Circle of Sisters Victorious in Christ

How Do You Spell Success?

2006-04-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been so overwhelmed by life that you didn't know what to do? Have you ever come to a brick wall and just stopped everything? Well, I have to confess. That happened to me recently and I didn't want to do anything. I have so many dreams, visions, goals, and callings that I sometimes confuse the stuff that I want to do with the stuff that God wants me to do.

The Bible says that everything is permissable, but not everything is beneficial. To me, this means that I can't be trying to do all things just because I can. I must have some balance and limit myself to doing those things that are directly relevant to my purpose. Amen.

I've covered Success on my daily radio show today and tomorrow. Stop over and listen. Also, there is a daily show to motivate you in the Word of God to do and be all that He has called you to do and to be. Amen.

Click on the link to listen now. http://www.NCCMRadio.com

Enjoy.

Blessings,
Rebecca

My New Radio Show

2006-03-07T09:41:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

As you probably know by now, it is my belief that there is power in the word. There is power in the spoken word, but more so than that, there is power in the word of God!

I have had the opportunity to host my own radio show on NBBTA Radio. You can tune in by going to http:www.NBBTA.org/Radio and scrolling down to my show on the third row.

Each week, I will be bringing you interviews, speeches, sermons, and insights from the word of God. Tune in and tune in often to be inspired and encouraged in your everyday walk.

Blessings,

Rebecca Simmons

Where is the Love?

2006-02-05T18:20:00.000-08:00

Hello again everyone and God bless you all. I want to take a few minutes to talk about love and our relationships. I wrote a chapter in The Cry of a Woman's Heart about looking for love in all of the wrong places. Even though I have come to a lot of realizations about love, I still remain a romantic at heart. I still want my husband to hold my hand and look into my eyes with adoration in his eyes. I still want him to take a double take when I come downstairs all dolled up and then while drooling at the mouth, tell me how good I look. I still want him to give me his undivided attention when I'm talking to him, even if the Super Bowl is on and the game is getting good. I know, I'm dreaming again. But that's exactly what I was telling you. I am a romantic at heart and I refuse to let the dream die!

I want romance! I want romance! I want romance! And I want it when I want it, and I want it all of the time. Now you may be with me all of the way, saying, yeah, that's right! We want romance! Or you may be sitting there shaking your head saying, yeah right! Keep dreaming girl, keep dreaming!

Either way, I know that you can relate to wanting that vote of approval from the man that you love and not getting it. I have been married for almost ten years and sometimes I feel like my husband and I are from two totally different planets. What's that? We are? Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me. We are. Actually, we're from two totally different worlds. I'm from Venus, and he's from the Twilight Zone. Oh, I guess I shouldn't say that, but I feel like it's true! So there! So there.

Men are strange creatures and just when you think they've got it, they lose it.
LOL. Just when you think you have communicated to them what you need in the romance departement, they get amnesia and forget everything that they vowed that they would try harder to do. Is anyone living in this neighborhood of amazement with me?

That is why it is so important to keep our differences in mind. Men are just big little boys who want to have fun. No stress, no sweat, just relax and let the relationship flow where it will. Women, however, have an entire list of wants, do's and don'ts. We have a bunch of must haves and honey do's and I need's and all of that other stuff. Don't we? Amen.

In spite of our wants and needs, we must keep in mind that the men in our lives are not equipped to meet all of our wants and needs. As a matter of fact, if we spent our lives depending on the men that we love to make us happy, we would really, really, really be in trouble. We would be quite miserable. After all, men were not created to make women happy. Actually, the reverse is true, women were created to help men and in essence when we assume our roles as help meets that makes the men in our lives happy.

So, it is with a big sigh of resignation that we must give up the hope of never being disappointed again by that special man that we love so very much. We must keep the facts straight. Our joy does not come from man, but instead, our joy comes from God! There is joy in the presence of the Lord! So, when hubby is not on his toes as far as making me feel a sense of happiness, I remember to turn inwards and connect with God. God always reminds me of His divine love for me and with God on my side, loving me the way that He does, I can afford to let my man off the hook! Hallelujah! So then he's happy because I'm not nagging him to make me happy and I'm happy because of the overflow of God's love for me.

