The Transformation

At this time last year, I sat down with my notebook and wrote my goals.  I also wrote my "One Word" for the year - Transform.  (My word for 2016 is Believe)  In my notebook, I wrote down my weight and all my measurements.  I kept track on the first of each month to monitor my progress or lack thereof.  Today, I am down 28 pounds and LOTS of inches in my waist, hips, thighs, etc. I still have further to go, but I am satisfied with the direction I am heading.   

However, I learned a lot in the process.  It's true that 80% of weight loss is what you eat, and 20% is moving your body.  I know this because I could have lost double what I did if I had a little more control over my diet. I saw the monthly totals going down SLOWLY.  I also know this because my husband started his journey in May and lost more than double what I did by watching what and how much he ate.  He's skinny now, y'all!  

I also learned that it takes courage to start going to the gym and try something new.  One of my goals last year was to start going to a class.  It took me 3 months to try one - Tae Bo.  After 20 minutes in that class, I thought I was dying.  I left early and went back to the treadmills.  I didn't leave, even though my pride wanted me to.  It took me another 4 months to gain the courage to try "the big one".  I wanted to try Bodypump for years, but was never brave enough to give it a try.  Finally, after trying it out, I fell in love.  I go 3-4 times a week now, in addition to regular cardio workouts.  

Another thing I learned is that most people at the gym are willing to help out.  Of the different machines and classes I tried out for the first time, there was always someone willing to answer my questions and help me out.  I also found that they aren't going to automatically help, so you have to put yourself out there and ask for it.  Also, if you let instructors know you're new, they will show you how to modify, and how to keep good form so you don't hurt yourself.    

I did make big changes, but I'm still learning in my journey.  I just want to encourage you, if you feel stuck, or feel like you fail your resolutions every year.  Don't give up.  Start where you are.  Everyone has to start somewhere.  Don't be intimidated by the skinny girls or bulky guys.  Most people are just trying to become a better version of themselves, so you do you and don't worry about where they are on their journey.  Make goals and go after them. Find someone to help you, keep you accountable and to encourage you.  

Resolutions and Resolving to Give Them Up

New Years Day is typically a time when people write down their resolutions to better themselves.  The list of ideas runs long.  For the past three years, I've participated in One Word.  One Word is a way of working God's plan into your "resolutions".  My word for this year is Transform.  My word didn't come to me as wonderfully as it did last year.  In fact, it came totally out of the blue and without any fanfare.  

Romans 12:1 & 2 "Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God."

So, in writing down this word to make this year a year of transformations, I am essentially resolving to give up resolutions, and instead let God do His work in me.  I am giving up on striving to please God through resolutions, but rather please Him by letting the Holy Spirit work through me.  I am giving up on trying to make myself better, and in place, becoming more like Jesus in my walk with Him.

What this looks like for me is that instead of making a list to lose weight, save money, stay debt free, pray more, read more, and all the other good things we resolve to do at the beginning of the year, I will only choose to be transformed from the inside out.  I will choose to focus solely on how God wants to transform me, like a caterpillar to a butterfly.  He's waiting for me to do my part, because He's already done His part.  I just need to participate in what He's already doing.  For me, that looks like joining a local bible study and getting into His word daily, knowing His voice through His word.  

Did you choose a word, or did a word choose you this year?  Would you share what God is putting on your heart for the year?  

Change on the Inside

Are you like me?  Do you like change, but hate the process of change?  Do you desire things to change, but don't want to put the work into making it happen?  I wish I had a genie in a bottle most days.  A little too much "I dream of Jeannie" reruns in my childhood, maybe?

I am so guilty of desiring all kinds of changes and never stepping foot in the direction, which would make the change reality.  I tend to like doing things the same way over and over, but expect a different result.  I know, that's the definition of insanity.  I never said I wasn't just a little bit crazy.  

But really, change isn't going to happen over night, just like a butterfly has to spend time in it's cocoon before it spreads it's wings.  Change is not going to happen because I do something different one time.  It's going to be a day by day, sometimes minute by minute attention to detail.  It's going to be when I purpose in my heart that today will be different and nothing can shift me off that focus.  Real change is a God thing.  

I have lots of lists of things I want to change.  Journals lie around my bed with half-hearted "goals", but really they were wishes and hopes.  

