Do you ...

Do you …

Dear Reader,

            Can you and I have a confab today?

            How often during a day do you think about food?  Three times—at meal times?  Five times, adding in a couple snack times?  More times than that?

            I’d sure like to know if you are like I am.  It seems to me, I think about food some 18 hours a day (subtracting sleep hours and the three times I eat meals).

            Now I realize some of that think time consists of meal planning:  What shall I make for breakfast?  For lunch?  For supper?

            But much of the time is stinkin’ thinkin’:  When do I get to eat again?  What can I eat right now?  How much can I eat?

            Why do I think about food, what seems to me, most of my waking hours?  A major reason, I think, is that food is a sensual pleasure.  It comforts me.  Eating is something to do, especially in the evening when I am watching TV or reading.

            I am soooooo embarrassed to share this flaw with you, but maybe admitting these thoughts is a step toward healing.  Do you, Reader, relate to me?  If so, what can you and I do?

            Gloria and I have posted various suggestions of God’s provisions for our being freed from enslavement to overeating, and once again as I reflected on this particular eating dilemma, the Holy Spirit brought a Scripture verse to mind:  “…Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right.  Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Phil. 4:8 Life Application Study Bible).

            Is this my answer?  I pray for the grace to fix my thoughts on “what is true, honorable and right” when unnecessary thoughts of food intrude into my mind?  I think I’ll try it.  What about you?

                                                                                                                                    Sharon Witty

Our Bodies Aren’t Our Own

       “They [our bodies] were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies,” (1 Corinthians 6:13 NLT).

       I am tempted by sweets. Very tempted. In fact, I think I am addicted to sweets. I have to stay away from them completely; then I can reject them--only then. If I give in to that large vanilla shake from DQ it will lead to a cookie from the bakery, or a candy bar from the vending machine, or both.

       This verse reminds me that God sees what I put in my body. He listens to my thoughts as I decide on my next morsel. He understands when I select vegetables that I am trying to be healthy. And when I partake of the delicious cream-filled cake that slides down my chin, God knows I am letting my stomach call the shots. 

       I feel embarrassed that God knows I can eat a half-gallon of ice cream in three bowls but just one sitting. I’m ashamed of the volume of food I can eat if I’m given the chance, usually being by myself. 

       When I pay attention to God and acknowledge God’s possession of my body as a temple, I find different things taste sweet and wonderful. Carrot sticks are really delicious. Sweet peas get their name from their yumminess. Cucumbers and tomatoes, fresh from the garden, offer lip-smacking lusciousness. 

       The bonus is how I feel after I’ve eaten them! I feel good: not embarrassed or ashamed or guilty. I feel great! Clean eating (without sugar and fat) is almost as good as being washed by Jesus’ blood. Not really, but for illustration, you get what I mean. Eating clean is a good choice to make for many reasons but today the best reason I can imagine is that it is the choice God wants me to make because He cares about my body.

Gloria D. Stewart

Prayed Up

Prayed Up

              

               As I reflected on/prayed about a topic for today’s Sharingglory post, this question came to mind:  What is the most difficult time of day for me to abstain from overeating?

            Those hours after the evening meal is finished challenge me most.  The kitchen is cleaned up. I’m finished with the day’s tasks (or I’ve run out of energy to do anything more).  I don’t know what to do with myself.  I don’t watch much TV or Netflix.  I don’t have a husband to harass or to harass me.  What should I do?  It’s too early to go to bed, and I think, ‘You have time to work on your memoirs,’ or ‘You need to balance your checkbook;  you could listen to that CD by Richard Rohr on St. Paul’s teaching,’ and I respond, ‘I’m too tired for that.’ Usually I respond, ‘I don’t feel like it.’  So I wander into the kitchen—dangerous territory.

            I’m not hungry.  I’ve just finished eating dinner.  I’m bored, or lonely, or sometimes I just plainly don’t want to stop eating for the day.  After breakfast and lunch, I have another meal to look forward to, but after dinner several hours loom before I can eat again.

            As I write this morning, I think of Paul’s words:   “What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise” (Rom. 7:15, MSG).  I relate to Paul.  I have decided I want to eat according to my God-given appestat—what my body needs, when my body needs it and how much my body needs.  However, too often I eat what my body doesn’t need, when it doesn’t need fueling, and more than it needs.

            And those evenings happen when I ignore my God-given appestat and those few seconds God gives me to listen to that still, small Voice within my spirit, and I overeat, often ending up with a bloated belly and miserable,.

            Jesus set an example for me and for you.  When he was challenged, he prayed.  He went away by himself.  “Rising very early before down, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35, New American Bible).  He went to the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion (Mark 14:36).

            Both Paul and Jesus give me the solution to the challenge I often face in the evening hours.  It’s not will power I need, but grace, the power of the Holy Spirit.  I need to pray and to trust.  This morning I also realize, I need to be “prayed up” for challenging times.  I need to ask for strength ahead of time, to surrender myself to the Holy Spirit in the morning, preparing myself for the day.

