Challenge #9 ~ The First Meal of the Rest of Your Life

I think this exercise (as outlined on pg 154-155 of Thin Within) provides a great opportunity to put the eight keys of conscious eating into practice. My challenge this week will be to apply this exercise. Anyone else care to join this week's challenge? Keep me posted if you do!

First of all before you even start, try to set up the right environment (maybe china, music, flowers, special lighting, a favorite spot etc.), making sure it is a calm environment and reducing distractions. The book recommends that "it is best to eat this meal with the Lord as you only companion, although you may have someone with you if that person toally supports your desire to be conscious of your food and the Lord." Remember, "the main purpose of this experience is to taste and see that Lord is good."

Last June I typed up a summary of this exercise along with some quick point reminders.

1.) PRAY
"Ask God to help you honor the body He has given you by maintaining the appropriate boundaries, including time and place. Reaffirm your love for Him and your desire to enjoy the food He has provided."

2.) COMFY
"Select your favorite spot and wear clothes in which you are comfortable."

3.) #0
"Check your hunger level. Plan to be at a 0 so that you can truly enjoy the food."

4.) ENTER GOD'S PRESENCE
"Take a moment to enter into God's presence as you invite Him to be a part of your dining experience."

5.) NOTE ENVIRONMENT
"Notice everything about the environment. No matter how familiar it may be, look at it as if you have never seen it before. Thank the Lrod for all of His provisions."

6.) NOTE FOOD
"Before you start eating, become aware of every item of food. Notice how it looks on the plate. Express your gratitude for the beauty in teh colors of the food and its fragrance. Before taking your first bite, take a moment to thank God for His generous provisions, and pray that the food would bring physical satisfactiona nd health to your body."

7.) SAVOUR
"Chew the food slowly and notice the different flavours and textures."

8.) SAMPLE
"Sample each item and then ask yourself it it was enjoyable. Does it really delight you? Or did you just think it would?"

9.) RATE
"How would you rate each item on your plate from 0 to 10 (0 being awful and 10 being terrific)?"

10.) #5
"Before you continue eating, check in with your hunger #'s. Stop eating when you're at a comfortable 5. Remember, your empty stomach is only as large as your fist."

11.) THANK GOD
"When you've finished, once again thank and praise God, for this time and for what you have learned during the dining experience."

Boundaries

What boundaries, with regard to eating, do I feel called to? This is the question I've been pondering a bit more over the past couple days.

First and foremost I definitely feel God calling me to eat within hunger and fullness (#0-#5). This just works for me. I feel comfortable with it. It makes sense to me and resonates with me. The signals that God created my body to send me, telling me when I'm hungry and full just seem so logical to me. If I stay within 0-5 at all times, eating for emotional reasons is kept to a minimum. Of course, staying within those boundaries at all times is another matter...

Another boundary that I have felt impressed on me more frequently of late is that I should be sitting at the table to eat. If I stayed within that boundary a lot of the extra nibbling would be eliminated.

I'm still unsure what kinds of boundaries God is calling me to in regards to sugary treats. One that has worked for me in the past has been to save treats for dinner dessert. None during the day. I'm just not sure if I need to take this a step further. I know in my post on April 1st I was talking about eliminating sugary treats for the month (excluding social occasions). But, in all honesty I haven't been sticking to this. I'm going to seek God on this one a bit more. This definitely presents the biggest challenge for me to stay within the 0-5 boundary. I will certainly need to feel God's conviction and empowerment on this one for me to follow through. This one is a TOUGH one for me!

Boundaries are a wonderful and beautiful thing when lovingly set in place. I know that God has given me many boundary lines, to live within His will, and I know that He has set these boundary lines out of love and care for me. I am blown away by the fact that God really and truly loves me and wants to satisfy me more than anything or anyone else! The following verses are very special to me...

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." Lamentations 3:24

LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. Psalm 16:6

The Lord is my portion. Those are powerful words. Nothing else will satisfy me like God does. Too often I'm like a whiny child, wanting what I want NOW, when what really is most satisfying and healthy in the long run is extended from the hand of a loving parent.

My boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places. I certainly feel this is true in my life. I am thankful that God has allowed me to experience so many pleasures and joys in my life when staying within His boundaries. Yet how often do I turn a blind eye to these boundary lines? I honestly can often feel the switch turning on or off within me, when I want to step outside the boundary lines and do things my own way. ugh. I need to STOP and be transformed by the rewewing of my mind, taking captive every thought and making it obedient to Christ, BEFORE I step outside these boundaries! Why on earth would I want to step into the muck and mire of sin when God has gifted me with such a pleasant place?

And then moving onto this verse...

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11

In my mind, if I was to envision where I'd like the boundary lines of my life to fall...I can see this vision of fences surrounding His throne. Oh, that is the place to STAY, isn't it!!!! All other things will fall into place when I keep my mind stayed on Him, when I stay in His presence.

Reflect

In Living Beyond Yourself, Beth Moore writes,

Gold is not "finished" until it reaches a point of perfect luster. The chief objective of the refiner is to bring the gold to a point of greatest reflection. The gold is not as costly for its own sake as it is for the sake of that which it reflects. It is the light which exposes its qualities. LBD pg 116

She unpacked a few scriptures which God really spoke to my heart through, a few of which I will pinpoint below.

"But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. " Job 23:8-12

"He has tested me and I will come forth as GOLD." Those are Job's words after losing his children, his servants, his livestock, his wealth, his physical health.

"I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread." Wow! That's powerful! Job certainly glorified God in the trials of life. (On a side note this verse has REALLY spoken to me in regards to weight surrender issues... Treasuring God's word is KEY!)

"And we, who with unveiled faces all REFLECT the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18

We are called to REFLECT God's glory. And the neat thing is we have "unveiled" faces. Through Jesus' death on the cross the veil has been removed. We can approach the throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). That's an amazing truth!

Exodus 34:29-35 describes how Moses had such a radiant face after being in the Lord's presence that he would actually have to put a veil over his face! We are being granted the same privilege! We get to be in God's very presence, with unveiled faces it says in 2 Cor. 3:18. As we spend time fixing our eyes on Him, keeping our mind stayed on Him, simply sitting at His feet and feasting at His table, presenting our prayers and petitions with thanksgiving to Him...we are in the very PRESENCE of God! And we can't help but be TRANSFORMED when we remain in His presence! And we will certainly REFLECT His glory!

As I type this up, I'm being reminded of my favorite childhood verse (I still don't know why this one resonated with me throughout those early years)...

"Those who look to him are RADIANT; their faces are never covered with shame." Psalm 34:5

When I come into His presence I can't help but be purified of sin. I don't think I could come into His presence with a truly rebellious heart. As I come humbly, in prayer, seeking His face and turning from my wicked ways, He hears my prayer, he forgives my sin and heals (2 Chron. 7:14) ...and my face is no longer covered with shame because He has forgiven me!

My main struggles in life are the "mundane" aspects. I simply need sinful impurities to be removed from my heart - my impatience with my kids, my lack of selflessness with my husband, my laziness, my lack of time in prayer, my lack of self-discipline with eating/exercise which happens time and again, my lack of focussing on things from above, my forgetting to be thankful and prayerful, having a loose tongue at times.... I want to STAY in His presence and have these impurities melted away. I want to come forth like gold, REFLECTING His glory!

So, I choose to fix my eyes on Him. I choose to keep my mind stayed on Him. I lay my requests before Him and wait in expectation. I passionately persist...

So that I may REFLECT!

God's Perfect Peace

I was watching the news this morning and an author was interviewed who had wrote a book about decision making. The point pondered was whether we should make decisions based on emotion or logic. And the answer is it needs to be a combination.

This flowed interestingly into what God has been speaking to me about the past few days in regards to my mind, my heart and God's perfect peace.

I've been feeling a bit caught up in the busyness of life. I have been longing to get my thoughts sorted out and processed. Putting posts together on my blog is one way of processing everything. I've been itching to get here to post! So this is a big treat for me right now!

As I think about the way my anxieties plague me, how my to-do list grows, how I sweat the small stuff, I plead for God's perfect peace. Oh how my emotions (heart) and logic (mind) can get all mixed up and upside down sometimes! I wanted to just quiet my soul and rest at His feet. A verse that has been really sticking with me lately and resonating is Isaiah 26:3.

