Category: Christian weight loss group

What Is Success?

Child, you think success is accomplishing goals. And your focus has been on your own created goals. Do you not know yet, I have My goals for your life?

I say success is being full of My Presence and walking in My Presence. Success is being full of My Holy Spirit. Success is fulfilling all I have called you to.

What is success?
This is success. (Photo by Deborah Crocker)

You think success is your accomplishments. But I say unto you, success is not in your accomplishments. Rather success is found as you yield yourself to My will. For I do indeed have plans for you, plans to give you a hope and a future. I have plans not to harm you, but to prosper you.

You think prosperity is abundant money, having all your needs and desires for pleasure fulfilled. But no, I tell you prosperity is peace, peace of mind, heart, and soul. Prosperity is assurance that I am with you always guiding all your steps and your ways.

True success and prosperity is knowing how much I love you.

Lord, I miss the quiet days when I was able to spend more time with You.

Child, it’s not the quiet days you miss so much. Rather it’s My Presence with you that you miss. During those past quiet days at home, you focused on My Presence. Now you’re too busy with your “to do” lists, your self-created goal lists, and Your diversions of entertainment and pleasure.

You focus on secular news and lament over what you see or hear reported. You eat for pleasure. In fact you look at and focus on many different things.

But it is My Presence you need, not your accomplishments. It is My Presence you need for fulfillment.

So Lord, what am I to do?

Come to Me, all throughout your day. Not just during your morning quiet time, but all throughout your day.

And no, I will not be another item on your “to do” list, checking off your time spent with the Lord. In fact, I want to be by your side all your days, not something on your “to do” list.

Rather I want to be your Helper, your confident and your friend, In fact, I want to be your everything. Make My Presence the center of your life.

This this success.
This is success. (Photo by Deborah Crocker.)

Then you will see all the blessings I have for you instead of being frustrated over your lack of accomplishments and resenting others for theirs.

Don’t look at others ,look at Me for I will meet and fulfill all your needs. Because right now, your greatest need is peace of mind and a quiet spirit. Those can only be found in My Presence. So come to Me for I am the answer you’re seeking.

Because only I can fulfill your needs and give you a quietness within your soul, mind, and heart. That My Child, is where true peace is found, in My Presence.

FEED ON THIS

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made to God; and the peace of god, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:7

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 2 John 1:3

Never Give Up! (Photo by Deborah Crocker)

Look For Your Victory

 My Child, I want you to look for Your victory. Because I’ve already created victory for you.

. . Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

Child, I always finish what I start. No matter how many times you turn away, I’ll draw you back — for I always get the glory. Defeat never brings glory; therefore, I’ve planned for you victory. So your victory is on its way.

Look for your victory
Look For Your Victory (Photo by Deborah Crocker)

It took the Israelites 40 years to reach their Promise land. But the original group didn’t make it, although I did get the glory and the victory. And I’ll get the victory and the glory in your life too.

So which group do you want in; the group that missed their victory or the group that received their victory? 

Go back and read Joshua. See how I brought their victory. But first read, in Numbers 13, how the Israelites responded to what they saw as they spied out the land. Did they expect victory?

You, My child, are responding to what you see. And you are seeing the giants of worry, fear, and defeat. just as they did. How many times have I told you, “Don’t look at what you see, instead look at Me?”

My child, you aren’t looking at your source. I am your source. Your eyes are only looking at the difficulties and the problems. That’s the same mistake of the first group of Israelites and they didn’t get to their Promise land.

This is also why you experienced defeat, because you weren’t looking for the victory. Instead you were perceiving defeat everywhere you looked. Look for your victory.

My child, know ye not yet I AM THE VICTORY? If you keep your eyes on Me, then you’ll see the victory. YOU WILL SEE THE VICTORY.

