Letter Lesson 3

Letter/Lesson #3

Dear Member,

Trains, Tracks, and the 3-in-1 Oil Can

One very memorable Christmas Eve my parents gave me a model train set. I had just turned five. Toys I’d received in the past had been tops and marbles—that is, cheap toys. This train set put me right up there with the rich kids. I was so excited and played with my new treasure almost every day. My Granddad Jasper was an engineer with Santa Fe Railroad Company, and now I was an engineer, too. Life was good.

One day the train started going so slowly that it barely made it around the tracks. I thought I’d ask my mother what was wrong. After all, she was the best nurse in the entire world. Since she knew all about fixing sick people, surely she’d know how to fix my sick train. I was right. She confidently suggested I put some oil on the tracks and handed me a can of 3-in-1 Oil. I put a drop of oil on the track, and, boy, did that train run! Feeling very smart and using my newly acquired knowledge, I reasoned if one drop of oil could make my train go so fast, something really fantastic might happen if I dumped the whole can on the tracks. I decided to test my logic, and I drained that oilcan. To my horror the train stopped!

The Maxim of My Life

Unfortunately, the train story became the maxim of my life—“all or nothing.” If a little bit of anything worked, then a whole lot more was just the ticket, a theory which completely overlooked the lesson I should’ve learned from the train misadventure. Why should eating and drinking be any different? It wasn’t! If a little food made me feel good, then a whole lot of food would naturally make me feel a whole lot better.

As I was growing up, I always ate until I was ready to pop, and I didn’t care what kind of food I ate as long as it tasted good. Back in those days if I had known what cholesterol was, I would’ve fried it and smothered it with gravy. My grandmother loved it when I asked for extra helpings of her mouth-watering dishes. “Mimi” always seemed offended when a guest, much less family, would turn down an extra helping, especially of her fried chicken.

Is It Any Wonder?

By the time I was in my late 20’s, is it any wonder that I had ballooned and was seventy pounds overweight? One day I visited my parents, and the first thing my dad said to me stopped me in my tracks. He was a World War II hero, short on words and strong on meaning. He said, “Boy, you’re getting big enough to butcher! Better start losing that weight.”

My dad never knew how much his statement hurt, but I knew it was the truth. As the years passed, I desperately fought the battle of the bulge, trying to maintain a healthy weight. You name the diet, and I’ve probably been on it. The most memorable one was the high protein, low carbohydrate diet. It may have been the Atkins Diet. It’s been so many years ago, I really don’t remember if that was its name. What I do remember is how simple it was. As long as I consumed less than sixty grams of carbohydrates per day, I would lose weight. So remembering my train set experience (you guessed it—“all or nothing!”), I figured that reducing my daily carbohydrate intake to zero would be the way to go to achieve super-fast results. I ate meat, fish, chicken, cheese, eggs, any food that had no carbohydrates. It was amazing! No matter how much I ate, I lost weight. I was like a kid in a candy store.

It was the summer of my senior year at the University of Texas when I first started my “no carbohydrate” diet. One of my class mates suggested that jogging would make me lose weight even faster. That sounded like a great idea—more oil on the tracks! So I started jogging, and I kept gorging on all those protein foods. Just like with my train set, things worked well and fast for a while. Then, like the train that stopped because it got bogged down with too much oil, I stopped, too. While jogging one day at the university track field, I collapsed. I hadn’t learned a thing. Fortunately, I received timely medical help and survived my foolishness.

Losing the Battle

Why did part of my “waiting room prayer” include asking God to help raise a child who would adopt a healthy lifestyle and be free from constantly fighting the battle of the bulge—or even worse, giving up and not fighting at all? Sure, I wanted our son to avoid diet disasters like I’d had, but I also knew that in our modern society it’s even more challenging for kids to be self-disciplined, especially in the area of weight control. There are many, many more temptations and deceptions involved in the fight now, and it’s a battle that our modern, high-tech world is losing.

