Biggest Loser - Week Eight - Self Control!

Now there is a word I have a problem with, and apparently all of America has the same issue NO?! Self control.... hummm......

Self control - restraint exercised over one's own impulses, emotions, or desires

"Restraint" now there's an interesting word.

Restraint - a control over the expression of one's emotions or thoughts

As I have read through the "Spiritual Secrets to Weight Loss" this week the word self control has come up, ALOT! Self control is one of the fruits of the spirit, but do we pursue it as passionately as we pursue the other eight fruits! It says in the book "we view self control as a nice but unobtainable ideal that we may speak of in theory but are incapable of practicing"

Could it be we don't want to practice it?!!! In my own life there have been way to many times where I have said "Lord I know I shouldn't eat this, but I'm going to." Then I cry and stomp my feet saying "why do I way so much! I just can't seem to lose weight!" Woe is me! Oh pleeeaaazzzeee, don't I take the cake! (Oh cake that sounds good) I am expecting God to just magically keep the pounds off me because I don't want to realize that I have the same power to practice self control as I do to practice, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness. In the book the author says "The end result of this reasoning is that instead of practicing self control, we succumb to the doctrine of indulgence that says "If it feels good do it."

We hear in America have been fed the message "do it" for so long, it has become part of our subconscious. We have to break free from that thought process, we can do it according to 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, we can demolish any argument and pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God (I will be memorizing this passage). I have the power within me to exercise self control. I have willfully disobeyed my Father by now practicing the power I have in this area.

Dear Daddy,

I am so sorry for my willful act of disobedience in my practicing self control! I know that what I have done is wrong and I ask you to forgive me and restore my relationship with you. Continue to teach me by your wonderful word! Let me meditate on your precepts and hide them in my heart! Remind me that I do have all that I need to demolish strongholds that I have allowed to infiltrate my life because I have not had my armor on. Thank you for always loving me, and guiding me and disciplining me!

I love you with all my heart!

Your Daugther

lbs lost .6
gained self control

In the Palm of Your Hand

"In The Palm Of Your Hand

"If I could have the world and all it owns

A thousand kingdoms, a thousand thrones

If all the earth were mine to hold

With wealth my only goal

I'd spend my gold on selfish things

Without the love that Your life brings

Just a little bit more is all I'd need'

Til life was torn from me

I'd rather be in the palm of Your hand

Though rich or poor I may be

Faith can see right through the circumstance

Sees the forest in spite of the trees

Your grace provides for me

If I should walk the streets no place to sleep

No faith in promises

You keepI'd have no way to buy my bread

With a bottle for my bed

But if I trust the One who died for me

Who shed His blood to set me free

If I live my life to trust in You

Your grace will see me through

I'd rather be in the palm of Your hand

Though rich or poor I may be

Faith can see right through the circumstance

Sees the forest in spite of the trees

If I could have the world

If I could have the world and all it owns

Biggest Loser - Week 7 - contentment

Hey it's Saturday, not Thursday night, but I just couldn't get myself together enough to sit down and form a post before this morning! We'll see if I can do it now! Forgive me if I ramble on!!

In my journey of weight loss over the years I have always fretted on "why must I always watch what I eat?" "why can't I eat like skinny people I see (this of course includes my wonderful, precious husband)? "why me, why me, why me????!!!!!" blah, blah, blah!!! You name if I have said it and stumped my feet! (that by the way is a story in itself, I may have to blog about my fee stumpin' sometime) I wanted to do what I wanted to do!!! Forget the fact that it wasn't healthy for me, I WANTED TO EAT WHATEVER I WANTED WHENEVER I WANT AND WITH NO REPERCUSSIONS!!!!

Hummmm..... does that sound like I was content? Not so much!

The devotion that just hit me between the eyes this week was entitled "Be content". The scripture verse was:

1 Timothy 6:6-8

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

For we brought nothing into this world,

and we can take nothing out of it.

But if we have food and clothing,

we will be content with that.

The author goes on to say how God provides for our every need, but we in all our human self-centeredness say "well that just ain't good enough!". I want more! I want something different! I want to be skinnier without sacrifice!! You fill in the blank_______________________! She uses the example of the Israelites in the desert from Numbers 11: 4-6. This is the one where they are sick and tired of the Manna that God was providing (without effort on their part) for them daily. They thought and actually said they were better off being slaves in Egypt because there they got to eat cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But here all we get is this awful white stuff! (my emphasis)

They were not grateful for what God was providing! They always wanted something more! God was just not giving them what they wanted! I'm reminded of the toddler mentality here! Doesn't that sound like something a little child would say?!

Here are a couple quotes that spoke to me:

"a state of discontentment will invariable cloud our perception and even make us ungrateful for the blessings we experience each day."

"The goodness of God moved Him to break the law of sowing and reaping on their (Israelites) behalf. But instead of responding with awe and thanksgiving, they grumbled." (that's me too!)

This one is a biggy for me: :The root of their discontentment was that they found restriction intolerable." Remember above "I want, what I want!!!!" Ouch that one hurt real good!!!!

"They were upset because limits were placed on what they could eat, and this was heightened by their awareness of what they were missing." (oh ouch again!)

"Like the Israelites, we tend to let restriction cloud our eyes to provision."

lastly:

"The issue for the Israelites (and me) was not manna but thanklessness and rebellion."

All these quotes were from "Spiritual Secrets to Weight Loss" by Kara Davis, MD

I have to admit this is how I think too! I so want to glorify God through this journey, so I confess my thanklessness and rebellion to Him and to you!

