Treasuring Christ in Our Eating

Monday

2009-06-08T22:20:00.003-04:00

Hey Everybody! Natasha and I had a really wonderful time together last Friday, and spent lots of time talking about how we are going to help each other to continue on this weight-loss journey. We decided that we need a really strict counselor. So, who can be our counselor? Well, we decided that each of us will take turns each week being each other's counselor.

This week I am Natasha's counselor. I gave her homework to do and I am going to act just like a counselor would. Then, next week, it will be her turn! And she'll be able to get in my kitchen.

So, we'll see how this works. We are praying that the Lord leads us and gives us wisdom.

How about you? How have you been helped by a friend or a counselor in your journey to lose weight and honor God with your body?

~Claudia

Tuesday check in

2009-06-02T22:42:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone,

Claudia and I have been at this for about 7-8 mos, and I know, speaking for myself, that I feel like I am stuck. I have gained/lost the same 15 pounds and want to break this cycle. I truly feel lost on what to do next. Praying, I know is the most important thing to do. I do believe that I have made some small life changes that I am still doing, but the scale is not showing it. I am exercising at least 3 times weekly. My blood sugar is in the normal range again, and I do watch my carb intake for that reason. But, overall, I would think that I should be losing weight. I have tons of weight to lose, so it is not like it's the last 10 pounds to go. I am frustrated. Journal my food, keep the calories under 1500, exercise, Urgh!!! Yes, those things must be done, yet I somehow keep missing it! What are we to do?

There is no answer it seems right at the moment. Claudia has been so supportive and encouraging, and the LORD has blessed me more and more as I have developed a deeper relationship with Claudia.

SO, here is my daily intake today...

Muffin 180
sandwich 250
chips 150
cheese 150
bread 80
cake 250
trail mix 150

Okay, not a balance diet at all..no fruit or vegetables..did not drink enough water...and I did not exercise today.

HELP!!!!

Wednesday

2009-05-27T13:12:00.003-04:00

Claudia: 30 min. jog/walk with weights

coffee 70
waffles 300
cream cheese 50

salad 240
pepsi 200
low fat cheese 100

hamburger 460
fried rice 400

TOTAL 1820 -- NOT GOOD

Natasha:

Sunday Night

2009-05-24T23:27:00.002-04:00

I have failed to share my exercise and calories the last few nights....I am very sorry. I've been a little laxidasical lately. I did pretty well exercising last week, and I enjoyed it so much. I jog-walked 5 days for 30 minutes and I just really loved it.

I actually gained 2 pounds from 2 weeks ago because when I went on vacation, I didn't eat well and hardly exercised. So, hopefully if I can keep up with these walks, and keeping my calories down, I can see a loss next Friday.

It's very difficult for Natasha and I to find the time and energy to post regular kinds of posts, like we used to do, because we're so busy. But we realized losing weight and getting in shape is the most important thing right now, so we thought holding each other accountable by posting our calories and exercise each day would help. So far it has.

God bless you all!

~Claudia

Thursday night

2009-05-21T19:56:00.001-04:00

Natasha-

one hour aerobics
biscuit and cheese 300
2 pieces of toast 180
yogurt parfait 150
salad with cheese, almonds, croutons 700

Wednesday night

2009-05-20T20:25:00.003-04:00

Natasha-

pudding 60
fiber one bar 150
(really need to change this up)
green pepper soup 120
crackers/cheese 150
yogurt parfait
1/2 panini
med. fry

Claudia-

30 min. run/walk with 2 pound weights for upper body workout (love it!)

coffee, 1 T half/half 35
1/4 c. grits, eggs, butter 130
grilled cheese 260
2 chicken tacos 380
tuna & cheese crackers 340
tiny cookie 40
popsicle & iced tea 50
1 small chocolate 40
popcorn 100
toast 90
TOTAL 1465

Tuesday check in

2009-05-19T21:01:00.001-04:00

Natasha-

Pudding 60
cheese 60
fiber one bar 150
torpendo 790
chips 140
broccoli
1/2 panini 350 1550 exercise 1 hour aerobics 10 min swim

Monday Check-In

2009-05-18T17:38:00.004-04:00

Claudia-
calories: 2 strawberries - 10?
1 sourdough toast with lite marg - 100
beef and rice - 500
3 small cookies - 130
Moe's Fajitas - 700
TOTAL 1440 - whew! no more food tonight!

exercise: 30 minute run/walk this morning--it was great!!

GOOD JOB On the EXERCISE - thank you!

Natasha-
cheese stick 70
pudding 60
fiber one bar 150
lean cruisine 440
hamburger/fries 590
popcorn 100 1410 total...about a 15 minute walk

YAY!

Sunday check in

2009-05-17T17:43:00.002-04:00

Natasha- Swam laps for 30 minutes
cheese stick 60
fiber one bar 150
arby cheddar and cheese/small fry 918
turkey sandwich 200
pudding 60
chips 150 total 1538

Claudia

Tuesday Check-In

2009-05-12T19:21:00.001-04:00

Claudia- 30 min. walk
calories: ?? I am on vacation! Not a good excuse, I know.

Natasha-

Wed check in

2009-05-06T20:14:00.002-04:00

Natasha- walked 20 minutes

Breakfast- 100 calorie pack
150 trail mix

Lunch- 200 roast beef sandwich
75 chips
150 two cookies

Dinner 460 Mcdonalds chicken nuggets
380 medium fry

1515 total..bad choices though.

Claudia- no exercise except walking around the mall

calories- 1590

1 c. cereal 240
3/4 c milk 110
coffee, creamer 40
3 T sugar 50
more coffee 30
bagel sandwich 210
salad 50
candy 100
shrimp 30
pork, spinach, rice 500
kettlecorn 130
Mt. Dew 100

Tuesday Check-In

2009-05-06T00:27:00.004-04:00

Claudia-

coffee, milk 40
waffles 150
grits, eggs 250
salad with 1/4 c. cheese 90
dressing 2T 150
1/4 c. shredded chicken breast 100
1 c. potato soup 250
3 small biscuits 100
1/4 c. potato soup 50
brownie 200
coffee 40
vitamin water 20

I totaled my calories at 11:30pm and got 1550
then I popped 1 sausage link into my mouth.

exercise: 15 min walk

Natasha-
100 calorie pack 100
trail mix 170
lean cruisine meal 230
fruit 120
lasagna 450
garlic bread 300
piece of choc 150
fruit 60

no exercise

Monday Check in

2009-05-04T22:23:00.002-04:00

Claudia- don't know.
No exercise except walking around the mall shopping.

Natasha- 1825..no exercise except running after 6 kids at playground (so I heard!)
Must make better choices tomorrow. How are you doing Claudia? I plan to call you tomorrow at lunch time! Not doing too well, I am sorry to say. I will look forward to talking to you. Hope you're doing well.

Weekend check in

2009-05-03T22:18:00.003-04:00

Saturday

Claudia- don't know.
Natasha- 1520 and swam 800 yards and walked 40 minutes

Sunday

Claudia- don't know. Not doing too good. Haven't been writing anything down. Thursday I weighed and was up 2 lb. so I'm a litle discouraged. Natasha was down SEVEN pounds on Friday. She is awesome. She also kept her calories under 1400 most of the time, whereas I always went over 1500. I didn't exercise nearly as much as she has been either.

Natasha- 2000...bad eating day
no exercise

Friday Check-In

2009-05-01T23:17:00.002-04:00

Claudia- 1600
exercise- none

Natasha- 1500
exercise-none

Thursday night

2009-04-30T20:53:00.003-04:00

Claudia- 1550
exercise- 15 minute walk

Natasha-1350 -- Natasha, you are awesome!
exercise- one hour water aerobics

Wednesday check in

2009-04-29T21:03:00.002-04:00

Claudia- 1300-1500?? Sorry that I have not been accurate the last couple days. When I total up my calories, it's 1300, but it feels like I've eaten more than that.

exercise- none. again.

Natasha- 1350
no exercise. Too tired..muscles too sore..

Tuesday Check-In

2009-04-28T19:52:00.002-04:00

Calories: Claudia- 1540 (ate too much at dinner, went over, and now I can't have my evening snack)
Natasha- 1330
Exercise: Claudia- None yet.
Natasha-60 minutes water aerobics, 375 yard swim

Monday Check-In

2009-04-27T20:31:00.005-04:00

Happy Monday everybody! Hope you all are doing well and controlling your eating and enjoying Christ!

Calories: Claudia- don't know??? I ate 560 before we left the house, and then we went to Golden Corral (I ate lots of salad and veggies, and a little shrimp, steak & banana pudding). I think it's safe to say I have eaten my fill : ) I won't take any chances, and I feel very satisfied right now.
Natasha- 1650..but it was all healthy..veggies, fruit and meat. I went over because I had added sunflower seeds to my salad and had some soy nuts..so it was healthy fat that I went over with.
See how I am trying to make it sound better! Hope you are walking right now Claudia! Let's talk tomorrow..

Exercise: Claudia- NONE. Maybe I'll go walk right now and come back and change that------>> I did walk! Only for 15 minutes, and it was very slow b/c my tummy was still full, but at least I did something : )
Natasha-30 minutes on ellipitcal trainer. very tired!

Check-In

2009-04-25T21:02:00.003-04:00

My new goal is to eat all that I'm going to eat before 9pm.

Calories: Claudia-1430 , Sunday 1530
Natasha- 1580...getting closer , Sunday 1505...even closer

Exercise: Claudia- 30 minute walk, Sunday none
Natasha-30 minute cardio, Sunday 25 minutes weights

Remember that we cannot control things in life and letting God take care of it is FREEDOM!!