The following are a few newspaper headlines that have recently caught my attention:

“Marketers to weigh in on obesity prevention” USA Today “Childhood obesity is going to get worse if the USA ‘doesn’t come to grips’ with ways to prevent and treat it,” says Jeffery Koplan, chairman of the Institute of Medicines Committee on the prevention of obesity in children.
“Despite a century-long search for weapons of mass destruction, we still have no idea how to make fat people thin.” Abilene Reporter News
“Obesity explodes from teens to 20’s ” USA Today
“Hospital tab for obese kids: $127 million a year” USA Today
“Weigh this: Obese kids at risk” The Dallas Morning News
“Obesity predicted for 40% of America” USA Today
“Study suggests child obesity may play role in breast cancer” USA Today
“Obese people face greater challenges than extra weight” Scripps Howard News Service
“Official: Obesity poses greatest health risk to Hispanics” Associated Press

The New Step Diet Book

At best, fighting a weight problem is a nagging nuisance. At its worst, being overweight can be devastating. There’s a book entitled The New Step Diet Book, written by James O. Hill, Ph.D, John C. Peters, Ph.D., with Bonnie T. Jortberg, M.S., R.D. The book offers the following very interesting, yet alarming facts and statistics:

The recent Surgeon General’s report said 61% of Americans are overweight.
“Obesity exacts a higher toll on health and health care costs than either smoking or drinking.”
A recent study found that obesity, which is linked to health complications including diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers, raises a person’s health care costs by 36% and medications by 77%.

Is There an Answer to Such a Destructive Problem?

The problem of weight control has overweight people feeling lost and desperate. They grab onto one diet plan after another, hoping beyond hope that something will work, only to have their hopes dashed, and they’re left to look once again for another plan that just might work. Is there really an answer?

Yes, God Offers the Answer!

God gave Linda and me the answer almost 46 years ago. Our son was guaranteed to adopt a healthy lifestyle. God’s answers are so simple, yet we humans have such a hard time comprehending His perfect wisdom.

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” (1 Corinthians 1:27 King James Version)

In Letter/Lesson#1 I said, “Along the way God gave us a focus to pay attention to anything and everything we read or experienced that might help us apply Proverbs 22:6 to Jon’s life.” (“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”) Well, Linda and I paid attention to one critical thing that would lead Jon to maintain a healthy weight for the rest of his life!

That One Thing

That one thing was exercise. We believed, we knew, that if daily exercise became a permanent part of Jon’s life, being overweight would never be a problem for him or one he couldn’t overcome. What a blessing! He could devote his thoughts, his energy, his life to more important things. Starting when he was a baby, we simply trained Jon to exercise as “the way he should go” according to Proverbs 22:6, knowing that when he grew older he would not depart from this training. Jon is 45 years old now, and regular exercise is a permanent part of his life. There’s still one big difference with Jon compared to most people who exercise trying to lose weight.

The Battle of Mind Over Matter

Permit me to take you back to The New Step Diet Book for a moment. Pamela M. Peake, M.D., M.P.H. wrote the forward to the book. She definitely knows how important daily exercise is in maintaining her own weight and health. Yet she says, “Most mornings when I wake up, there’s a brief moment when I engage in a mind-over-mattress dialogue.” She goes on to relate her mental struggle whether to stay in bed each morning or get up and walk. She reasons that being slim and healthy are more important than staying in bed. So she says, “Sleepy-eyed, I eventually achieve the vertical, hop into my sweats and sneakers, strap my pedometer to my waistband, and head out to walk.”

What is the Difference?

The dramatic difference with Jon is that he doesn’t have to fight this daily mind-over-body struggle because of the principle of Proverbs 22:6. And neither does your child! Praise God!

A Huge Edge

You as a loving parent can initiate an essential, vital strategy toward making exercise a permanent part of your child’s life according to the principle of Proverbs 22:6. By doing so, you will have given your child a huge edge on maintaining proper weight and eliminating weight problems that constantly plague most of us Americans today. Exercise will become second nature to your child. There’ll be no reason for your child to go through the mind-over-body battle about whether to exercise or not.

The Plan is So Simple!

