Eat, Drink, and Feel Guilty...

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Food.  You know I have a thing for it.  I mean, just check out my last post...  I've always appreciated good food...I come from a family of good Southern cooks and food is so much a part of our lives...not only by necessity, but as a part of our celebrating and fellowshipping.  Food is a gift that God has graciously given us to fulfill the needs that our physical bodies have.  

But, like all good gifts, because of our sin it can become a temptation...an idol...an addiction.  I've struggled with maintaining a healthy weight for the majority of my adult life and even more so after being pregnant.  Being a stay at home mom has been a hard road in that the kitchen is always at my disposal with no one there to monitor me, except myself.  Self-control is often lacking, and in recent years I have learned that I turn to food a lot of times when I am not even remotely hungry...and not celery sticks and cucumbers, mind you.  This is not in an eating-disorder kind of a way, but in a there's-a-void-in-my-life-that-I'm-trying-to-fill-with-food kind of a way.  Several different books have been really helpful in helping me identify the times when I am reaching for food and shouldn't be and also the deeper spiritual/emotional need that is present.  Two that come to mind are Reshaping It All and Made to Crave.

It is an ongoing battle and one that I'm not sure I will ever gain control over...my "thorn in the flesh"?  But, I am thankful that I am not alone in this battle and that others are facing the same temptations.  Today's reading from The 30-Day Praise Challenge was convicting and encouraging to me.  Reading truths such as these...

My child, I am the only One who can meet your needs completely.  I am the Bread of Life and living water.  Yet you often run to other things to satisfy the cravings of your soul.  Those other things can become addictions.  Instead of trying to anesthetize the ache in your soul, come and praise Me.  

I created you with an ache that only I can fill.

Taste and see that I am good.  I fill the hungry and satisfy the thirsty with good things.  Exalt Me!  I give you food to nourish and sustain your body and other gifts to delight your soul.  But I never mean for you to become obsessed with My gifts.

I want to be your obsession.

All you are longing for is found in Me.  As you praise Me, the cycle of addiction is broken.  Delight yourself in Me, and you will find that I can satisfy your cravings.  Those who set their appetite on Me will be blessed.

I am thankful that God provides spiritual food to help us as we struggle with physical food...

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These verses stood out to me today as I looked them up and I wanted to share them with you in case any of you have similar struggles...

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I would encourage you to look up these verses and read the context and any footnotes that your Bible may have about them.  That was a helpful exercise as well.

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A quick search on pinterest for a Scripture reference will return a lot of images and these are easily printable and can be put in a cheap frame and placed around your home.  Filling your home with Scripture is a great way to fill your mind with it, because as you walk through your home, you see it and read it.

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The footnote in my Bible for the verse listed above says...

"Only in praise to God, in intimate communion with Him, will the Psalmist be spiritually content."

How true for us too.

I hope this encourages you today.  Food is a gift...one that God gave us to enjoy.

Lord Jesus, I praise You for being the Bread of Life and the living water.  Thank You for quenching my thirst and satiating my hunger.  Thank You for being more than able to heal my addictions.  I praise You that the ache You placed within my heart can only be filled by You.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, for enabling me to be disciplined and balanced so that I can enjoy the Father's gifts without becoming obsessed with them.  I know there are times when I run to {food} for comfort, because I am lonely or bored.  I praise You, Holy One, that You are healing my addictions with Your love.  Thank You that Your love can bring comfort and fill the deepest longings of my heart.  I will sing of Your love forever!

--from The 30-Day Praise Challenge, Day 14

May 15th: Salsa for Breakfast...

This is a strange post - you have been warned.  I ate salsa for breakfast...corn salsa...a pinterest find.  You can see the original recipe here, and my changes are as follows: no scallion/cilantro - substituted fresh chives, basil, and parsley, added a can of black beans, and used regular chili powder instead of chipotle.  It is so-amazing-I-can't-stop-going-back-to-the-fridge-for-more-eat-it-with-a-spoon-good.

I can't wait to try it with some greens for a refreshing lunch salad.  1 cup has about 150 calories, so it's not too bad -- it's the chips that get ya!  

But still -- salsa for breakfast.  NO...not pregnant.  (Just in case any of you went there.)  

I just finished up a 7-day cleanse "diet" with yesterday being my last full day -- so this morning, I had NO limitations as to what I could/could not eat, and the salsa had been sitting in the fridge since I made it yesterday afternoon...all the flavors blending together.  YUM.

So this cleanse -- it's supposed to flush your body of impurities, and over the week, you should lose somewhere between 5-11 pounds.  (**Losing that much in a week IS.NOT.HEALTHY...on a regular basis...just clarifying.)  I was intrigued and decided to try it.  I think I was being driven by hitting the first plateau on this weight loss journey and being frustrated with "doing all the right things" but not seeing too many results.  (Turns out I had some numbers wrong, but anyway...)  

So here's the plan:

Day 1: Eat only fruit, but NO bananas.

Day 2: Eat only veggies, but NO peas, corn, beans.  For supper a baked potato with butter! 

Day 3: Eat only fruit and veggies...no potato today.

Day 4: Eat only bananas and skim milk (or yogurt made with skim milk).  Up to 8 of each.

Day 5: Eat only chicken or turkey and 6 tomatoes.

Day 6: Eat only chicken, turkey, and veggies...no potato.

Day 7: Eat only Miracle Soup.  (onion, cabbage, green pepper, celery, tomatoes, onion soup mix, water)

Yeah....so I learned a LOT of self-control this week...and throughout the process ended up losing just over 7 pounds...which was a really nice added bonus!  This is not a very balanced diet obviously, so it would not be a good idea to eat this way regularly to try to lose weight.  Plus...you might go crazy.  I was SO ready for the week to be OVER!  I can't really tell any difference in my body as far as the cleansing aspect, but the weight loss was nice and hopefully jump started things again so that I will continue losing and not gain it all back.  I searched around a little bit and discovered there are several variations on this, so if I end up doing it again sometime, I will read up on those before I start.

SO -- maybe NOW you understand WHY I ate Corn Salsa for Breakfast. :-)

Generosity

"Grant that my children may be generous and willing to share,

and so lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age."

"They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,

thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that 

they may take hold of that which is truly life."

1 Timothy 6:18-19

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linked to Women Living Well

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