Don't Broadcast What You Believe

A friend of mine was putting on makeup for a special occasion.  
"I'm so bad at this. I really don't know what I'm doing when it comes to makeup."
She made comments of this type a couple of times, so...
I believed her.

When I saw her with weird smudges of gloppy eyeshadow, I thought I should help her.
I offered. She backed away, "No, wait, it has to dry and then I blend it."

Truth is, she is perfectly capable of applying makeup. She is as competent as anyone with the blush and the eyeshadow--with the whole works.

But she believed she wasn't. She broadcast that belief, and since I didn't know any better, I believed her. I even acted on that belief.

When we announce things about ourselves, we'd better keep this in mind: people will believe us. We want to be sure that what we are saying is the truth. That's a hard thing to do. It's hard to discern the false beliefs we hold about ourselves.

"I'm a terrible writer."
"I can't cook."
"I'm too fat."
"Nobody likes me."
"I don't know what I'm doing."

We all do it. We all announce our insecurities at times. But perhaps we need to learn how to word them as truths?
"I don't feel confident applying makeup."
"I doubt my abilities as a writer/cook/whatever."
"I feel like I'm too fat."

I think it's bad enough that I believe some of the things I do about myself. Do I really want other people to believe them, too?

mindful eating

morguefile.com

I've been reading a book called Real Food has Curves: How to Get Off Processed Food, Lose Weight, and Love What You Eat.  
The book's focus is just paying attention to what we eat.

Most meals involve mindlessly stuffing some kind of food into our faces until our stomachs groan, letting us know we've had enough. Am I right?

The book tells us to think about what we're going to eat. Choose something that is a real food. Not processed or refined.

Then look at it. Smell it. And taste it. Really taste it. Think about the flavors. Are there overtones?

How does the food feel? Is there any resistance to the chew? Is it crispy? Chewy? Smooth?

Then after chewing well, swallow fully. Then load the fork and start over.

Savor. Think. Involve the senses.

The premise of the book is that if we eat this way, we'll lose weight. When we eat whatever is at hand, shoving it in without experiencing it, we aren't satisfied. So we find something else to shove in. Then something else.

If we eat mindfully, then our brain takes part, memory is stimulated, emotion engages, and we are satisfied.

Makes sense to me. But I'm finding it hard to change. I've decided I want to begin with one mindful meal per week. Hopefully I can do more, and in time I know I will, but I run on autopilot now and it's hard to break that pattern.

things I'll do in my 40s that I wouldn't have done in my 20s

~ Volunteer to be in a skit
~ Speak to a group
~ Write a novel
~ Drink a glass of wine
~ Lead a Bible Study
~ Feel comfortable with a group of women, even if they are prettier, better-dressed, and have it all together
~ Confront someone, like the guy at the deli who was going to slice my meat without washing his hands--even though he'd just been mopping
~ Raise my hands in church
~ Attend a different denomination than I'm used to
~ Wear a hat
~ Fast
~ Talk to a counselor

I see a theme. Freedom. Freedom in Christ. Freedom to be myself.
It's a work in progress.
What about you? Whatever decade you're in, how have you changed?

i love me

photo from morguefile.com

For several years now I've prayed that God would show me His heart. I've asked Him to cause me to love what He loves and hate what He hates.
I know that God is answering that prayer. I love other people far more than my natural tendencies would account for. I can see a big change, especially over the last few years.

But this occurred to me the other day: if I'm going to love what God loves, I'm going to have to be crazy, head over heals in love with myself.

We have such a hard time with that, don't we? Even the idea of loving ourselves sounds conceited, arrogant, self-centered.

We also find it difficult because we don't really believe how much He loves us. Or maybe we believe in our heads, but we don't really believe it.

Sure, He loves me. He loves everybody. We can accept that.

But it goes much deeper. He rejoices over me with singing.
He sings songs about me! He absolutely adores me.

He absolutely adores you. Head over heals!

So, if I'm going to love what God loves, if I want to know His heart, I'm going to have to love me. I pray that He'll show me how.

getting fat

I haven't been svelte for some time. One might be correct in saying that I've only been that way for about six months during my mid-twenties.

Fortunately, I don't really aspire to svelteness. But I do aspire to be something a little less...squishy.

I have Chronic Epstein Barr Virus which causes fatigue that is sometimes debilitating. Exercise at the wrong time can make it worse and put me out of commission for days.
And a year and a half ago I injured my back which put me on the couch for several months. Going to the bathroom and up the stairs to bed was the most I could do. Sitting very still and eating potato chips occupied my time.
So I gained weight.
Not tons, but more than I needed because I needed none.

So now I'm thinking that I'd like to do something about it.
I'd like to hear from any of you who have any kind of physical trouble that gets in the way of exercising. What do you do? Have you found ways to work around it?
I'd like to hear from anyone who has lost weight by changing their lifestyle.