Baby Steps

I have decided that it is all about the baby steps.  Little things make a big difference.  This is a phrase that has become very popular in our house over the summer.  I started using it in an attempt to get my kids to help out more with laundry, dishes, etc. 
Walking/running is going well!  It is exciting.  I have yet to weigh myself and REFUSE to do so until my birthday at the end of this month.  Knowing that I have less than a month is really motivating me to do more, MORE, MORE!  I know I have no will power and so I am going to make a conscious effort to make little changes, take baby steps, and do little things.  Eventually they WILL make a BIG DIFFERENCE.
Cool quote I ran across this morning...

 "SHALLOW DESIRES PRODUCE SHALLOW EFFORTS."

I know I have mentioned the book Made To Crave before.  I am beginning the 21 day challenge today and I WILL NOT GIVE UP!!!  This is not a shallow desire!  Anyone feel led to do it with me?  The following is an excerpt from the email I received on DAY 1...

"One day I looked up the definition of the word indulge, which means “unrestrained action.” And 

for me, it was unrestrained eating. You see, eating in its proper context is not the problem. God 

gave us food for nourishment, strength, and even celebration. But when pleasure becomes unrestrained, there’s a problem.

I had to get honest enough to admit it that I relied on food more than I relied on God. I craved food more than I craved God. Chocolate was my comfort and deliverer. Cookies were my reward. Salty chips were my joy. Food was what I turned to in times of stress, sadness, and even in times of happiness.

I knew it was something God was challenging me to surrender to His control. Really surrender. Surrender to the point where I’d make radical changes for the sake of my spiritual health perhaps even more than my physical health.

Part of my surrender was asking myself a different question, a really raw question. May I ask you this same question? Is it possible we love and rely on food more than we love and rely on God?"

WOW.  That last question hit home for me.  Do I give food and my own personal (shallow) desires more attention than I give my own creator?  Unfortunately for me, the answer is a big, fat, ugly YES.  

Here is my verse for the next week:

"Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness 

because we fear God."     -2 Corinthians 7:1

A key word for me in this verse is EVERYTHING.  Everything, as in food, shallow desires, distractions, junk, ANYTHING that is keeping me in this rut of producing shallow efforts.  The second sentence in this is so important.  I DO fear God and because of this, I should be striving to do more for HIM and not feeding (pun intended) my fleshly desires.  

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is 

not in him."   -John 2:15

Things in the world...  Oh, there are so many things I could say about this!  There are so many things HE says about this!!!  Do you have "things in the world" you struggle with?  Things that may be keeping you from HIM and keep you in the same rut I am in?  It does not have to be food!  We all have different struggles.  We all deal with different "shallow desires".  I WILL make a change.  I WILL do my best to have strong efforts and deep desires!