                                                                                                                                    Sharon Witty

Being My Summertime Best

Last time, Sharon talked about how we are wonderfully made by God. This is a glorious time of year for experiencing God’s Creation. Healthy eating is at its easiest in the summer. 

In addition to all of the beauty that spring provides, it also brings the bounty of springtime and summer fruits and vegetables. Anyone working at watching weight has an enormous variety of healthy choices at the supermarket.

Healthy eating is at its easiest in the summer. Nothing tastes as good as something freshly grilled outside. No fat or breading needed.

The biggest challenge for me is portion control. With so many great options it is easy to go overboard and load up my plate. Potluck picnics can be challenging. I try to focus on plain vegetables and fruits rather than mixtures like potato salad, cheesy potatoes, and creamy cucumbers…I see a theme…cheesy and creamy. Delicious but often loaded with extra calories.

To help me, I like to use a smaller plate. It might be fun to purchase a pretty melamine plate from the department store to use this summer. Maybe a pretty plastic glass to go with it, to fill with water as often as I can. Drinking water is essential in the warm summer to stay hydrated and feel full.

We can enjoy the fresh peas, spinach, asparagus and strawberries in season right now, and indulge in sweet watermelon, peaches, cantaloupe, and berries as they arrive in the stores at peek ripeness. Spring and summer can bring great success to our healthy endeavors. With the addition of exercise opportunities, such as walking outside, mowing the lawn, or weeding the garden (which also gives us Vitamin D), this time of year is a blessing.

“You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple,” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 MSG). 

I am God’s Creation. I want to be my best for Him.

Gloria D. Stewart

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made     

            I thought I had a draft written for this week’s post, but last night (Tuesday) as I readied for sleep, I realized, ‘Nope, that won’t do.’  Uh oh, now what? 

            ‘Tomorrow is Wednesday; the sun is to shine, and I want to plant flowers.’

            So before I closed my eyes, I prayed.

            God is faithful.  The Wise One woke me at 3:30 this morning (Wednesday), so I got up, started the coffee, got out pen and paper, sat at my desk, PRAYED and wrote.

            I wrote a fairly decent draft, but as I showered, my stomach growled, and I realized that draft was not the post for this week either, so here I am—at the drafting board again.

            My stomach’s growling made me realize how “fearfully and wonderfully” God has made us humans (Psalm 139:14 NIV).          

            Our cars have gas gauges, right?  When my car needs gas, the arrow nears Empty.  If I don’t put gas in my car, it’s not going to take me any place.

            God has given us fuel gauges also.  Just as I need to fill my car with fuel, I need to fill my body with fuel so that it can function the way God intends it to.  And God has given us signals as to when our bodies need food.   My stomach’s growling is one kind of sign God has given my body to tell me it’s hungry. 

            Another way my body tells me it’s hungry, especially if several hours have passed since I last ate, is a headache.   Or I might just plainly feel empty.

            If I wait to eat until I’m hungry, the gas gauge God has built into my body works perfectly, for it also lets me know when I am full—just like the gas gauge in my car lets me know when the tank is full. 

            The key, I’ve learned, to knowing when I’ve eaten enough is to eat slowly, for if I eat too fast, I’ve found I don’t give my belly enough time to know when it is full.  I need to follow my body’s signal and stop eating—even if food remains on my plate.  That’s hard, for I grew up in a household where we were to eat all the food we took.

            Not only does my bodily gas gauge tell me when I am hungry and when I am full, it also tells me what to eat by letting me know for what I am hungry.  For example, I haven’t eaten breakfast yet, and I’ve already told you my body has told me it’s hungry.  I’m hungry for my homemade granola this morning.  On other mornings, I’m hungry for almond butter on toast.  Sometimes scrambled eggs with French style green beans (It’s a family thing, but try it; you might like it) appeals to my palate.

            “God’s works are wonderful (Psalm 139:14 NIV).”  When I take time to consider the Holy One’s Creation, I am awed by how everything works together.

                                                                                                                                    Sharon Witty

Think it Through

Think it Through

Last time Sharon talked about invading thoughts that sometimes sidetrack our good intentions. I have those often, especially when ice cream is involved and it is getting to be that season again. But, if I take time to think it through I can talk myself out of eating my way into trouble.

The best way to avoid falling into the eating-what-I-shouldn’t trap, is to plan ahead. If I know I’m going to a certain restaurant I can research the menu ahead of time and choose something healthy. If I have a plan I can stay on track. It is when I’m flying by the seat of my pants that I end up making choices that I may regret.

If I’m headed to a potluck where I’m sure there will be temptations of some kind, it works to bring a healthy dish to share. Fresh veggies and a light dip go a long way toward filling up an empty plate. Or grill up a platter of chicken breasts, or take along a dessert tray of fresh fruit. Just think it through – there are healthy options.

Sometimes the biggest temptations are in my own kitchen. I try to keep a good supply of appropriate snacks handy at eye level so they can diffuse the hunger pangs. And as I’ve mentioned before, I try to avoid having those unhealthy temptations in the house whenever possible.

Remember, scripture offers the best advice:

“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).

Let’s look for the way out and think it through.

Gloria D. Stewart