Liberty Counsel has demanded that the Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) in Charlottesville, Virginia immediately no longer allow the Sexual Assault Resource Agency (SARA) to present pornographic videos and curriculum to students under the guise of “education.”

Liberty Counsel represents outraged parents of 14-year-old girls who are students at Western Albemarle High School and were exposed to this damaging material during Family Life Education classes on April 13, 2018. The Sex Positivity curriculum was presented, without the consent or knowledge of parents, to two classes of ninth-grade girls by Lexie Huston, an employee of SARA. Huston publicly opposes abstinence education, claiming it is “ineffectual and unethical.”

The SARA curriculum does not align to the Virginia and ACPS Family Life Curriculum and the promotion of abstinence. Nowhere in the SARA curriculum are the words “abstinence,” “legal,” “moral,” “faith” or “parents.” However, the word “sex” or derivatives appears more than 49 times in the document, including the sentence “I’d like to have sex tonight, would you?” as well as the statement that “There is no ‘right way’ to have sex—as long as it’s consensual and safe.”

As part of the presentation, the students were shown two different YouTube videos describing sexual acts in graphic detail. The producer of the videos served on the ACLU’s Board of Directors for three years and works with Planned Parenthood.

SARA, which is affiliated with Planned Parenthood, claims Huston obtained approval from the school’s physical education department. However, apparently the department chair did not review the curriculum and videos before giving approval. Yet, Huston and SARA intentionally failed to mention the addition of this obscene material to the previously approved curriculum. Despite this deception by omission, SARA expressed no regret, instead shifting responsibility back onto the school.

The videos violate Virginia laws protecting minors which prohibit “display of child pornography or grooming videos or materials to a child” and makes it a felony for any person to take indecent liberties with children; and provides that any “person 18 years of age or over, who, with lascivious intent, knowingly and intentionally commits any of the following acts with any child under the law.”

In addition to the egregious videos, the SARA “Sex Positivity” curriculum contains roleplay activities that are coercive, expose children to the sexual beliefs of others that may be far removed from their own, require them to publicly debate and defend their personal and family’s beliefs about “boundaries” and require them to take part in activities that violate their religious beliefs upon penalty of social ostracism. Among other things, the children are instructed to write their own personal boundaries on paper, the papers are collected and then anonymously redistributed to the class.

“The Albemarle County Public Schools must sever its relationship with Planned Parenthood’s shocking assault on children,” said Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel’s founder and chairman. “This kind of gutter trash has no place in public schools. This is not education. This is raping children. The school district has caused irreversible harm to children and parents. The school must never allow this to happen again.”

For the original article, visit . {eoa}

In this video, Liberty Counsel founder and president Mat Staver speaks words of encouragement to stand against the assault of cultural deception and stand strong for faith and traditional values.

California will become the first state to require that its campus health centers offer abortion pills.

Abortion advocates estimate that more than 1,000 pregnant college students in California get an abortion every month. Still, they’re pushing for a new law to make having an abortion easier by requiring campus health centers to provide abortion pills.

The state Senate has already approved the bill, known as SB320, and the Assembly is currently considering it.

“I firmly believe that all students should be able to decide what to do with their own bodies and when to factor a family into their life,” said Sen. Connie Leyva, D-Chino, the bill’s author. “After all, women do not lose the constitutional right to end a pregnancy simply because they are a college student.”

If the bill passes, California will become the first state to require that its campus health centers offer abortion pills.

Currently, very few campus health centers across the country provide the pill. A 2015 survey by the American College Health Association (ACHA) found just two campuses that said they offer it.

In California, Students for Life has galvanized 24 student groups that are actively opposing the bill.

Regional coordinator Camille Rodriguez says students are appalled that the state would spend its limited education budget on funding abortion. “There are groups across the state that do not support this bill and so they are going and talking to their administrators,” she said, “They’re going and tabling outside their health centers to educate students on the bill.”

Other anti-abortion groups, like Californians for Life, point out that access shouldn’t be a problem for California college students, as the average distance from a Cal State or University of California campus to the nearest abortion clinic is less than 6 miles.

