Source: etsy.com via Glenn on Pinterest

Thanks to Etsy and Pinterest for sharing so many wonderful products and ideas.

And you, dear reader, feel free to share this with your coworker.

Blessings on you!

Marilyn

A teacher and his students are crossing a huge lake in a smallish boat. The teacher is asleep when a storm comes up. It is evening when they start, so, wonderful! It’s a dark and stormy night.

The students are good sailors so they set to work to ride out the storm. No matter how hard they try, the storm is too wild and the boat is swamped. In desperation, they call out, “Teacher, we’re dying! Don’t you care?”

The teacher gets up, tells the wind to stop and the water to be still. And the storm…stops. It doesn’t die out. It just stops: as in, now.

The students are really freaked out. The storm was terrifying, but; the teacher can command the very elements? Now that is scalp-prickling-weird scary.

They had seen him do some amazing things before, but things they expected; healing people, that sort of thing. This one though; this was power that went beyond anything they had imagined.

And, by now, most of you realize that this story is about Jesus and his disciples.

Here is what has taken me decades to understand. Jesus says, “Why are you so fearful? Don’t you have any faith? Where is it?” How could he expect them to face a life-threatening experience without fear? Is calm in the face of mortal danger supposed to be normal for Jesus’ followers?

Today, I think I finally got it.

I think the disciples did what I have done so very many times. They saw a problem: water in the boat. They set to work to fix the problem: lower the sails and bail like crazy. The problem got worse, so they bailed faster. When they realized that all their efforts could not save them, they called out to Jesus. And what did they say?

They accused him of not caring about them and their terrifying problem. (Not that I would ever do anything like that!)

Jesus response – “Where is your faith?” – is because the disciples acted as though he wasn’t there. He had been right beside them the whole time, yet they hadn’t thought to ask for his help. They didn’t even ask him to help bail water. Did they forget he was there? Did they think he wouldn’t help with such a lowly task? Were they angry because he didn’t wake up and help without being asked?

Jesus chided their lack of faith because they acted like they didn’t expect his help. In fact, they acted like any atheist who cries out, “God save me!” when the bombs start falling. (Remember the famous C.S. Lewis quote, “There are no atheists in foxholes.”)

What a Difference…

How different would this story be if, when the wind picked up, and the waves were looking dangerous, the disciples had said, “Master, wake up. Thinks are looking dicey. We may need your help, here.”?

How different would your life be if you asked Jesus for help at the beginning of your trouble instead of waiting until you were exhausted and in despair?

Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) One part of a more abundant life is the assurance that Jesus is in the boat with you. Hebrews 13:5b-6 says, “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”  And Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

It is a very good plan – a God honoring, faith-filled plan – to ask for help at the first sign of trouble.

Blessings on you,
Marilyn

The story is found in Luke 8:22-25 and Mark 4:35-41

Photo Credit: Flickr
 

I was a chubby kid, a fat adolescent, an overweight teenager. As an adult, I have maintained my healthy weight within a ten pound range (except, of course, for pregnancies and one other extremely stressful time period.) As I write, I am four pounds overweight, which is pretty darn good for someone in their 50′s, if I do say so myself.

Not that I don’t want to weigh 15 pounds less. I am after all an American female! But, I don’t think it’s realistic. “Realistic” is an important word, and I’ll get back to it later.

I learned about eating moderately from Weight Watchers back in the early 70′s. At that time their program was based on a diabetic exchange program. I still pretty much follow that plan.

The plan is:
Three meals a day
Three snacks a day – usually between meals

Meals include:

• 1 protein
• 1 “limited” vegetable (High sugar or high starch)
• as many “unlimited” vegetables (leafy greens and cruciferous veggies) as you like

Snacks are fruits or vegetables.

After all these decades of studying nutrition, dieting and cooking, there are a few things I know.

One: Dieting is in Your Head

Understand that you are a grown-up and you are in control of what you eat. If you aren’t determined to do this, it won’t get done. No one else can do this for you.

Support groups, like Weight Watchers, are great because they educate, inspire and recognize your achievements. They do not do your thinking for you.

I am not in favor programs that provide all your meals. When they tell you exactly what to eat, they do the thinking for you.

I know. That’s what’s appealing about it!

Think about it: that kind of program trains you to let someone else determine what you are going to eat. This is not a program for a grown-up! Furthermore, when you finally get sick of eating their packaged food, you will quit. Then, who will tell you what to eat? More than likely, it will be the old habits that made you fat in the first place.

The Spiritual Aspect of Eating

The Apostle Paul calls self-control a “fruit of the Spirit”. It almost seems like a contradiction: when I’m controlled by the Spirit, I have self-control. It is not a contradiction. The Holy Spirit guides, but you get to say yes or no. The more often you say yes, the more sensitive you become to the Spirit’s leading. Isaiah called it a “still small voice.” The more you practice listening, the easier it is to hear.

Here’s a radical idea. The next time you want to eat something that’s not on your diet, ask the Lord if you may have it. Of course, having asked, you are responsible to abide by his decision!

Two: Small Changes Make a Difference

What we need is not another diet. What we need is a lifelong habit of eating healthy foods in moderate quantities. Short of going to boot camp (á la “The Biggest Loser”) overhauling your entire lifestyle overnight is not a reasonable goal for the average person. It’s just too darn stressful.

Doctors tell us that reprogramming the brain takes 28 days (hence the length of rehabilitation programs.) If you decide, “In the month of January I will:

• start running
• begin lifting weights
• cut out all sugar
• start eating more vegetables
• read product labels
• count calories
• quit watching TV
• take up meditation and
• learn a recreational sport”

chances are you will fail and/or have a nervous breakdown.

