Wednesday Weigh-in: From Desperation to Determination

Accountability.  Sometimes that can be a scary word.  Accountability means opening up, being real with another person and allowing him/her to share in a part of your life that can be very personal.  I know personally, accountability forces me to be extremely vulnerable.  Allowing someone else to examine or keep track of what I am doing, opens me up to the possibility of public failure-which for me is one of the worst possible scenarios.  Fear of failure and fear of others knowing I have failed are two things that stress me out!  

As I continue to examine my life, I realize that accountability is not only important but it is essential.  Though it is scary to put myself out there at first, in the long run, accountability has actually been just what I need.  Leading the Made to Crave bible study has been a huge accountability partner!  I have 12 other women keeping me in check. =) 

Even the greatest of leaders needed accountability.  King David was a great king.  He walked closely with God; he was a mighty warrior and a gifted musician.  God had blessed him with so much yet he still felt deprived because he wanted the wife of another man.  As we know, David allowed his temptations to overtake him.  Each time he took a wife or a concubine, he made what he probably thought was a small compromise.  He probably thought, "No big deal" or "It can't hurt this one time."  But 7 wives later he was in a very different place.

With no accountability, each small compromising step David took, added up to a great distance away from God's heart.  It was in this place of desperation that David found himself taking what was not his, trying to cover it up and having a man killed.  Talk about displeasing God!  This is David we are talking about here!  The man who even God said, "I have found David, son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do." (Acts 13:22)  But even David needed accountability in his life.  No one questioned his actions and he felt no reason to stop.  Even the greatest of leaders reap the consequences of a life lacking accountability.

We all need accountability in our lives.  Accountability doesn't mean we will never sin or mess up.  But it does help us fight harder against our struggles.  It also helps to know someone is there to help us get back up when we do fall. 

As Lysa points out in her book, King Solomon knew the the power of accountability:

  

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
   But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
   two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Who is holding you accountable? If you cannot name at least one person then it is time for you to find someone.  Ask someone to join you on your journey.  You will be glad you did.

Wednesday Weigh-in: Fear

Our Made to Crave Bible study kicked off this past Sunday and we had a great turn out!  14 women have committed to this journey and I am so excited for us to be in this together!  Session #1 in the series is called From Deprivation To Empowerment.  In this session, Lysa shares about facing her battle with food head on.  This week, we are challenged daily to read the Made to Crave book and to dive into God's word.  One topic Lysa addersses on Day 2 is FEAR.

I had a conversation with one of the women in the class this week about FEAR.  You see this woman wants to lose weight and be healthy but she is afraid.  She is afraid of failing yet one more "diet."  She doesn't want to disappoint others and she doesn't want to disappoint herself.  This journey she is being called to seems insurmountable.  The road is long.  The burden is heavy.  Yet she wants to stick to it...but what if she can't do it.  What if she fails.  What if others see her fail.

This my friends is a defining moment!  I am not going to sugar coat anything here...This journey is tough.  The road is long and seems neverending.  The burden is overwhelming.  It is too much for one person.  And you are going to feel weak and tired.  There will be times when you feel empty because you are not using food to fill a void.  This is where God wants you.  He wants you in your weakness.  He "will boast all the more gladly in your weakness."  Read 2 Corinthians 12:9-10!  Post it on you fridge, memorize it, tuck it away in your heart!

 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Some of you on this journey want to give up.  Many of you felt the fear of this journey hit you as soon as we started.  Open your hearts and your minds to the strength of the Lord.  Lean into him as you look toward a healthy future!  Remember the other women tackling this journey as they remember and pray for you this week.  You have been called to this journey...you can endure all things, you can conquer all things through Christ who strengthens you! 

Wednesday Weigh-in: Intentional Positioning

After last Wednesday's post, I had an overwhelming response from supporters and other women who felt the very same way I do.  Please know that I am praying for each of you who responded or who didn't respond but can relate to what is happening in my life.  Thanks for your support and prayers for me!

So let's weigh-in...

As I continue to dive deeper into Made to Crave, I am both inspired and convicted, in the very same breath.  I am inspired by Lysa's willingness to be so real with her readers.   She addresses some key issues for women and provides some truly healthy ways to battle those issues without being too cheesy or too preachy.  

