Calorie Abuse - There Is No Law Against It - But There Is Help For It

 I have been careful, or at least I think I have been careful, to not be offensive or invasive with people over weight control and health.  I know so many people, Christian friends, in the U.S. who struggle with the consequences of calorie abuse. Calorie abuse is taking in more calories than your body needs to function and be healthy.

As I wrote previously, weight control or the lack of it, is the elephant in the room.  We will talk all around it, even justify it, but not talk directly to it. We pray for people who have illnesses resulting from calorie abuse, but not that they will lose the weight causing the illness. Why?  In a large part (no pun intended) it is because personal appearance, in a culture that lusts after the perfect body shape, associates what our bodies look like in comparison to the "perfect", with how we feel about ourselves. Illness is an objective fact.  Telling someone they are overweight, what is obvious to everyone, is invading their personal space and touching on personal-private struggles.  Do we have value or do we not have value.  Are we acceptable or are we not acceptable.  Are we attractive or are we not attractive.  Are we OK or are we not OK.  Are we succeeding or are we failing. Do we believe that we are doomed to a life of missing the mark or do we believe that there is hope?

The thing is, the problem is not with our weight.  It is with our perspective.  Speaking of the Pharisees that secretly believed Jesus was the Messiah, John wrote "For they loved human praise more than the praise of God." (John 12:43) Christian - The Word says that if you "seek the praise of men, you have your reward." (Matthew 6:2) In other words, you are wanting man's approval when you should be concerned about God's approval. You allow the opinions of others to dominate your feelings and behavior when you should be more concerned about the God who saved you. 

I am encouraging those who are struggling with weight control to get control of their weight for God's glory and obedience to the Word, not so you will somehow be more acceptable to people.

I write this knowing full well that the reality of emotions often rules our behavior, even over our faith and what we know to be true.  But what I would encourage you to do is draw closer to God.  The answer to your dilemma is found in Jesus, not in another diet.  That is not to say you don't need structure to help you restore your health, like Take Shape For Life, but it is to say that how you feel about yourself should be founded in who you are as a child of God.  Oh, I wish I could wave my hand and make that clear and believable to you.  Or perhaps give you a pill that you would take once and for all.  But I can't wave me hand and I don't have a pill. However, like Peter said to the lame man sitting at the gate in Acts chapter 3, I do have a cup of Living Water.  Take - Drink and walk confidently in your new life in Christ.

p.s., If you want to know more about Take Shape For Life email me or message me on Facebook

Have Your Lost Respect For Food? Your Waistline Will Reveal The Truth.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T [rəˈspekt] 

Yes, that is the word I was looking for.  I have come to the inescapable conclusion that people in the United States have lost their respect for food.  Not so for the unfortunate millions who live in countries where food is scarce and unaffordable.  Where every day is a struggle for survival.  Here every Sunday, millions in the U.S. struggle with the decision about where and what to eat for lunch after church, while many people  in other lands wonder if they will eat at all. And if that does not concern you, than all I can say is, "You are a goat." What? Yes that's right.  Actually Jesus said it.

(Matthew 25:31-46) ESV  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.  Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on his right [the sheep], ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

 “Then he will say to those on his left, [the goats] ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,  I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’  Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’  Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

It does not bode well for the goats does it?  What a contrast ... and what a condemnation levied against the most prosperous nation in the world, in the history of mankind.  And what do we do with our abundance?  We squander it on ourselves.  We no longer respect the value of food for nutrition, but value it as a source of our hedonistic satisfaction and lust for personal pleasure.

Sound harsh?  Perhaps.  There is nothing worse than meeting someone who has been reformed from something.  And I have been that.  I no longer am captivated by the thought of a full stomach or the taste of some favorite dish.  Instead I see food as a means of sustaining my health.  We are a people of excess.  We revel in eating more than we should.  Of eating what we shouldn't.  Everything is quick and supersized.  We are impatient if the microwave takes too long or and frustrated if the drive through is not fast enough.  Even when we are gorging ourselves, our conversation hovers around the topic of food.  Not the food we are eating, but food we want to eat or have eaten at another time in another place.  

Did you know that obesity is one of the biggest drivers of preventable chronic diseases and healthcare costs in the United States. Currently, estimates for these costs range from $147 billion to nearly $210 billion per year.  That much money is spent because we eat too much.  Can you imagine if we sent $210 billion dollars worth of food and aide to countries that can't produce enough food for themselves?  What about the money we would save if we didn't eat more than we needed to eat to live?  It boggles the mind.

