Carol Chapman (Page 16)

November is a month to be grateful for blessings in our lives.  This year I am not seeing as many “Today I am thankful for …” posts on social media as I have in the past.  I am guilty of  taking God for granted.  This leads to trouble, because I rely on my own strength instead of His. Psalm 69:30 is, “Then I will praise God’s name with singing, and I will honor him with thanksgiving.” (Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 2015).  Thanksgiving is a traditional time to give God thanks for every blessing. God desires we praise and thank Him all the time, instead just one day out ofRead More →

Sometimes I get discouraged and want to give up. I focus on negatives and overlook good things in my life.  Even though I am eating less, I have not lost weight.  I see little progress on my writing goals.  I forgot God has delivered me from food. Isaiah 40:28 is, “ Have you never heard?  Have you never understood?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.  He never grows weak or weary.  No one can measure the depths of his understanding.” (Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 2015). God nudges me to press on when I feel like giving up.  Food givesRead More →

I don’t feel like writing this week.  God has called me to share my journey by writing weekly posts to this blog.  If I wrote when motivation hit, I would post a new entry every other month.  Instead of trusting God, I am wasting time looking for solutions.  My eating is no longer as clean as it was a few months ago. Keeping this blog helps me to be honest and confess overeating. Romans 5:3 is “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.”  (Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 2015). God helps me faceRead More →

My brain shifts to worry when I face stress.  Worry brings misery and never helps me solve problems.  I assume the worst possible ending will happen.  Anxiety steals my sleep, distracts my work, and tempts me to overeat. Matthew 6:25 is, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?”  ( Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011). Jesus tells me not to worry.  When I choose to worry, I go against His commands.  I think Jesus tells me not toRead More →

God uses my weakness to guide me closer to Him.  He shows me how to overcome and live with my faults.  I could not stop eating and was “weak” around food.  Even when I was full, I continued to stuff my body.  Unable to lose weight, I gave up and thought I would never get it together.  I was an emotional wreck and took my frustrations out on others. Philippians 4:13 is, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”  (Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011).  God gives me strength so I can do His work. This blog is the story ofRead More →

When I mess up, I feel like I disappoint God.  I sometimes wondered if He would leave me for continuing to fail.  I realized that He loves me enough to stay with me at my worst.  After all these years, I had thought I finally “got it” to where I would never overeat again.  For the last three months, I have eaten less, only eating what my body needs. However, food is drawing me back.  Stress and fatigue are not “excuses”.  I have more of both these days and turned to food for comfort instead of God.  I need Him more because my will isRead More →

In the past, I tried to do everything on my own.  I was unable to finish and felt stressed and exhausted.  I survived this past week of frantic busyness.  With God’s help, I managed to complete what I needed to.  Seeing God’s hand at work gave me the will to go on.  He calmed my spirit and gave me strength to continue.  Some of the stuff God showed me could wait was pushed aside. Deuteronomy 31:6 is, “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes before you; he will never leave you or forsake you.”Read More →

I never thought of myself as a control freak.  Secretly, I laughed at others who tried to manage everything. I knew that God ran the universe, so I surrendered most of my major problems to Him.  I refused to let go of what I wanted “my way”.  I felt I was capable enough to manage minor issues on my own.  I was stressed from holding onto control.  My fear was that God would not give me what I wanted. Romans 8:28 is, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according toRead More →