now to put on the Armor of God to get ready for the battle. I want to make healthy choices and maintain my self control, even on Thanksgiving. At the end of the day I want to feel good and be thankful for good health. At the end of the day, I want to say thank you to God for giving me His strength and for helping me make it through the war zone successfully.

How about you? God has provided His Armor. Are you putting it on now so you can maintain your self control through Thanksgiving? Are you ready to live up to and uphold the light you have about how to keep your body healthy? I found a wonderful prayer in Colossians. Let's pray this for ourselves and for each other to maintain our health goals successfully on Thanksgiving.

"We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light" (Colossians 1:11-12, New Living Translation)

Self Control

2006-11-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

My friend sat across the table at Subway having a drink while I ate my sandwich. I relayed my story about giving my health to Jesus and how amazed I am that I've been able to give up sweets this year. I know without a doubt that God has been helping me fight my battle against ice cream addiction. I explained that I still have areas of diet to work on. I'm not perfect, but at least I've been using His Armor to overcome in this one area.

She just so matter of factly reminded me that the struggle is all about self control.

Of course, I knew that, but sometimes I don't want to admit it. I find it easier to shift my focus and let go of one thing when I can indulge in some other thing. The battle is really about self control, in all areas of health and in all areas of life. So if I let go of sweets and indulge in something else, I really haven't won the battle.

My new name for this blog will be the Full Armor of God Self Control Diet. Paul reminds us how important self control is to our daily walk with God.

"But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet" (1 Thessalonians 5:8, NIV).

If you persevere, you will not be disappointed

2006-10-31T14:53:00.000-08:00

Have you ever set a goal that was within your reach but also challenging? Didn't it feel great to achieve your goal through perseverance?

If you have set goals for your personal health, I encourage you to keep working to achieve them, even if it requires some suffering. Paul tells us in Romans that suffering produces perseverance, which eventually leads to a hope that does not disaappoint.

Romans 5:3-5
"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

Isn't it great to know that suffering produces perseverance? Even though we may have to suffer some to achieve our goals, it's worth it. If we taking time to exercise, say "no" to unhealthy treats, and make wise choices that promote health, we will not be disappointed. I have been disappointed many times when I have not persevered, but I have also experienced the joy that comes when I do persevere.

So that we can experience more joy and hope and less disaapointment, let's call on Jesus to help us persevere.

Building Strength

2006-10-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

This month's fitness challenge includes push-ups and sit-ups for strengthening upper body and abdominals. The sit-ups are a real challenge for me. I have never liked sit-ups. In aerobics classes at the gym, I would usually do about half the sit-ups and then start stretching my legs because I could not keep up. Now it shows. I really need those sit-ups!

There is something else I need for building strength - even more than sit-ups. The Bible tells us how to build strength. Isaiah 40:31 tells us we can renew our strength by trusting in the Lord.

"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint."

To reach my October goal for sit-ups, I'm doing about 24 sit-ups per day. How much more strength I would have to face all of life's challenges if I would trust God 24 times a day! That turns out to be every hour of every day. Let's take the challenge of trusting God every hour of every day. Think about how much more we'll be able to accomplish. Increase your trust in God and watch your strength increase.

Encouragement from Peter and James

2006-10-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

Last week I was lamenting the fact that the annoying temptation for junk food will never go away. I am tired of Satan's most subtle onslaught against healthy lifestyles. We’ve grown up in a culture and are surrounded by overwhelming messages that compel us to follow eating habits that destroy our health. To maintain health, we really have to struggle against the current. It’s like swimming against a swift current. So many other swimmers are swimming the other way, laughing and having a great time and looking at me funny because they can’t understand why I would work so hard to swim the other direction. I had come to the conclusion that I would have a lifetime of swimming against the current. I’ve prayed over and over that God would take away the temptation to overindulge, and while I know he is there to help us through temptation, I don’t think He will completely take the temptation away. We have to learn to live with sin and temptation in this world. One of the greatest things about heaven will be the absence of that annoying temptation!

Of course, I'm looking forward to heaven. However, today, I found encouragement in 1 Peter for enduring trials even before we get to heaven. If we allow our bodies to suffer through the temptation, sin loses its power.

1 Peter 4:1,2 Living New Testament Paraphrased
"Since Christ suffered and underwent pain, you must have the same attitude he did; you must be ready to suffer, too. For remember, when your body suffers, sin loses its power, and you won't be spending the rest of your life chasing after evil desires, but will be anxious to do the will of God."

This reminds me of James 4:7 "Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

This is a great message with hope for people like me, who are tired of dealing with temptation. Perhaps it's been annoying me for so long because I resist and then give in, I resist and then give in. I haven't really allowed myself to continuously suffer through the tempation without giving in. I don't have to spend the rest of my life chasing after junk food and enduring junk food cravings. I do have to suffer through it steadily for awhile (how long, I don't know), but I do know that if I allow myself to suffer through and just stop giving in to the temptation to overindulge, this sin of appetite (of coveting sugar and junk food) will eventually lose its power. I will be anxious to do the will of God for my health. I will look forward to eating the good, healthy food that God has provided. I'll do His will and He will be able to bless me with the good health He wants to bless me with!

So, the question is: Am I really ready to suffer through it? Like personal trainers, I believe Peter and James will be good coaches through this training period.

Joy of Lord = Strength

2006-10-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

My appetite seems to be winning most of the food battles lately, and I don't like it. So, I decided to search the Bible for new inspiration. Where could I find a new source of strength to face the same old temptations? I found just 8 short words in Nehemiah.

"...the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

Could it be that I've lost my focus on the joy of the Lord, so I'm also losing my strength? This week I will let myself feel the joy of the Lord, the joy He wants me to feel. I have so many blessings. I don't want to forget them. When I'm feeling tired and stressed, I'll look for new strength by remembering the many ways He brings joy to my life.

My Favorite Bible Verse..."Let us not get tired of doing what is right ...

2006-10-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

Maybe I can't really call it my favorite Bible verse, because my favorite verse seems to change on a weekly basis depending on what is happening in my life. However, there is one Bible verse that speaks to me and encourages me so much I could almost call it my favorite. I suppose it's my favorite Bible verse more often than any other Bible verse is my favorite, so maybe that does indeed make it my favorite!

Here it is in a Living New Testament Paraphrased:

"And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after awhile we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't get discouraged and give up." Galations 6:9

How about you? Is there something you're tired of doing but you know it's the right thing? Are you ready to give up? Don't do it! Don't give up. Stick with what is right, even if it's hard. God has promised that you will receive a harvest of blessing if you do not give up.

God's Word is Sweet

2006-09-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

The next time you find yourself trying to resist dessert and you need a little help from a great Bible verse as a sword, turn to Psalm 119:103.

"How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103 NIV)

Wouldn't it be great turn to God's word instead of a sweet dessert? Remember, His word is truly sawheet!

Block temptation with your shield

2006-09-12T19:27:00.000-07:00

Here I am at a Chief's football game tailgating with my brother and his wife and kids, along with my husband and kids, and my nephew and his wife. I'm surrounded by family, enjoying the outdoor air. Life is good. My favorite part about tailgating is that someone else cooks. My husband and his nephew Joel pull out all the equipment, the cookstove, the chairs, the coolers, the tent with sides to keep the rain out. They also bring all the ingredients and cook up breakfast of hashbrowns and eggs. They grill steaks, but since I'm a vegetarian, we put on the Morning Star Farm breakfast links for me and my kids. It's a treat to have men do the cooking. (Okay, I did contribute by making a 7-layer bean dip the night before to bring along.)

My least favorite part is the Oreo cookies and the chocolate chip cookies. Here comes that annoying temptation again. To fight against this, I use the armor of God. I visualize myself holding up my shield of faith to put the shield between me and the temptation. Don't get those cookies near me. I've got my shield up, you know. This is all a battle in my mind. Nobody else knows I'm holding up my shield. But it's a powerful shield when I pray while I'm holding it up. It keeps the temptation from taking over. I love the shield of faith. It reminds me that I have faith that God's way is better, that taking care of my body is better than not, that I believe God when he says he will reward me for being faithful.

You, too, can use the shield of faith when you find yourself in the heat of temptation. The shield is a very effective piece of God's armor.

Prove It

2006-08-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

For the battle Satan is warring against us in our quest for good health, Romans 12:2 can be one powerful sword. Remember the sword is the word of God. This verse tells us that God's way is superior to the world's way, not only superior but perfect, and calls on us as Christians to prove it.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2 (NIV)

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2 (King James)

This makes me want to prove it to everyone around me - that taking care of our bodies as God wants us to will result in blessings that far exceed the joy of eating chocolate and donuts. We are also told HOW to do this - by the renewing of our minds. Isn't that amazing? Our minds are warped by the world's way and all the messages the world sends us, but we can renew them. We can change our thinking and our motives by listening to God's voice instead of the world's voice.

