Demons

February 21, 2019

Demons            

I try to free write every week day (note:  I don’t always achieve this lofty goal).  Last Friday, February 15, I chose to write on the topic of “demons.”  Strange topic, right?  But hear me out.

            Often when we think of “demons,” we think of spiritual demons, i.e., Satan.  But most of us have personal demons, or “issues” we also call them.

            Ever since I was a child of some five years (back in the Dark Ages), compulsive overeating has tormented me.

            As I continued to write about my compulsive overeating, I began to “see” that through the years the Holy Spirit has taken me on a journey, and I realized the healing the Wise One has brought about within me—a bad eating day today is still 95% better than my worst eating day 20, 30, 40 years ago.

            The journey on which the Holy Spirit has taken me led me to being involved in various weight management groups, each giving me tools which helped heal me a little more.

            Each group guided me to daily recording my food intake.  I continue to use this tool presently so that I am aware of what I eat not only daily, but also weekly.  Today, I share my chart with you.  If such a tool can be helpful to you, feel free to use it. Tweak it to fit your needs.

Day	Protein	Dairy	Fruit	Veggies	Fiber	Extra
M
T
W
Th
F
Sa
Su

            As I neared the end of my reflection last Friday, I became aware that God’s healing in this area of my life is one more example of how much the Holy One loves me—how much God loves each of us, for “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.  Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life (Psalm. 143:8, NIV).”

                                                                                                                                    Sharon Witty

Time to Persevere

I read an article in the February 2019 Prevention magazine about sticking with your New Year’s resolution. I hit a rough patch about two weeks ago and I’m trying to get back on the straight and narrow with my eating and exercise. It is too easy for me to let up for a day or two and before you know it I am on a slippery slope of overeating and missing exercising. Sound familiar? This pattern too often leads us to give up our good intentions.

The article I read said the key was to form new habits. The experts say it takes three months or longer to establish a habit. 

One suggestion was to realize there will be challenges – roller coaster emotions and cravings come to mind. I need to admit my weaknesses and plan a strategy. For instance, instead of eating a bowl of ice cream, I will do 10 minutes on the treadmill, go for a walk, or reward myself with 15 minutes of reading time or another non-food choice. Every time I crave or long for a specific food or taste, I will replace it with a good behavior. Create a new habit and persevere!

Another idea was to consider the results of eating a particular food. Take my ice cream addiction. Ice cream is full of fat and sugar. If I eat ice cream I will feel cold and lazy and I’ll go sit under a blanket and be a couch potato. I will feel sleepy and the ice cream will raise my cholesterol and blood sugar. Then I’ll feel guilty and depressed about what I just ate.

Instead, I choose to avoid ice cream because of all the negative impacts. Or I can play up the benefits of eating something for its good qualities – such as broccoli. It is good raw or cooked. I feel healthy when I eat it because it is clean food and it is full of vitamins that are great for my body.

I’m going to try these two ideas in my own walk with perseverance. It is very similar to our faith. We face challenges in our faith walk, too, and the testing of our faith creates perseverance.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance,” (James 1:2-3 NIV).

Persevere, my friends, persevere.

Gloria D. Stewart