Preaching to Myself

She (on Fast-5 facebook page)  Ok, so I'm back. Grass is not greener and still want to lose about 25 pounds. :)

Me  There IS no greener grass - just blessed correlations between energy, effort, choices and consistency (at least in my experience).

Even as these words slipped easily off my fingertips,

 I realized it was MYSELF I was preaching to!   

Every day I must PREACH.

Every day I must PRACTICE.

Hope & Help for the Holidays

The "title" of my blog REALLY comes into play during the Holiday Season, I'm noticing!

Each of the three words/concepts seems to take on a WHOLE 'nother dimension when sharing the house and mealtimes with additional people - of all ages, sizes, needs and preferences.  For today, I'm working on LOVE while giving up some POWER
 and maintaining SELF-CONTROL. 
(Can anyone relate????)

This is challenging,

but I can and WILL do it

with the help of God.

Holiday Appetites

In anonymous: Jesus' hidden years and yours, by Alicia Britt Chole, these words grabbed me last night as I read them.  How I needed them!  Particularly in this holiday season with its appeal to my appetite!

The second thieving rationalization that causes us to underestimate temptation in the area of appetite...says, It is better than...

In this lie, we abdicate our responsibility to discipline our appetite by convincing ourselves that what we are doing is the "lesser of two evils."  So we listen in silence to a slanderous rumor, but at least we did not start it.  We punish someone repeatedly in our thoughts, but at least we are not doing it with our fists.  We fantasize about impurity privately, but at least we are not engaging in it physically.

This kind of reasoning almost makes it seem as though we are doing God a favor by sinning, as though he should be satisfied or even proud that we are not doing something worse.  But when tempted in the layer of appetite, the question we need to ask ourselves is not, What is this better then?  but "What is this feeding?"  Whatever we feed will live to tempt us another day.

How ABOUT that last line?  

Whatever we feed will live to tempt us another day.

By the way, the FIRST "thieving rationalization" is 

"it is just until....."

as if today doesn't really count or that we will deal with the issue later.

"Today always counts," she writes.

"If we fail to deal with issues today, they will deal with us tomorrow."

Self-Talk

It's a good thing I go back to read my own posts!

I see that yesterday I ENDED my writing by saying,

"I am so lazy."

WhatEVER was I thinking?

Did you ever hear of (or remember when) teachers used to have students

write out a sentence 100 times on a sheet of paper

or on the blackboard?

I need to correct my "self-talk", and maybe that's the way to do it!

Do you have any other suggestions for changing negative self-talk?

I am active and energetic!

I am active and energetic!

I am active and energetic!

I am....

Looking Ahead

Clearly, October is gone and November is well into itself!  After a busy week with two grandsons, I have minutes now to regroup and reflect.  Yesterday I surprised myself by commenting on someone's facebook post with these sentences.  (I'm not sure WHO I was "channeling", but I like the sound of it!)

Every DAY is a new beginning with me. Some days I absolutely ROCK! Other days, I couldn't tell you what I accomplished. But every day I try to "love on" SOMEone, create or appreciate some beauty, learn something new, laugh out loud, do something good for my body, and bring a smile to God's "face"

Looking ahead, I see that our schedule over the next week and a half will involve travel and eating out. I  I will return to these statements (which I've copied into my date book) to bring some focus and shape and sanity to my the next few days.

Before October Ends...

You know it's bad when I resort to posting silhouettes--silhouettes reflected in a mirror that's slanted just right--and THOSE posted with a hope that no one clicks on the picture to enlarge it in order to see details!

Facing the reality reflected in the mirror, I did my food shopping. Apples, a pineapple, some black grapes (yummy!), and a bunch of broccoli were some of my purchases. 

I KNOW I need to get serious about cutting the sugar out of my diet again.  It has slowly crept back in (yesterday in the form of a a small piece of homemade coconut cream pie).  I also made an unwise choice or two in restaurants the past couple of week (onion rings & something else I've already forgotten). 

I'm thankful for the healthy alternatives available in my grocery store.
I'm thankful for mirrors and cameras that confront me with my reality.
I'm thankful for an inward desire to change.
I'm thankful for Power to change.

Before October ends, I'm going to have ONE good day of healthy eating and 30 minutes of walking!

That would be TODAY!

Dear Me...A Letter to Myself

Dear Me,

A new week has begun. Summer, too! A season of salads--vegetables and fruit. A season of health and harvests. You have been diligent in establishing some habits that are important for both life AND godliness.

From past experience, you know how quickly these habits can dissipate! So don't get complacent. Don't get lazy. Don't let the heat of the morning dissuade you from the 30 minute walks, 5 days out of 7!

The achievement of your 159# goal was a long time in coming. But having arrived, aren't you motivated for one more weight goal? Say, "149#" by August 15th? Then you should be able to "shop your closet" and assemble a free autumn wardrobe. How exciting will that be?

That will be a great time to organize and weed out your closet. So don't get weighed down by that concern. Just write it down in your date book and take care of TODAY! Till then, rely on God's grace and power which provide EVERYTHING you need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called you to his own glory and excellence. (II Peter 1:3)

She Talks to Herself, Too! (See my very first post - June 1, 2009)

I asked Brenda for permission to post her comments that I read on another blog SOMEWHERE out there. She consented.

Here are the things I tell myself. I thought about expanding this list. It does help me to talk to myself like this. . .

1. One day at a time.

2. It does not taste that good.

3. You are not that hungry.

4. The good feeling and tasting is so temporary.

5. Go for a walk.

6. I do not regret today what I did not eat yesterday.

7. All I need is one taste.

8. Eating something leftover is just as wasteful as throwing it away and probably more dangerous to my health.

9. Do you want to be full or thin?

I find this rationale and "self-talk" to be helpful!

Some of it (like #6 & #9) are statements that that are new to me.

Thanks, Brenda!

Talking to Myself

It's not the first time I've had this talk with myself. At various times throughout my life, I've had to remind myself that I am not my own. I belong to the One who created me. Jesus paid for me with His life!

When He offered His life in exchange for mine and I received it, He placed a new spirit inside me. A spirit of power and love and self-control.

The trouble is, I get side-tracked. I get selfish. I get lazy. I get fat. There! I said it! And then I need to talk to myself as Paul talked to his protege. "Fan into flame the gift of God which is in you"!

After a few years of increasing carelessness in my eating and exercise habits, I tried to self-reform only to be faced with discouragement, disappointment, and failure.

Then, a few weeks ago, a fresh wind of power and love and self-control gently blew new courage and determination into my most inner being. I can't explain it except by the mystery and gift of God's Holy Spirit.

By His grace, I have been "dying daily" to my inclinations and appetites. And simultaneously the flame of the spirit of power and love and self-control has been ignited once again.

I am SO grateful.