Luke 9:23 - And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
"Nothing between my soul and the Savior"
Nothing between my soul and the Savior, Naught of this world's delusive dream; I have renounced all sinful pleasure; Jesus is mine, there's nothing between.
Nothing between my soul and the Savior, So that His blessed face may be seen; Nothing preventing the least of His favor, Keep the way clear! Let nothing between.
Nothing between, like worldly pleasure; Habits of life, though harmless they seem, Must not my heart from Him e'er sever; He is my all, there's nothing between.
Nothing between, like pride or station; Self-life or friends shall not intervene; Though it may cost me much tribulation, I am resolved; there's nothing between.
Nothing between, e'en many hard trials, Though the whole world against me convene; Watching with prayer and much self-denial, I'll triumph at last, with nothing between.
I have now been married for over 11 years. I have learned that when there is something, no matter how small, between my wife and I the relationship is not as good as it could and should be. This is true for any relationship. It is also true in our Christian relationship with Jesus. When there is ANYTHING between us and Jesus our relationship is not what it could and should be, and since Jesus is sinless the fault ALWAYS lies with us.
I woke up this morning thinking of the above hymn. This is my desire, to have NOTHING between Jesus and me. I have for the past 11 plus years had something between my soul and the Savior, it has been the sin of gluttony. I have gotten tired of living a defeated life when it comes to food. I have instead, decided to live victorious over this sin and place it in the Lord's hand.
One last thing. I have been learning that as I give this sin to the Lord, He does in fact give me strength to overcome. I am realizing that it is not me at all, but Him. The sooner we grasp this wonderful fact the sooner we can be released from guilt, shame, and frustration. No, I am nowhere near my goal, but God is helping me and I am Little by little getting there. Nothing between my soul and the Savior not even food!!!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
The BIG Weigh-In Week 2
James 5:16 - Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed . The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Last week there were a couple of concerns mentioned about weighing in every week, however I have done some research and have found out that most in the dietary profession say weighing in every week is a good thing to do. I actually came across one that said statistics show that people who weigh every day is more likely to maintain and lose weight than those who don't. So I will continue weighing in every week and keeping you informed on the progress made. I truly appreciate all comments made on my posts.
O.k. last week I weighed 378.0.
My goals that I set last week 8/24/10-8/29/10 are as follows:
• drink two gallons of water a day - this was reduced to one gallon due to comments left on my posts from those in the medical field. - This was VERY attainable for me this past week.
• eat less "fatty" foods and more fruits and veggies - This goal is not specific enough. I will try to narrow it down if at all possible.
• exercise at least three times this week - I did exercise 3 times this past week.
• lose 5 lbs. actually I will be attempting to lose 10 lbs. so next Monday I should weigh 368 lbs.
• I will not eat past 6:00 p.m. - This goal was reached every day with the exception of Friday
• I will spend extra time with God in prayer and Devo's - about 10 min. extra a day - This goal unfortunately was not reached every day.
So did I reach my weight goal for the week? Yes and No. I lost 5 pounds!! I now weigh 373.2. I did not lose the 10 lbs for which I tried, but you will not hear me gripe about a 5 lbs. loss!!
What are my goals for this upcoming week 8/30/10-9/6/10?
• drink one gallon of water a day
• I will eat at least three "pieces" of fruit a day
• exercise at least four times this week
• lose 5 lbs. actually I will be attempting to lose 10 lbs. so next Monday I should weigh 363 lbs. - this will get me back on my original path to my original goal.
• I will not eat past 6:00 p.m.
• I will spend extra time with God in prayer and Devo's - about 10 min. extra a day
• I will not eat any of my kids left overs.
How did you do? Did you reach your goals this past week? If not, I know we can do this together this week. I will pray for you and you pray for me, we will be VICTORIOUS in this War on Weight!!
Last week there were a couple of concerns mentioned about weighing in every week, however I have done some research and have found out that most in the dietary profession say weighing in every week is a good thing to do. I actually came across one that said statistics show that people who weigh every day is more likely to maintain and lose weight than those who don't. So I will continue weighing in every week and keeping you informed on the progress made. I truly appreciate all comments made on my posts.
O.k. last week I weighed 378.0.
My goals that I set last week 8/24/10-8/29/10 are as follows:
• drink two gallons of water a day - this was reduced to one gallon due to comments left on my posts from those in the medical field. - This was VERY attainable for me this past week.
• eat less "fatty" foods and more fruits and veggies - This goal is not specific enough. I will try to narrow it down if at all possible.
• exercise at least three times this week - I did exercise 3 times this past week.
• lose 5 lbs. actually I will be attempting to lose 10 lbs. so next Monday I should weigh 368 lbs.
