Week 7 of the Strength Approach to Christian Wellness begins with T. T= Thank God for His faithfulness as we actively express our gratitude. God loves us despite our continually turning to the things of this world to satisfy our longings. The good news is we can tell him in prayer our deep desires, and our struggles. At the same time, when we feel that hot shower in the morning, sip on a brewed beverage, and break our fast, we find God is faithful.

Thankfulness and actively showing gratitude for our daily provision and in our communities has a way of filling us with assurance. A warm flow of contentment spreads instead of anxiety when we trust Him. Sometimes we may say, “You know I’m not feeling it yet God, but I know you’ve got this!” But God listens and understands, as he stands beside us along the way, providing our greatest needs.

Take the example of King David for instance. In his prime, he experienced the pressure of cruelty and unjustness. In his old age, feeling spent of strength, he pours out his heart to God. Apprehension almost overtook him as he was scorned, accused, and conspired against by his enemies. Yet, he praises God as each of his basic needs were met. Do we react the same way today?

His example of thankfulness in times of distress and turmoil are impressive. Although the pressure from his adversaries’ mounts, he says, “I will hope continually and will paise you more and more. Oh God from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. You who have made me see many trials and calamites will revive me again. I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness. O my God; I will sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed (Psalm 71: 9,13,17, 20, 22,23).

A grateful heart recognizes God is still worthy of praise when circumstances are out of control. In our comfort filled lives of convenience and ease we sometimes forget to praise Him when we feel defeated and weak.

The life-threatening enemies chasing down our abundant living are stress, and poor lifestyle choices in the land of abundance.  We’re not remembering the hardships of hiding in caves, or scavenging for sustenance from local farmers.

Our biggest battle is self-control.

A fruit of the Spirit we attribute to niceness, and kindness in a land of opportunity, buffets, and technology. However, for us, this age of information also comes with long work hours, and the stress of balancing work life with home life. Therefore, we are primed and ready for losing self-control in our down time.

The harmful nutritional and mind-numbing choices we make reflect our need for rest. Take for example, cell phones loaded with distracting games, puzzles, or videos, or the enticing draw of the local fast-food joints. The choices we make are ones easily available that don’t require deep thought on our part. However, they do offer a short escape from the day.

But what message does this repetitive mindless activity send to our souls or the people we love? Could it be nourishing a healthy body is too much work and down time is coveted more? How valuable is my health or my children compared to this device or this meal? What activity for myself or with them would build closer connection, physical health, and community?

Thankfulness In Action

Perhaps a short game of kickball, basketball, or soccer would boost energy levels for the caregiver, while releasing energy for kids after a long day at school. Following the activity with a family devotion, over a lovely fruit and vegetable tray, offers them sharing time with God at the center.

Even if we are beyond the caregiver role, we can find opportunities to be thankful and active in someone else’s life. Our church does a pray and go once a month, we pair up with another person and pray for specific house numbers on different streets in our neighborhood each month. This is a great activity for people of all ages to incorporate in their neighborhoods.

Maybe you love to cook, yet don’t want to cook for one person. Begin a soup or dinner exchange with a few close single friends and bring your dishes to a gathering, with a set of trays. Divide the meals or soups into the trays and you’ll each have a wonderful time together while taking home a different (and healthy) dish for each day of the week.

Activities together create a sense of thankfulness because we are stronger together. The Holy Spirit works in and among us when we love this way. We are more grateful, carefree, and lighthearted. Therefore, a stronger sense of self comes with faithfulness to our own small community.

The more involved we are with others, the less we think about our battle scars of self-doubt, self-reproach, and just getting through the day. We have an active plan to make a difference.

In the process, our focus is on God’s plan of unifying a family. A family of neighbors, churches, communities, and individuals.

Moreover, thankfulness in prayer and action allows us to move beyond our weaknesses. Trusting Him with every anxiety, binge moment, or stressor brings about His thoughtful plan to make us more like His son.

He knows failures train our hearts to trust him more, because we’re still here, still trudging through. Yet, victory over despair is won with each act of faithfulness on His part.

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”

2 Corinthians 4:8-10

biblegateway.com

Therefore, thanking him for his faithfulness and asking Him to teach us how to be actively grateful in our communities is something, we can begin practicing today. I think, God is eager to hear and see us proclaim His wondrous deeds in our lives. My prayer is that you see it too.

