Overweight Christians

I wrote this several months ago but was to afraid to put it on my blog because I didn't want to offend anyone.  The title sounds so harsh to me so I've let it sit. Then I rediscovered it in a computer file I don't usually open (along with several others I haven't finished yet). It's just to good to let it sit in my computer. I need to stop being afraid and share it with you anyway. How ironic, that by withholding this, I made myself an overweight christian. Forgive me Lord for being a people pleaser and withholding what you shared with me.

Several months ago I heard the words overweight christian whispered in my heart as I was in the middle of deciding whether I was hungry enough to eat the PBJ I just made. It certainly got my attention and I began listening closer to what the Lord was trying to say to me. The Lord began to teach me what He meant by those words.

In America we are blessed to have an abundance food available to us. With this blessing, as with all blessings, comes a responsibility to use it correctly and with balance. It is evident in America that there is a growing problem of obesity. The pressure is enormous to stay looking thin and beautiful. Between magazines, movies, television commercials, even radio commercials it's hard to miss the mold the world says you should fit into. There are fad diets, exercise programs, pills, and health warnings among a multitude of other things to try to get you into shape as soon as possible.

Recently I saw this issue in a new light. In America we are also blessed to be able to go to any church or bible study any time we want without fear of harm or putting ourselves in danger. If you're not able to go anywhere there are sermons and seminars on T.V. or the internet. There are radio talk shows that help us with our walk with Christ as well as an overwhelming amount of books. You can find teachings on pretty much any subject out there. These are truly a blessing. Again, with blessing comes responsibility.

We need teaching. We need knowledge. We need to be informed on things, especially on the things of the Lord. Now that we've taken in these teachings, what are we to do with them? We eat physical food so our body has energy to live and move and function properly. We also take in spiritual food to give us spiritual energy to move with the leading of the Lord and to live according to God's way.

Yet when we take in the Word of God then do nothing with it, that knowledge sits there and is not a help for us or anyone else. It becomes stored in our spirit man waiting to be used. If we continue to not let God's Word put us into action, to not examine ourselves and change our hearts or ways according to what God is telling us or if we keep our hands from serving and feet from telling the Good News of Christ, then that knowledge compounds over time and make us slothful and sluggish in our walk with Christ. It can even make us hypocritical, judgmental and legalistic just like the Pharisees who do the actions but have no inward change or result. This is what is meant by the overweight Christian.

Just like being physically overweight the antidote is exercise. Exercise for the long haul, for a lifetime. Consistant and continuous. It's a lifestyle, not just a choice for the moment. Although little choices added together can make a lifestyle.

Just like with any good exercise program you should start by visiting your Dr. When checking with our Great Physician He will tell you exactly what you should and shouldn't be doing. He knows what you've taken in and how to use that efficently. He knows what you haven't taken in and therefore what you can't do at this time because you have yet to learn it. Each of us has a special plan and purpose outlined for us and we need to go to Him to receive instructions. He has your individual plan ready and waiting for you.

Even though our plans are individualized we are all in this together. Having an exercise buddy, also known as an accountablity partner, would be of great help to you.

What we really want is to have strong hearts for the Lord. Hearts that are serving and producing fruit. Hearts that are being doers of the Word and not just hearers of it. Others can see if we are doing this by how we are living our lives. When they know you are for real and doing what the Word says, they to will be inspired to live in accordance with what the Lord has shown them. This gets the blood in the body of Christ flowing. It also decreases tension because you aren't being hypocritical. People know you are true to the Lord.

As we continue to move in the opportunities the Lord gives us, our muscles will get stronger. We will develop a deeper relationship with the Lord and our influence will be greater. All the while remembering we are doing this for the Lord and no one else.

Like the people in Wall-E who got large enjoyed their food and sat in their hovering chairs, they lost their ability to walk. They were so blinded by luxury with their virtual TV right in front of them and robots to wait on them. They didn't even know they had a pool or jogging track. They didn't even realize who was sitting next to them. Their victory came when opposition came and their captain made a choice to get up and take it step by step. So our victory will come when we chose to walk step by step. No longer blinded to the gifts God has given us. No longer oblivious to the wonderful people right next to us. Small as those steps may be in the beginning before long, with strong muscles, we'll be running the race set out before us.

Pleasantville

Dates don't happen all that often for my husband and I, so a few weeks ago we tried to make the most of our time together and after the kids went to bed we watched the movie, Pleasantville. Pleasantville is about a teenage brother and sister that end up accidentally zapping themselves into the brother's favorite TV show. The show takes place in the 50's and is like the good ol' shows of Leave it to Beaver or Father knows Best. Everything in this show is pleasant. There's even a scene when the girl goes in to bathroom and finds there is no toilet. Nothing unpleasant in Pleasantville.