• I will not eat past 6:00 p.m. - This goal was reached every day with the exception of Friday
• I will spend extra time with God in prayer and Devo's - about 10 min. extra a day - This goal unfortunately was not reached every day.
So did I reach my weight goal for the week? Yes and No. I lost 5 pounds!! I now weigh 373.2. I did not lose the 10 lbs for which I tried, but you will not hear me gripe about a 5 lbs. loss!!
What are my goals for this upcoming week 8/30/10-9/6/10?
• drink one gallon of water a day
• I will eat at least three "pieces" of fruit a day
• exercise at least four times this week
• lose 5 lbs. actually I will be attempting to lose 10 lbs. so next Monday I should weigh 363 lbs. - this will get me back on my original path to my original goal.
• I will not eat past 6:00 p.m.
• I will spend extra time with God in prayer and Devo's - about 10 min. extra a day
• I will not eat any of my kids left overs.
How did you do? Did you reach your goals this past week? If not, I know we can do this together this week. I will pray for you and you pray for me, we will be VICTORIOUS in this War on Weight!!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
The Missing Word
2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
There is a word that is not found in this verse, yet it is a very important word that describes this verse, what is it?_________
The word is six letters long
The missing word is a word that must be applied if one is to go from being overweight and a glutton to being victorious in the war on weight.
The word is CHANGE. We must come to the point where we not only WANT to lose weight, but are WILLING to change. If I want to become a pilot, it is not enough. I must make a change, go to school, take lessons, rearrange my time, and other changes would need to be made as well. The same is true of weight loss. I can WANT to lose weight with all my heart, but until I am WILLING to change my lifestyle it will not happen.
God's word says that those who are born again are become new. The Christian's life is all about change. We are to conform (change) everyday into a closer likeness of Christ. So, if I want to be more like Christ, my life will be full of change. I must weed out sin and plant the Word of God. I must weed out fleshly desire and plant memory verses. I must weed out gluttony and plant discipline.
I am positive that while this War on Weight has just begun, in the end I will be victorious, not because of me or what I have done, but because of God, who He is and what He has done.
There is a word that is not found in this verse, yet it is a very important word that describes this verse, what is it?_________
The word is six letters long
The missing word is a word that must be applied if one is to go from being overweight and a glutton to being victorious in the war on weight.
The word is CHANGE. We must come to the point where we not only WANT to lose weight, but are WILLING to change. If I want to become a pilot, it is not enough. I must make a change, go to school, take lessons, rearrange my time, and other changes would need to be made as well. The same is true of weight loss. I can WANT to lose weight with all my heart, but until I am WILLING to change my lifestyle it will not happen.
God's word says that those who are born again are become new. The Christian's life is all about change. We are to conform (change) everyday into a closer likeness of Christ. So, if I want to be more like Christ, my life will be full of change. I must weed out sin and plant the Word of God. I must weed out fleshly desire and plant memory verses. I must weed out gluttony and plant discipline.
I am positive that while this War on Weight has just begun, in the end I will be victorious, not because of me or what I have done, but because of God, who He is and what He has done.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Deny Self to Follow Jesus
Matthew 16:24 - Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
What does it mean to deny self? It means that we put aside ALL our personal goals, dreams, and desires for the sole purpose of following Christ. It is not an easy thing to deny self, but for victory in life and over sin it is a requirement. This goes against many of the "self help" books, but we are to focus on Christ and forget self or building ourselves up. All sin is grounded in pride and selfishness, and the moment we begin trying "build" ourselves we fall into the trap of pride building. It is NOT me or if I believe in myself, it is Christ and if I place my FAITH in HIM. The Bible says we are to decrease and He is to increase.
The cross is no place of glory, it is instead a place of shame. Taking up our cross is not a task that is easy to do, but is a necessity for abundant life. I know we can say, "It doesn't make sense to take up a cross in order to have victory and the abundant life." However don't forget that God's thoughts and ways rarely, if ever, really makes sense to us. I have heard it said that "Any god that can be understood completely is not a god worth following." We must come to the place where all fleshly desires are stripped from us, it is only at that point God will clothe us with His righteousness. We must deny ourselves and take up the cross.
The cross is a place for crucifixion and death. What cross must we bear? For me right now it is the cross of weight loss. I must come to the cross of Jesus, crucify the fleshly desire for food a.k.a. gluttony, then I must pick up the cross of self denial; denying the desire to eat a little bit more, and the desire to sleep instead of exercise. This cross must be carried with determination.
If you find yourselves in the same battle as I am, we must come to these truths before we can truly effectively lose weight. Losing weight is not only about being lighter, but being a better light. Let's not delay anymore, but instead let's meet at the cross.
