Two for the price of one...

Catch up day...are you ready for not one, but two steps?  YAY!  

Today we are going to talk about two more of our eight healthy steps.  They are in no particular order...but we must discuss resisting temptations and having patience.  These are my two big downfalls.  Goodies and treats are everywhere...especially now that the holidays are a coming. YIKES!  What can we do?  Also, as those of you that know me well may know, patience is a virtue I need help with.  So, let's look to the Lord for extra strength in these areas today.

The fruits of the Spirit are listed in Galatians  5,  and the last, but not least "fruit" is temperance which means self-control.  We have to practice that self-control when it comes to the temptations to eat the unhealthy stuff.  Now I am not saying lets never have treats.  I am just talking about planning for them and not going overboard.  

Does anyone follow or write out a meal plan for the week?

I try to plan our suppers for the week on Sunday night.  This helps not only with the panic of "Oh no, what's for dinner?", but I can make sure we are eating healthy foods at home as a family every night possible.  Planning ahead helps us to resists temptations.  Planning ahead can save us money.  Planning ahead can make us think about making healthier choices in advance.  Just search the internet for plenty of meal planning websites or ideas.  There are tons!

I like the website eatbetteramerica.com for some revised recipes that are a little healthier but still very tasty.  We can also track what we do eat everyday.  This can make us more conscience of our choices if we have to write down everything we choose to put in our bodies (or excuse me His body).  We again have to go back to prayer with this one.  We pray to have  the strength to resist temptation.  We can also pray for the Lord to show us how to use our time wisely so we CAN plan for our healthier days.  Also, keep more healthier things on hand.  I love 100 calorie packs of popcorn for my salty snack or edemame dipped in soy sauce.

Quick commercial break.  Sorry honey I have to share your story.  The first time my husband ever tried edemame, he was on a business trip.  He was popping the whole pod in his mouth and eating the whole thing.  That is a no no.  You are suppose to eat the beans inside and discard the pods.  We had a huge laugh about it.  You can find edemame pods in your frozen food section.  Delicious with a little sea salt or soy sauce!

I also like to make ice cream sandwiches for a cool sweet treat.  You take 2 graham crackers and spread with fat free cool whip and freeze.  Very delicious and very few calories.  The girls and I also love dried cranberries and granola bars.  Just watch how much sugar the bars have.  Healthy things on hand and lots of planning sure is helpful in resisting temptations!

Step 4 can be sooooo hard for me especially...but I try.  We have to be patient!  We all know the song “He’s still working on me”.  He is making us what we "ought to be", BUT it is going to take time.  In fact, it is going to take the rest of our lives.  He is never done until we are walking with Him in heaven.  When we are His - He is constantly working on us.  But, with patience, we can accept our shortfalls and move on, knowing we are doing all we can to live for Him.

We are going to have our bad days if we set out to be healthier.  The devil will try everything to throw us off course.  But patiently, with our Heavenly Father's help, we will trek on.  We will do our part to the best of our abilities, and the Lord will certainly hold up His end of the bargain to strengthen us and help us.

 In today's society, it seems we can get anything we want NOW.  We are just NOW kind of people.  But, there will be no overnight successes here.  Getting healthy will take time, but we can get there.  Remember to continuously go back to step number 1, which is prayer.  That is how we will have the patience we need to continue this healthy journey.  

Two...yes two verses for the day...

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able to; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."  1 Cor 10:13

"I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me and heard my cry" Ps 40:1

These versea are great for memorization.  They can work in so many difficult situations, not just our healthy journey.  1 Cor 10:13 can help with any temptation the devil puts in our path, knowing we will have a way out.  And the Psalms verse is helping our family in our current situation of finding a new church home...which is definitely going to strengthen our patience.  I encourage you, if you are in a trial or feeling a little down, to continue to read Psalms 40...it is surely to "put a new song" in your mouth.

So 4 steps down and 4 to go...woohoo!  Have a good weekend and know I will be praying for you !