 Wow!!! Wouldn't it be great to take everything in your life that's unpleasant and have it just disappear! All the past mistakes you made, especially the ones that you are still paying the consequences for, would just zap out of your life with the push of a button on a remote. (As they would say in the movie) Gee, that would be swell! Or would it?

I saw this quote the other day: “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; If we did not sometimes taste adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” Oh how true that is!

On the show Pleasantville everything is in black and white but slowly everything starts turning to color. When you see the color of one rose in the middle of a black and white picture it really pops! Just as when you receive blessing and/or joyful news after a period of a very trying time. The blessing tastes even sweeter then it would had nothing difficult been going on in your life. That made me look a the thorns of life in a whole different manner. It's hard to go through difficult situations. They squeeze us and try us down to the very core of our being. They can wear on us and are physically and emotionally exausting. Sometimes we wonder why we're even in that situation. We don't always get to there through our own doing but at one time or another ALL of us will find ourselves in trying situations. When those times come, cry out to Jesus! Reach for Him! Though the situation stinks right now and can even be very painful, the light of day IS coming and with it, healing.

“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.” Malachi 4:2

“Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will go your rear guard.” Isaiah 58:8

Just like Jesus wasn't afraid of the stench that would be in Lazurus's grave, neither is he afraid of the big stinky messes we get in. Though it looks dark and dead inside that place, Jesus has complete contol. He can breathe life into any situation and give hope where hope has died.

The tension we feel between good and evil and of sin and doing what's right will be there as long as we are on this Earth, but it is that tension that drives us closer to our Lord. We get emptied of the icky stuff inside of us and filled up with more of Christ. In this light, the tension can be a good thing.

“Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galations 6:9

Continue you to do the good you know the Lord wants you to do during these trying times. Don't grow bitter or angry or start playing the blame game. Which is easy to do. Instead continue to praise the name of the one who is worth all glory and praise. Read the Psalms, turn on the Christian music and keep your focus of this moment verses the span of time. Keep your focus on Jesus and loving Him.

“...we also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope and hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out his love into our hearts, by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us.” Romans 5:3-4

 It may not always be “pleasant” as we think of pleasant but in Christ we, as dearly loved children of God, are always free from the unpleasant things the world tries to chain us down with. We are free through Christ. Free because Satan has been stripped of his power. Free because Jesus has given us authority over sin, death, hell and anything else that gets thrown our way.

“When Jesus called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out demons and to cure all diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Luke 9:1

“ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”   I Peter 1:6-7

My job

Today it may be cold outside but my heart is warm. Last night I had a dream that I got a job. It was a decent job with decent pay, good benefits and nice hours. Yet something inside bothered me. Something wasn't right because getting a job isn't what I've been called to do. I've been called to be a stay-at-home mom and wife who homeschools her children. No amount of money or position title or benefits can ever take the place of that.

My kids are priceless to me and my husband is irreplaceable. The time I have to spend with them I cherish. Even if I feel like my attention is being split multiple times at the same time. Even though it feels chaotic sometimes. I still cherish it.

I love being able to have dinner on the table when my husband gets home. I love that the Lord has answered my prayers and taught me how to cook. Last night I made homemade mashed potatoes for the first time. They turned out great. I was tickled pink at my accomplishment. I couldn't wait for my husband to come home and see what I made. I felt like my kids when they wait anxiously for daddy to come home so they can show him something new they did or made that day.

I love that the Lord is my boss and my job is to shine the light of Jesus into my kids and to shine what a family who loves the Lord looks like into others.

On this chilly March morning, I may not have a regular paycheck or a benefits package but I get to throw my heart and soul into my husband and kids.

My almost 4yr old daughter said to me yesterday, “You're a very good mommy.” That's worth more to me then any prestigious job title or any certificate hanging on my wall.

Thank you Lord for my job as wife, stay-at-home and homeschool mom.

He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord. Psalm 113:9

My Faith Stretcher

Hello everyone!  I just wanted to blog about how life is going and ask you all to pray for a few things.  I know I mentioned some things on facebook but there's not enough room to say all I wanted to say. 

So I've been on gluten-free diet for two months now and it really has been helping.  My abdominal pain is gone.  It doesn't burn when I eat food anymore (unless I accidentally eat some gluten).  Some of my joint pain has gone away, I'm not as weak and tired and my weight loss has slowed down.  Thank you Lord for that.  For about three weeks though I've had a few digestion problems that seem to have worsen.  I don't want to go to the Dr but think I may have to.  I've done alot of research but there is just a point when you need the doctors help.  However, I was sitting in MOPS this evening and it occurred to me I haven't asked my friends to pray about this for me.  I have been going to God personally but I really felt I should ask my friends and family to pray too, BEFORE going to the Dr.  So if you would please pray for me I'd appreciate it.  These verses keep popping out on me that say God will heal all your diseases.  I believe that.  I know that.  Just waiting for it.

