This week we are reading and completing the material in chapters 19 and 20. This material can be LIFE CHANGING! It has been for me!
But it may require a lot of time…even more than a week. That’s ok. Just hang in there and work slowly through it.
God is doing a new thing!!!
This week’s assignment:
1.)Please continue your list of God’s attributes. This list must be getting pretty long by now! 🙂 I would love to know what aspects of God you have found most precious during the past two months. In what way has God revealed himself to you?
2.) Please take time each day to praise God for some of the attributes on your list.
3.) Keep adding to your gratitude journal. I would love to hear what God is doing through the practice of keeping a gratitude journal. Share it with us if you feel so led. You can do that here, on Facebook, or at the Thin Within forums (which is even better!).
4.) Read and complete day 19 and 20. – all reading and activities through page 218. Now is not the time to give up! Even if you are a bit behind…hang in there!
5.) We are our own worst critics. The very grace that Jesus died to extend to us, we refuse to extend to ourselves. We are so bent (very often) on our performance. Jesus never uses our performance for a standard for his acceptance of us. In fact, Romans 5:8 says that he chose to demonstrate his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Jesus died for us–to win us–to purchase us. Before we had a single Godward thought, he declared us before the foundation of the earth to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he adopted us! All because he receives glory from it somehow. Isn’t this amazing? This is the gospel! As you read chapter 19, PLUNGE in! Ask yourself as you read “Do I believe this to the depths of my being?” If not, ask yourself if you don’t believe it because it is NOT the truth (in which case, please tell me so I can pass the information on to Judy and Arthur Halliday!) or do you not believe it because the enemy has convinced you to believe lies? We are still rebuilding our foundation…to be sure that it is THE WORD OF TRUTH! 🙂 Journal about these thoughts.
6.) What do you have the most difficulty receiving God’s forgiveness for? What do you have the most difficulty forgiving yourself for? Journal these things–what they are, how they have affected you. Then write across the top of each page of your journal where you have written about this:
Nothing can separate me from God’s love for me. (Romans 8:35-39)
7.) As you complete the activities on page 197-199, refuse to be subjugated by a spirit of condemnation. The enemy is alive and real and wants to cause you to take this exercise and find condemnation instead of the very freedom that God intends. Don’t let the enemy have his way. Be watchful and know that your great Lord, King of the Universe, loves you and is the victor. He has made you more than a conqueror in Christ. If it helps, use the affirmations on pages 125-127 to combat any feelings of despair. Those statements are based on the TRUTH of scripture! Many of us have believed lies for years and the process of being transformed from within requires the renewing of our minds as we have been learning! If you feel so led, tell us about what you experience as you progress through chapter 19 and the activities listed here or in the book.
8.) Chapter 20 continues to lead us down the path of suffering in many ways. This may seem like a needless (and painful) exercise in futility. But I can attest personally that this is one of the most freeing exercises that you will be able to go through. This is vital and it also is a way of living out the Word of God. As you read, study, and complete the exercises in this chapter, be extremely prayerful. Each paragraph you read, each line you write, ask the Lord to show you what is necessary in order to experience the healing he died to purchase for you. You may think that all you want to do is lose weight–God has MUCH more in mind for all of us!
10.) Come to chat with us this week! Our chats are on Wednesday from 5-6pm Pacific Time (7-8Central and 8-9Eastern) and Saturday 7-8am Pacific (9-10 Central or 10-11 Eastern). Hope to see you!
11.) Use the opportunity to interact with the community of folks that visit this blog by responding to this post or to others. Watch for an opportunity to win a workbook kit #1 — a $45 value! 🙂
Thin Within has taught me nothing if not to listen to the voice of God as he speaks personally to me. John 10:4 says that Jesus’ sheep follow Him because they know his voice. A reasonable conclusion from this verse is that Jesus speaks! If we listen, we will hear him! Isn’t that astounding?
This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.
– Jeremiah 6: 16
Image courtesy of istock.com
When he speaks, we can listen and hear him. We can choose, like those in the passage above, to reject his instruction. Or we can embrace that road to which he calls and embark on the adventure He has in mind for us.
I am at a crossroads in my life. Truthfully, it is time for me to stop saying, “Lord, I hear you directing me to go that direction, but this one is a good one and is so rewarding, so I will just put you off a bit longer, ok?”
