I want to start by letting you know about my new e-book This Was Not on My Bingo Card: Essays on Cancer and Other Related Surprises. It is FREE, but the only way to get it is to subscribe to my blog. Do it today in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month! I pray you will be blessed. Now…on to the post:
Hungry I come to You
For I know You satisfy
So begins one of my favorite songs from Vineyard Worship. These words resonate with a deep, deep part of me. You see, I have a long history of trying to fill myself with all the wrong things.
As a young girl, I never felt confident in my personality, my likeability, in my body. But my intellect never failed me. I relied on the accolades and applause from teachers and other adults to measure my worth. And at home I could stuff down boredom, insecurity and shame with food. Too much of it. My curves came much earlier to me than most of my friends. And I felt ashamed of them. I saw myself as “fat” compared to the flat, lanky bodies of most girls.
As a young woman who took diet pills to finally look the way I wanted, I found my sufficiency in the attention of men. This only led to a different kind of shame and a dark emptiness when break-ups and rejection still came…
To read the rest of the post, click here. I have the privilege of contributing to a series called The ABC’s of God’s Love Letter. 25 Weeks. 25 Writers! on instaencouragements.com. If you have time, read the series and download the free study materials. I pray it blesses you.
And now for this week’s featured post!
I was encouraged by Encouragement for Working Through Anxiety by Donna of serenityinsuffering.com. I definitely need to know more about this subject and was pleasantly surprised to find such a good mix of practical tips and scripture help here. Thank you, Donna!
1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.
2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.
3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).
We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.
MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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HEATHER HART & VALERIE RIESE – Candidly Christian
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LAUREN SPARKS
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LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
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Lauren, as always, I am moved and inspired by your words and your journey! I left a comment on the full article at Instaencouragements. Thanks so much for linking with me. I hope you are having a blessed weekend!
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
Thanks for hopping over there, Shelbee. As always you are so kind and encouraging. I hope your weekend has been spectacular!
Congrats on your new e-book. Blessings!
Thank you, Mary.
I think sharing your story will help others. I hope you succeed in your plans.
Thank you Jeanne!
Congratulations on your new book Lauren! How exciting!
Bless you,
Jennifer
Thank you, Jennifer.
Lauren, thank you for this post and your vulnerability in sharing this part of your story. It totally resonated with me as I have struggled with body image and weight issues my whole life as you described. I was blessed to read how God fills those empty places of hunger. I needed to hear that! Thank you also for featuring my post on your site! I am humbled to be here. Very blessed also to receive the new e-book!
I’m so glad it was helpful, Donna! And I’m so pleased to feature your thoughtful post. We appreciate you linking up with us.
Hi, Lauren, I hope you realize how helpful and encouraging this post is. Thank you for your words of hope from a place of deep discipleship.
Thank you, Michele. So kind of you.
Very brave to open up about your struggles when you were younger. It is a struggle a lot of young girls have. Thinking of you.
Thank you, Danielle.
What a great post! I can relate to so much here. But just like you, I am so glad go to Jesus to feed me, to satisfy me, to comfort me. What a Great God we serve!
Thank you for backing me up on this, Carmen!
Lauren, thank you for sharing with us over at InstaEncouragements! You and your story are so encouraging! 🙂 You’re a hope spreader, and I love that about you!
That may be the nicest thing I’ve ever been called, Patsy. Thank you so much for the generous compliment.