Today is Memorial Day. The day that we remember those in our lives that have already gone on. I was thinking about this and wondering what would people remember about me when I am gone? Will they remember that I was an intelligent, caring, and motivated person or will they remember that I was someone who struggled with her weight and had poor self-esteem? Is that really how I "want" to be remembered anyway? The more I thought about this the more I realized that when I am gone I don't want to be remembered for my outward appearance and if I am remembered by my outward appearance I want it to be a good memory for people. I want people to say "now that was a pretty and confident girl." When I remember my loved ones I don't think of their appearance but rather the people they were on the inside. I remember what it is who made them who they are. Some of those loved ones I have many good memories of, some of them there are memories that I wish I didn't have to carry with me. Those memories are the ones that make me think that I want to leave a lasting impression with the people I leave behind when I go. I don't ever want someone to have a bad memory of me when I am gone. I want people to remember that I was confident, strong, kind, compassionate, intelligent, funny, and willing to do the Lord's work. If I am not confident with who I am now, if I feel very awkward in my physical appearance then it is hard to be all of those things. My outward appearance affects how I feel inwardly. My weight makes me feel like I can't really accomplish what I want in life. I struggle even trying to pray some nights because of the confidence I lack. I don't want this to be the way I am remembered. We had communion at our church last night. We usually do this during passover but some things happened and we had to push it aside. I think it was very fitting however that we were able to do this during the Memorial Day weekend. We read the passages in the bible that explains about the communion and how Jesus said to do this in remembrance of Him. I thought it a very powerful line when it said "this do in remembrance of me." We can never remember the Lord as He was to the desciples but we can remember Him as He has worked in our own lives. I certainly remember and am in awe of all the things He has brought me out of. The Lord is not slack concerning His children and He has been there through every "need." We are His children so if we remember Him and all the things He has done for us then we too should leave a legacy for others to remember. One that tells about the wonderous works of God. What does it say of us as christians when the only thing people can see on us is poor self esteem and a physical body that does not match the inward spiritual body? It would be wonderul to have said of us when we are gone that we were true christians and God fearing people and served God with every part of us. How do you want to be remembered?
Luke 22:19And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Watch the video in the next post. It explains perfectly what I mean.
Showing posts with label devotionals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devotionals. Show all posts
Monday, May 26, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
Monday Devotional - Heart Disease
OK so this isn't a devotional per say but this is what we talked about in Joy the week before last:
Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."
As women it is important for us to keep our bodies strong and healthy to be able to care for our families. God has given us one life and one body and we need to make the best of that life and body. Your life is a gift from God and your heart is what keeps that life going - so take care of it! Heart Disease is the number one killer among women in the united states. The reason for this is that many women do not have the "atypical" symptoms of heart disease. It is much harder to diagnose heart disease in a woman than it is in a man and oft' times it goes unnoticed or misdiagnosed. Heredity, obesity and weight related health problems are directly related to heart disease. You can help prevent heart disease by maintaining a healthy weight, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and high in fiber, and getting plenty of exercise.
Here are some facts about heart disease:
1. Heart disease is the number 1 killer among women in the United States.
2. 1 in 3 women will die of heart disease.
3. About 6 million American women have heart disease.
4. 38% of women will die within one year of having an initial recognized heart attack.
5. About 35% of women who have had a heart attack will have another within 6 years.
6. Heart disease is not ageless; the risks can start as early as the teen years and increase dramatically in mid-life.
7. Heart disease is also very preventable and treatable with lifestyle changes and paying attention to your own body signals.
If you would like to read more facts about heart disease then click here to download the pdf file - you can also find this pdf, along with a heart rate pdf, on the right hand side of this blog under "printable weight loss tools."
To keep your heart healthy we all know that you should eat right and get plenty of exercise but did you know that you can also help prevent heart disease before it happens by keeping in tune to your body? You can do this by knowing your blood pressure levels and when they are elevated, checking your resting heart rate - a higher resting heart rate could mean a symptom of heart disease - having your cholesterol checked and being aware of the uncommon symptoms of heart disease such as pain in the back instead of down the arms and jaw or pain that is similar to indigestion and upset stomach. Rarely is a heart attack like it is seen on tv with a sudden collapse and clenching of the chest. This is especially so for women. If you ever have the slightest doubt about the way you are feeling do not hesitate to have your symptoms checked out. It is better to be a little embarrassed about going to the doctor than to lose your life over something preventable!
