MONDAY MUSING: Engaging Christ

Monday always comes doesn't it?

Even after four days off over the Thanksgiving weekend, Monday came surprisingly fast.

But what I like the best about the Mondays and the whole work week for that matter,  is that Jesus goes with me.

He's already softened the hearts of those who might be difficult today.

He's already loosed His presence and His peace to the organization I work for.

And He's already sent angelic buffers to thwart any potential stressors that might arise.

How do I know all this?

Because I was up early this morning and asked Him to do all those things.

Too often we as  followers of Jesus Christ we settle for less that He intends for us simply because we do not actively invite Him into our day.

Oh Jesus is with us because His word says 'He's with us always, even to the end of the age'.

But there is a difference between being with us and being engaged in the minute details of our world.

If we want Jesus to truly affect our work life, we must invite Him into it and be willing to allow Him the freedom to operate as He pleases.

Sometimes this means keeping our mouth shut so He can work out a difficult situation or going the extra mile in service to our fellow employee.

In short, being willing to example Christ's teachings in all things.

So what work situation would you like Christ to get involved with today?

Tell Him all about it and then stand back and watch Him work.

It is one of the most exciting aspects of living every day with Jesus!

"That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.


Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.


Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come." (Isaiah 41:20-22)

MONDAY MUSING: The Power of a Shut Mouth

Your momma was right if she ever told you if you didn't have something good to say about someone not to say it.

One of these days I might actually learn this.

Just last week, I opened my mouth about someone thinking I was shedding light on a situation that would be helpful .

Wrong.

Instead of them recieving it as I'd intended, they landblasted me on the importance of being unbiased and non-judgemental.

And they were right.

What's more, after I really examined my motives , I realized that my desire was much more about wanting to impress this person with my 'inside track knowledge' than sincerley being concerned.

My mouth again had gotten me in trouble.

Oh if I'd only heeded Biblical advice on the power of spoken words:

"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:37)


"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." (Proverbs 18:21)

And what's more, as Christians who want to live everyday for Jesus we are not just supposed to abstain from saying bad things we are supposed to build others up:

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." (Philippians 2:3)

So if I would have adhered to Christ's teachings I would have never opened my mouth in the first place and would have saved myself a lot of heartache.

What about you?

Do you ever struggle to keep your mouth shut?

When are you  most tempted to open your mouth and let it fly?

Let's talk about the power of a shut mouth for the next few days.

I'd love to hear how you deal with this very human issue.

-Debbie

Wednesday Weigh-In: Surrender and Support

Good Morning Precious Reader!

I only have a minute and promise to post  more later but wanted to share with you that I lost 6.5 pounds since my last post!

It was God's grace and strengthening that helped me to stay on track with the Weight Watcher's food plan.

I've tried many different diets and non-diet approaches to weight loss but kept feeling drawn back to the tracking and group support that Weight Watcher's provides.

If you think about it, surrender and support and two very Biblical concepts.

The Apostle Paul had alot to say  on the topic of surrender:

"I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." (I Corinthians 15:30)

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)


And there is alot in the Bible about the importance of the body of Christ, how we need each other:

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." (Galatians 6:1)

I need to say good-bye for now because the clock is ticking and I must leave for work so I ask you to help me finish this post by adding your own scriptures or thoughts on surrender and support. It doesn't have to be about weight loss. Let's share and grow together!

I can't wait to read your insights on my lunch break today!!

Gotta go!

Debbie



 

Wednesday Weigh-In: Rejoicing In the Effort

I actually cried when the upsetting event happened. Tears rolled down my face as I sent a text explaining why our friendship needed to cool off a little.

Unemotional eaters may not identify with this, but for those of us who use food to comfort, soothe and bury our real feelings, crying in the midst of a problem instead of wallowing in ice cream is worth celebrating.

All too often people like me use food as a diversion to what's really going on inside ourselves.

My old mantra went something like this:


Angry at your spouse?

Let off some steam by sucking down at least a quart of ice cream and watch those uncomfortable feelings melt away.

Had a bad day at work?

Give yourself the break you deserve by scarfing down a Big Mac and super-size fries before heading home.

And the lies go on.

But somewhere in the last year or two I realized how this type of behavior must offend the Lord.

How could it not?

Afterall Christ wants to be our all-in-all. He is the one who wants to comfort and soothe us and help us to cope with life's challenges.

So I tried it.

In January of this year, I made a determination not to turn to food when I was upset.

It hasn’t been a perfect endeavor but I’ve definitely progressed.

Reacting as I did this past weekend is proof of that.

My weekend snafu was due to letting months of frustration build up and ended up losing  my temper and causing quite a breach in a relationship that I valued.

Anger consumed me. 

I called my dad and spouted off and then called my husband and did the same. And then I realized as much as they both love me and wanted to help me they didn’t have the power to fix anything.

The thought crossed my mind to head to the nearest Oberwiess but instead I knelt down in prayer.

I wish I could tell you that God’s sweet presence enveloped me as I prayed, but it didn’t.

 But it's important to note that I was still in the pouting stage with God. My prayer was very whiney and when He didn’t indulge me I gave up.

And that's when I  sent that fateful text.

So did I fail?

I don’t’ think so.

It was more like a toddler learning to walk.

In all honesty, it was my first genuine attempt at pouring out my frustration to God and asking him to soothe those raging emotions BEFORE  turning to food. Normally, I would have called my dad and husband, ate a big bowl of ice cream, and then and only then tried to pray.

