Car Conversations

The great philosopher, Mr. Jon Bon Jovi, sums it up perfectly, “Woah, we’re half way there, Woah, livin’ on a prayer.  Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear.  Woah, livin’ on a prayer!”  This picture was taken last week after I passed the 25 pound mark, actually at 26.4, but who’s counting?  I’ve been working so very hard to chip away at this, week by week, day by day, pound by half a pound.  The brutal reality is that the truly hard work is yet to begin.  It’s clearly established I have the ability to lose weight; I’ve lost hundreds of the same pounds repetitively.  I know my goal is within reach but I start to get nervous thinking about actually getting there.  The question I ask this week is what am I going to do differently this time when I reach my goal?  I lift this question in prayer, like every week, because I just cannot ever go back to the way things were before.  I just can’t.  God, what do I do differently this time?  

This question was heavy on my heart while driving to work early Monday morning.  Thoughts of different ideas are racing through my mind.   I fill with anxiety trying to force an answer, a plan, a solution to research.  I feel this huge sense of urgency to strategize an outline for all of these concepts and determine a plan to implement multiple paths in time for when I reach my goal.  My mind is in a desperate panic circling nowhere.  Suddenly, as I drive around a bend, I notice the moon peeking through a break in the clouds shining down over the swamplands.  I drive through this area every morning keeping an eye out for alligators that may be attempting to cross the road.  Just like that, my mind comes to a screeching halt.  I take a long deep breath realizing the insanity of my thoughts and question if I’m starting to lose more than weight.  “Do crazy people know they’re crazy?” I think to myself.

I slow my speed after the curve to comply with the state law and avoid a repeat trip to traffic court.  I started to feel a sense of calm and peace come over me as the car slows.  I now feel I am not alone in the car.  Peacefully, quietly and slowly all of these questions are placed upon my heart; I feel they are from God.  “Where is your faith?  Why are you so worried about tomorrow?  Because of me, you already have everything you need inside of you.  One day at a time.  That is your plan, one day at a time.  Where is your faith in me?  Where is your faith in yourself?  You already have everything you need.”

Clearly these thoughts were not of my own imagination because I was just on a one way train to crazy town moments prior.  I didn’t know what to say back to God feeling humbled and quite frankly, loved.  I was reminded of all the times I truly believe and tell others that they have angels watching over them and guiding them when I often don’t believe it’s true for me.  I cross the drawbridge at the edge of the swampland as I near Savannah when I hear, “It’s time you start believing these things to be true for you."  

This week I have new questions to answer.  Where is my faith?  Where is my faith in myself?  How do I take this one day at a time?  What is it that is already inside of me?   Here is what God revealed to me in my quest to seek answers.
 

Faith

If you have faith as a grain of a mustard seed, you will say to the mountain, “Move!” and it will move… and nothing will be impossible for you.  Matthew 17:20

Faith is knowing one of two things will happen.  There will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.  I saw a quote that said “A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but on its wings.”  God is telling me to put my faith in Him and confidence in myself.  Corrie Ten Boom says, “Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.”  When the voices of doubt start whispering, I need to turn-up the volume of faith and listen to my heart.

One Day at a Time

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own. Mathew 6:34 

Change from thinking big to thinking small.  If you think you’ll go forever with never having another bite of sugar, cigarette or drink, it’s too overwhelming and the first thing you’ll want is a cookie.  Whatever it is you want to become, take one step.  All I know for sure is that this won’t be the day I give up on my healthy diet.  Not today.  Not today.  It’s obvious to me that you overcome addiction by reconnecting with the God, the source of well-being, and you do it one day, one hour, one minute, one second at a time.  All the work of all addictions (food, drugs, work, or email) is to move to a place that you think small. Lao Tzu says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  It seems cliche' perhaps, but it is true.

One day at a time is focusing on stopping for just one day and this will lead to months and eventually years of sobriety.  Trying to deal with all of life’s problems at one time is overwhelming.  Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its troubles, it empties today of its strength. Most of the things that we worry about in the future are never going to happen.  It is only possible to find happiness in this moment, here and now.  The song Beautiful Boy, Darling Boy by John Lennon says, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”  One day at at time is how I will handle weight maintenance.  God revealed to me that the same thing that gets me there will be the same thing that keeps me there.

I got the power in me!

John 14:12  Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  You may ask for anything in my name, and I will do it.

 
What does it truly mean to have the power of God within me?  I think we underestimate what we are capable of.  God revealed some real truth to me with this one!  It’s time to stay true to theme of this blog and let’s get real, really real!

Billy Alsbrooks wrote the book, “Blessed and Unstoppable.” He says, "You can tell the level of faith a person has by the size of their dreams.  True believers dream bigger and aim higher because they know the size of the God they serve.  You need to set enormous, edge of insanity goals for yourself.  The time of being practical is over.   Dreaming with boldness takes the limits off of God.  It allows him to work the miracles that He is so willing to do.  Don’t set your goals in relation to your own abilities.  Set you goals in accordance with the God you serve.  All things are possible with God so if you align with Him and his principles you are blessed and unstoppable.  Everything you need to accomplish your dream is already inside you." 

When you gain revelation to the power within you, there’s not a wall, an obstacle or a mountain that can stand in your way.  All things are possible to those who believe.  We have been granted, through grace, the power and authority to accomplish our divine assignment.  God doesn’t want us to be sick, broke, fat or defeated. He has placed seeds of greatness inside of all of us.  He wants us to prosper so we can give a shining testimony to His greatness.  I pray this for each and every single reader of this blog this week.  I pray this for me; I pray this for you.

Results for the week:  -1.8 lbs lost; Total Lost: 28.2

D.O.W. = 119 

Starting weight:  182.0; Current weight: 153.8