When I first got married, there was a recipe in the local church cookbooks called, “Poor Man’s Meal”. Since I was a new bride and we were poor, this dish was right up my alley.

After all, Poor Man’s meal only called for ground beef, onions, potatoes and cream of mushroom soup. New cooks need easy too, ya know!

Well fast forward 34 years and I realize, I have not cooked that in years! Why? I guess I outgrew it as my cooking skills advanced beyond casseroles. However, I am revisiting the dish today and vamping it up a bit. Instead of potatoes and cream of mushroom soup, I’m using fresh shitake mushrooms and cabbage.

Remember, when we make our own soups (casseroles), we control the amount of salt, fat, carbs they contain.

Benefits:

Cooked cabbage is high in fiber, vitamin K and polyphenols. Polyphenols are antioxidants that help fight cancer and inflammation. Eaten raw or in salad it retains a good dose of Vitamin C, the powerful immune boosting vitamin we all need. Cabbage combined with the onions, garlic, and mushrooms in this Poor Man’s Meal are sure to provide enough sulfur compounds to help you and your family to fight any infection that comes along.

Devotion:

 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

2 Corinthians 8:9 Bible Gateway

Jesus gave up the glory of heaven so we might have a taste of real richness. Wealth that has nothing to do with material things, money, or food. He gives us an opportunity to know Him through his Word and His life. In Him, our fullness dwells. I hope you take a moment to rest in His provision today.

Meditate and taste His Word alongside a dish of nutrient packed vegetable stew like this Poor Man’s Meal today! You’ll find a sense of gratefulness as you remember the days of truly being poor. With Jesus at your side, those days are a thing of the past.

Grace to self for times of weakness is the topic for week six’s STRENGTH Approach to Christian Wellness. Let’s face it, we all have setbacks, obstacles, and moments of weakness. Showing ourselves grace keeps us from condemnation because change is a process.

Victory comes in permanent lifestyle habits that build a stronger mind and body. But as we know, it doesn’t happen in one or two weeks. A better understanding of grace to self comes when we have a better grasp of God’s grace.

For instance, the biblical definition of grace is typically described as unmerited favor from God. We cannot earn grace because it is the Sovereign will of God. Throughout the Old Testament this favor was bestowed upon Noah, Abraham, Israel, David, and many others.

As we look at the New Testament, we see the term grace most often associated with salvation (redemption of our souls) and sanctification (becoming more like Jesus).  However, there is also a new aspect of power in the Spirit as a nuance to the term (Elwell, 1997).

Acts 6:8 “Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 

Acts 4:33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

Romans 1:5 We learn from Jesus, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations.

Bible Gateway.com

It’s interesting that alongside this power from the Holy Spirit, we also see suffering and stewardship linked to grace (Elwell, 1997).

Titus 2:11-12– For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.

1 Peter 4:10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.

Bible Gateway

Grace is given so we are strengthened in times of weakness. So, we look like a people called to live for God and not slaves to things of this world.

What makes a biblical view of grace so important for us today?

We are facing astronomical attacks on our bodies and minds every day! We need the power of grace outside ourselves to counteract daily attacks. You and I may be aware of gaslighting (repeated messages used for mind control) and fearmongering tactics among the media. But the manipulation of our minds does not stop there!

The attacks come through substances we are fooled into thinking is fuel for our bodies too! It is so subtle we experience extreme guilt when we lose control.

However, promises of pleasure and fulfillment in advertisements and social media alongside additives and flavorings in food, are only meant to bring you and I back for more.

The deceptive manipulation of our minds and taste buds hits the dopamine center of our brains that controls feelings of pleasure.

My friend, doctors around the country are speaking out and warning us about the dangers to our minds as well as additives and chemicals addicting us to products. Dr. Daniel Amen, Dr. Robert Lustig, and Mark Hyman are just a few doctors sounding the alarm.

All these doctors have developed functional medicine plans to help people get real and permanent relief from chronic pain and inflammation. But also to eliminate food addiction. What we can learn from these doctors is how processed food is contributing to disease, and depleting our bodies, and our minds, of vital nutrients.

Nutrients that help us fight obesity, dementia, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, ADHD, depression, or brain fog.

So, today grace starts with letting go of the guilt and becoming aware of how badly we’ve been deceived. The addictive properties of food are partially to blame. They act upon the neurotransmitters in our cells to create the pleasure response.

Moreover, when we’re facing stress, loneliness, and depression, we want the pleasure center activated. However, the more we allow ourselves to respond in this way, the harder it is to stop the habit.

