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Goodness, girls! I am too verbose for words! I tried to post this looooong comment in response to comments made on yesterday’s blog post about an Antidote to Steamrollered Intentions. But it was too many characters. So, I will learn from this and do differently in the future. LOL!

So, I hope you don’t mind that I post my comments in response to *your* comments here as a new blog post! 🙂

Hi, Sandy, God is really working with me on boundaries right now. It is amazing in how many ways, in fact. When I know I am agitated, I can’t allow myself to eat as I know I am far from honest. It is like the boundary I had for myself with my kids when they made disobedient choices. I had to wait until I wasn’t emotional before chastising them…this was a boundary for me to keep me from becoming an abuser. In a very real way, i need to have these boundaries in tact for me not to be “an abuser” of my body by putting into it food it doesn’t need. Same sort of principle.

One thing I have found about pain of my past, sometimes God walks me back through it *now* so that he can be with me through it and experience what he intends for the pain in the first place. It means revisiting those earlier days walking with him through the valley of the shadow, but with *him*, there is redemption of those times and formation of my character instead of coping mechanisms and denial–which is what I have used in the past. So his “do overs” include opportunities like this…even though they are soooo very hard, they are for healing.

It *is* a lot of “work” to change what we do when we are in pain. I think this is why many people “quit” Thin Within. It is much easier for us to focus on food…counting grams, calories, points, whatever, then it is to really look at why we turn to food and to begin to learn new ways of coping. As we learn new ways of coping we are a bit raw. Not a fun place to be.

Yes, Father, I join Sandy in her prayer and ask that you would help all of us to have boundaries. Bless the ladies who will join in this study on June 14th, Lord.

Thank you for your prayers Sandy!

Hi, Kim. Isn’t that the truth? There is a lot of character building we may have missed because we learned to cope without the benefit of the guidance that would have helped our challenges to become opportunities for growth.

So true, Kim. As adults we *are* slow learners so often! LOL! I am with you. I, too, want to allow God to develop His character in me.

LeeAnne, I am so glad that God knows what we need when we need it. He always amazes me that way!

Hey, here is a thought! When we DO “blow it,” let’s celebrate the moments that came before and the one we have now and that will yet be ahead that we can capture for God. I think sometimes we allow our “defeats” to multiply because we mull them over in our minds and beat ourselves up for them…we don’t move forward.

Here is the thing we sometimes miss…or *I* do… we *are* free in Christ! We have to learn to *walk* in that freedom. I have a chinchilla. he is pretty old. He has spent all his life in a cage. When I have let him out of his cage, he has become fearful, uncomfortable. All the freedom offered to him and he prefers the familiarity of his cage. I think I am like little Dusty sometimes. God has given me freedom, but I don’t walk in it.

I am so glad you like the 5 minute idea. I have found it a VERY helpful “boundary” for me.

Hi, Believerkjk – Oh yes! We put such a burden on ourselves that God never asks that we carry. Yet we do and then we feel we have “let God down.” Oh my! We were never holding him up! 🙂 You are so right. It isn’t my job to make everything happy for everyone. I think in the book Search For Significance the author points out that my attempts to constantly make everyone happy is really my attempt to control them…it sounds so nice on the one hand…trying to make others happy. LOL! But you (and the author of that book) are right. It is my attempt to exert control on others! Yikes!

I hope you are finding much joy and comfort in crawling up into Abba’s lap. That picture I put on the blog of my husband with our baby girl (almost 16 years ago) is precious. She always rested so content with him. He is such a tender, nurturing father. I see in him so many characteristics of my heavenly Father. If I could just relate to GOD this way…the way my babies have related to his tenderness. WOW! That would transform everything! AND PRAISE GOD FOR THE VICTORY you experienced!!! YAY for another marble in the jar!

Hi, Peggy. One of the things I sometimes do during tougher seasons is try to carve out even 5 minutes mid-afternoon of refocusing on the Lord and act like it is the start of a new day–even at 3:30pm! I commit “this day” afresh to him and that sometimes helps. Sounds silly! LOL! Thank you so much for your kind words. You encourage me so very much. At times, this weary wanderer needs that. 🙂

Oh, Diahn…thank you so much for your encouraging words, too. No, you aren’t alone. You can see from the comments here at the blog that we share so much in common. We really *are* sisters. It is amazing how God connects us, isn’t it? Prayers for you today, dear one. He is near to you. He delights over you with singing. Do you hear his voice in the whisper? 🙂

You all are such a blessing to me. Thank you for your ministry to my heart. God is awesome, isn’t he?