Starting when your child is a baby, walk your baby every day that the weather permits, using a stroller or “snuggly” or sling (some type of infant carrier). Please pick a safe place such as a track field, a public park, or perhaps a mall. The goal is to work toward walking and strolling together for one hour. I’ll explain later why one hour is so important.
While you walk, talk aloud to your baby and tell him/her how much fun and how valuable exercising, walking, jogging, and running are. You can even makeup phrases, rhymes, and songs in rhythm to your pace. You’ll be planting seeds in your baby’s spirit that these words and the actions associated with them are pleasant and good. Later your child will not only hear these words, but will comprehend and incorporate them into his/her daily life. Remember in Letter/Lesson #2, I referred to a story in the Bible that proves a child’s spirit responds even in the womb. (Luke 1:39-44)
If the weather is bad and you can’t go out, an indoor walk or march can work fine, too. If you can’t move about, then talk to your baby about how enjoyable and fun exercising, walking, jogging, running, marching can be. Spoken words are very powerful and meaningful. “But the tongue of the wise promotes health.” (Proverbs 12:18)
During your hour of exercising, there’s plenty of quality time to pray out loud with your baby. Thank God for all of the blessings you can think of. Pray for your baby, your family, issues and challenges you’re facing, and pray for others as the Holy Spirit leads. Praise God and give Him glory.
Exercise time with your baby is a perfect time to read and talk verbally about the salvation scriptures you have copied on note cards from Letter/Lesson #2. (Don’t forget about singing the scriptures!)
Mixing physical exercise with spiritual exercise makes both activities fun. And, boy, does the time pass quickly. No way can physical exercise become boring!
When your child is able to walk, alternate pushing him/her in the stroller and then having your child walk as he/she is physically capable. Keep up the spiritual exercising combined with the physical.
There will come a time when children will want to exercise on their own without you. This is good; in fact, it’s wonderful! Encourage them to continue as you’ve done together, always mixing their physical exercising with their spiritual exercising. You may need to oversee or check on this aspect periodically.
Here’s an important secret: even though your child becomes too fast for you to keep up with, always encourage him/her to take a walk with you. It may only be once or twice a week, but it needs to be consistent. I’ll explain later why this idea, along with the target of exercising for one hour each day, will bless the socks off both of you!
If your family is into hiking or sports, such as tennis, golf, swimming, etc., be sure to take your children with you starting when they’re babies. You’ll be planting those early, crucial seeds as instructed in Proverbs 22:6.

Stuck Like Glue

If you follow the design of this simple plan and modify it to fit your life’s situation, by the time your children start to school, exercising for one hour daily will be stuck like glue. It will have become a permanent part of their lives. And when they are old, they’ll still be exercising, will be slim and trim, will be free of weight problems, and “will not depart from it.”

Blessings

Many blessings will result when you and your children make exercising regularly a permanent part of their lives. Here are just a few of the special blessings your family can expect to receive because regular exercise became instilled and integrated into your children’s lives.

Good Health—an obvious benefit
Regular exercise reduces levels of bad cholesterol, helps maintain a healthy blood pressure, reduces risk of heart attach and other serious illnesses, maintains muscle tone, enhances stamina and energy and burns calories.

Savings
Money is saved on medical bills and medications; time spent being sick and going to doctor appointments is saved, too.

No Absences or Sick Days

Stress Relief, Anxiety and Tension Reduction

Freedom from Teasing
Overweight children are 11 times more apt to be insulted and harassed by other kids.

Clear Thinking and Longer Attention Span

Improved Athletic Ability
Exercising early in life can help prepare children for athletics if they choose to participate.

Discipline and Self-Control
Overeating, junk food cravings, and other poor eating habits are better controlled. The self-discipline established through exercise can extend into many other areas of life.

Contentment with Self and Circumstances
The anxiety of competition, which is a basic reason many kids never participate in academic or athletic activities, is reduced or eliminated. Satisfaction with oneself will contribute greatly to making right moral choices.

Increased Social Skills
Your child will be personable, likeable, and congenial, largely because he or she likes himself/herself, knowing he/she looks good as well as feels good.

Leadership
Being a leader instead of a follower will help young people make decisions not to get involved with drugs, alcohol, tobacco, etc.

