Simple Trust...

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

Susie Larson here...

Before I get into my topic, I want to mention that I will be giving away a $10.00 Caribou gift card to one of you in January. Like coffee, smoothies, green tea? Post a time or two this month and share what God is doing in your life! Your name might be drawn for a sweet treat!

Ever had one of these days?

Your email inbox is bursting at the seams and yet your computer keeps bumping you off the internet. You have laundry spilling over the basket and piles of paper work to sort through. Instead of feeling on top of your circumstances, you feel buried beneath them.

Am I the only one who gets this way?

On Sunday I returned from speaking at a women's retreat and we had a fabulous time together. On Monday I woke up to my bursting-at-the seams inbox, my billowing pile of laundry, and a sink full of dishes. I also had a very important conference call. In fact I had back-to-back conference calls.

Determining to take one part of my day at a time, I tried to put a dent in each of my piles of work. When it came time for my conference calls, I pulled my appropriate files and brought my laptop and phone up to my bedroom. I had my files spread out on my bed, my phone in hand (and a back up in case the battery died).

I even cut out of the my first conference call meeting a few minutes early so I could get to my next call - the one I'd been anticipating and anxious for.

I missed the conference call by an hour.

Apparently I had my time zones confused.

Ugh.

I woke up that morning exhausted but determined to make the most of my very busy day and yet I still fell miserably short.

Does that ever happen to you?

Well, I have some good news.

Psalm 103:17-19 says,

"But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children's children - with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts. The Lord has established His throne in Heaven and His Kingdom rules over all."

and again from Psalms, this time chapter 102, verses 27-28,

"But You remain the same, and your years will never end. The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you."

What beautiful promises we have here!

Though I waver...

He is steady and strong.

Though I forget...

He is mindful of all things.

Though I fall short...

He goes the distance for me.

That He is so infinitely powerful and yet so tender and loving, is something I will never fully understand, but will always treasure.

At the end of the day, it is good to look over our shoulder, acknowledge our missteps, and then look up.

With simple trust and a believing heart, we can enjoy peace in spite of ourselves.

I mentioned this before but one of my favorite quotes comes from Graham Cooke. He once wrote, "God is not disillusioned with you. He never had any illusions about you in the first place."

He knows our frame.

He knows our capacity for weakness, failure, and even for greatness.

He is intimately acquainted with our needs and He even redeems our mistakes.

We have every reason for faith. We have every reason to trust Him.

Like I mentioned last week, fear is the weakness. Doubt is the weakness. Worry is the weakness.

But those who trust Him will not be put to shame.

"Those who know Your Name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You" (Psalm 9:10).

When my kids were growing up, I repeatedly said to them, "Do your best, and leave the rest." The knew that "leaving the rest" meant leaving what they could not carry, in God's hands.

Of course if we are lazy, irresponsible, or consistently unprepared, that's a problem. It's not like we can kick back and "trust" that God will encourage such behavior by covering for us.

But, when we sincerely love Him, and thus, take serious our call to be faithful to the things to which He has called us, we must also know that He's made room for our humanity.

When we carry our day-share, we can know and trust that He carries us.

His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Have joy and trust Him today.

Great to be Back!

Hi Everyone!

Susie Larson here...

I've missed connecting with you all.

A big THANKS to my wonderful author friends who posted in my place. Bless you, big time!

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.

Before I get into my topic, I want to mention that I will be giving away a $10.00 Caribou gift card to one of you in January. Like coffee, smoothies, green tea? Post a time or two this month and share what God is doing in your life! Your name might be drawn for a sweet treat!

When my boys were young and adventurous, they wanted to try every adrenaline sport available. From skateboarding to snowboarding, from bike jumping to cliff jumping; I prayed for their safety and worked to keep healthy boundaries in place while allowing them to take a few risks once in a while.

During one of their outings, I looked around at the kids who were "regulars" to a particular sport. I watched how they talked with their friends, how they responded when someone got hurt, and how they treated the newbies.

It didn't take long for me to decided that this was not going to be a mainstay for my kids. They loved this particular sport, but they loved a lot of other experiences too.

So with prayerful wisdom, and unbeknownst to them, I gently steered them away from one activity and provided a way for them to actively pursue a different one that I knew they were equipped to handle.

I think God does the same thing for us.

