Do You Want to Be Strong Without Depending on Chocolate?

Isaiah 30:15-16 (ERV)

15 The Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says, “If you come back to me you will be saved. Only by remaining calm and trusting in me can you be strong.”

But you don’t want to do that. 16 You say, “No, we need fast horses for battle.” 

On any given day, okay most days, I need to find the strength to get through the day. I feel like there are way too many items to check off my to do list! I feel defeated before I even start the day and want to give up because I feel so discouraged…like the battle is too overwhelming for me. So at that point, I have two choices. 

First choice, eat!!!  Eat something that will make me feel better, give me energy, give me strength. I can't tell you how many times I take the first choice. It may be evening time and I have too much schoolwork to get done and I will spend my evenings working on that, as well as laundry and dinner and a host of other things. Eating something unhealthy seems to be a great solution to give me the energy I need. I can sit down and get busy and have a "snack" right beside me and I tell myself this will be perfect.  Only problem is when I finish that snack and I have to stop and get another snack and then another and suddenly I realize that the thing that was supposed to make me strong made me feel weak. Has that ever happen to you?

Read what it says in Isaiah, “Only by remaining calm and trusting in me can you be strong”But you don’t want to do that. 16 You say, “No, we need fast horses for battle.” .

I took that right out of the Bible!  I thought,"God, you read my mind."  You told me that if I wanted to be strong, the way to accomplish this is to remain calm and trust in you.  But instead, I say "I don't want to do that. You were not enough for the kind of strength I needed." God's ways are always going to seem contrary to the world's logic. When the world says to go shopping and buy something you don't need then you will feel better, God says remain calm and trust in me. When the world says to yell at your kids or your spouse and you will feel better, God says just trust me. When the world says to go through the closest drive-in and order something very unhealthy because you had a bad day, God says "Can you trust me, instead of food?' 

The second choice is always the choice that works every single time! There is not enough energy in a candy bar or bag of chips to help you through your day. The enemy will lie to you every time and a lot of time you will listen to him. And then you know what he has the nerve to do…condemn you for eating the whole thing. You just cannot win if you choose that way. Next time you get to this point where you are desperate for some strength, remember this promise:

Isaiah 40:29 

He helps tired people be strong. He gives power to those without it.

How God feels about me

In Psalms 51:3
Going through the motions doesn’t please you,
    a flawless performance is nothing to you.
I learned God-worship
    when my pride was shattered.
Heart-shattered lives ready for love
    don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.

I was over at my 10 month old grandson's house today watching him play with his toys.  I was enjoying seeing him crawl around, pulling up on everything in sight and trying to stand by himself for a few seconds. He is so close to taking that first step.
At lunch time, my son placed little baby bites of chicken, sweet potatoes, cheese and his favorite…blueberries on his tray and Zeph would gobble them up. I was amazed at how easy it was to feed him "normal" food and not have to mash things up for him. After lunch, he would get to play all over again until nap time.

I was so full of love at watching him take those tiny steps toward maturity.   I was amazed and wondered if anyone had grandchildren as delightful as mine.  My grandchildren enchant me.  They have brought to life a heart approaching 59.  Grandchildren do that…make you feel young again.  And then he did it…he turned and spotted me and held out his arms for me. Are there words to describe how this feels?  When he says Pat-pat for the first time, I will start crying as I did when my other grandson said it.

My son said the most profound thing when I remarked how big of a deal that is to see your grandchild turn to you and reach out for you.  He says,"Can you imagine how God feels when he has been watching you do the things he has created you to do and he sees you growing in maturity and then all of a sudden…you turn and notice Him. you not only notice him but you reach out your hands for him to grab you in his strong arms."  Read that again to get a grasp of the way God feels about you.

He is not that impressed when he sees me "going through the motions" of the Christian life.  I am boring him to death when I am busy, busy, busy doing all the amazing things in my own power and strength. I bet he weeps when I say "I am independent now. I don't need you anymore. I'm fine. I grew up to maturity. I am strong without you." If you think for a moment that this is not truth, imagine how I would feel if my grandson say to me,"Pat-pat, I am fine and I don't need you anymore. In fact, I am too busy doing great things so I won't have time to look at you anymore." What a knife through my heart that would be,

Shatter my pride and do whatever it takes to help me realize how much it delights you, Lord, when I turn to you everyday and reach out with weak, powerless arms.

If God asks me to give up cheesecake…is that too much to ask?

