Kimberly Mathews
Contact Info
- 707 Birdie Circle Sparta, WI 54656
- 608-487-4879
- kimberlyamathews@gmail.com
- Kimberly Matthews
I feel so overwhelmed. I just do not think I can handle one more thing. How can I stay strong?
Trust God! If you are a believer then simply believe. He loves you and knows your needs even before you ask. He shall supply all your needs. (Philippians 4:19) We have all heard the saying “God only gives us what we can handle” sometimes it feels like there is no way we can handle it. Terrible things do happen here, we lose a spouse, a child our health and finances. Life here on earth can feel overwhelming. Concentrate on what is the most important your assurance that you are saved and He loves you. (Acts2:21) All things will work out for good for those who love God.
Simplify, we can all get over busy in this world. Prioritize your day. Make sure you have time for God each day. Act in a manner that honors Him. Make sure each day you have time to take care of you, your relationship with your spouse, your children and work. If you don’t have time for these priorities cut the frivolous stuff out. Even Bible studies can be too much if we do not have our basics covered. Simplify, having time in your day to just exhale is very important. If you are too busy you will more easily feel overwhelmed. Simplify, cover your priorities and trust Gods love for you.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. ”
I like another common saying, “Less is more!”.
Sometimes I feel so empty I just shovel it in. Once I get started I can’t stop. I just fill myself with anything. What can I do? I want to stop.
I understand wanting to stop and not being able to. I used to promise myself that I would quit and then half way through the day I would be into my old behaviors again. I felt empty and I just shoveled it in. Now, I fill myself with Jesus. He is always there. He helps me from the inside out. There is a saying, “You are only lonely when you don’t like who you are alone with.” Accepting His love for me, I am able to accept and love myself. I become filled from the inside out. I like to compare the visual of a river-fed lake (illustrating being filled from the outside) verses the spring-fed pond (being filled from within). I prefer to be like a Spring fed pond. When I start to feel that old emptiness creep in, I cry out to the Lord. I apply the seven ways to keep Jesus front and center (FCF). What is FCF? Letting myself be filled with His Holy Spirit, I find a sincere reward from the inside out. This gives me the strength to leave my old sabotaging behaviors behind, and press forward to the new. I call on Him constantly to help me be the woman He created me to be. Call on Him, He will be there.
Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
What do I do when I feel like giving up on this fitness stuff?
Keep on keeping on! We all have days where we just don’t feel like doing our new desired behavior. During those times, we can feel like the old patterns were okay. Write down the pros and cons of your fitness goals. Documenting helps us achieve our goals. Keep this list someplace where you can see it regularly. Changing our lifestyle is not easy. Living a healthful lifestyle is worth the price of change.
When I need help pushing through a lifestyle change I remember this verse.
Matthew 7:13-14 NKJ “Enter by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
I have a knee issue and it is going to take awhile. I find myself “pity binging”. I know I need to just trust in God. I still end up with pity binges. I feel like throwing in the towel. What can I do?
Concentrate on what you can do and do it well. When you focus on the problem the problem expands. With a bad knee you can still work your upper body. After my knee surgery I did ball aerobics with the V-bells and that worked great for me. Isometric exercises are excellent if you have mobility issues. Whole body vibration training can be great for this condition. If you cannot exercise at all you most likely can still do laughing exercises or breathing exercises focusing on your core. You want to make sure you are doing at least one beneficial thing for your body each day. Focus on the positive and the positive will grow.
Nutrition is a key factor in our health. If you end up binging on foods that are high in calories, sugar, fat, sodium or artificial additives you will feel lousy. These types of foods are like poison to our bodies in the first place. Binging on them is like insanity. Most of us know this but our emotions take control and we do it anyway, thinking we will do better tomorrow. Focus on eating your required nutritional needs first each day. Tell yourself that you can eat the ice cream but not until you have properly feed your body. This takes discipline. The first three days are the hardest. Jesus descended into hell for three days. Use that thought to motivate you. Change starting this moment! All things are possible through Jesus Christ who strengthens you. You can focus on getting in 2-3 fruits, 5-7 vegetables and 3-4 lean protein sources before you eat anything else. Always chose foods that are natural and fresh. Feed your body remembering it is His temple.
To avoid the pity binge, focus on what you can do, do it and get good quality nutrition. Trust God.
Mathew 19; 26 “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Proverbs 23:6-8 “Do not eat the bread of a miser. Nor desire his delicacies; for as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you. But his heart is not with you. The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up, and waste your pleasant words.”
I wake up every day with good intentions and yet mid day or evening rolls around and I am snacking or allowing myself the things I told myself I would not touch. How can I break my cheating cycle?