Dr. Amen says, we build tracts in the brain with the repetitive behavior. Did you know that electrical pathways in the brain inhibit reasoning and will power as a result of addiction?

Dr. Pradip Jamnadas, an interventional cardiologist and founder of the Galen Foundation, describes casomorphines in cheese, gluteomorphines in bread, artificial sweeteners, and sugar cane as catalysts to inhibit reasoning in our brains. 

They sound like drugs, don’t they?

I will link Dr. Jamnadas’ YouTube video below so you can visit the site and listen for yourself. It’s called, “Addiction: Why We Can’t Fast or Keep a Diet.”

The bottom line is we must replace the harmful habits with helpful habits that are accessible, realistic, and will become doable routines (Amen, 2020). But first, we’ll have to fast and pray as our Comforter, Councilor, and Mighty Prince of Peace gives us the power to resist.

The Daniel Fast is a great place to start! I can help you with this! Once our old taste buds die off in 10 to 12 days and are replaced with new ones, we can defeat brain depleting temptations.

I have some great preparation ideas in some of my workshops and during Wellness Coaching, I’d be happy to help you with developing a new approach. In the meantime, I will pray you are empowered with wisdom and knowledge so you can give yourself grace in times of weakness.

I leave us with Psalm 19:7-14 as we stay the course:

References:

Amen, Daniel, Amen Clinic, Your Ultimate Guide to Gut Health | Amen Clinics

Biblegateway.com

Elwell, Walter A. Entry for Grace, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology 1997.

The Galen Foundation, December 24, 2021

Week five’s STRENGTH Approach to Christian Wellness theme is one of hope. It is also one of setting a date to release desires for worldly things to God.

Let’s face it, we are focused on numbers. It doesn’t matter if the number relates to our bank account, retirement plan, grocery bill, or the number on a scale, our minds associate success with numbers.

They are also important for helping people control their blood pressure and blood sugar. Numbers on lab results identify problems inhibiting abundant life. Things like chronic kidney disease, heart disease. and autoimmune disease benefit from attention to numbers.

I get it, because I’ve seen the results dash the hopes and livelihoods of hundreds of people over the years! And I don’t want that to be me and you.

Although we cannot prolong our lives any longer than they were determined by God, we can choose items that give us live life to the fullest.

 A circumstance Jesus wants for us (John 10:10). Adjusting our attitude towards others in love is a start. Reducing chronic pain with fruits and vegetables, and not relying on processed food is another.

We have the scientific research at our fingertips on how we view life and what we eat affects us mentally and physically.

Scientific Facts

“The new field of nutritional psychiatry provides evidence for diet quality as a modifiable risk factor for mental illnesses.” (1)

“Meta-analyses of observational studies have shown that a healthy diet and Mediterranean diet are associated with lower risk of depression. People with mental illness have been identified as having poorer diet and other lifestyle behaviors that impact health, and less understanding of the impact of lifestyle behaviors on health (2)

Refined sugar and white flour carbohydrates increase chances for heart disease while whole grain, high fiber foods are protective. Saturated fat is not the cause after all (3).

Individuals with a stronger network have better heart health, neurological, endocrine, and immune function than less supported individuals, thus lowering disease risks and extending long-term health. (4)

We are Better Together and Embracing God’s Plan in the Garden

Moreover, consuming more whole grains, beans, and eating less meat; will provide substantial protein and fiber to remove toxins from the body. The toxins create free radicals that are damaging to cells and contribute to disease, anxiety, and pain. The results of which alter mental stability, and lab values.

 Heads up! Something is wrong when our culture accepts altered food bathed in unrecognizable preservatives as nurturing to our bodies! We also fall for the lure and lies of material possessions for satisfaction.

Therefore, numbering the days of reliance on comfort food, material items, gossip, getting even, or whatever is hindering vitality and life will bring new life to the hope within. 

More importantly, don’t let lasting change intimidate you. It may mean taking baby steps to get where you want to be and not changing everything at once. I can help you with this in individual Wellness Coaching, since I’ve seen it multiple times and battle it myself.  

A point of hope to remember is King Hezekiah. When he was sick and dying, he pleaded with the Lord and the Lord gave him fifteen more years (2 Kings 20). I imagine as the leader of a nation; he had a great deal of stress and his own struggles with lifestyle choices.