I want to lose xx pounds by the end of the year

I want to save xx amount of dollars

I want to do a family bible study every day

I want to learn a new hobby
I want to...

The point that I miss, every time I make my lists, is that I'm dismissing what God might want to be doing in me at that time.  He is ALWAYS working in us.  Sometimes the picture is bigger than our 3 bullet points and neat little lists.  Perhaps he puts the desire in my heart to lose some weight.  But, when I don't invite Him to help me in the process, I start doing it in my own strength.  You know what?  My strength fails me.  Again, and again.  I can't do life on my own, try as I may.  I must get into a habit of inviting the Lord into my day to day, into the little things and into the big things.

I do want to lose xx pounds, and save xx dollars, and all those other things.  But, I can't do any of it without Jesus by my side, directing my path.  Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  When I get into His word, spend time communicating and listening to Him in prayer and meditation, and worship Him, I can hear Him more clearly, see the pathway more clearly.  

He is ready and able to help me change whatever we are needing to change.  He plants those desires in my heart for change and is wanting to walk through those changes with me.  

What is God wanting to change in you?  Where is He wanting to grow you in Him?  Will you take a leap of faith with me, and let Him light our path to show us how to make those changes?

A Thankful Heart: Growing In Him

I asked my friend, Lisa, to write up a post for me.  She brilliantly came up with this beautiful post.  Let's ask, seek and knock together.

By: Lisa Drever

If you know me, then you know I don't have a green thumb. I'm not the best at consistently watering plants and I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to actually planting things. Lucky for me spiritual growth is something completely different! Don't get me wrong, spiritual growth and the growth of a plant do have several similarities.  God can take a tiny seed and grow a huge tree. When we forget to "water" our spiritual selves, we get sickly.  Sometimes we need to trim back our spiritual selves to make core branches stronger.  Some plants have beautiful blooms, some fruit, some have tall trunks with strong branches, some are small, prickly cactus; but they are all beautiful, and they are each the plant God created them to be.  The most important similarity is that plants, like our spiritual selves are always changing.  

How do we foster spiritual growth?  In Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus tells us: 7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  Jesus is talking to his disciples specifically about persistent prayer. To me it is also a beautiful guide to three components of spiritual growth. 

Ask

Asking is the most basic part of spiritual growth but it is still the most important part.  Asking is telling God we desire Him and want our life to be His. It is the first step in starting a relationship with Christ. We ask through our prayers. We can ask God for many things, forgiveness, guidance, assistance, encouragement, hope, safety, and security. But it is important to notice that we ask God. We don't tell God our plans and needs like we might to our spouse. We ask, we beg, we humbly beseech. God grants us many blessings whether or not we ask for them. However, we can not truly be called His until we ask that it be so. A great way to start or restart spiritual growth is to ask for it. When we ask God we must truly desire it. Asking requires very little action on our part but can have the most amazing results. God knows we aren't perfect; he made us that way. He delights when we acknowledge our dependence on and need for Him.  Ask. God wants you to.

Seek

Seeking is the next step in spiritual growth. When you seek, you take some action in growing closer to God. This includes, reading the Bible, going to church, having fellowship with other Christians, doing something that helps you to learn more about God. Seeking also includes making changes to put God at the center of your life.  It might mean replacing time shopping on the internet with time learning about Christ on the internet, or even just praying. Some people may seek before they ask.  The order isn't important but it is not enough to seek without asking or ask without seeking both are needed for spiritual growth.

Knock

To me, knocking is the hardest, yet can be the most dramatic and rewarding component of spiritual growth.  Knocking is placing yourself on the God's doorstep and asking to be let into His kingdom. It requires complete faith in Christ. It requires giving your life, your obedience and service to Christ. It means putting yourself out there. Yes there. Outside your comfort zone. outside of your bubble. It means giving God control.  Knocking is an action. You can't want to knock, or pray to knock, you have to do it. Knocking can mean (sometimes radical) changes to your lifestyle, sharing Christ with non-believers, serving fellow sinners, and more. Not everyone can go on Mission Trips, but you can ask for God to show you and seek out opportunities to knock. He will answer and he provides His Holy Spirit to empower you to do anything.

