Happy New Year! Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? The new year gives us a new beginning and a fresh opportunity to make changes in our habits and activities. Many resolve to go to the gym, get organized, or drop a dress size. New Year’s resolutions define what we plan to do in the new year but they don’t address something that I believe is more important: what we BELIEVE about ourselves.
What we believe about ourselves drives our behavior.
One of the keys to survival in this dog-eat-dog world is knowing when to get help. When our back hurts, we go to the chiropractor. When we are worried, we call a friend. When we have had surgery, our neighbors and church family bring us meals. There comes a time when we exhaust all that we can do on our own and we have to call on someone to come to our aid. It is humbling and difficult to admit defeat but it is an important skill for health and growth.
There are lingering wounds in my heart that time and prayer alone have been unable to heal. There are battle scars from raising children and leading a ministry and family relationships that I need help with. I admit defeat. I need help. I can’t overcome them on my own, try as I might. So today, August 1st, beginning at 10 am, I’m getting some help from one of my pastors and a wise Christian woman.
This is a guest post by my college roommate and best friend, Nicole Holmes.
Confession: I’m a big, fat liar … to myself.
Last week, my kids were bickering in the other room. I heard my 7-year-old daughter, who is known for her flair for the dramatic, say to her 9-year-old brother, “that’s a big fat lie.” In this case, it was a misunderstanding about a LEGO battle. But it made me think about big, fat lies.
Here’s a big, fat lie I’ve been believing: “if I can fit it all in, I can do it all.”
Here’s its favorite companion, “I’m fine.”
And, another one of my ‘regulars’: “if I keep trying, I can make it work.”
Sharing is caring. If this post encouraged you, will you share it on Facebook so that it could bless your friends,too? Thanks for helping me to reach more struggling women with encouragement, hope, and grace.In our society there is an obsession with weight. Check out the “new books” section at your local library and you will find scores of weight loss books. Most of them promise that it will be quick and painless, too. I have been at a stable body weight for about 20 years. Of course, I’ve traveled up and down the scale at times, but I usually bounce back to the same number. This is where my body likes to be.
A couple of years ago I developed some rather OCD behaviors related to my body weight. I would go into this cycle of going out of town, eating out, gaining weight, coming home, and then trying to lose the gained weight so I could return to my target, healthy weight. I think that all of us can agree that losing weight is not painless or quick! It can be sheer torture.
Sharing is caring. If this post encouraged you, will you share it on Facebook so that it could bless your friends,too? Thanks for helping me to reach more struggling women with encouragement, hope, and grace.