Trinity Women

Allow God to Bring Purpose to your Pain

2011-06-24T06:37:00.006-04:00

How often when we are in the midst of something hard we wish life would just get better? We pray for God to take whatever is causing us distress to go away.

God has something to teach us in all situations even those that are challenging throughout our lives. When I focus on this it gives me a challenge during these times of difficulty. It allows me to remember when you are in God’s will and you are in the midst of something hard He will use it to shape and teach you. I started to focus on this concept a number of years ago when I was at a crossroads in my life and was not sure where to turn. God gave me the image of a precious metal filled with things that had taken its sparkle away. But gradually as it was taken through different fires it became more and more clear and less filled with things that distracted it from its true beauty.

I earnestly long to follow God’s purpose in my life and when I learned that in order to do that some (and I hate to admit this many) things I would need to go through would be hard and painful it gave me a different perspective. I started getting more comfortable going through these fires, while knowing it’s hot and uncomfortable, I look out for God’s fruit in the midst of these trials. God is waiting for me and you in these hard times holding our hands and giving us the strength to get through each one. And in the midst he’s making us more in his image if we let him. How about that for an added bonus!

As many of you know my father is dying of cancer that came on suddenly at the first of May. It has been such a quick adjustment for all who are around him and love him. As I encounter each day I pray for God’s strength just for the day I’m beginning and am encouraged that in the midst of the hard times that God will show his glory and shape me through each and every trial.

I encourage each of you as you go through whatever you are in now or may go through to be strong and trust that you are in the Lord’s hands. Know you are being shaped and molded and in the midst of each fire you are walking through. And through these fires the Lord is making you more sparkly and closer to the image of Him that he desires to see in you so you can shine His light brighter than ever.

Have a wonderful week and let me know how you are doing! trinitywomen.vb@gmail.com

Sabra

Love Yourself

2011-06-07T06:49:00.002-04:00

Hello wonderful Made to Crave sisters. I hope you are off to a great week. I was reminded today in my daily reading how in order to love others we must love ourselves first. This is such a critical point as we are on this healthier craving God journey together. If you do not love yourself send that prayer up to God and ask him for that, he would be honored to help you see how amazing you are and see yourself as he sees you.

I have a wonderful friend who is married to a dear friend of my husband’s from high school, she too is doing the same daily readings as I am and she will share insights as she has on them from time to time. I loved what she wrote to me last night:

“I was sitting on a plane waiting for it to take off for my weekly trip to Minneapolis. The sun hit my engagement ring as I was catching up on my bible reading. It scattered beautiful points of light all around me. I was fascinated by its wonder.

Then I looked down at what I was reading. Proverbs. I was honestly getting to a point where I was fatigued by the repeating guidelines. Yes I know I should not speak ill of others. Yes I know I should not be greedy. Yes I know that wisdom is better than riches. Do I really need to read this over and over again?

I thought about the beauty of the diamond and how the prism like qualities enabled its beauty. And how it is so strong that nothing can penetrate it. And then I thought about those Proverbs. And how God is trying to teach me that by following him and his guidelines I will become like a prism. Strong to outside interference and yet so beautiful when light shines through me. The light of Jesus Christ.”

Wasn’t that beautiful?! I had to share it. So as we get these guidelines in our reading of the bible, one of which is to love others as we LOVE ourselves, be reminded that we can all become like prisms shining Christ’s light to those around us.

God Bless,

Sabra

God Emptied My Dishwasher

2011-05-23T08:37:00.002-04:00

Several years ago in the midst of emptying my dishwasher for the Xth time and muttering frustrating thoughts that I was empting my dishwasher for the Xth time God spoke to me and told me that I was harboring harsh feelings within myself and to let them go. “What did you say God, I’m too busy to listen to you because I’m too immersed in complaining in my head that I’m emptying my dishwasher?” Not sure if you can relate but perhaps there is something else you negatively self talk to yourself.

Our Made to Crave leader Lysa came and spoke at my church a number of years ago and one of the stories she told was somewhat similar to what I mentioned above but hers was scraping dried up Cheerios off the floor after her kids had gone off to school. She too was complaining in her head. Then God spoke to her and asked her “what if you had no one to drop those Cheerios?” That changed her perspective to start to think about that with all the things we “need to do in life” there are amazing gifts that proceed and come after.

Having just emptied my dishwasher before writing this I thought, you know I’m not complaining. But can I tell you how long I had to pray about that and pray away the other tapes I would play in my head?

I bring all this up because last week we began in our small/large group to talk about negative self talk. I feel this is so important that we tackle this. Running negative comments about yourself or anything for that matter only separates us from God. It’s hard to hear God when we’re busy thinking these thoughts. If you struggle with this I encourage you to pray for God to lift this burden from you. I did and my life has truly changed. Does that mean that I’m perfect, we all know the answer is no. But I will tell you I’m living a much happier life and one where God’s guidance is with me, and for that I’m so very thankful.

Have a wonderful week! Would love to know if anyone had had the guts to block out the numbers on their scale with the word Peace (smile)…

Prayed for all of you during my beach walk this am.