And so, dear brothers, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living sacrifice, holy—the kind he can accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?  (Romans 12:1)

I have noticed that over the past two years, as I have denied myself the junk foods I used to enjoy, the Lord has increased my focus on him. So many Christians do not realize the power of a "denial list." Daniel created a denial list when he was forced to leave his beloved homeland and was taken to Babylon. The richness and temptations of the kingdom of Babylon(like America) could have sent him spiraling down a dangerous road. Instead he decided that he needed to protect his body, his mind, his walk with God by taking certain things out of his life. 

If you recall, Daniel was the guy who got thrown into the lion's den because he bowed down to God and not King Nebuchadnezzar. The background to the story involved Daniel giving up some sleep, maybe lunch or perhaps popularity in order to continue to pray many times a day. I am sure it was not the popular thing for the chosen group from Israel to be against the traditions of Babylon.    

Also, in the beginning verses, Daniel made a denial list about food. Read what happened:

"But Daniel made up his mind not to eat the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the superintendent for permission to eat other things instead." 

Interesting. He made up his mind that he would not eaten certain foods.  Have you ever done that? Have you decided that once and for all you will stop eating things that have no nutritional value and add way too many calories that you simply do not need? Have you considered allowing "your body to glorify Christ" and not detract from your testimony? There is a clear decision to be made. Is there a single item of food that you could look at and say,"you are not worth more to me than what I will gain if I deny myself a bite"? Cheesecake is a precious food item to me.  I love Cheesecake Factory!  However, a couple of years ago I looked at cheesecake right in the eye and said,"you are no longer worth it to me."

Look at the next part of the story:

"Well, at the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the youths who had been eating the food supplied by the king!"

I have been rewarded by denying myself certain foods.  I look healthier than I used to two years ago.  A lot of people have commented on this. Not only do I look healthier, I feel more confident and more focused in other areas. God did something similar to Daniel.

"God gave these four youths great ability to learn." 

God is patiently waiting for us to do things his way, instead of our way. His ways are always going to help us and not harm us. Truthfully, it seems like he is trying to harm us and make us give up wonderful things. But the reality is he is all about us doing things that will bring glorify to his name. Being healthy brings glory to his name. Back to the beginning verse:

"When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?" 

The End is Worth It:)

Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all he has done. Colossians 2:7

I have been thinking a lot lately about the quality of my life…physically, emotionally and spiritually. Obviously, they are intertwined. One cannot be unhealthy in one area and not affect the others. 

In the past two years, I have made some much needed changes in the quality of my life physically. Hard changes. Confrontive changes. Grit-my-teeth-and-do-it kind of changes. I try to eat a healthy diet and lost about 35-40 pounds. I began to lift weights and ride bikes. Not a day goes by that I do not have to negotiate whether I will make the right choice today. Some days I do. Some days I don't. 

Because it is summer, I ride bikes a lot. I actually would rather not do that. My thighs hurt. I want to quit pedaling and rest. It is very hot and I am uncomfortable. When I am finished with the ride, I am ecstatic! We stop and get a drink at the store and it tastes unbelievable! What motivates me to get out there and ride bikes? The finishing treat, of course. 

The same would is true spiritually in our lives. In order to let our roots go down deep and draw up nourishment, we have to allow ourselves to go through hurt and pain. In James, it says,

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow…"

Do I like the trouble when it shows up? No, the pain is not pleasant to me just as working out with weights or riding bikes are not pleasant to me.  But I like how I feel when I walk through a valley with my hand in God's hand and end up on the other side and rejoice over his faithfulness. I want to tell everyone I meet how thankful I am for his goodness. I like the end part so much and I keep my focus on that and not the pain that I am experiencing for the moment. In fact,

2 Corinthians 4:17 
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

I want to finish strong in every area of my life. I am looking forward to that treat. It keeps me going when I want to give up. 

Thoughts on Friendships

He told Peter and the two sons of Zebedee to come with him. Then he began to be very sad and troubled. Jesus said to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, “My heart is so heavy with grief, I feel as if I am dying. Wait here and stay awake with me.” (‭Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭37-38‬ ERV)

I was reading a John Piper devotional last week and he used these scriptures to talk about how Jesus dealt with depression and anxiety. I was floored by the application.

Jesus was clearly hurting. He realized what was ahead. "He began to be very sad and troubled."  Have you felt that way before? How do we deal with that?

