Today

For me yesterday is still today. It's nearly 2 AM, and I've been sitting here, tapping away from sheer momentum (not from determination) and gradually deleting the excess from my e-mail inbox. Here's hoping to reach J.R.'s required status of being able to view all the e-mails in the little window with no scrolling. Soon! Down to 70 right now.

Just finished up day 12 of no refined sugar sweets. Not missing it, really. I've even managed to survive through a Dessert gathering and a birthday party. I definitely still get my treats and am now trying to figure out how to move into "eating less or nothing when I'm not actually hungry" mode. Baby steps? I really don't need yogurt with cereal, nuts, and raisins RIGHT after lunch. That's my dessert now: even though it's somewhat healthy, it's totally unnecessary.

Some words have been entering my world of late that line up in crazy ways with my issues. Just finished reading Pilgrim's Progress (who would have thought?) and appreciating how personifying weaknesses and sins makes them less "gauzy." Easier to see. In myself.

Last night randomly followed a facebook acquaintance's link for a few webpages and sadly reading post after post from self-proclaimed pagans denouncing a Christian prayer movement. Startled at encountering a woman's declaration that one pagan can "conquer" or counter-balance many Christians, because according to her, many pagans are well trained in their practical arts, while most Christians only have words or vague notions of their beliefs, but no discipline or training. How true! I mean that many Christians lack training in the sense of developing faith into muscles, strength to change, bear fruit, etc. Me particularly. Made me think of sport's training. Over time, building muscles through testing and discipline. Mentally resolved to enter into more serious training through time with God.

Then, amazingly, listening to Chip Ingram's series "The Miracle of Life Change" while washing dishes this evening, he gives me this: "In some cases, God miraculously delivers from certain [sins], and there are other areas of besetting sin, and the only way [these] besetting sins are overcome are by going into Spiritual Training." And the next few podcasts cover the "training stations" (weight-lifting analogy). Whoop! I feel like my first besetting sin (not food/sweets) was healed miraculously by God in one fell swoop. NOW, I've been granted an opportunity and alignment of resources and encouragement to enter into training to conquer my food addiction besetting sin. I felt strengthened simply by having the sports analogy applied, and I look forward to getting stronger in this area. Baby steps.