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. (NIV)

This is a powerful verse. It reminds me that I can experience God's perfect peace in my heart even in the midst of tumultuous experiences if my mind is focussed on the Lord. I asked myself what it means to have a mind that is steadfast. And the King James Version of this verse shed a little light on what that means.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is STAYED on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (KJV)

A steadfast mind is a mind that is STAYED on the Lord. Focussed on Him. Fixed on Him. Trusting the Lord. As I began to do a quick search on verses that speak of the mind, I was reminded of one of my favorite verses lately...

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

Transformed by the renewing of my mind. How do we do that? is my next logical question.

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Col. 3:2

"I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Jeremiah 31:33

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' Matthew 22:37

I think the root of renewal and steadfastness of mind can be summed up in this verse:

But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Cor. 2:16

As I approach the throne of grace with confidence in the the blood of Jesus poured out for my sins (Heb. 4:16), and as I set my focus on things above (Col. 3:2), seeking to love God with all that is in me (Matt. 22:37) and get to know him through his law, the bible (Jer. 31:33)...then I have the mind of Christ and I begin to be transformed and renewed.

So what difference does this make to the state of my heart or my emotions? Well, if my mind is STAYED on the Lord, trusting Him, steadfast...then He renews me and transforms me and also begins to pour out His perfect peace in my heart. It begins to spill over.

I couldn't help but think about this familiar passage:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9

This is getting down the nitty gritty of experiencing God's perfect peace. I hadn't really zoned in on the word "mind" before in verse 7 where it says: And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Hmmm.... Very interesting! And the main message of the whole passage is all about keeping our focus STAYED on Him and our mind being steadfastly fixed on thankfulness and prayer and excellent and praiseworthy things from above. And even greater then that the promise that the Lord is NEAR! Oh to be in His presence!!! (and to not forget that no matter what we're feeling!) God's perfect peace flows out of all that.

I know this is a very quick and incomplete look into these verses. Yet God has been stirring a longing for His peace within me. And I began to connect some dots in the past few days! I see how it is connected to my state of mind. Beliefs, what fills my mind, keeping God's truth foremost has been a big part of my growth in the past year. I realize the importance of ensuring my mind is fixed fully on the Lord, not allowing any lies from Satan to permeate my mind, not allowing my focus to shift away from the Lord's perfect and pleasing will... I must keep my mind steadfastly stayed on Him alone and I WILL experience His perfect peace.

Thank you for your perfect peace, Lord. (Is. 26:3) My soul clings to You. Your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:8) I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation. (Psalm 5:3) Your name and renown is the desire of my heart. (Isaiah 26:8)

I can't...But God, You can

I just wanted to highlight a few quotes from TW chapter 11 that stood out to me in my reading this morning...

As we begin to take captive all of our thoughts that are contrary to
Christ's and replace them with the truth of God's Word, we will want to give Him our bodies and our lives... Not only are you a temple, a sanctuary in which God has chosen to dwell, but you are set apart by Him and for Him. TW p. 111

True Freedom:

As we surrender ourselves to Him we experience the joy and abundance of a life lived on the edge of adventure. We won't know what comes next, but His provision supplies and equips us for everything to which He calls us. He empowers us to run the race with endurance. We can live in peace, knowing that our lives belong to God, that we are His responsibility. This is true freedom. TW p. 112

This was a great reminder!

Our Lord has purchased your PARDON.
Our Lord has purchased your PROVISION.
Our Lord's PRESENCE is always at your side.
Our Lord's POWER is available to you in any moment. TW p. 114

And this quote really struck me as worth pondering... I love the last sentence.

Bible teacher and author, Kay Arthur, says "Don't struggle in self-effort to be better. Don't determine that you are going to 'try harder.'
Acknowledge your need of His all-sufficient grace and go forward, surrendering and trusting in the power of God's transforming grace. 'As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him' (Col. 2:6). You were saved by faith; therefore, you are to walk in faith. It may be one step at a time, but walk. You can say, 'I can't,' as long as in the next breath you say, 'But God, You can.'" TW p. 114

Today's the Day!

I'm not sure why I feel the way I do today...but I feel like TODAY is the day to really start fresh and get completely back on track. (maybe I'll be eating my words later...hopefully not!!) It just feels like something "clicked" and I feel like I am truly ready to commit. So, hopefully that's not just a "feeling"! As I read TW day 4 this morning it drove home for me that I really don't want to be on this path of my own performance (where I'm failing so often and seeing greed rear it's ugly head so often). I truly desire to be on the path of God's provision, observing (confessing) and correcting (repenting). I want to trust God to meet my needs and satisfy me the way nothing else can ever satisfy.

