God's Spiritual Diet Plan (Part 5 of 5)

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Romans 14:17
You can take someone who eats perfectly and they have no control over their weight whether too fat or too skinny.
That is because we are a triune being- spirit, soul and body.
We need rightousnesss, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. If the person is on a rigid diet but full of bitternes or unforgivenesss, it will be for naught.
Righteousnes is integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting.
One of the definitions of peace in the Strong's is: the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is.
Examine that. Assured of your salvation. Fears nothing. Content in whatever state you are in.
Joy in the Holy Ghost: Dependent on your relationship from Him. This isn't a joy that comes out of an event, it is a joy that comes out of relationship with Him. You cannot not experience that joy if you are a legalist and are in constant black and white thinking.
If any one of these characteristics-righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost- is missing it will affect you on a physiological level. But we ignore the spiritual and do more exercise, change our diets, and get into more bitterness and frustration which further slows down our metabolism and amps up our cortisol levels so we can't take our peace.
I have learned that in order to establish righteousness in my life, I have to give up my right to be right. I do not have to defend myself. I am to walk in humility before the Lord and He will be my defender.
[Because of] his strength will I wait upon thee: for God [is] my defense. Psalm 59:9
Because of years of abuse, I lived in a state of hyper-vigilance. Always checking my surroundings even if I was in a store to see that I was safe. Recently I recognized that I was not trusting God to keep me safe. If I used wisdom in where I was going and how I was getting there, he had my back. I could relax.
Living in a continued state of hyper-vigilance keeps your body amped up and your cortisol drips continually. This destroys your immune system. You are prone to disease and have little energy.
Enter Addiction to make you feel good.
Isn't that insidious?
When we put our trust in Him, we can relax, He's got our back. We no longer have to be in charge of everything. We can take our peace. Then our body comes into peace and we are strengthen.
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Romans 14:17

The Peace of Snow

I had listened to a CD of healing scriptures all night Saturday and woke up Sunday morning feeling scrubbed clean. I still wasn't feeling physically strong so the guys went on to church without me.
I have an old recliner that in pitiful shape, but I love it because it is short. Most chairs extend beyond the bend of my knee as I am only 5'1". This one is designed for a shorty like me. It swivels and I had my back to the window for good reading light. About eleven, I decided to go take a nap and I swiveled back around. I was astounded. It was snowing. It wasn't flurries either. It was coming down like packing peanuts. I was absolutely mesmerized.
They had predicted snow, but we hear that a couple of times each winter and it usually stops at Atlanta or it comes as flurries that melt as soon as it hits the ground.
I went outside and saw it beginning to build. I was so excited. I fixed myself a hot cup of tea, got back in my recliner and just watched it fall. It fell for a couple of hours.
There is something calming and peaceful about watching snow fall.
Yes, I have lived where it snows. I know the mess and the challenges, but this blissful afternoon of just watching it cover my corner of the earth with its clean blanket of white nourished my soul.
I am reminded of when Jonathan first sang The Rose. It says, "Just remember that in the winter, far beneath the bitter snow lies the seed, that with the suns love in the spring becomes the rose."
My snow wasn't bitter, but there are many things in my life that I hope for that are yet unseen. Still just as surely as Spring will come, they too will come in His time.

Love Does Not Insist Upon Its Own Way

A month ago I planned a Cookie Exchange. I knew Margie and her family were coming and I wanted to have lots of special cookies for them and I didn't want to bake them all.
Between my job and Mary Kay, I knew I couldn't do it. So I thought of the young mothers in my church who had even less time. This could bless them, too.
So I went online, found a site called Robin's Cookie Exchange. She has worked out all of the details. Looked like smooth sailing.
I created invitations and on the back side I printed Robin's rules. They were simple and straightforward. No store bought cookies. Cookies must use flour. Adults only. Bring six dozen. It sounded so simple.
As the Cookie exchange approached, I encountered questions like, "I don't want to bake. Can't I just come for the fellowship?" to "I work in a kitchen all day, I'm buying them from my girlfriend."
I was getting uptight and this was supposed to be fun.
Then my friend, Fran, said, "Diane, why are you having the Cookie Exchange?"
I told her I remembered having a house full of children and the frenzy of trying to get everything done for Christmas. I wanted to make it easier for young mothers especially and give them some girl time where they could unwind. AND I wanted beautiful cookies for Margie's visit.
She then said, "Why not trust God for that and relax. Let Him work out the details."
Wow! What a revelation!
I took my peace. Whatever God had planned I was good for it.
As I mulled it over in anticipation of what God had in store, I was reminded of 1 Corinthians 13, "Love does not get puffed up; does not insist on its on way."
I didn't have to insist on "doing it right" but I could leave the day to my Pappa God.
Candace made darling name tags and necklaces for games. Fran typed up other game cards. On Saturday Judi came and stuffed little bags with a little lagniappe for each guest. Mary came as a greeter and director. Marcia was our photographer.
We had a ball!
I am just a girl. My Father loves me right where I am. I don't have to strive to please Him. Just be love as He is love.