Every time I mess up, I tell myself I am a failure.  I get tired of continuing to fail, so I resolve to do better next time.   As I have grown closer to God, I understand I am imperfect and will mess up. It feels good to let go of shame and to stop worrying about being perfect.  My beliefs about food have greatly changed.  Food is to  nourish my body and not to soothe  stress.  My stomach has shrunk so I no longer can eat as much food as I once ate.  Last week, I put the box of candy down as soon asRead More →

God’s strength leads me through my life.  Without Him, I am unable to accomplish ordinary tasks.  God helps me let go of negative emotions like anger, greed, and jealousy.  I am a mess without His guidance. Negative thoughts pop into my mind.  My gut instinct is to nurture anger and fear.  I fight the urge to focus on the negative in my life and dwell on “what if” it gets worse.  As I have become older and more spiritually mature, I hate the way negative thoughts feel.  Not only do I feel the anger and anxiety, I know I am out of step with God’sRead More →

Sometimes I chase my wants, forgetting other tasks I should do.   Most of the time my selfish wish is not fulfilled.  I focus on this desire, unable to stop thinking about how much I “need” it.  I start believing that nothing goes my way and I am unlucky.  Feeling defeated, my emotions drive me to food. Philippians 2:3 is, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others.  Be humble, thinking of others better than yourselves.  Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”  (Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 1996, 2004, 2007).  When I take the time to pray forRead More →

Anger is a natural human emotion.  I can have little annoyances build up until I explode with rage.  Other times, an unfair situation enrages me.  In this life, stuff is going to annoy me.  I have a choice in dealing with my angry feelings. Ephesians 4:26 is, “And ‘don’t sin by letting anger control you.’  Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.”  (Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 1996, 2004, 2007).  I can allow anger to control me.  It consumes my entire being, drowning out reason.  My anger controls me when I choose to dwellRead More →

Forgiveness is more difficult when the wound is fresh.  I like to prevent myself from being hurt again, so I distance myself from pain.  However, I cannot cut everyone who has offended me out of my life.  Learning to coexist with people who might hurt me again is impossible without forgiveness. I forget to be patient with others and focus on their faults.   Colossians 3:13 is, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you had a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave  you.” (Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011).  When I cling to hurt feelings and don’t forgive, itRead More →