Next, I figured since you're already at the throne of God, please pray for Marc and I and our finances.  Other verses that have been popping out at me have been how God provides for His people not just enough but more then enough.  So much blessing that you will not have enough room in your storehouses for it.  Malachi 3:10  That was for those who faithfully tithe by the way.  We are BIG believers on tithing.  Oh man, don't get me on that one.  That's a blog for another day. 

So I was in my quite time the other day and was reading John 15 and I felt inspired to ask the Lord for a financial miracle.  I hesitated before actually giving my request to the Lord because I wasn't sure what might happen but figured we're pretty well set up now, with our financial challenges.  It was that same day I had a dentist appointment and found out I need $3000 worth of dental work done.  They gave us an application to help us with payments but what it really is is a loan and something just didn't feel right about it.  I decided not to go that route.  Then we discovered we need another dependable car, one that can travel to Omaha and we got a really big Dr. bill.  Squeezed in between all this, God asked us to give, what is to us, a bigger amount above our tithe.  You see, our money is not really our money.  When I say our I mean everybody on the planet.  It belongs to God.  Everything on Earth belongs to God.  He lends it to us and asks us to be good stewarts of it.  Not just money but every good blessing, kids, houses, cars, friends, our spouse.  God has given us those good things.  Now, how are you going to use them?  This is where free will comes in.  God commands us to give Him a tenth (the tithe) not for Him because He already owns it but for us.  It's a faith stretcher.  An attitude adjustment and shows where our priorities really are.  He commands a tenth but it's an even bigger faith stretcher to decide to glorify Him with whatever He asks.  Even if that hits the pocketbook.  So, I was discussing it with my husband and weighing what God asked of us and the more we talked about it the more we knew we had to obey. 

This may sound crazy to many but it reminds me of the children of Israel when they came to Jericho.  God gave them that city. Just like He says He will poor out His blessing on those who faithfully tithe.  So the blessing is for my husband and I.  He said the city was theirs but the people in the city wouldn't give up without a fight.  Just like Satan (yes he is real) won't hand over what he stole from us. 

So God gives the Isrealites directions.  Walk around the walls of Jericho one time each day for six days and the seventh day walk around seven times, then the priests will blow their horns and everyone is to yell and the walls will fall down.  Whenever I hear this story I think of how Veggie Tales tells it.  It's so perfect how they visualize it.  So right now I have Veggie Tales going through my head.  Anyway, these directions seemed crazy.  Hmm... Just like my praying for help, then getting lots of bills and instead of money given to us God asks money from us.  That may seem crazy.  To me it sounds like God has something up His sleeve (and it's a BIG sleeve).  Sounds like He's positioning us to see a BIG financial miracle but He wants to know...will we trust Him?  Will we obey?  A faith stretcher indeed.

Last thing, I want to tell you this story.  It's so cool and true.  At church a couple Sundays ago they had some young adults who are going on a missions trip go forward to get prayed for.  At the beginning of the first service the missions team was still $10,000 short of what they needed.  They took an offering and God provided for them $11,000.  My jaw dropped.  Financial miracles are amazing to me.  You don't hear of them very often.  Not big ones anyway.  I got to thinking and all those verses promising blessing and healing are for everyone.  God doesn't say,"I will heall all your diseases and bless you.  Except for Hilary Mason (insert your name there)."  No He doesn't say that.  They are for everyone.   
        
So there is my very long prayer request.  Now you see why I couldn't write it all on fb:)
Thanks for your prayers and your love. 

In Comparison

I was reading a book several months and the author was explaining how comparing ourselves to each other is not wise. She made reference to II Corinthians 10:12, "When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves they are not wise." I had never noticed this verse in the bible before. As my week continued I was surprised by how often I used comparisons. I compared myself to other women, "Her hair is always so beautiful. Mine is pulled back all the time." "Her clothes are always so cute, way cuter then mine!" "I can't entertain guests as well as others. Why would they want to come to my house?" Then of course the mother in me compares my children to others. Especially when it comes to homeschooling. "I can't believe her 5yr old can read. My 5yr is still trying to figure out the alphabet. What am I doing wrong?" Or comparing our children to their siblings. "His/her sister did what I told her, why can't she/he." I learned that when I am using comparisons like these I am saying this thing or person I'm comparing to is the highest standard of measurement I know and I (or my children) need to measure up to this. Someone always comes up on top and can produce feelings of pride or false self worth in us. Someone also always comes out on bottom and makes us feel of little or no value or worth. As a Christian I know that the highest standard of measurement is God and His Word. My self worth comes from who I am in Christ, period! The world's values are backwards. "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight." I Corinthians 3:19a

The only measuring stick we should us is in what God's Word says about us and how we should live and act. God's way is the only way to go. He knows what's best for us. He created each of us with a specific plan and purpose. We need to go to Him and find out what that purpose is. He can also show us how to guide our children according to the purposes He has for them.