He knows how transient we are. He understands the areas of our lives that are weak and still in need of maturity, and He guides us in the best path for us.

So when I'm tempted to worry about my own weaknesses or areas of vulnerabilities, I must remember that just as I, with understanding love, guided my boys to places where I knew they were equipped to stand, God does the same for us, and so much more besides.

I don't know if you ever do this, but I often fret over my own character flaws. More than anything I don't want others to stumble over my weaknesses. I don't want to dishonor the Lord because of my own foibles.

One particular day during prayer, God whispered to my heart, "Fear is the weakness; worry is the weakness; much more than the yet-to-be-developed areas in your character, the choice to worry about such things is the very thing that leaves you vulnerable to the wiles of the enemy..."

As the Lord calls us higher to new places of promise, the enemy will taunt us to look down, and to see just how far we have to fall.

In fact it's that very thing that keeps most people from daring to scale the heights God intended for them.

The tricky thing is that in order for us to climb high, jump high, and go places beyond our comfort zones, God has to show us our weakness so we will remember how much we need Him.

When we know we need Him, we'll stay close to Him. When we stay close to Him, we hear what He says, we do what He tells us to, and we remember that He is the one who qualifies us for the climb.

But the knowledge of our weaknesses shouldn't cause us despair or angst. On the contrary, the knowledge of our need should cause us great relief because we have a place to go with our need! God is intent on our victory and abundance. No one wants us to succeed like God does!

And He guides us with a strong hand and a heart bursting with love. He corrects us when we are wrong and yet He never condemns us. He forgives us when we sin and then He cleanses us. He wisely guides us away from battles we cannot win, and lovingly leads us to places that strengthen us for our next place of promise.

Graham Cooke once wrote, "God is not disillusioned with you. He never had any illusions about you in the first place!"

It's good to remember that fear is the weakness.

Jesus loves us and He is well aware of our vulnerabilities that still need to be protected. And if we walk closely enough with Him, we'll hear His voice in our ear saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it."

He protects us where we are vulnerable. He strengthens us where we are weak. We are in process and He knows that.

It's when we embrace fear or worry or doubt that we open the door for the enemy and give him access to leverage our vulnerabilities to his advantage.

Jesus is the One who is able to keep us from falling; to present us before God's glorious presence, without fault and with great joy (see the book of Joel).

What a concept!

It's not your yet-to-be-developed character that puts you at risk nearly as much as it is your choice to fear, or doubt, or worry.

Perfect love casts out fear.

Fear is the weakness.

Love covers a multitude of sins.

Worry is the weakness.

Faith fills every gap.

Doubt is the weakness.

Anything is possible for the Believer.

Walk in this truth today.

Drop me a note and tell me what God is doing in your life!

Sign up for my Ezine! (the next issue comes out January 15th)

What do you see?

Ah, the new year: a time for looking back and reflecting, looking forward and planning and...making lists.

Hi, my name is Sharon Dunn and I write humorous whodunits for the Christian market. I am excited to be guest blogging for Susie. It's the new year, so I guess that means I have to share my resolutions. I am not fan of resolutions, but I did make two this year. Most people make big far reaching ones like losing weight or decluttering their lives (both of which I need to do).  I know I won't get those done, so instead I made much smaller resolutions, but they were things that have been nagging me for some time and I knew there had to be change. My resolutions: clean the top of the refrigerator and get rid of the gooey stain in the egg tray.  I got them both done on January 1. Yeah!!!Yippeee!!!! I feel so good. Now maybe I will do something a little bigger. Declutter my office? Baby steps, that's what it is all about.

New Years is a time to look back and reflect, lool forward and plan and make lists.

I'll start with the lists--

Best fiction I read in 2007

Lisa Samson's Tiger Lillie

Brandt Dodson's The Lost Sheep

and from the classics file Graham Greene's Travels with my Aunt   

Best non-fiction

James McBride's The Color of Water --a beautiful memoir written by a black man for his white mother, though published by a secular publisher, the book shows the power of Christ to transform lives, made me realize how important a mother's influence is on her kids and made me laugh.   

