Day 13

The Tower of Impossibility


Verse:“Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” (Proverbs 24:14)

Lysa says,"Standing before a decadent dessert table piled high like a tempting tower was a daunting task. I was glowing with the first flush of success with my healthy eating plan, but now I found myself at the blow-out wedding of the season. A mere wedding cake was not enough panache for this soiree. Instead, a full buffet of chocolate truffles accompanied the groom’s cake. It was beautiful. And I 

wanted one of each flavor!

To be completely honest and open with you, I haven't really felt that success as far as my healthy eating  plan goes.  For instance, this weekend, standing in front of the snack table that had been laid out at the bachelorette party, I felt defeated, before even taking one bite. I told myself from the start that I was no match for the sweet and salty treats. . . I forgot all about the journey, and the hope that I should have in Christ. This is a hope that I should have used to smash the food-defeat that I was feeling.  

Lysa speaks of the time when she finally overcame the obstacle of letting food control her. (I hope to one day feel this way!!)"The particular healthy-eating plan that I had chosen was full of wisdom about the realities of food’s interaction with my body. In addition, I had put some healthy boundaries in place, surrounded myself with a like-minded friend, and replaced old lies in my mind with new truths. This new foundation began to slowly build, one day at a time. Healthy choices piled on top of each other day after day. Then, one day I woke up for the first time feeling incredibly empowered. I still did the typical routine with the scale—no clothes and no ponytail holder. My body was slowly changing because I had lost some weight. But the most thrilling feeling was knowing that my heart was changing. (I do feel like throughout this jouney that my heart has changed--and it is continuing to change, however I know that God still has a lot of work to do.)

"Hope over despair tasted better than any food I’d ever given up. I had sought God’s perspective using prayer, boundaries, and His fulfillment as my source. I realized nothing was worth compromising the path of victory I was on—not even the tower of truffles!

I paved my victory path by imagining every good choice I made was like settling another brick into place: bricks of prayer, wise choices, closeness to God, closeness to others, confidence, energy, and focus. Each and every time I conquered a temptation by making a healthy choice, I became stronger and stronger. And, brick by brick, prayer by prayer, good choice by good choice, my hope soared. I’m making positive physical changes, but even more importantly, I’m making wise spiritual changes. As Proverbs 24:14 reminds me, walking in spiritual wisdom secures my hope that this healthy journey will not end in defeat:

Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

As you face similar temptations, I can’t promise that there won’t be any more tears. There will be. And I can’t promise that sweets will no longer appeal to you. They may. I can’t even promise that the number on the scale will magically drop as quickly as you wish. It probably won’t. But gaining spiritual wisdom along the way will set your feet on a sure path of victory. Press on, my friend!"

I hope that these words from Lysa give you some encouragement today. I also hope that you will let me know how I can be praying for you on this journey. Thanks for your prayers.

Day 12

Last night, I did not make wise food choices. Tostadas, fried shrimp, mudslide just to name a few of my embarrassingly terrible choices, but I refuse to beat myself up about it. I am going to know that as a child of God, I am still beautiful. Still forgiven. Still loved. This morning I made a better choice. I had the knife ready to cut into the moist, gooey brownies that the couple we are staying with so kindly made. My mouth was watering and I could practically taste the brownie. Then I heard that voice inside my head telling me to flee! For a minute, I made rationalizations in my mind about why I should be able to have that brownie, guilt free, please. and thank you. But at last, I stepped away from the brownies, grabbed a nutri-grain bar, fruit, and a cup of coffee and darted out of the kitchen before my taste buds could change my mind about the brownies that were still screaming my name. Now that I am satisfied by my healthy choices, I no longer have any desire for those brownies. Thank you Jesus. 

