[Diana3271]

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November 5

Matthew 5:11
'Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.'

Ken could hardly wait to get back to school. Peter had ridden him about his weight the entire year before. When Ken had vowed to lose weight over the summer, Pete had laughed at him. 'Fat boy, you can't keep away from food. You'll be back, big as a beach ball. Don't kid yourself!' Ken could hardly wait to make Pete eat those words. He had spent the entire summer as a Christian youth counselor at camp. The people there were so supportive of what he was trying to do. They had made it possible. Not only had they helped him lose weight, but they helped him show Peter just how wrong he could be!

[Diana3271]

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November 6

Mark 10:49-50
And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, 'Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.' And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

Kate was so thankful. God had truly blessed her. She had been on the verge of collapse, and the doctor told her that her weight had to go. Reluctantly, she had started to diet, not expecting any great results. She prayed for God to help her, because she felt so weak. When the doctor gave he a clean bill of health, she closed her eyes and prayed. God is God of the impossible. When we say 'can't,' He says 'can.' Faith is believing that God can, and will, help us when we are in need. God cares for His children, and for that we should be eternally grateful.

Today's thought: I'd rather be grateful than have another plateful!

[Diana3271]

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November 7

Philippians 4:19
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

It really wasn't fair that so many thin people couldn't understand what it meant to be fat. Patty got mad when skinny friends chastised her for not sticking to her diet better. What did they know? Patty was always so thankful to God for what weight she'd been able to lose already that she could never understand why her friends put her down. Didn't they know what she had to sacrifice? Whenever Patty got mad at her friends, she asked God to help calm her down. His peace filled her heart, and she was able to relax. God had done so much for her while she dieted. Too bad her friends couldn't see it.

Today's thought: God is with me when it feels like the world is against me!

[Diana3271]

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November 8

1 Thessalonians 3:9
For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God.

Gail wished she could do more for Mrs. Cooper. One night Mrs. Cooper had passed by her apartment and heard Gail crying. She stopped to see if there was anything she could do to help. Gail told her about her diet and how hard it was. Mrs. Cooper had been very sympathetic, and had spent many hours with her since. She helped take Gail's mind off food. Gail really felt strongly that she wouldn't have made it through the diet without Mrs. Cooper. We have someone who will listen to us when things get to be too much for us. That someone is God, and we can be thankful that He is ever with us, ready to listen to the concerns of our hearts.

Today's thought: Let your praises to God be louder than the grumblings of your stomach!

[Diana3271]

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November 9

Job 1:21
'. . .Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.'

Stella was extremely frustrated. She had worked so hard to lose weight. She had done a great job, but now it was even harder to keep it off. She felt she was doing a good job of eating the right foods in small quantities, but when she'd step on the scales, she would find her weight creeping up. She always thought that once she got her weight down, everything would be easy. Boy, was that false! Weight-watching was a full-time job! Stella used to pray for God to keep her in line, but now the prayers were needed all the time. It just went to prove that nothing could be taken for granted. Good things don't come easy, but they're still worth having.

Today's thought: Lord, give me strength, but take my weight problem!

[Diana3271]

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November 10

Luke 19:40
And he answered and said unto them, 'I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.'

Preston could hardly contain his excitement as the plane approached its landing. He hadn't seen his sister in over a year. At their last meeting he had weighed about 260 pounds. Now, he was a trim 180. He couldn't wait to see her face. He never remembered being so anxious to see anyone before in his life. It was important to him to please his family, and he knew nothing would please his sister more than to see him looking so good. God give us such experiences to make our sacrifices worthwhile. We can be thankful that God motivates us in such loving ways. With His blessed help, we can't keep from succeeding.

Today's thought: I want others to see me like they've never seen me before!

[Diana3271]

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November 11

Matthew 13:44
'Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.'

Kris would give anything to be thin again. She was willing to diet, she was willing to exercise, she was willing to try anything. Following a number of traumatic experiences in her life, she had let herself go, but now she regretted it with all her heart. Earnestly she began to pray to God. Within a few weeks, her dieting was beginning to pay off. Delighted with the results, she doubled her efforts, with her doctor's permission, and devoted herself to her diet, body, mind, and soul. For the first time in years, she found herself happy and content. The joy she found was a blessed gift from God.

Today's thought: I'm looking for little victories to keep me dieting!

[Diana3271]

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November 12

Philemon 1:4-6
I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

Thomas was a great help with members of the group. He had lost so much weight, on more than one occasion, so he knew what it was like to triumph as well as to fall back into failure. He had rallied, though, and beaten his weight problem again. He was living proof that it could be done, and that it wasn't hopeless when temptation got the better of a person. He shared his story with many people, and he helped them through some hard struggles. He was a faithful man, and his faith shone through. God had called Thomas to a very special ministry, and he answered that call in a very special way.