Best movies

Nativity Story

Amazing Grace

And a little looking back and reflectiong---

The best thing I did in 2007 for spiritual growth--I trusted God in the financial arena (something that has always been a struggle for me) What did I do? My daughter wanted to go on a class trip to DC. The trip had huge price tag, my hubby was and still is looking for work.  As a child, I was constantly told that I couldn't do things because of finances (I grew up fairly poor) that negative response has fueled a lot of pessimism in my life. But I am trying to let go of that with God's help. So instead of saying "no" to my daughter, I said "let's see if we can make that happen" and I started praying. She is within a couple hundred dollars of her goal!  The support from the community has been incredible, my ladies Bible Study took up a collection for her, I have had all kinds of relatives come through with the support letters we sent out. God is so good.

I am looking forward in 2008, to trusting God even more in this area, to learning to hear his voice even clearer and to more growth as I learn how to be a glass half full person and shed the pessimism I learned from childhood.

Finally, for my reading I am looking foreward to picking up another Graham Greene (probably The Power and the Glory) since I enjoyed the first one so much. I am looking forward to finishing The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis and garnering even more insight.

It has been a good year in so many ways. I am excited about the stretching and growth God has in store for me. What about you? What are you looking forward to? What do you see when you reflect back? And what's on your lists?

Sharon Dunn is the author of five mysteries including book two in the Bargain Hunters mysteries Death of a Six Foot Teddy Bear to be released Jan 15. You can read more about Sharon and her books at www.sharondunnbooks.com.            

FAREWELL 2007!

Dear Readers:
WELCOME! May I be the first to wish you Happy New Year! Susie Larson is spending
time with her family today, but will return tomorrow! I know you
will miss her inspiring words, but I'm honored and delighted to be
with you today! if this is your first visit make sure you come back
tomorrow for Susie Larson, 'BLOGGER EXTRAORDINNAIRE!!! Be sure to scroll down for end of the year inspiration, suggestions for keeping New Year's Resolutions and yummy recipes for a traditioal New Year's Day Dinner!

What I love most about the
New Year is that we have a fresh new start . . . . a clean slate. A chance to change
our ways, overcome bad habits, and start anew at page one!
"Behold! Old
things are passed away." Revelation 21:5
"Therefore, if any man in Christ, he is a new creature." II Corinthians 5: 17

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Susan Wales
Guest Blogger
Author of THE CHASE, THE REPLACEMENT and THE CANDIDATE (BAKER/FLEMING REVELL PUBLISHERS, A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN I & II with Ann Platz (Multnomah)
A CHRISTMAS KEEPSAKE AND KEEPSAKE FOR A MOTHER'S HEART with Alice Gray, Thomas Nelson, Publisher
COMING SOON IN 2008 - GRANDMOTHER  . . . ANOTHER NAME FOR LOVE! Howard/Simon Schuster Publishers
And other books available at amazon.com

.

My Favorite Diet to start the New Year

This is a specially formulated diet designed to help WOMEN cope with the stress that
builds during the day. I have found that this really works!!

BREAKFAST
* 1 Grapefruit
* 1 slice whole-wheat toast
* 1 cup skim milk

LUNCH
* 1 small portion lean, steamed chicken with a cup
of spinach
* 1 cup herbal tea
* 1/2 box Twinkies

AFTERNOON TEA
* The rest of the Twinkies in the box
* 1/2 gallon of ice cream with chocolate topping

DINNER

* 4
bottles of wine (red or white)
* 2 loaves garlic bread
* 1 extra large Dominos pizza
* 3 Snickers bars

LATE NIGHT SNACK
* 1 whole cheesecake and a pint of Ben and Jerry's New York Superfudge crunch (eaten directly from the freezer)

FINALLY REMEMBER:

• "Stressed" spelled backwards is desserts"

My kind of diet, ladies! Isn't the new year a time of introspection for us all? I'll start this diet today, how about you? I spoke with my friend Betty today,  who said she could hardly wait for 2007 to come to an end. "This has been a terrible year! I need a fresh new start in 2008!" She groaned. Are you glad too glad 2007 is coming to a close? Or was it such a great year that you are wishing it never end?

The words of Charles Dickens best describe my year . . . 'it was the best of times and the worst of times!' I'm guessing these words probably describe your year too! Jesus says, "the rain will come into our lives."

