Made to Crave Monday: A Pot of Stew and my Tower of Bricks

I lost 3.1 pounds this week. 

I've lost 10 pounds since Christmas. 

And I'm excited about this, I really am, but not in the same way I have been with past diets.  This time around I'm happy about the pounds coming off, but I'm even more excited about how I'm changing in a way you can't see or measure.   

Last night I went out to dinner with some girlfriends to celebrate our friend's birthday.  While we were chatting, I shared a little about my weight loss and the success I'm having.  They congratulated me like good friends do, but I told them, "Losing weight is something I've done before.  The true success will be if I am able to keep it off." 

And the most amazing thing happened after I said that.  As the words came out of my mouth I realized that for the first time in my life I truly believed I could keep it off this time.  I felt something connected with my weight loss journey that I've never felt before: 

HOPE

I'm working my way through the Made to Crave book, I'm reading Lysa's e-book devotional Craving God (which by the way Amazon is still offering for free here), and I'm watching the free webcasts each week on the Made to Crave website. 

I've enlisted two people I love to hold me accountable, and I'm following the new Weight Watchers Points Plus plan which is the perfect fit for my body. 

And I'm learning how to replace my craving for food with a craving for God. 

And I'm learning how to have victory over this cycle that has owned me for way too long. 

Thank you, Lord.  : ) 

Not a Wise Trade

Lysa's guest post last week really spoke to me and the image of Esau trading his birthright away for a pot of stew hit hard.  How many times have I traded the good things God wants for me, the abundant life Jesus offers me, for a pot of stew?  For something of far lesser value?  I have many, many times. 

So my mantra lately when I'm faced with the temptation of something off my plan is, "I do not want to trade my birthright for a pot of stew." 

I'm learning I'm "made for more" than a cycle of defeat and I'm not making that foolish trade anymore. 

My Tower of Bricks

But I'm weak and I still stumble when I am faced with temptation, so the other lesson I'm learning from Lysa is to run to prayer when I'm faced with the temptation.  

This is not easy.  Most of the time I don't want to pray because I don't really want the help.  I want the cupcake.  : )  

But in the book she offers a mental picture that I grabbed on to.  It's the picture of a tall tower of bricks- my issues with food.  Every time I'm faced with temptation and pray for help instead of giving in, I see myself pulling off one of those bricks and laying it down where I'm paving my path to victory.  I love that picture, and have been leaning on that concept a lot lately. 

I'll share more next Monday.

Book Winner:

I was so sad that I could not locate the winner of my book drawing.  Without an email to contact her, I tried searching for her on Twitter and elsewhere without success.  

So somebody else gets to be a lucky winner today.  

Random.org said the lucky number was 3, and here's the winning comment:

Evan and Nathan said...
             I would love to read this book. Sounds like a book I'll read even if I don't win the giveaway.
- January 10, 2011 6:41 AM

Congrats!  I'll email  you to get your mailing address!     : )

Don't forget the webcast tonight at 8 Eastern.  (If you are like me, you'll need to adjust for your time zone)  You can view it here or here and it will be replayed several times throughout the day on Tuesday if you miss it. 

See you there! 

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