Click here to download a pdf file that shows how to check your heart rate and what resting heart rate and blood pressure levels should be.
Here are some links that discuss heart disease in women:
Women Heart
American Heart Association
Womens Heart Foundation
For Woman
Women's Health
Remember: 3 John 1:2 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."
Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."As women it is important for us to keep our bodies strong and healthy to be able to care for our families. God has given us one life and one body and we need to make the best of that life and body. Your life is a gift from God and your heart is what keeps that life going - so take care of it! Heart Disease is the number one killer among women in the united states. The reason for this is that many women do not have the "atypical" symptoms of heart disease. It is much harder to diagnose heart disease in a woman than it is in a man and oft' times it goes unnoticed or misdiagnosed. Heredity, obesity and weight related health problems are directly related to heart disease. You can help prevent heart disease by maintaining a healthy weight, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and high in fiber, and getting plenty of exercise.
Here are some facts about heart disease:
1. Heart disease is the number 1 killer among women in the United States.
2. 1 in 3 women will die of heart disease.
3. About 6 million American women have heart disease.
4. 38% of women will die within one year of having an initial recognized heart attack.
5. About 35% of women who have had a heart attack will have another within 6 years.
6. Heart disease is not ageless; the risks can start as early as the teen years and increase dramatically in mid-life.
7. Heart disease is also very preventable and treatable with lifestyle changes and paying attention to your own body signals.
If you would like to read more facts about heart disease then click here to download the pdf file - you can also find this pdf, along with a heart rate pdf, on the right hand side of this blog under "printable weight loss tools."
To keep your heart healthy we all know that you should eat right and get plenty of exercise but did you know that you can also help prevent heart disease before it happens by keeping in tune to your body? You can do this by knowing your blood pressure levels and when they are elevated, checking your resting heart rate - a higher resting heart rate could mean a symptom of heart disease - having your cholesterol checked and being aware of the uncommon symptoms of heart disease such as pain in the back instead of down the arms and jaw or pain that is similar to indigestion and upset stomach. Rarely is a heart attack like it is seen on tv with a sudden collapse and clenching of the chest. This is especially so for women. If you ever have the slightest doubt about the way you are feeling do not hesitate to have your symptoms checked out. It is better to be a little embarrassed about going to the doctor than to lose your life over something preventable!
Click here to download a pdf file that shows how to check your heart rate and what resting heart rate and blood pressure levels should be.
Here are some links that discuss heart disease in women:
Women Heart
American Heart Association
Womens Heart Foundation
For Woman
Women's Health
Remember: 3 John 1:2 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Some new stuff and a new diet plan
I have some new stuff for all of you. After much prayer over our short break I decided it was time that JOY went in a slightly new direction. It's not much different than what we have been doing but I decided that we needed to have a unified goal in mind. My desire for JOY has always been to increase the fellowship of the women at church all while getting healthy. Well we have certainly went above and beyond on the fellowship aspect. I've gotten to know all of you so much better and I feel so much closer to my church sisters! Praise the Lord for that! Now I feel it is time for us to work on achieving our health goals as well. So I felt that it was the right thing to do to give JOY an actual diet plan. I realize that the word diet has some negative connotations associated with it but for most of us learning to eat healthy takes the restrictions of a diet. Diet is not a negative thing unless you make it a negative thing. A healthy diet is a just a way of living and eating for life. It is something you can do and say "yes, I can follow this for the rest of my life." A good diet will teach you important things like moderation, portion control, self control, and it can encourage you to harness your will-power! As long as a diet is teaching you these things without negative effects on your body then there is nothing wrong with that. I never even realized what was wrongt with my eating habits until I followed a popular diet plan a few years ago. I knew I was overweight and needed to get healthy but I had no idea what to change or where to start. I eventually went on to lose 90 pounds but I realized I couldn't live the rest of my life that way. What I did learn however is what to eat, how much to eat and what works for my own body. I think we can all be in agreement on the fact that you cannot live the rest of your life restricting certain foods or eating strange foods and food combinations. You have to learn to do what's best for your own body to keep it healthy!
