Don’t Give Up

Don’t Give Up

PicsArt_03-03-04.32.37Have you ever wanted to just give up?  I mean…you’ve eaten 0-5, you have read Thin Within or done a workbook study or gone thru the Hunger Within book and yet, you seem stuck.  Or it’s too hard.

Maybe you have been getting closer and closer to the Lord by surrendering the food, weight and size.  It may have felt like you’ve been on a mountain top.

Yet….sometimes our darkest valleys come after we have been on the “mountaintop” experiences with the Lord, don’t they?

We are not alone in this experience of wanting to give up!

In 1 Kings 19, we read about how  Elijah felt the same way right after he called fire down from heaven to consume the alter of the Lord!  Right after that happened (and he had all the priests of BAAL killed….) Jezebel calls for his death.

Elijah was AFRAID (yes, this is the man that just called on God to reign fire from heaven to consume the alter…) and he ran for his life!

1 Kings 19:4

Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

PicsArt_03-02-08.36.33

Elijah had just experienced God feeding him by ravens, using him to feed a widow with the oil and grain that never ran out and also raising her child from the dead!  (It’s all in 1 Kings 17) Now he is letting fear rule him and wants to die!

Sometimes we feel like giving up because we let fear overwhelm us.

Just like Elijah, we focus on ourselves and not on God.  When he was focused on God, that’s when miraculous things happened.  But when Elijah was focused on his own insecurity, inadequacies and NOT God’s strength, he wanted to give up!

Ladies, so it is with us!  If we focus on what God can do in us and through us, we will see miraculous things!  He can and WILL transform us from the inside out if we surrender to Him and focus on Him day by day.

Look at this!

When Elijah was wallowing under that tree, ready to give up and die, did God reprimand him?  Did God tell Elijah that he just needed more willpower or that he should just ‘get his act together’? NO!

1 Kings 19:5-7

Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.

Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”

PicsArt_03-02-08.46.22God gave him food to strengthen him and allowed him to rest. He send an angel to help him and care for him.  He didn’t tell Elijah that he had to do it all on his own.

God is telling us that today. He wants to feed us with so much more than what we can give ourselves. We no longer need to sit under that tree feeling like we haven’t done it right or that we should just give up.

We can cry out to God, even in our despair and He will answer. But we must give up doing this in our own strength. We must turn from ourselves and focus on HIM.

So, if you find yourself in the desert, under that tree and ready to give up, HEAR ME NOW:

God is for you.  
God is with you.
God is behind you helping you move forward. 
God is before you leading you on.

deut31

So now, sojourner….be ENCOURAGED on this journey!
Our God is mighty and is with YOU today!

 

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God sees you as BEAUTIFUL! (Who’s Opinion Matters Most?)

God sees you as BEAUTIFUL! (Who’s Opinion Matters Most?)

Psalm-139-14_af7f60ee-c137-4b8d-894d-cfa1edb46b89

When I was a very young child, I didn’t think much about my shape, size or weight. I was blind to what the world said about how a girl should look. I was not self conscious about the way I looked but had self-confidence in myself. I simply didn’t know any different. I look back on that and realize it was a place of freedom.

I teach preschool Music and Movement classes so I see this freedom, confidence and contentment regarding body image every day. When preschoolers come to my classes, they jump, move and sing without any thought to how others see them or what anyone thinks of their bodies.PicsArt_02-10-10.01.47

One example of this is when I had a very overweight student. When he would come to my classes, he could hardly get up off of the floor if he sat down. Despite this, he loved dancing, jumping and moving to the music! Not once was he embarrassed by how he looked while doing the movements. Even though he took longer to get up off of the floor, none of the other children even noticed!

What if I could see myself and other people in that childlike innocence? If I stopped comparing myself to what the world says is “beautiful”, maybe I wouldn’t be tempted to diet in order to have that “perfect body”.

But how do I do this when I am surrounded by a society that says only a size 4 is considered beautiful? Every day we are bombarded with media that screams “BE STICK SKINNY!”  This is something I will never be!  I am a curvy girl.  Even at my smallest size,  when I was TOO small by dieting like crazy and dealing with exercise bulimia, I had curves!

I have to decide whose opinion matters most.

The world will always see what they want to see.  Society will always deem beauty as whatever the fickle fashion dictates.  Do you know that 50-60 years ago there were ads to sell products to fatten you up?

old ads to gain weight2  old ads to gain weight3

That’s right! Being skinny was considered unattractive and being curvy was beautiful!  

