Wednesday, August 25, 2010

A Dog Returns to its Vomit OR Fail when you lost your balance and Fell

Side NOTE:
While writing this blog I started with "a dog returns to its vomit" but then saw the other truth that was being laid before me about balance; fell / fail
so I've kept them both since they came to my mind

From  Rudyard Kipling poem 

The dog returns to its vomit  
'The Gods of the Copybook Headings'


This was taken from the Bible verses

Proverbs 26  

11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

2 Peter 2  
22 Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, 
"A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud."


It occurred to me last week these scriptures, as I "fell" down by not doing what I knew is right (not exercising and eating some unhealthy foods).
 Thank God, I didn't fall completely. Most of the time I ate healthy.

Ahhh, I used the   word "fell" - a key to truth.


Funny how the words  fell and fail sound the same. 


  African Proverbs                
 "Do not look where you fell but where you  slipped" 
 Charles F. Kettering             
" Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail"

You fall when you are not balanced.

You are only truly balanced when you up hold up all three entities of Self:
                                     Body, Mind and Spirit.


I found myself in an environment  that I for the past 2 decades have enjoyed once a year.  It includes playing, eating and relaxing.  All good things except when they are met with poor choices.   Let me get to the punch line:  I ate some "crap".  There I said it.  Some Potato chips and a hot dog....

Now, you say "so what".   Once in a while that's ok.
Ahhh, but I also had some Cake too !
But  again you say,  "ah, so what"  "what's a little cake once in a while".

You just don't GET IT!

If you are a recovering Alcoholic or Cigarette smoker, do you think you can have just ONE?

BAD, is BAD, is BAD.  Returning to your folly!  Like a Dog returns to its vomit.

Again, you may say that's going overboard.  Is it?  Let me ask you this:  What is your Cholesterol Levels?  What is your Blood Sugar readings?  What is your BMI?
Can you Run an mile?   Are you on maintenance medications for your blood pressure or thyroid? How's your Bowels?  Those who are in amazing shape in their 50's that can say they're in Great Shape probably, just probably do not eat Chips, Hot Dogs and Cake.

Ok, I'm exaggerating.  But truly.   GET it together in your Mind.  What are you doing about your health?

Amazing how those (nay Sayers) will say "what's wrong with just one cookie"
"I splurge on a frozen yogurt"  "are you really going to give up food you enjoy?"

Romans 8
8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 

For me (maybe not you)  I see a direct correlation between food and God.
Crazy isn't it!  
Food that doesn't bring health to my body is not a healthy Choice.

I'm not saying eating cheesecake is a sin but if you can't say NO to a piece of cheesecake knowing it's not a healthy choice than it's a close to sin as you can get.   What if I said it's ok to have one night of sex with a stranger once in a while. Or ok to steal once in a while.  

I know that eating cake isn't breaking one of the 10 commandments, but.
If you have health issues... and being over weight IS A HEALTH RISK. Then eating fatty, sugar laden foods is a sin for YOU.  You have NO business eating a bag of M&M's once in a while.  Trust me, if your over weight it's not because you eat some sweets once in a while, is it?

Point is I found in this past year that I'm controlled by my desires to please ME with food.  Food is my method of soothing my disappointments, unhappiness... discontent, frustrations.  

Eating unhealthy foods or TOO much foods (healthy or not healthy) is  a symptom of an unbalanced life.  
  

This is my battle.  Self Will?  Self Discipline?  Self Self Self.   
My failure is that I have attempted to deny myself food that I find brings me pleasure. AH HA!  that is the KEY.  My pleasure should be in my relationships.
My pleasure should be in things that bring me life, joy and HEALTH!

I want to be at a place where Strawberry pie brings me NO PLEASURE because it it FULL of Refined Sugar laden in a White processed flour crust that was mixed with "Crisco"!  


I want my pleasure to be food's that meet my need not my lust.  Like a Bowl of Juicy Red Strawberries.  Knowing their natural sweetness is a blessing to my body since their rich in vitamins and nutrients that feed my body.

Don't you get it!   It's not about a DIET.  It's not about denying yourself foods that you "like". Not about counting carbs and calories...

It's about balancing my MIND (what I know is healthy for me) and my Spirit (denying those things that are harmful to my body) and my Body (feeding my body life giving foods). 

BALANCE!  

Go ahead and try it again.  Some crazy diet where you count Carbs, or Sugars, or Fat's.  Some crazy diet that promises lose 21 pounds in 21 days.  Some crazy diet that never addresses the real issues of why YOUR FAT.  Millions of books about how to lose weight. Hundreds of choices how to lose weight.  THEN, I ask WHY ARE People fat?

I'll tell you (can you hear me screaming)
                     Your fat because you have NO balance in your life. Amen

Go ahead start a " the latest new diet"
I truly believe those that keep their weight off did it because they found something deeper than a diet.  

Again,
I "fell" during this vacation week because I didn't balance my day.  I didn't keep my chosen routine. 
I had some Unhappiness at moments due to a situation I can't change. 
Also, I've seen in certain social settings I'm vulnerable.
Making Life Style Changes takes practice.
When you fall down - GET UP, brush yourself off and Get up and back on the Road.

I know, that I know that I know what I need to do to keep balanced.

Wake every morning and "plaster a big Smile on my face"
Wake every morning acknowledging my Creator and speaking those words of 
    faith and thanksgiving to Him.
Wake every morning giving my Day to serving Him not Me.
Journalize or Blog every morning - speaking truth that is ROOTED in the Word of 
     God.
Stretching and exercising every day my BODY, my MIND and my SPIRIT!
Choose FOOD that are LIFE giving!  Water myself! HA HA 

I have to keep in mind I have a "sinful nature"  a curse from the Garden of Eden.   
             
I have to choose every day to be controlled by HIS SPIRIT.  

I have to choose everyday whom I will serve.

I have to choose everyday to think about what I'm Thinking:     





Philippians 4:8  

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.


I have to consciously CHOOSE today my choices on how to spend my time, what to feed my body and what I'm thinking.

I don't want to return to what I threw up, gave up.... purged myself of...
  ran away from.


  I want to  



focus on  where  I "slipped" not where I fell (fail)  





              





  BALANCE  take focus and strength  





                  My   focus        is in HIM 





                 My  strength  is in HIM



Salute!  To your health and wellness