On Oaths and Dinner Guests

By now many of you know I’m again using Wednesdays to write about getting healthy and losing weight.

Some of you love that.

Others of you have told me you are growing a tad bit weary of the “gonna lose weight in the new year” push that happens each time we flip the old calendar page. So please know a few thoughts I have on this:

First, I want this Weight Loss Wednesday feature to encourage you no matter what mountain you are trying to conquer so I hope if weight and health are not issues for you, you’ll still read the Wednesday posts. Perhaps they will speak to one of your issues. (You know we all have issues, right? Why sometimes I think my issues have issues!!!)

And secondly, the Made to Crave movement started by God through my friend and our Proverbs 31 president Lysa TerKeurst that I have been a part of really isn’t about weight loss.

No ma’am.

Its about giving God the number one slot of attention in our lives and letting all the other pieces fall delightfully into their proper places.

As my friend Lindsey so beautifully put it to me one day, “Karen, what if it isn’t about the weight loss? What if it is all about seeking God with all our hearts and losing weight is just a by-product of us growing holy?”

I cannot get her statement out of my head!

So, girlfriends, let’s get holy together. And if some “gettin’ skinny” is required by any of us, we’ll see that beautiful by-product, okay?

I love the t-shirt I spotted on one of my speech students at our homeschool co-op recently . It read “Get holy. Or die trying”!

Well, for those of you trying to get both holy and healthy, how was your week?

Mine was very difficult, but you helped me so much!

Yes you!

I’d promised I’d weigh in right after I posted last week and then track my progress by stepping on the scale again today and telling you what resulted.

In the mean time, I came across this little verse, tucked away in the story in the Bible about John the Baptist.

It was a soap-opera-like set up.

King Herod’s big birthday bash. Lots of food, dancing and general rowdiness. The wishy-washy and indecisive King had already had John thrown in prison for some of his words of truth that stung the king because they messed with his sinful lifestyle.

When the daughter of Herodias (aka Mrs. Herod) danced for the king and pleased him, he promised her she could have anything she wanted.

Anything!

She wanted John the Baptist’s head on a platter.

YIKES!!!

Again, the back-and-forth King was in a quandary. He didn’t really care for John. However, he really didn’t want to kill him either for he feared the people thought he was a great prophet. Perhaps he thought a little uprising might occur.

Then, tucked away in Matthew 14 verse 9 is the little verse:

“The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted.”

Yep. Good ole’ fashioned peer pressure- New Testament style.

He followed through because of a promise he’d made and because of his dinner guests and the results were tragic. So tragic that the story goes on to say that when Jesus (John’s cousin) heard the tragic news, he jumped in a boat and took of all alone for a while.

Now, how in the world could this verse have helped me this week?

It helped because in it, I saw a positive twist. If Herod could follow through with evil because of a promise and some dining pals, could I follow through with good because of the same?

I’d made and “oath” that I’d check in with you today.

In a way, I consider you all my “dinner guests” as we try to eat healthy together.

So, whenever I wanted to eat too much or eat a nasty calorie-laden and nutritionally deficient  morsel of food, I thought of you and didn’t.

Whenever it was nearing bedtime and, although not really physically hungry, “Something sounded good”, I thought of you and said no.

When I wanted two servings cause it tasted so good, I pictured your faces and refused.

Well, dear dinner guests of mine, when I hopped on the scale this morning, I discovered the numbers went down.

By 5.8 pounds!!!!!!!

Now, remember, I’ve been super sick and on steroids for my lungs (which make you retain weight) I also quit the steroids last week so that may have been part of the big drop.

However, I am still too lung-damaged to exercise without coughing myself into a frenzy so that drop came with no workouts at all.

Thank you for allowing me to picture your sweet faces.

And speaking of picturing your faces, let me throw out an idea. Do you think it would be beneficial to have  Weight Loss Wednesdays Facebook page where we could hop on once a week, read the post and build community by commenting and connecting throughout the day?

Let me know when you comment on this post letting us know how your week went.

You can do it, sweet sisters.

We can do it….together!

Banquet-busting Blessings,

38 Comments

  1. Karen,
    I did not have a good week – healthy eating wise. I find that I’m still eating according to my emotions/stress. But the more I realize that, the more I can turn to God for help.

    I like the idea of a FaceBook page for us!

  2. Weigh to Go Karen. I have had an emotional roller coaster ride the past week. However, due to what I have been learning and actually putting into practice from “Made to Crave” and the encouragement from your blog, I did Not eat my emotions this week. I am down 1.4lbs. I am at my goal weight, but usually during such stressful times I would see a gain and not a loss.

    I would do FB and/or your blog. However God leads.

  3. Awesome!!!! Your determination is inspiring, Karen! Especially the fact that you keep encouraging us in our relationship with God and giving Him the number one slot of attention. It’s true, when we seek God first and His righteousness, everything else falls into place.
    I thank God for using you so many many times through this blog. I hardly check the facebookaccount.

  4. Great post. I am encouraged by your determination to press forward towards the mark of being healthier.

    I am trying to get there too. For me it has been a challenge because I don’t have physical weight to lose but I do have unhealthy eating habits and turning to food when I’m upset habits to lose.

    I have found that celebrating small victories instead of mourning big failures has been huge in my process. I have only had fast food once in over a month. I am celebrating that small victory instead of bashing myself for caving in that one time. I had a small hot chocolate last night when meeting a wonderful woman of God (!) instead of a large one. I have made a committment to cook Mon-Fri and I have stuck to that for three straight weeks now.

    Understanding that this is a process and sometimes I will fall due to my carnal, human nature, I try to stay encouraged that I can do all things through Christ and that He is perfecting this process each day sometimes each hour.

