This is my body...

I'm sure we've all heard these words before, spoken from behind the pulpit or a communion table from a pastor or priest administering the sacrament of communion. But let's stop and take a look at it for a moment...

This phrase is recorded 4 times in the New Testament. Here's the basic scene:

Jesus and his disciples are sitting in the upper room, on the eve of his betrayal and handing over to roman officials. It is also the time of passover. Like the passover lamb of the exodus story, Jesus is telling His disciples, later to be the apostles, that He is going to die and through the shedding of His blood, he will save them from death. (let's stop a minute and get saved here.)

So he breaks the bread and passes it around to them. Now, here is the picture. Jesus Christ took what most believe to be a single piece of bread and broke it. This is obviously important, because there is still only one true way to heaven, and it is sealed in the blood of Christ.

However, I do believe there is a deeper imagery that the Lord was also communicating. There now sits twelve men around the table, holding the twelve pieces of the one bread that Jesus broke... and Jesus says, "This is my body." Is it not possible that as the master craftsman and one true head of the church, Jesus was also telling them that His earthly, flesh and bone, body is going to die and decay, but that they... the believers ... are going to be the new body of Christ.

Doesn't this also jive with Paul's later teachings about the body of Christ? Are we are all not members of one body? "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body..."

Whether Jesus Himself communicated this thought that first night in the upper room is not explained in Scripture. But, the words and concept definitely resonate throughout the early disciples and the New Testament church, and still holds true today.

"This is my body" is you, and me, and everyone else who calls Jesus their Lord and Savior. To take a small license with the wording, it might better be stated:

"You are my body"

- Just a thought.

Function vs. Fashion

Hello everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends. Mel and I got back in from West Palm Beach yesterday afternoon. (no, we're still not un-packed). But, back to the grindstone we all go...

Today I want to take a look at the relationship between function and fashion. I believe that you can not ignore their relationship in pretty much everything. But, let's look at something very basic... the fork and spoon. Function almost always determines fashion. (I can not think of an area where it doesn't, but there very well could be) The function of the fork and/or spoon is fairly obvious. From a very young age we are taught to use these utensils to eat with to make our lives easier, and hopefully less messy. The fork and spoon are both utensils, equal in status and ability, just different in function.

Hence the difference in fashion.

The fork and spoon perform two very different tasks, therefore, look completely different. I think there is a very important lesson for us here when it comes to faith and "sacred cows". If function determines fashion, that you should be able to look at your church, your friends, and yourself and see the underlying function that they are performing. In the church's case, it is obvious... The Church has only two purposes: Reach the Lost & Teach the Saved. But when you look at something a little less obvious like your friends, or even yourself, what function are they performing in your life and in your faith?

Do you friends encourage or discourage your faith?

Do you feel you have to keep it hidden, or can you share it openly?

Do you exercise your faith? Share your faith? Or do you just wear it like a badge or name tag?

If function determines fashion... then fashion illustrates the function. What it looks like it does, is probably what it does...

We all need to first realize that if we are truly saved by the Grace of Christ, then we are equal in status and ability as every other member of the body of Christ... from Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, T.D. Jakes, and the Pope, all the way down to the person that cleans the toilet in The First Christian Community Church of Bumble-Who, USA. Secondly, though we are equal, we are also different. This is where function comes in. We are all parts of one body, but we're not all the same part! [insert random body part joke here].

We need to:
Step in to who we are...
Step up to what we are...
Step out to what we're meant to be doing!


"If you try to eat soup with a fork, you'll but in a lot of effort for very little nourishment..."

"If you try to eat steak with a spoon, you'll only be banging your head against a wall..."


- Just a thought.

Christmas Vacation

Hello all, I will be on vacation from Dec 19th - 28th. So I will not be posting. I will resume posting in the first week of the new year. If I don't see or talk to you before then... Merry Christmas and have a great New Year's... - Bill Yomes

Attitudes of Advent (part 2)

To continue from yesterday... I'm taking a look at the individuals within the Christmas story. I think we miss the majesty and awesome grace in the Christmas story, when we water it down to the simple nativity scene.

The Magi (wise men)...

