Westerman's World

Don't you just love spring!?! Everything is so gorgeous here-- beautiful redbud trees, tulips, Bradford pears... new blooms, new life.... God must have planned it this way- all the beauty to remind of us of the new life Christ's resurrection brings....

So-- I still haven't lost all the baby weight from Caroline. Did I mention she is now 13 months old?! I had been going to sculpt classes and hadn't been doing much cardio. So, I'm now running and doing kick-boxing, trying to max out on cardio until I get back down to where I want to be. I have to confess, I am learning a lot from this whole weight thing. Background: I had never struggled with weight B.K. (before kids). I was always the "skinny minnie" which in the 80's wasn't really the "in" way to be-- think baggy jeans and sweats. I was probably underweight.

Now? Different story! :) I am about 30 pounds heavier than when Scott and I got married 12 years ago. Am I obese? No. Do I need to lose weight? Yep. For the first time in life, I understand how frustrating the whole weight-loss thing is.

More background: I taught high school for 8 years. One of the hardest things I dealt with was all the dozens of girls who came to me with eating disorders. I reached a point where I preferred dealing with suicidal girls over those with bulimia or anorexia because the whole eating disorder thing was SO hard to deal with... I would immediately turn them toward "real" counselors so that they could get legitimate help-- not just common sense advice from me. I vowed then that I would NEVER EVER become hung up or obsessed with food. I never wanted to start down that path.... I sympathized with them... they broke my heart.

God graciously sent Beth Moore's video into my life last week in response to all the body-issue related junk in my life lately. Our final session on the Holy Spirit was on self-control, and Beth's message really struck a chord. She laid out a case for idolatry-- in terms of our body and it being the temple of God (1 Cor. 6). She believes that for a woman, body image issues are our number one downfall as far as being tempted to "conform to this world" (Romans 12). She proposed that we are not in control if we are a size 4 watching every morsel of food that crosses our lips, nor are we in control if we are a size 14 watching nothing that crosses our lips-- either way we are not in step with the Spirit.

Christ died to bring us freedom (Galatians 5) and becoming a slave to food or becoming idolatrous by being overly focused on our bodies or diets is slavery. We need to learn to find where our freedom lies, and if that is a size 10, then we need to be honest, make peace with it, and get on with life.

She said much much more which was wonderful-- but, her message really spoke to me. She talked of making exercise a time of worship-- where we are in a sense dedicating our temple (body) back to God-- as opposed to trying to look good or lose weight, etc. All I can say is "AMEN"!! I truly want to have that mindset as I am exercising.

So-- making 4 dozen brownies and three dozen Easter cookies in the last 24 hours probably isn't the greatest idea for a woman trying to lose weight, but, hey-- it's Easter!! We had a tea party to end our Beth Moore study today. It was so fun! We all wore hats and had a grand time! :) When Luke got home from school, we made sugar cookies and decorated them. He has so much fun helping me cook! He's a pretty good little chef.

Final note: researching great Christian minds who have gone before really appeals to me. While looking for writings on the Holy Spirit, I stumbled upon a series of dialogues by Catherine of Siena. The life she led over 650 years ago humbles me. I am so touched by her views and account of the Holy Spirit as the "gentle waiter who comes to the table of the human heart."

This servant, the Holy Spirit, whom I in my providence have given her, clothes her, nurtures her, inebriates her with tenderness and the greatest wealth . . . . I wanted her to experience that with or without the help of another person, in any situation or at any time whatever, in any fashion she knew how to desire and even more in any fashion she could not know how to desire, I know how to and can and will satisfy her in wonderful ways.

The Holy Spirit, my loving charity, is the waiter who serves them my gifts and graces .... This gentle waiter carries to me their tender loving desires, and carries back to them the reward for their labors, the sweetness of my charity for their enjoyment and nourishment. So you see, I am their table, my Son is their food, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds from me the Father and from the Son, waits on them.

That is such a beautiful image.... even when I don't know what I want-- or need-- to order off the "menu" the Spirit is right there ordering for me and placing it before the Father. He always picks up the check, too. And, best of all-- there aren't any calories on God's menu.