Made to Crave: The Urge . . .

*Please note that I am in no way affiliated with Lysa TurKeurst or Proverbs 31 Ministries. This is my own work using Lysa's book Made to Crave as reference. Thank you - Jennifer.*   

There's a question that many of us Christians are asked frequently. "How do you grow close to God?"

How would you answer that question?

I'm sure there are a myriad of answers: pray, read scripture, go to church . . . Those are almost a given.
But at the same time, you can go through the motions all you like, and never get close to God.
That's because, as Lysa says, "God can't be reduced to a checklist".
Quite frankly, you cannot get close to God unless you want to.
The one part of the equation that many of us forget to tell is that you have to have a desire to grow close to God: You have to have the urge.
It's exactly the same when it comes to a healthful journey.
If you don't have the urge to change, then change won't come. Period.

Recently my Made to Crave group has been dwindling.
As of right now we are down to less than five women, and possibly even less than that.
This has been discouraging for me.
We've been told more than once, "My heart just isn't in this" or some equivalent.
And that's kind of the point of this post.
These women will not be successful right now because their hearts aren't in it. They don't have the desire. They don't have the urge.
I can't say that I blame them: This is a hard road paved with ugly stones of the past that we have to face and trip over one by one.
I haven't always had the urge myself.
But what's discouraging is that I am led to believe that perhaps these women have been at this for all the wrong reasons.
Perhaps they've just been in this for weight loss alone.
Perhaps they've no intention of making any sacrifices.
Perhaps they're just fearful for some reason or another.
Whatever their reason, I pray that they come back. I pray for them to find their urge.

Something else I would like to throw in here, since we're talking about urges . . .
This weekend I had the biggest urge for chocolate chip cookies.
These are quickly becoming my weakness, because every time I have an urge for them, I bake them.
Then I eat half the batch single handedly, which is what happened yesterday.
Not only did I give in to my own weakness and my own temptation, but I dragged my best friend down with me.
I confess, those cookies tasted REALLY good.
But looking back on it now, the guilt I felt after eating them, and the guilt I felt after my best friend partook (I felt like Eve in the garden, let me tell you!) was SO not worth it!
But this morning, God got me up (by way of my Great Pyrenees).
It was a reminder to do all the things that I promised I would do every morning, and have yet to: read my devotional, pray, write . . . And God led my heart to this today.

Now, I have a project for you guys this week.
I want you all to make a list of the things that you have urges for.
Food, money, sex, television, cars . . . whatever. Then scrutinize it.
Then, rip it up, burn it, crumple it and throw it away, whatever you have to do to get rid of it.
Then make a new list:

Things I Have An Urge For
1. GOD

Because God made us to have urges.
He made us to crave: God, not food.
God bless you all,

Made To Crave: "Made for More"

*Please note that I am in no way affiliated with Lysa TurKeurst or Proverbs 31 Ministries. This is my own work using Lysa's book Made to Crave as reference. Thank you - Jennifer.*  

Lately, my Made to Crave study group has been on hiatus. My sweet, amazing mother-in-law, Linda, and my father-in-law, Ray, are on a SANMA mission trip to India. We are so proud of them and are praying every day for their safe return. But until then, MtC is slightly on hold. I didn't realize how much I really needed this group before this, honestly. 

Lately I've been back and forth. I'll have a fantastic day, I'll have a horrible day. I'll have a day that starts off rocking, and ends up stinking. I suppose that's normal for everyone, really. It won't always be sunshine and roses, but then it won't always been wind and rain either.  But sometimes, especially lately, it's discouraging. I'll "give in" then think: "well, I messed THAT up" then proceed to eat the remainder of anything tasty in the house.   I forget one very important little detail. This - this brownie, pop tart, cookie, chip, whatever. THIS is not my purpose in life. God didn't create me for this. He didn't create me to be a poor miserable fat slob sitting on my recliner crying into my lucky charms as I watch The Biggest Loser for the millionth time. No, He didn't. He created me to be an amazing, strong woman for Christ. He created me for His pleasure, for His glory.

As Lysa says in Chapter 4, I am made for more.

I am made to be a wife, mother, friend, daughter, cousin, sister, writer, minister, Child of God.  And in order to be that - the full potential of what God wants from me - I have to learn to ask. I have to learn to ask day to day, hour to hour, moment to moment. In order to reach my full potential, I have to stop focusing on the food, and start focusing on the Lord. 

I am Jennifer, and I am made for more. 

We are all made for more.

We are made to crave God, not food.

God bless you all,

Made to Crave: Having a Journey Partner . . .

*Please note that I am in no way affiliated with Lysa TurKeurst or Proverbs 31 Ministries. This is my own work using Lysa's book Made to Crave as reference. Thank you - Jennifer.* 

Do YOU F*R*O*G?

fully rely on God

I have tried to make it a point to stay away from certain words . . .
Ahem . . . Diet
I call it a journey instead.
I like to think of this process as kind of a road trip, if you will.
I am on the road to better health and an improved closeness with God.
And, lets face it, road trips are so much better with two.