The Best of Times - My granddaughter Hailey lost her first tooth and learned to read. In good health, my parents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary and their 80th and 90th birthdays, as well! After seven years in development, my husband Ken's film, AMAZING GRACE, came to the big screen. If you haven't seen it, you must! It will inspire you to change the world. We often say, "but I'm just one person. I can't make a difference in the world, but Amazing Grace, the true story of William Wilberforce, will show you that God will bring all the people you need to do the task he has called you to do . . . his wonders to perform! While at the London premier of Ken's movie, I enjoyed a reunion with my maternal grandfather's family. It was the first time in 200 years the American branch was reunited with the family members who stayed behind in England. My great-great grandfather left England to pursue religious freedom. Not until I visited the cousins did I realize the magnitude of the sacrifices my great-great grandfather made to worship in the way he had chosen. Was I ever surprised to learn he left a castle behind? I was profoundly touched by his sacrifice.

The Worst of Times - I lost two friends to unexpected deaths this year. I lost another friend over a misunderstanding. After several attempts at reconciliation and lots of prayer, I had to walk away from the friendship. It hurt. It was painful. It's still difficult to talk about. Another close friend is fighting a heroic battle with cancer. I can't bear to lose her. I long to nail down the pages on the 2007 calendar for I know her days are numbered in 2008 - - - without a miracle. But the pages of the calendar keep on turning and the clock keeps ticking.Life goes on with all its twists and turns carrying us on the journey even when we are unwilling to go. As Christians there is a place of quiet rest for us . . . just as the hymn says . . . near to the heart of God.

As we reflect on the new year we are reminded of the second chances God gives us day after day, year after year. As you read these words, is your life a tangled mess? Maybe you have a prodigal child or perhaps you've received a frightening medical diagnosis. Or did your husband walk out on you or your boyfriend broke up with you? Is a loved one dying? Maybe your bank account is empty and you're not sure how you'll pay your bills? Well, I am here to tell you there is hope in Jesus Christ! Not only does he have the answers but he has the solution to whatever problem you are facing. Maybe not the one you want, but whatever has befallen you he has promised to never leave us! 'Seek and you will find.' Matthew 7:7

And if you don't know him, what better way to begin the New Year  . . . 2008 than asking Jesus into your heart. Confess your sins and ask forgiveness. Start 2008 with a clean slate!

A relationship with Jesus won't magically make all your problems disappear. But for now,  "his grace is sufficient for our problems." No matter what valley you walk through, he promises to be there with you. And then there is a day that is coming where they will be no more valley's or pain or suffering.I can think of no Scripture more appropriate for the New Year than to meditate on Revelation 21:21-5

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be
no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more,
for the former things have passed away." And he who sat upon the throne
said, "Behold I make all things new." ---Revelation 21:5

Amen!

Now it wouldn't  be the New Year without resolutions. Below are the 10 most popular resolutions in no particular order. I have also offered a few suggestions on how to keep those resolutions.

TOP 10 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS!

1. Spend More Time with Family & Friends

HOW?
SCHEDULE A DATE
Spouses - Date night once per week.
Friends - Meet for dinner once per month.
Children - Game night, outing or family night once per week.
Parents - Plan a dinner once or twice or month.
Long Distance Family and Friends - Schedule a phone call or get a camera for your computer and visit in Cyperspace. I have a friend who schedules a call with her mother and they both have a cup of tea while chatting with one another across the miles.

2. Get physically fit.



HOW?
Walk - Form a walking group with other busy moms. Meet and walk for and hour. You can talk while you walk.
Prayer Walk - Combine your prayer time with walking.
If your budget allows, buy a treadmill and exercise any time of day or night when you find the time!

Join a gym

Find an exercise buddy.
Romance & Fitness - You and your lover can exercise together. Take a walk. Do stretches together or go to the gym together.
If your budget allows, hire a personal trainer.

3. Lose Weight!

HOW?
Choose from an array of diets and just do it.
Get a dieting buddy.
Make
a bet with a buddy or spouse. Makes the stakes high.Tickets to sporting events, concerts, a day at the spa, a trip or smaller size clothes are good choices.
The winner who loses the most pounds gets the prize!
See a doctor before going on your diet.
If your budget allows, join a weight loss center.
Cut your portions in half.
Cut sugar out of your diet.

4. Quit Smoking

HOW?
You gotta do it!
Nicotine gum
Psychologist
Cut down!
Pray!
Save cigarette money and buy yourself a reward.
Find a support group.