Lifetime Exercising
A continual, regular exercise program will be established (even at the end of an athletic career) because the person started at an early age and it became a life-long factor. (Proverbs 22:6)

Bonding
Exercising regularly as a family creates a bond that will last a lifetime.

Boredom NOT!
Combining regular physical exercise with spiritual exercise reduces the chance of physical exercise ever being boring. It enhances anyone’s relationship with the Lord. What a glorious bonus!

Last But Not Least

Here’s one of the best and most dramatic blessings you and your child will receive from training your child to “go the way” of regular exercise according to the principle of Proverbs 22:6.

Preventing Laziness!

The truth of weight control is pretty simple. If your child eats more calories than his/her body needs, he/she will gain weight. All of us must be aware of and accept this scientific fact. It’s true for your children, for me, for you, for anyone. Calories need to be burned off by your child’s daily activities. Most children are allowed to become lazy at an early age, and as a result, not enough calories are burned by their physical activities. It’s one of the major reasons many kids today are overweight, and as time goes by, the problem worsens

“The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.” (Proverbs 13:4)

The blessing of not growing up to be lazy is one of the greatest blessings any parent could want for their child. Training your children in infancy that regular exercise is one of the ways they “should go” promises that they will not only maintain proper weight for the rest of their lives, but they will never be lazy! Hallelujah!

Importance of the One Hour Plan

One hour of daily exercise offers balance. One hour a day of walking or jogging will produce the blessings I’ve just shared with you. This doesn’t mean your child won’t work out longer at times. That’ll be an individual choice. However, if you train your children to exercise an hour each day, they’ll continue to exercise regularly for the rest of their lives according to the promise of Proverbs 22:6. Our son is living proof of that promise. Your child will have energy, aptitude, and time for other things in life. Proverbs 3:13 says, “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding.” Please read for yourself the rest of the verses of this truth in Proverbs 3:14-18. Walking or exercising in some way regularly together as a family will create bonds with your children that produce lifetimes of joy.

Brief Review

I believe that after reading the first three letter/lessons you now understand the very simple strategy my wife and I used to raise a smart kid, a really, very, very smart kid. We started the training at birth according to the principle of Proverbs 22:6. We selected strategic areas toward which we knew God wanted our son to “go.” We believed God when He said through His Word that once we trained Jon “in the way he should go,” according to God’s perfect will, Jon would not depart or permanently turn away from that training when he was old. Thanksgiving and praise to God!

Letter/Lesson #1 shared a focus God had given my wife and me to pay attention to everything we read or experienced that might help us apply Proverbs 22:6 to our son’s life. The prayer in that letter/lesson was for you as a family to open your hearts and minds and to share this vision, too.

Letter/Lesson #2 explained a vital strategy you as a Christian parent can implement to “train up” your child to “go the way” of Christian salvation. No Christian doubts for a moment that a true, living relationship with Jesus is absolutely the most important blessing God has for a child. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

This Letter/Lesson #3 detailed a simple, workable strategy you as a Christian parent can utilize to “train up” your child to “go the way ” of daily exercise. Physical exercise provides an essential step toward your child’s achieving vibrant health, free from weight problems and serious illnesses. The lesson also revealed added blessings, such as preventing laziness and creating lasting family bonds.

Through Faith

Through faith I believe you’ve already started to think about ways to implement these strategies which were shared with you in the first three letter/lessons, ways to couple them with your loving parenting skills to insure you raise a smart kid, a really, very, very smart kid! It can be done through faith in the Lord and His Word.

Moving On to the Next Letter/Lesson

The next letter/lesson will look at what the Bible actually says about physical exercise. We’ll talk about how to bridge the generation gap, and we’ll point out a huge, wonderful, exciting surprise blessing that will cause you to jump for joy! (Now that’s good exercise!)

Until then, please email me at [email protected] with any questions, comments, thoughts, or suggestions you may have.

God bless,

Paw Paw

P.S. You may want to print this and future letter/lessons to form your own “Tomorrow’s Heroes Library” for you and your family. Beyond this, you may want to consider adding your personal notes, thoughts, and insights to customize this program to fit your family.

Edited by DC

Unless otherwise indicated, Scriptures quotations are from

the New King James Version.