Jesus did not need these three men to deal with his pain.  Even though he was fully human, he was fully God and could call on an angelic army to bring him comfort. But he modeled a way that I can use to deal with pain or anxiety or fear or depression.

Notice that he spoke " to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee".  He called on his core group, his pit crew, his inner most circle of friends. Gracious! Who do you call on in a time of depression or fear? Who is your small group of trusted confidants? Can you name them right now? I believe that this should be a group that is totally outside your family. I adore my family. They are the best!  Our families are indispensable but they are not always the best group to gather with in a time of crisis. They are not always objective. They may not even share your beliefs. Love and cherish your family but this is not the group that Jesus was refering to.

Maybe you can't think of a group. Pray without ceasing until you get one. Invest heavily in this group with your time and unselfish acts. Love these people unconditionally because they will disappoint you at times because they are not perfect. Hopefully, they will love you unconditionally when you disappoint them when you act less than perfect.

God has blessed Mark and I with a small group of friends that attend my church. He literally "dropped" them in my lap about 15 years ago. I do not think it was coincidence that we all served together in a ministry at church. Serving with friends in a ministry is a great way to find the type of friends that Jesus was referring to. It may be one of the best ways to find this group. Join a Bible study. Can't find one? Might be time to start one so that you can meet the quality of people that you want to call your core group. My inner circle is TOP QUALITY and I thank God for bringing them into my life.

The interesting thing about my small group is that we are so radically different. My husband and I often feel like the "weak link"  in our pit crew. There have definitely been times when I needed them more than they needed me. I am incredibly thankful that they haven't kicked me out yet:). God chose women in my group with varying gifts in the body of Christ. But they all have the gift of servanthood. They open their homes to others. They don't feel like they own their possessions. On the contrary, they are much like the church in Acts. They would give anything they own to others in need. More important, they are prayer warriors. We have seen many answers to prayer in our small group. We send out a group text if a prayer need is urgent.  They will pray right at that minute. I depend on that kind of support.

Another application from this verse...be open and honest with your friends. Don't pretend around them. I have learned not to pretend that my kids are doing okay when they are in a crisis. I have learned to swallow my pride and admit that my world is crashing in around me. Only prideful people keep their problems a secret. Jesus said "My heart is so heavy with grief, I feel as if I am dying. " What if he had pretended that he could handle this crucification thing all by himself? Even though the disciples did not have the power to deliver him, he modeled for me to be transparent with my inner circle.

Often I don't feel like I fit into my small groups of friends. When I feel this way and share it with my friends, they usually remind me that I have been wandering off from the herd too much:). Staying close to the herd provides great protection from getting eaten by the predators. Jesus said "Wait here and stay awake with me.” He was showing me that "not wandering off" is the way this friendship thing works.

I am always falling more and more in love with Jesus for so many reasons. But this was a great reason to love him more. He showed me what to do in a crisis and how to call on your friends. Jesus absolutely did not need these weak, sinful guys in his time of crisis. But Jesus showed us that we DO need our small group of friends to call on in stormy times.

A safe place

Psalm 121:3-4

New International Version (NIV)

³ He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

One of the truths about God that we find hardest to believe is the fact that he never dozes off and is never caught off guard by an event. If we were at our very best, totally rested, totally focused...we still could be unable to take care of those that we love. Our loved ones could get very sick.  Our friends could be hit by a drunk driver. We could lose our job. The truth is we can be blindsided by an event.
Because we believe that God is like us, we think that He turned his head or took a power nap. As a result, a horrific event happened and he was unable to protect us. However, in Psalms it states that he will never let your foot slip.  What? Never let me stumble? I stumble so often. Life happens even in my best effort to protect myself and my loved ones.
Then what is this saying? I believe that it means that though I stumble, he grabs my arm and pulls me to safety. He is the ultimate security guard. What a comfort to know that when we are caught off guard by tragedy, God saw the entire event and he will walk us through the dark valley. The dark days are still dark. We are humans. We are weak. But he is the powerful protector. He is the body guard on duty 24 hours a day.
In the book of Job, Job cried and complained for about 40 chapters. That makes me feel better when I can't get a smile on my face in the midst of sad times. However, Job believed that God held the trump card. Satan whispers lies to us and says that God cannot take care of us. He tells us that God was sleeping. He tells us that God can't provide for us. He doesn't have the finances. He doesn't have the wisdom.  Satan has so much to gain if you listen to his deceit. Do not give audience to him. He wants to kill, steal and destroy.
Instead, rest in the truth about our Father. He does not slumber! He is right there! He owns the cattle on a thousand hills if your foot is slipping over lack of resources. He has the strength when you don't have the inner strength. He has the answers when you don't have the answers concerning your next step. A body guard like that must cost more than I can afford. Funny thing about his fee…I can't pay for it. Jesus paid the full amount for me.

