November 12, 2025 • 37 mins
The holidays can bring pressure from every side—food, family, spending, and the expectation to keep it all together. In this first episode of our Holiday Survival Guide series, we’re preparing our hearts before the holiday rush begins. Together, we’re learning to trade perfection and willpower for peace, presence, and a deeper connection with God. Instead of pushing through on autopilot, we’re asking better questions: What happens when we invite God into our expectations, our meals, and our emotions? How might a renewed mind shift the way we eat, love, and show up this season?
We also share five intentions of Spirit-led eating that act like gentle guideposts: waiting for true hunger, inviting God into every meal, choosing just-right portions, creating peaceful eating moments, and stopping at “just enough.” Along the way, we offer practical tools that actually fit real life—truth lists for gatherings, praise breaks in the car, and quick mind-renewal moments amid errands. Underneath it all is freedom: food is a gift, not a savior, and growth matters more than perfection. We’re practicing grace, “failing well,” and choosing the better feast—wisdom, peace, and joy that lasts long after the decorations come down.
Learn more about our Revelation Within Community: https://www.revelationwithin.org
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:01):
Hi, welcome to our podcast, Revelation Within on
the Go.
I'm Hirivielsma Everson, one ofyour hosts, and the owner lead
coach of theRevelationWithin.org ministry.
SPEAKER_00 (00:15):
And I'm Christina Buckley, your other host, also a
Revelation Within coach.
And hi, Parker in all thingsRevelation Within.
And we are so happy to inviteyou to join us for this episode
of Revelation Within.
(00:39):
We are so glad you're heretoday.
We are ready to launch into aspecial three-part series, and
we're calling it the HolidaySurvival Guide.
Yay! I feel like I need somejingle bells or something.
Jingle bells, jingle bells,jingle bells.
Yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_01 (00:55):
All right.
Well, let's just get it outthere right away.
Um let's be honest.
The holidays can be beautiful,they can be magical, they can be
sacred.
SPEAKER_00 (01:07):
Sacred, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (01:08):
And totally triggering.
Oh, am I right?
Am I right?
SPEAKER_00 (01:12):
Yes, you're right.
You are so right.
Let's just keep it real and sayit like it is.
SPEAKER_01 (01:18):
They are packed with expectations, stress, travel,
which is its own stress, withgrief a lot of times.
Yes, family dynamics.
Oh, yes.
And emotional eating landmines.
I mean, for sure.
It's no wonder this season canfeel overwhelming, especially
(01:39):
for those of us who are walkingthis journey with food and our
body image and all of the many,many, many reasons that any one
of us might run the food duringthis season.
SPEAKER_00 (01:51):
Well, Heidi, you and I haven't experienced any of
this, have we?
About a million times.
Yeah.
Okay, so that's why we're gonnaget really practical today and
also deeply spiritual in thisseries.
So, starting this week, we'regonna talk about how to prepare
(02:15):
your heart for the holidays, notjust your menu, your shopping
list, your plane tickets, yourtrain tickets.
No, we're not, we're not gonnatalk about that.
We're gonna start with how toprepare your heart.
And that's a really good placeto start.
SPEAKER_01 (02:34):
And it's even better when we begin with God.
SPEAKER_00 (02:37):
Yes, yes, it is.
It's that's the best place.
SPEAKER_01 (02:40):
It is.
Everything we teach atRevelation Within has to start
with intimacy with God.
SPEAKER_02 (02:48):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (02:49):
That's why when people come to us and wonder
what happened to the teachingsof thin within, you know, we
have to just kind of say we wantto be sure front and center in
all we teach is intimacy withGod.
And yes, it he will guide anddirect our eating and how to
perceive ourselves in a way thathonors him and feels much better
(03:10):
to ourselves.
But the holidays, maybe morethan any other season at all,
can be a challenge whether we'reused to abiding in him, walking
with him, and inviting him intoour days or not.
So let's start here.
Here's a good question to startwith Am I welcoming God into my
(03:31):
expectations for the holidays,my plans, my meals, my emotions,
or do I already have an attitudeof I'm just gonna get through
this with my own willpower andmaybe deal with it in January if
I don't do it right?
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (03:49):
That's keeping it real.
SPEAKER_01 (03:50):
Yeah, seriously.
In the hustle, the hubbub of theholidays.
Do I get too busy to be stilland no, God is God?
SPEAKER_00 (04:02):
That's those are really good questions.
I know.
Those are good questions for metoo.
Okay, so um, Romans 12, 2.
This is a verse that we quoteall the time here at Revelation
Within because it is soimportant.
Do not conform to the pattern ofthis world, but be transformed
(04:23):
by the renewing of your mind.
And what is the world's patternthis time of year?
Well, let's see.
How about eat, spend, stress,repeat?
How about that?
And then once you get toJanuary, be sure to freak out
and then diet like crazy.
SPEAKER_01 (04:43):
And and sign up for the gym so you can start doing
that like crazy.
I mean, isn't that what we do sovery often?
SPEAKER_00 (04:50):
That's what we do.
That's what we do.
But what if, what if, what if?
What if we stopped and invitedGod to reshape our patterns from
the inside out?
That sounds like a good idea.
I love that.
Reshaping our patterns.
What if we ask him to help usthink differently about the
(05:11):
holidays, about gatherings,about the money we're tempted to
spend, about the extended familydynamics.
What is we what if we invitedGod into all of it?
What would that look like?
SPEAKER_01 (05:27):
Yeah.
Well, uh, let's just invite himin right now.
Okay, right here, right now.
Um, Lord God, we want to inviteyou into this podcast.
We want to invite you into themonths ahead, November and
December, can be tricky.
And so, Lord, we want to inviteyou in.
Would you guide and direct us?
(05:48):
And would you help our listenersto invite you into their
planning and their dealing withwhatever faces them as well?
Thank you, God, that you want tobe invited in and you you come
on in.
Thank you, Lord.
Yes.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
SPEAKER_00 (06:05):
Amen.
Thank you, Heidi.
That was awesome.
Okay, we've invited him in.
What's next?
SPEAKER_01 (06:11):
So, this is where we want to just bring the five
intentions of spirit-led eatinginto the picture.
They aren't rules, they aren'trestrictions, but they are heart
postures that help us walk withGod in a way that really does
help us care for our bodies.
But I also love these intentionsbecause they aren't all about
(06:32):
food and eating and how I'mgoing to navigate that.
They remind me that the HolySpirit wants to lead my life.
I want my life to be HolySpirit-led.
And so including that in myeating makes a lot of sense.
SPEAKER_00 (06:47):
I love what you said when you said heart posture.
And I got this little image inmy mind of a little heart like
sitting up straight.
But I just love that, you know,that idea of what is the posture
of my heart as I enter into thisseason?
I like thinking about that.
SPEAKER_01 (07:07):
All right.
So, intention number one of ourfive intentions of spirit-led
eating are number one, I willbusy myself as the spirit leads
until I prayerfully sense aphysical hunger signal.
And really, what this is justtelling me that I want to live
my life following the HolySpirit in all that I do and keep
(07:29):
doing that.
And then when I get hungry, oh,there it is.
Lord, is it time for me to eat?
And He will give me the go-aheador not.
And presto, I've done intentionnumber one.
But it's the Holy Spirit who isleading my life.
I love that.
I love that.
That's why we included it.
SPEAKER_00 (07:48):
Yeah, I love it too.
I love it too.
So, number two, I will invitethe Spirit of God into my meal
with a heart of gratitude andpraise.
