Since I have used this Bible passage as an example of how the Lord God has positively influenced my overeating, this doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the verse. Debbie

COE Support Note:

If you REALLY want to read how Christ helped me throughout this weight loss and even when I was tempted, you should read some of the 100's of previous posts on https://christianovereaterssupport.blogspot.com/

Procrastination Has Been My Middle Name with the Lord

Proverbs 10: 26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him. 27 The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

Procrastination has been my middle name with the Lord. Unfortunately, there are far too many times when I've put things off when God has given me the instinct to do something for Him. I seem to find a million reasons for not doing what ever it is. "It's not a good time right now for them or for me. Later may be better, Lord." "They aren't really open to hearing about You right now, Lord." "Lord, how about when I'm not so busy with my own projects?" "Lord, you know that there have been these times where sharing my faith has seemed to make people push away rather than embrace a relationship with You. Don't You want to ask some other person to do this instead?" Well, you get the idea.

The sad thing is, when I was turning my food, body, eating, and control over to God, He didn't say, "I don't think this is a good time for you or for Me. Later may be better, Debbie." God didn't say, "You aren't really open to hearing about how I can take these away from you right now, Debbie." God didn't say, "Debbie, how about I take care of your overeating and weight when I'm not so busy with My own projects?" God didn't say, "Debbie, you know that there have been these times where sharing that you can turn your overeating and food over to Me has seemed to make you push away rather than embrace a relationship with Me. Don't You want to ask some other person to do this instead?" It sure makes me want to change my middle name to one that God can be proud of. I don't want to be a sluggard in God's eyes.  Proverbs 10: 26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him. 27 The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

To Follow a Christian Blogger or Not-That is the Question?

That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Deuteronomy 16:20

To Follow a Christian Blogger or Not-That is the Question?
(I tweaked Shakespeare's quote.) It's easy to believe all Christian bloggers have the same genuine Christian focus as you. I know by experience, because I found out that's not always the case. You'd think I wouldn't be vulnerable to this, in that I wrote a book dedicated to telling readers that some who profess to be Christians, have the potential of leading us astray. You would think I wouldn't falter, but I did.

There was a Christian blogger's posts I clicked on and liked their perspective, so I Followed them. (I plan to omit most tell-tale information, because I don't think it was the blogger's intent to lead others astray.) At first, this blogger would mention inspirational things and sometimes quote the Bible. At a particular point, this blogger started referencing Zen principles in the blog, in connection to making changes in their daily life and routine. After a point, this person left a  link to a Zen site on their Christian Blog. Since Zen strategies are part of Zen Buddhism, I was concerned because the Bible says, “And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.”  Exodus, Chapter 23:13. I don't think God would want us to have Zen links even if they are for life style changes. Additionally, there are many Christian blogsites for simplifying our lives that a person could go to, instead of Zen sites.

This Christian blogger had a couple of posts focused on God creating the world through evolution. When it first crossed my mind that I shouldn't continue to follow this blogger, I didn't want to hurt the blogger's feelings, because I felt a sense of loyalty. Then, I realized that I was more worried about the blogger's feelings than I was about how God felt about me following a blog that had Zen links and posted about evolution. Additionally, this person was listed on my Blog Roll which might lead someone to believe Zen references and a belief in evolution was acceptable. I felt really torn about it, but realized that I need to follow the instincts that God gives me, so I stopped following this blogger. I don't want to be reading things that could have the potential of leading me astray or any of my readers. It's really important that as Christians, we need to be prayerfully open to making sure: That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Deuteronomy 16:20

Why Me???

Romans 9: 15 For He saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

I was a nice person, but my first marriage was not a good one. Why me??? I kept thinking that I must have done something to cause the problems in this relationship, being all too eager to take on all the responsibility. Why me??? I would lie in bed at night praying for God to resolve this, to make our marriage better...but He didn't. Why me???

I tried harder and harder to make things work, to the point of loss of self-respect. Surely, there's something that I could do to make this work out... but there wasn't. Why me??? It was during these times that I turned to food for comfort. I was beside myself, trying to delude myself into thinking everything would eventually be O.K... but it wasn't. Why me???

Surely, God wanted this marriage to work. This is sometimes a tough one to handle, when you think you are doing God's will... but find out you're not. Why me??? So many banana splits by the way-side, so many extra pounds that did not heal my aching soul. Why me??? Then, I actually gave up and gave everything, the worry, the food, the control, the marriage over to God. Things seemed to work for a while... but then they didn't. Why me???

All I know is that I was blessed. God got me through the self-loathing, where I felt like there must be something wrong with me, because I couldn't make my marriage work... because I couldn't. I was blessed, because God got me through when I felt ashamed of having to get a divorce, because I couldn't fix the marriage. I was blessed, because God got me through my poor self-esteem and had me lose the 80+ pounds despite it.