Our VBS theme this week was "God is our greatest treasure!" How true that is! He is truly the GREATEST treasure! And He has given me the opportunity to get to know Him, to be in right relationship with Him through His grace and mercy and sacrifice, and I also have the opportunity to walk side by side with Him and experience the provision of His power, peace, presence, joy and so much more! Praise God!

Camping

One of our family's favorite traditions is camping. Here's a glimpse of some of the fun we have each year...

...living in a tent, spending time in nature,

fun at the beach,

going for hikes,

campfires,

enjoying s’mores

and bannock,

playing games together,

and watching the sun set each night...

The list could go on and on!

However, with this special tradition come some unique temptations that I don’t normally face other times of the year… Snacking seems to go hand-in-hand with long drives, lazing around the beach and around the campfire. This is the one time of the year that I buy the chips, pop, special double chocolate chocolate chunk cookies, Reese’s Pieces cereal, licorice and more. It’s also the one time of the year that we have night snacks (around the campfire) every night—s’mores, hot chocolate and bannock.

The first camping trip we have lined up (heading out this Saturday) is starting out as a group trip. So there will also be added complications and temptations that come with eating in social settings…

So I’ve got to do some planning for trials…

First of all, in preparation for trials, when I went shopping I skipped out on buying the pop, extra salty munchies, licorice and extra cookies. We’ll skip the pop or sweetened drinks this year, keeping our cooler jug filled with ice so we’ll have ice water anytime we want (which is always a treat when camping during hot summer days!). We’ll also try to really minimize our munchy and dessert consumption this year (note I’m saying “we” as this will be a family plan of action).

Second, we’re going to be having a family “rumble challenge”, with my eldest daughter in mind, as we really want to encourage her to find out what real true hunger feels like this summer, with the hope that come fall she will have found a way of eating 0-5 more naturally. I’m sure it will benefit us all to try to find “0” as often as possible prior to eating. I’m not recognizing a rumble as the only way of knowing hunger…but simply presenting it as one very tangible and audible sign of hunger, with the hope that she will eventually often experience real physiological hunger. I’m also going to introduce my kids to observations and corrections and turning to God with 0-5 eating.

Now down to the nitty gritty plans….

I’ll make sure to wait for hunger at breakfast so I can start the day off on the right foot…

I’m packing up a bunch of healthy options for each meal with following 0-5 as the aim of course:

Breakfast options: oatmeal or cold cereal (something healthier)
Exception: one brunch of pancakes/bacon

Snacks (only if hungry): aim for fruit, almonds, cheese strings, granola bar, pretzels, yogurt, juice box

Lunch options:

mini bagel & cream cheese & fruit/veggie
tortilla with pbutter/honey and fruit/veggie
tortilla w/ meat/cheese & fruit/veggie

Snacks (only if hungry): aim for fruit, almonds, cheese strings, granola bar, pretzels, yogurt, juice box

Supper plan of action: Eat to a #4, no pop/juice, skip dessert if having campfire snacks

Campfire snack options:

1 s’more & hot chocolate
1 bannock & hot chocolate
no snacks: enjoy herbal tea by the fire…

If I choose to have a sweet…keep it within hunger. If I choose to have a sweet at supper skip out on campfire snacks…

Well, that is the eating plan in a nutshell… Now to actually implement the plan is another matter! I know I’ll need some extra prayer through this time!

I also plan on spending more time with the Lord in His word and in prayer this summer. I bought myself a nice handy-dandy compact NIV bible (with a concordance even!). And I’m really excited to dig into the “Breaking Free” study workbook by Beth Moore! I think I’ll save that for our Mexico trip though (more details coming soon regarding that). I'm still doing the Beth Moore "David" study and reading the TW book daily of course.

Last weekend when we went to the beach the kids were playing so nicely and I didn’t have any reading material with me and was feeling a bit bored… Then I started to converse with God. It was a nice time, although I felt a little at a loss how to even converse with Him for that length of time I confess! I look forward to much more of that this summer! I look forward to growing in my prayer life…being still before God, not primarily praying these arrow prayers or emergency prayers etc… Just spending time really communing with Him and practising His presence!

I think I’ve rambled on long enough here! I will give account for my choices when I return. I hope to have a glowing report of the new thing the Lord has done in my heart.