Rodriguez said even before this bill emerged, pro-life students were concerned about how campus health centers promoted it. “We have found that many times when a woman finds out that she’s pregnant on campus she doesn’t know where to turn and abortion is presented as the easiest solution,” she said.

In the ACHA survey, 80 percent of the campus health centers responding said they go over all options with pregnant students but only one center offered prenatal care services on site.

A group of private donors in California is planning to pay for as much as $20 million in start-up costs to bring the abortion pill to campuses if the bill passes.

Still, university administrators are worried about funding. Toni Molle, a spokeswoman for the California State chancellor’s office said the bill could force severe costs for liability insurance, safety improvements, medical training and round-the-clock phone support for emergencies.

“Currently our CSU health centers offer basic health services. However, the administration of medications still requires a level of expertise that our health center staff may not have,” Molle said. {eoa}

Copyright The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., All rights The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., All rights reserved.

Minutes after throwing the game-winning touchdown pass in Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship game in Atlanta, Alabama Tua Tagovailoa wasn’t hesitant to give God the credit.

“I was praying,” Tagovailoa says. “I was speaking in tongues. It kept me calm.”

He continued: “I would say my poise comes from my faith. I just pray for peace.”

Not an uncommon occurrence for some athletes, but Tagovailoa’s thankful words caught the attention of evangelist Franklin Graham, who praised the 18-year-old freshman for his boldness on ESPN’s national telecast. With a host of liberal broadcasters on its roster, ESPN isn’t exactly kingdom-friendly.

“In case you missed it, freshman Alabama Football quarterback Tua Tagovailoa used his moment in the spotlight to testify to the glory of God and His Son Jesus Christ after last night’s #NationalChampionship game,” Graham posted on Facebook Tuesday morning. “He told the world, ‘First and foremost, I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ … All glory goes to God. I can’t describe what He has done for me and my family. Who would’ve ever thought I would have been here at this moment.’

“It’s great to see a young athlete like this use his platform to acknowledge what God has done in his life in front of millions of people. That’s a win-win. Tremendous job Tua!”

Tagovailoa, a backup quarterback behind sophomore Jalen Hurts, took over for a struggling Hurts at the beginning of the second half with Alabama trailing Georgia 13-0. Tagovailoa completed 14 of 24 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns in the second half, including the game-winning 41-yard touchdown pass in overtime to another freshman, DeVonta Smith.

During his first post-game interview—of which there were many—Tagovailoa thanked God three times. His boldness for Christ blew up Tagovailoa’s Twitter page, including these tweets from admiring fans:

• “And He gives God glory—more than once in the same interview. Love it!!!! Erica Fields @ohsohappy74
• “That’s what I’m talking about Tua. Give God all the praise.” Kris Story @kstorey40
• “No Bama Fan but now a #Tua Fan! Thanks Jesus his Gives ALL the Glory to GOD! Michale Stavrinakis @MichaelStavsSC
• Tua putting God first. Love it! Josh Woods @_WOODSY_J

Tagovailoa’s Twitter bio contains these words: “1 Corinthians 2:9 • HIM 13EFORE ME”

First Corinthians 2:9 says: “But as it is written, ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'”

Tagovailoa’s return next season has made Alabama the early odds-on favorite to win the 2018 national championship.

Shawn A. Akers is a content development editor for Charisma Media. {eoa]

As a new year begins, it’s the perfect time to reflect on where we’ve been and the hope for tomorrow and the new year to come.

Thanks to the continued support of ACLJ members like you, 2017 was a very important and impactful year in our continuing quest to defend the rights and liberties of all Americans. We have achieved numerous victories for life, national security and persecuted Christians. Here are just a few of this year’s victories that you helped make possible.

After many years of litigation against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), this year we achieved a significant victory. The IRS admitted it discriminated against conservative groups on the basis of their beliefs and apologized for its deplorable behavior. Even more important, we obtained a court order preventing the IRS from ever again discriminating against conservative groups for their beliefs. Here’s how one law professor in The Washington Post described the impact we’ve had on the IRS bureaucracy: “They’ve been burned. They’ve been hammered. They’ve been bludgeoned. … They’re trying to survive.”

