I got called out today. There are two people that I cannot hide from: God and my sister. I have been slipping up for almost a week now and I didn't even have to tell Monica, she just knew it. After a very long and stressful day I found myself being wooed by the siren's call that is the Taco Bell drive-thru. Ever since then, it's like I can't jump back on board. I have been kinda coasting along this week, still reading this great book, but only allowing it to get in my head instead of my heart.
Well, Miss Monica called me out today on the whole thing and, boy am I glad she did. She confronted me and told me exactly what I needed to hear. It seems like that conversation is exactly what I needed to snap out of this fog I have been in.
Let me just tell you how unbelievably thankful I am to have her holding me accountable on this journey. I am a firm believer that having an accountability partner is crucial to this process. If you do not have someone that you can be completely honest with and who will push you toward your goal, I think you need to find that person today. I know, I know - it isn't easy being open and honest about the ugly parts of our lives but it is an integral part of dying to ourselves and being set free from the things that tangle us up.
So, thank you, sister. I needed that.
Celeste
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Waiting For January
Hey there. It has been a while since I have posted. Throughout the month of December I had absolutely no desire to even think about anything to do with being healthy, surrendering to God, or this blog. I told Monica that I wanted to title this post "Bah Hum Blog" but I thought it sounded too depressing. I'm not one to be down in the dumps but this month has just been weird for me.
Don't get me wrong, a lot of great things happened in December. I directed 56 amazing kids in our church's Christmas Musical earlier in the month. My husband and I also headed up a Christmas toy giveaway event where we were able to give 1,000 kids a wrapped gift, a new blanket, and a bag of candy. We saw about 2,500 total people come out that night for the giveaway & they all had the opportunity to hear the Gospel.
By the time Christmas came I was exhausted. We didn't even put up a tree until the week before Christmas. I hate to admit this but here goes - while the boys were opening up their gifts I couldn't stop staring at the tree, imagining how quickly I could get it all packed up again. I didn't even really enjoy the day like I normally do. Christmas is normally my favorite time of the year and I just couldn't understand why I wasn't feeling it this time.
All month long in the back of my mind I have been saying to myself, "When January gets here, I'm going to really get in line and eat better." I enjoyed November immensely when we did our 30 Day Challenge but as soon as December rolled around I felt out of control again. Why is it that I can stick to a set of rules so well but I can't just do this on my own?
Monica and I are both reading the book Made To Crave by Lysa Terkeurst and we already cannot put it down. She talks about the fact that God gave us the ability to crave for a reason - to have an unquenchable desire for more of Him, and Him alone. It is such a trick of the enemy to twist this natural desire that God placed inside of us into an unnatural addiction to food or other things. In the first chapter she says, "With Jesus, if we want to gain, we must give up. If we want to be filled, we must deny ourselves. If we want to truly get close to God, we'll have to distance ourselves from other things."
I feel like in all of my "good-doings" this month, I have really lost sight of what is most important. I had such a fire inside of me when we first started this journey a few months ago and I feel like I have let that flame go out. I am praying that God will light that fire once again.
So, tomorrow is January. I do love the idea of January and fresh starts and clean slates. I am not making any resolutions but I am committing myself to denying myself and following Jesus.
Oh, I almost forgot - Happy New Year!
Love,
Celeste
Don't get me wrong, a lot of great things happened in December. I directed 56 amazing kids in our church's Christmas Musical earlier in the month. My husband and I also headed up a Christmas toy giveaway event where we were able to give 1,000 kids a wrapped gift, a new blanket, and a bag of candy. We saw about 2,500 total people come out that night for the giveaway & they all had the opportunity to hear the Gospel.
By the time Christmas came I was exhausted. We didn't even put up a tree until the week before Christmas. I hate to admit this but here goes - while the boys were opening up their gifts I couldn't stop staring at the tree, imagining how quickly I could get it all packed up again. I didn't even really enjoy the day like I normally do. Christmas is normally my favorite time of the year and I just couldn't understand why I wasn't feeling it this time.
All month long in the back of my mind I have been saying to myself, "When January gets here, I'm going to really get in line and eat better." I enjoyed November immensely when we did our 30 Day Challenge but as soon as December rolled around I felt out of control again. Why is it that I can stick to a set of rules so well but I can't just do this on my own?
Monica and I are both reading the book Made To Crave by Lysa Terkeurst and we already cannot put it down. She talks about the fact that God gave us the ability to crave for a reason - to have an unquenchable desire for more of Him, and Him alone. It is such a trick of the enemy to twist this natural desire that God placed inside of us into an unnatural addiction to food or other things. In the first chapter she says, "With Jesus, if we want to gain, we must give up. If we want to be filled, we must deny ourselves. If we want to truly get close to God, we'll have to distance ourselves from other things."
I feel like in all of my "good-doings" this month, I have really lost sight of what is most important. I had such a fire inside of me when we first started this journey a few months ago and I feel like I have let that flame go out. I am praying that God will light that fire once again.
So, tomorrow is January. I do love the idea of January and fresh starts and clean slates. I am not making any resolutions but I am committing myself to denying myself and following Jesus.
Oh, I almost forgot - Happy New Year!
Love,
Celeste
Monday, December 5, 2011
Survival 101
Hey there! How are you? Things are getting snowy around these parts. It actually is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. I cannot believe we are actually almost at the end of 2011. This year has included a vegetable garden, four new puppies, more paid-off debt, and too many soccer, baseball, and basketball games to count. When I think back on 2011 and all that God has done, I cannot deny that I am blessed.
I once had a pastor that would ask me, "Celeste, are you surviving or are you thriving?" There have been a few "thrive" moments in 2011 but, for the most part, I feel like I have just "survived." Too often I have let the overwhelmingness (pretty sure that is not an actual word - just go with it) that is my life run the show. It is hard for me to see the big picture when I am drowning in school projects and dirty socks. Seriously, the laundry at my house is unreal. I swear these boys change clothes 3 times a day just to spite me.
But here's the thing: I was told that I would probably never be able to have children. I prayed and begged God for these children. He heard my cry, and then some. It is so easy for me to forget how badly I wanted to be a mother and how scared I was that I would never get the chance. Here I am, all of these years later, falling into the role of "Stressed Mom" and allowing my attitude to get gradually worse as time goes by. God has used the story of The Children of Israel to teach me so much these past few months and this is just another example of how I tend to act just like them. Eeek.