Hinderances

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. " Hebrews 12:1

This verse resonated with me this morning. I'm wondering what exactly hinders me? What sins do I so easily get tangled and trapped in?

I know that I often want to make exceptions to eat when not hungry. This certainly hinders me as I push God away, tuning out what I know He is saying to me.

I know another thing that hinders me is when I choose to eat more then I should, pushing me past #5. I have come to an awareness of some of the cues my body gives me when I have reached the end of #5. And yet I so often choose to ignore those cues and God's voice which speaks to me through this time trying to direct me towards the way out of the temptation.

Past failures also hinder my progress.

These are the first things that come to mind as I reflect. There are probably more that will come to mind as I meditate on this verse more over the next while.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such oppostition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:2-3

The solution? I need to fix my eyes on Jesus! I need to dwell in His presence every single moment of every single day. What a difference that would make! I need to live under the canopy of His grace and provision. I need to rely on Him for strength and power...not on my own effort. Jesus sacrificed so incredibly much to make a way for us to be right with God. I need to fix my eyes on His sacrifice... What I have to sacrifice will seem oh so insignificant with that focus!

Practicing His Presence cont'd

I have been thinking a lot this weekend about the whole concept of “practicing God’s presence” which I first posted about here. I have been feeling continued and increased conviction to grow in this area, in fact making it part of my goals for the next month.

As I read TW chapter 15 on Saturday, I felt God drawing my attention to these words:

“What a blessing it is to be so loved by one who wants to be with us, even in the most mundane aspects of our lives. When we are faced with a crisis at work, we turn to Him. When a loved one falls ill, we turn to Him. When we don’t know what to do next, we turn to Him. But how does God fit into our playtime? Does He accompany us on camping trips? Does He join us when we have lunch with our friends? What about quiet moments when we are driving? When we take the children to the park? When we relax in the bathtub with a good book? Psalm 139 assures us that the Lord is with us no matter where we are. He wants us to make Him an intentional part of each moment of our lives through prayer.” TW pg 152

This morning as I was doing my devotions and studying the friendship and bond of love that David and Jonathan shared, I felt challenged to really focus and grow in my love and devotion for God. I desire to be in communion with Him every single moment of the day. I desire for Him to be part of every thread of the fabric of my life. I desire to see life through His eyes, live through His strength, be guided through life according to His purposes and vision. I want to grasp how amazing His love is….for GOD IS LOVE (1 John 4:16). How amazing is that!!!! It’s mind-boggling! He IS the very characteristic of LOVE. I want to learn from God, love Him more deeply and experience real authentic intimacy. I want nothing else to master me, nothing else to compete for my attention to Him.

Yet so often I find that life just seems to get busy, even the little mundane things take away my focus from Him. It’s like a web that I just get stuck in and in the process I can go an entire day without even really inviting Him into each moment and end up failing to give Him due attention and devotion.

I really desire to practice His presence and be free of this web of busyness. What a blessing it was this morning when I was woken up bright and early by my Heavenly Father…well, truthfully at the time I was a little frustrated that I couldn’t sleep past 6am, but in the end it was all worth it! I got to spent some time learning from His word before everyone was awake. Then I got to go for a nice jog with Him, enjoying all His creation—the gorgeous budding blossoming trees, the robins busily digging for food in the ground, the stunning green grass, the brilliant blue sky, the heart beating within my chest. Oh how I long and pray for each and every moment to be lived with this heightened awareness of His presence. I really want to grow in this area and choose to be intentional today about practicing His presence.

And the "Icing on the Cake" is....

Okay, I've got to say I love the icing on the cake. It is usually my favorite part as I really enjoy the most sugary of sweets! So I think this is an appropriate title for today's post despite it being about weight release!

So, after planning for trials, then taking action and experiencing God's amazing presence and provisions as I surrendered to Him, the "icing on the cake" is.....

1 pound released!

All the praise and glory goes to God for equipping me with all I needed as promised in scripture.

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

Practicing His Presence

God has been convicting me the past couple days that I need to really spend time with Him and really focus on Him rather then the distractions around me...and that often includes this blog, the TW forum, even the TW and TA books! I so often forget and am not mindful that He is right here with me every single moment of every single day.