Look for your victory
Look for Your victory. (Photo by Deborah Crocker)

Now My child . .. come here to Me, rest yourself in My hands, and surrender all of yourself and your desires to Me. For I have plans for you, plans for a hope and a future, plans to prosper and not to harm you. (see Jeremiah 29:11)

Come to Me, “call on Me and I will listen to you” (Jeremiah 29:12). Then you’ll find peace in the midst of all these difficulties. I’ll give you the strength required for each task. I will give you serenity and a calm spirit, instead of the worrying and anxiety you now have. And I will encourage you with hope, instead of depression.

If you only look at what you see, then you will conclude all is lost. But I tell you, My child, all is not lost. Nothing is over, until I decide it is finished.

My child, the “good work” I start, I always finish. So trust Me, My child. And yes, I do keep ALL My promises. You can count on it.

. . .God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Numbers 23:19

Yes, My child, I keep My word. I keep all My promises. Look at My Word, My promises, and keep them in your heart and your mind. Focus on My words for they are truth to your body and your soul. So I say unto you, “Look for your victory.”

Surrender is the key. (Photo by Deborah Crocker)

40 Days of Victory- Part 3

Presently I am on Day 11/40 Days of Victory. God has been so wonderful to me. Only once, during these Christmas celebration days, was I tempted to break my semi-fast. But Praise God, I prayed, and He delivered.

For the time being, I’m stuck in a recliner most of the time and using a walker to get around very slowly due to foot surgery. Therefore, I declared I was going back on God’s original food program for me. This is the same way of eating that He gave me in 2013 when I lost 90 pounds.

Me, in 2013, weighing 241 pounds

Me-After losing 91 pounds on the God Plan – age 61- Victory in Jesus
Me, at age 72. Yep, I gained a little weight back.

Yep, I’ve gained some weight throughout the past years. But Praise God, after crying out to God again, He reminded me of the original way He instructed to eat back in 2013. So y’all, it’s back to the basics.

Now, especially since I stuck in this recliner recuperating from foot surgery, it’s even more important to maintain reasonable eating habits. Because we all know if you sit in a chair constantly, (now going on three weeks), you WILL gain weight.

So, for the most part, I’ve been sedentary, except for trips to the restroom using my walker. Due to my curiosity, I somehow managed to stand on my bathroom scales. I held on to my walker and removed my house shoe on my good foot. Then I put my foot with a cast on the scales and stood up.

Now big surprise. The scales showed I have indeed lost weight since the day of my surgery and that’s weighing with a cast and pj’s too. Wow! It pays to eat in obedience to how God instructed you. He’ll give you victory every time you follow His will.

Feed On This – 40 Days of Victory

Day 1: Thank you, Lord, for telling me, “It is a gift, not dessert, accept it in love”. I’m starting over again, eating how You instructed me to.

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Matthew 6:10

Day 2: Thank you, Lord, for removing the guilt from me. Instead, You granted me peace.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1

Day 3: Thank you, Lord, for restaurants that let you order take out meals. I ate half of it for lunch and the rest for dinner, along with a small satsuma.

. . . He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives the Lord thanks. Romans 14:6

Day 4: Thank you, Lord, for helping me eat what is sufficient for me. I may be stuck in a chair due to surgery, but You are helping me.

Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. . .. And we know all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:26, 28

Day 5: Thank you, Lord, for helping me resist temptation to eat pecan pie. Yep, Hubby brought one home. I told him, “I’m not eating any.” He said, “Good, more for me.”

And He put all things under His feet, . . . Ephesians 1: 22

Day 6: Thank you, Lord, for helping me choose to eat what is beneficial to me.

Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:17

Day 7: Thank you, Lord, for granddaughters cooking for us. Especially since I can’t cook on one foot.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17

Day 8: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of taco salad.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God. Ephesians 2:8

MORE TO COME-

Surrender is the key. (Photo by Deborah Crocker)

40 Days of Victory- Starting Over

40 Days of Victory, (a semi-fast) was the plan God and I talked about. Due to foot surgery, I’m confined to my chair for the most part. So due to inactivity, I didn’t want to gain any more weight, especially now.

In fact, I want to lose weight and focus on getting closer to God.

