Hiya, everyone!
It's pretty late tonight, but I just wanted to pop in and say hi to y'all.
Last week I really struggled with my thoughts, and was tempted to eat lots of naughty foods. I must admit, I gave in a couple of times, too. But I'm learning to encourage myself, and continue with the discipline of healthy eating. Where previously I would feel a strong sense of defeat, and be easily persuaded to give into temptations, now I find I can get back up, and keep on heading towards my goal- praise God!!!
Today at the gym I had my weigh and measure. It's been 2 months since I started there, and I've lost a total of 24.5cm (almost 10 inches!!) off various body parts, and about 3kg in weight! I'm so glad I haven't given up when I've struggled... I'm still on the road to victory!
My darling husband and I are about to start facilitating a fantastic marriage enrichment course called Making Marriage Better. (Click here to learn more about that!) We're really excited about it, and looking forward to ministering to many others through the course! But to facilitate (lead) the course, we first have to do the facilitator's course- naturally! My DH has already done it, and has been facilitating mens courses since last Feb., but I am in the midst of my training now.
The reason for all this chatter is to tell you about the wonderful insight I learned on Saturday, while watching the training videos. It was something I'd heard before, but on Saturday, the penny really dropped! I believe it's something that will really help me, and it may also be of help to you, so here goes...
The trainer, Helen Meyer, was discussing four areas of recovery: areas of a person's life which may need work in order for healing to take place. These areas are: spiritual area, cognitive area (thought life), behavioural area, and feelings or emotions.
Very often, pastors, counsellors, facilitators, etc. lean towards one particular area, and therefore they may try to help a person using only a narrow approach. (I hope you're following me!!) An example of this may be using cognitive techniques, but failing to address the spiritual roots of the issue, or conversely, using prayer and deliverance ministry, but not acknowledging the need to process emotions! "OK, OK," you say, "just get on with it and tell me the new insight you had!!"
Well, it was this: I realised that I too have a bent towards a particular area- namely the Behavioural one, and that my difficulties in conquering some of my lifelong issues (such as lateness and unhealthy living) may be due in part, to my lack of focus on the other areas of recovery! To explain what I mean a bit more, I'll detail what behavioural work consists of.
Behavioural work is:
- Taking responsibility for your behaviour
- Structuring your life for behavioural change
- Making it easy to do the right thing
- Making it hard to do the wrong thing!
- Putting off/putting on - taking action
- Support and accountability in a group or with a friend.
A challenge for all of us, perhaps, to move out of our comfort zone and explore a wholistic approach to our own change! How very strange for me, being confronted with this new truth! Even now, I'm trying to avoid a behavioural approach, such as putting in place a structure so I can address spiritual issues etc. Hee hee, isn't that funny!
So I will avoid it. I won't strategise, I'll just carry my course book around a bit, refer to it now and then, and wait for the Holy Spirit to speak some more. That was fairly loose, wasn't it??!?
I'm sure you want to know what the other three areas entail too. I've abridged them, because of course, they're under copywright, but at least you'll have the general idea!
Spiritual work includes:
- Conversion, Baptism in the Holy Spirit
- Forgiveness, Inner healing
- Deliverance, Spiritual warfare, and devotional life.
- Renewing the mind, Bible study and replacing negative self talk with Biblical truth
- Challenging faulty beliefs and lies
- Learning new truths about yourself (eg Who I am in Christ!)
- Learning how to identify and express feelings
- Allowing yourself to experience feelings (eg suppressed feelings!)
- Expressing feelings responsibly
Have a great week everyone!
Christian Glitter by www.christianglitter.com
8 comments:
That's a great look at fixing the WHOLE problem, not just treating the "symptoms." Much better prognosis this way!!
What a great thing you're doing. I've often wondered if Honey Bear and I could offer any help to other marriages being that we've been united for over 40 years. I hope we set a good Christian example to our children and now to their spouses as well.
I fell like I do work on all these areas you mentioned. I have the most difficulty with discipline and self control but I feed the spiritual by doing Bible Study, devotions and Quiet Time. That would cover two areas according to your list. The third one: Honey Bear and I have date night on Fridays. Part of that time is: just sitting together without distractions and talking. Sometimes the talk gets emotional but that's okay.
Mama Bear
I am so happy for the weight and inches that you have lost, you are doing great.
Hi! Just now went back and saw your comment at Amy's blog about the Aussie/American differences.
We would call the baby's bed a bassinet, or if it is portable, usually a pack-n-play.
Do you have the same word for
pacifiers?
Wow, that was insightful. I'm going to bookmark this and read it again tomorrow. I love it.
Hey.nice to meet you and the journal is headed your way...... How do I ship to Australia?
I have the address, guess I need to take it to the Post office... I usually mail from my house.... We will see.......Anyway,,, it is headed your way tomorrow!
Denise
Hey girl,
What's up with you?
I came over to visit and you've been absent a while.
Just wanted to let you know the journal may be coming your way soon.
Let me hear from you.
Mama Bear
What an awesome post!
My husband and I have counseled many couple in marriage and it sounds like you have a great program going there.
Keep up the good work on your eating and exercise, congrats on the loss!
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