Your Worth is More Than a Number on the Scale

This past weekend I went away with my husband to celebrate 15 years of marriage.  We had a nice time enjoying each other and we ate REALLY well while we were away.  By well - I don't mean healthy - I mean ALL the foods we don't normally splurge on while at home.  We shared various yummy meals and made memories.  My heart was full and I came home with no regrets.

But then....

I stepped on the scale.

Immediately when I saw the number staring back at me, I was full of regret.  WHY did I eat that doughnut?  I don't even really like doughnuts.  WHY didn't I do extra cardio or workout harder in the hotel gym?  I seriously wanted to sit in the bathroom floor and cry.  I even sent my husband a text and told him that I was so upset that I allowed myself to eat what I did over the weekend.....it was bad, y'all. 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10

The entire day, I battled feeling like a failure. 

But then...

I was reminded that I am N-O-T defined by a number on a scale.  That my worth is WAY more than my pants size.  And I refuse to let the enemy STEAL my joy from the amazing weekend away with my husband.....who spent the entire day reassuring me that I was beautiful just the way I am, I might add. 


Here's the thing, friends ~ we ARE more than a number on a scale.  We are MORE than the size of our clothes.  We are beautifully created daughters of the KING and while it is important to take care of ourselves, it is more important that we walk in freedom. 

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. " Psalm 139:14

So today, I rejoice in the memories that were made over the weekend and thank God for a husband who loved me at a size 3 and still loves me today 40 pounds heavier.  I will NOT let the enemy steal my joy!

And a side note - the scale has been put away - for my own sanity :) 

My Word for 2017

At the end of every year, instead of making a list of resolutions, I pray and ask God for a word for the upcoming year.  For 2017, He gave me a small word with BIG meaning.....

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I wasn't quite sure what this meant at first.  

"Be what?" I wondered.  

"Be present"  

"Be consistent"

"Be true to who God created me to be"

"Be still"

As I prayed, I realized that just "Be"ing was so much more than another 2 letter word that runs rampant in my mind...."D-O".  It reminds me of the story of Jesus visiting Mary & Martha as told in Luke chapter 10:

³⁸ As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹ Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

⁴¹ But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! ⁴² There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”


God could have totally replaced Martha's name with my own in those scriptures because I have always been a "do-er".  I'm a list lover and thrive on checking things off a list, in fact lists are written ALL the time in my mind.  I don't feel like God is telling me to throw my lists out the window (because I truly feel that is how He wired my brain), yet He's encouraging me to embrace each day with an open heart and mind to BE in the moment. 

2017 isn't going to be a year of "Do"ing more yet a time of "Be"ing!  

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  What about you?  Do you have a word, theme or resolution for 2017??  Whatever it is, I pray that God gives you peace, grace and most of all LOVE in the new year! 

 

Running with Endurance

Do you find it funny how everything these days is a competition?  Recently I've realized how much pressure is 'in the world' to compete.  It really is sad.....I'm better at this than you or my kid can do this better than your kid or my husband is the BEST at this.....the list continues.  As I typed that list, I didn't feel an ounce of love in any of those statements, did you?  

I'm thankful that the Bible doesn't mention anything about being a good competitor but yet to run a race of endurance.  I enjoy running.  It is a new found passion of mine and last year as I was training for my first 5K I realized that I could not start out the race running as fast as I can but yet, I had to pace myself and that when I first started running, I wasn't able to run 3 miles straight at one time but had to build up my running ability and if I didn't stretch my muscles beforehand and eat properly that I didn't have the stamina to finish my run.  

It's the same with our spiritual walks, isn't it?  We have to stretch our faith and feed on the word to have stamina for this race.  We have to pace ourselves and build up our God given abilities as we 'train' with Jesus.  So, today I am thankful for endurance.  Thankful that God gives me strength to run this race of life every day and that He helps me to not compare myself with others or 'compete' with them but focus on the finish line....eternity with HIM in heaven!!  There's work to be done, friends, may we all press on with endurance and strength!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."  Hebrews 12:1-3

Walking Free From Fear

Recently, I attended a ladies meeting at a friend’s house where she was speaking on fear.  I had been walking through a storm for several weeks before this meeting and kept crying out to God for help.  During those weeks, He would speak to me ever so quietly and I knew He was there with me as I faced this testing time in my life but what was an already dark place just seemed to be getting darker.  Before I went to the meeting God spoke to me and said “when things are out of control all around you – LET GO and let ME!“

Honestly, I don’t think I have ever realized how much I have struggled with fear until that night.  Now, I am totally aware that fear affects people in different ways and that we all experience different variances of fear – it could be fear of something HUGE or fear of something small (like me, I am terrified of spiders).  As my friend spoke, her words intertwined with what the Lord had been speaking to my heart over the past 3 weeks. 

Fear of rejection……Parenting out of fear……Allowing fear to suffocate areas in my marriage….. how many lost opportunities or clouded decisions had I made in my life because I was consumed in fear?!?  

But, not anymore…..nope!  I am DONE letting fear control me and my decisions…..did you hear me?  D-O-N-E!!!  I was able to stand up from that time with my Sisters in Christ and feel FREE-er than I have felt in years.  I know that trials will come (and honestly I’m still walking through the one I was before the meeting) but I am confident that God will lead me down the path HE has for me for He has not given me a spirit of fear but of POWER, LOVE and a SOUND MIND!!  

Will you join me?  Ask God to examine your heart and reveal to you areas in your own life that fear consumes you.  Write them down.  Pray over it and if led, RIP IT TO SHREDS (this is what I did that night)…..stand up and walk down the path of FREEDOM God has for you, too!!