My "Journey Partner" for the past year has been my best friend - 

We have shared our strengths, weaknesses, struggles and successes.

Laura has been such a value to me through this whole thing, because she can completely empathize with what I'm going through and she has a great ability to be able to push me through when no one else can.

Could I do this without her?

Probably, but I wouldn't want to. 

Alone, I get discouraged and break out the funyun's.

Together, we get discouraged and pray for each other then have a grilled chicken salad.

Alone, I step on the scale and get upset when I gain or don't lose anything.

Together, we remind each other that the purpose of this journey is not about weight, but about God.

Alone, I spend too much on snacks and treats "for the kids".

Together, we help each other avoid that aisle and focus on healthy snacks the entire family can enjoy.

I have another journey partner - my husband. 

He is also there to encourage and guide me when I need it.

And a group of wonderful women at my church: our Made to Crave Girls Bible Study Group.

They are amazing women that I don't know what I would do without.

But beyond Laura, and my husband, and my bible study group . . .

Beyond all that there is one Journey Partner that I have to have, 

One that I have to 100%, fully rely on.

God.

Because, really, this journey is not about me, or weight loss, or my friends or family. This journey is about Him and my relationship with Him. This journey is about me re-focusing all my desire and cravings onto God, not food.

Because we are Made to Crave God, not food.

This week I will be starting a food journal. I won't necessarily be writing down calories or anything like that, but I think that it will be a great tool for me to see what I'm eating and not eating. I would love to hear your personal experiences with food journals! Feel free to comment below and tell me what you think about them!

God bless you all!

You Mean I Have to Plan??

*Please note that I am in no way affiliated with Lysa TurKeurst or Proverbs 31 Ministries. This is my own work using Lysa's book Made to Crave as reference. Thank you - Jennifer.*


One of the reasons I feel Weight Watchers didn't work 100% for me is because of all the planning involved. Every hour of every day you are thinking about food - what I ate, what I didn't eat, what I need to eat, what I'm going to eat today, tomorrow, next week . . . Every . . . Single . . . Moment.

For a food addict, that doesn't work very well.

And yet . . .
You still have to have a plan, right?

Think about it.
When we're battling the enemy in our lives, we have a plan, right?
(the correct answer here is PRAYER)
So why should our battles against our temptations be any less significant or important?

It's important to have a plan of attack.
Even something as simple as: "I won't eat __________"

What I'm learning is that I have to have a plan - a BIG plan.
I don't count calories.
I don't measure portions.
None of that.

My plan is simple:
Eat what God made and eat it in smaller portions.
Exercise daily.
There are four food groups: Protein, Dairy, Plants, Grains
That's it.
Notice what's not on there?
sweetsfatscokesicecreamcakepizzafriedchickenbrowniesthingsicannotevenbegintopronounce

God made food for our bodies for one purpose only - to fuel us so that we can better serve Him.

I have had many, many complex plans in the past.
None of them worked.
Why?
Because they focused on the one thing that was taking me away from God - food.
My new plan focuses on God, not food.
Because I am a Jesus girl and I am made to crave God, not food!

God Bless you all!

My Sacrifice

*Please note that I am in no way affiliated with Lysa TurKeurst or Proverbs 31 Ministries. This is my own work using Lysa's book Made to Crave as reference. Thank you - Jennifer.*

Everything is permissible - but not everything is beneficial. 

1 Corinthians 10:23

When it comes to this journey there's one thing I've noticed about myself. 

I don't make any sacrifices when it comes to my eating.

This is a problem, especially for someone trying to renew a spiritual relationship with God.

The fact is, weather we like it or not, we have to make some sort of sacrifice in order to be truly close to the Lord. Weather it be drugs, alcohol, money, or sex - no one questions the sacrifice of these things in their daily lives. But people do question the sacrifice of food.

John tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:23 that "everything is permissible - but not everything is beneficial". 

Everything is permissible. 

But NOT everything is beneficial.

Yes, there has to be sacrifices made. 

I have made a list of things that I will and won't do when it comes to this journey. It's interesting, now that I look at it, how many things I haven't been willing to sacrifice - not only in food, but in behavior. For example, I was not willing to sacrifice my little "safe" indulgences (100 calorie packs, to be specific). Sure, one is okay, once in a while. But three or four daily? See where I'm going with this?

Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us. Before he did this, he told his followers that they would also have to make sacrifices to follow him. For some that was money (Zacchaeus). For others, sex (Mary Magdalene). For others, power (John). What is that sacrifice for you? For me, it's the unhealthy foods that have ruled my life for the past 35 years.

Here is my revised list:

I Will . . .

 . . . Pay attention to what I eat, and rely on foods that are beneficial to my body for fuel.

 . . . Take and eat smaller portions of anything unhealthy and eat larger portions of foods that are healthy.

 . . . Not indulge myself on a regular basis (weekly) - only in small amounts on special occasions.

 . . . only weigh myself once every 10 days (I was an every-day weigh person).

 . . . Fully rely on God and make daily sacrifices in His honor.