I do this and go on about my business as if it will be fruitful service for him! This is deception.
So, God is calling me to lay some things on the altar. Eating what I want and when I want it…sure. I have some practice with that. 🙂 Doing what I want and when I want it…well, truthfully, I have been using good, wonderful things to run from that which is best. The good, wonderful things give me a reward…a sense that I am “ok” in my skin. I don’t feel so “good” or “successful” from the things that I want to run from.
Here are the facts about the things I have been running from:
1. They don’t define my worth and
2. “Success” isn’t measured by perfection, but by faithfulness.
It is time for me to be faithful.
I want to encourage you who visit this blog to embrace this concept, too. How “well” you “do” Thin Within (or anything else, for that matter) doesn’t define your worth either! Your “success” isn’t measured by your strict adherence to 0 to 5 eating. Are you faithful to return to the Lord again and again when you stray? Do you humbly receive his loving rebuke and discipline and prevail upon his grace instead of your performance? That is faithfulness. That is what we are called to, my friends!
What about in other aspects of life? Say in your workplace or home life and in your friendships? These principles are true there, too!
So, in the days and months ahead, I will try not only to listen to the Lord, but also to heed God’s call–to follow my Savior. I will continue my postings for our book study and anything else that he leads me to post.
As I help my 18 year old son finish his graduation requirements for high school and begin college, as I encourage my wonderful (but perfectionist) daughter to survive new academic challenges that she will face enrolled in Liberty University’s Online Academy, as I strive to love my husband so much better by just being there for him–really present–as I choose to bless my home, myself, and my family and friends by giving attention to our home and keeping it hospitable, I will be doing that to which God calls. I will miss the good thing that I have enjoyed while escaping from the challenges, but I will know that I am doing what is best.
This isn’t a good-bye. Not at all. This is the call to a new adventure instead.
How about you? What might you be running from? To what do you run? Will you choose to listen to the voice of your Lord as he tells you which way to walk? What will that look like for you?
Hi. If you are following along with us on the summer schedule for the study of the Thin Within book, I want to be sure you know that I have updated the schedule to reflect the cancellation of some of the chats.
I feel like I am burning the candle at both ends, so have reduced our chat times to one a week. I hope that you can make one or all.
Please try your best to attend the final chat on September 3! I hope that will be a big encouragement and celebration for you!
Today’s guest blogger is super special to me. She is my 16 year old daughter. You can find the original post here. Although it doesn’t have to do directly with releasing weight or images of body and food, I thought it would be applicable. Besides, I have to share what my daughter said with the world! 🙂 =======
Last February, I, and several of my friends, had the amazing, fascinating, and educational experience of dealing with head lice. I had the especial privilege of being the first to discover it…er, make that the first to have it discovered. I was getting my hair cut when the stylist found them. Extremely embarrassing. Knocked my pride down a few pegs, certainly (especially since one of the only physical features I actually LIKE about myself is my hair!). As I was hyperventilating, having nightmares (“day”mares?) about having to chop off all my hair, my mom was busy doing some research about what exactly it was that we were dealing with. The answer was not encouraging
Neither my mom nor I had any past experience with lice. We had always associated them with…well…dirtiness, not realizing how common they are, nor how easy they are to get no matter how often you wash your hair. One female louse can lay ten nits a day, eggs that unrelentingly stick to tiny strands of hair. The live bug may wash out when you wash your hair, but the nits are firmly GLUED in, and won’t come out unless they are tediously picked out. And they are so small you might not even notice them until they are already hatched adult lice laying more eggs.
Picture doing this with hair that is waist length! Photo courtesy of istock.
This got me thinking…sin can creep into our hearts just as subtly as lice can creep into our hair. Just as one louse can lay many nits, one little compromise can give birth to a whole epidemic of sin. Each sin lays a bunch more “nits” in my heart. I can spot treat the obvious”big” sins…but by the time those are killed they have already birthed more. The way to truly treat “heart lice” is to go through my heart, little bit by little bit…picking out those evils that can easily take over the whole of my heart. The process is tedious and painful and requires letting go of *my* plans and preferences…reclaiming the infested pieces of my heart (possibly ripping out a few pieces in the process) and giving the whole tattered mess to God.
