Good Morning Girls!  I don’t have much to say this morning.  My eyes are only half open because somehow I got sucked into the Academy Awards last night….I have no idea how that happened.  Must be because Tom is still away on business.  I haven’t had the remote for 12 years now, so I must have decided to keep the tv on whatever channel I chose first…..just to prove that it is possible!  So yeah I proved my point….boo, cause now I am tired.

At least I am not tired due to a sugar hangover!  It has been two weeks now, and it is going pretty good.  I did however find a replacement drug last week.  That would be pulled pork sandwiches and french fries.  Seriously.  I ended up going out to eat 3 times last week.  That is very odd as I haven’t been out to eat three times in the last 3 months prior to last week.  But somehow in one week I ended up eating three orders of fries.

My ordering strategy had changed completely.  In the past I would have ordered a salad with chicken breast……so I could have dessert.  Now, knowing I would not be eating dessert, I simply ordered what sounded good.  I’m pretty sure the draw to the pork sandwich was the bbq sauce, which is known to have a high sugar content.  Baby steps………

Another part of the ordering choices could be what I call the Entitlement Factor.  It is that sense of “well if I can’t do this…..than I am going to do that”.  It is that sense of entitlement that got me into trouble in the first place.  “I gave up drinking….I gave up smoking…..I gave up gambling……I gave up swearing…….at the very least I am Entitled to eat whatever I want.”  And the truth is we are entitled to eat whatever we want.  Entitled simply means we have a right to something.  Whether I eat cake or a protein shake for breakfast, God loves me the same.  It is not about right or wrong.  The problem with feeling Entitled is the attitude that accompanies it.  It is the attitude of: “I gave this up for you” that lands us into trouble.

If there was ever a Man who had a right to play the “Entitlement card” it would be Jesus!  If he were anyone other than who He is, you know he would look at us and say “Don’t you know what I did for you?  Don’t you know how much I suffered?  Don’t you know the pain, anguish and torture I endured for you!  Now since I did that for you…..you have to do this for me!”  Come on Girls, you all know you have played the Entitlement card to your family for far less things…..I know I have!  “I just finished cleaning the kitchen after making you all supper and now I have to go finish the laundry…….the least you could do for me is give me 15 minutes to myself!  I am at least Entitled to that!”  And Girls, you are.  However, when your attitude shifts to always being Entitlement minded, you end up making your family feel like you hate doing everything you do for them.  You also end up in a place where all you are thinking about is your self, and the things you are entitled to.

We are not Entitled to anything based on the work we do.  We are Entitled to everything because of the work Jesus did on the cross.  We are entitled to a life of love, peace, provision, and joy….a life with Jesus…because of Him.  It is a privilege….an undeserved one at that!

Love you all,
Jen

Romans 5:2  Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.