Finding our Beautiful...and Getting our Groove On

Made to Crave Session Four

This week, we are covering chapters seven, eight, and nine in the book, Made to Crave, by Lysa Terkeurst.

I love the title of Chapter 7 - I'm Not Defined by the Numbers

What numbers are we talking about? The numbers on the scale, of course. Other than Lysa humming "I Like Big Butts...", this statement was my favorite from chapter seven:

I am a Jesus girl who can step on the scale and see the numbers as an indication of how much my body weighs and not as an indication of my worth.

Also love how Lysa talks about "taking every thought captive" and not dwelling on thoughts and statements from others that don't belong to us. Being free...that's what it's all about, and in Jesus we are free indeed.

Perhaps my favorite line of this session and all three chapters comes from Chapter 8, page 81:

Define your week by obedience, not by a number on the scale.

I found this statement of truth particularly helpful this week, since I didn't lose one pound...even though I ate my tiny low-calorie portions everyday, faithfully, and exercised a few times.  I reminded myself of Lysa's words when the number on the scale didn't budge. This number doesn't define me or my efforts. I was obedient...and therefore victorious. Despite the numbers.

(I also clung to a truth from last week as I walked past an opened bad of Doritos about five times and resisted eating them...."You were made for more than this." And, each time I prayed instead of shoving a handful of cheesy crunchiness into my mouth.)

Lynnette recently blogged a bit about physical beauty, and some of our struggles. She mentioned the effects of grief on one's face, and her words resonated with me. When I look in the mirror, I am met with a much different face than the one that stared back at me several years ago. Yes...I'm still "young" to some, but time has begun to have it's way with me, a wrinkle here, a laugh line there...but more than that the weight of grief, the effects of tear-stained cheeks, eyes that have known great sorrow, the look of one who has lived much life in these thirty-five years.

So, when Lysa says, we need to learn to say:

I've found my beautiful. And I like my beautiful.

I get it. There is beauty...even in the lines of grief on my face. Each one tells the story of a life that mattered, precious, dearly loved, and greatly missed. And, the laugh lines...well, they're my favorite. The more the merrier, I say. They tell the story of the girl who laughs. And, the tear stains...they tell the story of a girl who loved with abandon and has been moved with compassion. And, the stretch marks...tell the story of five babies born of my womb. And, the freckles tell the story of a girl who splashes freely in the sun and on the golf course and on bike rides with her boys. The gray hairs springing up wildly here and there...the bible calls them my "crown of glory".

And, speaking of finding our beautiful....

Chapter nine is about exercise. Some people are cringing as they read that word. Each year, our work place takes part in Coming Alive, where we have to exercise and record our minutes. My friend Tracy calls it Sudden Death. She hates exercise. But, she loves how it makes her feel. And so do I.

Lysa's mom says "the best kind of exercise is the kind you'll do". I couldn't agree more. And that is exactly what I want to encourage you to do. I actually don't mind exercise. But, I do believe the key to exercise is finding something you enjoy doing.

Some of you might wear the gear and run in marathons. Your exercise might look like this:

Others might look like this:

Yep...that's me dancing to Big Girl You are Beautiful on the Wii Just Dance 2 game. That's what I do when it's rainy and cold outside. When it's nice out, I much prefer to get my exercise in with a walk around the reservoir with James, sometimes a walk on my own and a conversation with the Lord as my feet pound the pavement, a round of golf with the whole family, or a bike ride on my turquoise bike with what I like to call the "mama bottom" seat. (I'll have to share a pic of my bike soon.) Much more comfortable than those skinny little wedgy-giving seats. In the summer, I swim laps in Grandma's pool, with my boys. For the most part, I'm not much of  a runner...no one wants to see that. But, there are plenty of ways to get your exercise on. And plenty of ways to "run the race". The important part is that we get up and move!!

1 Corinthians 9:23-25

 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

For those who would like a bit more interaction, we have started a facebook discussion on the Made to Crave journey. We are hoping others will join in and share their progress, remain accountable to each other, encourage each other, and pray for each other. It will only be a good discussion if  people join in though, so take a minute and pop over. PLEAAAASSSEE! =)

Next week, we will be reading chapters 10, 11, and 12. In the meantime, let's pray for one another and keep running the race.