This is one of my favorite.
I just, oh, I love this so much.
I was talking with someone, oneof my one-on-one coaching ladies
just recently, and she was sodownhearted and really
(08:11):
struggling.
And I encouraged her to do aLord, I love lift, you know, and
just to really do somegratitude.
And it just helped her so much.
And so when we're inviting theSpirit of God into our meal, we
want to be practicing gratitudeand praise.
This is gonna make such adifference with our heart
(08:32):
posture.
This is going to lift ourspirits, this is going to turn
our hearts toward the Lord in away that nothing else can.
This is going to bring our ownguard down so that we can be
surrendered.
I just love this idea of everymeal, let's begin with a heart
of gratitude and praise.
SPEAKER_01 (08:52):
You know, there is no better time of year to really
focus on gratitude and praisethan this time of year when
Jesus did so much to give usamazing gifts.
I mean, his Holy Spirit is agift that he gives us, the gifts
of the Holy Spirit, redemptionis a gift he gives us, and he
(09:14):
gave it all to give us thesethings.
It says in Hebrews 12 thatJesus, for the joy set before
him, endured the cross andscorned its shame.
And when I think of that, Ithink such an amazing gift.
We are the joy that was setbefore him, that he wanted so
(09:35):
much to have an intimaterelationship with.
So this is a great time of year.
If what would happen if everytime I heard a Christmas carol
or saw a Christmas decoration, Ijust spent a moment in, well,
like you mentioned, Lord, Ilove.
(10:00):
I mean, what if I did that?
It would impact me tremendously.
And it would, yes.
I will keep my holidays a littlebit more lighthearted.
SPEAKER_00 (10:11):
Well, and then praise.
God, you are my strength.
God, you are here with me now.
God, you are amazing.
You know, just even three orfour um praises in those
moments, it really changes ourhearts.
It really, really does.
It's it's not something we cando on our own.
No.
Um, that heart change.
(10:33):
And when we're surrendered, itchanges everything that we do,
our decisions, everything thatwe are moving forward into,
including food and eating.
So don't discount gratitude andpraise.
SPEAKER_01 (10:46):
These are huge.
These are huge.
Yes, definitely.
Okay, so intention number three: I will choose food in a just (10:49):
undefined
right-sized portion thatdelights my taste buds and
causes my body to feel energizedand strong.
And this is the time of yearwhen all kinds of foods are
accessible to us.
And we just want to be mindful.
Is this something that willenergize me?
Is this something I will regret?
(11:09):
Is this something I can I canenjoy with all of my body, not
just my taste buds?
And then just go accordingly.
And we will next week in ournext um in episode number two of
this three-part series, talkabout what to do when you do go
sideways.
And so we are going to berenewing our minds about failure
(11:31):
in those instances when we aretempted to say, I failed,
because God has something inmind for our failures or our
perceived failures.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (11:41):
Yes, he sure does.
He sure does.
Okay, number four, I will createa peaceful eating experience by
being present with the food andreducing distractions.
Okay, so those of you who haveyoung kids or young grandkids or
nieces and nephews, or maybeyour job is just so busy all the
(12:01):
time, um, you might be thinking,well, this is just not possible
for me.
Um but yeah, I have to eat, youknow, by myself.
I have to be living alone,otherwise, forget this one.
But actually, no, this really ispossible.
And a lot of times it has somuch more to do with what's
(12:22):
happening in my mind.
Yes.
What's happening, right?
What's happening in my thoughts?
Are my thoughts crazy?
Are my thoughts chaotic?
Or is it just, you know, I havekids around me, I have a busy
job, um, I have, you know, abusy schedule today.
We can reduce the distractionsby preparing our minds for a
(12:45):
meal.
SPEAKER_01 (12:45):
You know, one of the things I have struggled with
historically is uh hitting andrunning, as as you might
imagine, going through thekitchen, and there is um uh, I
don't know, a tray of somethingdelightful that I make only at
Christmas time for some reason.
And so it's it's a little bitmore difficult when you have
those sorts of things open andavailable to be present with the
(13:09):
food.
Right in itself can be adistraction.
And so we want to probably keepthose things wrapped up and put
away so that when we take themout to eat something, we have to
be super intentional, not justhitting and running as we go
through the kitchen or thepantry or whatever.
SPEAKER_00 (13:28):
It's reminding me of that video you made years ago,
Heidi, where you took like ducttape or something and put it
around the pan of brownies.
That was such a funny video.
But it does make sense.
Sometimes we actually make ithard on ourselves.
You know, we leave stuff allover the place.
We kind of uh make it hard.
(13:50):
Make it easier on yourself.
There's no reason.
Set those boundaries that willbe helpful for you and make it
easier on yourself during theholidays.
SPEAKER_01 (14:01):
Definitely.
SPEAKER_00 (14:02):
Yeah.
Anyway, I just want you to knowit's totally possible to have a
peaceful eating experience in uhwhat might feel like a chaotic
environment if your mind isprepared, if your mind is
renewed and you're ready.
It's totally, totally possible.
And it feels great too.
SPEAKER_01 (14:23):
In fact, we often challenge our the people in our
classes to be intentional, tohave an ideal meal experience in
the midst of a stressfulsituation, you know, like a
ballet recital or something.
Yes.
Anyway.
So intention number five thatwraps up our five intentions is
(14:44):
I will stop eating before mystomach is full at a peaceful
place of just enough.
One of the things that you cannotice in this list of
intentions is I get to choose.
Every one of them starts with Iwill.
And then the prominence ofpeaceful in these intentions, as
well as prayer and gratitude,and praise and the Holy Spirit.
(15:09):
So, what better way to go intothe holiday season than with
these sorts of things as myfocus?
Peace, absolutely, spirit, andpraise.
And I mean, it's just it's agreat place to be and a great
place to start the holidays.
SPEAKER_00 (15:26):
I remember the very first holidays that I had eating
this way with spirit-led eating.
I wasn't perfect, there wasnothing perfect about it, but I
remember feeling so much joybecause my mind could be on
other things.
I was not obsessed with food andeating.
I was not obsessed with havingfailed and wallowing on the
(15:50):
ground after I fell off on thehorse, which I used to do.
I used to be so mean to myself,you know, and I just remember
the freedom and the joy, notperfection, not perfection.
Right.
But it just felt so good to eatthis way through the holidays.
And I remember ending up inJanuary, I had actually released
(16:11):
a little bit of weight, whichjust absolutely was like a
miracle to me because every yearbefore that I had gained over
the holidays and just felt sohopeless about food and eating.
SPEAKER_01 (16:24):
So yeah, and it's it's like it takes our attention
away from interacting withpeople and celebrating the
reason for the season, if youwill.
SPEAKER_00 (16:34):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (16:35):
It takes the joy out of it.
Yeah, yeah.
God has not put this season onthe planet for us every year to
make us suffer in some ways.
He doesn't do it to taunt us,that's not his intention, not at
all.
It's it's a celebration, acelebration that can be uh with
peace and joy and no regrets.
SPEAKER_00 (16:58):
Yeah.
No regrets.
If you want a printable copy ofthe intentions, you can visit
team lifeisgood.com forwardslash intentions.
Um, I'll say it one more time.
Teamlifeisgood.com forward slashintentions.
(17:20):
And honestly, these intentions,they're so good.
They can guide you.
Remember, they're not rules,they're not restrictions.
Right.
They can guide you.
