February 26, 2013 - Leave Your Method

YEA! It's here.......leaving in 24 hours. As I was reading John 4 this morning, from my Oswald Chambers devotional, the Holy Spirit really checked me. So many times when we question the will of God for our lives, or His provision, we are NOT really questioning whether we can fulfill the call, we are questioning if God can provide. YIKES! The woman at the well didn't understand how Jesus could draw water from the well as He had no tool with which to complete the task. She was TOTALLY looking with her natural eyes and sweet Jesus, TOTALLY redirects her eyes. LOVE IT! Jesus could draw the water from the well by the simple command of His voice - she just didn't know that yet. Amen? The woman was simply thirsty and although Jesus promised water, to her those were empty words. In her natural understanding (eyes), Jesus had NO means of providing what He promised. I wonder sometimes what we see of the story? I wonder how many times we believe that being healthy is God's will, but with our "natural eyes" we determine there is no means of God actually providing. What we actually believe, sometimes if we're honest, is God is incapable of delivering us. As I type this, I am shaking my head. How many times have I gone to the Lord for the water of LIFE for my body and arrived at the well only to doubt that He REALLY could provide? Let me remind EACH OF US, God is able to break through our years of issues and He is ready today. He is! However, listen, when the woman at the well connected with the truth, she left HER METHOD of drawing water (getting healthy) and went to gather others because she found the truth. Come on, you see this? God created foods and water and rest and sunlight that are HIS plan for health. We must leave OUR plan (pills, fads, periodic starvation, skipped meals, excuses to cheat, failed attempts) at His feet and TRUST that He will make good on His promise to feed and clothe us. When we trust Him and He is allowed to provide for us - HE RECEIVES GLORY. YES! That's us fam.......we get healed and we run to others and bring them to the truth. God's plan works. I watched a GREAT show last night called Food Hospital. OMGOODNESS - loved it. I had read, and determined, that I suffered from Metabolic Syndrome. (although I had no formal diagnosis) However, after watching the show last night, my husband and I both saw my journey clearly as we connected with the truth. There's something about connecting with the truth that also brings healing. I watched a change in diet and routine turn the lives of 5 different people around in a 4-6 week period. The changes were not easy for them to embrace, but what huge smiles came to their faces as the results applauded their efforts. I smiled and thought, "so many of you could be the next person on the show." Praying for you as I leave in the morning. I'll be posting pictures and videos to Facebook, so you can keep up with me there. I'll be blogging again on March 11th. Much love, PK

February 25, 2013 - The Sugar Monster

Good morning to all of you, (sorry this is late, got my day backwards. My workday started right out of bed and now I am taking a break for coffee and talk time) I finally can say my manuscript is resting in the hands of a publishing company. They have not agreed to publish, only agreed to read. If they agree to proceed, and we come under contract, the wheels will finally be in motion. For now, it will suffice to say the "wheels are on the track." :) Thanks for your love and support. I leave for Thailand Wednesday AM, so tomorrow will be my last blog until March 11th. I will miss talking and sharing with you. No Healthy 4 You Life Group in March, we will start again in April. If you need my carrot cake recipe for Easter or something else we've shared at LG, email and ask ASAP and I will email that to you. As the rain taps gently on my fireplace, I wonder how often our lives make a sound and exactly what sound they make? I would love to be remembered as the steady, consistent sound (rain) that says, "I am bringing a deep soaking to your soil to ensure LIFE." I want to bring the release of Jesus everywhere I go for the next 12 days. I want to release Jesus to my family, staff, dry cleaning lady, and everyone I touch and encounter. How about you? I would imagine sometimes the sound of our lives declares health and LIFE, but maybe not always. I had a friend tell me recently that they cannot seem to conqueror the "sugar thing." While I understand, fought that feeling most of my life, let's break that down. Sugar has no power over us, does it? Its sound isn't real. It's an inanimate object with NO LIFE. However, the addiction to sugar, in my opinion, has a very powerful and loud sound. Sugar sitting in a dish, on the table, has no strings with which to pull us. The taste of sugar (in a cinnamon roll) in your mouth is different. You KNOW it is. wink... The taste of sugar often says, "reward...good job...great accomplishment....YUM!" Right? When we were little, we were often given treats when we "went potty;" or we "made a good grade;" or perhaps we "obeyed at the first command." All of these are great feats in and of themselves, BUT SOMEHOW adding sugar beyond the applause of men (parents, family, teachers) only shouted louder, "you did it." The only problem is the applause of our family and friends lasts a few seconds, but the effects of sugar extend far beyond. I am making a conscious effort to break that in my family. (However, American Eagle is MUCH more expensive than a chocolate cookie. wink) Have you ever tried to go a couple of days with NO sugar? For me, I'd rather have my tongue sliced out. I think it would be easier. Here's what I feel: intense hunger pangs, headache, jitters, and edgy. Maybe you can identify? Here's what my family sees: MONSTER. Yep, they do. And I believe there are many of you who KNOW this too well. :) At this point, we can either grab the custard-filled doughnut at DD and spare our family the horror show, OR we can head to the beach for 3 days and detox. ORRRR.....Realistically, we can control our attitude, take pictures in our mind as reminders that detox is not a pleasant experience and realize that sugar is more than the bowl on the table. My husband and I talked a long time about this yesterday. We all like sweets occasionally and choosing to be healthy can't be when all the variables are correctly aligned. As he said, planning to cook something sweet (with xylitol) a couple of times a month and limiting the portions is the "ticket to winning." I simply smiled, nodded, and thought, "we've come a long way baby." My theory: detox ONCE and let those feelings serve as reminders to never be addicted again. So this morning, get your calendar out, decide which days you will create a yummie, and determine that a couple of portions will satisfy you. SHARE THE REMAINDER QUICKLY. Too simple, PK. No, I work that plan. I find the next holiday, schedule what I am baking and get excited to make the sound that says, "Victory." Carrot cake (with almond flour and xylitol) is on the plan for Easter. I told you. LOL PK