The best part about spiritual growth is, that Christ says when we ask, seek, and knock God WILL answer. It may not be the answer you think, but it is the answer you need.  Christ also says we must do all three. It is not enough to merely ask, to seek, or to knock. All three are required.  We can not be content to ask and take no action. We must seek to guide our judgment. We can not knock without knowing where the door is.  God knows we aren't perfect. God knows we have times of growth and times of neglecting our growth. His answer is persistent reliance on Him for that growth. He didn't say try, try harder, and try some more; or read the bible, go to church, quit sinning give away your possessions and work in a a soup kitchen, and then you are worthy. He says ask God, seek God, knock on the door to God. In short, RELY on God for your spiritual growth and it will be given to you abundantly.  

Dear God, I thank you for opportunities to grow as a follower of your son, Jesus Christ. You plant a seed I each of our hearts. By leading us to ask, seek, and knock you nourish our growth. We do not deserve to receive your love, but when we ask for it, it is there. When we seek to know you more, you reveal your truths, when we knock at your door as your obedient servant, you open it. We praise you in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. 

A Thankful Heart: God is Good

He's faithfully good, all the time.  I could not say that without firsthand experience and time spent in His presence.  Even when life falls apart, He is there with all His goodness, grace and mercy. 

I've had to re-learn how to have a relationship with the Lord after years of a yo-yo diet on His word.  Sometimes I'd eat of His word, and other times I was spiritually anorexic.  I'm still learning to live on His bread, the Word of life.  

I was thinking this morning about the time that I decided to tune out.  It was after an emotionally charged service.  I faithfully went to church 3 or more times a week from my teenage years through my mid-twenties.  Then, around age 26, I noticed a marked shift in my home church.  It went from really desiring God's presence to desiring to be blessed.  Prosperity gospel invaded, and I tuned out.

Let me pause here to say that I believe God's best desire for us is to live blessed in Him.  This life clouds our view of what "blessed" is.  I question whether it is best to use the money God blesses us with on fancy cars and designer clothes while people in the church go hungry both spiritually and physically.  While, I understand the prosperity movement because I experienced it first hand, I don't always agree with everything preached on that subject.  

There were a few events that hurt my heart and moved my heart to harden with regard to my relationship with the Lord.  I lost a best friend to a treatable disease because she didn't have health insurance.  I lost an Aunt that was like a grandmother to me, and I had failed to do what God was moving on me to do before she died.  I was in a bad relationship with a Christian guy.  And then, I saw my pastor get on the pulpit and the church took up an offering to buy him a new Lexus.  

Let me tell you friend, it doesn't take much more than that to harden your heart when you've not spent a great deal of time in the Word on your own.  I was good at going to church 3 or more times a week.  During my teen years and early twenties, I desired God so much.  I wanted Him more than anything.  I spent hours poring over His word, studying all that I could.  

But, somewhere in my mid-twenties, my priorities got out of order, and then one thing on top of another clouded my view of God.  Why would I want to serve a God that asked us to bless our pastors in such a way, but didn't have us provide for the people who needed it most.  I know better now after years of studying and getting to know Him better. 

Somewhere along the way, I met and married my husband, a good ole Baptist boy from New England.  We talked for hours every night before we even met in person.  I loved that he had only known the Lord for a couple of years, but he knew more about the bible than I did on most days.  He and I married, and though I resisted diving in full-hearted into church, God softened my heart.  

I met my friend Julie in a playgroup, and she invited me to join a bible study group that she was going to start through her church.  So, I joined, and was so excited to have a community of people like me.  Though we were all different in personality and background, our one common core was that we were all broken, sinners in need of Jesus.  We needed His love to mend our broken hearts, we needed His grace to redeem broken lives.  

There is so much more to this testimony.  Isn't that the way it always is?  So many little things that would take too long to write.  The point is that I believed God, I doubted God, He was there waiting to heal my broken heart, I surrendered, He healed me.  I know this is long, and if you've read it all, thank you.  I believe every one has an important story to tell.  

A Thankful Heart: For Discouraging Days

You're not good enough.

Your kids aren't well behaved.

Your words are worthless, you're blog will never be read.

You don't amount to much.

Nobody needs you.

Nobody has time for you.

You're not very smart.

