Inside OUT!

Christmas is now over but what fun it was to get presents! I especially liked getting new clothes. There is something about putting on something new and fresh that has always brightened my mood or day! The one thing I have never liked to do is buy new clothes because my old ones were too tight!! LOL…..so yes, I am hitting the gym hard. On the Back 9 it just isn’t as easy as it once was to keep things from expanding or shifting or falling!! Getting older does have advantages, hopefully one of them is being wiser, but it definitely has me working harder so that I do not have to go up a size in all my clothes. Ok…….the point of this post and its title is Inside OUT!

Yep, for me, in my own life I have spent a lot of time and focus on outward appearance from highlighting my hair to mani’s and pedi’s to paying close attention to the clothes I wear. If we are honest, most of us like to look the very best we can, or at least I hope we do. I call it a form of valuing self. Often times though, I can get too caught up in what I put on the outside and not focus on the inside out! I write all about the “spiritual self,” a personal and growing relationship with Jesus. Nurturing that relationship is the first thing I believe anyone should do to work from the inside out! In fact, I have written 12 journal posts over the holidays highlighting what I believe puts you into the “Strength Zone” of your God-given life.

Now that Christmas is over and we are starting a New Year, everyone seems to be focused on outward appearance, evidenced by going to Gold’s gym this a.m. and finding it packed, more than any other day in months it seems! You can definitely tell it is the New Year. I even noticed as I walked in that there was a long line of people standing outside the small offices designated for signing new members. We always seem to start out strong but how many of us stick with it? Do we realize the impact that sticking with it can make?

Our body is a temple! A temple to be taken care of but NOT to worship! There is a big difference. Often times we put new clothes on to make us feel better but the true feeling better comes from changing how we take care of and treat our “temple,” yes, our body, the house we reside in on this earth. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

I am the first to say that in 2014, by the grace of God, I have got to stop drinking Diet Cokes (I am especially fond, no, addicted to the ones with lime!) I am not going to be able to do it “cold turkey” but I know that I have got to end the love fest! I need to continue the effort to eat healthier as well! I have always been a believer in vitamins and take them regularly. When I sat in front of experts on nutrition (which I am not) over 13 years ago, it didn’t take much convincing for me to do what they recommended! These experts have dedicated their lives to “knowing” and sharing that knowledge.

There is so much evidence and information available today to help us lead a healthy lifestyle. It all boils down to our personal “choices!” What is it that you need to give up? Change? Implement? to become a better YOU? Last time I checked, we only are given one life and one body to live that life in! It is no one’s responsibility but our own to take care of it! Just get in front of a mirror and put on your “honest glasses!”

I have a very close friend who is a dermatologist and she has even traveled with me to listen and learn about nutrition. She was the first to agree with the experts that when we don’t take care of the inside, what we eat and how we treat our bodies can be directly reflected in our “skin!” The skin is the largest organ of the body, so that is one among many other reasons why you should look in the mirror and evaluate, honestly, I might add!

In order to fulfill God’s purpose for your life, doing your best to have a healthy body, not just one that is “decorated pretty” but is actually healthy underneath those pretty clothes, will enable you to be the “very best you!”

We may not think our food choices have a negative impact on others but they do. My mom always said, “Take care of yourself first, otherwise, you cannot take care of others!” She was right. If I am not well, then I am no good to anyone else. Lesson: Plain and simple, treat your body well. It is the only one you have. It is a temple not to be worshiped, but to be cared for so that you can Honor God and his Purpose for your life!

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