What does it mean to deny self? It means that we put aside ALL our personal goals, dreams, and desires for the sole purpose of following Christ. It is not an easy thing to deny self, but for victory in life and over sin it is a requirement. This goes against many of the "self help" books, but we are to focus on Christ and forget self or building ourselves up. All sin is grounded in pride and selfishness, and the moment we begin trying "build" ourselves we fall into the trap of pride building. It is NOT me or if I believe in myself, it is Christ and if I place my FAITH in HIM. The Bible says we are to decrease and He is to increase.
The cross is no place of glory, it is instead a place of shame. Taking up our cross is not a task that is easy to do, but is a necessity for abundant life. I know we can say, "It doesn't make sense to take up a cross in order to have victory and the abundant life." However don't forget that God's thoughts and ways rarely, if ever, really makes sense to us. I have heard it said that "Any god that can be understood completely is not a god worth following." We must come to the place where all fleshly desires are stripped from us, it is only at that point God will clothe us with His righteousness. We must deny ourselves and take up the cross.
The cross is a place for crucifixion and death. What cross must we bear? For me right now it is the cross of weight loss. I must come to the cross of Jesus, crucify the fleshly desire for food a.k.a. gluttony, then I must pick up the cross of self denial; denying the desire to eat a little bit more, and the desire to sleep instead of exercise. This cross must be carried with determination.
If you find yourselves in the same battle as I am, we must come to these truths before we can truly effectively lose weight. Losing weight is not only about being lighter, but being a better light. Let's not delay anymore, but instead let's meet at the cross.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
My Strength
Psalm 18:1 - I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
There are people who are what is called "emotional eaters". They eat when they are discouraged or have just had a bad day. This is me. I am an emotional eater. Just yesterday I had "one of those days" and was in the process of dishing up my own spaghetti, when I suddenly told Holly "I can't dish this out or I will fill this bowl, smash it down and put more in there." I set the bowl down and walked out of the kitchen. I was at a very weak point in that moment. Who gave me the strength to put that bowl down and walk out? Certainly not me. It was no other than the Lord, who is my strength.
The Lord is with us at every meal. We must learn to submit to Him. He always provides strength, if we just ask him for it. He also sends someone to help in our time of weakness. For me, He has given me the VERY BEST helpmeet that any man could ever ask for. My wife, after I expressed myself to her and walked out frustrated at myself, picked up the bowl and dished out my food for me. She brought it to me, we prayed and then ate. I did NOT go back for seconds. God gave me strength and a strong helpmeet.
I look back at yesterday and say "I will love thee, O Lord, my strength." He also was my provider. He provided me with a wife that is willing to come along side of me and help me lose weight. In our house losing weight is a team effort.
There are people who are what is called "emotional eaters". They eat when they are discouraged or have just had a bad day. This is me. I am an emotional eater. Just yesterday I had "one of those days" and was in the process of dishing up my own spaghetti, when I suddenly told Holly "I can't dish this out or I will fill this bowl, smash it down and put more in there." I set the bowl down and walked out of the kitchen. I was at a very weak point in that moment. Who gave me the strength to put that bowl down and walk out? Certainly not me. It was no other than the Lord, who is my strength.
The Lord is with us at every meal. We must learn to submit to Him. He always provides strength, if we just ask him for it. He also sends someone to help in our time of weakness. For me, He has given me the VERY BEST helpmeet that any man could ever ask for. My wife, after I expressed myself to her and walked out frustrated at myself, picked up the bowl and dished out my food for me. She brought it to me, we prayed and then ate. I did NOT go back for seconds. God gave me strength and a strong helpmeet.
I look back at yesterday and say "I will love thee, O Lord, my strength." He also was my provider. He provided me with a wife that is willing to come along side of me and help me lose weight. In our house losing weight is a team effort.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The Lord is...
Psalm 18:2 - The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
He is my rock when I need something firm in a shifting world. While fad "diets" come and go, the Lord remains solid, stable, and more than capable of helping defeat the sin of gluttony. When I need some resolve, something solid I know I can go to the Rock. The word rock here is not a little piece of gravel, it is like a boulder that one can actually use for shelter. God is our rock when temptation floods our way we can trust that He will remain, solid, strong, and unmovable.
He is my fortress when that temptation to get the "second, or third" helping attacks. A fortress is a place that not only protects us from the outside, but is also prepared with weapons on the inside. If, when tempted to eat too much, we run to our Fortress we will find not only protection, but weapons such as prayer, swift feet - to get away from the temptation, our Sword which is the Word of God and they are "prepped" and ready to go.