Have you ever heard these words, whether verbally or internally?  These are words from the enemy.  They are dream stealers, life deflaters, hope hijackers.  There is so much discouragement in this world, so much that runs through our minds, and much that the enemy is ready to throw into our face.  It's not just these kinds of dialogues that can throw us off our faith-walk, but even every day circumstances.  A parent is hospitalized, a child is going through social issues at school, a spouse needs to have surgery, the car needs to be repaired.  It can be overwhelming.  This is what God promises for those days of discouragement: 

"When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him."  Isaiah 59:19b (KJV)

The word standard in this verse is translated from the original Hebrew as "put to flight, to drive hastily, to cause to disappear, hide".  The standard that God will raise against our enemy is to drive him out, and cause him to disappear or hide.  I don't know about you, but that gives me hope.  The discouragement that tries to wage war with our hope, our faith in Him, has no ground to stand on.  

Don't let your hope get hijacked by a passing thought that you are not good enough, or that you aren't worth much, or any other lie.  Instead, feast on what God's word says about you.  You are a child of the Most High God!  (1John 3:1)  His word says He thinks about you. (Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 139:17, Psalm 40:5).  He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)  He loves you with an everlasting love.  (Jeremiah 31:3)  He will finish what He's started in you.  (Philippians 1:6, 1Thessalonians 5:24).  Find your promises in Him, find your worth in Him.  Your life will change, I promise.  As those doubts and thoughts try to creep in, you can draw on your reservoir of hope through the faith that you have built up in Him.

Father, I lift up every person going through discouragement and disappointment today.  We will bless you, Lord, with every thought and purpose our hearts to know you more.  We lay down our burdens at your feet, Lord Jesus, and choose to release all the wrongs done toward us, all the frustrations we've brought upon ourselves and give it all over to you.  We choose today to think on things that are true, worthy, honorable, just, pure, lovely and kind.  Whatever has virtue and excellence, Father, we will think on these things because they do not go against what you think of us.  I praise you and thank you for your goodness and mercy that continually follow us!  In Jesus' Name, Amen!

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A Thankful Heart: Day 24 - 28 - Growing Faith

I have not really had any computer time for 4 days.  Our anniversary was this weekend, so I didn't think computer time was so important. Then my dear husband worked from home yesterday, so I couldn't use the computer again.  So, I'm catching up with 5 days of thankfulness in this one blog.  I apologize in advance if it is all over the place.  

My bible study group is doing the Beth Moore study "Believing God" for this semester.  We are only on week 2 and I am LOVING this study.  I can already tell that my faith is stretching and growing in ways that I did not even realize needed to be stretched and grown.  I've been a Christian for a very long time.  I grew up quoting scripture, learned to pray God's word over my circumstances at an early age, and knowing all the "right" words and phrases to use around other Christians.  The problem is that this led to complacency and apathy on my part in my late 20's / early 30's.  I am just now getting a new understanding of what it means to be a follower of Christ, and to live fully devoted to following Him.  

I am excited to see new truths in His word that I never understood or even read before, and I'm just as excited to get reacquainted with the one's I have known since I was 5.  Even in our times of crisis/apathy/laziness, God is working in us.  He is always working in us to bring us closer to Him and for His glory.  It's easy to look back and see the handiwork of God woven throughout the times that I was furthest from Him.  I am thankful that He never leaves nor forsakes us.  

Deuteronomy 31:6 - "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

Thank God for His promises, they are the same, yesterday, today and forever.  He never leaves us or forsakes us.  He is always there no matter how far away we think we are from Him.  He is always drawing us back to Him.  If God feels silent or distant from you today, know that He is really not that far from you at all.  Turn to Him, lean hard on Him and trust that He is right there waiting for you to run to Him.  

Love to you all.  I hope you have a blessed day!  I promise to get back into the swing of things soon.  No computer time really takes a bite out of blogging.  

A Thankful Heart: Day 20 - Change Your Prayers, Change Your World

What would it look like if our prayers didn't focus on our material wants, but instead focused on serving God better.  How would our world (and I mean our small part of the world) change?  What if we dared to believe God and take Him at His word?  What if our prayers were less about gaining satisfaction for ourselves, but more focused on growing in Him?  

