THE POWER OF FOOD

Now the serpent…said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1

 

According to the most recent reports from Market Data Research, the number of active dieters is estimated to have fallen 10% since 2015, to 97 million, due to a “growing size acceptance movement” and “dieter fatigue.” About 80% try to lose weight by themselves, but many fail. This fits in perfectly with where I am: the harder I try, the harder it is to keep the weight off. I am definitely in the “dieter fatigue” category. Just the thought of dieting wears me out!

 

Then I read a book called Naturally Thin: Lasting Weight Loss Without Dieting by Jean Antonello. The author says that restrictive calorie dieting causes out bodies to go into starvation mode, protecting to every calorie we eat. No wonder people hit a “plateau” when they try to diet! And the minute we end a restrictive calorie diet, the body wants to put back on the weight to stop starving our bodies! Antonello’s book confirmed one thing for me: if I just eat sensibly and don’t obsess about food, I am in a much better frame of mind than if I try to lose weight because I might look/feel/function better. I have not counted a single calorie since I read her book, and guess what? I have not gained any weight! Would I like to lose some weight and look like I did when I was twenty? Sure. But I’m not twenty anymore and maybe I’m okay the way I am. I know there are life-saving reasons to keep our girths smaller than the circumference of a small planet, but starving ourselves and paying some program to help us do that is something I think needs some serious scrutiny.

 

The serpent was already busy in the Garden of Eden making people feel guilty about food. And thousands of years later, diet programs pull in an astounding $72 billion dollars a year in the United States (AP News). The Apostle Paul admonishes, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

 

Lord, help us stay healthy in sensible ways. Amen

Meg Blaine Corrigan finds ideas for her devotional blogs in everyday places and events, from comic strips to magazines and books, comments on the fly from people she meets, ancient memories of her childhood, and nigglings from God. Meg has written a Christian devotional blog for several years that has been read in over 40 countries by 9000 people. A compilation of blogs, Saints With Slingshots: Daily Devotions for the Slightly Tarnished But Perpetually Forgiven Christian, was published in 2015. Meg is working on a second book (Saints TWO) which she has hopes of completing by Christmas, 2020. Her first book, Then I Am Strong: Moving From My Mother’s Daughter to God’s Child, is a memoir about her childhood with an alcoholic mother and a co-dependent father. The book also chronicles Meg’s astounding rescue from the hands of a gun-wielding rapist, a tragedy turned holy, a powerful message of hope in her darkest hour. Meg is a retired college counselor and former social worker. Meg enjoys spending time with her husband, their four daughters and spouses, ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, as well as their rescue dog, Bassett/Beagle mix Ginger. Meg and her husband Patrick play and sing in the contemporary worship band at their church, Christ Lutheran in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. She also volunteers with sexual violence/sex trafficking prevention and education. She speaks to groups whenever she if offered the opportunity. She is a voracious reader of other people’s writing, which gives her lots of ideas for more devotional blogs. Read more about her at www.MegCorrigan.com or contact her at MegCorrigan@comcast.net .

 

FIRST CHURCH OF THE SINS OF THE FATHERS

I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments. Exodus 20:5-6

 

I know a wise and compassionate young man whom I will can Ben, who was raised in a household of horrors. His father drank non-stop and was cruel to his wife and children. The mother tried to raise her children the best way she knew how but failed because of her own fears, anxieties, and poor behavior. Ben remembered his grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins all seemingly caught up in a sick family dynamic that never improved, leading Ben to eventually become addicted to alcohol and drugs himself. Thankfully, Ben saw the light as a young man, went through drug and alcohol treatment, and began attending Alcoholics Anonymous on a regular basis. He said it was as if his family had forced him to “wear a dirty suit,” and he no longer wanted to do that. It was necessary for him to separate completely from his family of origin in order to survive.

 

Ben’s situation reminds of the passages in the Bible which say in several ways, “the sins of the fathers are visited on the children to the third and fourth generation.” Ben’s family certainly seems to fit this description. But neither Ben nor I believe children are destined to turn out like their wayward parents. Ben and I broke the pattern. We both decided, for a variety of reasons, not to live as our parents had lived. Ben’s situation was far worse than mine, and I admire this young man greatly for the courage it took for him to change his life.

 

But does God really mean he will “punish the children for the sin of the parent?” In today’s Scripture, Exodus 20:5-6, the next few words are critical: “of those who hate Me.” Ben and I were able to seek our “Higher Power,” and we admitted we were powerless without Him. We chose to love and trust God and we are now reaping His “love to a thousand generations.”