However, Hezekiah’s feeling of hopelessness brought him to complete surrender. The same place repeated failures bring you and me. But glory to God! His plea to God brought him through, and it will bring you and I through times of difficult change too.

Remember, God is faithful, and He gives us the strength. His love enables us to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things (1 Corinthians 13:7). I am with you too and will pray for you! Just leave me a comment or contact me for a free consult.

References:

Nutritional psychiatry: the present state of the evidence | Proceedings of the Nutrition Society | Cambridge Core

Marx, W., Moseley, G., Berk, M., & Jacka, F. (2017). Nutritional psychiatry: The present state of the evidence. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 76(4), 427-436. doi:10.1017/S0029665117002026

Full article: A Mediterranean-style dietary intervention supplemented with fish oil improves diet quality and mental health in people with depression: A randomized controlled trial (HELFIMED) (tandfonline.com)

Natalie Parletta, Dorota Zarnowiecki, Jihyun Cho, Amy Wilson, Svetlana Bogomolova, Anthony Villani, Catherine Itsiopoulos, Theo Niyonsenga, Sarah Blunden, Barbara Meyer, Leonie Segal, Bernhard T. Baune & Kerin O’Dea (2019) A Mediterranean-style dietary intervention supplemented with fish oil improves diet quality and mental health in people with depression: A randomized controlled trial (HELFIMED), Nutritional Neuroscience, 22:7, 474-487, DOI: 10.1080/1028415X.2017.1411320

Fat, Sugar, Whole Grains and Heart Disease: 50 Years of Confusion (nih.gov)

Temple N. J. (2018). Fat, Sugar, Whole Grains and Heart Disease: 50 Years of Confusion. Nutrients, 10(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10010039

The health consequences of stress in couples: A review and new integrated Dyadic Biobehavioral Stress Model – ScienceDirect

Shrout, Rose M. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA b Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA Received 12 May 2021, Revised 3 August 2021, Accepted 9 August 2021, Available online 13 August 2021, Version of Record 24 August 2021.

Oats are wonderful for providing fiber and plant-based protein for breakfast or snacks. In these peanut butter and white chocolate chip granola bars the benefits are double. They provide minerals like magnesium, phosphorous, zinc and manganese, while the wonderful B vitamins, B1 and folate are present too. The fiber helps sweep cholesterol out of the colon, feeds good gut bacteria, and helps us stay full longer.

All-natural peanut butter is used in this recipe because it contains only peanuts and salt. There is no hydrogenated oil or sugar added. Peanuts provide more fiber and polyunsaturated fat to this snack, so we are more satisfied. Not only that, but they also provide another source of necessary minerals, B vitamins, biotin, and vitamin E.

Take a look at these two ingredient labels below and ask yourself, “What is better for me and my family?“

God’s plan for our provision and the benefits of food in their natural form will always be better than man’s poor substitute! The good news is we don’t have to settle for less!

We have choices for better snacks for our families. Although few in number, there are companies that try to maintain the integrity of our food. The more we, as concerned parents, place our money where our values are, the bigger the impact on healthier products being offered.

⁶ Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity

    than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.

⁷ The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,

    but a companion of gluttons shames his father.

Proverbs 28:5-7 ESV – Evil men do not understand justice, but – Bible Gateway

So, to keep the integrity of these granola bars, I wanted to minimize the sugar and maximize the heart-healthy benefits of this snack. Remember the American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar a day for women and 9 teaspoons for men.

Our little guys and girls are those future men and women!

Let’s start protecting them now. Although I’d like to get away with 1/4 cup of sugar, there is a 1/3 cup in this recipe. And that is 16 teaspoons for two batches of roughly 36 granola bars (depending on the size you cut). The white chocolate chips add a little more sugar there are 16 tablespoons in a cup and each tablespoon of Simple Truth Organic White Chocolate Chips has 7grams of added sugar for a total of 112 grams in the entire two batches. About 3grams per bar plus the 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. The total amount makes just under a teaspoon of sugar per bar.

God bless you and I hope you enjoy making your own Peanut Butter & White Chocolate Chip Granola Bars with your kids!

There are some days you just want a small taste of chocolate. Since the 72% Cacao chips by Simple Truth are nice for making a healthier chocolate chip cookie, there will be less guilt for my cookie loving friends. Oh, and these are made without eggs too.

