Second Chance for Food

Read Luke 13-15

Luke 13:8 "And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:"

The first time we try a new recipe, we want to follow it exactly so the results will be the best they can be. We are not always successful.

We may have tried foods as children and hated the taste of them. They are foods we avoid as adults.

But sometimes we need to give food a second chance. Maybe our taste buds have matured and a food we once hated may become a favorite, or maybe if we give that recipe another chance, we will discover a mistake we made on our first try that we can correct this time around—successfully this time.

Lending Food

Read Luke 10-12

Luke 11:5 "And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;"

I had a neighbor who kept borrowing flour from me every week or so. No matter how much I gave her, she couldn’t seem to plan her needs ahead of time and kept borrowing from me.

It worked when I had it to spare, but other times it meant I ran out of flour myself and had to get more. We can understand a person’s reluctance to lend loaves to his friend—especially when he called in the middle of the night.

But it’s a blessing to be in the position of having plenty so we can lend food to someone who asks us. Lending is like giving food away, since we are unlikely to be repaid for the food we lend.

Hospitality

Read Luke 7-9

Luke 7:44 "And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head."

A good guest tries to fit into the host’s plans and not need special accommodations. But a good hostess wants to spread out the hospitality welcome mat for her guests, no matter what accommodations are needed.

First, we want to know if our guests have any food allergies, since it will not do our reputations any good to have our guests depart in ambulances. Next, we want to know what preferences our guests may have—for instance, are they crazy about cashews?

Lastly, we may want to show off a bit. We might try a new recipe or prepare a gourmet dish that will make our guests’ remember their visit for years.

Breaking the Fast

Read Luke 4-6

Luke 4:2 "Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered."

One of the problems with fasting is when we are ready to eat again. We may be so hungry that we are easily tempted away from our food plan.

This might even happen at breakfast, after a night of not eating. We may be tempted to pile the food on our plates because we are so hungry.

Then we may be reluctant to leave food on our plates, even after we have eaten plenty and are no longer hungry. A better idea is to ignore how much food we want to stuff ourselves with and break our fast with a small portion of food. We can always eat more once we are finished.

Stop Cheating

Read Luke 1-3

Luke 3:13 "And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you."

Once we get used to measuring our portions, we get a feel for their correct size. It serves us well when we are in a situation where we can’t measure our food.

If we are confident we have eye-measured accurately, we might stop measuring altogether. Then we have to be careful that we don’t cheat.

It’s too easy to add a little more and a little more until we are eating far more than our diets allow. At that point we have to stop cheating and go back to measuring.

Tradition

Read Mark 13-16

Mark 14:14 "And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?"

The first time we do something it’s an incident. The second time we do it, it is a tradition.

Sometimes we are trying to start a tradition, so we call it a tradition the first time we do it. Traditions are a way to make a group feel connected, whether it’s a family, a church, a workplace, a club, or any other type of group.

Usually we look forward to our traditions, especially during holidays. Other times, we may find a tradition has become too constricting for our changing lives and need to be altered, abandoned, or replaced.

Giving Your All

Mark 10-12

Mark 12:44 "For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."

The best kind of dieting and exercising happens when we can unobtrusively work it into our lives. We make small changes that have big results over time.

It’s sometimes easier to stick to a diet and exercise regimen when we don’t concentrate our efforts on it and downplay what we’re trying to accomplish.

But every so often, we need to give it our all—we need to make a grand effort at dieting and exercising to get those stubborn pounds off. We may find we can put forth a big effort—at least for a short while—to get some dramatic results.

Clean Vessels

Mark 7-9

 

Mark 7:4 "And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables."

 

How clean is clean enough? We certainly want to wash pesticides off produce before we eat any of it to prevent poisoning ourselves and loved ones.

 

Running dishes through a dishwasher is supposed to clean and sanitize them, but sometimes food remnants make it through the cycle and does not meet our definition as clean. Even water spots that are harmless make the dishes look dirty, whether hand washed or run through a dishwasher.

 

We do what we can to insure we are eating from vessels that are clean and look clean. We make sure the food is fit to eat and germs are absent or at least at a minimum.

Seeds

Read Mark 4-6

Mark 4:31 "It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:"

We have a relationship with all kinds of seeds. Some seeds we discard when preparing food, like pepper seeds.

Some seeds we eat, like pumpkin or sunflower seeds. We can even save money by making our own from what we’ve planted.

Most seeds we plant, like beans or corn. With careful planning, we can save money, eat healthy, and freeze or can the produce for our year-around enjoyment.

