By Lois Hewitt

Last night we watched “War Room”, a Christian movie about the power of prayer.

My eyes leaked the entire length of the movie.  Just being able to watch something that was actually intended to glorify God was healing to my soul.

Quick premise, a family is being torn apart by busyness and bitterness. A marriage is crumbling. A child feels lost. Step in a prayer warrior and things begin to change.

There is much more to it than that but that’s the Readers Digest (if you know what that means lol) version.

Over the last few years, prayer has changed in my life. Before it was simply an occasional thank you for getting me out of a jam that I got myself into and where I could place my order for a miracle.

I was a drive thru Christian.  I couldn’t be bothered to get out of the car.  I wanted to place my order without seeing a face and then just wanted to drive up and have my answer handed to me. And off I would go, no other thought necessary.

The problem with that type of system is that you are never really fed, never satisfied.

Fast food is convenient, yes, but it’s not nourishing. Same with prayer that is either convenient and/or fast. It has no lasting nourishment.

Some call it being a lukewarm Christian but, because of my intimate knowledge of fast food, it makes more sense to me to think of it as drive thru Christianity.

As I have been studying prayer, my life has changed. No longer do I see it as talking to a faceless order board.  No longer do I expect quick service.  No longer do I expect to fill my belly with poison dressed as something nourishing.

I still have a lot to learn.  And even back in the day when I had no idea what I was doing, I saw prayers answered. That’s called Grace.  A gift given that is not deserved.

Today I want to take my prayer life up a notch.  I’m going to create a “war room” at my desk when I can go to Jesus with no expectations of miracles, but to go with as pure a heart as possible. 

Go to Him to pray for those I love, those who are hurting, those who are suffering, those who have needs, those who are lost and for our country and world.  My war room is where I want to go meet Jesus and pray the hard prayers.

It used to be just about me.  Why me?  How could you Lord?  What about me?

I can pray for myself, sure, but now I see there are bigger needs that should have my attention. My view has grown from just me to a whole lot more.

Everyday we lose a little more ground. Anger and bitterness are all around.  Uncertainty abounds.  Violence and hate are everywhere. So many talk in circles with no explanation or solution.  Confusion reigns.

Jesus showed us how to live. He walked this earth as an example to follow. He left His words as a reminder of what’s expected from His followers and told what happens when we turn our backs to Him.

I know fewer and fewer people believe.  I do and I no longer care what anyone else feels about it.  I believe with all that I am and will pray for those who don’t. I have seen prayer work and I have seen prayers not answered.

Both have worked to create in me a spirit that has made me ready to enter the war room of prayer.

No longer will I accept a drive thru mentality.  I want to sit down and savor the meal.  I want nourishment that brings with it health and healing. I want it to last and to satisfy. This applies to both food and prayer.

To the war room I go, to meet Jesus. What an honor it is to serve Him. 

By Lois Hewitt

This morning I woke up, said a prayer and rolled out of bed.  The very first thing I told myself was that I was tired.

Then I looked in the mirror and I said to myself that I look old.

Then on the way to the kitchen I told myself how bad I feel.

At that moment, the reality hit me.  Those things I say to myself are the words that form my attitude. They become who I am.

So what if I say I’m energized instead of tired?  I’m not bad for my age instead of old looking.  How about I feel pretty good instead of feeling sick?

My brain automatically followed suit.  I felt better.  I moved better.  The face? Still old but it’s a privilege not a burden.

I’ve been not well for months and I’m done. I can’t stand hearing my inner voice tell me how tired I am all the time.

It’s like all the negativity all around us in the world today.  It’s literally everywhere. God does not want us to live under a dark cloud. That’s certainly not why He endured the horrors of the cross.  So we can be defeated…no way.

He endured the cross to give us victory over sin.  Negative self-talk is a form of sin.  We have been given a gift we could never earn and yet it’s so easy to cast it aside.

Please do not misunderstand me, I’m not saying that ridding your mind of the negative things will supernaturally fix all ills.  It won’t. But looking at Jesus rather than at ourselves can change our perspective.

Trusting that He has a plan that is much bigger than my life helps me out of “woe is me” mode. 

Trusting that He has a plan that is much bigger than my life helps me not to fear the unknowns or what’s coming.

Trusting that He has a plan that is much bigger than my life redirects my negative thoughts to thoughts more in alignment with His.