I also wanted the full fiber, vitamin E, and nutrients provided by the fresh milled whole grain. Hopefully my gluten free friends will remember I use 1/2 cup almond flour and 1/2 cup of arrowroot flour with 1 tsp xanthan gum for a gluten-free version.

Although, I didn’t get to taste these cookies because I’m detoxing from sugar this month, my best taste tester, said “These are really good.” I don’t get “really” good very often… so take that however you like.

God is faithful to give us just what we need, while not giving too much for a big ego.

Here is what you need to get started for these Vegan Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

¼  Tsp. Salt

¼   cup coconut oil melted

1 1/4 Cups of fresh milled whole grain flour (or 1 cup unbleached flour)

½   Cup unsweetened coconut flakes

½   Cup 72% Cacao Chocolate Chips

¼   Cup Unsweetend Vanilla Almond Milk

1   Tsp vanilla

¼    Cup Sugar plus one scoop pure stevia*

¼    Cup Vanilla almond milk

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl combine the flour and salt. In a separate bowl combine the melted oil, milk, vanilla, sugar/stevia. Whisk until well combined. Add the flour mixture, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips.

Use a small teaspoon or cookie scoop to place 10-12 dough balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

**a Scoop of Stevia looks like this:

Time is moving on! It’s already week four of the Strength Approach to Christian Wellness. I pray these last three weeks of strategies will help you establish lasting change. Today’s strategy is E=Engage Others for Support.

Now, the last thing you and I want to do is engage lightly. It is not a flippant effort to get someone else involved in what we are doing. Rather, it involves establishing a meaningful contact or connection. Because, my friend, we cannot do the most challenging things alone.

Take the engagement of Mary to Joseph, for example. The betrothal agreement at that time was in essence a marriage; however, it occurs prior to living together and consummating the marriage. Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp in their book, How People Change point out the many instances in the bible where we, as Christ followers, are married to Christ.

Lane and Tripp ask, “What does it mean to be married to Christ?” Jesus loves us so much he died for us, so his affection in bringing us into relationship with Him is evident. When we are “married” to Christ, we honor him with our attention, our bodies, our consumption of goods, and even our attitudes.

But do we truly honor this engagement? How do we place things, people, food, jobs, success, or money ahead of Him? Lane and Tripp say in their book we are enticed by comfort and after a hard day we think we deserve it. This quote in their book really resonated with me:

“Comfort and leisure are good things, but when my personal comfort becomes more to me than Christ, it impacts my behavior sinfully.”

Tripp & Lane

It sure does! That’s why I need to engage others for support. Honest, bible-believing friends and family are needed who not only encourage me, but hold me accountable for my actions.

Because, my friend, we cannot do the most challenging things alone. Loved ones may not understand at first the desire for new habits. However, earnestly enlisting their attention and support helps the process.

Think about how many times you’ve started a lifestyle habit and someone close to you unwittingly tempts you to take three steps back. 

Maybe well-meaning family and friends like us just the way we are. Or they may begin to feel a little insecure if we change too much. They like comfort and leisure as much as we do! Regardless of their reasons, our loved ones need to understand why our efforts and intentions for a better life are so important.

Sincere conversations with those we love engages them in the change process. When we share the heavy burden of discontentment with the way we are now, they truly understand why we need their support. Especially if the lifestyle change is avoiding certain establishments, vulgar language, violent movies, or bringing tempting items into the house.

Engaging Others for Support, Step by Step

Once the burden in shared, boundaries can be set in place to avoid temping, cajoling, or creation of circumstances to sabotage our efforts. Whether, the focus of our goal is to improve health, relationship, or reduce anxiety, asking for support is acceptable. Here is what this looks like in action:

1. Share your deepest desire to change with your trusted friend or loved one.
2. Tell them what areas you need help in the most. 
3. Ask them to pray with you and for you every day of your challenge.
4. Let them know ahead of time what activities you will not be participating in as you establish new habits.
5. Together, discover new areas of entertainment or activities that are equally enjoyable and place Christ first in our hearts.

Consider the following scriptures:

“Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.  1

Corinthians 10:17

“Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.”

1 Corinthians 10:24

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

1 Corinthians 12:12,13,26

Change is a battle of our flesh against the temptations of the world and God’s will for us. He wants us to have Shalom–wholeness, harmony, delight, and flourishing (1). But our flesh longs for things not created or designed by God to allow Shalom to take place.

So, as you and I engage in this battle to improve our lives with sustainable lifestyle changes, we can call on friends, loved ones, and the body of Christ to encourage us along the way.