Also, we can control how much food we chose to eat and the amount of exercise we do a day!

Long time

2009-04-24T20:19:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone.

We are truly sorry for our long absent from posting on our blog. For myself, I think I was taking this time to become totally self-absorbed and not being willing to keep up with my eating program. While I did to continue to exercise and enjoy that, I just did not want to make the effort to eat healthy. To practice self-control. Claudia and I met really early this morning after having a two week break of not meeting. IT was a great time of prayer and to reset some goals. First, I must be in the Word daily. I must be in prayer daily, througout the day. And we also will be posting our calorie intake every day. So, here is my number today..Not too good.. 1850.

My calories for today: 1640. Our goal is under 1500 every day.
~Claudia

We are here, and we are alive (barely)

2009-04-20T21:13:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends! Yes, it is actually us, Claudia and Natasha, reporting in again to give you a quick update. Sorry it's been so long. I (Claudia) have 2 sort-of "jobs" now and it's just crazy how busy and hectic it has been for me. I hardly have time to breathe. And when I do breathe, it's very erratic breathing. I am serious, I just go a mile a minute from one thing to the next, and then I just crash at the end of the day.

So, I hope you'll forgive us! Natasha and I have been doing very well meeting together each week and praying together, but these last 2 weeks we have not been able to meet, and haven't even talked on the phone much, so we feel very disconnected right now.

Not a good thing.

This week, we are getting together again and hopefully get back on track.

I hope you all are doing well! Thanks so much for your faithfulness!

Blessings and peace,

Claudia and Natasha

So sorry for the Silence

2009-03-10T22:42:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone! Just wanted to pop in and say Hi! So sorry we haven't been around. As for me, I have been incredibly busy and then when I think about posting, I am just too pooped!

As an weigh-in update, I gained a pound and Natasha lost a half pound. Don't ask me how I gained...I have no idea. I thought I did really well. I walked 30 min/day, 5 days/week. I do know one thing, though. My scale really stinks. I get a different weight everytime I step on it. So I have to step on it like 10 times and pick the most consistent one. Not good. But, I am still in the 190's, so all I know is, I need to get it down to the 180's!

I hope you all are doing well and staying faithful to our awesome Lord Jesus Christ.

Love,

~Claudia

How Fast Can You Type??

2009-03-01T23:29:00.000-05:00

92 words

Typing Test

Weigh in and Praises

2009-03-01T18:57:00.000-05:00

Claudia and I did well this past week! We both had a loss on the scale. Claudia lost 2 pounds and I lost three. Praise the LORD!!!

We both have been faithful to exercising our bodies and trying to be diligent in keeping track of our food intake.

This past week something happened that forced me to work out in the morning. It was a huge blessing in disguise. I used to work out in the morning before work many years ago. I had been wanting to try that routine again but I had all these anxieties about working out. Would the gym be busy? How many people would be getting ready at the same time? Way too many doubts and not trusting God enough when He placed the desire in my heart to return to the mornings. Wow, it has been great! I feel much better throughout the day. I do not get so stressed, I make better food choices. I have no excuses to stop myself at the end of the work day convincing myself not to work out. I am open to take on projects in the evenings. It is wonderful!

What do you think about working out in the morning verses the evening?

Natasha

Anchor Friday

2009-02-27T23:44:00.000-05:00

Thank you, Joan, for your post for Anchor Friday. If you haven't read her post yet, please click above and read it!

Eating is the most basic necessity of life, and so there are a multitude of references to it in the Bible, and as Joan said, God has had a lot to say to His people about it. It is not an easy thing to conquer the lusts of our bodies, overeating being one of them.

1 John 2:16 For everything in the world-- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-- comes not from the Father but from the world.

Philippians 3:19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

1 Thessalonians 4:4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,

I just did a search on lust, stomach, and control, and these are the verses I found that really struck me.

We need to remember that we are not of the world anymore, if truly the love of God is in us, and that we belong to Christ now. That lustful, gluttonous person that Claudia used to be, no longer is. She has been set free. I am now a child of God, and a slave to righteousness. And if I find myself living according to my old nature, it's only because I consciously choose to.

Let us learn to control our own bodies in a way that is holy and honorable!

~Claudia

Emotional Eating - confession time

2009-02-24T17:21:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone,

Since this is Natasha's and my online journal, which we have invited you to read, there are times when I just sign on, and just dump. This is one of those times.

I had a little altercation today with someone close to me and I got upset and angry. So, I went to the refrigerator and ate some chocolate chip cookie dough--about 6 spoonfuls. I am still ruminating. So I thought I'd let you all know, and ask you to pray for me.

Thank you so very much!

P.S. I have walked 3x this week so far (yay), and I was going to walk again today but time got away from me and I got busy, and then this thing happened....maybe I'll get a chance to do it tonight.

P.S. did I use that word 'ruminating' right?

Food Talk on Girl Talk

2009-02-21T16:04:00.000-05:00

I don't know how many of you have ever been to GirlTalk.blogs.com, but it is a really great blog for Christian women. Very solid. They did a "food talk" series a couple years ago, which I am just now discovering, and thought you might be interested in it too! Topics include healthy eating, exercise, bulemia, anorexia, obesity and more. All from a solidly biblical perspective.

http://girltalk.blogs.com/girltalk/2007/10/foodtalk-with-k.html

Here's a short little bio of the writers:

One-Line Bio
A mother and three daughters who love the gospel and aspire to biblical womanhood.

Biography
Carolyn Mahaney is a wife, mother, homemaker, and the author of Feminine Appeal and Girl Talk. During her more than 30 years as a pastor’s wife, Carolyn has spoken to women in many churches and conferences, including those of Sovereign Grace Ministries, which her husband, C.J., leads.

C.J. and Carolyn have three married daughters and one fourteen-year-old son, Chad.

Nicole Whitacre is the wife of Steve Whitacre, who serves as the youth pastor at Sovereign Grace Church of Fairfax. They have a four-year-old son, Jack and a five-month-old daughter, Tori. Nicole co-authored Girl Talk with her Mom.

Kristin Chesemore and her husband Brian are the busy parents of three boys. Andrew is seven, Liam is four, and Owen is three. In the little spare time she does have, Kristin supports Brian in his role as a pastor in Family Life Ministries at Covenant Life Church.

Janelle Bradshaw and Mike have been married for four years. Their beautiful daughter Caly turned one in February. Mike serves as a pastor in Children’s Ministry at Covenant Life Church.

Together, the girltalkers have recently published a new book: Shopping for Time.

Need encouragement

2009-02-18T21:16:00.000-05:00

I first want to say great job on your walking daily Claudia. Unlike you, I have not made the time to exercise, and my eating has either been really good or really bad depending on the meal/day.

I spent time in prayer today and realized that sometimes we work so hard at earning grace, salvation, holiness and we don't have to. Let me explain...I know we are to strive for these things, but sometimes I feel like I am trying to earn them from God, not just thanking and praising Him for these things already. I get so focused on myself, my victories, my failures, not on how AWESOME He is. How Jesus has completed the work already. How God just desires a relationship with us. I am a sinner, and will be this side of heaven. He knows that, He is not surprised by it. However, He expects us to give Him our all. Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' Matt 22:37. I get so wrapped up in DOING things and not just ACCEPTING His free gift of His Son. If I would spend half the energy that I do with obsessing about myself and would be at His feet instead, I would fall more in love with my Lord and Savior. I would desire to please Him more, it would be more natural to do that.

What are your thoughts on that?

Thanks for reading.

Natasha

Mid-Week Check-In

2009-02-17T22:41:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone,

I just wanted to tell you all that I am praising the Lord because I have been exercising everyday this week so far. I have enjoyed taking a 20 minute walk everyday since Saturday. I try to walk quickly and briskly to get the most out of it. Tonight I went a little longer, and actually sweated. I never sweat. It takes a lot to make me sweat. And it was chilly out!

So, I just wanted to stop and publicly give God praise for helping me to make this a priority in my life!!

~Claudia

Anchor Friday

2009-02-14T20:22:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the (yet again) late Anchor Friday post. It's been a busy weekend and the time that I did have I took the opportunity to relax and do nothing! I don't get to do that very often. But, thank you Joan, for your faithfulness to post every Friday! It was a great post. Check it out!!

Weigh in

2009-02-14T08:34:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine Day! Claudia and I had a good week, with a one pound lose for Claudia and two for myself. This is definitely a huge Praise! We are both still working through many kinks in this journey. Claudia was not feeling well physically this week and was not able to exercise much. She is trying to get back into that routine. I did exercise 4 days this week, and felt wonderful. Of course, working out takes time and I find myself staying up later and not sleeping enough. It is a combination of having adrenaline from working out and trying to get all the other things done that I would have done in that time I was exercising. I used to go to the gym in the morning before work, which is like 5a.m. But, I didn't do anything in the evenings then. I would go home, eat dinner, watch t.v. Now, I have a house to maintain and church activities, and most important my personal time with God. Then, there is t.v. and many shows to catch up on. So, I am praying and seeking how to manage my priorities and time.
Another struggle both of us are having is journaling our food intake. That is just pure laziness on both of our parts. No excuses. We need to be more diligent about this. Studies also show that people are more successful at weight loss when they journal their food.

Claudia and I are so grateful for those who read this. We are praying for you!

Praise you Jesus!

Natasha

Sick today

2009-02-10T10:45:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone,

Natasha and I agreed that we would take turns posting every other day, but I have been so sick yesterday, and mostly today. So I just wanted you to know, and since I'm not doing anything except lying down, I am praying for all my friends, including you!

