Day 15

I FINALLY feel like myself again and Vernon feels like himself again . . . what an INCREDIBLE blessing!!! I was able to get much needed work done around the house today, I went to Jazzercise, and I was actually able to formulate my thoughts in a way that actually made sense today. I was so excited to go to Jazzercise today that I actually got butterflies in my tummy turning into the parking lot. Is that not crazy??? I'm SO thankful for all of these things and know that they come straight from the Lord.

I think one of the things that this act of obedience in my eating is teaching me is to pay attention to the little things in my life. I was reading the sermon on the mount this morning in my quiet time and I noticed how much of that God is stirring in me. He commands us not to worry about tomorrow because He will provide for us. Walking through this detox has helped me with that so much without me really even realizing it just for the simple fact that thinking about doing this every day for the next three months is way too overwhelming. I have to focus on being obedient each day and not worry about what the next day will bring. What a great life lesson to really learn and put into practice! The NLT of Matthew 6:31-33 reads, "So don't worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern."

I also feel like this detox experience has made me much more aware of blessings I receive every day. Our Lord delights in loving and blessing His children. I love seeing His blessings with a more attentive eye and appreciative heart. When we fall into the rut of "the American way" of wanting everything we see and wanting it right this minute, we miss out on SO MANY BLESSINGS! The truth of the matter is that we're on this Earth to bring honor and glory to the King and that's it. It's not about us, but we make it about us. When we get ourselves out of the way and just see Him, we see A LOT . . . power, love, generosity, grace, healing, truth, beauty, compassion, and so much more. What a beautiful thing to look at all day every day!

On my flight to Portland a few weeks ago, I began reading a book by Nancy Leigh DeMoss entitled, The Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free. I got about half way through the book on the plane, and it definitely challenged me. I felt like I was a little bit distracted on the plane, but apparently some of the ideas in the book have stuck with me without me even realizing it. For example . . . "Obedience is the pathway to freedom." I decided last night that I needed a refresher of what I had read a few weeks ago, so I skimmed through the things I underlined and one of the first things I came across was that sentence. How true that statement is! In our obedience, we find incredible power from the Holy Spirit to overcome anything and that leads to freedom. The Spirit is constantly speaking truth in our lives and showing us truth in our lives. When our ears are tuned to hear that voice, when our eyes are focused on our beautiful Master, He leads us to freedom in Him. We train our ears and our eyes through obedience.

I think it's definitely time to pick this book back up and start over from the beginning. I've definitely been wanting to hear God's truth in my life more and more lately. Praise be to Him that speaks Truth over me every day!