When I got to chapter 6 of the book, I was really forced to take a good look at myself.  Lysa says, "Being ruled by something other than God diminishes our commitment and will make us feel increasingly distant from Him."  (and this is where I feel convicted!)

Okay, so I want you to think about what that something is for you.  Is it food?  Is it alcohol?  Is it your job?  Is it spending too much money?  Is it the loss of a loved one?  What is the something in your life that diminishes your commitment (faith) and creates distance between you and God?

That something for me is ME.  I am totally consumed by poor self-esteem, what others think of me and my less than perfect body.  I am also consumed by the guilt of not getting back into shape after having Logan.  So much so, that some days I only think about how horrible I look or how horrible other people must think I look.  I know, this is very unhealthy thinking.  Made to Crave, has helped me realize that what I am consuming is what I am craving.  And what I am craving is unhealthy!

But there is hope...

As I continue to read God's word and other resources, I am understanding, the more I fill up with negative thoughts about myself, the more I focus on just that, myself.   And each time I wallow in the pain of my circumstances without inviting God to carry my burdens, I push my relationship with Him further and further away.

This journey is teaching me to position my heart towards God.  This is what Lysa calls "intentionally positioning ourselves to experience God."   I hope and pray that you will see a change in me as I set out to intentionally position myself to experience the goodness and the grace of God.

"But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  

All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. "  

Philippians 3:13-15

"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."

Philippians 3:20-21

Please keep praying for the women who will be studying with me in October!  

It is going to be a great Journey!!

Wednesday Weigh-in

Well, as I have previously posted...Wednesdays are my day to "weigh-in".  Today, I am posting about the book I am reading called Made to Crave,  by Lysa TerKeurst.

First, let me give you a little insight to the reason I chose to read the book Made to Crave.  After the birth of my son Logan, I have been slowly working toward getting my life back to ordinary. Well, as much as you can with a very active child running around the house.  Logan, is one of the best blessings I could ever know, however, his presence in our family has completely turned my life upside-down.  I expected this to a certain degree but I have to admit, I was blindsided by the change that took place in our lives after his arrival.

As a result of the major change, I feel like I've lost complete sight of who I am as a person, which has led to some tough moments for me, and for Joe and I as a couple.  One of the things that continually plagues me is this feeling of being uncomfortable in my own skin.  I just don't feel like myself.  I was (and still am) unhappy with the extra padding filling my clothes.  I despise the "I just had a baby" loose skin that found its way to my midsection.  And let's be honest here..."the girls," just aren't the same!

It is for these and several other reasons that I began searching for something that would give me a little boost.  So, I ordered the book.  And it was delivered to my house.  And it sat for months collecting dust. Eventually, I began reading it and let me just tell you, IT IS GREAT!  Not because I have lost a ton of weight and am now perfect, but because Lysa has revealed some truths that have been so healing for me.

Here is where I weigh-in...

In the book, Lysa emphasizes that "we are made for more because we are children of God."

Through this Made to Crave journey, God has revealed to me that I am identifying myself not by my relationship with Him but by my circumstances.  Below is the helpful exercise I did in the book that slapped me upside the head.

Here is how I see myself...
Meghan, a girl with a lumpy, saggy, frumpy body.
Meghan, a has-been, who can't handle anything that comes her way.
Meghan, a girl who uses sarcasm to avoid being vulnerable.
Meghan, a girl who must not be good enough for her husband if her mom wasn't good enough for her Dad.
And the list goes on...

BUT, God sees...
Meghan, the loved child of God. (Ephesians 1:4)
Meghan, the set-free child of God. (Romans 8:1-2)
Meghan, the forgiven child of God. (Romans 3:24)
Meghan, the confident child of God. (Ephesians 3:12)
Meghan, the accepted child of God. (1 Corinthians 1:2)

Isaiah 45:23 says;  "I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.  I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name."


This is what I learned: God will fight for me if I let him!  That is all I needed to hear at this point in time.

I am loving this study and I hope that others will love it too!  Connect Groups begin on October 2nd and Made to Crave, will meet on Sunday mornings from 9am-10am, at Judson Church.  Please consider joining our group.  If you can't join or don't think it is for you, please pray for the women who will join.