God's Goodness to Me

The first words are always the hardest, don't you agree? I want to share this awesome, extremely tough journey The Lord has me on, but trying to find the opening sentence is always the toughest for me. Anyway......

It has been almost a year and a half since I started the Made to Crave journey. It all started when I sensed the call to avoid all sweets for a year, a choice I thought would be impossible, but was actually empowering.

The year has come and gone. I am 30 lbs. lighter and I still eat very little sweets. I am not 30 lbs. lighter just for that reason alone. It is a spiritual journey I have walked and I learned I was overweight physically because I was underweight spiritually. For months it was truly hard to wrap my mind around many of the concepts from the book, Made to Crave, but one by one, I opened myself to the Lord, listening to His tender leading and I followed. 

I learned that I desired food, more than Him. That food was an idol in my life, because I turned to it for everything rather than Him. A bad day, a pity party I was having, a self -righteous deserving attitude, just to name a few.  Food was my comfort, my best friend and even though I loved God with ALL my heart, food was my first resort to make me feel better about anything. I believed lies for years. Lies such as, "I deserve this!" "I work hard!" and "who is ANYONE, to tell ME what I can or cannot eat!?".

Month by month, I submitted to my Heavenly Father, along with many mistakes and little by little the excess weight came off. 

Don't misunderstand, this was not just a spiritual journey of surrender, but a physical application one as well. I eliminated junk and sweets and stopped eating after 8pm. I also began to exercise and ignore any excuses that the enemy fed me. 

Each day was tough, moments at night were torture. Yielding to God in this area of my life, was and still is, the toughest place I have ever walked! It has been painful. Not fun and HARD! But my God is so good, faithful and HIS strength alone has carried, sustained me minute by minute.

Since January of this year, I have stayed at a certain weight and try as I might can't seem to loose past my 30lbs loss. I have struggled, fought and gotten mad! "I'm doing everything by the book, Lord!" 

Once again, I hear and feel the gentle wind of His spirit desiring growth out of me again. "It's not about the number on the scale."  AHHHHH, not what I want to hear! 

This is a lesson of surrender and freedom. A practical application of treating my temple the best way I possibly can. Asking myself with EACH food choice, "Is this beneficial to my body?". With the surrender of the scale, after a lifetime of hating my size AND my body, I feel FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Freedom in Christ, all the while, listening to  His leading on how to take care of this temple. 

THIS is my testimony of God's awesome goodness to me and the journey I have been on. 

Coffee Shop Travels Part 1

It is established that I love coffee, so much so that I consider it a hobby of mine.

The boys and I are out here in Dayton, Ohio this week with my hubby while he has some job training and I have taken this opportunity to sample all of the local coffee haunts, to my delight!

The first place was Boston Stoker.

The sign made the place look interesting and once I walked through the front door, the "interesting" ensued. It was dark, almost "bar" dark. Not that I would know this personally having ever been to a bar, but using the movies I've seen as an reference. It was very spacious and I walked around with curiosity. I ventured towards the back and to my surprise I noticed a cigar bar and display. Unique. I have never seen this before, or thought that cigars and coffee made a good couple, but then again, I've never smoked a cigar, so who knows. 

I ordered my usual, a straight cappuccino. The gentleman was dressed more like a cigar connoisseur than a coffee barista, but he made my cappuccino with care, so it didn't much matter to me. As I put to my lips for the first sip,it was strong and very smokey. I know, the irony of it being in a coffee/cigar shop, but it was good. I just have to wonder if some cigar tobacco was mixed into this cappuccino of mine. One last note. This is a local company with just nine locations. 

My second stop, Tim Hortons.

 I have heard of this coffee company because about six months ago, they came out with discs for the Tassimo coffee machine. I was not a hug fan of the Tim Horton coffee at home, but was curious how it tasted from the actual location. Upon walking in, it had a "Dunkin Doughnuts" feel. They served breakfast, doughnuts and paninis and oddly enough, coffee seemed to be an after thought. Everything else they sold was pushed to the forefront, leaving the coffee as an add on sale. The coffee was weak, for me. But, I would imagine it rates high with a normal coffee consumer, milder in taste, but it did have its own distinct taste and about halfway through my cappuccino. I found myself enjoying it.

Part 2 to follow soon!

Too Long Too Little

The first words are always the toughest, don't you think?

It has been literally months, since I have posted. In fact for many of you, you probably are unaware that I have a blog.

Life got me busy, two wonderful little blessings in my life. There doesn't seem to be much time in between those little blessings of  mine always running thru the house needing  mommy most every few minutes and I enjoy it immensely! I don't want to rush them through this precious age where I am their world, for I know that it will end all too quickly.

So, why now?

Because I have missed writing, sharing my heart to whoever will hear and maybe, just maybe, this journey I'm on will inspire or encourage you. This is my hope. Here is this place, I am real and raw.

Crystal