Sheep and Trouble

We just had our Children's Christmas Musical last Sunday.   It was called the Backwards Christmas Musical because the story was told well...backwards.  The premise was that one of the wise people had a soccer game and couldn't stay to do his part at the end of the pagent so everyone did the play backwards - Act 3 (Wise People, Herod, etc.) went first and then they did Act 2 (Shepherds and Angels) then Act 1 (Mary and the Angel).  Throughout the play the sheep (played by six preschoolers) were intertwined with the storyline, - even in King Herods palace.  The sheep were adorable and one sheep in particular was having quite a time on stage.  Let's just say, he loved having an audience. 

The kids did great and story of the birth of Jesus was told in a different manner but never veered from the importance and significance of this event.  The "wayward" sheep was actually timely.  There was even a line from one of the shepherds that said something like "let's go to Bethlehem and see this baby...leave the sheep, how much trouble can they cause?"

Someone sent our pastor an e-mail and in it they said how much they enjoyed the children's program and how they LOVED the sheep.  Then they said that most people would have taken that little sheep off the stage but how we let him keep coming back.  The person then said - "I want to be part of a church where the wayward sheep gets another chance to get it right.  When we do that, we honor the heart of our Shepherd."  That got me thinking.  How many times do we see people doing things that they know they aren't suppose to be doing and wanting to "take them off the stage".  It would be so much easier if everyone acted like you wanted them to, but guess what, not everyone wants to behave like you want them to - that whole "free will" thing you know.  It's hard to give people second chances or third chances or ...you get the point, but you never know how our actions and words can make an impact on others.

We are called to love others.  I'm going to try to pay more attention to others around me - look people in the eye in a grocery store and smile as an example.  We live in a hurried world where we have no time for the wandering sheep...let's slow down and honor the heart of our Shepherd.

Running, running, running...

This is just a quick post to ask a few simple questions to ponder as we run from one thing to another this December.  What brings you joy?  Are you doing things that are bringing joy into your life?  What is one of the happiest sounds for you? (mine is the children laughing and the sound of a diet coke just being opened...ahhh)

As we run around this Christmas season not only are we suppose to remember where our focus should be, but to enjoy this time.  Does finding a gift that is just right for a certain person bring you joy or do you have an attitude of weariness trying to buy something for someone that you really don't know?  Are you hanging out with people that can make you laugh and smile or are you spending your time with people that are "joy suckers"?  Are you making new traditions/keeping old ones or is this time just going by too fast?

These are just a few questions to ask yourself as you go on your day.  God is joy.  If people can see that in us maybe it can be contagious!  Go make the best of your day!

Idols Part I (day 1)

     You would think that a study on body image and weight issues would begin with proper diet and exercise and maybe about self-esteem stuff.  Nope.  We are going to talk about idols.  That is a great place to start don't you think?   The word "idol" conjures up all kinds of images, all the way from ooga booga masks to tiki figurines to the "American idols".
     Many of you reading this blog know me and so know what I look like and most of you would probably say, "Why is she doing a study on weight and body image, she doesn't need to lose weight."  And, although I think I could stand to lose a few pounds, they are right.  I have never struggled with weight per se. But what I have struggled with, my entire adult life is a problem with food.  For me food is an idol. I confess that I can sit down to one meal and already be thinking about the next.  I get kind of annoyed when I am full because I would rather just keep on eating.  The Holy Spirit has convicted me of this many times and I wonder sometimes if He gets tired of me apologizing over and over for the same thing.  What I love about God though is His incredible capacity for forgiveness and willingness to work with us when we screw up....over and over...So I began to ask Him for help, for wisdom. 
      I have someone in my life, whose identity I will protect here.  But this example seems appropriate.  She once confessed to me that she couldn't wait to get to heaven because then Jesus would heal her of all her hurts.  That then she would find peace from all the wounds of the past.  While that is true, and we will be completely healed when we get to heaven, I absolutely believe that God has healing for us right now, here in this place at this time.  So I am not prepared to wait until heaven to find victory over this particular struggle in my life. I challenge each of us to believe God for victory over the thing or things which are holding us back from living a life that is free from the things which bind us up and make us feel like we are captives. 
     What about you?  What do you feel is an idol in your life?  If you are not a follower in Jesus or a believer in God you can still ask yourself the same question.  What is the thing that you worship in your life, that you serve?  What is the thing that you go back to again and again, that seems to have a hold over you?
     In the next segment I am going to talk more about idols.  How they are used in our lives and what areas of our lives they touch.  I will concentrate more on food as an idol and what that means.  We will get into diet and exercise don't worry.
     As we begin this study together I would like you to do something.  Get a notebook, an empty one.  They have them at the dollar store.  This notebook is going to be your personal journal as we do this together.  Each post there will be questions for you to ponder.  Write down your thoughts.  Feel free to post some of the things you discover about yourself on this blog.  We are in this together.  Know that I am praying for you.  This is going to be an awesome journey of learning and change so be prepared!
Love you all!  