God bless,

~Claudia

Weigh in for Natasha and Claudia

2009-02-08T21:05:00.000-05:00

Hello. This week Claudia lost one pound and I stayed the same. We are in the midst of changing our scales around, so we will truly see the new number next week. Isn't it funny how we have tricked ourselves into believing or trusting a certain scale even if other scales do not say the same. For example, my scale is about 3-5 pounds lighter than my doctor's scale. OF course, I am upset when I see the doctor and that scales says 5 more pounds. Like it makes a difference, being that I am still 150 pounds overweight. Like my doctor isn't going to yell at me if he would have seen what my scale said that morning.

The point is, I am way off the mark in my weight. I have confessed this week to Claudia that I didn't even try to fight my flesh this week. I just ate and ate. Whatever, whenever, however. So, now after reading some of your posts, I am encouraged and realize that I must get serious again about this. It is a sin. I am truly tired of feeling miserable. I hate how I look and want to be healthier.

Thank you for your encouragement! You are truly a blessing!

Natasha

Anchor Friday - Discipline and Integrity

2009-02-06T20:15:00.000-05:00

Happy Anchor Friday to you all! I just read Joan's post and it was great. It's hard to be transparent and honest, but, as I am learning, that's the way to grow and change! So, thank you Joan, for opening up to us, your fellow bloggers ; )

Joan picked out some great verses from Proverbs for us. I always love it that she uses the NLT. I don't have that version at home, and it's nice to read from it from time to time.

10:17 People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray.

It is so hard to accept discipline from the Lord. But, He is our loving Father, and when He sees us rebelling, He disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness (Hebrews 12:10).

This is something I thought about alot this week....my Father loves me. He really loves me. And that is why He disciplines me. He wants the best for me. He wants me to share in His holiness. How awesome is that?? Me?? A sinner, who hated God, rebelled against Him, rejected Him....and yet, He loved me. And He continues to love me. So much so, that He will spare no expense (including painful discipline) to make me holy, like He is.

But, if we ignore His correction, what will happen to us? We will go astray. We won't share in His holiness. We will continue to follow our sinful flesh and will not experience His blessing. We'll be racked with guilt and shame and we'll be left feeling like hypocrites.

Is that what we want? No. So, when your Heavenly Father corrects you and disciplines you, do not ignore Him. Do not shrug Him off. Accept His correction with humility and thankfulness, and expect God to do something awesome.

10: 29 The way of the LORD is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked.

If we do accept God's correction, guess what will happen to our character? It will develop an awesome thing called, "integrity." When I was a teenager, I heard a youth leader explain integrity to us like this, "Integrity is what you do when no one is around."

That has always stuck with me. If I can obey Christ, and surrender myself to Him at home, when I am by myself, then I have integrity. And when I have integrity, the Lord is my stronghold. I am protected! I am strengthened. I am safe. It's not easy for the world, the flesh or the devil to get in and hurt me.

That's what we want, ladies. Let's keep that goal in our sights when we are at home alone in front of the TV with chocolate chip cookies calling our name from the kitchen. Or when we are in the potato chip aisle at the supermarket and you don't recognize anybody around you. Keep it in your mind that if you resist sin in this moment, and in the next moment, and tomorrow, and next week, God will become your fortress and your protector and it will be easier and easier for you to resist temptation.

I want to hear from you. I want you to comment and share with us what particular thing you know you will face this week that will make it hard for you to be a woman of integrity. Share it with us (be specific), and Natasha and I will pray for you this week. And then you can come back next week and let us know how it went!

Can't wait to hear from you!

~Claudia

Checking In

2009-02-04T15:46:00.001-05:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted. I feel really bad about it! And I've missed it. There's just always so much going on in my life, and there are certain other issues to tackle that take me away from this arena sometimes.

So, I just wanted to say hi, and tell you I'm doing "okay." Natasha got us new dieting journals that I really like. We're back to writing everything down again, because we (*I*) need to be more disciplined and more accountable.

I have NOT been exercising! My goodness. It's crazy. I'm feeling pretty yucky because of it, too. Even though I'm eating a little better, when I don't exercise it just leaves me feeling blah.

I weighed 2 days ago and was down 1 pound from last week, but not sure what the scale will say Friday. We'll see! And hopefully I'll get back on the bandwagon here, and do my weekly weigh-ins and Anchor Fridays.

God bless you gals!

~Claudia

Obedience vs. Disobedience

2009-02-01T23:04:00.000-05:00

Life is happening! Life is full of choices. Each day we are faced with many decisions and challenges. Some choices are minor, should I wear my hair up or down? Other choices are more life-altering, such as do I stay at my job or look for another one? Do I eat another candy bar or is two enough?
As I continue reading "Pursuit of Holiness" by Jerry Bridges, he makes a good point that leaves me very uncomfortable. He notes that sometimes when we make a decision and choose the wrong choice (like the third candy bar), we like to think of it as a failure to our temptation. We like to play the victim. In reality, we are being disobedient. I hate when I am slapped in the face with the truth. I can no longer be the "victim". When I know my choice is wrong, I am being disobedient. I have not failed; I am being rebellious. I know the right thing to do, I understand it, I have been convicted of it! It is disobedience. Plain and simple.

I must remember this! I really do not want to, but Jesus tells us in John 14:15, If you love me, you will obey what I command. If I truly love Him, I will obey Him. Even when I do not feel like it.

Praise you Jesus!

Natasha

Anchor Friday - Commitment vs. Surrender

2009-01-17T20:33:00.000-05:00

Click above to read Joan's post. She's using some Proverbs this week to help her to press on in her weigh-loss journey. Wisdom - that's what we need to help us make the right choices!

I would like to talk today about the idea of commitment versus surrender. I've been reading Nancy Leigh DeMoss's Trilogy - Brokenness/Surrender/Holiness - and it's so good. She mentioned something that I'd never thought about before. She said that in our country, the idea of "surrender" to the Lord at some point started to get sort of unpopular, and in the church people wanted something more palatable, and came up with the idea of committing yourself to God instead.

If we say we commit ourselves to the Lord, it still sort of leaves us with the feeling that we are in control. We are the one who controls our own commitment level, intensity, etc. But the idea of surrender is different. When we surrender ourselves to the Lord, we are saying, "I belong to YOU, Lord! I am not my own. I am your bondslave. I give up all my rights, and I submit myself to YOUR authority to do as You will in my life."

I think that is a very important distinction to make in our relationship with Christ. Are you committed to the Lord? Or do you surrender yourself to Him? Your life, your heart, your mind, your thoughts, your words, your choices, your desires, your behavior.

Surrendering to the Lord is like giving God $1,000. You can give it to Him all at once, and lay that $1,000 bill on the table and say, "There! I give this to you Lord!" It's a one-time surrender. Or, you can give Him a little everyday. 25 cents here, 50 cents there. $2.00 here, $10.00 there.

Which is easier? Which is better?? The kind of surrender God is commanding us is a daily surrender of our choices in life. Today, you may need to surrender by not saying that nagging word to your husband. Tomorrow, there may be a single mom who needs gas money to get to church. Next week, you may need to stay off the computer, and spend some time in God's Word!

Whatever it is, think of your relationship to Christ as one in which He is the Master, and you are the bondslave. And when you do His bidding, He has nothing but blessing, love, comfort and peace to pour out on you!

What area of your life do you need to surrender to the Lord? If you say, "My eating and exercise habits" then, my question is more specific to you, "What area of your eating and exercise habits do you need to surrender to the Lord?" Do you need to surrender to God by asking your friend to be your accountability partner, even though you do not relish the thought of allowing someone into that area of your life? Or, the next time you get into an argument with your husband, do you need to surrender yourself to the Lord instead of running to the refrigerator?

Whatever it is, think really hard about it. Take some time to write it down. Blog about it. Ask someone to help you. And when that situation comes up, STOP, and say, "I am Yours, Lord! I give myself to You in this moment. I have no right to go and do what my flesh wants to do! I will do YOUR will, no matter what it costs me."

That is surrender. Don't make "commitments" to God. Surrender to Him. Offer your body and mind to Him. Day by day, moment by moment. Surrender to Him, and get ready to experience His blessing!

~Claudia

God's promise

2009-01-15T20:51:00.000-05:00

Today was another great day with the Lord. He is so amazing and filling. I always underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit. And that is knowing the very little amount that I understand, I even underestimate that. After reading more of His word today, I am always and truly amazed how it is LIVING. The Word is sharper than a double edge sword and pierces. He is constantly revealing Himself, if we are willing to open ourselves to Him. Claudia and I discussed how on this journey with Lord, He has opened some many other areas in our lives that He wants to change. This is so much more than just a "diet" and a "weight loss" adventure. Yes, an adventure. I am sensing that God doesn't really care how I look on the outside, but where my heart is. He wants to refine my faith. As I realize how much my sin of gluttony separates me from my Savior and how He desires me to move forward with Him. To move onward to fulfill His will for my life. To move away from my self-centered ideas, and to be more Christ-centered. To experience His delights and steadfast love, even when I fail.

Praise you Jesus.

Natasha

Victim vs. Victor

2009-01-14T20:36:00.000-05:00

I am completely using my title from listening to a sermon on the radio this morning by Pastor Greg Laurie. He talked about our choices every day when facing temptations to either be the "victim" or "victor". He used 1 Corinth 10:13," No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." He went on to say that God promises in every temptation to give us a way out. And if we are honest with ourselves, when we look back at those moments, we can see there was a way out. For example, this past weekend, I could have chose to call Claudia. I could have prayed. I actually had to make a choice to go to the fast food restaurant to get food and the grocery store to get junk food. I could have stayed home and ate the right foods. It was actually physically easier to make the right choices, but mentally and spiritually easier to sin. To refuse God's help.
Then, this past morning, God revealed another promise in His Word. Psalm 37:23-24 The steps of a man are established by the Lord , when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.