 

Lord, I’m so glad to know You and to know Ben and others who have chosen You instead of death and destruction! Amen

 

Both candid and humorous, insightful and ponderous, Meg Blaine Corrigan’s memoir, Then I Am Strong: Moving From My Mother’s Daughter to God’s Child, takes the reader through her chaotic childhood with an alcoholic mother and enabling father to a violent assault that nearly ended her life. She populates her tale with vivid descriptions of her parents, other influential adults, the attacker, and her disastrous first marriage. But this story has a happy ending, when Meg finds solace in a God she didn’t think she’d ever believe in, when He gently helps her heal from her past lives and move into the best times of her life. Meg has also written a novel, Perils of a Polynesian Percussionist, about said first marriage, as well as a Christian devotional, Saints With Slingshots: Daily Devotions for the Slightly Tarnished But Perpetually Forgiven Christian, comprised of blogs from this site. Stay tuned for sequels to her last two books! All of her works may be purchased through her website, www.MegCorrigan.com or from www.amazon.com .

LET’S EAT!

Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. John 21:12

 

I do almost all the cooking for my husband and me. I love to cook, and I try to make special meals when I have the ingredients and the time. When I tell my husband it’s time to eat, he is often reading, watching television, or tinkering in the garage. “I’ll be there in a minute,” he’ll say, and I know he’s in the middle of a chapter or a show or a project. I don’t mind holding the meal a bit. I’ve learned to expect him to come as soon as he is able. Mealtimes are special for us as a couple, and we always thank God for the food that nourishes us.

 

Following His miraculous resurrection, Jesus was full of surprises. He appeared to the women outside the empty tomb on Easter morning (John 20:16). Later He walked right through the wall into the Upper Room. And He came again to see Thomas who was not among those He had seen before (John 20:19-29). Then, when the disciples finally thought they’d seen the last of Him, they all went fishing. And there was Jesus again, on the shore, telling them where to cast their nets to catch fish. Then, He call to them to come join Him on shore for a breakfast of fresh fish (John 21). The passage in John says the disciples knew right away it was Jesus, but it still must have been a surprise to witness Him doing something so ordinary and mundane as making breakfast for His friends. Although John’s Gospel is silent on the transfiguration of Christ, Matthew 17, Mark 9 and Luke 9 all record Jesus ascending up to heaven in the presence of Peter, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John the Apostle.

 

What a whirlwind those days must have been! The Creator of the Universe was brutally executed, buried in a tomb, conquered death and rose again. How precious were those hours when He spent ordinary, “quality” time with the men He loved before being raised to sit at His Father’s right hand for eternity.

 

Jesus, we thank You that You became a mortal being just like us so we could remember You when we say “Let’s eat!” Amen

 

Meg Blaine Corrigan tells stories of wisdom, strength, fear, joy and risk-taking. Daughter of a raging alcoholic mother, and survivor of sexual assault at gunpoint, Corrigan has shaken a dismal past and flung herself into the arms of Christ, Who sustains her in her daily walk of grace. She shares with her listeners her incredible story of surviving and thriving through many trials during her seven decades walking this fragile earth. She has been described as a Renaissance Woman, integrating her formal training in psychology and counseling, an enlightening experience as a percussionist for a Polynesian show troupe, and most recently as an inspirational author and blogger, to the delight of all who read her work and hear her speak. Her exposure to many life experiences has enriched her passion for spreading Christ’s word and helping other trauma survivors. She has a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling and thirty-plus years of experience in the field of counseling and social work.  She lives in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, with the love of her life, Patrick, and their formerly disenfranchised rescue dog Ginger. www.MegCorrigan.com    MegCorrigan@comcast.net

CELEBRITY BABY NAMES

She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

 

Celebrity couples seem to think they must choose the strangest and most unique baby names, as if the monikers they give their children will help them follow their parents’ path to fame more quickly. Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale named their second child Zuma Nesta Rock. The parents are mum on where the name came from. Bronx Mowgli is Pete Wenz and Ashlee Simpson’s son’s name. The middle name is the main character in Disney’s movie Jungle Book. Elon Musk and Canadian singer Grimes take the strange prize with their new son’s name, X Æ A-12. Grimes, whose real name is Claire Boucher, tweeted an explanation of the child’s name. The X is a math reference to the “unknown variable” in every formula. Æ is Grimes creative spelling of AI, which can refer to the couple’s love for each other (?) or “artificial intelligence” (take your choice, I suppose). And A-12 is a reference to the couple’s favorite aircraft, the Lockheed A-12 Archangel 1960’s spy plane. “No weapons, no defenses, just speed,” she wrote. “Great in battle but non-violent.” But their home state of California has a law requiring names use only the letters in the English alphabet. So the child might never be able to get a Social Security card or a driver’s license or find a personalized backpack. So much for fame and fortune.