Today, I am hosting a bachelorette party in Nashville, TN for two very close friends. This is me telling you to keep me accountable (whether you are there or not) for the food/drink choices that I make this weekend. I definitely know that at one point or another, "This is a special occasion and I deserve it!" will cross my mind, but I also know that God does not want me continuing on this cycle. He is helping me to break free, and I do not want to take one giant leap backwards just for one weekend/night of fun that in the end will leave me filling emptier than before.

The verse to get us focused today is this, “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17–19)


Lysa says, "For years, I walked around with a little heart-shaped cup in my soul, holding it out to people or things trying to find fulfillment. Some of us hold out our heart-shaped cup and expect a husband to love us in ways that rights our wrongs and fills up our insecurities. Sometimes, we expect our kids to be successful so that we look good and feel validated by their accomplishments. Or, we hope that a successful career will confirm that we are a valuable human being.

At times, I have asked the impossible of all of these. But my consistent “friend” of choice over the years has been food. Imagine my little heart-shaped cup as a candy dish, using sweets and snacks to soothe my emotions."

What are you holding out your little heart-shaped cup to? For me it has always been food, but throughout high school it was boyfriends as well. I was always left wondering why my heart-shaped bowl never felt full. 

If you are on this wonderful journey, you, like me, need to change old lies with new truths. Here is what Lysa has to say about that,

Old lie: “I am such a failure when it comes to my diet.”

New truth: “I am not a failure. I am a lavishly loved child of God. Part of my right as a child of God is to operate in a power beyond myself. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to me. So it is possible for me to use the self-control I’ve been given.”

Old lie: “I need these Oreos!”

New truth: “The thought that these Oreos will fill me is a lie. They will taste good for just the few minutes it will take to eat them. Then that hollow feeling of guilt will rush in as soon as the chocolate high dissipates. If I truly need a snack right now, I am capable of choosing a healthier option.”

Old lie: “God seems far away and French fries are right around the corner at the drive-thru.”

New truth: “French fries don’t love me. And the only lasting thing I get from them is the cholesterol and cellulite they inevitably leave behind, which will just compound my frustration. God’s love is here in this moment and in many more to come. His love is true and carries with it only positive residual 

effects.” 

I need to remind myself daily that the ONLY, ONLY ONLY thing that is going to fill me is the love and grace of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is both comforting and wonderful. With this knowledge, I know that my little heart-shaped cup can and will be filled to the brim and even overflowing when I choose to be filled up by His love and grace alone. 

Day 11

Sorry that it has been 3 days. (I vowed to at least blog every other day.)  Time just flies. I started my new job today as a 9 week extended sub at Howard Roosa with 1-4 grade Special Education and I think I am really going to like it. The staff there is wonderful.

Anyway, the Made to Crave topic is, It's Not Fair! This one definitely applies to me, because I can definitely say that I've felt that way and thought that thought a time or two, or maybe three? Can I get an Amen? Do you know what I am talking about?

This is the verse, to get us focused: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.… That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)


Lysa shares this story in her blog, that I can totally relate to, "A huge piece of delicious looking cake was delivered to our table. It was my favorite … it was our anniversary … and it was free! But I was at the beginning of my healthy eating adventure, which excluded sugary confections. So I graciously 
offered it to my husband. But inside a different dialogue was playing in my mind, “It’s not fair!”


Man have I ever felt that way! At times I long, wish, crave, to be able to inhale a large coke and a mozzerrela sticks like nobody's business, while still maintaining the tiny waist that said person (*cough, my husband) is able to maintain. I wish that I could enjoy that rich, moist chocolate cake with creamy vanilla ice-cream at that restaurant like my close friend does, without any guilt..or weight added 
to my thighs. But for me, that's just not how it is.

"I think this is one of the biggest tricks Satan plays to get us to give in to temptation. Saying “It’s not fair!” has caused many a girl to toss aside what she knows is right for the temporary thrill of whatever it is that does seem fair. We complain, “It’s not fair that I gain weight so easily when everyone else seems to eat whatever they want and stay trim.”

