Free Indeed!
August 11th, 2007, 11:25 PM
Prayer and scripture are the best tools, but here are some simple practical helps that might be of use to you. I found these helped me...
Search out and write on small cards, every POSITIVE scripture you can find on promises and encouragment and strength, etc. Business card size is perfect. Carry these with you in a pocket and read them as needed. (They won't help if you don't read them!)
Remember that a craving has a time limit to it. (Don't even think about the rest of the day, week, year or whatever!) Just deal with one craving at a time. If you hang on, the craving WILL pass, no matter how strong it feels.
Very tiny, very strong peppermints...when a craving becomes too much, chew one up, swallow it and then take a few deep breaths to feel the coolness of the peppermint in your throat. It replaces the act of inhaling the smoke and helped me a lot.
Eat a whole prune and keep the pit in your mouth. Having it seemed to prevent the physical craving of putting something into my mouth and probably saved me from gaining even more weight than I did..lol.
Keeping a diary for a while might help to reveal your 'triggers' and then enable you to avoid them. Certain times of day and certain things...my first cup of coffee in the morning and the one after dinner were my worst times...will trigger cravings. Know your weak spots.
Get as much fresh air as you can stand. For me, fresh air always stalled off a craving for a bit longer than usual.
Never, never, never let Satan tell you that God can't forgive you, or doesn't like you as much because you haven't quit yet. That dirty liar tormented me with that for a very long time because I had been delivered instantly from smoking, was free of it for three years and then foolishly thought I could have "just one". I was right back where I started and in deeper. At the end of my smoking days, I was a three packs a day smoker with four packs a day of guilt. I struggled for the next 20 something years with that guilt. I was convinced that God could never forgive me for throwing away the wonderful gift He had given me. Well, He showed me just how wrong I was, and just how longsuffering and loving He is. I am now 1 1/2 years free...Free Indeed! Praise God that He is continually teaching me of His amazing love.
Never give up on yourself because God hasn't given up you.
Search out and write on small cards, every POSITIVE scripture you can find on promises and encouragment and strength, etc. Business card size is perfect. Carry these with you in a pocket and read them as needed. (They won't help if you don't read them!)
Remember that a craving has a time limit to it. (Don't even think about the rest of the day, week, year or whatever!) Just deal with one craving at a time. If you hang on, the craving WILL pass, no matter how strong it feels.
Very tiny, very strong peppermints...when a craving becomes too much, chew one up, swallow it and then take a few deep breaths to feel the coolness of the peppermint in your throat. It replaces the act of inhaling the smoke and helped me a lot.
Eat a whole prune and keep the pit in your mouth. Having it seemed to prevent the physical craving of putting something into my mouth and probably saved me from gaining even more weight than I did..lol.
Keeping a diary for a while might help to reveal your 'triggers' and then enable you to avoid them. Certain times of day and certain things...my first cup of coffee in the morning and the one after dinner were my worst times...will trigger cravings. Know your weak spots.
Get as much fresh air as you can stand. For me, fresh air always stalled off a craving for a bit longer than usual.
Never, never, never let Satan tell you that God can't forgive you, or doesn't like you as much because you haven't quit yet. That dirty liar tormented me with that for a very long time because I had been delivered instantly from smoking, was free of it for three years and then foolishly thought I could have "just one". I was right back where I started and in deeper. At the end of my smoking days, I was a three packs a day smoker with four packs a day of guilt. I struggled for the next 20 something years with that guilt. I was convinced that God could never forgive me for throwing away the wonderful gift He had given me. Well, He showed me just how wrong I was, and just how longsuffering and loving He is. I am now 1 1/2 years free...Free Indeed! Praise God that He is continually teaching me of His amazing love.
Never give up on yourself because God hasn't given up you.