First, order the “Ooey, Gooey, Rich and Chewy Brownie Sundae” at Chevy’s restaurant.
Be sure to have the waiter deliver it with several spoons or forks.
Then, be sure to blink at least once…presto…the dessert will be gone…as your family members will be sure to inhale it while you blink.
When you open your eyes, dessert will be gone and you will be eating the Thin Within way! Just a taste is all it takes! (BIG SMILES!)
In the picture above, I am seated…wondering what happened to the tasty dessert I ordered. Left to right around me…my wonderful husband, Bob. (Isn’t he cute? LOL!) Top of the picture is my cousin, Bob. I don’t think he got a taste either! He is naturally thin. Now we know why! Then to the right of me is my 13 year old daughter, Michaela…caught in the act! Daniel, my 15 year old son, blinked too…he missed getting a bite!
Today I overheard a conversation between my kids. I overheard my 13 year old daughter telling my 15 year old son, “Daniel, you probably want to wait. The brownies will be out of the oven in 5 minutes.” I walked in to the kitchen and Daniel was pouring chips from a paper plate back into the chip bag. I asked him what was up and he said that he wanted to eat the brownie instead of the chips, so he was going to wait for the brownies to come out of the oven and then to cool.
The really bizarre thing is…the way *I* was raised, I would have eaten the chips and *then* also eaten the brownies. But it occurred to both of my kids without them having to think about it to “spend” their hunger on a brownie.
I know that they have gotten frustrated over the years with me and my Thin Within talk…I have been so immersed in it all working with Judy and Dr. Arthur and then the Thin Within company…and there are times when they will say, “But WE don’t *want* to wait to go out to eat because WE are hungry NOW!” and make me realize that I have been quite self-centered in assuming others don’t care about hunger or not and that they would wait for me because *I* care…well, they have too…and they like to eat “pleasers” when they are hungry…Well, brownies definitely seem to fit into that category for all of us.
I know that some will think I shouldn’t let my kids eat whenever they want and have things like chips and brownies around the house…but well…my kids are both naturally thin and they come from “chubby” stock…my husband and I were both “husky” kids. My kids look nothing like my husband and I did…we both were raised in restrictive environments food-wise. Me, excessively so…I have reacted to the dysfunctions that came out of my past and all my eating/food/self-image struggles by wanting to raise my kids opposite of the way I was raised. When it comes to being thin, they are there without thinking about it. I don’t know if it will always be that way…
But I am pleased that they both can stop in the middle of a meal, throwing away food they are no longer hungry for.
Today, my kids were blessing me folding laundry while I was doing some nasty yucky cleaning preparing for a big doo we are having on Thanksgiving Day. My 13 year old daughter came out and said, “Ok, Mom…that does it! I thought TWO pair of YOUR jeans were MINE!” I told her that I was flattered…she said, “No, Mom…it is just plain SCARY.”
Big grins coming from me today on that one.
Even if she only made it up to compliment me. It makes me smile.
Well, I am having some struggles with things…my body is acting whacko. Between that and a rebellious heart, I am misreading (or ignoring) my hunger and satisfaction signals. To combat this, I am going to do something I haven’t done much of in the course of my TW journey since 2001…The Lord seems to be leading me to pull out the “Temple Tool Kit” and use it for 10 days. At that time I will re-evaluate if I should continue for another 10 days (or whatever the Lord leads).
The pride and arrogance that filter back into my life so subtly can sure erode a willingness to ask for God’s direction and to heed it when I hear it. While the TW tools aren’t intended to be the voice of God, I feel like I will have some added accountability that way. While I haven’t been regaining weight, I wonder if my body being out of whack is partly due to my eating being out of whack…they feed one another.
I began faithfully giving my food and eating to the Lord early last November and released weight all through the holiday season. I know that He can remove temptations…but I also know that He fully intends to supply the strength needed to resist temptations as well, providing a way out each and every time I do call out, but the temptation isn’t removed… Therefore, I will use these tools to be honest with myself and with God possibly during this entire holiday season. My family has already begun to act like holiday time is a license to bring on MORE food! ARG!
Isn’t it funny how we use “holy” days (holidays) as excuses for indulging unholy lusts? Maybe I shouldn’t say “we”…but “I” instead….
Lord, I want to be set apart for you this “Holy Day” season…please help me to live as one who IS holy and set apart by you for your purposes. Help me to offer the parts of my body to you, as instruments of righteousness…my hands, my mouth, my taste buds, my stomach, my thoughts, too, Lord…Help my mind not to dwell on things of the world, but, instead on godly, heavenly things. Cleanse me, renew me, strengthen me. If any of my sisters here (and brothers if they are here) struggle in the same way, I pray these same things for them. Be exalted in our “holy day” preparations and celebrations. In the precious Name of Christ, Amen.
