Thank you so much for your concern (and prayers) for me after you read Thursday’s blog entry. God reached down and definitely pulled me up. Your kind texts, emails, and calls are cherished.
What do I do when I am in a situation like this? When I find myself face first in the bag of Oreos, chips, or wandering aimlessly in the kitchen looking for something…anything, really…?
Music is something that God has used to reach out to me. Music bathes my mind with his truth. I have to pick the right music, of course. I literally have taken a song and played it over and over and over again so that I get the words going through my mind ALL the time–on purpose.
I want to be able to say “I can’t get that song out of my head.” Especially when it has words like Mandisa’s Lifeline song. Look at these words–a prayer to God:
Here I am
Drowning in a sea of my own choices
Holding a hope by a thread
Yeah
I’m looking round, I’m calling out
Fear pulls me down
When the waters rush over my head
Chorus:
You are my lifeline
You are my rescue
Strength in my weakness
Light in my darkness
You are my safety
Lifter of my head
The air that I need when
I can’t seem to breathe in
You are my lifeline
You are my lifeline
How many times
How many turns
Will it take till I learn
You reach for me in my need
Yeah
And when I cry
I know that I’ll faithfully find you
When life comes crashing on me
You are my lifeline
You are my rescue
Strength in my weakness
Light in my darkness
You are my safety
Lifter of my head
The air that I need when
I can’t seem to breathe in
You are my lifeline
You are my lifeline
You’re there in my brokenness and my distress
My rock when I’m strong or when I’m powerless
You hold me in rushing tides when waters rise
And I’ll always find
You are my lifeline
You are my rescue
Strength in my weakness
Light in my darkness
You are my safety
Lifter of my head
The air that I need when
I can’t seem to breathe in
You are my lifeline
You are my lifeline
You are my lifeline
You are my rescue
Strength in my weakness
Light in my darkness
You are my safety
Lifter of my head
The air that I need when
I can’t seem to breathe in
You are my lifeline
You are my lifeline
Writers: Kevyn Gammond, John Pasternak, Michael Chetwood, Francesco Nizza, Paul Lockey
Copyright: Sound And Vision, LLC
When I am backed up against a wall, when I am emotionally drained, when I am angry and know that I need to give a heartache and my response to it to God, sometimes, all I can do is listen to music. Songs like this one wash over me again and again. I do that on purpose. Some might call it brainwashing, but when it is TRUTH, I think that is a wonderful way of changing my thoughts to be pure. I use the words like these, then, for my meditation, as a prayer to God, adding my own words. I end up waking up during the night with these words on my mind, too! It is an awesome way to invite God to renew my mind, to change my thinking. HE is WAY bigger than any memory of my past or any heartache in my present. WAY WAY bigger.
By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.
Psalm 42:8
Here is the song so you can enjoy it. I hope that it transforms your thinking, too.
Some of you have wondered if I do speaking to groups. Absolutely. I love sharing from God’s Word! Whether it is a Thin Within launch event or something broader…like a Praise and Gratitude event! I love it and would love to meet you!
Over the course of my adult life, I have enjoyed speaking with women’s groups and Thin Within groups as well.
Topics include The Grandeur of Gratitude, Freedom Found in Forgiveness, and Breaking Loose of Labels and Shame.
How about a Living Life on the Path of Praise weekend retreat? This is a four-message retreat weekend (but fewer messages can be managed, too!):
Message 1: Any woman can walk on the path of praise by embracing three gifts Christ has purchased for her. Christ gives us our: Value, Identity, and Purpose. The focus passage is 1 Peter 2:9, 10. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. We do a little hands-on activity with and interact with one another as we laugh together about the various “hats” we wear in life. It is a very encouraging message that focuses your group on “Identity Truths” God says he attributes to us. The goal is to focus the women on WHY we praise with our lives—in all the ins and outs of daily life—we were created and saved to praise! Message length: Approximately 35 min.
Message 2: Is called “Someday My Prince Will Come” and the focus is on WHO we praise. Video footage of Catherine Middleton and Prince William segue into the fact that her wedding would have looked so different had she married anyone else. How is what we are given affected by the One to whom we are betrothed–our great God and King? We look at our wonderful Lord and Savior and His promise that He is coming for his bride. God is transforming us to be his perfect bride. Practical tools are shared, including the God List and Praise-Fest. These are practical tools to use in quiet times and private worship that can lift us out of a pit of despair, keep us from temptation or lift our vision. We integrate worship as the women share what they learn in a moment of looking up some verses themselves…Depending on how much time the women spend sharing and how much music we use, this session can be the longest…about 45 minutes…or it can be extended with more singing and praise.
Message 3: Is “Staying on the Path of Praise–No Matter What” This message challenges us to evaluate: What will we magnify…the Lord? Or the dust mites of life? Psalm 34:3-5 is a pattern based on David’s experience: Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. We then spend the rest of our time in 2 Chronicles 20 and King Jeshoshaphat. This, too, is very encouraging and the tool I share with the women is called “Truth Journaling.” It is another practical tool that helps us allow the word of God to renew our minds. This answers the question “WHEN do we praise.” Message length: approximately 35 minutes.