I decided that the best diet for this group to be following, given the fact we are a Christian group, is one based on the bible. You can't get any simpler than the basics right there in the bible. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, and non-processed foods are the best way to live along with moderation! Yes you can eat what you want, just keep it in moderation and enjoy as much natural food as you can! We will be counting calorie on this diet which is important to teaching portion control and moderation. No you do not have to count calories for the rest of your life but for those of us who struggle with food issues, counting calories is a way to open your eyes and say "I realize I didn't need all of that food after all." Sometimes you just have to retrain yourself to do what's natural to your body especially after spending so many years doing what's unnatural (i.e. gluttony and over-indulgence). Imagine the person who is in a car wreck and has to learn to walk all over again. They're not going to tell the person to take off running. They are going to take them step by step every single day until they can learn to walk with the aid of a crutch or cane and then it may take years to learn to walk without the aid of that crutch or cane. You have already taken your first small steps by deciding to get healthy now consider counting calories your crutch. Until you can learn to "eat normally" on your own then you must start over from the beginning and learn to eat as God intended. We all need to go back to basics and learn to eat the foods God designed for our bodies, and in the portions needed just to fuel our bodies. We should eat to live and not live to eat.
I am tired of this world telling us what we can and cannot eat. If God did not want you to eat carbs then why would He send bread from heaven [John 6:31], or give us carb loaded potatoes and vegetables? The bible even refers to eating whole eggs, not just the whites [Job 6:6]. This means they - people in biblical times - did not worry about cholesterol. For those of you worrying about your cholesterol I wouldn't worry about it in eggs because I'm sure your cholesterol worries are coming from sources far worse than an egg! Even beef was eaten in moderation, just consider the prodigal son and his homecoming meal. God has a plan for everything in life, including diet, and with everything in God's plan all you have to do is read and follow! Mark 1:17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
With that said here is our new diet plan - Print this off and hang it on your fridge - These are also posted under the weight loss tools on the right hand side:
The Joy Diet Plan
I've also made a chart showing foods listed in the bible:
Foods in the Bible
(If you notice any foods missing from the list feel free to contact me.)
God bless everyone and joyful dieting.
P.S. I've already lost 5 pounds in 2 weeks of following this plan. God's ways always work over the ways of men!
I decided that the best diet for this group to be following, given the fact we are a Christian group, is one based on the bible. You can't get any simpler than the basics right there in the bible. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, and non-processed foods are the best way to live along with moderation! Yes you can eat what you want, just keep it in moderation and enjoy as much natural food as you can! We will be counting calorie on this diet which is important to teaching portion control and moderation. No you do not have to count calories for the rest of your life but for those of us who struggle with food issues, counting calories is a way to open your eyes and say "I realize I didn't need all of that food after all." Sometimes you just have to retrain yourself to do what's natural to your body especially after spending so many years doing what's unnatural (i.e. gluttony and over-indulgence). Imagine the person who is in a car wreck and has to learn to walk all over again. They're not going to tell the person to take off running. They are going to take them step by step every single day until they can learn to walk with the aid of a crutch or cane and then it may take years to learn to walk without the aid of that crutch or cane. You have already taken your first small steps by deciding to get healthy now consider counting calories your crutch. Until you can learn to "eat normally" on your own then you must start over from the beginning and learn to eat as God intended. We all need to go back to basics and learn to eat the foods God designed for our bodies, and in the portions needed just to fuel our bodies. We should eat to live and not live to eat.
I am tired of this world telling us what we can and cannot eat. If God did not want you to eat carbs then why would He send bread from heaven [John 6:31], or give us carb loaded potatoes and vegetables? The bible even refers to eating whole eggs, not just the whites [Job 6:6]. This means they - people in biblical times - did not worry about cholesterol. For those of you worrying about your cholesterol I wouldn't worry about it in eggs because I'm sure your cholesterol worries are coming from sources far worse than an egg! Even beef was eaten in moderation, just consider the prodigal son and his homecoming meal. God has a plan for everything in life, including diet, and with everything in God's plan all you have to do is read and follow! Mark 1:17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
With that said here is our new diet plan - Print this off and hang it on your fridge - These are also posted under the weight loss tools on the right hand side:
The Joy Diet Plan
I've also made a chart showing foods listed in the bible:
Foods in the Bible
(If you notice any foods missing from the list feel free to contact me.)