You know what? Sometimes I just need to realize that this is my life and things are the way they are for a reason. Many times I find myself making excuses & saying things like, "If I just had more time, I could really focus on my health." or, "Well, if I didn't have so much going on with the kids, work, church, etc. I could start really working out." The fact is, this is my life. This is the way it is. I can either adapt and make it awesome, or simply survive it. I don't know about you, but I am tired of surviving.
I am praying for God to help me realize that He is here, in the middle of crazy town, with me. Together we can do this. I don't know where you are or what is going on with you today, but please remember that you are not alone. Your Father is ready and willing to help you today. I know that He did not create us and redeem us to be survivors. We are so much more than this.
Love,
Celeste
I once had a pastor that would ask me, "Celeste, are you surviving or are you thriving?" There have been a few "thrive" moments in 2011 but, for the most part, I feel like I have just "survived." Too often I have let the overwhelmingness (pretty sure that is not an actual word - just go with it) that is my life run the show. It is hard for me to see the big picture when I am drowning in school projects and dirty socks. Seriously, the laundry at my house is unreal. I swear these boys change clothes 3 times a day just to spite me.
But here's the thing: I was told that I would probably never be able to have children. I prayed and begged God for these children. He heard my cry, and then some. It is so easy for me to forget how badly I wanted to be a mother and how scared I was that I would never get the chance. Here I am, all of these years later, falling into the role of "Stressed Mom" and allowing my attitude to get gradually worse as time goes by. God has used the story of The Children of Israel to teach me so much these past few months and this is just another example of how I tend to act just like them. Eeek.
You know what? Sometimes I just need to realize that this is my life and things are the way they are for a reason. Many times I find myself making excuses & saying things like, "If I just had more time, I could really focus on my health." or, "Well, if I didn't have so much going on with the kids, work, church, etc. I could start really working out." The fact is, this is my life. This is the way it is. I can either adapt and make it awesome, or simply survive it. I don't know about you, but I am tired of surviving.
I am praying for God to help me realize that He is here, in the middle of crazy town, with me. Together we can do this. I don't know where you are or what is going on with you today, but please remember that you are not alone. Your Father is ready and willing to help you today. I know that He did not create us and redeem us to be survivors. We are so much more than this.
Love,
Celeste
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Check In
Just a quick check in tonight...
It's been a week without sugar and it feels really good. I'm not gonna lie though, there have been days that I wanted to eat some but I didn't. I did have some pretty terrible days this past week. My iPhone fell out of my pocket the other day and my screen completely shattered, so that was neat. It's hard to learn new ways to cope with stress but I'm working on that.
My running has been a little here and there. I've been consistently working out but not running like I intended. Good thing we have lots of days left to our 30 day challenge!
God has been doing amazing things in my life despite my lack of perfection. Isn't that encouraging? We don't have to be perfect for him to make something good out of us. I'm just asking for his help as often as I can remember.
That's it, y'all. I'm off to sleepytown!
Monica
It's been a week without sugar and it feels really good. I'm not gonna lie though, there have been days that I wanted to eat some but I didn't. I did have some pretty terrible days this past week. My iPhone fell out of my pocket the other day and my screen completely shattered, so that was neat. It's hard to learn new ways to cope with stress but I'm working on that.
My running has been a little here and there. I've been consistently working out but not running like I intended. Good thing we have lots of days left to our 30 day challenge!
God has been doing amazing things in my life despite my lack of perfection. Isn't that encouraging? We don't have to be perfect for him to make something good out of us. I'm just asking for his help as often as I can remember.
That's it, y'all. I'm off to sleepytown!
Monica
Monday, November 14, 2011
Keep On Keepin' On!
Hello there! I hope you have had a great day so far. This week has been challenging for me but oh so rewarding. My prayer time has been nothing short of amazing. Just slowing down and turning everything off (even worship music) has completely transformed the experience. The nearness of God is what has surprised me the most and it is shocking to see the difference this has brought about in my behavior. The awareness of the presence of God throughout my day has been a great reminder that I am not alone in this struggle.
I am still trucking along with my food & workout goals. I had an insurance physical today (don't be jealous) and I found out that I have lost a little more weight. Also, I took some "before" pictures this week. Oh my my. I had no idea that I was nine months pregnant! There has got to be something wrong with my camera. But seriously, I encourage you to do this if you are trying to lose weight. This is totally non-spiritual but 100% butt-kicking in the motivation department.
So we are at the halfway point - can you believe it? How are things going with you? I am praying for consistency and steadiness for all of us on this road.
Love,
Celeste
I am still trucking along with my food & workout goals. I had an insurance physical today (don't be jealous) and I found out that I have lost a little more weight. Also, I took some "before" pictures this week. Oh my my. I had no idea that I was nine months pregnant! There has got to be something wrong with my camera. But seriously, I encourage you to do this if you are trying to lose weight. This is totally non-spiritual but 100% butt-kicking in the motivation department.
So we are at the halfway point - can you believe it? How are things going with you? I am praying for consistency and steadiness for all of us on this road.
Love,
Celeste
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Little Black Dress
Things have been a little crazy today at my house. The morning started off with our oldest son throwing a ball through the living room window and ended with my husband and two of the boys shooting BB guns at a mouse in our house. Have I mentioned I am the only female in a house of 7? The mouse thing is particularly offensive to me as a housekeeper. I have to keep reminding myself that this is all part of living in the country. The window thing...well, let's not talk about that one.
Needless to say, my rigid morning routine was thrown out of whack. As I was frantically looking for something to wear to work, I pulled Ole Faithful out of the closet. I am referring to my Little Black Dress. I have a serious love/hate relationship going on with this dress. Snatched off of the sale rack at Lane Gyant, this dress has been a go-to item for me for most of 2010-2011. The loose fitting cut and forgivable fabric hide a multitude of sins. The problem is, I wear it all the time! I try to be sneaky & throw a cardigan over it or maybe dress it down with casual accessories, but seriously, I am fooling no one.
My tired little dress is a great reminder of the situation I am in. No matter how much I try to dress it up or camouflage it, my little issue with food is not hidden to the outside world. I mean, people can see all of this weight I am carrying around. As much as I'd like it to be, my problem with food is no secret.
