Day three of my “Recliner restriction” (as in Lazy-Boy) and I am learning how to adapt to my injury. I’m hobbling around and becoming quite resourceful at using crutches for things other than what they were probably intended. Crutches are a great arm extension and I’ve perfected the art of turning light switches on and off without leaving my recliner. I can wrangle small objects and drag them to within arm’s length for easy pick up without ever leaving my seat.

I am learning a whole new way of life and have a much greater appreciation for two working legs at this point. I vow never to complain about my legs again. My legs may not be as thin as I would like them to be, but up until a couple of days ago, they worked pretty well and got me from point A to point B without breaking out in a cold sweat.

I’ve developed a whole new exercise regime based on my current invalid status. I figure I’ve probably burned hundreds of calories with my crutches aerobics. My favorite exercises are actually the ones I do that I can’t use the crutches for at all. For example, going upstairs or downstairs has now been limited to one trip each way per day, simply because the effort is pretty exhausting.

Going downstairs is the easier of the two trips and I call it the bum’s rush. All that’s required of me is to figure out how to lower myself to the floor at the top of the stairs and simply slide one step at a time downwards, dragging my crutches along with me. Mr. Gravity does most of the work for me on this exercise, but I figure once this convalescence thing is done, my butt should be sufficiently flatter from all the downward sliding.

Going upstairs is another story and one that I don’t particularly care for as I feel like a nap is required mid-way through the journey. Since Mr. Gravity isn’t working at all as I travel backwards UP the stairs, I’m forced to use tricep dips and raise myself (and my extra 40 pounds) one step at a time – dragging my crutches with me. I am a little worried however that I’m going to bear a striking resemblance to Popeye when I’m done. Although besides my bulging forearms and rippled triceps I’ll have a flat pancake butt to boot. What a picture.

The good news is I know this too shall pass and this little setback is merely a trial I need to endure. I’m sure when it’s all over God will conveniently have fine-tuned my attitude and taught me a thing or two to store in my backpack of life. It’s been my experience that God never wastes pain and this entire ordeal must surely serve a purpose because there’s too much pain here not to use it for something.

The best thing about being an invalid and being recliner restricted is I’ve cut out any and all between meal snacks as walking back and forth between the chair, the fridge and the pantry is entirely too much work. I guess it should be said that it’s important to be careful what you pray for as only a week ago I was praying that God would help me to stop all my mindless grazing and emotional snacking.

Okay, so God DOES answer prayers, but clearly not the way I had hoped for. On the other hand, now that I’m very limited in my activities, I have little else to do except talk to God and read the Word. Perhaps God knew it would take “an act of God,” to get me flat on my back with my only focus being on Him. Hmm … who knew?

Some stand on tiptoe trying to reach God to talk to him - you try too hard, friend - drop to your knees and listen to him, he’ll hear you better that way. ~Terri Guillemets

13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. James 4:13-16 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I thank you for helping me to slow down. As I recover, may I turn to you and draw into a deeper relationship with you. Increase my faith as you heal my body and may I continually rejoice in the Lord always. I ask all these things in your holy name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Sometimes life, the Universe and/or God have a unique way of getting our attention and slowing us down. Yesterday I had such a day. One wrong misstep and the next thing I know pain such as I’ve never felt before sent me to me to the floor in uncontrollable sobbing, which resulted in a four hour visit to Urgent Care.

The weird thing is I wasn’t even doing anything strenuous or unusual when it happened. I simply stepped up into the house from the garage and felt a loud popping in the back of my knee and that was it, pain off the charts, so much so I think I may have even see Jesus at one point. And for those of you that have never felt the “Jesus pain” it’s a pain so intense you wish you would die and go to be with Jesus because at least then, you wouldn’t feel the pain anymore.

I’ve actually been complaining of hip and knee pain for several months and been avoiding going to the doctor (because I’m stubborn), but yesterday’s “pop” moved it to the top of my To-Do list – the hard way. Four hours of Urgent Care pain can bring life around full circle and make you count your blessings. Oh wait, maybe that’s just me.

I’m still waiting for an appointment with the specialist to find out what kind of damage I’ve sustained, but the truth is whatever it is … I get the point, God! I’m convinced that my Lord and Savior who loves me beyond reason has been subtly telling me for months that I’ve got to take this weight loss thing more seriously but I haven’t been paying attention.

I’ve been doing my part with the exercising but I can’t seem to get a handle on my eating issues. Yesterday’s pop reverberated not only through my knee ligaments, but I heard it loud and clear in my spirit. “Girl, you’re carrying around 40 extra pounds!”

That’s 40 pounds more pressure on my hip joints, my knee joints and my ankles. Even though I’ve been exercising, I am continually reminded of how much easier exercise would be if I didn’t have this extra weight on my body. I’m slowed down in more ways than one because I’m simply carrying extra weight.

Trying to hoist my plus-size body around on a pair of crutches is nearly as painful as my knee injury. I can’t even count the number of times I broke out in an overall body sweat in the last two days just trying to make it to the bathroom! Crutches are hard work! Being the glass-half-full-girl that I try to be, I take comfort in the fact that even though I wasn’t in the gym yesterday or today, I got an intense crutches workout! (Do not try this at home!)

If the extra effort of hauling around my extra pounds wasn’t enough, yesterday was chalked full of revelations. Number one, when the Triage nurse took my vitals she asked my weight IN FRONT OF MY HUSBAND (who I’ve been managing to lie to for months regarding my weight). God bless him, he didn’t even flinch, but then I’m pretty sure he’s not been struck blind and he’s noticed the extra weight. Gotta love a guy who doesn’t hassle you about weight gain. And my guy doesn’t. Okay, so maybe I fudged five pounds to the nurse … okay, okay, seven pounds, but hey, who’s counting, right?

The icing on the cake was yesterday after X-rays and exams, a nurse came in to wrap my leg in an ace bandage and a giant knee brace. The large brace didn’t fit – she needed the extra large. The man size. The your leg is as big as a tree trunk size. Sure, there was a certain amount of swelling in my leg – but even I know the difference between swelling and fat.

