One big difference between the way Thin Within and HEAL present similar material is found on page 42. The "HEAL Pyramid" is a concept that I know that Judy Halliday has long felt strongly about, but it hasn't made it into the Thin Within materials in a concrete way. Here is the pyramid so those of you without the HEAL book can see what I am talking about:
One thing I would like to really comment on is the fact that actually, these aren't layers that go from one to the other, leaving the previous layer behind. Our "Relationship With God" is foundational, but also actually runs through all the other layers. We don't "check it off our list" as something that we have "been there and done that." So technically, all of these layers blend into the others.
What this pyramid DOES show is that the focus is to be my relationship with God, first and foremost! I have found that, as I get comfortable and faithful, for instance, with hunger-fullness eating, it is all too easy for my focus and foundation to shift...The TW book *does* address this, but there isn't a visual like the pyramid that so spells it out. It can shift to being about the food, about the "technique" of eating between 0 and 5 instead of remaining focused on the Lord and dependent on Him. All along the way this has to remain being about the LORD. He cares little about my physical body in comparison with my heart. This is what I mean:
What I am trying to show above is that my relationship with God must remain in and through everything I do...be it the emotional things I discover I use food for (that one is more obvious), or the awareness of physical hunger and satisfaction...and on into my beginning to exercise more and more discernment regarding which foods make my body operate at its maximum efficiency!All along the way, the Lord will affect what I do, say, think, desire.
Allie points this out on page 43:
God is the rock we must cling to. He made us and knows us intimately, so it follows that he would know what's best for our bodies and how they've been designed to function.
After further discussion about this, we are asked: "What can you do specifically to make sure God is the foundation of your life as well as your HEAL Journey?
I would love to know what you think. Feel free to comment here.
To me, this is probably the most important question we can answer as we proceed. If we gloss over this or blow by it because it seems irrelevant, we will miss it. :-)
If you have been reading here at the blog, please dive in...take time to respond here with your thoughts about this. What can YOU do, practically, to ensure that you keep your focus on the LORD! :-)
4 comments:
Thanks for sharing this image! I'm not in the Heal study (after finishing the Thin Within book with you ladies I got workbook #1 and I'm going through it with a buddy locally), but I do appreciate reading about what you are learning.
This pyramid description is really helpful to me to have a tangible image in my mind. I know that this has been the truth all along, but I appreciate having a mental image to take with me.
One thing that is super helpful to me in order to keep God my foundation is to KNOW His word. I appreciate the focus on Scripture memorization in the TW workbook. I may not always have a Bible at hand, so knowing God's Word by heart helps me to praise Him, glorify Him, combat temptaion and resist the flesh/Satan all at once.
Oh yes! AMEN! Knowing his word is so vital!!!! :-) Thanks for the encouragement!
Hi Heidi! I really got a fresh new view after seeing that pyramid. I really enjoy it and I like how you point out that its not one thing and then the next, but that they run into each other with relationship to God being first and the foundation.
For me something I feel the Lord teaching me is that I do NOT have a healthy relationship with food at all. I lost all of my weight by the first phase of TW...just eating whatever I wanted, basically cookie cough, sweets, bread, and occasional salads and reagular meals...it was almost like a different kind of fear...what I am seeing now, that I just don't know how to eat normal. Balanced. I think the Lord wants to teach me this but I am dragging my feet and am praying that He will just help me be more courageous to move forward in this next step. I believe that is why I have gained the weight back, as I feel I have the foundation now, but now its working on this relationship with food and I feel stuck and almost a wall goes up where I don't want to deal wiht it. Lord please soften my heart, lead me into how to go about this relationship with food just as you would have me. Continue to lead Heidi in this study and in her heart as well and just continue strengthening us and revealing to us the ways we can be changing in living for you and with you. In Jesus Name, Amen :)!
Thank you so much for praying...it means so much to me. I lost most/all of my weight eating the same way that you did. I don't think I have dealt completely...no, I KNOW I haven't...with this stronghold to sweet foods. God wants to help me find balance. All things may be permissible, but they aren't all beneficial! Thanks for saying it so well!
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