I was blessed as God got me through those overwhelming things in my life, yet I was calling out to God asking, "Why me???" "Why are these things happening to me? Don't you love me, God? I'm a good person." One day, God showed me that He was there taking care of me throughout all of those situations, getting me through the unbearable pain that led me to turn to food. He still loved me when I let food be my comforter instead of Him. God loved me when I asked where He was, despite the fact that He was there blessing me as He got me through all of this.

Why me??? Because I am a child of God, and He will comfort me and bless me by taking care of me throughout all the the unfortunate situations in life. I am truly blessed! Romans 9: 15 For He saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Be Not Afraid...of Gaining the Weight Back...

John 6: 19 So when they had towed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walkng on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. 20 But He saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.

When I lost the 80+ pounds over thirty years ago, I was so thankful God had done this miracle in my life! I still couldn't believe that I fit into smaller sized clothes that I never thought I'd be able to wear again. My church was having a rummage sale. At first, I thought I'd have plenty to donate, because I had a variety of sizes of clothes in my cloest representative of going from being heavy to a healthy weight.

I looked through my closet, but as I examined the clothes, I thought I shouldn't get rid of my variety of larger outfits in case I gained the weight back. God and I struggled over this. What He showed me was, that when I'm keeping my heavy clothes in case I gain the weight back, I'm not trusting God to continue to take care of me and my weight loss. God is the one who did this major miracle in my life. If I didn't fight Him or get sloppy with my relationship with Him or my food, God will continue to take care of me. I needed to remember: Be not afraid...of gaining the weight back and to focus on God.  John 6: 19 So when they had towed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walkng on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. 20 But He saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.

P.S. Most of you know that after 30 years, I did eventually gain about a third of the weight back, but the vast majority of the weight stayed off. Then, when I started turning my sloppy eating and my sloppy relationship with God back over to Him, He had even that extra weight gain come off. Be not afraid...of gaining the weight back and focus on God. 

When We Finally Lose All the Weight, What Will We Do?

Psalms 1: 1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate all day and night.

So, when we finally lose all that weight, what will we do? Do we buy slinky clothes to show off our new body to all those who looked down on us all the time we were heavy? Do we finally get to go on a shopping spree to buy clothes, regardless of the financial impact it has on our family? Do we start turning up our noses at other overweight people, because that is no longer who we are?

Is this why God had us lose our weight? Was God thinking, "I will have this child of God lose weight so s/he can buy clothes to show off their body, and go on a shopping spree, ignoring whether their family can afford it or not? S/he is no longer heavy, so what's it matter if they are as insensitive to other overweight people just as people were insensitive to them when they were heavy?"

I have a feeling that those weren't God's goals for us to lose weight. Of course, we are going to need some new clothes, but we can buy them responsibly. One of my favorite places to shop for clothes is a thrift shop or a consignment store. I can get clothes that are much more reasonable and I don't feel guilty that it's upsetting our family's finances. Even if you can afford all the new clothes, I think God would still prefer we buy them and be financially responsible and donate the money saved to those less fortunate. I think God wants us to continue to be good stewards with what He has given us.

I think that God wants us to buy appropriate clothes, not necessarily clothes that are going to make the opposite sex drool when they see us walk by. I'm not sure that's the type of partners God wants in our lives even if we are single. If we're married, I don't think that God would approve of us trying to see if we can still turn the heads of the opposite sex in order to bolster our self-esteem. That's not the behavior that a secure marriage is based on.

So, when I'm prayerful about God's laws and what He would want once I'm thin, I realize that He would want me to be as sensitive to others who are currently overweight as I had wished someone would have been to me. I desperately desired to be treated with respect, to have my comments acknowledged, to be included instead of made to feel like a bystander. When we are befriending the overweight, it is like we are somehow befriending the lonely, sad, overweight person we used to be. Psalms 1: 1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate all day and night.

Every Good Gift Comes From God

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

After about six months or so, I am only a couple of pounds away from my goal weight. That means God has allowed me to lose almost all of the extra weight I had gained from being sloppy with my eating and with my relationship with God.

God has blessed me twice with weight loss. The first time, God had me lose over 80 pounds. I have had so many people say things like, "No, God couldn't do it without you. You are the one that...." They are wrong. I didn't do a single thing. I got fed up with trying diet after diet for so many years, to no avail. Sure, I'd lose a couple of pounds, but I would always gain back even more weight and my self-esteem would be even lower than before I had lost those few pounds.

As I said, Over 30 years ago, I gave up and told God that if He ever wanted me to be thin, He'd have to take care of it, because I couldn't do it any more. The funny thing is, I never even expected God to do it when I said that. I was just giving up! The miracle in all of this is that God had me lose the weight and things changed that very day without me suspecting that I was in the midst of this major miracle. Now, this may not seem like a major miracle to some, but if you've been overweight for most of your life, struggling to lose it through diet after diet, and all of a sudden the weight starts coming off, and eating large quantities of food doesn't appeal to you any more-it's a pretty significant miracle!

