The Good Stuff

I've been reading health books lately—The Gluten Effect, Metabolism Miracle, Seven Layers of Health—plus visiting a plethora of websites discussing health issues. And the bottom line is, to be healthy, we must fill up with good food and clean water.

For too long I've taken a fast-food approach to home cooking. I call a cake made from a box a homemade dessert. Instant potatoes? Definitely a home-cooked entrée. Soup from a can? Yes! Kind of makes me cringe. What it really comes down to, if it doesn't come from the earth—or a tree—or a healthy living animal (I do eat meat) it isn't the best choice.

Most health books are shouting out a universal message: we need to eat better! Too much bad stuff is happening to the food we buy at the grocery store. I've got to fill myself with healthy, living food—or I'll continue to suffer the consequences.

And then, just as quickly, my mind dashes off to an important correlation. While food intake can make a startling difference between me feeling great or not, what I fill my inner self with is dramatically affecting my soul's inner strength, stamina, and well-being. What do I fill myself with? What programs and movies am I inhaling? What talk am I participating in that fills me with anger, frustration, or stress? Are the things I read, watch, and spend my time doing beneficial to my spiritual growth? And will a quick meal of worship and hearing a word on Sunday morning be enough to feed me and make me strong throughout the week? Is it the kind of good-stuff nutrition I need to walk through my life? Or is the quickie Sunday morning stuff kind of like fast food?

We need to fill up with the good stuff.

To live strong as a believer I need to fill myself with the fullness of the Lord in my house, in my own closet place, throughout the day, before I go to sleep, and the first thing when I wake up in the morning. To know Him personally, I need to be filled with His anointing oil—the best oil in His kingdom—and let it seep into my pores, into my bloodstream, and heart.

Did you realize, if you divide your body weight in half, that's how much water, in ounces, you should be drinking a day? That's a lot of water! Our bodies are made up of about 60% water, and our blood is over 90% water. Impressive. We must daily replenish this supply.

And so it is, for our minds to be renewed, our hearts to be recharged, our lives to be changed, we need to fill ourselves with Jesus daily, to rest at our Father's feet daily, to be filling up with the Holy Spirit's presence daily.

A little taste of healthy eating isn't enough. We have to be radical about it if we want to see a vibrant change in our body. And so it is in the spirit. A little spiritual fast food won't suffice.

We need more. I need more.

More, Lord.

Mirror Talk

Do you ever stand in front of the mirror and remind yourself of something? Sometimes I do that. Sometimes I have to tell myself the same thing over and over until I start to believe it. And even then I wrestle with myself over the idea.

You may think that's really silly. And indeed it does seem that way. But as I talk to myself, it's good to hear someone say the words--even if it's me--and I know that over time, my inner self will begin to realize the words are true.

Now, I won't tell you all about my mirror-side conversations, but I will share one thing I say on a regular basis. I look in the mirror and boldly proclaim, "You are a writer." 

You might wonder why I would need this ritual when the definition of a writer is "one that writes" and I do.

Maybe it's because my personal definition of a writer is more like...one who writes successfully. Or one who writes for many to read. Or one who can write the first draft exceedingly well.

People say writers write every day. And I don't. People say writers write because they can't "not" write. And that simply isn't true for me. Sometimes I go a couple of months without writing anything besides emails or posts in twitter.

I wish to be that person who writes snappy and cool every day, where the words flow like honey off my spoon. But so far, that isn't me.

I'm a playwright, in the process of editing my 18th stage play--and yet, I still need to tell myself "I'm a writer." 

It is humorous.
But one of these days, I may actually believe myself.