Chocolate cake did me in! . . . Initiated the steady decline into an all-out hormonal upheaval, which means . . . I battled depression all last week.

I simply cannot tolerate an overdose of sugar anymore.

My emotions go wonky.

My thoughts go, well . . . PSYCHO!

Sugar is my slippery slope to despair.

I  know this, yet . . . chocolate cake happened. And not just one time with one cake. For some reason, it kept being offered to me in different settings throughout the week.

It takes me days to recover. The struggle is REAL!

To feel good, I MUST consistently choose good things for myself.

• Exercise 4 or more times a week
• LIMIT sugar and carbs
• Spend time in God’s Word daily
• And… as strange as it might sound… de-clutter and/or organize something. (strange, I know. But, possibly you can relate.)

The physical act of dealing with my junk, triggers a mindset reboot for me: a letting-go of junk I’m clinging to.

I’ve been slowly going through my closet this past year. I was able to get it looking very organized, but still hadn’t completely dealt with all my clothes. Eight months ago, I turned every hanger backwards to see what items I was actually wearing. It would stay hanging from the backside of the closet rod until I wore it. Once the piece was worn, it earned the right to remain in my closet, hanging properly. It’s a pretty good system, quickly revealing what is being utilized. And I gave this system a good amount of time, basically hitting all four seasons.

More than a third of my clothes remained untouched for the past eight months. That’s a lot! Not only that, most had not been worn for years . . . just taking up space and representing my inability to make a decision!

I’m storing unwanted stuff!

Which brings me back to chocolate cake; I’m eating unwanted stuff!

In other words . . . I have to deal with my stuff!! . . . again!

With the recent loss of my dad, I KNOW my energy and emotions have taken a pretty big hit. Grief seems to sneak up on me when I least expect it, cycling in and out of my life. Sometimes I can go days feeling fine, and then something grabs my attention, signaling the new, empty place in my heart. I embrace those times, however, taking them as opportunities to reflect on life with my dad. But… this is all the more reason to STAY IN THE GAME. Don’t trade good choices for cheap fillers.

Cake, closets, and grief. The connection for me right now is real, and I hope I can encourage you to stay the course.

 “Though we experience every kind of pressure, we’re not crushed. At times we don’t know what to do, but quitting is not an option.” (Nor is over-eating chocolate cake!)

2 Corinthians 4:8 (The Passion Translation)