Lesson learned. Love, peace, joy in the presence of the Lord. That's more than enough for me!

God bless you sister. Enjoy the love of God today and every day!

Sincerely,
Rebecca Simmons

A Celebration of Sisterhood

2006-01-28T23:48:00.000-08:00

How good and how pleasant it is for brethen to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1

It's been over a week since I last blogged. I am so excited! So much has happened in the interim. I gave a motivational speech last Sunday and for the very first time I was not afraid to mess up. The organization that hired me is Diva's Epiphany. They were launching their new business and their upcoming magazine. This group of women had an idea and stepped out in faith believing that they could make their dreams come true. I remember after forgetting one of my points and having to make my way indiscreetly back to my notes asking the audience, "Why are we so afraid to mess up?" I mentioned a movie that I had just watched the previous night where one of the characters asked the main character, "Why are you so afraid to fall?" He then went on to tell him, "If you never fall, you'll never know what it feels like to get up." Powerful! I'll use that whenever I give a motivational speech because it sure inspired me to get on out there and not be afraid of falling.

The other thing that happened was that I did a teleconference, my first, with a dynamic duo -- two sisters, one black and one white, united together for the purpose of serving Christ. Their ministry is Sister 2 Sister 4 Christ. Their website is s2s4Christ.org. LaTara and Shelley are doing an awesome work for the Lord and they asked me to participate and speak on one of their teleconferences. I labored before the Lord all day and wrestled with the Lord only to come up with something that I thought would not be beneficial on the call. But don't you know that God's plans are better than our plans and that His ways are not our ways. The Lord knew who would be on that call that needed to hear what I had to say and the Lord blessed! Praise God. I'm still learning to let go of my plans and let our God have His way and His say. Amen.

Finally, on Friday night, I was blessed to be in the company of some powerful, wonderful women of God. The Lord impressed upon my heart to revive the ministry gatherings for Circle of Sisters Victorious in Christ Ministries. I gave a clarion call to all of the women who have participated in the past and they came, some of them bringing guests. There was a spirit of joy and expectation and the Lord met and exceeded all of our desires for the evening.

We had praise reports, prayer, praise, food, fun, fellowship and networking. There were sounds of laughter, tears of deliverance, shouts of joy and much conversation to catch up on all that had gone on in our lives since we last met. We recommitted to meet again once a month. Oh, how pleasant it is for sisters to dwell together in unity.

All of the above events remind me to celebrate my sisters on a daily basis and I would like to encourage you to do the same. Take some time today and everyday to make a special woman know that she is a blessing in your life. You could make a phone call, send a handwritten note, have lunch or coffee, send a greeting card, via internet or snail mail. Just to shout out to the universe that you are standing in celebration of the gift of sisterhood.

I have a dream that all women, of all nationalities, of all sizes and shapes and colors, will be able to come together and celebrate each other without hating, or backbiting, gossiping, criticizing or tearing each other down. I have a dream that we will be able to see beyond the designer clothes, pocketbooks and shoes or the lack thereof and not judge each other by appearance. I have a dream that we will take the time to get to know each other. I mean, really get to know each other and judge each other by the contents of our hearts. I have a dream that one day, every day will be A Celebration of Sisterhood!

God Bless You!

Rebecca Simmons
Watch of information on my new Radio Talk show (coming soon)

A Purpose and a Dream

2006-01-16T07:30:00.000-08:00

What Does Your Faith Look Like?

2006-01-12T07:24:00.000-08:00

What is the fruit of your faith?

Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

I've heard this scripture interpreted in many ways and I've even looked at it as believing for the physical manisfestation of a vision or dream. But as I thought about this recently, I thought, "Well, what does that look like?"

While studying the book of James, I received my answer. If we are believing God for something or we are believing to obtain something or hoping for something to happen in our lives, then we should look and act like we believe that we are going to get what we're believing for. We should look and act like what we are hoping will happen will happen. All of this because James tells us that "faith without works is dead."In other words, what you do and say should line up with what you say you believe.

