Put A Pin in Pinterest Thursday...

Pinterst Thursday has been preempted by this...

I saw this video posted on FB a few times this week and after watching it, well...I'm sad.  I'm sad that women don't truly know how beautiful they are, that it's almost impossible for a woman to see herself the way others do and I know that I'm one of these women.

I applaud Dove as they campaign for real beauty.  With real women.  Women that are flawed, and instead of those flaws being airbrushed before publication, they are celebrated.  In Cars 2, Mater (the rusty tow-truck who's honesty is refreshing but isn't known for being all that smart) refused to let his dents be fixed.  He said “You can’t touch my dents,” he says.  “I got every one of them dents with my best buddy Lightning McQueen.”   His dents were accumulated doing what he loved most-spending time with his best friend.  Our dents are accumulated over time, and not always from things we enjoy or can even control.  Stretch marks from carrying a child for 9 months, varicose veins from standing hour hours on end at a job we may or may not love, acne from those dang teenage (or even adult) years, scars from falling off our bike, a car accident or sports injury.  A few extra pounds because we refuse to put the people in our lives on the back burner just to look like a model on the cover of a magazine who has been airbrushed and photoshopped anyway.  We are women who have lived life, and we aren't perfect but we should embrace the fact that that's what makes us wonderful.

I'm on a campaign to stop negative self-talk.  To show women how truly beautiful they are, no matter what shape or size, hair color or texture, bone structure or skin tone.  We are all created in the image of God and when I look around, all I can say is, "Man, my God is beautiful.  In so many different ways."

Will you join me in uplifting each other and putting an end to the idea that only certain traits are beautiful and dethrone society's view of beauty and replace it with God's?  

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. 
Proverbs 31:30

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.  1Peter 3:3-4

The Least of These

The "Snack Bag"

I give food to the homeless almost every single day.  As I drive to the girls school I'll hand out pirate booty, granola bars, applesauce pouches, yogurt, etc without a second thought.  The girls are used to this now and have come to expect a slightly smaller after-school snack than they would normally like.  No squawking though-they know we'll stop at the store if they are too hungry or they'll just wait till we get home.

Today, I realized that I never give out fruits and vegetables.  I always have a full container of each nicely chopped and ready for snacking in the snack bag.  I never give them away because of the container.  "It's not mine-it belongs to my bosses.  It's their money.  How can I give it away?"  And if that weren't dumb enough..."I'd rather have the girls have veggies and fruit, its more healthy.  I'll give away the snacky stuff, they don't need that anyway."

Oh really, Linsey?  The girls, who eat fresh fruit and vegetables at EVERY SINGLE MEAL for their entire lives?  They can't go without veggies one afternoon?  Oh, please!  Isn't it more important for someone who might NEVER get fresh produce to have a healthy snack than it is for my well-to-do girls who have an endless supply of the best Whole Foods has to offer in the way of fresh, organic produce.

If Jesus was standing on the corner, you better believe I'd hand him the veggies, and fruit and everything else in the bag...containers and all...heck, I'd go to the store and buy more stuff...isn't that how I should treat anyone in need I come across?

The contents of the snack bag today, minus the veggies...

I make myself sick.

I think it might have to do with the book I'm reading.  It's called 7: Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, by Jen Hatmaker.  It's an amazing book.  You should pick it up.

Anyway...today, as I was realizing all of this I reached into the snack bag and handed out a full container of fresh veggies to the homeless man I always see at North and the Interstate.  I guess my boss will have to learn to deal with one less plastic container.  If she can't handle it, I'll go buy her another one.  And I'll pack fruits and veggies in ziplock bags from now on...

Positive, Encouraging

I know there are a lot of KLOVE haters out there.  Don't like the DJ's, don't like the music, blah blah blah.  Well, I've been listening to KLOVE pretty much exclusively for almost 2 years now.  Something about it just soothes my soul and when I listen to "regular" music I can almost feel my soul being sucked out of me.  I think it's because, just like my clothes, I tie emotions and memories to songs or artists.  Certain songs remind me of certain people, or times in my life I'd rather not relive.