I am here with you and rooting for you!

References:

Lane, Timothy S. Tripp, Paul David 2019. How People Change, New Growth Press, Greensboro 27404

McLelland, Kristi, 2019, Jesus and Women In the First Century and Now, Lifeway Publishing, One Lifeway Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234

The fresh smell of lemons reminds me of warm summer days and lots of sunshine! I think I’ll bring a little of that sunshine into my baking today. Since I also want to make my hubby some healthier snacks for work (to keep him out of the vending machines!) lemons are making this cold winter day brighter. Another plus is this simple recipe only makes a small batch of crispy low sugar lemon cookies. It’s ideal for one or two people.

Although he is not getting too many cookies, he’ll have enough to enjoy a couple after his lunch each day. The benefits of this recipe come from using the fresh milled whole grain with vitamin E, fiber, fatty acids, and B vitamins. The low sugar content, combined with extra fiber and protein in the whole grain, decreases a spike in blood sugar. That’s important for him and anyone else trying to maintain a healthier lifestyle.

Surprisingly, the bitterness of stevia is lost when combined with the sugar. It’s a win-win situation…for him, anyway. He’s not too fond of stevia. So, this may also be a nice trick for anyone who dislikes sugar substitutes.

However, I prefer the stevia in very small amounts in baking because it comes from a plant. Although highly processed, at least it is not artificially made from chemicals.

You really can’t beat six ingredients either!

Fresh milled flour and fruit makes me feel extremely blessed to have access to so much provision. I appreciate the thoughtfulness of our Creator and I’m always reminded what God puts in the garden is good.

Did you know Isaiah says He looks from His dwelling like clear heat in sunshine? The smooth poetry of scripture comes from the best…the author of life Himself.

All you inhabitants of the world, you who dwell on the earth, when a signal is raised on the mountains, look! When a trumpet is blown, hear! For thus the Lord said to me: “I will quietly look from my dwelling like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”

Isaiah 18:3-5 ESV – All you inhabitants of the world, you – Bible Gateway

I pray you enjoy His word today alongside a crispy low sugar lemon cookie or two.

God Bless you!

Welcome to week three of the STRENGTH approach to Christian Wellness. In week one I covered S= Strategies for lasting change and in week two T=Tastes that Satisfy. Today is R= Receive benefits of God’s provision in scripture and the garden. I pray you and I are ready to dive in and receive what God has for us today!

When we are in a posture to accept such a gift, we get a deeper appreciation of all power and authority belonging to God. He spoke the plants into being and gave them the ability to restore and repair cells. Our thoughtful, loving Creator knew what you and I would need before we came to be.

Let His kindness and care wash over you a few minutes.

Who loves you so much, that every need your physical body requires to function is placed at your fingertips? God does. He said,

“Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.”

Genesis 1:29

However, God’s presence among us is even more impressive! Our souls long for Him and He is there. Opening the bible daily with intention, gives us all of Him. It is the living Word (Hebrews 4:12) capable of filling us with encouragement, wisdom, love, and strength.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults,
 and with my song I give thanks to him.

Psalm 28:7

He is our strength, and apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5) However, to receive what God has to offer, we must ask.

Jesus said, “Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Mathew 11:24

But what is it we truly want to receive?

Is it a desire for more of Him and less of the world? It is less instant gratification ruling choices more than the Creator? Maybe it’s freedom from daily choices hindering lasting joy or fruit of the Christian faith?  The fruit of  the Spirit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Gal 5:22).

The context of Mathew 11:24 shows Jesus and the disciples approaching a fig tree the day before and not finding any fruit on it for them to eat. Jesus said, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” The physical meets the spiritual as he moves on to Jerusalem and overturns the money-changers’ tables in His Father’s house. The house of prayer had been turned into a market place. The hearts of those in attendance, were far removed from the Lord and focused on their immediate needs.

The next day, the disciples witnessed the withered fig tree and Peter says, “Rabbi look! The fig tree you cursed has withered. Jesus answers, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.”

What is the spiritual or emotional mountain that you and I need to receive peace from today?

If we are feeling withered and drained of energy, focus, and excitement, we can pray to receive it today! God is faithful to the heart that believes He is capable. I believe, we’ll both find that he is willing to remove it from us and give us a contentment we’ve never known before.