As we head into a new month, I can't wait to prove it. And when I'm in the battle zone of friends and family surrounding me, everyone indulging in ice cream, I'll pull this Bible verse from my memory, and use it as as a sword.

Praise God for Today

2006-08-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning to think one of the greatest blessings God gives us is a brand new day every day. The ability to start fresh with a new day, a clean slate, starting over is wonderful. I appreciate this so much when the previous day or days have not gone so well. Praise God that he gives us a brand new day every day. If the choices from yesterday weren't the best, we can forget them and start a whole new day on the right path. This is especially relevant for me on Mondays when my weekend exercising and eating hasn't left me any healthier but instead has brought me down. Praise God for today - a brand new day to get back on track!

"This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

good news - good health

2006-08-14T22:22:00.000-07:00

Part of the Armor of God is the gospel feet. This means taking off on your feet and sharing the good news with others.

Has the Lord been helping you in your quest for good health?

I have so many praises. By His grace, I am overcoming my addiction and obession with junk food. Do you know, last week I caught myself saying "I don't like do-nuts." And I really meant it. I don't like what they do to my body and my health. I do not even feel like I'm missing out. I am so happy to be at peace and looking forward to good health rather than junk food snack time.

Praise the Lord.
I have plenty of room to grow. This month, I'm working to reduce fat intake. It's such a blessed process, to allow God to work in our lives.

Remember to praise Him for so many blessings - including the blessing of good health!

Promise of Reward

2006-08-05T11:54:00.000-07:00

Have you ever set a goal, started working toward it, but half-way through given up? Perhaps in the middle of all the hard work to reach that goal, you forgot about the reward. Your focus shifted away from the end result. To keep motivated, it is important to remember the reward that comes from achieving your goal. If you set a goal to drink more water, or eat fewer foods with saturated fat, your reward is better health. If you set a goal to do 24 push-ups every day, your reward is better fitness and strength. You set your goals for a reason, so don't forget the reason and stay focused on the promised reward.

In our Christian walk, Jesus has also promised us a reward for staying faithful to our goal of living for Him. In fact, He has promised us everylasting joy. What could be better than everlasting joy?

"Instead of shame and dishonor, you will inherit a double portion of prosperity and everlasting joy. For I, the LORD, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them." Isaiah 61:7-8 (NIV)

Let's not lose sight of our healthy lifestyle goals and the reward that comes from our daily lifestyle choices -- feeling better, stronger, living life more abundantly, serving God with more energy. And when we faces life challenges and walking the Christian walk gets difficult, remember the promise of the ultimate reward from remaining faithful to Jesus: everlasting joy.

He will complete it

2006-07-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

One day this week, I was not having such a good day -- not eating well, not exercising. I stepped on the scale and had put on 2 pounds since the previous week. I wondered "Am I ever going to get there?" "There" being a place where I fit into all the clothes I want to fit into and feel energized and at peace, taking care of my health properly.

"Lord," I prayed. "I'm tempted to give up."

Then I remembered the words to a song "He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it." What a wonderful promise. I won't give up, because God won't give up on me.

Here is the verse in Philippians:

"And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again." Philippians 1:6 (New Living Translation)

Treasuring the Truth More Than Food

2006-07-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

To overcome an addiction (or an obsession with anything - like food!), experts often recommend focusing on something else as a replacement. In the Bible, we find that Job found something to treasure more than food. The word of God.

"I have not departed from the command of His lips;I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." Job 23:12(NASB)

Job was committed to the truth. To him, the word of God was more important than food. Experts tell us that most cravings last only for about 10 minutes (I found this fact in Reader's Digest.) So, here's a plan for the next time you have a food craving for something you really don't need. Don't give in to the craving. It's not necessary. Remember Job treasured God's word more than his necessary food, and your craving itsn't even necessary food! Get out your Bible and seek God's word. Read for 10 minutes and look specifically for a verse that you can carry with you to help you battle temptation the rest of the day.

I want to be like Job and treasure God's word more than food.

Set Your Mind Fully

2006-07-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

The wind blowing into my face creating resistance isn't exactly helping as I pedal up a 1/2-mile hill. I tell myself I can do it. Keep riding. Breathe in. Pedal, pedal. Breath out. Pedal, pedal. My water bottle is almost empty with only about 8 oz. of water left. I've been riding for over an hour. It's 90 degrees even though I started early to beat the heat. But I'm not discouraged.

Instead, I'm encouraged. Breath in. Pedal, pedal. Breath out. Pedal, pedal. I'm encouraged because I know when I reach the top of this hill, it's time to turn around. I'm thinking about how great it will be when I turn around and start cruising down this hill with ease. I'm thinking about the joy of the downhill ride. I'll finish off my water, and I'll have only 2 miles left of mostly downhill and flat road taking me home to air conditioning.

In life, perfecting Christian character involves climbing steep hills, too. Peter reminds us to be holy in 1 Peter 1. Being holy, following all of God's laws and walking in the path that Jesus took, is not always easy. The wind blows against us. We struggle. We even fail. But we must keep pedaling and moving forward with Jesus. When the hill gets steep, Peter reminds us not to think about our failures but to keep looking toward the future.

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:13 (NIV)

When life gets difficult, what do you do? Are you prepared for action? Have you put on the Armor of God so you will have self control? It's important not to let mistakes from the past discourage you or slow you down in your Christian walk. Instead, think about how great it will be to experience the grace you will receive when Jesus comes again. Think about the joy of heaven. Heaven will be even better than cruising down the last big hill on your biking course.

Changing Spots

2006-07-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

I've been contemplating more fully Jeremiah 13:23 (yesterday's blog Bible verse)...

I keep thinking about the metaphor of spots on my body. I have so many spots that need to change - vanity, pride, selfishness, lack of patience, judgemental attitude. I keep thinking about these spots, and I really want to get rid of them. But I can't. I'm like a leopard trying to change his spots. My prayer is that God will take away these 5 particular spots. These are the spots that seem to appear and grow even larger when I start reaching my health goals:

Vanity spot: Aren't I looking better?
Pride spot: I am doing so well. I sure do have my act together.
Selfishness spot: I can't take time to help you because I'm using up all of my spare time researching nutrition facts!
Lack of Patience spot: Results are coming, but not fast enough.
Judgemental Attitude spot: Why doesn't that person get on their bike and ride some of that weight off?

Aren't these horrible spots? They are ugly. These are not good spots to be in. I don't like the way these spots feel. In fact, they feel worse than having an extra roll on my tummy. Isn't it just like Satan to throw these spots on us right in the middle of our success with health goals?

If you are like me and you have spots you would like to get rid of, let's pray that God will remove these spots and keep Satan with his old ugly paint brush away from us.

Breaking a Habit

2006-07-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you tried to change your health habits? Is there anything in your lifestyle that needs changing? I have been trying to stop eating between meals. Surely three meals a day is plenty. It's not like I'm fasting. There is plenty of food to be had throughout the day. But even something as simple as this can be tough if it's a lifetime habit. In fact, the Bible tells us that when we try to change our ways, we are helpless without Jesus. We might as well be leopards trying to change our spots.

"Can the Ethiopian [a] change his skin
or the leopard its spots?
Neither can you do good
who are accustomed to doing evil." Jeremiah 13:23

However, with the power of Jesus, we can change. He will help us change our ways one baby step at a time. Whatever health habit you are trying to break, give it to Jesus and watch Him change your spots.

What do exercise and God's law have in common?

2006-07-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

Exercise is a terrific way to add days to your life and a better quality of life to your days. Here is another way to have a long, happy life - keep God's law in your heart and follow it.

"My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee." Proverbs 3:1,2 (King James Vesion)

On contentment (and July goals)

2006-06-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

Our June goal has been to ride 200 miles. We are all going to get there, too. Here is our new goal for July:
ride 200 miles
do 600 push-ups (that's 20 per day
do 400 minutes of strength training.

These exercise goals are so awesome. Here's a goal for me that's hard to measure precisely: I would like to work more on simply being content. I have so many blessings, my heart should be filled with thankfulness. But why is it we humans always seem to want more? For me, this includes being content with an appropriate amount of good food. Instead of eating to excess, how about being content with one serving at each meal? So, while we're doing all this great exercise for our bodies, let's also remember to be content, not overdoing it with too many calories, and let our hearts be thankful for so many blessings we receive each day from our Lord.