The girls and I are in the car a TON and I just can't handle them listening to Rhianna and Ke$ha...that's not the influence I want these girls to have.  At first they fought it...complained about listening to KLOVE all the time.  Now, they sing along with a lot of the songs, listen to the stories, ask questions about what is being said and feel like they know the Dj's. (Here in Chicago, KLOVE broadcasts on 94.3FM)

Sure, the DJ's on KLOVE are pretty syrupy.  I sometimes even turn the radio down when they're talking in between songs, but sometimes, I don't.  And usually, they are actually saying something worthwhile.

Right now they are doing the pledge-drive.  Since they are listener funded they have to ask for donations a few times a year to keep the station going.  Just like your PBS station.  The stories that come out of the radio during the pledge-drive are crazy.  Here are a few of my favorites (please excise the lack of accurate names...I'm going form memory here)

A middle school teacher in New Mexico struggled to get pregnant, finally gave birth to twins and immediately was diagnosed with 2 brain tumors, one of which is inoperable sentencing her to chemo for the rest of her, what is probably now very short life.  The students at the PUBLIC school decided that because KLVOE is so important to her and they want to do something to bring her comfort, they set up a collection jar in the cafeteria and committed to putting all their spare change in it each day...donating $20/month to KLOVE to help keep it on the air for their beloved teacher.

A man walked into a UHAUL/Penske/Ryder rental place and rented a truck.  He got in it and drove away.  An hour later he returned the truck.  The owner of the rental place asked what was wrong with the truck.  Nothing, it turns out.  The radio was tuned to KLOVE, the man hear the song "Lead Me" by Sanctus Real and decided NOT to leave his wife and kids...instead of moving out he turned the truck around and went back to his family.

A 12 year old girl wrote in saying that she's struggled with suicidal thoughts daily and suffers from severe depression.  A friend from church told her about KLOVE, she started listening to it and though she still struggles and her depression isn't cured, she has enough hope to want to live.  She wished she could donate but she doesn't have any money.  Immediately, the phone lines were flooded with people calling in donations from around the country letting that girl know they loved her and her life is worth them donating so she can continue to hear God's word through KLOVE.

A man called in saying he was taking his 6 year old daughter Abigail to daycare when she asked what it means to be saved.  She told him she'd heard about people being saved on KLOVE.  He explained that it means giving your heart to the Lord and what it entails.  She said, "Daddy, I want to commit my life to Jesus."  He pulled the car over and they prayed together.  He said even though the day was just starting, it was the best day of his life.

Shortly after that, a woman called in and said her daughter heard the story about Abigail giving her life to Christ when they were in the car to school and now she wanted to do the same.

Are you kidding me?!  Crap, my eyes are welling up just typing this!  God is at work, everywhere.  Whether you like KLOVE of not, you can't deny that it is an amazing way to spread God's word and the message of His love, grace, mercy and forgiveness to people who may never set foot in a church.  People who are hurting in ways others might not even know.

I love it.

If you want to donate to KLOVE click here.  Also, it's important to note that with a $40 monthly donation the organization "Shoes For Orphan Souls" will donate a new pair of shoes to an orphan right here in the US or somewhere else around the world.

Cyber-bullying: Two Tales

I'm not doing Pinterest Thursday today.  I ran across something that needs my attention.

Remember awhile back that Greenbay Packers cheerleader that was the target of rude remarks from a supposed Chicago Bears fans?  Remember how we all got riled up.  Called it cyber-bullying, couldn't believe anyone, let alone several people, would go as far as attacking someone's looks?  It gained national attention...click the links to see the story on:

ABC News
Yahoo! Sports
USA Today
Fox News

And watch her video here:

Outrage.  How could anyone call this young woman those nasty things?  She's someone's daughter, sister, friend.  She's a child of God.  We championed her for speaking up and fighting for an end to cyber-bullying, which we all agreed must stop!