5. GET CLOSER TO GOD

HOW?
Read the Bible
Join a Bible study
Go to church
Read books
Pray
Join a support group or Sunday School class
Spend time with Christian friends

6. Quit Drinking

HOW
Go
to AA if you have a problem!
If you don't have a problem and just want
to quit, cut down gradually. Allow yourself one beer or drink per day
and then cut down to 2-3 times a week.
Some friends only drink on
the weekends.
Get professional help.
if you've really got a problem, go into a treatment center.

7. Get Out of Debt

Formulate a plan to pay off credit cards.
Apply for lower interest credit cards.
Get a loan to consolidate your debts - home equity loans are an option for this.
Negotiate with creditors.
Tithe 10% of your income.
Save 10% of your income.
If all else fails, make an appointment to see a credit counselor!

8. Learn Something New

HOW?
Take a new job.
Finish up your college degree
Learn a new language
Take art, singing, or cooking lessons
Learn to play tennis, golf or another sport - this will help with fitness and weight too!

9. Help Others

HOW?
Find Volunteer opportunities in your area.
Find a family in your neighborhood who needs help.
Do something special for a needy or hurting child.
Donate clothes and household items to charities.
Donate a portion of your income to charity.

10. Get Organized

HOW?
Organize!
Everyone would like to be better organized.
Find organizational tips online.
Read books on organization. Check them out of library or purchase books.
Hire a professional organizer.
Stop procastinating!


RECIPES FOR A TRADITIONAL NEW YEAR'S DAY DINNER



In the South if you want to be healthy, wealthy, and wise you must eat the following on New Year's Day:

Scroll down for recipes:

GREENS
- Symbolizes green bills and health. If you don't eat your greens you
won't make much money in 2008 so you'd better believe I'm going to eat
greens! You will also have good health. My family's favorite greens are
collards. The hardest part of cooking them is cleaning them. Was I ever
happy to find a bag of collards, washed, cleaned and packaged like the
bags of lettuce in the supermarket a few years ago! It saves at least
an hour of preparation!

BLACK-EYED PEAS - Symbolizes wisdom. Eat plenty of peas if you want plenty of brain power!

PORK
- A symbol of prosperity. Those who could afford hogs to slaughter for
food, were considered prosperous. Eat pork if you want to be prosperous
in 2008!

CORNBREAD -  Prosperity! 

SUSAN'S PORK TENDERLOIN

INGREDIENTS:
2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
2 large cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
dash ground cloves
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 - 16 ounce cans whole cranberries
12 ounce can mandarin oranges with syrup
1/2 cup sugar
juice and zest from 1 orange

Preheat oven to 425°. Lightly oil a roasting pan.

Mince garlic and blend with spices, herbs, salt and pepper; mix with 2 teaspoons of olive oil.

Rub spice mixture over the pork tenderloins. Roast until pork registers about 155° on a meat thermometer.

While
pork is roasting, combine the cranberries, mandarin orange slices and
syrup, sugar, orange juice and zest in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until cranberry
mixture has thickened.

Cover pork tenderloins with 1/2 of the
cranberry mixture and roast meat 10 additional minutes.  Remove pork
from oven and let cool for five minutes before slicing. While pork
cools, heat remaining cranberry mixture to accompany sliced pork. Place
sliced pork on a platter and garnish with sprigs of rosemary.

Serves 4-6

FAMILY RECIPE FORCOLLARD GREENS

4 Bags Collard greens
2 ham hocks
Water
Salt and pepper to taste

CONDIMENTS TO SERVE WITH COLLARDS
Pepper Sauce
Tomato Chow Chow
Vinegar
Onion Relish

Wash greens thoroughly.

Place
ham hocks in an extra-large pot with enough water to completely cover
them. Add salt and cook ham hocks at least 30 minutes before adding
collards greens. Add collards greens. Cook for 45 minutes, stirring
occasionally and test for tenderness by piercing with a fork. Continue
to cook until greens are tender.

Remove from heat and drain in a
colander, reserving the juice (potlikker). Chop collards a knife. Add
some of the potlikker if the greens are too dry. Salt and pepper to
taste. Serve hot or at room temperature with choice of condiment.
 