Okay, God. You’ve got my attention. It’s time to go back to basics. It’s time to weigh and measure and record every morsel of food that goes in my mouth. It’s time to see the bigger picture. Yesterday it was a possible torn ligament. Tomorrow it could be a heart attack. That’s not a price I’m willing to pay. I HEAR YOU, GOD!

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. ~John Powell

14 In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short. Proverbs 24:14 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, thank you for wisdom and for getting my attention. I pray for the complete healing of my body. I pray I can take all these lessons you are teaching me and learn from them so I can serve you with my whole heart and become the person you would have me to be. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Because life frequently gets in the way of our weight loss journey – unexpected parties, funerals, illnesses, injuries, etc. we need to learn to be flexible. And of course, it goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) we need to be knowledgeable about nutrition and calories.

Hopefully most of us have been at this weight loss journey long enough that we’ve acquired a modicum of knowledge about caloric values, fat grams, carbohydrates and so forth. When life throws us unexpected curve balls and we’re suddenly forced to juggle our plans and veer from our prearranged menu plan it’s important to know how to best juggle our calories so we aren’t being pushed off the weight watcher wagon entirely.

Statistically speaking the average dieter facing some sort of unexpected crisis once forced off their program rarely returns to it and quickly regains any weight lost. I don’t want to be one of those people.

For example, I’ve been plagued with a recurring knee injury for more than a week now. I’ve been unable to get in any kind of cardio workout, which I’ve come to depend on for burning those extra calories I like to consume. Because I’m basically sidelined and only able to lift weights right now, I’ve had to do some creative juggling with my meal plan.

My inactivity is forcing me to consume fewer calories because I know I’m not going to be able to sufficiently burn calories. For the time being I’ve cut my calorie intake by about 500 calories per day. Once I’m able to resume my normal workout routine, I can reintroduce those banished calories.

The reality of the matter though is because of my injury it may be several weeks before I can resume my cardio workout. I am a self-professed workout junkie and the lack of exercise has pushed me over to that dangerous depression precipice. Most of us know that depression can lead to overeating, which in turn leads to more weight gain. It’s a vicious cycle I’m trying hard not to get sucked into.

Many experts agree that about 70% of all weight loss comes from what you eat, not exercise. That’s good news for someone like me who simply can’t make my body cooperate right now. Life is predictably unpredictable and this knee injury will hopefully only be a temporary setback – but there are sure to be other pitfalls, because let’s face - that’s life.

It’s important not to let the pitfalls turn into a giant black hole for which I can never escape. With careful planning, this injury may slow me down some, but I won’t let it be my undoing.

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within. ~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

33”I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I’m praying and believing you will heal me of this painful knee injury. I pray I won’t become discouraged or depressed while I am healing. I ask that you would help me to adjust my eating so I consume fewer calories. Help me to maintain a positive attitude and believe that all things are possible with you, Lord Jesus. I ask all these things in your name. Amen.

I went out of town for the weekend and decided that I wasn’t going to worry about “my diet” while I was gone. I discovered it is possible to enjoy yourself without obsessing about food. And guess what? I had a fabulous time without eating myself stupid.

Because my Saturday was so packed with things to do, food became a secondary concern for me. Plus I was outside about 95% of the day and the temperature hovered in the low 90s. The combination of heat and food rarely works well for me and I was more concerned with drinking lots of water throughout my day rather than eating. Water has a way of filling our stomachs so we can’t eat much – even if we wanted to and such was the case for me.

Of course there were temptations to be had as we ate out several times throughout the weekend. But you don’t have to order everything on the menu just because it’s there. I practiced moderation and portion control at every meal and felt like I did really well. My dinner came with three tacos, beans and rice and I ate only one taco, no rice and some of my beans. Because we were going for a long boat ride on semi-choppy water after dinner, I didn’t want to risk anything coming back up again – if you know what I mean so eating moderately was a no-brainer.

I know I’ve got such a long way to go to get to where I need to be, but each week – each day I can see the progress I’ve made. I AM making better food choices. I AM drinking more water. I AM taking all my vitamins and exercising every day. I AM on the road to a healthier me!

Okay, so maybe I haven’t lost much weight yet, but I am re-educating myself to live a healthier lifestyle. I’m not planning my entire life around my next meal or worrying about getting my money’s worth at the all-you-can-eat buffets. God never intended us to live in bondage to anything – not alcohol, drugs, shopping or food or whatever. There is freedom is saying “no” and victory in saying “yes” to moderation and balance.

Your body is a temple, but only if you treat it as one. ~Astrid Alauda

12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Thank you Lord, for balance and moderation in life. May I learn everyday to take better care of myself, count my blessings and be grateful for all you’ve bestowed upon me. I ask all these things in your holy name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

When we get in the habit of emotional eating and grazing in the kitchen when we’re bored or anxious, oftentimes we’re ignoring the root problem of “why” we’re grazing or emotionally eating. There is no denial with me – I KNOW I’m guilty of emotional eating and grazing during times of stress and anxiety.

Ideally in a perfect world, rather than turning to food I should instantly turn to God in prayer and ask His Holy Spirit to intercede on my behalf. It would be lovely if He would fill that void or what I think is my empty stomach – but in reality is a God-shaped hole in my spirit.

Because I don’t live in a perfect world and I am an extremely imperfect work in progress, I can’t seem to get my brain and spirit to get in agreement and line up and automatically seek God first. Why is that? I am a slave to my emotions, that’s why!

When I’m frustrated, anxious, worried or stressed my spirit should know that I need to stop what I’m doing and invite God to come in and inhabit all those dark areas of my spirit that are troubled and conflicted. What do I do instead? Somehow my flesh thinks that I can get over those anxious feelings by eating my weight in Oreos – which in reality only creates more stress, tension and anxiety now coupled with tons of guilt because I know I’m gaining weight because I turn to Oreos rather than God.

Last night a woman in my support group shared that she frequently turns to food and finds herself grazing in the pantry. Recognizing that she was eating not out of actual hunger but emotional issues, she had enough sense and restraint to stop herself by telling herself, “God’s not in here!” I absolutely love that and told the group maybe we should all think about putting a sign on our pantry door or our cupboards that reads, “GOD’S NOT IN HERE!” The sign on the refrigerator should read, “GOD’S NOT IN HERE EITHER!”