So, back to my question. Who is going to determine how I feel about myself? If I am beautiful? Whose opinion matters the most?

Well, God tells me many things about who I am in Him.

It is HIS opinion that matters most!

1 Samuel 16:7

The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

Psalm 45:11PicsArt_02-10-12.18.34

For your royal husband delights in your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.

Jeremiah 31:3

I have loved you, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.

2 Corinthians 5:17 

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Isaiah 43:1

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When I find my identity in Christ and His love, I can see myself as beautiful regardless of shape and size. I can eat within His beautiful boundaries of hunger and fullness regardless of what I look like.

That is freedom!

 “Lord, help me to see myself as you see me: marvelously made.”

PicsArt_02-10-12.25.23

God sees you as BEAUTIFUL.

Mindless Eating

Do you ever find yourself feeling like this woman in the picture?

Most of the time I think I am doing ok with this 0-5 eating, yet sometimes….well….I fall back into old ways that feel so comfortable and familiar.

I had a few days like that not too long ago.  I didn’t mean to eat too much, yet once again, I felt too full and gross. There are times when I feel as if I go into a fog and so I guess it is not the best time to eat.  I want to eat.  My mouth wants to eat. But my stomach isn’t hungry for it.

Sometimes I stop and think, “Why am I eating this?”

I really want to know the WHY behind my behavior but sometimes I can’t find a reason other than

I JUST WANT TO EAT!

 

****Sigh****

Once again, I was just slipping back into mindless eating patterns.

So what do I do now?
I can ask myself why I am eating this in a condemning and defeated way, or I can observe and correct.

I decide to flip through my truth cards and I see Romans 8:1 among them.

No condemnation

I realize I need to pray for help.

Lord, how I need You.  I can’t do this without Your Spirit, Oh Jesus. I need You to pull me up and away from these desires within me that pull me back into mindless eating again.”

“I need more than a whisper of Your still small voice but a SHOUT to wake me up. To help me know this desire to eat when I am not hungry is TEMPTATION.  I need a shout to wake me out of the fog of mindless eating.”

“Lord, my heart aches to do what You want.  I want to turn from the food and to eat mindfully. Help me, Oh Lord to think about what I am doing when I am in the midst of it.  Help me to make the right choices so that the next time I say “Why am I eating this?” The answer will be “because the Lord has provided it and it is the right time to enjoy it.” Yes, within Your boundaries, Oh Lord.”

“Lord, thank You that this moment is a new moment.  Your grace is new each moment and I am a new creation in You each time I turn to Your open arms.

“My child, I love you. Remember that nothing can take away my love.  I forgive you and you are set free!  I am with You and I will help You. You have to be still and listen for my voice, child. It is hard to be still when you have so much going on, I know, but that is when you have to make a special effort to pause and breathe and listen.  You have to take a moment to center yourself on Me.  Yes, breathe a prayer and ask for my help. I will give you power over the enemy and the sin and the desires.  I will give you power over old habit and old ways.”

“Oh child of mine, you may not know why you did what you did but you can still learn from it.  It all comes down to taking the moment to turn to Me.  In Me, you ARE a new creation who is free from sin.  But you have to remain in ME, child.  I am here for you and I love you.  Always.”

PicsArt_02-10-11.14.11

 


What about you?  What do you do if you find yourself slipping into mindless eating?  Do you mentally beat yourself up or do you “Observe and Correct”? Have you been pausing at the table and listening for God’s voice? Remember that God’s power over our old ways of eating is there for us to use.  Remember that you ARE a new creation in Him and that no matter what, He loves you.

Leave the Boat

Leave the Boat

TFS-diaries-0021-2glgf8c (1)Recently, I have  been going thru some of my Hunger Within journals from the last two times I’ve been through the book.

In one of my journals, I came across an entry that touched my heart. In this entry, the Lord invited me to let go of my own control and submerge myself completely in this way of eating, living and being. He whispered to me, asking me to let go of what I think I should look like and to trust Him fully.

I had shared this on the blog last year about this time. As I read it, it spoke to me again.

 I need to continue to “jump in” fully with God in this journey.

image

The Lord spoke to my heart…..

Society wants us to think that being“skinny” is the answer to acceptance and love. Oh child, I have something so much better for you. True fulfillment does not come from outward beauty of being a certain shape or size or weight.

I Samuel 16:7

The Lord told Samuel “Do not consider his appearance or his height. For I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Oh the enemy would like all women and even men to think that. It is a lie that is permeating your culture and has been a part of this world for many ancient years.