"The fear of the LORD leads to life:
Then one rests content, untouched by trouble." Proverbs 19:23 (NIV)

This is the Way

2006-06-25T06:23:00.000-07:00

How wonderful it is to listen for God's voice and follow His guidance. When we ask for His wisdom, He will answer. If we ask God to show us habits we need to change to maintain better health, He will show us. The question is, what will we do when we hear His voice?

Isiah reminds us if we listen for God's voice, He will guide us and encourage us: "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

When God reveals lifestyle habits I need to change, I want to follow His guidance. It's not always easy. But I know I can do anything with Jesus according to His will. (Philippians 4:13) Since God has helped me overcome an obsession with sugary treats this year, I've been wondering what my next battle will be. It became very clear to me this past week while I was researching some information for a health presentation. I listed out 7 factors proven to impact health and longevity, and for the audience, I underlined those items that I personally work on (the other areas are not an issue for me):

7 Health Factors Proven to Impact Health and Longevity:
Sleep 7 to 8 hours
No eating between meals
Eat breakfast regularly
Maintain proper weight
Exercise Regularly
Moderate or no use of alcohol
No smoking

Then I heard God's voice loud and clear. "No eating between meals"

I immediately responded "Wow, God, I'm not sure I can do that. I think that would be harder than giving up sugar."

Without a second's delay, God reminded me "You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you."

"Yes, I know, but I may not be strong enough on this point?"

Again from God, "I said all things"

Now I know it's important not to ignore the voice of God. So I set a goal to stop eating between meals for the month of July, and decided to start practicing these last few days in June.

The next day, I found this Bible verse in Isaiah and realized that God was showing me a step I need to take. "No eating between meals" is the bullet item I underlined and emphasized myself, and God pointed this out as an area I could work on - this is the way, walk in it."

God has revealed this to me. For me, this is the way He is directing me, so I need to walk in it. If I pray and rely on His strength, of course, I can do this.

I believe God directs each of us in the areas we are ready to tackle. I pray that you will listen for His voice and see where He is leading you. I pray that when we hear His voice, we will always follow it.

Steadfast

2006-06-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought about how great it is to be steadfast? It feels terrific to set a goal and stick with it until you've reached that goal. Peace is the blessing we receive from God when we dedicate our lives, including our bodies and our health, to Him, and then stick to those goals.

"You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3

Strong and Courageous

2006-06-19T05:52:00.000-07:00

Since we set a goal to ride 200 miles in June, I've been pushing myself on my bike more than ever. It's wonderful to feel stronger every day with my heart pumping, my lungs breathing, and muscles getting stronger. Here is a Bible verse to remind us to also be strong in Jesus.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

This reminds me that with Jesus we don't need to be afraid to try something new, to set a goal, to accomplish something for Him. He will be there for us all the way.

God's Plan for You

2006-06-15T04:38:00.000-07:00

What if God had a plan for your life but you didn't allow Him to fulfill it? And "What if" is not really the correct way to ask the first part of this question because we know for certain that God does have plans for your life. And they're wonderful plans.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

The uncertain part is the second part of this question--our part. What if, by our choices and actions, we don't allow God the opportunity to fulfill His plans for our lives?

I have been thinking about this in terms of my health. What if God has plans for me to experience good health, to live a long, active life, but I don't let Him fulfill those plans? If I choose to eat too much pizza, overindulge my appetite on a daily basis, and avoid exercise, I could be missing out on the blessing of good health that God wants to give me.

What an amazingly sad thought. In fact, Isaiah reminds us how tragic it is to miss out on God's blessings because we continue to follow our own way instead of His way.

"Woe to the obstinate children,"
declares the LORD,
"to those who carry out plans that are not mine,
forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit,
heaping sin upon sin;" Isaiah 30:1

God wants the best for us. He has marvelous plans. This includes good health. He plans for us to be water skiing or snow skiing or riding our bikes or walking a mile--whatever it is we love to do--maybe even when we're up to 100 years old! He plans for us to be serving Him with a long, active, healthy life.

Let's pray that we will make the right choices daily so that God can fulfill His plans for us.

Philippians 4:12

2006-06-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Once again, I fell for a lie. This was a new lie.

Before I admit the lie I fell for, let me tell you how amazed I am that through God's power, I have been able to remain dessert-free. This year I have passed up cookies, do-nuts, cake, ice cream, etc. I am almost to the point where I don't even consider the temptation for these sweet treats (the same as I never consider eating meat). However, in the grocery store (and this is what happens when I go grocery shopping without praying for God's wisdom and spirit to help me choose only healthy foods - this is what happens when I think I'm strong enough on my own now) a thought occurred to me: "You know, they make those ice cream treats sugar free. There really is no reason to continue denying myself a sweet treat when I can buy the version with Splenda!"

Of course, I immediately agreed with the thought and found myself Breyer's version of Splenda-sweetened ice cream bars. I thought it was a splendid idea. (Get it? Splenda?) But I should have recognized the trap. It was a lie. I gorged on those ice cream bars the same as I would have on the real sugar variety and ended up eating way too many calories and feeling downright blah.

Here is the real lie: You're missing out on something. Don't you feel that craving? You need something sweet to fill that craving?

Here is the truth: I am content. I am practicing being content in all things. I am content with the good-tasting, healthy, life building food that God has given me. When I make good healthy choices, I'm not missing out on anything except for the poor health that comes from the wrong lifestyle choices.

Paul practiced being content, and we should, too.

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Philippians 4:12 (NIV)

If we remain content with the wonderful food God has provided for our good health, we won't fall for the "You're missing out on something" lie.

Holy Spirit and the Right Motive

2006-06-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

To keep our motives correct, we need the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit keep our hearts pure. The Holy Spirit can help us keep our motives for weight loss focused on God. While sin tears us down, the Holy Spirit renews us and builds us up through God's power and through His mercy.

"The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind[b] is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you." Romans 8:6-9 (NIV)

The Right Motive

2006-06-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like God is not hearing your prayer? Maybe you need to check your motive. Listen to what James has to say about this question...

"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:3 (NIV)

I know I need to check my motive for weight loss every day and keep my focus on Jesus.

Thy Will Be Done

2006-06-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

I had the funniest question pop into my mind after reading my previous blog entry where I stated "I only want to lose 10 pounds." I wondered: Does God want me to lose 10 pounds? Or is it just me who wants this? Is it His will, or is it mine?

Of course, I believe God wants us to maintain our health so we can serve Him better. But when I ask myself this very specific question, I start feeling a little perplexed. I have always thought of this in terms of "I want" not "God wants" and it feels a little uncomfortable for me to tell myself that God wants me to lose 10 pounds.

It takes me right back to the question: Am I doing it for Him, or am I doing it for me? I want to keep my motives pure and remove vanity from my heart, but I think it keeps sneaking back in. If God wants me to lose 10 pounds, then when I pray for His strength and pray "thy will be done," if I submit to His will, then I will be successful.

Here is a passage I plan to ponder more this week from Job 22 (especially Job 22:27 - what a powerful verse!):

21 "Submit to God and be at peace with him;
in this way prosperity will come to you.

22 Accept instruction from his mouth
and lay up his words in your heart.

23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored:
If you remove wickedness far from your tent

24 and assign your nuggets to the dust,
your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines,

25 then the Almighty will be your gold,
the choicest silver for you.

26 Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty
and will lift up your face to God.

27 You will pray to him, and he will hear you,
and you will fulfill your vows.

More and more Prayer

2006-05-29T06:20:00.000-07:00

While out walking/jogging this morning, I prayed to God and asked the question "Lord, what is going to be the key to my weight loss success? I only want to lose about 10 pounds. This goal really shouldn't be so hard to attain. There is something I'm missing. Something I'm not doing quite right." Immediately, I heard the answer. "You need more prayer."

It's a simple answer. If we need more of God's power in our lives, we need more prayer. Daniel prayed 3 times a day. So, why do I think my one time first thing in the morning is enough to sustain me all day? This week, I will pray more, especially in the late afternoon/early evening, which is the time of the day I most often give in to cravings.

