It is a fascinating thing to “blog.” In fact it is fun to check the stats every day to see what visitors have stopped in…Have they been new visitors? Repeat visitors? Have they (you) browsed multiple pages while here? I so want to KNOW you! 🙂
My favorite thing to check is what is called “referrer.” It tells me where on the web the visitor came from just before landing at my blog.
For the past three weeks, I have noticed that the most commonly referring website after ThinWithin.ORG is Google. In fact, my guess is that 60% or more people come to this blog after doing a search at Google. Sometimes the search parameters are “Thin Within,” appropriately enough.
But of all the people that come from Google, I would say 90% of them come after the following (or words like them) have been typed into the search field…
“Is God Doing a New Thing?”
My heart has been stirred by snooping this way…by looking at the referring websites that have brought people here.
So many people want to know if God is doing a new thing. At first, I just assumed it was pastors preparing messages for the first Sunday of the New Year. I figured they might be looking for Isaiah 43:18-19 and just not know where to find it. So, thinking of Google as a sort of broad bible concordance, they have typed in “God Doing New Thing” and up has popped the results including my blog.
Two Sundays have come and gone since the New Year began, though, and the traffic from these “God is Doing a New Thing” searches has tapered off only slightly.
People are still on a quest to know more about the New Thing God is Doing.
I feel so moved. As the people of God, let’s stand up and be counted. Let’s testify! God says He IS doing a new thing. Do we believe what God says? We may not perceive the new thing…but He says He IS DOING it! Verse 18 encourages us to FORGET THE FORMER THINGS. DO NOT DWELL ON THE PAST.
Which are we doing more of? Dwelling on the past? Or looking eagerly for the surprise that God is about to reveal! The joy of God’s new thing that he is doing!
Let’s join Him in this new thing! There is a hungry world out there…they are using Google to find out if God is at work!!!! Let’s SHOW THEM THAT HE IS!!!! That He LOVES all of us! That He can flood full all the empty places of our lives…causing us to overflow with his abundance.
He IS making ways in the desert and streams in the wasteland!
Lord, I miss your will in a lot of things, I am sure.
But this one thing I know. You call me to be still and know you are God.
Be…
I am here, Lord. Thank you that you have brought me to this place, this time, this hour of my life.
Be still…
My mind races in a million different directions, running ahead of me trying to get a start on the day. I know the best start is here…at your feet, Lord. Calm the storms of my mind, the anxiety, the agitation, the busy-ness of my mind. You whispered “Be still” and the wind and waves ceased. I invite you to do that in me.
Be still and…
There is yet more. In the stillness, I sense a great divine “and…” It isn’t about me, about my will, my way, my quiet time, my prayers, my blog, my reading, my “wisdom,” my spouting off …There is an and that causes me to anticipate…YOU, Lord. I sense a need for reverence in this and…You are here…
Be still and know…
Yes, Lord. I see. You are here. There is quiet, there is stillness. Even as the dogs play by my side, eager for their day to officially begin with breakfast. Even so, there is a stillness, a knowing…it is a knowing too deep for me to capture with words and grasping to do so undermines my need to be still and know…for now, I stop my fingers on the keyboard, Lord…
…
It boggles my mind, Lord that you can be king over all creation…holding all things together, aware of everything that goes on in the universe and in every heart of every child of yours…nothing escapes your sight. You see me, Lord. El Roi…the God who sees…you see me in this stillness, in this quiet, in this knowing…Oh! I must hush with the thought of it…
Be still and know I AM…
ah…there it is… whatever my need, whatever my question, your answer is “I AM…” Not just in this still knowing, but in the turning lane, at the grocery store, on the phone, grading papers, kissing my Mom…in all the mundane moments that comprise life, you are I AM…
Be still and know I AM God…
King, Lord, Savior, Sovereign One…all for you, by you, through you, because of you, unto you, your glory, Lord.
I feel like the Lord wants me to show you…a friend with whom I feel some strange connection…my journals. Granted, not every single word of every single page…and probably not in order or with sense…but, well, there is something that the Lord wants someone to see.
I posted earlier today with joviality. Then I did a lesson that is wonderfully compatible with Thin Within–The Lord’s Table. Today’s lesson was on repentance. Oh…it was well-written and powerful and while the teaching is not new to me, the Lord used it to convict me powerfully afresh.
I can’t pretend I understand the connection with that and the journals. but here are two pages…you will have to go off the blog site to see them large enough to read…I hope that this vulnerability isn’t for naught. If God can take these tattered, shattered, broken pieces of my life from the past and use them to draw others…oh, Lord…so be it! The first is from Feb. 9, 1999. Click on it to see the page full size from Photo Bucket. The second is the facing page of the journal, written a couple of weeks later.
One friend asked me…what message do I share NOW. Is it the SAME as the one in the journal? Goodness. I hope it is clear from even a casual browsing in my blog here, that the message I share NOW, almost 10 years after these were written…THERE IS HOPE! GOD IS DOING A NEW THING…in YOU, reader…EVEN NOW! I share these journal pages because they show that I have been there. In fact, I was there for years. We don’t have to stay there.
