I've never seen a more picturesque neighborhood, than mine on Halloween. The trees are painted with the beautiful colors of fall and the bricked sidewalks are sprinkled with crunchy leaves. The homes are decorated, some quite extravagantly, and are beaming with opportunity for smiling faces and promises of name brand candy. In all my years of trick or treating I've never seen anything like it. My sweet boys came home after an hour of trick or treating with 2 bags full of candy. Pour dad was designated to be the one to carry them home because they were too heavy (I don't think he minded... ;). My two power rangers had a wonderful night and went off to bed without any fuss. Aww.. bedtime. A time for me to do what I want.. to watch what I want to watch... and that's when the reality of the candy set in. They won't know if I sneak and few... or three. (come on parents, you know that's how it goes).

So this year was different for me. You see, I started a new healthy plan on Monday. I've done incredible all week and swore I wouldn't have ANY treats, ANY.. not a single bite. I completely took it off the table as an option. I'm a chocolate addict, my husband laughs and rolls his eyes when I say it, but it's true. I can't just have one Reeses.. it turns into 5 or 6.. then I still want more. (Just being real here). So, as Halloween approached I knew I needed a plan and that this may be an incredibly tough battle of my wills. In anticipation I made a healthy treat for myself so I would have something to help once we returned home. I drank plenty of water to keep my mouth busy and as I was crawling into bed I was PROUD of myself. Halloween was a success. The thing is, as you all know, it's not over yet. We have a LOT of candy in our house... like the good stuff. haha   So, it's a new day, another day where I will have to exercise some serious self control. It doesn't seem very fun does it? But you know, this morning I was reminded of something... I was MADE FOR MORE. That's what I want to share with you today.

As a child of God, I was not made to be chained to addictions, even if it's JUST unhealthy foods. I was not made for failure or vicious cycles of yo-yo dieting. I wasn't made to be a slave to my taste-buds. No.. as a child of God I was made for Victory. And most importantly, I was made to live a life that honors God. I've come to a point where I can't let food control me and how I feel. Yes, those yummy treats taste good for the 5-10 minutes that I'm savoring them and watching my shows, but  the guilt afterwards isn't worth it.You see, if I'm not careful, I let those unhealthy choices and my circumstances identify who I am, rather that who God says I am. For the first time, I'm really letting God in on this journey. I'm inviting him in and asking HIm for his help because honestly I don't have enough self control to fight that HUGE bowl of candy in my kitchen on a daily basis. I  need his strength and His help. That's what He's here for, he WANTS us to call on Him and ask him for help and for his strength to help us overcome. So... if you have a big bowl of candy in your kitchen right now, or even if you don't, you don't have to a slave to your taste buds any longer. You were Made for So much more. You are set-free, holy, made-new, and confident in Christ. Lets choose to find our true identity in Christ and not by our circumstances. Lets call on Him for His strength and decide to invite Him into this journey with us. We were made for so much more. Living in victory sure tastes sweeter than those sweet treats! Lets move into November victorious!