Losing weight sure does seem more difficult that it once was. Right now that is one of my goals for myself. I added about fifteen pounds during the process of being sick. That does sound strange but it is true. It would be easy to blame the steroid part of my therapy. Eating became one of those side effect issues in the four month period. My attempts to exercise fell short of my tendency to order most everything on the menu. So part of the blame must go to me. No one forced me to indulge even with increasing hunger urges. It took me about five rounds to find ways to eat without overdoing it. This is what my current efforts are trying to fix.

You cannot remain in the status quo while working to get healthier. Exercise is a must. My opinion is that no one can just diet alone to reach personal goals. Walking at a slow pace is a good start but there is always the need to improve your time. Intentional working out is the method to getting rid of these fifteen pounds. Nutrition matters but it is not usually enough by itself. But you cannot just workout while eating everything in sight. All of this works together to your benefit. Now my belief on diet does not mean you only take in bland food. It means you know what you are eating before you begin. Rest matters with all of this. As age fifty approaches it becomes clear the need for recovery time. It may sound like the odd part of this equation but it is very true.

I am pretty sure that you are ready for an application beyond my physical condition. Your spiritual health is very much the same. No one single practice is enough to round out your maturity. Baptists tend to look toward bible study as their one form of growth. Bible study is good but it will always be better when tied to your personal prayer life. Building your prayers upon what you gain from scripture just adds to its effectiveness. This approach also gives you extra motivation to reflect on what God is saying. Odds are good that if He says it to you then you should say it to another person in need. We are not meant to just keep our growth locked away in private. God's intent is for us to put our discoveries into action to help others grow. Balance is the key to solid spiritual maturity.

One of my life goals in ministry is for others to become all God created them to be. Not everyone gets that. I cannot grow for another person no matter how much I try. No one can lose weight for me regardless of the effort. Each of us owns our life. We are where we are on the basis of our experience with God. He is always willing to help us in our journey. Sometimes it may be a bit painful while our extra stuff falls away. We may even have some growing pain as our heart is stretched. The good news is that you can continue learning as long as you have breath. This is my intention. What is yours?

Bro. Trey