February 19, 2013

Good morning, I am taking a few days off from blogging as I head to the completion of my Devotional Cookbook. I am working CRAZY hours around my work schedule and planning schedule so I can be done hopefully and ready to send to the publisher by Wednesday evening or Thursday. That will allow me a couple of days to pack and rest before the mission to Thailand. Please keep praying for our team and the children. I love you so much, toughest part of the mountain sitting in front of me and my eyes feel inflamed from reading/editing so much. It's almost done though. Love you! PK

February 18, 2013 - Did My Clothes Shrink

Good Monday to you all, I am preparing to begin my day here at home but wanted to give you a quick update. I am completing my manuscript this week and hopefully it will be sent to the publisher for his first look on Wednesday. The Devotional Cookbook features twelve months of daily blogs and recipes. Turned out to be 393 pages at a full font type. (they will shrink it and run it front/back, etc.) I have never sent anything to a publisher before, so we will see. :) I appreciate those who said you'd be part of my prayer net while I am gone. Could you please start praying now? Our garage sale got postponed to this Saturday and there's a possibility of storms. UGH. Anyway, God knows. But for those who said you'd cover me daily, please pray for me, the team, my family at home, my health, the three part component of the human trafficking picture: the harvester, the client, and the children. God has really changed my heart to see that all three are really victims and all need Jesus. I was told by a close friend, "everywhere you go release Jesus." So I saw myself walking, praying, and touching children saying, "I release Jesus." Nothing fancy, just declaring truth. I will be releasing light. Please start praying now and I return March 10th. Usually the week following a mission's trip for me can be rough as well. So, if you could cover me until the 17th of March, much appreciated. I know that's a long time, but if you think of me, please pray. I will try to blog SOME from Pattaya, Thailand, but it may come at random times as our schedule will be flexible to be "on call for the Lord." Also, we are canceling our Healthy 4 You Life Group in March as I will be in Thailand, but we WILL resume on the first Sunday evening in April. The spring birds are singing so beautifully and frogs croaking. I wondered if they needed a sweater this past Saturday as the cold wind howled through our city? I must admit I don't know if I have ever heard the bullfrogs croaking in the winter or during the day as much as I have recently. It's so weird even my husband asked, "have you ever heard a bullfrog croaking on a cold, winter day?" Well, the only resemblance of that I have is my own voice when I have a sinus situation rolling, but not with the papa frogs. The spring birds started singing in early January and I knew the winter was to be short. But the bullfrogs? What's up? The season of change is coming; are we ready? Getting ready for spring, when I was younger, meant we would put away our winter clothes. The only problem with packing them was usually my spring wardrobe had shrunk in size from inactivity - I think. OR...maybe mom had washed them all in hot water before we packed them? I have used that excuse on MORE THAN ONE occasion. You? I had to allow myself a calculated window, usually as the spring birds started singing, to have my jaw wired shut so I could quickly shed the Christmas 10. (you know what this, right?) But, I'm telling you, the older I get the earlier those birds sing. So as you can imagine, that train of thought soon imploded. Several years ago I began to loathe hearing the spring birds as I knew I had to "face my closet." Isn't that silly? In light of my greater understanding of the world in general, I should have realized if I had enough clothes that I needed to pack some, I had TOO many. There are people in the world who wear the same clothes daily and I have 2 closets full? Still looking at this, can you tell? Anyway, this spring is my second one of not dreading the confrontation with my closet. Either I learned to wash clothes correctly, (wink) or I learned to keep that mouth shut a little more during the holidays. I would imagine you know which one occurred. This morning as I listen to the birds sing, I can celebrate their efforts. They want me to know some good news and I want you to know some good news. Making health your choice ALL year means NO MORE closet confrontations. (no mirror confrontations either) That's GREAT news for me as I have enough confrontation in spiritual places of wickedness. I don't need to kick my closet in sheer frustration ever again. Right? Bless you! PK