Success means sacrifice, but it also means recognizing why we’re eating when we eat. Is it because we are really HALT: hungry, angry, lonely or tired or has it been six hours since lunch?

Next time the urge to graze hits me – before I dive face first into a vat of ice cream it would behoove me to take an inventory … HALT, before I eat myself stupid.

I bid you conquer in your warfare against your four great enemies, the world, the devil, the flesh, and above all, that obstinate and perverse self-will, unaided by which the other three would be comparatively powerless. ~Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827

1 Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. Galatians 5:1 (The Message Bible)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I humbly ask that you would help me to defeat my flesh by not feeding it every time it demands attention. Help me to submit myself to God, resist the devil so he will flee from me. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Just like it makes good sense not to ride your bicycle into the wind with your mouth open, it makes good sense not to make extra trips to the kitchen without a reason. Because there are so many tantalizing goodies available in the kitchen, it’s best to limit your trips to the kitchen whenever possible.

On days when I’m bored or anxious or feeling particularly unmotivated I find myself wearing a path in the carpet with repeated trips to the kitchen. Like a prize Guernsey nibbling in a field of clover, I graze back and forth between the pantry and the fridge, sampling leftovers in Tupperware or munching on assorted crackers and chips.

The kitchen is the one room I find myself roaming without a specific purpose other than foraging for something to eat. When I go to the laundry room, I’m there to do laundry. When I’m in the family room, I’m there to sit and watch TV or read. In the bedroom, I only want to sleep. The kitchen is a multi-purpose room that acts as the hub for family gatherings, but it’s also the room where any health conscious individual can expect to be ambushed by baked goods and packaged snacks.

I rarely eat in any other room in the house because once you form a habit of eating in bed or in front of your desk, those habits quickly become hard to break and then you’ve got brand new issues to confront. There are days when I try to remain upstairs as long as possible because it seems as though once I venture downstairs and into the kitchen, I can’t resist the lure of readily available food.

I find for me it’s best to have a preplanned menu. When I’m in the kitchen I need to get in and get out without sampling the wares. The preplanned menu keeps me from wandering aimlessly without a destination in mind. It’s not foolproof and clearly I’ve had times when I’ve strayed from the plan but it’s still best to write it out and post it on the fridge or cupboard door so I can’t ignore it.

Because I’m motivated to eat based on circumstances and emotions, if I hope to have a chance for success that means I have to avoid the kitchen at all costs. Yeah it seems a little radical, but hopefully I won’t have to boycott the kitchen indefinitely. Eventually I hope to get a handle on my emotional eating, but for the time being, I’m weak enough to know the less time spent in the kitchen – the better.

He that eats till he is sick must fast till he is well. ~English Proverb

27 It’s not good to eat too much honey, and it’s not good to seek honors for yourself. 28 A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls. Proverbs 25:27-28 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I ask that you would help me to stay strong, stick to my meal plan and stay out of the kitchen as long as I’m unable to resist the foods that tempt me. Give me confidence to succeed. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Most of us are great at telling our girlfriends not to compare themselves with others. I admit it’s so much easier for me to tell my daughters or friends not to waste the effort with comparisons. It’s never a good idea to compare ourselves with anyone else – not with their looks, their spouses, their houses or material goods or finances.

However it’s so much harder to take my own advice and not compare myself with others. Why is that?

Just this week I shared a meal with a woman friend of mine who is 50 pounds lighter than me, 25+ years younger than me and shops in a whole lot of places I can’t afford to shop. Even though we both love and adore each other and value our friendship, I can’t help but feel frumpy, dumpy and old next to her. Okay, so I am older and heavier, but I KNOW that doesn’t automatically make me inferior to her – so why do I feel like a troll next to her?

I’ve been chatting back and forth with a couple of other friends this week and we’ve been trading quips and compliments. I look at my friends and see these beautiful amazing women with million dollar smiles and great hair, better clothes and figures to match. I find myself getting all caught up and wrestling with jealousy wishing I had their hair or their teeth or their long thin legs.

By the same token when I look in the mirror and I see my frumpy body and what I consider to be my toad face and can’t seem to focus on one redeeming quality about myself, these friends are singing my praises about what an attractive woman I am or what great hair I have or how put together I look. I’m thinking … duh … who are they talking about?

Bottom line time – if we listen to the lies of the enemy (and they are many) most of us would never leave our house because we despise the way we look. The devil wants us to feel inferior to everyone. He wants us to focus on our extra weight, wrinkles, gray hair and saggy boobs. All of these insecurities are little arrows aimed right at our self-esteem designed to make us draw inward and away from our friends. These attacks are meant to make us doubt ourselves and our worth and value and ultimately cause us to draw away from Christ because we don’t feel good enough.

It would be oh so easy to do just that, which is why it’s important to learn to accept compliments when they’re given and learn to accept that our worth and value is NOT based on our outside shell, but on our souls, our spirits and our hearts. Once we accept that we have a beautiful Christ-centered heart we need to let that Christ-confidence shine outward to a society trapped in the darkness of superficial outer beauty.

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. ~Kahlil Gibran

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I thank you for true natural beauty. I pray you will help me to look in the mirror and not compare myself to others but to accept the woman that I am. Help me to see myself as you see me; to focus on the things I like about myself and not fixate on all the things I don’t like about myself. Thank you for all the beautiful women in my life. I ask all these things in your holy name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Have you ever gone to bed with a really bad headache or stomach ache and all you want to do is go to sleep and forget about it? Then once you wake in the morning and get your bearings you take an inventory to see if the headache’s gone – or the stomach ache. And if it is, you’re like “whew … thank goodness that’s gone!”

Honest to goodness, some nights I lay down to sleep and I think “Lord, I hope when I wake up in the morning all this fat is gone!” And then upon waking I’ll roll and stretch and check the flatness of my stomach or the girth of my thighs and instantly I’m filled with disappointment because the fat is still there!

