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/

Wearing Thin Clothes in Public and Not Hiding Behind My Baggy Clothes

And why take ye thought for raiment?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Matthew 6:28-29

This sounds like a silly thing to post about, but it’s very significant to me. I have a difficult issue wearing my thin clothes in public. Either I wear all baggy clothes, a baggy wind breaker over top, or wear thin pants and baggy top or visa-versa.

There was a time, years ago, when I got some unwanted attention from someone, that I found myself sitting down and eating and eating until I gained all the weight back. I had a sense of relief when I was back to my previous weight, because I no longer had to deal with issues like unwanted attention from others.

That’s not the way that God wants me to deal with these issues, now.  I really don’t think that’s the way He wanted me to deal with them then, but I wasn't listening. I ate and ate out of panic! Now, God wants me to turn to Him to deal with all issues in my life, including my body image and how I feel about having a thinner body.

Actually, wearing the thinner clothes in public was purely an accident. I put them on and didn’t really think of it until I was almost to the library and realized that I had only thin clothes on. I had a half of a panic and realized that I couldn't really do anything about it then, and that I had to turn it over to God and He took care of it! After that, I was busy turning in books and Dvds and picking out new ones with the little one accompanying me, and never thought any more about it until the evening.

That evening, I was prayerfully contemplating what God had done for me which was pretty significant to me! I realized that God will get me through other situations as they arise and that God doesn’t want me hiding behind my baggy clothes. And why take ye thought for raiment?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Matthew 6:28-29


Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my overeating, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verse.

No Room in the Inn

And she [Mary] brought forth her firstborn Son [Jesus], and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7

My minister was talking about this recently and it was very intriguing to me. I wanted to share it with you. He was talking about how Mary, ready to give birth to our Savior and Joseph were entering a city full of people there to pay their taxes. When they approached the inn, they weren’t welcomed, but were offered and were grateful for a second-rate place to stay. (The last half of this sentence I added, but it’s part of my point. Additionally, the minister didn’t say all of this. He just got me to thinking. I’ve underlined the main parts he talked about.)

Anyway, the minister talked about how in many communities people who are different: minorities, the less fortunate, the homeless, those with vices, the penniless, those of other cultures, other religions, etc. are not welcomed either. This led me to think about all those years as an overweight child and adult and how I didn’t feel welcomed, either. It was a terribly lonely feeling. You could see it in other people when they pass you. They avert their eyes elsewhere or have a scowl, as though they are appalled at how we could allow ourselves to become so overweight.

It took me years and lots of prayer to overcome those feelings of being unwanted and not approved of by others. It makes me think of all those people who are different: minorities, the less fortunate, the homeless, those with vices, the penniless, those of other cultures, other religions, etc. who are not welcomed either. Jesus who is King of Kings led a humble life and gave His life to save us from our sins. He welcomed me as a Christian, flaws, overweight and all and I think He would want me to be welcoming of others who are different. This is especially important to remember as we celebrate His Birth today. And she [Mary] brought forth her firstborn Son [Jesus], and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7

Remember the Reason for the Season is to focus on the birth of Christ and all He's done for us!!! Merry Christmas!

Since I am applying these Bible Verses to my life, it may not convey the whole meaning of the verses. Debbie

Am I Trying to Buy My Way to Heaven?

And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money. Saying, Give me also this power, that on whom soever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Acts 8: 17-19

This passage seems to be very far removed from our lives, but is it? I can think of all too many times when some charity or activity at the church needed help, rather than put the effort in, I pulled out my checkbook.

Is that all bad? I guess it depends. It depends if I’m writing a check to look pious to others in the church or charity with a minimum of effort on my part. It depends if I am fully able to help out, but am selfish with my time, so I pull out my checkbook instead. It depends on whether I’m able to make a significant difference to this particular cause and I’m making a minor difference by what I choose to donate. I might need a new pair of shoes to go in that closet with endless rows of shoes, right???

These are hard things for me to come to terms with over the years. I have to continue to not just turn my food, body, eating, and stress over to God’s very capable hands, but I need to be willing to assist where God needs me. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money. Saying, Give me also this power, that on whom soever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Acts 8: 17-19

What Do Popeye and the Apostle Paul Have in Common?

