Forward and 1st part of Introduction

In Billy Graham's book The Journey he uses the Bible text O Lord.... if you will grant success to the journey on which I have come. ~ GENESIS 24:42

I read through the Forward and Introduction chapters from the first word to the last only stopping to under line about every other sentence.

If I shared all that I underlined I would type the whole first 2 chapters and probably charged for plagiarism lol SO I will share a few points and what action I am taking to incorporate them into my life.

Forward by Dean Ornish M.D.

• When you change your lifestyle, you change your genes
• There is even a deeper, root cause that powerfully affects our lifestyle choices and that is the separation from who we really are.
• The real epidemic is not just obesity.... it's loneliness, depression and isolation
• These behaviors (overeating, drinking, working too hard etc.) are ADAPTIVE because they help get us through the day, they numb our emotional pain
• Awareness is the first step

I want to stop here and let you know my anxiety is soaring through the roof just writing this... I have headed towards food several times but have stopped and prayed, "Lord food can not comfort me - only you can. Take away my anxiety. I wish I could say there was a miracle and my anxiety disappeared (I have prayed similar prayers and they have been answered. I believe He knows what is best for me) I believe this anxiety is caused by knowing I have to deal with issues and it is easier to shove them down.

• Willpower is just another way of saying you are forcing yourself to do something that is not sustainable
• What is sustainable are love, joy, pleasure and freedom

Stopping again ~I will have to figure out the best way to share the part about intimacy and trust. I will share that in my next post.

• Prayer and meditation allow us to access our inner wisdom ( I believe God grants us wisdom when we ask)

Before I go to the Introduction chapter I will share how I have incorporated what I learned.

I prayer GENESIS 24:42 every morning and evening

I realize that loneliness, depression and isolation are my epidemic

I need awareness as to why

I do not depend on will power (more on that later)

Prayer and meditation are required on this journey

INTRODUCTION (first part)

The 21 lessons are to retrain your consciousness in the area of weight. The principles that guide these lessons are:

• Your body is neutral - it causes nothing; it is completely an effect
• Your mind is cause, body effect. The cause of your excess weight is in your mind
• Fear is in your mind and blocks love
• Fear expresses itself as subconscious urges, which then express themselves as either excessive and/or unhealthy eating habits and/or the lack of exercise. The result is excess weight - will only be permanently and fundamentally healed when the fear is rooted out.

It is true - my body has not caused my fluffy body, stretched out skin, or the 75 extra lbs of fat my body carries. My mind is heavy with fear, loneliness, depression and isolation. It weighs a hundred times more than my body and the weight is felt on my soul.

Until tomorrow - pray to your higher power to strengthen you on this journey. Walk with me - go buy the book, lets get this monkey off our back once and for all!!!