Praise you Jesus!

Natasha

Natasha weigh in

2009-01-12T20:01:00.001-05:00

Hello, it has been awhile since I posted. I have been not too good this weekend. After spending the whole Christmas season without touching anything that was not of a nutritional value, I started eating junk food again this weekend. What started it? My own selfishness, my own desires and my own pity party. After weighing in on Friday with a plus two, Claudia gave me a very encouraging talk. Sometime that evening, I decided,"What is the point of eating well, asking God for strength and exercising if the scale was going to not reflect in my favor. Never mind that I was offering my food choices and time to God, I decided I need to take control again. HORRIBLE MISTAKE. I have been out in the wilderness here eating whatever and whenever I want. I am depressed, no desire to talk to God or to read His Word. Tonight, I opened the blog up and read our memory verse. It was like water to my soul, I have asked God to forgive me and am humbling myself to write about my pride. God promises new mercies everyday. Thank you Lord for your faithfulness.

Natasha

90in09

2009-01-10T12:30:00.001-05:00

Memory Verse of the Week

2009-01-10T11:29:00.000-05:00

Natasha and I decided to have a memory verse to work on each week. This past week we memorized Galatians 6:8-9....let's see if I can do this from memory....

the one who sows to the flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.

Is that right? Let me check....
I messed up a little, here are the corrections:

"The one who sows to *his own* flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. *And* let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up."

So, Natsha and I failed to pick another verse to memorize, so I am proposing this one that I found in the Psalms:

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
Psalm 36:7-8

I love verses that use food and drink as an analogy of our relationship with God. The Bible is replete with them, Old Testament and New. And how fitting, since we struggle so much with food. It shows me 2 things: 1-God did give us food to enjoy, and we can glorify God by actually enjoying our food! 2-the enjoyment and satisfaction I get from food is NOTHING compared to the enjoyment and satisfaction that I get from Jesus Christ!

So, would you like to join with us in memorizing God's Word? As I said in an earlier post, that's the only way we're going to be able to fight temptation and gain victory in this area of our lives.

Please comment and let us know if you'd like to memorize this verse with us!!

Anchor Friday

2009-01-09T21:37:00.000-05:00

Click here to read Joan's great post:

Claudia's Weigh-In

2009-01-09T21:18:00.000-05:00

Well, I haven't weighed in for 2 weeks now. I have not been doing too well. Just being lazy and laxidasical. I don't have near the determination that Natasha has!! She has just been so awesome.

I stayed the same last week, but gained 1 pound this week. Natasha's got me on a new diet, one that has worked for her this whole time, but I've been puttering around with other diets. So, I think it will help for us both to be on the same one. I need to get back on the exercise bandwagon too!!

~Claudia

Anchor Friday - Resolved

2009-01-03T14:29:00.000-05:00

Here is Joan's post for this week's Anchor Friday:

On a dark night at sea, two lights were approaching each other. As they continued to get closer, the captain of a ship sent out a message: "Recommend you change course." The immediate reply came back: "Recommend you change course!" The captain, being somewhat miffed, signaled again: "This is CAPTAIN Smith. Again, I recommend you change course!" The reply came back just as quickly: "This is SEAMAN Jones; I recommend you change course!" By this time the captain was reaching the limits of his patience. He ordered an immediate, uncompromising message: "I am on a U.S. battleship. I order you to change course!!" to which the reply came back: "I am on a lighthouse. I recommend you change course."

Resolved! I can be pretty stubborn in my sin. Sometimes so stubborn that I can't change course even when I know I'm headed for danger.A new year is a time to set your course and look back where you've been and to look forward to where you want to go. I can see the horizon ahead and it holds promise and possibility. I know that storms await me and I know that I am stronger now. I am ready to make the journey. I am resolved.I am resolved to make my goal weight this year. I am resolved to spend more time in the word, more time praying and less time obsessing about food. I am resolved to share what I learn with others and to encourage others. I am resolved to hang on to the Anchor!The new year is full of promise. A clean slate. What will you do in 2009? What changes do you want to make? Do you need to change course?

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Hebrews 10: 23-25 (New Living Translation)

Almighty God, I confess that without you I cannot make this journey. I need your guidance, strength and perseverance. Fill my sail with your Spirit and keep me in your will. Help me to discern what is danger and what is the lighthouse. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Thanks Joan for that great post. Here is Martyn Lloyd Jones from Spiritual Depression. Let's put 2008 behind us, and look forward to an awesome 2009 with Christ!

"Would you like to be rid of this spiritual depression? The first thing you have to do is to say farewell now once and forever to your past. Realize that it has been covered and blotted out in Christ. Never look back at your sins again. Say: ‘It is finished, it is covered by the Blood of Christ’. That is your first step. Take that and finish with yourself and all this talk about goodness, and look to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only then that true happiness and joy are possible for you. What you need is not to make resolutions to live a better life, to start fasting and sweating and praying. No! You just begin to say:

I rest my faith on Him alone
Who died for my transgressions to atone. (35)

Desiring God Blog

2009-01-02T17:10:00.000-05:00

Hey, I am sending a shout-out for the DesiringGod.org Blog. It has Bible Reading plans for the new year, AND the Crazy Idea of FASTING in '09! Wow, if that wasn't written for us, I don't know what was. Check it out!! (Esp. you, Natasha!)

~Claudia

I'm in Need of Resurrection

2009-01-01T23:47:00.000-05:00

What a song to start the New Year off with. Resurrection by Nicol Sponberg. Followed by the Robbie Seay Band and "New Day."

The Lord is so good....everyday is a new day, and every year is a new year! So please allow yourself to have a few minutes alone and quiet as you listen to these songs and read the lyrics.....I hope they minister to you the way they do to me.

I'm at a loss for words, there's nothing to say
I sit in silence wondering what led me to this place
How did my heart become so lifeless and cold
Where did the passion go?

When all my efforts seem like chasing wind
I've used up all my strength and there's nothing left to give
I've lost the feeling and I'm down to the core
I can't fake it anymore.

chorus: Here I am at the end
I'm in need of resurrection
Only You can take this empty shell and raise it from the dead
What I've lost to the world
what seems far beyond redemption
You can take the pieces in Your hand
and make me whole again, again

You speak and all creation falls to its knees
You raise Your hand and calm the waves of the raging sea
You have a way of turning winter to spring
Make something beautiful out of all this suffering

chorus 2: Here I am once again I'm in need of resurrection
Only You can take this empty shell and raise it from the dead
What I've lost to the world what seems far beyond redemption
You can take the pieces in Your hand and make me whole again, again

You have a way of turning winter to spring
Make something beautiful out of all this suffering

New Day by Robbie Seay Band

I'm gonna sing this song
To let you know that you're not alone
And if you're like me
You need hope, coffee, and melody
So sit back down
Let the world keep spinning ‘round
For yesterday's gone
and today is waiting on you to show your face

It might not be
The prettiest thing that you'll ever see
But it’s a new day, oh baby, it’s a new day
And it might not look like
A beautiful sunrise
But it's a new day, oh baby, it’s a new day

I’m a pilgrim soul
I've traveled far and come back home
This land is hard and cold
For those who long to love
And I know it might seem
That the world is crumbling
But it’s me and you dancing in the kitchen at 2 am
And we're still alive

chorus

It’s the calm of the storm that comes blowing in
It’s the springtime saying
I'm back again
The clouds that roll by
Crossing moonlight
Me and you love – everything's alright

Standing in the rain with nowhere to go
Laughing and we're spinning
and I hope that you
Remember this day
For the rest of your life
Me and you love – everything’s gonna be alright

And it just might be
The prettiest thing that you'll ever see
It’s a new day
Oh baby, it’s a new day
If you look outside
To see a beautiful sunrise
It’s a new day

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T23:18:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone. Yes, it is the time for resolutions, and I think it's pretty obvious what our resolution is!

I wanted to share a story and a scripture with you to help you start off your New Year with a sense of sobriety.

I heard a story recently of a man who went to a business conference--by himself. He didn't know anybody there. He had a hotel room all to himself. That evening, he got in the elevator to go up to his room, and 2 gorgeous and alluring women were in the elevator. He asked them which floor they needed to go to, and they said, "Whichever one you're going to."

He knew he could get away with this. Nobody would ever find out. And all of a sudden, he saw in his mind something like a white screen, with these words on it:

The one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption...

So he said, "Goodnight, ladies" and got off the elevator.

This may not be the kind of temptation that you or I or Natasha are dealing with, but the principle is the same. Every day, every moment, we are faced with the temptation to eat more than we should, to eat food that is bad for us, to be lazy and idle. And probably the #1 reason we are not able to fight these temptations is because we are not using God's word.

Remember, God's Word is a Sword. It is the Sword of the Spirit! It is our only offensive weapon against the enemy. And it is strong, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword. We need to be more proactive in using this powerful weapon God has given us to fight and resist temptation, and win this battle over our flesh, just like the man in the story did.

So, I have decided I am going to use this verse (and others) to the fight the temptation to overeat. Right now, my stomach feels hungry. Even though I ate a decent dinner, and had a snack, I do feel like I could eat right now. But, it's 11:30 pm and I don't need to eat anything.

So, I am going to trust the Lord right now, and believe Him when he says in Eph. 6:17, "Take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" and James 4:7, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you," and I am going to quote Gal. 6:8 outloud as I am getting into bed.

"The one who sows to his own flesh, will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

May the Lord help me not to give up! And may He be praised in my heart, my mind and my body today, and everyday during this New Year of 2009!

