Food...

As I finish up this week and look forward to the week to come, I am thinking about food. Food has been such an important part of my life. In fact, I have given it way too much importance. Every activity is centered around food. I plan our weekend fun around food, either out to eat or cooking on the grill. Every family get together is centered around food. When I am getting ready for the day, the biggest part is packing my food for the day. Not that there is anything really wrong with that because I do have to eat, but I have given food way too much control. I have given it first place. I have given it the place that God deserves. Exodus 20:3 says "You must not have any other god but Me." Because I let it guide me, comfort me and fill me, I have made it a god in my life or in other words, an idol. God says very plainly that I must not put anything or anyone above Him. I want so much to please Him and so my goal this week is to knock that ole' food off its throne and put my dear Heavenly Father back where He belongs. I know that I will have some victories and some defeats. I also know that my sweet God will be there to celebrate with me and to lift me up when I am down. I so want to obey Him and please Him. He showed me this verse:
Phil. 2:13 "For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him." My daily prayer for the week is: God, I know you are working in me. Give me the desire and the power to do what pleases You. Your Word says you will and I know that Your Word is true.

Spring Break

Spring Break. Two beautiful words for those of us in education. The long awaited week of rest and relaxation. The week that goes by all too quickly. Here it is, Sunday evening before returning to school tomorrow. As I think back over the week, I am happy to say that I spent a good deal of time with the Lord. I got up each morning and spent time with Him learning about the names of God and what they mean. It is so wonderful getting to know Him better. I have also been thinking about my eating this week. I always seem to have a hard time with making good choices about food when I am at home. I guess it is because I am out of my school routine. I take my breakfast, lunch and snacks with me to school so my choices are limited. When I get home, I struggle. I need to not buy the snacks that I shouldn't eat, like Little Debbie Banana Pudding rolls. They are delish. I only ate 1/2 of one roll. Victory. If snacks like those are not in the house, I obviously won't eat them. Prayer before grocery shopping sounds like a good idea to me. I will have to remember to do that next week. I must remember to pray when I am tempted. Remember to pray, remember to pray, remember to pray. I think that is the key to victory. I am hoping for more victory this week.

"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1Thess. 5:16-18 NLT

So this week, I am going to be joyful because of Jesus. I am going to pray, pray, pray for His strength and I am going to be thankful for all He has done for me, is doing for me and will do for me. I want to be joyful, prayerful, and thankful because that is His will for me and there is nowhere else I would rather be than in His will.

The Scale

Monday is weigh-in day for me. I weigh in the nurse's office at school. The scale can bring me such joy and such discouragement. Last week, I thought, I had done pretty good. I had resisted the cupcake and had really stayed on track pretty good. Monday morning arrived. As I was driving to school, feeling pretty sure I would lose at least a pound (I had prayed I would lose 2!). But I was praying and I said to the Lord, "Lord, even if I don't lose any, I will still praise you". So, you guessed it! I didn't lose any (maybe 1/4 of a pound). So here was my test. Was I really going to praise Him like I said? I have to say that it was very hard to do. I sat at my desk and got out my Bible and looked up verses that were praises to God. But my heart wasn't in it. I am sad to say that. All day long, I was disappointed. But I got over it. I stayed on track with my points. I am learning every day to look at the choice that is before me and only that choice. I am looking to God to give me hunger signals and not focus so much on my points (which are great and I love the program that I am on). I was watching Mandisa (the singer) on a webcast about the book I read called Made to Crave (about craving God instead of craving food). She said something so helpful to me. She said that the Lord wasn't asking her about how she was going to lose weight or control her eating a year from now. He was asking her how she was going to do it today. Another reminder to take care of today and not to look so far down the road. God is still calling me to seek Him first and He will take care of the rest.
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:33-34

The Cupcake

It has been a challenging week. Lots of things going on. But one of my biggest challenges this week was....a cupcake. A friend brought cupcakes to work on the day of the TAKS test. They were the most beautiful cupcakes I had ever seen. They looked so delicious. Yellow cake with a light, lemony custard in the middle. The frosting was creamy and had large sugar crystals that sparkled. Beautiful! I was offered a cupcake by my sweet friend. Oh, how I wanted that cupcake. I chose not to have one. I did smell the cupcakes in the box. I watched my friend eat hers. But at the end of the day, I chose not to have one. I could have had it but I chose not to. Victory! Someone said to me that I had great willpower and they wish they had as much as I did. As I thought about that, I realized that I have no willpower. I have Godpower! I have the power of the Holy Spirit living in me. I have the power that raised Jesus from the dead living in me! It was that power that helped me overcome the power of the cupcake. Praise Him!