Recent Posts
Topic: Prayer please
Our grandson, Blake, born Wednesday, appears to have a small hole in his heart. Please keep him as well as his parents, Christian & Brittany in your prayers. Also his beliruben count is high.
Thanks so much for holding him up.
Blessings,
Thanks so much for holding him up.
Blessings,
Topic: Flashback Friday Devotion #35 [Patience, Perseverence, & Progress]
Hi, Everyone.
Are you a patient person? If so, count yourself blessed! Sometimes I am surprised by my lack of patience. Of course, as a believer, I have the Holy Spirit inside me, and that means I have every quality of the Fruit of the Spirit working in me, including patience...as I yield to Him, that is.
Today's devotion is from my personal journal dated May 13. This was before I had even considered weight-loss surgery, but it still speaks to me. Let me know how God speaks to you.
Before you read today's devotion, would you take a moment to pray for all the families touched by 9/11, on this the 8th anniversary? Sometimes it's so hard to understand the times of tragedies, especially those inflicted on the innocent. We wonder why didn't God intervene? At Creation, He gave the earth to "us," but then "we" gave it over to the Evil One, and he and his followers have been wreaking havoc ever since. When Jesus came to earth to live and then died on the Cross and rose again, He gave us back authority. The enemy has only as much authority as we allow him to have. We must be vigilant, we must speak the Word, and rebuke the enemy's interference. No, God did not keep 9/11 from happening, but there are many, many stories of how He intervened. When we don't understand, we must trust His heart. It seemed like the enemy scored a major victory in the battle called 9/11, but I've read "the end of the story," and He & we win the war!
Flashback Friday Devotion #35 [Patience, Perseverence, & Progress]
I got up this morning feeling "light," so I couldn't wait to step on the scale. I went to the bathroom first, though. "Every little bit helps," I thought, with a smile. I stepped on the scale, and...nothing. I weighed THE SAME as I did last Sunday.
I could not believe it! Now, I know I did that emotional eating last Thursday night, but it wasn't very much, and the rest of the week was as planned. I felt...dismayed. If this continues, what will happen?
In my discouragement and frustration, I went to the Lord. Before I could even ask, "What's the deal, Lord?" I "heard" Him say, "Good job, my daughter."
"Good job?" I replied. "What do you mean, 'good job'? I didn't lose ANY weight!" He reminded me that my first reaction was NOT to go eat, to deal with my emotions. I praised Him for that, for sure!
"But, Lord," I continued, "what about this lack of progress?" The Lord reminded me that the purpose of this God Gain lifestyle is not weight loss. The purpose is to enjoy Him and to eat with thanksgiving and discipline. He reminded me, also, that He wants me to trust Him, to leave the results up to Him. I know if I focus on Him, the weight loss will happen.
True progress is when I do not let a day pass by without rejoicing in Jesus, eating good food with thanksgiving and discipline (when and how much to eat), "moving" in some way, and being accountable to someone. That's living purposefully.
The Lord talked to me about the importance of persevering, even in a "plateau." God also asked me how many pounds I've lost in the past 5 weeks. "Five pounds, Lord," I answered. That's when I realized that I've lost an average of 1 pound per week, and that's great! I realize that, at that pace, it will take me almost 4 years to lose the weight I need to lose, to get to the weight God created me to be, but, hey, the time will pass anyway, Lord willing.
I was reminded of what my accountability partner, Connie, said yesterday, in her talk to the mothers and daughters, at the Brunch, "This is a marathon, not a sprint." It is important to persevere, as I seek to make long-term changes, persevere through trials and difficulties, persevere through the stubbornness of my flesh and through strong temptations, and persevere through plateaus.
I was reminded of James 1:2-4, "Count it all joy when you fall into divers [various] temptations, knowing this, that the trial of your faith works patience. So let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
Through God's grace, I can persevere. As Connie reminded us yesterday, His strength is made perfect in my weakness (based on II Corinthians 12:9).
Today, think about how you handle trials, even the plateaus of weight loss. Plan a way to remind yourself that, through God's grace, you have the strength and patience to persevere. Listen to Paula Orr sing "Bow the Knee." It's one of my favorite songs.
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=41c2df3cdf7880 1ff149
Blessings,
Mary
Are you a patient person? If so, count yourself blessed! Sometimes I am surprised by my lack of patience. Of course, as a believer, I have the Holy Spirit inside me, and that means I have every quality of the Fruit of the Spirit working in me, including patience...as I yield to Him, that is.
Today's devotion is from my personal journal dated May 13. This was before I had even considered weight-loss surgery, but it still speaks to me. Let me know how God speaks to you.
