March 30, 2013 - My Personal Intercessor

Good morning to my healthy friends, I didn't blog yesterday as I had prayer at church early and then we ended with prayer last night. GREAT day! Praying with my church fam on the bottom and top end of the day brought such a smile to my face. I pray you are comforted and rejoicing this day as you remember God's amazing plan and display of love for you. Nothing can compare. I cannot even begin to wrap my small brain around this kind of sacrifice for someone so undeserving as myself. I had a melt down yesterday and then while reading in Luke this morning, a deeper revelation came that reinforced the concept that EVEN in "melt down phase" God still thinks I'm a GREAT kid. WOW! This week we have been concentrating on the final journey of Jesus. As we complete this week, let's focus on LIFE following death - resurrection #5. We celebrate the resurrection for many reasons, only one of which is the hope each of us has that we will someday conquer the final enemy, death. We spoke in our last blog of the fear of death and hopefully you gained a different perspective on that journey. Today, let's open our heart to the vision of seeing Jesus seated at the right had of Father God constantly praying for each of us. That is ONE of the benefits on Jesus' death. While He no longer walks the Earth, there is no one I would rather know is praying for me than God's own son. How about you? Before I left for Thailand, I gathered a team of people that committed to pray for me during the 2 week journey. At times when I was confronted or discouraged, my heart remembered people were praying. While they committed to pray for me for 2 weeks, Jesus has committed to pray for us 24/7 for an entire lifetime. Anybody got tears in your eyes? Do you have a friend like that? I have many beautiful friends, but I don't know of one who never stops praying and believing for the best for me. (now I am tearing!) Jesus never grows tired of calling our name and speaking life. He never grows weary of our shenanigans. He never grows weary of our asking for His help on our health journey. NEVER. He has God's heart for each of us and constantly makes intercession on our behalf. That's one of the benefits of Jesus' life after death to the believer. I don't where you are on your health journey today or your life's journey. But remember...every journey has a beginning and an end. It's the middle that's the tough part and we have the King of Kings committed to being our personal intercessor during the tough part. Thank you Jesus that you care and you pray. For those who didn't receive the blogs this week, you can find them (or share them) at www.kathyshcgfamily.blogspot.com Happy Easter my friends, PK (off to bake my sugar free carrot cake. YUM!)

March 28, 2013 - Close The Door

I had a great time last night meeting a new group of sisters as I ministered to a group in McDonough on The Journey to Freedom. I LOVE seeing the family of God connect with the truth of God's Word. I love getting to teach about my Father, God, and add new people to my God-family. I LOVE IT! Anyway - we've done 3 resurrection points this week leading to Easter and today is point #4 - Close one door and open another. I know that for many of us - MANY - death is really something we often fear. It's not that I am scared as much as I don't know what to expect from death. There are not a lot of instructions on the journey. (please, no disrespect intended) I have been in the room with several people as they entered heaven and I have to say, in every case, it's been extremely peaceful. So why are most people so distraught when they think of death? For me saying goodbye to my family - for a season - is my number 1 reason. But for many, it's the fear of the unknown. Let's remember for those who are Christians, we have no reason to fear the unknown. Heaven is not unknown to us, as the Bible paints a beautiful picture. But when we think of death, for our health journey, maybe you're having a difficult time connecting the two. But watch this. When I absolutely determined I would be healthy, "if it killed me," it certainly did! On that Tuesday night when I closed my eyes, I knew that Wednesday morning I would start a journey and NEVER open some doors again. I remember looking at the ceiling and feeling a pain in my chest that my comfort foods were going to die and I could never access their friendship again. This may seem silly to you but my heart was sad that I would never eat another doughnut. UGH! I felt a deep WOW come to my chest knowing I would never eat another candy bar. I know you're laughing, but this it the reality. Death to my "friendly foods" meant they would never be available again. In that moment, I remember Pastor Rick teaching us that "sometimes death is nothing more than closing one door and opening another and if we can visualize the picture we can confront fear." I laid that night with P Rick's words in my heart and visually saw myself close the door to my obese body and open a door to health. There was sadness at the acceptance in my heart that I would NEVER, EVER eat another doughnut. But I knew if would close the door to obesity and open the door to health, in my mind and in my heart, I could confront the fear of failing AGAIN and re-enetering the obesity cycle. And I smiled. So resurrection week #4 - close the door (death) to unhealthy patterns and foods which lead to death and open the door to health. Death doesn't have to be scary. Jesus' death closed the door to the bondage of hell and opened the door to eternal life with God for us. Saying yes to the death of your comfort foods and unhealthy responses to all foods will open the door to a beautiful and healthy you. That warrants a smile today. Yes? Loving you from Atlanta, PK