Harvesting

Read Mark 1-3

Mark 2:23 "And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn."

All the hard work of plowing, preparing, planting, weeding, watering, and watching over a garden is rewarded at harvest time. Finally, we have fresh vegetables, maybe even fruits from our own efforts, so we know what pesticides or fertilizers were used.

Harvesting can be tricky. We have to know the perfect time to pick the produce.

Too late and we may lose everything if it has already started to go bad. But too early and we may limit our vegetables and fruits potential to continue to ripen.

Unprepared

Read Matthew 25-28

Matthew 25:3 "They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:"

We hate being unprepared. When hurricanes are headed our way, we check our supplies and run to the store to get whatever we are missing.

When the holidays are coming up, we compare last year’s list to this year’s expectations and go shopping to fill in the blanks. When we know there is a pot luck dinner coming up at church or work, we make sure we have what we need to make our specialty to bring and have enough time to complete the dish.

If we have the chance, we prepare for whatever is coming up, but sometimes there isn’t time and we are caught unawares. For instance, if someone drops in just before grocery day, we will be unprepared for company and there may not be anything we can do to salvage the situation.

Party Time

Read Matthew 22-24

Matthew 22:4 "Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage."

We used to think of party time as a time to eat all the goodies we could get down. Then we thought of party time as an opportunity to cheat on our diets.

But when we’re throwing the party, we can view it as an opportunity to show off. Maybe we’ve been experimenting with diet-friendly alterations to our favorite recipes and have found some that a non-dieter wouldn’t even notice the lack of calories, fats, or carbohydrates because the food tastes so good.

Maybe we have tried new recipes and unusual foods that we are eager to share with others. Our parties can get a reputation for having the most delicious foods that others can come to and know they can enjoy themselves and still stick to their diets.

Temptation

Read Matthew 4-6

Matthew 4:3 "And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread."

Most of us can predict when we’ll most likely be tempted to go off our diets. Letting ourselves get too hungry is one of the worst.

When we’re too hungry we want to put something in our mouths immediately and may not have anything healthy handy. So we might be tempted to eat just a little something that is not on our diets and before we know it we’ve eaten way more of the wrong things than we intended.

Another time we might be tempted is at a party or covered dish dinner when we anticipate someone might bring a favorite dish of ours. Temptation is also associated with holidays because food is one of the things we identify with holidays.

Locusts and Wild Honey

Read Matthew 1-3

Matthew 3:4 "And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey."

In all the diet books out there, crazy or sensible, no one has ever proposed a diet of locusts and wild honey. It doesn’t sound like John the Baptist could possibly get enough nourishment to stay alive, let alone healthy.

Every few years another directive comes out about what would make a healthy diet. It has gone from the Basic Four Food Groups to a pyramid to a dinner plate.

The ratios may be adjusted depending on the latest scientific data available at the time, but a healthy diet needs vegetables, fruits, meat/protein, dairy, and bread. Even those of us trying to lose weight will want to keep the food groups in mind when planning calories, fats, and carbohydrates.

Polluted Bread

Read Malachi 1-4

Malachi 1:7 "Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible."

How pure does food need to be? Is organic worth the extra price?

The debate rages on. But organic food is not always as pure or as healthy as it is supposed to be.

If there is not that great a difference between organic and non-organic food, we might as well save our budgets and choose the non-organic. As long as we take precautions like thoroughly washing the food, we shouldn’t have any issues like eating polluted bread.

Keep Fighting

Read Zechariah 11-14

Zechariah 14:3 "Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle."

Even once we reach our weight goal we may always have a weight problem. We may never be able to go back to old habits.

We may not even dare relax our vigilance. We may always have to watch what we eat.

So we will keep fighting. We know what we need to do and we can get our minds set to keep our weight under control with every healthy means.

Prosperous

Read Zechariah 7-10

Zechariah 8:12 "For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things."

When people dream about what they might do if they suddenly came into a lot of money, they talk about buying houses, taking trips, buying cars, etc. They may think about what kinds of food they could buy, but don’t always mention it.

Most of us are on tight budgets and dieting isn’t easy when funds are limited. It is easier to find cheap junk food than to find inexpensive fresh and healthy food.

If we were more prosperous, we could get prepackaged, pre-measured, and pre-prepared meals for every meal and not worry about counting calories, fats, or carbohydrates. But when we eat healthy foods, even on our budgets, we can feel prosperous, knowing we are doing our best for ourselves.

Flying Rolls

Read Zechariah 4-6

Zechariah 5:1 "Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll."

