DAY 14

I include A LOT of quotes, devotions and scriptures in my blogs BECAUSE they impact me in such a powerful way. I read the below devotion this morning and it reminded me of how I've lived in defeat for so many years and let the past keep me from moving forward.

"In the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples went to sleep when they should have stayed awake, and once they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of having done something irreversible tends to make us despair. We say, "Well, it's all over and ruined now; what's the point in trying anymore." If we think this kind of despair is an exception, we are mistaken. It is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize we have not taken advantage of a magnificent opportunity, we are apt to sink into despair. But Jesus comes and lovingly says to us, in essence, "Sleep on now. That opportunity is lost forever and you can't change that. But get up, and let's go on to the next thing." In other words, let the past sleep, but let it sleep in the sweet embrace of Christ, and let us go on into the invincible future with Him.

There will be experiences like this in each of our lives. We will have times of despair caused by real events in our lives, and we will be unable to lift ourselves out of them. The disciples, in this instance, had done a downright unthinkable thing— they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus. But our Lord came to them taking the spiritual initiative against their despair and said, in effect, "Get up, and do the next thing." If we are inspired by God, what is the next thing? It is to trust Him absolutely and to pray on the basis of His redemption.

Never let the sense of past failure defeat your next step."
-Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest"

I LOVE the last line and claim it as my new life motto!! Can I do that? :)

Big Daddy Weave's 90 in 09 commitment still continues to encourage me. I was on his website today and watched a video clip of him sharing his experience on a cruise this past weekend. He said he was able to workout and stay away from the bountiful buffet tables and instead, chose healthy options. He said the chocolate molten cake was calling his name and it was such a battle and I love what he said next, "But, I want Jesus more than that, I want His way for me this year more than that (that being the chocolate molten cake)." What an inspiration!

HIGHLIGHTS
*45 minutes on the treadmill
*I had a handful of chocolate chips after dinner and typically would go back for more. BUT, I was able to look at the bag, pick it up and put it away all the while thinking, "I want Jesus more than that!" Another victory!
*Tomorrow is week 2 weigh in day and I'm feeling fear. I so desperately want the scale to show me lower digits than last week but I know that numbers ultimately mean nothing. It's the quest, the moments and victories, the surrendering to Jesus and above all my spiritual growth that matters most.

Pressing on....