Hebrews 12:1 says, "..let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." "Sin which clings so closely" is the real convicting part of the verse for me. My sin is clinging pretty closely around my mid-section at the moment. I absolutely hate the thought of not just pounds of fat that I am dragging around, but pounds of sin. Yikes. Let that sink in for a minute.
I am ready to lay aside this weight. I am also ready to lay aside that little black dress. As soon as it no longer fits, I promise you I am going to burn that dress. That dress is nothing but a reminder of the struggle I have gone through and I am thankful that He is setting me free. God is really stirring something inside of me this week and I pray that you are experiencing the same thing. I just want more of Him and much less of me (in every way possible).
Quick check in on our 30 Day Challenge: Days 6, 7, & 8 have been good. My food goal (no sugar or potatoes) is getting easier every day. My spiritual goal (20 minutes of quiet time with God) has been amazing. My exercise goal (30 minutes per day) is still not great. I only did 15 minutes today and I had plenty of time to do more. I want this to be the only day that I don't give 100% on all 3 goals.
I can't wait to hear from you all on how your first week went. I am praying that HOPE will begin to rise up in you today.
Love,
Celeste
Needless to say, my rigid morning routine was thrown out of whack. As I was frantically looking for something to wear to work, I pulled Ole Faithful out of the closet. I am referring to my Little Black Dress. I have a serious love/hate relationship going on with this dress. Snatched off of the sale rack at Lane Gyant, this dress has been a go-to item for me for most of 2010-2011. The loose fitting cut and forgivable fabric hide a multitude of sins. The problem is, I wear it all the time! I try to be sneaky & throw a cardigan over it or maybe dress it down with casual accessories, but seriously, I am fooling no one.
My tired little dress is a great reminder of the situation I am in. No matter how much I try to dress it up or camouflage it, my little issue with food is not hidden to the outside world. I mean, people can see all of this weight I am carrying around. As much as I'd like it to be, my problem with food is no secret.
Hebrews 12:1 says, "..let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." "Sin which clings so closely" is the real convicting part of the verse for me. My sin is clinging pretty closely around my mid-section at the moment. I absolutely hate the thought of not just pounds of fat that I am dragging around, but pounds of sin. Yikes. Let that sink in for a minute.
I am ready to lay aside this weight. I am also ready to lay aside that little black dress. As soon as it no longer fits, I promise you I am going to burn that dress. That dress is nothing but a reminder of the struggle I have gone through and I am thankful that He is setting me free. God is really stirring something inside of me this week and I pray that you are experiencing the same thing. I just want more of Him and much less of me (in every way possible).
Quick check in on our 30 Day Challenge: Days 6, 7, & 8 have been good. My food goal (no sugar or potatoes) is getting easier every day. My spiritual goal (20 minutes of quiet time with God) has been amazing. My exercise goal (30 minutes per day) is still not great. I only did 15 minutes today and I had plenty of time to do more. I want this to be the only day that I don't give 100% on all 3 goals.
I can't wait to hear from you all on how your first week went. I am praying that HOPE will begin to rise up in you today.
Love,
Celeste
Monday, November 7, 2011
It's All in the Family
We are on day 7 of the 30 Day Challenge and things are going good over here. Right now, I've got a tasty broccoli soup on the stove for supper and will have 30 quiet minutes as soon as I finish this post. If it ever stops raining here, I'll go outside for a run but if not, I'll head to the gym.
So what I really want to talk about today is generational issues; unfortunate things that seem to be passed down through blood lines. I want to tell you about how I got free from mine. Last Friday, I posted about how I screwed up and found myself with cupcake crumbs all over my face. My mom commented on that post about how sugar addiction is something she, her mother and her grandmother have all battled. Each one of us grew up watching our mother fight this demon and learned to do the same. I had just kind of accepted this as a part of my life and tried my best to get over it. Not working so much for me. Seeing it in writing on Saturday was pretty huge for me. (I am so incredibly proud of my mom for having the courage to admit her struggle, by the way.)
I had been praying all day that God would give me a breakthrough in this area at church that night. I was pretty sure our pastor wasn't going to call up people with sugar addiction for prayer at the end of the service. I just wanted God to do something. So that afternoon, I was praying about the song I was going to lead and God laid a verse on my heart. I was like, "Hey, you know I don't like to talk during worship." And he was like, "Yeah, I know but do it anyway." So I was like, "Ok." Fast-forward to me picking up my guitar and thinking, "Oh crap, I can't talk!" Then a peace just came over me and I knew if I was obedient, my breakthrough would come. I said my little verse and a few words of encouragement and it was cool. Then our pastor came up and started talking about stuff in your life that has no place. He literally said, "I don't care if you Grandmother had it and your Mother had it and you do too." My eyeballs got enormous. He talked about the power of our words and declaring things on earth to be as they are in heaven. In the Lord's prayer, Jesus said, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Jesus told us to pray that. Then my pastor said go ahead and do it, so I did. I said, "Today, I am free from addiction and it has no place in my life. God, may your will be done in my life on earth as it is in heaven." And then I laughed. Not a weird, crazy laugh mind you. I laughed at the thing that has held me captive for so long. I was filled with joy over my freedom.
I am learning the power of my words. I say so many negative things about myself that are keeping me in bondage. It's time to speak life over ourselves! During your time with God today, ask him to show you the areas in your life where you need to change your vocabulary. What things do you need to declare to be on earth as they are in heaven?
We LOVE hearing from you guys; it's so encouraging! If you don't feel comfortable commenting here on the blog, please send us an email. setfreefromme.cm@gmail.com
Monica
So what I really want to talk about today is generational issues; unfortunate things that seem to be passed down through blood lines. I want to tell you about how I got free from mine. Last Friday, I posted about how I screwed up and found myself with cupcake crumbs all over my face. My mom commented on that post about how sugar addiction is something she, her mother and her grandmother have all battled. Each one of us grew up watching our mother fight this demon and learned to do the same. I had just kind of accepted this as a part of my life and tried my best to get over it. Not working so much for me. Seeing it in writing on Saturday was pretty huge for me. (I am so incredibly proud of my mom for having the courage to admit her struggle, by the way.)
