I am on a diet. The first day I was grumpy and my head hurt. The next days I carefully measured out the limited foods I could have and tried to enjoyed the thrill of embarking on a new diet adventure. Then came the day I mistakenly put "basil" (instead of sweet basil) on my salad. I literally cringed as I ate the whole thing. It's amazing what you will eat when you are sooo hungry! Day 4 , I temporarily went off of the diet for just one meal, so I could enjoy a D..E...L...I...C...I...O...U...S "Ladies Royal Tea" , I'd been invited to for lunch. The next day I went straight back on it and had to sit at lunch (with some wonderful long time friends, who'd surprised us by coming to our church service) sipping iced tea, cause I didn't have time to go home and get my "diet food". Would you believe I actually had to give up the ice-cream Sunday ( WITH WHIPPED CREAM AND CHOCOLATE SAUCE!!!) the waiters brought me to celebrate my belated birthday??? Today I have a teeny , tiny headache and need to go shopping for more of the ingredients that are in my diet so I can survive the week. This coming Saturday Mark and I will attend a wedding, complete with a fancy schmancy reception with all the DREAMY CAKE AND FOOD one longs to eat in a day! But I will stick to my strict diet.
By now I am almost a little embarrassed as I review the previous paragraph , looking at all of the Capital lettered words. You'd think I like food a little bit! Ha ha! Being on a diet is really, really hard for me. For the most part it's not pleasant. There are always special occasions coming up ( like every Wednesday my hair comes out to my liking, or every time one of my girls says "mom I passed the Math Test", or every Friday when I think to myself, "I've exercised 5 days straight....time to reward myself with a frappachino!") Food just comes in handy for so much more than fueling my body.
I am not a disciplined person by nature. I love to refer to myself as a girl with a "free-spirit". While that may serve me well in many areas of my life, in the eating healthy area , it does not. I REALLY need discipline. I have struggled with this most of my adult life. So, today for my scripture memory verse I have chosen a most appropriate verse from His word to help me out here. It comes from Hebrews 12:11 "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Let me tell you that for the 3 weeks I will be on this "jump-start" diet, it will not seem pleasant....and for Barby Schwarz....it is "painful" to give up some of these comfort foods . (Seriously, why even bother going to the wedding if you can't enjoy the cake at the reception?!) But then I read the rest of the verse....." it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it", and I want that. I'm in. I'm in for some righteousness and peace. I long for the Lord to help me conquer this struggle in my life.
I will be praying for each of you as you work on your verse this next two weeks. I hope that your heart has been so blessed by the verses you've been working on so far. I'm overwhelmed at times, at how profoundly and timely The Lord brings my verses to my mind and works them out in my heart in various situations . God is soooo good to us. Be blessed, as you "ingest" one more verse to have in your heart to live your life for HIM.
Hebrews 12:11
ReplyDelete"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
The discipline of dieting is gonna be a battle I will struggle with my whole life.....but the results of righteousness and peace......are going to be so worth it.
Since we're on this diet together, it seems appropriate that I memorize Hebrews 12:11 too. Love Pam
ReplyDeleteEMILYS VERSE
ReplyDeleteEmily wanted you girls to know that she finally memorized all of her verse..."Philippians 2: 3-11" and recited it in front of her youth group last Wednesday. She says she is going to keep remembering that one for now.
DENIA VERSE
ReplyDeleteIThess 5:16-18 Always be joyful. Keep on praying no matter what happens. Always be thankful for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
My life is a struggle with a emotional disturbed child who my husband and I adopted 7yrs ago. My heart breaks for her every day.
It is May 5th and I am in beautiful San Diego with a view of the Pacific Ocean and Seaport Village from my Hotel room. There are no meals to prepare, children to school, laundry to do, animals to care for, just rest and relaxation for the next seven days. My husband will be at a conference everyday and we will have lunch and dinner together but my days will be free. So on my first day I decide to get up early and have some great uniterrupted quiet time with the Lord. My cell phone rings, son not feeling well, air conditioner not working, the house is boiling, and grandma is not sure what to do. But I just smile and say Lord I need to see your blessings in all my circumstances, whether it be time alone or in the things that I have no control over. So my 4th memory verse is:
ReplyDeleteProv. 3:5,6 NAS Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your way acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
Well I am finally home and getting my computer to work. Thanks Barby for the kind words in #3 . So now I am jumping back in with my verse for #4. It is Psalm 37: 3-5
ReplyDeleteTrust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord and he will give you your heart"s desire. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him and he will help you. (ok so that's a long passage. I memorize sometimes by acting out each line, having a physical action that represents each phrase.)
Romans 8:28...And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
ReplyDelete