February 15, 2013 - A Liquid Brownie

Happy Friday! Don't you love it when everyone in the family wants the same thing to eat, every meal? It's so much easier. And even though I LOVE when everyone WANTS to eat healthy, sometimes not all of my fam is wiling. In those times, again, I have to remember as I make the mashed potatoes with the cream and butter that freedom doesn't look the same for everyone and I am not the controller of the universe. Sometimes my husband wants something that I can't eat; I have to be okay with that. His past isn't as mine. When I first began my journey, he ate as close to my plan as possible simply out of devotion to me and a desire to help. But once he realized I entered the "no cheat zone," he's been more free to ask for things he knows I've sacrificed at the altar. But does that mean my eyes were sacrificed at the altar? NOPE! I still see the bread and dipping oil at my favorite Italian restaurant. And even though I look at it and say, "beets," it is still bread and oil. (ever tried that?) And the smell - God help me! Also, I would love to claim permanent amnesia concerning some of my "previous" life's recipes, but go figure - I still REMEMBER how to make real brownies. Here's really how I successfully navigate these waters - if a food choice that someone wants is REALLY in my old, favorite group, then I often buy it. I don't make it. I tried making brownies, real ones, just recently and a WWW match took place in my kitchen between the spoon and my mouth. "Maybe it's okay to lick the beaters or the spoon?? Not too much is left in the bowl after being scraped, and a taste won't matter. RIght?" (in my old life I made certain there was at least one brownies' worth of material in the bowl that I could scoop out and TELL myself I had not eaten a brownie) OOPS, so they count if they're not cooked? (wink) STOP. You know the answer to all of these. The real dilemma, as I see it, is are we strong enough to make the brownies and then wash the beaters, bowl and our fingers immediately so none of it enters our mouth and causes us to trip. One little taste here often leads to one little taste there and before you know it, one little taste becomes a big taste as we licked an entire brownie from the bowl and convinced ourselves that it as liquid and therefore didn't count. Am I the only goofy one in this family? Are you laughing at me or with me? If your family needs A REAL brownie, buy enough for that meal and make yourself a small pan of almond flour ones. OR, if you are not a bowl licker, go for it. I'd rather not toss that coin in the air as I have a 50-50 chance of losing. Have a great day and remember, our past may remind us of weakness, but it doesn't mean we are WEAK. I am strong through Christ. Amen!

