Out of the flesh and into faith

“I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up out of a horrible pit (a pit of tumult and of destruction), out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3 (Amplified Bible)

When God first gave me the idea for PMS – Praising My Savior – as a theme in my life, it seemed ridiculous to me but the more I spoke it out and shared it with other women the more His ideas resonated with me…and not just with me but with many other women as well.

In my twenties and early thirties I was so caught up in what my body was doing that I could barely think of anything else. I had chronic pain, infertility issues, many surgeries and subsequent depression due to my physical ailments and inconsistent periods. I surrounded myself with reminders that I was trapped in a body that didn’t work as I thought it should. I felt inadequate for not being able to have a child and I felt worthless as a woman.

In an attempt to make myself feel better and catch the attention of my husband in the midst of a failing marriage, I went on a radical diet. (If you could call it a diet, that is. I think you actually have to eat something most days to call it a diet!) I also took to exercising 2 and 3 times a day for more than an hour at a time. I thought for sure IF I’d lose weight then all my troubles would go away. I thought IF I would lose pounds then my marriage would be healed and I would feel more attractive.


I did indeed lose weight, drastically. I lost more than 30 pounds in one month. I also started to lose my hair, became dehydrated and my fingernails started to split and fall off. I became sicker than I’d ever been and I had to have my thyroid medication changed several times to keep up with the ways I was abusing my body. And it did nothing what-so-ever to fix my marriage or my self-esteem.

In the process of being so caught up in my flesh and my ‘woe is me’ attitude, I forgot about my relationship with the Lord. I had stopped praying; opting to take more time to exercise rather than having one-on-one quiet time with the Lord. As I faced another surgery, my wake-up call came and I realized that I hadn’t cried out to the Lord in quite some time.


Through some very personal tragic events and God’s prompting, I finally came back to Him…and He waited patiently, with open arms…expectantly. He set my feet more firmly on the path He wanted me on and this time I paid attention!

If you’re in that place, getting so caught up in what your body is doing, that you’re neglecting your spirit and who you are in the Lord, then you need to stop, drop and assess the toll your self-centeredness has taken on who you truly are. Go back to the basics: quiet time every single day with God and His Word. Get out of your flesh and back into His arms. When you do, He truly will put a new song in your mouth.

For more devotionals and inspiration check out “28 Days of PMS ~ Praising My Savior” or “Running On E’

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Got some praise to go with that tampon?

There is probably no other time period in a woman’s life when her emotions carry her from anger to apathy; joy to jealousy or peace to panic more rapidly than the 28 days of highs and lows in the Pre-Menstrual Cycle. If any of you are remotely similar to the other typical estrogen-filled females God created, these highs and lows, cravings and crampings can take you through times of despair and frustration. They can also bring you to a place of believing that there is no relief, no choice and no freedom from the effects of woman-hood, except perhaps living at the Hershey’s Chocolate Factory as a taste-tester; or opting for a complete and total hysterectomy. And for those of you who have already hit instantaneous menopause via that hysterectomy or who are already there due to God’s natural physical path for our bodies, you can attest to the fact that with menopause also comes similar hormonal changes, hot-flashes, cravings and emotional roller coasters.

What many women don’t realize is that all of what I’ve described thus far is in the flesh and what is in the flesh can be overcome by what’s in the spirit. No pill, no herbal treatment, no organic juice and no measurable amount of yoga or palates can help a woman deal with her perpetual physical changes and hormonal upheavals like the power given to us through prayer, meditation and the unspeakable joy that comes from focusing on our blessings and praising God…even in the midst of cramps, bloating and acne break-outs.

So, in order to take you on a journey of praise in the midst of some of your highest highs and lowest lows, I’ve written this humorous, heartfelt devotional titled “28 Days of PMS - Praising My Savior”. I encourage you to set aside the chocolate bar and drop your Midol back in your purse for a few minutes each day to focus on something other than what’s going on beneath your belly button and join me as we take time out to praise our Savior.

As you take time to praise God, even in the midst of pain and seemingly endless water retention, you will hopefully come to realize,as I have over the years, that focusing on the God-given gifts, love and strength inside each of us garners us even greater amounts of strength, perspective and yes, even the ability to laugh at ourselves through each cycle and season of our lives.

So please join me as I share with you over the next months some of the insights, giggles, inspiration and convicted moments I've been through over the years...that have led me to Praise My Savior, even in the midst of PMS! (Click the link to the left automatically follow this blog.)

Interested in getting a "28 Days of PMS ~ Praising My Savior" devotional for you or someone else? Click the PMS link. (available in softback or Ebook for Ipad/Iphone)

PMS

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