Child don’t be afraid. I am with you each step of this journey as you step out of the boat and walk on the water with Me. PicsArt_02-03-07.48.39This boat of security that is your food or your diet or whatever you consider your control of things….step out in faith to me so you may truly LIVE!

Walk to me on these waters so you may fall into my arms. Yes, Child, fully jump into my loving arms!

As you submerge yourself in My love for you and allow my grace to surround you, I will fill you with my peace. 

But to step out of that boat, to walk to me on water, to jump fully into my arms, to submerge yourself fully in my love will take some surrendering.

But, oh My Child, surrendering means true freedom and joy as you bask in my love for you. Surrendering means jumping in with both feet…..into my grace and with faith in Me.

This food and body image is a part of you that has been broken for a long time in your life. But take heart, I have overcome the world. I have PicsArt_02-03-08.13.21created the universe and placed the stars in the sky. I have created you to be uniquely my beautiful daughter and I love you so very much.

Take heart. I am the Great Physician and can heal all wounds. I will bind up your broken heart. I will replace your ashes with beauty. This beauty is one that does not fade or change with age. It is a beauty that is lasting and real. It is who you really are in Me. You are My Beautiful Daughter. You are My Chosen One. You are The One I love with and Everlasting Love.

It will not be easy. It will take time, but the journey will be worth it. Now take hold of my hand, Child and come.image

What about you? What is God asking you to surrender? Are you ready to step out of your “boat of security”? Will you let go of the way YOU might think your body should look? Are you willing to “jump in” with God and be submerged completely in His love and grace?

Feeling Insecure

Feeling Insecure

PicsArt_02-02-03.53.54How many of us can relate to feeling insecure, especially when starting this “new way of eating”? Eating 0-5 does seem to “fly in the face” of what we hear and see around us in popular media! It is new and different and can cause a bit of anxiety at first.

Whether you are new to Thin Within (or Hunger Within) or you have been doing this for years, when God asks us to do something that might be very different, give up something,  or to surrender more, we  can feel insecure in what He is asking us to do. Maybe He’s asking you to surrender to Him the way you think you should look. Maybe He’s asking you to give up more food than you thought. Maybe you are battling the surrender of the scale or the amount YOU think you should weigh.

We all have probably cried out to the Lord,

1“Can I really do this?  

Lord, I am not capable.  

I am not worthy of this.

I am not (insert your insecurity here).”

I felt that way when I first started thinking about leading Hunger Within.  I felt like I wasn’t a “good enough student” of Hunger Within or Thin Within to qualify as a leader.  I haven’t released a bunch of weight. I didn’t feel like my testimony was all that exciting.  But God allowed me to see that If HE is calling me to it, HE will be enough for me.

Corinthians 12:9

The Lord said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2 

HE will be the one to shine through!  Besides, do I really want the glory for being such a “wonderful and worthy leader”? (well, deep down…yeah, I guess….pride is always lurking it’s ugliness somewhere!) But really, NO!  I want GOD to get all the glory!

And Ladies, that is how it is with all of us wherever we are in this Thin Within/Hunger Within journey.  When we follow Him and surrender to Him, HE is the one who will get the glory!

Make no mistake.

HE HAS CALLED YOU HERE FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS.

He brought you to this blog today.  He wants your heart and mind surrendered to HIM, including (as my dear friend Deanna Burris has said) in the pantry and the ‘frig!

And so, when we feel insecure thinking we can’t do this, we aren’t good enough, we aren’t strong enough, we aren’t ….. remember…HE IS!

 

Philippians 4:13

I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives me strength

 

1 Chronicles 16:11  

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

…NOW…

Look up.14064-woman-sunset-girl-arms-blue-sky-clouds-silhouette.1200w.tn

Reach up.

…..

Let HIM lift you out of your insecurity.

…..

Let HIM lead you.
All we have to do is follow.  One step at a time.
Being Honest With Myself

Being Honest With Myself

Some of you reading this may have just heard of Thin Within. Some may have done a few of the studies and others may be “Veterans”.  No matter where we are on this journey, in order for this way of life to “work”, we have to be honest with ourselves.

I realized this recently AGAIN. It is so easy to slip back into “bad habits” and old ways to cope with life. Although I no longer go on a binge like I used to and am not tempted by the idea of going back on a diet, I still find myself sometimes breaking my 0-5 boundaries when I am stressed.