Natasha weigh in

2008-12-21T20:03:00.001-05:00

I am going on with the theme that Claudia has started. My weigh in was a three pound loss. Praise the Lord. He is so faithful. I am excited to see the loss, but I am way more encouraged by what God is doing in my life. I feel strengthened by Him. I am trying to follow Jesus and what He said in John 4:34. Jesus said to them, "My food is to the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Other translations say nourishment instead of food. I love that verse and I am making that my verse to work on this year. To me it means that I must humble myself daily to ask God what He wants me to do each moment of each day. To find my nourishment and satisfaction in Him. Not in food. To allow Him to break my addiction to food. No longer to find my comfort and my strength from overeating. I need to feel hungry physically. As a overweight person, I always make sure I am not hungry. I am always making sure my physical needs are met and more. Well, now I am trying to transfer that to being spiritually hungry. To get through my pain with my Salvation, my Rock and my Savior. To overfill myself with Him.

Praise you Jesus!

Natasha

Weigh-In and Desperation Band

2008-12-20T22:35:00.001-05:00

Today we weighed, and I stayed the same. Natasha has a better report. I did meet my goal for exercise, though. And I find myself enjoying it more and wanting to exercise. My body has really come to need it and enjoy it. That's a very awesome thing.

I also wanted to comment on a song that we have on our playlist. Natasha told me when she got on the blog, and heard Christmas music instead of, "Rescue" she was not happy. She really liked having "Rescue" as our opening song, and I agree with her. It is such an awesome song and expresses so much of what I feel, and what I want to feel toward God.

I want to share the lyrics, and also the band, with you. They're pretty neat.

You are the source of life
I can't be left behind
No one else will do
I will take hold of you

I need you, Jesus,
to come to my rescue
Where else can I go?
There's no other name
by which I am saved
Capture me with grace
I will follow you.

You are the source of life
I can't be left behind
No one else will do
I will take hold of you

'Cause I need you, Jesus,
to come to my rescue
Where else can I go?
There's no other name
by which I am saved
Capture me with grace

And I need you Jesus
to come to my rescue
Where else can I go?
There's no other name
by which I am saved
Capture me with grace
I will follow you.

I will follow you.
I will follow you.

This world has nothing for me.

I will follow you.

This world has nothing for me.

I will follow you.

And I need you Jesus
to come to my rescue
Where else can I go?
There's no other name
by which I am saved
Capture me with grace
Capture me with grace
Capture me with grace

I will follow you.

Don't you just love those lyrics? This world has nothing for me. Can you honestly say that? Can I honestly say that?? Do I love and treasure Jesus Christ so much that anything the world has to offer is nothing compared to Him?? I want so badly for that to be the cry of my heart.

In case you're wondering about the Desperation Band, here is a link for you to find out more about them. Their story and their ministry are really neat!!

Anchor Friday-Hard Holidays

2008-12-20T09:37:00.000-05:00

"That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (New Living Translation)

This week, Joan expressed what I am sure we are all feeling and thinking this Christmas Season. It's so incredibly difficult to resist all the delicious temptations that are put before us during the month of December. But this verse tells us that we need to fix our gaze on the things that cannot be seen. . .

~our treasures that are in heaven
~our Savior Jesus
~God our Father
~our crowns of glory
~the pleasures of knowing Christ

These things will last forever. That cheesecake will not. That extra helping of ham will not. Those sugar cookies will not. Those things will soon be gone!!

We need to take our eyes off of those things, and off of our fleshly lusts and appetites, and stop worshipping our bellies. Fix your eyes on Christ and let Him be your joy and satisfaction. You will not be left feeling guilty and full of regrets. You will have a joy that is inexpressible and full of glory. Just trust and believe that that's true! And then sit back and watch God do amazing things in your heart and life (and body!).

Victory

2008-12-18T22:59:00.000-05:00

Tonight was my work party. I called and spoke with Claudia today for encouragement and for prayer to help me with my choices tonight. I am so thankful for Claudia. She is always there ready to listen and help me no matter what she is feeling. My prayer is that I help her as she does me.

This morning, I did not read the Word, but made a quick promise to God that I would not eat or indulge in any dessert. I knew that I could make that promise. As for the rest, I was not specific. As the day went on, I realized that I must make a mental plan in my head of what I would eat tonight and how much. I knew that I must have an offensive plan of attack. Like I was going into battle, which is exactly what I was doing. The battle against my flesh. I wanted to choose Jesus. I wanted to love Him more than food. It is a choice that I wanted to make. I said another quick prayer and asked Him to show me what to eat. I am learning to be dependent on Him for all these decisions, even to the detail of how much I can eat.

I helped prepare for the party and had many opportunities to eat a little here, a little there. I decided to not eat anything until everyone got there. I ate a small amount of appetizers, and the main course was italian. I had a medium size piece of lasagna and cheese ravoli with one breadstick. NO DESSERT. Of course, my old habit was to take some home with me. I thought I will put it in the freezer for a treat later. Now, guess who is going to get these yummy treats tomorrow.. You guessed right. Claudia. She can throw it away or whatever she wants to do with it. Now, I could just throw it away, but for some reason it means something to me to physically hand it to Claudia. She is so fortunate to have a friend like me, isn't she?

So, we will see what the scale says tomorrow. No matter what it says..I know God is working in me and I am the most blessed person right now. No words can describe the feeling that I have knowing the Creator of the world is working in me. Me..

Praise you Jesus!

Natasha

Pain

2008-12-17T22:28:00.000-05:00

First off, I am sorry I have been silent. I am physically sick and have spent the whole weekend in bed. I manage to work all day, then come home to sleep. Tonight is the first night I am awake.

Last Wednesday, I felt led to rid my house of all junk food. Yes, my house, because I have goodies not just in my kitchen but other places as well. You know what I am talking about. I gave all of my food to Claudia. Which, in a way, was a cruel thing to do to Claudia. (Thanks, you are the best, didn't mean to tempt you). Let me try to describe what happened to me. As I am purging my house of this food that is not good for me, I felt freedom. I felt sad. I was saying goodbye to my best friend. Yes, my best friend. My comfort, my joy, my validation, my security, and my god. I had to completely humble myself and accept responsibility for the choices that I was making. I had to look at myself and realize that I am responsible for the extra fat on my body, the reason for my feelings of being not heard. My desire to stuff my feelings down. My comfort in the food instead of Jesus. My laziness to just eat and not try to exercise my body. I found relief from eating massive amounts of calories instead of facing the emotions that I didn't want to. The realization that I am alone, single, childless, and very scared of living outside of my comfort zone. Not really wanting to surrender that part of myself to God. Ask Him what His plan is for me that day. Should I be at the gym working out my daily frustrations? In His Word searching for that promise that I need to hold onto? On my knees interceding for some lost soul, my family members, my co-workers. I cannot imagine Jesus went to the cross so I can sit on my behind ignoring the life He wants me live more abundantly. I am worshipping the world and my flesh in those moments.

As I am packing up the food, I am crying like I haven't cried in years. Heart wrenching sobs that took my breathe away, I realized in the moment, I am not alone. Jesus is there right along side me encouraging me and in my mind smiling. I didn't see Him of course, but my Spirit had such a peace and comfort, I hold onto His promise that He never leaves or forsakes us. I am asking..no begging Him to fill this emptyness that I felt at that moment. Who knew cleaning out cabinets would be so emotional?

Now, a week has passed. While being sick isn't helping, I have realized how much my daily frustations were covered by food. Now when I come home I have to eat healthy food (which I never seem to overindulge with those, am I right, or am I right?) I have to face my feelings. While I am not really enjoying it too much, I do feel that I am growing. Growing more dependent of my Savior. I am growing in my prayer life. I am trusting more. Praise you Jesus! To all the glory and honor goes to Him!

Natasha

Anchor Friday - Live in the Light

2008-12-12T23:03:00.001-05:00

Joan's post this week was so awesome. I really loved the story of the woman who was celebrating reaching her goal weight after losing 198 pounds! Wow. Amazing. And her encouragement to everyone was to stop making excuses.

Wow. How many times have I made excuses for my sinful behavior? Can you relate with any of these?

~When I was little, my parents taught me to eat everything on my plate. So, I can't help it. If I'm full, I just go ahead finish what's on my plate anyway, because that's the way I was raised.

~I'm on my period. I always crave chocolate when I'm on my period.

~I'm on vacation with my family. Of course I'm going to eat lots of chips and candy and Coke in the car, that's just part of the fun!

~I'm angry at my husband, so I'm going to eat this gallon of ice cream. Hey, what do you expect? What would you do if your husband treated you like that?

~My life is just so crazy and hectic. I don't have the time or energy to think about what I'm eating and keep track of my calories. And I certainly don't have time to exercise.

And those are just a few of the excuses I have thrown out there, expecting God to "buy" into it. I love that Joan looked up the word "excuses" in Ephesians 5:6 in the Amplified, Message and NIV versions of the Bible, and found these phrases: empty words, groundless arguments, and religious smooth talk.

Wow. Yep. That's exactly what it is when we try to justify our sinful attitudes and behaviors. When God hears me making excuses, He's thinking, "Those are empty words, Claudia." or "Nothing but groundless arguments, Claudia." or "I'm not lovin that religious smooth talk, Claudia."

That's convicting.

The first time God convicted me of excuse-making, it was when I read, I Really Want to Change, So Help Me God, by James MacDonald. Awesome, awesome book. I am telling you. You've got to read it. I really want to do an entire post on it, and hit the highlights of the things I learned, but right now it's bedtime.

I would love to hear your thoughts on excuse-making. What are some excuses you have tried to use with God? In what areas of your life do you need to stop making excuses?