The family and I watched the movie Amazing Grace last night. Something that came to the forefront for me while I watched it…the connection between human slavery of Africans and the production of sugar. While the movie focused on Great Britain’s support of the slave trade in part due to sugar, I couldn’t help feeling horribly convicted…had I been around at that time would I have supported the slave trade for want of sugar? I mean…how powerful a hold does sugar have on me? In the movie, the hypocrisy was obvious. What about me? Is my “love” for sweet tasting food powerful enough that I would not have been able to boycott using sugar had I been alive at the time when slaves were used to produce sugar? Would I have minimized the atrocities of slavery so that I could justify continuing to have sugar?
Fortunately, these days it doesn’t require human slavery to produce sugar…but I can’t help but feel like the enemy must have had a hand in the production of sugar in its early history…and he likely bet that humans would get so attached to sugar that we would be where were are now…with the “average” American consuming 100 pounds of sugar each year!
I keep thinking…if I were involved in an industry or a hobby or something that had a horrid, disdainful beginning, would I look the other way because “That is ancient history?” I know this sounds really weird, but I just can’t shake that the roots of sugar…something to which I seem to give myself over to so freely and struggle with so completely…had its beginnings in the horrific treatment of other humans…I know that God wept (and perhaps still does) over such atrocity…
For quite a while, I have known a key to “success” — spiritual, emotional, and physical — is to foster an attitude of heartfelt gratitude, praise, and thanksgiving to the Lord. It is odd to me, then, that I have not *done* what I *know* is vital. You see, no matter how I have “lost” weight in the past, it has always been pride that has been my undoing–even if it has been on the path that Thin Within endorses.
Even recently, I have seen the insidious nature of pride (again) as it creeps in so subtly. Earlier in this weight-releasing journey I would lean hard on the Lord to tell me when to stop eating and even what would be a good choice to eat. It is almost like I have now taken the things that he has graciously done for me, taught me and turned them into my own set of rules for keeping the weight off. This is rooted in pride. I need to continue to ask God, ask God, ask God. When I invite him into each moment, I foster a humble dependence on Him that not only blesses His heart (I believe), but it lifts me up as well.
Today I read day 17 in my Thin Within book. The TW group that I lead has an extra week off because of Thanksgiving, so we have two weeks to spend on days 16, 17, and 18. How fitting that day 17 is on gratitude! This morning, I spent time pondering afresh many of the blessings that God has bestowed on me. I will be posting them to my gratitude blog site (I haven’t posted there in a LONG LONG time!), but thought I would also post here.
To elaborate on the connection between gratitude and the Thin Within journey–which is really just a journey toward Christ-likeness–let me share an example from my life and see if you can’t relate.
As I eat, I may hear a conviction in my heart: “Child, enough for now. That is enough fuel for your body.”
I decide to play a game of sorts… “Did I hear you right, Lord? You said enough?” (Said as I take another bite…)
“Yes, Child. You have had all the food your body requires and I do hope you enjoyed the blessing I have provided to you.”
Taking yet another bite, I respond, “Lord, I must not be hearing you right, as I still am not at a ‘5’ on the hunger scale…” You see, in this place, I am saying *I* know best–that it is my *right* to have more food! In fact, it doesn’t matter if I am at a 5 or not. God has chosen to reveal HIS will to me…and the humble response will be obedience…not “Can we discuss it and see if I agree?” kind of obedience. It is pride that keeps me from just heeding His will and doing what He says.
In fact, it isn’t about the food at all. It is about what saying no to Him about *anything* does to my heart…it hardens my heart just a bit. Do I really want to do that?
When I *daily* spend time listing out things I am filled with gratitude to God for, it puts me in the place of humility…and Him in His rightful place–as provider, sustainer, satisfier, my all in all. How can I say NO to such a wonderful Lord? When I struggle with wanting food for any reason other than physical need, if I can choose to write out even 5 things for which I am grateful to God, I see a definite change in my attitude. I go from “I can TOO eat what I want. This little bit won’t matter after all!” to “Whatever you desire for me, God…” Again, the bite of food isn’t the point…it is the heart attitude that is.
