The Big Difference

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Happy Monday!

Wow!  As we begin this new Daniel Plan season, I think back to the struggles and the VICTORIES that the On and On’rs have experienced!  It isn’t easy transforming your life from one where “if it tastes good, eat it” to one where “if it nourishes your body”, eat it.  And the best part ever… we have discovered it can taste good AND nourish our bodies at the same time!

Some of the girls and I were talking the other day about how it had changed us.  We are far from perfect and sometimes we eat things that we normally don’t, but our attitudes and focus has changed forever.  There is an awareness that wasn’t there before.  In my case, at least, there is an amazing difference in how I feel.  Still, that old nature with deeply rooted habits are still inside us.  I know I can’t break those habits on my own, but I know who to call on.  Christ Jesus has set me free!!

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

 The Big Difference

The Daniel Plan

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. —Romans 7:15

Have you experienced this pattern when you tried to make healthy changes? You can’t always make yourself do right. You want to, but you can’t. And when you try not to do the wrong thing, you do it anyway. Why does this happen?

We all have an old nature with deeply rooted habits still inside us. It loves to do those wrong things that have become routine for us.

We can’t break free of those habits on our own, and the apostle Paul went on to write, “Who will free me from slavery to this deadly lower nature?” Then he gives the answer, “Thank God, Christ Jesus has done it. He has set me free.”

In Romans 7, Paul uses the words “I, me, my” twenty-seven times. But in Romans 8 he uses the word “Spirit” nineteen times. That’s the difference between defeat and victory: trusting in “me” versus surrendering to the Holy Spirit.

Food for Thought: God’s Spirit is ready and waiting to break you free of old patterns and move a new direction

Nothing Worthwhile Is Ever Easy

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Happy Labor Day Monday!

 These weeks just keep flying by!  Fall is approaching quickly, even though in Florida, for the most part that just means I change my decorations.

These past weeks, I have watched people I love go through health issues, emotional issues and Spiritual issues.  Sometimes, they get discouraged.  Do you know what I’m talking about?  Have you ever thought you might as well just go on and throw in the towel?  Well, I have.   I have gotten grumpy, frustrated and been known to complain on occasion.  Those are not my finer moments.

These same people I love have been such a wonderful example of strength and God’s love!  This is reflected in their attitudes and is a constant blessing to those around them.

When you let discouragement overcome you, you can’t be effective in what you are doing and most often won’t be able to accomplish your goals.  These are Satan’s gateways.  He loves to catch us vulnerable and can sneak his thoughts in through the smallest cracks in your armor.

Is life easy?  Not in my world.  Is life doable?  Absolutely!  Think of the most encouraging verse of scripture you have read.  Memorize it and focus on it.  Have it ready for every time you need it!  Philippians 4:13 will always be at the top of my list.  There isn’t a lot I can accomplish on my own, but when I rely on HIM, everything changes!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.   So simple and SO powerful.

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

Nothing Worthwhile Is Ever Easy

Rick Warren

“Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 NLT).

There are many things that work to keep us from completing our life missions. Over the years, I’ve debated whether the worst enemy is procrastination or discouragement. If Satan can’t get us to put off our life missions, then he’ll try to get us to quit altogether.

The apostle Paul teaches that we need to resist discouragement: “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 NLT).

Do you ever get tired of doing what’s right? I think we all do. Sometimes it seems easier to do the wrong thing than the right thing.

When we’re discouraged, we become ineffective. When we’re discouraged, we work against our own faith.

When we’re discouraged, we’re saying, “It can’t be done.” That’s the exact opposite of saying, “I know God can do it because of what he said.”

Ask yourself these questions:

  • How do I handle failure?
  • When things don’t go my way, do I get grumpy?
  • When things don’t go my way, do I get frustrated?
  • When things don’t go my way, do I start complaining?
  • Do I finish what I start?
  • How would I rate on persistence?

If you’re discouraged, don’t give up without a fight. Nothing worthwhile ever happens without endurance and energy.

