When I Bottom Out

 The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepared their food in the summer. Proverbs 30:25

When I read this brief Bible verse, I thought about how significant this advice is in my life. Because I'm Hypoglycemic and get what I call the cranky crabbies after I eat sugar and my blood sugar bottoms out, I find it's extremely important for me to pay attention to this. 

When I am going to someone's house for dinner, if I prepare a substantial side dish to take with me, I know there's going to be something healthy for me to eat, no matter what they are serving. Also, I've found that if I eat some protein and or a glass of milk before going out to eat, I am less apt to crave sugary or unhealthy foods. When I am going somewhere to eat with others, it's sometimes helpful for me to scope out the food menu ahead, so I know there is going to be healthy food for me and often, I can check out the ingredients, online. 

The thing is, I am telling you healthy eating tips, but this blog is about how Christ changed my life from letting food and the scale control my life to putting my life, my food, body, stress and eating into Christ's very capable hands. Once I started doing that, all the other things started to fall into place and I didn't feel so tempted by unhealthy foods, as I had in the past. I can't say I'm never tempted, nor can I say I've never started slip-sliding back into old patterns. Fortunately for me, Christ is very gracious and helps pick me up and refocuses me on habits and foods that are healthy for me and my relationship with Him.

Since I am writing how I've applied this Bible verse to my own life, you should know that it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verse. Debbie

A Regular Diet of What is Allotted to Me

 Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches- Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, And say, "Who is the Lord?" Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God. Proverbs 30:8-9

This reminds me of Daniel, who could have eaten of all the king's delicacies, but only wanted healthy food allotted to him, instead of the fancy foods, and dining and hob-knobbing with others for attention from the nobility.

Although I don't hob-knob with nobility, it still is important for me to eat the food or to have the other things in life that I am allotted, and not get caught up in desiring things that are counterproductive for me. It can make us loose sight of our Lord and what He deems are healthy for us. Is it healthy for us to have a regular diet of trendy foods? Is it healthy for us to have a regular diet of social media, to the point, these topics keep us from sleeping at night? Is it healthy for us to have a regular diet of patriotism, to the point, that we forget who the Lord is and how He was compassionate to the less fortunate and marginalized of the world?

This is lots to be prayerful about and it transcends just eating food. It could be easy to get caught up in the fast-lane trying to out do the Jones's even if we have to lie a little or use God's name in vain, because everyone else is. I am a sinful human being and I have verged on slipping into these patterns, but the Lord shows me that my life is so much simpler and healthier when I am content to have the food and life style choices that are allotted to me.

Since I am writing how I've applied this Bible verse to my own life, you should know that it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verse. Debbie

Not Sensitive to the Needs of Others Who are in the Same Spot?

 A poor man who oppresses the poor Is like a driving rain which leaves no food. Proverbs 28:3

This passage about the poor man who oppresses the poor who are in the same predicament, reminds me of those who are heavy and put down every heavy person they see. They poke fun at what other heavy people are wearing, what they are eating, etc.

I can't say I've never done this, because I'm a sinful human being like the rest of us. What I do know is that Christ's showed me how I turned to food as a crutch during times of stress. It ended up being a false god in my life, where I turned to food for comfort in those times, instead of turning to my Lord and Savior to heal my aching heart.

It was very significant, in that He also showed me that if I was eating over stress, that others were probably doing so, as well. It gave me a deeper sense of compassion of what they were going through and it reminded me of how lonely I was inside, until Christ showed me that I didn't have to be lonely anymore. He filled me with a sense of self-worth, and showed me that the comments of others, the number on the scale, or size of my clothes didn't tell me who I was. I was a blessed child of Christ, who loved me the way I am, faults and all. In the process, He showed me that I no longer needed food for comfort when I was stressed, all I had to do was to put my concerns in my Savior's very capable hands. As soon as I did, I felt like a big burden was lifted off of my shoulders and I no longer had the urge to eat the door knobs off. If He could do this for me, He most certainly can do this for you, if you let Him!

Since I am writing how I've applied this Bible verse to my own life, you should know that it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verse. Debbie

Is Any of This Really Worth It?

