Friday, February 28, 2014

I am courageous!

That sentence has been on my mind a lot this past week...I am courageous! I always had in my mind an idea of courage...people I've learned about or knew that seemed courageous. Like Martin Luther King Jr. He faced a hard reality head on with God leading & overcame so much with courage. Or Helen Keller. She was deaf & blind from young childhood on yet achieved so much in her life due to digging deep & being full of courage. Then of course Jesus. He was THE Son of God, yet came to live among us humans. He was & is the epitome of courage. Looking at all these people, I sometimes find it hard to find my courageous moments in life...if there are any, they definitely don't seem to be the same depth of courage as these few people listed. But then, I look up the definition of courage & expand on that a moment...

Courage means the power of dealing with or facing danger, fear, pain, etc.; the confidence to act in accordance with one's beliefs. But my favorite definition: the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc without fear. Whew! Just typing it made me sweat! ha j/k j/k. :) Now that I read the definition & think back through my life, I really am courageous! :) Of course, in many situations I had room to take action on that courage a lot more than I did, but hey, live & learn & grow, right?! :)

Now to think of being courageous with my cravings, especially my food cravings. Lysa Terkuerst (author of Made to Crave) mentions how I can be courageous with choosing healthy options...not only when I'm in front of other people, but more than that when I'm at home & no one is around. Wow! Then God ran with that & showed me how this craving of food can be such a HUGE blessing in my life in this way...here's a peek at how the convo went down between me & my Best Friend, the Holy Spirit. ;)

Me: "God, why is it I have to have this craving of food...why can't my craving be with something else that's easier to deal with &/or stay away from??"
God: "Jenn, think about how many times a day you face food..."
Me: "A lot...multiple times a day. That's the problem. ha"
God: "Now, think about all those times & choosing to eat as I lead you..."
Me: "I've been doing that through this study & it definitely has me feeling closer to You for sure. :)
God: "Do you realize that is living courageously? Like Lysa said choosing courageously the good healthy food over the junk especially when only Me & you know..."
Me: "So, that's considered courage? Never thought about that. Just thought it was obedience more than anything."
God: "Yes, it's obedience, but how easy is it to choose the junk & satisfy the temporary craving rather than look to Me to fill that craving? See, if you can choose courageously in those moments in particular, how much more courage in Me can you live out in other situations in your life that you only face for a moment rather than daily??"
Me: "Wow...that's awesome! I've been blessed rather than cursed...I get to live this issue out so to bring You glory through it by applying its truths to other situations too. You are awesome, God! Thank You Holy Spirit for this wisdom. Man, I love You."
God: "I love you too...you put a smile on My face!" :)

Now, did I have a full out audible convo with God? No, but this rather happened in the depths of my soul. The Holy Spirit was impressing in my soul all this wisdom for a battle I thought I was cursed with. I was finally ready to gain wisdom & understanding in an area that had almost overtaken my life due to the defeat I felt repeatedly. God now fights this battle for me. Is it easy to turn away from the brownie or cake or fudge or cookies or...you get the idea. No, it's not, but it's EASIER now that I know I don't have to resist by my own self-power. I've allowed God to work through me so to cause me to crave good healthy things. :)

What about you? Do you feel any more empowered now realizing God loves ALL parts of you, including what you eat? You pray blessing over your food, why not pray about your food & if you should eat that particular item?? ;) You are loved...You are courageous. If you don't feel that way, have a little talk with Jesus. Tell Him all about your trouble. He will hear your cry & answer. (That's a song, too! haha)

Please, if you don't know the God I speak of & don't have a personal relationship with Him...don't wait. Message me or comment on this post. There are multiple resources to help you understand more about God, Who is love. Or contact your pastor or a close Jesus-lovin' Christian friend that you feel comfortable being real with. We need each other...the support helps, especially when we choose to live courageously! :)

Joshua 1:9
"Be strong & courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."


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5 comments:

  1. I love that quote from Eleanor Roosevelt and you're post is spot on with courage being in the everyday decisions we make, right down to food choices. Well, that's my take away from reading your post :) Thanks for sharing your conversation with God, very cool. Blessing to you!!

    Trish (P31 Blog Hop Team)

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    1. Thank you for stopping by & reading. :) I know the Made To Crave study & the MTC Action Plan study have been such blessings for me! :)

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  2. I absolutely love the conversation you shared between you and God. I have had similar conversations,. Sometimes it is easy to forget to include God even in what we view I as small decisions or ones we don't necessarily want to follow Gods will for. Thanks for sharing!

    God b

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    1. God Bless,
      Patti P - proverbs 31 obs group 40

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    2. Thank you! You are right...it is easy. It's been so awesome though to involve God & follow the Holy Spirit in this part of my life. :) He's given me wisdom & blessings regarding my food cravings.

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