Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

We have been so blessed everyday and especially because the Lord came to earth for us.  We have power to do as Jesus has done. ( John 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.)  This is truly good news.  You would think that because we have the ultimate Good News of Jesus coming and giving up his life for our live everlasting that we would be fearless and powerful everyday.

I don't think this is always the case.  Even if we only talk about our quest for Divine Health, we are not as bold as we should be.  Being fearless and bold doesn't mean that we won't have difficult work to do.  Transforming ourselves into better vessels of God will take some work.  We shouldn't think that everything will come easily even though everywhere we look we are promised quick and fast.  Even if we get some good results early on, maintaining requires some effort.

I'm working on increasing my effort in all areas without fear.  What good news.

1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

The holiday time is all about love.  The love of God who sent his only son for us to be our hope and redeemer through the ultimate sacrifice.  We do have the promise of everlasting life as well as abundant life while we are in our bodies.  This is something we should celebrate during the holiday season and all year. 

The problem we have is during our season of Christmas celebration is that we frequently enjoy in excess.  We consume more frequently.  It is typically not just an issue of calories.  We tend to eat and drink more of what is not healthy and we even cut back on our exercise.  Parties even get in the way of taking care of ourselves.  The unfortunate part is that we give ourselves the excuse that it is Christmas time and we should be acting this way.

What are we thinking?  Why would God who provides us with the living hope want us to completely stop taking care of ourselves?  God couldn't want that for us.  We are putting our overall well being at risk for some superficial moments.  Let me be clear, the celebration is not superficial.  The excess is.  I cannot even suggest that getting through this period and maintaining our current weight is easy.  We have to develop more tools to stop the madness. 

We've heard some simple things before, but what are we really doing?  I know I've eaten more ice cream, chocolate and other junk than I should.  I need to be prepared for the next time I have the opportunity to overindulge.  I shouldn't go to anything hungry.  I should give myself a limit and I need to stick to it. I need to commit exercise to my schedule and not give myself an excuse to stick to my plan.

John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

I watched The Biggest Loser finale on Tuesday night sitting in the same spot on my couch where I watched all season.  It's been about three months of watching.  I've loved this season and to see the triumph of the participants was exciting.  Some clearly have more steps to take in their weight-loss journey, while a couple should probably gain a couple of pounds to fill out the shallows in their faces.  The largest challenge, however, will be figuring out how to maintain a healthy weight in their everyday environment. 

It was really exciting to see winner Danny Cahill and his 239 pound loss.  He seems well on his way to creating a life to maintain his new weight.  He has inspired his family.  His wife, once 217 pounds, has lost 60 pounds.  They have plans to keep each other accountable.  And I believe accountability is key. 

As I sat watching, I realized that in seven months Danny lost more than a person and I'm only working on the same 25 pounds.  This season was only air for 3 months and I've been dedicated and committed to following it the entire time. Has my dedication, commitment and accountability to myself been the same.  I'd have to say no.  While I have made some progress, I need to make more and I'll be using this season of celebration, thanksgiving and change to get me on my way.  I'm hoping to inspire others along my journey as well. 

I'm listening to voice of the Lord and and committed to follow.  It is easy to let other things get in the way.  I'm going to need daily focus to make sure that I stay on track.  My cold, which is just about gone, was the latest set back.  I know this set back will not keep me back. 

Psalm 88:13 But I cry to you for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.

I've been sick for awhile.  Most days my major complaint is a sore throat.  This Saturday morning I feel a bit worse and had a more disturbed sleep.  My normal routine was completely off, but I decided to call my mother for a little chat.  When she answered the phone she let me know that I had interrupted her bible study with my father. 

Somehow, prayer and bible study had completely escaped my mind.  You would think for a person who has been sick for more than a week, prayer would be my first thought.  Not today.  I simply jumped to the activity of the day.  I really needed to focus on what I should be doing and how I should approach my day.  Fortunately, I have parents who focus on Jesus and have prayer and bible study as part of their daily routine and their routine influences my patterns.

Since I've been less than 100% for several days now, I've spent a great deal of time sleeping and thinking about how I will order my day once I'm back.  My Divine Health routine needs to include more than simply diet and exercise.  I need to start with prayer, meditation and bible study.  To be most effective, I need to start my day off right and eliminate all excuses that I let to stop me from getting the important agenda items done.  I do know that I can call on other believers to help me stay on track.  I need my Christian family to help keep me in line.

Leviticus 26:10 You will still be eating last year's harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new.

Now that Thanksgiving has past, it is time for us to prepare for the celebration of Christ's birthday and for the New Year.  God is continuing to bless us with each step that we take.  We need to make the most of the blessings as we glorify the Lord in this season and prepare for our continued renewal. 

The busyness of the season can leave us distracted from the real reason of the season and for properly taking care of ourselves.  We need to remind ourselves of how much God loves us and use that love to motivate us to love each other and to love ourselves.  Self love is critically important.  At this holiday time, we often find ourselves in a position to indulge almost daily in a manner where we feed ourselves without thinking.  We often put off doing the right thing for ourselves during this season and are waiting until tomorrow's tomorrow to begin living life the way we should. 

