Susan Elaine Jenkins

Interview with Susan Elaine Jenkins ~

Q: First of all, tell us a bit about yourself.

Susan: I am a teacher. I was born into a family of preachers and teachers, and I always had a keen desire to teach. I began the first year out of college (Point Loma Nazarene University) and my career has taken me into the hearts and lives of many unforgettable students. Much of my time is occupied with continuing education and professional development opportunities, which opens up new areas of thinking and learning as I go.

After teaching in California private schools for 19 years, I moved to China, where I have focused on teaching performing arts in 3 different international schools. I am a seasoned foreign expatriate these days and yet, the daily adventures of living in Asia continue to surprise me.

Q: It seems that some parts of your book were passages right out of your journals through the years. Is that right? Is it hard to share these publicly, when you probably thought of yourself as the only audience at the time?

Yes, they were taken directly from my journals – especially the conversations between Dr. Travis and me. Those 3 difficult months were mind-numbing days. Writing everything that happened at the end of every confusing day helped me make more sense of it all.

Once I was in China, the conversations with Ouyang were important to me, as well, and I also kept detailed accounts. I knew I needed to have those talks recorded somewhere where I could retrieve them – they were too special to forget. The experiences I was having with my Chinese friends were very precious; China was rapidly developing and nothing would be the same again. I recently visited Tianjin and was stunned to see the progress made – the sleek commercial buildings and tall apartments that have replaced the ancient hutongs near the streets where I once lived and worked.

Yes, I assumed my journals were for my eyes only, and it has been difficult opening up these details to the public. There have been many starts and stops for me to this process and times when I wanted to forget the whole project.

Q: Was there any deciding factor that made you think you should try compiling your notes into a book and to try to get it published? What encouragement did you get along the way?

A friend from the UK convinced me to begin a blog. The idea of sharing my stories was inconceivable, at first, but as time went by, I got to know my readers. Little by little, I opened up the pages of my journals with them, interspersed with a few of the details of daily life in Asia. To my surprise, my online friends began commenting and sending me private letters filled with their own pain. I wanted to let them know that there really is healing and light ahead, that God’s promise really is authentic: He is a God who heals.

Q: Are there any character embellishments? Some people in your book seem almost larger than life!

No, the characters are written exactly as they are. Conversations are word for word, in most cases. I wanted to present the strong and good qualities of my former husband, Kyle, for example, as well as the perplexing reality of our marriage. The words of Dr. Travis (not his real name) were etched deeply into my memory, of course, as those were life-changing words of an experienced sexual predator – impossible to forget, much as I tried. And then the amazing friends I met in China were such distinctive people! I remember thinking: How can I tell the world about Mrs. Hua and her cozy dinner parties with fish swimming laps in the bathtub? How can I explain how marvelous Apple is, with her heart that simply listens to God as she finds her way around the French Riviera? I wanted to share the story of Angel’s frustration at being 30 years old and single in the Chinese culture. These are incredibly real and strong people who desire the same things we do in America. They taught me so much.

Q: Why a book about China?

"Well, this particular story began to be written in the summer of 1992. My friend, David, gave me the keys to his beach house in Pebble Beach and it began pouring out, as I walked along the ocean and typed in his massive kitchen. At the end of the summer, I returned the rented computer, put all the pages into a plain cardboard box and shoved it into a closet. It wasn’t until five years later, in 1997, that I realized the story was not going to rest quietly, just gathering dust. It was almost as if it had a life of its own, and refused to be forgotten…so I took the box to China with me and kept writing…for the next ten years. I wrote between classes, on long snowy northern Chinese weekends, on Chinese trains and sitting in plastic airport chairs. It seemed to evolve into a book that is really a combination of two lives: my life in California and my life in Asia; two very different worlds.

I think it seemed very natural at some point, to write of a remarkably poignant journey that met in a healing point while living in a crumbled country, broken by its own history. My life at that point seemed very much the same – broken, falling apart, and dark.

Q: You moved to China to get away from memories that were haunting you? At what point did China start feeling like "home" to you, and less like the completely foreign distraction it first was?

A great job offer came up, and yes, I was anxious to have a completely new start. Before I left for China, someone told me, "Susan, you can never get away from this. Sooner or later, you will need to face all that’s happened in your life. You will need to go through the grieving process and admit that you have lost so much." He was right. I did have to face it, but that happened slowly, almost imperceptibly, over a long period of time. Being in China helped me gain perspective of what God wanted to do in me and through me.

I guess it was near the end of my first school year that I realized China had become a second home. I was walking along the hot, muggy streets with Ouyang, and I realized I was reluctant to go back to America. He said, "Do you have to go back? Why don’t you just stay?" That possibility hadn’t occurred to me until that point and I muttered something about it being too hot during the summer months to remain and that most of the teachers returned to their home countries for the holidays. Years later, I found I could stay for the summers and feel very much at home.

I think the idea of feeling at home in China has to do with the fact that I began feeling "at home" with God. And that, for me, involved a great spiritual healing and coming back to a point of rest within God’s heart; being glad to be in His loving presence; knowing that all my sins are utterly forgiven and cast away; and, sensing His divine heart of grace. Home has literally – for me – become His own Heart.

Q. Where might we find out more about you and Scandalon?

Please my website at http://www.susanelainejenkins.com

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"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live" Deuteronomy 30:19

"Choose Life" = Spiritual Shorthand for the Busy Christian

What’s one of the quickest ways to experience positive change in our lives? Choose life. How about for weight management, fitness and vibrant health? Yes, the "choose life" decision can be made in a minute and lived moment-by-moment one day at-a-time. Choose life.

How can a scripture and spiritual directive to "choose life" assist us in our goals to be fit witnesses spiritually and physically? As busy people, we need some practical, proactive tools we can use at a moment’s notice to help us handle decisions, challenges and temptations.

