There was an interesting discussion on GirlTalk this week about.....eating. This can be a delicate subject however I wanted to address what God has been doing in our lives in this area. Titus 1:11 says, " For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." 
Every January Scott and I re-read a book by Gordon McDonald called, "Ordering Your Private World". The premise of the book is that you cannot be/ or give away what has not been developed, disciplined, and nutured in your 'private world' (that which no one sees but God). The scripture is clear that all things should be brought under the disclipine of the Holy Spirit. For me I was deeply convicted a couple of years ago about eating, and why I ate, what I ate, and when. I clearly was undisciplined in this area and felt the overwhelming need to change and bring this area under God's order for my life. God made us in his likeness...therefore he cares about our bodies and how we use/misuse them. Scott and I believe that the second half of our lives can be MORE productive than the first...How? Take the wisdom gained from the first half of your life, combine it with stewardship over all areas.....and you have individuals God can use that are strong, fit, and hopefully full of Godly wisdom only gotten by experience thru the ups and downs of life.
Another book that has changed my/our life is Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. This life is but a vapor. I don't know about you, but I don't want to waste a minute of it on worldly passions.....for me....a lack of discipline with food was a HUGE issue. After sharing with Scott, he agreed, and felt convicted himself. We aren't concerned about the world's view of weight loss. We aren't interested in the newest trends, fads, or plastic surgery. I'm not interested in fitting into "that pair of jeans" that everyone wants. We are both in our mid-forties and want to spend the rest of our lives "running with a passion" for all that Christ has called us to. In order to do that, not only do our private worlds need to be in order, but what's in private is reflected externally. .....how you conduct yourself, your speech, dress, etc. , including your attitudes towards food. 1 Cor. 9:24 says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control IN ALL THINGS. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly: I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." I always made sure that I had every excuse possible for "being allowed" to eat what I wanted. I was stressed, I had a new baby, I didn't eat lunch....etc. I also felt like if I was organized and disciplined in other areas, that this wouldn't matter. Boy was I wrong. So........this past summer Scott and I said "game on". No more excuses! He lost 30 (yes, he did.....30 lbs.) I have lost 20. How did we do it? First, it was a conviction of sin....to discipline ourselves for the right reasons so that we are ready to fight the good fight as long as God has us on this earth. You can't do that if you're undisciplined and slothful. (Please, please hear that I'm preaching to myself here....these were/are our issues.......!! I'm not thinking of anyone here at all!! This is what God has taken us through these last few months:)) Second, we did Scott's weight management program , combined with lots of hard work and exercise. And we know this isn't available everywhere. This is simply what we did. AND the goal for us was not simply weight loss so we would "look thin". We want to be healthy and strong in mind, body and spirit so that we function at a level God can use, in a way that is honoring of the body and mind that he gave us.....so we CAN be obedient to all He calls us to. I have to be creative with my exercise schedule. I try to do it everyday, in some way, shape or form. I used to be a mid-long distance runner when the older kids were little, so back to running I went....except not as intense as before because my schedule/kids won't allow. The key here is doing "something" to keep yourself active and moving. Here is a couple of pics of how we "creatively" are beating our bodies into submission with the kids in tow. This way, everyone goes.....I have an I-Pod with speaker playing kids worship and the new Paul Baloche CD so the girls go biking/running with mom and dad and sing the whole way. We load em up with snacks and many times Scott runs while I pull (75+) lbs. behind the bike. (Hey, we make it 5-6 miles like this:) People laugh at us as they pass by, but so what?:))Sometimes we both run.....sometimes the girls ride their bikes and we chase them. For us, flexibility yet maintaining the drive to do something everyday has been the key. It's working. We feel great, our minds are clear, we have more energy than ever, we're staying strong...building muscle in order to work more efficiently, and we're ready for whatever God has for us in the coming years! Do we struggle still? Uh, easy answer....Yes! We're human and this is a daily battle. But I'm willing to fight because I am not my own. I was "bought with a price" and want to in my days here, be a willing vessel....not a self-indulgent one. I pray this doesn't sound self-righteous or that we have it all together. We don't. This is simply taking a spiritual issue, and practically walking it out in our daily life. This is what it has looked like for us recently. Our private worlds needed an "adjustment". I appreciate Girl Talk for taking on an issue that can be difficult communicate correctly. They did a great job! Now go have some ice cream! (kidding, kidding:)) How about some nice yummy lettuce? I leave you with this quote, which is not about food, nor weight loss....but about really, really understanding that Christ exemplified all we are to be.
"There are some who would have Christ cheap. They would have Him without the cross. But the price will not come down." Samuel Rutherford
