Showing Off During Exercise Class, Oh, My!

Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. Proverbs 16:24

I was very fortunate that my weight loss from God wasn't dependent on exercise. It seems that I don't stay with exercises consistently. Throughout the years, I will develop a routine for exercising and/or walking and something comes up and throws it off. It seems like months later, I will reflect on that exercise routine that halted once something interrupted it. This has happened more times than I would like to admit.

I am currently taking an exercise class two days a week, when I can. I have severe osteoporosis and weight bearing exercise is the best thing for it (health to the bones). Sometimes, I have things that interfere with my going to the class. I am blessed with an instructor who goes to great lengths to make the class really fun, so I hate to miss it.

About two months ago, I found myself showing off during class. It wasn't really for anyone else to notice. I was just showing off to myself. The instructor told us to bend our knee and kick ourselves and then kick out. I was surprised that I could actually do it. It seems that we did several repetitions of that exercise that day.  I didn't just take satisfaction in the fact that I was able to kick myself when I bent my knee, but I actually kicked myself each time rather than go through the motions. Oh, My! Was I ever sorry! The next day, my one knee hurt so much that I was barely able to walk on it. It took several weeks until the pain subsided enough for me to go back to the class. That's what I get for showing off! Now, I just go through the motions and bend my knee a reasonable amount. I'm glad that God shows me that being prideful, even to myself, is still something I need to work on. Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. Proverbs 16:24

These Are Other Blogs I Felt Led to Write:

Bible Passages That Can Influence Your Life

Bible Study: Relating the Bible to YOUR Life!

Types of Christians

A Christian Caregiver

Quiet Time with God

He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him. Proverbs 18: 13

There was a time before I started reading the Bible daily, where I thought I had to have all the answers. Over thirty years ago when I started reading the Bible from the beginning, many major changes happened in my life. One of those was that I found out what really was in the Bible and many things that weren't that I had heard misquoted from the Bible for years.

Another thing was that I had this sense of calm that has made a MAJOR difference in my life!!! It's to the point that I try not to allow anything to interfere with my "Quiet Time With God" each morning, when I say my prayers and read chapters in the Bible. There have been some times where I had been unable to read the Bible and would later end up questioning myself about why I was so edgy or intense about situations. My reading the Bible allows me to have inner peace that sets the tone for my day. I don't need Yoga or any Middle Eastern forms of meditation to calm me. My daily prayers and reading the Bible do that and then some.

Reading the Bible on a daily basis affects almost every aspect of my life. Not only am I calmer, but I don't worry as much, because I have read how the Good Lord has taken care of His followers, despite those who wanted to harm them. When I read the Bible daily, I no longer want to be a Tally Chart Christian, keeping a mental count of all of the things people have done to upset me, especially those who treated me poorly because of my weight, because the Good Lord forgives me on a daily basis, as well. He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him. Proverbs 18: 13

These Are Other Blogs I Felt Led to Write:

Bible Passages That Can Influence Your Life

Bible Study: Relating the Bible to YOUR Life!

Types of Christians

A Christian Caregiver

Creation: What's It Matter?

Through Thick 'n Thin

A  man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

There was a time when I was very overweight, where I didn't join in many activities. I shied away from conversations with others, because it seemed that people tended to disregard what I said. It hurt, so it was easier to avoid encounters that might make me feel terrible about myself and my weight. My self-esteem was already dragging-I didn't need others to make it feel worse.

During this time, I read the passage above. God really worked on my heart. This passage, through God's guidance, made me wonder if the negative reactions I got from people were totally related to my excess weight. It made me realize that there was a possibility that I might have something to do with not being included in discussions beyond my weight.

I watched others and saw that there were some very heavy people who had lots of friends and didn't get excluded because of their weight or lack of trendy clothes. Maybe I hadn't shown myself friendly to these people all along. Maybe my facial expression was not of welcoming, but of reluctance to interact. Maybe.....and maybe not. The thing is, holding a grudge against thin people, those who are in the popular groups, or who wear trendy clothes, affected my self-esteem, because the chip on my shoulders had been too BIG to allow me to be open to others.