Glad we're all in agreement so far.  Keep reading...

I've seen a picture of a young man on Facebook several times and the caption on the photo says "Describe him in one word."  After seeing that people I know commented on the photo I clicked the comments to see what people were saying.  Though I didn't see what the people I know said (there are almost half a million comments and close to 30,300 "likes") none of the comments I read were positive.  They ranged from "Hideous" "Loser" "Unemployed dishwasher" to "Worthless" "Ugly" and plenty more that I can't actually retype.

Child of God

How are we allowing this to happen?  Isn't this cyber bullying?  Shouldn't we be outraged?  Calling for an end to cyber-bullying?  Reminding him and those who called him names that he's a child of God?  He's someone's brother, son, friend.  Shouldn't he be treated with the same respect as the lovely cheerleader?

Jesus and the Pharisees disagreed on this point.  This argument is not new.  The Pharisees thought Jesus was out of line for surrounding himself with sinners.  For associating with the sick, needy and destitute.  They believed he should only do life with the righteous, the clean, healthy, self-sufficient, the law followers...in other words, them.  In their eyes, Jesus should only have given time to the Pharisees, as they felt they were the only ones worthy of Him.

Jesus said:

 “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17

But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Matthew 9:12

Man, I'm sure glad that Jesus came to save everyone.  Not just the social elite of the day.  Not just the cheerleaders, but everyone.

The Bible says our bodies are a temple.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰ for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

This young man has chosen to adorn his body in this way.  We might not agree, but then again, he might not think getting plastic surgery is a suitable way to adorn our bodies.  Or what about the extra 20-30 pounds that adorn lots of bodies?  Is that honoring God?  This young man might not think so.  But is he posting photos of overweight people asking for comments on what you think of them?  No.  He isn't.

Judge not, that you be not judged. Matthew 7:1

God holds the position of Judge.  You do not, neither do I, nor does anyone else on this earth.  We will all be held accountable for each action and word while we were alive.  In the meantime, we are called to love.  To serve others, to shine God's light into this dark world.

I challenge you to comment "Child of God" if you see this man's photo.  Then send a private message to the FB page hosting the photo and ask them to take it down...cyber-bullying must stop.  And not just for cheerleaders.  Everyone gets behind the cheerleader, who will stand up for this man? Send the message that Christians love others-no matter what they look like or how they choose to live.  We are commanded to love, not judge.

His law is LOVE and His gospel is PEACE.

You don't have to agree with how someone chooses to live or what they choose to do with their body, but you are called to love them.  You don't have to find them beautiful but by rejecting this man for how he looks is not much different than the Pharisees telling Jesus he shouldn't dine with tax collectors and sinners.  And remember, we're all sinners.  And all sin is equal in the eyes of the Lord.


²⁸ And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”²⁹ Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ³² And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. ³³ And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” ³⁴ And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Mark 12:28-34

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and yougave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them,‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”  Matthew 25:31-46

Prayer And Fasting

I spent the weekend fasting and in prayer.  My prayers were as follows:

*Remove food as an idol in my life
*Focus on spiritual health vs physical appearance
*Lean on God and not rely on my own strength to resist temptation and be disciplined
*Run my own race and don't compare to anyone else
*God centered eating and exercise going forward

My time in prayer and in the Word centered me again in Christ and revealed where I need to focus and which things I need to cut out of my life to reduce stress and striving.

As far as my relationship with food...

I decided to jump into this Whole30 thing.  (Check this blogpost if you don't know what I'm talking about)  I decided waiting till April 1st was going to be too hard...I was seeing myself binging until then which is not good.

