During the first week of January, I noticed my pants fit tighter. I had successfully lived though Thanksgiving and Christmas without indulging. This is progress from past years when I ate my way through the holidays. However, I was tired from the holiday hustle. I took a well deserved rest after Christmas, but neglected my bible reading. Since my eyes slipped from Jesus, I ate more than my body needed. John 15:4 is, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you…”. (Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 2015). When I remain in God, He stays close to me. My days run peacefully when I startRead More →

Hate builds in my heart when I allow angry thoughts to flow through my mind.  This time, I had a right to be mad.  I was right and the other person was wrong.  It started small, but I continued to feed it.  My hate festered into resentment.  When I realized these feelings were making me miserable, I turned to God’s Word. Colossians 3:13 is, “Make allowances for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.  Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”  (Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 2007).  Holding onto anger hurts me instead of the person I am mad at. Other peopleRead More →

I used to dread uncertainty. I assumed the worst possible thing would happen instead of waiting to see how it turned out. Even when I prayed, I kept worrying and did not believe God would do what I thought was best.  The stress and fear drove me to food. Not only did I slip, but I was anxious without God to guide me. Isaiah 42:16 is, “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.  These are the things I will do; IRead More →

My current streak of eating “right” was over two months long.  I consistently stopped eating as soon as I felt satisfied.  I began to notice my weight loss and felt better.  This past week was stressful and crammed with work I had to finish.  During my quiet time, I tried to solve my problems instead of focusing on God.  I broke my “perfect streak”  by continuing to eat after I was full. In the past, I would have told myself I had not been “that bad”.   I would have continued eating until my clothes no longer fit.  Guilt would drag me down and convinceRead More →

My greed for excess food drove me to eat all of the time.  I cleaned my plate at every meal, including large restaurant portions.  One serving of food was never enough.  I stuffed down dessert after every meal.  I enjoyed parties with a non-stop food buffet and made sure I tasted everything.  Sometimes, I followed a huge meal with more food.  My greed for food was my attempt to fill needs only God can satisfy. Psalm 63:1 is “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where thereRead More →

I am free to enjoy food on this holiday without overeating. Every holiday or special occasion in the past was celebrated with excess food.  True freedom in Christ helps me to enjoy celebrating without overindulgence. 1 Peter 2:16 is, “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.” ( Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011).  God has taken away my desire to overeat.  I am free from dieting and restrictive food plans.  On this day of celebrating freedom, I am free to enjoy small amounts of my favorite foods. Happy Independence Day to you and yourRead More →

I am not perfect.  I manage to string together days and even weeks of clean eating.  Eventually, I slip and eat too much.  My stomach aches from being too full and my heart hurts because I messed up again.  I am disappointed in myself because I want to finally get this and never fail again.  I am grateful God takes me back, no matter how many times I fall. God is showing me I will progress towards perfection throughout my lifetime.  Matthew 5:38 is, “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 2007). God is theRead More →

I am completely exhausted.  It is the end of the school year, need I explain more?  Fatigue usually triggers me to overeat.  I normally gain a few pounds during the rush to finish the school year.  This week, my eating was better than in the past, but not perfect.  God has changed my heart so I quickly realized I was eating because I was tired, not hungry.  He helped me to set down the food and run to Him for relief. Matthew 11:28 is, “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’”Read More →

I am reading the Easter story and meditating on what Jesus has saved me from.  He died to pay for my sins so I can live. Before, I felt guilty for my past mistakes.  This guilt beat me down.  I felt hopeless, like I was a failure that should give up. Luke 24:5-6 is, “…Jesus said, “It is finished.”  With that, he bowed and gave up his spirit.”  (Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011).  Jesus was the final sacrifice for all sin.  I live free from guilt because Jesus died for me.  His forgiveness wipes away my sin.  He gives me strength to clean up messes that my sin leftRead More →

My heart was once in love with food.  I began my day planning meals and dreaming of sweets.  Meal planning turned into lusting after my favorite foods.  After a meal, I patiently waited for the next one.  As the day went on, I constantly ate, snacking between meals and grazing as I prepared dinner.  My mind continuously focused on food.  Even in church, I dreamed of what I could eat for lunch instead of listening to what God was saying to me. Jeremiah 31:3 is, “Long ago the Lord said to Israel: ‘I have loved you, my people with an everlasting love.  With unfailing love IRead More →