Phil Parham (31 page)

Have you ever done something that later you wished you hadn't? Maybe you got in a fight with a good friend or told your mother you cleaned your room when you really didn't. The grown-up word for when you feel bad about things you did that are wrong is
regret.

I know that feeling pretty well. I spent many years not taking care of my body. When I finally made the decision to get healthy, I started feeling bad about letting my body get to such an unhealthy state. But you know what I realized? That looking back at the things we've done wrong will never change anything. We can't relive the past, so it's best to learn from it, make changes for the future, and move on.

Sometimes when we look with regret at the things we've done, we get so consumed with our failures that we can't move on to new victories. The Bible says in Micah 7:19 that when we ask God to forgive our sins, He casts them into the depths of the ocean. That means He doesn't even remember them. So why should we? The Bible also says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

See, nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes. The key is to learn from our mistakes and do better. So don't look back. Today is the day to start over. Look forward to your new healthy future.

1. Can you name something you have done that you regret?

2. How can you learn from that mistake?

3. What are some steps you should take when you do something wrong?

Think of something you have done wrong that you feel guilty about. Write it down on a piece of paper. Now tear the paper up and throw it away. This illustrates what God does with our sins when we ask Him to forgive us.

A Word from Amy

Have you ever seen someone talking to themselves? Maybe you looked at them and thought they were crazy. I believe that talking to yourself can be a good thing once in a while. Now before you ask the men in the white coats to take me away, listen to what I'm saying.

Getting healthy can be a struggle sometimes. There are days that you would much rather eat pizza than chicken and vegetables. There are times when you know you should do something active, and all you want to do is lie on the sofa and watch television. Those are the days when talking to yourself is a good thing. Those are the days when you need to tell yourself what to do.

When I have rough days, I tell myself that I love to exercise. Just by saying that to myself, I start to believe it. When I convince myself that I'm doing something I love to do, rather than doing it because I have to do it, it makes me want to do it. I also tell myself that I will eat healthily. If I'm the one making the choice of what food to eat, and my mom and dad aren't telling me what to do, I don't mind so much.

We are in control of our mind, but sometimes we have to trick it into doing what we want it to do. That's why talking to ourselves isn't such a bad thing. Now get out there and tell yourself who's boss.

1. What are some things you can tell yourself that will help you make the right choices?

2. Who is responsible for making the right choices in your life?

3. What can you say that will trick you into making the right choices?

When you're running down the street in your neighborhood and you start to get tired, tell yourself you're just going to run to the next mailbox. When you get to that mailbox, tell yourself you're going to run to the stop sign and so on. By tricking yourself into running these small distances, you'll find that you will run longer than you thought possible.

A Word from Amy

Has your mother ever told you to “watch your mouth!”? If she has, she was probably telling you that because you said something that wasn't nice or you talked back to her. Well, I want you to watch your mouth in a different way. I want you to watch the words you say about yourself

I'm talking about the negative things we say, such as “I can't do it” or “I'm not good enough.” No matter what you're talking about, it's never a good idea to focus on the negative. We need to say positive things about ourselves.

I always hated sports and going to gym class. I would tell myself,
I'm not the athletic type
or
I'm not able to do the same exercises as the other kids.
I found out later in life that I was telling myself lies. And I also believed all those lies for many years.

We have to say positive things about ourselves because whatever we say is what we really believe. That's what the Bible tells us: “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Matthew 12:34). The truth about us is found in that great book. The Bible says such things as, “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10), and “I can do all this through [Christ] who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). This is what we need to be saying about ourselves because this is the truth.

So the next time you are tempted to say something negative about yourself, don't do it. Say something positive instead.

1. What are some good things you can say about yourself?

2. Why is it important that we don't say negative things about ourselves?

3. What does the Bible say is the source of the words that come out of our mouth?

Put a rubber band around your wrist. Every time you catch yourself saying something negative, pull the rubber band back and give yourself a “pop.” Soon you will stop yourself before you say anything negative.

A Word from Amy

This morning I decided to get up at 5:30 and go to the gym. I was in a hurry, and the coffee I desperately needed to wake me up spilled all over my car. I didn't have enough time to eat breakfast, so my stomach was growling relentlessly. My gas tank was running on empty, so I had to stop for fuel. When I finally got to the gym, I learned the class I wanted to take wasn't scheduled until the next day. How frustrating! What do you think I did? Maybe the better question is, what would you have done in this situation?

It's easy to look at obstacles as a sign that we should just give up. But that's the opposite of what we should do! Let me tell you what I did. When I got to the gym and saw that I couldn't take the class I wanted, I hopped on the treadmill and ran six miles. It was hard and I was tired. But I pushed through, and afterward, I felt as though nothing could stop me. I was powerful because I had fought all the obstacles like a warrior and won.

What about you? Are you going to let obstacles stand in your way? Are you going to let distractions stop you from being strong and healthy? Don't let anything get in the way of reaching your goals. Take those temptations and roadblocks as opportunities to be a champion. I know you can do it.

1. Have you had a bad day recently? How did it affect you?

2. Who has ultimate control over your mind?

3. Name some times when you have been tempted to quit but you didn't. How did it feel to push through?

Try talking to yourself to get motivated to do something you don't want to do. When you tell yourself what you're going to do, it reinforces that thought in your mind and makes it easier for you to do it.

A Note from Phil