Setting myself  up for success is the only way this is going to work.  My biggest fear is dinner.  I can (with the help of God) eat Whole30 all day and then dinner strikes...I cook for the girls Monday through Thursday and there is no way they are going to hop on the Whole30 bandwagon.  I decided to gear up during the next two week by sticking to Whole30 until dinner, then still making the wisest decisions possible...reserve a chicken breast for myself before assembling chicken enchiladas, put my spaghetti sauce over mushrooms or spaghetti squash instead of pasta.  And use this time to try recipes, get my freezer and fridge stocked with quick dinner options that are Whole30 approved so when April 1st rolls around it'll be an easy transition.

After fasting, I was psyched to go grocery shopping and start making some Whole30 meals...I ran into a slight problem...I only have one third of the fridge.  How am I to keep all sorts of produce, protein and eggs on hand when I only have half of one shelf, a produce drawer and a shared deli drawer...

Menu planning!  Turns out menu planning is pretty much a life saver...at work and at home!  I sat down, looked at my week and planned each workout and meal.  Made a list and minimized unnecessary impulse buys.  I vowed to try things I haven't liked in the past (like sweet potatoes) and give everything a fair shot.  I ventured into the world of coconut oil, clarified butter and vegetables like asparagus and brussels sprouts...

Next up...making the recipes!  Check back tomorrow for the first few recipes I've attempted!

She Reads Truth

I've been doing a daily devotional called She Reads Truth: Fresh Start and day 14 really hit me last week:    

God Means What He Says

Sometimes in my life, I forget how serious God is – how true the words in the Bible are. In this day and age of instant gratification and feel good messages, it’s easy to start to think of God as a warm and fuzzy persona. The unconditional love He has for us is talked on more than the firmness of the proclamations He’s made.

In Hebrews, we are told that God means what He says. In two ways. That once we are His, we are His forever. That we are to “…hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Heb. 10:23 NIV) We can come before him and know that because of Jesus, we are shown as white as snow.

But the flip side of this is the last part of these verses. For those who hear the Word and turn away from it, who refuse to accept Jesus’ offer of salvation, “…no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” (Heb 10:26-27 NIV) That’s pretty heavy stuff. How often do we hear this in the same paragraph as a loving God?

“But,” we may think, “not really. I mean, surely when they die God tells them it’s ok, no worries. They might be really nice people. He won’t send anyone to eternal hell.”

Sisters, nice isn’t the condition for salvation. It’s fully, totally, unconditionally accepting that we are broken and sinful by nature, and the only way that we can come before God is through Jesus. Jesus makes this very simple: there are no hoops to jump through, no lists, no good works to get to a certain level of holy. Nothing. There is nothing on earth we can do to ensure eternal salvation short of having Jesus as your Savior.

This verse is uncomfortable. It’s not pretty. But it’s the truth. God means what He says. When you’re His, you’re His forever. Period. And if you hear and reject what He’s offered, there is no other option. No second chance at those pearly gates.

As we start this New Year, let’s look into our hearts and make sure we are fully comprehending our salvation, that we have truly given our lives to our Father and not simply been working on getting to heaven because we are nice people.

Good works should come from our thankfulness for salvation and love for Jesus, not as a way to get around what He did for us.

How long did I live my life thinking "If there really is a God and He sees I'm doing the best I can and trying to be a good person, shouldn't that be enough?  I'm nice, and I'm even a better person than some of those people who call themselves Christians...shouldn't this 'God of love' reward me for that?"

UGH!  How many wasted years!  I could have been in deep and meaningful relationship with Christ but instead was trying to convince myself that I was good enough!

Oh, Lins!  Couldn't be further from the truth!  Never, can anyone 'be good enough' to get into heaven.  Except Jesus Christ.  He is the only spotless Lamb there ever was and ever will be.  There is no way we can earn Salvation.  We can't earn God's love either.  He loves us.  Period.  No matter what.  We can throw fits, walk away, spit in His face even, but His love for us will never cease.  Sure, there will be repercussions for our sin, but losing His love will never be one of them.

Sigh...nothing beats twinkle lights, chai and the Bible...