Chain Destruction

Good Happy Valentine's Day. If saying, "I love and appreciate you this morning" brings a smile, not matter what city or nation you're in - then smile. I do really appreciate that you spend time each morning reading my heart's communication. I pray this day is filled with the BEST little surprises for you ALL DAY LONG. Update on my Devotional Cookbook - the first draft is complete. Whew! I am now editing all 393 pages and will hopefully have this to the publisher next week. Thanks for your support. Also, I leave in 13 days for Thailand. I NEED your prayers. This is not a fluffy trip, nor a vacation as some have suggested. I am on a mission with a team to minister to the children. I would love to know you are part of my prayer net. Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops —Matthew 10:27 This scripture really spoke to me this morning. There have been seasons of my life where I felt as if I was forsaken by God, my family, friends, and life. There have been season of darkness. When I first started making a stand for health and was REALLY determined to stand and eradicate certain foods, the breaking of chains was NOT pleasant. Sometimes hunger would keep me awake at night or during the day I would be hungry and a headache would attach itself to the hunger. UGH! There were times when I went out to eat and my favorite foods taunted me while "well meaning friends" reminded me that I had never been really heavy - that I was just a "big girl." OMGoodness - hush! That was a period of darkness and suffering for me. This journey was different, however, than any other times I had "dieted" because THIS TIME was to be the LAST time diet came from my mouth. In the past I had stepped through some chains, jumped around some chains and dragged some chains. On January 24, 2011 I began the process of chain destruction. And I must be honest, sometimes I felt alone and in darkness. But I was determined to out last that pocket and win. I had not choice. So when awake at night from hunger, God graced me with the ability to pray and listen. As I SHATTERED daunting hunger during the day God spoke to me. The longer I endure and displayed my tenacity to NEVER quit again, the darkness began to lift. I never really understood what that period of "darkness" really presented to me until I found this scripture. During those times of darkness, God was feeding my resolve and my soul. He was speaking loudly and replacing my hunger with a sustaining WORD and campaign for health that would be shouted from the housetops. YEA! Here's the deal...I wonder if you're in a place of darkness in any area of your life today? Instead of feeling forsaken as I did, perhaps consider that God has allowed a period of darkness to journey you through your trial only to have your sight returned with a GLORIOUS and GRAND new perspective. I just wonder? That happened for me. When I emerged from my prison cell, I could SEE health finally and was finally able to speak to God's people concerning the value of health to their bodies as a component of serving Him well for the duration of their lives. Perspective shift? You bet! Have an awesome LOVE-FILLED day my friends, PK

February 12, 2013 - Fighting Forward

I don't think in any season we see the sign of change as vividly as from winter to spring. In fact the spring birds were singing in early January. The warm temps of January also caused the flowers to peek their heads through the soil and trees to start budding. I always shake my head and think, "you're gonna freeze when those old winds and bitter temps return. These weeks are just tying to fool you." But NONE of them listen. As I went outcome yesterday the hyacinths are standing beautifully and while I love them, cold weather is about to grab us again. These spring signs never flinch though. Never. Once they begin, it's as if they know something I don't. I can't really count the ground hog as he is prompted by one single moment in time. But the others, they come forth confidently and announce, "It's time for LIFE." Now for me, this is great. It's also great that in them I see a quiet confidence and regardless of how the weather goes. They have had a "taste" of their starting season and they KNOW the plan. They are not afraid to keep pushing forward not do they care that I bring the warning of bad weather returning in 3 days. They seem to be untouched by my "concern." I watch this annually and I ALWAYS wonder,"what do they know that I don't?" So, lessons from the spring announcers: 1) know when it's your season to flourish (for us, our season of health is now) 2) once you commit to LIFE, let nothing keep you from fighting forward. (for us, there may be a bad weigh-in or a spring storm with the hail, but as the hyacinths, you might be down a minute but stand up quickly!) 3) be determined to have your announcement heard (for us, don't be afraid to smile and say, "I only eat foods that bring life to my bodies these days.") 4) be grateful that you ARE choosing health and you can see yourself emerging from death. (remind yourself of the color and sound the spring announcers convey. Your journey benefits you greatly, but I can ASSURE you your fight for life will bless others who may never tell you. It gives them HOPE) These are simply just a FEW pictures we can glean. These spring announcers are not "in your face" proclaiming but they are steady and confident in their resolve that it's their turn to emerge from death to life. That's us. It's our season to flourish. Proclaim well. Be confident that you could be knocked down by a hard rain but you will stand strong quickly and display the beauty of health for all to see. Have an amazing day, PK

