You've Got To Eat More Food!

"You need to eat more food" is definitely not what I've been used to hearing when trying to figure out how to loose weight all these years.  My hubby has tried to tell me for months maybe even years that I wasn't eating enough.  Then Cole, my Crossfit coach, spent lots of time putting a meal plan together for me, but honestly, it scared me how much food was on there.  There have been several others, but it's been so engrained in my head that you have to eat less to loose weight that I couldn't do it.

On our last dunk (body analytics testing), Marjorie explained some things to me that I haven't understood like I did that Saturday morning because the Holy Spirit did what He does best and gave me a spiritual picture. 

Based off my results, she said if I was in a coma, my body burns 1880 calories to function.  Then she asked me what I did the day before.  I did two WOD's at Crossfit so she said that was probably 800-1000 calories.  Then I worked all day and worked the concession stand that night.  So she added and said my body probably needed 3300-3500 calories that day.  She asked what I ate, and it was around 1500 calories.  With creating such a deficit, she said that my body was holding onto the weight because it was protecting itself from not receiving proper nutrition.

Then it clicked!!

Many times in my life, I've 'worked out' by teaching classes, serving in volunteer roles, working, being a wife and Mom and anything else to anyone else.   But I never fueled myself with proper nutrition (time with the LORD and in His Word). Oh I would grab a bite from here and there, but I was definitely undernourished plenty of times.  No one would know it... I can smile and keep going with the best of them.  But the weight I was carrying...still do sometimes... is too much!

The bitterness and negativity was there.  The hardening of my heart was there.  Wondering how things could be a certain way and how people could just shut you out?

RELEASE....God gave me this word several weeks ago!!  It's BIG ya'll! 

Marjorie gave me minimum calories to eat.  She said DO NOT eat under 1800 calories on days you don't work out and 2200 calories on days you do work out.   She was actually very stern with me about it because she knew the damage that I was doing to my body.  She said "If you would stick with this, your body WILL RELEASE the fat."   I confirmed I understood & would do it until I see her again in October.

The first week, I lost 5.4 pounds.  I couldn't believe it!  I haven't lost 5 pounds in a year even with doing more workouts than I ever have before!  I was so excited!

But then I went back to not eating because the insecurities crept back in and made me question everything & guess what, the 5 pounds came back!

But this SO mimicked me getting on a kick for God... reading, trusting, praying, studying, writing (like I know He's prompted me to for years!) which resulted in RELEASING me to be more loving, forgiving, etc. 

Then, for whatever reason, I go back to my old ways... control, worry, negative thoughts, talking about others, etc.  and gain all that heaviness back in my heart!

So, I'm finally sitting down to be obedient since He gave me this topic months ago.  I am by no means a professional health coach and know that every person is completely different, but here is what I know to do.

Based off my day, physical or spiritual energy spent, I have to replenish appropriately! 

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (being right with God), for they will be filled."  Matthew 5:6

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."  John 7:37-38

Well fed is my goal!  Both physically & spiritually!  The thing that is so cool is God helps us... we feel hunger pains... now to pay attention and eat!

Miracles, Healing & Firefighting

Oh the wrestling that goes on inside my thoughts!  Lately, I've thought a lot about Justin & God healing him here on this Earth.  How stinkin' cool would that be?!?!

Don't get me wrong!   God has already done some miraculous things with this boy!  This time 22 years ago, I was staring at his very frail body, hooked up to a ventilator still 6 days after birth with a multitude of lines and monitors attached to his very tiny body.

We were told he would never talk, walk, ride a bike or go to college!  He very much talks, very much walks although it looks different than most of us, and just graduated Navarro college in May with an associates degree.

This is where a struggle arises!  He has done all of those wonderful things, but his heart's desire is to be a firefighter like his Daddy, brothers and what little brother will do when he graduates.  We've talked about scriptures like "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."  Psalm 37:4.

But without complete healing, Justin will not be able to be a firefighter.  It's a huge struggle for his heart right now.   Many, many conversations are "But Mama, I just want to be a firefighter."  He knows the Truth in Ephesians 2:10 that "he is God's masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for him to do" and Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose."  "But Mama, I just want to be a firefighter."

Last night, I was telling him about all the different things I've been seeing.  I hear two different songs come on the radio almost every time I get in the car. 
Hawk Nelson's "He Still Does Miracles"
Like the fire in the night
Like the ocean parted wide
Like the grave empty inside
You will see
He still does
Miracles

as well as Unspoken's "Miracle"

Don't you give up on a miracle

You've got to speak to the impossible, oh
You've got to pray till you break through breaks through the ceiling keep on believing
Don't you give up on a miracle (don't you give up)
You've got to speak to the impossible, oh (you've got to speak, keep on believing)
Pray till you break through breaks through the ceiling keep on believing
Don't you give up
Don't you give up on a miracle

Pray till you break through breaks through the ceiling keep on believing

And I hear different messages from pastors that say things like "You're living your entire life saying what if God doesn't instead of thinking what if God Does.  What if God does heal me?"  When I look up Scripture, I see things like Psalm 77:14 "You are the God who performs miracles, you display your power among the people."

We talked about whether it was okay to pray for him to be healed on this earth or whether that meant we weren't okay with him having cerebral palsy and being deaf.
We talked about when Jesus was teaching about prayer in Matthew 6 where it says "your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" because we know he absolutely will be healed in heaven!!!
We have faith & completely believe God is ABLE!

Then right before bed,  Justin says "I'm going to keep praying that God will heal me.  I know He may not for reasons I don't know yet and that's okay, but I'm going to keep asking."


Tears as I thought about this picture where Justin was trying to teach Rexton to walk a couple weeks ago.  I remember a conversation with Bro Clint that is very similar to this entire blog, and he ended it with "I only hope Henry (his first and only grandson at the time) walks like Justin."






























God has been using Justin to teach me how to walk for 22 years! (nothing physical involved!)  Maybe his firefighting has nothing to do with physical either...hmmmmm:)

"God is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!"  Ephesians 3:20

Excited to see Justin's Ephesians 2:10, 3:20 & Romans 8:28 promises continued to be revealed in his life!!