I have found these two simple, yet startlingly powerful words have kept me from falling prey to sudden urges for "just one" (bite, cookie, candy bar, soda, binge or foray into Debtsville). You may be different, but for me "just one" rarely ends with just one.

Whenever I simply stop and say to myself, "I choose life," my spirit (the real me) rises up with strength to overcome the flesh and I’m suddenly able to say "No" to the temptation.

These two potent little words from scripture can also help us get moving when our flesh wants to "veg out" in front of the television or skip the fitness break we’ve committed to taking that day.

"I choose life," I’d say as I laced my running shoes and headed for the door or mini-trampoline.

"Choose life" I’d say to myself when I wanted to pout and "punish" my husband for hurting my feelings instead of forgiving him. Choosing to follow those two little words would often turn the whole situation around.

What IS "Life"? 

Jesus said His words are life.

"The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life," He said in John 6:63. 

Is "choose life" some sort of "magic incantation" or "lucky charm"? No, certainly not! Both magic and luck are part of the enemy’s bag of tricks. When you have the blessing and favor of God through your relationship with Jesus Christ, you want nothing to do with capricious fortune, magic or luck. God’s promises are based on truth, not happenstance.

When you meditate on and speak God’s words, you are being "transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2).  As your mind is renewed on the Word of God, you will be transformed, and part of that transformation process relates to the choices and decisions you make. 
We are presented with hundreds, even thousands of choices every day which affect the health and fitness of our spirit, soul and body. How well I know the cry of the flesh, "I want it and I want it NOW!" I had to have my favorite snack, drink, a second helping–my "fix." Like a child, I thought only of the desire of the present moment and wanted to have my way. Let the grown-ups deal with the consequences. It didn’t matter how strong my will power had been or how solid I thought my commitment was, my flesh would scream and I’d cave in like a startled soufflé.

"Choose life." Again and again those words would come to me. I’d be faced with a temptation to forgo my food plan for the day, or neglect the exercise I’d purposed to do and the words would come to me: "Choose life." I’d want to blow off a commitment I’d made, or stay in bed instead of getting up early to invest in my relationship with the Lord, and the words would come to me, "Choose life."

A third-party report (i.e. gossip) would come to me and I’d want  to share the "news" — then I’d hear the words in my heart, "Choose life" calling me to make a godly choice.

To choose life is to choose God’s way of doing things. Can we override the gentle nudge of the Spirit of God bringing His Word to our remembrance? Yes. The Lord’s still, small voice doesn’t come with a two-by-four to enforce compliance. While we may try "reasoning" or bargaining with the Lord, the more time we invest in reading, meditating and speaking His Word, the more we will want to heed His gentle reminder to "Choose LIFE" — it IS the secret weapon for the Busy Christian.

(Adapted from The Busy Woman’s Guide to Total Fitness by Laurette Willis, Harvest House Publishers) available at www.PraiseMoves.com .

And now I’d like to invite you to get my free "Fit Favorites Devotional" and PraiseMoves FitNews. To get yours, go to http://praisemoves.com.

© Laurette Willis 2009

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christian Fitness Expert and author Laurette Willis is the Director of PraiseMoves, offering fitness programs, DVDs, books and training for those interested in a Christian alternative to yoga, and fitness for spirit, soul and body at http://praisemoves.com. To follow Laurette on Twitter visit http://twitter.com/Fit4Christ and on FaceBook: http://facebook.com/praisemoves

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In many cultures scars are beautiful—they denote honor and standing. Through intricate patterns, man-made scars share the story, the timeline, and history of the one who bears them.

But I didn’t grow up in one of those places. I was born in Texas and grew up in Illinois . And though some people may consider Texas wild and the Midwest no man’s land, in both those places scars are not considered a good thing. Growing up with four brothers, I always seemed to be falling down—on my knees, my elbows, my chin, and I even gashed my ankle up pretty good. My mother invested in a lot of cocoa butter, rubbing that chocolate-smelling hard fat on my wounds, hoping that her only daughter wouldn’t be a scarred up mess that would bring shame on the family. “Be careful now.” Pain and worry made her frown. “You don’t want to wear stockings and have scars showing through.”

When I was a girl, wearing sheer stockings was a right of passage. Stockings meant everybody could see your legs, it meant attention from boys, and it meant someday there would be a trip down the aisle. But not if your knees were scarred; no one wanted to see dark marks and raised, torn skin. I would have to be perfect for anyone to want me.

The truth is that I was scarred and I worked harder at covering those scars than at anything else I did in my life. My family was financially stable and did all the right things—went to church, marched in parades—but just beneath the surface . . .

I learned to be a keeper of secrets—at least I used to be. Others in my family were brought out as symbols of my family’s beauty and accomplishment. But I was the hidden librarian of my family’s shame, failure, fear, broken-heartedness, anger, and depression.

My career, like meth for a junkie, helped dull the pain. If I could just get more—more money and a longer title–that would cover the shame and make everything better . . .

It took me years to realize that my own scars–the ones on my body, on my heart, and on my spirit–that make me beautiful.

ABOUT SISTAHFAITH

Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? (Jeremiah 8:22, NIV)

Twenty-five women, including Bunny Debarge, Sharon Ewell Foster, Stanice Anderson, Claudia Mair Burney and Marilynn Griffith, tell their stories of coming full circle from tragedy to triumph. Each contributor keeps it holy, keeping it real in these raw, relevant tales of redemption and restoration. Think of it as Prozac for the Christian Woman’s Soul!

A twelve week study is included for churches and book clubs. Instructions provided on gathering your own SistahFaith circle.