Before you read today's devotion, would you take a moment to pray for all the families touched by 9/11, on this the 8th anniversary? Sometimes it's so hard to understand the times of tragedies, especially those inflicted on the innocent. We wonder why didn't God intervene? At Creation, He gave the earth to "us," but then "we" gave it over to the Evil One, and he and his followers have been wreaking havoc ever since. When Jesus came to earth to live and then died on the Cross and rose again, He gave us back authority. The enemy has only as much authority as we allow him to have. We must be vigilant, we must speak the Word, and rebuke the enemy's interference. No, God did not keep 9/11 from happening, but there are many, many stories of how He intervened. When we don't understand, we must trust His heart. It seemed like the enemy scored a major victory in the battle called 9/11, but I've read "the end of the story," and He & we win the war!
Flashback Friday Devotion #35 [Patience, Perseverence, & Progress]
I got up this morning feeling "light," so I couldn't wait to step on the scale. I went to the bathroom first, though. "Every little bit helps," I thought, with a smile. I stepped on the scale, and...nothing. I weighed THE SAME as I did last Sunday.
I could not believe it! Now, I know I did that emotional eating last Thursday night, but it wasn't very much, and the rest of the week was as planned. I felt...dismayed. If this continues, what will happen?
In my discouragement and frustration, I went to the Lord. Before I could even ask, "What's the deal, Lord?" I "heard" Him say, "Good job, my daughter."
"Good job?" I replied. "What do you mean, 'good job'? I didn't lose ANY weight!" He reminded me that my first reaction was NOT to go eat, to deal with my emotions. I praised Him for that, for sure!
"But, Lord," I continued, "what about this lack of progress?" The Lord reminded me that the purpose of this God Gain lifestyle is not weight loss. The purpose is to enjoy Him and to eat with thanksgiving and discipline. He reminded me, also, that He wants me to trust Him, to leave the results up to Him. I know if I focus on Him, the weight loss will happen.
True progress is when I do not let a day pass by without rejoicing in Jesus, eating good food with thanksgiving and discipline (when and how much to eat), "moving" in some way, and being accountable to someone. That's living purposefully.
The Lord talked to me about the importance of persevering, even in a "plateau." God also asked me how many pounds I've lost in the past 5 weeks. "Five pounds, Lord," I answered. That's when I realized that I've lost an average of 1 pound per week, and that's great! I realize that, at that pace, it will take me almost 4 years to lose the weight I need to lose, to get to the weight God created me to be, but, hey, the time will pass anyway, Lord willing.
I was reminded of what my accountability partner, Connie, said yesterday, in her talk to the mothers and daughters, at the Brunch, "This is a marathon, not a sprint." It is important to persevere, as I seek to make long-term changes, persevere through trials and difficulties, persevere through the stubbornness of my flesh and through strong temptations, and persevere through plateaus.
I was reminded of James 1:2-4, "Count it all joy when you fall into divers [various] temptations, knowing this, that the trial of your faith works patience. So let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
Through God's grace, I can persevere. As Connie reminded us yesterday, His strength is made perfect in my weakness (based on II Corinthians 12:9).
Today, think about how you handle trials, even the plateaus of weight loss. Plan a way to remind yourself that, through God's grace, you have the strength and patience to persevere. Listen to Paula Orr sing "Bow the Knee." It's one of my favorite songs.
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=41c2df3cdf7880 1ff149
Blessings,
Mary
"Don't tell God how big your storm is; tell your storm how BIG your God is!"
ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and Support Group Coach
ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and Support Group Coach
Topic: RE: OT: welcome
Congrats. Praising God along with you on this wonderful addition to your family. Enjoy your grandchild and how much sweeter is it with God and your new found health. God Bless to all of your family.
In Christ
karyn
In Christ
karyn
Topic: RE: OT: welcome
Congrads ! And many blessings to your new family. You are in my prayers.
Huggers,
Debra
Congrads ! And many blessings to your new family. You are in my prayers.Huggers,
Debra
Topic: RE: OT: welcome
Thanks for the kind words. I am blessed to have a second chance a good health & plan on using it to the best of my ablility. I'm off to see that cutie Blake!!
have a blessed day, Linda
have a blessed day, Linda
Topic: Life Plan Devotion #153 [Breaking down the barrier]
Hi, Everyone.
If you frequent the Christianity forum, you may have read the following, which I posted yesterday. If so, just skip down to the devotion. I just wanted to share this with everyone, to praise the Lord for continuing to answer our prayers. Please pray for those having surgery or recovering from surgery today. Just a reminder, I'll be posting the Flashback Friday Devotion tomorrow and, Lord willing, I'll be back on Monday. As always, I love hearing from you.