God bless everyone and joyful dieting.
P.S. I've already lost 5 pounds in 2 weeks of following this plan. God's ways always work over the ways of men!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Being thankful for the life you've been given
This past week we celebrated one of my personal favorite holidays - Thanksgiving. What better holiday to have than to be with friends and family and doing nothing but being thankful for the blessings God has given us? I was thinking about all of the things I am thankful for and the list seemed to go on and on – Family, friends, things, food, God, life….wait a minute? Life? Am I truly 100% thankful for the life God has given me? If I am thankful for this life then do I treat myself this way? I then started thinking about how it is that I treat myself. Some of the things I came up with truly appalled me and I realized that I would never dream of treating someone else the way that I treat myself. I would never tell my friends or family that they are fat, or ugly, or stupid and I would never force or even allow my children to overeat or gorge themselves on unhealthy things – so why do I do this to myself? The bible tells us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Can you imagine trying to love someone else the way you love yourself? We are commanded to love ourselves even before we can love others. Filling our own heads with negative self talk and treating our bodies so poorly that we are barely able to function in life is not loving ourselves or being thankful for what God has given us. There are so many people in this life that would love to trade places with one of us. Think of people who can’t help their health situations – do you think given the chance to live "normally" that they would treat their bodies the way we do? I think not. Life is a precious gift from God. None of us are the same. We all have qualities that make us special and beautiful in our own right. Being able to look past your own faults is the first step in overcoming your insecurities and moving forward with the plans God has in store for you. Be thankful for your life and take pride in the good qualities you have and you will gain confidence and self esteem. You are made in the image and likeness of a living God. Do not insult Him by putting down His creation - You.
To go along with this subject we did these worksheets: "I am thankful for my..."
Print this off and fill this out with 10 things (or as many as you can think of) that you are thankful for about yourself. It can be anything from your personality or to your physical appearance but do not put things about your family or others because we are all thankful for those things. I want you to really think about the way you view yourself and the life God has given you. I want you to see the good in yourself and not just the negative. Hang this up somewhere that you can see everyday to remind you of what a great person you truly are!
To go along with this subject we did these worksheets: "I am thankful for my..."
Print this off and fill this out with 10 things (or as many as you can think of) that you are thankful for about yourself. It can be anything from your personality or to your physical appearance but do not put things about your family or others because we are all thankful for those things. I want you to really think about the way you view yourself and the life God has given you. I want you to see the good in yourself and not just the negative. Hang this up somewhere that you can see everyday to remind you of what a great person you truly are!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
How to stay motivated when temptation is all around
This was our meeting topic last Tuesday the 6th.
