Any food can be fast food…

Any food can be fast food…

There’s been a couple of times in my life when I lost weight.  One came right after a conversation with my wife.  I was 235lb’s at the time and we had been married maybe three years.  We were talking about losing weight and she said, “You eat too fast!”

Sure enough it was true!  Any food can be fast food.

The digestive system works when you eat slower than a Jr Hi boy!  There’s digestive juices all the way down to your stomach.  When you eat slower your body naturally makes better use of the food you eat.  It also sends a message to your brain, “You’re full!” much quicker.  Then you naturally eat less, digest better, sleep better, and feel better.

So, I started eating slower and walking 45 minutes a day (no joke – on a treadmill watching World Cup DVD’s – 45 minutes with no commercials)!  Within two months of that I had lost 35 pounds!

What’s my point?

The “how” is nearly as important as the “what”…

Let’s try it this way:

How you feed yourself matters!  If you’re speed reading the Bible from your crackberry while jogging and thinking about work…it just might not have the same effect as sitting down to read it with enough time to consider the meaning.

Consider making enough time to read your Bible in a way that doesn’t require you looking at your watch every minute.

This can be tough!  It is worth it!

My life is different every day because of time I have spent mentally chewing on a word or phrase from the Bible!  Some times I have to chew very slowly!  Honestly, there are stretches where I have to chew on a section for a full week, or more.

This always pays off!

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” I Peter 5:7

This means a whole lot more to me after giving myself a good chunk of time to chew on it.

Some meals take longer than others.  Some meals have different meaning.

Eating is necessary to life.

Chewing on your Bible is essential to the survival of your spirit.

Coach John Wooden offers us words…

Coach John Wooden passed away this weekend at 99.

"Your character is what you really are..."

Who’s John Wooden?  He won seven straight NCAA Basketball Championships and coached the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton.  He is the only person named to the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach.

Here’s a few of my favorite quotes from the coach:

• “Success is peace of mind in knowing you did your best.”

• “Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.”

• “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
• “Ability may get you to the top but it takes character to keep you there.”
• “Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.”
• “Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation.  Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

– John Wooden

Over the years my dad has spent time with a variety of very influential people.  Around ten years ago he was able to share a few hours with Coach Wooden.  It was a meaningful day for dad who has done his share of coaching basketball.

One of the things that Coach Wooden said on that day struck dad.  He mentioned that he was most proud of one accomplishment – the number of his students that became pastors.

Serving people, in their spiritual journey, is a path work taking!

Thanks Dad and Thanks Coach Wooden!