Clearly I know it’s unrealistic to expect to lose 30 or 40 pounds in my sleep, but a girl can dream can’t she? There are days when simply carrying around the extra weight and thinking and planning how to go about losing the weight is just exhausting! It would be so much easier if I could pop a pill before bedtime and wake in the morning five or 10 pounds lighter.

The harsh reality is I’m several months into my weight loss journey and still chipping away at my excess body fat one miserable pound at a time. Many of my friends are 20, 30, 40 or even 100 pounds lighter now and I’m barely making any noteworthy progress.

The good news, if there’s any to be had, is I haven’t thrown in the towel yet. I’m still hanging in there doing my best day-after-day to control my food portions, eliminate binge eating and mindless snacking. I’m working out regularly and I’m still journaling all of my feelings and emotions regarding my seemingly lack of progress. I’m still going to support meetings.

I still have hope and faith that eventually my hard work will pay off. Above all, I’m still standing on the promises of God and trusting that through my struggles, God will bless my efforts and he will use my pain and struggle to develop character and integrity in me. God will find a way to take what the enemy has meant for my harm and destruction to bring glory and edification to the goodness of God.

Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain. ~Author Unknown

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, thank you for perseverance to continue this journey. Help me not to get discouraged and may I stay strong and focused in my commitment to lose weight and be healthy. I pray you will continue to mold me and make me in your image, Lord. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Over the course of my “dieting career” I’ve had a lot of successes and a lot of failures with programs and weight loss. Because diets are designed to restrict us from certain foods, there is always success if you follow the program.

Most of us know that long-term restriction has a tendency to make us rebel and go off the program. Normally I’d say, “wait, maybe that’s just me,” but statistics show that only 5% of all successful weight loss lasts for longer than a year. Five percent, that’s pretty sad.

I’m the first to admit that I regained most of my weight because I let my guard down and got lazy. There were “triggers” that caused me to let my guard down with the death of a loved one and the onset of menopause – but those situations quickly turned in to convenient excuses.

Lifelong lifestyle changes are not only recommended but absolutely necessary to maintain any kind of lasting weight loss success. Duh, that’s pretty much a no-brainer and even though I KNOW that, I’m still looking for weight loss shortcuts.

I remember years ago after watching the first episode of Survivor I decided I was going to go on the Survivor Diet which basically entailed eating nothing but rice for every meal, three times a day for 40 days. All those castaways lost 30 or 40 pounds for the duration of their island adventure, so why not me? Not surprisingly, my Survivor Diet lasted one whole day before I got sick of rice. After the second meal I was adding chicken and gravy to my rice thereby negating the basic concept of “rice only.”

Because I like to eat brown rice several times a week, I recently resurrected a variation of the Survivor Diet and decided I’d adapt it to be the Chopstick Diet. This diet requires I eat all my meals with chopsticks rather than a fork thereby forcing myself to eat slower since chopsticks require a certain amount of skill and coordination. So far so good – although it’s too soon to determine if this chopstick thing will become a permanent lifestyle change, I’m finding that the chopsticks turn any meal into an adventure.

Today while I was at the grocery store I encountered a gentlemen who had his cart completely jammed full of cases of Diet Coke and cantaloupe – lots and lots of each. I gave him the look and asked, “New diet?” He responded, “How’d you guess?” Hey, it takes one to know one.

No, not many shortcuts for a seasoned dieter, but there’s nothing wrong with a little creativity once in a while.

What makes resisting temptation difficult for many people is they don’t want to discourage it completely. ~Franklin P. Jones

“20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.” Philippians 3:20-21 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord I pray that you will help me to keep boredom at bay and help me to keep pressing on towards the goal of successful weight loss. I commit my ways to you and ask that you would grant me success in my exercise program, my eating plan and with my attitude. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Well, here it is again – that time of year when all of a sudden TV ads, Internet articles and ads, magazines and newspapers are all flooding us with “sure-fire” ways to lose 10 pounds and slim down by summer. Just opening my email inbox there were a dozen ads in my spam folder all hawking books, pills, juices and exercise equipment guaranteeing me a new body by summer. Puh-lease! I wasn’t born yesterday.

It used to be that I was a sucker for these ads and wanted to try anything and everything to blast away my unwanted winter weight. But now that I’m a seasoned cynic and I’ve accepted the fact that my winter weight is no different from my baby weight, PMS weight, menopause weight, summer, spring and fall weight, I’m immune to the promises of “instant weight loss.”

Most of us have learned that these little tricks to quickly banish 10 pounds, is merely just that a “trick” that usually amounts to a quick loss of water weight. Unless you adopt these “tricks” for the rest of your life, the quickly lost 10 pounds comes right back and usually brings a few extra pounds along for the ride. Following ANY program to the letter usually leads to a quick weight loss, but it’s weight that quickly returns if no real lasting long-term compromises are made.

Lifestyle changes are just that – changes that must be instituted and maintained for the remainder of your life. If you wish to see any lasting changes to your body you’re going to have to work at it. Is it fun? No. Is it easy? No. Is it costly? Absolutely! It will cost you time, energy and careful planning.

There are no shortcuts to lasting weight loss regardless of what you may read on the Internet. Real lasting weight loss starts one day at a time; saying “no” more often than you say yes. Sacrificing a little blood, sweat and tears and above all surrendering your will for God’s will. You can’t lose weight on your will-power unless you tap into God’s will and God’s power.

People know you for what you’ve done, not for what you plan to do. ~Author Unknown

“4 Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.” Proverbs 13:4 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I ask for the strength of mind and body to be able to do the work that needs to be done to lose this weight. It is my desire to be pleasing to you and have a healthy mind and body. Help me to get rid of all the bad attitudes I may have, the slothful spirit that sleeps inside of me and replace these with a positive mindset and a desire to succeed. I ask all these things in your holy name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

I’m struggling with a “reward mentality” lately. When I have a near perfect day with my exercise and menu plan, I feel the need to “reward” myself with some sort of treat. In a perfect world it would be great if I rewarded myself with a pedicure, a new pair of shoes or even a bubble bath. Sadly, I feel the need to reward myself with food – which is totally counterproductive to the whole weight loss thing.