I ask these questions because they were brought to mind while I was praying one day recently. It was a gentle nudge by the Holy Spirit, but a glaring review of my prayer life played in my mind. What have I been praying for?  I don't necessarily pray for "things" like cars, house stuff, clothes and such, but my prayers weren't really fruitful either.  It didn't seem like I was reaching the heart of God in my prayer time.  Let me preface this by saying that I believe God hears all prayers, even if it is just "God help me."  This is not to belittle those times when we just don't know what to pray.  Here is the promise about that.

Instead, in those times when you are pressing in to God, reaching out to him in heartfelt prayer, let's focus our eyes on His divine will for us.  What if we switched our prayers from being self-focused to being God-focused?  What does this look like for us?  One thing I know for sure is that it looks like thankfulness.  In all things, we give thanks.  In. ALL. things.  If we can change our prayers from "will you give me" to one of praise and thanksgiving, or to asking Him to change us to be more like Him, we will revolutionize our life and world.  

Revival can't happen without people willing to be revived.  The word revival means "renewed attention to or interest in something, a new presentation of something old, restoration of force, validity or effect."  We talk a lot about revival in the church, but unless we understand what that means, we will never realize the full extent of it, and live it out.  People in revival are movers and shakers.  They are people out feeding the homeless in the hot Texas sun.  They are reaching people in their native languages on rainy days in the trailer park.  They don't do this stuff and see it as a hardship, they do it because they have been revived themselves.  

We might get a thrill or sense of excitement after leaving a conference or meeting, but that is not where true revival begins.  True revival begins when we seek after God with our whole heart and begin to pray new prayers in our fellowship with Him.  Our prayers change from a self-centered place to a God-centered place.  I think of the person whose heart has been revived in a real physical sense of the word.  They were dead on the table, and the doctors revived them. Friend, God wants to do that in YOU!  You may feel spiritually dead on the table, but he's ready to revive you!  

Isaiah 57:15 - "For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:

“I dwell in the high and holy place,

and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,

to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite."

Acts 3:19-21 "Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago."

So, let's change our perspective, and change our world!  Let's change our prayers to ask God what He would show us and do through us instead of asking Him to give us more stuff.  

Father, we come boldly before your throne of grace.  We thank you for the work you are doing in us!  Thank you for changing us by your Spirit from glory to glory.  Let the words our mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, Lord.  Create in us a clean heart, and renew the right spirit in us, let us be a light in a dark world.  Enlighten our eyes to understand what you've called us to do in this world.  Help us to walk more fully in your word and in your will, and help us to understand the direction you would have us go.  In Jesus Name, Amen!

The Runaway Friend

Recently, I asked God why I didn't have a "best" friend like so many of my other friends had/have.  Don't get me wrong, I have some good friends, and I have a couple of friends that I've had for over 20 years that I am still close to.  But, these are not my "go to" friends.  I don't feel I could call them to watch my kids at the last minute, to bring me a meal because I just can't get it together, or that I can confide my every secret to.  I've had friends that I instantly thought "this is it!"  I've found my bestie!  I've had a lot of close friends throughout my life, many who are now just acquaintances.  So, before bed earlier this week, I went to sleep thinking of this empty space in my life.  

Now, this isn't the first time God has used a dream to speak to me, and I know it won't be the last.  But, in my dream that night, I dreamt about the movie "The Runaway Bride".  I haven't seen the movie in years, maybe as many as 10 years.  But the idea of Maggie, the lead character in the movie, and her inability to make her own decisions clung to my brain as I slept.  She would always opt for the way the man in her life would do things instead of having her own opinion or tastes or desires.  So, when it came time to commit, she left 4 disappointed, would-be grooms in her wake.  

So, as I was sleeping, the thought came to me that I do what Maggie did in that movie.  I often CONFORM to what others are doing and saying instead of standing steady in my own principles and values.  Then, I pull back when I feel I'm not living as myself, or that I'm not being loved for who I am.  Often, feeling like the third wheel.  I want to fit in, I want to be liked and loved, and I want to please people.  None of these are bad until the desires for those things become greater than the knowledge of who we are in Christ.  In Christ, we are redeemed and forgiven.  In Christ, we have been set free.  In Christ, we are a new creation.  In Christ, we have peace.  In Christ, we are holy and without blame.  In Christ, we am God's workmanship, created for good works.  We are a joint heir with Christ!