If we will but only run to God in times of temptation, we will find that He will fight for us and He will deliver us. I found this out yesterday as I was eating lunch with my family. We were having pizza and my wife had put my food on my plate for me. I finished the pizza on the plate, I felt hungry still so I got up and said, "Is anyone hungry for anything else?" No one answered, I thought, "Ussually I can depend on one kid to respond about food." Nothing, so I asked again, this time the response came from my wife and she simply said, "I don't think so." Now I was stuck how was I supposed to sneak in the refrigerator for more food when no one else was still hungry? I decide then and there to get out of the kitchen and grab my gallon of water and sip on it. I found myself NOT hungry in about 5 minutes! Now you can say that my wife kept me from eating more, but in fact she was a tool God used to deliver me from that temptation of overeating. When I heard her response to my question, I "ran" to God and He was, at that time, my rock, my strength, and my deliverer! Today I feel much better because victory was mine!!
He is my rock when I need something firm in a shifting world. While fad "diets" come and go, the Lord remains solid, stable, and more than capable of helping defeat the sin of gluttony. When I need some resolve, something solid I know I can go to the Rock. The word rock here is not a little piece of gravel, it is like a boulder that one can actually use for shelter. God is our rock when temptation floods our way we can trust that He will remain, solid, strong, and unmovable.
He is my fortress when that temptation to get the "second, or third" helping attacks. A fortress is a place that not only protects us from the outside, but is also prepared with weapons on the inside. If, when tempted to eat too much, we run to our Fortress we will find not only protection, but weapons such as prayer, swift feet - to get away from the temptation, our Sword which is the Word of God and they are "prepped" and ready to go.
If we will but only run to God in times of temptation, we will find that He will fight for us and He will deliver us. I found this out yesterday as I was eating lunch with my family. We were having pizza and my wife had put my food on my plate for me. I finished the pizza on the plate, I felt hungry still so I got up and said, "Is anyone hungry for anything else?" No one answered, I thought, "Ussually I can depend on one kid to respond about food." Nothing, so I asked again, this time the response came from my wife and she simply said, "I don't think so." Now I was stuck how was I supposed to sneak in the refrigerator for more food when no one else was still hungry? I decide then and there to get out of the kitchen and grab my gallon of water and sip on it. I found myself NOT hungry in about 5 minutes! Now you can say that my wife kept me from eating more, but in fact she was a tool God used to deliver me from that temptation of overeating. When I heard her response to my question, I "ran" to God and He was, at that time, my rock, my strength, and my deliverer! Today I feel much better because victory was mine!!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
My Body, God's Temple.
1 Corinthians 6:19 - What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
I want to begin today by saying a big THANK YOU to EVERYONE who posted a comment on my "War on Weight!!" status on FB and blog, that means a lot to me. I will readily admit that I don't know everything about weight loss or I suspect I would be a lot smaller. There were several comments posted on FB and my blog concerning my goal of 2 gallons of water per day. I will, based on these posts, scale back my water consumption goal to 1 gallon. One post said that a nutritionist said no more than 72 oz. and one said that as a nurse a gallon would be an o.k. goal. So, I will go with 1 gallon as my goal, for now.
In my studies about gluttony I came across a message preached at Sterling United Methodist Church in Sterling, Virginia. The message was preached on June 7, 2009, the preacher said, "Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The sad fact is however is that many of us treat our bodies like a fraternity house. It's amazing what we throw in there. It's much more like a frat house than a temple. Would we treat this building, God's house, like we treat our bodies, the temple of the Spirit?" When I read that it struck me between the eyes! I had to think about how I treat this body, temple of God and I realized that it's not pretty. In fact it's aweful. I began to realize the "hypocrisy" of a very overweight preacher preaching about sin! I have heard good preachers say,"Well, I know I'm overweight, but I want to die happy. Haha" REALLY? Not me! I want to die serving God whether it makes me "happy" or not! My body is the place where God Himself dwells and being overweight, all I'm giving Him is a shorter amount of time to use me according to His will.
I am what people would call an extremist, in other words I tend to go to the extreme when I see something wrong. For example if I am depending on someone to do something and they don't do it I will say "I'll fix that problem." then I do it myself and will NOT ask that person to help out again, at least for awhile. Or if I make a mistake I say "I'll fix that problem.", then I stay as far away from making that potential mistake again as possible. This can be good at times and not so good at other times. I read what the preacher; mentioned above; said about the temple and conviction came upon me and I said "I'll fix that problem." So here we are! I am ready to "fix" this problem of letting the sin of Gulttony reign over me. I know that God is more powerful than ANY weapon formed against me... even food! If you struggle as I do, let's claim the victory as we continue to march toward a healthier life both physically and spiritually.
I want to begin today by saying a big THANK YOU to EVERYONE who posted a comment on my "War on Weight!!" status on FB and blog, that means a lot to me. I will readily admit that I don't know everything about weight loss or I suspect I would be a lot smaller. There were several comments posted on FB and my blog concerning my goal of 2 gallons of water per day. I will, based on these posts, scale back my water consumption goal to 1 gallon. One post said that a nutritionist said no more than 72 oz. and one said that as a nurse a gallon would be an o.k. goal. So, I will go with 1 gallon as my goal, for now.
