The 80/20 Rule

I have this theory about the way we view God.

80% of the time we view God as this stern judge who sits on this throne with a gavel in hand watching and waiting to judge our every mistake.
20% of the time we view God as our loving father who is watching and waiting to pour out his grace and redeem our every mistake.

80% of the time we view God as this stern judge who hands out punishment for the crimes we have committed.
20% of the time we view God as our loving father who desires to greatly bless us and give us the best life possible in spite of the crimes we have committed.

80% of the time we view God as this stern judge who is too holy to talk to, too holy to approach, to holy to run to for help.
20% of the time we view God our loving father who wants nothing more than to have an intimate relationship with us, who greatly desires us to run to him with our every need.

80% of the time we view God as this stern judge who is angry, unloving, and hard hearted.
20% of the time we view God as a loving father will continue to pursue us, and will never give up on us, will never leave us or forsake us.

80% of the time we view God as this stern judge who is too busy to deal with our small insignificant problems
20% of the time we view God as a loving father who wants to take care of every need we have, no matter how small.

The problem with the 80/20 rule is that it's a lie. Satan spins this lie in our minds and it slowly eats away at our faith and our relationship with Jesus. If we could fully understand just HOW MUCH God loves us, we would live our lives so differently.

I'm always shocked at how many times people tell me that they don't pray over their health because they don't think God cares. That is a lie. In Matthew there are so many accounts of Jesus healing the sick, from insignificant things like a common fever, to life threatening diseases like leprosy. I love reading about Jesus healing the sick in Matthew because he is very specific in the reason WHY Jesus always took the time to heal the broken people that came to him.

Compassion. Matthew points out again and again in his gospel that Jesus felt compassion for the sick and so he healed them. So whether you are suffering from back pain or cancer, Jesus feels for you. Jesus feels compassion for your pain. Don't believe the 80/20 rule. Don't give in to the lies that he doesn't care, can't heal, or won't heal you.

Know that he has compassion for you!

Wishing you all Health, Hope, & Happiness
Abby

Prayers for Alzheimer's Disease & Brain Health

Through the month of July, we prayed over Alzheimer's Disease. This disease is growing in frequency in the U.S. with 1 in 3 seniors getting diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease right now. If Alzheimer's is in your genes, print these prayers out and pray them frequently!

1. Lord Jesus, I ask that you would keep my brain healthy throughout the entirety of my life. Put a hedge of protection around my brain cells, my memory, and my thinking skills. Give me clarity of mind and spirit today, and everyday of my life.

2. Lord Jesus I ask for wisdom beyond my own understanding with possible triggers to Alzheimer's Disease. Please protect me from any and all environmental or lifestyle factors that may harm my brain or cause Alzheimer's Disease.

3. Lord Jesus I ask that you would relieve any tension in my neck and shoulders that, over time, may contribute to Alzheimer's Disease. Lord help me not to worry about anything, but to trust you in everything. Help me to come to you for rest as I need it.

4. Lord Jesus, we ask that you would give medical researchers the knowledge needed in order to find a cure for Alzheimer's Disease. In the meantime, Lord, we ask for better medication that would give all those suffering from Alzheimer's Disease better quality of life.

For more information on Alzheimer's Disease, and ways to prevent it, click here.

4 Things to Know About GLUTTONY

When I started writing this post, I wasn't sure if I should put that word in the title. It's such a taboo subject, that I knew so many people wouldn't even read this post when they saw "GLUTTONY," big and bold in the title.

Let's get one thing out of the way before we even start.

1. Gluttony does NOT equal obese. Being a glutton has nothing to do with your weight. Gluttony, like most things when it comes to God, is a condition of your heart, not your belly. So, while it is a sin to be a glutton, it is not a sin to be overweight.

Gluttony, by definition, means to over-indulge and over-consume food, drink, or wealth items to the point of extravagance or waste. Gluttony is an action. It is a state of mind, not a state of being.

Obesity, on the other hand, is defined as being very fat, overweight, or excessively fleshy. This is a characteristic, a state of being. It is not an action, or a state of mind.

So, while they both are similar in the fact that they are excessive, they differ greatly when it comes to our motives; our heart. Gluttony is an action that we can choose to control with the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. In this way, we can choose to either glorify God, or sin against God with food, drink, or wealth.

**Because this is a food blog, I will be primarily discussing gluttony from a food standpoint

2. Gluttony is more about a lack of self control than it is about food. We, as followers of Christ, are called to have a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7) and to be self controlled (Galatians 5:22-23).

We should not allow anything to control us, whether that be food, alcohol, wealth, sex, career, etc. When we over-consume and over-indulge, we are not acting with a spirit of self control, but are giving in to desires of our flesh.

Proverbs 25:16 "If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill and vomit."

This is what we call good, old fashioned, common sense. When we over-indulge, we tend to get ourselves into trouble. We get sick, gain weight, go bankrupt, get a DUI, etc. etc. God gives us this command as a way to protect us. Because He knows, that too much of a good thing, can be a very bad thing.

