Scriptures before Bingeing

This is a list of scripture for me to review any time I feel the urge to binge. If you have any suggestions for this list, please share them.

Everything is permissible for me - but not everything is beneficial. ~ 1 Corinthians 6:12

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak. ~ Matthew 26:41

Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. ~ Isaiah 55:2

Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take you stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you! ~ Galatians 5:1

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. ~ Hebrews 10:36

I discipline my body...training it to do what it should. ~ 1 Corinthians 9:27

Oh listen, dear child—become wise; point your life in the right direction. Don't drink too much wine and get drunk; don't eat too much food and get fat. Drunks and gluttons will end up on skid row, in a stupor and dressed in rags. ~ Proverbs 23:19

Whoa!

This morning in my Beth Moore bible study I read this scripture:

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. ~ Psalm 40:2 (NIV)

That was one of scriptures in list and then she asked us "Which of the Scriptures in the activity above most nearly addresses your circumstances right now and why?"

I wrote, "Hopefully Psalm 40:2 as I wait for God to provide my new job that reflects Psalm 127:1." (Psalm 127:1 says, "Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.")

So then I took a bathroom break, had my 5 minutes of silence, and then read the Lose it for Life Devotional for January 24th. It started with this scripture:

I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened. He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn't slip. ~ Psalm 40:1-2 (The Message)

Whoa! The same verse in two different places on the same day?!? Only God could orchestrate that. To have me sign up for the bible study, have it start on the day it did, have me be one day behind in my homework while at the same time for me be struggling with binging and have me decide to start reading through the Lose it for Life devotional and to make sure I started it on the day necessary so that I would read this same scripture in both places on the same day. Whoa! That can not be an accident.

Joy

You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You cannot see him now, but you believe in him. So you are filled with a joy that cannot be explained, a joy full of glory. ~ 1 Peter 1:8

Amen. Yesterday was one of those days where I felt joyous. It was a joy that comes from knowing God and feeling His presence with me. I was trying to think about how I could describe that joy to someone, but I couldn't. This morning I read this verse and it says "you are filled with a joy that cannot be explained." That is true. I can not explain it, but I love it. I pray that you know this same joy.

Olive Oil

He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart. ~ Psalm 104:14-15

But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face. ~ Matthew 6:17

I've tried something new this week. I have been using olive oil as a facial moisturizer. A friend had told me she met someone with beautiful skin and that is what she used for a moisturizer. The thought of trying it has been nagging me for a while, so I finally tried it Wednesday night. So far, I am very pleased with the results. It only takes a very small amount and is so much less expensive than facial moisturizers!

Scriptures about Worry

Worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up. ~ Proverbs 12:25

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. ~ Philippians 4:6-7

If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. ~ James 1:5-8

My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. ~ 1 John 3:18-20

How Great is Our God

I started my quiet time off this morning with a worship song - How Great is Our God by Chris Tomlin.

Then I started my bible reading and this was included:

Praise the Lord and worship him. Tell everyone what he has done and how great he
is. Sing praise to the Lord, because he has done great things. Let all the world
know what he has done. Shout and sing for joy, you people of Jerusalem, because
the Holy One of Israel does great things before your eyes. ~ Isaiah 12:4-6 (NCV)

How Great is Our God indeed!

In God's Peace (On Early Death)

by John Michael Talbot

The souls of the just are in God's hand
No torment shall ever touch them
In the view of fools they seem as dead
And their passing away an affliction

But they are in God's peace
Suffering a short time, now blessed indeed
But they are in God's peace
For the souls of the just are blessed indeed

Though the just die young, their souls are at rest
In a short time, their soul is perfected
Snatched away lest evil pervert their mind
God sped them away from the world

For they are in God's peace
Suffering a short time, now blessed indeed
For they are in God's peace
For the souls of the just are blessed indeed.

From the book of Wisdom (if you don't have a Catholic Bible you are missing out on some good stuff in Wisdom, read Wisdom 2:12-22 for an excellent prophecy of the Pharisees reaction to Jesus)

For the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; They shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect. (Wisdom 3:1-9)

But the just man, though he die early, shall be at rest. For the age that is honorable comes not with the passing of time, nor can it be measured in terms of years. Rather, understanding is the hoary crown for men, and an unsullied life, the attainment of old age. He who pleased God was loved; he who lived among sinners was transported – Snatched away, lest wickedness pervert his mind or deceit beguile his soul; For the witchery of paltry things obscures what is right and the whirl of desire transforms the innocent mind. Having become perfect in a short while, he reached the fullness of a long career; for his soul was pleasing to the Lord, therefore he sped him out of the midst of wickedness. (Wisdom 4:7-14)

These lyrics and scriptures are in memory of my nephew who passed away yesterday. He suffered from cystic fibrosis and died at the young age of twenty.

