christineyountjones.com

Category: Diets and Weight Loss

  • Embrace the Wait Gain of the Journey

    Embrace the Wait Gain of the Journey

    Waiting for hunger is a tutor to teach us to wait for God. What a gift to learn this important discipline through the thing we’ve struggled with for a lifetime. God doesn’t waste any part of our suffering. He redeems it for good–always.

    I almost called my blog Wait Gain–meaning that we gain so much by learning to wait…to wait for real hunger…to wait for God to free us…to wait for God.

    “My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; 

    indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.” 

    Psalm 130:6

    Imagine the watchmen’s longing for their night shift to be over…for the sun to rise so they can see clearly.

    I imagine them straining their eyes to search for the light. Every muscle has been tensed on high alert on their watch. At the sound of any noise, they’ve been ready to jump into action.

    The promise of the rising sun means rest and peace. The dawn signals that they can entrust their shift to the next watchman…and the sleep.

    The watchmen can do nothing to hasten the dawn…they must simply wait.

    What does patient waiting look like?

    When I am waiting patiently, I am content in my circumstances. I have no frustration or anger. I am not looking at the time constantly, pacing back and forth.

    Psalm 40 speaks to this.

    Psalm 40:1–Wait patiently for the Lord. This is to be bound up with God and the promise is that He will lean down and listen to me. So I must wait and talk with Him. Am I content and at peace?

    Psalm 40:2–He is giving me a solid foundation to stand on. I can trust. Am I trusting God?

    Psalm 40:3–The result is praise in my heart and others are impacted so they see, fear, and trust in the Lord. This is the result of God’s work. Is my heart filled with praise?

    Psalm 40:4–Continue to trust in God’s ways and I will be blessed. Don’t turn to others for answers–the proud and liars. Am I seeking answers from others instead of God?

    Psalm 40:5–God does wonders and He thinks about me!

    Psalm 40:6–“My ears you have opened.” I love this! Ozen–ear in the Old Testament represents hearing and obedience. So God has opened my ears to hear (understand) and obey. Am I obeying God?

    Psalm 40:7-8–Delight to do God’s will and put His law in my heart. Is this true of me?

    This is how we wait patiently for the Lord!

    Yes, we wait for hunger…but our wait gain is that we’re learning to wait for God.

  • It’s Time to Get Back Up!

    It’s Time to Get Back Up!

    I had a few rough days. I thought something amazing was going to happen and it didn’t. I built up my hope and expectations and then was crushed when it didn’t happen. I sobbed like a baby.

    Proverbs 13:12 says “delayed hope makes the heart sick.” My heart was sick! I tried not to shake my fist at God but I did ask, “Where is my rescue?”

    No answer.

    So even though I knew I should crawl up into God’s lap and let Him soothe my emotions, I turned to cookie dough instead. That’s what I had for dinner that night–cookie dough and cookies. Mainly cookie dough.

    I didn’t even try to sense the very quiet and sweet voice of the Holy Spirit. I said, “nope, I’m eating cookie dough” through my tears. There, God!

    I did the same thing the next day. Cookie dough for dinner. I was feeding my emotions.

    And then the next morning as I awoke, I heard the Holy Spirit’s voice so clearly in my spirit–“This is not a real problem.”

    No one had died. I still had a job. Our house wasn’t in foreclosure. Those are real problems.

    The Holy Spirit gently did what cookie dough wasn’t able to do. He spoke to my heart and healed my hurt. He gave me a holy perspective and peace returned.

    Anyone want to say Alleluia?

    “Though a righteous man falls seven times, he will get up, but the wicked will stumble into ruin.” Proverbs 24:16

    In the past, I would’ve stumbled into ruin. I would’ve binged and punished myself for “breaking my diet.” I would’ve been “off the wagon” for weeks. Then I would’ve willed myself to get back on my diet and do better. (Lather, rinse, repeat!)

    But here’s where God has me in this incredible journey–and where He wants all of us. He spoke to me in my pain and wooed me back to Himself.

