Which Voice?

I have been involved with a 12 week Team Beauty challenge for the last month.  I have enjoyed it so far.  It has kept me really accountable to my meal plan and exercise.  I am down six pounds so far and have a little over 6 pounds left before it's time to party!  

BUT today I messed up.  It started off good.  I had a great day with a shake for  breakfast and lunch.  I gave into temptation at a ladies fellowship at church tonight.  I tried to steer clear of the desserts, but I gave into a peanut butter "crack" brownie (Rice Krispy crack).  I also kept nibbling on an organic but not necessarily healthy pumpkin cobbler crumble of sorts.  I also had a few too many meatballs.  I posted my food to the accountability group, but I omitted a few details.  As I was driving home, my tummy started to feel the effects of my choices. Yes, they were my choices.  No one forced me to eat anything.  I chose to and I chose to go back.  Then it began, the thoughts.  The guilt.  The beating myself up for making the choices that I made.  But this time, I chose not to listen.  I told Satan to get out.  I prayed to God for forgiveness, and I let go of the guilt.  I nipped the thought in the bud before it had a chance to fester and eat away at me.  I decided right there that I would exercise when I got home.  I did put a video on and got a good ten minutes of exercise in.

This may not sound like a big deal, but for me this was a major victory.  I am learning to practice taking captive my thoughts and not allowing them to dictate my feelings and attitudes.  It is a work in progress, but I know that I will continue to grow.  No one is ever going to steal my joy.  I am in charge of what I think, and I choose to think on the things that are lovely, pure, and noble.  God's got a plan for you and I, we just need to make sure we listen to His voice and not the voice of the Enemy.

Watch. Wait. Listen. Learn.

What's Your "Why"?

I typically don't run across major revelations while watching TV, but this week during the day one workout on the Biggest Loser something clicked.  The trainers were kicking the contestants butts in the gym working them into fits of pain beyond anything they have ever felt.  As Jillian shouted her orders at them, she stated, "Find your 'why' and the 'how' will come."

This struck me like a ton of bricks.  What is my "why" for what I do?  I have had many "whys" during my life.  Why do I eat? Why do I or don't I exercise?  Why do I spend or save money?  My answer to that ominous "why" has had various responses such as my health, to look good, to buy nice things, to go on trips to far off places, and to give to others in need.  These are all good reasons, but there is one that takes ALL of their places.

The only "why" that matters is giving God the glory and thanking Him for the amazing grace He gave us through His Son.  Everything I do is by His grace and plan.  Every breath I take is a God-given gift of grace.  So when the mundane, routine things in life start to drag me down, I can look to my "why" and know that what I do is for his glory.

With God and His glory as my focus the "how" comes nearly naturally.  It won't be easy, but it draws everything into perspective.  It's not about me.  It was never about me, but training my body and soul otherwise is a difficult thing.  

That is when I must engage the Holy Spirit.  When those habits or sins that seek to entangle me and the temptation comes, I must remember my "why" and resist and stay true to the "how" in order to live within God's will for my life.  I must be actively engaged with the Spirit and trusting Him to guide me as to what God's will is for me.

What is your "why"?  What get's you moving?  I hope it is God and His glory, because nothing else will satisfy.

Operation Faithfully Fit

Today is the day, no more excuses, no more waiting for tomorrow, no more if onlys, Operation Faithfully Fit begins today.  In keeping with my alliterative streak, my plan focuses on the following areas: Food, Fitness, Finances.  The plan is to make some baby steps in each of these areas until they finally become routine and I can do them without thinking about it.

Food
Read Faithfully Fit Devotional daily and apply lessons learned
Make menus
Login to Sparkpeople.com
Drink 64oz of water daily
Log water intake on Sparkpeople.com
Track food intake on Sparkpeople.com (1500-1700 calories)

Fitness
10 minutes of exercise daily
30 minutes of exercise 3 days a week
Gradually increasing that to more as goals are reached

Finances
Make Budget
Stick to Budget
Don't make any unplanned or off budget expenses
Budget for groceries not convenient unhealthy fast food

This may look like a lot or not enough.  For me this is just right.  If I can't obey or make the little things important then the important things will be mismanaged and suffer.  I have done more at once, but for only a short while.  The plan never became a routine or part of me.  I am ready to be faithfully fit in these areas, and I can't do it alone.  God is my strength and my family and friends are my accountability.  I can do this, but not on my own. True change comes in surrender, and with surrender comes true freedom.