 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you: and put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food. Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven. Proverbs 23:1-5

I'm just going to share the things that I relate to my eating issues. I always admired those people who eat fancy and exotic dishes specially prepared for them on a regular basis. I drool when I've walked by confection shops that show fancy delicacies, but is any of this really worth it?

It could be easy for me to get caught up in trying to live in the fast lane, to be able to afford these fancy foods, to only go to trendy restaurants and try all their delicacies. The thing is, when I've found myself caught up in desires like this, I loose sight of what is truly important in my life. Food controlled most of my life and even became a false god. Christ showed me, years ago, that I was going to food for comfort in times of stress, instead of turn these stressful things over to His very capable hands!

Is it really worth it for me to set my eyes on things of wealth, fancy restaurants and food delicacies? In the long run, the joy of riches and fancy foods certainly make themselves wings, and fly away and there I am stuck with the remorse for haven been taken in by the lure Satan dangles in front of me with these tempting things. Sure, it's not robbing a bank, or being unfaithful, but maybe I'm being unfaithful to myself and to Christ when I think that fancy foods will satisfy my aching heart, when only He can!

Since I am writing how I've applied this Bible verse to my own life, you should know that it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verse. Debbie

Food for Waste or Waist???

 Proverbs 13:23 says: Much food is in the fallow ground of the poor, And for lack of justice there is waste. 

I decided to check a couple of interpretations for this passage, before writing my post. The interpretation that I chose, although all are valid, is more aligned to: The poor people of the world have ground that could produce food for them, but they are too busy working the ground of the businesses owners, to be able to work their own ground for food for themselves. 

This seems especially significant to me, in that, yesterday was Thanksgiving. I always tell myself that I will eat moderately, but I heap my plate up so high, that things are dribbling off the sides. You wouldn't think I would still be doing this after Christ has blessed me with the vast majority of an 80 pound weight loss staying off for over 30 years and how He changed my life significantly to focus on what is important, Him, and to not let my food control my life. Unfortunately, it's two steps forward and one back, and other times it's one step forward and two back. 

This Bible passage makes me think of how these poor people in countries around the world, who are barely living on rice or peanut protein to get enough to keep their children alive are working to help provide all this food that I take for granted. I feel so guilty that I contribute to these inequities and feel sorry for mindlessly eating without being thankful for those who have given up so much to provide it for us!

Since I am writing how I've applied this Bible verse to my own life, you should know that it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verse. Debbie

Time to Catch Up!

My grandfather used to tell me this story when I was younger. I didn't realize it came from the Bible until I was an adult. Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, O Sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? Proverbs 6:6-9

Although it doesn't exactly tie into eating, it does and it doesn't. The thing is, that my eating issues over the years didn't have as much have to do with eating, as that's the way I tried to stuff down whatever I was feeling rather than dealing with those feelings- so here goes... 

It seems like with the holidays approaching, I feel like I've been more like the ball in a pinball machine bouncing from one thing to the next, instead of just focusing on what needs to be done first. I, actually, went from one extreme to the other. Last year, I sent my Christmas mail out on the lay-away plan {some now and some later}. I mailed cards up until the day before Christmas. I heard from three different people that they got their Christmas card from me in March of this year. Well, lesson learned! So, this year, I was determined that I would mail all the Christmas cards by the beginning of November, so that didn't happen again! I started making my Christmas cards in mid-October to have them ready by November 1, and they were ready! 

The sad thing is, I lost perspective of all the many things I had put on the back burner and didn't stay focused on the most important things like the ant in this Bible passage. I owe you, the Reader, and apology, because while I was trying to get ahead in one thing, I was getting behind in keeping up with my blog posts, and for that I am very sorry! Fortunately for me, the Lord God is very forgiving despite some of my big plans, and He brings me back to focus on what is most important-my relationship with Him and sharing it with others! Have a very blessed Holiday!

Since I am writing how I've applied this Bible verse to my own life, you should know that it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verse. Debbie

Tempted Again, and Again, and Again, and Again...