I also have “secondary boundaries” that help me stay in the bounds of 0-5 eating. They are basically that I don’t put any more on my plate than a fist sized portion, I don’t eat from a bag of anything (chips, candy, whatever….) and I don’t “graze” after a meal (you know, pick here and there while cleaning up from dinner, etc.). I try to stop when I am no longer hungry instead of “full”.

As I looked back over a week or so, I had a moment of honesty.  I realized that a sort of “fog” had slipped over my eyes.

I asked myself some questions:woman-thinking

  • Am I drawing closer to God right now?
  • Do I feel His presence?
  • What do I REALLY feel?
  • What am I trying to escape with food or TV or Facebook?
  • Where am I spending my time? (is it REALLY in prayer and in the WORD?)
  • Where are my eyes looking?
  • What is my mind thinking?
  • What has been my heart’s desire lately?

 

FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO    Matthew 6:21

 

After I asked those hard questions to myself, I found that I wasn’t really seeking Him.  I saw that I WAS trying to escape. I was tired. And JESUS said to ME…..

 

COME TO ME ALL YOU ARE WEARY AND HEAVY BURDENED AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST.     Matthew 11:28

 

12487314_10153883040406079_1674193705797965873_oWhen I realized what I had been doing, I saw Jesus right there reaching out to me, pulling me close to Him. He didn’t condemn me for walking in a fog. He didn’t reprimand me for not being perfect. He didn’t let me sit and wallow in the mud of self condemnation. He pulled me up and said, “I wash you anew.  We are walking forward on this journey.”  He called me back to the boundaries He has given me.

That’s the beauty of this way of living.  In the past (when I was dieting and was addicted to exercise) if I wasn’t perfect, I would beat myself up.  This way of living is HOPE and GRACE and LOVE that comes from God.  The truth is in Him.  Only in HIM can I keep any kind of boundary that He has set for me. Only by focusing on HIM can I walk this journey.

Yes, He was holding me up and leading me forward and giving me the guidance.  All I had to do was stop, and look and listen for Him.

 

Right now.  

This morning.  

This day.  

This moment.

I can start over. I can reach my hand for HIM and we can walk this journey together.

So, no matter where you are on this journey (and remember this is a journey, not a diet or a destination), we must be honest with ourselves.

  • Why are we doing this?
  • What are we really worshiping? (could it be “skinny” or a number on a scale?)
  • Where am I placing my heart and mind?

 

Let me be honest with you, Dear Readers.

ONLY THRU HIM AND HIS TRUTH CAN WE DO THIS!

OH! It is so worth the journey!

Reach for Jesus. Leave behind the accusations and lies of the enemy.  Leave behind the world and their idea of beauty.

Be honest with yourself and listen for Jesus.  

He says to you “my daughter, walk with me and be fulfilled.”

Facing Challenges/Keep Practicing

Facing Challenges/Keep Practicing

3023_10153859066186079_4312427224707664508_n“If you faced any challenges in this last month, raise your hand!”

Let’s imagine that all of us who read this are in a big room together and I just said that first sentence from a podium.  Glance around the room and you will probably see all of us raising our hands!  In one way or another, every one of us can relate to challenges that happen over holiday times. I certainly had some challenges over Christmas time that I did not expect.

 

One BIG challenge I faced was with my body. I am currently going through menopause 12418973_10153859541921079_5833411141146273592_oand my body decided to do some strange (and unexpected) things over this last month!  Believe me, you don’t want any details, but let’s just say it was a bit crazy!   This made my appetite do weird things, too. So, 0-5 eating has been a challenge at times over this last month.

I also had challenges staying focused because of the crazy hot weather that we had this Christmas. I’m sure if I were to ask about THAT  to our room of readers, many could raise hands to testify how weird the weather has been this year!

So we have hot weather in the middle of winter and THEN our air conditioner decided that it would stop working right before we had a group of friends 1412637_10153859542021079_333653843032504061_ocome over to celebrate with us on Christmas Eve!

Yes, I had all my windows open and fans galore blowing around in the house so that we wouldn’t be hot! On top of all of that we had the oven on for baking and all the other things that we did during the day and ….well….. you get the idea of a sweltering swamp.

I found it was difficult to renew my mind with the craziness of my menopausal weirdness going on body and crazy heat in my house.  Add to that the stress of trying not to freak out because I had a group of friends coming over to enter my “swamp land”.  Yep, there were times it was really hard to keep myself focused on God.

I know that there are a lot of you out there who can relate to the struggles of life.