What Are You Thinking?!?

Do you realize that every thought that enters your mind doesn't have to be "thought" upon?  Not all thoughts come from God or even ourselves.  The 'father of lies' (aka: Satan) likes to whisper things in our ears.

Do you also realize that Y-O-U control which thoughts you think on?  The Bible says to think on things that are true, noble, right,  pure, lovely, admirable,  excellent or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8)

I had to remind myself of these truths this morning as I was working out.  See, for the past few months I have been getting up earlier than "necessary" in order to spend time in the Word.  (I've only been able to do this with God's help - cause by nature, I am NOT a morning person)  I've been trying to incorporate working out back into my daily routines but with our new schedule, I haven't been able to figure out how to work it in during the evenings.  After some prayer and consideration [and inspiration from a FB friend], I decided I would aim to get up early and workout in the mornings.

So, my morning schedule is like this.....get up, workout, shower, eat, study the Word then everything else.  This morning while I was jogging away on the treadmill at 5:45am ~ I felt condemnation that I wasn't studying the Word first.  I know that God should get our "first fruits" and I truly enjoy my time with Him in the mornings but because I know in my heart that if I get up at 5:30 am and head downstairs to read the Word, I will quickly end up in Dreamworld 101.

I had some internal back and forth before I simply said aloud, "Just because I choose to study the Word AFTER I work out and shower, does NOT mean I am not putting God first.  I will honor Him in song while I run on this treadmill."  I was letting the Father of LIES know that I was NOT going to be condemned for working out......I was NOT going to think on that thought.

Although, what time I work out isn't a life altering situation or very serious in matter; the same thing happens in the most serious of situations.  Don't fall for the lies of the enemy!!  Feeling unworthy?  Unloved?  Overwhelmed?  Take those whispered thoughts in your mind and examine them with the Word, dear friend, and I promise you will find the Truth.  You are a wonderful creation made in HIS image ~ God's, that is!!

Stepping Outside Your Box in Faith

Stepping Out in Faith

I'm thankful for what I've learned while 'outside of my box' over the years and wanted to share a few examples of what God has shown me 'outside of my box' with you...

1.  When you step outside of your box, God is ALWAYS there to meet you.  I think so many times we stay in our boxes out of fear.  Fear of this and that and everything in between but also fear that God may not be there but I'm here to tell you He is ALWAYS there.  Yes, He is there with you inside that box BUT He is there in an indescribable more powerful way outside of your box  Think about Peter when he stepped out of the boat - Hello, he WALKED on water with Jesus!!  {Matthew 14:22-33}

2.  It doesn't matter what people think.  This goes back to the fear issue of staying in your box...caring what people think.  If God is nudging you out of that box, then by all means ~ break free!  He has something better waiting for you outside the box than He ever did inside of it.

3.  Don't go back IN the box.  This is a personal struggle of mine.  Several times I have broken free from my box and had AWESOMELY AMAZING experiences with the Lord but then when things calm down...I head right back in the box.  How awesome would it be for me (or you) to be able to stay out of the box every day?

That is my goal....to try to stay out of my box.  To sometimes be uncomfortable but to be pressing on to the things that God has for me and to submit each of my days to Him.

What about you?  Have you stepped outside your box lately??

A New Creation

Have you noticed all the butterflies this summer?!?  They have been fluttering around everywhere ~ I love it! 

Most everyone is aware that a butterfly starts out their life crawling as a caterpillar then spinning their cocoon and finally breaking free as a beautiful, colorful flying insect.  

It occurred to me one day while watching a couple of butterflies flutter around, how sad it would be to see a butterfly  walking around on the ground when it has been given the ability to F-L-Y!  You see, although it started out it's life walking/crawling around, when that transformation occurred and it broke out of that shell into a butterfly - it left the past in the past and flew into the destiny it was created for.  

How many of us are holding onto the past and not living the life we were destined for?  

How many of us were created to fly but are still crawling around??  

Think about it.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

2 Corinthians 5:17

Walking Through the Storms

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A few of my very close friends are walking through some storms in their lives so in honor of them, I am sharing this 'old' post I wrote back around Easter of this year.  My God's peace surround you as you walk through the darkness of this storm ~ God's light will lead you through!!

Over the years, many of us have read the Bible or heard stories from the Bible and I find many of them inspiring.  But the thing is, when we read the story, we know the ending .....if it is a knew story - we may not know the ending when the chapter starts but we quickly find out how the story ends several lines down.  So many times, stories of the Bible become just that - stories.  But do you realize that these were REAL people having REAL experiences and REAL emotions?!?

Think about it - Noah built an ark ~ we know the world ended up being flooded - but Noah didn't while he was working daily on a boat God told him to build when no one had eve seen rain.

Moses's mom didn't know when she left him in that basket by the river that she would eventually be reunited with him in the near future and become his caregiver.

And speaking of Moses - he didn't know the sea would literally split in half when he was stuck between a huge body of water and a raging army of men.

We all walk through storms in our lives, God never said it was going to be easy.  I guess what God is showing me is that through the storms, we have to TRUST Him ~ He knows the ending and will lead us through. 

I encourage you to re-read those well known Bible stories and pay close attention to the 'storm walker's' reactions ~ did they cry, yell, wallow in their sorrows or did they stand strong in faith and proclaim the Word of God?  Did they stand in faith that although they didn't understand, they chose to trust God with the outcome? 

My prayer is that I learn by their examples when I walk through the storms of life....

"Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’"

Isaiah 41:10