Who wants to think about their waste-line when the holidays roll around?  Not me.  I’d rather indulge in some eggnog, sift through the box of chocolates and gorge myself on a variety of cake bites my sister introduced to me last year!  Hmmm.  Probably not the best of ideas.

Every year as the weather cools down; I decrease the amount of my daily exercise and ramp up the yummy carbs and mouth-watering fats that make me feel warm and fuzzy.  I tell myself that I deserve the splurge because I’ve been so good during the spring and summer.  What a complete waste!  All that hard work quickly goes down the drain because adding 5-10 pounds is much easier than losing them.

The vicious cycle repeats itself like clockwork starting in October.  I end up feeling squishy and lazy by November and terribly depressed by Christmas morning as I open up a gift that contains a new shirt that’s going to be too tight!

Reality sometimes stinks.  I am not 18, I’ve had two kids and my metabolism is crawling instead of running. The ugly truth is that I have to exercise and lay off the ‘treats’ if I want to stay healthy and more importantly – to feel GOOD.

I am my own worst enemy.  Sadly, I compare myself to others, set my sights on worldly goals and spend way too much time regarding my looks in the mirror.  I could help the poor, feed the hungry and write a book with all the time I throw away worrying about the muffin top!

God does not want me living on this roller coaster.  It doesn’t matter whether it’s an obsession with weight, money, sex or any other items on the long list of things that trouble us as a human race – God wants you and I to live a life of freedom through his son, Jesus Christ.

The bible doesn’t exactly give me a daily eating plan and exercise plan, but it does give me some useful information to heed the next time I look in the mirror or open up the pantry.

1. Proverbs 31:30 – Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
2. Proverbs 23:20-21 – Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
3. James 5:5 – You have lived on earth in luxury and self–indulgence.  You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.
4. Matthew 6:25 – Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 

So, the moral of the story is that I need to focus less on what I’m eating and more on what I am DOING!  The holidays should be more about who I am helping instead of helping myself to another cookie.

This holiday season let’s eat less treats and treat others with more love, kindness, compassion and mercy!

Some Wisdom for Today:  Proverbs 25:16 – If you eat honey, eat just enough – too much of it and you will vomit.