Not much is known about the Magi that came looking for the Christ-child. In fact, we don't actually know that there were three of them. The number of magi is implied or deduced from the number of gifts that were given. A few Biblical facts we do know: the came from afar, followed a star, stopped to talk to Herod, gave their gifts, and went home another way. They weren't actually their on the first night of Jesus' life. To be more accurate, they would have been there around His second birthday. (This is why Herod had the male children two years or younger killed) So, off the bat, the idea that the magi were in the nativity is false. But, they do represent one very important thing. The rich, majestic magi came to bow at the feet of Jesus, just as the shepherds had done, both rich and poor, Jew and gentile, younger and older, came to adore the King of Kings at his birth. They set out from the home land, seeking the King that they could worship.

Herod...

Most people overlook Herod as part of the Christmas story because of their misunderstanding of the magi. But, since we now realize that they weren't there the first night, let's look at what happened here. The Magi when getting near to Jesus, stopped at Herod's palace to inquire about the birth of Jesus. They had no idea that Herod didn't already know, or that he would want to harm Jesus. They just assumed that a king that was being born would be recognized by the ruling class there. However, the news of a newborn king did not make Herod very happy. He responds selfishly, asking the magi to send him word where the new king is then tries to kill Him.

Simeon...

Simeon is another character that people leave out of the Christmas story because of the timeline issue. When Jesus was still a baby, his parents brought Him to the temple to be presented to the Lord. There the priest, Simeon, recognizes the Savior, even as an infant. Simeon had been given a promise from God that he would see the salvation of Israel before he died. Simeon was waiting expectantly for God's promised redemption, and as soon as the baby Jesus enters the temple, Simeon acknowledges His presence. His expectant faith was ready and waiting for the fulfillment of God's initial promise to the forefathers of Israel and his person promise from God. Simeon is the first person to see Jesus in His righteous role as Savior, because he was the first one that saw the full context of Jesus' mission.


The attitudes that appear in the Christmas story are timeless. Even today, people react to the Christmas story, and to Jesus, in many different ways. However, if we are to reach them and complete our mission (or better stated: Co-Mission) from Christ, then we must help people to who are seeking, or those who are blinded by jealousy, to see Christ in context. As the one and only Savior of the world.


Merry Christmas to all of you. I hope and pray that you will be both blessed and encouraged as you celebrate the birth of our Savior.

The Attitudes of Advent (part 1)

I know that we all like our nice and neat nativity sets that are on our mantle or tables. But, I think, because we are so used to seeing them in that pose that we loose sight of the reality of who they were. The Christmas story is more than just the birth of the Savior, it also gives us a wonderful view of how the first people to hear or know about the coming King reacted... and it wasn't the nice neat nativity scene that we see today!

Let's take a closer look at some of the characters in the nativity narrative.

Mary...

She was a young, probably teenage, Jewish girl that was pregnant outside of marriage. That's not the best situation to be in. She lives in an ultra-religious culture, and for all intents and purposes is a harlot. In fact, there are even records from antiquity that allege that she had an affair with a Roman guard, but had to keep it concealed. Most of us remember the angel coming down to Mary and telling her that she was been chosen by God, but do you remember her first reaction?... "How can this be?..." She was confused, knowing full well what was in front of her as an unwed pregnant teen.

Joseph...

The bible does not tell us how much time elapsed between the angel coming to Mary, and the message given to Joseph. However, because we know that Joseph wanted to "divorce her quietly" we can infer that the messages weren't simultaneous. He knew that she was pregnant, and being the devout Jew that he was, wanted to divorce her, but he also didn't want to disgrace her. Then, the angel shows up. I'm sure that Mary would have told Joseph about the angel and the message that she had been given, and the baby that they were going to have. So, the question must be asked, why did Joseph still want to divorce her? In my opinion, he was doubtful. Just as much as any man would be today if his fiance said that to him.

Shepherds...

Now, for me, the shepherds are the comedy relief, and oddly the best part of the Christmas story. Shepherds were dirty people. They lived out in the fields with their flock. In a culture that had a million and half rules about washings, this was not the top of the list on the job market. They would have been looked at as a "lower" class of Jews. So, why is this the group that the heavenly host of angels? I think even in the birth of His son, God the Father is showing that Jesus didn't just come to the rich, but His life and ministry would be to those who needed Him, regardless of social or economic standards. The shepherds immediately dropped what they were doing and left to find Jesus.