Now, realize that the dessert itself is not the problem. But if one piece of dessert leads to two and that leads to other compromises, which leads to wrecking our whole healthy eating plan, then the downward spiral reflects how temptation traps us in so many areas of life. I’ve experienced this vicious cycle myself, and I’m here to give you hope that it is possible to conquer it."

When I began to get the, It's Not Fair, mindset, then I know that I am relying on my own strength and not on God's. That is when I begin to make justifications. "She can do it, so I should be able to too." "It's my birthday." "I've been so good." "It's just one time." "Everyone else is doing it." "What can it hurt?" This is when I know that I need to turn to God's strength. "With God ALL things are possible."

Lysa tells the following story, " This battle reminds me of the time I counseled a dating couple about setting boundaries in their physical relationship. They were looking forward to the best that marital sex had to offer, but struggled with maintaining purity in the face of immediate and temporary passion. They were tempted with the thought, “It’s not fair that we can’t have sex before we’re married when we’re so in love. Everyone else does.” My advice to them was to think beyond the moment, to say out loud, “This feels good now, but how will I feel about this in the morning? The truth is, compromising my commitments for the sake of physical pleasure is not God’s best for me.”

The same advice powerfully applies to our area of struggle. As we recite truth, God’s power can fill the gap of our weakness. I don’t know what you might be struggling with today, but I can assure you that God is just and fair. There is a good reason why we must face our temptations. The struggle to say “no” may be painful in the moment, but the process is working out something magnificent within us.

I think it is important to memorize the words that God has given us that deal with unhealthy food choices. This way, when temptations come our way, we can battle them with God's word, and how could we not win?!

Day 10

Day number 10. Hmmm.. Has my way of thinking really changed? I just woke up yesterday morning with cramps. I didn't know that dropping one bc pill could cause mega cramps and starting 5 days early. But look likes I was wrong. Ouch. . So, I just had to have that nonfat carmel latte and everything bagel, which they were out of, so I had a blueberry bagel instead. I mean, I HAD to have it. Yes, it was one of those mornings, but did I  really need it? No. Did I really have to have it? No. The weekend didn't get any better after that. Let's just say it was pretty much a no-exercise-carb-fest. Black buggy for lunch yesterday. Chicken dinners at my parents. Girl Scout Cookies. Pancakes. Then a birthday dinner of lasagna, garlic bread, and Red Velvet cake, oh and salad.. But I couldn't give up any of those things, because it was my birthday dinner. Right?


Anyway, today was a very good day..despite the carby feeling. I spent the weekend at my parents house with Josh. Last night mom, dad, and I watched Life As We Knew It. Today we went to church. Then the family came over for my birthday dinner. (Grammy and Grandpa, Peggy and Floyd, Macy & Moses) It was a very pleasant day (minus the overflowing toilet, but we won't go there. :))


Today's topic is exercise. This is the thought for the day, "I fully realize that my body as a temple may not be God’s most grand dwelling. However, I want to lift up to the Lord my willingness to dedicate my exercise as a gift to Him and myself. This one act un-divides my heart and reminds me of the deeper purposes for moving my body."

Lysa says, An undivided heart. My heart was divided between exercising for another person’s reasons or finding my own motivation. I’ve found that when it comes to my body, which 1 Corinthians 6:19 calls “a temple of the Holy Spirit,” that I can’t live with divided loyalties. I can either be loyal to honoring the Lord, my husband, and my body, or be loyal to my cravings, desires, and excuses for not exercising.

An Old Testament story in Haggai struck me with the problem that a divided heart creates before God. The Israelites were charged to take care of God’s physical temple by rebuilding the actual structure. But just like most of us, they struggled with a heart divided by concerns about the everyday needs of their city and homes. And so God’s people neglected building the temple for ten years. Each year, something else seemed to be more important.

