Okay, so week 1 of our Thin Within journey is over for some, about to be over for others….so what did you think?
For me, I love Heidi’s devotionals for both “The Beginning” and “Week 1” she bought out some things for me to really think about, and to re-train my way of thinking! “Repentance is not feeling bad about my sin. It is planning to change.” When I read that in The Beginning devotion my mind really began to go. How often have I felt that I needed to beat myself up or berate myself in order to truly repent, but never thought past that to “How am I going to change that?” That really made me start to re-think repentance and how I handle it and what God truly desires me to do to show repentance. He is not looking for the worst thing “I” can come up with to call myself or to punish myself, but like me with my own children, He wants for me to realize what I have done, ask for His forgiveness and then with His help set out and plan how I am going to change that, avoid it, or whatever is needed so as not to repeat the undesired again. Sounds a lot more logical than the way I tend to handle it!
In Week 1 Heidi also brought out something that I know I am bad about doing ~ decieving. I know that I say I am concerned about weight for health, and on some level I truly am ~ I am asthmatic and the extra pounds make breathing more difficult at times, and there is a history of diabetes in my family ~ along with being gestational diabetic during my pregnancies, my doctor has some concerns. Weight plays such a big role in both of those health issues, but in all honesty I want to be thin. I want for others (women) to see me as thin ~ there is that dog gone it Vanity!!! What an evil witch she is!! So this week I am trying to set my eyes to Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (provided for you , he will give you everything you need, and all these things will be added to you)
I liked how all of the translations put it so I included several of them :0) If I seek the Lord he will take care of the rest. I think of us as wives ~ isn’t that what we seek in our husbands, someone who we can give the problems of the day or ife to and they will fix it and make it better ~ God is our ultimate Knight in Shining Armor!!!
So how did the assignment go for you? I learned a bit about myself, but mostly confirms what I already knew. For Day 1 my biggest angst was “My Current Relationship with Food” and what I learned. I learned that being the mother of many with ages ranging as they do ( six girls from 21 to almost 5) I tend to multi-task even when I am eating! I may stand at the kitchen counter and go over the calendar, or notes from teachers, kids homework while eating. If you look around my computer desk at this moment there is a cup from this mornings coffee and a Special K wrapper as well ~ eating while blogging, facebooking or sending out emails. This then led to Keys to Conscious Eating. My hardest two would have to be #2 Reduce the number of distractions (as a mom this seems to be a little unrealistic!) which then, for me, leads to #6 Paying attention to my food. If I cannot reduce the number of distractions how will I pay attention to my food and enjoy it? I could put some children up for adoption ~ but I really don’t think this is what God’s plan is. I realize all too well why this is a bible study as well ~ I need to turn to God and rely on His strength when mine (and my patience) fail me.
The LORD your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing. ~ Zephinia 3:17
I loved this verse this week. I even used this as my attribute for God for this week: He is my Mighty Warrior ~ how can I fail with that as my Knight in Shining Armor? Better yet I think of the fact that I am human and I will stumble and fall, but these are the hands that are going to pick me up and help me along. I really like this new way of looking at the Lord ~ my own White Knight. It makes me think of all of those romance novels with the dashing and suave hero ~ look I have (we ALL have) our very own!!
Here is a YouTube of Heidi discussing what she refers to as the three steps of Thin Within ~ Hope you enjoy!
Have a great week ~
Angela
Journeys 