I'm sitting here this morning eating a small bowl of fruit. I want and need to lose some weight, so I am planning to eat well. I did the same yesterday, a breakfast of melon. I had lunch with our Community Care folk (those who visit area nursing homes on a weekly basis) who, following my beef lunch (with vegetables), had a lovely cake in honor of my wife and me. At night I had to cook for my boys as my wife and daughter had a Corps (Church) event so I grilled chicken and made some peas, corn and instant potatos...and then doused the chicken with barbecue sauce. Then for supper I ate some chips and cheese and quite a few liquorish all-sorts. It's the oddest of things...I completely forgot that I was trying to eat well! Is my desire to eat greater than my desire to be healthy? Do I lack that all important spiritual gift of self-control? Am I trying to make myself feel better by gouging?
At the end of the day, I think my problem comes down to bad habits. It is a habit that I need to break by simply eating well over a long period, until eating well becomes my habit.
Dictionary.com defines a habit as, "an acquired behavior pattern followed until it has become almost involuntary". A good for instance might be brushing my teeth. My habit tells me to brush them before I go to bed. My habit means that I naturally put the toothpaste on the brush, that I run the water and that I scrub my teeth. My habit also allows a natural pattern of brushing. Habits are a wonderful tool, and a great gift...unless they are bad habits.
Proverbs 25:28 says, "Like a City whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control" (NIV)
The Spiritual gift of self-control, therefore, seems to be an all or nothing. Either I have it or I don't, and if I don't I am opening myself up to all kinds of invasion by Satan and his lies. Therefore, I must spend more time in God's word, I must spend more time in prayer, and I must be very deliberate in every area of my life so that I build the wall of protection around me and not allow anything in that will damage me either physically or spiritually.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
I.m back
Apparently it's been several weeks since my last post...and it's been several weeks of changes in the Harris household. First, my computer went down. I tried to watch a sporting event on my computer, but I think I compromised it's safety so the hard drive had to be completely wiped. I was without a computer for three weeks.
Then, about 10 days ago, my wife and I received a phone call telling us that we are being reassigned from Fredericksburg to Hickory North Carolina. Our farewell is June 20TH after which we will hit the road and arrive at our new appointment. This reality has given us a number of emotions and feelings, not least a mourning for the people of Fredericksburg that we have grown to love.
Yesterday (May 9TH) was the Fredericksburg Salvation Army's music Sunday. I was so proud of the children who performed, many of whom I have watched grow over the past 5 - 6 years. It was watching my children perform, these kids in whom I have invested so much of myself, that made me see God's handiwork in all of this. We know the folk who will follow us in Fredericksburg, and they will love these children. We will miss them terribly but we know they are in good hands. I also know that, in Hickory NC, there are children who need to be loved by my wife and me. We are following some excellent Officers who must be going through the same emotions that we are...and it continues at many Salvation Army's around the world, but every change bring about new possibilities.
I am reminded of the old Salvation Army song:
I'm in His hands, I'm in His hands;
Whate're the future holds, I'm in His hands.
The days I cannot see, have all been planned for me;
His way is best, you see; I'm in His hands.
One of the most important things about the song is the comma after "His way is best" because it changes the whole song from being about resigning to the fact that I'm in His hands to a bold statement of faith. I can therefore say with great confidence that, regardless of what I want, I'm in His hands.
Then, about 10 days ago, my wife and I received a phone call telling us that we are being reassigned from Fredericksburg to Hickory North Carolina. Our farewell is June 20TH after which we will hit the road and arrive at our new appointment. This reality has given us a number of emotions and feelings, not least a mourning for the people of Fredericksburg that we have grown to love.
Yesterday (May 9TH) was the Fredericksburg Salvation Army's music Sunday. I was so proud of the children who performed, many of whom I have watched grow over the past 5 - 6 years. It was watching my children perform, these kids in whom I have invested so much of myself, that made me see God's handiwork in all of this. We know the folk who will follow us in Fredericksburg, and they will love these children. We will miss them terribly but we know they are in good hands. I also know that, in Hickory NC, there are children who need to be loved by my wife and me. We are following some excellent Officers who must be going through the same emotions that we are...and it continues at many Salvation Army's around the world, but every change bring about new possibilities.
I am reminded of the old Salvation Army song:
I'm in His hands, I'm in His hands;
Whate're the future holds, I'm in His hands.
The days I cannot see, have all been planned for me;
His way is best, you see; I'm in His hands.
One of the most important things about the song is the comma after "His way is best" because it changes the whole song from being about resigning to the fact that I'm in His hands to a bold statement of faith. I can therefore say with great confidence that, regardless of what I want, I'm in His hands.
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