It's something for support,something to bring in some
life-giving boundaries, um,guiding you through every single
holiday gathering, cookieexchange, potluck, whatever it
(17:41):
is.
This is about tuning your ear toGod's voice and to your own
body's signals.
SPEAKER_01 (17:49):
Yes, exactly.
So, this year, before you evershow up at the Thanksgiving
table or before you wrap thevery first gift, before we do
anything holiday relatednecessarily, let's get proactive
with truth telling.
This is uh what we call, ofcourse, mind renewal.
And during the holidays, it'svital.
(18:10):
Uh really simply said, mindrenewal is just thinking God's
thoughts after him.
It's inviting him to search meand know my thoughts and show me
what he wants me to thinkinstead.
I think there was a psalmistthat said something similar to
that.
SPEAKER_00 (18:27):
Yes.
Uh, you might want to create atruth list about an upcoming
event.
Truth lists are, you know, oneof our top mind renewal tools.
You might want to create a truthlist about a particular food
that you struggle with, or arelationship, or an event that
was difficult in the past, ormaybe it's about your exhaustion
(18:49):
or overwhelm.
We want to ask God, what istrue, Lord, in those moments?
We want to ask him what is truefrom his perspective.
unknown (19:00):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (19:01):
Well, I have to just tell a story since you brought
it up that little video.
It wasn't actually brownies inthat video, it was anti fay
cookies.
And anti fail cookies have beenit's something you make with
peanut butter, rice crispies,lovely corn syrup, of course,
and then butterscotch chips andchocolate chips.
(19:21):
And it ends up my dad, when hewas alive, always called it
candy because it wasn't like acookie, it was more like candy
because it's chewy and it'syummy and it's wonderful.
Anyway, I couldn't even see whatwas in there because you had
duct tape all the way around.
I'm gonna have to, you know whatI'm gonna do?
If you're interested in seeingthat video, I'm gonna make a
(19:44):
link that uh will take you to itif you're interested, and it'll
be team lifeisgood.com forwardslash Christmas.
That's what I'm gonna do.
Oh fun.
That sounds like a lot of fun.
TeamLifeisgood.com forward slashChristmas for the anti-fake
cookie video.
SPEAKER_02 (20:01):
If you want to be awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (20:04):
I think part of the fun of that video was the camera
woman.
My daughter was laughing so hardthat the camera.
Yeah, truly those cookiesreminded me of Edmund in the
C.S.
Lewis uh Lion the Witch in theWardrobe.
Oh, yes, was just owned byTurkish Delight.
(20:25):
Turkish Delight, yes.
Couldn't stop eating it.
And if you've ever seen themovie, oh my gosh, he just
wanted to shovel it in and hehad powdered sugar around his
face.
Um I need, when I make thosecookies, I need to tell myself
what is true from God'sperspective.
Yes, and and in order to notovereat those cookies, these
(20:46):
cookies are or whatever, candyfrom my dad's perspective,
they're not going anywhere.
I can always make more, andthat's one of the things that if
I tell myself that, I'm notgonna sit there and want to
inhale them right now.
And another truth I tell myselfis moderation is a godly
attribute.
And I like establishing thatgodly attribute in my life, not
(21:08):
just with my eating, but withother things, and it all kind of
bleeds together.
And then another truth I tellmyself about these wonderful
heavenly morsels is these willbe more enjoyable in appropriate
amounts at appropriate time,like when I'm hungry.
Yeah.
Sharing these is even morerewarding than the taste on my
(21:31):
tongue.
See, these things remind me,what do I really want?
Do I really want to put my faceinto that pan of anti-fake
cookies?
No, I want to wrap them up withduct tape.
You could even renew your mindwith scripture, a truth card, or
a god list.
(21:52):
Maybe it's saying out loud inthe car, Lord, you are my
portion.
I do not need more anti-fakecookies.
My joy is not found in any fakecookies or stuffing or pie.
You are my feast.
SPEAKER_00 (22:05):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (22:06):
Yes.
There shifts the atmosphere ofour hearts.
SPEAKER_00 (22:10):
Oh, I love that, Heidi.
And it, you might be thinking,that's not gonna make a
difference for me.
Are you kidding me?
I do want to put my whole facein that pan of whatever it is
that Aunt whoever made.
But really, if you are renewingyour mind again and again and
again, I mean, I have atruthless just for the holidays,
(22:33):
and I use that often during theholidays.
If you are being intentionalabout that, your thoughts will
change, and from there yourdesires will change, and from
there your actions will changeand it will surprise you to no
end.
You'll be like, what justhappened?
I made a different choice than Iusually do.
(22:55):
It's because your mind wasrenewed with the truth.
Okay, so we want to definitelysay this very, very clearly
about the holidays.
You are not going to be perfect.
You're not.
Don't even go there.
Don't get a calendar and crossoff every perfect day.
(23:17):
That's what I used to do.
Don't do that.
Don't do that.
You're not going to be perfect.
The holidays will havesurprises, stress, and yes,
probably a few, maybe even morethan a few sploogies.
Um, and that's that's not afailure.
It's a moment for grace.
It's a moment to look and learnwith the Lord.
(23:39):
It's actually a moment to moveforward.
Um, we're not going to be afraidof falling or stumbling or
having a sploogie.
We're not going to be afraid.
We're going to say, it's goingto happen.
We are learning.
We're actually planning to failwell.
What?
(24:00):
What does that mean?
Being imperfect perfectly.
We're going to talk about lookand learn in our next episode.
You don't want to miss it.
SPEAKER_01 (24:09):
No, you don't.
Remember, Jesus watches yourheart, not your eating so much.
And he invites you to walk withhim.
The goal here is connection withhim.
Yes, not performance.
SPEAKER_00 (24:24):
That's that's a big deal, what you just said, Heidi.
SPEAKER_01 (24:27):
Nah, it is.
SPEAKER_00 (24:28):
That's that is something that I could think on
for a whole day.
Okay.
So let's get into something alittle bit practical for
everybody.
Um, in case you're like, okay,well, what do I do?
Just give me some steps herebecause I'm already struggling
with the holidays.
So here are some things that wewant to recommend.
Number one, write a truth listabout the holiday season or
(24:55):
about a specific event.
So you want to invite God in.
Lord, I want to know yourthoughts about this.
Help me to know your thoughts.
And many of you who arelistening know scripture really
well too.
You might want to bring in somescripture into your truth list.
Um, the truth list is somethingyou will use to renew your mind
again and again and again.
(25:16):
Heidi gave a great exampleearlier about ant phase cookies.
But you could do a truth listabout the entire holiday season
or about something veryspecific.
And then you'll have that ready.
You might want to do a fewdifferent ones.
It's totally up to you.
They don't have to be long orcomplicated.
(25:38):
Something that's going to remindyou of the truth before you go
to that event, before you areconfronted with those challenges
that you know so well.
Okay, so that's a truth list.
And then here's another idea.
Choose one of the fiveintentions to focus on this
week.
Just choose one.
(25:58):
Maybe it's the one about praiseand gratitude.
Maybe it's the one about havingyour mind ready, renewed, having
your mind at peace before yousit down to a meal.
Um, maybe it's the one about,you know, choosing what is going
to be life-giving for your body,those kinds of things.
Choose one.
Start smaller and just focus onthat for the week.
(26:22):
That's another idea.
And then one more idea, scheduletime, even five minutes, even
two minutes for the renewing ofthe mind every day.
And since mind renewal is bestwith repetition, consider the on
the fly moments when you canrenew your mind even more.
(26:43):
On the fly might be driving inyour car.
