Soul Food

Journal Entry:
Sunday, June 26

Hebrews 5:11-14
"Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."

"...you have become dull of hearing."

What does that mean? Later in the verses it says that those who are able to take the solid food of scriptures are those who have had their senses "trained" due to practice - or repetitive use. So, when my hearing is dull, when my sense of understanding has grown weak, it is due to my lack of use - no practice (exercise) to make my soul strong. 

Lord, my senses need training. My children's senses need training. As I desire maturity, it comes by practice - repetitive use of your word- applying it to my daily tasks, choices and challenges. Teach me, as I work hard at growing my soul, to discern good and evil for every area of my life.

"The word of God is food and nourishment to the life of grace." -Matthew Henry

Everything but the Elephant

This story comes from the book I'm reading. I've been keeping a page with quotes that challenge me from that book, but I wanted to type out this story here. It's been a wonderful analogy for me in this area of weight-loss and health as well as applying it to every other area of my walk with the Lord. In fact, we've been asking ourselves frequently around here, "Is that part of the elephant?"

It seems there was an artist who, one day, found that a large piece of granite had risen unexpectedly from the yard outside his home. Now, I don't know about you, but if that had happened to me I'd be upset. Just one more annoying thing I'd need to take care of before I could mow the lawn. Reportedly, it did annoy the artist, and he knew he'd eventually have to do something about it. He debated about borrowing a jackhammer from a friend until he remembered that, of course, he had no friends with jackhammers. Then he thought about getting some dynamite and blasting the granite into smaller stones that he could then carry away. But that didn't seem right either so he sat and thought about what to do. As he sat and thought and looked at that stone, he began to look past his problem. He forgot about his goal of getting rid of the stone. He actually started to see the stone. He noticed the lines and the shape. He decided to be grateful for the stone. Then one day he got out his chisel and hammer, and within a short time, he created an unbelievable reproduction of an elephant. Neighbors and passersby alike were amazed when they saw what appeared to be a real elephant grazing in his yard.

A friend asked the amateur sculptor how he'd managed to do such a good job in reproducing a realistic form of an elephant without even a model or picture to go by. The artist replied confidently, "It was really pretty easy, actually. I just chipped away everything that didn't look like an elephant."

This story comes with the challenge to focus on the person you most wish to become. As I read this story, I am struck with how it illustrates the fact that God's spirit is at work within me to chip away at everything that doesn't look like Christ. Because of His finished work on the cross, the victory of His resurrection, His application of righteousness to my life, and the gift of His Holy Spirit, I am now becoming the person God created me to be. In His word, I see that He is at work to reveal and remove those habits, weaknesses, and desires that keep me from loving my Lord fully.  I am seeing this in new ways as I work to face the addictions and desires that hold me in the area of what I eat and how I use my body.  When I read through this blog, I see the excuses and habits that have defeated me in the past months. Magnify that by the number of years I've been alive and I see a life that needs some chipping. 

The author give the challenge, "If you are serious about continuing your walk on this spiritual path to weight loss, you will work hard to chip away everything that does not look like the person you most wish to become." 

I give myself the challenge, Just chip away everything that doesn't look like Jesus.

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;  Romans 8:29

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 1 Peter 1:14-15

For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;  for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again ; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all ; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness ; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Romans 6:5-13

Scale Saga Continues...

This was my Monday Weigh-In story this week:

Last week I was about 207 on Monday...205ish on Tuesday...and then hovered around 207 all week.

So Monday morning I step on and it says 202.4...again 202.4...
huh??
I always try to get 3 same readings before I believe it. (we all know my history with the scale, right? Sigh.) So then I get 205.2...204.6...201.8...203.something...and finally get 3 readings in a row of 202.

I have no idea what to call it.
But I never once saw 207 (whew) and seeing 202 was really motivating.  Seeing 201ish was surreal.

Wednesday June 15, 2011 Catching Up

Today's Good Things:
Prayer time with dh
Kept busy and productive
Kept my portions low
Avoided snacking
Great choices while out to eat tonight (even did well skipping the ice cream!)
Avoided the junk food while shopping for Staycation

Today's Not So Good Things:
High carb lunch

This week has been up and down. I had a good day on Monday, food wise. Tuesday was great by way of exercise/activity. I worked hard mowing all morning and then weeded.  However, the pizza at dinner wasn't a smart choice. Today was a good follow-up to that bad day, though.

I weighed in on Monday and saw 207, so def no loss. But, then I got a 205.8 on the scale Tuesday morning, so I'm not sure what to think. It's possible I was retaining water Monday morning. I hope so.

Here's the really big news. I started my cycle on Friday. My first pp cycle. Blech. That means all kinds of things for me, but it puts a whole new pressure on me regarding my weight loss efforts. I would be lying if I didn't confess that I'm feeling pretty frustrated with myself that I haven't lost more before my cycle returned. Now that my fertility is back, I am more nervous than ever to walk into another pregnancy as unhealthy as I am today. If anyone is still reading here, I covet your prayers that I would press on stronger than ever in the coming weeks. Pray my self discipline would grow, as well as my joy in this journey. Thank you!

Monday Weigh-In 6/6/11

Down .4 from last week.  Key word is *Down*.  It's not much, but I'll definitely take it. I'm still trying to crawl my way back to the low I was at a while back. The weeding with the hoe in the garden may have helped today. It sure did wonders in helping me get out some of my frustrations. ;-)

Logged today and blogging now. I really want to work hard this week and do well.

Wednesday June 1, 2011 Fancy Schmancy Dinner

Today's Good Things:
Morning walk
At least an hour of push mowing
catching up on school lessons
Lovely evening out with my sweet husband complete with an hour alone to talk over cappucino...mmmmmm...
Did well sticking with the low carbs for dinner and appetizers (notice I didn't say dessert?? Ahem.)

Today's Not So Good Things:
Chips for snack with dh
Missed my bible time...such a slow start this morning
Behind on laundry and housework
I ate The Whole Thing for dessert. Ack!

We went to an annual business meeting tonight. It's a special treat at a restaurant that serves amazing food. I was careful to avoid the crackers, bread and potatoes the whole evening. I chose cheese and fruit for appetizers along with the irresistable bacon wrapped scallops and over-sized shrimp cocktail. Wow!  For dinner my plate was more than half full with fresh salad and steamed vegies, the rest were small portions of chicken marsala and a piece of stuffed baked haddock. So delicious!

I was quite pleased that I resisted the carb load, so I splurged at the incredible dessert table. I picked this unbelievable chocolate cookie pie thing. Heavenly. It was a treat and I know I won't have that level of dessert again anytime soon, so I enjoyed it without guilt. ;-)

I enjoyed the evening with my husband. Neither of us really enjoys the shmoozing that is involved with this event, but tonight we were blessed to meet a man that attended the same christian college my husband did the same year my husband was there. That was so neat! While sitting together at dinner, we also found that we share homeschooling in common with their family as well. We were delighted the Lord used us to encourage this man and hopefully his wife as well. We were praising the Lord on the way home for such a neat blessing to be found in this evening. Thank you, Lord!