 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Although it may sound funny to some, I fell back into old eating and thinking patterns after stepping on the scale and finding out that I had gained two pounds back. I know, it sounds silly. I've gained two pounds here and there over the years, and every time I put my eating and stress in Christ's very capable hands, the weight came back off, but I wasn't doing that, this time. Actually, I was, but not with a whole heart, not focused on the Lord's will for me. I was just going through the motions!

After lots and lots and lots of prayerful contemplation over the weeks after getting on the scale, Christ had it on my heart that the snacking had become too important. I rarely used to snack, but why was it sooooo very difficult for me to give up snacking this time? I was letting food become a false god in my life again, turning to it for comfort instead of turning to my Lord and Savior. That really got me to thinking and trying to figure out how to turn this negative pattern around.

It took lots of praying, lots of making sure I had substantial food for dinner, so I didn't set myself up for snacking. It was difficult for many weeks watching my husband snack in the evenings, but not snacking myself.  It was almost a white-knuckle thing some evenings. I did keep a glass a milk handy through the evening while I watched T.V. with him, so I could drink some milk whenever I felt like snacking. Satan was hanging on to this stronghold he had on me with a vengeance and wasn't willing to give up on tempting me again and again. Fortunately, our Lord is all-powerful and wasn't going to let me slip away easily, but praying every time I felt tempted was the way He allowed me to escape and to bear it. I am sooooo thankful! 

 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Since I am writing how I've applied this Bible verse to my own life, you should know that it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verse. Debbie

Worrying about the What-Ifs...

 And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them. 1 Chronicles 12:39

After seeing that I had gained two pounds after getting on the scale after many months of not doing so, I started worrying if I were going to start gaining weight after all the 30+ years that Christ had allowed the vast majority of my weight to stay off. If I were really thinking clearly, I would have realized that I just needed to make sure my relationship with Christ was in alignment and the eating would fall into place, but I was caught up in the what-ifs! 

What if I can't stop gaining, what if gain all my weight back, etc.? I had picked up the old habit of snacking with my husband in the evenings while we watched T.V. together. I usually chose healthy snacks, but during this period of worrying about the what-ifs, it seems that the more I worried, the worse my snacking had become. It started seeming more important than it was and I started spending time planning out what I was going to snack each evening, but never really felt full. That's because I was turning to food for comfort, turning to food to tell me who I was instead of putting my stress and my eating into Christ's very capable hands-a lesson He taught me years ago at the beginning of the 80+ pound weight loss He allowed.

I was starting to be aware of what a problem the snacking was becoming and how my thinking had been clouded ever since I got on the scale and saw I had gained two pounds back. It seems silly to talk about two pounds having that big of an effect, but Satan knows where our weaknesses are and apparently that's where I was weakest at that time. Christ kept trying to keep refocusing me, and some times I was more open to it and sometimes I felt myself slipping down that old rabbit hole. Fortunately for me, Christ didn't give up on me easily! More to come in future posts.

 And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them. 1 Chronicles 12:39

Since I am writing how I've applied this Bible verse to my own life, you should know that it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verse. Debbie

Not Satisfied although I had Eaten Enough!

 "When I have cut off your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall bring back your bread by weight, & you shall eat and not be satisfied." Leviticus 26:26

The part that pertains to this post is underlined and is about eating and not being satisfied. In the previous post, I told how I got on the scale and found out I had gained two pounds which caused my old eating habits to crop back up!

I don't usually weigh myself on the scale, because it's too easy to give the scale the power to tell you whether you've been good or bad, related to weight loss or gain. It's very easy to take that concept even further. It's easy to let the scale tell you whether you are a good or worthwhile person or not, depending on what number the scale shows. Many years prior to this, Christ showed me many things after I prayed and told Him that if He ever wanted me to be thin, He'd have to do it, because I couldn't and was giving up on dieting! Over the years, I've realized that's probably the first time I've ever given up control and put it in Christ's very capable hands. He showed me that I should rarely get on the scale, because I had allowed it to tell me who I am and what kind of person I am.  After all these years of knowing this, I stepped on that scale to weigh a package, and fell back into those old counterproductive ways. I was eating, but was never satisfied! Fortunately, God helped me through this, but it took weeks or months to get refocused. I will share what happened in the future posts. "When I have cut off your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall bring back your bread by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied." Leviticus 26:26

Since I am writing how I've applied this Bible verse to my own life, you should know that it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verse. Debbie

Weights and Scales, Oh, My!