The Christmas story is a story of faith. Don't forget that people today still have different reactions to the birth, life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus. It's not a new thing, but we must be ready to see past the smoke screen and look to the heart of the issue. Jesus came to save...

- Just a thought.

What's the big deal about Christmas? (part 3)

By now, if you've been following, you'll see that I'm right smack in the middle of my week of Christmas posts. I hope that they have been informative and encouraging for you. Ok, here we go...

Santa Clause...

I'm sure you don't have to think very far to find someone you know, or have heard of that is against Santa. Like the Dana Carvey sketch of the 'Church Lady' drawing the parallel spellings of Santa and Satan, I think there are many people that blow the Santa thing out of proportion. So, let's set the record straight... (as best I can)

The modern day American character of Santa Clause is actually a hybrid of several different legends rolled into one. The most predominant is obviously St. Nicholas. St. Nick was a real person. He was a 4th Century bishop who devoted his life to Christianity...

OK... wait a minute, you mean the original St. Nick was a Christian!!! Wow!!!
(sorry, sarcasm just leaps out of my gaping pie whole when I'm not watching...)

He did give gifts to the poor. (Oddly, in line with what Jesus taught) Most notably was the gift to three daughters of dowry so they wouldn't have to become prostitutes.

Now, we must recognize that as the spread of Christianity made it's way across the globe, it met the tales and legends of other cultures and at times, combined with them. Not to the detriment of the Gospel, but that people would try and retain some of their roots as they became converted. The idea that Santa flies in the air and that children would leave out their shoes with straw and carrots for the animals (modern day stockings) comes from the Norse mythological character of Odin. Odin would lead a great hunting party though the skies at he Norse holiday of Yule. Sound familiar?

There is also some more recent influences that have helped to shape the modern day Santa. One is the Charles Dickens's classic, A Christmas Carol. In in the Ghost of Christmas present is portrayed as a very jolly large man dressed and a long green fur coat. This most definately would have influenced Thomas Nast, who is the illustrator that is responsible for giving us our image of Santa Clause.

Now...

After getting a grip around all of that, do you feel that Santa is a demonic, pagan influence sent to lead our children astray? Or perhaps not so extreme, but still not completely Christian, so we should leave him out? Or that's ok with you, because you'll still know, and teach your children the truth?

No matter what your view is on Santa, I think that we can all agree that he's probably not going anywhere. So, how are you going to deal with it?


- Just a thought.

What's the big deal about Christmas? (part 2)

Happy Holidays Everyone!!

I realize that I may have just made some of you vomit... (and for that I apologize) ... but, I would like to ask a very serious question...

Why do we get so offended at this term? Isn't there more than one sacred holiday in the final month(s) of the year? Or do we think just b/c we are Christian, that everyone should bow down and realize that we're right, and do it our way?

I'm not trying to be offensive, I'm trying to be real... Do you know, without looking it up, what the official dates for Hanukkah or Ramadan are for 2008? I didn't. I had to look it up. Hanukkah begins on December 21st and Ramadan was actually in September this year.

Now, hats off to Mark for his comment yesterday, although it somewhat stole my thunder for today... the term 'holiday' is a contraction of the words Holy-Day. Now, 'holy' as we know means set-apart, so even those who are saying holiday, are still recognizing that this season is 'holy'.

Now, I realize that there are people who use 'Happy Holidays' to try and de-Christianize the Christmas holiday, and I think that is both ignorant and intolerant...


(slightly rant-ish sidebar)

Like the 'Holiday Tree' thing... Holiday Tree... really... what other 'holiday' in the last quarter of the year uses a decorated tree?! None! It's not a Hanukkah Hedge or a Ramadan Wreath, it's a Christmas tree... So, just call it what it is...

(Deep calming breath)


However, I think it is just as ignorant and intolerant of us to ignore that there are other religions in the world... btw, just b/c we recognize they exist doesn't mean we agree with or support them, we just don't have our heads buried in the spiritual sand... and they have Holy-Days around the same time as our Holy-Day.

Let me be clear, I have and will continue to say Merry Christmas, but I will not become agitated or aggravated to the point of contention by people who use Happy Holidays.

Because let's be honest, how many people are we really going to win to the cause of Christ by making them say Merry Christmas...? So, what's the point?

- Just a thought.

What's the big deal about Christmas?

