I was looking at my calendar and started getting excited for this time of year. I have a birthday coming up plus Thanksgiving and Christmas! I love celebrating with my family and I really love putting on a Thanksgiving spread. With all the baking and cooking I do every year, I was praying I would not get out of shape and gain extra weight. I heard God speaking one simple word to me: YES.I know that this is a common thought and prayer for many many women. And God is speaking a YES over your life too. God is saying:"YES, I will help you.YES, you can do it.YES, I hear you.YES, I am answering you."Instead of focusing on all the things you need to say, "NO!" to, think about all the great things you can say, "YES!" to.YES, I can get strong, healthy and lose some weight.

Why wait for New Year’s to make changes?

We can start now and feel good about ourselves, our body and our choices.I believe God wants me to look better, feel better and live longer!

If God be for us, what can be against us? - Rom 8:31

Here are some of my secrets to losing weight…

say YES to more sleep.

Every night I’m going to bed early…To relax my mind I read, pray and memorize scriptures that will give me self-control in my eating habits. Experts tell us that people who are tired eat more. So get that beauty sleep! I plan to get 8 hours of sleep every night.

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat-- for he grants sleep to those he loves. - Ps. 127:2

say YES to power mornings

I get up 20 minutes early to pray and read scriptures over myself. Then I say, "I am beautiful, I am happy, I am accepted, I am loving, I am kind, I have self-control from the Holy Spirit. I am losing weight. Wow! You look good!"

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. - Gal 5:22-23

say YES to being healthy with your friends

I was sharing with a friend that sometimes I find myself eating the entire bag of popcorn every evening... and I find myself wandering around the house at 2AM in the morning wondering why I can’t sleep. My friend helped me to see that I stuff myself with comfort food to take away the pain of a stressful day.  And now I allow this friend to keep me accountable. So you can do the same thing. Ask a friend to help you find new things that are fun and fulfilling that take your stress away. Take a walk with a friend, find a hobby you enjoy or give large amounts of your time to volunteer at your church. These things give you the same “good feelings” as overeating!

You are better having a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment … If one falls, the other can help his friend get up. But how tragic it is for the one who is [all] alone when he falls. There is no one to help him get up. - Ecc 4:8-10

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. - 1 Cor 10:31

say YES to the Bible

Losing weight is easy when you bring scriptures in! It gives you willpower, encouragement and self-control. Hang scriptures up on your bathroom mirror and speak them over yourself. Like I said before, when I am headed off to sleep I will repeat scripture in my head that will give me self-control in my eating habits.

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. - Phil 4:13

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” - 1 Cor. 10:13

say YES to limited social media

I stopped social media for a year because I was feeling jealous of what others had. Envy is destructive and evil; it leaves you feeling like you lack something. Jealousy divides people and destroys relationships. I was fighting jealousy, inferiority and bitterness and I was putting others down to feel better about myself.  I couldn’t conquer envy and be on social media because it left me feeling inadequate, dissatisfied with myself and very unhappy. The Bible says we are unwise if we are comparing ourselves with others. So I stopped looking at social media realizing it was only hurting me and now I am cured of envy. We are a masterpiece! Spend your energy being thankful for your body. Don’t wish you had someone else’s body. Never compare yourself to others because you are uniquely created.

For we are God's masterpiece. - Eph 2:10

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones - Prov 14:30

For we dare not value or compare ourselves against those who flaunt themselves, for those among them who compare themselves are not wise. - 2 Cor 10:12

So much of my life I was fighting for self-acceptance and significance. I didn’t value myself and I thought if I looked better I would receive love and friends.  Finally, God helped me to find my value through my relationship with Him. I am now happier and I don’t beat myself up that I am not good enough. Even though I still work on keeping my body healthy and weight down. I no longer do it for the wrong reasons (to get love and value from others).I love you and you should love yourself too!

XOXO,

Pastor Tami McKinney