My “reward” system isn’t limited solely to my menu plan or exercise program. Last night I went to my weight loss support group and upon arriving home I felt the need to “reward” myself with a sweet treat. I had a handful of grapes and some yogurt covered raisins. Neither one was particularly detrimental to my meal plan, but the fact that I felt the need to reward myself for attending my meeting disturbs me. After all, the whole point of the support groups is to gain some perspective on why I have an unhealthy relationship with food in the first place.

Going to meetings is expected. Keeping my menu plan is expected. Exercising is expected. Rewarding myself for doing what is expected is a clear indicator that I’m not getting at the heart of my issues. I still rely on food when I shouldn’t.

I feel as though I’m stuck on a treadmill and there’s this stupid record playing and it’s stuck as well, “what is wrong with me, what is wrong with me, what is wrong with me?” Today I went to lunch with a friend and we were discussing our various “issues.” I mentioned that perhaps deep down I’m afraid to uncover the root problem. I’m also concerned that because I can’t seem to let this go and completely trust God with it tells me that I’m still struggling with a serious trust issue. Why can’t I seem to trust God with this?

I’m great at telling other people to “let go and let God.” I’m super at encouraging others to trust God and have faith, but I can’t seem to believe that for myself. Not sure what the underlying cause might be, but perhaps it’s time I listened to my own advice. If I can’t trust God, who can I trust?

Few delights can equal the mere presence of one whom we trust utterly. ~George MacDonald

1To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; 2 in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. Psalm 25:1-2 (NIV)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I ask that you would reveal your truths to me and help me to understand my behavior. I continually do what I don’t want to do and then end up feeling guilt and shame. Please help me to overcome my flesh and my bad behavior. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

I went to a class last night where the topic of discussion was “specific answers to prayers that could only have been God.” We were asked to share a time when we received an answer to a specific prayer.

I had a hard time picking just one time when God answered prayers as my life has been blessed by many specific instances. I suppose the reason for that is because I pray about everything. No really, EVERYTHING. It’s not that I look at God as some sort of genie in a lamp and I ask him for stuff throughout my day. I simply include God in every area of my life. I talk to him about the big things and the little things.

Because I have a running conversation with God going all the time, it’s not unusual for me to see his hand on many, many things throughout my day. He doesn’t give me everything I ask for because clearly sometimes I ask for selfish things that wouldn’t be good for me. Generally when I pray though, a lot of my prayers are intercessory for the sake of others needs.

After finally settling on one incident and sharing my prayer success story, I had a tough time falling asleep last night as I thought about all of the wonderful answered prayers I’ve witnessed. What kept me from sleep was thinking about what has been the biggest prayer I’ve been praying for years but have yet to see an answer to. My prayer actually isn’t as simple as I think it is as there are many layers to my prayer.

I’ve been praying for decades: I want to be able to look in the mirror and like what I see not based on my weight, but just like me as me. I want to stop thinking about food and obsessing about what I eat all the time. I want to lose this extra 30 pounds and maintain a normal weight for the rest of my life without fixating on my diet. I want to eliminate this unnatural relationship I have with food and stop using food for comfort, stress and boredom. And I want to stop using food to fill the void in me and let God fill that area and make him number one in my life.

Gee, that’s not too much to ask is it? When I write it out and read it back, none of these things seem unreasonable. I’ve seen God do amazing miraculous things in my life, my family’s lives, my friends’ lives and I’m continually awestruck by the power of God. Somehow though, I feel let down that God is ignoring me on these problems in my life.

Clearly, further examination of my heart and my motives are in order. Am I asking for selfish things? Am I asking for something unreasonable? I know nothing is impossible for God and when I ask I need to have faith that God hears me. Maybe that’s the real problem … too little faith.

Okay, Lord. How about I ditch all my unanswered prayers and simply pray for more faith? Give me faith to believe I can lose weight, I can like myself and I can stop using food to placate my emotions. Above all else – increase my faith to believe God can and will fill my void.

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. ~Martin Luther King Jr.

“24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:24-25 (NIV)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, please increase my faith and help me to believe the impossible is possible with your help and divine intervention. Help me not to compare myself to others and believe that you have a special plan for my life different from anyone else. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Give me this day MY DAILY BREAD and no more! I AM going to get this! Yesterday was somewhat better than the previous day. I didn’t necessarily eat myself stupid with junk food, but I didn’t stick to my menu plan perfectly. I know I can’t always be perfect in life, but when I’m controlling what goes into my mouth, I should be better at this.

As I went for my three-mile walk this morning, that question ruminated in my spirit – again … What is wrong with me? Is there some hidden underlying stress in my life that’s causing me to reach for the snacks? Am I walking in fear about something that I’ve not addressed yet? Am I harboring unforgiveness in my spirit for someone I’ve not dealt with yet? Is there unresolved rebellion in my heart that’s dying to rear its ugly head? I wish I knew.

On the surface, I feel as though life is fine. Things are moving along at a nice clip with no real crisis at this time. Yet something MUST be festering in my spirit if I can’t stop my uncontrollable snacking. There’s got to be a psychological reason that makes me want to eat. It’s got to be about more than the simple fact that I just like to eat and I like the taste of food, right?

If my mother were alive she’d simply counsel me to “Stop obsessing and just ignore it.” While that’s “easier said than done,” it’s still good advice. Today I think I’ll take Mom’s advice and dive into some house cleaning and vow not to think about food today. And when I do think about it, it will only be in the context of give me this day my daily bread.

I will get this!

Life’s problems wouldn’t be called “hurdles” if there wasn’t a way to get over them. ~Author Unknown

35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Hebrews 10:35-36 (NIV)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, I pray for a strong mind and fierce determination to dig in and resist temptation. May I truly acquire the strength, faith and fortitude it takes to overcome my fleshly weaknesses. I ask all these things in your holy name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

I thought I’d be able to move on to part two of praying the Lord’s Prayer to help me with my uncontrollable eating. So far though, yesterday wasn’t exactly what I would call successful. I tried praying give us this day our daily bread before I ate, but somehow I still exceeded my menu plan.

