CHAPTER 12: Prepare for Action

If we ever want to accomplish our goals, we must take action.
In order to take action, there must be some preparation. If not, the ultimate goal will never be realized.

Preparing our minds for action comes from 1 Peter 1:13.
This would include a truthful evaluation of where we stand mentally, physically, emotionally and especially spiritually.
It would also include gaining the knowledge and information we need to carry out the mission.

This scripture also speaks of being "self-controlled". (Meaning self-disciplined, practicing restraint!) The question is, how do we maintain a posture of self-control? The answer is priorities. Putting the proper emphasis on the most important things. Is it more important to satisfy the cravings of the appetite, or to meet the nutritional needs of the body? In the same way we could look at this spiritually...being obedient and pleasing to God in the area of healthy eating or be "gluttons". That may sound harsh, but it's actually true.

I pray that we will fulfill the scripture in 1 Peter 1, and be followers of Christ who walk the way He did...in moderation.

CHAPTER 11: He Built the House!

Imagine this scenario:

A Father built a beautiful new home for his daughter. He purchased choice materials and spared no expense. The house was stocked with the finest furniture and fixtures. When the house was complete, he turned the key over to her.
He just knew she would be pleased with his work and enjoy this lovely home. He looked forward to sharing many wonderful times together there. As time went by the young lady neglected to take care of the house. She didn't even make much time to spend with her father. He tried to remind her of how much he loved her and what a precious gift this house was, but she paid no attention. Several years went by and one day she realized that floors were scratched, there were cobwebs hanging from the ceiling, the roof leaked, and their were stains on the furniture, all from careless use. She called her father and asked for his help. Her father's heart was full of joy. It was a call he had waited on, because he had longed to help her. She was unable to make repairs on her own, but together they could accomplish great things. Her father had the skill and expertise and finally she had the desire to restore her home, and put things back in working order.

God created our bodies and He is able to repair the things are are not in working order. We need to call on Him to help us make necessary changes.

God has chosen to dwell in His people through the Holy Spirit. He builds a spiritual home within our hearts. This brings new life as the Spirit of the Living God takes up residence and we allow him free reign. After all, He built the house!

1 Peter 2:4-6
"...you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

I don't know about you, but it's hard to fathom the fact that God calls ME to be part of a "royal priesthood" a citizen of His "holy nation". Being a citizen of this nation gives us gifts and graces, or priviledges so to speak. By the blood of Jesus, we can come boldly before the throne and offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord.

That sacrifice begins with turning the keys over to the Master Builder and letting Him do a work in us that is impossible for us to do on our own.

CHAPTER 10: The Bread of Idleness

For many years, I've read about the Proverb 31 Woman and thought, "How could anyone measure up to that?"

Proverbs 31:25-27

"She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness."

I have to say that over the last 8 years or so, I've felt like I was running out of steam. Eight years ago I went through some tough health problems that took me off work for a year and rendered me feeble at the time. The Lord has blessed me to experience healing in my body. But still, I've gone through a daily struggle to "feel" like doing what needed to be done. Regardless of how I felt, I have slowed down very little. I've always been an extremely busy person. (Of course what mother with three children isn't?) But I long to have the energy to spend it on helping others.

Something that really stood out to me in this scripture is that "eat the bread of idleness" doesn't mean "lazy" or "inactive". It literally means "gossip", "discontent" and "self-pity". Gossip hasn't really been a struggle, but discontent and self-pity have been. Who hasn't felt sorry for themselves or wished that things would be different?

I pray that I will let the Holy Spirit transform my me in such a way that my life will in some way reflect the character of the Proverbs 31 woman.

CHAPTER 9: Temptation

"Watch and pray, lest you enter temptation. For the Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41 & Mark 13:48

Jesus was no stranger to temptation. He encountered times in His ministry when I'm sure He grew tired, hungry, frustrated and angry. He experienced the same emotions we do.

In John 2:1-11, when He attended the wedding at Cana, the master of the house provided a feast for the guests. The food was probably quite elaborate for this special occasion. I'm sure Jesus enjoyed His share of the meal. It had been a wonderful day with friends and family. He had performed his first miracle.

Then verse 12 of the same chapter, Jesus was angry because they were selling merchandise in the temple in Jerusalem. So he drove them out with a whip made of chords. He even turned over tables. Jesus was frustrated to say the least. His Father's house was being misused!