  • You might have three little ones running around and pulling at you from every direction.
  • You might be one of those people that have to carpool all over the place and that is your life.
  • you might be someone who has a sickness in your family or you are a caregiver for your aging parent.
  • you can fill in the blank.

We all know that life can be stressful and unpredictable

So, how in the world do we stay focused? How in the world do we not just jump right back into a pan of brownies and swim around while throwing it all in our mouths? How do we keep from going back to food for comfort and sanity?

Although, I don’t have the answers to all of these questions, I can tell you what I do.

I just keep practicing.

  • I practice saying “no” when deep in my heart I already know that I don’t need the food.
  • I practice eating 0 to 5.
  • I practice the different keys to conscious eating that help me stay in my boundaries.

I can only do this in HIS strength, which means I also practice some other important things!

I surrender things to the Lord every morning and during the day.  Sometimes I am giving the Lord the same thing over and over a girl's hands are uplifted in prayer.because I’m going through a hard time. That’s what I have to do. I surrender it up to the Lord and I lay it down at his feet.

I take time to spend with the Lord. Even if it’s just a sentence prayer in the shower or praying while I’m washing the dishes. It may even be just singing a simple praise song over and over again. It may be renewing my mind with His word or listening to worship music.

I know that if I seek Him, keep renewing my mind with His truth and try to follow Him as best I can then I will remember: HE IS BY MY SIDE. ALWAYS. NO MATTER WHAT. He will meet me where I am and give me the strength to carry on.

 

What I DO NOT practice is beating myself up when I mess up. I have to stop and I have to just take a moment to say,

“Lord I knew that that extra piece of pie was not going to make me feel better. I thank you that after I took one bite, I realized it and I knew I wasn’t hungry and so I stopped.”

I don’t beat myself up about the one bite. I celebrate the fact that I only took one and I walked away.

Maybe for you it’s that you ate the whole piece of pie (or whatever). BUT you don’t have to beat yourself up for the one piece. Celebrate the fact that you didn’t eat the whole pie! Try to look at the positive and cling to what God is doing in you!

I try to focus on the good things that God is doing. I try to thank him.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  -Philippians 4:6

This peace that he talks about may not be something that’s instantaneous in my soul when I’m sitting there sweltering and dripping sweat over my Christmas dinner. But it is a peace that’s deep in my soul knowing that no matter what, He is still there with me.

Basically, it comes from building a relationship with the Lord. Relationships don’t come easy and they don’t come instantaneously. There’s a give and take in relationships. And it is the same with the Lord. I’m not going to be perfect. Only God is.  I can rely on His perfection to help me get through the rough times.

So, no matter what rough time you might be facing….how big or how little… remember to PRACTICE.

PRACTICE relying on Him, renewing your mind with His truth, surrendering to Him and allowing Him to love you through it all.

 

It’s Not About Food?! (A Christmas Miracle)

It’s Not About Food?! (A Christmas Miracle)

It’s the week of Christmas and guess what?  I’m tired of food!!  say-what-baby-meme

I know! It sounds crazy! Who would ever get tired of eating or tired of food?

Now that I can eat anything that I want, sometimes when I get hungry I can’t think of anything that sounds all that great. I mean my
stomach can be growling and I know I’m at a 0 but because I have been eating a lot of rich foods during the Christmas season, I just don’t want anything in particular. And that’s weird. But for me it’s like a victory!

Christmas has not been about food! The holidays haven’t been about eating! christmas eve menu
It’s been about spending time with people. It’s been about watching my children and the joy on their faces! It’s been about relationships!

Most of all, it’s been about Jesus! And there’s a peace about that. There’s a peace that somehow the food just doesn’t have a pull on me anymore.

 

I CALL THAT A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!!

I started noticing it at Thanksgiving this year. Somehow having turkey and dressing (you know….and all these things that the advertisers in the magazines and on TV were putting up to these elevated levels)  just didn’t seem to be that big of a deal. Yes, it’s true!  All the delicious food offerings weren’t really anything special!  It is because I can have turkey and dressing whenever I want to.  I am allowed to have pie anytime as long as I am at a “zero”.

Stuffing for breakfast? Sure, if I’m at a “zero” and that is what my body needs. Somehow, when you have nothing off limits, it just isn’t a big deal anymore.

So, I wonder…. Is this the beginning of being a “thin eater”? Is it the beginning of being free from the bonds of food? I love that holidays and celebrations can be about people and beauty around me!  Special events can be about relationships rather than food ! And guess what else???  I don’t have to worry anymore what kind of foods are going to be at a party or event!  Because no foods are “off limits”, it’s all ok as long as I eat within my boundaries of 0-5.

