Opportunity

Opportunity   

               As I composed this blog post for “Sharing Glory,” TV and radio announcers reminded me that I have only a few days left to shop for Christmas gifts. 

            Christmas gifts are an aspect of preparing for Christmas, but there is more to this time—preparing our hearts to accept God’s gift of love.  During this Advent, my mind has wondered about Joseph and Mary’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, so I Googled and found an LA Times archived article.  This article states the journey would have been 90 miles long, but because of Mary’s pregnancy and the uphill/downhill aspects of the journey, they traveled only 10 miles a day.

            But, according to the article, the worst aspects of the journey were the bandits and the wild animals; such as lions, bears and boars, which inhabited the forest along the Jordan River.  And it wasn’t a warm journey; temps often dipped below freezing at night.

            Nor were there any McDonald’s to stop at along the way for food.  The two carried bread with them, but when they arrived in Bethlehem, they didn’t check into a Marriott with an attached hotel restaurant.  Instead, they found room in a stable, probably with other “guests” who also couldn’t find accommodations elsewhere, and with donkeys and sheep.

            There in a smelly, dirty stable Christ was born.  This is food for thought.

            That first Christmas was observed by other guests in the stable, angels, shepherds, and animals.  Today many of us are able to celebrate Christ’s birth with loving friends, family and food. 

            Continuing my thoughts, I realize Christ’s gift of love of entering this world includes his setting an example for us on to how to live in humility and love.

            I think that includes loving ourselves, yet we have too much of a tendency to beat ourselves up if/when we overeat.  Maybe it’s time for us to accept this personality trait of ours—our love of food, our tendency to use food for comfort and see it as “opportunity,” an opportunity for Christ to work in our lives, an opportunity for us to depend upon God’s strength rather than our own (James 1:2-4).

            So this Christmas season, let us gift ourselves with loving ourselves as God made us.

            Gloria and I wish you, our readers, a Christmas filled with Christ’s love and a Blessed New Year.

                                                                                                                                    Sharon Witty

A Month of Temptations

Every December seems the same. Temptation after temptation: candies, breads, cookies, pies, cakes, overflowing buffets, special party treats, drinks designed to please, and snacks that are delectable. What is a person to do?

Some years I’ve indulged in them all; other years I’ve refrained from everything except carrots and celery sticks (if they are to be found). But this year I plan to enjoy my favorites in limitation by being prepared. My goal is to plan ahead to enjoy the treats that only come around once a year, in moderation, and put in the extra work of exercise and healthy meals during the rest of the month.

I don’t know how successful I’ll be but I’m sure it will be better than heading into the holiday eating season without a plan. I’ve found that when I deprive myself of everything desirable, I end up having a critical downfall by eating everything in sight – a mammoth binge. It’s just a matter of time.

This year my preparation will include: 

1. Keeping healthy snacks (fruits, vegetables, hard-boiled eggs) cleaned/cooked and ready to eat at eye-level in the Frig. 

2. Purging the sweet and salty foods from my cupboard so I won’t have temptation staring back at me when I open the door. 

3. Maintaining regular exercise and increase it if I can.

4. Preparing balanced meals by planning a weekly menu.

Planning for healthy eating can be the key to success, and allow a slight indulgence now and then. I plan to make this a healthy, yet enjoyable holiday season.

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

Gloria D. Stewart

Listen and Follow Through

Listen and Follow Through

               As I scratched my head, trying to think of a subject for this week’s post on Gloria’s and my blog, and, yes, begging the Holy Spirit to give me an idea, my thoughts kept returning to Monday morning’s experience.

            ‘Noooooo,’ echoed my spirit, but it is said confession is good for the soul, and, prayerfully, at least one of you readers can benefit from my not-very-smart decision.

            I attend Monday morning Mass followed by coffee at Hy-Vee with other Monday Mass goers.  I rarely eat breakfast before Mass, so I purchase a Greek yogurt at Hy-Vee.