I realize that it is the birth of the Savior, and it's 'our' holiday, but why do Christians get so upset about our holidays. I'm going to do a few different aspects on this topic throughout this week, seeing as we're about to be at Christmas.

Ok, for today, I'd like to take a look at the term "Xmas"

I know what you're thinking... "Xmas... really? That's what you want to talk about?" and the answer is yes. This is exactly what I want to talk about. I think the over mis-use of this term is abhorrent. I can't tell you how irritating it is when I hear someone say,

"Keep the Christ in Christmas" and they have a sign that says Xmas with a line through it.

Now, the person using the non-Christmas sign may indeed be trying to de-christian the holiday,

but...

the reality is the correct pronunciation of Xmas is still 'Christmas'...

The Greek letter 'X' or 'chi' as its transliterated, is the first letting of 'Christos' or Christ. A capital X was a very common abbreviation for Christ in the early church. People don't pronounce "Mr.' as 'emm urr' do they? So, the mis-pronunciation of Xmas is what causes the problem.

Now, if you already knew that, than I know what you're going to say next...

"Well, that may be true, but that's not how they are using it." and that may be true. But, just because someone says it wrong, does that change the meaning of a word?

Tomato or Tomato? Isn't it still the same vegetable? (now, honestly, how many of you said it the same way twice the first time you read it?)

Whether it is because of our lack of intelligence, that we don't understand the real meaning of the term... or it is our ignorance to think that if someone doesn't say 'Christ' then they are dishonoring the Savior, I think we need to stop looking at everyone else, and start looking inwards...

Isn't Jesus big enough to stand up to the scrutiny of man? Hasn't He already? Then why do we feel the compulsion to run to His defense and fight with people. You can't ever really separate Jesus from Christmas. So, follow the example of our Lord and deal with people in humility and compassion, not judgement and misplaced passion.


"Keeping the Christ in Christmas is not a matter of letters or words, but of actions and impressions."


- Just a thought.

Ever found lint in your pee?

For those of you that don't know, I had to take Melanie to the hospital yesterday morning because she had a kidney stone. We went to the emergency room, got checked in, and saw the doctor. He told her she would need a urine test, blood test, and a Cat scan. So, Mel drinks her water, and pees in her cup, and brings it back to the nurse.

At this point, she mentions to the nurse... who by the way, was very funny and good, she just had a little trouble finding my wife's veins for the IV... that there's some lint in her pee. She puts it aside and gets the line in for Mel's IV. She then goes and looks at the sample and tells us that it wasn't lint, that was her kidney stone! So, they told her to drink less soda and tea, and sent her home.


Through this funny, and difficult time, I had a revelation that I would like to share with you... about the lint...

1. Just because you don't see it or recognize it, doesn't mean it won't hurt you.

Just because you don't see, or recognize that there are aspects of your life that are sinful, doesn't preclude you from the pain that those areas may cause. Satan doesn't have to wait for you to see him in order to try and harm you. Likewise, just because you may rationalize sin in your life to be OK, does not mean that it is.

2. When you want to know more, you have to ask someone who does.

I think it's funny how fast we will run to the doctor's office when we think we might be sick, or are in immediate pain, but we very rarely run to the pastor's office when we are in need of spiritual diagnosis. Somehow, we think, that we can fix it on our own, or that God will just make it OK, or it will go away on it's own. Why is it that we don't take our spiritual health as serious as we do our physical one?

3. There's usually a cure, or means of prevention.

Let's face it, being sick or in pain is usually cause by:

(a) taking in something that we shouldn't have, or too much of something

(b) not getting rid of something that we should be.

I don't think that one's very hard to see. All too often we look for a magical solution to our faith when the answer is quite simple. What's going in and what's going out? Are you taking in things that will help grow your faith, or challenges it? Are you letting go of things that hinder your faith, or are you holding on to them?


- Just a thought.

Bad weather day...

If you woke up at all today, at least in our area, you couldn't escape the bad weather outside. Melanie called me while I was driving to work to let me know that some of the larger limbs on the trees in our backyard were snapping off. It was definitely a bad weather day.

As I was sitting at a stop light, wondering if I was going to hear the tornado sirens, I began to think of the story of Jesus when He calmed the storm.

Here's a link to the text in Luke's gospel: Luke 8:22-25

Three things jumped out at me as I read this story.