~Claudia

Claudia's Weigh-In (not)

2008-12-12T22:36:00.000-05:00

Here we are, Friday again, and -oops- I forgot to weigh! And I always weigh at the same time of the day, so I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow. Although, I did weigh 3 days ago, and I had gained that 3# back. : p

Natasha and I talked about how there may be weeks that we gain weight, or stay the same, but if we continue on the track that we're on, we will actually see progress. As D has always encourages us, it's not always the number on that scale that tells what's really going on. Yes, in the long run, if we are faithful to this committment, we will see our weight go down. But on a day-to-day and week-to-week basis, we may only notice other ways in which we are growing and changing.

For example, even though I gained weight this week again, I did exercise 4x. When we first started this blog, guess how many times a week I was exercising?? ZERO. And I really had no desire to. I honestly didn't think I ever would have a desire to, and didn't think I could work it into my schedule. So for about the first month, I just didn't even try. But finally, I made the committment to exercise twice a week, 10 min. each.

And now, I crave the exercise. If I don't exercise, I feel yuck. It's like I get an unsettled, antsy feeling if I don't exercise. And my goal is 3x a week, 20 min. each. Although, I will try to shoot for 4 when I can. So, that's an awesome improvement for me!

Also, my attitude was much better this week than last. For the last 2 weeks, I was just in such a slump. My attitude really stunk, and I just didn't feel like trying. I didn't write down what I was eating, and I had no desire to control myself.

This week, the first few days weren't so great, but as the week went on, I kept spending time with the Lord, offering myself to Him, repenting of my sin, and enjoying fellowship with Him. And my attitude got better! I started writing down my points again and made a conscious effort to control how much I ate.

So, I am just really thankful to the Lord for how He's helping me. And how I don't have to rely on the scale to gauge my progress and growth.

Praise the Lord!

~Claudia

Natasha Weigh in

2008-12-06T18:07:00.000-05:00

God is great! I must remember that whenever I feel frustrated or upset. I did really well this week with my choices, eating, but did not exercise. I stayed the same this week. I did not gain or lose any weight..the same number appeared. My conclusion...exercise is so important. As Claudia lost three pounds (YEAH!!!), she faithfully did her exercise.

Exercise is so important for many reasons. It relieves stress for me. Raises your metabolism. Gain more muscle,which burns 50 % more calories, than fat pound for pound. Helps release endorphins which make me feel better. I feel that I make better choices when eating. I love to exercise, yet I do not make it a priority in my life.

This week, after a Christmas party, I went home slightly hungry. I then decided that I felt deprived a little and would eat more. But, then I was reminded that I wanted to treasure Christ more than eating. I wanted to feast on Him instead of empty calories. Instead of turning on the t.v., I opened His Word. As I did that, I felt His power and love. I felt comfort. I felt a victory over Satan and my flesh. I slept wonderfully that night. I woke up refreshed and ready to start the day. God has given me power. God gave me peace. He filled me with joy. Praise you Jesus!

Anchor Friday - Christ-Centered

2008-12-05T22:28:00.000-05:00

Romans 12:1(NIV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20(NIV)
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Philippians 3:20-21(NIV)
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Joan has chosen these 3 passages from God's Word for Anchor Friday today. I really love these verses. It's so amazing how the body is such an important issue to God. God cares about our bodies and what we do with them and how we treat them.

Which is why we're doing this, all this pain and effort toward making our bodies healthy. Following Christ is not all about purely "spiritual" things. If you remember, the early church battled false teachers called gnostics who taught that all material is evil, and since our bodies are material, our bodies are evil. And if that's the case, all that really matters to God is our spirits. So, they would say, God doesn't really care what we do with our bodies, as long as we are worshiping Him with our spirit.

This is absolutely not true! Yes, of course, we worship God with our spirit but we also worship with our bodies! (Romans 12:1)

Here's what Paul has to say about our bodies in Romans 6:12-14, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been bought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."

This week, let us slow down, take the time to think about the choices we are making, and make a conscious effort to offer the members of our bodies as instruments of righteousness to God. Don't think about yesterday, don't think about tomorrow, or even tonight, but think about right now, and the choice you are about to make with the members of your body.

Claudia's Weigh-In

2008-12-05T22:15:00.000-05:00

I am really perplexed at how all this weight loss works. How can I gain 3 pounds one week, and lose 3 pounds the next? I didn't think I even did all that great, except for exercising. Does 3 days of exercising make that much difference?

Well, I'm not sure, but I sure am happy I lost that 3 I gained last week. It really motivates me to stick with the exercising each week.

I am so glad that I have Natasha to help me in this endeavour. She is such a great example to me. She has a lot of great testimonies of how God helped her to make good choices these last couple of weeks. Please share with us, Natasha!

"...sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." Romans 6:12-14

My Favorite Exercise

2008-12-04T09:22:00.000-05:00

I am happy to report that I have exercised 3x this week, 15-20 min. each time. That goal has been upped from 2x per week. After I started getting into the habit of making time to exercise, the easier it got.

And I thought I'd use this as an opportunity to share with you the exercise routine that I use the most. It's Debbie Siebers' Slim in Six. I absolutely love it. It is low-impact, but high-intensity. Of all the exercise routines I have tried, I find this one to work my muscles the most and I seem to get a lot out of it in a short time.

There are lots of squats, and lunges, and stuff like that. But it not only works your legs, but your arms and waist too. I just love it.

So, what about you? We'd like to know what your favorite exercise is. Share with us!!

~Claudia

My weigh in

2008-11-30T22:38:00.000-05:00

Claudia and I seem to be on opposite weeks with our weigh loss. I lost the 6 pounds I had gained from last week, so I am back at the starting point. I am grateful for that weight loss, now I look forward to losing more. So, my prayer is that both Claudia and I will lose weight this week.

We made it through the one holiday. Now, we have the whole month of Christmas celebrations. I am asking for prayer on not to indulge on all those yummy treats that people will be bringing into my workplace.
I will also up my exercise time to help me with those extra calories. It will also help me to say no when I have just exercised. Doesn't that seem to work that way? Whenever I exercise faithfully, I seem to have more control.

Claudia doesn't know it yet, but she will here shortly..I am going to ask her to fast two days this month with me..Either two separate days or two in a row. What do you think of that? What are some suggestions that you may have?

I know that I am most thankful during this time that I have the support of Claudia and you who is reading this. Thank you!

Praise you Jesus!

Late Weigh-In Again

2008-11-30T21:30:00.001-05:00

Sorry for my late weigh-in again! We didn't weight til Saturday this time. I was so dreading it. I knew I had gained weight. I could just feel it! I gained 3.

*SIGH*

I have got to get serious. I just got so lazy last week and took a break from my normal routine, partly so I could focus on cleaning and cooking for Thanksgiving.

So, I am praying, praying, praying that I will step it up this week by spending more time with the Lord, offering myself to Him every morning, by exercising THREE times this week (increasing it from 2 a week) and by just being more conscious of what I am eating and taking the time to write it all down and adding up the points.

I don't know what I would do if I didn't have the Lord. If I didn't have the security of knowing that He loves me and He accepts me no matter what, because of what Jesus has done for me. I would be in complete despair if I didn't have Him! Thank you, Lord.

Anchor Friday

2008-11-29T10:08:00.000-05:00

We have just joined Anchor Friday, hosted by Joan over at moregodlessme. Here was her last post about eNcouragement:

As you see eNcouragement doesn't really begin with the letter N, but that's how important I view encouragment in our journey to living healthier. No one is an island. We are created to fellowship with God and with each other. This is a big part of Anchor Friday. We want to be an encourgement to each other and ourselves.
I want to encourage you that yesterday is the past. That turkey, gravy and dressing are in the past. What will you do today? I will probably eat leftovers, but I will use a small plate. I made extra veggies for leftovers too. Will I stay stuck on what I ate yesterday and tell myself that I failed? No. I will look at today and go forward. I will go to God for renewed focus, forgiveness and for the strength to forgive myself.
Today I will move more and eat less and drink plenty of water. Today. What will you do today?
Dear Father in Heaven,
Help us to encourage each other and ourselves to live for you and live healthy. Forgive us when we stray and lead us back to your light. In Christ's name, I pray. Amen.

Thanksgiving Blunders & Book Giveaway

2008-11-27T10:13:00.000-05:00

Claudia and Natasha's first-ever Thanksgiving Book Giveaway!

If you're like me, you probably had at least one Thanksgiving Blunder today. Share it with us in the comments section, and Natasha and I will choose the funniest one and send you a book, absolutely free, compliments of us!

You can choose between these 2 books:

1- Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory

2-Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper

Wanna hear my Thanksgiving blunder?? Here it is. Can you top mine??

"Here I am at 10am Thanksgiving morning, and I have already had my first blunder. I made some rolls that I had to cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise before baking.....and what did I do? I put the rolls in the oven with the plastic wrap still on it!!! I took it out and thought, "Hmm, wonder why they're so shiny?"

It was really difficult to peel it all off after it had melted onto the rolls. I got the big chunks off, but I think we'll all be eating a little bit of plastic today."

Cranberry Sauce from Scratch

2008-11-26T22:43:00.000-05:00

One of the things I'd like to do regularly on this blog is share my favorite recipes with you all (healthy ones, of course!) So, I thought about sharing my cranberry sauce recipe.

Most people just get the canned cranberry sauce, and that's what I always had growing up. But I never liked it. I never liked the fact that it stayed in the shape of the jar when my parents plopped it onto the plate. And then they would just slice is up. Yuck.

Last year I made cranberry sauce from scratch, and loved it! If you don't make anything from scratch for Thanksgiving, you should at least make this because it's so much better and way too easy and quick.

1 pound whole, fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup OJ
2 tsp. orange zest

Cook over medium heat until it thickens and most of the cranberries pop open, about 8 minutes.
Enjoy!