In addition, benefits of receiving God’s Word, is how it renews our minds. We confess to the Lord Jesus Christ any emotion, addiction, areas of unbelief, or disregard for His provision in prayer. The mountain of guilt and shame we experience with every failure and weakness is lain at His feet.

Moreover, we have new eyes to receive God’s provision in scripture and the garden as compared to what the world offers. As the fleeting pleasures of the world fail to meet the deepest needs of our soul, the desire to give in to them will depart.

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” Romans 13:14

The table below shows a comparison of what we choose to receive from God and the scriptures and what we choose to receive from the world.

The bottom line is YOU and I matter to God.

Therefore, the daily choices we make matter to God, too. Our attitude, speech, tone of voice, how we treat one another and ourselves scream to the world where we stand in our faith. The food choices we make also reveal little appreciation for physical wellness.

But is does not have to be that way!

The hard truth you and I face daily in the mirror is we cannot do it alone. When we willfully seek the things of the flesh, and turn to receive things of the world to satisfy needs, we look just like the unbelievers around us.  The message sent to our Father in heaven, and the world is, “I know best”.

Furthermore, the serpent’s lie to Eve in the garden is still alive and thriving today. But God is not holding out on us! He sternly warned her son Cain to be cautious about his attitude and actions. I understand it as a warning for me and what I choose to receive as well.:

“…because sin is crouching at the door and it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7b New International Version

Three questions I’d like you and I to ponder this week and pray about are:

1.  How much am I like Eve and Cain in choosing to receive what the world offers?
2. What part of this world holds such vast joy that I choose to receive it over God’s provision in scripture and the garden?
3. What mountain of habitual behavior (or sin) below inhibits me from living in full joy and what would it feel like to have victory over it for good?

Please know, I need this series as much as you do! I am praying for you and learning alongside you as I study God’s life-changing Word. May we both receive the benefits of God’s provision in scripture and the garden each day to live full lives!

Prayer:

God in heaven, you are holy, mighty, generous, and merciful! Your abundant provision in scripture and the garden are powerful to restore my mind and body. I need more of both, Lord, each day. Therefore, I confess my weakness of flesh, and my desire to please the flesh. May the harmful choices I receive from the world become repulsive. Please take away the guilt and shame and renew my mind. I want to walk completely with you, mind, body, and spirit. I want to fully function in peace and harmony that only comes with your instruction. In you, there is a contentment that surpasses all understanding, I ask, and I believe I will receive all of you today. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Week 2 of Strategies for Lasting Change

Tastes are powerful motivators and distractors! Did you know our taste buds replenish themselves every ten to twelve days? (1) New cells can develop new tastes that satisfy as we begin to learn the value of intentional eating and why God’s Garden is so Good.

More importantly, tasting the Word of the Lord has more value and purpose than what He placed in the garden. King David, the Psalmist reminds us:

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Psalm 34:8

We develop a taste for physical foods when we are in our mother’s womb. Shortly thereafter, as we develop and grow, we learn about tastes of a spiritual sense.

For instance, a fetus develops taste buds in her mother at around 10-13 weeks’ gestation. (2) Food flavors are transferred to the fetus through the continuous swallowing of amniotic fluid in the womb. Whatever the mother eats consistently throughout her pregnancy, is present for her child’s future preferences.

We all have favorite tastes. Some prefer the dark, rich, brew of morning coffee while others a fresh cup of juice. We consume salty chips with relish or a mouth-watering chocolate brownie fix with delight.  The palate preferences of bitter, salty, and sweet all evoke emotions and satisfy.

However, the one thing they all have in common… taste is fleeting.

It’s here one moment and in the belly the next. There is no lingering contentment, just desire for more. Furthermore, our memory of it creates mouth-watering anticipation when our eyes see the favored morsel again.

On the other hand, the idea of tasting the “heavenly gift” and the “goodness of God’s word” is far superior to any earthly item we consume (Hebrews 6:4-5). It provides lingering contentment for our souls. When we are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, we crave and savor God’s word more than our favorite meal.

Therefore, strategies for lasting change in tastes that satisfy begin with these simple steps:

Appreciate the flavors you are experiencing by slowing down the chewing process to 20 -30 seconds. Savor your favorite taste slowly and leisurely. Jean Kristellar, PhD., developed a Mindfulness Eating Program to help people with eating disorders. She suggests to be aware of all the flavors in the food, as well as the feelings associated with hunger and fullness. The more aware a person is of those true hunger pains and fullness, the less likely he is to overeat.