Every new day seems to start with a plan and truck load of good intentions. Most days I do fairly well until the “witching hour” strikes. That’s the hours between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Something seems to happen to me during that two hour window.

It’s almost like having a stranger inhabit my body for that short period of time. I’m consumed by an unnatural hunger and want to start eating – even if I’m not hungry. I’m not sure which is more challenging for me – trying to figure out what is at the root cause of this two-hour meltdown, or trying to find a non-food related activity I can do during that time that keeps me from eating myself stupid.

Even as I pray for strength and beg God to give me this day my daily bread, I feel as though this monster is inside of me trying to eat its way out. Perhaps I’m only consuming mass quantities of food during that time because I’m trying to fill my body up with food to keep the monster inside.

It bears some further internal examination to be sure. For the time being, it may be beneficial for me to work on my blog post daily during this troublesome time. At least if I’m writing, I can’t eat.

A habit is something you can do without thinking - which is why most of us have so many of them. ~Frank A. Clark

“1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

PRAYER FORT TODAY: Lord, please increase my faith and determination to be healthy. Give me this day my daily bread and help me to overcome temptation and remain strong and steadfast in my resolve to lose weight and be healthy. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

This morning as I prepared and ate my breakfast the words of the Lord’s Prayer tumbled around in my head. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not in to temptation, but deliver us from evil.

As I ate, I started praying that my outlined menu plan for the day would be exactly enough for me today – my daily bread and no more. It is my desire to eat only what is healthy for me to sustain a healthy body. I truly don’t understand why my emotions need to be fed more often than my flesh. What is wrong with me?

Every week I start out with good intentions and a perfectly outlined menu for the week but it becomes nearly impossible for me to follow the plan exactly. If my lunch calls for two tablespoons of lite dressing, I feel the need to add a little extra because the required amount doesn’t quite get the job done.

If I measure out 12 yogurt covered raisins, I grab a few extra that I don’t count and enjoy those as well. It’s the same thing with peanut butter. If I measure a perfect tablespoon, I can’t resist dipping the knife in the jar and running it around the edges to smooth it out before I close it up – or I’ll lap up any extra hanging from the bottom of the spoon.

All of these little extra bites, licks and tastes are definitely detrimental to my weight loss, but yet I feel powerless over my rebellion. Seriously – what is wrong with me? Why can’t my daily bread be enough for me?

Today as eat, I am vowing to pray the Lord’s pray before I eat anything. No really, I mean it – ANYTHING! Perhaps as I’m praying, God in his mercy will remove the blinders from my eyes and reveal to me … what is wrong with me and I can finally move forward.

Today – my daily bread. Tomorrow I’ll work on forgive us our trespasses. That’s a whole other can of worms that most likely won’t be fixed in a day or two. The Lord’s Prayer … who knew it could be used as an appetite suppressant? But I’ve tried everything else, so why not?

The value of consistent prayer is not that He will hear us, but that we will hear Him. ~William McGill

9″This, then, is how you should pray: ” ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:9-15 (NIV)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, please help my daily bread to satisfy me and be enough for today. My desire is to eat only what I need to sustain life. Please take away my cravings and fill me with your Holy Spirit rather than me wanting to fill my body with food. Strengthen me today, Lord. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

A friend of mine, Rebecca was close to zeroing in on her goal weight. She’d had a long battle trying to safely remove 45 pounds from her petite frame. She’d done everything right from exercise to journaling and practicing portion control.

Within about eight pounds of victory I noticed subtle changes in her. She began feeling anxious and nervous. Her solid resolve of resisting temptation began to crumble before my very eyes. She started to “cheat” – only a little at first and then a lot. I got very nervous for her and boldly asked her what was going on with her.

She confessed to being terrified of reaching her goal weight and then maintaining it. After all, she’d been at her goal weight before but never managed to stay at that weight very long. She wasn’t the only one in her household feeling anxious about her reaching her goal.

She admitted that the closer she got to her “magic number” the more treats her husband brought home “unexpectedly.” He was taking her out for dinner more frequently to her old haunts. She broke down in tears saying she felt like all of a sudden he was deliberately trying to sabotage her weight loss.

The combination of her fear of reaching her goal weight and husband’s not-so-subtle attempts to sabotage her were more than Rebecca could handle and she felt herself sliding back into old habits. A mutual friend of ours suggested that it’s not uncommon for loved ones to feel threatened by a slender more attractive mate and sabotage is not unusual.

Once Rebecca talked things over with her husband and they both were able to verbalize their fears, they both relaxed and Rebecca was able to get back on target. They prayed together and she’s been able to keep her anxiety in check and she’s reclaimed her focus.

I deal with my own anxieties – most of us do. Recognizing our fears and talking them over with a loved one, close friend or accountability partner can help us to keep thing in perspective. I typically talk to God before I reach out and talk about my fears with anyone else. Sometimes though, I just need to share my struggles out loud with another person.

Silence may be golden in a library or the middle of a church service, but when something’s eating you in the form of worry, fear or anxiety, get it out and talk it out.

Troubles are a lot like people - they grow bigger if you nurse them. ~Author Unknown

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I ask that you would help me to stop worrying about the things I cannot change. Help me to offer encouraging words to others that you may put in my path. I ask that you would bring people across my path that can encourage and support me as well. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

During the course of our healthy eating and lifestyle adjustments we’re bound to have a few failures along the way. Sometimes they’re not even necessarily failures so much as speed bumps. Today I had a speed bump day. I took my daughter to lunch to celebrate her birthday but I absolutely refuse to beat myself up about my meal. We had a fabulous afternoon – one of the nicest we’ve ever spent together, so no regrets.

We did the “all you can eat” soup, salad and breakstick lunch at our favorite restaurant. I was pleased with myself that I managed to hold my breadstick consumption to a mere two. I could have more than doubled that, but managed to restrain my animal instincts.

I also had two helpings of salad – but hey – it was salad, so the fact that it was green means it had to be good for me, right? The soup was delicious but I had only one serving. My real speed bump occurred after lunch. Being my daughter’s birthday I forced her to pick a dessert so she could be properly serenaded by the wait staff with song, merriment and candles. It was wonderfully embarrassing for her and perfectly delightful for me to watch her blush, which she rarely does.