            But the “TPMS” light had been going on and off in my car and had stayed on and not gone off for a couple of days.

            I don’t like to stop at convenience stores to check the pressure in my car’s tires, so I go to the Honda service department and let them do it—for free.

            My gut told me yesterday to turn my car toward the Honda dealership rather than Hy-Vee.  But I was sooooooooooooo hungry.  ‘Oh,’ I thought, ‘I’ll stop at Casey’s and pick up a yogurt.’

            I walked around Casey’s and found NO yogurt.  I found croissant breakfast sandwiches, biscuits and gravy . . .AND breakfast pizza.

            As the Holy Spirit always does, the Wise One gave me a couple of seconds to think and make a sound decision—but I ignored the Voice of Reason and purchased a slice of breakfast pizza and a cup of coffee.

            And so I walked into the Honda service department, balancing a slice of breakfast pizza—cheese, egg and sausage sliding off the crust—in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other and asked the service manager, “Can you check the pressure in my car’s tires?”

            He answered, “Yes,” and I walked into the waiting room where I sat down to eat my slice of cheese, egg and sausage pizza.

            But I had no plate nor utensils, the slice was large and difficult to handle and the toppings continued to slide off the crust.  I was embarrassed to be eating there in the waiting room (but remember I was soooooooooooooo hungry), so I took big bites, hurriedly, but the pizza slice kept growing larger.

            Finally, I gulped the last bite, with a stomach that was, yes, full, but unhappy with all that grease.  My stomach was unhappy with me all day.

            Lesson learned?  I need to listen during those few seconds the Holy Spirit gives me before choosing what, when, and where to eat.

            “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.” (Prv. 3:5-6 Life Application Study Bible).

                                                                                                                                    Sharon Witty

Two Quarts of Manna

Have you ever eaten so much of one thing that you couldn’t stand to eat any more of it? That’s the way the Israelites felt about their manna from heaven. Forty years of the same food might drive anyone to desire something…anything else to eat. The Israelites were in a desert – surrounded by miles and miles more of desert…nothing but desert. Manna was the only thing there was to eat. Instead of being thankful for the gift of fine tasting bread that they could use to cook (or at least bake or boil, as God says in Exodus 17:23), they grumbled and grumbled some more.

“The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.’” (Exodus 17:31-32 NIV).

An omer is one tenth of an ephah (a bushel) or equal to two quarts. An omer of manna in a jar was meant to be a reminder of the way God provided for the Israelites in the desert for 40 years. He delivered manna like clockwork, six days a week for 40 years.

As we approach the season of eating (Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s), let us learn to appreciate the taste of good healthy food, our manna of today (vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, dairy, chicken and fish). We have much more variety than the Israelites! Maybe we can prepare an omer of green beans as a reminder that God provides healthy food for us, even today.

Praise God!

A Little Bit

A Little Bit

            From October first to October sixth, Marshalltown had four visitors from  Santiago de Maria, El Salvador—two women and two men.  These four visitors were from St. Martin de Porres church, sister parish to Marshalltown’s St. Francis of Assisi parish .

            The weather during those six days was cold and rainy—unlike the warmer temps in El Salvador.  We loaned our visitors coats.

            One of the women Isabel was slim, not skinny, but healthy. She wore a coat all the time—whether outside or inside.  One evening at dinner, when Theresa, Marshalltown Community College Spanish instructor, joined us, we were commenting on Isabel’s wearing a coat all the time, even inside.  I said, “Well, look at how thin she is.  She doesn’t have any fat to keep her warm.”

            Theresa translated our conversation to Isabel.  She smiled and said, “I eat everything, but I only take a little bit.”        

            Hm, I’ve heard that before.  After Isabel made this comment, I began to watch her eating style at meals.  She did what she said—took a little bit of everything offered.

            Not only did she take a “little” bit of everything, but she also ate slowly.  The rest of us were long finished before she was (and I’m a fairly slow eater myself, but she out slowed me).

