As I sit here working on a project that the Lord has placed in my heart, I believe he gave me something for this blog. Today I want to talk about change.
As many of you know, I used to weigh 350 pounds. I lost a lot of weight and am certainly a different man today. I am so thankful to God that he got me from where I was to where I am. But there was a part of that journey that really hit home to me this morning.
See, I was like most people who have weight issues. I tried every diet that I could think of and most more than once trying to loose weight but I couldn't do it. I tried Atkins (more than once before it actually worked). I tried counting calories. I even tried some 30 year old three day diet that my boss had. None of them worked. Here is the hardest part. Every time I started one of those diets, I would make it a point to tell everyone that I was going on the diet. I would start all of them with good intentions. When we went out to eat, I would eat whatever was on the diet of the day. I could normally stick with it for at least a few days. Occasionally I would make it a week or two before I fell off the wagon.
I was also the king of starting a diet "tomorrow" or "next week." I would even tell my friends this. Several times I would decide right before Thanksgiving that I was going on a diet. I was married then and my ex-wife's family had a massive gathering at our house. Now they always brought that good Paula Dean kind of food. I recently heard someone say that she wasn't a chef because of what she cooked. Well if you are from the south, you know that her food will put a smile on your face that Ajax won't take off. Lynn's family always had the best turkey and dressing with all the trimmings plus the best homemade desserts in the world. Now obviously I couldn't really start a diet on that day so it was always going to start the day after Thanksgiving. It never did.
Eventually, I think my friends and family refused to believe me when I said I was starting a diet. They had good reason not to believe based on what they were seeing from me. After all, I never kept my word about the diet. Not once. So most people didn't believe me.
One day, I told my trainer JC (no not Jesus Christ - but maybe I should start more training with Him) I was going on a diet. He told me something that still resonates with me today. Now I pay my trainer to train me and I am certainly not used to people I pay talking to me in this manner but he was right. He said, "Tommy, you are full of sh*&. Don't ever lie to my face again about dieting. When you get tired of being fat, you won't be fat anymore and you won't have to tell anyone. They will know." He was exactly right.
I never told anyone I was going on a diet again. As I started losing weight, people would notice and say something to me. See, I didn't have to work to get someone to see what I wanted them to. I just did it and they saw the result.
I said all that to say this. When you get tired of whatever issue you are facing, go to God and ask for his help overcoming it. The two of you will beat anything that you want to get rid of. But many times when you make that decision, people won't get excited about it. That's OK. It's your vision for your life not theirs. Don't worry about it. Once you decide to change something, just cling to your decision with all your might. I don't even think you need to tell anyone that you decided to change. Just make the change and everyone else around you will see it. And remember, God is right there to help you through any problem or area of life you want to change. He won't do everything for you but he will supply what you need to change your life.
I want to encourage you today. What area are you facing that you want to change? Take it to God and get his direction. Then just go about changing. Don't tell anyone - just do it. When the results are shown, people will see it. But know this - You and God can overcome any challenge you face. Well, once again, I have blogged myself happy.
That's another Opinion of the Minion.
As many of you know, I used to weigh 350 pounds. I lost a lot of weight and am certainly a different man today. I am so thankful to God that he got me from where I was to where I am. But there was a part of that journey that really hit home to me this morning.
See, I was like most people who have weight issues. I tried every diet that I could think of and most more than once trying to loose weight but I couldn't do it. I tried Atkins (more than once before it actually worked). I tried counting calories. I even tried some 30 year old three day diet that my boss had. None of them worked. Here is the hardest part. Every time I started one of those diets, I would make it a point to tell everyone that I was going on the diet. I would start all of them with good intentions. When we went out to eat, I would eat whatever was on the diet of the day. I could normally stick with it for at least a few days. Occasionally I would make it a week or two before I fell off the wagon.
I was also the king of starting a diet "tomorrow" or "next week." I would even tell my friends this. Several times I would decide right before Thanksgiving that I was going on a diet. I was married then and my ex-wife's family had a massive gathering at our house. Now they always brought that good Paula Dean kind of food. I recently heard someone say that she wasn't a chef because of what she cooked. Well if you are from the south, you know that her food will put a smile on your face that Ajax won't take off. Lynn's family always had the best turkey and dressing with all the trimmings plus the best homemade desserts in the world. Now obviously I couldn't really start a diet on that day so it was always going to start the day after Thanksgiving. It never did.
Eventually, I think my friends and family refused to believe me when I said I was starting a diet. They had good reason not to believe based on what they were seeing from me. After all, I never kept my word about the diet. Not once. So most people didn't believe me.
One day, I told my trainer JC (no not Jesus Christ - but maybe I should start more training with Him) I was going on a diet. He told me something that still resonates with me today. Now I pay my trainer to train me and I am certainly not used to people I pay talking to me in this manner but he was right. He said, "Tommy, you are full of sh*&. Don't ever lie to my face again about dieting. When you get tired of being fat, you won't be fat anymore and you won't have to tell anyone. They will know." He was exactly right.
I never told anyone I was going on a diet again. As I started losing weight, people would notice and say something to me. See, I didn't have to work to get someone to see what I wanted them to. I just did it and they saw the result.
I said all that to say this. When you get tired of whatever issue you are facing, go to God and ask for his help overcoming it. The two of you will beat anything that you want to get rid of. But many times when you make that decision, people won't get excited about it. That's OK. It's your vision for your life not theirs. Don't worry about it. Once you decide to change something, just cling to your decision with all your might. I don't even think you need to tell anyone that you decided to change. Just make the change and everyone else around you will see it. And remember, God is right there to help you through any problem or area of life you want to change. He won't do everything for you but he will supply what you need to change your life.
I want to encourage you today. What area are you facing that you want to change? Take it to God and get his direction. Then just go about changing. Don't tell anyone - just do it. When the results are shown, people will see it. But know this - You and God can overcome any challenge you face. Well, once again, I have blogged myself happy.
That's another Opinion of the Minion.
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