In my studies about gluttony I came across a message preached at Sterling United Methodist Church in Sterling, Virginia. The message was preached on June 7, 2009, the preacher said, "Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The sad fact is however is that many of us treat our bodies like a fraternity house. It's amazing what we throw in there. It's much more like a frat house than a temple. Would we treat this building, God's house, like we treat our bodies, the temple of the Spirit?" When I read that it struck me between the eyes! I had to think about how I treat this body, temple of God and I realized that it's not pretty. In fact it's aweful. I began to realize the "hypocrisy" of a very overweight preacher preaching about sin! I have heard good preachers say,"Well, I know I'm overweight, but I want to die happy. Haha" REALLY? Not me! I want to die serving God whether it makes me "happy" or not! My body is the place where God Himself dwells and being overweight, all I'm giving Him is a shorter amount of time to use me according to His will.
I am what people would call an extremist, in other words I tend to go to the extreme when I see something wrong. For example if I am depending on someone to do something and they don't do it I will say "I'll fix that problem." then I do it myself and will NOT ask that person to help out again, at least for awhile. Or if I make a mistake I say "I'll fix that problem.", then I stay as far away from making that potential mistake again as possible. This can be good at times and not so good at other times. I read what the preacher; mentioned above; said about the temple and conviction came upon me and I said "I'll fix that problem." So here we are! I am ready to "fix" this problem of letting the sin of Gulttony reign over me. I know that God is more powerful than ANY weapon formed against me... even food! If you struggle as I do, let's claim the victory as we continue to march toward a healthier life both physically and spiritually.
Monday, August 23, 2010
The BIG Weigh-In Week 1
Philippians 3:13-14 - 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended : but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
I will be giving a weekly report on Monday's as to how my over all weight loss "attempt" went the week before. I want to do this for the fact that it will bring me accountability - which I desperatly need. Please allow me to quickly review my goals for this past week.
I went wrong by not reaching goal #3, also on Tuesday I had gained up to 381 lbs. so this put me behind the eight ball. If I go from this weight I would have lost about 4 lbs. This shows me that 1 bad day equals 1 bad week. I cannot lose focus this week. These are the ways I failed last week. I will admit some frustration because on Friday I weighed 376 - ONLY 3 lbs. from my goal!!! Oh well I will refuse to dwell on last weeks mistakes and instead I will look toward this weeks successes.
Now how can I improve this week? I will begin by keeping my same 4 goals from last week and I will be adding a couple to this week, so
I will be giving a weekly report on Monday's as to how my over all weight loss "attempt" went the week before. I want to do this for the fact that it will bring me accountability - which I desperatly need. Please allow me to quickly review my goals for this past week.
- drink two gallons of water a day
- eat less "fatty" foods and more fruits and vegi's
- exercize at least three times this week
- lose 5 lbs.
- I reached my first goal excpet Sunday - I drank 1 gallon of water
- Goal #2 was a struggle, and since there is no "measurableness" to it then I can only say that over all I feel that I reached this goal - for the most part anyway.
- I exercized only 1 time this past week so I failed to reach this goal
- Did I lose 5 lbs.? Well... no. I began last week with 378.8 and this morning I weighed 378.0 - NOT EVEN CLOSE.
I went wrong by not reaching goal #3, also on Tuesday I had gained up to 381 lbs. so this put me behind the eight ball. If I go from this weight I would have lost about 4 lbs. This shows me that 1 bad day equals 1 bad week. I cannot lose focus this week. These are the ways I failed last week. I will admit some frustration because on Friday I weighed 376 - ONLY 3 lbs. from my goal!!! Oh well I will refuse to dwell on last weeks mistakes and instead I will look toward this weeks successes.
Now how can I improve this week? I will begin by keeping my same 4 goals from last week and I will be adding a couple to this week, so
- drink two gallons of water a day
- eat less "fatty" foods and more fruits and vegi's
- exercize at least three times this week
- lose 5 lbs. actually I will be attempting to lose 10 lbs. so next Monday I should weigh 368 lbs.
- I will not eat past 6:00 p.m.
- I will spend extra time with God in prayer and Devo's - about 10 min. extra a day
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Oh NO It's the WEEK END!!
Philippians 3:14 - I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
O.K. everybody it's the weekend and I don't know about you but this is where I tend to lose most of my focus. Saturday is a little more relaxed and well Sunday lunches... WHAT A FEAST!! Then comes one of the most depressing days of the week, not because of work, but because it is weigh day.