When an artist creates a sculpture, he has to keep chipping away. He doesn’t hit the chisel with the hammer once, and suddenly all the excess stone falls away, revealing a beautiful masterpiece. He keeps hitting it and hitting it, chipping away at the stone.

And that’s true of life, too. Nothing really worthwhile ever comes easy in life. You keep hitting it and going after it, and little by little your life becomes a masterpiece of God’s grace.

The fact is that great people are really just ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of determination. Great people don’t know how to quit.

How to Have Lasting Change in Your Life

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Happy Monday!

With the upcoming Daniel Plan meetings, this devotional stuck with me.  Are we conforming or are we transforming?  If you want something to change, can we leave everything the same?

I love the breakdown of the verse in Roman 12:2.   Are we letting other people or our surroundings determine what we do or are we relying on God?  If we have lived a certain way, are we willing to change?

As we have talked about before, we will gravitate towards what we focus on.  If we focus on an unhealthy lifestyle, instead of the healthy, active one you desire, which way do you think you will go?  If you focus on all the bad things that have happened in your life, what do you think your attitude will be?  If you focus on worldly things, rather than Godly, what do you think your life will reflect and be remembered for?  There is a saying, Garbage in, Garbage out.   That’s pretty well how it works.  What do you want to reflect?

Once you let go of the old attitude and thought patterns, just imagine what God has in store for you!

Pray unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

 

How to Have Lasting Change in Your Life
Rick Warren
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2 NIV).

If you want to have lasting change in your life, you need to refocus your mind.

Specifically, you need to change your thought patterns away from what you don’t want to focus on and toward what you do want to focus on. Because whatever you focus on is what you move toward.

Today’s verse gives us the blueprint to change our thought patterns:

· “Do not conform.” How often do we let other people shape our lives? God doesn’t want you to be like someone else; he wants you to be the person he made you to be. So don’t copy, don’t conform, don’t try to be like anybody else.

· “The pattern of this world.” Pattern means the model of everything you’ve learned in life. If you want to change, you have to change your pattern or model of living that you learned in your life. You need to replace the old, unhealthy pattern with a new one modeled after the life of Christ.

· “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Transformed is the same as the word we use for metamorphosis, the process a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly. In the same way, God wants to transform you into a completely new person by renewing your mind.

How does this happen? The Bible tells us in Ephesians 4:22-24 “to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (NIV).

This means you are going to have to do some putting off and you are going to have to do some putting on — and the putting off has to happen before the putting on. It’s just like trying on clothes in a department store. Before you can try on the new stuff, you have to take off the old stuff.

You’re going to have to let go of the old attitudes, the old thought patterns, the old images that you’ve been living with so you can put on the new garments God has for you.

Living God’s Way

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Happy Monday!

I don’t know about you, but there have been many times in my life that I would start something and it just never seemed to work out.  I have probably tried every diet on the market and a few that weren’t.

Maybe it was a blessing in disguise that those didn’t work so well.  Most of us, who have tried every diet, have come to the realization that diets usually don’t work.  They can also do more harm than good.  Healthy lifestyle changes work better, but even then, for me, it doesn’t work if I am trying to do it on my own.

I think what really interested me with The Daniel Plan is the fact that it is based on five essentials, Faith, Food, Fitness, Focus and Friends.  Stop and think about that.

Faith – the belief that God is with you and if He is with you, you are never alone.  Ever.  He is there to support you, guide you and love you, even when you don’t feel lovable.

Food – that’s a big one.  You can’t just quit cold turkey.  You have to eat, so it requires a new way of thinking and that isn’t easy if you don’t have the faith and you’re relying on yourself only!

Fitness – yeah, I just had to bring that up, didn’t I.  Surprisingly, it is something you come to appreciate and even enjoy!  First, the exercise that is best for you is the one you will do.  If it’s something you hate, you will never stick to it.  If it something you will never be able to do right, you will never stick to it.  Whether it is pickleball, golf, running walking or chair exercises, do what you can, and will, do.  Your body will thank you.

Focus – Make a game plan, ask God about that plan (then listen for an answer) and focus on implementing that plan.  Not just the first day, but every day.  It does require focus.