May he rest in peace.

Prayer List

When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! ~ Job 42:10

I read this in My Utmost for His Highest today. At one time I had a prayer list of people I prayed for every day. I can not remember the last time I went through that list and prayed for them. I opened it up today and prayed. I have updated it and moved it to an excel spreadsheet that I open every day so that I will see it and remember to spend time in prayer for others. If the Lord blesses me and restores my fortunes (thinking "provides me with a new job") that would be wonderful, but I already feel blessed because I prayed for someone else.

Scriptures on my Bulletin Board at Work

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ~ Galatians 6:9

Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart. ~ 1 Samuel 16:7

Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble and always be prayerful. ~ Romans 12:12

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ~ Philippians 4:6

Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. ~ Proverbs 31:30

Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him and he will help you. ~ Psalm 37:5

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. ~ Proverbs 15:1

Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ~ 2 Corinthians 10:5

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. ~ Job 36:11

Therefore, prepare you minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be give you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ~ 1 Peter 1:13

The Lord will keep you from all harm -- he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. ~ Psalm 121:7-8

Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. ~ Romans 12:2

Don't lose a minute building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. ~ 2 Peter 1:5

What matters is not your outer appearance - the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes - but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in. ~ 1 Peter 3:3-4

Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is useless. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. ~ Psalm 127:1

What you say

When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need--words that will help others become stronger. Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you. ~ Ephesians 4:29 (NCV)

There is someone I work with who could take this verse to heart. I've watched her over the years and I have learned from her. I have learned how I do NOT want to treat employees. She is in a management position. She can be a nice person and do nice things for the employees, but you do NOT want to get on her bad side and there is always one person on her bad side and that person can't seem to do anything right (and if they do, all they get is a back-handed compliment). If they have a problem, it is always an attitude of "what did you do wrong to screw this up." Yes, there are times when people make mistakes and need correction. I do not have a problem with criticizing someone's work, but you need to take the time to politely correct them and teach them. This person doesn't just criticize the work, she will criticize the person, especially if that is the person who is at the top of her sh*t list. There was an employee in our office one time that I loved. She was young, a hard-worker, a fast-learner, willing to please, cute, with a great personality. She was an ex-marine and could take a lot of cr*p. She had the potential to be a wonderful employee. She did have some personal problems and sometimes they affected her work. However, with proper counseling and edification she could have overcome those issues. But no, that didn't happen. This person instead chose to cut her down instead of lift her up. Once the girl was considering getting a dog and she told her, "You can't even take care of yourself. How are you going to take care of a dog?" A statement like that does nothing to bring out the best in someone. It doesn't make them want to try harder. It causes them to shut down and not perform to the best of their abilities. The girl eventually got fired. That has been over a year ago and I still miss her. She was one of my best friends at work. Maybe I should have stood up for her and told the person she shouldn't talk to people like that. But, at one time I was on the top of this person's sh*t list and it is not a place I want to be again. And trust me, if I had said anything, that would have put me on the top of the list.

To paraphrase Huey Lewis, "I need a new job, one that won't make me sick."

A Good Heart

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. ~ Luke 6:45 (NLT)

I got this scripture emailed to me today. (I'm on a list and get a scripture every weekday morning. You can sign up by sending an email.) There are some people in my life that are always negative and there are some people in my life that are always positive. Apparently, this is because of what is in their heart. I've always considered myself a positive person. I have a smile on my face almost all the time. Sure, they are difficult days and days when I am in a bad mood, but I try not to take it out on the people around me. It is (usually) not their fault that I am having a bad day.

This morning I woke up and I had a voice in my head immediately criticizing myself for some things I didn't do yesterday. Bashing myself is NOT a good way to start the day. But then I started making a mental list of the things that I did accomplish and I felt so much better. There were definitely more things done than there were left undone. I am a perfectionist so it is easy for me to spot the bad and the things that are missed. I need to spend more time giving myself (and others) credit for the good and what has been accomplished.

The LORD decided his servant would suffer as a sacrifice to take away the sin and guilt of others. Now the servant will live to see his own descendants. He did everything the LORD had planned. By suffering, the servant will learn the true meaning of obeying the LORD. Although he is innocent, he will take the punishment for the sins of others, so that many of them will no longer be guilty. The LORD will reward him with honor and power for sacrificing his life. Others thought he was a sinner, but he suffered for our sins and asked God to forgive us. ~ Isaiah 53:10-12 (CEV)