Remember - "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16

Adding to Battle Plan

2006-05-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

The May challenge to walk 40 miles has been a great goal for me. I walked more than I would have this month. I haven't reached my goal, but I have 3 more days. We don't have a scale in our house but I'm sure I lost a couple of pounds of fat. Our family went to Science City on Friday and I weighed in there at their medical/health exhibit and weighed 3 pounds less than I did at the doctor a couple months ago. So, that's the good news. The bad news is I'm sure I added back at least 2 of those pounds with all the pizza I ate last night. My husband asked for home-made pizza, so I made the dough, then discovered we had no pizza or spaghetti sauce, so I made sauce out of tomatos and a can of diced tomatos. It took an hour to make this pizza. By the time it was done, I was famished and had invested so much time in the pizza, I decided I deserved a ton of it!

Well...I now have a new thing to add to my battle plan. Pizza. I need a plan to deal with pizza so I don't overindulge. Here's the plan. Amy's brand makes a terrific cheese-less pizza. It is low fat, and one of my favorite foods. I will keep frozen Amy's cheese-less pizza on hand, and the next time my family wants pizza - they can order out or make a frozen pizza - and I will have my Amy's pizza.

What challenges are you facing with your healthy lifestyle and weight loss goals? Since we are all different, we all need a different battle plan. But here's something we all have in common. Our strength comes from God. We need a plan so we can overcome temptation, but to carry out the plan, we need the word of God in our hearts and prayer. Lots and lots of prayer.

"...but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." 2 Chronicles 32:8 (NIV)

Things We Do Not Know

2006-05-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

My niece graduated from Enterprise Academy, and we went to her graduation ceremony this past weekend. I enjoy listening to the sermons and speeches encouraging graduates to choose the path that follows Jesus. If you could go back to your own high school graduation and make all the choices between that day and this day over again, is there anything you would want to do differently? For me the answer is "yes...I would want to go back and make right all of those times that I didn't follow Jesus."

But I can't change the past. So what about the future now? Just as I was on graduation day, today I'm facing an unknown future. I'd like to think that I have more wisdom now than I did then. But I still need more wisdom. We are all faced with choices every day as we head into an uncertain future.

One of the speakers shared a verse from Jeremiah 33:3
'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

God is still there, ready for us to call on Him. He has great things to reveal to us. So much we do not know. But He is ready to show us if we call on Him.

Here's a question for God. Why is it important for us to maintain our health? Does it really matter, and why? I believe it does matter, but there are still great and unsearchable things I do not know. This week I am calling on God to reveal to us the great and unsearchable things about our bodies and our health. I pray that He will reveal new reasons to each of us and create an even deeper impression and reason to maintain our health for His glory.

Walk Before the Lord

2006-05-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

Since we are walking 40 miles this month, let's remember to walk with the Lord.

Before God confirmed his covenant with Abraham, He spoke to him saying "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless." (Genesis 17:1 NIV).

I pray that God will help all of us to be blameless as we walk with Him today, and always.

God's Law is Protective

2006-05-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

Today I've been thinking about how much love God has for us that He gave us His law to protect us. There are only problems and pain when we don't follow His law.

The laws of nature and health are no different. The consequences might seem small with each individual decision, but they add up. We are either building up our health bit by bit one decision at a time, or we are tearing our health down one decision at a time.

Remember that God's law is a law of love.

"Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble." Psalm 119:165 (NIV)

As Fast as a Turtle!

2006-05-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

Have you ever watched a turtle walking along comfortably without a care in the world, when all of a sudden a jolt, a tap, or a noise startles him? In an instant, he pulls his head and all 4 feet under his shell. He's quick. He doesn't hesitate. He doesn't look around and ponder the potential source of danger. Without a dilly or a dally, he turns to his shell for protection.

You know he's a smart turtle. But how about you? How quickly do you turn to the truth for protection when confronted with a tempting lie? The belt of truth is part of the Armor of God. It's there to protect us. But if you're like me, sometimes you might not have the belt of truth fastened very tightly around your middle. I left my belt of truth unbuckled this past weekend, and I fell for a lie. I happen to love cheese dip, and since I've given up sugary sweets, here's the lie I fell for:

THE LIE: "Since you're not eating dessert, you have to be able to indulge some of your cravings, and cheese dip is fine because it has protein and fat to slow down the sugar absorption!" Now if I were like the turle, I would make a mad dash for the truth. I would replace that lie with the truth immediately - THE TRUTH: "My body does not magically absorb and work off the calories from cheese dip just because I'm not eating desserts. What good does it do to let go of donuts if I'm just going to replace all those calories with cheese dip?!"

The truth is: My body will not magically absorb excess calories from any source. When people ask me why I'm not eating ice cream, when everyone else around me is, I calmly repond "Well, there's really nothing in the ice cream I need for nutrition, and my body can't handle those excess calories. My body just stores it as excess fat." That's the plain and simple truth. There are a few people who have such a high metabolism, they can eat junk food and their bodies don't store it as fat. My body is simply not one of them.

When I tell people the plain truth, they agree with me. It's logical and true. But the truth is, most people don't think about the truth while indulging appetite. We ignore the truth at the detriment of our own health. I need to remember that Jesus gave me the truth to protect me. I need to pray, and I need to wear my belt of truth. With the belt of truth, the next time I have one of those tempting lies pop into my head, I will remember the turtle. Iwill see how fast I can kick the lie out of my head and replace it with the truth. No hesitating. No rationalizing. I'll do it as fast as a turtle!

"Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD;
may your love and your truth always protect me." Psalm 40:11

The Voice of Truth

2006-05-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

God talks to us is many different ways. We read His words in the Bible. We see his creative hand in nature. Sometimes we hear a still small voice--the Holy Spirit prompting our hearts. But sometimes life is so loud and noisy that God's voice is barely heard. We focus our attention on so many things at one time that we hardly have time to stop and listen to God's voice. We have tasks related to our job, or volunteer projects, or family activites consuming us. OR, we have the radio on or T.V. blaring, or the newspaper to read.

It America, each of us is exposed to an estimated 2,500 advertising messages per day (some estimates are as high as 3,000). From the bathroom stall to your grocery receipt, advertisements are everywhere, most of which can't even be taken at face value. There's always an angle, a slant. Can you really believe the ad featuring a weight-loss product that will help you lose 5, 10, 20 pounds in just a few weeks? They don't mention how many people fail, or how soon the weight comes back on.

The point is, we are bombarded with information. We have email messages to read, we have spam to filter and delete, we have telephone messages to return. So many voices. So many distractions. Still, in the middle of it all, the still small voice of God is there. We will hear God's voice if we listen.

I heard a song on a Christian radio last week. I had heard this song many times before, but this time, I paid attention to the lyrics. The song is "The voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns. I love this song. If we would only listen to the Voice of Truth rather than the lies that come from Satan, rather than the lies coming our way from the media, rather than lies lodged in our hearts from past experiences. Here are the words to the chorus:
Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

You can find the complete lyrics here:
http://www.sing365.com/music/Lyric.nsf/Voice-Of-Truth-lyrics-Casting-Crowns/C476D6C52BE8E8C048256E9C000DB7A4

In this busy world, with all the voices calling out to us, we must listen to the voice of truth. Jesus is our shepherd and He will not leave us. He will guide us. He will speak to us with a still, small voice. Don't ignore the voice. Listen to His Voice of Truth.
Along our path toward better health, He will guide us. He will help us make good choices and remind us of the truth.

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." Johne 10:27 (NIV)

Small Change - Big Change

2006-05-05T10:39:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting statistic I found in Danna Demetre's book "Scale Down" (page 38): The average woman gains about 25 pounds between the ages of 25 and 50. That's only 1 pound per year. Danna encourages her readers to "sweat the small stuff," because if "you burn five calories more a day than you eat, you'll lose twenty-five pounds over 30 years."

Of course, we don't all want to wait for 30 years. The point is that even small changes can add up to a big difference over time.

Using the Calorie Exenditure Calculator (see link to the left on the blog page), I calculated that I burn about 107 calories every time I walk 1 mile. So if I walk an extra 40 miles in May, I will burn an extra 4,280 calories. This adds up to a little more than a pound of weight. If I were to eat just 100 fewer calories per day in May also, that would add up to another 3,100 calories, which would be another pound off.

Have you ever noticed when you save your small change how soon the money adds up? Our calorie banks work the same way. Instead of cutting out 100 calories a day, if we eat an extra 100 calories per day, this small change adds up in the calorie bank around our tummies. Just eating an additional 100 calories more than we burn off in a day for a whole month will result in an extra pound gained that month.

So, small changes can result in a big difference.

When Jesus comes, He will change us back into the perfect beings He created us to be.

"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed" 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52 (NIV)

This will be the most amazing, awesome, major change we'll ever experience. Until then, let's rely on His power to help us make small changes toward better health, giving glory to Him with our bodies, while we wait for His return and the ultimate heavenly change to which we're all looking forward!

