ObesityHelp

Hi, Everyone.
I hope you're enjoying this new series on lies versus the truth. I enjoy hearing feedback from those of you willing to give it.
Let's remember to pray for those having surgery today, as well as those recovering from surgery.
Have a terrific Tuesday.

Life Plan Devotion #188 [Feeling unloved?]

Psalm 146:7b-8 "The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous [in right standing with God]" (NIV, word defined in brackets by author).

     For too many years, I've believed in various lies. I didn't know they were lies at the time, but they were. What I'm learning is that as I read, study, and receive what God's Word has to say, I recognize more readily the lies of the enemy and rebuke them, replacing them with the unchanging truth of God's Word.
     I've always felt I had to earn my father's love. My mother loved me unconditionally, but since her move to Heaven in 2001, I've especially longed for my father's love. He remarried 7 months after my mother passed away, and gained a new family.
     It was just about a month ago that I saw a picture of Dad's "new" family, on Facebook. I sent him a personal message, asking if he still had a corner of his heart just for me. I didn't hear from him for a week. Then he called. My questions had made him angry, and he was still angry.
     After that disappointing conversation, Satan whispered, "Your father doesn't even love you. You are unloved." That's a lie, though. Yes, perhaps my father is incapable of unconditional love, and, yes, perhaps I was feeling unloved, but the truth, which is unaffected by emotions or circumstances, is that I am loved.
     The Lord is "the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8, NIV), so we can echo the words of Jeremiah 31:3, "The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying, 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness" (NIV). God created you, He loves you, and seeks to draw you to Himself.
     What proof do you need, of God's love for you? Romans 5:8 tells us, "God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (NIV). The reason Christ died for us is "that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16, NIV). What love!
     And once you accept Jesus as Savior, you realize the truth of I John 3:1, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (NIV)
     Satan would have you believe that you are unloved, but the truth is that you are loved by God. Which will you believe?

What this has to do with weight loss: Morbidly obese people are in a prison of excess weight, with bars of food addiction keeping them in that prison. A common factor is a great sense of self-loathing. The good news is that, if you let Him, the Lord will set you free. Can't see your way, on your weight-loss journey? The good news is that, if you let Him, the Lord will give sight where you are blind. Feel bowed down with the cares and consequences of living in a body carrying pounds of pain? The good news is that, if you let Him, the Lord will lift you up. (Psalm 146:7b-8)  The only prerequisite is that you are "righteous," in right standing with God, and the way to be seen as righteous in God's eyes is to accept His gift of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, there are times when I feel unloved. That is a lie from the enemy! The truth is that You love me always, and You proved that love by sending Your only Son, Jesus, to die for my sins, so that I could live forever with You. Today, I choose to rebuke the lie that I am unloved and embrace the truth that You love me with an everlasting love. Thank You for the truth of Your Word. I think, believe, and speak it. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Go forth today, in the knowledge that you are loved by God.

Blessings,
Mary

Hi, Everyone.
I trust you had a great Thanksgiving. Have you put up your Christmas tree yet? We did that today. The grandchildren decorated it, and Nana will be moving ornaments around for days! ;)
For those of you following "the romance of the century," Leah, Regan, and Dylan met with the lawyer, and everything is "go" for Regan to adopt Dylan, as soon as the wedding happens and they return from the honeymoon. Countdown to the wedding: 19 days!
Thank you for being so gracious and understanding, allowing me to take Thanksgiving week off. It was a restful week for me. If it gets crazy, I may be taking more time off around the wedding. I'd like to write the devotions ahead, so I can post them easily, but, realistically, I don't know if that will happen. We'll see.
I was pleased to hear from some of you, throughout last week. For those who shared needs with me, know that I've prayed for each one of those needs. Don't forget to keep me posted. Speaking of prayer, let's pray for all those having weight-loss surgery this week. December can be a busy month for WLS. Do remember all of us post-ops, no matter how far out, for the holidays can be difficult, for various reasons.
Have a blessed day, everyone. As always, I love hearing from you.

Life Plan Devotion #187 [All alone?]

Deuteronomy 31:6b "...the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you" (NIV).