After the wonderful victory God gave me several years ago of losing 90 pounds, I’m ashamed to say for the past several years I have gained some back. So now it’s back to the beginning again.

Because I know God is my source for victory, I went back to Him again for weight loss counseling. After all, He is the best counselor ever. 

His Instructions:

Go back to the way I instructed you to eat in the beginning. Eat only three meals a day with half portions and no snacks at all.

There was a time when you wouldn’t have overate even one bite beyond My instructions. Get back to that. Eat how you know I told you to. Make the wise choices you know.

At your favorite places to eat out, choose vegetables and broiled meats instead of all that fried stuff. At supper cut down your serving size and lay off your sweets for a while.

This is a fasting time for you. 40 days of victory with no sweets.

Lord, I can’t do this.

Yes Child, you can do this. With My help you can defeat this enemy of yours, compulsive overeating. You can defeat this enemy that robs you of your joy, your strength, and your victory.

Child, do you want My power or your sweets? If you follow, then I will lead. But you must be willing to submit, obey, and follow. Do you accept this challenge?

Yes Sir. But Lord, I need Your help. I can’t do this on my own.

But Child, know I am here with you. I will help you.

Now for your homework assignment- Find, search out 40 scriptures, affirmations to feed your spirit, your mind, and your soul, one for each day.

Photo by Rachel Strong on Unsplash

So I began with Day 1, two days before my birthday. No problem. At least that’s what I thought. Made it two days, then my sweet husband came in with a small birthday cake and ice cream. Sigh. 

For future reference, any time you decide to go on a fast or sem-fast, be sure to inform your family. He was so proud to give me that cake. He was smiling as he handed it to me.

I thought, “Oh Lord. what do I do now? He bought me that cake. Do I eat it or just tell him I started a semi fast of only 3 meals, no snacks, or desserts for 40 days? Do I hurt his feelings? He’s so happy to give me that cake and ice cream. What do I do?

Hubby was smiling so big about it. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. So I ate it. Yep, I ate it. but I only ate one ice cream. What would you do?

40 days of victory

Later I’m lying awake in the middle of the night talking to God about it. I felt so guilty. But I just couldn’t hurt Hubby’s feelings.

Here’s how this conversation went:

So Lord, it’s me and You. The house is all quiet. What do You say?

Child, I love you.

Lord, You knew all about this cake before I wrote about “40 Days of Victory”. Hubby was smiling so big at his surprise gift.

(Check out this link to previous 40 Days of Victory-https://talkingtomyweightlosscounselor.com/40-days-of-victory-2/)

Child, he loves you.

Yes Lord, I praise You for this man you gave me. When Hubby gave me that cake, he was expressing his love for me.

Child, it was not just a dessert. Instead, it was a gift of love. Rejoice in his love.

So do I start over again? What about the upcoming Christmas family gathering? Should I just wait until after Christmas to begin?

Lord, I decided I will start over because I do want total victory. And I want a closer relationship with You too. As a matter of fact, I know the sweets I could have now are nothing compared to the sweetness I have in Your Presence. So I will start over.

My deepest desire is to have more of Your Presence in my life. Also, I want all my children and grandchildren to have a real relationship with You. That’s the most important thing I’m praying for now.

In fact, that’s the most important decision one can make in life- to choose a relationship with You, Lord Jesus, Almighty God, and Holy Spirit.

Child, I’m going to work this all out for your good. Then, you will emerge from this journey victorious over food addiction, and overflowing with My Holy Spirit.

In fact, the fragrance of My Holy Spirit over you will be so sweet it’ll attract others to you. Then you will be able to share My love with them. See how that works.

I bless you so you can bless others. It’s all part of My plan.

Feed On This – 40 Days of Victory

Day 1: Thank you Lord for telling me, “It is a gift, not dessert, accept it in love”.

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Matthew 6:10

Day 2: Thank you Lord for removing the guilt from me. Instead, You granted me peace.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1

40 Days Of Victory