Christmas Monday Diet Encouragement - by DianaDee Osborne

DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR DAILY DIETERS

December 28       (2015) 

Bummer,
it's a Monday.
The Monday after a MONTH of fun days... Thanksgiving Day!
Leftovers Days!
CHRISTmas fudge & cookies & Friends with Food Gifts!...
Christmas shopping food courts....
Christmas parties with friends.....

Christmas gift to myself of ignoring Calorie Counts & scales.....
Lord, I need Your help................

It's time to focus on taking care of the body God gifted to me. 

ENCOURAGEMENT

Romans 8: 24 God ALREADY gave us hope....
Romans 8: 25   If we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait
     PATIENTLY AND CONFIDENTLY   (in God!). 
Romans 8: 32.  God Gave all for me.  He LOVES me.  2 Peter 3:9 -- God loves us ALL.
Romans 8: 33.  Yes, I've been self-centered including about eating. But
Romans 8: 35, that doesn't stop God from living me.

Romans 8: 37.                          I am 
    MORE THAN A CONQUEROR 
       through Jesus who loves me.
That's because, when I ask, God will help me.

PRAYER -- SPEAK TO GOD ALOUD....

LORD God -- I do ask.
With joy worshiping You for all You've done and all You ARE,
I thank You so much for loving me even though I've been selfish.

And I pray Romans 8:26 -- Holy Spirit, please help me pray.  
I  TRUST  God's Word 
that His Own Spirit shall help me.
I choose You,  The One Trinity LORD God,  
over my selfish desires.  Including for more food than  I should be eating. 

Please forgive me for past sins,
and please show me how I can not only draw closer to You like James 4:8 says,
but also show other people how much JOY they will find
in a daily relationship, a daily devotion to YOU through even daily dieting.

HINTS:

GOD  DOESN'T  CARE  WHAT  THE  SCALE  SAYS.
Really.  All God yearns for is for US to SAY:
God, You are LORD of me.
I go forward in this moment, thinking my thoughts to YOU  instead of to me.

JOYS  from  GOD through OTHERS:

From Brother Lawrence's THE PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD  

(written in the late 1600s;  Public Domain:)

“A little lifting up of the heart suffices; a little remembrance of God, 

an interior act of adoration, even though made on the march and with sword in hand, 

are prayers which, short though they may be, 

are nevertheless very pleasing to God, 

and far from making a soldier lose his courage on the most dangerous occasions, bolster it.

Let him then think of God as much as possible so that 

he will gradually become accustomed to this little but holy exercise..." 
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Christmas Tree Cupcakes Photo credit:   Delsfoods com

©2015,  2012 DianaDee Osborne;  all rights reserved.  

But feel free to print and share for nonprofit usage!

Praying for Coyotes Dieting Parable - by DianaDee Osborne

DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR DAILY DIETERS
December 22
 

First the freshly grown lush grasses of the new homes 
brought the deer.  The former town & city dwellers were delighted  to have a few peaceful creatures!

Then Peaceful Creatures multiplied.

Not so great, but the former town and city dwellers were glad enough for
this reminder that sidewalks and honking vehicles and crowded yards were now history for them.

Then the Peaceful Creatures population exploded with cute babies growing up to eat all the garden and flower foods they wanted in the subdivisions....

Intelligence growing in the herds as the stupid ones died from denting cars was a theory that didn't happen >>  The deer just kept jumping in front of cars and causing major damage --  pain and some deaths,   along with financial burdens.    Deer aren't so cute anymore.

Solution?  Some locations decided to allow the 
wild coyote herds to develop
to kill off the deer
to save gardens & flowers & car collisions.

The result was predictable.  
Lock up Fluffy and Spot at night!

ok --  what's  this  gotta  do  with  dieting?

Well, at first I   -- we --   overate just somewhat.
Our younger bodies could manage some unhealthy eating habits since
we were active, after all.
Then metabolism issues kicked in and-or pain and-or lack of time to exercise.