The number one question most of us ask when dieting is how do I stay motivated? This is probably the hardest obstacle to overcome when trying to lose weight and be healthy. I personally struggle with this on a daily basis. It is not easy to stay motivated especially when it seems like every single day we are attacked at all angles with temptation. From the fast food commercials that cause us to drool or to the chocolate that just somehow manages to find it's way into our shopping carts. Temptation is not something new that people struggle with. Temptation has been with us since the beginning of time; it is what started the entire fall of man. Think of the irony that the first sin happened when a woman gave in to the temptation to eat. Even Jesus was tempted in the desert with bread! When faced with so many things that can turn us away from our goals it's no wonder that many of us are hard pressed to stay motivated. Just finding the time and energy to do what we need to do to get healthy is a chore in itself. We may even find ourselves in a stuck in a rut whiny "But I don't wanna" attitude. In these times you have to step back and refocus on the greater picture. We have to remind ourselves daily of why it is that we are on this journey. We have to believe that we are worth putting the effort into. We have to believe that God has given us this life for a reason and not just to sit idly by and let it go to waste. Constantly ask yourself do you want that food or do you want to be healthy? There is a slogan that says "don't trade what you want now for what you want most." There is no amount of food in this world worth your own physical well being. Caving into your desires and temptations does nothing but serve your flesh. 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. You are not helping yourself by caving into temptation, you are only working further to destroy what God has built up. In Matthew 25 it says: Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. We have to be on guard and prayed up. Temptation is all around seeking to destroy our will power and motivation. We need to pray that we don't fall into temptation. One of the first things we need to do is to give the battle over to the Lord. God is not so busy that He cannot help you with your food struggles and temptations. Just pray daily, pray before you eat, pray when you feel tempted. We are to pray without ceasing, this includes praying about your food habits. The second thing we need to do to help ourselves stay motivated and free from temptation is to set your self up in a no fail environment. If the food is not there you will not eat it. Put tempting foods out of reach and out of sight and do not buy things you know you will be tempted to overeat. When all else fails and you still feel unmotivated to do anything at all do it anyway! There will be days where you don’t even feel like getting out of bed let alone practicing healthy habits. It takes work to be healthy and no one ever said that it would be an easy task. Often I've found myself not wanting to do anything at all but when I do it anyway I feel so good I just want to keep going. Sometimes all it takes is to step out in faith and hand it over to God. It is not torture to eat and live healthy. Torture comes in when we continue doing the same bad habits and beat ourselves up mentally for it even though we know how to change! We did not get this way overnight and we cannot expect change to happen overnight. Healthy habits take time, and resisting temptation takes the power of prayer.
The number one question most of us ask when dieting is how do I stay motivated? This is probably the hardest obstacle to overcome when trying to lose weight and be healthy. I personally struggle with this on a daily basis. It is not easy to stay motivated especially when it seems like every single day we are attacked at all angles with temptation. From the fast food commercials that cause us to drool or to the chocolate that just somehow manages to find it's way into our shopping carts. Temptation is not something new that people struggle with. Temptation has been with us since the beginning of time; it is what started the entire fall of man. Think of the irony that the first sin happened when a woman gave in to the temptation to eat. Even Jesus was tempted in the desert with bread! When faced with so many things that can turn us away from our goals it's no wonder that many of us are hard pressed to stay motivated. Just finding the time and energy to do what we need to do to get healthy is a chore in itself. We may even find ourselves in a stuck in a rut whiny "But I don't wanna" attitude. In these times you have to step back and refocus on the greater picture. We have to remind ourselves daily of why it is that we are on this journey. We have to believe that we are worth putting the effort into. We have to believe that God has given us this life for a reason and not just to sit idly by and let it go to waste. Constantly ask yourself do you want that food or do you want to be healthy? There is a slogan that says "don't trade what you want now for what you want most." There is no amount of food in this world worth your own physical well being. Caving into your desires and temptations does nothing but serve your flesh. 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. You are not helping yourself by caving into temptation, you are only working further to destroy what God has built up. In Matthew 25 it says: Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. We have to be on guard and prayed up. Temptation is all around seeking to destroy our will power and motivation. We need to pray that we don't fall into temptation. One of the first things we need to do is to give the battle over to the Lord. God is not so busy that He cannot help you with your food struggles and temptations. Just pray daily, pray before you eat, pray when you feel tempted. We are to pray without ceasing, this includes praying about your food habits. The second thing we need to do to help ourselves stay motivated and free from temptation is to set your self up in a no fail environment. If the food is not there you will not eat it. Put tempting foods out of reach and out of sight and do not buy things you know you will be tempted to overeat. When all else fails and you still feel unmotivated to do anything at all do it anyway! There will be days where you don’t even feel like getting out of bed let alone practicing healthy habits. It takes work to be healthy and no one ever said that it would be an easy task. Often I've found myself not wanting to do anything at all but when I do it anyway I feel so good I just want to keep going. Sometimes all it takes is to step out in faith and hand it over to God. It is not torture to eat and live healthy. Torture comes in when we continue doing the same bad habits and beat ourselves up mentally for it even though we know how to change! We did not get this way overnight and we cannot expect change to happen overnight. Healthy habits take time, and resisting temptation takes the power of prayer.
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