In the last few years that weight had started creeping back on. I realized that meant that I had been taking the miracle that God did for me for granted. I was being sloppy with both my eating and my relationship with God. During this time that I have been writing blog posts for Christian Overeaters Past and Present Blog, it has been a source of reminding me of all that God does for me on a daily basis. It reminds me that I have to turn my worries, concerns, joys, control, and food over to God's very capable hands and He will free me from these.

My fear was that when I lost the extra weight, my readers might not continue to relate to me. The thing that I found through this blog is that the name is very appropriate, because I need to continue to turn these same things over to God on a daily basis. It doesn't mean that once the weight is off, I say thanks God, and go off on my merry way. I want God to be an on-going part of my daily life, whether I'm overweight or thin. I would hope that readers like you can still relate to my blog, despite the weight loss. I think that the Community of Faith, even if it's focused on weight loss and our relationship with God, is a powerful thing in our lives! Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17


Exactly What Have I Given Up for God?

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9

This is pretty significant when you think of it. Jesus gave up all He had and lived a life of poverty just for me. So, exactly what have I given up for God?

I used to be an overeater and I have given up the compulsion to overeat. Now, have I really given up something or was this a blessing that God gave me when I turned my overeating over to His very capable hands?

I have given up my anger and am much less negative.  Now, have I really given up something or was this a blessing that God gave me when I turned my my anger over to His very capable hands?

I have given up my need to control.  Now, have I really given up something or was this a blessing that God gave me when I turned my need to control over to His very capable hands?

I have given up my my stress.  Now, have I really given up something or was this a blessing that God gave me when I turned my worry over to His very capable hands?

I have given up my concern about money.  Now, have I really given up something or was this a blessing that God gave me when I turned my concern about money to His very capable hands?

If you think of it, I really haven't given up anything and have been blessed beyond measure. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9

What's That Mean? That Means...

Titus 2: 3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children.

I felt the burden of being overweight for years. But I could feel the weight of my shoulders burdened as I read this. What's that mean?

That means I can't get involved in gossip sessions, because I need to be a good example to others. On the other hand, I can redirect negative conversation to something more appropriate.

That means, I can't go out and do heavy-duty partying with others, because I might be showing them that's a way to deal with their stress. On the other hand, I can tell them I used to like to get together with friends after a stressful week. I can share that when I started turning my stress over to God, He took the stress away and gave an indescribable peace that only Jesus can give.

That means, I can't go around blaming others for everything from the way the country is run to the price of gas. If I blame others, that leads others to let anger and resentment grow in their lives rather than feeling the blessings that only God can give. On the other hand, I can tell them that no matter how high the price of gas gets or who makes our laws, their faith that God will get them through tough financial times is an inspiration to others.  

That means, I can't join in conversations where women are belittling their husbands. It's only a joke anyway, isn't it? The thing is, when we even jokingly put down our husbands, it makes us see our husbands in a less than desirable light. When we are married, we are supposed to be a support to them, not be drawing attention to all their faults. On the other hand, I can tell them that I admire their patience in trying times, because they are a role model to others.

That means, I can't join in with those who are complaining about all they have do around the house for their children, because they feel like taxi drivers instead of independent women. I can't pity those who regret the money they gave up in their former job in order to be there with their children. On the other hand, I can tell them that I'm impressed with them valuing their children's upbringing more than money. Titus 2: 3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children.

Going Through the Motions of Being Christian...

1 Corinthians 15: 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

I have faith in Christ, but do my actions show my faith? Do I just go through the motions, counting on a forgiving God to forgive all my indiscretions? Am I like the men most miserable in this passage, just hoping God will forgive me or do I actually believe it?

Thanks to my risen Savior, I know that He forgives my sins and my indiscretions, but do I still just go through the motions of being Christian? There are times I put blinders on and visually block out the way that God wants me to go. No, God, this isn't really what You want me to do right now, is it? God, wouldn't You rather that I do this other thing that lies within my comfort level instead?

I have to be open to allowing Christ to change my life. I found that I was rambling through my prayers and God opened my heart to let Him change that. I was overeating and let it interfere with my relationship with my family, friends, my self-esteem, and my relationship with God. Christ changed that, as well. He took that compulsion to eat huge quantities of food away that could never fill my stomach or the emptiness in my soul.

If Christ can change all these things, He can certainly heal my tendency to just go through the motions...if I let Him. God can heal my self-focus and fears of trusting that He will take care of me when I attempt things out of my comfort level. Again, it depends on whether I have a willing heart to let Him heal me of these. 1 Corinthians 15: 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

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