No Pigging Out on Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T22:31:00.000-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Natasha and I survived our day of fasting the day before our day of pigging out. NOT. If you read my last post, you'll know that Natasha twisted my arm to get me to fast with her today so that we will have more self-control on Thanksgiving Day. Pigging out is not an option!!

I have to confess....I was not having a good attitude today. Even though I agreed to fast, I was not completely sold on the whole thing. I really, really wanted to eat. The last time we fasted, I drank coffee with cream and sugar and Natasha said I couldn't do that anymore. So I was not happy with that.

And I didn't even really pray. While my family ate lunch, I sat on my bed throwing a spiritual temper tantrum. I held the bible in my hands and had my head down, but I wasn't really praying or communing with God. Not good.

Also, I didn't get much sleep last night, so I was really tired all day. I had so much cleaning to do to get ready for tomorrow, and I really just had no motivation to do it! So, I finally realized I just needed to take a nap and get caught up on sleep. I actually was able to take a 2 hour nap! I musta really needed that. I felt much better when I woke up.

We actually agreed to just fast breakfast and lunch. We both ate dinner like normal. So, that made me feel better too : )

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. I would love to hear how it went for you, eating-wise. What kinds of yummy things did you eat? Were you able to control yourself and not pig out? I hope so! May God receive glory for the way we eat and enjoy ourselves on Thanksgiving Day!

Hungry

2008-11-25T19:21:00.000-05:00

Hungry, a song that I sang last night at bible study. I am not sure who wrote it, but it is about spiritual hunger. I am not sure I feel this way all the time, but I want to.

Here is the song...

Hungry, I come to you for I know you satisfy
I am empty, but I know your love does not run dry
And so I wait for you , So I wait for you.

I'm falling on my knees
Offering all of me
Jesus you're all this heart is living for

Broken, I run to you for your arms are open wide
I am weary, but I know your touch restores my life
And so I wait for you, So I wait for you.

May this be my heart's cry. Praise you Jesus.

Weigh In

2008-11-23T17:48:00.000-05:00

As we weighed in this week, I was not happy. The scale was not my friend. I had gained 6 pounds. Now, mind you, this was over two weeks. But, needless to say, this is not good.

In all seriousness, I have not been recording my food intake, nor have I been exercising like I should be. So, now I am picking myself up again. Again. I exercised Friday afternoon and yesterday. I have followed my eating program, and wrote everything down. Yes, I am not happy about this. I don't really feel like doing this, but I know that I have to. I want to feel better about myself. I want to be healthier. Most of all, I want to honor God. I do not want to separate myself from Him.

Another thing that Claudia and I talked about was the fact that we are not giving God the first fruit of our time each day. We made a commitment this week to do just that thing. Of course, I also suggested the all day fast the day before Thanksgiving. Wasn't that a funny post by her? I am serious about that. I am addicted to sugar and need to break that. I need to realize that Thursday is not a free pass to sin!

With all of that said. I know that God still loves me. I need to remember that. God is not surprised by my sin. Of course, it is not an excuse to sin, just a reminder that I can approach God at all times. He still loves me.

Praise you Jesus!

Late Weigh-In

2008-11-22T20:00:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone! I am so sorry I haven't posted....my computer has been down! And it isn't even up yet; I am on the computer at my husband's office. So, now I am trying to get caught up. I am going to have to keep it short because I don't feel like being here all night on Saturday night! {not that I don't love blogging and sharing my life with you guys :O) }

Natasha and I weighed yesterday and I was so amazed. I was down 1 pound. I was sure I would be up a couple pounds because I cheated at the beginning of the week, and then stopped writing my points down at the end of the week. But, I did exercise twice as much as what my weekly goal is {yay!}. So, I was pleasantly surprised.

I need to do better this week, though. I want to lose 9 more by Christmas, and at this rate, it ain't gonna happen! So, 2 pounds this week. 2 pounds. 2 pounds. 2 pounds. 2 pounds.

Oh, sure. Lose 2 pounds during the week of Thanksgiving. Mmm-hmm. Sure.

Well, Natasha had a great little idea for us. She is well aware of her weaknesses and they're the same as mine. When it comes to Thanksgiving, we have a tendency to treat it as a "free" day and allow ourselves to pig out.

Well, seeing as pigging out (eating too much) is gluttony, and the Bible is clear that gluttony is a sin, and is usually held up at the same level as drunkenness, then there is never a time when it's okay to do it.

So, Natasha proposes a *great* plan (hear the sarcasm in my voice?). It went something like this:

Natasha: Why don't we fast on Wednesday?

Me: {straight face. no response}

Natasha: I just think it will help us on Thanksgiving.

Me: {straight face. no response}

Natasha: When we fasted the last time {24 hrs} I found that I was able to control myself better the next day.

Me: {straight face.} Mm hmm.

Natasha: Well, why don't you just pray about it. Maybe we could fast for 2 meals, lunch and dinner.

Me: Alrighty. I will pray about it and get back to you on that. {straight face still.}

In all seriousness, she's probably right. But, my problem is, we just fasted! It was only supposed to be once a month, and it's only been like 2 weeks. I told her we should have just waited until this Wednesday for our first time fasting together. But, I will probably end up doing it.

Fasting really is an awesome thing for me spiritually. So I know it will help alot and I probably won't pig out as bad on Thanksgiving, and just be thankful for the food God gives me to enjoy and to sustain my body. Thank you, Lord!

Life's choices

2008-11-20T21:16:00.000-05:00

Today I realized how much I was mistaken about my weight issues. I always thought that "all I had to do" to lose weight was eat less and expend more energy daily. Simple right? The bottom line is, in fact, less calories/more energy. But I know now how much my food issues are tied into some many other aspects of my life.

For example, I do not make the time each week to make a shopping list, shop, chop and plan meals. Instead I eat fast food, freezer meals or make dinner plans with others. (which leads me to not be a good steward with my finances)

I do not plan my exercise for the week. And if I do, I usually allow myself to be inticied by other social activities. (which again does not make me a good steward of money and time)

I do not like to be alone at home. I used to, but I think I feel more worthy if I am busy. So I fill up my days with friends/family/bible studies..anything to avoid being alone. These things are not bad in themselves, but sometimes I feel so overextended that I miss out on my ''rest'' with Him. (bad steward of time management)

Which the above things leads me to be tired. I am exhausted and anxious, then I turn around and eat. I stay up too late..do not sleep properly which is not good for me physically or mentally.

Then, because I am tired and conflicted, I usually become passive/aggressive. I do not confront situations that upset/hurt me and just stuff it down. Usually with food.

So, again, I realize that I must change other things in my life to stop this cycle of overeating. It is not just a matter of saying I will eat less. Maybe it is, but I am just making this all too complicated? I do not know. I am waiting patiently for wisdom to come.

Onto a positive note:
I love that God speaks to me through His Word. I love that He gave us His Words for us to read at any moment. I love that He is faithful when we are not. I love that I am forgiven. Thank you Jesus!

1-Meal Fasting

2008-11-20T14:19:00.000-05:00

Today Natasha and I are fasting for just one meal-lunch. And, I think we agreed that we would not save those points/calories for the rest of the day; rather, we count them as if we used them (Natasha is doing a diabetic-type diet, and I am doing Weight Watchers).

This morning I was so tempted to just eat a little extra, knowing that I would be losing about 8 points at lunchtime. But I didn't. It kinda defeats the purpose, ya know? So, hopefully, by God's grace, I will control myself the rest of the day and just eat normal.

So, my normal snack time is 3:00, and it's 2:20 now. So, I plan to have a yogurt and maybe some pretzels. And then dinner will be at 5:30. Which reminds me! I need to get it in the crockpot!

Keep your eyes on the Lord and honor Him in all you do today!

Being Good and Choosing Christ

2008-11-19T22:35:00.000-05:00

This post is a response to Natasha's....

It's so easy to compare ourselves to others and then conclude that we are "good people." But when we compare ourselves (contrast ourselves) to God, we realize what wretched sinners we are, and that only God is good ("dirty, rotten, stinkin sinners" as my friends and I used to say when I first got saved).

Paul says, "Oh wretched man that I am! Who will save me from this body of death??" He also called himself, "the chief of sinners." How could he think he was the chief of sinners?? No way, not Paul! But it's because God had made him well-acquainted with his sin. And that's the only we can say of ourselves, "I am the chief of sinners!" is when we know our sin so well, and we are so repulsed by it, and we just think, there can't be anybody as bad as I am! Shouldn't we think of ourselves this way?

As far as choosing to follow God it is never the easy road. As long as we are in this flesh, we will never find it easy. But, it's always the most rewarding, most satisfying, most fulfilling choice. "Broad (easy) is the way that leads to destruction, and narrow (hard) is the way that leads to life." I love what you said, Natasha, about our flesh seeking out sin. We are not neutral. We are looking for temptation, and that's why when it comes to us, it's so easy to say, "YES!" I never thought of that verse in James as meaning that. But that is what it's saying!

"But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire..."

Yes, God has chosen us (hallelujah!) and He wants us to choose Him everyday. And since it's so difficult, He gives us fellow believers...Christian friends...fellow sisters in Christ who love us enough to hold us accountable and ask the hard questions and get in our kitchen when we need it!!! Thank you, Natasha, for being that friend for me. And I hope I can continue to be that friend for you.

And for all you fellow sisters in Christ who are struggling in this area, just rest in Christ and trust in His love and power for you. Don't focus too much on your failure....acknowledge it -yes-grieve over it-yes- repent of it -yes- and then embrace Christ's victory for you!

