Made to Crave

I know y'all are just on the edge of your seats waiting to hear what I will say about Chapter 1 and 2, right? 

Yeah, right.

I haven't forgotten about my whole Made To Crave deal.  I should have never said I would do posts about what I read because I am a s-l-o-w reader.  Ok, maybe not slow, that sounds like I have a reading problem.  The deal is just that I just don't have the time.  I have been carrying around this book in my purse for weeks thinking I can read a little in the car line or sitting at the ballpark waiting for the game to start but that hasn't happened.  Things happen and life happens way too fast.  Then at night I try to read a few pages and fall dead asleep.  It's a sad story. 

FYI...I am on chapter 8....so I guess that's not too shabby.

Ok, so let's see...

I loved the title of chapter 1...WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON HERE?  Do you know how many times I have asked myself that same question?  Every morning when I get up I am pretty sure I say that to myself in one way or another.  Especially when I try to put on my skinny jeans.  Who named those anyway?  Skinny jeans?  Please.

She talked a lot about the dreaded hunger pang.  (BTW, who knew it was pang and not pain?  It's always been a pain in my book.)  She reminded me of a commerical that I remember seeing long ago with a orange monster chasing around a woman tempting and taunting her with foods that she knows aren't healthy.  Just trying to sabotage her.  Dumb orange monster. Oh y'all, I have met him.  The commerical is a good reminder of how it feels to be harassed by cravings of sweet and salty yummy-ness all day long.  It's exhausting. 

Also, she helped me see that we do crave certain things.  That its only natural.  That I am not losing my mind.  We just need to choose the right things.  I laughed at one point because she said unfortunately, we don't find fresh fruits and veggies in a nearby vending machine.  Wouldn't that be awesome, though?  I would love that.  I mean I would totally pay $1.25 for some carrot sticks.  Maybe.

We were made to crave....long for, want greatly, desire eagerly and beg for....GOD.  Not junk food, money or any other things of this world.  But, here comes that nasty Satan trying to get us to crave something else.  Something that we think might be good and look REAL good but not good for us.  He's always playing those tricks on us.  We need to focus our eyes on the Father.  Things are always better for us when we do.....for that I am thankful.

"Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world." 

 1 John 2:15-16

Chapter 2 was all about replacing our cravings.  Easier said than done, huh?  We do, as humans, tend to rely more on things we can touch, see or feel rather than the Holy One.  I am guilty.  I would sometimes rather drown my depression in a box of Swiss Cake Rolls than read my Bible.  I would want something to fill my tummy and not my heart.  Failure.  She gave a suggestion....to pray when you crave something that wasn't part of your plan.  I love that.  I think mine would go something like this...

"Dear Lord, could you please send the Little Debbie guy and the chocolate donut man on a long vacay and let them not make their way to my grocery store?  Um, thanks."

It's up to me.  It's my life.  I only have one sweet and precious life to make the right choices, the right decisions for me.  Help me God to be satisfied with YOU in all areas of my life. 

Made to Crave....the intro

Finding your want to....

Isn't that something.  Sounds so easy, right?

Wrong.

I have been really enjoying the book Made To Crave by Lysa Terkeurst.  So far, it hasn't seemed like the typical weight loss book.  Although I am just on the introduction.  Anyway, I have read many books on this subject. Some books I have read all of and others, just half.  Those that know me well know that is just me. Honestly, I have done so many diets and read so many articles, books and blogs on how to get fit it can make a girl go crazy....all that and have never had any success.  I have spent most of my adult life trying to get healthy.  And I am still on that journey....hoping for success and trying harder than I ever have before.

Honest.

So far I have read a few chapters and have really loved what she has said....Her take.  In finding your want to (which is just the introduction) I have seen myself.  I have read the pages and thought, WOW, that is me.  Over and Over.  For instance, the days of eating junk food, hiding junk food or buying junk food at the store and then saying, "Another day, another time.  I'm doing the best I can."  Was I really,  I think not.  Am I now?  It's getting better.

Honest.

She talked about the journey described in Matthew 19 and how the rich young man who comes to see Jesus explains that he is following all the rules but still feels something missing from his pursuit from God.  "All of these rules I have kept," he says to Jesus.  "What do I still lack?"  (Matthew 19:20)  I thought a lot about the moral of this story. I feel that way.  I am following all the rules but still feel like I am missing something.  Something BIG.  If I am lacking, Lord, please help me fill my tank with you and not Little Debbie cakes food.  I want this, I do.

Honest.

I think pleasing God is easy.  He is our Father, he loves us more than anything.  He wants us to be close to him.  I believe that He wants us to do our best to follow Him through prayer and studying his teachings.  He wants us to CRAVE Him.  One thing that she said that stuck out to me like a sore thumb was that when Jesus says Follow me it is not an invitation to drag our divided heart but to follow him and deny ourselves.

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said:  "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."  Mark 8:34



I can honestly say that this journey is going to be hard.  Not the God part because I love Him with all my being, but the food part, now that is another story.  Putting my focus on God when I feel a craving come on is going to be a new one for me.  Whenever I crave food, I eat it.  I've gotta step away from the sugar and put my focus where it should be.  On Him.  I am ready to break the cycle of diets, find my want to, stop worrying about the scale and to have a healthier relationship with God.

Honest.

Made to Crave...

Everybody hold on to your hat.  I bought a book.  Not just any book, but one I have been wanting to check out for quite some time.

I have been on the weight roller coaster for most of my life.  I have made many changes to my life, diet, exercise and yada, yada, yada.  I know you have all heard it a million times.  I promise not to go on THAT rant because honestly, I know you don't want to hear it.  Neither do I. 

I'm a little bitter.

Ok, enough of that.

Lysa Terkeurst, president of Proverbs 31 ministries, has a new book out called  "Made to Crave" and it looks really good.  I haven't started it yet, but I will try to keep you posted.  I liked the title and the description that we should be satisfying our deepest desire with God, not food.

Ouch.

I hope to learn a little about breaking the cycle and to finally start feeling good about myself, to stop worrying about the numbers on the scale, replacing rationalizations that lead to failure with wisdom that leads to victory, and to reach healthy goals and grow closer to God in the process.  Those are the things that Lysa says she wants us to get from this book. 

All I know, is I am ready to stop fighting this battle.  I know that this book is not a cure all.  I know that God is the only way that I can fight this and with Him I know I can do anything. 

So, if you are interested in learning more about Lysa, her website and books...click here to find out more info.  I think you will be blessed.

I plan on giving you weekly updates...that will help keep me accountable as well.