Walk 40 Miles in May

2006-05-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

If you are a visitor to the Full Armor of God Diet blog, you might like to join us for the May Wellness Challenge. We have committed to walking 40 miles in May. If you average 1.3 miles per day, you can do this! Or you could walk 2 miles a day for 20 out of 31 days and have 9 days off. Whatever works for you. I just don't recommend waiting until May 31 and walking all 40 miles!

You can email your miles to me daily or weekly, or just whenever you have the time. I'll add them to the speadsheet, which is a great way to create accountability and increase your motivation to stick to the goal.

You will find a link to the "Walk 40 Miles in May" spreadsheet under the Links heading on the left side of this Web page. Remember, walking is a great time to pray. I encourage you to keep praying and putting on the Armor of God while you're out walking.

Walking with Jesus in Baby Steps

2006-05-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

I have found one of the greatest benefits of using the Armor of God to overcome appetite is my closer walk with Jesus. I can walk with Jesus and experience victory. I also notice the opposite effect as a disadvantage. When I go through my day without using the Armor of God, I feel distanced from Jesus. After walking close with Him, I notice a big difference when I'm not. Also, not only do I feel bad because I have let myself down, I feel doubly bad because I have let Him down. I am so glad Jesus never gives up on me. He encourages me to take baby steps instead of giant leaps.

Using the Armor of God to overcome appetite is a great way to build spiritual muscles, not just for maintaining health but for all the areas of life. I want to encourage you not to let the muscles grow weak though. We can build them up, but when we don't use them, they grow weak again. Keep taking baby steps, with a spirit of continuous improvement.

Here are some of the baby steps toward better health that I have taken one at a time.
1) Last year, I gave up chocolate. My daughter stopped eating chocolate, so I stopped with her. When she decided to eat chocolate again, I had gone so long without it, I decided to stick with my chocolate fast. Now, chocolate no longer even tempts me. I just know that I don't eat it. It's not even a question.
2) This year, I've been working on eliminating sweet desserts. God has been helping me overcome in this area.

My next baby step? I still have steps to take that will help me manage my overall health. I still really go for the bread and butter, plus cheese. I'm trying to decide what my next baby step should be. I need to overcome one thing at a time, conquering a little by little through the strength that comes from Jesus.

Let's keep taking one baby step at a time with Jesus, walking in His ways.

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

Experience Truth From the Inside Out

2006-05-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

Jesus explains how we can abide by the truth. We let the truth inside our hearts when we let the Holy Spirit in. In fact, when referring to the Counselor to be with us, Jesus called Him "the Spirit of Truth."

"If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you." John 14:15-17 (NIV)

Praise - 4 months sugar-free

2006-04-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

Since part of the Armor of God includes the gospel feet, today is a perfect day to offer a praise. I'd like to share the good news of how God is working in my life. It's the last day of April. I started this blog 4 months ago in January. Thank you so much to those of you who have offered support and encouragement. Early in January, Katie posted to the blog some info about herself. In response to my blog about cutting out cookies, donutes, cake, and candy from my diet, she said she had done the same thing, noting that she had been "sugar free" for 6 years. That was totally amazing to me. I was encouraged to know that it could be done.

Well, it hasn't been 6 years. For me, it's been 4 months. But I am so happy to see God working in my life. I haven't eaten donuts, candy, or any type of sweet, sugary dessert-type food this year. Praise God. No, I'm not perfect. I still overeat on good, healthy food. I still eat too much of even the good food. My appetite is still there. However, I feel God is working in my life to overcome this.

This blog has been a great way for me to create accountability. At least I know someone knows my plans and that I've been striving to let God's power work in my life.

So part of the Armor is the gospel feet, taking good news everywhere. I need to practice this, so I'm starting right here with the blog! Praise God for His wonderful patience with me, and praise Him for helping me overcome my sugar cravings!

Do you have good news to share? I would love to here it. Share your good news. It's just like putting on your gospel feet.

Through Christ's Strength, We Can Be Content

2006-04-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

You might be familiar with the popular Bible verse in Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." But did you know the 2 verses prior to this one focus on being content? As human beings, it's hard for us to be content, isn't it? Can we actually be content with a meal that doesn't end with ice cream? Can we be content even when we're in need, even when we're hungry? The Bible reminds us that we can be content. We can do all things - even become content - through Christ who strengthens us.

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Philippians 4:11,12

This is such an important thing for me to remember. It doesn't come naturally, so I have to practice. But putting on the armor of God and relying on strength of Jesus, it's possible to be content without cookies, candy, or ice cream!

Each Day

2006-04-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

HI everyone - last week my family went on a spring skiing vacation, but I'm back this week! Tammy, thank you so much for your posts. It's so helpful to know I'm not alone.

Trying to be practical, I've been practicing my battle plans. Here is something that I've learned. A battle plan works for one day, but not the second day. When I chart a plan of action for a day, put on the armor of God, and pray for that day, God's power is sufficient for that day. But if I think the battle plan and prayer of yesterday will sustain me through today, I better think again. It hasn't worked for me.

This reminds me of the children of Israel. Maybe they tried to gather twice as much manna as needed to see if it would last for more than one day. Guess what? It didn't work with manna either.

"Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions." Exodus 16:4 NIV

Isn't it interesting to note that the Lord provided enough manna to last for one day and one day only for the Children of Israel? He didn't give them enough for each week, or even enough for 2 days at a time. Each day, they gathered the bread from heaven. In the same way, if I don't take time to put on the armor each day, I find myself working my way through life and fighting my battles without God's armor. I'm on my own, and I don't like it. Not only do I feel lonely (I miss my prayer time), I'm doomed to failure.

If the Children of Israel tried to gather enough manna for two days, the manna went bad and didn't last the 2nd day. Just like left over manna, left over armor and left over prayers aren't going to sustain us through the day. Did you know the manna was full of maggots and smelly the 2nd day? I really don't need to think about my 2nd-day armor being smelly, but if that's the image I need to get me to put on fresh, clean, and effective armor with new prayers every day, then that's what it takes.

It's important to remember that just as God provided manna each day, he provides the strength we need each day if we take the time to gather His armor and put it on daily.

Battle Plan - Use Napkin and Pray

2006-04-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

Sitting atop our riding lawn mower, I zoomed around our house this morning cutting grass and thinking of my battle plan for today. Where am I most likely to trip up with my healthy eating plan today? I know exactly where. Every Friday night, our family has beans and cornbread (with sweet potatos as a side), a Friday evening meal tradition carried over from my husband's family. The cornbread gets me. I either load it up with butter, or I load it up with honey. One slice would be fine (even maybe 2), but once I get started, I usually indulge in 3 or 4 slices! Obviously, my body can't absorb these calories, because I have evidence of cornbreads past around my middle. I put on a pair of jean shorts today that are suppose to be my "too big" shorts and they've almost turned into "too tight" shorts.

So, while mowing, I thought and thought about my battle plan with the cornbread tonight. (I have to keep using the water plan I developed yesterday for my car, but I need to add a new one for the cornbread this evening.) I wasn't coming up with anything, about ready to call it hopeless when an idea hit me. I love to play my guitar and I hardly ever take time for it. Tonight, rather than lingering over cornbread, I'll finish up supper quickly, motivated by my goal to get my guitar out and sit on the front porch.

So, here's the battle plan for today:

Step 1: At supper, eat one slice of cornbread with no butter or honey, and the rest of my meal without seconds on anything. When finished, I will put my napkin on my plate to cover it up and remind me that I'm finished.
Step 2: When the napkin goes on my plate, I'll pray for God to help me crave healthy alternatives to eating junk food, to fill my heart with His spirit and love.
Step 3: After the family finishes, clean up dishes, grab guitar and head for the front porch!

Plan of Action - Drink Water in Car/Pray!

2006-04-13T18:52:00.000-07:00

I love to read about the Full Armor of God and get inspired by scripture that encourages me to remain faithful. Be strong and courageous. Be victorious in God's power. It has come to my attention though (through an inspiring writer EG White) that sometimes we need to be more practical than philosophical. We need to follow in Jesus' footsteps one day at time. We need to overcome the tempter with practical action, step by step, each day.

I believe God is really speaking to me about this, because it's time for me to put my faith in action.