The fun little habits,  like nibbling deer,  
just seem to multiply until we feel out of control.

After years of this, I found myself praying to God: 
         I am  SO  tired of caring about what I eat.  
         I am so bored with this temptation and  praying about it over and over.  
        Can't Satan just bug off on this one & give me 
                something  different   to be tempted about?
(YUP.
I  REALLY  PRAYED  THAT  STUPID  PRAYER. )

Praying for coyotes.  What a dumb few months of prayer that was.

Maybe -- hopefully -- you've never been that foolish.  But just in case, I figured I'd share my experience and comment:
            Thankfully, God never answered that prayer.

Interestingly,  a couple of people mistakenly *thought* I'd given in to Coyote Level Sins.
            Educated-ly, a lesson from LORD God, 
                     I realized how dangerous my prayer had been:

Weariness:  It  leads to such thought-less praying  &

is USED by SATAN to get us to use our minds in ways 
God would not like -- including
praying for a different temptation -- for Coyotes.

GOD INVITES US to instead
use Ephesians 6:10 to end  prayers for PROTECTION from the nibbling deer sins.
Pray First Corinthians 10:13  DELIVERANCE  from the nibbling deer sins.

Stay alert.  Let God use experiences from foolish people like myself
to fore-warn & encourage you to take up the LORD's weapons of protection:

NEVER PRAY FOR COYOTES.  

  Instead: Pray for the SHEPHERD to beat off

the coyote-serious-level sins  as well as the    
   cute-nibbling-deer sins   that tempt you.

PRAYER
Ephesians 6:10 to end, I pray O LORD.
I choose to put on the armor You give -- but don't shove onto me.  Help me stand firm.
First Corinthians 10:13,  I pray to You O LORD:  Deliver me from temptations.
Luke 11:4 and Matthew 6:13  Jesus's prayer words, I pray O LORD:
Deliver me from ALL temptations and evil.  
I choose to obey you.  I need Your help.
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Photo credits:  Deer:   News-Leader com via Gannett-cdn.   Coyote:  WCPO com
©2015, 2012 DianaDee Osborne;  all rights reserved. 
But feel free to print with copyright info, & share for nonprofit usage!
Other encouraging resources:  http://DianaDeeSongStories.blogspot.com/

Peace from God Dieting Comfort - by DianaDee Osborne

December 20.  PEACE from God

                 FROM   THE   VERY   BEGINNING,               

  GOD  HAS OFFERED  US    ** PEACE  **

         along with His commandments for our sakes:

Exodus 20: 18 to 24, right after God provides commandments

 for   living.... living.... LIVING .....

Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and  when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off.

Then they said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we will hear; 

but let not God speak with us, lest we die."

And Moses said to the people, "Do not fear;   for God has come to test you, 

and that His fear [reverence of Him]  may be before you,  so that you may not sin."

So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God [was]. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. 'You shall not make [anything to be]

 with Me--gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.

"An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it 

your burnt offerings and

your peace offerings,

your sheep and your oxen.

In every place where I record My name 

I will come to you,  & I will  bless  you."  -- GOD 

            -- end of selection from Exodus 20.

DO   WE  ALLOW  GOD  to   RECORD 

        HIS NAME    ON  US

so that God will BLESS us with His PEACE???

ABOUT GOD'S BIBLE:

“.....These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name .”    -- Gospel of JOHN 20: 31

Much peace and comfort to you from God on this day.  -DianaDee
====================


PHOTO CREDIT:  just1city com
©2015, 2012 DianaDee Osborne;  all rights reserved. 
But feel free to print with copyright info, & share for nonprofit usage!
Other encouraging resources:  http://DianaDeeSongStories.blogspot.com/ 

Cookies Crumbling Diet Parable - by DianaDee Osborne

 December 14
I spent yesterday making about 20 dozen cookies with my dear daughter who knows this isn't the happiest time of year for me.  At her place, we spread out a few dozen plates to fill with goodies for her neighbors and co-workers.  As cookies cooled, we loaded up the plates. And chased off twin Siamese kittens and their cohort in crime, Jacob the collie.  All afternoon and night.