Join the network of sistahs at http://sistahfaith.ning.com/.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sharon Ewell Foster is an acclaimed author, speaker, and teacher. She has contributed to Daily Guideposts, Tavis Smiley’s Keeping the Faith, and to the Women of Color Devotional Bible. Her achievements include: the Christy Award, the Gold Pen Award, the Romantic Times Best Inspirational, Publisher’s Weekly starred reviews and the Essence Bestseller List. Sharon also ghostwrote a NYT bestselling novel. Visit her on the web at www.SharonEwellFoster.com.

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Why self-esteem and what is it exactly?

Self esteem is the extent to which we like, respect and accept ourselves. It reflects our overall evaluation or appraisal of our self worth. It encompasses our beliefs, emotions and behavior. However, many people operate from the perspective of what others think of them and it fuels a cycle of dissatisfaction and discontentment. Instead of finding peace within themselves and being the unique and distinct person God created them to be, they live a life based on who they think others want them to be. As a result then of achieving high self esteem they find their self esteem constantly under attack.

It has been said that 2 out of 3 people at any given time suffers from low self esteem, and low self esteem can negatively affect every part of our lives. If the negativity goes unaddressed, it can completely ruin our lives. If at the core of it all is low self esteem, we must address this issue if we want to live joyous, productive, and purposeful lives as God intended. From my experience it all starts with changing the way we think. The way we think is essential to winning over negativity and boosting self esteem.

Why is self-esteem important to you?

Self esteem is important to me because after dealing with a difficult separation and divorce, I found myself struggling to rebuild my self esteem. That whole experience had taken me down a road of despair and depression like I had never experienced before. High self esteem had never been a problem for me so when life became difficult and it challenged me to question myself, I was completely thrown for a loop. It caused me to question my self- worth and value, and in the end I really struggled with accepting myself. I started thinking something must be wrong with me.

Now, based on the Word of God I knew this wasn’t true but I still struggled. Once I was able to regain my confidence and repair the damage to my self esteem, I begin to see that I had gotten lost in my emotions when it really was about what was going on in my head. High self esteem starts with what we think! Of course, sometimes we suffer from ‘thinking stinking’ and that can present a different set of issues; overall, I learned that to develop high self esteem we must examine what we think because that is what shapes our perspective and allows us to accept ourselves along with the challenges of life from a more positive perspective than negative one. That’s why I focused my book on positive affirmations for accepting me.

What can a person do to build high self-esteem?

I would recommend starting with what I call my ACCEPT Principles:

A – Learn to accept your strengths and weaknesses. As humans we are a work in progress. Everyone has an up side to who they are and a down side. It is our down side that continues to remind us of our humanity and keeps us seeking to be better and do better. Often our weaknesses are just unguarded strengths that we must continue to manage them if it is something we can’t change but our weaknesses DO NOT make us a bad person.

C – Concentrate on the positives. It is real easy to focus on the negative and our world is full of them. However, to focus on the positives it starts with making a choice to do so. From there you make a commitment to release any and all negativity; negative thoughts, negative emotions and negative relations. The Bible says ‘think on these things …whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, and whatever is of good report.’

C – Connect to your passion and you’ll connect to your purpose. Find the things in life that you are really passionate about and involve yourself in them. That will do more to help you have the confidence that you need to succeed and win over any adversity life presents. Also you will notice how much happier your life will be because of it.

P – Persevere. It has been said when the going gets tough the tough gets going. In this life we will have trouble, as the Bible tells us so we must hold fast to the faithfulness of God and His promises to never leave us alone. When tough times now come my way, I often affirm and encourage myself with the scripture that says ‘this too shall pass.’

T – Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your understanding. We may not see the hand of God at work but we must trust that He is at work on our behalf. That is called the providence of God.

If the ACCEPT Principles helps us build high self-esteem, what helps us maintain it?

Here are seven simple steps that we all can do every day. Building or rebuilding self esteem is the most difficult. Maintaining high self esteem is a lot easier if we implement these steps.

1. Smile often to yourself and to others. Greet others when you see them and ask how they are and how their day is going. This helps build positive relationships with others.

2. Eliminate the negative. When a negative thought enters your mind, stop and immediately counter it with a positive thought about the same subject.

3. Be nice to others and be nice to yourself. Conversely, don’t degrade others and don’t degrade yourself.

4. Face your fears and forget your failures (after learning from them). Focus on your achievements and successes. Reward yourself when you succeed.

5. Quit thinking about trying to be perfect. No one is, so just accept that as it is. Don’t be too competitive and don’t compare yourself with others.

6. Don’t worry about what others think of you. Just be the best you that you can be.

7. Hang out with positive and optimistic people who also have high self esteem and self confidence. But when you are around negative people, try to direct your positive and optimistic thoughts in their direction. Don’t let them pull down your level of self confidence or self esteem.

Can you be a good person, a successful person, and still struggle with maintaining good self esteem?

Absolutely! Life happens to us all. Having high self esteem or good self esteem doesn’t exempt us from the trails and challenges of life. It does, however, puts us in a better situation to deal with them when they come.

Maintaining our esteem is easy but it is work. Sometimes our struggle comes because we are not putting in the work of being true to ourselves and what brings us satisfaction, joy and contentment. Remember, self esteem is not about our successes or failures but how we feel, see and accept ourselves. Living in a such a competitive and negative world that is constantly trying to get us to be something other than want we are can present be exhausting.

Does the focus on building and maintaining high esteem cause people to develop a false sense of security based on feelings that may not match reality?

I don’t think so. Self-esteem is a very powerful thing to have. When you have healthy self-esteem you are a more confident person, you are better at dealing with life disappointments, you build friendship with others more easily, you perform better in school and overall experience a more fulfilling life. It is an individual’s perspective on how they see themselves. No one can take that away or define that for the individual.

I guess any one of us could have a warped sense of ourselves but that would be an indication of low self esteem.

Tell us about the creative process of writing this book?