"We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin....for the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So YOU ALSO MUST consider yourselves DEAD TO SIN and alive to God in Christ Jesus." Romans 6

God's Holiness

2008-11-18T21:25:00.000-05:00

God's Holiness

As I continue to strive towards God's Holiness, I realize that I compare myself to the world's standard and not His. Of course, I would like to think that I am "better" than most, but in reality, I am NOT! I continue daily to struggle with my choices to follow God's standard or "my standards". It should be easy right? Sinning is much easier and much more desirable to our flesh. In James, (1:14-16) it talks about how our flesh seeks out our worldly desires. In my case, food, and lots of it. Not only the amount, but the fattening and unhealthy foods. I use food to replace the void that only God can fill. Why? I don't know. Maybe because I am lazy. It is easier to turn on the t.v. or get on email than to get on my knees before Him. It is much easier to drive through a fast food restaurant than to plan the meal, shop and prepare it at home.

One thing I know. God does not want this for me. He wants me to choose Him. He has chosen me. May I be reminded of this. Praise you Jesus!

James 1:13-16 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

2008-11-17T22:13:00.000-05:00

Hello Everybody! I'm checking in tonight....I did not have a good day. I did not want to even post tonight but Natasha and I agreed we'd take turns posting everyday. I don't want to discourage anybody with my lameness.

So, take this as a lesson in what NOT to do. I mentioned before that I have a hard time when I am in a relaxed, fun atmosphere. Today I went out with my family to a restaurant and just decided to eat whatever I wanted. I was more concerned about not spending too much money rather than picking the healthiest thing. I also wanted something my kids would like in case they wanted to have some of mine.

And it wouldn't have been a big deal if I had just eaten half of it. But I ate about 7/8 of it. I left some on my plate so I wouldn't look like a total pig. Goodness. I think I do better when I am fasting. Even though it is hard, it's actually easier not to eat anything, than to just try to eat a little bit.

I also have not been offering myself to the Lord at the beginning of each day, like I should. To offer my body to Him as a living sacrifice. I haven't spent much time with Him these past few days.

So, I guess I need to spend some time with Him tonight before I lay my head down to sleep. Keep me accountable, everybody! Ask me if I did it!

Psalm 63:3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

Weigh in

2008-11-15T22:20:00.000-05:00

The last two days were wonderful. I had a great time supervising my niece's "dance" party. Not to mention all the exercise I got from running up and down stairs and just having fun with the kids.

I have not weighed in like Claudia has. Not because I am afraid of what will show, but because I want to wait until next Friday. The day, in my mind, that I am holding myself responsible to.

I had small victories this weekend. I kept myself focused on my relationships to others, not food. I spent time taking care of my body by exercising, not by eating. I prayed a lot. That is my saving grace in all of this. We have a God who wants to talk to us all the time. And boy, I can talk. But, it is great that He never gets tired or weary of that. It is comforting to know that I am not invisible to Him, like I feel sometimes in this world. As a heavy person, I do not feel heard or seen sometimes. God sees our heart.

Praise you Jesus!

Weigh-In Update

2008-11-14T22:40:00.000-05:00

Today was Natasha's and my weigh-in day. I lost 2 pounds. I am pretty happy about that, needless to say. But, tonight, I feel yucky because I ate too many snacks while watching a movie with my family. My stomach is too full.

Whenever I'm eating healthy snacks, I feel like it's not a big deal to have take an extra bite here and an extra bite there. But then it ends up being too much.

I am on Weight Watchers, so I know what my point limit is. But it's just so hard when there's sort of a "party" atmosphere and I'm relaxed and having fun.

Here's where you're supposed to say, "That's no excuse!" That's what Natasha would say, right Natasha? I need to stick to my points if I'm going to continue to lose weight!

So, now I'll try to make up for it tomorrow by exercising! My goal for exercising is not a high and lofty goal....2 days/week, 15 min/day. Eventually I will increase that! But for now, it is easily attainable and I need to take "baby steps."

So, anyway, this is not any kind of an exciting post. Just a little update for you to know how I did today! Natasha can post tomorrow and let you know about her weigh-in and her night with her family at a birthday party.

She can also share with you this really awesome thing she read in the book about holiness that she's been reading. It was very convicting! But good.

Thanks to those of you who've been commenting! Natasha and I are soooo excited to have people reading and interacting! God bless, goodnight!!

My Eyes are on You

2008-11-13T08:02:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning feeling glad. Glad because after a very long, difficult day of fasting yesterday, I now can eat.

Natasha and I decided we are going to fast once a month, and yesterday was our first time. No, this is not a weight-loss tactic. We want to fast in the biblical way and that is, to fast and PRAY. Pray for ourselves to honor God in our eating and in the way we care for our bodies.

It's amazing how fasting makes me think about God more, and my relationship with Him. Yes, fasting also makes me think about food more, BUT, when I think about food and how much I want it, I always ask myself, "Do I ever want God this much? Do I ever ache to have God like this?" And the answer is always, "no."

But I want to!! I want so badly to have stomach pains and a headache and lack of concentration when I don't get God's word in me and spend time with Him. I want it to affect me like that. I want to desire God more than my daily bread. I want to find my satisfaction in God regardless of if I get satisfaction from food.

So, last night, I was so hungry when I went to bed. And at first, the only thing that was keeping me from eating was Natasha. I couldn't bear the thought of telling her the next day that I blew the fast. But then, as I lay myself down, I started thinking about people in the world who have to feel like this everyday. They don't get to eat everyday. They don't know where their next meal is coming from. And here I am, I have a whole kitchen stocked with food, and I know I will get to eat the next day.

So, I stopped complaining and went to sleep.

When I woke up, I wasn't feeling the same hunger pains that I went to bed with. So, I was glad. I was able to just take my morning in stride, and not raid the refrigerator and start stuffing my face. I just made my coffee, toasted my bagel and enjoyed my break-fast.

God is so good to me. I have absolutely nothing to complain about.

I also read this article this morning that has nothing to do with eating, but it sort of piggy-backs off what Natasha said in her post yesterday about trusting Jesus to fight our battles for us. Here's the key verse:

“We are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. (2 Chronicles 20:12)

I LOVE that verse!! We do not know what to do but our eyes are on You!! You really should read this story from 2 Chronicles 20 about Jehoshaphat facing the armies of Moab, Edom and Ammon. God is so amazing.

http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/

Jesus fighting the battle

2008-11-11T20:53:00.000-05:00

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord (Acts 3:19).

I am exhausted. Tired of fighting this same battle. ME, fighting this battle. Not the Lord, not allowing Him to do this for me. The above verse tells me that if I truly REPENT, and TURN to God, my sin will be wiped out. My sin of gluttony. My overindulgence. My pride and selfishness. Not just turning from overeating, but doing a 180 turn away from gluttony to God. I cannot just turn 90 degrees away from eating, but I must also turn that other 90 degrees to God. How does this happen? What must I do? I desire rest.

Matt 11:28-30 tells me how! Jesus says,"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

It will not be easy to take his yoke. I will have to let Him lead me. I cannot lead, I must follow. That means I must turn down that second helping. I must stop eating candy when I should be eating fruit. I should cook dinner instead of going through the drive thru. Learning to say no to all of my cravings at all times and yes to my Savior. Glorifying Him in my food choices.

Spending time with Him. Finding my rest in Him. Not food. He promises. I will find rest and refreshings times.

Praise you Jesus!

Treasuring Christ in our Eating

2008-10-15T15:09:00.000-04:00

You may ask, if this is a blog about losing weight, keeping fit and eating healthy, then why is it called, "Treauring Christ in our Eating"? That's a strange title.

Yes, it may be slightly odd, but we chose this title to show our true intentions.

We are two women, Natasha and Claudia, who have been radically transformed by the grace of God in our lives. We have trusted in Jesus Christ as our Savior and have a desire to worship, love and serve Him in all we do. And this isn't just in 'church' activities. This is something we seek in every aspect of life.

In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, he says, "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." So, his point is, even in the everyday, mundane things of life, such as eating and drinking, and by extension, sleeping and working and resting....we are to do it all for the glory of God. Natasha and I realized that we had to change our thinking with our food choices/diet. God is very serious about sin and we are not. And guess what? Gluttony is a sin! It is not tolerated by God, but it is tolerated by His people. God has convicted us that when we overindulge, we are sinning against Him, against His Holiness. God commands us to be holy, for He is Holy.

Leviticus 11:45 'For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.'"

See, the main 2 problems we have with food are:
1. We love food too much and we eat too much of it.
2. We use food in the wrong way, such as for comfort when we are depressed.

So, when Natasha and I look at 1 Corinthians 10:31, it has a very specific application for us. It is telling us, "The way you eat and drink should be done in such a way that you are glorifying God." And thus far in our lives, Natasha and I have not been eating and drinking to the glory of God. We have been eating and drinking to satisfy the cravings of our body without any restrictions, seeking to derive pleasure, satisfaction and comfort from food. And we have thereby become overweight and unhealthy.

This does not glorify God! And we want to change that. Really badly. Our souls are aching to make a complete, 180 degree turn-around so that we will not be giving in to the cravings of our bodies anymore.

Our desire is, that when we eat, we will eat in such a way that shows that CHRIST is what we treasure more than ANYTHING.

I guess you could call this our purpose statement. Let me repeat it:

We desire to eat and drink and treat our bodies in such a way that shows that Christ is what we treasure more than anything else in this world.

Knowing this and putting this into practice are two different things. This blog, for us, is our journey of putting this into action. I know that we will fail at times, but God will not. We pray that He will give us an undivided heart that we may fear His Name. In turn, we will praise His name forever (Ps. 86:11-12).

What a great testimony to Christ. To Him be the glory and honor forever.