I am FREE!

I hate to say this, but I am glad the hustle of Christmas is over. We had a very nice Christmas, and yesterday we had another Christmas with Kevin's side of the family which was also really nice but I am glad it's all over with. I honestly think that for once in my life, I was sick of shopping! I like to shop, but I was just plain tired of running around, especially last min. It's very stressful sometimes. I love getting together with family, and I wish we did it more often, but without all the stress of presents and cleaning and cooking! I'd be happier with a pizza delivery and a somewhat messy house. My kids are enjoying their Christmas presents, they got Wii and have been having fun playing with it. Jake finally got his xbox live hooked up and can now play video games with his friends and talk through a head set without even having to get together. I'm not sure that's a good thing! Our poor Gracie has been sick through the holidays. Autumn and Ben both have the cough, and Jake has it a little bit, but Grace got hit hard. She has been miserable for days and I feel so bad for her. All she wants to do is be held. Even in the night, laying next to her is not good enough, she wants to be laying on my chest. Poor thing.

One cute/funny thing that she says when she doesn't feel good is "boom". Probably because anytime she falls down or gets hurt we say did you go boom? So now she must think if she's hurting or sick, it's "boom". So she feels her face, when it's hot and she has a fever and she says "boom". It's just too cute. I think this year being closer to the Lord Christmas felt different to me. Shopping for presents was more stress then fun, doing Santa was not FUN at all. We used to give Jake quite a few presents from Santa, this year we only did two a child. If it were up to me it would have been zero from Santa. lol. I guess it's just bothering me more this year. Kevin's idea of picking a different day of the year to do presents is sounding more and more appealing to me! How about an August celebration? lol.

I thank God for sending his son to die for me, and this year I remembered more then an other year to say Thank you to Christ for his gift of salvation and the phrase "saving me from my sins" has much more meaning to me this year then it ever has. Jesus didn't just die on the cross to save me from hell, but he also died to save me from my sins when I'm alive! I never really quite "caught" that until just recently. I've been learning so much through my eating addiction. My eating issues are sins. But Jesus died so that I don't have to have this sin in my life. I don't HAVE to have an eating addiction. Why did it take me this long to go to the Lord for this? I am AMAZED at what he is doing in my life with my eating since I figured out that I will ALWAYS fail by myself and I need HIM! Since I've given this over to him, he has taken away a lot of my desire to eat! I can eat a half a cookie! Or ONE slice of pizza! I can go hours without thinking about food. I feel different. He has changed me. He is delivering me from this sin. I am so very thankful for this. It's almost weird to think like a "normal" person when it comes to food. I have never, ever in my life felt so free from food before. God is SO good. Of course I am praying every morning, and during the day that he helps me with my eating, that I don't eat too much, that I know when to stop, that he gives me strength not to eat when I know I'm not hungry. He has answered my prayers. He is faithful to me because I have given it to him! Today's sermon was a good one at church too, the high school Pastor Don Mingo gave the sermon and I thought he did a great job. He has a way of explaining a story in the bible that it seems like your there. Almost everything he said today, I was shaking my head up and down, thinking yes lord! It seems it all related to what is going on in my life and how God is working in my life. I will post a link to the sermon when it's up on the website. But one of the things I had a big Amen to was when he said God rewards those who sincerely seek him. ( "and without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him") SO true! He has rewarded me, and released me from the chains of a food addiction! Praise God. I know in my heart that if I stay close to God, and keep my relationship with him strong by studying the bible and praying, he will continue to help me with my eating. I'm also sure that he is working on me in other areas of my life! I hope that someday he will use me, to help others to know him by my actions, the way I live my life. I want people to look at me and see Christ! I want people to want what I have and have the opportunity to share Christ with people and share with them how he has saved them from their sins!

So thank you Jesus, Happy Birthday to you and thank you for dying so that I can live and be free!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq3ZFdpOGYs

I am free!

Through you the blind will see

Through you the mute will sing

Through you the dead will rise

Through you all hearts will praise

Through you the darkness flees

Through you my heart screamsI am free

I AM FREE TO RUN

I AM FREE TO DANCE

I AM FREE TO LIVE FOR YOU

I AM FREE

Through you the kingdom comes

Through you the battle's won

Through you the price is paid

Through you I'm not afraid

Through you there's victory

Because of you my soul sings

I am free

[Repeat Chorus]

WHO THE SON SETS FREE-IS FREE INDEED NOW