Message 4: Is “Is there Life After Retreat?” or “Surviving Re-Entry” This extends an invitation to the women to come and rest in the Lord. It is a commissioning of sorts. How do we do these things once we are back in our “real lives.” Let’s consider that we aren’t leaving behind the retreat experience. Instead, we are going to a wonderful opportunity to continue to grow as we practically apply the truths we have studied during the weekend. Session length: About 25 minutes long.
I am more than happy to prayerfully work with you and your group to provide you with something that will meet your ministry needs. Just contact me to let me know!
I also offer guided worship experiences. This provides an interactive, opportunity for the women in your group to draw closer to the heart of God through prayer, scripture, and praise.
If you would like more information regarding booking me for a retreat or special event–or even your Thin Within meeting–please contact me at heidi bylsma at gmail dot com (no spaces). I would love to talk about it with you or your women’s ministry team members!
Additionally, I lead worship, too. Some of the best retreats or message times are when we combine both a message from God’s Word and praise our God through song. Here is a page that tells a bit about my worship leading.
Of course, you will want to know what I charge…well, that’s up to God. As long as you can get me there and feed me and put a roof over my head and a bed under my bod ;-), I would love to come, trusting God to provide in whatever way you are comfortable. Some groups have taken love offerings. Some groups have paid what God laid on their heart. I am with him on this ride and trust in His provision. If I can, I would love to do it!
How about you? Has God put a song on your heart (as he has mine) or a message that he wants YOU to share? What will you do to share it? 🙂
You DO have “Body Beautiful!” I hope you are beginning to see that. You have arms to give hugs; a mouth to offer affirmation; a smile that warms a heart or gives courage to another; legs that have carried you throughout life, enabling you to experience adventure, to work, to play, to live! You have shoulders that are strong and arms that have carried groceries and moved furniture. You have served, used your hands to write notes of encouragement and your bottom has sat beside a friend in need! 🙂
Are you beginning to know fullwellthat you are fearfully and wonderfully made? Is the truth, reality, validity, accuracy, actuality, authenticity, certainty, correctness, exactitude, genuineness, infallibility, legitimacy, precision, rightness, veracity of this fact beginning to come home to you? Continue to invite God to show you this truth that you might know full well that ALL of his works are WONDERFUL (including you).
Looking at this week’s material in Lesson 4, what resonated for you? What did God show you, perhaps for the first time, or remind you of? I would love to hear!
On page 76 of the HEAL book, we have an activity: Praise and Reflection. If you were in my living room with me, we would do this activity together, so I have included a part of the video for it! I hope you are able to view the entire video. If you are short on time, fast forward the video to 6:26 and take about two minutes and thirty seconds to participate in the activity with the video running. Welcome God to show you what you can praise Him for because of your body. If the Psalm says “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made,” then we want to invite God to show us what specifically we can praise Him for relative to the amazing creation that is our bodies!
God, you have shown me ________.
God, thank you for _____________.
Additionally, will you please share with us what some of the things you have added to your Body Beautiful checklist on page 73 to keep your body in the most God-glorifying condition possible? I have so enjoyed your comments this week on the blog posts. Now let’s welcome the “rubber hitting the road” with how do we DO this? How do we work this out? God will lead each of us uniquely, to be sure. Whatever he shows you, another person can prayerfully consider. Who knows? Maybe God will use what you share–what you have added to your Body Beautiful checklist, for instance–to encourage her to do something similar!
On page 74, we were issued a challenge to renew our minds about our body. What are some truths about your body that you can continue to tell yourself so that you can relish and praise God for the body he has given to you? Again, if you share here, someone else is going to be encouraged by what you post!
Did you memorize 1 Corinthians 6:19-20? How has God used that in your life this week?
How can we be praying for you?
Is your routine changing right now? I know that when weekends come and when summer comes, many of us experience a shift in our routine and this challenges us! Let us know how we can pray for you!
I am profoundly affected by music in my life. In 2006, when God issued an unmistakable call to me to commit to faithfulness in eating 0 to 5, he used music to begin to begin to renew my mind. He continues to use music to help me to think differently so I will actdifferently.
Today, I wanted to encourage you…if you have an MP3 player or iPod…consider creating a “New Thing” play list (or call it whatever you like). From time to time, I will share a song here that God has used to help me renew my mind and to propel me further down this path. Maybe you can get the song and it will do the same for you!
Today’s recommended song was used by God to woo my heart in 2006. I still remember where I was when God caused me to hear it as if for the first time (though I had led worship with this song numerous times).
Draw Me Close
Draw me close to you
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear you say that I’m your friend
Help me find a way to bring me back to you
You’re all I want, You’re all I’ve ever needed
You’re all I want,
Help me know you are near
You are my desire
No one else will do
Cause no one else
Can take your place
To feel the warmth of Your embrace
Help me find a way to bring me back to you
You’re all I want, You’re all I’ve ever needed
You’re all I want,
Help me know you are near
Here is a video of the song (you have to wait through the ad, I think…sorry about that!):
Image Courtesy of Daniel Bylsma Weather in Wells, Nevada
If you are like I was, you have dieted for years on and off and had “success” on and off, but have lost and gained the same weight. Even if you have been a Thin Within participant, this may be your experience with it, too–it was mine! Until 2006, that is.