God bless you all,

Made To Crave - Finding Your "Want To"

*Please note that I am in no way affiliated with Lysa TurKeurst or Proverbs 31 Ministries. This is my own work using Lysa's book Made to Crave as reference. Thank you - Jennifer.*


I have a bad case of the "I don't wannas".
I don't wanna clean.
I don't wanna get up out of my nice warm bed.
I don't wanna eat carrots and salad when it's cold outside.
I don't wanna get off my butt and exercise.

I just don't wanna.

That is one of the most challenging parts of changing your eating lifestyle, isn't it?
Let's face it, no matter who I point fingers at, or what failed diet plan I blame, the fact remains:
There's a reason I'm unhealthy, and it's all about me.

I start, I stop. I start, I stop. I start . . . I stop.

I have done:
Atkins, South Beach, the Blood Type Diet, Lean Bodies, Weight Watchers, the Eden Diet, Weight Watchers again, Spark People, fasting, starvation, calorie counting, sugar counting, fat counting . . . The works.
The problem is not that these do not work.
The problem is that I don't have enough will or desire to stick with them.
This is something that I know I have addressed more than a few times on this blog.
Let's face it, this is something that affects me daily.

But here's the thing, my "want to" has, in the past, been tied to the wrong things.
A better body. Looking good. Fitting into a certain size . . .
See where I'm going with this? Vanity. My want to has been tied to my vanity for my entire life.
So what has to change? What do I need to do to change that for me?
I have to realize that it can no longer be about things like size or looks.

The point of this rant?
I am a food addict, plain and simple. My lack of will comes from the same place that a crack addict's or smoker's might come from. This is where there has to be a focus shift.

All of these diet and eating plans didn't work for me because they forced me to think consistantly about the one thing that was taking me away from my God. Food. Food was my golden calf, my idol, my false God. When I was depressed, I turned to brownies, chips, ice cream . . . Did the same thing when I was happy.
I was not turning to God.
Daily my focus was around food: what I was going to eat, what I was eating, what I was going to eat later. I made meal plans, counted points/calories/carbs/etc., scoured cook books and recipe web sites. I spent hours staring at Paula Deen and Rachael Ray on the television. Then I'd look at the scale and wonder why I'd gained a pound that week.

The entire focus of Made To Crave is that God should be the center of our lives, not food. When we search for that will, that desire, that "want to", we need to be searching for that in the Father. Like the song says: "we are weak, but HE is strong".

Jesus told the rich man to give everything away. He told his followers to rebuke their selfishness and  "take up your cross and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24). In other words, give up the thing that means more to you than Jesus. For some, that sacrifice is money. For some, drugs or alcohol. But for even more of us, that is food.

Not that we have to stop eating entirely, mind you. That's not the point. The point is that we should re-think how we view food in our lives. Are we replacing God with food? Are we eating when we should be praying? Are we focusing on our meals for the day or on God's grace?

It's certainly something to think about.

Next Week: My Sacrifice

Made To Crave - God, Not Food

It's been a while since I've sat here at the keyboard pouring my heart out for the world to see. For a while there, blogging just got to where it wasn't fun anymore. It became tedious. I became more concerned about followers and readers than about the real reason I started this journey to begin with: ME. So this and my other blog, The SuperMom Blues will both change slightly over the course of the next few months. Thank you for reading, and enjoy.


I longingly stare at the plate of chocolate chip cookies before me. Ooey, gooey goodness. Homemade. From scratch. Still warm from the oven. Calling to me. Beckoning me. Tempting me. I shove the plate away from me, stand up, and grab a banana from the fruit bowl instead. Chocolate chip cookie it ain't, that's for sure. But there's a part of me that is more fulfilled for choosing that banana. The cookies (yes, "-ies": ya' really think I'd only eat one??) would have satisfied for the period of time it would have taken to put them into my mouth, chew them up, and swallow them. Then, the guilt would set in. Almost immediately. "What have I done? I just compromised all that work I did yesterday! I am such a failure."

That's the one phrase that reverbs through my head consistantly through this journey: I am a failure.
But I am NOT a failure.
I am a woman of God. Fearfully and wonderfully made in His image.
Any setback will not define me for the next thirty years. It's what I do AFTER the setback that does.
Do I sit in wallow in my own self pity, depressed because I gave into a moment of weakness? Or do I forget it and move on?

This is the point of the book Made to Crave by Lysa TurKeurst. Well, one of the points, anyway. Lysa points out in her book that we don't have to be imprisoned by our cravings, chained by the choices that face us every day. God made us to crave: HIM. The entire focus is that we shift our cravings from ones for cookies and chips and fried chicken (my weaknesses) to ones for Him using prayer and scripture. And the best part is, in reality, it has less to do with weight loss and food, and everything to do with your spiritual relationship with the Father.

I still crave cookies. I struggle daily. Some days I win, some days the food does. But the bottom line is that with each setback comes opportunity to learn and to grow both emotionally and spiritually.

Beginning this week, I will start a series based on the Made to Crave book. This blog will become my personal journal, for the world to see. I will share my joys, my frustrations, my prayers. I look forward to sharing this journey with you all.

God's blessings,