But this command to refrain from gluttony is more than just a common sense law to protect us.

3. Gluttony is a sin when we use food, or anything, to REPLACE Jesus, to fill a void that Jesus alone is meant to fill. God is a jealous God, and he wants NOTHING to come before him. When we drown ourselves in an entire pan of brownies while looking at the credit card bill, we are not honoring God. When we get on our knees with that credit card bill and ask for God's provision, that is when we honor God. So often, we choose to give in to emotional eating instead of taking those thought and emotions captive and turning to God.

Philippians 3:19 "Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on Earthly things."

When we use earthly, flesh things to fill a void that only Jesus can fill, that thing will become our God, it will control us, and it will slowly destroy us.

4. The more we let food fill the voids in our life, the more we focus on ourselves, instead of focusing on God. This is a major sin. We, as christians are called to continually die to ourselves and to live for Christ. This is what it truly means to follow Christ. That no matter what we are doing, no matter what has happened during our day, we do everything with Jesus in mind.

1 Corinthians 10:31 sums it up best, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

WHY IS GLUTTONY SUCH A BIG DEAL TO GOD?
I know that it is never talked about, and it is a sin that is often overlooked, or even considered ok in some circumstances, but it is called out as a sin many times in the Bible. Gluttony is an outward, concrete, literal example of FLESH. We, as followers of Jesus are called to die to our flesh and to live in the spirit. When we live in the spirit we are steadfast and self controlled with our focus solely on Jesus. When we live in the flesh, we are only concerned about ourself, we look for instant satisfaction, we are greedy, and gluttonous.

Does this mean that you can't ever enjoy another piece of pie? No way!

Refraining from gluttony is not:
-Depriving yourself of any and all food that tastes good
-Only eating what you absolutely need to survive
-Eating to be skinny (different than eating to be healthy)
-Feeling guilty when you are hungry or even starving
-Not planning any meals for yourself and your family
-Refusing to allow yourself to think about food at all

Gluttony is: 
-Having a second piece of pie, even though you are completely full and satisfied
-Emotional eating. Drowning your sorrows in food, instead of taking those feelings to Jesus
-Eating your food very fast, to the point that you don't hardly taste a bite.
-Not being able to go one day without a certain food or beverage (coffee).
-Using food as a reward or a punishment. This sends the wrong message about food and most often leads to overconsumption.
-Eating something that is harmful to your body, that your body is allergic to, or has an intolerance of. Even if you eat small amounts of something that your body doesn't agree with, it can still be an over-consumption based on the way your body reacts to that food. Overconsumption looks different for every person.
-Routinely choosing food strictly based on taste, rather than on nutritional content. There is a fine line between indulgence and moderation.
-Being irresponsible with the food, drink, & wealth that you have.

If you struggle with gluttony:
-Go to The Lord before you eat anything. Ask Him to give you a sound mind and a spirit of self control.
-Stay away from the TV, your IPhone, computer, tablet, and any form of social media/ brain stimulus. Let your brain register what you are eating. Overconsumption happens when we are distracted. In order to have a sound mind, you have to be present.
-If eating too fast is a problem for you, count your chews. Make sure you chew 20 times for each bite, smell each bite, really look at each bite before taking it, and set your fork down between each bite.
-Have a good support system. If you struggle with gluttony, find friends and family that will help to keep you accountable. Set boundaries and goals around gluttony and share them.
-Change your lifestyle. So many people tell me that food, namely unhealthy food, plays a major roll in their social life. If your friends are inviting you to come along for ice cream every morning, and for a Big Mac every afternoon, it's time to make some changes. You can suggest other outings that don't involve food, or you can seek out friends that will do social things that don't solely revolve around unhealthy foods. This is a really sensitive (and hard) issue, but don't expect your gluttonous behavior to change if your lifestyle doesn't change first.
-Know your triggers. Whether you are an emotional eater or not, we all have triggers that will lead to gluttonous behavior. For some, it is specific foods that lead to over eating and break down in self control. For others, it is specific emotions that lead to lack of self control with whatever food happens to be around. No matter which category you fall into, knowing your triggers is the first step towards self control.
-Stay away from any type of diet that encourages reward meals, or cheat days. This almost always leads to both overindulgence and overconsumption.
-Try fasting. You can do a complete fast of just water for a day, or you can do a fast of one specific item. For instance, you can fast chocolate or coffee for 30 days. If you know that you have a problem with a certain food, a fast is a great way to get your eyes back on Jesus.

Gluttony is a sin. Period. It's also a really hard issue to define. If something ruffled your feathers in this post, take it to God. See what he has to say.

"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires," Romans 13:14

Alzheimer's Disease

Exactly one year ago today, my husband and I were flying back to the midwest to attend his grandfather's funeral. Let me just say, it's not the way we wanted to spend the fourth of July. Greg has such fond memories of his grandfather while he was growing up, many that he will never forget. But the one memory that will last for the rest of his life, is the last time he got to see his grandfather before he died.