I had been praying all day that God would give me a breakthrough in this area at church that night. I was pretty sure our pastor wasn't going to call up people with sugar addiction for prayer at the end of the service. I just wanted God to do something. So that afternoon, I was praying about the song I was going to lead and God laid a verse on my heart. I was like, "Hey, you know I don't like to talk during worship." And he was like, "Yeah, I know but do it anyway." So I was like, "Ok." Fast-forward to me picking up my guitar and thinking, "Oh crap, I can't talk!" Then a peace just came over me and I knew if I was obedient, my breakthrough would come. I said my little verse and a few words of encouragement and it was cool. Then our pastor came up and started talking about stuff in your life that has no place. He literally said, "I don't care if you Grandmother had it and your Mother had it and you do too." My eyeballs got enormous. He talked about the power of our words and declaring things on earth to be as they are in heaven. In the Lord's prayer, Jesus said, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Jesus told us to pray that. Then my pastor said go ahead and do it, so I did. I said, "Today, I am free from addiction and it has no place in my life. God, may your will be done in my life on earth as it is in heaven." And then I laughed. Not a weird, crazy laugh mind you. I laughed at the thing that has held me captive for so long. I was filled with joy over my freedom.
I am learning the power of my words. I say so many negative things about myself that are keeping me in bondage. It's time to speak life over ourselves! During your time with God today, ask him to show you the areas in your life where you need to change your vocabulary. What things do you need to declare to be on earth as they are in heaven?
We LOVE hearing from you guys; it's so encouraging! If you don't feel comfortable commenting here on the blog, please send us an email. setfreefromme.cm@gmail.com
Monica
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Day 3, 4, & 5 - Celeste
Hello there.
I hope you are doing well on this lovely Sunday afternoon. Just wanted to fill you in on how the 30 Day Challenge is going for me.
Day 3 (Thursday) was awesome. No problems or hang ups. Great workout & prayer time. Eating was ok. Still sticking to my food goals.
Day 4 (Friday) was not super great. In my attempt to look cute for work I wore some too tall boots and totally wiped out in the hallway. Did you hear about that earthquake in Oklahoma/Arkansas? Yep, that was all me. All of my many pounds landed on my left knee. Yikes. I got a lovely little goose-egg & bruise as a parting gift. Instead of my workout, I spent the night on the couch with an icepack. I am not going to mention the pizza that Iinhaled ate.
Day 5 (Saturday) was much better. My prayer time was awesome and I still did not touch any sugar or potatoes. I do have to admit that I could step it up in the healthy eating department. Workouts have been good, but I am still just doing the minimum amount of effort required. I am praying for God to give me a desire to be healthy and not just check something off of a list.
So, that's where I am at. How about you?
Love,
Celeste
I hope you are doing well on this lovely Sunday afternoon. Just wanted to fill you in on how the 30 Day Challenge is going for me.
Day 3 (Thursday) was awesome. No problems or hang ups. Great workout & prayer time. Eating was ok. Still sticking to my food goals.
Day 4 (Friday) was not super great. In my attempt to look cute for work I wore some too tall boots and totally wiped out in the hallway. Did you hear about that earthquake in Oklahoma/Arkansas? Yep, that was all me. All of my many pounds landed on my left knee. Yikes. I got a lovely little goose-egg & bruise as a parting gift. Instead of my workout, I spent the night on the couch with an icepack. I am not going to mention the pizza that I
Day 5 (Saturday) was much better. My prayer time was awesome and I still did not touch any sugar or potatoes. I do have to admit that I could step it up in the healthy eating department. Workouts have been good, but I am still just doing the minimum amount of effort required. I am praying for God to give me a desire to be healthy and not just check something off of a list.
So, that's where I am at. How about you?
Love,
Celeste
Friday, November 4, 2011
Day 3 and Smidge of 4
Ok, y'all I'm just gonna be real here and say that I am weak. I'm struggling. Yesterday, I did good spending time with God and was quiet for a huge chunk of my day and it felt great. Unfortunately, I didn't work out at all and my eating wasn't so great. Dang, I do not like the way that looks. I want to be perfect and when I'm not, it's so frustrating. As you can imagine, I am frustrated a lot. Ha!
This morning, I got up and worked out with my friend Stephanie over at chosenforreagan.com and it was good. It hurt but it was good. Then I went home and made myself a healthy lunch. It was while I was watching The Office on hulu that the slope got slippery. I got on the ol' Google and found a recipe for single serving cupcakes. Did you know there was such a thing? Yeah, there is. So I whipped it up and scarfed it down. It burned my mouth and wasn't even that good. It was too eggy. I wasn't hungry...at all; I just wanted something sweet. You know what, while I'm being honest, I'm just gonna say it made two and yes I ate them both. Even though the first one was kinda gross. And now I feel like crap and I am embarrassed. While feeling this way, I have some choices. I can try and find a better cupcake recipe and make something much tastier. I can say screw it all and eat horribly the rest of the day. I can realize that I made a dumb choice and start back over from this point. I can also go into my room and talk to my Father about it. I can get in his presence and hide there for a while. So, I'm gonna do the last two options and I'll let you know how it goes.
Here's to transparency. Dadgum, it's hard.
What do you do when you mess up?
Monica
This morning, I got up and worked out with my friend Stephanie over at chosenforreagan.com and it was good. It hurt but it was good. Then I went home and made myself a healthy lunch. It was while I was watching The Office on hulu that the slope got slippery. I got on the ol' Google and found a recipe for single serving cupcakes. Did you know there was such a thing? Yeah, there is. So I whipped it up and scarfed it down. It burned my mouth and wasn't even that good. It was too eggy. I wasn't hungry...at all; I just wanted something sweet. You know what, while I'm being honest, I'm just gonna say it made two and yes I ate them both. Even though the first one was kinda gross. And now I feel like crap and I am embarrassed. While feeling this way, I have some choices. I can try and find a better cupcake recipe and make something much tastier. I can say screw it all and eat horribly the rest of the day. I can realize that I made a dumb choice and start back over from this point. I can also go into my room and talk to my Father about it. I can get in his presence and hide there for a while. So, I'm gonna do the last two options and I'll let you know how it goes.
Here's to transparency. Dadgum, it's hard.
What do you do when you mess up?
Monica
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Day 2 - Celeste
Alternate Post Title: "Are you gonna finish those French Fries?"
