Quiet, Be still, Shhh...

“Be still, and know that I am God!...” lvb & ncv

“Cease striving and know that I am God…” nasb

“Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God…” amp

“Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God…” msg

(Psalm 46:10)

As the dust settles on emptied boxes and things find their places in our new home, the silence brings me peace and an uncanny awareness of God’s presence. The quiet also makes me aware of my alone-ness and my vulnerability to the enemy’s attacks.

"The Ulitmate Guide to the Daniel Fast" by Kristen Feola book review

“I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all, until the entire three weeks were completed.” Daniel 10:3

Some of you may remember my research for a food processor as I sought several you for recommendations. Well, “The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast” prompted this lazy cook to invest in some new cooking equipment!

Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise

(reprinted from MerrieHansen.com January 14, 2011)

“Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.” Psalm 37:5 NLT

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions?

Most people resolve to live healthier, be wiser money managers, or to become spiritually disciplined. (Losing weight, saving money, or reading the Bible through in a year would be more specific.)

I’ve declared them all. Failed at all of them, too. Although, that depends upon the definition of failure. I’ve lost lots of weight, lived on a budget, and read the Bible all the way through. Only recently, my struggle with weight was been a lifetime battle. Debt creeps in and out of my life.

However…

Recommit

“I wonder where I put those New Year’s resolutions.”

Half the year is over; it’s time to take stock of what I have or haven’t accomplished. At first thought, I’ve done nothing to reach my goals, but that’s not true. They may be itsy-bitsy steps, but most of have been forward toward the goals.

BODY – Of course, I haven’t lost the weight, exercised enough, or lowered my cholesterol, as I wanted; but I did complete the Ultimate 21-day Daniel Fast. I’ve also walked or swam many days.

SOUL – No, I haven’t written as much as I would desire or kept my website managed as I would like; but I did attend the Called to Write conference, have been active in my critique group, and submitted several devotional pieces to three different publishers.

SPIRIT – I haven’t successfully memorized Psalm 37 nor have I faithfully met with the Lord each morning as intended; but I have completed an in-depth study of Psalm 37, stayed active with our weekly Bible study group, and meet daily with the Lord despite being later in the morning than scheduled.

At the beginning of the year, I posted a devotional on my website about pursuing a “Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise” lifestyle. I shared points of discipline, determination, and dedication to goal setting. (I’ll repost to this blog next week.)

Unfortunately, we too often run into our old friends of doubt, discouragement, and distractions on the way to our goals. They kick us; we fight back. They knock us down; we get up. They confuse us; we lose focus. After a while, worn out from the battles, we forget where we were going. We give up.

If you’ve lost your way, take some time to

· Reexamine those New Year’s resolutions

· Reconsider their benefits

· Reacquaint yourself with discipline, determination, and dedication

· Recommit.

If you’re one of the few who have stayed the course of your resolutions, I applaud you. Congratulations. Keep up the good work. Pray for the rest of us.

“…forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead…press on...” Philippians 3:13, 14 nasb

Day 50 - Fallen

"Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8

I have fallen to a level that makes it terribly hard to pull myself up. Winter is having its way with me, but so far I have been able to stay conscious.

The cold, snow, and wind make walking outside close to impossible. The clouds hide the sunshine. My mind craves to eat all the wrong foods – milk chocolate, ice cream, white flour and sugar. I have not been inspired to write for two weeks. I hid from two commitments this week – one being a Bible study, the other a writers’ group – both of which are marvelous groups of Christian love and encouragement.

Like the last few weeks, today did not begin so good, eating the worst breakfast and lunch and wasting lots of time. I skipped my usual time of praying and reading the Bible. From there I attempted to work in the office, only to turn my attention to computer solitaire. Depression is winning. But then, two special emails arrived.

The first contained a photo of a split-level suburban home. My eyes were drawn to the snow covered yard. Upon further observation I noticed the sky above the house; it was blue. I was reminded of my trail scripture, Psalm 121. It begins, "I will lift up my eyes…from whence shall my help come…My help comes from the Lord…" When hiking, if my eyes are looking down, I tend to get tired more quickly, but when I lift them upward, I find strength and energy.

Within the second email I received today, was Philippians 4:8, a verse that also helps me to focus my thoughts away from me.

Theses two passages of scripture gave me strength to focus my mind. It has not been a simple switch, but one which I am again mindful. I am praying, as on the trail, for the strength to take another step in the right direction. I have been searching for alternative answers to keep me from slipping further into the pit of desperation. I have set my heart on praising God for what is good, right, and excellent.

For my afternoon snack, instead of baking a batch of brownies as my mind demanded, I reached for my healthy trail mix. And, as you can see, I began to write. There are a few hours remaining in this day that I might even step onto the treadmill.

Day 21 - Changing habits

They say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. Well, today, I consciously resisted a long-standing bad habit that hits between 3:00 and 5:00 pm. It is made worse when I’m tired, bored, or frustrated. My usual reaction is eating something with carbs as the fulfiller. Toast or bagels, also toasted and smothered with margarine is a frequent, convenient food of choice.

(Is this too much revealing information?)

A couple of strategies
Several years ago, I learned a little trick that sometimes helps. When I’m hungry, I note the time and wait 15 minutes. Then, I determine if I’m head or stomach hungry. If I’m stomach hungry, I eat; if I’m just head hungry, I mark the time again and wait another 15 minutes. This doesn’t always work, as my head hunger (which is based upon my mood) over takes my will.

Another bit of wisdom that I’ve used not for weight issues, but for better health, is to keep a trail mix handy. It contains raw almonds, walnut pieces, golden raisins, cran-raisins, dried tart cherries, and for a bit of salt, a small portion of salted, roasted almonds.

Today frustration was the culprit when our satellite internet service refused to work for me while posting my weekly website devotional. I considered toasting a bagel, but knew how it would blow up my daily calories. Because the internet also wreaked havoc on my access to www.LiveStrong.com, I was unable to see where I was for the day or what it would actual cost me.

Victory! I reached for a bottle of water, added a packet of cherry-pomegranate Propel and a tablespoon of cherry concentrate, and drank away my hunger.

It feels good to win over the temptation! It feels great to outwit the daily mind game of hunger. It is worthy of praise to my God who supplied the strength, knowledge, and alertness to develop smart new habits.

The first temptation Jesus dealt with after forty days in the wilderness was hunger. He responded to it with "...Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:1-3) See, hunger is not relieved with bread!!