Getting Started

     Getting started on a projects is usually a process for me.  Not long ago I was sitting on our couch in the living room looking at our bookshelves.  "What a lot of books I have," I thought.  So, being the industrious person that I am (I sometimes think more highly of myself than I ought) I decided to organize - which led to piles of books everywhere (I really like categories).  Piles on the couch, tables and, of course, all over the floor.  So much so that really one could no longer walk through the living room.  "Oooooooo this feels so awesome," I said to myself.  Something on one of the shelves prompted me to go to the kitchen where I opened a cupboard and noticed, "Hmmmmmm, these cupboards are a real mess."  Soon my kitchen looked eerily like my living room.  Piles of kitchen stuff all over the counters and table. As I was cleaning in there something in our entryway closet caught my eye and soon I had that entire closet emptied into neat categories (did I mention I like categories?).   Imagine with me how that all looked and then, yep, you guessed it, the doorbell rang.  I opened the door, my eyes shifting back and forth from my visitors to the heaps of stuff all over the living room (my family will tell you, I have a thing about people seeing my house truly messy - most likely something I dragged with me from childhood). The lady at the door was quite pleasant, "Hi," she said, "We are from the township, here to look at your basement." You would have thought I was hiding a fugitive and I croaked back, "Right Now?"  Sure enough they needed to come in "right now" so I reluctantly opened the door and looked dismally at the mess I had created and then began to explain to these strangers the state of my house.  I cleared my throat and attempted an airy explanation of the heaps and piles everywhere.  And then one of the ladies said, don't I know you?
    The Lord knows that I tend to jump into things with equal size pieces of gusto and humble pie. So be prepared ladies.  I am not sure what this project will entail.  Be prepared to start with the bookshelf and end up in the closet. But the difference is that we will do this together.  There is nothing like trusting the Lord for something, waiting for Him to show the way and all the while doing it in community.  So as we go please be vocal and let me know how it is going for you.  I am going to be posting once a week to start and you can catch all the Body Temple entries on the right hand side of the blog or on the main page as well.  I need to run now, but I will be back later today to talk about where we begin this journey.  I am excited about what the Lord is going to show us about how to live this life in the healthiest way.  We will learn about how God sees us, we will learn about ourselves and we will figure out how to make healthy goals for ourselves when it comes to our bodies.  Love you all!   

Women of Adventure

Hey!  Are there any women that would like to go Christmas Caroling on Friday, December 10 in the early evening?  We may also do a "ding dong ditch" kind of thing as well.  (Care packages to people - ring the bell - RUN)  I know it's a very busy time but if anyone is up for it...let me know.

We are planning on going Cross Country skiing again or snow shoeing this January.  Remember to invite others!

Chapters tonight

Hey just a reminder that Chapters is tonight.  After reading the book I felt very convicted.  I didn't read the book for awhile because I knew it would be telling me things I already know but still continue "down that same path".  Why is it that smart people with admirable life goals end up far from where they intended to be?  Why is it that we say - "Next time, I'll know better"  and then next time comes and we do the same thing?  It is really hard sometimes to change behavior. 

