I’m glad your time with me provided you with some practical insight and guidance for life. I can relate to your Jelly Belly experience. At one point in my life (it may have been during the time you were seeing me), I lost about 60 pounds in less than a year – essentially through just working to develop a strong, healthy level of daily self-discipline/self-restraint. Then I went to camp! I went to go cook at a church camp for a week, and they are well known for their wonderful food. I was told that it was expected as part of the volunteer work for cooks to help themselves to the goodies along the way. I didn’t go wild and gorge myself, or anything like that, but I did make a conscious choice to move into a mode of “deserved” self-indulgence. That turning point marked the beginning of me slowly putting back on every pound I had lost.

I am grateful to say I am no longer at that max weight, but I still have not returned to my ideal weight, and the progress has come much more slowly for me since that time. But progress of any kind is good – regardless of the pace. Remember, when the Jelly Bellys (or any other food indulgence of the day) catch your eye – it isn’t about the calories in the snack (or second helping, or dessert, etc), it’s about the motivation and condition of your heart as you choose whether or not to eat it. Do I trust God to take care of my every need, or do I believe it is up to me to find my own source of provision, comfort, etc?

With Hope in Him,
Roger