Confessions

      It's been a few days since I last posted, and I've got to be honest - that's not by accident. I've been avoiding this entry because I know the Lord wants me to be 100% real here, and frankly that's a level of vulnerability that I'm just not comfortable with.

     Ok, so I'm sure you're wondering about the title of this post..."Confessions"...I can't have messed up already, right? WRONG. I did! On Friday I was on my own for dinner, so where did I go? Wendy's. Yep - that's right...a fast food joint. Honestly, that was about as smart as an alcoholic stopping by a bar with the intent of getting a soda. I really have no excuse other than laziness. I didn't want to make anything when I got home, and like I said before, I'm a sucker for fries...so I caved. As much as I want to, I'm refusing to beat myself up over this. I'm going to look at it and say, "Bad choice, Aleece!" and then I'm going to move on and do better next time. And, on the bright side, I did exercise that night, which is incredible because I almost never exercise in the evening!

     So now that I've told you, do you think less of me? Do you think I'm fickle and just a bunch of talk? I understand if you do. It would be easy to think that I don't care because I messed up so quickly, and while I'm super embarrassed by my weakness, I'm also quite glad that I shared. This is a real struggle for me, and I want to openly and honestly share it. By revealing the full brunt of it I'm hoping for as much accountability and encouragement as y'all are willing to give! I've heard it said that sins kept in the dark give birth to more sin, but sins forced into the light will eventually die out. If I keep my struggle a secret I maintain my pride, but continue to struggle and almost certainly get worse. But, if I throw this out for everyone to see, then I have the freedom to ask for help, and to receive the encouragement of others. I think one of Satan's greatest accomplishments in my life was to convince me to feel ashamed of this struggle. Well, NO MORE!! I am done living in shame and guilt!

     On Sunday, Pastor Jeff Manion (at Ada Bible Church) preached on Colossians 3:1-17. You guys - this little passage is sooo good and stuffed full of encouragement! For the sake of space I'm not writing the whole thing in here, but PLEASE do yourself a favor and read those few verses right now!......All done? Ok, good. It's awesome, right? What an awesome reminder that when I chose Christ I chose to become a new me - not a cleaned up version of the old me, but an entirely new me! Because of Christ, I no longer am a slave to my sin nature! Sure, I have sinful habits that I struggle with, but those are not the defining factors of my life. I am defined by Christ, and as such I am his child - someone the demon world should be worried about!  

     You hear that, Self-Indulgence? Did you catch that, Laziness? Are you listening, Gluttony? You all should be worried because I just remembered that I carry within me the power of the same God who raised Jesus from the dead. I just remembered that because of Him I am a force to be reckoned with and I am coming for you! Are you scared? Well, you should be...