Thoughts for Thursday by Emily Farmer

Healthy Living

So if you are like most of us you have made a new year's resolution or set a goal for yourself to get healthy in 2010. What exactly does that mean to you and for you? I once again said this year was the year to get a little more serious about losing a few pounds and eating more healthy. I can say thanks to my pastor for helping me do this. You see he felt the need to write a 5 week study called 30 Days to a New You. He is very much into fitness and took time to research different material to write this study. I was excited about this challenge on becoming a new you. He started a class back in January to go over the material. It's very easy and simple. Two key words "easy" and "simple". There is a paragraph or so to read and one bible verse to look up and write down per day and that's it. There are other things you have to be accountable for like drinking water, depending on God's Strength, exercising as well as keeping up with calories. The hard part for me is to keep up with my calories. To do this I am using a website called sparkpeople. This tool alone is wonderful. You can track calorie intake and burn as well as other goals.

Something we as Christ followers don't think about is taking care of our bodies in order to do the work God has planned out for us. "For God is working in you,giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him." Phil.2:13 One of our responsibilities as Christians is to take care of our body. Our bodies are the temple of God. As soon as you invite him in your heart and life your body becomes HIS temple. Are you putting good foods in your body? Do you even know what you're putting in your body? This is something to consider and take a hard look at. It's very important to know how you are treating your body which is really the temple of God. By changing the way I eat, it has made my boys more aware of what they are eating too. They are learning to make healthy choices. This was one of my main goals from the very beginning. To teach my boys how to make wise choices and eat healthy.

Up to this point, a month later, I have lost 10 pounds. I take no credit for this. God is the only reason I have done this. He is my source of strength and hope. Isa. 40:31 says" ....but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength." The difference between now and before is my thoughts. I have several verses I meditate on for hope and strength. I have tried to lose 10 pounds since my last baby and he's now 4 years old. I have started back running and watching what I eat and how much I eat and also watching and keeping count of calories and water intake. It's a daily battle I face but, with God, I will make it towards the prize- the ultimate goal and that is to live for HIM and do HIS purpose.

"No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."

Phil. 3:13-14

"I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation,

whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. " Phil. 4:12