Hugs to all,

Sabra

God Gives You Strength

2011-05-16T09:14:00.001-04:00

Hello, I hope you all are off to a great week and last week went well. Please email how it’s going for you, I really missed seeing you all last week. I plan to be there this Thursday.

I was encouraged today in reading through some of David’s Psalms this morning. One verse that jumped out was Psalm 144:9: I will sing a new song to you, O God! I will sing your praises with a ten stringed harp. Also Philippians 4:13: I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

If we call out to God he will give us strength in whatever we are in the midst of. Once we humble ourselves before him and ask him for that strength he will provide it.

As you find things that have given you strength please share them so we can all learn from your success.

See you soon, God Bless,

Sabra

How Many Eggs are in YOUR Fridge?

2011-05-10T05:53:00.002-04:00

Hello ladies, I hope your weeks are filled with crunchy healthy things. I heard from one of you that you made 20 hard boiled eggs for deviled eggs for an event and learned you had made them a week early, looks like you’ll have plenty of eggs on hand and some to share. I love that story. If that’s not God talk’n to you I don’t know what is. Another of you ladies shared that you have been praying for the “want to” for some time and you have been successful in losing a great deal of weight and know God will keep you on track to get to your goal. You are such an inspiration.

I have been in the hospital daily with my father since Saturday who went into emergency surgery on his brain to stop bleeding they found. Has been a very scary several days and there are more to come. Of course I would love for you to pray for his healing and peace and patience for all of us involved but I also wanted to share with you that in the midst of this crazy week and the shock off all that is going on God is still giving me the “want to.” And let me add, this does not mean I’ve been perfect. I ate a pack of M&Ms day before yesterday, and yes I did give myself the excuse “I’m under a lot it’s ok” talk. But let me tell you I did not really enjoy them. Was a good lesson for me.

I’m going to try and be there on Thursday to kick us off and depending on how the rest of the week goes I may or may not be able to stay. If not Lisa O’Donnell will be helping me keep up on track through our discussion time.

I’ve been thinking about you all and praying this has been a good week.

Tip: Sugar Free Fudge Pops are your friend. I LOVE them!

Much love to you all and I hope to see you soon,

Sabra

Day 1, Praying for the "Want to"

2011-05-06T09:39:00.003-04:00

What a great evening last night, thank you all for coming. As I was doing my walk/run this morning back in the state park on 64th Street I was saying the “want to” prayer for all of you. If you have not had the chance to walk back on the trail on 64th Street it’s the left hand trail and is amazing.

In terms of the “want to” prayer the fact that I’m walking/running is proof that it works. The very idea of running for me has always been that’s for other people not for me. But lately God planted a seed in me starting up my "want to" in this area. I’m waking up looking forward to going out for my walk/run in the woods. I think one of the biggest things is not to beat myself up at all at any point during my outing, all postive talk. So if I run a few yards great, if I run farther that’s great too. I’m out there praying away and God’s cheering me on. I know if you pray the same prayer he will cheer you on too in whatever you ask.

In my intro last night I mentioned I had given up Weight Watchers last year. I wanted to clarify that, that was what God was calling me to do. If you are new to this healthy eating thing I cannot say enough good things about WW. They teach great eating habits and have been an ongoing base, touching point for me getting healthy over the years. As I mentioned to my table last night Carol at the WW on VB Blvd is an amazing God loving woman, if you decide to go I would suggest attending her meeting times (and tell I said hello please).

Here are some helpful Made to Crave resources for you:

In the “in courage” blog Lysa gives a great talk. Once you click go half way down the page to find the title: But what if I let God Down?, http://www.incourage.me/category/bloom.

Also here’s Lysa blog which has great Made to Crave tips, pod casts she’s done, etc. http://lysaterkeurst.com/category/made-to-crave/.

Tip: My survivor food tool kit, which I try and not leave the house without, includes low fat Mozzarella cheese sticks and a hardboiled egg and if I have them in the fridge an apple. When you are hungry eat one of them. Saves you from that gotta eat anything in site mode.

Have a great week,

Sabra

Made to Crave Trinity Women Week 1

2011-05-02T13:45:00.005-04:00

I have struggled with my weight as long as I can remember, I’ve probably lost 80 + lbs through Weight Watchers in 10-15 to 20 lbs over and over since I was in high school. Last year God spoke to me telling me I was focusing too much on the points I was counting at Weight Watchers and stop being so hard on myself. You know the drill, “oh I wish my hips were not so cushy, or my thighs we thinner,” and on and on. “I can’t believe another day went by without exercising.” At some point I realized I was offending God’s creation and realized I needed to give it a rest. I prayed and continue to pray to love myself for who God made me to be and who he is shaping me into and to show me how to honor him.

As you will see in the first chapter of Made to Crave Lysa talks about praying for the “want to.” “I want to be healthier, I want to run, I want to do things I did not think were possible.” This brings us to this study we are about to embark on. Whatever you and I crave more than God whether it’s food, shopping, smoking, dreaming of our next vacation my prayer for each of us that we will crave God most of all.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you who you have received from God? You are not your own therefore honor God with your body.”
1 Corinthians 6: 19 and 20.

Have a wonderful start to your week and I look forward to seeing you Thursday evening. Feel free to bring a friend, more the merrier.

Sabra