Beauty

     I have been struggling w/ my body image for awhile. It seems to have increased w/ the weight loss. The Word of God let's me know that I'm fearfully & wonderfully made. "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well," Psalm 139:14 KJV. I love this scripture, but I still struggle. My body seems to be blah. I'm disgusted w/ the shape of it . I try to tell myself that it will be better when I get the skin removal surgery.  Yet, I can't help but feel that I will be disappointed no matter what.
     No matter what, societal pressures do not help. I try to ignore what society values. However, I look around & see all these skinny, beautiful blondes. Even though I'm a size 12 & no longer 380lbs, I still fill fat. Beauty is dictated by society, but also by ourselves. The truth is that I have to accept my body & my image. If I was supposed to be something else, God would have made me something else. Prayerfully, this self loathing will go away.

Prayers for a Sister.

Restraint is a Blessing

     I have to say that I believe that the ability to restrain oneself is a blessing from the good Lord. Let's think about it; restraining yourself means you're not allowing yourself to do something that could be destructive: emotionally, mentally, spiritually, or physically. One of the fruits of the Spirit is Temperance, which is self control (Galatians 5:22-23). Clearly, God would have us to restrain ourselves. After all, He has restrained Himself.
     God has given us mercy, grace, & compassion. By this, we are allowed to see another day. We're allowed another chance. God could destroy us, but He hasn't. I have lacked temperance in my food, causing me to become overweight. Praise be to God for the surgery & help losing weight, but I have found myself slowly losing control. I have also lost temperance in my anger, allowing myself to cuss. I'm hurting myself physically & spiritually. As I'm blogging, I'm ignoring my stomach telling me to stop.
     Restraint is much needed in our lives. God has it. Don't we want what He has? Don't we want paradise? Don't we want an eternal home with Him?

Restraint in Actions-not Just words!
Mary