But some cookies crumbled.
Sounds like my grandmother's old reassurance when I was upset:

"THAT'S THE WAY THE COOKIE CRUMBLES."

Whatever that means,   I would think.

Some really sad things have happened between the last Christmas that was happy
and this coming one that I hope shall be.
That's the way the cookie crumbles.  That's life.  Everyone has something sad.

Yesterday, quite a few cookies crumbled.
We created a plate for the crumbs... and feasted off them for dinner.
NOT EXACTLY A GOOD ADMISSION FOR A BLOG ABOUT daily DIETING!!!
I confess.
But actually, we both were "good".  enough:)
But that's not the point that IS the point for when we're "dealing" with whatevers---------.

Often our cookies crumble.  Our hopes crumble.  Our Heart cruMple.

But there's goodness in the crumbles, too.
There's actually a joy in knowing we don't have to seek perfections.
A joy in knowing that God LOVES us AND will help us.... seeing the
goodness that God brings out of the crumpling crumbles that Life sometimes makes out of our days.

   Romans 8:28 does not say that God makes our cookies break apart.

   Romans 8:28 says that WHEN our cookies crumble,  God builds a dinner out of them.

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PHOTO CREDIT:  District Kitchenette com

©2015,  2012 (Dec 21) by DianaDee Osborne;  all rights reserved.  

But feel free to print and share for nonprofit usage!

 

Aging Encouragement Dieting - by DianaDee Osborne

APRIL 14                                                                    SUBSCRIBE  
I'm not thrilled about getting older.
In the "old days" I could eat anything I want and my weight would never
vary by more than 3 or 4 pounds.... and then would quickly drop.

I'm less thrilled about the alternative to getting older....
I'd like to serve God longer writing music, writing blogs like this,
playing with children and visiting family and teaching guitar....

So I will continue to plod away each morning renewing my effort to
"eat healthy" and "exercise".... and Reading God's Many Promises of hope
for those of us who are already getting gray.... and for those who are 
already bald and who will never gray thanks to boxes of hair color!.... and all:)

Promises from God like in Isaiah 46:10          CLICK HERE FOR LINK

"I will be your God throughout your lifetime—
until your hair is white with age.
I made you, and I will care for you.
I will carry you along and save you."

PRAYER

LORD GOD, it's so intriguing that PSALM 46, the pattern that
goes with ISAIAH 46, also is about TRUSTING you, resting
with peace in your promises!                                           Psalm 46:10
                                                                                  WAIT ON GOD.

Sometimes I get frustrated in my diet and other things I fail at.
Please help me. And please help me serve You by helping others...
we each..... and I pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus, our Prince of Peace.

==========================================================
©2015 (by DianaDee Osborne (all material),  all rights reserved.  
FREE personal usage; see website.
** But feel free to print with copyright info, & share for nonprofit usage!
Contact via:  https://www.facebook.com/dianadee.osborne
With thanks to BlueLetterBible.org  for providing God's Word in easy-to-research format.  Additional encouraging resources at 
http://DianaDeeSongStories.blogspot.com

Yet Again Dieting - by DianaDee Osborne

APRIL 13                                                                     SUBSCRIBE  
This morning I awoke, yet again sleepily got on the scale, and
yet again said to God, 
          I   GIVE   UP !!!       
And of course, yet again apologized to God.

