I think everyone makes a difference, some more than others. Some brighten everyone's day, finding hidden beauty in everyone. Others suck the life out of everyone the minute they enter the room. The rest of us are in the middle somewhere.
I feel God working in my life these days. I long to be in His word, to take comfort in Him. I listen to music that sings His praises in the car and during free time at school. I seem to be saying what I'm doing, but I really mean to show what He's doing in me.
When, without any premeditation, I gave up Facebook for Lent and said I'd pray or read my bible instead of hopping on Facebook all the time. I also lightly resolved to try not to swear, knowing I'd slip up on that one. However, maybe a few words slipped at first, but now I don't even have to fight, it doesn't occur to me or tempt me to swear.
Two weeks ago, I decided to go back to the basics, so to speak, "detoxing" and getting rid of my food addictions, as well as caffeine. I've had 2 caffeinated beverages so far, as well as only a few sweets. Before, it was honestly several sweets per day, and never a day went by without one. I also love exercising again- I have more energy.
It's just funny they always say you shouldn't embark on more than one big change or try to break more than one habit at once. Here's the thing: when you let God take more control of your life and let Him meet your needs, you start letting go of the world naturally. Trying to give up vices by sheer will power is either temporary at best or quickly replaced with another, leaving us feeling like a failure and even more empty than before. We have this need deep down that only God can fill. When we try to fill the void with anything else, we feel unfulfilled and out of control.
So, I feel like God just grabbed my attention with the Facebook thing and from there, my life has just gotten richer because of it. So, am I making a difference in this world? I don't have to worry about that. What a relief! I just have to let go and give Him the reins, and He will do it, using me as much as I yield and allow.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Progress report
Well, I'm enjoying every second of spring break, even if part of it has meant spending time at the dealership, getting my brakes fixed at my dad's shop in Springfield, being without a vehicle and missing a few things I wanted to do. Hannah and I planted her mint plant, and seeds for cilantro, basil and oregano.
Afterwards, we walked up to Border's and bought Tangled and some books. I splurged and had a decaf coffee black and it was so yummy. Hannah had a strawberry smoothie. The book Hannah got was a cookbook because she's enchanted with the idea of being able to cook dinner for the family :) She picked out a few recipes and we stopped at Target on the way back to pick up some sunscreen (oops!- forgot that and it was quite sunny!) and a few ingredients for her dinner plans.
In keeping with her mommy, several adjustments were made to the recipes. She chose cheddar cornbread which used creamed corn. The cookbook is supposed to be economical and quick, which unfortunately means it calls for cans/boxes of everything. Quick, good food can be fresh, too! I taught her how to make regular cornbread, which we did instead of adding the mixes it called for. The stew didn't even call for vegetables except for canned tomatoes, which she hates. So, we used tomato sauce instead and she cut up potatoes (I quartered them first), celery and carrots with the mandoline. She also added frozen peas and corn. Dinner was simply delicious! Jeff and I were both so proud of her and I wonder why I never made corn bread that way before!
While dinner was cooking, we went out and jumped rope (she with her ball-and-chain thing around the ankle). I blazed through mine, after which I promptly plopped on the grass. But, I found a few more jumps in me to jump with hers too.
Overall, oddly enough, the eating has been the easiest part. I feel so much better about myself! The hardest part is definitely the not drinking coffee or Diet Coke/pop. I wasn't going to even do decaf, but today at Border's it was so nice, and I figured - it's decaf, right? I think this has shown me I'm more than a little addicted to caffeine, so I'm going to buy decaf for school. I just enjoy my morning coffee too much and it's nice to be able to have a DC in the afternoon/evening too. The headaches are still present, but much less of an issue, so I think I'm in the home stretch!
So excited to get new tires on the Sienna LE finally and especially to see Heidi and Louis! We're stopping by the in-laws then picking up pupusas for lunch. Later, the plan is to walk with mum. Another full day- feels like summer!
Afterwards, we walked up to Border's and bought Tangled and some books. I splurged and had a decaf coffee black and it was so yummy. Hannah had a strawberry smoothie. The book Hannah got was a cookbook because she's enchanted with the idea of being able to cook dinner for the family :) She picked out a few recipes and we stopped at Target on the way back to pick up some sunscreen (oops!- forgot that and it was quite sunny!) and a few ingredients for her dinner plans.
In keeping with her mommy, several adjustments were made to the recipes. She chose cheddar cornbread which used creamed corn. The cookbook is supposed to be economical and quick, which unfortunately means it calls for cans/boxes of everything. Quick, good food can be fresh, too! I taught her how to make regular cornbread, which we did instead of adding the mixes it called for. The stew didn't even call for vegetables except for canned tomatoes, which she hates. So, we used tomato sauce instead and she cut up potatoes (I quartered them first), celery and carrots with the mandoline. She also added frozen peas and corn. Dinner was simply delicious! Jeff and I were both so proud of her and I wonder why I never made corn bread that way before!