The following excerpt from “The Power of a Positive Wife” by Karol Ladd stood out to me as I was reading yesterday:
“Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4
When we remain, dwell, and abide in Christ, we experience the daily joy of a vibrant, powerful, life-giving relationship with him... Brother Lawrence, a seventeenth century monk who worked in the kitchen at the Discalced Carmelite Order in Paris, is someone who abided in Christ—he called it ‘practicing God’s presence’—every moment of every day… What does it mean to ‘practice God’s presence’ all day long? It means continually turning our hearts and minds toward God and his truth. Whether the circumstances of our days are mundane and unpleasant or joyful and glorious, we choose to turn our eyes heavenward. Challenges and struggles take on a different air when we see them in light of eternity. (The Power of a Positive Wife pg 28)

“In spite of our own thirsting souls, we typically don’t cling to the Lord moment by moment of every day.” TW pg 34 (ch.4)

The Positive Wife book encouraged an application exercise at the end of the chapter to take a day to “practice His presence” and possibly take some time to fast. I was thinking I would do this on Tuesday, as I knew that day wasn’t packed full of activities, but then as I was getting ready for the day I thought “Why can’t I ‘practice His presence’ today? Why wait?” My original goal was to fast from food and the computer for the day and spend more time in prayer and the Bible.

What an awesome morning it was! First of all, I have to tell you that actually being more mindful that God is RIGHT HERE WITH ME EVERY MOMENT OF THE DAY is pretty mind-boggling…and also CONVICTING! I started off being a little snippety with my husband as I headed off to the store bright and early at 8am. I felt instant conviction and repented to God and also to my husband! A similar interaction with my husband happened once more later in the morning and I felt the same conviction and had the same response. As I drove to the store and shopped I was in constant prayer. I was hungry at 8:30am but every time the waves of hunger would flood over me my mind and prayers were directed straight to God.

I wish I could say the rest of the day went as I had envisioned… However at noon I was pretty ravenous and was quite low on energy and opted to have some lunch and did do a quick check of email. But then later in the afternoon I had a good quiet time with the Lord. Oftentimes I read my books but neglect really digging in His word and letting Him do the leading... Well, today I decided to jump back into reading the gospels and it was a great start. I am humbled and in awe (and also totally excited!) after spending some good quality time with the Lord.

I hope to continue “practicing His presence” more every day, whether I’m fasting or not. I hope to spend more time reading His word and just in constant communion with Him.

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor... O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:3-5, 9

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.” Psalm 34:15

April 23

April 23rd food log:
(Chapter 22 & 23)

This quote from p. 222 stood out:
This is what we mean by being thin within. It is authentically living on the outside what is genuinely present on the inside. Our desire is to have a heart in which Christ will dwell and be at home. As we allow Him to abide there and resolve to keep nothing from Him, He makes us more like Himself inside and out. The false or flesh life is crucified daily so that the Christlike life may shine through.

This statement really speaks entirely of a surrendered life in all areas. As I looked at the Path of God’s provision diagram on p. 223 I noticed the outline of all that He provides me with to live the holy life….His Plan, His Will, His Spirit, His Power, His Presence. That’s awesome!

It feels so good to be limiting my sugar intake. I feel more free interestingly enough. Last night was hard not to reach for something sugary after supper, but I had watermelon instead and it was quite fine. I have avoided putting sugar on my cereal the past two days as well. Try to wean myself from sugar again!

One thing I’ve noticed lately is that I really feel free to choose what I want to eat for lunches. I don’t feel like I HAVE to eat only certain foods…. In the past I’d know I could be hungry for supper if I ate certain meals…but lately I have felt free to experiment a bit more and it has been very satisfying. For example, yesterday I had fajitas for lunch, not a typical lunch for me, but it was delicious and satisfying and I was hungry in time for supper. I have really been enjoying this renewed sense of freedom.

Wish I’d waited to get hungry in the afternoon. Feel kind of ripped off that I didn’t! The fresh tortillas were calling for a taste-test and I was feeling a little off and thought the food may settle my stomach…which they did. Maybe I was hungry…not sure. Anyways, wishing I’d waited for “0”. On the positive note, I’m glad I stayed clear of sugar today. Feels good.

