In response to "What Do *YOU* Want?"

As I prepare to once again dive into the "Thin Within" book and join Heidi and many others on the journey, here are some questions that Heidi presented today:

What DO you want? What ARE you willing to do to get it? How willing are you to experience a process that looks very different from what you expect...? Even if it is ugly? :-)

What do I want?

What I want this time round from a physical standpoint...is to relax into the rhythm of my body's natural God-given cues and signals. I just want to go with the flow and for this way of approaching my health to become second nature.

I also plan on staying away from the scale (with the exception of possibly the doctor's office mid June). I hope to keep the focus away from the number on the scale and more on this becoming my way of life, through all the ups and downs. I don't want my success or failure measured by a number on a scale. I want to move more and more (as I already have been for the past year) toward stepping back and simply observing and correcting, and lining the walls of my mind with truth which I pray spurs me on to action.

My approach has been quite impacted by "The Lord's Table" study. So, in combination with TW and TLT (and throw in a little `Freedom from Emotional Eating`and `Breaking Free`) I would say my main goals and objectives, which I hope to have cemented further as I study TW this time round are:

#1. Soul Satisfaction

I want the Lord to be my satisfaction, to fill all the empty places of my heart and life, to draw close to Him, to be intimate with Him, to abide with Him, to be changed by Him, to be transformed more and more into His image.

#2. Transformed by the renewing of my mind.
I desire for truth to line the walls of my mind. I desire to take my thoughts captive and make obedient to Christ.

#3. 0-5 Eating

I hope for conscious eating to become more ingrained in me as I study TW once again. I desire for it to flow naturally and become second nature. And I intend on these boundaries being my primary measure of `success`or being `on track`rather then the man-made scale.

#4. Physical Exercise
I also desire to keep my body moving. No big expectations. But simply a few times a week getting some intentional movement in....20 minutes 3-4x a week is usually my aim.

What am I willing to do to get it?

I know God has already been working in my heart and life in this area for the past few months. I put away the scale at the end of April and feel that I finally have moved to a new phase of my journey where the scale can be retired. Praise God! I've been yo-yoing back and forth with this one for nearly a year!

I am committed to reading the TW book in sync with the blogger community "group."

I am firmly committed to accountability (specifically in regards to those four points up above). I will be accountable primarily to a smaller group forum that I'm part of where I post a daily check in. This blog will also serve (as it has in the past) as a form of accountability for me.

How willing are you to experience a process that looks very different from what you expect...? Even if it is ugly? :-)

I'm definitely willing and ready! Lord, change me! Please!

Specifically...HOW? Well I guess I mainly feel I will just hang on and abide with the Lord! I know there will be plenty of ups and downs with this journey but I intend to continue hanging on for the ride! I believe "perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:4) And I continue to hold tightly to the God's rainbow promises to me:

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil. 1:6

Ultimately I think what may be the most important question may be WHAT DOES GOD WANT? And I believe the answer is that He wants my heart, all of my heart. I posted Beth Moore`s hairbrush story awhile back and was just re-reading it today and here is a quote that stuck out to me:

Life shouldn't be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather, to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly shouting,'Wow! What a ride! Thank You, Lord!'

What an image! And what an adventure this journey continues to be! So many ups and downs and in-betweens. My one desire is for there to be more of Him in my life and less of me. May He increase and I decrease. Amen.