You might say, every time I hita red light, I'm gonna renew my
mind.
I'm gonna praise, I'm going topractice gratitude, I'm going to
say the truths on my truth list,whatever it is.
For some of us who are so busyduring the holiday season at
work and our kids at school, oneof my favorite times to renew my
(27:07):
mind is in the bathroom.
Everybody has to go.
You've got lots of breaks duringthe day.
Some of us have to go more thanothers.
See it as an opportunity for aone-minute check-in with the
Lord, mind renewal.
You have privacy.
That's a great on-the-flymoment.
(27:28):
On the fly might also be waitingwhen you're on hold on the
phone, waiting to pick somebodyup.
Any margin you have in your daycan be one of those on the fly
moments for mind renewal.
Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (27:43):
Um, while you were sharing with us, I just looked
in my phone for um truthlessthat I used at a holiday.
And this one was, I'm not goingto go through it all, but it was
when I knew I was going totravel to go see my daughter.
She lives in or lived in Chicagoarea and I in California.
(28:04):
And so I knew that being withher would be wonderful and
celebratory and all of that, butI also knew it would provide
eating challenges.
And so going back to whatChristina suggested in this list
of three ideas, um, that firstone was a truth list.
I did.
I included truthless, you know,and just I'll give you just one
of them.
My enjoyment of my daughter isnot dependent upon me eating
(28:28):
with her.
No, really, it isn't.
And I think you can imaginewhere to go from there.
Um, just invite God into it andHe will guide you.
If you have somebody that'scoming that's harder to be with,
or somebody that you have ablast with, you want to just
keep your boundaries and askGod, how can I think about this?
(28:52):
So that I will keep my eatingboundaries, my time for mind
renewal boundaries, my spendingboundaries, whatever it might
be.
And it's joy, it's joy-filled,it's life-giving.
Above all, remember, Colossians3 2 tells us set your minds on
things above, not on earthlythings.
(29:12):
And then Philippians 4 6 tellsus, do not be anxious, but in
everything, by prayer andpetition, present your requests
to God.
I just love that.
That's Philippians 4 6.
You know, we've been talking alot today about practical
things, what to do, what to say,how to prepare for the holidays.
But friends, it's so importantto recognize that the treasure
(29:35):
of this season is not found insuccessfully navigating our
meals.
The treasure is Jesus.
Yes.
The treasure is intimacy withour God and King.
And boy, do we need him in orderto navigate many of the other
things that come our way duringthe holidays.
And when we focus all our energyon managing food, sticking with
(29:58):
our boundaries, or following.
Fighting off temptation, we canactually miss what God is trying
to do in building our character.
And that's really what we get tolook forward to and experience
during this season.
SPEAKER_00 (30:13):
Yeah, that's so true, Heidi.
I'm so glad you said that.
It reminds me of Proverbs 3:13.
Blessed are those who findwisdom, those who gain
understanding, for she is moreprofitable than silver and
yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious thanrubies.
(30:34):
Nothing you desire can comparewith her.
And I mean, really, isn't thatwhat we're after?
Not just self-control, but we'reafter wisdom.
We're after peace, closeness,knowing Him, knowing Jesus more
deeply.
That's really what we're after.
SPEAKER_01 (30:53):
Yeah, there's a verse in Hosea, I think it's
chapter six, verse six, thatsays, For I desire, this is God
speaking, for I desire steadfastlove and not sacrifice, the
knowledge of God rather thanburnt offerings.
God wants relationship, notritual.
(31:14):
He wants communion with you morethan he wants compliance from
you.
So let's just sit here a littlebit longer because this isn't
about skipping dessert or notgoing back for seconds.
This is about saying yes to thebetter feast.
God doesn't want to help us justsurvive the holidays.
(31:34):
He wants to draw us intocommunion with himself right in
the middle of cinnamon rolls andcasseroles and found the fire.
He wants us to thrive in theholidays.
SPEAKER_00 (31:47):
Can you even imagine what that might look like?
Ask God, what would it look liketo be at peace during the
holidays to actually thrive,like you said, Heidi?
I just love that idea.
Um, Isaiah 55 says, Come all youwho are thirsty, come to the
waters, and you who have nomoney, come buy and eat, come
(32:10):
buy wine and milk without moneyand without cost.
Why spend money on what is notbread and your labor on what
does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me and eatwhat is good, and you will
delight in the richest affair.
Sounds like a party to me.
Doesn't it?
(32:30):
You know what?
God knows that we're hungry.
We're hungry for a lot ofthings, actually, in the holiday
season.
He knows what we're longing for,he sees our sorrows, our
disappointments, the excitement,all of it.
But he also knows that nothingon the table, not even that one
(32:51):
dish that you can't wait for,that someone makes once a year,
not even that can fill the achein our hearts that only he can
satisfy.
SPEAKER_01 (33:03):
That's good to keep.
Then we could renew our mindswith that before any kind of
meal or party or holiday cookieexchange or whatever.
Psalm 63, 5 says, My soul willbe satisfied as with the richest
of foods.
With singing lips, my mouth willpraise you.
You know, God wants our soulsfull of Him.
(33:24):
This isn't just theoretical ortheology.
I mean, it really isn't.
It's what He wants at our in ourdeepest heart of hearts, the
intimacy, the joy, theconnection we crave.
It's not going to be found atthe bottom of a holiday treat
plate.
It's found in his presence.
SPEAKER_00 (33:42):
Yeah.
Well, and here's the thing: we're not saying food is bad. (33:43):
undefined
Not at all.
No, not at all.
We're not saying that you can'tenjoy your aunt's pumpkin pie or
oh, that wonderful peppermintmocha.
God made food good.
Food is a gift for us to nourishour bodies.
But what do we want to focus onhere?
(34:05):
Food isn't your savior, or youremotional support.
Or, I mean, that I'm speaking tomyself because I have eaten for
emotional reasons reasons foryears.
Jesus is my emotional support.
He's the one that can satisfyeverything that I need, all my
(34:27):
needs.
And he offers so much more thanmomentary pleasure.
I mean, he offers me and youpeace, wholeness, actual
friendship with the king of theuniverse.
How beautiful is that it is.
(35:00):
This season, instead of turningto food for comfort or control,
what if we turn to the actualfriendship of God?
That sounds amazing, doesn't it?
SPEAKER_01 (35:14):
It does.
It does.
Here's another verse that Ithink is worthy of our
consideration too.
Jeremiah 9, 23 to 24 reminds uslet not the wise boast of their
wisdom, or the strong boast oftheir strength, or the rich
boast of their riches.
But let the one who boasts boastabout this, that they have the
(35:37):
understanding to know me, that Iam the Lord who exercises
kindness, justice, andrighteousness on the earth.
For in these I delight, declaresthe Lord.
SPEAKER_00 (35:50):
Wow.
I mean, what a way to walkthrough this season.
Boasting not in how well westick to our eating boundaries,
but in the fact that we'regrowing in our understanding of
who God is.
That's success.
That's freedom.
That's where we want to live.
That's life-giving for us.
(36:11):
So we might want to askourselves a couple of questions
here.
What might I miss this season ifI focus only on food, weight, or
holiday pressure?
What does God want to grow in mycharacter instead?
What is God calling me to?
Whatever it is that He's callingyou to, you know it's going to
(36:33):
be beautiful.
Because it's going to be good.
It's going to be good no matterwhat.
SPEAKER_01 (36:41):
Well, next week we're going to talk about what
to do when we mess up or spoogy.