My oldest daughter, Leah, is in her early 30s. She is a single mom (she adopted her son when he was about 18 months old but has been with him since he was a newborn). She and my grandson spent 4 years in the Dominican Republic, where she was a missionary teacher.
It has been my daughter's desire to marry a godly man. She does not date, as she believed God would bring the right man for her into her life, and they would both know it. My grandson has been praying for a father. My daughter has been praying for a husband. With both of them, I have talked about the verse, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." I shared that the word "delight" in the Hebrew means to be "soft, pliable, moldable."
For the past year, my daughter has been focusing on being moldable. She has worked on all areas of her life (physically, emotionally, and spiritually). She has become much more organized yet flexible, and she has lost 70 lbs.
There is a young man (several years her junior) from Indiana, who also served in the D.R., and they've been communicating via the internet and by phone. Last night, he asked if he could court her. He plans to move to Kansas, in order to do that.
While I have not met this young man, my husband has, and he approves. My grandson doesn't know yet, but he will be so happy, because he adores this young man! Actually, he told me several years ago that this would happen. Let me explain.
One Christmas, when they were home from the D.R. for the holidays, I asked my grandson if he prays for God to bring him a daddy, and he said, "I used to, Nana, but now I just say, 'Thank You, God, for bringing me a daddy.'" I asked why he prays that way. He said that not too long before, when they were in the D.R., he prayed (just like he did every night) for Jesus to bring him a daddy, and he said that he heard Jesus say, "I will, and it is Regan" (the young man's name).
Here it is, several years later, and while my grandson no longer talks about it, I know he hasn't forgotten what Jesus said. I've asked my daughter to let me be present when she and Regan tell Dylan about their relationship, because I want to see Dylan's face when he realizes that God has answered his prayer!
I'm sitting here, weeping, because I'm so happy and grateful that we serve a loving Heavenly Father, who cares about the desires of a mother, a daughter, and a grandson. Thanks for letting me share, and for reading this long post.
Life Plan Devotion #153 [Breaking down the barrier]
I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (NIV).
I have learned some lessons from my own wilderness wanderings, and I have shared several with you:
1) Even in the wilderness, God provides and guides.
2) Sin will stop the flow of God's provision to you.
Today, let's briefly look at Lesson #3, that repentance is the solution to the problem/barrier of unconfessed sin stopping the flow of God's provision to you.
It is crucial that you daily reflect on how you are living your life, what you are doing, saying, even thinking. Unconfessed sin is a spiritual cancer. Do not allow it to spread. I John 1:9 is a wonderful promise, and it is the solution to the problem.
Just as I John 1:9 states, when you know of (or the Holy Spirit reveals) an unconfessed sin, immediately confess it, knowing that the Lord is faithful and just, and forgiveness is instantaneous.
Yes, Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross paid for all the sins of mankind--past, present, and future, but it is up to each of us to safeguard our close walk with Him, as well as break down the barrier of our individual shortcomings which can keep God's blessings from flowing to us, by utilizing confession and repentance. How true the saying, "Confession is good for the soul."
What this has to do with weight loss: The definition of "sin" is "missing the mark," and based on that definition, I miss the mark in my weight-loss journey quite often. Now, I can choose to feel condemned by that or I can choose to confess it, repent of it, and allow the Lord to help me to do better next time. All too often, it seems we do the former and just beat ourselves up by our lack of self-control or our laziness or our "cheats." Let's make a better decision, and choose the I John 1:9 approach, truly making each day a new start, even in our weight-loss journey.
Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, I know I miss the mark often, daily it seems. My desire is to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, who is faithful to shine His light on each area that I need to get right with You. May I also keep a clean slate, confessing and repenting each time I sin in thought, word, or deed. I thank You that forgiveness is assured. May I do my part to bring down every barrier that keeps Your provision from coming to me. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen."
Go forth today, with nothing between you and the Savior.
Blessings,
Mary
If you frequent the Christianity forum, you may have read the following, which I posted yesterday. If so, just skip down to the devotion. I just wanted to share this with everyone, to praise the Lord for continuing to answer our prayers. Please pray for those having surgery or recovering from surgery today. Just a reminder, I'll be posting the Flashback Friday Devotion tomorrow and, Lord willing, I'll be back on Monday. As always, I love hearing from you.
My oldest daughter, Leah, is in her early 30s. She is a single mom (she adopted her son when he was about 18 months old but has been with him since he was a newborn). She and my grandson spent 4 years in the Dominican Republic, where she was a missionary teacher.
It has been my daughter's desire to marry a godly man. She does not date, as she believed God would bring the right man for her into her life, and they would both know it. My grandson has been praying for a father. My daughter has been praying for a husband. With both of them, I have talked about the verse, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." I shared that the word "delight" in the Hebrew means to be "soft, pliable, moldable."