This is where "pressing toward the mark" for me gets hard. Of course as you look at this verse the word press is not one that is used because of the easyness (not sure if that's a word) of it, but because it is hard. Pressing takes work, no room for slacking. I have come to realize that losing weight is very much so like the word press... it's hard work.
The good news is that We have already know the mark for which we press, losing 25 lbs by vacation (at least for me). It is hard to press toward a mark that is not set. This is why it is important to set a mark/ goal. So set a goal and press for the mark! GO, GO, GO! I know we CAN reach our mark!
O.K. everybody it's the weekend and I don't know about you but this is where I tend to lose most of my focus. Saturday is a little more relaxed and well Sunday lunches... WHAT A FEAST!! Then comes one of the most depressing days of the week, not because of work, but because it is weigh day.
This is where "pressing toward the mark" for me gets hard. Of course as you look at this verse the word press is not one that is used because of the easyness (not sure if that's a word) of it, but because it is hard. Pressing takes work, no room for slacking. I have come to realize that losing weight is very much so like the word press... it's hard work.
The good news is that We have already know the mark for which we press, losing 25 lbs by vacation (at least for me). It is hard to press toward a mark that is not set. This is why it is important to set a mark/ goal. So set a goal and press for the mark! GO, GO, GO! I know we CAN reach our mark!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Mortify the Deeds of the Body
Romans 8:13 - For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
My flesh, my flesh, my flesh. I would be perfect and thin if it weren't for my flesh! I wake up everyday with a choice to make, will I live after the flesh or after the Spirit? It seems to be a simple question with a simple answer - Live after the Spirit. - but it's completely different when the pizza is calling my name! Now we have a problem - maybe more than one since the pizza talks to me (LOL). The rubber meets the road here. What will I - what will you - do now? The flesh says "YES! PIZZA!" The Spirit says "No more pizza it's just another clogged artery, extra fat, and higher cholesterol." Here it is, the debate of all debates, taking place in the mind. How can we make sure that we don't take that extra piece of pizza?
We must live in the Spirit and view taking that extra piece of pizza for what it really is...SIN. Yes, I said sin. Remember that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we are to honor Him. So tell me, how does getting fatter, higher cholesterol, or more clogged arteries going to glorify God? It doesn't. We must live in the Spirit and in doing so we will mortify - kill - the fleshly desires. He will give us the strength needed to overcome, but we must first surrender to Him and live in the Spirit.
People laugh when I say, "Get that sinful cake away from me." I am not saying that SOME cake is bad but for me I am compared to a drunkard when I get around food, I eat and eat and eat and when I'm full I still try to eat just one more piece. I will tell you that too many times I give in to my flesh instead of mortifying it. I say every day... "O.K. today I will do better, I will eat better, eat less fatty foods and more vegi's." but right around ten o'clock I'm saying, "A double cheeseburger, fries, and a large drink sounds really good" I then find myself reasoning, "I will eat this then work out a little extra today." This may sound o.k. but then when it comes time to exercise I say "Man, I'm too tired to exercise now, I will do extra tommorrow." and the vicious cycle continues. I have found that while in sin logical reasoning goes out the window.
Victory to this battle is found by being stubburnly submitted to obey God. Treat that thought of food like it is a thought of cheating on your husband or wife - KICK IT OUT!!! Don't give ANY ROOM for that type of thinking. While it is still in the process of trying to form a reason say NO, THAT'S SIN!! If the thought continues to raise its nasty head, then get some water and spend some time in prayer and ask God for strength. He WILL give it, of this I can testify. The trick is to NOT wait until your holding the pizza, cake, or doublecheesburger in your hand to ask God for strength. We must DETERMINE NOW to MORTIFY the flesh daily, hourly, minute by minute, second by second, so we CAN live in TRIUMPH through the SPIRIT. Resolve right now to be stubburnly submitted to God.
My flesh, my flesh, my flesh. I would be perfect and thin if it weren't for my flesh! I wake up everyday with a choice to make, will I live after the flesh or after the Spirit? It seems to be a simple question with a simple answer - Live after the Spirit. - but it's completely different when the pizza is calling my name! Now we have a problem - maybe more than one since the pizza talks to me (LOL). The rubber meets the road here. What will I - what will you - do now? The flesh says "YES! PIZZA!" The Spirit says "No more pizza it's just another clogged artery, extra fat, and higher cholesterol." Here it is, the debate of all debates, taking place in the mind. How can we make sure that we don't take that extra piece of pizza?
We must live in the Spirit and view taking that extra piece of pizza for what it really is...SIN. Yes, I said sin. Remember that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we are to honor Him. So tell me, how does getting fatter, higher cholesterol, or more clogged arteries going to glorify God? It doesn't. We must live in the Spirit and in doing so we will mortify - kill - the fleshly desires. He will give us the strength needed to overcome, but we must first surrender to Him and live in the Spirit.