The secret to Southern Cornbread is in the cast iron skillet. If you
don't have one, a baking pan or dish will suffice, but the crust won't
be as crispy!

Southern Cornbread

• 2 cups yellow self-rising cornmeal
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 2 Tablespoons cooking oil or bacon grease
  
• 1 ½ cup milk or buttermilk
• 3 Tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place 3 Tablespoons butter or margarine in the pan and place in the oven to melt.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Add the cooking oil and milk, mixing well.

Measure cornmeal and add to the mixing bowl and stir until cornmeal
lumps are mixed into batter. Don't stir too much, or the bread will be
tough.

Once the butter is
melted, take the pan out of the oven and swirl the pan until it covers surface evenly.

Spoon the Southern Cornbread batter into the pan or baking dish. Some
of the butter will come up over the edges and make a ring.

Slide the pan back in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.

I use the 10-inch cast iron skillet for this recipe, but if you're using a
bigger skillet, you'll want to cook for a shorter
time as the bread is not as thick.

This recipe is also good for muffins or for bread-sticks.

OPTIONAL: Add diced onions to the batter for tastier cornbread.

FOR MEXICAN cornbread, add an 6-8 oz. can of corn and  a cup of grated cheese.

Bon Appetit!

May God bless you abundantly in 2008!

New Year’s Resolutions

You are logged in to the blog of Susie Larson, and it is my privilege to be her guest today! My name is Mary Englund Murphy, and I am a speaker and writer with Looking Glass Ministries.

I hope you all had a great day celebrating the birth of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, are you ready for the New Year? Are you already starting to make your resolutions? For years, my resolutions always included something about losing weight. I thought I could do it by sheer determination, but my resolve never lasted till the end of January.

Losing weight for me has been a life-long war, and I finally realized I needed to face it as a war. I needed a battle plan and I needed to prepare myself for war just like a soldier. I’d like to share with you some excerpts from my book Winning the Battle of the Bulge: It's Not Just About the Weight that may help you with your dieting resolution, or for that matter, any resolution you may be making next week.

2 Timothy 2:1-5 – “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. “ 

               As you read those verses,  reflect on the differences between a soldier and a dieter.

Ø             Dieters depend on their own strength and wisdom.

Soldiers develop strength and depend on the wisdom of their superiors.

Ø               Dieters want all the answers and demand guarantees before they commit.

Soldiers commit to find the answers and know that victory is guaranteed through obedience.

Ø               Dieters focus on self to gain personal results.

Soldiers focus on others to create a team unit and develop future recruits.

Ø               Dieters aren’t interested in a sensible training process that requires time and effort.

Soldiers know the only way to victory is through the process of intelligently planning and preparing.

Ø               Dieters quit when the circumstances aren’t “right.”

Soldiers endure hardship under all circumstances.

Ø               Dieters want instant results.

Soldiers know results will be slow and steady.

Ø               Dieters want a limited, short-term commitment.

Soldiers are committed for the duration of the war.

Ø               Dieters make their own goals.

Soldiers make the goals of those who enlisted them their own.

Ø               Dieters get caught up with the world’s standards, expectations, and methods.

Soldiers avoid any outside entanglements that might hold them back from victory.

Ø               Dieters use their own weapons (fad diets, appetite suppressants, surgery).

Soldiers use the weapons provided by their superiors.

Ø               Dieters follow their own rules.

Soldiers follow the proper rules of engagement.

Ø               Dieters win occasional victories, but eventually lose ground and gain back their weight.

Soldiers hold the line because they have patiently prepared and executed their plan.

Are you discouraged? Have you tried and failed too many times? Remember this: God will not just do for you on the battlefield; he will be for you on the battlefield. The Bible says he is:

Ø   Your Defense— Psalm 59:16

Ø   Your Guide— Psalm 48:14

Ø   Your Foundation—1 Corinthians 3:11

Ø   Your Rock, Fortress, Deliverer, Strength, Stronghold, Shield, Refuge, and Savior 2 Samuel 22:2-4

Ø   Your Guard—2 Thessalonians 3:3

Ø   Your Shelter and Tower—Psalm 61:3

Why would you want to serve under any other commander? Why would you want to give one inch to the enemy?

You can do it this year! Prepare a battle plan and follow through!

Blessings, Mary Englund Murphy

Visit me at www.winningthebattleofthebulge.com