For the past year, my daughter has been focusing on being moldable. She has worked on all areas of her life (physically, emotionally, and spiritually). She has become much more organized yet flexible, and she has lost 70 lbs.
There is a young man (several years her junior) from Indiana, who also served in the D.R., and they've been communicating via the internet and by phone. Last night, he asked if he could court her. He plans to move to Kansas, in order to do that.
While I have not met this young man, my husband has, and he approves. My grandson doesn't know yet, but he will be so happy, because he adores this young man! Actually, he told me several years ago that this would happen. Let me explain.
One Christmas, when they were home from the D.R. for the holidays, I asked my grandson if he prays for God to bring him a daddy, and he said, "I used to, Nana, but now I just say, 'Thank You, God, for bringing me a daddy.'" I asked why he prays that way. He said that not too long before, when they were in the D.R., he prayed (just like he did every night) for Jesus to bring him a daddy, and he said that he heard Jesus say, "I will, and it is Regan" (the young man's name).
Here it is, several years later, and while my grandson no longer talks about it, I know he hasn't forgotten what Jesus said. I've asked my daughter to let me be present when she and Regan tell Dylan about their relationship, because I want to see Dylan's face when he realizes that God has answered his prayer!
I'm sitting here, weeping, because I'm so happy and grateful that we serve a loving Heavenly Father, who cares about the desires of a mother, a daughter, and a grandson. Thanks for letting me share, and for reading this long post.
Life Plan Devotion #153 [Breaking down the barrier]
I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (NIV).
I have learned some lessons from my own wilderness wanderings, and I have shared several with you:
1) Even in the wilderness, God provides and guides.
2) Sin will stop the flow of God's provision to you.
Today, let's briefly look at Lesson #3, that repentance is the solution to the problem/barrier of unconfessed sin stopping the flow of God's provision to you.
It is crucial that you daily reflect on how you are living your life, what you are doing, saying, even thinking. Unconfessed sin is a spiritual cancer. Do not allow it to spread. I John 1:9 is a wonderful promise, and it is the solution to the problem.
Just as I John 1:9 states, when you know of (or the Holy Spirit reveals) an unconfessed sin, immediately confess it, knowing that the Lord is faithful and just, and forgiveness is instantaneous.
Yes, Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross paid for all the sins of mankind--past, present, and future, but it is up to each of us to safeguard our close walk with Him, as well as break down the barrier of our individual shortcomings which can keep God's blessings from flowing to us, by utilizing confession and repentance. How true the saying, "Confession is good for the soul."
What this has to do with weight loss: The definition of "sin" is "missing the mark," and based on that definition, I miss the mark in my weight-loss journey quite often. Now, I can choose to feel condemned by that or I can choose to confess it, repent of it, and allow the Lord to help me to do better next time. All too often, it seems we do the former and just beat ourselves up by our lack of self-control or our laziness or our "cheats." Let's make a better decision, and choose the I John 1:9 approach, truly making each day a new start, even in our weight-loss journey.
Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, I know I miss the mark often, daily it seems. My desire is to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, who is faithful to shine His light on each area that I need to get right with You. May I also keep a clean slate, confessing and repenting each time I sin in thought, word, or deed. I thank You that forgiveness is assured. May I do my part to bring down every barrier that keeps Your provision from coming to me. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen."
Go forth today, with nothing between you and the Savior.
Blessings,
Mary
"Don't tell God how big your storm is; tell your storm how BIG your God is!"
ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and Support Group Coach
ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and Support Group Coach
Topic: RE: OT: welcome
That's wonderful, Linda! He's a big boy! :) Grandchildren are wonderful. I hope you get to see him often. I know you'll be a wonderful influence in his life. Enjoy, Grandma/Nana/Mimi! :)
Blessings,
Mary
Blessings,
Mary
"Don't tell God how big your storm is; tell your storm how BIG your God is!"
ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and Support Group Coach
ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and Support Group Coach
Topic: RE: OT: welcome
I join you in your prayer.
Grandchildren are truly God's gift and what a gift you are giving your grandson, a healthier Grandma!
Way to go Grandma and congratulations to you all!!
Joann
Grandchildren are truly God's gift and what a gift you are giving your grandson, a healthier Grandma!
Way to go Grandma and congratulations to you all!!
Joann
Topic: OT: welcome
Our first grandchild, Blake Michael, arrived at 3:12pm today. What a precious gift from God. Please join me in praying for his life that it will be pleasing to our Lord. Great Christian parents, so he has a leg up on the rest. 9# 2oz 20 1/2".
Thank you Father for this wonderful gift.
Blessings to all!
Thank you Father for this wonderful gift.
Blessings to all!
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