Read His Word!  Jesus is the Victor. All who believe in Him will know victory.  I know it’s hard to understand and it’s really hard to wait.  But placing your faith in Him, opens up a whole new life full of possibilities.

I have spent way too many years tired, sick, remorseful, full of anxiety and depressed.  The negativity always seemed to envelope me.  I had no victory because I did not understand His gift.

He takes me heavy burdens and gives me rest.  He takes my fears and gives me peace.  He takes my sadness and gives me purpose.  He takes all the bad and gives me goodness and light.

Some days are easier than others. Today I realized my part in all of this…not to get caught up in the darkness of life.  There is plenty to see but today I pray for the light. Today I pray for His peace. I pray for that for you also.

Jesus can save your life from sin, that’s the reason for His shed blood on the cross.  Forgiveness and salvation.  But He also wants us to have victory over darkness. What an awesome God we serve.

Talk to Him today. He will meet you were you are.  He is real, not a fairy tale.  He just wants us to seek Him and believe. He is my everything. I pray He becomes that for you too.

By Lois Hewitt

I did something yesterday that used to be normal for me but something I have not done in a while. And it really stopped me in my tracks.

This post isn’t about me thinking I’m superior or anything. Let me start by saying I suffered from horrible food choices and food addictions for decades and am still fighting the results of those choices.

I’m overweight with several health complications due to a long lasting poor diet.  I work everyday to be better with food.

I stopped going to the grocery store about a year ago.  I order groceries and have them delivered. I know that sounds extravagant but I actually save money.

I make a menu and buy only what I need for the week.  No impulse items.  No throwing extras in the cart.  I actually eat better and save money.

Of course there are days I want candy and I curse this plan but I get over it.

I buy from Whole Foods, just my preference.  Because I shop online, I have time to read ingredient information. Not everything at Whole Foods is healthy.  But it is a little more healthy than our regular grocery stores in the area.

Yesterday I had to run into a “regular” grocery store.  Some things you just can’t get at Whole Foods, like Cool Whip (which makes a great cake frosting).  You still gotta live a little.

I walked in the store, and it had been quite a while.  I noticed how small the produce section was compared to the bakery section.

Then I noticed two full isles of chips, pretzels and microwave popcorn.  Followed by a full aisle of candy and boxed pastries (I didn’t even tempt myself.)

Another double aisle of sweetened cereal and more pastries.

The frozen organic vegetable section was stored in one single unit and looked like it hadn’t been visited for a while.

Across the aisle were several freezers full of pizzas and the next aisle was premade food. The last full aisle was just ice creams.

As I continued through the store I saw a double aisle of just sodas and in the dairy aisle two tables of more pastries.

Even the beer and wine section was bigger than the produce section.

I was overwhelmed and saddened. That used to be my life.  Prepared foods, snacks, chips, more snacks, sugary cereal, even more snacks, Coke in glass bottles and snacks.

It’s all right there. Easy access. Anything you want, just throw it in the cart.

“They” tell you how expensive it is to eat healthy. That it is less expensive to eat processed food.  But they never mention the long range costs. Illness, depression and more.

Please believe me, I’m not preaching so much as I am concerned.

I grew up thinking breakfast was two Pop Tarts and a Coke or a bowl of Cap’t Crunch and a candy bar.  It was just my dad and me, so we ate out a lot. McDonald’s was my preference for decades.

I never really learned how to really cook until the lock down during COVID. I could make some things but knew nothing about nutrition.

As I stood in the middle of that grocery store, I was reminded of all my past bad choices.  All the illnesses I had.  The fact that my taste buds didn’t like anything that wasn’t heavily coated in sugar and/or fat.

I thought of all the money I wasted on food that did not nourish me.  Yes, it may have filled my belly but it never fully satisfied. That’s why I always needed more. Come to find out, that’s the plan and always has been.

Anthony Bourdain said that once food became convenient, it became unhealthy (I paraphrased).  Food was meant to nourish the body and satisfy the soul.

Food was meant to heal not harm.  Food was meant to be a catalyst for human connection, sharing a meal, not wolfing down a burger and fries in the car as you drive.

Many, including myself, lost touch with the real meaning of food.  And it takes a high price in wasted food costs and in health.

I must have looked like some kind of freak just staring at all the food and all the excess. Is there a reason there are a hundred different mustards?

I looked at all of the sum total of “food” and wished I had known what I know now then. It was too much. Overconsumption at its finest.