Friends – It may be last, but it certainly isn’t least!  This is such an important part of any plan.  The moral support is priceless and knowing you are not in it alone is too.  You will bond and build strong, lasting friendships that go beyond just meeting or casual phone calls.

We will start a new season of The Daniel Plan soon.  We are now four and half years into this.  When God tells me it’s time to move on, that’s what we will do, meanwhile, we remain The On and Oners.  I wouldn’t trade one minute of it.

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

Living God’s Way

The Daniel Plan

But what happens when we live God’s way? … We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. —Galatians 5:22 MSG

Living God’s way, empowered by his Holy Spirit, leads us to become increasingly willing to stick with things. It also helps us marshal and direct our energies wisely. Those two qualities (other translations use the words “patience” and “self-control”) are invaluable for developing a healthier lifestyle.

Consider exercise, for instance. If you ask God to fill you with his Holy Spirit, the Spirit will truly enable you to be more willing to stick with finding movement you enjoy. If you need help to stick with a healthy eating plan, the Spirit will provide that help. All you have to do is ask and then go into your activity or your meal plan expecting God to empower you.

Food for Thought: Without forcing yourself, you can develop the willingness to stick with the things that lead to a flourishing life. Choosing to live God’s way and depending on his Holy Spirit will enable you to do it.

God’s Strength Saves Us

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Happy Monday!

Every day, I get out of bed and tell myself that THIS is the day that I will do good!  I won’t make the mistakes and stumble at every turn.

Every day, I fail.  What a wonderful blessing that He loves me anyway.  What a blessing that He bestows that grace even though I don’t deserve it!

I guess it sounds strange but as I have failed, and as He has rescued me over and over, my faith has grown stronger and stronger and the peace that has evolved through those failures is phenomenal!  I know where my trust lies and with whom. Oh, what a feeling!

There are many people who are struggling.  God’s grace is available to them too.  No matter what they have done, God loves them too.  Sometimes we can help and sometimes we can’t.  There is one thing we should always be doing though:

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

 

God’s Strength Saves Us

The Daniel Plan

This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.  —2 Corinthians 1:9 NIV

Did you know God sees mistakes as a normal part of life?  He is not surprised when you stumble on your way.

God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. In fact, he uses our failures to show us that we need him and to drive us into his arms of grace.

God once told Gideon, an Israelite war leader, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me’” (Judges 7:2).

So God whittled Israel’s army down from thirty-two thousand to three hundred men, so that the odds would be impossible without God’s power. God sometimes does a similar thing in our lives to keep us from being able to say, “My own strength has saved me.”

Food for Thought: Failure is a great opportunity to learn to rely more deeply on God, who can turn challenges and obstacles into new life.

Count Your Blessings

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Happy Monday!

I hope you are all having a blessed day.  Sometimes, we forget to count our blessings.

Yesterday after church, we went and visited my friend, Ruth, in the hospital.  Ruth and I have been friends for 20 years or so and I love her like a sister.

Ruth was such a vibrant, smart, hard working woman!  She had worked with her husband for many years, then at home was happiest out in her flowers beds pulling weeds and watching all of the birds.  She was a pianist in church and a woman of strong faith and love for Jesus.  Then, about 5 years ago, Ruth was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Slowly but surely, the disease has eaten away at her body and her mind.  She doesn’t know me anymore, but she still knows Jesus and when I see her, that’s what I talk about.  She can’t converse anymore, but you can see reactions in her eyes.  I know the faith that was so strong before, is still there.

Sometimes, it is so hard to know what to pray for.  I no longer pray for a long life for her, I just pray for God’s will to be done.  I pray for healing, but it’s God’s plan whether that healing is here or in her heavenly home.  As she lies in a hospital bed with fractures that can’t be repaired, I pray for comfort and mercy.

I also pray for her husband to have comfort and peace.  I remember too well how hard it is to watch someone you love go through this.   He has been told that it may be a few short days or it could be a year.  They don’t know.