To me, this means developing a battle plan for each day. It could be a unique plan for each unique day, because each day has its own challenges. What worked today might not work tomorrow. For example, yesterday exhausted and hungry, I headed to the gas station to fill up the gas containers for our lawn mower. I drove my husband's SUV because hauling those containers makes the vehicle stink, and he offered to have his car get smelly instead of mine. As I was loading up the empty containers into his car, I noticed a can. It was a can of Pringles. Chili cheese Pringles. I had just finished an apple, but I was still hungry. I hadn't had a good lunch, and there they were. So, I opened the can. A few Pringles would hit the spot, right? I closed the back hutch and took the can with me to the front seat. A few more would reallly hit the spot. Guess what? By the time I drove into the gas station, I had devoured half of the Pringles. Do you know how many calories there are in half a can of Pringles - Chile Cheese Pringles? I calculated it then and put it out of my memory, but I think was about 1,000! This is the kind of behavior that sneaks up on me way too often.

So...this morning, I created a battle plan for the day. I decided today any time I went anywhere in the car, I would always take a big glass of ice water (sometimes I squeeze in some lemon - it is awesome). If my tummy is full of water, I'm less apt to fill it with anything else. Plus, when I'm tired and just beat, sometimes I think I need a bite to eat to perk me up. But you know what? Water does that just as well, or better! Water invigorates me.

So I've identified the car as my weakness. I don't watch TV so much anymore, so getting the munchies in front of TV isn't such a problem, but I drive quite a bit, and I need to stop the habit of grabbing food on the road.

So here's my plan to keep this from happening tomorrow:

Step 1: Whenever I'm getting into the car, grab water and drink it.
Step 2: Whenever I'm drinking water, pray for God's spirit and the will to follow His will.

Truth: Through God's Power We Can Overcome

2006-04-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

Remember that the Armor of God includes the belt of truth? All of the armor is important, but I have a special appreciation for the belt of truth. Without the truth, I become totally unmotivated. Without truth, I am deceived and walking down the wrong path.

The biggest lie Satan will try to tell you is that you cannot be successful in overcoming unhealthy habits. After years and years of struggling to get rid of junk food addition, wouldn't this be tempting to believe? We must not believe this lie. We can overcome unhealthy habits with God's power. We can overcome any sin in our lives through God's power.

We are called to live as children of light. Would God call us to live as His children if it were not possible?

"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." Ephesians 4:30 (NIV)

We grieve the Holy Spirit if we believe it when Satan tells us we cannot live a holy life. The truth is that through God's power, we can overcome.

Are You Weary?

2006-03-31T19:18:00.000-08:00

This has been an exhausting week for me. I'm organizing an event as a benefit for City Union Mission, the homeless shelter in Kanas City. It's the CrossRoard 5K walk and run, which takes place on Sunday. We have the most wonderful group of volunteers and helpers. However, I'm still tired just keeping up with it all. I only got about 3 hours of sleep last night, so I can' wait to close my eyes in slumber this evening. In our fast-paced, accomplishment oriented society, isn't it great to know that we when are weary, we have a source of renewal? Jesus said,

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:38 (NIV) What a perfect gift, the gift of rest, rest when we're physically tired, rest when we're tired of the struggle to do the right thing. All we have to do is come to Jesus and rest in His love.

Truth Brings Us Near to God

2006-03-30T17:34:00.000-08:00

The Armor of God includes the belt of truth. As one who falls for Satan's lies over and over (I am really a push-over without prayer and God's help), I recognize the wonderful power of the truth. If we keep our mind focused on God's truth, we will remain close to God. But as soon as we let our minds stray and ponder the lies, we're on a new path, heading toward the place where the lies lead us far away from the Lord.

"The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.: Psalm 145:18

Keeping the truth in our hearts will keep us close to the Lord. Let's call on Him in prayer, acknowledging that true happiness comes from abiding in His love, following His laws, and keeping the truth in our hearts.

Spirit of Progress

2006-03-29T06:10:00.000-08:00

In the workplace, employers often place an emphasis on continuous process improvement, always looking for better ways to do things. Have you heard about "Six Sigma"? This is an approach many businesses are implementing to create process improvement. "Six Sigma" is a discipline that strives for near perfection using a data-driven methodology for eliminating defects in any process.

Through the Six Sigma discipline, General Electric saved an estimated $10 billion during the first five years of implementation.

Obviously, in the workplace many of us are familiar with continuous improvement. What about continuous improvement in our spiritual lives? Is it important for us to accomplish continuous process improvement spiritually?

The apostle Paul also encouraged Christians to approach their Christian walk as a work in progress, but constantly improving, getting closer and closer to Jesus, as He works in us to perfect our characters.

"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."
"Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress."
1 Timothy 4: 8 and 15

The Christian author EG White encourages us to adopt a "spirit of progress." In Testimonies for the Church, Volume 3, page 540: "We must guard continually against being fixed in our views, feelings, and actions. The work of God is onward...Energy, tempered with patience and ambition, and balanced by wisdom, is now needed by every Christian. Our motto should ever be, "Onward, higher," surely, steadily onward to duty and to victory."

In His own words, Jesus set the goal as perfection. (Not to worry though, because He will help us reach that goal.)
"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48.

Of course, perfection doesn't happen instantly, but in our Christian walk we should always be getting closer to Jesus and closer to His ideal for our lives. This applies to our health as well. We should always be improving, and moving "ever onward." When we fall down, we just need to get back up and keep moving forward.

Isn't it interesting that the term for Jesus followers is "disciple?"

Review the definition of discipline:
"Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement."

Even the name "disciple" carries with it the message that this person is all about process improvement!

I want to be a Six Sigma disciple for Jesus. I want to be disciplined about eliminating defects in my Christian character, with energy tempered with patience and ambition.

Toil is More Important Than Talk

2006-03-29T04:57:00.000-08:00

You're probably familiar with the phrase "Talk is cheap." It means all the words in the world, if not followed by action, are meaningless. I have to admit these past several days I've been full of talk but not a lot of action and it's leaving me very uninspired. I've been blogging daily (last night my Internet connection was off, so I'm posting yesterday's thoughts this morning), but when I get in a groove of not following my own advice, even I am not inspired by my blogging. I think to myself "blah, blah, blah" and add a "g" to the end so I'm thinking "blog, blog, blog" with a grumpy attitude!

Last night, I got a little jolt from a verse in Proverbs. These words express what I felt in my heart...

"In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to want." Proverbs 14:23

"Toil" means "to proceed with difficulty." Practicing good nutrition, pushing the plate away before I've eaten too much, planning balanced nutritious meals for my family, eating few calories and exercising more to burn off calories -- all of this is hard work. It's difficult to be consistent. I can do it for a day or two, but keeping up is toilsome. It's a lot easier to jot down some ideas in a blog every day than to keep on keeping on with weight management plans. So, this is the Bible verse I need to carry in my heart to remind me that it is the toil that leads to results. If the talk does not lead me to action, the talk is a waste of time!

Set Your Mind on What is Good

2006-03-27T21:42:00.000-08:00

The world today has so many distractions, we can hardly focus on one thing at a time. So many things demand our attention. Yet, what we set our minds on is so important. In Romans, Paul tells us that "The mind set on the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Romans 8:7 (NIV)

Popular media, images from television, advertising messages, conversation of friends and family, everywhere we go, we are bombarded with messages to get our attention focused on cares of today, worldly goals, and fleshly desires. Yet, the Bible tells us that if our mind is focused on the flesh, it is not possible to submit to God's law. This reminds us to be careful with what we television images, what media messages, what information we allow into our minds. If we practice focusing on God and all that is good, our minds will be ready and able to submit to God's will.

Taken Captive

2006-03-26T18:37:00.000-08:00

If you are not in control of your eating, if it controls you, then you know how frustrating it is to be a slave to sin. But we do have a way of escape. Jesus can help us escape all traps of the devil, including the trap of appetite.

"...that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will" 2 Timothy 2:26

I find it interesting to note that we are told to come to our senses! The message is to pay attention to what we are doing. Be aware so that we can pray and through God's power escape from the trap.

More Joy

2006-03-24T19:09:00.000-08:00

More joy can be found in Jesus than anything we can turn to here on earth. His ways are not our ways, but using His armor, we can resist evil in this world, and learn to live according to His ways, which bring so much more joy than the things we turn to here on earth.

"The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes."
Psalm 19:8
Following God's plan for nourishing our bodies with good, healthy food brings joy to our hearts because we know we're doing something good for our health and our future and because it helps keep us walking with the Lord. If we're following His path, we're walking with Him, and there is no more joy than that.

