Tag Archives: weight loss devotion

Spirit Seeker Sunday ~ In His Hands

emotional eating, Spirit Seeker Sunday October 13, 2013 Leave a comment

in the water“You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples” Psa. 77:13-14

God has done miracle after miracle in my life, but when it gets hard around here my attention can quickly go to anything but worshiping God. Like the Israelites of old who grumbled in the wilderness right after being rescued from slavery, I forget all He’s done for me, all the times He was faithful, and instead turn my gaze from Him to my problems, my cravings, my disappointments.

The idea of offering myself as a sacrifice of worship takes on new meaning for me tonight. My emotions. My cravings. My focus. Sacrificed as a choice to worship, to believe, to surrender to the God who performs miracles.

I just saw a verse on my friend Margie’s wall, “‘I, your GOD, have a firm grip on you and I’m not letting go. I’m telling you, “Don’t panic. I’m right here to help you.'” (Isaiah 41:13 MSG)

It humbles me further. THAT is the heart of my God. He doesn’t want me panicking, looking to food or security or success or anything that will never satisfy me. He has me in his hand.

He has you, too.

A God like that is worthy of the sacrifice of worship.

What about you? Has God done miracles in your life? How do you feel about sacrificing the cravings as an act of worship? Where in your life do you need to remember that He has you in his hands?

Resting in His hands; Craving Him, not calories

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Spirit Seeker Sunday – Rise Up!

Spirit Seeker Sunday August 25, 2013 Comments: 2
Spirit 13 stephen

photo by Stephen Moldenhauer

“Rise up, do battle with our issues and using the Lord’s strength within us, defeat them.” Lysa TerKeurst

I like the sound of that. Not temporary victory, but full-blown defeat.

I was praying for someone the other night. These people were in crises and the enemy was having a hay-day with them and their emotions. I prayed that the enemy would not be allowed to mess with them, that they could work through their issues without him playing them and escalating their problems and anger.

As I prayed I got a shadowy picture in my head of God’s leg and boot pinning the enemy to the ground so that my friends could have a fighting chance.

It reminded me of something I learned about the famous Bible passage in Ephesians 6, which likened spiritual armor to the armor of the day, worn by the Roman soldiers. The passage says the Christian’s feet are covered with the gospel of peace. The shoes of a Roman soldier were weapons of destruction. They had spikes on the bottom of them designed to literally trample down/over the enemy. At first these two images seem to contradict each other, but as I thought about it, they didn’t. The gospel of peace says that Jesus, the Son of God, gave His live to bring us into a perfect, peaceful relationship with His Father. When He connected us to God He trampled down the enemy, held him back so we could do business with our Father.

But what does all of this have to do with weight loss? This journey to better health DOES have a spiritual component. The enemy doesn’t want us to live in the body we were created for. He wants us to be tired, discouraged, and held back. But as Lysa said, we CAN rise up, do battle, and win!

A huge part of the battle is simply tackling our excuses head on. I have been the queen of rationalization. As the weight crept on during those 7 years of struggle in my family, I told myself I couldn’t deal with one more thing. Thinking about my weight wasn’t even an option. All my energy had to go into survival and caring for the overwhelming needs of my husband and children. Finally, in the last couple of years I began to acknowledge my weight and cry out for help. I wasn’t ready to tackle it yet, but, especially in the quiet of the night, I admitted I had a problem. I asked God to give me the strength and courage to face it. Then I asked that He would show me how to win that battle.

I don’t know where you are today. Maybe it’s all you can do to simply face the struggle, admit your rationalizations, and give God permission to change you.

The beautiful thing about our Lord is He is patient and willing. He brought BENew into my life when He knew I was ready. He answered my prayer for direction and help. I’m still in process, not perfect on this journey to reclaiming my body–but I feel stronger and more victorious than I did 50 plus pounds ago for sure.

Father,
Help me to be courageous enough to face my stuff and surrender to Your Spirit of change.

How about you? Feel like fighting? Playing dead? Giving up? Or socking it to the enemy?!

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Rise up and win the weight battle

Spirit Seeker Sunday 4

Spirit Seeker Sunday April 14, 2013 Leave a comment
Spirit 1 stephen

Holy Spirit, be the Water of my life. May I be refreshed by you, surrendering to the flow of your life-giving current. (Photo by Stephen Moldenhauer)

Wow. Urgency, firmness, resolve, consistency . . . I had no idea perseverance packed such a punch!

Perseverance is a good word for me today. I’m emotionally and physically drained. We’ve had some stuff, but in the long run all will be well.

In the long run.

Perseverance.

