Health Meditations

Handy Acronyms, The Sequel: TEAM

You prefer to work alone, live alone, and be alone.  But there are times when "alone" does not work well.  My question is:

Have you experienced the value of TEAM?

TEAM stands for Together Everyone Achieves More.

If you pray alone, God will hear you.

James 5:16
…The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

But if you pray with someone else, your prayer has more power.

Leviticus 26:8
Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.

When you pray with other people in the name of Jesus, Jesus is automatically a member of your TEAM.

Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

Become part of a TEAM.

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Inner Limits

If you have outer limits, you must have inner limits.  My question is:

What are your inner limits?

Your inner limits are your inner man.  Your inner man is:

• The part of you that God sees all the time and in perfect focus. 
• The part of you that only a few discerning spirits will glimpse, if they spend time with you and get to know you well. 
• The part of you that you usually do not share with others because it makes you feel too vulnerable.

Your inner limits are your heart and your spirit.  Most people don't deserve access to your inner limits.  Guard them.

1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Philippians 4:7
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Makeover: Consequences

You've chosen to have weight-loss surgery.  You've successfully completed the pre-operative evaluation.  Both your surgeon and the facility where he/she operates are highly experienced with the bariatric procedure you will have.  You are committed to making the necessary lifestyle changes and you understand the potential complications.  My question is:

Have you considered the potential consequences?

If your bariatric surgery and your lifestyle change are successful, you will experience dramatic and massive weight loss.  You might lose half your body weight or more over a period of one to two years.  As a consequence of this dramatic and massive weight loss, your skin will sag.  Sagging skin will be particularly problematic on your upper arms, your thighs and your abdomen.  If you are a woman, your breasts will sag. 

Your skin will sag because it is too stretched out to snap back into place.  To correct your sagging skin, you will need body-contouring surgery to remove the excess skin.  Body-contouring surgery is considered cosmetic surgery.  Cosmetic surgery may not be covered by your health insurance policy.  If it is not a covered benefit, you will have to pay for body-contouring surgery yourself.  If you can't afford to pay for body-contouring surgery, you will have to live with sagging skin.

So before you allow someone to mutilate your insides to change your outside, consider the consequences.

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Handy Acronyms, The Sequel: SOAP

If you are new to studying the Bible on your own, you may not know where to begin.  My question is:

Have you considered the SOAP approach?

SOAP stands for Scripture; Observation; Application; Prayer.

Scripture: Choose a scripture passage and read it through.
Observe what the scripture says about love and life.
Apply the wisdom in the scripture to your life.
Pray about implementing the wisdom of the scripture in your life.

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Outer Limits

If you are old enough, you remember "The Outer Limits" as a scary television show from the 1960s.  The show encouraged you to push your imagination to the limit.  My question is:

What would happen if you pushed your faith to the outer limits?

Think about all the good things you believe God will do for you.  Then take that thought one step further, and believe it.  Consider pushing your faith to where it has never gone before.  Then believe.

Luke 17:6
So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Makeover: Complications

Weight-loss surgery can have complications.  All surgery can be complicated by bleeding, infection, complication related to anesthesia, including death.  In addition to these complications, there are complications specific to each bariatric procedure, of which there are several.  Your surgeon should review with you in detail the complications associated with the bariatric procedure that he/she will perform on you.  Here is one complication you may not have considered:

What if you don't lose weight?

If you don't lose weight or if you regain the weight you initially lose, it's not because the surgery failed.  It's because of you!  Having bariatric surgery will not magically result in weight loss if you don't make the required permanent lifestyle change.

Before you expose yourself to the risk of anesthesia and the risk of someone mutilating your insides, consider making the required permanent lifestyle change.  The key word is permanent.  Your current lifestyle made you what you are today.  Make a permanent change and watch the pounds disappear.

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Handy Acronyms, The Sequel: PRAY

Building a relationship with God starts with prayer.  Prayer is conversation with God.  My question is:

Do you know where to start?

To develop your prayer life, you need to PRAY: Praise. Repent. Ask. Yield.

Praise God to enter into His presence, because He inhabits the praises of His people.

Psalm 22:3
But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.

Repent for the sins you committed since the last time you came to God for forgiveness.

Acts 3:19
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

Ask God for what you need, in the name of Jesus.

John 14:13-14
13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

Yield to God's will for your life.

Psalm 40:8
I delight to do Your will,
O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.”

Psalm 143:10
Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in the land of uprightness.
 
Matthew 6:10
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.

The more you PRAY, the easier it will be to pray.

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Limits: Exceeding Them

If you set limits, it's possible to meet or exceed them.  My question is:

When is exceeding limits always acceptable?

It's always acceptable when God does it.

• God can exceed you expectations.
• God can exceed your imagination.

Ephesians 3:20-21
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

God is only limited by your faith.

Matthew 9:29
Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”

So take the limits off you faith.

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Makeover: Expectations and Commitment

Having weight-loss surgery is a drastic action.  But it is not a magic bullet.  My question is:

Do you understand that the success of your surgery depends on you?

Your pre-operative evaluation for bariatric surgery will include assessment by a nutritionist and assessment by a psychiatrist. 

Nutrition Assessment
The nutritionist will examine your current eating lifestyle and the changes you will need to make before and after the surgery.  The nutritionist will ask you about what you eat, how often you eat, and how much you eat.  You need to be honest with the nutritionist and with yourself.  If you qualify for bariatric surgery, you have some very unhealthy eating habits.  You must change your eating habits permanently in order for your bariatric procedure to be a success.  In addition, to changing your eating habits, after having bariatric surgery, you must take vitamin and mineral supplements for the rest of your life.

Psychiatric Assessment
Your eating habits are rooted in a combination of environmental, familial, cultural, and behavioral factors.  The psychiatrist will examine these factors in addition to reviewing any history you have of mental health issues, like depression.  The psychiatrist will also explore your under understanding of the surgical risks, your expectations, and the need for post-procedure follow-up and compliance.

If you choose to have bariatric surgery, you must make the life-long commitment to making a permanent lifestyle change.  If you don't make the necessary changes, the procedure will be a waste of time and resources, and you will end up morbidly obese all over again.

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Deborah White, MD, MBA

Handy Acronyms, The Sequel: JUICE

If you are in a spiritual drought you need something to quench your thirst.  My question is:

Do you need JUICE?

JUICE stands for:

Justified by God;
Under the Blood;
In Christ Forever;
Changed by the Holy Spirit;
Empowered by His Love

Drink deeply and …

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Deborah White, MD, MBA