Initially, I started writing a book on leadership but as I started the process, I kept coming back to this issue of self esteem. How can we lead others if we are struggling to lead ourselves? The more I reflected on that I started to reflect on my own personal experiences not only in the area of leadership but self esteem in general. That lead me to start writing down what had helped me get to the path I’m on today. What things did I have to do to overcome my fears, deal with the challenges life had presented to me and manage my emotions. These are all essential elements of being a good leader as well as having good self esteem.

In the end, I ended up writing over hundred affirmations that has been broken down into two volumes under the title of “When I Accepted Me.” We’ve just release volume 1 and volume 2 will be released in 2010. I divided them up into two volumes because I wanted to give people an opportunity to really reflect and internalize each affirmation to boost their self esteem. I’ve suggested to people to just take one a week (that’s why there are 52 of them) and internalize that one. Pray on it, see how it reflects in your life; maybe use it as a guide to write your own for that week.

I’ve encouraged some people to take on the 52 day challenge of reading one every day for 52 days straight and see if their perspective isn’t changed for the good at the end of it. Again, it is all about what is going on in our heads and when we receive positive information inwardly, we respond with positive behavior outwardly that leads to success in life …however, you may define success.

How can people get the book and what is some of the feedback you’ve received so far?

My book can be ordered from my website at www.sonjasamuel.com. It would be a great way to start the year and to recharge for the coming year. We are extending it at our special introduction offer of $14.95 because we want to get the book out into as many hands as possible. For me it is a tool for empowering others which is my personal mission in life.

It makes a great gift book for your friends, family and coworkers. I just gave them out as stocking stuffers and will be sending many out for Valentine’s Day as a way of saying I love and affirm you.

I have really enjoyed the feedback from people on how it has been such a pick me up for them when their emotions started to get the best of them and send them into a downward spiral.

One lady said she carries it around in her purse and when her day starts going south and she is ready to stick it to someone, she whips out her book, reads a few affirmation and it gets her back on track.

A lady told me about her husband that lost his mother this year and has been struggling emotionally. She said about once or twice a week she sees him reading through each page. She said she knows he’s gone through the whole book at least four or five times and she can see the difference it has made in his emotional health in dealing with the lost of his mother.

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1. Why Did God Give Us Emotions?

A taboo emotion often arises from childhood events which made the emotions dangerous or unacceptable. Because the events associated with taboo emotions are painful, they are also often suppressed. Because of this, it is a common experience to recall painful childhood events when taboo emotions are first experienced consciously. As you take time to reexperience these childhood events and emotions and reinterpret them from an adult perspective, they cease to be a threat. Once you have done this, the taboo emotions will be triggered less often by present situations that resemble the past in some way.

If this seems too overwhelming because you experienced severe abuse or trauma, seek help. However, many people find the following guidelines work well for the typical types of painful events we all experienced as children.

Give yourself time to explore painful memories that surface

When dealing with painful memories from childhood, you need to give yourself time and privacy so you can work through them fully. If you are in a situation, such as at work, where you are unable to explore the memory that surfaced, tell yourself a statement such as the following:

This is just a memory from the past. I am an adult now. It cannot harm me or control me. I will deal with it later. Right now I need to focus on the task at hand.

After this reminder to yourself, find something to do that will distract you from the memory and the emotions associated with it. Be sure to then revisit this memory later when you have time to work through it. Do not continue to ignore and suppress a memory that continues to resurface. If it is surfacing, it is time to deal with it. If you don’t, it will continue to resurface and cause problems, usually at inconvenient times. It is wiser to deal with it at a time and place of your choosing.

Remind yourself of three truths about painful childhood events.

As you recall the memory, remind yourself of the following three truths:

§ This event is in the past. It is no longer part of the present.

§ These circumstances will never happen again. Be specific as to why this is true. For example, it may be that the people involved in the experience are dead or no longer part of your life.

§ Things are different now. You are now an adult and have choices along with the ability to protect yourself that you didn’t have as a child. Be specific: “As an adult I can say ‘no’,” “I can walk away,” or “I can get help and protect myself.”

Reinterpret the memory from an adult perspective

The beliefs and thoughts associated with painful childhood memories were those of a child. Ask yourself, “How does Jesus see this event?” Then remind yourself of this answer as you again consider the events that you remember. If you are dealing with very painful memories, it is often helpful to write out a statement about the events you recalled. Here is an example of a statement Kara developed in response to memories she had of being left alone.

I used to think that I was left alone because there was something wrong with me—that I was unlovable. This is a lie. I was left alone because my mom was a drug addict who was unable to care for a child. This is not what God wanted. God’s plan was to have loving parents love and protect their children. Because I live in a broken world where there is evil, I was mistreated as a child. It was never my fault. God loves me. He showed it by sending Jesus to die for me (John 3:16). He shows it now by bringing people into my life who love me. Praise God that He is helping me see the tremendous love that He has for me and the tremendous value that He places on me (1 John 3:1; Romans 8:38–39).

If at any time you encounter emotions or memories that seem overwhelming seek help. Find people God can use to help carry your burden (Galatians 6:2) and assist you in your healing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Reneau Peurifoy has spent two decades as a therapist and teacher, he has become a master at reducing complex ideas into simple, easy-to-understand terms and applying them to daily life.  He holds a Master’s in counseling and attended Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the author of several books including Anger: Taming the Beast, Anxiety, Phobias, and Panic: Taking Charge and Conquering Fear, and Overcoming Anxiety: From Short-Term Fixes to Long-Term Recovery.  He has also created several CD series including The Relaxation Response series, The Changing Attitudes series and others designed for childbirth or surgery preparation. His latest book is Why Did God Give Us Emotions?. He retired from private practice in 2000 and is currently teaching at Heald College in Sacramento, California. www.rpeurifoy.com

This excerpt may be used with permission and credit given to Why Did God Give Us Emotions? By Reneau Peurifoy Copyright 2009

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“…it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” ~1 Peter 1:16

What does holy mean? I did some research and found that it is defined as having a moral standard of living, Christ-like in character, separate, pure, set apart. It was defined in spiritual terms, as a spiritual position or state of being. And while I agree with those definitions, I think too often we think that holiness is merely a spiritual thing. Meaning, if we attend church, read our bibles, serve in ministry, don’t cuss or drink, or commit other sins (that we’re aware of), we believe we have achieved holiness. Today I’d like to discuss another side to holy living; the reality that to be like Christ, we have to attend to not just the spiritual, but the physical.