Flying rolls can be found in two different places. One is during a food fight and the other happens when the dinner rolls are so tasty, diners eat them nearly as fast as they appear on the table.

Food fights are presented as fun and messy, but it’s a shame when they occur, whether in movies, television, or in fiction. The food can be cleaned up, but never used again which doesn't help hungry people.

The flying dinner rolls that we eat can be found either at home or at a favorite restaurant. Some folks go to a particular restaurant solely for the delicious rolls—the rest of the offerings are less important.

Acceptance

Read Zechariah 1-3

Zechariah 2:10 "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord."

Dieting and exercising are all about fighting our weight gain. Some believe it is better to accept who we are and what we weigh.

If we are dieting and exercising and not losing weight, but there is no underlying health reason we are not losing weight, we might try acceptance. We may want to accept that we will never be as skinny as we wish and that we will never look like we did ten or more years ago.

But acceptance is not the same as giving up. Exercising and watching what we eat are healthy habits we have worked very hard to incorporate into our lives and should continue.

Lean Days

Read Haggai 1-2

Haggai 2:16 "Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty."

We may experience lean days more than once. If we are on a tight budget, but determined to stick to the diet, we might find our funds do not stretch like they did before.

Another lean day may occur when we are counting calories, fat and carbohydrate grams and have exceeded our limit. We might be tempted to eat lean for the next few days to make up for it.

Hopefully, no matter what the reason, lean days are temporary. We should be able to get back to eating until we are satisfied, rather than still hungry.

Gather Together

Read Zephaniah 1-3

Zephaniah 2:1 "Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;"

We often have gatherings—eating meetings with people who are not dieting. It might be family, fellow employees, church folk, book club members, etc.

We may need to make sure we are gathering together with those who are also struggling with weight. There are plenty of opportunities—everything from Weight Watchers to Overeaters Anonymous.

But if we can’t get out or can’t afford those clubs, we can still gather together with fellow dieters. We might find a support group online or we might even create our own through church, work, book clubs, etc.

Keep Going

Read Habakkuk 1-3

Habakkuk 2:3 "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."

Even when we are not seeing progress in weight or inches lost, we need to keep going. Even when our bodies are not changing and clothes still fit us the same, we need to keep going.

We know we’re eating a healthy diet and that exercise is good for us. So if we are doing both aerobic and sculpting exercises regularly, we need to keep going.

Even if we never lose another pound and our bodies stay the same, we need to keep going. Chances are we will begin to see more changes eventually, but even if not, we are doing what we should be doing for our health and we need to just keep going.

Getting Good News

Read Nahum 1-3

Nahum 1:15 "Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off."

When we stick to a weight-loss plan we should eventually get good news. We should be seeing our weight go down.

We should have more energy as we go about our business. We should be able to increase our exercises to be more of a challenge.

We may even start getting good news at the doctor’s office. We might be free of a recently diagnosed disease or at least be able to decrease the medication dosage we take.

Doing What's Required

Read Micah 4-7

Micah 6:8 "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

Sometimes our bodies adjust to our new normal patterns of eating and exercising. We may stop having cravings or we may no longer be tempted by the foods we used to enjoy.

Our bodies may also stop showing our hard work by stalling on the downward spiral of the weight—the dreaded plateau. It may tempt us to give up and return to our old habits.

But when we continue to do what’s required to lose pounds and inches, our bodies will cooperate once more. We just need to keep going.

Qualified to Make Judgments

Read Micah 1-3

Micah 3:8 "But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin."

We scrutinize our meals and snacks carefully to make sure we’re eating the way we intend to eat. Other people may also be scrutinizing what we’re eating.

Once others know we are trying to lose weight, they fall into one of four categories: people who are cheering us on, people who try to sabotage us, people who couldn’t care less about what we are doing, and people who judge us and make us want to overeat in frustration.

We’re the only ones who are qualified to make judgments about what we are eating. We know why we may not be strict with ourselves and why we get stricter at times.

Unwarranted Serenity

Read Jonah 1-4

Jonah 1:5 "Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep."

Hopefully at this point we know enough about calories, fats, carbohydrates, exercises, and healthy foods that we are able to make right choices without giving it much thought. But we don’t want to fall into an unwarranted serenity.

Our portions may be slowly increasing and our weight may be creeping up. We might be cutting our exercise time: the duration, the frequency, or both.

We can relax our vigilance a bit, but we don’t want to be too complacent. Periodically—once a month or so—we will want check our weight-loss regimen and make sure we are still on track.