The book says it best:  "What gets our attention determines our direction and, ultimately, our destination.  Attention determines direction."  How true.  I would like to know what thoughts anyone may have on this book or this topic. 

Here are some questions - What path are you on and is it where you want to go?  Are you enjoying your life?  What would improve your life?  and What refreshes you?

Body Temple Beginning

 Here begins a journey for myself and hopefully for many of you who are looking for answers to many questions regarding weight and healthy body image.  How many times have we looked at ourselves in the mirror and proclaimed ourselves...for lack of a better word....fat?  Many of us look in the mirror and experience a wide range of emotions...sadness, disappointment, regret, hopelessness.  Regardless of how many pounds we are carrying, we often feel things which do not reflect what God sees.  How many times have we heard people, mostly women, say to us, "Well, the Bible says, that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit."  It is expressed with more than a hint of judgement as if the Holy Spirit is only pleased when he resides in a size six body.  And then not only do we feel bad about ourselves in general we make God out to be a fashion magazine editor looking for the perfect body to put on the cover of His magazine.   And then of course, there are all the books, magazines, web sites, self help tapes and advice on dieting.  If only you follow this one or that one you will be happy and find fulfillment and be the perfect size...finally.  Why is it then that most of the time the change is only temporary?  We may be changed for a while, a month, a year.  But eventually most of us end up in the same place we began. 
     So, what is to be done?  What does God really say about our bodies?  Does God love us more when we weigh less?  Why do we love ourselves less the bigger we are?  Does the Bible address how to live a healthy well rounded (no pun intended) life? 
     Through the years God has taught me a lot about myself and a lot about Him.  One thing I have learned is that when we truly look for answers from Him, when we ask Him for wisdom - He is eager to answer.  So this is a step of faith for me.  I have never done a study on body image or weight before.  I have not really asked the questions that I am going to be asking.  But I do know this.  When we seek truth from God, we should be prepared for answers because He will give them.  And I know that He is not afraid of anything that we dish out.  He is not afraid of our pain or bewilderment.  He welcomes our questions, He wants us to be real to be honest about our struggles.  My pastor's wife recently said, "I am going to begin asking God things believing that He will answer."  She is a wise woman.  I think we should follow her example.  We will ask God right now to lead us to the proper way to have the kind of body that is healthy and the kind of mind that is healthy too.  Where do we start?  I will let you know - I am asking Him for that and as He leads we will follow.  Will you join me?  It is a lot more fun with friends who join in the journey.  I expect we will learn a great deal about ourselves, about God and about how to live healthy lives.  We will delve into that in future posts.  Please don't be afraid to post your questions your doubts and fears.  We will walk together.  Know that you are not alone.
     I bumped into a friend today.  I hadn't seen her in several months.  She walked into the room and I was so happy to see her.  She walked up to me and I asked her how she was, we embraced and then she said, "I am fat."  Now I just have to say, I LOVE women.  I love that we can be apart for months but then see each other and speak out what is on our hearts.  When she walked into the room I didn't give her weight a second thought yet it was almost the first thing she said.  It made me think about how God feels about us.  He loves it when we come to Him, even if we have not talked to Him in a long time, and we blurt out, "I am fat". He loves to hear how we feel.  So here's to my friend.  She was an inspiration to me today.  I don't think there could be a more appropriate beginning to our Journey then telling someone, maybe God, maybe a good friend, maybe even the McDonalds drivethrough person.  Speak out that one sentence "I think I am_________". We are going to get to the truth about who we really are, and get rid of the lies that we believe that are not true.  Be honest about how you feel and and don't be afraid.

The Experiment Begins

Hey there, Vicki here.  Lori and I are very excited about this blog.  We hope that you are encouraged and challenged as I am sure we will be!  Check out my first post in the Body Temple and Lori's thoughts on our "Chapters" book!

First Attempt

Here it goes.  Our first attempt at this blog.  So if I ramble, I apologize.  This blog is meant to encourage women in all walks or seasons of life. Check out my post in the Chapters section.  I have a thought on Andy Stanley's book, "The Principle of the Path".