• Made to Crave Book Study: Introduction
• Made to Crave: Week 1
• Made to Crave:  Week 2
• Made to Crave:  Week 3
• Made to Crave:  Week 4
• Made to Crave:  Week 5

We’ve come to the final week of our Made to Crave journey.

I know what you’re thinking.

“Finally.  So glad I don’t have to listen to the crazy Stacie talk about food anymore.”

Or maybe I’m just thinking that myself! 

In all seriousness, I have asked myself over the past six weeks if this is really something I should be blogging about.  I mean, there are horrible events going on all around us.  Tragedies and sorrow of all kinds.

Is this struggle really that significant?

And my answer is yes.

Yes, because God made us to crave.

And sometimes, rather than looking to God to fulfill those needs in our hearts, we look to significance or power or money or drugs or alcohol or…food.

It really is a battle for me.  And I want peace!

 

“You have circled this mountain long enough.  Now turn north…” (Deuteronomy 2:3 NASB).

 

This is one of my favorite verses shared in Made to Crave.  Every single time I was tempted to cheat on my Whole30 or to just give in to my cravings, I remembered this—TURN NORTH.  You see, I’m sick and tired of circling the same place over and over again.  Instead, I’m making the decision to move.  I’m turning.  I’m not circling this same old battlefield again and again.

Is this struggle really that significant?

Yes, because it is literally life and death for many people in the US.

How many people do you know with type 2 diabetes?  How about anorexia or bulimia?  How about other illnesses brought on by being overweight or obese?  There are so many illnesses caused by inflammation in the body–inflammation that can be brought about by our food choices (see The Inflammation Syndrome for more details).

Food is an issue for many people.  And I hate that.  I want all of my beautiful readers to live healthy lives!

Is this struggle really that significant?

Yes, because of these three reasons:

These three girls are the biggest reason I feel this is a battle I have to fight–and conquer.  Our society is a challenging place for girls.  Just the other day, my eight-year-old said, “Mom, I need some of that powder to help you lose weight.”

I was shocked, because even though I have struggled with my weight, it’s not something I talk about in front of the girls.  I always try to be encouraging and not focus on weight or food-type issues with them.  Instead we talk about eating foods that keep our bodies healthy and well and exercising our bodies to take care of them.  I had no idea where that came from, and when I asked, she responded, “Oh, it’s just an ad I saw on tv.  They said I should lose weight.”

The messages our girls receive day in and day out from the media are not healthy, and their peers can give them some pretty unhealthy messages as well.  I’m not doing it perfectly and only with God’s grace can I even “compete” with the messages they hear around them, but with my whole heart, I want those girls to know how precious they are to God.  I want them to know that God looks upon the heart–and they are beautiful inside and out.  I want them to know they are loved–no matter what.

On a side note:  You know my whole silly scale dilemma?  Well, when I prayed about it and thought about it some more, I decided it wasn’t so silly.  The scale is staying up in the closet for now.  I’ll weigh myself monthly for my own accountability, but I don’t want the girls to see me weighing myself all the time.  I don’t want them to worry about the scale and carry my craziness into their own life.

The battle really is significant.  If you have ever struggled with your weight and food in any form, you know what I mean.  I can get frustrated by those voices out there telling me to just have a little self-discipline.  I do!  I have quite a bit actually, but there are so many other factors at play–the kinds of food we eat, various deficiencies in our bodies, and a host of emotional issues that can make this struggle with food an all-out war.

With that said, I don’t believe we have to surrender and lose!  We are more than conquerors, my friends!  And if I have to battle for the rest of my life, so be it.  I don’t have to do it alone.  And neither do you.  Although the book has ended, I’m truly only at the beginning.  Each day is new.  Each meal is new.  We can start again, and we can be victorious!

Need more help on this journey?  I highly recommend Made to Crave as a starting point.  While I think the battle is spiritual–I also think it is highly influenced by food choices, too.  To that end, I’ve started a little group on Facebook called Faithfully Nourished for those of you who want a place to share your struggles and find encouragement!

 

Earlier this year, I did a review of Then I Became a Mother. I think it is a wonderful and encouraging book for moms, and they have dropped the price on the Kindle version for Mother’s Day!

You can currently get Then I Became a Mother for just $2.99.

You can also check out Robin’s blog at Pink Dryer Lint!

I finished my first complete Whole30!!  Woohoo!  I feel great, and it was an amazing experience!  I hope to share more about exactly what it is, but you can find the complete “rules” of the Whole30 here.

I’m going to start another Whole30, since I feel like I still need to be on a stricter plan until I break the cravings (since I had some sugar and chocolate on my birthday and for the past few days).  I also hope to finish up my final Made to Crave post next week!

In the meantime, I will start a new Whole30 on Monday–as well as challenge myself to exercise 5 times per week this month.  If you are interested, I am starting a Facebook group called Faithfully Nourished–a place where we can share our faith, inspirational quotes, real food recipes, gluten and dairy-free recipes, healthy living tips, and encouragement.  You don’t have to be doing a Whole30 to join!  I’m just on a real food and healthy living journey, and I would love for you to join.

Please note that this will be a Christian-based group focused on living healthy.  Hecklers and meanies will be deleted…we all have enough stress in our life without that!  I don’t think that will be a problem with my lovely group of readers and friends, though! 

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