Spit it Out Girls!
Good Morning Girls! Yesterday I shared with you all how it seems like many of the areas of my life are running "treadmill style"......as in even though I am in constant motion, I don't seem to get anywhere. Now I believe that that is true for each of us, in different areas in our lives, at different times. We can really only focus on so much at a time, and it seems as though whatever I am not paying attention to at the time, slowly comes unraveled. If my guard is not up in a particular area, trouble usually enters in, and I often don't realize it until it is too late.
Now this is not a negative confession. I am not trying to get you all panicked thinking that if you do not start praying for your kids, your husband, working out, keeping up with the house, eating right, volunteering more, etc, that something in your life is going to go wrong. No, that's not it at all. Instead, I would like to encourage you all to take on just one area of your life that is on the treadmill and ask the Lord to help you work on that. If you do this I believe you will experience a snowball effect. Just as when one thing in your life is out of whack, it eventually rolls into another area of your life and so on and so on until you are running from an out of control snowball that is about to flatten you, the same happens when you make positive changes in your life.
It has been my experience that when I place some discipline in one area of my life, it will roll over into other areas of my life. Soon I have a giant snowball of discipline, but instead of me running from it, I am actually behind it. I am safe from being squashed, and I am actually in control of it. It also provides me with a great buffer or hiding spot from the onslaught of little snowballs of distraction that the enemy would throw my way. (wow....this snowball analogy has in itself snowballed......see what I mean)
I told you all yesterday that I have been working out really hard. My workouts are difficult, and I am sweating my hiney off and crying "Help me Jesus" many mornings. With these new hard workouts there should be some physical changes occurring.....but there is not. Oh wait......yes, there is, I have already put on 3 of the annual 7-10 holiday pounds, and let me assure you, it is not muscle. That, my Girls, is not the change I was looking for. I am still trying to lose the leftover 5 from summer!
Now before I continue, let me make something clear. This is NOT ABOUT THE WEIGHT! Really, it is not. It is about the fact that I work out really hard, but I get nowhere. It is about the other physical symptoms I am having. The weight is just the most noticeable. I was irritated one morning as I stood in front of the mirror playing with my back fat (created by the devil himself to torment women), and I mumbled in an irritated voice "Geez, what's a Girl gotta do to get a break around here?". Trust me, it was not a prayer. Nonetheless, the Lord responded (even though I was not asking Him), and He said "you know what you need to do." "Crap", I thought, because I did know what I needed to do. I had known for a while what I needed to do, but I do not want to do it.
I know that the reason I am stuck on the weight treadmill is because of what I am putting in my mouth. I am chewing on things that I should not be chewing on. Not because there is anything wrong with them. Not because I am in disobedience if I eat them. They are not what I am to "chew on" because they still have hold of me. I know I have been given a spirit of self control......I also know it is much easier to exercise that spirit by just saying no to certain things. For me, it is much easier to have none, than have one. I have been delivered from many addictions, but the addictive personality still lies buried deep within me, and it will surface any time I let it.
I have known for weeks now that I was to go back on a sugar fast for a period of time. I have been preparing myself mentally for it. However, I have been planning all along to do it in January. I mean, how in the world could I do it before then? This is the time when "special treats" and occasions abound. Surely I can wait until after the Holidays right?
I believe God doesn't care when I do it. There were many times when I said to Him "I will, just give me time to mentally prepare". I seriously felt as though he was fine with that. I do not believe this is a test of obedience. This is not me making a sacrifice in order to prove my love to the Lord. This is not a Spiritual fast. No. What it is about is the fact that I am tired all the time. I need 9-10 hours of sleep a night. I wake up with a stiff next and shoulder. I cannot focus my attention during the day. I go to bed many nights disgusted in the things I had "chewed on" in the evening........and let me tell you, they were not due to "special treats" or parties (unless you consider stopping at the gas station and filling up with gas and running inside and buying not one, but two donuts and eating them on the ride home at 3 in the afternoon a special occasion, which I do not).
So this is not about me being Spiritual. This is about me waking up refreshed, instead of stiff with a headache from a sugar hangover. This is about me taking care of myself the best I know how. And if we are to do our best, to be found living our best, wouldn't that include the things we chew on? Now for some of you, your problem is not the food you chew on.....it's the words and the thoughts you've been chewing on that have an area of your life on the treadmill. You keep chewing on the things your husband has said to you. You keep chewing on the disappointments in your life. You keep chewing on the mistakes you've made. You chew on the things you do not have. You chew on the things you do for everyone else. Whatever it is, it is leaving you tired, stiff, and with a headache. You have a "chewing on something other than the promises of God" hangover each day.....and it's time to spit them out!
Take some time today to ask the Lord one thing you need to stop chewing on....and spit it out! It may not seem easy to do, but if the Lord gives you an answer, He will also give you the grace to do it! As for me, I still can't imagine a Christmas without some of my favorite treats....so I am not sure how this sugar fast is going to play out. I do know I made it all day yesterday without any, which is the first day in weeks that I not only didn't eat any sugar, but that I did not eat wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much sugar. However, I am still reluctant to claim that the time is now....I need a little wiggle room (though my jeans are not providing any at the moment). While your trying to figure out what to spit out, go ahead and chew on todays verse............