At the United Nations, we stood up in defense of Israel—our most important ally in the Middle East. We took direct action at the U.N General Assembly urging world leaders to stand against the BDS Movement (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions). We were able to put a spotlight on the U.N.’s anti-Semitic and anti-Israel agenda and defended Israelis against a $34.5 billion lawsuit brought by terrorist sympathizers in U.S. federal court.

Here at home, we  exposed the lies and corruption of the deep state. We uncovered troubling new information about the secretive actions of former Attorney General Loretta Lynch. We forced the FBI to release fired FBI Director Comey’s draft memos exonerating Hillary Clinton before even interviewing her or other key witnesses. Through our work in filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests—and going to court when necessary—we unearthed critical information necessary to hold the FBI, the DOJ and the State Department bureaucracies accountable for blatantly lying not only to us, but also to the American people.

The new year brings new challenges. Big Abortion will continue to peddle its ideology of death. The deep state bureaucrats will keep manipulating Washington. Israel will continue to be under attack at the U.N. And, the global persecution of Christians rages on.

And I’m delighted to report that in the year ahead, we are mobilizing to counter these very real and dangerous threats to our lives, our freedoms and our way of life.

We are determined to stop Big Abortion. We have two pro-life cases pending before the United States Supreme Court. In the first case, California has tried to compel pro-life pregnancy centers to advertise abortion services. However, the state does not have the right to compel anyone to advertise murdering the unborn.

In the second case, the National Abortion Federation has tried to censor incriminating videos of abortionists haggling over the price of baby body parts—actually bargaining about the price of lungs, hearts and other vital organs. Big Abortion is even trying to prevent law enforcement from obtaining this evidence. The Supreme Court has ordered the National Abortion Federation to respond to our cert petition in just a matter of weeks.

Our battle against the deep state intensifies. We still have more than 20 active FOIA requests—seeking vital information from the FBI, DOJ, NSA and State Department bureaucracies. We face a number of critical court deadlines in the weeks and months ahead. With your help, we will defeat the deep state.

The need to stand with Israel is now more important than ever. The U.N. refuses to accept the reality that Jerusalem is truly the capital of Israel. At the same time, the Palestinian Authority continues to align itself with terrorists and wage lawfare against Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Further, Hezbollah, Hamas and ISIS continue their reign of terror in the region. In 2018, we will defend the State of Israel at the U.N. and ICC and work to aggressively to counter the ongoing anti-Israel assault underway by radical terrorists in many parts of the world.

Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian, remains on death row for her simple act of Christian charity: giving a Muslim coworker a cup of water while they worked in the fields. She has spent more than seven years away from her husband and five children. Pastor Andrew Brunson, a U.S. citizen, remains, for yet another year, in a Turkish prison on trumped-up charges. Worse still, Christians in the Middle East face genocide at the hands of radical Islamic terrorists as ISIS and its allies continue their jihad against our faith and way of life. Yet, we remain ready to advocate for those who live and fight for their Christian faith. This year we helped free two Christian pastors from possible death sentences in Sudan and defended an elderly Pakistani Christian woman persecuted for her faith. In 2018, we will continue the fight to free the oppressed—to stop the slaughter of Christians around the globe.

We promise to do all that we can—in this country and abroad—to stop the genocide of Christians. The persecution must end.

As a nation and as Christians, we have a good deal to be thankful for in 2017. And we know with the Lord’s blessing, we will continue to achieve great results at the ACLJ—through our legal work, our legislative expertise, and our powerful media outreach.

But most of all, as we face a new year, I want to thank you—those who have stood with us at the ACLJ—those who are supporting our work through prayer and generous giving. I also want to assure you that we can do even more in 2018. Together—as a powerful team.

As the new year begins, I want you to know that we remain committed to safeguarding freedom and human dignity—here at home and abroad.