Investments over time

Growing your wealth over time

"Making consistent investments over a number of years can be an effective strategy to accumulate wealth. Even small additions to your investment add up over time. Of course, a program of regular investing does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss."

I copied this right off my financial advisor's website. Everyone has probably read this at one time or another. I doubt any of us would disagree with the idea of saving consistently over time to accumulate wealth.  A quick illustration to solidify the point:

I went to a calculator on the Internet and plugged in a monthly contribution of $100 per month, starting at age 21, earning 7% interest and continuing until age 65. I used the same numbers but started the contributions at age 41, a still relatively young age. The results were startling. The 21 year old would earn over $330,000 upon retiring, while the 41 year old would only earn $72,532 by the same age...a difference of about $257,468!  Neither person is even sweating over the monthly amount, about than $3 a day. But the consistent, early investor is going into retirement with a little more emergency money than the late investor. Just thought I would add one more investor, the 51year old. He would only net about $2500 at age 65!

Obviously this blog is not going to be about finances. There are hundreds of articles dealing with investment strategies. However, the principals remain the same in every other area of life. If we want to make some significant changes in our life, we have to make small, consistent deposits over long periods of time. If we want to invest in our kid's lives, we must make small but daily deposits in their emotional bank accounts. Spending quality time with them each day(the younger, the longer the period of time needed) over many years will yield stronger bonds in the relationships. We can't wait until we see signs of our relationship unraveling and try to cram in more time all at once. Doesn't seem to work with time or relationships

In the area of health, guess what? Same principal applies. To enjoy better health in our 60's and 70's, we can increase our chances by exercising 30- 60 minutes, several times a week over as many years as possible. My dad walks 18 holes of golf, 6 days a week for as many years as I can remember and he can easily walk around at age 87. He did not start golf at age 65. He started it many years before that. My husband has exercised several days a week his entire life and has not had to slow down as he approaches age 60 in a few months. He can do everything now that he could do at age 21!  I am not kidding about this guy. 

Same principal applies to eating. We cannot wait to change our eating habits at age 60 simply because we have developed health issues. The time to start is now because we are investing in our healthy future. We must consistently eat the rights foods everyday. The changes in our appearance will come gradually, but we will sustain them because we are investing in our future.

But the most important area of consistency is spiritual. You can wish a lot of things to be true when you are 65, but your joy and strength will come from your walk with the Lord. Many people…most people have a desire to know the Lord. I have observed over my years of working with young adults that the desire is hindered by a long term vision. Who do you really want to be at age 50 or 60 or even 70? Be kind to the older person you will become. Invest in that person!!! If you spend your whole life intending on starting a plan and never quite doing it, you have squandered the years of consistent investments. The same principal of money holds true with Christian growth. Years of spending consistent times with the Lord and reading his word pays huge dividends!!! 

Start off with a plan of reading 15 minutes a day at the same time. You Version has hundreds of plans to follow. Pick one. My 15 year old nephew has been consistently picking a plan for over a year. I weep at the thought of the man of God he will be when he is 60!!! He will know God's character. He will not have to learn about God second hand and think to himself "Oh, so that is what God is like." He is not being fancy or legalistic. He has just simply begun at an early age to contribute small amounts of time to invest in the man he will be. Small consistent contributions over long periods of time yield powerful results.

 Begin a prayer journal if you are struggling with a consistent prayer time. Assign a day to pray for different topics. Monday can be about your future spouse. Tuesday can be about your unsaved friends. Keep it simple. But keep it consistent. You will soon see your prayer bank account grow because you will begin to see answered prayer.

As you grow older you will find that NOTHING can keep you from having a time with the Lord. You will begin to depend on it because your relationship with the Lord will be a sweet time of fellowship with the one that you love most. You will be like the person in Psalms 1,

"But they delight in the law of the Lord,

    meditating on it day and night.

3 

They are like trees planted along the riverbank,

    bearing fruit each season.

Their leaves never wither,

    and they prosper in all they do."

At 65, I want to be a huge, healthy tree planted along a riverbank and I am investing in the tree today.