“The problem is, I don’t want a drink. I want 10 drinks.”

As some of you know, I recently went to my doctor for my semi-annual checkup.  And I’m sorry to say, it did not go well.

My diabetes has gotten worse.  Well technically, IT hasn’t gotten worse, but other things have.  Back in January, my doctor put me on injected insulin for the first time in the eight years or so that I’ve been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes.  And I immediately felt better when I began taking the once-daily shots.  But as he explained to me, my diet had remained more-or-less the same, and the stuff I was eating that I shouldn’t, was making me gain weight, raising my blood pressure and elevating my bad cholesterol and triglycerides.

Sorry if that’s more information than you wanted.

Anyway, as a result, he has advised me – STRONGLY – that I make some changes.  As the saying goes, not a diet, but a lifestyle change.  I’m trying to  break my carb addiction.

All my life, I have loved starchy, filling foods.  Rice, potatoes, beans, corn, pasta, bread.  LOTS of bread.  And the fact is, it’s killing me.  So, with the help of my sweet wife and family, I’m making some changes.  Protein shakes for breakfast, instead of toast or cereal.  Salads for lunch, instead of sandwiches.  Meat & NON-starchy veggies for supper.  Almonds & olives for snacks, instead of popcorn.

Sharing dinner with our friends, the Pages. I grilled marinated pork tenderloin and a squash medley – and NO, I didn’t eat any of the roasted corn on the cob!

This is not all bad, by any means.  For one thing, I LIKE eating meat, so I got that goin’ for me.  Also, grilled veggies work really well with this concept, especially grilled squash, onion, peppers, etc.

One of the things I’m discovering is how truly addicting carbs are, at least to me.  You eat something starchy, thinking it will satisfy, but an hour or two later, you’re craving more of it.  It’s like that scene from “The West Wing,” where Leo is trying to explain to a young staffer what being an alcoholic is like.  She asks him if he’s allowed to have a drink.  He says, “The problem is, I don’t want A drink – I want ten drinks.”  (Thanks, Eddy, for reminding me of this great scene!)

Isn’t that the way sin is?  You “indulge” yourself with whatever your favorite sin is – bitterness, anger, greed, lust, whatever – thinking that will satisfy you and you can get on with life.  But consuming a little bit of that just makes you crave more.  And more.  And it’s never enough.  Because, as has often been said, Satan will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and charge you more than you want to pay.

In Isaiah 55:2, God asks, “Why do you spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?  Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.”

I appreciate your prayers for me, as I re-learn what & how to eat, and adjust to these changes.  Meanwhile, let’s ask the Lord to reveal to us what addictions we are feeding within our own hearts – addictions that are keeping us from becoming all that the Father wants us to be.