Pray constantly, I know that sounds extreme but if you continually ask the Lord to help you walk the walk through your day you will remember He is there. Our strength comes from Him. I envision my desired way of living and I ask God to help me be that person. I envision Him helping me walk the walk, through His Holy Spirit. In proverbs 23:7 it states, “As a man thinkith in his heart, so shall he be.” I pray and think of who I am through Him as often as I can, this keeps me strong.
Let your NO be NO! When you walk by or think of a tempting treat say to yourself NO! Behavioral Science teaches; if a person thinks of something three times in a row they get a genuine craving or feeling. Add one more thought and you have an action. When you initially think of cheating, say NO! Change your thoughts that instant. If you say NO three to four times, you will gain power over your temptation. Let your NO be NO!
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
I have been doing well on my wellness plan. I did not anticipate the cravings. What can I do to get rid of the cravings?
Cravings are preceded with thoughts and physical triggers. To control your cravings you will need to control your thoughts and your physical triggers.
Proverbs 23:7 “As a man thinkith in his heart so shall he be.”
Philippians 4:8 “Finally , brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are pure whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.”
We have clear directive from God to control what we think. Many of us let our thoughts control us verses us controlling our thoughts. In order for me to start controlling my thoughts I had to practice. I did this by practicing thinking about nothing for one minute at a time. Often this was difficult for me. I would try to practice thinking about nothing and inevitably I would think about something like the laundry, dishes, kids etc.. To control your thoughts practice thinking of nothing and when a thought enters your head tell yourself, “It is ok that I thought that now let it go.” After you can clear your mind intentionally think of things that will help you like Gods word. I use this technique daily as an exercise to help me control my cravings and my reaction to life. Try to control your thoughts the moment they enter your head. What you think about expands!
1 thought + 1 thought + 1 thought = craving
Craving + 1 thought = action
1 thought + dismiss thought = directed thoughts
Physiologically you can control cravings by not letting yourself get over hungry in the first place by eating five well balanced small meals a day, drinking 64 oz of water and getting 8-10 hours of good quality sleep.
To control your cravings control your thoughts and your physical environment (to the best of your ability). Call on God, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
I wake up in the morning and as I lie in bed I think about how well, I will do that day. By the time I serve breakfast I am already rushed and irritable. When I feel this way, I self destruct. What can I do to carry out my good thoughts?
The thoughts you are get that steal your joy I call ”toxic thoughts”. We all get them it is what we do with them that determines are ability to be happy in our daily life.
If you allow yourself to think about a toxic thought like: I can’t do this, I am not good enough, I can’t stand this person, I hate my life, my job sucks these types of thoughts get into your soul and your brain and produce stress in your life. Proverbs 23:7 “As a man thinkith in his heart so shall he be.”
Recognize a toxic thought immediately combat it with a Godly thought. To do this memorizes a Bible verse. The Word of God a powerful way to change your mind! I encourage you to memorize one short verse a week. For that week use it as your mantra. Put it on your fridge, your dashboard, your computer… repetition is memories’ twin.
Romans 8: 6 “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”
I am crazy busy these days. I really don’t have time to visit with my Grandparents or my parents. I want to honor them. I just can’t give them my time right now. How else can I honor them?
I believe to honor our parents, grandparents, and friends and family it is all the same. We need to listen to them, respect them and give them our time. It is so hard to give your time when you are already too busy.
I have found that quality time is most effective and can be a simple phone call, card in the mail, even just an email. Quality time is born out of genuine concern. I think of people often and just thinking of them does not count! You have to take the extra effort! The people in our lives are here for only a short while. We have limited amounts of time to spend with those we love. It feels like we can spend that time tomorrow, yet tomorrow is always just as busy as today.
I know that when I spend the effort to help a friend or call my Mom it is effort well spent. The time helps the person and it also helps me. When I take the time to look someone in the eye, hear what they are saying or give them a genuine smile it makes me feel more complete. I feel that I am acting in God’s will and that helps me.
When I ignore someone’s phone calls or hardly give them the time of day, I feel a rottenness brewing in my soul. I have found that no matter how busy I am, if I at least take a “bit” of good quality time with those people who are in my life daily I feel that is how God works through me.
If you want to honor your Grandparents and not spend much time that is too bad for you. At least when you are with them look them in the eye, listen to what they have to say and genuinely be there when you are with them. Even if your time is short you can make a big impact. Enjoy your time with all those who enter your life. Make each interaction count. You will feel God working through you!
Leviticus 19:18 “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
1 John 3:17 “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him how does the love of God abide in him?”
Copyright © 2016. All Rights Reserved.