            When she was full, she stopped eating, regardless of how much food remained on her plate.

            As I reflect on Isabel’s eating style, the Spirit reminds me of teachings the Wise One has given me.  God has given us appestats, fuel gauges that tell us when we are empty and when we’re full.  Isabel listened to her gauge.

            Eating too fast causes us to eat more than we need, for it takes a while for our fuel gauge to catch up with our eating speed to let us know when we are full. 

            Finally, First Corinthians, Verse 16, tells us “All things are lawful for [us], but not all things are beneficial” (St. Joseph Ed.).  Hm, dare I add, “too much, even of lawful things, are not beneficial either”?

            Isabel was a living lesson to me on how to eat and enjoy one’s eating and the company with whom I am eating.

                                                                                                                 Sharon Witty

Living Healthy

One of the most common reasons to lose weight is the desire to be healthy. The challenge is how to do that? It is so easy to relax in our “normal” routine…complete with all our behaviors that work against healthy. It helps to have a plan to follow so we can begin to develop healthy habits. There are several ways to start this process.

First, establish a good mindset. Remember we are made in God’s image. He made us and we are His. I once heard someone say, “God don’t make no junk”. We are God’s beloved no matter what size jeans we wear.

Next, we need to figure out what behavior we need to change and why we have the behavior. For instance, every night before bed we have a bowl of ice cream. Say we want to change that behavior. Why do we have that behavior? It is a habit. Instead, think of something to keep our hands busy during that hour when we’re tempted.  Do a puzzle, knit, sew, iron clothes, do a Bible study or read a book. Create a new habit to replace the old one. And don’t buy any more ice cream!

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect,” (Romans 12:2 ESV).

Spend time with God. Getting our priorities straight helps in all areas of our life. Ask God to help us make the change we selected. Ask this every day, throughout the day. Whenever we are tempted to fall back into that bad habit, pray.

Work on one habit at a time. Choose a specific goal and focus on it. Don’t get overwhelmed by making too many changes at once. The changes probably won’t last.

Finally, remember that no one is perfect. Accept God’s grace when we mess up.

By Gloria D. Stewart

Think About it

             Think About It

            On Sunday, September 15, a hot, humid August day in September, my parish held its annual major fund raiser—Festival on First—from 12:30 to 4:30.

            Festival goers did not lack activities in which to participate.  Children could have their faces painted, go fishing, or go down the bouncy slide.

            Adults could buy tickets for lottery drawings and hope they’d win a prize.

            They could sit in the shade and enjoy the entertainment—a Hispanic praise band and a medley of opera songs, including “Ave Maria” sung by the associate pastor.

            But the main attraction of the day was the food, and many choices were available.  A majority of foods were authentic Mexican or Central American, from posole, to burritos, to enchiladas.  Pork burgers and hot dogs were available, as were DQ Blizzards and various home baked bars. 

            To the dismay of late comers, most of the food was gone by 3:30.  The pork burgers held out until 4:30 and some hot dogs were left.  These were given away, and who turns away free food?

            The day was a delightful day of fun, fellowship and food.  When we read and study the New Testament, we see Jesus enjoying fellowship with his friends, and oftentimes that fellowship included food—he visited his friends Lazarus, Mary and Martha—and he ate with them.  He cooked breakfast for his apostles.

            Into the 21^st Century we’ve continued this custom of combining food with fellowship.  As I thought of this practice, in which even Jesus participated, I thought of how we tend to condemn ourselves for eating.

            Maybe we need to step back for a minute and think about this:  “Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens” (James 1:17 NLT).  Our bodies need food.  It is a gift from God to keep ourselves healthy.

            Too often, I think, we tend to look at our eating negatively—“Oh, why did I eat that?”  “Oh I ate too much.”

            Maybe we need to reverse our thinking and be positive—“Thank you, God, for the gift of food, which nourishes my body.”

            Think about it.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Sharon Witty