With lots of prayer, God has allowed me to work on being more welcoming to others. I look less at my feet or off in the distance and try to smile at others.The friendships I value most are still the ones where the people don't care what I weigh, don't care if I wear trendy clothes or care whether I belong to the popular groups. The thing is, Christ never cared about any of this. He just cared that I allowed these issues to hurt my self-esteem, which affected my relationship with Him, my family, others, and myself. I don't want to be a Chip on My Shoulders Christian, pushing away others the way I had. I want others to feel the warmth and acceptance that only Christ can give us, because He is always with us through Thick and Thin. A  man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

These Are Other Blogs I Felt Led to Write:

Bible Passages That Can Influence Your Life

Bible Study: Relating the Bible to YOUR Life!

Types of Christians

A Christian Caregiver

Ulterior Motives

He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD: and that which he hath given will He pay him again. Proverbs 19:17

With having been heavy so much of my life, my self-esteem was low. Maybe it would have still been low if I hadn't been heavy, but I'm unsure. I used to do nice things for people with the ulterior motive of getting what I call the "Good Debbie's." People would compliment me for the things I had done and it temporarily bolstered my self-esteem, or at least my self-perception.

When I was old enough to be involved in church, I tried to do the same thing. I was a Brownie Point Christian volunteering for every committee I possibly could, trying to do things to win the admiration of others and God. The thing is, the admiration of others doesn't really matter in the scheme of things. It only matters what God thinks of me and what I think of myself.

I had to change my perspective to make sure that I am doing things for the less fortunate just because that's what God would want. This made me think, am I doing the nice things for the less fortunate to get Brownie Points from God? I'm hoping that's not the case, but being a very faulty human being, I may get caught up in still having ulterior motives, just more subtle. I have to be prayerful that my motives are truly genuine and not for any type of recognition. He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD: and that which he hath given will He pay him again. Proverbs 19:17

These Are Other Blogs I Felt Led to Write:

Bible Passages That Can Influence Your Life

Bible Study: Relating the Bible to YOUR Life!

Types of Christians

A Christian Caregiver

Making Fun of Others

Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them. Proverbs 22:22-23

It crosses my mind sometimes about how people who are or once were heavy, find it easy to make fun of someone who is heavier than they are. In much the same way, I hear many who have no tolerance with the poor, because they feel it's their plight for making poor choices in their lives. The thing is, the odds are that many of these people may have experienced the same situations at some point in their lives. Why do we find it so easy to be Two-Faced Christians?

Why is it easy for someone who isn't good at sports to find someone who is even worse to make fun of? Is it just human nature to make fun of others, especially in areas where we feel insecure? I don't really know for sure, but it is a very common thing. When I read this passage, it lets me know it's not what Christ wants from us. He wants us to be more tolerant and supportive of those down and out.

Do I always do this? I truly wish I could tell you that I do, but I wouldn't be truthful if I did. There have been times, I've been with a group of people where someone's made a negative remark about someone heavy, or someone poor, or someone down and out, and I haven't spoken up on their behalf. I really should have taken more of stand to stick up for them and I regret that. Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them. Proverbs 22:22-23

These Are Other Blogs I Felt Led to Write:

Bible Passages That Can Influence Your Life

Bible Study: Relating the Bible to YOUR Life!

Types of Christians

A Christian Caregiver

Caught Up in Wanting to Be Thin

Better is the poor that walketh in his uprighteness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich. Proverbs 28:6

I was thinking when I just read this that I could also say that Better is someone who is heavy, overweight, fat, plump or any other name you want to call it, than is s/he that is thin, but leads a worldly life away from God's will.

This gives me a whole new perspective. Sometimes, I have gotten caught up wanting to be thin and to be a part of that elusive group of people that I don't belong to. It's not any specific group, but it's part of that bigger perception of always being left out, not feeling included. Do I let that feeling pervade my life where I am willing to compromise my Christian ethics just to belong?