This picture was taken at Christmas time 2012, roughly six months before his grandfather died. Greg and I went to visit his grandparents (along with our dog) while we were visiting family for the holidays. When we showed up, his grandpa saw him from across the room and immediately his face lit up, and he threw his arms up for a giant bear hug. The reason this memory is so precious, is because the last time Greg saw his grandpa, his grandpa not only recognized him, but he knew exactly who he was. 

Greg's grandfather died of Alzheimer's Disease. He was diagnosed a couple years before that and he responded relatively well to treatment. However, like any other Alzheimers patient, he had his good and bad days. Days that he remembered who he was and who his family was, and days that he didn't. 

In honor of Greg's grandfather, July's prayer topic will focus on Alzheimer's disease and overall brain health. (Check out our 52 weeks, 52 prayers campaign to learn more about our prayer topics). 

A few facts about Alzheimer's Disease:

1. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain's nerve cells resulting in loss of memory, thinking, language, and behavioral skills. There is no cure, and the disease will continue to worsen with time.
2. Alzheimer's disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the number of people dying from Alzheimer's is growing rapidly. Currently, 1 in 3 seniors cause of death is due to Alzheimer's disease.
3. Every 67 seconds, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
4. Women are more at risk than men. At age 60, a woman's odds of developing Alzheimer's disease are 1 in 6. For breast cancer, the odds are 1 in 11.
5. Scientists don't yet fully understand what causes Alzheimer's disease, but it is clear that this disease develops because of a complex series of events that take place in the brain over a long period of time. This means that Alzheimer's disease is not brought on by trauma, but by everyday ordinary factors like genetics, the environment, and one's lifestyle.

Before you write off this month's prayers, thinking that you don't need to pray over your brain health, think again. The things that you are doing right now are greatly affecting your brain and the odds of whether or not you will get Alzheimer's disease someday.

What can you be doing now to prevent Alzheimer's disease?

1. Breathe. Sounds easy enough right? Do this exercise with me. Sit up straight in a chair and jut your chin straight forward as far as you can. (don't jut it up toward the ceiling, jut it straight out). You should feel a strain in the back of your neck as you do this. Now, close your mouth and try to breathe through your nose. Take at least 4 deep breathes. Now bring your chin back and down, so that your head is directly in line with the rest of your spine. If you are sitting against the wall, try to place your entire spine against the wall, and then place your head against the wall as well, with your chin down. Again take 4 deep breathes. Notice how much easier it is to breathe the second time around? Most of us spend long hours of the day with our chins jutted forward. This cuts off oxygen to the brain, which over a long period of time can lead to Alzheimer's. Notice the next time you are working at the computer, or driving your car. These are two areas where we severely jut our chins forward. Make an effort to keep your head back, or take some time each night to pull your chin back and take some deep breathes.
2. Tension. Where do you hold your tension? If you hold your tension in your upper back/shoulders/neck area, you have a greater risk of getting Alzheimer's disease. Why? When your neck and shoulders are tense, blood flow is restricted. Because your body is so tight around your neck, it's hard for the blood to travel through the shoulders and neck and to the brain. This ultimately cuts off oxygen to the brain. Over long periods of time, this can lead to Alzheimer's disease. Also, those who hold tension in their neck/shoulders/upper back are more likely to jut their chins out (see #1) during everyday tasks. When your neck is tight, your entire head will be shifted off balance because your muscles are off balance due to the unnatural tension. Regular stretching, or yoga, works wonders to loosen tight areas and relieve tension. If you carry stress and tension in your upper back, shoulders, or neck, doing regular stretching or yoga will help to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease. 
3. Essential Oils. Because there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, prevention is key. There are some essential oils that have been known to help reduce the risk of getting alzheimer's. These oils help to increase blood flow to the brain, and relieve any neck and shoulder tension (see #1 & #2). These oils can be applied daily, or as needed, directly to the neck, shoulders, and back. For more information on essential oils for Alzheimer's prevention, contact me here.

What will we be praying for with regards to Alzheimer's disease?

The weekly prayers for this topic will focus heavily on prevention against Alzheimer's disease, and clarity of mind and spirit throughout our entire lives. We will also touch on genetics, finding a cure, and wisdom with environmental and lifestyle choices. Follow along with us each week to get the updated prayer. Pray these prayers over your own health, your spouse, your children, your parents and grandparents.

To find the weekly prayers, head over to my website, where the weekly prayer is posted each week on the right side bar.

The prayers will all be posted on Instagram as well. Follow me @abbyshroka in order to see the new prayer each week.

The prayers will also be posted to our Facebook page. By liking us on Facebook, you will have access to each week's prayer. Click here to like is us on Facebook.

I want to thank all of you who made the commitment to partner along with us as we pray over our health each week for 52 weeks. I am already so inspired as I hear what God has done in the last four weeks to bring healing to so many suffering from stomach pain and digestive disorders! If you missed those prayers, you can find them here.

I cannot wait to see what God has in store for the next four weeks as we pray over our brain health and against Alzheimer's disease.

Wishing you all Health, Hope, & Happiness
Abby