What we need to do during this time is to reflect on how our Lord would have us to show God's love for ourselves and for others.  We would probably still treat ourselves well, however, there is likely to be considerably more self control.  As we prepare for the countdown for the year, let us prepare for an even better journey next year filled with dedication and love as we continue to strive for Divine Health.

Acts 20:32 "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

At this time of being thankful, I recognize so many of the blessings that I have received simply by arriving to this date.  God is always with me and will never leave me nor forsake me.  The question I have to ask myself is how committed have I been to God and the plans he has for my life. 

Simply looking at my health and fitness goals demonstrate that I have stepped a little off track.  Fortunately, the path is clear.  There is no real secret, I need to make sure that my diet and exercise plan move me toward my goal.  An important part of the plan has to be my time in prayer and meditation. 

The most appropriate plan is one that is S.M.A.R.T.: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.  I need to write out my goals, not simply the tasks.  The accomplishments I wish to achieve are attainable.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  I also know that I need to seek God first as I use my gifts and talents for His Glory. 

This thanksgiving time is my time to re-commit to my S.M.A.R.T and Divinely inspired plan.

Psalm 69:30 I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Thursday begins our opportunity to eat tons of turkey and to focus on the blessings we have received while spending time with our families and eating.  In fact, during this time our meeting may seem more like grazing or eating non-stop.  Information suggests that we are likely to gain weight during the holidays.  Some believe that the weight gain is in excess of 5 pounds, while others provide statistics that it is closer to one pound.  While one pound doesn't seem like a tremendous amount, it can become a yearly addition.

In order to fight the potential weight gain, we should develop a plan.  Keeping a focus on diet and exercise is the first step.  Knowing how to handle the holiday gatherings is the second.  Know how you behave in the variety of situations to determine what you need to do.  Frequently, advice is given for those attending parties.  The idea usually revolves around making sure you eat before attending events and choosing the best food to eat while only indulging in small amounts in others.  However, if you're like me, the worst times are the days spent with extended family with tons of food readily available.  Figuring out what works for you in these situations is important.  It may mean that you make sure that you have options for yourself and limit yourself to some reasonable amount.

It is also key to make sure that you get some exercise in during this time.  If you can commit to 30 minutes on most days, it will help keep you on track.  These 30 minutes might not be as intense as typical and a 30-minute walk can be the perfect activity.  A walk is something that many in the family can do together. 

Keeping focused today will help the focus tomorrow.  Even if you're not perfect today, you can be thankful and make a better day tomorrow.

Daniel 1:15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.

My family decided to trek south to my aunt's house a couple of days in advance of Thanksgiving.  The goal was to avoid the heavy traffic.  It was a late night ride that we followed by watching a marathon of "Good Times."  Somehow, it was as if we never saw these episodes with Janet Jackson before.  We all had and found them just as good in the early morning hours as the first time I saw them when I was a child.

This late night driving and TV watching translated into getting up extra late.  My one plan for this holiday trip is to exercise most every day.  I'm not setting lofty goals.  I simply want to make sure that I move my body for at least 30 minutes each day.  Today, my plans got off to a late start.  The important part is that they did get started.  I even took on a new partner for the day.  My mother decided to alter her plan and come to the track with me. 

Neither of us had the best work out, but we each had a decent one at the local track.  It was mostly walking with some faster, some slower and a little running.  I'm happy that I'm on the right path even if it not a perfect path.  Now, I'll have to pay attention to my eating on Thanksgiving and every day after if I have plans to reach my goals any time soon.  Really, my goal is to start my life long maintenance stage.  Thankfully, I have a ton of options and Thanksgiving will give me a few more.

Proverbs 28:11 A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.

You've probably heard the latest recommendation for mammography for breast cancer screenings and breast self examination for women.  The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines suggest that women begin to get regular screening mammography at 50 years of age.  The Task Force says that the benefits are small.  In addition, the Task Force finds that major concern against recommending that women get these tests early is that it will cause unneeded anxiety along with some false positives.  The anecdotal stories of women who have been saved along with data that says some women have been saved with mammography in their 40s has caused people loudly express their disagreement. Somehow, the Task Force was surprised that women and others immediately were in an uproar as we fight the number 2
 
We need to closely examine this information.  In fact, we need to pray for wisdom and discernment as we analyze the what we are told.  My first recommendation is to read the actual recommendations of the USPSTF that can be found in the link above.  The guidelines that American women have been given before this task for report are those supported by the American Cancer Society that direct women begin to get mammography screen at age 40 and every year following.  

Below, I put a couple of links to provide you with a variety of perspectives. 

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/18/mammogram.guidelines/index.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33973665/

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,575428,00.html

I know that this conversation will continue.  If you are looking from a recommendation from me, I suggest that you follow the old guidelines.  The more knowledge the better.  John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.