The word says in 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” It goes on to tell us in the 20^th verse of the same chapter that we were bought with a price; to honor God with our bodies. If we are going to be Christ-like we must honor him not just with our spirits, but with our physical temples as well.

Many of us, try as we like, are only half-holy. We know the word. We haven’t skipped over this scripture in the bible, so what keeps us from taking care of the Lord’s temple? What is really holding us back from the place of complete holiness to God? I think it’s our hungry hearts and our aching spirits.

Despite the billions spent on diet and health products, Americans are more overweight than ever. The problem of obesity is epidemic. The solutions of diet and exercise are not the singular remedy. The root cause has to be addressed to really get a handle on the problem. It’s not just a love of food, or a lack of discipline. We like to blame it on those things because we often don’t like to talk about the real reasons we overeat. Usually they’re intensely personal. Here are a few:

• We need comfort when we’re stressed, tired or overworked. We know this, because we call the foods we reach for comfort foods.
• We are depressed or anxious.
• We need to anesthetize pain from abuse: current or past. Self-medication.
• Boredom. Our lives are unfulfilled.

We have to break these cycles of destructive behavior or they will destroy us. Obesity, irregular insulin levels, fatty levels in the blood all beat the temple God has given us down to a battered pulp. Then what do we do with our battered bodies? The battered body is sluggish and tired. It doesn’t want to go to mid week services, or even interact with its children. The battered body doesn’t want to make love to its spouse. It’s too beat up to enjoy life fully. Additionally there are obesity related diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, certain cancers, joint deterioration and more aliments that tear at the temple and keep us from being whole in our physical person.

In my novel, Secrets and Lies, the character Jonah Morgan is not overeating, but he is using another unhealthy coping mechanism: alcohol, and lots of it. Jonah’s heart is hungry for a relationship with Christ; his spirit is aching from the burden of un-forgiveness. His childhood pain is tearing him apart, so much so that he has completely checked out emotionally and physically on his family. He can’t sleep at night. He’s tired. His hungry heart and aching spirit have created a battered body.

Jonah’s alcoholism is an unhealthy, addictive behavior. So is overeating. Anything we do in excess is gluttony. Gluttony is the sin that keeps us from achieving true holiness. If you’re overweight or you engage in some other activity that negatively affects you physically, get at the root cause of your problem. Find out what’s eating you before it literary gobbles you up.

Let’s discuss this. Have you ever compared substance abuse to overeating? Do you think this comparison is accurate? Can a person’s heart be completely surrendered to God if they have an eating problem? Share why you agree or disagree. Feel free to share your testimony in this area or a plan for change.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rhonda McKnight is the owner of Legacy Editing, a free-lance editing service for fiction writers and Urban Christian Fiction Today, a popular Internet site that highlights African-American Christian fiction. She’s the vice-president of Faith Based Fiction Writers of Atlanta. When she’s not editing projects, teaching workshops about writing or penning her next novel, she spends time with her family. Originally from a small, coastal town in New Jersey, she’s called Atlanta, Georgia home for twelve years. For more information, visit http://www.RhondaMcKnight.net.

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Jerry and Kathy had only been married for a year when they heard the news that Kathy was pregnant. The doctor’s report of Kathy’s pregnancy brought them both a joy they had never before experienced. A short time later, their joy was multiplied when they learned that Kathy would be giving birth to twins. They constantly thanked God as they decorated the nursery that would soon cradle their new arrivals. Then, on the day that Jerry and Kathy went to the hospital for the delivery, tragedy struck. The first baby, a girl, struggled to live but died after only an hour. The second twin girl was delivered still born. As Kathy wept, Jerry sat too stunned to respond to the stabbing pain that had so suddenly overtaken him.

In an instant, joy had been transformed into a grief that was almost too much to bear. In the days that followed, Jerry and Kathy wondered if their faith had failed them. If it hadn’t, why were they so angry over their tragic loss? As they struggled with the flood of emotions, it seemed like it was all too much, too sudden, too confusing.

Emotions are such a mysterious gift. As with Kathy and Jerry, they take us to heights of ecstasy then dash us on the rocks of despair. But emotions do much more than this. They can bind us together and tear us apart. They can move some to noble acts of courage and self-sacrifice while in others they are the force behind terrible acts of evil and destruction.

Why did God make us this way? How are we supposed to manage this wonderful and mystifying gift we call emotions? In the pages that follow, you will explore these two simple, yet profound questions. In the process of seeking answers, you will learn skills that can help you manage your emotions more effectively, and learn how your emotions can help you to both understand God more fully and draw closer to Him.

The Elephant Nature of Emotions

There is a well-known Indian parable about six blind men who encounter an elephant for the first time. As each one touches a different part of the elephant they arrive at very different conclusions as to what the elephant is like. The first man touches the elephant’s leg and states that it is like a pillar. The second touches the tail and declares it to be like a rope. The third touches the trunk and says it is like the thick branch of a tree. The fourth touches the ear and shouts that it is like a big fan. The fifth touches the side of the elephant and declares it to be like a huge wall. The sixth touches the tusk and says it is like a spear. While each man’s perception is accurate, none has really understood the true nature of the elephant.