With the challenges ahead, I cannot help but reflect on the words of the Lord spoken by the Prophet Jeramiah in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

On behalf of the entire ACLJ family, I want to wish you and yours a very Happy New Year.

For the original article, visit .

“School is so boring.”

“I don’t feel like doing anything.”

“I don’t want to go, I’d rather play Xbox.”

“I just don’t care.”

“It’s too hard. I’m quitting.”

I’ve heard some of those things from my kids over the years. Have you? Words like these indicate a lack of motivation. So, what should you do? Well, author Joe White provided me some invaluable insight in putting together this list. Here are the first three ways to motivate your unmotivated child.

1. Have realistic expectations of your child. Not every child will make straight A’s or start on their sports team. Not every child will go to college and get their MBA. “Type A” driven parents like me need to be really careful not to impose their personalities on their children and expect they will be just like us. Also, we should not try to make our dreams their dreams.

2. Be a model of motivation. Your personal example is key to motivating your child. If you are glued to the tube, you can’t expect your child to want to go out in the back yard and play sports. If you constantly complain about work, what message is that sending to your child? Your child needs to see you loving your work, exercising and celebrating goals achieved. “5 Ways Parents Can Be a Role Model for Kids” will help you to be the best model you can be for your kids.

3. Make sure your child breaks a mental and physical “sweat.” Your child may think, “Why do chores when the housekeeper will do them?” Or, no need to mow the lawn. We’ve got a lawn guy to do it.” Or, “Why should I write the paper when mom will do it for me?” “5 Reasons Your Child Should Work” explains the importance of work. A well-developed and motivated child needs to do some physical labor around the house. He also needs to learn how to think on his own.

4. Give your child a “carrot.” A reward such as money for A’s or B’s can work well. A weekly allowance may be appropriate if all chores are done with excellence. More minutes for the cell phone or data plan can be rewarded to the child who reads an extra book each month.

5. Be a cheerleader. Children need constant affirmation. Cheer them on in everything they do. “Good shot,” “Way to go.” “I’m so proud of you.” “Awesome performance.” Always, always encourage your kids. Here’s “How to Be Your Child’s Biggest Fan.”

6. Dream with your child. Ignite her dream of being a musician: Take her to see an orchestra. Fire up his interest in reading: Get him some books on things he’s interested in like the outdoors or sports. Encourage her interest in business matters: Teach her about investing.

7. Help your child set and own goals. If a goal is yours rather than your child’s, they will be less likely to pursue it. But children who own a goal are much more likely to achieve it. {eoa}

Mark Merrill is the president of All Pro Dad and Family First , a national non-profit organization. He is also the voice of a daily radio program called The Family Minute.

For the original articles, visit .

Note: For Part One of this two-part series, click here.

When a person is told that the reason he or she is not healed is always his or her fault, and this also includes tragic accidents and death, we believe this is wrong teaching. The reason a person is not healed may be that they did not build a life of faith through the Word, but it also may not be so.

At any point a person can repent, seek God and immerse himself or herself in the Word. Of course, if the person had faith according to Mark 11:24, they have what they ask. However, a person cannot fully determine that they will have that kind of faith. It has to be granted by God. So, we would rather talk about what a person can do to maximize the potential of healing and to rest in God if the healing does not come.

1. First, we counsel people to place themselves in the hands of God and submit to him as Lord. They should confess all known sin, curses, bitterness un-forgiveness and generational curses that may not have been renounced in our early discipleship. (This is implied by James.)

2. Second, they should take the Lord’s Supper. It has healing power.

3. They should call the elders to anoint with oil and pray for healing (James 5:14).

4. They should focus their mind on their destiny in eternal life and the age to come and be fully given to the hope of their ultimate destiny. Thereby they defeat the fear of death.

5. They meditate on the goodness of God and Messiah and on the biblical promises of healing to give opportunity for God to grant healing faith. So there is something that we can do, but it does not assure us of the absolute certainty of healing. However, we can maximize opportunity for building receptive faith.

6. They avail themselves of Spirit-led opportunities for conferences, healing ministries etc. This should be prayed about and led by the Spirit without a frantic pursuit of healing ministers and conferences.