April 10

April 10th
(Chapter 10)

I have to admit I’m a little discouraged today (which makes this chapter all the more fitting!). I stepped on the scale yesterday and saw I hadn’t made much progress in terms of weight… It really made me feel quite frustrated primarily because I have this goal for next Friday to be 159 lbs (which is needed to be attained to meet the next goal two weeks later etc…). I just don’t think I can meet my goal and feel like a failure as a result. I weighed about 164lbs (down a lb from last weigh-in) but thought I’d see more progress. Anyways, I’m “pressing on toward the goal” (phil. 3:14). I’m not giving up. I’m not a FAILURE, but rather God’s SAINT by calling who fails! (p98)

“He knows we will fail even before we do, but it is not His will that we fail without benefiting or maturing in some way from the experience.” (p99)

“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” (Denis Waitley p.95)

I really appreciated the devotion that a friend sent today:

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10

Whenever food comes into my mind and I have the strongest urges to eat, I just close my eyes, clear my head, and try to think of all the wonderful blessings God has given me. I ask God to help me, and then I wait very quietly for Him to answer my humble plea. God has never failed me. In some of the toughest situations, I feel His gentle presence, and my hunger and desire leave me. In the quiet times of our lives God comes the closest, because we do not shove Him aside with other concerns. Call upon God, then wait. He will come.

It really coincided well with p.96 “A second reason we fail is we often try to act in our own strength. Rather then waiting on God and His timing, we run ahead of him…..I presume that God needs my help, when in truth He needs my humble dependence and patience as I wait on Him and Him alone.” I see many things that a failures in my life…everytime I lack discipline and self-control with eating, emotions, speech, computer/tv time. I feel I am struggling because I have often left God out of the equation and really have willful rebellion.

April 5

April 5th food log:
(Chapter 5)

“But we have this treasure (the presence of God) in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7

MARCH - TW ch 26

March 26th food log:

Reflecting on Chapter 26 I was blown away by how the first passage quoted in the beginning of this chapter was Psalm 63. The “Fruits of the Spirit” study (by Beth Moore) that I had dug into last night had studied that exact passage. It had really spoken to me. I was really touched as I felt God was very purposefully directing my eyes to this passage and all that is unpacked in it. I’ll just highlight a bit of the teaching that was presented in the study, reflecting on Psalm 63.

1.) Acknowledge His authority!
O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you; Psalm 63:1
Awaken every morning to the challenge, “Choose….this day whom you will serve!” (Josh. 24:15) As you acknowledge His lordship, confess to Him any thoughts, words, or deeds performed outside the realm of His authority…All sin boils down to an issue of authority. His will or my will!

2.) Abound in His presence!
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water Psalm 63:1
As often as you are completely cleansed and yielded, you will possess a power that is completely beyond you…to love, to experience joy, to know peace, to express patience, to possess kindness and respond in goodness, to be faithful, gentle and submissive to his will, restrained and under control.

3.) Ask to see His glory and power!
“I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory”. Psalm 63:2
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
If you ask to see Him and then agree to keep watching through the eyes of the Spirit, you will see His power and His glory everyday. From glorious morning to marvelous day! Let’s proceed to actions sparked in the morning and then spontaneous throughout the day.

4.) Award Him with your mouth!
“Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” Psalm 63:3
Pray for a mouth that glorifies Him all day long, and you will be filled with a sense of His love and approval.

5.) Approach Him with praise!
“I will praise you as long as I live,” Psalm 63:4

6.) Attribute satisfaction to Him
“Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.” Psalm 65:4


7.) Audit the manifold blessings!
“On my bed I remember you;” Psalm 63:6
Keep a diary of His activity in your life. A record of you history with God is an immeasurable asset to your Christian experience. How do you know He will care for you today? Because He cared for you yesterday! And the day before! And the day before! He never changes. He’ll never forget you. When He discloses Himself to you, remember it, praise Him for it, and record it! Nighttime is prime time for remembering the day.

8.) Allow yourself to rest in His arms!
“I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” Psalm 63:7-8
“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8

As I read chapter 26 I was once again struck by the desire to loosen the grip of TV and the computer in my life. I would really like to set a goal of 1hr TV/day and 1hr computer/day (with the exception of my journaling which does take a lot of time and thought sometimes and I do prefer doing it on the computer versus paper). Also, I when looking over the list on p. 284 of suggestions for how to lengthen a person’s life, the ones that I think I need to focus on in particular of the ten points is maintaining (or reaching in my case!) optimum weight and exercising 30 minutes daily (I don’t feel bad if I adjust that as long as there is some exercise in my week and as long as I have an active lifestyle).