Ok, so yesterday I was really wanting some potatoes. Mashed, fried, baked, whatever - I did not care. It was almost funny to me how much I was obsessing about dumb potatoes. Dying to my will is difficult because my will could basically be described as a large, less personable version of Madea. She just won't quit, y'all.
Well, I didn't give in nor did I dive into the mountain of Halloween candy sitting in my kitchen right now. I decided to do this instead:
Ok, so yesterday I was really wanting some potatoes. Mashed, fried, baked, whatever - I did not care. It was almost funny to me how much I was obsessing about dumb potatoes. Dying to my will is difficult because my will could basically be described as a large, less personable version of Madea. She just won't quit, y'all.
Well, I didn't give in nor did I dive into the mountain of Halloween candy sitting in my kitchen right now. I decided to do this instead:
I have to say, watching Netflix on the treadmill makes the workout go by pretty quickly. Before I knew it, this had happened:
Now I know that 30 minutes of walking isn't news-worthy, but I am happy to say that I fit it into my very busy day. I am also so thankful for God's grace in helping me stick with these goals.
So, how was Day 2 for you?
Love,
Celeste
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Day 1 - Celeste
Well, as the great & wonderful Carolyn pointed out, I haven't posted my 3 goals yet so here they are:
1. Food - I am giving up potatoes & sugar (two of my biggest trigger foods)
2. I will spend 30 minutes a day exercising (walking, swimming, biking, or zumba)
3. I will devote 20 minutes of quiet time with God each day. (quiet is a foreign concept in my life)
Day one has been ok. I have to tell you that this no sugar thing has been difficult with the mountain of Halloween candy in my house today. No big deal though. I am going to start a load of laundry, lace up my walking shoes, & hit the road.
How was your Day 1?
Love,
Celeste
1. Food - I am giving up potatoes & sugar (two of my biggest trigger foods)
2. I will spend 30 minutes a day exercising (walking, swimming, biking, or zumba)
3. I will devote 20 minutes of quiet time with God each day. (quiet is a foreign concept in my life)
Day one has been ok. I have to tell you that this no sugar thing has been difficult with the mountain of Halloween candy in my house today. No big deal though. I am going to start a load of laundry, lace up my walking shoes, & hit the road.
How was your Day 1?
Love,
Celeste
Friday, October 28, 2011
In the Quiet
I've noticed it's been pretty quiet around here since Celeste announced our 30 Day November Challenge. So, I want to explain a little bit about why I want to do this and hopefully encourage you to join us.
Last week I was singing the song None But Jesus and it starts out, "In the quiet, in the stillness I know that you are God. In the secret of your presence, I know there I am restored. When you call I won't refuse; each new day again I'll choose. There is no one else for me. None but Jesus....."
I have sung that song a hundred times but that time was different. Jesus put a challenge in my heart to spend time in the quiet. He called me to live out the words I was singing. How many times do we sing empty words to him? I know for me, that happens all too often, but I digress. I had remembered years ago reading a story that my favorite author, Brennan Manning wrote in one of his books. The gist of it is that he was talking to a man that was depressed or struggling with his identity and challenged him to spend time alone with God every day. He was supposed to hear from God about his identity etc. He came back after a while and told Brennan that it didn't work. Upon questioning the man, he discovered he had been sitting alone listening to classical music for a period of time each day. Brennan said of course it didn't work, I didn't ask you to spend time with Mozart, I asked you to spend time alone.
There is hardly ever a minute of my day that I spend in total stillness and silence. I always have music in the background or I am reading or on the phone/computer. What about you? Do you ever spend literal quiet time with yourself or God? So he laid it on my heart to begin carving out 30 minutes each day in silence. No worship music, no devotional reading; just me and my savior hanging out. It will look different every day, I'm sure. Some days I will just "be" or I will write to him, read my Bible or pray. The other day I spent my time picking weeds and allowing God to speak to my heart through his creation. It was pretty great.
We are asking everyone who reads this blog to accept our 30 Day November Challenge. Pray and ask God what he would have you do with 3 goals; spiritual, food and exercise. Commit to stick with them for the full 30 days in November and see what changes in your life. We aren't looking for perfection here 'cause Lord knows I'm probably gonna mess up a day or two. That's not the point, though. The point is to get closer to God through discipline; to hear his voice. After praying about which goals to set for the next month, here is what I have come up with:
Spiritual - spend 30 quiet minutes each day with my focus on Jesus
Food - eat only when I'm hungry
Exercise - run each day
I encourage you to listen to the song on this video and pray about what God would have you do. If you feel led to do this November Challenge with us, leave a comment letting us know you'll be joining. And if you're really brave, tell us your goals!
It's not about perfection, it's about the journey.
Monica
Last week I was singing the song None But Jesus and it starts out, "In the quiet, in the stillness I know that you are God. In the secret of your presence, I know there I am restored. When you call I won't refuse; each new day again I'll choose. There is no one else for me. None but Jesus....."
I have sung that song a hundred times but that time was different. Jesus put a challenge in my heart to spend time in the quiet. He called me to live out the words I was singing. How many times do we sing empty words to him? I know for me, that happens all too often, but I digress. I had remembered years ago reading a story that my favorite author, Brennan Manning wrote in one of his books. The gist of it is that he was talking to a man that was depressed or struggling with his identity and challenged him to spend time alone with God every day. He was supposed to hear from God about his identity etc. He came back after a while and told Brennan that it didn't work. Upon questioning the man, he discovered he had been sitting alone listening to classical music for a period of time each day. Brennan said of course it didn't work, I didn't ask you to spend time with Mozart, I asked you to spend time alone.
There is hardly ever a minute of my day that I spend in total stillness and silence. I always have music in the background or I am reading or on the phone/computer. What about you? Do you ever spend literal quiet time with yourself or God? So he laid it on my heart to begin carving out 30 minutes each day in silence. No worship music, no devotional reading; just me and my savior hanging out. It will look different every day, I'm sure. Some days I will just "be" or I will write to him, read my Bible or pray. The other day I spent my time picking weeds and allowing God to speak to my heart through his creation. It was pretty great.