For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:9-10

My husband’s favorite line from the movie, Popeye, is “I am what I am,” and he quotes it periodically. I never really paid much attention to it until I read it the other day and prayerfully pondered it.

In this passage, the Apostle Paul is saying that he isn’t worthy to be an apostle, because he used to persecute the church, but by God’s grace, his life was changed. God made Paul into one of His apostles to do His will through him.

Well, this passage brings lots of things to mind. I’m not worthy to be writing a blog about overeating, when so much of my life had been consumed by overeating or thinkng of eating. God has used my weakness to His glory and by that, I am very humbled.

It is God who gives me the ideas for the blog posts, but if there are any errors or shortcomings, they are truly mine. It is God who heals me through these posts and hopefully provides healing for those who are open to reading “The Message” He has within these posts.

I am a very sinful human being, but by the grace of God who works within me, Christ allows this sinful overeater and imperfect human being to do His will to touch the lives of others, because Christ can do the same for them, if they let Him For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:9-10

We Should Not Be Fearful, but Fear the Lord

And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.  Deuteronomy, Chapter 10, verse 12.

It seems like there are times where I’m filled with fear. Often this fear manifests itself in stress. I get stressed about situations in the lives of people I care about, that are far out of my hands. When I’m filled with fear or stress, it’s like I’m saying, “God, I love You, but I’m not sure You’re going to take care of this situation, so I’m going to worry about it.”

Well, I’m often a Stressed-Out Christian more times than I can remember. Fortunately for me, God shows me that it is very counterproductive to worry. Not only does it show the shallowness of my faith, I’ve turned to food to comfort me in times of stress. That means I’ve turned to a false god [food] to make me feel better, when only God can do that.

I need to turn my fear and stress into God’s capable hands as soon as I realize what I’m doing. I no longer want to be fearful, but Fear the Lord with all my heart and soul and trust God to take care of these issues in His way and timing. And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.  Deuteronomy 10 verse 12.

Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my overeating, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verse.



When Others Are Cranky, am I Looking in a Mirror?

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.  Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7:9.

The other day, it seemed like several people close to me were cranky over one thing or another. I found myself growing impatient with this. Fortunately for me, God shows me that I shouldn't be casting the first stone in situations like this.

What He showed me was that I set the tone of the people in my household. If I’m impatient, stressed, worried, etc. it directly relates to the level of patience and tolerance the rest of my household has.

You can tell this with little kids. I remember that I used to feel terrible about myself, because I had overeaten, had too much sugar that was elevating and dropping my blood sugar, and none of my clothes seemed to fit. It was the one day where I really needed the kids to cooperate and play well together, but it rarely works out that way. The kids are more apt to pick up on our hectic and cranky behaviors. They tend to be less tolerant and patient with each other and more fussy and needy. That’s because they pick up on our moods.

This also works within the rest of the family, young and old alike. If through my response, I am edgy over something, although I’m thinner, it still sets a tone for those in my household that see this and they, too, become more edgy. God was showing me that when I’m frustrated with the crankiness of several members in my household, it’s like looking in a mirror. I should realize that I set the tone and can turn my crankiness and the edginess over to God’s very capable hands and He can take that away from me. When He’s done that for me, it leaves a much more calming tone on the family and they eventually ease out of their crankiness. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.  Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7:9.

Planning, Planning, Planning

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.  Matthew 6:34

This verse is very significant to me, because it seems like I’m always planning something in my head. I’m figuring out ways to organize, figuring out what I should say in particular situations, or ways people can resolve problematic situations.

It wouldn’t be such a big problem, but this is one of my vices. When I’m doing this, it’s just one more form of trying to be in control of my life instead of turning everything over into God’s capable hands!

God showed me over 30 years ago when He took the compulsion for eating excess food away, that I need to give up my control and turn to Him in all things. Why do I find it so difficult to relinquish the control in my life? Why do I keep planning, planning, planning?

That’s a good question and I’m hoping that God’s got an answer for me before this blog post is complete. You wouldn't think planning would be such a big issue for me after God’s gone to great lengths to show me that my life and the lives of those I care about go much more smoothly when I’m not behind the scenes trying to figure out ways to resolve issues.

One of Satan’s biggest strongholds on me, for years, was through my eating. I was turning to food in times of stress, etc. instead of turning to God with these issues, which made food a false god in my life. When my food is in God’s hands it has less of an importance in my life, but Satan doesn’t want to give up that stronghold in my life easily. Satan’s always looking for a way to snare me in.