     For too many years, I've believed various lies. I didn't know they were lies at the time, but they were. What I'm learning is that as I read, study, and receive what God's Word has to say, I recognize more readily the lies of the enemy and rebuke them, replacing them with the unchanging truth of God's Word.
     It was about 34 years ago that I left my abusive first husband. I was pregnant with our daughter, and I moved home. Afraid of so much, I wanted to stay there forever, raising my daughter. My parents knew that wasn't healthy, so they arranged to purchase a used trailer, and I worked to make the monthly payment.
     Even though I knew my parents had the best of intentions, I felt abandoned by them. I never said a word, though. I moved in, with my new baby, and we settled in to a somewhat normal life. I was busy with her, worked half days, and tried to be a good mother. However, I felt all alone.
     Not only did I feel all alone, Satan used every opportunity to tell me that I was all alone. He whispered things like, "You are married but you have no husband; you're a daughter, but you have no parents to care for you; you are all alone; there is no one to help you."
     It was a lie, that I was all alone. As a believer, the truth, which is unaffected by emotions or circumstances, is that I am never alone.
     Just as the LORD appeared to Isaac, He appears to each believer and says, "...Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you..." (Genesis 26:24, NIV). Just as God spoke to Jacob in a dream, He speaks to us a covenant, "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you" (Genesis 28:15, NIV). There we have God's personal guarantee, His promise of companionship, safety, and guidance.
     There are other wonderful verses of God saying, "I am with you" (such as Jeremiah 1:19; 15:20; Haggai 1:13; 2:4), but my favorite verse contains the final words of Jesus, as He gives the Great Commission to His disciples (and to each of us), before ascending into Heaven. He ends that commission by saying, "...Surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20, NIV).
     Satan would have you believe that you are all alone, but the truth is that you are never alone. Which will you believe?

What this has to do with weight loss: Sometimes we feel all alone on this weight-loss journey, as if no one else understands what we're going through. There is Someone who understands, however, and if we will look to Him, we will know His companionship and help. There are others who are on a similar weight-loss journey, who are waiting for us to reach out to them, for understanding, companionship, and help. We must make the decision to avail ourselves of their help, though.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, there are times when I feel all alone. That is a lie from the enemy! The truth is that You are with me, every moment of every day, whether I "feel" You are with me or not. Today, I choose to rebuke the lie that I am all alone and embrace the truth that You are with me and will continue to be with me, to my last breath on this earth. Thank You for the truth of Your Word. May I think, believe, and speak it. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Go forth today, in the knowledge that you are never alone.

Blessings,
Mary

Hi, Everyone.
For those of you following the "romance of the century," Leah and Regan had one of their final premarital counseling sessions last night. The topic was how they see their role in the marriage and how they see the role of each other. They were on the same page, which is a good sign. The wedding is 4 weeks from tomorrow!
I apologize for the length of this devotion. Hopefully, you'll feel it is worth the time. Keep in mind that I was writing in my journal, for an audience of one [me], so length was not an issue. Feel free to read it at several sittings or copy and paste it to a document, to print out and read later.
Today's devotion is from my personal journal dated May 21, 2007. Let me know how God speaks to you today.

Flashback Friday Devotion #43 [Sitting at his feet]

     This morning I learned that my friend, Ralph Miller, passed away at 8:05 p.m. last night. I had the honor of spending the hours of 3:30-6:00 p.m. with him. Even though he couldn't speak, I felt he knew I was there and could hear me. I anointed him with oil, prayed for him, sang hymns to him, read from Rebecca Springer's book (1898) about her dream of Heaven, and told him it was okay for him to go, that his family would be all right, and that whatever was important to him would continue to be important to them. I wasn't sure why I said that last part, but it was prompted by the Holy Spirit, and the knowledge of what I'd said was of great comfort to the family, later on.
     After I got off the phone this morning, my first thought was, "Oh, my Jesus, Ralph's sitting at Your feet right now, isn't he, for he knew and loved You." The moment I said that, I knew that "sitting at Jesus' feet" was the topic for "class" today.
     I was reminded of one of the hymns I sang to Ralph, called Sitting at the Feet of Jesus.

          Sitting at the feet of Jesus, Oh, what words I hear Him say!
          Happy place! So near, so precious! May it find me there each day.
          Sitting at the feet of Jesus, I would look upon the past;
          For His love has been so gracious, It has won my heart at last.

          Sitting at the feet of Jesus, Where can mortal be more blest?
          There I lay my sins and sorrows And, when weary, find sweet rest.
          Sitting at the feet of Jesus, There I love to weep and pray,
          While I from His fullness gather Grace and comfort ev'ry day.