Today's thought: I may fall back time and again, but I'm heading in the right direction!

[Diana3271]

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November 13

1 Peter 1:8-9
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Stephanie always had a picture of what she would look like in the back of her mind. She used to dream of how she would look once she lost weight. It was hard to imagine, but she did it anyway. That dream gave her motivation. Though she didn't really know what she'd look like, her imagination kept her on the right path. Faith means acting on what we believe, even when we can't actually see the object of our faith. Faith in God teaches us how to put faith in action. When we are motivated by what we do not yet see, we find strength and joy in the living of our lives.

Today's thought: In my mind I see a whole new me!

[Diana3271]

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November 14

Hebrews 12:2
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Mary took comfort from the gospels. Whenever she felt sorry for herself, she looked at the Bible. She couldn't believe all that Jesus had done and suffered. He had so much, and He emptied Himself to give to others. In the end, He received eternal glory. What a wonderful lesson. Dieting is a temporary and comparatively minor sacrifice, compared with Christs sacrifice. And yet, as Christ triumphed over His situation, so shall we triumph over ours. Christ is our example in all things. The Author and Finisher of our faith has shown us the way to victory, and we share in His joy when we triumph in our own lives.

Today's thought: What I suffer today is worth the victory tomorrow!

[Diana3271]

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November 15

Luke 1:49

'For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.'

Al sat in his chair, looking around the living room at all the people he loved so much. Six months ago, he had almost died of a heart attack. Today he was forty pounds trimmer and a whole lot healthier. He had so much to be thankful for. God had been so good to him. He never realized how much life meant to him until he almost lost it. Now he found it wasn't that hard to watch his diet and his blood pressure. It was worth it. God had done great things for Al. The least he could do was take good care of himself. After all, he had a great family that he planned to enjoy into his old, old age.

Today's thought: Life is a gift from God that I have no right to abuse!

[Diana3271]

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November 16

Psalm 146:1, 8
Praise ye the Lord, Praise the Lord, O my soul. The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous.

Dick couldn't believe everyone was against him. First, his wife started making comments about his weight. Next, it was his doctor. Now, his friends at the office. He looked the same as he always did. Why was everyone picking on him all of the sudden? Maybe he had gained a little, but that was just normal spread for a middle-aged man. He'd never worried about weight before, and he sure wasn't planning to start worrying now. Sometimes we are too blind to see when we need to lose weight. Pride gets in the way, and we aren't honest with ourselves. Ask God to help keep ego out of the way, and He will open your eyes to see what needs to be done.

Today's thought: When it comes to weight, I won't kid myself!

[Diana3271]

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November 17

Isaiah 12:5
Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.

Ann went out shopping for a whole new winter wardrobe. Every day of her diet, she had put money away for just this very day. She had set a goal for herself, and she promised to take herself shopping when she reached it. Now was that day, and she was overjoyed. For the first time in years, she wasn't embarrassed to go out for new things. She could walk into normal stores and pull things off the rack to wear. She could find new fashions and not worry about whether they came in her size. The whole world looked brighter. God had been so good to her, and she was thankful. Now she was going to be good to herself!

Today's thought: I'm going to treat myself to a new me!

[Diana3271]

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November 18

Luke 18:43
And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Scott knew his brother Dave couldn't have lost weight on his own. Dave had never been able to say no to food in all his life. When Scott asked Dave who helped him, Dave had just smiled and pointed up into the sky. Scott couldn't believe it. Dave was trying to tell him that God had made the transformation happen? Well, if that was true it would make a believer out of him. Scott had never been much of a Christian before, but if God could do that much for Dave, then He was someone worth believing in. The miracles of God truly are a wonder to behold.

Today's thought: I will glorify God by losing weight for Him and for me!

[Diana3271]

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November 19

John 11:25
Jesus said unto her, 'I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.'

Ralph might as well have been dead. He never went out. He had few friends. He never felt like trying to do anything. He ate and drank and slept and went to work. What a life, if you could call it living. One day he couldn't bring himself to look at his own face in the mirror. Tearfully, he picked up the Bible his dead wife had given him some years before. As he read, he realized how he was throwing his life away. He was somebody important, if for no other reason than that God had made him. With a prayer of thanksgiving on his lips, Ralph decided to make a new start, and God's hand was upon him from that day forward.

Today's thought: I want to live the life God wants me to live!