We don't respect food.  Respect in the same sense of our showing respect for a firearm. If you don't respect a firearm, it can kill you.  Well, in the same way, if you don't respect food, it can also kill you, just not as quickly. And it costs a lot more.  A bullet costs a few cents ... dying by food "poisoning" costs thousands of dollars more, and you suffer a lot longer.

So what to do?  It all starts with deciding that you are going to stop the insanity.  You are going to abandon your addiction to the pleasure derived from food and treat it as the nutritional source that God intended.  That is not to say that the food you eat should not taste good.  But how it makes your taste buds feel should be of more importance than the fact that the food is good for you and promotes your health.

So I am in the process of reclaiming my health and restoring my respect for food as my primary source of nutrition and health. What about you?  We are not all goats ... but there are many .. too many.  Did  I say you are going to hell if you are overweight? NO-NO-NO.  But you are irresponsible and living in a way that is contrary to your faith and well being.  Think about it .. and then do something about it.  Maybe my solution is not for you.  I don't really care what "plan" or program you choose to follow, but your journey must start with a clear understanding of why you have the problem you have and a desire to do something about it.

Let me know if I can help.

A Cord Of Three Strands

A Cord of Three Strands

Our health journey continues.  Part and parcel to regaining our health is losing excess weight.  I have already shared that 66% of our nation needs to do that.  So far I have lost 43.2 pounds.  Martie has lost 22.8 pounds.  As great as my weight loss may seem, it is convicting to know that I had let myself wander so far of the path and I am only half way to my goal weight.  It is not because people were not telling me.  I remember my uncle Bud saying to me, a number of years ago, "Charley, you are starting to get a belly on you!"  He had known me while I was in the Army and was very fit.  Well, I ignored that.  The next milestone .. or was it a millstone .. was when our general practitioner in Mississippi told Martie and me that we were pre-diabetic and we need to lose weight and change our diet.  We went on Metformin and cholesterol medicine as a diet alternative and continued to eat whatever we wanted.  And so the story goes.. Doctor after doctor would say lose weight and exercise.  I already knew that, but ignored their advice and took more medication to counter the effects of my poor health choices.

I don't really know what the catalyst for us changing our attitude toward getting better was, but it did.  One day, I had an epiphany.  I was really dissatisfied with my health and was dismayed at the prospect of  becoming a burden to our children because of my poor health decisions.  It was time to change. That is when I coincidentally saw my friend, Mitch Reed, on Facebook.

 I don't know if you have tried to lose weight or, more correctly, get healthy in the past.  Most likely, you have.  It is difficult to do on your own.  There are a hundred reasons why you can't.  Many of them have to do with your family and their eating habits. I can't get better because I can't disrupt the way and what my family eats.   None of them hold water. Let me tell you there will always be reasons why you should not get better.  You have to fight through those.  Your life, your health, your future, your family are all worth whatever it takes. And trust me, the cost today will be much less than the cost later.

Ok so what's with a Cord of Three Strands? Ecclesiastes 4:9-13 "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. ... if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."  Just as with our faith where we need to be encouraged by other Christians .. we need to be encouraged when we commit to doing the "hard" things.

One of the hallmarks for Take Shape For Life - OPTAVIA is the extensive support system that is an integral part of the program.  You are not on your own.  You have a health coach and network of other people who are committed to restoring their health as well. When one falls, there is another to pick them up.  Your chance of success is better if you are partnered with other like minded-people.  If you could have done this on your own, you already would have.

Pray about this.  It is something that you must decide to do.  My hope is that you will choose health.

IM me on FaceBook or email  me if you think you might be interested and I will provide you with the tools you need to get started on the path to a healthier life.  Blessings   Charley

The Spiritual Discipline Of Taking Proper Care Your Body

I have shared a few Bible verses that speak to the issue of our bodies.  But knowing what is right and doing what is right are very often two entirely different things.  When I bring the subject of personal health and weight up in conversation with other Christians, nearly every one has said  (even those who are overweight) ... "our body is a temple" referring to 1 Corinthians 6.  Most I have talked to so far either say they cannot afford it (which is to say they will continue with an unhealthy lifestyle and accept the consequences of being overweight) or they are honest and say they don't want to give up the foods they love.  Believe it or not I understand and have used both arguments myself.

1 Corinthians 6:12-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

Nearly every Christian I have talked to knows at least the part about "our body is a temple".  Our body is a temple which means the inside must be right certainly.  But that does not mean that we can allow the outside to fall in disrepair through neglect and improper health habits.  How does being overweight and suffering from weight related physical problems glorify God?