I have to put aside myself in order to know who I am, and in order to stand for who I am.  In this real life, that is often hard to do.  I want to compromise to know I am accepted and loved by fickle, ever-changing people.  But, this has caused great discomfort in the past few years.  The more I desired to be loved and accepted by the beautiful people God put into my life, the further I got from the very God who blessed my life with them.  The more I elevated them to the position God is supposed to hold, the more resentful and further away from me they wanted to be.  It's a no-win situation.  We can't put that kind of pressure on people when they weren't meant to carry the load designed only for God to carry for us.  He is our ever lasting friend.  He is our hope.  Thank God for friends and the wonderful people He adds to us in our journey, but let us be mindful of where we put them in the priority of our lives.  

Romans 12:1 & 2 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." God has been highlighting this scripture for me since  February 23.  I was able to attend a ladies conference and 2 of the speakers spoke of that on separate occasions.  It triggered some serious thinking on my part, and for 3 months I have just thought about that scripture.  I've been getting it in blog posts, daily devotionals, listening to preaching online, just about everywhere I turn there is a reminder from God.  Do not be CONFORMED, be TRANSFORMED.

Father God, I pray that you would help me to be transformed by your word, to keep my eyes fixed on you, and to know that in you, I have all I need.  I ask that you keep reminding me of these truths, continue to put people in my life who point me to you, and help me to be a light to those who need to see you in me.  Oh God, that I would honor you and bring you glory always.  Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.  Those areas of hurt, of shame, of disappointment, purify those areas with your love, give me a heart that is full of your love, and show me where to pour it out.  Help me to walk in forgiveness, remind me of the forgiveness you have given to me over and over.  I thank you for your great love for us.  Thank you for loving me with an everlasting love.  I praise you God!  In Jesus Name, Amen! 

Slow Fade

I have heard the song "Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns many times, but this morning when I heard it, the Holy Spirit gently nudged me.  We are all sinners, we all have sinned, and we will continue to sin until the day we meet Jesus.  However, with sin comes conviction if we will yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit.  That conviction starts out strong, but as you push it away, there comes a day that you don't "feel" any conviction in your sin, there is a separation between you and God, and you have a dry and empty well.  I know this because I went through this, and it led me to depression.  I was unable to cope with life, and it all started with a sin that I didn't want to be convicted over.  

Here are the lyrics that touch my heart:

It's a slow fade

When you give yourself away

It's a slow fade

When black and white are turned to gray

And thoughts invade, choices are made

A price will be paid

When you give yourself away

People never crumble in a day

It's a slow fade

It's a slow fade

So, as the song says "be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear, be careful little feet where you go..."

When temptation comes, we know that is not from God, but we also know that God always provides a way out.  James 1:13-15 "Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. ¹⁴ But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ¹⁵ Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."

1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

Praise God that He always provides a way out when we are tempted.  My temptations come in the form of food.  I have unhealthy eating habits, and I've felt convicted by the Holy Spirit to change those habits.  I've put it aside, and put it aside until I went through a very dark season.  I believe most of that was due to sugar and hormone imbalances because of my food choices, food addictions, and obsessions.  I didn't want to feel deprived, and isn't that what is at the root of all sin?  Wanting what I want and having it when I want it.  Food in itself is not bad, but unhealthy obsessions with it is.  

I still struggle from time to time with making healthy choices, staying away from sugary foods and sodas.  But, I know that He always provides a way out.  I know where I once was and where I am now, and it's so much better to live in the now.  Each day I am getting better at making the right choice.  I have a long way to go, but I've come a long way already.  A friend of mine once said "there is power in talking about your struggles because it releases the power the struggle has over you."  She told me that almost 2 years ago and it has stuck with me ever since.

Father, thank you for setting me free.  Thank you for giving me strength and a way out when temptation is all around.  Help me to see that way out.  I ask you to reveal to me when my heart is not set on you, and sin is creeping in so that I can keep a pure heart before you.  Create in me a clean heart and renew the right spirit within me, O Lord.  Any area of my heart that has turned to stone through bitterness or unforgiveness, I ask you to turn those areas to flesh and to help me release those feelings.  I repent for holding things in my heart instead of giving them over to you, and I thank you for your forgiveness.  Thanks be to God who always causes me to triumph!  I praise you today, and I thank you for your goodness and your unfailing love toward me.  In Jesus name, Amen!