*GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*
What or whom do you turn to each time you get stressed? I remember an episode I had last year, when the stress hit me so hard that I had a village of crumbs dangling off the end of my bangs. I couldn’t shovel the chips in fast enough, until one of the crumbs caught my eye, and stopped me dead in my tracks. I think that the laughter of it all broke the stress. What could have possibly been so bad that it moved me to shovel chips in my face? I don’t recall, but my guess is that it was just another case of ordinary, everyday stress, that’s since been forgotten and gone.
Yes, stress will come our way, that’s a fact. The apostle Peter says, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.” - 1 Peter 4:12 (KJV). But we still manage to get that element of surprise that knocks us down a notch or two, and gets us running to the fridge for comfort. Merriam-Webster defines “comfort food” this way: Food prepared in a traditional style having a usually nostalgic or sentimental appeal. The words “nostalgic” and “sentimental” give us insight into the psychology of the binges we take. In fact it’s highly believed that the food we run to serves to remind us of a safe or pleasant time from our past. It’s no surprise that I turned to potato chips for over a decade in hopes of easing my stress. Growing up in an alcoholic household, a retreat to my sister’s apartment was a safe-haven for me (a safe-haven that was stocked with pop and potato chips).
We’ve all heard that verse that Jesus spoke to rebuke the tempter when He said, “It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” I got to thinking about that verse, meditating on the words to find a deeper meaning that might sink in, and clarify things. So I asked my son, “What do you think it means?” With his usual dash of humour and simplicity, Brendan replied, “Essentially it means that God’s Word trump’s food.”
Oh, he’s adorable, but I knew there was more…
Deuteronomy 8:3 reads, “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live."
Looking at that verse, we see that God is refining us to reveal our true heart.
It’s an honour to partake in His holiness, as we walk in the desert of testing. To be able to stand against the tempter when the going gets rough and say, “I don’t live by bread alone. I live by the Word of God.” Food won’t cure your pain, and it won’t bring you back to that place of safety or comfort we desperately seek. Unfortunately all that over eating will do is leave us empty and lonely, time and again. I think we've all experienced that familiar disappointed feeling we get an hour after we’re stuffed. Measure that alongside the feeling you get when you seek out the Lord and lay each burden at the foot of His throne; the two are incomparable. Oh how it must grieve the Father when we turn to anything in this life before turning to Him. When we live according to our desire for food, drugs, alchohol, or other things instead of happily accepting the manna He sent us from Heaven--His son. I think Brendan was right all along, “the Word trumps food.” It's plain and simply put, yet so true.
Darlene Schacht is an ordinary mom, living an extraordinary life, because of who she is through Jesus Christ. As help-meet to her husband Michael, she guides and nurtures their four children, leading them toward a deeper walk of faith. Her work has been published in anthologies by Thomas Nelson, Tyndale Publishing and Adams Media. As well she has co-authored a book with actress Candace Cameron Bure called, Reshaping it All: Motivation for Spiritual and Physical Fitness. You can find her blogging at Time-Warp Wife where she empowers wives to joyfully serve.
Now for the giveaways...
a few things to get on track!!
Reshaping It All by Candace Cameron Bure and Darlene Schacht
In Reshaping It All, Candace Cameron Bure inspires women to embrace a healthier lifestyle by moving faith to the forefront, making wise choices, and finding their worth in the eyes of God. I love how Candace shares her life struggles with food and self-image in this book. As women we all struggle with those issues in some way and it is so encouraging to know I am not alone ;)). Candace will challenge you to look at appetite and exercise in a whole new way. I loved reading this book and gaining fresh and new perspective from a Biblical point of view. (the other fun thing... it has a healthy recipe at the end of each chapter to try!)
An Organizing Tote
Thirty-One gifts, a faith-based company - named after a Proverbs 31 woman has the mission to celebrate, encourage and reward women through offering quality products and an outstanding opportunity to become successful business owners. We are going to celebrate today by giving away one of their most popular "mommy" bags, an Organizing Utility Tote, in your choice of pattern! Please visit Andrea's website , http://www.mythirtyone.com/andreabrouwer, and check out all the new patterns.
31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae
If you want to organize your home and your heart at the same time, this book is for you!!!
31 Days to Clean is about the “why”, the vision, and the heart for taking care of our domains. Each day Sarah Mae encourages you with some thoughts and ideas and then challenges you to put those ideas in to action.
After each days reading, you will be given two challenges:
- The Mary Challenge -Something you do that encourages/engages your heart
- The Martha Challenge – Specific cleaning tasks
Friends, 31 Days to Clean is a faith journey towards ruling, subduing, and loving. We are forgoing perfection; we are choosing life. -Sarah Mae
Do you feel a lack in the area of home organization? Are you looking for a tool to help you stay focused and most productive in your life? I love to organize and have things in order and that is why I love ListPlanIt!! I love having so many lists right at my fingertips ready to help me organize! List Plan It has the tools to increase your productivity in all areas of life. Through a yearly subscription, you can have access to over 500 different lists to assist in keeping your world in order, from organizing business, family matters, home, vacations, parties, holidays, meal planning, finances, contacts and so much more. The other thing I love about ListPlanIt is that it is so simple to use! You have to check it out!
ListPlanIt.com would like to offer 1 reader a chance to win a Download Membership ($30 value) and an e-planner. Once set up as a member, you have access to the hundreds of lists and planning pages available. Woot woot!!
One of you will win this glorious bundle of giveaways!!!
To Enter:
- "Subscribe" to The Better Mom (top right hand corner ;))
- "Follow" The Better Mom on Twitter
- Share this giveaway any way you want to via social media (blog, twitter, facebook, email, etc. etc.)
- Visit Darlene and say hello from us :).
- Visit Jen, founder of ListPlanIt on facebook and tell her what list you could really use.
- Visit Andrea's Thirty One site.
- Visit 31 Days to Clean Facebook Page and tell Sarah Mae why you would love to have her book.
p.s. We would love for you to "like" us on facebook too! (you just don't get an entry because of a new rule from facebook, but we hope you will "like" us just because you really do :))
You can do as many of the entries as you would like. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do.
Giveaway Ends Friday August 12th at 11:59 p.m.
Good "Luck" friends!
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