Parenting from Proverbs: Self Control

Proverbs 25:28:

Whoever has no rule over his own spirit
Is like a city broken down, without walls.

Once again in my study, although I need to teach my children to have self control, I feel like I need to reflect on the wisdom of this passage personally.  I think it boils down to the fact that I need to have more patience in my handlings with others, particularly with my children. I often let frustration overrun my attitude and my words rather than calmly handling a situation. Or, I let myself become completely run down with little things that turn into something bigger. And when it become something bigger, I don’t handle the situation like I ought. I need to have more self control and patience to not let the little things bother me so much. I also need to make sure that I’m promoting an attitude of selflessness. Sometimes when I struggle with patience and self control, I know it is because I’m not exhibiting a God-first, others-second, me-last attitude. I don’t want to be a city that is broken down without walls, but rather a stronghold for my home.

More parenting from Proverbs

I need to take a before picture

Ugh, this has to be about the 500th (ok, maybe 1000th) time in my life I’ve decided to start a diet. Except this time I’m planning for it to be different. I don’t need a diet. I need a lifestyle change. And, I need to take a before picture, because I’m determined that there will be an after worth seeing.

I started this new life on Monday, and so far have managed to stay focused. I started Monday morning off bright and early by doing the Couch to 5K workout. (If you aren’t familiar with the Couch to 5K program, it is a program that you follow three days a week to slowly build yourself up to running a 5K in 9 weeks). I’m not going to sugarcoat it – I felt absolutely awful after completing the workout. I complained to my husband that I thought exercising was supposed to make you feel good, but I felt anything but good. But, I did it. I made it through the first workout. And, then I made it through a day of counting calories and staying below my calorie target. And then Tuesday came around, and I made it through a second day of counting calories. And then today, even though I absolutely didn’t want to get up, I completed the second day of the Couch to 5K workout.

I know that I’m really going to have to do some serious training when it comes to food. I certainly have some internal struggles with food. For instance, yesterday we had a soup and salad luncheon. I counted calories, was barely able to eat anything {especially considering what I normally eat}, and left hungry and unsatisfied. I really thought eating at a soup and salad luncheon would be easy. But it wasn’t, not even close. I need to learn to exercise self control in my life. I know I can do it; after all, I had to follow strict food restrictions in both my pregnancies because I had gestational diabetes. My actions must reflect the importance of being healthy.