Meanwhile I face a new struggle with my weight loss and health goals. I’ve come so far and while the products I’m taking have greatly helped me on this journey, I’ve still worked pretty hard. My daughter’s wedding is roughly a month out, and I’d love to shave off that last bit in the tummy before buying that mother-of-the-bride dress. But honestly, I’m tempted to settle.

I’m weary of persevering, and I’m catching myself returning to old habits. Not full blown stress eating, but justifying mindless eating because I’m just so tired.

Where is the urgency, resolve, consistency I felt earlier in the journey? Would I toss all that now?

Everyday I experience the joy of ease of movement, of a normal feeling body, of being the real me in a physical sense.

The journey is WORTH it.

What about you, my friend? Do you have urgency, resolve, and consistency?

Perseverance?

If not, wanna turn where I’m turning?

Father, 
Today I am weak. I don’t want to quit. Give me what it takes to persevere. I’m tired and don’t want to think about the weight loss journey today, but I also don’t want to turn back. I’ve come too far. And Lord, I’m thinking of weight, but I’m also thinking of the other difficult areas in my life, the other places I’ve persevered. Give me what it takes not to give up. Give me a renewed sense of urgency, firmness, resolve, and consistency.

And Lord, I pray for each one visiting my blog today. I ask the same for them. Give us focus. Wills of steel that are resolved to follow you on the weight loss journey. Thank you that, as Lysa TerKeurst said, that You love us where we are, but You love us too much to leave us stuck in a place of defeat. Move us forward. Give us hearts that surrender to Your prompting. Make us strong women who follow boldly. God, we depend on your strength.

What About You?

How did the above concepts hit you? Where do you see Protection, Provision, Progess in your journey? How about firmness, consistency, and resolve?

In the Made to Crave Devotional Lysa TerKeurst says,  “a scale can measure my physical body but never my worth as a woman.” How do you respond to that statement?

*The above thoughts prompted by Lysa TerKeurst’s Made to Crave devotional.

Spirit Seeker Sunday 3

Spirit Seeker Sunday April 7, 2013 Leave a comment
water

Holy Spirit, be the Water of my life. May I be refreshed by you, surrendering to the flow of your life-giving current. (Photo by Stephen Moldenhauer)

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1: 2 – 4

In her Made to Crave devotional, Lysa TerKeurst encourages readers to “consider the joy.”

I’ve pondered how I can consider the joy of a weight loss journey, and embraced the joy of having self-control, the joy making good decisions, the joy of finding God in unexpected places as I walk this road. These are all joys of the  journey, daily experiences I can celebrate, even before I see the results of my efforts.

Another Scripture talks about how Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him. Not the joy of the trial, but the result that would come through His willingness to sacrifice for us. It helps me persevere to consider the long-term joy of the short-term sacrifices I’m making, too. Of course cutting calories and making better eating choices is nothing compared to Jesus’ death on the cross, but they are my little daily trials.

There’s a lot of power in that one word, consider. Much of my weight loss journey since I began on October 24th has just been taking time to consider, like thinking about my eating choices instead of making them mindlessly, or considering how to manage my day to include exercise.

Mindfulness is another word I’ve pondered the last few months. I want to be mindful of my choices, whether or not I move, eat well, drink water, let my emotions run away or reel them in. Being mindful of my needs and moods are part of this. I’ve found that when I’m angry or lonely or sad or sacred a good long walk and conversation with God does a whole lot more for me that a bag of chocolate. In the past I wouldn’t have considered that possibility. I wouldn’t have been mindful of my choices or what I really needed. I might not have even been mindful of where my emotions were in the first place!

Today I’m convicted that in the past I didn’t consider what God wanted in the area of my health. In the big picture I didn’t think about good health or His desires for my body. Honestly, I didn’t want to. I didn’t want conviction; I just wanted to do it my way, which meant not thinking about it at all. I certainly didn’t pause to ask Him about right choices day-to-day choices.

Since October I’ve caught a glimpse of His heart. He wants me stronger and healthier, to be the size He created me to be so that I can have more energy and joy and ease of movement. I’m getting better about dialoguing with Him about the day-to-day choices I make. I don’t ask permission before every bite, but when I’m tempted to eat out of an emotional need versus a physical one, I am learning to pause, to consider the joy of a healthy choice that leads to long-term success, and to be mindful of the Truth that only HE can fill emotional and spiritual emptiness.

Father,
Give us a glimpse of the joy set before us when we feel stronger and healthier. Help us to be mindful of our needs and of how you want to meet them. Help us to consider the options that draw us closer to you, that give us health, that work for and not against joy.