Do you ever feel like you have to say yes when someone asks you to do something? Do often find yourself saying yes and then regretting it later? Does it bother you when people are unhappy with you?

If so, you may be a people pleaser.

In this podcast, we’ll talk about 6 different things you can do if you want to break the habit of people pleasing. We’ll also renew our minds with the people pleasing questions from I Deserve a Donut.

If you’d like to subscribe to the podcast or listen to it on iTunes, click here, and then click “View on iTunes.” (It may not be there right away as I am having technical difficulties, which also explains why I have two play buttons rather than one!)

People Pleasing Questions

Question: Are you a people pleaser? Do you have any tips for us?

The post 04: 6 Tips for People Pleasers appeared first on Barb Raveling.

Do you ever feel like you have to say yes when someone asks you to do something? If so, you may be a people pleaser.

In this podcast, we'll talk about 6 different things you can do if you want to break the habit of people pleasing.

We'll also renew our minds with the people pleasing questions from I Deserve a Donut.

Interview with Terry Tignor

Today I’m excited to share an interview with my friend Terry Tignor, who has lost 140 pounds over the last 2 1/2 years.

Terry is the friend I mentioned in the intro to I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat).

Terry has wonderful words of wisdom, and I know her interview will encourage you, no matter how many pounds you have to lose!

In this episode, Terry shares some of her struggles along the way and how God helped her through the process.

Resources We Talked About on the Podcast

To listen on iTunes: click here

To listen on Stitcher: click here

I hope you enjoy the interview. I submitted my podcast to iTunes today so should be available there in the next day or two! (Unless I did something wrong!)

The post 03: How My Friend Lost 140 Pounds appeared first on Barb Raveling.

Today I'm excited to share an interview with my friend Terry, who has lost 140 pounds over the last 2 1/2 years. Terry is the friend I talked about in the introduction to I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat). Terry has wonderful words of wisdom, and I know her interview will encourage you, no matter how many pounds you have to lose! In this episode, Terry shares how she renewed her mind the struggles she encountered along the way, and how her boundaries changed throughout the process.

Welcome to the Christian Habits podcast, episode two! I won’t normally write a separate blog post to go with the podcast, but thought I would today so I could explain what it’s like to do a podcast.

The nice thing about blogging is that if you forget to say something when you write the first draft, you can easily add it in before you publish. Or if you said something you didn’t want to say, you can easily take it out.

You can’t do that with podcasting! Or at least if you can, I don’t know how to do it yet.

So if you ever hear me saying something in a podcast and think, Does Barb really believe that?, write and ask me.

It could be that I was just being spacey–as in today’s podcast when I called my youngest daughter my oldest daughter–or it could be that I’m wrong and need correction!

What I Meant to Say

Here’s an example. In today’s podcast I talk about some practical ways to change our lives when we’re discontent.

If I’d been on the ball, I would have given you lots of examples rather than just a couple from my own life. I also would have pointed out that sometimes we have to give up what we think we need to be happy–but that that’s not a big deal since God is the only one who can make us truly happy anyway.

But alas, I got sidetracked and didn’t say all those things. I can already see that podcasting will be a wonderful “opportunity” to let go of perfectionism.

Hopefully, this is the last time I’ll correct myself on the blog unless I say something really drastic. But as you listen to future episodes, just keep in mind that I am forgetful, absent-minded, spacey, and technologically challenged so listen to each podcast with that in mind!

Show Notes

I also wanted to let you know that if I reference something in the podcast, I’ll try to include the link to it or information for it in the blog post. Podcasters call the blog post the “show notes” so if you hear me saying that, it’s just the blog post.

Today’s “show notes” include the discontentment questions and Bible verses from I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat). Here they are:

Psalm 40:1-3a I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.

Psalm 63:1 O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is so water.

Psalm 63:7-8 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 68:19-20a Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. God is to us a God of deliverance.

Psalm 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.

Jonah 2:9a But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed.

John 16:33 These things I (Jesus) have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage: I have overcome the world.

Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Philippians 3:7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 6:7-8 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

1 John 3:16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

The post 02: When Life is Hard: 11 Questions to Ask appeared first on Barb Raveling.

Do you ever feel like life is too hard? Join us today as we renew our minds with the discontentment questions and Bible verses from I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat).

A few months ago, I interviewed my friend Terry who lost 140 pounds. Rather than doing it on video, I thought, I’ll just tape it and then I can make a podcast.

Little did I know how complicated it was to make a podcast! It’s definitely not for the technologically faint of heart!

But thanks to Terry’s wise words of wisdom that I wanted to share with all of you, I persevered. And now I am excited to introduce my new podcast!

I’ll be doing some interviews, some how-to podcasts, and some podcasts you can use to renew your mind with either on the way home from work, while you exercise or clean your house, or anything else you might like to do. I look forward to walking, exercising, cleaning, and commuting with you!

To listen on iTunes: click here

To listen on Stitcher: click here

I’ll try to post a podcast every Wednesday (the interview with my friend is the third episode), at least for the first few months, and will also cut down on my regular posts during this time period so I can put my efforts into the podcast. After it starts becoming routine, then I’ll start doing a mix of regular posts and podcasts.

I hope you enjoy listening to it. This whole thing will be somewhat experimental so please let me know if you have any ideas of how to make the podcasts better! This is definitely a learning-as-I-go experience!

Here’s the first podcast! (Hopefully!) (If you’re getting this post by email, you may need to go to my blog to access it.)

The post 01: Welcome to the The Christian Habits Podcast appeared first on Barb Raveling.

Welcome to the Christian Habits podcast! This is a podcast about transformation through the renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2).