Let me break it down a little bit more. If you are believing for a husband, you should not display desperate behavior in your relationships. If you have the faith to believe that God will give you the desires of your heart (and that includes a husband), then you do not have to dress inappropriately to snare a man, nor do you have to give in to the pressures to have sex with someone just to keep them from leaving you for someone who will give them what they want. Amen.

If you are believing God for success in your business, then you should be daily doing things that you know will advance you towards that objective. You should be sowing the time and energy into your business because you know that in due season you are going to reap the benefits of your effort.

If you are believing God for love, joy, peace, and abundant blessings, then you would be submitting yourself to God and trusting Him to take care of all of your needs. You would not be negative, afraid, procrastinating, doubtful, reluctant to step out on faith, grumbling, mean, or double minded. You should be a force to be reckoned with and you should have the attitude that there is no devil in hell that can prevent you from having the victory in life.

What does your faith look like? When people look at you, can they see that you are a daughter of God, standing on the promises of God, believing every word that comes from the mouth of God?

Again, I ask you what does your faith look like? Are you counting it all joy when trials and tribulations come your way, remembering that Jesus said, "In this world you will have trials and tribulations, but take heart because I have overcome the world?"

We are women of God. We are daughters of God. He tells us in His word that He will "withhold no good thing from us." We must have the faith to believe that we are blessed and highly favored and that we were born to win. That means that success is guaranteed!

So Woman of God, Daughter of God, again I ask, "What does your faith look like?"

Blessings,

Rebecca Simmons

Happy 2006 The Year of New Beginnings!

2006-01-01T19:38:00.000-08:00

Hello my sister, I want to say to you happy new year. Happy 2006, the year of new beginnings. New beginnings. This year, why not let God take you to another level. Another level of relationship with Him. Another level of understanding of your purpose. Another level in the way that you maintain your body which is the Temple of God! Amen.

Every year, we make New Year's resolutions. We say that we're going to stop smoking, stop drinking, stop eating so much junk food, stop eating so much food, stop laying around on the couch when we could be and should be exercising. We make resolutions to lose weight, to write that book, to start that business, to be more organized, to be kinder, gentler, more understanding of the needs of our loved ones. We say we're going to drop that dud that we've been hanging around with in a love relationship. We say that we're going to cut loose some people who pretend to be our friends but prove otherwise. We say that we're going to go back to school, or revise our resumes so that we can find more meaningful employment.

So many promises. So many broken promises. Year after year after year after year after year.....you get my drift, right?

But the buck stops here! This I declare is the year of new beginnings. This is the year that you don't talk about what you're not going to do. Let's change the language and why don't you tell me what you are going to do. I mean, what I'm trying to say is that I don't believe God as our Father wants to keep hearing, God, I messed up. I'm sorry. I'm not going to do that any more. Although He honors our repentence, I believe that He wants us to begin to declare that we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. Begin to make positive declarations over your life. I will be a better person, a better parent, a better wife. I will take care of my body by eating the right foods and exercising daily or at least three times a week. I will stop putting toxins like sugar into my system. I will all that God has created me to be and I will not give up on my resolutions this year. I will not quit. Not until I win. Amen.

This year, make a resolution to spend more time with God through prayer and the study of His Word that's contained in the Bible. Then go ahead and make those other resolutions. Then stick with them until completion. Don't quit in February, March, April, May or even December of this year. Don't you dare quit until you win. And yes, you my sister were born to win. So get up off of that couch. Put that chocolate down, start that nutrition and exercise program, start writing that book, put on some sexy lingerie for your husband to renew the sparks in your marriage. Drop that deadbeat man who won't honor you by marrying you. Go back to school. Whatever it is that the Lord has been trying to get you to do, just go ahead and do it!

I'm here at Circle of Sisters cheering you on. I'm pulling for you. God is pulling for you. He wants you to accomplish all of your goals. He wants you to live out your dreams. He wants you to experience the fulfillment of being in the center of peace, knowing that at the end of the day, you've done your very best.