  5. Made to Crave is sooo changing my life and i am getting more holy than skinny but for the 1st time in MONTHS the scale went down! 8 lbs. (I nearly fainted) Praise God who is faithful!

    Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. Jonah 2:8

  6. Way to Go Karen!!! So glad to be of assistance as one of the sweet faces!! That really makes me chuckle, but also realize we help each other in so many ways. I’m kinda hooked right now on your friend’s comment, what if this weight loss is a by-product of getting Holy??? LOVE THAT thought!

    As for FB – I love FB, but I like keeping this weight loss thing a little more personal. Once on FB the whole world views my comments.

    Congrats again on the 5lb loss – keep getting HOLY – the side effects are awesome!

  7. I’m down 3 pounds. As for Facebook – I’m not a fan of it and would not join or whatever the correct term is. I like the once a week personal check-in with Karen and everyone.

  8. Thanks for posting Karen and congrats on the weight-loss! Our church has just started the Bod4God program so I weigh in this Sunday – praying it will be good also. I am a facebook fan-atic:-) so I’ll join in on that and follow.

  9. Wow! 5 pounds! Your commitment is so encouraging to me. I love WLW’s and am enjoying your entries. I would love to have a Facebook page! Thank you for all you do!

  10. Congratulations on the loss, Karen. I ended up sick also, and so I know what you mean about too lung-damaged to exercise! I did a few leg lifts on Monday and I was huffing and puffing. Yesterday 10 min. on the exercise bike was all I could handle. I’m feeling very weak physically right now. But I did lose 2 pounds – not sure how. I would prefer to not follow through facebook, but I see that so far, I’m in the minority on that one.

  11. Congratulations on your loss. I have been eating healthy and I have been seeking God. My focus for this year is to really seek God in every area of my life and get all the beautiful byproducts which will come as a result of my focus. Facebook is fine for those who can make it there but I love the blog so I will keep coming here. Karen you are doing a good job with WLW. We all have issues so what will work for our weight can help with the other issues that surface everyday. Keep on track girl and we will be cheering you on.

  12. Linda, we ARE your sisters in Christ and friends so you DO have many to share this burden with!! Many who know exactly what your struggling with and praying for your perseverance. :)

  13. Karen,

    5 pounds is 5 pounds! Way to go sister!!! I love your WLW Blog. Thank you, you are such a blessing.

    God Bless and have a great week

  14. I am so glad you are doing Weight Loss Wednesdays again! I missed them when they stopped for awhile. I think it is absolutely wonderful for people who do not have weight/food issues, but I do agree that even they could benefit from your posts (e.g. take out the word food and put in any other “idol” that is a problem for them). Nevertheless, the beauty of this being your blog is that it is YOUR blog, and you can post whatever you like! :) Also, I find that the majority of women I know DO have food & weight issues, even when they do not appear to. For example, I had MAJOR food issues many years ago when I was a skinny size 2/4 (I am definitely no longer that size). At that time, I didn’t think food was an idol for me, but in looking back I was always obsessed about food, losing weight, exercise, appearance, and control issues. I didn’t put God first, but I certainly did put food and my control of food & the scale first in my life. I really long to be free from the bondage of weight and food issues, and people like you, Lysa Terkeurst, and Melissa Taylor are lifelines for me right now. I don’t have other women to share these burdens with, so you are like the sisters and friends I don’t have! Thank you so much!

  15. Congrats on the weight loss. And I”m thrilled WLW’s are back. I don’t do Facebook – can’t stand it. But, I love your blog on Wednesdays! I am encouraged each time I read your blog and the comments.

  16. Well, I also love WLW and have since the beginning. Not every blog post will speak to everyone but they are all uplifting just the same. I’m indifferent about a fb page mostly because I read your blog at work and fb is blocked from work. I may or may not remember to do it at home. I’ve been on a Mon/Thurs weigh schedule so don’t know if I’m up or down. I was up 1 pound on Monday, but FINALLY this week have gotten back on the healthy eating track and have done really well. Last night I went out for dinner with a friend and only ate 1/2 the food on my plate. I haven’t done that since before Thanksgiving when I feel off the wagon! I love WLW and checking in with everyone. Congrats on the 5.2 pounds!! That’s amazing! Blessings to you all.

  17. Great job Karen! I was down a pound when I weighed in on Sunday, but I always struggle to keep that off longer than a week. Seems I lose one and then gain two more… Anyway, a facebook page is a great idea!!

  18. Way to go, sister! That is fantastic.

    I too would love a facebook page to go to.

    My week was good. I did enjoy myself with a Big Mac with extra sauce–I haven’t had one in probably a year! And it was good! And it came with no guilt afterwards, which is a huge accomplishment for me. That was my big treat for the week.

    I was down a couple oz. And that’s still okay! Since I started WW in January, I am down 15 lbs total! I’m at a weight I havent been in YEARS!

  19. I am new to your blog (coming to you via “Made to Crave”, Lysa Terkheurst, and Melissa Taylor’s blogs. I am interested in the Weight Loss Wednesdays…which is why I signed up for your blog. And though some may not have physical weight to lose, most people have some kind of “weighty” burden that drags us down. I’ve found that the same concepts and principles applied to physical weight loss can be used to help lose emotional/spiritual weight as well.

    Thank you for your fresh, new perspective of a well-remembered event in the Bible. Very enlightening.

  20. Karen, what a wonderful surprise to see the number on the scale drop!! Way to go ;0) I think doing Weight loss Wednesday on fb would be great but I do love getting your messages in my inbox, as well!
    You really speak to me!
    Blessings,
    Becki

  21. Yes, if an evil king can do what he promised then I can keep my committment to love God more than my flesh and to obey His soft voice inside telling me that those Girl Scout cookies aren’t worth it.
    Thank you so much for Weight Loss Wednesday; it’s so inspiring.

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