die flesh, die!

In my last post I talked about crucifying the flesh & walking by the Spirit. I believe the Lord 
has been leading me to work on self-control, a fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) I have 
practically started working on this fruit by doing a couple things: 
1. The Daniel Fast (www.daniel-fast.com), by denying myself sugar & 
carbs, things that are a weakness for me, I am killing my flesh. The same 
is true with any sin… the more we starve the desire the easier it is to stay 
away from it & the less you think about it, as it is with sugar for me. But 
as soon as I start eating it again, I start craving it again. Ridiculous! Mike 
& I started the Daniel Fast 2 weeks ago & it’s going well so far! It feels 
good to starve my flesh. 
2. 31 Days To Clean (cleaning program by Sarah Mae). Each day I 
make some time to deep clean an area of my house that I don’t clean 
normally. It takes killing my flesh to get up the energy & to spend the 
time doing this each day. But it is a joy to serve my family in this way. :) 
3. Getting to bed early & waking up early. I’ve always needed about 
8 hours of sleep in order to feel alive during the day. I want to rise early 
to workout & have time with the Lord before the boys wake up & in order 
to do that I need to get in bed early. I get in bed between 9 & 10 & 
wake up at 5:45. All I have to say is… I am NOT a morning person, but 
being a mommy of 2 young boys means I don’t get to decide that. :) 
“She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household.” 
Proverbs 31:15
4. Working out… I want to be healthy in order to serve the Lord & 
my family well. I am going to start getting up at 5:45am to take Oliver 
(my little sister’s dog that we’re keeping for awhile) on a walk, needed 
exercise for both of us. “She dresses herself with strength and makes 
her arms strong.” Proverbs 31:17
5. Time with my Lord, I can’t do anything apart from Him! I need 
time with Him! He is why I do all of “this”. I need Him more than any 
of these other things I’ve listed. There really is no excuse to not spend 
time with Him. So after my walks I’m going to spend time with Him, 
prayerfully before the boys get up. ;)

I’m really excited to see how the Lord uses these practical things to produce self-control in me. I pray I am faithful with where He has me & what He’s called me to.
al

I do what I don't want to do

So originally for this post I was going to talk just about self control & self discipline & how 

I don’t always eat right & I never workout & I get in seasons when I don’t get up early 

enough to spend time with my Lord. Then I realized I have an area of sin in my life that has 

to do with this (I think a lot of young moms struggle with this). The sin of seeing our children 

as an inconvenience, becoming angry with them, raising our voices, overall just not seeing 

them through the Lord’s eyes & acting out of our flesh. “I do not understand my own actions. 

For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I 

agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within 

me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do 

what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I 

do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do 

it, but sin that dwells within me.” Romans 7:15-20

My desire is to ALWAYS be loving & patient with my children, & my husband for that matter, 
& to see them & their needs as more important than myself. However, nothing good dwells in 
my flesh so when I’m acting out of my flesh it’s going to be quite hard to do that. “But I say, 
walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh 
are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to 
each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, 
you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, 
sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 
envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those 
who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, 
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things 
there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions 
and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Galatians 5:16-25 I have to 
rely on the grace & strength of the Lord minute by minute to walk in the Spirit. To be patient 
& kind to my children, to always put them before myself. When they disobey I need to have 
self-control to turn away from the flesh that wants to take it personally that they didn’t obey 
me & more importantly see that they are disobeying the Lord by disobeying me, & I need to 
return them to Him through discipline. (Eph. 6:1-4) Children are a blessing & a heritage from 
the Lord. (Psalm 127:3) 

What a great honor to raise these sweet ones to love & fear the Lord, to walk in His ways. 
What a great responsibility, wow. 

All this to say… 
I will continue to strive to crucify my flesh & walk by the Spirit, to be gracious, loving & 
patient with my children. I will only be able to do that by being in the Word & by the grace 
of God.

al