          Bless me, O my Saviour, bless me, As I sit low at Thy feet.
          Oh, look down in love upon me; Let me see Thy face so sweet.
          Give me, Lord, the mind of Jesus; Make me holy as He is.
          May I prove I've been with Jesus, Who is all my righteousness.

     I asked the Lord to give me scripture about sitting at the feet of Jesus, and He brought to my remembrance one of my favorite stories in the Bible, about Mary and Martha. I found it in Luke 10:38-42.
     "Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.' But the Lord answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.'"
     I've decided THAT really should be our first priority, once we are saved, to sit at Jesus' feet. It's abiding. It's being intimate with Him. It's communing with Him. It's learning from Him.
     I asked the Lord to help me see what happens when one sits at the feet of Jesus and how it will help me in this journey to losing weight.
     1) Sitting at Jesus' feet indicates humility. Mary took the humble, lowly position. If one is in bondage to overeating, that is sin, and all sin has pride at its root. Humility is needed, and when it's present, honor and blessing will follow. James 4:10 says, "Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you."
     2) Sitting at Jesus' feet indicates submission. I'm sure Jesus was teaching, and Mary submitted to Him. When I indulge my flesh, that is rebellion. Submission is so greatly needed, for me to be victorious in the struggle with overeating. It is the way to be free. Job 22:21-22 says, "Yield now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you... Receive instruction from His mouth and establish His words in your heart." The Lord is teaching me, everyday. I must receive it. The "good" for me will be the benefits from correct eating habits. The result of submission is peace.
     3) Sitting at Jesus' feet indicates learning. If Mary was humble and submissive, she would definitely have been learning from Jesus, hearing what He was saying. Learning is essential for victory. Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Mary learned from Jesus and found rest. I am learning from Jesus, too, and I'm finding rest that comes from allowing Him to do His work in me.
     4) Sitting at Jesus' feet indicates faith. Mary surely believed what Jesus was saying. Romans 10:17 says, "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The Lord is teaching me daily, through His Word, but it won't do me any good if I don't believe it. According to I John 5:4, "the victory that overcomes the world [is] our faith."
     5) Sitting at Jesus' feet indicates obedience. Mary was intent on hearing, believing, and obeying Jesus' teaching. That's what I must do. It is truth, and it will make me free (John 8:32).
     6) Sitting at Jesus' feet indicates love. Mary must have loved Jesus, or she wouldn't have spent her time sitting at His feet, to the annoyance of her sister who needed her help. If my heart is full of love for Jesus, there will be no room for sin, even overeating. My heart must be passionately in love with Jesus, with no love of the world or the flesh. Habitual sin comes from falling away from one's first love, just like the church spoken of in Revelation 2:4-5, "I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first..." That last line is the best advice, for what to do when one has given in to the temptation to overeat. 
     May I run to sit at Jesus' feet every morning, with an open, willing heart, learning with all humility, and living in obedience. May my life and my body prove that I have been with Jesus.

Today, spend some time sitting at Jesus' feet. Determine to do that daily, for it will be time well spent, and if you find yourself overeating, just "repent and do the deeds you did at first."  Listen to a group of Gaither men singing, in beautiful harmony, the hymn "Sitting at the Feet of Jesus." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EazRNX_Na7o  Better yet, sing along with them, in His presence.

Blessings,
Mary

Hi, Everyone.
All my children (and their spouses and grandchildren) are coming for Thanksgiving (before and after), so I've decided I will take Monday through Friday off, as far as posting the daily devotion. I hope you understand. A week from Monday, I will begin a brand new series. Actually, two have been percolating. The Lord has yet to tell me which one to go with first, so it will be fun to see which one gets a holy "thumbs up." :) 
Please know that I'm here for you, should you need me. Just PM me. Also, you can read past devotional posts on my profile blog or at www.LifePlanChristianCoaching.blogspot.com. Tomorrow, I will post the Flashback Friday Devotion, Lord willing.
Please pray for those having surgery today, as well as those recovering from surgery. Please pray for those who need God to bring clarity to them, for whatever reason.
Have a thoughtful Thursday, everyone.

Life Plan Devotion #186 [Do you love me?]