Again, not preaching. But it saddened me the lies we believed.  Vitamin enriched.  Low fat.  New and improved.  All natural.  All lies.

I grabbed my two (not good for me) items and ran out of there quickly.  Afraid that somehow the monster would attack again. 

Fear of falling off the wagon, is real for me.  I have gotten bags of garbage food and eaten it during the last four years.  But as I continue to learn more about nutrition, the less it happens.

God provides our daily bread. He wants us healthy and fully functioning. His food is simple and tasty not overprocessed and unhealthy.

It’s hard to cook every meal.  Luckily, I’m older now. I don’t work full time, in fact we consider the money I save by not eating out as equal to a part time job.

Not everyone has the inclination or ability. That saddens me because our food system in this country is broken.  And has been since I was a child. 

The long range effects of poor nutrition are now finally coming into the light.

I pray for our farmers, especially small family farms, at every meal.  Their life is hard. Going up against the Goliath’s like Con Agra and the like.  I pray that the food we eat is good for our body and soul.

I pray that more Americans see the lies the food lobbyists are telling us all in commercials and advertising.

I pray for the health and well-being of all people through the food we eat.

It’s harder and harder to eat better food.  But even small changes can help.  Eat well my friends. I pray for your health and that of our nation.

By Lois Hewitt

If you have ever read anything I have written, you know I use my experiences as the examples in my writing.  I always feel like, I hope anyway, someone can learn from my mistakes and mishaps.

Also I am at a place in my life where everything has a lesson to be learned. And I like to pass them on to anyone that might need it.

This post is no different but the point, which I will eventually get to, is one I hope everyone heeds.

The last few months I have been dealing with a medical condition. It has been constant and still is actually.

But I felt that I needed to continue getting all my tasks done, not missing work (not much anyway) and just keep going.

Tuesday I had a procedure that meant I was going to have to take it easy for the rest of the week.

Let me tell you the difference is night and day. Just taking some guilt-free time and taking care of myself. I feel so good.

It made me realize that many times I’m like Martha (of Mary and Martha).  Doing, doing and doing with a sense of obligation.  Putting absolutely unnecessary pressure on myself to “get it all done.” 

You see, if I really relaxed, I would feel such guilt about all the things not done (like cleaning baseboards and other fairly unimportant things).  So even if I was “resting” I was not recuperating because of the guilt.  I simply felt like I was lazy.

I talk about living intentionally but I was just walking through it. I learned a while back that the title “The Walking Dead” was not referring to the zombies but the people who were still alive.

That’s how these last few months felt to me. I was the walking dead.  No joy.  No peace. Just tired. Just anxious.  I could not shake it.

Then Tuesday I came home from the doctor full of anti-anxiety meds and slept that rest of the day and all night.

Something reset in my brain and I woke up different.  The physical problems were the same but I felt different.

Yesterday I slowly did a few tasks and did them with joy. I hummed a bit and danced a step or two.

Here is my point my friend and I am saying this to myself too.

Stop reliving the past.  Take the lessons learned and leave the past in the rearview mirror.  Don’t allow the regrets and the guilt of the past to steal the joy and peace from today.

Jesus came to earth as fully man and fully God.  He came to change the world but not in the way many thought. He came to offer salvation to the sinner.  He came to offer redemption to the unredemable.  He came to offer eternal life with Him.  His blood cleaned you and me.

Guilt and remorse are not gifts from Him. Joy and peace are His gifts.  When the world was created God set aside a day to rest. Rest with peace not anxiety. Rest with joy, rest full of praise for His blessings.

If I can stress one lesson I have learned in life, it is to rest. Rest in His comforting arms.  Rest in His peace which is like no other.  Rest in Him for He has done all the hard work for us.  Let’s sit at His feet like Mary and soak it all in.

No more do I want to just get by.  I want joy as I do the dishes and fold the laundry. I want joy as I clean the bathroom.  I want my hands to have joy as I cook a meal. 

Then when it’s time to rest, I will be able to experience the rest that only Jesus can give. I pray that for you also.

We are running a race called life.  My race began poorly and I proceeded to stumble all along the way. But I want to finish the race with strength and courage from Jesus. I may not have the “best time” in this race but I want to finish with victory from Jesus.

I pray for your rest. May it revitalize your body and soul. May your rest bring you peace unknown in the world.  May you heal from the past. May the pain start to disappear. May you find the place in Jesus’ arms that nourishes you.  It’s there, all you need to do is ask.

Rest well, my friend.