Phil Parham (21 page)

Yesterday I was walking through my house, and suddenly I remembered what it felt like to be a prisoner in my own body. Because I've been on my journey to better health for a long time, it's easy to forget the desperation I used to feel. I used to be so tired when my children asked me to do something. Finding the motivation to go anywhere (even to the mall) was a challenge. One of the biggest motivators and joys for me is to remember what a great feeling it is to be free from poor health, excess weight, and unhealthy habits.

You are in the process of making a prison break. You have already come so far, and I am so very proud of you. I encourage you to keep up the good work and to keep going. Remember, every day that you choose to exercise and eat healthy, you are chipping away at the chains of poor health, bit by bit.

You are a beautiful, valuable creation of God. You are made in His image. He has a plan for your life that is far above what you have for it. I challenge you today to dream bigger, reach higher, and break free of those chains.

1. What are some things you can do to break out of the prison of unhealthy habits?

2. What are some prisons that people create for themselves with bad habits?

3. How can you break free from any bad habits you might have?

Have you ever seen Chinese handcuffs? They are little stretchy tubes you put on your fingers, and when you pull against them they get tighter. It's only when you relax that they come right off. Try relaxing a little today and let the cares of the day fall off of you.

A Word from Amy

Have you ever had a chore to do, such as cleaning your room, that you kept putting off? Maybe you started to do it, but the room was so dirty that you shoved everything under the bed and told yourself you would clean it tomorrow. And maybe it's still dirty because the job seems so big that you are too overwhelmed to start.

Sometimes doing our homework, cleaning out a room in our house, or even getting healthier seems so hard that we keep pushing them to the bottom of our to-do list. We find other things to do instead. Wouldn't it be better just to go ahead and do those things so they don't bother us every day? Of course it would.

So where do you start? First, make a mental decision that you are going to do something about it. You may not feel like it, but your mind is stronger than your feelings. Your mind tells you what to do. Second, break down the project into manageable steps. I heard someone once say, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Taking small steps is what gets a big job done.

So no more shoving things in your life under the bed. Face whatever you need to face and just get it done.

1. What is something that seems so overwhelming that you keep putting it off?

2. What are some strategies you can use to make the job more manageable?

3. Why is getting healthy like cleaning your room?

When you're cleaning your room, throw or give away everything that you haven't used in the past six months. If you have gone that long without using it, you probably don't need it cluttering up your room.

A Word from Amy

Don't you just love the spring? The whole world comes alive after a long, cold winter. Did you know that in order for those trees and flowers to bloom so beautifully, the dead stalks and branches have to be trimmed back? This is called pruning.

In the same sense, we have to prune some things from our lives in order to reach our full potential. Jesus tells us in John 15:2 that He prunes every branch that bears fruit so it can bear even more fruit. This is also similar to the law of sowing and reaping. If you do good things, you will get good things; if you do bad things, you will get bad things.

Being on this “Challenge” is the perfect time to get rid of some bad things that may keep you from finishing strong. You may need to prune friends who don't support you or who keep you from your health goals. You may need to prune activities, such as watching too much TV, that take up a lot of time. You may need to prune bad habits from your life. If you are anything like me, maybe you rely on food to comfort you in times of depression and stress. You will need to let go of these habits and replace them with better ones, such as eating healthy snacks, relaxing in a long bath, or going to the gym.

Pruning is not easy and it can be painful. Always keep the goal in mind. Pruning is necessary to make room for the new you. So let go of anything today that might be holding you back.

1. Why might you need to prune some things from your life?

2. Can you identify anything you need to prune?

3. What does the Bible say about pruning?

Start a savings account and put money in it every week. See how fast the law of sowing and reaping works in growing your money.

A Word from Amy

What things do you place the most value on? What means more to you than anything in the world? I'm sure you would list your family, friends, and your relationship with God. But what else is valuable? A special toy? A favorite game?

I've been thinking about that a lot lately. There are things we should value above all else and things we should place little value on. It's never a bad idea to look at our priorities and see if there are places where we might be a little unbalanced.

Having good relationships with our family is important. Doing well in school is important. Having fun with our friends is important. But we also need to put our attention on being healthy. None of the things we value mean anything if we aren't healthy enough to enjoy them.

I love the parable in the Bible about a man who heard about an extraordinary pearl. It meant so much to him that he sold all he had to buy this treasure. It was the most valuable thing he had ever seen in his life. It meant enough to him that he sacrificed everything for it. My health is that pearl for me. It is worth sacrificing time and money for it.

What about you? Will you value your health so much that you're willing to sacrifice some things that are standing in your way? Will you take the time to exercise for at least a little while every day? Will you be careful about what you eat so that you can keep your body strong? You have only one body and one life to live, so take care of it.

1. What are some things that are valuable to you?

2. What would you be willing to sacrifice in order to acquire good health?

3. Why should you manage your time well when it comes to making your health a priority?

Make a list of the most important people and things in your life. Where does health show up on the list?

A Word from Amy