We are asking everyone who reads this blog to accept our 30 Day November Challenge. Pray and ask God what he would have you do with 3 goals; spiritual, food and exercise. Commit to stick with them for the full 30 days in November and see what changes in your life. We aren't looking for perfection here 'cause Lord knows I'm probably gonna mess up a day or two. That's not the point, though. The point is to get closer to God through discipline; to hear his voice. After praying about which goals to set for the next month, here is what I have come up with:
Spiritual - spend 30 quiet minutes each day with my focus on Jesus
Food - eat only when I'm hungry
Exercise - run each day
I encourage you to listen to the song on this video and pray about what God would have you do. If you feel led to do this November Challenge with us, leave a comment letting us know you'll be joining. And if you're really brave, tell us your goals!
It's not about perfection, it's about the journey.
Monica
Monday, October 24, 2011
Running Wilde
I hate running. So much! Ask anyone I've ever run with and they will tell you how much I gripe and complain the whole time. It hurts my lungs, my legs and my feelings. I'm just not that good at it and I get really mad when other people are just speeding along happily while I'm near death behind them. For example, my husband and I have run together very few times. He is a foot taller than me and can run pretty dang fast. Also, he is just a positive person. So sometimes he will run backwards in front of me while "encouraging" me to keep going. It makes me furious to be quite honest. Seriously? How is he happily running backwards and I still can't keep up? Because he's better than me, I just want to stop and lay down. haha!
If you've been reading this blog for a while I'm sure you have already made the connections I'm about to make. God has been dealing with several issues in my life lately like comparing myself to others, doing things that are difficult, not giving up and tackling strongholds. All of these issues show their faces while I'm running. I don't think it's a coincidence that I've felt God leading me to start running again. I haven't done it, mind you. Thought about it a good deal, though.
So yesterday I was praying and asking God if the whole running thing was from him or if I was thinking about it 'cause it's a good way for me to lose weight. I said, "Ok, if this is something you want to use to change my heart, let someone ask if I want to go run." About an hour later, my friend Melanie came over for a haircut. While I was cutting her bangs she said, "Hey, we should start running again." I kid you not. I groaned.
Ok God, I know this is a way you want to break stuff off of me and I know you've been trying to discipline me through this for years. I'm finally ready to do it. My focus isn't losing weight this time 'cause there are much more enjoyable ways to accomplish that than running. My focus is you. Time with you. Being vulnerable and weak so that through you I can be made strong. I'll meet you out on the road tomorrow.
I want to know, what is the thing that God keeps pestering you about doing? What do you keep trying to ignore and put off that you know will be good for you in the long run?
Monica
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Identity Identified
This last Wednesday I told this class I'm in at church about my blog. It is made up of people from every age group and walk of life just desiring to dig deeper into God, and to be trained up to be a warrior like David. I told them about the comparison post and then about the worship leading post. And when I told them I didn't think I was as good of a singer as Emily, I looked over and saw her husband and father shaking their heads. It was at this point I began the cry-talk. It was unavoidable and no matter how hard I bit my cheek, I couldn't get it under control. So I just kept cry-talking my way through what God was telling me to say. Then, a guy spoke up and said, "Monica, this is just a shortcut to get to where God wants you. When he takes you through something difficult, just think of it that way." I had never in my life thought of that!
So this weekend, God led me through a shortcut and I ended up standing smack dab in the middle of my identity. As soon as I started singing, God blanketed me with peace. I have been doing this for about 10 years and it was unlike anything I've ever felt while leading worship. It was this realization that I was in the perfect place doing the exact thing I was put on this earth to do. For weeks, I have been asking God to speak to me about my identity and he gave me the most incredible revelation in that moment. I have always known this is what I am called to do; that's not really what I'm talking about. I'm not sure how to explain it, other than that I felt happy with myself for the first time in a long time. And that is because I stepped out and did something scary which allowed God to reveal my identity. I prayed that through my worship this weekend, people would feel his presence; his love, and be changed. Who knew it would be me?
Monica
So this weekend, God led me through a shortcut and I ended up standing smack dab in the middle of my identity. As soon as I started singing, God blanketed me with peace. I have been doing this for about 10 years and it was unlike anything I've ever felt while leading worship. It was this realization that I was in the perfect place doing the exact thing I was put on this earth to do. For weeks, I have been asking God to speak to me about my identity and he gave me the most incredible revelation in that moment. I have always known this is what I am called to do; that's not really what I'm talking about. I'm not sure how to explain it, other than that I felt happy with myself for the first time in a long time. And that is because I stepped out and did something scary which allowed God to reveal my identity. I prayed that through my worship this weekend, people would feel his presence; his love, and be changed. Who knew it would be me?
Monica
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Well That Was Fast
Sometimes when God starts working on my heart; leading me to deal with an issue he does it slowly, giving me the chance to take small timid steps toward him. And other times he holds my hand and we run real fast toward a cliff and jump together. This is one of those running and jumping times.
The other day I posted about comparing myself to others thinking it would be a while until I had to actually get over it. Well, not so much. I'm having to get over it today...right now.
The other night I was asked to lead worship at our church this weekend. I responded with, "Sure, what song would you like me to sing?" She said, "All of them. All the vocalists will be gone this weekend so it would be great if you could play your guitar and lead for all three services." Y'all, I nearly wet my bed. I said I would do it and have been praying about what songs to do all day today. I just asked my husband, Ray what songs he thought I should do and proceeded shoot down every suggestion he gave. He said, "I know why you're doing this. You don't want to sing the same songs Emily does because you think she's better than you. Monica, you just blogged about this." Awww, dang. He got me.
Emily is one of the most amazing singers and worship leaders I've ever heard. I have sized my voice up to hers from the moment I heard it. She kills it every week and I was just imagining people saying, "Yeah she was good but I like Emily's version better." You know what, people might say that and I have to be ok with that. I'm not leading worship to compete with anyone or impress judges. That is not worship; that is American Idol. And I was not created to be on American Idol, I was created to worship.
I just sent the set list to the team and half of the songs are ones that Emily sings. I'm going to sing them because God is telling me to and I'm praying for an anointing on me so that people don't just hear me sing. I want people to be drawn to the feet of Christ because that is where my worship is coming from.
If you want to be a part of this worship you can go here on Saturday night at 6 and watch it live. (I can't believe I just told y'all!)
Monica
The other day I posted about comparing myself to others thinking it would be a while until I had to actually get over it. Well, not so much. I'm having to get over it today...right now.