That was a hard concept for me to grasp.  I am a people-pleaser and perfectionist to the max and I struggled to understand that nothing I do will ever be good enough to earn His love or my salvation.  All I need to do is simply accept His love, His sacrifice, His gifts of grace and mercy.  To love Him in return.  

And for that, an eternity in His presence.

Wow.  I'm in. 

Apples And Bananas

Last week I posted about my struggle with food.  Read about that here.  Since then, I've been trying to really think about the things I put in my mouth and why I'm putting them in my mouth.  At first I thought, well, I'll just eat healthy things all the time, like apples, veggies, lean protein, and then I won't have to worry about it. 

Look for my green smoothie recipe
on Friday!

Well, people...I can tell you one thing-this girl sure has eaten a lot of fruit, veggies and lean protein.  I even made a salmon dinner last week at work (check out Pinterest Thursday tomorrow for the recipe) but I've found that my unhealthy relationship with food has no boundaries.

It's not kept away by leafy greens and omega-3's.  

Turns out that there is such thing as "too much of a good thing."  I mean, sure, my body doesn't care quite as much when I eat too many grapes vs eating too many brownies, but spiritually there isn't a difference.

I can eat carrot sticks but still be sinning.  Yep, that's right Lins, it's only partly about what you put in your mouth, the majority of the problem is the why you're putting it in your mouth.  When I start eating to deal with an emotion or because I'm stressed, or just simply because something is sitting in front of me, it doesn't matter what I'm eating, it's wrong.  

Food is meant to sustain life.  To fuel our bodies and minds.  It's not meant to be our shoulder to cry on, entertainment, best friend, therapist, pastor or savior.  It doesn't matter if it's chocolate covered caramels or broccoli florets if my intent is not simply to nourish my body.  Overeating is overeating.  (I need to mention that under-eating is also equally as sinful...we are asked to treat our bodies as temples and neglecting to nourish the body is preventing it from functioning as God intended...)  

Yes, overeating apples will get a different result than over eating cookies, but since my goal here isn't physical change (though that will be a result) but spiritual change, gorging on apples (or anything for that matter) is unacceptable.

Please don't mistake this post as a scolding (to you or to myself) but just as what it is-my thoughts on paper...ok, maybe not actual paper...but you know what I mean.

I've promised to be transparent, honest and open about my journey to a better relationship with God through fixing this issue of sin in my life so I feel its important to come clean when I've given into temptation...

This is the recipe I use but I make 

2 bags of  popcorn and do 

1.5 times the caramel mix...

Last week I was asked to bring snacks to a thing I was attending.  I came home one night around 930 and set out to make marshmallow caramel corn which is basically my new go-to snack...quick, easy, and super delicious.  So, when it's done and cooling, I started my nightly routine of checking email, Facebook, etc.  I just happened to be sitting right next to the pan of cooling popcorn.  I said "go ahead, Linsey, have a little bite and be done."  Which was fine.  But it didn't stop there.  "A bite" became a few bites and then the justification started..."you have enough calories left over, you worked out today, one more bite will be fine and then stop."  But I couldn't.  I ate too much...not a binge or anything, but I couldn't stop when I knew I needed to.  Once I realized this, I quickly put the popcorn in a container with a lid, and placed it into a bag and set it by the door so I could grab it in the morning.  I brushed my teeth and closed myself in my room for the remainder of the night.

I've thought about it and here is what I discovered: 

*I have zero (or less than zero if that's possible) willpower/self control after about 7pm.

*When I'm tired I can't say no to sweets in particular.

*There is a point where I realize what I'm doing and actually make a conscious decision to keep eating even though I tell myself to stop.

*When I tell myself I can't have something I know that's the first thing I'm going to eat and I'll eat extra just to "punish" myself for telling me no.

*When other people are around I feel it's ok to eat whatever I want and in high quantities because either a) nobody will notice or b) others are doing the same.