    Honestly, I’m not craving cookie dough today; I’m craving God’s gentle voice in my life. I want more of Him. I want to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice to guide and comfort me.

    I crave more of God! (This is a work that God has done in me! And I’m grateful!)

    “Though a righteous man falls seven times, he will get up, but the wicked will stumble into ruin.” Proverbs 24:16

    If, like me, you’ve fallen…it’s time to get up.

    And to get up, we must want what God wants more than what we want. It’s not about the weight, the diet, the scale. It’s about a closer walk with God, learning to hear His sweet voice daily.

    I’ll say Alleluia myself!

    Alleluia!

  • You Are Beautiful! Don’t Believe It?

    You Are Beautiful! Don’t Believe It?

    Would you ever talk to your child or grandchild the way you talk to yourself? Would you say “you’re so gross!” “you’re fat!” “you’re hideous!”?

    Of course, you wouldn’t. And, yet, we talk to ourselves that way when we look at our bodies in the mirror. We allow the hateful voices to play over and over in our minds until we believe them.

    A few years ago, I was teaching at a ministry conference about trends in children’s ministry. I’d worked hard to develop the content. I was ready, but I wasn’t sure I could make it to the session I was to teach. As I got dressed that morning in my hotel room, I was bombarded with thoughts: “I’m hideous!” “I’m huge!” “Why would anyone listen to me?” “I can’t go teach that class!” I even felt five times bigger than I actually was!

    It was spiritual warfare! And it took everything to leave that hotel room. On the elevator, I joined someone from our company’s business department. “How are you?” he asked innocently. “I am being so attacked right now by the enemy!” I responded. Awkward! What do you say to that?

    I made it into that room where hundreds waited and by God’s grace, we had a great session together. But it was a battle to make it there! I was almost robbed of a great ministry experience and being used by God.

    Think of all the things awful self-talk steals from us–getting together with old friends (oh, I haven’t lost the weight), attending parties (I’m too fat and ugly), going to the beach/lake/pool with kids (ahem…swimsuits). Maybe these thoughts even keep us from meeting the right one. Or even worse–being the right one that God can use.

    I’m convinced that this journey we’re on is about more than food cravings and appetite. It’s a spiritual battle. “For our struggle is against the spiritual forces of wickedness” (Ephesians 6:12).

    Sometimes I wonder if the enemy is so aware of the great potential of an army of women who are in tune with the voice of God–instead of cravings; who walk in the Spirit instead of the flesh; who live free from the bondage of the world’s system of diets. I wonder if the enemy is so aware that he works triple time to take us out with bondage to food and diets–and his #1 tool is self-hate.

    Those hateful words we say to ourselves are straight from the pit of hell. And when we listen to them, we start believing them. And when we believe them, we become them. And when we become them, we are benched. We’re taken out!

    Jesus said in John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life–and have it abundantly!”

    Whatever your self-talk is…if it’s not something you’d say to your own child or grandchild, shut it down! I can guarantee you that these messages aren’t from a loving Father. And if they’re not from Him, then they are from the enemy who despises us and wants to disable us from powerful service to God.

    “Take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

    How do we do this? In the power of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to help you stop the hateful self-talk. Ask God to help you discern His loving voice and to shut down the enemy’s destructive voice.

    Focus on what’s good. Fill your mind with kindness toward yourself.

    “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

    Here’s an example. I have an issue with my arms–no one’s going to see these arms! I think they’re flabby and ugly and old and…you get the message. So, instead of thinking those things…why not think about how strong they are…how gentle they are with my precious grandson…how much they love to hug and pat the ones I love…how skilled they are at typing…the amazing things they can knit, cook, write, design… (you get the picture).

    My prayer for you, dear friend, is that you shut down the awful messages that have made you feel ugly…that have sidelined you from kingdom work…that have robbed you of the abundant life Jesus gives us. Here’s to the power of the positive in our lives! Thank you, God!