 'You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin [liquid measurement]: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.' Leviticus 19:36

You might wonder what this passage has to do in a Christian Overeaters post, but it is very pertinent to my situation. You should know this verse it is really talking about how God didn't want people to shortchange each other with dishonest weights and scales, but that's not how I applied this verse to my life.

We were mailing a small package and were trying to get an idea of how much it weighed to gage the amount of money needed to pay for its postage. I laid the package on our scale, but it didn't even register any numbers. Then I remembered a trick. I got on the scale to weigh myself, which is where the topic begins, and then I weighed myself with the package and subtracted the difference.

The problem was, when I first weighed myself, I found out that I weighed two pounds more than I usually do. Now, two pounds more isn't really that big a deal, but it started my mind in a tails spin, worrying if I was in a downward spiraling trajectory, only to gain all my weight back- all from a two pound weight gain! I know it's not reasonable, especially with Christ allowing the vast majority of my weight to stay off for over 30 years.  That's why this is called Christian Overeaters Past and Present Blog, because it doesn't take much to go back into old unproductive patterns of thinking and/or eating. 

It was on my mind that night and for many more days to come, but to be as honest with readers as I can, I will share what happened in the posts ahead.  'You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin [liquid measurement]: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.' Leviticus 19:36

Since I am writing how I've applied this Bible verse to my own life, you should know that it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verse. Debbie

I Thought I Was of No Value for Years...

 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. Jeremiah 17:10

For many years, I thought I was of no value. After always being picked last for sports, being ignored by those who would rather hang out with the popular group, and ignored by those who grew up and wanted to belong to the popular groups. I had very little self-worth. 

I felt fat and repulsive, because others people's actions told me that's what I was, although no one ever said it with words. It was a sad, lonely life and I consoled myself with food. When I ate, none of that seemed to matter. Of course, in reality, the eating only made the problem worse and it made my self-esteem drop, as well. 

It wasn't until years of putting myself down, so no one could do it first, that God showed me differently. Christ saw the person inside me that has nothing to do with the numbers on the bathroom scale. God showed me that my self-worth is not determined by that or any one else. He searches the heart and tests the mind and gives to every man [or woman] according to [their] ways. Well, He allowed the 80 pounds of excess weight to come off and the vast majority of it to stay off for over 30 years, but that's not when Christ showed me my self-worth. He showed it to me when I was at my heaviest and down on myself, because He never gave up on me. Not because of my size, but because I am a blessed child of God and so are you. Don't forget to turn to Him, for He sees the person inside of you that has nothing to do with numbers on the scale, as well!

God, If You'd Only...

 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in foods. Pay what you have vowed- Better not to vow than to vow and not pay. Ecclesiastes 5:4-5

For many years, I'd pray things like: "God if You'd only let me loose all the weight, I will be a better Christian" or a "better wife" or a "better mother" or a better "friend." As you get the idea, the list could go on and on and on of things I promised I would do for Christ if He'd only let me loose all the weight!

Funny thing is, He did allow the loss of the 80+ pounds, but He didn't do it because I made all these idle promises [vows]. Actually, when He had the weight coming off it didn't really have much to do with me, it had to do with Him. I'll explain. I had tried what seems like 100's of different diets, but of the few that worked, I ended up gaining more than I ever lost. So, one day, I sat on my bed and told God, "I give up! If you ever want me to be thin, you'll have to do it, because I can't!" 

