Good Morning Girls!  Yesterday I told you that I had a few theories about why the Lord would tell me to give up sugar for awhile.  I thought I would share one or two of those theories with you this morning.  Before we go any further I just want to say, I hope you all can see that this is not just me writing about me for the sake of me.  No.  It's about me showing you all something that is going on in my life in hopes that it may enable you to see something similar in your own life.....and that you may see it differently. 
Many would say the reason the Lord has me give up sugar (or the reason He has us give up anything) is because it is a test.  The Lord wants to see if I will obey Him.  Sugar has become an "idol" in my life, and He doesn't want me putting sugar above Him.  I often hear people saying "God is just testing me right now".  There is even scripture to support this theory (especially if you don't understand what it is speaking about).  Since I am not the Lord, I cannot say that this is not true, but deep down in my heart, I don't believe this is true.  Not in this case anyway.  Here's why: My image of God is not one where He is sitting in heaven looking down on me, eyeballing me and saying "Let's see if Jen realllllly loves me like she says she does.  Let's see if she is willing to walk away from the thing she loves so much".  "What do you think angels?  Should we see if she will walk away from sugar?  What should we do to her if she refuses?".  To me this image of God is one of a puppet master, playing with our lives, trying to prove how powerful he is.  That is not the image of the faithful, loving, God that I hold in my heart.  I believe the days of sacrificing our Isaacs are over. If we can so easily say that God is testing me with this......does the same apply when our kids get sick, we lose a job, or our house, or anything?  Absolutely not!  We are warned about that in James 1:13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.
Now don't misunderstand me.  I do believe the Lord tests us.  However, when He does, it is for our good.  Not to prove Himself powerful.  Not to make us prove to Him how much we love Him.  The tests we are given are always for our own good.  To develop us, to strengthen us, to bring us awareness of our priorities.  Now I am only speaking from my heart, the way I see it.  Feel free to disagree.
So if I am not being tested, why would the Lord tell me to give up sugar for awhile?  Because it is what is best for me.  Because it will help me get one step closer to my dreams.  Because the end result will answer some of my deepest pleas for healing, which I will explain in more detail in the days to come.  For example: it's only been 8 days since I have not had any sugar, but already I am waking up without an alarm.  I wake up feeling good.  I wake up without any aches and pains.  I woke up early enough to write before going to HomeMakers!  That,  Girls, is a result of eliminating sugar!  That it what I mean when I say the Lord asks us to do things that will help us.....not to prove to Him how much we love Him.  He can tell how much we love Him by the way we live our life.....not by whether or not we had a donut (or pan of brownies) for breakfast!
My question to you is: Has the Lord being telling you to do (or not do) something that you have previously seen as a test?  That you have been looking at as a demand from a puppet master, rather than a God who loves you so much,  He would take the time to make simple suggestions to you about how your quality of life can improve (even if at the time it doesn't seem like it?).  Sometimes the simple shift in thinking about why He would ask you to do something, gives you the desire to do it.  I encourage you to look at those promptings from your loving Father, and see if they suddenly look different!

Psalm 119:27 Help me understand the meaning of your commandments, and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds.

Love, peace, and joy to you all-
Jen