Let me say something that may be hard for you to embrace. James 4:17 says  "To know the right to do and not do it, for him it is sin"  Sin means you are missing the mark.  All I can say is don't be content with just knowing.  You need to do something.  If you don't, then you are missing God's best for your life.

This is what Pastor Rick Warren said in his devotion on the subject

http://pastorrick.com/devotional/english/take-care-of-your-body

I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1 (NIV)

“Keeping your body in shape is a spiritual discipline. It’s not just about losing a few pounds, wanting to live longer, or trying to look nicer." …. Rick Warren

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

1. God expects me to manage my body. “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. …I will not be mastered by anything …” (verse 12). Your body is a gift from God. He loans it to you and it’s your responsibility to manage it well. What are you doing with what He’s given you?

2. My body is God’s property. “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord …” (verse 13). Our culture teaches us that we can do whatever we want with our bodies. But God created our bodies, so we don’t have a right to share them with anybody we want.

3. My body will be resurrected after I die. “ … God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also” (verse 14). God never wastes anything. One day he’s going to resurrect a new version of your body.

4. My body is connected to the body of Christ. “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?” (verse 15). God considers sins against the body to be in a special class because your body is connected to the body of Christ.

5. The Holy Spirit lives in my body. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit … ?” (verse 19). Your body is God’s temple. If you were walking down the street and saw some gang vandalizing a church, you’d do something about it, right? When you don’t take care of your body, you are vandalizing God’s temple.

6. Jesus bought my body on the cross. “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (verse 20). If you want to know how much you’re worth, look at the cross. Jesus with his hands outstretched says, “This is how much you’re worth to me. You’re worth dying for.” You are infinitely valuable.

{End of Pastor Rick's Devotion}

Stay tuned ...

A Biblical Imperative For Weight Control

Biblical Imperative For Weight Control  

The problem with respect to weight control in local churches .. is that no one wants to talk about it.  It is the proverbial White Elephant in the room.  If there is one thing that you cannot hide, it is being overweight or obese.  Everybody knows it, but no one is talking about it.  You can see someone with a broken leg or dealing with chemo or some other illness, but do not talk about my weight.  It's personal, like cancer is not personal.  About 66% of the population (that's two-thirds) is either overweight or obese.  That is two out of every three people you meet.  And guess what.  Christians are part of that population. 

This chart shows the distribution of obese people by percent in the U.S. by state.  Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and West Virginia are at the bottom of the list.  Not good!

This information is from the Center for Disease Control (CDC).  The data is from 2015.  This is 2017 and my guess is that things have only gotten worse.

So .. what does the Bible to say about weight control. 

Well, first off, the word "diet" is not in the Bible.  But before you shout Hallelujah, there are a number of references in the New Testament that address how we are to care for our bodies.  I want to address a few.

Ephesians 5:29 “for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church”

We get the nourishing part .. but that is part of the problem isn't it?  We are taken nourishment to an excess.  But what does it mean to cherish it?  It means to take care of it.  To care for it like Jesus cares for the church.  So how does over-eating or binge eating fit in that model?  I will answer it .. it does not. 

1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

It doesn't matter what we do, to include eating, we are to do everything to the glory of God?  Have you ever considered that your health habits are robbing God of His glory?  Probably don't want to think about that too long, but it's true. If you are choosing poor health .. I said choosing .. it is not something that happened to you, but something you did to yourself, then you are denying glory to God.

Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Does it make sense that you can over-eat and be overweight in the name of the Lord Jesus.  Uh, that would be NO! Look, I am not trying to guilt you into changing your health habits.  I want you to see that if we are satisfied with not taking care of our bodies, we do so contrary to what we know to be the Truth.  I felt very convicted when I considered how I had been living in light of the Word of God.  That is one of the things the Word is intended to do. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 " All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

We need to be corrected now and again, don't we?  Our spirit strives with the flesh.  Rather than trust God and turn to Jesus, we turn to our own solutions ... by satisfying our flesh and it's cravings we reject God and embrace our old nature.  Sound harsh?  The truth often sounds that way.  If you are 30 or 40 pounds overweight do you think you are equipped to do the work God has called you to?

Bwanef, A Village Too Far.   While Martie and I were in western Haiti, we worked with 7 villages.  One village, Bwanef, is on top of a mountain.  A three hour, very difficult, hike from our base camp in Anse du Clerc.  I could not make the climb, to my shame, so I would send others in my place.  The lead Haitian pastor offered to get a mule, he said a donkey would be too small.  My pride would not allow me to be the only one riding up the mountain, so I did not go.  My goal.  What I have my heart set on is to one day climb that mountain. And I will, the Lord willing and my body in shape.  I am very aware that my food choices were the reason I could not do what I knew I was supposed to do.  I was not thoroughly equipped, but one day I will be ... sooner than later.

