My Temptations to Overcome Through The Grace of God
All of us have some vice or temptation that we struggle with daily. Some of our vices are more detrimental to our health than others. I advise anyone needing counseling or addiction recovery to seek the proper help. I am not a licensed therapist or certified addiction counselor. I’m simply here to share my experiences with my struggles. I am a sugaraholic! I crave sweets, and sugary things that I shouldn’t. My habit over the years has been to reach for sweets when I felt stressed or overwhelmed with work and even my relationships with family. Mindless Eating Mindless eating habits do not serve us well, but what does it hurt to eat a cookie here and there or a “fun-size” candy bar…it’s fun-sized for a reason right? If I was able to stop and think for even a second to break the cycle, I would realize I am thirsty not hungry. I also just want to eat sugar to avoid the stress of whatever is bothering me at the time. So many times we mistake thirst for hunger, and just eat something really because we are thirsty. The hypothalamus controls both hunger and thirst, so it is easy to confuse the two. Water is Life Have you ever had a day where you think back and realize you maybe had one glass of water all day? Maybe you had some sodas, teas, or other sugary drinks, but no water without any type of sugar in it. Then at night I am super thirsty for water.. Dehydration cycle continues. The odd thing is I like water, and I like fruit and vegetables even more than the junk I choose to eat instead when I’m stressed out. Sugar and chemicals in snack foods are very addictive, and create this cycle of crashes, dehydration, and a slew of other health concerns if not controlled. I was talking to my son about this concern the other day because he struggles a bit with snacks and junk food as well. He responded to my concerns with the truth and a simple answer. “Then don’t bring the junk food into the house.” That’s when I realized I played a huge part in creating temptation in my household because I was bringing unhealthy options into our home, and simultaneously saying we need to eat better. I wouldn’t want a recovering alcoholic to bring alcohol into their house just in case someone may want alcohol at a party or an event, but I would expect them not to touch it themselves. Why am I bringing junk food into my house and expecting us to limit it to one portion-controlled snack? It’s a recipe for disaster. We need to eliminate all temptations related to that vice from our homes. Numerous temptations cause distress to our souls and can lead to health issues. Each of us must consciously decide to remove access to our vices from our living spaces. I pray that God gives us the strength to fight our temptations with common sense, the grace of God, and a sense of worthiness so strong that we can avoid and ultimately overcome temptations. “God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it..” Corinthians 10:13
A Forgiving Heart
Morning Blues Isn’t it just so hard to let go of grudges at times? Don’t we all tend to ruminate the wrongdoings against us? I realized I was guilty of this a few days ago when my daughter did not listen to me in the morning before school. She ultimately was grounded from electronics because she did not want to listen. I followed through with the grounding. However, because I was hurt and took her actions personally, I kept mentioning her mistakes and bad behavior the rest of the afternoon. After another reminder of her mistake that morning, she said to me, “Mom why are you being mean?” I didn’t say anything and realized that I was being mean to my little girl who is ultimately just a child with bad days and good days. Key notes We as adults can’t control our emotional outbursts a lot of days, and we expect our children to be perfect. The Lord gave me my children to show me the practice of patience and kindness. I didn’t realize until the next morning why my behavior occurred in the first place. I was holding a grudge because she hurt my feelings by not respecting and listening to her mom. For some reason, she woke up in the middle of the night and could not go back to sleep. That’s why she was tired and acting out. Instead of being empathetic to her exhaustion, I felt she was being disrespectful on purpose. Next time I will focus on empathy and forgiveness. The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) is a great story about forgiveness to remind us of our responsibility to forgive the people in our lives.
Faith to Begin: My Journey
Faith Journey I grew up in a non-practicing Catholic family. Everyone was Catholic except we didn’t go to church. Well except for the occasional baptism, wedding, or funeral. Weekly Mass was not practiced at all. Sundays were for relaxation, football games, and projects around the house. I always believed in God and even the Trinity, but my understanding was weak. Religion has always been an interesting topic for me. I had friends of all different religions, and regularly checking out books about Buddhism, Christianity, and different ways of life was my college extracurricular activity. In one word, I was spiritually confused. I was missing a critical faith foundation, which I believe is a crucial component against life’s obstacles. Faith is the answer to ALL worries, angst, and general adolescent concerns. I didn’t start practicing and understanding more about Catholicism until I was engaged to a Catholic young man – my good friend I grew up with through high school. To be married in the church I started my journey in classes, and ultimately being baptized, accepting communion, and confirming all in one special Easter Mass. Little did I know, my understanding of the faith and the purpose God has for me, is an ongoing journey of faith. It doesn’t stop at the sacrament of Communion. It is only the beginning. formed.org is a great resource to get started learning in your faith journey. Whether you are a lifelong Catholic, a newly converted Catholic, or new to Christianity all together, we all have room for expanding our capacity for faith and trust in God. It starts with prayer. Pray to open your heart to the word of God, so that when you go to Mass you may hear Him guide you. So many of us go to Mass because it is tradition, or what our parents told us to do. Some only attend Mass on Easter, Christmas, and family events like a Baptism. I challenge you to go to Mass each week intending to give thanks to God for the week of life you were able to experience. The good of the week, the struggles of the week, and the lessons of the week – bring it all to the Alter – and pray for thanks and ask for understanding with an open heart. Do this for a while.. and you will build a relationship with God, and learn how to hear his guidance. Many blessings to all of you. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26