EXERCISE OBSTACLES / CHALLENGES

As I near the end of my first cleanse day, I’ve been thinking about EXERCISE. You know, I really don’t like exercising. I don’t like getting sweaty, and I don’t like the time it takes to get a good workout ~ because that means that I’m giving up something else that I would enjoy doing much more!

“Lord, help me find an exercise I LOVE doing… or one that I would ENJOY doing… ok, one that I can TOLERATE!”

You’ve heard me say it before… but, I must say it again. God is so GOOD! He has the perfect way of bringing you the exact scripture from His Word… the inspiration… or maybe just a good ‘ol “kick in the behind” that you need at just the right time!

Tonight, I received an email from a friend and in it he included a link about a young man named Nick Vujicic. He is 25 years old and was born without arms or legs and given no medical reason for his condition. Faced with countless challenges and obstacles, God has given Nick the strength to surmount what others might call impossible. God has taken Nick’s life, one that others might disregard as having any significance and filled him with His purpose and plans to move hearts and lives toward Him ~ which Nick has been used to turn millions of hearts toward God all across the globe!

The YouTube movie shows how he gets through his day doing everyday tasks such as turning on the light to his room, brushing his hair, brushing his teeth, getting a drink of water… even fixing breakfast WITHOUT ARMS AND LEGS!!

It’s not that he has NEVER had a complaint or a tearful conversation with God… he has… but, through the PROCESS he has built an amazing character. You can see the love of God just oozing from his beautiful smile!

I sat watching the clip(s) – I watched everyone that I could find – completely mesmerized by his story.

“Lord, please forgive me for complaining!”

Here’s the link for you to watch one of the clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9jbkZufH9k&feature=related

Get your tissues ready. Ask God to speak to your heart about what you are about to watch. God has given you a dream… He has plans and a purpose for your life… what are the obstacles/challenges that you face that’s holding you back from moving forward? Watch the clip… you’ll be embarrassed that you ever called it an obstacle!

I know I did.

Moving forward… Sharon

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

WORD FOR THE DAY: WATER

Peter Greenlaw is a nationally recognized nutritional cleansing coach that speaks all over the United States, and he just spent an hour with me sharing some of the best secrets he's learned as he's helped hundreds of people reach their weight loss goals.

The first thing he wanted to share was that I must drink WATER!! He said that the root cause of EVERY disease is long-term unintentional dehydration! In addition, he said that most people who struggle with obesity are SEVERELY DEHYDRATED!

Peter went on to say that it is ESSENTIAL that I drink 1/2 of my body weight in ounces of water! Now, let me just say... that's a whole lot more than the typical 8 - 8 oz. glasses of water!! THAT'S ASSUMING THAT YOU DRINK NO OTHER LIQUID! If you drink ONE CUP of coffee, you must add an additional 64 ounces of water to your daily intake! (I'm saying goodbye to Starbucks!) ALSO, if you drink ONE CUP of tea, you must add an additional 32 ounces of water to your daily intake! I'm feeling water-logged just typing this! :)

For those of us who feel sluggish and wish you had extra PEP... Peter said that food is not what gives you energy - water gives us energy! If I continue to drink that much water, I will be ABOUNDING with energy... which is what I'll need for all the trips I'll be making to the Ladies Room!

So, my FIRST STEP towards my weight loss goals is to drink water... and more water... and more water! :)

"Lord God, You alone are my stength! I thank You that you are equipping me to stay committed to getting healthy. I thank you that You are bringing people and information to me to give me the knowledge I need to learn how to eat healthy. Lord, I thank you that you are making my body have a THIRST FOR WATER... and not sugary softdrinks with empty calories! Father, give me the FOCUS that I need to implement all that I am learning.

Most of all, precious Father, I DO BELIEVE IN YOU!! I am no longer looking at the mountain of obesity in my life as something to be feared! I say to that mountain, (finger pointed and shouting with passion!) MOVE OVER and let me tell you how BIG MY GOD IS!!"

