January 1st until next Sunday Bill's sermon series is, "I am Resolved" and today's sermon title was, "To Take Care of My Body". Bill and I always go out together during the benediction and greet people as they leave so if anyone wants to visit or talk to either of us personally and up close, they know where they can find us! We love doing this and it can sometimes be entertaining to hear some of the comments from friends! Today, someone asked me, "Did you write Bill's sermon for today?" People who know me well, know that I am all about healthy food, family, church, exercise, Disney Vacation Club, shopping, cooking, entertaining, movies, reading, photography on trips, and holiday decorating. AND many of you know that Bill is all about sports, studying God's Word, prayer, evangelism, golf, Disney Vacation Club, and unhealthy food!
I loved this Sesame Street video from years ago! My mantra, Healthy Food! Bill and I, just like all couples, have different DNA, different genetics. Bill really can eat things that I can't and still have better blood work results than me! He has lower cholesterol just naturally. But my HDL's are higher than his since I do more intentional cardio but I have had to work hard to accomplish that! My father had high cholesterol and high lipids and LDL therefore, I inherited a tendency toward that. However, I was victorious in getting my cholesterol down 25 points in 3 months and back to normal! I continue to take Red Yeast Rice, Fish Oil, eat 14 unsalted almonds daily, and take psyllium (the only fiber that helps reduce cholesterol) daily! I also do at least 45 minutes of vigorous cardio 3 times a week and I don't eat fried foods, hardly any red meat, no desserts, and very little sugar. I drink tea, coffee, and water, and some skim and or soy milk in an occasional skinny latte at Starbucks!
Bill's message today was from Luke 2:52 and Mark 12:28-30
Bill references the scripture from Luke that says, "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and Man."
When we were both freshmen at Baylor we were both selected to serve on the BSU Leadership Council. While serving on that we were taught to strive to live a balanced life based on this scripture. We were to strive to always improve physically, mentally, physically and socially. We were given an illustration of a wheel that had 4 divisions equally divided into these areas. This wheel represented a well balanced successful life.
Dan and Nancy Deel were our teachers and they taught and challenged us to seek to have balance and to be excellent Physically, Mentally, Socially, and Spiritually. I am so thankful to have been blessed by my parents paying for me to get a degree from Baylor where I grew mentally and spiritually. I was also challenged to learn how to grow and hopefully excel in the social and physical areas.
The action steps Dr. Bill Skaar (my handsome husband and pastor!) challenged us to take today were:
1. Diet
2. Exercise
3. Rest - get enough sleep
4. Say no to tobacco, alcohol, and drugs
5. Practice Moral Purity
6. Build relationships
7. Worship regularly
Bill also shared about depression and how this, along with diabetes is an epidemic in our country right now. Antidepressants are one of the most prescribed drugs. See your doctor and find out if you have a chemical imbalance but know that simple exercise can produce natural feel good chemicals such as Endorphins/ neuro transmitters that facilitate a natural feeling of happiness and well being!
Bill also shared Genesis 9 where the dietary laws of the Old Testament were given and foods such as pork and shell fish were forbidden and considered unclean! We joke often about these "unclean" foods. Thankfully we are under a new covenant since Christ died and paid the penalty for our sins. He also lifted the Law that required us to work out our salvation, make atoning blood sacrifices regularly on the temple alter, and eat only of the foods considered clean. Many Jewish believers continue to follow the old dietary laws such as not mixing dairy and meat and keeping kosher and their practices are yes healthy, but protestants believe we are free from the old laws.
Bill also referenced I Corinthians 6:18-20 where the word says to "flee from sexual immorality". I am so thankful that I can honestly say I was a virgin when I married but the scripture encourages us to strive for this to protect our health as well. This directive if followed, can guarantee that you will not contract an STD and you will also not have any unpleasant or irremovable memories of this activity with anyone else but the one and only one you choose to marry and love the rest of your life! What a wonderful blessing and a bonus!
Finally, 3 John 1:2-4 says, "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."
Bill also shared Genesis 9 where the dietary laws of the Old Testament were given and foods such as pork and shell fish were forbidden and considered unclean! We joke often about these "unclean" foods. Thankfully we are under a new covenant since Christ died and paid the penalty for our sins. He also lifted the Law that required us to work out our salvation, make atoning blood sacrifices regularly on the temple alter, and eat only of the foods considered clean. Many Jewish believers continue to follow the old dietary laws such as not mixing dairy and meat and keeping kosher and their practices are yes healthy, but protestants believe we are free from the old laws.
Bill also referenced I Corinthians 6:18-20 where the word says to "flee from sexual immorality". I am so thankful that I can honestly say I was a virgin when I married but the scripture encourages us to strive for this to protect our health as well. This directive if followed, can guarantee that you will not contract an STD and you will also not have any unpleasant or irremovable memories of this activity with anyone else but the one and only one you choose to marry and love the rest of your life! What a wonderful blessing and a bonus!
Finally, 3 John 1:2-4 says, "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."
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