March 27, 2013 - The Jeering Easter Eggs

Okay - so #1 on Monday was endure and #2 yesterday was submitting to God's best plan. Today, let's briefly discuss the actual journey to the cross #3. After Jesus determines that God's will is best served in submission and again He remembers the joy set before him, the actual walk to the cross commences. It's bad enough that Jesus has experienced watching others be crucified, but even his journey to the cross was marked with horrific suffering. He was beaten, bruised, lashed, his beard plucked from his face, set with a crown of thorns - all horrific. But then there's the crowd. People who are supposed to know YOU. People who have watched, as well as received, the miracles standing in the crowd. People who could have offered their voices in "thank you for giving me LIFE, Jesus," were calling another man's name. I don't know about you but sometimes the words hurled are more destructive than the sword. But our savior, full of compassion, seeing our faces, made the journey without once calling the legion of angels. He made the most difficult journey without biting and making the crowd endure His suffering. I know our health journey is not nearly as painful, but there have been times where my attitude toward my family or others can get twisted by the hunger and deprivation that accompanies me occasionally. Even though I plan, occasionally the thought of one more piece of fruit doesn't appeal to me. Sometimes I can feel as though I am being cheated and my attitude may seep through, especially if I have gained a pound or two. At that point, I have to remind myself: my health, my choice, my life, great decision, this moment will pass, I am not the culmination of my feelings, there is always an apple and I WILL REJOICE as I eat it. I really have fought for the truth that health is a journey with mountains (great weigh-in days and healthy blood reports) AND valleys (days where tiredness causes me to be a whiny girl or too many nuts causes my feet to swell). Journeys start and they stop. Jesus knew he would be in heaven soon, seated at the right hand of the Father, ever praying that we would endure, submit, and stay on the journey. Our journey began on this side of eternity, but will end someday in heaven as Jesus' did. It's the middle part - the day to day journey - that is marked with suffering. But let's remember, this journey will end and all suffering with it. Let's be honest though, we want the journey, as difficult as it can be sometimes, to be marked with years of life and great health. Yes? Then, let's fight for that. As you journey today past the Easter eggs and marshmallow chicks who are jeering and fight against the reasoning that declares, "I'll eat big on Sunday and start again Monday," remember - this life is only a small segment of eternity. The journey may seem long and difficult but it's really not. Tough - yes, sometimes. Let's control our attitudes, emotions, and excuses and remember it's just a short journey. YEA! PK