Just as the elephant in the parable had very different aspects when individual parts were viewed separately by the blind men, emotions can also seem to be a very different animal by individuals looking at them from different viewpoints. The four main aspects of emotions which are often studied independently include:

· The subjective nature of emotions: This includes how they make you feel, the way they focus your energy and attention and how they urge you to take actions to obtain the things you want and avoid the things you don’t want. It also includes the experiential understanding of events and concepts that is very different from simple knowledge.

· The physical side of emotions: This includes the various parts of the brain associated with emotions, the physical reactions they cause in your body and how injury, illness or other malfunctions of the brain can affect how you think and feel.

· The mental side of emotions: This includes the role that your thoughts and beliefs play in generating emotions along with how emotions, in turn, affect your thoughts.

· The spiritual side of emotions: This includes the way in which emotions reveal both your true character and the nature of your relationship with God as you struggle to live in a broken world. It also includes the ways in which emotions give us insights about the nature of God.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Reneau Peurifoy has spent two decades as a therapist and teacher, he has become a master at reducing complex ideas into simple, easy-to-understand terms and applying them to daily life.  He holds a Master’s in counseling and attended Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the author of several books including Anger: Taming the Beast, Anxiety, Phobias, and Panic: Taking Charge and Conquering Fear, and Overcoming Anxiety: From Short-Term Fixes to Long-Term Recovery.  He has also created several CD series including The Relaxation Response series, The Changing Attitudes series and others designed for childbirth or surgery preparation. His latest book is Why Did God Give Us Emotions?. He retired from private practice in 2000 and is currently teaching at Heald College in Sacramento, California. www.rpeurifoy.com

This excerpt may be used with permission and credit given to Why Did God Give Us Emotions? By Reneau Peurifoy Copyright 2009.

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Q:  You borrow a term, “sportianity,” from Sports Illustrated writer Frank Deford to describe the unique theology that characterizes American evangelical notions of faith and sport. What is “sportianity,” and how has it affected the evangelical community?

A:  “Sportianity” is a concoction of triumphal evangelism blended with worldly Darwinian competition and crafted to appeal to those for whom a love of athletics frames their lives. It combines locker room slogans, Old Testament allusions to religious wars, athletically slanted doctrines of assertiveness and sacrifice and a cult of masculinity, backed up by cherry-picked Bible verses pre-screened to ensure they don’t conflict with sport’s reigning orthodoxies.

The fundamentals of “sportianity” have been rationalized, systematized and vigorously promulgated by sport-evangelism organizations. It is taught with remarkable consistency to high school, college and professional athletes. “Sportianity” also explains the meaning of sports to thousands of ministers, laypeople and the religious press. In fact, there are few alternative systems of thinking about sports and faith in the evangelical community.

Q:  In the chapter entitled “Killer Instinct,” you examine the aspect of competition in sports. Why should Christians be concerned about the competitive drive?

A:  I’m not going to scuttle competition. It’s a necessary aspect to most games. But the truth is that it fractures social relationships. A lot of Christians still believe we want to get involved in sports because it shapes our Christian character. This idea is certainly trumpeted by sports evangelism organizations. But research in this area has shown that those assumptions are baseless. It’s easy to say that sports develops honesty, community, etc., but competition tends to bring out the worst in people—the players, the fans, everyone. Think about it this way: without the pressure to beat the other team, would there be corruption in college athletic departments?

Q:  One of the most eyebrow-raising topics you address in the book is what you call “building and sacking the temple,” or the damaging of the body for the sake of sport. Why do you encourage Christians to avoid violent sports—particularly football?

A:  It is impossible to overstate football’s assault on the dignity of the human body. Of the 62,000 injuries suffered in high school sports each year, 68 percent come from playing or practicing football. Brain injuries in college and especially professional football are becoming a national calamity. The real seriousness of these injuries is muted by athletic jargon. One doesn’t bruise one’s brain, one “get’s one’s bell rung”; an athlete’s cerebral cortex isn’t traumatized, he or she “gets dinged.” If one dominant theme has emerged from centuries of Christian commentary on sports, it is an utter intolerance for sports that are harmful to the body. Somewhere in the devolution of evangelical ideas about sport, however, the theme was scuttled. When sports were taken under the wing of the church around the turn of the century, sport violence became rationalized in evangelical circles. The prevalence of athletic injury has worn calluses on the Christian conscience. It is hardly coincidental that evangelicals who can’t imagine a life without sports entertainment find it difficult to imagine that sports injuries have moral and theological implications. Today, on the rare occasions when evangelicals raise questions about the harm sports do to the body (the “temple”), they do so in an almost backhanded, apologetic way, as though the critic fears being drummed out of the manly club of sportsmen. Yet dishonoring the body in a football stadium in front of thousands isn’t all that different from dishonoring it in an inner-city “shooting gallery,” save for the fact that society applauds the former violent competition and outlaws the latter. In both instances, the masterpiece of creation is offered in cheap trade for the promise of a few moments of excitement.

Q:  Many readers will be shocked at your contention that the athletic field is not the place for prayer—particularly public prayer. While this has certainly been the stance of atheist groups, why should Christians consider this perspective, as well?

A:  I think it’s important for Christians to consider what motivates coaches, players and fans to pray in the athletic arena and to consider what those prayers actually accomplish. When the Supreme Court handed down its decision banning invocations at public high school football games, nationwide protests erupted. In truth, many of these invocations had been marginally sectarian at best, severely hedged by sensitivities to religiously pluralistic audiences intended to solemnize the event and promote good citizenship. Many coaches insist that having the team “take a knee” before the game is highly effective for creating a feeling of team unity. But is either of these things fulfilling the true purpose of prayer? Prayers offered in the foxhole-like atmosphere of the locker room can fade seamlessly into the coach’s pep talk. These artful and dramatic prayers in the locker room, clearly designed to manipulate the emotions of players and elevate competitive intensity, are difficult to take seriously. They seem crass and opportunistic. The disconnect between the way many coaches wax religious in the locker room and the short shrift given to religion in their private lives led former Michigan State University football coach Duffy Daugherty to suggest that “all those coaches who require pre-game prayers by their players ought to be made to go to church once each week.”

