January 16, 2013 - My Fitness Pal

Well, well, finally a chance of snow flurries coming to my back door tomorrow. Flurries are not 6 inches, but I will take them. It brings out the little girl in me. Right, Rocky? :) This week is a week of real self-denial as our church is embracing a 7 day fast, as a church family, as we move closer and deeper in intimacy with God. While the days have not been easy, it's AMAZING that when I feel hungry I can stop and use my eating time to pray. And, go figure, I'm still alive. It's also amazing how much stronger I feel spiritually when not BOGGED down with food. Know why? Food takes a lot of energy to digest. It pulls from the available resources to try and convert the food we've ingested into energy and nutrients for our body. ****one side note - and if we've swallowed our food whole, it takes more energy. Anyway...... I think we often view fasting as a four letter word, but there is a principle behind denying our flesh. Sometimes we REALLY need to remind our bodies that we are in control. Discipline is another word that many of us struggle with - me too. But bringing our fleshly appetites into a normal range has many benefits on many levels. God created us with the ability to choose, and with that gift comes a need for discipline. I would LOVE it if my internal appetite would shut off at the exact amount of calories daily that were needed to maintain my top, goal weight. How about you? Then, no struggle, no hunger, no feeling deprived.......but that is not what happens. God allows us to choose our foods, our portions, and our poison (if you will) with the expectancy that we will choose well. He gives us the Holy Spirit, who guides us into ALL truth (not just spiritual truth), but we must access him and ask for help. What about this? I know Weight Watchers and Fitness Pal have these cool calorie/point counting, computer/iPhone apps that allow you to track everything. What if we thought of the Holy Spirit as our Fitness Pal??? Let's submit to him all our foods, exercise, health journey throughout the day and when we have exhausted our "points" - we STOP. How about that? :) I see this time of fasting as helping me hear more clearly and since my new Fitness Pal (the Holy Spirit) speaks in a still, small voice - that's a good thing. Holding you close in my heart today fam, PK