The Fat Zone

 Stepping Out in RED Shoes!

- Days 157, 158 & 159 -

TAKE HEED:  
One FAT day can easily turn into an entire  FAT weekend!  
If you're not careful, you can end up stuck on the side of the road indefinitely!

"The Fat Zone"  is the place where NOTHING SUBSTANTIAL is going on!  It comes complete with:   Empty Calories,  Zero Energy  and  Lackluster Goals.

Two days ago, I found myself,  (my RED shoes kicked to the side),   in "The Fat Zone."   Yikes!  I hate that place!   It was one of  those days in which nothing quite came together.   It wasn't good, it wasn't bad -- it was somewhere in between -- unable to make up it's mind.  All the blessings canceled out all the mishaps -- which is a good thing, but somehow I was left feeling robbed.

Talk about a slump. -- not pretty!  Fortunately, no one really saw me, but I still had to put up with myself and make it through the day!  I was never so happy for the alarm to go off the next morning so that I could start fresh!  After all...

"His mercies are new every morning.

Great is His faithfulness!"

Lamentations 3:23

Have you ever noticed that when you're in a slump you find yourself feasting uncontrolably on empty calories?  Nothing is fulfilling!  Nothing hits the spot.  That's why they call it "empty." 

There you are reaching for the remote, clicking on channel after channel, looking for something -- something that will invigorate you.  Only thing is, part of you is too tired to be invigorated!  It's easier to just remain sedentary.

Sedentary  means...  

not moving --  lethargic -- lazy -- idle.  

Okay... so maybe you're not a t.v. person.  Perhaps for you it's food.  You go through the refrigerator looking for something.  You eat lots of this and lots of that, but nothing hits the spot.  Perhaps you've decided to dine out?  Only thing is, you can't even decide where to dine.  Your family suggests one restaurant after another, and your response is always the same... "Nah!  I don't want to go there!"  That's because you really don't want to go anywhere.  You subconscious already knows it won't be satisfied.

Or maybe you're a shopper.  Maybe your "Fat Day" consists of relentless shuffling through stores, looking for that one thing that will make you feel good.  There's nothing worse than having a wallet of cash and you can't even spend it.  Nothing fits.  Nothing satisfies.  

Just face it -- 

YOUR FLESH IS HAVING 

A PITY PARTY!

It's vying for control.

Fat Days are never good.  

You find yourself walking the fence 

between 

REST and IDLENESS.

Proverbs 31:27 says...

"She watches over the affairs of her household 

and does not eat the bread of idleness."

Let me make a clear distinction here...

We all need a day of rest.  Rest brings restoration.  You leave refreshed!  Filled!  Ready to move forward!

Idleness, at it's best, leaves you unsatisfied, incomplete and bored.  At it's worse, it involves you in things you have no business in:   Gossip -- Havoc -- Confusion -- Stirring things up that need to be left alone -- or even sin.  Don't fall into idleness.  Choose REST!

* * * TAKE NOTE * * *

Do not STOP in  "The Fat Zone!"

KEEP  MOVING!  

Every step forward is a step closer to the finish line. 

The goal is to get through it as 

quickly as possible!

The best thing to do in  "The Fat Zone"   is to EAT BIG! --  Feed on anointed Christian music or a good DVD of Christian instruction on a topic of interest you normally don't have time for.  Perhaps it's an uplifting Christian movie, or a series on End Times.  Maybe it's a TD Jakes'  Woman, Thou Art Loosed!   That will give your flesh a good kick in the pants!

Make no mistake...

"The Fat Zone" is all about 

forcing your flesh into submission!

Who's the boss?

You?  or  Your flesh?

Stay away from idleness by not feeding on crap.  This is not the time to sit around talking to people about everything that's wrong in the world!  Don't do it!  Be careful of what you take in through your eyes and ears.  Slap your flesh into submission, lest it overtake you!   Garbage In  =  Garbage Out.

WARNING:

BEING A 

"LONE DUCK"

COULD BE

HAZARDOUS

TO YOUR

SPIRITUAL 

HEALTH!

The Fat Zone is a place of Zero Energy.  You don't want to do anything, let alone go to church.  You don't want to be around people.   That's fine, but be warned... as you're sitting there all alone, you quickly become a target for enemy fire.  "Look!  There she is!  Alone and Vulnerable.  Let's get her!  Move in NOW!"   

1 Peter 5:8 says...

"Be alert and of sober mind.  

Your enemy the devil 
prowls around like 
a roaring lion looking 

for someone to devour."

And there you are... 

a sitting duck, no less!

I could tend to be a lone duck, myself, but not this time.  On day two of my FAT weekend, God made a way of escape!  At the last minute, I got the most random text from two encouraging and uplifting friends of mine, inviting me to dinner.   Oh, I didn't want to be around anyone,  but I saw it for what it was.  It was as clear as day!  

"The Offer." 

  

God said, "Choose this instead." 

 I didn't stop to think about it.  I just said... "Yes!"   It really was that easy.  Sure... I could have said no, but I didn't.  This time, I said yes instead!   I took the escape route that God provided.   I accepted the offer my two friends extended and had a wonderful time!  I might not have been strong, but they were -- and the enemy stayed clear.  Hallelujah!

Besides Empty Calories and Zero Energy, 

The Fat Zone highlights your Lackluster goals -- 

Or at least that's what the enemy would have you think.  

While you're sitting there on the couch, sipping on soda and feasting on doughnuts,  (spiritually speaking, of course), the enemy will whisper in your ear that you're life is meaningless.  It's a lie!  Take note:   All that sugar has a way of distorting your vision!

Excessive television, 

binge eating, shopping tirades, and the like 

are all forms of Spiritual Sugar. 

The effects are debilitating!

This is when the enemy moves in for the kill.  He'll tell you that you're goals and dreams are not practical.  Going full force after God is out of balance and ridiculous.  And well...  I refuse to repeat his conversation of fabrications and falsehoods -  his misinterpretations of the wonders of God!

Before you know it...  You'll want to give up!  

Throw in the towel!  Turn and go the other way!

No!  Put on your big girl panties!  Then affix yourself in the armor of God,  (which by the way, should have already been on).  Dig the heels of those RED shoes into the ground.  Stand up and fix yourself in one of those  "I'm not budging"  kind of stances and shout out...  "I'm moving forward with Jesus!"

"Determination -- Tenacity -- Steadfastness"  

These are words we need to grab a hold of and live out!

They are the language spoken by mature Women of God.

Sometimes it's a fight!  If your goal is to be a mature Woman of God, expect that there will be days in which you'll have to pick up your sword and show the devil who's boss!  You'll have to encourage yourself.  You may have to trample over the weeds and brushland until you get to higher ground.  No one's going to carry you!  You don't get a badge without passing the test!  This isn't one of those games where everyone gets a prize, just for fun.  No!  You have to do the work! 

Sure, God will be with you.  He'll open and close doors.  He'll supply your needs.  But times of testing are just that. It's between YOU and HIM.  When it's over, you'll know exactly where you stand.  

 Sometimes that what a FAT day turns into -- 

A weekend of testing!  

We've all experienced those.  Sometimes, unsuccessfully.  But no more!   We will do this!  We will come out victorious!  We will focus on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith and we will finish the race, gloriously!  -- both individually and as a team!

In RED shoes, 

Gail