Here is the prayer from the end of the devotion:

Father, I rejoice today in your provisions, and I choose to live in a state of contentment. Help me to understand that contentment brings peace, and thankfulness brings joy. Lord, I purpose to take my eye off what I don't have and rejoice in what I've been given. AMEN!!!

.3lb loss Contentment gained!

The Color of my rainbow!

Mari had this on her blog this morning and I thought it might be fun!

Your rainbow is intensely shaded yellow, white, and brown.

What is says about you: You are a deep thinking person. You appreciate optimism. You're good at getting people to like you. People depend on you to make them feel secure.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

I think my colors are a bit faded but this does describe me pretty well.

Biggest Loser post coming I just have to get my thoughts together!

Genesis 9:16

Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."

Spinning wheels got to go round!

I've been listening and watching Hersey in his spinning ball lately! I never thought I would have so much fun watching a Hamster! It really makes me laugh! That little bugger can really get that thing going! But do you know what, he doesn't get anywhere!


Do you ever feel like that? Your running around and around, stop, look and doggoneit your still in the same place you were. I feel like that alot! I feel like I have all this stuff I'm doing and where is it getting me? Is it really important in the larger scheme of things? Am I that much further in my walk with the Lord? If I am not moving forward in Christ am I backsliding? I want to move from where I'm at, closer to where He wants me to be!

Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books in the Bible. People are always shocked at that, because they think it is such a dreary book. I don't see it as dreary. I see it as what life can be without a close relationship to God. Solomon had all the wisdom! God gave it to him! An awesome thing to ask for, maybe. Solomon says in chapter 1:18 "For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief." But Solomon did not remain close to God. He did not use his wisdom wisely. It's like I sometimes say to my son "You may be smart, but you are not very wise". Solomon strayed from God.
He begins the book saying this:

Ecclesiastes 1:4-9

Generations come and generations go,

but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises and the sun sets,

and hurries back to where it rises.
The wind blows to the south

and turns to the north;

round and round it goes,

ever returning on its course.
All streams flow into the sea,

yet the sea is never full.

To the place the streams come from,

there they return again.
All things are wearisome,

more than one can say.

The eye never has enough of seeing,

nor the ear its fill of hearing.
What has been will be again,

what has been done will be done again;

there is nothing new under the sun.

I hope I haven't depressed anyone that is not the reason for this post! It just came to mind how we all tend to work so hard on the things of the natural world and neglect the things of the invisible world. All that is in the natural ceases to be, what we build for eternity will be the only thing that last! We will not be spinning our wheels if we concentrate on the eternal. Here is how Solomon ends this book:

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Now all has been heard;

here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the whole duty of man.

For the sake of Your name!

Lately I have been doing a study of the book of Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 20 it mentions this phrase "for the sake of My name" 4 times. It is in reference God not destroying Israel because of their sin. He did it so his name would not be profaned among the nations. God honors HIS promises!

This phrase has stuck with me lately. The other day I heard a sermon on the radio that mentioned the same thing, but with a verse in the NT. I kept saying to myself don't forget that verse (ya know because I was driving and couldn't write at that moment). Well I forgot the verse, but no matter. I typed up sake and name in Biblegateway and below are a few excerpts or whole verses that give such hope to us, poor sinners saved by grace! I hope they bless you too and help you to remember God has kept his promises from before time began and will continue to do so FOR THE SAKE OF HIS NAME!

1 Samuel 12:22 - For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people

Psalms 23:3 - He restores my soul; he guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake

Psalms 25:11 - For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great (I love this because David is reminding God, not that he needs reminding, but see the intimacy there!)

Psalm 31:3 - Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me

Psalms 79:9 - Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake

Psalms 106:8 - Yet he saved them for his name's sake.....

Psalms 109:21 - But you, O sovereign LORD, deal well with me for your name's sake...

Psalms 143:11 - For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life....

Isaiah 48:9 - For my own name's sake I delay my wrath.....

Jeremiah 14:7 - Although our sins testify against us; O LORD; do something for the sake of your name....

Jeremiah 14:21 - For the sake of your name do not despise us; do not dishonor your glorious throne. Remember your covenant with us and do not break it.

Here are the verses I mentioned above from Ezekiel:

20:9 - But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned....

20:14 - But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned....

20:22 - But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned.....

20:44 - You will know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name's sake.....

Ezekiel 36:22 - ....It is not for you sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone

Daniel 9:19 - O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God do not delay, because your city and your people bear your name (Oh I love that one! I bear his name!!)

Romans 1:5 - Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship......

3 John 1:7 - It was for the sake of the name that they went out.....

Out of these verses I get:

HOPE because he has promised

PEACE because he remembers

DISCIPLINE because I deserve it

LOVE because of HIS GREAT NAME!

TSMSS - Come Thou Fount

I have been thinking of the Ebenezer stone from 1 Samuel 7:12 lately. When I googled it the other day it mentioned it being part of this wonderful old song. Here David Crowder puts his unique spin on it (with lyrics below)

Come thou font of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing thy grace

Streams of mercy never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it

Mount of thy redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebenezer

Hither by thy help I'm come

And I hope by thy good pleasure

Safely to arrive at home

Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wondering from the fold of God

He, to rescue me from danger

Interposed His precious blood

O to grace how how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!

Let thy goodness like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee

Prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love

Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above

Join others at TSMSS at Signs, Miracles and Wonders