From one extreme to the other, his life experience gave him the whole spectrum of emotions that we encounter. But Jesus knew the flesh was not to be catered to. The last verse in this chapter says, "He Himself knew what was in human nature." (Amplified)
It is our nature to want to please the flesh. We sometimes let our emotions sway our obedience. I pray that we will find true joy and freedom in obeying God and being lead by the Spirit, giving no room for the flesh.

"You, my brothers were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh..." Galatians 5:13

CHAPTER 8: A New Day

I am grateful that when the sun rises every morning, I receive new mercy! How amazing is it that the Heavenly Father puts yesterday's mistakes behind us and allows a fresh start daily.

This is a new day, a day that holds new promise.

I heard someone say once, "Don't let your present condition, dictate your future position." Looking with my physical eyes, it's hard to envision tomorrow being much different than today. However, I long for a new day! A day when my weaknesses will be overcome by the victory I have in Christ.

If I will do what is possible, God will do the impossible.

"Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God and you are not your own." 1 Corinthians 6:19

It seems I have neglected to take care of the "temple" He gave me. I have let the "temple" come to ruins. I have finally made up my mind to be obedient and disciplined in the way that I eat, in order to repair and remodel the "temple". The motive is not to fit into a bikini, wear the latest fashion or get approval from people. My heart's desire is to let the power of God defeat what the enemy of my soul is doing to destroy me and hinder me in ministry. I want Jesus to know that I am thankful for the gift of life He's given me today. So thankful that I'm going to care enough about my life to take care of myself. This is something I have NEVER done! As a result, I find myself categorized as OBESE. But a new day is coming. A day when I will be at a healthy weight and ALL GLORY will be TO GOD!!!

CHAPTER 7: Dry, Weary Deserts

What's your desert?
By this I mean a time of drought in your life,
when you long for change.

I came across this scripture in my Bible as I was studying
about "True Hunger":

Psalm 63:1
"God, You're my God. I can't get enough of You.
I've worked up such a hunger and thirst for God,
traveling across dry and weary deserts."

Does your desert stir a thirst in you for more of God?

Luke 6:25 says, "Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger."

No matter what we fill our lives with, it will never satisfy the longing in our souls for a relationship with Jesus. Only He can satisfy our souls.

"A great appetite provokes God to anger." Ezekial 16:26

It seems we have an appetite for everything the world has to offer, while neglecting the one thing that will make us complete.

I pray that we will "work up such a HUNGER FOR GOD", that we will put our flesh aside and glorify Him in everthing we do!

CHAPTER 6: Commitment vs Willpower

Willpower - The ability to control yourself and determine your actions

Commitment - A pledge, promise or obligation

Three quotes from Dr. Colbert's book The I Can to it Diet.
"Willpower temporarily excites, energizes and pumps you up.
"Willpower is like a sprint, while commitment is like a marathon."
"Without commitment, your main driving force behind losing weight is just willpower."

Dr. Colbert has entitled a section of his book, "STINKIN' THINKIN'" in which he states that negative thoughts about ourselves sabotage our weightloss efforts.

His book also shares these scriptures:
Romans 4:17
"God gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were."
Galatians 6:7
"Whatever a man sows, that he shall reap."

Do you have trouble with negative thoughts about yourself. I know that on a good day, it's fairly easy to stay on track and carry out the plan. But what about when you become frustrated, aggravated, hurt or lonely? I can truly say that these times make it SO tough for me to stay focused. That's why I have to cast my cares on Jesus. It's in those moments that I doubt and find myself wondering if I will stay true to the goal. Again, that is why I must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome my weaknesses and let Him reassure me that He is able when I am not.

So my commitment to become a healthy weight is a promise I have made to myself and and obligation that I must fulfill. BUT because I have Jesus in my life, I am not on my own. Jesus is victorious and because I am His child, I am more than a conquerer. Therefore, this will not be like all the other times I tried and failed. I will ask according to His will and He will empower me to defeat the enemy, which in this case is my appetite!

If you are interested in the "I Can do it Diet", check out Dr. Colbert's website: www.drcolbert.com

CHAPTER 5: A New Point of View

Luke 1:53 "He has filled the hungry with good things..."

Ezekial 18:7 "He has given His bread to the hungry."

Psalm 107:9 "For he satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness."

These scriptures cause me to evaluate the type of hunger that is most important in my life. Sure my stomach growls like everyone elses. It beckons me to the pantry to see what might satisfy the longing in my gut. However, there is a spiritual need in my life that is FAR more important. God longs to satisfy my spiritual hunger as I feast on His Word.