 

I greatly prefer the divinely inspired names we find in the Bible. The most important one is Jesus, which means “Savior.” God’s angel told both Mary and Joseph (Jesus’ stepfather) to give the Child this name. “Christ” is a title more than a name, from the Greek word “Christos,” meaning “the anointed one,” also called the Messiah. Jesus is referred to as “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6); “the Almighty One” (Revelation 1:8); “the Alpha and Omega, the First and Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13).  My favorite references is Hebrews 12:2, where Christ is described as “the Author (or Pioneer) and Perfecter” of our faith. There are many more names for Jesus, and all of them fit Him perfectly.

 

Holy Father, remind us of the meanings of Jesus’ many names as we praise You! Amen

 

Alone on a Colorado mountain, Meg Corrigan faced the unthinkable, a situation that almost ended her life. Hear the details of her astounding rescue from the hands of a gun-wielding attacker and how she walked off that mountain. Hers is a story of tragedy turned holy, a journey of sorrow and healing, a powerful message of hope in the darkest hour. In her memoir, Then I Am Strong: Moving From My Mother’s Daughter to God’s Child, Meg credits her resilience to the grace of God. She is also the author of Perils of a Polynesian Percussionist, tales based on her years as a drummer in a Hawaiian show band; and Saints With Slingshots: Daily Devotions for the Slightly Tarnished But Perpetually Forgiven Christian. The sequel, Saints With Slingshots TWO, will be released by the end of 2020. Meg is a retired college counselor, author, speaker, trainer and sexual assault survivor. She speaks to churches, civic groups, college students, mental health professionals and law enforcement personnel, as well as youth in juvenile facilities. Corrigan lives in Lake Elmo, Minnesota with her husband, Patrick and their formerly disenfranchised rescue dog Ginger. She loves to coax seemingly dead plants out of the soil in her yard. The couple have four daughters, ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Contact her at MegCorrigan@comcast.net or www.MegCorrigan.com .

 

A HARD JOB

 

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

 

The Elko, Nevada area is home to Basque immigrants from Spain who came here in the 19^th century to work as sheep herders. When I played drums in a Hawaiian band, we spent time in Elko. Many of these herdsmen would come in to hear our band play. We learned from a Basque named Mercedes Hoyos that their life herding sheep was not easy. From my book, Perils of a Polynesian Percussionist:

 

“You don’t have to know anything about sheepherding to recognize one of the northern Basques who (had) spent about three months out on the range, all alone with his sheep, until somebody finally came and relieved him of his duties so he could go into town for a few days. He would usually stay at a Basque boarding house…where he would have a long bath while his clothes were being laundered. Then, he’d be ready for a home-cooked meal of marmitako (Basque tuna stew) and Chacoli wine, maybe a Catholic mass or two, and certainly a quick confession with one of the local priests, to relieve himself of the burden of his sins…He’d had a bath and put on clean clothes, (but) there was still a strange odor about this man. He wore a long-sleeved red wool shirt, even though it was warm outside. His brown pants, also wool, were tucked into work boots and held up by suspenders. A San Francisco Giants baseball cap graced his full head of grayish brown hair.

 

“’Those mountains are called mata hombres. “Man killers is what they are! I was pretty much ready for a visit to town,’ Mercedes said….(‘I tend) ‘bout nine hundred sheep, mostly ewes. A few rams…and the ewes have dropped their lambs, since it’s summertime ….I have to stay right by the sheep, especially at night. There are lots of coyotes….I really care about each one of ‘em. If I find a dead lamb, well, I just start to cry.’”

 

Images of a fluffy lamb in the arms of Jesus disappeared as I listened to Mercedes Hoyos describe his hard life. The image we carry of our Lord as our shepherd must include the hard work, deep caring and responsibility a sheep tender brings to the job.

 

Lord, we are Your lambs and You care for us as a Good Shepherd. Amen