Next time ... a devotion from 1 Corinthians 6:12-20   Stay tuned .....

The Problem Is More Than Physical, It's Spiritual

DIET is a four letter word.  What I will be advocating in this BLOG is not another DIET.  We are all familiar with failed diets and the frustration that goes with them.  Instead, first, I am encouraging Christians to understand what the Word of God says about moderation and health.  I want people who are struggling with moderation and unhealthy choices to see that there is hope for a better future. Second, I want to recommend a solution.

What Martie and I thought was going to be a personal journey has turned into a ministry opportunity.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says that God is the God of all comfort Who comforts us in our affliction so that we can comfort others with the same comfort that we, ourselves, have received.

God uses what happens to us as opportunities to minister to others.  Pastor Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, said "God never wastes a hurt." 

When you talk to someone about eating healthy the first thing they think of is diet. Then they think about depravation.  Giving up their favorite foods.  They just don’t know if they can.  And if they do diet, they eagerly anticipate the time when they can stop dieting and get back to eating the foods they like.  They have totally missed the point.  Their food choices has caused the problem to begin with. Why would they run back to them?  Perhaps because they are addicted to food.  What?!?  Can you be addicted to food? Yes. Like a cigarette smoker or drinker who can quit any time, but never does, but they could!

Celebrate Recovery® is a Christ-centered ministry started at Saddleback Church that helps people who are struggling with hurts, habits, and hang-ups.  Over 29,000 churches, worldwide, have a Celebrate recovery Ministry.  With respect to determining if someone is struggling with food addiction, they ask these 6 questions.

1. Do you struggle with overeating or constant dieting?

2. Have you been on a diet and lost all the weight, but need support not to go back to unhealthy behaviors?

3. Do you ever feel out of control and unable to stop eating?

4. Do you eat out of frustration, anger, or fear?

5. Does it seem impossible to eat only when you are hungry and stop when you are full?

6. Do you eat to feel comfort?

Do any of those questions ring a bell with you?  As a Christian, being in control of your body and your weight is a spiritual mandate.  I’ll share some verses with you in my next BLOG update.  But most of us treat our health, including our weight, as not important, having nothing to do with our spiritual life.  The Church does not make an issue of the physical health of its members.  But we cannot separate the two, as much as we would like to.  ... stay tuned

The Awakening

My starting this BLOG is motivated by my passion for helping others.  This BLOG will have a decidedly Christian theme.  So for those who might be prefer a more generic format, mea culpa ahead of time.  About 2 months ago, Martie, my wife, and I embarked on a new adventure.  One that promises to bless others as much or more than it will bless us.  The adventure?  Finding our way back to healthy living.  We had lost our way.  Not sure how, but we were lost all the same.  Like so many others in our country, we found ourselves on a path that led to nothing that was good. Our physical well being was in jeopardy.  We were taking more medicine to counter our poor health habits and watched as our weight climbed pound by pound, day after day.  It was strange.  We felt helpless to do anything about it.  Yet, we knew what needed to be done.  It was like one of those dreams where you need to run from danger but you can't seem to move your legs, not matter how hard you try!

One day when I was checking my Facebook page, I saw a photo of a friend, Mitch Reed.  Mitch and

Sandy lived in Victorville, Ca when we met them in Waveland Mississippi.  Martie and I were running a ministry there helping people rebuild after Katrina.  Mitch and Sandy had come with their church, High Desert Church, to help us.  We became fast friends.  Anyway, back to the point, I contacted Mitch to ask what he and Sandy were doing.  When they shared what they were doing to lose so much weight and to reclaim their health, we knew that we needed to do the same.  I was pushing 300 pounds .. yes .. 300.  I was desperate.  If there was one thing I did not want to be, it was to be like my uncles who lived with obesity and diabetes the last 15 years of their lives.  What Mitch and Sandy were doing, I'll share in a later BLOG post.  But the point is, we at last had hope that we could find our way back to a healthy life.  The picture on the left is of me before and after .. well not after because I have 25 pounds.  But I have lost almost 65 pounds in 4 months.

My intention is that this BLOG will give you some insight into why being overweight and being a Christian are incongruent with each other.  They just don't go together.  It is a pervasive problem that the Church ignores and even condones and frankly, encourages.  My purpose is not to condemn or send people on a guilt trip, but to educate and encourage others to choose the higher ground.  To choose health and in doing so, bring glory to God by living a healthy lifestyle. So stay tuned ...