In a nutshell, we want to learnhow to think God's thoughts
about failure or what we'recalling failure.
And that's going to be reallyhelpful, I think, as we navigate
through this season.
SPEAKER_00 (36:58):
Yes.
And until then, stay anchored ingrace.
Remember, there is unlimitedgrace for you.
God is with you in every moment.
Yes, even the ones that involvemashed potatoes with lots and
lots of butter.
We are so glad that you've beenwith us today.
And we would love to invite youto come join us for our next
(37:21):
episode of Revelation Within.
See you next time.
Hi, welcome to our podcast, Revelation Within on
the Go.
I'm Hirivielsma Everson, one ofyour hosts, and the owner lead
coach of theRevelationWithin.org ministry.
SPEAKER_00 (00:15):
And I'm Christina Buckley, your other host, also a
Revelation Within coach.
And hi, Parker in all thingsRevelation Within.
And we are so happy to inviteyou to join us for this episode
of Revelation Within.
(00:39):
We are so glad you're heretoday.
We are ready to launch into aspecial three-part series, and
we're calling it the HolidaySurvival Guide.
Yay! I feel like I need somejingle bells or something.
Jingle bells, jingle bells,jingle bells.
Yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_01 (00:55):
All right.
Well, let's just get it outthere right away.
Um let's be honest.
The holidays can be beautiful,they can be magical, they can be
sacred.
SPEAKER_00 (01:07):
Sacred, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (01:08):
And totally triggering.
Oh, am I right?
Am I right?
SPEAKER_00 (01:12):
Yes, you're right.
You are so right.
Let's just keep it real and sayit like it is.
SPEAKER_01 (01:18):
They are packed with expectations, stress, travel,
which is its own stress, withgrief a lot of times.
Yes, family dynamics.
Oh, yes.
And emotional eating landmines.
I mean, for sure.
It's no wonder this season canfeel overwhelming, especially
(01:39):
for those of us who are walkingthis journey with food and our
body image and all of the many,many, many reasons that any one
of us might run the food duringthis season.
SPEAKER_00 (01:51):
Well, Heidi, you and I haven't experienced any of
this, have we?
About a million times.
Yeah.
Okay, so that's why we're gonnaget really practical today and
also deeply spiritual in thisseries.
So, starting this week, we'regonna talk about how to prepare
(02:15):
your heart for the holidays, notjust your menu, your shopping
list, your plane tickets, yourtrain tickets.
No, we're not, we're not gonnatalk about that.
We're gonna start with how toprepare your heart.
And that's a really good placeto start.
SPEAKER_01 (02:34):
And it's even better when we begin with God.
SPEAKER_00 (02:37):
Yes, yes, it is.
It's that's the best place.
SPEAKER_01 (02:40):
It is.
Everything we teach atRevelation Within has to start
with intimacy with God.
SPEAKER_02 (02:48):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (02:49):
That's why when people come to us and wonder
what happened to the teachingsof thin within, you know, we
have to just kind of say we wantto be sure front and center in
all we teach is intimacy withGod.
And yes, it he will guide anddirect our eating and how to
perceive ourselves in a way thathonors him and feels much better
(03:10):
to ourselves.
But the holidays, maybe morethan any other season at all,
can be a challenge whether we'reused to abiding in him, walking
with him, and inviting him intoour days or not.
So let's start here.
Here's a good question to startwith Am I welcoming God into my
(03:31):
expectations for the holidays,my plans, my meals, my emotions,
or do I already have an attitudeof I'm just gonna get through
this with my own willpower andmaybe deal with it in January if
I don't do it right?
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (03:49):
That's keeping it real.
SPEAKER_01 (03:50):
Yeah, seriously.
In the hustle, the hubbub of theholidays.
Do I get too busy to be stilland no, God is God?
SPEAKER_00 (04:02):
That's those are really good questions.
I know.
Those are good questions for metoo.
Okay, so um, Romans 12, 2.
This is a verse that we quoteall the time here at Revelation
Within because it is soimportant.
Do not conform to the pattern ofthis world, but be transformed
(04:23):
by the renewing of your mind.
And what is the world's patternthis time of year?
Well, let's see.
How about eat, spend, stress,repeat?
How about that?
And then once you get toJanuary, be sure to freak out
and then diet like crazy.
SPEAKER_01 (04:43):
And and sign up for the gym so you can start doing
that like crazy.
I mean, isn't that what we do sovery often?
SPEAKER_00 (04:50):
That's what we do.
That's what we do.
But what if, what if, what if?
What if we stopped and invitedGod to reshape our patterns from
the inside out?
That sounds like a good idea.
I love that.
Reshaping our patterns.
What if we ask him to help usthink differently about the
(05:11):
holidays, about gatherings,about the money we're tempted to
spend, about the extended familydynamics.
What is we what if we invitedGod into all of it?
What would that look like?
SPEAKER_01 (05:27):
Yeah.
Well, uh, let's just invite himin right now.
Okay, right here, right now.
Um, Lord God, we want to inviteyou into this podcast.
We want to invite you into themonths ahead, November and
December, can be tricky.
And so, Lord, we want to inviteyou in.
Would you guide and direct us?
(05:48):
And would you help our listenersto invite you into their
planning and their dealing withwhatever faces them as well?
Thank you, God, that you want tobe invited in and you you come
on in.
Thank you, Lord.
Yes.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
SPEAKER_00 (06:05):
Amen.
Thank you, Heidi.
That was awesome.
Okay, we've invited him in.
What's next?
SPEAKER_01 (06:11):
So, this is where we want to just bring the five
intentions of spirit-led eatinginto the picture.
They aren't rules, they aren'trestrictions, but they are heart
postures that help us walk withGod in a way that really does
help us care for our bodies.
But I also love these intentionsbecause they aren't all about
(06:32):
food and eating and how I'mgoing to navigate that.
They remind me that the HolySpirit wants to lead my life.
I want my life to be HolySpirit-led.
And so including that in myeating makes a lot of sense.
SPEAKER_00 (06:47):
I love what you said when you said heart posture.
And I got this little image inmy mind of a little heart like
sitting up straight.
But I just love that, you know,that idea of what is the posture
of my heart as I enter into thisseason?
I like thinking about that.
SPEAKER_01 (07:07):
All right.
So, intention number one of ourfive intentions of spirit-led
eating are number one, I willbusy myself as the spirit leads
until I prayerfully sense aphysical hunger signal.
And really, what this is justtelling me that I want to live
my life following the HolySpirit in all that I do and keep
(07:29):
doing that.
And then when I get hungry, oh,there it is.
Lord, is it time for me to eat?
And He will give me the go-aheador not.
And presto, I've done intentionnumber one.
But it's the Holy Spirit who isleading my life.
I love that.
I love that.
That's why we included it.
SPEAKER_00 (07:48):
Yeah, I love it too.
I love it too.
So, number two, I will invitethe Spirit of God into my meal
with a heart of gratitude andpraise.
This is one of my favorite.
I just, oh, I love this so much.
I was talking with someone, oneof my one-on-one coaching ladies
just recently, and she was sodownhearted and really
(08:11):
struggling.
And I encouraged her to do aLord, I love lift, you know, and
just to really do somegratitude.
And it just helped her so much.
And so when we're inviting theSpirit of God into our meal, we
want to be practicing gratitudeand praise.
This is gonna make such adifference with our heart
(08:32):
posture.
This is going to lift ourspirits, this is going to turn
our hearts toward the Lord in away that nothing else can.