When asked in my Thin Within book this morning to list things I am grateful for, it was easy to list a number of things:
1. For new trash cans (I know that sounds silly and I won’t explain it, but God knows!)… 2. For the cedar chest now snuggled into the bay window near our dining table (another one that God understands…LOL!) 3. For my pony, Breezy, who continues to give me wonderful rides during which I can fellowship with friends with whom I wouldn’t otherwise spend time. 4. For lunches out with my Mom–that she is fun to be with and still in good health at 82 years of age. 5. That God has removed the extra weight from my body, lowered my blood pressure, and that I no longer fear keeling over from a heart attack… 6. For the privilege of leading a Thin Within class at my church. 7. For the joy that the ladies in my TW class give me. Oh! How I LOVE them so! Lord, don’t you just love them so? đ 8. For Jordan, the dog we got at the shelter about 6 weeks ago…God has used him to help heal our hearts, we missed Samson and Bo so much…and still do, though Jordan helps so much. He is such a blessing! 9. That I can nap with my arms around “psycho-dog” Daisy…she is crazy much of the time, but does a good imitation of a stuffed animal when I snooze with her and cuddle with her. 10. For my mustang, Dodger’s, huge try… 11. For Harley, my Morab horse, and his incredible beauty and the joy he gives me. 12. For Doc, my big baby (another horse) …who has the most kissable nose on the planet! He is just so incredibly sweet, even though he is in such pain all the time. 13. For a husband who loves you, Lord. 14. For a family time last night of watching the movie, Amazing Grace, and even how it tied in with some of the things the kids have been learning about in our history class in homeschool! That was an unplanned blessing! (Thank you that Daniel CHOSE to join us!) 15. For the privilege of participating in the writing of the Thin Within book with Judy and Dr. Arthur…I still shake my head at how atonishing that was…is…and the continued blessings that come from that. 16. For the pre-release copy of “Raising Fit Kids in a Fat World” that Judy sent me! Oh, Lord! I can’t wait to see what you DO with this! It is sooooo reflective of your wisdom, your fun-loving nature, and joy in your Children! Thank you for the privilege of letting me participate in that project as well. 17. That my two teenagers still cuddle me, hold my hands, put their arms around me–even in public!!! 18. For the privilege of homeschooling another year… 19. For my retreat time with you, Lord, where you helped me to see YOUR priorities for my life…I have your peace as a result, even if there seems to be so much to do in the time I have. 20. For a church that preaches and teaches your Word…thank you.
These are just off the top of my head this morning…I am thankful that I have so many things that I am so thankful for! LOL! Truthfully, as I ponder all of these things…and there are so many more…it is only fitting that the Giver of such gifts is exalted, esteemed, worshipped. In this place, I can’t imagine exalting myself, my opinion, my desires above whatever He calls me to.
I am positive that one of the greatest weapons for fighting against my own rebellion, pride and/or apathy in my Christian life and in my quest to be healthy inside and out (which for me are the same thing) is choosing to give thanks, even with an act of my will…even when I don’t feel it. As I choose to give thanks, list the blessings that God has given me, I find something amazing takes place…I find that my own spirit begins to soar, be buoyant…is lifted up out of the pit.
Hi, folks. Some of you have asked me about the magazine. The feature is in the most recent version (just came out)…the December 3, 2007 edition of FIRST for Women that has emblazoned on the cover, “DROP 31 LBS by CHRISTMAS!”
LOL!
It is on page 39: “PROVEN! These tech toys are making busy women slim!” LOL!
Ok, before you send email asking about it, please know that the writer of the article definitely took creative liberty… But she DID mention God and she did mention Thin Within! WHOO HOO! Dance Praise is the focus, but as long as God gets the glory, I am great with it!
Hi. Do you have a teen or pre-teen girl living in your home?
I am eager to get the help of some young ladies in developing some ideas for leading a Thin Within group for girls ages 11-17 and their moms or sponsors.
If your teen or pre-teen would like to help, would you please email me? Remove the spaces from this email address and shoot me an email letting me know: t w heidi@ comcast .net
I listened to some wonderful CDs yesterday…Harry Layden preaching about Faith. He made a point that I think is quite profound.
Here is how I remember it…with my little embellishments.
2 Corinthians 5: 14- 15 says:
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Apart from Christ’s love, I am capable of doing things in my flesh of which I would be shocked. (Overeating again…and again…and again…is just one thing of many…)
If Christ’s love compels me to be different, to live for the Lord, it seems that I really have to connect with this love. So often, I don’t LET God love me. I am so busy beating myself up…So it stands to reason, if I am out of touch with His love, if I minimize it, if I don’t believe it in the moment (maybe I am so depressed or so down on myself for choices I made to sin), then, I am disconnected from that power that is intended to compel me to live for Him!
Harry Layden shared about a moment of weakness where he called to God, “God, I need you to come and love me right now…I need to know that love experientially…come and love me right now or I know that I am capable of doing things in my flesh that I don’t want to do.”
The idea being that when I sense His love afresh by inviting Him to, right now in this moment, help me to sense it afresh, I will experience it and be compelled in the now to live for Him…It is HIS love that compels me…so I need a fresh taste of that…
I don’t mean intellectually…I think many of us *know* with our heads that God loves us…but in the moment when we have sinned (again) and we feel we are presuming upon his grace again and again…do we really believe He loves us even then? Or how about WHILE we are sinning? Do we believe He loves us then?
