It’s the Holiday Season…No Excuses

11.24.2020

Thanksgiving and then Christmas time is here, and you know what that means… Carbs after carbs after glorious carbs. And sugar. Lots of sugar.

One of the biggest excuses I hear (and also use) for not eating right or exercising is: “It’s the holiday season. There’s too much good food.” On top of all the good food, to-do lists often get heavier around this time, right? There’s Christmas shopping, food to cook, gifts to wrap, cards to send, Christmas family photoshoots, plus all your normal activities. So it becomes easy to make excuses. It becomes easy to take a nap rather than to go workout. It becomes easy to say, “I’ll do better tomorrow”, until someone brings doughnuts to the office the next day…And then fudge…And then mashed potatoes and rolls and butter. But when you celebrate a Friendsgiving one weekend, and an office Thanksgiving lunch a few days later, and then Thanksgiving with your family, and you’re only exercising twice a week because you’ve just got too much to do…

Leading a continual healthy lifestyle is not always easy, is it?

You know the song “The Holiday Season”, right?… “It’s the holiday season…So hoop-de-doo and dickory dock….”

Well, I’ve come up with a new version:

“It’s the holiday season….So woop-de-doo! No excuses.”

I’m saying this mostly to myself. Will I eat carbs and have some dessert on Thanksgiving? Of course!! But I’m also going to add some greens to my plate and stick to right portion sizes. And rather than exercising two days a week like I did last week, no matter how hard it might be, I’m going to force myself (Lord willing) to exercise my regular four days this week.

No excuses, Jessica!!

In all seriousness, I do believe the Lord calls His children into leading a healthy lifestyle. I also think that when we eat too much and hardly work out, it normally has something to do with how we are feeling. At least that’s true for me. When I’m anxious, I eat more. When I’m sad, I eat more. When I’m stressed, I eat more. I also want to nap more.

Here’s what Jesus has to say in Luke 12:22-31:

“…Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows you need them. But seek first His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”

My tendency as a fallen human is to run to the things of this world to fill myself when I’m feeling anxious or fearful or sad. Food is a huge one. Binge watching TV shows is another. Napping is another. When I allow my emotions to guide me, a healthy lifestyle and fitness becomes low on my task list. Discipline becomes torture. But it’s not supposed to be that way! Not when we are placing our eyes and our hope and our trust solely on Him.

Seek Him first. When we are actively seeking Him and setting our hearts on who He is rather than the world or even the blessings He gives us, our desire to glorify Him in ALL we do…in our jobs, in our hobbies, in our exercise, in our eating habits, in everything…will increase.

Why? Because He will increase.

“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives” (Galatians 5:24-25).

This time of year is busy. I often go cross-eyed wondering how I’m going to go to work, exercise, eat right, edit my novel, and have time to buy Christmas presents throughout these upcoming weeks. But you know what? God isn’t going cross-eyed. He is the Provider. And He wants my whole heart in everything I do. He wants me to take joy in everything I do. There’s no reason for me to be anxious. There’s no reason for me to drag my feet. He is here with me. His promises are sure. He leads. I follow. Pure and simple.

No excuses.

“And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith” (I John 5:4).

May you be encouraged.

And also, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Finding Rest

8.6.2020

I’m tired. Today, I want to eat all the chocolate chip cookies that are in the office; I keep yawning and yawning; I want to tune out the world and crawl back into bed. I’m tired. Even though my fitbit told me I got a great night’s sleep. So why am I so sleepy?

Do you ever come down really hard on yourself because you don’t think you have a good enough excuse to be sleepy? I keep thinking of all the many blessings the Lord has given me. I’ve never once gone hungry. I’ve never once been without a nice, warm bed, and I’ve always had plenty of extra blankets. I live with air conditioning and two box fans if I feel hot. I have a wonderful relationship with my family. My co-workers have never felt like co-workers but like dear family. I could write a whole book on the life I do not deserve. And then I think about all the people who have suffered far more than I have. Those people without homes, without beds, without blankets. Those people with no family. Those people who are maybe in hostile work environments or home environments.

I don’t have a good excuse to be tired. I don’t have a logical explanation to why my body feels tired. But I’m tired nonetheless.

Thank goodness that we can find rest in Jesus!

Scripture says in Matthew 11:28 – 30, “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, 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 SOULS.”

You know what’s wonderful about this passage? Jesus doesn’t say, “Come to Me all those who have a good reason to be tired.” He doesn’t say, “Only those who can find a logical explanation as to why you’re tired will find rest for your souls.”

He says, “Come to Me, ALL…” There is no “but”, no exception to the “all”. There is no, “you MIGHT find rest”, there is only, “you will find rest for your souls”.