7. They do well to avoid pronouncements that they are healed. In addition, we seek to preclude well-meaning people form pronouncing healing or from leading the congregation into the intensity of standing in an absolute way for such healing and then the possible crash that comes as a result.

8. Yet we do avail ourselves of proven prophets that can speak a word into the situation, and grounds that need to be broken and other possible pronouncements. The situation of my youngest son is a case in point. The first time he was taken ill at age one with a fatal heart disease, the doctors gave no hope and said he would die. Credible prophets spoke the word that he would be totally healed and recover. We saw the most amazing supernatural recovery.

Eleven years later, when he was on life support, we organized the most intensive prayer for his healing. This was confirmed by mature prophets, but not one mature prophet could get a word from God that he would be healed, raised from the dead, etc. So we knew that while we were battling, we could not rest on any clear prophetic word. Though we read Scripture promises, God did not grant us the faith to raise him up.

So let us all pray for healing. Let us build our faith for it. When sickness comes, let us first go to God and pray and seek to receive faith for healing. Let’s pray for healing as long as the person is living. However, let us recognize the sovereignty of God in these matters and embrace the whole Bible and its teaching in these matters.

If anyone has the patience for a very scholarly and good book, we do recommend Michael Brown’s book, Israel’s Divine Healer. {eoa}

I had a conversation this last Monday with the owner of Current FM, which airs my radio program in Virginia Beach. We were reflecting on the Super Bowl and other recent events such as President Trump’s election and the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series.

And as we continued talking, we saw a theme woven throughout each of these topics that encouraged us.

The Chicago Cubs hadn’t been to the World Series since their loss in 1945. They hadn’t won the World Series for 108 years, and fans referred to the years with no championship win as a curse (due to the infamous incident when a goat was not allowed into the Series when the Cubs played in 1945).

But they persevered, loyally supporting the franchise every year. And this last November, when it seemed impossible, the impossible became possible.

In our conversation when discussing the election, we saw how when the mainstream media didn’t give Trump a chance to win, the impossible became possible. The mudslinging on every side of the political isle got to the point where some people didn’t want to check social media because of political posts and inconsiderate opinions or watch TV due to negative advertisements. One political ad was so horrible that when it came on, I shut off the TV because I wanted to protect my kids from the slander.

There were strong opinions on every side during the campaign, with people showing their animosity in blatant ways, and friendships were hurting over Facebook posts. It seemed as though everyone wanted to be heard yet were frustrated how polarized the election got. Although there were disgusting accusations on every side, Trump weathered the storm and pressed on. His election severely deflated the reputation of the leading poll companies, and made people question every news agency, and led some of us to take another look at political and biblical issues. Against insurmountable odds and the opinions of “professionals,” what was impossible became possible and is now reality.

When we were talking about the Super Bowl, we knew it was phenomenal this year. Just when it seemed like the game was over, it changed dramatically. It will probably go down in the history books as the greatest Super Bowl ever played.

Looking back, Tom Brady was not a Heisman Trophy winner, nor was he the coveted first draft pick. He was the 199th draft pick in the sixth round of the NFL in the year 2000. Despite this, his faithfulness to practice and train, through discipline and loyalty, facing overwhelming pressure and walking through controversy and against the odds, he was transformed into being the “greatest quarterback of the NFL,” with seven Super Bowl appearances, five of which his team won. The impossible surely is possible.

I think that God shows no favoritism between teams as He shows no favoritism over one people group over another (Rom. 2:11). Acts 10 recounts the true story of Cornelius and his Gentile household receiving the outpouring of the Spirit. The Apostle Peter said, “Truthfully, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. But in every nation he who fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him,” (Acts 10:34-35). There are praying people on every side of the political spectrum and on each team.

Even though He shows no favoritism over one group of people or nation, and He does not favor one team over another, we give God glory through everything. And when we witness or participate in a historic game or event, we should take a step back and reflect on what we watched, giving Him worship through it all and seeing what lessons from it we can apply to our lives in our current life situation.