John 21:15-17 [Amplified]
"When they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these [others do--with reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion, as one loves the Father]?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord. You know that I love You [that I have deep, instinctive, personal affection for You, as for a close friend].' He said to him, 'Feed my lambs.'
Again [Jesus] said to [Peter] the second time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion, as one loves the Father]?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord, You know that I love You [that I have a deep, instinctive, personal affection for You, as for a close friend].' He said to him, 'Shepherd (tend) My sheep.'
[Jesus] said to [Peter] the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with a deep, instinctive, personal affection for Me, as for a close friend]?' Peter was grieved (was saddened and hurt) that [Jesus] should ask him the third time, 'Do you love Me?' And he said to Him, 'Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You [that I have a deep, instinctive, personal affection for You, as for a close friend].' Jesus said to him, 'Feed My sheep.'

     I like the Amplified Bible, because it gives extended definitions for words based on the original Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament). If one is not inclined to do word studies on one's own, the Amplified Bible is a good option. It was when I read John 21:15-17 in the Amplified that I finally understood more of why Jesus asked Simon Peter three times, "Do you love Me?"
     In previous readings, I saw that Jesus was giving Peter a precious opportunity to declare his love for Him, not only once, but three times. It seemed that Jesus wanted to help Peter erase the three times he had denied Christ prior to the Crucifixion. I imagine Peter's guilt played the tape of "No, I do not know Him" over and over in his mind, and Jesus, who knows what we are thinking, in love and compassion gives Peter the opportunity to change that tape to "Yes, I do know Him, and I love Him."
     I felt there was something more to this passage, and reading it in the Amplified version helped me to see that Jesus used the agapé [divine] (Greek) form of the word "love" when He asked Peter the first time, "Do you love Me?" whereas Peter responded with the phileo form of the word "love" when he answered Jesus' question.
     That agapé love question by Jesus and phileo love answer by Peter is repeated. However, when Jesus asks the question, "Do you love Me?" a third and final time, He uses the phileo meaning, showing understanding that Peter is at a place in his spiritual walk that his love for Jesus is what it is--brotherly. Jesus does not chastise him for that. He merely commissions Peter to "feed [His] lambs/sheep" and "Shepherd (tend) [His] sheep."
     Perhaps you're surprised that Jesus would put such confidence in a man who had denied Him three times. That's Jesus! He sees and accepts us for who we are, yet He sees beyond that to the person we can be, if we will let Him agapé love us, so we can agapé love Him. For Peter, that happened when he was filled with the mighty power of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Peter became a key leader in the early church.

What this has to do with weight loss: In your weight-loss journey you will, no doubt, experience some relapses or failures, but when you open your heart to God, He can and will restore you--even to the point where your life (and body) becomes a testimony for others to follow.

Today, Jesus asks you the question, "Do you love Me?" Take some time to answer Him.

Blessings,
Mary

Hi, Everyone.
Thank you to all who prayed for a safe trip home for Leah, Regan, and Dylan. They had a great trip to Indiana and Ohio, and back to Kansas. It's right back to school tomorrow, for all three of them. I wish they could have a day to rest up, but no one asked me. lol
I don't know about you, but I'm beginning to think that a vast majority of weight loss must take place in one's mind first, before it can take place in one's body. I have no scientific data on which to base that remark, but I'm pretty sure it's the case for me, at least. What about you?
Please pray for those having surgery today and those recovering from surgery. I received several PMs yesterday, letting me know of surgery dates, and each one was a direct answer to prayer. I love praying for you and seeing how God answers.
Have a wonderful Wednesday.

Life Plan Devotion #185 [No doubt]

John 20:24-29 [NLT]
"One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came [after the Resurrection]. They told him, 'We have seen the Lord!' But he replied, 'I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in His hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in His side.'
Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them.
'Peace be with you,' He said. Then He said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here, and look at My hands. Put your hand into the wound in My side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!'
'My Lord and my God!' Thomas exclaimed.
Then Jesus told him, 'You believe because you have seen Me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing Me.'"

     This is the moment when doubting Thomas earned his reputation. He refused to believe in Jesus' resurrection until he saw and felt the risen Christ with his own eyes and hands. Jesus knew and understood Thomas. He showed compassion and allowed Thomas the opportunity to do as he had requested, in order to believe. However, Jesus lovingly admonished Thomas to "not be faithless any longer" but to "Believe!"

What this has to do with weight loss: Most of us are the same way today, even when it comes to losing weight, especially reaching our goal weight. We echo the saying, "I'll believe it when I see it." If that describes you, I would like for you to think about something. Perhaps, you'll see it when you believe it.

Today, give your faith a booster shot, and determine to believe that you will reach your goal, with God's help.

Blessings,
Mary