So my progress was in my improved priorities and effort.

And I am convinced that effort is what the Lord is most interested in.

Think about it. What parent in their right mind would expect a one year old to go from just barely learning to walk to riding a bicycle?

Is not our heavenly Father even more compassionate than the kindest parent?

"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:11)

So I ask you, what are you struggling with today? What efforts have you made ? Don't despair in your shortcomings, rejoice in your effort.

Together we can move forward.

One step at a time.

NOTE: John Maxwell has a great book on this topic called Failing Forward.

Blowing It

I blew it.

I let months of frustration spill out in 50 texted words.

And in so doing I lost my best friend and maligned Christ's reputation.

I've cried, I've prayed and apologized but the breach hangs heavy like a wool blanket on a hot summer day.

So what now?

I go to Jesus.

I give Him my mangled mess and ask Him to help me, to smooth the rough places, to ease the tensions, to repair the breach.

"And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." (Isaiah 58:12)

Interestingly enough, I came across an article on http://www.kyria.com/ called Mouse-to-Mouse that shared a similar experience.

The camaraderie of failure was a balm to my bleeding spirit.

So today dear reader, I am asking you for advice. Just because I blog and offer insight doesn't mean I have it all figured out. You see the person I blew it with was my boss - my boss! How inane is that? But we also had a friendship outside of work and it's the loss of friendship I'm grieving the most.

All weekend my mind has been reeling and trying to figure out what my next steps should be in this situation.

Should I pull back and not be so transparent at work with people? Or is the cost of transparency letting others see that you have 'uglies' inside of you too?

I definately need more humility and servanthood. It is the 'it's not fair' mentality that got me in trouble in the first place.

Only pride thinks it has rights. And we know that the book of Proverbs says that pride goes before destruction.

I covet your prayers and welcome your advice.

This living everyday with Jesus is not easy, but even in the the hardest of times there is joy in the journey.

Wednesday Weigh-In: Pressing On

(I stopped blogging on Wednesdays about my weight partly because of time demands with my schooling but so many of you let me know how much you missed it that I've decided to start up again.)

So here it is 10 months after I started at the beginning of the year saying I wanted to lose 100 pounds and well let’s just say it’s been an up and down battle.



To date, my total overall loss for the year is 7 pounds.


Seven.


That’s it.


At one point I’d lost close to 20.


But despite the lack of overall weight reduction, a lot of my personal habits have improved:


• I’m walking more consistently.


• I’m no longer bingeing


• At least half the time I’m not eating anything after dinner.


• I’m asking God more consistently for help.


• I’m journaling more about the inner issues that may be triggering my over-indulgence.


So there is progress.


Not perfection, but progress.


I’ve been quoting Philippians 3:14 over and over again lately as I contemplate the idea of progress, not perfection:


“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”


I press toward, I’m working at it, I’m making a continual effort.


I like the way The Message puts it:


“I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.”


So for today, that is enough. I don’t have it all together and I’ve stumbled much but I am well on my way.


And what about you? What are you pressing towards today? What achievements have you fallen short of that you’d like to keep trying to reach?


We can’t do it alone, but together, hand-in-hand with Jesus Christ we can make it.

Praying Outside the Paper Bag

Have you ever felt like you can't pray your way out of a paper bag?

Would you like to know how to pop the bag and have deep, meaningful prayer every time?

Then keep reading.

It's true that sometimes prayer can be difficult. Even E.M. Bounds, that great man of prayer had this to say on the subject of prayer:

"Prayer is the easiest and hardest of all things; the simplest and the sublimest;
the weakest and the most powerful; its results lie outside the range of human possibilities - they are limited only by the omnipotence of God."
And while it's true that prayer indeed can be all of these things:


Easy and hard.

Simple and sublime.

Weak and powerful.

There is a secret in breaking through to sweet communion with God each and every time we bow our knee.
The secret is in surrender.

The more we surrender, the more of Christ and His truths fill our mind.

Our hearts become  fixed on Biblical truths.

Our will becomes Christ's will.

Joy flows.

Peace fills our being.

Anxiety dissipates.

And because at those moments our spirit is in sync with the Holy Spirit of God prayer is easy.

So the challenge, the struggle, the hardness that E.M. Bounds speaks of is not in getting to God - He is always with us. It is in the breaking of our self-will, our agenda's, our pride.
If we are angry and really don't want to forgive, or if we are more worried about all the things we have to do as soon as our prayer time is over, then prayer is a chore.

An obligation.

A drudgery.

A duty to be fulfilled.

The more our minds are focused on our needs, our wants,  and our discomfort the less awareness of God's spirit we feel.

Perhaps that is why we are instructed in scripture to "... lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 1:21)
Because we must first let go of everything that is not like Christ before we can truly come into close, intimate fellowship with Him.
So if you, like me, feel like  you're trying to pray yourself out of a paper bag look inward. Search your heart and see if there are any attitudes or grudges that you're holding onto. And if you discover that there is, let them all go, ask Jesus to purify you, to help you to overcome.

Then look around you and discover that while you were asking for Christ's help, He removed the paper bag.

Lord Jesus, we want to live every day in a way that glorifies You. Forgive us of our selfish ways. Help us to let go of hurts and resentments. We want a deep fellowship and closeness with You and we know that is only possible if first we lay aside the sins that beset us. In Jesus Name. Amen