So, count your blessings, count them one by one and relish in them.  Hug your loved ones and TELL them you love them!  Don’t just assume they know.  Don’t take a day for granted.  God gave it to you.  Make the most of it.  Above all,

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

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Happy Monday!

As you may recall, sometimes I hear something that just sticks to my heart and soul and won’t let go.  When that happens, I am generally going to share it because if God put it there for me to reach some

This particular rambling is based on Romans 8:9-23.  We have been touching on this in our Sunday school class and then it was expanded on in one who needs to hear it, I don’t want to miss that opportunity!a devotion by Brian Harding of Daily Audio Bible.  The main verses that stuck with me are  8-11 and 17-18.  Pay particular attention to verse 11.

“8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

 

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, that very same Spirit, lives in you.  It is hard for me to even comprehend that reality!  How can that not be a game changer?  When you embrace that reality, what would it change?  It changes everything!

I have heard people say, and it may have even been me at a particularly bad time in my life, that God has abandoned them (me).   Now we know, of course, that if anyone walks away, it is NOT God. We may walk away, but God doesn’t.  How can God abandon you if He lives within you??

Following that, Paul talks about how we will die if we live after the flesh, but if we live through the Spirit, we will live.  There is no obligation to do wrong.  It is a choice.  If you live that way, you will die, BUT the Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, the Spirit of the living God, if by that Spirit we put our sinful nature to death, we will live!

All who are led by the spirit of God are children of God.  Since we are His children, we are His heirs.  Think about that.  An heir of God.  I can’t even comprehend what we are set up to inherit.  If you are an heir of God, that makes us heirs of God’s glory!  Joint heirs with Jesus. That is so huge that it’s hard to understand!

That also brings us to another point though.  Read verses 17 and 18.

“17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

 If we are going to share in the glory, Paul says we must also share in Jesus’ suffering.  He was speaking of the oppression and persecution of that time.  I don’t believe there is anything that we suffer through now, that can begin to compare to the glory we will encounter later.

If you apply this to your own life, you will encounter some very difficult times.  These very difficulties will help perfect us though.  We need to grow in strength and loyalty.

Are you ready to receive the all- consuming fire of God’s glory?  Are you ready for this?  What would our lives look like if we walked around in that kind of humble authority, walking through life and seeing it through God’s eyes?

If this is all true, and scripture says it is, are we living up to the full potential that is available?  Or are we living less?  If the church of Jesus Christ lives into what the scriptures tell us, it could change the world.  Are we living less, or are we living more?  Are we the hands and feet of Jesus?

Rise up and live the more!  Rise up and use the authority given us through Jesus.  Invite the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us through making the decisions we must make.

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

On the Palms of His Hands

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Happy Monday!

Do you ever feel like your life has become stuck?  You aren’t moving forward, you don’t want to go backward and you are just tired of spinning your wheels and getting nowhere!  I have been there.  When I was there, I think I felt my problems were just that.  My problems.  The world is a mess and God doesn’t have the time to come deal with my menial complaints and problems.  Does this sound familiar to anyone else?

Fortunately, through study and much prayer, I have discovered that God is never too busy for me!  He knows every detail of what is going on in my life and He actually wants to help me!  How amazing is that??  He knows and wants to be invited into all of those details.

We are engraved on the palms of His hands, in the form of a nail hole.  The hard part for us is to fully realize just how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

Ask God to be with you as we make changes in our lives.  Ask Him to keep you strong when you feel so weak.  Put your trust in the One who loves you enough to willingly die in order for you to really live.

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

 

On the Palms of His Hands

The Daniel Plan

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. —Isaiah 49:16 NIV

God is greater than the universe, and yet he’s close to each one of us. He sees you, he knows everything about you, including the areas where you feel stuck and the areas where you want to grow.

He has engraved you on the palms of his hand, where Jesus bears the wounds of his crucifixion. The Bible says, “even the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30). Growth comes as we become more grounded in the faith that God has this kind of love for us.

As Paul prays, “Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Ephesians 3:17-20 NLT).

