A Christmas Prayer

By Julie Morris –

O Lord, thank You for Christmas. Help me to prepare so that this year I can celebrate Your son’s birth in a more meaningful way. Help me to examine mistakes I’ve made in past Christmases so that I won’t be caught up in an unhealthy tidal wave of Christmas confusion this year.

So often, I have gotten my priorities backwards during Christmas: I’ve been so busy buying presents for everyone else that I have ignored the One whose birthday I was celebrating. I have spent money I didn’t have to buy gifts that no one needs. I have continued meaningless traditions that include over-spending and over-eating, while cutting down on Bible study and prayer.

When I think about the reason for the season, these things just don’t make sense. But that’s one of the problems. As Christmas confusion snowballs into Christmas chaos, I don’t think clearly! I celebrate Christmas as I always have, even if the results are the same: exhaustion, debt, extra pounds and a sense of emptiness after it’s over.

Father, help me to put You first and give You what You want this Christmas. When I think about what parents want from their children, I know the three things You want most: You want my love—not empty words of love; You want me to prove my love by spending time  with You, allowing You to guide me and encourage me. You want my appreciation for all of the things You have done for me—especially the sacrifice You made when You sent Your son as my redeemer 2,000 years ago. And You want me to share Your love with others.

Lord, there’s no way I can change the way I celebrate Christmas without Your help and a determined effort on my part. So right now I ask You to help me and I commit to do these things every day between now and Christmas:

• I will spend 15 minutes every morning celebrating the real reason for the season. During that time, I’ll journal my prayers and sing praises to You while basking in the light of my Christmas tree.
• I will pray daily to find people who need my help. Whether it’s money, encouraging words or extra time, I will share with them cheerfully–out of love for You.
• I will spend my time, money and calories well during the holidays. I will not do everything that I’ve always done—and expect different results. I will turn down some party invitations, shopping trips and Christmas traditions so I won’t become exhausted, bust my budget or add extra pounds.
• I will prepare for each Christmas party I decide to attend. I won’t go famished; I’ll focus on fellowship more than food; and when I eat, I’ll make the healthiest choices I can. And I won’t go back for seconds or load my plate down to overflowing.
• I’ll make exercise a priority. I’ll go for a brisk walk or run by the gym almost every day.
• I won’t tempt myself or those around me by baking a lot of “goodies.” I will think about how miserable I always feel when I’ve overeaten, and put a stop to it before it starts.
• I will meet with a prayer partner each week. I’ll tell her how I’m doing with these goals and pray with her, asking for the desire and ability to make these positive changes. If I get off track, I will confess it, recommit to my goal, and praise You for Your unconditional love for me.

Thank You for the priceless gift You gave at Christmas! Help me, Lord, to enjoy You this Christmas and to please You in all I do as I celebrate.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Julie Morris (julie@guidedbyhim.com) is the author of 12 books, a dynamic motivational speaker and founder of two Christian weight-loss programs: Step Forward (www.stepforwarddiet.com) and a lighter and easier version of Step Forward–Guided By Him (www.guidedbyhim.com).

A Wonderful Gift

By Cami Checketts –

Imagine your father came to visit you and handed you the keys to a brand new Mercedes Benz GL450 Sport Utility. How would you treat that gift your father has given you? Would you forget to change the oil, rotate the tires, vacuum the interior, or put good quality gas in it? I’m sure you wouldn’t. You’d take wonderful care of that vehicle and make sure Dad got a big old kiss and so many professions of gratitude you’d probably embarrass the poor guy.

Our physical bodies are a gift from our Heavenly Father. We can and should do amazing things with our physical bodies—move, breathe, have children, hug those beautiful children, run and dance. The list goes on and on. How do we show our Heavenly Father how grateful we are for this gift? We take good care of it!

To have the strength and energy we need to serve and love our brothers and sisters, we have to take care of our physical self. We’re all busy and overwhelmed, but if we neglect the basics of good health, we will find ourselves feeling worse, fighting health problems, and eventually unable to keep up with life.

What are those basics? Sleep, good nutrition and physical activity.

Sleep—With a two-month old baby we’re struggling with this one, but at times I find myself squandering my sleep time. There are usually things I can cut out that aren’t important (who needs to fold the laundry?) so I can get a little more rest.

Good nutrition—The United States Department of Agriculture has a great overview of your basic good nutrition. Try to avoid fad diets that can help you lose weight initially but will ultimately hurt your health and usually result in a large weight gain after you quit the diet.

Physical activity—Being physically active does not mean you have to hit the gym for an hour each day. Find activities you can enjoy with your loved ones, wear a pedometer to try and move more each day, or if you enjoy the gym, set up a schedule so you can get there. The adversary would have us believe that the goal of exercise is to have perfect abs, but that’s not going to happen for most of us. The real goal of exercise is to help us function better in our daily lives and to improve stamina, self-confidence and overall health.

I hope none of us will take for granted this glorious gift our Heavenly Father has given us. Of course, we’ll never be perfect in our sleeping, eating, or exercising, but what counts is that we do our best. Let’s focus on being healthy so we can further the Lord’s work and be there for those we love.

Cami Checketts is a wife, mother of four boys, exercise scientist and author of The Sister Pact —In Stores Now http://fitnessformom.blogspot.com, www.camichecketts.com,
http://camicheckettsbooks.blogspot.com .

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