While dinner was cooking, we went out and jumped rope (she with her ball-and-chain thing around the ankle). I blazed through mine, after which I promptly plopped on the grass. But, I found a few more jumps in me to jump with hers too.
Overall, oddly enough, the eating has been the easiest part. I feel so much better about myself! The hardest part is definitely the not drinking coffee or Diet Coke/pop. I wasn't going to even do decaf, but today at Border's it was so nice, and I figured - it's decaf, right? I think this has shown me I'm more than a little addicted to caffeine, so I'm going to buy decaf for school. I just enjoy my morning coffee too much and it's nice to be able to have a DC in the afternoon/evening too. The headaches are still present, but much less of an issue, so I think I'm in the home stretch!
So excited to get new tires on the Sienna LE finally and especially to see Heidi and Louis! We're stopping by the in-laws then picking up pupusas for lunch. Later, the plan is to walk with mum. Another full day- feels like summer!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Detox
Well, it's barely been two full days, and I feel pretty good. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't tempted- and a lot!- by a cup of coffee or a Diet Coke. Oddly enough, the food part has been easy. I haven't been hungry or craving junk- it actually feels good to eat better. I also like how I feel drinking more water. I have had such a headache, though! I didn't think I was so addicted to caffeine, but this headache has persisted since yesterday evening! Ibuprofen helps, but exercising works better :)
Overall, I'm so glad to be freed from this pull, from my compulsion to munch on junk I find lying around. I'm looking forward to completely "detoxing" and feeling the pull less and less of these idols. God is good!
Overall, I'm so glad to be freed from this pull, from my compulsion to munch on junk I find lying around. I'm looking forward to completely "detoxing" and feeling the pull less and less of these idols. God is good!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Turning point
Ok, so this is it. I'm tired of empty resolutions. I repent, I'm turning around. Little background...
On February 1, 2008, I decided to do EnLighten Nebraska, exercising and eating healthy. I lost 40 lbs., got in shape and broke the chains of food addiction, I felt so amazing. It wasn't just the way I looked, although obviously that was a part of it. I kept picking out clothes that were too big, would see myself in the mirror and not recognize myself. I exercised every day and barely ate junk or drank anything but water. I felt so incredibly free of the pull I once felt.
Now the pounds are creeping back, as they have been for some time now, and my exercise habits are barely there. Worst of all, my eating is terrible. I don't gorge myself, but I eat junk and drink lots of coffee and DC. I don't lose control like I used to, eating almost to punish myself. I just don't say "no" enough. It's kind of like how we tell the kids they have to have a plan of how they will respond to temptation (drugs, sex, etc.) or they'll fall. I have no plan, I just give in to every food temptation that comes my way.
I know I'd feel better if I ate better and resisted, yet in it all goes - donuts, chocolate, caffeine, you name it. I will go for a walk, a bike ride, even Zumba, but a few times a week at best. Worst of all, every time I do something rigorous that's just fun, especially Zumba, I have bladder issues. It's the same as it was at first - right after the surgery, even though it's been over a year. Also, I still struggle with not having the energy I used to in the pre-menopause days. On the bright side, I don't have near the hot flashes anymore!
I have waivered back and forth between getting on some sort of "plan" or "routine," thinking that I would start to trust in that and become obsessed with diet, etc. instead of having a lasting balance. I want to focus on worshipping God instead of my body. I know spiritual health is so closely tied to physical health too, yet I can't seem to tame my physically unhealthy habits and treat my body as His temple instead of a dumping grounds. I feel now sure that for me (and maybe everyone), some structure or at least a specific committment is exactly what I need. I need a plan to resist temptation, to help motivate me when I'm feeling too tired to exercise.
God created my body as it is, perfect. I don't hate it. I hate what I do to it and how it looks as a result of my disobedience to Him. I am ready to again find the balance I knew before. I feel spiritually so much closer to Him than I was before, which is maybe why this is so hard to admit and overcome. I must admit the disappointment I have been in this area in order to move forward in the right direction.
I have been reluctant to set up a rules system/schedule, because once I realized my eating is a spiritual problem, I felt like the diets were just another way to get me obsessed with food and to create a new idol. I am growing and reconciling these two seemingly conflicting perspectives - getting help from Him or help from earthly solutions. I want to let Him meet my needs so I don't even feel the pull of food or anything else, and replacing it with a diet or plan is just substituting. However, that's not exactly what I'm doing. I will look to Him to meet my needs, but also have an immediate plan to help me avoid temptation of falling into my old ways. Maybe this is just like how we are to obey even when we don't "feel" it, but often when we obey He provides the will, the feeling afterwards.