Romans 5:8 says: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Even when we were yet sinning God loved…we don’t grasp that…or so it seems to me. So…my take on it is…if we really feel like something is lacking in our having that OOOMPH to live for the Lord, maybe just maybe it is that we don’t sense that love and can ask God…”Lord, love me right now so I can be compelled to choose to live for you in this moment.”
Thin Within makes NO human sense. Nope. Not one bit!! Think about it!
I can get rid of extra weight by eating whatever I choose to eatâŠwhen I am hungry and stopping when I am no longer hungry? You mean, eating pizza or Mexican food or dessertsâŠall of that is not going to keep me overweight as long as I eat between physical hunger and satisfaction?
âSureâŠrightâŠâ
These are common thoughts of a lot of folks. In fact, to consider that God has removed about 100 pounds from my body since summer of 2006, people generally think that it canât be that wayâŠSurely, I am working out fanatically and am on a strict diet of some sortâŠ
No. I am not. I havenât and I wonât!
Thin Within makes NO human sense!
But it makes GOD sense!
Think about it. God works this way and has throughout history.
In Joshua chapter 6 we read about something that makes no sense⊠In verse 1, we read: âNow Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.â
Get a load of what God says to Joshua upon seeing the city of Jericho, all tightly closed up:
“See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.â
Now I donât know about you, but if I were Joshua, I would say, âExcuse me God? I donât see a city delivered! I see a city well protected! How do you figure that you have delivered them to us?â
When God says He *has* done somethingâŠit means it is as good as done. He is reliable, faithful to His Word. So, the victory is promised. Surely, then, that meant that soldiers fighting for Joshua and the Israelites were just over the riseâŠon their wayâŠor surely that mean that ministering angels would come in and ZAP the soldiers of Jericho, right?
WellâŠermâŠno.
Godâs âplanâ for accomplishing what He declared a done deal was something very unbelievableâŠit made no human sense.
He told Joshua: âMarch around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.”
If I had been Joshua, I would have questioned my own sanity. âDid I *hear* you right, God? You want us to do WHAT?â
It wasnât like Jericho was a city of wimps and weenies! This was a mega-fortress!
ââŠand you want us to waltz around the walls, tooting horns and shouting? *THAT* is how you intend to accomplish this victory that you have promised???â
Even if I had been convinced that I had heard God right, I would have probably found some way NOT to tell the people I was leading that this was Godâs plan. Surely they would mutiny!
âHey, guys, instead of attacking the city, we are going to promenade around it, play some music and when I say, we will all SHOUT!â [nervous gulps and gaspings for air…]
I would fear that my leadership would be brought into serious questionâŠand justifiably!
Yet Joshuaâs response was one of faith and trustâŠthat God was at workâŠthat God would do what He said and, apparently, that the others would follow his lead!
Verses 6-14 tell the story of Joshuaâs obedience. Can you imagine? For SIX daysâŠwhich probably seemed like an eternityâŠthey just did what they were told by GodâŠwithout seeing anything noticeably different. Nothing majorâŠno trembling of the walls, no little crumbling pieces falling downâŠno people within the walls crying in terrorâŠit appeared on each of those days as if there were NO marked progress! Talk about faith. Think about the faith it takes to get up out of bed day in and day out and keep on keeping on, even if it seems like it doesnât matter one iota. Somehow, in Godâs great economy, *it* **matters**.
On the seventh day, things looked just as they had on all the other days. The city still appeared impenetrable. The people had to march in faithâŠone time, two timesâŠeach circuit around the city probably felt like an eternity, tooâŠeven on this day of daysâŠThere were NO visible changes!
Somehow, in faith, they had to BELIEVE that God was doing a great work in spite of their inability to see it! How could this be? Wouldnât He give them a sign that they had really heard him correctly, some affirmation that He was about to bless their socks off?
They continued to circle a third timeâŠa fourthâŠ
What if God let them down? What if the army of Jericho decided not to wait any longer but instead initiated a total assault? […nervous holding of breath…]
Marching onward in silence a fifth timeâŠand a sixthâŠ.
Verse 20 then reads: When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city.
âButâŠthis makes NO sense! Whoever heard of a city being taken by marching around, tooting trumpets for 7 days and shouting?â
Isnât that just like God?
1 Corinthians 1: 27-31 says: But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised thingsâand the things that are notâto nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from Godâthat is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.â
His ways are clearly NOT our ways. I thrill that Thin Within makes no earthly sense. I see living proof on my own body and in my own heart that God is far above and beyond my human comprehension. He has proved that His ways work. What a mighty, loving, trustworthy God we serve.
Reader…I challenge you…keep on marching around those wallsâŠeven if the city looks impenetrable and there seems to be no progress made. Soon, the walls *will* fall and you will see the city delivered into your handsâŠ