People laugh when I say, "Get that sinful cake away from me." I am not saying that SOME cake is bad but for me I am compared to a drunkard when I get around food, I eat and eat and eat and when I'm full I still try to eat just one more piece. I will tell you that too many times I give in to my flesh instead of mortifying it. I say every day... "O.K. today I will do better, I will eat better, eat less fatty foods and more vegi's." but right around ten o'clock I'm saying, "A double cheeseburger, fries, and a large drink sounds really good" I then find myself reasoning, "I will eat this then work out a little extra today." This may sound o.k. but then when it comes time to exercise I say "Man, I'm too tired to exercise now, I will do extra tommorrow." and the vicious cycle continues. I have found that while in sin logical reasoning goes out the window.
Victory to this battle is found by being stubburnly submitted to obey God. Treat that thought of food like it is a thought of cheating on your husband or wife - KICK IT OUT!!! Don't give ANY ROOM for that type of thinking. While it is still in the process of trying to form a reason say NO, THAT'S SIN!! If the thought continues to raise its nasty head, then get some water and spend some time in prayer and ask God for strength. He WILL give it, of this I can testify. The trick is to NOT wait until your holding the pizza, cake, or doublecheesburger in your hand to ask God for strength. We must DETERMINE NOW to MORTIFY the flesh daily, hourly, minute by minute, second by second, so we CAN live in TRIUMPH through the SPIRIT. Resolve right now to be stubburnly submitted to God.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Glorying God through Eating
1 Corinthians 10:31 - Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Here is a verse that I have not heard preached on very many times at all. This is a very convicting verse for those who are striving to Glorify God with their lives. We know we can glorify God through singing, being faithful to church, and even where we go; but through what we eat and drink? WOW! We are to glorify God through our food and drink! So, how can we do this?
Glorifying God through what we eat begins with what most overweight people do not like to hear, discipline and self-control. Eating too much is in fact a sin. I know it is not popular to teach this, however the Bible actually has strong words for those who eat too much. I would like to clarify that through my studies on gluttony it is MORE than just eating; it is taking too much pleasure in a worldly experience. So this means that a person can be a glutton of t.v., hunting, fishing, football, food, and the list goes on. I am simply focusing on the gluttony of food, this is my "pet" sin that I must give up at least three times a day. If I don't surrender my food to God I end up indulging SELF and eating until I am "stuffed", this is NOT good.
Jesus promised to be with us and give us victory over the sin of Gluttony! God's Word says 1 Corinthians 10:13 - There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able ; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. PRAISE GOD, when that second helping of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn, and hot roll is staring at us and tempting us to sin, God promises to give us a way of escape! A truth to take with us today is that we are to glorify God throuigh what we eat by not eating too much and when we are tempted to go further than we should remember that God has already made a way of escape; which for many of us is leaving the room and getting some water on your way our way out the door.
Here is a verse that I have not heard preached on very many times at all. This is a very convicting verse for those who are striving to Glorify God with their lives. We know we can glorify God through singing, being faithful to church, and even where we go; but through what we eat and drink? WOW! We are to glorify God through our food and drink! So, how can we do this?
Glorifying God through what we eat begins with what most overweight people do not like to hear, discipline and self-control. Eating too much is in fact a sin. I know it is not popular to teach this, however the Bible actually has strong words for those who eat too much. I would like to clarify that through my studies on gluttony it is MORE than just eating; it is taking too much pleasure in a worldly experience. So this means that a person can be a glutton of t.v., hunting, fishing, football, food, and the list goes on. I am simply focusing on the gluttony of food, this is my "pet" sin that I must give up at least three times a day. If I don't surrender my food to God I end up indulging SELF and eating until I am "stuffed", this is NOT good.
Jesus promised to be with us and give us victory over the sin of Gluttony! God's Word says 1 Corinthians 10:13 - There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able ; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. PRAISE GOD, when that second helping of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn, and hot roll is staring at us and tempting us to sin, God promises to give us a way of escape! A truth to take with us today is that we are to glorify God throuigh what we eat by not eating too much and when we are tempted to go further than we should remember that God has already made a way of escape; which for many of us is leaving the room and getting some water on your way our way out the door.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Why?
Luke 14:28 - For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
I recently read in "How to Run Your Business by the Book" written by Dave Anderson about a subject I thought I would never read in a book about running a business. It was about being overweight! He pointed out that being overweight can and many times affects your leadership. He then wrote that in order to lose weight your "'Why' must be bigger than your appetite." What did he mean? He meant my reasons for wanting to lose weight must be greater than my desire to eat! Simple truth, I know, yet it hit me in the heart as I began to make a list of why I wanted to lose weight:
- Health - to be with my family
- Confidence
- More effective leader
- Play with my kids (actively)
- Spiritual - gaining victory over a sin that has had a strong hold for many years
- Energy
- I would have more clothes! - I have kept some of my "smaller"clothes to wear as I lose weight.
