Day 14

  I had a wonderful date with my husband last night. Dinner at Max&Ermas. Then went to the mall, and he pampered me by having my get a manicure. Then I got a new outfit for going to the gym. Maybe it will motivate me. :) Here is day 14 of my Made to Crave journey.

“His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” (Lamentations 3:22–24).  Say it again! I just love the truth found in this verse.

Lysa discusses how a Biblical story made her think of portion control in a whole new way. Now, after reading the story again myself, I would have to totally agree with her.

"The term “portion control” took on a whole new meaning for me one day when I read the response that God’s people had after Moses led them out of slavery in Egypt. God had performed several sensational miracles to help them escape their captors. Yet they panicked when food became scarce. They even asked to go back to slavery in Egypt where food was supposedly abundant. But God planned to use their desire for food to teach them about daily dependence upon Him. As Israelites traveled through the desert, each morning God would rain down exactly what they needed for nourishment—a provision called “manna,” which I imagine was something like little, sweet, potato flakes. They were to collect just enough manna for the day. They couldn’t gather extra, except before the Sabbath day of rest, or it would rot. This daily process was intended to put them in the habit of dependence on God, and only God. However, the Israelites began to grumble and turned their hearts against God. So He took them on a detour. Instead of heading straight to the Promised Land of freedom, they wandered in the desert for forty years while they learned how to truly depend on God."

WOW! I do not want to spend the next 40 years trying to figure this thing out! I do not want to continue going through this same struggle, reliving this same cycle,  going through these same motions. I cannot. I will not, because I was made for more. Here is what I need to do and maybe you need to too. 
1. Stop focusing on my body-image and weight so constantly. The way I look is not what defines me,
2. Stop grumbling about my body-image constantly. 
3. EMBRACE the freedom to walk in the grace that God has for me. 

 God is the perfect portion for everything we need, every longing we have, every desperate desire of our soul.

God is ALWAYS there! He is there when I am tired and want to much on salty chips while sitting on the couch spaced out in front of the tv. Instead, I can turn to him and say, "God, I am tired, please help me find rest in you alone. Give me the strength to accomplish what I need to accomplish." He is there when I have an argument with a family member or a stressful day at work when I want to order a pepperoni pizza to eat alone with chocolate for dessert. "God be my comforter. Help me to show your love and forgivenes, even when I do not feel like it."  He is always there, and in those times when I want to reach for the Girl Scout Cookies or starbust, I must choose to turn to him instead.

 "Whatever your situation, ask God to be your daily portion of companionship, provision, and patience—over and over. Soon, you’ll find yourself walking in victory over those things instead of looking back over tears and a pile of cake crumbs."