1. It was Jesus' idea to cross the lake

Jesus Himself was the catalyst for the trip into the storm. This wasn't some hap-hazard, ill-planned, or sinful choice that the disciples made that led them into the storm. This was the leading of the Savior. That tells me that not every storm is a punishment or judgment from the Father. Some are just storms, while others are purposed and planned for me to go through by my Savior.

2. Jesus is napping.

I love this part. There's a fierce storm on the lake, the disciples, at least four of whom were experienced career fisherman, are freaking out, and Jesus is taking a nap! I love it. Now, some people might interpret this differently, but what I see is that the storm didn't bother Jesus. All to often, I think, we find ourselves caught up in these various storms of life and we start freaking out and then we go to The Father in prayer, and we tell God about the storm. Did God really not know the storm was coming? Did it catch Him off-guard? There's nothing in our past, present, or future that God hasn't already seen.

3. Jesus only asks about their faith.

After they wake Jesus, and He calms the storm, the only question He asks is about their faith. This is it! This is where Jesus puts the whole event into context for us. It was Jesus that led them into the storm... (That's a whole 'nother post for a whole 'nother day) It was Jesus who then calmed the storm... and now it's Jesus using the storm for His purpose. He used the whole incident as a private faith lesson for His select 12 apostles.

Storms come, and storms go, but it's not until they're put into context that we will know why we went through them.

- Just a thought.

Putting things in perpective...

As we're all undoubtedly getting our Christmas presents and decorations in order, I thought this might be an appropriate time to share this. I have always been perplexed at how so many people can participate in celebrating Christmas, and still deny the call of Jesus to salvation. The images, songs, and "holiday spirit" all promote peace and goodwill toward your fellow man, which sounds a lot like the message of Christ.

I have come to the understanding that it's not the fact that they don't see the signs all around them, it's the fact that they don't put it into the right context. When we, as Christians, celebrate the Christmas season, we recognize the birth of God's only son, the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.

BUT

Everyone else just sees a cute story about a lowly child being born with shepherds, sheep, and strangers. Strangers who brought gifts to the new born kid, so that's why we give gifts. They completely miss the amazing grace that is illustrated in the nativity narrative...

Deity put on a Diaper!

The awesome, magnificent God of Wonders, purposefully chose to limit Himself to the body of a man, his own creation. We as Follower of Christ see this plain as day, but not because we see it as an isolated incident. We see this as the beginning of the greatest story ever told.

THAT'S WHY PEOPLE DON'T GET IT!

They only see Christmas as an isolated incident. We must strive, during this season especially, to continue to point to the rest of Jesus life, ministry, death, and Resurrection as the setting to truly understand the Christmas story.

"Christmas is the advent of God's Grace
culminating in the celebration of Easter,
the advent of God's Mercy"

- Just a thought.

A Balancing Act...

"That Bible of yours is outdated."

"Your Jesus needs to get with the times."

"That old religion stuff just isn't for me anymore."


I'm sure we've all heard statements like these. There is this idea out there, perhaps more prevalent now than before, that faith in Jesus Christ and following His teachings is outdated. A huge, church-y buzz word that has floated around for a while now is "Relevance.". Is the church relevant? There are magazines and books that try to make sure that we are communicating the message of Christ in terms that a newer, younger, hipper generation can understand.

I agree with that.

However, there is a danger lurking underneath the surface of this idealistic pursuit. Is there such a thing as "too relevant?" I think that's not the whole question that should be asked. The idea of relevance is communicating in a current and applicable way to your audience. I firmly believe in that, BUT, this issue has another half to it...

REVERENCE

Relevance should always be in balance with reverence. Reverence should define our relationship to God, and relevance should define our relationship to others. This is a careful and at times difficult balance to keep, but, it is a necessary one. If we water down the message of Christ in an attempt to become more "relevant", then we lose the reverence to His Word. However, the reverse is also true. If we don't stop to look and see if we are impacting our culture at all, in the attempt to be reverent to God, then we have missed the love and compassion of Christ completely.

What's the balance like in your life?

In your church?

- Just a thought.

Man Made Miracles

"God's sovereignty, plus man's responsibility,
equals miraculous activity."