What is the way out? I believe it is moment by moment, surrendering to the Lord. In the moment, taking captive our thoughts, our actions, our beliefs…and asking HIM to BE Lord in our minds that he will be Lord in what we CHOOSE to do NOW.
As Christians, we have the freedom to choose to say no to sin in the moment. When I wrote the journal pages that you see, I didn’t believe the significance of the moment. I was bogged down in all or nothing…and nothing was all I had…
My husband has released 11 or 12 pounds. 😀 But more…he has sure gotten smart, too! LOL! He has encouraged me with things to share here in my blog…thus the photos, for instance, of the portions and other things, too. Today, I share some things that come straight from HIS brain and a bit from his heart, too. Thank you, hubby, for your willingness to share with those who visit my (now it is OUR) blog! 😀
Years ago, before he carried much weight in his tummy, he would do this cute little giggle like the Pillsbury Dough-Boy on TV commercials. He has a round face anyhow, so he really is adorable. LOL! So, for this entry, he has the affectionate name of “Dough Boy.” 🙂
After we made our photographic series on our Anniversary Dinner, Dough Boy took his leftovers to work. Our daughter had eaten a fajita or two out of Dad’s leftovers, but Dough Boy had enough left for a wonderful lunch. He was looking forward to it. He got to work early, put the carryout box in the breakroom fridge, and went to his morning meeting. After the meeting, Dough Boy was ready for lunch and his fajitas were on his mind.
He went to the fridge in the breakroom. The take out box with, what HE calls, his “precioussssss….” was GONE!
After snooping around to try to discover the solution to this mystery, hubby discovered his boss had “cleaned out” the fridge, assumed the box was left from before the New Year holiday and THREW IT OUT! Oh! Hubby’s heart did break! He has mentioned this event repeatedly since then and always with a sad little pout referring to his “preciousssss……” (Did I ever tell you how much fun hubby is? He is so silly!)
Friday night, the family went out to Carls Jr. and Dough Boy ordered a Western Bacon Burger with fries. He shared the fries and wrapped up half his burger to take home. Good grief! Will wonders ever cease! 🙂
Then, yesterday, we had our weekly date–just he and I–and went to “Main Street.” I ordered a burger and fries. He ordered a taco and chips and salsa. I cut off about 1/4 of my burger and put the rest in the carry out (they are large burgers). The rest was for my daughter and I to share later. I had about 10 fries and the rest went into the carry out.
Dough Boy had some chips, salsa, and his taco. In the past, he would have had all of that *and* my burger AND all the fries. There would have been NO food left for us to take home.
Even so, when we got into the car Dough Boy said, “Oh…I am at a SEVEN!” He can’t believe how his stomach has adjusted to eating differently. It takes SO much less food to satisfy and eating slowly is so key when you eat so little.
Last night, at Neighborhood Fellowship Group, there were tiny brownies about the size of dice. I kid you not! How funny is that? Dough Boy commented on the way home how “bingeing” has been redefined for him. It used to be eating taco, chips, burger and fries. Now it is eating a taco after the chips. A lot less food. It used to be half a pan of brownies. Now it is one chocolate chip cookie and 2 brownie dice. LOL.
Dough Boy says that he feels God is doing a new thing in his heart and life, too. He says God has been showing him a lot of flaws in his life that he needs to take seriously and address.
I realize sharing these things has *seemed* rather silly and frivolous. I mean, I am using silly pictures, for instance…but if you knew the strongholds that have been in our lives…you would know that this has been a result of serious spiritual warfare…we rolled over and refused to fight. We did’t “struggle” at all. We lived for years, just letting the enemy have his way with us and with our home. Ok, so *I* may have put up a fight every so often…but as my testimony has indicated…it was only a matter of time before I bellied up again.
Hi, everyone. Please forgive this digression for just this entry (or that is my intent). This won’t become a political blog.
It is laid on my heart to share with you another new work that God is doing in my heart and life. Maybe it is that food is finally out of the way and so I can expand my vision–I don’t know. But for the first time in my life I care about our presidential nominations and who ends up in the White House next year.
I can’t believe it, but I have actually volunteered to be involved in the campaign and have donated money! My husband has applied to be a delegate. No other candidate for any election in any other year has ever caused the embers in our heart to burn for change as this candidate has.
Will you consider joining us? Mike Huckabee is the man who has our unflinching support. If you do some research about him (if you haven’t yet) I bet God will set a fire in your heart, too. No human is perfect, to be sure, but Governor Huckabee…he deserves some consideration and prayer as to whether he is God’s man for the job as next President of the United States!
Please watch some of his videos and read some of his position statements. (Here is one video that I am blessed to hear how unapologetically he presents his faith.)
His campaign is grassroots. He has no huge budget but is soliciting support from people like you and like me. I hope you will consider making a donation.
