I just found these forums and plan to come here for some online support and fellowship. I have been a "smoker" for fifteen years. I have an 11-month-old baby and a fiance who smokes. I've quit a few times beofre, once even for two years! I started up six months ago after quitting when I got pregnant. I have been preparing for my final quit day for a few weeks and am confident God is with me in this. (I've bolded some things to add drama to the text because it's a big deal to me.
)
Here are some of the plans I have for my big weekend:
Set up babysitting with fiance and mother-in-law.
Plan to sleep A LOT the first two days
Will abstain from morning coffee and evening wine.
Instead I will have black tea and green tea with mint
Mint candies and caramels for my "reward" the first few days
Light meals that aren't spicy or too salty
Will brush my teeth after meals instead of heading outside
Lots of fruit and water
Take many deep breaths and count to ten in french and spanish (try to make it a bit more interesting and distracting that way)
Find and memorize bible references to self-control, resisting temptation, and renewing the mind.
Challenges I know I'll face will be:
Combatting the disappointment that comes when I refuse myself a cigarette after meals or when my fiance goes outside to smoke.
Physical longing and feeling dizzy and irritable.
Filling up those ten minute periods that my addicted once scheduled for me.
Distracting myself from the rationalizations that say, "This isn't the time to quit...", "Smoking isn't as bad a habit as other things.....", "If smoking doesn't kill you something else will...." (it's amazing the power our flesh has when it infects our thinking)
In addition to the first list of precautions I've planned, I also know with all my heart that though it may not be easy to stay quit, God won't abandon me in this battle. A fatal mistake for all of us is thinking we needn't involve Him in our daily struggles. I want to be victorious over my body, I want to "possess my vessel" and no longer be a slave to it. As a mother I can't afford to compromise in that area if I expect my daughter to learn self-control.
I have many people lifting me up in prayer this weekend and I believe with all my heart that God will provide everything I need to win. He will do a miraculous thing in me that will go far beyond quitting smoking. This transformation in my mind will produce self-discipline and mental clarity so I can live in God's presence more constantly and know His will more clearly. My highest aim is to be as dependent on the Father as Jesus was when He walked this earth so that everything I do may be because God told me to do it. As Jesus Christ is the author of my faith, He is also the perfector of it. I'm excited about this crucial stage in the building of my faith.
"The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:24
May all those who endeavor to control their bodies remember Jesus Christ.
Love,
Diana
)Here are some of the plans I have for my big weekend:
Set up babysitting with fiance and mother-in-law.
Plan to sleep A LOT the first two days
Will abstain from morning coffee and evening wine.
Instead I will have black tea and green tea with mint
Mint candies and caramels for my "reward" the first few days
Light meals that aren't spicy or too salty
Will brush my teeth after meals instead of heading outside
Lots of fruit and water
Take many deep breaths and count to ten in french and spanish (try to make it a bit more interesting and distracting that way)
Find and memorize bible references to self-control, resisting temptation, and renewing the mind.
Challenges I know I'll face will be:
Combatting the disappointment that comes when I refuse myself a cigarette after meals or when my fiance goes outside to smoke.
Physical longing and feeling dizzy and irritable.
Filling up those ten minute periods that my addicted once scheduled for me.
Distracting myself from the rationalizations that say, "This isn't the time to quit...", "Smoking isn't as bad a habit as other things.....", "If smoking doesn't kill you something else will...." (it's amazing the power our flesh has when it infects our thinking)
In addition to the first list of precautions I've planned, I also know with all my heart that though it may not be easy to stay quit, God won't abandon me in this battle. A fatal mistake for all of us is thinking we needn't involve Him in our daily struggles. I want to be victorious over my body, I want to "possess my vessel" and no longer be a slave to it. As a mother I can't afford to compromise in that area if I expect my daughter to learn self-control.
I have many people lifting me up in prayer this weekend and I believe with all my heart that God will provide everything I need to win. He will do a miraculous thing in me that will go far beyond quitting smoking. This transformation in my mind will produce self-discipline and mental clarity so I can live in God's presence more constantly and know His will more clearly. My highest aim is to be as dependent on the Father as Jesus was when He walked this earth so that everything I do may be because God told me to do it. As Jesus Christ is the author of my faith, He is also the perfector of it. I'm excited about this crucial stage in the building of my faith.
"The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:24
May all those who endeavor to control their bodies remember Jesus Christ.
Love,
Diana