So my sister, no more excuses. No more procrastinating. No more stopping and starting those New Year Resolutions. No more quitting. No more giving up. Press on for the prize. Press on. You can do it. I know you can. Because God made you and He designed you with the capability to win. Amen.

So Happy New Year. Happy 2006 the year of new beginnings. Walk in the newness of your resolve to live your best life ever!

God bless you.
Rebecca

Praise God Anyway

2005-12-28T06:48:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but these last months of 2005 have been trying for me. It feels like I was operating more under Murphy's law than I was under an open heaven. Now I know that God has been with me throughout the year. I know that it was He who has provided for me and kept the devourer from shutting down my electricity. I know that it was God who kept the loan officers from foreclosing on my home, and I know that it was God who gave me the strength to make it through every single day. I am not nullifying the fact that I have lived Matthew 6:33 in living color!

Matthew 6:33 says to seek ye first the Kingdom of God and everything else will be added unto you. In context, what God is saying through that verse is that we don't have to worry about what to eat or what to wear. We don't have to worry about our basic provisions. As a matter of fact, here is where Jesus is teaching the disciples that worry won't do them any good anyway so there is no use in worrying. He tells them and us that not one of us can add a single hour to our lives by worrying. Amen. He goes on to mention that tomorrow is sure to come with enough problems of its own so we need not worry about tomorrow. How about that?

Well, back to what I was saying at the beginning of this blog. I have been tested in the area of these scriptures. I have had to literally practice what I preach. Talk about wanting to scream. I have been pressed and pushed and tried and tested. I have been through the storm and through the fire. I have been spiritually tested and I have been financially broke, I mean down to my last dollar. But the good news is that through it all, I never got to the point where I was spiritually busted. Amen.

You see, I have never been to this point before, but I've been close and my reaction was not always good. It has been a habit of mine to worry, moan, grumble and complain. Then I would roll up my sleeves and do something to try to fix the whole mess. When that didn't work, I would blame my husband, my mother, my father, my kids, the dog, the cat, (the last two of which I do not have) anybody that got in the way would take the blame for the fact that I was going through.

But as you may already know that was not the appropriate response. What God wants us to do when our backs are up against the wall is to look to Him for guidance, provision and peace. He wants us to praise Him anyway. Praise God in the middle of your storm. He has already figured the end out. Praise Him anyway and watch Him see you through.

This particular story ends well. I kept praising God in the middle of my financial distress. I asked Him what to do. I considered going out and working for someone else, but in my spirit, I knew that wasn't the answer since my plate is full with my own business and the ministry. One morning the answer was dropped into my spririt. You see, God had already set us up. The answer was right under my nose. You see, I was able to use the equity in my home to pay off the debt and set myself up with a financial plan for the future so that I would not find myself in this situation again. I also learned a good lesson about financial stewardship and the use of credit cards. They can be a trap you know. Use credit cards wisely. Use them only if you can pay off the balance every month. So now I have a fresh slate and a new start as well as some money in the bank. Amen and hallelujah!

So, whatever you're going through. No matter what your storm looks like, praise God anyway. There is an answer that will be provided through your prayers and your praise. You may have to switch jobs, refi your home, go to marital counseling, spend more time with your children, go on a nutritional program, take medication for a short period, bite your tongue, revamp your marketing program for your business, network with more people, spend less money, sow a financial seed. Whatever it is that you need, look to God in gratitude, not mumbling or complaining that things are not going your way, but praising God anyway because you know that He is going to bring you through.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Lean not on your own understanding, but consider the Lord in all of your ways and He will make your paths straight.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2005-12-24T16:32:00.000-08:00

I want to take this time to wish all of my friends in blog land a very Merry Christmas. Try to have as enjoyable of a day as possible. Do not get caught up in the unimportant things that can go on during the season, instead give the gift of love and laughter everywhere that you go.

If you are spending Christmas away from your family, just know that God is with you and you are never alone.