Mary was told she would give birth to the Savior of the world even though she was a virgin. And it was explained by the angel that her cousin, Elizabeth, who had thought she would never have children, was pregnant with the prophet who was John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus.

Even though it seemed outrageous, the angel Gabriel said, “For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37). Even Jesus’ disciples heard what seemed absurd and inconceivable, but He looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).

So whatever is happening in your life, apply the lesson that no matter what, the impossible is possible and becomes reality. Just as we saw in the recent World Series, election and Super Bowl, anything can happen. With Christ in you, all things are possible, and you can rise above all circumstances as He reigns in your life. {eoa}

Jared Laskey is starting Destiny Open Bible Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is a contributing writer to Charisma‘s online magazine. He lives to see Jesus awaken this generation to the power of His Holy Spirit. Follow him on Twitter @jaredalaskey or visit fireb.

In raising our five children, Susan and I have tried to consistently convey to each of them these six short sentences. We’ve done it with our words and our actions.

And, as I write this post, I’m realizing I need to say these things even more because they can’t be said enough.

Saying these six short sentences will give your child a strong sense of security, identity, belonging, and value.

1. “I’m here for you.” Being available for your child is incredibly important. They may not need you when you tell them this, but they’ll remember you promised to be available to them when they need you the most. This sentence is more than just giving them permission to find you when the going gets rough … it’s an invitation to them. It tells them, “I will do whatever I can to help you whenever you need me.”

2. “I’m proud of you.” Some middle-aged men I’ve talked to have never heard, or have waited years to hear, their dad say “I’m proud of you.” And many of them thought if they just performed better, if they just made it big in sports or if they just had a thriving money-making career, their dad just might notice. Ladies and gentlemen, please don’t make your kids wait. Tell them today.

3. “I believe in you.” Remember back to your teen and early adult years? How confident were you in yourself? And how confident are you today in yourself? Self-doubt and second-guessing come with the territory of being human. And you can be a great source of support to your child through these struggles. Your child needs to know that somebody somewhere in this world believes in them and their immeasurable value.

4. “I want the best for you.” This sentence has a couple of benefits. First, it tells your child you have a purpose behind your parenting. They may not understand how you see “what’s best” and they may not even agree with you, but they will hopefully start to appreciate it over time as they see you working hard to do what’s in their best interests. I have often said to each of my kids, “I’m doing this or saying this because I always have your best interests at heart.” And they know they can always trust me. Second, it puts you in their corner. Again, they may not always see how your ideas, your standards or your consequences are really for their benefit, but giving them this regular reminder at least assures them, in the depths of their heart, that you are for them, not against them.

5. “I will stand with you.” I saw a video recently of a dad dancing with his daughter at a talent show. The girl had a severe and rare disorder that keeps her from having almost any muscle tone, control or physical abilities of her own. But as her dad picked her up out of her chair and danced around the stage, her nearly inexpressive face suddenly blossomed with a huge smile. This girl knows her dad is willing to risk embarrassment, harassment or scorn from anyone in order to be counted with her. This sentence tells your child you are willing to be identified with them even when they’ve made a mistake or have to do hard things.

6. “I love you.” This is, quite simply, a sentence that cannot be said too many times. Big family moment? “I love you.” Quiet and quick goodnight? “I love you.” Dropping them off at school or a job? “I love you.” Just for no particular reason at all in the middle of the day? “I love you.” {eoa}

Mark Merrill is the president of All Pro Dad and Family First, a national non-profit organization. He is also the voice of a daily radio program called The Family Minute.

For the original article, visit .

If you are unhappy with your weight, you probably have negative beliefs that are keeping you stuck there.

Your beliefs determine how you look at situations and respond to them.

Did you know that up to 95 percent of your daily actions are automatic?

In other words, you act without thinking consciously. You just do what you’ve always done.

Your automatic response is like a train track running through your brain.

Imagine—up to 95 percent of your life runs on this track. By the end of each day, that track has led you to a specific place.

A good question to ask yourself at the end of the day is, “Am I closer to being the size I want to be or am I further away?”