Yet again
I've drifted into wrong thinking:  BECAUSE >>>>>
   What  the  SCALE  says  is  not  that  important:     
God doesn't care about the NUMBER.
He cares about ME.
He cares about me SEEKing to do what is right,
    what is healthy,   what is not selfish....
He cares about me SEEing that ANYTHING
I'm always thinking about more than about Him
is in idol....
not just food.
Yet again
The LORD God encourages my heart:
1.   Keep praying... First Corinthians 10:13      LINK
2.   Keep plodding....  an ACTION must follow ^ > FLEE.
3.   Keep hoping.....    God is Faithful who Promised

4.  Keep ignoring .... all Satan's lies he puts in my head:
           John 8:44, 
Praying
Plodding
Hoping
Ignoring.....   POETRY RHYME words that continue:

James 4:7 ...

5.   Keep GOING:  Run away    from angry hopeless thoughts
          toward God... PRAYING and SAYING:
               God loves ME .  
That's why He sent Jesus.
                   EASTER joy all year... all places...
      Even on that scale.

PRAYER

LORD GOD,  I *feel*  discouraged when Yet again that scale
won't go down after I've "been good" for a few days... or weeks.
Help me to over and over Yet again  TRUST Your love even when my
"diet fails"..... To remember that my Health STILL BENEFITS
with each exercise and good food I put in my life
Yet again .... with YOUR loving help!
I pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus, our Prince of Peace.

Supporting scriptures:

First Corinthians 10:

12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed

             lest he fall.  

13 No temptation has overtaken [come to]   you

          except such as is common to man; 

but God is faithful, 

who will not allow you to be tempted beyond 

what you are able, but with the temptation will also make 

     the way of escape, 

that you may be able to bear it.

14 Therefore, my beloved,   flee from idolatry.
(Including the idol of FOOD.)

==========================================================
©2015 (by DianaDee Osborne (all material),  all rights reserved.  
FREE personal usage; see website.
** But feel free to print with copyright info, & share for nonprofit usage!
Contact via:  https://www.facebook.com/dianadee.osborne
With thanks to BlueLetterBible.org  for providing God's Word in easy-to-research format.  Additional encouraging resources at 
http://DianaDeeSongStories.blogspot.com

Formula Music Hit Dieting Parable - by DianaDee Osborne

APRIL 12                                                                     SUBSCRIBE  
As a professional musician working with two studios, 
I try to keep up with
new tools for songwriting and recording.
There's a program that will take your song,
analyze it, compare it to FAMOUS songs....
and tell you how popular YOUR song would probably be.
I REFUSE to use this program!
And the reason is related to every part of
our lives... from skills & hobbies & dieting & on:


I make each of my songs UNIQUE.
Why would I  WANT  my song to be very similar 
to another person's?

God made each of US  also quite UNIQUE...
Psalm 139 is just one reminder.
Sure, related to dieting, I do wish I looked more like "popular" women.
But God reminds me that my goal should be Health,
longer life for serving & worshiping Him & drawing others to see How Great He is!
     But most of all:     
     RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.   
Whatever the number on some scale. Whatever pants size.

And God has not made another person just like me... or you.
Diet is just a small description of our groove.... He wants our Whole heart.
Which He LOVES being  quite  UNIQUE  :)  

PRAYER

LORD GOD,  I *feel*  unimportant as I see so many people better than I am.
More thin. More muscular. More Pretty or Handsome.
More talented. More popular. More.... more...... mor.......
HELP ME, I pray, to remember that You Love ME just as I am:
Not the things I do that poorly reflect You                 2nd Corinthians 3:18
and yet You love ME 
Just as I am.... without one plea..... except that I trust Your Promises.
Your Love.  I  *DO* want to better reflect you in all I do & think.
Including about food and exercise choices.  
Please Help me. I cannot without You.
I pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus, our Prince of Peace.

==========================================================
©2015 (by DianaDee Osborne (all material),  all rights reserved.  
FREE personal usage; see website.
** But feel free to print with copyright info, & share for nonprofit usage!
Contact via:  https://www.facebook.com/dianadee.osborne
With thanks to BlueLetterBible.org  for providing God's Word in easy-to-research format.  Additional encouraging resources at 
http://DianaDeeSongStories.blogspot.com