I pray the peace of the Lord upon your entire holiday season.

God Bless you.

Sincerely,
Rebecca Simmons

Standing When You Feel Like Falling

2005-12-23T11:22:00.000-08:00

Hello my sisters,
I just spoke to a sister in Christ who is going through a tough time. I prayed and was led by the Holy Spirit to share an excerpt from my book: The Cry of a Woman's Heart: Healing the Pain of the Past, Traveling the Road to Victorious Living.

Standing When You Feel Like Falling

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:13

What do you do when your whole life seems to be falling apart around you? Your husband or your boyfriend breaks up with you when you thought that everything was fine. You got laid off from your job. You don't have enough money to pay your bills. Your teen-age son was just picked up with drugs in his possession. You just found out that your fifteen-year-old daughter is pregnant and has dropped out of high school. Your sister can't stand you. Your brother is in Iraq fighting in a war where people are being killed every day. Your doctor has given you a bad report and to top it all off, you have just buried a loved one.

You may be standing right now at a point where you don't think that you can make it. The devil is a liar! You can make it! Stay with me, I want to share a testimony with you.

A Personal Testimony
I have had many seasons in my life that are very similar to the ones that I talked about in the previous section. If I can be totally transparent with you. I must tell you that there have been times in my life, even in my Christian life, when I felt like just throwing up my hands in frustration and quitting.

During one of these times, I had just found out that my daughter had been cutting school and was pregnant with her third baby. My rent on my apartment was past due, my sister hated my guts, and I still had a lot of emotional issues that I was dealing with. I remember standing in the hallway of my small apartment wondering what I was going to do. I had just started going to church and I actually remember saying to one of my friends that my life was better before I got saved then it was now that I was saved. I told him that it would have been better if I had never gotten involved in all of this Jesus stuff. He mentioned something about a spiritual attack and the enemy. But in my young spiritual mind, I couldn't understand how I was supposed to be saved and still be going thorugh more hell than I ever had in my life. At least that's the way it seemed. It seemed like all of a sudden, I was under this immense attack from some unseen forces. I mean, really, can you relate to this at all?

Were Things Better Before?
I am confident that someone out there can definitely relate to feeling like it would have been better to stay on the barstool, drinking until everything was numb. Someone is alone tonight, again. And you are feeling like it would have been better for you if you had stayed in that adulterous relationship. At least you had him some of the time. And after all, isn't half a man better than none at all?

Someone is feeling like you should have stayed in that relationship where you knew that he was just using you to satisfy his sexual needs. After all, it wasn't all bad and at least you got to feel the comfort of a man's arms around you sometimes. Some of you are feeling like you should have kept on cheating on your taxes. You didn't have to pay so much when you lied a little bit and sometimes you even got a refund.

Someone else is feeling like maybe it would have been better to keep doing drugs. At least when you were high, you didn't have to deal with the frustration of trying to cope with this thing called life.

Thinking About Turning Back
Have you ever been there? I have and I must admit, just like the people of Israel in the Bible, I thought that it might have been better had I stayed in Egypt. Even though the people were slaves in Egypt. And even though they were mistreated and misused and abused, once they crossed the Red Sea, they looked back and grumbled that maybe they just should have stayed where they were (Exodus 16). At least life was predictable then. Although the Egyptians treated them badly, at least they got to eat some of their choice foods. And they didn't have the responsibility of worrying about taking care of themselves or dealing with the issues of life that were threatening to overwhelm them. Oh yeah, I felt just like the Israelites, and I even grumbled that maybe, just maybe, I should have stayed. I'm telling you. I was having a hard time coping and I wanted to QUIT.

