Recipe for Life

 

 

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”  Matthew 4:4

 

I have always said it is not about what you are eating but what is eating you. Therefore my main focus is to help you change the way you think about eating. We first need to fix our mind and soul then our bodies will follow. In time you will be able to differentiate between physical and emotional hunger. Daily devotional and Bible reading will also help you to know God better and His desire for your life.  You are becoming more God reliant, not self-reliant; allowing His Holy Spirit to help you to make better food choices. “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.”  John 14:16

We eat when we are happy, sad, angry, bored and often for comfort. Most of what Americans do revolves around food.  We are constantly bombarded by food advertisements.  We need to learn to trust our own body’s messages and eat only with physical hunger, not because of external cues.  When we eat to satisfy physical hunger, we limit how much we eat.  However, when we eat to satisfy emotional hunger we can never eat enough.  “You can’t get enough of what you don’t need.”  We need to get more satisfaction out of less food.

One of the most important things you can do is eat small amounts more often.  Not only will it increase your metabolism but it also will take away the mental obsession with food.  It does this by taking the emphasis off the forbidden. When something is forbidden it is all we can think about. Most people can deny themselves favorite foods and stave off hunger signals temporarily but not long term.  This has to become a way of life not a diet.  Deprivation causes binging. We also need to ask ourselves what we truly want when we are not hungry. Try to always include a source of protein when you do eat.  Make sure you drink adequate water.

 

What are you really Hungry for?  Start keeping a journal of what you are feeling.

“There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love.”  Mother Teresa

 

 

 

POWER IN HIS WORD

 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong for our lives  2 Timothy 3:16.

Often in life I have done things for the wrong reasons.   Such as losing weight for appearance and not health, but then I wouldn’t keep it off. Then God reminded me my ultimate purpose is to know Him better; and to know Him better I only need to read His word.  In reading the Bible I discovered God’s true character and learned about His promises. I began to realize God made me and has great plans for my life.  He desires me to be healthy to accomplish those plans. He wants me to look to Him for strength and comfort instead of food. 

God’s desire is for all of us to lead healthy full lives to fulfill His purpose.  The devil however loves to rob us of that. The devil knows if he steals our health, he steals our purpose.  This is why I believe there is such an obesity and diabetes epidemic. 

The devil loves to accuse us when we feel upset, angry or hurt and make the wrong food choices.  The devil’s lies can destroy our lives. He will say things like “you ate that brownie; you might as well eat the whole pan.” The devil thrives on making us feel like weight loss is impossible.  God wants us to go to Him, with our problems. The Holy Spirit will counsel us. “Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors”   Psalm 119:24. 

Willpower is not enough; we need God’s power and truth. The answer to every problem we have is in the Bible. If we immerse ourselves in God’s word it will give us the strength to rise above temptation. God will change the way you think. You will learn what God say’s about you not the devil.

“You are fearfully and wonderfully made.”   Psalm 139:14

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4:13

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”  Acts 1:8

 “With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible.”   Matthew 19:26

God’s word will do what self-help/diet books can’t do, move it from your head to your heart. Books are only informational but the Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit, is transformational. If reading the Bible isn’t part of your daily routine, start by reading a devotional.   Some of my favorites are  Joyce Meyer’s “Trusting God Day by Day”, Bob Gass’ Word for You Today, RBC Ministries’  “Our Daily Bread”, Max Lucado’s “Grace for the Moment” and Sarah Young’s  Jesus Calling.

God desires a close intimate relationship with us. He wants us to reach out and touch Him through the pages of His word.  We only need to look to Him instead of food; His Holy Spirit can help us in our weakness.

Be hungry for His word, study the Bible. Know His Scriptures. Write your favorites down. Put them everywhere.  Become renewed, transformed and able to do what you couldn’t before.  Become all God desires you to be.

 

How can you stay hungry when you are spiritually full? Remember where your food comes from. God told Israel, “I took care of you in the wilderness, in that dry and thirsty land” (Hosea 13:5).

Do you feel spiritually full or hungry?  God is Hungry for us; be Hungry for more of God.

                                                                               

 

HUNGRY FOR MORE: HUNGRY FOR MORE Passover lambThirstThe Effec...

HUNGRY FOR MORE: HUNGRY FOR MORE   

 
Passover lambThirstThe Effec...: HUNGRY FOR MORE         Passover lamb Thirst The Effects Of Faith Spiritual Famine, Relief Of Names And Titles For Chr...

HUNGRY FOR MORE

 

 

 

 

Passover lambThirstThe Effects Of FaithSpiritual Famine, Relief OfNames And Titles For ChristPlenty Through Christdrought, spiritual

Christ, Names ForClaimsThe I Am's Of ChristLonging For GodThe EucharistAppetite, Satisfaction OfJohn 6:35

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

 Recent health issues have limited my activity. As my world started getting smaller, I felt food was the one thing I had left; maybe that is what the devil desired me to believe.  One day I said to my son “I just wish I could eat whatever I wanted.”  As soon as I said those words I realized I had a real problem again. I have always battled with my weight and have had a love-hate relationship with food for most of my life.   I know that when anything becomes more important than God, my life is out of balance. I realized I was looking to food as my source of comfort instead of God.

If you are like most Americans your New Year’s Resolution to lose weight has already gone by the wayside. That is because we as a society have always viewed being overweight as a physical, discipline problem. So we have always treated it with man-made solutions such as diet, exercise, medications and surgeries. I am not saying that these should not be part of the treatment plan but, it is really a spiritual problem.  Unless we heal it with a spiritual solution, we will never lose weight and keep it off. There is a hunger that only God can satisfy, pain only He can heal.

If you saw someone starving wouldn’t you give them something to eat? Then why not if someone was suffering give them spiritual food?  That is what we as Christians do.  We want to share who transformed us.  As a dietitian I have seen so many people struggle to lose weight with only the tools they have been given that I felt called to write this blog. You only have to turn on the television to see what an epidemic obesity has become.  In a recent episode of “My 600 Pound Life,” a woman whose weight was destroying her life cried out to God to help her. She knew could not do this alone. I want to encourage others they don’t have to do this alone.

We are not happy here because we do not belong here. We will have moments of enjoyment like when we are eating our favorite food but it is temporary.  We need to hunger for God’s presence more than anything else.  It is not a physical hunger but a Spiritual hunger that we are trying to satisfy. We need God’s spiritual food from the Bible. In studying God’s word we will truly know Him and the desires He has for us.  By being in His presence we will find a place of rest and refuge.  Above all it is in His presence that we can become transformed.

 

Come along with me on this journey. Receive the spiritual food needed to no longer have to rely on our own willpower but God’s power. Where we can’t, God can.

You are the air I Breathe

You are my Daily Bread

I  Hunger for You

God has designed us to have no sufficiency on our own, which is why we are always hungry for more.  We are hungry for more of Him.

  Where are you hungry? God will meet you there.