I'm feeling like that Lioness today! :)

TRUE CONFESSION, I'VE FALLEN OFF THE WAGON...

The weight loss wagon that is.

Although it has been apparent to those who see me everyday, I have been in denial. I have slowly packed on 40 (or so) pounds. (Who wants to get on that scale, afterall?) During the holidays though, reality persistently showed me the truth as my clothes kept getting tighter and tighter and tighter. Finally, I just decided to take my belt off because I was fearful of the upper part of my body turning blue from loss of blood flow!

Now you must know that I have not (hardly) bought any new clothes for the past 2 years!! I was refusing to do so until I could fit into a SMALLER size! Now, I'm frustrated that I need to lose weight just to fit BACK INTO MY OLD CLOTHES!

Food has been my struggle... my stronghold... my bondage. I've prayed about it, read books about it, exercised for it, I've sought deliverance over it... I've surrendered it... I've repented over it! Then, I accepted it. I mean, Paul had the thorn in his side that the Lord chose to never take away from him. Maybe this was my thorn?!

But then, I always come back to the vision God gave me. You know, I'm not one prone to having visions - God-given or otherwise! I can honestly say that I've only had 3 in my life. But, when you have a vision from the Lord, it doesn't leave you... it's planted deep in your heart and it's carried with you each day and the Holy Spirit has a gentle and beautiful (yet persistent) way of reminding you of the vision! That vision was me standing on a stage with a skirt falling off of me... and behind the skirt was a healthy, beautiful, me... as a size 12.

Then came the phone calls. Not from the Lord silly... but from my friends. "Sharon, I have to tell you about this dream I had! I saw you, and you were skinny!" Now, those are the dreams you like to hear! Three different friends, three different dreams... all bringing confirmation to what the Lord was going to do in my life.

Believe me, the Lord and I have had some talks about this vision. He has made it clear to me that he could care less if I'm a size 12 or a size 20!! But, He does want me healthy! He wants me mobile! He wants me to be able to move forward with all that He has planned for me to do WITHOUT the extra baggage that I've become so accustomed to carrying along with me! He wants me to drop the food "friend" that has not contributed positively to our relationship for a very long time.

So, this past year, I've been WAITING for God to miraculously make me a size 12! I know that He could do it. I've watched videos of women in conferences that have instantaneously lost weight! Lord... this is going to be FUN!! But alas, that has not been the miracle that God has planned for me...

... He reminds me of the time this summer when I was trying to make sense of why some people receive instantaneous healing, and others don't. He spoke so clearly to me that day in my kitchen... "Sharon, sometimes the miracle is in the process."

I think back to my 7-year cry for my daughter... believing, praying, pleading and (ashamedly at times) throwing a tantrum! "Lord, if you could just give me a baby... and if you could make it a girl... that would be so awesome!" Of course, God's plan was always to give me my daughter, but in His perfect timing, in His perfect love, what I received was so much more that a daughter. The PROCESS that I went through was necessary so that I could be reunited with my birthmom and my 9 brothers and sisters! I could only dream of having a little girl... God's dreams were so much bigger and better than what I dared to dream.

SO... THE MIRACLE IS IN THE PROCESS...

The way I see it, I have two choices. I can wallow in the guilt, frustration and anger I feel for letting myself fall off the wagon; or, I can CHOOSE to embrace the PROCESS. I can believe that the tactics that the enemy has used to keep me shackled to this weight issue is too big for my God; or, I can tell the enemy... MOVE OVER MOUNTAIN BECAUSE I'M GOING TO TELL YOU HOW BIG MY GOD IS!!

"Lord, it's a new day, a new beginning. I want to move forward. I want to continue to grow into all that You have for me! I don't want to miss a thing! YOU are more important than food! Thank you, Father, for giving me the perfect nutritious plan to follow. It's time for action. Stay close to me today, Lord. It's hard to say goodbye to old friends..."