The Keeping Power of The Holy Spirit
But God, in His infinite wisdom, by the divine intervention of His Holy Spirit, kept prompting me to go on. The Word of the Lord kept encouraging me not to grow weary in doing good. For in due season, if I didn't give up, I was going to reap my reward for staying faithful (Galatians 6:9) God reminded me in His Word that He was with me and that I was never alone (Hebrews 13:5)

He assured me that I didn't have to worry about how my everyday, basic needs would be met. He showed me the lilies of the fields and told me that He would provide for me better than He had the lilies of the field and that He cared much more about me than He cared about the birds in the air. (Matthew 6:26,28-31)

He told me not to worry about my problems, but that I should bring all of my concerns to Him in prayer. (Phil. 4:6)

He told me not to worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow has enough worries of its own. (Matthew 6:34)

As for my daughter, God showed me that she belonged to Him too. Because my Bible tells me that the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, and everybody on earth belongs to Him too. (Psalms 24:1)

So I was comforted in knowing that He was going to take care of her and those babies too.

Apply the Promises of God
Oh yes, I'm talking about standing when you feel like falling. If you're at a point in your walk with God where you're getting a little discouraged, apply all of these promises to your own life. God has given us His Word to be a lamp unto our feet. His Word is to guide us and to remind us of His great love for us. God is not a man that He should lie. In other words, He is not like all of the other men in your life who have lied to you and let you down. God will never let you down. He is right there in the middle of your dilemma with you. He knows that you are thinking about giving up and going back to your old friends and your old habits. It's only natural that you would be tempted to go back. Just like the people of Israel, we will always be more comfortable with the familiar as opposed to the unfamiliar. We know what we left behind and we only have promises of what's ahead of us.

The Israelites had the promise of freedom from their bondage. They had the promise of a land flowing with milk and honey to look forward to, but the journey was becoming too much for them. They were tired of being in the dry place, and they wanted to hurry up and have the life that God had promised them. Just like the people of Israel, we get tired of being in the dry places. We don't want to take a journey and walk with God until we get to where he's leading us. We want to skip all of the hardships and tests and get right to the good stuff, right? I know I'm right because I was there. But I am so happy that I didn't go back. I am happy that I kept going to the chapel and getting prayed for because I wasn't mature enough to pray for myself.

Encouragement for Your Dry Place
I want to encourage you, my sister. I know that you're in a dry place right now. I know that it's also a hard place and you can't see how you're going to get through it. But the great thing about God's grace and His mercy is that we don't have to know how God is going to bring us through it. All we have to do is trust God and believe that He will do it! Trust God.

Although you feel like falling or you feel like you might go under, stand firm on the promises in His Word and He will bring you through victorious. You see, there is no weapon that can come against you that can prosper or take you out. (Isaiah 54:17)

You Will Not be Defeated
Although you are pressed down on every side, you will not be defeated, unless you allow yourself to be. Although your mother and father let you down, that's okay because God will never leave you, or forsake you. Your husband may have walked out on you, but you're going to be okay because God's Word says that He will not allow you to go through any more than you can handle. (1 Corinthians 10:13) Girl, God's got your back.

Stand on His Promises
"Well, Sister Rebecca," you may say, "that's all well and fine. But how do I stand on God's Word when I feel like falling?" In response I say to you, my sister, that you can do all things because it is Christ who strengthens you. I say that if you will humble yourself and pray, the Lord will hear you and He will heal your situation and your home and your body. I say that if you just believe, God will give you the grace to make it through this time in your life. I say, it may not seem possible for you, but with God all things are possible. I'm saying lift up your eyes to the hills. In other words, take your eyes off of your situation and lift your eyes towards heaven. Pray and praise the Lord for what He's going to do. He has already assured you that the fervent prayers of the righteous reach His ears and make a difference. (James 5:16). Pray, praise, believe God and worship Him with your whole heart and your whole life. Know His Word and stand on His promises. I guarantee you that the Lord will bring you through!

Just stand! God will bring you through!

My Prayer for you and A Word from the Lord

Click on the audiolink below to hear the prayer and the Word from the Lord

Excerpted from The Cry of a Woman's Heart:Healing the Pain of the Past, Traveling the Road to Victorious Living by author Rebecca Simmons, for more information on this book, go to www.DPC-Books.com

Sisters Living Together in Unity

2005-12-21T20:25:00.000-08:00

How good and how pleasant it is for sisters to dwell together in unity. (paraphrase mine)
Psalms 133:1

Hello,

This is a blog about sisters being able to live together in unity. It's an audio blog. Click below, sit back and enjoy!

