A Thought to Chew On...

"It's not what you don't eat, it is what you do eat"

"A New Creation no longer lives in obedience to her fleshly appetites"

Freedom Within

Todays devotion from Oswald Chamber's "My Utomost from His Highest" really highlights the main points of Week 9.
Enjoy...

March 14 (Oswald Chambers)
2011
. . . you are that one’s slaves whom you obey . . . —Romans 6:16

The first thing I must be willing to admit when I begin to examine what controls and dominates me is that I am the one responsible for having yielded myself to whatever it may be. If I am a slave to myself, I am to blame because somewhere in the past I yielded to myself. Likewise, if I obey God I do so because at some point in my life I yielded myself to Him.
If a child gives in to selfishness, he will find it to be the most enslaving tyranny on earth. There is no power within the human soul itself that is capable of breaking the bondage of the nature created by yielding. For example, yield for one second to anything in the nature of lust, and although you may hate yourself for having yielded, you become enslaved to that thing. (Remember what lust is— “I must have it now,” whether it is the lust of the flesh or the lust of the mind.) No release or escape from it will ever come from any human power, but only through the power of redemption. You must yield yourself in utter humiliation to the only One who can break the dominating power in your life, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. “. . . He has anointed Me . . . to proclaim liberty to the captives . . .” (Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 61:1).
When you yield to something, you will soon realize the tremendous control it has over you. Even though you say, “Oh, I can give up that habit whenever I like,” you will know you can’t. You will find that the habit absolutely dominates you because you willingly yielded to it. It is easy to sing, “He will break every fetter,” while at the same time living a life of obvious slavery to yourself. But yielding to Jesus will break every kind of slavery in any person’s life.

A Choice To Choose

We are the product of a Choice...

God's choice to "knit us together in our mother's womb"

God's choice to love us with His perfect love

God's choice to be in relationship with us.

God's choice to choose to send His Son to die so we can live.

All choices...

Every second we are faced with a choice to choose...

Paper or plastic. Chocolate or vanilla. Mountains or beach. Coffee or Tea.

A choice to receive

A choice to do something... a choice to do nothing

A choice to be bitter... a choice to be better

A choice to blame.... a choice to forgive.

A choice to do nothing is still a choice

A choice to stay “stuck” is still a choice

A choice to be indecisive is a choice.

Choosing to choose.

A choice to choose to ...

"Submit to God. Resist the devil. Come near to God...(James 4:7-8)

So God “will come near” and temptation will flee.

Living in the moments of choice...a choice to believe the truth and a choice to flee from the lies which feed the wrong choice.

Choose today to live as a product of a Perfect Choice because you are!

Thoughts to Chew on

Food never delivers on its promises.

Food only has the power that we give to it.

Running to a food stronghold = Giving power to the powerless.

Only God satisfies.

God is always enough.

God makes me be enough.

David and Goliath....a battle between Truth and Lies. What appears to be bigger is actually smaller...when God is added.

* Little David vs. Big Goliath..

*Saul's Armor vs. a Slingshot

Reality: The Small kid won...because he had a bigger God!

Triggers are only as powerful as the power we give them.

God is more powerful than any trigger.

Triggers set off our pain.

Emotions are attached to a wound. Jesus heals wounds. Jesus heals emotions.

The triggers of Who, What, When, and Where...Do I respond to God or react and run to food?

When triggered...what are you feeling?

Why do you think you are feeling...angry, guilty, afraid....?

Respond instead of reacting to a trigger...

Acknowledge how you are feeling.

Acknowledge the circumstance that is bringing up the emotion.

Bring God's truth into the circumstance and emotion.

Emotions are attached to a wound. Jesus heals wounds. Jesus heals emotions.

Food was the only thing in my life that I could control, when everything else around me was out of control.

I couldn't control the deep seated emotions which were emerging.

I coulnd't control my circustances,

I couldn't control what others thought about me..

I couldn't control how others treated me.....

......so I chose food to control!

What I was controlling controlled me!

God is the Master Controller over my emotions, circumstances, people...over all triggers.

God's Chocolate Heart

Valentines day....A day to tell our loved ones "I love You"...and how do we do this...with chocolate. How did I feel love...with chocolate, with food. When I wanted the hug, food hugged me. It hugged every part of me, so I couldn't even feel what I was originally feeling. It took the sting of pain away....but only for a split second. In that first bite, and then the second...and it doesn't end there, because food can never love me like I needed to be love.
God also sends us a valentine, to tell us that "I Love You". It doesn't come wrapped in a gold wrapper, it comes in a manger. An innocent little baby who grows up to tell us to "Come"....to Him....when we are weary and heavy laden". Do I "come" to Jesus when I am weary...or do choose that heart shaped chocolate?
This Valentine's day, embrace the gift of love that is all wrapped up in Jesus. Ask Him to feed your heart.

Chewing Thoughts from Jackie

" food hugs me" (week5) when wonering why I run to food

" god loved me back to health"

"feeding the wound grows the wound. Feeding the spirit produces freedom"

" feeding the starved child" ( what r u feeding your starved child inside? Food or god? ( week about the vine)

Quotes from Jackie:

“I would treat myself better – take better care of myself. I would respect myself and know my dignity and security is in Him. I would not belittle myself.”

"I would take every thought captive. I would desire to make my thoughts a sanctuary God can inhabit, where God can dwell comfortably."

"I am able to control my thoughts and this is what I would like my thoughts to be." (Tozer)

“It is a habit that becomes a necessity that has power over my ability to make choices.”

“We can chew on God’s Word – it is not fattening, though it is sweet to our taste… sweeter than honey!” (from Psalm 119).