So the challenge is to desire HIM over having my physical hunger satisfied.

Jesus is acquainted with hunger. In Luke 4:3, the devil played on His hunger. Jesus fasted for 40 days and that's when temptation came.

The devil can take advantage of your hunger too. So be careful

Matthew 4:1 says that after 40 days and nights of fasting Jesus was left in a state of extreme hunger. Jesus had prepared himself for this test by praying. If Jesus needed prayer to overcome temptation, then we certainly do.

John 5:4 "Whatever is born of God, overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world...our FAITH!"

We must pray, have faith, and believe that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can overcome in every area of weakness!

CHAPTER 4: Exchanging Lies for Truth

I accepted Christ at the age of 16, which means for twenty-nine years I have been a follower of Jesus. It is only by His grace that I was saved and continue to seek after Him. He has placed a call on my life to minister to young people. Working with teens requires an amazing amount of energy. When I was younger, it came so easy. I would take them camping, hiking, swimming, do high ropes courses with them, and then stay up all night discussing things they were going through. Over the years, it has gotten more difficult!



Now when we do activities, I'm lagging behind. I can barely keep up, panting and out of breath. The extra weight is literally hindering me from doing ministry.



I long to fulfull Galatians 5:24 "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions, appetites and desires."



When I'm tired, my appetite cries out,
"Feed me so you can keep going!"

When I'm bored my appetite cries out,
"Feed me to pass the time away!"

When I'm upset my appetite cries out,
"Feed me and you'll feel better!"



BUT THE TRUTH IS...MY APPETITE'S A LIAR!!!



I have to learn to exchange the lies for the TRUTH.



The truth is...

When I'm tired, I need to do as Jesus said, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:29



When I'm bored, I must remember that the Proverbs 31 woman "..watches over the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness"
Proverbs 31:27



When I am upset, I have to cry out in prayer "Oh God! You are my help and my deliverer!" Psalm 70:5



My goal is to allow the Holy Spirit to work in me in such a way that it turns my hunger towards God, when my stomach wants me to head for the kitchen!



If it is not the appropriate time to eat or the right kind of food, I will grab the WORD and FEED my SPIRIT, rather than feeding my face.

CHAPTER 3: Have You Made Up Your Mind?

In Daniel 1:8, "Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself with the king's choice food" another version states, "Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicasies,"

As I read about Daniel and how he denied himself the "choice food", I purposed to do the same. In fact Daniel told the chef to feed him and his men nothing but vegetables and water for 10 days. After ten days, the scripture says that the appearance of Daniel and his men were much better than those who ate the king's delicasies.

So I committed at first to only 10 days. I purposed in my heart to seek God and eat extremely healthy to see what kind of a difference it made in me. I lost 8 1/2 lbs the first week. That encouraged me to press on. Denying myself the things others could eat freely was difficult, but I prayed that the Lord would give me grace to do it.

Have you made up your mind?
Do you believe that God is faithful to bless your efforts as you seek Him?

The truth is, my weight has held me back for years. It's what the devil uses to keep me from fulfilling God's destiny for my life. I will no longer allow him reign in this area. May Christ be glorified in some way as I am obedient to Him. May Jesus give you the encouragement you need to give Christ control over whatever your weakness is as well.

CHAPTER 2: What Comes Next?

Now that I understand the difference between hunger and appetite, I have gained new knowledge about what could hinder me from ever being a healthy weight. It's one thing to know it and another to put in into practice.

There are three things that I am trying to implement in gaining control of my appetite.

1. Educate myself
2. Apply what I learn
3. Practice it daily

This takes commitment! It also requires that I tell my appetite, "NO". I have to learn to eat only when I am hungry. Statistics say that one should eat something every 3 to 3 1/2 hours to keep from becoming overly hungry. If I allow myself to get extremely hungry, my appetite can get carried away. In other words, I won't have as much control over what I put in my mouth. Eccleciates 6:9 compares a roving appetite to chasing after the wind. It will be hard to satisfy.

So I will eat consistently, every 3-3 1/2 hours. This will also keep my metabolism at a steady rate. The other important key is that I make healthy food choices. (carrots, apples, grapes, low calorie cheese, a fiber bar, etc...) It doesn't have to be a full meal each time. A healthy snack between normal meal times.

