Days 40-53

This past weekend was our half way mark . . . PRAISE THE LORD!!!!! I can't believe we are half way finished, but I'm SO thankful that we are. At the half way point, I have lost 18 pounds and that is just amazing to me. I'm really curious to see how much more I'll lose. Our last day is December 10th and that day will be a glorious one! I usually don't get excited about Christmas until after Halloween since I love Halloween so much, but this year I have found myself looking at Christmas stuff longingly as I wait for it's arrival. I think it has something to do with the fact that I'll get to eat something sweet at Christmas. What do you think?

The diet continues to truck along with nothing new to add really. I actually had a moment today when I thought, "You know what? I'm done." I wasn't really feeling desperate to eat anything in particular, I think I just wanted to be done. But as always, the Holy Spirit sustained me and kept me going just as He's done this entire time.

A friend of mine has commented since the beginning of this diet that I am glowing. I will be the first to admit that when you eat healthy, your skin clears up and looks really healthy and pretty, but as I was driving home from church tonight contemplating that statement, "You're glowing!", it occurred to me that it is so much more than the diet that is bringing about that glow. I had the revelation that the glow is not so much about the diet as it is about the Holy Spirit sustaining me. Every day I literally have to die to myself and allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in me. The Holy Spirit's work is to sustain me in every way and free me from bondage I place myself in to bring me closer to the Father and the Son. Who wouldn't glow from the inside out when the Holy Spirit is alive and working inside of you to bring about freedom? When we free ourselves up to love the Trinity, it shows on our face, in our words and in our actions. Why is it that we don't boldly live like the free people that we are? Why do we strap ourselves with chains that keep us from loving our Lord?

Being obedient is not about trying to please the Lord so that we are good enough in His eyes. Being obedient is about love . . . our love for our Father, honoring the love that the Lord has given us. It's about getting rid of what stands between us and our Father so we can love Him more and follow Him to wherever it is that He calls us. We are already His beloved. That's not the question and not what obedience is about. If there is anything in my life that keeps me from knowing His love to the fullest extent or keeps me from growing to the full stature of His image, then I need to find obedience in that area in order to be free and the Father has given us a Helper to do that. I want to have a correct understanding of the Father's love and be able to offer that same love and passion in return. I want to hear Him speak and respond in obedient faith and I can't do that when my chains are rattling behind me and holding me back. Jesus already died for every incident of my disobedience, so I need not worry about trying to be pleasing to Him. His Word says that He is well pleased with His people. My obedience tells Jesus, "Thank you. Your suffering was not in vain because I love you too. I want to know you more because you amaze me! I will follow you wherever you go."