God is all powerful, all knowing, all... everything. He is able to do miracles without us. He's God. But more often than not, He asks us to be a part, not because we cause the miracle in any way, but because we know the miracle is for our benefit. Whether it's because we need:

1. The object of the miracle - We need whatever the miracle is: healing, provision, or deliverance.

2. To see the miracle - We need to be brought to a point of: surrender, acceptance, or belief.

3. To be a part of the miracle - We need our faith strengthened by God using us.

Or sometimes, we may need all of the above. I do not mean to say that we, as mere men, can perform miracles on our own. But I am saying, look deeper into any time the Lord chooses to perform a miracle and you will see a human element at play.

What area do you feel you need to grow in the most?

That is more than likely the area that God wants to touch.

- Just a thought

Got a light?. . .

I love to watch people in the mall or the airport. I can't help but be drawn into their movements and interactions in large groups. One group I find particularly amazing to watch is smokers. I think that smokers, possibly more than any other group, are the friendliest people on earth (until you get between them and their next cancer-stick fix.)

I know we've all heard, or heard of this line before: "Hey man... got a light?" It is a universal request that all smokers understand. And oddly enough, I don't know of a time when that request has ever been denied. If a smoker walks up to another smoker, cigarette in hand, with no previous connection or relationship, they will almost always have their request granted. Someone will reach up with a lighter or a match and help them out.

There is no easier or faster way to start a conversation than one smoker asking another for a light. It's the perfect three word kick start that will usually start a conversation. I think this is amazing.

What if we could learn to evangelize like that?

What if we could learn how to walk up to complete strangers and say something or ask for something that would immediately open a door for a conversation? How much more would we be able to impact our world. In order to do this, I think we need to examine what makes the simple request of, "Got a light?" so powerful. In this three word request, smokers can immediately establish three different, yet common, bonds with a stranger:

1. Activity - From the get-go, the smoker that is being approached recognizes that the person asking for a light is going to participate with them in a common activity. They both are going to smoke. Now, granted, this activity is not the best one for you, but it immediately gives them something to talk about.

2. Identity - Both smokers are just that-Smokers. They are both members of the same social group. They immediately have some unspoken bond that unites them together. They can begin to talk about their history, when they started, or how they started; they each have a brand, that gives additional topics of conversation and identity. Finally, the thing that most smokers think about, is when and if they are going to quit.

3. Familiarity- These two strangers immediately have a sense of friendship. They have the same need and/or goal, to smoke another cigarette. This gives an even deeper connection, because now there is a sense of co-laboring for something. They are both reaching for a common goal and can help each other get there. There is interaction and more grounds for conversation and relationship.


If only, we as Followers of Christ, could see the simple truth, we would be more effective in reaching people for Jesus and spreading the Gospel, if we could find ways to establish one or more of these bonds in each conversation.

I firmly believe that we are all called to share our faith and lead people to Jesus. This is not reserved for the preachers, pastors, teachers, and tyrants that beat people with the Bible. It is a common mission and goal that we all share as believers. Instead of looking out on the street and picking a random person to try and evangelize, target your relationships through Activity, Identity, and Familiarity and see if you don't stand a better chance of establishing a lasting conversation, if not a friendship.

"I can learn a lesson from anywhere,
but it's not until I use it everywhere,
that I know it truly works."

-Just a thought.

A Thanksgiving Analogy...

I hope that you all had as good of a Thanksgiving vacation as I did. A few days off, a few family members, and a few more pounds of food that I really shouldn't have eaten-that's Thanksgiving to me. In the midst of my gluttonous glee, I had a thought...


It's Thanksgiving, it's OK to over eat; but come January, you're going to fight to lose weight (again).


It seems to me, that sometimes we justify what we want to do, then work twice as hard after the fact to over come or change what we've already done. I think we do the same thing with sin. When there is a wonderful delicious choice of sin in front of us, we say to ourselves, "I'll do it, just this once" and then spend the next day, week, month, or lifetime trying to escape the sin we've already done.

If we are going to live a fully restored and regenerated life of faith in Jesus Christ, we can't be sitting on the see-saw of sin. One day at a time, one moment at a time, one choice at at time, we need to look not just at the immediate reward, but the resounding consequences of our actions and choices, both good and bad.

Because like the Thanksgiving dinner, it will be a lot harder to get rid of the extra weight than it was to shovel down that fourth helping of mashed potatoes.

- Just a thought.