If your automatic actions are taking you further away, you need to change that track.

So your first step to change is to examine your track, those beliefs that are keeping you overweight.

How do you do that?

I’ll give you my own weight loss journey as an example. When I was 240 pounds, I discovered my belief systems about eating and exercising were keeping me at that size.

See if you can spot how these eight beliefs would keep you overweight:

1. “I’ll always be big.”

2. “Big portions make me feel special.”

3. “Eating healthy means being deprived of food I really want.”

4. “Fast food is good.”

5. “Sweets are a treat.”

6. “Eating what they eat makes me belong.”

7. “Exercise is a pain.”

8. “Fat protects me from hurt.”

I had to stay alert for lies like these and replace them with the truth. Only through diligent effort did I create new tracks in my mind for my life to run on! Whenever I spotted the lie, I replaced it then and there and acted according to the truth.

Think about how you view the habits you will need to reach your ideal weight. Are you thinking about these habits positively or negatively?

If negative, write them down. Then write down a new, positive story to tell yourself about them, one that will create a new track that leads to the destination you want to go.

Here are some examples:

1. Lie: “I will always be a big girl.”

Truth: “The truth is that I am not a big girl. I am curvy and petite. Lying to myself that I am naturally big tricks me into eating more than I need to live.”

2. Lie: “Big portions make me feel special.”

Truth: “The truth is that my worth does not come from food. Eating portion sizes appropriate to my size makes me feel special because I take time to take care of myself every day.”

3. Lie: “Eating healthy means being deprived of the food I really want.”

Truth: The truth is that eating healthy means healing, energizing and nourishing my body with the food God made.

I can still have not-so-healthy foods on occasion for the taste, but I don’t want to fill up on them because I know that will hurt my body in the long run.

My goal is to finish my life well on Earth so that I can do my part to expand my Savior’s kingdom.

4. Lie: “Fast food is good.”

Truth: Eating fast food regularly led me to gain almost 100 pounds after high school. That was not good.

I want to eat to benefit my whole body, not just my tongue. I will find my “sweet spot”—foods that taste good to me, while being good for me. 

5. Lie: “Sweets are my treat.”

Truth: The truth is that overindulging in sweets made me obese. That was not a treat!

It is okay for me to have a sweet once in a while for the taste, but I won’t try to live off of them.

6. Lie: “Eating what they eat makes me belong.”

Truth: The truth is that what makes me connect with people is my love for them, not eating what they eat.

I am free to make choices that are good for me, even if they are different from what others choose to eat. I choose to take care of myself, and if others are uncomfortable with that, so be it.

God has given me responsibility to manage this body that I have, just as He has given others responsibility to manage the body they have.

I choose to take that responsibility seriously and eat to keep my body strong and healthy for kingdom work.

7. Lie: “Exercise is a pain.”

Truth: I choose to find exercises I like. I can walk, dance, do Zumba, weight training, kickboxing, jog on a trampoline, hula hoop.

All of those ways of moving are enjoyable for me and help keep my body strong, healthy, fit, and flexible. This is especially important to help me age well. So I will keep on doing it because I want those results.

The results won’t happen by wishing; they will happen by working.

Every little extra movement counts.

8. Lie: “Fat protects me from hurt.”

Truth: The truth is that God is my protector, not fat. I am no longer that 17-year-old girl fearful of sexual assault and unwanted attention. I don’t have to use fat as emotional insulation to protect myself from hurt.

I believe God’s Word that says:

“For You have been a refuge for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tent forever; I will seek refuge in the covering of Your wings” (Ps. 61-3-4).

I choose to dwell under the shelter of God’s wings even at my ideal weight.

 Take some time today to examine your own belief systems.

The Bible tells you in Proverbs 23:7a: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Are your belief systems serving you in your weight loss journey?

If not, then your track may be leading you to a destination you don’t want to go. {eoa}

Once 240 pounds and a size 22, Kimberly Taylor can testify of God’s healing power to end binge eating. She is an author and the creator of the Christian weight-loss website . Visit today for inspirational health and weight-loss tips.

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