Ok, so "the plan"...
1. I will exercise regularly, which for now, will be: jumping rope 200 times 3x/wk, walking 2-3x/wk and Zumba 1-2x/wk
2. I will drink water and nothing but for the next week; after that, I will have 1 cup of coffee OR a DC per day
3. I will follow what I did when I first lost the weight- eat all the foods I should before eating junk- 5 veggies, 2-3 fruits, 2 dairy, protein, fiber-rich carbs
There it is. I'm already wondering if I'm going to be sorry. When I walk with my mom on Monday, I'm going to want a DC afterwards. But, if it were easy, I wouldn't be in the predicament I'm in right now. The pleasure I get from these "creature comforts" is less than my desire to please Him and free myself of the enslavement my body has to these things. Praise Him for giving me this resolve and for helping me to rise above!
On February 1, 2008, I decided to do EnLighten Nebraska, exercising and eating healthy. I lost 40 lbs., got in shape and broke the chains of food addiction, I felt so amazing. It wasn't just the way I looked, although obviously that was a part of it. I kept picking out clothes that were too big, would see myself in the mirror and not recognize myself. I exercised every day and barely ate junk or drank anything but water. I felt so incredibly free of the pull I once felt.
Now the pounds are creeping back, as they have been for some time now, and my exercise habits are barely there. Worst of all, my eating is terrible. I don't gorge myself, but I eat junk and drink lots of coffee and DC. I don't lose control like I used to, eating almost to punish myself. I just don't say "no" enough. It's kind of like how we tell the kids they have to have a plan of how they will respond to temptation (drugs, sex, etc.) or they'll fall. I have no plan, I just give in to every food temptation that comes my way.
I know I'd feel better if I ate better and resisted, yet in it all goes - donuts, chocolate, caffeine, you name it. I will go for a walk, a bike ride, even Zumba, but a few times a week at best. Worst of all, every time I do something rigorous that's just fun, especially Zumba, I have bladder issues. It's the same as it was at first - right after the surgery, even though it's been over a year. Also, I still struggle with not having the energy I used to in the pre-menopause days. On the bright side, I don't have near the hot flashes anymore!
I have waivered back and forth between getting on some sort of "plan" or "routine," thinking that I would start to trust in that and become obsessed with diet, etc. instead of having a lasting balance. I want to focus on worshipping God instead of my body. I know spiritual health is so closely tied to physical health too, yet I can't seem to tame my physically unhealthy habits and treat my body as His temple instead of a dumping grounds. I feel now sure that for me (and maybe everyone), some structure or at least a specific committment is exactly what I need. I need a plan to resist temptation, to help motivate me when I'm feeling too tired to exercise.
God created my body as it is, perfect. I don't hate it. I hate what I do to it and how it looks as a result of my disobedience to Him. I am ready to again find the balance I knew before. I feel spiritually so much closer to Him than I was before, which is maybe why this is so hard to admit and overcome. I must admit the disappointment I have been in this area in order to move forward in the right direction.
I have been reluctant to set up a rules system/schedule, because once I realized my eating is a spiritual problem, I felt like the diets were just another way to get me obsessed with food and to create a new idol. I am growing and reconciling these two seemingly conflicting perspectives - getting help from Him or help from earthly solutions. I want to let Him meet my needs so I don't even feel the pull of food or anything else, and replacing it with a diet or plan is just substituting. However, that's not exactly what I'm doing. I will look to Him to meet my needs, but also have an immediate plan to help me avoid temptation of falling into my old ways. Maybe this is just like how we are to obey even when we don't "feel" it, but often when we obey He provides the will, the feeling afterwards.
Ok, so "the plan"...
1. I will exercise regularly, which for now, will be: jumping rope 200 times 3x/wk, walking 2-3x/wk and Zumba 1-2x/wk
2. I will drink water and nothing but for the next week; after that, I will have 1 cup of coffee OR a DC per day
3. I will follow what I did when I first lost the weight- eat all the foods I should before eating junk- 5 veggies, 2-3 fruits, 2 dairy, protein, fiber-rich carbs
There it is. I'm already wondering if I'm going to be sorry. When I walk with my mom on Monday, I'm going to want a DC afterwards. But, if it were easy, I wouldn't be in the predicament I'm in right now. The pleasure I get from these "creature comforts" is less than my desire to please Him and free myself of the enslavement my body has to these things. Praise Him for giving me this resolve and for helping me to rise above!
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