We'll take a look at how to break free from our strongholds, idols, sin, habits, and negative emotions like anger, worry, insecurity, stress, and discontentment. Not so we can become perfect Christians, but so we can love God and others better and enjoy the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

We'll also be looking at how to start good habits, accomplish goals, and grow in our relationship with God. In this episode I share a little bit about my own experience with breaking habits, and give a brief overview of what you can expect in future episodes.

This isn’t a podcast, but it’s listed as a podcast because of the recording.

Suppose you’ve been trying to lose the same 20 pounds (or break that same bad habit) for the last six years.

Every time you start doing well, something comes up: a vacation, a holiday (Easter, for example), a hectic few weeks at work or at home–something that throws you off your weight loss plan.

What you really want is just to relax and enjoy life–eat what you want when you want–and still be able to lose or maintain your weight. Is that too much to ask? After all, aren’t we told that life should be easy?

That we should be able to get what we want with very little effort?

Let’s do an option chart to see if we can get what we want in this situation. Since we also want a close walk with God, let’s add that column to the chart this time.

Once again, I’ll use a recording to explain the chart.  (I explained these charts in my last post. Click here to get that post.) The recording is 5:54, and I apologize for it being a bit “echo-y.” I’m trying to find the best place in the house to do this, and didn’t choose a good room today! To listen to the sound recording, click here.

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P.S. In order for an option chart to be a true “renewing of the mind” tool, you would need a  “Relationship with God” column as that will help you look at life from a biblical perspective.

P.S.S. I’m thinking of starting a podcast. If anyone has any advice for me or ideas for a title, please let me know! I interviewed my friend who lost 140 pounds this week and was fascinated by all she had to say, but I haven’t been able to figure out how to put it on my blog yet. Any suggestions would be helpful!

Taste for Truth: A 30 Day Weight Loss Bible Study is focused on the lies that make us eat, body image, and the weight loss process. I wrote this Bible study to go along with the questions and Bible verses in I Deserve a Donut, and although you can do the study without I Deserve a Donut, it’s best if you have both books.

I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat) is a renewing of the mind resource to use in the midst of temptation and also to prepare yourself for temptation. I use it all the time, just for regular life. It is filled with 36 sets of questions and over 150 Bible verses that you can use to have conversations with God about life and food. The questions and Bible verses will help you renew your mind, taking off the lies that make you eat and putting on the truth that will set you free. It’s also available as a free app.

Freedom from Emotional Eating: A Weight Loss Bible Study is more focused on emotional eating. Although there is material on boundaries and breaking free from the control of food, most of the book is devoted to learning how to let go of negative emotions. The comment I get most often with this book is that yes, it helped me with eating, but it helped me even more with letting go of my negative emotions.

The post Christian Weight Loss: Is Fun and Easy Possible? appeared first on Barb Raveling.

Do you ever say, “If only I hadn’t messed up,” or “If only life were easier?”  “If only I had made a different choice?”  “If only I were more like so-and-so?”

So often we live in the land of “if only” and “I should have.” This is not a pleasant place to live.

Not only does this sap our energy and make us constantly discontent with life, it also keeps us from looking at our real-life options.

We spend so much energy thinking about what we should have done or what we wish life were like, that we have no energy left over to stop and think, “Okay, I can’t change reality, but what can I do?” And is what I’m currently doing, working?

If you struggle with regret and if only, an option chart will help you renew your mind. Since this is kind of a hard tool to describe, I’m going to try to be a real techy person and explain it in a recording.

Since this is the first time I’ve ever tried to put a recording on my blog and I’m not a techy person by any stretch of the imagination, let’s use my own trial today for example. First I’ll truth journal and then I’ll make an option chart.

Beliefs: 1. I can’t believe this is so hard. 2. If only I were more of a techy person. 3. Maybe I should do this later. 4. Or use a different example. This isn’t a very good example. 5. Maybe I should skip it altogether since it will be so hard to figure out. 6. Besides, I probably won’t be able to figure it out anyway.

Truths: 1. This is not surprising! Most techy things are hard in the beginning for me. Why should this be any different? 2. But I’m not, so I might as well accept it. God can use this struggle for good in my life. 3. I have been saying that for almost two years now. I could say that ’til the day I die. Let’s just get it over with. 4. Oh well. If I go for perfection, I’ll never get it done. Let’s just do this. 5. No, Barb. You want to do it. Get it done! 6. I bet I will!

Truthfully, just truth journaling would probably have been enough to make myself do this, but since this is supposed to be a post about option charts, I better continue on! Here are the steps to making an option chart:

A recording on my blog

The Fun & Easy Life

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If you’d like to listen to my explanation of these charts, click on the play button at the top of this blog or below. The recording is 3 minutes 47 seconds in length, and surprisingly–after procrastinating this project forever–it took about 25 minutes to figure out and do!

What I always find when I do option charts—and you can do these for all areas of your life—is that I regularly do those middle options—the ones with all the down arrows. When I see what those options are doing to the rest of my life, it opens up my eyes to how crazy I’m being.

The option chart is a great way to renew your mind, especially if you’re dealing with regret or wishing life could be different. If you’d like to give it a try, click on this link for a blank option chart, or just draw your own in your journal: Option Chart.

Note: This wouldn’t really be a renewing of the mind (looking at life from a biblical perspective) experience unless you had a “relationship with God” column. I have a full explanation of the process with a relationship with God column in Freedom from Emotional Eating. 

Update: Here is another post with a relationship with God column: Christian Weight Loss: Is Fun and Easy Possible?

The post How to Let Go of Regret and “If Only” – Option Charts appeared first on Barb Raveling.