 

Oh the freedom of no more counting points or calories!                                                                       Oh the freedom to enjoy anything on the table!  freedom

OH THE FREEDOM OF NOT CARING AS MUCH ABOUT THE FOOD ANYMORE! 

 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. -2 Corinthians 3:17
 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
-John 8:36 
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.
-Luke 4:18

 

Yes, friends, my Christmas Miracle is all that Jesus is doing in my heart with the principles of Thin Within and Hunger Within.

As we surrender more and more to Him, may our hearts grow closer to Jesus and farther and farther away from the pull of food!

May you discover the Christmas Miracle Jesus has for you!

What about you?  What is your mind set on as you go to holiday parties and events in the next few days? Focus on family, friends and beautiful decorations. 

Most of all, let’s make Christmas all about Jesus, for HE is the only one who can truly satisfy the longing in our soul.

 

Come To The Manger

Come To The Manger

STOP.

Christmas by the fire

Take a  M O M E N T.

relax-christmas jpeg

~~~~breathe~~~~

 

Christmas is next week and I’m sure most of us are trying to finish up all the last minute preparations, cooking, gift purchases and wrapping. Some may be preparing for guests to arrive. Some may be packing to go visit family.

I don’t know about you, but I tend to feel overwhelmed this time of year. With all the music programs to prepare, gifts to buy, parties to attend…..etc….You get the idea. And I tend to feel a bit self conscious, too, especially if I have to be around extended family. Thoughts of insecurity roll around in my head at this time of year….

 

12390848_10153823610351079_4781481239595973362_n

“What will Aunt Clare think of me? I know she will notice I haven’t lost much weight this year.”

 

 

“Do I look good enough in this dress?”

 

 

“I feel like the whole family is judging me!”

 

 

“Ugh! Here comes ‘super-successful’ and fit ‘Barbie-doll-likeness’ cousin Julie!10286927_10153823172576079_1607690886156514909_o

 

What will she say when I tell her about hunger/fullness? She’s gonna think I’m crazy!”

No matter where we are or what we are doing, one thing is true.  Ready or not, Christmas Day will come.  And it will go.  The question remains….what will we do with it?

What will ** do with it? Will I allow myself to focus on “me” and my insecurities?  Ultimately, when I get into this type of thinking, it doesn’t end well.  That is when I have noticed I will break my boundaries.

So, how do I remember to keep focused on the right things when all the stuff going on around me screams of stress and insecurity within?

STOP.

I have to be still.

I take a moment and

 ~~~breathe~~~

When I do this I remember that I really need to renew my mind with God’s truth.

So….woman reading bible christmas 2

  • I pray.
  • I think.
  • I listen.
  • I read God’s word.

I think about a few things from that night long ago….when the angels came to announce Jesus was born.

And God reminds m12365989_10153825071391079_5637956452492731080_oe about who the angels came to. Did they come to the so called “important” people?  Did they come to kings? The rich?  The beautiful people of the world?  No.

They came to shepherds. They came to these outcasts of that day’s society. They were dirty, stinky and lowly.

They would be like today’s homeless people or garbage men (no offence to all our wonderful sanitation workers, for where would we be without them????)

Shepherds weren’t considered well liked, good looking or ‘well to do’ by worldly standards and yet God specifically picked them.  He picked these outcasts of society to be the first ones to see Jesus.  They were the first group of people to worship Him!

Jesus reminds me that He comes to me…..even though I may not feel beautiful at times or not “successful” by the world’s standards.

And HE COMES TO ALL OF US.  Those who feel outcast, not good enough, not THIN enough, not pretty enough, not enough self control to follow that diet  -yes- He came as a baby for US.

Angels came to those shepherds with a message of hope.

Luke 2:8-12

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

 

Listen.

Listen now.

Listen to the whispers from the Savior to your heart today.  Oh yes – to us who may be feeling an outcast or defeated-

“FEAR NOT! Do not be afraid that you are not enough for this world. For I love You with an everlasting love and you are mine. Yes, I bring you good news of great JOY! I came as a baby so you can be free- and for you to follow me. Let me release these chains that bind- the lies that try to keep you bound.  Come- come to the manger, my daughters- come and experience my peace and my hope- and yes- The JOY of my true Love.”

 

Oh sisters….let’s live this out next week and RIGHT NOW!

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,

Christ the LORD!

manger-cross

 “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

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!