Taking My Time

2006-03-23T15:21:00.000-08:00

As someone who eats to reduce stress, finding joy in the Lord is an important way for me to reduce stress instead of eating junk food. I found one of my WOW Christian music CDs yesterday that I hadn't listened to for a long time. It's the 1996 WOW CD. (WOW CDs come out each year and have the top Christian songs from that year.) On this CD is a perfect song to remind me to take my time on this earth and find my joy in the Lord. This song reminds us that we're going to heaven and we're only taking with us our family, our friends, and those things we can hold in our hearts.

Check this song out if you get a chance: Taking My Time, by Ashton, Becker, and Dente.

Joy

2006-03-22T20:52:00.001-08:00

Where do you get strength when you're feeling weak? Nehemiah reminds us in Nehemiah 8:10 that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Find joy in the Lord today so that you can be strong.

Joy

2006-03-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

Where do you get strength when you're feeling weak? Nehemiah reminds us in Nehemiah 8:10 that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Find joy in the Lord today so that you can be strong.

Prayer Alarm

2006-03-21T20:52:00.000-08:00

Since we need prayer to activate the power of God in our lives, I've been thinking it would be really great to have a prayer alarm. Too often, I reach the end of the day and look back and see right where I should have prayed in order to avoid pitfalls but didn't. How can it be that I know the importance of prayer, but when I'm in the middle of my day focusing on whatever it is I'm focusing on, I don't stop to pray?

Wouldn't it be great if there were a new invention, a buzzer that would go off whenever prayer is needed immediately? I wonder if I would tune out the buzzer, too. How can I remember to pray? I have asked God to help me remember to pray. I am sure He is doing His part, and I'm sure I'm not listening somehow. The key must be to simply slow down my life, slow down so I have time to listen.

Since we don't have prayer alarms, Isaiah 55:2-6 reminds us to simply stop, to listen to the Lord, to call on Him, for He is always near. If I am so busy that I haven' taken the time to acknowledge His presence, I need to stop and listen.

2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

3 Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.

4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of the peoples.

5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,
because of the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor."

6 Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.

Offer Your Body

2006-03-20T21:55:00.000-08:00

Have you thought about some of the creative ways you can worship God? As Christians, we've grown up worshiping God through prayer, praise music, and going to church. But here's a new way to worship God that might surprise you--with your body.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship." Romans 12:1 (NIV)

Paul encourages us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. We should keep our bodies in good health, because it is pleasing to God. And why? Because of God's mercy for us. It's a way to honor and give Him glory. According to Paul, it's a spiritual act of worship.

Live Within Your Means

2006-03-19T20:59:00.000-08:00

How many times have you heard from a financial advisor that you should live within your means? If not a financial advisor, you may have heard this from your parents, or a friend, or even your spouse! A few weeks ago, my husband and I began co-leading a Crown Financial Ministries Bible study group. We are studying the Bible to learn how to handle money God's way, and this past week, the emphasis was on debt reduction.

My husband has a strong passion for financial stewardship, and I have an equal passion for stewardship with health. So, in the middle of our debt reduction discussion, I started thinking about all the excess fat around my middle in terms of debt. An energy debt. To pay off this energy debt, I need to budget the energy I take into my body, and I need to start paying off the interest with more exercise.

Think about how difficult it is once you have gotten into debt with credit cards and multiple loans to get out of debt. It's the same way with our energy budget.

All of those extra cookies I've eaten in my lifetime is similar to shopping on a credit card. Just as we plan to pay it off later, we plan to burn off the calories later.

My husband and I, just like everyone else in our Bible study group, completed a plan to reduce our debt and to pay it off. There's a simple equation. It starts by living within our means, but when paying off debt, we actually have to live below our means in order for some of that means to apply to the debt. While we're working on this, it's reminds me that I need to eat within my body's means. My poor body has means to burn and use a certain amount of fuel from my food. If I eat within my means, this means I won't have to carry the excess energy around in the form of a big fat energy debt!

Walk in His Ways

2006-03-10T17:15:00.000-08:00

Even though God's ways are not our ways, with God's help, we can walk in His ways. If we pray for the Holy Spirit, God will fill our heart with His Spirit, and we will be able to walk in God's ways. Here is God's promise to us if we do this:

"And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."
1 Kings 3:14

Please pray for me, as I am praying for each of you. My prayer is that we will walk in God's ways.

Please note: I will be taking a week off for spring break, so I will be back here again with all my friends and bloggers again on Sunday, March 19.

God's Ways Are Not Our Ways

2006-03-09T18:01:00.000-08:00

God has an answer to why it is hard to follow His ways.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD." Isaiah 55:8

Sometimes, I wonder why it is so difficult for me to follow God's ways when it comes to health. I have managed to avoid sugar and sweets, but now I find myself indulging in bread and butter. It seems like if I'm not eating cookies, then I need butter in my diet. So, now I need to conquer my over indulgance of butter. But this Bible verse reminds me that God's ways are not my natural ways. Only through prayer will His Spirit fill my heart and lead me in His ways.

Rescue from God

2006-03-08T20:53:00.000-08:00

How are we to resist the temptation to overindulge our appetites? We are powerless to overcome, but God can rescue us from these powerful temptations.

"He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me." Psalm 18:17 (NIV)

Avoid Envy

2006-03-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

We can enhance our health through exercise and nutrition, but we should also remember how our emotions impact health. Are you at peace with your place in life? Are you content with your personal blessings from God? If so, the peace you have found actually gives life to your body.

"A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones." Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)

If you are ever tempted to let envy grow in your heart, or to dwell on what you're missing out on, remember what it does to your bones!

God's Grace Can Build You Up

2006-03-06T20:05:00.000-08:00

If you are ever feeling defeated, if you ever feel like giving up because you have failed so many times, just remember God's grace is there to build you up.

"Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." Acts 20:32

Perseverance

2006-03-05T18:39:00.000-08:00

It is easy for me to be passionate about health, but it is not easy for me to be persistent in my plans. I find that for 23 hours out of any given day, I follow a healthy plan for life. Then for 1 hour out of 24, I don't. This is so frustrating, because if for only 1 hour, I indulge in junk food that turns itself into fat on my body, then the other 23 hours don't really count for much!

I found a terrific prayer in 2 Thessalonians.
"May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance." 2 Thessalonians 3:5 (NIV)

Imagining that I'm not the only one who follows the 23 hours-a-day good diet plan and encounters problems during the other 1 hour, I will prayer for all of you and for me this week. Please join me in praying for each other. When it comes to walking the path of good health, I certainly could use more perseverance, and I need to practice persevering for 24 hours at a time.

The Truth About Building Up Your Life

2006-03-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever engaged in destruction behavior while at the same time being fully aware that you were not taking a wise course of action? Solomon has a Proverb for us women about destructive behavior:

"The wise woman builds her house,
but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." Proverbs 14:1 (NIV)

Whether we are building up our bodies for good health, building up our families, our friendships, or our careers, this is a simple truth to remember. We can take steps to build up our houses (our lives, our homes, our relationships), or we can take steps that totally tear them down. These words of wisdom can be a powerful truth to add to our belts of truth as part of the armor of God.

The next time you find yourself about to take steps that would tear down anything in your life, think about what a wise woman would do.

Put on the Armor With Prayer

2006-03-02T21:49:00.000-08:00

Even though we know all about the armor of God, if we don't put it on every day, we won't see the results of God's power in our lives. So, how do we put on the armor of God? Prayer is the key. Prayer is what unlocks the power of the armor of God. Paul reminds us to pray all the time. Carrying around the armor without asking God to use the armor to fight our battles for us is ineffective. We need to put on God's armor through prayer and then continue praying throughout the day that He will use the armor and fight our battles for us.

In addition to prayer for God's power in our own lives, it is so important to lift each other up in prayer. Did you know that Jesus prayed a special prayer for you? He prayed for his disciples as well as those who would come to Him through the teaching of His disciples.

In his prayer to God about His disciples, Jesus said...
"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." John 17:13-26 (NIV)

With All Your Heart For the Lord

2006-03-01T11:27:00.000-08:00

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men," Colossians 3:23 (NIV)

When I remind myself that I'm working for the Lord, no matter what I'm doing, I have more energy and enthusiasm to finish the task. I love working for the Lord because I know whatever I'm doing will have some meaningful value, whether big or small. I also know that when I'm working for the Lord, he sends his angels to help as well, so my efforts are always multiplied.

If any goal or task we are facing is not for God ultimately, then what point is it? This is why when I'm working toward my goal to maintain my weight (lose weight and keep it off), I love to remind myself that it's for the Lord. While I'm at it, I might as well be enthusiastic and dedicated. This will bring a lot of joy to the task.