On the flip side, here is how I've started to handle some of those things:

*I've started eating a healthy and filling snack before going into a group setting where I know food will be available, then I allow myself to eat as many fruits/veggies as I want and have one bite of something else...literally one bite...I took a spoon and scooped out a bite of cupcake and walked away...

*I brush my teeth and stay out of the kitchen when I know I'm reaching the point of "no-return"

* There is always a healthy snack in my backpack so I can grab it instead of making an impulse buy when I'm hungry and away from the house.

*I always know what I'm going to be eating next and when I can eat it, this prevents me from making rash decisions because I'm starving or don't know when I'll eat next.

*Praying each morning that God will remove obstacles to my honoring Him in this way and that He'll give me strength when I'm faced with temptation.

* I use a small bowl for anything that needs a bowl--cereal bowls are no longer in my rotation, and I also only use small salad plates for my food, this way it looks like I'm eating a lot but my portion sizes are within reason.

*When I recognize that I've made the conscious decision to over-do it, I don't berate myself but instead say, "Ok.  That happened." walk away and take a few minutes to consider why/how it happened, pray for forgiveness for making food an idol and MOVE ON.  

I don't believe it's healthy to beat yourself up over a misstep.  My God knows I'm trying to honor Him and that it's HARD for me.  He sees me struggle and is happy with my progress.  He appreciates when I come to Him and ask forgiveness and helps me find ways to do better next time. If God can forgive us, shouldn't be be able to let it go and move on with change in mind for next time?  

A wise woman once told me that it's impossible to expect yourself to go from an "F" in a certain area to an "A" the next time you face the same situation.  Though ultimately our goal is to be like Jesus, we are human and progress vs. perfection is what we should be focused on.  If I got an "F" last time, I should see the progress that's been made when I get a "D" next time.  And improve from there for the time after that.  Through God's work in and through us, we will become more like Jesus, it just won't happen overnight...though that sure would be nice, wouldn't it?

Made To Crave

I found this devotional series while searching through the Bible app on my phone and since having a healthier relationship with food is my focus right now, I thought it was fitting.

Yesterday's devotional really struck me.

Made To Crave

“I’ll start again on Monday” are the ill-fated words that I’m certain have passed through every woman’s mind since the beginning of time. Whether it’s an excuse regarding our diet, exercise, temper, or devotional time, this phrase cycles through our lives on a regular basis. Or, is it just me? 

For example, on a Saturday morning, I head down to my kitchen vowing to do better, eat healthier, and make good choices, only to have my resolve melt like the icing on the cinnamon rolls my daughter pulls from the oven. So I conclude the weekend is the worst time to begin eating healthier and tell myself, “I’ll start again on Monday.” 

However, I find myself nagged by the subtle feeling of defeat, disappointment, and frustration. This crushing cycle of powerlessness that I’ve come to hate continues. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to wander around on a fruitless path unable to enter into the abundant life God has for me. 

Today I challenge you to start a new cycle of making God your focus, rather than food. Each time you crave something you know isn’t part of your plan, use that craving as a prompting to pray. I crave a lot. So I’ve found myself praying a lot. Potato chips and brownies now prompt me to pray! God gave us the gift of prayer to turn our times of desperation into relationship opportunities with Him. This cycle is far more promising than distancing ourselves from His goodness with our own sense of self-loathing and defeat. 

For example, when we make God our focus, we can wake up in the morning and say “God, I want a biscuit this morning. Instead, I’m eating poached eggs. I’m thankful for these eggs, but I’ll be honest in saying my cravings for other things are hard to resist. But instead of wallowing in what I can’t have, I’m making the choice to celebrate what I can have.”

What better way to live than fully in today rather than always looking to start over on Mondays!

I am totally guilty of this.  Sometimes I'll even wait for the next month to start...if the 1st of the month is also a Monday you've hit the jackpot!

What really hit me is just being honest about things...I want this but I'll eat this instead, and thanking God for what he's given us rather than bemoaning the fact that we don't/can't have what we really want.

