Lauren Sparks

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Hunger…and Grace and Truth Link Up

October 2, 2020 by Lauren 18 Comments

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!

 

 

Grace and Truth_Rules

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).

 

Grace Truth_Button

 

Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

 

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

HEATHER HART & VALERIE RIESE – Candidly Christian
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Now Let’s Link Up!

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

 

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

To find some great places where I might be sharing this post, click here.

 

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Related

Filed Under: Bible reading, Christian, Grace & Truth Link Up, provision Tagged With: cravings, feeding, food, self-esteem

Comments

  1. Shelbee on the Edge says

    October 4, 2020 at 8:10 am

    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

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      October 4, 2020 at 5:09 pm

      Thanks for hopping over there, Shelbee. As always you are so kind and encouraging. I hope your weekend has been spectacular!

      Reply
  2. Mary Geisen says

    October 4, 2020 at 6:47 pm

    Congrats on your new e-book. Blessings!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      October 5, 2020 at 4:54 pm

      Thank you, Mary.

      Reply
  3. Jeanne says

    October 5, 2020 at 5:42 pm

    I think sharing your story will help others. I hope you succeed in your plans.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      October 5, 2020 at 8:17 pm

      Thank you Jeanne!

      Reply
  4. Tea With Jennifer says

    October 5, 2020 at 5:57 pm

    Congratulations on your new book Lauren! How exciting!
    Bless you,
    Jennifer

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      October 5, 2020 at 8:17 pm

      Thank you, Jennifer.

      Reply
  5. Donna says

    October 5, 2020 at 7:28 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      October 5, 2020 at 8:18 pm

      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.

      Reply
  6. Michele Morin says

    October 6, 2020 at 10:41 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      October 7, 2020 at 10:33 am

      Thank you, Michele. So kind of you.

      Reply
  7. Danielle says

    October 6, 2020 at 2:15 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      October 7, 2020 at 10:33 am

      Thank you, Danielle.

      Reply
  8. Carmen Brown says

    October 8, 2020 at 1:26 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      October 8, 2020 at 3:45 pm

      Thank you for backing me up on this, Carmen!

      Reply
  9. Patsy Burnette says

    October 9, 2020 at 10:04 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      October 9, 2020 at 12:52 pm

      That may be the nicest thing I’ve ever been called, Patsy. Thank you so much for the generous compliment.

      Reply

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About Me

I love Jesus, my husband and caffeine. The order of these can change depending on how tired I am. When my two daughters, stepson, and 4 grandchildren get to be too much, I practice yoga. God graciously allows me to share our adventures, victories and flub-ups from my laptop. May He be glorified here.
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