Research shows the first two bites of food a person eats are the most pleasurable, then taste sensation diminishes. So, a technique suggested in Kristellar’s program is to pick a favorite snack and make the first two bites last in your mouth a whole minute. One square of chocolate, for instance, may be enough to meet the pleasure spot on the pallet rather than an entire candy bar loaded with sugar and calories.

Replace sugar-loaded sides as the main meal or desserts with fresh fruit.  Whole fruits, rather than fruit juice, provides nutrients and fiber alongside their natural sweetness. If the fresh fruit is chosen as dessert the meal itself will have plenty of protein to avoid sugar spikes and lows.

However, if it replaces a sugary breakfast choice, add a couple of walnuts or almonds for protein. An example of this is peanut butter on an organic apple for breakfast or kiwi and plain yogurt with walnuts. The quality nutrients in this choice will give us more energy, and a sense of fullness throughout the morning.

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Doughnuts and sugar-laden cereals have next to zero nutritional value for children and adults. Making them a part of everyday life damages the body’s cells and leaves them hungry for real food. Nutrient depleted items like these were not on our Creator’s mind when He made us.

Give Vegetables Another Chance

Intentional eating approaches vegetables with a new mindset. It means changing the focus from an experience of “How will this make me feel?” to “How will this nourish me to do God’s work?” The more one understands the benefits of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in food, the more value it holds. The nutrients available supply added energy, stamina, and vitality. All important factors in living an abundant life and fulfilling our calling.

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” 1 Corinthians 13:11

Although some people are reluctant to consume vegetables, it is a good idea to give them another try. Tastes and values change as we age and it takes several tries of various plants to develop a desire for them. Also, when tastes are accustomed to high amounts of sodium and sugar in processed food, the taste buds are trained and expect more of the same substances.

Retraining the taste buds can happen though, with good seasoning and highly fragrant spices.

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Fasting From Processed Food with Prayer

Removing processed food from the pallet for four weeks will diminish the desire. I know, who does that now days? We as Christ-followers, that’s who.  A fast of this nature can be done with prayer and scripture memorization.

Jesus said, “It is written “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” Mathew 4:4

He also said:

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. John 6:35

The goal is to look beyond food for emotional satisfaction and think logically about what you and me, as Christians, consume each day. Do we live as though every day is a feast day?  Or, do we practice restraint when we sit down for a meal? “Are you and I eating mindlessly and not chewing slowly and savoring each bite with gratitude? I must admit, I am guilty of this more than I care to admit.

Eat Less Often and Smaller Amounts

People in Jesus’ day walked everywhere and ate what was available fresh. They ate fresh milled bread, curds, cheese, fish, fruits, and vegetables (Gen 18:8, Deut. 32:14, Gen 1:29, 1 Sam 17:18, 2 Samuel 17:29, Daniel 1:12-16 ESV) We have an idea of how much was acceptable to eat daily from the amount of manna the Israelites collected in the wilderness. The dry measure of one omer was about 3.7 quarts of bread per day for the entire family (Exodus 16:16).

A Simple strategy to implement as we follow their lead is to stop eating between meals and after dinner at night. Another is to remember the size of our stomach is roughly the size of our hand and using a plate that size helps us with portion control. Although the stomach’s stretching capacity is 40 times that size, Hiatal hernias and reflux disease are common among those who practice testing its limits.

Eating items rich in fiber, protein and nutrients may not only help us feel full, but remove cravings. Drinking water to offset false hunger is helpful alongside the first step of eating slowly during our meals and recognizing when we are truly hungry and full.

I hope with prayer and gratitude towards God and His provision, we will truly appreciate tastes that satisfy. More importantly, may we learn to rely on the goodness of His Word as the taste that truly satisfies! I am confident the strategies for lasting change can be done when our focus is off ourselves and on God.

Don’t forget, I am on this journey with you and I am here for you!

References:

Anatomy, Head and Neck, Tongue Taste Buds – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)

AlJulaih GH, Lasrado S. Anatomy, Head and Neck, Tongue Taste Buds. [Updated 2021 Aug 11]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539696/

Developing and regenerating a sense of taste (nih.gov)

Barlow LA, Klein OD. Developing and regenerating a sense of taste. Curr Top Dev Biol. 2015;111:401-19.

Bite, chew, savor (apa.org)

By Amy Novotney, November 2012, Vol 43, No. 10 Print version: page 42