- As much as I love my family, I would no longer be told how worried every one is for my health - At every family gathering..
- I will have learned discipline
- I will have learned to rely on God's strength and not my own
Just as the man in our verse counted the cost so we must count the cost as well. I encourage you to take five minutes and write down the "Why", count the cost, take the list and pray over it and ask God for victory! Then as you look over the list ask yourself the question I asked myself... Is it worth it? Lord willing you answer with the same answer I did. YES!!!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Every War Requires Strategy
Luke 14:31- what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
No one would dare go to war without a strategy, setting goals, or being well prepared. I have declared War on Weight, so it would be foolish to go headlong into a raging war without being ready for that war. Make no mistake about it, those of us who are caught in this sin of gluttony are in a raging war every time we see, smell, or eat food. This war is as deadly as any other that people fight. It can literally kill us if we are not successful. This is a harsh reality I have come to understand.
As I look ahead I can get discouraged because in reality I need to lose 178 lbs! However, I refuse to look at the big picture at this moment, I need to set reachable goals. The goals that I have set may seem somewhat extreme, but they are goals I have used before to lose weight. My first goal is to drink about 2 gallons of water a day. I have now been successful in reaching this goal for nearly 2 weeks. My second goal is to eat only 1 helping. I find this goal one of the more difficult ones. My next goal is to exercise daily. I have an extremely busy schedule and have used this as an excuse NOT to exercise. I have overcome this problem by multitasking, I now spend time with my kids PLAYING! Now, those who have children know the exercise potential there! Let's just say that I get just as sweaty playing with my kids as I do with Tea Bo. My next goal is to eat all my fruits and vegetables. My last goal is to lose about 5 lbs a week for the next five weeks - this is vacation time and will effectively put me down to 353.
If you are with me in this war take some time to write your goals down somewhere, even post them with me and we can conquer this evil together. Let's get to it and declare WAR on WEIGHT!!!
No one would dare go to war without a strategy, setting goals, or being well prepared. I have declared War on Weight, so it would be foolish to go headlong into a raging war without being ready for that war. Make no mistake about it, those of us who are caught in this sin of gluttony are in a raging war every time we see, smell, or eat food. This war is as deadly as any other that people fight. It can literally kill us if we are not successful. This is a harsh reality I have come to understand.
As I look ahead I can get discouraged because in reality I need to lose 178 lbs! However, I refuse to look at the big picture at this moment, I need to set reachable goals. The goals that I have set may seem somewhat extreme, but they are goals I have used before to lose weight. My first goal is to drink about 2 gallons of water a day. I have now been successful in reaching this goal for nearly 2 weeks. My second goal is to eat only 1 helping. I find this goal one of the more difficult ones. My next goal is to exercise daily. I have an extremely busy schedule and have used this as an excuse NOT to exercise. I have overcome this problem by multitasking, I now spend time with my kids PLAYING! Now, those who have children know the exercise potential there! Let's just say that I get just as sweaty playing with my kids as I do with Tea Bo. My next goal is to eat all my fruits and vegetables. My last goal is to lose about 5 lbs a week for the next five weeks - this is vacation time and will effectively put me down to 353.
If you are with me in this war take some time to write your goals down somewhere, even post them with me and we can conquer this evil together. Let's get to it and declare WAR on WEIGHT!!!
Monday, August 16, 2010
We must start somewhere
O.k. I plan on being completely honest and open with you. When I declared war on my weight, I weighed 380 lbs. This was Friday August the 13th, 2010. Since then I have lost 1.2 lbs and now weigh 378.8! This may seem like only a small victory but a victory is a victory. Sooo...after being overweight for most of my life, why have I chosen now to REALLY start working on the problem? It began a few weeks ago when my five years old and I were racing and he was beating me everytime. This may seem cute, except I was really trying to win the races. Not so cute now. After that day I began to pray and ask God to please help me lose weight. While I have been in Christian ministry for over 12 years, I have only pastored (bi-vocational) for three months and it has become more evident to me that I need stamina to preach every week, go on visitation, work 45-50 hours a week, spend quality time with my wife, two children, and one on the way, & run Miracle Morning Ministries. I came to the conclusion that I CAN'T do this! - at least on my own. I turned my attention to God's Word and began to see what it had to say about weight, food, etc. What I came across did NOT make me happy at all. The Bible has a word for me... GLUTTON!! This cut me to the core and I decided to research this deadly sin. So I began to look and boy did I find information. It will be this information as well as what I learn from God's Word that I will discuss my WAR on WEIGHT!!
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