On the Eve of Ash Wednesday...

 

As many of you know I am a 

CHOCOHALIC.

Just like Alcoholics, Drug Addicts, and Sex Addicts, we all have the SAME issues. 

We will lie, cheat, and steal to get our fix! I am in NO WAY making light of any of these addictions...mine just happens to be chocolate. I will figure out how I can get the kids out of the house to go to McDonald's and buy the three chocolate chip cookie bag and eat them all in one sitting. I will buy the LARGE Hershey's with Almonds bar and eat the whole thing in one sitting...and both of these...plus, whatever else I can scarf down, in ONE DAY!

As you might imagine this can be quite costly both financially and in the area of weight gain. Also, eating chocolate has all the joys of major mood swings, irritability and fatigue.

Since November, when I got very ill, I have not touched even a drop of chocolate syrup...a true miracle of the Lord. With the 10 day SNOW DAY experience I found myself "out of body", last Friday, grabbing a handful of peanut M&M's and stuffing them in my face! Of course, the madness ensued and I have been, again, eating all the chocolate in sight! And, how HORRIBLE to have had this happen on VALENTINE'S DAY WEEKEND! = ) The chocolate holiday of ALL chocolate holidays! = )

I have taken it in stride and actually have used these last few days to do some research on the affects of this chemical in my body. What I have found is that, as I was on this WONDERFUL FREEING diet over the last two months, I had energy, clear headedness, patience, joy, my body felt AMAZING and I lost about 30 lbs...about 4 lbs a week. With this last bout of Chocolate Binging I have not gained anything, but all the positives have their true negatives. 

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. 

What a beautiful and glorious season we are about to embark on! 

I LOVE the Anglican church...I love it for many reasons, but one, especially, is that we celebrate the season of Lent. I love Lent even more than Advent in so many ways! To engage in the experience of "entering into the sufferings of Christ"...to acknowledge our own sinfulness and need for a Savior, to have a 40 day season to truly come out of our lives and FOCUS on Him, His great sacrifice, and recommit, regroup, and lay down all that hinders full communion with Him. 

WOW! 

The last few days I have allowed myself to partake of the hideous behavior of someone predisposed of being out of control, because of the addiction...truly engaging in the lust of the flesh...."our spirit is willing, but our FLESH is weak!" TELL ME ABOUT IT!!! 

But tomorrow...TOMORROW I look forward to moving out in His Spirit and relying fully on His Grace to bring me back in alignment with HIM! Not just in this area of weakness, but in all areas of my life that I have abandoned Him in. 

This year I would like to adopt a special Wednesday Posting:

LENTEN WEDNESDAY PONDERINGS

Our family is going to be engaging fully in this season and I would love to invite you into what the Lord moves in us for the next 6 weeks. I'm looking forward to what He shares with the McCarthy Clan!

I pray that each of you will press into this season and recommit your lives to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and allow Him to speak into your lives all that will bring the fragrance of Him ...the Lily..into your existance as Mothers, Ministers, Wives...

peace of the Lord be upon you this night.

In Jesus Name.

Amen