Aside from being a born again believer, Governor Huckabee votes according to his God-touched conscience. He doesn’t vote a “party line,” but evaluates the needs and does what he feels led to do. If you go to You Tube and check it out, there are a lot of video clips of ads, debates and so forth where he has been articulate, thoughtful, challenging and demonstrated an incredible sense of humor, commitment to the Lord and His work, and a willingness to take America forward.
I really believe this is someone that God can use to bring godly values to our nation again. It is my prayer, anyhow! Even if he *did* write a “diet” book! LOL! (He lost 100 pounds!)
This is a minute and a half long video clip from a Thin Within DVD made in 2002 that I used in my group on Wednesday night. In it, “Karen” speaks of breaking free from condemnation. I thought it might encourage some of you.(At the time this was recorded, Karen had released 25 pounds.)
If you get an “Oops No Video!” error, use this link to view the video.
Karen, if you are out there, please email me or post a comment or visit the Thin Within forums and let us know how you are doing! Many of us wonder how you are!
My hubby, Bob, is applying the Thin Within principles now, too. He has released about 7 pounds. So today, at our anniversary lunch, we took pictures of our meals – before we ate any of it (when it was served), after we ate (what was left on the plate), and the carry out container with the left overs.
First, my meal–I ate about 5 chips with bean dip while we waited. (Not pictured! LOL!)
Cheese enchildas (2 of them), refried beans, and rice. YUM! The above is what was served to me.
I was at a 5 (physically satisfied, no longer hungry, comfortable) when I finished eating. The above picture shows what was left of my meal after I was done. I tried to eat really slow…putting my fork down, talking between bites, sipping my soda. I had only one diet soda with dinner–a record for me (diet soda is something God is working on my heart to release again to Him…more on that another time).
Here is all the food I got to take home! At least two more meals for me, if not three! It is hard to see, but there are actually one and a half enchiladas in the carryout.
Below is what hubby was served:
Steak fajitas. The tortillas aren’t pictured. Below is what was left when he was done:
As you can see, there is a truckload of food left! He figures he will have at least two meals left to enjoy at home, too. YAY, Bob! Even though he ate so little (he did fill up a bit more on chips and had two diet sodas with dinner), he said once the diet soda hit his stomach, he was at a 7. Whoops! But that feeling dissipated pretty quickly. This is what his carryout looked like:
So there you have it…another testimony to how little food we can survive on!
Some would say eating this stuff isn’t “healthy.” For a year and two months I have applied the principles of Thin Within and allowed God to renew my mind about food. I have eaten all the “real” foods you see pictured here in my blog and more. I have eaten them in moderation, however. My cholesterol has been in the healthy range, I am no longer on blood pressure medicine and my blood pressure is normal. (THANK YOU, LORD!!!) I have energy and never feel deprived or struggle with “guilt” about eating something “naughty.” Everything is permissible. Garcia’s mexican food is a “whole body pleaser” for me. In moderation, I can eat and be satisfied and feel great afterwards.
Nothing that *I* could do in myself has caused the weight to come off or my blood pressure to be normal again. He has put in me the desire to have a heart set on him instead of food.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” (Galatians 5:1). Here is a passage that I think is very powerful. Pray and dare to fathom what God wants to do in your life! He works the wonders! Believe that He can do it!!!
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
I love receiving the comments from those of you who read the blog. It is so encouraging to me and I must say, I have to bow before God in humble adoration. I truly am blessed. Thank you so much for your ministryto me. If there is anything here at all that encourages you, it is proof yet again that “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).
My friend, Lundie, just posted the comment on the left and I don’t know about you, but this really does boil it down. Lundie also included that making that once that decision is made in the moment, we let it go. Even walk away, get distracted. Do other things.
Thanks, Lundie, for ministering to me–and others–with your insights.
My accountability partner challenged me when she saw some “small” compromises on my hunger graph last week…could I string together seven consecutive days of eating 0 to 5 or between true physiological hunger and satisfaction?
She threw down the gauntlet. (I am pleased she did.)
Today is day 4 of managing this challenge. PRAISE you, Lord!
A few thoughts of things I am learning:
1. The little foxes spoil the vineyard (Song of Solomon 2:15)–the little compromises can sneak their way into our lives…and erode things. Enough of that! No more minimizing what can cut away at a root of holiness.
2. I have found that when I am committed to this, eating outside of these parameters just isn’t an option…period. How profound this seems to me.
3. The longer I have gone in practicing eating between hunger and satisfaction, the less obsessed my thoughts are with food. This is good news to many of us!
4. There is a brief moment of temptation. (There it is again…that MOMENT thing!) If I can just make a choice to set aside that temptation in the moment, to reject it…I have found that it passes. That choice is then followed by a number of other “brief” moments where the temptation isn’t present…and during those “brief” moments my heart is flooded with joy from the Holy Spirit because I made the choice to take that moment and thought captive and surrender in obedience!