She selected a decadent piece of Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake with a chocolate crunch crust that quite simply was to die for. Of course I helped her polish it off in record time and it was sinfully satisfying. Again no, regrets.

Days like today come around so seldom. I intend to file this day away in my backpack of happy memories and cherish my day forever. Tomorrow is a new day and I’m resting in the knowledge that even though I may have used up my allotment of mercy today, God’s mercies are brand new everyday so tomorrow I can start fresh and expect a fresh load of mercy for tomorrow’s challenges.

You gotta love a God that never disappoints and refreshes and restores us DAILY.

I love the sweet smell of dawn - our unique daily opportunity to smell time, to smell opportunity - each morning being, a new beginning. ~Terri Guillemets

22 The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. 24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” Lamentations 3:22-24 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Thank you Lord for a fabulous day with my beautiful daughter. Help me to rest in the knowledge that we made wonderful memories today. I pray to feel no guilt or shame for eating with pleasure today and not weighing my portions. My blessings far outnumber my regrets. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

I know I’m supposed to be above that sort of thing, but somehow I still find myself battling with jealousy. Last week I heard a woman confess that she’d eaten an entire bag of Easter candy, but somehow she still managed to lose a couple of pounds for the week. I KNOW I shouldn’t be jealous, but I AM!

I have another friend who hates to work out and isn’t following her meal plan exactly and yet she’s losing weight every week. I KNOW I shouldn’t be jealous, but I AM!

My husband who I love dearly can eat whatever he wants and be very sporadic with his exercise was complaining this week because he’s losing too much weight. Seriously? Is there such a thing??? I KNOW I shouldn’t be jealous, but by golly I SO TOTALLY AM!

I know being jealous solves nothing and it only serves to make me look and feel petty. I’m working on my jealousy issues, but still find myself wrapped up by this green eyed monster and wanting to claw someone’s eyes out.

Jealousy is a very real emotion that I know I must deal with now, before it festers inside of me like some sort of cancer. This morning as a way to combat my jealousy I started the day with exercise and lots of it. I beefed up my weight lifting exercises this morning and added ankle weights to my stair climbing.

Breakfast was weighed and measured to perfection and nary a crumb was added or eaten that wasn’t recorded. I’ve been filling my mind with praise and worship both in music and through television. I’m getting ready to head to my prayer chair and spend time in the Word and a little one-on-one time with God.

What more can a girl do? Not much, other than admitting my jealousy to God and asking His forgiveness. Because we are all so different and God designed us all so uniquely, I know there are multiple opportunities each day to feel jealousy. As long as I don’t take up permanent residence in Jealousy Junction … I know this too shall pass.

Jealousy… is a mental cancer. ~B.C. Forbes

30 A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones. Proverbs 14:30 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I admit my weakness and my feelings of jealousy. I pray Father for forgiveness and ask that you would help me to conquer these ugly feelings. May I be happy and excited for my friends and their success. I pray you would grant me success of my own, in overcoming my jealousy and in overcoming my trials with my weight loss. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Some days are just … boring and nothing much is happening in the way of life, except life. It’s during these just boring life days that doing this weight loss thing is boring as well. It feels like a major pain to weigh and measure my food so I find myself guessing. But that’s a mistake.

Some days life is just boring and I don’t particularly feel like going for my four mile walk so I settle for three. But that’s a mistake.

Some days Iife is so boring I don’t feel like reading all my daily devotionals and resource materials that specifically address my food addictions, so I skim rather than reading and meditating on the words of wisdom. But that’s a mistake.

Some days life is so boring, dull and routine I want to throw out all my good intentions, weight loss resolutions and go and buy the biggest banana split I can find and dive in face first, but I don’t. That would be a colossal mistake.

Some days life is just routine and boring and that’s simply the way life is. We can’t afford to be lazy and veer from our goals. After all that’s what got us in this mess of extra weight to begin with. Oh wait – maybe that’s just me.

Rather than dwelling on how boring weight loss resolutions and programs are, I must think of everyday as the first day of a diet rather than the last days. I’m not anywhere near close to my goal weight so I have to get up every day and be willing to attack this with a strong mind and immovable positive attitude.

Some days life is just boring – but that’s life and I never know when a day may be my last one. I guess I better make the most of the days I have and buckle down and work a little harder so I can extend my remaining days and squeeze as much out of this life as I can.

If you worry about what might be, and wonder what might have been, you will ignore what is. ~Author Unknown

11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. Romans 12:11-12 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I thank you for today. This is the day the Lord has made, may I rejoice and be glad in it – all day and every day. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

It’s the start of a new week and the effort to keep going with this healthy lifestyle change is more than I can bear today. Over the last few days I’ve come across a bunch of people who seem to be able to eat whatever they want – yet they don’t look like they’ve gained any weight. I realize it’s oftentimes easy to hide a multitude of bulges under layers of clothes, but still.

I’m surrounded by people who either don’t care about their diets, people who can eat whatever they want without consequence or people who are comfortable with their excess weight. I’m starting to feel as if I’m all alone.

Isolation is a tool the enemy uses to make us feel just that – trapped and alone … like we’re the only one struggling. I got an email from a friend who said she’d been praying for me and I’m somewhat comforted by that notion. While others are praying for me (thank you) God has been putting other people on my heart who are struggling as I am.

Even in isolation, God continues to work on our behalf by bringing people to mind that we can be praying for. Sometimes it helps to know that we can serve a vital purpose by praying for others who are fighting the same battles as we are. Without our even being aware of it, God is doing the same for me by prompting others to pray for me.

Contrary to what the enemy would like us to believe, we are never alone.

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. ~Abraham Lincoln

13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I thank you that you bring people to my mind that are in need of prayer. I ask that you continue to prompt others to pray for me as well – especially those times when I feel at my lowest and I can’t seem to pray for myself. Thank you Lord that you hear us. I ask all these things in your holy name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

He is risen! Enjoy your Resurrection Sunday with family and friends. Don’t think about your “diet,” but simply be blessed for He is Lord!