Well, the thing is, that same day, God took away the craving for large amounts of food, for sweets, and excessive carbs. I didn't plan it. I didn't really have anything to do with it. I wondered about this for several years and then Christ had it on my heart. It was that all those years I made my promises/vows to God to help me loose the weight, the key thing was I was asking God was to stand in the wings and let Me lose it. It wasn't until then, I realized that when I gave up control and thinking I could do it, and told God that "if He ever wanted me to be thin, He'd have to do it," was probably one of the first times in my life that I gave up control and put it in God's hands.

Once it was in Christ's very capable hands, He had everything fall into place. Over the months, He showed me so many lessons about me and my eating. Unfortunately, like recently, I've started falling back into old patterns where I want to be snacking, but fortunately for me, I don't have to make any promises or vows. All I have to do is put control into Christ's very capable hands!

Misguided in Trying to Find My Own Path

And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs3:4-6

I have recently gotten off-track with my eating, because I have been craving snacks even when I wasn't hungry. When I start turning to food in times of stress to comfort me, like I used to, shows me that I've been letting food become a false god again. Instead, I should be turning my stress over to Christ's very capable hands.

He's been showing me of late, but I was too slow to realize what was happening. I allowed myself to get frustrated with others and with God, rather than be frustrated with the one who caused all of this: ME! I am only reluctantly realizing that it's been all too long since I've had quiet time with God when I've felt like eating the door knobs off. That's how I describe the feeling like I NEED to eat something! It's not that I'm even truly hungry, but feel the need to eat, even after just having a filling meal. 

Although I've been misguided in trying to find my own path, I am now reminded that I need to acknowledge that I need God to be in charge, not me, and He will direct my paths!

Looking at it with a Different Perspective

 For exaltation comes neither from the east Nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another. Psalm 75:6-7

It's been all too easy for me to get caught up in being frustrated with all those who judge the marginalized of the world. It's gotten to the point that I was angry that anyone could be so insensitive to those who have so many struggles.

Then, one day, God had it on my heart that if I hate the haters [of others], I've become a hater, as well. It's kind of a confusing concept, but simple at the same time. Once I grasped the idea, I realized that I have to turn this over to Christ's very capable hands to show me the way to be the Christian He wants!

I need to be compassionate toward those who are marginalized, but I am also supposed to be compassionate toward those who judge the marginalized. It's not an easy tight rope to walk, but it's doable with Christ leading the way. Basically it all boils down to: I am not supposed to judge anyone for any reason and to remember: God is the Judge, not me!

Be Still and Know that I am God!

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10

God has been showing me lots of things about myself lately. Some good, and lots not so good! I've become complacent with things. I take my weight loss that was a blessing from God for granted. I take my relationship with others for granted. I am easily impatient with others, but rarely am prayerful about it first.

It feels like it is all catching up with me today! I had to lay down and have some quiet time with God to prayerfully contemplate all of this. That's the reason that I happen to know now that this has to do with taking so many things, including my relationship with God for granted.

It saddens me to think this, because I love my relationship with Christ my Lord and Savior, but sadly, I've been taking that for granted, as well. I'm not sure how I got off track, since I didn't even realize I was taking all of these for granted. Of course, that is part and parcel of the whole issue! This lets me know I'm not appreciating my relationships with Christ and others the way I should. I'm not appreciating the many blessings that God has bestowed on me like good health, family, etc. 

I just feel torn about this and don't want to be at a distance from my Lord and Savior, nor do I want to be at a distance from anyone else in my life. I'm trying to be prayerful about the changes I need to make and feel overwhelmed and don't know what to do. Then, I ran across this Bible verse: Be Still and Know that I am God! If Christ has me becoming aware of where I've gotten off the right track, if I am prayerful to follow His guidance, He will get me back on track! He can do anything! He is God!

Trying to Give the Straight Scoop

 "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." Deuteronomy 4:2

This passage is important in me, because it reminds me that I always need to give viewers the Straight Scoop! My 80+ pound weight loss and keeping the vast majority of it off didn't come by me or trying harder to stick to some diet. It is all a blessing from God. One day, I sat down and prayed telling God that I was giving up and if He ever wanted me to thin, He'd have to do it Himself, because I couldn't. I was really giving up on dieting and didn't expect anything to happen, but it did starting that very same day. 