The other night I was asked to lead worship at our church this weekend. I responded with, "Sure, what song would you like me to sing?" She said, "All of them. All the vocalists will be gone this weekend so it would be great if you could play your guitar and lead for all three services." Y'all, I nearly wet my bed. I said I would do it and have been praying about what songs to do all day today. I just asked my husband, Ray what songs he thought I should do and proceeded shoot down every suggestion he gave. He said, "I know why you're doing this. You don't want to sing the same songs Emily does because you think she's better than you. Monica, you just blogged about this." Awww, dang. He got me.
Emily is one of the most amazing singers and worship leaders I've ever heard. I have sized my voice up to hers from the moment I heard it. She kills it every week and I was just imagining people saying, "Yeah she was good but I like Emily's version better." You know what, people might say that and I have to be ok with that. I'm not leading worship to compete with anyone or impress judges. That is not worship; that is American Idol. And I was not created to be on American Idol, I was created to worship.
I just sent the set list to the team and half of the songs are ones that Emily sings. I'm going to sing them because God is telling me to and I'm praying for an anointing on me so that people don't just hear me sing. I want people to be drawn to the feet of Christ because that is where my worship is coming from.
If you want to be a part of this worship you can go here on Saturday night at 6 and watch it live. (I can't believe I just told y'all!)
Monica
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Weeknight Update
Hello, friends.
I would just like to tell you what a blessing this experience is to me. The fact that you are reading these words right now gives me so much happiness and encouragement. I'm thankful that God has fastened us together on this journey.
Things are slowly but surely happening. I am experiencing small victories every day. Still having trouble with my big, fat, annoying habit of quitting. Man, if quitting was an Olympic sport.... you get the idea. I will drive to the gym, iPod in hand, and sit in my car. Some days it is all I can do just to walk in the door. I can think of a million reasons not to go in and a million other things I "should" be doing with my time. Good news: I am going in. Bad news: my workouts are pretty much ehhh. I am really good at sitting in the sauna and playing on my phone, though. That's gotta count for something, right?
I know that working out is just another part of dying to myself. In order to lay down my will and completely surrender to this process God has begun, I have to be obedient in this area. I am making a commitment to you and to God that I will start giving 100% during my workouts.
Tomorrow is the beginning of one of the busiest weeks of the year for me at work. I can't tell you enough how nice it is knowing that I am not going to turn to food when I am stressed this year, unlike in years past. I am praying for grace, ease, and peace this week for you and me.
Love,
Celeste
I would just like to tell you what a blessing this experience is to me. The fact that you are reading these words right now gives me so much happiness and encouragement. I'm thankful that God has fastened us together on this journey.
Things are slowly but surely happening. I am experiencing small victories every day. Still having trouble with my big, fat, annoying habit of quitting. Man, if quitting was an Olympic sport.... you get the idea. I will drive to the gym, iPod in hand, and sit in my car. Some days it is all I can do just to walk in the door. I can think of a million reasons not to go in and a million other things I "should" be doing with my time. Good news: I am going in. Bad news: my workouts are pretty much ehhh. I am really good at sitting in the sauna and playing on my phone, though. That's gotta count for something, right?
I know that working out is just another part of dying to myself. In order to lay down my will and completely surrender to this process God has begun, I have to be obedient in this area. I am making a commitment to you and to God that I will start giving 100% during my workouts.
Tomorrow is the beginning of one of the busiest weeks of the year for me at work. I can't tell you enough how nice it is knowing that I am not going to turn to food when I am stressed this year, unlike in years past. I am praying for grace, ease, and peace this week for you and me.
Love,
Celeste
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Dying Young
Monday afternoon we got the call. I was sitting at the kitchen table helping the boys with their homework. Mike, my husband, was putting the finishing touches on dinner when his phone rang. I heard him say things like, "I can't believe this. How could this happen?" I knew it was bad.
On the other end of the line was Mike's dad calling to let us know that his cousin's wife had died suddenly that afternoon. My mind immediately went back to the meal we had shared just a few short weeks ago. I sat across the table from her as we talked about kids and work and all sorts of things. 36 days. That's all she had left on this Earth.
Then I immediately thought of her sweet husband and young son. How is this little boy going to wake up every day without his mother? He is so small. He needs his mother. I looked across the table at my boys and wondered what their lives would be like without me.
Just like me, she was overweight and out of shape. She was a busy mom who probably did not make her health a priority, just like me. The cause of her death is suspected to be a fatal blood clot, a condition that is linked with obesity.
All week this thought has been resonating in my heart: My health affects more than just me. My health affects my boys, my sweet boys who need their mother. I don't want them to wake up without me.
Since that phone call on Monday everything is much more real. James 4:14 says "You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." I know that God is in control of my days and when it is my time to go, that's it. I just want give this life everything I've got. I want my boys to be proud of me. I want them to see me beat this thing.
36 days was all she had left. I wonder what she would have done during those last 36 days if she had known this was the end.
Celeste
On the other end of the line was Mike's dad calling to let us know that his cousin's wife had died suddenly that afternoon. My mind immediately went back to the meal we had shared just a few short weeks ago. I sat across the table from her as we talked about kids and work and all sorts of things. 36 days. That's all she had left on this Earth.
Then I immediately thought of her sweet husband and young son. How is this little boy going to wake up every day without his mother? He is so small. He needs his mother. I looked across the table at my boys and wondered what their lives would be like without me.
Just like me, she was overweight and out of shape. She was a busy mom who probably did not make her health a priority, just like me. The cause of her death is suspected to be a fatal blood clot, a condition that is linked with obesity.
All week this thought has been resonating in my heart: My health affects more than just me. My health affects my boys, my sweet boys who need their mother. I don't want them to wake up without me.
Since that phone call on Monday everything is much more real. James 4:14 says "You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." I know that God is in control of my days and when it is my time to go, that's it. I just want give this life everything I've got. I want my boys to be proud of me. I want them to see me beat this thing.
36 days was all she had left. I wonder what she would have done during those last 36 days if she had known this was the end.
Celeste
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Cripple Me
I went to bed an hour and a half ago but can't sleep. I can't because I need to tell you the words burning inside of me. A few weeks ago, I wrote this post about choosing God over other things in my life. I am embarrassed to say that I haven't been doing much of the right choosing lately. I have become distracted, busy, stubborn...