There are a number of things that made a difference for me (three of them are mentioned in an audio link that I send you when you subscribe to my newsletter…what a shameless plug!). But I can summarize those three by saying the single key was a general shift in my mindset.
So…What made the difference for me so that I released the weight and then have stayed a healthy weight since?
And, more importantly, what will make the difference for you?
If you are doing the HEAL study with us, then you may have read the section entitled Breath of Fresh Air on page 15 (of the latest edition).
Even if you aren’t doing the study…the truth is the same! What you can do to experience a different, permanent result this time is, simply:
Change Your Focus
Think about it…in the past experiences with dieting or Thin Within, whether you were successful or struggling, what did you focus on? Was it, perhaps myweight, mysuccess, myfood, myeating, my body, mydeprivation…MY MY MY ME ME ME? 🙂
Think about it for a moment in another context… When you “fell off the wagon” was it perhaps mystress, mylack of support, mytrials, mylack of self-discipline, my busyness?
Oh…shoot! **I** quit!!!
The solution to the problem of being caught in this cycle, again, is to:
Change Your Focus
Ok, I know I said that already. I want you to believe me. 🙂
So maybe you buy it, but you want to know what should you change your focus TO?
Bear with me on this one, too.
Simply… Change your focus to…God.
HIS power
HIS provision
HIS will
HIS way
HIS love
HIS character
HIS performance
HIS actions and activity
GOD GOD GOD!!!
So, howpractically can you do this?
Here are some tools you can use that will make all the difference in the world. In fact, these tools–no matter what I am going through–if I shift the focus from ME and “How ever will *I* make it?” to “God is strong enough, mighty enough, loving enough, caring enough to do ANYTHING!” I find that nothing is impossible.
This really is all about HIM, even if it FEELS like it is all about “me” (or YOU in this case!).
Like Allie and Judy say in the HEAL book, To experience authentic healing and restoration, we need to focus on something bigger than ourselves.
God.
Here are the tools for you to try. And you just knew I would challenge you to choose one of them today!
Each time you hear yourself saying “I will never be able to…” recognize it as a lie and one that is about YOU and trade it for a God-thought, “God, you are more than able to perform anything!” Write them down…keep track. One column is LIES and you cross those out as you go and the other column is TRUTH and you make those phrases big and bold and biblical!
Develop a God List. Take a moment each day to jot down aspects of God’s character and his deeds. Here are some places where you can learn more about that: YouTube Video, How to Create a God List, Sample God List. You can use the inside of your HEAL book or, even better, a larger journal, or, for you techno-geeks (like myself), you can keep it in Evernote on your iDevices and computer! It is always at the ready that way!
Create a play list on your mp3 player or iPod that has songs that specifically state the truths about God and his character. I will be sharing some ideas for songs you can include here at the blog from time to time. Or you can have a look at my other blog to see the songs there that I have recommended for a similar play list.
Memorize scriptures specifically praising God for His character. Put post it notes up around your car, office, kitchen, wherever would help to keep you remembering that this is *not* about your will-power, but about God’s work in you. HE is able and more than willing.
Keep a growing list of gratitudes–things that you are thankful for. These are gifts that God has blessed you with. It’s different than the God List. The God List is for keeping a list of what God is like. The list of gratitudes is a list of the gifts that he gives you personally. The idea is that you take note throughout your day of things he gives. Have a look at my online gratitude blog to see what I mean (I don’t keep it up to date like I need to!). In fact, YOU could start an online gratitude blog and share the link with us here!
Set the timer on your watch to go off every hour (I have been known to set mine to go off every 20 minutes…I am desperate!). Each time it goes off, I breath a prayer “All for your glory, Lord,” or “Jesus, help me honor you,” or…well, whatever you choose. Check in with the Lord this way and use your timer to remind you!
When we focus on the Lord, something happens…the attitudes of entitlement and justification that seem to cause us to reach for food dwindles. We are kept in a humble place. Instead of insisting on “my rights” we turn to the Lord and think “For your glory!” We also aren’t so prone to “failure” eating, since we understand that this isn’t about MY performance, but about God doing a work in me that HE will complete. It takes time to create a thing of absolute perfection…God will take my entire life and do the finishing touches on it when I go through the door to heaven and not one moment before!
When I focus on him, I am not so prone to engage in “Keeping Boundaries is Hard” eating, either. Gosh, in fact, if you were to go through all of the different types of eating that Barb’s study had us look at, I bet a BUNCH of them would disappear if we took a proactive approach to focus on and exalt God instead of thinking of ourselves quite so much. Dieting does, by definition almost, insist that we be myopic…self-focused. Let’s transform our experience! Let’s try something radical!
Who is with me? Will you start today? Right now?
What tool will you begin with (or continue, or restart) today so that your focus is more on the Lord and less on you? Be sure to check in here again and tell us how it went. I can’t wait to hear!