At the heart of this issue is the feeling among Christians that God is as interested in popular sports as we are and that He takes a direct hand in determining the winner. But even some of the most respected Christian coaches and players have expressed misgivings about this idea and the rise in on-field prayer gestures by individual players acknowledging God for helping them win. Tom Landry once said, “I’m afraid these little ‘God helped me score a touchdown’ and ‘God helps me be a winner’ testimonials mislead people and belittle God.”

Q:  High profile evangelical sports personalities such as Tony Dungy have captured the attention of millions and have used their platform to draw attention to God. Why do you suggest that evangelicals may not be well served by the current enthusiasm for sports evangelism?

A:  As sport has become more popular, so has sport evangelism. To evangelists, it’s a simple matter of mathematics. The Southern Baptist Convention bases its ambitious sports evangelism program on the dubious assumption that “96% of the population is linked to sports in some way.” But as philosopher-theologian Jacques Ellul has pointed out, Christianity absorbs culture like a sponge, and precisely how much of culture it can absorb without changing itself is a question rarely asked by those at the heart of the sport evangelism movement. To communicate their faith in an unsympathetic culture without contorting the message itself, most sport evangelism organizations have treated the message like a product to be advertised. Heeding textbook advertising strategy, sport evangelism has become focused on “parachurch” groups that, freed of churchly and denominational entanglements, are able to tweak the gospel to the latest tastes, images and jargon of their target audiences. Whether it’s the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Christian Anglers Association or the National Christian Barrel Racers Association, each group gives the gospel a unique twist that makes it more palatable to unbelievers. Can we create that many different “user friendly” versions of the gospel without damaging the integrity of the message?

The celebrity gospel spokesmen of professional athletics come with their own set of challenges. Refreshing though the public witnesses of sincere men like Tony Dungy may be, they are mere whispers in the cacophony of the more beguiling voices of big-time sport spectacles that herald muddled views of goodness, truth, beauty and the glories of self-determinacy, self-assertion and self-absorption. The usefulness of sport celebrities to the evangelical cause can quickly plummet when they stub a spiritual toe (i.e. soliciting a prostitute, fathering a child out of wedlock), something that has been a continuing problem for the sport evangelism movement. Simply put, an advertising pitch for the gospel constructed on the backs of celebrities—whether musicians, television preachers or athletes—will always be as vulnerable as those whose image is used to proclaim it.

Good Game: Christianity and the Culture of Sports
by Shirl J. Hoffman
Baylor University Press   Feb 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1932792102/paperback original/356 pages/$24.95
www.baylorpress.com

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Have you ever said this, “I don’t have TIME to exercise”? Some of us have said that more than once! In reality, it’s not about having time to exercise (we all have the same 24 hours each day); we need to make time to exercise if we want to be healthy.

Think of some of the things you already make time to do each day. Some of these things have been part of your daily routine since childhood and have become second nature, such as brushing your teeth, washing your face or fixing yourself something to eat. There are other things you do on a regular basis which have become habit, yet require a bit more preparation, such as going to church, remembering to acknowledge friends’ birthdays, and shopping for groceries.

Making fitness a part of your regular routine can become a habit—especially if you combine it with something you are already doing, such as prayer, reading the Bible, or worshiping the Lord.

How Can You Combine Faith and Fitness?

Here’s a quick example. Take a brisk walk for ten minutes praying for your family, our country’s leadership, the peace of Jerusalem, God’s will for your life, and however the Lord leads you. At the end of ten minutes, turn around and briskly walk home praising the Lord.

There, you’ve just transformed your workout into worship! Tell me what part of your life the Lord does NOT want to make part of His life – and ADD life to that part. After all, He IS the Author of Life! I believe that Jesus wants to be Lord over ALL parts of your life – even exercise!

The Surgeon General recommends 30 minutes of exercise a day to remain healthy – and more if you want to lose weight – so why not use that time to build your relationship with your Heavenly Father?

The foundation scripture to our PraiseMoves Fitness Ministry reminds me of the responsibility and opportunity we have to invite God to help us become what I call a “Fit Witness for Christ.” First Corinthians 6:20 says, “You were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God’s.”

What Can You Do TODAY?

No matter what time of day you are reading this article, you can do something to move your body and honor God at the same time. Even if it is just to reach your arms up right now as high as you can, take a deep breath and say with all your heart, “I praise and thank You, Lord!” There, you’ve done it! You have just transformed a workout into worship! Sure, it took less than a minute, but it’s a start.

If you have more time, take a walk, get on the rebounder (mini-trampoline), or treadmill. Work out to an exercise DVD (such as PraiseMoves, where the Scripture and worship are already provided for you – just join in!). Ride your bicycle, jump rope, dance and praise the Lord – the choices are limited only by your imagination. Add prayer, singing praises, reciting Scripture, purposefully counting your blessings (“name them one-by-one!”) – anything that helps center your focus off the world and onto the Lord. He is worthy, able and faithful – and His Word will NOT return to Him void (empty or unfulfilled)!

Make the decision today that you will transform your workouts into worship!

And now I’d like to invite you to get my free "Fit Favorites Devotional" and PraiseMoves FitNews. To get yours, go to http://praisemoves.com.

