Become as Little Children

Do you ever wish you were a kid again with all the carefree ease in living? I do, and as I’m learning more about how to live that way, I’ve also learned that staying fit doesn’t have to be adult drudgery. It can be fun and exciting like little children running and jumping and playing all day. 

Years ago, kids spent hours outside entertaining themselves with jump-ropes and balls and skates. They chased each other around the park and tumbled in the grass. They hiked and biked and hula-hooped, and because of these activities, they were rarely over-weight. 

I did most of these things as a young girl, but in my late teens and early 20s, I traded these innocent activities for the kicks of cigarettes, alcohol, and junk food. I eventually outgrew all of my clothes, three times in the course of two years, and became so lazy that I drove my car a half-block to the store.

It was during this time that I made a conscious decision to get into shape. I began reading all that I could about nutrition and exercise, and then started jumping rope five days a week. Over time, I added more activities to my routine and soon discovered that these exercises not only curbed my appetite and helped me lose weight, but they also increased my energy level and confidence. These changes also gave me the desire to improve my life in other areas too. 

It’s not necessary to join a gym to get into shape. Take a walk or bike outside for free, or for the price of a three-month fitness club membership, buy a couple of exercise DVDs and a few pieces of equipment instead: a bar weight, a weighted ball or kettle-bell, resistance bands, a stepper, or a jump-rope will help vary your workout at home. Whittle your middle by doing 30 minutes of hula-hooping. This fun exercise is equivalent to walking 3.5 mph on a treadmill for that same amount of time, plus it firms the abs. When you enjoy what you do, you will do it longer with greater enthusiasm and intensity. There are also phone apps that will log your eating habits and track your exercise progress to make your experience more measurable. 

Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4). If we live with childlike humility and simplicity, it will not only prepare us for eternity, but it will also help us live a more fulfilling life, with less stress and more joy, here on earth right now.

If you would like more healthy tips and ideas, you can find them in I'm Hungry! I'm Bored! 

Sick and Tired of Feeling Sick and Tired?

It seems as though a lot of people are sick lately. I have a few tips that will help reduce the discomfort. Many illnesses come about when the lining of the nose and throat dry out. When heat is cranked up, like it has been lately, the air lacks humidity, the orifices dry out, and germs enter in. The way to help prevent and heal colds is to set a pan of water or a wet bath towel (hung over a plastic coat hanger) near the source of heat. (You will see how quickly the water evaporates or the towel dries when the heat is on.) Drink plenty of clear fluids to keep mucus thin and to ease chest congestion and sinus pressure. Drink a cup of tea with a little lemon and honey or add a mentholated cough drop to it, and then breathe in the steam while you sip it. Add garlic to soups and other foods. Louis Pasteur proved that garlic has healing properties because it kills germs. For more healthy tips like these, check out I'm Hungry! I'm Bored!

Your Sphere of Influence

There once was a woman who interviewed people and asked if they knew the definitions of ignorance and apathy. One man replied, “I don’t know and I don’t care” then quickly hurried on his way. It is this type of attitude that leads to failure because it depicts a closed and uncaring mind and heart.

It is in seeking to better our sphere of influence that we attain success in life. It’s not heaping up treasure that brings satisfaction. It’s in giving that we receive, no matter what it is we are giving away. Doing a good deed for someone else not only helps them, but it also makes us feel better too. On the same token, helping someone else to learn also helps us become more knowledgeable too. Romans 2:21 says, “You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself?” When the Bible says, “Give and it shall be given unto you” (Luke 6:38) it’s not just referring to money or possessions. Whatever you give whether good or bad is going to come back to you, so be careful what you send out on your boomerang.

Therefore, if you want to be more successful then teach someone else what you want to become more adept at. If you want people to respect you more then treat all people with respect. If you want more love in your life then begin showing kindness to others. In doing so you are gaining more knowledge and creating more love and discovering what truly matters. Jesus owned nothing while he lived here on earth yet his influence spread far and wide. You don’t need a boatload of money to make a difference in this world. You merely need to stand up for what you believe, in a respectful way, and then live it every day. It’s then that you will grow stronger and others will be influenced by your example and will love and respect you more in the process.

The Escape Hatch

Most people have an escape hatch that they use to flee from pressure or to find pleasure when

the burdens of life get too heavy. Hatches are holes torn into our souls that lead to excessive behaviors, which when done over time contribute to negative outcomes in this life and the next.

Escapes are labeled with various signs that promise enjoyment or excitement, a bag of cookies, a bottle of booze, a few puffs of a drug that often end in regret and bondage. Many justify their excessive behaviors by saying they deserve the vice as a break from the stresses of life. Others are seeking to fill the hole in their soul and oftentimes don’t even know it. The Bible speaks of people caring more about adorning their homes and seeking pleasure, rather than caring about the things of God. He then compares these behaviors to putting money into a bag with holes that result in a meaningless life (Haggai 1:4-6).

The Holy Spirit is the Helper who can restore the torn and seal the soul holes to make a person complete in Him. The Bible never tells us to worry or to carry our own burdens. On the contrary we are commanded, “Do not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6), and to “Cast (literally throw or hurl) your anxiety on Him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Jesus also calls those who are weighed down with burdens to come to him for rest (Matthew 11:28-30). This doesn't mean we're to sit idly-by doing nothing when work needs to be done, but oftentimes we are the ones who make life more difficult because of our preconceived expectations of what it should look like and then grow our possessions accordingly. The paradox to this is that when we take things in and consume, we often feel empty and unhappy, but when we produce and give things out to help other people, it is then that we become joyful and fulfilled.

Be sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise to be filled with power and to live a life fulfilled (Ephesians 1:13). 

FREE eBook by Award-winning and Bestselling Author

Help your children succeed in reaching their goals with certified personal trainer and certified health coach, Carol McCormick

I'm Hungry! I'm Bored! can help you and your children make better dietary choices and behavioral changes that lead to weight loss and health gains.

I'm Hungry! provides the what, why, and how-to of nutrition and weight loss by defining the problems, offering solutions, and then presenting guidelines to carry them through. 

I'm Bored! offers hundreds of  suggestions and links to fun and educational activities, questions to ask, jobs to perform, and services to volunteer, all-of-which develop the intellect, confidence, and feelings of fulfillment. These activities may also deter the hand-to-mouth eating habit that often accompanies boredom.

Eat and Play Your Way to Better Health, a Leaner Physique, and a Happier Life!

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February 7th and 8th

Aim for the Ten Yard Line

The majority of people who attain success in any field have a plan of action. 

A football player’s goal is to make a touchdown. Even though in the process of getting from the fifty-yard line to the end zone, he encounters falls, blocks, and setbacks, he keeps pressing toward his goal. The time, effort, and frustration are daunting, and because of this the players alleviate the pressure of this seemingly impossible task by aiming for one ten-yard line at a time, while still keeping the end zone in sight. Rare is the runner that sprints the length of the field in one mad-dash.

Losing weight is a lot like making a touchdown. People know the goal (the ideal number on their scale), but they often don’t know the route to reach it, or they give up in frustration after setbacks. The way to reach the goal is by taking small steps in the right direction toward good health. Aim to lose two pounds in one week rather than vaguely saying, “I want to lose thirty pounds.” Two pounds a week is specific and doable, if you make small changes. 

I used to make up and recite mantras when I struggled with weight related issues. They helped me begin my steps to success. One of them was: “If I don’t do it now, it won’t get done. It will never get any easier than where I am right now. I will always have to go through this difficult place to get where I want to go."

Steady progress in the right direction will help you reach your goal. Discover ways to lose weight and win the game in I'm Hungry! I'm Bored!