This is going to bring our ownguard down so that we can be
surrendered.
I just love this idea of everymeal, let's begin with a heart
of gratitude and praise.
SPEAKER_01 (08:52):
You know, there is no better time of year to really
focus on gratitude and praisethan this time of year when
Jesus did so much to give usamazing gifts.
I mean, his Holy Spirit is agift that he gives us, the gifts
of the Holy Spirit, redemptionis a gift he gives us, and he
(09:14):
gave it all to give us thesethings.
It says in Hebrews 12 thatJesus, for the joy set before
him, endured the cross andscorned its shame.
And when I think of that, Ithink such an amazing gift.
We are the joy that was setbefore him, that he wanted so
(09:35):
much to have an intimaterelationship with.
So this is a great time of year.
If what would happen if everytime I heard a Christmas carol
or saw a Christmas decoration, Ijust spent a moment in, well,
like you mentioned, Lord, Ilove.
(10:00):
I mean, what if I did that?
It would impact me tremendously.
And it would, yes.
I will keep my holidays a littlebit more lighthearted.
SPEAKER_00 (10:11):
Well, and then praise.
God, you are my strength.
God, you are here with me now.
God, you are amazing.
You know, just even three orfour um praises in those
moments, it really changes ourhearts.
It really, really does.
It's it's not something we cando on our own.
No.
Um, that heart change.
(10:33):
And when we're surrendered, itchanges everything that we do,
our decisions, everything thatwe are moving forward into,
including food and eating.
So don't discount gratitude andpraise.
SPEAKER_01 (10:46):
These are huge.
These are huge.
Yes, definitely.
Okay, so intention number three: I will choose food in a just (10:49):
undefined
right-sized portion thatdelights my taste buds and
causes my body to feel energizedand strong.
And this is the time of yearwhen all kinds of foods are
accessible to us.
And we just want to be mindful.
Is this something that willenergize me?
Is this something I will regret?
(11:09):
Is this something I can I canenjoy with all of my body, not
just my taste buds?
And then just go accordingly.
And we will next week in ournext um in episode number two of
this three-part series, talkabout what to do when you do go
sideways.
And so we are going to berenewing our minds about failure
(11:31):
in those instances when we aretempted to say, I failed,
because God has something inmind for our failures or our
perceived failures.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (11:41):
Yes, he sure does.
He sure does.
Okay, number four, I will createa peaceful eating experience by
being present with the food andreducing distractions.
Okay, so those of you who haveyoung kids or young grandkids or
nieces and nephews, or maybeyour job is just so busy all the
(12:01):
time, um, you might be thinking,well, this is just not possible
for me.
Um but yeah, I have to eat, youknow, by myself.
I have to be living alone,otherwise, forget this one.
But actually, no, this really ispossible.
And a lot of times it has somuch more to do with what's
(12:22):
happening in my mind.
Yes.
What's happening, right?
What's happening in my thoughts?
Are my thoughts crazy?
Are my thoughts chaotic?
Or is it just, you know, I havekids around me, I have a busy
job, um, I have, you know, abusy schedule today.
We can reduce the distractionsby preparing our minds for a
(12:45):
meal.
SPEAKER_01 (12:45):
You know, one of the things I have struggled with
historically is uh hitting andrunning, as as you might
imagine, going through thekitchen, and there is um uh, I
don't know, a tray of somethingdelightful that I make only at
Christmas time for some reason.
And so it's it's a little bitmore difficult when you have
those sorts of things open andavailable to be present with the
(13:09):
food.
Right in itself can be adistraction.
And so we want to probably keepthose things wrapped up and put
away so that when we take themout to eat something, we have to
be super intentional, not justhitting and running as we go
through the kitchen or thepantry or whatever.
SPEAKER_00 (13:28):
It's reminding me of that video you made years ago,
Heidi, where you took like ducttape or something and put it
around the pan of brownies.
That was such a funny video.
But it does make sense.
Sometimes we actually make ithard on ourselves.
You know, we leave stuff allover the place.
We kind of uh make it hard.
(13:50):
Make it easier on yourself.
There's no reason.
Set those boundaries that willbe helpful for you and make it
easier on yourself during theholidays.
SPEAKER_01 (14:01):
Definitely.
SPEAKER_00 (14:02):
Yeah.
Anyway, I just want you to knowit's totally possible to have a
peaceful eating experience in uhwhat might feel like a chaotic
environment if your mind isprepared, if your mind is
renewed and you're ready.
It's totally, totally possible.
And it feels great too.
SPEAKER_01 (14:23):
In fact, we often challenge our the people in our
classes to be intentional, tohave an ideal meal experience in
the midst of a stressfulsituation, you know, like a
ballet recital or something.
Yes.
Anyway.
So intention number five thatwraps up our five intentions is
(14:44):
I will stop eating before mystomach is full at a peaceful
place of just enough.
One of the things that you cannotice in this list of
intentions is I get to choose.
Every one of them starts with Iwill.
And then the prominence ofpeaceful in these intentions, as
well as prayer and gratitude,and praise and the Holy Spirit.
(15:09):
So, what better way to go intothe holiday season than with
these sorts of things as myfocus?
Peace, absolutely, spirit, andpraise.
And I mean, it's just it's agreat place to be and a great
place to start the holidays.
SPEAKER_00 (15:26):
I remember the very first holidays that I had eating
this way with spirit-led eating.
I wasn't perfect, there wasnothing perfect about it, but I
remember feeling so much joybecause my mind could be on
other things.
I was not obsessed with food andeating.
I was not obsessed with havingfailed and wallowing on the
(15:50):
ground after I fell off on thehorse, which I used to do.
I used to be so mean to myself,you know, and I just remember
the freedom and the joy, notperfection, not perfection.
Right.
But it just felt so good to eatthis way through the holidays.
And I remember ending up inJanuary, I had actually released
(16:11):
a little bit of weight, whichjust absolutely was like a
miracle to me because every yearbefore that I had gained over
the holidays and just felt sohopeless about food and eating.
SPEAKER_01 (16:24):
So yeah, and it's it's like it takes our attention
away from interacting withpeople and celebrating the
reason for the season, if youwill.
SPEAKER_00 (16:34):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (16:35):
It takes the joy out of it.
Yeah, yeah.
God has not put this season onthe planet for us every year to
make us suffer in some ways.
He doesn't do it to taunt us,that's not his intention, not at
all.
It's it's a celebration, acelebration that can be uh with
peace and joy and no regrets.
SPEAKER_00 (16:58):
Yeah.
No regrets.
If you want a printable copy ofthe intentions, you can visit
team lifeisgood.com forwardslash intentions.
Um, I'll say it one more time.
Teamlifeisgood.com forward slashintentions.
(17:20):
And honestly, these intentions,they're so good.
They can guide you.
Remember, they're not rules,they're not restrictions.
Right.
They can guide you.
It's something for support,something to bring in some
life-giving boundaries, um,guiding you through every single
holiday gathering, cookieexchange, potluck, whatever it
(17:41):
is.
This is about tuning your ear toGod's voice and to your own
body's signals.
SPEAKER_01 (17:49):
Yes, exactly.
So, this year, before you evershow up at the Thanksgiving
table or before you wrap thevery first gift, before we do
anything holiday relatednecessarily, let's get proactive
with truth telling.
This is uh what we call, ofcourse, mind renewal.
And during the holidays, it'svital.
(18:10):
Uh really simply said, mindrenewal is just thinking God's
thoughts after him.
