ENCOURAGED IN HEART

I’ve been infected with a rather contagious syndrome. I wonder if I’ve spread it to you?

I saw a skinny woman “house” a huge plate of food and thought, “MUST BE NICE” as this caged tiger counts her Weight Watchers’ points.

I saw the cleaning crew outside my neighbor’s home and thought, “MUST BE NICE” as I just finished using my Pampered Chef scraper to “clean” the top shelf of my fridge.

I heard a friend say, “Oh, my parents took the kids to give me a break” and thought, “MUST BE NICE” as I remember there are so many layers to grief and how much I miss my mom.

I heard a friend tell me, “Oh, my husband’s going away for eleven days next month” and I thought, “MUST BE NICE” as I was smack dab in the middle of the Finkster being in Europe for three months.

The “MBN” syndrome is a pretty potent disorder…it’s rooted in self-centered and distorted thinking.

Last week I pulled this weed from my garden. Look at the roots on that sucker. Thought this was a pretty accurate visual for my distorted, weed-ish, thinking.

Romans 12:2 talks about the “renewing of your mind” and not conforming to this world.

The best way I know how to renew my mind is to say, “Thank you”. Some days I have to dig a little deeper to find the “thank you” in the moment. Today was no exception.

Thank you, Lord, that I have enough food in my pantry that I can count points. (So what if I twitched saying it?!)
Thank you, Lord, that I have a beautiful home to clean.
Thank you, Lord, that I have amazing friends and babysitters to help when I need a break.
Thank you, Lord, that I have hubby. Thank you that I have a hubby that helps and I desire to be with. (Because there was a time…)

And, for the I hour I had to write today,

“Thank you!” Because, for the record…it was NICE.

Have you ever said the words, “must be nice”?
Where have you been most vulnerable to see the MBN Syndrome pop up?

tags: MBN Syndrome, must be nice

Yesterday I wrote about avoiding truth.

Today, I want to go one step further. Gulp.

Do you remember that crazy little dude in the Domino’s commercials that said, “Avoid the noid”?

(Pic from here.)

I’m not telling you to avoid pizza but I am telling you to avoid your “noid” so you don’t avoid true life…God’s best.

I’ll explain my insanity using “I” statements.

I did not just use food to avoid facing life.

Food was not the only “noid” tool in my toolbox.

As a young woman, partying was a very useful “noid” to numb life.
As a young professional, achievement and spiffy titles were chosen “noids”; accomplishments and titles sure made me feel good about myself.
As a DINK (double income no kids), Wal-Mart was my “noid” of choice. Shopping. Stuff.

These were all things I tried using to fill my voids.

I didn’t realize “stuffing with stuff” was another “noid” of choice until years later, when I watched Madame Blueberry in Stuff-Mart.

(Pic from here.)

I believe it was somewhere between the Stuff Mart rap (ever since Run DMC entered my life, I’ve been a sucka for a good clean rap!)

and Madame Blueberry having a reality check – that I faced my own stuff “noid”.

Maybe you remember the scene where Madame Blueberry, intoxicated by the stuff that surrounded her, finally hit rock bottom. She declares, “I don’t need a toaster over (noid).” The Stuff-Mart dude replies, “Of course you don’t need a toaster oven…but don’t ya want it?”

She realized stuff was just a “noid” to fill a void that only God wants to fill.

Ouch and thanks Madame Blueberry.

I couldn’t be overweight in college ROTC and active duty because the military has weight requirements. So I chose partying (formation run would burn the beer off), being a workaholic, and shopping as “noids” to fill the voids that only God could fill.

Without a creepy red superhero jumpsuit, I want to tell you to, “Avoid the noid!”

But before you avoid the noid, you have to name the noid. A “noid” is any noise that we use to avoid, life, God, relationships.

What noid have you been using to fill the void?

Selah for a minute, heck if all you have is a few seconds I’m asking you to pause right here and right now and give God what you have.

Ask God if there’s a “noid”. Have the courage to take that step today.

Write it down in a journal or even leave an anonymous comment below, just do something to officially face the “noid”. Then release the “noid and void” up to God for a powerful epic win!

I just wanted you to know that I’ve been avoiding typing this post for oh, only about THREE MONTHS.

Addicts are exceptionally gifted at avoiding.

We use our vice (such a smooth sounding word for sin) to escape and avoid the truth.

Here’s the truth.

I’ve avoided Lucy.

I’ve avoided writing about my monthly bling and having fun watching my weight because of five stinkin’ pounds.

So, I’ve avoided writing about it all together.

Oh yeah, and I’ve made excuses. Extremely good (okay, lame) excuses.

A “busy life” is the top excuse I default to. The same life that I schedule. The same life that I own and am responsible for.

These past listening prayer times with God have been refining times. God’s asking both the Finkster and I to refine and align our lives more towards His heart instead of our schedule.

Not make Him around our schedules but to make our schedules about Him, not around Him.

Schedules and business can be idols if they keep me from pursuing God’s best.

I think it’s odd, but incredibly special in an oddly special kind of way, that God spoke to me through dead flowers.

Dig in, dig out the old and choose a new life.

I’m no quitter.

I used to be ashamed that I was 70 pounds overweight. Today, I’m ashamed that I’m missing my goal by 5 pounds.

If my emotional eating addiction is what brings me closer to the heart of Christ and ultimately dependent on Him, then what else can I really say but, “Thanks, Lord!” The gift of snow in spring is a gift.

And so is the colorful new life that greets me each morning!

Do you schedule God around your plans or plan your schedule around God?