The Daniel Plan and Failure... Week 1.

An overview of The Daniel Plan 

Revolutionize Your Health …

Once and for All

During an afternoon of baptizing over 800 people, Pastor Rick Warren realized it was time for change. He told his congregation he needed to lose weight and asked if anyone wanted to join him. He thought maybe 200 people would sign up, instead he witnessed a movement unfold as 15,000 people lost over 260,000 pounds in the first year. With assistance from medical and fitness experts, Pastor Rick and thousands of people began a journey to transform their lives.

Welcome to The Daniel Plan.

Here’s the secret sauce: The Daniel Plan is designed to be done in a supportive community relying on God’s instruction for living.

When it comes to getting healthy, two are always better than one. Our research has revealed that people getting healthy together lose twice as much weight as those who do it alone. God never meant for you to go through life alone and that includes the journey to health.

Unlike the thousands of other books on the market, this book is not about a new diet, guilt-driven gym sessions, or shame-driven fasts. The Daniel Plan shows you how the powerful combination of faith, fitness, food, focus, and friends will change your health forever, transforming you in the most head-turning way imaginably—from the inside out.

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A friend and I started a bible study with a wonderful group of women with The Daniel Plan. This book written by pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback church has teamed together with other pastors and doctors to create a plan to get healthier. The book and supplemental journal and study guide focus on five essentials: Faith, Food, Fitness, Focus and Friends. With scripture as the staple element of what this book is based on, I was so excited and determined to try it.  And thought it would be easy because I was already focused on the Lord. I was already practicing clean eating. It was a "piece of cake" to do this study.

Then the first meeting came...

And I failed my weekly goals: Not to get angry. Have alone time with just me.

Then the first week happened...

And I failed my goals again: Not to get angry. Have alone time with just me.

And I, I who was leading the study was a failure...Completely torn in all areas I was trying to work on. My one goal I failed to reach within hours of the study being over! What was happening to me? I didn't even recognize the person I became. It was weird. Something came over me and I couldn't control anything. I couldn't make myself get up and spend time with God. I couldn't control my eating habits and ate chocolate for dinner (having leftover cake from Noah's birthday was deliciously horrible!), all I wanted to do was be by myself and take care of only me.

Like I said. It was weird.

Then our next meeting came and it was just a few gals. I discussed the issues and the scenarios that had happened the past week and all three came to the same conclusion-I was being spiritually attacked. Now, I don't really like to use that phrase because I think some people can use it as a crutch. But as I reflect on how I felt and what my "goals" where-to only serve myself and have alone time for me-I can totally see it now!

When your goals in life don't have God as front and center, what kind of goals are you trying to reach? Without God being the focus, are you even going to reach your goals? I had a goal to have some Tory time. For just me. I wanted a bath. But that night, at that time, all my kids wanted me and wanted to take a bath. My husband just got back from yet another late night and wanted to talk about the day. I screamed. I yelled at my family. I was literally trying to shove them out the door so I can have my bath.  I felt like I deserved that bath and was going to get it at all costs. But what it cost me was crying, upset kids and an upset husband. My family, whom I give my life for everyday has been hurt by my actions. What if I had put God first? What if I just asked them that I needed time alone with God. To pray. To consult after a hard week? If I just asked them politely or told my husband I needed it. I probably would have gotten what I had asked for.

So for this next week I set out some new goals: Put God First! Lets see how the next week plays out and how I do with changing my life to be healthier, more fruitful.