The saying goes,
"Jesus is the reason for the season." How true that is. I love Jesus
and I love the Christmas season. I sat in church this morning looking at all
of the beautiful Christmas decorations (and yes, I was listening to the
pastor) and they just gave me the warm fuzzies. I love this time of year, the
warmth, the love, the cheer--and the hot cocoa! My heart's desire is that you
and your families will be blessed with the love and gifts of God for
Christmas.
Our newsletter has hit a few
bumps as we lost the free service, so we were unable to get one out in
November or December. We
are no longer using Constant Contact and are now manually sending out the
Fit4Jesus electronic newsletter. Just contact the editor (below) to update
your profiles, etc. from now on. Thank you for your patience.
How
To Have Your Holiday Cake and Eat It Too!Angela
J. Perez
After your Thanksgiving feast, are you feeling like the
stuffed turkey you gorged yourself on? Have you been noticing a wee bit of a
waddle in your walk? Have you been thrilled with all of the decadent delights
that are being put before you, or are you dreading the next scrumptious-food
filled party?
With the holidays upon us, we're not only faced with making
decisions on what to get this person and what to get that person, but we are
faced with decisions like: do we want to eat healthy, do we want to eat
everything, or do we want to eat at all!
Stuffed turkeys, candied yams, mounds of mashed potatoes, and
cherry topped hams tempt us severely and it doesn't stop there. What to do?
Are we to walk away from all the yummies of the holidays? Saying no to pumpkin
pie, chocolate fudge and strawberry cheesecake is not an enjoyable thought for
most people-especially during the holiday season.
Doing push-a-ways (from the table) rather than push- ups later
is a choice for some. But who wants to walk away from a delicious feast-filled
table that is surrounded by family and friends during the holidays? We want to
enjoy ourselves, our friends, and our family members-and all the goodies they
bring. "How can I enjoy the holidays and not gain 10 pounds in the
process" you ask? Here are a few tips, so you can have your holiday
cake-and eat it too:
· Ever hear the saying, "A little dab will do ya!" Consider
putting teaspoon or tablespoon sized servings of food onto your plate
rather than monstrous-sized spoonfuls. This way, you have the chance to
sample a little bit of everything on the table, and you just might have
room for dessert.
· You can still choose healthy options when filling your holiday
dinner plate, without missing out completely on the decadent menu. o
Choose low fat or even fat free for your dairy products. o Use
zero-calorie Splenda for baking instead of sugar. o Fill your plate with
more protein based dishes over the carb-packed variety and o Eat your
proteins first.
· Beef up your exercise routine. If you ate an extra 500 calories
today than you had planned, you can still burn it off. Get to the SAC or
your local gym and hop on a cardio machine-a treadmill is a good choice.
With a good cardiovascular workout you can burn off those extra calories
in no time. Machines not your thing? There are plenty of other ways to
burn off the calories, that don't require machines or memberships. Like
jogging, biking, hiking, and swimming-just to name a few.
· Want to fit into that dress/suit for the Christmas party? Drop all
the carbohydrates from your menu for 5-7 days before the party date and
don't be surprised if you lose some inches in the process. Eating a
carb-free diet encourages your body to burn the fat reserves for fuel.
Staying carb-free for more than a week is not a healthy choice, so be
sure to start adding healthy carbs back into your diet with veggies
being the first, then whole grains and fruits-after the party.
Instructions:
Cut spaghetti squash in lengthwise in half. Place squash-side
down on baking sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for approx. 45
minutes or until tender. While squash is baking, prepare sauce. Sauté
onions, peppers and garlic in margarine. When tender, add remaining
ingredients, bring to a soft boil and then turn heat down and simmer
until your squash is ready. Scrape cooked squash with a fork onto
serving dish or plates, top with sauce. Note: I whipped this one up
the other night, it was so yummy that even my kids ate it!
Submit your recipes to Fit4Jesus, and if it's
healthy, you just might see it on our website or highlighted in our
newsletter.
Grab some Christmas presents at our Cafeshop. Not only will you be
getting great products and witnessing tools, you will be supporting
the Fit4Jesus newsletter and website as well. Here are just a few of
the things we have in our shop:
Fit4Jesus Hooded Sweatshirt Get Fit4Jesus in this sweatshirt. Great
for that calorie- burning jog! Front: Athlete-4-Christ
Back:www.Fit4Jesus.com Product Information: Stay warm with our ash
grey Hanes Ultimate Cotton Pullover Hood. Constructed with a
heavyweight 90/10 cotton/polyester blend. Thick (but not bulky),
comfortable, durable and guaranteed. 10 oz. patented PrintPro® fabric
in a 90/10 cotton/polyester blend Double needle stitched armholes and
waistband Double ply drawstring hood and hand warming pouch pocket
Spandex ribbed cuffs and waistband Preshrunk to minimize shrinkage Our
printing is better than ever - full of detail and color - and
exceptionally fade resistant wash after wash. Keep warm this Christmas
for only $29.99
Get Fit4Jesus Teddy Bear Snuggle up with this teddy and get one for
your kids! "This Kid Gets Fit4Jesus" A perfect Christmas
present! Product Information: Our 11 inch bear is a great companion
for those cold winter mornings. Quality construction, soft fur, a
festive red ribbon, and a white raglan tee will make him the envy of
all your stuffed animals. Soft plush fur 11 inches tall Red bow and
t-shirt included For only $14.99
We appreciate your support, and your suggestions for new logo
designs!
A scripture to help you focus on Christian life. Meditate and pray on
this verse in the Bible and see how it applies to you and your life or
how you should apply it. Ask the Lord for revelation and understanding
on the scriptures and he will grant your request.
"Surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous
purposes." Romans 6:13b (TEV-Today's English Version)
I have been reading this book (I'm behind) with my life group from
church. It is, "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. I got
this scripture from the last chapter I read through, chapter 10 (I'm
suppose to be starting chapter 13!) and it stood out to me. To be used
for RIGHTEOUS purposes. How awesome. People are getting used daily as
rags, by other people. People that are being used by the devil. Women
are used for their bodies, men are used for their money and even
children are being used in the most horrible ways. It is such a breath
of fresh air to read, and know in your heart-- not just your head, that
God wants to use us all for righteous purposes. Surrender to God so he
can use you for his clean, holy, loving, caring, righteous purposes
today. I surrender myself to you my Lord Jesus, so you can use me for
your glory. Amen!
What are you expecting the Lord to do for you today? Are you drawing
your strength from the Holy Spirit? What does this scripture mean for
you?
We are always looking for articles, recipes, photographs, suggestions,
book reviews, and new ideas for the Fit4Jesus newsletter and website.
Please feel free to submit yours to the editor by following the link
below.
Please feel free to forward this publication in whole by email.
Copyright 2003 Fit4Jesus. Juneau, Alaska USA. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this newsletter may be copied or reprinted without the
express written permission of the editor. Please contact the editor
for reprint requests.
A scripture to help you focus on Christian life. Meditate and pray on
this verse in the Bible and see how it applies to you and your life or
how you should apply it. Ask the Lord for revelation and understanding
on the scriptures and he will grant your request.