The Rainbow

Good morning, As we approach the spring and the earth is rotating, the winds are shifting and pockets of cold air are being transported and allowed to settle over pockets of warm air. The cold, dense air which is heavy settles down on the warm lofty mass to displace its location, invade, and take over. As you can imagine, the warm air has occupied the land and has no intention of moving. Sparks fly, as in all good western movies, and storms erupt. It has happened exactly like this (although I simplified things a bit) since the creation of time. I can just see the people in Noah's day. NO rain had ever fallen from the sky. The earth watered itself from the bottom up. There was no water cycle and for a season, no need for one. But you know the rest of the story. I want to focus this day on the rainbow. I LOVE them! And you know what's cool, God absolutely knows that we all learn differently. Statistics indicate that only 20% of us learn by hearing, 50% by seeing and 80% by doing. Big differences. I am the visual person. So God thinks, Kathy will need a picture in the sky at certain times to remember I always keep my promises. How cool is that? And yes, there have been days when I absolutely NEEDED a postcard and one came in the mail. The Bible says God keeps his promises for generations. And just when I need it most, a double rainbow. What a mighty God! That huge, colorful picture standing in silence and yet shouting loudly - LOVE it. OK - back to our health. God has provided everything our body needs for health and long life. He is an abundant provider and never leaves us without a window. Think about it - He provides different fruits and veggies that can endure the different seasons, airplanes to transport foods from various places, and the Sunday paper with its abundance of coupons to gain the maximum "bang for the buck" at the grocery store ALL for us because He said He'd provide. You ask, "PK, really? Mankind does all that. " I respond, "Really? And where do you think those ideas originated? You know where". Right? So, why do we worry about rising food costs? Why are we fearful that our budget is heavy on the food side and healthy eating may need to be adjusted? Why? Here's what I pray - let there be rain today followed by a rainbow that will re-emphasize God always honors His word. I used to tell people that you could not have a rainbow without rain, but I have seen with my own eyes that to not be true. So for now, until I can ask God how that occurs, let's simply look for the VISUAL that God provides. And, while he created the rainbow for those of us who are visual learners, those who are not can simply open His Word and read it from there. Whether displayed in the sky or explained on text, God absolutely wants us to KNOW His heart for each of us.

February 7, 2013 - Prayer At The Grocery Store

Good morning to all of you, This Sunday is our life group - and it's soups and desserts. Hope you can come, share something and your recipes, and join in our time of prayer. I LOVE our life group. Also, you are more than able to bring a friend. We are always looking for others who are fighting for their healthy and exploring healthy cooking options. :) As you know, I am preparing for my trip to Thailand on the 27th of this month. Your prayers would be appreciated! Pray for the children we will touch and that God will penetrate their hearts and flood their souls with HOPE and Love. This morning I am thinking about our Dave Ramsey class last night. We had the task of creating a zero budget as our homework last week and then tonight's class was followed with a "plastic-surgery" party to shred some of our credit cards. I really am enjoying the class and learning the new principles is helping me develop and stretch in some areas. It's hard, don't get me wrong. But the challenge is really good. There are those things that we must budget first and can I say I am GLAD food gets in that top four. Yes, I am! And, as many of us are focused on the planning of our budgets, discussions of healthy foods and their expense are numerous. Food cost is rising - well, as I am looking at the numbers, most everything is rising in cost. My husband suggested a couple of cheaper items last night, but I don't eat those foods nor do I want to return to boxed foods because they are simply cheaper. They may be cheaper to ingest now, but they will be MORE costly in the future if they encourage obesity-related diseases. So, as I prayed last night I began to thank God for wisdom in this area. The class is challenging, the budget is challenging, and now food selection is getting challenging. That sounds like a recipe for PRAYER. Asking for God's help along our journey to health and success shouldn't be the LAST thing we do, but the first. Dave Ramsey is having us create a budget at the end of each month BEFORE the month begins. Then, we have our structure for the month from which to work. I smiled last night as I see how he puts planning at the front of the journey as we do. Failing to plan for the week can often cause the drive thru window to scream loudly. And the food they are offering, is often filled with words we cannot pronounce. The same goes into financial planning. There are voices screaming for our money, but I GET TO DECIDE TO WHOM I RESPOND. It IS God's desire for our bodies to be healthy. And God knows we need proper fuel to be successful. God also KNOWS that we need great wisdom to out smart the grocery stores who are trying to hold us hostage. :( Let's pray as we make the grocery list, as we enter the store, and as we search the isles for God's wisdom. That is more critical than we know. Let's not discount the power of prayer when the numbers in our bank and the numbers at the register are in competition. NO STRESS - prayer works!

