Monday, July 28, 2008

Never Refight A Battle Already Won!

Hi Friends!
Thanks again for your sweet words and prayers for me last week. They sure gave me strength for the battle. God spoke through you over and over to me, and I feel like a bigger victory has been fought and won in this arena. Here's the highlights:

Though the battle has been raging in different forms since I was a child, the arena the enemy chose was my weight. This is a new arena for me. I was always little and skinny till a few tears...I mean years ago.

Last Friday the enemy decided that this area was a great point of attack. Instead of losing weight after working hard on a new strategy for 10 days, I had gained 4 pounds. This sent me back to the "Ugly Pam War."

I was losing ground bad. Because this weight battle is new to me, I did not have the logical knowledge or emotional strength to stand on...so I cried out to God because truthfully this kind of battle isn't won by knowledge or sound emotions, but by the Lord!

He sent friends to my rescue! A call from my BFF who is an on-the-side nutrition buff (the woman grinds her own wheat!) to give me knowledge. I did not know that our bodies will sometimes fight changes in diet, by adding pounds before it adjust to the change, and you start to lose. She also spoke truth to the lies in my flesh. She was harsh at times, but she knows I can take it and I know she is doing it out of love....Thank you Paula!

He instructed me to ask you for prayer and did you ever come through! Your love and encouragement for someone most of you have never even seen, was amazing and made me realize again that true beauty has nothing to do with the skin or fat I live in now.

My husband who can be one of my worst critiques in this area, (he always tells the truth even when he knows it will hurt) told me I looked beautiful when he walked in the door...he had no idea of the battle I was facing at the time.

But this morning was when the battle finally stopped. It came as words out of my mouth to my daughter, but the rebuke was actually for me. My daughter is taking swimming lessons. She is afraid of the water and this has been a long battle. Last year she just would not jump in or go under.
I bribed. Didn't work.
I threatened. Didn't work.
Finally with only two days left in the lessons, I prayed (should have been 1st on my list) and God gave me a verse for her. I found it while at a stoplight on the way, and handed it to her in the back and said, "READ." She read it. It was Isaiah 43:1,2 & 4a. When she was through she looked at me and asked, "Is He really in the water in the deep end of the pool, mommum? This says, He wont let me drown. Is He really there?" We talked about the verse and that morning she jumped in!

We are back at swimming lessons again this year and in our 2nd week. This morning she started acting afraid again. Even though, she now can float and swim under water, she started to be afraid of jumping into the deep end. I looked at her and said, "Stop! This is a "Fear" battle that you have already fought and won with God's help. Do not go back to fight battles God has already defeated for and through you!" The words hit me hard as I said them. This battle of "Ugly Pam" has been fought and won, no matter what form or new dart the enemy wants to throw at me, about my body and looks.

So sisters cheer with me as I stand today vowing to shout to the enemy next time he tries to bring this battle up..."This one has already been won... if you don't believe me, take it up with God!"

I will not knowingly go back and fight a battle that God has already deemed victorious.

As for Zoie and swimming lessons....she jumped in 6 times in a row!

Isaiah 43:1, 2, and 4a
"Now this is what the Lord says---the One who created you, Jacob, and the One who formed you, Israel. Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire, and the flame will not burn you.
Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and I love you."

Thanks again. I love you precious daughters of God!

Pamela R.

19 comments:

Rebecca Ingram Powell said...

Hey there!

Just visiting your blog for the first time and found common ground! I had surgery back in May and I'm now fighting weight gain that I have never had to before! This is all new! And it's hard! Thanks for being so real about your struggles!

Anonymous said...

Ugh- the weight battle. I am there too - AGAIN. When I turned 40 the battle to stay fit began in earnest. I went to weight watchers over 2 1/2 years ago and lost 25 pounds. I held steady for almost 2 years but have gained 11 back since January. I am ready to deal with it seriously AGAIN. I haven't been blogging about it and I should. I had just visited some weight loss blogs when I popped over to read your post for today. I'm with you!!

On Purpose said...

Pam you are such a beautiful woman!! What a special gift you have given to your daughter.

Thank you so much for blessing me with your friendship and sharing my blog with others. I have had the wonderful opportunity of meeting many more AWESOME women.

Your blog is powerful and God is doing great things through you, keep up your obedience and you will continue to get closer to Him.

Aprille Roberts said...

Pam, I am in tears after this post. Thank you so much, I really needed this TODAY! Thank you for reminding me that the battle has already been won, and that I need to start speaking that out loud in faith, receiving the victory.

Thank you for being so open about your feelings and what you are dealing with.

Blessings,
April :0)

Kelly said...

Pamela - don't you just love it when God rebukes us with our own words? I have often "encouraged" my children, only to hear the words back in my sub conscience as God says "are you listening to yourself?" oops.

I glad you were able to hear God's words through your own. The battle is won. True beauty is on the inside anyway. Instead focus on being "fit" not thin. :-)

LeeBird3 said...

Amen sister! You just tell the devil, "Talk to the hand!!!! The nail-scarred hand!" By golly, I think I'm going to go write a blog about that!

Hey...I have just started a study called "The Lord's Table" on www.settingcaptivesfree.com

It's pretty amazing...and it's free! It only takes a few minutes a day and is a 60-day study. Go check it out...if you decide to join it, let me know...we can encourage each other. Of course, I'll encourage you no matter what!

Love you sister....Lee

Julie Gillies said...

Hi there, Pamela,

Thanks for stopping by my blog - it's so nice to meet you. And THANKS for praying for me during She Speaks.

I LOVE the title of your post. It seems so obvious and yet how many times do we succomb?

With my current health issues I have gained 5 pounds and it's bizarre, I tell you. I needed to hear this.

