Bummer Monday Diet Prayer - by DianaDee Osborne

JANUARY 5
Bummer. These days, every day feels like a Monday:
And it's even worse to feel like a Monday 
after a week or 2 of fun days during the holidays.
Bummer.   I promised myself to start dieting again 
after I had some fun eating whatever I wanted
"for a little while.  I even promised God.
There is...    or should always come  ... a
time to focus on taking care of the body God gifted.
We get only one. And it has the purpose of
sharing God's News with others, to save them from
the horrors of the HELL that Jesus repeatedly described
as REAL.                         Click Here for Scripture Samples

 In Isaiah 41, God encouraged His people,
and encouraged THEM to encourage OTHERS.
So... as we diet or otherwise seek to reflect God,
with His help (2nd Corinthians 3:18), let us pray & rejoice!:
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Flow of 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.
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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..." 
==========================================================
©2012, 2015 (registered with USCO) 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!
With thanks to BlueLetterBible.org  for providing God's Word in easy-to-research format. Earlier format published 26 Nov 2012. Additional encouraging resources at 
http://DianaDeeSongStories.blogspot.com

Old Bridges Diets, by DianaDee Osborne

January 2

I live near an old city with very old bridges.
I find it amusing to read the city's main newspaper whenever
 yet again some bridge repairs are being done on the huge span that crosses a major river.  
Motorists keep writing in to say "The bridge keeps shaking!  Are we safe on it??"  
And the Department of Transportation keeps responding in the paper with the same words:

"We're working to improve the bridge -- but it's safe.  
The shaking is part of the design so that it is stronger 
by moving with the vibrations of heavy traffic.  
We made the trusses strong enough to endure the weight, 
and we keep checking them and strengthening them."

People looking at me on the outside 
see only the repair  MESS.  
They see how, too often, 
I've let the stresses trafficking through my life 
lead me to foods that assuredly do not strengthen me.  
              Maybe that's the same for you.    
But what they don't see is:
When we turn to God again for help, 
He begins the repair process!              
God begins rebuilding our dependence on Him instead of "comfort foods" -- 
or on TV or internet or The Home Shopping Network or the MALL, or whatever.  
Remember Peter? 
Of course.  Peter was shaken after Jesus was seized.  
But his turning away was no worse than ours, 
for God does not measure our sins in size or time.  
And Jesus lovingly called to Peter even before Peter's sin, the words below.  
The words that our Loving LORD shares for each of us.... John 17: 9-10  Click for LINK
He's praying for you and me.

ENCOURAGEMENT from God's Word for us dieters too:

"And the Lord [JESUS] said,  "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  -- Luke 22:31-32,  encouragement and not condemnation even to Peter.  Even to us who tend to become self-focused including with food.

PRAYER
Lord, I get so discouraged.  I see all the things wrong with me, with this "bridge" of mine.  Please open my eyes to see that You dearly love me and eagerly will repair whatever is broken, if I ask you.  Oh, LORD, I ask.  Help me to love You back more and more than I already do.  To trust your love as my One Comfort, I pray.

HINTS

"When He [Jesus] came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."
We frequently hear the truth that God helps us IN temptation.  But this Word of God in Luke 22:40 directly tells us:
When we arise in the morning,
as we walk through the day,
before it ever happens we should pray 
that God will help us not even ENTER into any temptation
that comes our way.
THIS,  Dear LORD,  I do pray.

==========================================================
©2012, 2015 (registered with USCO) 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!
With thanks to BlueLetterBible.org  for providing God's Word in easy-to-research format. Earlier format published  1 Dec 2012. Additional encouraging resources at 
http://DianaDeeSongStories.blogspot.com

Admitting Angering Encouragement ...... by DianaDee Osborne

January 1

A famous, small, thin Christian magazine contains article after article describing miracles that God has done for people....

         +  saving them from car accidents,

         +  providing money for bills at the last minute,

         +  giving guidance that is unmistakeably God's Word.

         +  Sending a barking dog to get help when someone is dying -      
                       (and no, not the famous collie).

I reached a point where I was actually angry when the magazine showed up in my mailbox. I gave away the copies unopened. I asked the gift-givers to please stop sending me that subscription.

And yes... I do question my anger.

AND NO.... it hasn't been an anger at God,

despite all the times He didn't "come through" with an answer

the way I in my little mind thought He should've & knew He could've.

  I think my anger has been because I've seen so many Christians 
              act like Job's  friends ---

VERY lovingly,  wanting to encourage.   Unlike Job's friends, many of these... perhaps  even most of those you or I know... are not being arrogant or Religious  

         +  when they say "Smile, God Loves You."  

         +  When they declare "God Will Work It Out."  

         +  When they warn, "Trust God, He Knows what He's Doing."

WHEN I READ THAT MAGAZINE,

     I THINK OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHOSE STORES ARE   NOT   in there.

     I THINK OF ALL THE PEOPLE who may not yet *know* God  loves them and will work it 

        out   and even cares --- much less will  do something to help them.

   I THINK OF THE DESPERATION of people struggling....

including against temptations... not yet a "success".

      Why did I decide to write a diet blog?

      I think it's because I  *have*  failed so many times.

I think God's guiding me to encourage people 
      who *don't* yet

have a success story to share....

Though I do.  At one time not that long ago, I had a success story 8 years long, including 3 years at 128 pounds. But then a combination of physical events and pain events changed my story....    
But with God's help, I shall resume at least
reflecting Jesus in my lifestyle, even when physical things won't show that on the scale or via my clothing size.

And I've prayed that God will help me encourage OTHERS also.....

NOT   with my former success story such as that magazine would considered publishing,

but with my Romans 7 style  FAILURE STORY.... 
FFN.... FAILURE FOR NOW,    
but not permanent,  
as long as we keep turning to God sincerely seeking His help.

Because, as a pastor once inspired 200+ people to laugh at his accidental joke:

ROMANS 7  is always followed by

 ROMANS 8  when we turn to THE God of the Bible,  and of Us.

SCRIPTURE LINKS:       Romans 7            Romans 8           Ephesians 6:10-18   ARMOR OF GOD 
 

GOD'S  ENCOURAGEMENT

Romans 8:20 and 21:  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;  because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

  
PRAYER

FATHER God,  I do indeed seek Your help.  
You know I get discouraged when -- like Peter -- 
I look down at the waves and I look into myself 
to see my weakness  
and do not keep my eyes on 
Jesus in the storms, on the dangerous waters.  
Please help me stay aware.  Ephesians 6: 10 to end.  
Please help me keep praying.  Ephesians 6:10 to end.  
Please help me do more than just say words to You, 
but to also ACT on Your promised Word.... 
to put on Your Armor each minute as I  fight temptations... 
In the Name of Jesus Our Lord, Your Son, I pray.
I pray  BOLDLY,  as YOU invited me:  Hebrews 4:16,
"So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, 
Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, 
or he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.  
 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. 
There we will receive  his mercy, 
and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."


==========================================================
©2014, 2015 (registered with USCO) 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!
With thanks to BlueLetterBible.org  for providing God's Word in easy-to-research format. Earlier format published 10 Feb 2014. Additional encouraging resources at 
http://DianaDeeSongStories.blogspot.com