Emotional obesity.

I learned long ago that good health comes as the result of making many small but wise choices. String enough of them together, and you've got yourself a lifestyle. While it's obvious that many of us aren't making the right choices when it comes to our weight, the same might be said of our minds. We're suffering from a terrible epidemic of what I call "emotional obesity."

It's an easy comparison to make because the cause-and-effect cycle is almost identical. If we dump too much processed, nutrient-deficient food into our bodies, we're rewarded with expanding waistlines and clogged arteries. Eating too much of the wrong things or too little of the right things creates a profound effect on our well-being. The only way to correct the problem is to change our diet.

If you've loaded down your life with value-deficient emotions or find yourself letting too much bad and not enough good into your psyche, it's time to create a whole new lifestyle--one that actually supports mental health. Why? Because unrelenting stress kills: it kills dreams, relationships, opportunities, capabilities; and most consequential of all, it greatly diminishes any chance we have of a clear and meaningful understanding of God and His place in our lives.

Are you ready to go on an emotional diet? Are you tired of watching your life drain away right before your eyes? I've got good news! Stress is tamable. You can extract it from your mind just as surely as you can drop those unwelcome pounds from your overworked body.

This issue of Vibrant Life is dedicated to the emotionally obese among us. It's my prayer that, within these pages, you'll find the emotional "diet" that suits you best--be it physical, mental, or spiritual. We've even included some delicious, stress-fighting recipes to give you the necessary energy.

Begin by asking God to walk by your side. Simply say to Him, "Father, show me what I should do." The ideas or suggestions that you need most will leap off the page. Don't be surprised. It's just your Creator telling you how much He loves you.