I'm praying that I'll crave God instead of food, that I'll find my fullness in Him and not sweets.

Food & God (Part 2)

To catch up on Part 1 from Wednesday, click here.

Lets see, where did I leave off...oh, yes...what does this have to do with food and my unhealthy relationship with it?  Easy, two things actually:

1) You can't simply cut food out of your life.  Its impossible.  You'll die.  Plain and simple.  Our bodies need fuel to operate.  You can cut out nicotine, alcohol and even cute boys leading nowhere, but you can't cut out food.  That makes it really challenging when moderation, control, and willpower aren't in your black and white dictionary.  

People will stop inviting you out to bars when you tell them you struggle with alcohol.  But because you have to eat, it's impossible to avoid situations with food.  Even if I plan on ordering something healthy and taking half of it home to keep my portion size in control, I can easily get derailed when the person I'm with decides to order an appetizer, or something more delicious but less healthy than I was planning, and don't even get me started on ordering dessert...

Some people don't understand that food is addictive just like alcohol or nicotine, but since you can't just give it up, they don't know what to do.  It's not talked about.  Nobody mentions when you start to put on a few pounds from binging.  If you were passing out regularly from alcohol, people would say something!  Eating doesn't interfere with your daily life-you are a high functioning addict and the only sign is a few pounds here and there...which like I said-nobody is going to mention.

2) Yes, God created our bodies.  Yes, food is necessary to fuel these bodies.  BUT...and this is where my thinking has changed slightly...God created our bodies for HIS purpose.  Just like when I refrain from contacting cute dead-end boy because I know it would not be honoring God with my emotions and/or body, I should also refrain from filling my body with junk because that too is not honoring to Him.

My body is a vessel.  A way for God to work here, on the Earth.  Through me, He can step into peoples lives, show love and further His Kingdom.  

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 19:20

If you were given a race car, would you fuel with with economy gas?  NO!  If you were given a designer gown would you throw it in the washer with your gym socks and some Tide?  NO!!

Why then do I never consider God when I'm filling my body with crap?  If this vessel is going to be used by God, shouldn't I be maintaining it to the best of my ability?  This body is not my own, I'm a steward of it while here on Earth.  This body belongs to Him.  

In most areas of my life, I have made the decision to yield to God.  To walk in a manner worthy of Him.  I change how I do things or give them up all together because I love Him and know His will is best for me.  But my eating has always been about me.  What sounds good to me, what will fill this void, satisfy this craving, bring me comfort.  It's never been about God.  Filling this body with the things it needs to serve God, to honor Him, to keep it healthy for many more years of service.

I don't believe God wants me to suffer through mushy carrots and dry chicken every day.  I know there is nothing wrong with enjoying the foods I like in moderation.  It's just the moderation I struggle with.  Because I'm not focused on Him.  I'm not seeing the few chocolate covered almonds as a nice treat once in a while.  I see them as something I've earned, a right, a fix for whatever is wrong.  If some is good, more is better.  

I know that walking away from inappropriate relationships with men will protect my heart and prepare me for the future husband God (hopefully) has for me.  So I'm willing to make that sacrifice.  Am I then, also willing to sacrifice the pleasure I find in junk foods, or high quantities of food, for the knowledge that I've properly stewarded the vessel God has entrusted me with? 

Oh, and a side note...food will never fill any void.  It won't make up for the lack of compliments, acknowledgement, or love.  It can't right wrongs or soothe our souls.  Another human can never completely satisfy us either...we are all flawed and eventually, we will somehow let down everyone we love.  There's only one thing that will fill those voids...God.

Where do we go from here?  Well, I'll be trying to figure out a healthy eating plan...I don't pretend to have all the answers, I'm a work in progress but I'll do my best to honestly share my struggles and successes as I work to honor God in this areas of my life and attempt to develop a healthier relationship with food.