Maybe I’m tired today because my mind has been running rampant lately. Maybe I’m tired because I’m an introvert at my core but am called to be extroverted in many areas of my life. Maybe I’m tired because, well, it’s 2020. But it doesn’t matter why. Jesus wants you, me, to come to Him with our burdens, with our weariness, with exactly how we feel in a given moment. He knows we’re human; He knows our struggles even before we tell Him; He knows we can’t do it all or handle it all or fix it all; He knows we need Him.

2020 has been a doozy, and it’s not done yet, but our God is never-changing. His promises are eternal. His Word is Life that satisfies and is also never-ending. There is nothing He can’t handle, and He most definitely is the only One who can really fix the brokenness or the anger or the bitterness or the weariness. He is the God who heals.

And see? After spending some time in His Word this morning and writing what I know to be true of my God, my body may still feel a little tired, but my heart feels lighter. So much lighter that I could cry tears of joy.

What are your burdens? What are you struggling with? Are you trying to carry everyone’s burdens on your shoulders? Are you trying to fix something only God can fix? Are you striving, striving, striving to accomplish your to-do lists, your goal lists, and your bucket list all at the same time?

Come to Jesus, and He promises you…YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. You will.

Whatever the reason is for being weary, even if you just woke up on the wrong side of the bed, come to Jesus. Stop the struggle, stop the striving, stop the “fixing”…Just stop. Fall at the Lord’s feet, cling to His Words of Life, and find rest. His rest is the kind that brings peace, joy, patience, love, and hope through whatever you are facing.

A chocolate chip cookie is not going to do that for you.

…But if you want to eat a cookie, too, you won’t find me judging you.

What is Your Why?

8.3.2020

Why do we strive to lead a healthy, fit lifestyle? Is it so we can look in the mirror and feel confident? Is it so we will look good for our spouses or soon-to-be spouses? Is it to help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression? Is it so we will feel well enough to play with our kids/grandkids?

There are TONS of reasons we choose to get healthy and fit. A good diet and exercise does help us stay in shape, sleep better, etc., etc., etc. No need to reiterate the many articles out there that tell you why eating right and exercising are important.

But I’m publicly coming on here to say that leading a fit lifestyle is far from easy! Let’s be honest…I love chocolate. I don’t love sweating profusely all over. Most of the time, it’s only after a workout that I feel good. No pain, no gain, right? I’ve been going to Hotworx, where I workout in a sauna, and let me tell you… IT IS AWESOME!! You will feel like you’re sweating gallons (which is really gross, but also great!), and then you will sleep like a baby afterward. I highly recommend you to try it out if there’s a Hotworx in your area.

A good, healthy diet hasn’t been bad. I’m cutting down on carbs and sugar (at least most of the time) and definitely drinking plenty of water. I am not a picky eater, so I really enjoy lots of healthy foods. But there are days when I allow stress and anxiety to take the reins. Those days, it’s hard to say no to sugar. It’s hard to will myself out of bed to put on my workout clothes. And on those days, it can be easy to feel like a failure.

The good news is: I am a failure. The better news is: My God is not.

WHAT EXACTLY IS FITNESS?

The truth is, fitness is so much more than diet and exercise. As a child of God, He should be at the center of everything. My spiritual fitness comes first. Studying His Word. Worshipping Him through everything–Even the stressful days. We are called to be fit, because we are in constant battle with our enemies: The devil, the world, and our flesh.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” – Eph. 6:12

“Let us run with endurance the race set before us.” – Hebrews 12:1

So, then, fitness becomes more about sanctification, of daily dying to ourselves and living for Christ. I want to be physically fit for all the former reasons listed above, but those reasons are not the end-all-be-all. Shifting my mind to focus on the spiritual battle gives me such a better perspective on why I should be fit. My soul and body belong to the Lord. I am a temple. I am a child of God. Therefore, being fit, spiritually and physically, is glorifying to Him.

I want to be fit so I can continue to sing praises to His name and shout for joy at what the Lord has done for me.

I want to be fit so I will have more energy within the ministries the Lord has given me.

I want to lead a healthy lifestyle, so that I don’t fall into the sinful nature of laziness and gluttony.

I want to continue to grow in my spiritual walk, so that I will get better at coming to Him when I am weary instead of giving in to feelings of worry and, as a result, feeling burned out.

Our bodies are His temple, and it’s so important, especially in this present day, to be reminded that He is perfect, and we are not. He is God, and we are not. And because He is God, He is near, He is in control, He is Peace and Joy. He is Water. He is Life. He is everything we need to run the race well. He is our armor. He is the reason why we lead a healthy lifestyle.

So, let’s get that heart rate up and depend on Him when the going gets rough.