This didn't happen because of what a good Christian am. I am sinful and God continues to show me my many shortcomings. Fortunately, He does so, because He gets me refocused on what He wants me to do! I'm not kidding! I had gotten into a bad habit of snacking after dinner, but I wasn't praying about it. One day I did pray about it, but Christ had it on my heart through several different situations that I'm not supposed to do that any more. At first, I thought it was because of the particular thing that I wanted to snack, but it wasn't. This has happened consistently over the last week regardless of what I wanted to snack. Of course, fruits and veggies weren't what I was craving. I found I was frustrated with God, because I REALLY wanted to snack, which is pretty scary! That means I have gotten back into the bad habit of turning to food to comfort me during stressful times which makes it a false god, instead of putting all my stress and concerns into Christ's very capable hands.

He showed me this many years ago, but I was letting those lessons go by the wayside. I used to know that when I want to eat, regardless of whether I'm hungry or not, was usually a sign that I needed to have some quiet time with Christ guiding me about what I was stressing over. Obviously, I need to pay attention to that again! I'm not perfect, but fortunately God takes the time to refocus me again and again and again and again. That's the Straight Scoop!

Trying to Sneakily Remove the Guilt

 Are there any among the idols of the nations that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are You not He, O Lord our God? Therefore we will wait for You, Since You have made all of these. Jeremiah 14:22

As I have said in other posts, God showed me that food had become a false god, because I was turning to food for comfort in times of stress rather than putting things in Christ's very capable hands. Well, the thing is, I wanted to have a snack the other evening. It wasn't that I was hungry, because while I was eating, I was devising it in my mind to have a snack afterward.

Trying to pretend I was justified in eating the peanuts, I prayed about it and asked God if it was O.K. for me to share the bag of peanuts with my husband after we eat and if it isn't, to not let my husband agree to eating them with me. 

I so cleverly staged this so sneakily trying to remove the guilt. When I asked my husband, he really didn't feel in the mood to eat the peanuts. Actually, God had answered my prayer to let me know by my husband's response, whether it was O.K. for me to eat the peanuts or not.

I got my answer, but I found that I was feeling frustrated with my husband who didn't give me the response I had wanted. What that tells me is that God is showing me that food is starting to become too important in my life again if I'm plotting ways to snack and being frustrated with my husband over food. Even though God allowed the majority of this weight loss to stay off all these years, I still slip back into old patterns. Fortunately for me, Christ sees what I am doing and helps to refocus me!!!

Is Anything Too Hard for the Lord?

Is anything too hard for the Lord? Genesis 18:first have of verse 14.

 As you may already know, Christ blessed me with a weight loss of 80+ pounds and has allowed the vast majority of that weight loss to stay off for over 40 years. Periodically, I prayerfully contemplate all of this. The weight loss wasn't due to something I did. In fact, I was giving up! I sat on the bed a prayed to God telling Him that I give up on the diets and trying to be thin, because I couldn't do it. [I had tried for most of my life and nothing worked for long. Actually, of all the many, many diets I tried, of those that worked at all, I ended up gaining more weight than I lost.]

I told God, as I sat on the bed that day, "If you ever want me to be thin, Lord, You'll have to do it, because I can't." I didn't expect anything to happen, but it did. That very same day, the Lord God took away my cravings for sugar, excess food, and lots of carbs. It was just gone. I realize it defies all explanation, but God's the one who allowed this miraculous blessing. Over the time of the weight loss, He had lots of lessons for me. One of the major ones was that He showed me that food had become too important in my life. When I was stressed, happy, worried, etc. I would eat to console myself instead of turning to my Lord and Savior. Food had become a false god to me and I hadn't even realized it. I learned that when I'm feeling tempted to eat things I shouldn't or to eat for no reason, there is probably something I'm stressed about and I need to turn it over to Christ's very capable hands...and He gives me a calm feeling, knowing that Christ is there with me through the good and the bad and everything in between!

Anyway, sometimes when I prayerfully ponder all of this, I am so amazed by the blessing that Christ did for me. How can that be? Why? When I read this Bible passage, it reminds me: "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" If He can do that me, He can do that for you too, if you let Him!