I know that trying to be in control of my life is one of my many vices. Satan leads me to I think that planning doesn’t seem like a related vice, even though it is. I’m thankful that Christ takes the time to show me this and that He never gives up on me, even when I revert back to old patterns. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.  Matthew 6:34

Since I am applying these Bible Verses to my life, it may not convey the whole meaning of the verses. Debbie

What’s Best, Praying First or Opening Mouth and Inserting Foot?

A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.  The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.  Proverbs, Chapter 18, verses 7-8.

You don’t know how many times I’ve opened my mouth before I prayed and asked God to guide my words and have lived to regret it. I could make a list a mile long, but that’s in the past and what I have is now.

Do I have to continue to say awkward and sometimes rude things to others, even though they weren’t my intention when I opened my mouth? This passage says no. I first tried it out with some job interviews. I prayed before I went in, asking for God to guide the things I said. Whether I got the job or not, when I came out from these interviews, I was so impressed with how God had the conversation flow smoothly. I was impressed with answers that God allowed me to give to questions I had never contemplated before. Most of all, I didn't feel so tense and awkward during the interview.

This worked so well each time I turned my interviews over to Christ’s very capable hands, that I started turning conversations with others over, as well. When I was going to interact with someone who tended to be negative, I would turn my conversation into God’s hands. When, I was angry or frustrated, I would turn my conversation over to God’s hands. When I was in a new or uncomfortable situation, I would turn my conversation over to God’s hands.

Not that I always remember to do it, but every time I take the time to turn my conversation over to God’s capable hands, I am less apt to say something I will regret later. A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.  The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.  Proverbs, Chapter 18, verses 7-8.

God’s There for Me Even When I’m Not There for Myself

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 1 John 5:20

Sometimes I feel so alone and isolated from the world. These seem to be times when I let the cares and stresses of the world get the best of me. I may turn to food when I know that it just leads me further in the dumps. My guilt is apt to settle in, since I know what a difference there is when I turn to God for consolation rather than to food.

I am just so truly blessed. God loves me when I’m not there for myself. He never gives up on me, although I give Him many opportunities to turn His back on me.  Christ sees the best in me even when I can’t see it in myself.  He loves me no matter what size I am, because He doesn’t see the way others do. Christ sees what’s in our heart. He takes our self-loathing and turns it to His benefit when we let Him. He’s there for me, even when I’m not there for myself. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 1 John 5:20

Since I am applying these Bible Verses to my life, it may not convey the whole meaning of the verses. Debbie

What Do We Tell Ourselves?

2 Corinthians 1: 3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Hearing some youngsters calling names, putting each other down, I wondered what we tell ourselves. Do we do the same things to ourselves? Do we put ourselves down? It didn’t take me long to say a resounding Yes! I have put myself down more than I would ever like to admit.

When I was heavy, I used to make joking comments about myself being fat, trying to beat others off at the pass so that I said it before they did. I always secretly hoped that someone would say that I wasn’t fat and shouldn’t say that, but no one ever did. Actually, it just reinforced to me that others just viewed me as fat, which further hurt my sagging self-esteem.

When someone would complement the clothes I wore, instead of saying thank you the way I should have, I would find some aspect of the clothing to minimize it. I might say I got it on sale, or at a thrift shop, or that it had a minor flaw. It amazed me that the same person who had just paid me a complement about my clothing would squirrel up their face and look at the same piece of clothing with disdain. When I said these things, I thought I was being humble, but in reality it ended up being another time that I felt worse about myself.

Just think of all the times we say, “I’m so stupid,” for such and such. “Oh, I’m such a ditz,” and the list goes on. The thing is, this passage says that God comforts us in all our tribulations. Unfortunately, we are the cause of many of our tribulations by what we tell ourselves. Our comments to ourselves are just as destructive as the comments of others.

Fortunately for me, God shows me that my life is of value to Him. I am not stupid. I am not a ditz and if I’m overweight, that God loves me no matter what size I am. 2 Corinthians 1: 3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my overeating, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verse.