It's inviting him to search meand know my thoughts and show me
what he wants me to thinkinstead.
I think there was a psalmistthat said something similar to
that.
SPEAKER_00 (18:27):
Yes.
Uh, you might want to create atruth list about an upcoming
event.
Truth lists are, you know, oneof our top mind renewal tools.
You might want to create a truthlist about a particular food
that you struggle with, or arelationship, or an event that
was difficult in the past, ormaybe it's about your exhaustion
(18:49):
or overwhelm.
We want to ask God, what istrue, Lord, in those moments?
We want to ask him what is truefrom his perspective.
unknown (19:00):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (19:01):
Well, I have to just tell a story since you brought
it up that little video.
It wasn't actually brownies inthat video, it was anti fay
cookies.
And anti fail cookies have beenit's something you make with
peanut butter, rice crispies,lovely corn syrup, of course,
and then butterscotch chips andchocolate chips.
(19:21):
And it ends up my dad, when hewas alive, always called it
candy because it wasn't like acookie, it was more like candy
because it's chewy and it'syummy and it's wonderful.
Anyway, I couldn't even see whatwas in there because you had
duct tape all the way around.
I'm gonna have to, you know whatI'm gonna do?
If you're interested in seeingthat video, I'm gonna make a
(19:44):
link that uh will take you to itif you're interested, and it'll
be team lifeisgood.com forwardslash Christmas.
That's what I'm gonna do.
Oh fun.
That sounds like a lot of fun.
TeamLifeisgood.com forward slashChristmas for the anti-fake
cookie video.
SPEAKER_02 (20:01):
If you want to be awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (20:04):
I think part of the fun of that video was the camera
woman.
My daughter was laughing so hardthat the camera.
Yeah, truly those cookiesreminded me of Edmund in the
C.S.
Lewis uh Lion the Witch in theWardrobe.
Oh, yes, was just owned byTurkish Delight.
(20:25):
Turkish Delight, yes.
Couldn't stop eating it.
And if you've ever seen themovie, oh my gosh, he just
wanted to shovel it in and hehad powdered sugar around his
face.
Um I need, when I make thosecookies, I need to tell myself
what is true from God'sperspective.
Yes, and and in order to notovereat those cookies, these
(20:46):
cookies are or whatever, candyfrom my dad's perspective,
they're not going anywhere.
I can always make more, andthat's one of the things that if
I tell myself that, I'm notgonna sit there and want to
inhale them right now.
And another truth I tell myselfis moderation is a godly
attribute.
And I like establishing thatgodly attribute in my life, not
(21:08):
just with my eating, but withother things, and it all kind of
bleeds together.
And then another truth I tellmyself about these wonderful
heavenly morsels is these willbe more enjoyable in appropriate
amounts at appropriate time,like when I'm hungry.
Yeah.
Sharing these is even morerewarding than the taste on my
(21:31):
tongue.
See, these things remind me,what do I really want?
Do I really want to put my faceinto that pan of anti-fake
cookies?
No, I want to wrap them up withduct tape.
You could even renew your mindwith scripture, a truth card, or
a god list.
(21:52):
Maybe it's saying out loud inthe car, Lord, you are my
portion.
I do not need more anti-fakecookies.
My joy is not found in any fakecookies or stuffing or pie.
You are my feast.
SPEAKER_00 (22:05):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (22:06):
Yes.
There shifts the atmosphere ofour hearts.
SPEAKER_00 (22:10):
Oh, I love that, Heidi.
And it, you might be thinking,that's not gonna make a
difference for me.
Are you kidding me?
I do want to put my whole facein that pan of whatever it is
that Aunt whoever made.
But really, if you are renewingyour mind again and again and
again, I mean, I have atruthless just for the holidays,
(22:33):
and I use that often during theholidays.
If you are being intentionalabout that, your thoughts will
change, and from there yourdesires will change, and from
there your actions will changeand it will surprise you to no
end.
You'll be like, what justhappened?
I made a different choice than Iusually do.
(22:55):
It's because your mind wasrenewed with the truth.
Okay, so we want to definitelysay this very, very clearly
about the holidays.
You are not going to be perfect.
You're not.
Don't even go there.
Don't get a calendar and crossoff every perfect day.
(23:17):
That's what I used to do.
Don't do that.
Don't do that.
You're not going to be perfect.
The holidays will havesurprises, stress, and yes,
probably a few, maybe even morethan a few sploogies.
Um, and that's that's not afailure.
It's a moment for grace.
It's a moment to look and learnwith the Lord.
(23:39):
It's actually a moment to moveforward.
Um, we're not going to be afraidof falling or stumbling or
having a sploogie.
We're not going to be afraid.
We're going to say, it's goingto happen.
We are learning.
We're actually planning to failwell.
What?
(24:00):
What does that mean?
Being imperfect perfectly.
We're going to talk about lookand learn in our next episode.
You don't want to miss it.
SPEAKER_01 (24:09):
No, you don't.
Remember, Jesus watches yourheart, not your eating so much.
And he invites you to walk withhim.
The goal here is connection withhim.
Yes, not performance.
SPEAKER_00 (24:24):
That's that's a big deal, what you just said, Heidi.
SPEAKER_01 (24:27):
Nah, it is.
SPEAKER_00 (24:28):
That's that is something that I could think on
for a whole day.
Okay.
So let's get into something alittle bit practical for
everybody.
Um, in case you're like, okay,well, what do I do?
Just give me some steps herebecause I'm already struggling
with the holidays.
So here are some things that wewant to recommend.
Number one, write a truth listabout the holiday season or
(24:55):
about a specific event.
So you want to invite God in.
Lord, I want to know yourthoughts about this.
Help me to know your thoughts.
And many of you who arelistening know scripture really
well too.
You might want to bring in somescripture into your truth list.
Um, the truth list is somethingyou will use to renew your mind
again and again and again.
(25:16):
Heidi gave a great exampleearlier about ant phase cookies.
But you could do a truth listabout the entire holiday season
or about something veryspecific.
And then you'll have that ready.
You might want to do a fewdifferent ones.
It's totally up to you.
They don't have to be long orcomplicated.
(25:38):
Something that's going to remindyou of the truth before you go
to that event, before you areconfronted with those challenges
that you know so well.
Okay, so that's a truth list.
And then here's another idea.
Choose one of the fiveintentions to focus on this
week.
Just choose one.
(25:58):
Maybe it's the one about praiseand gratitude.
Maybe it's the one about havingyour mind ready, renewed, having
your mind at peace before yousit down to a meal.
Um, maybe it's the one about,you know, choosing what is going
to be life-giving for your body,those kinds of things.
Choose one.
Start smaller and just focus onthat for the week.
(26:22):
That's another idea.
And then one more idea, scheduletime, even five minutes, even
two minutes for the renewing ofthe mind every day.
And since mind renewal is bestwith repetition, consider the on
the fly moments when you canrenew your mind even more.
(26:43):
On the fly might be driving inyour car.
You might say, every time I hita red light, I'm gonna renew my
mind.
I'm gonna praise, I'm going topractice gratitude, I'm going to
say the truths on my truth list,whatever it is.
For some of us who are so busyduring the holiday season at
work and our kids at school, oneof my favorite times to renew my
(27:07):
mind is in the bathroom.
Everybody has to go.
You've got lots of breaks duringthe day.
Some of us have to go more thanothers.
See it as an opportunity for aone-minute check-in with the
Lord, mind renewal.
You have privacy.
That's a great on-the-flymoment.