© Laurette Willis 2009

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christian Fitness Expert and author Laurette Willis is the Director of PraiseMoves, offering fitness programs, DVDs, books and training for those interested in a Christian alternative to yoga, and fitness for spirit, soul and body at http://praisemoves.com. To follow Laurette on Twitter visit http://twitter.com/Fit4Christ and on FaceBook: http://facebook.com/praisemoves

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Excerpted from – Burdens Do a Body Good: Meeting Life’s Challenges with  Strength (and Soul) – Hendrickson Publishers, 2010

"I have little hope for a future brought about only or primarily by human endeavors and initiatives. I have great hope for a future brought about by a God who pulls us forward by surprises and spurts, ambushing us with so-beautifuls and blessing the best out of our worst."  — Leonard Sweet in So Beautiful

Time is such a nebulous factor, one that both commands us and paradoxically submits to our whims in equal measure. We either have too much of it…as when we’re left waiting for some important (to us) event to transpire. Or, we have far too little of it as we rush headlong through each task only to get through the next one and then the next. Time, either way you look at it, is laborious. It wears us out, frays our tempers, and tempts us to take matters into our own hands. Time (at its taskmaster best) can literally bring out the worst in us. Time is not easily mastered.

Time - though each of us is given the exact same amount of it, some of us are better managers than others. Why is it that a few individuals seem to breeze through their hours and days accomplishing only a fraction of what they might have planned (if they planned at all)…and it doesn’t bother them one iota? While others, those more conscientious types, take every single item on their to-list and do not, cannot, will not, rest until every single entry is completed?  (Done with a vengeance, mind you.) Could it be even the super responsible among us inwardly know there’s something more important that just getting stuff done and we’re angry about it, because we know it’s true and still aren’t willing to give the thought of changing (ourselves, that is) the time of day? Some-times knowledge without the courage to head in a different direction is a like incessant ticking of the nearest timepiece.

Better late than never, sometimes it is best to call a timeout. Give it a rest. Stop and sit down. Close your eyes. Be silent. Be still. Then, take note. Begin to notice. Everything. Movements and moments and steps and gestures. Missing nothing. Paying attention to everything.

When we’re unable to stop long enough for even this simple exercise, it should leave us wondering what’s really at stake here? Certainly, there’s more going on than running headlong through the day only to "get things done." When we’re consumed by merely producing, we’re missing so much more and this much more is where real life is going on. Our excuse is always the same, there will be time enough for that later on…when the work slows down, when the kids are older, when my parents don’t need my help, when my health gets better. When the worst is over. And, just when exactly, will that be?

In case we didn’t notice, there’s a never-ending list of "when’s" waiting one after the other that keep moving up on our endless to-do list of excuses. But if we’re honest, and this is the best news ever…there’s no time like the present. This precise moment is all we have, there’s no getting it back once we’ve spent it. Or squandered it more likely by being busy, busy, busy people making our grand plans, believing we’re doing everything we can to achieve our best, when in fact, all this activity just might be the worst choice we make. Eventually, every one of us needs to take to task our assumptions about life and time and how we spend them both. There’s no telling what tomorrow may bring.

Takeaway Action Thought: There’s no time to lose, literally, so do an about face turn and stop, refuse to move forward again without a focused point of action plan.

Weight Bearing Exercises for Body and Soul Health

As the pace of our lives gets increasingly faster, one season meshes right into the next, one year to another and before we realize it, decades have passed. It’s especially true of women who pass key milestones in life but they’re so pre-occupied by busyness, they forget the importance of self-care. So the question becomes, is it ever too late to begin taking better care of yourself? Are there ways every woman can make up for lost time? If so, what are they and how can women quickly implement such practices to give the most benefit in the shortest amount of time? What can women do to reverse the aging process? There are several lifestyle changes that can result in improved health and positively affect the aging process. Simple as 1, 2, 3…

ONE: Weight loss is one of the most significant ways to peel off the years, not only will you obtain the cosmetic benefits of weight loss, but you will also receive many physical benefits. These include less stress on your joints and back, reduced risk of diabetes, improvement in blood pressure, increased mobility, and better sleep. FOCUS POINT FOR CHANGE: Concentrate on lowering fat and sugar intake for fastest results.

TWO: Get seven to eight hours of sleep a night. Caution: too much sleep can have an adverse effect on overall health. FOCUS POINT FOR CHANGE: clock in your nighttime sleep hours, but do not nap excessively during the day. Researchers from the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute found that elderly white women who took a daily siesta were 44% more likely to die from any cause, 58% more prone to dying from heart problems, and nearly 60% more likely to die from non-cardiovascular or non-cancer causes. Those who napped less than three hours a week showed no increased chance of death.

THREE: Address your stress, as it is one of the biggest factors in premature aging. Stress causes the brain to produce chemicals that directly affect health negatively. FOCUS POINT FOR CHANGE: Exercise several times a week to add muscle mass and strength and also gain improved cardiovascular health. A study of 9,611 adults in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise showed that those who were regularly active in their 50s and early 60s were about 35 percent less likely to die in the next eight years than those who were sedentary.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Burdens Do a Body Good: Meeting Life’s Challenges with  Strength (and Soul)
by Michele Howe and Dr. Christopher A. Foetisch

Being a woman in today’s world means wrestling—physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally—with lots of weighty struggles. Lifestyle mentor Michele Howe and orthopedic surgeon Christopher Foetisch offer a well-rounded “training manual” filled with inspirational insight and practical advice for handling life’s toughest battles with inner and outer strength. Thematic chapters begin with Howe’s trademark real-life vignettes and essays on personal and situational topics: loss, sorrow, aging, job displacement, divorce, parenting issues, financial setbacks, illness, and more.

Women will identify with the experiences of other women, and how each found and developed the emotional and spiritual strength to meet the challenges she faced. Foetisch then provides practical weight-bearing “exercises” for body and soul health, and information on staying strong and well, no matter your age or circumstances. Valuable take-away action thoughts, meaningful quotations, and concluding Scripture verses complete the “workout.”

Women will be delighted and surprised at the recommendations, choices, and options available to them. They’ll discover new ways of dealing with old problems and develop the multifaceted fitness they need to fearlessly face all of life’s challenges.

Visit Hendrickson.com for more information.

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