I Will Be Happy When This Happens…

1 Peter 4: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified.

The other day, I was sitting in the kitchen thinking I will be happy when it rains. Then, I asked myself what will I be if it doesn’t rain? Will I be unhappy? One thing led to another as I prayerfully contemplated this and God allowed me to remember what I used to say when I was overweight.

I used to say, I’ll be happy when I lose all my weight. About ten years after I started saying that, I looked back as an active overeater. I thought about how I was maybe only 20 pounds overweight and didn’t enjoy being that thin then, because I was waiting until I lost all the weight before I could be happy. I grieved for myself, because at 80+ pounds overweight at the time, I wanted to tell my younger self that I should have been happy then and enjoyed it, because that seemed so thin to me at my current weight.

As some of you know, I’ve been blessed to have been allowed to lose the 80+ pounds of excess weight and to keep the vast majority of it off for over 30 years. Now, did I do anything particular, in and of myself? No! I just gave up control of my food, life, and stress and turned them over to God’s very capable hands.

I want to say this didn’t happen overnight, but in some ways it did and it didn’t. There were lots of months prior to this point where Christ was showing me the control food had on my life. I was turning to food rather than to Jesus, so it had become a false god in my life. I felt cranky when I was overeating, which affected my relationships with my family, others, and myself. Additionally, I didn’t want to go to church much, because I didn’t want others to see how overweight I was.

Now, when I actually gave up control and told God that I gave up and would never be thin and if He wanted me thin, He’d have to take care of it- that happened the same day. That very same day, eating excessive amounts of food had no appeal to me. I was hindered as much about what others thought of me, but still had to struggle with this as I learned to turn other people’s opinions over to God’s capable hands. 

God shields me from my fears and stress, and bolsters my self-esteem. He teaches me to have joy in the moment and that I don’t have to lose every pound before I can allow myself to be happy. God wants me to be happy now and He can do the same for you, if you let Him. 1 Peter 4: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified. 

Losing Sight of God…

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. Galatians 3:11

The other day as I was saying my prayers, I asked God to not let me and my family lose sight of Him-to keep God in focus. After I said that, I wondered about what I had just prayed, so I prayerfully contemplated my prayer.

I thought about when I had an art class and was taught to draw with perspective. We learned about the vanishing point, where the object we had been looking at from a distance vanished from view, but was still there.

This got me thinking about several things. One I was elated to think that although I sometimes feel that God has vanished from view, He is still there watching over me. This was very reassuring, because I am apt to lose my focus at times, especially when I’m turning to food to deal with my stress rather than turning to God.

On the other hand, my prayer alarmed me. I would be alarmed if a child were walking away from their parent, so that all they could see of that parent was a speck on the horizon. So much could happen to them. They could make a poor choice and step out into the street and get hit, but be too far to hear the parent or have them rescue the child in time.

This made me think that it’s not a good thing to wander so far away from God that we can’t hear His warnings and possibly get led astray. This gave me lots of food for thought. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. Galatians 3:11

Since I am applying these Bible Verses to my life, it may not convey the whole meaning of the verses. Debbie

Blaming and Excuses…

1 Thessalonians 5: 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The other day, I was watching something on TV about the overeating epidemic. It showed a segment about a teen who had bariatric surgery and regained the weight back. I noticed a tone of blame on the part of those narrating the segment. It seemed that they said the teen must have a psychological problem to have gained all the weight back after having lost it with the surgery. I, frankly, was appalled to see that they had to have someone to blame for the weight gain. How dare they blame the teen and suggest that she have a psychological problem!!!

Maybe it shouldn’t upset me so, but I was overweight during the majority of my childhood.  I didn’t have a psychological problem and I don’t think the vast majority of overeaters do. Most overeaters I’ve seen are pretty sensitive people and are not real assertive. I feel that many don’t stand up for themselves against those in their lives who take advantage of them, put them down, ignore them, disregard their feelings, etc. I think that instead of saying, “I don’t deserve to be talked to like that,” they overeat to stuff down the hurt feelings and shame. 

I also mentioned my concern about all the excuses in the segment. When they confronted the teen about the weight gain after bariatric surgery, she blamed many in her life and society as a whole. Now, this is understandable because, as humans, we tend to blame others for what we do, rather than take responsibility. Blaming others doesn’t get us anywhere either, because, we are negating any responsibility for turning to food to console ourselves through life’s events.