Through My Weakness

And He [the Lord] said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Over the many years I've felt led to write the Christian Overeaters Past and Present Blog, I've wondered, periodically, why so many people are drawn to it. In the hundreds of posts that have been shared, find these at Christian Overeaters Support.blogspot.com/ the vast majority of them attest to my being a very sinful human being. I tell of the many times I start to fall back into old patterns of turning to food when I feel stressed, happy, fearful, etc. Fortunately for me, Christ is very gracious and brings me back to the point of remembering that when I turn to food for comfort instead of turning to Him, I've let food become a false god in my life.

You wouldn't think that it should be that easy for me to backslide, especially in that it's been over 40 years that Christ blessed me with the loss of 80 pounds of excess weight. In addition to that, He's allowed the vast majority of that weight to stay off all these years. In the times I tend to backslide, I find that I'm not staying focused on turning these stressful issues over into Christ's very capable hands. I fall back into trying to figure out how to solve all my problems or all the problems of the world on my own, which is a foolish thing for me to do. Jesus always sees the Big Picture and knows how best to handle situations. When I am prayerful and turn situations over to Him, instead of fretting over them, a sense of calm comes over me, because I know my Lord and Savior will take care of the particular situation/s in the way He determines is best, according to His will.

Prayerfully contemplating all of this, I think readers want to know that Christ doesn't just turn His back on us sinful human beings like you and me, although it may be that we turn our backs on Him. He is always there to comfort us and lead us through difficult situations when we let Him.

I Thought I was Finished, but God Showed Me that I Wasn't

 Matthew 7:1-5 Jesus says: "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in you own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye';  and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

I had felt led to stop my weekly posts, so that I could focus primarily on doing Biblical Research.  You can find this research on Do Biblical Inconsistencies Really Matter? at https://Biblicalinconsistencies.blogspot.com/ 

I was saddened by this, because I'm a sinful human being and I really enjoyed sharing the insights that Christ gave me related to my weight loss and how food and other things had become too important in my life. 

The thing is, the other day Christ gave me new a new insight to share. I'm not sure how often I will be posting on this site, but I know I'm supposed to share this with you. I guess since it's been over 40 years that Christ has blessed me with an 80 pound weight loss and allowed the vast majority of it to stay off during that time, I think I know what's counterproductive and what's not. As you noticed, I have I think underlined, because that's the root of this whole post. 

Years ago, before the weight loss, I used to pray, "God help me loose weight," "help me..." God showed me that I wasn't turning things over into Christ's very capable hands and was into the "I" and "Me's" asking God to help ME do things, although I didn't realize at the time that was what I was doing. It wasn't until I gave up control and told God, "I give up. If you ever want me to be thin, You'll have to do it." I wasn't expecting anything to happen, because I was just giving up on trying to ever be thin, giving up on all the diets, giving up on all the pain and frustration! 

The thing is, that very same day, Christ changed my life and started showing me that I needed to put my life, my food, my fears, my stress, etc. into Christ's very capable hands instead of eating over them. He showed me that food had become a false god to me, because I turned to it in times of trouble to console me instead of turning to my Lord and Savior!

Well, the thing is, recently I was talking to my spouse who went to the store to walk laps around it, but brought home mark down pies and doughnuts. I felt compelled to share with him that it's counterproductive to walk laps and buy things that have the potential to cancel out the benefit of those laps.

Later, Christ had it on my heart that before the weight loss that He allowed in my life, people used to tell me how I should eat, what I should eat, what I shouldn't eat and I would become resentful and eat it just to spite them. Funny thing, which really isn't so funny, it didn't hurt them all those years, it just hurt me! Sadly, I realized that I was doing exactly what others did to me. I was telling my beloved husband what he should and shouldn't do with his exercise and eating. It was a very eye-opening experience! In addition to that, Christ led me to share this humiliating realization with you, because I'm a sinful human being and I will always need Christ's help in my life to move me to be the Christian He wants me to be.