God Bless You!
Rebecca

All Things are Permissable

2005-12-19T20:14:00.000-08:00

All things are permissable, but not all things are beneficial. All things are permissable, but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12

Please someone help me out here. Paul says in the above scripture that all things are permissable, but not all things are beneficial. He goes on to assert that he will not be mastered by anything. Well, go ahead with your bad self, Paul.

I have not been so blessed. I recently, only three weeks ago, for the umpteenth time reasserted that I will not be mastered by anything ever again. I declared an all out war on junk food and the extra pounds that I am carrying around on my beautiful frame. I determined, again according to Paul's suggestion in another scripture (Hebrews 12:1) to lay aside the weight and the sin that so easily besets me. The weight being an extra 40 or so pounds and the sin being the tendency to gorge myself on delicious tasting foods, desserts, and candies. Uh, disgusting!

So, I got out the Zig Ziglar How to Stay Motivated tapes and listened seven times to the Goal Setting tape. I established my goal and for three weeks, I was on target. Not eating dessert or any junk food until Sunday and working out with Billy Blanks every day. I was doing great and then this past Friday night I opened the freezer and there, staring me in my face was a pint of Ben and Jerry's Everything But the...2 Twisted. I popped the lid and dug in. Before I knew it, I had demolished the whole thing and then I went ahead and finished off the last two Entemann's donuts that the husband and kids had left behind. The next morning, I was sick as a dog, but that didn't stop me from having Pizza Hut for dinner. The following day, yesterday, one of our congregants brought cheesecake for her pastors. Of course, I had to eat some of the cheesecake that she had worked so hard to make.

I ate cheesecake tonight also, along with some Dominoes pizza, and four Chico-sticks. Did I mention the burger and fries that I got from Wendy's for lunch? And of course, when I tried to work out, the VCR wasn't working.

Now, what happened to my declaration that I would not be mastered by anything? That went completely down the drain. All I wanted to do was stuff this junkfood that was no good for me down my throat, into my system. Just to feel the rush of sugar as it surged through my veins. What the....?

I'll tell you what happened. I was feeling some stress and instead of leaning on the Lord, I went ahead and took the quick and easy way out. Similar to the drug addict who's finding it hard to cope and goes and finds some drugs. Or the alcoholic who has sworn off of drinking, but just wants one more drink. Similar to the woman who breaks up with the man who is no good for her only to find herself in his arms and in his bed, just one more time.

Weakness. We all experience it. We can all relate. However, just because I stumbled and fell does not mean that I'm going to stay down. Today is over. I'm going to bed in a few short minutes. Tomorrow is a brand new day. I pray for forgiveness for my sin of leaning on food and desserts instead of God. I again commit to start all over again, refusing to quit until I win.

Oh yes, if I wake up tomorrow in my right mind and I pray that I do, I will beat that devil of deception. Momentary pleasure is not the answer. In the end this junkfood will kill me if I don't stop. Just like the drugs, alcohol, and illicit affairs will kill all who indulge in them.

Everything is indeed permissable, but none of the above things are beneficial for me or for you. Everything is permissable, but I will not be mastered by anything. I am going to lay aside the weight and the sin that so easily besets me, I am going to run this race that is set before me, and I will not quit. I said I will not quit...until I win!

God Bless You
Rebecca

The Secret Pain

2005-12-19T13:39:00.000-08:00

So many women walk around hurting, but to the world they seem to be fine. This will be a place where we can take off the masks and share sister girl stuff. I will be making posts concerning, relationships, marriage, childrearing, self-esteem, weight loss, career, finances, faith and a whole bunch of other things.

Let's take this space and make the best of what we have to work with.

God bless you and believe me, this is the beginning of a wonderful relationship.

Sincerely,
Rebecca Simmons

Please take a moment to listen to the audio blog below.