Fortunately for me, God took the urge to eat large amounts of food away, the need to turn to food in times of stress, and the control the scale and other people’s opinions had on me. Instead, Christ showed me over time, in John 14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.  

When I started turning the stresses in my life, my sagging self-esteem, and aching soul over to His capable hands, Christ took away the hold that food had on me all those years…and He can do it for you, too! 1 Thessalonians 5: 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Since I am applying these Bible Verses to my life, it may not convey the whole meaning of the verses. Debbie

Not Giving God the Glory…

 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. Acts 12:21-23

There’s this passage and another passage in the Bible: And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed?  but where are the nine?  There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. Luke 17:17-18 Both passages talk about not giving God the glory.

You would think that giving God the glory is an easy thing to do, but not always. I have found that whether it’s losing weight through God, sharing an idea I was given, or something as simple as saying how thankful I am for what God’s done in my life, there are those who will argue with you about it.

Somehow, these misguided people, think that it’s better for our self-esteem if we take the credit for positive events in our life rather than giving God the glory.  They say this even when I tell them that my losing 80+ pounds of excess weight happened after I prayed and told God that I gave up and if He ever wanted me to be thin, He’s have to do it Himself…and He did! 

I always figured that’s probably the first time I gave up the control over my eating, my body, and my life and put it into God’s very capable hands. Anyway, it didn’t happen by any plan of mine. It didn’t happen by visualizing myself thin sitting on some beach. It happened when I turned things over into God’s capable hands and I plan to keep giving God the glory for this miracle! And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. Acts 12:21-23

Since I am applying these Bible Verses to my life, it may not convey the whole meaning of the verses. Debbie

Wanting the Easy Way Out

And these are they by the way side, where the Word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the Word that was sown in their hearts. Mark 4:15

It seems like I’ve always looked for the easy way out. When I was dieting, I was always looking for an easy diet that required no major effort on my part. I wanted a diet that allowed me to eat most of the same foods I was already eating, in almost the same amounts I was eating, without having to sacrifice anything.

In school and work, before I would hunker down and do the necessary work, I was always looking to see if there were an easier way to tackle any project I had to do. I have always been looking for the easy way out, which isn’t necessarily always good for me. If I had found the easy diet I was looking for, I wouldn’t have been open to God showing me how to change my eating patterns and turning to food in times of stress instead of Him. If I had found easier ways to do some of my school work and jobs, I might not have had the self-satisfaction of sticking with a job until it was completed.

Like these two examples, it makes me think of this passage where the Word of God is shared with someone and it goes by the way side and Satan undermines the Word that was sown in their hearts. I need to be more mindful of not always looking for the easy way out. Christ is the way to salvation and that’s what I need to focus on. And these are they by the way side, where the Word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the Word that was sown in their hearts. Mark 4:15

Since I am applying these Bible Verses to my life, it may not convey the whole meaning of the verses. Debbie

Which Law Do I Follow?

Romans 7: 24 O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

That's a good question? I explained in my last blog post that my air conditioner went out. Actually, the motor did. This may seem funny reading about posts related to air conditioners when this comes out, but I wrote these posts months earlier and scheduled them to come out on a later date.

Anyway, we have a home warranty that should have covered the new motor, but they didn't. We could tell that they probably wouldn't when we started getting the hem-haw when we told them that our air conditioner started shutting down.

We ended up getting our own company to handle it, at the suggestion of a few others. They are extremely efficient and are taking care of the matter. What more could I ask for? Early on when it looked like our home warranty company wasn't going to do the honorable thing, I prayed asking God to have me respond throughout this as a Christian, not ranting and raving about my rights, etc.

The new company told us that the home warranty company should have paid for the new motor without a doubt. He even called them to explain, but they didn't feel the same way about it. There's this part of me that still wants to rant and rave and threaten to sue, to contact agencies that expose companies that don't follow through, etc.

I've struggled with this, felt like eating nuts, but decided to go to bed early and ended up writing these posts. I needed to allow God to work through these things with me while I process them. A few minutes ago, I was hopping mad. Fortunately, God is here by my side to show me the Christian He wants me to be even though I feel vindicated in my anger. With that, I need to forgive the people who make the decisions in this company. Not all home warranty companies do this. Actually, this company has been excellent up to this situation. Anyway, I need to let go of the anger, so that I can be the Christian that God wants me to be. Romans 7: 24 O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

It Isn't Easy Being a Christian When It's Hot!!!