February 6 - The Broccoli IV

Don’t you love commercials? I am watching a game right now and a FAIRY is asking a family to make their favorite wishes and she will grant them. The wife says to the fairy, “I wish I could eat all the chocolate I wanted.” Yea, baby. Then poof – she finds herself standing in front of the doctor who is reading her blood reports and informs her that “her chocolate levels are dangerously low and she needs a chocolate transfusion.” You immediately see an IV bag filled with chocolate as they are preparing to transfuse the wife. HOOOOK ME UP! I don’t believe in fairies, but I certainly smiled and allowed myself to “be the mom in that vision” for a few seconds. Am I the only one who wishes that sometimes life was that easy? The only one who needs a chocolate IV occasionally? I have the answer – anytime I am having that fantasy, I am always capable of baking a pan of sugar free brownies or making a sugar free hot chocolate with cocoa and Truvia. I have to stop the whining and start the cooking. Chocolate IV’s are simply, but so is a pan of brownies. Stop now and find a new recipe in this book that you haven’t cooked yet, gather the supplies, and smile knowing it’s LEGAL to enjoy the foods in this book. I am a stickler for food tasting good as well as appealing to my eyes! My mom was always and amazing cook (she still is) but my love of cooking comes from the GREAT memories she offered me as a child. Mom always made our meals an adventure and I am grateful that she filled our home with the smell of yummy things. I find I am passing this legacy to my daughter and grand daughters. But now, my heart’s desire is to see my girls not only embrace the art of cooking but the foods I know bring health to our bodies. All of us love the chocolate IV, but how about the broccoli IV? Maybe we love to cook but do we love to cook the correct foods? We CAN change and we CAN leave a legacy for our children and grand children so that if asked by the TV Fairy for a wish to be granted, they will ask for broccoli. Amen!

February 5, 2013 - Visitors

I love when people come to my house for a visit. I am the Hospitality Queen. I LOVE planning, cleaning and cooking for the masses; it’s Basic Hospitality 101. I was raised preparing large quantities of food in preparation for anyone who might arrive for dinner. The only problem was that too often no one came. That meant we had extra for US and that every dog and cat in the neighborhood was pleasingly plump. J I wonder if planning for visitors had anything to do with my unhealthy portion sizes? I am not certain, but blaming someone other than me allows me to smile for a second. Have you ever blamed someone for your unhealthy life style? I have! But, let’s return to our talk on visitors. While planning for visitors to eat at your table is critical, accepting visitors to the scale IS NOT! It’s amazing to me how we conveniently “plan” and make room for those extra “visitors” to come into our lives for holidays. I honestly know people who PLAN to gain 10 pounds each year from Halloween to January 1st. They speak of this with a laugh and acceptance that makes me shake my head. For me – I never “planned” for them. I never weighed, so that meant I wasn’t accountable for the visitors. Right? Wrong! I LOVE guests, but a guest is not usually expected to become a legal resident in my house. And, if they need to stay longer than planned, they are expected to submit to the journey of MY life and MY family. Gaining weight and trying to “pet those pounds” (as if they were a new kitten) can be a monster in the closet. We cannot allow those “guests” to become legal residents! How do we avoid this? Every morning we must force ourselves to have an honest discussion with our accountability partner – the scale. Sometimes I would weigh myself three times, stand on the corners, and balance on one foot. Ever tried those? But the bottom line – no one held a gun to my head and made me welcome THOSE guests! I was a willing participant. Moral to this story: don’t pet the extra “guests” that arrive around certain holidays begging for clothes and a space to live. They have an AGENDA. They take you places you never planned to go and make you stay longer than you planned. UGH!