I personally do love working out, but at times I still feel myself being torn, pulled in to doing other things instead. Even when I have the day off, sometimes I still feel like there are not enough hours in the day . . . I have been pretty good about working out, but sometimes I feel like I am working out just to make up for unhealthy foods that I've eaten instead of to glorifying God.

Just as God promised the Israelites blessings for obedience, he warned them of consequences for not rebuilding the temple as He desired. And while we may not feel the effects of ignoring our health immediately, our choices will eventually catch up to us.

I finally admitted that I needed to make time, just like the Israelites, to care for my temple—my body. Each day of working out makes me feel better, stronger. When I am done with an early morning workout, it makes me feel like I can do anything with God's helped. Especially when he gets me through a specially hard workout that I absolutely did not want to do---but I did it with God's.

I fully realize that my temple may not be God’s most grand dwelling. However, I want to lift up my willingness to the Lord and dedicate my exercise as a gift to Him and myself. This one act un-divides my heart and reminds me of the deeper purposes for moving my body. How might you start rebuilding your temple today? Maybe running is not your thing. No problem. I say the best exercise for you is the kind you’ll do.

Day 9

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22–23)

Self-control is hard. We don’t like to deny ourselves. We don’t think it’s necessary. We make excuses and declare, “That’s nice for someone else, but I could never give up ____________!” (fill in the blank: soda, sugar, cupcakes, smoking …)

For me, I tell myself that I could never give up pizza, chips and queso, lattes, chocolate, etc, etc, etc...All of the things that I feel like I must have, and why should I deny myself?

"If we’re relying on ourselves, that excuse may be true. But there’s another level to self-control that too few of us find. In Matthew 19:23–24, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven … it’s easier for the camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

In other words, Jesus was saying that it’s hard for people who are satisfied with the things of this world to deny themselves. It’s hard for someone who is rich with excess to deny herself and be humble enough to admit, “I must give this up.” When the disciples heard this teaching, they were confused until Jesus clarified; “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (verse 26).

Think of it this way, with man it is impossible to deny ourselves  that buttery popcorn at the movies, ice cream sundae for dessert or that sugar coated cereal to start our day. But with GOD all things are this possible!

Are you leaning on yourself or on God for your self-control?

Beautiful Birthday

BYesterday was my 23rd birthday. Weird as it may sound, when I was young, I used to dream of being 23. At times, I even imagined being 23. Don't ask me why, it always just seemed like a magical age. So here it is, the age I have been waiting my whole life for. Here's too hoping it's as good as my child-heart thought it would be.

I had a wonderful birthday. The weather was more beautiful than any other year I can remember on February 16th. On many years there has been lots of snow and no school, but yesterday the weather was perfect. Riley and I took a long walk in the morning. Then my mom picked me up and we did some bargain shopping at Kohls. They were having a huge sale and she had 30% off. I got a dress for the Bachelorette party next weekend, some super cute teacher clothes, earrings, headbands, sunglasses, and some Eric Carl books. We had lunch with my brother at Qdoba. Then Mom and I got Riley and went for a second walk down by the river.  In the evening, I spent time with Josh. He got me a new Bible, because mine was beginning to fall apart. It is an NLT Woman's Study Bible and it has my name engraved on the front. I love it! For dinner, we met 11 of my wonderful friends at Hacienda. Oh, and Hank and Julie made a birthday sign for the stairs with paper plates. They are the best!

Today, I got a great late birthday present. I was offered an eight week maternity leave at Howard Roosa Elementary School. I AM VERY EXCITED!

Made to Crave will come later. Have a nice evening!

Thought for Today

Riley and I took a little over a two mile walk today to walk off the donuts and latte. :) It was very nice outside. Riley might not have appreciated the nice weather though, because he is still on guard, still not used to the city. Anyway we passed an elderly man who was waiting for the bus. He chatted a minute and then I told him to have a good day. He said, "Everyday that I am alive is another good day." I'm glad I met him,  because it has got me asking myself if I think of each day that way. Maybe you should ask yourself that same question. :)