You could, however, probably substitute a sliced apple for the junk food you usually eat while watching the skinny people on “Lost.” By February, you’ll be looking forward to the apple and be ready to start one more new thing. (Taking a 20-minute walk before dinner?)

What’s Realistic?

I told you I’d get back to the very important word, “realistic”, so here we are.
Since “Dieting is in Your Head”, it’s important to think things through. Even if you hate details, it’s a good idea to evaluate before you glibly embark on a new plan that worked so well for your best friend. The crux of the matter is finding what is “realistic” for you.

Ask yourself:

• Is it realistic to cook every day and/or more than once a day?
  What days will you cook? What will you do on the other days?
• Is it realistic to keep fresh fruits and vegetables in the house all the time?
  What non-fresh alternatives will you use?
• Is it realistic to shop more than once a week?
  How often can you shop? Can you shop less often?
• Is it realistic to be hungry at bedtime?
  What can you eat to stave off hunger and not blow your calorie total for the day?
• Is it realistic to get some exercise every day?
  What kind of exercise can you fit in to your routine?
  What days will you set aside dedicated exercise time?

Taking a little time to work through the realities of Life vs. Diet.

You will increase your chances of decreasing your waistline.

©Marilyn Woodard, 2008

Picture Credit: Flickr

How much sleep do you need?

Is eight hours of shut-eye sufficient? Or do  you fall apart if you don’t get ten solid hours of deep sleep? I have a friend* who gets by on three to five hours a night. Did I say, “gets by?” I misspoke. She is a fully charged Energizer Bunny with four hours of sleep. It’s so unfair.

The bottom line, however is that we all need our sleep. Even my Energizer Bunny friend has to get the right amount or she’s doing the zombie walk.

If you’ve ever struggled by on too few hours of rest — or if you’ve suffered the consequences of your children’s sleepless nights — there is good news. Medical Researchers have spent years figuring out how to help you get the sleep you need. They have come up with some great sleep remedies that are actually free! (If you don’t count tax funded research grants, but I digress.)

Allow me to present, in a slightly paraphrased edition,

Ten Tips (give or take a couple) For a Better Night’s Sleep

1. Remember Bedtime?
   My parents made me go to bed by 9 p.m. whether I liked it or not. They knew that the human body is designed to sleep on a schedule. It just works better that way…even on the weekends!
2. Bless your body…with work!
   Your muscles are made to move. When they rest for too long, bad things happen, including sleepless nights. Tired muscles make for a good night’s sleep so, get some exercise every day.
3. Nightcap = No-No.
   It seems like a glass of wine at bedtime would be a great way to relax. Not so say the sleep researchers. It seems alcohol prevents you from getting into the deeper levels of sleep, the ones where your muscles completely relax. That’ll make you wake up tired.
4. Speaking of muscles…
   Finish your exercise several hours before bedtime. Exercise wakes your body up. Instead, spend a little time winding down. Listen to calming music or read for a few minutes. (Note of caution: I don’t recommend starting a suspense thriller at nine o’clock!)
5. Bedtime Snack: Yes or No?
   If you are so hungry you can’t sleep, by all means have a little snack. The operative word being “little.” A big meal too late in the evening will have your digestive system working overtime. Your digestive system does not like to work overtime and it will keep you awake just to get even.
6. A Restful Room
   Whether you sleep in a romantic boudoir or an army barracks, a little attention to ambience will help you sleep.
   * Invest in a good mattress (good luck with that in the barracks!)
   * Turn off the lights and the noisemakers (radio, TV, mp3 player.)
   * Turn down the heat. Most of us sleep a lot better in a cool room.
7. Just Say No to Drugs.
   Some prescription drugs can interfere with a good night’s rest. Ask your doctor if there is something else you can take. The same goes for over-the-counter medications; even all-natural herbal remedies can keep you awake. Your pharmacist can probably steer you to alternatives.
8. Step Into the Light.
   That would be sunlight! Human physiology says, “Thou shalt connect with earthly rhythms or pay the price!” Apparently 30 minutes of sunlight is the Daily Minimum required to let your brain know it is Day (Awake Time) and not Night (Sleep Time.)
9. Power Nap
   Thomas Edison was famous for lying down on a lab table and conking out for a bit…and he was rich, famous and really smart! If you do need a nap, make it a short one, like ten to twenty minutes. That will refresh you. Longer naps put you in slow-mo for several hours. Oh, and do take that nap before 3 p.m. Otherwise you foul up bedtime.
10. The Usual Suspects
    In your heart you know they’re bad guys. Sure, they’re fun, but they don’t really care about you. I’m talking about those rascally twins, nicotine and caffeine. They boost your metabolism for up to eight hours…that would be pretty much all night long. Do I really need to say more?

And Two More:

11. Good Old Hot Water
    You know a hot bath feels good and helps your muscles relax. But wait! There’s more! Sleep experts say that falling body temperature — cooling off after the bath — makes you sleepy. That’s cool.
12. Don’t Stay in Bed
    Sounds wrong, doesn’t it? But that’s what the researchers say. Lying there wide awake for more than 20 minutes is counter-productive. You may as well get out of bed and do something (maybe even try some of the above tips) until you feel sleepy.

If you’ve tried all of these tips and still are red-eyed and droopy-tailed, it’s probably time you visited your doctor. Sometimes even a short course of medication can help. Sometimes doctors have tricks up their sleeve that don’t even include drugs.

So, as my daddy used to say:
“Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite!”

*Her name is Rhea Perry and you’ll find her site, Educating For Success, listed in my Favorite Sites in the right hand column of this blog.

©Marilyn Woodard, 2008