January 4, 2013 - A Circle of Three

What an interesting Super Bowl Game. The lights going out certainly created a shift in momentum and perhaps if there had been a few more minutes remaining the outcome might have been different. I worked long hours over the weekend on my manuscript and am completing April hopefully tonight. I am editing blogs as I am hooking them to the recipes, so it's taking a minute to read so much and delete things about HCG and reword to appeal to a bigger audience. I am thanking God daily as another chunk is completed and grabbing the next chuck gets easier. I refuse to allow the mountain to overwhelm me, but I am rejoicing with each successful completion. As I was up late last night, I felt the Lord began to speak to me about long-term friends and their value to each of us. Do you have a friend from childhood that is still a real friend to you? I only have one from high school that I am still in contact with, but I have several friends that have journeyed with me over the past 30 years and are dear to my heart. Friendships can come and go, but long-term friends are usually crafted from a mold that doesn't shatter in controversy or by the pressure of distance. Do you have that friend(s) whom you may not see daily, but you KNOW they would be at your side in a moment's notice if needed? I do. Isn't that a treasure? Now what you need is to designate those "upper level" friends who are going to be your REAL accountability partners in this next leg of your journey. So, when we think of long-term friendships on our health journey, they may look differently. I began to list in my mind last night the following "friendships" that are very critical in our quest for health: 1. people who are willing to be honest and encourage us when we want to quit or fudge just a wee bit 2. people who are willing to hydrate with us at certain intervals simply because they know our water consumption is critical 3. people who are not afraid to risk our anger and speak up as we reach for the brownie 4. people who will comfort us when discouraged but firmly point us to the truth 5. people who will be honest daily with their fitness plan as it helps us value the struggle of others 6. people who will continue to offer their hand when we have failed to reach for it recently due to our own failure 7. people who can be trusted with our feelings and know how to pray and help us fight These are just some of the endearing qualities I thought of last night. My brother Chip was all this and MORE to me when we first started, I honestly don't know if I had the fortitude to break the walls of my cell, escape the prison guards, start over with barely nothing, and overcome the many obstacles in my face. My knowing Chip was there for me and I for him meant we were in the fox hole together and that comforted me. How about this - sometimes we spoke on the phone and prayed 5 and 6 times a day for weeks until we started standing on solid ground. Yes, we did! Why is this important? Because isolation is a HUGE tool used in the arsenal of discouragement. And once we FEEL isolated it's often not long until we feel no one cares and we can begin to return to our past simply because of the "comfort" it provides. How many of you know that sometimes people can be free of prison physically and still be in prison emotionally. That's why I really encourage everyone fighting for freedom from obesity to enlist those friends you know will grab your neck when need be either with a hug or a yank. Let's be honest - some friends only flatter. We don't need that - but submitting to the friend who won't pass you a brownie takes a great trust on our part. But it's critical. I promise. Who are your three and do they know you have given them permission to help you? Ask today.

February 1, 2013 - God Feeds The Sparrows

I apologize this is late, I got side-tracked reading in preparation for my trip to Thailand at the end of this month. I was moved to tears as every chapter of For Their Tears I Died details the lives that children suffer who are trapped in human trafficking. After reading one of the chapters and re-reading the lead scripture from Isaiah 61 - I was gripped and said to the Lord, "I am honored that you would send me to smile and touch these children. Help me, God, to prepare my heart to see as you see and love as you love." WOW! I must confess, though, I have been "worried" about several things - one of which is what to eat and how to prepare for meals in a country that I have never visited. But after reading this morning of the food journeys of these children, I felt horrible for even entertaining that. Now.......you know I stand on the pillar of "be prepared," but there are times when preparation cannot over ride the mission to which God has called us. I know that food is our fuel, but it can also be our passion. And then we get out of balance. I remember the days when I used to plan two days of meals at a time and get everything lined up so "I wouldn't miss a meal, as that would only cause me to go into "starvation mode" which was bad for my body. " REALLY??? NO - food was my PASSION and I simply fueled that passion with a lie. Being honest here. Let us remember to have foods prepared and ready so we are not being scavengers and falling prey to the peanut butter. YES! But, our thoughts and passion cannot be food. What a distraction that was for me for YEARS! Now, I plan for the week, cook for the week, have my food ready and DON'T spend time worrying about meals. It's such a FREEDOM pocket! Whatever is in the refrigerator is getting cooked and when it runs out, I'll go to the store again. God's word instructs us NOT to worry - it doesn't say DON'T PLAN - just don't worry. BIG difference! God clothes and feeds the lilies and the birds - it brings him PLEASURE to take care of us. So today, plan and get things ready, and then let go of the stress and worry of "doing it right, finding the right combination, eating enough fruit." Do the math, get the right quantities, eat the right portions, and ENJOY your life and family more. That concept is so freeing to me. How about you? Gotta run - working on my book today. Hoping to have it to the publisher for the first scoring before I leave for Thailand. Whew! Lovin you BIG - PK