You are valuable in Christ.

Just because something doesn't look the same as everyone else doesn't mean it's not right. Now, we don't want to go to the extreme on this. Sometimes it is good to know a normal range of something. For example, it's good to know that by 18mths most children are walking. If your child isn't walking by then there may be a medical problem. Things like that are okay to have a standard.

Where we run into trouble is when we devalue ourself or someone else because we used a measuring stick other then what God says to use. We can sell ourselves short of God's plan by comparing ourselves to others or by trying to please people using their standard for us.

Mary's pregnancy with Jesus didn't look like anyone else's pregnancy, Moses didn't fit the profile of a leader, John-the-Baptist was different than any other young man, Jesus didn't look like the King the Jews were waiting for,… The list can go on and on, yet God did something amazing with each one. These people knew full well they were not "normal" yet they did not allow man's standards to stop them from experiencing the incredible destiny God had for them. Their willing and obedient hearts caused them to make a difference for God's kingdom. Settle for nothing short of what God has purposed you for.

Use God's measuring stick and when we seem to fall short of that, God can give us the ability to press on. Love the unlovely. Be made strong despite our weaknesses.

            

Bathtime

My two year old son had just gotten up from a nap and it was time for him to take a bath. I ran his bathwater and took him into the bathroom. When he saw the bath ready for him he said, “No mama.”

“Yep, it's time for a bath.” I said.

“No mama!” this time with a little more desperation.

“You'll be okay.” I said and started taking off his clothes. Then he just repeated, “No mama!” over and over getting louder the closer he got to getting in the tub. I put him in the bath anyway. He wouldn't sit down but stood as close to me as he could crying. He wasn't scared, he just was mad that he was taking a bath. I went ahead and washed his little body. When I got his hair wet he got even more upset. He would scream once in a while and cried harder. I quickly washed the hair on my uncooperative toddler and got him out of the tub. I wrapped him in a towel and held him for awhile to get him to calm down before dressing him.

 

Normally he likes his baths but for some reason today he didn't want one. Being the parent, I knew he needed one anyway. It made me think how we can be sometimes when God wants to clean us up. He wants to work on some area of our life but we say “No daddy!” Sometimes God cleans us up anyway because He knows we stink and He loves us to much to leave us like that. On our own we will stink at doing things right. With the cleansing blood of Christ though, we are made new and a beautiful fragrance to the Lord. Though we can be like a resistant toddler, our Heavenly Father cleans us up and holds us. We just need to trust Him. Trust that what He is doing is best for us. Trust that He loves us and allow Him to move us according to His perfect will. Whenever we fight God, it only makes things harder for ourselves. Let go and let God do what He is trying to do in your life. Even if you think that cleansing water feels like a cold place to be, God's will is best. He loves us and His plans are not to harm us but to give us life and freedom.  

Prayer for the body

With all the icky cold and flu sickness going around I've been praying a lot for everyone in my house to stay healthy and I've been praying for my friends who are sick. Praying for health for family and friends is a common prayer and a good one. It dawned on me that if I spent the same amount of time praying for the health of the body of Christ, the spiritual health of believers,... what kind of an outcome could that have for my city, state, nation and around the world? If even just 20 of us prayed that hard, what kind of impact would that have on those around us? I really believe if all us of would ban together and seriously pray for our cities, we would see revival in our towns and churches. The fire of the Holy Spirit would spread across this nation.

“...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” I Chronicles 7:14

I know this is not a new idea but for me personally it really put things into perspective. I worry so much about the body but how much am I seeking God for the health of the spirit for myself and others? How often do I stand in the gap for my children's spiritual health? How often do I pray feverently? Sure, I do pray some for that, here and there but I really feel I need to do more.

Our bodies are so temporary, what's done for the spirit lasts forever. Of course God cares about our bodies and we need to take good care of ourselves but we...rather let me preach to myself here...I need to keep a better balance between focusing on the body and focusing on the spirit. There certainly is a time for both. It's so easy to get wrapped in your own world when you're sick or been having some health problems like I have been the last few months. I need to look outside health issues and refocus on spiritual things.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” II Corinthians 4:18

I know there are some people out there who are praying faithfully for the health of the Body of Christ. My hats off to you. Keep it up my dear prayer warriors. We need your faithful prayers. For those of who haven't been praying, I challenge us to do so even more. I know I pray for our nation pretty good when an election is coming up and sometimes a little afterwards too. After awhile though, my prayers for my country and it's leaders are a trickle at best. Let's not forget to continuously pray for God's Spirit to be poured out on this nation...and the world.