March 26, 2013 - Say Yes To The Plan

Good morning, Yesterday we spoke of endurance (Resurrection week #1). We talked from the scripture that says, "for the JOY set before Him, Jesus endured the cross." We praise God for His endurance and see where our own endurance can bless someone else and offer them hope. And that brings us joy. Right? Today, let's speak of submission to God's plan (Resurrection week #2). In the garden, the Bible recounts a very honest conversation between Jesus and God. Maybe you, like me, have had that same discussion ONE MILLION times. Yes, I have. Jesus had seen men be crucified; he's not walking into this with no experience. He absolutely knew the cost of following God's plan, but is there another way? When He finally came to the end of the question cycle, He looked forward in time and saw you and I whole and submitted to the master plan. Without Jesus' journey and sacrifice, we had no hope. Our health journey is not often easy. Being hungry, denying our flesh, fighting for our health at parties when no one cares, falling down, being confronted with options that are "so much easier," can all make the journey intolerable at times. However, our health is not up for debate. I wish it were. And, our health is more priceless that we realize until we reach a certain age and begin to really count the cost of poor health. (and there's a lot of cost on this side) I am convinced that deciding to be healthy is not the issue - we've all done that a million times. I'm convinced that there is that moment for each of us where the game of life is so intense and we are so broken that the final decision to submit to God's best plan to maintain His "bodly" temple requires a final journey from the maybe list to the I have no choice now list. At that point, our submission to God's plan needs to be "not my will but yours be done," and we never look back. That date occurred for me on January 24, 2011. I finally came to the place in my heart where death to my flesh and my old excuses must take place. I know this doesn't begin to compare to the garden experience with Jesus and yet it does in a small way for me. When I decided to be healthy, I had to realize that I would never eat a candy bar or a doughnut again. Ever! There were certain things that had to die in order for me to live. AND I wanted to live to see my grand babies grow. I also wanted a great quality of life. Candy bars and poor eating choices had pronounced death. But that day, in that "garden experience," I knew that God would meet me if I was really ready to submit to his plan and never, never embrace my old journey again. And He did. Are there some of you who need a garden experience? It's not fun and it requires the ultimate submission - death to the flesh - but I'm telling you that experience gave me life! A lot of you go in and out of pockets of health, and I understand. My prayer is that you stop the discussion phase with your flesh and have that real garden experience. This is a GREAT week to say goodbye to certain things forever. On the other side of total submission (with no escape and try-again routes) there is LIFE. I know this well. Come on, walk that hill to the garden and prepare to submit to total health. Make your list of things that must die, lay them down, find a strong accountability partner who won't give in when you need a candy fix, start reading and eating healthy everyday whether you feel like it or not, and start living as a healthy, free person. God's plan is best and gives us our best chance of long, healthy years to serve Him. Praying for you, PK

March 25, 2013 - Enduring the Cross

When I returned from Thailand, I was grieved by people being forced into sexual slavery with no hope of freedom and an inability to make decisions for themselves. The faces that I passed daily shouted hopelessness, as if they bore a sign upon their chest. Even though I smiled as I passed people - few returned the gesture. It has been difficult to deal with the emotions of not rescuing the masses. I had to lean upon the truth that God is the rescuer - He is the way maker - I cannot be consumed with anxiety that I have to solve this issue TODAY. No, No. I am the Lord's servant and am available as He needs me. I am asking for my next assignment and until then I fight in prayer. But still, those faces.........I have always loved to watch people's faces. To me our faces display what our souls are experiencing. Some days our freedom is easier to depict. However, there are days when masking our feelings seems appropriate and yet while we may smile, our eyes often tell a different tale. Don't they? I have been reading this morning about Jesus preparing for His final week upon the earth and while He was a man acquainted with sorrow, He was also a man who was filled with JOY in the core of His being. The Bible says, "for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross." Hebrews 12:2 Have we really considered what JOY that would be? I feel it's the JOY of knowing He came to purchase our freedom and His mission would soon be completed and would accomplish it's desired goal. I feel when Jesus thought of enduring this week, our names were in His core and when He saw us FREE, joy welled inside of him. His sacrifice would not be in vain. Kathy, Paulette, Shelly, Cheryl, Tina - the remaining 100 of us - FREE! That brings tears to my eyes. Sometimes being free is a double-sided coin though. While I am now free from the torment of 50 years of unhealthy living, I am NOT free to return to my past eating habits. RIGHT? While that brings me great joy deep in my core, sometimes when everyone else is eating as they wish and smacking food in my face, I wonder, "am I really free?" The answer - YES! Our healthy journey will always be challenged as Jesus challenged His mission even hours before enduring the cross. But His resolve to do the will of the Father and the JOY of seeing us free gave him the courage to endure. Look at your week, with a BIG Easter dinner close at hand, and realize your choices to eat healthy are based in freedom and those same freedom choices will give us a long and healthy journey. So while we may endure storms and trials that are difficult and challenging, we know that our healthy eating choices will give us the energy and courage to endure. And then remember, your sacrifice to eat healthy and continue on the healthy journey (even with its difficulties) could be giving your family and friends the hope and courage they need to fight for their health. Jesus endured for our freedom - let's endure to maintain our freedom and help others experience freedom. Plan well this week! Watch the chocolate Easter bunnies and jelly beans. Choose the food of the bunnies (carrots) and the beans minus the jelly. This is a great week to celebrate daily our freedom! This week's blogs will do just that. :) PK

