At the "AMH" website... a letter to my younger self...

I wrote an article for the "A Martha Heart" website yesterday. My challenge was to write a note to my younger self... I chose to write a letter to myself when I just had been married... Life was crazy back then, but God had a plan to intervene in my life... I sure needed Him...I still do need Him.

Click here to be directed to the article...

Blessings

"Made to Crave" Monday (Online Group Meeting 2)

Hey All!!!

Welcome to Group session 2 of our online "Made to Crave" study. Currently I have 11 people participating...if you come across this blog and you want to join in, feel free. Just leave your answers in the comment section of this post. Everyone is welcome :) We are all on a journey to be spiritually free from our food issues/addictions.

To my Facebook friends...you have all just blown me away with your honesty and your incredible stories. I am so excited about this group, and my hope is that we all find true freedom in Christ when it comes to our food issues.

Below are this week's questions and homework. Make sure to post your answers in the comment section, or for my FB friends, you can post directly on our group page.

QUESTIONS

1. Go back to last week's post and read all the answers from the group members. Which person do you relate with this most? Or which person's story touched or encouraged you the most? (Please explain why)

2. Currently, what is your number one biggest struggle when it comes to your food issues/addiction?

3. Lysa Terkeurst has said many times that her book "Made to Crave" is not a "how to" book on eating and dieting, but she talked about our "want to" when it comes to breaking our food addiction. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being definitely a yes) how would you rate your "want to" when it comes to truly being free in the area of food issues?

4. If you have joined this group you are already willing to admit your struggle with food is a spiritual issue (or at least that is the direction you are heading)...Lysa talked about how she prayed over and over when she was tempted by food...crying out to God for help. Are you at a point where you are willing to take steps and fight this battle spiritually by praying to God when you are feeling weak or tempted by food.

Ok, I really could go on with more questions, but I don't want anyone to get bogged down with answering to many questions :)

Your homework this week is to read chapter 3 and 4 of "Made to Crave". Blessings and remember this group is open to anyone who wants to join...you can also answer anonymously if you don't want to leave your name or website address.

Blessings Friends... See you back here next Monday for another session :)

Journalin' the Journey (#2)

Hey Friends...

As mentioned before I decided to document or "journal" my journey to become spiritually free from food addiction. This journey began the first week of January when I got back from Florida (You can read my first post if you would like by clicking here). For this post I decided to write about my victories and defeats while on this journey :)


I will start with the "defeats" (or at least I think they are defeats) so I can end on a good note.


-I think my biggest "defeat" is that I am still prone to try to battle this addiction in my own strength...treating it like a diet rather than a whole new way of thinking and eating. I have not yet really transferred this battle to the Lord and let Him help me. I know that He is faithful and will help me if I ask.

- I have such messed up thinking when it comes to food that I am still letting the scale tell me how I am doing. As Lysa Terkeurst reminded me in her book, "Made to Crave", the scale can only tell me how much I actually weigh (the number), but it doesn't tell me who I am in Christ. When I step on the scale at times, it makes me feel like a failure, and in Christ I am not a failure.

-Although I have radically changed the way I eat (at least I think it is radical) I am still struggling with portion control and eating when I am not hungry. I think this happens because as I mentioned above, I am not seeking God to help me with these very practical issues.


OK, I could name some more, but now onto the "victories"...


-I have radically changed the way I eat. For now I have given up sweets (not including fruit) because they are such triggers for me. I have had sweets, but only a few times in the last two months.

-I have pretty much not had "fast food" since January. I don't think I have had any french fries from a fast food place :) French Fries are huge trigger for me, and I know they are not a healthy choice for me. When my family has gone to fast food places, I have made the healthier choices from the menus.

-I am trying to eat more fruits and veggies. I have been taking fruit to my workplace and having fruit instead of the sweet and salty treats that my kiddies bring to school.

-I have been exercising :) I enrolled in a "bootcamp" class and have been pushing myself beyond what I have normally done in the past.

-Since January I have lost about 10 pounds... At times I have seen this as a defeat because in my past I have lost about double the weight when I have been on a diet in the same time frame. However, it is truly a victory because I am doing this the right way this time. My goal is not only weight loss this time around, but complete healing of my mind... I want to be free from food addiction once and for all... I know this is possible with Jesus leading me.


I guess I will stop here for now, and will check in again in the next couple of weeks.

Blessings and remember you can be free from any addiction or struggle if you let Jesus help you in the battle :)

Courageous - In Theaters September 30

Courageous - In Theaters September 30

The preview is finally here... Click link above to be directed to preview...

"Made to Crave" Monday (Online Group -Meeting 1)

Welcome to the "Made To Crave" Online Group. This is our first "meeting", and anyone who visits this site is welcome to participate. If you are in the Facebook Group, feel free to comment here at my blog as well. Let's get started...

Every Monday I will write and post a new entry for our "MTC" group. You have one whole week to read the chapters in the book, and to answer the questions that are posted here at my website. I will keep the instructions simple today...if you have any questions about this group, please feel free to leave a comment here at my blog, or visit me on my Facebook account.

Meeting 1 "Made to Crave" Online Group

Questions

1. Why are you joining this group?

2. How long have you dealt with food issues (addiction)?

3. What is one thing you hope to gain after reading Lysa Terkeurst's book "Made to Crave"?

Ok, I don't want to overload you with questions this week, so we will stop at 3. This week's homework is to read chapters 1 and 2 of Made to Crave.

Make sure to leave your answers in the "comment" section of this post. You don't have to have a blog to leave a comment. To my Facebook gals, you can either leave a comment here at my blog with the answer to the questions, or you can leave your answers on our Made to Crave Group on Facebook...just make sure to leave your answers somewhere :)

Blessings, and remember as Lysa always says "we were made to crave God, not food".

95 Reasons

95 Reasons from Highland Christian Church on Vimeo.

Powerful and convicting video... I have committed so many of these sins...