Psalm 1:2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, chewing on it day and night (Jen Gilbert translation)
Chewing on how much I love you all-
Jen
Now this is not a negative confession. I am not trying to get you all panicked thinking that if you do not start praying for your kids, your husband, working out, keeping up with the house, eating right, volunteering more, etc, that something in your life is going to go wrong. No, that's not it at all. Instead, I would like to encourage you all to take on just one area of your life that is on the treadmill and ask the Lord to help you work on that. If you do this I believe you will experience a snowball effect. Just as when one thing in your life is out of whack, it eventually rolls into another area of your life and so on and so on until you are running from an out of control snowball that is about to flatten you, the same happens when you make positive changes in your life.
It has been my experience that when I place some discipline in one area of my life, it will roll over into other areas of my life. Soon I have a giant snowball of discipline, but instead of me running from it, I am actually behind it. I am safe from being squashed, and I am actually in control of it. It also provides me with a great buffer or hiding spot from the onslaught of little snowballs of distraction that the enemy would throw my way. (wow....this snowball analogy has in itself snowballed......see what I mean)
I told you all yesterday that I have been working out really hard. My workouts are difficult, and I am sweating my hiney off and crying "Help me Jesus" many mornings. With these new hard workouts there should be some physical changes occurring.....but there is not. Oh wait......yes, there is, I have already put on 3 of the annual 7-10 holiday pounds, and let me assure you, it is not muscle. That, my Girls, is not the change I was looking for. I am still trying to lose the leftover 5 from summer!
Now before I continue, let me make something clear. This is NOT ABOUT THE WEIGHT! Really, it is not. It is about the fact that I work out really hard, but I get nowhere. It is about the other physical symptoms I am having. The weight is just the most noticeable. I was irritated one morning as I stood in front of the mirror playing with my back fat (created by the devil himself to torment women), and I mumbled in an irritated voice "Geez, what's a Girl gotta do to get a break around here?". Trust me, it was not a prayer. Nonetheless, the Lord responded (even though I was not asking Him), and He said "you know what you need to do." "Crap", I thought, because I did know what I needed to do. I had known for a while what I needed to do, but I do not want to do it.
I know that the reason I am stuck on the weight treadmill is because of what I am putting in my mouth. I am chewing on things that I should not be chewing on. Not because there is anything wrong with them. Not because I am in disobedience if I eat them. They are not what I am to "chew on" because they still have hold of me. I know I have been given a spirit of self control......I also know it is much easier to exercise that spirit by just saying no to certain things. For me, it is much easier to have none, than have one. I have been delivered from many addictions, but the addictive personality still lies buried deep within me, and it will surface any time I let it.
I have known for weeks now that I was to go back on a sugar fast for a period of time. I have been preparing myself mentally for it. However, I have been planning all along to do it in January. I mean, how in the world could I do it before then? This is the time when "special treats" and occasions abound. Surely I can wait until after the Holidays right?
I believe God doesn't care when I do it. There were many times when I said to Him "I will, just give me time to mentally prepare". I seriously felt as though he was fine with that. I do not believe this is a test of obedience. This is not me making a sacrifice in order to prove my love to the Lord. This is not a Spiritual fast. No. What it is about is the fact that I am tired all the time. I need 9-10 hours of sleep a night. I wake up with a stiff next and shoulder. I cannot focus my attention during the day. I go to bed many nights disgusted in the things I had "chewed on" in the evening........and let me tell you, they were not due to "special treats" or parties (unless you consider stopping at the gas station and filling up with gas and running inside and buying not one, but two donuts and eating them on the ride home at 3 in the afternoon a special occasion, which I do not).
So this is not about me being Spiritual. This is about me waking up refreshed, instead of stiff with a headache from a sugar hangover. This is about me taking care of myself the best I know how. And if we are to do our best, to be found living our best, wouldn't that include the things we chew on? Now for some of you, your problem is not the food you chew on.....it's the words and the thoughts you've been chewing on that have an area of your life on the treadmill. You keep chewing on the things your husband has said to you. You keep chewing on the disappointments in your life. You keep chewing on the mistakes you've made. You chew on the things you do not have. You chew on the things you do for everyone else. Whatever it is, it is leaving you tired, stiff, and with a headache. You have a "chewing on something other than the promises of God" hangover each day.....and it's time to spit them out!
Take some time today to ask the Lord one thing you need to stop chewing on....and spit it out! It may not seem easy to do, but if the Lord gives you an answer, He will also give you the grace to do it! As for me, I still can't imagine a Christmas without some of my favorite treats....so I am not sure how this sugar fast is going to play out. I do know I made it all day yesterday without any, which is the first day in weeks that I not only didn't eat any sugar, but that I did not eat wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much sugar. However, I am still reluctant to claim that the time is now....I need a little wiggle room (though my jeans are not providing any at the moment). While your trying to figure out what to spit out, go ahead and chew on todays verse............
Psalm 1:2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, chewing on it day and night (Jen Gilbert translation)
Chewing on how much I love you all-
Jen
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