Sin is sin. And guess what it always produces as fruit? More sin. Lice don’t clean up after themselves after they’ve been in your hair for a while…they just keep on laying eggs. Sin won’t clean up after itself either. It takes effort. And, just as you can’t remove nits from your hair yourself but need help from someone else…you can’t remove the “heart lice” of sin without help from your Heavenly Father. Ask him to “comb” through your heart and reveal what is truly thriving inside.
After a couple weeks we were satisfied that the lice were gone from my hair for good. My hair was not in too bad a condition (all things considered), but was certainly the worse for wear after going through pretty much every treatment in the book, natural and otherwise. Gels, special shampoo, apple cider vinegar washes, sleeping with my hair soaked in olive and tea tree oil…taking two hours out of every day (for TWO WEEKS) to comb through my hair with a fine tooth comb…you get the picture. Not a fun process. But what a joy to be freed of the critters I didn’t even know I was sharing my life with (and who were the reason behind my itchy scalp!). And as I continue with the process of picking and praying my way through the junk in my heart…what a joy to be freed of the unseen but often felt weight of sin and compromise I have carried with me for so long.
How about you? Has sin subtly crept into your life and begun to hatch yet more sin? Do you have someone in your life that can help you with the “nit removal?” Ask God to show you and to bring someone with whom you can share your burden!
I hope this video encourages you. It is an old one (and I did it for chapter 10 last summer, but that’s ok, as it applies now, too!). It isn’t very well done, but I hope that the concept comes across ok! I really believe grasping this is vitalto our progress! 🙂
Do you struggle with minimizing the moment that is in front of you now and maximize the moment in which you have made a poor choice?How can you approach things differently, so that you capture this moment, now, for the Lord? (And now this one? And this one? :-))
This week we are reading and completing the material in chapters 16, 17 (again), and 18. Once again, please pace yourself.
This week’s assignment:
1.)Continue your list of God’s attributes.
2.) Take time each day to praise God for some of the attributes on your list.
3.) Keep adding to your gratitude journal. I would love to hear what God is doing through the practice of keeping a gratitude journal. Share it with us if you feel so led.
4.) Read and complete day 16. Re-read day 17. Read day 18. All reading and activities through page 192.
5.) Day 16 provides opportunities to evaluate how you are doing in this journey–to evaluate your progress toward the goals you may have set in Day 3. I want to caution you not to fixate too much on size or weight. Even if you are not yet noticing a change in the way your clothes fit, ask the Lord to show you what work He is doing inside of you. He says he IS doing a new thing. He says he WILL finish that which He has begun. Then, if you sense His Spirit leading you personally to do so, implement the suggestions in chapter 16. Please listen to His voice, though. That is the most important part of this entire journey!
6.) During Day 16, you are asked to dig into your heart, life, and past and recall “Significant Times” that happened to you. Last Monday, I did that very thing in my post last Monday, The Weight of Sexual Abuse. We know that the “Significant Times” exercise can be especially painful for some. Please pray about it and do as the Lord leads you personally. This could be an experience that offers the potential for breakthrough! Most of us have reasons that we have developed a tendency to eat more food than we need. As we evaluate some of these challenging “Significant Times,” we begin to dismantle the thing that may keep us stuck in repeating patterns that are, ultimately, ungodly. That is a good thing! If you feel overwhelmed, please don’t hesitate to call a favorite pastor or therapist to get godly wisdom to help you process what God is showing you. He intends for us to be healed and to break free from sinful patterns!
7.) As you re-read chapter 17, the chapter on Gratitude, does God speak to your heart in any way? It really is cool to know that when we wonder what God’s will is, we don’t have to wonder too terribly far. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us that giving thanks in all circumstances IS God’s will for us in Christ! How can you foster a life of gratitude? I promise you that it makes all the difference in the world!
8.) Now that you are farther along in your Thin Within journey, what do you think of the Hunger Graph? Is it a tool that the Lord may be using you to try? If so, visit this link at the Thin Within website. It will open a pdf file. If you want, you can print out page 2 of this document and use it each day as long as the Lord leads you to do so.
If you want to hear what God taught me about the hunger graph back in 2002, you can fast forward this video to about four minutes into it. At that point, Lori Robertson asks me about what God has shown me with the hunger graph. Some of you might find it helpful.