Food for Thought: We can persevere –as we seek changes in our lives, knowing that God’s love for us is so wide and long and high and deep that he has engraved us on the palms of his hands.

Life Giving Energy

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Happy Monday!

When I started The Daniel Plan, I was like – “Lord, you’re going to have to help me with this because I can’t do it alone!”  And He did.

This year, when I decided to throw in Whole30, which works great with The Daniel Plan, I was like – “Lord, you’re REALLY going to have to help me with this one because I can’t do it alone!”  And He did.

His faithfulness never ceases to amaze me!  I don’t deserve it, but still He gives it, unconditionally.

Little by little, I learn what works for me and my body.  Little by little, I learn what works for my soul.  Just to try to be as faithful to Him, knowing He will remain faithful to me, is amazing!

That’s one of the reasons I love The Daniel Plan.  It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle.  It’s a rounded lifestyle containing everything you need for success.  #Faith, Focus, Food, Fitness and Friends!

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

Life Giving Energy

The Daniel Plan

I have given you the seed-bearing plants throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. —Genesis 1:29 TLB

As you start to eat real food, your cravings and addictions will be replaced by deep pleasure and satisfaction from naturally sweet things, such as a variety of delicious fruits, as well as vegetables like red bell peppers. Dr. Mark Hyman says, “The power of real food creates an abundant, healthy life. You can get the most powerful life-giving energy from your food.”

Health starts in the kitchen. The best thing we can do for our health is to focus on all the amazing foods that God has given us. Fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, nuts, seeds—all these he has graciously given to us. The Bible says, “How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you” (Psalm 31:19 NIV)

Food is information. It has the ability to change our genes. It can completely rearrange things, reverse conditions, and give us the vitality we were created to have. Once you start to enjoy real food, you’ll never want to settle for less.

Food for Thought: God has given us an amazing array of foods to nourish and replenish us. What amazing choice will you try today

 

God’s Abundant Feast

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Happy Monday!

We are officially in the second half of the year and it is moving along quickly!  We are also in the hot months and, as the cook in the house, I don’t always feel like a big elaborate, heavy meal.

Remember how you feel after a big, heavy Thanksgiving meal?  All you want to do is curl up and take a nap?  That follows a meal heavy in simple carbs.  On the other hand, if you eat a variety of complex carbs, like vegetables and fruits and good protein, you should feel energized and ready to take on the next thing in your day.  I have included a chart that shows some choices for comparison.

I am not a vegetarian and do eat meat.  I try to concentrate mostly on chicken, turkey and fish with occasional lean pork or beef.  There are so many healthy options to choose from!

When you begin to make healthier choices, your body will respond accordingly.  More energy and you will feel better!  You will notice, people around you will notice and even your doctor will notice!  Give it a try!

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois 

God’s Abundant Feast

The Daniel Plan

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” —Genesis 1:29

When God made Adam and Eve, he gave them an abundant array of plants to nourish their bodies. Plant foods are full of nutrients our bodies need for health. Dr. Mark Hyman says that the power of plants runs important functions in your body—food truly is medicine.

If you’re not used to eating fruits and vegetables, you’ll be amazed that your tastes will actually change the more you choose real foods. As you increasingly eat real food, your cravings for sugar and manufactured foods will be replaced by deep satisfaction from naturally sweet things. Experiment with a fruit or vegetable you’ve never tried before. Treat it as a taste of the garden of Eden.

Food for Thought: Every fruit and vegetable on the planet is nourishing, life-giving food for you to enjoy. It has the power to transform your health.

Carbs to Limit Smarter Carbs Best Choices
Instead of: Choose: Or better yet choose:
Candy Dried fruit Whole fruit
Soda or punch Fruit juice Seltzer with a dash of juice
White bread Whole-wheat bread Seven-grain bread
Enriched pasta Whole-wheat pasta Cracked wheat pilaf
White Crackers Whole-grain cracker Vegetable sticks
Cotton Candy Caramel apple Apple
Chocolate chip cookie Oatmeal raisin cookie Strawberries
Sugary cereal Bran cereal Rolled oats