I have lost 14 lbs in 3 1/2 weeks by eating a menu similar to the following:

7:00 am - 2 slices of turkey bacon, a Special K High Protein/High Fiber Shake

10:00 am - some carrots or grapes (sustains me until my lunch time arrives)

11:15 am - Lean Cuisine meal, Ind. pack of steamed peas, apple

1:30 pm - 100 calorie snack pack or fruit

5:00 pm - Grilled chicken, salad, steamed vegies

8:00 pm - Special K Shake

(I drink water ALL day long!)

This is what I have committed to do. It may sound strick, but it is vitally important! It is better than having a gastric bypass or lapband surgery. It's enough to satisfy "hunger". My appetite will have to surrender. I refuse to let my appetite control me!

Jesus said, "I am the bread of life, he who comes to me will never hunger or thirst."

I am seeking after God and praying that He will replace my physical hunger with a spiritual hunger. I pray that you will do the same. Losing this weight will only happen if he empowers me to deny myself, take up my cross and follow Him.

CHAPTER 1: Hunger vs Appetite

Appetite - instinctive desire / craving
Hunger - a physical reaction / a protective mechanism

It's been said that obese people eat to satisfy their appetite instead of their hunger.
In fact, most people eat to satisfy their appetite.

Hunger is based on NEED... Appetite is based on DESIRE...

When I started this journey, I needed this understanding. It was a revelation that made me analyze what I was eating and how much I ate. The awareness was important, but more pressing was how to overcome my appetite and eat ONLY because of true hunger.

I turned to the scriptures for insight. I looked at a very familiar story and saw it in a whole new light. Allow me to share with you some truths from a journey taken long ago.

Exodus 16
Just to set the stage, remember that the Israelites were just led out of Egypt where they were in bondage as slaves. Moses and Aaron were leading the people through the desert to the promise land. A month and a half into their journey, they began to grumble against their leaders. They complained, "...back in Egypt we sat around pots of meat and ate all we wanted. Have you brought us out into this desert to starve the entire assembly to death?"

One thing that amazed me when I read this was the name of this desert where the grumbling began. It was appropriately called "...the Desert of Sin".

The Lord knew the people were hungry. So he rained down bread from heaven. The people were instructed to go out each day and gather only what was needed for that day. God was testing their obedience. They continued to grumble that they had no meat. So the Lord gave them quail in the evening and bread in the morning so they could satisfy their hunger. But the people took more than what they needed and the food actually turned to maggots and smelled up the camp.

In Numbers 11 the Israelites said, "If only we had meat to eat. We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost - also the cucumbers, melons, leeks onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite, we never see anything but this manna."

The truth is that the Israelites didn't give a thought to the fact that they were slaves in Egypt. They were willing to go back to bondage, just to have the FOOD they wanted to eat! This makes me think of what we are willing to do to fulfill our fleshly desires. We'll sacrifice our health just to have something that tastes good.

INTRODUCTION: Reality Check!

I have come to the end of myself and my efforts to loose weight. It is an insurmountable task that has overwhelmed me and held me in bondage for years. At the age of 45 as a wife, mother of three, teacher and youth pastor, I find myself at a crossroads. Do I continue down this path until I am literally incapacitated or do I relinquish my failures and truly leave them at the feet of Jesus?

It is apparent that carrying around some extra pounds is interfering with my quality of life. I picture my beautiful Golden Retreiver, Summer. She was slightly over-weight for her breed. She weighed approximately 80 lbs. I just can't imagine having to pick her up and carry her around while completing my daily activities. However, that's just what I am doing. I'm carrying around at least 80 extra pounds. My joints ache, my back hurts, my feet are sore and I am totally and utterly disgusted with the whole predicament.

The time has come for a cruel reality check! I recently read that smoking is the number one cause of preventable death. I am truly someone that would beg you to quit smoking. Afterall, it could shorten your life or diminish the quality of life. HOWEVER, the second cause of preventable death is obesity!!! OUCH!

I have decided to lay it on the line. Why not? I am going to journal my weighloss and the hard lessons I learn, in hopes that it will somehow keep me focused and encourage you if you struggle with some of the same issues. Do you want to follow me on the journey? If so, stop and take inventory. Who is the most important person in your life? Do you love them enough to take care of yourself for a change? This is not a selfish endeavor as I once believed. You see if you and I want to be around to take care of our husband, children, grandchildren and friends, then we'll have to take charge of our health. The best way to do that is to surrender our fleshly appetites.
In the days to follow, we'll look at what God's Word says about such things.