Colossians 3: 8-10.But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created Him.

Our air conditioner went out and it is hot, Hot, HOT!!! They've had to order a new motor and it happens to be during one of the hottest times of year, although this post is coming out some months after I've written it.

What I find is that my forgiving, patient, Christian nature is not as apparent when I am Hot! I found that I tend to get cranky easily and am far less patient with everyone else. To make matters worse, everyone else is hot, as well, and they are less than patient themselves. It crossed my mind to eat over the stress that's occurred today in our household, something quite uncommon.

Fortunately for me, God's shown me that when I feel led to food, it's the last thing in the world I need at the time. When I'm stressed, if I turn my concerns over to Christ, He will get me through whatever situations that arise.

 After writing this, I don't feel frustrated any more, because God's helped me see that the response I see in others is just that they are hot, as well. When I'm wanting them to be patient with me because of the heat, I forget that they are depending on my patience as much or more. I set the tone in my household and if I let the heat get to me, what is that saying to the others? No wonder things have been so tense. Colossians 3: 8-10.But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created Him.

What Do I Live By?

Luke 4: 3 And the devil said unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4 And Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”

Jesus had been in the desert without food for forty days, yet He withstood Satan's temptations. Jesus responded, “That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” It makes me wonder, “What do I live by?” I love Christ and love to read the Bible. Do I turn to God's Word when I'm tempted to eat things I shouldn't or do I cave in?

I am sorry to say that I have caved in far more times than I would like to admit to. Does that mean that I have to give up, because I'm not the Christian that Christ would really want me to be? Fortunately for all of us, Jesus is very forgiving if we turn to Him and ask for His generous forgiveness.

Being a weak human being, what can I do? Well, I can't help but feel that the answer lies in Jesus' response to Satan when he tempted Jesus. That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” I am weak, but if I turn to God whether through prayer or reading the Bible in times of temptation, He will get me through those times.

Actually, I have found that even if I caved into temptation and then turn to God, whether through prayer or reading the Bible, He picks me back up and aims me in the right direction. He doesn't chastise me like I do myself and tell me how stupid I was to fall prey to that food that was calling my name. He loves me the way I am, but wants better for me, as well. Christ holds my hand through this on-going journey in the desert as Satan continues to tempt me with worldly things like food and Christ can do it for you, as well. Luke 4: 3 And the devil said unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4 And Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”

How Much Would I Be Willing to Put Up With?

Mark 15: 19 And they smote Him [Jesus] on the head with a reed, and did spit upon Him, and bowing their knees worshipped Him. 20 And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him, and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

When I read this passage this morning, it reminded me of the times I was taunted about being overweight. As a child, I was often chosen last to be on someone's team. I wasn't readily asked to be best friends with the popular people. I wasn't asked for many dates, although I had some. As an adult, I was ignored and my ideas were disregarded.

As a child, I didn't understand the impact that my weight had on other people's approval of me. I must have just internalized everything and felt unlovable. Fortunately for me, a girl from my class who lived nearby, invited me to her church where I found out I was lovable. Jesus loved me just the way I was, fat and all.

Throughout my growing up, people would make negative comments to me, as well as put-downs. There was a point where I internalized this and started putting myself down. I guess I was trying to beat others to the draw. It didn't seem like it was as bad if I said it about myself. Fortunately for me, God showed me that He loves me just the way I am and that I don't deserve put-downs from others or from myself.

As a young adult, my self-esteem was low and I felt fortunate to have friends and male attention. I put up with some relationships that weren't the best for me, where the people involved didn't respect me and tended to make me feel worse about myself. Fortunately for me, Christ showed me that I was worthy of respect and that it was better to not have these people in my life and He was right!!!

As I read this passage, I remember how alone I felt when I was taunted by others. It's so difficult for me to comprehend a love so great that Jesus, our Savior, would know in advance that He is going to be mocked and crucified, and would still go through it all for me and for you, so that we could have salvation from our sins through His resurrection from the dead. The taunting I went through seemed overwhelming, but nothing like what Christ went through for us! Mark 15: 19 And they smote Him [Jesus] on the head with a reed, and did spit upon Him, and bowing their knees worshipped Him. 20 And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him, and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

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