March 22, 2013 - A New Start

Yea, it's Friday and we made it through another week and successfully transitioned into Spring 2013. That's a lot, huh? I pray your week has been one of productivity, success and X-treme LOVE. I am more convinced that we must fight to LOVE ourselves in the greater picture of loving others "as we love ourselves." When we feel bad about failure or even the simple daily routine of fitting into our clothes, does this effect us and ultimately effect our day? For the majority of us the answer is yes. When we feel bad about our health journey, often that consumes our sweet spot. We would all like to say it doesn't, but I am afraid our attitude about the way we look influences more of our day than we would like to admit. The arrival of spring brings many feelings - the beauty of the flowers, the staggering effects of the pollen and a sign of NEW LIFE. It's amazing that after 56 springs, I still get excited when the dead leaves blow away (or are raked away) and fresh colors explode on the trees and flowers. This annual event always renews my heart with the notion that new life can happen over and over. I like second, third, fourth and 56th chances. I need them. How about you? Sometimes we need a reminder that we can start again - even after what seemingly appears to be a season of death and utter failure. I spoke with someone recently who had decided that trying again to be healthy was no longer worth the effort after so much failure. I understand feeling the effects of failure and being scared of failing again - it's devastating. But God never gets tired of offering his help. Never! Isn't that cool? Everyone may be tired of helping us succeed EXCEPT God. As we look at spring this year, let's all smile as we embrace a renewed sense that God has plans to do good by us and not harm us. God knows his thoughts toward us and nothing changes them - not our success nor our failure. But today, this week, let's shed the dead leaves of winter, make a fresh commitment to LIFE and commit to rake our "failures" into the fire heap where they can be consumed by truth. We can only walk and stand in truth if we are willing to allow truth to change us. Are you willing for your "dead leaves" to be set on fire? I am! I have things that need to be consumed and destroyed. I am willing to allow death to produce life. How about you? Happy Spring! PK

March 20, 2013 - The Snicker's Voice

As we approach Easter, we focus our attention and remind ourselves of the way of the cross, the sacrifice that brought us freedom, life beyond the cross, etc. I know that our day-to-day journey touches these concepts, but during this season we find the church really returns to a place of deep meditation and concerted focus. We return to the cross and bring our wandering thoughts back to the captivating concept that a high price was paid for our freedom. I will never understand God's love for me in that He would give his only son and watch him die to have a long-term relationship with someone as wicked as I. I legitimately cannot understand that type of love and yet am eternally grateful...beyond words grateful.....beyond description grateful. When we think of the gifts of the cross, we could make a list. Couldn't we? We certainly pray and confess that Jesus took our infirmities and diseases upon himself and "by his stripes we are healed." I stand on that truth in my own personal life. But sometimes I wonder if we firmly accept that Jesus heals "real" diseases - like cancer, diabetes, things I cannot pronounce - but he doesn't have the time to heal our eating disorders. STOP! You will never convince me that all the beating, blood, stripes, and eventual death was only for a certain "select" issues. I have child-like faith to believe that Jesus' journey to, through, and beyond the cross is BIG enough to heal anything. Many of us struggle on a daily basis to eat properly and often feel defeated when we cheat. We hide behind voices that compel us to submit - like the Snickers voice, or the Dunkin Donuts voice, or the voice of our children needing a Big Mac. Then when we submit to the voice, we feel defeated and often get angry with God for not healing us. Can I challenge that way of reasoning this morning, as I lived there for 52 years? Jesus' death brought us freedom from diseases, but it also brought us the freedom of choice. Preach, sista! As I told a friend the other day who was ingesting a large double cheeseburger and a bucket of fries, "you are free to eat that now, but you are not free to choose the consequence that eating this COULD bring to your arteries later." Their response, "I'll worry about it later." Yes, freedom comes to us through the cross, but our free choices may hinder God's best desire for our body later in life. They could! Perhaps our healing of diseases could be hindered by the freedom to make choices along our health journey? I know this, I would rather eat to live and use my freedom of choice to fill this body God gave me with great substances than endure heart disease and cancer and need a miracle on that end. I would. Love you all, PK Ps - let me know about Life Group in April. Bring a friend. :)