(27:28):
On the fly might also be waitingwhen you're on hold on the
phone, waiting to pick somebodyup.
Any margin you have in your daycan be one of those on the fly
moments for mind renewal.
Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (27:43):
Um, while you were sharing with us, I just looked
in my phone for um truthlessthat I used at a holiday.
And this one was, I'm not goingto go through it all, but it was
when I knew I was going totravel to go see my daughter.
She lives in or lived in Chicagoarea and I in California.
(28:04):
And so I knew that being withher would be wonderful and
celebratory and all of that, butI also knew it would provide
eating challenges.
And so going back to whatChristina suggested in this list
of three ideas, um, that firstone was a truth list.
I did.
I included truthless, you know,and just I'll give you just one
of them.
My enjoyment of my daughter isnot dependent upon me eating
(28:28):
with her.
No, really, it isn't.
And I think you can imaginewhere to go from there.
Um, just invite God into it andHe will guide you.
If you have somebody that'scoming that's harder to be with,
or somebody that you have ablast with, you want to just
keep your boundaries and askGod, how can I think about this?
(28:52):
So that I will keep my eatingboundaries, my time for mind
renewal boundaries, my spendingboundaries, whatever it might
be.
And it's joy, it's joy-filled,it's life-giving.
Above all, remember, Colossians3 2 tells us set your minds on
things above, not on earthlythings.
(29:12):
And then Philippians 4 6 tellsus, do not be anxious, but in
everything, by prayer andpetition, present your requests
to God.
I just love that.
That's Philippians 4 6.
You know, we've been talking alot today about practical
things, what to do, what to say,how to prepare for the holidays.
But friends, it's so importantto recognize that the treasure
(29:35):
of this season is not found insuccessfully navigating our
meals.
The treasure is Jesus.
Yes.
The treasure is intimacy withour God and King.
And boy, do we need him in orderto navigate many of the other
things that come our way duringthe holidays.
And when we focus all our energyon managing food, sticking with
(29:58):
our boundaries, or following.
Fighting off temptation, we canactually miss what God is trying
to do in building our character.
And that's really what we get tolook forward to and experience
during this season.
SPEAKER_00 (30:13):
Yeah, that's so true, Heidi.
I'm so glad you said that.
It reminds me of Proverbs 3:13.
Blessed are those who findwisdom, those who gain
understanding, for she is moreprofitable than silver and
yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious thanrubies.
(30:34):
Nothing you desire can comparewith her.
And I mean, really, isn't thatwhat we're after?
Not just self-control, but we'reafter wisdom.
We're after peace, closeness,knowing Him, knowing Jesus more
deeply.
That's really what we're after.
SPEAKER_01 (30:53):
Yeah, there's a verse in Hosea, I think it's
chapter six, verse six, thatsays, For I desire, this is God
speaking, for I desire steadfastlove and not sacrifice, the
knowledge of God rather thanburnt offerings.
God wants relationship, notritual.
(31:14):
He wants communion with you morethan he wants compliance from
you.
So let's just sit here a littlebit longer because this isn't
about skipping dessert or notgoing back for seconds.
This is about saying yes to thebetter feast.
God doesn't want to help us justsurvive the holidays.
(31:34):
He wants to draw us intocommunion with himself right in
the middle of cinnamon rolls andcasseroles and found the fire.
He wants us to thrive in theholidays.
SPEAKER_00 (31:47):
Can you even imagine what that might look like?
Ask God, what would it look liketo be at peace during the
holidays to actually thrive,like you said, Heidi?
I just love that idea.
Um, Isaiah 55 says, Come all youwho are thirsty, come to the
waters, and you who have nomoney, come buy and eat, come
(32:10):
buy wine and milk without moneyand without cost.
Why spend money on what is notbread and your labor on what
does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me and eatwhat is good, and you will
delight in the richest affair.
Sounds like a party to me.
Doesn't it?
(32:30):
You know what?
God knows that we're hungry.
We're hungry for a lot ofthings, actually, in the holiday
season.
He knows what we're longing for,he sees our sorrows, our
disappointments, the excitement,all of it.
But he also knows that nothingon the table, not even that one
(32:51):
dish that you can't wait for,that someone makes once a year,
not even that can fill the achein our hearts that only he can
satisfy.
SPEAKER_01 (33:03):
That's good to keep.
Then we could renew our mindswith that before any kind of
meal or party or holiday cookieexchange or whatever.
Psalm 63, 5 says, My soul willbe satisfied as with the richest
of foods.
With singing lips, my mouth willpraise you.
You know, God wants our soulsfull of Him.
(33:24):
This isn't just theoretical ortheology.
I mean, it really isn't.
It's what He wants at our in ourdeepest heart of hearts, the
intimacy, the joy, theconnection we crave.
It's not going to be found atthe bottom of a holiday treat
plate.
It's found in his presence.
SPEAKER_00 (33:42):
Yeah.
Well, and here's the thing: we're not saying food is bad. (33:43):
undefined
Not at all.
No, not at all.
We're not saying that you can'tenjoy your aunt's pumpkin pie or
oh, that wonderful peppermintmocha.
God made food good.
Food is a gift for us to nourishour bodies.
But what do we want to focus onhere?
(34:05):
Food isn't your savior, or youremotional support.
Or, I mean, that I'm speaking tomyself because I have eaten for
emotional reasons reasons foryears.
Jesus is my emotional support.
He's the one that can satisfyeverything that I need, all my
(34:27):
needs.
And he offers so much more thanmomentary pleasure.
I mean, he offers me and youpeace, wholeness, actual
friendship with the king of theuniverse.
How beautiful is that it is.
(35:00):
This season, instead of turningto food for comfort or control,
what if we turn to the actualfriendship of God?
That sounds amazing, doesn't it?
SPEAKER_01 (35:14):
It does.
It does.
Here's another verse that Ithink is worthy of our
consideration too.
Jeremiah 9, 23 to 24 reminds uslet not the wise boast of their
wisdom, or the strong boast oftheir strength, or the rich
boast of their riches.
But let the one who boasts boastabout this, that they have the
(35:37):
understanding to know me, that Iam the Lord who exercises
kindness, justice, andrighteousness on the earth.
For in these I delight, declaresthe Lord.
SPEAKER_00 (35:50):
Wow.
I mean, what a way to walkthrough this season.
Boasting not in how well westick to our eating boundaries,
but in the fact that we'regrowing in our understanding of
who God is.
That's success.
That's freedom.
That's where we want to live.
That's life-giving for us.
(36:11):
So we might want to askourselves a couple of questions
here.
What might I miss this season ifI focus only on food, weight, or
holiday pressure?
What does God want to grow in mycharacter instead?
What is God calling me to?
Whatever it is that He's callingyou to, you know it's going to
(36:33):
be beautiful.
Because it's going to be good.
It's going to be good no matterwhat.
SPEAKER_01 (36:41):
Well, next week we're going to talk about what
to do when we mess up or spoogy.
In a nutshell, we want to learnhow to think God's thoughts
about failure or what we'recalling failure.
And that's going to be reallyhelpful, I think, as we navigate
through this season.
SPEAKER_00 (36:58):
Yes.
And until then, stay anchored ingrace.
Remember, there is unlimitedgrace for you.
God is with you in every moment.
Yes, even the ones that involvemashed potatoes with lots and
lots of butter.
We are so glad that you've beenwith us today.
And we would love to invite youto come join us for our next
(37:21):
episode of Revelation Within.
See you next time.
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