Happy Easter!

24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 (NLT)

Because I’m so far from “getting this” whole abstinence from binge eating, I still find myself eating some of the wrong things throughout my week. I am getting better, but still have so far to go. I already confessed to snorfing down Cheese Doodle Puffs earlier this week. Even though 10 or 12 doodles are a long from a binge, I still indulged.

Hiding the “evidence” in the garbage can made me feel like I’d done something wrong, even though I’d allowed for my empty calorie snack. Old habits are hard to eliminate altogether and frequently require extra discipline. Discipline doesn’t help eliminate those feelings when I find myself behaving in a manner that mimics the addictive personality I thought I’d conquered.

Preparing my menu ahead of time has truly helped to curb that obsessive compulsive snacker that I once was. Keeping track of the food I’m consuming has given me a certain freedom from that old addict mindset. But yet I still find myself behaving in like I’m trying to cover my tracks.

After indulging in something “sinful” my first natural reaction is to head for the bathroom to brush my teeth. As if brushing away the residue of a piece of pizza will help me to brush away the underlying guilt I feel from eating the pizza. The taste of guilt leaves a residue all its own that cannot be brushed away.

While I did refrain from having a second piece of pizza (that’s a small victory in and of itself), I continued to find my feelings conflicted – awash with guilt. Somehow the mere idea of pizza makes me feel guilty because it’s not exactly a traditional “diet” food.

The farther I go into this “healthy” lifestyle I prefer to make healthier food choices and that’s a plus. One of the harder things for me to conquer is the notion that I can indulge in “non-diet” foods as long as I count the calories and limit my calories in another area.

With tomorrow being Easter, I’m looking towards the day with a certain ambiguity. Easter brunch is slated to be a breakfast bonanza which could spell trouble. My plan of attack? Egg Beaters, turkey sausage and lots of fruit. And if I succumb to the pastries or pancakes, the good news is brunch is at my house so I know my tooth brush will be close by, just in case.

Easter Blessings!

Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life. ~S.D. Gordon

5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man[b] must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” Luke 24:5-7 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, how thankful I am that you are risen and how grateful I am for your sacrifice. May people the world over come to recognize you as Lord and Savior. I ask all these things in the might name of Jesus. Amen

Today is the day recognized as Good Friday although I imagine for Jesus this historic day was anything but good. I find myself contemplating the brutal death of my Lord and Savior and his triumphant resurrection three days later. Being a person of faith it’s hard to think on anything else during this particular holy weekend.

In my contemplative state I started thinking that perhaps this weekend would be a good time to bury my shortcomings and failures with diet and weight loss and once and for all leave them buried. My pattern has always been to gain victory over my food addictions but then “resurrect” them when life throws me a curve ball.

Jesus died and rose again to bring salvation to mankind. His resurrection is symbolic of burying our old sinful pasts and being born again as joint heirs with Christ. What is past is passed and we don’t need to keep digging it up again because we’ve been reborn – made new with Christ.

Because I’ve refused to keep my past mistakes and failures buried I’ve not placed my complete trust in Christ and I’m refusing his sacrifice on my behalf. Shame on me. I am grateful to God for helping me to see where I’ve erred.

This holy weekend I intend to bury my past failures and leave them in the grave this time. I ask once again for forgiveness for my sins which are many. Even as I repent of my sins, I know my repentance and sacrifice will never equal or compare to what my Lord sacrificed for me.

May everyone be blessed by Christ’s sacrifice for us and celebrate the gift of the risen Lord this resurrection Sunday!

The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances. ~Robert Flatt

He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him, on him. Isaiah 53:5-6 (The Message)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I am eternally grateful for your sacrifice so that I could be saved. I pray that people everywhere will come to know you and serve you as Lord and Savior. Forgive me of all my sins and help me to accept your forgiveness and live each day as a new creation in Christ. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

I’ve been bombarding my brain with tons of positive messages the last few weeks. I watch Joyce Meyer on TV every morning. I’m reading a book by Beth Moore and one by Joyce Meyer as well. I read daily devotionals from Joel Osteen and Gregory Dickow and I’ve been listening to teaching tapes by both men. My mind has been flooded with the gospel of Christ and I’ve been saturating myself with scriptures and worship music.

I’ve been feeding my mind in the hopes that I can figure out how to feed my soul with positive messages so I can win the war waging in my mind – the one that has me convinced I’ll NEVER lose weight. The common element of all these messages has been the importance of thinking positive thoughts and refusing to let your mind dwell on the negative thoughts.

As my spirit is being saturated in these positive words I’ve been feeling that perhaps I can conquer these weight issues. Every day this week rather than praying and asking God to speed up my metabolism and help me to lose weight, I’ve been thanking God daily that I am getting healthier and my body is a fat burning machine.

Rather than looking in the mirror and seeing myself as fat and cringing as I scrutinize all my flaws – I look in the mirror and thank God that I have a healthy body. My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and I am blessed to be able to exercise daily.

I heard a story of a woman diagnosed with cancer whose doctor encouraged her to go home every day and tell herself that she was getting better and stronger every day. She did that numerous time every day for many months and wound up beating the cancer. As a man thinks so he becomes.

Another man suffering with a terminal illness locked himself in his room and watched comedies one after another everyday for a couple of months. He found the funniest movies he could that would cause him to laugh throughout the day – great big belly laughs. He ended up beating his disease. As a man thinks so he becomes.

I’ve known people in the past who were pessimistic and negative people. Trouble seemed to follow these people everywhere. Do I want to be that kind of person? NO. If I look in the mirror and think I’m fat, I’m going to give off that vibe. Do I think I am fat … absolutley NOT! I think I am FIT! As a woman thinks, so she becomes.

A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties. ~Harry Truman

25 “What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true. 26 I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest; only trouble comes.” Job 3:25-26 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I thank you for making me unique. I thank you that I am healthy and I have a sound mind and body. Flush out any negative attitudes from my mind and help me to always have a positive word on my tongue for myself and others. Thank you Lord for life’s many blessings. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.