This applies to our healthy lifestyle goals as well. We should work toward our weight loss goals, and any other goals, not half-heartedly, but with all of our hearts. If we're out walking for the Lord or turning down junk food for the Lord, these tasks always lose their drudgery. We can just feel good inside, because we are doing it for Him.

Honor Your Father and Mother

2006-02-28T22:03:00.000-08:00

Did you know the Bible promises a special blessing for those who honor their parents? It's one of the 10 commandments, and it comes with a promise of long life.

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you." Exodus 20:12 (New King James Version)

While we're focusing on living long and living well by eating nutritious food and exercising, we shouldn't forget the extra blessing God has promised to those who honor their parents.

Adam and Eve

2006-02-27T22:02:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered why the temptation to indulge appetite is so strong. Appetite is one of the strongest temptations known to man. Even the original human pair, Adam and Eve, failed on the test of appetite.

Genesis 3:1-6
"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' " "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."

This reminds us that Satan is crafty. He loves to twist the truth and deceive us. Using the belt of truth as part of the armor of God will help us recognize the lies. It's important to put on the belt of truth every day. If we can develop self-control around food, we will build up spiritual strength to resist temptations in other areas as well.

Trust in the Lord

2006-02-26T20:12:00.000-08:00

I have always loved Proverbs 3:5,6.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5,6 (NIV)

These two Bible verses provide encouragement if we don't know which direction to head or if we're facing life decisions. It's comforting to know that God will direct our paths. All we have to do is trust Him and rest in His peace. But there is more to this passage in the Bible if we read the next two verses.

"Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones." Proverbs 3:7,8 (NIV)

This is a reminder about how trusting in God and following His ways leads to good health.

A City with Strong Walls

2006-02-24T15:15:00.000-08:00

Are you like a city with strong walls, or are your walls broken down? In the book of Proverbs, Solomon compares a person who lacks self-control with a broken down city.

Proverbs 25:27,28
"It is not good to eat too much honey,
nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.

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

I feel like a broken down city when I lose my self control, either by eating too much honey (sugary sweets) or losing my temper, or even taking on too much work. I am so happy that God is always there for us and that He is able to build us back up when we become like a city with broken down walls.

Take Your Gospel Feet Wherever You Go

2006-02-23T17:35:00.000-08:00

Another part of the armor of God is described in Ephesians 6:15. Paul encouraged the Ephesian church to stand firm against the enemy (Satan) who wanted to destroy their lives with "feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." Because Paul used military images to describe other parts of the armor, when discussing feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, Bible interpreters have suggested that he was referring to boots worn by the Roman army. Roman footwear was designed to ensure a strong grip on the ground. So, this part of the armor suggests that Christians need to stand with a firm grip in the gospel truth in order to be victorious during spiritual battle.

The Contemporary English Version of the Bible describes this part of the armor in this way: "Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet."

Since the gospel is the good news about our salvation through Jesus, spreading the good news about what Jesus has done in your life is part of the armor.

My prayer for each of you is that you will experience victory in your quest for good health and that you will then share your story with others about how Jesus has helped you overcome temptations for unhealthy lifestyle habits. Sharing the good news is part of the armor. If you have a story, please send it to me, or post it as a comment. If you'd like to email me directly, let me know if you give me permission to share your story with others here on this blog.

Be Content

2006-02-22T18:57:00.000-08:00

I have often wondered if eating too much is a form of coveting. In her comment to my February 21 post, Sandra reminds us that sometimes in response to stress we might turn to junk food to gain some momentary peace. I think being at peace is similar to being content. If we are content with the food God has provided to build our bodies up and sustain our health, then we'll be at peace, not having an internal struggle to overcome tempation to eat more than we need or to indulge in junk food.

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' ” Hebrews 13:5 (New King James Version)

If I could remember to be content with an appropriate amount and type of food (single servings instead of seconds, skipping out on ice cream, etc.), I'll experience much more contentment in the long run with the blessing of good health.

Bread of Life

2006-02-21T18:55:00.000-08:00

Isn't it interesting that Jesus compared our physical hunger with the emotional longings in our hearts? Whether we have cravings or actual physical hunger pangs, sometimes we humans feel such a strong desire for food that we can hardly think of anything else. It's difficult for me to concentrate on my work or think about anything other than food when my stomach is growling.

Jesus knows how strong hunger for food can be, but He also knows that there is something we need much more than food. The day after Jesus performed the miracle of feeding 5,000 people with five barley loaves and two fish, people sought Jesus. In John 6, Jesus told them that they were seeking him because they had eaten their fill of the loaves of bread. He then compared Himself to bread, saying that He is the bread of life.

"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal" John 6:27 (Revised Standard Version)

They reminded Jesus that their forefathers had eaten manna in the wilderness, saying that God had given them bread from heaven to eat. To this Jesus replied "...my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world." John 6:33 When the people asked Jesus to give them that special bread, always, Jesus replied "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst." John 6:35

We need to go to Jesus and believe in him to have the life which God gives to the world. When we're with Jeus, He will satisfy our longing.

We are complete in Him. Colossians 2:10

Take Care of Your Body as a Temple

2006-02-20T08:19:00.000-08:00

If you're wondering why it is important to take care of your body, you will find the answer in 1 Corinthians.

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple." 1 Corinthians 3:16,17 (NIV)

Because God's Spirit lives in us, we should build up our bodies as temples for the Lord. By taking care of our health, we show respect for the Lord's dwelling place within us. On the other hand, when we destroy our health, we are destroying God's temple.

Have you dried up any bones lately?

2006-02-19T06:54:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's the winter blahs and the greyish color of the sky that has been making me grumpy. Or, maybe Satan has been giving me an extra dose of "get angry quick" temptation. It could be that I'm not as relaxed because I haven't been getting my exercise outside in the fresh air. Whatever the reason, I realize that I need to focus on being cheerful as much as I need to focus on good health.

In fact, here is a Bible verse to remind me that being cheerful is another way to contribute to good health.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22 NIV

When I realize that snapping at my children or husband can crush their spirits and actually dry up their bones, it's a horrible thought. Of course, I don't want to dry up the bones of my family!

Let's put on extra smiles this week and remember that a cheerful heart will not only bring health to you but to those around you.

Prolong Your Life

2006-02-17T15:14:00.000-08:00

Some people believe that there is a pre-ordained time for each of us to die and that "when our time is up, our time is up." However, modern science has revealed that we can have a huge impact on the length and quality of our lives through the lifestyle choices we make. Even the Bible confirms that we can prolong our lives by our behavior.

"My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you prosperity."
Proverbs 3:1, 2 (NIV)

God has promised that if we follow His commands we will enjoy a longer, happier life. There is a key message here that would be easy to overlook. We aren't told to simply keep God's commandments. We're told to keep them in our hearts. If they're in our hearts, we hold them dear. We love them. We follow them because we love God and because we love His recipe for life.

Eating to Excess

2006-02-16T21:34:00.000-08:00

Proverbs is a book full of wisdom, and here is a verse about gluttony from Proverbs. Gluttony is defined as "habitual eating to excess."

"When you sit to dine with a ruler,
note well what is before you,

and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to gluttony.

Do not crave his delicacies,
for that food is deceptive." Proverbs 23:1-3 (NIV)

I have never thought about food as being deceptive - as if the food is trying to trick me. As one who has a tendency to eat to excess, this sort of gives me a humble feeling.

Appetite an idol?

2006-02-15T18:58:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've been reading about the children of Israel and how displeased God was when His people continually turned to idols and false gods. This has always puzzled me. I don't understand the temptation to worship an image of gold. I have never been tempted to worship an idol made of gold, and it seems ridiculous. However, I was taught as a child that if we put anything before God (a beautiful home, a nice sports car, etc.) that anything could become an idol if it were more important to us than God.

So, I started wondering if appetite could be an idol, a false god, and I found a quick, easy answer to this question in Philippians.

"Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things."
Philippians 3:19 (New King James Version)

So there's the answer. It is possible to turn our bellies, or our appetites, into a god. In this day and age, it's one of the many earthly things we set our mind on. Sometimes we seek chocolate with more diligence than we seek His kingdom.

Could God be as displeased with this as He was with the children of Israel worshipping their idols? And if they could have seen into the future, the children of Israel probably would have looked at me when I lost control of my appetite and considered that as bizarre as I consider their worshipping a golden calf.

Satan works hard to get us to turn our eyes away from Jesus. He knew long ago during the lifetime of the children of Isreal just how to tempt them, and he knows today during my lifetime just how to tempt me. This is another reminder of how crafty Satan is and why we need the armor of God every day.