So the prayer in my heart is a desperate one. I cannot keep running away. The words to Elenowen's song Cripple Me are playing over and over in my head.
Here are the lyrics:
I see you waiting, but I'm not ready
To take that first step towards home
So please be patient, God knows I'm trying
But these good intentions are not enough
You've pulled back your veil, laid it all on the line
But I've turned my back and covered my eyes
Please, please, please, please cripple me
So I cannot keep running away
Away from you
Just give me some time, I am almost a man
Without you by my side, I don't know who I am
Please, please, please, please cripple me
So I cannot keep running away
Away from you
So the prayer in my heart is a desperate one. I cannot keep running away. The words to Elenowen's song Cripple Me are playing over and over in my head.
Here are the lyrics:
I see you waiting, but I'm not ready
To take that first step towards home
So please be patient, God knows I'm trying
But these good intentions are not enough
You've pulled back your veil, laid it all on the line
But I've turned my back and covered my eyes
Please, please, please, please cripple me
So I cannot keep running away
Away from you
Just give me some time, I am almost a man
Without you by my side, I don't know who I am
Please, please, please, please cripple me
So I cannot keep running away
Away from you
Honestly, I'm a little scared of that prayer. I don't know what it will take to cripple me. But I'm desperate. I would rather be limping in his arms than running away.
Monica
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Lay It Down
Nehemiah 9:17 (ESV) "..But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love"
You know what you need to do today? You need to forgive yourself. You want to know how I know this? Because I need to forgive myself. I have made an executive decision and we are just going to get this taken care of today.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you have made quite a mess of things just like I have. I don't know about you, but I can beat myself up like nobody's business. I can literally lay awake at night replaying events from the past over and over in my head, just wishing I could go back and do things differently. Why is it that I can forgive other people but not myself?
In my Christian walk, I tend to lean toward works rather than grace. If things aren't going right, my first thought is, "What have I done wrong?" or I immediately come up with a plan to fix the problem. Let me tell you, trying to fix mistakes on your own just leads to a bunch of little Ishmaels running the show. We all know how that story turned out. The problem with works-based salvation is this: you eliminate the need for Jesus. If your salvation is solely based on whether or not you prayed your 30 minutes today or read your 3 chapters, what was the point of Jesus dying on the cross? Apparently, you've got this. On the flip side, when you mess up, you feel like God is mad at you and you aren't worthy to be called His own. The bad news is: you are going to mess up. Even worse than that is the eventual guilt you are going to feel when you do mess up.
Living in a perpetual state of guilt is the perfect set up for a fall. If you feel like you are already a failure, what's the point of even trying? You are a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is the trick that keeps so many people like you and me bound up in addiction. When you look in the mirror you won't see anything but a failure until you can forgive yourself.
I am really thinking that this is the key to turning the corner. We need to start seeing ourselves through eyes of faith. "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." (Hebrews 11:1) I can't see it right now, but through faith I know that I am forgiven, blameless, renewed, and whole. I know that a huge part of getting over my issues with food is learning to forgive myself.
Here is the "To Do" list for today and every day:
1. Forgive yourself for whatever it is that you have done
2. Walk in the confidence that only faith can bring
3. Lay down the guilt and don't pick it back up
I think this video perfectly sums up what I am feeling tonight.
Much love,
Celeste
Thursday, September 22, 2011
More Than Enough
Exodus 16:4
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.
You know, I've read this story before but I've never really understood the deeper meaning until now. To say the Children of Israel were ungrateful after being delivered out of Egypt would be an understatement. Rather than rejoice that they had just escaped slavery, a violent death, and had been given a second chance at life, they chose to just be mad. They were tired and far from home and hungry.
So they started to complain... a lot. They began to long for their old lives in Egypt. "So what if I was a slave. At least I wasn't starving!" (this is probably what I would have been saying) It sounds to me like the Children of Israel were dropped into a situation where they had absolutely no control. They were completely reliant on God and His timing and they did not like it one bit. At this point in my reading, I noticed a footnote: "For a better example of grouchy control freaks who just want some carbs, see 'Celeste' circa 2011." Needless to say, this story was hitting home with me.
Notice how God used food and portion control to teach the Children of Israel how to trust Him. He rained bread from Heaven but told them to only take what they needed for that day. When they did not follow God's instructions exactly, the bread turned wormy and ruined. I think this principle is exactly what God is teaching me. If I will follow His instruction wholeheartedly, He will lead me out of slavery and provide for my every need. If I try to take matters into my own hands, my efforts are going to be like that bread - wormy & ruined. This really makes the whole "Give us this day our daily bread" verse take on a whole new meaning.
So here is my prayer for today: God, please help me not to be greedy when it comes to food. Help me to be satisfied with my portion. Help me to remember that You are more than enough for me.
Celeste
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.
You know, I've read this story before but I've never really understood the deeper meaning until now. To say the Children of Israel were ungrateful after being delivered out of Egypt would be an understatement. Rather than rejoice that they had just escaped slavery, a violent death, and had been given a second chance at life, they chose to just be mad. They were tired and far from home and hungry.
So they started to complain... a lot. They began to long for their old lives in Egypt. "So what if I was a slave. At least I wasn't starving!" (this is probably what I would have been saying) It sounds to me like the Children of Israel were dropped into a situation where they had absolutely no control. They were completely reliant on God and His timing and they did not like it one bit. At this point in my reading, I noticed a footnote: "For a better example of grouchy control freaks who just want some carbs, see 'Celeste' circa 2011." Needless to say, this story was hitting home with me.
Notice how God used food and portion control to teach the Children of Israel how to trust Him. He rained bread from Heaven but told them to only take what they needed for that day. When they did not follow God's instructions exactly, the bread turned wormy and ruined. I think this principle is exactly what God is teaching me. If I will follow His instruction wholeheartedly, He will lead me out of slavery and provide for my every need. If I try to take matters into my own hands, my efforts are going to be like that bread - wormy & ruined. This really makes the whole "Give us this day our daily bread" verse take on a whole new meaning.
So here is my prayer for today: God, please help me not to be greedy when it comes to food. Help me to be satisfied with my portion. Help me to remember that You are more than enough for me.
Celeste
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