I'm not going to drastically slash entire food groups from my diet nor am I going to radically amp up my workouts.  I'm going to focus on eating and dealing with food in a God honoring way...please add your struggles and triumphs to the conversation...

Food & God (Part 1)

Its no secret that I love food.  I'm not one of those "eat to live" people.  I'm more of the "live to eat" variety.  Though I've always been active and maintained a healthy weight, I've struggled with food for years.

When I was in high school Papa thought I was anorexic.   I was not.  I've never starved myself, trust me-I can hardly make it if I miss a snack.  If I've had any sort of eating disorder, it'd be compulsive overeating.  Most people don't believe me because I'm not overweight, but those who are close to me know that I often cannot control myself and binge eat.

I've been trying to get a handle on it for the past few years and at times have been successful.  Most times, I can even stay in my calorie range but the calories are sometimes made up of handfuls of chocolate covered almonds, or a bag of chips.  Sure, I love the taste and texture of chocolate covered almonds but I'm not downing them because of that.  I find some sort of fulfillment and satisfaction in eating them that I simply don't find in eating something healthier.

Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat,for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
    and slumber will clothe them with rags.
Proverbs 23: 20-21

For years I never had to worry about calorie count or food consumption, I was blessed with a high metabolism and have always been extremely active.  At 32, I'm at a healthy weight.  When I graduated high school I was the same height I am now and weighed almost 40 pounds less.  Sure, I was incredibly skinny and hadn't finished developing my womanly curves, but 40 pounds is not a small amount.

As I entered my mid-late 20's, I noticed that I'd gain a few pounds after a holiday weekend, or a birthday party.  I wasn't able to drop the weight in the week that followed as I'd always been able to.  When life started getting heavy, I turned to food for comfort more than ever, and it just so happened that my metabolism was slowing down.  I became consumed with fear that I'd soon become overweight so I started exercising more.  I tried to eat healthy foods and control my portion size.

I'd be able to keep up a healthy routine for a bit then the wheels would fall off.  I'd have a stressful day, my feelings would get hurt, or I'd just give in to my monthly cravings.  A bag of Doritos, or a carton of Ben & Jerry's later I was left feeling like a failure and ashamed.  Nobody listened when I said I was feeling fat because even if I gained a few, I was still at a "healthy" weight.  "Give yourself a break Linsey" they'd say..."it's ok to indulge every once in a while."

Well...I'm a black and white person.  All or nothing.  "Once in a while" isn't in my vocabulary.  I either do it ALL THE TIME of NOT AT ALL.  Most things that cause problems in life can be handled in this manner...if you're an alcoholic, you completely give up drinking.  When you realize you are addicted to nicotine, you stop smoking.  People praise you for your bold and courageous steps.  Hold your hand through the hard times and celebrate your success.

Since turning my life over to Christ, I've cut certain things out of my life.  Not because God told me to. But out of the love I have for Him, I desired to change my life to be more pleasing to Him.  To remove things that were preventing me from fully walking with Him.

For example...there is a guy who causes me to stumble.  When we are together we talk for hours but were never able to stop there.  We'd end up making out and I knew it wasn't going anywhere because 1) He doesn't love Jesus and 2) there is no 2... #1 is enough to kick someone to the curb in my book.

So...this guy and I would make out then I'd feel like crap because I knew that's not what I should be doing.  I knew that what I truly wanted was a husband, a strong Christian man who would be the spiritual leader of my family.  And making out with this guy wasn't going to help me get there.  My heart would be a mess because my God made me a relational person-I wasn't designed to have casual physical encounters with people.  I was designed to make an emotional connection with the person.  That's God's design, and time and time again I tried to fight it, to ignore it, to pretend I was some sort of cool, casual go-with-the-flow person who could handle making out with someone and be ok with not being in their actual life.

So...what does this have to do with food and my unhealthy relationship with it?  Easy, two things actually...Check bad Friday for the rest of this discussion.