Excellent post. I will be back.

Blessings!

Tammy said...

Thank you so much for stopping by my place today and leaving a comment.

Over the last year, I have gained about 5 pounds and it just seems to stay no matter what. I have struggled with thyroid problems since I was 30 and now that I am 40 the weight seems like it WAY harder to get off.

May God bless you and your family today.

On Purpose said...

Thank you so much for loving on me! You are such a blessing in my life.

I am celebrating today on my blog and you have been invited!

Nicole said...

Pam,

Wow, it is definetly a miracle that you are alive. I love hearing stories where outside of God a situation wouldn't have happended (like when you were little and what the doctors told your parents).

Thank you for being so real and opening up with me. I agree that our struggles are to give God glory. I have been learning this recently and I need to thank you for helping with this.

Thank you for your wise words and your character that is evident in your life because your are surrendered to Christ.

I am going to add you to my favorite sites so I can get here easier than looking you up every time (please be sure to let me know if this is not okay...and I will for sure understand).

Looking foward to getting to know you more through this crazy thing called blogland!:)

Love to you also, my dear friend.

~Nicole

PS-Thank you for your prayers. I am lifting you up also. I look forward to see how the Lord continue to works in and through your situation. He is so great, mighty, able, and worthy to be praised!

Runner Mom said...

Hey, Pam! I'm visiting you via "...On Purpose" !!She invited me to her party just like you! I just love her shoes picture!

I read your comment about fixing supper!!!!!! That is something I would say--I am not cooking dinner, but supper!. When I pulled up your info, I saw that you're from Rock Hill. Lynn, who has also visited my bog, is from there as well. I grew up 45 minutes away in Heath Springs. Ever heard of it? It's smaller than Mayberry!

Thank you for sharing your sweeet heart on your blog. I have confidence that you will attain your desired weight. It won't happen overnight, but with perseverance and God's help, you'll get there, my friend. Take care!!

Blessings,
Susan

My ADHD Me said...

I can SO relate to this. I don't remember a time in my life when I wasn't struggeling with my weight. I remember, when I was probably 10-12 years old, my mother telling me how many caleries were in every piece of food I put in my mouth and telling me I looked like a football player wearing his shoulder pads etc. I have yo-yo dieted, starved myself for months (eating only 10-15 cheese nips and a cup of boullion a day), and tried every sort of diet known to mankind---except the one where you eat moderately and excersize regularly. I am not lying when I say I have probably lost and regained close to 400 pounds in my life. The sad thing is, I look at pictures of myself when I was young and I was never overweight...Just in my mom's eye's and then in mine. And as an adult, there have been times when I may have been a little heavy (never extremely) and there have been times when I was underweight but I always have felt fat. Now I am probably just where I should be. Even so, when I look in the mirror I can't help but think maybe if I lost a few pounds.....

SO (and I'm sorry this is so long), I will remember this post, maybe even print it out and when I get that nagging "feeling" I can remember God loves me as I am. He wants me healthy....not weak, sick & stick skinny. I won't listen to the devil no matter how loud he is!

Joyfulsister said...

Hi pam,
I Love your blog, I love Pink too !! I love your realness and your heart. I'm so glad we got to meet one another in our blogging journey.

Hey you know what?? My Pastor used to say, don't wait till the battle is over.. "Shout now", claim the victory, and give that devil a black eye. The Lord said the battle is not ours it's his. Remember my post on perfection that I wrote, well when others see you giving it all to the Lord, weight and all, they will not focus on you or the weight, but see a confident women of God who doesn't dwell on the imperfections because we all have flaws and if our flaws bring us closer to Jesus then praise the Lord because he will bring us through any battles in our lives, shout the parises of victory in the Lord.

Hugz Lorie

Runner Mom said...

Hey, Pam! I worked in Lancaster and went to USCL as well! Small world, my friend! I'll get your info to Lynn tomorrow. My eyes are crossing from using the computer so much today! I'm taking a teacher recert. class on computers!

We live outside of Greenville now! It wasn't AJ State Park, but Paris Mtn. State Park. I actually went to Andrew Jackson High school. Why don't you email me when you get time to chat? I'm at carolinahoods@charter.net. Would love to visit homefolk!
Blessings,
Susan

Sharon said...

Hey,
Love your comfidence.. I had surgery as well and now fighting with the weight gain. It's really hard but it seems to have stablized now, I have got to get back in the excercise mode.
Glad you are feeling better.
Blessings to you
Sharon

Kimberly said...

What an awesome post, Pamela! Why, oh why do I let the enemy try to drag me back down into fights that have already been won, fears that have already been conquered?

I am struggling witht the weight issue now, too, after a life of being thin with no effort. And I have eating habits that have started catching up with me. I realizeI am not overweight, but I have been so discouraged with how my body is changing and the enemy has been have a field day with my self esteem. Thank you so much for your honesty and courage in this post! I know your strength is from the Lord, and I need to be sure I am turning to prayer first, too!

Thanks, sweet Pamela!

"When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him." Is. 59:19

Sonya Lee Thompson said...

I am so glad to hear that you have found the victory that was already there for you, just waiting to be clainmed!

This reminds me of an old christian song my parents used to sing it went something like this: "we've won, we've won, hallelujah we've won, I've read the back of the book and we've won..." Fun song. Great testimony!

Mrs.Naz@BecomingMe said...

Just found your blog this morning and so glad I did. Beautiful post and I too battle in this area. Thank you for the encouragement.

Edie said...

Pam I'm just about convinced that God lives inside your keyboard! Everything I read here speaks straight to my heart. You are a beautiful Sister. I'm signing up for the newsletter! LOL :)

Rich Blessings to you -