There's a time I might have. I'm hoping that I now find that doing God's will in my life is much more meaningful than giving up my salvation by being a Compromising Christian, caught up in chasing a worldly life style. Better is the poor that walketh in his uprighteness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich. Proverbs 28:6

These Are Other Blogs I Felt Led to Write:

Bible Passages That Can Influence Your Life

Bible Study: Relating the Bible to YOUR Life!

Types of Christians

A Christian Caregiver

Afraid of What Others Think than What God Thinks, Oh My!

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25

When I read this, I realize that I am often more afraid of what others think than what God thinks. Oh my! I hate to say this, but I have worried more about what others thought of me being overweight than what God thought of me turning to food instead of to Him in times of stress, etc.

I hate to say this, but I have worried more about what others thought of me sharing my faith than sharing what God thinks I should. Why do I do these things? Why do I let the fear of what other people thinks control my actions? I wish I knew the answer or maybe I already do. It's that I want to be liked by others and included, so I avoid anything that might have the opposite outcome.

What does that say about my priorities? I feel like God is of utmost importance in my life. Without Him, my life is meaningless, but I don't live my daily life accordingly. I am a Shallow Christian  who tries to please others instead of trying to please my Lord and Savior. I want God's forgiveness and need His guidance in bringing me to be more aligned with His will for me. The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25

These Are Other Blogs I Felt Led to Write:

Bible Passages That Can Influence Your Life

Bible Study: Relating the Bible to YOUR Life!

Types of Christians

A Christian Caregiver

Why Are We Always Trying to Find an Easier Way?

That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I AM the LORD, and there is none else.  Isaiah 41:6

I don't know why we are always trying to find an easier way. God showed me a food program that's worked well for me for over 30 years, but am I satisfied. Nope! There's a part of me that looks through the magazines that promise to let you eat anything your heart desires and still loose weight.

Why do I fall prey to these? I think it's because I want my cake and to eat it, too. I mean literally! I'm always looking for an easier way to have it all, when I should be satisfied with the miracle my Lord has allowed to happen in my body and eating all these years. He has shown me that when I turn to Him in times of stress, boredom, and temptation, He will always get me through, if I let Him.

Well, I think that we, Want Our Cake and Eat it Too Christians, do the same thing with our faith. Sometimes, even though we know how Christ has changed our lives for the better, we are looking for ways to lead a worldly life, but still maintain what Christ has given us. I'm not sure that it's good for us to even try to straddle the post on this one. It's too easy to lose our salvation in the process! That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I AM the LORD, and there is none else.  Isaiah 41:6

These Are Other Blogs I Felt Led to Write:

Bible Passages That Can Influence Your Life

Bible Study: Relating the Bible to YOUR Life!

Types of Christians

A Christian Caregiver

Lost in the Weeds

For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I Am the LORD; and there is none else. Isaiah 45:18

Just like there are some overeaters that tend to get lost in the weeds of eating programs, becoming overwhelmed by all the details that aren't significant, I think there are Lost in the Weeds Christians, as well.

I have heard and read more arguments between Christians about Creation than any other topic. Some Christians hold fast to God's creating the world in seven days. Others feel God created the world, but each day was thousands or millions of years. I've heard other Christians say that God's creation of the world was through the Big Bang Theory and others by some form of evolution, etc.

The thing is, in my opinion, many Christians get lost in the weeds. God created the world. Does it really matter if it took seven literal days or days that were thousands or millions of years long, etc? There have been some who have really gotten lost in the weeds over this to the point that they lost their faith. That's not want really matters What matters is that God did create the world and He wants us to focus on Jesus, His Son's sacrifice on the cross  and resurrection for our sins! We need to stay focused on what really matters and not let others get us caught up in unproductive discussions or arguments that can lead us astray by getting us lost in the weeds. For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I Am the LORD; and there is none else. Isaiah 45:18

These Are Other Blogs I Felt Led to Write:

Bible Passages That Can Influence Your Life

Bible Study: Relating the Bible to YOUR Life!

Types of Christians

A Christian Caregiver