9.) In Day 18, we evaluate boundaries a bit. This is actually one of the most important teachings of Thin Within! Diets have lists of good foods, dangerous foods, bad foods, etc. Some of us struggle with letting go of those food labels we have held on to for so long. In Day 18, we use a different way of thinking about foods. This is where the second phase of Thin Within really kicks into gear. We prayerfully evaluate each food we are likely to eat and categorize them into “Pleasers,” “Teasers,” “Whole Body Pleasers,” and “Total Rejects.” Whatever you do, don’t skip this activity! It is INVALUABLE! 🙂 While all foods ARE permissible, we know that we know that we know that not all foods are beneficial at a given moment. If I am tired and cranky, the last thing I want to do is feed a total stomach-hungry zero with a candy bar. My taste buds would like it, but I would end up crankier and crash and burn within the hour! For me, in that situation, I can use discernment to know that it wouldn’t be beneficial to eat that candy bar, even though I *could*. My freedom tells me that I am free TO eat the candy bar, but I have also grown a bit to see that I am now free from HAVING to eat the candy bar! I can make another selection–a selection that, in that moment, will help me feel better. I can save the candy bar for a time when I am not a mess already! 🙂
Share your lists with us…what are some of your whole body pleasers? What are some of your total rejects? Everyone’s list will be different. Some people love fruits and vegetables. Some like me, don’t. The only way I like vegetables is in fresh salsa! Then it is truly a whole body pleaser for me! So guess what? I get a lot of my veggies that way! 🙂
10.) How are you doing? Is God growing you in any way? Are you seeing any changes emotionally? Spiritually? Physically? Tell us about it! I would love to have testimonials to share with Judy and Arthur Halliday or Joe and Pam Donaldson!
11.) Come to a chat this week! We would love to have you. Even if you can only come for 15 minutes, I hope you will give it a try. Visit this link to find out when, how, and where!
Ever onward! God IS doing a new thing! Praise Him!
Day 15in Thin Within is filled with some wonderful thoughts. Even if you aren’t studying with us, you can choose to enjoy a meal being especially intentional about applying all the Keys of Conscious Eating. You will want to plan ahead. Then, once you have determined to have the experience, bathe it in prayer and gratitude throughout!
I don’t advise starting with such HUGE portions, but you can definitely choose foods you enjoy!
In case you don’t have the book, these are the keys you want to apply intentionally for one meal and evaluate how the eating experience goes for you!
Thin Within Keys to Conscious Eating
1. Eat only when my body is hungry. Be sure you have no doubt when you eat for this special meal. Note how much better the food tastes, too!
2. Reduce the number of distractions to eat in a calm environment. For one meal especially, set aside a time, a place, an opportunity when you can have babysitting if you need it–whatever it takes to have a calm situation for your meal!
3. Eat when I am sitting. This may seem silly, but we eat a lot of food on our feet cooking or cleaning up or when passing through the kitchen. For this special meal experience, be sure to be seated.
4. Eat only when my mind and body are relaxed. This is where prayer comes in. I also find praising God for his attributes and giving thanks for things he has done helps me to get my eyes off of my trials and on to HIM! 🙂
5. Eat and drink the food and beverages that I enjoy. You may need to play a trip to your favorite restaurant for this special meal experience. If so, please just do it. It will be worth it. Even if it is a bit expensive, you will discover that you will have leftovers to enjoy another time. Of course, ask the Lord if it is something that he is glorified in and then follow the leading of His Holy Spirit.
6. Pay attention to my food while eating. While you are being intentional with this special meal, be sure to really focus on your food. Note what is on your plate or in your dish. Take stock of the entire experience. Even if you have chosen to have someone present with you, you can do this. 🙂
7. Eat slowly, savoring each bite. This key is one of the most important. When I intentionally slow down, I notice the texture of the food in my mouth and the subtle nuances of flavor. I have a tendency to eat much too fast. For this special meal experience, please be sure to slow way down and “Nom! Nom! Nom!” your food! 🙂
8. Stop before my body is full.If you have applied the other keys, you will sense when you are nearing “satisfied”–a 5. For me, I have found that eating slowly is really an important key to be able to stop before I am full. If I eat slowly and enjoy my food, I can enjoy half as much food in the same time it previously took me to eat twice as much and my mind thinks it has had just as much food! I don’t know if that makes sense to anyone else, but it helps me!
What was your Perfect Meal Experience like? How much food did it take compared to how much you normally eat? What was your level of enjoyment of the experience? What did you learn from this exercise? 🙂
